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

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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