35 Video Games Every Gamer Knows, And 15 That Only Diehards Can Name
- by Jacob Ormrod
- – on
- in Entertainment
There was a time when video games were seen as an outsider medium, a form of entertainment that only a very specific set of people enjoyed, but those days are now long gone. Video games and similar media are mainstream now, and while we don't all spend our days playing video games, there are some that even people who would otherwise rarely play games will be willing to give a go just because of the fame or publicity surrounding them. That being said, there are still some games out there that only the hardcore fans are likely to be able to identify. Just like with every form of entertainment media, there will be some people who stick to the hobby more than others, taking video games very seriously. For some, they're a form of art, something that can take narrative to new places. To others, they're the best way to escape the drudgery of a hard day. Either way, we wanted to create a quiz that will test every gamer out there, a quiz that only the hardcore fans will be able to get 100% on! Who thinks they are a proper hardcore gamer? Who wants to show that they know a lot more than just Call Of Duty or Grand Theft Auto? Well then, here's that chance, so we better get started!
Can You Name This Game?
It would seem that Nintendo have a constant obsession with making sure that they are experimenting with hardware, that nobody could ever say they weren't on the cutting edge of the video game hardware once it becomes mainstream. When they started their obsession with motion controls, it was obvious that a perfect fit would be a game based around physical activity, so that is exactly what they threw themselves at headfirst when the wii first ended up on the market.
Can You Name This Game?
It's a shame to think that there are likely so many games out there that could've been better if the developers didn't feel they had to give into the modern trend of making every game an open world game. While it was certainly better than the game that came before it, the rather empty world didn't manage to live up to the potential of the interesting gameplay ideas and genuinely interesting story. Hopefully they'll do it better next time if they get the chance.
Can You Name This Game?
It seems as if this series just doesn't know what to do with itself at this point, desperately attempting to drag something new and interesting out of a concept that was stale a long time ago. We're not sure why, but we know that Ubisoft will never drop this series, despite the fact that it's clear it should be dropped as soon as possible. Sure, it makes them a lot of money at the moment, but it won't be long before that ends.
Can You Name This Game?
Everybody was happy when this series of games based on the cape crusader came out and were actually good. So many games had already attempted this and none of them were any good, but Rocksteady were able to come up with a satisfying combat system and interesting mechanics that were based on fear. These are both important aspects of everything to do with the comic book character, so it's good they took notice of this and were able to get it right.
Can You Name This Game?
If you ask us, games that are based on combat are getting pretty boring. They've been going stale for so long now that it's inevitable that every year will bring the release of at least three or four more games that put you into the shoes of a soldier at some point in time, often even in the future! There are few combat games out there that take you into the true horrors of the real times they depict, and do anything interesting, which is a shame.
Can You Name This Game?
We're not sure why this is, but so many people out there have an interest in playing games that mimic the real world in some way, a world where they must get their character dressed in the morning and make sure they're getting to work to make money. We're not saying that video games have to follow set rules, but you would think that people would struggle to find entertainment in a video game that mimics their life so much!
Can You Name This Game?
While it has become somewhat of a cliché in recent years, we will always have a soft spot for those games that try to tell a grand story, ones that always try to make sure that the narrative is as enjoyable and as important as the gameplay mechanics. You want the mechanics and the narrative to work together, providing a brilliant experience for anyone who chooses to pick up the controller and immerse themselves in a completely fictional world. This game is truly brilliant.
Can You Name This Game?
This is a slightly older game, but it's one that had so many people hooked from the get go. It seemed like everyone enjoyed this game, no matter what their age, and you're able to get into it without any real prior knowledge of how video games work. There is a high skill ceiling with many video games out there, but if you want some fun and don't know how to play, then this is exactly the game you want to pick up.
Can You Name This Game?
When technology started to advance and video game developers started to make the leap to 3D, there were a lot of tried and tested mechanics that just weren't working in the new space. Sonic is a classic example of a video game character that never managed to make it to 3D. However, while everyone else struggled, Nintendo were able to push Mario into 3D in a way that still holds up today. He has continued to appear in numerous games, both in 2D and 3D.
Can You Name This Game?
While this game certainly does have an amazing story, one that we continue to think about as we move further into video game advancement and narrative in video games moves forward, we always remember the first moment we saw Rapture and don't think we'll ever forget it. This world come to life in front of us, the reveal spectacularly well handled. The graphics may not look as good now as they did back in the day, but it still stays with us.
Can You Name This Game?
