20 Best Video Games Of The Last 20 Years

Nov 19, 2016 November 19th, 2016

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Whilst it's easy to point the finger at the ongoing generation and get lost in the miasma of patches, broken launch day releases and microtransactions, there is one shining gem amidst the rubble that stands very, very tall.

The Witcher 3 is easily the finest game not only of the generation itself but of the past two decades, simply because for every great game it learns from, there are just as many core innovations that expand its reach even further.

The Batman: Arkham combat? It's in there, but you're given two dodge buttons to aid in managing groups of enemies, potions, blade oils and an effective bunch of spells to keep things varied.

The Skyrim-toppling world itself? CD Projekt RED's fantastical landscape is chock-full of stories both grand and small. Environmental storytelling exists on micro and macro levels, meaning everything from dilapidated villages peppered with characters, items and visual cues are just as memorable as anything from the main story.

Geralt is the perfect open-world protagonist, too, one whose role as a titular Witcher means you can dart off and complete any number of side quests before resuming the main thrust of locating your surrogate daughter, Ciri, all without feeling you're neglecting either side.

Then there's the graphics, and whilst we're not reaching the heights of say, Uncharted 4, Wild Hunt looks genuinely stunning from top to bottom, able to drop jaws regardless of whether you're taking in a frosty mountainside vista, or watching a dynamic event like a sunrise creep across the hillside.

What CD Projekt RED have created comes from a place of genuine heart, passion and drive - traits you can feel through every fibre of The Witcher 3's existence. It's a monumental achievement, and one that deserves every bit of the hype from launch, to here and beyond.