The greatest games - A Personal list of Neocracker~

[Mercen-X]

I played A Link To The Past. Awesome game. I never thought I'd have a chance to play through as much as I did since I didn't personally own an SNES, but I frequently visited my cousin who owned it and the game.
I own both installments of Golden Sun. I've only played through the first portion of either... well, I may have played through more of the first... I'm pretty confident I never found time to beat it. I suppose I could check...

I own Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. I never approved of the central character Serge. I always felt his design was bland (there's a "intended artwork" with three alternate versions of Serge. His final design is included in the mix but it somehow looks cooler than how it translated into the game.) I wish Guile had been given a more significant role since finding out he's supposed to be Magus. I played Cross before Trigger so making a connection between those characters was especially impossible for me. I like games that offer a plethora of playables but I get mixed feelings when they have no real story of their own. What's the point of having a character if they're just another pawn? At least in Radiata Story, you get to see that most of the characters you'll recruit have stories before you recruit them even if you don't get to see them move forward.
I also had no clue there were Dual Techs in this game. Without a magazine to point me to who to use, I never would have found them. You would think that the two characters you're pretty much constantly forced to have around (Serge and Kid) would have a Dual Tech. But their only shared tech is split with Sprigg and she has to become Slash for its use. How smurfing ridiculously convoluted.

[NeoCracker]

Taking a break from Atelier Ayesah, I bring you Part 2 of the Worst games list!

9. Halo Franchise
I'll start by saying, I am aware that I am not the kind of person that this game is targeted towards, given my tendency to prefer single player experiences. However, there are things in Halo that bother me. The big one being that it didn't really change anything about the genre outside of allowing for console shooters to be played online from a console. And for that, were I looking soley at Halo 1 here, I probably wouldn't have put this here. The problem is though Halo's gameplay isn't that good compared to other shooters out there. Halo 1-3 all felt rather lacking when compared to games like Call of Duty or Battle Field, and those are games I don't enjoy either.

None of them have good stories, though Halo both has a bad story and is piss easy as far as campaigns go. So even as far as Shooters go the games single player experience is lacking, and it neither plays as well as others, nor do I like any of the games art design. The popularity of this franchise baffles me.


8. Final Fantasy X/II
I really can't decide which game I dislike more. FF 2 is here for it's god aweful leveling system and lack luster gameplay. FF X is here because the entirety of the cast are terrible, Auron being the exception. It's hard to rate X as worse on the basis that it has a fantastic battle system, though on the same note the game is so easy it leaves all of the possibilities the system had in the dust. If I had to say X would be worse because of that, but it's my list so I don't!


7. L.A. Noire
I feel kind of bad for putting this on the list, since it was an interesting take on bringing a point and click style adventure game into that perspective. The problem is how frustrating the game can get. Not for difficulty or controls, but the execution of pressing for information. An early example was one of teh first cases that involved a pair of glasses. I immediately caught on that she was lying about the glasses, but until I keep pressing different options I can't call her out on the glasses. It also created a problem in that it was way to easy to tell a person is lying, but that was bound to happen when they told thier actors to act like they were lying.

The other thing that killed it was I cared nothing about anyone in this game. So when I couldn't get into the games cast, all I was left with was a frustrating Point and Click adventure. The game ends up offering absolutely nothing for me.


6. Xenogears
There was one accusation about me going in wanting to hate this game, but I actually am depressed I don't like this game. I will say, I can see a lot of good in this game. It has a couple of very well written characters with Fei and Citan, and a lot of great build up. However, there are three things that just kill this game for me.

Firstly, I believe it was Mirage who said this though I may be wrong, but this game takes way to much advantage of the players suspension of Disbelief. Vanderkaums arrogance was way beyond a guy stuck in his ways, that kid making it to the second round of a martial arts tournament, I could go on, but I think you get the point.

Secondly is the dungeon and monster design. Dear god, these are the worst dungeons I have ever seen an any RPG. Especially the ones where everything looks the same, and there is no map to refer to. It gets dull and boring. And the monster design isn't so much bad, as they re-use a the same desing a lot. This is some of the least variety I have ever seen in a game.

Worst of all, none of the games build up pays off. I'm sure no one will deny how sucky it was Rico's entire story got axed from the game, but this is a problem you see throughout the entire game. So much trout got cut, and this game suffers for it.

5. Dante’s Inferno
This game infuriates the living smurf out of me. I have never in my life seen something so shameless as this game. In fact, I don't think they actually developed a game. They sent a ninja to Sony to steal the source code for God of War, and what they did is ported the game and replaced the audio and visual files for the game. That was all the work that went into this game. This game is reprehensible in the fact they didn't even try to spice up the experience, or even add something trivial to it. It's as if the developers just didn't give a smurf.

[Bolivar]

Wow oh wow.

