Jon, not sure if you'll remember this but quite a few years ago I interviewed you over Skype for a project in college, and I distinctly remember that you made a very conscious effort not to spoil Bioshock for me while we were discussing its strengths - I still haven't played it, so thank you for putting in the same effort again not to spoil a 17 year-old game! And the fact your praise for it still holds up this many years later has convinced me to finally buy it! :D
@@Taolan8472 I'm the one that effs it up sorry. I'm so short as to only count as half a person, and I've finished it myself, completely screwed up the whole metric :P
It’s on sale for $4.99 on Steam ‘til April 22. I’ve never played it either but I’m gonna give it a go if I can tear myself away from my current FO4 SS2 playthru for long enough.
Jon, thank you for making this video. The truth is I've watched your videos since Fallout: New Vegas YOLO not because of the games, because of you as a person. Not to get into para-social dynamics and the potential issues that can arise from that I'm well aware this isn't literally the case, but.. watching your videos always felt like sitting down with a friend that wanted to play a game they enjoy and tell me all about it. Now with this video series it's like this friend I've known for so long opening up their heart and sharing what games they hold the most dear to them and shaped them and how they view life. What a wonderful thing to do Jon, I'm very much looking forward to seeing the other parts
@@benjihound993 I have a friend who's obsessed with using the flamethrower in Helldivers 2, and it takes me a bit of effort to not start singing when he goes nuts on a bug nest.
Thank you Jon for making _your own_ list rather than just regurgitating the usual suspects. I look forward to the upcoming entries. And I don't say this often enough, _THANK YOU_ for all the outstanding content over the years.
SOMA is definitely one of my favorite stories in all of fiction, bonus points for being a story that only a video game can communicate this effectively.
yeah the emotional gut punch of Life is Strange 1, episode 2's ending, is what cemented that game as a personal favorite for me, for pretty much the exact same reason for you Jon. The games that I rate as my "favorites" are the ones that actually trigger my emotions on some level. And LiS, episode 2, definitely did that. The scene you are talking about, with the person who could die, I was feeling genuine anxiety stomach acid burns while playing that bit. My hands were genuinely shaking. I knew it was just a game, but the fact that they were able to craft a story so well that it made me that worried about saving that person, is just fantastic.
Back when LiS episode 1 was given away as a "Demo" for the game I always thought that it did a really poor job of being an advertisement to the game. While it feels somewhat serious with the gun crime aspect, it still feels a bit like a teen drama. It's not until the end of Episode 2 when the writing begins to shine and the game design makes a real impact. Episode 3, 4, and 5 are absolute all timers though.
@@RocKaFella57 yeah it was, especially (for me anyway) the final song of episode 2. Basically everything about Ep 2 is what hit home for me the most. The rest of the game was very good, don't get me wrong, but after Ep 2, I didn't have the same emotional hit like I did.
As one of the ten and a half people that's never played Bioshock, thanks for not spoiling it! I did pick up a copy at a thrift store a few years ago so I really have no reason not to play it
I feel so validated, as someone who’s played countless hours of beatsaber over the years, I definitely feel it’s one of the best vr experiences I’ve ever had, and am very happy one of my favorite UA-camrs agrees.
Jon has single-handedly cast Freedom Fighters 2’d legacy in stone and I’m all for it. I absolutely loved that game and played it to death during my teenage years and always felt it was criminally underrated. I just wish they would bring it to modern consoles.
CONSOLES? Why wouldn't you want it on a PC? It's not the 90s anymore man, gaming on a console is for low intellect morons. PC has been the superior platform ever since the PS3/360/Wii era started in 2005.
I just love matn, I've been watching stuff from this channel since somewhere like 2013 and there hasnt been a time where I didn't enjoy whatever he was currently doing. Videos like this are a very pleasant trip down memory lane and almost like a validation of the good times I had either playing these games myself or watching his playthrough of them.
We all know Excel 2003 is winning, right? Edit: very nice to see Life is Strange on here. I really enjoyed the game and everything Jon said is true about the game and franchise. I'm glad that it gets the love it deserves, despite it's (subjective honestly) downsides.
I was curious how you were going to fit 50 games in 20 minutes until I saw the "Part 1". Damn you Jon, making us wait in excitement again! :D (that's what you do best!)
