for me mine are 1. Elden Ring, 2. RDR2 3. BOTW, all because they genuinely blew my mind when playing them for the first time and changed how I saw and played video games.
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Chrono Trigger
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Link to the Past
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Super Mario RPG
Someone like the SNES.
Probably he is a Nintendo hater /j (but not entirely, it happens).
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I’ve probably got some weird takes, but let’s go:
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Chrono Trigger is at the way top. The greatest game of all time hasn’t been bested in 30 years. Telling the best narrative I’ve heard in my life, and packing it into 20 short hours, with timeless art and amazing music, and into FOUR GODDAMN MEGABYTES, this is one many try to beat, and none have succeeded. Not even Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
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CrossCode comes right behind it. This game is much longer, but that’s okay. It’s essentially a single-player MMO with all the trappings of life within. A wonderfully smooth action combat system, more amazing music, and some of the most memorable facial expressions I’ve seen. It’s also written in freakin’ HTML5.
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Zachtronics Solitaire Collection. Going purely by hours played and wins scored, this is on my favorites whether I like it or not. Every solitaire game from every Zachtronics title, right there. Special shout-out to Fortune’s Foundation.
Honorable mentions: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for the worldbuilding and music, Final Fantasy XIII for exactly the same reasons, The Talos Principle 2 for simply giving its NPCs the agency to say “nah, I don’t wanna go back, I’m staying home,” and Chaos Rings 2 for creating one of the most high-stakes yet viscerally unpleasant stories I’ve witnessed, wherein to proceed through the game, the protagonist ritually sacrifices his ever-shrinking party of people.
CrossCode feels so much like chrono trigger to me (which is also my fav) I can’t even explain how, it’s a game on its own right with completely different gameplay but the chrono trigger essence is right there
Lea!
There is one “No” she says in the story that is just … I swear they did such a good job of getting so much emotion through expressions and simple words alone, really impressive
When she cries, and Emilie cries, I cry. This game is near-perfect.
That expression she has with her head in her hands is horrifying and perfect and never seen twice.
I cried too, such a touching moment
- Chrono Trigger is at the way top. The greatest game of all time hasn’t been bested in 30 years. Telling the best narrative I’ve heard in my life, and packing it into 20 short hours, with timeless art and amazing music, and into FOUR GODDAMN MEGABYTES, this is one many try to beat, and none have succeeded. Not even Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
I would lose the count of how many times I have read praises (well deserved) for Chrono Trigger, and it only makes me feel bad with myself because I left it unfinished (I am close to the 1st ending… I think) because I was lost all the damn time and needed a guide to move forward, something that I really don’t enjoy, and I didn’t have too many gaps while playing it to be fair.
I enjoy RPGs and jRPGs, even when they are not my favorite genres, but I don’t like to feel lost all the time.
Now, it should be obvious that I didn’t play this game back in its day, my last game session was about a year ago in my DSi XL (arguably the best way to experience it) so I have 0 nostalgia googles about it, although I am a Toriyama fan and I loved the art style, graphics and music, it is only the pace and the narrative that didn’t caught me completely…
I know I shouldn’t force myself to finish it as gaming is a hobby after all, but damn, I really want to complete it, at least one playthrough lol (I don’t like to leave stuff unfinished).
If anyone has tips to not feel lost all the damn time (aside of not stop playing for a brief time) I am all ears.
Unfortunately it’s a thing when going back to older games after being living in the map marker era for so long. This is a big part of why games back then came with annotated maps so you’d at least have a reference for all the locations.
I’d say at the minimum, don’t be afraid to pull up maps and take notes.
For me it is not even having a quest log. Some sidequests are just someone hinting something could or should be done.
after being living in the map marker era for so long.
Jeez, this is totally it!
Thanks for putting it in simpler words for me 😅
Definitely gonna check in taking notes.
When playing classics, http://gamefaqs.com/ is your best friend. Guides were how we played games back then.
You’re not the only one. I’ve beaten The 7th Saga more times than Chrono Trigger lol.
I love Chrono Trigger, but as far as SNES goes, Final Fantasy 6 and Secret of Mana 2 (or Trials of Mana or whatever we’re calling it now) both beat it for me.
I didn’t know about this game, but honestly it is so good that others experience the same as I, of course I don’t think that I am the only one in the world that Chrono Trigger is not for him (not even sure about this myself), but definitely is so scarce to read comments of people struggling with the title compared with praises for it gets!
I didn’t expect FFXIII to get a mention in here. Respect.
Final Fantasy XIII and Detroit Become Human hit me so hard they both permanently altered my wardrobe and aesthetic.
XIII isn’t in my top 5 FF games. But the interpersonal dynamic is the absolute best in the series. The scene where Sahz discovers why his son was branded is one of the most impactful moments in gaming. Two of the most cheerful characters in the franchise, suddenly broken.
I don’t love how restricted the game is at the beginning. But each of their personal stories are magnificent, usualy leading to their Eidolon awakening.
