90. Guacamelee! (2013)

Guacamelee is a near-perfect modern take on the Metroidvania genre. It has style to spare, and I love the fluidity of motion you have while controlling your luchador hero, Juan. Something about the color-based special abilities that you unlock over time makes my OCD brain happy. The bosses are downright brutal, and while that’s appropriate for the genre, they do occasionally intrude on my happy go lucky good times.

89. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023)

Jedi: Fallen Order never quite made it onto this list, which is a shame because it’s quite good as well. And while I think the personal story of Cal Kestis is better in the first game, the sequel’s approach to the hub world, more bombastic moments, and deep diving into more Jedi lore make it a better experience, in my opinion. The new lightsaber stances are sick and I was actually surprised by one of the (several) twists, which is rare!

88. Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction (2007)

Ratchet and Clank is a series with multiple entries on this list, which should surprise no one that’s played them. Tools of Destruction was one of my first favorite PS3 games, and I’m still sad Insomniac has never gone back and added trophies — I’d love an excuse to replay this one. The formula didn’t really change in the move from PS2 to PS3, but that graphical update makes a huge difference. This game had some major “wow” factor upon release.

87. Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005)

Pay close attention to the year; this is not the more recent EA/DICE abomination (though admittedly that game got better over time). The original Star Wars Battlefront sequel added playable hero characters, which was a fun change. I honestly prefer the simplicity of the first game, which is why you’ll see it ranked higher on this list. Galactic Conquest mode is pretty amazing, though.

86. Helldivers 2 (2024)

As the most recent entry on this list (and a live-service multiplayer game at that), it’s kind of hard to rank Helldivers 2 in the grand pantheon of video games that I’ve played in my 30+ years. But I can’t deny the fun I have blowing up bugs and spilling socialist robot oil. There are precisely zero other live-service games over the past decade that have stuck with me for more than a few months, and that means something for Helldivers 2.

85. Mega Man 3 (1990)

Mega Man 3 introduced the robo-dog companion, Rush, and the slide move — both of which changed up the Mega Man formula pretty significantly. I personally prefer the second game because of its more memorable bosses, but both entries stand strong in the pantheon of best games ever made.

84. Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)

You can tell we’re getting to the meat of this list when all of these hard-hitting series start making an appearance. There’s long been a debate on which Grand Theft Auto game is the best, and spoiler alert for future entries, but I’m saying IV is the third best. Niko is easily one of the best protagonists, which is saying something. But Liberty City just isn’t quite as awesome as some of the other locations, in my opinion.

83. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (2001)

Pro Skater 3 is my pick for best Tony Hawk game, though there’s a strong case to be made for Pro Skater 4. Pro Skater 3 was the first entry on PS2 and the last one to offer time limits for objectives, something I think was to the detriment of later games. The ticking clock added an element of “I need to do this perfectly” that made things more intense. I also think THPS3 has the best all-around soundtrack and level options.

82. Okami (2006)

And now for something completely different. In some ways, Okami is a more artistic take on a Zelda game — but that’s selling it short. The watercolor graphical look still makes it stand as one of the most beautiful games of all time, and the celestial brush is such a unique gameplay device. It doesn’t always work the way you want it to, but it’s an inventive idea that enabled the developers to really flex their creative muscles.

81. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)

To me, San Andreas is a step up from Grand Theft Auto IV because of its setting. CJ is a great protagonist, but not as multi-faceted as Niko. But San Andreas — combining elements of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas — might be the best setting in the series. There’s so much visual variety. But the story isn’t quite as good as the one in my favorite Grand Theft Auto game.

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