30 Days of Games

[Joseph Snapple]

World Building: Final Fantasy 14, if for no other reason the effort it expends in introducing you to the various cultures you come across as you travel its world. Hard choice between it and Witcher tho.

 

[Quagmire]

This is such an inspired choice. Nice one!

Best world-building:
Oh dang, is that two days in a row that Morrowind wins my vote? Yes. Yes it is.

No gaming world has been as rich in terms of lore and history as Morrowind. You get so fully immersed in this hostile, racist, xenophobic, alien world, that when you do finally encounter someone who isn't outright hostile to you, it actually leaves an impression. You remember them for treating you kindly. You like them. You even trust them. And these characters are well-developed, too. Caius Cosades isn't just "gives quests guy" -- he's the province's top spymaster, and lounges around home in cheap pants and no shirt, feeding his drug addiction with skooma and moon sugar.

Then you have the ordinators. No video game NPC has ever made me feel as unsafe and on-edge as the ordinators. And they're the ones upholding the law in the capital city. Just incredibly well-designed.

Sure, there are some commoners who don't offer anything important other than padding out a town, but that's realistic -- not every single person you encounter should offer you a quest. Yeah, most characters just wander or stand around the same small area, but even despite not having Oblivion and Skyrim's Radiant AI, the game world still feels MORE alive in comparison, more fleshed out. That's how beautifully the world is crafted.

I haven't even touched on the lore in the books, the cryptic messages and meanings hidden in the religious texts, the mysteries, like the disappearance of the dwarves, etc.

Fuck, what a good-ass game. If you haven't played this game, play this game.

Stop stealing my answer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is Morrowind and it isnt even close, on top of all that Smacktard said, the way you interact with the world also helps. There is no fast travel warp here. You can make a spell, to mark and recall a spot, or use some public transportation, but no click icon go here. You can totally kill someone important to the main quest and can no longer finish the main quest, but the game doesnt end.

You dont have quest markers so you have to read the descriptions given to you and follow those directions, looking for landmarks.

It is a world that is so easy to get lost in

 

[Jawneh]

World building: The NieR series has some insane world building, crossing numerous games, as well as complete insanity like an FFXIV raid. And whatever the hell else Tetsuya Nomura has thought of.

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

World Building: I knew my answer yesterday and spent some time trying to justify another game jumping in here, hell even Metaphor just recently did an incredible job at that, but come on. It's the Witcher 3. It redefined how to do open world RPGs. Skyrim was the only other one that I found coming close (I never played Morrowind) but the Witcher did everything better. The cities were at city scale, the quest lines made you care. Sidequests felt like main quests, and the densely packed maps of Skellige and Velen were so well crafted that I've not seen anything outside of RDR2 come close yet. I think they even took a step back in immersion on Cyberpunk.

The writing was peak, the cinematics were awesome, and the lasting impact has been huge. The game is coming up on 10 years next year and I've not played any RPG that can match the scale and quality that W3 did.

 

[Spiner202]

World Building: my view on this has changed over the years. Games are getting more detailed and complex, and it obviously allows for more advanced world building, but it's also harder to keep my attention nowadays than it used to be. I play everything with my laptop in front of me and so it's pretty tough to resist scrolling through Reddit whenever some random NPC starts ranting about something that is only tangentially related to the main quest. Sometimes, the more detailed the lore is, the less I care. I don't necessarily want to read through menus or collectibles to learn about the story.

So my answer to this question is partly based on the fact that I was more immersed in worlds when I was younger, and partly based on the fact that a simpler game is sometimes more immersive to me. My choice is GTA Vice City - I don't know if I've been as engrossed in a game's world as much as that one. In fact, my music taste is largely based off of that game, so its world even translated to real life.

The only modern contender for me is Red Dead Redemption 2.

