3 games that define you?

Most of us have been gaming long enough to have our favorite games/ best genres and favorite characters. It is safe to say if you are here posting about games, you are passionate about gaming and it has helped shape who you are today.

I saw a great video today on the topic Here and it really got me thinking of games that define me. They don't necessarily have to be your favorite games. They just need to be games that shaped your gaming style and had a significant impact on your life.

In no particular order, here are my 3 games that defined who I am as a gamer:

1. Final Fantasy 10

Its my avatar:P Final Fantasy 10 was my first Final Fantasy and is the game that made me realise that I will ALWAYS be a gamer.

I got it really late (2005) and actually got it by accident since I was short of 10 euro to afford another game and it was available for dirt cheap 10 euros.

From the music (To Zanarkand) to the gameplay strategies to the story, it all resonated with me so much. I could relate with Tidus and his parental issues I could relate with Wakka dealing with your faith being tested, I could relate with Yuna and feeling the pressure of the world on you. As a 12-13 year old, this was mind blowing to me that games could do this.

My brother who isn't much of a gamer (Plays sports games & GTA mostly) got so into watching me play the game, he would actually tell me not to continue the story until we both were at home and we would play till the early hours of the morning. He was brains behind my battle strategies (Oh Gosh I remember how relieved we were when we beat Seymour on Mt Gagazet!) I played the game all summer (200 hours +) and when the end credits rolled, I shed a tear and knew for sure, I would be a gamer for as long as they keep making games.

2. Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare

The game that got me into online gaming.

I had played online games before (My first one was SOCOM Fireteam Bravo on PSP) but COD4 is when I realised the joy that online gaming could bring. I was never a huge shooter fan. I would play the odd one here and there but in the holiday season 2007 I had enough money saved up for one game (Uncharted 1 or this) I decided this would give me more value for money since it is online and I am so glad I made that choice.

The ranking system was addictive. Seeing my perks unlock and seeing how it made me more effective online than others who did not have them and Clan wars.

I was in a clan with people I met in the game (some of them I still chat with to this day) and it was exciting to chat with real people and do some major damage whilst having each other's backs.

My parents used to think I was mad for having a conversation in the room by myself and even threatened to take my PS3 away until I proved that I was actually chatting with real people online LMAO!

I played COD4 so much that I play it till this day. Never got into the other COD games that much but this one made me realise online gaming can be extremely entertaining.

3. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas

"ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS FOLLOW THE DAMN TRAIN CJ!"

People to this day still quote so many lines from this game, it is clear the social impact it had on many gamers lives.

This was my first GTA game. I had only heard about it in passing so I went in with no expectations.

I hadn't played a Sandbox open world game so being given so much freedom to go around and do whatever I wanted to do was a great surprise. I think out of all the GTA games released, this one easily has the most amount of content crammed into the Single Player. I beat the game over 10 times over the years on various platforms and I STILL find new stuff I missed on subsequent playthroughs. Wanna just drive around? Sure. You wanna have gang shootouts? Have at it. Wanna just do the story missions and skip everything else? Your game, your rules.

As a fan of hip-hop & rap music, I loved driving around listening to Radio Los Santos & WCTR. The story was entertaining throughout. (San Fierro is my favorite city) The characters are memorable (Who doesn't know Big Smoke lol) The missions were the most varied in a GTA game and I loved how NPCs would react to you if you were buff or fat. I felt like I was in a real world for 2004 game standards and my love affair with R* has just grown throughout the years.

So those are my 3 games that I'd say define who I am as a gamer. What would you say yours are?

Right now?

Flight Simulator X

STALKER games

Far Cry 5

Interesting topic:

1. Halo 3 - It's Sandbox environment spawned enough lan parties and new friendships for me. Not only that, but the epic conclusion of the trilogy within it's single player campaign. I had been a Halo fan since being 10 years old with the original Combat Evolved so it was touching to say the least. Besides that, innovative features like custom game modes, forge and the theatre were all reasons to never stop playing this game. Now with the MCC update, I can relive my childhood in 4K 60fps. Thankfully the population is now quite active for some multiplayer action.

