The best game of the 2000s - The SW List (See OP)

So let's run off of the "best game evarrr!!1!!" thread and just post about games we really liked in the 2000s, because better four years later than never.

All you gotta do is post a game (do one per post please preferably) with its title, picture, release date, and then as long or short of a description as you want. Let's see if we can get hundreds, even thousands of posts!

Even include a console jab if you want and post as old or new games as you want from 2000 to 2009. The sky's the limit folks. Add on anytime you want to.

I'll start off

1. (Make sure to include a number)

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

October 26th, 2000. Developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64

One of the few games that... well, that's really how to describe this deep and dark game. It's one of the few games that made its dark and threatening atmosphere light and kiddy at the same time. It's one of the few games that could be played nearly entirely over again at any time. It's one of the few games where The Legend of Zelda doesn't suffer from its mistakes quite often. Hell, it's one of the few games that required the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak. Safe to say, it delivers on its ubiquitous uniqueness and offers an adventure told through a Hyrulian surrogate that's just been told the Moon is going to crash into the world. Coming out at the dawn of the 2000s, it's a great look back at the first generation of that great decade coming to its own twilight as stronger consoles eventually took over.

Dues Ex

Morrowind.

Baldurs Gate II

Half-Life 2

GTA III

WoW (vanilla)

Counter Strike

BF 1942

2. Persona 4 (PlayStation 2)

When Atlus revitalized and re-energized not just the Persona series but JRPGs at large with Persona 3, the game that marked such a departure from the tired mechanics, conventions, settings, and characters of the genre, no one expected them to better the act with the follow up. And yet they did. While Persona 4 can certainly be accused of playing it too safe unlike its bold predecessor which wasn't afraid of breaking new ground, it was excellent at what it did- refined gameplay mechanics, excellent music, great characters and a genuinely enthralling story, Persona 4 really was the perfect send off to the PlayStation 2.

And then its enhanced remake on Vita four years later would somehow do the impossible and better on it further.

3. Halo CE (Xbox)

Release:
November 15, 2001

Halo CE completely changed the industry with its intuitive controls, incredible music, interesting lore and addicting multiplayer. Almost all the levels have different ways to approach combat and there are tons of guns and vehicles to blow shit up with. The AI was also really good for the time and the Covenant were a formidable foe that made co-op gaming challenging and incredibly fun.

4. Mass Effect

I'mma get lots of hate, but:

ReleaseDate:

November 20th 2007

Description:

Playing as a kick-ass space commando, Earth's ass-slapping finest, you set out to conquer the most delicious booty in the galaxy... On your journey, you make friends, kill them (because f*ck Kaiden, Ashley is schmex)... All in all? You just shoot shit. Eventually, you find the love of your life (Saren) and just pure dominate his cute booty.

RESERVED #5

6. Final Fantasy XII (Playstation 2)

October 31, 2006

An entry in the long-beloved series that leaves fans divided, it is one of my favorite games of all time. I remember it releasing after seeing Gears of War and being more blown away by the scale and visuals in this game than the next-generation shooter that was long praised for its graphics.

The gameplay was incredibly solid, and while many argue that the Gambit system allows the game to play itself, I found it incredibly rewarding, deep, and still left the challenge in the game for boss battles.

If there is one thing that kept the game from becoming my favorite game of all time, it was the story. Not that the story was bad, but it focused more on the political side of Ivalice rather than the great cast of characters. A more personal story that focused on the characters' trials and emotional struggle with what was happening to create an emotional impact would have put this game on top for me.

Such a good choice. At the time, I wasn't a fan, but playing it a few years ago really cemented it as a great game.

7. Shadow of Rome. (Playstation 2, 2005)

There were quite a lot of games to choose from, but the reason I went with Shadow of Rome, is because I've been playing a lot of Dark Souls.

It's the combat in Dark Souls that reminds me quite a bit of Shadow of Rome. The accuracy of your attacks. The way you have to handle different weapons. How there's no cancelling of sword swipes or stabs. You stick with what you've done, and if you did it wrong, you will get punished for it. Being careful, tactical, persistent is the stuff I loved about Shadow of Rome's combat back in the day, and it's definitely what I love about Dark Souls now.

I love the setting. Fighting against humans, tigers, and elephants in the arena with Agrippa. And sneaking through the back alleys of Rome with Octavianus. It was just marvelous. Watching the story unfold with a satisfying ending to boot makes this one of my absolute favorites.

It's a game that I've fully completed. I've spent over 100 hours with this. I still own my copy, and I will never get rid of it. I'll gladly pay for Playstation Now if Shadow of Rome is one of their offerings.

8.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

April 28th, 2010; Developed by Kojima Prod. and published by Konami.

Militaires Sans Frontières. Soldiers Without Borders. Those three words helped Kojima close off the decade with one of the finest PSP titles out there. For a title that has to deal with a single-analog stick system and a third-person shooter playstyle, it still manages to play to the system's portable advantages more often than not. The ability to recruit enemy soldiers to facilitate your missions becomes an addictive search for the best enemies to tranquilize along with a painful story to tell when you have to leave some dead on the battlefield. War isn't peaceful, and Peace Walker knows that. Snake goes up against some huge bosses this time to uncover the truth behind many of the events of Metal Gear Solid 3. Sure, the story is actually awful, the gameplay gets a little cumbersome due to the PSP, and it has one of the worst button mashing sequences ever in a game. Despite that, it's one of the best games you can pick up on your PSP or Vita. Heck, it's even on HD consoles. Go for it!

