Boy, I loved that train sequence.  Just simply amazing.

Foolz said:

The train sequence was awful. Super contrived, and really awkward to boot. The rest of the game was decent, though.

You are opposite man.

12. Castlevania Symphony of the Night

Castlevania, what a cool series. So I started with the first game, a game where you fight all the famous movie monsters as a whip whelding dude that can't jump for shit. The music always stood out and so did the diffculty. That first game was impossible. Then came Castlevania 2 which I had a fascination with because I loved that kind of explore a world kind of game. Zelda 2 was the same kind of game and I wanted more of it, sadly CV2 is mostly terrible so I never got far. But it was worth it to hear Bloody Tears play over and over. I never played the third game on the NES and I did not have a SNES so I didnt play 4 but I did rent Bloodlines and had some fun, even though by then the action sidescroller was a dime a dozen.

Now its the PS1 era, 3D gaming is all the rage, new kinds of games are popping up everywhere. In the middle of this 3D revolution is a 2D side scrolling action game from a series that had long past its prime.  I first learned of SOTN from Gamefan magazine, the art style stood out, it looked gorgeous. I read more on it and it sounded very different, this game would take a metroid approach and be a huge 15 hours semi RPG adventure, wow. It came out to rave reviews so I decided to rent it. For the next few days what I experienced was nothing short of mindblowing. I played this game before I played Super Metroid, this was my first foray into the whole metroid kind of game, I was hooked. The action is so fast and fluid, the game world begs to be explored, every single inch. Hidden areas al over, so much gear to collect, a massive enemy list. tons of weapons, crazy hidden spells, this was the dream kind of 2D game I was looking for back when I played CV2.

SOTN spanwed a super genre, its mix of RPG elements with the metroid style of level design and progression created the metroidvania which is more popular today than it has ever been. I cannot praise this game enough, its paced incredibly well with new areas every hour or so. A non stop barrage of crazy beautifully desgned boss battles. Music to die for and voice acting so cheesy it was good. Outside the perfect fast paced combat there are all these elements that hold secrets. Alucard can transform into multiple forms, this serves as the metroid style power ups that allow you to progress and of course backtrack to areas previously unaccessable. Its the kind of game that rewards exploration and experimentation with items, mysterious rooms like the clock tower just begging the player to find the castles secrets. Its exactly the kind of secrets I love in my games, a game that lets you figure out things on your own, its why Dark souls is so great. All of this leads to one legendary moment that takes this game from excllent to all time classic.

So you think you beat the game right, maybe you got a bad ending but clearly something is not right. Then you fullfill the requirements and get the true path to the next HALF OF THE GAME. The inverted castle is one of the best surprises in gaming history. All new bosses, harder enemies, new ways to get around. It's a genius move, I love games that play with your perception of when it should end only to reward you with more and more content. By true ending it feels like you have gone through the most epic of adventures, one that hasnt really been topped. There have been a million metroidvanias, many of them great Castlevania sequels that tried to build on SOTN but never did any of them reach that perfect blend of all the elements and the sense of discovery that SOTN has.

Normally when I beat a game that I rented I make a point to never buy it, I finished it already why should I. With SOTN I made an exception, it was so damn good I had to own it. Right in the middle of the 3D revolution was this genre defining masterpiece that still holds up today.

11. Resident Evil Code Veronica, Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 2 Remake

This spot changed a bit recently lol. I will concede that CV probably wouldnt be so high on the list if I was not grouping them but I want to fit more games so here we are. RE2 is easily my favorite of those two and I figured never would a remake be able to surpass the original but holy shit they might have done it. I think in the end I still give a slight edge to the original because of its structure and its what I played the most. Anyway lets begin with Code Veronica.

Resident Evil quickly became my favorite franchise, I was completely devoted to it and would follow it anywhere. Of course it would just follow onto the PS2 right... wait what, a Dreamcast game, well then I need a Dreamcast. Saturn left me scarred, I was very hesitant to want a Dreamcast until I saw CV was being made as a DC exclusive, not only that it would have incrediblee 3D graphics that I couldn't believe. Oh and the articles mentioned something I got super excited for, Wesker was returning! Re3 had yet to come out but clearly CV was the next big game, RE3 was actually a spinoff that got a number because it was on the PS and they didn't want to confuse consumers, in reality RE3 is Code Veronica.

From the opening intro I knew I was in for one hell of a ride. By far the best CG work for any RE game, the opening had Claire in some crazy over the top action sequence which lead directly into the game as she escapes from a prison in a small island. The game begins and if you were around in that time those graphics were so mindblowing. Something as simple as holding up a lighter and having the lighting accurately bounce around the walls was impressive. I love CV because it takes the core gameplay loop of RE seriously and build a really fun location to do the usual running around looking for items while managing supplies. This game has a flare for dramatics with a lot more cutscenes and small setpieces involving traps and such to keep the game moving even when you are backtracking a ton. I loved the locations in this game, the Ashford home is reminiscent of the Bates home complete with a super freaky song. In general I believe CV has the best soundtrack of the series.

