20 Best Single Player Games of 2000s (2000-2010)

(logo beeps) - The

2000

s were simply an incredible time for video

games

. From the year

2000

to

2010

, if we take that part from there, there are an overwhelming number of great

single

-

player

gaming experiences that are now considered classics. We tried to narrow it down to a list of 20. It was difficult. We're probably something. We know. But it's a good excuse to just talk about some interesting

games

. And because there are so many games we couldn't include, we'd love to hear from you in the comments, what else should we talk about? So let's start the countdown with number 20. "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" was an excellent revival of the classic series.

In this, you play as the titular prince who starts out quite arrogant and eventually becomes a hero, not only saving his kingdom but also space and time itself. Using the Dagger of Time in the game, you can backtrack when you make mistakes, whether in combat or failing a jump and falling into a pit of spikes. Spending some Sands of Time with the dagger causes a cool rewind effect where you see your prince saved from sudden death, and it was just a really cool mechanic, not to mention the fact that it was one of the first games to actually introduce Cool parkour moves, like wall running, and how all of that tied into some really tight level design that made the platforming and the prince's jumps, flips, and climbs much more of a navigational puzzle than you'd expect .

It had great detail, a moody atmosphere, some downright impressive and memorable moments, and was just a really good, solid video game adventure from top to bottom. It was also a good starting point for more interesting "Prince of Persia" games. Personally here we still think "Sands of Time" is the

best

, but that's just us. We love the Prince of Persia and we miss him. Bring him back. Next, at number 19, we'll get weird for a second and mention "The Simpsons: Hit & Run" from 2003. This is probably one of the

best

Simpsons games outside of the original arcade games, and it was a time in which The Simpsons were taking game franchises and putting their own Simpsons spin on them, and with "Hit & Run," they basically made "Grand Theft Auto." You run around open world levels of Springfield, stealing cars, driving, racing, breaking things, collecting things, and it was actually very satisfying.

In 2003, the Simpsons were still at the top of what they were doing. I know the show is still going on. It'll probably be longer than I'm alive right now. But this was just a great, satisfying, fun Simpsons adventure. It's become something of a cult classic at this point. Honestly, I think if you approach anyone who played games in the

2000s

and ask them about "Hit & Run," they'll probably know what you're talking about. Now, next up at number 18, with a bit of a deep cut, "Freedom Fighters" from 2003. Now we wanted to give IO Interactive some love. Their "Hitman" games are obviously amazing, we love them, but today we wanted to highlight one of their different projects. "Freedom Fighters", which we've talked about in many videos before, is just a really fun

single

-

player

action-adventure game.

You start out as an average plumber in New York City who suddenly gets invaded by Russia, and then New York City is completely occupied by Russian forces and you find yourself rising through the ranks and becoming this revolutionary hero, fighting against the forces of occupation to recover your city. As the game progresses, you become more and more of a hardened battle leader, throwing Molotov cocktails, taking down bad guys, and actually grouping up and commanding your own troops. This game had fun shooting gameplay, a bit of strategy and tactics. Some of that stuff hasn't aged well, but the overall atmosphere, the presentation and just the sense of adventure, this really cool "Red Dawn" type of game, really was special, and we have nothing. like this today.

Now, at number 17, we have "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion." This was released in 2006, in the early days of the Xbox 360 and PS3 era, and seemed like a big deal. Many of us had played "Morrowind" and loved how vast it was, but "Oblivion" really took things to the next level with an incredibly lush open world environment full of castles, forests, dungeons to explore. Side quests to carry out, your own character to build as you want. It was absolutely an amazing RPG from top to bottom. "Skyrim" is the question. Everyone loves "Skyrim." Everyone talks about "Skyrim." But “Oblivion,” “Oblivion” was really something.

It felt incredibly unique at that moment. Despite sticking to a very typical fantasy style vibe and look, it was very easy to get lost in the way it played, the way you adventured, the way you explored, and it's really special. Now, at number 16, we have "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater." It was released in 2004. And while we'd love to fill this list with more "Metal Gears," we decided to stick with "III" because it's amazing. There's not much more to say about it. "Snake Eater" really revolutionized the stealth formula of the "Metal Gear" games, giving it an element of camouflage because you're in the jungle, as well as some light survival elements, like tending to your own wounds, feeding and hunting. in the jungle.

It was really different and handled some things in really wacky ways, but it still all managed to feel distinctly Metal Gear with awesome music, awesome music and some really great characters and really memorable boss battles. For some people, "Metal Gear Solid III" is sort of a collection of interesting stealth encounters punctuated by some of the best boss battles ever, really. Honestly, the "Metal Gear Solid" games are not lost, but that shouldn't be news to you. Next, at number 15, we have "Final Fantasy X", released in 2001. This, for many people, was their entry point into the "Final Fantasy" series.