When I'm feeling a bit sick or down, I will put on Nerd Cube's top 100 games of all time. I'm glad to know I have something new to put on in those times!
It amazes me how John has hour long content on his channel daily but when it gets to introspective, thoughts about himself (besides the podcats) he shrinks that time down substantially
Love that you brought up Nick Tasteless Plott. I didn't discover Tastosis until about 2016, and if it were not for the humor, charisma, and chemistry of this legendary casting duo, I might not have watched 100's of hours of StarCraft pro tournaments and still watch every ASL cast to this day.
I’ve never played Bioshock or watched Jon’s playthru. I have no idea what it is about but it looks gorgeous. ETA: Bioshock is on sale for $4.99 on Steam or $11.99 for the Collection, until April 22.
@@djricecakes6035 It’s probably less than a fancy coffee, although I confess to never buying fancy coffees so I might be exaggerating. Unless it’s the potential obsession time you’re worried about and then I totally get it.
Jon I loved your KOTOR playthrough, watched it as it aired then bought it for myself. Played a light side character and got a whole new experience. The wrighting and acting in that game had me stunned.
Calling it now, two of the top 5 will be Rome: Total War and Fallout New Vegas. Not sure where in the top 5 they'll place, or what the other three will be, but I'd be very surprised if those two aren't right up there.
I loved Freedom Fighters growing up. I constantly am amazed it hasn't gotten more love, and that the dynamic levels didn't catch on more. I also really enjoyed seeing the seasons change over the game; that gave it a real sense of time passing.
Always love seeing someone giving Freedom Fighters the love it deserves. For the time it was a refreshing game that tried some really interesting ideas.
The best way to ever do a big list like this is a pair rank system. It's easy to compare two things and figure out which is your favourite, it's much more difficult to take 50 things and figure out what order they go in.
I know people talk about how the added difficulty of having no notebook in the OG majoras mask made it more “difficult” and “rewarding” as someone who’s only played the 3ds remaster I still loved it to death.
It's honestly a pretty interesting video for me. As a kid I had only a PC and would generally play the same handful of games, which still hold pretty well. I missed a ton of classics, and while I really doubt I'll go check them out now, it's still gonna be cool to see how you think they compare to modern stuff and why.
I'm glad Deadly Premonitions made your list! It was especially weird but very memorable and entertaining. Francis York Morgan has to be one of the most "unusual" protagonists in gaming. And the music was just as bizarre as the game! I really enjoyed watching you play this and was actually surprised with the ending. It does stick with you.
Glad that you're not spoiling! I think everyone should be able to play even decades old games without having plot twists revealed before they get to those themselves. It's always interesting to hear your thoughts on your favourite games. I'm glad that Life is Strange and Deadly Premonition made your top 50, because your playthroughs of those two games were wonderful and so enjoyable imo, and I might even rewatch them eventually. It's as always so unfortunate that you decided to play LiS 2 as a live stream with viewers making choices, because I think you'd have a very different experience with that game if you'd played it yourself and gotten your own ending. I know you didn't like that game, but that game is to me the best that Don'tNOD has created - despite LiS 1 having more mass appeal (I say that as someone who loves that game so much). I will always mourn that we never got to see a completely blind playthrough of LiS 2 with your own choices.
Jon states that Beatsaber is the best vr game, but has he ever tried Red Matter? It would be exactly right up his alley, and seeing him trying to puzzle together the mystery would be very entertaining.
I'm at Majora and having a great time (which I needed today) so here's a comment for the algorithm gawds and a thank you to you for brightening my day. Thank you for all your hard work.
I really appreciate you mentioning that Hades had a God Mode, because I've had my eye on the game, but the difficulty scared me off. Its entry on this list made me finally wishlist it on Steam (along with most other games on the list, even the ones in genres I don't usually go for, because I trust Jon's judgement and it might be good for me to get out of my comfort zone).
This list is a nice segway to the Skies of Arcadia, which is also my favourite videogame. I'm so happy this is coming closer, even if it probably won't be a hit for everyone. The game is so flippin' good though!
