Dusty's Top 7

[Nero]

These are my personal preferences, and obviously I didnt review anything Ive never played before.

 

#7 Hearts of Iron 2

 

Hearts of Iron 2 is undoubtedly one of the definitive WW2 games ever made, putting you at the helm of any country in existence during one of the worlds most devastating conflicts. The sheer number of possibilities this opens up is fun to play around with you could for example start as Spain and guide the Republicans to victory over the nationalist coup, thus defeating Francisco Franco, and perhaps even rebuilding the Spanish economy enough to enter into WW2 on the side of the allies? Or fight as the nationalists and then cross over the Pyrenees and into France as an ally of Nazi Germany? Or maybe start a game as Czechoslovakia and spend those years leading up to the war by building troops and fortifications so you can then tell Nazi Germany when it comes demanding the Sudetenland that it can go stuff itself? Possibilities!

 

The strategy of combat in the game is also miraculously handled, and tries to present a game world that mirrors the own sometimes it wont be the enemys strength that defeats your armies, but poor supply lines and partisan activity, or destruction of your industrial infrastructure by enemy bombings.

 

With all the expansions, you can run a single campaign from 1933 all the way up to 1964.

 

Besides, just trying to fathom a cold war scenario with this as the communist Russia is mind boggling.

 

 

#6 Sid Meiers Pirates! (2004)

 

Sid Meiers Pirates! is a re-make of the original game that was released 1987. It updated the graphics heavily but kept the same fun and rewarding gameplay intact.

 

At the games core is a plotline that involves kidnapped family members, the search for revenge, and fame and notoriety in the colonial eras Caribbean. But I never much cared for the plot, and the advancement of said plot always seemed as a secondary objective to me. No, the real desire playing this game is to just [bleep] [cabbage] up you see a gigantic Spanish treasure galleon escorted by a sloop of war? Lay along side it and give it a couple broadsides and then swing your ship and ram it, board her, duel with the ships captain and take her and her cargo as a prize. Theres also something innately satisfying about circling around a ship whose sails youve torn to tatters with chain shot and just pumping dozens of cannonshot into it and watching it sink (I had an obsession with doing this against those devilish pirate hunters that chase after you).

 

Theres also buried treasure to dig up, other notorious pirates to destroy, governors daughters to woo, promotions to be gained, and cities to be sacked.

 

Sid Meiers Pirates!

 

#5 Diablo II

 

Its hard enough to find someone who hasnt played Diablo 2 at least once before, and damn near impossible to find someone who plays games and has no idea what it is, and for good reason. Diablo 2 is probably one of the most fun and rewarding cRpgs ever made, preying on seemingly everyones innate desire to accumulate more and more wild and ridiculous stuff, of which Diablo 2 is chalk full of.

 

Theres a huge amount of variety and replayability in Diablo 2 which will make you return every couple years Just to try one little build only to find your next couple months consumed by dungeon crawling and boss fighting. It does what it does welljust as the next Blizzard game.

 

#4 Starcraft

 

Despite being made in 1997, Starcraft has aged incredibly well. It certainly wont earn any points for flashy graphics anymore, but it never was really about the graphics in starcraft, moreso about the gameplay.

 

Starcraft is a wonderful game because it attains the goal that every computer RTS game attempts for Chess on crack. The game is oh so delicately balanced after more than a decade of fine tuning that its managed to stand as a titan in the RTS genre, and still has games active on Battle.net today.

 

I never personally was very good at playing multiplayer deathmatches, but the game has always been fun for me, even when Im getting my face smashed into the ground by another player.

 

#3 Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45

 

Red Orchestra was an attempt to make a WW2 game that wasnt packed to the brim with unhealthy amounts of cheese, littered with healthpacks or regeneration and silly missions. At the core its a realistic shooter, in that it attempts to model the grimy and nasty environment that WW2 actually was.

 

Theres a lot of very rewarding and just plain fun things to do in this game, and I think one of the most amazing moments Ive had in a video game was hopping onto a RO server playing Arad, jumping in a German Panzer IV, and following 6 other German tanks through a forest path and emerging to flank pretty much the entire Russian team out in the open.

 

#2 Baldurs Gate II: Shadows of Amn & Throne of Bhaal

 

Baldurs Gate 2 gets mentioned pretty much anytime anyone starts looking for a good RPG to play, and for good reason. Its a game thats jam packed with hours upon hours of quests, interesting characters, a wonderful soundtrack, and some pretty damn intense fights. Its also a game that is built on probably one of the best cRPG engines ever made, and it has aged incredibly well, especially with the addition of various graphical mods.

 

The plot is also a very immersive tale, but thats all I really want to say, because spoiling anything about this game to people that havent yet played it feels like a crime to me.

 

Theres a ton of customization, fun, and just in general rewarding experiences to be had playing Baldurs Gate 2. Like

 

 

Fighting a God damn Dragon.

