The 5 greatest years in online game historical past ranked: Which gaming yr was the best ever?

The second half of 2026 is shaping as much as be probably the most anticipated time durations for video gaming in fairly a while.

With the current launch of “Star Fox” for the Nintendo Switch 2 along with the “Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” remake and “Grand Theft Auto VI” set to come back out later this yr, 2026 might be a banner yr within the historical past of video video games.

Will or not it’s the best year ever, although?

I extremely doubt it, however to see simply how 2026 will stack up when issues are all stated and carried out, let’s look again at 5 of the best years that video gaming has to supply.

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5. 2007

If you wanted an thought of simply how packed this listing is, 2007 simply narrowly edged out 2017 for this remaining spot.

It’s onerous to seek out many flaws in 2007 as an entire, no matter what style you had been into.

If you had been a giant first-person shooter fan, “Halo 3” gave you one of many best franchises of the style (and one which will probably be showing extra on this listing) in next-gen format, whereas “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” is likely one of the most recognizable shooters of all time.

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Games like “Mass Effect” and “BioShock” had been Triple-A action-adventure darlings with each important and industrial enchantment (earlier than the franchises had been milked of all their creativity).

You even had video games like “Portal” and “Rock Band” providing a various array of video games for followers of all walks of life, and even the Nintendo fanboys acquired “Super Mario Galaxy,” among the finest titles within the plumber’s arsenal.

The solely factor lacking here’s a big-time {hardware}/console launch, however from a pure video games perspective, 2007 can go toe-to-toe with nearly any yr.

4. 2004

Another yr that did not see a big-time console launch (except you rely the Japanese launch of the PSP) however made its mark based mostly solely on its video games was 2004.

Much like 2007, ’04 had a Halo title — this time “Halo 2” — grip the plenty with revolutionary gameplay, however a distinct sequel had everybody within the PC gaming world going bananas.

“Half-Life 2” had nerds in all places foaming on the mouth because of its cutting-edge physics engine, and continues to be probably the most revered video games greater than 20 years later.

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Just these two video games alone might have warranted 2004’s inclusion on this listing, however it does not cease there.

If you are a GTA fan, “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” was launched in 2004, and lots of followers nonetheless view the sport as the height of the complete sequence.

Other standouts from the Class of ’04 embody “World of Warcraft,” “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II,” “Metal Gear Solid 3” and “Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.”

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Sequel-heavy, positive, however pound-for-pound, 2004 is likely one of the most explosive years in gaming.

3. 2001

Okay, I swear that is the final yr with a Halo launch in it.

This time, we journey again to 2001, the place the very first within the sequence, “Halo: Combat Evolved,” burst onto the scene and rewrote the complete FPS style within the course of.

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And the place would Halo be — and Microsoft normally — with out the Xbox, which was launched on November 15 of that yr?

Not to be outdone, Nintendo launched a console of their very own, the GameDice, which was slightly underappreciated in its heyday, however has reached nearly legendary standing with the passage of time.

Two landmark console releases and among the finest shooters of all time can be sufficient for anybody to place this yr of their top-five, however that does not even scratch the floor.

“Grand Theft Auto III” was launched and promptly blew everybody’s minds, inventing a brand new style of 3D sandbox video games that we nonetheless play to today.

Seriously, each open-world sandbox recreation you’ve gotten performed or will play owes its existence to “GTA III,” so present some respect.

“Super Smash Bros.: Melee,” “Final Fantasy X” and “Metal Gear Solid 2” all ushered their respective franchises into the following technology with grace, and are all nonetheless fan favorites in their very own proper.

Hard to imagine there are nonetheless two extra years that rank forward of this one.

2. 1997

This was about as shut of a race for first and second place as any rating listing I’ve carried out whereas working at OutKick, however simply barely getting knocked to the second-place podium is 1997.

No console launch? No downside!

You might make the argument that roughly half a dozen franchises and/or genres reached their apexes with releases in ’97.

Do you want first-person shooters? Does “GoldenEye 007” for the Nintendo 64 do something for you?

How about RPGs? Ever heard of slightly PlayStation traditional known as “Final Fantasy VII”?

Not to say video games like “Diablo,” “Mario Kart 64,” “Star Fox 64” and “Fallout” all got here out in 1997.

I might go on, however you get the concept. This yr is so loaded there are most likely video games I have never even talked about but which are a number of avid gamers’ favourite titles or on the very least discover their approach onto a number of individuals’s Mt. Rushmores when rating their very own favourite video games.

1997 is a genre-defining yr in video gaming, and after I begin saying it out loud, I nearly cannot imagine I’ve one other yr forward of it, however when you see which yr I had in thoughts for the highest spot, it is going to be onerous to argue.

1. 1998

Was it ever going to be every other yr?

It may be my ’90s bias exhibiting, however 1998 is the best gaming yr of all time, and I really feel fairly assured in saying that.

Yes, 1997 was epic, however 1998 is virtually untouchable.

To begin issues off, how about essentially the most critically acclaimed recreation of all time being launched in ’98? That can be none apart from “Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,” a recreation so nice, they remade it not as soon as, however twice for next-gen consoles.

Speaking of consoles, the Sega Dreamcast was launched in 1998 as effectively.

Though it by no means acquired the adore it deserved throughout its lifecycle, the Dreamcast is likely one of the most cherished consoles on reflection and is a cult traditional with a number of video games hooked up to its title which have stood the check of time.

So, that is it, proper? The best recreation of all time and a console that was perhaps slightly forward of its time?

Not an opportunity!

“Banjo-Kazooie,” “Half-Life,” “Metal Gear Solid,” “StarCraft,” “Resident Evil 2” and “Baldur’s Gate” had been ALL launched in the identical yr.

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Had sufficient? Well, let me ask you this: are you a Pokemon fan?

Both “Pokemon Red” and “Pokemon Blue” had been unleashed on an unsuspecting public in ’98.

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Any approach you slice it, it is onerous to argue with every other yr taking this prime spot, although I welcome any conversations on the contrary.

What was your favourite yr in video gaming? Let me know within the feedback beneath.