I did my top games of the 2010’s and it got me all nostalgic for games I actually grew up with. I might later do my top games of the 90’s, but the 2000’s were very memorable to me thanks to the PS2 dominating the first half of that decade. I wasn’t so much a PC gamer until around 2005, and even then, I was playing older games as I didn’t have a gaming PC until 2010. This topic will mostly focus on console and handhelds games. So, if you don’t see a Zelda game on here you know was amazing it’s not because I didn’t like it, I probably never was able to play it even to this day. Games like Citizens: Kabuto or Hitman 2 were great games, but I just never played them. So, in light of all this, this isn’t a “Overall Best Games of the 2000’s” as you will see.
I will also not be putting any mobile games in here, while I had the first Droid phone in 2009, it was too late in the decade and too early for Android to make anything all that great. I did have an iPod Touch, but mobile gaming hadn’t quite evolved into anything special, even on Apple’s devices. Sure, there were fun and interesting games, but it wasn’t anything to write home about. Resident Evil 4 and Rock Band were a blast, but the console versions were much better.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 – 2000
GameBoy Color – PlayStation – Nintendo 64 – PC – Dreamcast
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
While Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was revolutionary, the second game pushed it over the edge. More of everything, better graphics, and it just overall felt more polished and better than the first game. I played this more than the first, and was a frequent rental on both PS1 and N64.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis – 2000
Dreamcast – PlayStation – PC – GameCube
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: GameCube
Score: 8/10
While I didn’t play this game until years after it was released, the Dreamcast version is by far the best (outside of the GameCube release) for the earlier versions. Cleaner graphics, better framerate, and it’s for the Dreamcast! It was a well polished end to a great trilogy, and while not very scary, it was tense and kept you on your toes.
Paper Mario – 2000
Nintendo 64
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Wii U
Paper Mario caught everyone’s eye because it was an RPG and it wasn’t your standard platformer. My sister actually rented this and I got sucked in watching. When I finally finished the game I didn’t want it to end. While it was a very simple and rather easy game it was fun and enjoyable and had JRPG elements everyone could enjoy.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 – 2001
PlayStation – PlayStation 2 – Nintendo 64 – PC – GameCube – Xbox – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
This is by far my favorite game in the series. It was the first PS2 game I ever touched and I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up playing this all night at friends’ sleepovers and mastered this game. Ever level, used every cheat, and got 100% in the game. It’s a masterpiece and remains one of the best sports game ever made, period.
Grand Theft Auto III – 2001
PlayStation 2 – PC – Xbox
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox
This game made me jealous I didn’t have a PS2. I had a neighbor who had a PS2 and he always left his door open and I would walk by and see him playing this Silent Hill 2 and SSX. When I finally got a hold of it I realized I was holding one of the most controversial games ever made. It had fantastic writing, fun gameplay, and one of the first large open worlds on a console.
Halo: Combat Evolved – 2001
Xbox – PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10
What can you say about Halo? It’s Microsoft’s Zelda or Mario. It was the beginning of an era and online shooters would never be the same. It’s not just one of the most iconic games ever made, but one of Microsoft’s only standing exclusives they have left. I actually played this on PC first, but I saw this game on gaming sites and magazines on a daily basis for years.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec – 2001
PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
GT3 is by far one of the best racing simulators ever made, even to this day. The physics and graphics hold up so well and it was well beyond its time. I got gold in nearly ever race and almost bought every single car. I spent dozens of hours in this game with my dad and couldn’t put it down. It still remains the best in the series and one of the best PS2 games of all time.
Civilization III – 2001
PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
This was a small game I bought from a school book fair a few years after it had released. It was only $20 so I grabbed it as I loved Age of Empire II. I got sucked in right away and played this on a 5 year old computer that couldn’t run anything else. I became a Civilization fan after that.
Max Payne – 2001
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC – Mac – GameBoy Advance
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
While I played the inferior PS2 version when it was released I still had a blast with this game. The crying baby scene where you are running on the line of blood was a serious pain in the ass and I remember my mom yelling at me to mute the TV. The bullet time gameplay was otherworldly and the gritty comics and voice acting was top notch. Years later I played a better port on PC.
Silent Hill 2 – 2001
PlayStation 2 – PC – Xbox
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
I never played this on PS2, but the PC version was fantastic and also scary as sin. The puzzles were a little vague, but the game was grotesque and strange, just how I remembered the first game being. While the story is convoluted, and the gameplay is stiff, you can’t knock the game for the sheer amount of weirdness it throws at you.
Alien vs Predator 2 – 2001
PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Played years after release, the game was one of the best PC shooters I had ever played and was actually scary! The Alien and Marine campaign stood out the most for me, and it looked pretty good to. I never had a chance to play online, but the campaigns have great replay value and are worth checking out to this day.
Final Fantasy X – 2002
PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4/Xbox One
Score: 9/10
Funny story about this game. I rented this from Blockbuster and the disc had a scratch that prevented me from getting past the cut-scene that showed Sin just before attacking the boat. I returned it and didn’t finish it until years later. It was the first FF game I ever was able to beat and had an engaging story that was quite memorable, great locales, and gorgeous visuals.
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell – 2002
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC – Mac – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
While I played the inferior PS2 version, Splinter Cell got me into stealth games as Metal Gear Solid just couldn’t quite do it for me. The lighting was amazing, and the the controls and animations were awesome. I loved how you could actually see how dark everything is around you and that would determine how hidden you are. The level design was great, but it could also be a tad difficult.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem – 2002
GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
While not the best GameCube game it was so oddball I couldn’t stop playing. I remember something about an Indiana Jones artifact recovery thing, strange puzzles, and just a bizarre story in general. It’s a hidden gem, and I played it years after release, but there’s nothing else like it on a Nintendo system. It’s a must play.
WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos – 2002
PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10
I played this longer after release, it was one of the best real time strategy games I had ever played. It was fun, simple, had great visuals, and a story and characters were fun to watch. The campaign was well done with great scenarios, and it has replay value for sure. The collector’s edition is currently sitting on my shelf.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault – 2002
PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
I was late to the Medal of Honor game as I skipped the first outings on PlayStation. Allied Assault took the PC community by storm with fantastic visuals and great gameplay. I played this after Finest Hour for PS2 came out and realized what I was missing out on. The best Medal of Honor games are on PC.
No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.’s Way – 2002
PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
This is by far one of the most original shooters ever made. It’s a spoof on 60’s spy movies like James Bond. The clever writing, great humor, interesting characters, and funny gadgets used in the game just keep you hooked. This was one of my first FPS games on PC and it made me realize that PC has some of the best shooters on the planet.
Ratchet & Clank – 2002
PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: PlayStation 3
Ratchet & Clank aren’t just some low budget mascots like Bubsy. These are Sony’s, and PlayStation’s, icons and also some of the best platforming you will ever find even to this day. While the sequels were equally as charming, the first game made the largest impact on me, and it’s the only one I played, thanks to its witty humor, great characters, and memorable levels. This game also put Insomniac on the map for being fantastic weapons designers and their famous unique alt fire modes.
Medal of Honor: Frontline – 2002
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
Score: 7/10
This was the first ever Medal of Honor experience I had. I had played a demo of the original back when it came out, but it was boring to me as a kid. Frontline blew my mind away when the opening scene of the Normandy beach on D-Day rattled my TV speakers. While today, it’s rather dull and not very interesting, Frontline was back-to-consoles basics, and looked good doing it.
Kingdom Hearts – 2002
PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4
Disney plus Final Fantasy was something no one saw coming and I was so exciting reading about this game in magazines and online articles up until release. I didn’t pick this up until nearly 2 years after release, but when I did I had a blast. Revisiting old Disney favorites with my siblings was so much fun, and the the characters were great despite not being able to follow any of the story. Admit it, we played it so we could Final Fantasy inside Christmas Town.
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs – 2002
PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
My first ever online console experience. I was late to the game on this one, but I picked up a network adapter just for this game and spent dozens of hours online. It made me love online shooters on consoles, I never finished the campaign and solely focused on fragging online which is fine right?
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – 2002
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – GameBoy Advance
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
As a kid, The Lord of the Rings movies were part of my universe. I watched them in the theaters and rewatched on DVD. I couldn’t get enough. The games were nearly perfect recreating the scenes of the movies with tight controls, a fun upgrade system, and great visuals. They have great replay value to this day.
Freekstyle – 2002
PlayStation 2 – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: GameCube
Out of all the motorcycle games that were a huge deal in the early 2000’s, Freekstyle won me over, mainly as I picked it up on a budget and loved the high octane tricks and crazy arenas. I got obsessed trying to get the highest scores on all the races and played this for dozens of hours.
Spyro 2: Season of Flame/Ice – 2002
GameBoy Advance
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Some of the finest mobile platforming is right here, and it’s all thanks to the isometric view rather than cramming terrible 3D visuals onto the system. The clever level design, tight controls, and classic Spyro gameplay we have grown to love was in handheld form. This was one of the few GBA games I owned growing up and I couldn’t get enough.
Metroid Prime – 2002
GameCube
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Wii
Score: 8/10
I played this many years after release, and I didn’t like it then, but now I’ve grown to appreciate the game and series overall. Metroid took awhile to grow on me and sadly this is the only game in the series I ever touched. I finished it, shrugged, and tossed it aside, but after loving the series like I do know, I will someday go back and play all three.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – 2003
Xbox – PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10
Another game played many years after release, KOTOR is considered by many to be the best Star Wars game ever made. With an original story not following the movies, great RPG battles, lightsaber customization, good writing, voice acting, and more Star Wars lore than you can shake a stick at. It looked fantastic and remains one of the best Xbox games as well.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – 2003
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PC – GameBoy Advance
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
Most people had never heard of the Prince before The Sands of Time. Ubisoft’s reboot was an instant hit and classic. Using time rewind skills, great combat, and platforming, this was almost a perfect game. While I didn’t get a chance to play it upon release, I got to play the PC version a couple years later.
Call of Duty – 2003
PC – Mac – N-Gage
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
Considered by many to be the best WWII franchise, Call of Duty set higher standards than even Medal of Honor. Less arcade feel gameplay, more bombastic scripted events, and addictive online play. Call of Duty went on to be a fan favorite and is far different from what the series is today.
Tony Hawk’s Underground – 2003
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
While THPS4 felt a little mediocre and samey, THUG mixed things up again with an actual story, off board exploration, and a return to amazing level design and overall fun that the series was known for. This was the end of an era as later games in the series flopped and never felt the same.
SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs – 2003
PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
The last SOCOM game I would ever play, the campaign was a lot better, visuals improved, and the online gameplay was even more fun, but for some reason a lot harder. The first game felt a little more arcade like and SOCOM II took a very realistic approach to shooting. I was too young to really care, but I appreciated it nonetheless.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – 2003
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – GameBoy Advance – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
The last of the two great Lord of the Rings games, and the last of any good game in the series for at least a decade. Return of the King bumped up the visuals and gave us all the great scenes in the movies to play with unlockable clips, behind the scenes, and more. It was nearly a perfect action game and has great replayability to this day.
Tron 2.0 – 2003
Xbox – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
I loved Tron growing up as a kid, and when I found out this game released on PC I was excited. While it didn’t run well, Tron 2.0 was a mind trip. It felt like you were in the movie, and despite being difficult, it had a lot of great gameplay and some nice RPG elements thrown in. It felt like a true adventure and like I was slowly getting towards my goals and growing as a whole.
Beyond Good & Evil – 2003
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
Score: 8/10
I played this years after release on PC at about 20FPS, but I played it and it was a blast. It was one of the first games I ever bought on Steam back when the store had only a couple hundred games. It felt like a true adventure with great characters, voice acting, and memorable environments.
