|
I looked through this thread and was surprised to see i hadnt written anythign yet...
Half-Life:
I worked almost as hard to play this game as Valve did to make it. The story surrounding it is long and sad, but in the end, I got to play it on an upscale system (for the time), and it finally merged story and action in a way I had never experienced before. It is still a high watermark for gaming and storytelling in my book.
Half-Life 2:
Although the storytelling wasn’t quite as masterful as the first, it was still excellent, and the gravity gun is the coolest thing in gaming, ever (until portal comes out )
Doom:
THE classic shooter. Introduced me to the concept of technology meeting horror. The atmosphere was always great, from the futuristic bases, to the hell levels with wood paneling and human skin stretched out for decoration. Teleporting bad guys added a new level of paranoia for me, because just because you killed everyone in a room, it didn’t meant that NON One could still sneak up behind you.
Quake:
Quake is still a magical game for me. It took computer games from a hobby to an obsession with me. It fueled a story line that I have yet to finish (Gloom), and was the first game to show any kind of real physics. (in my world, anyway). The dark, techno-goth design left a lasting impression on me, and it is STILL the game I go back to for a lot of inspiration. Plus, it is the only game on earth with sounds provided by the great Trent Reznor :D
Super Mario Bros 3:
When I was in 10th grade, I would go to my friend’s house, and we would drink mountain dew and play SMB3 until 4 in the morning, no matter how many times we beat it. It always sparked my imagination for some reason, and the game play was incredible.
Return to Castle Wolfenstein:
Probably because I grew up with Indiana Jones movies, but Nazi+Occult = gold in my book. RTCW is probably one of the first games to ever influence my dreams… The X-labs levels stuck with me for a long time. Nazis fighting zombies… Mechanical nazi-storm troopers… the best flame thrower effects I have seen to date… I simply love it.
FEAR:
Scariest, game , EVER. This is probably my favorite game of the last 2 years, even beating out HL2. It is an atmospheric masterpiece. I remember reading the review in PC Gamer (which is why I ended up begging for it) where they said Yes, the alma character is clearly ripped off from Samara, but after she scares the shit out of you the first time, you stop caring. This is the first game that moved away from the “I’m getting chased down the hall” fear and the “something is right out there and going to get me” fear and set up the “holy shit, how do I escape this!? she’s gonna get me AHHHHHH!!!!” fear. On top of that, it handles the “Bullet time” thing even better than Max Payne, and requires a bit more than just run and gun (although you can if you want too) great physics, incredible graphics, imaginative gameplay, awesome story line, creative world, and the hands-down BEST ending ever. It beats most movies, its that good. Imagine the end of the Usual Suspects, only it leaves you terrified, gaping at your screen.
Counter Strike:
“Games that qualify as obsessions for 1000, Alex”. If you totaled up the hours I played counter-strike between my former job and the time I was single, I probably could have written a novel, several screenplays, and would have a body of short stories to put Poe and Lovecraft to shame. But I didn’t. Instead, I spent a huge chunk of my mid-20s pwning n00bs with my awesome p-90 and m-43 skillz. I rocked at that game and LOVED it, was in the top 5 of my clan often. It’s fitting that while playing this game, my average alcohol consumption tripled. I guess it is good I don’t play very often any more….
Tomb Raider:
Cheese-wedge boobs aside, Tomb raider was the best puzzle game ever. The Doppleganger level still sits with me as one of the most imaginative things ever.
Mickey Mouse Castle of Illusion:
Laugh all you want, this was an awesome game for the Sega Genesis. It was definitely a labor of love for the developers, and it always made me think of childhood daydreams of being in worlds made of candy, and shrunk down to the size of a bug.
It has provided fuel for a novella/adult fairy tale (which, incidentally, was originally conceived to be a mod/video game plot)
|