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It's been a long time since I posted 2002, but I finally got around to writing up my favorite games of 2003. This was a surprisingly excellent year for games on nearly every platform. You may be surprised to see some great games omitted or lower on my list than you would expect. But really, it is just a testament to how 2003 was so densely packed with quality. You won't find any PC games on my list, but blame my aging computer and my college budget. And you won't find the Prince anywhere on this list. Blame his lady friend for that one.
10. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - This is not my favorite Bioware RPG like it is for a lot of other fans, but I enjoyed this game quite a bit. The magic has worn off a bit since then, but at the time, nothing was cooler looking than the lightsaber on lightsaber battle in this game.
9. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - No other Zelda games contains a better sense of pure adventure than Windwaker. While many claim the ocean is one of this game’s biggest flaws, I’d argue that it is one of the few things Windwaker really has going for it. While the art style is certainly one of its standout features, there was nothing like sailing into the unknown all alone on a tiny ship. And then they made a game with trains. For shame.
8. Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht - It's the RPG that spawned KOS MOS -- the sexy badass android lady that can destroy an entire fleet of ships with her abs. This is one of the few games on these lists that I dare not go back and replay. For I fear my love for Xenosaga hinged too much on the fantasies I constructed in my head of KOS MOS and her nerdy creator, Shion. People bitch about the length of cutscenes in the Metal Gear Solid series, but most of the cinematics in Xenosaga were nearly full length anime episodes.
7. Beyond Good & Evil - I picked up this game the same day I picked up Freedom Fighters and remember the feeling of "OMFG WHAT ARE THESE GAMES AND WHY ARE THEY SO AWESOME?!?" Beyond Good & Evil is (like another game on my list), a better Zelda game than Zelda. I feel this captured what makes Zelda games awesome, but offered it with a fresh new lens. I love the art, the characters, the world, the story, and of course, the music. I'm still dying to hear more about the sequel to this stunning game.
6. Fire Emblem 7 - I initially scoffed when I first tried this game. Why would I want to play this "strategy" game when I could play a game with real RPG depth like Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre. When I finally got around to playing Fire Emblem, it was the simplicity that impressed me. More so than character stats, it was my brain the helped me win or lose battles. Since characters would permanently die, even the smallest actions in battle were life and death. I loved the challenge, but to this day I still HAAAATTTTEEEE the random stat level up system.
5. Viewtiful Joe - This innovative side-scrolling action game not only gave life to a dieing genre -- it did it in style. And while adding a brilliant visual design might have been enough, the game wowed even more with its clever time mechanics used in combat, platforming, and puzzle solving. This game was unlike anything I had ever played, and it still remains one of my favorite action games of all time. No surprise it's from the brain of Hideki Kamiya.
4. Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner - Much like another game on my list, ZOE2 is a sequel that surpasses its predecessor is nearly every possible way. If you never played, or didn't enjoy, the mediocre original, don't let that stop you from playing one of the finest action games ever made.
3. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness - Disgaea was like a dream come true for me in 2003. Strategy RPGs might be my favorite type of games, and I was disappointed that the genre was somewhat under-represented on consoles at the time. The story and the characters are genuinely hilarious, but the game truly shines because of the insanity of its gameplay. The battles take place on a grids much like Final Fantasy Tactics, but players are able to stack units on top of each other (like... literally) to form giant towers that can then be thrown around the battlefield to obtain better strategic positioning. I haven't played the game since release, but if I remember correctly, each of the game's hundreds of items contains its own dungeon, the max unit level is 9,999, and you have to go to court to see if the judges deem you worthy to rank up (or just fight them if they disagree with you). It's certainly bizarre, but the irreverence towards genre conventions is what makes Disgaea so memorable. BLUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! YEEEELLLLLOOOOOOOWWW!!!! Never forget...
2. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - Just ten more kills. Ten more kills and I'm sure I'll get that sweet, sweet Soul. Fuck! Okay, ten more. The sub-system of obtaining the soul, and therefore ability, from every enemy encountered in Aria of Sorrow made me question my belief that Symphony of the Night could never be bested. Soul absorption made Aria and its DS sequel possibly the most addictive Castlevanias ever.
