Following a recent interaction with @Th3solution about the best gaming series ever made on the PS3 Currently Playing thread, it occurred to us that there might never have been a thread dedicated to this subject. No set rules, just use your own understanding of the game series that you love and whether you feel it’s worthy.
So I’ll start with mine:
1. Dark Souls
2. Metal Gear Solid
3. God of War
4. GTA
5. Dead Space
As you can tell, all my favourites occur since the inception of the PlayStation, which is quite apt given this site. Still, I’d be interested to see other peoples favourites and how many are from the earlier generations.
Eh, this is a tough one. When thinking of my favourites you've got a real mix of things, including:
Long-running series where a good chunk of titles have been landmark games for the industry (Mario, Zelda).
Shorter-lived series that have maintained a high level of quality throughout (Uncharted).
Series with a few specific titles that have made a massive impact on me but I've either not played the majority of titles / aren't as fond of the majority of titles / many are poorer quality (Final Fantasy, Sonic, Persona).
Series that I adore and have an everlasting presence for me in the hobby but I find don't innovate massively between entries (Pokemon, Smash Bros, Mario Kart).
Overall I'd say my favourites are:
1. Mario
2. Pokemon
3. Zelda
4. Final Fantasy
5. Sonic (honestly hate to include this one as I don't think it's a good game series as a whole...but yeah I love Sonic)
I don't think i have that many lol. When i think of series of games I like, there isn't a great deal that I like most of the games in the series.
There is the Dark Souls games and their siblings BloodBorne, Sekiro and Elden Ring. These are most likely the only games i would pre-order these days and be really hyped for.
GTA. Have enjoyed most of them, even the top down ones. San Andreas i didn't gel with and found 4 a bit annoying overall.
Resident Evil. Liked the first three, but then not the next three. Really enjoyed 7 and 8. Not played any the spin offs either.
Bioshock. Thought 1 and 3 were amazing, didn't enjoy 2 at all. Interested to see how Judas turn out like with Ken Levine at the helm.
EDIT: And the Batman Arkham games. Loved all three. Huzzah! I do have 5!
Doom. Loved the first two, probably made me the gamer I am today. The level design, weapons and demons probably still have an influence on FPS games to this day. The third was too much of a departure and never played 64 (but it is currently installed on my PS4). Doom 2016 was a spectacular return to form though and looking forward to eventually getting to Eternal.
BioShock. Again more FPS goodness but this time with magic! Yeah I know it's not magic it's science plasmids or something. All three of these games are excellent in their aesthetic, world building and storylines. As well as the gameplay too, obviously.
Silent Hill. Oh I played the first SH sooo much on the original playstation, it was just so unlike everything that had come before. Proper survival horror where the only aim was to make it to the next save point. 2 and 3 I also have fond memories of... Well not so much actual memories as a feeling that I really enjoyed them (actual memories all tend to blur together for a couple of decades for...reasons). I even played most of the less than stelkar entries in the series - yes Room in looking at you. Just let me bash some undead monstrosity with a pipe or axe or something while trying to stay alive and solve puzzles and I'm good.
Resident Evil. Don't think I got into the series until the point where most of the fans of the originals thought it had gone off the rails but (shocker) I really liked 5! Not so much 6! 7 is one of my favourite games in recent years and the remakes of 2 and 3 were all that I expect from the series. How many times I've combined herbs, done a mad dash passed all the enemies trying to get to the save room when I've run out of ammo or been slightly hesitant to leave a save room... Yeah I love RE games. RE4Renake is on my to do list from for this month.
Disgaea. Oh I don't really wanna talk about the 100s of hours I've spent on various entries in this franchise. Something compelling about creating a squad of zombies, ghosts and humans - naming them all after friends, levelling them up and thwarting a couple of weeks levelling up items and characters for reasons you cant even fully recall. The actual games stories and characters are usually enjoyably wackly as well. Though I don't enjoy 6 so much it has put me off going back to any for a while.
“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
1) Zelda (Especially the GBA/SNES top down era, but obviously also Ocarina/Majora)
2) Monster Hunter
3) Dark Souls / FromSoft (inc. BB, Sekiro, ER here etc)
4) Monkey Island, even 3 and 4 (!)
5) MGS (mainly the original trilogy, less keen on IV and V)
Series are hard for me. Like, some games are all time favorites, but I don't feel as strongly about the other games in the series, or they're short enough it feels weird calling them 'favorite series.' So I'll go with picks that have a large number of consistently fantastic entries.
