Best of the 2000s: The 15 Best Video Games

Our series of the Best of the 2000s formally kicks off today with a list of the 15 best video games of the last 10 years. Comments are of course encouraged. Without further ado:

15. The Godfather

Adapting Francis Ford Coppola’s classic film into a game was no small task. A video game for one of the greatest movies of all time had a certain standard to live up to, which, thankfully, it did. Rather than playing through the plot of the film, the game makes the player their own, new character, who works for the Corleone family and operates on the periphery of major events of the film, as well as taking part in new adventures and stories. Featuring voices of most of the original cast, the game is a must play for gamers as much as it is for film fans. (M)

14. Super Mario Galaxy

Most of the gaming world (including my esteemed co-blogger) will disagree with me on this, but I’ve seen nothing to really convince me that the Wiimote is anything more than a gimmick that hinders gameplay more than helps it. That said, for one glorious moment, everything came together and Nintendo made something that proved games for the Wii can be fun for more than a few minutes at a time. With controls that feel fluid and logical, entertaining physics that vary from planet to planet, and a larger scope than previous Mario games, Super Mario Galaxy was another great entry in gaming’s most storied franchise and not just a simple cash-in to score some quick bucks from a brand. (J)

13. Mass Effect

All video games strive to make you feel like you are part of the action, but Mass Effect went the extra step of actually putting you in it. The emphasis on personalization and noble attempt at trying something new makes up for a lot of the game’s glaring weaknesses (like its over-reliance on cut scenes and, at times, total lack of action). Mass Effect lays the groundwork for video games to find a way of storytelling that actually feels influenced by the gamer and represents an interesting attempt to expand what kinds of stories video games can tell. (J)

12. Psychonauts

Though not a hugely popular or financially successful video game, Psychonauts is easily one of the most original and fun video games of the last 10 years. With a plot about a boy with psychic boy honing his powers to defeat an evil plot, the game instantly sets itself apart from the pack as being a triumph of originality in an industry where genre means everything. Crazy adventures with unique characters makes Psychonauts an incredibly fun and addicting game you’ll play for hours. (M)

11. Left 4 Dead

It’s so simple that it’s a wonder no one thought of it for so long. Combine the team-based mechanics of Counter-Strike with the hectic, running-and-shooting pace of Halo and mix in zombies. Eschewing plot for a series of entertaining scenarios and frights for action, Left 4 Dead is more Snyder than Romero, and for a video game that’s exactly the right tone to strike. By limiting teams to four players, Left 4 Dead makes sure that everyone has a chance to contribute and the innovative “Director” mechanic ups the replayability. (J)

10. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Before Modern Warfare, the Call of Duty series was set entirely in World War II, but the series fourth edition was able to break the mold instantly. Set in a version of the not so distant future, Modern Warfare jumps from character to character, and plays out with an unmatched intensity. Also of important note, the game generated a huge online multiplayer community. Though Halo and other games had already pioneered this, Modern Warfare perfected it, making it a popular game for online gamers. Though Modern Warfare didn’t really revolutionize the genre the way other games on this list did, it’s a near flawless game that set a standard for quality for similar games to follow. (M)

9. EA Sports

We’re kind of cheating here, but the biggest trademark of EA Sports is their consistency, from game-to-game and year-to-year you know exactly what you’re getting. If video games are, at least on some level, about you-are-there wish fulfillment then it’s tough to argue with the allure of a game that lets you finally live out those long abandoned dreams of beating Tom Brady and winning the Super Bowl on a last minute drive. (J)

8. Half-Life 2

It’s hard to imagine video games today without Half-Life 2. Games like Fallout 3 and Gears of War owe a huge debt to the game, which changed the first person shooter and set the tone for such games in the second half of the decade. Innovations in graphics, sound, physics simulation, and artificial intelligence helped the game stand out and rocketed it to huge success. Half-Life 2 upped the ante for first person shooters and video games as a whole, creating a higher standard others need to match. (M)

