Slakinator
This game is the GOLD STANDARD of remaster collections. It's got all the good ones from 1 to 4, and the first 2 have seamless ingame toggles between old and re-done graphics that remains an amazing feat 10 years later. They all play flawlessly on PC, and the details are all perfectly preserved. Nothing was missed here, and the multiplayer is still just as fun as it was when the games came out. At 10$ on sale, it's an absolutely stunning deal and impossible to not recommend if you've even thought about playing Halo before.
This is the best current way to play Tony Hawk. After years of killing the franchise, Activision dropped this excellent throwback in an up to date engine with all of the tricks added in by previous games that let you throw massive combos together. Everything feels smooth and responsive, and it brings back that classic THPS vibe with a fresh modern twist. The only things holding it back are the relatively limited special trick and character customization, but those are small blemishes on an otherwise excellent game.
2003
Unbeatable and unrepeatable. SSX 3 is an absolute icon of the extreme sports genre at it's finest, and it proves that through gameplay that's snappy, smooth, and satisfying. Any issues from previous titles have been ironed out, and what's left is a nearly flawless experience. All 3 peaks take you down the slopes with perfectly tuned racing and a trick system that's endlessly addictive, all accompanied by a soundtrack that fits like a glove. It's pure early '00s bliss, and a title that should be a staple of anyone's gen 6 console library.
2001
The rehashing of the trick system in this sequel is something that should go down in history as one of the greatest decisions ever made in gaming. It turned a relatively average snowboarding game into a loud and in your face powerhouse of a title, with bright unique visuals and banger tracks that perfectly accentuate the addictive trick-lining and adrenaline-filled racing that's tailor made to give you a perfect rush that'll keep you coming back for more. If you're at all curious about a foundational game like this, give it a shot and you won't be disappointed.
2000
Despite being comparatively clunky and simplistic, this is a good start to the series with a nostalgic "2000s future" aesthetic and solid racing. Come into it with an exploratory mindset, and you'll find something to enjoy for a while.
2023
This game is right what it says on the tin. It's a really charming FPS get-together with your friends, with the main gimmick being a randomly shuffled collection of mildly useful to OP card-based skills used to blow a hole in each other and get a best 3 out of 5. It's inherently unbalanced and lacks some depth, but at 10$ it's a great way to goof off for a few hours with your buddies.
2012
If you want to know exactly how hard it was to run a kingdom in medieval Afro-eurasia and don't mind questioning your morals to the point that you can't remember them, then this is the game for you. Countless weeks will be spent manipulating the systems around you by assassinating, ransacking, and marrying (with a sprinkle of incest) towards god-emperor status in a ceaseless quest for power. It's a stern reminder of how screwed up history is, and it's great.
2018
Imagine Dwarf Fortress in space, but better looking and slightly less overwhelming. This game is a schedule destroyer where you WILL fail until you get it right, but it makes every success feel so damn good. It puts you right into the headspace of a makeshift colony on a random planet that wants you dead, with the sheer random and indifferent cruelty of space driving that home into an unforgettably unique test of your sanity and planning skills.
If you're a fan of the 4-man horde shooter "L4D2" formula, you'll have a blast. The levels and atmosphere are gorgeous, and the 4 classes are all distinct yet equally useful and fun to play. However, I can't rate this any higher than ★★★★ because of the late game's PUNISHING craft system that relies heavily on RNG with few options against it. Play the game through to level 30, but just don't try min-maxing or you'll waste tens of hours that aren't worth it.
2009
For better or for worse, this game is the peak of "skill based" MOBA matchmaking. Gameplay is so reliant on good teammates that you cannot improve or go higher in the ranking system unless you're playing at a level that you can't learn to be at when stuck with random teammates, so you NEED friends to progress with or you get hardstuck in your ranking bracket. Balance is a constant issue, so getting good at some specific characters can screw you over if they get nerfed or other chars get buffed. Do yourself a favor and spend your time on a better game that you can actually control.
2010
You really don't need to play any other fallout game than this one. It's the essential experience, and a game that withstands the test of time for so many good reasons. Despite being a Bugthesda game it plays well without mods, but they take this game to the next level. Even if you only have a mild interest in RPGs, don't pass this one up.
This game probably sucks WAY more than I remember it... But as a dumbass 90s kid who loved Rugrats at the time, I have fond memories of ironically playing it with some friends and cracking shots at the weird awkwardness of this janky-ass rugrats party game.
2015
This game will break you. The setting is just as gloomy and punishing as the gameplay is, with chance dictating your fate through horrifying circumstances that add to the theme of hope-testing loss and strife. Enjoyment of this game depends strongly on your levels of bullshit tolerance, but it's a unique and fun experience once you get into peeping the horror.
2013
This game is a real treat. You'll find yourself always wanting come back to see what's next in what's possibly one of the best "movie-type" games out there. As such it doesn't have the deepest gameplay, but that's not what this game is about. Genuinely a game to at least try before you die... Hopefully not to the infected!
2003
Despite looking like a simple silly puzzle-based game with pirate theming, it's a surprisingly deep niche MMO. Real guilds with massive battles can take over entire islands, with every store and location being entirely player-owned. There is an entire economy bolstered by a sizeable variety of pillages and expeditions that let you earn money and rare items, and you can wager it all on poker and other activities. Despite its' age nowadays, there's no other game like it.