game recs

metal gear solid
- genre: action, stealth, supernatural, sci-fi, third person
- plot summary: follows two complimentary plotlines- the story of big boss, a legendary soldier from the cold war era, and the story of his son, solid snake. in big boss' story, we play as a quirky and good-natured young man who is forced to endure the horrors of war, and gradually becomes hardened and twisted because of it. in solid snake's story, we play as a spy who is already bitter and battle-worn as he comes to cope with his lineage and the weight of it, and as he struggles to learn to forgive in a world that's never shown kindness to him. known for its' strange plot, odd enemies and lengthy, cinematic cutscenes. overall themes of the series include how your genes don't define you, what a legacy is in theory versus in reality, the relativity of loyalty, and the effect of trauma on one's sense of self.
- why it's special: this game series created the modern stealth genre. as opposed to many military-based shooters, which glorify war, metal gear solid is known for its deconstruction of these tropes, showing the brutal psychological effects war can have on soldiers. has a very high number of canonically lgbt characters, including many of the main characters. generally considered one of the best game series of all time, and probably my personal favorite game series ever.
- recommended playing order: mgs1 (either the original 1998 or the remake called the twin snakes), mgs2, mgs3, mgs4, peace walker, mgsv. [though chronologically, the order of these games is mgs3, peace walker, mgsv, mgs1, mgs2, mgs4.]
- personal favorite game: mgs3
- extra media: some spin-off games, but the only one of any relevance at all is revengeance, and even then. eh.

portal
- genre: puzzle, platformer, sci-fi, first person
- plot summary: welcome to the eccentric aperture science laboratories, where all you've got is a gun that can shoot portals and the passive-aggressive ai that runs the place who makes sure her contempt of you is no secret. in the portal games, you play as a mute woman named chell, who is the sole human inhabitant of an underground complex of test chambers that you must play through to progress. in order to solve each test chamber puzzle, you must make use of your portal gun, which can create two portals that you can walk through or send objects through. though the first portal game wasn't much more than a short, experimental project, it's massive success lead to portal 2, where a twist of events leads you to explore the origins of aperture science itself with a brand new cast of bizarre characters; and is probably the most mentally rewarding game you'll ever play.
- why it's special: the gameplay is incredibly unique- you solve puzzles by shooting portals! in addition, the series is laugh-out-loud hilarious, and will have you cracking up in between brain-busting test chambers. it boasts a cast of memorable characters, each endlessly amusing, from the dryly sarcastic glados, to the babbling bumbling wheatley, to cave johnson, the big-talking boss who completely lacks self awareness. it's been incredibly culturally influential as well- ever wonder where "the cake is a lie" came from? well, here you go.
- recommended playing order: portal 1, portal 2
- personal favorite game: portal 2
- extra media: no

silent hill
- genre: survival horror, psychological horror, third person
- plot summary: silent hill is a normal town to normal people. but to people who either bare the weight of their own sins or are in the wrong place in the wrong time, it's a nightmare. each game follows a different protagonist (some connected to one another, some not) as they're irresistibly called to silent hill and have to fight for their survival against the monsters- all unique to their own game- there.
- why it's special: silent hill is the master of atmospheric horror. silent hill doesn't rely on jumpscares to frighten its audience, and instead places them in a dark, eerie setting filled with disturbing noises and a sense of paranoia that has the audience terrified. what makes it brilliant is its uniquely disturbing monster designs, each of which is heavy with symbolism that reflect the circumstances each protagonist is in. while all of the first few games are exceptional, the storytelling in silent hill 2 in particular has earned silent hill 2 a spot on nearly every "greatest video games ever made" list out there. in some of the games, the choices you make throughout the game directly affect the game's outcome, but in a much more subtle way than dialogue options- it depends on the way you play the game itself. heavily influenced the modern horror genre.
- recommended playing order: sh1, sh2, sh3, sh4, optional: shattered memories...they generally aren't very good after that. [important to note: sh2 has little to nothing to do with the rest of the games, so it can be picked up and played on its own!]
- personal favorite game: sh2
- extra media: no

resident evil (a.k.a. biohazard in japan)
- genre: survival horror, action, third person/first person in re7
- plot summary: resident evil follows an unfortunate group of unlikely allies in the bioweapon-induced zombie apocalypse. the series stars a handful of protagonists, nearly all of which are introduced in the first and second game, who become caught up in the horrifying aftermath of virus outbreaks from the mysterious umbrella corporation. the virus turns whoever it touches into a mindless creature, and can mutate them even further into monstrosities. the protagonists of the series, who star in several games each, have to fight for their lives and attempt to put an end to the biological warfare that caused this while struggling with their own personal aspirations, relationships, psychological side effects and vendettas. (this applies to the main series games 1 through 6- re7 has a completely new cast of characters and has a very different plot, but still fits very well into the game's universe.)
- why it's special: a true genre-definer of survival horror- resident evil's settings and use of puzzle mechanics were extremely influential, to where puzzle mechanics are a given of nearly every horror game today. unlike most zombie/monster games, every supernatural element in resident evil has a scientific explanation, or at least a given reason for existing. with over 25 games total in the series (which debuted in 1996), resident evil has rich lore and a wide cast of characters who all have complex and interesting relationships with one another. the cast is surprisingly likable, and the games have a surprising amount of focus on the friendships between them, many of which are between female and male characters with no romance whatsoever. and while mostly being a serious horror series, the games consistently have goofy sides to them too, with humorous lines and funny outfits to unlock where you can, for example, run around killing zombies dressed as a pirate.
- recommended playing order (main series games): re1 2002 remake, re2, optional: re0, code veronica, optional: re3 (doesn't really have any story), re4, lost in nightmare dlc, re5, re6, re7
- personal favorite game: code veronica
- extra media: YES!! has MANY spin-off games which bridge the gap between many of the games (some are very good, some are...not) and several games have dlcs. also has a few cgi movies which also fit in between some of the games. all of the cgi movies are canon, and most of the spin-off games are canon as well. (don't even bother with the live action movies starring milla jovovich. just don't)