The day where our world & the world of the beyond mingle, it’s a time for those in costume to prowl the streets for candy, to keep our eyes open for any signs of the supernatural, and to put our favorite horror movie on so we can have the crap scared out of us! However, I wanted to give you all a rather strange treat to enjoy. As you all know, I’ve been doing a look at pieces of media that are needed to be experienced before you get put six feet under. At the beginning of the month I looked at essential movies, and just a few weeks ago I examined essential albums to listen to. Today, it’s time to look at the 10 videos games that are important to play before the medical machine doesn’t read your heartbeat anymore. As with the last 2 lists, I’ve picked out titles from across all genres. Some of this will be familiar to you, while other are gonna be quite the surprise. With that said, here are the top 10 games to play before you die. Boo!
10) Botany Manor (Video)
We begin this list with the Puzzle genre, and a game that has come out fairly recently back in April, and I previously talked about just last month. Out of everything that came out this year, with perhaps the exception of the MTG set Bloomburrow towards the end of the Summer, Botany Manor is perhaps the coziest game of 2024. Visually it looks amazing, what with all of the bright colors, and the realistic layout of the manor & some surrounding areas. The sound quality is amazing as well, with some cozy qualities just as good as the visuals. As for the puzzles themselves, they’re great. Granted, some of the later ones do require the player to pay a little more attention than the ones at the beginning, but in no way are they unfair, and you never feel pressured to complete any of them. Botany Manor got some nice praise upon it’s release, and I hope it continues to do so.
9) Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Video)
I had to have one console release on here, and it’s one that I have a strange connection to.
Back when I was little, I had an uncle you lived a few hours away from where we were at the time, and he had a Sega Genesis. There were a couple games for it (Some of which I remember), but the one I recall the most was Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Say what you will about the franchise’s reputation nowadays, but back in the 90s the Blue Blur & his adorable sidekick Tails were the apple in Sega’s eye and could do no wrong. Anyways, my little mind was absolutely hooked on all of the colors, the interesting worlds, the speed & action, and the absurdity of everything that was going on. I would think of my times with Sonic 2 when I left his house, but I always enjoyed turning the Genesis back on, and putting Sonic back in. Definitely one of the greats of the console world!
8) Re-Volt (Video)
Re-Volt is something of a nostalgic game for me. In addition to it being a fun & quirky Racing game, it was also something that my entire family played together back in the late 90s to early 2000s. Computer connectivity back in that time was incredibly different when you compare it to now, and sometimes you had to force it in certain circumstances, but I digress. I remember when me, my Mom, and my Dad, all sat down at our machines, and loaded right into the game. It was a blast every time: seeing a bunch of RC Cars coming to life, and driving through a variety of locals was just fun, and with the various combative items everybody used, it also made for a frantic time as well. With a re-release a little over 2 years ago on Steam, it was a tidal wave of nostalgia for me, as it felt like a more innocent time came back. Where my eyes still twinkled with wonder, and my mind didn’t carry such heavy thoughts. In any case, Re-Volt is a Racing title that easy to get into and easy to learn, and you’ll be smiling every minute.
7) Dusk (Video)
Boomer Shooters. Say what you will about the first part of the genre’s name, one can’t deny at just how refreshing it is to see FPS titles pay heavy homage to the releases of yore. There were plenty of games in the style I could have easily picked, and they all would have worked fine, but the one that gamers still talk about to this very day.....is Dusk.
It’s hard to believe that this title is almost 6 years old (Exactly 6 years this coming December on the 10th) in 2024. Hell, I found it hard to believe that it was half a decade old last year, but that doesn’t exactly matter. As simplistic as the gameplay is, it also acts as a portal into FPS past: no DLC, no loot boxes or other microtransactions, and no political pandering of any kind regardless of which side. Just pure running & gunning, complete with a graphics engine that evokes the visuals of games like Quake, and a atmospheric soundtrack that stays stuck in your brain. With it’s releases on the Switch & PS4, not to mention a free graphic updates that breaths in a ton of new life, console players can enjoy a modern classic as much as the PC Master Race have been. Definitely one of the greats!
6) Lego Island (Video)
By today’s standards, the very first Lego video game is incredibly primitive. All of the interactivity when it comes to the various activities are regulated to building & driving vehicles (That excludes the non-building activities, and you’re still driving in those), and everything else comes to just changing the various Lego people’s headwear & sounds they make when you click on them (You could also change the sound of the clickable buildings & foliage). The graphics are heavily dated nearly 30 years later, and the sound quality in some aspects feel rough. However, what still keeps this Kids title afloat is the sheer charm of it all. Lego Island has some of the quirkiest characters ever in a game, and they all have something to do & say as you wander the titular island. The music is bright & charming, and despite how simplistic the activities are, they are a bit of fun. There’s personality around every single corner of this release, and even though it’s difficult to get running on modern hardware, it’s genuinely worth it to get up & running. If you need to reunite with your inner kid, then playing Lego Island for even just a few short minutes will help in that regard.
5) One Must Fall: 2097 (Video)
Ages ago, I put out a top 10 list on my favorite games of all time (Might do a 2nd version eventually), and at the no. 1 spot I had this Fighting game from my childhood, and I will still defend that choice. When it comes to the 10 games to play before you die however, I felt I needed to put it up a little higher here. Make no mistake: OMF is a surprisingly deep Fighting title. Sure, there have been hordes of games in the genre that are far deeper & more complex, but it’s amazing that one that just turned 30 years old this year (The 10th of this month was it’s 30th birthday) has a lot going for it. There’s 10 pilots, 10 robots (Technically 11 in Tournament Mode), and there’s a surprising amount of mixing & matching with all of them. Coupled with 5 to 6 arenas that provide their own different qualities, and some special secrets that can be unlocked to expand the base game, and you have a piece of Abadonware that has aged shockingly well. Among PC users of a certain age, it remains a bedrock among the classic 90s landscape, and it’s definitely a game to play for those who are curious.
