Hey everyone, so I had an idea to review my backlog, so people looking to buy smaller lesser known games had a reference, however a lot of people seemed to have an issue with this. So, instead I thought I would review what I classed as the best of the best. I hope this helps a few people to choose what to buy or what to play next. I have tried to include one game from each console I own so there is something for all, that being said MOST are from this gen of consoles.
Crash Bash (PS1)
When I was 5, my mum met my stepdad, and he bought his Saga mega drive with him. Ironic, as he hates gaming. But ever since my first taste at Sonic and Rollercoaster tycoon, I was hooked. My dad soon got sick of me constantly asking if I could sit in his office playing Sega, so bought me the PS1.
I know Crash Bash gets a lot of flack and maybe if I didn't have nostalgia tinted glasses on I would feel the same, but two this day I think this is the best party game every made. Stupid party games- Check. Character Selection- Check. Boss Fights- Check, Story Mode- Check. Hours of stupid fun- CHECK. You (and one other friend, should you choose) pick your favourite character and go head to head with Aku Aku's team. There is 4 player pinball, polar-bear jousting. pogo stick painting. Some truly unique and brilliant ideas.
Star Wars: A Phantom Menace (PS1)
Being younger than the first batch of Star Wars films, my mum introduced me to the franchise with the Phantom Menace. Laser sword, space wizards. I was instantly in love so had to get the game for it. The game was a brilliant mix of combat and puzzles. I don't think it did well in reviews but I only have fond memories of this game.
Spiderman 1& 2 (PS1)
These were the OG Spiderman games. I played these so much I still remember the cheat code from the first game (Eel Nats) The story was brilliant, the bosses were fun and the graphics were incredible for the time and I got to be Spiderman. There was no down side! The sequels story wasn't quite as good, but the fact you saw the streets, and the training mode was this weird computer generated simulation, which was one of the first 'open worlds' that blew my tiny mind. These games remained the best spiderman games of all times, only recently dethroned by Spiderman PS4
Spyro the Dragon: Reignited Trilogy (PS4)
The other game I can't help but love is every Spyro game from the PS1. (My favourite being the 3rd, and least favourite the first) so when they re-released them on the PS4 it was a dream come true. I had already finished them on the PS1 & the PSP (using a PS1 Emulator) past 100% completion. So, it was time to do it again. The new graphics are BEAUTIFUL and the game is as addictive as ever. In fact the first game is my first ever platinum on PS4. I love that the devs have made every dragon unique in the first game, so much so it was my favourite of the three. I wish the baby dragon hatchlings from third game had been given the same treatment (or even better, all made unique, but pulled from 'parent' dragons from the first game. If you played and liked this as a kid and want a great blast of nostalgia, this is the game to do it and whats better is, the whole trilogy is like £20. (As a side note, there is a few of these new remastered classics being release. Spyro, Crash trilogy, Ratchet and Clank, CTR etc. If you played the original games they are all brilliant so far- Lets hope this trend continues, and we see the return of more couch coop games!)
Destroy All Humans 1 & 2 (PS2)
Of course, after being so hooked on games, I got my hands on a PS2 as soon as possible. Again I was still fairly young and don't remember overly much. I loved Ratchet and Clank (again the remaster is great!) my favourite game of the console Was Destroy all Humans, which was only dethroned by its sequel. If you liked the film 'Mars Attacks!' you will loved the Destroy all Humans series (and guess what remaster was announced this year... I'm excited but can feel the developers rubbing their hands on the nostalgia train)
In DaH you play as an Alien names Crypto. Crypto's race can no longer mate, but clone themselves. However the cloning pools are running out, so much so that the clones now have to be made lacking the 'tools' to mate with each other. Humans apparently share 90% of the DNA with the alien race, so Crypto comes to earth to harvest our brains to save his race, however is captured by the government. You play as the next clone down, who goes on a rescue mission to save himself. That's about it. You explore various open worlds, using silly but plausible alien weaponry and psychic powers. The second game improved on this by doubling the arsenal, while changing how the psychic powers worked to be more streamlined and fun.
They are both brilliant games, and well worth the buy. They recently made there way onto the PS4 store, but the remake of the first game is due out next year, with a new level which was cut from the original
War of the Monsters (PS2)
You play giant monsters and beat up other giant monsters. The arena's are details and you can use anything (cars, pylons etc) as weapons, as long as a large unique skills set. There is a large roster of monsters to play as, along with 4 skins for each fight. But these skins aren't just a paint job. The giant praying mantis will become and ant, or wasp but retains the same move set. The best 2 player brawler game ever made.
