Top 10) Best Games from 1 - 100
- dpad200x
- 1 hour ago
- 7 min read
Having just posted my thoughts on game number 100, I thought now would be a great time to look back at the journey that brought me here and commit to a definitive list of the top 10 games I've played and covered on this site. Some may be obvious, while others may be a bit unexpected. I want to say that very, very few of the games that I've covered on this site are what I would consider to be "bad" games, so the ones that make it to the top have something truly special about them. The ones that don't make this list are likely still good games, though I will be doing a separate entry for the Bottom 10.
Though there's arguably not a whole lot of traditional gameplay, I still find myself in awe of just how unique each person's first time playing this game may be. With the relatively simple premise of slaying a princess, the artwork, writing, and voice acting all come together to elevate the experience to another level. It plays with a lot of genuine feelings and instincts, and will leave you guessing as to what's truly going on. While I hesitate to call it a true horror experience, it certainly does all that it can with the chosen genre to elicit Lovecraftian vibes while making the player question what it is the characters do and don't know at any given time.
I can freely admit that, to a certain degree, I am the ideal mark for the Pokémon franchise. I've got to bad for the series on numerous occasions, and can generally look past glaring issues if the underlying experience is still solid. That or if they introduce a new creature that I instantly fall in love with. Still, even I can admit that the franchise has grown stale, formulaic, and somewhat predictable, which isn't even touching on the glaring technical issues that seem to plague the mainline games. So imagine my surprise and delight when Pokémon decided to mix elements of Minecraft and Animal Crossing together to deliver the most inventive and charming entries in the franchise's history. It's a game that I find myself still drifting toward long after completion, as it's simply fun to explore and interact with the world. It's simple, it's cozy, and it just feels like home.
I've made my adoration for this game pretty clear, but I will continue to sing its praises. The artstyle and animation are gorgeous and fluid, making it feel as though you're watching a dark 80's cartoon come to life. The story, while certainly a bit a convoluted, hits all the right notes to keep you engaged and wanting to explore just a little bit more each run. The combat is tight and the various power-ups and abilities you can unlock and acquire can truly change the feel of each run. The four playable characters are unique and compelling, each suited to different playstyles and making each run feel more unique. On top of that, it's a genuine blast to play, and each time you die feels fair and balanced. It's easily in the running for my personal game of the year, and I can't stress just how much I adore this game.
Likely more than any other game on this list, Paradise Killer is a game that you will either bounce off of and be unable to enjoy, or you will absolutely fall in love and quickly learn to play by its confusing rules. I really can't imagine an inbetween. For my part, I adore the game as the vaporwave fever dream that it is. Ostensibly tasked with solving an impossible murder, each new clue leads you further down the insane rabbit hole as you get to know more about the eccentric suspects and their motivations. When I can honestly say that the perpetually nude, teleporting demon that refuses to help you is the most trustworthy character in the game, then you better believe the rest of the cast is an absolute treat.
I still can't get over how genuinely amazing this game is. It perfectly captures the look and feel of the classic films, even going so far as to bring the themes and philosophy forward to a modern audience. Every single aspect of the experience is polished to near perfection, with writing and level design that shows the utmost reverence for the source material while still understanding what it is players will want to do as RoboCop. Even some of the sillier lines and quests come off with an insane amount of charm. To me, Rogue City sets the standard for what a licensed game should be. It's respectful, it never strays too dark or too light, and it's fun as hell.
What do you get when you mix a post apocalyptic setting, an out of control bio weapon, robots that act like people, and a little orange cat trying to find its way back to its family? Only one of the most impressive games about exploration as a cat that I've ever played. With a style and flair all its own, stunning visuals, and the audacity to cram multiple excellently execute gameplay styles into a relatively short experience, Stray stands tall as a testament to what a game can be. Packed with secrets and lore, exploration is always rewarded, and the sheer love put into how the playable cat moves and reacts is evident in every facet of the game.
My favorite thing about this game, which is chock full of things to love, is how clearly it wears its old school RPG roots on its sleeves. The combat, which is very reflex based, brings to mind the Mario RPG games while also showing clear inspiration from games such as Dark Souls and Devil May Cry. The characters all have distinct fighting styles and unique mechanics, reminiscent of Final Fantasy VI, which allows you to pick and choose which characters you enjoy playing as. The overworld is filled to bursting with secrets that reward exploration and encourage you to revisit old locations once you've unlocked new abilities, and while there is a ton of optional fights and treasure, it's always a joy to uncover them along the way. The visuals, along with the immaculate voicework, easily elevate the game to being a true piece of art.
In an effort to completely defy any attempt at categorizing their work, the team at Kaizen Game Works decided to mash as many disparate concepts as they could into a single game. As a visual novel yakuza story in which we explore an open world in our upgradable truck, we're tasked with recruiting sentient mascots to join our love hotel turned mascot agency in order to earn money and ultimately dispel a powerful curse that's drained the small rural town for years. When not flying or sailing in our truck, we negotiate salaries and benefits with our employees, sending them to perform various mascot jobs that, if a problem arises, turns into a strategy card game, because of course it does. Despite all of this, the core story and the characters we meet and befriend are exceptionally solid, with some shocking nuance and depth that, frankly, has no right to be here. Never, in my time as a gamer, have I absolutely needed a game that I wouldn't have been able to describe or imagine as much as I did this one. It's an absolute treasure of an experience that I promise makes more sense than I can possibly describe in mere words.
When I first began this odd journey, I had never played a single Far Cry game beyond maybe 30 minutes of the second game. Now, having played and written about the majority of the franchise, I can safely that not only am I a fan, but if I had taken the time to sit down and play Blood Dragon upon release, I would have been a fan for much longer. Blood Dragon has what I would say is the absolute perfect story, never allowing itself to be taken too seriously while being genuinely funny. Meshing together some of the most badass elements of 70's and 80's action movies, Blood Dragon allows for the most pure, concentrated form of cyber commando ass kicking that the world has ever known. If I had to recommend just one game that I've covered on this site, this would undoubtedly be the one. It's short, sweet, and too the point, and that point is made of lasers and explosions.
I don't think I'm breaking any new ground when I praise this game. Hell, not only have I praised it at length, it won more than its fair share of awards at the first annual Dpademy Awards. The only thing that would keep me from recommending this to those that haven't played it is simply the sheer time investment it represents. Easily clocking in at over 100 hours, the game all but begs to experienced more than once with choices that matter as well as a variety of different ways to build and play your version of Geralt of Rivia. And that's one of the most impressive things, because even though he's a pretty well established character who seems pretty flat and boring at first, you can truly make him feel like your own version of him trough your actions and gameplay. More than any other game on this list, The Witcher III is the one that I find myself wanting to sink yet another 100 hours into. Not to write about and cover here yet again, but simply to play and exist in that world. That is the mark of a truly outstanding game.
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