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It’s a daunting task, curating and ranking the 100 best video games of all time. There are a lot of video games – maybe too many – and many of them are worth putting on a pedestal. Shooting games, racing games, story based games, horror games, indie games, RPGs… Trying to capture the breadth of an entire industry is like trying to catch a fly. With your tongue. When you are a human and not a frog. But for God’s sake, we will.

We’ve played the game back and forth across the GLHF team, picking and choosing until we settled on a shortlist, then picking again to figure out the placement of each game. Neither of us talk to each other anymore and we all hate how it turned out, but it’s worth it.

However, there’s one caveat to this list: If your personal favorite game isn’t here, it’s because it’s at number 102. Why not 101? Because we had to fire someone for constantly suggesting Octopath Traveler on the list.

Anyway, forget about that guy. Let’s dive in…

100 Among Us

Unfortunately, it has a reputation for being “horrific” now and that often overrides the fact that Among Us is one of the best social deduction video games ever made. It’s one of the few games that perfectly captures the suspenseful excitement of board games like Blood on the Clocktower or Werewolf, and adds to it in a way only video games can. Things like Gmod Trouble in Terrorist Town can use it to some degree, but the focus is still on shooting rather than solving mysteries. Between Us remains focused on the heated debates that take entire rooms through their own personal murder mysteries as you get closer to finding the truth.

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99 Marvel vs. Capcom 2

“I want to take you for a walk,” Marvel vs. character selection screen. Capcom 2 screamed at us as we decided if we preferred Felicia’s claws to Wolverine’s claws. We take it for granted now, but Marvel vs. Capcom 2 reinforces the Capcom vs series playstyle, with characters from different franchises swapping and using assist attacks. It looked chaotic, but it worked surprisingly well, and has since inspired titles like Dragon Ball FighterZ. Please Capcom, remaster this with netcode rollback for new generation.

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98 Medieval 2: Total War

The evolution of the Total War series has changed many aspects over the years, and thanks to the various historical eras in which the title is set, there is now something for everyone – even fantasy fans get their money’s worth with the Warhammer trilogy. Medieval 2, however, is impressive. This may interest you : Big video: 46 best movies to watch. There’s something special about an army of colorful knights, armor shining in the sun, attacking and clashing together, holding back the walls of Constantinople against hordes of Mongol invaders, and finally being able to exterminate the traitorous rat in Milan because the Pope kept you isolated. Do we need to educate you on what anti-pope is, old man?

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97 Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Remember when military shooters didn’t all look the same? Ah, the good old days. We may not be able to be prone, but that’s okay when you can strap C4 to a jetski and do a kamikaze run. There’s rarely a match in Bad Company 2 where you don’t scream, “Oh my God, did you see that?” over your microphone. To see also : Prime Video at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. Destruction and map design is at its peak in DICE’s best multiplayer sandbox. The Vietnamese-flavored multiplayer expansion and the Three Kings-style story campaign are delicious toppings for a filling dessert.

96 Max Payne 2

The sequel to the third-person shooter Remedy was way ahead of its time. The first Max Payne may have introduced the world of slow-motion bullet dodging, getting hot after The Matrix did the same for moviegoers, but Max Payne 2 was morphine for the first game’s paracetamol. This may interest you : Premiere Video Schedule Added: New TV & Movies Arriving August 8-14. It was one of the first games of the era to physically simulate enemies and environments, leading to a proper action-film shootout where shelves toppled over, spilling their contents onto the floor, splintering walls, and bodies jerking as you pumped hot spins. to tender meat.

95 Mega Man 2

While ‘Mega Man-like’ is not a phrase, the series creates a genre of its own: an overpowering 2D platformer. Much-loved games like Shovel Knight, Super Meat Boy, and Celeste all take inspiration from this NES original, with a strong ‘just one more try’ gameplay loop. Mega Man 2 stands out as one of the best in the series, despite its difficulty, with some of the best types of weapons, bosses, and level designs the game has to offer. The Legacy Collection offers all Mega Man games with a life-saving ‘save state’ option, allowing everyone the opportunity to experience the greatness of Mega Man without tearing their hair.

94 Crusader Kings 3

Lots of games about saving the world, being a hero, doing the right thing. Evaporate. Crusader Kings 3 lets you fulfill your fantasies of your greatest and most evil powers; betray your best friends, kill your family to get the house you’ve always wanted – no, always deserved! No two runs are the same, because chance always influences history. Set goals and then do everything in your power to achieve them. Don’t worry about the consequences – after all, once you set your own religion, you can easily liberate yourself. Crusader Kings 3 makes Game of Thrones look like kindergarten – and it’s awesome!

93 The Binding of Isaac

Trying to explain to your friends what you were doing while playing The Binding of Isaac will only be met with shocked expressions. You play as a baby who has been abused by his Evangelical Christian Mother, who escapes through an underground tunnel into the abyss to return to his Mother’s womb and cry himself to death. That’s a lot. We know. But while the story is a little odd, the gameplay is perfectly balanced. As a roguelike, you’ll have to play it dozens of times before you get to one ending, and there are so many new upgrades, bosses, and endings to unlock that even the most experienced players come back for more. One to play with while you cry yourself to sleep.

92 Fortnite

Determining exactly why Fortnite became a giant is difficult. It didn’t innovate in the battle royale genre, and PUBG beat it by popularizing it. So what caused it to explode like that? Well, the fact that it’s free definitely plays a role, but there’s an unforgivable sense of fun that almost every other battle royale avoids. Where PUBG tries to focus on harsh military realism, Fortnite just wants to play around and have fun, and that allows it to tinker with weird weapons and items like no other game. Plus, now that it’s an industry giant, it can bring about a major crossover event. It doesn’t matter what game you play, releasing Kamehameha on someone who comes to you with a Lightsaber is a cool experience.

91 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

There have been several influential games like the original Modern Warfare, both good and bad. This game is the only reason we’ve spent years piling up behind the AI, waiting for them to kick in the door for us. But while the series is often remembered for its defining ‘Simon Says’ gameplay, this one strikes the perfect balance between spectacle and player agency. There’s a reason All Ghillied Up, a mission where you creep through Chornobyl with a sniper rifle, is so memorable – it gives you room to make mistakes and react to them, rather than disappoint you for not doing what you’re told. And it doesn’t even stand out in an otherwise bad game. Another mission, Death from Above, depicts modern warfare as it often is: detached and cold, waged by an invisible hand.

