A Tour Through Gaming

[Koury]

So, my girlfriend, a non-gamer, has shown interest in gaming. It started small, but has grown to the point of her having beaten Mass Effect 1 (my playing, her making every choice and calling out when to use abilities, etc) and having frequent cravings for more Civ 4 play time.

She's asked me for more. There are many things about gaming culture and history she is unaware of, and she wants that to change. To this end, I've gathered a list of games I intend on trying out with her. My list is, however, very incomplete. I'm here for help.

My Current List

{table=head] System | Title | Reason Added | Other
SNES | Zelda: Link to the Past | Classic/Must Play |
SNES | Super Mario RPG | Story/Gameplay |
SNES | Super Mario World | Platformer |
SNES | ActRaiser | Sim Lite |
SNES | Lufia 1 | Story |
SNES | Lufia 2 | Story |
SNES | Secret of Mana | Story/Gameplay |
SNES | ChronoTrigger | Story/Classic |
SNES | FF II | Story/Requested | AKA FF IV
SNES | FF III | Story/Requested | AKA FF VI
SNES | SoulBlazer | Gameplay/Story | Suggested by TaRix
SNES | Illusion of Gaia | Gameplay/Story | Suggested by TaRix
SNES | Robotrek | Fun | Suggested by TaRix
SNES | EarthBound | Story/Gameplay/Classic | Suggested by TaRix
Wii | Twilight Princess | Adventure/Zelda | Suggested by Sipex
Gamecube | Fire Emblem: Path of Radience | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by Geno9999
GBA | FF Tactics Advanced | Story/Gameplay |
GBA | Harvest Moon: FoMT | Gameplay |
GBA | Fire Emblem | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by Geno9999
GBA | Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by Geno9999
Genisis | Shining Force 2 | Story/Strategy Intro
PS1 | FF Tactics | Story/Stratagy | Curious to see if deeper strategy interests her.
PS1 | FF VII | Story/Requested |
PS1 | FF VIII | Story/Requested |
PS1 | FF IX | Story/Requested |
PS1 | Alundra | Story |
PS1 | Suikoden | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by TaRix
PS1 | Suikoden II | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by TaRix
PS2 | Suikoden III | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by TaRix
PS2 | Suikoden IV | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by TaRix
PS2 | Suikoden V | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by TaRix
PS2 | Kingdom Hearts 1 | Story/Requested | This series should go over well.
PS2 | Kingdom Hearts 2 | Story/Requested |
PS2 | FF 10 | Story/Requested |
PS2 | FF 12 | Story/Requested |
PS2 | GTA: Vice City | Story/Open World |
PS2 | Dark Cloud 1 | Story/Gameplay |
PS2 | Dark Cloud 2 | Story/Gameplay |
PS2 | God of War 1 | Story |
PS2 | God of War 2 | Story |
PS2 | Shadow of the Colossus | Classic/Art |
PS2 | Okami | Art/Gameplay | Suggested by Terraoblivion
PS2 | Wild Arms 3 | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by TaRix
PS3 | Uncharted | Story | Suggested by Domochevsky
PS3 | Uncharted 2 | Story | Suggested by Domochevsky
PS3 | Uncharted 3 | Story | Suggested by Domochevsky
PS3 | Valkyria Chronicles | Story/Art | Suggested by Terraoblivion
Xbox | Halo 1 | Requested/Story |
Xbox | Halo 2 | Requested/Story |
Xbox | Max Paine 1 | Story/Requested | Wonder how this games uniqueness holds up.
Xbox | Max Paine 2 | Story/Requested |
Xbox | Fable | Story |
Xbox 360 | Mass Effect | Story/Gameplay | COMPLETED
Xbox 360 | Mass Effect 2 | Story/Sequal |
Xbox 360 | Mass Effect 3 | Story/Sequal |
Xbox 360 | Red Dead Redemption | Story/Open World |
Xbox 360 | Assassin's Creed | Story/Gameplay | In Progress
Xbox 360 | Assassin's Creed 2 | Story/Gameplay |
Xbox 360 | Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood | Story/Gameplay |
Xbox 360 | Assassin's Creed: Revelations | Story/Gameplay |
Xbox 360 | Assassin's Creed 3 | Story/Gameplay |
Xbox 360 | Halo 3 | Requested/Story |
Xbox 360 | Halo: Reach | Requested/Story |
Xbox 360 | CoD 4: Modern Warefare | Story/FPS | COMPLETED
Xbox 360 | CoD: Modern Warefare 2 | Story/FPS |
Xbox 360 | CoD: Modern Warefare 3 | Story/FPS |
Xbox 360 | Fallout 3 | Story/Open World |
Xbox 360 | Fallout: New Vegas | Story/Open World |
Xbox 360 | Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion | Story/Open World |
Xbox 360 | Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Story/Open World |
Xbox 360 | Max Paine 3 | Story/Requested |
Xbox 360 | Batman: Arkham Asylem | Story |
Xbox 360 | Batman: Arkham City | Story |
Xbox 360 | Portal | Puzzle/Gameplay |
Xbox 360 | Portal 2 | Puzzle/Gameplay |
Xbox 360 | Bioshock | Story |
Xbox 360 | Bioshock 2 | Story |
Xbox 360 | Bioshock Infinite | Story |
Xbox 360 | Duex Ex: Human Revolution | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by arguskos
Xbox 360 | Dragon Age: Origins | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by arguskos
Xbox 360 | Fable II | Story/Gameplay | Suggested by Maxios
Xbox 360 | Asura's Wrath | Gameplay | Suggested by James the Dark
Xbox Arcade | Bastion | Story | Suggested by factotum
Xbox Arcade | Braid | Story/Puzzle |
Xbox Arcade | Limbo | Atmosphere/Puzzle |
PC | The Witcher | Story | Suggested by Eldariel
PC | The Witcher 2 | Story | Suggested by Eldariel
PC | Baldur's Gate | Story | Suggested by Eldariel
PC | Baldur's Gate 2| Story | Suggested by Eldariel
PC | Grim Fandango | Adventure/Story | Suggested by Eldariel
PC | Planescape: Torment | Story |
PC | Alpha Centuari | TBS | Suggested by Aidan305
PC | Master of Orion II | TBS | Suggested by Aidan305
PC | Neverwinter Nights | Story | Suggested by monkman
PC | Starcraft | Story/RTS |
PC | Starcraft II | Story/RTS |
PC | Kights of the Old Republic | Suggested by Dublock
PC | Kights of the Old Republic II | Suggested by Dublock

[/table]



Now, there is so much to be added to this list... However, on top of things to be added, I have some amount of direction. She likes stories. Mass Effect was wonderful to her because of the tale. She had a positive experience with even Modern Warfare 1 because of the story. She has specifically asked about Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts.

I want to branch out though, and see what she thinks of other kinds of games. I have Super Mario World on the list to see what she thinks of platformers. ActRaiser/Harvest Moon to see how sim style things fly for her.

My last issue, probably bigger then which games and the why's behind them is the order. I'm worried that too many recent games could color her perception of, say, SNES games just based on graphics or lack of voice acting, etc. Also, I want there to be some flow or logic to the order played.

I dont know. Help me out here. Games to add, and why? Thoughts on games to remove? Aspects of gaming to explore? Ideas about the order?

[Domochevsky]

Story... hm, in that case i'd suggest removing FF II and III, since there isn't much coherent narrative to those (which i suspect is what she wants). ActRaise is pretty on the edge as well. Same reason i'd consider God of War and the first Halo dicey.

Adding to the list, i'd put the latest Civ on there if she's into Civ 4 and possibly Heroes Of Might And Magic (from the newer ones to the older ones.) Possible also add Links Awakening to the Gameboy side of things, but those are less about narrative and strategy and more about adventuring.

Speaking of order... you probably want to keep easing into this whole thing and then go backwards as far as consoles go, as newer games tend to be more accessible. (But there is little you can do wrong with Zelda titles if she's into those.)

[Koury]

Story... hm, in that case i'd suggest removing FF II and III, since there isn't much coherent narrative to those (which i suspect is what she wants). ActRaise is pretty on the edge as well. Same reason i'd consider God of War and the first Halo dicey. FF and Halo are on the list because they were specifically requested. I can see maybe starting FF at X or XII and eventually getting to II and III as a "here is where these games came from" deal later.


Adding to the list, i'd put the latest Civ on there if she's into Civ 4 and possibly Heroes Of Might And Magic (from the newer ones to the older ones.) Possible also add Links Awakening to the Gameboy side of things, but those are less about narrative and strategy and more about adventuring.