9. Kingdom Hearts (Playstation 2)

March 28, 2002

Final Fantasy and Disney together in a video game? Donald Duck meets Squall Leonhart, and Winnie the Pooh going up against Sephiroth? Many questioned this odd pairing, but it proved itself to be a masterful pairing, bringing gamers an incredibly emotional, if not convoluted, series that touched not only gamers nostalgia button, but their hearts.

10. Dead or Alive Xtreme 2.

I fell in love with that Gambit system, so while other games have very similar gameplay those games never clicked with me like Final Fantasy XII did. Everything about the game was epic and I really need to replay it again soon.

Same... I haven't played it in a couple of years. I hope they do a HD release, a la FFX.

Mafia, released in 2002 for the PC, later for the PS2 and Xbox

I have always been a fan of gangster films; The Godfather, Goodfellas, Millers Crossing etc. This is basically the video game equivalent of The Godfather. You start out as a cab driver and get drawn into working for the mob, eventually becoming a very powerful member of the association. The story is one of the best in video game history with a clever narrative framing device that comes together in the end beautifully.

The game also immerses you into the city with remarkable detail; its one of the few open world games that encourages you to drive the speed limit, and the cars are slow and clunky as cars were in the 1920's. The gameplay is very solid with refined shooting mechanics. However it is the stunning atmosphere and story that make this game so captivating. Driving through the city with period music while listening to well written and voiced dialogue makes you feel like you are in the middle of a well made gangster film more than any other game to date.

Released: October 13, 2009

Developer: Naughty Dog

Platform: Playstation 3

Plot: Nathan Drake (Nolan North) escapes wounded from a train hanging off a cliff, before acquiring a phurba in the snow. In a flashback, it is discovered some time ago that to uncover Marco Polo's doomed voyage from China in 1292, Nate agreed to steal a Mongolian oil lampwhich belonged to Polo from an Istanbul museum, with former associate Harry Flynn (Steve Valentine) and old girlfriend Chloe Frazer(Claudia Black). The lamp contains flammable blue resin, which lights a map that shows Polo's fleet shipwrecked in Borneo, carrying theCintamani Stone from Shambhala. Taking the map, Flynn double-crosses Drake, who is imprisoned. Three months later, Chloe helps free Drake with the help of old friend Victor Sullivan (Richard McGonagle) and reveals that Flynn is working for Zoran Lazarević (Graham McTavish), a former Soviet intelligence operative turned warlord, who is after the stone. Drake and Sully, with Chloe in Lazarević's group as a mole, go after it themselves.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Released: November 16, 2004

Developer: Troika games

Platform: PC

This is a game that I'm willing to look past its flaws to see the masterpiece that it is. Few other games have the sheer variety in gameplay that this does. Two classes play so different than the others that its almost like a new game. I've played through it 3 times and I'm going through it again right now. The characters are memorable and some of the quests are amazing (for example, the haunted house.) I love the setting and the well defined rules of the vampire society really immerse you in the game. The game has issues for sure, the combat isn't very good and the last fourth of the game is mostly combat. But the dialogue is genuinely funny and a lot of the voice acting is great.

Release Date: December 17 2001

got the game at christmas. i was like WTF this game is so F*ckn awesome. it was the first game on Ps2 that looked so beautiful back then. excited to play it on my PSvita this march

15. Batman: Arkham Asylum (Playstation 3/Xbox 360/PC)

August 25, 2009

A game based off an already established IP, whether it be movies, comics, or otherwise, is met with skepticism. Aside from a few key players like The Chronicles of Riddick or Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, people would rather just stay away, especially from the likes of a super hero game. Rocksteady overcame everyone's perceptions with their release of Batman: Arkham Asylum.

The brawler pits you as the caped crusader himself on one of the longest nights of his life when the Joker unleashes hell in the famed Arkham Asylum. Utilizing Batman's various gadgets, you are put through the ringer as you explore the depths of the asylum, the inmates, and Batman's own psyche.

The game is filled with fan-service, puzzles, and easy to pick up/complex to master fighting mechanics which makes it appealing to a large audience of gamers. And the beautiful thing is is that the franchise continues with a prequel and a sequel, each that have their own personality and feel independent from this title.

And I cannot neglect to mention the prime performances by Kevin Conroy as Batman himself and Mark Hamill as the Joker. Both reprise their roles from Batman: The Animated Series and it just enhances the quality of the game further.

If you are a Batman fan, you cannot pass this up.

That's too many years. I'll just go with 2005.

• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
• Resident Evil 4
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords
• Star Fox Assault
• Gran Turismo 4
• Tekken 5
• Star Wars: Republic Commando
• Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
• Timesplitters: Future Perfect
• God of War
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
• Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil
• Jade Empire
• Psychonauts
• Guild Wars
• Battlefield 2
• killer7
• Nintendogs
• Indigo Prophecy
• Ninja Gaiden Black
• Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
• Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
• Serious Sam II
• F.E.A.R.
• Quake 4
• Age of Empires III
• Shadow of the Colossus
• Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
• Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
• Call of Duty 2
• Civilization IV
• Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
• Star Wars: Battlefront 2
• Kameo: Elements of Power
• Guitar Hero
• Mario Kart DS
• Condemned: Criminal Origins
• Perfect Dark Zero
• Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
• Super Mario Strikers

I haven't played all of these games, but good god that was one helluva year (games I played bolded and italicized). And wow, Republic Commando, The Sith Lords and Battlefront II all in the same year?