What are your favorite games? (EXPLAIN WHY!)

[Soulstorm]

Well, this is not another one of those "recommend me a game" or "favourite games" thread. At least, it is not intended to be for the most part.

Instead of just saying what is your favorite game, explain why it is! You don't have to mention only one, game, mention 2-3-100, as long as you provide a good reason why...

That way we can see what is the thing that makes a game so particular to everyone.

I will do the start.

My all-time favorite game is Marathon series. It is because of it's complex story-line, that can be reviewed again and again, until you figure out what the heck is going on. (Usually, you must play the games twice to understand... )

Another game that had drawn my attention was unreal 1, at the time it came out. I loved it's adventurous sceneries and backgrounds, presenting a world that I wanted to be in. I don't think games like those 2 come out anymore. Unreal and marathon can be played both as an adventure game and a shoot-them-all-up-and-do-it-again style.

These are games that despite their age keep me playing them even now, frequently.

[fayans]

Bookworms of which I have it on my Xda II mini. It test your power of English vocabulary. It's so addictive; at least for me. Wondering if the Mac-version is available.

BTW, I am not into RPG game.

[Dagless]

Turrican 1+2 Just like Metroid only without the backtracking. absurdly large levels, multiple weapons, best soundtrack ever, huge bosses, german made... absolute classic of a 2D game. Turrican 3 didn't have the super large levels so thats why I don't include that And the console Turricans were just foul.
I'm so surprised at the soundtrack for Turrican. It was made back in the late 80's and the first Video Games Concert kicked off with an orchestral remake of a Turrican track. just search for The Great Bath on your P2P software, Chris Huelsbeck made a free orchestral version of that. Single greatest game song ever.
Ocarina of Time 'Nuff said. the single greatest action game of all time I say. Probably will be knocked off its pedestal by Twilight Princess mind.
Tetris Addiction.
Pokemon I just really look forward to the games. Always provide at least 30-50 hours before beating the Elite 4, always a fantastic game to play through. brilliant harmless fun. especially with the possibilities on the DS (WiFi, touch screen, mic etc...)
F-Zero GX Single greatest racer ever IMO. Near impossible gameplay, fantastic soundtrack, so SO many unlockables. Its just addictive and the gameplay runs high without its weapons. A game I can really lose hours with.

There are more games that i like for their gameplay; any Metroid, Zelda or Mario, Mega Drive Sonic games, R-Type 3, Jet Force Gemini, any Kirby... pretty much anything by Nintendo!
games I like for their graphics and atmosphere; Doom 3, Half Life 2, Nanostray.
games I like for their soundtracks; Panzer Dragoon Orta, Turrican 3.

[Kalinatek]

Sensible World of Soccer (on the Amiga) : its the best football game of all time , the gameplay is fast the way it should be ! the graphics are simple,i like the market where u can buy players from and also sell some from your team, the career is also nice where u choose a team then imrpove it by winning matches and trying out loaned/trial players.

the tactis are also nice , u can load one made by u that works best for ur players.

[Patmian212]

FREELANCER- I love it because it has nice graphics, good soundtrack and the universe is HUGE. I have never seen a universe as big as this on in any other game. I also love the fact that you can do whatever you want because they dont force you to follow the story line.I have been playing this game 2 years and I still have some uncharted places on my map.

CM/FM SERIES- I like this game simply because I love football. CM back then and FM now is the most realistic simulation ever. The game is mainly text based but it has the biggest player and club database I have ever seen and it has some cool features like media interviews and manager mind games.

[Tommyg117]

Ocarina of time-Still stands out in my mind even after I played it almost 5 years ago, I actually found a copy of it for gamecube and started playing it all over again yesterday. Its got a great story and was revolutionary to the 3d adventure series.

Resident Evil 4- I did NOT expect this one. I hated the other games in this series but this one is TOTALLY different. Graphics are insane, story is awesome, and the atmosphere is ridiculously scary. I could replay this one forever.

God of War- Same as resident evil 4. Story, graphics, and gameplay=unbelievable.

Metal Gear Solid 1-3- A series that keeps getting better. It gives the most intense action scenes while maintaining a little humor.

Megaman 2 and 3-Revolutionized action games and 2d platforming/action. Still two of the best soundtracks around.

[Dagless]

Originally Posted by Tommyg117

Metal Gear Solid 1-3- A series that keeps getting better. It gives the most intense action scenes while maintaining a little humor.

I found it the other way around. I played an hour or 2 of MGS2 only to be horrendously shocked at how much worse it was to MGS1, same with 3. but MGS1 a downright fantastic of a game with a storyline that will be spoke of for decades to come. IMO. of course.

[BlizzardBomb]

Super Smash Bros. and Smash Bros. Melee! They were so fast-paced and unlike any other fighter I've played. Having 4 human players is a laugh, especially when you can't seem to find where you walked your character off to

[whooleytoo]

Originally Posted by raggedjimmi

Ocarina of Time 'Nuff said. the single greatest action game of all time I say. Probably will be knocked off its pedestal by Twilight Princess mind.

