Essential Playing Collection

[Nepsotic]

What are your top 4 games in the whole of gaming? By top I mean the 4 that you'd recommend to others before all else. It could even be games that you think are objectively great, but aren't necessarily fans of, though that would be difficult unless you're very good at discerning objectivity from your own opinion. Basically, if you were introducing someone to the world of videogames, these are the ones that you say "if you don't play anything else, make sure you play these". They don't have to be in any kind of order, but you can't have more than 4, and you can't have games that are in the same series. Also, give each one a brief description and if you can, post a video.
Here's mine:



Yep, of course RE4 was going to be one of mine. This game is amazing, it may not be as artistic or as sophisticated as other games on this list (in fact, it's fucking ridiculous), but it's just so damn fun. RE4 is probably one of the most replayable games I've ever played. I'm constantly playing through it and the only time I'm not in the mood to play it is usually after playing it consecutively for about 4 days. It's my personal favourite of the RE series, and it's so good that whatever would follow it would probably pale in comparison (which they both did, hilariously).
I love this game so much that I have it on 3 platforms, but my first ever copy was on the Wii. The only reason this game isn't as nostalgic for me as AO, for example is because I haven't put it down since I first started playing it around 6 years ago, so it doesn't really have chance to be nostalgic.
I actually picked up the steelbook PS2 limited edition version at Play Expo for like £5, which was awesome, especially considering the condition (it was fantastic).
Resi 4 is just a really well made game, and one of the best action games out there (the best, in my opinion), the attention to detail in terms of mechanics and gameplay is just unparalleled, and it is for this reason that it makes it's way into my Essential Playing Collection.


Game number 2:


I don't think I need to say much about this one. We've all played Portal 2, and we all know how good it is. Again, this makes it onto this list solely because of how fun it is. Sure, it looks great, has awesome characters and the universe it creates is immense and desolate (in a good way, and not as desolate as the original game), but all of that could be gone and I'd still love this game, albeit not as much. This is another game which I own multiple copies of, I first played it back in early 2012, when I borrowed the 360 version off an ex-mate. I bought it as soon as I gave it him back (and the only reason he wanted it back was because I was telling him about how good it was, he'd barely played it at all at the time I borrowed it off him). Later that year I eventually got it on Steam, mainly just for modding though, and to this day I still don't think I've played through the whole story on PC.

P2 is an expertly designed puzzle platformer, it's challenging, but not frustrating. It is for these reasons it earns a place in my essential playing collection.


Did I mention it has some freaking awesome music? (Which is also why I bought a physical copy of the soundtrack).


Game 3:


I hard a hard time choosing between this and SH3, in the end I picked this because I just prefer the overall tone of this game (the first 3 SH games have drastically different tones), which is more dreamlike and more melancholy than 3. Both games are amazing and as good as each other, but I just prefer 2's atmosphere rather than 3's. That, and the fact that I prefer James rather than Heather. Again, they're both exceptionally written characters, it's just my preference.
James is such an interesting guy, he also has the best voice acting of any videogame character to date.


2001, guys. 2000 and fucking 1.

This game is not only terrifying (it's one of the few videogames that actually manages to succeed in getting under my skin out of pure atmosphere and tension), but it's beautiful, too. The graphics can still stand up to triple A games of today easily, in terms of artistry and detail of course, not poly count.
There's also the story, which isn't the most original story ever (SH2's story in specific, not the story of the SH series in general, which is very original), but the way it's told is fantastic. It has a twist that you should know by now, that has been done a million times before and a million times after (and the ones after were usually just copying SH2, including every SH game after 4), but it doesn't just say "WHAT A TWIST!". It actually goes and explores how the character is dealing with what happened, and that is what makes James such a well written and excellent character.
Gameplay is great, it's traditional survival horror refined to perfection.
If I had to make the argument that videogames are art, this is the one I'd choose to demonstrate that, it is for that reason that Silent Hill 2 earns a place in my Essential Playing Collection.



Did I mention that this game has some fucking awesome music?



And finally...

Of course it's Abe's Fucking Oddworld, what did you expect?
Yeah, we all know how good this game is, and it's by far my favourite in the series although I haven't actually played Stranger's Wrath. Don't get me wrong, Abe's Exoddus was great. It refined a lot of the issues AO had and perfected the gameplay, but it just didn't feel the same. And by that I mean it was boring. A game that long could have worked if it had been switched up often enough, but it just dragged and wasn't as interesting as AO. I think the fact that they were planning AO for years and had less than one year to make AE shows very much. The music, art and gameplay is great in both games, but AE was just too long.
I do admit that I'm slightly bias, though. I first started playing AO back in 2006 with my dad, so it's the most nostalgic thing for me. Ah, the good old days.
Yeah, I don't think I need to say anymore, it's a brilliant game.

