There was no single best game of 1997, but several releases stand out for different reasons: GoldenEye 007 brought first-person action to the Nintendo 64, Final Fantasy VII gave the console RPG cinematic scale, and Gran Turismo made realism its racing calling card. On PC, Fallout, Myth: The Fallen Lords, Sid Meier’s Gettysburg! and The Curse of Monkey Island show how varied the year’s standouts were. This shortlist balances retrospective critical standing with historical significance, genre variety and platform representation—not a claim that one ranking settles the question.
How to read this 1997 shortlist
Metacritic’s year-filtered catalogue is a useful common reference point, but it is a retrospective aggregator snapshot, not an objective canon or a record of original 1997 review scores. The titles below are selected to represent distinct platforms and play styles as well as critical and historical significance. The source set supports a shortlist, not an exhaustive global release list; regional release dates can differ.
For context, Nintendo’s historical timeline says the Nintendo 64 launched in Europe in March 1997 and sold 2.3 million units there in its first year. That is a hardware figure, not sales for any individual game. Nintendo’s historical timeline provides that European context.
Which games best represent 1997?
| Game | Platform | Genre and play style | Why it belongs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoldenEye 007 | Nintendo 64 | First-person action; stealth or force | Metacritic places it first on its 1997 all-platform list. Its catalogue description highlights 12 interactive 3D environments and the choice to sneak or fight. |
| Final Fantasy VII | PlayStation | Role-playing game | Sony identifies it as a 1997 PlayStation release and the first Final Fantasy presented in full 3D. Its scale helped bring the console RPG to wider visibility, and it appears near the top of Metacritic’s year list. |
| Gran Turismo | PlayStation | Racing | Sony highlights its realism and large range of drivable cars. The company says it sold over a million copies in its first month in Japan; that figure is specific to Japan, not worldwide sales. |
| Myth: The Fallen Lords | PC | Real-time strategy | Its true 3D landscape and tactical battlefield focus distinguish it from strategy games centered on base construction. |
| Fallout | PC | Role-playing game | A post-nuclear setting and the search for a replacement water-purification controller chip give this RPG a markedly different tone from Final Fantasy VII. |
| Sid Meier’s Gettysburg! | PC | Real-time strategy | A 3D battlefield and multiplayer support make it a different kind of tactical strategy choice alongside Myth. |
| The Curse of Monkey Island | PC | Graphic adventure | The third game in the series brings puzzle solving and comedy to a year otherwise represented here by action, RPGs and strategy. |
GoldenEye 007: first-person action with options
GoldenEye 007 is the Nintendo 64 pick for players who want a first-person game rather than a role-playing or strategy experience. Its 12 interactive 3D environments and stealth-or-force approach give the action more than one route through an encounter. Its first-place position on Metacritic’s 1997 all-platform list is a retrospective signal, not proof of an indisputable winner. See Metacritic’s 1997 game list.
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Final Fantasy VII: an expansive console RPG
Sony describes Final Fantasy VII as the first entry in the series presented in full 3D. That distinction, together with its cinematic scale, makes it a defining PlayStation example of the period’s growing console-RPG visibility. Sony’s retrospective on 20 years of Final Fantasy VII identifies it as a 1997 PlayStation game. This is the original PlayStation release, not a later remake or re-release.
Gran Turismo: a realism-focused racing choice
Gran Turismo is the shortlist’s natural racing game: Sony emphasizes its realism and broad selection of drivable cars. Sony Interactive Entertainment also reports that the first game sold over a million copies in its first month in Japan. The claim is limited to that market and period; the cited page does not specify when the statistic was published. PlayStation’s Gran Turismo history and game page supplies the series context.
Myth: The Fallen Lords: battlefield tactics without base building
Myth: The Fallen Lords gives the PC selection a real-time strategy option organized around tactical action on a true 3D battlefield, rather than building a base. It suits players more interested in managing forces and positioning than in developing an economy. The 1997 PC catalogue description is on Metacritic’s PC games list for 1997.
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Fallout: role-playing in a post-nuclear world
Fallout offers a different RPG tone from the fantasy and cinematic presentation of Final Fantasy VII. Its central premise, as described in the PC catalogue, is a protagonist searching for a replacement water-purification controller chip in a post-nuclear world. That premise makes it a strong choice for players drawn to bleak settings and problem-solving. Its description appears on Metacritic’s PC games list for 1997.
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Where Myth emphasizes tactical action without base construction, Sid Meier’s Gettysburg! places players on a 3D battlefield and includes multiplayer support. It broadens the year’s strategy choices rather than duplicating the same kind of play. Metacritic’s 1997 PC list describes its battlefield and multiplayer features.
The Curse of Monkey Island: comedy and puzzle solving
This graphic adventure—the third game in the Monkey Island series—adds puzzle solving and comedy to the shortlist. It is the clearest choice here for readers who want an adventure built around exploration and puzzles instead of shooting, racing or tactical combat. Its catalogue entry is on Metacritic’s PC games list for 1997.
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Which game should you choose?
- For first-person action on Nintendo 64: GoldenEye 007.
- For an expansive, cinematic console RPG: Final Fantasy VII.
- For realistic racing: Gran Turismo.
- For tactical PC strategy without base building: Myth: The Fallen Lords.
- For a post-nuclear RPG: Fallout.
- For battlefield strategy with multiplayer: Sid Meier’s Gettysburg!.
- For a comic graphic adventure: The Curse of Monkey Island.
These distinctions describe what each game represents; they do not establish current availability or the best way to play a particular version. Check the platform, edition and regional release information for the copy or service you are considering.
Was Metal Gear Solid a 1997 release?
It belongs in a discussion of 1997’s gaming culture, but the evidence here establishes its appearance at E3 1997—not a 1997 release date. Sony’s retrospective recounts the audience response to the preview and says, “The idea of not killing everything in sight and sneaking around in the shadows was a true innovation in those days.” That is the retrospective’s wording, not a quote attributed to a named individual. Without a verified regional release date, Metal Gear Solid should be treated as a 1997 preview, not included as an eligible 1997 release in this shortlist. Sony’s account of the E3 1997 showing covers the event.
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