VOTE: UKFF greatest videogames of all times thread

[cobra_gordo]

10 pts- Time Crisis (arcade)

9- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (Megadrive)

8- Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Megadrive)

7- The Last Of Us 2

6- Resident Evil (PS1)

5- Target Rennegade (Amstrad)

4- Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 (PS1)

3- WWF Smackdown Just Bring It (PS1)

2- Half Life (PC)

1- Command And Conquer: Red Alert (PC)

 

 

[Lorne Malvo]

10 points - Gears Of War (It came around at the peak of my gaming fandom. Fantastic campaign and still the best online shooter I've ever played)

9 points - Pro Evo 4 (I debated long and hard over which Pro Evo to include but I probably put the most hours into this one)

8 points - Super Mario 3D World(The platformer has probably always been my favourite genre, and nobody does it better than Mario)

7 points - God Of War (PS2) (Combined platforming excellence with a smooth, satisfying combat system and some great gore effects. Still disappointed they went the sub-RPG skill-tree route on the new franchise)

6 points - Crash Bandicoot Trilogy (Did a brilliant job of remastering 3 platforming greats)

5 points - Mario Kart 8 (It helps that I got really really good at this online, which is rare for me!)

4 points - Burnout Revenge(It was a toss-up between this or Paradise - this one just about won out due to the superior soundtrack)

3 points - Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (One of those games absolutely perfect for unwinding)

2 points - Smackdown 2 (I probably wouldn't be a wrestling fan today without this game)

1 point - Mercenaries (Just a game I have a lot of fond memories of, and instantly takes me back to a simpler time. Life was good when this game was out!)

 

Edited March 18 by Lorne Malvo

[Jazzy G]

I could probably list 10, but it'd take me forever to actually rank them in some kind of order. 

[The Gaffer]

10 - Final Fantasy VII

Nothing will ever touch it. Pretty much my favourite piece of media ever and played a genuinely massive role in shaping my child mind's imagination and sense of storytelling and emotion. A random pre-rendered backdrop of some tiny store in Junon's upper layer holds a sort of memory resonance with me that leaves most films I've watched in the dust. 

 

9 - Metal Gear Solid

I feel the most zealous on behalf of Sons of Liberty - a fucking audacious work of postmodernism that predicted and articulated on a nuts amount of how the world feels these days. But it's still just impossible to put anything above the sheer importance and mindblow of playing this first one in 1998. I'll never get over thinking it was a simple enough action game for that initial sequence in the docks. Gruff, hard nosed lines, claustrophobic atmosphere, "Escape this easy peasy bunch of cubes on the floor". No problem. Then you get the escalator up, Snake gets half his kit off, you're watching a movie for about half an hour, he immediately doesn't trust his commanding officer, and there's this Christopher Eccleston plays Vince Neil motherfucker lording all over the place in a chopper. 

Then ten hours follow where something incredible happens every 15 minutes or so, and in between you play as a guy who has been betrayed, left for dead and up against an infinite supply of conspiracy and genetically modified soldiers and he's having just a ball of a time. 

 

8 - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

It's one of those "Everyone has their favourite" series and IV hits the sweet spot for me. It's essentially my ultimate ASMR/anti-anxiety game for much of the same reasons other people think it's the most boring of the bunch. Classic European fantasy setting. Lush rolling hills, good weather, levity. It's gentle to you whilst still allowing you to role play to a decent degree, unlike in Skyrim where you almost always feel funnelled into being 'The Hero'. Chorrol is my place in videogames I actually want to live in and inhabit as an NPC. Idyllic gaming at its finest. 

 

7 - Halo

Again much like Metal Gear Solid there's individual bits of improvement and perhaps better entertainment scattered across the sequels (the whole first Halo trilogy I find hard to separate, it's all top notch stuff) but it's impossible to put any sequel over that feeling of just playing this for the first time. Not only did it look and play better than any other shooter on the market, it's probably the only time the PC was ever included in that. I remember watching it on Games Network ('member that?) on Sky Digital for a few weeks after it came out when I still didn't have an Xbox and it may as well have been an entire generation up from anything else out at the time. 

