Nostalgic video games from the 2000s to remember

Playing video games has been part of people's everyday lives for a couple of decades. At the turn of the millennium, games gradually started to become more realistic. Gaming in general got a big boost, for example with the rise of game consoles.

Many people will remember how certain games looked and felt incredibly cool in the 2000s. If you compare them to today, you can't help but laugh, because games today are already ultra-realistic looking in parts.

There are plenty of nostalgic hit games from the early 2000s to the present day, and some of them are still worth playing today. Some of them have also been updated to newer versions.

Counter Strike 1.6 (2003)

The most nostalgic version of the Counter Strike series is definitely CS 1.6, which started the incredible success of CS in the gaming market.

In a tactical FPS game, skill and a keen eye for detail play a major role among successful players.

Many will remember the legendary maps of 1.6. One of them, Tuscan, was recently remastered and brought to CS:GO.

Today, CS is the world's most popular game in the eSports market, and CS:GO is a very common sight in the betting world as well - with odds betting being one of the most popular ways to bet on the outcome of CS:GO.

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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)

Grand Theft Auto is one of the world's most famous game series. GTA has an extensive history, with the most notable game of the 2000s being GTA: San Andreas.

The game is set in locations that look like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco, and features a variety of missions in underworlds. The player gets to virtually act as a criminal in a variety of ways. You'll discover the twisted gang world of Los Santos, the beautiful landscapes of San Fierro and the seedy new casinos of Las Venturas.

The game still has some players, but most of them are now playing the latest version of GTA (GTA V). It is one of the best-selling games of all time.

GTA's other hit games of the 2000s:

• GTA: Vice City (2003)
• GTA IV (2008)

Runescape (2001)

Runescape, more commonly known as Rune, was a hit game in the early 2000s and still has a huge following today.

One of the most iconic games in the MMORPG genre, it is a game that takes you on a journey through a vast medieval fantasy world, developing your own character. There's plenty to do and see in Runescape, including farming RuneScape gold, leveling up skills, and mastering dungeons.

For many Generation Z players, Rune was their first taste of online gaming.

Need for Speed: Underground (2003)

Need for Speed Underground was a very big hit in racing games in the early 2000s.

The game series was revolutionised by the variety of ways you could customise your cars, and the world looked pretty realistic by 21st century standards.

You could really get into the swing of things in a game of NFS's quality. Need for Speed has continued to release games at a rapid pace, with the latest creation being Need for Speed: Unbound (2022).

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)

Modern Warfare, from the hugely popular Call of Duty series, was quite a hit after the mid-2000s.

The fast-paced shooter really got into the war mood. The game featured many different game modes, many of which remain the same to this day.

Call of Duty continues to enjoy massive popularity even today. Warzone's Battle Royale, Call of Duty's latest creation, is hugely popular.

Other nostalgic games of the 2000s

There are plenty of nostalgic games from the 2000s worth mentioning.

The following games will be given honourable mentions:

• Team Fortress 2
• Sid Meier's: Civilization III
• The Sims 2
• Hitman: Codename 47
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic