Favorite games

A childhood classic
Where do I begin with Final Fantasy VIII? It was one of the first RPGs I ever played. I got the game when I was eight years old, and was absolutely left in awe of its opening cinematic, which is still to this date one of the best I've ever seen. FF8 is without a doubt an epic masterpiece, with possibly one of the best stories I've seen in a video game. The characters are terrific and likeable, and the villain Ultimecia is amazing. The gameplay itself is a change from most Final Fantasy games, but it works well here. There are plenty of great side quests to do, and the music by Nobuo Uematsu is mind-blowingly good. The ending left me in tears. It's perfectly done and has an ambiguous element to it, leaving a lot up to interpretation. Overall, FF8 is just a brilliant masterpiece that I absolutely love. It's shaped the kind of gamer I am - I play games for the story now thanks to FF8.

This game was made for me
I'm a huge fan of the Max Payne series, and Max Payne 3 is definitely my favourite of the franchise. I honestly wish there were more shooters like this. As someone who prefers third person shooters to the FPS genre, Max Payne 3 really delivers on gameplay. The combat here is truly satisfying, as you leap about in slow motion and shoot at goons using bullet time. There are so many locations too which makes the action never feel old or repetitive. The story of course is masterful. I do prefer the writing in Max Payne 2, but the story here is a lot more realistic, ditching the noir feel of the previous games. This has been a flaw with many fans of the series, and I definitely see where they're coming from. That being said, I still feel they kept many great elements of the Max Payne series here with badass narration and a complex and twisty plot. Overall, Max Payne 3 is a game totally made for me. As a big fan of John Woo, nothing pleases me more than shooting bad guys in slick slow motion. This is a brilliant action game.

Non-stop action and adventure
I hadn't played many Tomb Raider games previously before this reboot. However, none of that matters when you play 2013's Tomb Raider, because it's a game I think everyone needs to play. This is a beautiful game with some truly gorgeous visuals. Of course Lara Croft is sexy as ever (dat ass), but the developers have done a perfect job of making her so human and vulnerable. She's an absolutely terrific character to play as, and the adventuring in this game is so much fun. Finding relics and collectables, and of course raiding tombs, never feels like a chore with Tomb Raider, and the pacing is just perfect. From the get go, the game starts off exciting, and it keeps that going right until the ending. Overall, I can't recommend this game enough. It features one of the best characters, regardless of gender, I've ever seen in game. Tomb Raider is a non-stop ride of action and adventure, and it's definitely one of the most exciting games I've ever played.

Never gets old
Pokemon: Ruby Version was the first Pokemon game I got to own. As a kid, I often always had to watch my friends play their own Pokemon games, but I was finally able to own one on the Game Boy Advance. There's really not much different here to most Pokemon games. It's pretty much the same formula. While new mini games and side quests are added, such as Pokemon Competitions, the main story still remains the same as you play as a Pokemon trainer moving up in the ranks, defeating gym leaders and catching different kinds of Pokemon. This is such a nostalgic game for me, and what's great is there is so much replay value. You can play this game over and over again with different approaches, like choosing a different starter Pokemon and shaping your party in a new way. There's so much you can do in a Pokemon game, and Ruby is no exception. It's a game I could never get bored of.

Noir storytelling at its finest
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne is another third person shooter I absolutely love. Personally, I think that this entry in the Max Payne series has the best story of all the games. While I think Max Payne 3 really excelled in its gameplay, Max Payne 2 tells a brilliant and almost flawless noir story. Even the tagline "A Film Noir Love Story" sums up the tale being told here. It's a simple but truly powerful story, pairing Max Payne with one of the sexiest female game characters, Mona Sax. It's a short game, clocking in at about 3-4 hours, but the game never feels boring, and the comic book style of the cutscenes is very stylish. The action's great, and there's a dark sense of humour which I love. Overall, it's definitely a strong Max Payne game. I wish more games tackled a noir story, because Max Payne 2 executed it so beautifully.

A masterful stealth game
Hitman: Absolution is still one of best looking games I've ever played. It's a stunning game visually, with gorgeous use of lens flare and even film grain. I'm glad I played it on PC, as it really is worth playing for the look of it. There's a lot of story here, which is quite new for the Hitman franchise, but I really liked it. Agent 47 is such a badass character, and it was great to see him interact with others and see a softer side to him. Absolution is very different to previous Hitman games, and that's mainly because you don't assassinate people and get paid for it. This is very much a pure stealth game in the likes of Splinter Cell. As someone who never liked the first three Hitman games, I didn't mind the change. Some of the missions here, while linear, were still amazing and fun to play through. Overall, Absolution is definitely my favourite stealth game, and what I love most about is its dark sense of humour.