PC Gamer's Top 50 Games of All-Time

[AngryCola]

The new PCG has an updated list of their top 50 games of all-time.
The list had not been done in PCG since 2001.

At that time, Half-Life was the clear choice for #1.

So, here is the list:

<ul type="square"> (50) Freedom Force (49) The Secret of Monkey Island (48) Wing Commander 3: Heart of the Tiger (47) Worms Armageddon (46) Homeworld (45) Sam &amp; Max Hit the Road (44) Master of Orion (43) High Head Major League Baseball 2002 (42) Panzer General (41) Max Payne (40) IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles (39) System Shock 2 (38) Beavis &amp; Butt-Head in Virtual Stupidity [/list]
How in the hell can they put B&amp;B above SS2 and Homeworld?
That's craziness.
<ul type="square"> (37) Tomb Raider (36) Rise of Nations (35) Neverwinter Nights (34) Total Annihilation (33) The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery (32) Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (31) Mechwarrior 2 (30) Unreal Tournament 2004 (29) Simcity 2000 (28) Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (27) Deus Ex (26) Quake (25) Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia (24) Everquest (23) The Sims (22) Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (21) Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II (20) Call of Duty (19) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (18) Far Cry (17) Command &amp; Conquer: Red Alert (16) Diablo II (15) Duke Nukem 3D (14) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (13) Star Wars: Tie Fighter (word) (12) Grand Theft Auto III (11) Baldur's Gate (10) Fallout (9) Battlefield 1942 (8) X-Com: UFO Defense (7) Starcraft (oh yes) (6) Diablo (5) Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (4) Half-Life 2 (3) Sid Meier's Civilization II (2) Doom (The Winner) Half-Life[/list]

I agree and disagree with many parts of this list.
It's interesting to note that Blizzard has 4 titles in the top 20, and 3 of them are in the top 10. Obviously, the only other big winner in the top ten is Valve.

Discuss!

[ClaytonN]

Are they not counting Halo based on a technicality or something? I know it's PC Gamer, but Halo was released as a PC game, and is clearly than, *ahem*

Beavis and Butthead in Virtual Stupidity.

/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[riffraff]

Blizzard is da bomb.

[istewart]

Hock-a-Loogie in B&amp;B! Most fun game.

[daveymck]

Not sure how BF1942 got so high, Call of Duty is a better game and Return to Castle Wolfenstein was better than both, particulary multiplayer.

Half Life 2 I got really bored with the level when you are driving that motorbike boat thing and havent touched it since.

[PhatTBoll]

How can Civ 2 and GTA3 be in the top 10 but their far superior sequels don't even make the list? Where is Star Control 2?

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]


How can Civ 2 and GTA3 be in the top 10 but not their far superior sequels?

[/ QUOTE ]

The key is in how revolutionary the game is.
It's not based on pure gameplay or graphics.

If that was the case, many of the older games could not be on this list.

[PhatTBoll]

[ QUOTE ]
The key is in how revolutionary the game is.
It's not based on pure gameplay or graphics.

If that was the case, many of the older games could not be on this list.

[/ QUOTE ]

If that's the case, then Dune 2 and at least one of the Wizardry games should really be on here.

Is Half-Life 2 really that revolutionary?

[B Dids]

Dialbo II &gt; Diablo. Violently so.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Dialbo II &gt; Diablo. Violently so.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. The first Diablo I remember thinking wasn't taking advantage of its full potential at the time, since you stay in the same town the whole time. I always thought that was lame.

[istewart]

Half-Life 2 is so much better than anything out there. Yes it deserves its spot.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
Is Half-Life 2 really that revolutionary?

[/ QUOTE ]

In my opinion, yes.
But obviously not as much so as War2.

It's tough when you rank games of different genres against each other, though.

No doubt there was, and will continue to be, much disagreement about this list from just about everyone. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[riffraff]

Wizardry 6, 7, 8 all should be up there.

[Mano]

Some ridiculous inclusions (Beavis &amp; Butt-Head in Virtual Stupidity - give me a break) and some glaring omissions (none of the Final Fantasy games, Tetris, Halo, no Mario games, Techmo Bowl just off the top of my head). I would bet most of the publishers on the list advertise a lot with PC Gamer.

[Reef]

This list is flawed badly- clearly.

[deacsoft]

[ QUOTE ]
(26) Quake (

[/ QUOTE ]

What a disrespectfully low ranking.
the horror.. the horror

[7ontheline]

I also think this list sucks, but remember this is PC Gamer. No Final Fantasy, Tecmo Bowl etc. because this is a list of computer games.

[TimTimSalabim]

How can there not be a Papyrus racing game on that list?

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
Some ridiculous inclusions (Beavis &amp; Butt-Head in Virtual Stupidity - give me a break) and some glaring omissions (none of the Final Fantasy games, Tetris, Halo, no Mario games, Techmo Bowl just off the top of my head). I would bet most of the publishers on the list advertise a lot with PC Gamer.

[/ QUOTE ]

Umm... Mario?

Umm... Final Fanstasy?

This is PC Gamer. Console games don't count.

Some of the FF games have been on PC, but they were ported badly. B&amp;B they say is because it's the funniest adventure game ever. I can't really agree, but the fact that you mentioned Mario tells me a lot. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Also, I agree with leaving Halo for PC off the list. /images/graemlins/blush.gif


{EDIT}
I see someone else already corrected you.
Oops.

[Lawrence Ng]

[ QUOTE ]
Not sure how BF1942 got so high, Call of Duty is a better game and Return to Castle Wolfenstein was better than both, particulary multiplayer.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed.

Lawrence

[AngryCola]

Return to Castle Wolfenstein never did much for me. I felt it was overrated. Also, if HL2 bored you, I'm not really sure what else I can say.