Half-Life 2 – 2004
PC – Xbox
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
The beginning of an era and FPS games would never be the same. I was barely able to run this game on PC, but it was the first game I ever bought on Steam, back when Valve games were all that were available. I played through the game numerous times and I never experienced anything like this — it was a PC only experience and it showed. While it was bug city, and didn’t run well on older hardware, it was a blast to play and the style of storytelling is something I will never foget.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – 2004
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox/PC
One of the most contraversial games ever created, San Andreas took the industry and world by storm. Making it to the 6 o’clock news and then some. I had never had more fun in a game until San Andreas. The story and characters were fun and entertaining, the RPG elements were interesting, and was just good ‘ol GTA that you would screw around in and always find something to do. It rang through the industry long after release too.
Halo 2 – 2004
Xbox – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One
Score: 9/10
I didn’t get a chance to play this until I had an Xbox 360, but when I did I understood why it was such a big deal. Halo 2 was probably the biggest game in 2004 just due to the fact that it was the best online shooter you could play on a console. The story and visuals were top-notch, the campaign was amazing, and who doesn’t love online fragging? I missed out not owning an Xbox, and hated on the game for years, but it remains one of the best games in the series.
Burnout 3: Takedown – 2004
PlayStation 2 – Xbox
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
Burnout 3 remains one of my favorite racers of all time. The crash mode is all I need to say. Slow down time and rack up points by causing crashes? Who didn’t like that. It was fun, the physics and sense of speed were perfect, and there were a ton of events and it never got old. It remains one of the few perfect racers out there.
Unreal Tournament 2004 – 2004
PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
I was late to the game, but Unreal 2004 was a blast, and actually ran well on my old school PC I used at home. While the campaign was entertaining for practice, I spent hours modding the game with skins, models, and maps, and playing online was never more fun. It still plays well to this day, but I finally had an online shooter I could play daily that had a large community.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay – 2004
PC – Xbox
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC
Score: 8/10
Another reason to own an Xbox or high-end gaming PC. Riddick was a surprise hit that no one expected. It was dark, gritty, had good controls and gameplay, and a decent story with Vin Diesel himself starring in it. I remember my family rented Pitch Black from Blockbuster and the movie included a demo of this game, but alas, no Xbox. I finally played it years later on PC.
Doom 3 – 2004
PC – Xbox – Mac
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: PC/PlayStation 4/Xbox One
Score: 7/10
How many more reasons did I need to finally cave and get an Xbox? It wouldn’t even launch on my then 6 year old PC, so I was stuck watching videos online. The game was so awesome, but fans were divided. I eventually played it on Xbox a few years later, but I could understand the hype. It looked so real when I saw it at launch with fantastic lighting effects, and the gore!
Katamari Damacy – 2004
PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: Switch
Not only was it appealing because it was $20, but it was weird and every PS2 owner was talking about it. The low budget Japanese adventure game had you playing as the Prince of Cosmos rolling up random crap into bigger and bigger balls. It was satisfying, fun, had decent controls, and great personality and charm. It shook-up the game industry and was one of the first examples of an indie game that can become really popular.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – 2004
PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8.5/10
One of the best RTS games I have ever played. Period. My parents couldn’t afford to get me the stuff for the board games so the video games was all I had. Dawn of War was the first game set in the Warhammer universe I ever played and I got hooked. The interesting lore, factions, and base building and unit management were top notch with some great expansions as well.
Def Jam: Fight for NY – 2004
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
Love or hate rap music, it is the single most influential music genre on the planet spanning nearly every culture and country. Def Jam turned into an okay fighter into something awesome with Fight for NY. Plenty of East Coast rappers brawling it out with a fantastic fight system.
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy – 2004
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
Psi-Ops was a weird game, but somehow a sleeper hit. It featured an interesting story with great voice acting, and one of the most questionable cliffhangers ever. Everyone wants a sequel, but it sadly died and went down with Midway. I discovered the band Cold from the music video on the disc at least.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within – 2004
PlayStation 2 – GameCube – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
This is actually my favorite game in the series. People hated on the darker and grittier game, but I loved it. The awesome metal music, the blood and gore, and darker tones were just awesome to me. Ubisoft took risks that most other developers wouldn’t with a AAA franchise. It had improved combat and some fantastic level design.
Spider-Man 2 – 2004
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
By far one of the few great movie-game tie-ins that worked. This game had a huge sprawling Manhattan you could explore and the combat system was excellent. Climbing the Empire State Building and diving off was a blast. It made a huge splash back in the day and influenced the new Spider-Man for PS4.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 – 2004
PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
A lot of people like roller coasters, but how about taking an already popular simulation game and making it 3D with POV roller coaster rides? It was an absolute blast and I spent countless hours building coasters and riding them in real-time. The park management aspect was something I didn’t care for until I was older, but with an easy to use coaster builder you’re going to set off the imagination of many.
Mortal Kombat: Deception – 2004
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
Score: 8.5/10
This was the first video game I ever pre-ordered and was the first video game I truly got amped up and excited for leading to release. I watched every trailer, clip, screenshot, and article multiple times over. It was also the first ever online fighting game for consoles and had great net code and worked. I spent so many hours fighting online to keep my win ratio up, and was the best of the 3D Mortal Kombat games. It had a fantastic Puzzle Fighter and Chess Kombat mode, but the Konquest mode was complete filler and was awful with terrible controls and visuals, but you had to play through it to unlock stuff in the Krypt.
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault – 2004
PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 7.5/10
EA took the series back to the PC and the Asia-Pacific theater. It was bombastic, looked amazing thanks to PC hardware, and sadly I didn’t get to play this until almost a decade after release, but I grew to appreciate the game for what it was and how well it was made.
The Suffering – 2004
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
The Suffering was another game in Midway’s peak just before they declared bankruptcy. Midway had some of the best franchises on the planet and The Suffering wasn’t amazing, but the dark atmosphere, and psychological stuff really got me hooked. It was a hard game and I never finished it, but it’s a great franchise that I wish was picked up again. The inspiration of real-life asylums and prisons is what got me hooked.
