In 2020 I reached a benchmark I had long wanted to reach. I beat my 500th game in my lifetime, and with that, I decided it was time to organize and make a list of my favorites. To commemorate and really feel satisfied with this idea I wanted to share my list with the world. So on my social platform of Kitsu, I decided to make a post one at a time about each and every game on my list. These are those posts migrated over here for you all to read. Once I make the Top Ten though, all of those posts will be wholly unique and curated for here. I plan to update this list every year, but for now, until I reach the end of my countdown, please enjoy my current Top 100 Favorite Games of All Time! Any questions or concerns, let me know in the comments below, but as always thank you for reading my little gaming wanderers! Here’s to video games and my lifelong passion for them, shared with you all!
60: Yakuza 0
Played on: PS4
Year Released: 2016
Bigger, more dramatic, and altogether just a slightly better experience than Kiwami, Yakuza 0 pushes forward showing the highest ability of the series. It’s funny because modern gamers will always tell you to play Yakuza 0 first because of the place it is set in the timeline. I ignored that because most gamers don’t know anything about actual release history. While Kiwami came out after 0 did, it was a remake of the actual beginnings of the story, so I started there. I was planning to go through all the way up to finishing 5 before playing 0 because release order seemed more interesting to me, but then I had a change of heart when I considered that Kiwami 2 and 0 were meant to be linked in ways. 0 was made with the intention to seamlessly be the starting point that led into the main franchise and Kiwami 1 and 2 were remade with it in mind as well. I don’t regret my choice of going Kiwami then 0 honestly, but it’s funny how often people always mention 0 has to be first. I actually think I enjoyed parts of the story and certain substories more because of Kiwami’s knowledge in my head, but maybe it could work in reverse all the same. Either way, both games make a wonderful place to jump in.
Yakuza 0 maintains most of the minigames from the mainline series and doesn’t hold a lot of unique qualities in that regard. Except for two major ones, the real estate, and hostess minigames. These two factor largely into the two-tiered story Yakuza 0 tells as it goes incredibly large scale in story focus this time around. Where the first Yakuza games ranged at around 15-20 hrs of story Yakuza 0 almost triples those numbers with a far more robust story, one half each focused on Kiryu and Majima. This is where Yakuza 0 elevates beyond Kiwami. Where I feel it lacks new content in most side stuff, and the new combat system tweaks in it are done far better in Kiwami, Yakuza 0 knocks the story out of the fucking park. If you love the twists, turns, and amazement that your favorite Korean/Japanese drama television shows give you, this is the type of story you are going to get. They are sometimes wacky, often melodramatic, and always manage to punch you right in the gut with incredible dramatic timing. The ways this story plays out are honesty brilliant and one of the most entertaining things about this series is how it does that consistently while never overstaying its welcome.
While combat is solid it lacks the polish Kiwami has, and the real estate minigame is just a grindy boring mess, you do have some saving graces. Obviously brand new substories are always excellent, and some of them tie directly into Kiwami 1 and 2 so those are treats. And of course, you get ones with like Michael Jackson and Steven Spielberg making a music video that can’t help but make you laugh like crazy. There is some new stuff though worth mentioning. You have things like the disco minigame that just feels only okay to play, and the hostess minigame that is a true highlight for me. The way you can customize your girls in a minidress-up game, get to know their personalities well to make them more comfortable at the job, and then manage them with a fun and fast-paced simulation game is just wonderful. This is the standout new side game of this one, and I find it more fun than pretty much the rest of the side stuff combined. The money-focused aspect of this game doesn’t alleviate the fact that Yakuza can still be a bit of a grind when you want to do all the things in the game, and I really wish that wasn’t the case sometimes. All in all, Yakuza is at its best with its characters, story, and new content that engages the players in ways it didn’t before. While not everything always lands, when it does, it’s one of the best well-rounded gaming experiences you can have.
Enjoy my wonderful girls! Yuki is best girl!
