Guardian's List of the Top Games of the 21st Century

[JasonM]

MGS5 being the pick of the Hideo-verse is kind of a weird one. But I guess it was the most popular one in terms of sales and how much people 'know' about it. But I feel in terms of game, Snake Eater is arguably the best one in it being the most enjoyable sneak game with the least aneurism inducing story...

Also, had hoped that any of the Hitman or Splinter Cell games would've gotten some love, because they together with MGS built an entire genre out of not getting into conflict and finding ways around it.

Also no Fallout (3), the game(s) is/are janky and has/have always been, but despite all of Bethesda's attempts to cut off their own legs through incompetence it's a huge franchise and built up interest in post-apocalyptic anything before Zombie games became such an overused thing.

Edited September 20, 2019 by Jasonmufc

[Bobfoc]

I think there are certain games that have aged well because nobody else has built on them. Viva Pinata comes to mind. In other cases, simplicity is very helpful. Papers, Please is likely to stand the test of time because its mechanics are so basic that they're simply a means to an end, rather than the sort that rely on precision.

The biggest problems games face in terms of achieving universal appeal are to do with barriers to entry. As long as you don't have significant visual and/or aural impairments, the consumption of literature, music and film is straightforward, whereas one's relationship with a game is dependent on many more factors. A whole range of disabilities can inhibit a player's capacity to play through a lot of games, as can the mere lack of skill. Not only that, but we're still very much in a world of console exclusives, meaning that having access to everything is a lot more expensive than in other forms of entertainment.

[SquareRootOfSi]

The fact that 'Last of Us' is so far down the list is a tragedy 

[Josh]

57 minutes ago, Bobfoc said:

I think there are certain games that have aged well because nobody else has built on them. Viva Pinata comes to mind. In other cases, simplicity is very helpful. Papers, Please is likely to stand the test of time because its mechanics are so basic that they're simply a means to an end, rather than the sort that rely on precision.

The biggest problems games face in terms of achieving universal appeal are to do with barriers to entry. As long as you don't have significant visual and/or aural impairments, the consumption of literature, music and film is straightforward, whereas one's relationship with a game is dependent on many more factors. A whole range of disabilities can inhibit a player's capacity to play through a lot of games, as can the mere lack of skill. Not only that, but we're still very much in a world of console exclusives, meaning that having access to everything is a lot more expensive than in other forms of entertainment.

This is a really excellent point I hadn’t considered. I know Microsoft had developed a very specific controller for better accessibility, VR likely inherently opens things up to a few more people, and the Wii probably created a lower barrier to entry - but does anyone recall specific games designed to be more inclusive of people with disabilities?

[Bobfoc]

2 hours ago, SquareRootOfSi said:

The fact that 'Last of Us' is so far down the list is a tragedy 

I find it quite interesting because, as we saw, it has a mixed response from people on this board. Perhaps being about halfway up reflects that in an odd sort of way.

[GoGo Yubari]

Would rather see GTA San Andreas on that top 50 than GTAIV or even GTAV.

Was SingStar very popular in the UK? It has fairly little US footprint, really, so I was surprised to see it as the representative of that corner of games rather than, say, Guitar Hero 2 or Rock Band.

would have liked to have seen Dragon Age: Origins but I think how good that one was has been lost to time a little bit. Overall this list, like the album list, is a pretty fine broad overview of the century thusfar.

[lanky316]

Singstar felt like it was everywhere for a little while with TV ads and the like. Rock Band however was completely lost over here due to shambolic releases in the EU and especially on the Playstation where it was just a mess. Guitar Hero was probably worth a shot as that had a bit of a cultural impact and name recognition even outside the gaming circles. 

[METALMAN]

my gran got me singstar for christmas the year it came out because she had heard that i liked games.

[RPS]

I have played Papers Please, Rocket League, Burnout 3 Takedown, Overwatch, Gears of War 2, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, Smash Bros Melee, Spelunky, Call of Duty 4: MW, Wii Sports, Guitar Hero, Left 4 Dead, Mario Kart 8, Fortnite, GTA IV, Marjora's Mask, The Sims, Resident Evil 4, Mario Odyssey, Skyrim, Portal 2, Halo, GTA V, Half Life 2, BOTW and Minecraft while I have also watched my better half play Dead Space, God of War, and the Last of Us. 

Broad thoughts: 

• I think this list is more of a discussion point for games in the 21st century, rather than a definitive list of the best games. They have opted to pick the most known of the games in a franchise. For example, why the Sims and the not the superior sequel? Why the original Halo? Why that entry in the COD? Left 4 Dead over Left 4 Dead 2? Probably because those are the most experienced versions of the game rather than them being the best of that offering. 
• Best is such a nebulous term for a game list. With music, the basis by which we assess music is by auditory enjoyment. There is no analog in music. I could have a game on the list because of sound design, story, game-play, atmosphere or a combination of all three. It seems weird to rank the games in order from 1-50. It almost should be an unranked list. How does one compare Portal 2 to Wii Sports? 
•  Related to above, it is weird to have Minecraft above BOTW or Portal 2. Not saying it is wrong. Just feels strange. Minecraft is probably more "fun" than BOTW or Portal 2, but is it a better experience? Not a rhetorical question, just me asking. 
• Only one Mario platform? Where the fuck is Galaxy? 
• Walking Dead Season 1 belongs on the list. 
• Of the list, I think that the two games I would remove having known enough about the games is Last of Us and Skyrim. I have never enjoyed the gameplay of the Naughty Dog Uncharted/Last of Us style. I played an hour of Uncharted 1 and thought the game play sucked. I watched my better half play Last of Us and thought it was immensely overrated. On the flipside, I think the Skyrim games encapsulate every problem with open world games - lots to do, nothing is fun, and lacks any worthwhile depth. I know this is controversial! 
• Indie games are shafted on the list. I don't believe Spelunky ultimately belongs there, but how the fuck is the Witness or FTL not included here? 

[Bobfoc]

I thought for a while that they were going for an "only one game per franchise" rule, but they have two Zelda games, so that's out.

[RPS]

44 minutes ago, Bobfoc said:

I thought for a while that they were going for an "only one game per franchise" rule, but they have two Zelda games, so that's out.

Two GTA games as well. 

 

[DanishmadePunk]

Pretty hard for me to point any fingers at this list. THPS2 is too low imo

[LUKIE]

Where's Binding of Isaac?

[GhostMachine]

Mass Effect 2 should be top 20, and the lack of Saints Row III and IV on the list at all = total bullshit.

 

[RPS]

5 hours ago, Barbaro CaverLUKIEo said:

Where's Binding of Isaac?

Spelunky got its spot. 

[Benjamin]

Surprised how many games I've played is on this list considering I stopped playing video games in... 2009?

I've played Burnout 3: Takedown, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, Battlefield 1942, Shadow of the Colossus, Left 4 Dead, Grand Theft Auto IV and the Sims. The only one of those I didn't play extensively was Battlefield 1942, too. 

[LUKIE]

1 hour ago, RPS said:

Spelunky got its spot. 

Spelunky was good.

But Isaac is next level.

I've been playing Isaac since the beginning and still do the daily challenge and am still awaiting the new update.

Insane it's not on the list. It was groundbreaking.