The 10 Best Games of the Early 21st Century

At the start of the 21st century, gaming experienced a golden age, with some of the most influential and beloved titles of all time being released. This era defined genres, set new technical benchmarks, and introduced iconic characters that are still celebrated today. Much like discovering hidden treasures in classic games, players today seek exciting rewards in the online casino world, such as the Slotozen Casino no deposit bonus code, offering great opportunities without upfront investment.

We revisited some of these classics to see how they’ve held up over the years. The result is this collection—an appreciation of 10 unforgettable games that continue to be relevant and enjoyable. Whether you’re feeling nostalgic or simply looking for timeless experiences, these are the must-play titles from an era that shaped modern gaming.

Syberia 2

The legendary sequel to the legendary adventure game—about a warm journey through cold lands. The sequel Syberia came out two years after the first installment. It was not just a spin-off but a full-fledged continuation of the story of Kate Walker, who abandoned her mundane everyday life to fulfill Hans Voralberg's dream and find the mammoth-inhabited island of Syberia.

The plot takes the player to the remote town of Romanovsk, where Kate, Hans, and the restless automaton Oscar plan to go further north. The game largely takes place in snowy towns, forests, and ice caves. However, the visuals remain captivating, with Benoît Sokal's artistic style turning even bleak landscapes into something magical.

The first and second parts of Syberia should be played together—they form a complete story about dreams and a journey into the unknown. Both games exemplify the perfect synergy of a visionary creator, passionate developers, and a supportive publisher at a time when adventure games were still popular.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

Vin Diesel's adventure in a harsh space fantasy is one of the best adaptations of film scripts in games. The Chronicles of Riddick films may have received mixed reviews, but the games—especially Escape from Butcher Bay—are exceptional. The game is a prequel to Pitch Black, following Riddick as he escapes the maximum-security prison.

It features a mix of stealth, brutal combat, and engaging dialogue with dangerous convicts. In quieter moments, Butcher Bay is an adventure about surviving among ruthless criminals. In intense moments, it becomes a stealth-action thriller where Riddick drags guards' bodies through the darkness and unleashes chaos with well-timed shootouts.

After playing Escape from Butcher Bay, it's almost impossible not to jump straight into Assault on Dark Athena, which continues the story and improves upon the original.

Half-Life 2

A sweeping adventure in a dystopian world broken by a failed teleportation experiment.

Upon release, Half-Life 2 was truly next-gen, stunning players with its animation, physics, and world design. It was also one of the first major PC games requiring Steam, a controversial decision at the time.

Twenty years later, Half-Life 2 remains a classic. Valve recently released an update for its anniversary, ensuring it still looks and plays great. The game is a fast-paced, cinematic experience that never loses momentum. Escape sequences, chases, and thrilling battles keep players constantly engaged.

As mysterious as it is fast-paced; focused on the main thing but extremely diverse, Half-Life 2 dashingly picks up the player and carries him through the most interesting and unusual things that are possible in its world, and offers no distractions. Escape, chase after chase, one desperate dash after another, a daring assault. There is nothing to tire of. It is impossible to get bored. Because of the Half-Life 2 device it's hard to resist an extra casual playthrough.

Far Cry

An action-packed survival game in a tropical paradise filled with mercenaries and mutants.

Far Cry is a game where every step matters. With no quick saves, every encounter requires careful planning. Players control Jack Carver, who must navigate a vast island while avoiding heavily armed mercenaries.

The open-level design allows for multiple approaches—players can sneak around enemies or go in guns blazing. The AI is surprisingly advanced, with enemies patrolling, investigating noises, and reacting to the player's tactics.

As the game progresses, tropical jungles give way to fortified bases and secret laboratories, introducing mutants into the mix. Far Cry remains a unique, tense experience, distinct from later Ubisoft installments.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

The best example of a blatantly authored AAA game that allows itself to do unthinkable things.

Often hailed as the best entry in the series, MGS3 is a Cold War-era prequel that doesn’t require prior knowledge of the convoluted lore. It features a cinematic yet deeply immersive experience, with camouflage mechanics, stamina management, and one of the greatest boss fights in gaming history.

