Archimedes' Lever

Hello, one and all. I was feeling the urge to write more lately, so I'm going to make an effort to post more on here. It will most likely be musings about things I've given a fair amount of thought about or just something silly I wanted to put out into the world.

For now, I wanted to start with something simple and that the internet *totally* doesn't have a lot of already: a list. In this case, as the title spoils already, it will be a list of my favorite video games of all time (at this moment). This isn't a definitive list based on any particular metrics other than how much I enjoyed them and how much I think about them once I am done. Feel free to let me know what you all think about the choices and if there are any games you think fondly of that I should give a try.

Honorable Mentions:

These are game that I really enjoyed but didn't quite edge out the other choices on the list. In all honesty, any of these could have held a position as either spots 9 or 10 on this list and very much could appear there on any given day.

Death Stranding

This one was very close to making it. Both it and its sequel, Death Stranding: 2 On the Beach, are visually stunning games with very interesting, complex narratives. That last one shouldn't be a shock as this was crafted by Hideo "Subtlety is for Cowards" Kojima and Kojima Productions. When the games want to be strange and convoluted, they certainly are, but the performances in these games are stellar and produce so many moments that had me bawling. For example, the first game's last few hours are satisfying in the best possible way and includes one of my favorite video game performances as the developer and actor Tommie Earl Jenkins present a masterclass that feels incredibly unexpected in a scene that I still think about today. All of the actors do a marvelous job in this. I'm not going to spend this long on the rest of the honorable mentions, but this was the closest to making the list.

Batman: Arkham City

The Arkham Series has always been near and dear to my heart. I've been a lifelong comic fan and this and Arkham Asylum were some of the first times that I felt that the studio making the game actually put their heart and soul into it. It was treated with the utmost seriousness and gravitas (not the only way to get that effect, as I'll explain with another honorable mention). The voice acting, writing, and gameplay are all top tier and it remains a game that I revisit periodically.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance (PS2)

This is definitely a nostalgia pick, as the game's overall presentation doesn't hold up as well as it could. With that said, I love this game. This was one of the first times I felt the connectiveness of the Marvel Universe. The gameplay was fun and snappy with a wide array of heroes at your control to fight (almost) a "who's who" of Marvel Comics. Also, it put my favorite comic villain, Victor von Doom, center stage as the antagonist. Maybe I'll write something about that in the future.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

This game was the reason I bought a Nintendo Switch (like two years after it launched, but oh well). This is such a stunning experience both visually and musically. The dungeons were fun, the world was vast with options for so much side content, and the gameplay offered a degree of flexibility that meant it never felt old. The sequel didn't quite hit the same way, but that's okay.

The Top 10:

10. Spider-Man (PS5)

Spoiler Alert: This is the only "superhero" game in the Top 10 and I know I'll catch flak for having this over any of the Arkham games, but it is what it is. This game has so much to talk about. Visually, it is a treat and the just watching Spider-Man swing through such a vibrant New York is therapeutic. It is just really fun to play as the combat and traversal are (mostly) marked improvements over any other iteration of this character in the medium. When you combine this with the storytelling going on here, there's an experience here that makes me love Spidey so much more. If you've played it before you'll know, but the final act of this game does not let the foot off the gas. It's got such a good momentum from the point of no return until the finale. Heartbreaking confrontations and revelations are had, and the voice actors really carry their weight here as the gameplay remains top notch. I left this game teary eyed and just wanting more Spider-Man, which we ended up getting twice over. I'm anticipating the third entry in this series to really elevate everything and potentially bring it to a satisfying conclusion.

9. The Witcher III (PS5)

Weirdly enough, I feel like it's harder to write about this one. I had an absolute blast playing this, but I feel like there is so much of this game I haven't seen, and with this being my first Witcher game, I didn't have a lot of context coming in. I tried my best to complete all the content but still found myself looking at a monstrous list of uncompleted side quests due to some personal things that made me feel a little rushed to finish the game. From a gameplay perspective, the combat wasn't quite there for me as I felt that I struggled using the magic system effectively, especially in certain fights that required you to understand it well. What makes this game special for me comes from everything around it. The characters are fun and complicated. You can play Geralt in a number of different ways, and you can see your choices impact the world around you. The world design and set pieces for larger fights were engaging. Most of the side content is rewarding, with Gwent being the top of that list. I spent so much time playing Gwent. Too much time. I beat the base game and felt it was time well spent, even if I had to rage quit from the post-game DLC, Blood and Wine, after failing at the final boss for several hours. And before we end here, I ended up choosing Triss (again, no context for previous games), but the correct choice is Shani.

