As you might've noticed, GAMINGbible now has an all-new, very shiny online home. Partly to celebrate the launch of our new website, and partly to provide a window into the team's tastes when it comes to video games, we've put together our own top 100 greatest video games of all time. Some of us have been playing video games for 35 years, while others haven't been alive that long - so our top 100 covers a lot of bases, from across several generations of gaming.
How we came to this top 100: a lot of listing, a smidge of voting, and then a solid bout of arguing. And then we changed some positions, and added some totally new entries to the list. It's not a science, dear reader. It's love.
To make things easier for your eyes, we've broken the top 100 into five parts. Please click the links below to go straight to the pages in question. Enjoy!
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100-81
80-61
60-41 - you're looking at it
40-21
20-1
Words: Dan Wilson (DW), Dean Abdou (DA), Ewan Moore (EM), Imogen Donovan (ID), Imogen Mellor (IM), James Daly (JD), Julian Benson (JB), Mark Foster (MF), Mike Diver (MD), Tom Ryan-Smith (TRS), Will McCue (WM)
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60
Silent Hill 2
Konami, 2001
Horror fans in the late-'90s were either Resident Evil or Silent Hill fans. Then Silent Hill 2 came out and unequivocally took the crown as the horror game. It made Resi (and other horror titles) look positively delightful in comparison. Not only visually disturbing, but aurally and thematically shocking, too, this set a new standard for terror that's rarely been surpassed since. MF
59
Gears of War 2
Epic Games, 2008
Yes, even the gruffest of gravel-voiced chainsaw soldiers can have feelings and - even worse - they can make you feel stuff. Gears of War 2 is one of those games that has no right being as good as it is, and we'd almost definitely not have the absolutely stellar Gears 5 now if it wasn't for this seminal Xbox 360 release. Maria's death was an absolute shocker in 2008, it's just a shame most will have skipped the cutscene to get right back into the bloody chainsaw action. TRS
58
Dishonored
Arkane Studios, 2012
It speaks to the freedom of Dishonored's sandbox that players are still finding new and inventive ways to navigate its world. The respect developer Arkane has for players is evident in every inch of Dishonored - you're set loose in a world with powers that don't solve problems like keys fitting into locks, but like chisels cracking them open. You are given Dunwall to break apart and control in any way you see fit - not many games can make that claim. JB
57
Red Dead Redemption II
Rockstar, 2018
The third entry in the Red Dead series and the prequel to 2010's critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption, RDR2 sees you saddle up in 1899 during the decline of the Wild West. Steering Arthur Morgan via his equestrian counterparts through one of the biggest scenic, open-world maps to date is nothing short of mesmerising. This coupled with the gun slinging gameplay and a memorable storyline makes RDR2 an absolute classic. DW
56
Oxenfree
Night School Studio, 2016
Oxenfree was Night School Studio's debut title, and it represented an incredibly strong first step into the games industry for its makers (who, to be fair, had previously worked on some big titles at Telltale and Disney). From its visual presentation all the way to the game's soundtrack, everything in this supernatural mystery adventure game was super unique, making this an unforgettable title. DA
55
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Nintendo, 1991
The first Zelda title on the Super Nintendo - and the last on Nintendo's 16-bit console, for that matter - was a deceptively deep and detailed adventure that took Link from the Hyrule we all knew (albeit looking better than ever) to the Dark World, a place of challenging dungeons and fresh hells for the young hero to face. A Link to the Past might look basic beside newer Zelda games, but it's superbly elegant in its comparative simplicity. MD
54
The Secret of Monkey Island
Lucasfilm Games, 1990
It's so, so hard to make a funny video game - but Lucasfilm Games absolutely nailed it with the pirate hijinks of The Secret of Monkey Island. And at the same time, the studio managed to realise a new high watermark - barnacled, of course - for point-and-click games. Yes, there's an argument for the sequel being better, but the original Monkey Island is still a hilarious romp today. MD
53
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Konami, 2010
Often overlooked because it launched on the handheld PlayStation Portable instead of a home console, Peace Walker is the most innovative Metal Gear Solid game since the original. It ties the traditional stealth action into a larger world of base management and agent recruitment, and it somehow all works neatly. Those ideas were developed in The Phantom Pain but they got lost in a messy story. Peace Walker is streamlined, exciting, and represents Hideo Kojima at his best. JB
52
Halo: Combat Evolved
Bungie, 2001
