The 2025 Desert Island Video Game Draft

[Padrino]

No violence was done, and since I agree with most everything you wrote, I'll just take it as a lesson for how to better express myself in future posts

I would be a bit less harsh on the mission design. The missions are the most linear parts of the game for sure, because they support the very linear story. I generally want games to be able to deliver interactive narratives, because that's something that games can do, that other mediums cannot. But given how good the story of RDR2 is, it's hard for me to believe that I could or would have helped make the story better if I the player had more input. When it comes to the narrative, I can't complain too much that it's Arthur's story, and not mine

I just hate how unrelentingly narrow the mission parameters are, and how clunky the implementation is. It mismatches so mightily with the world they built and creates unnecessary player whiplash. Half the time, it's not even apparent why you achieve a fail state until it summarizes what you did wrong on the failure screen, which itself seems like poor design. RDR2's story missions need to provide either more pathways to success, fewer conditions for failure, or should be structured in a manner that invites further clarity around mission objectives.

 

[Turgenev]

Stardew Valley. Android.



One lonely Saturday afternoon I downloaded this simple looking game and was transported to a wholesome world of growing flowers, making cheese, fishing, foraging, and befriending townsfolk. Not too different from what I would like to do if my research funding runs out.

 

[Sluggah]

Title: Resident Evil 4
Format: GameCube
Year of Release: 2004
Developer: Capcom

Another breath of new life for another franchise, with a change of scenery, compelling story, and the popularization of a handful of gameplay mechanics that’ll influence a number of my other (hopefully) picks make this an all-timer for me.

 

[Padrino]

Stardew Valley. Android.

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One lonely Saturday afternoon I downloaded this simple looking game and was transported to a wholesome world of growing flowers, making cheese, fishing, foraging, and befriending townsfolk. Not too different from what I would like to do if my research funding runs out.

This is such a delightful game, a stellar example of what can happen in the modern indie space. I have it on Nintendo Switch, and it's a perfect relaxing play for winter evenings.

 

[SLAB]

Secret of Mana - SNES

Dipping my foot into the SNES pool with the game that shaped me into the gamer I am today. Epic large world action adventures are remain all my style. The first action RPG I can remember, no turn based nonsense, you had to actively move around while your meter refilled. This game remains one of my favorites to this day, and I’ll go back and beat it every other year or so.

 

[Warhawk]

Half-Life
Developer: Valve
Year: 1998
Platform: PC (Steam)

This game came out with a fantastic single player game component (including puzzles, some tough enemies, and great set piece action), awesome gameplay, fun weapons, and built-in deathmatch.

Long after I played the single player game Half-Life was the reason I would cart my PC over to a friend's house to play weekend-long deathmatches. Crowbars at 20 paces!!!

I'll do a longer write-up later - just want to keep this moving.

@Löwenherz - back to you.

 

[Löwenherz]

And exhale.

It made it back to me. Color me pleasantly shocked and awed.

Hades (Switch) - 2020



I’m not really into rogue-like dungeon crawlers, and while Supergiant Games is royalty of the Indie circuit, this is the only entry in their prestigious catalogue I’ve ever played. So it’s a shade surprising this game connected with me at all, let alone as strongly as it did.

Comes down to 3 factors:

- The gameplay is exhilarating, with interesting combinations of weapons, temporary buffs, and permanent perks. If there ever was a game that demanded “just one more turn” this is it.

- The writing, dialogue, and voice acting are top notch. The developers accounted for hundreds of runs through the underworld and created dialogue accordingly.

- The art style is unique, flashy, and striking. This had the Internet debating which god should be thirsted after more.





This game is simply bursting with personality with a world built to weave the otherwise bizarre concept of the repeat runs of a rouge-like ina way that makes sense, in addition to simply being one of the finest of the genre ever.

 

[whitechocolate]

Resident Evil - PS1, 1996

For me nothing in the series beats the original. I think Resident Evil was at its best with the still camera shots and tank controls. It emphasizes the survival horror feeling. Ammo is scarce. The knife is scary to use. Saves are limited. The doors open slow, and it is awesome every time. The first zombie encounter sets the stage for every zombie encounter a player will have in all video games.