The game is also huge, it makes up for its one campaign by being about 10 hours long. There is the character swap toward the end that does have Chris revisit many areas Claire covered but with the added threat of trained hunters, my favorite enemies. There are some really creative boss battles that make use of first person aiming, something not possible in the static background old RE games, Nosferatu is a big highlight for me. The story is the usual B horror fare but its done so well with an over the top cast including the whiny Steve and deliciously crazy Alfred. I loved the fan service, there is so much new Umbrella lore, we see a recreation of the spencer mansion in these stunning graphics before REmake was ever a thing. We got Chris vs Wesker which sets up the storyline going forward. Yeah it has its pacing issues and it is more sloppy with its item management than most RE games but CV is one of the best example of the old school RE formula. A classic that I played so many times on DC and then later on PS2 with the X version.

All throughout this list you have seen me call games that perfect number 2, the sequel that takes the original and improves on it in every way, RE2 is one of those perfect sequels. RE1 became my favorite game, I talked about how much it impacted me before so the wait for the sequel was unbearable. I bought RE DC just to play the demo disc of RE2 which gave a glipse of the city streets and a small part of the RPD, that demo became one of my most played games. RE2 released in January of 1998, what a way to kick off the best year in gaming history. As with RE1 I waited till night came, this time I didn't have anyone over it was just me and my love. I started as Leon and off we went into an adventure I would never forget.

RE2 has the best design of the series, The RPD is a damn near perfect location, beautifully designed to allow the player to slowly unlock it piece by piece and not only to be done in one way but in multiple paths due to the multiple storylines. The game is paced perfectly with the right amount of tension, scares, action at all the right moments. Hallways that were cleared before now flood with zombies if you didn't barracade the doors. Lickers come from anywhere, jumping through glass, through ceilings, these things are freaky. Everything i so much smoother than the original, enemies can be dismembered in many ways, your character has on screen animations showing if they are hurt. Much more action, many more jump scares, a far better story, classic music, it is the ultimate of the old school Resident Evil game.

It's true genius comes in the zapping system which allows you to play the game multiple ways, it is one story told with two different perspectives which can be reversed per character for four total unique playthroughs. It is not a simple replay of the game, the two campaigns are intertwined in genius ways, what you do in one effects the other campaign. You may leave a backback that holds more items for the second playthrough. In the lab if you spray a certain chemical on the plants they become poisonious in the B scenario. To further differentiate the two the B scenario has a gigantic Tyrant chasing your ass all around the game. Now he only shows up in scripted moments but his jump scares gave me one of the worst I have ever experienced, when he burst kool aid man style TWICE through walls, I was hiding behind my chair by the end. The B scenario had all different boss battles and once completed let you fight the true final boss for the true ending. Playing the flip side gave different story moments as well so to really see it all you had to play four ways and why wouldn't you, this game is a blast. This also introduced the first mini game with Hunk and Tofu, something that would go on to become a series standard. RE2 is one of those games that is a joy to simply pick up and play at anytime.

When I made this list this game had not even come out yet. A RE2 remake had been a dream of mine for decades now and when I heard it was finally being made I was so excited but figured there is no chance it matches up. Game design has changed, the old style of limited inventory and path finding has gone away in favor for more action power trips. RE7 gave us a glimpse that maybe old school RE is back with item boxes and managing inventory, little did I know RE7 was basically a test run for recreating a classic RE style game with modern gameplay sensibilities in RE2 remake, which in its own way has become a masterpiece. I cannot tell you what a breath of fresh air this game is in a time of bloated open world games. To have a tight 10 hour adventure with so much replayability, it took me back to the days when I mastered a game, not just finished it and moved on.

RE2make improved on the original in many ways, again something that is crazy to think they could do. The RPD is reimagined in a way where every location we remembered is in but there are so many added rooms and new paths that further enhance the maze like treks through hell that make these games so much fun. Zombies are an actual threat now, they went from some afterthought to viscious assholes that will mess you up if you don't take them seriously. RE2 OG is probably the easiest of the RE games while this one is one of the hardest. They went ALL IN on item management, on ammo conservation, on making the exploration as scary and difficult as possibly. The true star of this game is Mr. X and how he now stalks you randomly throughout the RPD. An unrelenting force that makes any run a tense nightmare because at any moment there he is. There is a sense of urgency and danger present in this game that was not in the original.