2. Assassin's Creed Origins - The game that got me back into single player gaming. Besides just MP games like Overwatch and Battlefield 4, I stopped Single Player gaming for quite some time. Then I picked up an Xbox one X last year alongside Origins and I fell back in love with Single Player. From it's big beautiful open world, reworked gameplay mechanics, interesting RPG skill trees, the loveable protagonist, good writing within it's narrative, the long Main Story and so on. I also find myself going frequently into the photo mode and taking a cool collage of photo's.

3. Overwatch - This game has taught me to be a better leader. Not directly, but more through trial and error. The only way to get to Grand Master is by a pure positive mindset, communicative leadership and mental strength. Take your losses lightly, and win with humbleness. Be analytical of your own mistakes and improve incrementally with baby steps. From being a crying sore loser to a solid calm winner. I got to Grand Master's and ended up being in the top 100 for Hanzo, Reinhardt and Lucio. My skin had to be thick. There are a lot of toxic people and throwers in this game. This was all 7 Seasons ago though, a lot has changed and now I am a mid Diamond player just having some light fun.

Across my life.. biggest impacts are probably

Super Mario Brothers (SMW is a close honorable mention)

Goldeneye 007

SOCOM

Those are the three games that I really cut my teeth on in my earlier days.

It's hard to say which games define me as I like to play so many different games. However, these represent what I like to play the most...

1. NHL series. I have been playing this since the original game on Sega Genesis. So many good memories playing with friends. EASHL took it to another level.

2. Battlefield series. Best online FPS ever. Conquest will never get old.

3. Zelda series. I love action/adventure/RPG games where I get to explore, solve puzzles, fight enemies, and be immersed in the world. No game has ever impressed me the way Ocarina of Time did. The old Zelda formula is probably the greatest single player game design ever. Breath of the Wild is a good game too but it feels more generic like Skyrim, Horizon, etc., and loses the magic of the old formula.

Honorable mention to the Forza series. I love racing games.

Why? What have they done for you?

The friends you made through playing Halo, have you been able to meet them in real life? Also mind sharing why you stopped playing SP games?

I 1000% agree about the pure positive mindset. A lot of what we deal with is in the head. If you have a positive outlook it really does help. Also the losses part. I like to think of losses as lessons. A chance to improve. I used to be a sore winner when younger, i thought I was hot s*it in Fifa and was a badass. I finally met someone who played me 4 times in a row at a gaming tournament and i got smacked silly hahahaha. I licked my wounds and instead of thinking I know it all, I asked him for tips on how to improve and we actually ended up becoming good friends.

Gaming has done so much for me.

I used to be in high school during my Halo 3 days, so the friends I made during that period were in my school. In the end we had around a steady group of 20 people, boys and girls both mixed, organising monthly lan parties. Those friends remain close, I know I can visit them at any time and it would be a good time. Too bad I moved away to another country so that would have to happen during vacation periods.

Yea man you hit the nail on the head concerning mindset, well said. It's about keeping that open mind to learn to improve!

I stopped playing Single Player games because I felt like the early games in this generation were simple re-skins of the previous generation but with lesser quality gameplay or writing for that matter. There are only a handful of story based Single Player games that stick out to me this generation. I am also a graphics junkie and love myself immersive worlds. The Xbox one X was the logical step up to me. I recently bought (physical copies)of The Witcher 3 and FFXV. I am sure they won't disappoint. You must have some form of experience with FFXV, what was your impression with that game? Now I am looking forward to Metro Exodus, Red Dead Redemption 2 and of course Cyberpunk 2077(especially this one). Looks like this generation is going out with a bang. What games are you looking forward too, FF7 remake looks very good to me and to you?

Sonic the Hedgehog

Final Fantasy VII

Metal Gear Solid 2

Final Fantasy VII - My first RPG

Super Mario 64 - My first taste of 3D gaming and really my first major game.

Pokemon Red & Blue - I was obsessed with Pokemon growing up.

FF7 and ultima 7, much the same reasons. Both of these games made me fail utterly in love with the rpg genre. And yeah Both of these games provided me with several heart touching moments that just confirmed my passion about gaming.

