- Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn - The fact I still play this game should be enough of an indication how amazing this game is.
- Fallout 2 - This is a close second and one of the best RPG's ever made imho. The freedom in this game is amazing, as is the humor.
- Half-Life - I recently replayed this game and it holds up still to this day. It one of the best FPS games out there with excellent pacing and narrative.
- Counter-Strike - The inclusion of CS is more thanks to the amazing LAN moments I have shared with my friends, but nevertheless; this game was a big part of my life back then. Not including it would be impossible.
- Grim Fandango - Together with the other adventure game on this list, one of my most enjoyable gaming experiences. Beautiful art style, very funny, nice puzzles. Must play.
- Blade Runner - The fact that Westwood is best known for their RTS franchise is a bummer as this game is without a doubt their best game ever. And among the best ever made.
- World of Warcraft - The major downside to this game is that it sucks up so much time and the monthly fee. I would still play it otherwise.
- Planescape: Torment - I need to replay this one sometime. Most original narrative.
- Unreal - Getting out of the prisoner transport and looking up to the sky for five minutes. One of those gaming moments I will forever remember. Voodoo² Power. Ow and the multiplayer was excellent.
- Portal 2
-
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NeoGAF's PC Gaming Hall of Fame List
- Thread starter kswiston
- Start date
diffusionx
Gold Member
My boring list:
Team Fortress
Quake
CounterStrike
Warcraft III
SimCity 4
No One Lives Forever
Diablo
Deus Ex
Starsiege: Tribes
Sid Meier's Gettysburg! (yes, the exclamation point is in the title)
Team Fortress
Quake
CounterStrike
Warcraft III
SimCity 4
No One Lives Forever
Diablo
Deus Ex
Starsiege: Tribes
Sid Meier's Gettysburg! (yes, the exclamation point is in the title)
TheRagnCajun
Member
Doom Not the first FPS ever made, but the first truly great FPS. I've played it recently and it still holds up. Why don't modern shooters have hidden rooms and god-mode powerups?
Age of Empires II This was the only RTS as far as me and my freinds were concerned. This game arguably provides a better LAN-party experience than starcraft thanks to wall-building, port-trading and just more opportunities for collaberation.
Baldur's Gate The first truly great open Western style RPG. This is the game that established Bioware as the authority on the genre.
Counterstrike This game is a champion example of what the mod community is capable of. It is the most competitively-played fps of all time.
Starcraft II I missed the boat on starcraft I, but Starcraft II is a similar experience and an outstanding one. For 1v1 this is it, the most competitive, intense experience you'll ever have. It doesn't necessarily hold up in team vs team matches though, which resorts to cheese in most instances.
...hopefully I'll finish this list later.
Age of Empires II This was the only RTS as far as me and my freinds were concerned. This game arguably provides a better LAN-party experience than starcraft thanks to wall-building, port-trading and just more opportunities for collaberation.
Baldur's Gate The first truly great open Western style RPG. This is the game that established Bioware as the authority on the genre.
Counterstrike This game is a champion example of what the mod community is capable of. It is the most competitively-played fps of all time.
Starcraft II I missed the boat on starcraft I, but Starcraft II is a similar experience and an outstanding one. For 1v1 this is it, the most competitive, intense experience you'll ever have. It doesn't necessarily hold up in team vs team matches though, which resorts to cheese in most instances.
...hopefully I'll finish this list later.
GoutPatrol
Forgotten in his cell
Diablo
Unreal Tournament
Roller Coaster Tycoon
Doom II: Hell on Earth
Team Fortress 2
Counter-Strike
Warcraft II
Bioshock
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Max Payne
The hardest thing to leave off this list is The Sims. A game that seemed so revelatory at the time to my young self. Here was a game that was almost like Sea Monkeys were supposed to be when you looked at the brine shrimp box.
Unreal Tournament
Roller Coaster Tycoon
Doom II: Hell on Earth
Team Fortress 2
Counter-Strike
Warcraft II
Bioshock
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Max Payne
The hardest thing to leave off this list is The Sims. A game that seemed so revelatory at the time to my young self. Here was a game that was almost like Sea Monkeys were supposed to be when you looked at the brine shrimp box.
Hari Seldon
Member
1. Civilization IV - obviously the king
2. Half Life 2 - invented FPS physics
3. Baldur's Gate II - the King of WRPGs (Planescape is fun but BG2 has better combat)
4. Company of Heroes - significantly better single player than Starcraft's e-sport crap fest
5. TF2 - still going strong and still fun
6. World of Warcraft - sunk a lot of hours into this
7. IL2 - King of Flight Sims
8. Hearts of Iron 2 - WWII grand strategy that can sink hundreds of hours
9. X-Com - still not matched to this day
10. Duke 3D - spent hundreds of hours playing this on old school modem
edited to add x-com and Duke as I was sticking with 2000 and newer
2. Half Life 2 - invented FPS physics
3. Baldur's Gate II - the King of WRPGs (Planescape is fun but BG2 has better combat)
4. Company of Heroes - significantly better single player than Starcraft's e-sport crap fest
5. TF2 - still going strong and still fun
6. World of Warcraft - sunk a lot of hours into this
7. IL2 - King of Flight Sims
8. Hearts of Iron 2 - WWII grand strategy that can sink hundreds of hours
9. X-Com - still not matched to this day
10. Duke 3D - spent hundreds of hours playing this on old school modem
edited to add x-com and Duke as I was sticking with 2000 and newer
Hellshadow
Member
Half-Life 2
Doom II
System Shock 2
Bioshock
Fallout 3
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Quake
Deus Ex
Unreal
Blood
Doom II
System Shock 2
Bioshock
Fallout 3
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Quake
Deus Ex
Unreal
Blood
Grim Fandango
Deus Ex
Homeworld
Diablo 2
Rainbow Six
Battlefield 1942
The Void
My favorite game. 13 years later, and I still think about it daily. It's got a criminally unique setting inhabited by memorable characters, and the performances of those characters are still above what most games contain today.
