24/7 Insights
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- Metacritic scores can determine the best video games of all time.
- The best video games are spread across multiple console generations.
- Older games are clearly among the favorites.
- Also: Discover “The Next NVIDIA”
Video games are among the largest money makers in the electronics and entertainment arenas, accounting for over $183 billion in revenue worldwide. In the United States, they accounted for $57.19 billion alone, which would make video games one of the largest companies on the Fortune 100 list. The console war rages between Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, with each company fighting for customers with every new game release and update.
Still, regardless of how and where you play, video games have been around for a long time, and the numbers show no sign of the industry slowing down. Since 1958, when the first video game was released with Tennis for Two, the world has debated what are the best video games of all time. Using data from Metacritic, we’ll end this debate by ranking the highest-rated games in descending order.
Why Is This Important?
As video games account for so much revenue, many companies are publicly traded in this area. This includes Sony and Microsoft, the latter of which is one of the largest companies in the world. On the same line of thinking, Apple, which has helped grow the mobile game industry into a multi-billion dollar jackpot, is also heavily involved in the video game world. This is exactly why 24/7 Wall St knows this topic is relevant to its reader base.
16. Half-Life 2
- Metacritic score: 96
A first-person shooter released on multiple platforms, Half-Life 2 was one of Valve’s first true success stories. Costing $40 million to develop, Half-Life 2 attempts to simulate real-world physics, which helped the game win 39 separate Game of the Year awards and sell 12 million copies. There is no question that Half-Life 2 has a place among the best video games ever made, spawning multiple sequels, including a prequel in 2020.
15. NFL 2K1
- Metacritic score: 97
Something of a surprise on this list is that NFL 2K1 is the only football game to make a list of the top 25 video games, and Madden is nowhere in sight. Originally released in September 2000, the Dreamcast title featured Randy Moss as its cover athlete, and it outsold Madden NFL 2001 in its first few launch weeks. Receiving critical acclaim, the Metacritic score tells the whole story about how good the game was, even though the Dreamcast never gained any true momentum.
14. Halo: Combat Evolved
- Metacritic score: 97
The launch game for Microsoft’s first Xbox console was Halo, and to say that it had a lot of fanfare would be putting it mildly. Thankfully, Halo: Combat Evolved more than met expectations and has gone on to be considered one of the greatest video games of all time. Released on November 15, 2001, the game was Microsoft’s first and best hope at promoting its new console against Sony, Sega, and Nintendo. Fortunately, the game was hugely successful and sold over 4.2 million copies.
13. Super Mario Odyssey
- Metacritic score: 97
Undoubtedly one of the most exciting Mario titles for the Nintendo Switch, Super Mario Odyssey is a fantastic game. Turning the idea of Super Mario titles on its head, the 3D open-ended platform game now uses Mario’s hat, “Cappy,” as the main character. By tossing the hat onto other items, Mario can “possess” those items and use them to help win the game. As of March 2024, the game sold 27.96 million copies and is still going.
12. Grand Theft Auto III
- Metacritic score: 97
The Grand Theft Auto series is undoubtedly among the best video game series ever. This is doubly true, beginning with Grand Theft Auto III, which holds a 97 Metacritic score after its October 2001 release. Originally released for the PlayStation 2, the game would come to Windows and Xbox over the next two years. Across all three platforms, GTA III was met with open arms, with more than 14.5 million copies sold across the sixth generation of video games.
11. Metroid Prime
- Metacritic score: 97
A November 2002 release for the Nintendo GameCube, Metroid Prime was a wonderful continuation of Samus’ journey, but this time in a 3D environment. The release of Metroid Prime marked the first title launch in the Metroid series in 8 years, which makes it understandable why the game sold close to 3 million copies. Along with multiple Game of the Year awards, the Metacritic score of 97 is the highest for any Metroid game.
10. Grand Theft Auto V
- Metacritic score: 97
The video game with nine lives is none other than Grand Theft Auto V, which made over $1 billion in revenue in its first three days. With over 200 million copies shipped and counting, the game has made over $8.5 billion worldwide across three different console generations. GTA V remains one of the only titles released in 2013 that can still be purchased and played on modern consoles while looking as good as ever.
9. Red Dead Redemption 2
- Metacritic score: 97
Hands down one of the best-looking video games of all time, Red Dead Redemption 2 is open-world perfection. Released in October 2018, the game looks as good today as it did the day it was released. You can switch between first- and third-person perspectives in an open-world title where you play as the fictional cowboy Arthur Morgan. However, the game’s scenery and background have helped it sell over 63 million copies and counting.
8. Perfect Dark
- Metacritic score: 97
Arguably one of the best games ever released on the Nintendo 64, Perfect Dark remains a must-play title 24 years after its release. First launched in May 2000, the game has long been cited as one of the greatest video games ever and has since been re-released as a Nintendo Switch Online title playable on the Nintendo Switch. Perfect Dark is considered the “spiritual successor” to GoldenEye 007, which shares a similar gameplay style.
7. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
- Metacritic score: 97
The Tony Hawk video game series is the stuff of legend. It is magical that a skateboarding game would be one of the most popular sports series ever. Earning a Metacritic score of 97, the game’s 2001 release on the PlayStation 2 was met with universal acclaim. While the title was released on various other systems, including the Game Boy Color and GameCube, it was the PS2 version gamers loved the most.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Metacritic score: 97
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the Nintendo Switch’s launch title, has sold over 33 million copies, which absolutely validates its 97 Metacritic score. In the game, players control Link as he sets out in one of Zelda’s first truly open-world environments, where he again looks to save Princess Zelda. One of the game’s best aspects is its non-linear approach, which means it can be completed in any number of ways that gamers have applauded.
5. Super Mario Galaxy 2
- Metacritic score: 97
The sequel to Super Mario Galaxy, the May 2010 release of Super Mario Galaxy 2, further solidified the Nintendo Wii as one of the greatest video games ever. Selling over 7 million copies worldwide, the game was initially planned as more of an expansion of the first game but later became a separate sequel. Unsurprisingly, the game received plenty of acclaim upon its release, taking every aspect that made the first game good and built upon it to create an even larger world.
4. Super Mario Galaxy
- Metacritic score: 97
Earning a 97 Metacritic score, Super Mario Galaxy helped the Nintendo Wii jump into the stratosphere with console sales. The third 3D game in the Super Mario series, Galaxy, enabled the player to visit plants and worlds containing different gravity levels, making gameplay more challenging and engaging. The ninth best-selling Wii game of all time, over 12.8 million copies of Super Mario Galaxy have been sold since its November 2007 release.
3. Grand Theft Auto IV
- Metacritic score: 98
One of the most expensive video games of all time, costing over $100 million to produce, Grand Theft Auto IV release paid off in spades. The game would earn over $500 million in its first week and easily become one of the best-selling video games ever, selling over 25 million copies since its April 2008 worldwide release. The title is fondly remembered for its open-world design and many side missions.
2. SoulCalibur
- Metacritic score: 98
Originally released on the Sega Dreamcast in September 1999, SoulCalibur is arguably the best fighting game ever. While the Dreamcast never quite achieved Sega’s sales goals, the same cannot be said for SoulCalibur. Easily winning most Game of the Year awards in 1998 along with Zelda, the game received thunderous applause for its approach on the Dreamcast and later ports to the Xbox 360.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Metacritic score: 99
Arguably the best video game of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the highest-ranking video game according to Metacritic. First released on the Nintendo 64 in November 1998, the game received near-universal praise. Guinness World Records even cited it as the “most critically acclaimed video game of all time.” The title would later be ported to GameCube and the Nintendo 3DS, selling over 7.6 million units.
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