Sorry it took so long to get this up. Had a matter to attend to first. But lets continue where we left off. As you know we counted up to #5. Today is for the rest of the top 5 minus #1. So here we go!
#4.) QUAKE
To call id Software's Quake groundbreaking is like calling a Ferrari fast. Sure, it's accurate, but it doesn't really paint the proper picture. Bringing fast, 3D FPS gameplay to the table, Quake blew the doors off of the game scene, technologically. Interesting level design was a good start. Creating some of the most memorable monsters in gaming helped too. Giving the world its first real taste of what multiplayer gaming could be? That should've been the icing on the cake. But it wasnt enough for ID. They jsut kept bringing it on and brought the multiplayer world to players without the T1 connection. The innovations of this game just kept going and going. This series now has 3 sequels all with the same quake gameplay that we have come to love.
#3.) WARCRAFT 2
No, Blizzard didn't invent the real-time strategy game. But it must seem that way, for all the praise heaped on Warcraft 2, which has entered the firmament as the best RTS of all time. Here's a strategy game that had character in spades -- the sounds of hammering nails as a new Barracks went up is still fresh in the memory, as well as the voices that populated the world of Azeroth. Warcraft 2 also represented Blizzard hitting its stride, with the trouble-free gameplay and great multiplayer support that has become a hallmark for the company's products. Now I realize that I said Starcraft was the greatest RTS of all time. However, in reality it is a tie. Warcraft 2 and starcraft are closely tied for that title. Unfortunatly for Starcraft, it just didnt spawn like Warcraft has. Do you see a World of Starcraft? No you don't. And lets be honest, if not for the success of Warcraft 2, Starcraft may have always been jsut a dream.
#2.) HALF LIFE
Valve Software's Half-Life redefined action gaming. A competetive graphics engine (powered in part by a Quake1 license), a stable of interesting creatures, a realistic setting, and a Military most definitely not interested in helping out the protagonist helped keep players' interests high. The framework of the story is nowhere near as complex as might be found in an RPG or advenutre title, but Valve's presentation more than made up for it. Slick, smart, and continuously interesting - with the possible exception of, sadly, the final act - Half-Life's single-player game kept many enthralled. Valve didn't stop there, though, and moved on to first perfect their multiplayer net code. Their support of the user community has brought them great success, including the most popular multiplayer action title of all time: Counter-Strike. What id started with Quake, Valve perfected with Half-Life.
I'll be back tomorrow to give everyone their #1 video game of all time! Rock on!