Since 1993,Valve Corporationhas made an enormous impact on the video game industry. Some of the most famous games, likeHalf-Life,Counter-Strike, andDOTA, were created by Valve. They have changed the video game industry in different ways and set new standards, mostly for FPS shooters.
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Valve’s influence can be seen throughout the whole gaming universe, as well as in pop culture and TV shows like The Big Bang Theory. That’s why today, we are ranking their ten best games of all time.
We will start the list with The Lab, which was a great installment to VR video games. It uses mechanics similar to the ones inHalf-Life: Alyx, but this game is more like a “true VR lab.” Players can pick one of 8 mini-games, which are located in pockets of the Aperture Science Lab. You might know Aperture Science from games like Half-Life andPortalseries.
Players can enjoy Slingshot, Longbow, Xortex, Postcards, Human Medical Scan, Solar System, Robot Repair, and Secret Shop. They’re all good in their way, but the majority of gamers prefer Robot Repair since it has really fun gameplay, great graphics, and an interesting way of using VR. Give it a try, and you’ll see how incredibly detailed the game is.
Portal is one of the best puzzle platform games of all time that originally came in a bundle with the Orange Box back in 2007. Fans love what Valve did here with physics, and it easily became the most played “mini-game” at the time. It didn’t fully feel like a complete game, and it was overshadowed for some time because of the release of theHalf-Life 2episodes.
In 2008, the game got its standalone release as Portal: Stay Alive. It featured additional puzzles and different levels that players had to beat. One thing that many new games and studios could learn from Portal is the sense of humor. This will be even better in its sequel, but to this day, it was hard to beat the gameplay, level design, portal gun, and the boss at the end of the game.
8Garry’s Mod
Garry’s modis a sandbox game released back in 2004 as a mod for Half-Life 2. Following the success of the mod, the game got its own standalone release in 2006. As with every other sandbox, this game allowed you to play and build whatever you wanted with iconic items from CS: Source, Half-Life 2, andTeam Fortress 2.
This sandbox had so many different weapons, tools, NPCs to choose from, and they are all interactive. It’s enough to say that the community is still growing, and they can basically build things beyond your imagination.
7Half-Life
“Good morning and welcome to the Black Mesa Transit System” is the line that every kid from the 90s knows. This was a game that defined a generation and the one that inspired many others. This game is an all-in-one game with elements of sci-fi, shooter, and cosmic horror; it also tells one of the best stories of all time.
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What made Half-Life so special and unique were the antagonist and protagonist. You play as Gordon Freeman, an Engineer in Black Mesa Research Facility, who was to fight hordes of interdimensional monsters and spec ops. After defeating Nihilanth, the final boss, we’ll still have to see our favorite antagonistThe G-Man.
Following the success of Portal, Valve decided to make another game and then stop there; because that’s Valve. Just like the first game, you’re playing as the test subject Chell, who has to fight her way out of the Aperture Science facility. You’ll meet another AI named Wheatley andfamous AI GLaDOSfrom the first game.
On top of adding more varied and complex puzzles, a deeper story, and excellent writing, the humor was even cranked up to 11. Portal 2 also featured a multiplayer cooperative mode that people across the globe still play to this day. All in all, a challenging game with a memorable story and thebest humor in all of video game history.
The most famous first-person survival-horror game of all time is made by Valve too. This is a linear game with a simple quest — you and your team must escape from a horde of zombies. In the game, zombies are referred to as the Infected, and you and your team must reach a certain checkpoint and complete specific objectives to escape in time.
Left 4 Dead 2also spawned a thriving and varied modding community, who created some incredible maps and levels. Some of the best-known mods are Helm’s Deep, Back To School, Deathcraft Zombies, Link Voicepack for Ellis, and Kokiri Link.
4Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2 got released with The Orange Box, and it got its own release in 2008. Unlike its predecessor, it was finally its own game and not a part of another game or a mod. Also, the graphics were more realistic and cartoonish than in the original Team Fortress. Team Fortress 2 introduced the character’s special abilities, a bunch of mods, and 9 distinct classes with their own personalities and gameplay styles
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Did you know that the first Team Fortress was a mod forQuake? Once the game was launched on its own, it featured microtransactions for different cosmetics in the game. Most importantly, if you want to try it, it’s free to play, and it’s multiplayer only.
3Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
CS:GOwas once upon a time a mod for Half-Life, but nowadays, it’s not just a game — it’s an industry. This is the game that Valve generated most of its money from. CS is the synonym for team-based FPS games. Global Offensive is the fourth installment in the series, and it’s the current one standing while we’re eagerly awaiting Counter-Strike 2.
“Planting B, Affirmative, Roger That, Taking Fire” are quotes that everyone has at least heard once in their own lifetime. What makes it so special? CS:GO is a game that requires more than just fast reflexes; it requires teamwork, and a lot of it. Another great thing about CS is its tight and responsive gameplay mechanics. If you never tried this game, but are a highly competitive person, we dare you to.
DOTA defined the moba genre, andDota 2expanded on it in every way. The game rules are pretty simple; you’ve got two teams of five players who are defending their bases. At the beginning of every match, you have to pick or randomly get a Hero who has special abilities. The team who first destroys the central structure called Ancient in the opponent’s team base wins.
Dota 2 is one of the hardest team MOBA games to play since all characters have different styles to play with. If you ever watched any sports channels, you’ve probably seen a Dota match.
1Half-Life 2
It’s no wonder why on most lists, this is the best Valve game of all time. This game’s got the best story so far in the whole Half-Life franchise. By many, it’s consideredthe best sequel of all time. The game is packed with different vehicles, puzzles, and tons of humor, as well as tons of monsters that you have to kill in your way. The gameplay, characters, and level design are all phenomenal.
Just like the first game, it starts without the use of any weapons. The game kicks off 20 years after the first game, and you’re awakened by The G-Man in a dystopian future. Also, Alyx was introduced here as another protagonist, and she even got her own game in 2020. We just hope that our grandchildren will one day see the release date for Half-Life 3.
