The Top 10 Greatest Video Games of All Time

7/30/2019 The Top 10 Greatest Video Games of All Time

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The Top 10 Greatest Video Games of AllTime An informal review by Andrew Roberts

Some time ago, I was having a driving lesson after coming back from a LAN party, and

found that I was making decisions quicker than usual. Maybe I should start playing video

games again. Being employed, I never really find the time for video games, but I still like to

reminisce about some of the gems I really enjoyed, whether to let off some steam or

habitually procrastinate. So without further ado, these are the ten games that I consider to

be my personal favourites.

10. Commandos 2: Men of Courage

This is a game that I find to be somewhat underrated. Made by Spanish developer Pyro

Studios, this is a squad-based stealth game which follows a group of British Commandos

during the Second World War operating in Europe and the Pacific.

It took me a while to truly get into the game, but when I got the hang of it, it was incredible.

My favourite character is the Spy. If he gets an officer’s uniform, he can move around the

map pretty much unmolested. It’s fun to get him to tell an enemy soldier to look at a wall

while the other men sneak past.

At the moment, my computer’s video driver is being as stubborn as a mule dressed as

Homer Simpson, but I’m sure it will be able to handle the older games. The game is

available on Steam quite cheaply, and I recommend picking it up. Next time I get a holiday,

I’ll join you for a cooperative game. I’ll just need to get a new headset.

9. Age of Mythology

I’ve been playing this game for more than ten years now. This real time strategy game

involves Greek, Egyptian, and Norse mythology at war with each other. It’s actually very

reminiscent of Ray Harryhausen’s effects in films like Jason and the Argonauts and Clashof the Titans.

As you advance through the game, you choose which gods you worship. This determines

the sorts of divine intervention and mythical creatures you have access to.

Skirmish battles are always fun, while the single player campaign presents a gripping story

and fun challenge. There’s nothing more satisfying than building a massive army (With

statues of Talos that can eat trees to heal) and steamrolling through the most complex

defences, especially after softening them up with an earthquake.



8. Timesplitters 2

I’ve never watched Quantum Leap, on which this game is based, but you don’t need to.

Timesplitters 2 is a first person shooter which follows a space marine who searches for

nine plot-related crystals in different time periods. In each level, he assumes the role of a

different person. There is great variety in the levels, which parody various films. These

include a level set in 1930s Chicago which pays tribute to Cagney-era gangster films (With

someone shouting “Fenton!” a decade before it was popular); a mission in Notre Dame

cathedral which parodies the gothic horrors like those made by Hammer; and a cyberpunk

Tokyo set in the same universe as Blade Runner.

The story campaign is fun, and has great cooperative play. Arcade mode is also

immensely. Having never owned a PlayStation 2, I’ve not played the first game, while

Future Perfect was not as good. However, it’s this game that’s the best. The Goldeneye

developers did a great job.

As for Timesplitters 4; where is it?

7. Evil Genius AND Dungeon Keeper 2

I know it’s cheating a bit to put two games in one position, but I can’t decide between these

two. They’re practically the same kind of game: manage a villain’s underground lair while

fighting the heroes. In Dungeon Keeper , you’re some kind of sealed evil in a fantasy

setting, but in Evil Genius you’re a 1960s Bond villain.

Both games get their moments to shine when compared. Dungeon Keeper seems to have

more streamlined gameplay, along with a greater variety of minions. On the other hand,

Evil Genius stands out with newer graphics and a more humorous tone. Both are great,

but Dungeon Keeper is better for the casual players, as it has a sandbox mode which Evil

Genius lacks.

6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

I tend not to play many RPGs, as I’ve not r eally got the hang of them. Normally I try and

skip over side quests, so I’m often underpowered. However, I really managed to get into

Knights of the Old Republic . This is a Star Wars prequel done well, with a completely newcast.

You have an unnamed character loyal to the Republic who later undergoes Jedi Training.

While most Star Wars games use Force user protagonists, the game is rounded out by a

variety of other characters. My favourite character is Canderous Ordo, a mercenary who

serves as the game’s r esident anti-hero. He’s a lot darker than Han Solo, and he wields a

fearsome arsenal. He’s great, although he could be a better shot.

Like Commandos, it took me a while to get into Knights of the Old Republic for the reasons

mentioned above. However, once I got further than I did on previous plays, I really

managed to get into the game. It can get so addicting. I only stopped playing because I

realised that it was half past four and I hadn’t eaten lunch yet.



People recommend the sequel, but I haven’t played that one. Meanwhile, I saw a lot of

potential in the recently cancelled Star Wars: 1313. If you saw it too, I invite you to drop to

your knees and shout ‘”Why Disney? Why!” in an overly dramatic manner.

5. Saint’s Row 2

I haven’t played the first game, but I’ve been told that it’s just a Grand Theft Auto clone.