59: Dark Souls 3
Played on: PS4
Year Released: 2016
It had to happen right? We had to have a souls game here on this list somewhere! While it’s not the only one to make the list, most of them are absent and live in my honorable mentions. Yet, this game, god damn does it feel good to play. While I understand some new players not taking to the Souls series with the initial game because of the slower and methodical game design, Dark Souls 3 brings a speed and smoothness that was not yet seen to this point. This is without a doubt the easiest Souls game to pick up and play and learn how to have a good time with. None in the series play as well, look as nice, and honestly, I love that they ended it here. This is the apex of what they learned over the past games, and they went all-in with one last Souls game to show what Darks Souls is capable of on modern tech with a better engine.
Dark Souls 3 feels like a natural evolution of the base created with Demon Souls almost a decade before. The idea of managing your resources, stamina on any sort of action you take, and exploring a vast and desolated world filled with interconnected paths is the bread and butter of this franchise. While the challenge is what made the series a household name, the game stands out because of the mechanics of risk versus reward it built in a natural way. Instead of tacking on a stamina bar and weight limit to the player, these ideas were carefully balanced to match not only playstyles but game feel as well. You can’t go hack n slash your way through without stopping but you can use it effectively and smartly to dispatch foes with grace and speed. Every combat sequence from mundane mobs to epic boss fights with intense musical scores is treated with a nuance of care. You can’t forget your place and must respect how you play. Being deliberate and precise rewards the player, and carelessness leads to death swiftly. The player will always be at their best when they recognize environmental advantages, and weaknesses to benefit themselves. And when you get put into a bad situation being situationally aware can be the thing that saves your life.
One of my favorite features of this franchise is how it rewards player patience mixed with player skill. If you are patient to learn patterns and explore your environment for hidden useful tools and pathways, you can more easily excel. As you play more and see more, you also get better at the game in general. The patience pays off with the reward of feeling like you not only overcame a tough obstacle but also imparts slow and steadily building to your skillset. While these games aren’t for everyone, if you do invest in them properly, you will find out exactly why players are so taken with it. All sorts of rewards are handed out for those who seek to conquer the game. From the dopamine rush of surviving with no etsus on a boss that has railroaded you for hours, to being amazed by the clever way the world intertwines upon itself. These games find ways to make players feel good if they are patient enough to accept that failure is part of the process. And I think Dark Souls 3 is arguably the most accessible and most fun game in the franchise to learn to play. Building a character is as easy as ever, the world feels brilliantly crafted, and while the game may be easier if you are a veteran, there are tons of clever ways to bring the challenge to the player like boss phases, and unique roadblocks. I loved playing this game a ton, but at this point, I think it’s the game I have watched the most different let’s plays for too. I love seeing people come across how this game delivers its world to the player, and how they tackle stuff completely different than I. Some of the muddled bullshit of the whole franchise is still there in small doses, but in general, this is an excellent experience for those who like competent challenges with a high level of feedback and reward. The balance has been struck and pleased I am with the result.
58: Bastion
Played on: PC
Year Released: 2011
As I’m midway through Hades and adding Pyre to my wishlist, and appreciating the times I had with Transistor, I have one pretty easy realization. This company makes some tremendous games and is one of the best smaller companies in the game today. Such inventive, breathtaking, and unique titles come from this studio. Their creativity bleeds through their products in the artistry that they show off. Each and every game they make has just a level of care that shows they want to improve on each project, instead of being complacent. And yet, my favorite of the bunch still is the simple and straightforward start to their company, the incredible Bastion.
I remember this game being praised to hell by a friend in school when it first came out. I truly couldn’t care less, but I always listen because maybe research later could give me more than I realize. When I got my own PC, one of the first indies I was eager to give a fair check out to was none other than this game. And within minutes I was pulled in by the collar for an unforgettable time. The buttery voice of the narrator, the gorgeous painting art style, the simple yet customizable battle system, the funky bopping music, what on earth was I getting into? One of the finest indie games I have ever played. Each one of the games Supergiant makes has an aesthetic and theme to them, and it allows their games to create an identity filled with personality. Bastion is a world after the fall of man, and about the chance to rebuild it all in this broken world filled with mostly just memories. Quiet, intense, the polarity of the two create a perfect maelstrom of emotion on a consistent basis as you learn more and more of this world’s downfall throughout the story.
