The 12 Best Video Games of All Time

Some games have won the top spot through nostalgia, others through their brilliant graphics and storyline and many were just too great to put down, keeping players locked onto their screens for way longer than is probably healthy. Let’s look at some of the best games of all time.

[-Foxtrot]

MGS V over Snake Eater

BotW over Ocarina of Time or a Link to the Past

Arkham Knight over Arkham City

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare...

Oooft...

[neutralgamer1992]

MGS5 isn’t on the same level as snake eater or MGS4

And Arkham asylum is the best Batman games IMO

[Kakashi Hatake]

MGS2 is the best imo. 4 was great but didn't have enough gameplay.

[Knushwood Butt]

MGS2 had the biggest impact on me and was the first MGS game I played so didn't care about playing as Raiden.

However, I think Peace Walker may be my favorite. Mind blowing that it was a PSP game on first release.

[solideagle]

I agree that MGS3 is far better game than any in the series, closest would be MGS4. This list is very incomplete. To name a few, No

- God of War (the impact it had is gigantic)
- uncharted 2
- Souls game (Elden ring)
- Mario
- Resident Evil 4 or any other
- chrono series
- Pac Man

etc etc...

To be fair creating a top 12-15 list of of all time is no easy task...

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Why Knight over City?

[-Foxtrot]

I’m saying that’s what the article has done

[gleepot]

because it's a better game

[Dirty_Lemons]

I'd put BotW above OoT but then again I didn't play it when it released back in the day.

I'll no doubt get called a hater but aside from CoD4 for its ridiculous impact on gaming, no Call of Duty belongs on this list.

City was the crème of the Arkham games.

MGS is quite possibly the best series of games ever made, and choosing a favourite is hard but if I was forced to make a decision it would be probably Snake Eater... Or 4, which was such an emotional game for me as a 17 year old... Then again V fucking rocked for its gameplay, I did everything in that game, deleted my save, and did it all again 😅

Last of Us I have no arguments with, phenomenal.

I'd also have Nier: Automata on that list, an absolute mind fuck of different genres and bizarre-world story telling that just worked.

Half Life 2 ✔️ for obvious reasons, although I'm not a huge fan I understand it's importance. I'd probably have chosen Portal 2 or L4D2 (which reminds me, Back 4 Blood was such a let down I can't explain how much I was bummed out playing it).

Resident Evil (REmake or 4, depending on your preference on styles), God of War (not the OG), the list could go on and on for games that deserve to be on these sort of lists.

[shinoff2183]

Agreed cod has no place in a top list unless we're talking best cod list

[gleepot]

This list isn't incorrect.

[-Foxtrot]

I mean opinions but if you say so

[IamTylerDurden1]

Asylem imo was the best Arkham and TLOU2 was the best TLOU. Unpopular opinion but i can list out why.

[bunt-custardly]

Nah, gameplay wise, V is the best in the series. Although the survival aspect of Snakeater can't be beat. Feels like two different games to be fair.

[TheEnigma313]

This list is Charles Barkley "turrable".

[bunt-custardly]

Or "Crazy"...

[Viljong]

#1 should be Elden Ring. Tlou part2 is not justified on the list. Awful story and characters and nothing new in gameplay. Very low user score everywhere.

[I_am_Batman]

There is no 'x should be #1" in this. Lists like these will always be subjective. Even metascores are averages of subjective opinions. If your personal opinion is influenced by user scores, you don't have a personal opinion.

[Tacoboto]

Abby's arms still living in your mind rent-free?

[TheKingKratos]

Very low bots and Trolls scores also Elden Ring User Scores are not that good among other games but all the sudden user scores matter when it's fit your agenda .... and you can cry more about it though it got the most awards ever in that year from both gamers and critics btw

[shinoff2183]

Elden ring doesn't even get number 1.

Just cause it's the newest and greatest to some. We talking all time. Elden ring doesn't even sniff top ten. Of course imo

[IamTylerDurden1]

TLOU2 was the finest game i played last gen and a top 10 all-time imo.

To hype Elden Ring a rip TLOU2 for story and lack of combat innovation is rich. ER uses the same jank combat since 2009 but with minor advancements and alterations. They added ashes of war and a jump button...cmon. Same clunk, same core leveling system and mechanics, same bad hit boxes, same technical issues. A jump button an open world are not true innovation when the same core structure and flaws are present.