Counter strike. Countless LAN parties and a lot of friendships have centered around this game.

The witcher 3. After a period where I played less and less computer this renewed my interest in it and still is the best game I ever played!

Honorable mention to planescape:torment. The best story in any game I ever played. Love that game to death and have played the heartbreaking saga of the nameless one countless times without getting bored:)

Deus Ex 1 - Probably the best game ever made. incredible story, level design and was ahead of its time that no other game was.

STALKER SoC - The most immersive, atmospheric game ever made. the zone is one of the best setting in any game. this game clearly define me.

Half life 2 - Excellent level design, pacing, story, characters and how it was ahead of its time when it was released in 2004.

Final Fantasy IX - I could boil it down to saying this game alone defined me. When I think of what character I admire the most I always come back to Zidane but the entire plot shaped him and the other characters showed different sides to his personality because the other characters were so diverse even from one another. What’s also amazing is that each of those supporting characters were drastically different from what the in-game world tried to label them as. I try to see everyone I meet as their own individual person despite what upbringing or situation I meet them in. I work at a high school and I try not to write off the students that embody stereotypes at first glance.

Id rather have a top 10 games that define me...but okay...

Metroid Prime

Killzone 2

Demon's Souls

Mine will be :

Tribes 2 / Chrono Trigger / DCS World. All on the same level of course!!!

Streets of Rage 2

Sonic 3 & Knuckles

Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight

They're what I've played, and the type of games that I want to play the most.

dark souls

shadow of the colossus

mgs 2

all were there for me in tough times.

Kingdom Hearts 2

Sengoku Basara 4

Tales of Xillia

For me

Shenmue - Nowadays when someone plays this game they probably won't understand what the hype was about because other games have copied upon the open world formula and even improved on it and expanded on it etc

But yourself in the shoes of someone playing this game back when it first came out and just how awesome it was. I also have to say that my lobe for this game also had a lot to do with the fact that I LOVE martial arts and that opening cut scene seeing Lan Di using some authentic kung fu had me literally busting walnuts in my pants.

MGS 2 - So I had already played the first game and loved it but this one's production values, music and everything else carried it to the next level. Again it's another one of those games where you had to have played it during it's time to have a greater appreciation for it. I would've put MGS 3 here because I ended up liking it over 2 but 3 wasn't as much eye opening as 2 was just because 2 blazed the path for 3.

Dark Souls - Some back story.... I had bought Demon's Souls and never played it for about a year and then bought Dark Souls and never played it either, mainly due to backlogs of games I was playing at the time more so than anything. One day I tried to play Demon's Souls and got obliterated withing a few minutes of the game and I said **** that I have way too many other games I have waiting to be played for me to waste time on this garbage hard game. One day my sis was chilling in room and I said to her "hey why don't you try this game ad I put in Dark Souls for her just laughs and giggles to see her get wasted and for whatever reason watching her play was an eye opener for me. That same night after she left I gave it a try and an addiction was born. I'd play the game for 3-4 hours get tired and turn the system off only to realize a few minutes later I have nothing else more fun to do so I'd turn the game on for another 2-3 hours and play. Needless to say I finished the game and went on to Demon's Souls immediately having some experience now ;-)

honorable mentions goes out to - Fall Out New Vegas, God of War 2, Final Fantasy 10, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Shadow of the Colossus

you got 2 out of 3 of mine ;-)

Final Fantasy VI - I still remember that before playing this game I wouldn't touch any turn based because I had the idea that those games basically played themselves . That lead to Chrono Trigger/ Cross, Xenogears, FF VII/VIII/XII all games that I loved. Then I jumped to WRPG's and I loved KOTOR/2, Neverwinter Nights/2, Wizardry 8. Nowadays I'm not that into RPG's overall, unless it's a Bethesda game, but at least this lead me to play other turn based games that I still love like XCOM games.

FIFA series - I just love these games and have always played them. I don't buy them every year, usually every two or three, but I'm usually playing a quick match or starting a new career every now and then.

Super Mario World - This is basically the game that got me into gaming. While I had played other games previously this is the one that really got me hooked. I don't like platformers anymore but this game definitely got me to play lots more while I still did.