 

[canadaguy]

Best World Building: Horizon Zero Dawn

 

[Fire Queen]

Sometimes, the more detailed the lore is, the less I care. I don't necessarily want to read through menus or collectibles to learn about the story.

yeah i feel this. currently playing through dragon age inquisition for the first time with my three other household members who have all played it before. there are so many codex entries and songs and letters and poems and what-have-you that there's just not time to read all of that. there's gotta be a better way because it's so disruptive to the flow of gameplay to sit down and read five paragraphs about a historical figure within the game's setting that you're only just now hearing about. most of that stuff gets skipped for me

i'm gonna go a little bit out of the box here. as on-brand as it would be to go with a fire emblem game (for the record, the two tellius games have the best worldbuilding in the fe series, as much as i love the elibe games) and as much as i enjoy the old school fantasy stylings of stuff like shining force, i'm gonna go earthbound. it's such a charming pastiche of not just america but ideas about america, and the goofy localization is one-of-a-kind. you guys can't envision the final collapse of capitalism? incredible!

honorable mention indie darlings: SIGNALIS, The Return of the Obra Dinn, Kentucky Route Zero (even if i haven't finished it yet)

i also thought about the yakuza/like a dragon series but that would be cheating because most of those locations are just. real places.

 

[MC74]

Holy hell, yes! I can see a game in the style of God of War but you control Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli.

Or better yet, I'd love a huge Lord of the Rings game that does the movies proud. I know there are many LOTR games, but I'm not really a fan of the genres they used. Middle Earth games were the closest to something I'd play, but I want a narrative heavy LOTR game.

It'd be pretty cool to have a Middle Earth game that took place around the time of the first age too. I think that would be sick.

 

[rktaker]

best world building: it feels a little cheaty since i never played the games but I am always intrigued by the worlds in soulsborne games and has almost interested me enough to almost want to play them even though I know I’d hate myself for it

 

[rktaker]

Morrowind is my answer, it still plays okay today, but has a lot of jank

tbf it’s bethesda even if they did remake Morrowind it would still have a lot of jank

 

[Smacktard]

The only modern contender for me is Red Dead Redemption 2.

RDR2 is such a good answer. I can't believe I hadn't though of that. For me it's the only contender to Morrowind.

tbf it’s bethesda even if they did remake Morrowind it would still have a lot of jank

Tbf the OG Morrowind had a ton of jank too. Skyrim didn't have an unreasonable amount compared to other Bethesda games, even

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

Best World Building: Horizon Zero Dawn

I brought this 30 days thing up with my coworker since he's a big gamer and this came up for world building - I agree, it lands near the top of my list. Forbidden West is bigger, but Zero Dawn was a phenomenal world built in the present tense, but the reveals from the past on how it all came to be puts it ahead of its sequel to me. I was shocked at some of the flashback recordings and it really rounded out the game as a whole.

I don't think the game gets as much credit at is deserves for the lore and underlying story, it felt like most people see it as a cool robot dinosaur hunting game.

 

[Benzine]

Fav multiplayer for me is Counter Strike. The all time classic, but with a significantly less vitriol than Dota.

Heaps of terrific answers in this category though. Love multiplayer.

 

[dimmerwit]

This post made me realize there are multiple ways to interpret world building and for some reason I'm fascinated.

I just copied Benzine so blame him!

For me, I play a lot more of those types of games than most people.

The only modern contender for me is Red Dead Redemption 2.

Yeah, this is it for me. Rockstar are still a level above when it comes to building realistic worlds. I can't wait for GTA 6. That said...

Best World Building: Horizon Zero Dawn

I brought this 30 days thing up with my coworker since he's a big gamer and this came up for world building - I agree, it lands near the top of my list. Forbidden West is bigger, but Zero Dawn was a phenomenal world built in the present tense, but the reveals from the past on how it all came to be puts it ahead of its sequel to me. I was shocked at some of the flashback recordings and it really rounded out the game as a whole.

I don't think the game gets as much credit at is deserves for the lore and underlying story, it felt like most people see it as a cool robot dinosaur hunting game.

...I agree that HZD does really well though. The story of that game was an unexpected joy. I also agree that Forbidden West just wasn't the same in that aspect, although it has some cool moments. I still need to play the DLC actually.

 

[canadaguy]

...I agree that HZD does really well though. The story of that game was an unexpected joy. I also agree that Forbidden West just wasn't the same in that aspect, although it has some cool moments. I still need to play the DLC actually.

