Harindaka's Completed Games List

61. Crysis Warhead

2009-03-09T02:06:00.001-07:00


Developer(s)	Crytek Budapest
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Distributor(s)	Electronic Arts Valve Corporation (Steam)
Engine	An enhanced version of CryEngine 2
Version	Cryis Warhead 1.1.1.710 Crysis Wars 1.3
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	^EU September 12, 2008 ^NA September 16, 2008 Digital download September 18, 2008
Genre(s)	First-person shooter, Action
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: M^[1] PEGI: 16+^[1]

Crysis Warhead is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by video game developer Crytek Budapest and published by Electronic Arts as an expansion to Crysis. Crysis Warhead is a standalone game and does not need Crysis installed to play it. It was released on September 12, 2008 in Europe and September 16, 2008 in North America.

Crysis Warhead updates and refines the gameplay of the original game through a sidestory plot involving Psycho, one of previous protagonist Nomad's allies. The game is a parallel story that follows Sergeant Michael "Psycho" Sykes, a character from the original Crysis, as he faces his own trials and challenges on the other side of the island during the time period of the first game. It features new fully customizable weapons, vehicles and enemies, along with new multiplayer content. It also showcases a new, enhanced and optimized version of CryEngine 2 and is the first game developed by Crytek's Budapest studio.

Crysis Warhead takes place during the events of the original Crysis, on the other side of the island in which the game is set. In the introductory movie, British SAS Sergeant "Psycho" Sykes witnesses a North Korean warship being bombarded by U.S. Navy fighter jets. Leaving the shore, he joins a vehicle convoy driving through the jungle, and defends it as it is attacked by North Korean soldiers. The convoy is destroyed and the Marines fight into the night. The intro ends as the VTOL that tries to evacuate the destroyed convoy's Marines is hit by a missile and crash-lands. Psycho awakes and goes to find a better position for the surviving Marines, but gets attacked by an EMP blast from a container being lifted away by North Korean soldiers. Sykes is later assigned a mission to pursue another North Korean container that JSOC believes contains a nuclear warhead. As the mission progresses, Psycho is reunited with old friend Sean O'Neill who was originally going to be a part of Raptor Team. He was replaced by Nomad after failing an evaluation test. Psycho helps O'Neill after his F-35C jet is shot down and takes him to a VTOL to escape.

60. Devil May Cry 4

2008-10-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

North American box cover
Developer(s)	Capcom
Publisher(s)	Capcom
Designer(s)	Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Producer) Hideaki Itsuno (Director) Yuji Shimomura (Cutscenes)
Series	Devil May Cry
Engine	MT Framework
Native resolution	720p
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360: ^JP January 31, 2008 ^NA February 5, 2008 ^AUS February 7, 2008 ^EU February 8, 2008 Microsoft Windows: ^JP July 24, 2008 ^NA July 8, 2008 ^AUS July 10, 2008 ^EU July 11, 2008
Genre(s)	Hack and slash, Action
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	BBFC: 12 ESRB: M OFLC: M OFLC: M

Devil May Cry 4 is the fourth installment of the Devil May Cry series. It was announced in March 2007 that the game would be released simultaneously for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

In the game, the player controls both Nero, and Dante, the game's protagonist and the series' title character respectively and fights enemies in close combat using firearms, swords, and other weapons. The characters Lady and Trish from previous games in the series make appearances, along with new characters Nero, Kyrie, Credo, Gloria, and Agnus. The game is set after Devil May Cry and before Devil May Cry 2.

The game received generally favorable reviews, receiving an 84% overall rating from Metacritic. GameSpy commented on the gameplay and said that "DMC4 succeeds on many levels with its entertaining gameplay," and commented on the graphics, saying "visually, DMC4 is a dynamo."

59. F.E.A.R. : Perseus Mandate

2008-10-16T22:16:00.001-07:00


Developer(s)	TimeGate Studios
Publisher(s)	Sierra Entertainment
Engine	Lithtech: Jupiter EX
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 (Part of F.E.A.R. Files)
Release date(s)	^NA November 6, 2007 ^AU November 8, 2007 ^EU November 16, 2007
Genre(s)	First-person shooter, Psychological Horror
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: M PEGI: 18+

F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate is a stand-alone expansion pack to the computer game F.E.A.R. The expansion was developed by TimeGate Studios, the same development team behind the first expansion, F.E.A.R. Extraction Point.

The game follows the exploits of a new player character, a member of a secondary F.E.A.R. team sent in to investigate Armacham's Perseus Project. The game takes place during the events of the original F.E.A.R. as well as the Extraction Point expansion pack. New introductions to gameplay include friendly A.I.-controlled characters who fight alongside the player character, as well as a new faction of enemies. It should be noted that the sequel to F.E.A.R., F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, will ignore the events of both expansion packs

58. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

2008-02-29T00:42:00.001-08:00

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a first-person shooter developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows. It is the fourth installment in the Call of Duty video game series (excluding expansions), but the first one to break away from the World War II setting and be set in modern times, and the first game in the series to be rated Mature in North America. The title and game details were announced on April 25, 2007. It was released worldwide between November 6 and November 9, 2007, and became available on Steam on November 6 for pre-purchase, becoming available to play on November 12. A Mac OS X version of the game is scheduled to be released in May 2008. The game has received almost universal praise, winning multiple awards at gaming websites, and has been complimented on its storyline, visual elements, realism, and quality of its multiplayer.

