IGN Best Videogame of All Time Bracket

[hanselthecaretaker]

God of War Is the Winner of IGN’s Best Video Game of All Time Bracket - IGN

After 26,604,825 votes and a challenging battle through a gauntlet of 64 of the most legendary games ever created, (the fans have spoken, and here are the results). 2018’s God of War has risen above them all to become the champion of IGN’s Best Video Game of All Time Bracket.

www.ign.com

It’s in the second round of voting now.

 

[Bedinsis]

And already in this bracket you can tell the folly of tournaments such as these: it's comparing apples to oranges meaning the final result will not be reflective of very much at all.

Seriously, they're pitting Tetris against Bloodborne? What one votes for there is more reflective of what kind of game one likes, not which game which actually is better.

 

[BrawlMan]

Not wasting my time for any of those pieces of shit. No clicks, no nothing. Not worth the thread.

 

[Chimpzy]

Lol, Half-Life 2 actually lost to Rise of the Tomb Raider. Not by much, but still.

 

[laggyteabag]

Apex Legends is currently up against Titanfall 2.

Titanfall 2 is winning 3:1

I feel validated

Lol, Half-Life 2 actually lost to Rise of the Tomb Raider. Not by much, but still.

I've never even played Half-Life 2, but even I know that this result is objectively incorrect.

 

[Hawki]

Well, you guys are a bunch of old grumps.

I've never even played Half-Life 2, but even I know that this result is objectively incorrect.

As someone who HAS played Half-Life 2, you're not missing out on much.

 

[Gordon_4]

Well surely the result of this will be utterly uncontroversial and not at all make this thread descend into a slanging match. Provided it generates enough interest to go beyond these few posts.

 

[AnxietyProne]

What the f....

Doom 93...ya know, an insanely influential game that was so relevant and played that it was getting banned in offices, elevated the careers of everyone involved with it for better or worse, and changed EVERYTHING on the scene, and it's getting beat by the fucking Witcher?!

Modern gamers, you can eat shit! Your moms are women of no virtue and your father's genetic origins are of serious question!

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Lol, Half-Life 2 actually lost to Rise of the Tomb Raider. Not by much, but still.

I wouldn't necessarily say that Half-Life 2 is the better game there.
Sure, it's extremely influential, and technically impressive for it's time, but it's also pretty dated, the shooting isn't actually very good, and there's quite a few levels that are straight up bad (like the fan-boat section).
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a less ambitious game that didn't really do anything new, but it's superior on a technical level and the level of quality is overall more even.
If I had to say which one I would rather play right now, probably Tomb Raider, though Half-Life 2 unquestionably has had a much greater influence on gaming as a whole whereas Rise of the Tomb Raider will probably mostly be forgotten in 10 years time (I actually had to double check which game from the new Tomb Raider trilogy that actually was).

 

[Hawki]

I wouldn't necessarily say that Half-Life 2 is the better game there.
Sure, it's extremely influential, and technically impressive for it's time, but it's also pretty dated, the shooting isn't actually very good, and there's quite a few levels that are straight up bad (like the fan-boat section).
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a less ambitious game that didn't really do anything new, but it's superior on a technical level and the level of quality is overall more even.
If I had to say which one I would rather play right now, probably Tomb Raider, though Half-Life 2 unquestionably has had a much greater influence on gaming as a whole whereas Rise of the Tomb Raider will probably mostly be forgotten in 10 years time (I actually had to double check which game from the new Tomb Raider trilogy that actually was).

So, sorry, but what exactly did Half-Life 2 influence?

I'll take it as writ that HL1 pioneered storytelling in FPS games, fine, fair enough, but HL2? Consider, for instance, that Modern Warfare came out in 2007 and influenced the entire genre (whether for good or ill is another matter). HL2 though? I'm not sure what influence it could be said to have.

 

[Chimpzy]

I wouldn't necessarily say that Half-Life 2 is the better game there.
Sure, it's extremely influential, and technically impressive for it's time, but it's also pretty dated, the shooting isn't actually very good, and there's quite a few levels that are straight up bad (like the fan-boat section).
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a less ambitious game that didn't really do anything new, but it's superior on a technical level and the level of quality is overall more even.
If I had to say which one I would rather play right now, probably Tomb Raider, though Half-Life 2 unquestionably has had a much greater influence on gaming as a whole whereas Rise of the Tomb Raider will probably mostly be forgotten in 10 years time (I actually had to double check which game from the new Tomb Raider trilogy that actually was).

Yeah, I also had to look up whether Rise was the second or third game.

That's why I thought it was funny it beat HL2. Not because I think HL2 is necessarily the better game, but because in matchups like these, the most popular game with the most vaunted reputation usually wins. And HL2 is way up there, whereas Rise is just ... not. I haven't seen it get much or any discussion, clamoring for sequels, or inclusion in usermade 'best of' lists.

