Board 8 > KP's Top 100 Games (Win $5 For Guessing Right)

Topic List
Page List: 1 ... 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
KamikazePotato
01/05/24 2:54:00 AM
#401:


Not many entries so far, so I'll extend this round to a week.

(Also I'm very busy and wouldn't have the time to do writeups)

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Kenri
01/05/24 2:57:39 AM
#402:


One of these clues is absolutely killing me but I'm going to submit soon even if it doesn't magically come to me

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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
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azuarc
01/05/24 10:50:57 AM
#403:


I should probably just submit.

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Leonhart4
01/06/24 9:55:01 AM
#404:


I have no clue about any of these. I suppose I could just guess on the Dark Souls/Bloodborne/Elden Ring trio, but I think I'll pass.

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MZero
01/06/24 9:58:33 AM
#405:


I feel pretty good about 8 of them. Well, 5 because I have no idea on the order of Dark Souls/Bloodborne/Elden Ring

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ctesjbuvf
01/06/24 1:47:11 PM
#406:


I have missed the topic so far but I feel good about some of those so I'll try to make a guess

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Kenri
01/06/24 10:55:35 PM
#407:


MZero posted...
I feel pretty good about 8 of them. Well, 5 because I have no idea on the order of Dark Souls/Bloodborne/Elden Ring
I have a theory there but I'm prepared to be wrong.

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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
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azuarc
01/06/24 11:32:52 PM
#408:


Kenri posted...
I have a theory there but I'm prepared to be wrong.

I certainly have one. I'm sure it will prove to be laughably wrong, but I gotta try it.

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MacArrowny
01/06/24 11:45:54 PM
#409:


A theory, huh? I just predicted, so I'm prepared to be wrong.

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azuarc
01/07/24 12:00:49 AM
#410:


A GAME THEORY!!!

(caps)

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KamikazePotato
01/07/24 8:22:05 AM
#411:


24 hour warning. Last call for the last round.

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#412
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KamikazePotato
01/09/24 5:23:02 PM
#413:


Been getting slammed with work, but will be updating soon. To retain a sense of DRAMA for the top 10, I'll probably post hint results and writeups side-by-side for a few days.

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#414
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KamikazePotato
01/09/24 7:34:44 PM
#415:


Also, if anyone has any last-minute changes they want to make, they have until I start posting to do it.

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KamikazePotato
01/10/24 5:21:45 PM
#416:


Round 10 Results

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8 people submitted guesses.

I'll hide the scoring details for now.

--

Hint:
10. The Haunted Mansion: Depression Edition

Answers:
The House in Fata Morgana 7
Amnesia: The Dark Descent 1

Amnesia was a good guess, though.

--

Hint:
9. Blink (or just look away) and you'll miss it. That's an actual game mechanic.

Answers:
Before Your Eyes 5
Outer Wilds 1
SCP Containment Breach 1
The Witcher 3 1

I definitely made the hint too obscure. I based it off a certain element of Outer Wilds that was very memorable to me, but in retrospect the phrasing was overly obtuse. Was considering throwing this hint out and re-doing the question, but then one person got it right and threw off the grading curve, so feel free to blame them instead of blaming me like you should.

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10. The House in Fata Morgana
At the start of Fata Morgana, you are introduced to an empty mansion. A mysterious maid greets you and offers to lead you through its halls. Over time, she shows you visions of the past, letting you observe the people who lived here centuries ago and the tragic fates that befell them.

...And that's about all I should tell you! It's difficult to describe what makes Fata Morgana a fantastic experience without spoiling it. The game holds its cards very closely to its chest. You can get through half the story without understanding why anything is actually happening. Even the smaller details shouldn't be talked about. For example, there was one moment that managed to shock me in a way that literally only a Visual Novel could, but if I explain how the moment would be ruined.