You won't be disappointed with either game. The Witcher 3 is in my top 10 games of all time. Recently completed it after over 240hours of gameplay. FFXV is great if you like western RPGS like The witcher 3. It isn't a typical Final Fantasy game but it is a good game. Don't let fanboys deter you from it.

Red Dead Redemption 2 looks fantastic. It is a day one purchase for me (I rarely ever purchase day one) but I know R* will deliver as they always do.

I am excited for Kingdom Hearts 3 early next year and The Last of us 2. I hope they both come out in 2019. After that, this generation can begin to wind down and i'll be content:)

This feels like an interview question.

I worked at a high school for a few years too myself. I'm sure this skill of yours comes in very handy for your students. Especially as they are teenagers who are impressionable. Remembering my teenage days, I was always more receptive to teachers who actually took the time to get to know me even a little bit eg: Ask how my weekend was etc

The small things matter. Final Fantasy IX expressed that too. I really liked Vivi.

@demon-returns said:

For me

Shenmue - Nowadays when someone plays this game they probably won't understand what the hype was about because other games have copied upon the open world formula and even improved on it and expanded on it etc

But yourself in the shoes of someone playing this game back when it first came out and just how awesome it was. I also have to say that my lobe for this game also had a lot to do with the fact that I LOVE martial arts and that opening cut scene seeing Lan Di using some authentic kung fu had me literally busting walnuts in my pants.

MGS 2 - So I had already played the first game and loved it but this one's production values, music and everything else carried it to the next level. Again it's another one of those games where you had to have played it during it's time to have a greater appreciation for it. I would've put MGS 3 here because I ended up liking it over 2 but 3 wasn't as much eye opening as 2 was just because 2 blazed the path for 3.

Dark Souls - Some back story.... I had bought Demon's Souls and never played it for about a year and then bought Dark Souls and never played it either, mainly due to backlogs of games I was playing at the time more so than anything. One day I tried to play Demon's Souls and got obliterated withing a few minutes of the game and I said **** that I have way too many other games I have waiting to be played for me to waste time on this garbage hard game. One day my sis was chilling in room and I said to her "hey why don't you try this game ad I put in Dark Souls for her just laughs and giggles to see her get wasted and for whatever reason watching her play was an eye opener for me. That same night after she left I gave it a try and an addiction was born. I'd play the game for 3-4 hours get tired and turn the system off only to realize a few minutes later I have nothing else more fun to do so I'd turn the game on for another 2-3 hours and play. Needless to say I finished the game and went on to Demon's Souls immediately having some experience now ;-)

honorable mentions goes out to - Fall Out New Vegas, God of War 2, Final Fantasy 10, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Shadow of the Colossus

I remember people hyping up Shenmue (still never played it:p) but I remember reading somewhere that it was one of the most expensive games ever for its time.

I was actually debating between putting MGS2 in here over GTA SA but ultimately chose GTA due to the vast amount of content. MGS2 was my first MGS game and I remember being so entertained by the cutscenes, I was more excited to watch them at times than actually play lol. I remember making popcorn to watch the nearly 2 hour long end game cutscene.

Thief games. My work (from 3d art to video editing and writing) is heavily inspired by those games.

Interesting question... the easy answer would be to just list my top 3 fav games ever (ie. Half-Life 2, Bioshock, Witcher 3). But I don't think it's that simple.

When I think back, I still think that the 6th generation of consoles had the biggest impact on my love of gaming and that generation really solidified gaming as my main hobby. The OG Xbox & Gamecube are still my favourite consoles of all time, even though the consoles I've owned since are arguably better and I've spent more time with them.

The 3 games that I remember most fondly from that generation, and I suppose really cemented my love of gaming, are:

• Halo: Combat Evolved
• Project Gotham Racing 2
• Super Mario Sunshine

Whilst these aren't my favourite games of all time (only Halo makes it into my top 10 list), these really connected with me at a time when gaming wasn't really my main hobby. But that all changed after I played these games/consoles.

Ragnarok Online - introduction and indoctrination to the crack known as mmorpg.

