Man oh man, do people have opinions about the top games of all time. Video game players a passionate folk, and they want to see their top games stand out as stars.
There are thousands of video games all over the world and some of them have aged well. Some have seen the pinnacle of success while others remain to be a niche video game.
Throughout the years, many game developers have stepped up to the challenge of bringing complex gameplay, and amazing character-driven stories. Up next is our list of the top 10 games of all time:
- The Last of Us
- Mass Effect 2
- World of Warcraft
- Starcraft II
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Half-Life 2
- The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim
- Diablo
- Minecraft
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
The Last of Us
The Last of Us is one of those games that draw you into the world. Players were able to fully connect to the characters like never before. Fans of the game became invested with the storyline of battle-hardened Joel.
Joel takes the young, innocent, but resourceful Ellie under his wing. The game was a breath of fresh air for those who wanted to play a game with a gripping storyline.
Set 20 years into the future, America is torn by an infection that has left most of the population into mindless zombie-like monsters while the rest of the living is tearing each other apart.
The Last of Us became such a pop culture phenomenon that it earned countless awards. It is still one of the best-reviewed games even up to this day and its story and graphics still hold against many of those that have come after it.
Mass Effect 2
For every popular game title that was released, a sequel is bound to happen. Some titles might end up having a dip in quality after the original game but this is not the case with Mass Effect. Mass Effect 2 is better than the original.Â
It follows the adventures of Commander Shepard as he is tasked to assemble a team of misfits that will help save the entire universe from the Collectors. While the premise of the game seems simple, it's not.
The ongoing adventures of Shepard and his team heavily rely on the decisions made by the player. Each decision will ultimately change the course of the game and will have a huge impact as the game progresses.
The story-driven nature of the game as well as its fast-paced action sequences was lauded by many players. Its well-executed decision-making options was a refreshing take on the genre and made for fun replays.
World of Warcraft
Most of the games on the list are either console or PC games but World of Warcraft is an exemption. This multiplayer online role-playing game made its way into the internet in 2001 and was released in 2004.
Since its launch, the game has enjoyed millions of registered users and has become one of the most played video games of all time.
It is by far the most popular MMORPG to be created with over 10 million players in 2009 and continues to grow up to this day. The game has seen a lot of expansions that continue the story set in the Warcraft universe.
With eight major expansions released throughout its history, the game is still at the top of its creative level. It has gripping storylines that push the major characters and plot forward into new territories.
Starcraft II
One of the most iconic PC games to have ever been released is Starcraft. Its expansion Starcraft: Brood War set the tone for its massive popularity. However, it wasn't until Starcraft II that the Starcraft franchise soared to great heights.
The game serves as a sequel to Starcraft and was released in May 2007 by Blizzard. The game was set as a trilogy that covered the three main races - Terran, Protoss, and Zerg.
Starcraft II follows the adventures of Jim Raynor, Sarah Kerrigan, and Artanis alongside many old and new characters from the Starcraft universe as they race against time to uncover the secret of the Xel'Naga.
During the first two days of its release, the game sold 1.5 million copies and over a span of a month the number expanded up to 3 million copies. It became one of the best-selling video games of all time.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is an action-adventure game from Rockstar Games. The game follows Tommy Vercetti in the fictional Vice City where he continues his exploits after his release from prison in the criminal underbelly of the city.
The game is played in a third-person perspective and is highly praised for its visual style and open-world design. Players could roam around the city and encounter many characters for both the main and side missions.
Vice City itself is a character that is heavily based on Miami. With its compelling story and immense open world, the game was praised for both its gameplay and music.
It became one of the best-selling games in 2002 and sold over 17.5 million copies worldwide. It later spawned an equally outstanding sequel: GTA: San Andreas.
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 is the follow-up game to the widely successful Half-life by Valve. The game spent 5 years in development as the creators wanted the game to be massively successful in both gameplay and story.
Once the game was released, it garnered universal acclaim and was lauded as one of the best video games of all time. It has won over 30 Game of the Year awards and countless other accolades.
The game follows Gordon Freeman, a scientist who has to deal with the aftermath of the Black Mesa Incident that has left mankind on the brink of disaster. He is joined by many allies throughout the entire game.
Throughout the years, Half-life 2 has released three episodic content with a prequel just released this year. In 2011, the game has reached over 12 million sales and continues to rise to this day.
The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim
Popularly known as Skyrim, it is the fifth entry to the Elder Scrolls Saga by Bethesda Game Studios. Skyrim holds the title as one of the best-selling video games in history with over 30 million copies sold on different platforms.
The game follows a Dragonborn character who must stop Alduin from destroying the world. Set 200 years after the previous game, Skyrim still follows a lot of the major features of its previous games including the open-world design.
What makes the game truly different from the rest of the franchise is its unique character advancement system and overall game setting.
Diablo
Diablo is an action-adventure role-playing game where players take on the role of a warrior, rogue, bard, sorcerer, barbarian, and monk. Each class has its own set of abilities and must rally together to stop the forces of Diablo, the Lord of Terror.Â
Developed and released by Blizzard in 1996, the game has spawned two more sequels with one currently under development.
With its widely positive reviews and fan hype, the game has sold over 2.5 million units all over the world and has gotten rave reviews for its superior graphics and moody atmosphere.
The outstanding storyline opened up a vast universe filled with dreadful monsters and made the game even more addicting. Diablo up to this day remains one of the highest scores given to any video game.
Minecraft
Minecraft is an online sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios. The game involves players interacting with the game world through mining and acquiring resources to build infrastructures or any other creation that their imagination can do.
Released in May of 2011, Minecraft soared to great heights when it expanded to consoles and mobile devices.
The game sold over 200 million copies on different platforms as of May 2020 and has been part of the list of top best-selling video games of all time since it was released.
With over 126 million active monthly players and 500 million registered players, Minecraft is still one of the most played online games in the world.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Popularly known as KotOR, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a roleplaying game based on the popular Star Wars Sage. Set 4,000 years before the storyline in the movies, the game follows the story of Darth Malak.
He is the last apprentice of an evil Sith Lord who is hell-bent on destroying the Republic. The game became the first computer RPG that allowed its players to have the option to choose their morality using an alignment system.
Whether they choose to go to the Dark Side or stay with the forces of good, players often have the chance to play around the system and make the game more personalized.
The game became one of the precursors for many other games that had the same alignment system as well as its decision-making option for its players. Since its release, the game has won over 126 awards.
Summary
Video games are an integral part of our culture. Since the first video game came out in the late 1950s, people have been playing them as a means of entertainment and connecting with each other.
Today, games are fancier with super graphics, but the story-telling is what tells them apart. A good storyline and world to play in beats everything and the games above have that.
