My favourite cover for a game by a long shot, the original Final Fantasy for the NES was both simple yet complex and detailed at the same time, and the stark contrast and coloring make this a true work of art.
Rockstar first started the multi-windowed cover that has become their trademark for the GTA series with GTA3, but it was Vice City, with its bikini girl, neon sign, guns & thugs and boy toys that will be remembered by all. Also, the GTA logo itself is possibly the best one out there.
Dungeon-crawling RPGs usually use sexy female warriors or dragons to sell copies, but Arx manages to blend sexiness, strength, mystery and sorcery into one female character on the cover, and the blood-soaked dagger is an incredibly nice touch too.
The highly-textured and detailed central character is such great contrast to the faded crowd all around him. Gives impression he can blend in anywhere.
Yes, it is possibly the simplest cover on this list. It's also the most yellow. But I bet it's also the most recognizable in this list. Marketing at its finest.
What better way to tell everyone that this game will push the PS3 technology to its limit than to illustrate every crack, wrinkle and hair on Snake's aged face.
BioShock's cover was so stunning in all its steampunk glory that it took me months before I even realized the freaky little girl in the background. Not the mention one of the greatest title logos ever seen in gaming.
Lara Croft has never been hotter nor fitter than in her latest entry. This is the female body in its pure perfection, and the mud splashes around her legs and pistols is just icing on the cake.
I love these covers; really take me back. Funny how so many of these also happen to be connected to some spectacular games. Case in point being BioShock, Half-Life 2, Deus Ex, No One Lives Forever, F.E.A.R., Metal Gear Solid 4, Undying, Diablo II, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Vice City.
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