The best games in 20 years. Year 1998: Half-Life, Fallout 2, Grim Fandango

Half-Life

No matter how much the second part admires Half-Life , The first for its time was much cooler. In essence, it was with it that the genre of militants began, in which the narrative goes during the gameplay. All events develop right in front of your eyes, and not in katsets, you are always in the center of everything, everything rotates around you. It is you who press the buttons to open the portal to another world, it is you who are addressed by the characters, telling another piece of history, it is you who take a crowbar and clear your way from the doomed laboratory "Black Mesa".

There was not even a division in the mission – only the loading between the locations, and the entire passage merged into one large interactive film with a bunch of events, fantastic decorations at that time (including a visit to another planet), an abundance of weapons, a charismatic main character (for nothing that not a word. did not utter) and very, no, really very good artificial intelligence. Enemy special forces really coordinated their actions, went from the rear, smoked grenades … And what the young ladies-ninja did in the tight of the Triko!..

In a word, it was a revolution in so many aspects. Half-Life lifted the quality bar so much that it was almost possible to jump to it by competitors. And then the second part also came out, but this is a completely different story … which can be read literally next. The second part is also in our top!

Fallout 2

Many can make a masterpiece once. But to develop a concept, to consolidate success in the sequel is only real creators who understand what and why they do. Yes, Fallout 2 It turned out a little different in mood – larger, more fun, it was generously shut up by Easters – let it and not everyone agree that this makes the game better than the original.

Perhaps it is worth considering the dilogy as a single work in two acts – then you will not have to suffer the question “which part is better?". They are both masterpieces that had a tremendous influence on mass culture, and not only on the game. The dilogy showed that the post -apocalypse is alive, that interest in it did not fade away and that not even financially successful work is actually long -term investments.

The wastelands allow you to do almost everything that there is enough fantasy: destroy all reasonable creatures, shoot in adult films, get sick and cure from alcoholism, get rid of an extra finger on your leg, save the world with a mentally inferior hero – the developers take care so that all this can be done so that all this can be done in Fallout 2. Here is the desert world of opportunities – enjoy!

Grim Fandango

People are divided into two groups: those who love quests Lucasarts , and those who have not yet played them. If you are from the latter, then after Grim Fandango you will definitely get to the first. The project developed by the legendary gameplay Tim Shaifer set himself an ambitious goal: to draw the attention of players to the unpopular genre of the Point-N-Click subspecies. Especially for this, Lucasarts developed a new engine – Grime, which transferred a quest from the usual two -dimensional space to a full -fledged 3D, and the standard interface for adventure games was completely rethought.

Grim Fandango combines all the best from the genre: the amazing world received by connecting the Mexican holiday “The Day of the Dead” and noir films, an exciting plot, the excellent graphics for its time and, of course, acute humor. The main minus – uncomfortable management – was corrected in the reprint of 2015, so now you have no excuse so as not to go through this masterpiece.

Starcraft

Strategies with different factions met before – yes the same Dune 2 already had three warring parties with their unique units. But before Starcraft Nowhere and never the fractions have been so strong. Terrans were still very familiar, managed about the same as people and orcs from the second Warcraft. Troops from barracks and factories that can be repaired … Well, perhaps the entourage is not fantasy, but cosmic, but what, in essence, the difference Cocoa Casino sister sites?

But now the graves, for example, regenerate themselves, spread mucus around them, knew how to dig into the ground and generally hatched from larvae in the central building. And the protosss generally teleport buildings from their planet almost without the participation of workers, have, in addition to health, they also do not repair the shield, and the buildings are built only around the pylons.

Now every schoolboy already knows this, and then the game presented a surprise for a surprise. And she also had a gorgeous plot with the confrontation of the sinister confederation, experiments on the human genome and the war of ancient races, into which humanity accidentally wedged. And, of course, a multiplayer who has long become a standard for e -sports strategies. By the way, to finally balance it, it took only twelve patches over eight years.

