My Top 100 favorite games of all time. (2024 edition)

This is it, my favorite games of all time ranked.

Some rules:
- Only full games, not going to put DLCs.
- Putting the best version if I played multiple versions (except in cases where two versions are different enough and I like them enough, like Wild Arms and it's remake and Resident Evil 2 and it's remake).

About the reviews:
The plan is to eventually talk about of every game. The review will focus more on my feelings and thoughts about the games, the moment I've played them, why they are important to me more than technical aspects of them although I can approach that side too.

Changes compared to 2020 list:
- 40 new games (29 new games, 11 games that I've replayed and entered the list).

By year (considering original year even if I played a remaster)
1999 9
2004 8
1998 6
2010 5
2013 5
2016 5
1997 4
2000 4
2003 4
2005 4
2017 4
2023 4
1995 3
2007 3
2009 3
2021 3
1994 2
1996 2
2001 2
2002 2
2008 2
2014 2
2019 2
2020 2
1990 1
1992 1
1993 1
2006 1
2011 1
2012 1
2015 1
2018 1
2022 1
1991 0

By series/lineage of games:
Mario 6
Final Fantasy 5
Shin Megami Tensei 5
Soulslike Games (FROM) 5
Wild Arms 4
Digimon 3
Megaman X 3
Metal Gear Solid 3
Metroid 3
Persona 3
Resident Evil 3
Tales of 3
Bayonetta 2
Dragon Quest 2
Fatal Frame 2
Gran Turismo 2
Last of Us 2
Nioh 2
Shadow Hearts 2
Silent Hill 2
Street Fighter 2
Xeno-games 2
Zelda 2

First comment: My 2020 rankings.


The Legend of Dragoon
The Legend of Dragoon
It sounded like a prophecy. My cousin, the biggest "culprit" for making me love video games so much, in the early 2000s told me about Dragoon and concluded with: "I think this will be your favorite game."

How right he could be.

Shortly after, I played Legend of Dragoon, one of the most revered cult classics in the JRPG genre. It's funny that even though I've played hundreds of games since then, it consistently remains my favorite. My top has changed a lot over the years, but the #1 spot has always been consistent.

I love everything about Dragoon: its pace reminiscent of a good shounen anime, its almost alien visuals, its gameplay system that is a pleasure to master, its color-coded and elemental-coded party, its soundtrack completely different from other games in the genre, the idea of drawing inspiration from cultures beyond medieval Europe. And what a beautiful game cinematically, with so many beautiful cities, incredible places to explore, memorable scenes like Lavitz against Lloyd, Rose in the shipwreck and her past, or Dart and Shana in the castle in disc 2. The stakes get higher and higher. The lore is rich, with a story that spans millennia. Everything about it seems tailored to appeal to my tastes as a kid who grew up in the '90s, heavily influenced by manga, shounen anime, color-coded armored people, stories of existential crisis, the power of friendship, protagonists with spiky hair, elementals, and crystals. And Dragoon has all of this in abundance.

My strong emotional connection with it makes me understand that even though it may not have a story that reaches the levels of Xenogears or FFVII, a battle system as competent as the press-turn in Megami Tensei, a soundtrack or dungeon design like Wild Arms, the best party in the genre as in Persona 2 Eternal Punishment, Dragoon is still such a strong, cohesive, and competent package in everything it sets out to do. It transports me to such a happy time in my life, and with so many elements and tropes that I grew up loving, it will probably be my favorite game of all time until the end of my life. It represents much of what I love most about video games.

1

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
As a child who grew up in the heyday of Pokémon and Digimon, Megami Tensei always seemed to me like the next step, and I couldn't even imagine how correct I would be.

It's incredible how here Atlus and their team wanted to do something new for the third game in the series, and they hit the mark so well, so majestically on the first try. If there's a leap in quality like the one from the second Shin Megami Tensei to the third, I personally am unaware of it. Nocturne isn't the template used in the majority of post-Nocturne Megaten for nothing; this formula is particularly amazing, and the Press-Turn System is the most enjoyable thing that has ever come out of JRPGs. All the other systems seem like they play in an inferior and separate league when compared to it.

