I figure hrdboild isn’t going do this for his own list, so I’ll take up the reigns on this matchup. And I’m shocked he’s already done this more than once. This is a huge endeavor and rather time consuming; I’m rather amazed at his commitment, the maniac. I’ll stick to snarky blurbs that mention some key highlights moving forward. But for now, hrdboild, this one’s for you.
These were my top two favorite rosters. But ironically, they both had famous popular titles that I just cannot get into,
Zelda: A Link to the Past (Padrino) (30)
- Stone-cold classic and absolutely timeless. I played this decades apart and was just as exhilarated as the first time, which is something I can’t say for a lot of games locked in nostalgia. If there is a complaint it’s there there isn’t a whole lot of “off the beaten path” exploration, but nearly every screen has something interesting.
Disco Elysium (Padrino) (29)
- Truly unhinged isometric RPG where the writing and dialogue are bigger stars than the actual protagonist. I’ve read this as a fusion of Planescape: Torment and Leisure Suit Larry and that’s just equally disorienting and deliriously apt a description.
AC IV: Black Flag (hrdboild) (28)
- Cloak and dagger ninja shadow arts mixed with swashbuckling adventures on the high seas. I have to give this more than an hour of my time.
No Man’s Sky (Padrino) (27)
- I was really into the development of this one, similar to Cyberpunk 2077, and dismissed it when it was released without even approaching its lofty promises. But the team stayed with it, kept tinkering, and I would love the opportunity to dive in now.
Fallout (hrdboild) (26)
- The quirky bonkers Fallout universe is fully my type of world-building, and I wished I’d even heard of it before Fallout 3 came out. A game into which I’d love to fully immerse myself and explore.
Deus Ex (hrdboild) (25)
- One of those gems where it’s impossible to outpace the legend. Love myself a good conspiracy theory, as entertainment at least, not so much as a world philosophy. The first person perspective gives me some pause, but I have enough exceptions that it’s hard to count that as a hard fast rule.
Control (Padrino) (24)
- I am all in on simplistic gameplay if the environment and vibes are off the charts cool, and that’s the feel I’m getting from this title.
Mass Effect (Padrino) (23)
- I love games that have you managing a small crew, mixed with a sci-fi space adventure is basically exactly in my wheelhouse. Never seems to get around to it though and backed away when I heard the third in the trilogy was disappointing.
The Witcher 3 (Padrino) (22)
- Legendary conclusion to a trilogy that’s already firmly within gaming royalty. My especially picky friend who 100% games, then fully removes them from his system never to be played again, calls this the greatest game he’s ever played and one of a few he’s played more than once as it safely remains on his hard drive. Like Mikey with Life cereal, cant really argue with that endorsement.
Rollercoaster Tycoon (hrdboild) (21)
- Fun enough to simply build a park, place some pre-made roller coasters, and watch the place thrive. But the real fun comes from customization, which admittedly I never tried. Read that a guy was competing with a park next door, so he built a rollercoaster that did nothing but launch people over the fence into the other park to their untimely deaths. All of those were officially registered as deaths in the other parks so it was forced out of business and the Death Launcher was torn down to make way for a replacement people presumably walked away from.
Castlevania (Padrino) (20)
- Like Demon’s Souls, I was scared to play Castlevania (and Ninja Gaiden) as a kid. Partially because of the horror theme, but mostly because of the difficulty; I considered it a triumph whenever I managed to beat the first large bat boss. When I actually beat the game as an adult, I realized I was right to be terrified of it as a kid. Death’s Hall is just flat-out obscene difficulty, and with the full on Grim Reaper waiting at the end, 8-year-old me would not have been able to handle that, to say nothing of Dracula’s second form. An NES cart the combined gameplay, aesthetics, and theme to be relatively scary? Just a shade below Sweet Home in that department.
Interstate ‘76 (hrdboild) (19)
- I had never heard of this game a mere two months ago, but it became among my favorite picks because of hrdboild’s personal connection and the fidelity of vision from the creators. In the late 90s, the box and manuals of PC games were an extension of the experience, and it wasn’t just applauded, but expected that developers would put as much effort into the packaging aesthetics as they did the game itself. That fully immersive element where a synergy of gameplay mechanics, environmental aesthetics, and artistic ambitious marketing aligned to create an overall experience far greater than the sum of its parts. I miss that micro-era.