Ridge Racer – 2004
PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
When I got my PSP, which remains the only console I ever pre-ordered, it felt like I was holding the future. It remains the slickest portable console ever made, and it was ahead of its time. With PS2 level graphics in your hand, and a fantastic library, the PSP is a must have system. Ridge Racer remains the best game in the series and one of the best racers on PSP. I actually got 100% completion in the game and was so satisfied when I did.
Resident Evil 4 – 2005
PlayStation 2 – GameCube – PC – Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One/PlayStation 4
RE4 is by far in my top ten games of all time. It has to be. While GameCube players got the game for a few months it was quickly released on PS2, and not only sold way more there, but a premium edition was released which I have to this day. It didn’t look as good on PS2, but it was still a memorable experience. The 20 hour story was nearly perfect with exciting enemies, great gameplay, and the RE reboot that took over the industry and inspired games like Gears of War after it.
God of War – 2005
PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 3
Score: 8.5/10
Another game in my top ten, God of War shook me to my core. It made me rethink how games should be made and played. The revolutionary combat system, the great use of Greek lore, great voice acting and story, and the huge open vistas with no loading was out of this world. It was gory, exciting, and I replayed it many times over on various other platforms as well.
Guitar Hero – 2005
PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Guitar Hero was the beginning of an era and a short lived push for rhythm games on consoles. It literally took over the entire world with so many knock-offs and sequels, parties, competitions, and world records. Guitar Hero got me to buy a real guitar and learn to play and it just somehow worked. Sure, the game didn’t have any original tracks, they all had to be cover songs, but they were well done and the game was so addictive. I spent dozens of hours in this game and many of the songs are well known to younger generations because of this game.
Shadow of the Colossus – 2005
PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4
Score: 8.5/10
Another game that made me see them differently, Shadow of the Colossus didn’t just look like one of the best games ever made at the time, it ran poorly, sure, but it was memorable. Running around and empty wasteland taking down larger than life beasts was unheard of back in the day. The fact that it could be done on the PS2 was astonishing, and with the next-generation of console just around the corner it seemed silly not to wait. What we got was one of the best PlayStation games ever made that has only improved with the recent remaster.
Guild Wars – 2005
PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
My first ever MMO and only because it wasn’t subscription based. With World of Warcraft still dominating the charts and being talked about daily, Guild Wars used it’s free-to-play concept to lure players in. I didn’t understand the concept of an MMO back then, it was complicated, but I got a good way into the story before finally moving on to other things as I didn’t get into the game until much later after release.
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 – 2005
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10
I played this years after release on PC, but what we had was a WWII shooter that left the arcade gameplay behind and gave us a gritty and gripping story with great voice acting and realistic tactical combat. Not to mention the first WWII game to finally have gore and blood. It was a very tough game, but was so good, just avoid the PS2 version as it runs like garbage.
F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon – 2005
PC – Xbox 360
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10
FEAR was probably the first game where I was jealous I didn’t have a gaming PC. You needed a monster rig to run this back in the day, and when I walked into Sam’s Club and glanced over at the video games one day, I finally decided I wanted to be a PC gamer. It is still considered one of the best shooters ever made. I didn’t get to play this until it was released for Xbox 360, but it’s hard, fun, and one of a kind.
Psychonauts – 2005
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
Score: 9/10
I played this years after release because the PS2 version is awful, but we got was a charming lovable platformer that is thankfully finally getting a sequel 15 years later. It had great voice acting, fun levels, and a trippy atmosphere.
SWAT 4 – 2005
PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Being able to slowly walk through a level and yell, “Police! Hands in the air!” and have a button for that is just awesome. The game has so much replay value and being put into small areas with multiple outcomes is addictive. I loved playing through each level and going in with non-lethal approach and then lethal. I tried to get a perfect score in every level. It didn’t run very well on my PC at the time, but it didn’t stop the fun.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction – 2005
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
I played this long after release, but it is one of the best comic book video games ever made, and for sure the best Hulk game in existence. With a large open world you can smash everything in sight. It had fun missions, lots of Hulk lore, and you felt like a real comic book hero. This was back when comic book games were mostly bad and when a good one came along everyone clung to it.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening – 2005
PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One/PlayStation 4
While most people skipped DMC2, DMC3 came back with a vengeance. It was one of the most talked about games and not only was it hard as nails it was fun, stylish, and looked amazing. I remember beating this game and being incredibly satisfied.
Star Wars Battlefront II – 2005
PlayStation 2 – PSP – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
I prefer this game over the first one as it was louder, bigger, looked better, and just had more content overall. It was a smash hit and one of the best online shooters of the time. It was sadly one of Pandemic’s last games as well.
Fable: The Lost Chapters – 2005
Xbox – PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox 360
I finally got a chance to play Fable long after release, and when I did I loved it. It has a wonderful British charm, great medieval fantasy atmosphere, and the choice system, combat, and dialog were great. I didn’t have many complaints about this game and it remains an Xbox game that needs to make a return.
Condemned: Criminal Origins – 2005
Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Man this game really takes me back. I remember watching the reveal of the PS3 at E3 2005 live on GameSpot. I remember watching the Condemned tech demo by Sega and being absolutely stunned. This was one of three games I first bought for my Xbox 360. I replayed this game a few times and couldn’t put it down. It’s actually quite scary, tense, and has great combat.
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks – 2005
PlayStation 2 – Xbox
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
The last Mortal Kombat spin-off we would ever see, Shaolin Monks had a fantastic fight system, and despite being really short, helped bring MKII to life which is a lot of fan’s favorite game in the series. The voice acting and story were dreadful, but it had great co-op gameplay as well. I still have my action figures that came with the pre-order.
