THESE are THE BEST games, in phases, by genre:

- Instead of making "What's the best game ever?" polls, I actually did some research:

- I tried to keep this list as SUBJECTIVE as possible.

- The games are categorized into phases. Some genres have more phases than others. In the first phase, each game is (approximately) as outstanding as the next. In the second phase, each game is (about) as great as the next. In the third phase, each game is (just) as good as the next, and so on.

- IT DOESN'T MATTER how revolutionary or groundbreaking a game was FOR ITS TIME. What matters is how good it is now (this includes novelty.) Just pretend that all the games ever made were released in a single day.

- The length and replay value of a game DOES NOT MATTER.

- No handhelds, no mobile games.

- Sports games, racing games, simulators, and Guitar Hero are not included.

- Expansion sets have been omitted.

- Action = Action + Action/Adventure

- Due to porting, you may find some of your favorite RPGs and action games for consoles under the PC Action genre.

- ANY FEEDBACK IS APPRECIATED.

Mostly Personal Computer

Western-Type Computer RPG's

+++ PH 1 +++

World of WarCraft

Planescape: Torment

Baldur's Gate 2: The Shadow of Amn

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

+++ PH 2 +++

Star Wars: KOTOR II: The Sith Lords

Guild Wars

Baldur's Gate

Fallout

Fallout 2

+++ PH 3 +++

EVE: Online

Diablo

Diablo II

Neverwinter Nights

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Freedom Force

Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich

City of Heroes

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar

Adventure - RANKED

Grim Fandango

Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle

Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis

Strategy

Bold: Real-Time

Italics: Strategy games which are hard to categorize.

Normal: Turn-Based

Bold Italics: Wargame

TRTS - Traditional Real-Time Strategy (2D, gather resources with one unit, build structures, research a little to improve army, annihilate opponents)

+++ PH 1 +++

Company of Heroes

Homeworld 2

Black & White

Sacrifice

Rise of Nations

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings TRTS

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars TRTS

StarCraft TRTS

WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos TRTS

Rome: Total War

X-Com: UFO Defense / Enemy Unknown

Civilization IV

Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar

Alpha Centauri

+++ PH 2 +++

Homeworld

Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II TRTS

Supreme Commander TRTS

Medieval II: Total War

Sid Meier's Pirates!

Commandos 2: Men of Courage

Worms: Armageddon

Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

Gettysburg!

Heroes of Might and Magic 3

Jagged Alliance 2: Gold

Sim and Tycoon (Strategy without hostile opponents) - RANKED

The Sims 2

SimCity 4

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3

Animal Crossing (GameCube only)

The Movies

Railroad Tycoon 2 or 3

PC Action - Single-Player

Bold: hardcore action.

Normal: stealth games.

Italics: platformers, tactical action games, or games that combine hardcore action and stealth elements.

+++ PH 1 +++

Half-Life 2

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (& co-op on PS2, Xbox)

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (& co-op)

+++ PH 2 +++

F.E.A.R.

Call of Duty

Call of Duty 2

Halo (& co-op on Xbox)

Halo 2 (& co-op)

FarCry

Grand Theft Auto 3

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Medal of Honour: Allied Assault

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

Mafia

Deus Ex

System Shock 2

No One Lives Forever 2

Brothers in Arms: The Road to Hill 30

Psychonauts

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Thief: Deadly Shadows

Splinter Cell

Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow (& co-op)

Splinter Cell Double Agent (& co-op)

+++ PH 3+++

Max Payne

Half-Life

Doom 3 (& co-op on Xbox)

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Aliens versus Predator (for highly experienced gamers)

Aliens versus Predator 2

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood

Rayman 2: The Great Escape

Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield

Rainbow Six Vegas (& co-op)

SWAT 4 (& co-op)

Tron 2.0

Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast

Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

Beyond Good and Evil

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

Hitman: Blood Money

PC Action - Multi-Player

+++ PH 1 +++

Unreal Tournament 2004

Counter-Strike: Source

Battlefield 2

+++ PH 2 +++ (too extensive, I know. I couldn't think of a good way to categorize them.)

