My Top 5 Favorite Video Games of All Time
Video games are one of my favorite pastimes. I have played video games for over 10 years and naturally this results in playing a variety of different games over the years. Whether using a Wii, Xbox 360, PS4, or my current PS5, there are some great games that I have played on each, such as Wii Sports, NCAA Football 2014, NBA 2K17, or Minecraft, but they just missed out, so here are my top 5 favorite video games of all time.
5. Cyberpunk 2077
The appeal of Cyberpunk 2077 before release was obvious. It was billed as the next great major video game, competing with the likes of Rockstar’s hits such as Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Its dystopian setting in the fictional mega city of Night City in California was billed as perfect for a futuristic game. In this world mega corporations rule the world, running all of the world’s governments and fighting the wars that break out across the world, all for corporate interests.
Meanwhile the game’s main character, V, is trying to make their name in Night City before they get dragged into a battle to save their life, all while fighting the Japanese conglomerate, Arasaka.
But all did not go as planned at release for Cyberpunk 2077.
From goofy glitches like having your character T-pose on top of a car and getting stuck in a wall, to having a journalist have a seizure while playing the game, Cyberpunk 2077’s initial release was one of disaster. Not surprisingly, Cyberpunk’s developer, CD Projekt Red, was hit hard by the trainwreck of a launch, as the company’s stock price plunged and criticism spread far and wide concerning the new product and company.
So why do I have Cyberpunk in my top 5? Because I actually really like the game.
To start, when I first played it on Christmas Day, about two weeks after the initial launch, the game ran very smoothly on a first generation PS4, only crashing a few times due to a singular yet significant bug. Whether it was my PS4 being well-maintained or luck, I actually could play Cyberpunk, something others were unable to do, due to the bugs that riddled the game.
Since that time, CD Projekt Red has updated the game significantly, patching many of the bugs that appeared at launch. In fact, the game went from unplayable to much more like the masterpiece it was billed to be before it was released.
With the patches and new content provided by mini DLCs, the game is that much more enjoyable, helping build upon the game’s appealing main story, wacky and wild side quests, and dystopian setting of Night City make the game extremely enjoyable, leaving anyone wanting to explore grimy Night City more and more, fighting against the corrupt corporate system present in this world.
4. MLB The Show 16
The only sports game on this list, many will question what makes MLB The Show 16 so special. Simply put, this game was my refuge for months during the summer before 5th grade.
That May, my parents bought me a PS4 for my birthday. There was one problem, however. My parents only purchased a single game and refused to buy any additional games due to the cost of the new console. With limited options, I accepted my fate and played MLB The Show 16 everyday and only this game, until my hands and fingers grew sore after playing for so many hours.
MLB The Show 16, continued the tradition of successful and fun baseball video games that the franchise is famous for. Their Road to The Show, in which you take your own player from the Minor Leagues all the way to the MLB, was improved in this edition with a revamped training experience and a more personalized experience. Along with an improved Franchise Mode, a mode where players can take an MLB franchise and run it, and improvements to gameplay. All of these enhancements proved vital to my delight with the game.
I took delight in this game by smashing home run after home run and winning as many baseball games as I could. I also made my first Road to the Show player, who made it to the MLB in his first pro season before starting a career where he would hit hundreds of homers in a single season just for fun.
This game was something that provided me an opportunity to relax for an entire summer, so I think it deserves a spot on this list in my book.
3. Spider-Man(2018)
I’ve liked Spider-Man since I was a little kid and this game made me feel like Peter Parker, protecting the streets of New York City. This game perfected web slinging throughout Manhattan, making those scenes in the movies and comic books really come to life in this game.
Spider-Man re-immersed me back into the world of Peter Parker, taking on supervillains like Wilson Fisk and others who prove to be a little close for comfort to the man behind the mask.
The mechanics of Spider-Man were just perfect in general even without the web slinging, from how webs were shot at enemies to how Spider-Man would take down enemies, everything was flawless.
Coming up with all different methods to beat up criminals and supervillains entertained me for hours, while I stayed on the hunt for New York’s most wanted supervillains all across the mega city.
Insomniac, the developer of Spider-Man, perfected New York City in the game. Everything in the game mirrored real life(except for the few sites needed to fit Peter Parker’s world) and even though Manhattan was the only borough in the game, it proved large enough to keep me entertained throughout the course of the game.
The cherry on top for this game is its great story. Peter’s world would often conflict with Spider-Man’s world creating a storyline in itself throughout the entirety of the game, as Peter shielded his identity while still trying to take down New York’s supervillains. Plus the game’s events made me care about Peter and other characters, as I wanted to see them succeed.
All together, Spider-Man’s great story, fantastic combat, and vibrant setting secured its spot at number 3 amongst my favorite video games; Insomniac should be proud of this game, as they really worked some real magic with this one and I really enjoyed their masterpiece.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2
Sequels often have trouble outdoing or even matching their predecessor, but RDR2 has no trouble doing that.
Like the original, Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place towards the end of America’s Wild West era, with its main character, Arthur Morgan, being a part of a fictional criminal gang, known as the Van der Linde gang.
The game’s events begin after a robbery was horribly botched, forcing the gang to go into hiding, before coming back to civilization, where things only get worse for both Arthur and the gang.
This game is absolutely gorgeous and has one of the best stories in any video game I have ever played. The story may be about 70 hours long but it is so worth it, with characters I actually cared about and an amazing main character.
The Wild West setting is also phenomenal with lands that mirrored anywhere from the Deep South and New Orleans to the Great Plains and the desert of the American West. Great combat is also in this game making you really feel like a cowboy from the Wild West.
Everything about this game made me want to play late into the evening, trying as hard as possible to turn things around for Arthur Morgan and his compatriots of the Van der Linde gang, while I took joy in discovering everything the beautiful setting had to offer and had fun testing the limits of characters across the West.
Some bizarre but intriguing side quests and interactions only help Red Dead’s case. From fishing with a veteran to stopping a serial killer and hunting a vampire, Red Dead Redemption 2 is full of twists and turns that makes anyone want to play more and more, including myself.
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim is a game that has had one of the most amazing shelf lives in the history of video games. That longevity and replayability makes Skyrim number one in my heart.
It may not have the greatest combat or mechanics compared to other games on this list, but the story, the amount of choices, and amazing quests this game has is second to none of any game I have ever played.
The story of the dragonborn and why dragons have come back to Skyrim is one that is compelling on its own, but where this game gets its stripes is its side missions. The Dark Brotherhood storyline, Blood on the Ice, and a Night to Remember were some of my favorites from Skyrim among others.
Finally, the great universe the game is set in is also so important to what makes this game great. All of these elements together, along with the replayability and longevity of the game itself, make me come back for more all the time, to explore every aspect of the game, for hours on end, finding joy in every last second of that time, as I take on caves full of undead enemies and search for powerful weapons and artifacts across the map.
As much as Bethesda, Skyrim’s developer, has undergone tough times of late, fans should not forget the work of art that is Skyrim, and the great work they have put in making it.
I would like to remind people who will disagree with this list, that this list is highly subjective, and this is based on my favorites, not which games I actually think are the best, that would be a whole different list.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and think about which video games you would say are your favorites!