Shacknews Chatty Community's Top 100 PC Games of All-Time: #10-1

This is it! What was named best PC game of all-time?

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There have been expansive lists for the best PC games before. That's nothing new. But the Shacknews' Chatty community is comprised largely of diehard PC gamers that have espoused the virtues of desktop gaming for over decades. So it only seems right that this core group of dedicated users take several weeks to evaluate and organize a list of the best of the best in PC games.

This is the fruit of their efforts, led by Chatty's watcherxp. After weeks of tallying votes taken over our Chatty boards and privately channels, this is the list of the Top 100 PC Games of All-Time. And now, we bring it all home!

We'd also like to take a moment to recognize Chatty's watcherxp and sincerely thank him for his efforts in compiling this list. The staff tips its hat to you.

Catch up with the previous games on the list:
The Shacknews Chatty Community's Top 100 PC Games of All-Time #100 through #80
The Shacknews Chatty Community's Top 100 PC Games of All-Time #79 through #61
The Shacknews Chatty Community's Top 100 PC Games of All-Time #60 through #41
The Shacknews Chatty Community's Top 100 PC Games of All-Time #40 through #31
The Shacknews Chatty Community's Top 100 PC Games of All-Time #30 through #21
The Shacknews Chatty Community's Top 100 PC Games of All-Time #20 through #11

#10 - Portal

It was only supposed to be a side-story. It was supposed to be the appetizer to the next installment of Half-Life 2. Instead, Portal wound up being one of Valve's most innovative games in recent memory. It took puzzles to whole new places, while also introducing some of the best characters to grace gaming. There will never be another like GLaDOS.

"I felt like I was the only one who looked forward to this game the most in the Orange Box and it still BLEW ME AWAY."
-feek

"The closest to perfected game design; not particularly deep on story but a must-play for everyone who has even a passing interest in games."
-MercFox1

"GLaDOS! GLaDOS! GLaDOS! GLaDOS! GLaDOS! GLaDOS! The writing alone qualifies this game."
-Creepin_Jeezus

"Pure genius, from top to bottom to ... under the bottom?"
-Mrblarg

"Funny, inventive, puzzle game. Short polished and nearly perfect. Portal 2 would offer more but by then its impact wouldn't be nearly as great."
-zeroprey

"It expanded the concept of how space could be explored in a videogame, which, judging by days of future past's blink fight scenes, made it one of the rare instances when video games as a medium actually altered how a different medium (cinema) could display & manipulate space."
-Unknown Shacker

"Mindblowing and eye-opening. Portal forced me to think in ways no other game had before (and few since). GLaDOS is a masterclass example of how to build a unique, charming, and memorable character. Portal is two hours of non-stop mind bending joy."
-Orange Pylon

"A first-person game that included no guns, a ton of interesting puzzles and a bunch of fun mechanics? How could you not like this game. Not totally ground breaking, but Portal was just something DIFFERENT for its time. Its surface simple story and premise brought you in but the more you moved through the game, the more there was a deeper and darker story there that made you want to keep pushing forward."
-Nerdsbeware


#9 - World of Warcraft

From a purely historical standpoint, World of Warcraft more than deserves this spot. Recall EverQuest earlier on this list as a true MMORPG juggernaut of its time. Blizzard not only showed no fear of this giant, it toppled it a thousand times over and completely defined the MMORPG genre. Say what you will about World of Warcraft as it is now, but there was literally no experience in gaming quite like World of Warcraft in its prime.

"Good old WoW. I spent many days and nights playing this game. I keep telling myself that I was playing with the 2000s version of 'friends' to justify my addiction but I still only told a select few people that I played. If the mage class in Cataclysm was better in arena, I may have played it even more."
Game quote: "kek"
-Name Withheld By Request

"Perfected the MMO formula with a beloved franchise in a way often attempted but never since replicated. It's especially notable that a decade and dozens of imitators later, it's still the first choice in MMO games."
-dfay

"First time I ever had that fluttery feeling in my stomach when I spawned for the first time in Elwynn Forest"
-uebersoldat

"I have played nothing in my life as obsessively as this game and neither has most of the rest of the world."
-mrwolf710

"While EverQuest established this style of game, World of Warcraft perfected it. Unfortunately, every MMO since tries to emulate this one."
-Varquel

"Awesome game but the social aspect of it is even more important to me"
-jingletard

"I never really played raids but the time I spent exploring WOW and the first two expansions just before Cataclysm and then again when it came out were among the most fun I have had playing games. It was great seeing all the game had offered over years for only several months subscription, which probably contributed to my enjoyment. It was incredible seeing Warcraft 3 come to life playing as a Paladin."
-Jrsol

