Isometric Video Games - A Comprehensive Compilation (1981-2023)

[@deckofcards87]

The isometric style is so visually satisfying to me, I don't know why.

[@РусланЗаурбеков-з6е]

You are not alone.

[@childofvenus3781]

Me too, but i also love the shifting static cameras in Older resident evil games with gorgeous prerendered backgrounds, i actually believe modern RE games (New ones AND remakes) are not, or at least do not seem, as detailed and therefore as immersive as the original games' environments, specially the REmake and RE0. As far as Isometric games, my guess is that compared to 3rd/1st person cameras they seem to make the game look denser & more packed with detail than they actually are, but i don't think that's all of it.

[@youngyn9018]

Great list, thank you.

[@koppy82]

The pre-rendered look was just amazing. The immersion in the late mid-late 90s / early 2000s was next level for these games.

[@hopetagulos]

Excellent video! Thanks.

[@BuzzKirill3D]

23:18 - this game looks quite unique, can't say I've ever seen quite the same perspective and rendering style before.

[@sh8dyw8yz]

This video was amazing, I saw a lot of my old favorites and a bunch of new games I really want to check out! Thanks for putting this together, this is one of my favorite perspectives, if not my favorite

[@tomislavkosanovic1104]

Thank you. I found some new todo's. Life can wait.

[@adamstapish4290]

Awesome list thank you

[@xavier5720]

this is a great resource

[@IwantShawn]

great video man ty

[@mdg6496]

Thank you for such a wonderful list of isometric game. As a indie game developer who is currently working on the isometric 3d game, this is great reference for the development. Hopefully my game would be a great addition in the future.

[@Heyoka86]

A few omissions: 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe - Atari, 1978 (A2600) Crystal Castles - Atari, 1983 (arcade) Paperboy - Atari, Feb 1985 (arcade) Panther - Sculptured Software, 1986 (C64) Desert Falcon - General Computer Corporation, 1987 (A2600) Professional Ski Simulator - The Oliver Twins, 1987 (C64) H.A.T.E.: Hostile All-Terrain Encounter - Vortex Software, 1989 (ZX, C64, CPC, ST) Ironman Ivan Stewart's Super Off-Road - Leland Corporation, 1989 (arcade) Globulus - Innerprise, 1990 (Amiga) Voodoo Nightmare - Zippo Games, 1990 (Atari ST) Murder! - Creative Materials, 1990 (Amiga) Brat - Foursfield, 1991 (Amiga) Escape from Colditz - Digital Magic Software, 1991 (Amiga) Shadowlands - Teque London, 1992 (Amiga) Shadoworlds - Teque Software, 1992 (Amiga) Rome A.D. 92 - Firstlight, 1992 (Amiga) Wizard Fire/Dark Seal 2 - Data East, 1992 (arcade) The Adventures of Pinocchio - Bit Managers, 1993 (GB) FIFA International Soccer - Extended Play Productions, 1993 (Genesis) Darkmere - Zero Hour Software, 1994 (Amiga) Dark Half - Westone, 1996 (Snes) Energy Breaker - Neverland Co., 1996 (Snes) Blast Corps - Rare, 1997 (N64) Ottos Ottifanten: Baby Brunos's Nightmare - Bit Managers, 1998 (GB) Sylvester and Tweety: Breakfast on the Run - Bit Managers, 1998 (GBC) Die Maus - Bit Managers, 1999 (GBC) Ogre Battle 64 - Quest, 1999 (N64) Radikal Bikers - Bit Managers, (unreleased) (GBC) Nox - Westwood Studios, 2000 (PC) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 - Vicarious Visions, 2001 (GBA) Disney Sports Skateboarding - Konami, 2002 (GBA) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Eurocom, 2002 (GBA) Catwoman - Magic Pockets, 2004 (GBA) Racing Gears Advance - Orbital Media, 2004 (GBA) Juka and the Monophonic Menace - Orbital Media, 2005 (GBA) Back to Stone - Hidden Floor, 2006 (GBA) Monument Valley - Ustwo, 2014 (PC) Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris - Crystal Dynamics, 2014 (PC) Immortal Planet - teedoubleuGAMES, Jul 2017 (PC) Monument Valley 2 - Ustwo, 2017 (PC) Melkhior's Mansion - BitGlint Games, 2020 (PC) Westen House - Santiago Ontañón, 2021 (MSX) Credit to Kieren Hawken and Ale Castañeda for pointing some of them out.

