2000s/2010s Edge-core

I grew up in the 2000s and was a teenager during the era when games where at the peak of edginess so I will always have nostalgia for games that invoke these feelings and unfortunately they don't come out much anymore. Re-playing The Darkness recently reminded me how I miss the era of 2000s edge so much so I decided to make a list including any game that falls under the classifications for what I call '2000s edge-core', this doesn't necessarily mean the game is good (Though a lot of games here are legitimately great), but more that it manages to captures the aesthetics and vibe of the edginess of the 2000s through the early 2010s. Listed alphabetically.

P.S. I did add a few games that came out in recent years simply because they capture the vibes and aesthetics and deserve to be mentioned.

Doom
Doom
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Dishonored
Dishonored
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal
Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry 5
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Bayonetta
Bayonetta
God of War
God of War
Watch Dogs
Watch Dogs
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5
Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry
God of War II
God of War II
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
God of War III
God of War III
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil 6
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Persona 3 FES
Persona 3 FES
Max Payne
Max Payne
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line
DmC: Devil May Cry
DmC: Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4
Sonic Unleashed
Sonic Unleashed
Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3
Devil May Cry 2
Devil May Cry 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta 2
Infamous
Infamous
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow the Hedgehog
Gears of War
Gears of War
No More Heroes
No More Heroes
Prototype
Prototype
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
The World Ends with You
The World Ends with You
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 2
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Infamous 2
Infamous 2
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3
Postal 2
Postal 2
F.E.A.R.
F.E.A.R.
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Pokémon Colosseum
Pokémon Colosseum
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Jak II
Jak II
Darksiders
Darksiders
Alice: Madness Returns
Alice: Madness Returns
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Jak 3
Jak 3
Killing Floor 2
Killing Floor 2
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Dante's Inferno
Dante's Inferno
Brütal Legend
Brütal Legend
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Darksiders II
Darksiders II
Prototype 2
Prototype 2
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Killer7
Killer7
Doom 3
Doom 3
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Thief
Thief
God Hand
God Hand
NieR
NieR
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Black
Black
Ratchet: Deadlocked
Ratchet: Deadlocked
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Drakengard
Drakengard
The Darkness II
The Darkness II
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks
Manhunt
Manhunt
Killing Floor
Killing Floor
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Drakengard 3
Drakengard 3
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Lollipop Chainsaw
Lollipop Chainsaw
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark
Dino Crisis
Dino Crisis
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Killzone 2
Killzone 2
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Mortal Kombat: Deception
Mortal Kombat: Deception

2 Comments


1 year ago

Fantastic compilation, thank you!
A couple of suggestions:
- Pokémon Colosseum (much edgier than XD)
- Ratchet: Deadlocked
- Splinter Cell: Double Agent & Conviction
Also, Woodaba makes a great case for GoldenEye: Rogue Agent in this video, which is also the reason why I found this list (in fact, the video mentions most of "my" suggestions).
@Undercover, thanks for the suggestions! I haven't played Ratchet or Rogue Agent, but they def qualify and I actually have played Colosseum and the Splinter Cell games and thought I already had them added, but must have forgotten. It's hard to keep track of 150+ edgy games lmao


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