The world of modern video games opens up endless possibilities for a person. In it, you can become both the greatest villain and the popularly beloved hero, learn any profession and even transform into an animal.
But what games can give gamers maximum enjoyment and are worthy of spending their precious time on them? This question was answered by The Guardian, publishing a list of the greatest games of the 21st century. We present the top ten to your attention.
10. Bloodborne (2015)
Genre: Action / RPG
Platform: PlayStation 4
This dark Victorian-Gothic game begins in the dilapidated city of Yharnam, whose inhabitants have been plagued by a disease that turns people into monsters. The player acting as a monster hunter will have to understand the bloody web of magic and intrigue that entangled the city and its inhabitants.
The best part of Bloodborne, according to the players, is the design of the game locations, elaborate characters and dynamic battles.
9. BioShock (2007)
Genre: first person shooter
Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3, MacOS
Crafted as a doomed underwater utopia, BioShock is part shooter, part role-playing game, and part moral fable that the developers convey to players through exploring the secrets and reasons for the fall of Rapture.
Renowned for its huge bosses, genetic modifications, Art Deco architecture and rethinking the ideas of the philosopher and writer Ayn Rand, the game is still one of the most talked about and popular.
8. Portal 2 (2011)
Genre: puzzle
Platform: Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Linux, MacOS
Building on the solid foundations of its predecessor, Portal 2 adds a co-op mode in addition to engaging storytelling and ingenious physics puzzles.
Here, the Portal Nature Research Laboratory is a gigantic, almost Gothic design, with bizarre test chambers and robotic production lines filled with light bridges and franken turrets.
7. Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
Genre: first person shooter
Platform: Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox, Xbox One, MacOS
One of the best shooters about the war between aliens and humanity. When playing Halo, especially on Legendary difficulty, you'll be amazed at how quickly these agile and group-loving Covenants can piss you off.
Halo spawned the now highly popular space-based shooter universe, and it is also the first game adapted for a console at a time when the idea of a first-person shooter on the console was laughable. It is ahead of its time and deserves a spot on the list of the best video games of the 21st century.
6. Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
Genre: action-adventure open world
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (Windows)
For the first time in the history of the Grand Theft Auto series, players were introduced to three main characters at once: a retired bank robber whose family hates him, a young man trying to avoid a seemingly predetermined life of crime, and a mentally unstable ex-pilot. Each of them had unique abilities.
You could switch between these characters at any time (for the most part), and besides, they were the satirical personification of the modern USA.
Another unique feature of Grand Theft Auto V was the animals that you could interact with (train, play, etc.).
five.The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
Genre: action / RPG
Platform: Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
No list of the most popular games of the 21st century is complete without mentioning The Witcher, a real triumph for CD Projekt RED. And Geralt of Rivia is among iconic video game heroes of all time.
Many games offer a superficial choice between good and evil, but The Witcher shows you what happens when you navigate the waves of history and politics beyond your control. Geralt of Rivia is not a hero; he's just an outcast living in turbulent times. It turns out that many interesting and dangerous adventures are easy to find, even if you are not preoccupied with the goal of saving the world.
4. Half-Life 2 (2004)
Genre: first person shooter
Platform: PC (Windows, Linux, macOS), Xbox, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, SHIELD Portable
Good video games have plenty of alien invasion stories, but Half-Life 2 makes the whole concept feel fresh and intimidating. In the second part, which takes place several years after the original story, Gordon Freeman wakes up to find an Earth almost completely conquered by the Alliance forces, with small pockets of Resistance.
Realistic physics, an unprecedented level of interaction with the environment and the famous gravitational weapon make this game a unique experience that is interesting even in 2019. In the world of Half-Life 2, you can really hate enemies and live every moment with interest.
3. Dark Souls (2011)
Genre: action / RPG open world
Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows
Plunging you into an endless cycle of death and rebirth in a dark medieval world, Dark Souls lets your dark fantasy rush forward as you fight and struggle to survive (sounds ambiguous considering that you have to play as undead).
Some players accused the game of being overly difficult, while others liked it, because the harder the fight, the more enjoyable the victory. But almost everyone liked the deep study of the game world, its visual component and an interesting combat system.
2. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Genre: action / RPG open world
Platform: Wii U, Nintendo Switch
The game from the cult series Legend of Zelda is not like its predecessors. Players are now allowed to roam the non-linear open world, paving the way for a true adventure.
Breath of the Wild bets on your curiosity, intelligence and ingenuity, providing you with thousands of ways to use them to fight the beast called Disaster Ganon.
This is the first game in the series in which, in addition to the Japanese and English voice acting, the Russian one also appeared.
In June 2019, Nintendo announced a sequel to the game, so Link and Zelda's adventures will soon continue.
1. Minecraft (2009)
Genre: sandbox
Platform: Windows, Xbox 360, Android, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, Windows Phone
The greatest game of the 21st century is based on the idea of an improved Lego-like construction game. In 2009, word of this quirky block-based simulation spread quickly on the PC gaming forums. And the community of enthusiasts began to gather around the project, downloading the version developed by Swedish programmer Markus Persson, but adding their own rules and graphics.
From the very beginning, the Minecraft project was a labor of love, divided between creator and fans. By the time of the stable release on PC in November 2011, Minecraft already had 10 million registered players.
Later there were porting from PC to Xbox, PlayStation and even smartphones, which led to the emergence of a new audience.
A vital element of Minecraft's success and importance has been a dozen “under one roof” experiences. It is about building complex models as well as mining and resource management. Members can create structures alone or join friends for creative online collaboration.
Using the mechanics of "redstone", which allows objects in the world of Minecraft to be powered, some fans began to create complex machines, including working calculators. Others have built scale models of the Enterprise from Star Trek, Hogwarts, the British Museum, and other famous fictional and real objects.
Minecraft is now more than a game.
- For people with autism, servers have been created to provide vital means for meeting and communicating with others.
- Hundreds of schools around the world use Minecraft Educational Edition to teach physics, geology, electronics and other sciences.
- Minecraft has been vital to the rise of YouTube celebrities. Names like StampyCat and DanTDM are familiar to millions.
And this is not a complete list of areas to which Minecraft has extended its influence. Game makers truly believe that video games, like literature, film and art, can change lives. And this game is a clear confirmation of this.