4) Starcraft (Video)
I admit that I’ve never had the strongest connection to the RTS genre. I never hated it, as there were a few titles I played (Dungeon Keeper 1 & 2, Warcraft 3, Starcraft 2 & it’s expansions), but it was never a genre I actively invested my time in. Then the OG Starcraft came into my life in 1998, and things changed.
The 2nd youngest franchise that the once beloved Blizzard Entertainment made, Starcraft was & still is a ton of fun to play! Sure, the RTS elements are on the simplistic side these days, but it’s easy to pick up by just about anybody. You have 3 different races to pick (Humans, Zerg, Protoss), each with their own strengths & weaknesses that complement all the others. The levels & missions are all designed very well, and though some do skew towards the A.I.’s favor at times towards the end of the Protoss campaign, nothing is ever completely impossible to beat. Blizzard showed some love for Starcraft back in 2018 for it’s 20th anniversary, so maybe they’ll do something for when it turns 30 in 2028 as long as the world isn’t in flames. In any case, Starcraft shows that at one point Blizzard Entertainment was the gaming empire that could do no wrong. That they once has some of the most amazing developers on the planet, who put passion into everything they made. The original Starcraft, despite it’s age & simplicity, still stands tall as an RTS titan, and it’s one that everybody should try.
3) Alone In The Dark (Video)
Every Survival Horror game that has been released since 1992 all own their existence to Alone In The Dark. From the good ones, to the bad ones, and even the mediocre ones, all have a piece of AITD within them. I was pretty young when it came out in the United States, but that didn’t stop me from going through one of the scariest games that was ever made. Sure, by today’s standards the scares are quaint, but in 1992 the various monsters & atmosphere of the game were something that nobody had ever saw at the time. An abandoned mansion in the wetlands of 1920s Louisiana was an original place to be stuck at for some scares, and boy did it deliver. Playing as either a detective (Edward Carnby, who'd go on to define the rest of the series), or the niece of the owner of the mansion, you’re trapped inside it’s now haunted ruins, with little in the way of keeping you alive. Limited ammo & melee weapons, limited health pickups, and combat encounters that could set you back quite a bit, it was obvious that Alone In The Dark encouraged the player to use more of their brain rather than their brawn. While the graphics & sound effects are incredibly dated, they still manage to provide some great atmosphere 30+ years later, and the visuals are still chilling in certain places. AITD most definitely is left in the dust by games that would ultimately come to define the Survivor Horror genre (Even AITD 2 & 3), only the most narrow-minded gamers out there would try to deny the lasting legacy of this title.
2) Skyrim (Video)
I was torn with what to put here. At one point, I wanted to put Diablo at this spot, since it was a childhood classic for me (Like OMF). At another point, I was tempted to place Dark Souls 3 here as well, as that was an example of a piece of media I took a chance on & fell right in love with. However, I think that honor has to go to one of the most legendary RPGs in the new millennium, and said legend is the iconic Skyrim.
I may have mentioned this ages ago, but it was in 2014 when I finally decided to put some money down, as it was on sale alongside all of it’s DLC on Steam ($14.37 for everything if I recall correctly). Upon my first few minutes, I regretted ever waiting to get into one of the most incredible world ever created for a roleplaying game. It’s most definitely massive, and at time there may be too many things to do, but even some of it’s most ardent haters can’t deny to obvious love & care that was put into everything. From the world design, to the game mechanics, and to the amazing music score (Which still holds up to this day without fault), it was obvious that Bethesda knew what they were doing. Even with the issues that were there at launch, Skyrim established itself as a title that raised the bar to massive heights, and I don’t think that the company will ever do that again.
1) Duke Nukem 3d (Video)
Okay, I had to end at least one of these lists on an upbeat note, and if you all know me personally....you won’t be surprised by this pick.
The Boomer Shooter genre definitely brings that old-school vibe to the modern age, but it’s hard not to beat the titles that came before it. Now, much like Dusk above, I could have picked just about any of the classic FPS titles from the 90s, and it would have worked well here. However, it’s hard not to deny the decade’s biggest wisecracker & womanizer, and so Duke Nukem 3d was the pick! For almost 30 years, the Duke has traversed Los Angeles, Outer Space, Washington D.C., the Caribbean, Santa’s Workshop, and a tour of the world, leaving a horde of alien bodies in his wake (And an equal horde of babes that want him). Duke Nukem 3d has aged exceedingly well in the near 3 decades of being on this planet, with only a small few aspects showing some dirt on the armor. The action & gameplay is fantastic, the one-liners are classics, and even the pop culture references have aged like surprisingly fine wine. There’s a little bit of tastelessness for sure, but by today’s standards they’re tame, with only the most obnoxious of Bullshit Justice Warriors using it for a grift. Regardless of that, Duke Nukem 3d gave the 90s FPS movement fuel to continue through the rest of the decade, and was able to stand apart from that movement as well due to sheer personality & character. I will only say one last thing.....and that’s to play this!
And those were the top 10 games to play before you die. Given what’s coming in just a couple days it might seem a little grim to talk about something like this, but as we go further into this decade, sometimes it’s necessary. In any case, I hope you all have a haunt & candy filled rest of the day, and come back tomorrow for a rant.....I feel is incredibly necessary. Until then, have a nice 31st!
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