Best Classic Games

In this article, we've gathered outstanding classic games that are at least twenty years old. The main selection criterion is that, despite their age, they still captivate with their gameplay. How good they look doesn’t matter. But if graphics are important to you, check out our selection of beautiful old games.

The fact that the developers of modern DOOM installments take inspiration from the classics once again confirms the relevance of the original games. Just launch DOOM 2 — and an excellent time is guaranteed: the game still excites with its furious pace, brutality, and unique charm.

DOOM 2 perfectly balances between fun and hardcore gameplay. The player feels like a runaway locomotive, demolishing everything in their path. However, you still need to pay close attention to the action on screen and dodge incoming projectiles. Take a few hits — and you’re dead.

Why did we choose DOOM 2 over the first game? Simple — the sequel introduced the super shotgun.

A pioneer of an entire subgenre of adventure games and still one of its best representatives. Super Metroid is a perfect example of how to design engaging levels and interconnect them to create an unforgettable virtual world.

SM’s influence can be traced in countless projects — not just in Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight, but also in action games like Dark Souls or Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

A legendary arcade fighter with simple yet incredibly engaging gameplay. Mortal Kombat 2 refined the mechanics of the previous installment and significantly expanded the roster, introducing iconic characters like Kitana and Baraka.

Interestingly, even today the game looks decent visually. Its unique style has a nostalgic charm that compensates for its technical limitations.

It’s no secret that early 3D games haven’t aged well overall, but there are exceptions. For example, Super Mario 64 still feels like a modern 3D platformer — with highly responsive controls, a camera that rotates a full 360 degrees, nonlinear levels that are fun to explore, as well as excellent visual style and memorable music.

Before Half-Life, first-person shooters with complex narratives were almost nonexistent. Valve took the FPS genre to a new level by making storytelling an integral part of the adventure. Other developers would have simply presented the plot as a five-minute slideshow — nothing more. Thanks to its modern storytelling approach, Half-Life remains engaging even in 2025.

There’s no need to justify StarCraft’s inclusion in this list, but let’s do it briefly anyway. Blizzard created an RTS with such flawless balance between three completely different factions that StarCraft is still played by thousands. Many play professionally — even after the sequel’s release, the original continues to attract esports players with its perfectly refined gameplay.

And if competitive battles don’t interest you, StarCraft still has an epic story campaign to captivate modern gamers.

Fans of the Resident Evil 2 remake who haven't played the original should definitely catch up. Why? Because this is one of those cases where the original is, in some ways, even better than its modern counterpart.

The creators of the original RE2 put much more effort into making the campaigns for both protagonists truly distinct yet interconnected. For example, if Claire takes a weapon from a locker during her playthrough, it won’t be available in Leon’s campaign. The remake doesn’t have anything close to such a system: the second scenario feels more like bonus content rather than an integral and well-thought-out part of the whole experience.

Nowadays, almost any game that features character progression is labeled an RPG. But in the past, a game had to earn that title. The most important aspect of an RPG used to be role-playing itself. And it’s hard to find a game that emphasizes this element as much as Fallout 2.

In Fallout 2, you can become anyone: a hero, a villain, or even a slaver or a porn actor. The game offers dozens of quests with various outcomes, allowing each player to shape their own unique story.

Many modern games owe a lot to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Nintendo designers laid the foundations that third-person action-adventure developers still follow today. For example, Ocarina introduced the innovative targeting system — something that is now indispensable in games like the Souls series.

OOT also brought the concept of a compact open world into the mainstream. Additionally, it introduced contextual controls, where the same button performs different actions depending on the in-game situation.

Baldur's Gate 2 set the trajectory for the entire Western RPG genre and established many of its core features. A party of interesting companions with whom you can form romantic relationships? Party members arguing with each other? Personal quests for companions? A focus on a memorable antagonist with complex motivations? Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn popularized all of these elements.

If you're looking for a strategy game with a delightfully insane (in a good way) story, unique factions, and easy-to-learn gameplay, it's hard not to recommend Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. This is a one-of-a-kind strategy where you can lead the Soviet Union from an alternate universe, defeating enemies with massive airships and intelligent squids.

It is telling that even after the release of Diablo 3 and Diablo 4, many franchise fans still prefer the second installment. Diablo 2 is cherished for its atmosphere, the freedom to create unique builds, and its simple yet engaging gameplay, free from unnecessary mechanics. Another key factor is progression: in the second game, not only legendary items are valuable, but also randomly generated rare ones, making loot drops consistently exciting.

A kind of Dishonored of the 2000s. If you enjoy stealth games with immersive sim elements, you will likely appreciate Thief 2: The Metal Age.

To become a truly elusive thief in this Looking Glass classic, you need patience and unconventional thinking. The game world operates under complex rules that must be learned and mastered — for example, remembering which surfaces amplify footsteps and which muffle them.

The original Deus Ex has earned a reputation as a great cyberpunk masterpiece, but as its creators rightly point out, this description only partially captures the game. It is also a unique spy thriller inspired by conspiracy theories and "The X-Files" as much as by novels like "Neuromancer" or "Schismatrix."

Deus Ex is a potent mix of various ideas and concepts — not just narratively but also in gameplay. The game is equally an RPG, a stealth-action experience, and a first-person shooter.

The second MGS had a significant impact on the stealth genre. What set it apart from other games of its time was its truly dynamic enemy AI and focus on an interactive environment.