Team Fortress C l a s s i c

Brothers in Arms: The Road to Hill 30

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood

Call of Duty

Call of Duty 2

America's Army: Special Forces

Aliens vs. Predator 2

Quake III Arena

Quake 4

Painkiller

F.E.A.R. Combat (F.E.A.R. for free)

Halo

Halo 2

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory

Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising

Splinter Cell Double Agent

America's Army: Operations

Tribes: Vengeance (+ 15-hour single-player "tutorial")

Tribes 2

Medal of Honor Allied Assault

Medal of Honor Pacific Assault

Soldier of Fortune 2

Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy

Battlefield 2142

Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45

Command & Conquer: Renegade

Sniper Elite

Gunz: The Duel

Day of Defeat

ArmA: Combat Operations (Armed Assault)

Mostly Game Consoles

Arcade (mostly Side-Scrollers) - RANKED

Viewtiful Joe (GC, PS2)

Castevania: Symphony of the Night (PS, X360)

Super Mario World (SNES, Wii)

Super Paper Mario (Wii)

Super Monkey Ball (GC)

Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus (PS, PC)

Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, & 3 (NES, Wii)

Super Metroid (SNES)

Donkey Kong Country (SNES, Wii)

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)

Super Mario Kart (SNES)

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee (PS, PC)

Viewtiful Joe 2 (GC, PS2)

Super Monkey Ball 2 (GC)

Fighting (Console) - RANKED

Soul Calibur (DC)

Soul Calibur II (GC, PS2, XBOX)

Tekken 3 (PS)

Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution (PS2)

Virtua Fighter 4 (PS2)

Super Smash Bros. Melee (GC)

Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3)

Dead of Alive 4 (X360)

Tekken 5 (PS2)

WWE: Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain (PS2)

Action Console Games (Action that is horrible or N/A on PC)

+++ PH 1 +++

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, GC, Wii)

Metroid Prime (GC)

Resident Evil 4 (GC, PS2, Wii)

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)

Ninja Gaiden Black (XBOX)

Gears of War (X360)

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)

God of War (PS2)

God of War 2 (PS2)

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (X360)

+++ PH 2 +++

Super Mario 64 (N64, Wii)

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)

Okami (PS2)

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GC)

Devil May Cry (PS2)

Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS2)

Super Mario Sunshine (GC)

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (X360)

+++ PH 3 +++

GoldenEye 007 (N64)

Perfect Dark (N64)

Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2)

Resident Evil (GC)

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (GC)

Jax & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2)

ICO (XBOX, PS2)

TimeSplitters 2 (PS2, GC, XBOX)

Ratchet & Clank (PS2)

Jak II (PS2)

Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (PS2)

Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3)

FarCry Instincts (XBOX) or FarCry Instincts Predator (X360)

+++PH 4+++

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)

Jet Grind Radio (DC)

Ape Escape (PS)

Panzer Dragoon Orta (XBOX)

Shenmue (DC)

Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS2)

Red Faction (PS2)

SOCOM II: Navy Seals (PS2)

Bully (PS2)

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath (XBOX)

Silent Hill 2 (PS2)

Jet Set Radio Future (XBOX)

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GC)

Jak III (PS2)

Mercenaries (PS2, XBOX)

Dead Rising (X360)

Call of Duty 3 (X360)

Resident Evil: Veronica (DC, GC) or Resident Evil Code: Veronica X (PS2)

Console RPG's

Bold: RPG's with Western elements or Action RPG's

Italics: Online RPG's

Normal: Traditional Eastern-Type Japanese RPG's

Jade Empire (XBOX)

Vagrant Story (PS)

Dark Cloud 2 (PS2)

Kingdom Hearts (PS2)

Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)

Champions of Norrath (PS2)

Fable (XBOX)

Phantasy Star Online (DC)

Final Fantasy XI (PS2)

Final Fantasy series (SNES, PS, PS2)

Skies of Arcadia (DC)

Skies of Arcadia Legends (GC)

Grandia II (DC)

Xenogears (PS)

Chrono Trigger (SNES)

Chrono Cross (PS)

Grandia (PS)

Suikoden III (PS2)

Shadow Hearts: Covenant (PS2)

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (PS2)

Tales of Symphonia (GC)

Super Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (GC)

Putting metoroid prime before metal gear solid 2 is unforgivable:shock:

pff I appreciate the effort... Even though I dont have time to read it all right now I shall save it to notepad and if I ever feel like a certain category of games I'll check this list first! ;)

interesting......

...pointless, but interesting