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"It's not the best in the series, but it's my favorite one"
- Thread starter Lightjolly
- Start date
OP
OP
For me I'd have to go with Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. I wouldn't say there's any consensus on what the "best game" in the series is. Many players will say FE4 if they've played the translated emulation patch, and I think a lot of people newer to the community would point to Awakening or Three Houses. Path of Radiance I think of as well liked but not as revered as some other games in the series.
For me, Path of Radiance just resonated so much when I first played it. After having played the two entries on GBA, I was so hyped to play it on the Gamecube. There are some flaws to the game, such as relatively lame attack animations compared to what I was accustomed to. But the game brought a lot to the table that I hadn't experienced in Fire Emblem yet. A game with legitimate political intrigue, themes on religion & discrimination, and interesting villains made for a great experience. Characters having personal skills & additional skills they can learn, multiple new shapeshifting classes. Some of these things had already been done in past games (FE4 notably for skills, etc), but for me it was so fresh. I also love the character designs & cast in general. Overall a great package!
For me, Path of Radiance just resonated so much when I first played it. After having played the two entries on GBA, I was so hyped to play it on the Gamecube. There are some flaws to the game, such as relatively lame attack animations compared to what I was accustomed to. But the game brought a lot to the table that I hadn't experienced in Fire Emblem yet. A game with legitimate political intrigue, themes on religion & discrimination, and interesting villains made for a great experience. Characters having personal skills & additional skills they can learn, multiple new shapeshifting classes. Some of these things had already been done in past games (FE4 notably for skills, etc), but for me it was so fresh. I also love the character designs & cast in general. Overall a great package!
Metal gear solid 2, Yakuza 2, uncharted 3, Metroid prime 2
mojoras mask
actually it is the best
Oh... This one is a toughie...
A few years ago I would have said Link's Awakening. However, I think that was me not having the confidence to believe my memories. I now maintain that Link's Awakening is by far the best game in the series.
Oh, I know my answer. I fucking love Power Punch II. It is OBVIOUSLY far inferior to most games in the Punchout series (which it was supposed to be a part of), but I still love the shit out of it.
Another potential example would be Street Fighter Alpha 3. I respect Alpha 2 more, and it plays how I want Street Fighter to play, but I love the whole Alpha 3 package. Also, Cody is in Alpha 3. So...
One more. I don't enjoy any of the Sonic games, but I do enjoy a little Sonic Spinball. Obviously the first three games are far better, but I would take Spinball any day of the week.
A few years ago I would have said Link's Awakening. However, I think that was me not having the confidence to believe my memories. I now maintain that Link's Awakening is by far the best game in the series.
Oh, I know my answer. I fucking love Power Punch II. It is OBVIOUSLY far inferior to most games in the Punchout series (which it was supposed to be a part of), but I still love the shit out of it.
Another potential example would be Street Fighter Alpha 3. I respect Alpha 2 more, and it plays how I want Street Fighter to play, but I love the whole Alpha 3 package. Also, Cody is in Alpha 3. So...
One more. I don't enjoy any of the Sonic games, but I do enjoy a little Sonic Spinball. Obviously the first three games are far better, but I would take Spinball any day of the week.
Final Fantasy IV
It doesn't have the most engaging or deep battle system for a jrpg, it doesn't have the most complex or well written narrative in the franchise, and nobody in this game actually stays dead which sort of take away from the meaning and emotion behind their supposed heroic sacrifices.
Despite that, I love this game more than any other Final Fantasy because the characters are so gosh darn cool and well designed and the world and plot is basically medieval Star Wars with an FF skin. FFIV just clicks with me more than other Final Fantasy games even though I also love VII, X, XIII, and IX.
It doesn't have the most engaging or deep battle system for a jrpg, it doesn't have the most complex or well written narrative in the franchise, and nobody in this game actually stays dead which sort of take away from the meaning and emotion behind their supposed heroic sacrifices.
Despite that, I love this game more than any other Final Fantasy because the characters are so gosh darn cool and well designed and the world and plot is basically medieval Star Wars with an FF skin. FFIV just clicks with me more than other Final Fantasy games even though I also love VII, X, XIII, and IX.
I'm with you!
