Games #100-91
Top lists are fun (and great for engagement), so when Emory mentioned writing his top 100 games in this format, I tagged Glen so we could all jump in! That means, after you read mine, you really should go and read theirs too, I am sure we do not align on games.
I will preface this with the fact that I made this list in a pretty mundane fashion, and positions could be malleable depending on the day.
With that being said, let’s get into my top 100 games!
The Games
100. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
Starting at #100, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 barely squeaked its way into my list. I played far too much of this, as it was one of the only single-player friendly Dragon Ball games that actually felt fun. Creating my own characters was super cool, and the progression was really interesting as a Dragon Ball fan.
The game has you taking the role in the “Time Patrol” where you have to intercede on Dragon Ball Z’s canon events and prevent them from being sullied by other time traveling ne’er-do-wells. It’s a lame excuse to let you play through the series’ highlights, but it is a blast nonetheless. My OC beating up Frieza with Goku because some time traveling idiot powered up Frieza 10x? 10/10, no notes. Or, #100 on my top 100 games.
99. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
I will hold true to my belief that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the best action-oriented Star Wars game ever released. They got the power fantasy of being a dark Jedi on lock, you feel incredibly powerful against regular enemies, but can still find a challenge against bosses and the like.
The opening sequence is iconic, because you don’t start off as Starkiller. You begin the game as Darth Vader, massacring Wookies on Kashyyyk, until you find the Jedi you are hunting down. But, spoilers, he is protecting an incredibly force sensitive child, who Vader kidnaps. I don’t want to spoil any more of the story, but it is something to behold, you play as Starkiller (the child from before) who has become Vader’s apprentice, kept secret from the Emperor. I wish that Disney left this canon, as Starkiller is one of the most interesting characters in the franchise, and an incredibly powerful force user in his own right.
98. Chivalry 2
I don’t think many competitive multiplayer games made it into my top 100, but Chivalry 2 managed it.
Honestly I don’t have too much to say about this game, other than the fact that running around chopping heads off of people with a giant sword is a lot of fun. The game looks great, and was an excellent evolution from Chivalry: Medieval Warfare. It has its share of problems though, that prevent it from being higher on this list.
Like most multiplayer games, hit detection delays due to ping are an issue, but because of the up-close and personal nature of Chivalry 2, it feels significantly more frustrating. You’ll find yourself missing a perfectly times parry or strike, simply due to a minor amount of network delay. The game also has some issues with cheating online, and poor matchmaking.
Outside of those issues, Chivalry 2 is a fun, dumb time, with a lot of progression options to keep you coming back.
97. Alan Wake
I am surprised Alan Wake didn’t make it higher onto the list, but I suppose this list is fairly stacked. Alan Wake is a mediocre third person shooter, with a few ambitious mechanics, and an incredible story tying it all together.
You play as the titular Alan Wake, a famous horror author, and you are on a trip with your wife to a remote town in the Pacific Northwest, inspired heavily by Twin Peaks, where Alan intends to get out of his writer’s block. Unfortunately, his wife is abducted, and it is your job to get her back. The story goes all kinds of places, and I recommend watching a YouTube video about it if you have no intention of playing the game yourself. It ties in incredibly to Control, one of Remedy’s other games.
Mechanically, Alan Wake has you exploring levels with fairly narrow corridors, shooting enemies that can only be hurt if they are in the light, and surprise surprise, the game takes at night or in the dark. The flare gun is fun and satisfying to use, but the shooting overall doesn’t feel great.
Alan Wake’s American Nightmare is a “standalone” game, which is a direct sequel, and I am sort of lumping into this entry. It is very important to the story of Control and Alan Wake II, so I would recommend playing it.
Alan Wake II has unfortunately sat on my shelf for a long while, I hope to get to it soon.
96. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Morrowind is not the only Elder Scrolls game on the list, but it certainly deserves a spot. Foundational to what Bethesda’s formula would become, it is only held back by combat that seems like it should be physics based, but unfortunately relies on hidden dice rolls.
These issues are fixed by mods, and if I were including this game with mods it would be significantly higher on the list. However, I am not, so here it sits at #96.
Now, Morrowind’s world, atmosphere, and story are incredible. It is the Elder Scrolls game that gives the player the most freedom to change the story and the world. It takes place on Vvardenfell, an island inside of the country of Morrowind, and it gets into the lore of the gods of the Dunmer, their society, and interactions with other races from across Tamriel.
