Top 10 Video Games

10. Bully

I am of the opinion a video game should be judged not by its graphics or popularity, but by its enjoyability. I've played many critically acclaimed games with stunning graphics and brilliant new features. But if I didn't enjoy those games, they weren't worth the hours I put in. Rockstar's Bully had little buzz and wasn't altogether revolutionary. It followed the same formula as other sandbox games: relative freedom with tons of characters and side activities. As far as brilliant new features, I can't say I remember any. Bully stuck to the basics, but it did it very well.

I remember spending Christmas break feeling very content biking around Bullworth Academy discovering the random people and places therein. Whether it be sling-shotting projectiles at unruly adversaries, or completing classroom tasks, Bully's gameplay was always much more peaceful than most of the sandbox games I've played. Some may claim this game was boring and menial, but for me it was a much-needed vacation from the violent chaos that saturates the video game market.

9. Metal Gear Solid

The Metal Gear Solid franchise isn't the only stealth-oriented game on the market, but it is the best. I can still remember the way the earlier versions made me feel as a kid. It was almost like a game of hide and seek, crawling around and hiding behind crates. In fact, I would say if you add the hide-and-seek satisfaction to the excitement of sniping unknowing guards, you have Metal Gear Solid. Through the years, the Metal Gear Solid franchise has become bigger and better with cooler features. But at its heart, it's still about sneaking around, taking out guards, and fighting crazy boss battles. In short, MGS packs a lot of excitement into one 1000+ hour game, cut scenes included.

8. Shadow Of The Colossus

I haven't seen this game on many "top 10 video games" lists. And I haven't heard many of my friends rave about it. But Shadow Of The Colossus stands out in my mind as the first game that made me proclaim, "Wow, this is beautiful!"

The one downfall to this game is it's fairly repetitive and has a lot of travel time. If the scenery wasn't so beautiful, I would have gotten extremely bored riding my horse from monster to monster. But the scenery was beautiful, and the monsters (Colossuses) were each a unique and frightening creature to slay. I almost felt guilty and sad every time I took down one of these magnificent beings. That's not a common way to feel about boss battles, but imagine ripping apart a butterfly. If you enjoyed that imagery, shame on you.

7. Crash Bandicoot

My brother, dad, and I are all gamers. Some of my fondest memories of the three of us are times playing fun Playstation games. And none of those games stick out more than Crash Bandicoot. I remember watching my brother play, eagerly awaiting my time to spin enemies from my path into the forest.

Crash's bright colors, cartoon-like sound-effects, and fast-paced gameplay all combine to make one blast of a playing experience. This game was a staple to the early Playstation systems, and what a strong staple they were. Staples, that was easy.

6. Assassin's Creed

If there was one game I wish I could experience in real life, it would be Assassins Creed. The freedom experienced in these games is unmatched. Seamlessly, a player can jump from roof top to roof top, scale a giant tower, plummet into a pile of hay, and slash through a crowd of enemies. Seamlessly, unless you're playing Unity. But that's a different list. My personal favorite is Black Flag, which introduced ship-commandeering into the picture. Before I played this game, I never knew navigating a ship through a shark-infested ocean, launching cannon-balls at giant enemy ships, could be so fun. But it is, and so are the countless other unique activities one can partake in during Assassin's Creed gameplay. Just please don't parkour through your neighborhood to get hits on Youtube. Hay piles won't catch you the way they do in this game.

5. Red Dead Redemption

Rockstar could have tweaked one thing to put this one higher on my list: make the second one more fun! Okay, there's my rant for the day. It's just that I spent hours upon hours last month watching Dutch promise my gang a brighter future, slowly walking toward enemies, and hammering fence posts into the ground. Otherwise, the game was amazing. For those who have never played either of the Red Dead Redemptions, imagine Grand Theft Auto in the wild west. For those who have never played Grand Theft Auto, why are you reading this list? What the first Red Dead Redemption did that the second didn't was tell a story without boring me to death. What both did was provide an incredibly beautiful, authentic, story-driven experience that I'll never forget. Now Rockstar, please make your next game faster-paced!

4. The Witcher

I'll be honest, I've never played other Witcher games than the third one. I know, that probably diminishes my credibility in the gamer world. But there are way too many games to play to spend my time trudging through the video game past. I hear of a good game, and I play it. And if it's the third game in, I'm moving forward with that one.

That being said, I came in on a whale of a good game. This game defied the level of fun I thought I could have playing a video game. Whether it be slaying giant monsters or banishing witches from a village, The Witcher is a blast from start to finish. I hear there's even a dating feature in the game. But that kind of creeped me out, so pass.

3. Super Mario Bros.

What video game list would be complete without the Super Mario franchise? Unlike The Witcher, I've played many of these games, and enjoyed them all. The first Super Mario Bros game was a Nintendo staple that was easy and and hard at the same time. It takes a lot of coordination to master jumping over giant bullets onto higher and higher platforms without falling...and losing one of three lives you'll get in the entire game.

I remember going over to my friend's house and playing Mario 64, the first 3D game I'd played. My mind was blown, and I persistently begged him to let me play. When he finally did, I had a ball traveling from world to colorful world, passing whatever new tests the game had for me. And who can forget Mario Cart? Best. Party. Game. Ever.

2. Elder Scrolls

The Elder Scrolls franchise comes in at number two on my list because it's the second most fun I've ever had playing a game. Particularly Skyrim, but also the others, was more in-depth than any game I've ever played. I always found myself wanting to commit to the main storyline, then getting sidetracked on a side quest for several hours. But it was all a blast, so I didn't mind.

I've never played a game that had more RPG-like features than these games. You can change and craft any part of your player's armor. You can also upgrade any facet of your defense, attack, and countless spells in your arsenal. There are infinite ways to play this game, all of them magical brilliance. Just make sure to save often, or you'll find yourself stuck and screwed.

1. Grand Theft Auto

I never played the first two Grand Theft Autos. I don't think anyone has. But I sure as heck have played the rest of them. A lot. I can compare my relationship with the GTA series to that of a romantic relationship. I get very frustrated and want to quit quite often. But I stick it out because I know the good times are going to be very, very good.

Countless hours I've spent jacking cars, running from cars, and following cars. Many days I've spent starting missions with a cooky cut-scene, finishing them with a satisfying explosion. The characters in this game are out-of-this-world cray cray, and the conversations are out-of-this-galaxy hilarious. And the feeling I get from the seemingly endless freedom in these games is unmatched. Thank you Rockstar. Now please make your next game faster-paced.

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