The whole atmosphere was somewhat more convincing and the missions are a tad more memorable. Especially the last one, man what a finish.
I agree with both of you. Echoes is my favorite Metroid game and one of my favorite games of all time. (Prime 1 and 3 are good too, don't get me wrong)
Dragon Age 2 definitely has issues due to the short dev cycle (16 months is my understanding, which is really small for the PS3/360 era), but it's easily my favorite of the DA games because it is so refreshing as an RPG.
I love that Hawke isn't the chosen one dealing with a world ending plot, and the world doesn't revolve around the player character. This was reflected in the friendship/rivalry system, where your party can have varied dynamics with Hawke, from genuine friendship and romance to irritated tolerance. In DA2, party members develop their own relationships and have character development independent of Hawke, which would often be revealed via party banter. The party banter itself was fantastic, and there was so much of it. DA2 had a surprising amount of replay value outside of choices in the main quest: the Bethany/Carver outcome and ending variations, friendship/rivalry system, and the way party members can effect a quest's outcome depending on who's in the party, eg. Varric/Isabella might make things go more smoothly, or... Fenris might kill someone!
I really liked that the setting of DA2 took place in one city over a decade, though due to the short dev cycle that sadly isn't reflected visually. The art direction is incredible and distinct, and I was disappointed that DA:I went back to elves and Qunari looking basically like humans with pointy ears or horns respectively.
After playing DA:O on console (I know, boooo), I loved the speediness of DA2's combat, and the FFXII-esque gambit system for your party members. DA:I had a nice balance between DA:O and DA2's gameplay, but sadly lost a lot of the customizing options for the AI of your party members.
I know DA2 has some tedious flaws due to the dev cycle, but I truly wish there were more RPGS like it, particularly not having every aspect of the world revolve around the player character, and telling a grand story on a smaller scale.
TL;DR: DA2 is neat.
Amen!
I love that Hawke isn't the chosen one dealing with a world ending plot, and the world doesn't revolve around the player character. This was reflected in the friendship/rivalry system, where your party can have varied dynamics with Hawke, from genuine friendship and romance to irritated tolerance. In DA2, party members develop their own relationships and have character development independent of Hawke, which would often be revealed via party banter. The party banter itself was fantastic, and there was so much of it. DA2 had a surprising amount of replay value outside of choices in the main quest: the Bethany/Carver outcome and ending variations, friendship/rivalry system, and the way party members can effect a quest's outcome depending on who's in the party, eg. Varric/Isabella might make things go more smoothly, or... Fenris might kill someone!
I really liked that the setting of DA2 took place in one city over a decade, though due to the short dev cycle that sadly isn't reflected visually. The art direction is incredible and distinct, and I was disappointed that DA:I went back to elves and Qunari looking basically like humans with pointy ears or horns respectively.
After playing DA:O on console (I know, boooo), I loved the speediness of DA2's combat, and the FFXII-esque gambit system for your party members. DA:I had a nice balance between DA:O and DA2's gameplay, but sadly lost a lot of the customizing options for the AI of your party members.
I know DA2 has some tedious flaws due to the dev cycle, but I truly wish there were more RPGS like it, particularly not having every aspect of the world revolve around the player character, and telling a grand story on a smaller scale.
TL;DR: DA2 is neat.
Amen!
Gotta preach to this choir here and go with Dark Souls 2 (SotFS). Now, admittedly it was my first Souls game and I've only played DS3 after, but just a few days ago I was trying yet again to start another DS3 run and... I just can't seem to enjoy it much at all. There's something about the linearity, early environments, and weapons that make it feel so boring to me somehow. Meanwhile, in DS2 I just had heaps of fun trying new classes/weapons, changing up where I start, doing some specific early grinding, and so forth.
That's despite in theory liking what Ds3 changed mechanically and having much superior boss fights.
What was rather surprising to me, was how much of a let down the DS3 story was. Now, DS2 wasn't doing too terribly much for me in that regard initially, either. But the more lore videos I saw, the more my appreciation grew. I especially loved the theme with all the Kings and their deceiving Queens, that, Vendrick aside, continued throughout the DLC areas.
DS3 was quite disappointing to me in that regard, as it just seems to regurgitate DS1 characters and locations in a manner that I didn't find compelling. I guess yet more pondering about the (potentially final) cycle of fire lost its appeal by then, too.
