Lord knows it went on long enough. It’s already over for him, but I have to suffer fifteen more minutes before I can say the same.
Anyway, I know I’ve been somewhat scarce of late and I apologize for that I’ll be back in form tomorrow, and I figured I’d go ahead and whip up a little something now. You’ve all read through Ethan’s elongated countdown of his top five favorite games. Now, you’re probably thinking I’m going to give you MY top five, which, obviously, would be far more awesome than his. But no, in honor of the remaining twelve minutes of King Ethos week, I’ll do something slightly different.
Mass Effect
This is my most contested entry to his top five list. I’ve tried so very hard to fall in love with Mass Effect, but I just can’t. I like it a whole lot, hence why I’ve nearly completed it. But the pacing of the story just dampens the experience for me to the point where I honestly stopped caring about the plot soon after I left the citadel. Combat is a lot of fun, though it needs some tweaking – something I assume Mass Effect 2 will take care of. The dialogue and voice acting is extremely well done, and the richness of the universe that BioWare has created is rivaled by few. So yes, Mass Effect is a good game. It’s just nowhere near my top five.
Flower
As tempting as it is to just make fun of poor Ethan for being an utter fruitcake, I’ll try to express something more legit here. Granted, I, uh, haven’t played Flower, so there’s not much I can say. HOWEVER, I’d be lying if I said it’s not a game I want to try. Ethos isn’t the only one singing its praises; from what I can see, the game has developed a small but devoted cult following, and that can’t be without reason. One day I’ll be able to offer my own opinion. Needless to say, as it stands, the game isn’t in my top five.
Shadow of the Colossus
Hell. Yes. If there is one thing me and Ethos have in common, it is our love for this masterpiece of a game. Since he’s already gushed about it, I’ll spare you. However, to put it simply, Shadow of the Colossus is one of the industry’s strongest arguments for games as art. Go play it and you’ll find out why. Definitely in my top five.
Final Fantasy IX
Once again, it’s incredibly tempting to make fun of Ethos’ undying (and, in my opinion, somewhat unwarranted) love for this game. To be sure, I loved every minute of Final Fantasy IX. It was a fun and funny experience dripping with character. But to be frank, behind all the popcorn moments and the laughs, the themes of the game just didn’t resonate with me in the same way that so many other Final Fantasy titles did. I don’t buy the argument that the lack of “emo” characters and storyline make the game more believable. (Hell, I don’t even buy the argument that the game is lacking in emo-ness. It has plenty from where I stand.) I’ll stop now before this becomes too long, but suffice to say, as amazing as FFIX is, it’s not in my top five.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
And this is why me and Ethan were meant to be. As admittedly dated as the game has become, I’ve yet to have another experience that has stuck with me in such a way. Everything Ethos stated earlier I agree with 115%. I, too, have never forgotten my first step onto the plains of Hyrule. And for that matter, I much prefer the Hyrule Field theme to the classic Zelda theme. And I always will. Not only is Ocarina of Time on my top five list, it’s my number one game, same as the King’s.
Time for Pizza Rolls. King Ethos week is officially over. Team ICO week begins right… about… NOW.
