Dead Space

If there’s one game that hardly needs a remake today, it’s the original Dead Space. Don’t get me wrong, the remake is awesome, but the 2008 original still holds up remarkably well. The graphics were at the top of the industry and still look amazing today. But it’s the way the atmosphere was crafted that particularly leaves a lasting impression on us. The diagetic HUD is partly to thank for the top-notch immersion, but the Necromorph designs are especially timeless in their ability to send a chill down gamers’ spines. Dead Space also doesn’t have an ounce of jank in its DNA; it feels remarkably precise and intuitive to play today. We’re still seeing tons of triple-A games use that iconic over the shoulder perspective, and we have the original Dead Space to thank for convincing us that it’s awesome.

Crysis

Back in 2007, Crysis was the rosetta stone benchmark for PC performance. Today, maybe not as much, but it can still be confused as a modern game. It was one of the games boasting advanced volumetric lighting and crazy far draw distances, and the lush jungle environments made for an attractive display piece to show off that tech. Crysis was also pretty dang modern with its gameplay systems. The campaign let players freely explore the tropical sandbox with its wide-linear design. Like the studio’s Far Cry titles, a smorgasbord of vehicles were up for the taking to accomplish missions in varying ways. If the day/cycle or gunplay didn’t impress, the visuals sure did, and continue to.

Red Dead Redemption

The year was 2010, gamers were absolutely starving for an immersive wild west game, and Rockstar was the one studio poised to do it. They already released Red Dead Revolver in 2004 and had the technology to finally meet the setting’s great potential. And that they did. Red Dead Redemption’s sprawling open world is filled with fun activities and more interesting personalities than you can fit in a stage coach. It’s Rockstar’s best pre-GTA 5 game to return to have good time without much friction. And it’s highly recommended players go back to this gem to understand Red Dead Redemption 2, as it functions as a sequel to that game. It’s not hard to fall in love with it today given the tight gunplay and solid graphics.

Max Payne 3

Max Payne 3 is the second pre-GTA 5 Rockstar game that’s easiest to return to today. The big selling point is the bullet-time mechanic from previous entries being turned up a couple notches. There’s not a single game that I can think of that does slow-mo shootouts as well as Max Payne 3. The modern third-person shooting feels great to control, and carefully lining up slow-mo dive shots is a joy. Being the Rockstar game that it is, cinematics are top-notch as well, with zero loading between cutscenes and player-controlled action sections. A port to today’s platforms would be appreciated, but the graphics actually hold up just fine without need for an upgrade.

Dying Light 1

Dying Light achieved something few games outside Assassin’s Creed were willing to do at the time, and that’s a realistic and smooth parkour system. What’s more, you can parkour across pretty much any building or object in the large open world. Besides the advanced parkouring, the game also boasted dynamic day/night lighting that still impresses today. Dying Light is the newest game on this list, but the dark atmosphere and gritty story have an edge over its sequel, Dying Light 2, making it well worth playing 10 years later, especially to see Kyle Crane’s earlier adventures.

Heavy Rain

David Cage games were always ahead of their time, but it wasn’t until Heavy Rain until they started being legitimately fun to play on top of that. You can probably thank Heavy Rain for PlayStation’s recent narrative emphasis. The game was largely an interactive choose your own adventure movie. But unlike TellTale’s string of narrative games, Heavy Rain had truly spectacular graphics that many felt were lifelike at the time. The game still holds up today, partly thanks to its simple gameplay mechanics (it’s hard to make quick time events janky) and high budget graphics and acting talent.

Ninja Gaiden Black

And then there’s rarities like Ninja Gaiden Black which boast deeply technical gameplay that still feels smooth today. For being a 20 year old game, it sure does feel fluid and intuitive to pull off combos, thanks in part to great optimization. It also holds up to current trends in game. Ninja Gaiden Black was notorious for being one of the most difficult games at the time, but it fits well beside contemporary titles like Elden Ring and Hollow Knight Silksong with its difficulty. With distinct art direction and stylishly detailed character models, it’s a game that’s still easy on the eyes.

Borderlands 2

Many were rubbing their eyes when Borderlands 4 was revealed. Accusations were thrown around that it looked like the previous Borderlands games, and they’re not too far off. Borderlands has maintained a bold cartoonish look since the first game, but it’s really the second entry that polished and solidified its identity. Just like the graphics, the gunplay holds up remarkably well today. And with memorable villains like Handsome Jack, the story remains the best the series has ever seen.