8. Hades (Switch)

Another disclaimer, I have not played Hades 2, so I would have no idea how that would affect the original's placement on this list or if they would end up sharing this spot. If I bought my Switch to play Breath of the Wild, then it would be games like this that have made me keep the console. This experience from Supergiant Games hits on so many levels. Firstly, I am a fan of mythology and history (keep that in mind), and this game reimagines so much of the Greek mythos in fun and interesting ways. I won't speak on accuracy as there are people with degrees for that sort of thing, but it's a fun setting to say the least. The character designs and personalities are all nearly 10/10's and I never skip an opportunity to chat with the denizens of the House of Hades and the neighboring areas. This game is also a bisexual dream. Megara and Thanatos both being romanceable options at the same time and the game openly acknowledges it in a positive way. While it isn't something that becomes a large plot point or gameplay hook, it is refreshing to see a game that lets you choose "Door #3" so to speak. The gameplay is fun and addictive, with a pickup and go playstyle that makes it infinitely replayable. I'm hoping to get my hands on the sequel soon, as I've heard really good things just like most other games from this developer.

7. Transistor (Switch)

Supergiant Games having two spots on this list wasn't something I thought would happen, but here we are. Just about everything I just said about Hades is true here. Starting with the gameplay, it gives a lot of the same feeling as Hades and other Supergiant works, but it is set up in such an interesting way. The strategic planning of your moves, which you do so through "coding" your actions, is a really fun way to deal with combat while also tying into the setting and narrative. Those two things are probably my favorite parts of this game. It has a vibe that is almost unparalleled as the art style and music are blended together seamlessly. I like a focused narrative, which is why this is a little higher than Hades on my list. This game just *goes* but doesn't hold your hand in terms of making sure you are getting the full story. There's a lot in just the stage design and the songs you hear throughout that do as much world building as the actions you see on screen. Also, the main character, Red, has such an incredible design that goes well with the sword that she wields. If this game had come out a few years later, I feel like we would have been flooded with some incredible cosplay.

6. God of War (The Norse Saga)

So, this one is a bit complicated. I'm breaking the "Top 10" rule here (and maybe once more in this list) and including two games under one entry. God of War and God of War Ragnarok are inseparable for me as they seamlessly blend into each other. The story of both games is rich, complex, and thought provoking. I originally had no plans to play the first three mainline entries in this series prior to playing these two, but I'm glad I did. The narrative arc for Kratos might be one of my favorites in fiction (even though it does hit a few tropes very heavily). His journey from a God of War to a God of... well, something else (I won't say it here) feels so well deserved. This was also such an interesting depiction of the Norse gods, especially from other depictions of this pantheon and a massive departure of how they treated the Greek gods in the originals (not a fan, let's just say). Instead of these malignant deities bent on just harming others for their own entertainment, the Norse pantheon was treated much more like the Mafia. Then we have our main characters try to navigate that dynamic in a way that isn't "mash square until their life bar goes down." While you do have fights, they are well thought out, and the narrative realistically leads to those confrontations. The exploration and world building continue to be excellent between both games and it feels great to do side content. Even the side quest to smack all of Odin's ravens was vastly improved in the sequel to the point of being necessary. There's so much "yes" with these games that I couldn't think of a list where they didn't appear. Last note, but Christopher Judge's Kratos performance needs to be studied. The fact that he is able to be commanding and often horrifying all while having an underlying protective and caring nature only revealed in intimate moments, is truly astounding.

Halfway Dance Break

Coincidentally...

