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No medium has grown and evolved more in the past 25 years than video games, shifting the landscape from pixelated graphics to lifelike realism, which is best seen in the original Final Fantasy 7 game and its remake. Gaming isn’t just a way to have fun, but it is also an art form that mixes story with graphics, creativity, entertainment, profound themes, and gameplay to create a magnificent experience.
Even though video games have been around for quite some time, the best have come from the past quarter-century, which is why this list will rank the ten greatest video game masterpieces from the last 25 years. Based on gameplay, originality, narrative, design, fan opinion, critical acclaim, influence, how well they have aged, and overall quality, these ten games are absolute masterpieces that deserve all their praise and more.
10
‘Halo 2’ (2004)
Xbox is all but out of the great console wars, and with it, one of the greatest gaming franchises is no longer relevant. However, that doesn’t discredit the old games, because Halo 2 still holds up today. Picking right up where the first one left off, Master Chief must defend the Earth from an incoming Covenant invasion. Players simultaneously play as Arbiter, a disgraced Covenant commander who learns that the great journey is just a suicide pact.
First-person shooters are some of the most popular and best-selling video games, but they generally aren’t the most well-reviewed. However, it’s hard to beat the classics, and Halo 2 proves this, remaining one of the most influential and thrilling shooters ever. It revolutionized how console multiplayer games behave and are designed, creating an unmatched coop experience that also boasts an impressive story and unforgettable combat.
9
‘Super Mario Galaxy’ (2007)
There are many iconic gaming franchises, but none are more famous than Mario, which has some of the most memorable video games ever, many fitting for this list. But 2007’s Super Mario Galaxy is regarded as its peak, following the titular plumber traversing the cosmos and its planets to save Princess Peach from Bowser.
Super Mario Galaxy is the pinnacle of platforming and the greatest title for the Nintendo Wii. It mainly consists of a slew of levels that are wildly creative and offer a new mechanic each time. The spherical gravity in Super Mario Galaxy is a creative well of content that pioneered the genre and provides hours of platforming joy. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie isn’t a one-to-one adaptation, but its existence proves how important the original game is.
8
‘Grand Theft Auto V’ (2013)
Grand Theft Auto is one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed franchises. Almost any of their games can be on this list, and when GTA 6 comes out, it probably will, but for now, GTA V is the best. Crime is rampant in Los Santos, and this game weaves the lives of three names in particular together as their paths cross in various high-stakes bank heists.
GTA: San Andreas was ambitious and set the foundation, but Grand Theft Auto V was the payoff that perfected this formula. Giving over a decade of content, this game has satiated gamers for years, whether it be the story, creative races, or role-playing in this immersive sandbox. The scale and detail of the world are unprecedented, filled with systematic gameplay where players can create their fun wherever they are, making GTA V a cultural juggernaut.
7
‘Elden Ring’ (2022)
Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment
FromSoftware is a prolific studio with some icons, such as Dark Souls and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but their magnum opus is undoubtedly Elden Ring. Players control the Tarnished, a banished soul who is reborn to go on a sprawling adventure and kill the demigod children of Queen Marika, all while collecting shards of the titular ring that will make them the Elden Lord.
Some have criticized the combat gameplay, but it is still an unrelenting challenge full of fighting opportunities and analyzing enemy movements. Repetition is key, but learning, testing, and challenging techniques with the sweet result of finally beating an enemy is the ultimate satisfaction. Not to mention, Elden Ring is a worldbuilding masterclass with the writing of George R.R. Martin. Let’s hope the upcoming movie adaptation can reach the same heights as the source material.
6
‘Portal 2’ (2011)
Who knows if Valve will ever get back into making games, but even if they don’t, the studio is home to an all-time puzzle classic, Portal 2. In the single-player campaign, Chell is a lone human in an abandoned scientific facility where she must obey the commands of an AI that forces her to complete puzzles. But with the help of another robot, she plans to escape and make it back into the real world.
