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What games are essential to play?
- Thread starter killatopak
- Start date
I agree. If "essential" is the word to use here. There are three important JRPGs: FFVII, Pokemon Red/Green, and Dragon Quest the original, the granddad of them all. Anything else has very limited influence on the history of videogame. And you don't really need to play any of them, just read about them. You cannot "re-experience" the cultural impact if you play them today.
Ouija Luigi
Member
I think you're going to get as many different suggestions as posters when you ask something like this.
Everybody wants to share the ones that were most influential to them. My advice would be to pick a genre you want to explore, do some research into it's history, pick the ones that were deemed groundbreaking at the time and interest you personally. Enjoy!
Duchess O'Death
Member
None. Everyone should play what they like.
But if I had to recommend, The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption, and GTA V.
No thanks!
But if I had to recommend, The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption, and GTA V.
No thanks!
BobJustBob
Member
Minecraft is a cultural phenomenon and one of the most popular games of all time. As a game developer, shouldn't you play it for research if nothing else?
Every list is a bad list. At least his had some interesting games on it.
I think an argument can be made for some of the all-time classics and pioneers like Pac-Man, Tetris, Super Mario and such just to have some perspective on how far the medium has come. Other than that, there are no essentials. People should play whatever they personally want and not concern themselves with whatever everyone else thinks they should.
Well well, Looks like I have something to do in my vacation.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
Me being a game developer is one of the big reasons why I don't want to play it - a game where the big draw is to build stuff sounds like work except I don't end up with a brand new game at the end. And anyway, I've got a bunch of children who like the game so I feel I've seen enough for research from seeing them play it.
Hoho for breakfast
Member
I don't think any one game is essential. It depends on the person and when you're playing it.
999 is one I can think of in my personal opinion but again it just depends. I'd also say Destiny 2 (certainly not for the story) but obviously many...many people would disagree.
For older games TimeSplitters 2 is the most complete and fun game I know of.
999 is one I can think of in my personal opinion but again it just depends. I'd also say Destiny 2 (certainly not for the story) but obviously many...many people would disagree.
For older games TimeSplitters 2 is the most complete and fun game I know of.
neurosisxeno
Member
That list is pretty crap to be honest.
EDIT: Counter-Strike:Source but not 1.6 or CSGO? Are they INSANE?
NinjaBoiX
Member
Not really.
Some lists are bad because they don't align directly with your own personal tastes.
Some lists are bad because they fail to remotely answer the question. Like when someone asks you about games you absolutely must play and they list some really obscure, hardcore dungeon crawler or space sim that would appeal to about 0.3% of the population.
PLUS you having a slightly different view of games than most other developers isn't necessarily a bad thing either. At least that's my excuse for having never played OoT or HL2.
Interesting question... My personal approach would be to work through a progression of games that can provide perspective on how any given genre has evolved with technology and as development ideas mature. So...
Mario Bros > Super Mario Bros > Super Mario Bros 3 > Super Mario World > Super Mario 64 > Super Mario Galaxy
Wolfenstein 3D > Doom > Quake > Half-Life > Half-Life 2 > Halo > Portal > BioShock
Quake 3 Arena > Counter-Strike > Unreal Tournament > Team Fortress 2 > Overwatch
Dune 2 > Warcraft 2 > Command and Conquer > Warcraft 3 > Dota 2
Final Fantasy IV > Final Fantasy VI > Final Fantasy VII > Final Fantasy IX > Dragon Quest VIII > Persona 4
Grand Theft Auto 2 > Grand Theft Auto 3 > Bully > Red Dead Redemption > Grand Theft Auto V
Tecmo Bowl > NBA Jam > NFL Blitz > Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1/2 > SSX Tricky > Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3/4
Rad Racer > OutRun > Cruisin USA > Daytona USA > Sega GT > Gran Turismo 1/2 > Gran Turismo 3/4 > Forza pickanumber
