Which games are essential to beat?

[atmosphere]

I only started seriously gaming in the last couple of years and have been wondering which games are essentials to beat.
So far I have only beaten Max Payne and Half-Life :O

[Suicides-by-Steve]

<div class=\"smallfont\">I only started seriously gaming in the last couple of years and have been wondering which games are essentials to beat.
So far I have only beaten Max Payne and Half-Life :O</div>


Well, I would have to say that I myself don't finish a whole lot of games either. I have this nasty habit of playing a game till nearly the end, and then leaving it... I find alot of the games as they approach the endgame become more difficult, and sometimes, annoyingly so. The only games I generally "finish" are Adventure, Racing, Strategy, and RPG's. The rest, I enjoy enough and then shelf it...There's three games that I have to get around to finishing though... Hostile Waters, Evil Islands, and Anachronox. I have save files for two, but Hostile Waters I'll have to start from the beginning. Others I have to finish, but not in the above categories are Thief, Thief 2, Ghost Recon, and Max Payne.

[DBS]

Finishing games is tough for the most part because the game has to be worth the effort. Only a few really seem to not fizzle out but the ones I have completed and found them worth the effort are:
1. Operation Flashpoint
2. Mafia
3. Arcanum
4.Gothic
5. Swat 3
6. Star Trek Academy and Bridge Commander
7. Star Wars Jedi Knight and MoTS
8. Freespace the Great War
9. Max Payne (with the kung fu mod)
10. ST Armada
11. IWD $ expansion
12. Land Warrior
13. Oni (I liked the looks and the martial arts)
14. Freelancer- although the story is over the game goes on
15. NOLF
16. Splinter Cell
17.Deus Ex (forgot it)
Good thing we didn't ask for games we never finished....
I played alot of GTA 3 but there was plenty I didn't do in it. I have VC now and like that even more but I have along way to go and might never see the end. I forgot about Grim Fandango and I did like it so I have to reload it and complete it.

[E.T.]

<div class=\"smallfont\">I only started seriously gaming in the last couple of years and have been wondering which games are essentials to beat.
So far I have only beaten Max Payne and Half-Life :O</div>

Games I had to complete, cause the story line had me "hooked":
HL
Deus Ex
SS2 [well, sorta, the ending bridge level got confusing for me, so I didnt actually finish it, but its worth your effort].
EMPEROR/BATTLE FOR DUNE I usually finish all my RTS games, but this one was exceptional. The story line was one of the best for any game I played as it was based on the MOVIE, Dune.
Watch the movie, play the game. Campaign can be played as any one of three main houses, suplemented w/numerous sub houses. The cenematics are great, as they include some originall footage/actors.
[Rememer Sting?]
BattleZone2. More than the story line, I just keep comming back to this one after disccovering/playing it over three years ago. The graphics are well done, game play is pure pleasure, not to mention it stands alone as a FPS/RPG/Startegy style game. Its may be hard to find now, but worth your effort!
Kingpin, cause its an old fashioned FPS blast with a simple but gotta see ending [very violent though!].

I too have an increasing habit of not finish games as time goes by. It has nothing to do with the games, more of a "been there, done that" experience that keeps me waiting for something revolutionary to come along.......

[Fragmastar]

I have a similar habit to Suicides_By_Steve. I should get rid of that habit. Most of the games I generally finish are action, FPS and racing. I tend to leave RPGs and strategy games behind.

So far, I've finished these games on my PC:

1) Grand Theft Auto - Vice City
2) Unreal Tournament
3) Quake III Arena
4) Sierra Nascar Racing II

[ShotgunShy]

<div class=\"smallfont\">I only started seriously gaming in the last couple of years and have been wondering which games are essentials to beat.
So far I have only beaten Max Payne and Half-Life :O</div>

Since I haven't gotten much time to play games like I used to, I've only picked my games sparingly and always make it a point to finish them sometime or the other, i.e. if I know that a game is going to be too hard and/or long for me, I <i>probably</i> wouldn't play it.

That said, some recent games that I've played to the finish and found them worth the effort are:
Mafia
Deus Ex
Max Payne
GTA 3
Escape from Monkey Island
Grim Fandango
Medal of Honour: Allied Assault (although this game is horrendously anti-climatic, the whole experience of the levels makes it worthwhile)

I've picked up Aliens vs Predator 2 now and it looks like I may finish the marine campaign and that one alone. We'll see how things go...

[E.T.]

<div class=\"smallfont\"><div class=\"smallfont\"></div>I've picked up Aliens vs Predator 2 now and it looks like I may finish the marine campaign and that one alone. We'll see how things go...</div>

The first AvsP scared the crap outta me @ times!
I picked up AvsP2 when it came out & shamefully set it aside, I forgot about it till I read your post response here.
Should you finish the Marine campaign, Id like to hear what you think of it.

[wolfbiscuits]

I'm ashamed to say I've only finished 3 games so far this year:
Vietcong
NOLF 2
Op Flashpoint Resistance

Morrowind, almost finished the main quest, now distracted, convinced myself I dont need to finish as the story continues in add ons.
Raven Shield, couple of missions to go, havent played for a while, also add on mission pack coming soon, so do I really need to finish those missions? Hmmm...
Variety of Combat flight sims installed who's campaigns I will never finish, but thats accepted. (in my book)

Honestly haven't played that many games this year, sold IGI 2 off after one mission didn't like it all, and some others I cant think of, oh well. :D

[atmosphere]

Oh yes, almost forgot : I have Avp2 and finished the marine campaign. Interesting game not as good as hl though

[Static_Fred]

Let me see... I've probably bought 40 games or so in the last year (many are bargain bin games that i've never even opened), and what have i finished?

I've.... finished..... the Alien campaign in AvsP2.. WOOHOO.

and if your wondering, yes i'm serious, i NEVER finish my games. Not even GTA VC.

[Aku]

<div class=\"smallfont\">[QUOTE=Suicides-by-Steve]<div class=\"smallfont\"></div>Well, I would have to say that I myself don't finish a whole lot of games either. I have this nasty habit of playing a game till nearly the end, and then leaving it... I find alot of the games as they approach the endgame become more difficult, and sometimes, annoyingly so.[QUOTE]</div>

Yeah, I've finished a lot of games, but there are a few where I got to the end but didn't finish. I never beat Prometheus at the end of the human campaign in Starsiege. I told myself I would go back and beat him, but still haven't gotten around to it. I never finished the final mission in Freespace 1. I got close to beating it, then died right before I could take out the big ship. Another one I have to 'get back to'. I never finished Rogue Spear, although I did finish Rainbow Six and its expansion, and also finished RS: Urban Operations.