Great game, though I actually preferred Majora's Mask. You're in a 'Groundhog Day' scenario where you're reliving three days over and over before a calamity happens, and you have to try and solve several puzzles in that period of time before you're forced to go back and start again.

I can't wait for Twilight Princess, it looks darker and more complex. The one problem with the Zelda series is that the gamers who started off playing Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time probably want a very different game than children who are starting to play them now.

[whooleytoo]

Originally Posted by raggedjimmi

I found it the other way around. I played an hour or 2 of MGS2 only to be horrendously shocked at how much worse it was to MGS1, same with 3. but MGS1 a downright fantastic of a game with a storyline that will be spoke of for decades to come. IMO. of course.

I haven't played 3, but what annoyed me about MGS2 were the endless interruptions to the gameplay. If the entire game took (say) 24 hours to finish, only about 10 would be actual gameplay, the rest spent listening to conversations or watching the cutscenes.

For a game in a vaguely similar mould - I'd go for any of the Splinter Cells.

For one of the scariest levels in any game, I'd go for Thief - Deadly Shadows. I don't recall the name of the level, but it's the orphanage / asylum level. Scared the pants off me the first time I played it.

[Mechcozmo]

Homeworld-- This game forces you to think in 3D, in real-time, and deal with what you have and what you can learn now. It has amazing graphics, an amazing storyline, and amazing gameplay. It deserved the 1999 Game of the Year win. It is also really hard. No cheats-- I like that.

Starcraft-- Simple... Zerg+Blood Bath=Zergling Rush. I love it.

[Whyren]

I'd still have to tout Marathon. Reasons: excellent storyline (if you take the time to read all the terminals), smooth multiplayer, and the ability to create your own maps, shapes, physics, weapons, etc. (which for the time was fairly impressive...and much more intuitive than some current map editors).

Originally Posted by Mechcozmo

Starcraft-- Simple... Zerg+Blood Bath=Zergling Rush. I love it.

LOL. Even better, throw in a bunch of siege-mode tanks in the mix.

Originally Posted by whooleytoo

Great game, though I actually preferred Majora's Mask. You're in a 'Groundhog Day' scenario where you're reliving three days over and over before a calamity happens, and you have to try and solve several puzzles in that period of time before you're forced to go back and start again.

Ocarina would be my favorite too, but in some ways Majora has you connect with characters more, and it is a very unique game scenario. When I first heard "you only have 72 minutes to complete the game," I never thought it'd work, but it does quite well (even though while breaking a few time-space continuum rules )

[ZoomZoomZoom]

This question is really hard to answer. I have favorite games for most genres, but it's really hard to compare a game like Quake to a game like Command and Conquer.

FPS Game - Halo 2 - In my opinion the best FPS shooter out there. Beautiful, simple, and just plainly without competition in my eyes.
RTS Game - Starcraft - One of my first games, and still one of the best RTS games out there.
RPG Game - Tales of Phantasia - Old game, and I wish that they would release a good update for it to run on mac/pc. It's a hard decision between this, Chrono Trigger, and the Final Fantasies, but ToP still comes out on top. (No pun intended)

[xelterran]

Originally Posted by Mechcozmo

Starcraft-- Simple... Zerg+Blood Bath=Zergling Rush. I love it.

scv rush > zerg rush on bloodbath

[rickvanr]

On my Mac.. Sim City 2000 and Sim Tower; Many hours were wasted playing these games. I like building things, the above games were simple yet complex. Great fun.

On a console.. Blades of Steel, followed by the EA NHL games. Love hockey, the above games are tonnes of fun with a second player, or by yourself.

[joepunk]

Escape Velocity Series : In only a few words "Monty Python manuvre." A Monty Python is when you are running away from a chasing ship and you turn around to fire at your persuer while still going in the same direction Also, because many people create great add-ons and Total Conversions for the games.

[dubbz]

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
(Also Baldur's Gate, ToSC, and Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal)

It's my favorite game(s) because they had a great story and just overall fun gameplay. Not to mention that with the games combined, and even when just considering SoA, there's some serious length to the games, compared to games today that you can play through in a couple of days (though some will certainly not agree with this).

It's pretty lowres, but the background artwork is timeless, and looks good even today. The music was, and still is, brilliant and though not every line of text was accompanied by voice overs, the lines that was, were of very high quality.

The companions and people you met were very well made and you really cared for them. The in-party banter was fun and interesting, and the various relationships that formed really added to the game.

The epilogues at the end was a brilliant closure to the series, and actually had my crying at the end.

Planescape: Torment

Put in a very interesting, and sometimes bizzare, setting, and with detailed artwork. Voiceovers were brilliant. Dialogues were brilliant, and text-heavy. A great game with incredible characters that you cared for. Another of those games that really rocked me emotionally.

System Shock 2

Teh Creepy. You feel so very, very alone walking around that ship, with nothing but the journals of the ship crew and the creepy, discordant, voice of SHODAN to keep you company. It kept you on your toes, with mutated disfigured humans walking around, begging you to end their lives while at the same time trying to kill you; having to run for you life because your weapon jammed, or hiding in some room while waiting for the alarm to wear off.

