Image via Nintendo
Published Jul 2, 2026, 6:17 AM EDT
Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts.
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The title of "masterpiece" isn't easily earned, with even some of the most prestigious forms of media only having a handful of flawless works. For films, there is The Godfather, and for television, there is Breaking Bad, but one form of media has quickly become the most popular: video games. From iconic classics such as Street Fighter to modern-day sensations like Fortnite, video games are so popular because they continue to evolve and can appeal to a wide range of fans.
This immersive realm of entertainment is addictive, but many people say it can't be considered true art. But just like films, novels, and TV shows, video games are art and can have masterpieces that define a generation. That is why this list will rank the greatest video game masterpieces of all time based on elements such as gameplay, narrative, art, design, originality, influence, innovation, popularity, fan opinion, critical acclaim, and overall quality. These titles aren't just fun; they are the pinnacle of interactive media that define video games.
25 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' (2020)
As one of the oldest and most prolific gaming companies, Nintendo will have many games on this list, and they kick off with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It may not have much of a story, but this life-simulator allows players to create a village to their own imagination. From building houses to managing the residents to tending the island, this life is truly relaxing and cozy.
This type of game isn't for everyone, but life-simulations are a staple genre that highlights a distinct emotion and vibe in video games that makes this form of entertainment so versatile and beloved. New Horizons is the peak of this genre, giving players a wide range of activities and aspects to control. It was also the must-play game during the pandemic, and this rapid popularity, mixed with expansive gameplay, makes it an iconic modern time capsule.
24 'Astro Bot' (2024)
Image via Team ASOBIThe platformer genre is a historic one with one of the deepest catalogs of classics, but there aren't as many modern ones. Thankfully, PlayStation shocked fans by delivering Astro Bot, a new platformer that revitalized the genre. Traveling around multiple galaxies as a little robot, players must rescue their scattered crew and repair their ship.
Many claim that 2024 was a weak year for gaming, but Astro Bot begs to differ, establishing itself as one of the greatest platformers of all time. It was a breath of fresh air in a genre overtaken by Mario, providing fans with imaginative gameplay scenarios. The controller and haptic feedback help the player connect with what is going on, making Astro Bot a triumph of joy in the gaming industry.
23 'Halo 3' (2007)
Image via Microsoft Game StudiosThe 2000s were an iconic decade for video games, helping further improve the medium in terms of quality and popularity, and one of the most famous franchises from this time was Halo. This franchise had many great games, but Halo 3 is arguably the best. The fight against the Covenant seems to never end, but Master Chief hopes this time will finally be the end of this war.
Whether fans prefer the second or third game, they can admit that Halo might be the best shooting game ever, and that is because of its balance of engaging campaign mode and riveting multiplayer gameplay. Best known during the Xbox 360 era, Halo 3 defined split-screen multiplayer, and a decade of co-op gaming was at its height. Fans have fond memories of this game that perfected the multiplayer servers and format.
22 'Metroid Prime' (2002)
Image via NintendoNintendo doesn't often delve into the sci-fi realm, but they have one of the most critically acclaimed sci-fi franchises that unfortunately doesn't get enough love. Metroid Prime is the best of the franchise, following Samus to an ancient planet where she tracks down a group of pirates. Investigating the mysterious world, she tries to stop their experiments before they get loose.
Metroid Prime had the impossible task of translating the Metroidvania genre to 3D, which it did flawlessly. This master craft of innovation, detail, and progression went down in history as one of the greatest gaming achievements. One of Metroid Prime's best aspects is how it keeps the gameplay flowing, constantly having the player interact with doors, switching guns, fighting enemies, on the run, exploring new areas, or scanning objects. This constant progression, paired with the endless curiosity, results in a must-play game.
21 'The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt' (2015)
Image via CD Projekt RedAfter the popularity of the games kept increasing, it was only a matter of time before live-action adaptations were made, and one of them is The Witcher. However, they rarely live up to the game they adapt, and in the case of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it was an impossible task. Geralt is a Witcher who puts aside his normal monster-hunting in order to find and protect Ciri from the mythical Wild Hunt.
This list features a lot of fantasy games, specifically open-world ones, since they fit so perfectly together, and The Witcher 3 is one of the best. As one of the greatest fantasy games of all time, it delivers a profound sense of exploration through its storytelling from every aspect of gameplay. The main narrative is certainly compelling, but exploring this unique world and its lore is beyond fascinating, with intriguing narratives spewing out of side quests or even the environment.