Overlord: Raising Hell (Xbox 360)
I got my Xbox 360 for my birthday and it came with Halo 3 and Overlord. When I first played overlord it never really clicked with me, so I put it down halfway through. Then, a few years later I saw the advert for Raising Hell when it was released and I got a real craving to go back to the game. I don't know why as I knew the first time I thought it was average at best, but i'm glad I did. When I replayed it I loved the game. In it, you play as the evil overlord, and you control you minions do you bidding and kill everything in your sight. On the surface it seems like a basic game with several levels you can tackle in any order this is not the case. Each level is bared by a puzzle you have no way of solving, without gaining new minions, so you end up solving these puzzles by exploring everywhere. The second time I played it, I immediately clicking with the charming fantasy graphics and sense of humour. The story while basic pulls the plot along, with clever writing from Rhianna Prachett. The sequel never quite hit the height of the first game, but the first game is a must play if you like playing the bad guy.
Assassins Creed 2 (Xbox 360)
While I do believe that the assassin creed series outstayed its welcome with its later entries. I was fully on board with the hype train. The graphics, slick parkour elements and hidden blade were incredible, but the issue with the first game was the lack of variety. I loved it, but by the end genuinely struggled to finish the campaign. I feel very similar about Crackdown, another game that's very fun but very repetitive. Assassin Creed 2 fixed this issue completely, making it IMO the best assassin creed games to date. Everything was fluid and fun, but it never felt like I had to grind ever to get by. My one complaint is how the twist at the very end. I don't know how to hide text, so I won't say what the spoiler was, but it really ruined the cool and so far plausible Sci-Fi vibe the games had so far been going for. I am really interested in picking up Origins and Odyssey, but I hear there is a lot of grinding and honestly, that doesn't sound fun for me.
Enslaved: Odyssey of the West (Xbox 360)
While the previous Xbox 360 games hooked me with the core game play loop, it was the story of Enslaved that I loved. Unfortunately, the developers never advertised the game so it never got the credit it deserved and flew under a lot of people radar. The game is set in a lush post Apocalypse world, with huge robotic monsters keeping you on your toes. Looking back, it seems like a mix of the Horizon Zero Dawns setting, with a plot and level design much like Last of Us with combat more akin to a platformer (Ratchet and Clank, maybe?) But of course this pre-dated LoU and Horizon. I think this was the first game who's story really dragged me in and proved to me that games could tell a story just as well as films or books and it's a story well worth listening too.
Wario: Master of Disguise (DS)
Wario's reviews were lacking, but I honestly don't understand why. The graphics were lovely, but granted not quite as nice as Mario's but IMO the game play was far better. I would say Wario: MoD was more akin to a metroidvania. While it was split into 10 levels, each level was HUGE and required numerous of your powers (some of which you needed to find) power to beat and find anything. Each disguise had a new power and was a quick scribble away and you had to do a fun touchscreen based minigame to unlock the chests dotted around the area, where you could find collectables or power upgrades in. To this day, it is one of my top 3 Mario games (The other two are also in this list)
Elder Scrolls- Oblivion (Xbox 360)
This was the first game I ever got every achievement in my life. My cousin recommended the game to me, and I thought it sounded terrible. A first person sword fighting game is how he sold it to me, and I never grasped just how much he was underselling this game. When I eventually picked it up I was hooked and played the game for months. Normally by the end of the game, I am happy to put it down and move on, but I loved this one so much I just wasn't ready. I think I finished it 6 times back-to-back, and the final play through I got an online guide to make sure I found EVERY dungeon and EVERY oblivion gate. Finally, I knew I had seen and done everything and could move on. It was my love for this game (and the Witcher series) which prompted me to start my YouTube channel.
Left 4 Dead 1 (Xbox 360)
Left 4 Dead was the second game I got every achievement for on the Xbox 360 (and I think those were the only two games) Me and my friend played this game to death and only when we both had every achievement did we stop. This was the game that made me realise just how fun co-op games can be. For anyone looking to buy these games now, please get Left 4 Dead 2. It had every level ported from 1 into it, while adding the new close combat weapon mechanics and special infected. My only issues is Left 4 Dead 2 is so similar to one, that I just wasn't ready to jump back in after playing the first game for so long. (A hint to anyone who was in the same boat, the new game World War Z is EXCELLENT and well worth the £20 asking price)
Metal Gear Ac!d 1 (PSP)
I got a PSP and to this day think it was the best portable gaming device until we got the switch. I didn't get on with many DS/3DS games, but with games like Medieval, Killzone Liberation and the Metal Gear Ac!d- AND the ability to play PS1 games made the PSP a great console. But Metal Gear Ac!d stuck out among the rest. As a kid, the Metal Gear Series past me by. And as an adult, I don't have time to watch hour cutscenes. Aci!d however was different. The games story was separate from the main story, but with a brilliantly weird, interesting and convoluted plot. The gameplay is based on a deck-building mechanic that is really hard to explain but perfect. The second game was still good, but the plot was more simple and the graphics made cell shaded, so never quite beat the first game. (I have been searching for something to scratch my itch for this game for AGES, so if anyone knows a game please let me know.)
