10 Brilliant Video Games That Surprised Everyone

The first-person shooter is king, and Wolfenstein was where it all started. Okay, so technically FPSs existed as far back as the early 1970s, but 1992's Wolfenstein 3D truly ushered in the genre with its ultra-violent action. Reducing Hitler to a pile of giblets was one of gaming's defining moments. After a string of sequels that were decidedly lacklustre, with the exception of 2001's fantastic Return To Castle Wolfenstein, the series was floundering. World War 2 was a stale setting, with the industry turning its gaze to modern settings, and Wolfenstein's bombastic tone was falling behind more nuanced, character-based storytelling.

And then MachineGames struck gold with 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order. Set in an alternate 1960 after the Nazis secure victory, The New Order succeeded in both exhilarating Nazi head-stomping and tender, emotionally resonant character interplay. B.J. Blazkowicz, a man the size of a tank with the ability to dual-wield automatic shotguns carried a sense of vulnerability - a tragic weariness at a war that he may never be able to win. His determination, however, resulted in gameplay that was louder and more exciting than ever. And there's a bit where you drown a Nazi in his own piss. Perfection.