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A millennial's trip down video game memory lane, part 4
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items This list is all about sneaking, brawling, and surviving. Late 90s and the 2000s. That was the golden age of gaming for me. Whether you want to revisit some of the greats or explore some you’ve never heard of, I encourage you to dive in. Video games ...
Sections
5
Stealth
Hero Brawlers
Cinematic Stories
Survival
Bonus
Stealth
Getting the job done slowly and quietly.
A bit rough by today's standards, but Thief is worth checking out if you're at all into stealth games. It's an origin story in that way.
Thief: The Dark Project (1998)
Experiencing Sly Cooper 20+ years ago is a joy hard to describe, but it's never too late to see why this game was all the rage.
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (2002)
Not ashamed to say I would pretend to be Sam Fisher, sneaking around and climbing trees. This game lives large in my memory. Rewarding patience and precision in a kid was worth its weight in gold.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2002)
Peak stealth gaming from the mid-2000s. Incredible game mechanics with solid replay value.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory (2005)
Not only did I adore this game for its almost weird fiction artistry, but I also continued listening to the score for years later. Incredible music and drama.
Dishonored (2012)
Hero Brawlers
An elegant form of button-mashing.
This was the Batman game I had always wanted. For years, the Batman games only scratched half the itch, but Asylum provided full relief. 10/10.
Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)
A lovely anti-hero, hero brawler. Classic PS3 title. Huge fun then and now. Play with lightning.
inFAMOUS (2009)
And then came along Arkham City (or “Bat City”), which up-leveled my love of what was possible with my favorite comic book hero. Such detail and depth. Amazing ride.
Batman: Arkham City (2011)
Cinematic Stories
When a game feels like more than a game.
Every Uncharted installment was something to behold, but we must pay tribute to where it started. This reshaped our idea of what it meant to “play” a game. The action became blended with “experience” a game with Uncharted.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007)
You must try this one. It's a crime thriller that you play. I promise it's worth your time.
Heavy Rain (2010)
Talk about getting chills thinking about it. This game is downright terrifying at times, both in what you see and in what you hear.
Alan Wake (2010)
Like many, I was a huge fan of the Walking Dead show when it came out, so of course I played the game. Much truer to the comics (which I didn't read), I have much appreciation for this game.
The Walking Dead (Telltale) (2012)
They don't remaster a game for no reason. This game singlehandedly captivated my cohort at the time. It built upon the Uncharted feel while nailing the zombie spin that we all loved back then.
The Last of Us (2013)
Survival
For those with an inclination for the gore.
I still remember when I played the demo of Gears in a Gamestop. I can only describe it as when I understood that a gory shooter could be, almost, fluid and artistic. Unique game.
Gears of War (2006)
Classic zombie horror story of being trapped in a shopping mall. This one was a blast to play with friends.
Dead Rising (2006)
This is a puzzle-platformer, so quite different than the other recommendations in this list, but talk about a deeply disturbing, yet oddly engaging, survival game.
Limbo (2010)
Bonus
Because it doesn't fit anywhere else!
The POV parkour epic that stopped my heart when I first saw it. This was as close as it came to VR back then. Super niche, super fun.
Mirror's Edge (2008)