Today I’m going to be doing a simple post, sharing a few games that were released 10 or more years ago but still hold up to today's standards, in my opinion. Some of the games I’ll be talking about were recognized for being good when they were first released and, even today, find themselves played by a multitude of people. This is a personal opinion list — though I’m sure there are many who may agree with me — and as such I’m not necessarily choosing the “top ten games of all time” or something like that. I’m sure many of you gamers out there have seen these or played them yourselves, so after giving it a read, tell me which games you think still do well today in the comments below.

Fallout 3

Starting off my list is a classic from the days of my childhood: Fallout 3, which came out back in October 2008. I remember sitting on my couch at home after class with a couple of buddies, all taking turns to play this awesome first-person shooter (FPS)/roleplaying game (RPG) combo.

For those who don’t know, Fallout 3 is the third major instalment in a series of games that takes place in a post-nuclear apocalypse Earth. This edition takes place in Washington D.C, Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland. The game is huge and was lauded as one of the best games of the year. If you’re a lover of FPS and RPG games, this is a definite must-play – if for no other reason than the fact it has an amazing radio station in-game: Three-Dog and the Galaxy News Radio.

Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn

Another RPG! This is probably one of my most played classic games. The original release was in September 2000, but it has held up fairly well over the years. While it doesn’t have top-of-the-line graphics and the engine is a little dated, it’s probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had of playing a tabletop Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) port to a computer game.

While it’s the second in a series by Black Isle Studios, it far outranks the first in many ways. Taking place in the magical world of Faerun (or The Forgotten Realms, as it’s better known,) you can spend literal days playing through all the quests (both side and main) and there is a multitude of opportunities for replayability. It recently got an “Enhanced Edition” by Beamdog, which further improved the gameplay and made some decent changes to the graphics. It’s a great game if you love D&D and computer RPGs.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Another game by Bethesda, and this one goes to the fantasy side of things.

Taking place in the world of Tamriel, The Elder Scrolls is a first-person RPG. It follows your journey as the Hero of Kvatch, travelling across Cyrodil and fighting Daedra, goblins, beasties and other evils. The game is huge – nearly as large as Fallout 3, which came out 2 years after Oblivion – and is probably the second-best Elder Scrolls game on the market from a critical standpoint. To me, though, it is the best. I spent hours on the character creation page alone and still, to this day, I find myself playing the game when I get bored with the more modern Skyrim. Oblivion is another one to check out if you’re a fan of The Elder Scrolls series, and it certainly is worth it.

Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic

Released in 2004 by Triumph Studios, this Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game is one of my favourites to have been released in the early 2000s. The third instalment in this series sees you play as a “wizard”, a rare leader who controls one of eight elements and lords over one of the 15 races. The goal of the game is fairly simple: survive and defeat the other players on the map. Players take turns in one of two ways, either simultaneously or tactically. Players control armies of up to eight troops, with various unit types and heroes to command them being available. This game is great if you’re looking to kill time and far more replayable than its modern counterpart, Age of Wonders III.

Diablo 2 and Lord of Destruction

Many know Diablo 2 and it is by and large one of my favourite games of all time, right up there with Fallout 3 and Oblivion. It’s an action roleplaying hack-and-slash game where you choose one of seven classes to do battle against the evils of Sanctuary. The game was released in 2000 and was one of my first purchases with my own money (even if I had to get my dad to pick it up.) It still is highly popular today – far more popular than its less-than well-received sequel – and the game itself still holds up well against more modern games of the same genre. If you like these kinds of games, definitely check it out.

A Screencap of my character ©2001 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. — A Screencap of my character
©2001 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

That’s all from me this time. If you liked what you read or agree with these games, give me a like. If you have others you think should be included, make a mention of it in the comments down below. Till next time, Kevin signing off. Happy gaming, friends!

Kevin Mazurimm

Kevin Mazurimm is a second year student at Algonquin College in the Professional Writing Program. He is an avid lover of video games, owning over 400 on Steam alone, and is an up-and-coming writer of fiction.

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Games of Yore

Kevin Mazurimm

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