 

[McElroy]

So, sorry, but what exactly did Half-Life 2 influence?

The indisputable dominance of the PC FPS that had been overtaken by Halo. The technical prowess of the Source engine which would continue to stick around until the early 2010s.

OT: These were always ridiculous.

 

[Hawki]

The indisputable dominance of the PC FPS that had been overtaken by Halo. The technical prowess of the Source engine which would continue to stick around until the early 2010s.

Can't say I agree.

I disagree that there was a dominance of FPS on consoles with Halo, but bear in mind that Halo 2 came out the same year as Half-Life 2. Halo 2 is generally regarded as the superior game, especially when it came to multiplayer. Also, even if HL2 broke Halo's supposed dominance on the market, the market swung in yet another direction with Modern Warfare, both in terms of mechanics and presentation. So that's a dominance of about three years.

Also, the Source engine - that seems to be more about the Source engine rather than Half-Life 2 itself. Doom 3 debuted Id Tech 4 for instance, that doesn't increase Doom 3's level of influence in of itself.

 

[McElroy]

snip

I'd count all other Valve's Source engine projects as direct continuation from HL2. Comparing HL2's mp to Halo 2 is stupid anyways, because the former was first and foremost a single player game while MS wanted Halo 2 to be a killer app for XBox Live back then. Id Tech 4 wasn't very influential afaik. edit: Of course, Dead Space took a lot from HL2 (and RE4).

 

[Hawki]

I'd count all other Valve's Source engine projects as direct continuation from HL2. Comparing HL2's mp to Halo 2 is stupid anyways, because the former was first and foremost a single player game while MS wanted Halo 2 to be a killer app for XBox Live back then. Id Tech 4 wasn't very influential afaik. edit: Of course, Dead Space took a lot from HL2 (and RE4).

Should have made myself clearer, I was comparing H2's multiplayer to H1's.

Also not sure what Dead Space took from HL2. Mute protagonist with people talking on TV screens?

 

[McElroy]

Also not sure what Dead Space took from HL2. Mute protagonist with people talking on TV screens?

I thought your trivia-filled brain would pick that sort of things up automatically. Semi-realistic sci-fi shooter in which you use the environment to your advantage. That's the baseline and the similarities rack up from there.

 

[Hawki]

I thought your trivia-filled brain

Not sure if that's a compliment or an insult...

would pick that sort of things up automatically. Semi-realistic sci-fi shooter in which you use the environment to your advantage. That's the baseline and the similarities rack up from there.

Well, you'll have to lay on a lot of similarities, because I think that's stretching it.

Dead Space and Half-Life 2 are both sci-fi, but are very different. HL2 takes place entirely on Earth in the 21st century, and if it fits a genre, is arguably post-apocalyptic. Dead Space takes place in the 26th century, takes place entirely in space (or on an alien planet at the end), and is sci-fi horror.

As for the environment to your advantage...I guess? Maybe? But the experience of using the gravity gun and kinesis modules are pretty different IMO, not to mention that Dead Space's physics aren't as dynamic, while on the other hand, you can use the modules for a lot more.

I'll buy that Dead Space has influences from stuff like RE4, Alien, and System Shock, but Half-Life? Disagree, I'm afraid.

 

[McElroy]

Dead Space and Half-Life 2 are both sci-fi, but are very different. HL2 takes place entirely on Earth in the 21st century, and if it fits a genre, is arguably post-apocalyptic. Dead Space takes place in the 26th century, takes place entirely in space (or on an alien planet at the end), and is sci-fi horror.

This is where the disagreement stems from. To me these are similarities. The gravity gun and kinesis module are literally the same thing with different animations to me while you consider them "pretty different". Both games have silent science-guys in power armor using improvised weaponry to kill body horror aliens. There are differences in flavor, because these pieces must look apart and stand on their own, but there are similarities in general ideas.

All in all it's a very "Hawkish" way of looking at media as I see you do time and time again. Like, I don't get anything from that when talking about X having an influence on Y. You could make a list of differences between Free Guy and The Truman Show and come to the conclusion the latter didn't influence the former.

 

[BrawlMan]

I'd count all other Valve's Source engine projects as direct continuation from HL2. Comparing HL2's mp to Halo 2 is stupid anyways, because the former was first and foremost a single player game while MS wanted Halo 2 to be a killer app for XBox Live back then. Id Tech 4 wasn't very influential afaik. edit: Of course, Dead Space took a lot from HL2 (and RE4).

Dead Space is basically System Shock 2 in third person as well.

 

[Chimpzy]

@Hawki @McElroy
Dead Space was inspired by Half-Life 2. Fairly minor, but it is there. There might be other HL2 inspirations too, but unconfirmed afaik.