6. Metal Gear Solid
The dialogue isn’t the snappiest thing on the planet, but it was leagues ahead of its contemporaries
When Metal Gear Solid was still a glint in developer Hideo Kojima’s eye, he said he wanted to make the greatest game ever made. Many would argue that, with MGS, he did. Notice how so many stealth orientated action games clutter the market nowadays? Well MGS was the first to do that. Notice the cinematic narratives and tense plots most blockbuster titles require? That was Metal Gear Solid too. 3D games? You guessed it; MGS was there. The scope and vision behind Metal Gear Solid made it a landmark title, and it is often considered one of the greatest games of all time. This is in no small part due to its ambitious themes, gameplay and story.
5. The Last Express
One of the first games to play around with real time game mechanics, 1997’s The Last Express gave separate timings and AI patterns to all of its thirty-something strong cast. With the non-linear gameplay we now take for granted in our adventure games being pioneered in LE, it is truly a stepping stone for all story driven adventure games. Not to mention I’ve never seen an art style quite as unique. Just look at the video above. I dare you.
4. Star Fox
Not content with being the start of one of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises, Star Fox (or Starwing as it was known in Europe) was also one of the first 3D games ever made. Using the Super FX chip built into the Star Fox cartridge as a co-processor, the humble SNES was capable of 3D games for the first time. With tense ariel battles galore and a booming soundtrack, Star Fox was an enjoyable and technically sophisticated beast for the time. The game is still fun even today, but the technical marvels of Star Fox were an incredibly daring move for the time.