It makes me happy to see kotor rank so well which is funny if you think about it because I didn't grow up with it either. I know it'll probably be a few years so in a literal sense I can and will probably have to, but I can't wait for Jon's Kotor 2 playthrough. It has some different strengths and weaknesses imo, so there is no telling if Jon will like it as much but then it is made by Obsidian so...
Soma is definitely an interesting game. I know I enjoyed watching your playthrough of it. But as a game, I can't play it myself. It has a lot of... "You must do this awful thing to another character in order to proceed." All of those moments ask really interesting questions about the nature of existence and such, but... If my choice is, "Alright, I choose not to proceed in order to spare this character because I do not believe my needs supercede theirs" then it stops being a game. I turn the game off and leave my character to their fate, unable to find a solution they can live with.
Oh my goodness, Freedom Fighters, yes! That was such a good time back then. Glad it still holds up. I was fully expecting a lot of action games to copy a similar gameplay style after playing it, it felt that much like a classic at the time Also that soundtrack... Absolutely epic
So glad Life Is Strange got a spot here, by a strange coincidence I just loaded it up on Monday for the first time in 7 years and as soon as that main menu music kicked in I was thrown right back into that same gut-wrenching feeling from the first time I played it Hella good game
My predictions for some of top10 or extremely high in charts. Rome:Total War, Skyrim, Fallout NZ, Xcom 2, Mass Effect, possible wildcards might be Tony Hawk, Hitman and Stellaris. Having been a Jon fan for decade+ these are games he has talked about fondly in past. My personal top 10 would have Final Fantasy X and Chonos Trigger in it.
A glimpse into Pandora's box exactly what I need to distract me from having my Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger accounts being hacked. Thank you, Jon! As always, you're my salvation in times of crisis doing my mental health wonders💖
I have always felt that Sim City 4 was the pinnacle of the series, and I played the games since Sim City on the SNES (which I think is in many ways, the second best, because of the fun and accessability they put into it.)
Interesting list. I don't know that I could get to 50 in my list of top games. I know that some obvious classics would be there - FNV, Portal, Mass Effect, Dragon's Age 1 and 3. I've also spent a crapton of time in MMOs, and WoW definitely has to be on my list. The first few years of vanilla, and then Wrath and Legion - some of the best games ever made. Control has to be on my list as well. The creepy atmosphere, the way your character progresses - I just enjoyed that one so much. Looking forward to seeing what goes on this list in later episodes.
Jon, you need to play KtoR more. I have played through that game several times and played a very different game each time. The characters in your party can all be lead in very different directions depending on how you interact with things and and there is a LOT of stuff you don't get to in any single play through.
Majora's Mask is one of my favorite games of all time, absolutely. You should do a playthrough for the channel sometime! Or even a randomizer playthrough! N64 version obviously, the 3DS remake ruined the zora form =/
I'm really curious to see is/where Noita appears in the list. I don't recall John playing it after the super early preview version, but that game has gained an insane level of depth
~20 minutes of Jon gushing? Sign me up! - Zelda: OoT vs Majora's Mask: I agree that Majora's the more interesting game due to the narrative aspects and the mask system, but gameplay wise OoT was always better to me. - Super Mario 64 vs Banjo Kazooie: As someone who played SM64 first, Banjo Kazooie is my favorite of the two (and my favorite golden-age 3D platformer). Banjo has the better graphics, level design, level flow[1] and the variety; but SM64's movement is that much better, and the game overall has aged a little bit better. (Dunno if either is in your list, but it's the same story regarding Donkey Kong Country/Donkey Kong Country 2[2] vs Super Mario World, with SMW also having aged *much* better graphically) [1]: SM64 exits the level as soon as you collect a star, breaking the flow and in many cases forcing you to backtrack. In Banjo Kazooie you only exit the level when you die, save and quit, or decide to exit the level. Banjo Kazooie does have some forced backtracking if you're going for 100%, but it's very tolerable, bordering on "it adds to the experience". [2]: Tied with Yoshi's Island as my favorite 2D platformer
I always knew you had good taste. Majora's Mask in the top 50 proves it. I mean personally I'd put it in the upper 25 at the lowest but it made the list at least.
