What game was a "Game Changer" for you?

Had to add a few more.
  • World Circuit (F1GP)
    • My introduction to racing sims. I had been a big F1 fan up to this point, and to see a game that simulated the series in 3D just blew away my 8-year old mind. I've been into racing simulations ever since. This game also helped teach me a lot about how computers work, and probably even fostered my ever-lasting interest in everything computers.
  • DooM
    • While World Circuit planted the seed for racing sims, I still wasn't really a PC gamer at that point. The original DooM changed that all for me. Afterward I became a PC gamer hardcore. I researched more into the games and hardware. Started overclocking and buying parts with my dad to pimp out his Packard Bell 486DX. This led to an ever growing library of PC games including Need for Speed, Quake, Hexen, pretty much all Papyrus racing games, etc.
  • Ghostbusters (Sega Master System)
    • The SMS was the first gaming console my family owned. We had several games for the system, but Ghostbusters stands out the most. I remember it fondly because it was a positive experience during economic hardship in the '80s. Everyone in my family enjoyed doing hotseat gaming sessions to see who could beat Gozer at the end. None of us were able to actually beat the game, but this was my first experience and led to my continuing love of the hobby to this day.
  • Final Fantasy VII
    • It's probably cliche, but this was my first RPG I ever played. The characters and story were so compelling, and character progression so addicting to my personality that it is now one of my go-to genres to this day. Looking back on the game now, there was really nothing remarkable about it. But the overall presentation and quality of the game itself stands out as a benchmark. Even though this was the game changer, my favorite FF is actually IX. My favorite RPG overall is the Mass Effect series, as mentioned in my previous post.
Interesting side-note: I have never been able to get into any type of strategy game. I've tried at least a dozen games over the years spanning everything from real-time, turn-based, RPG, to simulation. Nothing has held my interest well enough to compel me to pay attention to or buy any titles in the genre. I made 2 impulse buys during recent Steam sales that I got on the cheap that I want to give an honest effort. One is the King's Bounty series and the other is FTL. The gameplay videos I have watched makes it seem like these games could be up my alley. I was thinking about getting Endless Legend as well, but it is still too much money to spend with my current uncertainty of the genre.
 
Oh, I completely forgot:

The games that got me into gaming: Pacman and Tetris
 
I've got plenty of memories and deep-rooted loves of a huge number of games that came before and after it but really, the game I always think of that changed it for me was Total Annihilation.
 
Contra 3: The Alien Wars. Up until my uncles brought their super Nintendo to my house and started playing this, I was unaware that anything existed beyond Atari 2600. I was probably 6 at the time.

Blake Stone / Wolfenstein / Doom / Duke Nukem 3D

And Warcraft 2: The Tides of Darkness

The Secret of Mana
 
Super Mario Bros 3

Sonic the hedgehog.

Duke nukem 3D

Quake 2

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

Metal gear solid

Parasite eve

Super smash bros

Gran Turismo 3

Halo: combat evolved

Far Cry

Halo 2 (the online component alone)

Forza Motorsport

Battlefield 2

Just to name a few.
 
Dark age of Camelot.

It started my 15 year love affair with pvp mmorpg gaming.

Funnily enough, there's still nothing that matches it for group pvp.
 
In no particular order...

Civilization -- Game that had the most options and customization for its time in my opinion. FreeCiv coming out later with online multiplayer was huge as well. Spent a lot of time in these games since. Is probably one of the best simulation type games out there.
Wolfenstein 3D -- Really started out the FPS craze.
Ultima Online -- Father of all MMORPGs. Probably also still better than a lot of MMOs today.
Wing Commander -- Just a great all around Space Flight Sim with a good story and great flight mechanics for its time.
Privateer -- Took the series to a new frontier allowing more customization of ships and more freeplay.
Star Control 2 -- Probably one of the best games of all time. Had many different aspects of it, but most importantly it had a great open scheme and great story allowing you to make your own path.
Warcraft -- One of the first great RTS games. Had much better mechanics and balance than previous games.
Outpost 2 -- One of the very first Online multiplayer RTS games. Had online competitions.
Mario-Kart -- Put a fun twist on racing games and was just fun all around.
Syndicate -- Probably one of the best top down games with a fun idea and weapons.
 
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Would be nice to have some more exposition in this thread. Without any context, simply listing a game doesn't mean anything to the reader. Why was a certain game a "game-changer" for you? I'm just saying because I'm truly interested.
 
