While most video game developers will gradually build their way up to stardom over the course of a few years, there's usually one game in particular that many will credit for making the team behind it a household name. Usually, these games will be so popular and prolific that they will even manage to break out of the gaming bubble entirely, turning into cultural phenomena that everyone feels the need to jump into and play to ensure they aren't missing out on the latest trend.
Best Free Co-Op Games You Can Play On Steam
Are you and your friend looking for free-to-play co-op fun? Then, try out the following fantastic games on Steam.
A lot of the time, these particular entries are cited by fans as the peak of their respective franchise, considering how successfully the developers managed to execute their vision when developing the game, while still ensuring it's as fun to play as possible. With that being said, it's time to take a look at the games that managed to reach such staggering critical and commercial success that they would ensure nobody would ever be able to forget the name of the development team that created them.
Street Fighter 2 - Capcom
Capcom Made A Statement In The Arcade Scene With Their Fresh And Rebellious Fighter
Street Fighter 2
- Released
- March 7, 1991
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
The release of Street Fighter 2 in 1991 is often seen as a hugely important moment in the history of video games, primarily because it kicked off the fighting game craze that would last throughout the entire decade. While the original Street Fighter managed to attract a humble audience of loyal fans, the stylized characters, fluid combat, and updated graphics of the sequel were enough to shoot not only the franchise but also Capcom itself into the mainstream.
All of a sudden, everyone was desperate to see what this talented team was capable of cooking up next, and with games like Resident Evil and Devil May Cry just around the corner, it's fair to say they didn't disappoint. Capcom has continued to refine and balance the core gameplay of subsequent Street Fighter games after the second entry was released to the world, but they also owe a lot to this early title for giving them the audience they needed to become the king of the fighting game genre.
Halo: Combat Evolved - Bungie
The Small Team Of Passionate Developers Took The Industry By Storm
Halo: Combat Evolved
- Released
- November 15, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Bungie's Marathon, which released in 1994, was an ambitious and well-received shooter that many critics praised highly, but it wouldn't be until 2001 that the name Bungie would become known far and wide among the gaming populace. This marked the year that saw the release of Halo: Combat Evolved, an Xbox launch title which stood out not only for its impressive visuals, but also its sci-fi setting, alongside its fresh and unique gameplay which implemented a creative twist on the traditional FPS formula.
Video Game Developers Who Apologized To Players
These infamous incidents left developers with no choice but to face their angry, disappointed fans and take accountability -- or at least attempt to.
While the aim of the game is to shoot away at hordes of Covenant aliens with a combination of deadly weapons, Halo also encourages players to get experimental with their environments to find new and experimental ways to take down their foes. When paired with the captivating story and lovable cast of characters, it's easy to see why Halo would become such a cultural phenomenon when it was released, turning Bungie into one of the most well-known and renowned developers in the industry.
Final Fantasy 7 - Square
An Innovative JRPG With Style And Flare That Captivated Audiences
Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- January 31, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Final Fantasy has long been an immensely popular JRPG franchise, and while there are many entries that contributed to making it so widespread, the one that many turn to for launching it into the stratosphere is Final Fantasy 7. Square had been struggling to break into the western market with their previous RPG titles, but with Final Fantasy 7, they finally found an opportunity to showcase their jaw-dropping graphics and in-depth combat to a whole new audience, and to say the game flew off shelves when it released would be an understatement.
The game would go on to sell more than 15 million copies worldwide, with it being more or less impossible to avoid the advertisements that were covering the game leading up to its release. The decision to take Final Fantasy out of a traditional setting and into a more modern environment, while also refining the turn-based gameplay with the addition of Materia to spice things up, all contributed to Final Fantasy 7 becoming a game that everyone was eager to play in the late 90s.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Sandfall Interactive
Sandfall Struck Gold With Their Unique Rhythm-Based Modern RPG
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Released
- April 24, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
It's fair to say that before Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was released in early 2025, many people had never heard of the developers known as Sandfall Interactive. However, when the experimental RPG took the world by storm only days after release, everyone started to scramble for more information about who these guys were and how they managed to create such an incredible experience, seemingly out of nowhere. While the game features a captivating story and plenty of intriguing and complex characters to learn about along the journey, the main reason so many people fell in love with Expedition 33 is the combat.
