Eurogamer Readers' Lifetime Top 50

By Tom Bramwell Published 4 September, 2009

You make it look so easy!

By now you've probably seen our Eurogamer Lifetime Top 10, and we stand by it - albeit shuffling our feet, looking at each other nervously and occasionally wondering aloud where the hell Super Mario Galaxy is, among other things.

But as is so often the case, you've put us to shame. Last week we invited you to submit your top 10 games released since Eurogamer was born on 4th September 1999, and you responded in numbers that I cannot access because I'm writing this in a hotel in Seattle, but which I'm told were pretty amazing.

The result is the list you see below, topped by the news that your favourite game in the whole of Eurogamer's lifetime is Half-Life 2. You all have your own views, but if we asked you to elect a symbol of what has made us sob, scream and cackle with delight in the first 10 years of the site's existence, we couldn't be happier with your collective choice.

Thank you, for the umpteenth time, for reading Eurogamer, and thank you for contributing to our birthday. I don't know about the boys and girls back in the UK, but I've off to track down some form of dead cow and a celebratory beer. Happy birthday Eurogamer. Thank you to everyone. It's been better than Halo.

Update: Hot off the press, I have reaction from the mighty Valve to your titanic vote. While I was catching up with Chet Faliszek about Left 4 Dead 2, I asked whether he had a nice message to offer in response to the great honour you've bestowed upon him and his fellows. "No," he said. "I'm still bitter about you guys beating us in the Left 4 Dead 1 Versus match."

"Nah, that's really cool," he added. "Obviously so much of what we've done has come from that, and what we learned doing that. That's really cool to see. I started here three weeks after that got released. So I had nothing to do with it. I just rode the wave." It's all been downhill since then.

No. Game Developer Formats
1 Half-Life 2 Valve PC, PS3, Xbox 360
2 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Infinity Ward PC, PS3, Xbox 360
3 Resident Evil 4 Capcom GameCube, PS2, Wii
4 Shadow of the Colossus Sony PS2
5 Fallout 3 Bethesda Softworks PC, PS3, Xbox 360
6 Deus Ex Ion Storm PC, PS2
7 BioShock 2K Boston PC, PS3, Xbox 360
8 ICO Sony PS2
9 Portal Valve PC, PS3, Xbox 360
10 World of Warcraft Blizzard PC, Mac
11 Halo Bungie Xbox
12 Super Mario Galaxy Nintendo Wii
13 Mass Effect BioWare PC, Xbox 360
14 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic BioWare PC, Xbox
15 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bethesda Softworks PC, PS3, Xbox 360
16 Metroid Prime Nintendo GameCube
17 Okami Capcom PS2, Wii
18 Grand Theft Auto IV Rockstar North PC, PS3, Xbox 360
19 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Rockstar North PC, PS2, Xbox
20 Baldur's Gate 2 BioWare PC
21 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Kojima Productions PS3
22 Planescape Torment Black Isle Studios PC
23 Halo 3 Bungie Xbox 360
24 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Kojima Productions PS2
25 God of War Sony Santa Monica PS2
26 Final Fantasy X Square Enix PS2
27 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Rockstar North PC, PS2, Xbox
28 Shenmue SEGA Dreamcast
29 Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Naughty Dog PS3
30 Sid Meier's Civilization IV Firaxis Games PC
31 Grand Theft Auto III Rockstar North PC, PS2, Xbox
32 Metal Gear Solid Konami PSone
33 Beyond Good & Evil Ubisoft PC, PS2, Xbox
34 The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker Nintendo GameCube
35 Left 4 Dead Valve PC, Xbox 360
36 Diablo II Blizzard PC
37 Psychonauts Double Fine PC, PS2, Xbox
38 Silent Hill 2 Konami PC, PS2, Xbox
39 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Ubisoft Montreal PC, PS2, Xbox
40 Team Fortress 2 Valve PC, PS3, Xbox 360
41 Gears of War Epic Games PC, Xbox 360
42 Unreal Tournament Epic Games PC, PS2, Dreamcast
43 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Bethesda Softworks PC, Xbox
44 LittleBigPlanet Media Molecule PS3
45 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Konami PC, PS2, Xbox
46 Shenmue 2 SEGA Dreamcast, Xbox
47 Battlefield 2 DICE PC
48 Gears of War 2 Epic Games Xbox 360
49 Perfect Dark Rare N64
50 Rez UGA Dreamcast, PS2, Xbox 360
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (98) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mcmonkeyplc #1 2 years ago

