Half-Life 2 showed the difference between playing as a character and being a character better than any game ever had before, and arguably ever has to date. It was linear, but never felt constrictive. It told a story without telling it to you. It led you by the hand, but you always felt in control. Not a single great FPS in the last 5 years would have reached its potential without Half-Life 2 showing them how to do it right.

2. World of Warcraft
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Platform: PC

Like it or not, World of Warcraft brought the MMO genre to the masses with its easy-to-play-but-tough-to-master game mechanics, astounding art direction (even by today’s standards) and unparalleled support. Ever since its release, other games have claimed to be the “WoW killer”, and yet still it stands, strong as it was in 2004.

3. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Publisher: LucasArts
Developer: BioWare
Platform: PC , Xbox
Year: 2003

Before Knights of the Old Republic, BioWare’s take on RPGs was as a crafted PC experience, made entirely with a keyboard and mouse in mind. With Knights of the Old Republic, the studio took the action down to the ground, and crafted the best Star Wars story since the original trilogy, to bring in a whole new legion of fans. The genre hasn’t been the same since.

4. Grand Theft Auto III
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: DMA Design
Platform: PS2
Year: 2001

As genre-defining moments go, few could argue against the indelible mark that Grand Theft Auto III left on PlayStation 2 owners in 2001. Rockstar North, through the combination of tight script, intense action, freedom and violence, gave players a revolutionary new way to experience mature-targeted action games. A true classic.

5. Super Mario Galaxy
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD Tokyo
Platform: Wii
Year: 2007

Did Super Mario Galaxy top Nintendo’s revolutionary Super Mario 64? That’s open to debate – but what is certain is that Mario Galaxy is the Wii’s finest gaming experience. Drawing on more than twenty years of platforming expertise, Super Mario Galaxy masterfully blends an absurdist level design with compulsive and extremely polished gameplay. Stunning.

6. Counter-Strike
Publisher: Sierra Studios
Developer: Valve
Platform: PC
Year: 2000

It’s still one of the best online shooters around. Though other games have passed it by in terms of graphics and the range of options, few have even come close to capturing the near-perfect pacing and balance of this online FPS. Ten years later, people are still playing this one.

7. Fallout 3
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Platform: PC , PS3 , Xbox 360
Year: 2008

It’s tough for a studio to take over a beloved franchise from another group of developers. Bethesda’s Fallout 3 is a roadmap to success. Blending elements of old with its patented open-world design, the group that cut its teeth on The Elder Scrolls franchise brought back a classic while taking it to new heights.

8. Okami
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Clover Studio
Platform: PS2
Year: 2006

Okami was released the year after high definition gaming was introduced on Xbox 360 and it still managed to steal the hearts of gamers with its beautiful artwork. Its original and whimsical approach to the adventure genre was refreshing not only for the way gamers would paint their attacks, but also the way actions brought the world back to life.

9. Battlefield 1942
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Digital Illusions CE (DICE)
Platform: PC
Year: 2002

Judged purely by the amount of time we spent playing, there are few multiplayer games that were as popular among the IGN staff as DICE’s intense online shooter. Combining land, sea and air combat with lots of vehicles and different infantry kits, Battlefield 1942 brought World War 2 to life in a way that no other game ever has.

10. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog Software
Platform: PS3
Year: 2009

It seemed unlikely that Naughty Dog could develop an even better game than the original Uncharted, but the studio did so with flying colors. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was a virtually ideal sequel: it continued all the great traditions that Uncharted began and also implemented a full suite of multiplayer options. To call it a “must-buy” is an understatement.

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2. Metroid Prime
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Retro Studios, Inc.
Platform: GameCube
Whether you call it a shooter or adventure game there’s no denying Prime’s place in the history of gaming. Retro Studios did what no gamer could have expected, merging the moody atmosphere, visuals, and sound design of one of Nintendo’s top franchises with a first-person perspective. It was a gamble, and it paid off big time.

3. Kingdom Hearts
Publisher: Square
Developer: Square
Platform: PS2
In a move that incited quite a few chuckles in the gaming community, Square Enix teamed up with Disney to create a brand new action RPG featuring both Final Fantasy and Disney characters. Kingdom Hearts quickly became a global sensation, as its excellent gameplay and nostalgia-inducing story hooked countless gamers around the world.

4. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North
Platform: PS2
One year after GTA III changed what we knew about the PS2 and invented the 3D sandbox, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City arrived with a bigger city, better soundtrack, more cars, and Ray Liotta voicing the main character. Yatchts, the horribly awesome color scheme of the ’80s, and everything you loved about GTA was in one game, and it was good. Very good.

5. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Silicon Knights
Platform: GameCube
Before Silicon Knights bolted for seemingly greener pastures at Microsoft, the development team produced an absolutely epic GameCube game that really screwed with the mind. The story spanned centuries and offered unique experiences in each time period that intersected each other. It was an intense and haunting experience, enhanced with creative insanity effects that made the player rethink his own reality.

6. Splinter Cell
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform: Xbox
Ubisoft Montreal offered up Splinter Cell and suddenly the Xbox had a game that could compete with, and in some ways, surpass the mighty Metal Gear Solid franchise. The stealth combat, making heavy use of dynamic lighting, ushered in a whole new wave of clones and wannabes while Sam Fisher watched from the top.

7. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Platform: PC
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos may not have broken any conventions of the genre, but good luck finding a smarter, cleaner real-time strategy game in 2002, much less 2009. Like Diablo II, Warcraft III was built to be played online, but Reign of Chaos’ strong single-player campaign (thanks in part to a great story) makes it one of the decade’s best.

8. Virtua Fighter 4
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: SEGA-AM2
Platform: PS2
In 2002 it was Virtua Fighter 4 that ruled the brawling roost, and while SEGA has since bettered the formula with the all-conquering fifth installment, it was this game that refined the pugilism into an art form. Its battles were tense and brutal, and its fighting was more technical than anything that had come before.

9. Animal Crossing
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Platform: GameCube
Nintendo’s ‘communication game’ might look woolly and lovable but Animal Crossing is one of the most perversely addictive time-sinks ever made. Move into Animal Crossing’s idyllic universe, meet the neighbors and you’ll never escape. It’s all about trading hard graft and menial labour – from fishing to apple picking – for a scant offering of miniscule materialistic pleasures and, assuming you’re not instantly lobotomised by the experience, you’ll quickly realise its absolute evidence of Nintendo’s true evil.

10. Ratchet & Clank
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Insomniac Games
Platform: PS2
Insomniac’s classic helped change the way that we look at the classic platforming genre by mixing in a ton of action with a deep weapons system. The fantastic art direction, stellar animation and intricate level design gave us an awesome playground to dive into, and it kick-started one of thebest PlayStation franchises.

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