1. Half-Life 2 - November 16th, 2004
By far the most obvious pick for this list. Considered by many the greatest game of all time, Half Life 2 changed the face of gaming forever. Valve pulled out all the stops to make Half-Life 2 the unmissable game. The revolutionary physics engine created an entire new expectation for all games. Complementing the engine was the gravity gun. One of the most innovative weapons in all of gaming was also one of the simplest. It picks things up then shoots them. But coupled with the Source engine making the results seem realistic, the Gravity Gun quickly became a favourite with fans. The story remains a masterclass in pacing. Knowing when to stop the blazing action for a story interlude meant that no player would be bored during their play through. The characters themselves are well rounded, its amazing that Gordan Freeman became such a gaming icon, despite saying nothing at all. Half Life 2 truly has stood the test of time, even 11 years later the game is still an incredible adventure, and easily can be called the greatest Steam game of the 2000s. Now we just wait for Half-Life 3 to finish off the cliff-hanger story. Right? What the critics say:
Gamespot: 9.2/10
IGN: 9.7/10
Steam User Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (97% Positive)
Metacritic: 10/10
What do you think? Are there any that I missed? Leave them in the comments below!