DOOM
Etrian Odyssey
The Legend of Zelda
Shin Megami Tensei
Super Mario
Would've said Final Fantasy prior to XIII, but that series has been all over the place since.
Dark Souls/FromSoft Soulslikes
Resident Evil OG series incl. Code Veronica but excluding 5 & 6 & haven't played enough of 7 but also excluding 8
Silent Hill
Uncharted
Batman Arkham Trilogy
@colonelkilgore Ah! I’m glad you ran with our discussion and made this an actual topic so we could expand on it. I’ve enjoyed seeing what people have said already.
As others have mentioned, it is a fascinating thought process because there’s been absolutely fantastic entires in an otherwise mediocre series, and also great series that have really horrible entries. So I’m just going to go from the gut and consider the overall consistency of the games in the series as well as impact personally on me, nostalgia, and importance to the industry.
First, a few self-imposed restrictions: 1) I need to have at least played the majority of releases in the series. >50% of them to be a fair judge. 2) If there’s a major or substantial recent release in the series that I’ve yet to play then the series is ineligible. 3) Remasters and Remakes that don’t change the core story or gameplay are considered the same as the original (ie not counted as a new entry) but Remakes that are ‘reimaginings’ are considered separate entries. 4) Series must have at least two games to be eligible.
So with that in mind, here are my top 5:
1) The Team Ico-verse Series
Is this even a series? 😂 Well, I say yes, it is. Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian share enough thematically and are made by the same creator Fumito Ueda. I actually do think that it’s an accepted concept amongst fandom that the 3 games are connected both thematically and even chronologically.
I’ve often stated that in my personal opinion Shadow of the Colossus is the greatest game of all time. It’s not a game that I want to play every year over and over again but it’s the gaming equivalent of the Sistine Chapel that you visit only once or twice but it changes your life after being there.
Ico was one of the first video games I played and I have very fond memories of it. I have no doubt that revisiting it would not measure up to the nostalgia and awe I felt at the time, but it’s such an influential game nonetheless.
The Last Guardian is probably the weakest of the series for me personally, but it did eventually become a fond experience. They broke the mold with Trico.
2) Red Dead Redemption
It was difficult for me not to include these games — that’s why I set my rules at a minimum of 2 entries to qualify. I know it’s stretching the concept of “sequel” into “series” but RDR2 is such a huge game, it’s honestly more “game” that 3-4 separate games that exist in other series. Also, one could make the argument that Undead Nightmare is a separate entry, which would make it 3 games anyway.
John Marston and Arthur Morgan are amongst the absolute best protagonists in gaming. Their stories resonated with me so heavily and at the end of each I just sat in silence staring at the TV for countless minutes.
And the open world exploration and interactivity in this series (especially RDR2) is still unparalleled.
3) FromSoft’s Souls Games
Cheating a little here since I’ve not finished the series but with the inclusion of Demon’s Souls I actually have played 3/4 of the Souls games, and so I feel qualified to pass judgement. And I’ve played the most recent release — the DeS Remake. There’s been debate about whether Elden Ring is actually in this series and I think, as I understand it, there’s unique lore and a different setting sufficient to say it’s a separate game series.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, and Dark Souls 2. There’s a simple addiction to the gameplay loop and a haunting attraction to the dark fantasy world they inhabit.
4) Tomb Raider
Both the modern and classic games hold a special place in my gaming heart. Few protagonists can reach the level of Lara Croft’s iconic status. I remember the obsession I had with the original games years ago on PS1 and the reboot trilogy was excellent as well. If there was a Mount Rushmore for gaming, Lara Croft deserves a spot on the mountain.
5) Metal Gear Solid
This one squeezed in just by a hair. I had intended to put Final Fantasy at this slot, but when I actually counted, I haven’t quite played 50% of the FF’s mainline entries. Also, I haven’t played the most recent major installment, Rebirth. So it does not meet two of my self-imposed rules.
But MGS is a worthy series in its own right. Absolutely quintessential gaming. Kojima is a genius and the games are all uniquely different, and yet familiar. Debate rages about which of the entries is the best, but there’s no arguing the series as a whole is classic.
MGS probably has some of the most seminal moments in gaming history. Psycho Mantis fight. Crawling the microwave corridor. The bait and switch of MGS2. The Venom Snake reveal. Fight with The End. The list goes on and on.
