No other game tackles the challenge of identity like Planescape: Torment. Who are we really? Are we defined by our past? Do we create identity out of our choices? Or are we bound by fate to be something other than our true selves?

It's not coincidence that the subtitle is Torment because discovering who you really are is not an easy process. And while the story of The Nameless One (conveniently a stand in for ourselves in an alien world) may be a little more fantastic than we will ever experience in our lives, it still help us grabble with some really had questions.

Torment is the Hamlet of video games. Just like reading Hamlet forces you to look inside yourself and the reaction you have to Hamlet says more about yourself than any other piece of literature, Torment demands answers of us that other games are scared to ask.

Yes, it looks dated. And I have some hope that the new Tide of Numenera will capture some of this magic; however, no other game comes close to Torment in terms of story and revealing things about yourself you may not discover any other way.

Legend of Zelda is a a staple in any gamers collection; however Ocarina did something that very few games have been able to do: Give us a perfect example of the MonoMyth that allows us to experience the game and grow up with Link.

The game is a wonder to play, showing us all of the stages of being an adult while surrounding us with a world we want explore very inch of. It is the fantasy we want in life; we want to be something special, to be the hero, even if our beginnings are less than amazing.

The other thing Ocarina has going for it is it's strong female characters that show how women should be presented in gaming. Shriek (and Zelda) aren't bystanders in this game. They are actively participating in the events of the game. And we don't have massive boobs or a revealing sexy costume on either one of them.

Another gaming staple, Final Fantasy has been setting milestones with each new installment. But the best game in the series is Final Fantasy VI. It boosts the largest cast of characters in all of the series. But the best part about each of the 14 characters in the game is that they are unique.

Each character has a defining skill (like Edgar with his tools or Sabin with his Blitzes) but where they really start to shine is their personalities. Some of the most beautiful moments in the game as when we are exploring the human side of each of these characters. Cyan on the ghost train, learning to let go of his decreased wife and child, or Celes at the Opera. The game plays like a incredibly well made movie. Each scene is full of emotion and anguish.

And while the basic story is cliche, (save the world from utter destruction) the game completely changes in the second half. The world of ruin takes all of themes from the first half and doubles down. Despair, depression, suicide, and more are all on the table.

And Kefka's laugh will down as the most memorable sound clip in video game history. He's a major reason I am afraid of clowns.

The king of 4x strategy games and while more recent editions of the classic formula have brought some welcome changes (the hex tiles from Civ V come to mind), Civ IV is my pick for best of the series and the game that I feel everyone should play to really understand that "Just one more turn" addiction that comes with playing a Civ game.

But beyond that, Civ IV was the first time I really felt like I was controlling and shaping the future of the world. Previous games in the series captured the "leading a nation" feeling that made the game famous, but Civ IV made every action seem like it had a massive effect on the world at large. The religion and corporation additions with the expansions gave us even more options to take over the world.

I know a lot of people will say that Civ V: Gods and Kings really made that game shine; it's true that expansion added a lot of the features that I loved from IV into V but, if I had to pick only one 4x game for someone to play Civ IV is the one I feel best represents the genre.

After the first Resident Evil, I thought "this is the best zombies will ever have it". That creaky door loading scene got me every time. The limited ammo really made you feel like each bullet mattered.

But after playing 2 and 3, it felt like Resident Evil had lost it's way. It was more about the jump scares and the gore than it was about presenting a zombie FPS that felt real.

Enter Leon and RE4. This is the best Resident Evil to date (not sure if this will hold up with RE7 coming out). The setting was realistic, scary as hell, and the mechanics rival those of Golden Eye 64. It's actually fun to shoot in RE4, specifically after you get Leon's mob costume.

This game really made me question the difference between a religion and a cult. We weren't killing zombies any more; you are killing real humans (albeit infected ones). From that first scene when the infected stop attacking to go pray at the church to the last moment before you kill Saddler, you really connect with the world and none of the hooky loading scenes, poor controls, or poorly designed jump scares break the illusion that you really are trying to save the president's daughter.

And each new enemy and boss made you really strategize to win. You couldn't just unload a clip into an enemies face and expect to get very far in this game. It was the perfect mix of strategy and gut reactions to take down some of the best bosses the series has created. The over-the-shoulder camera seems like a staple now but it was mind-blowing at the time. Not to mention the excellent use of Quicktime Events that kept you on your toes, because even during those dull moments of exposition, a QTE could take you by surprise.

RE4 takes the horror and complexities of living in a ruined world and forces you to make the best of the situation. For that reason, I believe everyone should play it, even if you don't really care for FPS games or horror games like me.