[partygirluk]

Failure to have Championship Manager in is a crime.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
Failure to have Championship Manager in is a crime.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm sure Rob Smith yelled at them and threatened their families for this omission.

He probably also complained about the lack mention for MTG Online.

[daveymck]

[ QUOTE ]
Failure to have Championship Manager in is a crime.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am assuming its from the US version of the mag.

[partygirluk]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Failure to have Championship Manager in is a crime.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am assuming its from the US version of the mag.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't care. The title was not "Top 50 U.S. games of all times". The Sports Interactive series is so far a head of its competition, and continues to innovate. It is a must have.

[daveymck]

[ QUOTE ]
Return to Castle Wolfenstein never did much for me. I felt it was overrated. Also, if HL2 bored you, I'm not really sure what else I can say.

[/ QUOTE ]

RTCW as a clan multiplayer game is probably the best game out there for variety tactics etc, although the scence dies on its arse quite quickly. I was in a clan which is probably why I am biased.

At the moment poker is my main gaming, the boat level on HL2 is just to long repetative and boring at the stages I am at anyway, yes the grahics are great etc and the atmosphere of the game is good in the initial parts but the get so far have to jump off find a switch/puzzle to open blocked path to me is just so old, maybe it get better later in the game.

But I prefere the WW2 type shooters so again my opinion goes that way.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Failure to have Championship Manager in is a crime.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am assuming its from the US version of the mag.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't care. The title was not "Top 50 U.S. games of all times". The Sports Interactive series is so far a head of its competition, and continues to innovate. It is a must have.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well this is a pretty ignorant statement.
Of course since it's a US mag they are going to pay less attention to games most people in the US either don't have access to or awareness of. They will save that for the UK version of their mag. Plus, CM is definitely a niche game. Most people wouldn't know what to do with it.

{NOTE}
The big 3000

[partygirluk]

It is not a niche game. AFAIK it has been the best selling game in the U.K. (and much of Europe) over the past year. And this list is not meant to be a popularity contest.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
And this list is not meant to be a popularity contest.

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course it is!

Every top (insert #) list is a popularity contest.
It may not be the goal of the list, or the reasons they give for liking the games. But make no mistake about it, this list was heavily influenced by the popularity of the games with the PCG editors and staff. That's just the way it goes with these types of things.

I won't disagree with you about CM being a great game, though. But I think it's a bit silly to expect a US mag to include a niche game (yes it is) from the UK.

[daveymck]

The same as I would not have expected a UK mag to have included a Baseball game or for that matter the beavis and butthead one, if it was uk I would have expected a Fifa game in there as well but like all things it is going to be down to local preferances.

[partygirluk]

[ QUOTE ]
But I think it's a bit silly to expect a US mag to include a niche game (yes it is) from the UK.

[/ QUOTE ]

I never said I expected it.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But I think it's a bit silly to expect a US mag to include a niche game (yes it is) from the UK.

[/ QUOTE ]

I never said I expected it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Now you are just being silly.

[partygirluk]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But I think it's a bit silly to expect a US mag to include a niche game (yes it is) from the UK.

[/ QUOTE ]

I never said I expected it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Now you are just being silly.

[/ QUOTE ]

why?

[sfer]

Ultima IV rules. Report thy feat to Lord British.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
Ultima IV rules. Report thy feat to Lord British.

[/ QUOTE ]

That guy always freaks me out.

[voltron87b]

Arcanum is not on the list.....

I think Deus Ex, and GTA 3 should be higher. Deus Ex especially. Other than that the top 20 is good. 20-50 is all opinion, as it gets really openended after the best 20 games.

[ILL34GL3]

I love video games. I played this one where you make your icon shoot icons at these other icons. Then you make your way through all of these icons but you have to watch out for these other icons.

Man, I must have played it for hours.

[Aicirt]

[ QUOTE ]
(24) Everquest

[/ QUOTE ]

In my opinion, Everquest should be in the top 5.

Aicirt

[The Dude]

Civ II was a really cool game (in fact, I played a round of it last week), and I'm glad to see it up there. I never played many computer games, but I sure did play the hell out of that one when it came out.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
Civ II was a really cool game (in fact, I played a round of it last week), and I'm glad to see it up there. I never played many computer games, but I sure did play the hell out of that one when it came out.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm surprised Alpha Centauri didn't make this list, as it stands as PCG's second or third highest review score ever.

I enjoyed AC, but I guess some people didn't like it.
Perhaps it was left out because they didn't want too many sequels of similar games. Although HL, the 'craft' series (minus War1 and 3), and the Diablo line all have their mentions.

[JackWilson]

[ QUOTE ]
I think Deus Ex, and GTA 3 should be higher. Deus Ex especially

[/ QUOTE ]

Deus Ex is my personal numero uno. I don't see how anything else comes close, maybe Half Life and Final Fantasy VII.

[NotMitch]

[ QUOTE ]
The new PCG has an updated list of their top 50 games of all-time.
The list had not been done in PCG since 2001.

At that time, Half-Life was the clear choice for #1.

So, here is the list:

<ul type="square"> (50) Freedom Force (49) The Secret of Monkey Island (48) Wing Commander 3: Heart of the Tiger (47) Worms Armageddon (46) Homeworld (45) Sam &amp; Max Hit the Road (44) Master of Orion (43) High Head Major League Baseball 2002 (42) Panzer General (41) Max Payne (40) IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles (39) System Shock 2 (38) Beavis &amp; Butt-Head in Virtual Stupidity [/list]
How in the hell can they put B&amp;B above SS2 and Homeworld?
That's craziness.


[/ QUOTE ]


A few friends of mine worked on SS2 and we used to go drinks beers and play ping pong at their office. That was fun.