20 'Mass Effect 2' (2010)
Image via BioWareThe Mass Effect franchise isn't what it used to be, but the original trilogy of games is still among the greatest ever, specifically Mass Effect 2. In the second title, Commander Shepard seemingly dies, only to be brought back to life by the organization Cerberus. They are then tasked with investigating the disappearance of several human colonies tied to an insectoid alien race known as the Collectors.
Video games used to be all about gameplay, but they also offer a unique form of storytelling, and Mass Effect 2 in particular delivers a sprawling narrative involving grand political complexity and emotional weight. Each decision has genuine consequences that ripple through the events in the world and change the story, leading to one of the most iconic third acts in video game history. Mass Effect 2 is a legendary RPG that redefined the genre with its narrative style.
Image via KonamiHideo Kojima is one of the greatest figures in the gaming world, and his magnum opus is undoubtedly Metal Gear Solid. Solid Snake is a former elite operative, but he can't enjoy retirement just yet, with a new dire mission that requires his duty. A rogue special forces unit kidnaps a group of civilians and threatens to unleash nuclear Armageddon, leading Snake to infiltrate the base, save the hostages, and take the organization down.
Stealth games are a dying breed, but that might just be because Metal Gear Solid perfected them on its first try. This is a 1990s video game masterpiece and staple of the decade that flawlessly crafted a tense atmosphere through its stealth gameplay. Creative and wacky at times, Metal Gear Solid also pioneered cinematic framing, further establishing its influence. It also introduced the ever-popular Solid Snake, one of modern gaming's biggest icons.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Personality Quiz Which Sci-Fi Hero Are You Most Like? Paul Atreides · Captain Kirk · Princess Leia · Ellen Ripley · Max Rockatansky
Five iconic heroes. Five completely different ways of facing an impossible universe. One of them shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of refusing to back down. Eight questions will tell you which one.
🏜️Paul Atreides
🖖Capt. Kirk
✊Princess Leia
🔦Ellen Ripley
🔥Max Rockatansky
FIND YOUR HERO →
01
How do you lead when the stakes couldn't be higher? The way you lead under pressure is the most honest thing about you.
AI absorb everything — every variable, every pattern — and move only when I know the path forward. BI read the room, make the call, and own the consequences. Hesitation costs more than mistakes. CI rally people. A cause needs a voice, and I refuse to let fear be louder than conviction. DI assess the threat, establish what needs doing, and get it done without waiting for permission. EI don't lead. I act. Others can follow or not — I'm already moving.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
What is your greatest strength in a crisis? The quality that keeps you alive when everything else fails.
APrescience — the ability to see further ahead than anyone else and plan accordingly. BImprovisation — I'm at my best when the plan falls apart and I have to invent a new one. CConviction — I know what I'm fighting for, and that certainty doesn't waver under fire. DComposure — I stay functional when everyone around me is falling apart. Panic is a luxury. EEndurance — I outlast things. I take the hit and keep moving long after others have stopped.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
What is the thing you'd sacrifice everything else for? Your deepest motivation is your truest compass.
AThe survival and dignity of my people — even if I have to become something frightening to ensure it. BThe safety of my crew — every single one of them. No one gets left behind. CFreedom — for my people, for every world still crushed under the weight of an empire. DThe truth — what actually happened, what's actually out there, whether anyone believes me or not. EThe one person — or the one memory — that still makes any of this worth surviving for.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
How do you relate to the people around you? Who you are to others under pressure is who you really are.
AWith intensity and distance — I care deeply, but the weight I carry makes closeness complicated. BWith warmth and irreverence — I take the mission seriously, not myself. CWith directness and trust — I say what I mean, and I expect the people I work with to rise to it. DWith professional care but clear limits — I'll protect you, but I won't pretend we're family. EWith wariness that slowly becomes loyalty — I don't trust easily, but when I do, it holds.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
You're facing a threat that no one else believes is real. What do you do? How you respond when you're the only one who sees it defines everything.
APrepare in silence. If they won't listen, I'll be ready when they finally have to. BKeep pushing until someone listens — and if no one does, handle it myself. CBuild the case, find the allies, and make the threat impossible to ignore. DDocument everything. The truth matters even if no one believes it yet. EStop trying to convince anyone. Survive it. That's the only argument that counts.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
What has your heroism cost you personally? Every hero pays. The question is what — and whether they'd pay it again.
