There and Back Again: Erik Yuzwa

As a way of introducing myself to the Gamerwok community, as well as forming some nice virtual bonds with the others that contribute to this excellent e-production, we had the challenge of divulging our "Top 5 Favorite Games of All Time" and our "Top 5 Games We're Looking Forward To". Here's my contribution, with the hope that this brief flashback in time triggers similar memories of your own. The irony being that I'm probably the only hardcore PC gamer in this bunch of console luvin' individuals, so I gotta represent! [ED: Represent!!]

Erik's Top 5 Favorite Games of All Time

Origin Systems Inc. - Ultima IV, V and VI

I'm going to start right away by bending the rules and cheating the challenge. I'm only counting the middle chapter of the Ultima saga as 1 game since the complex and epic themes and storylines woven throughout each game spanned across all 3. Plus Ultima IV was my first real RPG.."First!"

LucasArts - Tie-Fighter

I was in university when X-Wing hit the scene and nearly failed a course because of it (though I still stick to my story of an "impossible grade curve made for sadism"). But when Tie-Fighter arrived it was literally one of those moments when time stopped for a split second, revealing the secrets of the universe. Plus I was a huge Timothy Zahn fan who wrote a Star Wars trilogy focused on the last Admiral of the Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn...who also happened to be in the Tie-Fighter game!

BioWare - Baldur's Gate II

Until Baldur's Gate, the only games we had available that used the AD&D license were the crappy Forgotten Realms gold box titles. They were only "okay" because they were the only ones available to play (or maybe it was the blinding CGA graphics)! Eventually we were treated to a "relaunch" of AD&D computer gaming through Baldur's Gate. It literally had *everything* that was awesome and compelling about AD&D. I'm only picking the sequel, because usually everyone always assumes that sequels suck, but in this case it was nearly better. Kinda like The Empire Strikes Back and The Evil Dead 2.

Volition Inc. - Freespace 2

If I had a time machine with only a single charge, I would seriously consider using it to visit the Volition Inc. offices in 1998 to alter our present day timeline by convincing them to rename their first title anything *but* "Descent : Freespace".  What's my beef? Only that Volition didn't get the attention it rightly deserved, because nearly every gamer I know confused it with "Descent" the 3D FPS! Someone must've realized this, because Freespace 2 was released as just "Freespace 2".  And was glorious. Trying to pilot a single-man fighter, in a swarm of not only enemy fighters but gigantic capital ships wrestling with each other in the  unforgiving arena of space combat was breathtaking. It deserved all the recognition it got, and then some.

Positech Games - Starship Tycoon

This game earned a spot on my list not only for fun and interesting gameplay, but because it was created by a single man company gone Independent. Until this  point in time, I was interested in releasing games of my own, but only tripping across the same "casual" type of game that each small company was cloning over and over.  I was worried that I needed to be a much larger company with a ton of start-up cash just to "break even". My fears were alleviated in one swoop, and I've been on the road of "game development" ever since.

Erik's Top 5 List of Upcoming Titles

Blizzard Inc. - Cataclysm

I must admit that I do have a max level World of Warcraft character, but I let my subscription lapse over most of 2009 not only because it gobbled every ounce of spare time I had, but because I was...bored. The game-world is appealing and has a lot of things to fill your time with, but at this point the rewards I was getting back were not even close to the time I was sinking in. I'm looking forward to the latest Cataclysm expansion, because it's almost sounding like a total return to the classic World of Warcraft - a full circle if you will.

Positech Games - Gratuitous Space Battles

This is Positech's biggest and most ambitious title to date, but it sounds like buckets of pure, old-fasioned fun. You have a pot of money and need to use it to buy / build a space armada that you pit against others. The graphics look gorgeous, and Positech has built a good reputation on nailing the "small details" that other,  larger game companies overlook. It's gonna ROCK.

Wazoo Enterprises Inc. - Enlightenment

While it's at the ground level, I'm excited and working hard to have Enlightenment release-ready by sometime in 2010. (Hey, sometimes you gotta toot your own horn).

Mythic Entertainment - Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss

While I might be the only UO player left in Calgary, I still enjoy a good UO session once a week or so and am looking forward to the expansion. Are you playing? Leave a comment with your avatar name, just so I know I'm not alone.

Bioware - Dragon Age: Origins

Do I even need to say more?

I hope you had fun with this list, and it would be fun to get together with the rest of the Gamerwok contributors and video-blog our picks over coffee or something. Leave some comments in support of that idea, or just fire off your own picks! We'd love to see them as well!