Steins;Gate 2009
Why it still holds upThe writing and the cast keep it worth reading now: the story is detailed, and the voice acting carries the emotion even if you do not know Japanese.
2000s games on sale
Games that still hold up, discounted today
Games
Steins;Gate 2009
Why it still holds upThe writing and the cast keep it worth reading now: the story is detailed, and the voice acting carries the emotion even if you do not know Japanese.
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.
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn 2000
Why it still holds upSince the world changes to reflect those choices, a new playthrough still has things to find today.
Batman: Arkham Asylum 2009
Why it still holds upFighting, gadgets and character joined into one game about being Batman still make it play well today.
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.
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.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 2006
Why it still holds upIt is worth playing today for a world that treats the main quest as optional and puts side content throughout.
Persona 4 2008
Why it still holds upA calendar in which daily life and dungeons feed each other still makes it worth playing today.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind 2002
Why it still holds upA world that sets no required order, kept alive by the people who mod it, still makes it worth playing today.
Ōkami 2006
Why it still holds upPlay it now for an ink painting look and a brush that keeps opening up old areas of the world.
Persona 3 2006
Why it still holds upDaily life, relationships and dungeon fighting feed each other, so choices outside the tower matter inside it, and that is the reason to play it now.
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.
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.
Medieval II: Total War 2006
Why it still holds upA turn based campaign over a whole medieval map, with battles you fight yourself in real time, keeps it worth playing today.
Sid Meier's Civilization IV 2005
Why it still holds upGrowing your cities toward one of five different victories still carries the game today.
Tales of Symphonia 2003
Why it still holds upReal time combat with a shared team gauge and AI party members you can customize is the reason to play it now.
Company of Heroes 2006
Why it still holds upCover that changes how safe a squad is, and morale that breaks under heavy weapons, still make each soldier worth protecting today.
Katamari Damacy 2004
Why it still holds upOne idea, a sticky ball that grows, drives every stage, so the scale of the rooms keeps changing, and that still keeps it fresh today.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2004
Why it still holds upControl points that supply resources and unlock units still tie each fight to where you hold the map 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.
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.
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.
Indigo Prophecy 2005
Why it still holds upScenes that leave you free to act, and characters whose threads feed each other, still let the same events play out differently today.
Valkyria Chronicles 2008
Why it still holds upA map for commanding and a third person view for aiming still let you plan like a commander and then aim like a soldier today.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes 2000
Why it still holds upTeams of three with a call in assist and a snapback that forces a switch still turn each match into a puzzle of who is on screen today.
Rome: Total War 2004
Why it still holds upA campaign and real time battles that feed each other, with morale and formations deciding fights, still make every war a decision about what to risk 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.
Stronghold Crusader 2002
Why it still holds upWith farmland limited by the desert map, economy and position still decide strategy today.
Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis 2001
Why it still holds upOn foot and vehicle combat in one continuous game, with squad orders and a mission editor, still gives a mission many ways to play today.
iRacing 2008
Why it still holds upRacing on scanned real circuits against drivers matched to your level is still what it offers today.
King's Bounty: The Legend 2008
Why it still holds upReplacing squadrons with gold after a loss turns every fight into a decision about what it will cost, which still gives its tactics weight.
Bayonetta 2009
Why it still holds upA dodge rewarded with a slow moment to strike, and a grade at the end of each fight, still give a reason to fight every battle better today.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within 2004
Why it still holds upA rewind that undoes a fatal mistake, and portals between two eras, let you recover from a wrong jump and plan a route, so the acrobatics are easy to retry today.
Space Rangers 2: Dominators 2004
Why it still holds upThe main goal can be ignored for exploration, trade and side quests, so a new game can still be played your own way today.
Worms World Party 2001
Why it still holds upA map that every shot reshapes still makes a match with friends lively today.
Mega Man ZX Advent 2007
Why it still holds upBringing the right form to each new boss, from forms taken off the last ones, still gives it variety today.
Machinarium 2009
Why it still holds upPuzzles stay in one place and the world is told without words, so each room is a self contained riddle that is easy to dip into now.
We Love Katamari 2005
Why it still holds upRolling from the smallest things to the largest, an idea anyone gets at once, still makes every level easy to pick up today.
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload 2003
Why it still holds upThe fighting system is why it is worth playing now: each character plays differently, and the same gauges turn every exchange into a choice between attacking, defending and cancelling.
Elasto Mania 2000
Why it still holds upA bike that springs over the terrain still makes every level a puzzle of route and balance today.
IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 2006
Why it still holds upEverything in one package means you can still start flying without collecting the expansions one by one.
Myst III: Exile 2001
Why it still holds upAges that are easy to wander, with puzzles found by watching them closely, still make it worth exploring today.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow 2004
Why it still holds upEach stealth section today has a few more ways to play, with Sam whistling to draw guards and carrying bodies through doors.
Stronghold 2001
Why it still holds upA castle that has to hold off sieges and fire alike is still as much of a challenge as the fighting today, and each one is a design problem to solve.
Severance: Blade of Darkness 2001
Why it still holds upEven now, four fighters with different weapons give each playthrough its own style.
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