Greatest. Best. All-Time Favorite. Highest Rated. Most Important...

How do you define greatness? While this is certainly subjective, gamers, critics and industry leaders have been weighing in for decades. With so many best-of-the-best lists and criteria to sift through, how do you make sense of it all? Which games are really the greatest?

That's where pwnRank comes in. Since 2013, we've been diligently aggregating ranking data – currently from approximately 85+ lists worldwide - and applying a sensible scoring system to generate the most comprehensive and unbiased list of top video games ever made. Greatness is hard to define, but we know this - you should play these games!

Check out the Top 100 Video Games of All-Time...

v9.0  |  Last Updated: 11/09/2023 | Data from 71 Lists | How it Works

100.  Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
-30
1206p
2000 // RPG // PC     Δ pwnRank: -30 Δ pwnScore: -455 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 2 Total appearances: 11
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZClIoVwFM2M?rel=0
"In many ways, Baldur's Gate II is the culmination of the powerful RPG renaissance that's been driving the genre over the last several years; a rebirth that originally started with its predecessor, Baldur's Gate."
-IGN
99.  Final Fantasy IX
1
1206p
2000 // RPG // PlayStation     Δ pwnRank: 1 Δ pwnScore: 38 Highest rank on any list: 15 Top 25 appearances: 2 Total appearances: 15
https://www.youtube.com/embed/XrmQXD6Z1Sk?rel=0
"While it manages to only just fall short of greatness, it does so with a level of grace so memorizing, it's hard to believe sometimes. If you still aren't convinced, just play to the final cutscene. That should convince you just fine."
-Cubed3
98.  Pac-Man
-15
1216p
1980 // Maze // Arcade     Δ pwnRank: -15 Δ pwnScore: -212 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 11 Total appearances: 16
https://www.youtube.com/embed/FRWp9sO2P68?rel=0
"Namco's breakthrough arcade hit tapped deep into the human psyche with nothing more than a little yellow circle."
-1UP.com
97.  The Sims
-12
1235p
2000 // Life Simulation // PC     Δ pwnRank: -12 Δ pwnScore: -129 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 10 Total appearances: 15
https://www.youtube.com/embed/IwF0RIkCamU?rel=0
"The premise of The Sims sounded so stupid. Then people played it. Then it won Game of the Year. Then it became the best-selling PC game of all time."
-Time
96.  Half-Life: Alyx
30
1248p
2020 // FPS // PC     Δ pwnRank: 30 Δ pwnScore: 411 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 5 Total appearances: 8
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
95.  Outer Wilds
7
1251p
2019 // Action-Adventure // Xbox One  PS4  PC Δ pwnRank: 7 Δ pwnScore: 180 Highest rank on any list: 9 Top 25 appearances: 3 Total appearances: 8
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
94.  Celeste
48
1255p
2018 // Platform // Switch  PC  Xbox One Δ pwnRank: 48 Δ pwnScore: 498 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 3 Total appearances: 8
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
93.  Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
3
1255p
2015 // Action-Adventure Stealth // PC  Xbox One  PS4 Δ pwnRank: 3 Δ pwnScore: 14 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 3 Total appearances: 13
https://www.youtube.com/embed/JgdrOMdUcqI?rel=0
"Debate will rage over whether it’s the best, but The Phantom Pain is very arguably the ultimate Metal Gear, grabbing the best ideas, themes and mechanics from every game..."
-Trustedreviews.com
92.  Final Fantasy X
-5
1268p
2001 // RPG // PS2     Δ pwnRank: -5 Δ pwnScore: -67 Highest rank on any list: 9 Top 25 appearances: 2 Total appearances: 11
https://www.youtube.com/embed/bv-mzzkZ-eE?rel=0
"The ambitious design of Final Fantasy X ultimately pervades in every aspect of the game. And so, like many of its predecessors, Final Fantasy X stands as a testament to just how affecting a game can be."
-Gamespot
91.  Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
6
1283p
2001 // Sports // PlayStation  PC  Dreamcast Δ pwnRank: 6 Δ pwnScore: 57 Highest rank on any list: 2 Top 25 appearances: 5 Total appearances: 13
https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ronOqY7mEw?rel=0
"The best skateboarding game ever and one of the greatest PlayStation games of all time."
-CNET Gamecenter
90.  Hollow Knight
74
1292p
2017 // Platform // PC  Switch   Δ pwnRank: 74 Δ pwnScore: 671 Highest rank on any list: 8 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 10
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
89.  Baldur's Gate 3
1294p
2023 // RPG // PC  PS5  Xbox Series X/S Δ pwnRank: Δ pwnScore: Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 3 Total appearances: 5
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
88.  BioShock Infinite
-17
1311p
2013 // FPS // Xbox 360  PS3  PC Δ pwnRank: -17 Δ pwnScore: -311 Highest rank on any list: 17 Top 25 appearances: 5 Total appearances: 16
https://www.youtube.com/embed/jchIi-vR_js?rel=0
"Familiar threads run through it – a lighthouse, a strange city, a charismatic antagonist – but they are homages to the past rather than attempts to recycle it."
