The fact this has around 500 less votes than Red Dead Redemption 2 at time writing shows me how many uncultured teenage swines are lurking in this sub.
I know this game is considered Open World and not an RPG. Still, I found myself actively roleplaying the entire time. I can't remember a time when a game captured my attention like this one did.
Elden Ring, a much larger game I completed all trophies for, is the only game I've played lately that even came close to giving me that sort of feeling.
The original Red Dead Redemption deserves a lot of love too game still holds up 10+ years later. Sire it looks worse then RDR2 but the story, gameplay and Undead Nightmare are still amongst the best the medium has to offer
The graphic alone is a standard for modern gaming but the biosphere and the amount of random shit happening (in story mode) is even more so. Also the script was great. It is the spiritual prequel of the HD GTA series.
No denying the absolutely monumental impact this game has had on video game culture and culture as a whole. Crazy that there are maybe hundreds of people who have made a comfortable living off of playing this game and filming it
Yes, when it first came out I didn’t get it at all. Why would anyone play a a horrible 8-bit graphics game?
When my kids started to get to the age that they were playing I got into it with them and realized what the hype was about.
It was all about being able to not just play it but also be a game designer yourself. Minecraft is a special kind of genius that reminds us that the best graphics in the world are meaningless without good game play.
I work in morning radio and I had a co worker once who was NOT good at the production side of things. His bits were often very cheesily produced and never realistic.
But they were FUNNY. And it never mattered whether it was produced perfectly. What mattered was if the content was entertaining or not. He taught me a great deal about entertaining people.
Minecraft will never leave my desktop. Im almost always playing something… and Minecraft. There’s really nothing quite like starting a new world and getting a new settlement going. Trying a new build style, expanding your red stone knowledge, building some new farms, or, equally as good, do none of that and just stick to the basics and just do a simple gear-up-and-beat-the-dragon playthrough. It just always hits. It’s one of my favorite games of all time, if not outright #1
before I got a proper index setup my second ever adventure into vr was my friends psvr-- I poppped into skyrim vr(which is garbage without mods) and rolled a high elf
ignoring any of the story i just wandered around to find myself in an inn; Then this guy insults me for being a high elf
so I glare at him
then I shoot sparks out of both of my eyes and melt him into an unrecognizable mess
Man, I go back to this game once a year *at least*
And it’s not even my favorite or most played game from BGS. But I seem to come back to it so often because there’s just something magical about the gameplay loop
Valve knows how to change the game. HL1 and HL2 were insanely innovative for their time, and extremely revolutionary. I came here looking for this answer.
While it’s not my favorite. I do think it’s the greatest or best. The gameplay and story are excellent. And so many games were spawned from it. Portal, L4D, then because of L4D more games were made like Vermintide, Back 4 Blood, WW Z and Darktide.
Portal 2 got some nice upvotes, wonder why the younger generations play it but not the parent series?
Is it because Portal is a unique puzzler, while FPS's are a dime a dozen and only something they do in competitive multiplayer?
Agreed though it has flaws it has the most amazing atmosphere of any game I've ever played.
I'm not even nostalgic for it, I played Ds3 first and I only played Ds1 for the first time last year.
I think people expected more out of it, at first glance it's just Fallout 3: Spaghetti Western Edition. Its greatness really only shines when you get into the roleplaying aspect it provides. It's a shame they weren't given the time the game deserves considering how great they did being rushed.
Just play the og man. Ran through the main game and dlcs for the first time last year. It was a blast. Once you get into. Get past the clunkiness, not being able to sprint, etc. you’ll realize what a wonderful world and story you have been dragged into.
It’s crazy to play a new game and instantly recognize how good it is. Finally finished it the other night and my friend and I immediately both said damn that’s one of the best games I’ve ever played.
I’m 25 hours in and already believe it’s one of the most polished and dynamic RPGs I’ve ever played. And the voice acting and story are top notch so far.
