Jul 16
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2003
Why it still holds upThe choices are still the reason to come today: dialogue has consequences for characters and worlds, and what you say shapes how others treat you.
2003 games that still hold up
Games
Jul 16
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2003
Why it still holds upThe choices are still the reason to come today: dialogue has consequences for characters and worlds, and what you say shapes how others treat you.
Oct 15
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.
May 6
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow 2003
Why it still holds upIts castle opens up as you gain abilities and its soul system offers many ways to fight, which keeps it worth playing now.
Nov 11
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.
Aug 29
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.
May 23
Silent Hill 3 2003
Why it still holds upA flashlight, a radio that crackles near monsters and an Otherworld that changes around Heather still make the horror a matter of sight and sound today.
Sep 16
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.
Apr 25
Fire Emblem 2003
Why it still holds upWith early chapters that introduce each idea alongside the story, and losses that are permanent, every move still matters today.
Nov 17
Need for Speed: Underground 2003
Why it still holds upWith tuning unlocked through story races and Style Points earned by drifting and shortcuts, the garage and the road still feed each other today.
Nov 17
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga 2003
Why it still holds upBecause each brother has a button and presses are timed, every turn of battle still involves timing as well as choosing today.
Oct 21
SSX 3 2003
Why it still holds upOne connected mountain with no loading screens still turns each run into a single long descent today.
Nov 7
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! 2003
Why it still holds upPosition weighted items keep races close, and the pairing system gives many combinations today.
Oct 28
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 2003
Why it still holds upA hard jump that can be retried at once, by rewinding, still keeps its acrobatics easy to enjoy today.
Mar
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.
Oct
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom 2003
Why it still holds upThree characters with different moves, and areas that the spatulas open, make a stage worth revisiting with a new ability today.
Jun 23
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising 2003
Why it still holds upA meter that offers a small power often or a super power later makes you choose when to spend it, and every battle today carries that choice.
Apr 29
NBA Street Vol. 2 2003
Why it still holds upTricks feed a meter that can turn the score around, and that keeps it worth playing today.
Feb 27
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time 2003
Why it still holds upA second game inside the fights keeps your attention today, because an item creation system lets you craft, patent and recruit inventors.
May 20
Rise of Nations 2003
Why it still holds upEvery border is something to defend today, as territory limits where you can build and attrition punishes armies without supply.
Mar 4
Freelancer 2003
Why it still holds upFlying with the mouse, and a trade you can start whenever you like, still make it easy to jump in and fly.
Nov 27
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly 2003
Also known as Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly
Why it still holds upWaiting for a ghost to come close before you shoot still makes every fight a test of nerve.
Apr 18
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town 2003
Why it still holds upA routine where each day's work builds on the last still gives every season its own goals today.
Nov 4
SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs 2003
Why it still holds upShort rounds with no respawns give each match tension.
Oct 29
Call of Duty 2003
Why it still holds upThe war still has several viewpoints, across three armies and three campaigns.
Mar
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! 2003
Why it still holds upA single stage is still a quick burst, across over two hundred games of a few seconds each.
Mar 28
Championship Manager 4 2003
Why it still holds upAs a snapshot of the series at a turning point, it is still worth a look today.
Feb 14
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2003
Why it still holds upEach fight is still fresh, since random limits change every battle and make you adapt your plan.
Dec 5
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean 2003
Why it still holds upPlaying a voice the characters answer to, rather than the hero, still shapes every conversation today.
Sep 16
Homeworld 2 2003
Why it still holds upA fleet built around one ship you cannot afford to lose still puts every battle at risk today.
Nov 11
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando 2003
Also known as Ratchet & Clank 2: Locked and Loaded
Why it still holds upMinigames between planets still keep the journey changing pace today.
Jan 30
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness 2003
Why it still holds upChains planned across a whole board, and items you can dive into to strengthen, keep every battle a puzzle about what to set off first today.
Feb 20
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne 2003
Why it still holds upToday, a silent hero in a post apocalyptic Tokyo lets the world do the talking.
Sep 12
Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life 2003
Why it still holds upA life with a deadline for settling down still gives every season a reason to hurry.
Mar 4
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven 2003
Why it still holds upThree different ways to stalk the same story are still a reason to go back today.
Nov 21
TrackMania 2003
Why it still holds upBuilding a course and then trying to beat it makes every track a small challenge you set yourself, and that loop is still within easy reach.
Feb 28
Praetorians 2003
Why it still holds upWith tactics counting for more than the economy, formations still decide the battles today.
Oct
The Black Mirror 2003
Why it still holds upA dark mystery with a manor to search is still a good fit for a long evening.
Apr 25
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2003
Why it still holds upForging new weapons from the materials you find still gives each trip into the labyrinth a purpose.
Nov
Project Gotham Racing 2 2003
Why it still holds upReal cities and cars you earn make every race feel like a tour.
Oct 28
Gladius 2003
Why it still holds upA school with different classes to balance gives each fight a puzzle.
May 2
Mega Man Zero 2 2003
Why it still holds upYou can still set up Zero your own way, with buttons you assign and elves that unlock your health tanks.
Sep 18
Maximo vs. Army of Zin 2003
Why it still holds upThe shield meter is gone, so blocking is unlimited, and the original's pay to save system was removed.
Jul
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic 2003
Why it still holds upThe choices it keeps handing you, which spheres to research and which heroes to hire, are still its draw today.
Jan 14
SimCity 4 2003
Why it still holds upGrowing a region one segment at a time is a long project that remains absorbing today.
Jul
Pirates of the Caribbean 2003
Why it still holds upRunning your own ship and crew across those islands is still an appealing way to spend time at sea today.
Nov 11
Legacy of Kain: Defiance 2003
Why it still holds upTwo heroes who fight in different ways still give a reason to play it through again today.
Jul 25
F-Zero GX 2003
Why it still holds upRacing thirty machines on tracks you learn by heart is still a test of nerve today.
Nov 13
Metal Slug 5 2003
Why it still holds upSliding under fire in a fast side-scroller is a pleasure that has held up well even now.