The story is set in a fictional near-future war between the U.S. and Europe against Russian Ultranationalists and Middle Eastern rebels, and features many real-world weapons and vehicles. It is told from the perspective of both a US Marine and an operative of the British SAS, and is set in a variety of locations, including the Middle East, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Chernobyl. Its multiplayer features a variety of game modes and contains a "level/ranking" system, with the player unlocking additional weapons, weapon attachments, and camouflage schemes as they advance.

Developer(s) Infinity Ward
Aspyr (Mac conversion)

Publisher(s) Activision

Series Call of Duty

Engine Proprietary

Version 1.5 / February 1, 2008

Platform(s) Xbox 360, PlayStation 3,
Windows, Mac OS X

Release date Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Windows:
^NA November 6, 2007
^AUS November 7, 2007
^EU November 9, 2007
Mac:
May 2008

Genre(s) Modern First-person shooter

Mode(s) Single player, Multiplayer (Internet/LAN, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network)

Rating(s) ESRB: M (mature) 17+
PEGI: 16+ / (BBFC) 12+ (PS3)/ 15+ (XBOX 360, PC)
OFLC : MA15+

57. Crysis

2008-02-29T00:34:00.001-08:00

Crysis is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game developed by German company Crytek and published by Electronic Arts, and is the first game of a planned trilogy. It was released on November 13, 2007 in North America, November 15 in Australia, November 16 in Europe, November 23 in New Zealand, and November 29 in Japan. Initial NPD sales numbers were taken as a sign that the game had flopped.However, during EA's Q3 2008 Earnings Conference Call, it was stated that Crysis had sold over one million copies worldwide in the fiscal quarter and that the game continues to exceed sales expectations.

Crysis is based in a fictional future where an ancient alien spacecraft has been discovered deep within the Earth.The single player campaign has the player assume the role of United States Delta Force operator Jake Dunn, referred to in-game by his call sign, Nomad. Nomad is armed with various futuristic weapons and equipment, most notably a "Nano Muscle Suit" which, according to Crytek senior game designer Bernd Diemer, was inspired by the United States' Future Force Warrior 2020 program. In Crysis, the player fights both North Korean and extraterrestrial enemies, in four different locations: a tropical island jungle, inside an "Ice Sphere" (consisting of the same jungle, but frozen), the alien ship itself (with a zero-gravity area) and a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Crysis uses Microsoft's new API, Direct3D 10 (DirectX 10) for graphics rendering, and includes the same editor that was used by Crytek to create the game.

Developer(s) Crytek

Publisher(s) Electronic Arts Engine CryENGINE2

Version 1.1 (January 8, 2008)^[1] Platform(s) Windows

Release date November 13, 2007
November 15, 2007
November 16, 2007
November 23, 2007
November 29, 2007

Genre(s) First-person shooter

Mode(s) Singleplayer, Multiplayer Rating(s) ESRB: M
PEGI: 16+
OFLC: MA15+
USK: 18

56. Half-Life 2: Episode Two

2008-02-05T01:44:00.001-08:00

Half-Life 2: Episode Two is the second installment in Valve Corporation's series of episodes for the computer game Half-Life 2.

Continuing with Valve's method of orienting each episode around a particular theme or set of technologies, Episode Two focuses on expansive environments, travel and less linear play. Following the closing events of Episode One, it sees Gordon Freeman and the series' other major players moving away from City 17 to the surrounding wilderness.

Continuing the plot of Half-Life 2 and Episode One, Episode Two consists of seven chapters telling the story of Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance's journey to a large Resistance base called White Forest. After the destruction of the Citadel, the Combine are working to open a massive superportal to call for reinforcements. Combine Advisor pods have been scattered throughout the region. The destruction of the Citadel, as explained by Dr. Kleiner's broadcast in Episode One, has inflicted a portal and communications blackout on Earth-stationed Combine forces, leaving them isolated and disorganized.

Developer(s)
Valve Corporation

Publisher(s)
Valve Corporation

Distributor(s)
EA Distribution
Valve Corporation (Steam)

Engine
Source engine

Platform(s)
PC, PS3, Xbox 360 [1]

Release date
Microsoft Windows
& Xbox 360 (Retail):

USA October 10, 2007 [2]
EUR October 18, 2007
AUS October 25, 2007
Microsoft Windows (Steam):
INT October 10, 2007
PlayStation 3:
AUS November 22, 2007
EUR November 16, 2007
USA December 11, 2007

Genre(s)
Survival Horror
First-person shooter
Scientific Fiction

Mode(s)
Single player

Rating(s)
ESRB: M
BBFC: 15
OFLC: MA15+
PEGI: 16+
USK: 18

55. TimeShift

2008-01-03T01:01:00.001-08:00

TimeShift is a sci-fi, first-person shooter from Vivendi Games for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was developed by Saber Interactive, the same developers behind the game Will Rock, using a new proprietary 3D engine and Havok. A few pieces of Will Rock carry over to TimeShift, from the way gibs are shown, through some of the unique weapon designs, up to the beta suit's AI system (S.S.A.M., resembling "Serious SAM", a favourite of Saber since Will Rock, which carried many similarities). On August 31, 2007 a demo of Timeshift was released on Xbox Live Marketplace. Following this, a PS3 demo was released onto the Playstation Store on November 1, 2007. The game was released on Xbox 360 and PC on October 30, 2007 in the United States; November 1, 2007 in Australia; and November 2, 2007 in Europe.

54. Gears of War

2008-01-03T00:56:00.001-08:00

Gears of War is a tactical third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released for the Xbox 360 as an exclusive title on November 7, 2006 in select stores in the United States, and later broadly released in major U.S. retailers on November 12, 2006. The game was released on November 17, 2006 in Europe outside of Germany, where Microsoft Game Studios did not publish the game after it was denied a rating. A Limited Collector's Edition was also released, which included a disc of bonus content and an art book titled Destroyed Beauty that detailed much of the game's back-story.

