World regarded rag EDGE has compiled a list of the 100 greatest ever video games – and PlayStation has secured four of the top five slots. Dark Souls topped the list, with Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us, Bloodborne, and Half-Life 2 rounding out the top five. Sony must be rubbings its hands over that lineup – especially with the likes of Tetris coming in just behind.
In truth, the entire thing makes for really pleasant reading if you're a PlayStation fan: ICO, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Journey all finished high. The list does seem to be skewed towards modern releases a bit, but the magazine stressed that it didn't want nostalgia to cloud its judgment. "Each game has to stand up today," it wrote, "rather than making the cut for historic significance."
This author's top five would probably include Shenmue II, Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Resident Evil 4, and Shadow of the Colossus in it – but Bloodborne is definitely your humble host's game of the year so far. Do you agree with the lineup, or is it all wrong? What would be your top five? Scream like you mean it in the comments section below.
EDGE's 100 Greatest Ever Games
100 - WarioWare Inc - GBA
99 - Spec Ops: The Line
98 - Papers, Please
97 - DriveClub
96 - Braid
95 - Super Hexagon
94 - Her Story
93 - Super Monkey Ball
92 - Final Fantasy XII
91 - Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
90 - Katamari Damacy
89 - Animal Crossing: New Leaf
88 - Resogun
87 - Puzzle Bobble
86 - F-Zero GX
85 - The Sims 3
84 - R-Type Final
83 - Elite: Dangerous
82 - Bomberman
81 - Starcraft II
80 - Pac-Man Championship Edition
79 - BioShock
78 - CoD 4: Modern Warfare
77 - Puzzle & Dragons
76 - Tearaway
75 - League of Legends
74 - Super Meat Boy
73 - Xenoblade Chronicles
72 - Titanfall
71 - Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast
70 - Left 4 Dead 2
69 - Counter-Strike Global Offensive
68 - Civilization IV
67 - Rez
66 - Battlefield 4
65 - Metroid Prime
64 - Hearthstone
63 - Castlevania SotN
62 - Limbo
61 - Towerfall: Ascension
60 - Earthbound
59 - Batman: Arkham Knight
58 - Transistor
57 - Puyo Puyo
56 - FTL Advanced Edition
55 - Persona 4 Golden
54 - Mass Effect 2
53 - Okami
52 - The Stanley Parable
51 - XCOM: Enemy Unknown
50 - Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
49 - The Witcher III
48 - Far Cry 4
47 - LittleBigPlanet 3
46 - Trials Fusion
45 - Nidhogg
44 - Fez
43 - Super Mario 3D World
42 - Journey
41 - Fire Emblem: Awakening
40 - Dead Space
39 - Dota 2
38 - Vanquish
37 - Super Mario Maker
36 - Shadow of the Colossus
35 - Halo 3
34 - Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
33 - Spelunky HD
32 - Destiny
31 - Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
30 - Kerbal Space Program
29 - Dishonored
28 - Splatoon
27 - Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
26 - Rock Band 3
25 - Skyrim
24 - Drop7
23 - Uncharted 2
22 - Ico
21 - Super Metroid
20 - Demon's Souls
19 - Advance Wars
18 - Mario Kart 8
17 - Ultra Street Fighter IV
16 - MGS V: The Phantom Pain
15 - Super Mario World
14 - Red Dead Redemption
13 - Super Mario 64
12 - Portal
11 - Bayonetta 2
10 - Minecraft
9 - Resident Evil 4
8 - Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
7 - Super Mario Galaxy 2
6 - Tetris
5 - Half-Life 2
4 - Bloodborne
3 - The Last of Us
2 - GTA V
1 - Dark Souls
[source rllmukforum.com, via neogaf.com]
Comments 42
Good list. But:
That's it at the end of the day, isn't it?
In fairness to nostalgia, it gets bad press. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using your nostalgia to help get more enjoyment out of a game. But at the end of the day, if you gave someone who'd never seen a game in his life MGS1 and MGS5 of course they are going to rate the later way above the former, and rightly so really.
I'll be honest. I find the list kind of laughable. Especially putting DriveClub on there. I've finally played it. Decent enough game, I can see myself enjoying it but if we're going to be ridiculous and put newer racers on there, Forza Horizon 2 or Forza Motorsport 6 are both more deserving. I won't even get started on some of the classics that are much, much more deserving. It's also hilarious that Wind Waker is above A Link to the Past, MGS V is the highest placing MGS and RE 4 is the high placing RE. I'm a big fan of both MGS V and RE 4 but best in series? Yeah, no.