It was a adrenaline rush at times, with incredible opponents and a great story. Not to mention one of the greatest villians of all time: SHODAN.

Fallout

A lot of freedom in a post apocalyptic world. A lot of freedom to make the character the way you want, and to do things your way. Being able to stealth or speak or shoot your way through most quest and many encounters was a very good thing. The story was great, really, though it wasn't forced upon you. The graphics was good enough. Much of it a desert or forsaken wastelands. The ambient music in the background added much to the game. It had some interesting characters and cities. The epilogues at the end was a very cool touch.

StarCraft
(Also StarCraft: Brood War)

Incredibly fun RTS with three very well balanced, and diverse, races. Easy to learn, while quite not as easy to master. The graphics was decent enough for the time, and the music was good. Beyond the three varied races, what really made it stand out for me was the incredible single player campain. It were very well made, and the overall story was fantastic. They really put some great work into the characters too. It really says something when, during a mission, you're forced to kill a character but you'd rather not because you actually like him and you so very much wish you didn't have to do it and you feel like a rotten bastard afterwards. And this is an RTS, for crying out loud! With a better story and character development than most RPGs out there.

No wonder it's one of my most played games. Nothing revolutionary, actually, just a very well made game with tons and tons of polish.

[Hoef]

Originally Posted by ZoomZoomZoom

FPS Game - Halo 2 - In my opinion the best FPS shooter out there. Beautiful, simple, and just plainly without competition in my eyes.

Hi .... Is there a reason why it is better than UT2004? I only played Halo2 on Xbox but was not impressed. I really like UT2004 on the Mac. Gives me 30 minutes of pleasure which is the amount of time that I have for playing games.

[Jaffa Cake]

Originally Posted by Patmian212

CM/FM SERIES- I like this game simply because I love football. CM back then and FM now is the most realistic simulation ever. The game is mainly text based but it has the biggest player and club database I have ever seen and it has some cool features like media interviews and manager mind games.

My pick too, for the reasons you describe. Very realistic, an incredible level of detail, and great reply value – with over 5,000 manageable teams from over 50 country's leagues, even if you manage to take one team to greatness you can always find yourself a fresh challenge.

There's also another reason I'm a fan of this game, and that's the fact that it's released as a hybrid PC/Mac disk – meaning I don't have to wait several months for a Mac version to be released, and I don't have to pay an inflated price for it when it finally hits the shelves. Just a minor point, but it's good to see a games developer supporting the Mac in this way.

Oh, and Kalinatek – I've also got some very fond memories of Sensible Soccer on the Amiga. Pixel perfect passing indeed!

[PCMacUser]

Half Life 2... the graphics are amazing, the gameplay brilliant, storyline interesting, and it runs on older hardware (unlike Doom 3!).

Deus Ex... revolutionary for its time - an FPS mixed with RPG - you can choose to go in shooting, or you can take the silent approach (think Thief).

Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots... hours and hours and hours and hours of replay value. I've been playing it for two years and it's still not boring! Unfortunately the Mac port isn't as nice as the PC version, but hey, at least it's an option.

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Escape Velocity Nova is the best game I've ever played, console, PC, or Mac. It's the third in the series and is definitely the best, an amazing RPG, and easy to get into even if you're new. Like (someone) said above, add-on files and total conversions make it rock even more when you're finished with its MANY different strings... check it out/ get the 30 day demo at
http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/

btw for any players out there, i have a majorly oufitted Raven in the Polaris string, finished, flying around with a couple million creds in the bank and several other planets conquered.

[Eevee]

This is a such a cool thread! Thanks Soulstorm

The only game I have on my PowerBook is the original Halo. I know it's not the best game up to date on the Mac, but sure love the multiplayer mode. Spend a lot of time online with CTF, Slayer, King of the Hill, Race...Meet some Mac people online, too.

I played Halo 2 on the console, and it was pretty cool. The graphics are sweet.

[Whyren]

Originally Posted by Mr_Brightside_@

Escape Velocity Nova is the best game I've ever played, console, PC, or Mac. It's the third in the series and is definitely the best, an amazing RPG, and easy to get into even if you're new. Like (someone) said above, add-on files and total conversions make it rock even more when you're finished with its MANY different strings... check it out/ get the 30 day demo at
http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/

btw for any players out there, i have a majorly oufitted Raven in the Polaris string, finished, flying around with a couple million creds in the bank and several other planets conquered.

I love that demo...though they found a more effective way to force purchase than Captain Hector: "Now I shall reveal the most advanced ship to you...but wait! Only those of strong enough mind to purchase EV Nova can be shown the final incarnation." Gah...clever Ambrosians...

[Mechcozmo]

Originally Posted by xelterran

scv rush > zerg rush on bloodbath

I'll kick your ass.

[robbieduncan]

As of last night when I must have spent 7 hours playing it: Black & White 2. Took a while to get up and running (silly PC drivers) but it's great!