Deus Ex
The best PC game ever made. The setting, the choices, it was an exactly perfect mixture that shouldn't have worked, but it did. Goddamn did it work.
Homeworld
Everyone just wants to go home.
Diablo 2
Diablo 2 was perfect at what it was. A grim, Gothic lootfest.
Rainbow Six
The game that started an entire genre, and sadly, the best entry in it.
Battlefield 1942
My first real taste of emergent gameplay. Patrolling the airspace over El Alamein and just yearning to hear 'Enemey armor spotted!' over the radio.
The Void
Probably the most important game you can play.
bengraven
Member
TOP TEN:
Civilization - My first "real" PC game if you don't count the edutainment games or PC games ported to consoles. My lab teacher in high school had us play this once for fun, pretending it was edutainment, but I got stuck. Not stuck in the game, but stuck to my seat.
The Witcher - I say this a lot in these, but I love great atmosphere, great music, and fantastically designed RPG worlds and this is one of them. The only game I've played that has music that nearly rivals Diablo 2.
Diablo 2 - Awesome clicky action, awesome story, great atmosphere. The best music in any game, ever.
Morrowind (X2) - Probably my favorite game of all time. It's not even about the gameplay for me, it's just being in that world, exploring the different regions and visiting the small towns. Or joining the dozen+ factions and being one of them for a few hours. The only games I've put more time into were WoW and Minecraft, due to the social aspects of those games.
Minecraft - nearly limitless in every possible way and getting better every day; I love the creepy survival, fear of the dark twist to the already fun exploring and building game.
Vampire: Bloodlines: crappy controls and small worlds. Released horribly glitched. Combat sucks. Why is this in my top 10? Well it is, so that must mean something. I still feel this game has some of the best NPC faces in gaming. The music is brilliant and adds to the urban horror atmosphere without being too gothy. The story is great. Mostly this game is fantastic because of it's atmosphere, the fun of being a vampire, and the most fun side quests in almost any RPG. It really shouldn't be in the top 10, but feels like it should be blasphemous not to include it.
Oregon Trail - I can't think of another educational game that was fun when I was 5 and still fun, if not more so, now that I'm 32. OT (and other games by MECC like Odell Lake) were refuges for me when I needed to get out of class and hang out in the computer lab.
Half-Life 2 - one of my top three games of all time. An amazing experience that made me a believer in scripted events. Great graphics and the best art design in gaming, incredibly satisfying weapons and physics attached to those weapons (I can only think of a couple of games that actually utilized Havok physics as good in the last 7 years). And I loved the calm beauty of the sea side while driving from abandoned house to abandoned house...those levels were my favorite!
STALKER: great atmosphere, great exploration.
Mount & Blade - Warband: it's Pirates! mixed with Elder Scrolls with the best combat of any game, ever.
Honorable mentions:
World of Warcraft - removed from top 10
Sim Farm - removed from top 10
Sim City 2000 - removed from top 10
Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?
Mist
Odell Lake
Deus Ex
Thief 2
Terraria
GAMES THAT ARE CONSOLE PORTS OR THEY WOULD BE ON THE LIST:
Borderlands
Far Cry 2
Red Faction Guerilla
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Just Cause 2
KOTOR
Civilization - My first "real" PC game if you don't count the edutainment games or PC games ported to consoles. My lab teacher in high school had us play this once for fun, pretending it was edutainment, but I got stuck. Not stuck in the game, but stuck to my seat.
The Witcher - I say this a lot in these, but I love great atmosphere, great music, and fantastically designed RPG worlds and this is one of them. The only game I've played that has music that nearly rivals Diablo 2.
Diablo 2 - Awesome clicky action, awesome story, great atmosphere. The best music in any game, ever.
Morrowind (X2) - Probably my favorite game of all time. It's not even about the gameplay for me, it's just being in that world, exploring the different regions and visiting the small towns. Or joining the dozen+ factions and being one of them for a few hours. The only games I've put more time into were WoW and Minecraft, due to the social aspects of those games.
Minecraft - nearly limitless in every possible way and getting better every day; I love the creepy survival, fear of the dark twist to the already fun exploring and building game.
Vampire: Bloodlines: crappy controls and small worlds. Released horribly glitched. Combat sucks. Why is this in my top 10? Well it is, so that must mean something. I still feel this game has some of the best NPC faces in gaming. The music is brilliant and adds to the urban horror atmosphere without being too gothy. The story is great. Mostly this game is fantastic because of it's atmosphere, the fun of being a vampire, and the most fun side quests in almost any RPG. It really shouldn't be in the top 10, but feels like it should be blasphemous not to include it.
Oregon Trail - I can't think of another educational game that was fun when I was 5 and still fun, if not more so, now that I'm 32. OT (and other games by MECC like Odell Lake) were refuges for me when I needed to get out of class and hang out in the computer lab.
Half-Life 2 - one of my top three games of all time. An amazing experience that made me a believer in scripted events. Great graphics and the best art design in gaming, incredibly satisfying weapons and physics attached to those weapons (I can only think of a couple of games that actually utilized Havok physics as good in the last 7 years). And I loved the calm beauty of the sea side while driving from abandoned house to abandoned house...those levels were my favorite!
STALKER: great atmosphere, great exploration.
Mount & Blade - Warband: it's Pirates! mixed with Elder Scrolls with the best combat of any game, ever.
Honorable mentions:
World of Warcraft - removed from top 10
Sim Farm - removed from top 10
Sim City 2000 - removed from top 10
Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?
