Casual's Top 50 Games of All Time

[Casual 734]

#34

 

The Last of Us

 

 

Can't say I'm a fan of most of Naughty Dog's recent output. This game didn't even really pique my interest before it came out, mostly because I thought the Uncharted games were pretty subpar. To me though this is where ND found a balance between a story driven experience but with compelling gameplay. The stealth mechanics and RE-ish limited ammo kept the combat tense and engaging for me. I'm a sucker for a post-apocalyptic story and while this isn't quite The Stand, it's still serviceable and they did a great job of capturing an atmosphere in the world. Performance issues aside this was one of the better offerings on the PS3 (and 4). 

 

 

 

#33

 

Goldeneye

 

 

While this game has aged absolutely horrible, it was pretty mindblowing at the time. For someone who didn't have a PC, the FPS genre was a whole new thing. The levels felt huge at the time, and the missions (especially on 00 Agent) went a long way to making this game feel somewhat non-linear. Jungle, Control Room, Facility, Cradle, Aztec. All classic levels to me. Surface sucks though. The real reason the game is on the list  is for the multiplayer which was one of two staples (next one coming up) at basically every family gathering for 5 years. I haven't played in years but could probably still make my way through Complex with my eyes closed. 

 

 

 

 

#32

 

Tony Hawks Pro Skater

 

 

This one was just perfect timing. Came out at the height of the skateboarding craze in my school, had amazing mechanics, one of the best licensed soundtracks period, and a decent amount of depth. I've always had a love for games that give you a short gameplay loop with a high ceiling for execution, me and my friends would just go back and forth trying to one up each others scores for hours on end. I debated whether I wanted to put 2 or 3 here instead. I think was probably the peak in terms of raw quality, but there's something to be said for being the original. That first drop into the Warehouse can't be matched.

 

 

 

 

#31

 

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

 

 

A game that I shit on pretty much from it's reveal to the day it came out. The Fire Emblem games had never clicked with me and now they were adding some anime social simulator onto it? Nah, hard pass. Man was I wrong. Such a great blend of Persona-esque Social aspects, with a somewhat deep battle system, deep character customization and a surprisingly well executed story (three of them even). I don't think I've ever had such a large party of characters in a game that I actually ended up giving a shit about. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#30

 

Diddy Kong Racing

 

 

The absolute pinnacle of the Kart racing genre and I don't think it's even close. 

The best tracks. The best single player mode (by far). The best battle arenas. Planes, hovercrafts (okay those weren't AS good). Such a wide variety of tracks, when I found out you end up going to fucking space after beating Wizpig (who was actually fucking hard) my mouth dropped. The other staple of every family gathering for the entirety of N64s life. Tiptup for life. 

 

Oh and on top of that all you get a David Wise soundtrack that puts Mario Kart to shame. 

 

 

[Teh_Diplomat 2,054]

DK Racing

[Mr. House 3,371]

Surprised to see Yakuza 0 so high, but it is a godly game. 

 

I played the fuck out of Goldeneye too, that game is legendary, even though its trash now by modern shooter standards.

[Casual 734]

45 minutes ago, Ramza said:

Surprised to see Yakuza 0 so high, but it is a godly game. 

 

I played the fuck out of Goldeneye too, that game is legendary, even though its trash now by modern shooter standards.

One of the nicest surprise games I’ve had this gen tbh. I gotta start working through the Kiwami games soon. 

[Mr. House 3,371]

1 minute ago, Casual said:

One of the nicest surprise games I’ve had this gen tbh. I gotta start working through the Kiwami games soon. 

I cant wait for Yakuza 7 personally. Its now entirely turn based and has a new main protagonist. The mini games looks really fleshed out, even has kart racing. lol

 

But Yakuza 0 is pretty much unmatched in the series.

 

Imo, if youre going to play a Kiwami game, go straight to Kiwami 2, Kiwami 1 is build upon the assets of Yakuza 0, it feels stale after 0. While Kiwami 2 uses the new engine of Yakuza 6, helps the game feels more fresh.

[Casual 734]

#29

 

Mario Tennis

 

 

N64 was the peak of the Mario sports games and this was the best of them imo. I wasn't a tennis fan by any means but the gameplay loop in this was perfect. Solid variety of courts and characters that all had a noticeable but not gamechanging impact on the matches and enough depth to the (very responsive) gameplay to keep me around for a while. Shame that they haven't been able to produce any good Mario sports games in the last few gens. 

