We’ve always been searching for ways to make video gaming more fun. We take a look back at the most notable names to grace this genre throughout the years. It’s time for you to lock’n’load, from The Duke to The Chief!
10: Doom II (1994).
While it may not have been as good as the original, Doom II offered so many more options. We had a wide range of enemies to choose from for our destruction and the Super Shotgun. This game is now a part of our top ten because of its pioneering support for dial-up modems. It allows for 28kb/s multiplayer and deathmatches fun.
9: Rainbow Six Vegas (2006)
While most people associate cover systems and third-person shooters, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas combines both. This game has one of the most impressive cover systems I have ever seen. It combines the narrative quality of COD and expansive maps with superb AI and breathtaking locales.
8: Duke Nukem 3D (1996)
Duke Nukem was big, bold, and unashamedly controversial. He was more of a pop-culture hero than a gaming legend. This game was full of cultural references and destructible objects. It was also a pioneer in online gaming. Users could create their own multiplayer levels. You can shake it!
7: Metroid Prime (2001)
Although Nintendo didn’t do much with the Gamecube (still a highly underrated console), this was still an outstanding achievement. Metroid Prime managed to pack in a lot of bug-blasting action. The puzzles were not just throwaways. Samus Aran’s reimagining was a brilliant feat and one of the most memorable moments of the new millennium.
6: Serious Sam: First Encounter (2001).
Croteam decided to make a game that evoked the old-school excitement of big guns and large numbers of enemies, as games became more realistic. This was action without the tight corridors or conservative gameplay. It had a modern twist with a lot of clever references and wit. It was seriously great fun.
5: Call of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare
Infinity Ward may have improved the formula for the sequel, but it is COD4 that truly put them on the map. They offer intelligent, setpiece-driven combat and some of the best multiplayer action in all genres. IW revived the Call of Duty franchise by bringing it up to the modern-day. This made a great sequel, almost a foregone conclusion.
4: BioShock 2007
What happens when you combine a tale of dystopian greed and backstabbing, Ayn Rand’s theories and philosophies, FPS action, and the most beautiful water ever seen in a videogame. BioShock is the FPS of the thinking man.
3: GoldenEye 64 (1997)
It’s hard to forget the Silenced PC7 guards, the clueless and toilet-bound, or the ridiculously powerful RCP-90 on Train level. Or cursing during four-player deathmatches, when someone was knee-slapping Oddjob. Bond is a tribute to a time when Rare made perfect games.
2: Halo Combat Evolved (2001).
The first Halo instalment was a masterpiece of action gaming. It featured setpieces galore and large single-player maps. Just play the Silent Cartographer level to get an idea of what I mean. It still looks impressive today and has been copied almost to death. Many have attempted to copy it, but few have achieved anything beyond mediocrity. This is the game of the Chief.
1: Half-Life 2 and The Orange Box (2004/2006).
Half-Life 2 is a great game, and I think it would be a top choice for this list. It has intelligent, subtle gameplay, fantastic presentation, and of course, the Gravity Gun. When you combine the class-based multiplayer fun that is Team Fortress 2 with the cerebral originality that Portal brings to the table, it becomes clear that Valve’s compilation is the defining value for your money.
