These games cover a wide range of genres, including action, adventure, FPS, puzzle-solving, platformer, sports, RPGs, and others.
Take a look at Metacritic’s list of the best gaming years.
31. Super Mario Bros.
Release Date: September 13, 1985
Genre: Platformer
Game Modes: Single-Player, Two-Player
Metacritic Score: 84 (Gameboy Advance, Nintendo Switch)
30. Fallout 3
Release Date: Oct. 28, 2008
Genre: FPS, RPG
Game modes: Single-Player
Metacritic Score: 91 (PC), 90 (PlayStation 3), 93 (Xbox 360)
29. Resident Evil 4
Release Date: January 11, 2005
Genre: Action, Third-Person Shooter
Game Modes: Single-Player
Metacritic: 96 (GameCube), 96 (PlayStation 2)
28. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Release Date: March 24, 2003
Genre: Action-adventure
Game Modes: Single-player
Metacritic: 96 (GameCube), 90 (Wii U)
27. Super Mario Galaxy 2
Release Date: May 23, 2010
Genre: Platformer
Game Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer (Up to 2)
Metacritic: 97 (Wii)
26. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Release Date: November 5, 2007
Genre: First-person shooter
Game modes: Single-player, online multiplayer, local multiplayer
Metacritic Score: 92 (PC), 94 (PS3), 94 (Xbox 360)
25. Grand Theft Auto 5
Release Date: September 17, 2013
Genre: Sandbox, Action
Game Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
Metacritic: 97 (Xbox 360), 97 (Xbox One), 79 (Xbox Series X|S), 97 (PS3), 97 (PS4), 82 (PS5), 96 (PC)
24. Super Smash Bros. Melee
Release Date: December 2, 2001
Genre: Platform Fighting Game
Game modes: Single-Player, Multiplayer
Metacritic Score: 92 (GameCube)
23. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Release Date: November 17, 2004
Genre: Action, Stealth
Game Modes: Single-Player
Metacritic: 94 (PS2)
22. Silent Hill 2
Release Date: Sept 24, 2001
Genre: Survival Horror
Game Modes: Single-Player
Metacritic: 89 (PS2), 84 (XBOX)
21. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Release Date: Nov. 11, 2011
Genre: Action-adventure, RPG, Fantasy
Game modes: Single-Player
Metacritic Score: 94 (PC), 92 (PS3), 96 (Xbox 360)
20. Metroid Prime
Release Date: November 17, 2002
Genre: Action adventure
Game modes: Single-player
Metacritic Score: 97 (GameCube)
19. World of Warcraft
Release Date: November 23, 2004
Genre: MMO
Game Modes: Always Online Multiplayer
Metacritic Score: 93 (PC)
18. Halo 3
Release Date: September 25, 2007
Genre: First-person shooter
Game modes: Single-player, online multiplayer, local multiplayer
Metacritic Score: 94 (Xbox), 88 (PC)
17. Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Release Date: November 21, 1998
Genre: Action Adventure
Game Modes: Single-Player
Metacritic Score: 99 (Nintendo 64), 94 (3DS)
16. Half-Life 2
Release Date: November 16, 2004
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Game Modes: Single-Player
Metacritic Score: 96 (PC)
15. Dark Souls
Release Date: September 22, 2011
Genre: Action RPG, Soulslike
Game Modes: Single-Player, Online
Multiplayer Metacritic Score: 89 (Xbox 360), 89 (PS3), 85 (PC)
14. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Release Date: March 20, 1997
Genre: Platformer Game
Modes: Single-Player
Metacritic Score: 93 (PS1), 89 (Xbox 360), 74 (PS4), 88 (iOS)
13. Street Fighter 2
Release Date: February 6, 1991
Genre: Fighting Game
Game modes: Multiplayer
12. Red Dead Redemption 2
Release Date: October 26, 2018
Genre: Action, adventure
Game Modes: Single-player, online multiplayer
Metacritic Score: 93 (PC), 97 (Xbox One), 97 (PS4)
11. Minecraft
Release Date: Nov. 18, 2011
Genre: Simulation, World building
Game modes: Single-Player, Online Multiplayer
Metacritic Score: 93 (PC)
10. Shadow of the Colossus
Release Date: October 18, 2005
Genre: Action Adventure
Game Modes: Single-Player
Metacritic Score: 91 (PS2)
9. Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green
Release Date: September 7, 2004
Genre: RPG
Game modes: Single-Player
Metacritic Score: 81 (“Fire Red,” GBA), 81 (“Leaf Green,” GBA)
8. Chrono Trigger
Release Date: March 11, 1995
Genre: JRPG
Game modes: Single-Player
Metacritic Score: 92 (DS)
7. Final Fantasy 7
Release Date: September 3, 1997
Genre: JRPG
Game modes: Single-player
Metacritic Score: 92 (PlayStation), 81 (Switch), 77 (iOS)
6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Release Date: November 21, 1992
Genre: Platformer
Game modes: Single-player, local multiplayer
5: Super Metroid
Release Date: March 19, 1994
Genre: Action-Adventure, Platformer
Game Modes: Single-Player
4: Portal 2
Release Date: April 18, 2011
Genre: FPS, Puzzle
Game modes: Single-Player, Two player Co-op
Metacritic Score: 95 (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
3. The Last of Us
Release Date: June 14, 2013
Genre: Action, Survival Horror
Game Modes: Single-Player, Competitive Multiplayer
Metacritic: 95 (PS3), 95 (PS4)
2. Breath of the Wild
Release Date: March 3, 2017
Genre: Action-adventure, RPG
Game modes: Single-Player
Metacritic Score: 97 (Switch)
1. Super Mario 64
Release Date: September 26, 1996
Genre: Platformer
Game Modes: Single-player
Metacritic: 94 (N64)
Source: www.metacritic.com
That’s what she said.