Additionally, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is not only a high-quality game but also an outstanding narrative experience. Its deep, philosophical plot explores themes of information control, post-truth, and digital manipulation — issues that have only grown more relevant over time.

Piranha Bytes’ debut project was undeniably ahead of its time. Even today, the first Gothic impresses with its immersive fantasy world, where NPCs feel like real people. They have daily routines — they work, eat, and sleep. Moreover, they react to all of the protagonist’s actions. For example, waving a weapon in a stranger’s face could end badly for the player.

Gothic doesn’t hold the player’s hand and shows no mercy — you must earn your place in its brutal world. It’s a game about rising from the bottom, where reputation must be built through effort. This approach feels like a breath of fresh air compared to countless fantasy adventures where protagonists are treated as destined heroes from the outset.

The authors of the recent Silent Hill 2 remake did not change the most important part — the story of the original. Because the complex psychological narrative told in 2001 hasn't aged a bit. Yes, SH2’s controls leave much to be desired, and the voice acting isn't great either, but the story of a lonely protagonist arriving in a mysterious town in search of his wife still holds players from the very first minutes to the finale. And for some, it will linger even longer — just like for those series fans who have been analyzing the themes and subtexts of Silent Hill 2 for over twenty years.

A living classic from Blizzard that fully showcases the company's strengths. The story is captivating, the characters stand out with their deep personalities, the cutscenes still hold up even by today’s standards, and the gameplay uniquely blends RPG and RTS elements. Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos comes from an era when Blizzard aimed to move mountains with every new release, investing maximum effort into ideas and concepts no one had implemented before.

Bethesda fans who have followed the studio since the '90s often call The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind the pinnacle of the company’s creative journey. And it’s no surprise: unlike later releases, the third TES boasts a rather mature script, rich with complex political intrigue.

Moreover, Morrowind encourages independent exploration: the game doesn’t point you in the right direction with a compass, doesn’t mark quest objectives on the map, and doesn’t allow instant fast travel to any location. As a result, every virtual meter must be meticulously explored. And that, in turn, increases the chances of stumbling upon fascinating content.

Before the release of Metroid Prime, players doubted that the intricate level design of Super Metroid could be recreated in 3D, but Retro Studios accomplished the task flawlessly. Prime is the perfect game for explorers of virtual labyrinths. It’s exciting to navigate its winding corridors and caves, uncovering secret passages that lead to valuable rewards.

It may seem strange to call a racing game atmospheric, but no other word describes Need for Speed Underground better. Illegal street races, the neon lights of a nighttime city, car tuning, beautiful girls in cutscenes, and a story about an unknown racer striving to become a legend — all of this makes the player feel like the star of an early Fast & Furious movie.

Still the best Star Wars game, despite the dozens of others released over the years.

BioWare made a brilliant move by setting Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic in the Old Republic era — thousands of years before the events of the movies. This allowed the studio to tell a gripping story unbound by existing works while still featuring recognizable elements: Jedi, Sith, the Force, and lightsabers. The narrative turned out to be truly outstanding, and the unexpected twist in the middle of the game remains etched in fans’ memories.

Who would have thought that one of the best adaptations of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy would be a strategy game? Yet The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth, created by the authors of Command & Conquer, fully deserves the praise. In terms of atmosphere and visuals, it perfectly matches the movies, which is already a significant achievement. But beyond that, it also stands out as an RTS with diverse factions and solid balance.

A quarter of a century has passed, and GTA: San Andreas still draws players in. And it’s no surprise: the game offers an incredibly vast map with multiple cities, towns, and diverse landscapes — from deserts to mountains. The world is filled with various activities, ensuring that there's never a dull moment.

But more than anything, many of us keep returning to San Andreas for its gripping story. Even when you know all the twists, you still want to see it through to the end. And then start all over again.

At launch, Doom 3 was criticized for straying too far from the design of the original games. But when viewed in isolation, it's hard to fault Doom 3 for much. No, it’s not the fast-paced shooter the series is known for, but it is an incredibly atmospheric and terrifying horror experience. The third installment is closer to something like Dead Space, making it a must-play for survival horror fans.

The Total War franchise has evolved significantly over the decades, but the classic Rome still offers something that newer entries can’t. For instance, the sheer chaos of its battles. When cavalry charges into infantry ranks, the front lines are literally thrown into the air on impact. Units also get launched sky-high when hit by more powerful forces like Germanic berserkers. It may not be the most realistic, but it sure is a lot of fun.

The best vampire game and an outstanding RPG. Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines is packed with memorable locations, excellently written dialogues, charismatic characters, and dark humor. And also — bugs. So make sure to play it with unofficial patches installed.

Very few shooters can keep a player's attention as effortlessly as Half-Life 2. The pacing never drags throughout the entire playthrough: from start to finish, HL2 constantly introduces new situations that sometimes drastically change the gameplay. If a third installment is truly in development, we expect the same level of game design.

A thrill ride so packed with memorable moments that its 15-hour playthrough feels like five. Resident Evil 4 is played in one breath because every half-hour it significantly changes the setting, introduces new enemy types, and grants access to more powerful weapons.

Ask DMC fans, and most will agree: the best game in the original trilogy is Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening. The combat system became faster and deeper (introducing different styles), while the difficulty was raised just enough to make fights more engaging without feeling unfair.

Most importantly, DMC 3 captivates with an intriguing story and a charismatic young Dante, who lacked this charm in the previous games.

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That’s all for now, but we’ll definitely return to this list in the future to add more games. In the meantime, tell us in the comments which classic hits you’d like to see included in this selection.