Crysis - The first game that wowed me with graphics

Megaman X4 - first console game that I really got addicted to and got me into the Megaman series. Bad at it though.

1. SimCity 2000

Got me into PC gaming.

2. Total Annihilation

One of my first RTSs, and my favourite from those years. Still continues to influence how I view game design, and not just in the RTS genre.

3. Neverwinter Nights

Cured my Diablo II addiction, made me a fan of Bioware games.

Metal Gear Solid, Ocarina of Time, and Starcraft.

@Netret0120:

1. Hyperdimension Neptunia

2. Halo

3. Tomb Raider

Everquest

Baldur’s gate 2

Final Fantasy Tactics

If I were to go to anonymous gamers meeting, and show up three games that define me as a gamer to all those strangers, I would hold up...

GTAIV

AC2

Gran Turismo 4

Out of curiousity, what made you love them? It is rare to hear of someone say certain games cemented their love of gaming but not have them in their top 10.

Also, what is your top 10 games?

Why these games? I am with you on the GTA4 front though. I much preferred that game's story to GTA5's.

catherine

hatsun miku

tingle DS

Yeah I know it probably sounds weird... but like I said, at that particular time in my life, I didn't love gaming like I do now. And when I played those games in particular (there were others too), they just really engrossed me. But I have since played games that I class as better games overall, hence why they aren't in my top 10 list (except for Halo CE).

My top 10 are:

1. Half-Life 2
2. Bioshock
3. Witcher 3
4. Mass Effect Trilogy
5. Portal 2
6. Halo: Combat Evolved
7. Inside
8. Red Dead Redemption
9. GTA: San Andreas
10. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Uncharted 4 (A thief's end)

Batman Arkham Knight

Rachet and clank (ps4)

Im a fan of adventure games ranging from complete ominousity to just plain fun.

Silent Hill 1

Silent Hill 3

Rule of Rose

GTAIV shows I'm sandbox aficionado. AC2 shows I love adventures that challenge you on every level, and really engage your imagination. Gran Turismo 4 shows I love racing games and retro games.

Yeah, those three games really do define me as a gamer!

@KBFloYd said:

catherine

hatsun miku

tingle DS

Didn't expect these games from you, thought it would be dominated by ninty franchises.

FINAL FANTASY X,XV

Your Mom, Your Mom 2: Dem Tiddies and Your Mom 3: Junk in the Trunk Edition.

Just kidding

1. Legend of Zelda.

The first title is why I play games. The sense of adventure it gave me going around Hyrule was amazing and still is. It is one of the reasons it is my favorite series, I always feel like I am on an adventure and discovering new things, learning about the world.. Good times.

2. Resident Evil 4

I had played earlier titles in the series and enjoyed them. When I first saw gameplay for RE 4 i was intrigued how the series would be in this new direction. I absolutely loved it. I was only 13 when it came out, but my parents (bless them) bought it as a birthday present for me. Third person shooters and actions games completely changed for me after this. Before it was only platformers or Zelda games. If it wasnt for RE 4 I wouldnt love a lot of the genres I enjoy today.

3. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.

Another game series that I played the first game in as a child on the NES. I saw the trailer for Sands of Time and lost my shit that PoP was coming back rebooted. It had my 3 pillars of gaming that I still hold onto today. Platforming, puzzles and combat. It was one of the first titles I ever finished, and was the real first 3d action style game I had played.

All of these games I still go back to and play. Hell earlier today I was fighting Ramon Salazers right hand in RE 4. Shit still holds up toight like a toiger.

Of all of the games I have played these three have had the most impact in my life. Of the three, I only regret my time spent with one of them. (I bet you can guess which one)

1. Xenogears

2. League of Legends

3. Starbound

Streets of Rage 2

Halo CE

The Witcher 3

Sonic the hedgehog or mortal combat first games I fondly remember as kid

Resident evil on the PS defined that era for me

Bioshick, halo 3 and castlevania: lords of shadow best experiences I had if that ten

Witched 3 one of the best games I have played this gen

These are the 3 games that had the most influence to the rest of my gaming habits:

- Deus Ex (duh, the best game of all time). A semi open world FPS RPG were your actions matter, a lot of great characters, superb world building and plot, fun stealth (even with the retarded AI), meaningful side stories, etc.