-Game Informer
87.  The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
-9
1333p
2006 // Action-Adventure // Wii  GC   Δ pwnRank: -9 Δ pwnScore: -156 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 2 Total appearances: 11
https://www.youtube.com/embed/kBRGtbXJYAs?rel=0
"Ocarina, your time is up. It took Nintendo almost a decade to do it, but the publisher has finally created a new Zelda game that is so well designed and so epic that it deserves to be crowned the best in its class."
-IGN
86.  Soulcalibur
-4
1358p
1998 // Fighting // Arcade  Dreamcast   Δ pwnRank: -4 Δ pwnScore: -90 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 4 Total appearances: 7
https://www.youtube.com/embed/clc5XjUqWrU?rel=0
"Let's get one thing out of the way: Soul Calibur is the best 3D fighting game ever released in the arcades."
-Gamespot
85.  Pokémon Gold and Silver
-6
1389p
2000 // RPG // GBC     Δ pwnRank: -6 Δ pwnScore: -99 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 5 Total appearances: 13
https://www.youtube.com/embed/_felwg61w1Y?rel=0
"Pokémon is not a fad, it's here to stay, and this new Game Boy Color series is only going to fuel the blaze of popularity further."
-IGN
84.  God of War Ragnarök
1394p
2022 // Action-Adventure // PS5     Δ pwnRank: Δ pwnScore: Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 3 Total appearances: 5
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
83.  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
8
1413p
2008 // Stealth // PS3     Δ pwnRank: 8 Δ pwnScore: 136 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 4 Total appearances: 10
https://www.youtube.com/embed/r83H7ry2LiY?rel=0
"This fourth installment released on the PlayStation 3 to rave reviews... It also received many Game of the Year awards in recognition of its melding of a complex and layered story with engaging stealth gameplay."
-Fandomania
82.  Halo 2
-6
1425p
2004 // FPS // Xbox     Δ pwnRank: -6 Δ pwnScore: -84 Highest rank on any list: 7 Top 25 appearances: 3 Total appearances: 13
https://www.youtube.com/embed/3m3ecsq4DBc?rel=0
"After Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) was done saving the Xbox game console system from being a disaster, Halo 2 came along and literally evolved the entire gaming industry."
-Animation Career Review
81.  Assassin's Creed II
-16
1442p
2009 // Action-Adventure // Xbox 360  PS3   Δ pwnRank: -16 Δ pwnScore: -356 Highest rank on any list: 9 Top 25 appearances: 3 Total appearances: 18
https://www.youtube.com/embed/AhPR0lLqiCg?rel=0
"Assassin's Creed II transforms a middling action game into an intriguing and consistently entertaining open-world adventure… The experience is layered, unique, and shows an incredible attention to detail. "
-IGN
80.  Halo 3
-7
1480p
2007 // FPS // Xbox 360     Δ pwnRank: -7 Δ pwnScore: -116 Highest rank on any list: 10 Top 25 appearances: 3 Total appearances: 12
https://www.youtube.com/embed/KCmJIWmG1Qs?rel=0
"In substance it’s nothing new, merely a magnificent, beautiful monster of an FPS sequel. In concept and execution, though, Halo 3 is the future."
-Edge Online
79.  The Legend of Zelda
-18
1505p
1986 // Action-Adventure // NES     Δ pwnRank: -18 Δ pwnScore: -453 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 8 Total appearances: 15
https://www.youtube.com/embed/UpDvqB69RCQ?rel=0
"It was wrapped in gold when released, and now it's earned the gold amongst its peers… Perfect in every conceivable way, it is well-deserving of the top honor amongst the greats."
-Game Informer
78.  The Last of Us Part II
45
1509p
2020 // Action-Adventure // PS4     Δ pwnRank: 45 Δ pwnScore: 642 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 2 Total appearances: 7
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
77.  Ms. Pac-Man
0
1519p
1982 // Maze // Arcade     Δ pwnRank: 0 Δ pwnScore: 20 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 8
https://www.youtube.com/embed/WpsfPJ9RuYI?rel=0
"It's been more than 30 years since Ms. Pac-Man hit the arcade scene, but when it did, everyone was hunched over at the local bar playing it... it improved on its predecessor in every way possible…"
-G4
76.  Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
-17
1527p
2002 // Action-Adventure // PS2     Δ pwnRank: -17 Δ pwnScore: -486 Highest rank on any list: 5 Top 25 appearances: 5 Total appearances: 17
https://www.youtube.com/embed/qvJw3HGL4Vg?rel=0
"...GTA: Vice City is still one of the most impressive games of 2002, without a doubt. It's highly recommendable…"
-IGN
75.  Kingdom Hearts II
-3
1545p
2005 // Action RPG // PS2     Δ pwnRank: -3 Δ pwnScore: -53 Highest rank on any list: 5 Top 25 appearances: 4 Total appearances: 12
https://www.youtube.com/embed/12XlBRnNKgA?rel=0
"An inspiring emotional work of art and perhaps the best role-playing game this year. Square Enix continues to prove that you can take even the most played out source material in the world (Disney's various franchises) and make something wonderful."
