I tend to like older, action-y games. I don't believe in the idea that old games are clunkier or less enjoyable than new ones; I think development teams just had different motivations, and gamers were less accustomed to AAA brain rot.
Some games that I think are particularly cool and worth recommending:
- DOOM II. The original level set is flawed, but huge strides have been made in level design since then; I highly recommend Valiant and Eviternity as places to start, then Maskim Xul and Sunder once you have a taste for the hard stuff.
- Monster Hunter. Not the many sequels (though I like those too), but the original game. Seriously. Visit the Monster Hunter Oldschool server to experience the revived online mode. It's a harsh game with a lot of bizarre quirks, but the community is wonderful and the sense of accomplishment is great.
- Terraria. This has the most satisfying start-to-end progression of any game I've played. Always play on Expert or Master (even if you're new). Softcore characters are best outside of challenge runs. Did you know about secret world seeds?
Please message me about this game, I love it to death - Hacknet (in particular, the DLC, Labyrinths.) Very cute, short-ish hacker fantasy game. The soundtrack is very good, and was almost single-handedly responsible for getting me into listening to the music I like today.I am somewhat infamous in certain circles for shilling this game.
- Diablo II. Whether its Skinner box design is exploitative or not, this game is wonderful and I want to inject it directly into my veins. Nowadays, I think Path of Diablo is the best way to play online; don't bother with the remaster.
- Resident Evil 4. This game is obviously already praised out the wazoo, but I couldn't not mention it in a list of games I like. Infinitely replayable, obnoxiously quotable. As close to perfect as a game can be.