While it's true that Nintendo seem to consistently create great games that are fun for so many people to play, they do tend to stick to what they know, never usually choosing to come up with new intellectual properties. That's why this game was seen as such a surprise when it was first announced, giving the people over at Nintendo a chance to spread their wings and get a bit more creative than usual. They had some new characters to play around with!
Can You Name This Game?
We've already mentioned that Sonic found it hard to move into 3D once the technology had marched forward, leaving him behind, and the character still hasn't managed to fully recover. Sure, there have been a couple of worthwhile titles here and there, little gems worth discovering in the muck, but to most people he hasn't really had a game worth looking at for decades at this point. He recently got two games, one of which that was well reviewed and one that was panned, but which is this?
Can You Name This Game?
From Software are one of those companies that seems to have found its niche, a niche that audiences want to be filled. They make games for people who don't like the fact that modern video games don't tend to challenge as much as they did back in the day. That being said, their newest game shown at E3 looks as if it could be a real departure from games like this, games with brooding atmosphere and gothic architecture. Which game is it?
Can You Name This Game?
Link has been on a hell of a lot of adventures at this point, and while his most recent foray into Hyrule was definitely worth playing, even we as fans have to admit that the Legend Of Zelda formula had been getting old for a while. We're glad that Nintendo have decided to switch it up, and look forward to seeing what they end up doing in the next instalment. Will it even be possible for them to mess with the series as much as they did recently?!
Can You Name This Game?
Call Of Duty is one of the most famous franchises of all time and consistently pulls in a whole lot of money. Even people who don't know about video games know about this game, so we thought we would make it a little bit harder. Instead of letting you guess whether this game is from the Call Of Duty series, we expect every gamer to be able to tell us which branch of games in the franchise it comes from!
Can You Name This Game?
If we accept the idea that many people come to video games as a form of escapism, then it makes sense that the fantasy genre would make a good fit. In these games, you're allowed to cast off the boring reality of life and go on an adventure in a universe that it would be otherwise impossible to explore. While books and films can give you a glimpse at these sorts of worlds, you can only take part in video games.
Can You Name This Game?
There are a lot of hobbies, skills and sports out there that are so beyond our grasp as we don't have enough talent to enjoy them properly. When we were younger, we loved the concept of skateboarding, but knew that we would never be able to properly get involved. We didn't have the balance or the lack of fear, which is why we would often turn to video games like this to scratch the skateboarding itch that real life couldn't get to.
Can You Name This Game?
Just as it can be depressing to see a once great actor or director degrade themselves by creating or involving themselves with work that is beneath them, there are so many video game companies that meant so much to us as children but mean nothing to us now. Rare has not managed to keep the magic alive, struggling through financial issues and brutal staff turnovers. While they were kings of the business not too long ago, they're in the shadows these days.
Can You Name This Game?
One of the great things about video games is that it almost seems as if there's nothing you can't do if you want to. They allow people the chance to create and take part in things that would otherwise never have existed. Obviously, the idea is to create a good game, but you have a lot options and can meld together two things that just wouldn't make any sense in any other medium. We can really suspend our disbelief as gamers!
Can You Name This Game?
Anybody who is creating in any art form or entertainment medium knows that you can only get away with doing the same thing so many times before you're rumbled. This is even more true with a medium like video games, where the turnover is so quick and people are expecting new and interesting ways to play your game without having to worry about whether or not they're going to get bored by the same mechanics or the same general vibe.
Can You Name This Game?
Just as books and films did before, video games have spent the past couple of decades taking a look back into our past to see what the medium can add to the exploration of a different time. Sure, some of them focus on the present day and look to the future, or even take place in fantasy worlds, but some try to take the player on a journey that they could never go on by taking them back in time.
Can You Name This Game?
We were that never that bothered about multiplayer games, so any game where you're essentially buying just so that you can play the multiplayer isn't something we'd ever done before. However, this game came so highly recommended by everyone talking about it that we knew there was something here that we wanted to be a part of. With its slow and methodical gameplay based on teamwork and an obsession with listening intently to audio cues, its has us hooked for months.
Can You Name This Game?
We're not usually unhappy about the way that art chooses to depict anything, never giving into a controversy or crying for censorship, but we can understand why some would feel uncomfortable with the way that real live battles are depicted in video games. There's a real fetish mentality, turning the beginnings and endings of real human beings into something that an audience can take part in purely for competitive gain. The worst part is, video games can and should be better than this.
Can You Name This Game?