And then you have the gameplay. A straightforward top-down action game that allows you to carry a ranged weapon and a melee weapon. With several varieties and multiple ways to use those in different ways, you can bet any time you play this game, you are likely to want to experiment with a new way to dispatch the enemies before you. Bastion is a brilliant example of simplicity at its finest meets deep mechanics and lore to blend together for near perfection. I honestly wish the game was even longer and had more combat and story stuff to keep me going. I think that’s why Hades works so well. A similar concept, but with the expanded in-game content we always wanted. Likely a chance to make this list whenever I finally complete it properly. But for now, I will take this gem, and build that wall up stronger.
57: Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door
Played on: Gamecube
Year Released: 2004
The apex of the Mario RPG battle system is right here ladies and gentlemen! While I dig the new style and prefer the story of Super Paper Mario, Thousand Year Door just edges it out on this list, and in my heart, for all these tiny little things it just does so right. Obviously, the colorful and imaginative art style still carries this game to a place of agelessness, but honestly I always just find it to be a damn fine RPG experience. While most of the other Mario RPG games lack the true satisfaction of the RPG elements I love in the genre, I felt myself really dig into the deeper mechanics of this one.
This game is split into several chapters that divide the story into distinctive parts as you grow nearer to the finale of the narrative. What I find so cool, and brilliant is how they took a major risk with many of them. They aren’t just straightforward go here and do this while killing baddies along the way type of progression. I mean you still do that, it’s a video game RPG, and the killer time-sensitive reaction command battle system is showcased like a gem on a regular basis. No, we can’t get distracted though! Right…so some of the ways the story runs itself are wild and neat to me. In one chapter you are stuck on a train and have to solve a case almost like you are playing a game of Clue. In another, you join a battle federation reminiscent of professional wrestling to get closer to your goal. The game finds inventive and creative ways to make the way you get from point a to point b, not just a straight line with fights to fill the void. They want each part to not only aid to story and character building but also to help gameplay flow feel fresh on a regular basis. Not every part is as great as the last, but in general, this game knocks it out of the park with what it attempts to do in that department.
Then we have the lovable cast. Each partner who aids in battle with unique skills they can only do. Making it essential you understand what your partner can do, and how they benefit you for the enemies before you. Do you want to scan the weaknesses but sacrifice the chance to lose a lot of health in the process? Maybe you want to go for big damage even if you could lose a turn or defense as a trade-off. Everything has a give and a take, and it makes each character feel distinct in battle as a partner, and outside during the story sequences. From the old captain Bobbery the bomb-omb to Koops the shy but brave Koopa, this game is filled with characters that have their own lives intertwined with the larger picture of their world. They are but small parts of one big place, and I love the reach the writers went to with making them all so considerably deeper than just party members to fill out the game’s roster and then to be forgotten afterward. Thousand Year Door gives love to not just its cast of Mario characters, but the new world and cast inhabiting it to create a fully-realized adventure filled with tons of heart.
But yeah, this game is also fucking hilarious just like all the others in the franchise. I don’t know how they manage it, but the writing is just so humorous and understands the far ends of where it can reach before not being able to come back. I think two things will generally be always engaging here. The badge system to customize Mario and crew in different ways throughout the battle that you accumulate throughout the entire game, and how consistently it will make you laugh. So, at least you can always fall back on being in a good mood, and being able to tailor your experience to have a fun time. I think this game is such a solid RPG all around and deserving of the praise it has built over the years. While it misses out on being a favorite in terms of story itself, the amazing cast, and battle system all but make up for it in the end. This is a bonafide classic of the genre as far as I am concerned.
56: The Ghost of Tsushima
Played on: PS4
Year Released: 2020
The most recent game on this list sneaks its way into close to the midway point. I’m sure some contention could be made for recency bias, but I’m fairly comfortable with the placement. If you know me really well, there are a few things I am easy to pique my interest in. Two of the biggest ones are easily my penchant for leaning towards baseball and samurai media. If you have a rather interesting piece of work, and one of those in the focal point, well I am sold on at least checking it out. Little Doaks as a kid played so much make-believe that he made an entire universe of characters, and his made one was one who wielded a katana because deep down I am that sort of weeb. Swords are cool, and I wanted to watch things with it. So, understandably stories like Rurouni Kenshin were like my absolute favorites and still are. If you can build a compelling story around my favorite things, well it should go without saying. And what if I told you for almost 15 years I’ve been dreaming of an open-world samurai epic with a snappy combat system and moving plot? Well, god damn the world game it to me last year in the Ghost of Tsushima.