With all that in mind, I'll stick to general things. Fata Morgana has beautiful art and music. I love the gothic aesthetic it goes for, which really sets it apart from other VNs. The story and characters are incredible (were you expecting me to say anything different about a VN ranked #10 on my list?). Its focus on separate-yet-interconnected stories gives it a strong rhythm of buildup->climax, buildup->climax. Certain scenes in Fata Morgana provoked some of the strongest emotional reactions I've ever experienced in a game. Those moments will stick with me for a long time.

The game's biggest flaw is that it's still a Japanese Visual Novel, which means it's obligated to have questionable pacing. Fata Morgana is just too verbose sometimes. Even so, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this story to people. It rewards the reader's investment with something truly special.

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9. Outer Wilds
Speaking of games I shouldn't talk about in detail...

The first time I sat down to Outer Wilds, I played it for ten minutes and got sidetracked.

The second time I sat down, I played for two hours, forcing myself to give the game more of a chance. I gradually got more into it. Ended my play session thinking something along the lines of "that was pretty good, I can see why people enjoy it."

The third time I sat down, I played for six hours and had to tear myself away because of obligations I was putting off.

The rest of my playthrough ate up every moment of free time I had. Currently, Outer Wilds has my #1 favorite ending ever.

If you are a person with an inquisitive mind, someone who enjoys exploring worlds and unraveling mysteries...you owe it to yourself to play Outer Wilds. Similar to Fata Morgana and most games in my Top 10 it's an adventure that rewards every second of time you put into it.

My only regret from playing this game is that I'll never be able to experience its first playthrough again. Other games can also feel like that, but Outer Wilds takes it to another level. I strongly recommend not looking up too much stuff before you start.

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KamikazePotato
01/10/24 5:23:27 PM
#417:


Hint:
8. You fight the final boss three times throughout the game. When it's raining, his hair looks the same as yours.

Answers:
Devil May Cry 3 8

The hair thing was probably too much of a giveaway, but there's a lot of games where you fight the final boss three times, so better a giveaway than repeating the Outer Wilds hint!

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8. Devil May Cry 3
Here's a mini-list: games that have influenced my gaming preferences the most.

5. Metal Gear Solid 2: Taught me to love crazy plots.
4. Fate/Stay Night: Introduced me to Visual Novels.
3. Skies of Arcadia and Tales of Symphonia: Cemented my love for RPGs.
2. Demon's Souls: Introduced me to Soulslikes.

And then #1: Devil May Cry 3, which showed me that difficult challenges in games can be fun.

I think DMC3's combat system is close to perfect. Give it style switching (which re-releases do) and it's essentially equal to DMC5's stellar combat. Dante is the most fun character to play in any video game, period and unlike the sequels that try to mix it up with other protagonists, this is an entire game devoted to just him.

It's also got a weirdly good story? Don't get me wrong, it's not War and Peace, but DMC3's plot is way more effective than it should be at engrossing you. Something about it feels like lightning in a bottle. Dante is at his best here, and Vergil and Lady are such iconic side characters that they've dominated the fanbase's mindspace ever since. DMC3 and Rising are the only action games with good plots, and Rising achieved that piggybacking off of freaking Metal Gear and devoting a relatively huge chunk of time to cutscene dialogue. Meanwhile, DMC3 strolls in, throws a wild party, talks for half an hour, makes you emotional somehow, then leaves without saying goodbye. I don't get it but I'm not complaining.

The amazing gameplay and great story would already put it high up on my list. What makes DMC3 Top 10, however, is that it was where I discovered I really like hard games. Sometimes. The gameplay has to be fun at its core, and DMC3's gameplay being so damn fun is what made me go "Wouldn't it be neat to try this on a higher difficulty mode?" Playing Dante Must Die mode was a formative gaming experience for me. Every couple years I go back and do it all over again, and it's honestly just as entertaining every time.

Well...almost. You can only go through a playthrough of self-discovery once. In many ways, I've been chasing that high ever since. It's part of why I attached so hard to From Software games. Refined Gameplay + Difficult just tickles my brain.

--

Posting will continue tomorrow.

