Choosing the game of the year from 1981 - 2023 and beyond...

Driver 2: The Wheelman is Back (Reflections Interactive - Sony PlayStation) / 2000​

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2000 was another hot year for games. One of my favorite Final Fantasy games came out, the first game I played online competitively for many long hours, the last outing for EA's exclusive licensing of Porsche vehicles made one of the best games in the NFS series on PC (the console version made by Eden Games was garbage), more racing sims than you can turn a wheel in, and another Rare game that gave me many hours of joy with my family. But in this case, Driver 2 take the GOTY crown from me.

Driver 2 was an evolution of the first game that saw it get maps that exploded in size, better driving physics, and missions that were more open that didn't just include essentially a timed race from one point to the next. If you've played this game you can see how it possibly inspired Rockstar's breakout hit and claim-to-fame in Grand Theft Auto III released the following year. It is quite a long game for the time and type of game it is, coming on 2 discs. I think it took me just about 30 hours the first time, but the dynamic story, mission structure, changing environments, and multitude of vehicles you use never make it boring.

The community decompiled the game and released a port to PC called ReDriver 2, which is what the screenshot above was taken from. The original game is honestly quite ugly and suffers from some of the hallmark issues with the console, including warpy low resolution textures. Its ugliness allowed them to fill up the streets with a lot of traffic, though, which always made the missions more interesting to do. Not even GTA3 on the PlayStation 2 had the traffic density that Driver 2 had on the original PlayStation.

Runners Up​

  • Deus Ex (Ion Storm - Windows 95/98)
  • Diablo II (Blizzard North - Windows 95/98)
  • Final Fantasy IX (Square EA - Sony PlayStation)
  • Giants: Citizen Kabuto (Planet Moon Studios - Windows 95/98)
  • Grand Prix 3 (MicroProse Chipping Sodbury Studio - Windows 95/98)
  • Half-Life: Counter-Strike (Minh Le & Jess Cliffe - Windows 95/98)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Nintendo EAD - Nintendo 64)
  • NASCAR Heat (Monster Games - Windows 95/98)
  • Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (EA Canada - Windows 95/98)
  • Perfect Dark (Rare - Nintendo 64)
  • Pokémon Gold & Silver (Game Freak - Nintendo Game Boy Color)
  • Spyro: Year of the Dragon (Insomniac Games - Sony PlayStation)
  • TimeSplitters (Free Radical Design - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion (Acclaim Studios Austin - Nintendo 64)
 
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I never played driver 2 as I didn't have a psone. I saw it once running in a bootleg* videogame store. It looked like crap, and ran at like 10 fps on that old system. So I thought I wasn't missing out on much. Didn't know there was an unofficial PC port.


*oh yeah, in the early 2000s here in eastern europe stores were still openly selling pirated games and got away with it.
 

Final Fantasy X (Square Product Development Division 1 - Sony PlayStation 2) / 2001​

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2001 was a year of iconic releases and it was difficult to narrow it down, but I was able to narrow it down to 4 for GOTY: FFX, Onimusha, Silent Hill 2, and Soul Reaver 2. I had to get really nitpicky to eliminate the other titles. Silent Hill 2, for example, isn't really a pleasant game to play. Its strength lies in its presentation and storytelling. Soul Reaver 2 was the victim of time constraints like its predecessor and it shows, though it plays a lot better. Onimusha, while I played it a lot when it came out, really didn't leave a lasting impression on me.

Final Fantasy X is one of the earlier games on the PlayStation 2 and is still one of the best looking games on the console. The English voice actors all did a superb job, and it only gets cringey when it's supposed to. The story is one of the best in the series. The CTB battle system brought more strategy into the turn-based system, and the sphere grid introduced an interesting system in how your character levels that can be seen in some modern games like Path of Exile. Some people may criticize it for lacking an open world map and its more linear progression, but it works in this case. There is still plenty optional places and content to explore.

All in all, it's one of the best games of gen 6 and I still enjoy playing it. The International version that got a NA release on gen 7 in the HD Remaster adds some nice options to remix the gameplay and extend the endgame. The original Japanese release of the International version includes an option to play the game in English if you ever want to experience what that was like.

Runners Up​

  • 007: Agent Under Fire (EA Redwood Shores - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • The Bouncer (DreamFactory - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe - Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
  • Devil May Cry (Capcom Production Studio 4 - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Final Fantasy IV (Square & TOSE - Sony PlayStation)
  • Grand Theft Auto III (DMA Design - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Ico (Team Ico - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Onimusha: Warlords (Capcom - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Project Gotham Racing (Bizarre Creations - Microsoft Xbox)
  • Return to Castle Wolfenstein (Grey Matter Studios - Windows 2000/XP)
  • Silent Hill 2 (Team Silent - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Soul Reaver 2 (Crystal Dynamics - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (Factor 5 - Nintendo GameCube)
  • Twisted Metal: Black (Incog Inc. Entertainment - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Zone of the Enders (Konami Computer Entertainment Japan - Sony PlayStation 2)
 
I’m working up my list since 1984. Holy cow, the 2000s were exceptionally packed. No wonder I got nothing done.
 

Metroid Prime (Retro Studios - Nintendo GameCube) / 2002​

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What a year 2002 was. My favorite game in the Mortal Kombat series was released. The single player adventure mode was absolutely fantastic, and the 3D fighting mechanics finally came into their own to be a good fit with the MK series. There was also my favorite GTA game and the Resident Evil remake. If The Wind Waker came out in the US this year I think I would have needed to give it a tie with Metroid Prime (spoiler alert for 2003...).