90 Firewatch

Few games deal with the side effects of trauma and how it affects a person’s life, but few do so with a concept as smart as Firewatch. After a traumatic event, our protagonist begins his life again in the American wilderness as a fire scout, his only other contact being the voice on the other end of the radio. The pair formed a genuine connection despite their distance. At times, Firewatch threatens to turn into another game entirely – using the protagonist’s paranoia of isolation and audience expectations to create a kind of burning fear – but saying more will spoil the experience.

89 Devil May Cry 3

Hideki Kamiya’s accidental masterpiece, Devil May Cry, practically created the character action genre, and Devil May Cry 3 was when that formula was finally perfected. Devil May Cry 3 is a game that turns the series into a giant that makes fans scream when new entries are revealed. Dante’s gunfights and fights look and feel great, and it’s probably the best game in the series.

88 Streets of Rage 2

Streets of Rage originates from an era where arcade was king and limited lives were needed to extend the duration of the game. However, these limitations lead to tight and precise controls that are easy to play, but difficult to master. The main thing that makes this side-scrolling fighter stand out in an era of similar games isn’t just the great soundtrack and special moves that require health to deal massive damage, but how well the co-op works together. Balancing who gets the next health drop and which side of the screen to stand on makes this a must-play co-op game before Overcooked even collects the raw materials.

87 Invisible Inc

Klei is one of the most consistent game developers in the business. The studio, relentlessly, jumps from genre to genre like nothing. With Invisible Inc, Klei tackles turn-based strategy, but with a twist. Instead of flanking and shooting enemies as a troop of soldiers, you take control of several spies and try some cunning corporate espionage. Each mission is against the clock, and you use a variety of skills to bypass security, steal documents, and escape. If it turns into a firefight, you’ve screwed it up. There are many great turn-based strategy games, but none have the same purity of vision.

86 Dead Rising

Often remembered for his use of, at the time, next-generation technology – hundreds of zombies on screen at once! – Dead Rising actually has a lot more to it. In it, you play as journalist Frank West, who is investigating a zombie outbreak at a local mall. It’s as if someone took Dawn of the Dead and kicked it through anime conventions. The combat isn’t anything special, but the fact that every object in the game can be used as a weapon enhances the action. West being a journalist is also a major mechanic, and you’re pushed to take increasingly absurd photos. Capture certain behaviors, certain groups, and horror and comedy scenes for a higher score, but don’t take too long – the action plays out in real-time. That’s the thing the series has forgotten, the time limit, which is a shame because that’s what makes it special. You cannot save every survivor. You can’t see everything there is to see in one game. It’s almost like Hitman in a simulation of a place – a world that runs with or without you – giving it almost endless replayability.

85 Batman: Arkham Knight

At least one person reading this will say, “Erm, actually, Arkham Asylum is the best Batman game.” And that’s great – sometimes we’re all wrong. But go back and play Asylum now, and ideally, play Knight afterwards. This is a huge leap in quality. Sure, some parts of the Batmobile’s platforming are a bit tacky, but it’s a complete Batman experience, not just, you know, Batman walking around prison. People tend to forget about all the quality of life features here, like allowing you to hit enemies on the floor without locking yourself into an animation that leaves you open to attacks. Then there’s the quality of side missions, from hunting serial killers to coming face-to-face with flying Manbats. Mechanically, this is a template for Marvel’s Spider-Man, but Sony’s game misses the mark in terms of the activities you actually do in the world.

84 Fallout 3

People were skeptical when Bethesda set out to bring Fallout back, abandoning the isometric view of the old games in favor of a first-person perspective, but that’s the thing about people: they are often wrong. Bethesda took The Elder Scrolls game template and applied it to post-apocalypse Fallout America, swapping mud crabs for irradiated moles and caves for nuclear shelters. The moment where you left the vault and emerged into the world may still occupy some recesses of your mind. Part of what makes Fallout 3 work so well is how barren it can be. There are long journeys where you’re on the road, sipping toilet water to survive, and it’s those moments that make the big decisions – do you want to destroy an entire city to get a luxury apartment or not? – increasingly impactful.

83 Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact offers hundreds of hours of beautiful open-world exploration, a compelling story with civilization-shattering drama and divine twists, engaging characters, a very satisfying combat system with seven different elements interacting with each other, and a rich update on intense combat. . scheduled and of such high quality that it demeans other developers. Oh, and it’s all available completely free on every platform, including mobile – the wizards of the Hoyoverse could probably run the game on your toaster.

82 Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory gives stealth games a real feel, and we’re not just talking about the weight of your decisions. Everything in this world feels down to earth, every kill or incapacitation feels functional and raw – things you see special operations do on the ground. Palms meet jaws. Good night. The fight always comes second, the progress is slow, the lights have to be turned off, and each door requires a fiber-optic camera to be pushed underneath before entering a new room. Then there’s the co-op campaign, featuring entirely new levels, a new story, and challenges tailored for two players. There’s nothing better than whistling to the guards as your friends hang from pipes and wrap their legs around their necks. It helps that it was one of the best-looking games of its time as well. We just don’t see darkness being used like this anymore, do we?

81 Skies of Arcadia

Often forgotten because of its original home on the Sega Dreamcast, Skies of Arcadia is a JRPG like no other. As part of a group of sky pirates, the entire adventure sees you making key discoveries about the world – new continents, anomalies, and even the fact that the world is a sphere. It makes you feel like a true adventurer. When you’re not flying through the sky in a flying galleon, there’s plenty of traditional turn-based combat in dungeons, cities to explore, and characters to meet. On top of that? Ship-to-ship battles that account for every upgrade and customization of your flying base.

80 Goldeneye 64

Multiplayer shooters seemed impossible to really get right on consoles at the time, but with some mischievous help programmed from the team at Rareware, Goldeneye 007, also known as Goldeneye 64, managed to become a notable first shooter. Yes, the campaign is well and good, but competing to play as Oddjob as you race around the stage shooting your friends is phenomenal. You probably shouldn’t be playing it right now, considering it’s rapidly approaching 30, but its impact on the industry can’t be underestimated.

79 Deus Ex

Arguably, many modern games wouldn’t even have happened without Deus Ex paving the way. Where most games at the time were tied to a single genre, Deus Ex managed to blend RPG with stealth with first-person shooters, creating a masterpiece of mixed genres where player expression is paramount. Sure, it lacked the shooter feel of the time, and its stealth mechanics weren’t as deep as Thief, but it made up for it in sheer ambition. If you’re wondering why so many shooters have character stats and level up these days, Deus Ex is the reason.

