If you grew up in the 2000s or played games during that period, you know how special the era was. I am lucky enough to have experienced a time long before games as a service and battle passes took over.
The 2000s gave rise to many multi-million-dollar franchises that started small but went on to shape the industry. From classic RTS and sports titles to groundbreaking shooters and open-world games likeGTA, here are some of the most iconic games from the early 2000s that still resonate today.
9Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
Back when KONAMI’s video game division was still taken seriously, we had thePro Evolution Soccergame series—and it’s a huge favorite of mine. While it didn’t have licensed clubs and players, it didn’t matter to me as much back then. I played pretty much all of them, as they were a yearly release, butPro Evolution Soccer 2009is the one I remember the most fondly. I spent countless hours practicing at home just so I could beat my friends inlocal co-op matches.
PES 2009was the first to introduce the Become a Legend career mode, which I sunk many hours into. While I eventually replaced it withFIFAas I got older and asPESslowly faded into obscurity, it still holds a special place in my heart.
Today,Pro Evolution Soccerlives on in the form of the very popular cross-platform game calledeFootball. Fortunately, it has real clubs and players this time.
8Mafia
I didn’t play the originalMafiagame when it was released back in 2002. Rather, I played it around 2008, and at first, I thought it was just the world’s bestGTA IIIclone. However, as I progressed through the game, I realized it was actually far better and more realistic than the title it seemed to draw inspiration from.
Every bullet counted and dealt serious damage, which forced me to shoot from cover and aim carefully. Even traffic violations mattered; the cops would fine or chase you for running red lights or speeding—something not evenGTA Vimplemented. That’s just a small part of all the things that made this game so fantastic. The vintage 1930s setting, cool cars and guns, and phenomenal story all add up to create something special.
The best part? There’s an even better way to enjoy it in the modern era in the form ofMafia: Definitive Edition. It’s a complete remake of the 2002 classic. I’ve played it, and I loved every single second of it. This time, I actually understood the story, too.
7Age of Empires II
I have clocked in hundreds of hours inAge of Empires IIand the games that came before and after it, so I was quite happy to see that they have all receivedlight remastersin the past few years. That said, I revisited the originalAge of Empires IIa few years beforeAge of Empires II: Definitive Editioncame out, and I’m happy to say that the original still holds up.
This franchise defined the real-time strategy genre as we know it today—it was a perfect blend of historical battles, different civilizations progressing through the ages, trade, strategizing, and more. While the third entry lacked the iconic “Wololo” monk mechanic, it more than made up for it with the colonial era, more polished mechanics, and other extras.
6Counter-Strike 1.6
You’re probably expecting to seeHalf-Lifeon my list, but (spoiler alert) I won’t be including it. I was utterly terrified of the ambiance, so I didn’t play it until much later. However, what Ididplay was the originalCounter-Strike 1.6, which started its life as aHalf-Lifemod.
There probably isn’t much that I can say about this game that you aren’t already aware of. It introduced so many new mechanics and game modes to the FPS genre. The standout feature for me was the addictive, objective-based bomb defusal mode, which I spent hundreds of hours playing online with my friends in the mid-to-late 2000s.
Counter-Strikelives on withCounter-Strike 2, which has preserved much of what madeCounter-Strike 1.6special.
5Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
If you asked me to make a list of the most influential video games of all time,Warcraft III: The Frozen Thronewould find its place in the top few spots. This legendary RTS game had a fully-fledged campaign packed with an amazing story and breathtaking cutscenes, which gave rise to the behemoth MMORPGWorld of Warcraft.
That’s only part of what made the game special, though. Its engine was incredible and supported custom user-generated maps, allowing players to create entirely new gameplay experiences, like tower defense, and of course, the originalDota. There were many other custom maps that have since been forgotten, such asBleachvsOne Piece, and I often wish I could go back in time just to play those maps again.
The only way to play the game now is throughWarcraft III: Reforged, which is okay but lacks the custom maps.
4Assassin’s Creed
Assassin’s Creedwas and still is one of the biggest franchises in the industry. When I played the original for the first time on my cousin’s new PC, I was completely blown away. I spent hours riding horses and exploring the cities that evening, and when I went home and fell asleep, I had the best dreams about the game. If that doesn’t speak volumes about its impact on 9-year-old me, I don’t know what does.
In case your memory has gotten a bit jumbled with all the otherAssassin’s Creedgames that have come out since, here’s a quick refresher: you are Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad, and your goal is to restore your honor with the Brotherhood by completing a series of assassinations across Masyaf, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. The gameplay, narrative, and cutting-edge graphics all combined to make this title truly exceptional.
3Call of Duty 2
I’ve played about a dozenCall of Dutygames in my life, but if you asked me to pick a favorite, I’d sayCall of Duty 2without skipping a beat. This game was something truly special—the rich and diverse single-player featured a number of heartfelt WWII stories from soldiers' perspectives, and the multiplayer defined my childhood. The game had phenomenal and very polished mechanics for a title from 2005, so it’s no wonder a small handful of people still play it today on unofficial servers.
I’ve accumulated well over 1,000 hours in the multiplayer, much of it fromLAN parties with friends. In fact, the game was so huge in my city in the late 2000s that nearly everyone had it installed on their computers, and our ISP even hosted local servers where we could play with a ping of 20—yes, we had a pretty awesome ISP.
2Need for Speed: Underground 2
Need for Speedis one of my all-time favorite franchises. Although I’ve played nearly every entry,Most Wanted,Carbon, andUnderground 2stand out as my favorites, withUnderground 2holding the most special memories for me. I played it for years with my dad and cousin. Each of us had our own save file, and we’d take turns racing.
What madeUnderground 2stand out from older racing games was its comprehensive tuning system. You could completely revamp your car’s internals and exterio You could completely revamp your car’s internals and exterior to turn it into a one-of-a-kind (and very illegal) race car.
While I’ve revisited this game recently, it doesn’t hold up nearly as well asMost WantedandCarbon. EA, if you’re reading this, please remake these games!
1Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
While theGrand Theft Autofranchise is technically rated 18+ and features some mature content, I still played it. I’ll give 8-year-old me a pass, though, because these were some of the best games ever created.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreaswas one of the biggest, most realistic and detailed open-world games of the mid-2000s. It featured three full cities, a lengthy campaign, enterable buildings with side content, a five-star wanted system, and so much more. Simply put, it was the most diverse and expansive digital sandbox the world had seen at the time.
Admittedly, I spent most of my childhood using cheat codes (the sole reason I can now type at ~130 WPM) to cause chaos rather than play the actual story, but I had a blast doing it. I should probably revisitSan Andreasand its two predecessors with theGTA Trilogy.
This list is just a tiny window into all the phenomenal games that came out in the 2000s; I wish I had room to list them all. The PS2 and PS3 and original Xbox and Xbox 360 games shaped an entire generation of games and laid the foundation for the mechanics, genres, and trends that we see in the industry today.
If you played these games back then, I urge you to revisit them—they’re even better than you remember.
Steam
Steam is the best online marketplace to find games from the 2000s. In fact, you can often find them on sale for cheap!
