Favorite games

Description: Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance is a multi-platform updated version of the original MGS2 first released for the Xbox, then followed by PlayStation 2 and PC. The game contains the main Sons of Liberty game with some subtle alterations, as well as the inclusion of Boss Survival and Casting Theater modes from the Japanese and PAL versions of the original game.

The main addition of Substance is the inclusion of an extra missions mode with 300 virtual reality training missions set in a computer-constructed environment and 200 "Alternative Missions" set in areas taken from the main game. The player can choose to play these missions as Solid Snake or Raiden, with alternate outfits for both characters becoming available as the player progresses. Mission objectives include reaching the goal undetected, target practice, eliminating enemies, bomb disposal and a set of miscellaneous missions that include protecting a wounded ally from enemies or fighting a series of enemies. There are also a set of missions simulating a first-person shooter game.

In addition to the missions mode, there is also a set of "Snake Tales", which are five story-based missions featuring Solid Snake as the main character. This includes missions set in the Big Shell area from the Plant chapter, featuring characters such as Fatman, Emma, Vamp and Solidus Snake, as well as an alternate version of the Tanker chapter which replaces Olga Gurlukovich with Meryl Silverburgh (from Metal Gear Solid) as the boss. These missions, which are not canonical in respect to the main storyline, have no voice acting but are instead narrated via on-screen text. They are side stories created by directors of Kojima Productions such as Shuyo Murata and Shinta Nojiri.

The PS2 version also featured a skateboarding minigame based on Konami's Evolution Skateboarding game. The player can use Solid Snake or Raiden in a pair of Big Shell-themed levels and has to complete a set of objectives before time runs out. These objectives range from collecting dog tags scattered throughout the level to blowing up parts of Big Shell.

Substance was originally released as an Xbox timed-exclusive in North America on November 5, 2002. The PS2 version was released on March, 2003 and released alongside the PC version. All three versions of the game were released almost simultaneously in Europe, the PS2 version being bundled with The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 to once again make up for a substantial delay in its release. Only the PS2 version of Substance was released in Japan on December 19, 2002, replacing the original Japanese voices with the English dub.

Manufacturer: Konami
Release date: 2003

Description: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a stealth action video game developed by Silicon Knights and Konami that was published in 2004 for the Nintendo GameCube video game console. The Twin Snakes is a remake of Metal Gear Solid, developed and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation.

The Twin Snakes features graphical improvements over the original, new cut scenes written and directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, and gameplay functions originally introduced in the sequel Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. The game also includes a revised translation with re-recorded voice acting using most of the original English voice cast.

Manufacturer: Konami
Release date: 2004

Description: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (メタルギアソリッド2　サンズ・オブ・リバティ, Metaru Gia Soriddo 2 Sanzu Obu Ribati?, commonly abbreviated as MGS2) is a stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 in 2001.

It is the fourth Metal Gear game produced and directed by Kojima and the direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid. Its release was followed by an expanded edition, Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, a prequel to the entire Metal Gear series, followed in 2004. In 2008, a direct sequel, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was released.

The story revolves around a massive offshore clean-up facility that has been seized by a group of terrorists that call themselves "Sons of Liberty", backed by a rogue special forces anti-terrorist unit "Dead Cell". They demand a massive ransom in exchange for the life of the President of the United States, and threaten to destroy the facility and create a cataclysmic environmental disaster if their demands are not met. The motives and identities of many of the antagonists and allies change rapidly, as the protagonists discover a world-shaking conspiracy constructed by a powerful organization known as the Patriots.

The game was well-received, shipping over 7 million copies worldwide and scoring an average of 96% in Metacritic's aggregate, making it the fourth highest-rated game on the PlayStation 2 and the 14th highest-rated game of all time. While the gameplay was almost universally acclaimed, critics were divided on the philosophical nature and execution of the game's storyline, which explores themes such as memes, social engineering, political conspiracies, and artificial intelligence. It has been considered the first example of a postmodern video game, and has been cited as a primary example of artistic expression in video games. The game was controversial due to its complex postmodern narrative and unconventional protagonist.