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MacArrowny
01/10/24 5:31:53 PM
#418:


Damn, I guessed Outer Wilds for a previous hint, but never thought about it again, haha. I like a lot of stuff about it, but I didn't really enjoy the 'figuring out stuff for yourself' part, haha.

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changmas
01/10/24 5:42:19 PM
#419:


i ended up not submitting a list after i had terrible answers for most of the hints but outer wilds is one i would have gotten

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GavsEvans123
01/10/24 6:00:02 PM
#420:


changmas posted...
i ended up not submitting a list after i had terrible answers for most of the hints but outer wilds is one i would have gotten
Same here, but with Devil May Cry 3. I had no idea what number 9 could be, and was thinking Gone Home for number 10.

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#421
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Bitto
01/10/24 6:07:36 PM
#422:


I knew Outer Wilds and #7 immediately, but didn't submit a list. I had no idea on the rest. Outer Wilds is excellent, probably a top 3 game for me. There's so much I love about it, but this isn't really the topic to go through it.

I'll go through Fata Morgana at some point down the line. I'll probably enjoy it. I'm glad that series is heavily recommended, yet I know basically nothing about it.

I played a tiny bit of DMC3. It was fine, but again, no desire to go through it. Challenging games are really rewarding, but only when it feels right. Difficulty is hard to do well.

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Kenri
01/10/24 6:09:33 PM
#423:


Before Your Eyes felt like a wild top 10 pull but so far overthinking the clues has not been helpful, so I just went with it. Never would have gotten Outer Wilds either way tbh.

Googling parts of clue #8 kept weirdly leading me towards Omori as the answer (safety spoilers but I don't think this actually spoils anything? I haven't played the game though) but that answer just felt wrong. Then I was like "wait is it Sekiro" and that almost fits the clue but just didn't fit quite well enough. I forget how I got to DMC3 but it was an "oh, DUH" moment.

I guess I can say now that clue #6 is the one I'm completely stumped by.

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#424
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MysteriousStan
01/10/24 6:28:16 PM
#425:


My gaming experiences are not as vast as some people here so I haven't bothered to submit a list but I would have gotten 10 and 9. And then given the point right back as I had no clue on 8 as I've never played DMC3, proving my first statement true!

My experience with Outer Wilds is very similar! Played for maybe 2 hours the first time, didn't touch it for a week and then when I went back it was nonstop. Took me awhile to beat but it's unlike any game I've played and can't recommend it enough.
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ctesjbuvf
01/10/24 6:37:22 PM
#426:


Proudly want to claim that I an the Outer Wilds guesser and haven't actually played it lol, what a shot.

I do want to play it though.

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MacArrowny
01/10/24 7:13:30 PM
#427:


#6 is obvious once you realize what it is haha.

And yeah I instantly thought Before Your Eyes since I've played it, and I do know some people who loved it. I thought it was wrong as soon as I thought of it, but it just fit too well for me to switch to something else.

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Kenri
01/10/24 7:18:16 PM
#428:


MacArrowny posted...
#6 is obvious once you realize what it is haha.
I will say that I found a game that 100% fits the clue but I'm like 99% sure is wrong!

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KamikazePotato
01/10/24 7:19:16 PM
#429:


The guesses were #6 were interesting, I'll say that much.

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KamikazePotato
01/11/24 6:37:17 PM
#430:


Hint:
7. An RPG where 'LV' doesn't stand for 'Level'.

Answers:
Undertale 8

Impressed at the 100% success rate. It wasn't that obvious of a hint!

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Hint:
6. Could be considered five different games if you squint. Maybe six if you count the one that got removed by the developers.

Answers:
Final Fantasy XIV 2
Nier Automata 1
The Orange Box 1
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes. 1
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 1
Spore 1
Half-Minute Hero 2 1

A bloodbath, but a fair one, I think. FF14 has six expansions, each one with its own name (except for 1.0 I guess), and 1.0 was straight-up nuked by the developers and can no longer be played.

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7. Undertale
What can I say about Undertale that the rest of the internet hasn't already?