Story? Can you rightly explain the "story" without reddit? It's a collection of lore, not a cohesive narrative. For those who claim TLOU2 has a terrible story you are very thick imo. What? Bc u didn't like the creative decisions? Bc u want a Disney story and u have political agenda? But Joel....Abby! Ellie is a lesbian. Get lost. TLOU2 was high end, well acted drama. The Joel scene was brutal yet powerful. Cinematic drama doesn't have to adhere to your personal wishes. In fact, i think bold direction is more powerful.

I thought the subtleties of TLOU2 went largely unoticed. Ppl cry about Abby but the way they were able to flip our perception of hero n villain was impressive. Very few games do that well. To where Joel n Ellie could just as easily be the monsters depending on perspective. No game has imo as deeply developed this brave concept. Most are black n white, TLOU2 deals in grey, and it was brave and brilliant for that.

TLOU2 was perhaps too bold for the masses. It was perhaps too much for simpletons to appreciate. The antithesis of safe, modern crap and i fear ND will be more restrained as a result. It wasn't clean and happy. I like that but most grew up on fairytales and Disney so i get it. For example, the Bloody Baron was my favorite part of TW3 bc it wasn't cookie cutter black n white Marvel shit. That's just me.

[DrDoomer]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
LMFAO!!!

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

We can guess what age the author is.

[ModsDoBetter]

Whilst it’s an opinion piece, it’s a pretty trashy opinion. 😂

[neutralgamer1992]

MGS3-4
Uncharted 2
The last of us
Diablo 3
Divinity original sin 2
Zelda
Mario
Forza horizon
GTA vice city
God of war 2
Arkham asylum
Gears of war

[shinoff2183]

I'd argue san Andreas over vice city. Just so much more to it. I could be biased though growing up in the 80s and 90s I was into rap music and the 90s the west coast was on top. That game is filled with west coast

Is diablo 3 that good? Maybe I need to give it a shot finally.

Not a bad list though neutral. I'd have some form of ff in there

[neutralgamer1992]

Yes I agree either GTA game would belong in this list and off bourse the impact of final fantasy 7 can’t be overlooked

[Mulletino]

Diablo 3 and Skyrim are my most played games. Not sure how many hours I put into punch out as a kid though….

[victorMaje]

Seriously MW 2019, Arkham Knight? Many MGS could have made the list instead of V, & No Witcher 3??
Blasphemous list :)

[Terry_B]

Redfall
Knack
Rise of the Robots
Superman 64
Sonic Shuffle
Alien Trilogy
Battletoads vs Double Dragon
The King of Fighters Maximum Impact
Mortal Kombat (Game Boy Port)
Civilization VI
Mega Man Legends

[shinoff2183]

Terry b I feel major sarcasm vibes from your list. Funny thing is I actually like a couple from your list battletoads, mega man legends lol

[Terry_B]

Just put up a really really random list of the best game ever..since everyone can do it. I am however super glad that Rise of the Robots might be not on your faves ;)

[-Foxtrot]

You forgot E.T

Come on

[Terry_B]

..I am not THAT old ^^

[aws04]

No spongebob makes me mad...

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

MGSV
Majora’s Mask
Vanquish
Returnal
Last of Us, both parts…
Halo 2&3 (I refuse to choose)
Ghost of Tsushima
Sifu
God of War 3
Chaos Theory
Motor Storm: Pacific Rift
MGS4
CoD 1,2,4

[umair_s51]

Love for Motorstorm mention

[Knushwood Butt]

+1 for Returnal

[Demetrius]

I been wanting to play mgsv I love how good the sound effects are and stealth I been watchin a couple videos thinking if I wana get it

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Practice with Ground Zeroes. Work up to turning off reflex mode (you’ll need it for a long time).

[Shane Kim]

For me: MGS1, FF4 or 6, Heart of Darkness, SotC.

[Petebloodyonion]

I think that it's hard to really create a real concrete 12 best games without ruffing some feathers but someone has to do it.
So here are the true 12 best games of all time (in no particular order).

Now just remember that you can't really appreciate true art until played them from start to finish at least 4 times.

- The Legend of Zelda: The Face of Evil
- Hotel Mario
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2006
- Cosmic Race
- Daikatana
- Kasumi Ninja
- Cosmic Carnage
- Rigz
- Life of a Black Tiger
- Deal or no Deal the NDS version
- Bubsy 3D
- Superman 64

[jambola]

What about ride to hell retribution 😡
That's a perfect game

[TheKingKratos]

MGSV is not anywhere near top 50 let alone top 10

Crap list

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

The mechanics and levels are 10s… that makes it a contender in my book. Even if the bosses relatively sucked.

