Final Fantasy VII Remake 2020
Why it still holds upReal time fights that pause to choose, and a party where each member fights differently, still make the battles the reason to play it today.
Games that still hold up today
Timeless games worth playing today
Games
Final Fantasy VII Remake 2020
Why it still holds upReal time fights that pause to choose, and a party where each member fights differently, still make the battles the reason to play it today.
System Shock 2 1999
Why it still holds upThe skill system and the atmosphere keep it worth playing now, since you build your character through choices aboard a ship that feels lived in.
Planescape: Torment 1999
Why it still holds upThe writing and the companions are still the reason to play it today, since your stats and what you say keep opening options in conversation.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords 2004
Why it still holds upBecause influence follows what you say and do, your choices change who stays at your side, which still gives a second run something new today.
Max Payne 2001
Why it still holds upBullet time is why it still plays well: it sets the pace of the fights, and the average gunfight lasts only about ten seconds.
Inside 2016
Why it still holds upThe puzzles are why it still plays well: they are natural obstacles that make sense in the context of the game, and the wordless boy is expressive enough to carry it.
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings 1999
Why it still holds upIts deliberate pace is why it still plays well: it scales so that players of any skill can choose the speed they are comfortable with.
Tetris 1989
Why it still holds upIts single simple rule is why it still plays well: it is easy to understand, and it gets harder as the speed rises.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps 2020
Why it still holds upThe way the map opens up is still the reason to play: each ability Ori finds sends you back through Niwen by a route that was shut.
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne 2003
Why it still holds upEvery kill makes Max move faster, so bullet time slows him less as he keeps killing, and that is why the combat still flows today.
Dead Space 2008
Why it still holds upBecause the interface is in the world and the game never pauses, the Ishimura never lets you step away, which keeps it tense today.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 2000
Why it still holds upThe three day cycle keeps it worth playing today: you plan your days around what people need, and the world changes with the clock, with the music growing more menacing toward the end.
Divinity: Original Sin II 2017
Why it still holds upFreedom in and out of combat, where a fight is a puzzle of armor, elements and position and a quest has more than one answer, still makes it worth playing today.
Mario Kart 8 2014
Why it still holds upVaried track design, with assists so that players of every level can share a race, still makes it work today.
Minecraft: Java Edition 2011
Why it still holds upBecause nothing is required of you, a new world is whatever you decide to make of it, and that is what keeps it worth starting now.
Death Stranding 2019
Why it still holds upA route planned, built and shared with strangers still makes the long walks worth doing today.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 1992
Why it still holds upThe reason to go back is level design that rewards speed without giving up exploration.
Mass Effect 3 2012
Why it still holds upBecause so much of it rests on those earlier choices, the trilogy played in order from the first game still gives it its full weight today.
Pokémon Silver Version 1999
Why it still holds upA world that runs on its own clock, with a second full region after the first, is the reason to go back to it now.
Doom 2016
Why it still holds upIts combat is why it is worth playing now: it never asks you to hide, since health and ammunition come from killing up close, so the game keeps you moving forward.
Deus Ex 2000
Why it still holds upWith several routes to every objective, both a pacifist and a combat approach work, and that freedom in level design is the reason to play it today.
God of War III 2010
Why it still holds upToday it still offers combat built on chained combos and weapon switching, on a very large scale.
Journey 2012
Why it still holds upWith three controls and a world that keeps introducing something new instead of repeating, it is still worth the few hours it takes.
God of War II 2007
Why it still holds upIt holds up now because combat, platforming and puzzles are designed as one adventure.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 2006
Why it still holds upIt is worth playing today for a world that treats the main quest as optional and puts side content throughout.
Dishonored 2012
Why it still holds upLevels with several ways in, and a world that reacts to how you played them, are the reason to play it today.
The Secret of Monkey Island 1990
Why it still holds upIt stays playable because its puzzles avoid dead ends and deaths, and because the dialogue is still witty.
Sid Meier's Civilization 1991
Why it still holds upEvery turn is still a small decision about research, building or war today, and the order you choose shapes the whole run.
Pokémon HeartGold Version 2009
Why it still holds upTwo regions of badges, laid out with both freedom and direction, make it worth playing now.
Batman: Arkham Knight 2015
Why it still holds upCombat of counters and takedowns, in a city crossed by gliding and grappling, is still the draw today.
Doom 1993
Why it still holds upIts level design and its atmosphere are why it is worth playing now: each maze is a place you learn, and the claustrophobic rooms keep the pace fast.
Omori 2020
Why it still holds upA story that moves between a cheerful dream and the real world, and from comedy into psychological horror, is still the draw today.
Sid Meier's Civilization V 2010
Why it still holds upOne unit per tile keeps war a matter of terrain and positioning, which is reason enough to play it today.
Persona 4 2008
Why it still holds upA calendar in which daily life and dungeons feed each other still makes it worth playing today.
The Talos Principle 2014
Why it still holds upPuzzles that reward finding alternate uses for a small set of tools, with several solutions to many, are the reason to play it now.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind 2002
Why it still holds upA world that sets no required order, kept alive by the people who mod it, still makes it worth playing today.
Resident Evil 2002
Why it still holds upAmmo, inventory and saves are scarce, so you keep deciding what to fight, what to carry and when to backtrack, and that tension is the reason to play it now.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 2017
Why it still holds upLayered combat across large worlds packed with hidden items and side quests still makes it worth playing today.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D 2015
Why it still holds upA small town run on a schedule you learn and replay is the reason to play it today.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 2000
Why it still holds upTwo sharply different sides and a base building loop that stays out of the way still make it worth playing today.
Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game 1997
Why it still holds upA build that counts in every conversation and every fight is still the reason to play it today.
Gothic II 2002
Why it still holds upA compact, hand placed world where exploring pays off is still the reason to play it today.
Pokémon Gold Version 1999
Why it still holds upTwo regions on one cartridge keep the adventure going past the first Elite Four, and that is the reason to play it today.
Donkey Kong Country 1994
Why it still holds upLevels that keep changing how you move, with vines, barrels, mine carts and animals, and a difficulty that rises steadily, are the reason to play it now.
Yakuza 0 2015
Why it still holds upIt is worth playing now for a dense, hand built city where serious crime drama sits beside absurd comic side stories, in a prequel that needs no earlier game.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2004
Why it still holds upThe clan you choose changes what you can do and say, so a second run in the same city plays differently, and that is why it is still worth playing today.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 2006
Why it still holds upNine dungeons with distinct themes and tools, joined by a large overworld, and two ways of moving and fighting in one adventure, are why it is worth playing now.
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings 2011
Why it still holds upChoices with delayed consequences, and build choices that change how you fight, are the reasons to play it today.