Speaking of order... you probably want to keep easing into this whole thing and then go backwards as far as consoles go, as newer games tend to be more accessible. (But there is little you can do wrong with Zelda titles if she's into those.)

The point about starting newer-ish and going backwards is a good one as well. Will take note of that.

[Domochevsky]

Oh yeah, as far as you sitting together and playing goes: Uncharted 1, 2 and 3. :smallcool:

[Geno9999]

If you want story, what about Fire Emblem?
To sum up the entire series it's a turn-based strategy Roleplaying Game in which everyone of those characters has their own backstory and class (like one is a feminine-looking monk who's been orphaned at a young age, or a sword wielding sellsword who seeks revenge, a well-meaning scholar who studies the dark arts, etc.) And if you are so careless or luckless to have them die, they die for good. There are only a few games in the series where you have access to a method of reviving fallen characters, but even then it's ridiculously limited.
This isn't just limited to the player characters either. Some of the enemy commanders that you fight go beyond "this guy is totally evil", and sometimes the toughest enemies you fight are your former comrades.

I recommend Fire Emblem for the GBA (some people refer to it as FE7 or it's Japanese subtitle, Blazing Sword) and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance for the Gamecube (though looking through your list, it gives the me the impression that you own neither a Gamecube or a Wii.) Others might also suggest Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones as well, but I haven't played through that one.

[arguskos]

PC games are a no-fly, then? I didn't see a listing for them, which makes me sad. If she's looking for narrative, Torment is really what she needs to see (they call it a novel in game form for a reason).

Other good stuff: Deus Ex: Human Revolution had a solid plot and great gameplay, well recommended. Dragon Age: Origins has a decent plot (not amazing, but decent enough, IMO) and could be worth a look.

[SamBurke]

I'm gonna guess you have a lot of free time?

Because that is a ton of games. A freaking lot.

Maybe you should set up a list, trying to: A, keep her interested. B, not confuse her (too many concepts might be too much, maybe go in general "threads" like SciFi, Fantasy, or Shooters, RPGs, etc, etc), and C, introduce as many different things. Then rank them, or set up a good progression.

Just a thought.

[Togath]

Another game somewhat like final fantasy(mostly like the earlier ones though) is dragonquest 8, or if you could somehow find it, the other 7 dragonquest/dragonwarrior games before it, though if i remember right, the official translations were horribly censored(the games aren't that bad, the company was just twitchy).
Though one thing is that they mostly focus on level grind and turn based tactics. much like dungeons and dragons.
dragonquest 8 is ps2, and the earlier titles were originally various nintendo consoles.
One thing that would help with thinking of games she may like is knowing more about what she wants in a game, is she fine with just about any setting?, And is she fine with unusual graphics styles?

edit; one other thing about dragonquest 8; it does have a decent storyline, but it mostly focuses on combat and exploration(it's surprisingly open world for a game without jumping), it also has a very large amount of optional material, such as hidden chests, craftable gear, and a few mini quests, it also generally takes about 30-45 hours of gameplay to reach the first end, at least if your not doing a speed run and are going for getting upgrades to armour and weapons, or just running the game for it's plot, or during your first run through of the game.
You can also eliminate having to grind as much by grinding at a few specific points, after the third you probably wont need to grind at all, or if so, it shouldn't take too long.

[Terraoblivion]

Oh yeah, as far as you sitting together and playing goes: Uncharted 1, 2 and 3. :smallcool:

From the look of it, there's no PS3 so that might be just a bit hard. If there is, however, Valkyria Chronicles has to go on the list. Just basically a great strategy game with a nice artstyle and entertaining plot. Also, look into finding a copy of Okami for the PS2. Most beautiful game ever with really nice writing, amazing music and the best, most fluid Zelda'ish gameplay ever. Personally I'd also really recommend FF XII and XIII, they're my personal favorites in the series and I don't think someone who isn't invested in a set idea of what the series is supposed to be would have the problems with them that are typically mentioned.

Oh, and to people talking about FF II and III, given that he's listing them as SNES games I imagine he means IV and VI. They were officially numbered as II and III in the US after all.

[Maxios]

Skyrim, Fable 2, GTA IV, and Saint's Row 3

[Dublock]

Shinning Force 2 but not the first? It is actually out on the pc.

Knights of the old Republic, Star Wars, 1 and 2 ideally. If she hates sci-fi then perhaps not but if she doesn't mind it or love, then it has to be on the list.

Also I would be tempted to add more open world games like the Elder scrolls series, which has the additional benefit to introduce her to mods if you get it on the pc.

If you want to see if she can like games with no so much plot, the Left 4 dead series can be a good addition.

I agree with the above poster about FF VII and VIII.

I noticed there isn't any RTS games, that might be because of the lack of pc games and I have not played a good RTS game on any other platform. I personally love Star Craft series for the story/characters.

[RagingKrikkit]

GOLDENEYE
Starfox 64
Ocarina of Time
And when you just feel like partying, Super Smash Bros.

[Cespenar]

If she prefers the active storytelling of Mass Effect, I don't think she'll enjoy the Elder Scrolls series that much. Just saying.

Also, as a rule of thumb, dump the story-heavy games in the front. The gameplay-centric ones should come after she has acclimatized herself a little more.

And finally, acquire a crappy PC, and introduce her to BG2, Planescape, The Longest Journey, etc.

[TaRix]

Well, if you've got a SNES, there's actually several nice titles that don't take nearly as long as modern games.

Enix does have a pretty nice stable of story-type adventures there, with some nice audio/visual work. Here's a few I didn't see mentioned:

SoulBlazer--not a twisty plot, but since you rescue the lands and people piecemeal, it's a nice sense of atmosphere and progress.
Illusion of Gaia, though it is a bit on the Japanese-type-weird side.
Robotrek, silly fun, nice twists, but a little grindy.

For other companies' SNES stuff:
Super Metroid. Cool atmosphere and story without saying anything between opening to closing. Poor lil' hatchling.
EarthBound. Highly recommended and well-localized. It's lots of silly fun with a load of easter eggs. (Don't get it pirated, though. APE put in some interesting copy-protection hardware.)
If Secret of Mana goes over well, consider Secret of Evermore, which has a more Western feeling and better puns and similar gameplay. Less grindwork, too.

For another bit of gaming history, why not consider Blizzard's humbler beginnings and try on some puzzle/adventures? The Lost Vikings is good for a laugh, though can be a little frustrating. (II seemed easier to me, or maybe I just got that much better as I got older.)
Lemmings probably started, or at least popularized, that sort of game, so maybe that's worth a look.

[Aniu]

If PC games are at all an option, I would reccommend Half-Life 2 as one of my top games of all time. Otherwise, Portal is great gameplaywise, and Portal 2 builds on that by adding in more story elements...

[factotum]

Nobody mentioned Bastion? If you want story-telling in a game, you don't get better. Although that, again, involves you owning a PC...

[Cespenar]

Nobody mentioned Bastion? If you want story-telling in a game, you don't get better. Although that, again, involves you owning a PC...

It's on 360 as well. And I second this, obviously. Possibly the best storytelling of its year.

[blueblade]

Nobody mentioned Bastion? If you want story-telling in a game, you don't get better. Although that, again, involves you owning a PC...

I was scrolling down hoping nobody would mention Bastion.. so I could!

[Koury]

Uncharted 1, 2 and 3 A good recommendation. I dont actually have a PS3 but may be able to finagle access to one. Thanks, I think these will get added to the list.


Valkyria Chronicles
Okami
FF XII and XIII

Oh, and to people talking about FF II and III, given that he's listing them as SNES games I imagine he means IV and VI. They were officially numbered as II and III in the US after all. Yes, sorry. I mean the ones with Cecil and Terra.

I already have FF 12 on my list but will add 13. Not sure why I didn't to begin with. Okami is a great suggestion from what I know of the game, and will look into VC. Thanks. :smalltongue:


Skyrim, Fable 2, GTA IV, and Saint's Row 3 Skyrim is on the list already. Fable 2 is a good suggestion. GTA IV and Saint's Row I'm not sure about though. It depends on how Vice City goes over (I believe Vice City is the best entry point into the series).


Shinning Force 2 but not the first? It is actually out on the pc. Does Shining Force 1 bring anything to the table that SF2 doesn't?


Knights of the old Republic, Star Wars, 1 and 2 ideally. If she hates sci-fi then perhaps not but if she doesn't mind it or love, then it has to be on the list. I'll ask about her feelings towards Star Wars. I know they're not negative, but I'd like to see her at some level above "passive" before KotOR. She likes sci-fi in general, however.