100% agreed about LoZ Majora's Mask being the better game than OOT. When I was a kid I preferred OOT because I struggled with the looping of MM, but going back to it when I was older, I could really appreciate the complexity and richness that MM had because of that 72 hour loop. (BTW, I haven't played a LoZ since Twilight Princess so in my mind MM is still the GOAT).
Jon, you _really_ should play Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2. It has that wonderful blend of a thoughtful story and excellent humour that you tend to like.
The issue with any personal Best Game Ever list for me is, that I played my favourites so much, I can't play them anymore. Skyrim and DS3 are my all time best games. But I cannot get over the first few hours now. Seen it too often. Same goes for Golden Sun. I wish, I could just forget all the story to play it again
Awesome games all, but as Beat Sabre defines and dominates a whole destinct technology --a very impressive and future-bound one at that. I was happy to see it but somewhat surprised to see it so early on the list... (let the flame wars begin)
I have a VR system and haven't played Beat Saber. I was given a 1st gen oculus by a friend who was upgrading. I don't have much money and haven't bought many things for it. It doesn't seem like a game I would be particularly interested in, since I'm not a big music person.
Jon, not sure if you'll remember this but quite a few years ago I interviewed you over Skype for a project in college, and I distinctly remember that you made a very conscious effort not to spoil Bioshock for me while we were discussing its strengths - I still haven't played it, so thank you for putting in the same effort again not to spoil a 17 year-old game! And the fact your praise for it still holds up this many years later has convinced me to finally buy it! :D
So are you one of the ten, or are you the half?
@@Taolan8472 I'm the one that effs it up sorry. I'm so short as to only count as half a person, and I've finished it myself, completely screwed up the whole metric :P
It’s on sale for $4.99 on Steam ‘til April 22. I’ve never played it either but I’m gonna give it a go if I can tear myself away from my current FO4 SS2 playthru for long enough.
play eeeet
I can feel my wallet opening. Nooooooooo
This is the closest thing to an MATN video essay that we've had in quite some time. Think I'll enjoy these vids with a nice bottle of wine
I know! We need more "_____ is better than you think" essays
@@LoneWanderer479 Maybe he'll react to all of the comments about this list with a 'My Top 50 Games List Is Better Than You Think' video 😃
Jon, thank you for making this video. The truth is I've watched your videos since Fallout: New Vegas YOLO not because of the games, because of you as a person. Not to get into para-social dynamics and the potential issues that can arise from that I'm well aware this isn't literally the case, but.. watching your videos always felt like sitting down with a friend that wanted to play a game they enjoy and tell me all about it. Now with this video series it's like this friend I've known for so long opening up their heart and sharing what games they hold the most dear to them and shaped them and how they view life. What a wonderful thing to do Jon, I'm very much looking forward to seeing the other parts
Jon: I don't want to spoil the ending
Also Jon in the endcards: FLAMETHROWER, flamethrower
Every time someone mentions a flamethrower, it takes all of my willpower not to sing the 'Flamethrower Song!'
😂
@@benjihound993 I have a friend who's obsessed with using the flamethrower in Helldivers 2, and it takes me a bit of effort to not start singing when he goes nuts on a bug nest.
LOVE the flamethrower song...but for me it only works because of Jon's snap back to sanity and chagrin...I mean, we've all been there occasionally😆
Thank you Jon for making _your own_ list rather than just regurgitating the usual suspects. I look forward to the upcoming entries. And I don't say this often enough, _THANK YOU_ for all the outstanding content over the years.
SOMA is definitely one of my favorite stories in all of fiction, bonus points for being a story that only a video game can communicate this effectively.
And Soma has the benefit of also being underground enough for Hollywood to never notice it and make a bad adaptation.
Jon putting KOTOR on there just reminded me of the fact that he lost to Deadeye Duncan.
Bless that game.
yeah the emotional gut punch of Life is Strange 1, episode 2's ending, is what cemented that game as a personal favorite for me, for pretty much the exact same reason for you Jon. The games that I rate as my "favorites" are the ones that actually trigger my emotions on some level. And LiS, episode 2, definitely did that. The scene you are talking about, with the person who could die, I was feeling genuine anxiety stomach acid burns while playing that bit. My hands were genuinely shaking. I knew it was just a game, but the fact that they were able to craft a story so well that it made me that worried about saving that person, is just fantastic.
