The following is an unranked list of 93 games which I consider my favorites. Games that are ranked in my Top 20 are noted with a star ⭐
My five star rating system here is within the context of my favorite games - so a one or two star rating doesn't mean it's a bad game, it's just at the low end of my favorites. Each game has a mini-review that can be expanded, which has a link to the Wikipedia page for the game.
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Scarface is an open world, third person adventure/shooter set in the world of the 1983 movie Scarface. The game takes place in an alternate timeline where Tony Montana survives the end of the film, quits using cocaine and sets about rebuilding his empire. The plot is structured around turf, with areas not unlocking for missions until Tony controls a previous area of turf at 100%. The primary quest item is, of course, cocaine. The player must obtain it, sell it, then launder the money. This must all be done while battling rival gangs and law enforcement.
I bought this game on the recommendation of a Game Stop employee, a fact that I remember because I think it's the only time I ever did. It was a fantastic recommendation. Scarface was the game that GTA Vice City tried to be. Vice City is still a solid game in its own right, but it wanted to be a de-branded Scarface (not licensing any Scarface IP) while still being Grand Theft Auto. Scarface: The World Is Yours packs everything a GTA game offers and provides full immersion in the Scarface universe, including voice acting by some of the original cast; but not Pacino, however he did personally select a sound-alike for the game.
Manhunt falls into the survival-horror genre, but is significantly darker than your average survival-horror game. You play the role of a death row inmate who, after his execution is faked, is forced to participate in snuff films for an evil, shadow figure known only as "The Director." You are directed through the games "scenes," dispatching your victims and being rewarded with higher ratings for more brutal and violent slayings. Most of the time the people you are killing are depraved, criminal scumbags themselves. Eventually, of course, you kill The Director and escape into the shadows.
Manhunt heavily employed stealth game mechanics, and did it quite well. That meshed nicely with the game's theme. It was a blast to play, especially with friends. I killed the better part of a day (so to speak) playing it with my friends Lucas and Chris, taking turns at the controls. People were calling it "the most violent video game ever made" at the time, and that was probably a selling point as much as a criticism. It was banned in multiple countries, faced actual confiscation in Germany, and in Canada was reclassified as a film just to further restrict sales.
Grand Theft Auto III is an open world, third person shooter where the player navigates the city/countryside on foot or vehicle. There is a linear campaign that takes the player through a main story, and a variety of side missions available in the open world. The player stars as a convict who escapes during a mafia assault on a prison transport. You work as hired help for the mafia, and eventually the Yakuza, and do battle with a Columbian cartel.
GTA3 was the reason I bought a Play Station 2. I played it at a friend's house and was instantly hooked. I was familiar with the series, but this was the first 3D installment and its open world and freeform violence impressed me. It was the first 3D/open world game where people, cars, and other objects really responded in a realistic manner, matching your expectations of what would happen. Not to say that the action wasn't over-the-top, I'm referring more to the game's physics, graphics, and damage models. Rockstar Games showed not only technical acumen, but real bravery in pushing the boundaries of what was considered too violent or distasteful to put in a video game. Two years later, they'd do it again with Manhunt.
Red Faction is a first person shooter that takes place in a mining colony on Mars. The corporation that owns the mines is, of course, cruel and abusive. They are also carrying out experiments on the miners using nanotechnology, resulting in a plague-like disease in the colony. You play the role of a miner who joins the rebellion, the Red Faction, against the corporation. Red Faction was known for its game engine that allowed for destructible terrain. That allowed for unique level designs with access to areas requiring the player to "dig" through specific parts of the map.
I picked up Red Faction on the recommendation of a store employee when I went looking for a new game after finishing Grand Theft Auto II. It was a good recommendation, and I found Red Faction to be thoroughly enjoyable. This was one of the earliest games that I remember using Internet walkthroughs to get me through areas that had me stumped.