5. Devil May Cry V (PS5)

This series has almost always been with me. From watching my siblings and dad play the first three games to me watching this Wacky, Wahoo, Pizza Man dance like Michael Jackson, these games have been such an endless source of joy. The fifth entry in the series (reboot not included) really nailed everything that makes Devil May Cry great. This follows from the end of Devil May Cry 4, which introduced a new character in Nero. That was such a departure from the previous iterations in the best possible way and I'm glad they stuck with it here. The three ("four") playable characters are so much fun, with each having you completely change your tactics when faced with a battle. Nero is very much an up close and personal brawler with various Devil Breakers that are fun to experiment with. V's combat is like playing a third person JoJo's Bizarre Adventure game where you control other beings to do the fighting for you. Spacing and timing are key for survival with him. And then we get to Dante. This might be the most fleshed out he has ever been in terms of both move set and characterization. He's the swiss army knife of character action, with options that work for every range, including some new mechanics that make you rethink how you approach each encounter. There is a fourth character available as DLC or with the Special Edition, but I won't go into it because *spoilers* but IYKYK and he's incredibly busted but a blast to play as. This game also does the most narrative heavy lifting of the franchise, from my opinion. It felt like there were stakes here that weren't present in the previous. Sure, they all had the world ending possibilities of their antagonists, but this one brought a level of emotional and interpersonal development that was much needed. If they continue this series, I would love for them to explore more narrative elements.

4. Dragon Age: Inquisition (PS4/5)

I want to talk about this one just a little differently than the previous entries. This game is very high on my list for a lot of its own merits, which I'll get into, but a lot of my enjoyment of this game came from how I played it. That's an odd statement, but it will make sense. I had heard for a while that I should try Dragon Age as a franchise and elected to give Inquisition a shot since this was the only one actively available on the consoles I own and it was on an incredible sale with all of its DLC (it was well under $10). I booted the game up and just went for it. I played a female elven mage, a choice that I was told would make the game slightly better from a narrative perspective and played maybe 20 hours or so (maybe much more?). Meanwhile, I was messaging a friend about my progress, and she was sharing tips and tricks along the way but always worked to preserve my freshness. I liked most of the party members, notable being Dorian, Varric, and Solas. Dorian was definitely the one I would want to romance, so I tried. *Spoilers* It didn't work as I didn't know that Dorian was not interested in women. When I let my friend know what happened, she laughed and let me know that she didn't want to spoil that for me. She let me know that, in her opinion, you get the most out of the story when you romance Solas. Now, let me be clear, Solas isn't necessarily my type from a visual perspective (I know, I'm shallow) but I listened, not knowing any story beats that were upcoming. My friend realized that I had accidentally locked myself off from that romance route, so she came over and helped me basically restart my entire run. She even helped me fix the monstrosity that was my Inquisitor's face from my bad experience with the character creator. Through multiple nights across a few months, she would drop by to play with me, well past the point at which I was at when I decided to hit the reset button. Growing up, I played video games with my siblings, but it was usually something competitive or too complex for me to play at the time. This was the first time that I felt that I was truly sharing in a video game experience with another person, who just so happened to be a wellspring of information about the series and setting in a way that absolutely improved my experience. There were so many routes to go in the game, something I praise the game for, and it was nice to have a guide. We played all the way to the end. I came over to her and her partner's place for the finale of the base game and for the DLC, Trespasser. I'll get back to the end of that story and the DLC here in a second, but the quick positives I can give the game regardless of context are the flexibility in both combat and narrative, the overarching narrative, and the voice acting and soundtrack. Everything is firing on all cylinders. Now back to the story, but once I finished the base game, I immediately needed more so (I could be wrong about timing on this part) we immediately went for the DLC. Oh boy, am I glad I had someone guiding me through the decisions in the base game and navigating the DLC. It wasn't necessarily difficult, but I wouldn't have gotten so much out of the narrative if I was left to my own devices. The route that my friend guided me through gave me an outcome that was so satisfying that I couldn't *not* put this game high on my list. Just knowing that there are so many other variations on how this story could turn out is fascinating, but the time spent with a friend was the best part.

3. Baldur's Gate 3 (PS5)

This is honestly a game I never thought I'd play. This is not because I don't like this type of game or Dungeons and Dragons. I love both intensely. However, I knew it would be a time commitment, and the cost of the game was much too high to justify it. It wasn't until a friend lent me a copy (so to speak) that I was able to get my hands on it. There is just so much to do in this world and I don't know if you can even scratch the surface of it in one playthrough. The gameplay is both simple and complex, letting you play almost however you want. If you have a cave full of knolls, you can approach it like 10 different ways. You can go in and just attack, you could charm their leader into going in and taking out the bandits in the cave, or you could try sneaking in to steal the goods within the cave. There's so much potential in any run of the game. It's even fun to just make characters from other things to play as. I made like half of The Mighty Nein using hirelings for one run and it was a blast. The only downside is that you, as the player character or TAV, don't really get a lot of options for personalization when it comes to story. You have your obvious choices you can make, but it feels like you are detached from the narrative (unless you are playing Dark Urge). That, and some bugs, are the only actual complaints I could have about this game. The fact that I immediately started a new playthrough after the last one ended is a sign that this was a good one (a theme you'll see repeated for the rest of the list).

2. Persona 5 Royal

This game hit at the right time. I bought the original version of this game for $5 on a Black Friday sale but never booted it up. Flashforward and we're in the middle of a pandemic and I've just moved to an entirely new state with no friends. I had heard that they were going to be releasing the Royal edition of this game, so I decided to give the base version a shot. The base version alone was able to hook me in such a way that I instantly preordered the new version once I completed it. Now, my praises for this game can mostly be applied for both versions, but I will elaborate when it comes to new things for Royal. Starting off, this game just oozes style. From the UI to the music, everything is designed to make you feel cool (or cozy at points- see Beneath the Mask). The voice acting and storytelling are both high points, backed by rewarding gameplay and a balance between levelling up in the various dungeons (Palaces/Mementos) or exploring the social relationships between yourself and your confidants. There are so many smaller stories baked into these optional interactions and most of them are really touching and help build out the characters around you. Now, most of that exists in both versions, but Royal really does improve on these in almost every way. The game removes some mechanics that made it hard to complete more of the confidant hangouts (see - cat trying to tell you to go to sleep) and adds a more involved and nuanced confidant plotline for Akechi. The game also adds new characters who are equally fascinating. A lot of this is explored in a whole new Third Semester, which adds almost another 20 or so hours to the original game. The story for this new semester is a worthy addition and makes an already great story even better. I could go into individual plot lines and what makes them so special, but I think that's best to be experienced rather than read.

1. Final Fantasy VII (The Original, Remake, Rebirth)

This entry is super cheating, but I couldn't single it down to one "version" for a very spoiler filled reason. SPOILERS Below:

All three of them are a part of one story, so, like God of War, I couldn't bring myself to cut part of the story out. I played the original late in life, specifically right before Remake came out. I had never really played an Old School JRPG like this, so I definitely struggled from a gameplay perspective, but I more than made up for it by enjoying the story and worldbuilding. The characters are fascinating throughout all three games and some of them have very interesting through lines with the original (which I could probably write a full thing about, so I won't dally there too much). The story of the original holds up to this day by itself, but having two "sequels" makes the overall story a bit of a welcome mystery. People only have been theorizing about how everything connects for years and it is a source for hours of entertainment. There is a such a level of verisimilitude here with so much of this story. It can be silly at times, but when the emotions hit, they hit you like a truck. The plot and soundtrack become intertwined to a point where you cannot think of the exact moments that were happening when you pick almost any given song from the OST. I've seen people cry in public parks after hearing Aerith's theme play. That is the level of power this game can have. Sure, some of it is convoluted (as most video games are), but it feels like an incredibly grounded adventure with a party of characters who are all distinct and likeable in their own separate ways. The narrative additions that the newer games add, as well as the complete deviation in their combat system, makes for an experience that feels fresh and should keep even veteran players on their toes. I've cried about Final Fantasy 7 almost more than anything in my life (see - exception: Critical Role). There is so much I would love to say about these games, but I feel like they have been mentioned by everyone already. I will just end by saying that playing the original is pretty essential if you want to get everything from the new two (and upcoming third).

That's the list for now, but I suspect some things will change every once in a while. I'm hoping to make this a more regular sort of thing, but we'll see. In the meantime, take care of yourselves!