People of planet Earth: we live in exciting times! A new age of entertainment is dawning, and we get to be some of the first human beings to enjoy it. I am, of course, talking about the evolving world of video games. These days, it seems like hardly a week passes without the release of an exciting new title. With so much competition, it can be hard to nail down exactly which games qualify as "classics." Below, in no particular order, I share my personal list of the five modern games everyone should try before they die.
1. "Portal" (2007)
Video games get a lot of criticism for focusing on gory, thoughtless bloodbaths. I won't lie – a couple of the games on this list are tremendously violent. But "Portal," a clever first-person puzzle-platformer from Valve Corporation, proves that a video game doesn't have to let you kill things to be interesting.
The key premise of "Portal" is simple. Your character is trapped in a mysterious testing facility where they discover a gadget called a Portal Gun. The device allows you to place blue and orange doorways on practically any surface. Going through the orange portal pops you out the blue one, and vice versa. It sounds simple, but some of the puzzles will keep you scratching your head for half an hour at a time. Featuring an entertaining and quirky antagonist in "GLaDOS," the supercomputer who controls the facility, "Portal" impresses on every front.
2. "Left 4 Dead 2" (2009)
Another Valve game, "Left 4 Dead 2" ("L4D2") is my pick for the greatest zombie game ever made. Few sequels manage to improve on the original in the way that "L4D2" does. The first "Left 4 Dead" game was a hectic bloodbath that pit you and three of your friends against endless zombie hordes. "L4D2" improves on the formula, adding more variety in terms of weapons, environments and enemies. The end result is hectic, gruesome and hilariously fun.
3. "Call of Duty 4" (PC, 2007)
Also known as "the last great 'Call of Duty' game," "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" ("COD4") took a series that was stuck in World War II and brought it to the 21st century. It was the last "Call of Duty" game to allow mods and dedicated servers, and, not coincidentally, also the last "Call of Duty" game to feature a competitive scene on the PC (and let's be honest: shooters were meant to be played with a mouse and keyboard). What made "COD4" so good was a combination of great maps, fluid movement and plenty of revolutionary new features that would become standards of the modern shooter. Plus, it had a single-player campaign that was complex and involving without becoming a convoluted mess – and that's more than you can say for any "Call of Duty" game since.
4. "The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim" (2011)
It's hard to produce a game world that is both huge and interesting. Some games boast more square mileage than "The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim," but space doesn't mean much if it's empty. "Skyrim" brings its expansive plains, forests and mountains to life with an attention to detail that no other game has managed to match.
If you're looking for an gigantic open-world fantasy epic to eat up a few dozen hours of your time (or more, if you find yourself drawn into the world), there's nothing better than "Skyrim." But don't take my word for it – ask the more than seven million people who purchased the game in its first week after release.
5. "Minecraft" (2011)
One of the few video games that makes "Skyrim" look small, Mojang's "Minecraft" might be the most revolutionary game of the past decade. Since it produces its world procedurally, "Minecraft's" scale is theoretically limitless. No matter how far the player goes in any given direction, there will always be more terrain waiting to be generated just beyond the horizon.
"Minecraft" is the pinnacle of so-called "sandbox" games. It doesn't give the player any specific goals except for survival: monsters appear every night, and during the day, players must forage for food to sustain themselves. Within a few hours of playing, though, it becomes clear why "Minecraft" is one of the most addictive games ever made: the possibilities of exploration and construction are practically limitless.
5.5. "The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker" (2003)
There's no arguing that Nintendo's "The Legend of Zelda" series is one of the most iconic franchises in video game history. What is debatable is which of the many "Zelda" games earns the number-one spot on the list. My pick for the best "Zelda" game ever is 2003's "Wind Waker." Something about being able to sail the open seas gives this game a sense of freedom that is often missing in more linear titles. On top of that, "Wind Waker" features a refreshing art style that still holds up today.
Of course, there are plenty of fantastic titles that aren't listed above. "Mario Kart!" "StarCraft!" "Pokemon!" "Angry Birds" (just kidding)!
Did one of your favorites fail to make the list? Harass the Arts & Entertainment editor until she lets you write an article about it!
– By Justin Groot
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