78 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

The series may not become a giant until Skyrim, but Morrowind is actually a much more interesting game – Skyrim without rough sanded edges, freedom with few limitations. In Morrowind, you can mess up your entire game by killing key characters, but that’s okay – this game is more than just their main quest. You never really get it done. Then there’s the magic and alchemy system that, if you know what you’re doing, can be abused to create potions that let you jump and fly across the entire map. There’s also something about Morrowind’s fledgling notion of public transport, with the muddy-carrying creatures roaming bus stops adding a sense of purpose to any trip you take.

77 Subnautica

There have been a lot of survival games these days, but there’s only been one Subnautica. Not a single tree in sight – just an alien ocean, your escape pod, and a downed ship slowly leaking radioactive debris into the ocean. Better hurry and suck some fresh water off the bladderfish, then. Despite its quirky setting, Subnautica stands above most other survival games because it has a true story, a true mystery that draws you through it. Every time you dig deeper, you discover some kind of secret about the planet you are stranded on. Oh, and there’s a giant leviathan that can destroy your jury-rigged submarine like a can of peanuts.

76 Slay the Spire

Card games are not for everyone, but Slay the Spire will keep you hooked whether you like it or not. A battle-based roguelite, you fight your way through dungeons, unlock cards, and grow in strength until you can finally defeat the boss at the end. It sounds simple, but there is so much flexibility in how your decks can synergize that it is almost impossible to have ‘one more move’. It helps that each character you can control has a completely different fighting style, giving you another reason to jump back in for a last-ditch effort. What is it – the whole day has passed? Oh.

75 World of Warcraft

While definitely not the first MMO to make it big (Ultima and Everquest say hi!), World of Warcraft takes the MMO experience and distills it into a more user-friendly package. Eliminating the loss of experience at death and adding more user-friendly features long before other MMOs could catch up allowed WoW to experience several years of unbridled popularity (until Final Fantasy XIV came along, that is.) For the Horde!

74 Silent Hill 2

Where most horror games are content to scare you, Silent Hill remains as long in memory as its ability to make you sad. It’s a persistent portrayal of depression and psychological trauma, and its home on the PlayStation 2, which required a lot of use of fog to hide rendering limitations, means it’s still as atmospheric today as it was when it launched. This isn’t a game about redemption, it’s about coming to terms with your mistakes.

73 Wii Sports

The Wii Sports boot meets you with the jingle. If you know, you know, and you just heard it in your head. That’s the power of Wii Sports. It takes a world by storm, every generation, and has them log in every day to track their skills and scores online, in addition to the fight against granny. Sure, it ruined a fair few televisions in those days, but it was worth it.

72 Apex Legends

The best battle royale game thanks to its slick moves, punchy gunfeel, and high skill ceiling. From the feel of Apex Legends’ doors to character skills, weapon differences, and map rotation, there’s a lot to learn if you want to compete, but there are few games that deliver as much euphoria as winning a tense battle in the end zone.

71 Uncharted 2

Uncharted 4 may be superior mechanically, but it’s the game that really puts Naughty Dog on the map. The first Uncharted was enjoyable enough with Tomb Raider style gameplay, but Uncharted 2 cements the series as its own, introducing the more bombastic set pieces it’s known for. It is said that Lara Croft quickly became Nathan Drake’s nominee after this. Still one of the best train levels ever too.

70 Rocket League

Isn’t it wild how you can take two things you don’t like, combine them, and create something brilliant? Marmite himself? Not. Marmite with butter, on toast? Hell for ya. Football? Not. Football in a rocket powered car? Now we’re talking. Rocket League is probably the purest esport game. Two teams face off on the field, driving, jumping, spinning and propelling rockets in an attempt to score goals with a giant ball. Simple on the surface, but just wait until you see a competent player driving through the ceiling before launching to land a perfect volley in the air.

69 Into the Breach

“You know what makes chess better? If the pieces on one side are mechanisms and the pieces on the other are overgrown insects. This might be a field meeting for Into the Breach, a turn-based strategy game where you can punch kaiju through mountains.

68 Journey

A wordless adventure game where your only goal is to reach the top of the mountain, what really makes this game special is, you know, the journey you take. It’s basically a linear path from start to finish, but the adventure feels unique to you because of its smooth multiplayer component. It sees you meet other travelers who are on the same path as you, and it’s those interactions that make this journey memorable. There is a whole community of players who, having mastered the game, hang out among the dunes, waiting for new players to arrive so they can show them all the secrets of the game.

67 Final Fantasy 14

Nothing overstates the incredible achievements of Final Fantasy 14. Back in 2010, it nearly put Square Enix out of business and is a prime example of how not to launch an MMORPG. Years later, Final Fantasy 14 represents everything that made this series great. Whether you’re tired of trudging across Heavensward’s snow-capped peaks or gazing at the embodiment of nihilism in Endwalker, nearly every storyline culminates in a deeply satisfying way. Final Fantasy 14 puts most single-player RPGs to shame in that respect, let alone any of its MMORPG counterparts. The gods punching the throat with your real buddies is practically an added benefit. Did we mention there is a free trial up to level 60? They say it is also critically acclaimed.

66 Outer Wilds

It’s been a busy few years for timeloop games, but nothing has done it quite like Outer Wilds. You are an alien astronaut assigned to the solar system on a discovery mission. Little do you know, the sun will go supernova and wipe out every trace of life. When that happens and you switch to full crisp mode, you return to your home planet, waiting to go into space again. Against time, you must make a series of discoveries, each more surprising and mysterious than the last. There’s nothing like this in video games.

65 Suikoden 2

The Final Fantasy series may get most of the love when people reminisce about PlayStation-era JRPGs, but Suikoden is a forgotten masterpiece. A simple tale of two friends who end up on opposite sides of the war, Suikoden 2 stands out for its diversity and ambition. Over 100 characters to recruit, bases to build, minigames to complete, battles to fight, duels to win, and even layers of strategy play where you command an entire army. Too bad Konami has been sitting on this series for so long.

64 Metroid Dread

The Metroid series has been asleep for too long. After the “Dread” word teaser included in 2002’s Metroid Fusion, the 2D franchise hasn’t received another new entry in just 20 years. This could have really disappointed thousands of passionate fans, but it wasn’t. Metroid Dread looks great, plays smoothly, and while it may be retreading old Metroid traps too often, it does so in a way to please fans exclusively. Even though Metroid Dread is the first game in the series you play, you will enjoy every moment of it.

63 Undertale

If it’s not impressive enough that Toby Fox creates every part of a game, from the coding to the soundtrack so powerful it invades every aspect of pop culture, it’s impressive that the game is Undertale too. Every aspect of Undertale works in harmony as well as jarring. Balanced humor with consistent fourth wall breaks, and a touching tale of friendship in a genre known for its fights. Undertale will have you questioning what makes RPGs (and people) good and breaks your heart.