Also I would be tempted to add more open world games like the Elder scrolls series, which has the additional benefit to introduce her to mods if you get it on the pc. Suggestions? I have two Elders Scroll games, two Fallout games and a GTA game on the list already.


If you want to see if she can like games with no so much plot, the Left 4 dead series can be a good addition. Good on you for reminding me to bring up another of the limitations. Horror games. No L4D, or Dead Island.


I noticed there isn't any RTS games, that might be because of the lack of pc games and I have not played a good RTS game on any other platform. I personally love Star Craft series for the story/characters. We can try an RTS or two and get her opinion on the genre eventually. SC is a good suggestion on that front.


GOLDENEYE
Starfox 64
Ocarina of Time
And when you just feel like partying, Super Smash Bros. Ocarina of Time would be the first thing on the list once I got a 64 (which I've been meaning to do anyway).

As far as the other three, though I love SSB, I don't think that fits in here. I don't recall Goldeneye having a good story (though it might. I just only recall hating when someone picked Oddjob, and not liking the level with the pit in the center). Starfox is debatable too. I might just include it as an intro to railshooters though. Its short if she doesn't much like it.


If she prefers the active storytelling of Mass Effect, I don't think she'll enjoy the Elder Scrolls series that much. Just saying.

Also, as a rule of thumb, dump the story-heavy games in the front. The gameplay-centric ones should come after she has acclimatized herself a little more.

And finally, acquire a crappy PC, and introduce her to BG2, Planescape, The Longest Journey, etc. I've been worried about her not liking ES games. We have a standing rule reguarding these kind of things (though it is usually invoked for TV shows). Reserve judgement on something for three sessions. Then if you don't like it still, its dropped, no problem. I'm hoping after three sessions of one of, say, Oblivion, she'll be invested enough in her character to make her want to continue.

As far as the general rule for order, its a good one. Will try to stick to it.

Good PC suggestions, will check out Longest Journey.


SoulBlazer--not a twisty plot, but since you rescue the lands and people piecemeal, it's a nice sense of atmosphere and progress.
Illusion of Gaia, though it is a bit on the Japanese-type-weird side.
Robotrek, silly fun, nice twists, but a little grindy. I'm actually pretty sure Illusion of Gaia will go over well. She studied abroad in Japan (amongst other places) for a while. Will add SoulBlazer and will check out Robotrek.


For other companies' SNES stuff:
Super Metroid. Cool atmosphere and story without saying anything between opening to closing. Poor lil' hatchling.
EarthBound. Highly recommended and well-localized. It's lots of silly fun with a load of easter eggs. (Don't get it pirated, though. APE put in some interesting copy-protection hardware.)
If Secret of Mana goes over well, consider Secret of Evermore, which has a more Western feeling and better puns and similar gameplay. Less grindwork, too. Didn't add Super Metroid because I wasn't sure it would catch her interest. Its status as "Tied for best game on the console" may warrent me invoking the three session rule however. EarthBound should probably be added and I've been on the fence about Secret of Evermore. I'll do like you say and base it on how Secret of Mana goes.


If PC games are at all an option, I would reccommend Half-Life 2 as one of my top games of all time. Otherwise, Portal is great gameplaywise, and Portal 2 builds on that by adding in more story elements... Was gonna get her to try Portal. As far as Half-Life, is 2 a good place to start? Or should I try to go to the begining to start?


Nobody mentioned Bastion?


And I second this, obviously. Possibly the best storytelling of its year.


I was scrolling down hoping nobody would mention Bastion.. so I could!

Yeah, Bastion, Braid and Limbo are on the list in my head, sorry for not writing them down. :smallredface:

Thanks for the suggestions and ideas so far everyone.

I do have potential access to a Wii, so Wii/Gamecube suggestions are game. Same with PS3. As far as computer, my main limitation is my crappy graphics card.

Graphics Card: ATI Radeon HD 4200
CPU: AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 250 Processor
RAM: 4 GB
OS: Windows 7

Anything that this rig can play, is fair game. One day, I will upgrade my graphics card to something decent. I just don't know anything about my power supply or if I have PCIe connections or not. And, you know, money. :smalltongue:

[Aidan305]

As further suggestions in the Turn Based Strategy category, I would recommend Alpha Centauri and Master of Orion 2, widely considered among the best in that category. If she likes Civ 4 then she'll most likely enjoy these as well.

[Sipex]

While you have a lot of prime games on there, I think you would be best coming up with a much shorter list for her to start with and then expanding on the genres/ideas she takes a liking to. A lot of the games you have on your list are not easily accessible to someone coming into the hobby and you might risk overwhelming her and scaring her away.

Also remember, she is a completely fresh face to the scene, and has none of the reservations we have (ie: X style is overdone or cliche, etc etc).

I took a look over your list and trimmed down what I think, would be a nice, accessible starter list which will give you a better impression of what she wants to explore.

Super Mario World - The classic, 16 bit platformer. Not really much to say about this.

Chrono Trigger - With one of the most intriguing and engaging stories on the SNES this is my top pick for her to play. She'll always be able to understand what's going on and it'll let you know if she's interested in getting involved with less advanced (ie: pixellated, no voice acting, etc) games.

The Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess - You know what the most common complaint about Twilight Princess is? It's too easy. You know who won't know the difference? Your girlfriend. It'll provide an easily accessable way for her to find out if she likes Zelda games (and other adventury games) without her being pissed off because it's not OoT (which she can play later if she likes this one).

Kingdom Hearts 1 - She specifically requested Kingdom Hearts so where better to start than the game which got everyone into the series? It's a solid game and will let her know if she wants to see more.

Final Fantasy 10 - Judging from her current experience (Mass Effect) this would likely be your best bet. With a linear experience, a fully fleshed out story, great cutscenes, minimal grinding and wait as long as you like to think turn based combat, this will be a good introduction to the series.

GTA: Vice City - For anyone new to the Grand Theft Auto scene I agree, Vice City is by far the most engaging of the series without being overdrawn or buggy. I find it has a smaller number of frustrating missions as well so she's less likely to get turned off by that one mission. If she likes this, then start looking into the other GTA games and games which have similar play styles to the GTA franchise (ie: Max Payne).

Assassin's Creed 2 - Assassin's Creed provides a great introduction into adventure combat, platforming and stealth genres...just don't make her play #1 first. I know the story works better if she does but it's a hard game to play no matter who you are. Assassin's Creed 2 is far more accessible.

HALO 3 - Reach - As an introduction to the Halo franchise, with full co-op play, fresh levels and an easy to understand storyline, Reach is probably her best bet. However, remember that Reach is made to be harder than Halo 3 but the advantage it provides is you don't need to play the other three Halo games to understand what's happening. Also, no flood, which may infringe on your 'no horror games' rule.

Batman: Arkham Asylum - Fully voice acted, great look, compelling story, solid controls and not frustrating. Arkham Asylum is a shoe-in for a starter.

Portal 1 - It's short and basic but incredibly fun and engaging. Doesn't provide the extra mechanics for her to get confused with that Portal 2 includes as well. If she ends up loving it...well...Portal 2 will be easy enough to get into anyways.

[Koury]

Awesome reply Sipex.

I'm leery of begining series at places other then the start, especially considering story is her main attraction. Other then that, well thought out and presented. Gives me a great place to begin.

For the record, we have already started Assassin's Creed 1. We are just through the intro and about to talk to the guild leader before the first real assassination.

Also, converted the list in the OP to a table. It also includes suggestions from you guys.

[monkman]

Looking through all the comments, I have seen that no one has mentioned a hack and slash, It might not be what you would be looking for but I would recommend:
The Diablo series
Titan quest
Kingdom of Almalur: Reckoning (The story may not the best but it has a very combat system.)
Neverwinter Nights (A hack and slash very focused on the RPG elements,has a good story,and a lot of customization.The first one is better than the second)

[GolemsVoice]

Perhaps S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Prypjat? It could serve as an introduction to the post-apocalyptic genre, and provide an example of survival games that differ from the normal shooter while still remaining an FPS.

Also, Fallout!

[MeatShield#236]

If she's interested in JRPGs, then I'd heartily recommend both Persona 3 and 4, both of which are heavily story-based. Both are self-contained stories, so you don't need to play any of the previous games to understand what's going on.
Be warned, though: both are rather difficult.