DriveClub

If you can get a hold of a rare copy of DriveClub, do yourself a favor and grab it. The PS4 exclusive was notable for its photo-realistic rain effects and grounded yet approachable driving mechanics. I regularly see racing fans comparing modern driving games’ weather effects to DriveClub. That’s how dang good the game looked. While the online component can’t be experienced today, the single player career has plenty of races and challenges to warrant the price of admission. And with a simcade handling model that’s not too intimidating to learn yet difficult to master, you’ll find yourself glued to the rainsoaked windshield for many hours even amid today’s racers.

Far Cry 2

I know, I know, it’s easy to overlook Far Cry 2 now that we have over six entries, but it does some pretty unique things. A number of playable and non-playable mercenaries can be rescued and hired to go on missions with you. These teammates can be permanently killed if they’re not rescued or healed in time, making it easy to feel attached to them. Other than the buddy system, the game just looks great, featuring a robust African open world environment. If you’re a fan of the Far Cry series, the second game is a must-play that holds up perfectly fine today.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Ever since Skyrim’s release in 2011, players have memed it to death. One of the most popular memes, that being its constant string of re-releases, still finds itself with legs even now. It’s the game that refuses to die, whether it be because of its wealth of quests, role-playing possibilities, or extensive mod support. Even without any mods, it still looks and plays fantastic. Sure, you’ll encounter a handful of backwards-flying dragons, but even the bugs are worth experiencing in this beloved open-world RPG.

Batman Arkham City

2011 was a good time for games in general. Arkham City also came out in that year and it represents Rocksteady’s zenith. Arkham City is their most beloved game for a reason; it’s got the tightest example of their signature freeflow combat, some of the most intricate and addictive world design, and some amazing characterization. A lot of late PS3/Xbox 360 games still manage to look good today, but Arkham City looks and plays downright flawless.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Speaking of timeless PS3 titles, Uncharted 2 just refuses to feel outdated. The rollercoaster pacing and attention to detail continues to be emulated and studied today. Even detractors of Uncharted 1’s gameplay love the way Uncharted 2 improved aiming and enemy encounter design. If you want to see what makes the Uncharted series so special, check out Uncharted 2, it sets up the rest of the games wonderfully and plays like a modern-day adventure title.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

But if there’s any PS3 game that went above and beyond its contemporaries, it’s MGS 4. In true Kojima fashion, the storytelling is outfitted with a ridiculous amount of bells and whistles, perhaps even overstaying its time in the spotlight just a bit (looking at you hour-long cutscene). Motion capture was some of the most advanced for the time, and the voice talent gave Hollywood a run for their money. Many fans even say the gameplay is the best the series has ever had. It’s also the only game in the MGS series besides Peace Walker to feature the Psyche Gauge. Stealth was emphasized because killing spiked the gauge, making Snake more prone to shake while shooting. Now if only we’d finally get a remaster or port of MGS 4 so more players could experience it.

The Last of Us

The Last of Us has seen numerous remasters, a remake, and even a show, and for good reason. It represents Naughty Dog at their absolute peak. The Last of Us shocked just about everyone with its realistic graphics and mo-cap in 2013. And the brutal melee takedowns and hard-hitting story kept us hooked ever since. It’s hard to overstate just how good the original game plays all these years later, which is why all these remasters and remakes seem somewhat redundant to many fans. The original holds up so well today, and with a story so iconic and gripping, we won’t see the last of The Last of Us anytime soon.

The Witcher 3

Even longtime fans of The Witcher couldn’t have anticipated just how masterful The Witcher 3’s open-world design and storytelling would turn out. To this day, The Witcher 3 stands as a benchmark for how to make side quests just as engaging, and in most cases even more engaging, than the main quest of the game. I spent many sessions just exploring the immersive capital city of Novigrad alone. It wasn’t just the scope and quantity of things to see and do that made The Witcher 3 so great, it’s the consistent quality throughout it all that made us not want to miss any of it.

#10. METAL GEAR

This was back when the series was finding its feet, so it’s not surprising that in the many years since it came out, the original Metal Gear has been surpassed by essentially all of its successors. The game’s post-credits sequence was, as the game itself was, simple and to-the-point. Metal Gear ends with Solid Snake seemingly killing off Big Boss and leaving Outer Heaven, but after its credits have rolled, the game reveals that Big Boss is still alive, and has vowed revenge against Solid Snake.

METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS

As always, we’re going to kick things off with the obvious choice- because you all knew this game was going to be in here. Metal Gear Solid 4 has been notorious for its many (and long) cutscenes for as long as it’s been around. The total length of cutscenes in the game is over eight hours, which is longer than entire games can often be, and quite a few of those are ridiculously long. One particular infamous sequence stretches on for over 70 minutes- that’s longer than a hockey game.

NOTE: There are spoilers ahead for every game in this feature.

RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2

Red Dead Redemption’s ending was already a shocking one, but its sequel somehow ended up topping it. Serving as a prequel and featuring a character that had never been mentioned in RDR1 as its protagonist, Red Dead 2 was obviously always going to go poorly for its main characters, but the way Rockstar pulled it off somehow managed to leave us stunned nonetheless. Arthur Morgan is built up throughout the whole game as an amazing character – probably one of the greatest video game characters of all time – so seeing him meet his cruel, untimely demise is a hard pill to swallow. Yes, technically, that isn’t the ending, and you do spent a healthy chunk of time playing as John Marston in the lengthy epilogue- but we all know how that ends as well, and it ain’t pretty.

THE END

The End is, in so many ways, the perfect exemplification of the layers of ridiculousness that Hideo Kojima often piles on top of even the most (seemingly) ordinary things. At its core, this is a sniper rifle specialist. Simple, right? There’s been no shortage of those in any number of games, after all. But then you start counting off all the layers of unique characteristics that are added on top of that core, and you get something… well, something quite strange. He’s a sniper, sure, but he’s also over a hundred years old. In that extraordinarily long lifetime, at some point he was infected with a mysterious parasite that not only allowed him to live so long, but also gave him superhuman abilities.

Using these abilities, he became an even better sniper, but more notably, he gained the ability to remain completely still in his position for unnaturally long periods of time, rendering him nearly invisible to his enemies, especially from a distance. And how could he do that? Well, because of the moss growing on top of him and inside his body, which allowed him to draw energy via photosynthesis like a plant. Weird enough for you? Well, if that’s not enough, he also has a pet parrot that wakes him up if he falls asleep in the middle of combat. And the icing on the cake? In the boss fight against The End, you can literally just stand still in a corner for a while and just… let him die of old age.

THE PAIN

The End is definitely the most bizarre member of the Cobra Unit (which is really saying something), but his squadmates definitely do give him a run for his money. Take The Pain, for example, who lives up to his name in every sense of the word- he’s a master of doling out extreme punishment, but he does it at great personal cost. His gimmick, of course, is being able to control entire swarms of hornets, which he does by keeping a queen hornet in a backpack and using it to guide other hornets.

But wait, that’s not all. Because it’s what he uses those hornets for that really seals the deal. I mean, he uses them to attack his foes, of course, but he gets really creative about it. He can shoot out hornets from his mouth and get them to burry into his enemies’ skulls, he can throw vials of pheromones to direct the swarms, he can command the hornets to make a suit of armour encasing his body, and hell, he can even get them to make a hornet-comprised clone of himself as a decoy to fool enemies. So what if his face is all completely messed up and covered in stings and wounds? And just to convince you that he’s not a complete weirdo, he also uses a regular gun and grenades.

FATMAN

In spite of what his unkind moniker might suggest, Fatman isn’t just a particularly healthy man who might not pose much of a threat to you. No, he’s dangerously agile, devilishly clever, and more than a little mentally unstable. Kojima definitely saw the juvenile yet undeniable humour in having a stout dude literally running circles around you while wearing rollerblades in the midst of a boss fight, but to be fair, that accomplishes so much more than that. It’s used to great effect in what’s a really good boss fight, and makes Fatman quite a formidable foe.

All of that is enough in and of itself to guarantee Fatman a place on a list such as this one, but his backstory has a few more bizarre (and perhaps even unnecessary) details that just serve as the cherry on top of this sundae. He is, of course, a bit of an eccentric genius, and an expert when it comes to bomb making, which, interestingly enough, is something that can be traced back even to when he was a kid. For instance, when he was just ten years old, he built an atomic bomb all by himself by just reading a guide he found on the internet. So either he found a really good guide, or he was freakishly intelligent. Also he likes to keep his hands smooth and soft and keeps getting manicures, which is an actual detail about his character, for some reason.

