Science fiction is home to some of the best video games of all time. Cyberpunk 2077, Outer Wilds, StarCraft, and Titanfall 2, for instance, are beloved games that have elevated the genre, even if they all belong to their own subgenre corners within the larger sci-fi umbrella. As for which decade may have been the best for sci-fi video games in history thus far, there’s an easy argument to be made that it was the 2000s.
The 2000s are when many of the video game industry’s most popular and successful sci-fi franchises began, and many of those franchises were able to put out a sequel that was even greater than their predecessor (in some cases, the sequel would blow the original out of the water after the first game gave the series its bearings and had its training wheels withdrawn). The 2000s, strictly 2000–2009, were some of the best years for sci-fi games, and it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see such high highs within the span of a decade again.
10
Metroid Prime (2002)
Metroid Prime marked a massive shift for Nintendo’s Metroid franchise in the early 2000s by transitioning from 2D side-scroller gameplay to 3D gameplay from a first-person perspective. It’s different in all the ways that it takes advantage of a first-person perspective (Samus Aran feels weightier, for instance, and there’s less of an emphasis on platforming), which invites a greater sense of exploration and immersion.
9
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic (2003)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is, to many fans, the best Star Wars game of all time. And, with Star Wars being one of the best sci-fi franchises/brands of all time, it only makes sense that it would appear on a list such as this. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is novel, however, in how it leaps backward in the timeline (it’s not canon, sadly) to depict original characters.
The game features one of the most exhilarating twists in any video game: the protagonist character was actually Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic’s Darth Revan all along, reshaped and reforged following the loss of their memories.
Obsidian’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords launched in 2004, and is also deeply cherished as a Star Wars game. It’s not surprising in the slightest now that there’s such an enormous weight on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake’s shoulders, as even a wholly faithful remake would have the biggest shoes in a galaxy far, far away to fill. Assuming it can get back on its feet and deliver something special, the year this remake is released will be quite momentous for Star Wars and sci-fi fans alike.
8
Halo 2 (2004)
Halo essentially dominated the 2000s as one of the greatest sci-fi video game series between Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001, Halo 2 in 2004, Halo 3 in 2007, and Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST in 2009. Another phenomenal installment, Halo: Reach, would launch in 2010 and only barely miss that 2000s window.
Fans will have their favorite entries from the franchise for varying reasons, such as which game’s multiplayer experience or story campaign they enjoyed most, but Halo 2 is arguably the series’ crown jewel in nearly every regard, particularly its compelling dual-protagonist narrative.
7
Half-Life 2 (2004)
Half-Life 2’s worldbuilding and environmental storytelling are as extraordinary as its dystopia is bleak. Today, Half-Life 2’s legacy may have tragically been reduced to assets seen in GMod memes and Skibidi Toilet, but it’s still celebrated for its dark atmosphere and fantastic physics-based gameplay. That said, Valve would later outdo itself in terms of unique, satisfying gameplay…
6
Portal (2007)
Portal boils down to a series of puzzles revolving around the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device/portal gun, which shoots blue and orange portals in the environment that players traverse and send objects through in order to progress. It also features the iconic AI GLaDOS, who incentivizes players with cake as their reward. It’s a lot shorter and simpler than its sequel, but it’s beautiful in its simplicity and refinement.
5
BioShock (2007)
BioShock is rich with lore in the underwater city of Rapture, which is maybe one of the most intriguing and ominous settings of any sci-fi video game. The BioShock franchise debatably lost its luster when it swam out from the sea and took to the skies, but the first BioShock game is a revelation and the reason why the series is still adored as much as it is today.
4
Mass Effect (2007)
Mass Effect is essentially to the sci-fi genre what The Last of Us was to the post-apocalypse genre, and its original trilogy is marvelously acclaimed. In fact, like The Lord of the Rings, it’s tough to play just Mass Effect and not the whole trilogy, as the story is functionally incomplete without indulging in the full trilogy, where you’ll see the consequences for your actions manifest throughout each sequel. If Mass Effect 2 had been released a month earlier than it was, you can guarantee it’d have a place on this list.
3
Dead Space (2008)
Dead Space is not only one of the best sci-fi games ever, but it’s also one of the best horror games. Dead Space traps players on a planet cracker-class mining vessel, the USG Ishimura, with unnerving corpse monsters that players must dismember and decapitate to effectively kill.
There are plenty of ‘horror’ games that lack an actual sense of terror due to the player having an abundance of weapons and the means to effortlessly slay enemies, yet Dead Space somehow manages to never be any less scary despite players being armed to the teeth with some of the coolest sci-fi weapons that any game has to offer.
Sadly, whereas other survival horror game franchises have gone on to enjoy numerous releases, the Dead Space franchise may be dead and buried, with no plans to be reanimated like a necromorph. It’s especially sad to hear that there may be no future for Dead Space, considering that the remake of the first game’s 2023 remake was one of the best remakes of a video game ever developed.
2
Fallout 3 (2008)
Fallout 3 was the dawn of a new era for the Fallout franchise. It was the first Fallout entry developed and published by Bethesda, though it obviously still drew heavily from the aesthetics and lore it inherited from Interplay’s two Fallout games. Unlike Interplay’s isometric RPG Fallout games, Fallout 3 distinguished itself and the franchise itself thereafter via Bethesda’s signature first- and third-person RPG gameplay. Few sci-fi games have a moment as profound and memorable as emerging from Vault 101 for the first time.
1
Gears Of War 2 (2008)
Gears of War 2 is the highest peak of the franchise in virtually every regard. Wedged between Gears of War in 2006 and Gears of War 3 in 2011, Gears of War 2 finally dove a bit into the sci-fi lore of the Locusts and was thankfully a lot more dynamic in terms of its level designs/settings, such as maneuvering within the bowels of a Riftworm.
Gameplay was improved substantially, too, and it was a nice touch just to be able to slice through environmental obstructions with the Lancer’s chainsaw bayonet. Plus, without the devastating events of Gears of War 2, Dom’s death in Gears of War 3 may not have hit as hard.
- Released
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November 7, 2008
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Publisher(s)
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Microsoft Game Studios
- Engine
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physx, unreal engine 3
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Split Screen Orientation
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Vertical Or Horizontal
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