Of course, it's a game that leans more towards the hardcore side of things, with quite a bit of friction and some completely unfair deaths (Hama and Mudo in this game are kind of OP, aren't they?). But it's cool because it's a series that generally wants you always on the edge, always prepared for the worst, and these games, when made with such quality, become unforgettable experiences. And sometimes it seems like they don't make things like this anymore, on a large scale.

Indeed, there's almost nothing I would change about this experience, in this brutalist visual style that has aged so well, in this absurd pacing that makes the game almost feel like a boss rush, in its minimalist story that makes you think more about each of the reasons. In its soundtrack, in its different guitar solos for each phase of the moon, in its metallic and completely unique vocals with that broken English (although I would have changed the audio quality in the remaster, but that's another story...).

Some things have improved in later games, like choosing fusion skills (thankfully implemented in the remaster), better balance without demons that will carry you through the whole game like the Fiends here, and the audio quality itself. But nothing has really captured the experience as a whole like in Nocturne. And of course, its leap in quality compared to the games before it is out of this world too. Nocturne was my first Megami Tensei, and even though I eventually became a big fan of the series, playing everything Atlus could offer, including spin-offs, nothing has impressed me like it until today. A cult classic for a reason.

2

Wild Arms 3
Wild Arms 3
If I told you that Wild Arms is the most underrated series in video games and that Wild Arms 3 is possibly the most perfect game in its genre, would you believe me?

Wild Arms 3 is a game that doesn't do anything even remotely in a mediocre manner, everything in here is done in a superlative way. From its opening (which is as good as those of the previous games), its protagonist who defies some unpleasant genre tropes, its unique and solid party, to its setting... And of course, the level design of its dungeons, its puzzles, and its incredibly rich, vast, and dense world map. Few times in my life have I had the pleasure of solving puzzles in a game or exploring its world map as in Wild Arms 3. Its gameplay system is also absurdly well-crafted, a game where you just don't buy healing items, that are fruits because the world is in decay and nothing else grows in this desert (except in one place), perfectly aligning with the setting of the game (a thematic consistency that I always admire, and of course, adding a survivalist aspect to the game that I also love).

And of course, the way the game itself is structured. Its plot twist in the final arc, when a game is so full of content that it has another entire arc ahead when you least expect it. And it's even better because it doesn't give any sense that it shouldn't be there. On the contrary, it's more of the excellence that the game has been providing for the last 50 hours. And in those moments, I almost forget to mention the soundtrack, which, as usual for the series, is of the highest possible level. "Fate Breaker" would be the highlight of any soundtrack in another game; in Wild Arms, it's just another excellent track for a dungeon, among many. Wild Arms 3 is such a high point that after it, the series changed completely, never reaching the same level as the initial trilogy.

And despite all this, it has never been a series widely discussed, never appears in rankings of the best games in the JRPG genre or never had good performances, sometimes not even remembered as a hidden gem or something like that, fated to limbo with inferior series even though it excels in many aspects compared to the greats of the JRPG genre. Wild Arms: the pride and sorrow of JRPGs, never receiving its due recognition. But it will always be my favorite series.

3

Demon's Souls
Demon's Souls

In 2009, after a complicated and tortuous game development process, internally considered a failure, a small Japanese video game company made waves.

And thus, a revolution in video games was born.

Demon's Souls tends to be the forgotten link since Dark Souls is what truly became popular, with all the memes about its difficulty, its infamous invasions, its complex lore, memorable bosses, dark fantasy visuals, and minimalist soundtrack.

But Demon's had already done all of that in 2009. And better. Demon's is my favorite because besides doing everything the FromSoftware games did later, it did it with a unique candor, with that energy of novelty, with a trial-and-error attempt at things that didn't work as a whole, like the World Tendency mechanic, completely removed after it but impressive for simply daring to try something different.

And for daring in so many ways, I think that's why I love this game as much as I do. Of course, it is one of the most thematically consistent games that exist, its contextual consistency is impressive, its areas are structurally divided in a quite elegant way, each giving you resources that make sense for that specific area, for example. Even the shortcuts in the game make sense for the map's theme, as in a mine, the shortcuts are elevators that carry the ores, in a castle, the shortcut is the gate that opens from the inside out, in a prison, the shortcut is the cell divider.

