“IT’S MY TURN TO PLAY!!!!!”
I don’t know how many times I heard my brother yell that at me growing up. I’m sure he would say the same thing about me too. I don’t know what he expected to happen after he’s the one who introduced me to video games. My brother is four years older than me, so a lot of time these disputes would end up with him physically getting removing me from the console. I would go to my mom saying, “Mommmm Declan’s not letting me playyyyy,” and she would try to resolve the issue. My parents said they were going to put the system under the car and run it over a couple of times a month. I’m glad they never did though.
The Start
Me and my brother’s journey started with the PlayStation 2. We played a number of classics on that system including Jak 3, Prince of Persia, and Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2. Next came the Xbox 360, I got that right as I moved into my new house, so those memories are very connected for me. Later, I had the Xbox One, which my brother ended up taking to college. Because of that, I bought myself a PlayStation 4. My first PlayStation 4 started deteriorating so much that I had to buy a new one. My friend Jourdan sold me her PlayStation 4, two controllers, and NBA 2k14, my all-time favorite 2k, all for $50. That was a complete steal but that’s what she wanted so I didn’t question it. That is the console I use to this day. I want a PlayStation 5, but it’s nearly impossible to get.
As my console changes, my life changes with it. The games on those consoles correlate in my memory to certain years in my life. All my favorite games give me such joy, no matter what’s going on outside the game. I made many connections with lifelong friends and had some of the most fun through these games. Ive spent hundreds of hours on some of them, it’s kind of crazy. I have carefully crafted this list of mt favorite games of all time. So, in no particular order here we go.
Perfect Games
Halo Reach: Had to start off with a banger, and Halo Reach is just that. Anyone who had an Xbox 360 most likely played and loved this game. The beautiful campaign, following the Noble Team and their attempt to save Reach from the Covenant invasion. Eventually all six members of the Noble team die, each death more emotional than the last, coming to a heart wrenching end as the endless waves of Covenant finally kill the user-controlled character. This had 9-year-old me feeling some type of way. This game brings back so many good memories of playing with all my friends for hours and hours. It also had super fun multiplayer modes and character customization that you actually had to grind for not just to pay money to get. I’ll never forget Brutal Legends, a random person I saw online who had the drippiest armor set up I’ve ever seen in my life.
Those were the good old days when time and skill granted you things in games, not a credit card. These days it’s all about who is willing to spend the most money on virtual items. It’s a shame that’s how it is now. It seems like every game has a paid battle pass. Theres no grind.
Assassins Creed Black Flag: I knew I had to include at least one game from this series, and Black Flag was the clear choice. This is by far my favorite single player game. In this Assassins Creed you play as a savage pirate whose only goal is to get rich. I have completed this game to 100% twice, once on the Xbox 360 and once on the PlayStation 4. For those who don’t know, to 100% a game you need do everything in the game, not just complete the story. This includes side missions, collectibles, and much more. The reason this game stands out from the rest of the series is the vast open world, and the naval battles. This game is a masterpiece, it’s beautiful and endlessly fun . Every character fits perfectly into the world. The story keeps me on the edge of my seat, even though Ive played it so much that I know what’s about to happen. I’m telling you this game is gas, best pirate video game and Assassins Creed game of all time, easilyyyyyy.
Brawlhalla: This is probably the game that I have the most hours on. It is pretty much like Super Smash Bros, but with a little different mechanics. I’m sure everyone knows what I’m talking about, but if you don’t it’s a 2D platform fighting game. I got really into it when I was on campus the first semester. I actually got really good at it, like I’ve played against a few pros. I got absolutely destroyed but hey at least I get to say I got 3 stocked by Phazon so that’s cool I guess. I play this game mostly by myself because none of my friends are close to as good as me, but sometimes they want to play with me and it’s fun. This game brings up a lot of memories in my dorm room. Even though it makes me mad sometimes, It’s still one of my favorite games ever.
I know I said I wasn’t going in any order but it’s starting to seem like I am. Well, the order is from most favorite down. Alright let’s keep going!
Undertale: I played a lot of computer games in middle school and this is my favorite one. Anyone who has played this game guaranteed loves it. Just hearing the soundtrack gets me emotional. So many memorable characters and interactions. I beat it on the neutral ending, which means you kill, but not everyone. I also beat it on the pacifist ending, which is where you don’t kill anyone. Each ending has different cut scenes and fights. The genocide ending you have to fight sans as the final boss, anyone who beat sans is a god at video games and could probably destroy me in anything. When you fight you control this little heart and have to dodge people’s attacks. You have to see it just look up “sans boss fight”, it’s insane I don’t know how anyone has beaten him. Hold up I need to watch it now I’ll be back for the next game.
Amazing, but not Perfect
Jak 3: Ok I’m back, oh my gosh that sans fight is crazy. Anyway, this is one of the first games I ever remember beating on the PlayStation 2. The reason this game is so amazing is the mission variety. Going into a mission you never know what you’ll be doing. Sometimes you just shoot people, other times you’re racing dune buggies fighting off other cars, sometimes you’re flying through the air on a hang glider, sometimes you’re going through a parkour course, and much much more. The game is also hilarious, it was when I was a little kid and it still is to this day. The only thing holding it back from being perfect is the bugs. Sometimes random things like a certain jump or part of a mission will be unnecessarily hard because of it. Keep in mind this game came out in 2004 so it’s really not to bad when you think about it. I actually just redownloaded it and beat it again in the time it took to finish writing this.
NBA 2k: I put 2k in general because I have played so many of them. My favorite one is 2k14, then 2k17. I’m not really into them anymore though. The new games just don’t compare to the older ones. The gameplay is a lot about exploiting what’s is over powered, not about having your own playstyle and pure skill. That is most of why I can’t put it into the perfect category. I didn’t get 2k21 this year and I probably won’t get the next one. The vibe in 2k14 is immaculate. All the teams are so sick, the gameplay is so fun, the sprite slam cam and the post-game highlight tapes kept me coming back even 7 years after its release. The new games just don’t compare. The only reason I get the new ones is because all my friends get it and we play Pro-am. Pro-am is when everyone gets their MyCareer players together to play against another team. When I think of Pro-am, I think of all the laughs it has given me. I have laughed the hardest in my life on Pro-am countless times. I remember so many times my mom coming in to my room telling me to quiet down as I’m crying laughing, yeah good times.
Batman Arkham Origins: My favorite in the Batman series, and definitely the best superhero game I have ever played. A lot of people think Arkham City or Asylum is the best. I think they’re so wrong, Origins is where it’s at. It all takes place on the night Christmas Eve; it doesn’t really make sense because the game takes around 13 hours just for the main story but whatever nobody’s counting. Loads of assassins all try to kill you and it makes for a lot of exciting boss fights, Deathstroke was my favorite. The combat in this game is amazing, great progression and new skills you get as you play the game. However, the combat system has been done many times before. I’m not saying that to take anything away from it, but the lack of uniqueness in the combat is why it’s not perfect. There are detective missions that really set it apart from other games. You have to find clues and piece them together to either solve a puzzle or find one of the assassins. Another game that I 100% and would definitely again if I had the chance.
The End…
So that is my list of the best games of all time. If you’re reading this and you think of yourself as knowledgeable on the subject, then I’m sure you disagree with at least a few of my games. The important thing to keep in mind is that no one’s played every single game ever, and people will have different senses of nostalgia for certain games. Out of the many video games I have experienced, these are the best, period.