^^^ Ok then. :D

Jumpman - C64 (My first C64 game which pulled me into a new world. I had video games before this, but this brought me into the world of computer games.)
Ultimate Wizard - C64 (Like Jumpman only better.)
Archon - C64 (Excellent action strategy. Combines chess with action combat.)
M.U.L.E. - C64 (The height of local multiplayer. Many a drunken M.U.L.E. match have been had among my friends and I.)
International Karate - C64 (The best (and first) fighting game I had ever played.)
Katakis - C64 (First game on the C64 that I noticed parallax scrolling on, and also mimicked R-Type.)
MegaMan Series - NES (Gaining the boss powers. What more can be said? Coolest thing ever at that point. Nice music too.)
Wizards and Warriors Series - NES (This defined what I wanted from a platform fantasy adventure game. There was exploration, good atmospheric music, tons of weapons and items to find and use.)
R-Type - Arcade (other side scrolling shooters existed, but this one really defined what I expected out of them, and the little droid units added a new dynamic)
Shadow of the Beast Series - Amiga (I'd never seen anything this beautiful in a game until this point.)
Turrican Series - Amiga (The pinnacle of platform shooters for me.)
Lemmings - Amiga (This was an entirely new type of game which spawned a million copy-cats.)
Gaiares - Genesis (Another side scroller that really just caught my eye at the right time. It was fun, difficult, and beautiful. It's the only cartridge I still own physically.)
Castlevania Chi no Rondo - PC Engine (Really the whole series, but this and SotN stand out. Exploration, interesting weapons, excellent lore. Has a genre half-named after it for a reason.)
Super Mario World - SNES (I loved the previous Mario games, but this one really sealed it. I was a fan from this point on. It had variety, everything was BIG, and I still play it yearly to this day.)
Street Fighter 2 - Arcade (The most refined fighting game I had played up to this point, and remains one of the best.)
Quest for Glory Series - PC (This series opened the door to adventure games for me. I still play it now, and look forward to Hero U. Gorgeous settings, complex puzzles, perfect sense of humor, atmospheric music (my first Adlib/Soundblaster game.)
Wing Commander Series - PC (I'd never seen anything like it before. It defined the genre. Sure, I had played things like Echelon, and some others on the C64, Amiga, etc. but this defined space-sims.)
Wolfenstein 3D - PC (Need I elaborate. There were a couple of first person games out there before it, but nothing that just pulled you in and immersed you like this. This was a game changer for not just me, but the entire industry.)
Star control 2 - PC (Never before or since have I played such an in-depth exploration/trading game with so much attention to detail. The first Mass Effect is the only thing to even remote resemble this, and even that doesn't come close.)
Virtua Fighter - Arcade (Probably the first time I saw polygonal graphics moving at 60fps. It truly displayed impact. I was pretty much in awe, as I looked into the window of a closed/locked arcade with my jaw sitting on the ground.
Doom Series - PC (No need to explain.)
Syndicate - PC (The only strategy game to really hook me. Probably due to the cyberpunk themes that I'm so fond of.)
System Shock Series - PC (I tried to get into System Shock about four or five times before I was hooked. Now I still play both games nearly yearly. I always find something new in some dark corner to this day. If you need a game to match up to the word depth or immersion... )
Quake Series - PC (True 3D environments, dark creepy settings, and in the case of Q3A, defined competitive shooting for me. (no, not pro, but among friends and acquaintences) It inspired me to build multiples of PCs so that I could set up LAN parties at a moment's notice.)
Ridge Racer - PS1 (Made me buy a PS1. I was quite impressed with the graphics, speed, etc. I played this on an early Japanese dev console, and was blown away.)
Mario 64 - N64 (Everything I said about Super Mario World, only bringing it into 3D. Bought an N64 on the spot when I saw this.)
Castlevania - SotN (same as Chi no Rondo)
Ultima Series - PC (The stories were great, the worlds were immersive and beautiful, you could do just about anything you can think of, and there were generally consequences for doing so. These are what define fantasy RPGs for me.)
Zelda Series from OoT onward - Nintendo systems (Exquisite games. They can keep rehashing/refining this series until I die, and I will keep buying it. The fall is the time of year that I sit down, and let myself get pulled into these beautiful worlds. It's tradition now, and my kids do the same. We play a Zelda game together every fall. I'm sorry, but I just never tire of them. Any of them.)
Unreal and UT Series - PC (same as Quake)
Diablo 2 - PC (Co-op, gorgeous music. Being able to explore and loot with friends was just plain fun. There wasn't the depth of something like Ultima, but the fact that I could do it with friends made the game. Also crafting new weapons, finding rare items... Tip Top.)
Any Starbreeze game - PC (Their games take an existing genre, and push it out into new territories. Not revolutionary really, but just adding some depth or mechanics, or graphical features. I was pulled into Butcher Bay to where the real world ceased to exist while I played. I was truly in the game. Enclave was pretty nice in this regard too. They just create believable worlds.
Oblivion - PC (Introduced me to a beautiful open world. Maybe not as good as something like Ultima, but very nice. I just walked the earth like Caine from Kung Fu. Never really played much of the plot.)
Borderlands - PC (See Diablo, but adding a fun post apocalyptic world, iconic characters (who doesn't want to "catch a riiiiiiiiiiiiiide" with the Scooter Man?) and ridiculous humor. Add in that I can play co-op with a few friends... (and now my daughters...) Probably the most played series of recent years aside from the Zelda series.)
FEZ - PC (this is kind of honorary just due to excellence in an existing format)

These are the real game changers for me (I also may have missed a few, but these were some big ones.)

