PC Gamer, the UK version, has published the top 100 games of all time. The top five were posted in the Inquisitor. Here they are:
1. Deus Ex (2000)
2. World of Warcraft (2004)
3. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)
4. Team Fortress 2 (2007)
5. Half-Life 2 (2004)
I haven’t seen the rest of the list, but it appears as time edges onward the older games will be cited less and less in these kinds of lists, tumbleweeds rolling out of sight. Civilization, X-COM, Master of Orion, Doom, Red Baron, and all the other great games published before 2000, and not one of them made the top five? Not one?
For comparison, here’s the top ten from PC Gamer (probably the US version, but I’m not sure) back in 2005:
Stepan Yurov’s animated recap of Half-Life 2 isn’t just a cute exercise in fan art. It’s a reminder that the series’ sound effects are iconic. I don’t think it overstates the case to say that if more people played videogames, Half-Life’s sound effects would be every bit as well known as Star Wars’. The sound design is just that good.
And while I’m really glad Valve isn’t milking the Half-Life franchise with DLC and add-ons and quick n’ dirty sequels, Yurov’s short reminds me that I miss Dog and Alyx (I don’t really miss Gordon Freeman, because he was always such a non-entity, by design). But I mostly miss Valve’s world building prowess applied to single-player games.
I snap out of my haze to see a seven-year old with his face pressed against the sliding glass door of my office. I blink, wondering briefly if my eyes are registering bloodlust and if the kid, and now my son who has joined him, can see the television screen. We’ve always been careful about what we show our little guy, what we allow him to watch. I’m pretty sure exploding zombie heads isn’t on the list. I quickly realize that the two of them are at too extreme an angle to see any of the action, so I pause the game and wave them off. I’m working here. Honestly. Also, I can do without the accusatory tone, kid. So I’m playing a video game in the middle of the day? So what?
“You guys go play. That’s why we’re having a playdate. So you can play,” I say to them through the glass. “Go!”
They scatter. I lock back in. Previously on DR, I was sad. Today…today is a happy day.
The game is Starcraft II played in a series of 1v1 matches, with the winner being the first to four victories. The map is Metalopolis, which features four starting positions behind narrow ramps, and two gold mineral expansions in the center. The races are randomly determined, just like real life generals. The players are Tom Chick, ranked 5th in his division in the silver league, and Kelly Wand, who has one of those dragon icons in Warcraft III but hasn’t even played the stupid campaign in Starcraft II.
The score so far: Tom: 2, Kelly: 1
This week’s two big releases are Little Big Planet 2 and Mindjack. Little Big Planet 2 looks like Sony’s attempt to make Little Big Planet something other than a venue for people to drop stuff into a level and hope other people will move from left to right through that level. Here’s hoping that works out, because it’s about time Sackboy got an actual game. Mindjack is a shooter with a twist (TM), published by Square/Enix. Here’s hoping for another Kane & Lynch 2 instead of another Front Mission Evolved.
So, yeah, uh, The Green Hornet. Another January release. If you’re worried about The Green Hornet spoilers, such as how terrible it is, skip ahead to this week’s 3×3 at the 44-minute mark for our discussion of the best meal scenes in movies.
