Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,400 most recommended games across 913 critic lists from 142 publications.

Updated: March 25, 2026

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 1997

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39 of 39

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

Square Product Development Division 1 | PS | Role-Playing | ~36h | 82 lists

#2 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) (#32)

Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo | SAT , PS | Action RPG / Metroidvania | ~8h | 67 lists

#3 GoldenEye 007 (1997) (#34)

Rare | N64 | First-Person Shooter | ~8h | 79 lists

#4 Final Fantasy Tactics (1997) (#116)

Square Product Development Division 4 | PS | Tactical RPG | ~40h | 28 lists

#5 Gran Turismo (1997) (#176)

Polyphony Digital | PS | Racing | ~23h | 21 lists

#6 Tekken 3 (1997) (#202)

Namco | ARC , PS | Beat 'em Up / Fighting | ~2h | 26 lists

#7 Fallout (1997) (#205)

Black Isle Studios | 3 | Role-Playing | ~16h | 18 lists

#8 Ultima Online (1997) (#221)

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

#9 Diablo (1997) (#251)

Blizzard North | MAC, WIN | Action RPG | ~13h | 19 lists

#10 Star Fox 64 / Lylat Wars (1997) (#263)

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

#11 Street Fighter III (1997) (#278)

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

#12 Age of Empires (1997) (#314)

Ensemble Studios | WIN | Real-Time Strategy | ~21h | 14 lists

#13 Total Annihilation (1997) (#362)

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

#14 Quake II (1997) (#364)

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

#15 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (1997) (#397)

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

#16 Tomb Raider II (1997) (#508)

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

#17 Dungeon Keeper (1997) (#546)

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

#18 Grand Theft Auto (1997) (#568)

DMA Design | DOS, WIN , PS | Action-Adventure | ~14h | 8 lists

#19 FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 (1997) (#596)

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

#20 The Curse of Monkey Island (1997) (#610)

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

#21 Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter (1997) (#705)

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

#22 Shining Force III (1997) (#707)

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

#23 Riven: The Sequel to Myst (1997) (#752)

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

#24 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee (1997) (#782)

Oddworld Inhabitants | DOS, WIN , PS | Platform | ~13h | 9 lists

#25 Myth: The Fallen Lords (1997) (#827)

Bungie | MAC, WIN | Real-Time Tactics | ~16h | 4 lists

#26 Blast Corps (1997) (#828)

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

#27 The Last Express (1997) (#830)

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

#28 Blade Runner (1997) (#854)

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

#29 Beatmania (1997) (#1092)

Konami | ARC | 3 lists

#30 Blood (1997) (#1101)

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

#31 X-COM: Apocalypse (1997) (#1180)

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

#32 DoDonPachi (1997) (#1196)

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

#33 Bushido Blade (1997) (#1205)

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

#34 Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (1997) (#1213)

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

#35 Bomberman 64 (1997) (#1220)

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

#36 Theme Hospital (1997) (#1300)

Bullfrog Productions | DOS, WIN , PS | Simulation | ~27h | 3 lists

#37 Worms 2 (1997) (#1331)

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

#38 Tobal 2 (1997) (#1361)

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

#39 MDK (1997) (#1376)

