Each year brings more and more fun video games for us to play and enjoy.

The new hardware allows developers to make games that are more complex, more beautiful, and more immersive than ever before, but to be able to appreciate best what we have today, it’s worth remembering the old classics that were often the inspiration for entire generations of new titles.

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Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn

Genre:RPG
Developer:BioWare

Baldur’s Gate II is undoubtedly one of the more popular games of 2000. It’s a classic role-playing game based on the rules of Dungeons & Dragons. A vast fantasy world is yours to explore, so gather your party and begin the journey.

Older players surely remember their time spent in an unforgettable country of Amn, but younger players may not be familiar with the game. Baldur’s Gate II was incredibly influential – it inspired developers across the world, including the creators of the amazing Pillars of Eternity series, but if that’s not enough of a proof of how good the game is, let us just mention that 20 years after the game’s initial release it still earns very high positions in a variety of role-playing video games rankings, including 9th place in Game Informer’s “TOP 100 RPGs of All Time” list from 2018.

If you, by any chance, didn’t have the opportunity to play BG II yet, then now is the time to fix that.

Key features
  • Ultimate D&D-inspired RPG experience in a vast fantasy world
  • Hundreds of hours of gameplay focused on controlling a party of up to six adventurers
  • Meaningful player choices that can turn the character good or evil
  • Memorable story and great voice acting

The Sims 

Genre:Simulation
Developer:The Sims Studio

It may be hard to believe that one of the most popular life simulation series started back in 2000. The franchise is still being worked on and new games and updates are being released on a regular basis, but let’s take a look at the game that started it all.

The Sims 2000 gamescreen
Image credit: The Sims Studio

The Sims is a life simulation game where there’s no clear goal for players to achieve. It’s more of a sandbox experience, where you can manage a family of up to a few members, build relationships, take care of your characters’ basic needs, build and furnish their house, and so on. There’s is no right or wrong way to play the game – you are entirely free to write your very own story.

You are the one who set the goals here. Manage the careers of your Sims and help them become rich. Teach them how to cook and play instruments. Build them a dream house. Meet new people, get married, raise children, and live your life the way you want – The Sims is an endless adventure with no bounds.

Key features
  • Surprisingly complex life simulation with lots of possibilities and available activities
  • Virtually endless – set your own goals and try to achieve the impossible
  • Huge amount of freedom when it comes to building a house and taking care of family members
  • Random events, such as fires and burglars, that add a bit of challenge

The Longest Journey

Genre:RPG
Developer:Funcom

Point-and-click fans also had some fun in 2000, thanks to The Longest Journey – a game focused on the adventures of April Ryan, a girl capable of crossing the border between the real world and the fantasy land of Arcadia.

The Longest Journey is a classic type of game, where you will have to explore a variety of places, talk to people, and find a clever use for all sorts of items in order to solve various puzzles and progress the story. Playing as April Ryan you will have the unique opportunity to visit not only the industrial city of Stark but also the Arcadia, where the magic flows freely, resulting in a beautiful and believable fantasy world that is filled with all sorts of interesting creatures.

If you want to give your brain cells a little training, The Longest Journey surely provides some challenge – completing it without a guide may be difficult even for veterans of the genre. Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a wild ride.

Key features
  • A classic point-and-click adventure game with an addictive story
  • Dozens of beautiful locations in two entirely different worlds
  • Increasingly difficult puzzles to solve and challenges to face
  • Tons of recorded dialogues and an amazing score that help in building the atmosphere

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

Genre:Sports
Developer:Neversoft

One can’t forget about the iconic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series. The sequel was a huge improvement over the original and considered a highly-valued game overall, especially considering the fact that it had little to no serious competition in its genre.

tony-hawks-pro-skater-2

Good old Pro Skater. Finally, skateboard fans got something to enjoy. Although you shouldn’t expect too much realism from the game, it’s not really a bad thing – the game doesn’t even try to be realistic in terms of physics, which means no lies in a pretty package.