Kojima’s signature fourth-wall-breaking moments and intricate storytelling are in peak form here. MGS3 is stylish, emotional, and masterfully crafted, standing as one of the most well-balanced games in the series.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

All GTA releases are great in their own way, but before San Andreas it was as if the series was searching for itself, and after that it was experimenting. And only once GTA truly was itself. Three different cities, the countryside between them, a lot of mini-games and jokes, flying on a jetpack and fighter jets, the opportunity to grow a potbelly, a toy for adults in the shower of the police station (can be used as a weapon), drama and comedy - it is difficult to think so immediately, what this game was not at all.

But that's just the top layer of San Andreas. Underneath is the SAMP (San Andreas Multiplayer) mod and the thousands of role-playing servers that have grown out of it. This is, if anything, such a chamber version of GTA Online - a mod-laden San Andreas with multiplayer and wagering ordinary NPCs. A very special culture, worthy of a separate study - with its stories, heroes and dramas. And it is still alive, especially in the CIS. And everything grew out of the ‘vanilla’ San Andreas opportunities, from its atmosphere.

Today there is no sense to talk about excessive kitschy game or compare its outdated physics with the realism of the fourth GTA. In CIS San Andreas will never be forgotten. It has become a proto-meme, an important part of popular folklore. Spent translation and its highlights - long ago not a local gimmick. A bad game would not have penetrated so deeply into the cultural code.

Need for Speed: Underground 2

A neon-soaked, arcade racing experience that defined early 2000s street racing culture.

In 2004, street racing was at its peak in pop culture, and NFS Underground 2 capitalized on it. It was the first game in the series to introduce an open world and extensive car customization.

Modern racing games may be more technically advanced, but Underground 2 has an atmosphere that remains unmatched. The neon-drenched city, ridiculous tuning options, and high-speed races make it a nostalgic masterpiece. The customisation is detailed and insanely acidic. The car fleet consists mostly of affordable cars, which are transformed into roaring monsters through patsy tuning. The sense of speed is insane, and the famous ‘bricks on oil’ physics is more OutRun than modern racing.

The game’s soundtrack also became legendary, shaping the tastes of an entire generation. Today, its cultural significance is stronger than ever, with modding communities keeping it alive.

The Suffering

An action-horror game where executions come to life in a haunted prison.

A new inmate, Tork, arrives at a prison where supernatural horrors begin to unfold. The prison itself, built on an island with a dark history, is plagued by monsters embodying execution methods from different eras.

With creature designs by The Thing’s Stan Winston, The Suffering feels like an interactive horror film. Tork fights off grotesque monsters, transforms into a terrifying creature himself, and influences the story through moral choices.

Despite its age, The Suffering remains a unique horror-action game, offering a thrilling and immersive experience.

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

A darker, more intense take on the Prince of Persia formula, and one of the best platforming action games ever made.

Upon release, Warrior Within received mixed reactions—fans of Sands of Time missed the fairy-tale atmosphere, while others embraced the brutal combat, edgy aesthetics, and heavy-metal soundtrack.

Looking back, the game’s strengths are undeniable. Its combat is the most refined in the trilogy, featuring fluid swordplay, environmental interactions, and weapon variety. The level design remains excellent, offering intricate platforming challenges and time-rewinding mechanics that reward skill and strategy.

Despite some backtracking and occasional camera issues, Warrior Within is a phenomenal action-adventure game, worth revisiting with fan-made fixes.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

A worthy sequel that almost became a dream game. The first Knights of the Old Republic proved that a Star Wars game could expand the universe beyond the Skywalker saga while still captivating fans. Set thousands of years before Darth Vader, it introduced a galaxy-wide war between the Republic and the Sith Empire, where lightsaber battles shifted from duels to full-scale combat.

Released in December 2004, KOTOR II was Obsidian Entertainment’s first major project. They built upon BioWare’s foundation, introducing a deeper influence system in dialogues and flexible planet progression. However, publisher LucasArts rushed development, leaving the game incomplete. Many planned features were cut, but fan-made mods later restored much of the lost content.

Despite its flaws, KOTOR II remains a Star Wars classic, elevating Obsidian into the big leagues. Its legacy continues, influencing the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic and expanding the Old Republic era beyond just games.