24 Greatest Video Game Moments Of The 2000s

The current generation has a hell of a lot to live up to.

By Scott Tailford /

It might be the last few years where gaming's hefty budgets have resulted in whizz-bang explosions and eyeball-searing visuals left, right and centre - but as any seasoned gamer knows; you don't need overblown production values to go down in history. That's the reason The Order: 1886 was all style and no substance, why Destiny's superb gameplay and visuals were marred by some horrifically empty narrative choices - and why you only need to think of things like exploring GTA's gargantuan world, dual-wielding a couple of machine guns in Halo or chowing down on your first alligator in Metal Gear Solid 3 to become overwhelmed with nostalgia. For the most part, as the average gamer is 35 it puts some of the most character-building years of their life slap-bang in the middle of the noughties. Plus, if you're a 90's kid, you've had the pleasure of being the perfect age for everything from Sonic's blur-filled heyday, through the rise and proliferation of CDs, broadband connections and 3D rendering - all the way to now where both million dollar budgeted titles and pixel-filled indie gems can coexist in harmony. So, with so many incredible, often life-defining "Dude, you have to play this"-style levels, cutscenes, character reveals and so much more - what's your favourite memory from every game released across the 2000s?