Slaving and killing and vampire bittenCacos and mayhem, with James I am smitten...
Everyone needs a break once in a while – Gamewatcher included. To ensure he gets equal time with the consoles in the living room (you know, with the big high def TV), I’ve graciously volunteered to contribute to Busy Gamer News.
OK, who am I kidding. I LOVE to write about games – almost as much as I love playing them. You know that lucky guy who has a wife who will pick up the second controller and kick some major ass? That’s me. I’ve also had the absolutely amazing luck to work in the industry, both as a writer/reviewer and running gaming sites. For pay and everything.
While the behind-the-scenes stuff was fun, what I really miss is writing about the games I love… and the ones that just suck – but that’s another column!
As Gamewatcher asked nicely, I’ll start with the ones I love:
All time faves:
- Halo. I played this one into the ground and beyond, mostly solo. I’ve never played well with others (literally), so for me, it was about campaign. The fact that I finished the game completely, multiple times, puts this at the top. That said, I found Halo 2 disappointing (who didn’t?) and never finished the fight with Halo 3 – although that was partly because my Xbox ate my game save, and I just wasn’t engaged enough to start back through it from the beginning. Also, I had just recently purchased…
- BioShock. Yes, I know this is considered a rip-off of other games, or at least heavily leveraged. But you can’t deny the feeling of sheer terror that freezes your spine the first time Big Daddy tells you you’ve been a very, very naughty girl (or boy)! Another one that has brought me back, again and again. I can’t wait to finish it my current go-round, so I can start again. That might take a while, however, as I’m currently in love with…
- Fallout 3. Oh. My. God. Where has this game been all my life? [Note from Gamewatcher: I never thought I’d hear GrrlGotGame say this about an RPG! I couldn’t even get her to look twice at Morrowind or Oblivion.] This game has been my biggest challenge as a busy gamer, but not for the usual reasons. Yes, I can save anywhere and shut down. But I DON’T WANT TO. I want to stay in the Wastelands, terrorizing residents and getting high-fived by slavers. I want to set things on fire just to watch them burn. I want to hunt down my daddy, and my little dog, too. It’s the ultimate in id exploration, which reminds me, how could I have forgotten…
- Doom II. Okay, so I once was a computer gamer. In the before time. Although my hours were mostly sucked up by a Macintosh version (yes, children, it did exist - and if you were a Mac gamer in the ‘90s, perhaps you are a fan of my Imp and Demon poetry?). If any of you created a MOD that played well with the Mac, I thank you as a gamer. Sigh, I miss memento mori. At least I‘ve been able to download the original Doom from Xbox Live and get a glimpse back at the glory days. And speaking of downloads, I sometimes regret the day Gamewatcher introduced me to…
- Zuma. Why, WHY must that frog taunt me so? Three plus years later, I still load this Sisyphusian game in the vague hope that I will finally complete that last level. The only thing that has kept me from losing my mind is the ability to save anywhere, which is more than I can say for…
- Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams. It’s the ultimate compliment a busy gamer can pay a game: Stick with it even when the designers think game balancing is forcing the player to roam aimlessly for hours hunting for a save spot. (I’m looking at you my new nemesis, Silent Hill: Homecoming!) But this one… oh, this one was different. The seductive love story, the soap opera-level acting, and the perfect blend of fog, bad guys and puzzles make this one of the Best. Games. Ever. Not to mention the WTF “dog” ending, available only if you had gotten three other endings before. It was lush, romantic, heart breaking, disturbing and occasionally funny. Better than the original, and definitely far superior to those that followed. James, I will follow you into the fog anytime.
- Shadowman (N64): Please, someone – port this game. Please?
- Eternal Darkness (Gamecube): It messed with my head, and I liked it.
- Dark Summit (Xbox): A rare sports entry, albeit one with a spy plot.
- The “Match 3s”: Too many to mention, but immediate honors go to the Bejeweled series, Jewel Quest and Puzzle Quest. See, I’m not a complete psycho.
Now, it’s your turn: Hit the comments and share the games that have captured your time, heart and (let’s face it) hard-earned cash. Me? I’ve got a date with Clover over in Megaton.
A gamer grrl’s work is never done.
-=GrrlGotGame
Love the guest blog! I think your analysis is right on. Although I'd have to add Counterstrike and Everquest to my list of eternal faves, I agree with just about everything you've posted! Hope to hear more from you (when you can pull yourself away from the controller).
Blizzard and Harmonix are responsible for the greatest loss of my time and money
Warcraft I-III
Starcraft
WoW
Guitar hero II
rockband I-II
to many hours to count.
I agree with you on Bioshock, it was an amazingly made game that felt so much like you were playing a movie. Hopefully Fallout 3 will come up in my gamefly queue soon so i can get a hold of that one as well.
Bioshock was a very solid game, I finally bought it after having Gamewatcher rave about it for a whole week! :) I am a big fan of System Shock 2, and I like your description of "leveraged", but not everyone played the games that inspired Bioshock. And the atmosphere was top notch. However, all time favorite has to Knights of the Old Republic. It has great characters, great locations, great choices, great gameplay and perfect story.
Honorable mention goes to another Bioware title, Mass Effect. Sure it had its issues but with the books and solid main quest I could easily look past them. Whether I will play it for years to come remains to be seen. (I just played though KOTOR again this summer).
Hope you make regular appearances Grrl!