Top 25 Games of the Decade
(2000-2009) – #18
GameZone celebrates the end of a
glorious decade of gaming
The end of
the decade is upon us and it’s time to revisit the landscape of gaming that
began in 2000 with the launching of the PlayStation 2 and is now ending in 2009
with three viable console platforms in the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.
Over the
next 25 days, GameZone will be bringing our readers the “Top 25 Games of the
Decade.” Considering how many games released in the past ten years, it was an
exhausting process to narrow down our initial list of more than 200 games to the
top 25.
Factors that
played a large part for titles that made the cut included: initial impact,
lasting impact, longevity, “standing the test of time”, popularity, advancements
in the genre, and much more. It wasn’t easy picking and choosing between our
favorite children, but we feel the games that made our list are representative
of the decade that was.
#18
Ico (2001)
Publisher: Sony Computer
Entertainment
Developer: Team Ico
Platforms: PlayStation 2
GameZone Review: 8.5
If there’s ever one game that
ultimately defines the word “cult hit,” Ico would be it. It was an absolutely
breathtaking title that did everything to earn the right to be called a
masterpiece.
It broke away from the conventional
way that video games were made and took a step away from the medium to transcend
into the stratosphere as a piece of art. Pay no mind to other entertainment
industries stating that video games are not art; if they were to take one look
at the beautiful scenery and art style of Ico, they would undoubtedly change
their mind in a flash.
For gamers who absolutely adore
challenges and complicated puzzles, Ico went above and beyond what was expected
for the time and gift-wrapped a powerful entry into the genre that makes
everyone put on their thinking cap.
Even though it was a short escapade
that didn’t require countless hours to fully complete the story, Ico is an
ever-inviting video game that welcomes back gamers with warm arms as it’s a
title that stands the test of time. Ico plainly is one of the most stunning
games to have ever been released.
“ICO dared to break out of the
mold of a typical console title, and in doing so has really raised the bar in
the artistic aspects of game development,” The Badger,
GameZone.
Previously announced …
#25 –
Shenmue II. Find
the story
here.
#24 –
Counter-Strike. Find the story
here.
#23 – Gears of
War. Find the story
here.
#22 – Guitar
Hero. Find the story
here.
#21 – The Elder
Scrolls III: Morrowind. Find the story
here.
#20 – Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec. Find the story
here.
#19 – Final Fantasy X. See the story
here.
* * *
Tomorrow we bring to you a game from
2007 that came out of nowhere and stole a lot of thunder from already
established franchises.