-Gameshark
74.  Nier: Automata
12
1557p
2017 // Action RPG // PS4  PC   Δ pwnRank: 12 Δ pwnScore: 209 Highest rank on any list: 4 Top 25 appearances: 3 Total appearances: 13
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
73.  Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
30
1565p
2005 // Stealth // PS2     Δ pwnRank: 30 Δ pwnScore: 499 Highest rank on any list: 16 Top 25 appearances: 5 Total appearances: 7
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
72.  Grand Theft Auto III
-5
1568p
2001 // Action-Adventure // PS2     Δ pwnRank: -5 Δ pwnScore: -155 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 12 Total appearances: 17
https://www.youtube.com/embed/DR9dHOvsd90?rel=0
"GTAIII is one of the most influential games in console history and has informed every crime caper to hit the shelves ever since."
-Empire
71.  Diablo II
-11
1601p
2000 // Action RPG // PC     Δ pwnRank: -11 Δ pwnScore: -393 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 4 Total appearances: 21
https://www.youtube.com/embed/fABzCGRa--8?rel=0
"The most traditional of dungeon-crawling hack'n'slashers, Diablo II is the star pupil in a genre that's been sullied by a proliferation of pretenders…"
-Empire
70.  Grand Theft Auto IV
5
1629p
2008 // Action-Adventure // PS3  Xbox 360  PC Δ pwnRank: 5 Δ pwnScore: 93 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 5 Total appearances: 13
https://www.youtube.com/embed/nNYVh0lVeoE?rel=0
"Grand Theft Auto III... inspired a whole new generation of 3D action games. Grand Theft Auto IV is just as big a leap forward, though perhaps in subtler ways, and sets a new benchmark for open-world games. "
-IGN
69.  Persona 4 / Golden
-6
1642p
2008 // RPG // PS2     Δ pwnRank: -6 Δ pwnScore: -212 Highest rank on any list: 3 Top 25 appearances: 5 Total appearances: 16
https://www.youtube.com/embed/EgafGTqrQao?rel=0
"The story hooks you, dungeon crawling makes for a great time, and exploring your relationships while building a better army is the kind of tinkering you can get lose hours to. Persona 4 Golden is perfectly at home on the handheld and should dominate your free time."
-IGN
68.  Fallout: New Vegas
-2
1679p
2010 // FPS Action-RPG // PC  PS3  Xbox 360 Δ pwnRank: -2 Δ pwnScore: -89 Highest rank on any list: 5 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 18
https://www.youtube.com/embed/N8XLN1N0vtM?rel=0
"The debate about which 3D Fallout is best has been raging for years, and probably will forever. But for my money, New Vegas is the clear winner... The quests are more entertaining and varied, the characters are stronger, and the faction system makes it a much richer role-playing experience."
-PC Gamer
67.  EarthBound
-3
1743p
1995 // RPG // SNES     Δ pwnRank: -3 Δ pwnScore: -66 Highest rank on any list: 5 Top 25 appearances: 4 Total appearances: 16
https://www.youtube.com/embed/IwAlZERKaqU?rel=0
"Though its punishing difficulty in its early stages might be tough to get past, EarthBound still remains one of the best, most unique RPGs to date."
-IGN
66.  Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
-4
1756p
2016 // Action-Adventure // PS4     Δ pwnRank: -4 Δ pwnScore: -174 Highest rank on any list: 6 Top 25 appearances: 5 Total appearances: 12
https://www.youtube.com/embed/6cXyQg_5uoc?rel=0
"A remarkable achievement in blockbuster storytelling and graphical beauty..."
-IGN
65.  Starcraft
-9
1792p
1998 // RTS // PC     Δ pwnRank: -9 Δ pwnScore: -386 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 18
https://www.youtube.com/embed/FsQB9RAhkHQ?rel=0
"In a game that revolutionized multiplayer head-to-head action, StarCraft packed a large graphical punch as well as a means to an end. "
-Game Informer
64.  Super Mario Galaxy 2
-6
1799p
2010 // Platform // Wii     Δ pwnRank: -6 Δ pwnScore: -255 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 4 Total appearances: 17
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yat9LvFtixs?rel=0
"Super Mario Galaxy 2 is even more varied, challenging, and fun than its superb predecessor, making it the new standard for platformers."
-Gamespot
63.  The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
1808p
2023 // Action-Adventure // Switch     Δ pwnRank: Δ pwnScore: Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 6
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
62.  Super Mario Kart
7
1884p
1992 // Racing // SNES     Δ pwnRank: 7 Δ pwnScore: 218 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 8 Total appearances: 19
https://www.youtube.com/embed/IU-V4m8V9PQ?rel=0
"20 years ago, Mario appeared in his first true spin-off and created a genre in the process."