Back when LiS episode 1 was given away as a "Demo" for the game I always thought that it did a really poor job of being an advertisement to the game. While it feels somewhat serious with the gun crime aspect, it still feels a bit like a teen drama. It's not until the end of Episode 2 when the writing begins to shine and the game design makes a real impact.
Episode 3, 4, and 5 are absolute all timers though.
The music was also unexpectedly impactful
@@RocKaFella57 yeah it was, especially (for me anyway) the final song of episode 2. Basically everything about Ep 2 is what hit home for me the most. The rest of the game was very good, don't get me wrong, but after Ep 2, I didn't have the same emotional hit like I did.
As one of the ten and a half people that's never played Bioshock, thanks for not spoiling it! I did pick up a copy at a thrift store a few years ago so I really have no reason not to play it
We just need half a like more and we've found every person who hasn't played BioShock!
I feel so validated, as someone who’s played countless hours of beatsaber over the years, I definitely feel it’s one of the best vr experiences I’ve ever had, and am very happy one of my favorite UA-camrs agrees.
Deeply amused that Jon just ended up making a list almost by accident
Jon has single-handedly cast Freedom Fighters 2’d legacy in stone and I’m all for it. I absolutely loved that game and played it to death during my teenage years and always felt it was criminally underrated. I just wish they would bring it to modern consoles.
CONSOLES? Why wouldn't you want it on a PC? It's not the 90s anymore man, gaming on a console is for low intellect morons. PC has been the superior platform ever since the PS3/360/Wii era started in 2005.
Freedom Fighters was the most happily unexpected game on this list, i replayed it last year and it still really holds up
its like your playing a (More?) Badass version of Luigi (WYKYK)
I still pull it out every couple of years.
I just love matn, I've been watching stuff from this channel since somewhere like 2013 and there hasnt been a time where I didn't enjoy whatever he was currently doing. Videos like this are a very pleasant trip down memory lane and almost like a validation of the good times I had either playing these games myself or watching his playthrough of them.
We all know Excel 2003 is winning, right?
Edit: very nice to see Life is Strange on here. I really enjoyed the game and everything Jon said is true about the game and franchise. I'm glad that it gets the love it deserves, despite it's (subjective honestly) downsides.
I was curious how you were going to fit 50 games in 20 minutes until I saw the "Part 1". Damn you Jon, making us wait in excitement again! :D (that's what you do best!)
When I'm feeling a bit sick or down, I will put on Nerd Cube's top 100 games of all time. I'm glad to know I have something new to put on in those times!
It amazes me how John has hour long content on his channel daily but when it gets to introspective, thoughts about himself (besides the podcats) he shrinks that time down substantially
Love that you brought up Nick Tasteless Plott. I didn't discover Tastosis until about 2016, and if it were not for the humor, charisma, and chemistry of this legendary casting duo, I might not have watched 100's of hours of StarCraft pro tournaments and still watch every ASL cast to this day.
Tastosis 4 Life.
Loved Jon’s deadly premonition vids but never would have thought he’d stick it in top 50 games!
I’ve never played Bioshock or watched Jon’s playthru. I have no idea what it is about but it looks gorgeous.
ETA: Bioshock is on sale for $4.99 on Steam or $11.99 for the Collection, until April 22.
Thanks. Now ill have to get it.
@@djricecakes6035 It’s probably less than a fancy coffee, although I confess to never buying fancy coffees so I might be exaggerating. Unless it’s the potential obsession time you’re worried about and then I totally get it.
$9.99 on xbox store. Cant wait to play
Jon I loved your KOTOR playthrough, watched it as it aired then bought it for myself. Played a light side character and got a whole new experience. The wrighting and acting in that game had me stunned.
Mob forming torches lit pitch forks sharpened
Personally bioshock one would be higher, but it's not quite enough for the pitchforks yet
Wow a bunch of ruddy snowflakes who can't handle a man's opinions on videogames being different from their own opinions...
Turn your swords into ploughshares✌️
Calling it now, two of the top 5 will be Rome: Total War and Fallout New Vegas. Not sure where in the top 5 they'll place, or what the other three will be, but I'd be very surprised if those two aren't right up there.