Xenoblade Chronicles (Padrino) (18)
- Found this amazing for the hour I played it, became paralyzingly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options, got brutalized in combat by a giant frog thing having idea what I was doing, and stepped away never to return. It’s not your Xenoblade, it’s me.
TIE Fighter (hrdboild) (17)
- Love the concept of unapologetically playing as the bad guy, which doesn’t happen nearly as often as it could. But runs the line with my dizziness, and if I’m going to risk it, I think I’d rather go with something that has a little more depth like Privateer.
Alien: Isolation (hrdboild) (16)
- I’m a big pansy and hate being scared, so I’m never going to dive into this. But I appreciate the hustle.
Citizen Sleeper (Padrino) (15)
- Heard a lot of good things, enough to convince me to put it on my radar. Intrigued, but a little hesitant to fully jump in due to its perceived complexity.
Uncharted IV: A Thief's End (hrdboild) (14)
- On the opposite side of complex, I played through the first two of the series, and during said to myself “awesome, this feels like I’m playing an Indiana Jones summer blockbuster!” Then they fared from memory almost immediate after the end credits rolled. I don’t hate on them any more than I hate Panda Express: have a great time while I’m having it, but an hour later it’s like nothing happened.
The Settler’s II (hrdboild) (13)
- As a Civ fan, this seemed to nestle nicely into my interests; kind of a more active RTS version of Sid Meier’s Colonization (yes, there is a Sid Meier’s Colonization, which I played fairly extensively). I do worry about my RTS stress flaring up, but sure, I’d give this a whirl.
Metal Gear Solid (hrdboild) (12)
- Another one I played for an hour or so and moved on. Just a question of timing really. Had I played this in the 90s, I’m certain I would have dedicated weeks of my life to it. But coming to it as an adult, I just don’t have the patience.
Skyrim (Padrino) (11)
- Before the Witcher 3, this was my friend’s Best Game Ever, and he insisted I play it so I could agree. I made it through the prologue, and was out. If escaping from chains and running from a dragon scorching the village I’m in didn’t grab me, not sure what else this title was going to do.
Final Fantasy VII (hrdboild) (10)
- And this is where the Final Fantasy franchise and I parted ways. Quite possibly the finest game ever made, and it did nothing for me. I’ll leave it at.
GoldenEye (Padrino) (9)
- Seasickness the game, and just so happened to be the hottest game in the world for a year of adolescences. Appreciate the innovation, but I don’t need to play this ever again.
Xenogears (hrdboild) (8)
- Again, honor the hustle. There is so much depth and effort in this from top to bottom, it makes sense the team ran out of time and resources and just made a rush job to wrap things up. But the truth is, I wasn’t really into this during disc 1. Complexity doesn’t mean it’s compelling, and it really bothered me I felt less powerful whenever I was in the gears because I had less options and an added fuel gauge to monitor.
Illusions of Gaia (Padrino) (7)
- I think I’ve played roughly 10 minutes of this and found it to be closer to Lagoon than Secret of Mana. Or maybe not, who knows. I’m not confident anything about memory of this one is accurate
Bushido Blade (hrdboild) (6)
- I don’t like fighting games, but at least this has a fun gimmick I could imagine keeping my attention for a few minutes longer than button mashers usually do.
Elden Ring (Padrino) (5)
- As I said in my Hollow Knight pick, gothic macabre and punishing difficulty just aren’t my thing, unless they’re all tiny little bugs.
Dark Souls (Padrino) (4)
Riven (hrdboild) (3)
- I hated MYST. Walking simulator linking a series of frustrating puzzles. And ultimately, red book, blue books they’re both wrong. You need to find the secret book and page you never knew was there. Ugh. Is Riven different? Better? Don’t know don’t care.
The Dig (hrdboild) (2)
- I looked into this briefly and it just wasn’t grabbing me. I’m not even sure of the genre. Reminds me of the older Lucas Art point and clicks like Secret of Monkey’s Island, Loom, or Day of the Tentacle (which is super rad), but more mature and serious. I loved Manic Mansion / Day of the Tentacle because of the humor. Without it, I’m not sure I’m buying.
Mortal Kombat (Padrino) (1)
- Not a fighting game person. But if I was, I’d main Mileena
Padrino
245
Hrdboild
220
