Summary
- The early 2000s marked the golden age of PC gaming, with amazing titles that pushed the boundaries of the industry establishing themselves during the era.
- Games like Red Faction, Grand Theft Auto III, and Return to Castle Wolfenstein were revolutionary in terms of gameplay and design.
- These games have the pedigree and quality to captivate even the most discerning gamers, regardless of genre preferences.
The golden age of PC gaming is something that fans look back on fondly to this day, with the evolution of this gaming platform taking center stage as a host of amazing titles ended up gracing the PC in the early 2000s. From excellent first-person shooters — a staple of PC gaming at that point — to some truly imaginative titles that pushed the boundaries of gaming to new heights, PC games were on a meteoric rise at the start of this phenomenal decade.
Those who want to check out some of the greatest games launched on the PC in the early 2000s need only take a look at this list. Regardless of your preferences when it comes to certain genres in gaming, these games have the pedigree and quality required to woo even the most stubborn gamers around.
Updated on March 29, 2025, by Mohamed El Ouardighi: Gaming in the early 2000s was an unforgettable era, filled with groundbreaking titles that left a lasting impact. To celebrate that golden age, we’ve expanded our list of the best old PC games from 2000-2010, adding even more details to honor these legendary classics. Whether you grew up playing them or are discovering them for the first time, these games defined a generation and still hold up today.
Red Faction
- Released
-
May 22, 2001
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Violence
Before developing its hit open-world action-adventure series Saints Row, Volition started a dystopian sci-fi series set on Mars with Red Faction in 2001. The plot is pretty much your standard sci-fi, especially of films from that era. An exploitative mining corporation on Mars called Ultor mistreats its miners as they dig the red planet’s resources, and an uprising inevitably follows.
This gameplay, on the other hand, delivers some of the most fantastic FPS combat, sound, and level design of the 2000s. A large part of that was also the game’s Geo-Mod engine, which gives you the satisfying ability to destroy chunks of the environment. Although it may not compare to modern destruction mechanics today, it was a game-changing feature at the time.
Grand Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto 3
- Released
-
October 23, 2001
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence
Everyone is aware that getting betrayed is quite common in the criminal world, and that’s the premise of the third game in the Grand Theft Auto series. You play as Claude, who was betrayed by his girlfriend during an important robbery and barely escapes police custody. To exact revenge, you need to become the criminal overlord.
Grand Theft Auto III features all the general GTA mechanics including the UI where you can see your money, health points, armor, and the equipped weapon. While it might not be as famous as some other games in the franchise, it’ll still give you a great experience if you decide to play it.
Return To Castle Wolfenstein
- Released
-
November 20, 2001
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood, Language
An 80s game series that remains just as infamous to this day, thanks to the new vision from MachineGames, is Wolfenstein. Return to Castle Wolfenstein came out 20 years after the first-ever 1981 Castle Wolfenstein game. It’s also the successor to the classic 1992 Wolfenstein 3D game, which introduced the iconic Nazi-killing machine, B.J. Blazkowicz, as a Doomguy of sorts.
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If you enjoyed where MachineGames took the Wolfenstein series with titles that add more story and enemy variety, you’ll want to check out Return to Castle Wolfenstein. It revitalizes the graphics from the 1992 version while implementing more cut scenes and story beats, secret rooms, and much-improved enemy designs.
Age Of Empires 2
Age of Empires 2
- Released
-
November 14, 2019
- ESRB
-
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The Age of Empires series stands as a pinnacle of real-time strategy gaming, inspiring countless titles within the genre. This timeless classic from the early 2000s boasts an intricate resource management system, demanding you to masterfully balance gathering, economy, and military production to thrive and effectively confront adversaries.
With a multitude of civilizations to choose from and the game’s rich historical backdrop, you can immerse yourself in epic battles and monumental conquests. Whether engaging in thrilling solo campaigns or competing against friends, Age of Empires 2 offers endless opportunities to determine who will emerge victorious and claim the title of the last empire standing.
American McGee’s Alice
American McGee’s Alice
- Released
-
December 5, 2000
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Violence
If you’ve read the original Alice in Wonderland story and watched the animated Disney movie, chances are this game ruined your childhood memories of Alice and her time in Wonderland. Launched right at the beginning of the era in 2000, American McGee’s Alice puts a dark, ominous spin on the literary classic.
