Get to know DearGamers: Our Top 10 Games
While DearGamers is still a brand new site, we thought what better way for an audience to get to know us in our early content than to write up a quick piece about our favorite games of all time?
So here it is – each of our top 10 GOATs!
Jason #10: Blast Corps (N64)
This is the game I think of when I hear Nintendo 64. Super Mario 64 and Goldeneye will always have a special place but this was one of those unique experiences that always stuck with me. When I was little, I remember this toy set that was designed to be built and had a lever that you could insert when finished that you would smash down and bring the structure down. Blast Corps was this but as a video game. There were some missions but destruction was always the main goal.
Michaela #10: Dark Souls III
I play a decent amount of Soulslikes – in fact, I played a handful of Soulslikes before I ever actually played one of FromSoft’s actual Soulsborne games. But the FS game that still holds the top spot for me is Dark Souls III, and it’s going to be a hard champion to topple in my personal experience because my time with the game was so incredibly special. After building a Twitch community around high level Nioh gameplay (more on that later), I finally dove deep into true Soulsborne gaming – primarily with DS3. With support from the amazing friends I’d made on the platform, I not only played through DS3 multiple times but I made my first ever foray into challenge runs – from the infamous Broken Straight Sword playthrough and early Dancer to an all-bosses unarmored unembered SL1 run. To this day those runs represent my proudest moments in gaming, and I’m completely enamored with DS3’s combat, boss designs, and lore.
Jason #9: Alien: Isolation
Scariest game ever. End of story. For real though, the jump scares never stopped. Even when you had the sensor and could know where the alien was, you tensed up in real life as you hid in a locker waiting for that opening to escape a room. I would be lying if I said I played this with headphones on and the lights off. More power to you if you do but no thanks. Still one of the coolest experiences over the entirety of a game.
Michaela #9: Pyre
Pyre is my personal favorite indie game of all time, from my personal favorite indie developer of all time (although it’s a close, close call between this and Hades). The reason Pyre takes the top spot for me is because it’s still – to this day – quite unlike anything else I’ve ever played, and it’s stamped all over with Supergiant’s signature style. The gorgeous art style, the quirky characters (including the narrator), and of course Darren Korb’s fantastic music – it’s a living chef’s kiss. Plus even just trying to describe Pyre shows how genre-defying it is. I guess it’s a first person, choice-based, narrative-driven sports game in which the sport is like 3v3 basketball but with fire? Yeah, that. If you want to hear me gush more, check out this old article I wrote all about it.
Jason #8: Super Mario World (SNES)
This is the Mario game that always sticks with me. To this day, it’s like riding a bike when I play a few levels. I remember all the secrets, even the more obscure ones. If asked to rank the Mario games, I would not even hesitate at putting this first. It helps that the SNES was one of my favorites consoles overall. Personally speaking, it still holds up. Others in the series, not as much.
Michaela #8: Fire Emblem Three Houses
I love me a good turn-based JRPG, but it took me a long time to dip my toe into SRPGs – and while FE3H wasn’t my first, it was probably the most eye-opening. I have poured a few… hundred… hours into FE3H across multiple playthroughs and I could still play more. The battles are engaging and I get an insane rush from the strategic and critical thinking you can exercise during some of the more elaborate fights (nerd, I know). Plus, on top of all that you have an almost Persona-like RPG management system where you’re growing and developing your roster, cultivating social bonds, and all the rest. The characters are tropey but lovable, the story is quintessentially Fire Emblem, and the combat is SRPG master-class and addicting as hell.
Jason #7: Duke Nukem 3D
Duke is the reason I love FPS titles and you see a lot of newer ones coming out with this retro aesthetic which comes from the days of Duke, Shadow Warrior, Doom, Quake, and Hexen to name a few. Of course, I was 13 years old when this was released so all that over the top action and colorful language was the greatest thing ever. Then again, I still chuckle at the one-liners if I hear them today.
Michaela #7: Kingdom Hearts II
This one was hard to place on the list number-wise but the important thing to know here is that Kingdom Hearts as a franchise helped to shape me as a gamer from the time I was about 8 years old, and KHII is without a doubt my favorite entry in the series (especially if we’re talking KHII Final Mix). The gameplay was a huge step up from predecessors and really helped solidify the trajectory that the rest of the franchise would take. Plus the story took a hard left at bat shit and careened into a ditch but I was all for it. My love for this series may have evolved and changed over the years, but I think KHII will forever have a place in my top games of all time lists as one of the experiences that made me the gamer I am today.