The game centers on the soldiers of Delta Squad as they fight to save the human inhabitants of the fictional planet Sera from a relentless subterranean enemy known as the Locust Horde. The player assumes the role of Marcus Fenix, a former prisoner and war-hardened soldier. When in cooperative play, the second player takes control of Fenix's best friend and fellow soldier Dominic Santiago ("Dom").

Gears of War has been highly successful since its release; it sold over three million copies in just ten weeks and was the fastest-selling video game of 2006.A film adaptation is currently in the works, and the game is slated to be the first of a trilogy. At E3 2007 Microsoft confirmed the persistent rumor that Gears of War would be ported over to Windows. The game is a Games for Windows title, and was shipped on November 6, 2007. A Mac OS X release was confirmed by Epic's Mark Rein, speaking on a July 14, 2007 episode of Game Head.

53. Bioshock

2007-11-28T01:25:00.000-08:00

Developer	2K Boston/2K Australia
Publisher	2K Games
Engine	Unreal Engine 3
Released	^NA August 21, 2007^[1] ^EU August 24, 2007^[1] ^AUS August 24, 2007 ^ASIA September 13, 2007^[2] ^JP TBA^[3]
Genre	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player
Ratings	ESRB: Mature (17+)^[4] OFLC: MA15+^[5] BBFC: 18^[6] PEGI: 18+^[7] OFLC (NZ): R16+
Platform(s)	Xbox 360, PC (Windows)^[8]

BioShock is a first-person shooter video game by 2K Boston/2K Australia—previously known as Irrational Games^[10]—designed by Ken Levine. The game is available for the PC and the Xbox 360 video game console.^[8] It was released on August 21, 2007, in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia.^[11]

The game received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and ranks as the sixteenth best video game on Game Rankings based on reviews from critics.^[12]^[13] It was particularly well reviewed in the mainstream press where its "morality-based" storyline, immersive environment and Ayn Rand-inspired dystopian setting were all singled out for praise.^[14] A sequel, while not officially announced, is rumored, following high sales and positive reviews for BioShock.^[15]

Set in an alternative history 1960, the game places the player in the role of a plane crash survivor named Jack, who must explore the underwater Objectivist-dystopian city of Rapture, and survive attacks by the mutated beings and mechanical drones that populate it. The game incorporates elements found in role-playing and survival horror games, and is described by the developers and Levine as a "spiritual successor" to their previous titles in the System Shock series.

52. Medal of Honour : Airborne

2007-11-28T01:20:00.000-08:00

Developer	EALA
Publisher	Electronic Arts
Designer	Rex Dickson
Engine	Unreal Engine 3
Version	1.1 (patch)
Released	PC & Xbox 360: ^NA September 4, 2007 (2007-09-04) ^EU September 7, 2007 (2007-09-07) ^ASIA September 5, 2007 ^AUS September 6, 2007 (2007-09-06) PlayStation 3: ^NA November 21, 2007 ^EU November, 2007 ^ASIA TBA, 2007 ^AUS TBA, 2007
Genre	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Ratings	ESRB: T (Teen) PEGI: 16+
Platform(s)	PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Medal of Honor: Airborne is a World War II first-person shooter computer game and the 11th installment of the Medal of Honor series. It was developed by EA Los Angeles and was released worldwide on the PC and Xbox 360 in early September 2007.^[1] A PlayStation 3 version was released late November 2007.^[2] The game takes place in the European theater of World War II, and is the first in the series to focus on paratrooper activities.

In the single-player mode, the player takes on the role of PFC Boyd Travers, a paratrooper in the US 82nd Airborne Division.^[3] Missions include various insertions into Italy, northern France, the Netherlands and Germany, each one beginning with a jump behind enemy lines, and success requiring completion of given objectives. Airborne also features a multiplayer mode available for online play, where users have the choice of fighting for the Allies and parachuting down to the battlefield, or fighting for the Axis and starting on the ground, defending the position from enemy paratroopers.

The game uses a heavily-modified Unreal Engine 3.^[4] Airborne employs a nonlinear gameplay style whereby the player can start the game anywhere in the map by directing where they land, as opposed to previous linear FPS games where the start point and direction is already laid out, such as Allied Assault.^[5]

51. Prince of Persia : The Two Thrones

2007-11-28T01:17:00.000-08:00

Developer	Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher	Ubisoft
Designer	Kevin Guillemette
Engine	Jade engine
Released	PS2 December 1, 2005 December 2, 2005 June 15, 2006 Xbox, GameCube & PC December 1, 2005 December 9, 2005 Wii & PSP April 3, 2007 April 5, 2007 April 5, 2007
Genre	Action-adventure game
Mode(s)	Single player
Ratings	ESRB: Mature (M) (PlayStation Portable and Wii Versions rated "T" for Teen) OFLC: MA15+ PEGI: 16+
Platform(s)	Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Playstation Portable, Xbox, Wii, Microsoft Windows, Mobile Phone

Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is a video game developed and published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 30, 2005 in North America for the Xbox, Personal computer, PlayStation 2, and the Nintendo GameCube. It was released for PlayStation Portable and the Wii^[1], under the title Prince of Persia: Rival Swords with the Wii version utilizing the motion-sensing functionality of its controller. Following Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, The Two Thrones is the third game in the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time series.

