Halo. Simply the first first person shooter ever. And as many of you know, it's no run-of-the-mill FPS, with's it's unique pace and tactical edge (especially in Legendary difficulity when running in guns blazing results in death to yourself). It has the most fun with gun play, the most fun with land vehicles, the most fun with air combat (Banshee), some of the best graphics ever (no game out now for any other platform has beaten it and it even surpasses upcoming titles for those platforms) ,and even has very satisfying stealth gameplay. The game isn't even based around stealth, but the beginning of "The Truth and Reconciliation" (sp?) where you take out all the covenant with the sniper rifle is just so much fun. And then there's keeping low and stalking a patrolling grunt before taking him down with a back melee attack. Taking down a whole squad of guarding covenant is just so satisfying, becaus it's very tricky to do and it's so fun doing it! With Halo 2 having much more of stealth gameplay with backing up against walls, hiding in the darkness, shooting out lights etc... this will be even more satisfying. Simply put: Halo is a masterpiece and is like no other game. Halo's campaign with a friend in cooperative is better still, and then there's 16 player Halo... the most I've done is 8 player and I can say that it's the best multiplayer experience I've ever had. I drool at the thought of 16 player, and it's even a goal of mine!
So Halo is the best game ever in my opinion, but here are other games that are also fantastic.
RPG
Fallout 1 & 2 - These are the best RPGs I have ever played. The story of the first is fantastic, suiting it's post apocalyptic theme extremely well. The view is isometric and the graphics are 3D rendered, but are great enough to look at. But it's the gameplay that truely stands out. No other turn based combat system from any other game is as enjoyable as this, as it's totally different with a very sophisticated set of rules. The quests are all very fun and exploration of towns is very rewarding - coming across a new town and meeting and interacting with all it's NPCs feels so good. As you expect from a deeply involving RPG, you can play however you want and you can have massive effects on the places you go to. The second is even better in terms of gameplay (with added features that fixed minor frustrating problems in the original) but lacks the feeling of post apocalypticness that the original had just a
little bit. I still have to play Morrowind as of yet, so my favourite RPG could well change.
First Person Shooter
As I said above, Halo, which is also the best game ever (IMO). Hal-Life is also very good, but not as good as Halo!
Action/Adventure
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. Simply a superb game with lovely visuals and extremely fun gameplay. Staking vampires just never gets boring and by no means is it repetitive. It feels like you're playing the TV series, as it's a very faithful conversion to a game. I don't even watch Buffy, but by what I've seen (and fans of the series will say this too), it is very like it in many ways. With all your favourite characters in the game inclusing Giles, Spike, Xandler, Willow, Cordelia, Angel and The Master. All done by the proper actors. All excpet Buffy. But don't worry! The sound alike really DOES dound alike! I was surprised to learn that it wasn't actually Sarah Michelle Gellar who provided voice talent for Buffy in the game. Captures her sarcastic tone very well indeed. The game also has an excellent script that involves all the character very well. I think it's actually written by the writers of the TV series. Wouldn't surprise me. The sound and music is top notch too, some parts are actually pretty darn scary! Combat taunts can get a wee bit repetitive, but are very good and tons better than those found in Spider Man and other games that have combat taunts (apart from Fallout of course, but it was text over head, not speech so there was alot of it). A very good game indeed, and even has an unlockable two player Arena and story mode! How cool is that? Very, I've played it and it rocks!
Beat-Em-Up
Ok, Buffy is about beating vampires up, but it is an Adventure game, not just a beat-em-up. Here's where Dead Or Alive 3 comes in. Not going into much detail at all, it's simply just the best, fast paced beat-em-up ever with lots of super cool flashy moves to pull off that allows you to also use the environment against your foes. Gorgeous to look at. Tons better than the crappy, slow paced Tekken games for PS2.
Racing
Project Gotham Racing. Need I say any more? The developers of Metropolis Street Racer have done it again, but now it's tons better! Beutiful graphics, the cars look real... especially in the replay mode! Simply the most fun racing game ever, and I wasn't much of a racing fan before I played this!
Strategy
Don't like Strategy games

Star Craft and Dungeon Keeper was cool though.
Puzzle/Adventure
The Nomad Soul. I just appreciated this game so much. Graphics were nice, fun FPS, Beat-em-up and puzzle solving all in one mix. All over too soon though. Nice enough story, but characters are introduced and then you never really see them again, which is pointless really. But I enjoyed playing it alot, which is the main thing! Great David Bowie soundtrack too, and he's even a character in the game. No wait, make that two characters. Or was it three? I cannot remember, but only one really stands out (and has a big part).
Scare-em-up
Silent Hill. Never played the sequel, but this game really is scary.
Stealth-em-up
Splinter Cell. 'nuff said. Sam Fisher makes snake look like a little kid with a dream of being a spy. I would describe this game, but I don't have too much time left and it's starting to get late! But you just have to play it. Beutiful graphics, beutiful lighting effetcs and a tremendous amount of detail. Fantastic stuff, stealth gameplay never gets dull.
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Yep, there are my favourite games. Probably forgot to mention a number of them, as I have alot of games that I just love. But the most important one being Halo, and that is the best game ever in my opinion and the thread title is "fav game of all time" and Halo is mine