I loved Freedom Fighters growing up. I constantly am amazed it hasn't gotten more love, and that the dynamic levels didn't catch on more. I also really enjoyed seeing the seasons change over the game; that gave it a real sense of time passing.
Happy to see deadly premonition make the top 50. It really is a unique gaming experience
KOTOR is way too low 😮💨
Yesssss. In my top 5 Jon series. Probably along with Life is Strange and SOMA.
Wow, I'm really impressed how good the beat fit with the background music during beat sabre!
Jon is the only one I trust to give a list like this. I'm super hyped.
Always love seeing someone giving Freedom Fighters the love it deserves. For the time it was a refreshing game that tried some really interesting ideas.
Banjo Kazooie is criminally underrated. Great start to the list.
How? It's widely regarded as one of the best 3D platformers ever made and possibly Rare's best game in general.
Soma traumatized me for life, but in the best way possible
The best way to ever do a big list like this is a pair rank system. It's easy to compare two things and figure out which is your favourite, it's much more difficult to take 50 things and figure out what order they go in.
I know people talk about how the added difficulty of having no notebook in the OG majoras mask made it more “difficult” and “rewarding” as someone who’s only played the 3ds remaster I still loved it to death.
I actually enjoy not doing the list all in one episode. It leaves so much more room for discussion.
I'm glad to see Life is Strange here. Sure, it's a flawed game, but no game, before or since, has made me feel so emotional.
Very true. I love the game to death and Jon is right. For some reason they simply couldn't capture what made the original SO good.
This and the last of us are two of the few games to make me really cry.
@Mrchair905 play the last of us sequel then. Have tissues at the ready
Good list so far! Excited for the next part :).
Bioshock being at 50 made me happy such a good game and excited to see the rest of the video
I'm looking forward to the rest of this list and then going back through them all so that I can come up with a list of games to play.
Jon: "I'm not gonna spoil the ending of The Last Of Us."
Outro: "Flamethrower, flamethrower!" 😂
Life Is Strange above Bioshock and Hades is INSANE but I respect it
It's honestly a pretty interesting video for me. As a kid I had only a PC and would generally play the same handful of games, which still hold pretty well. I missed a ton of classics, and while I really doubt I'll go check them out now, it's still gonna be cool to see how you think they compare to modern stuff and why.
Love your stuff Jon. Please never quit. (Unless you have to for mental health, but please don't lol)
Literally no one:
pff03077: "I hope you don''t happen to get a crippling mental illness that destroys your career"
I'm glad Deadly Premonitions made your list! It was especially weird but very memorable and entertaining. Francis York Morgan has to be one of the most "unusual" protagonists in gaming. And the music was just as bizarre as the game! I really enjoyed watching you play this and was actually surprised with the ending. It does stick with you.
Glad that you're not spoiling! I think everyone should be able to play even decades old games without having plot twists revealed before they get to those themselves.
It's always interesting to hear your thoughts on your favourite games. I'm glad that Life is Strange and Deadly Premonition made your top 50, because your playthroughs of those two games were wonderful and so enjoyable imo, and I might even rewatch them eventually.
It's as always so unfortunate that you decided to play LiS 2 as a live stream with viewers making choices, because I think you'd have a very different experience with that game if you'd played it yourself and gotten your own ending. I know you didn't like that game, but that game is to me the best that Don'tNOD has created - despite LiS 1 having more mass appeal (I say that as someone who loves that game so much). I will always mourn that we never got to see a completely blind playthrough of LiS 2 with your own choices.
Jon states that Beatsaber is the best vr game, but has he ever tried Red Matter? It would be exactly right up his alley, and seeing him trying to puzzle together the mystery would be very entertaining.
I literally said "DUDE YES" when you first mentioned Freedom Fighter. Def forgotten classic
I'm SO happy that SOMA made it on the list. I agree... moments of that game have stuck with me from the moment I experienced it myself.
I'm at Majora and having a great time (which I needed today) so here's a comment for the algorithm gawds and a thank you to you for brightening my day. Thank you for all your hard work.
