Certain games stay with you long after the end credits. This is a list of my top ten game series that made a lasting impact on me. To qualify as a “game series” for this list, the series must have at least three games (at least two of which I’ve played).
My top ten favorite game series in alphabetical order:
- Bioshock
- Danganronpa
- Deus Ex
- Fallout
- Final Fantasy
- Mass Effect
- Paper Mario
- Persona
- The Nonary Games
- Quantic Dreams Collection
- … and some runner ups!
This is in no way a ranking of the “best” game series. These are simply my personal favorites.
Bioshock
I first picked up Bioshock in 2009 when only the first installment was out; then I eagerly played Bioshock 2 and Bioshock: Infinite right after their respective releases in 2010 and 2015. Even though it’s been 5+ years since the last installment, Bioshock still sticks out in my mind as one of the most psychologically impacting games I’ve played. Each game is an action-adventure shooter set in a unique city environment.
There was so much about the first game that I instantly loved: the steampunk aesthetic, the 1960’s “city under the water” setting, the dark themes with not-so-subtle commentary on society… the list goes on and on. Dystopian games are not new, even back in 2007 when the game first released. What makes Bioshock stand out is the clever use of choice as a mechanic and psychological weapon, something that can only be accomplished in the games medium. It uses the illusion of choice to compliment the narrative, and other times it forces you to make tough choices and live with the consequences.
“We all make choices, but in the end, our choices make us.”
Andrew Ryan – Bioshock (2007)
Danganronpa
Cover art for Danganronpa 1-2 Reload, which shows multiple characters from Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa: Goodbye Despair.
I discovered Danganronpa – a visual adventure novel series – thanks to some coworkers who heard me give a rave review of The Nonary Games, a series which highly appealed to the murder-mystery lover in me (more on that later). They said something along the lines of, “If you like those games then you’ll definitely like Danganronpa” as it has the same killing game mechanic. That was enough of a recommendation for me to pick up the Reload pack, and next thing I knew I had binged the entire series.
When I first began playing, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters thrown at you from the start. I thought there was no possible way I could learn all their names or grow to appreciate them as distinct personalities. The game totally proved me wrong, forcing me to bond with each character and watch them get killed one by one. This psychological battle of Hope vs. Despair coupled with the mystery-solving elements made the series an instant favorite.
It’s worth noting that this series also has some of my favorite game soundtracks, losing out only to Persona in this list.
“You said that despair is as contagious as any disease. But the same is true of hope.”
Kyoko Kirigiri – Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Deus Ex
I played Deux Ex: Human Revolution in 2013 at the behest of a college friend, following up in 2016 when Deus Ex: Mankind Divided released. The cyberpunk setting, blended genre mechanics, and solid storytelling made it an instant favorite of mine. It primarily explores transhumanism with classic elements of shadow groups and “Big Company” morality.
Besides the story, for me what really stands out about Deus Ex is the freedom of playstyle. The various upgrade options for your augmentations provide you with multiple ways to tackle the same scenario. Sometimes you’ll take the brute-force route by undergoing shootouts with dozens of enemies, only to later find out that there was a well-placed vent that would have taken you exactly where you needed to go. It’s possible to complete the entire game without alarming a single enemy, resulting in a coveted achievement called “Foxiest of the Hounds.”
“Arrogance, daring to go beyond the limits imposed upon us, that is exactly what makes us human beings.”
Hugh Darrow – Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Fallout
I picked up my first Fallout game in 2013 with Fallout 3; next I binged Fallout 4 when it came out in 2015. My favorite aspect of both games was acquiring and spending time with the various companions, though I spent quite a bit of time in Fallout 4 in the base-building mode. I greatly enjoyed building and defending settlements, at one point going so far as to record a “Fixer Uppers: The Wasteland Edition“, complete with poor audio quality and exceptionally corny jokes only a Fallout aficionado would understand.
Fallout 3 was my first Bethesda experience*, meaning that I had never played a truly open world experience found in sibling series like the Elder Scrolls. When pointing your weapon at a key character, a warning pops up cautioning you against harming them. If you ignore the warning and slaughter the character, the game essentially says, “You’ve killed someone important to the story and can no longer finish the game. Have fun wandering around the wasteland anyways.” This level of freedom was absolutely mind-blowing to me.
* Note that Fallout 3 was the first Bethesda game in the series; Bethesda bought Fallout from Interplay Entertainment.
“Humanity is so resilient, to cling to life despite all of this.”
Curie – Fallout 4
Final Fantasy
The first Final Fantasy game I owned was Final Fantasy X-2. A commercial piqued my interest when I saw the all-women cast and awesome graphics. Realizing after purchase that X-2 is a sequel, the first FF game I ended up playing was Final Fantasy X. It was the first game I played that had full 3D graphics, cutscenes, and voice acting (which was totally mind-blowing stuff at the time). I later went on to play every subsequent single-player game: FFXII, FFXIII series, and FFXV.
As one of the longest-running series in gaming history, there’s so much to say on why I like Final Fantasy games besides the standard “interesting characters” and “good fantasy stories”. The series is widely accepted as a leader in RPG mechanics, innovating and trying something different in each installment. My favorite system was in FFXII, which used something called the Gambit System to allow you to ‘program’ commands into your characters and handle battles automatically. I greatly appreciated FFXIII-2 for experimenting with time mechanics and branching narratives. Final Fantasy is also responsible for many iconic female characters; it has a track record of intentional gender balance, off-roading only recently with XV and possibly XVI.
