Launching in 1988, Electronic Gaming Monthly is an influential magazine with a great deal of clout in the industry. While initially focusing more on publishing guides, cheats, and tips; EGM ultimately began to publish reviews and has developed into one of the more reputable sites on the platform.
Like most other companies, nowadays, EGM's presence is primarily online, although many players presumably have fond memories of purchasing the brand's magazines during the '90s and early 2000s. In this article, we'll be listing the titles that earned a perfect score across the different eras of EGM, be it online or on a magazine.
17 Grand Theft Auto IV & V
It should come as no surprise to anybody somewhat familiar with gaming that EGM has generally been quite satisfied with Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto franchise. The last two numbered entries in the series - both released for seventh-generation consoles - earned perfect scores from the publisher, with similar praises being echoed in both reviews.
Let's be honest, a critic not giving a perfect score to GTA IV or V would be far more shocking than the other way round. After all, Rockstar's irreverent sandbox titles both rank on Metacritic's Top 10 Highest Rated Video Games of All Time list.
16 BioShock & Infinite
Irrational Games showed that games do not need to sacrifice a compelling narrative in favor of enjoyable gameplay. Despite more than a decade passing since BioShock's original release, 2007's FPS remains the standard to which every new "story-driven" project is measured.
BioShock Infinite has garnered some pushback following its stellar initial reception, that included EGM rolling out a rare perfect score.
15 Metroid Prime
The GameCube was home to some truly fantastic games, even if Nintendo's console did not quite hit the same heights as its predecessor and, at least commercially, successor. Nevertheless, Metroid Prime more than justifies the console's existence and ranks among the highest-rated games of the early 2000s.
The Wii port is generally seen as the definitive iteration, primarily for the Metroid Prime Trilogy pack, but the original version is still a brilliant game.
14 TowerFall Ascension
So far, the entries have not exactly been surprising. Most people probably could have predicted that EGM gave perfect scores to GTA V and BioShock; however, TowerFall Ascension is slightly more surprising.
That's not to say the combat arena game is not deserving of such high praise, as critics generally loved the challenging but fair indie title, but it stands as one of around two dozen releases that EGM deemed worthy of a perfect score. Remember, this is a publisher that has been reviewing games for almost three decades.
13 LittleBigPlanet
As far as platformers go, LittleBigPlanet does not seem to be as fondly remembered as some of its contemporaries. Sony has basically said nothing about a potential LittleBigPlanet 4, despite the previous entries being among the best games on their respective consoles.
LittleBigPlanet is an utterly charming gem of a game that is still worth playing more than a decade later. A perfect score sounds just about right.
12 Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES & 4 (Inc. Golden)
Persona 5 may have finally gotten the mainstream crowd invested in Atlus' fantastic RPG franchise, but critics (and fans) have been adoring the series for quite a while. Available on the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2, Persona 3 FES is an enhanced version of the already good original game, one that also comes with a new epilogue.
As the ultimate swan song for the PlayStation 2, Persona 4 came out after Sony had already moved to the next console, causing the RPG to be somewhat lost in the shuffle. As EGM's perfect score suggests, Persona 4 is well-worth seeking out. Golden is the best version and single-handedly justifies the PS Vita's existence.
11 Gears Of War 2 & 3: RAAM'S Shadow
A bit of an odd mix of Gears of War games, to be perfectly honest. Following the innovative first entry, Gears of War 2 ramped up the world-building and story to try and create a narrative capable of maintaining the fanbase's interest in Marcus Fenix's storyline. The pacing could have been better and the campaign's final boss is disappointing, but it is still a sequel that does a lot right.
RAAM's Shadow is a DLC pack containing a robust singleplayer expansion set prior to the first game's story and lasts a decent couple of hours. If nothing else, it is a better prequel than Judgment.
10 The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time/Majora's Mask/Twilight Princess
Wait, EGM gave perfect scores to multiple The Legend of Zeldas? Who could have possibly seen this coming? Calm down Nintendo fans, we ain't hating on Hyrule's hero; in fact, an argument can be made that the Zelda brand has produced more than three home console entries worthy of perfect scores.
Everyone has their favorite Zelda game, but there is no denying they are each well-made in their own right. Ocarina of Time is obviously a given, but Majora's Mask and - to a lesser extent, in this writer's humble opinion - Twilight Princess are also masterpieces.
9 The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Shifting to the Nintendo 3DS, A Link Between Worlds is arguably the best old school The Legend of Zelda game to be produced in the last two decades. The art style is gorgeous and simultaneously nostalgic and fresh, while the gameplay adds just enough interesting mechanics to stand out from the crowd.
The handheld spin-offs tend to be seen as lesser Zelda, but A Link Between Worlds proves that Hyrule is worth visiting regardless of the hardware.
8 Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar Games is back without another ambitious open-world adventure that pushes consoles to their absolute limits. Red Dead Redemption 2 was a long time in the making; luckily, the final product more than lives up to the hype.
Is it a perfect game? No, as there is no such thing. Nonetheless, 2018's release serves as a testament to gaming's ability to immerse audiences in a unique universe like no other medium.
7 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Putting aside some of the more divisive later entries, Gran Turismo has generally always done pretty well with critics. While an argument can be made for any of the first four games being the best, A-Spec definitely presents one of the more convincing cases.
In 2001, this was simply the best racing game of all time. Since then, some projects may have eclipsed Gran Turismo 3, but Polyphony Digital's release remains iconic.
6 Super Mario Odyssey
As of the moment, Super Mario Odyssey is the only Nintendo Switch exclusive to be rated as a perfect 100 by EGM on Metacritic. Capturing the whimsical charm associated with Nintendo's brand, Super Mario Odyssey is - in many ways - the complete 3D platformer.
While the individual worlds are not exactly the most original the genre has ever produced, Odyssey's controls are simply pitch-perfect. It is a game that serves as a reminder of why games are awesome.
5 Rayman Origins
Speaking of platformers that are nearly faultless, Rayman Origins is a standout game in a franchise known for producing brilliance. EGM described Origins as the best platformer you are likely to play all year, a claim that is hard to argue against.
Rayman Origins is available on multiple consoles, including home and handheld platforms, so there is no excuse to give this one a miss.
4 Far Cry 3
Ubisoft's franchise has suffered from diminishing returns since publishing 2012's masterpiece, mainly because the studio has mainly sought to replicate the success of Far Cry 3.
Ubisoft released such a fantastic FPS that they left themselves with nowhere to go but sideways or down, so the studio opted for the former. EGM praised Far Cry 3's unpredictable story, gameplay, and tone.
3 Halo: Combat Evolved & 2
Regardless of an individual's thoughts on Halo's post-Bungie output, Combat Evolved undeniably put Microsoft's Xbox on the map. Halo 2 arguably improves upon every facet of the original, with exception of maybe the ending.
Halo revitalized the FPS genre to the point that most subsequent title mainly attempted to just copy Bungie's winning formula.
2 Titanfall
Admittedly, another rather surprising entry. Titanfall 2 arguably improved upon the original, even if it just for the singleplayer campaign. Putting aside what could have been, Titanfall did accomplish its goal of showcasing the Xbox One's power while also offering a fun and unique multiplayer experience.
Would a singleplayer campaign have been nice? Sure, but it is not like Titanfall promised to be anything more than a multiplayer shooter with mechs.
1 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City & San Andreas
Things really do go full circle. Grand Theft Auto is such a critical darling that the internet will likely explode if the sixth entry earns anything lower than an average score of 97.
Vice City and San Andreas built on the impeccable foundation established by GTA III, proving that the 3D era was here to stay.