The 2000s were quite an interesting time for the world of video games: not only was this decade defined by the sixth generation of home consoles, in which developers finally got used to 3D graphics and created some incredible titles with them, but also because HD gaming arrived during its second half, which forever changed the AAA industry as a whole.
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Despite some notorious low points, the 2000s were one of the best decades to be a consumer of this medium, especially when considering that some of the most impressive and most influential gaming masterpieces were released during it, with the following ten being the absolute best ones. Of course, with so many excellent video games releasing between 2000 and 2009, not all of them could make it into the final ranking, so this list has a dedicated Honorable Mentions section at the very end.
10
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening
One Of The Best Hack-And-Slash Games Ever Made
The 2000s were defined by the arrival and the rise in popularity of hack-and-slash games. Back in 2001, the original Devil May Cry popularized this high-octane genre and directly influenced the creations of many other popular IPs, like God of War and the Ninja Gaiden reboot trilogy. However, the DMC franchise wouldn’t become a worldwide phenomenon until 2005, with the release of its third entry: Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening.
This sequel took everything that made its predecessors so special and took it to another level: the action is faster and more exciting, the enemies and bosses are tougher than ever, Dante has an even bigger collection of melee weapons and guns at his disposal, and even the story (which is a prequel that details his personal conflict with his twin brother, Vergil), is surprisingly emotional and captivating. The Devil May Cry franchise has had many highs and lows throughout the last 20 years, but it still owes most of its success to DMC3.
9
The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Nintendo Managed To Make A Worthy Successor To The Two N64 Zelda Titles
The Legend of Zelda franchise was doing extremely well during the late 90s and early 2000s, thanks to the release of both Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, which are widely considered two of the best and most influential action-adventure games ever made. So, when the first entry in the series made for the Nintendo GameCube, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, was announced, many people mistakenly dismissed it due to its cartoony graphics and lighthearted tone, but they quickly found out how wrong they were for doing so.
In reality, The Wind Waker is a beautiful and whimsical sea-faring adventure, and its cel-shaded graphics actually worked in its favor, seeing as it has aged surprisingly well, even more than twenty-three years after its release. On top of that, the characters are brimming with personality, the plot is surprisingly touching, and it boasts some of the best-designed dungeons in the entire franchise.
8
Kingdom Hearts 2
Square And Disney Joined Forces To Make One Of The Greatest Action RPGs
In 2002, the world of gaming was shocked and delighted by the release of Kingdom Hearts, a bizarre but wonderful action RPG that combined characters from Square Enix’s RPGs with worlds based on classic Disney animated movies. Despite the strange premise, this game resonated with audiences and ended up becoming a major financial hit, which is why Square quickly began working on multiple follow-ups.
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Three years later, Kingdom Hearts 2 came out exclusively on PlayStation 2, and it was better than its predecessors in almost every single way. This game’s combat system is so fluid, satisfying, and mechanically complex that it’s often considered to be among the best action RPGs ever made, and it results in every single fight (either against a bunch of enemies or a powerful boss) feeling incredibly exciting and cinematic. But that’s not all, because Kingdom Hearts 2 also tells a compelling story, boasts a beautiful soundtrack by Yoko Shimomura, and allows players to visit all sorts of whimsical worlds based on beloved Disney IPs, like Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Tron.
7
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The Most Ambitious Open-World Sandbox Game Of Its Generation
Another genre that dominated the 2000s decade was open-world sandbox games, which were single-handedly popularized by Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto franchise. GTA 3 was incredibly revolutionary, and GTA: Vice City was a major improvement, but its final sixth generation game, GTA: San Andreas, was incredibly ambitious, and it’s still considered one of the best entries in the series.
GTA: San Andreas’ open-world map is not only double the size of its predecessor’s maps, but it’s also filled to the brim with content, and the player is free to explore it at their own leisure, either completing action-packed missions or experiencing funny side activities. This is one of those games in which players can spend countless hours and never get bored, which is especially impressive for a PS2 exclusive from 2004. While its 2008 sequel, Grand Theft Auto 4, is also an excellent game, San Andreas is still the best game that Rockstar put out during the decade.
6
Super Mario Galaxy
Mario’s Unbelievable Space Adventure Proved Why He’s Gaming’s Biggest Icon
Super Mario Galaxy
- Released
-
November 1, 2007
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone due to Mild Cartoon Violence
After revolutionizing the industry multiple times during the 90s, Mario lost a little bit of steam in the early 2000s, especially during the GameCube era. Of course, he still starred in some really solid games throughout the decade, but he wouldn’t take the world by storm again until the release of Super Mario Galaxy in 2007. This is yet another 3D platformer – in a similar vein to SM64 or Sunshine – but it takes place in space, which gave its designers an avenue to create some of the most stunning and inventive levels ever put in a Mario game.
The platforming gameplay is precise, entertaining, and it actually makes clever use of the Nintendo Wii’s motion controls, but the thing that quickly turned this title into a modern classic was its artistic presentation, as it boasted both stunning graphics and a beautiful, orchestrated soundtrack. Super Mario Galaxy is such an amazing game (often considered the absolute best one in the Mario franchise) that it’s even being adapted into its own animated film very soon.
5
Half-Life 2
A Story-Driven First-Person Shooter That’s Both Innovative And Brilliant
The 2000s were full of sequels to revolutionary 90s video games that were somehow even better than their predecessors, and Valve’s Half-Life 2 is no exception. Back in 1998, the original Half-Life became one of the most impressive and influential first-person shooters ever made, and its 2004 sequel defied all expectations by surpassing it in every single way.