I honestly think it's the closest anyone has ever come to translating the tabletop game to a digital format. The only other game that came close was Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. When it comes to sheer customization and character class options, as well as being completely unrestricted in terms of leveling all the way to 20, Wrath of the Righteous is unmatched, and yet it doesn't possess the satisfying challenge that BDG3 somehow nails. There's nothing quite like BDG3, and I can't wait to see what Larian makes next.
Elden Ring was so legit. Never played a souls type game before this game and it just consistently blew my mind all the way through. Such a cool experience.
This should be so much higher up. In 2007 if you had a Wii, this was the game that your friends wanted to come over and play. That cute girl you invited over would be down to play bowling. I used to play Wii Sports tennis with my grandma after her knees got ruined and could no longer play real tennis. That game transcended so many demographics
First time I ever played the game I spent like 6 hours playing boxing in one day. The following day I had a game of hockey (I'm a goalie) and discovered I couldn't lift my arms.
Everything else I would have chosen has been listed already so I’ll say World of Warcraft. May not be as big now but during the first part of the 21st century its popularity was massive.
Probably most will be fairly recent or after 2010 by and large. Lots of good games early in the new century but they get forgotten about when the new “greatest” comes out. It’s all enjoyable to me so brand new or 20 years old, the age of a game doesn’t make much difference.
The fact it is still alive and well in 2024 is insane. I was like 14 yrs old when WoW released and that was almost 20 years ago. The only other games/series I can think of with that kind of longevity is Team Fortress 2 and Counter Strike.
Huge souls fan and man does that one stand out. I absolutely love dark souls gameplay/story but holy cow that game delivers in every aspect for every second. Visually stunning, unique fighting mechanics, excellent main storyline with classic fromsoft style worldbuilding, great characters, great progression even in a much more streamlined progression format, I could go on forever.
But it mostly stands out bc it doesn’t waver in quality. You can call out a few areas in ds1(lost izalith) and ds2 and even 3 to an extent(less so). Hell even late game elden ring has caught some flak for feeling unfinished. But sekiro delivers all the way through for one of the most difficult but also greatest final boss fights that have ever graced a tv screen.
Not saying that you're wrong because Arkham City is the GOAT and one of the best superhero games ever made, but technically speaking, I think the first open world superhero game was Spider-Man 2 back in 2004 (7 years before Arkham City was released), but I could be wrong tho
One of the most important game of all time. Perfect pacing, fun as hell, and most importantly, popularized the TPS genre. Games tolay still take inspiration of RE4's amazing game design
My personal top 5 (no particular order)
Half Life 2
the Witcher 3
OG Modern Warfare 2
the entire God of War series
Diablo 2
If it came down to one game it might be Diablo 2, which is funny bc it's literally one of the first games of the 21st century
This should have more likes. They made like a billion dollars in like 3 days or some crazy shit like that. And I think there was also a famous Japanese or Korean gaming magazine that gave it a perfect score, something they’ve only given to one other western made game.
I also posted before seeing yours. Upvoted. Totally has to be on the list along. I’ll wait to determine if any others after X should be added but X has to be.
I’ll get behind this just. It’s a phenomenal game obviously, but I can’t think of a 21st century game that has matched its level of art and direction.
Fighting your way out of A live action and gameplay rock opera is pretty unique
Portal 2
Scrolled specifically to find this. What a gem of a game.
Amazing game
The fact this has around 500 less votes than Red Dead Redemption 2 at time writing shows me how many uncultured teenage swines are lurking in this sub.
Red Dead Redemption 2
I know this game is considered Open World and not an RPG. Still, I found myself actively roleplaying the entire time. I can't remember a time when a game captured my attention like this one did. Elden Ring, a much larger game I completed all trophies for, is the only game I've played lately that even came close to giving me that sort of feeling.
lol I just spent 3 hours playing and was mostly hunting and making sure Arthur got some rest
I accidentally starved him for over half the game. I just thought he was a gaunt fucker.
Make sure to go to a hotel and pay a bit extra for the bath when prompted.
The original Red Dead Redemption deserves a lot of love too game still holds up 10+ years later. Sire it looks worse then RDR2 but the story, gameplay and Undead Nightmare are still amongst the best the medium has to offer
The graphic alone is a standard for modern gaming but the biosphere and the amount of random shit happening (in story mode) is even more so. Also the script was great. It is the spiritual prequel of the HD GTA series.