[Ailurus]

I'll second KOTOR, even if she is ambivalent about Star Wars, since she liked Mass Effect. KOTOR just feels a lot like ME, just with lightsabres and force powers instead of guns and biotics. And, it can serve as a bridge to more traditional RPGs, since the skill systems and number of abilities in KOTOR are well beyond the setup in ME. Going through KOTOR will get her used to more complex level-up systems, opening up the Bioware, Troika, Obsidian, etc. back-catalogs, leading to:

Torment and the Baldur's Gate series (as mentioned before) are both excellent suggestions for the story front if she doesn't mind the older graphics (and Arcanum fits there too). If she does have issues with older graphics, then you could go with Mask of the Betrayer instead (from your specs, I'm pretty sure you can run it). Only downside to MotB is you may well want to just start there and skip the NWN2 original campaign - not sure if the OC would pass the 3 session test or not.

And new suggestions:
What about something along the lines of Monkey Island or Grim Fandango? If she had fun making story decisions in Mass Effect, she should love it in those games.

Also, if you want to introduce her to RTS games, consider Dawn of War II - it gives you the basics of the RTS genre with a much smaller number of units to worry about on your side (probably make it easier for her to keep track of everything that's going on), and avoids the usual RTS issue of spending the first X minutes of every level rebuilding your economy and tech tree. Oh, and the story gets pretty good in Chaos Rising (and to a lesser extent but still decent in Retribution.) Well, assuming she'd like 40k stories.

[SHeRUBI]

Wow, what a great compliation, everyone! Let me start by saying I am the girlfriend in question, and maybe the following will help everyone in generating more suggestions? The more the merrier :smallsmile:

I grew up in a no-game household~not that I ever protested~and only really tried my hand at playing some Mario game, GoldenEye 007, Wii sports games at the occasional friend's house. Those times were few and far between, mind you. In terms of computer play, 2006 Amazon Trail was where it was at. And nowhere else, I'm afraid :smallredface:

So, I would say I'm a complete newbie, and much as I would like to say I came to the hobby without preconceived notions, not true. I thought ugh, there is no substance to shoot-'em-ups. Then comes actual plots, and with my journalism background/love of a good story, a gamer~dare I call myself that~was born.

Okay enough background! In terms of post content, I think I'd like to see a bit more on actual storylines~just like the description of Fire Emblem~that is without spoiling everything :smallwink:

I would say that Koury got it right in terms of me no picky over genre, but no horror! Way overactive imagination. Star Wars is a definite go, and also willing to have a go at any comic book game deemed worthy.

And while there is a narrative constraint on the list, I'd say a strong character, especially one where you have some sort of say, is ideal. From joining boyfriend's DnD game, you get really attached, grow/develop along with them and that drives everything.

Hopefully this was more helpful than rambling! And thank you for helping us along :smallsmile: Great community!

[endoperez]

The different genres tend to tell stories in different ways. Here are some PC-centered suggestions. I also ended up writing short descriptions for how these genres handle stories.
Most gamers don't like all games or all genres. Don't be afraid to say aloud what you do or don't like.

The 2D point-and-click adventure games that were popular in the 90s are based on puzzles and telling a linear story, usually with just one protagonist. Monkey Island series would be a great start, since it's rather well written, funny, and the modern re-release lets you switch between new and old graphics with one button.

The mostly Japanese genre of Visual Novels are a bit like digital books where every scene has been illustrated with still images. They're more focused on story, obviously, with just some decision points along the way. However, these decision points may turn you towards widely different paths in the story. The quality of writing and the quality of translation (many are translated by fans) varies, and some of them contain sex scenes. I've only played Katawa Shoujo, a romance/relationship visual novel where most characters have physical disabilities.

Japanese console RPGs tell a linear story, and have the character grow in power, gathering allies, and finally defeating at least one world-threatening evil. There are usually some side quests, there might be several different endings or a few different choices to make while the story unfolds, but they're more often about characters than about the general plot. You often have little control over the dialogue.

Western PC RPGs also tell a linear story, but they tend to have a larger world with more optional content, more side-quests, and lots of non-important characters with something to say. They often have a customizable main character and several dialogue options, which means that two different players might have two very different "protagonists". This means some story elements are rather hard to write. Planescape: Torment is one of the best written ones, the even older Betrayal at Krondor is set in Raymond E. Feist's Midkemia if you're familiar with that, Baldur's Gate series is probably too vast for a first undertaking. There already are some Elder Scroll games on the list.

For a fun little game that has both a plot and a frantic, easy-to-pick-up 2-player mode, here's a link to the free game Ur-Quan Masters. It's a modern, legal re-release of the old game Star Control 2. It consists of Asteroids-style combat, where you fly a ship and shoot at enemy ships, attached to random encounters, world exploration, and dialogue trees that are more common in RPGs.
http://sc2.sourceforge.net/downloads.php

[Math_Mage]

Myst. :smalltongue:

Might I add that the OP is several years' worth of gaming if you also have a semblance of a life. I'd second Sipex's list, with the possible addition of SSB or Street Fighter or some other gateway fighting game to see if you like the genre at all.

[Triaxx]

I've got to add Legend of Dragoon on the PS1. Great story, great combat, tons of fun.

I'd start her out with FF9, or FF7. And definitely run her through FFT, before FFTA.

And if she likes lots of choices, Star Ocean 2 is fantastic.

Oh, and you totally forgot the NES. Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, and Final Fantasy 1.

[The_Admiral]

Beginner you say? :belkar:

X-COM on beginner with X-COMutil's make everything easier choices. Just, hold her hand figuratively speaking, when she plays.

[Eldariel]

I'd say you'd want the following:
The Witcher & The Witcher 2: Very engaging world and strong stories. If she liked Mass Effects, these are probably right up her alley.

Fallout 1 & Fallout 2: Far as story and gameplay goes, these have 3 beat hands down. New Vegas is on a similar level, but it'd be a crime not to play these.

Baldur's Gate Trilogy: Seriously, story-based RPGs? Yeah, there's nothing better (and probably will never be). So many memorable characters, epic story, the game is just perfection; especially with all the mods available nowadays. There's a reason these are the classics of classics.

Planescape: Torment: Another RPG classic though with a clunky interface. Provided she can get past that, this is a must-play.

Grim Fandango: Sounds like she might enjoy adventure games. This is the best adventure game ever made (or up there with Monkey Islands anyways). Again, really interesting characters, awesome story, rocksolid gameplay, the traits I'm guessing she'd enjoy.


I'd toss my vote for Master of Orion II and Alpha Centauri too. And it'd be a pity not to play Starcraft II storyline through at least once; the easier difficulties are easy enough that it should be a breeze.

[Domochevsky]

Eh... personally i'd suggest keeping things like PS:Torment off of that list for now, as yes they are great and story-heavy, but they're text-only. For someone who just came off of Mass Effect (full voice acting, pretty much) this might be somewhat of a turn-off.

And yes, Final Fantasy 6 and upwards might be decent choices, too, but nothing below that. Even 6 is somewhat iffy. The higher the number the better and then move backwards.

The Witcher 2 is certainly a good choice too. (If you like Geralt as a character. Otherwise stay away.) The first game is kinda iffy.

Go easy here, people, and take those nostalgia glasses off. You're looking at things for someone who doesn't own a set. :smallwink:

[James the Dark]

In terms of spectacle, and a simple but excellent story, try Asura's Wrath. It's one of the few beat-em-up/rail-shooter games that exists, let alone that I can stand to watch, because there's alway something interesting (if not jaw dropping) happening on screen. As well, if your schedule is dicey, it comes pre-divided into bite-sized chunks.

And you get to beat a dude up using nothing but your face after your arms get blown off. How can you beat that?

[Cespenar]

Eh... personally i'd suggest keeping things like PS:Torment off of that list for now, as yes they are great and story-heavy, but they're text-only. For someone who just came off of Mass Effect (full voice acting, pretty much) this might be somewhat of a turn-off.

And yes, Final Fantasy 6 and upwards might be decent choices, too, but nothing below that. Even 6 is somewhat iffy. The higher the number the better and then move backwards.

If a lack of voice acting would be a turn-off, how can you suggest FF6 a sentence later? Also, that attitude would hack off all the NES-SNES games, FF7-8, etc.

Not to mention that PS: Torment actually has voice acting for most of the major characters, and fairly awesome ones at that.

[Terraoblivion]

If a lack of voice acting would be a turn-off, how can you suggest FF6 a sentence later? Also, that attitude would hack off all the NES-SNES games, FF7-8, etc.

Not to mention that PS: Torment actually has voice acting for most of the major characters, and fairly awesome ones at that.

He's saying to save games without voice acting for when she's more into gaming for its own sake, rather than for when she's dipping her toes. That doesn't seem like bad advice, if somebody doesn't like reading you don't start them out with Dostoevsky either.