    Halo at 11 /o\ Conversly atleast Fallout 3 is in top 5.

  • Xerx3s #2 2 years ago

    Still an odd note though, games that where good but did it by the book are placed higher than games that innovated or even revolutionised.

    Take Diablo 2 i.e. It was so good that over a decade later there still hasn't been a game that has even come close and the next game that is likely to beat it is Diablo 3. Surely that has to count for something. :/

  • saysomething #3 2 years ago

    I actually thought Valve would do a 1-2 with HL2 and Portal.

  • saysomething #4 2 years ago

    double post
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 15:27

  • cianchristopher #5 2 years ago

    Woo! I voted for the top three games, yeah! (Resident Evil 4 was my no.1, though)

  • DFawkes #6 2 years ago

    Will I double post too? Lets see :)

    To me, that a list full of win. I can't see a single game there that doesn't at least partially deserve it. Even the ones I don't like, I can see why others would't. Not sure how the Orange Box would've counted though.

  • Restart #7 2 years ago

    Nice to see Shenmue representing in the top 50. Now they better make the long awaited 3rd installment!

  • Burkey123 #8 2 years ago

    What a crushing disappointment. No Mario Galaxy in the top ten. :(

  • Blerk #9 2 years ago

    I thought that was a pretty good list, actually. Usually when you ask people to vote on their favourite stuff ever you end up with a list of games that were released in the last month.

  • Blerk #10 2 years ago

    Edit: I definitely didn't hit that button twice. Definitely.
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 15:40

  • faux_carnation #11 2 years ago

    Almost as bad as the EG staff list :-/

    No indie games at all. You all suck.

  • faux_carnation #12 2 years ago

    Well that's one way to ensure a massive comments thread, that's for sure!
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 15:42

  • theodg #13 2 years ago

    Where is Spelunky?

  • Bremenacht #14 2 years ago

    "I'm still bitter about you guys beating us in the Left 4 Dead 1 Versus match."

    C'mon 'guys' - take another bow. :)

    Surprised to see no SM64 on that list, but otherwise it looks refreshingly varied for a reader list..

  • Mortey #15 2 years ago

    whats with all the MGS's ???????? MGS on PS I can understand, but the others, they just are not good enough, surely???

    I suppose each to his own (Albeit incorrect) views.

    Hoped Shenmue would be higher though!
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 15:52

  • TheRealBadabing #16 2 years ago

    No EDF?

    Fucking Philistines.

  • TheTingler #17 2 years ago

    @Bremenacht I think Mario 64 is outside the 10 Years Eurogamer has been around.

    That's why there aren't any games before 1999 on the list, designerheadache.

    Still... is that all? Couldn't you guys have done comments on our selections too? That would've been more interesting than you all complaining that Tony Hawk's shouldn't have been on there. We don't even rate a picture on the Current Features List, we're just hidden away in the Editor's Blog!

  • Chufty #18 2 years ago

    Fairly decent list, nice to see Half-Life 2 top the list ahead of some of these shallow brainless modern console shooters that seem to be all the rage on Eurogamer.

  • UncleLou #19 2 years ago

    No Stalker?

    Collective EG failure! It's better than Half-Life 2, too. :p

  • Hamflank #20 2 years ago

    Would be nice if the table showed the year of release as well.