 

 

 

#28

 

Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

 

 

The Zelda series has always been able to nail these sorts of bizarro world games. Link's Awakening, Zelda II, etc. But Majora's Mask is the one that has me most excited to see what they can do with BOTW2. This is one of the earlier games I remember playing where the world felt alive. I know the time aspect of this game was pretty divisive but for me it made the game. Figuring out where people would be at different points in the cycle, when you could initiate and continue with quests, etc. was amazing. The world felt pretty small compared to Ocarina of Time, but more than made up with it in density. Collecting all the masks, sword upgrades, etc, was incredibly satisfying. One knock on it is that it only has four dungeons/temples, but they're all substantially bigger than the ones you found in Ocarina of Time. On top of that it has what might be my favourite temple in the whole series, Stone Tower. Being able to change into Deku/Goron/Zora was pretty fun at the time and they managed not to overuse it. If BOTW2 is the Majora's Mask to BOTW's OoT then I'm already sold.

 

 

 

 

 

#27 

 

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

 

 

Arguably the best use of the Star Wars IP that we've had in gaming. This was the reason I bought an Xbox. As someone who was still mostly a console gamer, the customization that this game allowed was unmatched and the light/dark system resulted in me replaying it over and over again. BioWare's first game of their modern formula was probably where they managed to peak with it and this game blew my mind. Even as someone who wasn't a huge Star Wars fan, exploring that world and eventually building your own lightsaber was incredible. This was the game that made me fall in love with the WRPG. 

 

 

 

#26

 

Tetris

 

 

Not really gonna specify a specific version but for me it would probably be Tetris DS, Tetris & Dr. Mario, or Tetris 99. Not much to say here really, it's Tetris. Probably the most infinitely replayable and beautifully simple video game to ever be created. Also probably the best piece of music to ever come from Aza's homeland.

 

 

 

 

 

#25

 

Hollow Knight

 

 

An absolute solidified modern classic and the third best metroidvania of all time imo. Hollow Knight is incredible. One of the most beautiful worlds that manages to tell a story without ever really saying much. Probably the only bad thing I can say about this game is that it's sometimes a bit too big for its own good and around mid-late game traveling becomes a BIT of a pain, but the world, artstyle and music is all so great that it hardly matters. Throw in some boss fights and precise combat that reminds me of a 2d Dark Souls and you have one of the best games of this generation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#24

 

Demon's Souls

 

 

The game that brought us what I believe is the best new (sub?)genre in the last decade or so of gaming. I bought a PS3 just to play this game. Admittedly it took me a while to get into, it felt obtuse at first and just kicked my ass over and over again. Eventually it clicked though, and while the game is a little bit rough around the edges the combat, world, and bosses make up for that over and over again. I've never been a huge story guy, I've always far preferred games that utilize their worlds to get their point across and FROM does that as well as anyone in the game. It's not their best Souls game, but I believe that with a proper remake it absolutely could me. 

 

 

 

 

#23

 

 

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

 

 

Morrowind was a bit before my time unfortunately. I tried to play Oblivion multiple times, but it always lost my interest almost immediately, never really was a fan. Skyrim hooked me immediately though. It came out at an opportune time, I had done some travelling after college and had just come home so I was still unemployed and had a lot of time on my hands. I used pretty all that time to play Skyrim. I've already said how I'm a sucker for snow levels and this was basically a hundred hour one of those, plus it coincided perfectly with the Game of Thrones hype. It's one of those games that I've never really been able to go back to unfortunately, just not the same when you don't have that feeling of mystery. I would like to do a full replay one day with some mods though.

 

 

 

 

 

#22

 

Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past

 

 

 

It's not my favourite Zelda, but it might be the most important one. I was a few years late to this, I was still young and the games I got were always gifts from my parents. I think they probably passed on this one because they had an NES with Zelda II (but not the original) and were under the impression that it wasn't a good game. I eventually played it at a buddies and it was immediately on my Christmas list for that year. I somehow managed to go unspoiled on the story and just as you think you're at the end...you have an entire new world to explore. It laid the foundation for 20+ years of what might be the greatest series in gaming. A formula that had me absolutely hooked by the time I finished the first dungeon. I hope this gets the Link's Awakening treatment. 

 

 

 

 

 

#21

 

Mass Effect

 

 

This was by far my most hyped game for the year or so leading up to it. The KOTOR formula but a new generation of hardware and in a completely new and original world. It was met with a good amount of disappointment when reviews started to roll in but that didn't stop me from grabbing my preorder and playing through it twice in the first week. It sucked a bit that it was short but the replayability more than made up for that to me. I can't think of many modern games I've played through more than Mass Effect. Mass Effect 2 made some big steps from a gameplay perspective but everything about the original just felt far more epic for me. Oh and Ashley is the goat romance option in the series. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#20

 

Resident Evil 4

 

 

Full disclosure that I'm not an RE purist. I played and enjoyed REMake and RE0, and the RE2 remake is amazing. RE4 is the peak of the series though imo. The perfect balance between retaining some of the horror elements while blending in some faster paced gameplay and being one of the best looking games of that gen. Add to that practically inventing a genre (at the very least revitalizing one). I don't think there's a game that I've played and beat on more platforms and I look forward to doing it all over again when the remake eventually comes out. One of the best opening sequences of any game I can remember and even manages to include a prolonged escort mission that somehow isn't terrible (though probably the worst part of the game). 

