My Top 10 List

Hey folks! Ya know, I never really got a chance to introduce myself, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to do so and share with you my top ten favorite games. To begin, my name's Eddie. I am 35 years old and have been gaming in some form or another ever since my dad brought home the Pong console when I was a youngster. From there, I enjoyed many of the early game consoles, starting with the Atari 2600 and moving on up the ladder from there. Eventually I got into PC gaming as titles like Doom and Quake became popular. In those days, I played my FPS's with a flight stick controller, if you can imagine that. My favorite game back then was Rise of the Triad. Man, I loved that game.

Anyway, as I got a little older, I found myself stepping away from the gaming scene and focusing on playing drums in various rock bands. A few years later, after my involvement in the music biz settled a bit, I found myself right back where I started and have been going strong ever since. I've even taken the strides to discover many of the games I missed out on. Today, I am a proud husband and a father of two little ones that I absolutely adore. While many of you might wonder how I find time to play, I believe that God knows my heart and has allowed me to successfully take on the roles of gamer and family man. While I do a good bit of PC gaming and try to keep my rig specs up to snuff, it's always been about the games for me. So I equally enjoy playing a lot of the cool stuff that comes out on the 360 and PS3. Now that I've told you a little about me, allow me to let you in on the ten games I've found to be the most intriguing. Here goes.

I absolutely love a good fighting game. While I've played many, only one had me throwing up my hands and shouting "YEEAAHH!!!" after taking down an opponent. Def Jam Fight for NY rocks hard and hits even harder. Utilizing any number of different fighting styles, the game allows you to create your fighter from the ground up and then throws your character into the story that puts you up against notable celebs from the music and film industry. What made this game stand out among the crowd was its no holds barred brawls, numerous fighting styles, and audio that sounded like a freight train hitting a brick wall when you land a finishing move. The fights only get better with all the unconventional objects you can snatch up and use as weapons. A tire iron to the jaw never felt so good! To date, I have not found a more enjoyable fighting game out there. That includes the follow up on the PS3 and 360 which sucked big time. What a shame.

On a lighter note, I've always found adventure games to be intriguing. Sometimes it's good to lay down your guns, sit back, relax, and experience a great story. Not having played a good adventure title in a while prior to picking up Dreamfall The Longest Journey, I was totally sucked in by its immersive story line and memorable characters. While playing the game, I fell in love with the main character, Zoë Castillo and her enchanting demeanor. I also find myself wanting to fire up the game again just to hear her voice. That may sound crazy, but I've talked with a number of FPS buffs who felt the same way after playing it. Dreamfall is the follow up to The Longest Journey that was released back in 2000. You don't have to have played the original to enjoy the game, but it does answer some questions you'll have if you choose to play Dreamfall first. In any case, you'll be compelled to play the other regardless of which game you start with.

I know what you're thinking. Killzone? Really? Really. I am a first-person shooter freak and try my best to play every one I can get my hands on. Of course, I do have to be interested in the game in the first place. When Killzone was released, I was expecting another cut-and-dried shooter. The game certainly looked good enough, better than any other shooter on the PS2 in fact, so I picked it up. Do you remember how every game used to tout itself as being a truly cinematic experience, yet none of them were? Killzone took that claim and ran with it in a big way. The game felt more like playing through a movie than any other game I had played at the time. Despite real actors playing convincing roles and an incredible story, Killzone did not get the credit it was due. I can't really even chalk up its mediocre reception to its gameplay either. It turned out really well despite the graphics being a little too big for the PS2's breeches. In my opinion, Killzone easily resides at the top spot among shooters on the PS2. Sure, there are plenty of better shooters out there, but I have to reflect on my enjoyment with the game back when it came out. In its day, there really weren't many console shooters could touch it. And on the PlayStation 2, there still isn't. If I had to choose one of today's shooters to fill this spot, I'd have to go with Resistance Fall of Man. Prey is yet another shooter that deserves a mention here.

What can I say about Beyond Good & Evil? Well, for starters, the game was truly unforgettable. These days, there is a lack of new IP's in the game industry; mostly because publishers simply do not want to chance risking loads of cash on a potential flop. While this is understandable, it really lessens the chances that you and I will get to play something truly unique. In Beyond Good & Evil, you play as Jade, a reporter of sorts whose ultimate goal in the game is to capture a story. Along with a host of colorful characters, Jade gets the job done by using all kinds of different gameplay elements like stealth, vehicle/melee combat, exploration, and puzzle solving. These, coupled with a fantastic presentation, made for a magical experience that hasn't been captured by many games since.