  • jamhead #21 2 years ago

    I thought this was quite a good list. Good work people. Better than EG's top 10 at least :-)

  • kupocake #22 2 years ago

    If I had realised that Metal Gear Solid would have been a valid choice, I would have so put that down. Thing is, it shouldn't be. Even squeezing it into ye olde PAL release window, it's still half a year too old.

    If Final Fantasy X is the 26th best game we've played in the last decade, I'm a sad, sad, panda. What a soulless POS.
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 16:15

  • Mudo #23 2 years ago

    Well, 2 of my top 10 successfully made the 50.

  • GiarcYekrub #24 2 years ago

    No Resident Evil 2?

  • Vertius #25 2 years ago

    The lack of Suikoden II shames this site and it's readership.

    0_0

  • Blerk #26 2 years ago

    9 of my choices are on the list, 5 of which are in the top 20. I'm so mainstream. :-D

  • Blerk #27 2 years ago

    Edit: Quit doing that, you double-posting thing, you!
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 16:32

  • Tomo #28 2 years ago

    That is a proper list. Goooooo team! \o/

    Except for CoD4. Fucking hell. That is a laughable entry.

    Surprised at the lack of STALKER too :[

  • Tomo #29 2 years ago

    Also MGS4 is the highest one in the series 0_0

  • Tomo #30 2 years ago

    Perhaps that's just a collective troll on Oli?

  • JetSetWilly #31 2 years ago

    That's a really good list. All my 10 made it, only 7 of them top 20 though. Kind of wish I had all the platforms (and a massive amount of time) required to work through it.

  • JetSetWilly #32 2 years ago

    edit: I caught double-posting off Blerk!
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 16:45

  • mingster #33 2 years ago

    Hmm only 1 of my top 10 made it.
    Shame on you all. :-(

  • _Price_ #34 2 years ago

    Solid list. Think I'd be happy enough playing any of those games.

  • organica #35 2 years ago

    6 out of my 10 in there. Nice to know I'm such a populist bastard. Good to see KOTOR riding high since it was my #1.

  • lavalant #36 2 years ago

    I don't think gears of war 1&2, halo 3, battlefield, team fortress, unreal, COD4, Oblibion and Bioshock belong in a list like this. but I can understand lots of kids would have been voting. The only modern game I'd put in there for sure would be L4D, SF4 or Crackdown

    Good to see 1 N64 game made it, also noticed there were no racing games like PGR2, Burnout 3 or GT, and no Ninja Gaiden Black????

  • Incarta #37 2 years ago

    Our list is so much better then the staff's ;)

    High five?

  • Burton2000 #38 2 years ago

    What no orange box?

  • stevetuck #39 2 years ago

    Oblivion with guns in top5? hmmm no thanks

  • secombe #40 2 years ago

    Only one of my top 10 (Super Mario Galaxy) made it into this list, looking through I think my bias was far too towards the early part of the 10 years to have had any impact on the list.

    Loving all the comments in this thread anyhow, as always people arguing/disappointed because the general consensus doesn't meet their exact opinion. Awesome.
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 17:55

  • hahayou #41 2 years ago

    How did you handle Orange Box votes? Because if HL2 is number 1 how is hl2ep2 not on there somewhere?

    I voted O.B., but only really for Portal/TF2. HL2 was amazing but hasn't aged brilliantly IMO.

    --also Halo and Resi 4 had PC versions. Halo, CoD4, Civ 4, UT and maybe more had Mac versions too.
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 21:26

  • symmetry #42 2 years ago

    Good list. Apart from all the Metal Gears of course. And anything resembling Final Fantasy.

    Looks like Valve, Rockstar and Bethesda are the winners.