Super Mario Kart > Super Mario Kart 64 > Burnout Paradise > Forza Horizon pickanumber
PaRappa the Rapper > Gitaroo Man > Guitar Hero > Rock Band
Pepper in some other games that I would consider important/influential that didn't quite fit into other slots:
Gears of War > Uncharted 1/2
Metal Gear Solid 1-V
Secret of Mana > Chrono Trigger > Kingdom Hearts 1/2
Street Fighter 2 > Mortal Kombat 2/3 > Tekken 2/3 > Virtua Fighter 4/5 > not sure where to go from here
F-Zero > Wipeout > back to F-Zero > back to Wipeout
Devil May Cry 1/3 > God of War
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Demon's/Dark Souls
Spelunky
I'm sure I forgot some, and my personal experience isn't definitive, but that was fun
Mario Bros > Super Mario Bros > Super Mario Bros 3 > Super Mario World > Super Mario 64 > Super Mario Galaxy
Wolfenstein 3D > Doom > Quake > Half-Life > Half-Life 2 > Halo > Portal > BioShock
Quake 3 Arena > Counter-Strike > Unreal Tournament > Team Fortress 2 > Overwatch
Dune 2 > Warcraft 2 > Command and Conquer > Warcraft 3 > Dota 2
Final Fantasy IV > Final Fantasy VI > Final Fantasy VII > Final Fantasy IX > Dragon Quest VIII > Persona 4
Grand Theft Auto 2 > Grand Theft Auto 3 > Bully > Red Dead Redemption > Grand Theft Auto V
Tecmo Bowl > NBA Jam > NFL Blitz > Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1/2 > SSX Tricky > Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3/4
Rad Racer > OutRun > Cruisin USA > Daytona USA > Sega GT > Gran Turismo 1/2 > Gran Turismo 3/4 > Forza pickanumber
Super Mario Kart > Super Mario Kart 64 > Burnout Paradise > Forza Horizon pickanumber
PaRappa the Rapper > Gitaroo Man > Guitar Hero > Rock Band
Pepper in some other games that I would consider important/influential that didn't quite fit into other slots:
Gears of War > Uncharted 1/2
Metal Gear Solid 1-V
Secret of Mana > Chrono Trigger > Kingdom Hearts 1/2
Street Fighter 2 > Mortal Kombat 2/3 > Tekken 2/3 > Virtua Fighter 4/5 > not sure where to go from here
F-Zero > Wipeout > back to F-Zero > back to Wipeout
Devil May Cry 1/3 > God of War
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Demon's/Dark Souls
Spelunky
I'm sure I forgot some, and my personal experience isn't definitive, but that was fun
Phrozenflame500
Member
I'm not sure you "need" to play any games to call yourself a true gamer , but I'd say old classics that still hold up today are worth playing. Half Life 2, Thief 2, Deus Ex, Earthbound, Chrono Trigger, pretty much all of the Metroid and many of the Castlevania titles, the first XCOM, Alpha Centauri, etc. As a bonus many of the ones which really show their age tend to have mods that modernize them a bit.
StrategyFan
Member
there are games that popularized (for better or worse) certain things
the newest world of warcraft and grand theft auto games would be decent starting points
competitive games are mostly interchangeable. any of the popular action games with matchmaking and 2 teams would be representative (eg. counterstrike, league of legends)
the historically significant stuff can be listed, but newer games don't innovate as much as the older games so it's not a very effective way to learn about how modern games work
modern games usually aren't anything like actually good games, so just listing good games from the past isn't very useful
the newest world of warcraft and grand theft auto games would be decent starting points
competitive games are mostly interchangeable. any of the popular action games with matchmaking and 2 teams would be representative (eg. counterstrike, league of legends)
the historically significant stuff can be listed, but newer games don't innovate as much as the older games so it's not a very effective way to learn about how modern games work
modern games usually aren't anything like actually good games, so just listing good games from the past isn't very useful
VII is historically significant but isn't particularly essential in any other way. Granted, that's one way of defining "essential," but still.
I personally define essential as "the best representative of a particular style or genre." Though it isn't by any means my favorite game in the series, I think Final Fantasy X is the only essential entry, representing modern FF and also the modern cinematic JRPG. Everything IX and below is covered by Chrono Trigger, with the possible exception of VIII which has always been a more experimental outlier. (Not in a bad way, VIII is my favorite game in the series.)
