VGChartz Staff Picks: The Top 100 Games, Part III - Article
by Evan Norris , posted on 22 January 2018 / 6,586 Views
Now things are starting to snowball. We covered games #100-61 in Part I and Part II, and we've finally arrived at the top 60 games of all time, according to VGChartz staff. Enjoy!
Part III: Games 60-41
#60
GoldenEye 007
Rare's GoldenEye 007 proved the viability of first-person shooting on home consoles. It demonstrated that single player and multiplayer shooters could work and even thrive away from the PC environment, and set the stage for games like Medal of Honor, Red Faction, Halo, and, eventually, Call of Duty. Beyond its legacy, it's just a terrific game, with objective-based missions, addictive deathmatch options, and, thanks to several difficulty settings, significant replay value.
#59
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X is the first of six Final Fantasy games on this list, but for many it's the greatest moment of the series. Featuring a revised battle and summons system, robust character development tools, and amazing production values, it's one of the best-playing and best-looking games in one of the industry's finest franchises.
#58
Rayman Origins
Michel Ancel is a genius; let's just get that out of the way. His work on Rayman, particularly Rayman Origins and its sequel Legends, is some of his best. In Origins, Ancel and his team at Ubisoft Montpellier turn in a platformer for the ages, with colorful and varied stages, a quirky sense of humor, and a level of creativity matched only by the platform masters at Nintendo.
#57
Borderlands 2
Developer Gearbox upped the ante with Borderlands 2, with an improved story and updated gameplay systems. It's an incredibly rewarding game, not just in relation to story and character progression, but also in terms of loot, co-op combat, exploration, and questing.
#56
Ico
Ico is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Born from the fertile imagination of Fumito Ueda, who would go on to gift the world Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian, Ico is a minimalistic action-adventure title with clever puzzles, gratifying climbing and exploration, and, at its center, an emotionally powerful partner mechanic where the young outcast Ico must work with the captive Yorda to escape a vast castle.
#55
Halo 3
Bungie was at the top of its game with Halo 3, turning in a title with an outrageous amount of content and polish. On the single player side of things, Halo 3 concluded (or so we thought) the story of Master Chief and Cortana in satisfying fashion. On the multiplayer side, the game delivered a veritable smorgasbord of modes, customization options, map editor features, vehicles, weapons, and items. It remains a masterclass in online multiplayer gaming.
#54
Final Fantasy IV
Known as Final Fantasy II when it launched in North America in 1991, Final Fantasy IV set the tone for the series moving forward. Its colorful cast of characters, active-time battle system, and dramatic storytelling affected not only the evergreen role-playing series but RPGs in general. Looking back, it was a monumental game.
#53
FTL
FTL lets you be the captain, but it's not all glory and adventure. The random chance of destruction and asphyxiation in deep space is always present in this tough-as-nails but ultimately-rewarding rogue-like space sim. Its simple presentation hides a game of considerable depth and strategy.
#52
Demon's Souls
If you didn't get your fill of death in FTL, perhaps Demon's Souls will scratch that itch. Here is an action RPG where every mortal wound is a lesson, and every failure an instruction manual. Only by losing again and again, and by paying attention to the clues left by the game's creative asymmetrical multiplayer mode, can you hope to make it to the end of Demon's Souls.
#51
Batman: Arkham City
Where Arkham Asylum (#84) was a take on a Metroidvania, its successor Arkham City went full open world, opening much of the playground that is Gotham City to players. The game world is teeming with hostiles, secrets, and optional side-quests, and Batman himself is a joy to play, with a wide range of navigational and gadget-based moves.
#50
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
The third Sonic game is debatably the best, with spectacular 2D sprite work, a killer soundtrack, and vast levels begging to be explored and re-explored. In fact, the game's large, non-linear stages, filled with secrets, are perhaps its greatest attribute.
#49
Gears of War 3
While it's not the most innovative game in the franchise, Gears of War 3 overwhelms with the strength and substance of its single player, co-op, and multiplayer options — including Horde 2.0 and Beast mode. It's more evolutionary than revolutionary, but that's just fine with a series as stalwart as Gears of War.
#48
Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time
A Crack in Time does almost everything right. Its colorful visuals pop off the screen. Its story hits all the right beats, including funny jokes and even some surprising revelations. Its gameplay, a smart mixture of puzzle-solving, platforming, and third-person shooting, is polished and perfect.