As far as I've seen, the remake has fixed the issues I had with AO's gameplay (no quicksave, unfair puzzles and no ability to talk to multiple mudokons), so theoretically, I should love it even more if nostalgia didn't exist. I guess we'll see as soon as it's released on PC.

Did I mention it has some fucking awesome music?

[Shade667]

Im on PS4, so no video... or pictures.

Ive never sat down and figured out my top 10, let alone a top 4. I know what my No.1 is. And even my no. 2. but thats it. So its a good thing i dont have to here.

In any order, the games Id reccomend to anyone:
1. My favourite game of all time: Crash Team Racing. I absolutely adore this game. Ive put well over a thousand hours into it. Its easy to get into, fun for the whole family. And it plays great. Musics catchy as well.

2. Rayman Legends, my fav game of 2013. An absolutely fantastic platformer. Simple, but gets very challenging (if youre looking for it). Just show anyone the music stages and theyll have a blast.

3. Jak 3. While, out of the 3 Sony PS2 platformers the jak series is my least favourite, I still love em. And Jak 3 is techically the best. There are so many things that Naughty dog used in this game that is now standard amongst game development. Its got a great story, great gameplay and a really good soundtrack as well.

And Finally, Id probably have to reccomend a game from my favoutite series, Ratchet and Clank, but which one? Well, my favourite is Ratchet Gladiator (Deadlocked for u non-Europeans), but Id probbaly reccomend either the 3rd one or Crack in time over it. Ill bend the rules and say that for No, 4 u can choose either RnC 3 or RnC: ACiT and you wont be making a wrong decision either way. Great series. Really fun gameplay, tonnes of Zany weapons and gadgets, and I think both of those games best represent the series as a whole.

[Havoc]

The Last of Us recently took my number 1 spot for sure. Such an amazing game, such an amazing story. Everyone should have played that at least once in their life.

The BioShock series would have to come second, also due to its awesome setting and story.

Oddworld and Half-Life series should probably also be on the list for both being revolutionary in their own ways.

[Crashpunk]

I'm loving the idea of this thread Nep.

So first off, I'm going to start with...

#1 Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back


(shamelessly put own video up. fucks given = zero)



As you all know. The Crash games are my childhood. So this does apply to all three original Crash games on the PS1 (not counting CTR). But for the sake of this thread, if I had to choose one, it would have to be Crash 2.

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is without a doubt my favorite 3D platforming game of all time. It's the best one in the franchise and it's possibly my favorite game on the PS1. Not only did it improve on the first Crash game in almost every way, it still holds holds up to this day as a perfectly playable platforming game.

Granted, So does Crash 3. But Crash 2 feels more like a Crash game. It's got the aesthetic and the gameplay that made Crash 1 so great and just makes it better. Aside from the Jetpack levels, It also doesn't have gimmicky stages like in Crash 3 which I thought made it less of a Crash game.

But enough of comparing it to the others. I picked Crash 2 because it's a perfect example of a good platformer which wasn't made by Nintendo or Rare. In other words, it's a great alternative and I highly recommend you check it out.


#2 Team Fortress 2





This is on the list because Team Fortress 2 is the perfect game to play if your getting into PC gaming and in First Person Shooters. After 7 years, the game is still going strong and it's more enjoyable then ever. I have spent over 2000 hours on it because it's just so addictive. If it wasn't for Dota 2, I'll be still playing now.

TF2 is a class-based game. They're 9 classes, All of which have they're own uses, positives and negatives. Making the game really diverse. No match is ever identical to the last.

A lot of people would probably recommend Battlefield or CoD over TF2, but TF2 really is so unique, so funny and just so loveable. It's a must play. And it's free. So they're literally no excuses.

Valve have also really supported the game over the years, with lots of free contect patches, updates, fixes and even it's own lore. TF2 is the subject of a lot of Valve experiments. One of them being Movie making such as "Meet the Team" and this 15 minute short which is just fantastic.


#3 Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King.