  • symmetry #43 2 years ago

    So, boring stats that could well be wrong because I can't be bothered to double check:

    Rockstar 4
    Valve 4
    Bethesda 3
    BioWare 3
    Epic 3
    Konami 3
    Nintendo 3
    Sony 3
    Blizzard 2
    Bungie 2
    Capcom 2
    Kojima 2
    SEGA 2
    Ubisoft 2
    2K 1
    Black Isle 1
    DICE 1
    Double Fine 1
    Firaxis 1
    Infinity Ward 1
    Ion Storm 1
    Media Molecule 1
    Naughty Dog 1
    Rare 1
    Square Enix 1
    UGA 1

  • symmetry #44 2 years ago

    PC 31
    PS2 18
    xbox 15
    360 14
    PS3 11
    Dreamcast 4
    GameCube 3
    Psone 1
    Mac 1
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 19:15

  • Octaeder #45 2 years ago

    I'm surprised at how good this list is...

    Or at least I was until I spotted the absence of World of Goo.

  • JahB #46 2 years ago

    good list, but i'm somewhat surprised Counterstrike didn't make it. looking at the last 10 years, that was a big game

  • Mudo #47 2 years ago

    Just because there are a few people saying it's a good list, here's an alternative (not that it matters):

    I'll be honest and say I think this list is really dreadful

  • Pulsar_t #48 2 years ago

    I'll be honest and say I think this list is really dreadful
    +1. COD4 at #2 is a sick joke. And no S.T.A.L.K.E.R.? Insta-fail.

  • rogueJT #49 2 years ago

    Where is viewtiful joe?

  • psychokitten #50 2 years ago

    The last thing I was expecting opening this article was a reference to something I did.

    Holla!

  • Mellissa #51 2 years ago

    I'd like to be able to do a re-vote.. there's a lot of games I'd forgotten about in the last ten years and this list reminds me were great at the time.

  • Hunam #52 2 years ago

    "22 Planescape Torment Black Isle Studios PC
    23 Halo 3 Bungie Xbox 360"

    \o/

  • Mellissa #53 2 years ago

    Probably because they're a bit older than 10 years ;-)

    .

  • UKGN_Zoidberg #54 2 years ago

    Clearly not enough people have sample the goodness of Elite Beat Agents to vote for it. I had it as my number 2!

    I did, however, also vote for Half-Life 2 at number 1.

  • Gaiduku #55 2 years ago

    Phew.... just scrolling through the list i thought i saw Perfect Dark Zero..... then realised it was the original. If Perfect Dark Zero made the list i'd loose all faith in humanity.

  • mazk #56 2 years ago

    This readers list is so much better than the writers one! Really, this list is stone cold classics untill about 20. The writer's starts with Trials 2! Just a bit surprised is all.

  • mkreku #57 2 years ago

    Seriously! This list is SO much better than the editor's list! You guys make me so proud *wipes tear*

  • dripping_brain #58 2 years ago

    Good list, good job folks. I think Majora's Mask should be on there though (alongside Wind Waker). I also think Battlefield 1942 should have fitted in somewhere too.

  • RobotRocker #59 2 years ago

    No GOD HAND?

    *rolls up sleves*

    Right, theres some punching in the face to do...

  • Errol #60 2 years ago

    LOL at BF2 being so low.

    How can a game that virtually redefined the online multiplay/teamplay genre be at 47? The game's nigh on perfect ffs.

  • Errol #61 2 years ago

    And where's Counterstrike?

  • Xerx3s #62 2 years ago

    "PC 31
    PS2 18
    xbox 15
    360 14
    PS3 11
    Dreamcast 4
    GameCube 3
    Psone 1
    Mac 1 "

    Apparently the PC is dying, according to some. So even in death it still holds more value than all others.

  • Chufty #63 2 years ago

    Er hello, this is a list of the best games of the last 10 years - the decline of PC gaming is more recent.

  • UKwoods #64 2 years ago

    I think a lot of votes came from very young people who cant remember some of the greats of 10 years ago. COD 4 at no 2? Give me strength!

