Earlier this year there was a trend making the rounds on social media that tasked people with placing their 25 favorite games in a 5x5 grid. I decided to participate, and my initial survey of everything I’d played produced 70 deserving candidates. I’ve since (painfully) cut that list down to the one you see below, and to celebrate Tactical Reload’s anniversary, I thought it would be fun to share it with the people who have supported me. At the very least, it will hopefully tickle your nostalgia and provide a window into my tastes. Maybe it will even help explain (or justify?) my review scores moving forward.

If there’s any concern that including this many titles would somehow dilute the overall quality, I aim to finish between 60 and 100 new games every year. As you’re about to see, I have broad interests and I’m always discovering fresh contenders.

So, as of October 15th 2025, here are my 64 favorite video games and what some of them mean to me. They’re ordered from best to “worst.”

1. Resident Evil Remake

My happy place is a puzzle box filled with monsters.

The atmosphere in Capcom’s second crack at the misadventures of STARS Alpha Team is thick enough to turn anyone into a fixed cameras and pre-rendered backgrounds believer (the pre-rendered backgrounds with subtle animations–flickering candle flames and dancing shadows–still look fantastic going on 20+ years).

I expect that we’ll get another reimagining of the Spencer Mansion sooner rather than later, one that’s more in the mold of the RE2-4 remakes, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. However, I can’t imagine it will come close to recreating the feeling of gripping a GameCube controller in 2002 while the echo of Moonlight Sonata fills the dark and empty hallways.

*Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence* by Konami and Kojima Productions

2. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence

The reason I value attention to detail can probably be traced back to Metal Gear Solid 3. There are so many things packed into this virtual jungle that aren’t necessary, but elevate the experience to the title of Big Boss (endless movie trivia, the nightmare mini game, multiple ways to tackle the different bosses, etc.). It’s also Kojima’s best semi standalone story (note, I’m only halfway through Death Stranding 2).

I’m playing the remake now and while it’s still THAT game I miss the look of the original (especially the character models).

I’m still not sure how they were able to get the finale to run on PS2 hardware.

3. Bloodborne

After I’ve beaten a game, I like to sit with my feelings to judge how its legend grows or diminishes as my recency bias fades. I’ve thought about Bloodborne every day since I finished it in 2019 and it only feels like a matter of time before it claims the number one spot on this list.

It has my favorite lore. Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower is my favorite boss fight.

Where is that remaster? That update? That sequel? It’s about persistence–so I’ll keep asking.

4. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

I don’t have “comfort games” in the traditional sense–I rarely take the time to dive back in once I’ve finished something (there are just so many games)–but if I did, they would be Wind Waker and Final Fantasy IX.

There’s just something about this season that makes me want to take one more voyage across the Great Sea.

5. Final Fantasy IX

Will I ever be decent at the jump rope minigame? I’m not bad at dodging lightning in Final Fantasy X so you’d think I’d be able to get there, eventually. I believe my pathetic record currently stands at 12.

6. Resident Evil 4 (classic)

7. Hollow Knight

8. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Ocarina of Time is the first game that I actually cared about progression. Before this version of Hyrule, I treated all virtual worlds as playgrounds to plug in codes and kill some time.

The Forest Temple (NOT the Water Temple, interestingly enough) inspired me to purchase my first strategy guide.

Coming back to it on the 3DS quite literally felt like magic. Calling something “your childhood” is overused, but if there was ever a time for me to pull that one out, it would be for this.

Ocarina of Time is my childhood.

9. BioShock

10. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

11. Final Fantasy XII

12. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

13. Resident Evil 2 Remake

Even though I rank two entries in the series above RE2 Remake, in my opinion, it represents the perfect Resident Evil experience. It combines the atmosphere, exploration, and item management of the older titles with modern quality of life features. The moment it was finally revealed at E3 2018 (for real E3, it still existed!) probably makes the short list of the most excited I’ve ever been.

14. Elden Ring

15. Super Mario Galaxy

Almost two decades later, I believe Super Mario Galaxy still has the best level design of any platformer (and a soundtrack that never fails to give me goose bumps).

16. Persona 5

17. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

True story, one of my siblings and I started a playthrough of Persona 5 in 2017 while we waited for Nintendo Switch restocks. This was agonizing–but Persona 5, one of the best Japanese RPGs of all time, helped numb that pain considerably. When I finally got my Switch, we decided to take a short break just to TRY Breath of the Wild…

…and then we proceeded to put 100 hours into it in less than two weeks.

18. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

While I understand the criticisms aimed at its grind and overall weirdness, Peace Walker is like a drug to me. I can burn four or five hours leveling weapons and “recruiting” soldiers for my base in it as easily as blinking or breathing.

19. The Last of Us Part II

*Pokemon Snap* by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo

20. Pokemon Snap

Definitely a nostalgia pick, but can you think of a more joyful way to spend 90 minutes than log a full playthrough of Pokemon Snap?

Do you remember the Blockbuster kiosks where you could insert your cartridge and print out your photos?

21. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

22. Dead Space 2

I replayed the first two Dead Space games back-to-back a couple years ago and it’s hard to express what a leap over the original the sequel is (the movement in zero gravity is superb). I genuinely think there will be a conversational shift at some point that will place Dead Space 2 as not only one of the best games of its decade but one of the best games ever. It absolutely rips from beginning to end. It also has my favorite first 5 minutes in a video game.

23. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

24. Shadow of the Colossus

I have a story about the first time I played Shadow of the Colossus–but I’ll save it for a future entry in this series.

That’s what we like to call a tease. I have to give you guys a reason to keep coming back.

25. No More Heroes

26. Katamari Forever

My ability to consistently roll up THE Cowbear is still one of my proudest achievements as a gamer (if you know, you know).