50. Prince of Persia : The Warrior Within

2007-11-28T01:08:00.000-08:00

Developer	Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher	Ubisoft
Designer	Kevin Guillemette
Engine	Jade engine
Released	Playstation 2 and Xbox ^NA December 2, 2004 ^PAL December 3, 2004 Gamecube and PC ^NA December 2, 2004 ^PAL December 3, 2004 Mobile phone ^NA December 21, 2004 PlayStation Portable ^NA December 6, 2005 ^PAL December 16, 2005
Genre	Action-adventure

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is a video game and sequel to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a critically acclaimed game released in 2003. Warrior Within was developed and published by Ubisoft, and released on December 2, 2004 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Windows.

The game picks up where The Sands of Time left off, adding plenty of new features, specifically, options in combat. The Prince (who remains unnamed) now has the ability to wield two weapons at a time as well as the ability to steal his enemies' weapons and throw them. Warrior Within has a much darker tone than its predecessor adding in the ability for the Prince to dispatch his enemies with violent finishing moves. The violence and more adult oriented content landed the game a "Mature" rating from the ESRB.

With the continued success of Prince of Persia, a sequel was made following the same story arc as The Sands of Time and Warrior Within. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones was released on November 30, 2005. A port of the game done by Pipeworks, renamed as Prince of Persia: Revelations, was released on December 6, 2005 for Sony's PlayStation Portable. The port includes additional content including three new areas not available in the original release.

49. Prince of Persia : The Sands of Time

2007-11-28T01:02:00.000-08:00

Developer	Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher	Ubisoft, SCEJ (Japan/Asia)
Designer	Jordan Mechner
Engine	JADE engine^[1]^[2]
Released	PlayStation 2 ^NA November 6, 2003 ^EU November 21, 2003 ^JP September 2, 2004 Xbox ^NA November 12, 2003 ^EU February 20, 2004 Gamecube ^NA November 18, 2003 ^EU February 20, 2004 Game Boy Advance ^NA October 30, 2003 ^EU November 14, 2003 PC ^NA November 30, 2003 ^EU December 5, 2003
Genre	Action/Adventure
Mode(s)	Single player
Ratings	ESRB: Teen (T) OFLC: M PEGI: 12+ (PS2) PEGI: 7+ (GCN, Xbox & GBA) CERO: 12
Platform(s)	Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2, PC (Windows), Game Boy Advance, Mobile Phone

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a third-person action adventure video game published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 6, 2003 and is a continuation of the landmark MS-DOS game series Prince of Persia, created by Jordan Mechner in 1989.

The Sands of Time, developed internally at Ubisoft Montreal, successfully captures the mechanics of the original platformer and extends it to the 3D generation. An earlier attempt by The Learning Company to transfer the game to 3D (Prince of Persia 3D) was released in 1999, but failed to meet the standards set by the franchise. The Sands of Time was praised for its visual design and finely tuned game mechanics, and won several awards.

Developed for the PC, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, and later a 2D version for the Game Boy Advance and mobile phones, The Sands of Time was a major hit. The success of The Sands of Time led to two sequels, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

48. Resident Evil 4

2007-11-28T00:57:00.000-08:00

Developer	Capcom Production Studio 4
Publisher	Capcom (GCN, PS2, Wii) Ubisoft (PC)
Designer	Shinji Mikami (director) Hiroyuki Kobayashi (producer)
Released	GameCube: January 11, 2005 January 27, 2005 March 18, 2005 PlayStation 2: October 25, 2005 November 4, 2005 November 11, 2005 December 1, 2005 PC: March 1, 2007 March 2, 2007 May 15, 2007 June 7, 2007 Wii May 31, 2007 June 19, 2007 June 29, 2007 July 5, 2007^[1]
Genre	Action-adventure Third-person shooter Survival horror
Mode(s)	Single player
Ratings	ESRB: M (Mature) CERO: D (17 and up, censored version) BBFC: 15 USK: 18 PEGI: 18+ OFLC: MA15+
Platform(s)	GCN, Wii, PS2, PC Windows, MP

Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as biohazard 4, is a third-person shooter, published and developed by Capcom. It is the 6th installment in the Resident Evil series. It was released in North America on January 11, 2005 for the Nintendo GameCube, and was later released in Japan on January 27, 2005 and in Europe on March 18, 2005. The game was later ported onto the PlayStation 2 in October 2005, and for the PC and Wii in June 2007. Resident Evil 4 has won numerous game of the year awards.

47. Prey

2007-11-28T00:54:00.000-08:00

Developer	Human Head Studios (PC version) Venom Games (Xbox 360 version) Aspyr Media (Mac version)
Publisher	2K Games, 3D Realms
Engine	Doom 3 (modified)
Released	PC: July 11, 2006 July 14, 2006 Steam: November 30, 2006 Xbox 360: July 11, 2006 July 14, 2006 December 28, 2006
Genre	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Ratings	BBFC: 18 ESRB: Mature (M) OFLC (Australia): MA 15+ OFLC (New Zealand): R16
Platform(s)	PC (Mac OS X, Windows), Xbox 360, Mobile Phones

Prey is a first-person shooter video game developed by Human Head Studios and produced by 3D Realms, using a heavily modified version of the Doom 3 engine. Venom Games is responsible for the Xbox 360 port of the game.

A playable single and multiplayer demo of the game was released on June 22, 2006 for Microsoft Windows, and a downloadable Xbox 360 demo was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace on June 30, 2006. The game went gold on June 28, 2006,^[1] and was released in North America on July 11, 2006 and on July 14, 2006 in Europe.