Baldur’s Gate

Baldur’s Gate Even now it can be considered a measure and standard of role -playing games. This has been proved Pillars of Eternity , borrowed style, gameplay, and even an interface for a classic game BioWare , And Dragon Age: Origins , managed to transfer the “same” sensations to the modern engine … and then safely all lost in continuations. The game meticulously complied with the rules of AD&D, it was very complicated and issued countless variations of what is happening, depending on the composition of the team, route, decisions made, weather outside the window, good luck and contents of backpacks. Anyone who is not familiar with Baldur’s Gate has no right to talk about role -playing video games.

Metal Gear Solid

Despite its own place in chronology and great importance for the series, Metal Gear Solid was, in fact, only a three -dimensional remake Metal Gear 2. From there he took scenario developments, and the basis of gameplay, and even individual game situations.

Only all this does not cancel the fact that for 1998, Metal Gear Solid was a project, to put it mildly, outstanding. It was he who, among the first, showed that games can not only entertain, but also tell (and show) stories no worse than cinema. At the same time, the Heymplaino project Hideo Kojima also did not hit the mud in the mud-there were not so many such thoughtful stealth explosives during the entire existence of the genre.

"Vananers"

We will admire the text there further "Space Rangers" , But so far there is only 1998 in the yard, and we will remember another domestic game of the Trader genre – "Wangers". The principle here is about the same: an open card, I bought it, I sold it there; took the quest, completed, received a reward. But everything happens in real time, instead of spaceships here-mechanical machines, instead of interplanetary vacuum-completely crazy worlds with a complex landscape, instead of money-skins of bug-bibs, which can be simply crushed with wheels, collecting capital ..

The engine here is the station, which, firstly, means even by this time not outdated graphics, and secondly, the total destruction of everything and the whole. And finally, the most important thing is a setting that is simply nothing to compare with, except with the Soviet film "Kin-dza-dza" , where there is also your invented language and a set of laws.

For example, in the world of the foster, you need to carry Nimbos to the incubator, and then deliver phlegm to the hollow, it would be nice to win the elim, until the chain has come, and to conquer the location of the finger, it is worth bringing it to the bodies. Nothing is clear? And the cunning Wanger knows all this by heart. The “Wangers” should join at least for the sake of slang – to know how to react if you are called Raffe. Well, the gameplay here is no less protracting than in the same "Rangers".

Mention are worthy

Resident Evil 2

The continuation of the almost brilliant horror Shinji Mikami changed his mood (instead of the mansion in the traditions of Sweet Home – the police station and the plot of American horror), but it remains true to its own traditions. Even more zombies. Umbrella corporation. Riddles.

Dune 2000

In the late 90s, there were enough strategies for everyone. Dune 2000 In this row-this is like a fan of punk rock, digging a time machine and set off straight to the Ramones concert. The game was so much like Dune 2 that critics did not leave a stone from it on a stone. But the gamers remembered.

Thief: The Dark Project

One of the best stealth explosives in history and the perfect weyeurist simulator with a very caustic sense of humor. Master Garrett – Robin Hood, whom we deserve. Robs bad people in order to transfer financial assets to needing. That is, for yourself. Renting an apartment in a fantasy city will not pay itself, you know.

Need for Speed ​​3: Hot Pursuit

Once the races were just sports, winding endless circles on the track. And then the police were connected to the case, and it immediately became ten times more fun. Now we are not just chasing ahead, for the sake of the cherished numbers at a stopwatch and a place on the pedestal – we are still fleeing the law enforcement officers who dream of slapting us a fine. The rates have grown, and with them the level of adrenaline. Thank you Hot Pursuit For the most acute racing sensations of our childhood.

Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now

Second Carmageddon At one time, they openly reproached for crooked management and imbalance, but this is the last game in a scandalous series that does not cause disgust. In addition, in honest (albeit angular) 3D.

To be continued…

Authors: Alexander Pushkar, Gleb is a free, Svetlana Nelipa, Alexey Pilipchuk, Sergey Zhigaltsev, Denis Pavlushkin, Dmitry Shepelev, Evgeny Peklo

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