Half-Life 2 came out right before the FPS genre would be flooded by military shooters with prominent online multiplayer modes, so it still stands out to this day by being a dark, story-driven FPS with impeccable shooting mechanics, a collection of creative weapons that are extremely fun to use (especially the Gravity Gun), and a slew of cinematic set pieces that are incredibly memorable. Additionally, its narrative is just so rich and engaging that fans have been asking for a follow-up, a hypothetical Half-Life 3, for the past nineteen years.
4
Metroid Prime
Metroid Finally Made The Jump To 3D, And It Did Not Disappoint At All
Metroid Prime
- Released
-
November 17, 2002
- ESRB
-
T For Teen Due To Violence
Oddly enough, Metroid (which is one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises) skipped the fifth console generation and, as a result, did not make the jump to 3D gaming until the 2000s. Fortunately, Nintendo gave the IP rights to an American developer called Retro Studios, which came up with Metroid Prime, an atmospheric first-person action-adventure title that focuses on exploration and puzzle-solving. This shift in perspective was seen as a major gamble at the time, but it definitely paid off for both companies, seeing as Metroid Prime is now considered one of the best GameCube exclusives ever made.
This game is all about its atmosphere, as exploring Tallon IV as Samus Aran can feel eerie, immersive, and surprisingly peaceful, until she runs into a powerful enemy or boss that she’ll have to take down with an excellent combat system. Exploring every corner of this large map, slowly unveiling secrets and unlocking new power-ups that allow the player to go back to previous areas and find even more stuff, is a brilliant and satisfying gameplay loop that established the formula the Metroid series would use for the rest of the decade. Metroid Prime’s two direct sequels were also excellent games, but neither of them surpassed the original 2002 entry.
A Stealth Game So Bizarre And So Beautiful Can Only Come From The Mind Of Hideo Kojima
Picking just one Metal Gear game from the 2000s is incredibly difficult, as some of the best entries in Hideo Kojima’s legendary stealth-action series were released during this decade. However, as incredible as Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4 were, there’s no denying that Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is the absolute best gaming masterpiece that Kojima (and his team) has made in his entire career.
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For starters, Snake Eater is a prequel that takes place many years before the events of previous games, which makes it especially accessible for newcomers, and it tells an intense, politically-driven narrative with shocking plot twists that keep the player guessing all the way through. On top of that, it also possesses the most complex and engaging stealth gameplay in the series, with many innovative mechanics that add depth and never feel like gimmicks. But, of course, the thing that makes Snake Eater such an unforgettable experience is the classic “Kojima seal of quality”, as it’s full of bizarre yet brilliant moments that only this legendary game designer could have come up with.
2
Shadow Of The Colossus
This Cinematic Boss Rush Is Undeniable Proof That Gaming Can Be Art
Shadow of the Colossus
- Released
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October 18, 2005
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Computer Entertainment
- Number of Players
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1
The debate about whether video games could be considered art was at full force during the 2000s, and Team ICO efficiently answered that question by releasing not one but two incredible games that proved that, yes, they could. The studio’s 2001 debut title, Ico, was very good, but its 2005 masterpiece, Shadow of the Colossus, was on a whole new level. What makes this the perfect example of gaming as an art form is the fact that, despite telling a minimalist story that’s both somber and heartbreaking and possessing a silent and depressing atmosphere, it still is a glorified boss rush at its core, and it works surprisingly well.
Every single boss fight in Shadow of the Colossus is absolutely incredible and extremely memorable, as they all require the player to both master its climbing mechanics and to sharpen their own puzzle-solving abilities. There’s something special about taking down these massive colossi that feels so strangely satisfying that no other game has been able to replicate it, even if they do feature bosses that are technically bigger than these. Needless to say, anybody who enjoys boss fights (and gaming in general) needs to try out Shadow of the Colossus at one point.
1
Resident Evil 4
Modern Gaming Wouldn’t Exist Without This Action-Packed Third-Person Shooter
Resident Evil 4
7/10
- Released
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January 11, 2005
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
Resident Evil is yet another classic franchise that thrived during the 90s, until Capcom decided to take a major risk in the 2000s and completely changed its core gameplay with its fourth mainline entry: Resident Evil 4. Surprisingly enough, this sequel was so well-made and so revolutionary that it turned what used to be the linchpin of the survival horror genre into a massive worldwide phenomenon that changed the entire industry forever.
Resident Evil 4 was the game that popularized the over-the-shoulder third-person gameplay, which directly inspired many other popular titles from the decade, like Uncharted, Gears of War, and Dead Space. But, of course, this sequel isn’t so beloved today just because of its flawless shooting mechanics, since it also has a highly entertaining and over-the-top story, it’s full of memorable cinematic set pieces, and, most importantly of all, is endlessly replayable thanks to all of its additional items, weapons, and modes. The fact that Resident Evil 4 received a full-fledged modern remake in 2023, and yet it is still considered the best version of this game, is a testament to its quality and impact.
Honorable Mentions:
- Final Fantasy 10
- Kingdom Hearts
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Grand Theft Auto 4
- Devil May Cry
- God Of War
- God Of War 2
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots
- Okami
- Persona 4
- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- Bioshock
- Portal
- Halo 2
- Gears Of War
- World Of Warcraft
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
- Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
- Jak And Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
- Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
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