In October 2006, 3D Realms CEO Scott Miller announced that the game is a commercial success on both PC and Xbox 360 with combined 1 million copies sold worldwide to date.^[2]

On November 29, 2006 Aspyr Media announced a Mac port, which was shipped on January 15, 2007.^[3] ^[4]

On November 30, 2006, Prey was released on Steam for $49.95 US. Previous purchasers of both the retail or downloadable version are able to activate a copy using their existing CD key. Soon after, the price was lowered to $19.95 USD in North America and South America. All other countries retain the same price.

46. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell : Double Agent

2007-11-28T00:46:00.000-08:00

Developer	Ubisoft Shanghai (Version one), Ubisoft Montreal (Version two), Ubisoft Annecy & Milan (Multiplayer & Challenge Mode)
Publisher	Ubisoft
Designer	Chris Smith (Single player for Xbox 360 and Windows), Hugues Martel, Julian Gerighty, Daniel Roy, Mathieu Ferland
Engine	Unreal Engine 2.5 (heavily modified, codename SCX)^[1]
Version	1.02 (December 7, 2006)
Released	Xbox 360 October 17, 2006 October 19, 2006 October 20, 2006 February 22, 2007 PS2, Xbox, and GameCube October 24, 2006 October 26, 2006 October 27, 2006 Windows November 7, 2006 November 9, 2006 November 10, 2006 Wii November 28, 2006 December 22, 2006 PS3 March 29, 2007 March 30, 2007 March 30, 2007
Genre	Stealth-based
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Ratings	ESRB: Mature (M) OFLC: MA 15+ BBFC: 15 PEGI 18+
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows, Mobile

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent is the fourth installment in the Splinter Cell series of video games developed and published by Ubisoft. The series, endorsed by American author Tom Clancy, follows the character Sam Fisher, a "Splinter Cell" employed by a black-ops division of the National Security Agency, dubbed Third Echelon.

Double Agent was released for the Xbox 360 on October 19, 2006. The PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube versions were released on October 26, 2006. The Windows version was released on November 17 and the Wii version on November 28. A PlayStation 3 version was released on March 27, 2007.

Originally the game was set for a March 2006 release, but Ubisoft moved the release date to September 2006 in order to have more development time. Ubisoft then released their fiscal quarter results for Q1 2006 and announced that Splinter Cell Double Agent would be put back at least one month in order to boost Q3 2006 income.

There are actually two separate versions of Double Agent. One version (Version one) was made by Ubisoft Shanghai, who developed Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow and was released on the Xbox 360, Windows, and PlayStation 3. The other version (Version two) was made by Ubisoft Montreal (Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory) and was released for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Wii. The Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/Windows versions feature a completely custom engine while the PS2/Xbox/Wii versions play more like the classic Splinter Cell games. The games share the same general plot but each one features different storylines, plot twists, and levels. Even the levels they share have completely different level designs. They do however, share the same background music and share a few cut scenes.

45. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell : Chaos Theory

2007-11-12T01:46:00.000-08:00

Developer	Ubisoft Montreal (single player & co-op) Ubisoft Annecy (versus)
Publisher	Ubisoft
Series	Splinter Cell
Engine	Unreal Engine 2.5 (which is a heavily modified, codename called SCX)^[1]
Released	Windows, Xbox & PS2 March 31, 2005 April 1, 2005 November 17, 2005 N-Gage March 23, 2005 March, 2005 GameCube March 31, 2005 April 1, 2005 Nintendo DS June 28, 2005 July 1, 2005
Genre	Stealth-based
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Ratings	ESRB: Mature OFLC: MA15+ PEGI: 16+
Platform(s)	Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, NDS, N-Gage, Mobile

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a critically acclaimed third-person stealth-based video game developed and published by Ubisoft. Chaos Theory is the third game in the Splinter Cell series endorsed by writer Tom Clancy. The game follows the covert activities of Sam Fisher, an agent working for a black-ops branch of the NSA called "Third Echelon." Though originally announced for release in Fall of 2004, the actual release date was March of 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube and PC. Handheld versions for the Nintendo DS and Nokia N-Gage have also been released. A version for the Game Boy Advance was planned, but cancelled. The soundtrack for the game—released January 26, 2005 on Ninja tune record label—is composed by the breakbeat artist Amon Tobin. Composer Jesper Kyd, best known for his work on the Hitman third-person stealth shooter series, composed the music for the game's cinematics. Actor Michael Ironside still plays Sam, while Don Jordan returns from the original game to voice Lambert, having been replaced by Dennis Haysbert in Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. The game went gold on March 22, 2005 for all platforms. The Official Xbox Magazine rated Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Xbox "Game of the Year" (2005) for its outstanding gameplay and lifelike graphics. Because this game depicts a war between North and South Korea, it was banned in South Korea, along with many other games, until late 2006. This is the first Splinter Cell game that does not feature an additional level for the PS2, with the nuclear powerplant level in the original, and a jungle level in Pandora Tomorrow.

44. Half Life 2 : Episode 1

2007-11-12T01:29:00.000-08:00

Developer	Valve Corporation
Publisher	Valve Corporation
Distributor	Electronic Arts Worldwide Unalis in Taiwan and Vivendi Universal Games
Engine	Source engine (incl. HDR)
Released	June 1, 2006
Genre	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player
Ratings	ESRB: Mature 17+ OFLC: MA 15+ PEGI: 16+, BBFC: 15 BPjM: 18
Platform(s)	PC (Windows), Xbox 360, PlayStation 3^[1]

Half-Life 2: Episode One is the first of a trilogy of episodes for the 2004 first-person shooter game, Half-Life 2.^[2] It was developed by the Valve Software Corporation and was released on June 1, 2006, receiving a positive critical reaction.^[3] The episode is a stand-alone game; while a continuation of Half-Life 2, it does not require the original game to be installed or registered to a user's Steam account to play. It takes advantage of several major upgrades to the Source engine since the release of Half-Life 2, primarily its high dynamic range rendering capabilities and the upgraded facial animation system.