AMy innocence — I've seen what I'm capable of, and I can't unsee it. BPeople I loved — the command chair has a view, but it's a lonely one. CA normal life — I gave up everything ordinary the moment I chose the cause. DMy sense of safety — I know exactly what's out there now, and I can't pretend otherwise. EAlmost everything — and I'm still not sure what I'm carrying it all for. But I keep going.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
How do you feel about the rules of the world you're in? Every hero has a relationship with the system. What's yours?
AI understand them deeply — and I know exactly which ones must be broken, and why. BI respect the spirit of them and bend the letter when the situation demands it. CThe system is the problem. I'm not here to work within it — I'm here to dismantle it. DI follow protocol until protocol stops being useful. Then I make the call myself. EThe rules collapsed a long time ago. What's left is instinct, and mine are reliable.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
When everything is on the line, what keeps you going? The answer is the most honest thing about you.
ADestiny — or something that feels so much like it that the difference no longer matters. BThe people on my ship — their faces, their trust, the fact that they're counting on me. CThe belief that what we're fighting for is worth every sacrifice, including this one. DSheer refusal to let it win — whatever it is. I don't stop. That's just who I am. EI'm not sure anymore. But the road is still there, and I'm still on it.
REVEAL MY HERO →
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your Sci-Fi Hero Is…
Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.
Paul Atreides
You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you're capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.
- You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
- You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn't ask for but can't escape.
- Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
- That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won't, is exactly you.
Captain Kirk
You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you've always believed there's a third option nobody else has thought of yet.
- You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
- Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you've earned it.
- Kirk's genius isn't tactical — it's human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
- That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.
Princess Leia
You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you're fearless, but because giving up simply isn't something you're capable of.
- You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
- You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you've never looked back.
- Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
- That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.
Ellen Ripley
You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone's hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.
- You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
- Ripley's heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn't have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
- You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn't there.
- When it counts, you don't flinch. That's everything.
Max Rockatansky
You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.
- You don't ask for help, don't need validation, and don't wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
- Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it's earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
- Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
- That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
18 'Persona 5' (2016)
Image via Atlus, SegaThere are many JRPGs, and while some fans aren't too keen on them, they also contain must-play masterpieces, including Persona 5. A group of high school students forms a group of phantom thieves, aiming to steal artifacts and other valuables from evil adults, stopping their villainous desires from harming the rest of the world.
RPGs are such a popular genre because they allow players to fully embody the role they are playing, giving them a greater sense of immersion, and Persona 5 does that exceptionally well. Whether fans want to roam around a highly accurate train station or get lost in its turn-based dungeon crawler system, there is much to enjoy. Persona 5 features a bold and stylized aesthetic with hours of turn-based combat and social-life simulation, which makes it so engaging.
17 'What Remains of Edith Finch' (2017)
Image via Giant SparrowThis list doesn't feature many indie games, mainly because it is hard for a lower-budget studio to compete with AAA blockbusters. However, this genre is known for its creativity and originality, with games such as What Remains of Edith Finch. The Finch family has a "curse" on them where they will all eventually die tragic deaths, but years after the titular character left, she returns to the family house to understand how they all met their end.
What Remains of Edith Finch is arguably the greatest indie game of all time, and that is because it boasts one of the best narratives in video game history. Its deeply tragic story is touching, depressing, emotional, complex, and well-crafted. However, it enhances its plot with a narrative design masterclass, using micro-mechanics related to each story that makes it more personal and immersive, perfectly portraying grief and tragedy. In the end, What Remains of Edith Finch is a work of art that might be the best game to blend narrative and gameplay, which easily puts it into the masterpiece category.
16 'The Last of Us' (2013)
Image via Naughty DogAs mentioned, more live-action video game adaptations are coming out, and one of the best is The Last of Us, even if it still doesn't compare to the game. Years after a zombie apocalypse, Joel is a grizzled survivor who is tasked with escorting a young girl, Ellie, across the country. After bonding, he learns that she may be the cure to the infection, making the stakes even higher.
While What Remains of Edith Finch probably has the best narrative design in video games, The Last of Us takes the cake in terms of story. This adventure is a heartbreaking yet compelling tale of the bond between two well-written characters, slowly building with narrative prestige until the epic and shocking twist. Not to mention, The Last of Us has a well-designed survival system that enriches horror, drama, and intrigue.
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