Played On: PS4

One of my favorite games ever and I actually...don't even like the story or its missions. Roaming around and immersing myself in the landscapes and cities of New Hanover on my own terms is incredibly compelling, however. The sandbox world allows for some crazy storytelling that is unique in each playthrough and the world feels lived-in and real. Pour me a whiskey and get me a cigar, yee-haw!

Played On: PS5

I was not expecting to like Remnant II, and in the first 30 minutes of the game, I was wondering if I had made a mistake. Then, I was transported to the wild jungle of Yaesha and I fell in love. The storytelling in each of Remnant II's worlds is rich and thought-provoking, and exploration is rewarded through narrative as well as loot, making it feel like you are really exploring alien worlds. The gameplay system provides opportunities for unique and deep build-crafting and a ton of replay value. The game has seamless co-op, but as a single-player experience, it also provides an atmosphere of solitude, reflection, and tense danger.

Played On: PS4

The Spencer Mansion wonderfully recreates the haunted house we all have living in our brands - that one twisting, turning house that comes to your mind when you think of the genre. The game is also delightfully well paced between horror, exploration, and b-movie silliness, providing satisfyingly gameplay that cuts the tension with playful relief. This game is fun.

Played On: PS4

I mean, straight up, the police station is one of the best locations in gaming, especially with the remake's sound design. Claire's story is fantastic as well - college student beats the shit out of secret super weapons because she can. I think my favorite moment in the game is when Claire watches a creepy video tape in the sewers that provides no context, and responds exactly like the player does, "...glad I watched that..."

Played On: PS4

Biohazard was my first Resident Evil game that propelled me to play the entire series, and the first half of the game scared the hell out of me with its perfectly creepy and twisted level-design, while the second half was a revenge tour. Also the Baker Ranch reminds me of my favorite TV show of all time, True Detective, specifically the final episode.

Played On: PS5

Oh my god, I love Ethan Winters. He's one of my favorite Resident Evil protagonists - goofy, loveable, and a dedicated dad. I always feel a kinship with him, like we've bonded over all the crap that we've gone through together. Village offers itself as a love letter to several different types of horror films - werewolves, vampires, Lovecraft, haunted houses, etc., and nails them all in the most fun way possible. It knows exactly when to eschew horror for camp and vice versa, creating a frighteningly fun adventure in the process. The DLC is fantastic as well, and contains one of the most memorable sequences in Resident Evil - I can never look at mannequins the same way again.

Played On: PC

Nazis, supersoldiers, zombies, and demon princes populate the expertly designed levels in this alternate version of World War 2. I had watched my step-dad play the original Wolfenstein and always wanted to play but wasn't allowed, so RtCW was my first Wolfenstein game. It starts off with a bang - throwing you right into the titular castle, and from there taking you on a ride through catacombs and into science labs with flying supersoldiers that scared the shit out of me.

Played On: PC

Riven takes the atmospheric mystery and puzzles of Myst and turns it up to 11 while also focusing on environmental storytelling to really bring the Age of Riven to life. The puzzles also feel organically woven into the world which provides cohesion and a lived-in quality to the game world, something that I think a lot of puzzle games struggle with.

Played On: MS-DOS

An adventure to find a bigfoot and his giraffe-necked girlfriend, Sam and Max goes full-throttle (LucasArts pun) from the first moments of the game until the wholesome conclusion. The game-world is a wacky and kitsch version of the United States and feels like an epic road trip with two crazy friends. It's like Americana, the game.

Played On: Xbox Series X

Simplicity speaks to me, and the press-button-as-attack-lands mechanic provides just the right amount of endorphin rush to keep me engaged - timing the moonerang for as many hits as possible and watching the boss turn to dust never gets old. The story of Sea of Stars is simple and wholesome, played out through a classic adventure with stunning graphics, an amazing soundtrack, and mini-platforming/puzzle world traversal that keeps things fresh and moving. Atmosphere and vibes rule the world.

Played On: MS-DOS

Guybrush Threepwood is my hero and took me on so many adventures as a kid with ridiculous humor and loveable characters. I owe every come-back I've ever used to the sword fighting in Monkey Island.

