Favorite games of all time (Part 2)

The second part in this thrilling series of my personal favorites.



1.  Kingdom Hearts

-- As a purveyor of most things nerdy, I have an extreme adoration for RPGs.  I love Final Fantasy.  I really like Disney as well.  Kingdom Hearts gives both.  Combining elements of the two is at first a strange combination, but they are very nicely integrated.  Sure, the dialogue can be extremely cheesy.  But what really drives the game is the story, which is deep, thoughtful and complex.  It's kinda like Lost in that the story is always getting more complex.  If I could create a diagram of the story, it would probably take me nothing less than days.  Go play it now!

2.  Kingdom Hearts II

-- I know, this kinda seems recycled but they really are both deserving of an individual spot.  This one further revolutionized the game by allowing you to have TWO keyblades at once!  Really, it's a minor change but I think it was cool enough to justify talking about it.

3.  Starcraft I and II

-- For Starcraft I'm going to loop them into the same category.  Granted, both games are fundamentally different from each other, however, the dynamic gameplay is the same.  Unlike Command and Conquer, and Age of Empires, there is a lot of depth and variety between each of the races.  Plus, it is the Number 1 E-Sport in the world right now.  It has spawned an incredibly rich gaming community and competitive pro-culture.  I encourage everyone to play Starcraft I or II.

Honorable mention: Starcraft II Campaign

-- I loved the campaign in the second game because it was unique.  The missions had good variety, excellent cutscenes and dialogue, and RPG elements that make for a unique gameplay experience each time.

4.  Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I and II

-- These games are awesome if for really only one reason: story.  In fact, the games are almost completely story driven.  The gameplay isn't particularly challenging or fun for that matter, but the thousands of lines of dialogue and story create a rich prequel story that sets up a lot of events for the movies.  For Star Wars lore fans, this game is a treasure chest of story.  The only significant change between the first and second are prestige Jedi classes which are cool, but not overly revolutionary.

5.  God of War series (sorta)

-- God of War is awesome because Kratos is a total badass.  He literally rips people in half.  These games are incredibly violent, gory and just plain fun.  God of War became awesome to me after I learned about Greek Mythology, which GoW very tightly integrates.  Now the reason I say sorta, is because I hate GoW 1.  Now in all fairness, this was the first game of an otherwise completely awesome series.  What sucks about it is the platforming and some level design (rotating spike towers anyone?).  But yeah, the games are awesome.  Especially, the third one because the sense of scale is impressive.  Plus, it might be the best looking (if not Top 3) game I've ever seen in my life.

Well that is it for this week.  I will post the next 5 when I feel like it, or whatever.