62 Kirby Super Star

The only thing better than one Kirby game is eight Kirby games all tied into one neat little arc. Kirby Super Star is often considered the best game in the franchise as it offers fans a choice of what kind of Kirby they want to play, while also offering two-player co-op. The great cave raid is a personal highlight for many players, as it offers a Metroidvania-style Kirby gameplay we’ve never seen before. Kirby Super Star paved the way for more modern games, such as the recent Forgotten Land with its high variety of playstyles. If you want to see why Kirby is such a lasting series, this game will give you a cradle note.

61 Resident Evil 7

It takes guts to mess with the series formula you’ve been building for decades, but Capcom proved that it can pay off with Resident Evil 7. The company that popularized the survival horror genre shows that there’s still room for evolution, turning into the former. people’s perspective and introduces a new threat to the series. The Bakers are some of the most threatening antagonists in video games, from patriarchs trampling you like a damn Terminator to granny with a nest (a wasp’s nest, that is), a new perspective brings these fresh horrors closer and personal without negatively impacting what they were. survival horror games. Play in VR to really get your pants dirty.

60 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Despite being a small game made on a small budget on handheld consoles, Ace Attorney has not only survived through the years, but has created some of the game’s most recognizable iconography. Even if you’ve never played one of these games, you’ll probably scream “Objection!” with an overly dramatic point at least once in your life. The extraordinary personality and charm in each character elevates what should be “just” a visual novel into a majestic dramatic experience over the centuries. It’s over design, and it imprints every great moment into your memory forever.

59 Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

The Assassin’s Creed series is a strange beast. It found a formula that worked and lasted for years – until it got stale – before suddenly exploding into a full-fledged RPG series out of nowhere. Then, in the midst of it all, you get an absolute blast of pirate adventure. Sailing the Caribbean seas as your crew sings the huts late into the night is one of those experiences that feels right. Then when the action starts you have some of the best boat vs boat fights the game has ever seen. Each battle steadfastly increases the tension as you blow up each other, using a variety of tools to send your foes into Davey Jones’ locker.

58 The Last of Us Part 1 & 2

Shout out about this cheat all you want but name two games that are intrinsically tied together rather than this. We will wait. The Last of Us Part 2 is by far the better game – more openness, better combat, improved AI, and smart stealth – but it won’t work without the first game, which in itself sets the standard for every PlayStation exclusive that follows. . Cinematics, great shows, characters you care about, and scary mushroom guy – what more could you ask for? Oh yes, the GOAT soundtrack. Sold.

57 Ori and the Blind Forest

There are so many Metroidvanias in video games – indies love to make them – but Ori is one of the best of them all. Sharp platforming, Disney-quality art style, and a story that manages to tug at your heartstrings without mumbling a word, this is not only one of the best indie games ever made, it’s one of the best Xbox exclusives of all time.

56 Thief II

Arguably the most influential stealth game ever made. Without it, would we have Alien Isolation, Far Cry, Deus Ex, and basically all first-person games with stealth elements? This is dubious. During development, the team at Looking Glass used submarines as inspiration for the stealth mechanics of the Thief – here it is, waiting in the dark for the right moment, the right time to expose yourself. Only, no torpedoes here. Just quick hands, water darts and blackjack melee weapons to knock out guards. Too bad we don’t see games using light and shadow like this anymore. The granddaddy of modern stealth games is still worth playing in 2022.

55 Fable

This is an essential Xbox RPG. Fable puts Peter Molyneux and the team at Lionhead Studios on the map, and not for the first time. Fable may not fully live up to all the promises made leading up to launch, but the end result is an extraordinary story that is a favorite with many gamers. Even now the idea of ​​Fable IV has drooling fans. A trailer would be nice to see, Microsoft.

54 Papers, Please

A game where you check and compare IDs and documents at Soviet-era border control doesn’t sound the most exciting, but with every mistake made, the lives of you and your family hang in the balance. Do you allow a guy with the right paperwork, even though you know he’s trafficking people? Are you allied with the rebellion against the government, even though you could be killed in the process? There is no right or wrong answer. Papers, Please leave it all up to your judgment, and that’s what hurts the most.

53 Hotline Miami

Hotline Miami is a puzzle-based rhythm game. You don’t believe me? Try playing with the sound off and see your strategy fall apart. It gives you a top-down perspective of your masked assassin and the mission to defeat a target somewhere in the expansive floor plan. You’re only human, and on a quick restart, one shot and you’re done. The trick to getting the perfect run is to try and try again. Dodging the ferocious dogs and armed guards who will shoot you through the windows keeps you on your toes as you peek through the door and slaughter those curious enough to see what’s going on.

52 Warcraft 3

Warcraft 3 continues the great series of real-time strategy games from Blizzard Entertainment and brings many innovations to the genre that, in retrospect, may have led to its downfall: Heroes changed RTS games forever. Between the four races – humans, night elves, orcs, and undead – the balance isn’t always there, but for those who need a break from the heated multiplayer battles focused on micromanagement, the game offers an engaging campaign – how can you, Arthas? – and thousands of custom player-made games. This is arguably the game’s greatest legacy, as Warcraft 3’s special lobby popularized DotA, paving the way for the entire MOBA genre. It also spawned the many tower defense variants that are now on the market as standalone titles. Warcraft 3 has impacted not only as a game and as an esports title, but also as a tool for creativity thanks to its easy-to-use yet powerful map editor.

51 Need for Speed: Underground 2

Need for Speed: Underground 2 is a bit like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater in the sense that it manages to define a generation of musical tastes. Skindred’s Nobody is an undeniable blast, and it’s the first place a lot of people will hear. How about Riders on the Storm, with Snoop Dogg and The Doors? GOAT line, to be honest. Oh yeah, there’s also plenty of fast cars, and an “open world” exploration mode, and it makes use of the Pimp My Ride car modification scene of the time. Spinner on the rim? Dated, but hard not to love.

50 Hollow Knight

If we teach boss design, we will have all our students play the Mantis boss fight from Hollow Knight. It’s the perfect mix to introduce players to the mechanics of combat, before increasing the difficulty. Award? You earn the respect of the Mantis, which means they will never hunt you again. The precision of this fight is one of the many things that make Hollow Knight so great. Then there’s the vast world, multiple paths to the end, additional bosses, multiple endings, and charming characters you meet along the way. We hope you’re not afraid of bugs because it’s a must play.

49 XCOM

“XCOM, XCOM, you are my XCOM; I covered it and I shot the aliens.” – Tom Jones. XCOM positions you as the commander of the human resistance, against an increasingly hostile alien threat. You command your troops in turn-based combat and populate your underground base between missions, researching and developing new technologies to take down invaders. Through leveling up, XCOM builds bonds between you and your favorite soldiers, then unceremoniously rips them off as missions go to hell. Nirvana strategy game.