Mist
Odell Lake
Deus Ex
Thief 2
Terraria
GAMES THAT ARE CONSOLE PORTS OR THEY WOULD BE ON THE LIST:
Borderlands
Far Cry 2
Red Faction Guerilla
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Just Cause 2
KOTOR
Sir_Crocodile
Member
XCOM : Enemy Unknown (UFO defence in america)
-The big two pointer and the greatest game ever released on the PC, and a definite candidate for greatest game ever made. Brilliant turn based tactical gameplay, and equally brilliant managment & research section.
Ascendancy
-Race to the stars! Whether slowly branching out and devloping worlds properly, or bursting through the cosmos planting flags as quickly as you can navigate space lanes and put down colonisers, this was a hugely engrossing game, and the special abilities and species interaction was great.
Monkey Island 2
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Day of the Tentacle
-Point & clicks I love. Indy is the pick of the lot with its brilliant plot, sarcastic wit & triple paths, but the more madcap MI2 & Dota were both hilariously scripted joys to play. Dota's chronojohn and time fiddling was pretty inspired. MI2 was a brilliant evolution from MI, and the highlight of the series.
Total Annihilation
-brilliant rts in which I once spent an entire day on one level because I let the enemy get too entreched and literally had to fight for control of the map inch by inch. Commander being able to generate energy and create stuff was pretty inspired.
Theme Park
-Place chip shop next to coke shop, increase saltiness of chips, and you're pretty much guaranteed everyone who buys chips will then buy a coke. We all know that, right? Then go and take on the unions. Oh, and you've got an amusement park to build, and I think the bouncy castle is about to blow up. Great management game.
Star Wars Supremecy (Rebellion in america)
-A much maligned galactic strategy game that went into quite astonshing detail. So much fun to build a giant imperial fleet and wreck carnage on the galaxy(unless they have planetary shields, in which case it's sabotage time).
Prince of Persia
-My first video game, and one which I still love today. The snes version is better, but this is the one I spent months navigating through until I could complete it in the required hour.
Dungeon Keeper
-did we all pick up monsters so they couldn't collect their pay? Just me? Being evil, killing heroes and finding hidden map secrets was made a lot of fun here. The monsters all having their own personalities and enemies (spiders vs flies, etc) was cool. First Person mode could have done with a bit of work though, but overall another fun time sink.
-The big two pointer and the greatest game ever released on the PC, and a definite candidate for greatest game ever made. Brilliant turn based tactical gameplay, and equally brilliant managment & research section.
Ascendancy
-Race to the stars! Whether slowly branching out and devloping worlds properly, or bursting through the cosmos planting flags as quickly as you can navigate space lanes and put down colonisers, this was a hugely engrossing game, and the special abilities and species interaction was great.
Monkey Island 2
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Day of the Tentacle
-Point & clicks I love. Indy is the pick of the lot with its brilliant plot, sarcastic wit & triple paths, but the more madcap MI2 & Dota were both hilariously scripted joys to play. Dota's chronojohn and time fiddling was pretty inspired. MI2 was a brilliant evolution from MI, and the highlight of the series.
Total Annihilation
-brilliant rts in which I once spent an entire day on one level because I let the enemy get too entreched and literally had to fight for control of the map inch by inch. Commander being able to generate energy and create stuff was pretty inspired.
Theme Park
-Place chip shop next to coke shop, increase saltiness of chips, and you're pretty much guaranteed everyone who buys chips will then buy a coke. We all know that, right? Then go and take on the unions. Oh, and you've got an amusement park to build, and I think the bouncy castle is about to blow up. Great management game.
Star Wars Supremecy (Rebellion in america)
-A much maligned galactic strategy game that went into quite astonshing detail. So much fun to build a giant imperial fleet and wreck carnage on the galaxy(unless they have planetary shields, in which case it's sabotage time).
Prince of Persia
-My first video game, and one which I still love today. The snes version is better, but this is the one I spent months navigating through until I could complete it in the required hour.
Dungeon Keeper
-did we all pick up monsters so they couldn't collect their pay? Just me? Being evil, killing heroes and finding hidden map secrets was made a lot of fun here. The monsters all having their own personalities and enemies (spiders vs flies, etc) was cool. First Person mode could have done with a bit of work though, but overall another fun time sink.
Complex Shadow
Cudi Lame
1) tf2
BobsRevenge
I do not avoid women, GAF, but I do deny them my essence.
*reads post*Enosh said:
Fair enough, not everyone has to love Crysis. It really is my favorite FPS though, incredible gameplay.
*unspoilers the text in parenthesis*
YOU MOTHERFUCKER YOU WANT TO FIGHT!? YOU WANT TO FIGHT!? COME AT ME BRO!!! MEET ME SOMEWHERE!!! MA DICK HARD!!! MEET ME SOME-MOTHERFUCKIN-WHERE!!!
This is tough
Warcraft3 (2 points)- Maybe my favorite PC game. Great story, great characters, great gameplay. Can't ask for more. I still go back to the campaign from time to time.
World of Warcraft - Like many people, I poured hundreds (thousands?) of hours into this game. It was a lot of fun, and it's a great multiplayer experience. This game, more than any other, leaves you with epic stories of exploits to tell.
Master of Magic - The classic strategy game for me. I loved making armies of dragons and chimera. Another one I still go back to from time to time.
Mass Effect - The whole series really. Just fantastic.
Knights of the Old Republic - The quintessential PC RPG in my opinion.
X-Com: Terror From the Deep - Yes, X-Com 2. Sorry, I never played 1. Man this game was hard, but the level of depth and complexity that it brought is mind blowing. It was really engrossing for me as a kid. I really miss games with the level of depth that this had. (I don't miss getting one shotted by off screen aliens)
Hitman Blood Money - Just recently played through this again, and it really holds up well. Great puzzles, non linear gameplay, feel like a total bad ass.
Jade Empire - A fun and aesthetically very cool game. Good replay value given how many martial styles there are. Story was fairly simple for a Bioware game, but still enjoyable.
