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The early 2000s were a golden era for gaming, producing some of the most influential and memorable titles of all time. This was a time when game developers took bold risks, creating unique experiences that pushed the boundaries of storytelling, gameplay, and immersion.

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From epic RPGs and intense horror to groundbreaking shooters and real-time strategy masterpieces, this era gave us titles that are still beloved decades later. Whether it's the whimsical fantasy of Fable, the brutal realism of Manhunt, or the thrilling action of Painkiller, these games continue to resonate with players today.

In this article, we take a closer look at some of the greatest games that shaped gaming history and stood the test of time.

Fable

In a casual discussion about the greatness of the Fable series on the internet, one user wrote: ‘Fable is what all RPGs try to be, but they fail’. The statement is overly bold and controversial, but it really captures the essence of the original Fable, which is hard to explain in words.

The game starts with the main character's childhood fantasies about how he will grow up and will save princesses and chop goblins. Or not chopping, but burning them with magic lightning! Or maybe he won't save anyone, but on the contrary will attack the whole world on a large scale. It is presented beautifully and childishly sincere. And then the hero's village is carved up by bandits, he remains an orphan and gets to the fairy-tale ‘academy of heroes’. And for the next few dozen hours, exactly what he imagined happens - and with the same level of sincerity.

Manhunt

It seems that since its release on Playstation 2 in late 2003, Manhunt has garnered the maximum number of unpleasant epithets in the press. We listened, read and marvelled. And with the release on PC in 2004 we tried it ourselves and understood everything.

The game is repulsive in almost everything. Horrible locations, disturbing soundtrack and total hopeless plot press on the player, clearly saying: ‘Hey, there is evil going on here, you don't need it’. But you keep going.

Painkiller

How much simple, absolutely sincere joy can be brought by ragdolls flying off enemies who caught a shotgun volley with their chests. Or with their foreheads grabbing a hornet fired from a legendary stabber. This, no joke, is the soul of Painkiller - and everything else is built around it. And no one has worked better in this genre. Even the esteemed Serious Sam - well, not that.

And there's no need to be embarrassed by the stupidity of what's going on - everyone realised it even in 2004. People loved Painkiller, but nobody tried to present the game as a deep work under a colourful cover. The game doesn't need that - everything is harmonious. Demons attack, we shoot at them with everything, demons fly away beautifully, dopamine receptors are activated - we repeat until our hands ache. 

Silent Hill 4: The Room

From an exploratory, historical point of view Silent Hill 4 is an interesting game for a number of reasons, there's a lot to discuss. It's the latest instalment in a series with a number in the title. It grew out of the unrelated Silent Hill game Room 302. The events unfold not in Silent Hill at all. For the first time in the history of the series, the emphasis is on action. Akira Yamaoka is not only on the soundtrack, but also in the role of chief producer. A lot of controversial decisions in mechanics, to which the series will not return again. But none of that matters.

Thief: Deadly Shadows

Interaction with the world in Thief is based on the manipulation of light and noise. Thief Garrett is not a ranger, but he has a bow and a quiver with different arrows. The water one extinguishes torches and fireplaces, the fire ones explode but also give the archer away in the dark. Moss arrow scatters soft vegetation, on which Garret steps silently, even if he runs. In addition, the hero has limbs that can be seen, and accordingly some dimensions. You can accidentally elbow a piece of furniture, and the guards or someone worse will come running at the noise.

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

Going back to old games (the good ones!) is often a reminder of how little we need to be happy. Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy is the pinnacle of arcade console gameplay that has one foot already in the ‘next gen’ and the other hopelessly in the 90s. A symbol of the Xbox and PlayStation 2 era beyond Hideo Kojima's pretentious art.

It's a defiantly straightforward, even silly game about a SWAT officer who can shoot heads off, or maybe blow them up with his mind. He can set enemies on fire, hurl them with telekinesis, and make them retreat into the mountains. Spartan, but verified set that allows you to revel in your power and get high from the process every second.

World of Warcraft

There's no point in getting into the topic of WoW's cultural significance once again, recalling the thousands of hours lost in the game, Leroy Jenkins and that episode of South Park. You know and understand it all. But we can briefly discuss why World of Warcraft has become the standard MMORPG that other games of the genre are still compared to.

There are many reasons, but one of the main ones is balance. Discussing the peculiarities of WoW on forums players very often mention that the game is just very ‘evenly flowing’, thanks to which it drags on. The process of development, admission to new content, suffering in raids, discovering achievements and in general everything - perfectly positioned between ‘casual’ (compared to some competitors of the time) and real hardcore. It is possible to be in the middle of this balance point, as well as to deviate to one of the sides without being disadvantaged anywhere.

The second reason is artistic: style, atmosphere, and the position of the Warcraft universe itself in the moment. WoW's ‘cartoonish’ visuals, its iconic icons and sounds are works of art, no need to explain anything here either. There's a reason it all resonated with players so much.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is a ‘fans will finish’ game. That's why not many people appreciated it in the year of its release. Something was always lagging, bugging, delayed playthrough. It really turned players into embittered ghouls.

Fortunately, things have changed in the last 20 years. Now this RPG is what the authors intended it to be: an incredibly stylish (still!) dark (sometimes gothic, sometimes punk rock, sometimes slatterpunk) RPG where you are a majestic creep, a descendant of Cain. The coolest thing here is the immersion into the world of a newly converted bloodsucker, who henceforth combines all the worst sides of man and beast. And at the same time is forced to furiously crawl up the career ladder, trying to make his way ‘into the people’.

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth

In the same year with The Battle for Middle-earth the legendary Rome: Total War was released - we haven't forgotten. But how many other great ‘total thieves’ were there after that? And on ‘The Lord of the Rings’ there is only one such RTS. There is, of course, the second part with an add-on - also excellent, but a bit different, not so strange, not so sprawling in the story campaign, closer to the classic RTS.

Neither the first nor the second The Battle for Middle-earth has been on sale for a long time due to expired licences for Peter Jackson's films and everything related to them. Downloading the correct version of the game and loading it with the right fixes is a challenge. However, fans of the series have developed their own loncher, through which you can download the games themselves with the fixes, and any patches on them to roll, and the most necessary mods to download in two clicks, and even on the network to fight. Only special games deserve such popular love.

Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War

The best entry point into the Waha today is Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2. Relevant, simple and easy to understand for newcomers. But where to go next? Actually, to Dawn of War. It will pile up additional context, not limiting itself only to space troopers and Chaosites. And it will do it beautifully, in the format of old-school, spartan, but talented action film - despite the fact that it is a strategy. Once you get into Dawn of War, it's impossible to get out of ‘Waha’.

The original Dawn of War is a whole culture, a separate school of RTS. The base game is packed with content and perfectly balanced - it steals time as effectively as it did 20 years ago. And with three expansions and massive mods, Dawn of War could be your game of the year any year.