48 Deathloop

It’s been almost a year since we last played Deathloop, but we still have ‘The Revenant’ from the original soundtrack in our heads. Deathloop oozes style, like a catwalk model riding a Lexus. In it, you take control of Colt, an amnesiac trapped in a time loop – an endless party at the end of the world. In order to escape, he had to take out a series of targets in one day. In the usual Arkane Studios style, you are free to approach each object in various creative ways: hack open windows, creep through tunnels, shoot, stab, and use various magical powers. From swinging sixties decor to Dark Souls-style multiplayer invasions, Deathloop is one of the most inventive triple-A games ever made.

47 Sid Meier’s Civilization 4

With Sid Meier’s Civilization, every strategy gamer knows what they’re getting into, even though the series has evolved over the years. If you ask any old players, Civ 4 is what everyone is hoping will return to this series. It’s the last game in the turn-based series to rely on squares instead of hexagons to create its world, and thus enjoys the advantage of being the conclusion of a whole generation of Civ games all built on top of each other. The Civ 4 system is complex and blends perfectly to create just the right depth and level of challenge. Whether it’s empire management, diplomacy or war, Civ 4 offers a comprehensive package that even today you can spend hundreds of hours in without getting tired.

46 Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 not only set the standard for platformers at the time, it set the standard for 3D gaming as a whole. The N64’s analog stick, the level of control it gives you over Mario’s speed and direction, the wide-open stage layout – these were all impossible on older 2D consoles, and make Super Mario 64 something truly spectacular. Its influence is found throughout 3D games, and even today the floating camera perspective behind your character is standard. Super Mario 64 is a game that brings all of this together in the language of game design, and its impact cannot be underestimated.

45 Return of the Obra Dinn

While creator Lucas Pope may have preferred his earlier work – Papers, Please – people fell in love with Return of the Obra Dinn. A game where you play an insurance broker trying to figure out payments to crew members after a tragic incident doesn’t sound too exciting, but putting together clues about who and how they died is just as thrilling. challenge. It’s hard to compare the feeling you get when the screen stops and tells you you’ve mastered three more destinies, slowly unfolding the story through footage of tragic deaths. A game like no other, worthy only for the unique experience.

44 Hitman 3

Place any game from the Hitman trilogy here because they are all masterpieces. We chose Hitman 3 because you can play Hitman and Hitman 2 levels from the same menu screen. You call it cheating, we call it winning. Each level is an intricate clockwork piece, full of NPCs with routines and stories, and it’s up to you to get yourself into that story by stealing clothes from their backs, getting close to your targets, and killing them in a variety of imaginative ways. If you’ve ever wondered why no other developer has copied Hitman, it’s because creating a game like this is like trying to build a railroad track while driving a train.

43 The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

In many ways, Link’s Awakening doesn’t represent the Zelda series well. There’s no Hyrule, Master Sword, Triforce, Ganondorf, or princesses we keep in nearly every other mainstream entry. However, it’s this strict adherence to tradition that makes Link’s Awakening great. Director Takashi Tezuka claims that Twin Peaks is a huge inspiration, and it shows. Cities are full of unique NPCs that give off this eerie and dreamlike vibe. And the dungeon boss? Oh, my God. They all shout loudly that you ruined everything when you lost. Bone-chilling stuff, to be honest. It was one of the first games to have players question their ‘heroic’ actions.

42 Sonic 3 and Knuckles

Sonic 3 and Knuckles is a game so impressive in its scope that Sega had to split it into two connected cartridges to even get it on the Genesis. It was worth all the technical effort as Sonic 3 and Knuckles continue to stand as the most impressive Sonic games of all time. Not only does it have three playable characters for the first time, it also has some of the best levels in the series. Sonic and Knuckles cartridges can also be plugged into Sonic 2 and let you play as an evil echidna in that game too. Quick fun.

41 Super Mario Bros. 3

Another Super Mario game, why not? Super Mario Bros. 3 defines how all platformers should play forward. We already have the power of Fire Flower, but Super Mario Bros. 3 introduces the Tanuki Suit, Frog Suit, Hammer Bro Suit, and more. Even Sonic the Hedgehog takes these lessons and applies them into the power ups that take out the destructible televisions found throughout the series. Plus, it plays great, and introduces an outside world that helps make Mushroom Kingdom feel more like a believable place. Game advantage.

40 Nier: Automata

To explain why Nier: Automata left such a huge impact on those who played it, it’s hard to explain in just a few words. First of all, the gameplay is almost perfect. You’ll be hard pressed to find a hack and slash that’s weighty, complex, and satisfying to this side of Devil May Cry. It carries one of the most meaningful stories ever produced, in any medium. It doesn’t just interrogate what it means to be human, a lot of the media have done that. It drills deeper and makes you consider the true meaning of feeling an emotion, and how something designed to be emotionless can learn how to do it. It destroys you emotionally by defeating you in this sad and hopeless world, but still gives you an optimistic outlook. It wasn’t even possible, but it was a magical feeling.

39 Heroes of Might and Magic III

Heroes of Might and Magic III came out in 1999 and revived the turn-based strategy genre, which had lost out to real-time games like StarCraft and Age of Empires. HoMM3 did not introduce any groundbreaking changes to the formula made by its two predecessors and its predecessor King’s Bounty, as the gameplay didn’t need to be fixed at that point. Nevertheless, it’s a quantum leap in terms of graphics and interface refinement compared to Hero II and significantly increases the number of available heroes, monsters, skills and magic items. This upgrade to the already exciting mix of 4x games with addictive gameplay and some light RPG elements was enough to earn Heroes III rave reviews and guarantee hours of local multiplayer fun in its signature hotseat mode. The game and its expansions, Armageddon’s Blade and The Shadow of Death, spawned a cult following with a dedicated modding community that continues to release full-featured unofficial expansions that completely change the base game, for better or for worse. Heroes of Might and Magic III is still considered the high point in the series, even after the four major releases plus the latest King’s Bounty II from 2021, and Heroes III Complete edition with the fan-made HoMM 3 HD mod is the best way to play it today.

38 Elden Ring

Oh, the Elden Ring. FromSoftware’s newest game is the most anticipated title in years, with player thrills rising out of control. Surely it couldn’t live up to such high expectations. Unless, somehow, it was. Transporting the Dark Souls formula to an open world, this is a game that goes against established best practices. It never tells you where to go or what to do – you only discover things as you explore the world, slowly pieced together the story as you go. Then there’s freedom approaching, thanks to hundreds of unique weapons – each with its own moves – and dozens of magical abilities. One hundred hours is not enough to see it all. We will never forget the moment we stepped into a seemingly innocuous elevator and found ourselves in a whole new area, miles beneath the surface of the world but somehow shrouded in a sky of stars.