Lightning-fast swordplay with satisfying combos, stances, and smaller arsenal options to deal with hordes of foes. The satisfaction of landing a proper one-hit kill out of a duel stance never fades even after hundreds of times. The one thing this game had to use as the foundation was the swordplay, and they nailed it. I do wish more of the one-on-one epic duels would have been featured though because when they are on showcase, the full potential of this system shows its shining glory. Regardless though being able to switch between honorable samurai and badass ninja skills in combat basically made me feel like an empowered super warrior from my wildest imagination. Grounded, yet unbelievably stylish in execution, the Ghost of Tsushima is an almost perfect action game. If only the AI was as good as the swordplay was then we could actually say it was. They are bad by no means but to make hordes fairer they sometimes make odd choices and are easily exploitable. Yet, tons of tough foes, and those boss like duels more than makeup for those smaller hiccups that occasionally show up rather than often.
It’s not all about the sword though I swear. The story of Jin Sakai is one I was quite taken with. I wouldn’t call the main story the headline really though. It delivers a fantastic set of large moments with a perfect finale, but the majority of what makes Ghost so invigorating to get invested in is the smaller stories. All the side quests, the myths, and the character-related stories. These helped build up a cast of complex, and quite flawed members of a ragtag of elite people trying to seize back their controlled home. Jin throughout his experiences with old and new friends must decide what his role will be. You basically get to see a dark knightesque plot with Jin deciding what role he must fulfill. Those expected of him, or those he must do to survive. I won’t complain about a samurai batman type story honestly. The legend of the Ghost is the type that you would see in cinema and enjoy thoroughly I would think.
The last super notable thing to mention in this game is the production. This might be the prettiest game on the PS4 in terms of realism production. The use of color and lighting in Ghost is some of the finest in the modern era. Vivid reds and starch whites paint picturesque landscapes that are not only gorgeous but so lifelike to explore. A good mix of ambient and traditional music helps elevate this even further to find a fantastic blend of old meets new for ultimate immersion.
The Ghost isn’t perfect with some factors like the rewards for exploring, and the other smaller things I mentioned above, yet what it does right it does better than most do in the business. I mean since I played regular updates have been applied and a fun multiplayer all at no extra cost to the player. This is what most single-player games should strive to be like in the AAA scene if you ask me. Find what you want to be and go for broke. Even if you borrow from other games, that is just an example of using what works to make your fresh ideas have some safety to fall back on. That way you can deliver something that might make some players like me gush like crazy about it. The Ghost of Tsushima was my game of the year for 2020 and I proudly bow to the fantastic work of an American company paying so much dedication to the Japanese culture.
55: Final Fantasy VII
Played on: PS1
Year Released: 1997
If you were born into the early ’90s like I was, by the time you were in your early teens there were probably two games lauded as the greatest of all time depending on whoever you talked to. One of them was The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and the other Final Fantasy VII. Landmark titles forever changed the gaming industry and shaped many formative years for players around the world. When you finally jump into a game with a legacy such as this, it’s hard not to be intimidated or possibly affected by the hype storm that surrounds it. You have to clear your mind, and really allow the game to speak for itself. And if you were to ask me, I think FF7 does a pretty spectacular job at what it sets out to do.
FF7 is legendary for many reasons. Many people had never played a story as grand or immersive up to this point. The leap to 3D graphics allowed for all sorts of dynamics never yet seen before. The game took bold risks as well. Incredible flashy attack animations with the main character who wields a sword the size of his body. Possibly the most famous spoiler in the history of gaming that fully recontextualizes what the game can and can’t do. FF7 decided to go big or go home, and it went god damn huge. My respect goes out to the dev team taking so many creative risks here. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite things to see in gaming. Instead of playing it the same you do what you want and see what sticks. FF7 treads the line between silly and serious like a tightwire on so many occasions but it only manages to do so successfully because they fully committed to it being that type of experience. The difference between riding a dolphin named Mr. Dolphin straight up something to get into a hidden area versus seeing a character having a mental breakdown is pretty interesting to see in juxtaposition.
