Welcome to CVG's Games of the Decade day 2: The year is 2001 and rather than enjoying a Space Odyssey or confronting a big black obelisk, gamers instead faced tough but agreeable choices on where to splash their gaming dollar. Culling the numbers down to a shortlist of just five, was, like clubbing baby seals, harsh but necessary and many fine games had to be left by the wayside before we could proceed.
The Runners-Up A strong line-up of hardcore gaming at its very finest made for plenty of tough choices for the panel of judges (who were basically me and the assembled voices in my head), but after much argument, debate and not a little friction, the dust settled and here's how the cards fell.
Bohemia Interactive's Operation Flashpoint was a worthy free-ranging military FPS and it's a testament to the strength of the field, that it's sadly eliminated at the first fence. Likewise Return to Castle Wolfenstein introduced superb class-based multiplayer, but didn't quite raise its game enough to challenge the other contenders. In a year awash with innovation, Max Payne debuted with the new concept of 'bullet time' in a dark, complex, noirish tale of revenge and redemption which captivated all right-thinking action fans, but didn't quite do enough to trouble our final two behemoths.
So we came down to a really tough choice in the final eliminator and even though it was a flawed gem, for its grand theme, AI innovation and the delightful Creature, Black and White would surely have won in any other year.
The Winner: Grand Theft Auto III
Pure automotive carnage from GTA III
But once again there can be only one winner and the unanimous decision of the judges is Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto III. The first
As the best-selling series moved from 2D to full 3D it set a new benchmark for all other games to follow. Violent, immoral and controversial (people say that as if that was a bad thing) but a whole heap of tremendous fun. GTA III gave you the role of a criminal and license to do pretty much whatever you want. Mug innocent bystanders, start a multi-vehicle pile up, indulge in running gun battles through the streets with the police or indeed enjoy the ahem favours of ladies of the night (you mean 'shag' them - Ed), GTA III allowed you for the first time to do them all, as well as enjoy mission-based story-led mayhem of the highest class.
Not just one of the best games of 2001, but the template for every 3D roaming sandbox city game ever since, Grand Theft Auto III can rightly claim to be one of the most influential games of all time. GTA III we hail you and celebrate by putting a righteous cap in every innocent bystanders ass.
Your Shout Okay we've told your ours, now you tell us yours! Your top five, overall winner and most importantly, why, in the comments field below please.
As fantastically hilarious as that quote is, it's not quite as mind-bogglingly ridiculous as the fact Return to Castle Wolfenstein is on the shortlist for best game of 2001. What about Civilization 3?
fully justified. gta3 is my favroite game of all time, and hopefully will take the gotd aswell!! awesome soundtrack awesome city brilliant charachters, not so awesome controlls but considering all it brought to the table we can forgive that!!
I think that's about right. I loved flashpoint to death and max payne got a lot of praise when it came out but neither hold up as well as gta. I played payne just a few months ago and tht game made me feel sick and wondered how the F every1 loved it.
Not so sure if RE4 and shadow of the colossus were released in the same year but if they were then I can't wait to see what CVG do after saying CS was better than deus ex. They will prob choose smthg else knowing them.
The year 2000 was the end of the last decade, not this one...
Quite right. Sorry, but technically there is another year to go. its 1-10 not 0-9. Common practice however use x0-x9 to refer to the decade which is technically wrong but the way its done. So both are right in a sense.
The year 2000 was the end of the last decade, not this one...
Quite right. Sorry, but technically there is another year to go. its 1-10 not 0-9. Common practice however use x0-x9 to refer to the decade which is technically wrong but the way its done. So both are right in a sense.
Playing GTA III for the first time was unlike anything I'd ever played before. I was amazed by the free-roaming 3D world before me.
EDIT: Hold on...
Where in hell is Silent Hill 2. That was one of the most iconic games of 2001 and is still considered the best Survival Horror of all time.
If Silent Hill 2 was indeed released in 2001, and it is not in the Top 5, it is absolutely criminal.
The greatest survival horror tale ever told. Probably the most adult game I have ever played.
