8. Diablo
Yes, Diablo II is far superior to the original, but it also came out in 2000, disqualifying it form this list. What’s remarkable about the first Diablo game is that, even though it’s a really simple action RPG, with three basic classes and far less loot than the many games it would inspire, it’s still incredibly fun and addictive.
A lot of it is the setting. The dark, foreboding atmosphere of Diablo has always helped set it apart, and made it a fan favorite from this very first release. Who knew that going to Hell could be so much fun?
7. Thief: The Dark Project
Thief is one of those games that made a lot of people completely rethink what could be accomplished in the medium. Sure, screenshots made this look like another first-person shooter (hardly an anomaly in the late ‘90s), but the actual stealth gameplay was far ahead of anything else on the market at the time. You didn’t want to confront enemies head on. Instead, the key to progressing was stealth, hiding in the shadows, and using distractions to your advantage.
These ideas went on to the influence other fan-favorite series, such as Hitman and Splinter Cell, and then appeared in all sorts of other genres as well to varying degrees of success. As hugely influential as Thief was, developer Looking Glass Studios went out of business in 2000, and later sequels from other developers didn’t have anywhere near the same impact or success as the first game.
6. Planescape: Torment
You might think that the original Baldur’s Gate would be on this list. Sure, that was a great CRPG from the ‘90s, but the lesser known Planescape: Torment actually runs circles around it when it comes to setting and gameplay, even if the two titles share a lot of similarities and even run on the same basic engine.
Planescape: Torment is just a much more unique game, exploring some of the darker, more bizarre worlds of Dungeons & Dragons. The reduced emphasis on combat was a welcome new approach for the genre, especially considering just how well-written every last line of dialogue is, and how many different directions the story can go in.