 

6 - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Could have went with anything from 3 - THUG 2 here. What's with the overriding nostalgia for 2 still? The series was nothing without being able to revert off ramps to keep a combo going! 

At its height, it was essentially the best platformer ever created, with an insanely satisfying game loop and perfect synergy of sound and visuals. Unlike a lot of other games on the list which exist in a sort of cultural vacuum, it also directly fed off and fed back into the whole Jackass/skater zeitgeist which was huge at the time before we all obviously outgrew it. Right? 

 

5 - TimeSplitters 2

Again all of then are close together here for me, but the first one (yes, it's got merit. Probably the fastest gameplay and best multiplayer maps of the bunch) is too bare bones whilst Future Perfect is a tad too EA-ified. The true GoldenEye/Perfect Dark successor and so synonymous with PS2 split screen carnage in the early to mid noughties. a 15" screen split in four? No problem. It's not like you could even aim properly in this game anyway. I'm still taking your head off with a shotgun from the 16th century whilst trance music pumps out. 

 

4 - Grand Theft Auto 3

It's still this one for me, and no that's not a hipster choice! I mentioned in the electronic music thread awhile back how much I loved that eternally post-midnight, subversive early 2000s vibe. Everything felt sinister, edgy, sort of burnt out and kept awake to drum and bass. GTA III was its videogame. The first taste of the 3D GTA world - that breakthrough moment - is still where it's at for me (a theme is developing, here). Joyriding around the edges of Portland causing the motion blur and draw distance to form a sort of anarchic swirl as Rise FM blasted out? Series peak.

 

3 - Fallout: New Vegas

Just one of the best RPGs ever made. Stuffed with insane dialogue trees, madcap characters and a one of a kind ambience. I don't think it'll be bettered within the series. Give it Fallout 4's settlement building and you have a perfect Fallout game.

 

2 - Doom II

Would feel far too weird not having a Doom game on the list. The first two are so close together in terms of release and impact that it makes sense to just go with the one on steroids. But classic Doom as a whole is genuinely timeless, I think. It doesn't look or sound old. It just looks and sounds like Doom. The new ones are fine but the ultra-appeasement, killgorelol vibe of them is still a galaxy away from the charming meat grinder atmosphere of these old ones. 

 

1 - Unreal Tournament 2004

As highly rated as it is, this is probably one of those left of field "Wow you must have played it loads" choices, I guess? This game was the zenith of my love affair with PC gaming when I was a teen. One of the most refined, giving games ever. Endless maps and modes. Looked great but was relatively stress free to run. I went so far as to making my own maps for it. I know they still exist in some form but god I miss arena shooters being a big time era. 

 

 

[RedRooster]

23 minutes ago, The Gaffer said:

3 - Fallout: New Vegas

Just one of the best RPGs ever made. Stuffed with insane dialogue trees, madcap characters and a one of a kind ambience. I don't think it'll be bettered within the series. Give it Fallout 4's settlement building and you have a perfect Fallout game.

This was my least favourite part of Fallout 4, and the reason I've not revisited it! I'm just not creative enough to make it work, and the constant raids really frustrated me. I hope they keep this away from Fallout 5. I've no idea if I'm in the minority in feeling this way, though. 

[The Gaffer]

2 minutes ago, RedRooster said:

This was my least favourite part of Fallout 4, and the reason I've not revisited it! I'm just not creative enough to make it work, and the constant raids really frustrated me. I hope they keep this away from Fallout 5. I've no idea if I'm in the minority in feeling this way, though. 

Yeah it was a bit marmite wasn't it. I think keeping scrapping and base building an essential part of what's possible but completely divorced from any actual main quest progression/badgering should be an easy enough task to do. Treat it as a roleplay element essentially. 

Then again it is Bethesda we're talking about. 

[Devon Malcolm]

I've never played Fallout: New Vegas because you can't get it on SNES but Hbomberguy's video on it has me utterly convinced I'd love it.

[Nexus]

20 hours ago, RedRooster said:

For whatever reason I’d never actually thought to mod the game, any recommendations?

Stardew Valley Expanded is the big one - https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/3753

 

Has a comprehensive guide to setting it up etc. It's very good. 

[CharlesTuckerTheThird]

Thought I'd chuck my two cents worth into this one. Please bear in mind, this is my opinion.

