TEKKEN 7
RELEASED 2017 | LAST POSITION NewMollie: I’ve played my fair share of
fighting games over the years, but few
have kept me coming back in the way
Tekken 7 does. Every hit, block and
sidestep feel so intensely satisfying to me.
Couple that with a banging soundtrack,
cinematic ultimate moves and a heart-
pounding dramatic slow-mo cam, and
every match feels like a full-blown
theatrical performance.
Though I still lament the lack of
Christie Monteiro in the game, the roster
is solid. Lucky Chloe has quickly become
a series favourite for me, and wild DLC
characters like The Walking Dead’s
Negan and Final Fantasy XV’s Noctis justwork somehow. Tekken 7 is easily the
best 3D fighter out there right now, and my
favourite fighting game in recent memory.
Graeme: Tekken 7 is an easy fighting
game Hall of Fame contender, but it’s also
a love letter to long-term fans, tying-up the
soap opera in perfect melodramatic
fashion. As we’re introduced to Kazumi
Mishima, wife to Hahatchi, she instructs
Akuma from Street Fighter (yeah) to kill
her husband if she fails to do it herself.
Also Yoshimitsu is an alien, I guess?
The bombastic combat is what makes
Tekken so addictive, but it’s the series’
unflinching commitment to lore and
personalities that makes me love it.74
76
CAVES
OF QUD
RELEASED 2015 | LAST POSITION 59Steven: A near-perfect middle ground
between the daunting complexity of classic
roguelikes and the mind-boggling Dwarf
Fortress. It’s also the weirdest RPG I’ve
ever played. Sentient beanstalks, tinker
bears, space-time paradoxes, fungal
infections – it’s almost impossible to
describe. Each new game, an entire world
(with its own cultures and history) is
generated, and you can play as anything
from a desert nomad to a cybernetically
enhanced half-man-half-tank. Just play it.75
THE ELDER SCROLLS
V: SKYRIM
RELEASED 2011 | LAST POSITION 60Harry: A decade on, The Elder Scrolls V is
a fixture in the PC gaming consciousness.
Skyrim slips down the Top 100 again this
year, and The Forgotten City, based on a
Skyrim mod, has just come out, providing
competition for next year’s list.
Jody: In my current playthrough I have my
own museum, a chainsword, and fabulous
hair. The Special Edition means Skyrim
handles ridiculous mod loads without
instability. It’s better than ever. I’ll be tired
of Skyrim when I’m tired of life.77
WARHAMMER:
VERMINTIDE IIRELEASED 2018 | LAST POSITION 74
Robin: The leading light
of Left 4 Dead’s many
imitators, trading guns and
zombies for rich melee
combat and a wonderfully
well-realised take on the
horror and humour of the
Warhammer Fantasy
setting. The new (free)
Chaos Wastes expansion
is a treat, too – a wild,
co-op roguelike mode
that’s full of surprises.
78
HOMEWORLD
REMASTERED
COLLECTION
RELEASED 2015 | LAST POSITION 85
Nat: Homeworld’s tragic
space opera is timeless,
but its original release is
a little less so. Thankfully,
the Remastered Collection
is still a fantastic way to
experience a truly singular
spacefaring RTS – one that
has attracted a healthy
modding scene that means
you can recreate fleet
battles from Star Trek to
Mass Effect.
79
VALORANTRELEASED 2020 | LAST POSITION 94
Evan: Replicating the
weapons, map philosophy,
and beautiful rhythm of
Counter-Strike is some
scientific accomplishment.
Valorant is its own game,
though, with meaningful
technical advancements
(it’ll give you 90 fps on a
graphing calculator) and
magical character abilities
that let you and your
opponent compete for
precious positioning.
The Top 100
FE ATURE