2002 meant severe wallet pain for any serious gamer. GameCube - which was the sequel to the Nintendo-golden-era Nintendo 64 - finally arrived, along with newcomer Microsoft's laughable breeze block that we eventually grew to adore, Xbox. That was 430 quid BEFORE you even spoke of games.
How would you afford it all? How would Nintendo and MS do against the already dominant PS2? Were these consoles 128-bit or what? And how the bloody hell would anyone other than Frank Bruno wrap their hands around that Xbox controller?
The Runners-Up We could get into fights in the street over this. 2002 was clearly a blinding year for all three of the console platforms when it comes to AAA titles - and we're sad we had to leave out games like Advance Wars, Pikmin and Splinter Cell.
Final Fantasy X was - and still is - one of the best-looking games on PS2, with some of the most incredible video sequences that still stand up today. Vice City has, to this day, got itself a cult following that stand by it being the best game in the GTA series. Metal Gear Solid 2 was possibly the most hyped game in history and delivered one of the most next-gen experiences we can remember from the sixth console generation. And even though some dispute Super Mario Sunshine's hovering mechanic and blobby people, is was trying to live up to being the sequel to the Best Game Ever, and did pretty well.
But there's one game in that list that's practically redefined a genre...
The Winner: Halo
Of our five contenders, four were sequels. Each one delivered updates of their tried and tested formulas to a supreme level. All of them were must-buys.
But Halo was the start of something new and beautiful. The arrival of Microsoft's flagship shooting series brought with it some of the most intelligent and absorbing FPS action we'd ever seen. It was the game that would go on to spawn epic sequels that dominated online gaming servers with no trace of competition.
Microsoft aimed to make the Xbox noticeably more advanced that its rivals. Halo truly showcased this power. Ironically, it starts off all a little grey as Master Chief is awoken from cryosleep and battles to escape the dull-looking Pillar of Autumn ship, under siege from the Covenant.
But from the moment you start the second level - crash-landing on the Halo - you know you're playing something truly special. You wander out into a gorgeously detailed, wide open environment, infested with an alien enemy that behaves with an intelligence and charisma that seems almost real.
It was the first time we witnessed the beauty of true 5.1 surround sound as we hear the escape pods of fellow marines swoosh past overhead, and we're able to spot them because of the directional sound. Stepping out into an open field to see the covenant battling the Flood was one of the first times we felt like we were in a real-time battlefield.
If you were lucky enough (i.e. rich enough) to hook up multiple Xbox consoles you were given an early glimpse of what would become one of the most significant online multiplayer games of all time.
We adore the Halo series and this is where it all started.
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 much as i hate halo 2 onwards. i have to agree that the first is one of the best made games i have ever had the pleasure to play. Co-op is brilliant and the design is near flawless. Its such a shame that the following games in my opinion were such a let down. I'm not the biggest fan of FPSs, but Halo is in my top 5 games of all time. I played it so many times, i completed legendary with just a pistol and grenades..
I strongly disagree, yes Halo may have been on of the first of its kind but not worth for you to say it was game of 2002, that wuld have to go to Vice City or MGS2, they were much better games in quality, story telling and groundbraking, I think you should reconsider to MGS2 or VC becuase 100% winners either of them. Halo - overated in my opinion
I strongly disagree, yes Halo may have been on of the first of its kind but not worth for you to say it was game of 2002, that wuld have to go to Vice City or MGS2, they were much better games in quality, story telling and groundbraking, I think you should reconsider to MGS2 or VC becuase 100% winners either of them. Halo - overated in my opinion
ironic that someone with tomb raider in his/her name is calling another game overrated.
MGS2 is the least liked of the series, and vice city wasnt really all that much different from GTA3. if any game on this list should even be able to touch Halo, its FFX. but Halo was the right choice here, imo. but MGS2 and Vice City doesnt even come close...
I played "Halo" on the PC when that version was released later on. Though memories often end up being viewwed through rose tinted glasses, I will nonetheless state that to this day I recall that game as being one of the smoothest gaming experiences I've ever had. It is not my favourite game of all time - it may not even make my personal Top Ten - yet this does not detract from the fantastic gaming craftmanship that went in to "Halo".
I remember getting it for the PC, to see what all the fuss was about.