  • Gene-ius #65 2 years ago

    No Majora's Mask? No Braid? No Smash Bros Melee? Shame on everyone. Shame.

    Other than that, I don't think this list is too bad, although having both Gears of War on here is a waste of a space and Mass Effect is far too high for such a mediocre game. Overall, though, I think the past ten years have seen so many high-quality games that the idea of trying to narrow it to 50 is laughable.

  • Praetorianer #66 2 years ago

    No love for Quake 3? :(

  • Hypercube #67 2 years ago

    In my very personal opinion, I can understand why STALKER isn't in the list. It seems to polarise opinion - it was highly recommended to me by a friend, and I kept at it waiting for my enjoyment to start, but that never happened. I'm not saying it wasn't a lovely game - the night time and the weather effects were fantastic, but it just never managed to grab my interest.

    Subjectivity, eh? Cor blimey!

  • Dizzy #68 2 years ago

    We all know that Left4Dead is at number 1 :)

  • Hantheman #69 2 years ago

    Who says the PC's dead? Still the gaming method of quality.

    And Baldur's Gate 2 20th? You having a laugh? Baldurs' Gate 2 provided more entertainment than every retard yank fulled CoD game put together.

  • Rens11 #70 2 years ago

    Good list would have definetly stuck final fantasy 9 in there though!

  • john_silence #71 2 years ago

    blah blah blah I'm a reader and I feel so important!
    Anyway. Now I've tried it I regret not voting for Fruit Mystery because at least it's stupid and no one voted for it. Sorry if this sounds like the usual Ellie-fixation that's so topical in the comments section - it's not. I just nearly burst my bladder trying to suppress laughter in the middle of the night trying out Fruit Mystery next door to my sleeping fiancée.
    I voted for Vampire: Bloodlines anyway.

  • AphoticCosmos #72 2 years ago

    It's quite a good list, IMHO.

    HL2 definitely deserved the top spot. Best game I've ever played.

  • tentonipete #73 2 years ago

    WOO SHENMUE!!!

  • tentonipete #74 2 years ago

    WOO SHENMUE!!!

  • TheApologist #75 2 years ago

    A truly great list of brilliant games sullied by Gears of War1&2

    Ugh...

  • Fab4 #76 2 years ago

    CoD4 at 2 *smirks*

    Go on, mark me down, but there is no way in God's green earth that it deserves to be anywhere near the top 20, let alone at 2. I guess shiny shiny outweighs gameplay nowadays.

  • Athrack #77 2 years ago

    Glad Mass Effect made it.
    My no.1

  • Damn_Skippy #78 2 years ago

    Yakuza 2 and God Hand are not pleased. Then again, they didn't bother voting either, so they might as well pipe down.

  • Francuzzz1010 #79 2 years ago

    in my opinion 1.TES 4 oblivion
    2.fallout 3
    3.resident evil 4
    4.the witcher
    5.cnc tw 3
    6.massse ffect
    7.l4d

  • Francuzzz1010 #80 2 years ago

    in my opinion 1.TES 4 oblivion
    2.fallout 3
    3.resident evil 4
    4.the witcher
    5.cnc tw 3
    6.massse ffect
    7.l4d

  • Farfarer #81 2 years ago

    Now THAT is a list I can agree with. The EG userbase has more taste than I previously thought :p

  • MightyMetalMonkey #82 2 years ago

    What ? No ELITE on BBC Micro ?

  • EmiliasHorse #83 2 years ago

    Actually that list works very well, no complaints. Great job everyone.

  • romanista #84 2 years ago

    what a horrible list, i voted on exactly one game on it (super mario galaxy), i thought i was more in sync with the average eurogamer review/viewer, but no, no arcady fun here..

  • dr_swin #85 2 years ago

    very surprised at the lack of love for advance wars, operation flashpoint and rock band. Also a bit dissappointed that company of heroes did not make the cut.

