At Displate, we don’t simply play video games — we mount them on metallic, worship them like pixelated deities, and argue about the most effective mods over manner an excessive amount of espresso. From 8-bit icons to sprawling open-world epics, video video games are greater than leisure. They’re tradition, neighborhood, and creativity; a nostalgia journey, a option to procrastinate, or a option to blow off some steam after a protracted day.
To honor this, we requested our crew the unattainable: “What’s the best recreation of all time?” Cue the chaos, debates that resulted in a minimum of one thrown controller, and a passionate monologue about why Tetris is the GOAT (spoiler alert — it didn’t make the record). Welcome to the Displate gaming corridor of fame.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Breath of the Wild didn’t simply evolve the franchise — it redefined what open-world video games might be. It drops you into Hyrule with nothing however a stick and a dream, and someway, that’s all you want. Simply you, a tree department, and an open world begging to be climbed, exploded, or by accident set on fireplace.
This recreation doesn’t fake to supply freedom. It is freedom. Wish to surf down a mountain in your defend? Go for it. Tame a horse and identify it “Zelda”? Completely. However what actually makes it magic is the vibe — Hyrule feels alive. It’s not simply pixels, it’s sunsets you didn’t anticipate to care about, quiet hilltops that make you pause, and horses that betray you on the worst doable second.
It’s not only a recreation. It’s a headspace. A temper. A spot you need to get misplaced in. No marvel it was nominated for a number of awards — from BAFTA’s Greatest Recreation to The Recreation Award for Greatest Motion/Journey.
Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
To say that Grand Theft Auto V left a mark on the business could be the understatement of the last decade. It didn’t simply depart a mark — it hijacked the map, stole your automobile, and made you complicit within the getaway. From Franklin’s hustle and Michael’s midlife disaster to Trevor’s unhinged chaos, GTA V wrapped darkly satirical storytelling in a richly detailed open world.
Whereas the single-player marketing campaign was groundbreaking, GTA On-line expanded the legacy to new heights. One minute you’re planning a cinematic heist in Los Santos, and the following, a man named “420Sn1perDad” is attacking you in a flying DeLorean.
Greater than ten years later, its jabs at politics, influencers, and late-stage capitalism nonetheless hit onerous. GTA V didn’t simply predict the long run — it mocked it earlier than it even occurred. Iconic.
Tremendous Mario World (1991)
Few video games have stood the take a look at of time like Tremendous Mario World. Nonetheless the GOAT of 2D platformers, it shortly grew to become a ceremony of passage, giving gamers a sprawling overworld stuffed with layered stage design, secret exits, and the inexperienced dino buddy we by no means knew we would have liked: Yoshi.
With tight, responsive controls and secrets and techniques galore, Tremendous Mario World pushed the boundaries of what platformers might be. Each bounce felt intentional, each coin chase rewarding, and each “DUN-DUN” from the underground theme delivered instantaneous serotonin.
Greater than 30 years later, devs nonetheless cite it because the gold normal. Gamers nonetheless replay it. And sure, we nonetheless scream when Yoshi falls right into a pit.
Half-Life 2 (2004)
Half-Life 2 didn’t simply elevate the bar — it rewrote the rulebook. Set 20 years after the unique, it embraced cinematic storytelling with out cutscenes or handholding, reintroducing us to Dr. Gordon Freeman and his crowbar of future.
Set in a dystopian Earth crawling with alien overlords, HL2 advised its story by rubble, intercoms, and ambiance. And let’s not neglect the true star: the Gravity Gun. Launching noticed blades at headcrabs felt like excessive artwork.
Even higher? The modding. This recreation gave us Garry’s Mod, Counter-Strike: Supply, and half the bizarre web playgrounds of the early 2000s. A real PC gaming cornerstone.
Pink Useless Redemption 2 (2018)
Pink Useless Redemption 2 is a full-on emotional rollercoaster in cowboy boots. You trip with Arthur Morgan — outlaw, thinker, and the person with essentially the most expressive mustache in gaming — by a narrative of loyalty, loss, and fading beliefs.
Each quiet second hits onerous. Sunsets really feel private. Your horse turns into a therapist. And Dutch retains promising “one final rating.”
With jaw-dropping visuals, human writing, and a rating that haunts lengthy after the credit roll, RDR2 isn’t simply gaming at its greatest — it’s existential artwork.
The Final of Us (2013)
Few video games have captured emotional storytelling like The Final of Us. It’s Joel and Ellie in opposition to a damaged world — with nothing however a shotgun, some duct tape, and a bond that’ll destroy you.
What begins as a smuggling job turns into one in every of gaming’s most unforgettable relationships — constructed by trauma, sacrifice, and survival.
Brutal, stunning, and weirdly hopeful, The Final of Us pairs narrative gameplay with ethical grey zones and has solely grown in status since its acclaimed HBO adaptation.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
A turning level for the business, Ocarina of Time was the childhood core reminiscence that launched a thousand speedruns. The primary 3D Zelda, it took us from pixelated dungeons to a completely realized Hyrule.
It launched time journey, horse bonding, and Z-targeting. It redefined journey and holds the best Metacritic rating of all time. If there’s a legend in gaming, that is it.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
Skyrim turned each participant right into a potion-hoarding, dragon-shouting, cheese-wheel-stealing legend. Whether or not becoming a member of the Darkish Brotherhood or simply Fus Ro Dah-ing goats off cliffs, this recreation was the final word medieval sandbox.
With open-ended design, countless mod assist, and a legacy that simply gained’t die, Skyrim remains to be someway getting new ports in 2025. If gaming had a Mount Rushmore, Skyrim could be carved into it — in all probability by a sneaky Khajiit named “Pickpocket 100.”
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
We imagine within the sword — and in storytelling so sharp it cuts deeper than metal. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the benchmark for open-world RPGs — sprawling, soulful, and charged with consequence.
As Geralt of Rivia, you navigate a morally grey world full of war-torn kingdoms, cursed monsters, scheming sorceresses, and a daughter who may save — or doom — every part.
Its world-building is unmatched, quests really feel genuinely lived-in, and even facet tales carry the emotional weight of primary arcs. Each selection issues. Each monster has a narrative. And don’t get us began on Gwent.
Darkish Souls (2011)
Darkish Souls didn’t simply elevate the issue bar — it set it on fireplace and dared you to cross it. Each loss of life is a lesson, each boss a milestone, each bonfire a breath of aid.
Its cryptic lore, interconnected world, and minimalist storytelling impressed an entire style. And let’s be trustworthy — few issues in gaming really feel higher than lastly beating that one boss you thought was unattainable.
It’s brutal. It’s sensible. It’s the rationale all of us realized to git gud.
It’s Darkish Souls.
Showcase The Better of the Greatest in Your Dwelling
There you will have it — our digital corridor of fame. From emotional epics to button-mashing classics, these video games proceed to encourage how we play, how we create, and the way we adorn our partitions.
Obtained your personal record of all-time greats? Discover our online game poster assortment and switch your wall right into a tribute to the video games that raised you — whether or not that’s Diablo, Elder Scrolls, DOOM, or Assasin’s Creed, we’ve received simply the poster to deliver them residence.