[NeoCracker]

Yeah, this set isn't going to be making me any friends. ;P

[Loony BoB]

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

[Ultima Shadow]

Halo: The Halo games are much more fun multiplayer than single-player. But then again, so are pretty much all shooters. Anyhow, I disagree about the gameplay being worse than CoD and BF. It's certainly less realistic and lacks the same intensity, but I personally find the less serious, dark and realistic gameplay and atmosphere pretty refreshing. It might sound a bit strange, but to me Halo is a lot like what a "Super Mario FPS" would have been like. And I kinda like it. You can jump around like in a plattformer, there are many strange powerups and bonuses that you don't see in other shooters and some of the weapons are just more pure fun in their functions. Though I've spent pretty much all my Halo-time playing offline multiplayer on forged maps.



FFX: I agree that Auron is the only particualry interesting character in FFX, though I wouldn't say the rest of the cast is very far below what's "average". I still find them slightly below average, however. But I've seen much worse. The gameplay is great for the most part though and the main thing I liked about FFX. And luckily, we europeans got all the challange we could hope for with the addition of the Dark Aeons and Penance.



Xenogears: Here I'm one of the few who agree with pretty much everything... except I can actually remember playing over 6 even worse games. But yes, Xenogears let me down so much after getting my hopes up from all the praise it was getting. And the dungeon design was really the worst.

[Bolivar]

Congratulations, Neocracker . You did it. I didn't think it was possible, but you managed to offend the entire forum in one post.

Actually, I'm not too mad. I understand why Dante's Inferno is the most disturbingly shameless ripoff, arguably ever. But I think at the end of the day you have to ask yourself "are you enjoying this game?" It was God of War for Catholics, and I'm a God of War fan, I'm Catholic, so it was a really solid title in my eyes. I also think FFII and X are amazing games, but I completely understand and appreciate why others do not.

LA Noire... it was a cool game, I didn't realize it could disappoint enough to be on this list, though.

Xenogears, I'm obviously with you on. It's actually one of my favorite stories in an RPG, but the dungeons and lack of meaningful combat are a sore spot for me. Great story and bad combat takes it out of "legendary" staus for me, but the inclusion of the platforming possibly brings it down even lower. Even the story is hard to give it a grade, because the unfinished nature of the game just earns it an INComplete.

Halo is really weird. I can understand how playing any game with your friends will result in a good time. Especially with the Forge features they've iterated over the years. So I understand where Ultima Shadow is coming from. But as a dedicated FPS fan, on PC and console, it's never vibed with me. The bullet sponge mechanics, where it takes an entire clip to destroy a target's armor before you actually start hurting them, seems like the complete opposite of what a shooter is supposed to be about to me. I suppose it could come down to preference, but I've never found it compelling. Then there's the graphics and animation. I just can't fathom why Bungie are considered in the top tier of developers when Halo 3 (+ODST) and Reach looked like last generation games to me, at the very least they were vastly outclassed by their contemporaries.

[Mercen-X]

No experience with LA Noire. No experience with Xenogears but I'm a fan of Xenosaga and if that was inspired by Xenogears, it gives me hope for the game. I plan to own it... eventually.

I find it difficult to devote all of my attention to the older FF games, so I have limited experience with FF2. FFX my only real gripe would be Tidus and Yuna's relationship. Just annoying... and Rikku once she's a party member (only gets more annoying in X-2)

No experience with Dante's Inferno though the concept is intriguing enough I would play it if I owned the system for it.

I've only played Halo a few times with my cousins. Not really the game for me. Pretty graphics, some neat weapons... I never really felt excited by the experience though.

[NeoCracker]

Now that I've pissed on a bunch of people at this forum, back to the list as normal!

53. Atelier Iris 2 (PS2)
52. Atelier Iris (PS2)
      I have always liked crafting in games, so it was somewhat natural that I took to the Atelier series when Iris was released. It's a game who, more then any other I"ve played at the time, has a focus on crafting. Best part is how well done the games crafting system was. You could create the same items with different ingredients to alter the effects and strength. It's always refreshing when a games core mechanic works so well. The battle system was a bit basic, but fluid and came with some fun aspects.

      The stories in these two games are somewhat simplistic, but are carried by a more light hearted and charming tone, speckled with the occasional dark moments. Nothing huge, but it didn't really need to be. The game came with a fun atmosphere, and a lot of fun and creative designs. It was a game that tried and succeeded to do RPG's a bit differently then we were use to, and I love seeing innovation work out so well.

51. Wild Arms 4 (PS2)
      Even though I do enjoy Wild Arms 3, I admit it was a pretty low point for the series, bogged down by to many flaws that overshadowed the good in it. So I was a bit weary of Wild Arms 4 at first, especially since they seemed to jump the gun and completely revamp everything about the series. And while in a way it did, changing a lot of the feel and atmosphere of the series, I can't say this was a bad thing. They put more of an emphasis on the sci-fi tone over the Old West feel, though that element was still present, and it turned out to be a blast.

