18 Essential Landmark Titles Every Gamer Must Play

1. Tomb Raider

The number one spot on any list of significant games is always going to be a point of heated contention, but there's good reason for 1996's Tomb Raider to be here. Tomb Raider may not have aged quite so gracefully as other games and franchises, but this is where it all began. In retrospect, every adventure game that came before it was incomplete and every one that came after was richer for its influence. Despite the archaic textures and the grand total of maybe three or four polygons throughout the whole game, its difficult to look back on it as anything other than a masterpiece. It had just about everything a hit game needed in 1996 too; a great story, rich environment, revolutionary mechanics, a soundtrack that could instil all the correct emotions at all the correct times, and - perhaps most importantly - one of the most iconic protagonists of all time. Lara isn't just perfect because of her appearance (two assets of which account for roughly half of the polygon count), but because of her depth and likeability. It's really no wonder that the franchise has spawned a long list of sequels, adaptations, and reboots. But even ignoring the quality of the game itself looking back, one final justification for Tomb Raider at number one is - quite simply - it's 'the' game. Out of every title that has made an appearance on this list, which is most likely to evoke a look of shock and awe when the words "I haven't played that" are uttered? Easy! Tomb Raider. Probably. Which other landmark titles should every gamer have played? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below!