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Best games of 1998
The 34 best games released in 1998, ranked from 15,621 critic and player ratings.
The best game of 1998 is Half-Life, with a critic score of 96/100 — updated août 2026.
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
Metal Gear Solid
94
/100
03
Sanitarium
A psychological horror point-and-click adventure game in which a man wakes up in a near-deserted sanitarium after a car crash without any recollection of who he is or how he got there.
92
/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
Metal Gear Solid
94
/100
03
Sanitarium
A psychological horror point-and-click adventure game in which a man wakes up in a near-deserted sanitarium after a car crash without any recollection of who he is or how he got there.
92
/100
04
Thief: The Dark Project
92
/100
05
S
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the fifth main installment of The Legend of Zelda series and the first to be released for the Nintendo 64. It was one of the most highly anticipated games of its age, and is listed among the greatest video games ever created by numerous websites and magazines. The gameplay of Ocarina of Time was revolutionary for its time, it has arguably made more of an impact on later games in the series than any of its predecessors even though they had the same cores of exploration, dungeons, puzzles and item usage. Among the gameplay mechanics, one of the most noteworthy is the time-traveling system. The game begins with the player controlling the child Link, but later on an adult Link becomes a playable character as well and each of them has certain unique abilities. Ocarina of Time also introduces the use of music to solve puzzles: as new songs are learned, they can be used to solve puzzles, gain access to new areas and warp to different locations. Dungeon exploration is somewhat more puzzle-oriented than in earlier games but they are not too complex.
92
/100
06
Baldur's Gate
91
/100
07
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
08
Fallout 2
A turn-based tactical Western RPG in which the Chosen One is tasked with exploring post-nuclear California to locate and retrieve the fabled Garden of Eden Creation Kit for their famine-stricken tribe, while coming into contact through branching dialogue trees with numerous tribes, factions and micro-civilizations, each with their own virtues, vices, socioeconomic situations and political agendas.
89
/100
09
Railroad Tycoon II
89
/100
10
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX is an updated re-release of Link's Awakening with several new additions, the most notable of which being the entire game is now in color.
89
/100
11
StarCraft
88
/100
12
Need for Speed 3: Hot Pursuit
88
/100
13
Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom
88
/100
14
Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
87
/100
15
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
87
/100
16
Fallout 2
86
/100
17
The Adventures of Alundra
86
/100
18
Grim Fandango
86
/100
19
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
85
/100
20
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines
84
/100
21
Xenogears (1998)
84
/100
22
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
84
/100
23
Suikoden II
82
/100
24
Parasite Eve
81
/100
25
Metal Gear Solid
80
/100
26
Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition
80
/100
27
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
80
/100
28
Mario Party
79
/100
29
Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit
79
/100
30
MediEvil
78
/100
31
Populous: The Beginning
75
/100
32
Pokémon Trading Card Game
74
/100
33
SoulCalibur
60
/100
34
Sonic Adventure
55
/100
Thief: The Dark Project
92
/100
05
S
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the fifth main installment of The Legend of Zelda series and the first to be released for the Nintendo 64. It was one of the most highly anticipated games of its age, and is listed among the greatest video games ever created by numerous websites and magazines. The gameplay of Ocarina of Time was revolutionary for its time, it has arguably made more of an impact on later games in the series than any of its predecessors even though they had the same cores of exploration, dungeons, puzzles and item usage. Among the gameplay mechanics, one of the most noteworthy is the time-traveling system. The game begins with the player controlling the child Link, but later on an adult Link becomes a playable character as well and each of them has certain unique abilities. Ocarina of Time also introduces the use of music to solve puzzles: as new songs are learned, they can be used to solve puzzles, gain access to new areas and warp to different locations. Dungeon exploration is somewhat more puzzle-oriented than in earlier games but they are not too complex.
92
/100
06
Baldur's Gate
91
/100
07
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
08
Fallout 2
A turn-based tactical Western RPG in which the Chosen One is tasked with exploring post-nuclear California to locate and retrieve the fabled Garden of Eden Creation Kit for their famine-stricken tribe, while coming into contact through branching dialogue trees with numerous tribes, factions and micro-civilizations, each with their own virtues, vices, socioeconomic situations and political agendas.
89
/100
09
Railroad Tycoon II
89
/100
10
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX is an updated re-release of Link's Awakening with several new additions, the most notable of which being the entire game is now in color.
89
/100
11
StarCraft
88
/100
12
Need for Speed 3: Hot Pursuit
88
/100
13
Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom
88
/100
14
Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
87
/100
15
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
87
/100
16
Fallout 2
86
/100
17
The Adventures of Alundra
86
/100
18
Grim Fandango
86
/100
19
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
85
/100
20
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines
84
/100
21
Xenogears (1998)
84
/100
22
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
84
/100
23
Suikoden II
82
/100
24
Parasite Eve
81
/100
25
Metal Gear Solid
80
/100
26
Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition
80
/100
27
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
80
/100
28
Mario Party
79
/100
29
Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit
79
/100
30
MediEvil
78
/100
31
Populous: The Beginning
75
/100
32
Pokémon Trading Card Game
74
/100
33
SoulCalibur
60
/100
34
Sonic Adventure
55
/100
FAQ
What is the best game of 1998?
Half-Life currently tops the ranking with a score of 96/100 across 2,448 ratings. Ranking updated août 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.