      It used a hex grid for the battle system, giving you a bit more position then a normal JRPG, but not as much as you would see in an SRPG, and managed to create a fun and new battle system that hadn't been seen before. While not the best story in the series, it was very well made and as usual you could easily get behind your characters and enjoy them. A favorite moment is when you are fighting the 'crimson noble', and Arnoud (Sure this is spelled wrong) manages to pull himself together enough to save your asses. Best part of that? Even he managed to overcome the fear and save you, you still see the impact the event has on his psyche, as he pretty much breaks down on the spot. So if you like the earlier games in this series, don't be put off by the changes, as the game still stands up great on it's own.

[Forsaken Lover]

No Final Fantasy game is the Worst Game Evah. No, not even FFVIII.

That's because, even if the characters and story and gameplay are a mess, you can count on Grade A music and nice graphics. I mean, FF8 might make me want to tear my hair out, but at least it's pretty to look at and listen to. That's more tahn you can say for a lot of games.

And Xenogears? I'll agree with terrible dungeon design. That's it. As sad as it as that Rico's arc went nowhere, that was almost an isolated incident. All the important stuff had cool payoffs. I mean, even if you had already figured out Fei was Id, how awesome was it when the party finally found out? Goodbye Solaris.
And then it was followed up by a very heartwarming scene between Fei and Elly.

But ya know, I can see why Babel's Tower might make some people forget al that. I avoid replaying Xenogears simply because of that level.

[NeoCracker]

Esmeralda was introduced and ignored until one optional dungeon end game, which barely added anything at all.

Maria's entire arc started and ended when you first meat her to her first mech fight.

We will not get into Pupu.

Billy's Arc was good, but was also short lived and not really expanded up at all after the initial arc finishes.

And I have a bias against any Romance whose entire basis is "We were destined to be together because destiny!". It cheapens the entire thing for me.

Anyway, before I beat this dead horse more....


50. Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
49. Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
      I admit the only reason I ever played this game when I was younger is my friends had it. I thought it was far to silly an Idea, mixing Final Fantasy and Disney. Though when I did play the game had won me over, so I was quick to make sure to pick up Kingdom Hearts 2 when it eventually came out, and I sit here anxciously awaiting KH3.

      That said, the big selling point is a fluid and fun battle system. I never had trouples going between the menu navigation in the real time enviroment of the game. It gave you a lot of options in combat, which was wonderful given the different ways you could develope Sora in terms of combat prowess. It kind of sucked you were only ever given one option at a time to replace one of your party members, but eh, they were there for support anyway. Well, except Jack, that dude was a beast.

      It has a fun story that is for the most part pretty straight forward, though there are a lot of side elements to the plot that are fun and appriciated, keeping the story from getting dull. It does come with some bizzare hic ups, for example I still have no clue as to why Xehonort's Heartless pretended to be Ansem. But again this is kind of small. A few small things like this, combined with a relative ease, with a few exceptions, keep this game down on the list.


48. No More Heroes (Wii)
      I smurfing love Suda51, and this was the game that started that love. No More Heroes is a truly bizarre game that pretty much throws most video game conventions to the wind. It relishes in it's own absurdity, and at the same time can invest the player in the almost nonsensical story and world, making you care about what it is going on around you.

      Pair that with a truly unique visual style you don't really see from anything other then a Suda game. At no point in this game do you dislike looking at your surroundings, and there is so much detail and fun jokes to be found in the environments. Just for Suda's originality and flare alone I feel any one of his games are worth checking out.

      The biggest problems with this game though are the open world, which feels empty and a waste of time, and the controls themselves can suffer from not being quite tight enough at times, which can create some moments of Frustration. Still, if you have a Wii, or a PS3 for the port, the game is well worth your money. Go buy it now. And never look back.

[Mercen-X]

I rented WA3&4 and KH1&2 before I made any purchased. Whereas I went on to own WA3 and both KH games, I wasn't really so bowled over by WA4. The concept behind the ARMs, the enemy gang, the HEX battlefield, the cheesy dialogue...
I like most of the designs of course.

I thought KH gummi battles were interesting while not being too much of a distraction. I really liked the KH2 version.
FYI, I thought Xehanort's Heartless had amnesia and really believed he was Ansem. Is this disproved?

[Bubba]

I see Kingdom Hearts discussed a lot on these forums but I must admit I've never actually played the games. It might be something I check out if they ever release a PS3/Vita HD update.

No More Heroes was an excellent game. I only played it briefly when I rented it from Lovefilm but I loved the premise. I think the Wii controls could have been utilised better like in Twilight Princess but it was still effective. I might see if I can pick this up for cheap to play through the full story.

[Shauna]

The Atelier games are fabulous. They're not tricky, but they're fun. Currently getting through Atelier Iris 2.

[Loony BoB]

I should probably play KH again someday. I've only really played about ten minutes of it.