37 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

A few years after Miyamoto and his team set the bar with Super Mario 64, they decided to do it again. Even though Ocarina of Time essentially transplanted the Zelda formula set by A Link to the Past into a 3D environment, it felt like nothing else at the time. A complete 3D world to explore, with dozens of characters and a huge list of dungeons that can take hours to solve. There are so many enemies, areas, and items for players to discover and use, complete with an atmosphere that really makes you believe in Hyrule and your adventures. Ocarina of Time is still amazing more than 20 years later, and that makes it one of the greatest games of all time.

36 Stardew Valley

Games can provide many different things: catharsis, escape, entertainment, pleasure, sadness, and much more. Stardew Valley, however, is focused on pure relaxation. Your character inherits the farm and you are transported to Nowheresville to grow crops, raise livestock and chat with the locals. It’s a life sim where you set your own goals, be it creating a farming empire or marrying a cool local girl. There’s farming, fishing, relationship building, monster fighting, item hunting, minigames, and more. Developer Eric Barone got tired of waiting for a good new Harvest Moon game and decided to make his own. What a hero. Great game.

35 Age of Empires 2

Age of Empires 2 was released in 1999 and expansions for the real-time strategy game are still to be released, adding new factions and campaigns – you can’t get away from this game. You go about your daily life, hear someone mutter ‘Wololo’ from somewhere, and you suddenly feel an irresistible urge to hunt wild boars and build castles. The great campaign has taught many players a history lesson they would never have experienced otherwise, and in Skirmish mode you build the fortress of your dreams before driving out of the gate in a blue and white Cobra sports car that for some reason has a machine gun mounted on it and leveling the AI. . If you like things a little more competitive, Age of Empires 2 lets you dive into what is arguably the most mechanically challenging esports game in history since StarCraft. To be honest? It’s no surprise that there are still new expansions for it in 20 years.

34 GTA V

It’s been almost a decade since GTA V launched and still no urban open world game has come close. Its heist-based single-player, which brings together the stories of three separate protagonists, still survives to this day, and GTA Online is bigger and better than ever. An iconic soundtrack, inventive missions, brilliant characters and a vast world you can almost draw from memory, nothing does it quite like Rockstar.

33 FTL: Faster Than Light

There are several roguelites on this list, but FTL is nothing like them. Take control of a spaceship on the run, recruit your crew, upgrade your weapons and fight threats along the way. We’ve put dozens of hours into this game and it’s still not done, but the hardcore difficulty is only part of its charm – after all, you’ll definitely have better luck in the next rounds. Surely your best crewmate can’t be kidnapped by aliens this time. Plus, you’re supposed to be sucking those boundaries out of the airlock, and you’re supposed to be using depressurization to put those fires out while you’re at it. stupid.

32 Dishonored 2

The main problem with voting as a team was that Dishonored 2 didn’t get our number one slot. This is Arkane Lyon in his prime, painting a foreign but familiar world in caricature. From Clockwork Mansion to A Crack in the Slab, the game is full of inventive missions. But it’s the little details that make Dishonored 2 special – the little additions the developer added with only a fraction of the player base ever seen. That’s the key to making exciting discoveries in video games: make them feel personal. It feels handcrafted down to every seam. Whether you leave the city of Karnaca completely untouched by your presence or you leave a trail of bodies behind you, this game will adapt to your taste. Power or no power? Emily or Corvo? Kill or shame? The world is in your hands.

31 Metal Gear Solid V

Hideo Kojima’s last Metal Gear Solid game released is unfinished and still better than almost any other game. With fewer cutscenes and perhaps almost no stand time for the mute lead actor, Kiefer Sutherland, gameplay is the focus here. There are no feature-length cutscenes to pull you out – just you, your gadgets, the desert and the jungle. If you’ve never been sneaking through an enemy base and stealing soldiers with fulton balloons while listening to Spandau Ballet on a walkman, you haven’t lived.

30 Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins felt like one of the few RPGs available on consoles at the time that delivered everything it promised. It’s a massive RPG, where your decisions can have a big impact. People will die, or the area will be completely skipped if you say the right thing, or the wrong thing. Combat is your standard automatic attack with ability cooldown rates, but you can also use the overhead tactical view to direct your party members to attack different enemies, depending on the type of game you want to play. The six prequel stories and bombastic adventures are impressive, but then the DLC expansion, Awakening, takes things even further. Play this game.

29 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

The Xenoblade Chronicles series is a master class in storytelling. Even when the dialogue feels a little clunky, and the sound performance a little lacking, it draws you into the world and connects you with the characters. The care and attention given to giving you a full perspective on each main character is a fundamental part of storytelling that so many games override, and it’s how you’ll shed tears with the closing credits in every game. Not to mention the top-level open world design, exciting (and endless) side missions, and a unique combat system that’s still fun even after 100 hours.

28 Super Smash Bros. Melee

The sharpest platform fighter ever. Super Smash Bros. Melee was loved by Nintendo fans at the time, but no one expected a special competitive scene to form around it, and still thrives today, in the shadows. Wavedash, dash-dancing, L-cancelling, and more competitive techniques make this one of the fastest and most intense games ever played competitively, right up there with StarCraft 2. Oh, it also has Pikachu as a playable character. That helps.

27 League of Legends

The biggest MOBA on the planet is also one of the biggest games in the world for a reason. Not only is it one of the sharpest and most complex competitive games out there, but fans have fallen in love with its massive cast of characters. Characters that, by the way, are so interesting that they brought the Netflix animated show Arcane even if you don’t care about League of Legends. Every developer on the planet hopes to compete with Riot games on the MOBA scene, but hardly anyone comes close.

26 Mass Effect 2

The entire Mass Effect trilogy is one of the greatest stories ever told in a video game, but it culminates with Mass Effect 2. Not only is it a significant gameplay improvement from the first game, but the structure is genius. You spend the entire game traveling around the galaxy, recruiting a badass team, then the game ends with a suicide mission where everyone – including you – can die if you make a bad decision. The fact that mid-game sees you bond with them, completing their personal stories to unlock extra loyalties and new abilities, only makes it harder. There aren’t many games where the stakes are as high, or as personal, as here. Mess up and your favorite won’t even show up in the next game in the series.