I haven't had anything change how I think about games, or what I should expect from games in a long time. However I have very much enjoyed MANY games in recent years. They just haven't shifted my views on things much. One could also do a category on games that perfected the series they were in, or perfected a genre regardless of age or position in the series.
 
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1)pirates! - my first sandbox game ever. Still lovingit, and playing from time to time - on both the ipad and PC :) - though I liked the old one better
2) Gunship 2000 - first proper flight sim. The different missions, choppers, and even you had a better Chance for promotion, if you were running missions in Cobra than in RAH-66 :)
3) But, the first place will go to Wng Commander 3. It was the first game I had on my x2 CDRom, and it had real FMVs, with Mark Hamil no less. Then came an era of those FMV games, like MadDog and such. And the epic FMVs from Westwood - Emperor, battle for Dune, or Red Alert/C&C (Kane is still IMO best game character in FMVs).

I know, those things are costly, and in-enging cutscenes work better and so on, and so on. But I'd love to go back and see the FMVs in games again. SW:ToR just asks for the cheesy scenes from Dark Forces II.
 
Diablo - First JRPG, and my first time really playing online. Not ot mention it basically introduced me to so many hackers.
GTA 3 - Open world mayhem, it was just amazing. Got bored of it after going on several mayhem runs, but it was just awesome.
Mario 64 - First 3d game iirc, and it was glorious!
Final Fantasy 6 - Introduction to JRPG. Been on a lot of JRPGs since.
Neverwinter Night or Pool of Radiance- First WRPG for me, ones that are like that anyway, and loved them since.

UT99 - aside from Doom, it's my first go in FPS, and it was my favorite, and still is.
Metal Gear Soild - I think my first stealth game, loving them.

Xenogears - first time I really REALLY got into a story for a game.
Ultima Online - My first MMO, and it's openness still amazes me.

These are from memory, so I can't be absolutely sure it's completley accurate.
 
Planescape Torment
The Longest Journey
To The Moon (not so much as a game, but the story is a killer)

Unreal Tournament
Syndicate
Populous 1/2
Tekken 3 and Virtua Fighter V (I got late into the VF ship... :) )
Severance: Blade of Darkness, Dark Souls and Dragon`s Dogma
Ultima Underworld
Dungeon Master
Xenon 2
Hired Guns (4 man co-op was awesome)
 
J3RK said:
^^^ Ok then. :D

Zelda Series from OoT onward - Nintendo systems (Exquisite games. They can keep rehashing/refining this series until I die, and I will keep buying it. The fall is the time of year that I sit down, and let myself get pulled into these beautiful worlds. It's tradition now, and my kids do the same. We play a Zelda game together every fall. I'm sorry, but I just never tire of them. Any of them.)
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Thanks, great read ;). I feel the same way about the Zelda series. It has that experience that you need to share with others. But I could never get into any of the 2D games. I finished the first game, at least.
 
Armenius said:
Thanks, great read ;). I feel the same way about the Zelda series. It has that experience that you need to share with others. But I could never get into any of the 2D games. I finished the first game, at least.
Click to expand...

Which was the first Zelda game you played? I know a lot of younger gamers who started off with the 3D games have a hard time playing the 2D ones. Me on the other hand, I have a hard time playing the 3D ones (I loved the 2D Zeldas, but can't really play the 3D ones).
 
Nytegard said:
Which was the first Zelda game you played? I know a lot of younger gamers who started off with the 3D games have a hard time playing the 2D ones. Me on the other hand, I have a hard time playing the 3D ones (I loved the 2D Zeldas, but can't really play the 3D ones).
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The first one on NES was the first one I played, but I never finished it originally. My cousin owned it and he would often bring his games with him when he visited. I went back and played through it after becoming much older. If you see one of my earlier posts the Sega Master System was my first gaming console.

The first one I owned and played to the end was Ocarina of Time. Truth be told I was never that into 2D role playing adventure games like the original Zelda, Secret of Mana, or others. The viewport change from 2D to 3D in Zelda did a lot for me as far as holding my interest.
 
Counter-strike.
My first online game. Labor day, 2000 was my first experience.
My dads friend brought it over to play. I was hooked.
I've never seen anything like it. Suddenly my PlayStation was dead to me, my friends games were nothing. I had the most addicting game I've ever played. 12 years old, I played the hell out of Counter-Strike. This was the benchmark for me for future PC games , MOHAA, Battlefield 1942, Call of Duty, Half-Life 2, World of Warcraft, etc... But Counter-Strike was the reason I got into PC's.
 
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