Furthermore, in certain aspects, FromSoftware was never more brilliant and inventive than in Demon's Souls, with each boss requiring specific strategies and not just the hit and roll at the right time that the series became known for, although not every boss gimmick worked well here, it's fair to say that each of them left an impact and became memorable. Some even had their gimmicks repeated many times in subsequent games.

When you look at its development, it's funny to think that it was supposed to be a sort of Sony's TES Oblivion and that after the project was going wrong, it ended up becoming the dream of a dreamer like Miyazaki by accident. And what a beautiful accident. Demon's Souls rekindled my connection with video games during a period that, for me, is the dark age of video games (the HD generation). I only played it in 2015, but I really wished I had played it sooner. It was the game that reignited my love for video games, and for that, I will always be grateful.

4

Silent Hill
Silent Hill

5

Persona 4 Golden
Persona 4 Golden

6

Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII

7

Elden Ring
Elden Ring
Transcendental.

It's difficult even to put into words the journey that Elden Ring has been for me. From being the most anticipated game of my life to providing the best 90 hours I could have in 2022 (and the best 100 in 2023 during my replay).

Elden Ring was the right dose of a new universe and lore within a gameplay system that was both comfortable and familiar, undoubtedly the best product that FromSoftware could create (even though it may not necessarily be my favorite).

The game's consistency is incredible, even considering its colossal size. Its vastness created a lore as compelling as Bloodborne, which was the pinnacle of this team until then. So many storylines and character lineages, so many political disputes among its major players in its history, so many memorable characters, so many moments that those who played will never forget. Whether it's the disgust felt for the Dung Eater, the embrace of Fia, the ambush at Roundtable Hold, the twist in the fight against Godfrey, the secret behind Malika and Radagon, the underground cities (and their discovery), the plans of Goldmask and Ranni.

The natural evolution of the systems and feeling from Dark Souls 3 was precisely what I thought was necessary. Nothing too far from it, as it was already the most polished game in the FromSoftware genre they themselves created with Demon's Souls.

During my second replay, I explored every corner, grabbed every item, defeated every boss the game offered. Yet, I didn't grow tired, and I see myself replaying it more in the future. How could I do otherwise? What this world has in cruelty and danger, it has in beauty and vitality. It possesses that almost intangible quality of the best games with an open-world structure, drawing you in and absorbing you.

Without a doubt, Elden Ring is the crown jewel of the most revolutionary team in video games over the last two decades.

8

Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Shadow Hearts: Covenant

9

Xenogears
Xenogears

10

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

11

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

12

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

13

Super Mario World
Super Mario World

14

Wild Arms Alter Code: F
Wild Arms Alter Code: F

15

Crash Bandicoot: Warped
Crash Bandicoot: Warped

16

Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger

17

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

18

Mega Man X3
Mega Man X3

19

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

20

Mega Man X
Mega Man X

21

Super Metroid
Super Metroid

22

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2

23

Gran Turismo 4
Gran Turismo 4

24

Nioh
Nioh

25

Against the Storm
Against the Storm

26

Gran Turismo 2
Gran Turismo 2

27

Dark Souls
Dark Souls

28

Persona 3 FES
Persona 3 FES
It's a bit funny that with 20 hours of gameplay, I almost dropped FES because the game wasn't clicking with me at all, and with 95 hours of gameplay, I was deeply moved by its ending and reflecting on so much with its credits.

Persona 3 FES came later in my life, it was the last Persona I played, but still, it was the one that made me reflect the most on its experience. After finishing it, I thought about this game every day for about 6 months.

Of course, being such a revolution in its formula (something I always found understated), the game suffers from various problems: its pacing is terrible in its first third, its decision to control only the protagonist doesn't do well for the gameplay, its fatigue system, and so on. Multiple things could have been better executed (and hopefully will be in the Remake).