While I find charm in the lego-styled graphics, and still love the story as a whole they would be my two biggest complaints. The game looks a little dated and some stuff is hard to make out while traveling, and the story has that sort of convolution that normally works wonders but at certain places, just sort of straight-up confuse the player forever. That being said, the in-battle models are killer, and the themes that this game delivers on are fantastic. Themes such as classism, anti-corporation, and a strong environmental message dominate the bigger picture while smaller character-focused stories deliver their own special thematic reverence in turn. FF7 weaves a fantastic blend of small stories wrapped in a big world to create a fully realized world filled with history to dig into. This is what makes the genre so special. When you can bridge the gap between the micro and macro into one cohesive package, and it does this with pure deftness. My favorites of the bunch would be Tifa, Barrett, Nanaki, and Cid personally, but I think the whole cast has plenty to offer for different folks.
I might as well praise the battle system too. While not my favorite in the franchise it is one of the most fun to learn. The ATB turn based battles return from previous games but with the main focus on attuning that process with Materia. Materia is one of the most important things in the FF7 universe so the fact it plays into the battle system so prevalently makes pretty much perfect sense. Your characters have a unique set of super moves that are gained when a charge bar fills called a Limit, and some slightly different stat setups, but outside of that are fully customizable for magic and skills based on what Materia you give them to have. After they use it enough they master it and know it permanently. It’s similar to the Esper functionality of FF6, but with a much larger scope, and tons of ways to mix and match things to find new results as well. Like two fires to give you fira for example. The more your experiment the more you are rewarded, and if you invest the time you can have a party full of so many options and weapons to aid you in battle. I find it a simple to use, hard to master type that works so perfectly. You can auto-set it for yourself if you don’t want to bridge out, but you will miss out on certain things that way, but the reward is there for players who take the time to fully invest themselves into it.
I think the last thing of note I want to mention is this game also nails most of the side content. Minigames like chocobo racing and the battle square are absolutely fun for how they challenge you to think and play around, and I love the fact that most major long-winded quests and games always give the player high-tier rewards. Finish the golden saucer battling? Get Cloud’s best limit in the game. Defeated all Chocobo races and got the god tier gold Chocobo? Now you can travel on foot everywhere on the map and also get Knights of the Rounds. This game is the type that constantly rewards the player for time spent. Nothing feels wasted or padded. If you want more story you can get it, if you want more battle powers, you can get it, what you want is up to how much you want to put yourself into the game. And I love a game that gives back to the player who puts their all into their games.
Also can’t forget to mention this might be one of the greatest soundtracks in the history of gaming.
54: Bloody Trapland
Played on: PC
Year Released: 2013
Some of you reading these posts regularly might find this to be an odd choice, especially considering the games that proceeded it as well. How does a game like this make it so high? Hell, I wouldn’t even say this game is that great. If I had to rank the actual quality of the game, it and the Cursed Crusade are the two worst ones on this entire list, and honestly have no place on it from a straight mechanical viewpoint. Yet, as we already know this list is also a combination of the game meets my life. Despite this game being terribly glitchy, and often brutally unfair, this game holds a lasting memory in my heart unlike most. So, let’s break it down, shall we?
For most of my life, I have been the closest friends with a guy named Connor. I’ve known him since I was 4 and since he was 1-year-olds. At this point for around 25 years or so. Connor also has two older sisters and a younger brother. His family is like a second one to me. I grew up knowing his whole family. His one sister was the biggest crush of my brother’s life growing up, and his other sister was a dear friend to both of us. I’ve always played tons of games with Connor. Many of the co-op experiences I’ve mentioned are with him. No one else that is a gamer do I have a deeper connection within discussion than him. However, his brother always wanted to play stuff with me too. Now of course we could dig into multiplayer stuff like Smash or LittleBigPlanet, but Devin wanted to play games with just me. So, we decided to pick some stuff out. And after a few games, we stumbled across this game. We bought it on a whim and started it up.