 

 

 

 

[Delita 698]

Demons souls at 24 then AssRim at 23 and Ass effect at 21

[Casual 734]

9 minutes ago, Delita said:

Demons souls at 24 then AssRim at 23 and Ass effect at 21

Hipster souls fans

 

Theres better souls games to be had. 

[Guest]

Hollow Knight. Burn this list to the ground.

 

RE4 only at #20. The top 19 better be good

 

 

 

(now you know how hard it is to make a list without people nitpicking )

[Casual 734]

45 minutes ago, モンキー said:

 

 

RE4 only at #20. The top 19 better be good

 

 

 

 

They're the best 19 games of all time. 

[Teh_Diplomat 2,054]

Skyrim over Zelda? 

 

Edit: I should have paid more attention, it actually just before it...  

Edited April 16, 2020 by Teh_Diplomat

[Remij 4,690]

I can't be down with this list at all lmao.  ALttP at 22? WTF  

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Casual said:

They're the best 19 games of all time. 

we'll see about that 

[Sabo 442]

I can't wait to see your top 5, you're going to have these guys trippin' hard LOL.

[Casual 734]

Since I got the people all riled up, let's get into it.

 

#19

 

Chrono Trigger

 

 

Is it the greatest JRPG of all time? You'll have to keep reading to find out, but it's definitely up there. The SNES had some absolute bangers come out late in its lifecycle and this is one of them. A nearly perfect game in my opinion, and before most JRPGs really started to feel bloated for the sake of a long story. This one comes in nicely between the 20-30 hour mark and is one of the most perfectly paced games I've ever played. Even if this game took place entirely in the medieval period it would have went down as one of the best in history, but instead you end up going everywhere from the prehistoric era to a post-apocalyptic future. One of the best parties in a JRPG alongside a near perfect take on turn based battles and the best boss theme in gaming.

 

 

 

#18

 

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

 

 

A top 3 game of this gen imo. Only enhanced by two incredible expansions in a world where most game devs nowadays are content just giving you some half assed DLC. Arguably the most beautiful and nuanced, believable world in any game I've played. The only area of this game you could possibly improve would be the combat. Single handedly propelled CD Projekt to a niche dev from Poland to being considered one of the best studios in gaming. 

 

 

#17

 

Final Fantasy VI

 

 

Okay so Chrono Trigger isn't the greatest JRPG ever, but FFVI is. This was my first game in the FF series, and only my second JRPG that I can remember playing (SMRPG being the first). The opening scene alone was enough to convince me that the game was going to be on a scale of nothing I'd played before, but the reality made that pale in comparison. The steampunk setting, the size and variety of your party, the battle system, Kefka, airships, everything about this game is so individually well done but works so well together. I hope this gets the FF7 Remake treatment at some point in time.

 

 

#16

 

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

 

 

I wasn't even gonna bother with a Switch honestly. Wii had disappointed me and I completely skipped the Wii U and didn't once feel like I missed out. The big Nintendo franchises had, with a couple exceptions, mostly disappointed me for the past two gens. The last console Zelda game, Skyward Sword, caused me to waste money on a Wiimote+ and feel a disappointment that no other game had given me. But then the reviews started rolling in. I hadn't preordered a Switch but I was driving to the train station to go to work that morning and noticed the line outside EB was pretty short so I hopped in that instead. Showed up to work a few hours late and spent the day trying to decide how early I could leave without it bothering anyone. It was freezing that day and the Switch sat in my trunk for like 8 hours so I got home and had to let it warm up to room temperature before I felt safe turning it on, but as soon as I stepped out of that cave I knew I wasn't going to get that Skyward Sword feeling. Instead I ended up getting a feeling of wonder and excitement that only a handful of games had ever given me, especially in recent years since being a jaded adult downer. It's a little bittersweet because, for me at least, it's a game that doesn't replay well at all. It's still great, but nowhere near the enjoyment I got out of that first 70-100 hour experience. There's some flaws for sure, the dungeons are pretty awful and while a lot of the shrines are great, they don't replace the themed Zelda dungeons that I'm used to. But to me this is the new standard for an open world game...one that truly lets you go anywhere with minimal guidance and lets you interact with the world and items in ways that most games would never even consider. 