Hard to believe, but when I played this game it was obscure. I honestly pity anyone who didn't. It's impossible to hear about Undertale these days without casual spoilers being thrown around. Elements of the game that were subversive and shocking have become the End of Disc 1 for a modern era. Adding to that, those aspects of Undertale's plot have gone on to inspire many other games, diluting what made the original narrative so unique. It didn't invent the wheel, but it definitely helped popularize it. I doubt Undertale would be Top 10 on my list if I hadn't experienced it blind back in 2015. Luckily random B8ers were hyping it up, leading me to check it out. Certainly made that contest season easier to swallow.

The best phrase I've heard to describe Undertale is 'relentlessly clever'. It doesn't just nail the big emotional moments it throws a little surprise at you every ten minutes. Sometimes funny, sometimes not funny, but always interesting. The random battles are a perfect example of that, playing out like mini-puzzles with stories to solve and enemy personalities to learn. It's simple, yet effective, and keeps you engrossed so that the bigger moments end up that much more memorable.

In case you've made it to 2024 and somehow not been spoiled, I'll be light on plot details. Suffice to say that Undertale has ways of investing the player that really hits hard. Its characters are great too, if you give them a chance and calibrate to the game's sense of humor. Despite getting meme'd to high heaven, Sans is legitimately very well-written! Shocking, I know.

Special mention also goes to the excellent soundtrack. It's definitely one of my favorites out of any game. Despite also getting meme'd to high heaven, Megalovania is a banger.

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6. Final Fantasy XIV
"Has your journey been good? Has it been worthwhile?"

The highest-ranked game that I can't in good faith recommend to anyone.

I started Final Fantasy XIV nine years ago. Back then, only A Realm Reborn and some of Heavensward the first two expansions were out. I almost didn't make it to Heavensward. ARR is slow, and without playing it alongside friends at the time, I'm not sure I would have pressed on.

I'm also extremely glad I did. FF14 is, at this point, a genuine part of my life. I've been following its characters for longer than I know most actual people. Each expansion that comes out is like revisiting a world that I temporarily set aside. While I'm not one of the players who logs in every day, the memories are always there. Facing Nidhogg on the Steps of Faith, doing group raids to conquer Alexander, playing Thancred's stand against Ranjit, everything with Emet-Selch, The Final Day...all of that sounds like nonsense to people who played this game, but to me it all conjures up strong images and emotions.

Honestly, it's almost cheating to put FF14 here. Each expansion is essentially a full-length Final Fantasy game. How can other games compete with hundreds of hours of investment? Imagine your favorite FF game, then quintuple the number of high-emotion moments, then add in really fun action gameplay that scales to your skill level. Shadowbringers or Endwalker alone would already be near the top of my list...but they're also only that good because of the setup that came before. Everything in FF14, including the early A Realm Reborn stuff, feeds into itself and creates an expansive storyline with tons of details and nuanced side characters.

Which is why I also can't really tell other people to play it. This isn't Outer Wilds or Fata Morgana, where they can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. Even someone shotgunning just the main story alone would be tied up for a month, at least. And it's not like the main story is always well-paced even after ARR! FF14 isn't a game I could have experienced without getting in early. For those who did, though, it can become the journey of a lifetime.

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KamikazePotato
01/11/24 6:43:21 PM
#431:


Hint:
5. Dark Souls, Elden Ring, or Bloodborne.

Answers:
Dark Souls 4
Elden Ring 2
Bloodborne 2

Half of you succeeded in From Software musical chairs, whether through luck or accurately guessing that a mega-fan probably wouldn't have the original Dark Souls as their #1.

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5. Dark Souls
Honestly, out of every game in my Top 10 besides FF14, Dark Souls probably has the most issues. It's certainly aged the worst. That's what happens when you become the defining capstone of a genre. From Software iterated upon their formula numerous times, and while they didn't always do everything better than Dark Souls 1, certain aspects (mostly the combat) feel dated nowadays. Plus, even on release, the back half was an obvious step down in level design. You could tell when they ran out of steam. There's one hilarious interview where the director throws a designer under the boss when speaking about Lost Izalith.

