My taste in games usually revolves around two things. Freedom, and interactivity. I love a game with an open world that one can do practically anything in. Those games tend to be my most favored. Although games with a great story and characters can also pull through or games with a unique or interesting combat system. But they are at a disadvantage.
30. Xenosaga Episode 2 - Innovative if convulted combat system. Continued the wonderful story.
29. Call of Duty - The best shooter of 03. Bland enviornments and typical "shoot enemy in your path" action made up forby high production values and cinematic presentation.
28. Final Fantasy 7- Wonderful story line and excellent presentation. Gameplay was limited compared to FF6 though.
27. Prince of Persia Warrior Within - Weak story and awful "baditude" made up for excellent new combat system and still wonderful jumping puzzles and traps.
26. Medal of Honor Frontline - My first foray into the series. Like CoD, effort placed on presentation and cinematic feel were excellent. Even if the gameplay was generic.
25. Brothers in Arms Earned in Blood - Excellent new twist on shooter format. Good presentation, game is bug ridden though. And suffers from framerate drops often.
24. The Warriors - Crappy graphics are only complaint. The enviornment was free and interactive. Anything could be used as a weapon. So many ways to cause havoc and terror so little time.
23. Battlezone 2 - One of the few true RTS/FPS hybrids. Amazing story and gameplay. Unfortunantly plauged by bugs.
22. Ace Combat 4Shattered Skies- Not much going in the way of story and characters. Excellent flight controls considering its a console game. (I am in fact, a real pilot.) Downright kick ass gameplay.
21. Half Life 2 - Extremely good use of physics engine and well thought of enviornments create a generally great game. Even if it retains the typical FPS system at heart.
20. Star Wars Jedi Knight 2 Jedi Outcast - Incredibly well done and thought out application of Jedi combat combine with FPS elements. Force powers and lightsaber combat are a blast.
19. Command and Conquer Generals - One of the few RTS i've played. So inredibly addictive you can't put it down without having someone threaten you at gunpoint to do so.
18. Star Wars Knight of the Old Republic - Start taking notes George. Your franchise isstarting do out doits own creator.
17. Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask - Great new twists. 3 days till doomsday. Expansive and massive world. Best game of the N64.
16. Mechwarrior 2 Mercenaries - One of the defining games of PC gaming. Created the accessible sim that for some reason never caught on to mainstream gamers.
15. Sonic the Hedgehog - The first game I ever played. Didn't get me into gaming, but did make me consider it a hobby or pasttime. Also persuaded me to get a computer faster.
14. IL-2 Sturmovik - Excellent controls and meticulous attention to realism and detail.
13. Halo 2 - Good gameplay and good continuation of story. Gameplay was somewhat generic.
12. Final Fantasy X - Amazing story and characters. Typical gameplay.
11. Metriod Prime - They said it couldn't be done. They said Nintendo couldn't turn Metroid into a successfull FPS. They were horribly wrong.
10. Mechwarrior 3 - Would have been trend setting were it not for the fact that sims pretty much died after MW4.
9. Star Wars Battlefront 2 -Battlefield formula + Star Wars = Teh win.
8. Jane's WW2 Fighters - The game that convinced me to be a pilot. Nuf said.
7. Halo Combat Evolved - One of the greatest FPS of all time. Untopable kickass gameplay. Decent story for an FPS.
6. Mechwarrior 4 Vengeance - The best and final true rendition of the combat style. The last truly great Mechwarrior. Everything since it has been insulting. *cough*Mechassault*cough*
5. Star Wars TIE Figher - If Sonic the Hedgehog introduced me to gaming, this is the game that got me into gaming. No better sim. Never will be either.
4. Battlefield 2142 - The best mulitplayer game ever. Early version bugs and problems quickly being squashed. Gameplay has been worked to into perfect balance and style.
3. Mercenaries Playground of Destruction - Lives up to its name. Squeezes the last bits of life out of the growing old GTA formula.
2. Xenosaga Episode 3 - Best RPG i've played. Good cast of characters with a great, if convulted story.
1. Operation Flashpoint Cold War Crisis - What can I say about OFP that has not been said before? To call it "genious" or "masterful" would be insulting. Our human tounges cannot pronounce words great enough to describe this god amongst games. Open world, open gameplay, 40 weapons and vehicles, simulation enviornment with squad control and "do what ever you damn well please" map editor. The precursor to all you see now and the true start of last gen in 2001.