---
Limiting to 10 games to make it more manageable. I think these are the 10 games that would give you the widest exposure to the experiences this medium has to offer:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Chrono Trigger
Civilization V
Dodonpachi
Ninja Gaiden: Black
Planescape: Torment
Resident Evil 4
Shadow of the Colossus
Super Mario Galaxy 2
What Remains of Edith Finch
TheRealJakoozie
Member
Might get a lof of flak for this, but no games are essential. Play the newest iteration of whatever genre you're looking into, chances are it's better than the so-called "classics" anyway. Nostalgia is blinding, I have tried going back to a lot of the classics and almost without exception I've found them to be less fun than newer games in the same genre. Games are iterative and improve on each other, they aren't like movies, books or music in that regard.
There might be some few exceptions though. A couple of genres died early, and some games never got iterated on. Can't really think of any examples out of the top of my head though. Until recently CRPGS would be in this category.
There might be some few exceptions though. A couple of genres died early, and some games never got iterated on. Can't really think of any examples out of the top of my head though. Until recently CRPGS would be in this category.
Limiting it to 10. No particular order.
- Shadow of the Colossus (PS2 / PS3)
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64 / 3DS)
- Half-Life 2 (PC)
- Chrono Trigger (SNES)
- Metroid Prime (GCN / Wii)
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)
- Resident Evil 4 (GCN / Wii)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
- The Last of Us (PS3 / PS4)
- Grand Theft Auto V (PS3 / PS4 / PC)
- Shadow of the Colossus (PS2 / PS3)
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64 / 3DS)
- Half-Life 2 (PC)
- Chrono Trigger (SNES)
- Metroid Prime (GCN / Wii)
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)
- Resident Evil 4 (GCN / Wii)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
- The Last of Us (PS3 / PS4)
- Grand Theft Auto V (PS3 / PS4 / PC)
The Ultimate Essential Games List:
1) The last three good games I played this year
2) 10-15 games from the generation of games when I was between 13 and 16
3) Three games from the generation of games when I was about 9 years old, but I will list caveats that will show you I recognize their archaic nature, but will use words like "charm", "innovative", and "timeless" to show you my cultured nature
3) Three games that came out before I played games, that I read others talk about but have never played them myself
4) An obscure Japanese game that I didn't like, but everyone on forums talks about, and they can't all be wrong.
5) A sophisticated PC game that is boring as fucking hell, but I watched a Youtube analysis of it by a British-accented content creator that specifically compared it to a game I like, tearing apart my favoured game point by point. I'm insecure, so it's on the list.
6) A number of modern Nintendo games because I don't want to look like a fanboy. But I haven't actually played them.
7) That one game I actually like but gets shit on by forum dwellers. I will put "FIGHT ME", or "COME AT ME" or "NO SHAME" or afterwards to plant my tongue firmly in cheek, though I mean it sincerely
8) A game you hate
Finally, I will put a game you love at the end and state that it absolutely DOESN'T belong on the list and, my god, is it overrated.
1) The last three good games I played this year
2) 10-15 games from the generation of games when I was between 13 and 16
3) Three games from the generation of games when I was about 9 years old, but I will list caveats that will show you I recognize their archaic nature, but will use words like "charm", "innovative", and "timeless" to show you my cultured nature
3) Three games that came out before I played games, that I read others talk about but have never played them myself
4) An obscure Japanese game that I didn't like, but everyone on forums talks about, and they can't all be wrong.
5) A sophisticated PC game that is boring as fucking hell, but I watched a Youtube analysis of it by a British-accented content creator that specifically compared it to a game I like, tearing apart my favoured game point by point. I'm insecure, so it's on the list.
6) A number of modern Nintendo games because I don't want to look like a fanboy. But I haven't actually played them.
7) That one game I actually like but gets shit on by forum dwellers. I will put "FIGHT ME", or "COME AT ME" or "NO SHAME" or
afterwards to plant my tongue firmly in cheek, though I mean it sincerely8) A game you hate
Finally, I will put a game you love at the end and state that it absolutely DOESN'T belong on the list and, my god, is it overrated.