Metroid Prime takes the crown for 2002. Leading up to the game's release gamers were rightfully skeptical about how the game would make the jump to 3D. And as a FPS, no less? All our worries were allayed the minute we booted up the game for the first time. The game somehow translated most of Samus' exploration tricks to first person and it all worked. The level design certainly matched well with the game mechanics and ensured the game never got boring. There is excellent environmental story telling, and it's expanded brilliantly by scanning everything and reading the codex. Unfortunately the game becomes kind of a slog toward the end, and the final boss is an absolute pain in the ass even after you learn how to exploit the game mechanics to your advantage. Still, the game offers a fun challenge and is a masterclass in game design. Another entry in my hall of the best video games of all time.

Runners Up​

  • Blood Omen 2 (Crystal Dynamics - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo - Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
  • The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Bethesda Game Studios - Windows 2000/XP)
  • Fatal Frame (Tecmo - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Grand Prix 4 (Simergy - Windows 2000/XP)
  • Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar North - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Live for Speed (Eric Bailey, Scawen Roberts, Victor van Vlaardingen - Windows 2000/XP)
  • Medal of Honor: Frontline (EA Los Angeles - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Metroid Fusion (Nintendo R&D1 - Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
  • Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (Midway Games - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • NASCAR Thunder 2003 (EA Tiburon - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny (Capcom Production Studio 2 - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Resident Evil (Capcom Production Studio 4 - Nintendo GameCube)
  • Resident Evil Zero (Capcom Production Studio 3 - Nintendo GameCube)
  • Super Mario Sunshine (Nintendo EAD - Nintendo GameCube)
  • TimeSplitters 2 (Free Radical Design - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (Ubisoft Montréal - Windows 2000/XP
 
Last edited:
Armenius said:

Metroid Prime (Retro Studios - Nintendo GameCube) / 2002​

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What a year 2002 was. My favorite game in the Mortal Kombat series was released. The single player adventure mode was absolutely fantastic, and the 3D fighting mechanics finally came into their own to be a good fit with the MK series. There was also my favorite GTA game and the Resident Evil remake. If The Wind Waker came out in the US this year I think I would have needed to give it a tie with Metroid Prime (spoiler alert for 2003...).

Metroid Prime takes the crown for 2002. Leading up to the game's release gamers were rightfully skeptical about how the game would make the jump to 3D. And as a FPS, no less? All our worries were allayed the minute we booted up the game for the first time. The game somehow translated most of Samus' exploration tricks to first person and it all worked. The level design certainly matched well with the game mechanics and ensured the game never got boring. There is excellent environmental story telling, and it's expanded brilliantly by scanning everything and reading the codex. Unfortunately the game becomes kind of a slog toward the end, and the final boss is an absolute pain in the ass even after you learn how to exploit the game mechanics to your advantage. Still, the game offers a fun challenge and is a masterclass in game design. Another entry in my hall of the best video games of all time.

Runners Up​

  • Blood Omen 2 (Crystal Dynamics - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo - Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
  • The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Bethesda Game Studios - Windows 2000/XP)
  • Fatal Frame (Tecmo - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Grand Prix 4 (Simergy - Windows 2000/XP)
  • Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar North - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Live for Speed (Eric Bailey, Scawen Roberts, Victor van Vlaardingen - Windows 2000/XP)
  • Medal of Honor: Frontline (EA Los Angeles - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Metroid Fusion (Nintendo R&D1 - Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
  • Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (Midway Games - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • NASCAR Thunder 2003 (EA Tiburon - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny (Capcom Production Studio 2 - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Resident Evil (Capcom Production Studio 4 - Nintendo GameCube)
  • Resident Evil Zero (Capcom Production Studio 3 - Nintendo GameCube)
  • Super Mario Sunshine (Nintendo EAD - Nintendo GameCube)
  • TimeSplitters 2 (Free Radical Design - Sony PlayStation 2)
  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (Ubisoft Montréal - Windows 2000/XP
Click to expand...
2002 and 2003 were both epic years.
 
1987 - Test Drive

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Before I've seen test drive I only ever played driving games that were top down or chase view. So this was really a life changing experience.
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I never knew such a game existed that simulated driving a car as if you're sitting in a car. This is probably where my later pet peeve comes from that a driving game must have a dash view otherwise it's not a real driving game.
The original Test Drive had such a profound influence on me that all the cars in this game are among my all time dream cars, I love all of them.

And of course there is the iconic intro music

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G3fq9Z-UFk

Trivia / Foreshadowing: DSI, the development company behind Test Drive went on to create more amazing games, that might pop up in later years too, even after they were acquired by EA to form EA Canada.
 
M76 said:
1987 - Test Drive

View attachment 662015
Before I've seen test drive I only ever played driving games that were top down or chase view. So this was really a life changing experience.
View attachment 662016View attachment 662017
I never knew such a game existed that simulated driving a car as if you're sitting in a car. This is probably where my later pet peeve comes from that a driving game must have a dash view otherwise it's not a real driving game.
The original Test Drive had such a profound influence on me that all the cars in this game are among my all time dream cars, I love all of them.

And of course there is the iconic intro music

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G3fq9Z-UFk

Trivia / Foreshadowing: DSI, the development company behind Test Drive went on to create more amazing games, that might pop up in later years too, even after they were acquired by EA to form EA Canada.
Click to expand...

Funny thing about the C64 version of Test Drive is that you aren't actually driving cars. You're piloting ethereal hovercrafts.


View: https://youtu.be/iicNCutata0
 
Scubagon said:
Funny thing about the C64 version of Test Drive is that you aren't actually driving cars. You're piloting ethereal hovercrafts.
Click to expand...
When you're still in single digits you not just don't care, but don't even notice.
 
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