Video games have been better than ever in the 21st Century. While the 80s and 90s are still beloved decades for the medium, the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s have all produced far more legendary games.
With epic stories, high-quality soundtracks, easy-to-access online multiplayer, and e-sports, gaming has never been as big as it is now. These games are all of different genres and come from different developers, but whether they’re Nintendo games like Super Mario Odyssey or open world gems like GTA 5, they’re masterpieces one and all.
Super Mario Odyssey Is the Biggest Platforming Adventure of All Time
Super Mario Odyssey has Mario, along with Cappy, his new sentient hat friend, adventuring all over the world to try and rescue Peach, who has once again been captured by Bowser. Cappy can transform Mario into creatures such as a Goomba or a Bullet Bill.
This mechanic alone makes Super Mario Odyssey one of the best Mario games of all time. Beyond this central gameplay mechanic, however, players must navigate these well-crafted levels, which can be as expansive as New Donk City. It is just staggeringly large for a platformer, and it helped The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild truly sell the Nintendo Switch.
Minecraft is the Highest-Selling Video Game Ever
Minecraft has players take on the role of a stranded wanderer, who finds themselves in an isolated part of an expansive world. The first few days concern their survival, mainly scavenging for food. Later on, the game becomes an adventure as players try to collect as many precious materials as possible while also avoiding all sorts of hostile enemies.
There are many reasons why Minecraft remains among the most-played games in existence. These include the many ways to build and craft, and that the single-player survival mode exists to allow players to just have fun creating their own story.
Fallout 3 Reinvented the RPG Series For Modern Fans
Fallout 3 takes place two centuries following a devastating nuclear war that has left the surface world virtually uninhabitable and largely hostile. The main protagonist has to go out on the surface, having been confined to a fallout shelter since their birth, and investigate the sudden disappearance of their father.
Few other franchise installments succeed at modernizing their gameplay like Fallout 3 did. The game is now an Action RPG, with a special emphasis on action. Players are able to survive by killing enemies directly, which is more fun and efficient than the turn-based system used in previous Fallout games. This set the blueprint for future Fallout titles, which made the franchise more fun to play than ever before.
Skyrim Remains One of the Most Limitless Open World Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim begins with the player character being saved from certain doom at the last minute thanks to the intervention of a dragon. Alduin, the dragon in question, has been known to be a menace, and it’s now up to the player, who has been given the nickname Dragonborn, to put an end to the dragon’s reign of terror.
When it comes to Skyrim, anything goes. Players can choose to play through the game’s grand plot and do many side quests along the way. Alternatively, they can just ignore the plot and explore the world, which is filled with many fascinating characters to speak with. It’s no wonder Skyrim is seen as one of the greatest Western RPGs.
Half-Life 2 Still Has Fans Demanding a Sequel
Half-Life 2 sees former Black Mesa scientist Dr. Gordon Freeman being awakened from a stasis-induced slumber by the G-Man, who sends the doctor to the dystopian City 17. As he fights his way out of the city, Gordon will be provided assistance from former Black Mesa colleagues and their descendants, including Alyx Vance.
Few FPS games are more worthy of being considered masterpieces than Half-Life 2. It helps that the gameplay and plot are woven together, so players will never have to wait to get to the point. Even better is the variety of weapons, including crowbars and pistols, that make it fun to take down enemies during the normal course of gameplay.
Cyberpunk 2077 is the Biggest Sci-Fi Game Ever Made
Cyberpunk 2077 is set in the titular year and the cyberpunk setting of Night City. The main protagonist is V, a petty criminal and mercenary who is fighting to keep Johnny Silverhand, a notorious criminal, from taking over their mind. All the while, the megacorporation Arasaka is pursuing V to remove their consciousness.
After a rough launch six years ago, Cyberpunk 2077 is worth trying today and is easy to appreciate. The game enjoys a GTA-esque open world that doesn’t discourage players from exploring. It’s also easy to follow the game’s plot, which comes off like Blade Runner meets RoboCop.
Grand Theft Auto 5 Will Only Finally Be Surpassed by GTA 6 Later This Year
GTA 5 sees Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips, and Franklin Clinton all collaborating on a series of heists, each more daring than the last. All the while, they are having to settle their own personal scores, including one between Michael De Santa and Trevor Philips over a former friend of theirs.
The game’s understated theme should not persuade gamers into thinking GTA 5 is low-key. On the contrary, the stakes could never have been higher in this game, with players performing bank heists, getting entangled in government conspiracies, and being roped along by organized criminal syndicates. It proves to be a lot of fun, and one can only hope GTA 6 will surpass GTA 5.
Resident Evil 4 Brought Action and Survival Horror Together
Resident Evil 4 sees U.S. special agent Leon S. Kennedy being sent out to rural Spain to locate the President’s missing daughter. While he’s there, he discovers that most of the region’s inhabitants have gone mad due to a parasite that is spreading around. He must fight his way through and find the president’s daughter.
For a survival horror/action game, Resident Evil 4 packs a punch. There may be no zombies for Leon to take down, but the crazed locals will be enough to unnerve players for hours on end. At the very least, Leon has plenty of allies, including the mysterious Luis, and an array of weapons at his disposal to make the game easier to get through.
The Witcher 3 is a Near-Perfect Action RPG
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt sees Geralt of Rivia having to go out and rescue his beloved daughter, Ciri. The latter is in grave danger of being found by the titular Wild Hunt, a supernatural team of hunters who are out to kill her. Geralt will fight tooth and nail, and against the Wild Hunt, to protect his daughter.
As one of the best RPGs of the 2010s, The Witcher 3’s story is engaging enough to motivate players to continue playing all the way through. Geralt might be tiny compared to the enemies he encounters, but if the player uses him just right, he can easily overpower the toughest of bosses.
The Last of Us Is the Greatest Game of the 21st Century
The Last of Us takes place twenty years after the world has been ravaged by the deadly Cordyceps fungus. This fungus has turned everyday humans into macabre monsters, which smuggler Joel must gun down while also carefully escorting a young girl named Ellie, who is believed to have properties that can stop the fungus.
Other games can compete with The Last of Us, but it’s clear the crown jewel of the PS3 is also the best game of the 21st Century. Beyond the intense horror-like gameplay, the game’s presentation was groundbreaking for its time, and its story is simply untouchable.