"My best memories are from vanilla and The Burning Crusade. There is nothing like playing for the first time and wandering into a new zone that happens to be high level, the area transitions, and figuring out which zones were the best for leveling. And when I finally got into raiding during college in TBC, I have never enjoyed a loot grind as much. It was actually difficult to acquire epic items which made getting them so rewarding."
-jeffmoeller

"There are places in WoW (before the world ended) that I remember better than places I grew up. It was a nice way to make new friends and to spend time with the ones I had. The exploration factor was especially great. And it was so peaceful in the wee hours of the morning..."
-rampantpanda

"MMO super giant WoW comes in to take over your life and kill your family. the engaging and fun third person exploration and collecting game see's you build up a formidable character and then spend hours and hours grinding out more gear. totally addictive and fun. responsible for breaking up marriages. Will there ever be a better MMO, will the oculus rift be the trigger?"
-radula

"Not my first MMO, but probably the best. I had tried others before it, and the addiction never quite caught on. Something about Blizzard's polish just made WoW work for me. Even in the years since, as I've attempted to get into other MMOs, none of them have come close to replicating the feeling of immersion and flawless gameplay (even if some elements have gotten stale, the combat is still unmatched in the genre). I may well play this game until it dies."
-Vincent Grayson


#8 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

What Blizzard did for the MMORPG, Bethesda did for the single-player RPG. Skyrim was about as close to modern RPG perfection as a game could get, nailing all of the mechanics and offering near-endless lore to discover. Exploration was nearly limitless and the feeling of discovering your first dragon is one that has almost no equal.

"Increasingly, it seems that open world sandbox games are de rigueur. As a lover of these free-flowing games, the Elder Scrolls series are the pioneers and some of the best executors of this gameplay style. Bethesda’s most recent entry, Skyrim, is the best game in the Elder Scrolls saga thus far. And while Skyrim has been criticized for not executing individual aspects of its gameplay (especially combat and narrative) as well as other games, Skyrim is more than the sum of its parts. One thing about Skyrim that I enjoy is listening to the stories of others and hearing their different approaches to playing the game. From the funny to the badass, Skyrim lets you play how you WANT to play, and that's simply awesome. However, my favourite part of the Elder Scrolls series is how friendly they are to the mod scene. I love mods. I love customizing my game and I like tweaking and adding things into the game that others have created. Without a doubt, Skyrim’s mod-friendliness makes the game better in so many ways. What is not a better way than to engage your fans and prolong the fun of your game by letting them make content for it? Hurrah for Bethesda!"
-Rice-Rocketeer

"Skyrim is amazing, and that's from a guy who hates RPG games."
-ThomW

"It just got so much right. Nearly endless content, mod community (rare in the modern age), free-flowing character customization, unintended humor..."
-Freon

"An amazing open world RPG that you can live in and forget the real world. A true RPG master piece of the ages. No other game gives you that feeling of belonging to a massive world where you live and breath in and become a legend as you shape the world and your destiny. Amazing open-world RPG, I am ready for the next chapter."
-valcan_s

"It says something when a high fantasy piece can get me to pay attention for 40+ hours, let alone actually learn all the lore. Open world as done by the masters."
-Mrblarg

"There are many great games in the Elder Scrolls series. Skyrim is the most refined and perfected of them yet, a culmination of everything Bethesda has learned. The location is awe inspiring and unique, something Oblivion didn't have. The quests are interesting and numerous. I feel attached to the world and want to explore it, something I didn't feel for Fallout 3."
-zeroprey

"FUS RO DAH"
-jingletard

"Skyrim brought me back to gaming. I'd still buy lots of games but only played them for a few hours before 'getting' what they were about and uninstalling. Skyrim hooked me in for some reason and even after finishing it with multiple characters, I still wanted to start new ones and keep exploring their world. Even stranger, after Skyrim I went back and had the patience to finish many games in my backlog and basically brought back gaming as a major hobby for me."
-sethmarc

"The funny thing is that I was not even looking forward to Skyrim before it came out. I had somehow never played an Elder Scrolls game; my PC wasn't powerful enough for Oblivion when it came out. And something about the first person view for a fantasy game when I staunchly preferred a third person or isometric view made me turned off. But after knowing all my friends were playing it, I picked it up a week after release and couldn't put it down. My favorite part of the game is just the vast exploration. When I see an undiscovered landmark on my compass, I am compelled to go in that direction. And then I see another, and another. Mastering many different skills was another addiction. I am of the opinion that every game is better with snow levels, so an entire game on a tundra that looks beautiful plays a big part in my enjoyment of exploration."
-jeffmoeller


#7 - Diablo II

The return to Sanctuary proved to be so much sweeter than the original. Diablo II further built upon the action-RPG goodness and loot hunting insanity established by the original game. Along with it came the ability to take your character and explore realms online, further expanding the hunt for loot. It didn't matter whether you were in it for single-player PvE or hunting down bounties in PvP, Diablo II is likely the best dungeon crawling experience you'll ever find on PC.