That's despite in theory liking what Ds3 changed mechanically and having much superior boss fights.
What was rather surprising to me, was how much of a let down the DS3 story was. Now, DS2 wasn't doing too terribly much for me in that regard initially, either. But the more lore videos I saw, the more my appreciation grew. I especially loved the theme with all the Kings and their deceiving Queens, that, Vendrick aside, continued throughout the DLC areas.
DS3 was quite disappointing to me in that regard, as it just seems to regurgitate DS1 characters and locations in a manner that I didn't find compelling. I guess yet more pondering about the (potentially final) cycle of fire lost its appeal by then, too.
Blood Omen. I'm not sure which LoK game is considered the "best" but I usually hear people talk about Soul Reaver. Tons areas to explore. Brilliant voice acting and music. Good variety of spells and weapons that keeps the gameplay fresh. One of my favorite games of all time and I wish more people played it.
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. No matter how far they advance the graphics and animations in newer games, this will always be the definitive Mortal Kombat experience for me. Fast paced gameplay. Great roster. I wish so badly they would go back to digitized actors, as I feel MK lost a lot of its identity when it crossed over to 3D.
Unreal Tournament 3. Probably because it was the first one I got into. Must have dumped hundreds of hours into it with my brother.
Kingdom Hearts: BBS. I always see people shit on the combat, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I also love the relationship between Ventus, Terra, and Aqua way more than Sora, Rikku and Kairi. Their Power Ranger armor was badass and spent hours playing the adhoc battle mode with my wife. It was really held back by being on a handheld because there was so potential.
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. No matter how far they advance the graphics and animations in newer games, this will always be the definitive Mortal Kombat experience for me. Fast paced gameplay. Great roster. I wish so badly they would go back to digitized actors, as I feel MK lost a lot of its identity when it crossed over to 3D.
Unreal Tournament 3. Probably because it was the first one I got into. Must have dumped hundreds of hours into it with my brother.
Kingdom Hearts: BBS. I always see people shit on the combat, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I also love the relationship between Ventus, Terra, and Aqua way more than Sora, Rikku and Kairi. Their Power Ranger armor was badass and spent hours playing the adhoc battle mode with my wife. It was really held back by being on a handheld because there was so potential.
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Zelda II is the best classic Zelda.
Resident Evil 6 Resident Evil 3 (both original and REmake are better than their 2 counterparts).
Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge is the most fun to play of the modern Gaiden games.
Mortal Kombat Deception. Simply the most fun of any MK game.
Tomb Raider Legend and 2013 are my favorites in the series.
Resident Evil 6 Resident Evil 3 (both original and REmake are better than their 2 counterparts).
Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge is the most fun to play of the modern Gaiden games.
Mortal Kombat Deception. Simply the most fun of any MK game.
Tomb Raider Legend and 2013 are my favorites in the series.
DmC: Not only my favorite game in the series, but probably my favorite character action game overall.
Super Mario 3D World: This one is the craziest to me because I put it so far above every other Mario game that It's almost insane to me that it's not everyone's favorite.
Mass Effect 3: The ending was fine when the game came out and now after the fixes it's even better.
Super Mario 3D World: This one is the craziest to me because I put it so far above every other Mario game that It's almost insane to me that it's not everyone's favorite.
Mass Effect 3: The ending was fine when the game came out and now after the fixes it's even better.
Killzone 3 - Played all the games in the series back to back in 2016 and i wouldn't say i greatly enjoyed 1 and 2, but somehow 3 just clicked with me. I still have it installed on my ps3 and just randomly replay a mission when i'm in the mood. I love both 3 and Shadow Fall.
Far Cry 1 - One of my favorite games ever. I really dislike what Ubisoft did with the series afterwards with their open world design. But at least we got Crysis.
Doom 3 - Not big into classic Doom or the new ones, so this one goes by default.
Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within - I understand the charm of Sands of Time and i thought the game was jaw-dropping when it launched, but WW has so much better gameplay/combat, awesome music and i really enjoyed the more serious tone.
Mass Effect 1 - Probably a lot of nostalgia, but for me ME1>ME3>ME2>Andromeda.