-1UP.com
61.  Deus Ex
-18
1916p
2000 // FPS Action-RPG // PC     Δ pwnRank: -18 Δ pwnScore: -941 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 5 Total appearances: 20
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ICx8HaiXtJY?rel=0
"...Deus Ex‘s combination of action, RPG-style character building and dialog choices paved the way for newer games like Mass Effect."
-Time
60.  Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
39
1922p
2018 // Fighting // Switch     Δ pwnRank: 39 Δ pwnScore: 714 Highest rank on any list: 7 Top 25 appearances: 7 Total appearances: 12
https://www.youtube.com/embed/GpU8K_XiaTs?rel=0
"Inklings from the Splatoon series, as well as returning Smash characters like Mario and Link will be making appearances in this classic Nintendo franchise's Switch debut. Faster combat, new items, new attacks, new defensive options, and more will keep the battle raging whether you’re at home or on the go."
-metacritic.com
59.  Super Smash Bros. Melee
-5
2040p
2001 // Fighting // GC     Δ pwnRank: -5 Δ pwnScore: -189 Highest rank on any list: 5 Top 25 appearances: 8 Total appearances: 22
https://www.youtube.com/embed/LxPQezjsReA?rel=0
"Nintendo released a game changer when they set free Super Smash Bros Melee. In 2001 the GameCube caught some serious momentum thanks to Nintendo's brawler."
-G4
58.  Journey
-7
2054p
2012 // Adventure // PS3     Δ pwnRank: -7 Δ pwnScore: -259 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 5 Total appearances: 23
https://www.youtube.com/embed/bKqeD7ojynw?rel=0
"Journey's interactive, visual, and aural elements work together, rather than fight with each other, in order to provide a flowing, seamless, influential, and utterly exhilarating experience...This is interactive art."
-Destructoid
57.  Half-Life
-7
2059p
1998 // FPS // PC     Δ pwnRank: -7 Δ pwnScore: -340 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 23
https://www.youtube.com/embed/VkNpbpjKzo8?rel=0
"Half-Life was a trailblazer in many aspects. It moved the first-person shooter genre forward in terms of storytelling and level design, and spawned one of the most popular competitive online shooters ever."
-GamesRadar
56.  Overwatch
-4
2097p
2016 // FPS // PC  PS4  Xbox One Δ pwnRank: -4 Δ pwnScore: -201 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 9 Total appearances: 19
https://www.youtube.com/embed/JF2nEfY_Thg?rel=0
"From its characters and lore to its gameplay and aesthetics, Overwatch is one of the most exquisitely polished shooters we’ve ever played, elevating the genre to a strategic team sport that even the Call of Duty-averse can get into."
-digitaltrends.com
55.  Hades
43
2100p
2020 // Action RPG // PC  Switch   Δ pwnRank: 43 Δ pwnScore: 888 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 15
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
54.  Fallout 3
3
2115p
2008 // FPS Action-RPG // Xbox 360  PS3  PC Δ pwnRank: 3 Δ pwnScore: -46 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 21
https://www.youtube.com/embed/mCEThrx6qqY?rel=0
"Fallout 3 is arguably the most detailed, immersive and addictive game in the past 10 years, if not of all time… We dare you to find a more endearing post-apocalyptic first-person RPG."
-G4
53.  Undertale
31
2196p
2015 // RPG // PC     Δ pwnRank: 31 Δ pwnScore: 822 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 7 Total appearances: 21
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cv9wv12a77Q?rel=0
"Undertale is one of the best games I’ve ever played. It manages to take a genre that has existed since the earliest days of video games and actually do something new and unique with it..."
-Destructoid
52.  The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
-5
2338p
2000 // Action-Adventure // N64     Δ pwnRank: -5 Δ pwnScore: -427 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 7 Total appearances: 22
https://www.youtube.com/embed/iO1ckmGe-do?rel=0
"Using Ocarina of Time's engine was no mistake for Miyamoto on one of the last great games for the N64. "
-Game Informer
51.  Final Fantasy VI
-13
2422p
1994 // RPG // SNES     Δ pwnRank: -13 Δ pwnScore: -556 Highest rank on any list: 2 Top 25 appearances: 7 Total appearances: 19
https://www.youtube.com/embed/qBZSgIX7huw?rel=0
"The fact that Final Fantasy VI is often named best the Final Fantasy game says enough: this is a must play for anyone."
-VGChartz.com
50.  Silent Hill 2
-2
2454p
2001 // Survival Horror // Xbox  PS2   Δ pwnRank: -2 Δ pwnScore: -172 Highest rank on any list: 4 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 24
https://www.youtube.com/embed/gfDjQX2iT9s?rel=0
"Silent Hill 2 is survival horror masterpiece, there, we said it… To this day, Silent Hill 2 is a game many play with the lights on."
