Best games of my life, part 1/2

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Initially, there were supposed to be 14 titles, but the list has grown (and it would have been even longer, but I didn't want to overdo it). I decided to divide my "top-list" into two categories: the classic top-15 and the rest. By all the rest, I mean the titles that have passed through the "selective screen", but I just don't want to rank them in individual positions (so I'll put them all into "one" position, don't be guided by the order). I chose the ones with my best memories and somehow I remember them to this day (or I have to play it every few years). When it comes to the "top 15", it will be the same as with my favorite tapeworms - I will try to be honest, but sometimes the heart may take over the mind. You probably know what it is like. However, I will make it clear.

I would also like to add that I played each of the games in several ways (some even a dozen), I discussed them many times, so my opinions will be fuller in content. Some titles such as Donkey Kong 1-2, Tomb Raider 1-3, Quake 1-3, Red Alert 1-2, Kiss Psycho Circus, Mario, Carmageddon 1, KKND 1-2, One Must Fall 2097, Wipeout, Crash Bandicoot 1-3, GTA 1-2, Heart of the Darkness, Dune 2, Star Wars: Dark Forces and many, many others I have skipped because I either didn't like them that much or I didn't have that much with them strong memories (okay, except for "Dark Forces", but I didn't want to add too many games anymore). If you want, I can write a text about your favorite retro games, for example. I also wanted to limit myself to one part per series so that "WarCraft", "Doom" or C&C would not dominate the top-lists. That's it for the introduction, see the main part of the text.

Toplist:

World of WarCraft - Probably my biggest addiction in my life when it comes to games. Every time (and it was about 4 times) when I deleted the game, for 2 days I had symptoms like when I tried to quit cigarettes (my bones hurt, I didn't know "where to put my hands", general sadness and depression). And you know what's the funniest thing? For me, WoW could be a "Single-player" game. Such a great RPG with NPCs and quests. I was not interested in anything other than exploring the "Warcraft" universe, fighting enemies in locations (I greet all the Rogue who attacked from behind in this jungle outside of goblin town as you went to Stormwind), developing "mining", "screening" and several other professions. All the rest might not exist for me. All instances, battlefields, arenas etc. were irrelevant to me. I tried, I didn't like them.

I was playing mainly to get to know the world I love from a slightly different, much closer perspective. I will never forget my serious game start. After graduating from high school I went to the "clan convention" (big words!), In fact, the first "Polish Champions" (also very large words: D) in the most popular Dota clone on the battle-net, or "Shinobi Wars" (same as DotA, but much simpler, and the elements of the board and characters were taken from the anime "Naruto"). Partying, live chat, joking, etc. One time they showed me "World of WarCraft" and I immersed myself in the game world with my Tauren warrior, playing from midnight to close to 7 am. After returning, I installed it almost immediately and my interpersonal contacts were almost zero. Not only was I addicted to WoW, but I also decided to make up for the whole "One Piece" (I think Enies Lobby in the anime ended then, I don't remember exactly). I traveled the endless world, visited places that most players did not enter, collected gold, developed my characters. Today I think about it with sentiment and I don't regret it. A fun game that gives me fond memories. I remember when we went with my compatriots from the above-mentioned clan (we played in the Horde) to Stormwind and we made a selfie in front of the entrance to the capital of xD people. Besides, I do not recommend it, it is very time-consuming.

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Heroes of Might and Magic IV - It is thanks to the game from this series that my nickname was taken ;). I did not know what to enter in the chat on wp.pl (oh, this young age and not embracing better things to find on the Internet), I typed the title that I was currently playing. If I am not mistaken, it was probably part II. The craze for Part III completely missed me. I didn't have internet, and none of my friends from what I remember were playing the third part of the series then. I also somehow skipped the CDA (Polish games magazine) texts, not knowing why.

I returned to the brand after the premiere of IV, which I encountered while visiting my cousin. The music, map designs, the colorfulness of the game and the way of the game (I did not know then that I had contact with something from this series before) immediately appealed to me and encouraged me to get to know the game. After returning home, I got my own copy of the game and was immersed in this universe. I especially liked the castle of Nature (the one with unicorns, phoenixes, elves) and the Necropolis (in my opinion, the best castle for large maps, a man has an army for free, and with highly developed necromancy it can generate strong vampires!), The power of which I learned so acutely, that I decided to learn to play with them.

I got acquainted with the third part in high school, a classmate brought a CD for a weekend or another day off. We must have launched the "hot buttocks" mode, the rest is history ...;). Even though the three is in my opinion the best of the series in general, I prefer the fourth one. I like caravans, and the changes to 3 and errors in the game did not bother me much (which supposedly was a lot), but probably because, apart from a few matches from 5.6 years ago, I did not play Heroes on the Internet at all.