Tomb Raider: Legend - I had so much fun with the first 3 games made by Crystal Dynamics when they got the series. Also out of the new ones i'd put 2013 over Rise and Shadow.
Not a big fan of the old ones. I played them back in the day, but i couldn't get back to them.
Far Cry 1 - One of my favorite games ever. I really dislike what Ubisoft did with the series afterwards with their open world design. But at least we got Crysis.
Doom 3 - Not big into classic Doom or the new ones, so this one goes by default.
Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within - I understand the charm of Sands of Time and i thought the game was jaw-dropping when it launched, but WW has so much better gameplay/combat, awesome music and i really enjoyed the more serious tone.
Mass Effect 1 - Probably a lot of nostalgia, but for me ME1>ME3>ME2>Andromeda.
Tomb Raider: Legend - I had so much fun with the first 3 games made by Crystal Dynamics when they got the series. Also out of the new ones i'd put 2013 over Rise and Shadow.
Not a big fan of the old ones. I played them back in the day, but i couldn't get back to them.
- I think Halo 5 has some of the best missions on the series (Sangheilios arc), and the best multiplayer. I will die on this hill.
- Fallout 76 has the best world map of any Fallout game.
- Far Cry 5 is my favorite Far Cry game (though I hated the kidnappings, I will admit).
- Prey (2017) is way better than the generic tech-demo that the cancelled Prey 2 seemed to be.
I actually have a lot of these. A lot of games that are not considered "best in series" by the vast majority of a playerbase end up being my favorites.
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (for Metroid Prime series)
- Metroid: Samus Returns (for 2D Metroid)
- Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
- Super Mario 3D World
- Borderlands 1
- Pokemon OR/AS (and B/W is an incredibly close second for me, so double whammy)
- Bayonetta 2 (not sure this one totally counts; the hardcore fanbase largely prefers 1 for a good reason, but I'm not sure if the same is true for the fanbase at large)
- Paper Mario 64
King of Fighters XI
SNK's 3rd ideration of tag gameplay (after KOF2003 and NGBC) resulted in one of the best rosters at the time. It still used the Neo Geo Sprites but hte color pallete and UI was so pleasing. A great soundtrack with some serious bangers, the debut of Elizabeth and Oswald, cameos with the likes of Gai Tendo from Buriki One and Hayate from Kizuna Encounter, and an even better console version with a solid rebalance and adding a bunch of NGBC characters made it one of the best rosters in a fighting game IMO
SNK's 3rd ideration of tag gameplay (after KOF2003 and NGBC) resulted in one of the best rosters at the time. It still used the Neo Geo Sprites but hte color pallete and UI was so pleasing. A great soundtrack with some serious bangers, the debut of Elizabeth and Oswald, cameos with the likes of Gai Tendo from Buriki One and Hayate from Kizuna Encounter, and an even better console version with a solid rebalance and adding a bunch of NGBC characters made it one of the best rosters in a fighting game IMO
Yup, definitely have a few favorites that probably aren't the best in their franchise.
some of my faves:
Bioshock Infinite (it's the first game)
Mega Man 4 (it's prob 2/3)
Final Fantasy IX (it's Final Fantasy VI)
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (it's MK8dx)
The New Tetris N64 (Tetris Effect)
Metroid Fusion (Super Metroid)
some of my faves:
Bioshock Infinite (it's the first game)
Mega Man 4 (it's prob 2/3)
Final Fantasy IX (it's Final Fantasy VI)
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (it's MK8dx)
The New Tetris N64 (Tetris Effect)
Metroid Fusion (Super Metroid)
Final Fantasy VII touched me like no other THING in this world has, which is difficult to express/explain.
I don't think it's the best in the series, though, because it has some flaws in translation, mini-games, and modeling.
In fact, the developers of FF7 argued that they needed another delay to finish with development, but were declined...
FFVI is the best, but I have little affection for it, other than the Opening cinematic and sprite-art.
I don't think it's the best in the series, though, because it has some flaws in translation, mini-games, and modeling.
In fact, the developers of FF7 argued that they needed another delay to finish with development, but were declined...
FFVI is the best, but I have little affection for it, other than the Opening cinematic and sprite-art.