I think there is just so much more mystery to unravel, and very satisfying reveals of them in Zero Dawn

 

[Quagmire]

RDR2 is such a good answer. I can't believe I hadn't though of that. For me it's the only contender to Morrowind.

I do like the world of RDR2, but I do think Morrowind is on another level due to the alien feel of it, but well realized

 

[Quagmire]

..I agree that HZD does really well though. The story of that game was an unexpected joy. I also agree that Forbidden West just wasn't the same in that aspect, although it has some cool moments. I still need to play the DLC actually.

I think there is just so much more mystery to unravel, and very satisfying reveals of them in Zero Dawn

HZD does have some cool lore, the world though felt rather empty and not in a good way

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

I just copied Benzine so blame him!

For me, I play a lot more of those types of games than most people.


Yeah, this is it for me. Rockstar are still a level above when it comes to building realistic worlds. I can't wait for GTA 6. That said...






...I agree that HZD does really well though. The story of that game was an unexpected joy. I also agree that Forbidden West just wasn't the same in that aspect, although it has some cool moments. I still need to play the DLC actually.

The dlc is good. The best part is actually fighting one of those massive enemies. The companion you work with is awesome, too.

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

HZD does have some cool lore, the world though rather empty and not in a good way

You won't like Forbidden West then. Zero Dawn was better in every way.

 

[canadaguy]

You won't like Forbidden West then. Zero Dawn was better in every way.

Except Kotallo.

Kotallo is the fucking dude

 

[Fool's Requiem]

We on world building?

3 words:

Marvel. Ultimate. Alliance.

Those games were the MCU before the MCU. There is so much goddamn lore in those games. MUA is what made me hyped for the the Avengers tease at the end of Iron Man.

HM: The Dynasty Warriors series. Most of the games have information on most, if not all of the NAMED characters that appear in the game at some point. Whether or not ANY of it actually happened is irrelevant, but some of the stuff is definitely interesting to read, especially if you want to learn more about the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Even if you don't want to read that shit, just playing the games with all of multiple characters will give you a lot of lore. Some of the games follow the events that your character would have participated in, and when you play through multiple characters, you get to experience the woven story and events. DW is great.

 

[dimmerwit]

Favourite multiplayer would probably be Dota 2 in spite of some of the toxicity in the community. Maybe iRacing too.

 

[Smacktard]

Favorite multiplayer: it's still CS1.6. too many memories

 

[Joseph Snapple]

Favorite Multiplayer: Monster Hunter World was probably the most pure, joyful experience I've had playing a game with friends.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Favorite Multiplayer: Super Smash Bros Melee, Mario Kart 64, Halo 2, Overwatch.

HMs: Battlefield 1, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2009), Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix, Soul Calibur 2, Unreal Tournament 2004, Halo 3, Mario Kart Double Dash.

Like every other category, I can't limit answers to just one. I played a LOT of Mario Kart 64 with my brothers, especially on battle mode. The Double Dash battle mode may be better (save for that awful rooftop map), but MK64 is king. Melee is Melee. Even if I didn't play it much against actual people, I still got lots of hours playing a MP game against bots and having a blast. For a time, Overwatch was the only video game I played. Played Halo 2 a bunch with people connected via LAN, we'd do FFA or 2 v 2. Almost always on Lockout.

 

[Quagmire]

Favorite Multiplayer:

Halo 1

Remember LAN parties with my buddies, I'd pack a 27in CRT in my car and drag it over to Matthew's house (which weirdly enough he was in my dream last night and I havent seen or talked to him in almost 20 years) and we'd have 4 xboxs and 4 TVs. My favorite was playing Prisoner with Rockets Only, that was my jam and I was the best at it.

Also in grad school my friend Dave and I would get together and co-op the entire trilogy, with the original being our favorite

Nothing comes close

 

[Jawneh]

multiplayer:

I probably have to say Team Fortress 2. Maybe not great anymore on today's standards, but after so many hours sunk into it and a lot of nostalgia, i got to pick it.

 

[Nae'blis]

Favorite multiplayer: Mario Kart, especially drunk driving Mario Kart.

(Disclaimer: I do not condone drunk driving in real life. It's awful.)

