10) Penny Arcade: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness (XBLA/PSN)

9) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

8) Tales of Symphonia

7) Knights in the Nightmare

6) Final Fantasy IX

5) Grandia II

4) Suikoden V

3) Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions

2) Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

1) Mass Effect

Gameplay or story? Each of the games on my list is proof of my belief that one needn't be sacrificed in service to the other. While many may believe that gaming is on a downward slope (and has been for a while), all evidence points to the contrary; games are getting better every generation, and with platforms such as Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Wiiware, and Steam giving smaller developers a chance to gain a wider audience with their creations, the game industry is healthier than ever, cynics be damned.