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.

Wanted: Dead
Wanted: Dead
Evil West
Evil West
Soulstice
Soulstice
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal
Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry 5
Doom
Doom
Hatred
Hatred
Killing Floor 2
Killing Floor 2
Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta 2
Watch Dogs
Watch Dogs
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
Thief
Thief
Drakengard 3
Drakengard 3
Killer Is Dead
Killer Is Dead
Ride to Hell: Retribution
Ride to Hell: Retribution
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
DmC: Devil May Cry
DmC: Devil May Cry
Dishonored
Dishonored
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil 6
Darksiders II
Darksiders II
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line
Lollipop Chainsaw
Lollipop Chainsaw
Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3
Prototype 2
Prototype 2
The Darkness II
The Darkness II
Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Shadows of the Damned
Shadows of the Damned
Alice: Madness Returns
Alice: Madness Returns
Infamous 2
Infamous 2
Hunted: The Demon's Forge
Hunted: The Demon's Forge
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
NieR
NieR
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
God of War III
God of War III
Dante's Inferno
Dante's Inferno
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Dark Void
Dark Void
Darksiders
Darksiders
Rogue Warrior
Rogue Warrior
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Bayonetta
Bayonetta
Brütal Legend
Brütal Legend
Wet
Wet
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Prototype
Prototype
Infamous
Infamous
Damnation
Damnation
Bionic Commando
Bionic Commando
Killing Floor
Killing Floor
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5
Killzone 2
Killzone 2
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
Sonic Unleashed
Sonic Unleashed
Castlevania Judgment
Castlevania Judgment
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 2
Resistance 2
Resistance 2
Legendary
Legendary
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Golden Axe: Beast Rider
Golden Axe: Beast Rider
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
Hellboy: The Science of Evil
Hellboy: The Science of Evil
Alone in the Dark
Alone in the Dark
Ninja Gaiden II
Ninja Gaiden II
Dark Sector
Dark Sector
Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4
No More Heroes
No More Heroes
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Manhunt 2
Manhunt 2
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Heavenly Sword
Heavenly Sword
The World Ends with You
The World Ends with You
The Darkness
The Darkness
Persona 3 FES
Persona 3 FES
God of War II
God of War II
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Gears of War
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
God Hand
God Hand
Bomberman: Act Zero
Bomberman: Act Zero
Bullet Witch
Bullet Witch
Black
Black
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Perfect Dark Zero
Perfect Dark Zero
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow the Hedgehog
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Ratchet: Deadlocked
Ratchet: Deadlocked

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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