Best games of all time

Nintendo's all-star cast of combatants is back in Super Smash Bros. Melee, along with a new batch of brawlers ready to tear it up. The sequel to Super Smash Bros. keeps the same basic premise: Characters duke it out in interactive environments, using special attacks and various items to knock each other into the abyss. Some new defensive techniques add an even deeper level of complexity to the combat. In addition to traditional battle royale matches, players can select all-new ways to play like Coin mode and Tournament mode.

Bloodborne is an action RPG in which you hunt for answers in the ancient city of Yharnam, now cursed with a strange endemic illness spreading through the streets like a disease. Peril, death and madness infest this dark world, and you're tasked with uncovering its darkest secrets which will be necessary for you to survive. Armed with a singular arsenal of weaponry, including guns and saw cleavers, you'll require wits, strategy and reflexes to dispatch the agile and intelligent enemies that guard the city's underbelly. You will utility holy chalices to access an array of vast underground ruins, chock full of traps, beasts, and rewards, to explore and conquer on your own or with other people.

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is the sequel to the award-winning, best-selling real-time strategy game "Age of Empires." Age of Empires II spans a thousand years, from the fall of Rome through the Middle Ages in which players lead one of 13 civilizations into greatness. The game keeps the epic scope of Age of Empires' game play while evolving the combat and economic features. [Microsoft]

Rome: Total War is the next generation in epic strategy gaming from the critically acclaimed and award winning Total War brand. The aim of the game is to conquer, rule and manipulate the Roman Empire with the ultimate goal of being declared as the "Imperator" of Rome. Set in a time when the mighty Roman Empire emerged to conquer the known world against powerful enemies; when gladiators fought to a bloody death in the Coliseum; when Spartacus defied the might of the empire; when Hannibal led his invincible army and his war elephants across the Alps to strike fear into the very heart of Rome itself; and when Julius Caesar finally smashed the Barbarian Gauls. This was a time of brutal confrontation between civilisation and barbarism, and of civil war as the ancient world's only superpower turned on itself. A completely new Total War engine uses innovative technology and groundbreaking design to bring the world of ancient Rome to life to deliver the biggest and most cinematic battles ever seen in a videogame. So the battles in Rome: Total War maintain the epic scale that fans of Total War are used to, but now use high-detailed 3D polygonal troops and allows huge cities to be displayed on the battlefields. The result is truly spectacular. [Activision]

Step into the shoes of a team owner, GM, and/or field manager to own the future or rewrite the past of your favorite real-world club. Start a new career with 2016 Opening Day rosters of the real major or minor leagues, or span through 150 years of history and run any club from the past! Perform drafts, trades, scouting, waivers, team finances and personnel. Negotiate player contracts. Dive into the more hands-on management and set your team's lineups, pitching staffs, and in-game strategy. You can oversee your league at a high level, or play out each game, managing play by play or even pitch by pitch!

The story takes place in a world called "Ivalice," in an age when magic was commonplace and airships plied the skies - the Archadian Empire, seeking to strengthen its base of power, had been invading and subjugating its neighboring lands one by one- a fate which befell the small Kingdom of Dalmasca. Archadia's invasion and the subsequent death of the Dalmascan king prompted the Princess Ashe, the sole surviving heir to the Dalmascan throne, to take up arms against the invaders. In her struggle to oust the occupying Archadian forces and restore freedom to her people, Ashe must watch as many of her allies pay the blood price for that freedom. Though tempted to abandon all hope in the face of the Empire's might, her determination keeps her from succumbing before what would seem to be inevitable defeat. Then she meets Vaan, an urchin from the Dalmascan capital of Rabanastre. Vaan dreams of one day becoming a sky pirate, escaping the Empire on his airship. Vaan, Ashe, Vaan's friend Penelo, the sky pirate Balthier, his partner Fran and many more are on an adventure through Ivalice that traces the mysteries behind the Archadian Empire's invasion. Bringing with it a wide array of new gameplay elements, Final Fantasy XII will change the way players think about the Final Fantasy series. Numerous possibilities abound within each scenario, allowing for a less linear, more unique experience for each player. The game also supports Dolby Pro Logic II both in-game and during movie sequences, immersing the player in the middle of the action. [Square Enix]

