Key Takeaways
- EA has improved its image by focusing on single-player games and reworking microtransactions.
- EA has released great games like Fallen Order, FIFA 15, and more that appeal to fans.
- Respawn acquisition helped EA overcome disappointments with games like Battlefield.
There are many people around who are very eager to label EA as one of the worst gaming companies of all time, but the truth is that this organization has tried its hardest to turn its image around after becoming the punching bag of the gaming industry. Their renewed focus on single-player games while trying to rework how they integrate microtransactions has done a great job of letting players appreciate them instead of calling them out time and time again.
There are many great games with EA’s label on them that have become some of the best video game experiences that fans can expose themselves to. The best EA games encompass a wide range of genres and will be quite appealing to gamers with varying and selective tastes.
Updated on November 5, 2024, by Mehrdad Khayyat: Despite being quite an unpopular publisher, Electronic Arts has backed many of the greatest games we have played since the original PlayStation was a thing. Although the company has also butchered some spectacular franchises, it still keeps some promising IPs alive!
EA is one of those companies that had a far better past than the present, especially with all the disappointments that came with Battlefield 2024, Anthem, and Mass Effect Andromeda. However, the acquisition of Respawn Entertainment did help the publisher a lot with managing the expectations.
17 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Resurrecting Story-Driven Star Wars Games Under Respawn
Fallen Order‘s launch was rough, with a wealth of bugs marring what should’ve been a fun experience. Thankfully, Respawn wasted no time in ironing out the kinks, letting players enjoy an incredible video game that is arguably one of the finest single-player Star Wars games around.
Cal Kestis is a compelling protagonist who ends up playing a major role without being too grating in the process. Jedi: Survivor continues the story of this hero, and it’s a shame that the launch of this title somehow managed to be even more broken than its predecessor.
16 FIFA 15
One Of The Most Balanced Games In The Series Ever
Most people would just dismiss the FIFA series and comment on the fact that every title is pretty much interchangeable when it comes to the gameplay. While this is true to an extent, there’s no denying that the polished gameplay of this annual sports video game series makes the act of controlling one’s favorite soccer team to score goals a highly engaging one.
FIFA 12 and 15 are considered by many to be two of the best games in the long-running series, with the latter edging out the former because of how fun its gameplay felt. Later titles have tried to make some changes to the gameplay with varying degrees of success, but FIFA 15 continues to stand strong as one of the greatest sports games that deserves all the time in the spotlight, and then some.
15 Command And Conquer: Generals
Highly Replayable RTS With Deep Gameplay Mechanics And Varied Factions
Command & Conquer: Generals
- Franchise
- Command & Conquer
- Released
- February 10, 2003
- Developer(s)
- EA Pacific , i5works , Aspyr
Unfortunately, Electronic Arts no longer invests in RTS games, but the company already owns the IP for one of the most brilliant franchises in the genre. The Command And Conquer series is a massive universe that branches out into multiple sub-franchises each with many different titles.
Generals, and its expansion Zero Hour, was probably the most memorable game from the Command And Conquer series depicting modern-day warfare. The game featured only three playable factions, but the difference between them was deep enough to add up significantly to the replayability value. Also, each faction featured a unique campaign with challenging missions.
14 Dragon Age: Inquisition
Elevating The Dragon Age Experience To A New Height In Storytelling And Gameplay
- Released
- November 18, 2014
- Franchise
- Dragon Age
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Despite the many problems that plagued Dragon Age: Inquisition during its development, most people agreed that it was a solid addition to the franchise and a step in the right direction after Dragon Age 2 attempted to make the franchise appeal to a broader market. Forming an Inquisition and saving the world from Corypheus’ malevolence is a blast, especially with the many things players can do along the way.
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The idea of separating the story into DLCs was maligned by many, but Inquisition has slowly garnered a positive reputation over time. It’s easy to see why players are hotly anticipating the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, even if the reveal of this game worried many. Fans will be replaying this game right now to keep their memory fresh when it comes to the series’ impressive lore.
13 Dragon Age: Origins
A Solid Foundation For A Long-Living Franchise
- Released
- November 3, 2009
- Franchise
- Dragon Age
The acquisition of BioWare by EA allowed the studio to flex a big budget in their game like never before. After being hailed as the king of the CRPG genre, the company moved to a more mainstream action-focused title with the advent of Dragon Age: Origins.