  • swissorc #86 2 years ago

    Wind Waker Best Zelda ? Me thinks not

  • jonthepymm #87 2 years ago

    @MightyMetalMunkey:

    I don't think Elite came out on the BBC Micro in the last 10 years. I have a feeling it was very slightly before 1999.

  • baggermancer #88 2 years ago

    Where the hell is warcraft 3?

  • flaming.carrot #89 2 years ago

    COD4 was available on the Mac too, as was Deus Ex, Unreal Tournament, Halo and Civ IV. I know 'cos I've got all of them.
    Also, wasn't this list for the length of Eurogamers lifetime (10 years), hence no games earlier than 1999?
    Edited by 1 at 07/09/09 @ 14:01

  • spekkeh #90 2 years ago

    This really is quite a good list. Mario Galaxy and GTA3 should've been in the top ten, World of Goo should've been at least somewhere, CoD4 out of the top ten (but I guess that's multiformat bane, as was the EG list itself). All in all, yay us.

  • Creasy #91 2 years ago

    is this supposed to be a "best games" list? If so, most pathetic list I've seen in a while.
    these games alone (among most of the others):

    1 Half-Life 2 Valve PC, PS3, Xbox 360
    2 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Infinity Ward PC, PS3, Xbox 360
    3 Resident Evil 4 Capcom GameCube, PS2, Wii
    5 Fallout 3 Bethesda Softworks PC, PS3, Xbox 360
    6 Deus Ex Ion Storm PC, PS2
    7 BioShock

    don't even belong in a top 100 list.

  • Creasy #92 2 years ago

    is this supposed to be a "best games" list? If so, most pathetic list I've seen in a while.
    these games alone (among most of the others):

    1 Half-Life 2 Valve PC, PS3, Xbox 360
    2 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Infinity Ward PC, PS3, Xbox 360
    3 Resident Evil 4 Capcom GameCube, PS2, Wii
    5 Fallout 3 Bethesda Softworks PC, PS3, Xbox 360
    6 Deus Ex Ion Storm PC, PS2
    7 BioShock

    don't even belong in a top 100 list.

  • Skorms-Boss #93 2 years ago

    good to see Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic in there, I think that could be the only one from my top 10 list to make it :(

  • macmurphy #94 2 years ago

    @ Creasy.

    'is this supposed to be a "best games" list.

    No numptybollocks it's the best games of the last ten years, read the thread. As regards it being pathetic, it's voted for by people on the site. If people vote for them then they like them the best. You can't really argue with the system unless you think that everyone's an idiot and you know better. Stop being a tool.

  • windflaw #95 2 years ago

    @ Creasy

    May I ask what your top 10 games were? This list represents popular opinion in fairness, I don't think anyone could expect it to match their personal selection.

    It'll be much more illuminating for anyone reading these comments if we complain about games that didn't make it instead of games that did. That way we can educate while we moan! ;-)

    Ahem...

    No Chu-Chu Rocket!? No World of Goo? No Soulcalibur? No Jet Set Radio Future? For shame, people! :-P
    Edited by 2 at 07/09/09 @ 18:54

  • messiahtj #96 2 years ago

    Lol! That list fails so fucking hard!!!. I can clearly see now that europeans know nothing about video games, hahahaha, I can't stop laughing. Hahahaha.....

  • Zebula77 #97 2 years ago

    Pretty decent list of games, that. My personal faves of those would be Shadow of the Colossus, ICO, Silent Hill 2 and GTA: Vice City. Fallout 3's not too bad, of course. :p

  • Skorms-Boss #98 2 years ago

    were all gonna disagree, many of us claim to prefer more indie titles, but at the end of the day the game with the most votes won, I didn't vote for it, I've played it once and it wasn't from me, but hey ho that's life. Now if Chu Chu Rocket (now I've got the music stuck in my head!) had been voted number one I'm sure there would have been more complaints, but I for one love it, as it is it's only at number........... wait where is it!?!