 

[Spiner202]

It really is impossible to pick one game for most of these.

Favourite Multiplayer: My boring picks are Warzone and COD: World War. I've put way too many hours into these games. Destiny is another good pick - it has some of the smoothest gameplay.

Not necessarily my favourites but I'd say Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and The Last of Us Remastered have two of the more inventive multiplayers I've tried.

And then there's Starcraft/Brood War/SC2. I was never really great at these guys, but boy is it fun to play online if you get someone at a similar skill level.

 

[rktaker]

favorite Multiplayer: probably COD MW2

 

[canadaguy]

Favorite multiplayer/mmo: DCUO. I said I put in 1000s of hours and that wasn't an exaggeration

 

[Fool's Requiem]

favorite Multiplayer: probably COD MW2

launch day MW2 before everyone found all the bugs and exploits was such a vibe.

Will never forget a match where the final kill cam was a noobtube and everyone playfully shitting on the player for using a noobtube on day 1 (though, you did need to get kills with it to unlock other things). So much fun. I was hoping that the MW2 that came out a couple years ago was a remake, but it's supposedly nothing like the original.

 

[rktaker]

launch day MW2 before everyone found all the bugs and exploits was such a vibe.

Will never forget a match where the final kill cam was a noobtube and everyone playfully shitting on the player for using a noobtube on day 1 (though, you did need to get kills with it to unlock other things). So much fun. I was hoping that the MW2 that came out a couple years ago was a remake, but it's supposedly nothing like the original.

they did make a remake of MW2 but only the single player. the other MWII that came out was part of a reboot of the Modern warfrare series

 

[dimmerwit]

The 2023 MW3 is (confusing) basically a multiplayer remake of MW2.

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

Favorite multiplayer: the Madden series when I used to couch co op with my brother. I would control the QB and he was a WR running his own routes. On defense he was always a blitzing linebacker and I was a cover safety. We rolled that game for years.

It's my favorite memory of a guy that is an alcoholic, mean person that I no longer like to be around, but we had so much fun playing it as teenagers.

Edit: that sounds dire. I still see him monthly and we are cordial but he's no longer my best friend by a long shot. I still have two awesome brothers and a sister!

 

[canadaguy]

Favorite multiplayer: the Madden series when I used to couch co op with my brother. I would control the QB and he was a WR running his own routes. On defense he was always a blitzing linebacker and I was a cover safety. We rolled that game for years.

Nice. I remember doing some epic couch co op tournaments in NHL 94 with friends back in grade school.

 

[VashTheStampede]

Best World-Building: Okay this will be the first of several times I'm going to pick the  Suikoden series. All 5 mainline games of this series take place in the same world, and hints of what will come in future (and technically  past) installments are littered through each game. You see characters age, and also go back and see younger versions of them. There is a consistent magic system in the world which helps each game feel connected as well. The world building was so well done that one of the main reasons series fans clamor to this day for a new installment is to finally be able to play a game set in one country of the world which we have yet to explore, yet already know so much about.

Favorite Multiplayer: Well this one has to be Destiny 2 for me due to sheer hours played with my two closest friends, but World of Warcraft is a heavy honorable mention.

 

[canadaguy]

Favorite Multiplayer: Well this one has to be Destiny 2 for me due to sheer hours played with my two closest friends

How bizarre, beacaue I don't recall playing destiny 2 with you ever

 

[VashTheStampede]

How bizarre, beacaue I don't recall playing destiny 2 with you ever

Canada is pretty far away though

 

[Christina]

Stopped getting notifications for thus thread and so I'm behind.

Currently play: Dragon Quest 3 and Infinity Nikki

Games that deserve a remake: Zelda Wind Waker and Majora's Mask. I want to play through all of the Zelda games and these are 2 I missed playing.

Best World Building: Fallout series

 

[canadaguy]

Canada is pretty far away though

Cosmically speaking we are practically roommates

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Cosmically speaking we are practically roommates

there goes my privacy

 

[TD]

Infinity Nikki

How are you liking this?

I downloaded it on my PS5 but haven't tried it yet and I've noticed we have some similar taste in games.

 

[Christina]

How are you liking this?

