Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,000 most recommended games across 902 critic lists from 140 publications.

Updated: January 21, 2026

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 1997

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28 of 28

#1 Final Fantasy VII (1997) (#14)

Square Product Development Division 1 | PS | Role-Playing | ~36h | 80 lists

#2 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) (#31)

Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo | SAT, PS | Action RPG / Metroidvania | ~8h | 65 lists

#3 GoldenEye 007 (1997) (#34)

Rare | N64 | First-Person Shooter | ~8h | 78 lists

#4 Final Fantasy Tactics (1997) (#112)

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

#5 Gran Turismo (1997) (#184)

Polyphony Digital | PS | Racing | ~23h | 20 lists

#6 Tekken 3 (1997) (#202)

Namco | ARC, PS | Beat 'em Up / Fighting | ~2h | 25 lists

#7 Fallout (1997) (#213)

Black Isle Studios | 3 | Role-Playing | ~16h | 17 lists

#8 Ultima Online (1997) (#223)

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

#9 Diablo (1997) (#262)

Blizzard North | MAC, WIN, PS | Action RPG / Dungeon Crawler | ~13h | 18 lists

#10 Star Fox 64 / Lylat Wars (1997) (#266)

Nintendo EAD | N64 | Shooter | ~2h | 25 lists

#11 Street Fighter III (1997) (#279)

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

#12 Age of Empires (1997) (#316)

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

#13 Total Annihilation (1997) (#343)

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

#14 Quake II (1997) (#363)

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

#15 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (1997) (#394)

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

#16 Tomb Raider II (1997) (#497)

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

#17 Dungeon Keeper (1997) (#540)

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

#18 Grand Theft Auto (1997) (#565)

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

#19 FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 (1997) (#579)

EA Canada, Extended Play Productions | WIN, PS, N64 | Football (Association) / Sports | ~17h | 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) (#695)

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

#22 Shining Force III (1997) (#713)

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

#23 Myth: The Fallen Lords (1997) (#733)

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

#24 Riven: The Sequel to Myst (1997) (#766)

Cyan Worlds | MAC, WIN, SAT, PS | Point-and-Click | ~10h | 4 lists

#25 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee (1997) (#772)

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

#26 The Last Express (1997) (#831)

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

#27 Blast Corps (1997) (#836)

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

#28 Blade Runner (1997) (#853)

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

#14

Square Product Development Division 1

Role-Playing

~36h

80 lists

Final Fantasy VII 1997

#31

Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo

PS, SAT

Action RPG / Metroidvania

~8h

65 lists

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 1997

#34

Rare

N64

First-Person Shooter

~8h

78 lists

GoldenEye 007 1997

#112

Square Product Development Division 4

Tactical RPG

~40h

28 lists

Final Fantasy Tactics 1997

#184

Polyphony Digital

Racing

~23h

20 lists

Gran Turismo 1997

#202

Namco

ARC, PS

Beat 'em Up / Fighting

~2h

25 lists

Tekken 3 1997

#213

Black Isle Studios

MAC, DOS, WIN

Role-Playing

~16h

17 lists

Fallout 1997

#223

Origin Systems

LIN, WIN

MMORPG

~77h

18 lists

Ultima Online 1997

#262

Blizzard North

MAC, PS, WIN

Action RPG / Dungeon Crawler

~13h

18 lists

Diablo 1997

#10

#266

Nintendo EAD

N64

Shooter

~2h

25 lists

Star Fox 64 / Lylat Wars 1997

#11

#279

Capcom

ARC, DC

Fighting

~42m

11 lists

Street Fighter III 1997

#12

#316

Ensemble Studios

WIN

Real-Time Strategy

~21h

14 lists

Age of Empires 1997

#13

#343

Cavedog Entertainment

MAC, WIN

Real-Time Strategy

~22h

10 lists

Total Annihilation 1997

#14

#363

Hammerhead, id Software

MAC, WIN

First-Person Shooter

~7h

13 lists

Quake II 1997

#15

#394

LucasArts

WIN

First-Person Shooter / Third-Person Shooter

~9h

11 lists

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II 1997

#16

#497

Core Design

MAC, PS, WIN

Action-Adventure

~16h

11 lists

Tomb Raider II 1997

#17

#540

Bullfrog Productions

DOS, WIN

Role-Playing / Real-Time Strategy / God Game

~17h

8 lists

Dungeon Keeper 1997

#18

#565

DMA Design

DOS, PS, WIN

Action-Adventure

~14h

8 lists

Grand Theft Auto 1997

#19

#579

EA Canada, Extended Play Productions

N64, PS, WIN

Football (Association) / Sports

~17h

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

#695

Totally Games

WIN

Space Combat

~14h

5 lists

Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter 1997

#22

#713

Camelot Software Planning

SAT

Tactical RPG

~34h

4 lists

Shining Force III 1997

#23

#733

Bungie

MAC, WIN

Real-Time Tactics

~16h

4 lists

Myth: The Fallen Lords 1997

#24

#766

Cyan Worlds

MAC, PS, SAT, WIN

Point-and-Click

~10h

4 lists

Riven: The Sequel to Myst 1997

#25

#772

Oddworld Inhabitants

DOS, PS, WIN

Platform

~13h

9 lists

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee 1997

#26

#831

Smoking Car Productions

MAC, DOS, WIN

Adventure

~7h

3 lists

The Last Express 1997

#27

#836

Rare

N64

Action / Puzzle

~8h

10 lists

Blast Corps 1997

#28

#853

Westwood Studios

WIN

Point-and-Click

~7h

5 lists

Blade Runner 1997

All 28 results loaded

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