Fran: If I was cursed by an evil witch so I could only play one game for the rest of my days… I would probably go for a super exclusive version of Lego Harry Potter that came with a limited edition fully working Lego magic wand so I could pop a Avada Kedavra cap in her ass, but if we’re talking about games that actually exist, then it probably isn’t the game I would go with.
My initial reaction was that I would choose Skyrim, as I bought it on release and I still haven’t stopped playing that game. However, cursing other people with magic while I was suffering under a magic curse myself seems a little too close to irony for my liking.
I do have an all encompassing love for the Mass Effect series, but left with only that game for a long time, I may be tempted to play through as a male paragon Shepard (god forbid).
So I would probably choose Space Channel 5 Part 2, because with no other game to play, I might finally be able to get perfect on all the stages, or actually finish the game, or maybe get past the 3rd stage of ‘bastard hard’ mode. And I’ll learn some new dance moves while I’m at it! The game will eventually send me insane but at least I know would be happy at the time. And when the bright crazy colours eventually make me gouge my eyes out, I will have a new perspective to play the game with… when I play it relying on my ears alone! And the fun continues!
Dunk: There was very little debate in my mind when I pondered the question over. Fallout got a minuscule second of consideration, but really there is no other choice to be made other than Command & Conquer.
It is one of – if not the – best strategy franchises to ever exist. It has everything: outstanding gameplay, brilliant characters with big name actors performing the cutscenes, a totally insane yet well-written plot, all wrapped up on top of huge immersive battles and some of the greatest gaming soundtracks in history. The franchise somehow got Tim Curry, giant flame-breathing ants, and time-travelling Soviets into the same universe – you’ve got to respect that.
How can you possibly turn down the franchise that has: Command & Conquer, Red Alert, Aftermath, Retaliation, Tiberian Sun, Red Alert 2, Yuri’s Revenge, Renegade, Generals, Zero Hour, Command & Conquer 3, Kane’s Wrath, Uprising, AND Red Alert 3. That’s 14 of the best strategy games known to the planet right there. You even get a few (5) other games chucked in to the deal, including Covert Operations and Command & Conquer 4. You’d have a solid 10-25 hours of campaigns to play through, plus the near endless replay ability thrown into the AI skirmishes. That’s not even taking into account the possibility of the witch granting you a broadband connection, in which case these hours continue to stack.
I first played C&C when I was 10, and I am still playing it to this very day (25). Logically speaking if this franchise has kept me enthralled for the better part of a decade and a half then I’m confident in its abilities to see me through the rest of my life. In fact I hope that regardless of the witch’s curse that it does. KANE LIVES!… Forever.
Zoey: There can only be one answer and it is obviously the daddy of RPG series, Final Fantasy. I did have a vague consideration for the Tales series but just for the number of games I’ve enjoyed, it just had to be Final Fantasy. After all, it was VII that helped me to come back to gaming in a serious way after a few years of being a bit lax.
I’ve played virtually every title to date (yes, even those pre VII) and there’s not a single one I wouldn’t gladly replay. I’m assuming the series will continue to expand for at least a few more titles, but even if it didn’t I could still spend thousands of hours playing through the current back catalogue. To date I’ve sunk over 350 hours into X in two playthroughs and I hate to think how many hours I’ve clocked up in the countless times I’ve played VII.
I think Final Fantasy is ideal because of the variety of difficulty and the tension. It doesn’t matter whether you want an epic boss battle or if you’d prefer a friendly wander around a sleepy town, you can find it in spades. Whatever your mood, play Final Fantasy!
I think I’d get quite seriously into speedruns and various other hardcore runthroughs quite happily as well. I’ve completed FFVII on the PS1 in one surprisingly short sitting and even completed a run where I used items instead of materia wherever possible. A speedrun of X or XIII seems far more challenging but if I’m only allowed FF games for life then I’ll make it work!
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