I wanted to talk about games that could be favorites, but for a number of reasons, I cannot label a favorite game. I'm curious if other people have the same opinion.
I do not play a game and leave it alone. If I like it, I fantasize about it, dream about it, plot plans if its competitive, research about it if it has item hunting; it becomes the center of me if I really do get into it. Its sad to say, but when I got skyrim as a gift, I then proceeded to, not play, LIVE inside of skyrim for an entire summer. A whole 1500 hours done in one go with a follow up of another 1200 or so afterwards and even now I count a vacation as a week playing it. But is it a favorite?
No.
Yes I can get immersed in it. Yes its beautiful, has lots of amazing things about it, but no its not my favorite game.
At the same time I can say, solid, I have 2000 hours in TF2, 800 hours in Runescape, 500 hours in CSGO only recently having moved off of CSS in august last year which I have 1200 or so. I have years of my life into many games that I have fallen in love with but I cannot put a definite ringer as to what a favorite of my games played are, and these listed are only just a small few!
My game most played is Privateer Gemini Gold, a game that only has about 130 hours of content in it but that I have played since I was 12 clocking in 1000 - 1800 hours per machine I have tested with it because I get sucked back in (thats around 8 ish machines that I have rebuilt between laptops and desktops, do the math. Yeah).
But, then, does that just mean I like games I play for a stupid long time? Hell no. For a year or two my PS2 was the only thing that I had and it was one of the release models that was known for the CD laser burning out. It could only read Treasure Planet for PS1 and even that took fiddling to get it running. But when I did it would run reliably and it was the only thing that could run at all. I hate that game. I know all the bugs, where you can fall out of the map, its a 4 hour game that I can speed run in 1 hour 14 minutes. I'm probably the only person to set a record in it, but I did.
At the same time on the opposite end theres games I haven't put much time into that I either see the appeal or love the game. LOTRO (lord of the rings online) is one MMO I love but probably only have 14 hours in. Its large, expansive, I adore the combat system and the gameplay, quests are everywhere and are loreful, and the over all experience is lovely. Wizard 101 is one I like because I accidentally became a bug tester for it. How to get out of the map, areas only admins could get in.... Right now I'm locked inside of the final area of the game and I can't even get out. Thats the last time I played and they changed the game since then so that I can't even leave. Another example of games I haven't played long are Banished (70 hours) and Cities: Skylines (23 hours). I like town builders, thats about it.
Now it may seem that I have had a lot of games to play, and seemingly it would be that way, but then one would question how I got 1000+ hours in multiple games all at the same time. Well, I'd get a game from the library, or on steam when I first got it, or for a console, and I'd play a game seasonally until recently where I can play whatever the hell I want whenever. I may have a billion hours in Privateer Gemini Gold, but thats also over 10 years, 8 machines, and many many summers and winters. One game that is a great example of a game I could only play in winter is Fable 1. I only had my NW8000 when I got that and it would overheat when I would try to play it at any time that wasn't cold. I would have my laptop half out my window and my door blocked up so I could play it just to keep my laptop from exploding. Even now I can't play Fabel without there being snow outside.... Just kinda burned into me at this point LOL.
So, I dunno, I can't really pin a game that is my definitive game. I always try to make the most of my games available to me wherever I go. All the games I can emulate go on my PSP, Y40 will handle PC games, etc. But I still can't say that there is a definitive game.... Maybe a classification of games.
FPS: Quake Like. Must be fast, know the map, teamwork on some level, weapon skill of some level, strategy.
or
Stealth FPS: Has to be hard, but not impossible, example Thief Gold, Splinter Cell 1, Deus Ex 1.
RPG: Earthbound or relateable. OR Lots of content.
And so on.
Maybe thats how I should categorize games then. Not by this is better than this, but this game goes in this bucket.