joe fazio

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Joe's Top 20 Video Games

My twenty favorite video games of all time. Subjective, and ranked on more than just the gameplay: the story, the nostalgia, and what they left with me. Notes are getting added as I write them.

  1. 01The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)Most fun I’ve ever had playing a game. So many cool areas to explore for hours on end. Just a genuine masterpiece. Wish I could play this game for the first time again.
  2. 02Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)One of my favorite stories in all of media. So much immersion and character. Genuine masterpiece.
  3. 03Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)The definitive Smash Bros. experience. The game gives you so much freedom and movement options to express yourself. Also the easiest Smash game for beginners to get into, so bonus points for that. By far the game I have the most hours in. Went to in-person tournaments and played for the esports team weekly at JMU. I love and hate every part of this game.
  4. 04Hades and Hades II (2020, 2025)My favorite roguelikes I’ve ever played. So impressive how they packed such good stories and characters into this world. Love trying new weapons and builds even after beating the game. Hades II added so much more depth and really is a perfect sequel to Hades 1. I still see both together hand in hand, and it’s too hard to choose a favorite.
  5. 05God of War and God of War Ragnarok (2018, 2022)What can I say about these games that hasn’t already been said? Peak stories. Great gameplay. Beautiful and vast worlds. Unforgettable characters. Ragnarok’s gameplay improvements and ginormous scale slightly edge it out over 2018, but that being said, 2018 was such a more focused experience.
  6. 06Marvel's Spider-Man (2018)Amazing traversal mechanism, amazing combat, amazing story. Only thing keeping this from being higher is some slower sections and stealth sections.
  7. 07Pokemon Black Version 2 (2012)The Pokemon game I’ve put the most hours into, and it holds a special place in my heart as it’s the first Pokemon game I ever played. This is my Pokemon representative for my top 20, because it feels wrong to put every single one of the DS era Pokemon games into one spot. Instead, they are in the honorable mentions section.
  8. 08BioShock (2007)In my opinion, the greatest video game story ever created. Amazing atmospheric gameplay, and it feels so alive and yet so abandoned and real. Gameplay is fun but lacks depth of modern games.
  9. 09Super Mario Maker (2015)One of the greatest gaming communities to ever exist in my opinion. The story of 0% team. Mario Maker anniversary levels. Kaizo community. Beats out Super Mario Maker 2 because the game has a certain charm I love so much. And sometimes less is more.
  10. 10Celeste (2018)Amazing gameplay, amazing story. Addicting death loops. And always feels fresh. Beating the B-sides and the Farewell DLC is one of my most prized gaming accomplishments.
  11. 11Counter-Strike 2 (2023)I sadly never had the opportunity to play CS:GO, but CS2 scratches the competitive cavity I lost when I stopped competing in Smash Ultimate.
  12. 12The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023)Added so much content compared to BotW, but added too much without adding as much depth. Still had a great story and fantastic exploration and gameplay. I still consider it a masterpiece, just with some flaws that make it impossible to place higher than BotW.
  13. 13Minecraft (2011)Boundless possibilities. So amazing to see what the game has become. Still a game you can come back to today and have a genuine fun time with.
  14. 14Katana Zero (2019)Amazing death loop mechanics. Such a complex yet engaging story. Only complaint is that it was too short. Can’t wait for the DLC.
  15. 15Hollow Knight (2017)The best Metroidvania I’ve ever played. Movement is so responsive and the game has so much charm. Love the lore of this game and wish I had the time and motivation to keep playing through the hard DLC and extra boss fights.
  16. 16Metroid Dread (2021)Holds a special place in my heart for being my first Metroidvania. E.M.M.I. encounter areas are so eerie and terrifying to traverse, and the mechanics are buttery smooth. Difficulty was just hard enough to keep it feeling like a challenge, and rewarding to beat without having me stuck on a boss for days.
  17. 17Terraria (2011)Great boss fights, so much depth, so many different things to do, so much to get lost in. I’m just sad I didn’t play it when I was younger.
  18. 18BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition (2013-2014)Such a large and twisted story. Super fun shooter that puts a twist on the classic BioShock plasmids and gun gameplay.DLC added these cool concepts and gameplay to the already complex story.
  19. 19Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)Didn’t like the story as much as Spider-Man PS4, but the snowy atmosphere has a special place in my heart. Still has that classic Spider-Man gameplay, with some extra quirks that make it more dynamic than the first.
  20. 20Batman: Arkham Trilogy (2009, 2011, 2015)I can’t ever decide which of the 3 is my favorite. In my mind these games fit together like a gankyil (3-winged yin yang symbol).Asylum had the atmosphere and was an amazing first idea, but has some gameplay flaws limited by the times it was released.City had the best story, amazing bosses, improved gameplay, and a solid open world.Knight had the best gameplay, Batmobile addition was sick, and a super underrated story with unmatched scale.

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Honorable mentions

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