- Mafia (the best linear open world game to date). My most anticipated game of all time as it got delayed countless times. It has everything that GTA never managed to replicate to this day: authenticity, realism, story and characters.

- Colin McRae Rally (my fav racing series ever). Played all the games except Showdown (no proper rally events in that trash) and Dirt4 which is just an inferior version of Dirt Rally.

1. Street Fighter II: Turbo

When I was I a young child, with cherub, obvious to crippling harshness of the world. This hot popped on my radar. The late 80's and early 1990's were a time when young males watched Bloodsport, Rocky and similar masculine themed movies, that are now considered a sin by the majority of Resetera.

In particularly I owed a movie called "Best Of The Best", in this movie, a young man on the American Taekwondo team enters the world tournament to follow in the steps of his brother. We learn through flashbacks his brother was killed by the eye-patched leader, who seem brutal. In reality, he deeply regrets it, and we get an emotional final where the medals are given to America, because go America. It has Julia Roberts brother in it, who would later go on to star in the Dead Or Alive movie.

These movies were highly influential, and indeed (in particular Bloodsport and Rocky) helps form the likes of Street of Fighter II.

After much begging, I received it for Christmas. This came with Super Mario World and Zombies Ate my neighbors, however I ignored these and concentrated on Street Fighter II. It was everyone my little mind envisioned and better. Chun Li's legs, the theme tunes, Ulocking those 4 bosses only to lose them when you reset the cartridge. Even reading the game manual for the characters back-story was exciting. Why did that big bastard have a scar on his chest?

Overall, a masterpiece of games designed with further iterations. No Street Fighter since has never quite managed to capture the magic, and indeed, many simply piggyback it, particularly it's music score and legacy characters.

2. Halflife

This game also arrived at a certain time in culture, when the x-files was at it's peak. Mistrust of the government and a unwavering believe of aliens among us.

Part of the magic of Halflife was going in expected another standard shooter and then slowly being engulfed into an experience. Most people these days will point to Halflife 2, many retrospectives on Halflife from young 20 year old boys will probably be confused. It's one of those games to have been there to see how it changed the world.

As an obese teenager with a fairly mediocre pc , and a computer chair that was terrible, I look back, thankful to have experienced such a masterpiece. It was a first hand demonstration of what video games could do. Unlike the sneering, cynical attitude now, where it seems every company is a little shit dreaming up ways to scam the consumer, that time in pc gaming was full of optimism and experimentation. Halflife was part of that, raising the bar for everyone to follow.

3. Resident Evil 2

It's a good. Bit like the first game but everything is better.

I had no idea Rocky & Dead or Alive were so influential in the making of SF2. I actually only recently watched Rocky (Please don't judge :P) and realise where so many films of today took from it. Especially that running/training montage.

Street Fighter 2 is actually the only street fighter game i've ever played. I'm not huge on fighting games but I remember I played this one quite a bit back on the SNES. Chun-Li & the rivalry between Ryu & Ken is something part of gaming culture now. Not sure how to spell it out but the ball of energy they would throw it. HA-YU-KEN! lol. That was the first thing that popped into my mind when i read your title.

Resident Evil 2 had me screaming like a little baby when I was a kid:P Didn't play another RES game till 4 and even then I'd only play it during the day lmao!

Starcraft really got me into online gaming clans chat channels friends tons of stuff bnet was the place to be

FF6 great story characters and music

FFTactics best job system ever so much to master in this game

1. Shadow of the colossus - won't discuss what my enterprise is about, but lets say this game left a mark on me, professionally.

2. Suoer Mario Bros - introduced me to videogames, among my favourite franchises

3. The Sims - I have some of the best memories with this franchise, but I'm hoping it goes fully online at some point.

I've actually always wanted The Sims to go online. I reckon it would be great interacting with other Sims who are actual real people. The Sims 2 was easily my favourite one and I remember being so hooked on it that sometimes I would think about my Sims life whilst daydreaming at school lol.