Manufacturer: Konami
Release date: 2001

Description: Subsistence was released in Japan on December 22, 2005, later in North America on March 14, 2006,in Europe on October 6, 2006 and in Australia on October 13, 2006. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence continues the Metal Gear Solid series tradition of follow-up enhanced, international version releases. While previous releases, such as Metal Gear Solid: Integral and Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance included skill challenge missions and/or side story missions, Subsistence eschews the extra single-player missions to include updated versions of the series' first two games, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake), a brand-new competitive online mode, and a fully 3D, user-controlled camera in the main portion of the game.

Manufacturer: Konami
Release date: 2005

Description: Final Fantasy VII (ファイナルファンタジーVII, Fainaru Fantajī Sebun) is a role-playing video game developed by Square (now Square Enix) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation. It was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009 on the PlayStation Network. The game is the first in the series to use 3D computer graphics, featuring fully rendered characters on pre-rendered backgrounds, and was the first game in the main series to be released in Europe.

Development of Final Fantasy VII began in 1994 and the game was originally intended for release on the SNES, but it was later moved to the Nintendo 64. However, since the Nintendo 64's cartridges lacked the required storage capacity, Square decided to release the game for the PlayStation instead. The music was scored by Final Fantasy veteran Nobuo Uematsu, while the series' long-time character designer, Yoshitaka Amano, was replaced by Tetsuya Nomura.

Set in a dystopian world, Final Fantasy VII's story centers on mercenary Cloud Strife who joins with several others to stop the megacorporation Shinra, which is draining the life of the planet to use as an energy source. As the story progresses, the situation escalates and Cloud and his allies face Sephiroth, the game's main antagonist.

Manufacturer: Squaresoft
Release date: 1997

Description: Final Fantasy VIII (ファイナルファンタジーVIII, Fainaru Fantajī Eito?) is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically proportioned characters.

The game's story focuses on a group of young mercenaries who are drawn into an international conflict, and seek to protect the world from a sorceress manipulating the war for her own purposes. The main protagonist is Squall Leonhart, a 17-year-old loner and student at the military academy Balamb Garden, who is training to become a "SeeD", a mercenary paid by the academy.

Manufacturer: Squaresoft
Release date: 1999

Description: Final Fantasy IX (ファイナルファンタジーIX, Fainaru Fantajī Nain?) is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the PlayStation. Released in 2000, it is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series, such as the "Active Time Event", "Mognet", and a revamped equipment and skill system.

Set in the fantasy world of Gaia, Final Fantasy IX's plot centers on a war between several nations. Players follow a young thief named Zidane Tribal, who joins with several others to defeat Queen Brahne of Alexandria, who started the war. The plot shifts, however, when the characters realize that Brahne is a puppet for an arms dealer called Kuja.

Final Fantasy IX was developed alongside Final Fantasy VIII, but took a different path to return to the style of the early Final Fantasy games with a more traditional fantasy setting; consequently, Final Fantasy IX was influenced heavily by the original Final Fantasy game, and features allusions to other titles in the series. The music was scored by the then regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. The game has been subject to extremely positive reviews, receiving 93% on GameRankings (making it the second highest rated Final Fantasy game after Final Fantasy VI). Final Fantasy IX was commercially successful, selling 5.30 million units worldwide as of March 31, 2003.

Manufacturer: Squaresoft
Release date: 2000

Description: Final Fantasy X (ファイナルファンタジーX, Fainaru Fantajī Ten) is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2. The game marks the Final Fantasy series' transition from entirely pre-rendered backdrops to fully three-dimensional areas, and is also the first in the series to feature voice acting. Final Fantasy X replaces the Active Time Battle (ATB) system with a new Conditional Turn-Based Battle (CTB) system, and uses a new leveling system called the "Sphere Grid".

Set in the fantasy world of Spira, the game's story centers around a group of adventurers and their quest to defeat a rampaging monster known as "Sin". The player character is Tidus, a blitzball star who finds himself in Spira after his home city of Zanarkand is destroyed by Sin. During the game, Tidus, along with several others, aids the summoner Yuna on her pilgrimage to destroy Sin.

Development of Final Fantasy X began in 1999, with a budget of more than US$32.3 million and a team of more than 100 people. The game was the first in the main series not entirely scored by Nobuo Uematsu; Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano were signed as Uematsu's fellow composers. Final Fantasy X was both a critical and commercial success. The game has sold 6.32 million units worldwide. In 2003, it was followed by Final Fantasy X-2, making it the first Final Fantasy game to have a direct game sequel.