“I know it sounds selfish… but this is my story!”
Tidus – Final Fantasy X
Mass Effect
When Mass Effect came out in 2007, it was obvious from the commercials and media hype that the military sci-fi game was going to be a top-notch experience. It boasted a create-your-own protagonist, outcomes based on player choice, and romance-able characters. In 2010 the mechanics were perfected for Mass Effect 2, and the series culminated in 2012 with Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect set a high bar for what I expect from sci-fi storytelling in games. There are many overlapping concepts with various shows like Star Trek, most notably the conditions for qualifying as sentient life and the role of science in maintaining peace between nations. The ability to play through such concepts and actively drive different outcomes is the gift of bringing such concepts to the games medium.
“The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance. And at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished.”
Sovereign – Mass Effect
Paper Mario
Cover art for Paper Mario: The Origami King by Nintendo.
One of my favorite games of all-time is Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. It has timeless mechanics and twists the typical roles of Mario characters. The original Paper Mario and subsequent Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door borrowed heavily from Legend of the Seven Stars, forever solidifying Paper Mario as a top series in my book.
Though the series has moved far away from it’s RPG roots, I admire the innovation and braveness behind the more recent installments. Every single game in the series changes the mechanics in a novel way, sometimes to the dismay of fans. The series perfectly encapsulates a value that was summed up nicely in an article by Mike Sholars about The Origami King: “..it’s worth looking deep down at why we assume that More Of The Same is good enough; why we settle for nostalgia when innovation and originality made us fall in love to begin with.”
“Everything here is made of paper, of course, so every little bit of confetti is like a tiny piece of our world.”
Olivia – Paper Mario: The Origami King
Persona
My first game in the Persona universe was the spin-off Catherine. It is hands-down one of my favorite games of all time due to the extremely unique puzzle mechanics, and to this day I’m still waiting to find a puzzle game I like as much as Catherine. Playing Catherine inspired me to check out the Persona series, so I started with Persona 4 Golden on the PlayStation Vita. A short while later Persona 5 released in the US, and I found myself delving into another 100+ hour JRPG.
The core behind Persona games is the exploration of the True Self and the power of Social Links. Each protagonist is a “fish-out-of-water”, adapting to an unfamiliar setting and befriending new allies along the way. Your relationship with these allies determines your strength in battle, hammering in a real-life lesson on the importance of relationship building. The unique mechanics, memorable characters, and crazy plot twists are permanently etched in my heart.
It’s also worth mentioning that this series has the best music of any game I’ve played, blending multiple genres to create tunes that you’ll be humming long after you’ve finished the games.
“Have you decided to tread the path of strife? Very well. Let us proceed with our contract at once.
I am thou, thou art I. You have finally found your own justice. Please… Never lose sight of it again. This memorable day marks your graduation from your false self.”
Johanna – Persona 5
The Nonary Games
I picked up Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors on a whim because there was a cheap used copy available and the cover looked interesting. Little did I know that it would become an instant obsession and launch me into a “killing games” genre for which I had previously been unfamiliar.
I like games that touch on psychology & human behavior, as evidenced by some of my previous choices in this list. The Nonary Games use very classic experiments that explore concepts like trust, social contracts, and personal vs. social morality. Throw in an interesting narrative and fun characters, and how could I resist? As a person who has played hundreds of games, it’s sometimes hard to be surprised by plot twists (even if I like them). Certain developments in the game induced genuine amazement for me, which is why it has a permanent spot in my list of games that made a lasting impact on me.
“When someone betrays your trust, it feels like a part of you dies. For me, I guess it was the part that cared.”
Phi – Virtue’s Last Reward
Quantic Dreams
Though not technically a series, the Quantic Dreams Collection contains three complimentary games with consistent style and mechanics. Each is an interactive drama with choice-based outcomes. I played Heavy Rain in 2015 and then Detroit: Become Human when it released in 2018. I followed up shortly after with Beyond: Two Souls, which I had missed on release.
As you can probably tell by now, I’m a huge fan of games that provide branching narratives. This game provides the story element with cutting-edge visuals that hold up even after next-gen hardware is out. The Hank-Connor relationship in Detroit: Become Human is a standout to me, moving me to spend an absurd amount of hours compiling a video of their best moments.
This world doesn’t like those who are different, Markus. Don’t let anyone tell you who you should be.
Carl Manfred – Detroit: Become Human
Runner-ups
- God of War – This series has been with me for almost two decades. It was the first mature game I played as a teenager, and it made a huge impression on me for what could be done when the “kiddie cuffs” were off. The progression and growth of Kratos throughout the series has been extremely rewarding to see, especially with the recent installment of God of War (2018).
- Tomb Raider – Representation matters. Seeing a woman as the lead in an Indiana Jones-like story was extremely inspiring to me as kid. I love the direction of the new reboot series and am amazed at the impact of Lara Croft in the games industry.
- Borderlands – This series is a ridiculously fun time and my go-to for playing online with friends. I appreciate the commitment to the couple-friendly couch co-op in each game, as well as the emphasis on cooperative multiplayer.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite game series! Did you learn about any games today? What is your favorite game series? Connect with me and let me know!
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