Most Epic Games Of All Time

Video games as a medium cover a whole range of styles, topics, visuals, and themes, some focusing more on the pure gameplay side of things and others on delivering a narrative experience that can rival Hollywood. However, there are a few games that manage to effectively tick off every box possible, nailing the aesthetics, having a perfect story, and a stellar gameplay loop that ensures players are both physically and emotionally invested from start to finish.

But above all else, these titles manage to capture truly legendary moments where players are fighting against godlike threats, galloping across a breathtaking landscape, or simply taking a break to appreciate the absurdity of the world and their place in it. Those epic moments can be few and far between in the best of games, yet there are plenty of examples where players are hooked from start to finish, being constantly thrown into action, and presented with incredible scenes that defy all logic and bring the virtual world closer than ever before.

10

BioShock Infinite

An Entire City In The Skies

Details:

• Non-stop action and incredible environments
• Unique setting truly in a world of its own

BioShock Infinite takes the franchise in a completely different direction, replacing the gloomy underwater setting with a glorious city in the skies that has just as much character and energy. Players start their journey with very little information, and that theme continues right up until the final chapter, as all the pieces come together and the true roles of Booker and Elizabeth finally become apparent.

Where the game truly shines is with the level design and the world-building. Columbia is one of the most striking environments ever created, and players don’t just get to walk around it on foot, but they can zipline across giant gaps and jump between aircraft, all whilst appreciating the grandeur of the city behind them. It genuinely feels like a movie at times with the level of action and intensity, and it is a must-play for virtually any gamer of any age.

9

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

The Best Sci-Fi Has To Offer

Details:

• Epic narrative told across several games
• Blockbuster-level shots

The Mass Effect trilogy remains one of gaming’s most expansive sci-fi experiences, defined by long-term consequences and deeply personal stakes that span across all three games. From the moment the story begins, choices echo forward, shaping political outcomes, character fates, and the emotional tone of the galaxy itself in a way that few other franchises have managed to match.

Also, rather than being grand and epic purely due to the intergalactic war at hand, it also finds its greatness through the relationships built along the way and the continuity with which the narrative is told. Squadmates feel like comrades, not tools, and their stories intertwine naturally with the main conflict, ensuring that every moment feels important all the way until the end.

8

DOOM Eternal

Journeying To Hell And Back

Details:

• Fast-paced action throughout
• Insane backdrops straight out of mythology

DOOM Eternal transforms the end of the world into a perfectly tuned ballet of violence. Every arena is a test of movement and aggression, demanding constant attention from the player at all times, and the combat flows with perfect rhythm that creates a sense of momentum that is unlike anything else in the series.

It isn’t the longest game, but what it manages to accomplish in that play time is nothing but exceptional. The Doom Slayer is framed as a mythic force, tearing through hellish legions with godlike power, and there always seems to be another insane moment hiding just around the corner, even when things look like they have reached their limit.

7

NieR: Automata

Conquering Titans And Armies All At Once

Details:

• An incredible story told through several playthroughs
• Unreal action sequences right from the get-go

NieR: Automata tells an epic story without relying on traditional storytelling methods. Its ruined world feels small, lonely, and broken, yet the ideas it explores surrounding identity and purpose are vast, unfolding in layers over the course of not just one, but several different playthroughs.

From an emotional standpoint, the game is absolutely stellar, with multiple endings and fourth-wall-breaking moments that create a sense that the story transcends the screen. The soundtrack alone carries a huge amount of weight and allows both the action-heavy sequences and the more introspective ones to all hit just as hard, no matter how far into the story the player is.

6

God of War Ragnarök

As Close To Movie Action As It Gets

Details:

• Weighty combat encounters with plenty of mechanical demands
• Long cutscenes that feed directly into gameplay

Ragnarök delivers in just about every possible way in terms of spectacle and action, while never losing sight of its characters and their stories. The Norse apocalypse looms large, but the heart of the story lies in family, grief, and responsibility, as players follow Kratos’ journey from rage to restraint that gives the conflict an emotional gravity that was previously unseen in the character.