At first, he hosted because of a better internet connection, and we stumbled through the first world. Death was often, but not too bad, and to be expected with how trapformers are made. Trapformers are basically platformers built with traps around every corner to make the player get surprised killed all the time. Instead of a straightforward challenge, it’s all about hidden gimmicks. About the time we got to the end of the second world though, things started to change. The difficulty started to ramp up considerably, and the online glitches were making it next to impossible for me. Buzzsaws would fly off-screen, and it wasn’t just visual so I would get nailed by them. I had severe input lag, and trying to do precise jumps was becoming a nightmare. We decided to try my internet for hosting only to discover we lost all progress that way. We played up to where we were and it was also a way too unplayable for him. So it became an ordeal of meeting up when we could in person on his PC at their home to try and play the remainder of the game.
This journey almost took 3 years overall to make it through. By the time we made it to the last few levels the challenge was insane. A single screen would take us 2-4 hours to do. One time I was at his place, my friend started up a fresh file of Luigi’s mansion and played it while we worked on the last level of the game. He managed to 100% complete everything in it, and we still had not prevailed. Anytime we finally beat a level or were close the tension was so high, and the reward and satisfaction of winning were like nothing else. Imagine the scene of two young guys just almost on the ground broken from exhaustion high fiving each other and screaming in joy from beating a single level of a game like this. And it happened several times too! The moment we finally made it to the credits the amount of cheer and excitement we brought forth out of each other was some of the fondest I’ve ever experienced in any game ever. To overcome the bullshit, the length, the exhaustion, and exclaim we did it, and we did it together is not a memory I will soon forget. It’s a shame the second game didn’t bring us that same sense of winning, but I shall not ever forget what this game did for us. Easily one of the best co-op experiences in my entire gaming life.
53: Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Played on: Switch
Year Released: 2019
I’m sure I’ve made it apparent I do enjoy myself a Fire Emblem game. After the three steps back the series took in the hands of the Fates games, I honestly was getting worried Fire Emblem might take a turn for the worse. Thankfully my worries were absolved with the most recent entry in the franchise. Three Houses in many ways nails what I love about the FE games. I think the only thing we are missing is truly compelling map design, and maybe a slightly better story. We sort of get stuck with a predictable as nails story in this one, and most maps lack variety and interest. However, the top tier characterization and focus on players customizing their experience for the most tailored yet, well that’s harder to be disappointed with, isn’t it?
I will admit, I am tired of silent protagonists in the series to this point. I find the stories far better without that usually. Thankfully though the 3 distinctive campaigns the story bridges off with all hold their own weight and strengths. You get a more character focused approach with Blue Lions and miss out on some details other routes get for instance. While in the Golden Deer you get a classic sort of ending with the proper baddie getting shown off, yet the stories that lead you to that point are left in the dark unless you play the Black Eagles or Blue Lions route. This is the best and worst part of the way storytelling in handled in this game. Your first experience will be the purest bliss. Sure you might miss out on something, yet constantly learning and discovering new things the entire journey always makes up for any unanswered questions you may have. The deep approach to letting players run their days how they want, and spend time with who they want is very Persona like and allows for a time of real investment. Then you hit the second half and that gets lessened for a deeper story as a trade-off. This means the common route that makes up over half the game remains virtually similar in follow-up playthroughs outside of small conversations and of course the supports you gain. For a game that is focused on allowing players to get many points of view in long playthroughs, then I think it would have been better to do something similar to like Echoes or FE 7. Either parallel you can switch between freely, or completely new points of view on it. I’m not sure what would work best with these specific games since the fates of so many changes based on what route you take, but something needs to be retooled if you are gonna split the game this way.
Now, it feels like I’m criticizing more than praising here. I think it might be because of how much I love this series so I am always looking for it to find ways to improve. That being said this game is a blast. It has some of my all-time favorites in terms of characters with people like Claude, Annette, Lysithea, and Seteth as notable examples. The way this game handles characterization is the best in the franchise. The number of diverse supports and minor scenes put in to flesh these characters is truly impressive in comparison to old titles where you sort of headcanon and fill in the blanks yourself. Which I do find fun, but it’s always nice to see characters so fully realized as well. A younger cast stars this time around, and despite their similarities, the game does do a lot to give them all so many different viewpoints to their world’s political landscape. The game really showcases what it believes in the most which is the main cast. That and the fact this game is the closest to a job class FE we have ever had.