[TheKingKratos]

It sucked in boss fights and repetitive side missions and dull environment and uneven and full of plot holes story

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

*and enemy AI

[gold_drake]

im glad this is an option piece cause boy oh boy. haba.
i agree with a few but .. not the majority

[GhostScholar]

I’m not gonna argue what someone else thinks but I’d say in no specific order

1. Mass Effect
2. KOTOR
3. Silent hill 2
4. Red dead 2
5. Zelda: A link to the past
6. Detroit:Become Human (one of the most underrated stories)
7. Halo: Combat Evolved
8. Days gone
9. Insomniacs Spider-Man
10. Bully

[Knushwood Butt]

Silent Hill 2 is probably my favorite game. Haven't played it for a long time, but could happily play it again and never tire of it.

Props for Days Gone. I loved that too. Beat it at least twice and have 100% trophies.

[GhostScholar]

Me too. I actually prefer the world of days gone to the last of us. I was hoping for a sequel. It’s crazy as an Xbox fan I would have killed to play days gone and Sony didn’t even allow a sequel. That shows how the scales are turned. Sony craps gold and flushes and Microsoft just keeps being constipated…….

[Knushwood Butt]

Having just beaten Far Cry 5 and New Dawn, it's obvious how much better the Days Gone engine is at creating an immersive, believeable world.
Days Gone has wind an rain, with puddles that remain after the rain has stopped. FC5 and ND just have branches and plants that flap about, no rain, no snow.
The only thing in those games that I thought was cool is that in ND there's current in the water that pushes you around.
There was even a bit in Days Gone where a freak got struck by lightning. I grabbed a screenshot of it.

[shinoff2183]

I'm not even gonna look at this list cause I'm thinking im safe to assume I will disagree with about all of it.

[Espangerish]

Silly question really. Can a restaurant be great without good food?

[SimpleSlave]

A terribly mainstream and obviously casual list. It should be called:

"I just perused other Top 10 games of all time lists" the list.

To each their own I guess.

[sadraiden]

I also can create arbitrary GOAT lists to enrage nerds for sweet sweet ad revenue.

[Guybrush]

I hate these lists, people only put AAA games, when a lot of the best games in history are indies... games like Outer Wilds, Undertale, Disco Elysium, Braid, The Witness, Fez, Hotline Miami, Hollow Knight, Return of the Obra Dinn, The Stanley Parable, Shovel Knight, Subnautica, A Night in the Woods, Gone Home (only to name a few) are much better than most of the games listed.

[jambola]

Opinions
Subjectivity etc
But
Seriously?
Modern warfare remake...

[Bathyj]

Obviously this is a subjective list that could be debated over and over but notice something about it that I've said for years? Almost exclusively single player games. multiplayer games that devs are always chasing are rarely in the game of the year or best of all time discussion.

[bunt-custardly]

Bottom line is everyone has their favs. I guess it's really hard to make a definitive list pleasing everyone. I mean the absence of a Persona game in this list is criminal, but that's just my opinion.

[Popsicle]

Sonic 2 over Super Mario World. Sorry Genesis fans, but this is blasphemy.

[jambola]

I love my sonic
But super Mario world is just, top tier

[PixelOmen]

A "best games of all time" list is obviously just an opinion, so the real point of this article is just to get people to click on it and post about it.

[Retroman]

Congratulations!!! Good Lord someone Finally revealed the Truth about N4g.com (Just a Opinion) and manipulate people to click on articles and post about games.......boy , wish I could hand you a Trophy.
Not being Sarcastic one bit.

[Retroman]

Who determines what is the Best video game of all time?? the editor of N4G?? or personal experience with games you like. everyone taste is different. what you like average gamer might not like vise versa.
Who to say what is Best is in the eye of the beholder??
Not the editor of any gaming website nor marketing .

[HeliosHex]

Let's all try to remember this is the writers opinion. All of us have our own list of best games of all time.

[MWH]

The title should be: "My 12 Best Video Games of All Time".

[EazyC]

GTA IV
The Last of Us 1
Gran Turismo 4
Metal Gear Solid 2 & 4
Uncharted 2
Super Mario 64
Gears of War 1
Battlefield: Bad Company 2

There might be others but those games are/were all extremely important to me.

[Exvalos]

Solid choices, I would remove breathe of the wild though and mgs 5 is the worst metal gear 3 or 1 is the best.