Here it is – my personal hall of fame in no particular order. Here’s to the games that have sucked away many hours of my precious time. And I’ve enjoyed every second of it.
Assassin’s Creed II
It’s surprising that I even made it to the second Assassin’s Creed game, considering the first game made me feel like this:
The game play was dry and awkward and the story line isn’t even interesting until the last hour. (it’s almost more interesting to read about). It took me six months to finish a game that shouldn’t have even taken a week.
But I didn’t make this page to complain about my boredom for the first Assassin’s Creed game. By the time the second one rolled around, the buttons made sense and there was more to do besides climbing buildings and killing people. (I mean, I know that the game is called “Assassin’s Creed,” but there’s more to life than sticking a hidden blade through Templar agents’ guts, right?) The story became engaging and I may or may not have a giant crush on the main character, but that’s beside the point.
I guess the biggest deal for me is that playing this game is like being in a history book. While what’s happening in the game isn’t entirely historically accurate, there are data bases that pop up while you’re playing about the culture, architecture and historical figures that were around in the Italian Renaissance. Reading about all of this is optional, but I don’t think normal people read all of it like I did. So this game took me twice as long to beat because of that.
I also really like the concept of using a machine (the Animus) to relive an ancestor’s memories. Really, how cool would that be? As far as the series goes, it’s really cool how they take the smaller, historical story lines and apply them to the larger plot that’s happening present-day. I just really love the idea of the game altogether.
Skyrim
Okay, so I guess this one is kind of a given. Running around in a Lord-of-the-Rings type world doing whatever you want while absorbing the souls of dragons? Yes, please.
I’ve always been an RPG-type girl and obsessed with fantasy books and films. So, naturally, I’ve spent an unreasonable amount of time playing this game. (Okay, I liked Oblivion, but let’s be honest, the entire game could have taken place in the same meadow.) Not to mention that the freedom the game ensures. My only problem (and it’s not a real problem) is that I have about 56 open quests that I’m not doing because I’m too busy doing WHATEVER I WANT. But I guess that’s kind of the point of an RPG, I guess.
The glitches are also perfect.
Heavy Rain
This game is in no way difficult. Buttons appear on the screen, you push them, and your characters react accordingly. Doesn’t sound too great – why is this on here again? Oh, the decisions you make in this game can drastically change the end. You play as four different, very mortal characters while trying to uncover the identity of a serial killer before he/she kills his/her next victim. While the identity of the serial killer remains the same each time you play, the ending for each character can change depending on the decisions (or mistakes) you make throughout the game. It is also one of the most stressful, anxiety-inducing games I’ve ever played in my life. So, naturally, my friends and I turned it into a game we play at parties.
Relics of Geekery 