With that said, it's still Dark Souls. I've played this game like six times. I've watched other people play this game like six times. Its existence itself is a miracle how in the world did Demon's Souls get popular enough to justify a sequel? There's something special about being there at the start of a new series blowing up. I got to witness my entire friends group slowly get addicted to Dark Souls because I introduced them to it. Good times.

And while some parts of it have been outclassed, Dark Souls still probably has the best self-contained level design in the series (Elden Ring's open world is a different discussion). I don't think any Soulslike game has topped the first half of Dark Souls in this regard. It's a perfect blend of linearity and open-endedness, always directing the player forward while leaving enough side paths to make you wonder what's behind other corners. Sen's Fortress remains the gold standard for a 'fuck you' trap dungeon.

Despite knowing the game in and out, typing out all this just makes me want to play Dark Souls again. It's got a pull to it that is hard to define. In that sense, the effect that it's had on gaming isn't as surprising. Elden Ring's absurd success is very impressive, but it wouldn't have sold a fraction without Dark Souls grabbing people's attention first.

--

More updates tomorrow.

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azuarc
01/11/24 6:58:57 PM
#432:


KamikazePotato posted...
The House in Fata Morgana 7
Amnesia: The Dark Descent 1

Rip me.

Would never have associated that hint with Outer Wilds. I know what you're referencing, in hindsight, but it fits Behind Your Eyes so much better...even if that would be absolutely shocking to be in the top 10.

KamikazePotato posted...
The hair thing was probably too much of a giveaway

Honestly, it was a guess for me. I spent a fair bit of time looking up boss fights in the rain, and final bosses you fight three times in FromSoft games, and finally just threw a stab at that one because of how much you raved about DMC earlier in the thread.

KamikazePotato posted...
Undertale 8

Impressed at the 100% success rate. It wasn't that obvious of a hint!

In the opening conversation with Flowey, he literally says LV stands for Love. (As well as [spoilers] later.)

KamikazePotato posted...
The guesses were #6 were interesting, I'll say that much.

I had no idea what that could have been referencing. I was just trying to find something that had 5 different game modes, and maybe a sixth that didn't make it to the live version of the game.

And yay, I got #5. For once, the dice rolled in my favor here. So, uh, 2/6 so far. (If my attempt at being clever on this trio actually pans out, though, I will be shocked.)

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Kenri
01/11/24 7:53:21 PM
#433:


there goes bracket

3/6 so far!

the sad thing is that i knew FFXIV would make an appearance, i just didn't connect it with that clue at all

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#434
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Leonhart4
01/11/24 8:01:22 PM
#435:


I have played Undertale and I forgot about it.

These are games I suppose I should have known would be here given what I know of KP though, but oh well.

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ctesjbuvf
01/11/24 8:30:17 PM
#436:


Yeah the Undertale and DMC3 ones were the two I had the second I read the clue.

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azuarc
01/11/24 9:15:15 PM
#437:


So here's the dumb question: What happened to Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro?

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KamikazePotato
01/11/24 9:18:55 PM
#438:


azuarc posted...
So here's the dumb question: What happened to Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro?
They just didn't click with me.

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KamikazePotato
01/13/24 12:10:11 AM
#439:


Was sick today and needed to take it easy, so couldn't finish writeups. Should be good tomorrow.

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KamikazePotato
01/13/24 4:20:31 PM
#440:


Hint:
4. Dark Souls, Elden Ring, or Bloodborne.

Answers:
Elden Ring 5
Bloodborne 2
Dark Souls 1

Since most of you got Dark Souls right, by process of elimination...

--

Hint:
3. My favorite JRPG. Hint: It belongs to a series that hasn't been represented on this list yet.

Xenoblade Chronicles 8

This is the Monado's power!

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4. Elden Ring
It's kind of disappointing that Elden Ring isn't my favorite game.

