Game Informer's Top 100 RPGS of All Time - What They Got Wrong

I re-upped my GameStop Power-Up Rewards Membership yesterday when I picked up a PS4 copy of Fallout 4. I blame a co-worker talking about Polygon's Monster Factory series for why I finally picked it up. Anyways, the point is that I also got the latest Game Informer magazine. Which clearly screams "This is going out before E3 and we need to fill a bunch of pages" by basically being one countdown of the TOP 100 RPGS OF ALL TIME.

Can you spot the problem on the cover?

Why yes, that's Aloy from Horizon: Zero Dawn.

I guess you can call that an RPG? But in the top 100 of all time? Seriously?

Let's get the negative out of the way first, as amazingly, there's only a few things that really grind my gears about this list.

The Wrong

Sir-Not-Appearing-On-This-List

Left off of the list completely are some classic RPG titles that deserve proper recognition:

Dragon Quest IV - Sure, Dragon Quest 3 is on the list at #99, but the fourth entry was also really good! I swear! I even learned to love the AI companion gameplay of the fifth chapter!

Shining Force 1+2 - Strategy RPG's count this list is almost instantly invalid for leaving off these two!

Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen - A game that still has yet to be truly replicated.

SaGa Frontier - Why are you laughing at me? Don't laugh. This is a great game.

Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals - Puzzle dungeons, monster-breeding and a terrific story? This deserves a spot.

Lunar: Silver Star Story and Lunar: Eternal Blue - Played Silver Star on my iPad recently and I had forgotten how many things the game does amazingly well. I worry that's being lost to the sands of time at this point.

#84 - Horizone Zero Dawn (PS4, 2017)

It's a matter of debate over how RPG this game is, but even then, it's been only 4 months since release. Let's not put this game over Dragon Quest 3 (#99), The World Ends With You (#95) or Tales of Symphonia (#89). In order to be a great anything of all time, it takes more then just the Honeymoon period.

#81 - Destiny (Everything but Nintendo and PC, 2014)

HAHAHAHAHAHA No.

#73 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (XB1, PS3, X360, PS1, Vita, Saturn, PSP, 1997)

Not in the top 50? What!? This game is awesome! Just look at the long list of releases for it and the incredible influence that it's had on entire genres in the...20 years....since...it's....TWENTY YEARS!?

#41 - Xenosaga: Episode 1 (PS2, 2003)

I only have an issue with this because Xenogears is 8 spots back at #49. Swap these and you're okay....but Xenogears is at least a Top 20 to me.

#29 - Suikoden II (PS1, PSP, PC, 1999)

Oh hell no. This is a top ten greatest games of all time contender! You ESPECIALLY do not get to list this 18 spots behind...

#11 Bloodborne (PS4, 2015) 

......I think drugs influenced this choice. To put how STUPID a placement this is into perspective, #12 is Fallout 3 and #13 is Planescape: Torment.

Far and away, the worst choice on this list and the one that I can not let slide is the pick for #1.

#1 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS4, XB1, X360, PS3, PC, 2011)

That is not how you spell FINAL FANTASY VI.

As Benjamin Franklin once famously said, "There are only three certainties in life. You're born, you die and Final Fantasy VI is the greatest RPG of all time".

Once I wash the taste of the game that us Setzer MF'ing Gabbiani being denied the rightful spot, I'll discuss the things that they got right. Just...ugh....Final Fantasy VI has KEFKA! A character tries to commit suicide after the WORLD IS DESTROYED AND ALL HER FRIENDS ARE PRESUMED DEAD! THERE'S AN OPERA! FOREVER RACHAEL! SETZER GABBIANI!