My experience with JRPGs is very limited. I've only played FF7 for a few hours (I disliked it by the way, sorry!) So I'm sure they're other games which are good at or maybe even better then introducing the genre, but my choice has got to be DQ8.

Dragon's Quest 8 took me by surprise. I only picked it up because I've heard of the series and it was pretty cheap in a local game store. But holy crap this game. The characters, the world, the humor, the enemies. Everything about this game is lovable. You get lost within it and you start to really care about the (eventually) four main characters. Which is also helped by the amazing voice work. Yangus is a cockney and is fucking hilarious. Jessica is a quick witted badass who is yet very caring, and Angelo. Well I dislike Angelo. He's a womanizing posh cunt.

Another thing to note is the superb music and artstyle. They go hand in hand together making the adventure just that more epic.

But the thing that really made me love this game was the battles. It's a bit like Pokemon, so it's easy to learn and it's just so fun. The effects of the attack are really stunning for a PS2 game and the fact it's in full 3D helps a lot too. Boss fights are nail biting. Every single action counts and you always have to plan ahead. Once defeating them, it's so rewarding.

Oh. And of course to top it off. Jessica. Motherfucking Jessica Albert.


I'm not sorry.

But yeah. Highly recommend if you want to get into JRPGs. One of the most epic adventures you'll ever go on.

#4 Legend of Zelda



This one was tricky. Because I knew Zelda had to be on this list but I really don't know which one to pick. So I'm just going to say. The entire Zelda franchise is worth playing.

But for the sake of picking just a single game, I'll choose the first one. Legend of Zelda on NES





Ground breaking at it's time. Zelda 1 establishes basic mechanics of the action role-playing genre and sets the core elements for the Zelda franchise. it's a big game for it's time, as exploring the world is key. It's pretty complex as well. It has dungeons, puzzles, a lot of items and enemies. Pretty impressive for such an early game.

It's perfectly playable today and it's just as fun, rewarding and challenging too. This is personally my favorite game on the Nintendo, and it's well worth checking out regardless if you want to get into Zelda or just want to enjoy a nice action adventure experience.


----------------------------------------------

Special mentions!

Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus





We all know I like Oddworld. We all know we ALL like Oddworld (aside from OANST) But I couldn't not include my favorite game of all time. A masterpiece in gaming and in my opinion, the best way to experience Oddworld.

Abe's Oddysee as we all know is also a masterpiece, but Abe's Exoddus in my opinion is the better game. Not just because it's technically superior in mechanics but the environments are more interesting and they're more inhabitants. Making Oddworld feel more alive. Not to also mention the game's sense of humor and gorgeous artwork in the backgrounds.

I first played AE with my Dad when I was very young. When it's your first time playing the game, I HIGHLY recommend getting someone else to play it with you. A group of friends, Family. Whatever. Working together and solving the game's puzzles and levels is the best way to play the Abe games (again, in my opinion) something which can only be done once. unless you forget of course

These are my other special mentions with my favorites in the franchise in brackets

Spyro the Dragon (the Original 3 on PS1)
Rayman (Original 3)
Ratchet and Clank (The PS2 games)
Jak and Daxter (2)
Dota 2
Pokemon (Gold/Silver)
Super Mario (1, 3, 64 and Land)

[OANST]

1. Psychonauts

2. Shadow of the Colossus

3. Wind Waker

4. Super Meat Boy

[Nepsotic]

E+

[DarkHoodness]

*de-lurks* So many games... And I have a long list of favorites. A lot of the games I love are acquired tastes that I couldn't recommend to non-gamers or those new to gaming.

But if I was to yell at someone "Stop playing that Candy Crush Saga bollocks! Or that Facebook Farmville crap! They're not 'real' games! Play something decent instead!" (except I wouldn't. Whatever floats people's boats), the 4 games I'd use as decent gaming examples would be (in no order):

1) TF2, 'cause it's fun, free, and balanced. It involves strategically co-operating with random people. Only thing is though you'll be playing alongside/against a mixed bag of other players, from elitists to newbies, arseholes to awesome people - If one is new to gaming, that may lead to frustration. But perhaps it's a good introduction to the gaming community. And there's not a lot more I can say about it that Crashpunk hasn't.

2) Portal series (Portal 2 if I have to pick one, it's more refined) - A non-violent puzzle game series with an excellent storyline attached to it, provided you can get your head around it. And Nep already covered this, but I agree with him.