[Eldariel]

He's saying to save games without voice acting for when she's more into gaming for its own sake, rather than for when she's dipping her toes. That doesn't seem like bad advice, if somebody doesn't like reading you don't start them out with Dostoevsky either.

As said though, PS: Torment is mostly voiced. That said, the interface is clunky so I would still postpone it.

[Cespenar]

He's saying to save games without voice acting for when she's more into gaming for its own sake, rather than for when she's dipping her toes. That doesn't seem like bad advice, if somebody doesn't like reading you don't start them out with Dostoevsky either.

Oh, I agree with the advice itself. But then he went on and suggested FF6, which was extremely contradictory.

Not to reiterate that PS:T has some good VA. Unlike most other games suggested in this thread.

[LaughingGnoll]

For great immersive RPG's, with the nice benefit of co-op options so you can play along with her, I'd recommend the Dark Alliance games. Both have a really great plot, and its very immersive. Dark Alliance 2 even takes this further with some plot options being only available to certain character class combinations.

If she's into Civ 4, other classic, great RTS games would include Starcraft (Brood War and 2), and any of the "Age of ... " games. (Personally I would recommend Age of Mythology because it offers something very unique to that series, but its a little outdated and doesn't reliably run on all modern operating systems).

If you want something close to the Horror Genre that doesn't really have a LOT of blood and gore, I would recommend Amnesia: Dark Descent. Most of the scariness comes from strange special effects happening randomly as you play.

[RagingKrikkit]

Ocarina of Time would be the first thing on the list once I got a 64 (which I've been meaning to do anyway).

As far as the other three, though I love SSB, I don't think that fits in here. I don't recall Goldeneye having a good story (though it might. I just only recall hating when someone picked Oddjob, and not liking the level with the pit in the center). Starfox is debatable too. I might just include it as an intro to railshooters though. Its short if she doesn't much like it.


Agreed that OoT should be first. SSB is just a sort of relaxation/party game with no plot. Goldeneye is fairly imortant history-wise, as it was really the precursor to every FPS today. The plot is essentally the same as the movie, but without voice-acting. Starfox is in the same bubble, too, as a classic that many modern games are compared to.

On a side note, I got my old N64 hooked up to my new TV (which is also the monitor I'm typing on), and I've been running though my old games. I've gotten to the point where I can sit down with Starfox and walk away an hour later with a 1100-1200 point run. However, I noticed something in the ending music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpeTnDCvsNI). If you start at 3:30 and listen to the end, there are two parts that you big Zelda players will recognise from Ocarina of Time (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCEYXAy897o) a year later (start at 4:25). The two parts are different enough to warrant re-recording, and probably had the same conductor (haven't double-checked that), so it's not really plagarism, so it feels somewhat lazy, but then again could have just been Nintendo saying "this is such an awesome peice, let's use it again!"

[Domochevsky]

Oh, I agree with the advice itself. But then he went on and suggested FF6, which was extremely contradictory.
...

Except i did not, instead just reconfirming a suggestion made by someone else, with the explicit caveat that FF6 "is iffy".

"Accessibility" is key here, people. :smallwink: (Also, yes, Asura's Wrath is a good choice there. Strong characters and plenty of spectacle.)

[Terraoblivion]

If she's into Civ 4, other classic, great RTS games would include Starcraft (Brood War and 2), and any of the "Age of ... " games. (Personally I would recommend Age of Mythology because it offers something very unique to that series, but its a little outdated and doesn't reliably run on all modern operating systems).

Ummm...Civilization isn't exactly RTS and really uses a completely different skill set than that genre.

[Eldariel]

Except i did not, instead just reconfirming a suggestion made by someone else, with the explicit caveat that FF6 "is iffy".

Starting with the latter Final Fantasies though might give her the wrong idea about the series; IMHO at least the characterization has deteriorated greatly since 6-7 so I'm not sure the newer Final Fantasies are really going to do the series justice. X and IX were fairly good but outside especially the villains were far less impressive than in the olden days.

If we're not suggesting FFs without VA, I'd say skip the whole series for starters and save it for later.

[Terraoblivion]

Or maybe you've just grown older, have refined your tastes and have nostalgia for the older ones. At least I certainly wouldn't agree and think that the series largely has gotten better, with FF VI the only one of the old ones I really like.

[Eldariel]

Or maybe you've just grown older, have refined your tastes and have nostalgia for the older ones. At least I certainly wouldn't agree and think that the series largely has gotten better, with FF VI the only one of the old ones I really like.

Few FFIX, X, VIII, IV & VI Spoilers:
*shrug* Maybe. I still have trouble seeing e.g. Kuja or Jecht/Seymour (Yu Yevon lacks a persona so it's hard to consider it a real villain) as credible villains though, let alone the rest of the batch. Kefka or Golbez tho (Zemus suffers of the last-second-villain disease that plagues the series so, though for what it's worth, he does beat out e.g. Ultimecia or )? I found those worked. Exdeath...eh, never was a big fan of FFV to start with. I also find Terra or Rydia far more engaging than e.g. Yuna or Vivi. Locke, Cain too. The whole cast of 6, really, and some from 4.

I mean, that's not to say there are no awesome characters in the newer ones; you have Lulu, Auron, Garnet, Lightning, a whole bunch of them really. But I find in particular most of the protagonists less engaging in the newer FFs, and smaller concentrations in each individual game.

I find the only must-play title of the series is FF6, really. The rest range from good to mediocre but I find FFVI unparalleled far as characters in particular go. FF4 would be my pick for the second one though of course, the original is a very different experience from FF2.

[Terraoblivion]

Personally I find Vayne and Barthy way more credible threats than, say, Sephiroth, though part of that might be because I could actually figure out what was going on in XII and XIII. In general, it wasn't until XII, with all the pacing problems that game has, that Square really worked out how to do both coherence and any measure of complexity in their stories, rather than having to sacrifice one of them. Especially IV and VII fails pretty spectacularly in these regards. IV really is a very barebones skeleton of a plot with fairly flat characters and some hilariously awkward ways of shuffling between them, while VII is almost as hard to follow as VIII for me.

In general, though, I'd recommend that people don't obsess too much over supposed time honored classics. Absent a strong investment in gaming or substantial nostalgia, they're pretty much guaranteed to disappoint. Hell, I've found that most of my old favorites are basically unplayable when I try them today. I really don't get what kind of masochism that made people accept the interface of Fallout 1, for example.

[Eldariel]

Personally I find Vayne and Barthy way more credible threats than, say, Sephiroth, though part of that might be because I could actually figure out what was going on in XII and XIII. In general, it wasn't until XII, with all the pacing problems that game has, that Square really worked out how to do both coherence and any measure of complexity in their stories, rather than having to sacrifice one of them. Especially IV and VII fails pretty spectacularly in these regards. IV really is a very barebones skeleton of a plot with fairly flat characters and some hilariously awkward ways of shuffling between them, while VII is almost as hard to follow as VIII for me.

Funny. I don't find they've improved at all in that regard; though then again, I never had too much trouble following even from the silly protagonist-lens you're usually looking at the game from in the earlier editions so I don't know.


In general, though, I'd recommend that people don't obsess too much over supposed time honored classics. Absent a strong investment in gaming or substantial nostalgia, they're pretty much guaranteed to disappoint. Hell, I've found that most of my old favorites are basically unplayable when I try them today. I really don't get what kind of masochism that made people accept the interface of Fallout 1, for example.

Each to thine own. I'd still say Fallout and Fallout 2 have a better interface than Mass Effect for instance; now there's an interface nightmare for you. Most console ports really fall prey to this issue, if the port isn't done with time (which isn't usually in companies' interest). Given how popular the series is, I don't think people mind overtly much.

Overall, as long as graphics aren't the most important aspect in the game for a person, I find time-tested classics are like to offer more than the current hits. There's a reason they're classics after all.


I regularly replay oldie-but-goodie RPGs through and I still play e.g. Master of Orion II regularly since I feel it's the best game in its genre.

[Premier]

Couple of thoughts:

- As asked before, why are there no PC games on that list?

- Too many sequels. Are Final Fantasy n+1, Final Fantasy n+2 and Final Fantasy n+3 really all that different from Final Fantasy n? Show her one, which you think she'd like the best, then move on to something else. If she wants more of the same, she can get it later.

- Don't show her Oblivion and/or Skyrim on the Xbox with its absolute lack of moddabiltiy. Show her Morrowind and/or Skyrim on the PC, because A, mods are one of the main features of the franchise, and B, Morrowind is better than Oblivion, anyway (especially when you can't mod out Oblivion's stupid enemy leveling system).