-G4
49.  Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
-3
2524p
2007 // FPS // PC  Xbox 360  PS3 Δ pwnRank: -3 Δ pwnScore: -246 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 28
https://www.youtube.com/embed/sXGkSAzuKq0?rel=0
"It had its flaws, sure, but it's still arguably the best game in the series. It had the best set pieces and the best story, and the multiplayer remains every bit as excellent now as it was in 2007."
-1UP.com
48.  Super Mario Bros.
-6
2609p
1985 // Platform // NES     Δ pwnRank: -6 Δ pwnScore: -252 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 16 Total appearances: 27
https://www.youtube.com/embed/7xV4JD2KH-w?rel=0
"The game that went on to define “platforming”… Super Mario Bros. was a side-scroller unlike any other."
-Time
47.  Portal
-6
2691p
2007 // Puzzle-Platform // PC     Δ pwnRank: -6 Δ pwnScore: -186 Highest rank on any list: 3 Top 25 appearances: 14 Total appearances: 25
https://www.youtube.com/embed/qf2FC5GGIRI?rel=0
"Hugely addictive and immensely rewarding, the only criticism of Portal is that it's too short and should be re-released with a hundred more levels to satisfy hungry fans."
-Empire
46.  Disco Elysium
43
2710p
2019 // RPG // PC  PS4  Xbox One Δ pwnRank: 43 Δ pwnScore: 1398 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 9 Total appearances: 14
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
45.  Super Mario Galaxy
4
2737p
2007 // Platform // Wii     Δ pwnRank: 4 Δ pwnScore: 284 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 9 Total appearances: 20
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Txke11KLx0c?rel=0
"...Super Mario Galaxy felt like the true sequel to Super Mario 64. Named by dozens of magazines and websites as game of the year on its release, SMG remains one of the Wii's most accomplished adventures…"
-Empire
44.  Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
-13
2764p
2003 // RPG // Xbox  PC   Δ pwnRank: -13 Δ pwnScore: -592 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 7 Total appearances: 24
https://www.youtube.com/embed/QeEGn1HG6sc?rel=0
"Why it’s a classic: For an RPG, the story is everything. And few come better than this – a sprawling intergalactic epic that was even accepted by notoriously precious Star Wars nuts. Also, it’s got Wookiees in."
-FHM
43.  World of Warcraft
-9
2783p
2004 // MMO // PC     Δ pwnRank: -9 Δ pwnScore: -404 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 21 Total appearances: 33
https://www.youtube.com/embed/j6idVDFNZJU?rel=0
"An unparalleled gaming phenomenon - with 12 million players worldwide -WoW (as the initiated call it) is now the daddy of the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game genre."
-Empire
42.  Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
-7
2849p
2004 // Action-Adventure // PS2     Δ pwnRank: -7 Δ pwnScore: -272 Highest rank on any list: 6 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 20
https://www.youtube.com/embed/mvcATDbaifQ?rel=0
"With its strong story, well-written dialogue, terrific voice cast, impressive graphics, great in-game sound, and extremely entertaining and varied gameplay, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a stupendous thrill ride…"
-Gamespot
41.  Batman: Arkham City
3
2912p
2011 // Action-Adventure // Xbox 360  PS3  PC Δ pwnRank: 3 Δ pwnScore: 110 Highest rank on any list: 17 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 21
https://www.youtube.com/embed/c2yWYEqoPsY?rel=0
"Arkham City is what every lesser open-world videogame wishes it could be, a few important pieces of core gameplay that have been polished to perfection, set in a wide-open city filled to the brim with things to do."
-Wired
40.  Elden Ring
2935p
2022 // Action RPG // PS5  Xbox Series X/S  PC Δ pwnRank: Δ pwnScore: Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 8 Total appearances: 13
https://www.youtube.com/embed/?rel=0
""
-
39.  Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
0
2971p
1997 // Platform // PlayStation     Δ pwnRank: 0 Δ pwnScore: 9 Highest rank on any list: 2 Top 25 appearances: 8 Total appearances: 24
https://www.youtube.com/embed/g6Sa-xbFL2A?rel=0
"Hailed by many as the best game in the venerable Castlevania franchise, Symphony of the Night innovates the series by introducing RPG elements and providing a more open gameplay experience…"
-Fandomania
38.  Super Mario Odyssey
15
2979p
2017 // Platform // Switch     Δ pwnRank: 15 Δ pwnScore: 713 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 17
https://www.youtube.com/embed/70pQfAsqVBg?rel=0
"From a plumber to a doctor to a tennis star to, uh, a Goomba, Mario has endured. No, this will not be the last Mario game, but it is almost certain to be lauded as one of his best."