The concept of time travel is something that we like to stay away from when we're creating and we're suspicious of it when we find it in any form of entertainment. Believe it or not, but once you add the time travel element into the mix, you're asking for some real trouble when it comes to your narrative. It can be difficult to make sure that you don't leave any plotholes anywhere, as it is easily done with something like this.
Can You Name This Game?
We're not sure if its nostalgia or just because we like an underdog, but there's something great about an old studio that has fallen out of favor coming back to prove that they still have something to offer in the modern world of video gaming. We're not saying that we loved this game, but it definitely deserved a lot more praise than it got and we actually can't wait until the sequel comes out. We're hoping they iron out all the niggles that came with this one!
Can You Name This Game?
We're not sure why, but as technology advanced and video game companies could start giving us beautiful new things to look at, developers around ten years ago decided that the best thing to color a game was grey and brown. We're still not sure why this muddy color is still so prevalent to this day, but we're glad to see that some companies realized the error of their ways and have now started to move back to more beautiful landscapes.
Can You Name This Game?
If the third person open world and first person shooter games rule the roost now, there was a time when platformers had their place. Everybody out there was creating platformers, and it wasn't until games hit 3D that developers moved away from them. Still, some game companies refused and felt there was a lot of potential for the 3D platformer, which is exactly where Crash Bandicoot fits in. This mascot for Sony has been championing the platformer for years. Somebody has to!
Can You Name This Game?
This is quite possibly our favorite game from childhood and we love everything about it. To this day, if you handed us a copy of this and a controller, we reckon we would spend an entire day just blitzing our way through it. It has everything, and while a lot of people have insulted the graphics over the years, we personally don't see why. They work great with the gameplay and the music is a perfect accompaniment when running through the jungle!
Can You Name This Game?
Some video game franchises will just never end. Even if they release a game that seemingly kills off any love that was left in the community, there's always a chance that a decade later somebody will come along to try and reboot the franchise. If they do it right, they can end up breathing new life into a series and enable developers a chance to create something truly new and brilliant that doesn't wallow in the past far too much.
Can You Name This Game?
It might seem ridiculous now, but what you've got to remember is that when people were creating games back in the day, they were essentially starting out a whole new creative medium. Sure, they had other inspirations to work from, but the past could only hold so much choice for them. They had to try and come up with their own sort of thing, stuff that would actually attract gamers to their product. Believe it or not, this game is remembered fondly!
Can You Name This Game?
If you're into video games, then you know that the video game developers out there are obsessed with open wastelands these days. They seem to want to hand you an open world to play around in, but also want to make sure there isn't much to see as well. If you ask us, this isn't the smartest way to get your audience interested in what you've got to offer. Honestly, we're getting pretty sick of a barren open world in video games!
Can You Name This Game?
If we're honest, we're not a big fan of this series, but we do understand why so many people look upon it with such high esteem. These games clue into people's obsession with narrative in a fantasy setting and the connections that the writers are able to build between the characters. However, if you ask us, the gameplay is far too repetitive to stick it out and enjoy the narrative that lies underneath. The most recent entry did away with some of this though...
Can You Name This Game?
The multiplayer shooter will likely never go away as they're such a huge market at the moment in video games and have been for quite a while now. We're not sure how the gaming world will be able to overcome the love that people have for these sorts of video games without all developers across the world coming together to collectively agree that they should stop now. It's alright from time to time but we really don't need this many of them!
Can You Name This Game?
There is a lot to be said for developers who know how to make a game feel visceral. If you have violence in your game, you want it to feel satisfying, which means you've got to do one of two things. One way of making it satisfying it making your main character hit heavy, while the other is making violence quick and gory. Either way, you've got yourself a fun game that makes you feel like you're putting some damage out there.
Can You Name This Game?
Yes, we're looking right back at a time in video game history when everything, all things considered, was very ugly. We can't blame the developers of the time or anything because they were just working with what they had, and many of them still managed to create some great games that just didn't look too good. In fact, this game is so well remembered that people continue to go back to it, letting nostalgia flow over them as they play.
Can You Name This Game?
Grand Theft Auto is one of the most recognizable names in video game history, so we don't think any of you should have a problem choosing exactly which game this is from the series! The games allow you the chance to live out all the fantasies you can think of, in which you take control of a character in a world just like ours but turned up to 11. Nobody in this world cares about anyone else, which suits your main character just fine.
Can You Name This Game?
There is pretty much nobody out there that doesn't like music, and people who say they don't like music just haven't spent enough time listening to music if you ask us. This is why video game developers really hit on something when they decided they would make a game that gave their audience a chance to actually be a musician. They put you in the driver's seat and gave you a chance to play along to some of your favorite tunes.