The experiment was a massive success, with the varying origins of the player character, a rich fantasy world, and some great storytelling turning Dragon Age: Origins into one of the most beloved Western RPGs of all time. To this day, fans still consider this game to be the best title in the series, and understandably so.
12 The Sims 3
Expanding The Series Into An Open-World Experience
Most people consider The Sims 3 to be the best game in this popular life simulation series, with the inclusion of a seamless open world and new mechanics being seen as groundbreaking by many. While this game could be rather demanding for PCs at the time, it didn’t take long before post-launch support for this game stabilized the experience.
This, coupled with the wealth of new content that was added, made The Sims 3 one of the best video games ever made. The reason why so many people continue to be disappointed by The Sims 4 is because it was a step down from its predecessor in many ways, and fans can only hope that The Sims 5 doesn’t repeat the same mistakes.
11 It Takes Two
The Most Brilliant Co-Op Experience From An Indie Developer
- Released
- March 26, 2021
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
After working on A Way Out, Josef Fares went all out in the development of a co-op story-driven game that ended up being one of the best titles that fans can get their hands on. It Takes Two focuses on the story of Cody and May, two people in a strained marriage and on the verge of getting a divorce when their child, Rose, wishes for a way to make them see past their differences.
This turns them into two dolls who have to go through a wide range of challenges that switch up the gameplay in fresh and engaging ways. It Takes Two was lauded for its incredible gameplay, even if the narrative was a bit too cliched and uninteresting for most people, who considered it to be the weakest part of the experience.
10 Burnout Paradise
The Peak Of Stunt Racing And A Memorable Conclusion To The Series
Burnout Paradise
- Released
- January 22, 2008
It’s a shame that no new title in the Burnout series has arrived after all this time, with a remaster of Burnout Paradise being the only thing that fans have enjoyed recently. It’s a shame that this franchise has remained dormant for so long, but the fact that fans were reminded of the excellence present in Burnout Paradise was a nice treat nevertheless.
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The game is arcade racing at its best, allowing players to take out other races in the most ostentatious manner possible. It’s impossible to start up a session and get bored of Burnout Paradise because of the sheer carnage that can arise from its scintillating racing gameplay.
9 Need For Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
The Ultimate Illegal Racing Experience In A Massive Open-World City
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
While many think Underground 2 was the peak of the Need For Speed series, Most Wanted did manage to deliver a better world with more gameplay variety and, of course, a longer list of drivable cars.
Probably the only thing that Most Wanted lacked was a customization system with the same details as Underground 2. Most Wanted even expanded the Police vs Racers gameplay, as it became a core part of the progression to increase the wanted level intentionally. Using environmental objects to get rid of the chasers was another impressive innovation in Most Wanted.
8 Dead Space
Redefining The Borders Between A Horror And A Third-Person Shooter
- Released
- October 14, 2008
The fact that one of the greatest survival horror games ever made was greenlit by EA is a testament to the studio’s penchant to put their eggs in riskier baskets from time to time. Visceral Games developed one of the most atmospheric and entertaining horror titles, with Dead Space‘s claustrophobic atmosphere and immersive design making it one of the best EA games in the eyes of many.
Isaac Clarke’s grisly adventures aboard the USG Ishimura make for a captivating time, with players having to deal with necromorphs and other grisly enemies in a game packed with gore and disturbing moments. A huge part of the storyline involves Isaac’s hunt for her girlfriend only to find out that the Marker was causing him to hallucinate whenever he thought he was speaking to Nicole.
7 Apex Legends
Introducing The Core Of Titanfall Into The Battle Royale Genre
Battle Royale
First-Person Shooter
- Released
- February 4, 2019
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Live-service games have attained somewhat of a poor reputation in the industry, with many players feeling like these games are nothing more than elaborate schemes to eat through as much of a player’s funds as possible. Regardless of how true this statement may be, there’s no denying that some live-service titles have extremely fun gameplay loops, with Apex Legends being a great example of the same.
The movement mechanics in this game are truly impressive and are the best part of the experience by a country mile. While there are some pay-to-win mechanics in Apex Legends, they aren’t anywhere near as egregious as most people would expect from a free-to-play title.