And upon loading, I was confronted with a dayglo fisher price kiddie FPS, with giggling hooting aliens that wouldn't look out of place in the night garden.
I strongly disagree, yes Halo may have been on of the first of its kind but not worth for you to say it was game of 2002, that wuld have to go to Vice City or MGS2, they were much better games in quality, story telling and groundbraking, I think you should reconsider to MGS2 or VC becuase 100% winners either of them. Halo - overated in my opinion
As much as I hate to admit it, Halo probably has to be the winner.
I only played Halo a couple years later on PC and thought it was nothing special but I understand how you could be awed by it if played when it was first released and on your TV screen for the first time.
MGS2 is good but is my least favourite of the series. MGS3 is far superior on PS2.
FFX I loved but again not one of the better games in the series.
all three of the console platforms Oh, so we've just had two years that have had an almost entirely PC-exclusive set of games so you can now forget about the format altogether?
What about Medal of Honor: Allied Assault? The game that basically started the Call of Duty series? Or Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, the best game Bethesda's ever made?
I wish that I'd never bought one of those Xbox breeze blocks really. Microsoft, with their weedy little image, had to pretend to be all hardcore and pumped up on steroids to get noticed. Big guns! Big console! It was adolescent in the extreme, far more than the Gamecube ever was which was lining up some great Capcom games. I could have played the original (and superior) Jet Set Radio on the Dreamcast. Grabbed by the ghoulies was OK but I had Luigi's Mansion on the Gamecube. Outrun 2 was about the only really great reason to buy an Xbox for my tastes. Halo is over-rated - Metroid Prime is far more sophisticated. They made a great Max Payne 2 port but I could have still played that on the PC. There are more reasons to buy an Xbox360 though at the price it is now.
Regarding Super Mario Sunshine - again, an over-rated game. Luigi's Mansion actually seems to have had more love and care devoted to it. If your idea of fun is jumping around a construction site or telephone wires armed with a huge water pistol then fair play to you but parts of this game - some of the graphics for instance- seem a bit unfinished and the holiday theme is too samey. It seems far more user friendly than Mario 64 but Rare's platformers on the N64 e.g. Banjo Kazooie are superior. Super Mario Sunshine is a GREAT tech demo- bouncing around Isle Delfino trying out the nozzle attachments but, as a game, it's just not fun or fantastical enough and Yoshi is badly tacked on to placate gamers who missed him from Mario 64. Noki Bay is a very lovely level though.
So how come Metroid Prime or the Resident Evil remake aren't on this list then? These lists are a joke.
halo, for real? I played the 1st one and barely went on to finish it. I still mention it when referring to dreadful level design and p**s poor story. 2 was better but more of the same (I can swear that the level creators literally copy/paste most of the stuff) and 3 was the 1st halo game that I would say is just average (never played ODST yet).
For me it should have been MGS2 or vice city but tingler has a point, morrowind should probably have won or AT LEAST get a goddamn mention!
Woo- good to see a truly great game on the top spot for once.
Why is MGS 2 even on the list? THAT was beyond awful. I thought I was missing something after I played through it- with all the magazines raving about the game- 2 years later I decided to give it a second chance.
I strongly disagree, yes Halo may have been on of the first of its kind but not worth for you to say it was game of 2002, that wuld have to go to Vice City or MGS2, they were much better games in quality, story telling and groundbraking, I think you should reconsider to MGS2 or VC becuase 100% winners either of them. Halo - overated in my opinion
Super Mario Sunshine? Is that a joke? It is one of the worst games that I have ever played, and I don't recall it being received particularly well at the time?!
Anyway I really enjoyed both MGS2 and FFX and would struggle to pick between them.
Super Mario Sunshine was very well received actually- some reviews were only a percentage point or two less than Metroid Prime or The Wind Waker. But I think that they didn't give enough criticism of the game (RE4 didn't get any criticism by most magazines either) and although there are many Mario fans who still love Super Mario Sunshine for me it's like a holiday that was OK at the time but I don't really need to return there.
Halo probably does deserve the top spot in 2002, it was a great game which offered a top SP and MP experience. I also liked MGS2 so I am glad it made the list.
However judging by the over the top scores CVG handed out for them, Halo 2 & 3 will probably top the list in their respective years as well, which will be unjustified because they were both disappointing games IMO.