-Polygon.com
37.  GoldenEye 007
-7
3091p
1997 // FPS // N64     Δ pwnRank: -7 Δ pwnScore: -430 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 14 Total appearances: 31
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q8vibZquW5E?rel=0
"Rare upended the assumption that shooters couldn’t work with a gamepad, delivering a fully 3D action extravaganza that rewarded stealth as well as ballistic finesse. "
-Time
36.  The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
-8
3122p
2002 // Action-Adventure // GC     Δ pwnRank: -8 Δ pwnScore: -491 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 23
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZlV-Kp0gVaw?rel=0
"So to say that the GameCube Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker has a lot to live up to is, simply put, the understatement of the year. And yet, Nintendo delivers."
-IGN
35.  Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
-2
3140p
2004 // Stealth // PS2     Δ pwnRank: -2 Δ pwnScore: -111 Highest rank on any list: 2 Top 25 appearances: 11 Total appearances: 24
https://www.youtube.com/embed/QNXyZ9M_9Nk?rel=0
"...brought the stealth action into the jungles of the Cold War and introduced new camouflage mechanics, as well as an intriguing injury system that no longer relied solely on an ordinary life meter."
-Fandomania
34.  Persona 5
21
3191p
2017 // RPG // PS4     Δ pwnRank: 21 Δ pwnScore: 975 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 6 Total appearances: 18
https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tP4UkC6dB0?rel=0
"Persona 5 is a long, loitering tale of disaffected youth desperate for a shift in the status quo — in short, the most millennial game that I’ve ever played."
-Polygon
33.  Street Fighter II
4
3226p
1991 // Fighting // SNES  Arcade   Δ pwnRank: 4 Δ pwnScore: 185 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 17 Total appearances: 26
https://www.youtube.com/embed/97Ikfr_tZD8?rel=0
"The perfection of combo attacks and special movies, the intuitive controls: SF2 was the most perfectly judged beat ‘em up of its era."
-Stuff
32.  Doom
-5
3271p
1993 // FPS // PC     Δ pwnRank: -5 Δ pwnScore: -488 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 19 Total appearances: 32
https://www.youtube.com/embed/n3KrmSnIzyg?rel=0
"With one space marine, eight weapons, and a crapton of demonic monsters that needed killing, Doom took the core appeals of Wolfenstein and ramped them all the way up."
-GamesRadar
31.  Pokémon Red and Blue
1
3277p
1996 // RPG // GB     Δ pwnRank: 1 Δ pwnScore: -51 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 20 Total appearances: 30
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ic0aDbR4zVM?rel=0
"The concept was simple, really: Combine cute cartoon animals with a competitive, obsessive-compulsive collecting mechanic and you have playground gold."
-GamesRadar
30.  Dark Souls
-1
3426p
2011 // Action RPG // PC  PS3  Xbox 360 Δ pwnRank: -1 Δ pwnScore: -171 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 11 Total appearances: 29
https://www.youtube.com/embed/KmLaLqYauTA?rel=0
"On a deeper level, Dark Souls' audacity at shoving you into an adventure, giving you a colossal world to explore, and forcing you to earn every speck of progress is downright exhilarating."
-A.V. Club
29.  Bloodborne
16
3572p
2015 // Action RPG // PS4     Δ pwnRank: 16 Δ pwnScore: 782 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 12 Total appearances: 29
https://www.youtube.com/embed/X1iKYjVFigM?rel=0
"Bloodborne is a tremendous accomplishment. The latest game from Dark Souls director Hidetaki Miyazaki and his team at From Software, it is both a surprising refinement and reinvention of the Souls formula."
-Kotaku.com
28.  Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
-5
3588p
2009 // Action-Adventure // PS3     Δ pwnRank: -5 Δ pwnScore: -558 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 12 Total appearances: 30
https://www.youtube.com/embed/vPp9_ye5Fhc?rel=0
"While Uncharted... did everything the sequel did, Among Thieves did everything bigger and better, further proving that the film industry’s sequel stigma is far from the truth in the game industry…"
-Animation Career Review
27.  Metroid Prime
-1
3594p
2002 // Action-Adventure // GC     Δ pwnRank: -1 Δ pwnScore: -232 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 9 Total appearances: 29
https://www.youtube.com/embed/aOyiOkJ4utw?rel=0
"Purists might argue that the 2D Super Metroid for SNES was the superior game, but it was Metroid Prime for Nintendo’s GameCube that fully realized the series’ goals of isolation and exploration."
-Time
26.  Halo: Combat Evolved
-5
3606p
2001 // FPS // Xbox     Δ pwnRank: -5 Δ pwnScore: -642 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 20 Total appearances: 32
https://www.youtube.com/embed/zCq9WCSGy4M?rel=0
"Halo‘s innovations were in fact subtle... What it brought to the table were exceptionally well-balanced gameplay, Bungie’s signature high-quality music and writing, and sublimely soaring visuals."
-Time
25.  Super Metroid
-1
3806p
1994 // Action-Adventure // SNES     Δ pwnRank: -1 Δ pwnScore: -320 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 13 Total appearances: 27
https://www.youtube.com/embed/YuujwWl3R0I?rel=0
"Inventive open-ended levels? Check. Epic bosses? Check. Social life? Not so much."
