15 Years of Gaming: Part 4 (1998)

1998

Compared to 1997, 98 was a relatively small year. But what it lacked in quantity, it more than made up for in quality. All four of these games have been called, rightfully so, the greatest and most influential in their respective genres, and three of them have legitimate claims on the mythical "Greatest Game of All Time" title. I'm not going to debate such a subjective argument, but I sincerely enjoyed all of these games, and they're all worth their nostalgia.

Starcraft
Release Date: March 31, 1998
Platform: PC/N64
ESRB: T
Developer/Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
GameRankings: 93%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 7.7/10 (Above Average)

 

 You know, I almost didn't put Starcraft on here, as big a game as it is. I never really got as into it as I did Blizzard's other two main series, Warcraft and Diablo. I blame my lack of a personal computer until 2005. Still, what I played of Starcraft was generally fantastic, if difficult. Plus, it's a big enough game to warrant a place on any list. According to Wikipedia, Starcraft is still one of the most popular online game in the world; it's practically a national sport in Korea.

Metal Gear Solid

Release Date: October 21, 1998.

Platform: PlayStation

ESRB Rating: M

Developer/Publisher: Konami

GameRankings: 93.75%

Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.1/10 (Great)

Alternate covers are the best covers...

Depending on who you ask, the Metal Gear Solid is either the most underrated series of all time, or an overblown cutscene fest full of incomprehensible dialogue. Honestly, it's both. The quasi-political intrigue and complex, self-referential under plot that muddles the plotlines of some of the future installments (looking at you, Sons of Liberty) isn't really present in the original, though. The first MGS is, simply put, a self-contained experience. While there are references to the original Metal Gear games, past experience with the series isn't really a need.

And despite all that, the game remains arguably the most positively challenging and engaging of the entire series.

Half-Life

Release Date: November 20, 1998.

Platform: PC (Later PS2)

ESRB Rating: M

Developer/Publisher: Valve/Sierra

GameRankings: 96%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.4/10 (Great)

 

While 1997's GoldenEye007 was an evolutionary step forward for multiplayer FPS, Half-Life was a revolutionary step forward for the single player experience, and for gaming as a whole. The game's use of scripted sequences added a level of cinematic flair that had not been seen in any game up to that time, forgoing the use of conventional cutscenes, a technique Valve still uses to great effect today. This decision ensures that the game's plot is seen entirely through the eyes of it's protagonist, Gordon Freeman, and adds a level of immersion that all first person games should strive for. 

The game's "boss" battles can hardly be called such, as such encounters are rarely one on one battles and more puzzle situations in which the player must destroy the enemy by using the surroundings. Finally, the game's plot, while obviously inspired by Area 51 and stories such as Stephen King's "The Mist," rarely, if ever, uses expository dialogue, ensuring that the overarching plot remains mysterious and enigmatic. The presence of the G-Man certainly helps with that.

There were two expansions to the original Half-Life, both illustrating the events at Black Mesa through the perspective of others, and while both are fun, neither is made by Valve, and neither really does anything better than the original. The added science puns (Opposing Force, Blue Shift) are neat, though. Still very much worth playing.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Release Date: November 21, 1998.

Platform: Nintendo 64

ESRB Rating: E

Developer/Publisher: Nintendo EAD

GameRankings: 97.48%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.3/10 (Great)

1998 was a pretty slow year for the Nintendo 64. Thankfully, the greatest game in the history of the system was released, saving it from being completely overrun by Sony's PlayStation. Ocarina of Time is, for my money, still the best 3D Zelda ever released, and one of the purest and most unfailingly fun games ever released. By "pure," I mean that no third party influenced it's design. It's unpretentious, and told with the kind of confidence and charm that only something truly great can do. This is not to say that it has no plot, just the opposite. It's such a beautifully simple game, boiled down to three basic characters engaged in an adventure that spans seven years and the entirety of Hyrule, which is one of gaming's most iconic and recognizable settings, even if it's different in every Zelda. No other series, with the possible exception of Final Fantasy, has achieved the longevity AND quality that the Zelda series has managed. And OoT is, in my opinion, the greatest of them all. Ocarina of Time is everything that is good about gaming.