This was the first "Final Fantasy" game to feature full voice acting and fully 3D environments for the most part, and it really helped make it an incredibly immersive adventure. You become invested in these characters very quickly. You want to save this beautiful world of Spira. And luckily, on the gameplay side, the battles were great. They went back to a more traditional turn-based style, but with a really cool leveling system called the sphere grid that gave you a little more options and a little more choice, and overall it was a great and very memorable experience. Game "Final Fantasy".

It may not be everyone's favorite "Final Fantasy" game, but it's a damn good one. It also had a spin-off called "Final Fantasy Next up at number 14, we have "The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker." It was released in 2002 for the GameCube and gave you a traditional Zelda game as you would expect, but with an incredible new visual style. The cartoon art style really did wonders to freshen up Zelda if you ask us personally. Plus, structuring it around islands and you, as Link, sailing to those islands really amplified the sense of adventure that Zelda games have always pioneered.

They took it to the next level here. "Wind Waker" was creative, charming and fun, but also a satisfying traditional Zelda game. Next up at number 13, we have "God of War 2." Released in 2007 for the PlayStation 2, this game was absolutely incredible. The first "Got of War" was great, but "2" really upped the ante in a lot of ways, from the bigger spectacle, the bigger scale, even more awesome boss battles, to the story, seeing Kratos at the beginning of the Serie. story, at the top. He has become the god of war. And then from there, things completely collapse in crazy Kratos fashion.

The original "God of War" adventures are incredible, over-the-top, and a lot of fun, thanks to that incredible combo-based hack-and-slash combat. Some of the great action moments from this game are still totally memorable today. And that's saying a lot, because we see some crazy things in video games now. Next at number 12, we have "Deus Ex", the original "Deus Ex", released in 2000 for PC. This was an immersive simulator that took things to the next level. Every area, every environment in this game gave you so many decisions, so much player agency, an almost staggeringly complex way to approach each situation.

In fact, we don't see that level in games anymore. It's something that "Deus Ex" really crushed back in the day, and for a long time, a lot of games really struggled to keep up. Next at number 11 we have "Resident Evil 4", which was released for the GameCube in 2005 and really marked a change for the survival horror series. This time, things are more action-oriented, with a, for the moment, revolutionary over-the-shoulder third-person shooting system. It was still tense, it was still a survival horror, your shots had to count, you ran out of ammo and you got really stressed, but this is where "Resident Evil" was a little more over the top, crazier monsters. , a cooler and more capable protagonist, but also, thankfully, brought many of the memorable, creepy, weird, action horror moments that we love the series for.

Capcom is apparently remaking this game, and we're very curious to see how they do it, because we think "Resident Evil 4" is still, to this day, top to bottom, pretty perfect. Then at number 10, speaking of perfect, "Shadow of the Colossus" was released in 2005, and it was simply a gaming experience unlike anything we had seen at the time. You play as a lone adventurer with his horse, preparing to kill these giants in this open environment, ostensibly to save a princess. It's a little deeper than that, but the overall game is ingeniously simple, from the user interface to the control scheme to the actual objective.

The entire game is structured around traversing huge, beautiful, lonely environments on your horse, just letting yourself be carried away by the atmosphere, the mood, the vibe, and eventually encountering a giant who's usually out there minding his business. own affairs. and then you kill them. Basically, the game is like a big open adventure where you approach some boss battles and fight them. And each boss is a complex thing that you usually have to climb and climb through a pretty cool platform jump grappling system, and it gets pretty wild. He goes places. If you've never played "Shadow of the Colossus," fix it immediately.

Next at number nine, we have "Bioshock." Released in 2007, this game took its immersive simulation roots from "System Shock" and really pivoted into a completely new and crazy first-person shooter adventure. You find yourself in the underwater city of Rapture that has completely collapsed. The citizens are crazy. Strange things are happening. And you stumble into a bizarre sci-fi/body horror adventure, solving puzzles, shooting your way through, upgrading your weapons, and gaining some superpowers along the way. The underlying themes and philosophies behind "BioShock" and what happened to the people living in this creepy town and why they were there are some of the most interesting parts of the game.

We don't have time to really dive into that here, but it was also a lot of fun to play. It was cool, it was creepy, it was weird, it was weird, and yet there's nothing like it. Now, at number eight, we have "Metroid Prime." Released in 2002, this was a huge, huge change for "Metroid." I mean, think about it. This is the first person shooter. This isn't something we really expected from "Metroid," but it works very, very well. The Metroidvania formula translates perfectly here. You're still Samus, you're still destroying things, you're still having rockets, you're still transforming, but now you're right in her shoes and you have to explore these strange, lonely, mysterious planets, and it all felt so much more raw and visceral. "Metro Prime" kicked off a couple of "Metroid Prime" games that are truly fantastic.