Diablo II - Classic loot game. I actually only played all the way through this game once, but I started so many characters haha.
TIE Fighter - As a kid, it didn't get any better than flying a fighter in the starwars universe. The game even managed to sneak in a decent story and a fairly good level of complexity. Top Notch.
Honorable Mentions go to
Portal - Fantastic Game, but too short and no replay value
Team Fortress 2 - One of the Best team based FPS games ever made. Great art style, music, and class design.
Max Payne - The cheesy noir monologues alone make this game a classic. Bullet time was fun too.
Counter Strike - Obligatory given how much time i spent playing it freshman year.
Borderlands - Most people think of this as a console game i guess? Its and FPS so its always a PC game first to me.
Left 4 Dead Series - The Best Zombie Shooter(TM)
Warcraft3 (2 points)- Maybe my favorite PC game. Great story, great characters, great gameplay. Can't ask for more. I still go back to the campaign from time to time.
World of Warcraft - Like many people, I poured hundreds (thousands?) of hours into this game. It was a lot of fun, and it's a great multiplayer experience. This game, more than any other, leaves you with epic stories of exploits to tell.
Master of Magic - The classic strategy game for me. I loved making armies of dragons and chimera. Another one I still go back to from time to time.
Mass Effect - The whole series really. Just fantastic.
Knights of the Old Republic - The quintessential PC RPG in my opinion.
X-Com: Terror From the Deep - Yes, X-Com 2. Sorry, I never played 1. Man this game was hard, but the level of depth and complexity that it brought is mind blowing. It was really engrossing for me as a kid. I really miss games with the level of depth that this had. (I don't miss getting one shotted by off screen aliens)
Hitman Blood Money - Just recently played through this again, and it really holds up well. Great puzzles, non linear gameplay, feel like a total bad ass.
Jade Empire - A fun and aesthetically very cool game. Good replay value given how many martial styles there are. Story was fairly simple for a Bioware game, but still enjoyable.
Diablo II - Classic loot game. I actually only played all the way through this game once, but I started so many characters haha.
TIE Fighter - As a kid, it didn't get any better than flying a fighter in the starwars universe. The game even managed to sneak in a decent story and a fairly good level of complexity. Top Notch.
Honorable Mentions go to
Portal - Fantastic Game, but too short and no replay value
Team Fortress 2 - One of the Best team based FPS games ever made. Great art style, music, and class design.
Max Payne - The cheesy noir monologues alone make this game a classic. Bullet time was fun too.
Counter Strike - Obligatory given how much time i spent playing it freshman year.
Borderlands - Most people think of this as a console game i guess? Its and FPS so its always a PC game first to me.
Left 4 Dead Series - The Best Zombie Shooter(TM)
Mattdaddy
Gold Member
1) World of Warcraft - Speaks for itself.
2) X-COM UFO Defense - Awesome atmosphere, intensity, and unforgiving difficulty. The patriarch of turn based tactical with a base building cherry on top. Still enjoyable today, even with dated graphics.
3) Counter-Strike - Fun, intense, and addicting. First game I played with no respawning and it really upped the intensity.
4) Freespace 2 - My favorite space shooter ever. Story, graphics (at the time), atmosphere... all stellar. The scale of the capital ships pounding each other with lasers compared to your little fighter was something to behold. Also one of my most favorite endings ever (along with Freespace 1). Just gritty.
5) Rome Total War - Special place in my heart among the Total War series. Rome was the one that really gave the series the firepower and name recognition it has. Gotta try it if you like RTS and empire building. Also my favorite historical period
6) Battlefied 2 - Pinnacle of massive 64 player ass kicking. Best online fps ever... until October
7) Knights of the Old Republic - Love this game. The twist with your character and turning your own party members against each other... so awesome. It was total carnage in my party at the climax.
8) Diablo - The OG. "AAAAAAAHHHHH FRESH MEAT!" I shat myself. "Yup... that's a cow alright."
9) Red Alert 2 - Just a great, fun, solid RTS. Not full blown goofy like its successors.
10) Half-Life - First game I ever played where I noticed... "Damn... these baddies are smart!" Coming up on a squad of Marines was a battle every time. Awesome story, awesome character, spawned the whole Half-Life universe.
2) X-COM UFO Defense - Awesome atmosphere, intensity, and unforgiving difficulty. The patriarch of turn based tactical with a base building cherry on top. Still enjoyable today, even with dated graphics.
3) Counter-Strike - Fun, intense, and addicting. First game I played with no respawning and it really upped the intensity.
4) Freespace 2 - My favorite space shooter ever. Story, graphics (at the time), atmosphere... all stellar. The scale of the capital ships pounding each other with lasers compared to your little fighter was something to behold. Also one of my most favorite endings ever (along with Freespace 1). Just gritty.
5) Rome Total War - Special place in my heart among the Total War series. Rome was the one that really gave the series the firepower and name recognition it has. Gotta try it if you like RTS and empire building. Also my favorite historical period
6) Battlefied 2 - Pinnacle of massive 64 player ass kicking. Best online fps ever... until October
7) Knights of the Old Republic - Love this game. The twist with your character and turning your own party members against each other... so awesome. It was total carnage in my party at the climax.
8) Diablo - The OG. "AAAAAAAHHHHH FRESH MEAT!" I shat myself. "Yup... that's a cow alright."
9) Red Alert 2 - Just a great, fun, solid RTS. Not full blown goofy like its successors.
10) Half-Life - First game I ever played where I noticed... "Damn... these baddies are smart!" Coming up on a squad of Marines was a battle every time. Awesome story, awesome character, spawned the whole Half-Life universe.
Felix Lighter
Member
I'd like to vote but I feel like I missed out on too many highly regarded PC games.