Luigi's Mansion 2 (3DS)
While I normally ignore Mario games, I picked this up on a whim and loved it. Its collecting nature, without a time limit reminded me of a 3D style Master of Disguise. Luigi is terrified of everything, and is now a ghost buster. You find ghosts across the haunted mansions and fight boss ghosts, while solving puzzles to find collectable coins and gems. An excellent light puzzle game to play on the 3DS.
Guild Wars 2 (PC)
I personally have never been that much into MMO's and always avoided them. I caught an Ad for guild wars being on sale for £7, loaded it up and it didn't run on my PC. So, I left it and forgot about it. When I go an upgrade, I met a friend who tried to get me into it but it never really clicked. Then, I met my now- fiancée. She loves the Guild Wars franchise. I put it off for 2 years (making her late to the first DLC) but eventually gave it a shot and fell in love with the world, and the sheer amount of things to do. While I hate many of the people in the end game's attitude (I still haven't done a raid, as for anyone to teach me what to do, they want proof I have already done it... I hope you see the problem here) the daily events and maps are full of friendly fun people. The's many branching stories are a great tutorial, however it does take a while to get going. But once you hit the last chapter of the personal story onwards. Its brilliant. So Far I have 100% completed the map with tow different characters and while I no longer go on every day, me and my SO jump on every time a new chapter of the living story is released. And the base game is now free, so you should definitely check it out.
Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)
The final Mario game on this list, and perhaps the best is of course Mario Odyssey for the Switch. Multiple worlds, where I need to use specific powers to gather collectables. See the pattern? I loved this game, and it is a must buy for all switch users. While I originally bought the Switch to play Zelda, It came with this, and I quickly realised that I preferred Odyssey. A surprise for saying I only liked 2 Mario games, and had finished and loved every Zelda game (bar the Wii ones) But Breath of the wild never clicked with me due to the lack of rewards while exploring, Odyssey seems to fix this issue by rewarding everything.
Payday 2 (PC)
While I used to love COD4 and Left 4 Dead as a kid, as I grew up FPS lost their appeal to me. I also normally stay away from non story focused games in general. Wave shooters also bore me quite quickly. I like stealth sometimes, but rarely. So please, can somebody tell me why Payday 2 is the most played game in my steam library. A FPS Wave shooter with very little story and occasion stealth missions. But this co-op shooter shines, if you don't mind replaying levels. I don't understand why I love this game so much. But I do. (Some great music to get your blood flowing too)
Witcher 3 (PC)
Everyone has heard about the Witcher 3 game by now, so I won't go into to much detail. I love the games lore, and the story from both the books and the games is brilliant. If you want a big long fantasy game, which looks lovely and a interesting plot. Read this series and play this game.
Sea Of Thieves (PC)
While Sea of Thieves got off to rocky start, the recent updates have made this game brilliantly fun while sailing with friends. Me, my SO and my friend frequently sail the sea's. It occasionally annoying when players try to hunt you down KNOWING you have no treasure, but things like this are few and far between. Often servers will work together to get as much loot as possible. I wouldn't recommend this to people playing on their own, but if you have 1-3 friends to play it with, its brilliant.
SoulsBorne/ Sekiro (PC/PS4)
I am going to lump all of of the Dark Souls Series, Bloodborne AND Sekiro into one review. The atmosphere is great in all of them. The combat is tight and challenging but this is said in every review. The reason you should buy these is becuase of one key thing in common. They will make you feel like a kid again. Remember when you were younger, and you were stuck on that boss for ages. Your hands were sweaty and clammy, your heart beating out your chest and all you want in the world is to kill this boss after he has wiped you out 10 times, and the pure euphoria once you won? That challenge and the euphoria of overcoming it is what these games are all about and its why I buy these titles on release- Patient Gamer be damned! (Roll on Elden Ring!)
Red Dead Redemption 1&2 (Xbox 360/ PS4)
If you like slower paced open world games, the Red Dead games are for you. The second game is bigger, and better in most ways, however I don't think the story had quite the emotional impact of the first game. If you want to cry, play Red Dead Redemption 1. If you want a game that just never ends, play #2.
Monster Hunter World (PS4)
Monster Hunter World is a brilliant monster hunting games, that only gets better when hunting with friends. Its living world and the natural food chain between monsters is brilliant. Each mission is basically a boss fight, but with no health bar. Instead you must watch for the monsters tells, which take a while to learn. This is a great entry point to the series and very fun to play on your own or with friend.s
God of War (PS4)
We all know God of War by now. Buy it, play it. The combat, graphics and story are perfect and this was my game of the year for last years releases.
Edit- For my least favourite games, go to
https://www.reddit.com/patientgamers/comments/chnad2/i_recently_finished_my_backlog_of_games_i/ 