Play together in your living room or across the world! Rock Band offers deep online functionality, allowing players to rock together whether they’re in Rhode Island or Reykjavik. Major record labels and leading music publishers have signed on to provide unrivaled access to master recordings and legendary rock artists – from punk, metal and alternative to classic and southern rock. Rock Band ships with 45 fearsome tracks from artists like Bon Jovi and The Ramones to Black Sabbath and Stone Temple Pilots. Full support for downloadable content delivers never-ending challenges. New content will be available every week. Download full albums for play with Rock Band including the iconic rock album 'Who's Next' by The Who. Metallica has signed on to offer several tracks as digitally-distributed game levels for Rock Band as well as "Enter Sandman" for the Rock Band ship disc. Create your own rock avatar! Mold a unique rocker using Rock Band's character creator. Chose from gender, body shape, face, hair, clothes, tattoos and signature moves. Don't forget to pick your specialized rockin’ instrument. Drumming in the spotlight! Showcase a real drum solo with Rock Band's freestyle drum fill windows featured in each song. Break out your own rhythm and style as anything goes! Vocalists can bring the crowd to their feet during Rock Band’s freestyle vocal fill windows. Ad-lib your own words or shout to the crowd to raise the rock intensity of the performance. Band mates can fail out of a song for poor performance, but the band still plays on. Rescue your failing mate by busting out signature moves and blistering solos to wow the crowd with showmanship. Earn bonus points for your band during Rock Band’s Unison Phrase opportunities if everyone plays perfectly. [Harmonix]

Mario hasn't even had a chance to savor his victory in the original Super Mario Advance, and already he's back for more in Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2. This game is a re-creation of the Super NES classic Super Mario World, featuring every last secret exit and all 74 levels of platform-jumping action. Once again, Princess Peach has been kidnapped by the ever-diabolical Bowser, and Mario and Luigi set out on a massive adventure to rescue her. As either Mario or Luigi, you'll solve puzzles, shoot fireballs, fly, and discover the hidden secrets in Dinosaur Island.

Endwalker is the fourth expansion pack for FINAL FANTASY XIV Online. Experience the climax of the Hydaelyn and Zodiark story, and encounter an even greater calamity than ever before as you travel to the far reaches of Hydaelyn and even to the moon.

Like System Shock 1, there will be persistent levels (i.e., drop an item on one level, and you could go back later to retrieve it), gameplay elements like logs, inventory, skills, persistent world, leaning, hacking, rpg elements, multiple weapons and enemies, and a compelling storyline. Unlike most other first person shooters, the purpose of System Shock was not to kill everything in sight; nor was it a "find the key to move onto the next level" game. The plot was always present, but not so confining as in traditional shooters - there was almost always more than one task to accomplish. Levels were realistically designed and had logical reasons behind them. It is the principle of System Shock 2 to continue this game design. [sshock2.com]

Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA is taking the fight to the enemy's home world of Helghan. The ISA goal is direct: capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the Helghast war machine to a halt. Assuming the role of Sev, a battle-hardened veteran and a member of the special forces unit known as the Legion, players lead a group of highly trained soldiers on a mission to take out the Helghast threat. For Sev and his squad, the invasion of Helghan is just the beginning. Tasked with securing Pyrrhus, the Capital City, the team quickly discovers that the Helghast are a formidable enemy on their home planet. Not only have they adjusted to the planet's hostile conditions, they have also harnessed a source of power they can now use against the ISA. Sev discovers his squad isn't just fighting enemy forces – their fiercest opponent may be the planet itself. [Sony]

The sequel to 1997's sleeper platformer hit "Klonoa: Door to Phantomile" finds our floppy-eared, baseball cap-wearing hero collecting dream stones and over-inflating his enemies with air bullets while protecting the dream world of Lunatea in this "2-D style" action game.

Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realistic adventure game about a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it.

This third version of Tecmo's acclaimed fighter "Dead or Alive 2," ported to the Dreamcast ealier in the year, is a visual feast for PS2 gamers with the addition of new costumes, levels, hidden characters, amped-up graphics.