The turn-based formula will be familiar to traditional RPG fans, but the ability to dodge, jump, and parry attacks with a single button, similar to Soulslike games, adds a whole new dimension to this classic gameplay style. Sandfall has gone on to say that their aim was to try and combine the ideas of multiple RPGs into one enjoyable package, resulting in what many consider to be one of the best video games released in the last few years.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - CD Projekt Red
Third Time's A Charm. CD Projekt Red Blew Away All Expectations With The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
There's no doubt that CD Projekt Red had already started to make a name for themselves after developing the first two Witcher games, though they were still considered a fairly niche group in the grand scheme of things, that is, until the release of Witcher 3 in 2015. It's hard to describe just how inescapable The Witcher 3 was when it first hit store shelves, and there are many reasons why it enjoyed such a level of enormous popularity when players were finally able to get their hands on it.
5 CD Projekt Red Games With The Best Exploration, Ranked
These games from CD Projekt Red offer players a wide array of worlds to get lost in.
For example, no quest in The Witcher 3 ever feels like a waste of time, as even the most random side missions will always lead to a worthwhile conclusion that can have a profound impact on Geralt and the larger story. Speaking of Geralt, the developers went above and beyond to provide players with all the tools and techniques they needed to feel like a true Witcher, giving the protagonist the option to slice and dice enemies in combat, while also using his detective skills to figure out what happened at a mysterious crime scene. After The Witcher 3 was released, everyone's eyes would suddenly become locked onto CD Projekt Red and their next ambitious game, Cyberpunk 2077, which was yet another critical and commercial success for the developers.
Spyro The Dragon - Insomniac Games
Insomniac Created One Of Gaming's Most Popular Mascots In Their Second Ever Game
Spyro The Dragon
- Released
- September 9, 1998
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
When talking about the most popular video game mascots, while the likes of Mario and Sonic are definitely high up the list, Spyro the Dragon is another iconic character who also needs to be included in the conversation. Before Spyro was created by Insomniac Games, this talented group of developers had actually worked on an earlier title called Disruptor, a sci-fi first-person shooter which, unfortunately, failed to make much of an impression on the gaming landscape.
The same certainly couldn't be said for Spyro the Dragon, though, which was seen as an innovative step forward for 3D platformers back when it was released in 1998. It may have been a little light on the story, but the vibrant aesthetic and fun protagonist made the game an absolute blast to play through, and with the game performing so well, it set Insomniac up to become an absolute juggernaut in the industry who would go on to release classic games like Ratchet & Clank and Marvel's Spider-Man.
Crash Bandicoot - Naughty Dog
The Legendary Action-Adventure Developers Started Their Journey To Stardom With A Furry Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot
- Released
- September 9, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Nowadays, Naughty Dog is most associated with games such as The Last of Us and Uncharted, but before they were tasked with creating big and grandiose action-adventure titles, they actually got their start with none other than Crash Bandicoot. It goes without saying, but Crash is one of the most recognizable characters in all of gaming, and the reason is that his original game would quickly become an immensely popular platformer that managed to carry forward what made games in that genre so fun to play, while also modernizing the gameplay in a few unique ways.
For example, each level in Crash will have a straightforward linear path that players must follow, but with tricky platforming areas and dangerous enemies blocking the way, getting from A to B is far from easy. Naughty Dog also went all in with giving the Crash universe its own style and design scheme to help it stand out from the competition, with characters like Crash and Cortex going on to become fan favorites among the community. The first Crash game would give Naughty Dog the attention they needed to level up as a developer, but though they may have moved on to other pastures, the franchise itself is still going strong even to this day.
7 Best Games That Saved Their Developers, Ranked
If it weren't for these games saving their developers from going under, the industry would look a lot different today.