I adore the weird, the wonderful, and the bizarre. Occasionally games bore me - I have a “Oh look, I’m a secret agent with a gun and I get to shoot people. How about that?” attitude. The nice thing about video games, however, is that unlike Hollywood, even the mainstream games can be absolutely off-the-wall. With the possible exception of sport and racing games anyway - and even some of those franchises slide into the surreal and the odd.

With this in mind, I’m going to bring you my top ten most stylish games. Some of them are weird, and some of them are wonderful. They are all interesting. Before we get started, a disclaimer: these are only games I have played, and is not an exhaustive list. There are some notable games missing, so I encourage you to drop me a comment with a recommendation for your own twisted and fantastical favourite.

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Ever fancied a replica keyblade? Or even some replica materia? Really? WHY?!

Video games have always been used to sell us crap we don’t need. Just like movies. Seems like you can’t turn around from a good game without finding a flood of shoddy plastic action figures or lame photoshopped posters screaming Buy! Buy! Buy! I’m now going to name and shame some of the ones that personally piss me off. Do you disagree? Can you not live without your daily supply of sonic-flavored cola? Let me know in the comments!

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Merry Christmas! Yep, it’s that special day - that one day of the year we turn all sentimental and start subscribing to the notion of happy, functional, extended families.

Like many of you, I intend to stuff myself silly, and then watch gentle and non-challenging television for a few hours. Since I’m not expecting any new games this year, and since my celebrations will be somewhat muted by the fact my boyfriend-and-husband-to-be is STILL in another country, I thought I’d dedicate this post to all of you who are, perhaps, not jiving to the Christmas Spirit quite so strongly - for whatever reason that may be.

The truth is - you don’t need the latest console and amazing new graphical superstar game to make this Christmas noteworthy. It is time to look away from the hyped up boring old flashy titles and consider that magical wonderland that are Indie Games & Mods.

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Plot twists are great dynamics to any story if used correctly. When Darth Vader turns to the hero, Luke Skywalker, and tells him, coldly, calculating, “Luke, I am your father,” it’s the perfect cinematic device. The hero shares the same blood as the villain, and this revelation is powerful. If the hero is related to the villain, does he have the same potential to do evil? Is he himself evil? What makes a person good or evil, if not blood?

Of course, not every revelation is so poignant. Sometimes the script writers drop the fucking ball. Sometimes the plot twist is stupid, unbelievable, or simply unsurprising. So without further ado, here are the top ten worst plot twists in video gaming history.

10) In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Link time travels to a dark and dreary world where Ganondorf reigns supreme. The future is bleak and he’s all alone. But he’s not alone for long. Almost immediately he gets help from a mysterious character bearing the Hylian symbol named Sheik. Everyone knows this plot twist, and it’s that Sheik is actually Princess Zelda. So why does this plot twist suck so terribly, aside from being totally obvious? Because Sheik sucked, both in design and attitude. In principle, I can see why Zelda needed a disguise. I can dig it. But what I can’t dig is why Sheik would strum the harp, say something mysterious, and vanish into thin air while looking like something the cat dragged in. Look, Zelda, if you’re going to help out the Hero of Time, do something more than teach him how to play the Bolero of Fire while disguised as a man. If you can get away from Ganondorf long enough to sing a song, can’t you help Link through a dungeon or two using your sage powers? Like, say, the Water Temple? Of course, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remains one of my favorite games–bad plot twist or not.

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