I really appreciate you mentioning that Hades had a God Mode, because I've had my eye on the game, but the difficulty scared me off. Its entry on this list made me finally wishlist it on Steam (along with most other games on the list, even the ones in genres I don't usually go for, because I trust Jon's judgement and it might be good for me to get out of my comfort zone).
I always love it when Freedom Fighters gets some love, one of my favourite PS2 games
Well so far you brought up really amazing games.
This list is a nice segway to the Skies of Arcadia, which is also my favourite videogame. I'm so happy this is coming closer, even if it probably won't be a hit for everyone. The game is so flippin' good though!
i know the roman guy in the splash screen is from rome: total war, but at first glance i thought it was a ryse son of rome artwork and it just sent me
It makes me happy to see kotor rank so well which is funny if you think about it because I didn't grow up with it either.
I know it'll probably be a few years so in a literal sense I can and will probably have to, but I can't wait for Jon's Kotor 2 playthrough.
It has some different strengths and weaknesses imo, so there is no telling if Jon will like it as much but then it is made by Obsidian so...
i have been waiting years for his KOTOR 2 playthrough. Amazing writing.
Very solid list, the only ones i would put in would be personal ones which has shaped my gaming interest.
Soma is definitely an interesting game. I know I enjoyed watching your playthrough of it.
But as a game, I can't play it myself. It has a lot of... "You must do this awful thing to another character in order to proceed."
All of those moments ask really interesting questions about the nature of existence and such, but...
If my choice is, "Alright, I choose not to proceed in order to spare this character because I do not believe my needs supercede theirs" then it stops being a game.
I turn the game off and leave my character to their fate, unable to find a solution they can live with.
Freedom Fighters getting a mention made my shout at my TV screen in delight, way to rep the classics Jon!
Oh, how I do love a good ol' fashioned list countdown!
Oh my goodness, Freedom Fighters, yes! That was such a good time back then. Glad it still holds up. I was fully expecting a lot of action games to copy a similar gameplay style after playing it, it felt that much like a classic at the time
Also that soundtrack... Absolutely epic
The big question is when will Jon play Star Wars KOTOR 2: Sith Lords
I really hope we don't have to wait for the next Democracy Week. At least if we do we can be glad Oblivion is not a competitor any more.
Great video. Love the flamethrower song.
So glad Life Is Strange got a spot here, by a strange coincidence I just loaded it up on Monday for the first time in 7 years and as soon as that main menu music kicked in I was thrown right back into that same gut-wrenching feeling from the first time I played it
Hella good game
Interesting so far. Can't wait for the next bunch.
My predictions for some of top10 or extremely high in charts. Rome:Total War, Skyrim, Fallout NZ, Xcom 2, Mass Effect, possible wildcards might be Tony Hawk, Hitman and Stellaris. Having been a Jon fan for decade+ these are games he has talked about fondly in past. My personal top 10 would have Final Fantasy X and Chonos Trigger in it.
Also in the camp of banjo over Mario! Banjo Kazooie is the game I want a sequel for more than anything
A glimpse into Pandora's box exactly what I need to distract me from having my Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger accounts being hacked.
Thank you, Jon! As always, you're my salvation in times of crisis doing my mental health wonders💖
As someone who is a huge fan of video games and listing things this video is made for me
I have always felt that Sim City 4 was the pinnacle of the series, and I played the games since Sim City on the SNES (which I think is in many ways, the second best, because of the fun and accessability they put into it.)
If KOTOR was able to make your top games of all time list, you will really enjoy KOTOR 2
Soma... might be a surprise??? Really? To who? Soma is a goddamn masterpiece of provoking thought and atmosphere. It's utterly brilliant.
Interesting list. I don't know that I could get to 50 in my list of top games. I know that some obvious classics would be there - FNV, Portal, Mass Effect, Dragon's Age 1 and 3. I've also spent a crapton of time in MMOs, and WoW definitely has to be on my list. The first few years of vanilla, and then Wrath and Legion - some of the best games ever made. Control has to be on my list as well. The creepy atmosphere, the way your character progresses - I just enjoyed that one so much. Looking forward to seeing what goes on this list in later episodes.
Jon, you need to play KtoR more. I have played through that game several times and played a very different game each time. The characters in your party can all be lead in very different directions depending on how you interact with things and and there is a LOT of stuff you don't get to in any single play through.