Metal Gear Solid 2 made me want to travel to Japan and kidnap Kojima's family until he gave me back the hours I spent on that game.
It is single handedly the most pretentious bunch of baloney I have ever had the misfortune of sort of playing. It was only morbid curiousity in the end that kept me at it until it was finished. I felt like a rubber necker at a particularly nasty road accident.
Metal Gear Solid 2 is the greatest game in the series, the story does make sense if you pay attention, and playing as Raiden with Snake as a mentor actually better.
But this is all IN MY OPINION, something that you people need to state more.
has to be gta vice city I mean come on compared to gta 3 it had tons more.Better music voice actors motor bikes helecopters and a kicking 80's music list have any of the other contenders given u this much? i dont think so
Just out of curiosity does anyone else think tombraiderwiz and Sleepaphobic are the same person?
Halo is the winner bar none, anyone that doesn't think so either has no brains or doesn't really know vidiogames, or both. Halo reinvented the way FPS' were made and was unlike anything that has gone before. Every decent and half decent FPS released since Halo owes its gameplay model to Bungies masterpiece, it raised the bar and that is a fact not an opinion.
ironic that someone with tomb raider in his/her name is calling another game overrated.
MGS2 is the least liked of the series, and vice city wasnt really all that much different from GTA3. if any game on this list should even be able to touch Halo, its FFX. but Halo was the right choice here, imo. but MGS2 and Vice City doesnt even come close...
If you had looked it said 'in my opinion' but youre making it sound like fact, we all have opinions, and tombraiderwiz is just my username, I am a fan of tomb raider and I agree with anyone who says tomb raider isn;t that good anymore, just hoping the new developers bring out a geat one lol. But I still disagree, I loved MGS2 and Vice City, II thought VC was tones better than III and MGS2 was the game that got me into the franchise and now I love MGS, if it was game of the decade for me it would have to be MGS4.
Just out of curiosity does anyone else think tombraiderwiz and Sleepaphobic are the same person?
Halo is the winner bar none, anyone that doesn't think so either has no brains or doesn't really know vidiogames, or both. Halo reinvented the way FPS' were made and was unlike anything that has gone before. Every decent and half decent FPS released since Halo owes its gameplay model to Bungies masterpiece, it raised the bar and that is a fact not an opinion.
nope diff guy man, I only even like the 1st tomb raider anyways. I don't know abt trwiz but I grew up on the PC and there were better games than halo for ages, some of the best in history. When halo came along it probably did reinvent console fps's by bringing dodgy vehicle sections, hollow characters and story, abysmal level design, stupid sound score and character models (this may be different for a few people) to all new lows. But hey, how would many of these users know any better when they probably haven't played anything else? Plz can you tell me what is so amazing about halo? if you enjoy it then by all means I'm happy for you since gaming is all about enjoyment but coming up and saying it's the pinnacle of fps gaming is just ignorant.
When halo came along it probably did reinvent console fps's by bringing dodgy vehicle sections, hollow characters and story, abysmal level design, stupid sound score and character models (this may be different for a few people) to all new lows. But hey, how would many of these users know any better when they probably haven't played anything else? Plz can you tell me what is so amazing about halo? if you enjoy it then by all means I'm happy for you since gaming is all about enjoyment but coming up and saying it's the pinnacle of fps gaming is just ignorant.
when Halo came along it brought a broad storyline by releasing a month after the first book, it brought vivid colours, vast levels and interesting enemies to a genre occupied by a dreary pallete of brown. it brought AI that was above any other game at the time. it was the first game to truly perfect FPS for consoles.
saying Halo was anything but great, is just ignorant.
When halo came along it probably did reinvent console fps's by bringing dodgy vehicle sections, hollow characters and story, abysmal level design, stupid sound score and character models (this may be different for a few people) to all new lows. But hey, how would many of these users know any better when they probably haven't played anything else? Plz can you tell me what is so amazing about halo? if you enjoy it then by all means I'm happy for you since gaming is all about enjoyment but coming up and saying it's the pinnacle of fps gaming is just ignorant.
when Halo came along it brought a broad storyline by releasing a month after the first book, it brought vivid colours, vast levels and interesting enemies to a genre occupied by a dreary pallete of brown. it brought AI that was above any other game at the time. it was the first game to truly perfect FPS for consoles.
saying Halo was anything but great, is just ignorant.
ya because we all love and need purple and blue monsters/vehicles/buildings, it really immerses you into the game much more
Yup the enemies were interesting with them running around like stupid chipmunks making retard noises while others just grunted but of course you had the english speakers. It's funny as they are all the same fu(king species! (maybe they were all diff and just good at inter species alliances though ).