When it comes to the actual gameplay, the set pieces are massive, and the combat is beyond brutal, yet controlled to avoid getting overly messy or gimmicky. The reason the game works so well is how aware it is of the parallels between the epic mythology and the grounded nature of humanity, intertwining the two into a marriage of themes that fit together like a set of perfect puzzle pieces.

5

Black Myth: Wukong

Bringing Folklore To Life

Details:

• Legendary battles at all scales
• Combo sequences that flow directly into transformations

Black Myth: Wukong stands out in a pretty crowded RPG genre by transforming classical Chinese mythology into a visually staggering action epic. Every boss encounter feels like a legend incarnate, rooted in folklore rather than abstract fantasy, and the world itself is dense with symbolism and stories that feel ancient yet still unfolding before the player’s eyes.

Unlike other soulslikes/hack-n-slash games, it isn’t afraid to go into the realm of absurdity to ensure the myths truly come to life. There are moments where players will fly across the skies and others where they transform into a towering giant to conquer a fearsome foe, each feeling purposeful rather than forced into the narrative, and always delivering over-the-top and surprising fun whenever they show up.

4

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Surpassing Every Expectation Possible

Details:

• Stunning visuals in fights and the world
• Unbelievable storytelling and world-building

Clair Obscur is a game that is hard to describe without going off on a tangent over the course of several hours. First of all, there is the insane world setup that centers around a land where a giant Paintress slowly culls off progressively younger individuals year after year, and that concept alone is just insane enough to work effortlessly without even considering the rest of the story and gameplay.

When it comes to actually exploring and playing through the game, it is always a thrill ride whenever players enter a new area, as not only are the visuals simply sublime, but the action and soundtrack that accompany it work so beautifully together that it really feels like they are on this epic quest themselves. It’s no wonder the game has broken countless records and received hundreds of awards, and it is very clear that it is a title that will be remembered for generations to come.

3

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The World Is Yours To Explore

Details:

• Complete movement control
• Grand adventure with no force down one route

Breath of the Wild redefines epic scale by removing virtually all constraints from the player. Hyrule isn’t impressive because it’s dense with content, but because it trusts players to find meaning on their own terms, giving them all the tools to climb, glide, and gallop across the landscape, without ever telling them where to go.

The story is understated yet brilliant, and environmental storytelling replaces standard exposition, allowing the world itself to convey the heavier themes of loss and hope in the absence of words. The freedom to confront Ganon immediately or wander for dozens of hours is a perfect metaphor for describing just how freeing the game is, and it has easily revolutionized the way people and developers view open worlds, inspiring countless others to follow in its footsteps.

2

Red Dead Redemption 2

Beauty Barely Scratches The Surface

Details:

• Absurd graphical fidelity and attention to detail
• Living world full of activities and stories

Red Dead Redemption 2 is unrelenting in its commitment to detail and realism, painting the world as something that exists and is full of life despite being within the confines of a virtual plane. The collapse of the outlaw fantasy unfolds slowly, deliberately, and painfully, and Arthur Morgan’s journey mirrors the death of the Old West itself, giving the narrative a historical weight that is also incredibly personal at the same time.

The extent to which the world is alive is truly remarkable, from chance encounters to quiet moments by the fire, and it is incredibly easy to get lost within a few hours, as players are sucked into every main and minor story along their epic journey. Regardless of who the player is, it is hard not to give it the praise it deserves and to even make the claim that it is one of, if not the greatest, video game stories ever told.

1

Elden Ring

As Close To Perfection As It Gets

Details:

• New areas are discovered at every point in the playthrough
• Anything that can be seen can be reached

Elden Ring represents the pinnacle of 50 years’ worth of game design, condensed into a single experience that eclipses virtually every other title in the industry. The second player steps out into The Lands Between, and it is already clear they are in for a treat. It doesn’t take long for the world to reveal more of its insane scale and scope that extends far into the mountains and deep in the caverns below.

In typical FromSoftware fashion, the bosses are the main highlight, each delivering a different kind of fight that is always challenging and can easily turn into a beautiful dance of blades once the player is capable of truly fighting back. The fact that the game even exists is remarkable, and only time will tell if another open-world game, or any game for that matter, manages to dethrone the new king of the industry.