Majora's Mask is one of my favorite games of all time, absolutely. You should do a playthrough for the channel sometime! Or even a randomizer playthrough! N64 version obviously, the 3DS remake ruined the zora form =/
i don't think i've even played 50 games. but i like watching videos about them.
I'm really curious to see is/where Noita appears in the list. I don't recall John playing it after the super early preview version, but that game has gained an insane level of depth
Oh good call on Freedom Fighters! I played that loads back in the day, great game.
Jon i am so glad you put deadly premonition on here.
~20 minutes of Jon gushing? Sign me up!
- Zelda: OoT vs Majora's Mask: I agree that Majora's the more interesting game due to the narrative aspects and the mask system, but gameplay wise OoT was always better to me.
- Super Mario 64 vs Banjo Kazooie: As someone who played SM64 first, Banjo Kazooie is my favorite of the two (and my favorite golden-age 3D platformer). Banjo has the better graphics, level design, level flow[1] and the variety; but SM64's movement is that much better, and the game overall has aged a little bit better. (Dunno if either is in your list, but it's the same story regarding Donkey Kong Country/Donkey Kong Country 2[2] vs Super Mario World, with SMW also having aged *much* better graphically)
[1]: SM64 exits the level as soon as you collect a star, breaking the flow and in many cases forcing you to backtrack. In Banjo Kazooie you only exit the level when you die, save and quit, or decide to exit the level. Banjo Kazooie does have some forced backtracking if you're going for 100%, but it's very tolerable, bordering on "it adds to the experience".
[2]: Tied with Yoshi's Island as my favorite 2D platformer
This will be a treat, thank you.
so incredibly disappointed that you didn’t put a hitman game at number 47. you had one job, jon!
Freedom Fighters is one of the many PS2 gems that doesnt have wide recognition. I played through that game sooo many times.
I really hope Jon is still planning on playing KOTOR 2
It feels like you've opened a Pandora's Box here Jon
Ooh! I can't wait to see where Circus Atari ranks on this list!
Great list so far! Hades and Beat Saber are great choices
Lit video idea! Really interested in hearing the whole list!
I always knew you had good taste. Majora's Mask in the top 50 proves it. I mean personally I'd put it in the upper 25 at the lowest but it made the list at least.
Idk if you ever tried this, but I would be super interested if you did achievement hunting for games you love or play a lot
100% agreed about LoZ Majora's Mask being the better game than OOT. When I was a kid I preferred OOT because I struggled with the looping of MM, but going back to it when I was older, I could really appreciate the complexity and richness that MM had because of that 72 hour loop. (BTW, I haven't played a LoZ since Twilight Princess so in my mind MM is still the GOAT).
Jon, you _really_ should play Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2. It has that wonderful blend of a thoughtful story and excellent humour that you tend to like.
If he hasn't, I heartedly agree.
Somehow the graphics of Banjo really made me think of Psychonauts, and yes, definitely a game Jon would enjoy
I never did play 2... if Jon does a full playthrough, I won't have to lol.
*me being totally chill* "Number fifty...Bioshock!" REEEEEEE
Nice one Jon!
The issue with any personal Best Game Ever list for me is, that I played my favourites so much, I can't play them anymore. Skyrim and DS3 are my all time best games. But I cannot get over the first few hours now. Seen it too often. Same goes for Golden Sun. I wish, I could just forget all the story to play it again
Jon have you ever played any of the soulsbourne games?
Awesome games all, but as Beat Sabre defines and dominates a whole destinct technology --a very impressive and future-bound one at that.
I was happy to see it but somewhat surprised to see it so early on the list... (let the flame wars begin)
*opens steam store page to prepare for wishlisting*
The Soma pick is wild
I’m sooo here for this
22:40 Mawkish - adjective. Sentimental in an exaggerated or false way.
Archaic - having a faint sickly flavour.
Thanks for the word of the day Jon.
I, too, was pleased with that word drop. Only hear it once a decade
I have a VR system and haven't played Beat Saber. I was given a 1st gen oculus by a friend who was upgrading. I don't have much money and haven't bought many things for it. It doesn't seem like a game I would be particularly interested in, since I'm not a big music person.