-FHM
24.  Shadow of the Colossus
-2
3907p
2005 // Action-Adventure // PS2     Δ pwnRank: -2 Δ pwnScore: -293 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 13 Total appearances: 34
https://www.youtube.com/embed/0KS1TFg1Rx8?rel=0
"Identifying each monster's weakness and exploiting it was the key to success... but it was the luscious presentation, imaginative creatures and epic soundtrack that made critics swoon…"
-Empire
23.  God of War (2018)
13
3954p
2018 // Action-Adventure // PS4     Δ pwnRank: 13 Δ pwnScore: 846 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 10 Total appearances: 20
https://www.youtube.com/embed/x_MtcOznfM4?rel=0
"In crafting a thoughtful fable about a man contending with surpassing his sins to keep them from his child, the new God of War has already transcended its bloody roots."
-Slant Magazine
22.  Red Dead Redemption
-17
4112p
2010 // Action-Adventure // Xbox 360  PS3   Δ pwnRank: -17 Δ pwnScore: -1556 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 18 Total appearances: 32
https://www.youtube.com/embed/19N75TL1dHU?rel=0
"No game maker has approached the period with as much passion and power as Red Dead Redemption. This is the new bar that all Westerns must strive to reach."
-IGN
21.  Minecraft
4
4348p
2011 // Sandbox // PC    Mobile Δ pwnRank: 4 Δ pwnScore: 329 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 27 Total appearances: 39
https://www.youtube.com/embed/5oghqTROa7o?rel=0
"What sets Minecraft apart is its scope and sense of unlimited possibility."
-GamesRadar
20.  Tetris
-2
4355p
1986 // Puzzle // PC  GB  NES Δ pwnRank: -2 Δ pwnScore: -51 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 29 Total appearances: 37
https://www.youtube.com/embed/jJSfmTCiFyU?rel=0
"Created in 1985 by Russian mathematician Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris is the world’s best-selling and best-known puzzler… you can bet it will be a part of gaming until the end of time."
-Game Informer
19.  Red Dead Redemption 2
21
4364p
2018 // Action-Adventure // Xbox One  PS4   Δ pwnRank: 21 Δ pwnScore: 1415 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 17 Total appearances: 21
https://www.youtube.com/embed/wKdcRjpTpFk?rel=0
"Red Dead Redemption 2 stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Grand Theft Auto V... This is a game of rare quality; a meticulously polished open world ode to the outlaw era. Looking for one of this generation’s very best single-player action experiences? Here’s your huckleberry."
-IGN
18.  BioShock
-1
4383p
2007 // FPS // Xbox 360  PC   Δ pwnRank: -1 Δ pwnScore: -61 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 18 Total appearances: 34
https://www.youtube.com/embed/J2yPXF0E4zc?rel=0
"BioShock was the game that taught us about philosophy, it showed us what kind of people we were, and it single-handedly popularised the use of the somewhat abstruse biological term plasmid."
-Stuff
17.  Super Mario Bros. 3
-1
4483p
1990 // Platform // NES     Δ pwnRank: -1 Δ pwnScore: -31 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 18 Total appearances: 30
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZJAxIIifA_s?rel=0
"In Super Mario Bros. 3, Nintendo promised and delivered one of the best 2D platformers of all time."
-Gamespot
16.  Metal Gear Solid
3
4499p
1998 // Stealth // PlayStation     Δ pwnRank: 3 Δ pwnScore: 92 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 23 Total appearances: 35
https://www.youtube.com/embed/FY3ZxXjuVlQ?rel=0
"It breaks new ground in gameplay and truly brings the video game one step closer to the realm of movies. It is, without a doubt, a landmark game."
-Gamespot
15.  Mass Effect 2
-2
4618p
2010 // Action RPG // Xbox 360  PS3  PC Δ pwnRank: -2 Δ pwnScore: -396 Highest rank on any list: 2 Top 25 appearances: 18 Total appearances: 33
https://www.youtube.com/embed/6yC-A2To-t8?rel=0
"Mass Effect 2 embodies what a sci-fi RPG should be... The Dirty Dozen plot, cast of new characters, and immersive gameplay, will keep Mass Effect 2 in our hearts and on this list, for years to come."
-G4
14.  Final Fantasy VII
6
4689p
1997 // RPG // PlayStation     Δ pwnRank: 6 Δ pwnScore: 300 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 26 Total appearances: 39
https://www.youtube.com/embed/4MZJaNO9SSo?rel=0
"Compare the state of RPG fandom pre and post-1997, and you'll see the impact Final Fantasy VII had on this formerly niche genre."
-1UP.com
13.  The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
-4
4754p
1991 // Action-Adventure // SNES     Δ pwnRank: -4 Δ pwnScore: -454 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 16 Total appearances: 28
https://www.youtube.com/embed/YiE35wvqX_g?rel=0
"Genre-defining action adventure from Nintendo… One of the best games of all time on many critics' lists."