Played On: PS4

My first FromSoft game that I grabbed on a whim, just thinking it looked cool. I had just beaten Hollow Knight and was feeling good about fighting bosses - how hard were games from the Souls people, really? Cue me fighting Shinobi Hunter Enshin of Misen for like 2 hours because I could not figure out how to Mikiri Counter for the life of me. Nice. I did eventually persevere, and that transformational journey from not being able to beat a mini-boss to conquering some of the most challenging bosses in FromSoft's catalogue turned me into a massive fan.

Played On: PS4

The gameplay loop bouncing between frenetic boss fights to contemplative exploration gives Shadow of the Colossus a dynamic quality and meditative factor that, when combined with the atmosphere, makes the experience seem otherworldly, yet by grounding it with such a simple and human narrative, it makes Wander's journey personal to the player. It's a beautiful tragedy.

Played On: PC - Enhanced Edition

Silent Hill 2 somehow takes desolate grime and makes it cozy with an introspective soundtrack, only to throw you in the horror deep end again with sexualized monsters, dark pits, and unhinged voice acting. I was not prepared for the emotional journey of exploring the town of Silent Hill, but it's one that will stick with me for a long time.

Played On: PC

I absolutely adore Heather as a protagonist and how much more assertive and aggressive she is compared to James in SH2. Of course, that means the nightmare turns more aggressive as well, which creates some visually striking areas that are genuinely creepy.

Played On: MS-DOS

YOU FIGHT BOBA FETT. How cool is that? Very cool back when Boba Fett was still cool. I had never played a Star Wars game before this one aside from TIE Fighter, so being first person in this universe was mind-blowing fun.

Played On: PC

Playing this game for the first time, the dark jedi were terrifying (Maw really freaked me out) and amazing, and getting to battle them with my own force powers and lightsaber was mindblowing. The shooting in Jedi Knight is fun too - toggle auto-run and it's so fast that it's almost a twitch shooter. The levels are fun to run around in, and Kyle Katarn is one of the best characters in Star Wars.

Played On: PC

A Jedi adventure with sniper rifles and rocket launchers, Jedi Outcast is equal parts hack and slash and FPS. The story is pretty decent, but the gameplay is what kept me enthralled for hours and hours as a kid - I mean you got a rifle that would disintegrate someone; it was awesome. I also remember a mod where you would fight waves of Dark Jedi while Prodigy's Smack My Bitch Up looped in the background. Peak.

Played On: PC

In 2003, I got this for my step-dad at Christmas, which was a classic double-gift since I wanted to play myself. Watching him install and play through the first few segments on Christmas morning, I thought the reflections on the sith armor was the absolute peak in graphic fidelity. When I finally got to play myself, I found an epic roadtrip with fantastic companions across a rich planetary system, and a classic yet shocking narrative that enthralled me until the very end.

Played On: PC

While KOTOR 1 told a wonderful classic Star Wars story, the Sith Lords was more interested in asking questions and exploring the nature of both the Jedi and the Force in a way that no other Star Wars media has, and the narrative and philosophy weaved throughout is thought-provoking and wholly unique.

Played On: NES

Not my first Mario game, but definitely the one I dove into the hardest. I remember rushing home from school to a friend's house and we'd boot it up, taking turns trying to beat it. Pipe Land was always the run killer. So much imagination pumped into the levels, and the amount of secrets blew my mind as a kid.

Played On: Nintendo Switch

A fun and pure game of cozy exploration with vibrant levels and creative visuals. The game gives a minor goal of collecting moons that provides that little endorphin rush every time, and a major goal of defeating the area boss and then just dumps you into a sandbox to accomplish these in any way you want. I actually don't consider myself a 3D platformer fan, but Odyssey's framing, movement, and creativity make it an absolute joy to play.

Played On: Nintendo Switch

I played through the world of Super Mario RPG while eating tiny bites of jello from a spoon and popping painkillers for the holes in my head where my wisdom teeth used to be. It was like reverting to childhood, discovering the magic and creativity of Mario all over again.

Played On: SNES

Wu-wu-wu-wu-wu-wah....sorry, I just got my cape power-up. Yeah, I mean the level design is incredible and the game introduces Yoshi, but I think the real super power of the game is how the sound effects are still stuck in my head daily.

Played On: N64

When I got to college, I had never played a Smash Bros. game before and I was terrible. I loved it though and desperately wanted to be good, so my roommate (who was actually good) would play team matches of him vs me and 3 CPUs. Then eventually we took away one of the CPUs, and then the next, and then the next and finally we could 1v1. I've loved Smash Bros. ever since and have played every game in the series now, but that memory still remains as one of my favorite gaming experiences. Pikachu + Ness 4 lyfe.