"If you couldn't already tell I’m a big fan of Blizzard. Diablo II is and was a game that I would go back to countless times for various reasons. Whether the addicting game play and loot hunt, or just wanting to try a new build with a new character, D2 always offered me something to do when no other game could hold my interest."
-Nerdsbeware

"I wore out two mice playing that damn game."
-Name Withheld by Request

"This game hits the sweet spot so damn hard, it's the only hack&slash I like at all and I love it. Makes me feel sorry for everyone involved with D3, it's ok guys, not your fault, D2 is simply impossible to repeat."
-Tchest

"Even though I probably spent more time in inventory management than fighting evil, this was a ton of fun."
-rampantpanda

"Diablo 2 is true ARPG classic that will never die in my eyes, I will literally play this game till I die \m/
An ARPG perfection that is perfectly balanced in every way that will always make the gamer wanrt to play again and again loot and carnage was never so perfectly blended. The birth of skill trees never looked so good. Necromancer 4|i3F"
-valcan_s

"One of the major reasons for flunking university. the other was beer."
-crust

"Nearly 15 years later and I'm still enjoying trying new builds. Diablo 3 will not have that longevity, because even though it's arguably a better game than Diablo 2 in terms of feedback and graphics, the fact that you can customize your character's skills at any time means you will never have a reason to roll more than one of each character."
-David Craddock


#6 - System Shock 2

Before Irrational Games ventured to Rapture, there was System Shock 2, widely considered to be the studio's opus. Set in the future, System Shock 2 took the FPS genre to an unforgettable place, with the SHODAN helping carry an uneasy survival horror atmosphere from start to finish. Anyone that survived the experience were quickly encouraged to try it again with a whole new character for a completely different, yet equally unsettling experience. It's unforgettable and few games would ever resonate with FPS horror fans quite like System Shock 2.

"BioShock is highly regarded as one of the best video game franchises of all time, and Dead Space is also a critically and fan-acclaimed series that is immensely popular. In their own rights, they are both great game series, but they owe their heart and soul to System Shock 2. System Shock 2 is the pioneer for the BioShock and Dead Space concepts; the mechanics of BioShock pull directly from System Shock 2’s DNA, while the setting and narrative construction of Dead Space are clearly deeply influenced by System Shock 2's story of Citadel Station, SHODAN, and The Many. While System Shock 2 is janky by today's standards, it is still a solid experience. As far as I’m concerned, SHODAN is the best video game villain of all time. Her taunting insults and unfettered capacity to manipulate you for her own machinations makes her a worthy adversary, and one of these days, I'd be delighted to meet her once again."
-Rice-Rocketeer

"Once again, atmosphere, writing and intelligent portrayals of player agency go a long way to making it in my list of awesome games. Shodan is fantastic, The Many are creepy as hell, and listening to them battle each other's philosophies is wonderful, disturbing and fascinating. It's also pant-s***tingly scary, even now. I just wished that I played it when it came out."
-Creepin_Jeezus

"The scariest game I have ever played with the all time best villain. Nothing else has made me feel like I was truly alone on a space ship like this game did. Although the graphics don't hold up the game is still totally effective to this day, both in its ability to immerse you in the world and to scare the living crap out of you. For all that the Bioshock series has achieved it doesn't hold a candle to its big brother System Shock."
-zeroprey

"I was an FPS junkie and this was the first horror FPS game I played. Excellent story and creepiness factor. Like Deus Ex, many different ways to get by situations which made it fun. Shodan."
-uuneter

"I'm pretty sure this game shortened my lifespan by about ten years. It's not even the jump scares that get me, it's the freaky cyber-horror atmosphere and the nonstop tension and panic in every aspect of the design and gameplay."
-Orange Pylon

"For the longest time I had a save file where I was huddled in a chemical cabinet with a half-broken wrench and a zombie and a bot just outside the door."
-drhazard

"A brutal game, in the best way. (The real Demon's Souls starts here?) Another 'immersive sim' pioneer, so I guess you can see what pushes my buttons. A prime example of being dumped into a setting that is nominally a wide-open sandbox, but always with some immediate goals at hand. Putting down Shodan felt like a real triumph as opposed to just the inevitable result of the designer's guiding hand."
-Johnny Law