- If she likes Assassin's Creed, show her the Thief series, starting with the first or second game. It's sort of similar but more 'brainy', slower paced (and therefore possibly more enjoyable to someone who's not a gaming veteran), and has a staggering body of awesome fan missions.


Various suggestions:

- Eye of the Beholder for tubecrawler CRPGs. Or Lands of Lore 1, which is one of the best games in the genre. If she REALLY likes it wouldn't mind something similar but non-realtime, then Wizardry 7 is one of the epic classics.

- If she likes either the previous or relatively roleplay-y FPSs like Stalker or Thief, show her the two Ultima Underworld games.

- On that note, something from the Ultima series if she's at all interested in CRPGs. Ultima IV is a milestone in CRPG history, and so is Ultima VII plus Serpent Isle. They're top-down games.

- For city/world/whatever builders, one of the SimCity games surely ought to be included. For and old, light-hearted game with low buy-in effort, there's SimEarth.

- Some god-game would be in order. Populous 2 is a classic, there might be more recent ones that are good.

- If she likes Civ 4, then Alpha Centauri is a must!

- Master of Orion 2, and Master of Magic if you can get it running (or some similar newer game).

[Koury]

Thank you guys for all these suggestions. I have work soon, but will sort through the list and add/modify it.

As far as the lack of PC games, I've listed my PC specs in my last post. Anything that will run on that comp will be added, assuming merit.

Regarding the voice acting issue, I'll leave that one up to her, but I'm fairly sure that is less of an issue then some of you may think.

I'll reply more in depth to some of the specific questions later. Again, thanks to everyone for the discussion so far.

[TaRix]

I'm going to ask for some more specifics. Does the OP want a grand tour about gaming history, a highlight reel of major trends, or just a good sampling of what she might like? 35+ years of video game history probably needs some boundaries. If you want to show something from the very beginning (you probably don't, though) you can pick up one of those department store gizmos that have a pack of old Atari or Intellivision cartridges in ROM which plug directly into a TV pack.

Is the arcade scene of the late 70s-early 90s included? You might consider a few compilation discs; I recall a few Midway-Atari collections that had stuff like Gauntlet and Rampart and several others. Capcom's released at least a couple packs for PSP/PS2 (probably ported to others as well). Even Taito (of Space Invaders fame) had a couple before Square-Enix bought 'em out. I even saw a Dragon's Lair/2/Space Ace pack for the Wii (though that particular chapter of gaming might be better seen via YouTube.) Namco's got several releases/rehashes of their classics like Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig-Dug.

A few more PS/2 titles that feature story and character more than most:
Suikoden series-- A sort of Game of Thrones lite series meets Highlander in a way. Nations and cabals fight over MacGuffin runes of power and your protagonist(s) gather just over a hundred allies and a fortress in order to thwart scheming foes. The setting lends itself to manga and non-game media.
The .hack// series(es). I understood the whole franchise was meant as a cross-media project with the cartoons and books and comics as well as the games. The setting's basically a simulated MMO that's affecting the real world in odd ways, but gameplay doesn't ever show you looking away from the computer screen. (If budget's a problem, I think you can play the entire thing from the last installments of the first series and the GU series.) Gameplay can get a little repetitive if you let yourself get bogged down in filling every last line of the Book of 1000 (this was before achievements/trophies became standard issue) but you can hurry through if you want. It does get some MMO-player issues/stereotypes fairly well. Might as well rent/Netflix/whatever some of the cartoons if your wrists are hurting by now.
The Wild Arms series, perhaps. I'm partial to 3, myself, and the main protagonist is female, so that might be something. Fairly balanced with puzzles, combat, and character subplots, they're fairly good overall.

I think the BioShocks are probably too far into the "horror" category, myself.

If you want FPSses, why not Perfect Dark? It plays better than GoldenEye, has better story, and Elvis! Yeah, yeah, everyone lauds 007, but that's at least partly because it came first.
If you want FPS history... you'll need to go at least six years earlier than GoldenEye. Usually "Wolfenstein 3-D" is credited with starting that genre, with Doom making it a breakaway type, but I might suggest the Marathon bunch (created by Bungie of Halo fame) which I hear is available on XBox Arcade. Marathon's the earliest FPS that I recall had a plot beyond "you're here; shoot everyone else." You're a plaything of rival AIs and aliens and their attitudes shine through their little text-communiques.

Sorry for the wall-o-text. Maybe we can narrow stuff down as the tour progresses.

And you need to play a few rounds of Katamari Damacy.

[Raimun]

Metal Gear?

Starting from Metal Gear Solid (PS1), they're all about the story. Though, at times the games in the series require you to play them. Like, move the character and perhaps shoot or better yet, avoid the enemies.

[Triscuitable]

GOLDENEYE
Starfox 64
Ocarina of Time
And when you just feel like partying, Super Smash Bros.

I would seriously disagree with Goldeneye. It's aged horribly, and nearly every single FPS since has improved on it. What you remember (or have heard) about it is purely nostalgia. The game isn't very fun by today's standards.

I also think this applies to Final Fantasy VII and VIII. Those games have held up well as RPGs, but the graphics are blocky (polygons age, pixels don't), and the story is fairly generic and full of plot holes. On the other hand, it does contain the saddest scene in video games: when that poor sword is forced to stab that freakin' annoying girl Aeris. :smalltongue: Final Fantasy VIII really just feels like "Final Fantasy -Fantasy +Science Fiction +Contrived love story".


Metal Gear?

Starting from Metal Gear Solid (PS1), they're all about the story. Though, at times the games in the series require you to play them. Like, move the character and perhaps shoot or better yet, avoid the enemies.

If you're going for this, I'd say the remake Silicon Knights made of the first (The Twin Snakes) is excellent. It was recently given an HD remake, to boot. However, any games past this are a little... Silly. The cutscenes are also infamous for being incredibly long. As in, a battle between Snake and Ocelot in MGS4 lasts 8 minutes. It's not gameplay, it's a cutscene.

I'd say these are my recommendations:

GTA4: The Ballad of Gay Tony
It's over-the-top, it has extremely lovable characters, and doesn't require you play GTA4 to enjoy. It's full of extreme missions (get onto a yacht, steal a military helicopter, blow up the yacht, blow up the escapees, and land on a skyscraper... So the guy who hired you can give it to his uncle).

Limbo
Ambient, well paced, not too difficult, and a generally fun platformer with a story told to you without text, music, voices, etc. It's about a boy who enters limbo to save his sister. That is all you are told to begin, and you will find out more as the game explains it.

Fate/stay night
Now this is a visual novel, so it's less of a game and more of a Choose Your Own Adventure-type story. However, it's very impressively made, has an excellent story with a lot of thought put into it, and has one of the most dedicated fanbases in any franchise out there. After all, the Nasu-verse is enormous. If you want to know more about the Nasu-verse, you might also want to try out Tsukihime. It's a little more complex, but still very well done.

[RagingKrikkit]

I would disagree about Goldeneye being purely about nostalgia, as I love it, despite having no nostalgia for it. I was recommending it due to its position as a central part of the history of gaming.

[Triaxx]

I can't think of anything that wouldn't run on that PC.

Final Fantasies: The trouble with saying one is like the other is the changes between them. Between battle systems and subtlies of the stories, each one is it's own adventure.

Now true, ultimately they all start more or less the same. Bad guy does something evil. And they end the same. Good guy trounces bad guy. (Often after eight or nine transformations and 3 hours of cutscene attacks)

Show me a game that doesn't and I'll probably be seeing a horror-genre.

Goldeneye. I played this game so much. And I admit to a bit of a nostalgia filter. However, the thing is that while the graphics haven't aged well, and the game play has been refined, Golden eye is the core mechanics.

Now, yes, Doom and Wolfenstein both came earlier, but Goldeneye proved that FPS games weren't just the domain of the PC. I do think that Perfect Dark should also be on the list. It's Goldeneye with the few rough edges filed off and a fantastic storyline.

[RagingKrikkit]

Arguably it was Halo that was the final word about shooters working on consoles, but if I were to make a list of the most important shooters, it would brobably go Wolfenstien, D00M, Goldeneye, Halo: CE and MW1.

[Raimun]

If you're going for this, I'd say the remake Silicon Knights made of the first (The Twin Snakes) is excellent. It was recently given an HD remake, to boot. However, any games past this are a little... Silly. The cutscenes are also infamous for being incredibly long. As in, a battle between Snake and Ocelot in MGS4 lasts 8 minutes. It's not gameplay, it's a cutscene.


Of course, the said cutscenes are awesome. :smallwink:

Also, the gameplay has vast improvements after the first Metal Gear Solid.

The remake (Twin Snakes, Gamecube) has some of these improvements but it is definitely the silliest installment of the series. That's mainly because of the cutscenes that would be more in place in Devil May Cry... which is cool too but different from MGS.

[factotum]

(Also, yes, Asura's Wrath is a good choice there. Strong characters and plenty of spectacle.)

But not really much in the way of "game", unfortunately...

[Koury]

I can't think of anything that wouldn't run on that PC.

Skyrim? Civ V? I run Diablo 3 on minimum settings and low resolution and only hold a steady 25 fps. Its got decent processing power, just lacks graphically. I've got like $80 set aside for a new graphics card but dont know whats compatable with my current hardware.

Anyway, back on subject, both I and my girlfriend think these suggestions are great. She is particularly fond of the ones where the game is briefly described (like TaRix last post) and I like, well, pretty much the whole discussion. :smallbiggrin:

I believe I've come to a conclusion of sorts about what to do. I believe I will start a new thread tomorrow or the next day and in it, write about our progress in the current game (Assassin's Creed) and her reactions to particular parts. I'll be sure to get her on a posting too, since me simply relaying her opinions seems boring for everyone. Based on that, we can discuss things and decide direction a bit more organically. I think this is probably the best way to handle this.

As far as this thread, keep the game suggestions coming. I will be adding to the list in the OP. This seems a useful resource for both deciding a direction after AC, and for anyone looking for great games they may have missed.

Again, thanks for all the replies. :smallbiggrin:

[Triscuitable]

Arguably it was Halo that was the final word about shooters working on consoles, but if I were to make a list of the most important shooters, it would brobably go Wolfenstien, D00M, Goldeneye, Halo: CE and MW1.

Again, I would disagree. Wolfenstein allowed for 90 degree angles and aiming left and right. Doom added elevation, 45 degree angles, and (while not aiming up and down) the ability to shoot enemies that are above or below you. Doom is basically a straight upgrade.

I'd agree Goldeneye is an important hallmark in games, but Perfect Dark improved on the formula much in the same way Doom did for Wolfenstein.

While I enjoy Call of Duty 4 quite a bit, Halo introduced the dual-stick control scheme. It made the concept of a "PC quality" first person shooter a reality on consoles, gave us impressive worlds, and expanded our scope on the FPS far past what we initially thought. I'd say Call of Duty 4 was nice, but Call of Duty: Finest Hour would be a better example.

With your choice of Assassin's Creed, that's a good game. Of course, it's really repetitive, the combat is rather dull, and the game is overall kind of the same cycle of events. Get target, get info, interrogate, go kill target, escape, repeat. The sequel improved on nearly every aspect of the original game, and gives a recap of the first. I'd say play Assassin's Creed purely for the fact that climbing in that city was a lot of fun... But then Revelations does away with that, too.

[SirDalyus]

For Final Fantasy, the last few games have been dramatically different In terms of how they play.

I can recomend FFX-2, as the story Is light but engaging, the combat Is fun and challenging, and you can play It in short chunks without missing out on the story, as It has a mission based format. It's also quite short to play through If you don't get hung up on the side-quests and having 101% completion.

FFX Is, for me, the final fantasy, and Is certainly the one that most people think of, sans FF7. Incredible story, a great cast and the infamous laugh scene, it's a spirited romp through all the valleys of FF clishes. It can be a little melodramatic at times, but It's great nontheless.

FF12 was the most fun I've had with an FF game in ages. It combined active combat, a massive pool of abilities, and loads of crazy weapons, spells and summons which just blew my mind at the time. Add to that the fact It looks great and your in buisness.

FF13 was awful. Moving on swiftly.

FF13-2 was actually quite good. A strange sort of mix of a sci-fi adventure, final fantasy setting, some dungeon romping and the catcheverythingtgatmoves type gameplay pokemon invented, It can be great fun to pick up and play. As a bonus, the least aggrevating people from FF13 are In It, so that's a plus.

FF9 was the last pure fantasy RPG. It was a homage to a simpler time, where mages were mages, fighters were fighters, dragoons jumped and salamanders punched everything thing that moved. It also had a gourmet frog, so that was cool too.

FF8 was interesting. A grungy, nearfuture fantasy game with orphans, It combined a good story, interesting characters and loads of side quests to make a game that hooked you and didn't let you go.

FF7 The other classic FF game, It's been brought up enough already. 10/10.

FF6 Not my cup of tea, but well recieved. Can't really coment fairly on this one, but It's not bad. The third worst FF game, after 13 and 11.

FFV Amazing. The class system In this blew my mind when I was a kid. The story is riviting, and really gets under your skin. Plus when he dies, OMG the tears.

FFIV This one's pretty solid. It's a good little romp, lacking In depth but filled up with nostalgia.

I can't believe no one's brought up grandia. The first one Is hands down the best turn based RPG I've ever played. The story? Amazing. The combat? Insane? The options? Endless. And It still looks pretty sexy too. Grandia 2 Isn't quite as good, but Is everywhere and Is still really good.

I'd also recommend Dark Cloud/ Chronicals. Dark Cloud is an insanely fun dungeon crawler/ village builder, yeah I know right , whereas Chronicles is a crazy twist to the standard save the world game.

[TaRix]

For some earlier Western role-playing that's not just dungeon crawling, look for the second Ultima trilogy, and possibly Ultima III (which I hear was fan-remade into some sort of shareware production, but haven't verified personally.) "Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar" focused on you, a "Yankee in King Arthur's Court" sort of character, getting whisked to Britannia for a quest of personal growth to inspire Lord British's people to goodness and greatness. It's probably the earliest karma-system in a video game. Conversation is keyword based (though not in the NES port); not just the "push button while NPC blabs at you" that's usually found.
Ultima V's similar, but is more expansive, has more mysteries/puzzles, and a little more philosophical by showing how the Eight Virtues can get tweaked into evil deeds. Also, the surfeit of loot makes it much easier to keep supply levels up. Oh, and you have some nemeses in this game, which do a (temporary) number to the townes and townspeople. (Again, this is from the computer versions; the NES port felt clunky to me.)
But I'd probably recommend the SNES port of "Ultima VI: The False Prophet" for story/setting/character development, with the preference for the port because the interface felt more fluid and simple. It's still wide-open but has a great story that has a few mind-blowing twists. Without giving too much away, this game deals with the unexpected consequences of the previous two games' successes. And you pretty much start out on a gargoyle's sacrificial altar. (Beats the tavern opener by a long shot.)

Be warned, though, exploring Brittania takes a very long time. There's lots of characters, and innocuous ones might have vital clues. You'll want a notepad for names, locations, referrals, or other tidbits. It can be a very immersive place, though, easily equalling Elder Scrolls or Fallout, just without the 3-D engines.

[Drascin]

I would agree that perhaps it would be nice to get her to try Dungeon Crawlers. They are a fairly unknown genre that not a lot of people know unless they are told about them, and they are quite fun.

However, dungeon crawlers tend to be very light on plot and characterization - and more about the locales. So if plot's all she wants, they are unlikely to be a great idea. However, if she decides she wants a rest from all the story, it's a very interesting thing to suggest!

Also, most dungeon crawlers tend to be very old and suffer from a pretty big problem with annoying interfaces. Much as it can happen with X-Com, the games are good, but the gameplay is behind a wall that most newbies are not going to be willing to cross - hell, I've been gaming for 21 years and I am not willing to stomach the interface for X-Com!

So my suggestion is to, rather than play the classics that suffer from all these problems, use one of the newer, "inspired by" dungeoncrawlers to let her taste them. For this, I have two suggestions:

If she comes to like the Final Fantasy style of battling, the Japanese Etrian Odyssey games for Nintendo DS are great. The player has to form a party out of a bunch of classes, choosing skills and appearances for them, and is given the task of exploring the Yggdrassil Labyrinth, a huge labyrinth housed within the World Tree. An important note about Etrian Odyssey is that you are not given a map - rather, it gives you the tools to draw your own map in the lower screen and you have to DIY. This may seem silly, but it actually adds a lot of enjoyment to the experience!

The Etrian Odyssey games are hard in the legitimate way - they are easy to grasp, and not complicated at all to play, but the fact of the matter is that you will see the game over screen a few times, because the Labyrinth gives no quarter (and expects no quarter in return). It's a great reimagining of the classic dungeoncrawlers for a modern audience - and full of character to boot, thanks to a rather nice art direction and amusing anime-style character portraits. If you do play them, I suggest to start with 2 or 3. 1 was more proof-of-concept than anything, and 2 is basically the same thing but better. Etrian 3 takes a slightly different tack, with a bit more plot and characterization and multiple endings (and a rather interesting take on moral ambigity to boot that only becomes obvious if you play through at least a couple of the endings), and an easier but slightly more complex experience.