It's still paced perfectly, the story is still compelling, the locations very memorable. The only issue is that they botched the zapping system, there are still two scenarios but they don't affect one another like before. Nothing you do in one changes how the second plays out. The stories don't even match up as well and most of the bosses are the same save for the last two. Because of this I still hold the original as my favorite but there is no denying that the remake plays better and is probably even better designed. Resident Evil 2 remake is an instant classic and would be my game of the generation if not for this next game on my list...

Had too much to play, still do but lets resume. Top 10 (like top 20) coming up!

10. Metal Gear Solid V

My second favorite franchise is Metal Gear, you will see that a bunch of games will be near the top. Every release is a major event and I hope my next 10 is on its way out. MGSV looked to be a dream game, a massive world, multiple bases, the best combat the series has ever seen. The potential for what would be my favorite game ever was there but the game is clearly unfinished and did not live up to the series high story moments or boss battles. Still MGSV manages to have gameplay that I would classify as some of the best, possibly the best of its kind.

Lets begin with the trailers, Kojima started to show off MGS5 with a secret video at the game awards. The game so ambitious that we would get the first part of the story, the prologue as a stand alone game almost two years before the full game hit. Ground Zeroes gave players a taste of what was to come. Those perfect mechanics on display, a massive base to explore and approach any way you see fit. The options were so plentyful, a gigantic MGS play ground now with vehicles, loads of new gear, and combat that can hold it's own agaisnt the best TPSs. I played GZ for over 30 hours, its a one hour game, but the side missions and rankings had be going back over and over. I mastered the map, got top ranks in all missions, I would do crazy speed runs. This one little map gave me more joy than most games that came out that year, and it was but a taste of what was coming.

I bought MGSV early from a flea market in a really bad part of town. Yes I was on the phone with some illegal game dealer (ok he just would break the street date) during work and got the call that it was in early, about 4-5 days early. I already had the entire following week off just to enjoy this masterpiece so I drove to the shady flea market, didn't die, and got my most anticipated game maybe ever. No reviews were out, no word on all the craziness that would lie ahead, it was just me and hope. I started the game and it starts with an insane epic 2 hour sequence that shows that Kojima is at the top of his game with cutscene direction. It felt epic in all the right ways!

Hours in and now I am exploring this DEEP DEEP game. Just choosing the load out for every mission was a strategy game on its own. Do I wait till night, do I approach from the north or the east. Do I follow the guard, do I sneak in and interrogate someone, do I shut down the power to leave people in the dark. Total gameplay freedom is what is offered here, each mission and base can be tackled how you want. And those tools, oh those tools! It has all the great MGS mechanics, the knocking, the cardboard box, tranq gun, holding enemies hostage but now you get a bunch of new toys to mess with including a crazy robot arm that can be shot like a rocket among other things. I could be as stealthy as a ninja or decide to suit up with heavy armor and go in guns blazing. Player choice is the name of the game and nothing in this genre comes close to what MGSV achieves from a gameplay perspective.

I was in love, I could spend 10 hours in the first few bases just messing around. Then missions came where the map would become a player, what you do in one area of the map influences how a base gets reinforcements or supplies. You can ambush supply lines, you can sabotage convoys before they even reach their destination. There was some thrilling missions that make use of this large map BUT something was a bit off. The map was large but mostly empty. Outside of the main bases and a few substations there was nothing but empty land, this was not an open world game in the traditional sense. As I played more and more I started to realise I am about 15 hours in and haven't fought a boss. The story is moving at a snail pace. Big Boss basically never talks. I had the best gameplay the series has by a mile but none of the secret sauce that makes MGS so memorbale, so perfect. I remember on GS me posting my impressions and F1 said something like " No wowowowowowowowow posts yet, this game must suck" and that is just it, the wowowowow parts were few and far between. The highs were gone replaced by a constant stream of quality gameplay that I was in control of. The mission structure that began with Peace Walker does not allow for that constant flow of exciting moments that made this series so memorable. And when there were scripted sequences they didn't feel as well done. Bosses in particular were messy, you'd think the best gameplay the series ever had would translate to the best bosses but somewhere along the line Kojima started to make these Monster Hunter like bosses losing the genius design of what came before.

Then there is act 2, you beat the game but wait there is more. A lot of the best story moments happen in act 2 but all you are doing is exploring the same locations over again. Missions repeat with hard mode versions and then the game abruptly ends in the strangest way possible, forcing you to play the opening sequence again. No final boss, no nothing. We learned later of a cut act 3 and a final boss against baby liquid that would never see the light of day. Because of all this MGSV is a controversial game, for some it is inexcusable, it ruined what made this franchise so great. For others it finally had the gameplay that puts it on par with Splinter Cell and the like. Regadless of how you feel there is no disputing how fun this game is to play.