Ouija Luigi
Member
This is true for the gameplay and technical execution for newwer games, but it still doesn't count the unique experiences the older games might offer. Like in terms of story, setting etc. But a fair point to consider.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
While FF10 is a good example of the modern JRPG (and I personally like it more than FF7), a good case can be made that FF7 was the first modern AAA video game period. Huge workforce (for the time), huge development costs, and a massive marketing budget that focused on cinematic comparisons. A LOT of other games of that era were heavily influenced by the game.
From a general cultural perspective, FF7 characters (especially Cloud & Sephiroth) are probably more popular and more recognizable than any other RPG characters other than Pikachu.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't FF7 the first major example of an unreliable narrator/protagonist in a video game? A technique that has been later used in many classic games like Silent Hill 2 and Bioshock.
I disagree with this for the most part.
Take the 2D Mario games for example. Later iterations in the series are obviously technically superior when it comes to graphics and sound design, but...does that make them any more fun to play? The comparison gets even more ridiculous when you factor in things like level design and the general look/feel of the games, as they aren't really an element that will always be improved upon. You're never going to convince me that New Super Mario Bros. Wii has better level design than Super Mario Bros. 3, for example.
I feel the same way about most long-running series tbh. Resident Evil 6 was not better than Resident Evil 4. Metroid Prime 3 was not better than the first in the trilogy. The Last Guardian is not better than Shadow of the Colossus. Final Fantasy XV is not better than Final Fantasy IX.
Rather than nostalgia, I think a lot of this has to do with your individual tolerance of 'archaic' design choices and SD graphics. I had never played EarthBound until a few years ago, but because I had played plenty of SNES games in my youth and teens, it didn't take very long to adjust to that style. I imagine it could be very hard for someone who grew up with XBOX 360 to go back to games from that era, though. Not because they're bad, but because they're just too different from what they're familiar with. And I feel the same exact way - I don't bother with games from systems older than the NES.
Sir Ilpalazzo
Member
These are often some of the most essential games if you're interested in that particular genre. Bayonetta is going to have zero appeal to people who don't care about stylish action games (or whatever you feel like calling that particular subgenre) but is probably a must-play for anyone who does. Often these "niche" games are going to be the most refined, complex, and deep games in their genres, which naturally makes them relatively esoteric and inaccessible to people outside their target audience. I'd argue that a game that can be thoroughly understood by everyone regardless of skill level or experience is not one that can stand at the best of its class and therefore is not an essential experience.
For this reason I'll say there's not really any way to make a list of "essential games" that can be expected to reach as many people as possible.
Even going back to the 8-bit era, games are complex enough that there are a nearly infinite number of ways to create something that inhabits the same genre of another game without obsoleting it. There have been thousands of 2D platformers but none have quite captured the unique depth, challenge, and variety of the NES game Gimmick, there have been many 2D Mario games since the NES era but none can completely surpass Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japanese) or 3 in the particular fields they excel at. No one has made a shooter as intense or mechanically complex as Vanquish despite it being seven years old and in a genre that is currently very popular, no one has made games quite like (or as good as) Viewtiful Joe or Alien Soldier that beat them as their own game, et cetera.
This isn't even looking at the old trend of making games more accessible, often at the cost of depth (something you could see start happening even in the SNES / Genesis era to some degree, one reason why many NES games still have value compared to their bigger, louder SNES counterparts). Forward progress in technology doesn't necessarily mean that modern games actually take the best parts of old classics and improve on them.
Those aspects of VII's production are certainly true, but I would put those under the "historical significance" umbrella.
It really boils down to that critical question of what each person means when they say "Essential" though. Like I mentioned before, my stance is very "death of the author"-ish, the game itself is all I look at, and I remove historical or cultural factors that exist beyond the "text" of the game itself.
My issue with taking more of a "historical" approach is that you inevitably reach a point where an essential list is cluttered with many games that are historically significant, but no longer experientially significant. Pong is arguably the most important game ever made; but there is no way in hell that, with the vast diversity of experiences you can have in video games, I would give a slot on a 10 Essential Games list to a nifty little novelty where two paddles hit a ball back and forth.
