Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 2004
Why it still holds upA jungle that has to be survived as well as crossed still makes its stealth worth playing today.
2000s shooters that still hold up
From cover, from the hip, and from a side-scrolling jet
Games
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 2004
Why it still holds upA jungle that has to be survived as well as crossed still makes its stealth worth playing today.
Half-Life 2 2004
Why it still holds upPlay it now for the pacing: the opening sections alternate tension with small moments of rest, and enemies, allies and supplies are always marked by the design or by sound.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 2004
Why it still holds upPick it up now for the size of the world and the number of things to do in it.
Metroid Prime 2002
Why it still holds upExploring is still the draw today, with a story you find by scanning and locked areas that pull you back later.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves 2009
Why it still holds upIt stays playable now because you keep control of Nathan almost every time something happens on screen, and the characters talk like people.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty 2001
Why it still holds upLights, glass, steam and fruit are all tools against those squads, so the environment keeps its part in the stealth today.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 2002
Why it still holds upA whole city built on one decade and its music still makes every drive part of the same setting, which is the reason to play it now.
Resident Evil 4 2005
Why it still holds upThe game escalates steadily, and muted colours keep its places oppressive, so the pacing still keeps its grip today.
BioShock 2007
Why it still holds upRapture remains a place worth exploring today: the setting and its people tell the story, and every character gives a new view of the city.
Mass Effect 2007
Why it still holds upShaping a hero of your own through those conversations still makes the choices worth making today.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 2008
Why it still holds upEach act can be crossed hidden, armed or without killing anyone, and that choice still gives a reason to go back to it today.
Mafia 2002
Why it still holds upThe period setting is why it is worth playing now: Lost Heaven is modelled on 1930s American cities, and the missions move between chases, races and shootouts.
Max Payne 2001
Why it still holds upBullet time is why it still plays well: it sets the pace of the fights, and the average gunfight lasts only about ten seconds.
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne 2003
Why it still holds upEvery kill makes Max move faster, so bullet time slows him less as he keeps killing, and that is why the combat still flows today.
Dead Space 2008
Why it still holds upBecause the interface is in the world and the game never pauses, the Ishimura never lets you step away, which keeps it tense today.
Deus Ex 2000
Why it still holds upWith several routes to every objective, both a pacifist and a combat approach work, and that freedom in level design is the reason to play it today.
Resident Evil 2002
Why it still holds upAmmo, inventory and saves are scarce, so you keep deciding what to fight, what to carry and when to backtrack, and that tension is the reason to play it now.
Grand Theft Auto III 2001
Why it still holds upA city built as a place rather than a level, where what you do is your choice and the world carries on around you, is still worth playing today.
Halo 3 2007
Why it still holds upCo op for up to four and a map editor for your own multiplayer maps are the reason to play it now.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2007
Why it still holds upWhat it still offers is a tight campaign followed by a multiplayer loop of leveling and class building made to be replayed.
Star Wars: Battlefront II 2005
Why it still holds upGround, space and hero battles in one game, and the space battles in particular, are the reason to play it now.
Perfect Dark 2000
Why it still holds upMissions built on objectives, and a large multiplayer toolkit, still give it more depth than a straight shooter today.
Beyond Good & Evil 2003
Why it still holds upPhotography, stealth, hovercraft racing, melee and exploration are mixed so that no single mechanic wears out, and that is the reason to play it now.
Grand Theft Auto IV 2008
Why it still holds upToday it is still a satirical Liberty City full of radio, TV and side activities, with a story of conflicting choices.
Metroid: Zero Mission 2004
Why it still holds upIts map still reads clearly: areas linked by doors and elevators and opened by power ups, with statues pointing the way.
Fallout 3 2008
Why it still holds upIf you play it now, it is for an open world whose exploration is optional and whose quests respond to different approaches.
Halo 2 2004
Why it still holds upTight controls and weapons that each cost something still carry the campaign today.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory 2005
Why it still holds upStealth built on light and sound that you manage yourself, against guards who react to what you disturb, is still the reason to play it today.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption 2007
Why it still holds upAiming with a pointer rather than auto aim still puts the shooting in your own hands today.
Halo: Combat Evolved 2001
Why it still holds upWith two weapon slots and vehicles you can drive, every weapon you pick up is still a choice that shapes the next fight today.
Metroid Fusion 2002
Why it still holds upA mission based layout with a pursuer always close still keeps its six hours moving today.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes 2004
Why it still holds upCrossing between two worlds, one of which wears her down away from safe zones, still makes every route a puzzle today.
Call of Duty 2 2005
Why it still holds upRegenerating health and checkpoints still make each firefight quick to retry today.
Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy 2003
Why it still holds upBuilding your own lightsaber and choosing light or dark skills still give a second run a different shape today.
Counter-Strike 2000
Why it still holds upWith no respawn and weapons bought with money from wins, losses and kills, each round is still a team decision about what to buy today.
Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast 2002
Why it still holds upLightsaber, blaster and Jedi powers in one game still give it a mix of melee and ranged fighting today.
Commandos 2: Men of Courage 2001
Why it still holds upA squad of specialists, each with abilities of their own, and missions with several objectives still give it plenty to plan today.
Team Fortress 2 2007
Why it still holds upNine classes with distinct strengths and weaknesses, and teams that need a mix of them, still make every match about who plays what today.
Gears of War 2 2008
Why it still holds upCover, a short loadout and a partner still make each firefight a matter of positioning today.
Thief II: The Metal Age 2000
Why it still holds upLarge levels with several routes, and tools that change light and sound, still leave you to plan your own way past the guards today.
TimeSplitters 2 2002
Why it still holds upSplit screen with bots, sixteen modes and a level builder still make a shared session easy to fill today.
SWAT 4 2005
Why it still holds upCharacters die quickly on both sides, so a room taken with a plan still beats one taken by force, and that careful pace holds up today.
Hitman: Blood Money 2006
Why it still holds upEach mission is an open space with several ways to reach the target, and a payout that rewards doing it cleanly still invites a second try today.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 2002
Why it still holds upLight and shadow are your refuge and the level layouts form routes through gaps in vision, so play is still built around reading the lighting rather than shooting today.
Mega Man ZX 2006
Why it still holds upForms with abilities of their own, in a world to explore between missions, still give the platforming variety today.
Left 4 Dead 2 2009
Why it still holds upSpecial infected that each change how players have to move and fight, and finales that break up horde defense, still keep every run from repeating today.
No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way 2002
Why it still holds upBecause guards react to sound, light and bodies, a careful, silent approach and an all out one both still work today.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault 2002
Why it still holds upThe campaign keeps changing what it asks of you from one mission to the next, with fighting that feels grounded, and that variety is why it is still worth playing.
Much of this page tells a story while you shoot: scripted set pieces, squads that talk back and cities to cause trouble in. Alongside them are quieter games where staying unseen is the better plan.