I wouldn’t call myself an active gamer these days, but I used to enjoy a game or two. So here are my four favourite games of all time:

Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA5)

Description

Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure game. Players complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story.

Los Santos: a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets, and fading celebrities, once the envy of the Western world, now struggling to stay afloat in an era of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV.

Amidst the turmoil, three very different criminals plot their own chances of survival and success: Franklin, a street hustler looking for real opportunities and serious money; Michael, a professional ex-con whose retirement is a lot less rosy than he hoped it would be; and Trevor, a violent maniac driven by the chance of a cheap high and the next big score. Running out of options, the crew risks everything in a series of daring and dangerous heists that could set them up for life.

The biggest, most dynamic, and most diverse open world ever created, Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game’s three lead characters, playing all sides of the game’s interwoven story. All the classic hallmarks of the groundbreaking series return, including incredible attention to detail and Grand Theft Auto’s darkly humorous take on modern culture, alongside a brand-new and ambitious approach to open-world multiplayer.

Why it’s in my top four

I got this game for my birthday the year it first came out (2013). This was one of the first 18 rated games that I ever played. I fell in love with the characters and the storyline. It was great, I remember going to school and talking to my friends about how funny it was, etc. And it goes to show that after three generations of consoles it still gets a rerelease and an updated version each time.

Fran Bow

Description

Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.

After witnessing the gruesome and mysterious loss of her parents, found dismembered at their home, Fran rushes into the woods, together with her only friend, Mr Midnight, a black cat that Fran had previously received as a present from her parents.

In the forest, Fran goes into shock over the loss of her parents and when she recovers, she’s at Oswald Asylum, an oppressive mental institution for children, and Mr Midnight is nowhere to be found.

After having a dream about her beloved cat, Fran decides to escape from the mental institution to find him and go back home to Aunt Grace, her only living relative.

Why it’s in my top three

This is probably my favourite game of all time, although the gameplay is very simple the characters are interesting, complex and weird, it follows an incredible adventure and it is an extraordinary game.

Life is Strange

Life Is Strange follows the exploits of 18-year old Max Caulfield, a high school senior who learns she has the power to rewind time when she saves her childhood friend, Chloe Price, from being killed. Reunited with her former friend Chloe, the pair will attempt to uncover the uncomfortable truth behind the mysterious disappearance of fellow student Rachel Amber.

Life Is Strange is a graphic adventure, played from a third-person view. Introducing the mechanic of rewinding time allows the player to go back and redo any action other than what is done past a checkpoint (however long a checkpoint lasts).

Outfitted with a polarity system, the choices made will alter and affect the story through short or long-term consequences.

Why it’s in my top four

life of Strange offers similar gameplay to many of the games in the telltale series, The game offers a beautiful storyline, characters and gameplay, etc. It is my favourite game in that genre and style.

Telltale Games

The last game on my list is not one but a collection of games, that all follow the same gameplay style built under the same brand TellTale Games.

And as I could not decide which of the TellTale Games were my favourite I’m putting them all in the category.

Most of Telltale’s products are adventure games based on licensed properties from film, comics, television, and other video games. Their initial games followed more traditional adventure game approaches with the player solving puzzles to progress. Their critical breakout title, The Walking Dead based on the comic book series of the same name, introduced a more narrative-directed approach, giving the player the ability to make choices that may affect how future events in the game or its sequels play out, effectively allowing players to craft their own personalized take on the offered story; all of Telltale’s games since have featured this player choice-driven approach.

My three favourite Telltale Games are:

• The Wolf Among Us
• The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
• Tales From The Borderlands