I downloaded it on my PS5 but haven't tried it yet and I've noticed we have some similar taste in games.

I haven't played too much, but I am liking it so far. If you really are into collecting things and outfits, this would be the game for you.

My daughter is loving it. She is an 11 year old girl though.

 

[Smacktard]

Favorite video game protagonist: idk tbh. I never felt that much connection the video game protags as some people do. Playing as Arthur Morgan was fun, and I liked him more than John Marston, but they're both mostly just avatars for play IMO.

Mario is an obvious answer, but he's more of a mascot than a fleshed-out character.

Meh. No answer. Maybe Lloyd Irving cause he's such a lovable dope.

 

[Quagmire]

Favorite Protagonist

Both Arthur Morgan and John Marston are up there for me and are probably the most well rounded and likeable for me (I agree @Smacktard that I liked Arthur more, I think he has a better arc)

But I think at the end of the day, I have to land on Kazuma Kiryu from Like a Dragon/Yakuza. There is something about this man, a legend, who just wants to be left alone, but comes back time and time again to help those he loves and cares about. I have spent so much time with this character whether as the main or only character to a side character and every time he just kicks ass. He's the textbook bad ass with a heart of gold. And he like Batman has never killed anyone!

 

[VashTheStampede]

Favorite Protagonist

Both Arthur Morgan and John Marston are up there for me and are probably the most well rounded and likeable for me (I agree @Smacktard that I liked Arthur more, I think he has a better arc)

But I think at the end of the day, I have to land on Kazuma Kiryu from Like a Dragon/Yakuza. There is something about this man, a legend, who just wants to be left alone, but comes back time and time again to help those he loves and cares about. I have spent so much time with this character whether as the main or only character to a side character and every time he just kicks ass. He's the textbook bad ass with a heart of gold. And he like Batman has never killed anyone!

Well this is pretty close to my thoughts on these fellas.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Arthur Morgan is definitely up there, and I have to heavily disagree with Smacktard's assessment. When I think of a player Avatar I think of more of a tabula rasa type character like a silent RPG protagonist. Arthur had so much personality infused in his writing and performance that I found myself trying to play like how I felt Arthur would really react in situations. Incredibly immersive experience for me that would have been game of the year if not for...

Kratos. After playing some of the original God of War games I never would have thought this sadboi ragelord would sniff a list like this, but the soft reboot series starting in 2018 completely changed my view of this big lug. Definitely a duology that hits harder playing it as a father though.

Geralt of Rivia almost feels like cheating to pick, considering the vast amount of material available with him before the story of the video games even starts.

But the winner as it stands for me right now:

Kazuma Kiryu is almost the perfect protagonist in my eyes. Everything Quagmire says is accurate, and another thing I adore about Kiryu-chan is that he is oddly accepting of other people, no matter how "weird" others might find them. Never thought I'd find a protagonist so devoid of toxic masculinity in a goddamn Yakuza tale.

 

[Smacktard]

Arthur Morgan is definitely up there, and I have to heavily disagree with Smacktard's assessment

I suspect my opinion on this would change if I played the game in a more story-driven way rather than trying to every single thing possible in the game.

Looking forward to finally playing GoW Reboot soon so maybe I'll have a new contender.

 

[Quagmire]

Kazuma Kiryu is almost the perfect protagonist in my eyes. Everything Quagmire says is accurate, and another thing I adore about Kiryu-chan is that he is oddly accepting of other people, no matter how "weird" others might find them. Never thought I'd find a protagonist so devoid of toxic masculinity in a goddamn Yakuza tale.

Very much so, he doesn't care who you are, he'll be your buddy and protect you even if he doesnt 100% get you

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Favorite Protagonist is really hard. Too many characters are just blank slates. Just emotionless husks that you are meant to pretend to be. The GTA characters are supposed to be inherently unlikable because they're criminals. Lara Croft is only mildly interesting as a character in the Legend and Underworld games, but that's because she had her lackeys to talk to, not because she was suddenly more interesting in those games. Shepard in Mass Effect really depends on how you select the dialog options, and even then, the supporting cast does the heavy lifting in terms of emotion.

I genuinely can't think of a character that I actually liked.