Silent Hill 2

Grotesque, violent, beautiful, terrifying, chilling, haunting -- these are the words I use to describe what is easily the greatest Survival Horror game too date. In a decade that saw many games in this genre, none have stay this true to the meaning of horror. Your palms will sweat, your heart will race, and you will think twice about picking up the controller (I mean that in a good way.) With a story that is just as complex as it is chilling, with an atmosphere that can never be match ever again, it is quite clear that Silent Hill 2 may never be dethroned as the greatest horror experience too date.

Final Fantasy X

One of the first stand out achievements on the Playstation 2, Final Fantasy X remains the best in the series. No other game in the series offers the same remarkable story, characters, and addictive gameplay as X. Although the game is far from perfect, and looking back now random battle encounters are a thing of the past, the game holds strong after all these years. It was the first in the series too include full voice overs, and still ranks high on the best graphical achievements on PS2. You'll play it for the story, but stay for the fantastic characters and spot on gameplay.

Half Life 2

The greatest first person shooter ever made. Period. Released in 2004, it still looks better, plays better, sounds better, is more interesting than any other game of its genre. I could argue this for days, and reluctantly would, but I cannot stress enough how unbelievable the game truly is. Valve knocked it out of the park, and set the bar sky high on what a FPS should be, and it has yet to be matched. With the episodes attached, I could easily make the argument that Half Life 2 is not only the best shooter of the decade, but the best overall game as well.

Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines

I am not a PC gamer, in fact I hate most games that only get released on PC for no aparent reason. With that being said, Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines is a must play, for either fans of shooter or RPG's. Built on the source engine (the same engine used for Half Life 2) the game offered players the chance to enter the underground world of vampires. It has now become common to see first person shooter elements mixed with role playing, but this was one of the first games to do it right. Sure the game is technically faulty, with more bugs than you can shake a stick at, but patches are available, and it does not take away from the overall feel you get from being in this world. Great memorable characters, a twisty twirly storyline, and some damn good atmosphere its hard not to think about this game.

Halo: Combat Evolved

Remember the Xbox? - Oh is that the console that had Halo?

Lets face it, no Halo = Microsoft not in the gaming world. Released as a launch game for the original Xbox, Halo managed to be the standout game. Every console has one, Bungie answered the call early on, and created one of the most addictive video game ever made. It came out of no where, a bright colorful game, that let you shoot at annoying yet cute alien creatures, that usually wore purple or some bright suit of armor. What made Halo the franchise it is today is the multiplayer, and most people forget that the original Halo had some of the best multiplayer for its time.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

I love Metal Gear games, and Snake Eater delivered one of the best in the series. Many people complained after MGS 2, I however enjoyed the hell out of that game, but my head was blown off when I finally enter the jungle as Big Boss. LIke other Metal Gear games, the story is complex, the graphics are stunning (go back and look at it, still looks fantastic) and the Kojima weirdness was at full sail. It was like the first time watching a Rambo movies when I was a kid, or my first time playing Mario Bros - you know that you are playing a piece of history.

Conker's Bad Fur Day

Not very often are games made on a comedic level, this rarity however was. A platform game released near the end of the Nintendo 64's life, starring a foul mouth little squriel who drinks a little too much and loses all direction. Who can't relate to that?? But seriously, Conker's Bad Fur Day was one of the most underrated N64 games, with better platforming and charm than dare I say it Super Mario 64.

Ico

Beautiful. What else can I say?

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Best game of 2009, made sure that the decade went out with a bang. Honestly, this game is everything that is good about pop entertainment wrapped up in a neat and tidy package. From the opening five minutes, to the closing five and everything in between it never loses its pace, it always throws something new and exciting your way, and more importantly tops the original Uncharted: Drake's Fortune in every single way. This is how to make a sequel developers take not, no doubt Uncharted 2 has set a bench mark for next generation game development that will be tough to reach.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

I have said it before, I love Metal Gear games. This one is the best in the series.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

Truly one of the most underrated games of the last generation.

Killer 7

I could have just as easily put No More Heroes on this list, but looking back Killer 7 is Suda's psychological masterpiece. So cinematic, so hip, so messed up, so damn amazing. When it comes to creating video games no one looks at development the same way Suda 51 does. Saying that he thinks outside the box would be an understatement. A game that distances itself from every other game, just because it can. It doesn't go with a trend so that it will sell a million copies, it doesn't try to be a ripoff of a more popular game, it is originality at its finest.

Shadow of the Colossus

I'm not about to start a rant on whether or not video games should be seen as art, but I will say this, the definition of art is something that moves you emotional - well Shadow of the Colossus moved me. In fact I feel wrong even calling this a "game", because it's not, it's far from a simple video game, but for the sake of this I will. The game was like playing art, like if you walked into a museum and set down to play a painting by Picasso (if that were in any way possible.) Never has a sense of scale been so raw, so realistic as it was here. A soundtrack that may just very well be the greatest ever composed for a video game, a setting that will be remembered for years to come. This is what an adventure game should be, the sense of packing your things and going off into a magical land that time forgot. The story is revealed too you through the environment, and it lets your imagination run wild with speculation. My all time favorite game, that has never been matched, never been duplicated, never been cloned, it showed me why I started playing games in the first place. Poetry in motion.