VAMP

Just a straight up vampire. Hideo Kojima obviously wanted one of these in his stories, and it didn’t matter that the stories he was writing didn’t really have any room for folklore creatures. Thanks to the omnipotent might of the deus ex machina known to us as “Nanomachines, son”, he ensured that even something like vampires could be perfectly at home in a Metal Gear Solid game. Those nanomachines gave him regenerative abilities, superhuman strength and agility, and of course, rendered him nearly immortal- but that’s just scratching the surface of his weirdness.

Vamp has a taste for human blood, of course, and do you know how he got that taste? When he was a child in Romania, he lost his parents in a bombing, and was buried with their corpses under the rubble for days on end. He had to survive by drinking their blood. Meanwhile, on top of all his abilities, he can also partially control peoples’ shadows, of all things. Oh, and he can also crawl along walls, because of course he can.

PSYCHO MANTIS

Psycho Mantis was honestly the most obvious choice for this list, so it makes sense to end it with him. He was really the blueprint on which all future Metal Gear Solid enemies would be modelled- or, well, at least his weirdness was. At a time when Metal Gear was far from the known quantity that it is today, people went into the first Metal Gear Solid title thinking they were in for a grounded espionage stealth game, and somehow found themselves locking horns with a psychic with telekinetic powers, mind control and all.

From reading your PS1’s memory card to see what other games you’d been playing to making your controller move to show off its vibration functionality, Psycho Mantis was really the flag-bearer of all the weirdness that so often defined Metal Gear Solid. Of course, he would go on to make another appearance in Metal Gear Solid 5, where he, as a child, would go on to wreak even more havoc with his abilities.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

FISSION MAILED (METAL GEAR SOLID 2)

Perhaps one of the most memorable sequences in Metal Gear Solid 2. As Raiden and Snake are making their way through Arsenal Gear and true mystery of the story begins unravelling, MGS2 gets really weird. The game over screen pops up out of nowhere, only it’s no ordinary game over screen, with the text all jumbled up and players still having control of Raiden. Hell, at one point the Colonel even flat-out tells you to stop playing the game. It’s freaky, but in the best way possible.

NOTE: There will be spoilers ahead for all games mentioned in this feature, so if we’re talking about a game you want to avoid spoilers for, skip ahead to the next entry.

CRONOS (GOD OF WAR 3)

The Cronos boss fight in God of War 3 is the perfect encapsulation of everything this series is about. The sheer scope of this entire fight is simply staggering, and the brutality that Kratos exhibits while taking the Titan down – from ripping off his fingernail to stabbing him through the throat – are the epitome of that era of God of War. In God of War (2018), when Atreus sees a dragon and asks Kratos if he can kill something that big, it’s hard not to laugh and immediately think back to the time he killed a creature literally the size of a mountain.

Do note that this feature has spoilers for all Metal Gear Solid games, so proceed at your own risk.

HELLBOUND (THE PHANTOM PAIN)

Metal Gear Solid 5 was very different from other games in the series, letting players loose in vast open world environments brimming with interlocking systems and mechanics, but many veteran fans of the series would tell you that the game’s best parts were still those that focused on classic stealth in smaller, tightly designed environments and structures. Of these, the twelfth mission of the game – Hellbound – is without a doubt a highlight of the game. The large and sprawling Central Base Camp is expertly designed, and sneaking through the highly fortified location while making use of your gadgets and pure skill while avoiding scores of enemies is the closest the game ever comes to delivering the sort of tense, handcrafted stealth scenarios the series has always been known for.

So let’s do that, shall we?

WARNING: Obviously, there will be spoilers ahead for every game we discuss, so if you see us beginning to talk about a game you don’t want spoiled, skip ahead to the next entry.

GOD OF WAR 2

The time paradox plot hole in God of War 2’s ending is well-known by this point. It’s a causality nightmare- because of Kratos stopped Zeus from ever killing him, that means he never had to escape Hades and then look for the Sisters of Fate, because the only reason he did so was so he could stop Zeus from killing him. But by this point, over a decade on from God of War’s release, we’ve kind of gotten over that point. Before its reinvention in 2018, the God of War series was more about blockbuster action than it was about intelligent, bulletproof storytelling, and that plot hole very much falls in line with that identity. Besides, that plot hole led to an excellent ending for the game, so we find it easy to overlook the flaw.