I spent well over 100 hours in this game. I didn't even mention the base building aspect which I poured tons of time into and its psudeo online mode where you invade or protect the base from other players. I loved how insane some of the games moments were, like the alphabet virus and how tyou need to clense it, pure Kojima. It has SO MUCH content, its hard to even wrap your head around but its missing that energy. Still of every game I played this gen none match my time with MGSV. Compared to other games it blows them away, as much as the story was a mess the craftmanship of that story is light years ahead of most. As much as the bosses were poor for MGS they still offered some moments that most games never reach. It's a game I can play forever, it is just pure gameplay perfection.

travo said:

You still doing this? . Metal Gear Solid V came out on my birthday and I took the day off to devote to this game.  MGS3 is still my favorite of the series but this is damn close.  There's so much to love.

I will finish!

9. Grand Theft Auto Vice City and San Andreas

After GTA3 exploded on the scene we kind of knew that the future of gaming would involve larger open playgrounds to mess with. While GTA3 was a fantastic first step, Vice City is really where the series template started. A star studded cast, a grand story with a morally bankrupt playable character voiced by the great Ray Liotta, way more side activities and a soundtrack for the ages.

Vice City is maybe the best example of a video game doing a period piece and nailing it. This one hits close to home for me as it’s based on my home city of Miami during the neon soaked cocaine riddled 80s which was the height of mystique of Miami culture.  Taking inspiration from Miami Vice (even using the voice actor for Tubbs) and of course from Scarface; Vice City creates another classic tale of over the top cartoonish drugs and violence that Miami is so good at generating (mainly because the true stories are even more outlandish than the made up ones).

While we can look back now and think wow that was a tiny open world, for it’s time Vice City was incredibly detailed and huge in scope. It added boats, added properties you can buy and manage, better weapons and vehicles, it was a clear leap above GTA3. The story was much improved due to the protagonist Tommy Versetti having an actual voice. It all comes together in an unforgettable package that is a blast to play... and listen to.

The soundtrack is legendary, to me the best collection of outside music ever put in a video game. I am a fan of 80s music and this game just made me love it even more. I am a huge fan of Hall and Oates mostly cause of Out of Touch blasting on the radio as I drive down ocean drive. The radio stations were at their best, none better than Fernando the hilarious Hispanic host of the love song station emotion (the best station by the way, nothing better than ballads as you murder people). Every time I hear a song from Vice City I immediately associate it with my time playing this.

While the series did get better I don’t think any game in the series captured the essence of a time period like Vice City. It’s one of those landmark video game series, I knew when playing it this was the future of gaming. It was so fresh, bold, exciting, I couldn’t get enough and I didn’t have to wait long because the following two years we got...

The hype leading up to this game was wild. VC broke a ton of records, GTA was now the hottest franchise in gaming. With San Andreas Rockstar was determined to create the ultimate game, everything would be in it. Reading previews on this game felt like some ramblings of a forum nut making up a dream game, no game could have this much content, well it did.

A game about 5x as large as VC. Not just one city, not just two cities, but three cities with an entire country side to explore. Vehicles, how about everything, including a damn fighter jet and a jetpack. A list of side activities that would take up pages to list, including an entire casino. New sim like stat based progress where depending on your activities CJ will change. It felt like the ultimate video game because it was.

SA jumps to the 90s and takes on the inner city stories based on movies like Boyz N the Hood and Menace to Society. Full of the hip hop influence of the 90s it weaves a tale of a rags to riches story with a dose of racism not just from whites but from the games main villain voiced by Sam Jackson.  SA was just too big to stay focused, the story starts off authentic to the source material but kind of gets a bit absurd as you go on before the big finale which takes you back to the hood. So while I say VC still handles the story and thematic aspects better, SA is clearly a leap above with the gameplay and content.

I can’t tell you how much time I put in this game. The story alone is about 40 hours but like any GTA it’s the emergent gameplay and general chaos you can create that is most fun. The country side allowed some epic chases up and down mountains. The expanded side activities kept me playing for over 100 hours. One of my favorites was a bike dome with big dirt bike races. There is a bank heist somewhere in there. A crazy Peter Fonda in a corn field. Area 51 and aliens. The game is ridiculous in all the right ways.

The soundtrack wasn’t as good as VC mostly because to me 90s music wasn’t as good as 80s music but I must admit the variety is far greater. There is something for everyone here and the radio chatter is better than ever. Excellent collection of 90s hip hop as well which fits the game perfectly.

The series has never been better than this. Open world gaming has never been better than this. GTA4 promised to take the series to new heights with modern gameplay and a realistic world but it gutted all the fun and content present in SA. GTAV comes close in replicating what was done in SA but even that still feels like it’s missing the pure fun that SA and the other PS2 GTA were filled with. These two are masterpieces, what they achieved back then on that limited tech is incredible and they helped shape modern gaming more than any game this millennium.

Jet packs made SA fun.