Welcome the 7th installment of VG Chartz’s Top 100 Games of All Time. These tiles have been hand-picked by the fans and enthusiasts of the community and represent the best of the best. Today’s list is 50% RPG and 100% awesome.
40. Tetris
Ah yes! The game from Russia that conquered the world in ways Stalin could only wish Communism had. Tetris is the brainchild of Alexey Pajitnov and has become the best known puzzle game in the world since he created it in 1985. The game has made an appearance in every console and handheld generation since its release. The best known release of Tetris was on the Gameboy in 1989. It went on to sell 33 million copies and started reaching out to expanded markets almost two decades before WiiSports. This puzzler knows no demographic boundaries. Whether you are a hardcore gamer, casual player, male, female, young, or old chances are Tetris fits perfectly in your library.
Platform: It would be easier to list platforms it did not appear on.
39. Half-Life 2
Many things make Half-Life 2 memorable. It features amazing gameplay, a gripping story, and our hero – Gordon Freeman. Interestingly, those are not the only contributing factors to this sequel’s success. Much of Half-Life 2’s success is a product of the game’s dedicated community and Valve’s development of Steam and the easily modded Source Engine. When a copy of Half-Life 2 was purchased (on PC), not only did you get a stellar game, but it comes with a ticket into a community that to this day offers new gameplay experiences and multiplayer modes. Few games can boast such a robust community-driven diversity.
Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
38. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Oh how we all enjoy playing in Rock Star’s sandboxes! San Andreas makes its mark for completing the daunting task of giving us a game that offered everything that was good about its predecessors sans the fat. Most notably, the game city of San Andreas was larger than both Vice City and Liberty City but needed no disruptive loading as players explored every nook and cranny. San Andreas also allowed you to mod your car, complete rampages with a buddy, and customize your character in a way that effected the game experience. Despite all the improvements it was still just an excuse to commit crime and kill hookers – which is awesome.
Platforms: PC, Xbox, PlayStation 2
37. Super Smash Brothers Melee
The idea was simple: bring all of Nintendo’s loveable and cuddly characters together and let them beat the ever-loving dog-squeeze out of each other. This game has stolen countless hours of gamers' collective youths and most will never regret a single lost moment. Like its predecessor, Melee is addictive, accessible, and has loads of frenetic gameplay. But the game added tons of multiplayer modes, bigger stages, and depth that made it perfect for tournaments. Secret techniques and exploits fostered one of the most competitive communities in gaming while never alienating younger and casual players. The balance is amazing and there are easily hundreds of different ways to design a competitive and enjoyable match. Super Smash Brothers Melee is a timeless king of the hill game.
Platform: Nintendo Gamecube
36. Secret of Mana
What makes dungeon crawling, monster killing, power leveling, and damsel in distress saving more fun? Doing it all with two other friends! Secret of Mana is remarkable because it took everything that made a single-player RPG great and made it multiplayer. The quest in Secret of Mana was epic and the fact that you could experience the game with your friends or siblings was an unbeatable deal. This doesn’t even scratch the surface; in true Square fashion the game comes complete with a rocking soundtrack and a great cast of characters.
Platform: Super Nintendo, Virtual Console
35. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Finally, a great shooter that is not based on World War II, some distant future Sci-FI dystopia, or a terrible mix of both. Call of Duty 4 features precise controls, customizable weapons, and beautiful graphics. The story is also very unique as it strikes that perfect balance between a realistic military plot and future high-tech gadgetry. Nothing seems implausible or Sci-fi in this game and yet it never rests on the laurels of historical engagements as countless other First Person Shooters do. But the money-maker, the reason we go back to this game over and over again, is the multiplayer. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare features all the standard fare that we have come to expect ever since Halo 2. In addition, Infinity Ward added a very compelling leveling up, upgrade, special abilities, and customizing system that allows players to tailor their character to a particular playing style.
Platform: PC, Xbox360, PlayStation 3
34. Skies of Arcadia
Sometimes all that’s needed to make a great RPG is awesome airship battles. It’s true; just think of how many times you wanted to commandeer the Highwind in Final Fantasy VII and do battle with a Weapon. Skies of Arcadia recognizes this opportunity that has been overlooked for years and exploits it. It also gushes with a great steampunk-inspired graphical style and Jules Verne-esque story. Everything about Skies of Arcadia is designed for the RPG otaku and this game does not disappoint.
Platform: Dreamcast and released on Nintendo Gamecube as an enhanced port named Skies of Arcadia Legends.
33. Final Fantasy VIII
The VGChartz community loves RPGS, there is no denying this. Even a title that many regard as the ‘black sheep’ of the Final Fantasy series has found its way to the top half of the list. Final Fantasy VIII gets much criticism for Square’s decision to discard the much loved Materia system in favor of the Junction battle system. No matter how you feel about the Junction system, there are many people who regard this iteration as the best in the series. Square designed a much more mature aesthetic for this iteration of Final Fantasy and backed the style up with an equally mature and memorable plot. The story and the characters that revolve around it feature the same quality that we all have come to expect from Square. The pre-rendered environments were improved over the previous installment and the summons became more integral in turn-based strategy. Final Fantasy VIII may be a departure from the formula, but the result speaks for itself.
Platform: PlayStation, PC
32: Final Fantasy IX
Why is it that this game is so loved? It’s not the intriguing fantasy story with a hint of steampunk design thrown in. It’s not the long awaited return to the ‘big-headed’ character designs. It isn’t the beautiful music and inspired FMV. It’s not even the traditional active turn-based battle system that harkens back to FFVI on the SNES. Of course, all of these things play a major role in Final Fantasy IX's impact on gaming. However, the reason we hold such a warm feeling towards this game is because it is a love letter to old school RPGs. This Final Fantasy embodies the heart and spirit of the traditional fantasy-based Japanese Role Playing Game. This game also had everything we could want in an at-its-time modern RPG. The fact of the matter is that Final Fantasy IX wonderfully showcased the breadth of Square’s experience gathered during the 5th console generation and packaged it all into a killer game. Also gamers love Vivi.
Platform: PlayStation
31. Diablo 2
It is my personal theory that Blizzard Entertainment made Diablo II for no other reason than to give fans their freaking Cow Level. Of course, Blizzard Entertainment packaged their sarcastic retort in one of the greatest action RPGS ever made. The hack’n’slash dungeon crawler seems standard enough, but when coupled with free online multiplayer over Battle.net, LAN multiplayer, and five different classes this game sets itself apart from the rest. Diablo II also featured levels that would be randomly generated with random item drops and random monster stats. Yes, I used ‘random’ three times and as gamer math goes - random cubed equals perfection.
Platform: PC, Mac
Missed one? Check out a previous installment!
The VGC Top 100 Best Games of All Time is based entirely on votes by our members. The source for the list can be found here . Only games released before January 1st 2009 are included.
