Le guide Michel.
Welcome to my world.
When I got my first Polestar, I remember asking the manager which tires were coming with my car. She said they were Michelin tires but I could change them if I wanted. I smiled and said that they were exactly the ones I wanted. Still, many people don’t realise that the tires are made by the same company publishing the famous red guide. Why would a tire company, in the middle of nowhere — even by French standards — somehow create a culinary guide? Because they are smart, they think forward, and most importantly: they understand how to create demand through positive reinforcement. Nowadays, almost anybody knows about le guide Michelin. Or more specifically, they know of the Michelin star. But still many are confused about the definition of the rating. As a tire company, they wanted to sell more tires; therefore, they wanted people to drive more. So, they came up with this guide to incentivise people to drive around, to explore, and because we are in France, the best way to do so is to tell people where to go eat. The star system is brilliant and still hasn’t changed since 1900. 1 star defines a very good restaurant in its category. 2 is for excellent cooking, worth a detour. 3 is about an exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey. The guide was distributed for free to all drivers and quickly, it helped define modern cuisine.
I wish there was a guide just like that for video games. And because it doesn’t exist, I decided to write it.
Le guide Michel is a guide for video games that is updated annually. And no, it isn’t the game of the year. It is on purpose not yet another GOTY-type of ranking. The goal isn’t to tell people what was good recently, not what was good when it was released. Instead, it is about what is still good today. At 40, I often find myself being nostalgic. It is so easy to think that it was better before. But, really? How about plugging that cartridge and try to play it again? It was probably great back then but is it still now? I had tons of fun playing it when I was a kid but would I still recommend a kid today to try it? And that’s the mission of this guide.
Every single game that is featured is reassessed every year. In addition, new games will be added. The evaluations focus on the quality of the product, the mastery of the technique, its meaning, its consistency, and most importantly, the experience it offers.
And I am the judge.
At the time of this post, I have 860 games in physical copies, from the third generation console (Famicom) to today. I will only present games that I own physically, that I’ve played and finished fairly recently. This isn’t dismissing non-physical releases, nor shall you see in this decision any comment about the quality of live services or mobile games. I have to start somewhere and as a Silicon Valley-formed product manager, I’m also quite aware of scope density and scope creep. Maybe in 126 years this guide will feature crypto games and have 200 writers worldwide, but for now, it is just me, my taste, and my time. So, if your favourite game isn’t featured here, don’t take offense — most probably, I just didn’t have time to play and finish it.
How to use the guide:
Rewards:
1 star is a good game in its category: if you like the genre already and the game is easily available, go for it.
2 stars is an excellent game, worth checking: even if you don’t play the genre that often, or if it is close to one you like, if it is easily available, try it.
3 stars is a masterpiece worth playing: even if it is in an unfamiliar genre, and even it is hard to get, still dedicate some time to find a way to experience it.
Notes:
For each game, I’ll specify the version I own. They might not be the best version nor the one I played the most, but at least you have some context. Obviously, PC games are heavily under-represented in this format since they rarely come in physical boxes anymore but the best of them still get ported on console usually.
2026 Michel 3 star games
Alien Isolation; PS4: the best Alien adaptation. The game delivers the stressful and claustrophobic feeling of being isolated in a tight space with a monster. Just like the first movie, we both fear and are fascinated by the creature at the same time. The ambiance instantly transports the players to those iconic places and fully immerses them until the very end. The design is clever and keeps the players on their toes at all times.
Baldur’s Gate 3; PS5: the ultimate D&D campaign. Rarely has a game offered so much richness, depth, and agency, while also providing top-tier production value. The game is spectacular and dense. The perfect union of quality and volume. The game offers so many different ways to play, and experiencing it solo or with friends is also widely different.
Bloodborne; PS4: an extraordinary setting, perfectly executed. This is peak “classic” FromSoftware. The level design is smart and the atmosphere is a unique Victorian, oppressive, and Lovecraftian experience. A fantastic horror RPG.
Catherine; PS3: one of the only puzzle games that I enjoy playing, thanks to its great setting, hilarious story, and fabulous characters. The animation and all the visuals are top-tier, and even the gameplay is tight and intense.
Chrono Trigger; SFC: one of the best JRPGs ever made. A rich and deep lore, with perfect pacing and great moment-to-moment gameplay. Everything packaged perfectly with the magic of Akira Toriyama’s unique style. The story is complex and interesting, leading to 13 different endings and offering true, meaningful NG+.