10, Second Sight (Xbox). 
9, Timesplitters 2 (Xbox). 
8, Super Mario Land 1 (Game Boy). 
7, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
6, Guild Wars 2 (PC).
5, Tetris (Game Boy).
4, Worms W.M.D (PC).
3, Mario Kart 8 (Switch).
2, Breath Of The Wild (Switch).
1, Stardew Valley (PC).

[Joe Blog]

My choices are a mix of childhood nostalgia and games that I have sank hours into.
 

10. Ocarina of Time: One of the first games I got on the N64, we were pretty poor when I was younger so games were for christmas or birthdays only. I remember reading about this game in the computer magazines and counting down the days until my birthday. The first time I rode Epona over Hyrule Field will stay with me forever. 
 

9. Skyrim: I am absolutely enamoured by the world of Elder Scrolls. I bought this one on release day at midnight. All the cool kids were buying CoD whereas I just wanted to get home and make my wood elf archer. 
 

8. Wind Waker: Just a joyful delight of a game, the graphics were jarring at first but I soon grew to love them. Sailing across the ocean controlling the wind, i’ll take that all day. 
 

7. Smackdown Here Comes the Pain: absolute stacked roster and the most fun I have had on a wrestling game. 
 

6 Mario 64: It’s a me Mario, enough said.

 

5. Mario Sunshine: It’s a me Mario again but with added jetwash backpack. The child in me adored it and the adult I am loved cleaning up that gloop. 
 

4. Kingdoms of Amular: an often overlooked gem of a fantasy game, written by R.A.Salvatore. Like Skyrim but more whimsical.

3. Mario Kart Double Dash: All Mario Karts are great games but double dash will always hold a place in my heart, endless fun playing against my brother and friends. 
 

2. Destiny: I can see why this would get repetitive for people but I always enjoyed playing it. Space Skyrim. 
 

1. Goldeneye: Was always going to get a mention, we all loved it right?

[Devon Malcolm]

22 minutes ago, Joe Blog said:

1. Goldeneye: Was always going to get a mention, we all loved it right?

@patiirc

[Max Power]

10 - Championship Manager 01/02

9 - Super Mario Kart

8 - Super International Cricket 

7 - Tetris (GameBoy)

6 - WWF No Mercy

5 - International Cricket Captain 2002 (SNES)

4 - International Superstar Soccer Deluxe (SNES)

3 - Sensible Soccer (Megadrive)

2 - Micro Machines (SNES)

1 - Pro Evolution Soccer 98 (PS1)

Some memories there for me.

[TibBo]

10 points) Street Fighter 2 - just immensely playable. Great characters and beautiful design.  It’s 33 years old now and I still play it on a weekly basis.  I remember finding an arcade in Paignton that gave you a free credit if you turned the machine on/off at the wall, so me and the group of mates I made on my summer holiday that year played it to death.

9 points) Wrestlefest - I adored this as a kid, and my dad still tells stories of how he’d find my drenched of sweat in the arcade, desperately trying to beat LOD on my only credit.  The style captures the vibrancy of early 90s WWF so perfectly. I have had many battles with emulators over the years, trying to get this up and running on a variety of devices. I guess that is part of the beauty of it, being so simple, you can literally play it on anything.

8 points) Red Dead Redemption 2 - I’ve never really gotten into too many story driven games (I guess I have never really been home enough to get into them and dedicate the time to them) but I loved the original RDR and this just took things to another level!

7 points) Vice City - I love most things 80s, and this was a perfect combination for me. Really wish they would revisit this era.

6 points) UFC undisputed 3 - landed at the height of my MMA fandom really. I was training BJJ/Muay Thai/MMA most nights of the week, and have always love Pride FC. They really need to make a throwback UFC game with just classic guys where there was more variety between the fighters. Modern games where they all have the same skills and moves are just dull.  The EA games are dire in comparison.

5 points) Red Dead Redemption 1 - this came along while I was saving for a mortgage, so I was trying to be a bit more frugal and stay home more. Perfect timing to really get invested in a game. The undead nightmare expansion is such a great add-on too!