Like, it could have been. I think the open world that From Software created on their first try is absolutely phenomenal. The Lands Between are both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Sometimes you get the former (Leyndell Royal Capital), sometimes you get the latter (Caelid), and sometimes you get a nice mixture (the first time you step on an elevator and it just won't stop going down). There are numerous points in Elden Ring that make you go 'oh god, I'm not supposed to be here' but you just keep on going because morbid curiosity is still curiosity.

That feeling is enhanced by flourishes like the world map appearing small early on and continuously expanding, or how random traps will sometimes teleport you halfway across the planet to a high-Level zone and tell you to deal with it, loser. There's so many little good moments like that. If I was ranking games by the sheer quantity of fun I got out of one playthrough...well, FF14 would be #1 with several asterisks. But Elden Ring would be #2. Despite being very long, it has shockingly consistent and high quality for most of the game.

With that said, Elden Ring 'only' ranked at #4 because of two semi-big reasons. To start, the combat doesn't feel as finely-tuned as other From Software games. Elden Ring is the first game they've released where I wanted some of the enemies to take a chill pill. Games like Bloodborne and Sekiro have fast enemies, but the player is given tools to compensate. Elden Ring is like Bloodborne-speed enemies slapped into a game with a Dark Souls protagonist, and the mismatch can cause frustration that Git Gud doesn't compensate for. For example, as fun as it was to watch the internet turn Malenia into an event...she's not a super well-designed fight.

And second there's a reason I said it retains high quality for most of the game. Elden Ring runs out of steam eventually. It took 85% of my playthrough, but that last 15% is still a lot of hours that you feel obligated to finish because the end boss fights will probably be cool. To be fair, they were, but I would've been okay with one or two less main areas to traverse. Looking at you, snowfield.

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3. Xenoblade Chronicles
When I finished Xenoblade, I was convinced it would remain my favorite JRPG for the rest of my life. Ten years later...yeah, I'm still convinced. Not necessarily because nothing could ever top its level of quality but because I think there's a limit to how much the genre can emotionally affect me the older I get. Bright anime worlds just lose some of their luster as you get older. Or maybe I'm a curmudgeon.

Regardless, Xenoblade was a perfect storm that can't really be replicated. I played it when I was in my early 20s and still a bit starry-eyed. It was one of the earlier RPG open worlds before everyone and their mother started doing it. It was on the Wii, meaning it had to use low-fidelity character models with a grungier art style, which if anything helped me take the plot more seriously. Wii Shulk > HD Shulk don't @ me. It also came out before several of my favorite RPG series went extra hard into weebifying things to attract a broader audience (Fire Emblem, Persona, Xenoblade, etc.). Hell, not even Adam Howden's VA performance as Shulk could be replicated. It's one of my all-time favorite performances in any game, but after Xenoblade 1 he doesn't sound quite the same in his later reprisals.

In an earlier writeup, I said that Skies of Arcadia feels like what JRPGs should have become. I stand by that claim but Xenoblade is right up there with it. The world is gorgeous and inspires awe like nothing else, the storyline is shonen as fuck while still taking itself seriously and being told in a mature way, and the characters don't give me secondhand embarrassment just from hearing them speak. God, I was so genuinely invested in Xenoblade's narrative. Why is this so hard to do, JRPG developers?? Why did you follow up Xenoblade 1 with Xenoblade 2???

ANYWAY, I also really like the MMO-inspired combat (big surprise), and the music is fantastic. Xenoblade 1 just hit every note possible. I preferred the Wii version over the Definitive Edition, but that's to be expected. Nothing was ever going to top my memories of that pristine first playthrough.

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KamikazePotato
01/13/24 4:45:11 PM
#441:


Hint:
2. The game that launched a thousand cosplays.

Answers:
Nier Automata 6
Overwatch 1
Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden, Chapter 1 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa - 1

Overwatch would have fit as well though.

--

Hint:
1. Dark Souls, Elden Ring, or Bloodborne.

Answers:
Bloodborne 4
Dark Souls 3
Dark Souls 3 1

Come on. I'm enough of a hipster to put Visual Novels in my Top 10. Of course my favorite From Software game wasn't going to be either of the iconic games.