Played On: Nintendo Switch

The Smash Bros. game where I finally started playing 1v1s online - a blessing and a curse, but my Toon Link says here's a bomb, here's a bomb, here's a bomb, here's a bomb, here's a bomb into short-hop fair, and you're dead. Nowhere is safe from the bombs.

Played On: Arcade + SNES

So much time spent on this between the arcades and a friend's SNES just playing all day. He was always Leonardo and I was always Donatello, and we always kicked ass, ate pizza, and wasted hours away as kids should. Turtles in Time also had a lot of good mix-ups between the sewer levels, normal brawlers, and fun moments like having to throw enemies at Shredder's screen.

Played On: PC

When I jumped into Titanfall 2, I was just expecting it to be a standard FPS campaign; I was not prepared to be emotionally attached to my robot in the way that I was. I also wasn't expecting some of the best level-design I've ever experienced in an FPS with some truly creative platforming sections.

Played On: PS2

Fuck Eric Sparrow, the most punchable face in video game villainy. I was a fan of Tony Hawk from the first game, but adding in a story made a huge difference in replayability for me. I threw hours into this game trying to become the star skater I was born to be but couldn't in real life...because...well I have no talent.

Played On: Nintendo Switch

I've only played as a Pacifist and I refuse to play this any other way. It's just perfectly wholesome, cozy, and heartwarming that way.

Played On: PC

This game absolutely blew my mind when it came out with how good it looked both from a technical standpoint and the art design with industrial sci-fi mixing against alien landscapes and architecture. Running through the world of Unreal really did feel like I was on another planet.

Played On: Arcade

I was always drawn to this one, and the other Darkstalkers games, because of the amazing artwork and theme obviously, but the combo system's simplicity makes it a joy to play as well. Easy to play match after match and not feel like you're outplayed because you didn't memorize a 12-hit combo string.

Played On: MS-DOS

Classic LAN party game - we'd get together and add the max number of players into the game between us and CPUs. The game was work together to destroy the CPUs and then turn on each other to determine a winner. Zug zug - I still have the peon responses stuck in my head.

Played On: PC

Engrossing storytelling that plunge splayers into the strange, sad world of the Finch Family. I believe everyone would find something touching in this game, particularly in the cannery story which is unlike anything else I've ever played in the way it brings together narrative and gameplay.

Played On: Nintendo Wii

While my wife was adding things like towels, bedding, dishes, and kitchen knives to our wedding registry, I added a Wii. She was not happy...until we got the Wii. We were absolutely broke, in a tiny apartment, and the Wii became our main source of entertainment - specifically Wii Sports. Epic baseball games were played with Darth Vader, George Costanza, and Dwight Schrute playing alongside us, and we even came up with rules to make things more even (yes, I'm still salty she banned my home-run-every-time-wrist-flick technique). Tennis matches were a tense rivalry as well, as we learned how to put spin on the ball and trick each other. Some of the most fun I had in our first year of marriage was playing on that Wii.

Played On: PC

Wolfenstein doubles down on the humor, offering satire and absurdism to cut through the tense and horrific reality of a Nazi-controlled world. It also manages to be touching and humanizes BJ in ways I did not expect.

Played On: PC

New Order really reminded me less of the old Wolfenstein games and more of a mash-up with Half-Life 2, which was interesting and totally worked in a strange way. The story is a blast, but the gunplay, missions, and world-design are the stars of New Order.

Played On: Sega Genesis

Flashback to me playing this on my Sega Genesis over and over again without having any idea what I'm doing or where I was going, but having a blast getting completely lost and immersed in the world and art. Such a cozy, beautiful game that has stuck with me forever.

Played On: PC

The hand-drawn art is phenomenal and gives the game such a unique atmosphere that complements the simple gameplay. The ability to quickswap back and forth between the original 1989 graphics is a fun feature too and just adds to the classic feel of the remake.

Played On: Arcade

This was the game that I always raced for at the arcade. I was a huge fan of the X-Men cartoon series and whatever comics I could get my hands on, and so getting to play as them was a dream come true. Plus, I just loved that era of costumes. Classic.