Alice’s journey into a reimagined Wonderland here is tied more to the trauma of her family’s death in a house fire and receiving psychiatric care in Rutledge Asylum rather than an innocent fall down a rabbit hole. You can also see the influence of third-person adventure game mechanics popularized by Tomb Raider, such as traversing ledges, swimming, climbing and swinging from ropes, and solving puzzles.
Risen
Risen
- Released
-
October 2, 2009
- ESRB
-
m
Published by THQ Nordic, Risen is one of the most underrated games released in the early 2000s. In this game, the main character’s ship crashes while in the sea, and you wash ashore on a random island. As you progress, you’ll learn that the island is in grave danger, and you have to pick a side moving forward.
The best part about this game is that the story completely changes based on the side you pick. You can either side with The Inquisition and learn magic or side with Bandits and hone your combat abilities. Apart from the main story, you also have many side quests that can unlock special items in this open-world game.
Mafia
Mafia
2002 marked the launch of the first entry in the Mafia series, which has since seen a complete remake with the Definitive Edition in 2020. Set in the fictional Illinois city of Lost Heaven, it tells a gripping crime tale of a cab driver who joins the mob in the 1930s. Although Vito Scaletta would later dazzle in the sequel, Tommy Angelo’s story is every bit worth playing.
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Alongside Grand Theft Auto 3 from the year prior, it marked the start of what would be a long line of games featuring gangs down the road. The original included the driving elements, but there wasn’t much open-world exploration like in the remake and future Mafia games, strictly narrative-based missions.
The Operative: No One Lives Forever
The Operative: No One Lives Forever
- Released
-
November 9, 2000
- ESRB
-
m
A first-person stealth-shooter hybrid that featured a quick-witted femme fatale protagonist, Cate Archer is remembered fondly by many fans of gaming to this day. The levels in this game were colorful and varied, and there were times when No One Lives Forever featured shades of the immersive sim genre.
The series may not be talked about nowadays, but the overall gameplay of the first two games is still solid and holds up to this day. If you want to enjoy this nostalgic romp in modern times, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how fun the game is. Fans can only hope that interest arises for a sequel that lets you peek into the next chapter of Cate Archer’s entertaining adventures.
Diablo 2
- Released
-
June 28, 2000
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence
Diablo is one of the most legendary hack-and-slash series of all time, and it’s easy to see that the second game had a huge role to play in that. It was a groundbreaking game full to the brim with engaging enemies and a great dungeon design. Fighting your way through the many baddies was a truly exciting experience that many fans still gush over.
The fact that many still play Diablo 2 to this day shows just how brilliant the game was for its time. This game, along with Warcraft, cemented Blizzard’s name as one of the greatest video game companies around at that time. While this reputation might’ve been severely damaged in recent times, Blizzard is aiming to win back the trust of its fans once again with another entry in the Diablo series.
Thief 2: The Metal Age
Action
Simulation
Stealth
- Released
-
March 21, 2000
- ESRB
-
t
The Thief series is beloved by many for its steampunk aesthetic, nail-biting gameplay, and an unflinching focus on stealth that makes every level tense and engaging. At the heart of the series is Garrett, everyone’s favorite thief whose illegal actions land him in a heap of trouble.
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Thief 2: The Metal Age took everything great about the first game and implemented it in a world where fantasy and technology were mixing together to make something wholly unique. The end result is that each level of Thief feels like a story in its own right as you look at the various ways new and old have combined in this universe.
Resident Evil 4
- Released
-
January 11, 2005
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
The Resident Evil series has always been famous for its survival horror style, and Resident Evil 4 took it to the next level. This game was way ahead of its time in terms of graphics and gameplay. Playing as Leon S. Kennedy, tasked with rescuing the president’s daughter from a Spanish cult, you experience a well-crafted story full of combat, jump scares, and tough enemies.
Additionally, there’s the Mercenaries mode, which is a blast. It involves killing enemies and earning points, providing a lot of enjoyment after you complete the main story. Even now, it’s still a fun and engaging aspect of the game.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Released
-
October 29, 2002
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Violence
The Grand Theft Auto series ruled over the open-world shooter genre for a long time, and Vice City was one of its greatest masterpieces. All the investment into this series came after playing the game, and the titles launched afterward already had you anxiously awaiting to try them out.
