Octo-Question: If You Could Only Play One Game, for life, What would it Be?

This Week’s Prize: This week, the three  favorite comments will get a random bit of swag from our swag bag. Will you get something awesome? Something lame? Lady luck with decide!

1. Yes, it can be an MMO or Online Multiplayer game, but it will NEVER be updated. If your game features local multiplayer, you can assume that there WILL be other people to play with.
2. It cannot be a series. It must be one SKU and that is all.
3. DLC is not included in the package.
4. “Game of the Year” editions are not eligible.

STAFF PICKS

Mike Wall – NHL 12

Dave (pretty boy) Voyles – Final Fantasy VII

This is a funny question because I frequently find myself going over this in my own head several times each year, and after 15 years I return to the same answer: Final Fantasy VII.

Not only was this game groundbreaking at the time of its launch, whether for then unprecedented 3-disc release, the 30+ hour campaign, or the emotional twist at the end of the first disc, but it still holds up surprisingly well. The visuals are nothing to write home about, as the simple polygon models don’t hold up against the test of time, but the beautifully painted backgrounds look as wonderful as ever.

My feelings are reaffirmed with Square-Eenix ‘s recent announcement of a re-issue of the game on the PC, albeit with minimal changes. I would have loved to see an updated version with lush visuals and perhaps some additional content, but I suppose that will have to wait. Nobuo Uematu’s engaging soundtrack rises to the occasion and forces player to feel a sense of triumph upon defeating yet another iteration of the boss Jenova, or weep with sorrow after the loss of a beloved character.

I’ve invested well over 200 hours into this title alone, and I could easily pour equally as much time all over again. This is the most engrossed I’ve ever been within any story throughout any medium. Perhaps it can be attributed to that point in one’s childhood where they absorb everything they hear and see, or maybe it had something to do with the state of gaming at the moment. Regardless, each time I hear that soundtrack or take a glance at a screenshot I am instantly taken back to a benevolent point in my life where I wanted nothing more other than to learn move of these characters, their motives, and the dystopian world they were a part of.

While it may not convert gamers who aren’t already JRPG fans, those of us who already are have come to appreciate all that Final Fantasy VII had to offer long ago and understand that it still holds a magical place in our hearts today.

Daniel Campbell – Super Smash Brothers Brawl

This was a tough one for me. I immediately thought of Rune Factory, Little King’s Story, Suikoden 2 or Fallout 3. All are great games in their own right and I’ve squeezed an amazing amount of enjoyment out of all of them. But there is one game I’ve managed to play for (literally) hundreds of hours and I still love it.  Ultimately I’ve decided on Super Smash Brothers Brawl.

I’ve been in a lot of gaming communities over my career but Smashers are largely the friendliest group of them all. Maybe it’s the cartoonish presentation of the game itself, but I’ve found Smash Brothers players to be much happier over all. They always seem willing to help out new players, cultivate a friendly atmosphere and play for the love of the game rather than just winning.

I could write volumes on why I love the game. I could talk about meteor cancels, “teching”, spikes and the horrors of tripping, but I’ll spare you the dissertation and focus on why I picked Brawl over Melee. There’s no arguing (at least in my mind) that if you want to decide who’s the best Smash Brothers player, you’ve got to boot up Melee. It has a ton of meta game tricks and play styles that separate the men from the boys in competitive play. Brawl has more characters, smoother animations, more variety in levels, more game modes and Assist Trophies. Who doesn’t love Assist Trophies?! Brawl may not have the same late game techniques as Melee, but I honestly think it’s just more fun. *SHFFLs Away*

Anthony Swinnich – Halo: Combat Evolved

This is one of the most difficult non-Jeopardy questions I’ve ever had to answer, but after much internal deliberation I landed on Halo: Combat Evolved. You can take the sequels — hell, other first person shooters in general — and fire them into the sun for all I care. In the end, Halo is the only girl for me.

The single player campaign is challenging enough on Legendary to provide an engaging experience every time I would sit down to play. The large-scale levels offer plenty of tactical options in case I wanted to get creative in how I tried to tackle the Covenant — melee-only play through? If it’s the only game I have left certainly it’s worth a try.

While I love the single player mode, it’s the multiplayer options that would keep me coming back. No shooter feels as properly balanced and tuned as this, three-shot pistol kills be damned. Besides, that takes a ton of skill to pull off regardless. The map design is flawless at its best and intriguing at its worst. Plenty of options exist in case deathmatch gets boring as well. I’ve always wanted to play Rally on Boarding Action –something tells me this is the onlyway I’d get people to agree to do so.

The truth is, my friends and I still come back to Halo a couple of times a year for system-link multiplayer hijinks. It’s not just a piece of nostalgia for us — it’s still the best multiplayer FPS we’ve ever played, and I would proudly play it in the face of oblivion.

Taylor Bliss – Halo 3

I think I’ll have to side with Anthony. I have sunk more hours into other than Halo 3, and I gladly put more in. Halo Reach was a bit of a de-evolution with the way the matchmaking was organized so I’d have to stick with Halo 3. I’ll play that team SWAT all day long.

 

You?

What would be your “One Game To Rule Them All”? Comment = win.