Then at number seven, we have "The Sims." The original "Sims," ​​released in 2000, was a phenomenon. Everyone played this strange and addictive life simulation game where you create a character, guide him through life, where he cleans his house, gets a job, meets friends, earns money and also builds a house along the way. It was a novel and strange concept for a game at the time, but it still holds up. People still play "The Sims" to this day. But the original shock and surprise of how cool, strange and addictive the original was is unforgettable. We had a hard time determining what type of Sim or "Sim City" game to include on this list, but considering the cult phenomenon that the original "Sims" was, we think it was worthy of placement here.

Now at number six,we have "Silent Hill 2." Released in 2001, this really improved from the first game. "Silent Hill 2" is so beloved and so great that the first game is often forgotten, although I will say it's still pretty good. "Silent Hill 2" is an incredible effort in humor, atmosphere, and survival horror tone. There are still no other games like this that capture that environment, that underlying feeling of horror in the pit of your stomach. "Silent Hill 2" really starts out as a man in a creepy, mysterious town, and really goes to faraway places. Horrible enemy types, disturbing environments and a really interesting story mean it's still worth checking out.

Now, at number five, let's talk about "Fallout." "Fallout 3" was released in 2008 and totally revitalized the "Fallout" franchise with Bethesda's new twist, and it was great, but we're going to cheat a little on our list. We didn't want to go too far to

2010

, but "Fallout: New Vegas" was released in 2010 and it was absolutely incredible. A lot of people love it a lot more than "Fallout 3" and for all its bugs and weirdness, Obsidian really created an amazing "Fallout" RPG that people still play and embrace to this day. From dealing with the factions to exploring this really strange and wacky environment that we haven't seen in a game like this before, it's still absolutely iconic.

Now, up to number four, we have "Diablo II." This was released in 2000 and is a hack-and-slash action RPG that is still basically the one. "Diablo III" is amazing, but "Diablo II" grabs people like no other game. "Diablo II," people can play endlessly, simply because that core gameplay, that character building, the satisfaction of it all is so much fun. This and its expansions are really representative of Blizzard at its best at the time, where Blizzard games were really like their own culture. From "Diablo II" to "StarCraft," they were crushing it, and "Diablo II" has legs like no other game.

I know there's the new "Diablo II, Resurrected," the kind of remake/remaster that people are playing, but until that came out, people were still playing "Diablo II," and that's special. That really says something. Now, up to number three, of course, let's talk about "Halo." Now, "Halo," for many people, is known for its multiplayer, but the three original "Halo" games, released in the span from, say, "Halo: Combat Evolved" in 2001 to "Halo 3 " in 2007, they really were excellent single-player campaign experiences. A lot of people play the "Halo" games for the story, and they were great, unique experiences. The original "Halo" really kicked things off and really revitalized console first-person shooters.

None of them clicked like this one did, and then from there all bets were off. The original Master Chiefs adventures are downright incredible games. We love those campaigns. Now, on number two, let's talk about "Grand Theft Auto." There's a lot. "Grand Theft Auto III" was released in 2001. Then we had "Vice City," then we had "San Andreas" and everything that came with those amazing games, until we got to "Grand Theft Auto IV," which was released in 2001. 2008. I don't know what else we could say about the "Grand Theft Auto" games at this point, other than that they almost completely ushered in a new era of gaming, with, of course, the exploration of open worlds.

But impact on gaming culture aside, the games themselves were an absolute blast, with so many memorable moments, strange characters, crazy quests, some annoying quests, and really well-designed open-world game cities. The "Grand Theft Auto" games still, to this day, have a very good sense of place. Add to that the different time periods, the different regions, and of course the radio stations full of great real-world licensed tracks, and every "Grand Theft Auto" game was an absolute experience and truly defined the years. 200 for many of us. Now up to number one is "Half-Life 2." This was released in 2004 and was the sequel to the original "Half-Life" that really exploded and continued the adventures of Gordon Freeman, thrusting him into a completely new and strange sci-fi world, the depressing City 17 and its surrounding regions. .

Once again, there's sci-fi intrigue, aliens, and lots of really fun shooting, some physics-based gameplay moments, and tons of cool puzzles. From the incredibly iconic Ravenholm sequence to riding around in a buggy to just pissing off Combine soldiers, "Half-Life 2" was absolutely iconic. As I've said with almost every game on this list, you should play it if you've never done so. There were 20 games. It was really hard to narrow it down, but we also got some bonus games worth mentioning. Of course, "Max Payne," along with "Kingdom Hearts 2" and "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," "Eternal Darkness," "Need for Speed: Underground" and "Batman: Arkham Asylum," which yes, believe it or not, released in 2009.

Man, we're getting old. Those are a few games we wanted to talk about, but even with those, there are still plenty worth mentioning, so we want to hear from you in the comments, what are your favorite games from the 2000s? If you have your own list, your top five, top 10 and top 20, we want to hear it. If you had fun talking to us about old games today, all you have to do is click the Like button. We would really appreciate it, it helps us and this is our favorite type of video to make here. But if you're new, consider subscribing, because we post videos every day.

But as always, thanks for watching and I'll see you next time. (upbeat music)