 

 

#15

 

Super Mario World

 

 

I consider SNES to be the greatest system of all time. One thing that sucks is at that point I was still a kid and as a result most of the great games I didn't get to play when they first came out. I can't even imagine what it would have been like to have a proper income during those days. SMW was one of the games I was able to play basically when it was out. I still don't remember exactly what Christmas I got this...think I must have been 4-5 years old. I had played SMB3 on my parents NES. At the time, this game was like that but turned to fucking 11. The graphics, the powerups, the secret exits, the map, a fucking dinosaur you get to ride around, the music. I didn't see how you could do anything better than that (turns out you can do 14 things better than that). I remember when I thought I had completed everything in the game and my cousin showed me how to get to Star Road. It's a shame that we'll probably never get a 2d mario anywhere near this level again.

 

 

 

#14

 

Donkey Kong Country

 

Another game that I was actually able to play basically when it came out. And another one that blew my mind. There's a few things that this game misses the mark on...it doesn't have the tightest controls. and is a bit on the easy side. For me though, this is a game that formed my tastes in a way that I didn't realize till later. It's the reason one of my highest valued aspects of a video game is the world and the atmosphere it evokes. The way you progress through DK Isle, from DKs home, through the temple, to the trees, the mountaintop, etc. Each area slightly more dangerous and further from home than the last, harder more demented and foreign looking enemies, all backed by what I consider to be one of the absolute greatest soundtracks of all time. This is the game i've beaten more than any other by far, I play through it regularly just to relax. I can't remember the last time I started it up and didn't finish it in a single sitting. I would love to see Retro try their hand at a DKR game with the Kremlins. While their games have arguably better platforming and level design, they fall so far short of the mark on what, to me, makes DK great. 

 

 

 

 

#13

 

Super Metroid

 

 

What can you even say about this game? It created and paved the way for one of my favourite genres and influenced so many games outside of that genre and a good portion of those on this list. It oozes with an atmosphere only matched by a handful of games. Tight controls (okay maybe not the wall jumping), perfect music, a sprawling and geniusly interconnected world.

 

 

#12

 

Super Mario Brothers 3

 

 

I had a tough time deciding whether I wanted this or SMW to be higher. In the end though, this is the one I always keep coming back to. It doesn't have the secrets or the graphics of SMW, but I think as a package it's the overall tighter game. The game controls better (the original version, at least...All Stars is...eh), has a better and more satisfying difficulty curb, and most importantly I think it has the superior world selection (except for the pipe maze and the big world, those are kinda trash). I think the first few years I played this game I almost always just grabbed the whistles and went straight to world 8, nowadays when I go through it I play every single level and there really isn't a bad one in the bunch. It's not the best 2d platformer, that's still to come, but it's the standard they're all held to for a reason.

 

 

 

#11

 

Super Mario 64

 

 

So I actually disliked this game when I first played it. Christmas that year my parents had got me a bunch of game stuff for our PC but there was a ton of issues getting it all to work and they ended up asking me if I'd be cool returning it and getting an N64 instead. Didn't have to ask me twice. I ended up renting this game and being...unimpressed. Something just didn't click for me at the time. Maybe a year later I was at a friends and he was playing it and that's when I realized how stupid I was. I managed to convince my parents to take me to the store to buy the game that "i thought you didn't like", and finally realized what I had been missing out on. I don't really know how Nintendo pulled this off so perfectly, but they basically gave the blueprint for the next 20 years of games I'd go on to love. To this day it's my second favourite hub world in gaming, unlocking a new floor in that game and realizing you've got a bunch of new pictures you can jump into is a feeling that hasn't been replicated many times. Seeing the picture and just imagining what the world is going to be like and then jumping in...amazing. Still the best 3D mario by a wide wide margin imo, with some of the most imaginative, best takes on levels within the Mario universe. Tick Tock Clock is probably my favourite. 

 

 

 

#10

 

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

 

 

I used to go back and forth between this and LTTP as the best Zelda game but tbh I really don't anymore. This one is just such a standout in so many ways and imo the best game Nintendo has ever developed with the 2nd most impressive transition from 2d>3d I've encountered. Maybe the best Christmas morning of my life was getting this game and just being blown away by Kokiri Forest and the intro video from the perspective of Navi. Every area in this game was just crafted with such care it's remarkable...Zora's Domain, Forest Temple, Spirit Temple, Jabu Jabu's Belly, Hyrule Field, Lon Lon Ranch, etc. Hard to really think of anything wrong with it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2020 by Casual

[Remij 4,690]

@Casual You're just being a monster at this point   Make it stop  

[Casual 734]

25 minutes ago, Sabo said:

I can't wait to see your top 5, you're going to have these guys trippin' hard LOL.

lmao, im looking at my top 9 right now trying to figure out which will piss people off the most

[Casual 734]

1 minute ago, Remij_ said:

@Casual You're just being a monster at this point   Make it stop  

Which one is hurting you most this time?

[Remij 4,690]

1 minute ago, Casual said:

Which one is hurting you most this time?

Literally all of them.

 

It makes no god damn sense 

[Ike★ 2,919]

If that's your games outside the top 10, I'm really curious to see what is actually your top 10.