Final Fantasy VII was the pinnacle of production values and revolutionary cinematic presentation when it released, but every major AAA-tier game is the pinnacle of those things when it releases. The production values in VII morphed into the realistic FMVs and voiced cutscenes punctuating the story in FFX, which is still the standard that cinematic JRPGs use today. More importantly, though, I think that FFX is still the strongest cinematic, modern JRPG despite its relative age. So it is essential by virtue of being the best game in that style, not necessarily the first (even though it arguably was).
Admittedly, at that point deciding what is the most "representative" game is basically a value and taste judgment. For example, I suppose one could say that one of the modern Persona games, take your pick, is a better "essential" for the JRPG today; but for me personally, I think they have too many issues to really be representative of anything other than their own bizarre mash of visual novel and dungeon crawler.
FFVII's unreliable narrator is a good point, that actually is fairly unique and I'm not sure if it has any real video-game precedent. It's also my favorite aspect of the game's narrative, along with the ending which I've always found bizarrely poignant and bold.
EDIT: Adding another wrinkle to this, I actually prefer VII to X, but only slightly. I'll admit a big part of that is purely the soundtrack though.
xviper
Member
Resident evil 4: to know how the greatest game ever made looks like
Shadow of the colossus: to know what a truly innovative game looks like
MGS 3: to see what a truly amazing non-generic story in gaming looks like
Witcher 3: to know what quests in any game should look like
Breath of the wild: to know what a real gaming adventure look like
Halo 2: to know what the best FPS campaign looks like
Overwatch: to know what a fun and amazing MP with no requirement of high skills looks like
Soulsborne series: to see what an amazing challenging balanced game looks like
games with temporary unique features that will be replaced in a while:
MGS V: to experience the best gameplay ever made yet
Uncharted 4: to see how far gaming technology have reached and see the best graphics ever made yet
Shadow of the colossus: to know what a truly innovative game looks like
MGS 3: to see what a truly amazing non-generic story in gaming looks like
Witcher 3: to know what quests in any game should look like
Breath of the wild: to know what a real gaming adventure look like
Halo 2: to know what the best FPS campaign looks like
Overwatch: to know what a fun and amazing MP with no requirement of high skills looks like
Soulsborne series: to see what an amazing challenging balanced game looks like
games with temporary unique features that will be replaced in a while:
MGS V: to experience the best gameplay ever made yet
Uncharted 4: to see how far gaming technology have reached and see the best graphics ever made yet
Brizzo24
Member
Not only have I not played any of these, I've never heard of most of them.
They're mostly WRPGs and they're all PC games.
Bizarrely there's no mention of classic Fallout, Planescape, or System Shock though.
EDIT: Or Ultima and Wizardry to go even further back historically.
sephiroth7x
Member
Like everyone has said, its a bit vague... but if you mean those that defined genres or led the way for future games, my personal picks are:
Super Mario Bro 3/Super Mario World (Essential Platformer)
Final Fantasy IV (Or VI or VII, though for me it was IV that turned FF into what I loved)
Broken Sword Shadow of the Templars (Essential Point and Click)
Super Metroid (Essential Genre Breaking Game)
Link to the Past (Essential RPG-ish)
Half Life (Essential FPS)
Goldeneye (Essential FPS)
International Superstar Soccer Deluxe (Essential Sports Game)
Metal Gear Solid (Essential - Just Essential)
Shenmue (Essential RPG/Action/Story)
Oblivion (Essential WRPG - Know a lot of people prefer Morrowind)
Super Mario Kart (Essential Racer)
Super Mario Bro 3/Super Mario World (Essential Platformer)
Final Fantasy IV (Or VI or VII, though for me it was IV that turned FF into what I loved)
Broken Sword Shadow of the Templars (Essential Point and Click)
Super Metroid (Essential Genre Breaking Game)
Link to the Past (Essential RPG-ish)
Half Life (Essential FPS)
Goldeneye (Essential FPS)
International Superstar Soccer Deluxe (Essential Sports Game)
Metal Gear Solid (Essential - Just Essential)
Shenmue (Essential RPG/Action/Story)
Oblivion (Essential WRPG - Know a lot of people prefer Morrowind)
Super Mario Kart (Essential Racer)
(Realised as soon as I started this list, it was going to huge so stopped... you get the gist...)