6 Battlefield 1
The Most Impressive Depiction Of World War 1 In A Multiplayer Game
- Released
- October 21, 2016
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
It’s not easy to become an iconic game for a certain part of the history in human life, but Battlefield 1 managed to do it flawlessly. World War 1 never received much love from game developers before Battlefield 1, as the level of weaponry advancements was not impressive enough to offer a wide variety in gunplay.
However, DICE broke this deadlock and delivered a multiplayer experience set in World War 1 that became one of the best-ever games in the history of first-person shooters. Battlefield 1 was one of the few multiplayer games with horses, blades, guns, and zeppelins, all present in a single battle, and all being decently balanced.
5 Titanfall 2
One Of The Few Games Ever With Perfect Campaign And Multiplayer
- Released
- October 28, 2016
- Franchise
- titanfall
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Titanfall 2 is one of the most underrated sequels in gaming history. Not only did it address all the problems of the first game and improve the groundbreaking traversal system, but it also features a single-player campaign that is entertaining and emotional at the same time.
It’s saddening that this game didn’t match EA’s sales expectations, which led to the cancellation of Titanfall 3 with EA putting all their resources into developing Apex Legends instead. This bargain may have worked for EA, but it came at the cost of a sequel that had the potential to be one of the greatest FPS games ever made if its predecessor was anything to go by.
4 Dead Space 2
Evolving The Horror Elements Of The First Game With Improved Visuals
- Released
- January 25, 2011
The first game in the Dead Space series made for a great immersive time as players took on the role of Isaac Clarke and explored the desolate halls of the USG Ishimura. When Dead Space 2 rolled out, fans were pleasantly surprised to see how far things were pushed in this amazing game.
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There was a greater focus on action over horror, but that did nothing to take away from Dead Space‘s amazing atmosphere in the slightest. The game had the power to terrify the player in each combat encounter, and it helped that everything from the story to the presentation was a step up from the first game.
3 The Sims 2
A Massive Leap Over The Original Game In Simulating A Romantic Life
- Released
- September 14, 2004
There’s no denying that Maxis had settled on a winning formula with the advent of The Sims. However, the game was still rough around the edges and needed some polishing before this life sim could become even more popular. With their publisher’s guidance, the sequel to this title ended up being one of the best EA games around that fans still look back on fondly to this day.
The Sims 2 single-handedly established many iconic aspects of the series and let players enjoy a video game with incredible freedom and intricate mechanics. With numerous expansion packs ensuring that this game remained relevant for years, it’s easy to see why The Sims 2 attracted so many fans to the series and turned the franchise into a household name.
2 Crysis
A Challenging First-Person Shooter With GPU-Melting Visuals
- Released
- July 23, 2020
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
Crysis blew everyone’s minds when it launched, with the graphics of this title being so advanced that even high-end rigs at the time had a problem running this game. The revolutionary CryEngine was a huge reason why this game was so ahead of its time, ensuring that players would remember this title as one of the best EA games ever made.
Controlling Nomad and using his nanosuit to take out hostile soldiers makes for a great time, with players accessing their power fantasies as they become invisible and use the enhanced power of their nanosuit to grab hapless soldiers and fling them around like ragdolls. Players who managed to run Crysis at the time were more than impressed by its immense graphics that look even better in the Remastered edition of this title.
1 Mass Effect (Original Trilogy)
Bioware’s Best Work Ever On An RPG With Compelling Storytelling
- Released
- November 20, 2007
- Franchise
- Mass Effect
This entry includes spoilers for the finale of
Mass Effect 2
.
When Mass Effect came out, many people were glad to see BioWare make a return to the sci-fi genre with an epic tale that players absolutely loved. The first game may have some gameplay quirks that are hard to ignore now, but the Legendary Edition takes care of this gripe and lets players have way more fun with the gameplay of the first Mass Effect.
To this day, the narrative and characters of Mass Effect 2 continue to hold a special place in the hearts of fans. The suicide mission is easily one of the best ending sequences in any video game ever. This is precisely what makes the conclusion of the final title in the trilogy such a disappointing one.
For what it’s worth, the additional content gave some closure with certain beloved characters and expanded on the endings to make things more satisfying. Most people agree that Mass Effect 3 is one of the greatest games ever made until its ending, which is the best statement to personify what the discourse around this title boils down to.
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