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What games are essential to play?

im_dany

Member
Portal+Portal 2
COD4 (if you like military fps)
Halo 1-2-3
Zelda ALBW-Ocarina-BOTW
Pokemon Heartgold/Soulsilver
Doom (2016)
Forza Horizon 3 (because it basically kills 1&2)
Wip3out
Rocket League
Mario Kart (any of them)
Mario (atleast one 2D and one 3D)
 

hotcyder

Member
I'll try and list this by mechanical complexity

Tetris (also Tetris Attack)
Geometry Wars
Pac-Man (256 also a good shout)
Super Mario (Donkey Kong, Bros., 3/World, 64, Galaxy 1/2)
Legend of Zelda (Link to the Past, Awakening, OOT, Wind Waker, BOTW)
Metroid (Zero Mission, Super, Fusion, Prime 1)
Pokemon Fire Red (then Heart Gold, Sun)
Outrun
Mario Kart (Super, 8) (Maybe F-Zero then GX)
Sonic the Hedgehog (2/3K, Mania, Adventure 1, Colours/ Generations)
Luigi's Mansion
Doom (then Quake, Half-life, Halo, COD Modern Warfare)
Portal
Bioshock (then Deux Ex Human Rev, Dishonored and Prey)
SimCity (SNES or 5) (Also the Sims)
Advance Wars (then XCOM 2)
Resident Evil Remake (then onto 4 then 7)
Donkey Kong Country
Yoshi's Island
Shadow of the Colossus
Minecraft
Mass Effect 2
Dark Souls/Bloodborne
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Subsistence preferably)
Rocket League
GTA Vice City (then V)
PUBG style game (Fortnite is free!)

RPGS - Maybe Chrono Trigger, Paper Mario TTYD or Mario + Luigi Superstar Saga (never played FF7)
Fighters - Street Fighter 2, Super Smash Bros Melee
 

Bakercat

Member
I'd recommend playing super mario world then 3D world so you can see how far gaming has come since the 90's. Double points if you get a female to watch aswell.
 
Unless you don't work, eat, or sleep, one life is not enough to play all essential games out there.

And how long do you have to play these games so they mean anything to you ? I played like 45 minutes of Diablo 2, can I check it on my essential games list ?
 

killatopak

Gold Member
And how long do you have to play these games so they mean anything to you ? I played like 45 minutes of Diablo 2, can I check it on my essential games list ?

Personally, I'd play it until I get no more enjoyment out of them. It's not like I'll play these suggestions one after another. It'll take a long time but I can make it work.

If I get no enjoyment out of it despite being essential, I think playing it would just be a waste of time. I can still appreciate a game for what it brought to the medium even if I didn't enjoy it.

It's not like I need to play it either. I could watch somebody else play it and still get enjoyment out of it. I love watching high level tetris players play the game but I understand I'll never be as good as them.

Dota for 2000 hours

Been there, done that. :)
 

Peltz

Member
Nah, SMB1 is influential for the entire medium, not just platformers. SMB1 1-1 design school analyses are so common that they're practically a cliché.

And hey, no one is "less of a gamer" if they haven't played a specific game. I've never played Minecraft, because it holds no interest to me but at the same time, I would never argue that it isn't a massively influential game. There are far too many games to play in one lifetime - play what you want.

Well said. Perfect post.
 

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
I think such a list should actually be rather slim and include select games with then a pointer towards games where you can go deeper into that direction if you liked it. E.g. for my favourite genre of platformers (in the stricter jump & run sense, so Super Monkey Ball is for instance not included for this reason), a list I would suggest would look like this:
- New Super Mario Bros. U (like it? Try the rest of the NSMB series, Mario World, SMB 1-3, Commander Keen series, Rayman, DuckTales, DK Jungle Beat (...))
- Yoshi's Island (like it? Try Island DS, New Island, Woolly World, Wario Land series, Donkey Kong Country series)
- Banjo-Kazooie (like it? Try Jak & Daxter, Tooie, Gruntys Revenge, Mario 64, Mario Sunshine, Vexx....)
- Super Mario Galaxy (like it? Try Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario 3D Land, Mario 3D World, Crash Bandicoot series, Rayman 2 & 3, ...)
- Sonic 2 (like it? Try Sonic 1, 3 & Knuckles, CD, Mania, Advance series, Pocket Adventure, Jazz Jackrabbit, Freedom Planet, ...)
- Sonic Generations (like it? Try other 3D Sonics)

The further recommendations lists are just quick examples, in a proper list it should be worked out better. I feel that identifying the core playstyles and good representatives for them makes for a better list than listing all influential or amazing games, because if people do not like a representative example of a specific playstyle and do not even pick up interest in variations of the same style, it is unlikely they will like other, similar games much. If one were to limit such a list to around 6 games per major genre (like I did here with platformers), one would still end up with a very sizable list, but I feel it would give a good indication of what directions one wants to explore and using a well edited list of further recommendations, such a list could probably be very helpful also to players who are already playing for years but would like to dip into more genres.
 

iswasdoes

Member
Imma do this by genre.