Imo one thing is playing the landmarks for knowledge, another thing is choosing the games to appreciate the medium, very old games, even if landmarks, aren't probably the best way to appreciate games.
TheDeftone
Member
Zelda: A Link to the Past
Donkey Kong Country
Super Metroid
Resident Evil (take the remake)
Final Fantasy 7
Metal Gear Solid
Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Silent Hill
System Shock 2
Deus Ex
Thief
Silent Hill 2
Shadow of the Colossus
Halo
Splinter Cell
Resident Evil 4
God of War
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Bioshock
Gears of War
GTA 4
Xenoblade Chronicles
Bioshock Infinite
The Last of Us
imo
Donkey Kong Country
Super Metroid
Resident Evil (take the remake)
Final Fantasy 7
Metal Gear Solid
Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Silent Hill
System Shock 2
Deus Ex
Thief
Silent Hill 2
Shadow of the Colossus
Halo
Splinter Cell
Resident Evil 4
God of War
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Bioshock
Gears of War
GTA 4
Xenoblade Chronicles
Bioshock Infinite
The Last of Us
imo
Dusk Golem
A 21st Century Rockefeller
Hey everyone, this is Dusk Golem aka AestheticGamer. I have posted on NeoGAF since 2011, and have decided to resign. I have enjoyed posting about horror games here for years, but I no longer wish to support the site and will be leaving for good. I will still be around the internet, I go by AestheticGamer on YouTube, I make games on Steam as Yai Gameworks, and I plan to go by Dusk Golem on other forums. I'll be joining an off-set of the GAF community leaving to try other ventures like ResetEra (Official Twitter for that here: https://twitter.com/reseteraforum ). I hope some of you who read this may consider it, and I plan to try to expose more people to horror games in the years to come. Just not here.
I hope you all are having a good day, and know I always loved the community, and in the end it's the community I'm going to stick with, not the site itself. If you want to follow me, my official Twitter is here: https://twitter.com/AestheticGamer1
I hope you all are having a good day, and know I always loved the community, and in the end it's the community I'm going to stick with, not the site itself. If you want to follow me, my official Twitter is here: https://twitter.com/AestheticGamer1
Is Amnesia in the same ballpark of quality as REmake and SH2?
I ask because I've never played it and if it's that good...I probably should lol.
Btw thanks for that "Indie Horror games of 2017" thread a while back, I have it bookmarked and I'll be going through Detention soon.
CrazyArcadia
Member
While I don't necessarily agree with the blinding nostalgia, I agree with the notion of "play some highranking modern games and then go see where the series/genre started".
If a 100% new gaming fan approached me, instead of listing my top 50 or similiar, I'd do a small personal list going something like
Zelda BotW
DOOM
Life is Strange
Mario Kart 8
Papers, Please
Puyo Puyo Tetris
Sonic Mania
.. and provide some earlier games in the genres or series for after that. Just to get an overview of what's possible in the genre, gameplay/genres/storytelling and so on.
Dusk Golem
A 21st Century Rockefeller
Hey everyone, this is Dusk Golem aka AestheticGamer. I have posted on NeoGAF since 2011, and have decided to resign. I have enjoyed posting about horror games here for years, but I no longer wish to support the site and will be leaving for good. I will still be around the internet, I go by AestheticGamer on YouTube, I make games on Steam as Yai Gameworks, and I plan to go by Dusk Golem on other forums. I'll be joining an off-set of the GAF community leaving to try other ventures like ResetEra (Official Twitter for that here: https://twitter.com/reseteraforum ). I hope some of you who read this may consider it, and I plan to try to expose more people to horror games in the years to come. Just not here.
I hope you all are having a good day, and know I always loved the community, and in the end it's the community I'm going to stick with, not the site itself. If you want to follow me, my official Twitter is here: https://twitter.com/AestheticGamer1
I hope you all are having a good day, and know I always loved the community, and in the end it's the community I'm going to stick with, not the site itself. If you want to follow me, my official Twitter is here: https://twitter.com/AestheticGamer1
Greedings
Member
I don't even think older games are "essential" any more. While they influenced many new games, it's hard to see that in some cases and some of the control issues are infuriating.