ChocolatePuddin
Member
1.Warcraft 2:Tides of darkness
2.Knights of the old republic
3.Dungeon Keeper
4.Rainbow 6
5.Half-Life
6.Ultima 9: Ascension
7.Command and Conquer: Generals
8.Company of heroes
9.Call of Duty 4:Modern Warfare
10.Max Payne
2.Knights of the old republic
3.Dungeon Keeper
4.Rainbow 6
5.Half-Life
6.Ultima 9: Ascension
7.Command and Conquer: Generals
8.Company of heroes
9.Call of Duty 4:Modern Warfare
10.Max Payne
Diablo 2 - loot, loot and more loot >.<
Warcraft 3 - I bought the game even though my PC couldn't handle it. Fell in love with the campaign. Also played online a lot
Half Life 2 - Played this right when it released, the graphics, physics and story blew my mind.
Civilization II - With the low req. and short install/small file size this was my quick setup and play game. I still play it occasionally
The Operative: No One Lives Forever - Aside from Half-Life, this is the only FPS where the story grabbed me. I also loved the humor and characters.
Populous: The Beginning - A game me and my class mate used to play A LOT and talked about it all the time. I'm not sure exactly why, but I love this game and it doesn't even have custom games, only those 25 or so levels.
Unreal Tournament - If you were a PC gamer back in 99, you were either the UT or the Quake guy. I was the latter. Played it so much, even with bots.
Ignition - Sometime in primary school, every guy in my class played this. Whoevers place we were, we played it.
Sim City 4 - I just love building cities and 4 has so much downloadable content its unbelievable.
StarCraft 2 - 1 was good, but I never played it much online. 2 is just wonderful.
Warcraft 3 - I bought the game even though my PC couldn't handle it. Fell in love with the campaign. Also played online a lot
Half Life 2 - Played this right when it released, the graphics, physics and story blew my mind.
Civilization II - With the low req. and short install/small file size this was my quick setup and play game. I still play it occasionally
The Operative: No One Lives Forever - Aside from Half-Life, this is the only FPS where the story grabbed me. I also loved the humor and characters.
Populous: The Beginning - A game me and my class mate used to play A LOT and talked about it all the time. I'm not sure exactly why, but I love this game and it doesn't even have custom games, only those 25 or so levels.
Unreal Tournament - If you were a PC gamer back in 99, you were either the UT or the Quake guy. I was the latter. Played it so much, even with bots.
Ignition - Sometime in primary school, every guy in my class played this. Whoevers place we were, we played it.
Sim City 4 - I just love building cities and 4 has so much downloadable content its unbelievable.
StarCraft 2 - 1 was good, but I never played it much online. 2 is just wonderful.
BobsRevenge
I do not avoid women, GAF, but I do deny them my essence.
Can this game be patched into working condition? The game had an absurd amount of freedom, but it was SOOOO janky. I might reinstall it.ChocolatePuddin said:
edit:
I think you ponder for a bit, and then just go with your gut and rely on other people to cover you on the things you neglect. Looking at the other lists, the games I didn't put in or felt were questionable are largely getting their due.GuiltybyAssociation said:
echoshifting
Banned
I want one top ten per decade, there's no way to pick 10 games. Like...I want to put King's Quest VI on there, because it was my favorite game at the time, but it's not exactly mind-blowing compared to much of what has come since. It's hard to look at games objectively in their own time and space and then measure them against other games based on a completely different time and space. Dune II? Changed my life, but every RTS since does it better. Hrrmmm. Hrrmmmm!
bitch bitch bitch moan moan moan, but I'll still do it. It's irresistible. ;p I just know that a lot of the older games that laid the groundwork are going to get short shrift here. Stuff like this...
...makes me
edit: just a suggestion...if you don't to make this too complicated but want to make it a bit more fair to the older games, perhaps when you collect votes you could parse them out by era/decade? That way older games aren't penalized simply by virtue of the fact that they are too old for many here to have played them. It's your thread but it definitely is sad that the founding fathers won't get too high in the list.
bitch bitch bitch moan moan moan, but I'll still do it. It's irresistible. ;p I just know that a lot of the older games that laid the groundwork are going to get short shrift here. Stuff like this...
K.Jack said:
...makes me
edit: just a suggestion...if you don't to make this too complicated but want to make it a bit more fair to the older games, perhaps when you collect votes you could parse them out by era/decade? That way older games aren't penalized simply by virtue of the fact that they are too old for many here to have played them. It's your thread but it definitely is sad that the founding fathers won't get too high in the list.
Two points: Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
in no order:
2. Wizardry: Crusaders of the Dark Savant
3. The Secret of Monkey Island
4. Ultima VII: The Black Gate
5. Betrayal at Krondor
6. Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero?
7. Jagged Alliance 2
8. Trinity
9. King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow
10. Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi
Honorable mentions:
Planescape: Torment
Ultima Underworld
The Curse of Monkey Island
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizard
in no order:
2. Wizardry: Crusaders of the Dark Savant
3. The Secret of Monkey Island
4. Ultima VII: The Black Gate
5. Betrayal at Krondor
6. Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero?
7. Jagged Alliance 2
8. Trinity
9. King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow
10. Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi
Honorable mentions:
Planescape: Torment
Ultima Underworld
The Curse of Monkey Island
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizard
X-com - The first time a pc game ever scared me.
Jagged Alliance 2 - Like X-Com but with better graphics, story and actual characters.
Team Fortress 2 - I'm always in the mood.
Baldurs Gate 2 - The hours...
Fallout 3 - A different, more enjoyable experience on the pc.
Morrowind - "Wake Up. We're Here. Why are you shaking? Are you ok? Wake up. Stand up. There you go. You were dreaming. What's your name?" Tell me that doesn't make your spine tingle.
Stalker - GET OUT OF HERE STALKER!
Diablo 2 - Never beat it but always come back for more.