Only a few areas were "vast" but then you had nothing to do in it but drive those wonky vehicles around while other areas consisted of 100 rooms that were identical (you know it's s**t lvl design when you're constantly thinkin; "am I going the right way"?)
HL was also ported to ps2 in 01 I think, and that was better in every area.
@Sleepaphobic: they are not all the same species, and the grunts only really run around like "stupid chipmunks making retard noises" after youve killed their commanders.
vehicles werent actually a big part of the game, you always had the choice to opt for walking.
and though there were parts were you would get lost in the levels' samey-ness, that was only for the minority of them.
your blatant ignorance of the game itself puts your opinions of it in hollow light.
I think that the idea of games of the decade is the games that had great influence over its genre . And by logic I think Halo was the first true fps experience for console gamers - except for Goldeneye of course - but halo took it to a whole new level for it's multiplayer alone. I mean it really introduced vehicle combat as a true part of multiplayer . Cmon it helped machinema create "Red vs. Blue" . I think it deserves an award for just that . Of course that just my opinion .
@Sleepaphobic: they are not all the same species, and the grunts only really run around like "stupid chipmunks making retard noises" after youve killed their commanders.
vehicles werent actually a big part of the game, you always had the choice to opt for walking.
and though there were parts were you would get lost in the levels' samey-ness, that was only for the minority of them.
your blatant ignorance of the game itself puts your opinions of it in hollow light.
man if I was going to walk then it could be uneventful for freakin ages + is this your solution to bad vehicle controls? dont use them and make the game 3 times longer?
If they werent all the same then why/how did they join? if they are this useless then why are they constantly being used as infantry? I'm sorry if I missed the in-game explanation which lasted 2sec or I didnt read a book before playing. If tht is the primary problem then that just shows very poor storytelling don't you agree?
Remember the indoor levels? My god the rooms were literally copy and pasted over and over, there's no two ways abt it.
688 is saying what I pretty much said in my 1st post but said it outright. I thought I'd get a rebuttal worth it but I guess not...
Don't know what game you played Sleepaphobic but it wasn't Halo. The vehicle controls are some of the best in any genre. Compared to the almighty HL2s vehicle controls Halo played like Gran Tourismo.
As for people moaning about the weapons and the story, sorry but get a life. The story in almost any game is crap. (some exceptions I know). And the weapons were/are still the most balanced.
And as for fisher price visuals who cares. I spend my time between WW2, the green zone and the inside of a milkmans mind, everything has a graphic context. Oh yea they are aliens, lets make them just like us...yea very original.
I've been a PC gamer for years, i remember actually waiting for doom 2 to release, and upgrading my ram to play Hexen. FPS was my genre of choice.
It is true that Halo did almost nothing that hadn't been done before, but it did it so well, the PC gamers here that trash it generally are just bitter because the FPS was theirs, and then microsoft aquired bungie and that changed forever.
Halo fully deserved to win this, although the strong arguments by the kids sony adopted at birth almost sway me..... MGS2 and Vice City? Really?
best vehicles? Really? It always felt like you were playing online and had a terrible ping as everything took that extra second to work with HL at least everything felt snappy.
You are right that most games have crap stories but then there's just downright retarded stories (MW2 being the latest example) and no story at all which is the case with halo. That it always smthg to bitch abt.
Now, about you liking all that purple, There can only be 1 reason for tht dont wrry I'm just joking.
I've been reading a few posts here and there and it seems to be widely accepted that halo 2 was a disappointment. Now I cant see how that's the case as it was way better than the 1st in my opinion (still abysmal overall though) in every area, they even tried to make smthg of the non-existent story. Dont know what every1 thinks abt 3 but I can say it was the 1st one tht was worth my time but still average at best. Prob all you guys think it was terrible or smthg which makes me think halo fans just see everything backwards. Most are americans so that wouldnt be too hard to imagine.