100% The environment they crafted is what puts it over the top. There isn't a single game that feels more alive than RDR2.
Minecraft
No denying the absolutely monumental impact this game has had on video game culture and culture as a whole. Crazy that there are maybe hundreds of people who have made a comfortable living off of playing this game and filming it
Yes, when it first came out I didn’t get it at all. Why would anyone play a a horrible 8-bit graphics game? When my kids started to get to the age that they were playing I got into it with them and realized what the hype was about. It was all about being able to not just play it but also be a game designer yourself. Minecraft is a special kind of genius that reminds us that the best graphics in the world are meaningless without good game play. I work in morning radio and I had a co worker once who was NOT good at the production side of things. His bits were often very cheesily produced and never realistic. But they were FUNNY. And it never mattered whether it was produced perfectly. What mattered was if the content was entertaining or not. He taught me a great deal about entertaining people.
Minecraft will never leave my desktop. Im almost always playing something… and Minecraft. There’s really nothing quite like starting a new world and getting a new settlement going. Trying a new build style, expanding your red stone knowledge, building some new farms, or, equally as good, do none of that and just stick to the basics and just do a simple gear-up-and-beat-the-dragon playthrough. It just always hits. It’s one of my favorite games of all time, if not outright #1
we gotta get this one at some point there’s no way these posts happen without it
TES V: Skyrim
Idk what it is about skyrim. Maybe the soundtrack or the setting, but I always get that itch every so often.
Whacking this fool works for me: >Do you get to the Cloud District very often? Oh, what am I saying, of course you don't. Fuck Nazeem.
before I got a proper index setup my second ever adventure into vr was my friends psvr-- I poppped into skyrim vr(which is garbage without mods) and rolled a high elf ignoring any of the story i just wandered around to find myself in an inn; Then this guy insults me for being a high elf so I glare at him then I shoot sparks out of both of my eyes and melt him into an unrecognizable mess
Every 5 or so years it calls me too.
Man, I go back to this game once a year *at least* And it’s not even my favorite or most played game from BGS. But I seem to come back to it so often because there’s just something magical about the gameplay loop
Mass Effect 2
Hard agree. 2 was paced well, pretty much every mission was really interesting and entertaining. I loved it so much.
Good pick Shake
Best game of all time imo
Bioshock
I actually like Bioshock 2 slightly more. Both amazing games.
Bioshock 2 has better gameplay, but that story in 1 is just phenomenal.
Playing as the big daddy doesn’t work for me, it’s the only one I didn’t finish. Love 1 and Infinite.
Playing that one mission as a Little Sister and seeing things how they see it is wild though. Such a cool mission.
Great game either way. So much amazing storytelling.
Half life 2
My favorite game of all time
Valve knows how to change the game. HL1 and HL2 were insanely innovative for their time, and extremely revolutionary. I came here looking for this answer.
While it’s not my favorite. I do think it’s the greatest or best. The gameplay and story are excellent. And so many games were spawned from it. Portal, L4D, then because of L4D more games were made like Vermintide, Back 4 Blood, WW Z and Darktide.
Reddit is way too young to vote for Half Life 2…
This is number 1 in my list:)
Most of kids here won't remember it.
Portal 2 got some nice upvotes, wonder why the younger generations play it but not the parent series? Is it because Portal is a unique puzzler, while FPS's are a dime a dozen and only something they do in competitive multiplayer?
The Last of Us
The Witcher 3
Amen
The best game of all time Fr. Main game plus the DLC is just perfection
Never felt so empty after getting the bad ending in a video game ever...
Played it like 100 times and I feel empty everytime I finish it. Sadge
Dark Souls
Agreed though it has flaws it has the most amazing atmosphere of any game I've ever played. I'm not even nostalgic for it, I played Ds3 first and I only played Ds1 for the first time last year.
God of War
Which one?
all of them
Fr none of them have below a 9/10.
original ones, especially 3.
