Fun Rankings: Part 3

The third and final Fun Rankings (for now at least) is about on my favourite past times; video games! These have been a huge part of my life since I was eleven and I have played countless games over the years. Against all that, these are the five games that have stuck in my memory beyond the hours I poured into them. Again, I am no qualified game critic, and this is purely subjective. Feel free to offer your own opinions! Without further ado, let's get into the list!

5: Bloodborne

Developer: FromSoftware

Consoles: PlayStation 4

Released: 2015

Metacritic score: 92/100

Following in the footsteps of Demon's Souls, Dark Souls and Dark Souls II was never going to be easy, but Bloodborne's aggressive combat, horrifying creatures, operatic soundtrack and nail-biting bosses seriously raised the bar. A PS4 exclusive, the game maintains the famed difficulty of the Soul's series while carving its own identity with faster combat, more aggressive tactics and unique style. Not for the faint-hearted, the gruelling game is a true test of mettle for any and all willing to brave it.

4: Halo: Reach

Developer: Bungie

Consoles: Xbox 360, PC, Xbox One

Released: 2010

Metacritic score: 91/100

My first Halo game and my most nostalgic game period. The extensive rework to style seriously sets Reach apart from the previous trilogy. In particular, stepping into the shoes of your own, fully customizable protagonist in Noble Six was a new take for the franchise and one that paid off in spades. With hours of content through campaign, multiplayer (with an exceptional variety of game modes), firefight and the fan favourite Forge, Reach stood apart as the series' most extensive game to date and was a fantastic farewell from Bungie to fans both old and new.

3: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Developer: CD Projekt Red

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Released: 2015

Metacritic score: 93/100 (PC score)

For any fantasy or RPG fan, this game needs no introduction. Heralded as the best RPG of the decade, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt follows Geralt of Rivia; witcher, romantic and full-time dad. Not a resume expected from a man this tough, but the story humanises the grizzled monster hunter, fleshing out his journey for us to blindly follow as we are engrossed in the beautiful world. Surrounded by an incredibly memorable cast of characters, massively deep and thoughtful quests and stunningly realised environments, there is a reason this game is still heralded as one of the best, holding the accolade of being (probably) the first Western RPG to topple Skyrim's lofty heights. A true example in game making.

P.S. Congratulations to CD Projekt Red for being one of the only video game companies in recent memory to care about their customers. A true example to the industry.

2: Metro: 2033

Developer: 4A Games

Consoles: PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, OS X

Released: 2010

Metacritic score: 90/100 (PC Redux version score)

Perhaps the most controversial placement, as well as the most poorly received, Metro 2033 is still the most hauntingly atmospheric game I have ever played. Post-apocalyptic Russia is grim, hopeless and desolate, being one of the most realistic and well realised 'end of the world' scenarios I've come across in any form of media. My most replayed game on this list (partly due to it having the least replayability, which is no bad thing for a game of this style), I would recommend this game to anyone with an interest in the genre and platform. A perfect example of a 'show, don't tell' approach to storytelling and atmosphere. 

1: Fallout: New Vegas

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Released: 2010

Metacritic score: 84/100 (PC score)

The Fallout series is my favourite RPG series of all time and New Vegas is it's king. Combining the incredibly detailed dialogue and choices of the original games with the (at the time) 'modern' gameplay of Bethesda's Fallout 3, New Vegas is the standard this series should be held to. While bug-ridden and somewhat broken on release, the work Obsidian Entertainment did in just eighteen months is phenomenal and has allowed the game to grow and develop to match it's potential. Ten years, four DLC's and a whole lot of fixes later, Fallout: New Vegas is that much better, being a perfect example of what can be achieved in a game when passion and talent is poured into it.

And there we have it. My final 'Fun Rankings' for now and my five favourite video games. Thanks for listening to my opinions on topics you may or not be interested in, it's really appreciated. Hopefully you can at least discover and research these monumental games for yourself at some point, as I would definitely recommend at least looking into them. Watch out for the next post, it'll be something very different from what's been added so far. Hopefully you'll enjoy it! For now, stay comfortable and stay dumb.