Jason #6: Borderlands 2
Borderlands is easily my favorite series of recent generations. I love all of the games (except Tales - sorry!) but 2 is #1 for me. Like a sequel should, they took everything great with 1, added some needed quality of life changes, and topped it off with fantastic writing and one of the greatest video game villains in Handsome Jack. While all have great moments, 2 is that movie that you can quote everything. Stairs?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Michaela #6: Xenoblade Chronicles 2
I will admit that I slept on XC2 for too long. When I originally bought my Switch, I picked up Octopath Traveler and XC2, but then didn’t touch XC2 for a long, long time – and here it is making my top 10 list, and even taking the top spot on my list of favorite Switch games from Octopath and FE3H. Even though I love FFXII, the comparisons to the combat made me hesitate – and I’d heard a lot of controversial opinions about the characters and especially the voice acting. But it was those very characters that won me over. They stole my heart and never gave it back. And then the more advanced gameplay clicked and I was hooked. To this day, late game XC2 gameplay is among my favorite combat systems to engage with. The depth of the gameplay married with the depth of the themes tackled in the narrative really makes this game a work of art in my mind.
Jason #5: Remnant: From the Ashes
I have made plenty of friends in recent years through video games and we always have grand plans to co-op pretty much anything that could be co-op. This generally lasts for a handful of sessions. Remnant is the exception. I was on leave after my 2nd child was born and I played Remnant, beginning to end, with my friend Matt. He worked nights so everyday after lunch, this was our thing. My hangup with co-op is usually that when you can’t play together, you still want to play and then have to decide if you want to progress ahead or wait. We played with such frequency that it was never an issue. I still remember the moment we figured out the strategy and killed the final boss. I even managed to convince Michaela to play and shooters are one of the last genres she chooses to play. On top of all that, Remnant is an excellent game. It has procedurally generated levels with multiple branching paths, some of the better shooting mechanics in any game, and killer boss designs.
Michaela #5: Persona 5
I will admit that I’m a newcomer to both the Persona and the SMT franchises, and P5 (followed by P5R and P5S) marked my first foray into the series. But what a first. Arguably one of the best turn-based JRPGs of a generation, P5 is a hallmark experience that any fan of the genre should play – myself included. The turn-based system is addicting, the RPG elements are deep, the characters are endearing, the art style is sexy, and the music just won’t quit. Who doesn’t want to get overpowered AF and kill god with the power of friendship all while Rivers in the Desert slaps in the background and flashy menus explode all over the screen? I could (and have) play this game over and over again and never get tired of it.
Jason #4: Dead Cells
Dead Cells is probably the first game to introduce me to the concept of “one more run.” If you’re unfamiliar, it is that feeling when you die on a run, you immediately try again. It started small with Dead Cells where I would only last 5-10 minutes but that became 15 and 20 and eventually beating the game in one sitting. The best part was that it was always different. As a roguelike, you never know what you were going to see when you started over. Released in 2018, there are still regular content updates, free and paid. It’s fun, it’s challenging, it’s clever, and it’s entertaining. When I beat games, I generally delete them to make room for the next game in the backlog. Dead Cells is the exception. It’s always installed because it’s comfort food.
Michaela #4: NieR Automata
I don’t even know where to start with this one. NieR Automata is one of the best games… I have ever played. The music is damn near unrivaled. The combat is flashy and satisfying and responsive and addicting. The story tackles extremely heavy, complex themes all while quirky characters run around doing ridiculous things to make you forget how serious life is until something happens and the game ends up tearing your heart out and stomping on it repeatedly until you physically run out of tears. What’s not to love here? Plus, if you know Replicant or Gestalt, you just cry even more. Fo’ days. Because reasons. This game isn’t a game. It’s art. Yoko Taro is a crazy madman and thank god he got to make another NieR game. It was the first game I ever platinumed, and I’m not ashamed to say I’m double dipping on the Switch!