On the other hand, if she prefers a more western take, the PC title Legend of Grimrock is basically "the Dungeon Master of the past, today!". Much less cheery than Etrian Odyssey and more oppressive, as the thing actually takes part in a dungeon. The game is also more focused on puzzles than in combat, with dozens of brainwracking riddles and clues, and a piece-based storytelling based in logs from previous adventurers who tried to go through here. You play a group of prisoners (who you can customize, of course) trying to escape the dungeons of Mount Grimrock, where they've been tossed. You have to explore the place, find hidden passages, and manage to get to the bottom of the place, where the exit lies. The combat is real-time, and fairly simple - not the focus of the game and it shows. But the ambiance is top-notch, and the way the game soon has you inspecting every wall for hidden buttons or various switches, and scratching your head at the scribbled clues on the walls and what they mean (and the inevitable "oh you clever bastards" after the eureka moments when you get them), is quite fun if you like the thinky, tricky gameplay.

[Acanous]

Ocarina of Time was one of the staples of gaming.
With all these adventure/puzzle/tactics games, maybe you should try throwing in a fighter or two? She liked CoD, which isn't a traditionally "Story" genre. She might like Street Fighter.

..Or Marvel VS Capcom 3.

Fire Emblem games are not everyone's cup of tea, and the later FE games explain less than the earlier ones during the tutorial. FE6, for example, had a fairly good tutorial, while FE9 (Path of Radiance) had an extremely truncated tutorial. You THOUGHT you got a tutorial, but you have NO IDEA what more than half the stuff the interface shows you does (What's Biorhythm? What do all these items do? What do your stats actually mean? ETC.)
While they are a very GOOD game series, the learning curve is steep.
That being said, those who like them, like them a lot.

[Triaxx]

If you find deeper strategy to be your thing, try out Total Annihilation. It's one of the best strategy games, and in fact came out a year before Starcraft, and was truly awesome. Not terribly heavy on the story, but with a unit limit running up to 250, and unlimited grouping. You could literally put every single unit into a command group and then go ravaging about the country side, instead of being limited to 12. It made the fighting more exciting. And with only two resources, which are infinite in number, if not in ability to gather, fights can last a very long time.

And it's not hard on modern computers. Plus it has 50 main story missions, another 25 from one expansion and tons of units to play with, plus mods.

[Koury]

Updated the table in the OP.

Expect later today or maybe tomorrow to see the new thread go up. She's gonna talk a little bit about her notion of games prior to playing Mass Effect and her experience with Mass Effect (and Call of Duty 4). Then I think she's gonna talk a bit about Assassin's Creed. Hopefully we can use that to plot a course through the sea of games. :smallsmile:

[RagingKrikkit]

Again, I would disagree. Wolfenstein allowed for 90 degree angles and aiming left and right. Doom added elevation, 45 degree angles, and (while not aiming up and down) the ability to shoot enemies that are above or below you. Doom is basically a straight upgrade.

I'd agree Goldeneye is an important hallmark in games, but Perfect Dark improved on the formula much in the same way Doom did for Wolfenstein.

While I enjoy Call of Duty 4 quite a bit, Halo introduced the dual-stick control scheme. It made the concept of a "PC quality" first person shooter a reality on consoles, gave us impressive worlds, and expanded our scope on the FPS far past what we initially thought. I'd say Call of Duty 4 was nice, but Call of Duty: Finest Hour would be a better example.

Wolfenstien made the FPS a thing, D00M solidified it, making sure it didn't just fade away, Goldeneye revolutionised the genre, Halo proved that FPSs work on the console, and MW1 is what made online multiplayer what it is today.

EDIT: In other news, If she falls in love with Ocarina of Time, you might want to try Majora's Mask. Not quite the same, but still and interesting (if slightly dark) story.

[Terraoblivion]

Is it just me or is it a bit off to treat Goldeneye as having greater impact than say Quake, Half-Elf, Counterstrike or the way military shooters started on the PC?

[RagingKrikkit]

Perhaps I'm paying more attention to consoles than I should, but I never noticed Quake doing much of revolutionising the industry, and Half-Life (I assume that's what you mean) I think is not a genre-defining game as it is a good, fun game that garnered a cult following.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

X-COM. The original. :smallbiggrin:

[Triscuitable]

Wolfenstien made the FPS a thing, D00M solidified it, making sure it didn't just fade away, Goldeneye revolutionised the genre, Halo proved that FPSs work on the console, and MW1 is what made online multiplayer what it is today.

Wrong again. Halo 2 made online multiplayer what it is today. Modern Warfare merely made a different route for thousands of shooters to copy it. Halo meanwhile maintains that same gameplay it had a decade ago, and continues to sell millions each year.

[RagingKrikkit]

Wrong again. Halo 2 made online multiplayer what it is today. Modern Warfare merely made a different route for thousands of shooters to copy it. Halo meanwhile maintains that same gameplay it had a decade ago, and continues to sell millions each year.

Thereby making online multiplayer what it is tody. Halo is its own unique thing.

[Eldariel]

Perhaps I'm paying more attention to consoles than I should, but I never noticed Quake doing much of revolutionising the industry, and Half-Life (I assume that's what you mean) I think is not a genre-defining game as it is a good, fun game that garnered a cult following.

It created shooters with a real single player campaign telling a story; basically, it gave the campaign content beyond "walk around, kill things". Basically, Halo is mostly a Half-Life remake for instance. The whole genre is defined by Half-Life as it stands. Counter Strike also more or less created the genre of "realistic" FPSs and squad-based multiplayer (basically, Call of Duties owe everything to Counter Strike).

The only revolutions as big for the genre were really Doom (that created FPSs really; yeah, Wolf 3D, whatever, Doom was the pathfinder and it created the Rocket Launcher Tag multiplayer the genre really became known of) and Quake (which was the first real multiplayer FPS with a massive online community).

[Triscuitable]

Thereby making online multiplayer what it is tody. Halo is its own unique thing.

No, this makes only one kind of multiplayer, in modern military shooters. Let's look at TF2. And Left 4 Dead. And Halo. And Killing Floor, Dead Island, Borderlands, League of Legends, etc.

Call of Duty did something, but Halo is why it had that success in the first place. :smallannoyed:

[RagingKrikkit]

No need to get pissed, I'm just arguing my viewpoint. Would it be better if we dropped the subject?

[Triscuitable]

No need to get pissed, I'm just arguing my viewpoint. Would it be better if we dropped the subject?

Yes, please. Thank you. I'm sorry I got stingy, but I'm really defensive on the topic.

[Terraoblivion]

Given that Quake basically started online multiplayer, I'd say it's kinda important. I don't just mean how FPSes do online multiplayer, I mean online multiplayer as a thing at all. Of course it would have happened without Quake, but the game still stands as the milestone where it did happen. Not just that, it defined one of the two branches of PC FPS games to this day, with Half-Life defining the other. The arena-based, multiplayer oriented FPS has its origins in Quake. Doom and Duke Nuken 3D were big LAN games, but the move to online came with Quake.

[Triscuitable]

We were referring to consoles, and the twin-stick control scheme. If we were referring to the mouse and keyboard, it'd go more along how you described. Wolfenstein > Doom > Quake > Unreal > Quake 3

From Quake 3, it really does branch out to too many places to really consider what would happen.

[Terraoblivion]

And I was referring to YakYak saying that he thought it wasn't an important game right after I said it should probably go on the list of most influential FPSes. It has nothing to do with your discussion of modern day control schemes in console FPS games.

[RagingKrikkit]

I did say that maybe I was probably being more specific to consoles, rather than gaming in general.

[Puppychowguy]

Phantasy Star IV.

One of the best RPGs of ALL TIME.

If you don't want to explore a dungeon listening to this, you are missing outsss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXuSEZgLcEM

Semi-spoilers but shows the game http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsa90yssfBs

Also, Azure Dreams. :smallsmile:

[factotum]

X-COM. The original. :smallbiggrin:

Unfortunately that seems to be pretty much the opposite of the requirement...great though UFO: Enemy Unknown (to give it its proper title :smallwink:) was as a game, the storyline was not really that hot.

[Triaxx]

Duh. She likes Mass Effect, show her Baldur's Gate, and more importantly Baldur's Gate 2. They're awesome and she'll probably love Minsc.

[Koury]

Started the "official" thread about her play experience/thoughts on gaming here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249184). Come check it out, talk, ask questions, help decide the next step. :smallsmile: