Dark Souls
I would be a fool if I didn't put Dark Souls on this list, so why not start with what is arguably the most difficult and punishing video game experience I've ever had. I first picked it up back in the fall of 2012 after hearing about how brutal it was. From the tutorial level I immediately realized that maybe I was in over my head. After dying multiple times to the first boss I finally made it to Firelink Shrine, and from there I was completely and utterly lost. I stopped playing, and it wasn't until a year and a half later that I picked it up again and gave it another shot. And that was one of the best decisions I've made when it comes to games. The world of Lordran fascinated me. The enemies, NPCs, and bosses blew me away. And I died, a lot. And it was worth it every time. Dark Souls is hard, there's no doubt about that, but it is fair in how it beats you. Almost every death is your own fault. And through that Dark Souls actually taught me a valuable life lesson: No matter how many times you fall(or in this case get knocked off a ledge by an arrow from a Silver Knight) you just have to get back up, learn from the mistakes you've made, and kick whatever it is that's stopping you in the teeth. My favorite memory from Dark Souls was spring break junior year of high school when my best friend Cole and I stayed up till 6:30am fighting our way through Anor Londo and the Depths. Crushing Ornstein and Smough is something I'll never forget.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3 was easily one of my most anticipated games of 2015. The things CDProjektRed were promising about this expansive open world didn't really seem to be realistic at the time. But the Polish studio knocked it out of the park on this one. Although I didn't write a review for Witcher 3 I would give it a 10/10. In fact it is hard to put into words just how much I love this game. The world is real and immersive, the characters are fleshed out, side quests have emotional impact, and the main narrative throughout the game kept me on the hook for all 120 hours of my first play through. I love Geralt, and his quest to find Ciri brought me so many emotional highs and lows. The first Act can be a bit slow, but once you finish Act 2 the story doesn't pull any punches and it is a fantastic ride. The gameplay loop of finding new gear and upgrading Geralt is simple and fun. The gameplay is surprisingly deep if you choose to play it that way or it can be a simple hack-n-slash when it comes to combat. The two expansion pack DLCs, Hearts of Stone & Blood and Wine are phenomenal in their own right. I love this game. I love everything from the story, gameplay, characters, quests, right down to the incredible soundtrack. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the new standard when it comes to Western RPGs.
Halo 2
Many of the games on this list are on here because of pure sentimental value, that is why I consider them my favorites. Halo 2 is no exception to that. I spent countless hours playing the campaign over and over again on co-op with my friend Reese. Those are memories that I am going to cherish forever. Halo 2 is held in high regard by the industry for the advancements it made in online multiplayer. Yet I never played Halo 2 online. I played the campaign and I played local multiplayer. And it is still in my top favorites. The story was epic and even though many say it has a bad ending because of a cliffhanger, I found that moment extremely epic in my 9 year old mind. When Chief says, "Sir, finishing this fight" and the game ends I can still picture myself in awe. For me, Halo 2 was the ultimate couch co-op experience, something that the industry seems to be shying away from these days. Halo 3 might be a better game with a more cohesive story and epic conclusion, but Halo 2 reigns King to me.
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is the best of the trilogy. Third-person action-adventure SPACE OPERA. Shepard is brought back to life by a pro-human organization, and must build a team to go on a suicide mission. That suicide mission is the looming threat of the whole game. Odds are your team won't survive. Lucky for me, every team member made it out alive on my play through. I cannot recommend this trilogy enough. I played through them summer going into my junior year and spent about 30 hours on each game. That 90 hour experience is easily one of my favorite gaming experiences ever and with Mass Effect 2 being the best one it obviously deserves a place on this list. The characters Shepard brings together each have their own fleshed out stories and backgrounds, the music is epic and reminiscent of the 80s, and the third-person shooting and combat is fine in its own right. I freaking love this game. The scale of the story and being able to import each game into the next one is awesome so that this is YOUR unique story with Commander Shepard. The Reapers are coming, and it is up to Shepard and your team to stop them.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
November 11th, 2011. 11/11/11. That date is forever burned in my memory as the day Skyrim was going to be released. Bethesda never let you forget it either. Skyrim was the next follow up in the Elder Scrolls series following TES IV: Oblivion, my favorite game of all time. Needless to say I couldn't wait to play Skyrim. I poured over every screenshot, every trailer, and every word of the long preview GameInformer wrote in the weeks leading up to Skyrim's release. I have never in my life been more hyped for a game. And Skyrim did not disappoint me. I will never forget that day. My mom picked me up from school early with the game sitting in the front seat of the car and I was so happy and it was so cool of her to do that for me. We went straight home and I popped that bad boy into my Xbox 360 and time just melted away. I played it for 12 hours straight. In total I've put over 400 hours into Skyrim. I loved every second of it. The main story and side quests might not have been as great as its predecessor but it was still amazing. With two great DLC expansions the good times just kept on coming. One of my favorite moments in gaming is in the Dawnguard DLC when you reach the Forgotten Vale. Don't want to spoil anything so I'll just leave at that. If you haven't played Skyrim, reevaluate your life.
The Last of Us
Honestly I don't even really know what I can say about The Last of Us. It's the best game of the PS3/360 generation? Obviously. This game is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. Joel and Ellie's story of journeying across a wrecked post-apocalyptic United States is heart wrenching and harrowing, terrifying and beautiful at the same time. I honestly can't even put into words how amazing this game is. Just play it and experience it for yourself if you haven't.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Talk about a game that has sentimental value written all over it. Oblivion is my favorite game of all time. It was my first real Western Role-Playing Game. In the summer of 2008 I borrowed it from my next door neighbor Tyler, and quite honestly it changed my life. I believe this is when I realized how much I love video games. Oblivion captivated me. There was a giant open world where I could do anything and be anyone. After the tutorial section I went to the Imperial City and got started in the Arena. It was a quick way to earn gold, until I realized I could just break into stores and homes and rob people blind and sell my stolen items to a fence from the Thieves Guild. The game obviously has it's graphical limitations. And by today's standards it may not look great, but I will always cherish and love this game. My favorite gaming memory is when my brother and I started playing Oblivion at 3:00 in the afternoon, and we played straight till 6:00 in the morning. It was so fun. And that was a special moment for me because it was me doing something I love with someone I love. I told that story at my brother's wedding. Keller knows how much that meant to me. He and I haven't had a moment playing a game like that since. Oblivion earns its place on this list for bringing me some of the best memories I have.