I find this list quite refreshing actually. I'm glad we've got passed Mario and Zelda dominating. I like the idea of looking at games as they are now, so I'd agree with Bloodborne, TLOU and GTA5 being at the top. Also RE4 is still that damn good IMO.
Dark souls, Bloodbourne and Demon souls all in the top 20. I call shenanigans. Edge lost the plot about 7-8 years ago. This list is full of holes according to this remit;
"Each game has to stand up today," it wrote, "rather than making the cut for historic significance."
Advance wars is not the best tactical turn based game in any way shape or form anymore. (place 19)
This is really odd overrated cliche riddled games - dishonoured and vanquish (place 29+38)
But this takes the biscuit Dark Souls (1)
Woooh oh jeez is this a joke?
I don't know how somebody can claim Something like Spelunky is a better game than MGS3. It's just not. I'm not saying Spelunky is bad. It's a fun little game. It's also higher than the Witcher 3. One of the greatest open world games ever made.
LOL, how much did Sony pay this guy to make this list?
A few mental picks on that list, I reckon.
@stevie85 Spelunky is a better game than MGS3.
@Wesker It's really not but we have two different opinions.
@stevie85 Spelunky is one of the best platformers and rogue-likes ever. MGS3 is the 3rd best MGS game and it's obtuse control scheme makes it a relic of the past.
@themcnoisy I actually agree that Vanquish should be high. I'd argue it's one of the better third-person shooters after Resident Evil 4. No surprise Shinji Mikami directed both to be honest.
As opposed to a16 bit 2D platformer?. Surely that's also a "relic of the past". MGS3 is widely considered one of the best action/stealth titles of all time. I'll admit the controls aren't great. It's probably still regarded as the best MGS in mine and a lot of other fans mind's also.
Is it not 2 of the top 5?
Shocking list, GTAV has no right been in the top 5, Arkham Knight is the best Batman game? Littlebigplanet 3 better than the Witcher? Driveclub the best serious racing game of all time? Final Fantasy XII isn't even in the top 5 Final Fantasy games yet it's the only one on the list. Mario64 is the best 3d Mario and as good as Resident evil 4 was, it started that series on the downward spiral on which it remains and to be honest I have fonder memories from Resident evil 2. The Last of Us is about right but I feel Uncharted 2 should be higher and there is a bit too much love for Dark Souls type games
Any list that has Ocarina of Time above Majora's Mask is instantly voided in my view
Will I be playing TLOU, Bloodborne, GTAV or DS in 10 years I always ask myself while compiling these lists... It's okay to do a list with games you like playing most of all games today and then I totally understand a list like this, but that should be specified better.
This list in its current form is laughable imo.
What no Wonderboy for the MasterSystem? I'm outta here
Agree with Vanquish, clearly one of the best action games ever made. Makes smoking look cooler than even Snake manages.
I think this list prolly entails what the writer or writers like playing most NOW, as opposed to all time. I think games' greatness should only be compared to others in their generation, much how we in America rate our sports heroes. Everything gets technically better over time making it hard to judge what was possible them against what is possible now. When I look at this list in that way, I can see how he came up with it, though I do not agree with most, of course lol.
@Neolit @kyleforrester87 @get2sammyb
We are talking about the same game? Slide on back cover based robot shooter. Massive first boss is like wow. Then its copy and pasted 7 or 8 times. One of the worst scripts ever and the last boss is just a dude jumping around.
I enjoyed it and bought it day 1 (the 3d cover version) and enjoyed the bullet hell type gameplay. But its no where near the top 50 games, not even the top 100.
How the f@#* is Earthbound on the list at 60 and ff7,8,9 or 10 isn't?
Guys there's only one way to settle this. Running a psbgoatps cup. Or Sammy you need to run a cup. This list is wrong!! (written by a guy who likes souls games but hates sonic and final fantasy)
@get2sammyb So do I. Vanquish is a fine, fine game and absolutely deserves its place on this list.
@themcnoisy lol the list isn't wrong, you just don't agree with it. Vanquish is brilliant imo. And hardly any of my games are in that top list, but as a top 50 of current software that you'd recommend to someone who never played games before, this gets a lot right. (Certainly not all right, there are some odd selections, in some instances I expect for genre balance)
I rarely recommend the likes of FF7 and MGS1 to people since let's face it without a dose of nostalgia they are unlikely to enjoy em*. Games like Vanquish, Soles etc are much more likely to resonate.
Why people are taking much stock in this list I never know! I don't care what someone's top 100 list is!?!? Everyone's list will always be different! There will never be one fully agreed upon mega list of best games! Our opinions and tastes all just differ tastes much (no bad thing) so personally my top 10 would include The Last Of Us, Resident Evil 4, Skyrim, Final Fantasy XII (my personal fav of the series) Arkham City, Dead space, Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2, Baldurs Gate 2 and Fallout 3! I'm sure you will disagree I'm sure yours will be different, but isn't that the point?? To debate why you think your number 1 us this and not that?? Peace out!