+1 for a Chrono Trigger ranking. For as popular as it still is in retrospect, I think people still don’t quite give it the full recognition it’s due for smashing pretty much every dreary console RPG convention that the genre had been persistently saddled with up until that point, while still remaining a console RPG. Believe it or not the developers had plans to make it even more ambitious at the beginning but they weren’t able to pull it off in the time allotted.
There are a lot of subsequent RPG titles (like even Final Fantasy goddamned Seven, not to mention Pokémon) that should have learned a bevvy of lessons from Chrono Trigger, but still didn’t. It was well ahead of its time.
I wish I liked Crosscode more. I really enjoyed the writing and loved the puzzles, but the combat just didn’t feel that good to me. Ended up dropping it in the second dungeon and never picked it up again.
I gave Chrono Trigger a fair whack and just got bored. I suspect JRPGs just aren’t for me.
Out of all retro JRPGs from that era, I’d say Chrono Trigger is the one that has aged the best, but it definitely is still a product of that era and that can be a bit of an acquired taste. If you haven’t played any other modern JRPGs, I’d suggest checking out how the genre has evolved today, you might have an easier time getting into newer titles.
I actually started playing chrono trigger because of threads like this, but stopped playing close to the end because I wanted to do all the side quest but didn’t have the time to try things out and also played with a lot of breaks so I forgot a lot of things and therefore I started to look things up online but then it became tedious and also felt like cheating and now I can’t even motivate myself to finish it even though I am probably missing out on the best part of it.
It’s why we got so many games!
Updoting for Chronotrigger. Always at the top of my list. Every list.
Except worst lists.
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Twenty-two years later and still nothing really compares. I’ve played it through 5… 6?.. times and the characters still feel compelling.
I miss Westwood… everyone that came after only imitated their work, and while some have made improvements to the gameplay, none have really accomplished the same level of storytelling in the RTS genre.
Kind of a perfect game, one that keeps you coming back again and again.
I’d definitely have a higher opinion of FTL if it didn’t feel like the entire game ended up just being about the final boss. Knights of the Old Republic is also one that I felt that, if you knew the twist ahead of time, lost a lot of its impact.
I recently played Kotor for the first time since its release and unfortunately, it really felt kinda cheesy and bland. But right before that I played Disco Elysium so that was maybe the wrong order.
Removed by mod
I adored Disco Elysium while playing it, but the ending felt kinda rushed/soured for me so it didn’t quite hit top 3. However, the book Sacred And Terrible Air by Robert Kurvitz that was fan translated to English semi recently helped a great deal with unanswered questions about the world the game takes place in that I had which really helped brighten my overall opinion of the game in retrospect.
The book isn’t very approachable I think with almost zero exposition, so it actually helps to have played the game first.
- RimWorld - I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game care so much about making the player feel like part of the story; just all around amazing. Damn near everything is configurable and for anything that isn’t the modding community probably has a fix for (and then some).
- Terraria - Certainly has its quirks and annoyances, but I like that it has sandbox elements to be creative and do whatever, but also always feels like the game has an objective to work towards. I’ve probably played though at least half a dozen times between solo runs and multiplayer games with friends/ family and I just keep coming back to it.
- Stardew valley - it’s just cozy with a slight hit of nostalgia. I have childhood memories of staying up entirely too late monopolizing the TV/ GameCube playing Harvest Moon and this scratches the same itch. Beyond that you can feel the love and attention to detail that the dev has poured into the game. Plus the skill ceiling is pretty low, so even my non-gamer friends/ family can play and have a good time.
Honorable mentions:
- Factorio
- Slay the Spire
- FTL
I hope you played Terraria with mods, like Calamity.
- Chrono Trigger
- Final Fantasy 7
- Expedition 33
Expedition 33 blew me away with the opening. I haven’t finished it yet as the combat is tricky though, so I’m not enjoying that part as much.
- Super Mario RPG. I played through this game so many times as a kid.
- Dust: An Elysian Tail
- Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
A fellow Dust enjoyer, nice
Based and uwu-pilled
Shadow of Mordor is just so much fun to screw around in. Does a really good job making you feel badass
BOTW
Fallout: New Vegas
Skyrim
Hell yeah, new vegas was mentioned
Off the top of my head, in no particular order:
- Portal (or maybe Portal 2)
- Doom (the 1993 one) (or maybe Doom 2)
- Stellaris
All great games
- Doom/Doom II. They somehow lucked the hell out on mechanics, speed of movement, ease of modding etc. John Carmack did us all a massive solid and got the game released under GPL license only four years after it came out. As a result of the incremental improvements enabled by that, the game keeps my interest to this day.
- TIE Fighter. I used to be a massive Star Wars fan, and this game was just the best thing ever for a detail-oriented kid. I memorized the stats of every single ship and for the rest of time was pissed whenever someone got it wrong. The missions truly require you to use your brain and every advantage at your disposal (in-flight map; reinforcements; wingmates; ship characteristics; good tactics). 've’never come across a better flight sim to this day (although the Freespace series comes close).
- Diablo II. I was 15 when this game came out. I rollerbladed all the way across town to buy this game without my parents knowing. The clerk almost didn’t sell it to me because he thought I looked too young but in the end he did me a solid. The game was worth it and then some. It consumed the rest of my teenage years. Digital crack.
