The ten most important games ever (part one)
Lists of the best videogames ever have been agonised over and debated since the early days of the industry, but away from simply being the ‘best game ever’, what have been the most important releases in getting gaming to where it is today and, possibly more importantly, in steering the industry towards whatever its future has in store?
Here’s part one in our run down of the games which have shaped us as gamers and the industry as a whole; we look forward to seeing your suggestions and, if we get enough, we’ll even compile an alternate list if we happen to agree with your choices (we’re nice like that).
• (10) Flower (SCE, 2009)
A controversial choice to begin with for sure, but argued with one eye on the future. Could Flower be amongst those games recognised for bridging the gap between gamers and the mainstream in the future?
There’s no doubting the elegance, beauty and genius of thatgamecompany’s PSN-only title and that it feels like something more than a mere game cannot be disputed. As you reawaken the beauty of nature, throughout the game’s increasingly corrupted environments, it’s hard not to become seduced by title’s soothing tones and hypnotic beats. This is as close as the industry has so far got to art; it’s just a shame that it’s in some way buried away on PSN, struggling to find purchase, much as the fragile flora it depicts.
• (9) Final Fantasy VII (SCE Europe, 1997)
Bridging the RPG gap between the Japanese and rest of the world, Final Fantasy XII proved a mega-hit hit in both East and West; consolidating Sony’s first console as the number one selling system in the process.
Featuring FMV sequences to die for and a storyline which dealt with emotive issues – love, honour, conscience, responsibility – Final Fantasy VII soon had gamers the world over racking up the hours in their bid to overthrow Sephiroth (still the finest, most complicated and mythical villain to grace a game). That this dedicated journalist not only defeated him but also triumphed against all the ‘Weapons’, amassing two golden chocobos in the process, is a mere aside. The fact I’ve bothered to mention that detail through bloody minded pride indicative of the depth of character of Cloud, Aeris, et al.
• (8) Resident Evil (Capcom, 1996)
Not only a massive selling game which helped make gaming ‘cool’ but also the father of the so-called ’survival horror’ genre, a genre which includes some of the most innovative and popular games ever, greats like Silent Hill, Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 – the best example to date.
We can forgive all the clichéd dialogue in the world for those genuinely scary scenes which have been dissected so much – zombie dogs crashing through windows to take a chunk out of you, or rounding a corner to be confronted by a zombie eating the brains of a fallen special ops soldier. Resident Evil was perhaps the first game to present itself like a movie too, an approach copied ever since; at least as far as story-driven titles go. The geeky yet awesome opening introductory cinematic sequence should get special mention too; how those actors never got a break we’ll never know:
• (7) Halo: Combat Evolved (Microsoft, 2001)
In 2001 Bungie not only devised a control scheme to make first-person shooters work on control pads, but were also responsible for shifting the lion’s-share of Xbox consoles during the system’s stuttering launch.
By incorporating sprawling alien worlds, uniquely driveable vehicles, an enemy with real personality and a two-weapons-at-a-time policy which encourages forward thinking, Bungie created an enduring sci-fi epic which is still as popular as ever today and still selling consoles. Can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves under their new publishers Activision.
• (6) Street Fighter 2 (Capcom, 1991)
What can be said about Street Fighter 2 that hasn’t been said before? Names such as Ryu, Ken, Zangief and Blanka have transcended gaming and slowly wormed their way into mainstream society, as have terms like ‘Hadouken’, ‘Sonic boom’ and ‘Tiger!’.
Street Fighter 2’s genius was in its balancing and depth, Capcom somehow ensuring that no fighter ever overpowered another when both players were of equal skill levels. In fact it’s so well constructed and plain addictive that it rapidly become the game to play in arcades across the world, while subsequent versions and sequels across arcade and home consoles still cash in on its successes. A true World Warrior.
