Ever since the release of ‘Pong’ in 1972, the video gaming world has proven to be one of the most popular forms of entertainment around the world. Millions of gamers have devoted countless amounts of time and money to their chosen platforms and titles, with the passion in this community ramping up to new heights with every new release.
Every so often, a game is released that completely reshapes the gaming world. Whether it’s through an imaginative storyline, revolutionary technologies, or just simply great and addictive gameplay, these are some of the best games in history and the ones that everyone HAS to play.
Minecraft
Potentially the most successful game of all time in terms of sales, Minecraft has carved itself a reputation of being a real cult favorite amongst gamers in the community. Set in an endless world of blocks, the clue is very much in the name when it comes to what the premise of Minecraft is about; players get to fight off mobs, delve deep into caverns and dungeons and construct anything their imagination can conjure up. Feel good and light-hearted, Minecraft was released to widespread acclaim by Mojang in 2011 and has recently undergone a surprising resurgence, dethroning even the once-mighty Fortnite as the most popular game on the planet.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Released by Rockstar Games in October 2004 to rave reviews from critics and fans alike, San Andreas is still widely regarded as one of the best video games ever released. The sixth title in the Grand Theft Auto series and the immediate major title after 2002’s Vice City, San Andreas has all the recognizable GTA features that have made the series so infamous over the years.
The legacy of San Andreas continues to live on now, with the game constantly being ported to platforms and devices of all shapes and sizes; the game has been re-released and ported to the likes of the PS3, Xbox 360, The PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Kindle, IOS, Android and Steam.
League of Legends
A game revolving around skill, strategy and analyzing what’s happening in front of you, League of Legends is a game whose depth and complexities have made it one of the most successful PC games ever released. Still going strong even ten years after its initial release by Blizzard Entertainment, League of Legends’ longevity has been rooted in its thriving competitive scene. With an average of 90 million views from Twitch alone, League of Legends boasts a stacked calendar, thriving esports betting markets such as the ones at Unikrn, and a hugely dedicated fanbase from all around the world.
Pac-Man
The game that started it all. Catapulting video games from a niche pursuit right into the hearts of every household in the land, every gamer in the world should pay homage and play Pac-Man at least once before they die. Revolutionary with its mechanics and utterly addictive in its gameplay, it truly is hard to overstate how much Pac-Man did for the gaming world. Everything from the colorful Ghost enemies to the sound of our plucky yellow hero gobbling up the board’s dots has become iconic, with the game still picking up millions of plays around the world even today.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Whilst this series might have been dried up by the combination of stale re-releases and the serious lack of any new content, we shouldn’t forget about just how much of an impact The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim made when it was first released by Bethesda Studios in 2011. Skyrim boasted one of the most expansive, diverse open worlds ever seen, a level of content that players could invest hundreds of hours of gameplay into and not even dent the surface and boasted a finite amount of tiny details that we are still discovering even today. With well over thirty million sales to its name across all platforms and the capabilities to leave you with an experience to last a lifetime, there’s no game quite like Bethesda’s Skyrim.
There are so many games that could have featured on this list and deserve some honorable mentions; from classics such as Tetris, Super Mario Bros, Sonic The Hedgehog, Pokemon Red + Blue, to the modern revelations that were the likes of: Grand Theft Auto V, New Super Mario Bros, Fortnite, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or even something as simple as Wii Sports.
Gaming has proven to bring communities together, raise our excitement levels in a way no other recreational mode can, and even improve our physical and mental wellbeing. It’s never too late to get involved with the gaming world, and any of the games listed in this article would make for a great place to start.