Shiny Entertainment | 3 , PS | Third-Person Shooter | ~4h | 2 lists

#16

Square Product Development Division 1

Role-Playing

~36h

82 lists

Final Fantasy VII 1997

#32

Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo

PS, SAT

Action RPG / Metroidvania

~8h

67 lists

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 1997

#34

Rare

N64

First-Person Shooter

~8h

79 lists

GoldenEye 007 1997

#116

Square Product Development Division 4

Tactical RPG

~40h

28 lists

Final Fantasy Tactics 1997

#176

Polyphony Digital

Racing

~23h

21 lists

Gran Turismo 1997

#202

Namco

ARC, PS

Beat 'em Up / Fighting

~2h

26 lists

Tekken 3 1997

#205

Black Isle Studios

MAC, DOS, WIN

Role-Playing

~16h

18 lists

Fallout 1997

#221

Origin Systems

LIN, WIN

MMORPG

~77h

18 lists

Ultima Online 1997

#251

Blizzard North

MAC, WIN

Action RPG

~13h

19 lists

Diablo 1997

#10

#263

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development

N64

Shooter

~2h

25 lists

Star Fox 64 / Lylat Wars 1997

#11

#278

Capcom

ARC, DC

Fighting

~42m

11 lists

Street Fighter III 1997

#12

#314

Ensemble Studios

WIN

Real-Time Strategy

~21h

14 lists

Age of Empires 1997

#13

#362

Cavedog Entertainment

MAC, WIN

Real-Time Strategy

~22h

10 lists

Total Annihilation 1997

#14

#364

Hammerhead, id Software

MAC, WIN

First-Person Shooter

~7h

13 lists

Quake II 1997

#15

#397

LucasArts

WIN

First-Person Shooter / Third-Person Shooter

~9h

11 lists

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II 1997

#16

#508

Core Design

MAC, PS, WIN

Action-Adventure

~16h

11 lists

Tomb Raider II 1997

#17

#546

Bullfrog Productions

DOS, WIN

Management Simulation / Real-Time Strategy / God Game

~17h

8 lists

Dungeon Keeper 1997

#18

#568

DMA Design

DOS, PS, WIN

Action-Adventure

~14h

8 lists

Grand Theft Auto 1997

#19

#596

EA Canada, Extended Play Productions

N64, PS, WIN

Football (Association) / Sports

~15h

6 lists

FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 1997

#20

#610

LucasArts

WIN

Point-and-Click

~8h

7 lists

The Curse of Monkey Island 1997

#21

#705

Totally Games

WIN

Space Combat

~14h

5 lists

Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter 1997

#22

#707

Camelot Software Planning

SAT

Tactical RPG

~34h

4 lists

Shining Force III 1997

#23

#752

Cyan Worlds

MAC, PS, SAT, WIN

Point-and-Click

~9h

4 lists

Riven: The Sequel to Myst 1997

#24

#782

Oddworld Inhabitants

DOS, PS, WIN

Platform

~13h

9 lists

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee 1997

#25

#827

Bungie

MAC, WIN

Real-Time Tactics

~16h

4 lists

Myth: The Fallen Lords 1997

#26

#828

Rare

N64

Action / Puzzle

~8h

10 lists

Blast Corps 1997

#27

#830

Smoking Car Productions

MAC, DOS, WIN

Adventure

~7h

3 lists

The Last Express 1997

#28

#854

Westwood Studios

WIN

Point-and-Click

~7h

5 lists

Blade Runner 1997

#29

#1092

Konami

ARC

3 lists

Beatmania 1997

#30

#1101

Monolith Productions

DOS

First-Person Shooter

~10h

2 lists

Blood 1997

#31

#1180

Mythos Games

DOS, WIN

Strategy / Real-Time Tactics

~32h

3 lists

X-COM: Apocalypse 1997

#32

#1196

CAVE Interactive

ARC, PS, SAT

Shooter

~30m

2 lists

DoDonPachi 1997

#33

#1205

Light Weight

Fighting

~1h

2 lists

Bushido Blade 1997

#34

#1213

Namco

Platform

~4h

2 lists

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile 1997

#35

#1220

Hudson Soft

N64

Action-Adventure

~4h

3 lists

Bomberman 64 1997

#36

#1300

Bullfrog Productions

DOS, PS, WIN

Simulation

~27h

3 lists

Theme Hospital 1997

#37

#1331

Team17

WIN

Strategy

~10h

2 lists

Worms 2 1997

#38

#1361

DreamFactory

Fighting

~1h

2 lists

Tobal 2 1997

#39

#1376

Shiny Entertainment

MAC, DOS, PS, WIN

Third-Person Shooter

~4h

2 lists

MDK 1997

All 39 results loaded

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