Going back to your original post - Ive just finished Half Life Ep 1+2 myself. (having played the original 1+2 years ago). I would describe this series as essential, treat them as one big game as they play as such. That covers FPS

I'd add Mario 64 and OOT as the two most important games in the two most important series in gaming. That covers platformer and adventure.

Tetris for puzzle.Obviously. Fighter has got to be Street Fighter 2.

Racing game. Tricky. Kart springs to mind, and MK8 is the undisputed best version, so theres that. But to my mind Burnout 3 is the best racing game experience you can have, and is essential as well. Maybe you can have Kart racer and 'serious' racer as two genres.

I don't know enough about RPGs to represent them. I imagine people would say FF7? I think the genre might be too niche to qualify for an essential, but Ill probably get eaten alive for that.


There's your list.
 
Portal. Start with an inspired mechanic, and use it to create a game as or more elegant than anything else in the medium. Smart, funny, and engaging in a way that is wholly connected to that game mechanic. And still accessible.

Cave Story. Not just for the game itself (although it is one of the best ever) but because of the way it was made (by one person, over 5 years, in their free time). It's not the first indie game but its unique flavor and accessibility make it hugely influential and the quintessential example of this style of game-making.
 

AudioEppa

Member
These topics always create repeat, yet funny reactions. Especially with people who replies to others.

Poster 1: This my list of games I’ve personally enjoyed over the years.

Poster 2: Wtf is this? You’re list is bad! Unlike my list of 4,000 + games i’ve collected over multiple years, multiple platforms, excluding different languages. Followed by overly use of ‘ :) ‘ to come off less like a dick with their quote-reply.

Or..

Poster 1: These are the games ALL new comers should play! And any true gamer should have on their list by contributing to this thread, If they want to be taken seriously by the hardcore elite ‘ :) ‘

Poster 2: Right on man! I love it how we’re so alike ‘ :) ‘


As for my list.

1. Broken Sword 1
2. Metal Gear Solid
3. GTA3
Super Mario Brothers 1,2&3 (guilty nostalgic) Optional.

This is my starter pack. Those are the titles that got me super passionate with video games. Following similar titles have kept playing longer then I would have if they didn’t exist.
 
I don't know enough about RPGs to represent them. I imagine people would say FF7? I think the genre might be too niche to qualify for an essential, but Ill probably get eaten alive for that.

According to the ESA 2016 report, RPGs were the 3rd best-selling genre of the year, just behind Shooters & Action. Bigger than the Fighting & Racing genres combined. 5 of the Top 20 slots were RPGs - 2 slots for Pokémon, 1 for FFXV, 1 slot for Skyrim, and 1 for Dark Souls 3.

I think it's easy to make the mistake in thinking that RPGs are a niche genre around here, since much of the RPG talk here centers on niche games. It's easy to forget stuff like Skyrim selling over 30 million copies or that Dark Souls 3 broke Namco-Bandai's all-time best launch day record or that Nintendo's second biggest franchise of all-time is centered on an RPG series.
 

zoodoo

Member
Gothic 1&2
Morrowind
E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy
UnderRail
Age of Decadence
Divinity Original Sin 1 EE/2
Dark Messiah of Might & Magic
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. SoC/Clear Skies/Call of Pripyat (and Call of Chernobyl to combine all three in an open world)

Been playing games for almost 30 years and haven't played a single one from your list lol.
 

Zero83

Member
No games are essential to play in order to appreciate the medium. Tastes and preferences are entirely subjective.

However - quite a few games are essential to play for their historical significance, if that is something you're interested in. Like Half-Life 2 for instance.
 

Bioshocker

Member
Halo 3 and BioShock/BioShock Infinite. Project Gotham Racing 4 and Forza Horizon 3. Puyo Puyo. The Last of Us and Alan Wake. Silent Hill 2 and Resident Evil 4. Virtua Tennis 2.
 

*Splinter

Member
The question is too broad, which is why you're just getting lists of people's favourite games.

