Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,400 most recommended games across 920 critic lists from 146 publications.

Updated: October 16, 2026

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 1997

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39 of 39

Final Fantasy VII

#1 Final Fantasy VII (1997) (#16)

Square Product Development Division 1 | PS | Role-Playing | ~36h | 85 lists

GoldenEye 007

#2 GoldenEye 007 (1997) (#34)

Rare | N64 | First-Person Shooter | ~8h | 83 lists

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

#3 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) (#36)

Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo | SAT, PS | Action RPG / Metroidvania | ~8h | 68 lists

Final Fantasy Tactics

#4 Final Fantasy Tactics (1997) (#124)

Square Product Development Division 4 | PS | Tactical RPG | ~39h | 29 lists

Gran Turismo

#5 Gran Turismo (1997) (#182)

Polyphony Digital | PS | Racing | ~22h | 23 lists

Tekken 3

#6 Tekken 3 (1997) (#204)

Namco | ARC, PS | Beat 'em Up / Fighting | ~2h | 27 lists

Fallout

#7 Fallout (1997) (#210)

Black Isle Studios | 3 | Role-Playing | ~16h | 19 lists

Ultima Online

#8 Ultima Online (1997) (#245)

Origin Systems | WIN, LIN | MMORPG | ~77h | 18 lists

Diablo

#9 Diablo (1997) (#252)

Blizzard North | MAC, WIN | Action RPG | ~14h | 20 lists

Star Fox 64 / Lylat Wars

#10 Star Fox 64 / Lylat Wars (1997) (#272)

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development | N64 | Shooter | ~2h | 25 lists

Street Fighter III

#11 Street Fighter III (1997) (#298)

Capcom | ARC, DC | Fighting | ~42m | 11 lists

Age of Empires

#12 Age of Empires (1997) (#332)

Ensemble Studios | WIN | Real-Time Strategy | ~22h | 14 lists

Total Annihilation

#13 Total Annihilation (1997) (#384)

Cavedog Entertainment | MAC, WIN | Real-Time Strategy | ~22h | 10 lists

Quake II

#14 Quake II (1997) (#385)

Hammerhead, id Software | MAC, WIN | First-Person Shooter | ~7h | 13 lists

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II

#15 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (1997) (#416)

LucasArts | WIN | First-Person Shooter / Third-Person Shooter | ~9h | 11 lists

Grand Theft Auto

#16 Grand Theft Auto (1997) (#504)

DMA Design | DOS, WIN, PS | Action-Adventure | ~14h | 9 lists

Tomb Raider II

#17 Tomb Raider II (1997) (#523)

Core Design | MAC, WIN, PS | Action-Adventure | ~16h | 11 lists

Dungeon Keeper

#18 Dungeon Keeper (1997) (#560)

Bullfrog Productions | DOS, WIN | Management Simulation / Real-Time Strategy / God Game | ~17h | 8 lists

FIFA: Road to World Cup 98

#19 FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 (1997) (#621)

EA Canada, Extended Play Productions | WIN, PS, N64 | Football (Association) / Sports | ~15h | 6 lists

The Curse of Monkey Island

#20 The Curse of Monkey Island (1997) (#631)

LucasArts | WIN | Point-and-Click | ~8h | 7 lists

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

#21 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee (1997) (#644)

Oddworld Inhabitants | DOS, WIN, PS | Platform | ~13h | 10 lists

Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter

#22 Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter (1997) (#735)

Totally Games | WIN | Space Combat | ~14h | 5 lists

Shining Force III

#23 Shining Force III (1997) (#740)

Camelot Software Planning | SAT | Tactical RPG | ~34h | 4 lists

Riven: The Sequel to Myst

#24 Riven: The Sequel to Myst (1997) (#777)

Cyan Worlds | MAC, WIN, SAT, PS | Point-and-Click | ~9h | 4 lists

Blast Corps

#25 Blast Corps (1997) (#844)

Rare | N64 | Action / Puzzle | ~8h | 10 lists

Myth: The Fallen Lords

#26 Myth: The Fallen Lords (1997) (#854)

Bungie | MAC, WIN | Real-Time Tactics | ~15h | 4 lists

The Last Express

#27 The Last Express (1997) (#859)

Smoking Car Productions | 3 | Adventure | ~7h | 3 lists

Blade Runner

#28 Blade Runner (1997) (#877)

Westwood Studios | WIN | Point-and-Click | ~7h | 5 lists

Blood

#29 Blood (1997) (#1142)

Monolith Productions | DOS | First-Person Shooter | ~10h | 2 lists

Beatmania

#30 Beatmania (1997) (#1149)

Konami | ARC | Music | 3 lists

International Superstar Soccer Pro 98

#31 International Superstar Soccer Pro 98 (1997) (#1152)

KCE | PS | Sports | ~19h | 3 lists

Theme Hospital

#32 Theme Hospital (1997) (#1160)

Bullfrog Productions | DOS, WIN, PS | Simulation | ~27h | 4 lists

X-COM: Apocalypse

#33 X-COM: Apocalypse (1997) (#1220)

Mythos Games | DOS, WIN | Strategy / Real-Time Tactics | ~32h | 3 lists

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

#34 Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (1997) (#1231)

Namco | PS | Platform | ~4h | 2 lists

DoDonPachi

#35 DoDonPachi (1997) (#1233)

CAVE Interactive | ARC, SAT, PS | Shooter | ~30m | 2 lists

Bushido Blade

#36 Bushido Blade (1997) (#1240)

Light Weight | PS | Fighting | ~1h | 2 lists

Bomberman 64

#37 Bomberman 64 (1997) (#1256)

Hudson Soft | N64 | Action-Adventure | ~4h | 3 lists

Worms 2

#38 Worms 2 (1997) (#1378)

Team17 | WIN | Strategy | ~10h | 2 lists

Tobal 2

#39 Tobal 2 (1997) (#1385)

DreamFactory | PS | Fighting | ~1h | 2 lists

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