Terraria - The next thing I knew I'd lost two days of my life
Ghost Recon 2 - Still the best tactical shooter.
Jagged Alliance 2 - Like X-Com but with better graphics, story and actual characters.
Team Fortress 2 - I'm always in the mood.
Baldurs Gate 2 - The hours...
Fallout 3 - A different, more enjoyable experience on the pc.
Morrowind - "Wake Up. We're Here. Why are you shaking? Are you ok? Wake up. Stand up. There you go. You were dreaming. What's your name?" Tell me that doesn't make your spine tingle.
Stalker - GET OUT OF HERE STALKER!
Diablo 2 - Never beat it but always come back for more.
Terraria - The next thing I knew I'd lost two days of my life
Ghost Recon 2 - Still the best tactical shooter.
Hari Seldon
Member
God damn I forgot about the Space Sim genre completely. Also the Jedi Knight games. It is kind of amazing that there isn't a recent Jedi Knight game considering how awesome they were and how easy it would be to put on a console.
1. StarCraft. I dont remember if I played Command & Conquer or WarCraft first, but I know I preferred WC. Then WCII came along, and it was also very good. But StarCraft, far from being simply the WarCraft in Space that many originally expected it to be, was simply on another level. In terms of gameplay, the 3 utterly unique yet balanced factions, the powerful map editor, and the level of support that Blizzard has provided has made it the best RTS Ive ever played. But its actually the lore, setting, and characters of the SC universe that truly pushed it above and beyond all other PC games for me - Raynor, Kerrigan, and Tassadar are some of my favorite gaming characters ever, and for that game to be a RTS is something I almost never wouldve believed.
2. Civilization II. Im still not sure if I could definitively consider II or IV to be the pinnacle of the Civilization series, but one of them has to be on the list. And maybe its just a case of nostalgia, but I think I would tilt ever so slightly to II. The original Civ was an amazing game for its day, but Civ II was a massive improvement upon it in almost every way. It looked better, it sounded better, it was deeper, the AI was better (yes, AI in Civ has always been... quirky, shall we say, but this *was* 1996), and it truly became the game that kept you up deep into the night thinking just one more turn.
3. Portal. The Orange Box was a pretty momentous release, but the focus and the hype were, understandably, on the next installment of one of the most critically acclaimed PC games of all time and a multiplayer focused FPS followup over a decade in the making. Portal, on the other hand, was regarded by most as the bonus free game then. Yet the basic concept of the game captured my attention from the first time I read about it, and it actually became the main reason for my purchase of The Orange Box (I actually still have not played HL2 Ep 2 due to waiting on Valve to release Ep 3... sometime, and I never was a big MP FPS fan so didnt play much TF2 either). And boy, it did not disappoint. The gameplay mechanics were fun, the puzzles were creative, the characters (OK, just one character really, though the WCC arguably could count as one!) were captivating, and the now-famous (or would it be infamous?) ending credits/ending theme is the best Ive seen in a game in years. All in one damned-near perfectly paced package - truly the most brilliant game of this generation.
4. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. I think I might have played the original PoP at some point, but I certainly didn't have any attachment to it. And I also tried the absolutely atrocious PoP 3D, which obviously didn't endear me to the series either. But in just a few short hours, Sands of Time has made me such a fan that I've bought every single subsequent game in the franchise. Sure, the combat was simple and rather repetitive, and some platforming bits were tedious thanks to the camera angle. But the time rewind mechanic, the eminently like-able prince and Farah and the banter between them, and the brilliant way the story was narrated, all came together to make a game that truly defined the action-platformer, maybe even to this day. And on the PC platform especially, where there have been far fewer high-profile 3rd person action games, it really stands alone.
5. SimCity 2000. SimCity created the modern city building game and was quite revolutionary. Then SimCity 2000 made it damned near perfect, and still stands as the pinnacle of the series and genre. Yeah, laying water pipes is quite annoying, and late-game is basically just build as many arcologies as possible. But the core of the gameplay mechanics are solid, and the fact that you could play the game indefinitely without a win condition was brilliant fun.
6. Star Wars: TIE Fighter. There are a lot of great space sims, and the Wing Commander games are probably more important in the genre, but for me this is the one that still stands above them all. Yeah, a lot of that is because its a Star Wars game, but I can hardly hold that against it, because it does such a fantastic job in making the most of the franchise. Taking the perspective of the opposing side was a brilliant move, and I would say that this is still the best Star Wars game set in the Rebellion era.
7. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. If I had been told in 2000 that an RPG set in the Star Wars universe may become arguably the best Star Wars game ever made, I'd have laughed. But KotOR delivered almost everything I could have ever wanted out of a Star Wars RPG, and in spectacular fashion. Yes, the fact that it came after the release of the divisive first 2 movies of the prequel trilogy probably helped perceptions (certainly there were plenty of proclamations of it being a better Star Wars than them), but the game is absolutely solid on it's own. The story, setting, and characters are all very well done (HK-47 is one of the most memorable characters in a videogame ever), and the gameplay felt fast-paced and action-oriented enough despite, at it's core, still being a D&D roll-based system.
8. Transport Tycoon. Sid Meier may be the best strategy game designer ever, but Chris Sawyer is truly the master of the tycoon game genre. Railroad Tycoon is good, but Transport Tycoon is brilliant, and the later RollerCoaster Tycoon series just fully cemented it.
9. Half-Life 2. The original Half-Life was probably the first FPS to do story properly, but HL2 really took it to new heights. The narrative is well delivered, the characters are well rounded (and gets bonus points for Alyx being one of the best female characters in gaming), the levels are interesting, and the Gravity Gun is just plain cool. Honestly, about the only thing I can say bad about HL2 would be that for as good as it is, a surprising spin-off in Portal just ended up being that much better.
