Best games
Best Dreamcast games of 1998
The 8 best Dreamcast games released in 1998, ranked from 3,902 critic and player ratings.
The best Dreamcast game of 1998 is Half-Life, with a critic score of 96/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 1998.
- 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 3,902 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 29 September 2026.
Top 8
01
Half-Life
Half-Life is a 1998 first-person shooter (FPS) game developed by Valve Corporation and published by Sierra Studios for Windows. It was Valve's debut product and the first game in the Half-Life series. The player assumes the role of Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist who must escape from the Black Mesa Research Facility after it is overrun by aliens following a disastrous scientific experiment. Its gameplay consists of diverse combat, exploration and puzzles.
96
/100
02
A
Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Resident Evil 2 is a sequel to the first Resident Evil title. Like the previous game in the series, Resident Evil 2 is a 3D action-adventure using three-dimensional polygon characters over two-dimensional pre-rendered backgrounds, with the action viewed through a variety of cinematic fixed camera angles in each room. Players can choose to play as one of two possible characters; each goes through the same initial scenario but with differences in the type of weaponry they find and the people they meet along the way.
90
/100
03
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes is the fifth Marvel Comics-licensed fighting game by Capcom and the third game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. In contrast to X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, the game features characters from numerous Capcom franchises such as Mega Man and Strider, rather than just Street Fighter characters. The game takes place within the Marvel comic continuity, as Professor Charles Xavier calls out for heroes to stop him before he merges with the consciousness of Magneto and becomes the being known as Onslaught, the final boss.
90
/100
Half-Life
Half-Life is a 1998 first-person shooter (FPS) game developed by Valve Corporation and published by Sierra Studios for Windows. It was Valve's debut product and the first game in the Half-Life series. The player assumes the role of Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist who must escape from the Black Mesa Research Facility after it is overrun by aliens following a disastrous scientific experiment. Its gameplay consists of diverse combat, exploration and puzzles.
96
/100
02
A
Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Resident Evil 2 is a sequel to the first Resident Evil title. Like the previous game in the series, Resident Evil 2 is a 3D action-adventure using three-dimensional polygon characters over two-dimensional pre-rendered backgrounds, with the action viewed through a variety of cinematic fixed camera angles in each room. Players can choose to play as one of two possible characters; each goes through the same initial scenario but with differences in the type of weaponry they find and the people they meet along the way.
90
/100
03
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes is the fifth Marvel Comics-licensed fighting game by Capcom and the third game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. In contrast to X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, the game features characters from numerous Capcom franchises such as Mega Man and Strider, rather than just Street Fighter characters. The game takes place within the Marvel comic continuity, as Professor Charles Xavier calls out for heroes to stop him before he merges with the consciousness of Magneto and becomes the being known as Onslaught, the final boss.
90
/100
04
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
A combination of explosive action and real-life strategy! The most revolutionary action/strategy game of its kind. Nothing comes closer to offering an exciting combination of strategy, team-building, realistic three-dimensional graphics and true-to-life special forces action. The ultimate goal is to save yourself and the world from deadly terrorists. You must successfully complete 17 unique missions. If you die, the game isn't over. The World is.
85
/100
05
Railroad Tycoon II
89
/100
06
Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998)
Street Fighter Alpha 3 is the third game in the Street Fighter Alpha series. It features a complete gameplay overhaul with the addition of three selectable fighting styles, new stages, over seven new and returning characters and an exclusive soundtrack. The game's illustrations, select screens, soundtrack and sound effects all have a similar style to the Final Fight series, unlike the previous games.
80
/100
07
SoulCalibur
SoulCalibur is a weapon-based 3D fighting game developed by Project Soul and produced by Namco. It is the second game in the Soul series, preceded by Soul Edge (1996). Originally released in arcades in 1998, it ran on the Namco System 12 hardware. In 1999 it was ported to the Dreamcast with improved graphics and new features. The North American version was released in September 1999 as a launch title for the Dreamcast and was part of the successful launch of the new console. It became available as a downloadable title on Xbox 360's Xbox Live Marketplace in 2008. The title brought many innovations to the fighting game genre that include a heavy emphasis on weapons and a unique eight-way movement system. Soulcalibur is widely regarded as one of the best Dreamcast titles and is one of the most critically acclaimed fighting games of all time.
60
/100
08
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure is a 3D platformer video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The player can control six characters from the Sonic universe, each with their own gameplay and point of view of the story. The game is divided up into two types of levels: Action Stages and Adventure Fields. The division of Action Stages and Adventure Fields are a serious departure from all previous Sonic games. Adventure Fields are non-linear game stages that contain very few items, generally designed for puzzle solving, exploration and plot advancement. Action Stages are more speed based and have Rings scattered in them. Sonic Adventure was the top-selling Dreamcast game and received a sequel in 2001, marking the 10th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
55
/100
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
A combination of explosive action and real-life strategy! The most revolutionary action/strategy game of its kind. Nothing comes closer to offering an exciting combination of strategy, team-building, realistic three-dimensional graphics and true-to-life special forces action. The ultimate goal is to save yourself and the world from deadly terrorists. You must successfully complete 17 unique missions. If you die, the game isn't over. The World is.
85
/100
05
Railroad Tycoon II
89
/100
06
Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998)
Street Fighter Alpha 3 is the third game in the Street Fighter Alpha series. It features a complete gameplay overhaul with the addition of three selectable fighting styles, new stages, over seven new and returning characters and an exclusive soundtrack. The game's illustrations, select screens, soundtrack and sound effects all have a similar style to the Final Fight series, unlike the previous games.
80
/100
07
SoulCalibur
SoulCalibur is a weapon-based 3D fighting game developed by Project Soul and produced by Namco. It is the second game in the Soul series, preceded by Soul Edge (1996). Originally released in arcades in 1998, it ran on the Namco System 12 hardware. In 1999 it was ported to the Dreamcast with improved graphics and new features. The North American version was released in September 1999 as a launch title for the Dreamcast and was part of the successful launch of the new console. It became available as a downloadable title on Xbox 360's Xbox Live Marketplace in 2008. The title brought many innovations to the fighting game genre that include a heavy emphasis on weapons and a unique eight-way movement system. Soulcalibur is widely regarded as one of the best Dreamcast titles and is one of the most critically acclaimed fighting games of all time.
60
/100
08
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure is a 3D platformer video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The player can control six characters from the Sonic universe, each with their own gameplay and point of view of the story. The game is divided up into two types of levels: Action Stages and Adventure Fields. The division of Action Stages and Adventure Fields are a serious departure from all previous Sonic games. Adventure Fields are non-linear game stages that contain very few items, generally designed for puzzle solving, exploration and plot advancement. Action Stages are more speed based and have Rings scattered in them. Sonic Adventure was the top-selling Dreamcast game and received a sequel in 2001, marking the 10th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
55
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Dreamcast game of 1998?
Half-Life currently tops the ranking with a score of 96/100 across 2,448 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.