25 Dark Souls

Dark Souls doesn’t do anything too revolutionary, it just takes action RPG combat, slows it down, and makes the dodge roll one of the most important pieces of your arsenal – a recipe that starts with Demon’s Souls, hidden away as a less-marketed PS3 exclusive. This combination reinforces the Dark Souls formula, and while subsequent games may have accelerated things, all games in the series focus on patience, dodging at the right time, and striking back whenever you can. You won’t be solving puzzles often, but you’ll memorize the location of every enemy you come across, so they’ll never attack you again. You will not die because it is difficult, you will die because the enemies and traps will surprise you. Once you know, you know, and you will beat them all easily.

24 Half-Life: Alyx

Half-Life 2 may be one of the most influential games of all time, but developer Valve somehow managed to do it again with the VR game Half-Life: Alyx. The reason Half-Life 2 made such a big splash when it launched was because of its very advanced development – ​​it used physics in a way we’ve never seen before in a video game. Half-Life: Alyx does the same thing but in VR. Almost every object is interactive, from markers to rubber chalkboards and construction helmets. But it’s more than just a novelty. Physically reloading your weapons, fumbling and dropping magazines as crab head zombies hurtle towards you is something that can only be done in virtual reality.

23 Doom 2016

The original Doom popularized first-person shooters, but 2016’s Doom managed to become just as influential years later, the ‘Glory Kill’ system finding itself in other contemporary shooters. Reinventing Doom for a modern audience means almost turning it into a character action game – Devil May Cry for gun nuts – where you manage resources by cycling through your assassination methods. Saw kills for ammunition, Glory Kills for health, and constantly switching between weapons to deal with different types and groupings of enemies, all backed up by a roaring metal soundtrack. Glorious.

22 Alien Isolation

Alien games have largely disappointed over the years, but Creative Assembly broke the trend with this, one of the scariest games ever made. One xenomorph that can’t be killed hunts you for most of the game, running around the vents, constantly searching. Instead of a written meeting, it’s a sophisticated AI that stalks you, and you never know where it will show up. If you have the stomach for it, this is just as claustrophobic as a horror game.

21 Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar outdid itself with Red Dead Redemption 2, the near-perfect follow-up to the game. Apart from that ‘2’, it’s a prequel where you spend time with the character you hunted in the first game. You are part of a family of criminals, cheat and shoot sharp across the Wild West. Despite being a villain who kills indiscriminately, Rockstar creates one of the game’s most likable protagonists with Arthur Morgan, which makes the inevitable ending even more bittersweet. But even outside of the story, the world is the real star of the show. Every lonely hut, every cave, every landmark has its own story for you to discover as you explore this vast, beautiful and wild landscape.

20 StarCraft 2

StarCraft 2 marks the end of an era and a new beginning: Wings of Liberty hit like a bomb in 2010, revolutionizing the way you design campaign missions in real-time strategy games, offering fluid and technically advanced controls that are still unmatched today, and created the modern esports and streaming scene as we know it. At its peak, StarCraft 2 was the most popular game on the planet. At the same time, Blizzard opted for an outdated business model and realized too late which way the wind was blowing. Balance issues were stubbornly ignored for a very long time, leaving many players frustrated. StarCraft 2 falls out of the limelight but continues to ripen like fine wine. Today, it’s available for free, the balance is better than ever, the player count is healthy, it continues to be the most challenging esports game after its predecessor Brood War, and the title’s co-op system is the model that many next-generation RTS games will follow. For many, StarCraft 2 was the culmination of the Golden Age of RTS gaming, a goal that is now unattainable.

19 Tetris

Almost anyone can hum the Tetris theme song on demand, and there’s a reason it’s the most recognizable game in the world. Simple and more interesting, you take down blocks of different shapes and try to fill the rows before they reach the top of the screen. If you want a transformative experience, try Tetris Effect in VR for a synesthesia-like out-of-body experience.

18 Final Fantasy 7

Final Fantasy 7 is everyone’s favorite RPG, but it’s also a lot of people’s favorite game, and with good reason. Not only does it have a well-tuned combat system, honed over the previous six entries, with plenty of ways to synergize your team for powerful attacks, but the story is also one of the best of the series, with one of the game’s most famous plot twists. slap bang at the end of round one. Put all that into a game that’s groundbreaking in terms of graphics and style, adds a truly memorable soundtrack that’s full of tears, and it’s one that deserves to be at the top of anyone’s list.

17 Hades

There aren’t many roguelites on the list as this genre suffers from player fatigue, as they repeat the same set of obstacles over and over again. However, Hades breaks that mold by offering several different builds, offering incentives for using weapons and buffs you don’t like. Where Hades really succeeds though is in the story. You care about all of the individual NPCs, regardless of how much play you’re given, and the relationships you build can be stronger than the power you inherit from the Gods.

16 Resident Evil 2 Remake

Remakes come in many different forms, but more developers should look to these – remakes of the best video games of all time – for inspiration. The map layout is almost identical to the original game, but there are plenty of surprises around every corner and the new over-the-shoulder camera completely changes the action. Add to that the terrible graphics and terrible gore system and you have a remake that surpasses the original release in every way.

15 It Takes Two

We haven’t been getting a lot of co-op play lately, but Josef Fares and the team at Hazelight seem obsessed with them. Good news for us, as this is one of the best co-op games ever made. Actually, it couldn’t be played any other way. You and a friend control a bickering couple who are shrunk to the size of a toy by their daughter’s tears. What follows is an ever-evolving adventure where no two levels are the same. One minute you may be torturing a toy elephant and the next you are flying a plane while another is fighting a squirrel on its wings.

14 Celeste

If you like clean and sharp platformers that expertly build challenges, then you’ll love Celeste. If you like hard stories that intelligently and honestly tackle mental health issues, then you’ll love Celeste. Anxiety can be difficult to convey, because the mix of emotions you’re feeling is almost indescribable, but the “part of you” metaphor provides a perspective that anyone can understand. If you suffer from anxiety, then it can help you accept it and accept it as a part of who you are, if not, then it can help you learn what those experiencing it are going through. Plus, even if you don’t care about any of that, you have one of the most challenging but fair platformers ever made that will let you achieve feats you never thought possible.

13 God of War

This is where the boy comes in. Hello, boys. Welcome. There he is. This is where the boy comes in. Sony Santa Monica has a lot to offer when it comes to rebooting God of War for modern audiences. After all, how do you make up for characters like Kratos, who murdered his family, killed innocent women so he could open doors, and basically brought the entire Greek world to an end in his quest for revenge? That is easy. You give him a child, you tell the actor to say “boy” often, and you take him into the world of Norse mythology. A new beginning. His temper eased a bit, but he was still able to slay dragons with an ancient construction machine. What child. It took more than a few family kills to hold Kratos down.

