10. SSX Tricky
I put a lot of time into this game as well. My first Snowboarding game and I think the only one I played. The characters were wacky and it played that one good song over and over again. I loved mastering the tricks, reading the character profiles, interviews, unlocking everyone's stuff, and watching the making of videos. Man, I need to play this again so bad.
It was hard to either choose this one or II. II improved the combat and the gummi ship segments a lot, but it also completely abandoned platforming and exploration, and made gummi ship building less fun. The Disney worlds didn't feel as well told, their were less optional bosses, and that was the point where the story got confusing. Kingdom Hearts 1 was a lot more well rounded. It had camera problems, but almost everything else was on point.
8. Halo 2
Loved the first, but this game takes it with the improved gameplay and the addition of online multiplayer. Also check this out. In Halo 1 you could shoot with one gun, but in 2 you can shoot with two guns.
7. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
My first and only played Dragon Quest game. I remember playing a demo of it somewhere at first that stopped at the waterfall boss, but that was enough for me to get the game when it came out, that, and the Final Fantasy XII demo that it came with. I ended up enjoying it immensely. The music, the characters, the monster design, the simple story, and the combat. It's a treasured gem.
6. Half-Life 2
I was very surprised about the quality of the game. It's ugly as all hell, but there's a charm to it and you have the only Blasian character in all of video games in it and her pet robot named Dog. The level design is excellent. You can figure out where to go by subtle visual cues where as other games either make it too vague or too direct. Those black zombies scare the hell out of me.
5. Resident Evil 4
Admittedly the best Resident Evil I've played, but it lead to the downfall of the subsequent games. This game was definitely a surprise treasure. I remember the hype and the massive fun I had with the action in this game. The game was definitely leaning away from the survival horror aspect that the series was known for. There were a few chilling moments, but overall I couldn't call it a survival horror game with such emphasis on combat. The gunplay was tight, the battles were so tense, and I loved the Mercenaries side game. Leon's Mafia outfit is one of the most stylish alternate outfits in gaming and it comes with a Chicago Typewriter with infinite ammo!
4. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
It was between this and Bully, but this won due to sheer content. It is currently the best Grand Theft Auto game and has the second best soundtrack in the series. There was so much crazy shit to do in this game and I think CJ was the first black protagonist I played in a game, which says a lot for the genre because there really aren't many people of color in this medium.
3. Final Fantasy XII
I put in some work in Final Fantasy XII. The story was forgettable and so was the music, but gosh damn that battle system was perfection. I clocked 300 hours in that game on one playthrough, with no other game rivaling it except for maybe LittleBigPlanet.
2. Okami
My 5th favorite game ever, Okami is an excellent combination of graphical beauty and superb game design. The game's combat may be as easy as the Zelda series if not easier, but the atmosphere, music, and level design makes up for it. The game is a lot longer than one would expect, but it's enjoyable all the way through.
1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater/Subsistence
My third favorite game of all time. Snake Eater is one of the great pillars of video game storytelling. It has a supernatural 60's James Bond feel to it, especially with that opening title song. The game also has the best gameplay out of the main series. I loved hunting, fixing up wounds, and messing with the guards. I've seen the most entertaining an creative gameplay videos of players taking down guards. It also has the best boss fights out of any game I've played. That final boss and cutscene will always sit with me.
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