"Everything about System Shock 2 worked for me. The setting (an FTL spaceship), the atmosphere (The Many + Shodan & Xerxes creeped me the f*** out), the story (told via audiologs, which I think was fairly unique at the time - only the previous Shock game had done it before). You were able to play through the game in any fashion that you wanted: Stealth, Commando, Hacker, or maybe a little of everything. It set a bar which, for me, has yet to be topped."
-Vimn

"This satisfied my deepest desire: to be stranded in space. Incredible atmosphere. The SHODAN reveal sent a chill through my spine. This is my favourite piece of science-fiction across all mediums. A masterpiece."
-greenlief

"'We are Many, and you... are one. How can you hope to prevail against us?'
This game terrified my child mind."
-Cliffzorz

"GLaDOS was cute... but Shodan's just evil."
-Name Withheld by Request


#5 - Doom

What else can be said about Doom that hasn't already been said? It is one of the games that put PC gaming on the map and proved that video games could be just as entertaining to adults as it was to kids. For id and many PC gamers, this is the one that started it all.

"Absolutely mind blowing when it was released. Changed gaming forever."
-Freon

"This game founded the greatest PC genre. For nearly a decade, following games were called 'Doom clones.' This game was shocking in content and technical scope, a mix of pop-satanism and unprecedented digital wizardry"
-Mrblarg

"It's what got me into gaming. And I still love to play it 20 years later."
-mrwolf710

"I loved Wolfenstein but Doom just was another level."
-guigr

"Doom is the first game that I can remember being truly terrified of and one of the few that I still revisit fairly regularly 20+ years later."
-al9000

"I shoot the monsters they make noises and I go no."
-Socksta

"Transformed the PC into a gaming machine. Amazing tech, graphics, net play, modding, still a game talked about today."
-dfay

"Ask me about my rainy Sunday morning story sometime."
-drhazard


#4 - Quake

Doom quickly paved the way for Quake. Building upon what they established previously, id introduced full 3D rendering for graphics beyond what anyone thought imaginable at the time. On top of that, Quake expanded online multiplayer deathmatches to new places, adding numerous options and mechanics that had never been seen in an FPS before. Add mod support to all of this and it's easy to see why Quake become such a huge PC gaming phenomenon that it spawned a massive following. In fact, that following even led to the creation of this very website.

"Quakeworld defined multiplayer gaming. GLQuake ushered us into 3D acceleration. While Descent was there first, Quake is what everyone was talking about and playing. The mod community was amazing, and spawned classics like Team Fortress. People still work on speedruns, too. The classic of classics."
-Freon

"The combination of amazing new tech, algorithms and crisp gameplay, to say Quake is influential in gaming would be an understatement. This game deserves the title 'Citizen Kane of Gaming' better than any other."
-dfay

"It's what got me into the Internet. I learned how to make websites so I could make a Quake website before the game even came out. It basically decided my career for me."
-mrwolf710

"Buying Quake was recieving three games. The first, when you installed it and were blown away by the graphics and atmosphere. The second, when you first played Quakeworld and the rules changed from a creepy corridoor shooter to a frenetic deathmatch. The third, when you installed your Voodoo card and were blown away by the graphics all over again - going back to the single player with your deathmatch playstyle is a whole new ballpark. Resolutions, and difficulty levels, were cranked. PC gaming is truly born."
-Stimpak Chopra

"A mess of a game, but the technology and communities were special. A you-had-to-be-there thing (and I was), but even though Quake seems to be a little overlooked by the gaming press these days, it's had an enormous impact on the course of gaming. Quake was my #1 free-time activity for a few years, and it got me in the habit of playing in tournaments, visiting gaming websites, modding, running servers, and all that PC gaming stuff. God knows how much time I've sunk into it. I've even put over 100 hours into the Steam release... what the hell?"
-Johnny Law

"Quake changed gaming forever for me. Prior to its release, I was absolutely a non-competitive and single-player only gamer. While I enjoyed the SP portions of Quake a great deal, the advent of competitive online MP helped bring me out of my stubborn refusal to play with others, and opened up a world of awesome gaming. Add to that the incredible atmosphere and mods that eventually came out (Future vs Fantasy being my favorite), and you've got a game that I still enjoy thoroughly, 18 years later."
-Vincent Grayson


#3 - Deus Ex

Deus Ex has just about everything anyone could ever want in a PC game. It had a fully-realized cyberpunk world that laid the foundation for cool cybernetic enhancements. It had crisp first-person shooting. It had multiplayer dialogue paths with choices that mattered and helped shape character morality from beginning to end. It blended together so many gaming genres and it did so in a truly astounding manner. Deus Ex is an absolute masterpiece in every way.