Instead of focused single path classes, this game is more than any FE game before it is built on letting players completely choose the class and equipment pathways for their party layouts. I love the fact that you could go all mage or balanced army. Obviously, it helps to carry into what characters lean into, but you don’t have to by any means. You are given a choice to play how you want with who you want. You get your class set up from the start, but you can reclass them into other types, and recruit people from the other classes to try and build your preferred army. Everything in this game is about the player having it their way. It’s basically The Burger King of the FE franchise. You choose what you want and when you want it, and make it happen. Its the one thing that does beautifully play into subsequent playthroughs. You can decide to completely change up your army dynamics to freshen up following playthroughs with this method. Make the shy girl a god damn armor knight if you want, have at it! Make the most brutish male into a powerful mage. Build the army the way you like it, or if you don’t go back and experiment til you find what fits your preference. FE Three Houses wants you to do everything in a method that feels all your own. And you know I love it for that.
Also if you are curious I’m Golden Deer all the way, but I’m still snagging Annette to be my waifu either way. The might of Bylethor is not to be ignored. He will save this world with his best friend Claude, and restore order!
52: Super Mario 3D World: +Bowser’s Fury
Played on: Wii U/Switch
Year Released: 2013/21
I figured since I just completed the newer version of the game I might as well include both. Here’s to hoping with this port this game gets the love and acknowledgment it certainly deserves. I’ve always been more of a fan of creative and really tight-level design in platformers. As much as I love open-ended collectathons, they miss part of the design I prefer in the series. It’s one of the reasons I much prefer games like the Galaxy duo than like Mario Odyssey or 64, as good as all the games are in their own rights. This sort of design philosophy on constantly bringing new ideas while testing your rawest platforming skills appeal to me more. I would assume a biproduct of growing up on the original games of the franchise. That being said, 3D World finds a really nice sweet spot between those two types of Mario games for some ultimate satisfaction.
You still have the classic collecting of hidden stuff like in the 3D games, alongside with a 3D world to jump around in, but the level design and challenge is more akin to classic 2D games. One of the greatest powerups in the whole series is also introduced with the catsuit. This creates all sorts of vertical design never seen before, and also creative ways players can really speed through levels. Some classics come with, but my all time favorite the Tanooki suit is easily the one that makes me happiest. Being able to have both this and the catsuit makes this game maybe the most fun for powerups ever. If only I could have the cloud suit from Galaxy to go along with them! Levels vary between concise and precise platforming sections and open explorative ones. This game really is a mix between the big split of most Mario game design, and happens to nail both of them with pure deftness.
I also as an older fan love the implementation of the Mario 2 cast. Just like in the NES days they all have completely unique playstyles. Everything from a hover jump for Peach to Luigi jumping higher and farther than the rest of the group. All of the characters really feel distinct while falling within the basic parameters of what makes the game work as well as it does. I suppose I should also not forget to mention that jazz ost is just one of my favorite things to listen to. The Wii U and its homage to jazz with many of its first-party titles needs more recognition. Everything in this game oozes silky smoothness from the gameplay to the music supporting the levels.
If I had to mention the new stuff I would mostly focus on how Bowser’s Fury is pretty fun overall. You get a map about the size of maybe the Desert Kingdom in Mario Odyssey filled with tons of mini objectives and a fun cooperative mode just like the main game. Whoever plays Bowser jr. is essentially unkillable so perfect for those who want to play with casual players or kids. The gameplay style retains 3D Worlds core but with more Odyssey like level design and it’s a fun, albeit quite short experience filled with really fun and interesting gimmicks. The main game doesn’t really differ too much, however. The player characters are all a little faster and now a dive move from Odyssey is present. All this does is make the game a little easier than before if you are an advanced player. Many really tough jumps and whatnot are easily overcome with this combination if you have the skill level to do so. While the co-op is really fun and makes completionist criteria way easier the fact that you can constantly pick up your partner or knock into them should have been fixed if you ask me. The chaotic nature of Mario co-op is not what I play it for. I like the fun of cooperative winning, but I guess they made it with chaos before anything else. At least you can play with up to four people and have a good time even if several levels are clearly designed for one player mostly. Either way, despite the co-op, being fun but often disruptive in really silly ways, this game was a blast years ago, and is just better than ever before, so honestly, I won’t complain that much. I love this game and what it does and look forward to diving back in every couple of years.