It would be absolutely criminal if we didn't mention Xbox's flagship first-person shooter, Halo: Combat Evolved. This game defined a whole generation of gamers and was the launch title for the original Xbox console. At the time, first-person shooters on consoles were rare because game devs didn't really believe that they'd work with gamepads, so Bungie not only defined a console generation, but set a precedent for a whole genre on consoles, too. (Well, if we ignore this one, anyway.) DA
51
Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow
Nintendo, 1996/1998
Every great journey begins with a single step. Pokémon Red and Blue, however, began with a single choice: Squirtle, Bulbasaur or Charmander? A choice that still divides people to this day. Unless you played Yellow. In which case you just vibed with Pikachu and said laters to the haters. MF
50
The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Nintendo, 2002
Once considered the ugly stepchild of the Zelda franchise, Wind Waker is much more kindly regarded these days. Gorgeous cel-shaded visuals have helped this one stand the test of time, while a memorable cast of characters and a great story help lift this seafaring adventure up among the best Nintendo has to offer. EM
49
Persona 5 Royal
P-Studio/Atlus, 2020
At the time of writing, this is the highest-rated game of 2020 on Metacritic, and it was the first game to ever get a 10/10 review from us - so surely there's no doubt that Persona 5 Royal is the perfect JRPG. An immersive, uniquely stylised world filled with dungeon-crawling and socialising, you have to wonder: how the heck is it only 49 on our list? Democracy: it gives, it takes away. JD
48
Hades
Supergiant Games, 2020
One of the best games of 2020 (and the second game to get a 10/10 from us), the fact that Hades has slid right into the top 50 here should tell you everything you need to know. A genre-defining hack 'n' slash roguelike whose genius lies in the way the narrative has been weaved into every death or defeat you'll suffer. And you will suffer. EM
47
Metroid Prime
Nintendo, 2002
I'm not convinced we deserved Metroid Prime. Immersive, atmospheric, and years ahead of its time, this GameCube gem is a stunning achievement that deftly combines exploration with combat. Not played it? Have a word with yourself. EM
46
Pokémon FireRed / LeafGreen
Game Freak, 2004
Pokémon Red and Blue may have kicked the franchise off in the West, but they are not the best versions of this iconic game. That award goes to FireRed and LeafGreen, two remakes released for the Game Boy Advance that allowed players to finally trade and battle wirelessly via a packed-in-the-box adapter. There was also an option for players to choose a female character - something introduced in Gold and Silver - as well as adding post-Elite 4 content on the Sevii Islands (also from Gold and Silver). If you are planning to revisit the original Pokémon games, I implore you to play these games instead. TRS
45
Titanfall 2
Respawn Entertainment, 2016
Quite simply: Titanfall 2 has the best FPS campaign ever made. Every single level is full of wonderful invention, with each design idea fleshed out to its fullest before being left behind for something new. Nothing overstays its welcome, and it's a thrill from start to finish. JB
44
Tekken 3
Namco, 1997
Countless evenings blurred into countless mornings trying to perfect every combo, memorise every special move and understand the bizarre, transcendental ties between the many characters of Tekken 3. All in an effort to beat siblings with nuanced perfection, fights poised on a knife's edge, only to be bodied by Eddy doing his stupid helicopter kicks. Every. Single. Time. MF
43
Into The Breach
Subset Games, 2018
The beauty of Into The Breach is how its design coaxes you into being a hero. You lead a small team fighting back an alien invasion, but to succeed you can't just kill the giant space bugs - you need to protect the defenceless civilians sprinkled across every battlefield, too. It's only when you start putting your own soldiers into the firing line, sacrificing troops to achieve victory in each skirmish, that you'll be able to take back Earth. JB
42
Life Is Strange
DONTNOD, 2015
Games can often seem like a bit of a 'boys-only club' which is why a game like Life Is Strange meant a lot to the non-FPS/FIFA crowd - the crowd I'm a part of. It's a coming-of-age story about a photography student, a small town she doesn't feel like she fits into, and her best friend. Oh, and it just so happens that she can rewind time. However, her super power isn't the focus - as awesome as rewinding the clock can be, the game is really about the melancholy world of being a teenage girl. IM
41
BioShock
2K Boston, 2007
The first BioShock got off to a striking start with the player's arrival at the undersea city of Rapture, and rarely relented in impressing from an audio and visual perspective. The combat could feel rote at times, though its feverish pace often balanced out the familiarity; but it's the game's story, and its genuinely unexpected twist, that really stayed with players, setting up the overarching narrative of the sequels to follow. MD
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Check out the rest of our top 100, as follows:
Advert
100-81
80-61
60-41 - you're looking at it
40-21
20-1
Topics: Halo, Xbox, Pokemon, Red Dead Redemption, BioShock, Gears of War, Life is Strange, list, Silent Hill, Nintendo, PlayStation, Retro Gaming, Metal Gear Solid