Dead Space; PS3: the reference for all third-person horror games. The game still looks fantastic and it features the best UI ever created in the category. It is stylish, immersive, and perfectly implemented. The pacing is perfect and offers some of the most iconic moments in video games.
Diablo 2; PC: a perfect game that is still played by millions and that changed the concept of RPG and A-RPG forever, by keeping the essence of what makes the genre great while simplifying and reducing all the frictions to the minimum. A perfect liaison between moment-to-moment and meta-progression.
Disco Elysium; XBO: arguably the best classic CRPG ever made. Fantastic setting, fantastic story, and fantastic game design. The writing is so good because it is way more than just cool dialogues. And more importantly, it is a classic RPG that got rid of its worst feature: fighting.
Donkey Kong Country 2; SFC: one of the best 2D platform games ever made. Graphically amazing, the game is smooth, well-directed, with tons of secrets and well-paced challenges. Playing this game always feels enjoyable and despite its difficulty, it never feels cheap or unfair. The game is pleasant both as a single player and playing with a friend.
Doom (2016); PC: the best arena shooter. It is spectacular, it is rapid, it is nervous, it is brutal, it is violent, it is cool. The music is amazing, the levels are designed to perfectly fit the gameplay, and all the enemies are made to help players be more creative in their approaches. Playing Doom feels like dancing in constant flow.
Elden Ring; PS5: the most extraordinary exploration game, where every piece seems to be connected, to have some sort of meaning. The epitome of an adventure, delivered in the most grandiloquent way possible with neat and focused gameplay.
Fallout; PC: a masterpiece in setting and storytelling, with one of the most compelling content delivery systems ever designed: random encounters. There is a before and an after Fallout. Rarely has a CRPG felt so stressful and so immersive.
Fallout: New Vegas; PS3: the best 3D Fallout, fully giving life to the extraordinary apocalyptic world. A game with fantastic writing and some of the most iconic characters. The choices feel consequential. It takes everything that was right about Fallout 2 and made it better.
Final Fantasy VI; SFC: a great collection of characters, with unique backgrounds, skills, and looks. Rarely has a game succeeded in making all the different characters’ arcs so interesting and meaningful. It is the benchmark for multi-character-driven JRPGs. The story is epic, the system is pleasant, and it has one of the best villains ever written in video games. Graphically splendid, the score of the game is also fabulous. The game has one of the best introductions too.
Final Fantasy VIII; PS: a true love story, perfectly executed. Everything is about those main characters and their relationship. It feels like “us VS the world”, it is “choosing the to save the love of my life instead of saving the world”. The most unique narrative in the series, capturing the essence of the romantic drama. Graphically, the game is still superb, and everything is wrapped in some of the best scores ever written in the series. The game has beautiful art direction and also offers one of the best mini-games to date.
GTA 4; X360: the best story in the franchise, exploring difficult themes such as immigration, trauma, disillusionment, and the failure of the American Dream. In many ways, GTA 4 is to video games what The Great Gatsby is to literature.
Hades; Switch: the benchmark for modern rogue-lite top-down action games. It is instantly engaging, with fantastic moment-to-moment gameplay. It also features fantastic meta-progression with the most innovative narrative design and content delivery in years. Rarely has a game made dying part of it — and even fun.
Halo: Master Chief Collection; XBO: the best example of great remastering for some of the best shooters on console. Halo single-handedly created the console FPS category back then; the remaster makes it still relevant in today’s world without changing its core. It feels Halo, it looks Halo, it sounds Halo, it plays Halo, it is Halo. And it rocks.
King of Fighters 98; AES: the title describes the game perfectly: it is the king of fighters. The cast is fabulous — almost every character from the series is back for this dream match. The gameplay is so tight, refining on everything that was already great, making it perfect. No story, no fluff — this is combat in its purest form. Beautifully executed, perfectly tuned, every round is a joy to play and a joy to watch.
Metal Gear Solid; PS: the best MGS in the franchise. The perfect stealth action game, packaged in a spectacular and cinematic way. Everything feels meticulously crafted. The camera angles, the enemies’ placements, the bosses, the cinematic sequences — everything lands at the right place and at the right moment. The game is focused, the gameplay is tight, and everything adds to that infiltration fantasy.
Metal Gear Solid 2; PS2: the best MGS in the franchise (bis). Because it cannot top the original, it does something different. And it works. A masterpiece in storytelling, tension, gameplay, and technical achievement. The game is dense and generous, but still feels focused and coherent. After so many years, MGS2 still plays perfectly today — a sign of its modernity.