1. Dark Cloud 2 - Before Level 5 struck gold with Dragon Quest, Inazuma, and Professor Layton, they were an under-appreciated Japanese developer responsible for one of my favorite games of the entire decade. Dark Cloud 2 is one of those rare sequels so good, I often recommend people skipping the first game in the series. It is simply one of the largest, most content rich, and addictive RPGs I have ever played. It was overshadowed by Windwaker and other high profile RPGs and action adventure games released in 2003, but Dark Cloud 2 bests them all. I never actually finished the game, but that is a sad story I've told too many times before.
Honorable Mentions:
Freedom Fighters - An amazing and underrated gem.
Guilty Gear X2 - Creative character designs with amazing weapons and fighting styles.
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge - I love this game; and it's a shame Dark Void had to be so meh.
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising - I loved it like I love most games in this series. But it is off my list for more interesting choices. And Colin is stupidly broken.
Culdcept - Monopoly meets Magic the Gathering. Kinda brilliant.
Downhill Domination - Under-appreciated gem. Would love a sequel.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - A true fan understands.
Final Fantasy X-2 - Still has one of the best RPG battle systems ever.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly - One of the scariest games of all time.
Comments
13 years, 6 months ago
Some of the greatest games ever right there. Good on ya man.
13 years, 6 months ago
Good list, surprised that there was no mention of Ratchet and Clank 2: Going Commando. But like you said, so many good games came out in 2003.
Really enjoyed the read, can't wait for your 2004 list.
13 years, 6 months ago
Good to see this list returning after so long. One of these days you ought to go back and sit down with Dark Cloud 2 again.
13 years, 6 months ago
Awesome list i love Xensage, zone of the enders and Dark Cloud 2 i still wish i had the games.
Also i'm glad u put Freedom fighters as an honorable mentions i've always wanted a sequel to that game.
13 years, 6 months ago
From 2002 to 2006 was sort of the dark ages of gaming for me mostly because I was stuck in a 48 hour a week office job that literally curtailed my gaming to very little to none. I think the games I was still playing were Ultima Online, Neverwinter Nights,Morrowind, an occasional Smack down game. It wasn't till the 360 and the PS3 came out that my interest in gaming spiked.
13 years, 6 months ago
I'm happy I'm not the only person who enjoyed the return of the king video game lol. I remember bringing my system all the way over the my aunt's house just to play it lmfao. It's not the greatest game, but it certainly is worth mentioning :D
Also, I'm surprised you put Wind Waker on the list. So many people hate on that game because of the sailing mechanic. That's by far my favorite part of not only Wind Waker, but any game in general. Sailing across the ENTIRE map in wind waker with absolutely no loading screens at all is simply amazing. Wind Waker is still my favorite zelda game to this day.
13 years, 6 months ago
Ugh. I actually got dark cloud 2 here in my gaming shelve. Now I feel kinda guilty for never playing it :C I will get right to it this weekend.
13 years, 6 months ago
Knights of the Old Republic is my Favorite game ever so far, but looking at this list, I think that might change. I was surprised that Viewtiful Joe made it. Can't wait for 2004 list never the less.
13 years, 6 months ago
Can't believe you liked Fire Emblem, but agreed. It's great because of it's simplicity but the random stat growths is terrible. There are times when I never got a single point in a specific stat for many levels.
Don't see why people hated the ocean in wind waker, filling out the Ocean map wasn't painful and you get to see the different islands.
13 years, 6 months ago
oh god yes, I'm so glad you mentioned The Lord of The Rings : The Return of the King
13 years, 6 months ago
Man up Brad!! Break through the sting of that over written save and beat one of your favorite games. =\
Remember how much fun you had playing Dark Cloud 2. Remember getting the robot the first time and beating that annoying elephant of Flotsams. Reeeemmeeemmbbeeerrr!
13 years, 6 months ago
Great list Brad, really gotta get around to playing Dark Cloud 2 :)
13 years, 6 months ago
Agreed with Freedom Fighters, I remember how awesome that game was, I so wish they would make a sequel. I also played Return of the King, and whilst my disc was corrupted so I couldn't get past the level with the trees and the one with the ghosts, it was still a great game.