-IGN
12.  Super Mario World
-2
4836p
1990 // Platform // SNES     Δ pwnRank: -2 Δ pwnScore: -247 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 23 Total appearances: 31
https://www.youtube.com/embed/IKiHctuAYUM?rel=0
"Mario already had the patent on 8-bit gaming, so it was only natural that this Super Nintendo pack-in title ruled the 16-bit platform roost from the word go. "
-Game Informer
11.  Resident Evil 4
1
4936p
2005 // Survival Horror // GC  PS2   Δ pwnRank: 1 Δ pwnScore: -103 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 19 Total appearances: 38
https://www.youtube.com/embed/3aMlnsIwVh4?rel=0
"Resident Evil 4 moved away from zombies and the traditional survival horror genre to embrace more action and shooting... in one of the series’ most critically acclaimed entries."
-Fandomania
10.  Portal 2
4
5016p
2011 // Puzzle-Platform // PC  PS3  Xbox 360 Δ pwnRank: 4 Δ pwnScore: 94 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 22 Total appearances: 39
https://www.youtube.com/embed/w9aG2qU9okk?rel=0
"Makes the original look like the prototype it was. It's filled with a larger cast of characters vividly brought to life through brilliant writing and some of the best voice acting in video games..."
-IGN
9.  Super Mario 64
6
5051p
1996 // Platform // N64     Δ pwnRank: 6 Δ pwnScore: 248 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 27 Total appearances: 37
https://www.youtube.com/embed/G9pT1hd1IPI?rel=0
"The greatest 3D world ever created… The platformer remains, even by today's harsh standards, a true masterpiece."
-IGN
8.  Chrono Trigger
-1
5139p
1995 // RPG // SNES     Δ pwnRank: -1 Δ pwnScore: -245 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 23 Total appearances: 31
https://www.youtube.com/embed/J7hzHlIsjwY?rel=0
"With an endearing cast of characters and a fantastic story that took place throughout the ages, it went down in history as what many would call one of the greatest games ever made."
-Gamespot
7.  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
-1
5441p
2011 // Action RPG // Xbox 360  PS3  PC Δ pwnRank: -1 Δ pwnScore: 23 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 29 Total appearances: 41
https://www.youtube.com/embed/oTn8YXuJZ6c?rel=0
"The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the big, bold, and beautiful sequel you hoped for and is sure to bewitch you for countless hours."
-Gamespot
6.  Half-Life 2
-3
5665p
2004 // FPS // PC  Xbox 360  PS3 Δ pwnRank: -3 Δ pwnScore: -310 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 27 Total appearances: 41
https://www.youtube.com/embed/o-H579lFy_Q?rel=0
"If video games have an Empire Strikes Back – the exemplar of a sequel where everything got better – it’s Valve’s Half-Life 2."
-Time
5.  The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
3
5688p
2015 // Action RPG // PS4  Xbox One  PC Δ pwnRank: 3 Δ pwnScore: 368 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 29 Total appearances: 42
https://www.youtube.com/embed/VpevTNRK-_M?rel=0
"Even if the plot isn’t terribly interesting, the many characters who play a part in it are, and along with the excellent combat and RPG gameplay, they elevate The Witcher 3 to a plane few other RPGs inhabit."
-IGN
4.  Grand Theft Auto V
0
5944p
2013 // Action-Adventure // PS3  Xbox 360   Δ pwnRank: 0 Δ pwnScore: -23 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 29 Total appearances: 42
https://www.youtube.com/embed/nBS3MUWrfGg?rel=0
"The world is massive and detailed, the gameplay is damn near perfect... the actual story is filled with memorable personalities that feel more fully-realized than even the best of GTA's previous characters."
-GamesRadar
3.  The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
8
6480p
2017 // Action-Adventure // Switch  Wii U   Δ pwnRank: 8 Δ pwnScore: 1415 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 27 Total appearances: 32
https://www.youtube.com/embed/asiIoMHxjKk?rel=0
"The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is Nintendo's most ambitious and impressive game to date."
-GameSpot
2.  The Last of Us
0
6508p
2013 // Action-Adventure // PS3  PS4   Δ pwnRank: 0 Δ pwnScore: 173 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 30 Total appearances: 40
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZEs33aWkX2Q?rel=0
"It starts out safe but ends brave; it has heart and grit, and it hangs together beautifully. And it's a real video game, too. An elegy for a dying world, The Last of Us is also a beacon of hope for its genre."
-Eurogamer
1.  The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
0
7237p
1998 // Action-Adventure // N64     Δ pwnRank: 0 Δ pwnScore: 379 Highest rank on any list: 1 Top 25 appearances: 37 Total appearances: 47
https://www.youtube.com/embed/qS9_GAceCIo?rel=0
"With a stellar soundtrack, thoughtful level design and a deceptively massive feel, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time proved to be the picture of polygonal perfection when Nintendo released it in 1998."
-Wired
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