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Alone in the Dark 1 - I love this game (although I treat it in other categories, more like "stories", I prefer to watch gameplays than play in person), although I do not like horror in any form. My imagination is too rich, I have had problems falling asleep since I was a child and I do not want to make my life difficult because of this. What exactly do I have such "feelings" for this title? For the amazing atmosphere (when it came out, it was really photo-realistic graphics) and an extremely neat shot of the climate characteristic of H.P Lovecraft's books. I don't know many of his works, but I intend to buy some of them (after completing "Mr. Ice Garden", "Painted Man" and "Dune"). However, what I read and listened to (both about the content of the books and the author himself) allowed me to "visualize" a similar atmosphere.

It is true that the creators slightly changed the concept and there was not much left of the original project, which was very much inspired by the works of Lovecraft (a license was purchased, which was practically not used, but the "spirit" of the original remained despite the changes. It is also worth mentioning that AitD 1 was most likely ( I haven't met the earlier one), the first "survival horror" in the history of games. Anyway, "Resident Evil 1" itself was clearly inspired by the idea of Infogrames studio. A bit archaic title, but I still like to watch "Let's playa" from YT's it fits perfectly into the gloomy production climate.

Unreal Tournament - Another game from the series I love. In the wars between the fans of "Quake 3" and "Unreal Tournament", I was always on the side of the latter. The work of ID is in my opinion worse in every respect, not to mention the speed of loading the maps ... You can make tea, sweeten, and sit down to play. At that time, I did not have permanent access to the Internet, and the rich number of maps, modes, and possibilities ensured entertainment for weeks. Moving on to higher and higher levels only extended the fun. The later parts were sometimes better, sometimes worse, but definitely too colorful. I preferred the light gray of the first installment and the weapons that suffered from a similar syndrome as the sequel level.

Command and Conquer 3 (no add-on) - The only exception, but justifiable. The game was created in a different studio and none of the original authors (except Joe Kucan in the role of the immortal "Kane", who will probably outlive everyone: D) took part in its development. It is a successful attempt to refresh the brand and one of many examples showing that you can transfer a classic to a new, but familiar reality. I went through the game 4 times (2 times GDI, 1 time NOD and Scrinami or Scrimami, I do not remember the names of those pushed-in aliens: P). In retrospect, I say they could have done a bit more, but it's still a solid game that I can safely recommend to anyone (assuming, of course, that he likes classic RTS).

Mortal Kombat 2 - I've played it on many platforms. PC, Amiga, Game console, Playstation, Slots. Having almost the same fun each time. To this day, I have the greatest sentiment for the second part. I did not like the atmosphere of the first edition, and the 9th part (I did not play in 10th) was the best. However, the heart took over the mind and MK 2 is in its place (although if you care, you can imagine "Mortal Kombat 9" in this position). I liked this title for its blood, exquisite "fatality" and expressive, distinctive characters. My favorites were Baraka and Reptile. In 9 it is similar, although Scorpion joined them as my best-controlled character. It is a pity that Mortal was a bit pushed out of slot machines by "Tekken 3" at the time. Playing at home wasn't as much fun as sitting with my buddies in arcades.

Batman Arkham Asylum - Apart from "Diablo 3 + Expansion", "South Park: The Stick of Truth", Mortal 9 and a few parts of "Tekken", I haven't played much in recent news. As you can see, I'm mostly stuck among older titles, famous and sometimes dusty brands. "Batman Arkham Asylum" is the product that I got into the hardest of all PlayStation 3 games. It is true that "The Stick of Truth" I went much further, in a much shorter time (and I was stuck learning a farting technique from one of the boys' father, I don't know how pass it), but these are different vibes. For Batman, "I need the mood above all. It's not a production that I can play at any time of the day or night.

This game is simply beautiful and perfectly realized. The creators surprised me more than once with their creativity, attention to the smallest details, and flavors for fans (and how many I have not noticed, I do not know the Batman world in detail). The game is incredibly immersive for me, I immediately felt like "Knight of the Night". There is everything I like about this character, and duels with my favorite arch-enemies Gack are incredibly satisfying (I especially love "Scarecrow", the makers PERFECTLY made his illusions, at one point I applauded).

In short, if you are looking for a good title signed with DC comics, you probably couldn't have hit better :). Even though I have 47% of the game finished, feel free to put it that high. As the game progresses, her position will only increase. There is probably nothing I could accuse the creators of.

Settlers 3 - The only part of the Settlers that I liked. I got a communion game (if I remember correctly the prices from CDA, it cost about 100 PLN, in those days it was a bit of money) and initially, I didn't like it. I had to look cute when as a little kid I complained that it sucks because it's not "WarCraft" or "Command and Conquer, or another" Red Alert": D. One day (again, it was either winter break or I was sick) I decided to learn to play it. I fired up the tutorial, got the basics, and went back to the game. And soaked up to this day;). I like to fire up the Settlers once a year and go through two campaigns while listening to YouTube. I liked the Asians the most, which in my opinion was the easiest nation (they were mostly based on wood that could be easily mined + easily aimed at their siege unit).