However, when I picked up Saint’s Row 2 , I found myself playing the funniest sandbox

crime game I’ve ever played. The criminal activities you get involved in are bordering on

comic book villainy (at one point, you steal toxic waste from a nuclear plant and use it to

spike someone's tattoo ink).

The campaign involves three insular story arcs which are independent of one another.

However, the best part of the game is the side activities. My favourite activity is when you

appear on a reality show called FUZZ to impersonate a police officer and fabricate

evidence in a brutality lawsuit. As this is not Grand Theft Auto, said footage is gained inincreasingly silly ways: Throwing limpet mines at skateboard punks; breaking up protesters

with a flamethrower; on one occasion, I was sent to break up a steroid ring (with a baseball

bat), and the suspects punch you across the road.

The level of customisation you can have for your player is incredible. There are supposed

to be websites out there with various characters people have made. You can expect a lot

people playing as the Joker.

I always wondered what Grand Theft Auto would be like if it was more cartoonish. I never

thought I would actually see that. You’ll never go around spraying houses with septic

waste in a Grand Theft Auto Game.

4. Half Life

This could be a contender for one of my favourite first-person shooters. I’m specifically

referring to the first game. You play as Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist working at

a research facility in New Mexico known as Black Mesa. After a failed experiment creates

a portal between the Earth and an alien dimension called Xen, Gordon has to make his

way through Black Mesa to find a way to close it, negotiating structural hazards and

fending off hostile creatures that are teleporting in from Xen. To make matters worse, a

military unit takes over the facility and is eliminating everybody involved in the project as

part of a cover-up operation. Black Mesa is a huge facility, and you’ll always be on your

toes about what pitfalls you may encounter next.

Half Life is a great first-person shooter. While it can get extremely difficult in some

moments (especially with first-person platform sections), it still has a fun element to

balance it off.



3. Super Mario World

Who can go wrong with a classic Mario title? I really miss the Super Nintendo. Yes, I know

that there are emulators, but they’re just not the same. If I could get my Super Nintendo up

and running on my HDTV, that would be awesome.

Super Mario World was one of my favourite titles on the Super Nintendo. It has a great

array of power-ups, fun challenge, and an incredible world map. I never actually finished it,

but given the chance, I think I might be able to. I always enjoyed collecting the feather, and

then flying through the level with the cape.

If you can find a copy of this game, don’t pass the opportunity to play it. It’s a fun game,

but a tough one, like most Nintendo titles.

2. Deus ExEvery time someone says the name, someone somewhere reinstalls it. This game

perfectly combines a first person shooter with an RPG to create an action-adventure in a

dystopian future where society has collapsed. The whole story is built out of conspiracy

theories, and brings them all into one. The entire game even takes place at night. You

assume the role of JC Denton, a government agent who has been modified using

nanotechnology. Working for an anti-terrorist agency, he later discovers that he is a puppet

for a secret group of elitists known as ‘The Majestic 12’. After going rogue, he joins the

various groups he was sent against in a battle against the organisations which spans

across New York, Hong Kong, and Paris.

While the game follows a linear pattern, the strategies you can utilise to complete your

objectives are diverse. You can choose whether to take a covert approach, or head in

guns blazing. You can choose to either kill everybody, or stick with non-lethal takedowns

or even avoid detection in the first place. In an illustrated example, you confront a terrorist

leader at La Guardia, with orders to eliminate him. However, he surrenders when you

reach him, and tries to reveal some important details. At the same time, another operative

with a reputation for brutality arrives, and presses you to kill him. The choice is to kill him

yourself, hear his story which prompts him to be silenced by the operative, or you can kill

the operative and hear the story.

It’s a great game, with good replay value. Every time I play, I try to utilise different tactics.

1. Red Dead Redemption

I have never played any other game so many times. This wide-open sandbox is made by

Rockstar, the same company responsible for Grand Theft Auto, and depicts the slow

decline of the American West in the early 20 th Century. The hero is John Marston, a former

outlaw who is living in retirement as a homesteader with his family. When Marston’s wife



and son are detained by a predecessor to the FBI, he is forced to take up his guns again

and hunt down his former comrades.

The game has a great story similar to The Wild Bunch, with interesting themes, a massive

cast, and fun missions. The world feels huge, with a massive variety of terrain. You can

visit deserts resembling Arizona and New Mexico, bayous similar to Louisiana, and a

wooded area similar to the Rockies.

If there’s anything Red Dead Redemption does well, it’s the multiplayer. You can do one of

several modes, or do a free roam with others. I like the free roam mode, especially when

clearing the hideouts with a posse. My other favourite part of multiplayer is the co-

operative missions included in the Outlaws to the End DLC. There are six missions which

you can play through with three other players.

So there you go. These might not be the greatest games of all time, but they’re my

personal favourites. All these games are worth playing if you know where to find them.

Feel free to send me your top ten games. I like to compare notes.

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The Top 10 Greatest Video Games of All Time