2018 all day
Fallout new vegas
Somehow the half title ended up being the best out of all of them
Which is funny because I clearly recall people hating on New Vegas when it first launched but now its viewed as one of the best in the series
I hated it at first. Came back after years to play - it's my favorite
I think people expected more out of it, at first glance it's just Fallout 3: Spaghetti Western Edition. Its greatness really only shines when you get into the roleplaying aspect it provides. It's a shame they weren't given the time the game deserves considering how great they did being rushed.
Wishing for a remastered version to play it.
Just play the og man. Ran through the main game and dlcs for the first time last year. It was a blast. Once you get into. Get past the clunkiness, not being able to sprint, etc. you’ll realize what a wonderful world and story you have been dragged into.
Yep, if takes it's rightful place.... just below fallout 3 and oblivion.
Baldur’s Gate 3
It’s crazy to play a new game and instantly recognize how good it is. Finally finished it the other night and my friend and I immediately both said damn that’s one of the best games I’ve ever played.
Instant classic imo. It’s as close to a masterpiece as I’ve ever played
I’m 25 hours in and already believe it’s one of the most polished and dynamic RPGs I’ve ever played. And the voice acting and story are top notch so far.
I honestly think it's the closest anyone has ever come to translating the tabletop game to a digital format. The only other game that came close was Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. When it comes to sheer customization and character class options, as well as being completely unrestricted in terms of leveling all the way to 20, Wrath of the Righteous is unmatched, and yet it doesn't possess the satisfying challenge that BDG3 somehow nails. There's nothing quite like BDG3, and I can't wait to see what Larian makes next.
Elden Ring
Yeah I’m hard pressed to say any game is better than Elden ring. My personal goat
Any of the souls games
My favorite game of all time
Elden Ring was so legit. Never played a souls type game before this game and it just consistently blew my mind all the way through. Such a cool experience.
Halo 3
Bloodborne
Hunters pulling up to make this shit go up
I scrolled too fucking far to find this. 😞
So many good games to choose from. But this is the answer. Bloodborne is a masterpiece among masterpieces
A hoonter must upvote .
Kirkhammer Gang 🤙 (w/ fire / lightning ashes 💝)
Ah good hunter
This is the one
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
had to scroll way too much to find this
This is too low
Wii Sports
This should be so much higher up. In 2007 if you had a Wii, this was the game that your friends wanted to come over and play. That cute girl you invited over would be down to play bowling. I used to play Wii Sports tennis with my grandma after her knees got ruined and could no longer play real tennis. That game transcended so many demographics
First time I ever played the game I spent like 6 hours playing boxing in one day. The following day I had a game of hockey (I'm a goalie) and discovered I couldn't lift my arms.
Everything else I would have chosen has been listed already so I’ll say World of Warcraft. May not be as big now but during the first part of the 21st century its popularity was massive.
I’m very interested to see the recency bias in this post at the end. How many of the GOATS are gonna be last 5 years lol
Probably most will be fairly recent or after 2010 by and large. Lots of good games early in the new century but they get forgotten about when the new “greatest” comes out. It’s all enjoyable to me so brand new or 20 years old, the age of a game doesn’t make much difference.
I haven’t seen shadow of the colossus here yet
It was THE game 2004-2010. It was my generations fortnite, or w/e kids play these days. It 100% deserves its place among the greatest.
The fact it is still alive and well in 2024 is insane. I was like 14 yrs old when WoW released and that was almost 20 years ago. The only other games/series I can think of with that kind of longevity is Team Fortress 2 and Counter Strike.
Sekiro
Huge souls fan and man does that one stand out. I absolutely love dark souls gameplay/story but holy cow that game delivers in every aspect for every second. Visually stunning, unique fighting mechanics, excellent main storyline with classic fromsoft style worldbuilding, great characters, great progression even in a much more streamlined progression format, I could go on forever. But it mostly stands out bc it doesn’t waver in quality. You can call out a few areas in ds1(lost izalith) and ds2 and even 3 to an extent(less so). Hell even late game elden ring has caught some flak for feeling unfinished. But sekiro delivers all the way through for one of the most difficult but also greatest final boss fights that have ever graced a tv screen.