The episode takes place immediately after the end of Half-Life 2, in and around the war-torn setting of City 17. Episode One continues to follow scientist Gordon Freeman and his companion Alyx Vance as they deal with the events of Half-Life 2 and humanity's continuing struggle against the Combine.

Valve views episodes One through Three as tantamount to a stand alone release, essentially Half-Life 3 divided into three episodes.^[4] Episode One was released together with Half-Life Deathmatch: Source, a port of the original Half-Life's multiplayer, which doubles as Episode One's multiplayer component. The retail copies of Episode One also come with Half-Life 2 Deathmatch for those who have not previously purchased the latter title. Episode One is also available as part of a bundle package known as The Orange Box, which also includes Half-Life 2, Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 and Portal.^[5]

43. Brothers in Arms : Earned in Blood

2007-11-12T00:41:00.000-08:00

Developer	Gearbox Software
Publisher	Ubisoft
Engine	Unreal Engine 2.0
Released	October 4, 2005 (NA)
Genre	Tactical first-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Ratings	ESRB: Mature (M)
Platform(s)	PC, Xbox, Windows, PS2, Mobile phone

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood is a video game and sequel to Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, developed by Gearbox Software.

On May 18, 2005 Ubisoft and Gearbox software announced the next installment of their Brothers in Arms franchise, titled Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood. There had been rumors of a sequel following shortly after the release of Brothers in Arms, but it wasn't officially confirmed until E3. Earned in Blood was released on October 4, 2005 for the PC and Xbox, and on October 26 for the PlayStation 2.

Earned in Blood continues the Brothers In Arms saga as newly-promoted Sergeant Joe "Red" Hartsock (Hartsock was the Corporal of Baker's Fire Team), who was part of the historic Normandy invasion in the previous game. Earned in Blood includes several new multiplayer missions, weapons and vehicles, plus a new co-op skirmish mode. The AI of allies and enemies alike has also been improved considerably in this game, while level designs are more open-ended than the original.

42. Serious Sam 2

2007-11-12T00:37:00.001-08:00

Developer	Croteam
Publisher	2K Games
Engine	Serious Engine 2
Version	2.070
Released	October 11, 2005
Genre	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Ratings	ESRB: Mature (M) OFLC: MA15+ PEGI: 16+ USK: 16+
Platform(s)	PC (Linux, Windows), Xbox

Serious Sam II (or Serious Sam 2) is a science fiction first-person shooter video game released for the PC and Xbox and the sequel to the 2001 computer game Serious Sam. It was designed and developed by Croteam and was released on October 11, 2005. The game was published by 2K Games, a Take-Two Interactive subsidiary.^[2] While the game was originally released only for Windows and the Xbox, a Linux version of the game client and the game's content editor, Serious Editor 2, was later released and is in beta.^[3]

In the single-player campaign, the player assumes the role of hero Sam "Serious" Stone in his adventures against the forces of the extraterrestrial overlord Mental who seeks to destroy humanity. Taking place after the events of Serious Sam: The Second Encounter, Sam travels through various different worlds collecting parts of a medallion in an effort to defeat Mental. He is guided by the Sirian Great Council and receives sporadic aid from the natives of the worlds he visits. The multiplayer mode includes online co-op and deathmatch, the latter having been introduced in a patch.^[4] A 4.5/5.0 was awarded to Serious Sam by Computer Gaming World, though overall the game received moderate praise from the media, earning an average of 75% on Game Rankings.^[5]^[6]

Croteam simultaneously developed Serious Engine 2, the successor to their previous game engine, Serious Engine, for use in the game, and the engine is capable of many features of other advanced game engines of the time including high dynamic range rendering and light bloom.^[7] The engine supports integration with both Xfire and GameSpy Arcade for multiplayer match finding. Serious Sam II is the only game to use the proprietary engine, and no other developers have announced intentions to license it.

41. Half Life 2

2007-11-12T00:28:00.000-08:00

Developer	Valve Corporation
Publisher	~~Vivendi Universal Games~~ (expired) ^INT Valve Corporation (Steam) Electronic Arts
Distributor	^INT Electronic Arts (Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3) ^TW Unalis (Win) ^JP Cyberfront (Win) ^RUS ~~Soft Club~~ (Win) (expired) ^RUS Buka (Win)
Engine	Source engine
Released	^NA November 16, 2004 (Win) ^INT November 16, 2004 (Steam) ^EU November 25, 2004 (Win) ^AU December 21, 2004 (Win) ^NA November 15, 2005 (Xbox) October 10, 2007 (Xbox 360) ^INT November 13, 2007 (PS3)
Genre	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player
Ratings	ESRB: M (Mature) 17+ BBFC: 15 OFLC: MA 15+ PEGI: 16+ PEGI: 15+ (FI) USK: 18+ RUS: No rating
Platform(s)	PC (Windows), Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Half-Life 2 (commonly abbreviated to HL2) is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game that is the sequel to Half-Life. It was developed by the Valve Software Corporation and was released on November 16, 2004, following a protracted five-year development cycle^[1] during which the game's source code was leaked to the Internet.^[2] The game garnered near unanimous positive reviews and received critical acclaim,^[3]^[4]^[5] winning over 35 Game of the Year awards for 2004.^[6] Originally available only for Windows-based personal computers, the game has since been ported onto the Xbox and Xbox 360 console, and is also due to be released for the PlayStation 3 in late 2007.^[7]

Taking place in and around the fictional City 17, Half-Life 2 follows the scientist Gordon Freeman. Dr. Freeman is thrust into a dystopian environment in which the aftermath of the Black Mesa Incident has come to bear fully upon human society. Freeman is forced to fight against increasingly unfavorable odds in order to survive. In his struggle, he is joined by various allies, including former Black Mesa colleagues, oppressed citizens of City 17, and the Vortigaunts.

