My favorite Zelda game. It takes everything that Ocarina of Time did and improves on it, adding an incredibly moving story underneath it all. At a glance, only 4 dungeons and a 3-day cycle might seem lacking, but they pack a whole lot into the game and connect all the elements so well. And with the story solely focused on Link (no Zelda and no Ganon), it becomes a much more personal journey for him and the various figures he meets along the way. Plus, I just can't resist the classic Legend of Zelda field theme!

One of the most revered RPGs and SNES games for a reason. Everything about Chrono Trigger works. The characters are fully realized individuals with unique abilities and benefits; the gameplay is clean and simple, with some twists on the formula; and the story is perfectly paced with the usual light-hearted shenanigans to open, hints at some greater mystery, huge developments late in the second act, and a finish that is entirely in the hands of the player, complete with multiple endings! And with New Game +, the game is perfectly replayable to do something new your next go around. I'll add that the game has excellent side quests without overloading the player with content. In fact, I kinda wish there was a little more to do in the late game! This will always be a favorite of mine.

The first thing that should draw you in is the art style. It's beautifully rendered and animated, and adds a lot of character to the game. Then there's the game itself, which is a great balance of old-school platformer with contemporary soulslike. The setting is a fascinating and imaginative world with so many interesting locations and creatures, and it invites exploration as you seek to uncover the mysteries within! Also, killer OST by Christopher Larkin, with some of my absolute favorite video game tracks.

I don't love this game quite the way that diehard FF7 fans love it... but it's still a top 5 Final Fantasy game for me. This is the first one I ever caught a glimpse of, watching my stepbrother beat Sephiroth way back in 1997. You can imagine that this very quickly got me intrigued with the franchise. VII is a blast, and has many of the great all-time FF characters. It also has one of the best OSTs in the series, and Uematsu masterfully weaves his musical themes throughout. It definitely shows its age in some ways, and the side quests aren't as engaging for me as some of the other entries, but it is definitely deserving of many of its accolades.

This game often comes up in conversations about "video games as art." I happen to think all games qualify, regardless of their quality, but I see why Shadow of the Colossus is one of the go-to examples. This game is truly an artistic endeavor, with a stunning, sparse world, incredible and cinematic encounters, and a thrilling and moving score. Now, let's talk about the gameplay. Honestly? It's clunky. They smoothed some things out with later re-releases, but playing this on the PS2 was a challenge for sometimes the wrong reasons. Granted, some of this could be intentional based on the protagonist's inexperience... but it made for occasional frustration in an otherwise very good game! Made today, it's probably a much cleaner experience. This is the one thing that keeps this game from a higher rating for me. Otherwise, it's phenomenal.