What is your number one favorite game of all time?

[dark-daventry]

If you had to pick one game, and one alone, as your favorite video game of all time, ever, what would you pick, and why? There are many games we all love, and sometimes we just can't bring ourselves to choose one above the others. We like to lump our favorite games into a group, but we can't easily single one out as our "number one favorite".

It's a very difficult choice for me, as I love many games from various different genres. But, if I absolutely must choose one game above the others, I think I would honestly have to choose King's Quest VI. It's just that good of a game in my eyes. The writing is superb, the game design and puzzles are fantastic, and it's just such a thrill to play. It, like many of sierra's games, also hold fond memories of my father and I bonding over the years. He introduced me to the King's Quest series, and I've played every single game with him probably about a hundred times. We used to take turns reading the King's Quest Companion (yes, we used a strategy guide, and I don't feel ashamed in the slightest) to figure out a certain puzzle. I didn't even realize at the time that I was developing my reading skills lol

So if you could pick just one game as your number one favorite, ever, what would you choose, and why? For some, it may hold some sort of sentimental value or signifigance, for others, it may be because of how well the game was made. Whatever the reason, why would you choose that game?

[Oldbushie]

The Mother series, because the endings make me cry EVERY TIME.

Also, To The Moon is fantastic as well.

[dark-daventry]

You know, I've never played the Mother series, but I've heard fantastic things about it. And I don't think I've heard of to the moon. What's it about?

[Oldbushie]

To The Moon is a Story RPG (very little in the way of actual fights) that involves making the last memories of dying people good memories. Fixing painful regrets and such. It has an Inception vibe to it as well.

[dark-daventry]

Interesting. I might have to give that a shot. I wonder if GOG has it...

[Lambonius]

Hmm...good topic.

I think I'd have to say Super Metroid, as I really don't think any one video game has ever come so close to being perfect in pretty much every conceivable way.  It's just such a tight game, with fantastic controls, amazing graphics that still hold up, brilliant pacing, atmosphere, music, sound design, deep gameplay, tons of secrets, fantastic replay value, it was a massive leap forward from its predecessor, basically redefined the action-adventure genre, etc. etc. etc.

Probably my favorite of all time.  Even though I had played it many times via emulation (which was the way I experienced most SNES games for the first time, never having had one as a kid), I actually bought a Super Nintendo years after that generation just so I could own the physical copy of that game and play it as it was meant to be played.  I still dig it out for a good 100% run at least once a year or so.

[Rosella]

Interesting. I might have to give that a shot. I wonder if GOG has it...

It's a good game. 3-4 hours, so it's not too much of a time investment, which I really liked. It's good. I know it's on Steam for like, $10.

[Cez]

Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within.

close seconds:

Rest of GK Games
Xenosaga Trilogy
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
Final Fantasy VIII
Kingdom Hearts 2
Phantasmagoria
The Walking Dead

Others worth mentioning:
Day of the Tentacle
Monkey Island 2
Curse of Monkey Island
King's Quest VI
Space Quest V
Shadow of the Colossus
Deamons' Souls
Mass Effect
Any Megaman game.
Metal Gear Solid 3 (the ending makes it all)
Uncharted 2 or 3.
Metroid Prime trilogy
Dragon Age
Heavy Rain
Any Castlevania game.
God of War 2
Resident Evil
Final Fantasy X
Lands of Lore
Eye of the Beholder
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.
Sherlock Holmes and the case of the Serrated Scalpel
Indigo Prophecy.

And I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot of them

hey look, there's a mote emoticon

[darthkiwi]

Arh! An impossible task!

But if I *had* to pick one... probably Thief 2. The Angelwatch level is just incredible.

But honourable mentions would also go to To The Moon (oh please everyone play it, it's so so good!), Mass Effect 2 and Gabriel Knight 2.

[Lambonius]

No...bad Cesar!  Do not let this topic devolve into post after post of endless lists!    At least you picked a top one though.

[stika]

I'm afraid I don't really have one

[Blackthorne]

Definitely a tie between Hero's Quest I and Space Quest III.  Never had some much fun with two games as those.  Got them both at a very impressionable age (12) and really loved 'em.



Bt

[Sir Perceval of Daventry]

I'll offer up four titles:
King's Quest V
King's Quest VI
Space Quest I VGA
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn

[GrahamRocks!]

Hmm... I can't really decide on one.

[dark-daventry]

The idea was to pick one, above all others, not to create a list of our favorites, which is what we commonly do. I wanted to intentionally challenge everyone to choose one game. I don't expect it to be an easy choice by any means.

[Deloria]

Arh! An impossible task!

We have a problem and I think it's in this line. It makes me want to glomp an unsuspecting you for reasons I don't quite understand. So clearly I have issues and I'm tired and drugged, but I do think we should talk about this at some point.

I have good memories of To The Moon (though mostly of you being an excellent pillow, which may not do the game entirely justice).

I think mine is Quest for Glory IV. It was the first game to make me fall in love with everything in it, which only one other game has managed to do since (Book of Unwritten Tales). An honourable mention goes to Portal 2 for having my favourite character ever in it.

[snabbott]

An honourable mention goes to Portal 2 for having my favourite character ever in it.

GLaDOS, I assume?

[Delling]

An honourable mention goes to Portal 2 for having my favourite character ever in it.

GLaDOS, I assume?

SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!! What's your favorite thing about Space!? MINE IS SPACE!!  

[Deloria]

An honourable mention goes to Portal 2 for having my favourite character ever in it.

GLaDOS, I assume?

SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!! What's your favorite thing about Space!? MINE IS SPACE!!  

OMG OMGOMG OMG MINE IS SPACE TOO!!!!

[drusain]

I don't think it's the best game I've ever played, but the game that's made the biggest impression on me is Xenogears. It used to be a tradition for me to play it every summer, and I'd always look at the game in a different lens. A philosophical lens, a design lens, etc. Some things I used to think were good ideas I later think are rubbish now, but other ideas I appreciate the more I play it into my adult life.

The introduction of this one character Citan was a genius move that I've never seen another game try. When you first get him as a playable character hours into the game you think your protagonist is pretty good. Good HP, good attack power, etc. Then you get this meek-looking doctor Citan who dwarfs your stats in every way to the point that the player thinks that it was a bug in the game. But when you learn more about him, you understand why he has those stats.

I've never seen another game foreshadow a character's development just by looking at his stats the first time you get to play with him.