But none of this can overshadow the grandeur of its theme. From the quite shocking way the party characters summon their Personas to everything around its main theme: Death. Memento mori is the theme that permeates Persona 3, and it is, so far, the best work that a game in the series has done with its core theme. And, of course, the way the theme permeates everything, having the Sun Social Link be the best Social Link in the series so far. In Persona 3, you can also see how the aesthetic is used to create something visually quite interesting, whether in its menus, the aesthetics of the city, the dorm, and even Tartarus. And this darker atmosphere has never been repeated in later games, as one has a cleaner and more cheerful atmosphere, and the other has a more badass and heroic atmosphere. Here I am, hoping that they revisit a darker atmosphere again in Persona 6.

Persona 3 is incredible. It's less approachable than 4 and 5, and maybe it doesn't have higher highs like Eternal Punishment, but it's the revolution of the series, shifting gears, ceasing to be a standard JRPG series and reaching the unique identity for which it is known today.

29

Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2

30

Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenoblade Chronicles

31

Wild Arms 2
Wild Arms 2

32

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

33

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment

34

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth

35

Lost Odyssey
Lost Odyssey

36

Wild Arms
Wild Arms

37

Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse

38

Dark Souls III
Dark Souls III

39

Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition

40

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

41

Parasite Eve II
Parasite Eve II

42

Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy

43

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

44

Final Fantasy V Advance
Final Fantasy V Advance

45

Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley

46

Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta 2

47

Demon's Crest
Demon's Crest

48

Bayonetta
Bayonetta

49

Monster Hunter: World
Monster Hunter: World

50

Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere
Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere

51

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly

52

Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie

53

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

54

Mega Man X4
Mega Man X4

55

Katamari Damacy Reroll
Katamari Damacy Reroll

56

Dino Crisis 2
Dino Crisis 2

57

Bloodborne
Bloodborne

58

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

59

Nioh 2: The Complete Edition
Nioh 2: The Complete Edition

60

Radiant Historia
Radiant Historia

61

Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege

62

Metroid: Zero Mission
Metroid: Zero Mission

63

Shadow Hearts: From the New World
Shadow Hearts: From the New World

64

Death Stranding
Death Stranding

65

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

66

Silent Hill 3
Silent Hill 3

67

The Last of Us
The Last of Us

68

Tales of Arise
Tales of Arise

69

The Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part II

70

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

71

Super Mario 3D World
Super Mario 3D World

72

Coral Island
Coral Island

73

Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

74

Puppeteer
Puppeteer

75

Cave Story+
Cave Story+

76

Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread

77

Forza Horizon
Forza Horizon

78

Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima

79

Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2

80

Legend of Mana
Legend of Mana

81

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition

82

Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3

83

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2

84

Digimon Story: Lost Evolution
Digimon Story: Lost Evolution

85

Breath of Fire IV
Breath of Fire IV

86

Shin Megami Tensei IV
Shin Megami Tensei IV

87

The Evil Within 2
The Evil Within 2

88

Ys: The Oath in Felghana
Ys: The Oath in Felghana

89

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

90

Street Fighter Alpha 2
Street Fighter Alpha 2

91

Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX

92

Tales of the Abyss
Tales of the Abyss

93

Suikoden II
Suikoden II

94

Fatal Frame
Fatal Frame

95

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked

96

Tales of Phantasia
Tales of Phantasia

97

Digimon World 3
Digimon World 3

98

Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories
Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories
Yes, it's broken, yes, the computer cheats, yes, it has nothing to do with the TCG, yes, it's impossible to complete the game and have all 722 cards due to a oversight by Konami, yes, it's confusing, poorly explains its mechanics, is cryptic and unbalanced.
And yet, it's one of my favorite games, one that I replay a few times a year (of course, using mods to make the experience more enjoyable), one that I listen to the soundtrack quite a bit, and always the game I think of when I don't want to play anything else.
To understand the affection that some crazy people like me have for this game, you need to understand the obsession that Yu-Gi-Oh! was for these people when they were kids and how this game, being on the most accessible console, especially in Latin American territories where this game seems more popular in the end.
It's a matter of context, a combination of factors that would hardly be repeated nowadays. Anyway, the game has its merits, with a great soundtrack and a very good pace. It's the kind of game that's hard to get into due to its barriers, but quite interesting to connect with once you remove them. And when you're a kid and have all the time in the world, you remove any kind of barrier like that through trial and error. And behind all this confusion, the game does have a rhythm and reason, a structure that is possible to understand and play and have fun with. THTD FTW.