Manufacturer: Squaresoft
Release date: 2001

Description: Final Fantasy X-2 (ファイナルファンタジーX-2, Fainaru Fantajī Ten Tsū) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X. The game's story follows the character Yuna from Final Fantasy X as she seeks to resolve political conflicts in the fictional world of Spira before it leads to war.

Final Fantasy X-2 set several precedents in the Final Fantasy series aside from being the first direct sequel in video game form and the second sequel in the franchise, after the anime Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals. It was the first game in the series to feature only three playable characters, an all-female main cast, and early access to most of the game's locations. Additionally, it featured a variation of the character classes system—one of the series' classic gameplay concepts—and is one of the few games in the series to feature multiple endings. Finally, it was the first Final Fantasy game in the series that didn't have any musical contributions in it from longtime composer Nobuo Uematsu.

The game was positively received by critics and was commercially successful. After nine months of being released in Japan, it sold a million copies in North America, and approximately four million copies worldwide. Final Fantasy X-2 was voted as the 32nd best game of all time by the readers of Famitsu. The English version of the game won an award for "Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance" at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences in 2004. The game has attained a rating of 86% on Game Rankings and an 85% rating on Metacritic.

Manufacturer: Square Enix
Release date: 2003

Description: Silent Hill (サイレントヒル, Sairento Hiru?) is a survival horror/psychological horror video game franchise, developed and published by Konami. In the series, the player takes control of an "everyman" protagonist traversing through the decrepit and nightmare infested remains of the town of Silent Hill. Typically, the storyline unravels a psychological repression regarding the cast of characters along with the tainted history regarding the eponymous town.

The first four games in the series were created by Team Silent, a development staff within Konami, which has since disbanded. Subsequent titles have been created by other developers: Silent Hill: Origins and the reimagined Silent Hill: Shattered Memories by Climax Group, Silent Hill Homecoming by Double Helix Games, and Silent Hill: Downpour is currently under development by Czech Republic-based studios Vatra Games. There is also a series of comics, books, and novelizations based on the series. A film adaptation loosely based on the original game was released in 2006 directed by Christophe Gans. A second film, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D is currently in pre-production.

Manufacturer: Konami
Release date: 1999

Description: Silent Hill 2 is a survival horror video game published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 and developed by Team Silent, a production group within Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. The second installment in the Silent Hill series, it was released in late September 2001 in North America and Japan, and in late November 2001 in Europe. It was also ported to the Xbox and PC. It has also been re-released multiple times, including under the Greatest Hits label and as part of The Silent Hill Collection along with its indirect PS2 sequels Silent Hill 3 and Silent Hill 4: The Room.

While it is set in the series' namesake town, Silent Hill 2 is not a direct sequel to the events and characters of the first Silent Hill game. Instead, it centers on James Sunderland, who enters the town after receiving a letter written by his deceased wife, saying she is waiting for him in their "special place" in Silent Hill. Joined by Maria who resembles her except for a more provocative outfit and personality, he searches for her and discovers the truth about her death. Additional material in re-releases and ports included Born from a Wish, a sub-scenario which focuses on Maria before she and James meet.

Silent Hill 2 uses a third-person perspective and gameplay places a greater emphasis on finding items and solving riddles than combat, similar to the first Silent Hill. Psychological aspects such as the gradual disappearance of Mary's letter were added to the game. More humanoid than their counterparts in the preceding game, some of the monsters were designed as a reflection of James' subconscious. Real-life references to history, films and literary works can also be found in the game.

Silent Hill 2 was positively received by the audience and critics. Within the month of its release in North America, Japan and Europe, over one million copies were sold, with the greatest sales in North America. English-language critics praised the atmosphere, graphics, story and monster designs of Silent Hill 2, but criticized the controls as difficult to use. Silent Hill 2 appeared on several critics' top lists for its story and use of metaphors, psychological horror and taboo topics.

Manufacturer: Konami
Release date: 2001

Description: Silent Hill 3 is a survival horror game published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 and developed by Team Silent, a production group within Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. It is the third installment in the Silent Hill survival horror series and is a direct sequel to the first Silent Hill game. It was released in Japan on July 3, 2003, and in North America on August 6, 2003, and was ported to the PC later that year.