3) Beyond Good and Evil - A fine example of an immersive story-driven game (but could be substituted with Okami, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee/N'n'T or maybe a Zelda game). Dated classic, but one I've already shown to a few people (mostly children) who weren't into/didn't know a lot about games, and it seemed to really appeal to them. Probably 'cause of the cartoonish setting/graphics, like walking around a painting.

The characters are really well voiced, the game world is amazing, the storyline is deep enough to be interesting while remaining simple and coherent. BG&E's gameplay doesn't have a lot to it, but that makes it easy to pick up.



4) OpenTTD - Build a transport empire over 100 in-game years. The original DOS version of this was the first strategy game I got into as a child. It taught me a lot about economics and was very easy to understand, while making me think about how to do things without being too difficult. It was addictive to watch lots of little vehicles traverse the networks that I slowly built for them, increasing in complexity with time.

20 years after the original came out, the open-source version of this is still updated regularly, and the features they've added enhance what was great about the original, while making it stand up incredibly well even against other, more modern strategy games.

(Mute the sound in the vid below if you don't like badly synthesized midi)


I'm bad at reviewing stuff.

[Varrok]

You all should play emmm Limbo of the Lost... and... umm... Aliens: Colonial Marines. And Ride to Hell: Retribution. And Deus Ex Invisible War.

[Nate]

In no particular order.

1) Psychonauts
2) World of Goo
3) AO/AE
4) Grim Fandango

Limbo of the Lost...

Have you read this?

WARNING: May induce gibbering.

[Varrok]

I did read a few articles like that, excluding this particular one

[Job McYossie]

Order doesn't mean anything here, I'm just putting down my four games in a random order:

1. Persona 3

While I haven't played 4, I have played 3 and am close to beating it again. I have a really bad habit of getting into a jrpg and getting like halfway through then leaving it because the plot/world/characters couldn't hold my patience. P3 though held me the whole way through, the world is okay, good, but not great, the story is good, but rather predictable, but the characters are fantastic. And I mean fantastic. These characters are super amazing and seeing each of their personalities interact with each other made the whole game for me.

2. Mega Man 2

Everyone needs to at least try playing a game where you have to master it to beat it, and the mega man series I think is the best example of this. Beating your first stage after everything fucks you over is such a great feeling. I chose number 2 because I like it more than others.

3. TES

Any of The Elder Scrolls games will do, though I'd have to suggest starting at 3 or on, as the earlier engines are not easy to get in to. I'm not going to say what I think is best since I don't want to talk too much about it outside of the elder scrolls thread. The reason I think everyone needs to play one of these is to experience a truly epic adventure. A lot of games feel like a cool adventure, but the elder scrolls had always been so immersive the epic quest didn't feel like I was seeing it, it felt like I was creating it.
Be advised: bring pest repellent as there are a lot of bugs.

4. Simcity 2000-4

Everyone needs to try a sandbox/tycoon type game, and simcity might be my favorite, but 1 isn't nearly as fun and the graphics may put off some, and 5... I don't need to explain why we don't touch number 5. 2000 is a lot of fun, but again the graphics I could see as being off putting, and 3000 and 4 are pretty much equal in my eyes regarding the fun factor.

[Oddey]

I think my list would look something like this:

Deus Ex

Abe's Oddysee

Bioshock

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

These are my personal favorite games, which I have played all too many times. There's a few others that I sort of want to mention, but I consider them more as games I enjoy, not necessarily games I think are great or exceptionally worth playing.

[STM]

Abe's Oddysee
Fallout 1
Age of Empires II
Dawn of War

[Mr. Bungle]

No order:

Abe's Exoddus (duh)
Banjo-Tooie (Kazooie is extremely close but this has a little extra something... character? I dunno. It's just perfect.)
Majora's Mask (first Zelda game, really left an impression on me. It's always a joy to play through again. What a unique experience too.)
4. UHhh.... that's hard. I wanna put Diablo 2 here. So I will. Because it's endlessly entertaining, and a big part of my childhood. Still holds up perfectly, hell I'd pick it over the 3rd installment any day.

Shout outs to Street Fighter, Half-Life, Bioshock Infinite, Pokemon and PS1 Crash games.

[Job McYossie]

Abe's Oddysee
Fallout 1
Age of Empires II
Dawn of War

Really? I think those are all great games (never played dawn of war but the screenshots look great) but 3/4 of those games are top down strategy, would you really suggest 3 similar games as a "must play"? If I was just doing like my favorite games you can bet my list would be very different, I mean, AO wasn't even on my list, but I was trying to offer a set of games that are all different experiences to each other and are (fairly) easy to get into.