If you pick a genre that interests you we can probably recommend a set of games that demonstrate the evolution of said genre.
 
Eh it's subjective to a degree. Every year we get new titles that are important and slightly change the landscape. Also some newer games r hard to revist to appreciate what made them so important because of online factors (halo 2, chromehounds, demon souls etc)
 

Snoopycat

Banned
Silent Hill. That's about it. You can ignore everything else. Maybe play Silent Hill 2 if you're feeling extravagant.
 

bugulu

Member
I'll just narrow my list to RPG:s as that's my favorite genré.

Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II
latest


This is pretty much the game that all classic RPG:s are compared to. I played through the first game this summer, and the only bad thing I have to say about the game is that it has outdated graphics despite playing the Enhanced Edition. Thankfully, what defines a good RPG is seldom the graphics but the story and character development. And the co-op, my gosh, the co-op! It's just amazing.

Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter_Nights_cover.jpg


If there's a game that's close to the benchmark Baldur's Gate has set, it's Neverwinter Nights. The singleplayer experience doesn't hold up to Baldur's Gate, but it makes up for it by having an amazing multiplayer. Sadly, the second game never lived up to my expectations.

Divinity - Original Sin
434.jpg


I had no expectations when I bought this game as I sometimes put too high expectations on games that I want to be good. I wish I had expectations though since this game would have lived up to them all. It's amazing, it's a modern twist and vastly more refined than Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights.

Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon_Age_Origins_cover.png

My favorite, and probably held the best by much more, in the series. I'll admit one thing though, I didn't dislike Dragon Age 2 and enjoyed Dragon Age: Inquisition *gasp*.
But Origins is the best in the series. Memorable characters, amazing lore and a world you want to explore. The character development doesn't disappoint either.
 
Lost Odyssey over FFX easily. It’s a refinement of the same formula but also takes elements from FF9 without an annoying lead character (Tidus).
 

Playsage

Member
Technically there's no such thing as essentials, especially if you we are talking personal entertainment

If we are talking in a academic context, I believe one should have tried or be at least competently documented on several historically genre-defining and tech-pushing games.
 
These are essential? I've never even heard of a third of these, and some of the rest are super niche, really hardcore "for genre fans only" kind of games.

Bad list.

Not only have I not played any of these, I've never heard of most of them.

Been playing games for almost 30 years and haven't played a single one from your list lol.

Man, neogaf is as console as its humanly possible. Esential to play doesnt mean games that catter to every being under the sun, but games that excel, fundamental games.

Some games are reaching from this list, but Gothic 1 and 2 are the absolute best open world rpg's that exist in the medium. Gothic 2 mostly. For example Gothic 2 is better than Witcher 3 in every possible way, i mean it from the bottom of my heart, except the writing of course. This is a gameplay and design first rpg. It should be studied in game design schools, but its mostly nonexistent for most today. It was revered like a religion in certain european countries though when they came out, to the point of obsession.

The Stalker triogy are arguably the best shooters ever made and not only that, the third entry in the series shows how open world in games needs to look like. Gothic 2 as well. The Stalker games are so vast in scope, so broad in their ambition, they dwarf everything else. Just the world you move in, its a living character. It has anomalies of different sorts that affect you in different way, that are scattered throughout the world. The AI, the mutants, the weapons - which have realistic balistics, bullet drop, ricochet, penetration, durability, condition, recoil, muzzle velocity a nd can be changed and upgraded and tweaked. Its mind boggling.

Dark Messiah shows us how the best first person melle combat looks like and how physics that are central to gameplay can elevate a game.
 

Crixus

Member
Deus Ex
Thief
Morrowind
Fallout
Half-Life
Age of Empires II
Black & White
Doom
Sid Meier's Pirates
Myst
World of Warcraft
Broken Sword
 

Novocaine

Member
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter_Nights_cover.jpg


If there's a game that's close to the benchmark Baldur's Gate has set, it's Neverwinter Nights. The singleplayer experience doesn't hold up to Baldur's Gate, but it makes up for it by having an amazing multiplayer. Sadly, the second game never lived up to my expectations.

God damn I loved this game so hard.
 
Not really.

Some lists are bad because they don't align directly with your own personal tastes.

Some lists are bad because they fail to remotely answer the question. Like when someone asks you about games you absolutely must play and they list some really obscure, hardcore dungeon crawler or space sim that would appeal to about 0.3% of the population.

Popular answers only bois
 

Shifty

Member
In terms of the medium as a whole, definitely Tetris.

