42. Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Before cranking everything up to full blown insanity framed around cramming as many Michael Bay moments as possible into the games, Call of Duty delivered gripping and emotional stories. The climactic level No Fighting In The War Room had players on the edge of their seats racing against a five minute time limit to eliminate probability of all out war. Switching through multiple characters throughot the game added more intensity that was masterfully utilized, most notably in a level consisting of you crawling around and dying following a helicopter crash. Modern Warfare is still a modern masterpiece
41. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
San Andreas is most commonly known for having the largest city sandbox ever with a ridiculous amount of content but it also has a fascinating story that commendably balances satire and drama. What starts out as an amusing satirical take on Boyz N The Hood slowly evolves into an idiosyncratic work of brilliance. The ghetto may have been the main course of advertising but its when San Andreas ditches its gangsta roots taking for a sharply written tale of ultimate comeuppance on a corrupt police force headed by Samuel L. Jackson that it really shines. Officer Tenpenny is still the most twisted and evil villain the franchise has ever seen.
40. The Suffering
I havent played The Suffering in ages so forgive me if my transcription is off but one of my most vivid gaming memories is this horror cult classics shocking audacity to have its inmates speak daringly unfiltered and well like lowlife criminals. Despite the unsettling atmosphere, theres an underlying story of facing your inner demons as you guide Torque through a demented monster ridden Penitentiary seeking the truth regarding a blackout around the time he was convicted of murdering his family. Torque also encounters frightening demons of inmates executed long ago, each symbolizing their suffering.
39. Limbo
Continuing with the less is more adage we have Limbo, a monochrome sidescroller where youre given control of a boy seeking his sister. Aside from creative puzzle elements there are two things about Limbo that leaped into my mind without leaving. For starters, its never stated why the sister actually is in Limbo or what she personifies. Its beautifully left to our imagination which brings me to my second point: the ending. Suddenly and abruptly during completion of the final puzzle you soar through a glass windowpane reunited with your sister. Its a minimalistic story that carries atmosphere in spades to serve as an imaginative companion to the abstract story. Maybe it doesnt matter why shes there, and that its the perseverance to rejoin a loved one beyond death that really matters.