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.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4
Killer7
Killer7
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
The World Ends with You
The World Ends with You
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
God Hand
God Hand
Ninja Gaiden Black
Ninja Gaiden Black
Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry 5
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City
Persona 3 FES
Persona 3 FES
NieR
NieR
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta 2
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
God of War III
God of War III
God of War II
God of War II
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Max Payne
Max Payne
Ninja Gaiden II
Ninja Gaiden II
Dishonored
Dishonored
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Doom
Doom
No More Heroes
No More Heroes
Bayonetta
Bayonetta
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
F.E.A.R.
F.E.A.R.
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3
Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3
Drakengard 3
Drakengard 3
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Infamous 2
Infamous 2
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Jak 3
Jak 3
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
Shadow Hearts
Shadow Hearts
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2
God of War
God of War
Ratchet: Deadlocked
Ratchet: Deadlocked
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Alice: Madness Returns
Alice: Madness Returns
Legacy of Kain: Defiance
Legacy of Kain: Defiance
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Jak II
Jak II
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Pokémon Colosseum
Pokémon Colosseum
The Punisher
The Punisher
Dino Crisis
Dino Crisis
American McGee's Alice
American McGee's Alice
Gears of War
Gears of War
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
Twisted Metal: Black
Twisted Metal: Black
Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
The Darkness
The Darkness
Lollipop Chainsaw
Lollipop Chainsaw
Postal 2
Postal 2
Infamous
Infamous
Black
Black
Darkwatch
Darkwatch
Sonic Unleashed
Sonic Unleashed
The Darkness II
The Darkness II
Dante's Inferno
Dante's Inferno
Drakengard
Drakengard
Killzone 2
Killzone 2
Manhunt
Manhunt
Shadows of the Damned
Shadows of the Damned
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Darksiders
Darksiders
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Darksiders II
Darksiders II
Mortal Kombat: Deception
Mortal Kombat: Deception
The Suffering
The Suffering
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Killing Floor
Killing Floor

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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