"I wanted orange. It gave me lemon-lime."
-DonkeyPopsicle

"Still culturally relevant. Still one of the most intelligent games of all time. Still fun to play. Still capable of pushing back against ideologies and preconceived notions of how to approach a task. Still the best game of all time."
-MercFox1

"I've played through this game about 7 times. Each time I've learnt something new about it. It's a game that constantly forces the player to make decisions and never patronises."
-Creepin_Jeezus

"Original and best. Not only a brilliant fusion of gameplay styles and themes, who's own sequel couldn't better ten years later, but also through it's tongue in cheek writing managed to eerily mirror the changing social climate of the 21st century."
-Stimpak Chopra

"This was the only game I ever bought a new computer for. I played this at my step-father's house on his brand new machine and the story and mood, not to mention the game play were revolutionary. This one probably should be higher in my list, but as I'm writing this, stuck at work on Labor day - this is when it popped into my head."
-flagg209

"This game is definitely rough around the edges, a consequence of being far ahead of its time. It has a good story, some interesting characters, fine gameplay mechanics and great Blade Runner-y music. It earns a spot on my list because of how well it accounts for player intention. It's designed in such a way where you can use your imagination and make a wildly crazy plan of attack, and not only will it actually work, but it will work in such a way that the narrative responds to it and takes your actions into account further into the game. It's really amazing that this is even possible."
-Orange Pylon

"We all know why Deus Ex is great, right? It's an almost hilariously accomodating game. Try to solve a problem in some weird way, and it's almost more surprising if your MacGyvered solution _doesn't_ work. Still blows my mind. The over-the-top plot and philosophy dumps are icing on the cake. Also: the biggest of props to Alex Brandon's soundtrack, starting with the opening menu music. Some of my favorite tracks from that MIDI/Tracker era."
-Johnny Law

"I can't think of any other SP FPS whose scope was perfectly ambitious for the times. The game is like mainlining 90s-to-Mellenial optimism/pessimism. I think I've logged more hours into this one on Steam than any other SP title and I'm still finding stuff I never noticed with each new play-through."
-steauengeglase

"Loved the non-linear approach to each level. As a longtime listener of Art Bell, I loved the theme."
-greenlief


#2 - Half-Life

The standard for first-person shooters. Half-Life didn't rely on cutscenes or text boxes for exposition. It was up to Gordon Freeman to advance the game's story in any way possible, leading to some of the most creative puzzles and novel scripted sequences ever seen in a video game. It was one of the few FPS games that tested a players' minds, as well as their trigger fingers. In fact, bosses were hardly ever taken down with brute force, but rather through clever use of the environment. It would be an honor to have Half-Life at the top of this list, if only it wasn't topped by......

"Quite possibly the best first-person shooter ever conceived."
-The Grolar Bear

"It really was the first that totally nailed the 'grammar' of how to tell a story in a video game."
-Mame Withheld upon Request

"Most groundbreaking and immersive FPS at the time. Great mix of standard and alien weapons. Amazing, amazing weapon sounds - only rivaled by H-L 2. The AI was by far the best for its time. Played hundreds of hours of MP too."
-uuneter

"A revelation in first-person narrative. Great arsenal of weird weapons. Doom-like 'routefinding' gameplay brought all the way into the 3D world. Modding hotbed. Super soundtrack. I could throw a lot of Valve games into the top 15, depending on my mood, but this one would prooooobably always land on top."
-Johnny Law

"A glorious thrill-ride. A monumental achievement in game design and mechanical flow at an early point in PC gaming."
-MercFox1

"Taught me how important a crowbar could be."
-the man with the briefcase

"HL was my Quake - we all knew the single player was great but it also happened that the game's arrival coincided with my first broadband connection. I've never put so many hours into a game and it's derivatives, like CS and TFC (sorry Quakeworld TF)."
-Stimpak Chopra

"Is this the best FPS story? The silent Gordon Freeman an unlucky scientist thrown into a cross-dimensional battle drives you forward in an ever increasingly insane battle. Fantastic weapons and gameplay makes this a seriously enjoyable adventure. Shoot straight, ask questions later."
-radula

"I'm not putting Doom or Quake or whatever in my list because those old-school shooters were never *that* fun to me. Half Life is not old-school, even today. Back in 1998... Valve were GODS for making such a huge leap forward"
-Tchest

"I still remember wtf242 telling me I had to see this weird intro that this game had. You didn't even shoot anything for like 10 minutes. It changed games forever"
-mrwolf710


#1 - Half-Life 2

Only one game could topple Half-Life as the greatest PC game ever made and that's the sequel. Half-Life 2 offered more of the innovative FPS action that emphasized less of the 'shooting' aspect, bringing forward even more creative puzzles and a grander story. On top of that, it proved to be the perfect showcase for Valve's Source engine, which continues to stand near the top of its class, even today. The Source Engine would also allow for one of the greatest weapons ever to grace a video game: the Gravity Gun, which would use magnetic principles to introduce puzzles unlike anything in any other game.