 

#1 Europa Universalis III

 

Oh, Europa Universalis III, how I love thee.

 

Seriously, this game has such a stupendous amount of replayability that it borders on ridiculous. Once anyone jumps into a game, theyre guaranteed to be completely overwhelmed (my first game playing Portugal I declared war on Castille right at the get go and promptly got stomped upon), but once you learn the ins and outs of the system then the real fun begins.

 

You can pick and play as any country between 1399 and 1821. Any country. Napoleonic Italy? Yep. Danzig (seriously it was a country at one point)? Yep. One of the Mongol Empires splinter states? Yep. And you can take these countries, and if you run them right and get lucky, you can forge ridiculous empires and just use the world as your playground. You can also monopolize trade centres, blockade enemy ports, fund pretenders and rebellions, vassalize nations, force personal unions (meaning you rule as their king), and depending on which culture you have, form union countries like Great Britain, Spain, Germany, or the Mughal Empire.

 

Hell, Ive forged an Empire that stretches from the Baltic Sea all the way East to India, with colonies in Central America to boot. And the country I did it with? Transylvania. Transylvania! Hell, if that doesnt sell it, nothing will.

[doomy]

Its hard enough to find someone who hasnt played Diablo 2 at least once before

Oh, hi :3

 

Of all these games I've only played Starcraft which I didn't play much...

[Nero]

Sadface for you. They're great games the lot'o'them.

[Demoli]

Pirates!... Such a great game :thumbup:

[SirHartlar]

Just ordered Europa Universalis because of your review, only cost a fiver so can't go wrong really. :thumbup:

[Skully]

Starcraft = <3

 

Btw, why are there 2 lists in 1 day lol? Oh well, this one is far superior.

[Nero]

If only EU3 supported Windows7 :/

It does?

 

Just ordered Europa Universalis because of your review, only cost a fiver so can't go wrong really. :thumbup:

You shall not be disappointed!

 

Btw, why are there 2 lists in 1 day lol? Oh well, this one is far superior.

We are supposed to take turns? I just wrote it because I was bored.

[Demoli]

Well yeah, the one to write the last list PM's the next person he wants to do the list.

[Nero]

Oh well, I never really cared much for rules.

[Giordano]

Holy crap, two Paradox interactive games. For that, you get two interwebs. :thumbup: :thumbup:

 

Have you played Victoria? Basically it's the game between Exploration Age-Eu3 and WW2-HoI.

[Nero]

I've played vicky yea, it's definitely a unique game that's for sure, I just could never really get into it as much as Eu3 or HoI. Vicky 2 is out though, so who knows :P

[Danqazmlp]

In future, please read the stickies at the top, they are there for situations like this.

[Nero]

No.

[Zierro]

You are too fond of conflict. I can tell this by your strong desire for simulated bloodshed and, as seen above, your thirst for a skirmish with an authoritative figure.

 

I never personally was very good at playing multiplayer deathmatches, but the game has always been fun for me, even when I’m getting my face smashed into the ground by another player.

 

Yeah, most people I played against in Starcraft were just insanely efficient. Even when you're losing, it's still fun.

[Shiny]

Meh. I'm not overly fussed that you posted this a gazijillion times early. I think I might get Hearts of Iron, it looks really appealing.

[Nero]

You are too fond of conflict. I can tell this by your strong desire for simulated bloodshed and, as seen above, your thirst for a skirmish with an authoritative figure.

 

I never personally was very good at playing multiplayer deathmatches, but the game has always been fun for me, even when Im getting my face smashed into the ground by another player.

 

Yeah, most people I played against in Starcraft were just insanely efficient. Even when you're losing, it's still fun.

So true :twisted:

 

---

 

For the record the other 3 were: Morrowind, Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and Rome:Total War

[Nadril]

Yeah, most people I played against in Starcraft were just insanely efficient. Even when you're losing, it's still fun.

 

I don't really see anything fun in getting [cabbage]stomped by a rush in like 7 minutes. Lol.

 

Than again I'm an awful awful starcraft player from my limited time spent in the SC2 beta.

 

 

Decent list, I can def agree with BG2 on it.

[a_bert]

I'm gonna post this for Dusty since he had the self control not to:

 

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=469774

 

It's his AAR of the Transylvania game (EU3); basically a narrative of his experiences in the game from beginning as a tiny eastern european mess to a fantastic empire. You should definitely give it a read if you're into history.

 

---

 

All great games, a pretty classical list. Good surprise to see Pirates! in there, that game is too awesome.

[Nero]

Heh, ty Dungeonal :P

 

----

 

Also, hells yea Nadril, BG2 is awesome. I'm going through another game of it atm haha.

[jasignhagj]

Goddamnit I really want to be able to get into EUIII, but I can't get the hang of it. I don't get how people could find Victoria confusing compared to it.

 

Ill second the AAR recommendation.