Jason #3: Returnal
I bought a PS5 at launch. I was always going to and I am glad I managed to get one at launch. Returnal though is the game that showcased the PS5 to me. Sure, loading up PS4 games with lightning speed or enjoying the haptic feedback on the controller or listening to the great audio from the Pulse headset were all great features. Returnal was the total package. I was blown away by the visuals and hearing raindrops while standing idle was one of the coolest things ever. The horror scenes (IYKYK) were made 100000x worse wearing the Pulse headset. Once I realized how to trigger them, I avoided them during those late night play sessions. I mean, well done but screw you. Plus, Returnal is a roguelike so we know how that goes. Ever beat a game and cheer because it felt great? That was Returnal for me.
Michaela #3: Nioh
Nioh is one of those games that changed my life as a gamer. It was my introduction to the world of Soulslikes. It kicked my ass until it was concave. And it opened my world up to a whole new level of gameplay. My first time through the game, I was terrible. Sure, I beat the game on my own, but I was only just scratching the surface of what the combat had to offer. It wasn’t until later, when I went to revisit the game as a Twitch streamer, that I learned the true music that lives in Nioh’s gameplay systems. Both Nioh games would be on my top 10 list if I was allowing myself more than one entry per franchise here because the depth in this franchise’s combat is just insane. The level of customization and the variety of approaches it offers paired with amazing feedback and adrenaline-junky pacing is unparalleled. You can truly get a degree in Nioh bad assery if you’re willing to put in hundreds of hours to truly master it – and getting to that stage is unbelievably satisfying.
Jason #2: Jackal
Jackal was always my favorite NES game growing up. I always liked it but could never pinpoint specifics because it’s just a run and gun shooter. I guess as a kid it was because I loved playing with army men that made it so cool. It just dawned on me as I typed this that IT’S A ROGUELITE. All these years (30+) and it turns out one of my favorite games from the past belongs in my favorite genre of the present.
Michaela #2: Horizon Forbidden West
Here’s another one where if I was letting myself pick more than one game per franchise, you’d see multiple entries. HZD and HFW are two of my absolute favorite games of all time (obviously, cause here we are). As a kid who wanted to grow up to be a paleontologist (didn’t happen, but still), telling me I could run around as a bad ass female warrior woman with a bow taking down incredibly detailed robot dinosaurs in one of the most gorgeous games of a generation is literally music to my ears. And if you check out my review of Forbidden West from earlier this year, you’ll see just why this sequel managed to surpass the original in my eyes. I expected the technical jump up that comes with a new console generation, but what I didn’t expect were the leaps and bounds in the gameplay – especially in the application of Horizon’s RPG elements. Needless to say, HFW is going to be living rent free in my head for a very, very long time to come.
Jason #1: Final Fantasy 3/6
In a shocking twist, we both have Final Fantasy games as #1. I played Final Fantasy 3 on the SNES. I also played Final Fantasy 6 on the PSOne. I remember playing on the SNES in my basement when I was supposed to be doing school work. I was out there grinding rages for Gau and would just hit the power button on the television when someone came downstairs. Apparently, no one thought it was odd that I sat right next to the TV. Anyway, FF3 had pretty much everything. Best soundtrack ever (no I will not be taking questions), 14 main characters and storylines to follow (yeah, FOURTEEN), cool setting, AND the greatest video game villain of all time in Kefka. I have beaten this game at least a dozen times and I start a new game every single year (it’s also like a lifeline for my Vita).
Michaela #1: Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy is my favorite franchise of. all. time. And FFX is my favorite of favorites. FFVIIR would absolutely be my number two on this list if I was picking more than one game per franchise, and FFVII, FFXII, and a few others would be fighting for their own spots too. I love JRPGs. I love turn-based games. And I love Final Fantasy. Because of FFX. It wasn’t my first FF – I played FFI&II on GBA first. But it was the first game that made me realize that games could be more than games – they could be art. To this day, my immediate answer to “favorite scene in a game” is Yuna and the sending. The story, the characters, the world – it moved me, and the effect hasn’t waned nearly two decades later. I don’t know that any game will ever take the top spot on my greatest of all time list away from FFX because it was so influential in my development as a gamer and is still something I’m hopelessly in love with all these years later. It’s just that special to me.
