My first ever RTS game, and an excellent introduction to the genre. After the promise shown in Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, the sequel steps things up with an improved visual style, smoother controls, and new units and abilities. Compared to other games in the genre, this is a relatively simple game with two races that are more or less equal (apart from different magic), so strategy sometimes comes down to who's got the bigger army. Still, it showed how Blizzard could improve on their formula and laid the groundwork for what would become their very best title in a few short years. I'll mention the expansion here as well: Beyond the Dark Portal only adds a new map tileset and new story missions, but the unique heroes were fun additions!

I enjoyed the game, but I think there's a lot of hyperbole about its quality. The open world is a cool concept for a Zelda game, but it might be just a little too big to keep my interest. There's stuff to do, but it gets repetitive after a while. I wish there were longer, more expansive dungeons like the classics, and I wanted more unique items and weapons--not just finding multiple copies of the same stuff. I loved the music and thought the minimalist approach really worked for the setting. Overall, still a very good game, but not the masterpiece it gets touted as.

BioShock is probably better remembered for its story and themes over its gameplay, but the gameplay is pretty good, too! It's a solid shooter with a cool set of powers that can do all kinds of interesting things depending on the environment. And speaking of that environment, Rapture is certainly one of the most imaginative settings for a game. The art deco aesthetic was such a perfect choice. And yeah, the story is awesome. When it released, this game stood out for its uniqueness, and I think that will remain part of its legacy.

It's fitting that this is the last of the 2D Final Fantasy games, because it feels like a culmination of the best aspects of the series up to that point. It has a delightful cast of characters who are highly customizable due to the Esper system (but still retain some of their unique skills). It has a great story with a brilliant mid-game shift that caught me completely off guard the first time. It is incredibly expansive, with a large world map and numerous side quests that provide major benefits. And, of course, it has one of the best OSTs in video games. I have nothing but great things to say about Final Fantasy VI, and it only just falls short of my favorite game because I have stronger nostalgia for VIII.

This is a fine example of a game with a really simple premise. You start out in bleak, empty landscapes, and after doing battle with some monsters in another realm, those landscapes are gradually populated with buildings and people. It's not quite a city-builder like ActRaiser, but it definitely has some of that DNA. And of course, the more you restore, the more you get access to on your journey. The pacing of the game slows down near the end, and it feels like the gameplay loop gets a little stale, but the overall experience is rewarding!

As a successor to SoulBlazer, this title does some things better and some things worse. The good? Combat is much improved. Now, you can transform into certain alter-egos to gain new abilities. There's also a major visual improvement, and the battle environments are all interesting with unique gameplay elements and real-world references like Angkor Wat and the Pyramids. The not as good? I miss the visual progression of the first title, where you can see the world restored to order as you conquer your foes. The loop is not as satisfying here. Also, the story is kind of a mess, whereas SoulBlazer is comparatively simple and easy to follow. It's a good game, but I slightly prefer its predecessor.

It may not be the very best shooter from the 90s, but it deftly combines the elements of a great FPS game and a great Star Wars game in one. The highlight of the game is, of course, the lightsaber and Force powers. Being able to run faster, jump higher, and push and pull your enemies, all the while hacking things apart with your laser sword made for a unique experience at the time. Couple this with solid level design, a universe that feels lived in, and a compelling story, and you've got one of my very favorite games. Sure, future efforts have improved on lightsaber combat and Force usage, but it's an admirable early attempt. Also a rare case of being able to take diverging paths near the end, which not a lot of games were doing yet. Most people probably prefer its followup, Jedi Outcast, but this is the tops for me!

Using a bow and arrow to fight robot animals was already a cool concept, and adding a really satisfying narrative to that made Horizon Zero Dawn one of my favorite games of 2017. Aloy is a great new protagonist in the video game pantheon, and following her journey to uncover the mystery of her origins was an excellent introduction. The bow combat is a lot of fun, and you have all manner of tools to take down the diverse array of enemies that take on many shapes and sizes. The setting is another highlight, with a fascinating world to explore and all kinds of interesting characters.

I'll start by saying that this game is a lot of fun. Weapon customizing, settlement building, and the V.A.T.S. combat are all done well. The story? It's a little thin, and none of the factions are particularly interesting to me. The biggest problem, though, is how shallow the dialogue system became. That may be due to limitations of a fully-voiced protagonist, but one of the great aspects of Fallout is its dialogue and the interesting outcomes conversations can have. I think this game lost a little bit of that. It's certainly not awful, and I'll replay this game again, I'm sure... but compared to the heights this series has reached before, it's somewhat disappointing.