The game uses the Source game engine, which includes a heavily modified version of the Havok physics engine.^[8] Half-Life 2 has been critically acclaimed for advances in computer animation, sound, narration, computer graphics, artificial intelligence (AI) and physics. As of June 8, 2006, over four million copies of Half-Life 2 have been sold.^[9] Exact numbers for digital delivery service Steam and retail have not been revealed, but in general, the former accounts for 25% of Valve's business and is significantly more profitable per unit.^[10]^[11] Overall, the Half-Life franchise, including Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat, has sold over 20 million units.

40. Call of Duty 2

2007-11-05T02:04:00.000-08:00

Developer(s)	Infinity Ward
Publisher(s)	Activision, Aspyr Media, Konami
Series	Call of Duty
Engine	In-house engine by Infinity Ward.^[1]
Release date(s)	Windows ^NA October 25, 2005 ^EU October 25, 2005 Xbox 360 ^NA November 15, 2005 ^EU November 25, 2005 ^JP June 15, 2006 Mac OS X ^NA June 13, 2006
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer, Xbox Live
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T) PEGI: 16+ USK (Germany): 18+
Platform(s)	Windows, Xbox 360, Mac OS X, Mobile phone, Pocket PC/Smartphone

Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter video game and sequel to the critically acclaimed game Call of Duty. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It was released on October 25, 2005 for PC and November 15, 2005 for the Xbox 360. The game takes place during World War II and features three campaigns, where the player takes the role of a soldier in either the Red Army, the British Army, or the United States Army. Other versions of the game have been released for mobile phones and Pocket PC.

The game was met with a positive public reception, receiving mostly positive reviews from critics.^[2]^[3] The Xbox 360 version sold over 250,000 copies in its first week, and had sold 1.4 million copies by October 2006.^[4]^[5]

The console-only sequel to Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 3, was released in November 2006.^[6] This will be followed by Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

39. Quake 4

2007-11-05T01:56:00.000-08:00

Developer(s)	Raven Software, id Software
Publisher(s)	Activision, Aspyr Media, 1C Company
Engine	Doom 3 Engine (id Tech 4)
Latest version	1.4.2 Patch 1.4.2 Demo
Release date(s)	October 18, 2005 (Windows) October 20, 2005 (Linux) November 22, 2005 (Xbox 360) April 5, 2006 (Mac)
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	BBFC: 18 ESRB: M (Mature) OFLC (Australia): MA 15+ OFLC (New Zealand): R16 PEGI: 18+ USK: 16+ (censored version)
Platform(s)	PC (Linux, Mac OS X, Windows), Xbox 360

Quake 4 is the fourth title in the series of Quake FPS computer games. It was developed by Raven Software and distributed by Activision. Raven Software has collaborated with id Software, the creators and usual developers of Quake games in the past. In this case, id Software supervised the development of the game as well as providing the Doom 3 engine, now referred to as 'id Tech 4', upon which it was built. Quake 4 went gold in early October 2005 and was released on October 18, 2005 for the PC, and later for the Xbox 360 and the Apple Macintosh. A special DVD Collectors Edition also exists, including promotional material and the game Quake II with its expansions. The Xbox 360 version of Quake 4 is based on the Special Collectors Edition, and therefore also includes Quake II.

Plotwise, the game is a sequel to Quake II. However, Quake II and Quake 4, do not share story lines with Quake or Quake III Arena; their only relation is their names and logos.

38. The Chronicles of Riddick : Escape From Butcher Bay

2007-11-05T01:48:00.000-08:00

Developer(s)	Starbreeze Studios Tigon Studios
Publisher(s)	Vivendi Universal Games
Engine	Starbreeze Engine (Proprietary)
Latest version	1.1 (PC)
Release date(s)	Xbox June 1, 2004 August 13, 2004 PC December 3, 2004 December 8, 2004
Genre(s)	First-person action, Stealth
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: Mature (M) PEGI: 16+
Platform(s)	Xbox PC

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is a video game developed by the Swedish developers Starbreeze Studios set before the events of the movies Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick. The Xbox version was released at the same time as the movie in June 2004 and a Windows version was released later that year in December. There is also a special x64 version of the game available.