Gameplay is subjective, but the medium is known for its puzzle mechanics, and Portal 2 is the greatest puzzle game of all time. With its imaginative main system, the portal mechanic is stretched into new avenues that create new moments and unique levels. Portal 2 also features witty writing with hilarious comedy that presents a dark but funny story. Fans will never get a similar experience to this game, making it a marvelous, one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
5
‘Disco Elysium’ (2019)
The most popular games of all time are big-budget AAA blockbuster titles, but the indie genre keeps producing classics that rival even the most expensive games. Disco Elysium follows a drug-addicted, amnesiac detective trying to solve a murder in a poverty-stricken district. However, the battle isn’t just against those encountered, but also the 24 distinct parts of their brain.
Everyone loves a good RPG, and Disco Elysium reinvents its typical aspects into a philosophical masterpiece. The different parts of the brain represent the player’s skill tree and companions, creating a distinct gameplay style where it all happens in an internal monologue. From its political critiques to themes of human failure, Disco Elysium is the gold standard of video game writing, which manages its sense of humor alongside its bleak narrative. It tests intelligence and encourages failure, but Disco Elysium is a modern masterpiece and a definitive RPG that redefined the genre.
4
‘The Last of Us’ (2013)
Off the heels of one of the best-written video games is one of the best narratives in gaming history, so much so that it got a live-action TV adaptation. The Last of Us takes place years after a deadly virus turned most of humanity into zombies. Joel is a grizzled survivor who reluctantly helps a young teenager, Elie, cross the country for safety since she might hold the key to humanity’s revival.
The second game may not have been to everyone’s liking, but the first is a universally acclaimed masterpiece with an unmatched narrative. The Last of Us proved games can have prestigious storytelling, and this story was a beautiful experience that bridged gameplay and plot. With some of the best character arcs in gaming history and captivating combat, The Last of Us is a must-play video game.
3
‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ (2023)
2023 was one of the best years for gaming in the modern era, and out of all of those masterpieces, one has stood out the most: Baldur’s Gate 3. Players create a character in an expansive creative system and get to travel across the fantastical world of Dungeons & Dragons. However, when they get infected, they must search for a cure while maneuvering a war between humans and gods.
Despite being the newest entry on this list, Baldur’s Gate 3 has already established itself as a perfect game deserving the title of one of the greatest. There have been a lot of games in the past 25 years, but none offer more agency than this one, allowing players to do whatever they want, with so many options that fans will question how the developers thought of it. There are so many creative solutions to every problem, creating the most immersive fantasy RPG that is a detailed masterpiece. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a labor of love that fans can feel in every second of gameplay.
2
‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ (2018)
Rockstar Games already has one entry on this list, but an even bigger masterpiece is Red Dead Redemption 2. Set in 1899, Arthur Morgan is an outlaw and the leader of a gang during the dying times of the Wild West era. Needing to deal with his declining gang and struggles, he travels the country searching for redemption.
Red Dead Redemption 2 could be a perfect video game movie, but it is already flawless, and with millions of things to do in the game, it is better off staying as a playable masterpiece. The gameplay isn’t perfect, but fans love it because of its immersive and detailed world that is so accurate that it feels like a simulator. Red Dead Redemption 2 boasts a prestigious story with one of the best-written characters in gaming history, making it a modern-day classic.
1
‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ (2017)
Nintendo is a legendary gaming studio with some of the best-known franchises, including The Legend of Zelda, which includes one of the greatest games ever, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. After calamity consumed Hyrule, Link awakens hundreds of years later, needing to regain his memory and defeat the notorious Ganon, whom Zelda has sealed for now. Traversing a post-apocalyptic world where nature has taken over, Link needs to make sure blight doesn’t return.
Some fans wish the franchise would go back to its dungeon-beating roots and detailed design, but the open-air format is here to stay, and it’s hard to question why, considering it redefined how the genre should be. Breath of the Wild offers a world that players are free to do whatever they want with: go to that landmark, use the runes to control the world, follow the story, and defeat the enemies in crazy ways. There is no shortage of potential, with so much care and attention that it isn’t a stretch to say that Breath of the Wild is one of the best video games of all time, not just the past 25 years.
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Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck
Almontather Rassoul