Absolutely, and this is an opinion I don't hear very often. Mega Man X is objectively the best entry, and probably the best Mega Man game period. X4 is also the favorite of many.
X3 is that weird entry at the end of a console generation. It iterates on X and X2 without being significantly different (I argue the same can be said of X4). Not a ton of people played it at the time of release, hence why the cart is super rare.
However, it doesn't have the bloat that comes with iterative sequels, and doesn't try to introduce "eccentric" mechanics like X5 and X6 were. The ride armor was largely unobtrusive. Zero's implementation was a little underbaked, but lead to an awesome trick with obtaining his sword.
I thought the levels were well-designed and were more inventive in terms of using powers to discover new areas. The graphics and presentation were top notch, like a good end of generation title. I also loooove the music, almost on par with X. I feel like no subsequent entry has reached its highs.
My favorite MGS is MGS, but I think 2 was the best in the Solid series. I'd also see MW2 as well.
This is my 2nd choice!!! Yes, KoFXI was the sickest experience for me in the arcades. People were lining up just to catch a glimpse of it! (S. Korea and Japan, in particular)
It probably needs a bit of a remaster because certain visual elements look quite rough/dated/2004-era...
Also, i do believe it would benefit greatly from wide-screen.
- Paper Mario (even though I think it's the best)
- Mario Kart 64
- Left 4 Dead (even though they added all the original campaigns in L4D2, the glitches from the original L4D and the versus mode make it my favorite of the two)
I think I'd put Uncharted 3 here tbh. There's something about it, the desert locations which have been woefully underutilized as a setting across the medium but fantastically realized here, that ending sequence on horseback with them mad lawrence of arabia vibes, crazy good soundtrack, the emotional resonance of that one Nate+Elena scene, the superior young Nathan Drake backstory, the arcadey multiplayer which for me had the most longevity of any MP game, and was better than U2 imo because they didn't fuck the balancing within the first 2 months. Overall I think Uncharted 2 has the best SP and Uncharted 4 the best MP, but U3 has a mix of both that I adored, along with some amazing highs and unique strengths.
Mass Effect
Tekken 4 (although it IS the best, search your heart; you know I'm right)
X-Men vs. Street Fighter
Mortal Kombat 2 (I struggled to put this up here, as I know it's sometimes held in high regard, but it has been surpassed. Still my favorite out of the entire series)
Ridge Racer Type 4
Blur (it's not a series, but I miss it. So much.)
Metal Gear Solid
Halo: Reach
Ape Escape
Those are off the top of my head.
EDIT: Mega Man 5 (I DON'T CARE, I DON'T CARE IT'S THE BEST) and Mega Man X4, even though Mega Man X is really the flag bearer and trophy wearer.
Tekken 4 (although it IS the best, search your heart; you know I'm right)
X-Men vs. Street Fighter
Mortal Kombat 2 (I struggled to put this up here, as I know it's sometimes held in high regard, but it has been surpassed. Still my favorite out of the entire series)
Ridge Racer Type 4
Blur (it's not a series, but I miss it. So much.)
Metal Gear Solid
Halo: Reach
Ape Escape
Those are off the top of my head.
EDIT: Mega Man 5 (I DON'T CARE, I DON'T CARE IT'S THE BEST) and Mega Man X4, even though Mega Man X is really the flag bearer and trophy wearer.
Pokemon X & Y, though it's more of a second-favorite. Lot of missteps, but that regional Pokedex is to die for.
I couldn't find X3 anywhere when it was released.... T__T
I've never played it, unfortunately.
My favourite is X4 but I think the impact of the original MMX cannot be overstated enough.
It was an incredible experience.
Assassin's Creed 1 for me.
I know people find it boring and repetitive, but I LOVE all about this game: the setting, the story, the cities, the music, the characters, the mystery of the present days, etc...
With Halo and Mass Effect, it's probably the game I've replayed the most, probably 5 or 6 time already, and I would play the hell out of it if it was available on Switch!
I know people find it boring and repetitive, but I LOVE all about this game: the setting, the story, the cities, the music, the characters, the mystery of the present days, etc...
With Halo and Mass Effect, it's probably the game I've replayed the most, probably 5 or 6 time already, and I would play the hell out of it if it was available on Switch!