...Dark Souls 3?

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2. Nier: Automata
"Come for the thighs, stay for the cries" - a legendary Steam review

Although as a Nier 1 early adopter, that doesn't actually apply to me. Is it more or less embarrassing to have discovered Automata through 2B porn, or to be the equivalent of this guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll2qpvjc_XA&start=60

Nier Automata is another Yoko Taro game that puts you through an emotional rollercoaster, albeit a very different kind than Nier 1. The original Nier is very much a fantasy adventure. A messed-up fantasy adventure, but yeah. There's lore setup, prophecies and legends, quirky side characters, rising action, and a climactic battle against the big bad. When viewed at from a distance, you can almost pretend it's normal.

From the beginning, Automata feels different than that. Despite the game's moments of high-octane action, by and large, it's extremely introspective and doesn't rush things. Most characters would prefer to wait and figure out their place in the world than continue fighting in a seemingly endless war. It fits perfectly with their livelihood as androids and robots who have full self-awareness but limited self-determination. For 3/4 of Nier Automata, I was actually very surprised at how mellow the game was although not in a bad way. I couldn't stop thinking about its themes for the couple weeks it took me to finish my playthrough.

Then that last 1/4 comes and reminds you that this is still a Yoko Taro game, you're still on a rollercoaster, and it's dropping now. Everything that happens in Nier Automata's final 'route' is absolutely bananas, culminating in the most memorable credits sequence in all of gaming. Guess it really lured me into a false sense of security with all that philosophical navel-gazing.

As a story, Automata is maybe my favorite. As an action game...it's pretty decent. Better than Nier 1, although that's a low bar to clear. I can't tell if this is a personal problem or not, because admittedly, DMC3 has eternally set my action game standards at unreasonable levels. I did have fun fighting things, but it was never the main draw...and I kinda preferred hacking with 9S anyway. Automata's story combined with more god-tier Nier music was what truly entranced me.

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1. Bloodborne
Bloodborne was designed in a lab by top scientists to create a game that I, specifically, would love. Let's run down the list.

-My favorite Soulslike combat (although my recent Lies of P playthrough is giving it competition). I've always preferred getting up close and personal with fast weapons, hitting and dodging right under the enemy's nose. Bloodborne focuses on that concept, ups the game speed, then gives you a freaking gun as your parry button. No shielding in this game, cowards! It's legitimately thrilling, and ties excellently into the game's theme of you being a cursed hunter gradually losing their mind to a frenzy of blood.

-Major horror vibes. Various kinds of horrors, even, some of which I won't name because finding them out is a surprise. Souls games have always felt halfway like horror at times, but Bloodborne is the one that stopped pretending. There are enemies that made my skin scrawl. There are lines of item description lore text that made my skin crawl once I realized the implications. However, despite its overt horror aesthetic, Bloodborne never loses the feeling of you being an adrenaline-fueled predator out on a hunt. Any terrifying monster lurking around the corner is just prey you haven't slain yet.

-An understated story that manages to be evocative with relatively little dialogue. Every Souls game does this, but Bloodborne is the one where it works the best by far, largely due to how it works in concert with the whole [REDACTED] horror angle.

-Gothic setting that stays gothic. Most games try to mix up their environments for the sake of variety. Elden Ring, for example, literally color-codes its different areas. Bloodborne? Nah. You're in fucked up London. It's dark and grimy from start to finish. The most you'll get as a palette cleanser are a dark and grimy forest, a dark and grimy snow castle, and a dark and grimy fishing hamlet. Bloodborne sticking to this one theme gives it a very strong sense of identify that more than makes up for not having an obligatory lava section or whatever.

-The DLC boss battles are so good.

I can't find fault with Bloodborne. Some people ding the chalice dungeons, but I liked those too. I am sitting here struggling to think of something I could list as a legitimate flaw and there's just nothing. That's probably why I put it at #1. Nier Automata has flaws. Xenoblade has flaws. Bloodborne is unnaturally consistent. Like a freak of nature that can't be replicated which fits for the game, really.

