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. Halo: Combat Evolved
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Bungie Software
Platform: Xbox
With its new Xbox console on the way, Microsoft needed a killer game. They found it in Halo, a first-person shooter set in an engrossing sci-fi world. With its cutting-edge graphics and addictive run-and-gun gameplay, Halo set a standard for the genre that’s still in place today.

 

 

3. Ico
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: SCEI
Platform: PS2
Saving princesses is a traditional game device, but Ico was beautifully unique. Players solved puzzles, defending princess Yorda from shadowy figures with little more than a stick. A gorgeous game from start to finish, Ico proved you didn’t need tons of dialogue to present a fabulous and memorable adventure.

 

 

4. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami JPN (KCEJ)
Platform: PS2
MGS2 was an unusual sequel because Solid Snake took a back seat as the main character in favor of the more controversial Raiden. However, the refined stealth mechanics, such as squad based AI, and non-violent weapons like tranquilizer darts, had a significant impact on future games in the series

 

 

5. Super Smash Bros. Melee
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Platform: Gamecube
Sure, being able to pit Mario against Samus is a Nintendo fan’s dream come true, but that’s not what makes this game so great. When you get down to the actual fighting mechanics and move sets, there’s an incredible amount of depth here, and it’s all set up around the same basic input scheme across each character in the huge cast. It’s a remarkable achievement of balancing accessibility with a distinct, multilayered combat system.

 

 

6. Advance Wars
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Platform: GBA
Advance Wars turned a traditionally complex and stuffy genre on its head, making turn-based strategy accessible to the masses. Its missions, pacing and difficulty curve are a master class in game design, and while it’s wonderfully easy to pick up, don’t be fooled by its cartoon-style presentation – there’s a stiff challenge waiting for even the most seasoned strategist.

 

7. Conker’s Bad Fur Day
Publisher: Rare
Developer: Rare
Platform: N64
After so much time developing sickly sweet, albeit excellent, games for the N64, the team at Rare clearly relished the chance to work on something so deliberately base as Conker’s Bad Fur Day, and produced a great game brimming with ideas, pop-culture homages and body fluids. So many body fluids.

 

8. Devil May Cry
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4
Platform: PS2
Devil May Cry had some serious competition during its dawn in 2001, but this Capcom-born action franchise hit the ground running. Right off the bat players came to grips with not only one of the most stylistic and jaw-dropping action games out there, but also one of the toughest.

 

 

 

9. Max Payne
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Remedy
Platform: PC
He may have had a facial expression like he sat on a carrot, but Max Payne is the business. Hot off the back of the ‘bullet time’ craze, this noir action thriller took a bereft Payne through a seedy underworld of thuggery, gunfights, sex panthers and glorious one-liners. The sequel, The Fall of Max Payne, is still one of the finest noir games out there.

 

 

10. Gran Turismo 3 A-spec
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Platform: PS2
Polyphony Digital’s king of racers made its debut on the PlayStation 2 in a big, big way. It was breathtakingly beautiful for its time, showcasing the PS2’s graphical powers like few games before it. While the first two PSone titles proved that simulation racing could work on consoles, GT3 really made the genre popular and opened the future for other realistic racers.

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