There is no doubt about it. For Shacknews and its Chatty community, Half-Life 2 is the Best PC Game of All-Time.

"Valve made history even trying to produce this game. Following up Half-Life was a tall order, especially the apparent collapse of Team Fortress 2: Brothers in Arms. Not only did they again revolutionize in-game storytelling and mechanics but got us all to hesitantly sign up for Steam -- an act that would forever change the platform."
-Mrblarg

"Half-Life 2 is one of those games that deserves to be on any gamer's list of great games. I never played the original Half-Life, but this game just sucked me in completely. I loved the struggles of Gordon and Co. and am still sad that there is no real conclusion to that series."
-moonfist80

"Such a fantastic sequel, I wonder if they will make a third one?"
-the man with the briefcase

"Where many sequels try to do the same but more and better, HL2 did different. The world was new, your abilities greatly expanded, new memorable characters, mostly new enemies, vehicles, etc. The experience, the feeling, was pure Half Life though. By this point Valve had that experience polished to a level few games ever achieve."
-zeroprey

"So many stages to this game, and they were all fun, but the Gravity Gun at the end... the was the s***!"
-lonza

"Storytelling at its finest! I've recently played this with the oculus rift and hydra and it still holds up as a compelling, immersive world with fun puzzles, great action sequences, and dramatic tension!"
-sergeon

"This game solidified my dedication to PC gaming. The artistry and craftsmanship of the environments still hasn't been matched.With incredibly tight mechanics, great characters, and excellent vague storytelling, HL2 remains to this day the most awe-inspiring PC game I've played yet."
-Orange Pylon

"I do apologize for what must seem to you an arbitrary imposition, Dr. Freeman, I trust it will all make sense in the course of... well... I am really not at liberty to say.
"In the meantime, this is where I get off."
-The G-Man


That's our list! Once again, special thanks to watcherxp for his tireless work in compiling this list. Chatty weighed in on the top 20 in this thread, but everyone is welcome to weigh in once again in the comments below. What missed the cut? What rankings do you disagree with? And would you like to share some love for this list, in general? Offer your thoughts below.

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?

From The Chatty
  • reply
    September 27, 2014 9:05 AM

    Ozzie Mejia posted a new article, Shacknews Chatty Community's Top 100 PC Games of All-Time: #10-1.

    This is it! What was named best PC game of all-time?

    • reply
      September 27, 2014 9:31 AM

      Thanks, once again, to watcherxp for making this list happen!

    • reply
      September 27, 2014 9:47 AM

      I'd like to hear some staff reflections on the full list

      • reply
        September 27, 2014 9:49 AM

        Oh, that would be awesome! What do you say, Ozzie? You and the rest of the staff should supply your own blurbs for all--or at least half--of every section of the countdown. That would be fun to read.

        • reply
          September 27, 2014 10:18 AM

          We're planning on addressing the top 30 in the next Chattycast, since only 31-100 were available at the time we recorded the last one. Putting our thoughts to writing might not be a bad idea either.

      • reply
        September 27, 2014 11:20 AM

        For sure

    • reply
      September 27, 2014 9:48 AM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      September 27, 2014 9:48 AM

      Bold suggestion: Let's tackle Top 100 Console Games next.

      • reply
        September 27, 2014 9:52 AM

        [deleted]

        • reply
          September 27, 2014 10:05 AM

          I think you underestimate how much we play and care about console games. PC games brought us here, but that doesn't mean our interests were limited to Quake. And anyway, even if it's not a very "good" list, it'd still be our list, and that's all that matters.

          • reply
            September 27, 2014 10:24 AM

            I'd be curious to see that too. Any volunteers to compile it, or should we just throw watcherxp an ice pack for his smoking fingers and tell him to get back to work?

          • reply
            September 27, 2014 10:30 AM

            Agreed. PC is my favorite platform, but I'm more agnostic; I'll play games on anything.

          • reply
            September 27, 2014 10:52 AM

            I definitely grew up with a lot of console games.

      • reply
        September 27, 2014 10:25 AM

        I would love to see this at some point. It's probably not a good idea to jump into it immediately after the PC list though.

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        September 27, 2014 10:51 AM

        I could give you no more than a top 4 as that is the number of games I have played on a console.

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        September 27, 2014 10:53 AM

        Yeah that would be interesting to do once the dust settles a bit.

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      September 27, 2014 9:50 AM

      [deleted]

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        September 27, 2014 10:19 AM

        Yeah, if I can remember it, I'd like to take charge of doing an updated list in a year.