Can You Name This Game?
Fighting games are an odd breed. They essentially cater to a hugely dedicated fanbase that, if you get it right, will be playing your game for years to come. Fighting tournaments still take place where people compete on games that have been out for over a decade at this point. That being said, we have a lot of love for them as they're the only genre of game that continues to cater to those who want to play with their mates!
Can You Name This Game?
Often, we want a game to pull us into a world, allow us the chance to become truly immersed and interact with a narrative that we could never have thought about on our own. That being said, we also like a game that lets us chain a rocket to a bad guy and fly him off into the sky where he hits a jet and explodes in spectacular fashion. This game lets you do so many things just like that.
Can You Name This Game?
This game is a fighting game that isn't like other fighting games, allowing you the chance to get behind the fighter rather than seeing him from somewhere behind the fourth wall. You're in a match and you have to take down your opponent by noticing their weaknesses and only striking when the time is right. This is one fighting game where you won't be able to beat anyone just by button mashing and hoping for the best. Go play it!
Can You Name This Game?
This is a perfect example of a sequel that was never going to live up to the brilliance that was the original. Don't get us wrong, we loved this game, but the first one came out of nowhere and blew everyone away. Not one person in the gaming world was expecting it, and yet every single person that played it ended up coming away with a love for it. You don't see anything like that in the gaming industry anymore.
Can You Name This Game?
In a world of video games where everything seems to have to be rather dark or dreary, we like games like this that hold onto a cartoon sensibility, allowing you the chance to jump into a colorful world and kill everything in sight. Okay, so it still plays like many other games that have come before it, but the aesthetic is what keeps it fresher than other games. We don't think people will stop playing this for a very long time.
Can You Name This Game?
This was one of the first games that let so many children out there feel as if they truly were going on an adventure. In fact, the fandom surrounding this game is so huge and varied that even attempting to point out some of its many flaws has ended badly. All we can say is that, if it concerns nostalgia, then you want to be sure you're not insulting it online, as people will not take too kindly to your words.
Can You Name This Game?
While video games really are getting better and better with every year, despite what some angry people on YouTube might tell you, it doesn't hurt to sometimes go back to basics and take a look at the building blocks that brought us here. At its heart, a good game can have a simple premise that is used well, thereby creating an entire game that can keep a huge audience enthralled for a long period of time. Developers sometimes forget that.
Can You Name This Game?
As we've already said, a lot of fighting games are filling a niche, one created by a huge number of fans that are willing to line up and play your game for years if you get it right. However, other games like this have something else on their side, instead going for spectacle in the hope of bringing in an audience. It seems to work as well, as these games are consistently coming out so somebody must be buying them!
Can You Name This Game?
While it has certainly started to fade away now, there was a real obsession within the gaming community with games that allowed you the opportunity to explore and create whatever you wanted to, with this game arguably being the template that started it all. That being said, they never appealed to us as we always wanted a tighter experience that was a little bit more controlled. Not only that, but we're a big fan of narrative in games and this had nothing!
Can You Name This Game?
The Metroid series quite rightly has a huge place in the heart of many gamers out there. It offers you the chance to explore an alien world at your own leisure, being allowed to progress as you manage to find various upgrades strewn across the world. In fact, this has become its own genre, and many games continue to mimic this style of game while adding in their own form of gameplay mechanics along the way. Some just copy it out right!
Can You Name This Game?
The Metal Gear Solid games are well loved among the gaming community, although there are some people out there that quite rightly have a problem with some tropes that it comes along with. If you ask us, the last game in the series was fantastic and was able to get rid of many of the problems found within the earlier games. The long cutscenes were gone and you were able to play it however you wanted to, which is what we always wanted from Snake!
Can You Name This Game?
Racing games really cut to the heart of a gamer's competitive nature, allowing them a chance to show off their expertise, either against another human being or a computer built to beat them. That being said, this franchise also allows you a chance to do that but in a lovely bubblegum world filled with some of your favorite Nintendo characters. That being said, this can get pretty heated, so make sure you don't walk in the way while two people are playing this game!
Can You Name This Game?
Who knew that Lego would end up being such a huge thing across the world? We know that a lot of this sort of stuff comes from its simplicity, but we really don't think even the creators of that toy through they would end up being able to turn it into such a huge franchise, one that must make some people so much money throughout the year. It seems as if there won't ever be a time not like this as well!