Star Wars: Republic Commando – 2005
Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
I played this on PC long after release, but it’s something in the Star Wars universe that feels unique and rare. It has a great atmosphere, and FPS games in the Star Wars universe are quite rare. It was a solid tactical shooter that sadly didn’t get the attention it deserved.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth – 2005
Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
I played this game on a PC that could barely run it, but it got me into HP Lovecraft’s writing. The game wasn’t perfect, but the atmosphere was tense and scary, and it just felt like a great adventure. It was horror at its finest, and there really isn’t anything out there like it. It’s the best Cthulhu game out there, and sadly didn’t get much attention.
Area 51 – 2005
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
I remember getting really excited for this game up to release. I got it on day one and had a blast. I played through the campaign a few times to get all the collectibles and played online quite a bit. It had a great atmosphere, and featured some AAA voice talent like Marilyn Manson and David Dechovny.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted – 2005
PlayStation 2 – GameCube – Xbox – Xbox 360 – PC – Nintendo DS – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360
I played this game for hours and hours trying to get 100% completion. It wouldn’t run on my PC so later the following year I picked it up cheap and went to town on my 360. I remember playing this for hours listening to my custom soundtracks in the background.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence – 2005
PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
This was the fist MGS game I actually beat and could really get into. Snake Eater was fine and all, but I was still too young and impatient to care for it. I loved the story, characters, and gameplay and it looked fantastic as well. In fact, this was the first game I played using component cables for my PS2 and it looked sharp and detailed. I’m still not the biggest MGS fan, but I appreciate the series for what it is.
Kingdom Hearts II – 2005
PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4
This was the only video game ending that made me cry. I rented this right when it came out and actually finished it. The first game was too hard for me to beat, but Kingdom Hearts II had more Disney locations and more Final Fantasy characters that I liked. It remains one of the best PS2 games, but the story was so convoluted and confusing.
Gears of War – 2006
Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One
Score: 9.5/10
Gears of War is in my top ten favorite franchises of all time. This game changed the way I see and play games and was a real stepping stone for true next-generation games. It was one of three games I first played on my 360 and I have beaten it numerous times on every system it has been out for. I’ve read the novels as well and just love the world and characters that this game has. It’s a surprisingly deep rabbit hole of lore and story if you look in other media.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – 2006
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9.5/10
Oblivion holds a special place in my heart. It was the first Elder Scrolls game I ever played and it was the only time from before or after that I sat and did 12 hour gaming marathons. I explored every nook and cranny of this game, read all the in game books, and even tried it on PC. The game is so deep and has so much going for it that it pushed gaming into another generation. Sure, it has flaws like numerous bugs, dated visuals, mediocre combat, and menus aren’t the best, but it was magical nonetheless.
Okami – 2006
PlayStation 2 – Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One/PlayStation 4/PC
Score: 9/10
Okami was a game I greatly anticipated. When I saw preview for it at E3 2006 I freaked out. The Celestial Brush really caught my eye and the art style is still to this day one of a kind. We got an open world adventure with gorgeous visuals and music, and some great combat. It remains one of the best reasons to own a PS2, and was a great way to help end that generation of games. While the HD version is the way to go today, I will never forget the 30 hours I put into this game.
Guitar Hero II – 2006
PlayStation 2 – Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360
I honestly couldn’t wait for more Guitar Hero. While the game still featured cover songs, it had so many great classics with better visuals, gameplay, and an improved controller. I owned this on PS2 and then later 360 because it had some DLC which was a blast. The rhythm genre was really still getting started and hadn’t tired out yet.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas – 2006
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
I had played the original Rainbow Six on PS1 and PC and couldn’t get into it. The new third person camera and more arcade style action was a blast and it actually had a decent story from what I remember. The game was a ton of fun, looked great, and was a blast to play online.
Half-Life 2: Episode 1 – 2006
PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
The long anticipated Episode 1 finally came out and I downloaded this sucker right at midnight. It was short, but sweet, and improved the visuals, there were less bugs, and I loved played as Alyx in the new locales. It was more Half-Life 2 and everyone ate it up. It was one of the most talked about games for some time.
Bully – 2006
PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10
I remember this being GTA for kids. While it was still crass and had adult humor it was smaller in scale than GTA, but had great characters and setting just like GTA. I was so excited when this game released and rented it immediately. I just remember it being short and wanting more, and I later played the Scholarship Edition on PC which is the way to go.
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix – 2006
PlayStation 2 – Xbox
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
Midnight Club 3 was a fantastic arcade racer that featured real world cars. The customization was insane and even had some great licensed music. I remember having a blast with this game, but also remember it being really hard in later races. The Remix version added more content for $20 and this was the version I wound up playing.
Prey – 2006
Xbox 360 – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Prey was one of the first games I ever played on my 360 and man was it a blast. It’s weird, interesting, a game out of development hell, and a game we will likely never see again. It felt like a mix between Turok and Quake. The weird room flipping with portals, the interesting alien guns, and the environments were just crazy. It’s a one-of-a-kind game and I will always remember this game as one of my favorite 360 games.
Tomb Raider: Legend – 2006
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PSP – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360/PC
Score: 8/10
Legend was the reboot Tomb Raider needed. The series was seriously tanking, and Legend introduced revitalized gameplay and a new Lara Croft. Legend was also highly touted as one of the first true next-generation games on Xbox 360, and it looked damn good. It was one of the first next-gen games I was incredibly excited about, and the excitement paid off.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter – 2006
PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360
GRAW was one of the first of three games I played on 360 that showed me what the next-generation of games was going to be. GRAW was a different games on every system, and the only good one was 360. It was a dull FPS on PC, a crappy FPS on PS2 and Xbox, and was incredibly buggy on PS3. I played this game twice over even on the hardest difficulty and loved it. It was just the right mix of tactical gameplay and arcade gameplay.
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror – 2006
PlayStation 2 – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP
Syphon Filter is one my top ten favorite games of all time. When I found out it was being rebooted on PSP I lost my mind. While it’s a far cry from the original games, it revolutionized the PSP system as a whole and showed you can make a shooter work on the handheld. It had great graphics, gameplay, and continued the story and featured characters that fans would really appreciate.