The big guy is back—and he’s not alone! Explore a vast underground world with Donkey Kong and Pauline—by smashing your way through it! With DK’s brute force and Pauline’s special singing abilities, you can crash through walls, carve tunnels with your fists, punch straight down into the ground, and even tear off chunks of terrain to swing around and throw in groundbreaking exploration. The more you smash, the more areas open up to explore. Join DK and his companion, Pauline, as they delve deep underground—and discover that this subterranean world is a lot more than it seems on the surface. Uncover a variety of environments such as arid canyons, lush forests, and frigid tundra as you peel back the world’s layers. [Nintendo]

Two Epic Adventures of Conquest, Destiny, and Vengeance, God of War and God of War II, return for the first time on BluRay Disc! In God of War: Collection, players will experience the dark world of Ancient Greece through Kratos, a brutal warrior determined to murder the God of War and alter what no mortal has ever changed... fate itself. [SCEA]

In a dark time, an epic adventure begins as evil slowly envelops the world! The forces of darkness are pursuing the lost art of Alchemy, and as they draw ever closer to their foul purpose, mankind's future hangs in the balance. You and your companions are the last hope: armed with noble weapons, mysterious Psynergy and a host of elemental creatures, you must find a way to stem the evil tide. Your ordinary life is over, as a Golden Sun rises above you and forever broadens your horizon!

Banished meets Slay the Spire. Against the Storm is a roguelite city builder set in a fantasy world where it never stops raining. You are the Queen's viceroy - a pioneer sent into the wilds to establish and manage new settlements inhabited by beavers, lizards, and humans. Your goal is to survive long enough and gather the valuable resources necessary to rebuild and upgrade the Smouldering City. It's the only safe haven against the Blightstorm - a vile cycle of destruction ravaging everything in its path. Do you have what it takes to weather the storm?

Humanity has been driven from the Earth by mechanical beings from another world. In a final effort to take back the planet, the human resistance sends a force of android soldiers to destroy the invaders. Now, a war between machines and androids rages on... A war that could soon unveil a long-forgotten truth of the world.

Embrace mind-blowing moments as you’re pulled deep into the many worlds of Split Fiction, a boundary-pushing co-op action adventure from the studio behind 2021 Game of the Year Winner, It Takes Two. Mio and Zoe are contrasting writers – one writes sci-fi and the other writes fantasy – who become trapped in their own stories after being hooked up to a machine designed to steal their creative ideas. They’ll have to rely on each other to break free with their memories in-tact, working together to master a variety of abilities and overcome diverse challenges while jumping between sci-fi and fantasy worlds in this unexpected tale of friendship. Split Fiction is a unique action-adventure experience that keeps you on the edge of your couch with unexpected moments. One minute you’re taming adorable dragons and the next you’re fighting as cyber ninjas, escaping terrifying trolls, or dodging hover cars thrown by a robotic parking attendant. It’s weird, it’s wild, and it’s designed to be shared. Grab your co-op partner and get ready to overcome any obstacle thrown your way.

Ninja Gaiden first debuted in the 1988 and now the young ninja returns. As Ryu Hayabusa, you seek revenge after the Vigor Empire massacres your clan. Skilled in battle actions and ninja moves, you are well prepared to hunt down the Holy Emperor and reclaim the magic sword "Ryuken." Ninja Gaiden features killer gameplay, stunning graphics, and new weapons such as the Dragon Sword, warhammer, shurikens, and nunchakus. Plus, there are massive levels filled with enemies and Xbox Live feature will enable future high score tournaments and downloadable content.

Thieves have kidnapped a brood of dragon eggs, while, elsewhere in the Dragon Lands, a gateway to the Forgotten World has been uncovered. Sent to recapture the eggs, Spyro the Dragon, and his best friend Sparx, face a journey into uncharted territory against his most fearsome enemy yet - the Sorceress! All new playable characters, frantic challenges and new exciting worlds to explore - the Year of the Dragon begins here!

The College Game: Feel all the pageantry with over 200 fight songs, 3D cheerleaders, and 117 Division I-A schools. My Favorite Team: Personalize the game interface based on your team's fight song, mascot, logos, and school colors. Build A Dynasty: Create your own school and schedule, recruit star athletes, and redshirt developing players to build a national powerhouse. Rivalry Mode: Beat your school's archrival and win one of 23 coveted trophies. Trophy Room: Display up to 59 total trophies including conference championships and individual player awards. [EA Sports]

In this climatic sequel to the critically acclaimed Bayonetta action game, players will be on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Brimming with epic, gorgeous cut scenes and battles that are more exhilarating than ever, this game never lets up on the action. Fight on top of a jet as it soars through a downtown city. Duke it out against a giant angel, who bears a whip for an arm, on top of a speeding train. And take to the skies in a fight against a demonic monster while ascending to the top of a skyscraper.