Back to the old school! No One Lives Forever is a game that every shooter fan should have played at one point or another. Rarely is it that one gets to laugh out loud while playing a FPS. NOLF provided plenty of laughs with its witty and sexually suggestive dialog. Today, you'll find heroine Kate Archer on the lists of the most enjoyable protagonists in gaming history. She's sexy, she's smart, and she gets all kinds of cool weapons to you to play with. Even after playing a game like Call of Duty 4, the game is still a lot of fun to play. And there's something to be said for that indeed. I do own the sequel, A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way, but I just haven't gotten around to playing it. Maybe I'll fire it up soon.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is another game you'll find on many gamers' top ten lists. To me, it is the ultimate platformer. I was a little disappointed when the Prince went all dark and grungy in the follow up, Warrior Within. While still very much a Persia game, it really took away all of the cartoon magic and overall mystical feeling you got with Sands of Time. The next game, The Two Thrones, did manage to tone down the hardcore theme a bit, but it was still out in left field. Even so, the series has managed to maintain its momentum with its fantastic combat and acrobatics. Needless to say, I'm very excited to see the new direction the developers are taking the series. From what I've seen, the upcoming Prince of Persia game scheduled to be released later this year looks pretty awesome.

I'm sure you knew this one was coming. Bioshock is another example of the new IPs that publishers weren't ready to get behind. The game was actually pitched to several big name companies who turned it away, saying that gamers just wouldn't go for such an outlandish theme and unorthodox style of gameplay. Man, I would hate to be in the shoes of the guys who turned it down! Bioshock was nothing short of incredible. Probably like you, I found myself just wandering around Rapture taking in every inch of the city's atmosphere. The game certainly gave new meaning to the term immersive. The one qualm I had with the game is not being able to talk to anyone. Sure, your guide on the handheld was full of instructional dialogue, but I just felt desolate at times. I'm not sure what it was either. I mean, I've played plenty of shooters where your character remained void of conversation, but I just felt the need for more contact.

My idea for the sequel would be to go back and experience the birth of Rapture and enter the city along with all of its inhabitants for the first time. I think it would be cool to witness the rise and fall of the city, and come in contact with a lot of the people whose messages you listened to on the recording devices you picked up during the game. But I'm ready for whatever the developers have in store. Meanwhile, I'm anxious to revisit Rapture and give the game a second play through.

God of War is simply my kind of game. While no game is perfect, it came close enough. I love a good challenge in my games and the ones Kratos was faced with were constructed very nicely. Bring on the carnage, I say. Bring on the blood. In God of War, there was carnage and blood a plenty, along with the coolest weapons for slicing and dicing. No matter what extra weapons the game offered, you always went with the chained blades whenever you could because they were just so much fun to use. I'm not a huge fan of developer David Jaffe and his tendency to murder the English language with F-bombs, but you've got to give the guy credit for making what I'd wholeheartedly call a true classic. If you haven't played God of War, it and its sequel are worth grabbing a PlayStation 2 for the weekend to play.

Ok, we're getting down to brass taxes now. As you all already know, the Grand Theft Auto series pretty much coined the whole sandbox aspect of games that has been imitated ever since. I remember playing GTA III for the first time and totally taking in the whole free roaming experience. But it wasn't until GTA Vice City came out that I was totally on board with it. I remember playing the game for weeks on end without playing another game in between sittings, which is what I often do. Vice City was one of those games you thought about all day at work and couldn't wait to get home to play. Not too long ago, I decided to take another spin with the game. Not to do any of the missions, but to just visit the old neighborhood. While I still enjoyed it, I have to say that I wasn't nearly as thrilled as I once was. But that's to be expected. Our top ten lists are all about looking back on the times we had with our favorite games when we had them, and I'll never forget how much fun I had with it originally. It was new then. And even though I'm enjoying the heck out of GTA IV, I believe that Vice City was the pinnacle of the series.

Half-Life 2. I really don't have to say much more then the title for many of you to agree that this was the greatest game ever created. When I played the original, I was taken aback at such a deep game filled with exploration and dark mystery. In 2004, I built my second PC in preparation for the sequel. Sadly, I had to wait until Christmas to play it due to my wife buying it for me as a Christmas gift. Filled with anticipation, I patiently (frustratingly) waited until December 25^th to fire up the game. I think I spent four straight hours with it before I had to leave to visit my folks for dinner. I was blown away and ticked off at the same time when the game ended so quickly. Still, what was there was golden. I'd like to say that I felt the same way about the episodes that followed, but I guess Valve just waited too long to get the additional content out. Sure, they're both welcome additions, but I guess it was like the Vice City thing. The thrill was somewhat gone. No matter, I still hold Half-Life 2 in the highest regard possible when it comes to games.

Well, that's it. I've spilled my guts. I'll probably get flamed for one or two games on my list, but this is in fact MY list. Even so, my top ten is no more important than your top ten, so I'd love to see the comments section filled with your own lists. If you can only post your top 5, then go for it. Even reading about your one most favorite game would be cool. It's your turn now. Post away!