My Top 5 Games of all time! (Plus a link to previous entries, the original list consisted of 176)

So, for all my my Steemit followers, I had originally created a list of almost every game I have played and enjoyed. That said, I really don't wan't to copy each and every one of those minds articles to transfer over to here one at a time. As nice as an additional 13 blogs would be to have on hand to post during slow periods, I am going to do this instead. I have a thread on twitter where each part is posted starting from 1-12 (Soon to be 13).

I will link that twitter thread, and if you want to see my full list you can view the Minds Articles (If you want to ask me either in the comments or over on twitter, I'll point you to where a game on my list is).

Some things to know about my list, the Cut off was 2017, as I put the list together at the beginning of this year, and originally started releases parts in June. I figure any game that came out this year is a bit to fresh, as time has a way of changing how one looks at things.

Many entries were combined into a single entry. Pokemon, Smash Brothers, Tekken, Soul Calibur, and many others occupy a single space on the list (Though Final Fantasy games and other such franchises got separate spots), and these games are placed according to the best game in the series (With the exception of one entry, which will be here on my top 5).

Games I liked, but have almost no memory of were not included on the list at all. So while sad, I know I liked Sparkster growing up but I can't remember a thing about it.

That being said, for anyone interested in the rest of the list, here is the link to the twitter thread.

https://twitter.com/The_Mad_Monarch/status/1003487522519859201

And now on to my top 5 games of all time!

5) Chrono Trigger (SNES)

This is probably the single most obvious entry on my entire list, especially once you realize my love of the JRPG. Chrono Trigger remains to this day one of the best crafted RPG's of all time. The combat is fast and fun, the introduction of Duel Techs was a huge step back in its day, the volume of available sidequests, twelve different endings on its original release, a great cast of characters, a fantastic story, amazing music, and visuals.

This game has been talked about to death, and there is hardly anything I can add to this you haven't heard a dozen times before. It is a timeless classic that can be recommended to pretty much anyone who likes RPG's or wants to get into the genre.

4) Odin Sphere (PS4)

Odin Sphere is probably the closest thing I can think of too a perfect game. The combat is smooth, fast, and a lot of fun. The game offers a lot of variety in terms of the gameplay, and a good amount of Customization on each character you take control of.

The story is beautifully told and makes excellent use of its language to give the story a feel of an epic myth taking place in a way no other game does. This is backed by possibly my favorite art design in all of gaming. I love the larger then life look of the Villains you face in contrast to the normal sized characters you control, and there are so many colorful and varied designs and locations showing that even without relying on blacks and reds you can create a dark and haunting atmosphere.

If there is a flaw I can point out, it's that at times characters will interact in largely normal ways of speaking that feels a bit odd side by side with the more grand and mythic statements made the rest of the time. But that really is a small complaint.

There is no other game out there that tells the tale of a world on the verge of apocalypse, and it's a game that is definitely worth grabbing, whether it's the PS2 original or the HD remastering.

3) Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3: FES

This was my first experience with Shin Megami Tensei. There really wasn't anything out there like Persona 3, and honestly, outside of the Persona franchise there still isn't. The dark and heavy atmosphere, the mix of RPG Dungeon Crawling mixed with the social simulation of the social links, and the grueling difficulty that managed to, for the most part, be fair. Yes, you still have the occasional Megaten Moment where you get a party wipe that will happen regardless of how well you prepare, but overall the game does a good job at keeping that from happening.

There are some frustrations such as a fully AI controlled Party, but the AI is a lot easier to control than other games with AI issues, so while I'm not fond of it I definitely think it's handled well enough to keep the game from irritating me (I have not played the PSP version where, apparently, you have the option to control your party directly), and I do give the game a bit of grief for its abysmal dungeon design. You will be seeing the same re-used and reskinned rooms throughout the entire run of the game in it's randomly generated dungeon floors.

But the solid gameplay, the sheer level of customization and options available, and a long list of fantastic side stories in the social links (The Sun from Persona 3 remains my favorite social link in the series), and an amazing plot backed up with fantastic characters and stunning visuals, Persona 3 is a must play for any RPG fan.

I will say, however, if you have never played an RPG before Persona 3 is not a good place to start. Even on Easy mode, the game is more brutal than many other RPGs out there. Persona 5 would probably be a better place to start, as it has an even easier mode as well as not being as difficult overall compared to other SMT titles.

2) Xenosaga Series

….And for those who have followed this list from the very beginning until now, no. Xenogears will not be appearing on this list as the surprise #1 spot. I hated Xenogears, feeling it was a game that had a lot of potentials and some truly great ideas that just couldn't get over the hurdle of how much worse the game had to offer.

Xenosaga falls on the other side of that hill for me. Yes, there is a lot wrong with this series, many of which are the same types of issues I take with Xenogears, but the bad aspects didn't weigh it down quite as much, and the good I felt was just as good, if not better, then Xenogears.

Outside of the second game (Which is not as bad as its reputation builds it, but the reputation is there for a reason), the combat is very good and enjoyable, especially come the third game. The cast of characters is one of gamings strongest, and there is a lot about the series that makes it stand out.

There are a lot of fun side activities, the card game from the first being the single greatest card game of any RPG, and some truly inspired visuals. The scope of any Xeno Game is great, and Xenosaga is no exception. These are some of the most ambitious RPG's ever created in terms of their narrative and story.

One last thing I'd like to bring up in the series favor is how the lead character evolves from game to game. Most lead characters in RPG's slowly become better and stronger people as they begin to face hardships, but Shion goes a sort of different route. While wide-eyed and optimistic in the first game, by the third game the trials and hardships that are thrown at her kind of harden her and start turning her into a rather bitter person, and by the end, she is kind of just a bitch. At the same time though, it manages to pay off, and in a lot of ways is a much more realistic and unique way of handling what a person would be like after going through everything. The bitchy attitude comes game three is actually very warranted in a way outer characters like that are not.

1) Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4

Too me there really is no other game that could hope to take this spot. Even when I first organized this list, there really was no question over what my number one pick was going to be. It took everything I liked about Persona 3 and made it better. It had an even stronger cast of characters, outside of a few the Social Links were all more engaging, and the move to a more colorful atmosphere while still keeping the dark themes and tones you would expect of a Shin Megami Tensei game is a joy to behold.

Dungeons are massively improved, though to be fair it's still not one of the games stronger points. But at least I'm not just traversing the same dungeon rooms reskinned for the entire game's run, which is still massive.

While it varies a bit on who you talk too, I actually found Persona 4 more challenging than 3. Three peaked at the horrid fight against The Sleeping Table, a fight that does still give me nightmares, while Persona 4 keeps it's difficulty up throughout the runtime. And while the lack of variety in physical attack types disappointed me, everything else about the combat was improved as well.

I also loved the addition of having all of your party members as possible Social Links, rather than just the datable ones. There was also the encouragement to raise links with them as they get more abilities in battle, as well as an upgraded Persona after maxing them out, in contrast to 3 where it was story based. While I did like 3, the Persona felt much more closely tied to its user in 4 because of this, and seeing each character finally accept and overcome their personal struggles was a sight to behold.

And this is my list, all 176 entries (Many spots include entire series, such as Atelier Arland, Pokemon, Tekken, Soul Calibur, and Smash Bros) and it was a fun list to make. Thanks for everyone who followed me along for all these entries. Anyway, back to the usual stuff.