[DarkHoodness]

but I was trying to offer a set of games that are all different experiences to each other and are (fairly) easy to get into.

Yeah that's what I was trying to do, too. Mind you, "name your top 4 games in the whole of gaming" and "name 4 games you'd recommend to someone you were introducing to the world of videogames" are two different things.

[MeechMunchie]

Baldur's Gate



I begrudgingly shifted aside Arcanum, my beloved Russian steampunk fantasy homage to the political strife of the Industrial Revolution, because for all its merits, it's just not as compulsively absorbing as this, the not-quite-first outing of Mass Effect devs Bioware (with the assistance of Black Isle, who would later collapse, reform as Troika and make Arcanum). The sequel would take the story in a much darker direction, and is generally considered better, but that emotional weight came at the price of levity. Open-world RPGs need more than a big map to feel liberating; they need to instill a sense of righteousness, optimism and independence. While all the games Black Isle worked on had openness, Baldur's Gate, more than any other, makes you feel free.

It's the last game that truly had me addicted. I spent every waking hour on a drip-feed of exploration, well-written dialogue, fun combat, and rare and significant level-ups. My life wasn't great at the time, but that just added more joy to the easygoing thrill of romping to the corners of the known world with a party of characterful weridos, stabbing strange monsters to death, getting into scrapes and binds, and each time making it out by the skin of your teeth before you all stumble back to the nearest inn.

It's an adventure.

Darwinia / Multiwinia



Darwinia was Thomas Was Alone before Thomas Was Alone was Thomas Was Alone. Through sheer strength of narrative and design, it makes you unswervingly dedicated to the wellbeing of a few pixellated stickmen. The gameplay is fluid and satisfying; there's nothing just thrown in. Every element has been sharpened to a razor edge, and the result is a game that asks you to do pretty much the same thing for ten hours, and yet never gets old.

Which is just as well, because in multiplayer it's insane. Just like Baldur's Gate stole Arcanum's spot, Multiwinia is good enough to push out Worms: Armageddon, considered by many to be the quintessential party strategy game. Multiwinia is everything good about real-time strategy - the hectic pace, the broad variety of techniques, the need to constantly adapt, and that power-trip satisfaction of seeing an army of obedient subjects bend to your will - condensed into a form anyone can pick up in ten minutes. There's one kind of unit, one resource, no base management - everything happens on the battlefield. And by "everything", I mean giant spiders being blown up by aliens while a carpet-bombing sends a magical forest up in flames and obliterates a soul-harvesting machine.

Kairo



When lists like these crop up in the media, this space is usually reserved for Myst. Myst was pioneering, accessible, and the textbook definition of a seminal work - after Myst came out, games couldn't just be challenges to overcome, they had to be places you went.

Unfortunately, it wasn't actually very good. Clunky, ugly, and unintuitively designed, it only flourished due to its total lack of competition. Now we all know better, and Kairo stepped up to draw the mark where it should have been set all those years ago. Stylish, immediate, cryptic, heartfelt, and outright unnerving at times, it trumps the aging classic in every regard, and remains one of the very few games to make me cry (albeit at five in the morning).

Morrowind



It's fantasy Mongolia. It's sprawling, it's characterful, and has a beautifully fleshy, living feel that only first-person games can convey. Chat to the locals, murder wildlife, eat fungi you found in a ditch. Morrowind is a place people live, and playing it allows you to be the stranger in the strangest of strange lands.

Mod out the Cliff Racers first.

Honourable mentions go to Aquaria and Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, which, as great as they truly are, didn't have quite the right flavour for this kind of list. They're both better enjoyed with a few other games under your belt.

[Wings of Fire]

Majora's Mask for adventuring and all round funning
Project Zero/Fatal Frame 2 for depth and because it's basically the best example of the Japanese aesthetic in gaming outside of Okami
Metroid Prime because how about holy shit an FPS with a high level of creativity how's that for ya?!
I don't have an RPG on here yet so hows about Persona 3? It's a really great experience!

Narrowly missed the cut:

ICO, Eternal Darkness, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, FFIX.

[Phylum]

Okami - one of my favourite games of all time. It's silly fun, has a great aesthetic and is satisfying to play. There's well over a hundred hours of exploration if you want to find everything. Bonus points for being one of a few games to make me cry at the end.

