ToriJ's Top 20 Games

[Ayen]

All the cool kids are doing it.

This was originally going to be a Top 100, but that's not gonna happen. I tried shortening it to a top 11 list and that quickly became a 20. I'm probably lucky I was able to cap it off to 20. So, yeah.

These are mainly games that has stuck with me after the first time I played them. Either from a compelling story, characters, gameplay or all three. So without further ado!

ToriJ's Top 20 Games
#20
Soul Calibur III.jpg
The third installment in the Soulcalibur franchise and fourth game overall. In addition to being a fun fighting game it has perhaps the best custom character creation feature I've seen in any fighting game. Offering several different options and possibilities to make other fictional characters that you may adore. But the real reason this made the list is because of the 'Chronicles of the Sword' story mode, which I am gutted that they didn't do more of in the sequels. Chronicles of the Sword utilizes the character creation to make your own protagonist and play through twenty levels overall. Playing kind of like a war strategy/board game and still having the fighting part whenever you face an enemy. The objective being to take over the enemy strongholds. You start off as a rookie commander and as the story progresses you learn about the true meaning of war and why you fight. I just think it was really well done and could have been its own game in its own right.

And in classic Top List fashion I will now wait for some replies before I reveal the next game on the list.

Discuss.

List so far
(SPOILER)
1.) Final Fantasy X
2.) Metal Gear Solid
3.) Mass Effect
4.) Final Fantasy VII
5.) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
6.) Evil Zone
7.) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
8.) Monster Rancher
9.) BattleTanx Global Assault
10.) Resident Evil Remake
11.) Final Fantasy VIII
12.) Devil May Cry 3
13.) F.E.A.R
14.) Road Rash 3D
15.) Game Dev Tycoon
16.) Spelunky
17.) Final Fantasy IX
18.) Command & Conquer: Tiberium Sun
19.) Broken Helix
20.) Soul Calibur III

[Freya]

Dude Im' a baller at that game. Only fighting game I enjoy really.


Look at all these countdowns!

[Spuuky]

Chronicles of the Sword was the best "campaign" to exist in any SC game, it's true.

[Ayen]

Dude Im' a baller at that game. Only fighting game I enjoy really.

I'd challenge you if you were anywhere close to me. My cousin used to wipe the floor with me all the time on this game, and now the tradition has been passed on to my nephews, with one hitting all the combos by simple button mashing and the other pushing his health up to infinite in the character select screen to cheat.

Hope he falls off a ledge next time they play

[maybee]

Yes Soul Calibur 3 was incredible

Looking forward to more of this list

[Sephiroth]

No Soul Calibur IV or V? Do you have no interest in character customization? Soul Calibur III began with it but didn't have that much compared to the two others.

Soul Calibur IV was my first PS3 title. It was a good choice at that time for me.

[Ayen]

I played IV and don't remember there being as many options compared to III. IV felt like such a huge step down too as it didn't seem the franchise knew where it wanted to go and it had Star Wars characters that didn't fit the series just for the sake of being there. Never played V so I can't comment.

#19
Broken_Helix_Cover.jpg
I got two words for you: Bruce Campbell. That's right, the Evil Dead star himself lends his voice for main protagonist, Jack Burton, and it's just the kind of thing you would expect out of a Bruce Campbell... anything! It has more twists and turns then you could shake a stick at, starting off with a simple bomb defusing involving a madman and then branching off in several different ways. Your comrades betray you, there's a reporter you can help to share her story with the mad bomber, and a bald-headed male you help fight aliens with. And the one-liners! "I rolled out of bed this morning, landed on a pit of spikes and people kept stepping on me." You can even turn on your comrades before they turn on you at the beginning causing one to shout, "He knows!" and then listen to their progress on the radio as they advance each level but I think that backs you into a corner and you have to start the game over. Still fun, though. You can meet the bomber too and shoot him prompting a game over after he yells, "You have killed us all!" and laughs manically as we all explode and die. The game has four endings depending on the choices you've made and what you were able to accomplish during.

[Aulayna]

SCIV and SCV were massive let downs for me. They basically stripped everything apart from the character creation, in favour of online only modes. I like playing online, but stuff like Edge Master Mode, whatever the adventure mode in SCII was called (all I know is I still love the music to this day) and Chronicles of the Sword were what made Soul Calibur for me. The removal of those modes in IV and V distinctly ruined my enjoyment of them.

SCIII also had the best menu hands down, with the silhouettes fighting and the Lorekeeper music. Good times.

Although whilst I'm getting nostalgic, gonna have to drop this here:



AMAZING

[Jinx]

True story: one time in the custom character creator, I made Gay Hitler. It was faaabuloouuuuus.

[Slothy]

I liked SC2 more than any of the others. I don't really care about character creation and Weapon Master mode in SC2 is the best tutorial I've ever seen in a fighting game.

[Ayen]

I need to make a best fighter top list later so I can put Soul Blade on it...

I haven't played SC2, but I want to. I remember all the ads that played when it first came out and the hype for which exclusive character each system brought into the fold.

#18.
Cncts-win-cover.jpg
This was a game changer for the Tiberium Series in CnC, and I think for Westwood too since I'm pretty sure this was the game that led them to being bought out by EA. Anyways, it went from modern warfare to a science fiction theme and brought the charismatic leader, Kane (played by Joseph D. Kucan) back to life. It took the FMVs a step further and provided more lengthy cut-scenes that advanced the plot, a crew for GDI and Nod each, a guy getting his throat slit... and solidified Nod as that crazy evil cult you knew it was but didn't spawn itself as much in the first game. The expansion Firestorm also ends on one of the best cliff hangers I've seen in a game and it makes it a shame that nothing ever came of it because EA came and screwed everything up

[Aulayna]

ToriJ, this list is making me love you so far.

I loved Tiberian Sun. I still remember that GDI mission with the hovercraft thingies where you had to navigate down the river avoiding the NOD Obelisks of Light and how much I failed at it first time around xD. The corny acting in the FMVs just simply sealed the deal and Joseph Kucan really nailed Kane in this one. Plus, that map screen music - got me excited everytime!

[Ayen]

Here I was thinking no one would know what I was talking about. Command & Conquer got me interested in the RTS genre and just has one of the most underrated stories. Joseph Kucan directed all of the FMVs until EA took over too and I think he did a good job with them. Kinda wish he was still in charge by the time 3 came on board, he may have had more pull to say no to the constant use of red lights in the Nod temple >.>

[Aulayna]

Kinda wish he was still in charge by the time 3 came on board, he may have had more pull to say no to the constant use of red lights in the Nod temple >.>

Just gonna leave this here:

[Ayen]

Just the fact he can see in order to pull off all those moves is nothing short of amazing.

#17
Final Fantasy IX [Disc4of4] [U] [SLUS-01297]-front.jpg
Chances are I'll get my butt kicked for putting this so low on the list. At least it's on there, right? Right? What are you planning to do with that hot comb?

Final Fantasy IX is a great tribute to the classic Final Fantasy games which kicked things off for the franchise as well as being a fun game on its own and a bit more light-hearted (at least most of the parts I played...). I'll admit it took a while but eventually all of the characters grew on me, but the main reason this ended up on here is because of the Black Mage. There's a scene on an airship where the group meets people who are the same as Vivi, but when he tries to go talk to them he's ignored and becomes upset. Then that evil Black Mage you've fought before shows up and attacks, prompting the others to protect the group/Vivi/I'm not sure on this bit because my memory is fuzzy, and end up dying as a result. Causing Vivi to be enraged! It was a tear jerker that still gets to me just thinking about it even today.