4 points) Metal Gear Solid - so clever and ahead of its time with some of the things you had to do in this game. Don’t think I would have worked out some of the bits without my mates helping….were games better pre-internet when you couldn’t just watch a walkthrough?

3 points) Mario Kart Wii - such a great party game! Anyone can play it instantly without any gaming experience and it’s just fun.

2 points ) Guitar Hero - same as above really. Although I always find it annoying that some of the songs are harder to play/learn in the game than actually playing them on a real guitar. Seems a bit of a waste of time lol

1 point) Tony Hawk Skateboarding - landed at the perfect time for my adolescent mind with American Pie and Blink 182 etc. Awesome soundtracks and really innovative games. Haven’t played it in forever, but just so much nostalgia for it and the scene that came with it.

struggled way more than I thought I would with this list.  Considering I have had a console from every generation, it is surprising how few games have really left a lasting impression on me.

 

[Jazzy G]

4 hours ago, Joe Blog said:

4. Kingdoms of Amular: an often overlooked gem of a fantasy game, written by R.A.Salvatore. Like Skyrim but more whimsical.

I remember a friend describing it as straddling that middle ground between Fable's accessibility, and Skyrim's depth, and I think that's a great description of it.

[Loki]

This is so hard, and would change all the time, so I'm just going to bash it out rather than spend ages on it.

10 points - Elite II Frontier (Amiga)
The single greatest programming creation in history, a whole galaxy on a single floppy disk.  Every space exploration game since is just a pale imitation.  You want to be a peaceful trader or a pirate, or a fighter pilot, or an explorer?  It's all there for you, all perfectly balanced and you can flip stories at any time just by buying a different ship.  I've never played a game as immersive - fulfilling a bounty by parking outside a spaceport on a planet, waiting until the ship takes off at its alloted time, tailing it into orbit, blowing it up and then hightailing it before the Galactic Police arrived.  But wait - the target was part of a cult, and now you have cult members pursuing you across the galaxy until you change ships!

9 - Super Mario Kart (SNES)
Really hard to pick a single version of this,  (the GBA Super Circuit is probably the apex of the series) but I tend to prefer originals.  I once held off all challengers on Battle Mode in Hamleys for 2 hours, my finest moment in gaming.

8 - Battlefield 1943 (Xbox 360)
It's hard to pick the exact best game in this series, but I think it was with the move to the Frostbite 1.5 engine and the introduction of destructible scenery.  This was the first game in that new engine, and its simplicity is its key feature.  Every round is a level playing field, you can choose from 3 beautifully balanced classes, no unlocks or perks.  Just 3 maps.  Perfection.  I played it from launch in 2009 until the servers were turned off earlier this year.

7 - Halo (Xbox)
The game that revolutionised fps shooters and made consoles their natural home.  Beautiful control system, great AI, fun campaign, great sound.

6 - Bard's Tale (Spectrum)
The game I played most on the Spectrum, an absolute classic dungeon crawl.  Very very long and insanely hard near the end, but you could save games onto tape, so it was completable.  Considering the simple graphics, incredibly atmospheric and scary.

5 - Manic Miner (Spectrum)
One of the hardest games I've ever finished, and that was on an early PC emulator.  But pixel perfect jumping, crack cocaine gameplay, a triumph of 80s gaming.

4 - UFO: Enemy Unknown (Amiga)
Disclaimer, I probably played this more when it was remade for the Xbox as XCom: Enemy Unknown, but even on the Amiga this was a vast time sink.  Super atmospheric, great strategy, it was X-Files on a computer and perfect pre-Millennial zeitgeist.

3 - The Great Escape (Spectrum)
One of the few games I played, and completed with my Dad.  Also one of the best film adaptations ever, let's be honest.

2 - Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360/XbOne)
Across the original and the remaster, probably the game I've put most hours into.  One of the last really good single-player fps campaigns, and the high point of the online play modes as well.

1 - Assassin's Creed Origins (Xbox One)
I almost never finish modern games but I finished this one.  Gorgeous world, combat just the right side of hard, a minimal amount of the shit AC meta story that ruins the rest of the games.  And as a bonus you get to explore ancient Egypt and interact with Imperial Roman culture.  As a history buff it was real wish fulfilment.  When one is in Egypt, one should delve deeply into her treasures.