7. Little Big Planet

The platformer never really died, but Little Big Planet succeeded by recreating the Mario formula of simple gameplay mixed with mechanical innovation and charming, whimsical world-building. The graphics pop-off the screen, thanks to the puppet and crepe paper aesthetic, and the wide range of user-generated content ensures that the game outlives the story mode’s modest running time. By wrapping up innovation in the same platforming box that gave us some of gaming’s most beloved characters, Little Big Planet sits right at the corner of the last twenty years of gaming and the next twenty. (J)

6. The Sims

Talk about a game that changed everything about gaming. When The Sims came out, custom avatars in games was a pretty new thing. The idea of completely controlling a character in a world you create for them was revolutionary, and the game became the highest selling PC game of all time. It’s countless reiterations haven’t really expanded the concept of the game much, but they don’t need to. The Sims changed the notion of avatars and would ultimately lead to one of the biggest phenomenons in gaming, World of Warcraft. If you just look at how many games now have completely customizable characters and worlds, you’ll see just how influential The Sims was. (M)

5. Halo: Combat Evolved

At this point, a burly marine in a suit shooting at monsters has become a cliché, but none of that detracts from what a revelation Halo was in 2001. Sure, there had been first-person shooters before, but few had the scope and imagination of this one, a breeding of Aliens and Black Hawk Down, with a combat mechanic that is still as addicting as it was then. Even the series’ now ridiculous mythology is tight and functional and its online multiplayer made internet connectivity a necessity for consoles, instead of a nice add-on. The Halo DNA has been replicated and diluted, but the original still stands as an example of what can go right when game designers aim big. (J)

4. GTA: Vice City

Upping the ante set by the previous editions in the Grand Theft Auto series, GTA: Vice City helped make the franchise the juggernaut it would become. Rather than relying on a simple story of a hood rising in the ranks of the underworld, Vice City went to the 80′s to do it, allowing for the game makers to insert music, outfits, and the the general lifestyle of the decade into the game. The open-ended nature of it’s predecease, Grand Theft Auto III, was only increased, allowing the player hours of entertainment outside of the story, a trend that would continue in like minded games for years to come. (M)

3. Bioshock

Few video games have produced an hour as soaked in tension and atmosphere as the introduction to Rapture, the steam-punk via Ayn Rand dystopia at the center of Bioshock. I remember coming close to breaking a sweat as I navigated through the first encounters with the Big Daddys, Little Sisters, and Splicers that populate the now dying city. While the plotting loses a little tightness and the gameplay becomes redundant, especially in the lull between the its now-legendary twist and thematically rich climax, Bioshock’s unflinching vision of a world where avarice and creativity combine like gunpowder and a match stays with you long after you beat it. (J)

2. Rock Band

Though it was preceded the similar Guitar Hero, Rock Band broke the video game mold upon it’s debut. Combining karaoke, hand eye coordination, and everyone’s dream of being a rock god, Rock Band became an instant hit. What music fan seriously doesn’t love belting out “Gimme Shelter” or try to keep up with a Keith Moon drum solo. The game transcended the normal controller based games, with guitars, microphones, and full drum kits, setting it apart instantly. With downloadable songs, an equally fun sequel, and the amazing Beatles version that followed, Rock Band stands out as the party game of the late Aughts. (M)

1. Portal

Its rather audacious to end your video game by declaring yourself a triumph, but Portal earned it. Portal gets right so many things that most video games get wrong that its successes make a compelling case for blowing up the way we think about video games from a creative standpoint and starting over. Clocking in at between two and five hours depending how fast you work through the puzzles and how much you like to stop and take in the game’s atmosphere, it may be shorter than most games, but that brevity means it never descends into tedious redundancy. Portal eschews cut scenes and plot in favor of actual, interactive storytelling focused on character. The way GLaDOS’ personality comes through during the course of the game drawing you in bit by bit until, by the end, you actually feel a little bad for her, is nothing short of astounding. Add to that the decade’s single most impactful gaming moment (incinerating the Weighted Companion Cube), complete with its cruelest punchline (“You incinerated your faithful companion cube more quickly than any test subject on record. Congratulations.”) and some lightsaber-sharp writing, and you’ve got not just this decade’s best videogame, but perhaps the best one ever. (J)