Dragon Quest VIII - I can't imagine a better turn based RPG. It's a bit slow for the first 12-or-so hours, but once the game opens up you get a really huge world to explore. Just when you think you're starting to make a dent in it, you get a boat and suddenly there's a million more things to do. The combat can be a bit dull at times, but the enemies stay challenging as you progress and it's fun learning the best way to beat them.

Braid - Well made game, and a real classic. Interesting gameplay mechanics, tough puzzles and a mysterious story that leaves you wanting to hunt around the game for more clues.

Portal 2 - Possibly the best gameplay experience I've ever had. I loved the way the game unfolded. The pace, the dialogue, the puzzles. It could have been harder and longer, but I everything that was there was top-notch. I don't know if I'll ever enjoy another game as much as my first playthrough of Portal 2.


Special mentions include: SoTC, Quake 3 (I could literally play this game forever, and you should too!), Rayman 3 and AO.

[Nepsotic]

Portal 2 - Possibly the best gameplay experience I've ever had. I loved the way the game unfolded. The pace, the dialogue, the puzzles. It could have been harder and longer, but I everything that was there was top-notch. I don't know if I'll ever enjoy another game as much as my first playthrough of Portal 2.

Pretty much my thoughts, too. As much as I love RE4, SH2 and AO, Portal 2 was my favourite out of the list in terms of first-time gameplay. It never felt quite the same after that first playthrough, I almost have nostalgia for it even though it was only a couple of years ago.
I actually remember that mum had this plug-in air freshener with a really distinct smell at the same time I first played through P2, and whenever she gets that same one I get this massive wave of nostalgia flowing over me. I wish I could wipe my memory of playing through it so I could experience it again. All that probably sounds retarded, actually.

[Shade667]

FUCK! I forgot about Thomas was alone.
...
.....
Honourable mention: Thomas was alone.

[Crashpunk]

Shade, You could of just edited your previous post.

There isn't any need for that.

[Slog Bait]

SHORT EXPLAINATION POWERS: GO

-Rayman 3
Really good 3d platformer with beautiful visuals and funky music, definitely a must.

-Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team
Fantastic introduction to dungeon crawls. Most dungeon crawls are massive, directionless, and directiveless, and this can be really intimidating for newbies.

-Stranger's Wrath
While AO is my preferred of the lot, SW provides a more interesting gameplay experience. I can't really compare it to other games like AO can be compared to HoD or Rayman 1.

-Crash Team Racing
Hell yeah Go Karts

[STM]

Really? I think those are all great games (never played dawn of war but the screenshots look great) but 3/4 of those games are top down strategy, would you really suggest 3 similar games as a "must play"? If I was just doing like my favorite games you can bet my list would be very different, I mean, AO wasn't even on my list, but I was trying to offer a set of games that are all different experiences to each other and are (fairly) easy to get into.

Fuck yo' opinions biatch.


Seriously though I love RTS's, it's 90% of what I play.

[Job McYossie]

Seriously though I love RTS's, it's 90% of what I play.

So you're only applying what you play to what you'd recommend to anyone else, even if it there's a chance that RTS just isn't their thing?

[MeechMunchie]

If I'm allowed two RPGs, STM is allowed two RTSs.

I'd say Dawn of War definitely serves as a good example of games' ability to make you feel in control. Units move and fight with real weight, need your direction to survive, and only use their best abilities at your command.

Not sure what's so great about Age of Empires, though. I always thought its appeal was mainly nostalgic.

[Crashpunk]

AoE is really well designed. It's really fun creating your town and battling in a huge war with other units. I dunno. the whole thing just plays really well.

I'm mainly referring to AoE II, Since that's the only one I've played.

And in all honesty. I could very easily of picked 4 3D action-adventure/platforming games for my list, since that's all I used to play.

[Shade667]

Yeah. I was half tempted to throw Dynasty warriors in there cuz I love DW so much, but I based my decisions as if it was for someone who hasnt had much exposure to videogames.

[MeechMunchie]

AoE is really well designed. It's really fun creating your town and battling in a huge war with other units. the whole thing just plays really well.

I was under the impression that Rise of Nations had identical basic systems but more stuff, rendering AoE obsolete. I haven't played much of either, mind.

[Wings of Fire]

If anything AoE II has too much stuff. It has the late DoW problem of everything feeling too samey.

AoM though, now there's a winner. Titans break the game in two however.