10. Baldurs Gate 2. There are not enough words I can write to properly describe a game of this epic proportions. But the fact that a decade later it's still considered the definitive fantasy/D&D RPG really says it all. I still prefer KotOR when it comes to WRPGs, but Ill readily admit that the only real reason I have that above BG2 is my affection for the Star Wars universe.
And the barely-missed-top-10 honorable mentions:
Deus Ex
Heroes of Might and Magic III
Planescape: Torment
RollerCoaster Tycoon
Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
System Shock 2
Tribes 2
Worms 2
2. Civilization II. Im still not sure if I could definitively consider II or IV to be the pinnacle of the Civilization series, but one of them has to be on the list. And maybe its just a case of nostalgia, but I think I would tilt ever so slightly to II. The original Civ was an amazing game for its day, but Civ II was a massive improvement upon it in almost every way. It looked better, it sounded better, it was deeper, the AI was better (yes, AI in Civ has always been... quirky, shall we say, but this *was* 1996), and it truly became the game that kept you up deep into the night thinking just one more turn.
3. Portal. The Orange Box was a pretty momentous release, but the focus and the hype were, understandably, on the next installment of one of the most critically acclaimed PC games of all time and a multiplayer focused FPS followup over a decade in the making. Portal, on the other hand, was regarded by most as the bonus free game then. Yet the basic concept of the game captured my attention from the first time I read about it, and it actually became the main reason for my purchase of The Orange Box (I actually still have not played HL2 Ep 2 due to waiting on Valve to release Ep 3... sometime, and I never was a big MP FPS fan so didnt play much TF2 either). And boy, it did not disappoint. The gameplay mechanics were fun, the puzzles were creative, the characters (OK, just one character really, though the WCC arguably could count as one!) were captivating, and the now-famous (or would it be infamous?) ending credits/ending theme is the best Ive seen in a game in years. All in one damned-near perfectly paced package - truly the most brilliant game of this generation.
4. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. I think I might have played the original PoP at some point, but I certainly didn't have any attachment to it. And I also tried the absolutely atrocious PoP 3D, which obviously didn't endear me to the series either. But in just a few short hours, Sands of Time has made me such a fan that I've bought every single subsequent game in the franchise. Sure, the combat was simple and rather repetitive, and some platforming bits were tedious thanks to the camera angle. But the time rewind mechanic, the eminently like-able prince and Farah and the banter between them, and the brilliant way the story was narrated, all came together to make a game that truly defined the action-platformer, maybe even to this day. And on the PC platform especially, where there have been far fewer high-profile 3rd person action games, it really stands alone.
5. SimCity 2000. SimCity created the modern city building game and was quite revolutionary. Then SimCity 2000 made it damned near perfect, and still stands as the pinnacle of the series and genre. Yeah, laying water pipes is quite annoying, and late-game is basically just build as many arcologies as possible. But the core of the gameplay mechanics are solid, and the fact that you could play the game indefinitely without a win condition was brilliant fun.
6. Star Wars: TIE Fighter. There are a lot of great space sims, and the Wing Commander games are probably more important in the genre, but for me this is the one that still stands above them all. Yeah, a lot of that is because its a Star Wars game, but I can hardly hold that against it, because it does such a fantastic job in making the most of the franchise. Taking the perspective of the opposing side was a brilliant move, and I would say that this is still the best Star Wars game set in the Rebellion era.
7. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. If I had been told in 2000 that an RPG set in the Star Wars universe may become arguably the best Star Wars game ever made, I'd have laughed. But KotOR delivered almost everything I could have ever wanted out of a Star Wars RPG, and in spectacular fashion. Yes, the fact that it came after the release of the divisive first 2 movies of the prequel trilogy probably helped perceptions (certainly there were plenty of proclamations of it being a better Star Wars than them), but the game is absolutely solid on it's own. The story, setting, and characters are all very well done (HK-47 is one of the most memorable characters in a videogame ever), and the gameplay felt fast-paced and action-oriented enough despite, at it's core, still being a D&D roll-based system.
8. Transport Tycoon. Sid Meier may be the best strategy game designer ever, but Chris Sawyer is truly the master of the tycoon game genre. Railroad Tycoon is good, but Transport Tycoon is brilliant, and the later RollerCoaster Tycoon series just fully cemented it.
9. Half-Life 2. The original Half-Life was probably the first FPS to do story properly, but HL2 really took it to new heights. The narrative is well delivered, the characters are well rounded (and gets bonus points for Alyx being one of the best female characters in gaming), the levels are interesting, and the Gravity Gun is just plain cool. Honestly, about the only thing I can say bad about HL2 would be that for as good as it is, a surprising spin-off in Portal just ended up being that much better.
10. Baldurs Gate 2. There are not enough words I can write to properly describe a game of this epic proportions. But the fact that a decade later it's still considered the definitive fantasy/D&D RPG really says it all. I still prefer KotOR when it comes to WRPGs, but Ill readily admit that the only real reason I have that above BG2 is my affection for the Star Wars universe.
And the barely-missed-top-10 honorable mentions:
Deus Ex
Heroes of Might and Magic III
Planescape: Torment
RollerCoaster Tycoon
Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
System Shock 2
Tribes 2
Worms 2
1. Tribes. A truly 3D world where every axis matters, insanely competitive, stupid fast, and the first retail game to be online only gameplay. It paid off.
2. Mount and Blade: Warbands. This game defines what is unique about the PC platform. Completely open ended, easily modded, community funded, strong MP community, and insanely deep.
3. Quake III: Arena. C'mon, it's Q3.
4. Starcraft. This game defined e-sports.
5. DoTA. Only in the world of PC's can a free mod to a game spawn a community of millions, and a hugely successful genre. Plus it had a swedish pop song about it.
