Dark Souls

At a time where games were becoming increasingly dumbed down, Dark Souls burst onto the gaming scene in a blaze of glory. It took the elements of its predecessor and built on them, creating an intensely difficult game that tests not just reaction time but intelligence and perseverance. This extends to every aspect of the game, with a great, hard-to-master combat system and sparse save points. Surviving takes careful planning and perfect execution. Just as intricate as the mechanics is the world design, with a lore-heavy dark fantasy world. As a player, you're constantly struggling to keep your humanity, returning to an ugly 'hollow' form each time you die. Humanity grants you little guidance notes from other players, but it also opens your world up to invasion from those people. In this way, the game introduces heavy adventure and exploration elements despite its dark setting. There's very little guidance, both about the history of the world or how to survive in it. Instead, you have to seek out your own answers. Books, dialogue, and items combine to allow answers to unfold naturally and with incredible skill. It's easily one of the best blends of fantasy, frustration, and satisfaction.