13 years, 6 months ago
very good list. i forget how long ago certain games come out.
Aria of sorrow I got to play that a few months ago. That was a fun game. Really prefer the style of that game then its sequal though I find the sequal more fun to play though with julious mode. (its funny how flexible Alucard feels in that game even though he's limited to how he was in symphony)
I may of said this before but I still feel Wind Waker would be my favorite zelda if there was an item that could make your boat faster. like a moter or something. or a hidden song to make a tornado in your sail and make it go hella fast. everything else about WW is great, its just the slowness of the sailing that kills a lot of it for me.
and wow at the idea its been 7 years since viewtiful joe came out. I still think that game should get an HD remake for the ps3 and xbox. probably sell well, given the style and that indie feel of them, plus just being great games.
13 years, 6 months ago
I agree with you on Freedom Fighters, it was an amazing game, with a sick soundtrack also from what I remember. Ultimately it didn't make my top 10 because it had some stiff competition and I it was a little on the short side.
My Top 10 (in no order)
LoZ: Wind Waker - Gamecube - Nintendo took a risk and it paid off in a big way.
Silent Hill 3 - PS2 - My favorite entry in the Silent Hill series.
Mario and Luigi - Superstar Saga - An amazingly fun lighthearted rpg.
Virtua Fighter 4 - Evolution - Took everything I love about VF4 and added to it.
Panzer Dragon Orta - Xbox - Probably one of my top 3 original xbox games.
Wario Ware (original) - GBA - Was blown away by how much fun I had with this.
F-Zero GX - Gamecube - Bittersweet relationship with this one. Too damn hard.
Otogi: Myth of Demons - XBOX - Underrated action title. A tad difficult though.
Soul Calibur 2 - Gamecube - Was so hyped for this, the last amazing SC game.
Max Payne 2 - PC - Amazing sequel, live up to the hype
It was a great, great year. But also contained some of my biggest letdowns such as Deus Ex 2, Final Fantasy X-2 and of course Devil May Cry 2. 2004 is a probably the most jampacked blockbuster year in gaming history so that will be an exciting list for sure. Very much looking forward to it.
13 years, 6 months ago
I think GTA Vice City earned a place on the honorable mentions list but since You dont like the GTA series that much to my understanding thats fine :D Dark Cloud FTW
13 years, 6 months ago
wind waker, knights of the old republic, viewtiful joe and advance wars 2
yessss
13 years, 6 months ago
Ah Xenosage. I actually played through all of the first two games and got halfway through the third. I still regret never finishing the third one, though there's so much "story" going on the series, I don't think I can just start it up again and understand what the hell is going on anymore.
I also need to play Dark Cloud 2 soon. I've literally have it within arm reach and I still haven't played more than the first battle in the game yet.
No DMC2? :o
I kid, I kid.
13 years, 6 months ago
I'm glad that you have LoTR: Return of the King in the honorable mentions. I loved those games.
13 years, 6 months ago
I love your list, sadly i haven't played even HALF of those games, but i do like that you mention fatal frame 2 and final fantasy x-2 <3
13 years, 6 months ago
I'm not too familiar with the exact games of 2003 but i do like a lot of the games, Kotor, castlevania, and windwaker especially. xenosaga seems worthy as well. Wish i could have played fatal frame tho, but ill get around to it.
13 years, 6 months ago
I never got the bitching about cutscene length in Xenosaga. There's about 8 hours worth in total, which might sound like a lot, but that covers pretty much every story sequence in the game (as they're all fully animated) and it still accounts for less than 1/4 of the average time it takes to beat. That's no more really than the amount of time spent pressing 'X' through the story scenes in the majority of other rpgs, most of which don't even give you the luxury to skip them should you die on a boss or something. Relatively speaking, the balance of cutscenes to gameplay is still no where near as disproportioned as it is in the Metal Gear Solid series.
13 years, 6 months ago
I believe it's supposed to be "nothing LIKE sailing into the unknown," in the Wind Waker paragraph. Nice list though most of it goes unknown to me. Might try and ebay a few.
13 years, 6 months ago
The 'magic' of Viewtiful Joe was lost on me. Maybe it's because I played the PS2 version, or because I played it five years after it came out, but I didn't see what all the fuss was about.
