Today, we have part one of our... top games topic. And couldn't really decide on a Top 10 list or anything so I just picked out eight games. The first four are the games that are in some ways the most significant for me rather than my favourite games. I've picked out my four favourite games for the second part, though they'll be in no particular order of favourite-ness. But so, now, first we have the four most significant games for me.
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
The Age of Empires series is considered to be one of the greatest real-time strategy game series ever. I never played the first one, but from what I can tell the Age of Kings, released in '99, really perfected the formula. I also got the third game released in '05, but that one didn't really do much for me. On the other hand, the spinoff game, Age of Mythology from '02, was just awesome, though I still thought Age of Kings to be better.
Age of Kings is quite simply seminal to my entire gaming career. It was a sort of gateway game into gaming itself for me, rather than to specific genres like two of the other games we have here. I was certainly into video games before Age of Kings, but with AoK I really became a video gamer.
As a geek I was very much into medieval European culture, knights and that sort of stuff. That was a big part of the charm for me. AoK had that as well as a wealth of information on the cultures of the era. The expansion set, Age of Conquerors was a great addition in that sense. Of course, the gameplay also functioned marvellously. It was easy to get into and offered plenty.
I haven't played AoK in years, and I probably wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much since I haven't been into RTS games in a long while. But as I've said, Age of Kings was a great place to start with an interesting setting and easy, approachable gameplay. My fascination with Age of Kings led on to...
Empire Earth II
Since I was into RTSs thanks to Age of Kings, it was easy to go on to Empire Earth II in 2005. From the gaming culture perspective, EE2 wasn't nearly as significant as Age of Kings. For me it was a huge step up just thanks to the bigger scale compared to AoK, taking place over the entirety of human history and went on into the future. What makes the game remarkable for me was how it introduced me to user-made content with its scenario editor. I spent years playing around with that scenario editor. That editor was also used for the game's campaigns, all of which were great. Anyway, when I discovered that I could add something to the games I played, whole new avenues were opened to me.
Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight & Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast
Jedi Knight, released in '97, was a sequel to Dark Forces from '95. This was really my first first-person shooter and more or less got me started with the genre. Moreover, I only got into Jedi Knight because it was Star Wars and goddamnit, I love Star Wars. I'm one of those freaks who can actually honestly enjoy Episodes I through III as well. So yeah, playing at being a Jedi in Jedi Knight was pretty awesome.
Actually more significant than Jedi Knight was its sequel, Jedi Outcast, released in 2002. It took Jedi Knight's formula and, once again, smoothed it out. This was, once again, a game I spent years with. It improved on Jedi Knight in several ways. Firstly, Jedi Knight's gameplay wasn't all that impressive. What was impressive was the sheer scope, which in my book remains quite unparalleled for an FPS. Jedi Outcast, in comparison, wasn't quite as grand, but made up for that by doing just about everything else better. Force Powers really worked now. In Jedi Knight they were awkward and difficult to use, except for the very simplest powers. In Jedi Outcast they all worked marvellously.
The game wasn't perfect. There were some incredibly frustrating puzzles and the game suffered from starting out very slowly. Past that, you had a game that functioned well. Moreover, the story was really good and there were hints of character development along the way. Though I haven't gone back to the game, I still have a soft spot for it in my heart.
Knight of the Old Republic
This was my first role-playing game, unless you count Pokémon (which you could, I suppose, but I won't). Again, I was only interested in KotOR because it was a Star Wars game. If you're noticing a pattern with me into getting new genres just because they were Star Wars, there's a reason. I simply had no other way of approaching these genres. But yeah, it turned out that RPGs were just the genre for me, offering real replay value and story! KotOR really blew my mind away. Also, I got into modding thanks to KotOR and its active modding community.
KotOR was above all an experience. While Jedi Knight and Jedi Outcast were set in the Star Wars universe, they didn't really draw you in like KotOR did. In KotOR, you experienced the Star Wars universe. Moreover, one of the best things about KotOR was how it took a chance with its setting, which was, as the title suggests, the Old Republic, set thousands of years before the era of the Star Wars movies. This was a time period previously explored only in some of the Star Wars comic books. Using this setting, KotOR could usher in some new, fresh plot elements, compared to previous Star Wars games. The enemy wasn't the Galactic Empire or some obscure crime lord. This was a time when the real bad guys, of Star Wars, the Sith, were in full numbers and so were the Jedi.
The story was great, as I said. The big twist very well done and quite unexpected without being completely implausible. Characterization was still on the weaker side, but better than I was then used to. That said, characterization in Bioware games reached a new height with Mass Effect and later Mass Effect 2. I feel that KotOR was crucial to Bioware in getting there in terms of characterization in their games. It's a shame they pretty much forgot all about that with Dragon Age...
The sequel to KotOR was a bittersweet experience. It was superior in terms of gameplay and the mechanics of the game, but ultimately what it did with those, mainly the story and the setting, paled in comparison to the first game. Nevertheless, KotOR 2 had some beautiful moments and at times surprisingly deep subject matter.
OK! That was that kids. Tune in next week for my favourite four games! Until then.
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