Age of Empires 2 no add-on - Probably the first game I played on the Internet (back in the days of modems, so I didn't play too much ... I had to walk 20 minutes from my shoe to my uncle who had a permanent connection at the time). AoE 2, subtitled "Age of Kings", is one of my favorite strategy games in general. Not only does it have interesting and numerous single-player campaigns, it also rules multiplayer games. Each map, its climate and terrain had a beneficial effect on individual nations or types of units (e.g. on the plains, cavalry massacred opponents, archers or Janissaries slaughtered in closed spaces with high visibility, nations associated with seas and oceans had an easier time in naval combat, etc.). I played mostly British, Turks (in both cases due to special units and upgrades available that fit my playstyle), and on maps with vast, empty spaces, Franks. Their cavalry massacred everything in its path. A bit of freshness in this title was brought by the HD version, which is played just as well as the original. I recommend buying on Steam, you will not regret it.

StarCraft + Brood Wars Expansion - Another game from the "I just love it" series Another epic masterpiece from Blizzard. Another legendary brand, developing the strategy genre, about which everything has been written. You can do this and exchange it. My first contact with this title was probably the shareware version on one of the CD-Action discs. I'm not sure today, the demo was generally quite extensive. I bought the full version half a year after the premiere and soaked in for hours.

I prefer "WarCraft", but this "StarCraft" is a much more demanding game from the "kill" side (suffice to say that in WC 3 I was so "even good", my undead sometimes made a good scare ...;] , while in SC I was ragged, like Tienshinhan in "Dragon Ball Super") I only played a dozen games and not counting a few games with my friends (which I won most, although I got good pincers twice), you could count the number of my victories on fingers of one hand with three blown fingers off. I tried all the ways with Protoss and Terran (I played them the best, on Zergs I was "too thin in the ears" and my APM was too low <"Actions Per Minute">, on average I pulled out 80, about 130 it was my record), but almost every time I have wiped the floor. I remember when we used to laugh at the Dota players on the battle-net. We cried out that they got excited by some funny game in which you control up to a few units. if the "StarCraft" players laughed at the level of difficulty in "WarCraft: Reign of Chaos".

Of course, the network game is not the only advantage of this game. There is also an excellent campaign that is built simply masterfully. I waited for 2 for years and was severely disappointed (I didn't play that long, but I read and saw how they ran it, I broke a bit). Someday, when I have a new computer and an excess of money, I will buy "Wings of Liberty" and maybe then I'll tell you exactly why I don't like it. Coming back to the campaign, in this one we meet many charismatic characters. Jim Raynor, Emperor Mengks, Queen of Blades, and her human form, the Overmind (though the term "being" is more appropriate for him), not to mention the Protoss, because I would have to list almost all of them here. Each of these heroes has a role to play or memorable moments. Apparently, the plot has been removed from the Warhammer universe (details will be in my next text about "WarCraft"), but ... as you will read in my next text, it does not bother me. They did it so brilliantly, they developed the game over the net so they can be forgiven. Apple and Microsoft got a bit of a relationship (mainly Bill Gates), so do LoL and DotA 2.

The music from "StarCraft" is one of my favorite soundtracks that I listen to a lot while writing. It is timeless, atmospheric, and dynamic, it doesn't get boring, it has awesome pieces that are perfectly suited to each of the 3 breeds. I would say without hesitation that this is one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard.

And so, as a curiosity, do you know that in South Korea the most passionate players were taken to the war? Great idea in my opinion. Such people have a good strategic understanding (yes, I know, it's just a "stupid game", but the mere learning of reflexes, way of thinking, etc. gives a lot - in the army, it has been tested with good results many times) and they are naturally prepared to perform various roles in the army .

League of Legends - I also spent a lot of time there. I climbed the ranks, fell, and then got back up. More than once, I plowed my opponent with my Cho'Gath or "managed" a game with him. To make it not too sweet, I was losing a lot of matches. Contrary to Dota, here I didn't even try to pursue myself as a pro-player (not there either, because my ambitions to play at a higher level than leagues/in-house with overwhelmed friends were plowed up quite quickly). I almost always used LoL as a stepping stone from "Defense of the Ancients". It served mainly as rest, relaxation with something less known. I say "almost" because there was a long time that Valve and IceFrog were badly running Dota in my opinion. "Liga Legend", in turn, had really good years. This is where the game is in such a high position. When I was playing LoL while living in England, I was reminded of the times when I was getting to know Dota and playing W3 on the internet. I even got an invitation to a beta test and she didn't buy me at first. Mainly due to the fact that it cut terribly on my old computer (later versions were already better optimized), and the game itself was moderately polished. Nevertheless, remember - Cho'Gath made with 100% Ap dmg takes HUGE damage and fools enemies from the face of the earth, like Techies (a hero whose 3 skills are landmines on the map and 4 is suicide xD) from Dota.

By the way, when it comes to the "DotA vs LoL" conflict, I like both of them, although they differ so much that it is impossible to compare them. DotA is a more complicated title (that doesn't mean LoL is crude). This game is more bug-tolerant and has more extensive mechanics. It is just as obvious as "Naruto" has a richer storyline than "Dragon Ball Z".