Star Wars: Empire at War – 2006
PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
I’m not a huge RTS fan, but when a good one comes along I pick it up and Empire at War was an absolute blast. I played it on a PC that couldn’t run it very well, but I still had fun building bases and living the Star Wars dream. It felt like Starcraft meets Star Wars and was easy to pick up, but hard to master. This is by far the single best Star Wars RTS and I hope a remaster comes along at some point.
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock – 2007
PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – Wii – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
Score: 8.5/10
The last great Guitar Hero game. This was the height of the rhythm genre, not the start of the decline, and Guitar Hero III had some of my favorite songs in the whole series. It had a new “sliding touch bar” feature for faster paced solo sections, and just had sharper gameplay, great visuals, and awesome DLC, I found some of my favorite bands of all time through this game as well.
Super Mario Galaxy – 2007
Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
My all time favorite 3D Mario game for sure. Galaxy opened my eyes to a whole new Nintendo after years of bagging on them. It made me happy to be a Wii owner, and it was something you couldn’t get on any other system. I played this game twice through and collected every star there was. It was so much fun and addictive and I just couldn’t put the game down. I was very skeptical at first, but it’s a game you must play to truly understand how special it is.
BioShock – 2007
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10
BioShock was one of the most anticipated next-generation games of the time and I remember playing the demo several times over, and staying up until midnight for it. It looked fantastic, and had a wonderful atmosphere, great gameplay, and was so much fun to play through multiple times. It’s still a classic to this day, and has thankfully been remastered since. BioShock is by far one of the best games of the last generation.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – 2007
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Mac – Nintendo DS – Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10
I remember being blown away by the E3 2007 demo of this game. The clip from the Pripyat level with Captain Price is legendary, and the level more so. Call of Duty 4 pushed shooters out of the WWII genre and into modern combat. The game featured revolutionary multiplayer that changed online shooters forever. It’s sad to see where the series wound up, but the remastered version is the way to go these days.
Mass Effect – 2007
Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
One of the most exciting next-generation games that really made you want to own a system at the time. It featured fantastic visuals and facial animations, a lore as expansive as Star Wars and great gameplay and choices you could make during dialog scenes. The game was epic and it’s one of my all time favorite games. The series got better as it went on and that’s kind of rare for franchises these days.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – 2007
Nintendo DS
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Phantom Hourglass was the first handheld Zelda game I had played to the end, and it used every single feature of the DS cleverly, even the sleep mode. Copying a map required you to close the screen and open it. It’s such a simple and stupid thing but it made me smile so much. The gameplay was fantastic with a charming story and characters. It still remains one of my favorite Zelda games to this day.
Crysis – 2007
PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10
Crysis was revolutionary back in the day for the sheer amount of graphical power the game delivered. Not a single GPU could run the game at full specs at 60FPS and you needed two GPUs to do so. It remained a benchmarking game for nearly a decade and for good measure. It used the new DirectX 10 graphics architecture and made you jealous of any PC gamer who could run it. It was the first game I played on my first gaming laptop back in 2010 and even that thing couldn’t play the game at highest settings. It still remains a great open world game and the best in the series.
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords – 2007
PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – PSP – Xbox 360 – PC – Nintendo DS – Wii – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
Puzzle Quest wasn’t a game I thought I would love. It was one of the first popular match 3 gem puzzle games with RPG elements and it worked so well. I spent 40 hours completing every puzzle on my PSP during grueling work hours where there was nothing to do. It has great replay value and remains one of my favorite puzzle games of all time.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles – 2007
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Shivering Isles somehow made Oblivion better. The introduction of Sheogorath and the Jabberwocky and his crazy dialog were just icing on the cake. The giant mushrooms, enemies, and awesome new quests made the $30 expansion worth while. It’s one of the best Elder Scrolls expansions to date as well.
Super Paper Mario – 2007
Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Wii U
I never thought Paper Mario would return, but the third game in the series is the best and a blast. I loved transitioning from 3D to 2D and the game was just so much fun, I couldn’t put it down. This is by far one of my top five favorite Mario games of all time and for good reason.
DiRT – 2007
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
I really didn’t care for racing simulators after Gran Turismo 3, but the Colin McRae series has always been the top rally simulator for years. With DiRT Codemasters restructured their IPs and made one of the most successful racing series of all time. I didn’t get gold in every race by one of my sisters did which is saying something. I didn’t have a PC to run this game back in the day, but the console versions were such a blast.
Tomb Raider: Anniversary – 2007
PlayStation 2 – Xbox 360 – Wii – PSP – Mac – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC/Xbox 360
Remaking the first Tomb Raider was a smart move, but being better than the original is another thing entirely. Anniversary was so much fun to play and felt fresh with the Legend style gameplay. Puzzles were fun, combat was improved, and Lara looked better than ever. It was on so many systems, but I chose to play it on PC where it could barely run for some reason.
The Darkness – 2007
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360
I didn’t even know this game was based on the comics until years after playing it. It remains a sleeper hit and one of my favorite Xbox 360 games to date. The use of the arms was so awesome, and the game had a dark and creepy atmosphere that also added to the replay value. The gunplay was fantastic as well and I couldn’t get enough of it.
Assassin’s Creed – 2007
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4/Xbox One/PC
Score: 8.5/10
One of the most anticipated games of the last generation, and now of the most run-down franchises of all time. Assassin’s Creed went through some development hell before finally coming out, and not keeping up with promises. The crowd AI wasn’t exactly the best, and the game was very repetitive and limited in scope, but it still showed what the next-generation of games could do and there was nothing else like it at the time of release. While it’s not my favorite AC game it remains one of the most memorable.
Eternal Sonata – 2007
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PlayStation 3
Score: 9/10
I am not the biggest JRPG fan, but I usually love the art style, combat, and visuals and story that they can bring. Most JRPGs are generic and dime-a-dozen, but Eternal Sonata caught my eye when it used the life of composer of Chopin and infused the character’s names that related to music. I even named some of my animals after these characters. It was a short RPG, about 20 hours long, and wasn’t so grindy that you would get bored. It was beautiful, fun, and one of my favorite JRPGs to this date.