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          September 27, 2014 10:31 AM

          Future headline on Front Page:

          SCANDAL ROCKS SHACK CHATTY AS TOP-100 GAMES CURATOR VOTES STARCRAFT AS #1
          "I mean, it's totally crooked, but he's right, too." -Anonymous Chatty Member

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          September 27, 2014 10:38 AM

          [deleted]

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            September 27, 2014 10:46 AM

            No, no, no. It's more like Activision realizing the profitability of Call of Duty and now doing a yearly developer leap frog with more More MOREEE. BIG BIG MONNEEEY! http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110917214936/archer/images/9/99/PirateKing.png

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            September 27, 2014 10:47 AM

            No! I just figured you probably weren't planning to do this again, what with all the effort again, and it seemed like something that would be fun for me to do.

            I'd really like to let people who vote see their previous year's slate, and if someone doesn't update their slate their old votes are carried over automatically. That and having a live list of all the games that have received a vote from someone, to give people ideas.

            I'm also thinking about what scoring algorithm to use; I wonder if something like Condorcet voting would produce a good result here. Some alternate voting systems can weight people's votes so that people can list as many or as few candidates as they want without radically skewing their impact, so that'd also be something to look into.

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          September 27, 2014 10:43 AM

          I think it'd be fun for someone to create a simple Shacker poll site and do an official poll every month or every other month and then release the results kind of like this. Best Star Wars games. Best Tom Clancy games. Best PS2 games. Best SNES games. Best Strategy games. Game of the Year. It's good for creating discussion that's about games etc.

          I think it wouldn't be that bad. No login, just supply a Shack name. I think you'd just have to do something about validation because I wouldn't want someone always toiling on this. So maybe when you type in "GoldenEye" it crosses that with Wikipedia to ensure you meant GoldenEye 007 the 1997 video game for N64 and not the two other games with GoldenEye in the title. Plus variations of people typing GoldenEye vs GoldenEye 007 which is the same thing.

          Hell, I'd do it, but I don't know how to do that stuff. I'm only .... adequate with HTML/CSS. :(

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            September 27, 2014 10:56 AM

            It would be cool if Shacknews did polling of some type as long as the polls were interesting.

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          September 27, 2014 11:20 AM

          We def need a better way to publize it. Maybe shack msg everyone with a link

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      September 27, 2014 10:52 AM

      Yeah, I didn't even know there was a poll. UT2004 is my personal favorite. Half-Life 2 would probably be 3rd after Pac-Man: Adventures in Time.

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      September 27, 2014 10:54 AM

      I have to admit that is probably the most definitive top 100 games of all time list I have ever read. I can't really think of anything wrong with it.

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        September 27, 2014 10:56 AM

        Yeah this was a pretty meaty list.

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        September 27, 2014 11:13 AM

        Yeah, it's a very respectable list. There's always stuff missing in these lists but it's incredibly good for something that was voted on by a community. Usually those things tend to favor whatever has come out in the last couple of years.

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        September 27, 2014 11:22 AM

        I agree. It really is quite impressive

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        September 27, 2014 11:24 AM

        Fully agree

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        September 27, 2014 11:34 AM

        What we need to do now, is compile the top 100 "definitive top 100 games of all time" lists of all time, and then create an ultra-definitive top 100 games of all time list from some weighted average of those top 100 top 100 lists.

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        September 27, 2014 11:54 AM

        I'd change around with the order of some of the rankings personally, but definitely a definitive list of PC games.

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          September 27, 2014 12:14 PM

          Everything is subject to change on a personal level.

          I like this list because it removes a lot of that new age graphical fluff people tend to weigh heavier on their scores than older classics which had to rely on gameplay, story and depth. The benefit of Shack is that a lot of us are older and have a larger scope of games going back dozens of years.

          I'll admit that I didnt' submit my votes - but I'm really pleased with the results either way.

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        September 27, 2014 12:49 PM

        Completely missing troikas classics Arcanum and vampire: the masquerade

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          September 27, 2014 1:08 PM

          Vampire was like 41

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            September 27, 2014 1:48 PM

            But where was Arcanum? This is important.

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              September 27, 2014 3:57 PM

              I don't know, I played and LOVED Arcanum but there were a few big things holding it back. The game was somewhat unfinished and some quests were pretty vague, the UI was kinda awful and the combat (don't even go near the real-time stuff) was pretty bad as well. Fantastic writing, story, music and setting held that game up and I'd put it in my top 100 but I can see why it wasn't put in people's top 15.

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                September 27, 2014 4:19 PM

                Wait, what? I loved the combat in Arcanum. I agree it was unfinished, and that combat could be buggy, but I remember enjoying fighting as much as the decision making.

