The year was 1998The 1990s was a decade of amazing growth for the gaming industry. However, 1998 in particular pushed the medium further than it had gone before. From the rich competitive experiences of StarCraft to the revolutionary storytelling of Metal Gear Solid, several games--some of which became watershed moments for the industry--would go on to set the standard for what games could be. In many ways, 1998 was the year video games had finally evolved into something more.In this gallery, the GameSpot staff will be taking a look back at the biggest games of 1998 that made their way to the Western market, and the impact they left on us in the 20 years since their respective releases. This includes the likes of Xenogears, Resident Evil 2, and the original Half-Life, and our Game of the Year of 1998, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.Here`s a selection of games--in order of their respective releases--that made 1998 an amazing year. And if you want to see the biggest games that turned 10 this year--and for last year as well--be sure to check out our respective features for both. Resident Evil 2 (January 21, 1998)For me, Resident Evil 2 is one of the strongest survival horror games of all time and, even today, the way it ebbs and flows between building tension and delivering overwhelming jolts of action is incredibly effective.As a teenager, I was excited at the prospect of seeing the horrors I experienced in Resident Evil`s Spencer Mansion spill out into a metropolitan city and, in that respect, the game delivers from the very outset. As rookie cop Leon Kennedy, I was forced to battle through Raccoon City`s streets, where a catastrophe had struck and now groaning undead stumbled around looking for flesh to sink their teeth into.Amidst getting to grips with the awkward controls I watched someone get devoured by a zombie and found myself having to battle a group of them in a very small gun store that was, unhelpfully, mostly empty. Though it was only five m ...
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