If I was to make a list of modern (or have a modern release) games, where you can clearly see influence throughout the industry, I'd probably say something like:
COD 4
Mass Effect
OoT
Skyrim
DOTA (or DOTA 2 probably)
Final Fantasy 7
Halo
Team Fortress
Resident Evil 4
I don't even like most of those on that list, but they're all kind of land mark games that you can still see, feel and hear the influence of.
If I was to make a list of modern (or have a modern release) games, where you can clearly see influence throughout the industry, I'd probably say something like:
COD 4
Mass Effect
OoT
Skyrim
DOTA (or DOTA 2 probably)
Final Fantasy 7
Halo
Team Fortress
Resident Evil 4
I don't even like most of those on that list, but they're all kind of land mark games that you can still see, feel and hear the influence of.
Sailent
Banned
I think this hits the spot.
Usually the games I like are the ones I choose to play, not the ones somebody tells me to.
But you should totally play The Witcher 3.
BanjoLayleeYookaKazooie
Banned
Resident Evil 4
Chrono Trigger
A Mario game or several. The Galaxy games, 64, SMB3
A Zelda game, most of them are good, MM is the best but not as the intro to the series
Metroid Prime
Bioshock
The Last of Us
Bloodborne or The Witcher 3. Dunno really why I find these so interchangeable, I just think they're the best that 'AAA' got this generation
The original Pokemon games. Just because.
Undertale.
I think those are all iconic and quality enough to speak for themselves.
Chrono Trigger
A Mario game or several. The Galaxy games, 64, SMB3
A Zelda game, most of them are good, MM is the best but not as the intro to the series
Metroid Prime
Bioshock
The Last of Us
Bloodborne or The Witcher 3. Dunno really why I find these so interchangeable, I just think they're the best that 'AAA' got this generation
The original Pokemon games. Just because.
Undertale.
I think those are all iconic and quality enough to speak for themselves.
Bloodborne. The rest is optional.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
If you're going for a mix of quality + popularity, that's a strong list with a decent spread of styles and a decent historical basis (ideally, for historical, you'd go with original RE or even Alone in the Dark, but REmake is so much better). I'd be tempted to skip the popularity aspect & compress it down to two games - Resident Evil 4 (for Action/Horror) and Siren (for Stealth/Psychological Horror). There, you've got the two major subgenres of horror gaming covered with some of the highest quality available in each.
neurosisxeno
Member
I think people are confusing essential with "really good".
SilverArrow20XX
Walks in the Light of the Crystal
Super Mario Bros.
Doom
Some basic RPG like Final Fantasy IV or Dragon Quest III would also be good
An arcade shooter like Gradius
Cruis'n USA
Tetris
Super Mario 64
Resident Evil 2
Halo
An MMO like Final Fantasy XIV or World of Warcraft
Resident Evil 4
Some Sims, sports games and RTS examples would be good. Since I don't play those genres much I don't really have any essentials to list.
That should really be enough right there to showcase the foundations of gaming with samples from when they were first perfected. Outside of QoL improvements I think a person who plays all these would have a good grasp of what videogames are like and their variety.
Doom
Some basic RPG like Final Fantasy IV or Dragon Quest III would also be good
An arcade shooter like Gradius
Cruis'n USA
Tetris
Super Mario 64
Resident Evil 2
Halo
An MMO like Final Fantasy XIV or World of Warcraft
Resident Evil 4
Some Sims, sports games and RTS examples would be good. Since I don't play those genres much I don't really have any essentials to list.
That should really be enough right there to showcase the foundations of gaming with samples from when they were first perfected. Outside of QoL improvements I think a person who plays all these would have a good grasp of what videogames are like and their variety.
old manatee
Banned
STALKER: Call of Pripyat
Mendel's Palace
Quake
Spelunky
That covers most of the bases.
Mendel's Palace
Quake
Spelunky
That covers most of the bases.