@other guy; I'm pretty sure vice city was on xbox too so how is this in any way sony loyalty here? That game had a story, 1 of the best soundtracks ever, lively graphics for all you pink loving pikeys and great mission structure.
Thank god you cleared up my points, for a second I thought I was talking to an ignorant xenophobe...oh.
See if you understand if I meet you on your level.
The vehicle controls have weight and presence, something that a 5 thumbed fool like you would find hard to get to grips with.
The story is just a story which holds the missions together. Its not bad but its not great but to say it's a reason that the game is poor is like saying you didn't like Sonic because the the story didn't hook you in...you, er, baffoon..
And finally the graphics, whats wrong with purple? Do you play all of your games in black and white? A design choice is simply that. With the context of an alien races it seems quite reasonable. Personally I think a game which choses to go against the tried and tested dystopian future I see in every other game should be applauded you sad, emo (emu?) 'everything in my life is dark because I can't get out of bed to open the curtains' fool. (sorry I got lost there, thought we were playing the 'throw random insults at people without knowing anything about them' game)
I guess when something reaches a critical mass its easy to hate. Just makes you come across like the self serving, game hating politicans we all get so worked up about because of there failure to see the bigger picture.
My point is that if something isn't to your liking it doesn't make it bad.
Thank god you cleared up my points, for a second I thought I was talking to an ignorant xenophobe...oh.
See if you understand if I meet you on your level.
The vehicle controls have weight and presence, something that a 5 thumbed fool like you would find hard to get to grips with.
The story is just a story which holds the missions together. Its not bad but its not great but to say it's a reason that the game is poor is like saying you didn't like Sonic because the the story didn't hook you in...you, er, baffoon..
And finally the graphics, whats wrong with purple? Do you play all of your games in black and white? A design choice is simply that. With the context of an alien races it seems quite reasonable. Personally I think a game which choses to go against the tried and tested dystopian future I see in every other game should be applauded you sad, emo (emu?) 'everything in my life is dark because I can't get out of bed to open the curtains' fool. (sorry I got lost there, thought we were playing the 'throw random insults at people without knowing anything about them' game)
I guess when something reaches a critical mass its easy to hate. Just makes you come across like the self serving, game hating politicans we all get so worked up about because of there failure to see the bigger picture.
My point is that if something isn't to your liking it doesn't make it bad.
ok where to start? while a cumbersome tank makes sense I dont think it does make sense for the warthog or banshee (hope I got the names right) when these are fast moving vehicles. How many jeeps out there nowadays require the wheel to be turned for a sec b4 it starts moving?
The story is not bad, it's non-existent. As I said b4 the story is crap in almost every game but at least it's there. Tbh Sonic has a more cohesive story than the 1st halo. Seriously if they just wanted to make a story to move things along it could just have been tht aliens attacked and they r kicking each others asses but no, bungie tried to do more than that and that comes off as a failed attempt. You either try to do a stupid story like painkiller where there's no point but to shoot stuff or you try to make a half decent story, anything in between cant really be taken seriously can it? Anyways you do admit the story isnt great but I have seen many, many people say that it's an epic story and is amazing (another halo delusion?)
Now I'm guessing the reason military equipment isn't faggishly coloured is because it has a purpose. These aliens are so damn smart tht they put everything into believing imaginary beings and think that brightly coloured guns and vehicles dont attract attention. That makes sense but come on its halo right? Now this is the least important topic and clearly stated this was a subjective matter but it seems you tried to explain the least important issue (issue for me at least) the most. Plz can you explain why the level design is actually the greatest ever?
Finally, I don't think its because it's popular that I hate it. I like MW and tht was bigger than halo was it not? While the story was suspect it made sense and most importantly the level design didnt make me want to cry.
That's a nice bunch of opinions from you there Sleepaphobic. Don't really agree with any of them, but that's my opinion.
How about you just stick to games you like instead of bitching about ones you don't? I found Modern Warfare 'alright'. But when I finished it I never bothered with it again- each to their own.
You're totally wrong about the vehicle controls though. The Warthog is the most fun vehicle to drive in any FPS I've played... and I've played most of 'em- I certainly have no problem with the controls. I recall the vehicles in Half Life 2 were a bit rubbish...
...and why couldn't you see Gordon's hands when he was driving? (Still a great game, mind)
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