My Top 20 Video Games (Post 11)
By: Haisam Mubarik
Tags: Entertainment, Top 10, Videogames, Lists, Pop Culture

(List as of Dec 2020)

As I was writing this, I realized that my gaming taste isn’t the most diverse. I started at 16 and still play today, with many gaps in between. I’d have phases where I played with my friends but that part stopped after high school in 2015. I’ve stuck with familiar franchises rather than play all the news ones or try whatever was trendy that year.

I’ve been Team Xbox thus far. I haven’t played these enough or at all: Bioshock, Fallout, Dead Rising, Elder Scrolls, Mario, Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed, God of War, Saints Row, The Orange Box, Resident Evil, Borderlands, Far Cry Mass Effect, Left 4 Dead

These days, I stick with NBA 2k with the limited time I have.

20. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 1 and 2

These are fun but don’t have much replay value. I enjoyed the campaigns but that was it.

19. Burnout Revenge and Paradise

A different racing franchise that adds a fighting-style gameplay with cars smashing into each other. Bumper cars + racing on steroids. The cars are all unique to Burnout and you can customize them. Thoroughly enjoyable.

18. Midnight Club: Los Angeles

Rockstar games created this. Open world, driving in virtual LA beating past the traffic. Need I say more?

17. Need for Speed: Most Wanted and Hot Pursuit

The first one I played was Need for Speed 2 on my PC. I was probably 9 or 10 and this was one of the very few games I played. Started my love for racing games. Some may argue Forza or Gran Turismo but NFS is the true gold standard for racing.

16. Tomb Raider and Rise of The Tomb Raider

One of the few games I started on PC way back when. I was excited to hear it coming to the consoles. The stunts, acting, graphics and plotlines are all what make Tomb raider wonderful. Lara Croft is one of the most notable protagonists of all time — and for good reason.

15. Gears of War 1 and 2

My good friends, my two brothers and I would rotate to slaughter each other with guns and chainsaws. I played the campaigns co-op with one of my brothers. One of the best storylines out there. After, life got in the way and I didn’t pick up the newer additions.

14. Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Battlefield 3

I was more into COD and Halo, as that’s what my friends played. I tried these out much later and really enjoyed the gameplay and stories.

13. Skate 1, 2 and 3

Ok so this is the first in the list for entries I logged serious hours on. All 3 Skates brought consistently amazing quality, as they stayed loyal to the root of what made Skate great. The moves done from the controller stick, the plethora of moves available, the vast maps, interesting and real-world characters and immersive missions. Skate 1 and 2 had local multiplayer that’d expose the competitiveness of me and my siblings. .

12. Madden NFL

Throwing interceptions aggravate me and I think they’re too common in these games. Maybe I’m just not that good. All these sports games have vastly improved in graphics and gameplay.

11. FIFA

I don’t enjoy watching soccer. Playing it in real life is okay but something about FIFA makes it so fun. We used to settle bets here in college. I still don’t know much about the teams or players but I’m always down for FIFA.

10. NBA 2k

NBA Live 09 was my introduction to basketball simulation. This is my favorite sport to watch, play and play videogames on. NBA 2k took over so naturally, I tried it. I really enjoy MyPlayer and just Play Now. I can always play this and not get bored.

9. Red Dead Redemption 1 &2

Rockstar makes the list again. I’m not huge into westerns, as I miss the modern weapons and cars. I do like riding horses here and the culture of the people. They want to duel and make a living. I’m sold on anything the GTA team has developed — the vast open world, violent missions and crazy plots are their forte.

8. Injustice 1 and 2

I like DC and Marvel. There I said it. I also happen to be a huge Mortal Kombat fan — not the movies though! I’ll admit I sometimes noob with Green Lantern or Shazam but my go-to guy is always The Batman.

7. Mortal Kombat 9,10, 11 and vs DC universe

I started playing this at a young age. Shao Khan is one heck of a villain. The stories got convoluted as the series went on but they tried to explain multiple universes, dimensions, blah blah. Didn’t quite work but the stories were nonetheless entertaining even if they were separate. The characters and gore is what makes Mortal Kombat the best in class. Scorpion and Ermac are my dudes. Kitana’s pretty cool too.

6. Halo 3, Reach and 4

Master Chief. Space. Spartans vs The Covenant. Haunting yet beautiful vocals for the soundtrack. Compelling stories and a rich universe make this one of the greatest franchises ever. With awesome campaigns and addictive multiplayer, you can’t go wrong with Halo.

5. Call of Duty World at War, Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops

Modern Warfare 2 was what everyone was playing for a while. I’d look forward to getting in the Xbox lobby with my friends and jumping on maps like Rust and Terminal. The stories are brilliant and show resemblance to blockbuster movies.

4. Bully

Imagine GTA but for high schoolers. With an anti-hero protagonist, Jimmy, and a villain we love to hate, Gary, this has the feel of a real-life high school. Bully is extraordinarily creative, handing the player slingshots and bags of marbles to wreak havoc with. The side missions and the classrooms are icing on the cake. The dialogue between the characters always makes me laugh.

3. Batman: Arkham Series — all 4

I’m a huge Batman fan. I love the Tim Burton movies, the Nolan-verse, Justice League, Justice League unlimited, Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond and I was just waiting for the perfect game. I did enjoy the Lego Batman games but I was waiting for something like this. Each of these installments delivers the best experience of Batman and his universe. The roster and voice talent is incredible. Mark Hammill and Kevin Conroy reprise their iconic roles as Joker and Batman, respectively. Open world, gliding through Gotham and beating up thugs… all while The Riddler is in your ear about his next scheme! What more can you ask for?

2. Grand Theft Auto 4

GTA deserves the two top spots. Niko Bellic is the GOAT. This game was one of the largest entertainment launches ever. It’s near impossible to find any fault here. The attention to detail in the gigantic map is impeccable. You can have endless fun even before you really progress into the story. But the story is so worth it. I thought Rockstar reached it’s peak but then they came out with The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony downloadable stories. Each deserves praise.

Grand Theft Auto 5

My circle often prefers GTA 4 but I think that has more to do with reminiscing their shared memories. GTA 5 is definitely an upgrade. The 3 dynamic and dissimilar protagonists add a level of depth that no game has seen before. The story blends them all together perfectly. The map is larger than its predecessor. There are more animals; you can really swim under the water (not just the surface). There’s just more of everything — and with Rockstar, the bigger the better! They don’t sacrifice quality for quantity. You can customize cars! The cops are more advanced which makes for a better car chase!

These games take years to perfect. As far as enjoyment, both GTA 4 and 5 are stellar.