CVG you have messed up.
I dont know if you have played it recently but I played it for the first time abt 6 months ago. I remember that game having so many plot holes + the puzzles were so obscure and illogical. I thought 3 was scarier and put together better but it suffered the same flaws as the previous games in my opinion and tht combat, dont get me started on tht...
Its difficult, games have moved on so much since then. At the time Silent Hill 2 was the greatest game released that year, and still is in my top 5 games i have ever played, but i doubt it would have aged as well as say, Halo which continues to be ripped off to this day. However if it did come out in 2001, then I'm sorry but it should have won over GTA3, which, though revolutionary, really wasn't that great in my opinion. If not Silent Hill, then Max Payne.
2000 was the start of this century not the end of last. You wouldn't age a baby as 1 until it's lived a year, same applies here. There is a year 0, the 1 in question is a measurement of what has gone before not what is to come.
On topic, it's about right. GTA 3 was a pretty big deal for the industry.
Playing GTA III for the first time was unlike anything I'd ever played before. I was amazed by the free-roaming 3D world before me.
EDIT: Hold on...
Where in hell is Silent Hill 2. That was one of the most iconic games of 2001 and is still considered the best Survival Horror of all time.
If Silent Hill 2 was indeed released in 2001, and it is not in the Top 5, it is absolutely criminal.
The greatest survival horror tale ever told. Probably the most adult game I have ever played.
CVG you have messed up.
I dont know if you have played it recently but I played it for the first time abt 6 months ago. I remember that game having so many plot holes + the puzzles were so obscure and illogical. I thought 3 was scarier and put together better but it suffered the same flaws as the previous games in my opinion and tht combat, dont get me started on tht...
Gotta disagree. SH3 was good as well but nothing has ever got close to playing SH2 that winter with the lights off in my cold bedroom.
For God sake SH2 had Pyramid Head! One of the greatest bosses of all time (where else have you seen monster rape?!?)
And is there any character as unsettling as Maria, your haunted love interest in the game? That final scene reminds me of the film Don't Look Now. Amazing story I thought.
2000 was the start of this century not the end of last. You wouldn't age a baby as 1 until it's lived a year, same applies here. There is a year 0, the 1 in question is a measurement of what has gone before not what is to come.
Oh, so i assume you have 9 fingers then? Those are two different measurements. There was no year zero, there was a year one. The first year of the calendar that we currently use. Age is carried forward, from zero-one etc Dates start at one-two, you don't have the zero of january do you?
Think about it for a minute and it will make sense.
Jesus, I can't believe the pedantry over when the decade starts/finishes. Basically, whether accurate or not, the 90s finished at 31st Dec 1999, the 'noughties' started at 1st Jan 2000. And in that case, the 'noughties' finish at 31st December 2009 - or a couple of days.
The pedantry comes from everyone calling someone who is right an idiot. It also comes from the fact that it is technically incorrect. Its up to you whether you decide that is relevant or important. Just consider it one of the many things you have learnt today.
The idiotic quotes from this article and the 2000 one are legendary. Haven't even looked at the other 2 yet. The prize has to go to Sputnik - 'erm, the decade isn't finished yet'. 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09 = 10 years, you fool as has already been mentioned.
Anybody could check dictionary.com and confirm what the correct practice for a decade is. But who really cares? Who cares if the article is correct, this Spudnick fella or anybody else. Forums are funny. Anonymous people are empowered with odd levels of confidence.
Besides, a reckon a decade is "the last 10 years" and can be applied whenever you like
Cmon guys , Silent Hill??! I mean I've never played a game that came even close to it's atmosphere. And for the combat I think it made it's point coz you were not supposed to fell powerful you felt humanly vulnerable ... And that what kept us up all night after playing this game ... It was a brilliant experience . GTA rightfully won but I think Silent hill 2 deserves at least a spot in the top 5 don't you all think ??
So by Sputnik and Jazzy's logic 1990 was in the 80's, 1980 in the 70's and so on. You really are complete morons and should be embarrassed with yourselves.
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