In preparing this list, obviously I had to leave a lot out. So I’ve got my honorable mentions, some of which just missed the cut but are gaming series I absolutely love and adore in their own right:
The Last of Us
Batman Arkham
Infamous
Portal
Gran Turismo
Bioshock
Mass Effect
Uncharted
Assassin’s Creed
Also, I’ve included here series that were ineligible and yet would likely make the top ten when I get around to playing the latest games and/or catching up with playing enough of the entries to reach that >50% mark:
Final Fantasy
Resident Evil
God of War
Horizon
————
Edit: I had a last minute change when I inexplicably left out one of the main series, so this should be the final draft. Although I’m sure I still forgot some important games. 😄
This is way tougher than I first thought. Excellent question, top work fellas.
1. Dark Souls - a beautiful trilogy in a haunting, melancholic world, perfectly wrapped up by the ending of 3.
2. Grand Theft Auto - yes GTA V's online may have become overbearing, but this series has brought me so much joy down the years.
3. Worms - so many times my mates and I have cracked out a Worms game. Whichever is currently going free on PSN, it doesn't matter. It's always a guaranteed laugh.
4. Suikoden - I and II mainly but I've enjoyed them all, even the much maligned fourth entry.
5. Fallout - mainly the newer 3D entries since 3. I love the world aesthetic, with its bittersweet comedy, its moments of quiet tragedy and its well-spoken robot butlers.
Also MGS, Red Dead and Katamari. Is it too soon to throw Astro Bot in there too?
EDIT: Forgot to mention the Hitman series. Consistently high quality.
My top three are easily: Persona, The Legend of Heroes and Danganronpa. I just love these series!
The other two are a bit harder for me to pick. I love series where the games are interconnected, such as Mass Effect, Yakuza, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid and Kingdom Hearts. So out of those five, I'd pick Mass Effect and Metal Gear Solid.
@Th3solution dude, I really hope that this doesn’t come off as patronising as it probably seems 😅 (apologies if it is) but I can’t tell you how pleased I am that Dark Souls has ended up hitting for you in the way that it has. From recollection, you’d only really dabbled a little with the original Dark Souls and beaten Bloodborne back when I joined. Maybe I’m giving myself too a little too much credit (classic me tbh 🤣) but I can’t help but feel I was one of the guys that gave you the necessary gentle nudge here and there back towards the series. Real glad that it worked out and it’s something you’ve ended up classing as one of your favourite series. Surprisingly gratifying… if that doesn’t sound too self-indulgent.
This one is difficult for me, but I’ll attempt to answer.
1) The Last of Us
2) Ys
3) BioShock
4) Dragon Quest
5) The Legend of Zelda
Honorable mentions, and these could easily replace some of the top 5: Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, Xenoblade Chronicles, Halo, Gears, and Persona.
@Kraven I’ve actually been waiting to see if anyone mentioned Ys. I haven’t actually played any yet myself but have VIII and IX ready to go… and will pick up X later this month. Planning on starting them soon-ish.
@colonelkilgore I got the platinum for 8 and 9. They are so good. They are some of the coziest RPGs I’ve ever played, and just really solid every single time. I can’t wait for X. You’ll have to let me know what you think of the games when you get around to playing them!
I'll say The Witcher even though I only played TW3, but the novels and games are just perfect to me, and I'll definitely play the remakes if they come.
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Wow kind of difficult but interesting to to this by series and not single entries.
Street Fighter - it created my favorite genre and it's arguably still the torch bearer for it;
Final Fantasy - the most interesting, risk-taking and less formulaic jrpg series by a landslide;
The Team Ico-verse Series - far from corporate logic, the kind of video games we deserve; @Th3solution
The legend of Zelda - consistently high quality and reinvented itself brilliantly more than once, even emulating Shadow of The Colossus in a more marketable yet delightful way in the process;
Monkey Island - the characters, the humor, it just made me as a gamer, from playing the first one with my dad to sharing the series with loved ones.
Honorable mentions:
Europa Universalis - sometimes I think it's genius, sometimes I think it's just dopamine crack cocaine for history nerds;
Metroid - I think Super Metroid might just be my favorite piece of video game software but I find the prime sequels and the modern 2d games (not talking about Fusion, that's glorious) kind of alright, if slightly forgettable;
Shenmue - the first two games are so unique and ahead of their time, they kind of feel like the product of an alternate video game universe or timeline, like Shadow of the Colossus or Ico. The third one made a nice job emulating the qualities of the first two and giving us a game that feels like a niche 2003 sequel. But now the whole thing is just too meta and weird and has too many layers of diegetic and non-diegetic nostalgia.
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Topic: Your top 5 Gaming Series of All-Time!
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