40. X-COM: UFO Defense (Mythos Games/Microprose Software, 1995)
Also released as "UFO: Enemy Unknown", UFO Defense served as the first game in the strategic simulation X-COM series. The game expertly combined elements of base building, turn-based combat and business sim as the player had to manage their limited resources, reverse-engineer alien technology and keep their squads well-equipped (and alive) enough to deal with escalating alien attacks across the globe, with their ultimate goal being to take the fight to the alien base on Mars and defeat their leader in a final assault. It also found just the right blend of gameplay elements, providing plenty of depth and challenge while not overwhelming the player. X-COM had a remarkably good multi-platform remake in 2012 (which had an incredible sequel a few years later), but the original is certainly nothing to sneeze at either.
39. System Shock (Looking Glass Studios, 1994)
System Shock was another early Looking Glass title that was highly acclaimed for being innovative and surprisingly deep (big shock there). It utilized the same engine as Ultima Underworld; however, it took things into the future instead, putting the player on a space station overrun by mutants and cyborgs and having them fight to survive and thwart the machinations of the mad AI SHODAN. In contrast to many other shooters of the time period, though, System Shock is comparatively slow paced and methodical - not quite stealth-based, but you'll do a lot of crouching and peering around corners to take potshots at enemies rather than facing them head-on, and you'll also collect a number of upgrades for your cyborg gear - from a camera that sees behind you to speed-boosting leg enhancements to a shield that absorbs some damage you take. There is also a heavy focus on storytelling, puzzles and mission objectives - hunting down crew logs, keycards and passwords, finding ways to skirt around traps, and solving wiring puzzles are commonplace. You'll also have to hop into cyberspace which, as in many 90s depictions, is a surreal world full of 3D shapes and vague space shooter elements. Very much a product of its time with its slow-paced gameplay and somewhat clumsy controls and physics, but a very rewarding experience once you adapt to its quirks.
38. Starcraft II (Blizzard, 2010)
The original Starcraft was a game-changer with its three very distinct but balanced factions and fast paced, yet surprisingly deep design. Starcraft II keeps that philosophy intact but also massively improves the original 's clunky pathfinding, AI and interface, adds in many new units, co-op missions and a well-crafted three-part episodic campaign with team customization, branching story paths and many new unit types to experiment with. Despite lacking a few prominent features of the original (like, y'know, LAN support?), Starcraft II is a brilliant experience both online and solo, and for my money the undisputed king of the RTS genre.
37. Max Payne (Remedy Entertainment, 2001)
36. Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition (BioWare/Beamdog, 2000/2014)
There have been a lot of Dungeons and Dragons video games, licensed and otherwise, stretching all the way back to the old '70s mainframes. For my money, though,
BioWare's Baldur's Gate II is still the best one ever made. A more linear, though more narrative-driven experience than the original, it had complex characters with their own storylines, tons of depth and strategy, and more challenge than ever, especially with higher-level critters like Beholders and Mind Flayers appearing (and requiring some ingenious, if not downright cheap, tactics to survive their attacks). The game also gives you over 60 classes to play as (even more in the enhanced edition), and online multiplayer and mod support give it virtually infinite replay value.
35. Dwarf Fortress (Bay 12 Games, 2006+)
Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress (yes, that's its full title) has always been a legendary title among PC gamers despite being in a constantly unfinished state for over fifteen years, and even after getting a paid Steam release in December of 2022, it's still very far from done. But it is at least considerably more accessible now, with a window and icon based user interface, tile graphics instead of just ASCII characters, Steam Workshop modding support and some quite excellent, moody music and ambient sound on top of everything. Gameplay-wise it's a bit hard to describe, but I think an apt description is "Simcity plus the Sims, only much more complex". Basically, you generate a world and its complete history, then start out with a small caravan of dwarves and try to set up a colony, building and maintaining every imaginable thing you'll need to that end - workshops, meeting places, stills to brew liquor, bedrooms, blacksmiths, fields to farm, traps to deter invaders, a trading post and so forth, and you give your dwarves jobs to carry out each of these tasks as needed. You're also constantly beset by all manner of hazards from both within and without, from goblin raids to illness to subterranean horrors to fits of murderous madness, and you just try to survive as long as you can before things get into a downward spiral and your fort collapses in spectacular fashion. There's no concrete win condition and all manner of things can and will go cataclysmically wrong, but as the game's motto goes - Losing is Fun!
34. AM2R (Some awesome fans, 2016)
Nintendo's Metroid series is one that has been oft-copied, but puzzlingly sat idle in Nintendo's own hands for nearly a decade. AM2R is a stellar fan-created remake of Metroid II for the PC, combining excellent visuals and audio design, spot-on controls and polished gameplay on par with the top games in the franchise. Naturally, Nintendo quickly became green with envy for said fans doing something better with Metroid than they had in years and had it pulled from the internet, once again reaffirming their philosophy that "If people can't play high-quality fan games or even our old games that were good, they'll just have to buy our new games that aren't so good instead". Which just seems like terrible business practice to me, but oh well. If you can get your hands on this piece of forbidden treasure, you should, because AM2R is a game with more polish than most professionally released games, and perfectly captures that feeling of isolation in an eerie alien world that the classic Metroid games provided.
33. Day of the Tentacle (Lucasarts, 1993)
The sequel to Maniac Mansion and Tim Schafer's first game as project lead, Day of the Tentacle was another hilarious and well-made point and click adventure from LucasArts. Starring Bernard and two of his college roommates as they attempt to foil the Purple Tentacle's scheme for world conquest, the setup is quite a clever one - each of the three characters is trapped in a different time period, able to pass objects between one another but otherwise unable to directly interact, and changing things in the past will affect things in the future, opening paths for puzzles to be solved. This, plus the sharp writing, acting and animation, make for a truly fun and creative adventure. Though it sadly lacks the multiple paths and endings of the original game, Day of the Tentacle is nonetheless a worthy sequel to a classic.
32. Against the Storm (Eremite Games, 2022)
Described as a city-builder crossed with a roguelike, and it's definitely a strange combination, though once you start playing the game you find it works shockingly well. You're given a selection of several randomly-generated goals to meet, and from there it's down to managing your workforce, keeping their morale up, keeping the forest itself from becoming too hostile toward you, and harvesting and utilizing resources while facing adverse weather and hazards in the stretch of forest you're mining your way through. It does kind of suck when you spend over an hour on a stage only to fall short at the last minute, but you do at least gain experience for the effort so the next attempt can (hopefully) go better!
32. Ultima Worlds of Adventure 2: Martian Dreams (Origin Systems, 1991)
Ultima 6 is a game as known for its intriguing story as its inventive gameplay, putting the player into a world more intricately designed and realistic than any other seen to that point - cows could be milked, doors could be lockpicked, blown up or smashed down, and virtually every object one saw could be moved around, stacked atop one another or used in surprisingly intuitive and realistic ways. Naturally, this engine cost Origin a ton of money to develop, so they decided to try and recoup costs with some spinoff games. The end results, while lauded by critics, were not financial successes, leading to the Worlds of Ultima franchise being cancelled after only two entries. Shame, that, as Martian Dreams isone of the best games in the entire franchise. Set in a fictionalized Victorian era on Mars, it has the player and a number of real-life historical figures unearthing the remains of a long-lost civilization on the red planet, and having to endure a lot of surprisingly realistic obstacles - low oxygen, radiation and an ever-constant struggle against limited supplies. While it is frustrating to navigate at times, the tale told here is a creative and memorable one, and proof that Ultima remains an important milestone for both design and storytelling in video games.
