28. Red Dead Redemption
At face value I found the story a tad overrated personally; that was until I perused deeper into the themes. The final standoff against insurmountable odds results in John Marstons death yet it symbolizes an ideology much larger in scope. Red Dead Redemption is a swan song for the entire era of the Wild West. And that broad ambition really elevates the experience into something you wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon. There are also the usual whimsical and oddball characters we expect to come across in Rockstar games but it's that deeply rooted centralized theme of the death of a cultural era, and an Epilogue where you attain vengeance as a son all grown up that swing the story full circle into a masterpiece. There's also a highly eye opening side mission where Rockstar once again uses social commentary but this time for something extremely pertinent to how our industry is viewed. Films with audible sound and dialogue were relatively new and heavily scrutinized during the time period and overwhelmingly viewed as inferior to Novels. Obviously, in today's generation movies are regarded as high art while although video games have greatly matured, still aren't commonly seen as an equal. The brilliant point Rockstar eventually so eloquently makes is that in time, history will repeat itself and slowly but surely people will come around to video games.
27. Chrono Trigger
JRPGs reached the peak of their popularity throughout the 90s and were as over-saturated as the modern day shooters of today. Games like Chrono Trigger differentiated themselves from the rest of pack. Containing a charming cast of characters the game also stands out with a complex plot hinging on time travel, parallel universes, and multiple endings. Then Chrono Cross came along and well lets just continue forgetting about that game.
26. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Scarface meets Grand Theft Auto in this tale of crime in the Miami beaches of the 1980s. Celebrity voices werent too common yet so having main protagonist Tommy Vercetti voiced by Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) was groundbreaking and a crucial step forward for the medium. Thats not because voice actors are terrible, but rather a case of gaming getting further respect as an art-form. The soundtrack of licensed 80s songs is still unmatched as is the overall atmosphere of the city. Rockstar didnt just scribe a damn good story, they replicated a time period in a way most games wish they could.