Persona 5; PS5: the most stylish UI ever made in video games. Pausing the game itself is part of the experience. The story is entertaining, deep, and well delivered through iconic characters. It touches upon some of the hardest themes about adolescence and it handles those difficult conversations with a rare subtlety and tact. The game is just. Always. It’s pitch perfect. The combat is fun, with beautiful VFX, and everything is made to be stylish. The game also delivers the Tokyo fantasy better than any other game.
Prey (2017); PC: the best immersive sim to date, which starts with one of the best introductions in video games. As a horror FPS, the game establishes one of the most interesting environment to play around. Everything feels natural, coherent, logical. It feels right. The level of agency is incredible. There is no puzzle, only problems. Nothing feels set. There is never just one path, not even a best path. The game rewards creativity and exploration. And the gloo gun is such a genius idea that transforms every space into a multidimentional playground.
Red Dead Redemption; X360: an extraordinary adventure in the extraordinary setting of the far west. The characters are well written and credible. I particularly like the moral complexity and their evolutions. The western has never been treated so well before, with such seriousness and respect. The game is dense, detailed, and while smaller than its sequel, is also a bit better paced.
Returnal; PS5: the best TPS on PS5. If the studio left the industry with one of the best arcade dual-stick shooters, they came back with this modern, fast-paced, ultra-stylish, insanely polished and modern take on dual-stick shooters. They didn’t just add a dimension to what they were masterfully doing before. They’ve re-invented the genre.
Signalis; Switch: one of the best art directions ever. The sound of it still haunts me after so many years. The game is the epitome of great tone consistency: everything adds to that surreal feeling. Rarely has a game explored the themes of memory, loss, and identity with such exactitude, depth, and elegance. The gameplay perfectly fits the proposition and is core to its argument.
Slay the Spire; Switch: the best deck-builder game, with impeccable moment-to-moment gameplay and progression. Every card and item seems to work in perfect synergy to deliver some of the most exciting and addictive experiences in video games.
StarCraft: Remastered; PC: the best RTS, with a rich lore, a great story, and the Brood War expansion offers the best online PvP ever in this category. The Remastered version keeps everything the same in its core and makes the experience more pleasant on modern monitors.
Super Metroid; SFC: the game that defines Metroidvania. Visually striking and super slick, the story is almost told entirely through gameplay and environment.
Tetris; GB: a perfect game. Simply the most elegantly designed game ever. If there is one game to be featured in the History of entertainment, Tetris will be and always be the best representative of our industry.
The Hundred Line: Last Defence Academy; Switch: the most ambitious visual novel ever made, combining the best of the two greatest visual novel authors and designers of the past 30 years. An extraordinary game that pushes the boundaries of the genre to a level that may never be reached again.
The Last of Us Part II; PS5: the perfect conclusion of a game about love, hate, and fate. Everything is perfectly mastered and directed. A cinematic experience that delivers emotions beyond any movie. I only finished the game once and I’m still so traumatised by its conclusion that I don’t dare trying it again. The game marked me forever, creating deep emotions that last forever.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; Switch: the best Zelda and probably also the best Nintendo game — one that demonstrates all the company’s years of experience. The most incredible and absolutely perfect onboarding to one of the greatest open worlds ever crafted.
Titanfall 2; XBO: the best solo campaign in a recent FPS. The shooting is precise, tight, responsive, and gives satisfying feedback. The story is epic and so intense. Masterfully paced, there is not a single frame of waste.
Uncharted 2; PS3: the most incredible action-adventure experience, across all media. The game is so influential that even Hollywood steals ideas and scenes from it. The game features one of the most brilliant openings ever created and leads to a perfect roller coaster. This is the epitome of action and no one tops it, every medium included.
Valkyria Chronicles; PS3: the best J-TRPG ever made. An extraordinary story, mixing melodrama and war tales, offering some of the most powerful emotional beats in the category. The hybrid combat system is inventive and still fascinating. The personality system perfectly fits the overall mechanic.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island; SFC: superb. This game is phenomenal at every single level. The art is phenomenal. I still can’t believe it runs on a Super Famicom. The audio experience is phenomenal. Nintendo had to create a custom chip on the cartridge to make it happen. The gameplay is phenomenal. It reverses the roles and gives us something we never expected. The level design is phenomenal. It is so deep, so rich, packed full of great secrets and challenges.
Zero Time Dilemma; PSV: Uchikoshi’s magnum opus, building on the foundations of 9/9/9 and taking the complexity to its ultimate level. The branching is insane. The narrative design is insane. The story is insane. One of the most brilliantly written games ever.