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                  September 27, 2014 11:16 PM

                  I liked making tactical decisions too, aside from the bugginess of it I primarily didn't enjoy it because it was often unbalanced, making it too hard or too easy. I don't have a lot of issues with the design of the game itself at all, many of my issues with it just stem from it being unfinished. If Troika were given enough time to do it right I have no doubt it would be in my top 10 or perhaps 5.

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                    September 27, 2014 11:17 PM

                    I should clarify that in the beginning there was referring to the combat, overall I still enjoyed Arcanum immensely.

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        September 27, 2014 1:08 PM

        Disregarding the ordering, it's pretty comprehensive. Missing a few big ones and has a few I wouldn't include, but on the whole it's pretty damn good.

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        September 27, 2014 1:26 PM

        Now that I think about it, zero games from Massive is a small failure too. :(

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        September 28, 2014 3:51 AM

        yeah we've had worse.

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      September 27, 2014 11:17 AM

      [deleted]

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      September 27, 2014 11:32 AM

      [deleted]

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      September 27, 2014 11:32 AM

      Good article and great list! Thanks for all the work, watcherxp and Ozzie

      All the grand hyperbole is a little weird though :P

      "Diablo II is likely the best dungeon crawling experience you'll ever find on PC"

      Ever?

      "There will never be another like GLaDOS."

      Never?

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      September 27, 2014 1:17 PM

      [deleted]

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      September 27, 2014 1:33 PM

      Deus Ex is still the #1 game. No one has even tried to beat it, let alone succeeded. All those pointers so generously offered 14 years ago are still there for the picking.

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      September 27, 2014 3:17 PM

      4 of the 5 top 5 were predictable to say the least, for this crowd...

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      September 27, 2014 3:40 PM

      What rank did Daikatana get?

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      September 27, 2014 9:55 PM

      I saw HL at number 2 and I was like... but the game changed my view on what games could be and I was a little mad, but then I saw HL2 as number one and I was ok.

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        September 28, 2014 2:47 AM

        Half Life 2 was mind blowing when the camera faded in at the intro and you peered through the glass into a real looking city. And then the man in the blue suits face telling you to wake up and fight. That face, his eyes-- it was breath taking.

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        September 28, 2014 3:54 AM

        I'd still put up 1 above 2, though.

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        September 29, 2014 7:54 AM

        so from a story or cinematic-like perspective? other than that, it is kind of a bland shooter in this day in age.

    • Ziz legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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      September 28, 2014 5:44 AM

      Replace Ultima Online with WOW.

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      September 28, 2014 6:59 AM

      The problem with lists like these is that some of the genre definers get left out; think of the Sierra adventure titles. Probably not quite as great as most of these, but several of the KQ titles did a number of firsts for any computer game
      *early if not first support for AdLib
      *early support for expanded music card options
      *early if not first support for redbook audio in a game
      *early use of EGA & VGA graphics
      *early 3D-style depth in a game
      *first game that had to ship in an oversized box to hold all the floppies

      This isn't just one game, which is probably why it wouldn't necessarily fit in a list like this, but the whole series did a number of firsts in total.

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        September 28, 2014 4:03 PM

        If you want to have achievements like that recognized you've got to build it into the contest. Did the original voting ever encourage people to consider franchises as a whole, or to look at games that might not have been be-all end-all standout, but were the first to popularize certain features?

        Not to be pissy, just suggesting it would be interesting to have another take on the Top X Games theme, and if you organize it yourself you can work to have those aspects (franchises as a whole; technical achievements) come to the fore.

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          September 28, 2014 6:59 PM

          meh. I was just bemoaning an old franchise that influenced my views on gaming wasn't represented. I'm too lazy to actually do anything about it. ;)

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      September 28, 2014 9:04 AM

      Nice job Ozzie

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      September 29, 2014 8:01 AM

      I know I'm going to get shit on for this but deus ex is the only game on here i disagree with. It was a buggy piece of shit when it first came out and by the time they bothered to actually get it to work decent I didn't fucking care anymore. They delivered hot garbage and eventually made it passable. I'll never know. It's one of the few games I paid full price for and only played the first level.

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        September 29, 2014 10:38 AM

        you should go back and give it another shot. the graphics are terribly dated at this point but the game is still a good time!

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      September 29, 2014 11:38 AM

      Definitely don't think Skyrim should be in the top 10. MAYBE top 25, but not top 10. It's not the best Elder Scrolls game by a long shot. It's the Dragon Age 2 of the Elder Scrolls series.

      As far as Half-Life 2, I can see how it can be considered the best game of all time but for me personally it's very dated and bland. There's no life to the world, and some of the gameplay is very tedious at times.

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