BAFTA’s recent public poll has crowned Yu Suzuki’s Shenmue as The Most Influential Video Game of All Time. This surprising result has ignited a fervent discussion, with fans and detractors alike debating the game’s enduring legacy.
A Dreamcast Classic Redefined
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Shenmue was praised for its innovative open-world approach, detailed settings, and narrative complexity that set new standards for interactive storytelling. Yu Suzuki’s vision of Yokosuka is celebrated as an astonishingly vivid portrayal of real-life Japan, influencing countless developers in the years since.
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Shenmue was also notable for introducing Quick Time Events (QTEs), a mechanic that has since become ubiquitous across various genres of video games.
The Top 21 List Unveiled
Joining Shenmue at the top of BAFTA’s countdown were classics like:
- Doom - Pioneering 3D shooter and genre-defining work
- Super Mario Bros. - Establishing a blueprint for modern platformers
- Half-Life - Innovations in narrative integration, a hallmark of first-person shooters
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - One of the most revered games ever made for its gameplay and storytelling
A Mixed Reception Amongst Fans
While many consider Shenmue an epochal achievement, some critique it for its awkward controls and clunky dialogue. However, over time, these aspects have often been viewed as part of the game’s charm rather than hindrances.
What do you make of the BAFTA’s choice? Is Shenmue truly the most influential video game ever created? What game would you put at the top of the list?
I feel like this list has some games that are too new to put on a “most influential” list. Let’s give it at least a few years to see how Baldur’s Gate 3 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 influence the industry.
On the other end, how is Rogue not on the list? The number of games calling themselves “roguelikes” or “roguelites” has been ballooning every year for the better part of a decade now, and some of its ideas have found their way into other genres, especially the use of procedurally generated level layouts.
Edit: Ohhhhh the poll methodology was to ask people to pick one game, and then they sorted them by popularity. So even though I think Rogue is definitely a top-20-most-influential game, it’s harder to argue for it being top 1. But… that makes it even crazier that KCD2 is on the list. A significant number of people voted for KCD2 as “THE most influential game of all time”? It just came out!
Any poll that asks the general public to pick something is inevitably going to turn into a popularity contest, irrespective of its original intent.
I wholeheartedly agree with Rogue. As far as “New” games that are the most influential, my vote goes to Vampire Survivors.