Big Download have posted a gallery showing off their picks for top games of the decade.You can find the post here.
#22 Counter Strike: Source
Counter Strike is one of the most definitive multi-player games of the decade.Since its release, you have not been able to walk into an internet cafe without witnessing a counter strike deathmatch underway.
This game made visiting an internet cafe a mainstream thing, and as such must be recognised for its massive contribution to the gaming world.
#15 Fallout 3
Bethesda Softworks really hit home with this title. Combining the immersive first person action that they had perfected in their elder scrolls series, and the rough sci-fi environment of a post apocalyptic world.I have yet to finish this game (Slack I know) but I have immensely enjoyed my time playing it, particularly the karma system, where every action has later consequences.
If you have not yet played this game, put it high up on your list of games to get.
#12 Battlefield 2
What can I say, nothing is more satisfying than jumping into a helicopter armed to the teeth and raining down hell upon a war-torn landscape.The Battlefield franchise took massively multi-player combat to a whole new level, with huge fields of battle and many useful vehicles to cut through the opposition.
This game brought tactics to a whole new level, you were having to constantly think on the fly, do I attack head-on with a tank, do I find a good position to pick out targets with my sniper rifle.
And with the inclusion of commander mode in battlefield 2, artillery and supply drops were added to the mix.
This game is destined to be one of those timeless games that you pull out in 20 years time and have a deathmatch with some friends for nostalgias sake.
#6 Warcraft III
Blizzard Entertainment has become the behemoth of game development during this decade. A shining example of that is their RTS game Warcraft 3 released in 2002.This game provided thrilling gameplay mixed in with an interesting and very involved story.
This game also took multi-player to new level, while standard deathmatch were fun, Blizzard smartest move was to allow the community to make custom maps, this lead to the development of many different maps that fostered different gameplay styles. The biggest of these was Defense of the Ancients (DOTA), this game took a more RPG approach to gameplay where each person would control one Hero and work on getting him improved via leveling up and acquiring items. This map developed an almost cult-like following and is still played widely today.
#5 Diablo II
Diablo 2 revolutionised the RPG genre, no longer did you have to spend hours meticulously selecting stat after stat. In this game you could jump right into the action. Combined with fast paced action and great multi-payer capability Diablo 2 is one of Blizzard's best creations.I am eagerly awaiting the release of the upcoming Diablo 3.
#1 World of Warcraft
11 Million people can't be wrong. World of Warcraft is the largest MMO of all time, Blizzard re-invented the MMO industry by making their game more casual friendly and not involving long grinds.The rich lore in the game also pulls in a lot of people, built up from the Warcraft storyline shown via their earlier RTS games. This game allows people to face down the great villains of Warcraft past, with the Lich King, comprised of Arthas and Ner'zhul, being the up and coming victim of our heroic wrath.
I have been playing this game since 2005 and I have seen the leaps and bounds that Blizzard have made as far as development goes. I can honestly say that I will be one of the first to play Blizzard's mysterious "Next-gen" MMO, whatever that may be.
And there you have it, World of Warcraft takes out the Number 1 spot of the decade, if not all time.
The next decade is almost upon us, and I'm sure gaming with be even better than the last.
It is now time to look forward, to the new decade I say "Let's do this thing."
"LEEEEEEEEEEEEERRROOOOOOOOYY JENKINS."