Heavenly Sword – 2007
PlayStation 3
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8.5/10
Heavenly Sword may not be an amazing game on its own, but it was showcased at E3 2005 and I remember seeing the demo of this game live. It looked like a next-generation game and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. It was a well made game, and looked fantastic, but was very linear in scope and short.
Silent Hill: Origins – 2007
PSP – PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP
The last real Silent Hill game we ever got. Origins looked amazing on the PSP and was actually quite scary and felt like a Silent Hill game. I don’t think I ever finished it because I was too scared to, but staring into mirrors to get to the “Other World” with haunting music, and crazy enemy design. Yeah, it’s Silent Hill all right and one of the better ones too.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – 2007
PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8.5/10
Anything Final Fantasy VII related is going to get big, and when Square Enix did their FF7 reboot stuff Crisis Core and the movie proceeding it was a huge deal. While it helped muddy the story more than needed, we got a glimpse of Zack’s life during the events of the original game. Many hated on Crisis Core for the “roulette” style gameplay, but I loved that it was hack and slash battles over turned based stuff. It remains one of the best looking games on PSP and had gorgeous CGI cut scenes.
Grand Theft Auto IV – 2008
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9.5/10
Every GTA is a worldwide phenomenon and event. It’s not just a game release. It makes the global news channels, creates controversy, break records, etc. GTAIV was no different, and while I played it much later after release, it was a blast. It’s not my favorite GTA game, but the characters were great and it was an evolution that the series needed.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – 2008
PlayStation 3
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 9.5/10
MGS4 was a serious heavy hitter back in the day. It showed off the power of the PS3 during E3 and looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. The game featured 45 minute long cut-scenes, great visuals, and classic MGS gameplay. It was the first MGS I fully enjoyed, but still didn’t convince me to be a huge fan. I love the series for what it does, but stealth games are hard to hold my attention.
Fallout 3 – 2008
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10
One of my top favorite games of all time. Fallout 3 may have upset some fans, but it was the fist game in the series for me and I loved it. Even upon release it was dated visually, and had numerous bugs, but I played the game to death and explored every corner and all the DLCs. I have the collector’s edition sitting on my shelf to this day.
Gears of War 2 – 2008
Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 9.5/10
I remember going to the midnight launch for this. I was so excited for more Gears, and remains one of the best in the series. The fun new online modes, longer campaign, improved visuals, and expanded story were just mind-blowing back in the day. Gears of War was one of the games that made you want an Xbox 360.
Rock Band 2 – 2008
PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
Score: 8.5/10
While Rock Band 1 was the next evolution in the rhythm genre, Rock Band 2 just did it better and you could import the original songs. The game had improved instruments, better visuals, more music, and an insane amount of DLC. EA was able to get more bands on board than Activision. Rock Band’s rival was Guitar Hero 4, but Activision just didn’t do the whole band thing as well.
Chrono Trigger – 2008
Nintendo DS
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Nintendo DS
Some say the DS version is the best port of the game before and after. It remasters the game so well and looks so good without making too many weird alterations like later ports down the road. Chrono Trigger is considered by many to be Square’s greatest RPG and one of the best games of all time. I still haven’t completed the game, but when I dabble in it here and there I appreciate the game for what it is.
God of War: Chains of Olympus – 2008
PSP – PlayStation 3
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 3
Score: 9/10
This is probably the only PSP game I really got excited for and pre-ordered right away. The demo was replayed numerous times and the game blew me away. It was a full scale God of War game, just on a smaller screen. It was very short, four hours long, but looked as good as a PS2 game. It was memorable, and shook the industry for a good while.
Fable II – 2008
Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8.5/10
Fable II was much improved over the first game. It had better mechanics, visuals, combat, and was overall more charming than the first if that’s possible. It remains the best game in the series, and one of my favorite Xbox 360 games to this date. It really does need a remaster already.
Dead Space – 2008
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10
I didn’t really know much about this game leading up to release and only heard a lot about it just before. I bought the game on launch day and was blown away by the visuals, dismemberment combat, and fantastic story and lore. It was incredibly scary and has so much replay value. I played the game to death and replayed it a few times before finally putting it to rest.
Pure – 2008
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10
Pure is a sleeper hit by Disney which was a huge surprise. The game is one of the best arcade racers of the last generation, and was just an absolute blast. Huge jumps, high sense of speed, and decent customization and it looked pretty good to boot. I love when sleeper hits are just really entertaining and Pure desperately needs a sequel.
Mirror’s Edge – 2008
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10
Mirror’s Edge wasn’t received amazingly well, but I loved the first person parkour action and the art style. The pure white and red and the dystopian future is right up my ally. Faith is a great character, and while the story was seriously lacking, it had potential, but the time trials is where the challenge was really at.
Tomb Raider: Underworld – 2008
PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10
The last of the second generation of Tomb Raider games, Underworld was a game I was really excited about, it had larger levels, better puzzles, and a decent story to boot. Lara Croft looked great in this game, and the visual improvement over Anniversary was astounding. Some people didn’t like Underworld, but it was polished and even has a lot of mods on PC.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – 2008
PlayStation 3
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4
Score: 9/10
While Uncharted 1 looked great, it didn’t blow me away. Uncharted 2 did with its bombastic scripted events, and holiday style action. The story was great, Nathan Drake is an awesome character to watch on screen, and it was the best looking game to be released at the time. It remains my favorite game in the series to this day.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – 2009
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10
I didn’t think Modern Warfare could be improved upon but it did. While this is sadly the peak of the series, it had a lot of controversy, and the best maps of any Call of Duty game. I spent the most time playing this online over any other Call of Duty game. It looked fantastic, had a great campaign, and just felt like a true sequel with a larger package to offer.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars – 2009
Nintendo DS – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP
Score: 9/10
The only GTA game that didn’t make a big splash, Rockstar gave the portable systems some attention with a top down GTA game that was just as good as the larger games. Great story, characters, gameplay that suited each system, and was just highly entertaining. Yes, it was shorter than the larger games, but it made you proud to be a handheld gamer. We got a GTA that the others didn’t.