Set seventeen years after the events of Silent Hill in which Harry Mason defeats the god of the town cult and is given a baby girl to care for, Silent Hill 3 focuses on Heather, a teenage girl who finds herself being drawn into Silent Hill's alternate reality. She discovers that the cult plans to use her to birth their god, and becomes caught in a conflict within the cult.

Silent Hill 3 was mostly well-received by critics, especially in its presentation, including the environments, graphics and audio, as well as the overall horror elements and themes that are continued from past installments.

Manufacturer: Konami
Release date: 2003

Description: Silent Hill 4: The Room is the fourth installment in the Silent Hill survival horror series, published by Konami and developed by Team Silent, a production group within Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. The game was released in Japan in June 2004 and in North America and Europe in September of that same year. Silent Hill 4 was released for the Sony PlayStation 2 and the Microsoft Xbox consoles as well as the PC. A soundtrack release was also made at the same time.

Unlike the previous installments, which were set primarily in the disturbed town of Silent Hill, this game is set in the fictional town of South Ashfield, and is focused on the character of Henry Townshend attempting to escape from his locked-down apartment. He explores a series of supernatural worlds and finds himself in conflict with an undead serial killer.

Silent Hill 4 features an altered gameplay style with third-person navigation and plot elements taken from previous installments. Upon its release the game received a mixed critical reaction due to deviations from the original Silent Hill style.

Manufacturer: Konami
Release date: 2004

Description: An updated version of Resident Evil for the PlayStation, titled Resident Evil: Director's Cut, was released on September 1997, a year and a half after the original game's release. Director's Cut was produced to compensate for the delay of the sequel, Resident Evil 2, and was originally bundled with a playable demo of that game.

The main addition to Director's Cut is an "arranged" version of the game that changes the location of nearly every vital item in the mansion, as well as the enemy placement. The main characters, as well as Rebecca, are given a new wardrobe and the player's handgun is replaced by an improved model wherby any shot fired has a random chance of killing a zombie. The original version of the game is included as well, along with a new "beginner" mode where the enemies are easier to kill and the amount of ammunition that can be found by the player is doubled.

The North American and European releases of the Director's Cut were marketed as featuring the original, uncensored footage as seen in the Japanese releases. However, the FMV sequences were still censored. Capcom claimed the omission was the result of a localization mistake made by the developers and offered the uncensored intro as a free download from their website. The French and German PAL versions of Director's Cut feature the uncensored FMVs, in colored versions.

Manufacturer: Capcom
Release date: 1997

Description: Resident Evil 2, known as Biohazard 2 (バイオハザード2, Baiohazādo Tsū?) in Japan, is a survival horror video game by Capcom originally released for the PlayStation in 1998. The second installment in the Resident Evil series, its story takes place two months after the events of the first game and is set in Raccoon City, a Midwestern mountain community whose residents have been turned into zombies by the T-virus, a biological weapon developed by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella. In their escape from the city, the two protagonists Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield encounter other survivors and are confronted by William Birkin, the mutated creator of the even more powerful G-virus.

The gameplay of Resident Evil 2 primarily focuses on exploration, solving puzzles and fighting enemies, though the title also contains typical elements of the survival horror genre, such as limited saves and ammunition. The main improvement over the predecessor is the "Zapping System" that provides each playable character with a different scenario featuring unique storylines and puzzles. Developed with a team of about 40 to 50 people over the course of one year and nine months, Resident Evil 2 was directed by Hideki Kamiya and produced by Shinji Mikami. The initial version of the game, commonly referred to as Resident Evil 1.5, differed drastically from the released product and was scrapped at a development stage of 60–80 percent, being deemed too dull and boring by producer Mikami.

Following the initial success on the PlayStation, Resident Evil 2 was ported to Microsoft Windows, the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast and Nintendo GameCube, and also received a modified 2.5D version for the Game.com handheld. Received well by critics, the game was praised for its atmosphere, setting, graphics and audio, though criticized for its controls, voice acting and some of its gameplay elements. Years after the first release, Resident Evil 2 was included in several lists of the 100 best games, has become a million-seller, and is the franchise's most successful title on a single platform. The story of the game was retold and built on in several later games, and adapted into a variety of licensed works.

Manufacturer: Capcom
Release date: 1998

Description: Six years after its original release the mix of cinematic camera angles, shock-horror movie atmosphere and the constant state of panic that having virtually no ammo or health gives you has still never been bettered.