...Actually, there is one flaw: how it came and left. There will never be a Bloodborne 2, and sure, that's fine. I don't want Bloodborne 2. I just want Bloodborne: Remastered, with everything exactly the same except it's 60 FPS and now on PC. Please. I will pay full price. There is a market we all saw the Insominac leak, we know Bloodborne sold 7 million copies. The fact that this hasn't happened yet is an offense of the highest order. Let me throw money at you, Sony.

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That's the end of the final round! Our last winner is ctesjbuvf, with the only perfect 10/10 score here. Thanks to everyone who participated throughout the topic - it's been a lot of fun.

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It's Reyn Time.
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MacArrowny
01/13/24 5:32:51 PM
#442:


Damn, congrats, ctes! Impressed someone got all ten.

What do you think of Xenoblade 3, btw? Seems like it's a lot closer to what you want out of the series than XB2 was.

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All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
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KamikazePotato
01/13/24 5:39:48 PM
#443:


I still haven't played it honestly. Several separate sources told me that the plot had a lot of issues so I just lost motivation. Will get to it eventually.

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It's Reyn Time.
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ctesjbuvf
01/13/24 6:59:00 PM
#444:


Yay, that was fun! I again wish I had seen the this sooner, but goof topic! I have actually only 4 games in the top 10 two of which are Dark Souls and Elden Ring. The top two are among the games I want to play the most but haven't though!

I originally had Automata at 6th and couldn't figure out 2nd, also thinking it could be classified as a JRPG. Once learning it could not be classified as a JRPG, I switched because FFXVI felt like a much better shot for 6th than anything else I could find for 2nd (my best bet was Tomb Raider, which fit the description but also really banked on the long shot thar KP had some hard nostalgia for it).

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Guinness Book of World Records is the name of the diary that belongs to azuarc, the winner of the Game of the Decade II guru contest.
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OrangeCrush980
01/13/24 9:32:40 PM
#445:


I would've gotten NieR: Automata, Xenoblade 1, and Undertale, but I might've missed the rest.

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"Those were my beans, Max."
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MZero
01/13/24 9:43:00 PM
#446:


I was right that the From Soft games were in order, but I thought it was top to bottom instead of bottom to top

ctesjbuvf posted...
I originally had Automata at 6th and couldn't figure out 2nd

I was here too and had FF7 in 2nd before realizing that was wrong because 3rd was his favorite JRPG. I couldn't think of anything else for 6th so I went with the Orange Box, but I didn't feel good about it because HL2 was in the honorable mentions I think

I had no idea on #9 though

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MZero, to the extreme
https://www.twitch.tv/kabazame
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notdave
01/13/24 9:45:35 PM
#447:


this was a good read

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ND
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MysteriousStan
01/13/24 9:51:58 PM
#448:


Maybe I'm just following a certain type of cosplayer but my immediate thought for #2 was League or Genshin Impact lol. Very happy it ended up being Automata which is also one of my favorite games ever, if not my favorite. I couldn't imagine it not making your list but I couldn't figure out the clue!

Was in the right area for number 3, thinking it was Xeno or Trails but I was thinking Xenogears and I dunno why I didn't think of Cronicles.

Had the wrong order for the From Soft games so the only other one I would have gotten other than 10 and 9 was 7. Fun list!
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Bitto
01/13/24 11:25:47 PM
#449:


I played a bit of Dark Souls and Bloodborne. I liked Bloodborne, but I didn't love it. Dark Souls was very whatever for me. I just don't think Souls games are my vibe, which is fine.

I played a bit of Nier: Automata and a bit of Xenoblade. I enjoyed both. I gifted Xenoblade to a friend who finished it and loved it.

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SSBM_Guy
"[Freud] started his scientific career by trying to explain the sexuality of a fish. And he failed."
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LeonhartFour
01/13/24 11:26:56 PM
#450:


I played like an hour of Bloodborne because it was free on PS+ and then I wondered "why am I here" and that was that

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