Batman: Arkham Asylum – 2009
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10
Considered by some to be the best super hero games ever made, Rocksteady raised the bar for super hero games and pushed them past crappy movie tie-ins. It had amazing visuals, great voice acting, and gameplay that made you feel like Batman. While later games were more open world, the Asylum was a great place to explore with lots of puzzles and hidden content, and the fight system is one of the best action adventure fight systems ever made. Many games copy it to this day.
Assassin’s Creed II – 2009
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4/Xbox One
Score: 9.5/10
ACII remains my favorite game in the series, and it really improved upon the first game. So many things were added and built upon that it felt like a new series all together. New protagonist, story, location, and a larger open world was just a blast to play through. More puzzles, secrets, and much improved visuals helped as well. The series will never be able to capture the lightning in a bottle that was ACII again.
Killzone 2 – 2009
PlayStation 3
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 9/10
Killzone 2 was one of the most hyped up games leading up to the PS3 launch. It looked too good for even a next-generation game, and when released it delivered. It still remains my favorite game in the series with visuals that hold up to this day, great gunplay, and a fun online component.
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned – 2009
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10
I played this game long after release, but when I did I was engrossed by the great characters and writing. It was written better than GTAIV and kept me playing all the way through to the end. The introduction of biker gangs, territory, and new motorcycles was awesome.
Left 4 Dead 2 – 2009
Xbox 360 – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
One of Valve’s greatest games. Left 4 Dead 2 is still played a lot even 11 years later. While the Xbox 360 servers are down, the PC version has a ton of mods, and a large community. The variation of zombies, the sheer amount that come after you, and the unique characters make for endless amount of fun. Each experience is never the same.
Dragon Age: Origins – 2009
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10
Origins was one of the last truly epic Western RPGs that I fell in love with. While the Xbox 360 version was the worst, I still loved the lore, characters, writing, story, and gameplay that came with it. It was a true call back to PC RPGs of the 90’s and pulled it off so well. I played the game all the way through and finished every side quest even.
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time – 2009
PlayStation 3
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8/10
The second generation of Ratchet and Clank games were a blast and helped show off the power of the PS3. Insomniac gave us more original weapons, great writing, dialog, laughs, and something to write home about. This was the last of the second trilogy and it went out with a bang.
Resident Evil 5 – 2009
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4/Xbox One
Score: 8.5/10
I went to the midnight launch for this and RE5 had large shoes to fill after what was given with RE4. Another game that copied it but with Chris Redfield and a brand new character, Sheva, in the mix. While it wasn’t as memorable or as impactful as RE4, it was a solid game with a good run time and more story behind the events of RE4. It looked amazing as well with next-generation visuals.
‘Splosion Man – 2009
Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8/10
A crazy 2D platformer that allowed you to explode when needed. This was a sleeper hit that no one knew would actually work but it spawned a successful sequel. Sadly, Splosion Man hasn’t been seen outside of the Xbox 360 and needs a remaster or port.
Skate 2 – 2009
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360
While Skate 3 is the definitive ending to the series, Skate 2 greatly improved upon the first game and gave us some last hope of a real skateboarding simulator, and sadly nothing else has come out in the last decade that has topped it. The flick stick system is amazing, the physics are great, and the online components were fun while they were still online at the time.
Borderlands – 2009
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10
Borderlands was the beginning of the looter shooter era. While the game was dull alone, it had some crazy characters and fantastic shooting which is what the game is all about. Sure, the locales are boring, and it gets repetitive, but the DLC is awesome and playing with a buddy makes this a game worth playing. While the sequels are much better, nothing compares to the impact the first game made.
Half-Minute Hero – 2009
PSP
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
A small indie game that you would be surprised to see on this list. Half-Minute Hero is a blast by taking shots at JRPG tropes and making an entire game playable in 30 seconds. It’s hard to understand, but playing through multiple times to level up is so much fun. It’s funny, looks good, and is a rush to experience.
Torchlight – 2009
PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Torchlight was the answer to Diablo III by giving players with lower end PCs a looter game to play, and it was fun. The use of dungeon levels that go down and coming up to spend your cash was so much fun. I played this on a crappy netbook back in the day and the game actually had a netbook mode!
Dead Space: Extraction – 2009
Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 3
Score: 8/10
A surprise hit that no one saw coming. While the Wii couldn’t handle the visuals of the main game players got an on-rails shooter that was just as stunning as the first game. It was gory, scary, brutal, and very cinematic to play and experience. I was personally shocked at how good it was and it remains one of the best shooters on the system.
Brutal Legend – 2009
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10
Tim Schafer couldn’t get Psychonauts 2 greenlit so he partnered with Jack Black and gave us an 80’s metal anthem in game form and it was awesome. The RTS elements were the weakest, but it had a ton of humor, great characters, and fantastic music. It’s a widely overlooked game that should be played by all.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game – 2009
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10
There aren’t many good Ghostbusters games, and most consider this the third official Ghostbuster movie. It has all the original voice actors, it lets you blast ghosts with a Proton Pack, and has nods for fans. While it was repetitive, slightly clunky, and short, it was great for fans of the movies to finally play a game that the developers put love into.
Motorstorm: Arctic Edge – 2009
PlayStation 2 – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP
Score: 8/10
The last of the Motorstorm games, this game stunned gamers when it was shown at E3 2005 using it’s terrain deformation physics. It looked like real-life TV. While the actual game didn’t live up to that, it was still a blast to play and one of the best arcade racers of the last generation. Motorstorm skipped the big consoles and showed off the power of the PSP. It was one of the last first party titles to hit the console and remains one of the best racers on the system.
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