The game gets straight to the point and shouts “I’m an arcade” but it doesn’t mean that it’s not fun. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, because by focusing entirely on the arcade aspect of the title, developers of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 were able to polish the gameplay to unreal levels. Doing skateboard stunts and tricks never felt so smooth and was never more accessible to an average player.

Key features
  • A well-known title from the iconic Pro Skater franchise
  • Dozens of real-world tricks to learn and execute – a real treat for skateboarding fans
  • Arcade-oriented gameplay that sacrifices a bit of realism for even more and fast-paced fun
  • A fine selection of rock music that perfectly fits the game’s theme

Deus Ex

Genre:RPG
Developer:Ion Storm

When speaking of games released in 2000, it’s hard not to mention Deus Ex – a game that rightfully earned itself a place among the best games of all time.

Deus Ex is an action role-playing game that was inspired by another popular game, System Shock. It focuses on the story of a special agent JC Denton who possesses special abilities, thanks to the latest developments in the field of nanotechnology. Denton’s mission revolves around the mysterious Gray Death virus that decimates the world’s population.

The title combines RPG with stealth gameplay and throws conspiracy theories to the mix, resulting in a one-of-a-kind experience – it is definitely a must-play, even if you’re not a huge fan of the genre.

Key features
  • A role-playing game with stealth elements and a special agent as the protagonist
  • An intriguing story in a fictional world, where conspiracy theories are true
  • Character customization – make the best use of skill points, weapon modifications, and nano-augmentations
  • Several weapons to choose from, from simple crowbars to rifles and rockets

Diablo II

Genre:RPG
Developer:Blizzard North

Hack and slash games like Diablo II may look boring and repetitive at first, but if you dive into it, you will find that it can be extremely fun and addictive.

Diablo II is a hack and slash game, where you will have to fight your way through hordes of demons and monsters in order to find and defeat the Prime Evils. The game’s strongest point lies in customization – players can choose their class and invest points in a variety of useful skills to make their own unique character build, which is further complemented by the randomly generated gear that can be found by slaying enemies and opening chests. Although Diablo II can be played solo, some items are extremely hard to find, which encourages trading and interacting with other players.

If you didn’t have the opportunity to play the game yet, we strongly recommend playing with the Lord of Destruction expansion, as it improves many elements of the original game. You could also try the recently released Diablo II: Resurrected edition that gives this old classic game a fresh, modern look.

Key features
  • Classic hack and slash game that focuses on slaying hordes of hostile creatures
  • Virtually endless possibilities of character building, thanks to randomly generated equipment pieces
  • Five unique character classes to choose from, each having its very own skills and abilities
  • Multiplayer for up to 8 players per session

Counter-Strike

Genre:Action & Shooter
Developer:Valve

Finally, there’s also Counter-Strike – a wildly popular first-person shooter that allows two teams of players to fight each other in a series of quick games with tactical elements added to the mix.

Counter-Strike is one of those games that most players have heard of, even if just briefly. Although it comes with several different game modes and countless custom mods, it’s surely known best for its bomb defusal mode, where a team of terrorists is tasked with planting and detonating an explosive in a designated area, while a team of counter-terrorists has to secure the area, eliminate hostiles, and defuse the bomb if it was already planted. This simple gameplay formula was enough to keep players addicted not just for years, but for decades. Skillful use of available weapons and equipment, as well as working together as a team, is the key to victory – mastering all the tricks and techniques can be exhausting, but if you like competitive online play, then it’s totally worth the effort.

Key features
  • Multiplayer-oriented first-person shooter focused on competitive play
  • Addictive gameplay with satisfying gunplay mechanics
  • A wide selection of modern weapons to choose from, including famous P90 and M4A1 Carbine
  • Requires close cooperation with other members of the team to win

The Best Video Games of 2000

The year 2000 had some great stuff in terms of computer games, some of which are still praised and played, not only by the truest fans but also by those who look forward to some nostalgic experience. Now it’s easier than before to jump into one of these old classics and give them a go, thanks to the current era of remasters and remakes. Pick your favorites and dive into the games that once topped the popularity charts. Perhaps your favorite childhood game has also got a second life recently?