If you haven’t played Morrowind but you’ve enjoyed Oblivion or Skyrim, you’re missing out. Just, maybe add some mods to smooth things out a bit.
95. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Some would say that placing this above the prior games on the list is a sin, and to that I say, call me a sinner because Lego Star Wars is sick as hell. I love Star Wars, and being able to play through the original and prequel trilogies is a great experience.
One of the things I prefer about this era of Lego games is that they do not rely on voice acted cut-scenes, instead the characters mime everything out. I think the later Lego games feel significantly less charming due to the existence of voice acting.
Free Play is where the game really shines, exploring levels with a plethora of different Star Wars characters, and using their unique abilities to find collectables. Add in full co-op support, and you get to have an incredible time. Did you ever want to fight Darth Maul as Darth Vader? Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga lets you do just that.
94. Persona 3: Portable
A lot of people will say that your first game in a franchise is usually your favorite, and this holds true for Persona 3: Portable. Although it is the only Persona game I’ve ever finished, it managed to find its way into my list.
One of the reasons I feel like Persona 3 grabbed me when others didn’t, was the time period I was playing in. I was a suicidal edgy high schooler, and I got to play as an edgy, yet sociable, high school student who got to fight monsters in their spare time.
Mechanically I found Persona 3 to be fairly difficult, however I didn’t let that stop me. I’ve always been bad at monster fusion, and unfortunately that is the main key to success in Persona.
Musically Persona 3 stands out, I still get tracks from it stuck in my head. What I’ve heard of the soundtrack from Reload is also excellent. I’m still upset Reload didn’t include the female main character from Persona 3 Portable, but I would recommend it over Portable if it is your first time playing, especially if you’re coming to it after Persona 5.
93. Darksiders
I love this era of Character Action games, and Darksiders is no exception. A goofy story about the Apocalypse has you playing as War, of the four horsemen, as you try to track down the villain who started Apocalypse ahead of schedule. I’m not a Christian, so I do not know how biblically accurate this is, but I assume the bible did not include throwing cars at angels.
A lot of the action in Darksiders is over the top, very much wanting to be Devil May Cry. I saw a lot of comparisons to God of War upon release, but it has never felt much like God of War to me. The puzzles are very reminiscent of Zelda, but turned down to the lowest difficulty.
Darksiders isn’t a perfect game, but I like it significantly more than it’s sequel, and would definitely recommend playing the “Warmastered Edition” if you were to pick it up.
92. Hotline Miami
Wow, what to say about Hotline Miami? An absolute hair puller, it is both tense and incredibly cathartic once you figure it out. You play as a masked hitman, entering buildings to slaughter everyone inside. The kicker is: everyone, including you, dies in one hit. One bullet, one swing of the crowbar, or one knife to the face. While it may look like an action game, Hotline Miami is very much a fast paced puzzler, don’t let it deceive you.
While the gameplay is fun, Hotline Miami really makes this list due to its unique music and aesthetic. I owned the soundtrack on Google Play Music (rest in peace sweet prince), and it is full of synth electronic bangers. They hype you up during the levels, and really add to the game’s frenetic vibe.
Visually, it’s a fever dream. The grotesque horror of human slaughter is framed in an almost psychadelic fashion, so intriguing while also disgusting.
I wouldn’t recommend Hotline Miami 2, as it felt worse to me in every way, but if you haven’t played Hotline Miami, I think it is worth trying.
91. Castle Crashers
One of the first Xbox Live Arcade games I sunk my life into, Castle Crashers is full of “flash game charm” from The Behemoth, at this time of Alien Hominid fame.
A 2-D side scrolling beat-em-up at its core, it contains plenty of RPG elements and dozens of characters to unlock with varying magical abilities. I have such a soft spot in my heart for Castle Crashers. I spent dozens if not hundreds of hours re-playing the game with new characters, with friends on Xbox Live.
The humor probably hasn’t aged will, filled with dated internet references and “potty jokes” but honestly I don’t care. I love Castle Crashers, and always will. And I think you would too.
I’ll leave this brief as we have 90 more games to cover next week, so check back in for Episode II, one week from today. Thank you to all of my friends for reading, and I am excited to see how and handle their first 10 games!
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