12 Disco Elysium

When you investigate a murder in a town somewhere that isn’t France, you build your character to match your ideals. Just like in life, there are many solutions to your problems, and violence is just as valid as intellectualism or charisma. Even if you don’t have the statistics to solve the problem as you wish, your success ultimately depends on rolling the dice. With your partner Kim Kitsuragi, one of the best-written and unique characters in the game, Disco Elysium has earned its place in gaming history.

11 Persona 5

Each Persona game has a unique sense of personality that makes it stand out, and Persona 5 leans harder than them. It strikes the perfect balance between top-tier JRPG combat and life sim elements, bouncing you between the two regularly so it always feels fresh, but that’s only half the charm. While this isn’t the best character writing ever (hello again, Xenoblade), it does get the right vibes. It makes you want to spend as much time as possible hanging out with this strange group and getting to know every aspect of their lives. Then you get Persona 5 Royal, which not only develops the game’s best characters, but also adds a new storyline that is one of the best in JRPG history, if not all games.

10 Bloodborne

This could be the most controversial choice on this list. Not because it’s bad – almost all FromSoftware games are masterpieces – but because which one you prefer is a matter of personal taste. Bloodborne took it for us because the world is rich, thick as frozen blood. Cobblestone streets, offal – all impressive and scary, but so are you. Far more aggressive than any other FromSoftware game, Bloodborne is all about pressing the edge, using quick evasion, and stopping attacks with the hot leds of Victorian-era firearms. Also, you don’t get a sword that’s also a wand in Dark Souls. Checkmate. We’ll never forget the first time we got Insight enough to see what happened to the unseen… on the page.

9 Resident Evil 4

As it turns out, the Resident Evil series’ typical “tank controls” feel very different from an over-the-shoulder perspective. A simple change in perspective completely changes the way Resident Evil plays, and Resident Evil 4 takes full advantage of its new perspective. Third-person shooting allows Leon to aim his gun precisely, nail headshots, and knock enemies down with a knee shot. Follow this with suplex, and you’ll feel like the coolest person to ever hold a controller. The campy dialogue complements the horror very well, and no matter how you play it, Resident Evil 4 may still be the best action horror game ever made.

8 Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver

Despite the many flaws of the second generation Pokémon, it is often remembered by many fans as their favorite. However, the remakes of Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver do everything a good remake should do. They take the core of the much-loved original game; a vast open world that develops in two separate regions, and the best final boss of any game in the franchise, and makes things even better. Adding the Physical/Special split to moves makes more Pokémon worth playing, and massively increases the number of battle legendary Pokémon and gym leaders to fight, making this the best Pokémon game to date.

7 Minecraft

Well… that’s Minecraft, right? What else can be said about it at this point? It can be anything you want. It’s the highest-grossing video game of all time (depending on who you ask about sales of Tetris), it almost single-handedly created the YouTube gaming boom of the early 2010s, and fueled an obsession with the survival/crafting genre that just won. ‘seems to never die – for better or for worse. No matter what kind of game you like, there’s always some simple fun to be had in placing a few blocks and admiring something you’ve made, especially if you’re doing it with friends.

6 Skyrim

People still play Skyrim. It’s been ported to all of them, and has more editions than the Oxford Dictionary. That’s because Bethesda created a world so vast that you could almost live a double life in its snowy sandbox. Join the Dark Brotherhood to become an assassin, then take a break from all killing and track interest for the mage guild. It helps that Skyrim launched around the same time as Game of Thrones, capturing the zeitgeist and allowing us all to pretend we’ve Taken Black.

5 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a game where the rewards are almost always intrinsic. Yes, there’s a goal to strengthen Link so he can climb bigger cliffs, but when you’re climbing mountains or solving puzzles, the motivation is your own curiosity. Map markers on the horizon should be the only ones you place, simply because you want to explore every corner of the world. You really need to draw some intrinsic joy out of this, because Korok Seeds aren’t good enough otherwise. Completely ditching the beloved Zelda formula, Breath of the Wild is one of the few open world games that feels as though you can literally go anywhere. Once you get your hands on the paraglider, you’ll have all the tools you need to solve every puzzle and dungeon in the game, and you can even head straight for the final boss if you feel you have enough power on your side. One of the few games that can be considered revolutionary, and its influence will be felt at least for the next generation.

4 The Witcher 3

There’s only one Western RPG that can topple Skyrim from its dragon perch, and that’s The Witcher 3. While it doesn’t offer the same freedom and player expression as Skyrim, it makes up for it with some of the best writing in video. game. Every decision you make has weight, every character you meet is enhanced, and sidequests are generally of a better quality than the main missions in most other games. With its two expansion packs, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, it somehow got better. No wonder Henry Cavill went to Netflix and begged them to play Geralt on the show.

3 Metal Gear Solid

For many, it is a video game that opens their eyes to the potential of the medium. 3D stealth games only really became a thing in the year Metal Gear Solid launched, and no other game has managed to pack the same thing. Much of that depends on Hideo Kojima, a creative game designer who allows his wildest impulses to come into his game. Lighting lasers with cigarette smoke, switching your controller to beat mind-reading bosses, spraying ketchup on the floor to pretend to be dead in a prison cell – Metal Gear Solid is still far more inventive than most contemporary games.

2 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Placing Vania in Metroidvania marks Castlevania: Symphony of the Night as one of the most influential games in history. Despite being released in 1997, some of the ideas SotN introduced still influence games made today. The dread you feel as you walk closer to the next checkpoint, balancing low health in the face of a barrage of enemies is iconic, and the way a castle (castle?) slowly unfolds the more abilities you learn is a design used in endless play. SotN is a lesson not only in game history, but also in great game design. One for ages.

1 Shadow of the Colossus

You never forget your first giant. The game throws you into a world with a bit of context and encourages you to follow the light that bounces off your sword as you hold it in the air. You race across desolate plains, past gigantic ruins, silent except for the occasional bird in flight. Eventually, you reach a dead end and are forced to climb. Up and up you go until you finally reach the last threshold and there it is – a rock and hair giant, tottering around an empty field. It doesn’t attack. You did. You cling to its fur and climb over the animal, surviving a lifetime when it tries to let you go. You reach his head and stab your sword into his weak point, which erupts in a blood geyser. Repeat until the animal falls. In most games you’ll be happy with this, but it’s clear from the start that none of these creatures deserve your sword.

Written by Dave Aubrey, Georgina Young, Kyle Campbell, Marco Wutz, Ryan Woodrow, and Stoyan Ovcharov on behalf of GLHF.

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