99

Final Fantasy XIV Online
Final Fantasy XIV Online
I have both loved and hated this game at multiple moments. I've felt indifferent, had deep opinions, and grown tired of having opinions altogether. Yet, with each expansion, I find myself loving it again.

Final Fantasy XIV is probably the game about which I could write the most, whether about its positive or negative aspects. It will always be something extremely ambivalent for me. At times, it masterfully utilizes nostalgia, creating intricately connected storylines with the game's history. However, at other times, it feels like the development team is devoid of creativity. The online structure has brought me wonderful and memorable moments with friends, but simultaneously, it maintains the game's existence as something ephemeral and non-permanent, challenging to preserve. The gameplay, which I adore, is difficult to optimize when playing with a ping over 200ms, as Square Enix refuses to establish more servers in other continents, despite a large player base from those regions.

XIV has always been this challenging battle, but in one way or another, I've always chosen to participate.

Is XIV my #100? Hard to say; perhaps it's above or below depending on my mood. However, as a game of immense importance in my life, I've decided it will always hold that position, regardless of how many editions my top 100 undergoes. At some point, it might have been #2, anyway. At least considering the journey from A Realm Reborn to Endwalker, I can say that the predominant feeling is happiness for the memorable conclusion of the story arc, something we don't always find in this complex medium that is video games.

100

1 Comment


3 months ago

2020 ranking:

1 The Legend of Dragoon
2 Final Fantasy VII
3 Wild Arms 3
4 Demon's Souls
5 Xenogears
6 Shadow Hearts Covenant
7 Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions
8 Silent Hill
9 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
10 Dragon Quest XI
11 Crash Bandicoot: Warped
12 Chrono Trigger
13 Persona 4
14 The Last of Us
15 Super Mario World
16 Gran Turismo 2
17 Gran Turismo 4
18 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
19 Super Mario Galaxy 2
20 Super Metroid
21 Megaman X3
22 Nioh
23 Megaman X
24 Persona 5
25 Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
26 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
27 Dark Souls III
28 Bayonetta 2
29 Xenoblade Chronicles
30 Wild Arms 2
31 Bayonetta
32 Dark Souls
33 Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
34 Final Fantasy V
35 Wild Arms
36 Guacamelee!
37 Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
38 Demon's Crest
39 Dino Crisis 2
40 Katamari Damacy
41 Portal
42 Parasite Eve II
43 Banjo-Kazooie
44 Digimon World 3
45 Resident Evil 2 Remake
46 Silent Hill 3
47 Final Fantasy XII
48 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
49 Journey
50 Megaman X4
51 Capcom VS Snk
52 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
53 Zelda: Breath of the Wild
54 Super Mario Galaxy
55 Metroid: Zero Mission
56 Puppeteer
57 Xenoblade Chronicles X
58 Resident Evil 2
59 Legend of Mana
60 Digimon World Dawn-Dusk
61 Portal 2
62 Bloodborne
63 Rayman Legends
64 Wild Arms 5
65 Mad Games Tycoon
66 Hellblade: Senua Sacrifice
67 Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
68 Forza Horizon 3
69 Uncharted: Drakes Fortune
70 Bioshock
71 Zelda: Twilight Princess
72 Final Fantasy IX
73 Earthbound
74 Digimon Digital Card Battle
75 Final Fantasy IV
76 Ratchet and Clank Tools of Destruction
77 Dragon Quest IV
78 Pokémon X/Y
79 Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception
80 Super Mario Bros. 3
81 Ratchet and Clank PS4
82 Crash Team Racing
83 Zelda: Majoras Mask
84 Catherine
85 Digimon Adventure PSP
86 Ratchet and Clank A Crack in Time
87 Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition
88 Mother 3
89 Ape Escape 2
90 Digimon Cyber Sleuth Hackers Memory
91 Dead Cells
92 Persona 2 Innocent Sin
93 Yugioh GX Tag Force 2
94 Dragon Quest III
95 Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
96 Silent Hill 2
97 Final Fantasy Curtain Call
98 Pokémon Black/White
99 Street Fighter Alpha 2
100 Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn


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