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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There’s a reason legions of fans put another Knights of the Old Republic game at the top of their dream wishlists. The original from BioWare is magnificent in every sense of the word. An epic storyline, fantastic characters, and two drastically different ways to play (Light or Dark) made this one RPG for the ages.

 

 

2. Call of Duty
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Infinity Ward
Platform: PC

Launching one of the greatest and most successful of all World War 2 shooter franchises, the original Call of Duty combined a high level of authenticity, great visual presentation, and powerful scripted elements to put players in the midst of the War. Best of all, you got to feel like you were part of a battle and not just some lone super soldier.

 

3. Price of Persia: The Sands of Time
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform: GameCube , PC , PS2 , Xbox

Prince of Persia went from deviously clever platformer to rollicking 3D adventure with a then-fresh time reversal mechanic that let you undo mistakes. Sands of Time lead to a rebirth for the series, which is about to be revisited in this years Forgotten Sands. Hopefully, lightning will indeed strike twice.

 

 

4. Viewtiful Joe
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4
Platform: GameCube

Capcom’s Viewtiful Joe took a side-scrolling action platformer and injected so much personality and originality into the mix that it immediately captured a legion of fans. The blend of cell-shaded comic book aesthetic and time-warping beat-em-up remains challenging, hugely entertaining – and most importantly, incredible fun.

 

5. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Platform: GBA

Wario’s always been the bad boy of the Nintendo bunch, but this extremely creative Game Boy Advance game gave him a new role at the company: a helmer of experimental videogame experiences. Wario Ware isn’t much more than a string of quick-fire challenges that require nothing more than a single D-pad or button push, but playing them, one after the other while the pace increases, offered up something we hadn’t ever seen before.

6. Rainbow Six 3
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform: PC , Xbox

Like him or not, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchise spawned some of the best tactical first-person shooting available. Rainbow Shield was no exception; the blend of then-topical oil control and terrorism was blended with (on the original Xbox) Xbox LIVE multiplayer and outstanding Unreal Engine 2.0 visuals.

 

 

7. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: GameCube

Many Zelda fans freaked when Miyamoto introduced the new toon-shaded Link for GameCube (especially after that 2000 “realistic” Link peek), but such petty grievances were blasted aside by yet another epic, engaging adventure that kept the Zelda batting average better than any game franchise in history.

 

 

 

8. Jak II
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog Software
Platform: PS2

How do you break the mold of the platformer genre? In Jak II, you take the game’s tone much darker, subjecting the main character to torture and unleashing him on a quest for revenge. Adding new vehicles, weapons and abilities, Jak II was a vast improvement over the original.

 

 

 

9. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami TYO
Platform: GBA

Before Aria of Sorrow, Castlevania was primarily a platformer with gothic tendencies. With this handheld reworking though, Konami switched up the formula adding exploration and RPG elements best known from Nintendo’s Metroid series. It’s spawned numerous sequels in the same vein but this vast, beautiful whip-cracking adventure is still an absolute highlight.

 
10. Panzer Dragoon Orta
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Smilebit
Platform: Xbox

Let’s be honest. We all loved this Xbox title because – in lieu of a Neverending Story game – this was the closest we’d get to flying about on the back of a Luck Dragon. Oh sure, the art direction was fantastic and the gameplay was fast and frenetic, but still… Luck Dragon. More

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