27. Crow Country

28. Psychonauts 2

Tim Schafer has been a major creative influence of mine for almost two decades and, in many ways, Psychonauts 2 feels like his masterpiece. The accompanying 30+ hour behind the scenes documentary only makes me appreciate it more.

29. Resident Evil 2 (classic)

I had never heard of Resident Evil when my cousin’s older friend brought over his copy of Claire and Leon’s trek through the fall of Raccoon City. I was as locked in as a ten-year-old has ever been.

For the record, he died at the alligator–and we didn’t have a memory card.

30. Celeste

31. Valkyria Chronicles

32. Returnal

I came into Returnal with no expectations (other than, you know, its notorious difficulty). I enjoyed almost every second of its unique laser and jelly ball take on the Roguelike formula–but I also don’t think I’ve ever been this relieved to hit credits. Bring on Saros!

33. Catherine

34. Final Fantasy XVI

35. Final Fantasy VII Remake

36. Chrono Trigger

If I was ranking these titles based on what is “objectively” the best (an impossible task, but let’s pretend for the purpose of this exercise that that would be doable), Chrono Trigger would be in the top five.

So why do I have it so low?

It has incredible pixel art, amazing music, and maybe the best cast of characters from its era–but my only playthrough was spread out over multiple years. Far from ideal. When I inevitably return to it (under better circumstances), I imagine it will make a push for the top spot. It really is as good as everyone says it is.

37. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

38. Professor Layton versus Phoenix Wright

Both Layton and Phoenix are my friends and they’re overdue for a comeback (where’s that release date, Level-5?). This title might stand as THE example of a dream collaboration being better than the sum of its parts.

Part of me is still in disbelief that this happened.

39. Donkey Kong Country

Even though I feel its sequel is the superior game, the original Donkey Kong Country is the spark that got me into the medium. I can’t remember the exact reason why it stuck with me the way that it did–probably some combination of the enemy design, graphics, and perfect soundtrack.

Or maybe it was just Minecart Carnage.

40. Death’s Door

41. Sly Cooper

42. Jak and Daxter

43. The Evil Within

44. Killer 7

Playing Killer 7 when I was 17 probably did wonders for my understanding and appreciation of art. Thank goodness you don’t have to fully understand something for it to resonate with you.

There has never been a cooler video game–and that’s saying something when you look at the rest of SUDA51’s catalog.

45. Ghost of Tsushima

*428: Shibuya Scramble* by Spike Chunsoft and Abstraction

46. 428: Shibuya Scramble

If a healthy dose of reading in your games doesn’t scare you off (I mean, you’re on Tactical Reload, a site that’s exclusively text for the time being, so I’m guessing you’re literate) you need to play 428. Go into it as blindly as possible. You won’t regret it.

47. Super Mario 3D World

48. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

49. Silent Hill 2 Remake

There’s a running bit on the Ringer Fantasy Football Show about when they don’t know how to rank certain players, they just stick them next to each other. I’m bringing that same, confusing energy here with Silent Hill 2 and 3. I ultimately gave SH2 Remake the edge because of recency bias and how it completely obliterated my expectations. Keep your eye on the site, there might be a full review coming soon–maybe (probably not at this point).

50. Silent Hill 3

51. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Remake

52. Inside

53. Uncharted 4

54. PT

While it might seem silly to put a demo on this list, it’s difficult to fully explain how influential this 30 minute experience has been on the horror landscape over the last decade. I’m looking forward to seeing how OD pushes this promising foundation to its limit.

And yes, I still own a PS4 with it downloaded.

55. The Evil Within 2

56. Dino Crisis 2

57. VA-11 Hall-A

VA-11 Hall-A also represents a sort of comfort game for me (even if I do have to Google how to spell it every single time I bring it up). I played a chapter a day during a particularly rigorous work week right before I succumbed to exhaustion. It’s a tragedy that we’ll probably never get its sequel, N1RV Ann-A, but I’ll be there at launch for .45 Parabellum Bloodhound.

In Jill Stingray we trust.

58. Tales of Vesperia

*Eternal Sonata* by tri-Crescendo and Namco Bandai Games

59. Eternal Sonata

Eternal Sonata is not for everyone–it takes place entirely in a Fredric Chopin fever dream (yes, the composer, and no, that’s not a metaphor). However, it’s stunning and has a combat system that never gets stale over the course of its 30-60 hour runtime. If reading this has inspired you to take the plunge, don’t sleep on its excellent couch co-op.

60. Onimusha: Warlords

61. Resident Evil 4 Remake

62. Tunic

63. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

64. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Waiting Room:

Blue Prince

Balatro

How do I keep this current with cool stuff being released all the time? My solution has been to keep a waiting room of sorts. If I play something that I feel has a real chance at making the list, I’ll stick it in the waiting room and try to slot it in during the next bi or triannual evaluation. While this sounds promising on paper, I can already tell my next update is going to be a bloodbath. In addition to trying to squeeze in Blue Prince and Balatro I’ll most likely need to make space for Clair Obscur, Cuphead, Death Stranding 2, Silksong, and Donkey Kong Bananza. Luckily, that’s a conundrum for 2026 Stephen. It’ll be interesting to see how much has shifted when I do this again next October.

I hope this was an interesting read. Disclaimer, this is obviously my list based entirely on my opinions–but still, what did I get wrong? How would you have ordered the Metal Gear, Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Resident Evil titles? Would you have set arbitrary rules for yourself such as only allowing one game per franchise?

Just like when I published my 100th article, I don’t have any concrete goals for the immediate future of the site other than to talk to more devs and promote even more things that I’m infatuated with.

Stay tuned, here’s to the next 12 months. Reject the notion that you don’t have time to play everything.

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