Launched on PC in 2003, this game had a detailed story that took you through different parts of the giant world. This world of crime is truly rewarding since you can also buy numerous cozy houses. And apart from the main story, you could also buy different companies and complete side missions.
BioShock
BioShock
- Released
-
August 21, 2007
- ESRB
-
m
BioShock is another game that was way ahead of its time and received positive reviews. Set in the 60s, you explore Rapture, a hidden city in the ocean, after Jack survives a plane crash. Drawing inspiration from System Shock 2, the game adds its own special touch to create a unique experience.
The gameplay, which focuses on both guns and superpowers called Plasmids, blends together seamlessly. On top of that, the story features one of the most memorable twists in video game history, which is something we won’t spoil for you in our best old PC games list, of course. You’ll have to play the game to experience it yourself and understand what we’re talking about.
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo: Combat Evolved
- Released
-
November 15, 2001
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Violence
Halo is one of the most popular video game series out there, iconic to plenty of folks’ gaming lives in the 2000s. So, it was a given that the launch of the first game on PC was a monumental event for the platform.
The first Halo game is a great stepping-off point for the series that’s a blast to play through. Later games might’ve polished up some of the technical aspects of the series, but Combat Evolved has a charm of its own that’s hard to resist.
Far Cry
- Released
-
March 23, 2004
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Intense Violence, Blood
Far Cry is the poster child for Ubisoft’s copy-paste game design, but there was a time when the series was truly groundbreaking. This was with the launch of the first Far Cry game, which was an absolute blast to play through, quite literally. It wasted no time in putting you into massive levels with impressive open-ended design, a huge achievement for its time.
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The game might feel dated by modern standards, but it’s still fun to play when everything clicks into place. The tropical island location brimming with mercenary enemies would build a roadmap for future Far Cry games utilizing new stunning open-world environments.
National Hockey League
National Hockey League is one of the few gaming series that stuck to their yearly launches based on the real sport. Even during the start of the 2000s, Electronic Arts came out with a version of this game on both the Console and PC every year. Every new version adapted to the changes in the teams.
Apart from these changes, the newer titles gave a better experience because of the improvement and evolution of game development. The game simulated an actual hockey game where the team with a higher number of goals takes it all.
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy
Most people have really mixed feelings when it comes to David Cage and his writing skills. However, regardless of personal opinion, there’s no denying that his studio has been pushing the boundaries when it comes to narrative-heavy games.
This could be seen in Fahrenheit, which was an engrossing game with a brilliant narrative. The quick-time events were surprisingly engaging, with the measured nature of the game’s pace being one of its biggest shining qualities.
Fable: The Lost Chapters
Fable: The Lost Chapters
- Released
-
September 20, 2005
- ESRB
-
m
Fable is a legendary series that had remained dormant for the longest time before the announcement of another game rocked the Xbox fandom. Now is the perfect time to revisit the glory years of this series, with the first game being an obvious starting point.
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Fable was a decent game in its own right, with The Lost Chapters adding way more content to the already solid title. While Fable: Anniversary is the best way to experience this great game, The Lost Chapters was the optimal way to play the first Fable for the longest time.
Counter-Strike
First-Person Shooter
Tactical
- Released
-
November 9, 2000
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence
The launch of Half-Life opened the floodgates for a whole host of computer games from the early 2000s that have been monumental in their own right. The manner in which these games used the malleable Source engine was pretty fascinating to witness.
One such amazing squad-based multiplayer shooter that was developed through this engine was Counter-Strike. The game quickly established itself as one of the most tactical multiplayer titles around, and one that is still going strong to this day.
Sid Meier’s Civilization 3
Turn-based strategy games have always been a source of attraction for gamers because of the required planning and strategy. Although, Sid Meier’s Civilization 3 takes it to a whole new level since you’re left in a giant unexplored world where you have to build a civilization while avoiding many dangers.
As you explore the world, you’ll meet many groups of bandits and a few other civilizations. While the final goal is to achieve victory, you’re allowed to choose your own route. You can either choose violence and demolish everything, or take over the world with sheer development and progress.