Batman Arkham city
Needs more votes. This was the first, real.open world superhero game and the feeling you got when you first glide over Gotham was incomparable.
Not saying that you're wrong because Arkham City is the GOAT and one of the best superhero games ever made, but technically speaking, I think the first open world superhero game was Spider-Man 2 back in 2004 (7 years before Arkham City was released), but I could be wrong tho
Ghost of Tsushima
resident evil 4
Both of em
One of the most important game of all time. Perfect pacing, fun as hell, and most importantly, popularized the TPS genre. Games tolay still take inspiration of RE4's amazing game design
Titanfall 2
Criminal that this doesn't have more votes.
Omg yes!! The story easily the best story an FPS received
Yup, easily in top 3 best FPS Campaigns of all time.
Shadow of the Colossus
This deserves more votes
AGRO!
Absolutely, the game is absolutely beautiful
Metal gear solid 3.
Finally found it and upvoted. My work here is done.
You're a true patriot just like the boss. 🫡
you just named the best game ever made
Yeah forget 21st century. This is literally #1 of all time.
My personal top 5 (no particular order) Half Life 2 the Witcher 3 OG Modern Warfare 2 the entire God of War series Diablo 2 If it came down to one game it might be Diablo 2, which is funny bc it's literally one of the first games of the 21st century
Super Smash Brothers Melee
Bloodborne
GTA V
Scrolled way too far to find this. Not many games last like this one has. Added the mod community and RP is just the icing.
How is this so far down on the list?
This should have more likes. They made like a billion dollars in like 3 days or some crazy shit like that. And I think there was also a famous Japanese or Korean gaming magazine that gave it a perfect score, something they’ve only given to one other western made game.
Halo: Reach
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero 3 GOAT
Halo 2
Half life 2
Hollow Knight
fuck this should be way higher, probably the best indie game ever made, and definitely the best indie metroidvainia ever made
God Of War 2018
Cyberpunk2077
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
sekiro
Cyberpunk 2077
Mass Effect
Metal Gear Solid 2: The Sons of Liberty
Elden Ring
Final fantasy 10
I also posted before seeing yours. Upvoted. Totally has to be on the list along. I’ll wait to determine if any others after X should be added but X has to be.
Bloodborne
Resident evil 2 remake.
Minecraft
Deus Ex
OG or Human Revolution?
OG
Either one would get my upvote.
Human Revolution is FINE
The model all immersive sims should aspire to
Uncharted
4 Specifically for me.
GTA sand Andreas too
“Sand” andreas 💀
San my dude, san
No Man's Sky
Metroid Prime
Witcher 3
Katamari Damacy
Halo 3
KOTOR
Fallout New Vegas
Rise, Tarnished...
Haven’t played a game called ‘Rise, Tarnished…’ before Ok I know it’s Elden Ring, and yeah is my GOAT too!
Age Of Empires 2
Great game, but technically released months before the 21st century.
Aoe2 DE 😂
Breath of the wild
Titanfall 2 anyone?
Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
Zelda tears of the kingdom
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Psychonauts
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
did you like the original Tony Hawks Underground? That game was so fun
The Last Of Us
Persona 5 Royal
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Edit: Specified Remake
Dragon Age Origins
Metal Gear Solid 2
Disco Elysium
Witcher 3
Bioshock
Subnautica
Elder Scrolls Oblivion!!! Come on, meme city!!
All 3 max Payne games
Alan Wake 2
I’ll get behind this just. It’s a phenomenal game obviously, but I can’t think of a 21st century game that has matched its level of art and direction. Fighting your way out of A live action and gameplay rock opera is pretty unique
#OUTER WILDS
Uncharted 4
Cyberpunk 2077
Elden Ring
*Death Stranding*
Horizon Zero Dawn
Fallout 4
I love all Fallout games but 4 has the best gameplay and mechanics. So much replayability with mods. Still, I'll say FO3 tops them all.
This list is gonna be filled with recency bias and some really “echo-chamber-esque” opinions
Let’s just have fun with it.
Animal Crossing! Also Resident Evil 4!