James Gunn is a prolific director, recently really proving himself worthy of his reputation with several superhero movies/series like Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker. Many associate his name with these movies, as someone who has worked on both sides of the Marvel and DC fence.
However, James Gunn isn’t just working on his next movie or series. Everyone needs breaks, and the vast majority of people in the world play video games of some sort, ranging from the simplest mobile game to the most convoluted PC game. And as part of a recent social media campaign/viral sensation, James Gunn has revealed his top three video games, and as many may guess, he has pretty good taste.
His top three include Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Defense Grid. It’s not immediately clear if he means the first KOTOR and the first Mass Effect, or if he’s bending the rules a little to mean both of the KOTOR games, the Mass Effect trilogy, and/or Mass Effect: Andromeda. Either way, just looking at the first two, they are RPG-defining releases that shape the industry to come. They’re definitely good picks for anyone’s top three.
The one game that may throw fans for a loop is Defense Grid, which is a tower defense video game from 2008. It features about 8-10 hours worth of story and gameplay, across roughly 20 or so unique maps. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Tower Defense games, especially as one as genre-pushing as this one, but it’s not necessarily what comes to mind if someone is asked for their top three games.
According to Gunn in follow-up comments, he’s played “every tower defense game there is,” but it’s not clear how serious he is. He could be dead serious, he could be joking, but either way, his top games all push their genre and attempt to push the medium to the next level. Tower Defense games are not going anywhere either, so fans can expect to see them in various gaming apps.
In fact, James Gunn’s top three is something still relevant to this day—years after their perspective releases. Star Wars games are seeing a bit of a resurgence here lately, and it’s been confirmed that a full-blown remake of Knights of the Old Republic is in development. Mass Effect 4, or whatever the sequel to both the Mass Effect Trilogy and Andromeda, is also in the earliest stages of development. Either way, fans of all these have plenty of more content on its way.