13 years, 6 months ago
A great list with some high quality games on it, sadly I've only gotten around to playing Zone of the Enders: 2nd Runner, Aria of Sorrow and part of Beyond Good and Evil. I really need to get me hands on some of these and play through them for the first time. Although I've never really been a fan of the Fire Emblem and Disegaea games
13 years, 6 months ago
The first Dark Cloud was the first game that I got for my ps2 but I never got past the first cave thing. I never wanted to use the sword I found because the weapons in that game can break. Seeing the sequel as number 1 on your list makes me want to give the series another shot.
13 years, 6 months ago
Dark Cloud 2 is one of my favorite games of all time. Definitely in my Top 10.
I wish Level-5 would make a sequel. White Knight Chronicles was tremendously disappointing.
13 years, 6 months ago
I abslolutely love Fire Emblem 7. And I'm personally suprised Viewtiful Joe made the list, though I love the game, I did not expect it to get the 5th spot. Kindanice.
13 years, 6 months ago
Meh, for a game u didnt even finish u are sure praising it like a motherfucker!
13 years, 6 months ago
Dark Cloud 2 that is
13 years, 6 months ago
yes i agree fatal frame 2 was fucking scary as hell i originally played it before the first one cause i saw clips of the first one as my brother and his gf (now his wife) played it when i was like 12 and i have to say after playing both...nothing...nothing can beat the random popping out of the first one...but the fucking twins...the twins!!! and sae running incident...omg i was sooo scared i made my bf at the time play it and he almost threw the control through the screen with the random twins popping up, wasn't in the walk-through guide either... i still love both games and crimson butterfly was an awesome first try from project zero after they took on fatal frame series...but 3 depressed me. oh well here's hoping for more right?
13 years, 6 months ago
A very good list. It made me crave a replay of many of them, especially Beyond Good and Evil as i have fond memories of that game. It also made me quite ashamed that i picked up Freedom Fighters in a 4 ps2 games for £20 deal a few years ago and have still not got round to playing it. But as im now reminded about it i shall make it a mission to play it this month when i have a break from playing recent games.
13 years, 6 months ago
This is the wrong list to put Dark Cloud 2 on top, it should be Greatest Games of all time
13 years, 6 months ago
Nice list Brad.
13 years, 6 months ago
Ah, Dark Cloud 2. I never finished it either, but by the gods, that game was just wonderful. I actually got that along side Shadow of the Colossus sometime after it's release. 2006, I guess? Eh, doesn't matter. I love the combat in that game and the characters, while young, are likable. Not to mention the utterly addictive, addictive mini-games. The upgrading system, I was completely in love with. It just has so much to it.
2003 was kind of a shit year for me, so it was a while before I was able to play most of them. The only one I got to play that year was FFX-2. Which I loved. It was the first, essentially, turn based RPG I'd played since the PS1. And my first Final Fantasy. Story line is certainly urg, but damn. That gameplay.
And I really need to play that Disgaea game. More damage, more levels, JUST ONE MORE TURN!
13 years, 6 months ago
Lol! I didnt know xenosaga had a german title in the us, always thought that was unique to the german speaking countries. But i guess the japenese people think the german language sounds cool, like all the many games out of japan suggest..
13 years, 6 months ago
Yes, yes and yes again to Dark Cloud 2. Once again, you are right.
13 years, 6 months ago
A solid list from Brad, tho the drastic lean towards Japanese game design is a little odd. I feel Brad may have fallen too deep down this particular rabbit hole.
13 years, 6 months ago
Freedom Fighters is a very good game, elevated by an awesome (in the exact sense of the word) soundtrack. I'd love to see I/O tackle it on a modern system, boosting the size of the participating fighters and battlefields. The ending to FF was very open for a sequel after all.
13 years, 6 months ago
Great to see Fire Emblem 7 up there, great list overall Brad.
13 years, 6 months ago
I love Disgaea so much. I basically like most of the Nippon Ichi titles that I have played specifically Disgaea and Makai Kingdom. Phantom Brave was alright too but it doesn't even compare to Disgaea/MK in my book. I meant to try La Pucelle as well but never really got around to it.