Although films and music are forever being remade, remixed and generally reheated, games never seem to get the same treatment. Resident Evil is bucking that trend, though, and is back with almost another game's worth of extra rooms and puzzles and what are arguably the best graphics ever seen in a video game--we're talking near-photo-realistic characters and a subtle use of light and shadow as has never been seen before.

Ignoring the stodgy control system and incongruous puzzles, the genius of Resident Evil is that you genuinely don't know what'll happen next. Just deciding whether to risk opening a door can be a fearsome and suspenseful experience.

Manufacturer: Capcom
Release date: 2002

Description: Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, released in Japan as Biohazard 3: Last Escape (バイオハザード3　ラストエスケープ, Baiohazādo Surī Rasuto Esukēpu) is a survival horror video game and the sequel to Resident Evil 2, developed and published by Capcom. The game was released for the Sony PlayStation, and was subsequently ported to the Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo GameCube. The game is also available for download on the PlayStation Network for use with both the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Portable.

The first half of the game occurs 24 hours prior to Resident Evil 2 and the second half takes place two days after. The storyline expands upon the settings and events of the T-virus outbreak in Raccoon City, and concludes with the fate of the city and its infected population.

The game's storyline was later used as the basis for the 2004 film Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

Manufacturer: Capcom
Release date: 1999

Description: Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as Biohazard 4 (バイオハザード4, Baiohazādo Fō), is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom's Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific. The game was originally released on January 11, 2005 in North America, and on January 27 in Japan.

First hinted at in early December 1999, Resident Evil 4 underwent a long development time during which four proposed versions of the game were discarded. Initially developed for the PlayStation 2, the first attempt was directed by Hideki Kamiya after producer Shinji Mikami requested him to create a new entry in the Resident Evil series. Nevertheless, it was decided to start development over again. The game was intended to be a Nintendo GameCube exclusive, but a PlayStation 2 version was announced before the game was released for the GameCube. Resident Evil 4 was subsequently released in full for PC (Microsoft Windows) and Wii, and in heavily condensed versions for other platforms, including the iOS, Mobile phones, and Zeebo.

Resident Evil 4 has garnered great critical acclaim, averaging a score of 96 on Metacritic. It has received stellar reviews from various video game magazines and websites. The game was considered by most critics as a top contender for 2005's Game of the Year, and was seen as a successful crossover hit; the new gameplay alterations and immersive style appealed to many not previously familiar with the series.

Manufacturer: Capcom
Release date: 2005

Description: Resident Evil Zero, known in Japan as Biohazard 0 (バイオハザード0, Baiohazādo Zero), is a survival horror game that was developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo GameCube and released in 2002. It was the last of the main titles to use the original Resident Evil game system prior to the change in system ushered in by the release of Resident Evil 4.

The game's storyline serves as a prequel to Resident Evil, covering Rebecca Chambers' ordeal a day prior. The game was released on November 10, 2002 in North America, November 21, 2002 in Japan, February 28, 2003 in Australia and March 7, 2003 in Europe.

Manufacturer: Capcom
Release date: 2002

Description: Onimusha: Warlords, released in Japan as Onimusha (鬼武者), is the first action-adventure video game of the Onimusha series, released first for the PlayStation 2 in 2001. Later it went through many changes and was released as Genma Onimusha (幻魔 鬼武者?) for the Xbox in 2002. The game was also ported to PC Windows as Onimusha: Warlords, although this version was only released in Asia.

Manufacturer: Capcom
Release date: 2001

Description: Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny, released in Japan as Onimusha 2 (鬼武者2, Onimusha Tsū) is the second installment in the Onimusha series of video games. The plot revolves around a new protagonist, Jubei Yagyu (柳生 十兵衛, Yagyū Jūbē), as he battles a demonic Genma army which is invading 1571 Japan. Nobunaga Oda, a sinister warlord who was slain in the previous game, has been resurrected and placed at the head of the Genma forces.Apart from the main character, the game features four playable sub-characters, each of whom shares a part in the story. The player's actions determine which characters will decide to help Jubei in his quest.

The Jubei character is not the swordsman Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi, but rather his grandfather, Yagyū Muneyoshi, the originator of the Yagyū Shinkage-ryū school of swordsmanship.

Manufacturer: Capcom
Release date: 2002