[@Naedlus]

Knight Lore, and GunFright by Ultimate Play the Game, as well as Snake Rattle and Roll when they switched to Rare

[@Heyoka86]

@@Naedlus Of course Knight Lore is in the video, as well as Snake Rattle'n'Roll. Gunfright and a slew of other ZX Spectrum games I didn't include, due to there being too many of them and them being quite similar to each other, but I did include the ZX Spectrum ones that are most unique in style and also well known.

[@xaviervansteen290]

nox (2000) isometric rpg fun :D try it out man

[@hubertmitura2587]

Excellent work! I would also add: Strike Force Cobra (c 64, spectrum), Warhammer Space Crusade, Centurion, Lords of Magic, Darkstone, Hexplore, Septerra Core.

[@hubertmitura2587]

Some more I still remember: Dusk of the Gods, Twilight 2000, Metal Marines, This means war, Offensive, Horde, Dinki Smallwood, Ancient Evil, Revenant, Enemy Infestation, Laser Squad Nemesis, Abomination the Nemesis Project, Wages of War, Soldiers at War, Gender Wars, Lionheart legacy of the crusader, Celtic Kings, Deadline, Bedlam 1&2, Konung 1&2, Project Overkill

[@alfonsoesteves5090]

20:07, that remainded me so much of Starcraft 1 terran missions!! It probably was part of their inspiration

[@Lethabrainzblo]

90s to early 2000s was peak isometric graphics imo. Just the right balance between detail and stylization. The current fascination with attempting to make everything super realistic just doesn't hit the same.

[@DR---]

Awesome list and thanks for sharing. Saw a lot of cool games to try. I don't think the quiz sailor moon arcade game was listed though... But I could be wrong I didn't watch the whole video.

[@GuTOHGT]

isometric maps looks bigger... and its like a mystery because you cant see the horizon

[@charcoalPanda]

I was looking for a game which I remember as Fairy tale, but it turned out it was actually Faery Tale Adventures. Google couldn't find anything about it. Thanks!

[@Bushido_x]

Some great games on here. Thanks for the list. If you ever make a part 2, I’d love to see super mario RPG, and the dark seal games for arcade

[@segundocavaleiro662]

Era isso que eu estava procurando, para meu jogo no futuro

[@azbanspace]

I don't know if you can help me with this, I've been looking for an isometric game, from late 90's or early 2000s, that looks like starcraft but with a different gameplay. You play as a small maned hovering armor on a small isometric map. It also had a level editor with various environments (space/cyberpunk, desert/post-apocalyptic for what I remember). I had this game from a bunch of CDs containing hundreds of games for Win98/XP. It can possibly be a starcraft based game or a sc1 mod.

[@Heyoka86]

Maybe it's Zax: The Alien Hunter?

[@azbanspace]

@@Heyoka86 That game looks nice, I might give it a go but it's not the one I'm looking for. Thanks anyway :)

[@frechjo]

Some of those games are purely isometric. Some are 3d with an isometric camera, so I have no problem calling those isometric too (but it's a stretch, since many of those let you rotate the view, and they stop being isometric). But many games here are not even using an isometric projection, they're 3d with a perspective projection, they just use a similar camera angle. While they go for a similar style, I don't think the term is correctly applied to them.

[@minhtuan5333]

agree

[@Chaddledee]

3D with an orthogonal camera fixed to an angle such that a world unit in each axis is the same distance on the projection is definitely isometric. If it's angled up or down from that it's dimetric. If the camera can rotate freely then it's almost definitely trimetric. I'd understand if someone said for something to be iso/di/trimetric the ratio between the unit side lengths need to be maintained across frames, but don't think I'd agree - it's a distinction that isn't inherent to what we're talking about, which is perpective. Anything with perspective (such as Diablo in this video) is not isometric.