2026 Michel 2 star games
9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors; DS: one of the best games released on Nintendo DS, fully utilising the hardware’s key features and demonstrating why the console is made for visual novels. The writing is engaging, deep, and full of memorable moments. Uchikoshi also shows his unique talent in narrative design, crafting an experience only possible in a video game.
Divinity: Original Sin 2; XBO: building on top of its solid foundations, DOS2 expands the universe, making it richer and more pleasant to explore. The level of agency is incredible and there are so many ways to interact with the world. The environment is reactive and feels alive. But where it truly shines is in co-op: still one of the best CRPG games to play with a friend.
Red Dead Redemption 2; XBO: the ultimate western fantasy, with unreasonable detail, fantastic voice acting, incredible graphic rendering, and one of the most realistic worlds ever built. The game defines the fantasy so well that even when I visit places like Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon in the real life, my first reaction is always “this looks like RDR2”.
Silent Hill 2; PS2: a true survival horror at every level, using psychological horror rather than just monsters or gore. The atmosphere is inimitable. The fog, the music, and even the clunkiness of its movements contribute to it. The game respects the players’ intelligence by dropping just enough hints while letting them find their own truth, connecting with the characters through their own guilt, repression, and subconscious.
Fallout 2; PC: a very different proposition in the same universe. A bit less serious, with better pacing, the second entry expands the world of Fallout and establishes all the codes for the modern apocalypse genre. The game feels so much denser than it actually is, and every choice feels meaningful.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past; SFC: the game that defined an era and established all the codes for its franchise while creating a new category of its own. The game is wide and invites players to lose themselves. And players feel safe to do so because there is always something interesting — potentially iconic — to do, to see, to hear, to find. The game is charming, warm, and after a few decades, still resonates with its original fans and attracts new players.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines; PC: one of the most reactive RPGs ever written. The world feels alive and all the interactions feel natural and important. The game perfectly understands the tropes and what makes vampires special. The dialogue is among the best ever, across all media, delivered in a fantastic atmosphere and setting.
2026 Michel 1 star games
Bioshock; X360: the game is still a benchmark for environmental storytelling with its fabulous art direction. It also offers great agency to the players so they can choose how they want to progress through that intriguing story.
Citizen Sleeper; Switch: a great science fiction adventure narrated through the form of a visual novel with RPG progression and fun dice-based mechanics. The art is also beautiful. A memorable experience.
Crazy Taxi 2; DC: still the best in its genre and probably the ultimate arcade experience. The gameplay is perfect. It takes a second to understand and the fun starts immediately. The game still looks great, runs smoothly, and that soundtrack is perfect.
Dishonored; PS4: the prime example of steampunk with neat gameplay. One of the most satisfying movement systems in video games, with strong level design to explore, delivering such a sense of freedom and agency.
Dragon Ball FighterZ; XBO: the closest to the manga and anime. The ultimate DB/Z fantasy. Never has a video game been so loyal to its original reference. And beyond the skin and the presentation, it is also one of the best fighting games ever made.
Gran Turismo 7; PS5: the ultimate car simulation, especially in PSVR2. The game instantly turns the players into a pilot. This is a love letter to cars. It isn’t just about the physics or the maths behind the simulation. GT it is about the feel, the joy, and the respect for those machines. If one likes cars, one likes GT 7.
Mass Effect 2; X360: takes the formula of its original entry and makes everything better. Better combat, better cast, better pace, and still delivering a great story with one of the best final acts in video games.
Seiken Densetsu 2; SFC: the best 3-player A-JRPG. The look, the sound, the gameplay, the story, the characters, the world, the monsters, the items — everything in this game is brilliant.
Stardew Valley; Switch: the benchmark for cozy farming games. So many different ways to experience it, and all of them are right.
Subnautica; XBO: rarely has a game offered such a sense of agency and exploration while creating terror at the same time. There is nothing like it.
Lost Odyssey; X360: one of the most ambitious stories ever told through classic JRPG mechanics. The best non-Final Fantasy Final Fantasy.
Mario Kart: Double Dash; NGC: the best Mario Kart.
Tunic; Switch: a love letter to Zelda, 16-bit era games, Souls, and adventure/ARPG video games in general. The title is packed with secrets and has so many layers. The definition of a miracle.
Ultra Street Fighter IV; X360: the game that reinvented and set the benchmark for all 3D-rendered Street Fighter games. Great controls, great visuals, and most importantly, always fun to play.