Games that deserve to be in the top three but don’t fit:
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PlanetSide. I still remember being in shock watching a hundred people shoot at each other without massive rubberbanding etc. It totally redefined what was possible in a game. I was obsessed with making loadouts for every situation. TR forever!
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Dark Souls. They totally nailed the feeling of being in some sort of dark fantasy fever dream. So beautiful, and I love how the lore is relevant to how you feel trying to overcome the adversity of the game. First half of the game has some of the best world design I’ve ever seen.
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World of Warcraft. I flunked out of college because of this game. I think it was worth it.
My parents wouldn’t buy me Diablo II for Christmas because it was too evil for the season.
…they did buy me Dimmu Borgir’s “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant”, though!
Dwarf Fortress, Kenshi, and Ocarina of Time
- Kenshi
- Morrowind
- Titanfall 2
Do you know of any game that has the Kenshi, Morrowind aesthetic ? I crave more. You know, this:
Any recommendation welcome !
Star Wars Galaxies was kinda like that. No idea if it’s still playable though.
Man I wish more comes to mind. I was eager for the Morrowind themed Kenshi mod, but that looks like it stalled out. 🫤
Likely weird take, but Scorn?
More Gigerian and claustrophobic, but vaguely similar. I did not much like its gameplay though, the 3d made me nauseous.
Check out Outward. It has a Morrowind/Everquest kind of feel. It’s an offline RPG, but you can play co-op. You have to basically discover all the mechanics/secrets through trial and error or talking to NPCs, which makes it feel very old school.
Morrowind is top tier. Every time I play a bit differently or go somewhere new, it feels new again. I’ve never had that from another game. Compare to Skyrim (which I also liked), I kinda felt like I experienced everything my first go-round.
- Satisfactory
- Stardew Valley
- Baldur’s Gate 3
Not that they’re the best games, but they’re definitely my favorites. Though if I’m being honest there’s a large gap between number one and number two, and anything other than Satisfactory feels like it could move in the top 10 depending on my mood.
So I guess if I’m being honest with myself it’s more like
1: Satisfactory~massive gap~
2-∞: any other traditionally well-liked game, depending on my mood on a given day
Probably:
- Fallout 2
- Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
- Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
Fallout 2 isn’t as refined and tight as Fallout but I personally enjoy it more. It’s arguably far too big but as I’ve played it so many times (unusual for me - I’m usually a one-and-done person when it comes to time sink RPGs) that isn’t a bad thing. I enjoy the writing, mechanics, and atmosphere. Also I voice a robot dog in a mod for it.
Red Alert 2 is the best C&C game ever. I do not care for any of the 3D ones and Red Alert 1 is rather too difficult for me. However RA2 I have finished on hardest difficulty several times. I’ve never really bothered with the multiplayer for it outside of co-op because I don’t play to be competitive. I tend to take my time and like it that way.
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars is maybe my favourite point and click RPG. I go back to it every few years and it always sucks me in. I know most of the puzzles off by heart but I’m more there for the sense of escapism and gentle humour. There’s other amazing point and click games but for whatever reason this one really speaks to me. It’s not even a nostalgia thing - I’ve only ever played the 2009 director’s cut! I’m old enough to have played the '90s version but never did.
Honourable mentions:
*Startopia
*The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
*Theme Hospital
*What Remains of Edith FinchStartopia’s music, humour, and gameplay are all top notch. Runs on a potato, makes me laugh, and features my old pal, Arona.
BoI:R is great. I’ve put a ridiculous number of hours into it. The latest DLC has made it a bit too big for my tastes but in general I enjoy it a great deal.
Theme Hospital is like Two Point Hospital but tighter, funnier, and prettier. Lots of fun.
What Remains of Edith Finch is art. It’s funny, moving, tragic, and beautiful. I encourage everyone to play through it. It won’t take that long - a few hours. Such a fantastic experience. Gone Home is pretty damn good too.
The soundtrack of red alert 2 is the only one I ever deliberately listened to outside of a game.
I second What Remains of Edith Finch, but funny? I couldn’t see that. One of the few games that made me cry and it gave a lasting impression. I played it shortly after the birth of my first son though. The bathtub scene and the ending hit really hard.
Funny in that it has moments of levity. It’s not wall-to-wall misery even if it’s filled with tragedy.
- TF2
Its just so good, played it a fair bit when I was a young teen and picked it up again a couple years ago and haven’t stopped playing 8 - 20 hours a week. Best game ever imo, never gets old.
- Garry’s Mod
Easily my favorite game when I was in middle school and high school, and it still holds a very dear spot in my heart and memories from that era of my life. Excited for s&b
- Cyberpunk 2077
I remember seeing the teaser trailer when I was a preteen and was so hyped, took like 10 years but when it did come out I had covid (which was lucky for me because I didn’t feel that sick and I got paid leave for 14 days to play the game). Played on PC from day 1 and beat the game In a week or so, it wasn’t that buggy imo. I loved the story and I encountered minimal issues during my play through, and only one that caused me to need to reload a save.
Other favs probably rimworld, gta 4, stanleys parable