[@Alianger]

Nice, only omissions I can think of are the first Spindizzy. and Crystal Castles

[@AmbersKnight]

Good list although I was surprised at the omission of Sweevo's World (or its 128K expanded version Sweevo's Whirled). I was surprised all the more by the fact that you put in its sequel, Hydropool. Also, as others have said, Darkmere is missing.

[@Naedlus]

Blast Corp for the N64

[@FoolSnake]

Im searching something like Shadowrun SNES, this game is amazing and so unique...

[@ThunderKat]

Was hoping to find thise few horror survival game similar to the upcoming Aliens Descent... I can't recall the name of those game, but definitely wanna give them a try again (2000ish games)

[@VirtuelleWeltenMitKhan]

Searching for a isometric game of the 90s. You play in the human immune system running on blood lines (I guess). It is a puzzle game and you have to unlock your path. Pretty sure it was a DOS game, maybe shareware. But I can't find it.

[@woodoo4]

at least a video with isometric that is real isometric, and not 3D with camera on top

[@JoTokutora]

you took this of an emulator? what filter you use to achieve that look?

[@MadsterV]

There's a couple different ones, but they're all CRT effects. Among them I saw: - a triad shadowmask - NTSC emulation (color artifacting and bleed, bloom, scanlines) - just scanlines

[@BuzzKirill3D]

I'm always amazed at what early game developers were able to accomplish with the limited software and hardware they had. Now, it seems we have almost unlimited capabilities, but that kind of absolute freedom can be staggering and counter-productive, I feel like... but maybe I'm just making excuses.

[@UMBR.]

Nah it's very recognised by artists that limitations can be very good for creativity. With limited options you are forced to push your brain more. With absolute freedom and no restrictions you can be stuck by not knowing where to start, which to pick.

[@Beowulfus_Universum]

9:15 that green fish looks like a pepe 🐸

[@Nuberax]

I bought a game from Bookman's when I was 11 years old, a great age to be interested in barely-dressed people and also be unmedicated. I hated the game, it was unlike anything I've ever seen and was difficult to wrap my tiny brain around. Now, 20 years later, I have only a vague memory of the fantastical box art and a mental snapshot of some dumpy guy wielding a cudgel in a grassy field. I hope it's here and that I can recognize it so I can give it a second chance.

[@mashingsumpotaters]

super mario rpg, it is the only one just for me

[@alfan0079]

damn light crusader outdates diablo! with better movements and jump buttons!

[@Sbooky13]

12:53

[@tonybarnes2920]

While I appreciate the inclusion of Desert Strike and General Chaos, I can't help but feel slighted by this "comprehensive" compilation that doesn't include Jungle Strike or Urban Strike.

[@РусланЗаурбеков-з6е]

Thanks, a nice list (and many games I never heard about))) But some of these -- are not "isometric". For example, Settlers. And most of racing games...

[@Edu-ro3ts]

also missing: don't starve path of exile warcraft

[@bread6851]

most of these are isometric but there are also an alarming amount of them that have perspective. Isometric does not mean 3rd person from a top-down diagonal angle, It means that all objects appear to be the same size no matter the distance from the camera

[@cheerful_crop_circle]

What is the difference between fixed camera, bird's eye view , isometric, top-down , side scroll and arena 3D perspective?

[@litjellyfish]

Please whyyy using those horrible filters to blur out the nice original graphics?

[@Heyoka86]

Ah, sorry, I thought those filters were the most faithful reproduction of how I remembered those games as a child. I chose them carefully based on that. Sorry you don't like them, but those games were best experienced on CRT screens and not as bare pixel art.

[@epitaph8704]

Cathode-ray-tube NERD!

[@Encore2017]

You forgot sonic labrinth

[@mission2113]

The move to 3D was the downfall of gaming. The games became ugly and non immersive. It stayed that way for more than a decade. It became a bit better later on but it never reached the level of art and craftmanship and overall feel of this golden era

[@cheerful_crop_circle]

What do you find more fun about 2D games?

[@Somerandomguy0207]

you forgot: postal 1:1997 postal redux:2015 hatres:2015