10 Classic Video Games That DON'T Hold Up

They might be classics, but they're better remembered than played today.

GTA 3
Rockstar

Here at WhatCulture you’ll be able to find loads of lists where we lovingly celebrate the games of our past. Just because they’re old doesn’t mean they don’t totally still hold up! Well, except for the times that they don’t...

Nostalgia is a hell of a drug but sometimes even that potent stuff can’t conceal the fact that a game once great just ain’t what it used to be. We can totally appreciate them for what they were but we’d struggle to recommend getting a hands-on with any of these games this far into the 21st century.

We should clarify that we’re by no means saying any of these games are bad. Quite the opposite, they’re incredible, but whether graphics and mechanical upgrades have just come too far or the magic has faded, here are a bunch of games that absolutely earned their place in history, and should probably stay there.

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Contributor
Contributor

Jess has been a journalist and content creator in the games industry for over 15 years and has been WhatCulture's resident Australian import and sorry cop since 2020, upping the quotient of swearing and apologising in WhatCulture Gaming's annual blooper videos considerably. She previously worked at GameSpot for 10 years, most notably hosting GameSpot News in addition to E3 live shows, and PAX panels. She regularly livestreams a variety of games on her 'jessmcdonell' YouTube and Twitch channels and hosts the 'Do It On The Day' podcast. She has won awards for her news and feature work in gaming as well as an accolade for her comedic writing (likely an admin error). She can be found on X at @jessmcdonell and Instagram at @jessicamcdonell sharing her current videogame fixations, industry insights, and videos of her cat, Karma.