Awakening the only Fire Emblem game, and XII the only Final Fantasy game on the list? DriveClub on the list at all? Ugh, terrible list.
How can the criteria be "how well the games stand up today" when SM64 and Ico are so high up?
Glad they excluded Guitar Hero but included Rock Band 3.
This list isn't inclusive enough. I demand a list of the top 100 pieces of recreational media ever released across all of human history. How will I ever know how to feel about anything, if I don't know whether Ico or Beowulf ranks higher?
I think the list is pretty good...dark souls is a good choice at number one given the purity of its gameplay...no one will ever make a totally impartial list, there will always be a touch of bias...and the witcher 3 ISNT the greatest open world game ever made...
Mario 64 for me.
I doubt I will ever be blown away quite as much as I was when this came out. The proper first true 3D game, with sublime gameplay, 360 degree camera control etc etc was simply incredible.
Ok so it hasn't aged brilliantly, but the gameplay and music are still amazing. plus it's still the only Mario with proper 360 camera control to this day
I feel sorry that the kids of today won't likely get to experience such a seismic shift in gaming as this.
lol this list is crap just like the guy who made the list wheres discworld i love that game, titanfall sucks
@Dodoo People love M64, I got it with my N64 but never really liked it. It always looked a bit ropey to me, even back then. Much preferred Zelda OOT. I tried Sunshine on my GC later on and didn't like that either, maybe 3D Mario games just aren't my cup of tea!
Games I love and always return too, would be in my top 100, e.g. Baldurs Gate, Out Run, Head Over Heels, Pokemon Yellow, Mass Effect, Quack Shot, Marios Cement Factory, Star Fox, Wave Race, Golden Sun, Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, PaRappa The Rappa...
Glad to see The Last of Us in number 3 spot. Though in my opinion it deserves to be in number 2 or even 1.
These lists will never make anyone happy. As always there are some good and unexpected titles but also some I would never put anywhere near that list. I feel like the 'they must stand up now' caveat means that some games with simply a good core mechanic are included purely because that mechanic is still fun and relatively unique. Like Super Monkey Ball - great game then, great game now. Not much out there like it. But best of all time? Nope. Whereas Bomberman qualifies on similar merit and IMO definitely deserves a place. By the same logic Worms should be there ahead of SMB - an iconic, enduring franchise (more so than SMB) that still hasn't been bettered by anyone else and is actually still releasing relevant, good games.
@kyleforrester87 Yeah if you didn't like M64 back in the day then I'd definitely say you're a 2D Mario man!
Glad to hear you like Zelda OoT though...
A deliberately poor list designed to generate discussion and get website traffic.
IGN does it all the time, nothing new.
How can the witcher wild hunt be so low. I mean, come on, fez is higher lol. No Fifa games either. There are some questionable games on this list but it's all down to personal preference.
Some of the choices let alone placements are baffling.
This has to be the worse offending part "73 - Xenoblade Chronicles 72 - Titanfall" not only is XC low its below Titanfall.
@blakey78 fez is tons better than the witcher though. In my opinion it's in the top 10 best games ever made. OPINIONS!
No Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Chrono Trigger? Where's Tomb Raider? Where's Doom? Yoshi's Island? I've read Mario Galaxy is a 10, even if I've never played it. TLOU deserves that high place, but the rest make me wonder how old is the guy writing this.
Interesting list that is a bit different from others I've seen but Far Cry 4, and Destiny so high, and great games like Metroid Prime and Xenoblade Chronicles so low.
What an atrocious list.
First of all, the misleading title. It should be the greatest games right now, rather than all time.
You mean to tell me Dark Souls 2, GTAV and The Last of Us deserve the top honours? Greater precedence over genuine game-changers like Tennis for Two (not Pong), Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Tetris, Mario, Zelda, Sonic, or Doom? Or even more modern games, like GTA III, Halo, Wii Sports, Nintendogs, or Minecraft? As far as I'm aware, they've all aged perfectly well, and had more of an impact than Edge's high-ranking tripe. Also, no Super Metroid? WTF?
@Kage_88
Halo is my favorite franchise and I'm a big big GTA fan. I wouldn't say either of the first Halo or GTA III hold up particularly well. In fact the controls from the GTAs of that era make the game damn-near unplayable these days. They're as hideous as tank controls. Both games were game-changers and deserve to be on a list for sure but I wouldn't say they're games that can be played over and over and over.
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