51: Metal Gear Solid IV: Gun’s of the Patriots
Played on: PS3
Year Released: 2008
An end of an era. We close out the first half of this list with the epic conclusion to the saga of Solid Snake. A game probably more indulgent than I have ever seen, and yet beautifully executed in what it sets out to do. After nearly 20 years of gaming history and all the games leading to this point, this game is the narrative conclusion to the face of the Metal Gear franchise. And boy howdy do I mean it goes for broke with storytelling. To this day I don’t believe any game clocks out with a longer cutscene in a game I’ve played through than the series of finale ones this game has. Clocking in at a movie length of around 90 minutes the end of this video game feels like a god damn movie, and it uses every moment of that time to wrap up 20 years of storytelling; tying up every loose end it can possibly find to try to leave everything you had wondered all along answered. I commend that diligence because most games or franchises to try to do this to that magnitude have failed. I’m looking at you Zero’s Escape and Kingdom Hearts. Yet, Metal Gear, at least for me, nails the landing with an oomph. A story of friendship, political warfare, robots, clones, 50 years of plot, and is it starting to sound like a Japanese crazy madman wrote this yet?
MGS 4 is like the rest of the franchise, a stealth action game. You are meant to sneak through most encounters and only choose your battles carefully when you need to. Snake has auto camo this time around so needing to switch up what you wear like in the previous game is no longer needed, so you trade of players paying attention with cool factor. Everything is meant to just be a little more hype in this one I feel. Bigger spectacles, and more crazy tech than ever. It makes the more subdued areas like Shadow Moses or the Tanker feel so small in comparison for a completely different tone. You spend plenty of time avoiding large-sized mech creatures, and the boss fights this time are against weaponized robotic women with traumatic pasts rather than a new batch in the MGS Rouge Gallery. I do feel this is one of the few areas the game does falter though. With stealth so much easier this time around, and the bosses lacking as much identity, this game’s collection of main gameplay and bosses don’t stand out as much as previous games. It’s still really really good, and consistent, but the general areas are much easier to zip through than require tactical timing on the player’s part. And bosses just miss the mark in impact aside from one really neat one midway through the game, and possibly my favorite final boss fight in any video game ever. So I suppose a balance was struck in the fanservice satisfaction more than tighter new ideas. I can’t complain too much, but it is worth noting I prefer stealth and bosses in general in the first 3 titles over this one despite the super highs this game produces.
And the story, man what a blast. With the killer soundtrack and balance between absurdity and so poignant, it blows your damn mind, MGS manages to stroke the right part of my brain so easily. I remember after finishing the entire saga of these games back in I believe in was 2012, I sat down with my friend who is the resident megafan on the series in my life. It was he who got me to finally play them. We literally spent an entire evening just talking about MGS. The whole of it. His favorite game took more time than the rest, but we probably talked about MGS 4 for roughly 6 hours than night and continued to do so on a regular basis in the coming weeks after that. There was so much for me to unpack and we got to share thoughts, feelings, and so much more on the whole franchise and the utterly massive ending portion of the last game. I relate the end of the MGS journey in those days with some of the finest discussions I’ve ever had with video games. I already fell in love with this world, Snake, Otacon, Sunny, Raiden, and the zany ass comic book plot, and getting it reinforced with one of my best friends of the time is something I associate quite strongly with it all. This series and genre can be quite intimidating, yet I feel if you spend the right time with it, and maybe have a friend to geek out with, you might just get as memorable of a time as myself.
Any other gaming related posts you would like to see! Let me know in the comments below! I just might make the post just for you if you really inspire me to do so! I want to post content for you folks here, so let us work at that future together! Until next time, stay same my little wanderers!
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“I know what I did was not wrong”
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