6. Counterstrike. See above. "BOOM HEADSHOT!"
7. X-Com. I can't say anything here that hasn't been said before.
8. Civilization V. It's the newest, and the most well balanced of the best strategy series of all time. Ever.
9. Company of Heroes. Redefined the RTS for a new generation.
10. WoW. Yup.
2. Mount and Blade: Warbands. This game defines what is unique about the PC platform. Completely open ended, easily modded, community funded, strong MP community, and insanely deep.
3. Quake III: Arena. C'mon, it's Q3.
4. Starcraft. This game defined e-sports.
5. DoTA. Only in the world of PC's can a free mod to a game spawn a community of millions, and a hugely successful genre. Plus it had a swedish pop song about it.
6. Counterstrike. See above. "BOOM HEADSHOT!"
7. X-Com. I can't say anything here that hasn't been said before.
8. Civilization V. It's the newest, and the most well balanced of the best strategy series of all time. Ever.
9. Company of Heroes. Redefined the RTS for a new generation.
10. WoW. Yup.
Danne-Danger
Member
That's not a PC game.Switters said:
And it's a shitty game.
- World of Warcraft - As been mentioned before, it's a very polarizing game for about everyone but I really have to give this one the top spot. It's been a great experience in many ways. The scale when starting and exploring all the many different locations, the community, the end game and of course, the drama. Any game that gets played as much as this one will get dissected and criticized. Can't please everyone, but I'm pretty sure everyone has been pleased with some aspects of this game (and I enjoyed most).
- Doom - This was the most impressive thing I had ever seen. Technology sure moved at a very fast pace during those years. Went from some pretty simple sidescrollers to this in such a short period of time. The horror aspect with fast paced action and probably the best graphics out there made this the FPS everyone remembers.
- Battlefield 1942 - So I can actually jump in all vehicles on a gigantic map with 64 players? Yes? I had a total blast with this. There were so many great and hilarious moments that can only happen in BF. In addition to vanilla being fantastic, this game has had some of the best mods in pc gaming history as far as I'm concerned... "Enemy Submarine Spotted!" in El Alamein - never forget.
- Diablo II - I played this game some years after its release, and absolutely loved it. While I think the atmosphere of the first can't be beat, this game has to be one of the most addictive ones I ever laid my fingers on. Creating various builds of characters amplified with stats on items.. some crazy combinations and depth.
- Braid - A very unique approach that mixes platforming and puzzling. A memorable experience. Everyone ought to try this game.
- Portal - This has to be a pretty popular one. A FPS that's all about solving some mind bending puzzles blended with a bizarre sense of humor.
- Warcraft II - I had played the prequel and Dune II (which pioneered the RTS genre), but this one holds a special place for me. Higher res graphics, a great soundtrack, humor and addictive gameplay. Go Blizzard, they're doing well on my list!
- Day of the Tentacle - Adventure gaming at its best. Great characters and art. I need to replay this one soon.
- Comanche - For some reason this one just sticks with me. Maybe because of how it looked on my glorious 386DX40. A very cool mission based Chopper game with the voxel rendering technique Novalogic became quite well known for.
- Unreal Tournament (99) - I remember playing the demo of this game over and over on a LAN with some friends. It only became better once we got our hands on the full game. DMDeck 16. Countless of hours were poured into this one. I still occasionally fire it up to kill some bots.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
kswiston said:
Yeah, I have a little beef with this.
I get the point; you don't want a series occupying multiple slots. That's fine.
But you're encouraging the opposite. Because people can only vote once per series, there will be vote splitting within the series. Many people like Civilization, but if some people vote Civ 1 (because it was the originator), some vote Civ 2 (massive improvement and probably the most popular), and some vote Civ 4 (more depth, probably considered the best by most fans of the series), the vote splits could cost all of them a high ranking. Almost everyone who picked one of those three would gladly substitute for the other two. Ditto Sim City with Classic, 2k, and 4. Ditto HoMM to a lesser extent. Ditto Doom / Doom II. Ditto L4D / L4D2.
Some series won't have this problem, but some will. I don't think Yoot Tower should count against Sim Tower. I don't think someone preferring X-Wing vs TIE Fighter should count against TIE Fighter. Roller-Coaster Tycoon 2/3. Warcraft 2/3. Starcraft/2. Age of Empires/2. All of these are cases where vote splitting will lower the overall quality of the list by failing to represent posters consensus.
The result will be a list filled with novel one-offs or distinct narrative sequels rather than iterative series, which form a huge staple of core PC gaming genres.
Frank Jaeger
Member
Half Life! Showed me the wonders of PC gaming when I was still as broke as working girl in easter! (2 POINTS!)
Red Alert 2! Awesome gameplay with a wonky story! Then I was able to hack it and make giant tanks and show my friends.
Dead Space! Although not exclusive, I found it a refreshing entry on the horror genre of which I'm a fan!
Resident Evil (the first one)! Got it on a magazine and enjoyed every second of that thick thick atmosphere!
Diablo 2! Should be on the top of every PC player!
Fallout! I started with Fallout tactics! Liked the concept but found it rather dull! Got Fallout on a bomba bin and became a very happy person!
World of Warcraft!
Unreal Tournament! I killed a lot a people and smiled profusely about it! I Still smile when I remember the long nights doing my shock combos!
Red Alert 2! Awesome gameplay with a wonky story! Then I was able to hack it and make giant tanks and show my friends.
Dead Space! Although not exclusive, I found it a refreshing entry on the horror genre of which I'm a fan!
Resident Evil (the first one)! Got it on a magazine and enjoyed every second of that thick thick atmosphere!
Diablo 2! Should be on the top of every PC player!
Fallout! I started with Fallout tactics! Liked the concept but found it rather dull! Got Fallout on a bomba bin and became a very happy person!
World of Warcraft!
Unreal Tournament! I killed a lot a people and smiled profusely about it! I Still smile when I remember the long nights doing my shock combos!