Top 3 Most Addictive Games

Having been a gamer for 10+ years, I've had more than my fair share of games that I enjoyed, that I hated, that stood out, that shadowed, games that I couldn't stop playing fast enough and games that I couldn't put down. I decided to share the top 5 video games overall that I found most addictive. These games aren't just games to me, but life experiences that I still enjoy experiencing time and again today.

3.) ALIAS

Released in 2004 for the Playstation 2, Xbox, and Windows PC, Alias was the epitome of video game creations off of television shows. Featuring all of the main cast from the hit ABC series, including Jennifer Garner, Michael Vartan, Carl Lumbly, Kevin Weisman, and Victor Garber; the video game perfectly embodies the characters, theme, and action of the television show. It was wonderfully received, earning above average scores, being one of the few television/movie-to-video game creations to actually be successful.

What I found most enthralling about the video game was that, being a huge fan of the series, I was already in love with the game because of how accurate and appropriate it was. But as a casual gamer, I was able to see much more than that. The video game perfectly exhibits a stealth-action experience that really stands out; I feel like it took some notes from the original Splinter Cell video game that was released two years prior. While it shows no obvious similarities to Splinter Cell, the stealth is incorporated brilliantly but it doesn't smother the other features of the game, including being able to beat down an enemy and steal his limited ammunition'ed submachine gun and try to take out as many guys as you can before hand-to-hand combat is required.

Lastly and most importantly, I found the video game to be the perfect epitome of female empowerment. Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner's character) is a woman of many things, and such include intelligence, motivation, ambition, and natural sexiness. Being able to play as her and take down the antagonists of the game using her CIA trained martial arts and krav maga, natural wit and spy abilities, it really made me feel like I was interacting with the television show, and it was a most unforgettable experience.

2.) HITMAN: SILENT ASSASSIN

The second instalment in the smash hit franchise, released in 2002, I first discovered this game while browsing the shelves at Blockbuster. I remember looking for something of interest and I was thanking God that my father was returning Manhunt, so anything else would be a relief. I couldn't find anything, so my father grabbed Hitman: Silent Assassin after reading the back of the box and we were en route home. Needless to say, the man barely got to play the game once I got my hands on it.

I was too young to really understand the story, but I was also too young to really care and all I wanted to do was kill my targets and have fun...and it sure as Hell worked. I don't know what it was about the game that kept me going back to it every day; perhaps it was the semi non-linear aspects, the creativity involved in the game, the weapon selection (which was the biggest I had seen so far), or maybe the mystery behind the bald man I was playing as, since I didn't know much about him.

I distinctly remember only wanting to play the same one mission over and over again, and that was Invitation to a Party. I felt like I was playing as James Bond, with the tuxedo, the sneaking into the embassy, and taking out thugs with the silenced handgun. As I got older and played it more, I realized that the Spetsnaz agent I was ordered to eliminate as well was carrying a Walther PPK. Naturally, once I discovered that, I really felt like James Bond after killing General Zhupikov and walking around with Bond's signature gun.

Overall, I just found the game to be naturally and aesthetically appealing to me, and I still sit there and play through it time and again today.

1.) JAMES BOND: NIGHTFIRE

Being the 18th James Bond video game to be released since 1983, I felt as though I was missing out on a lot of the James Bond experience. I've been a James Bond fan for about thirteen years now, and to this day, Nightfire has been the ultimate James Bond experience for me. I found the story to be absolutely interesting and gripping and true to the James Bond style. The gameplay was naturally intense and exciting and just plain fun; whether it be sneaking around an embassy, driving the Aston Martin through an explosion, or engaging in a massive shootout.

It was classic James Bond and I think that's what appealed to me the most. I found it to be the best Bond game since the original Goldeneye and it was a refreshing experience considering the gameplay was exactly what a James Bond game should be. I think it was a mixture of the gadgets, the weapons, and definitely the way Bond will raise his handgun in duel a l'amour style if he doesn't fire it for a few moments. I have never seen that in a video game before and it really stood out to me.

Naturally, the multiplayer experience was brilliant. When I wasn't plowing through the campaign, I spent hours upon hours of my time playing multiplayer with AI bots and just having a damn good time.

Regardless of whether you're a fan of these games and franchises or not, if you haven't played either, it's about time you do.