It's the very definition of 'easy to learn, hard to master'- a simple concept on the surface, but with an incredible amount of depth if you dig a little deeper.
Plus, it's conceptually tied to mathematics and geometry- two things that are intrinsic to computer science and the medium of video games. There's a base elegance about it that I've never seen elsewhere.

And in terms of my own agenda, Zone of the Enders 2.

Outside of Virtual On, it's more or less alone in the High Speed Robot Action genre and is a fantastic combination of perfectly paced narrative and super tight gameplay. It also stands out as the most technically impressive game on the PS2, second only to Okami in terms of aging well.
Sure, the english dub's not the best, but to me that's an important part of the charm. FEEL THE POWER OF ZAKAT THAT SCORCHED MARS!

Popular answers only bois

thisisneogaf.gif
 

WestEgg

Member
If you're going for a complete history, it's at least worth taking a look at some Arcade classics:

Pac-Man
Donkey Kong
Some Shoot-Em-Ups

Then, going from the NES onward, this would be my recommendation to get a sampling of different genres and series, as well as certain landmark titles. If you like one of the games, check out the others in the series.

Super Mario Bros. 1 and 3
Mega man 2
Punch-Out!
Tetris
Doom
Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Super Metroid
Donkey Kong Country 1 or 2
Street Fighter II
Final Fantasy VI or VII
Super Mario 64
Metal Gear Solid
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Any Smash Bros. game
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 or 3
Halo
Metroid Prime
Portal
Fallout: New Vegas
Mass Effect 1 and 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Minecraft
 

iswasdoes

Member
According to the ESA 2016 report, RPGs were the 3rd best-selling genre of the year, just behind Shooters & Action. Bigger than the Fighting & Racing genres combined. 5 of the Top 20 slots were RPGs - 2 slots for Pokémon, 1 for FFXV, 1 slot for Skyrim, and 1 for Dark Souls 3.

I think it's easy to make the mistake in thinking that RPGs are a niche genre around here, since much of the RPG talk here centers on niche games. It's easy to forget stuff like Skyrim selling over 30 million copies or that Dark Souls 3 broke Namco-Bandai's all-time best launch day record or that Nintendo's second biggest franchise of all-time is centered on an RPG series.

You've not eaten me alive, but just nibbled me a bit there.

I think the trouble then is the genre is too broad. Pokemon, Zelda, Skyrim, Dark Souls and FF series, all under the same banner? Each of those games play so differently to each other you'd have to be pretty generous to find the common thread aside from some kind of leveling up (and even that is now in everything from AAA action games to sports)

Im thinking pure, turn based, stat heavy, traditional RPGs are niche. Zelda definitely isnt that, but that's RPG lite at best. I can't speak to the others personally but i can see how Pokemon of Skyrim could make someones essential list.
 

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
I'll just narrow my list to RPG:s as that's my favorite genré.

Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II

Neverwinter Nights

Divinity - Original Sin

Dragon Age: Origins

It's a bit strange it contains not a single japanese-style RPG and not a single SRPG though.
 

bathsalts

Member
Gothic 1&2
Morrowind
E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy
UnderRail
Age of Decadence
Divinity Original Sin 1 EE/2
Dark Messiah of Might & Magic
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. SoC/Clear Skies/Call of Pripyat (and Call of Chernobyl to combine all three in an open world)

I support this list. Tossing in Thief 2 and Jagged Alliance 2 for good measure. Hopefully someone gets something out of this list other than "LOL thats not Mario 64, Tetris or TLOU"
 

CHC

Member
  • Chrono Trigger
  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
  • Final Fantasy VII
  • Baldur's Gate II
  • Half Life 1 & 2
  • Deus Ex
  • Metal Gear Solid 1, 2 & 3
  • Dark Souls
For as many more games as there are that I love, I think this would have to be my tightest list of "essentials."

There's many more, like Morrowind, that I am excluding because I just don't think they would hold up well enough for someone playing them for the first time today. To me, "essential" implies timelessness.
 

FiveSide

Banned
Im thinking pure, turn based, stat heavy, traditional RPGs are niche.

Yall being way too niche.

Niche isn't necessarily mutually exclusive to "essential." The vast majority of movie viewers haven't seen Vertigo or Citizen Kane, but they're widely considered two of the most essential films ever made.

And the "niche" adjective gets even stronger when you consider essential foreign films like the Kurosawa, Bergman, Fellini, Tarkovsky work.
 

butman

Member
Alex The Kidd: In a Miracle World
Dynamite Headdy
Resident Evil
Grandia
Virtual Tennis 2
Puyo Puyo Tetris
Blade Runner
 
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