#47
Journey
Journey is as much an audiovisual explosion of art as it is a game. With stunning graphics, a soundtrack that ranks among the best of all time, and a specialized cooperative mechanic that allows strangers to share the same powerful quest, Journey is one of those rare games that will stay will you all your life.
#46
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Boasting 11 characters new to the series and a ridiculously fun two-characters-per-kart setup, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! sent Nintendo's best-selling racing series to new heights. The two-character dynamic allows a good deal of mixing and matching, and makes the choice of characters — each of whom owns his or her own special item — all the more strategic.
#45
Fallout 3
Fallout returned in a big way with Fallout 3, which said goodbye to the isometric view and turn-based action of earlier games and embraced 3D graphics and a V.A.T.S. combat framework that combines real-time and turn-based fighting. With huge exploration opportunities, open-ended gameplay, and adjustable character progression, it's one of the most flexible and deepest RPGs available.
#44
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V, besides breaking all kinds of sales records, represents a tremendous step forward for open-world design and storytelling. It's a game epic in size and scope, filled with memorable characters; challenging missions; absorbing exploration, shooting, and driving; and a gigantic, organic world overflowing with weird and wild things to do.
#43
Beyond Good & Evil
Michel Ancel earns a second spot on this list with Beyond Good & Evil, a special Zelda-like game with a sinister storyline and some tricky stealth gameplay. There's a lot to love about this game, including an eclectic soundtrack, a bizarre (but lovable) group of supporting characters, and plenty of chances to explore Hillys and capture its fauna on camera.
#42
SoulCalibur
With its revolutionary "eight-way run" control scheme, high replay value, and sumptuous visuals, SoulCalibur is one of the most impactful fighting games ever made, and a rare example of a console port that outdoes the arcade original. Combat is strategic and intense, the characters are varied, and the action is silky smooth and beautiful to watch.
#41
Dark Souls
Prepare to die. Like its spiritual predecessor Demon's Souls (#52), Dark Souls is a punishing action-RPG where death comes early and often. Unlike Demon's Souls, however, the game offers a sprawling, inter-connected environment that fits together like a jigsaw puzzle. Gone are discrete levels, replaced with a huge domain that feels layered and complex, where a platform or parapet spotted far away could be your next destination.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for games 40-21 in Part IV.
Included among them is a title that's sold 144 million copies, a game that brought a beloved series into three dimensions for the first time, and a deceptively-simple RPG that taught a generation of kids to "catch 'em all."
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OoT will be number 1. Draw it out and make them wait with Part 6 being all about OoT and it is the greatest game ever and no game will ever match OoT in the history of this world.
FFX is super low, Dark Souls over Demon's Souls, and anything Gears of War even being on the list..yeahh.
But Dark Souls and Demon's Souls are very similar in quality. Both are super fantastic.
I agree that Demon's Souls has better atmosphere. It was more mystical.
Y'all crazy
Glad to see GTA5 at #44, which means it didn't make the top 40. It is overrated.
And it warms my heart to see both Demon's Souls and Dark Souls making the top 50 (and Bloodborne at #61).
Ico should be like in the top 10 or top 20, but hey it's there and so is FFX and Journey!!!
Here we go again..
Another solid list. I appreciate how difficult these are to make, but oh god, Borderlands 2. I've never been so glitch-f***ed in my life. I went through gaming hell to get the plat on that one, and as soon as I did, within minutes, took it to EB Games for trade-in, and wiped my data. Could have gotten another 2 easier plats with cross save on the Vita and PS4, but won't ever touch another Gearbox game again. Passed on a new copy of Tales From The Borderlands for $1.99. The hate is real.
lol! one of the best and most beloved FF games ever, that low... u mad?
Kingdom Hearts hasn't appeared yet because it's higher up on the list, right? Right? RIGHT?
Like most of these types of lists, the selection of games is great and all, but when you dive into the different rankings some of them don't make any sense :-P
Like A Crack in Time not being #1! Makes no sense at all!
Glad to see journey made it
Great to see FFIV on the list. I love this game. It is the only one of the series I played multiple times.
If Ocarina of Time ends up being #1, this will have been a complete waste of everyone's time...
Literally one of the worst top# lists in the history of the universe.