The likeness and voice of the movie's star, Vin Diesel, are also used for the game's main character, Richard B. Riddick. The game surprised many gamers, as most movie-to-game translations are poorly received by reviewers and fans alike, relying on their license to sell. Escape from Butcher Bay, on the other hand, received a good deal of critical acclaim, and was generally viewed as a very accomplished and innovative experience. Reviewers often commented that Butcher Bay was actually better than the accompanying movie.^[1]

The video game website GameSpot gave the game considerable praise, saying it has "the best single-player action in a first-person game on the Xbox" (at the time of writing), and was "one of the best action games available" at the time of release.^[2] They also said it was "one of the best PC action games of the year". The game received a 'superb' score of 9.3 out of 10 on both platforms, though "enhanced visuals and exclusive extras make the PC version even better than the Xbox original".^[3]

37. Medal of Honour : Pacific Assault

2007-11-05T01:38:00.000-08:00

Developer(s)	Singleplayer EALA Multiplayer TKO Software
Publisher(s)	EA Games
Engine	EALA's own MOH tech (modified LithTech Jupiter) and Havok physics
Release date(s)	DVD: November 2, 2004 CD: November 9, 2004
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T), PEGI: 16+
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows

Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault is the 7th installment of the Medal of Honor series. It was developed by EA Games for the PC. This edition puts the player in the role of Pvt. Thomas Conlin, a U.S. Marine in the Pacific Theater of Operations in World War II. It also uses the Havok physics engine. Levels include the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the Makin Island Raid, the Guadalcanal Campaign, and the Battle of Tarawa. The game is primarily a First-Person Shooter, with the exception of one level in which the player flies a SBD Dauntless in the middle of a dog fight. The game's timeline is set in the earlier stages of the war beginning with Boot Camp and pre-December 7th Pearl Harbor (1940-1941), and ending with the Battle of Tarawa (1943).

The game has been released worldwide, with both a standard CD edition and a special Director's Edition DVD, which includes some bonus features and historical movies.

36. Punisher

2007-11-05T01:29:00.000-08:00

The Punisher is a fictional vigilante and anti-hero in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr. and Ross Andru, he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (Feb. 1974).

The Punisher is a vigilante who considers murder, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence and torture to be acceptable crime fighting tactics. Driven by the deaths of his wife and children, who were killed by the mob when they witnessed a gangland execution in New York City's Central Park, Frank Castle wages a one-man war on the mob and all criminals in general by using all manner of weaponry. A war veteran, Castle is a master of martial arts, stealth tactics, hand to hand combat, spatial planning and a wide variety of weapons.

The Punisher's brutal nature and willingness to kill made him a novel character in mainstream American comic books in 1974. By the late 1980s, he was part of a wave of psychologically troubled anti-heroes and was featured in several monthly publications, including The Punisher War Journal, The Punisher War Zone, and The Punisher Armory. Two movie adaptations have been released, one in 1989, which featured Dolph Lundgren as The Punisher, and another in 2004, with the character played by Thomas Jane.

35. Pariah

2007-11-05T01:24:00.000-08:00

Developer(s)	Digital Extremes
Publisher(s)	Groove Games
Designer(s)	James Schmalz
Engine	Unreal Engine 2.5
Release date(s)	May 3, 2005
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Mature (M)
Platform(s)	Windows, Xbox

Pariah is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Digital Extremes, co-developers of the Unreal franchise. It was released on May 3, 2005 for Windows and Xbox. It uses a modified version of the Unreal engine and the Havok physics engine. A demo featuring the multiplayer portion of the game was released half a month before the game.

Pariah features standard first-person shooter gameplay, largely influenced by the Unreal franchise, particularly Unreal 2 (whose game engine Pariah is based on). Both the single-player and multi-player game feature drivable vehicles that may be used in combat.

The game's most unique feature is the use of collectible Weapon Energy Cores with which to upgrade the player's weapons, giving them additional features and greater power. Each weapon in the game can be upgraded a total of 3 times.

34. Mortyr 2

2007-11-05T01:15:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that five years have passed since the original Mortyr came out. It's even harder to believe that after the chilly reception the awful original received half a decade ago, somebody decided to fund, design, program, and release a sequel. Now brace yourself for the really hard to believe part: The result isn't all bad. Let's qualify that. For a game from the same people who brought you such memorable stinkpots as Mortyr and the transcendentally lousy Sniper: Path of Vengeance, Mortyr 2 is actually a semi-competent piece of work. As far as budget-priced shooters go, you could do a lot worse...like choosing any of Mirage Interactive's previous games, for instance.

33. Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30

2007-11-05T01:11:00.000-08:00

Developer(s)	Gearbox Software
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Engine	Unreal Engine 2.0
Release date(s)	March 1, 2005 (Xbox) March 15, 2005 (PC) March 15, 2005 (PS2)
Genre(s)	Tactical first-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Mature (M)
Platform(s)	PC (Windows), Xbox, PS2

Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is a first-person shooter video game created by Gearbox Software for the PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. It is published by Ubisoft and was released in early 2005. The game takes place during World War II and focuses on team strategy rather than the faster paced run and gun tactics of the Medal of Honor series.

Brothers in Arms was developed specifically to take advantage of Microsoft's Xbox Live online gaming service.

On Thursday, February 24, 2005, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 went gold and was shipped the following week. The Xbox version arrived at stores on March 1 and the PS2 and PC versions released later on March 15.

Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 was also used to re-create scenarios in a 2005 History Channel special, also titled Brothers in Arms

32. Halo : Combat Evolved

2007-11-05T00:17:00.000-08:00

Developer(s)	Bungie Studios Gearbox Software (Windows port) MacSoft Games (Mac port)
Publisher(s)	Microsoft Game Studios
Series	Halo series
Engine	Halo engine (Proprietary)
Release date(s)	Xbox ^NA November 15, 2001^[1] ^EU March 14, 2002^[2] ^JPN April 24, 2002^[2] ^AU March 14, 2002^[3] Microsoft Windows ^NA September 30, 2003^[4] ^EU October 10, 2003 Mac OS X ^NA December 3, 2003^[5]
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer, cooperative
Rating(s)	ESRB Mature (M) OFLC MA 15+ CERO C
Platform(s)	Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X

Halo: Combat Evolved (or, more commonly, Halo or Halo 1) is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. The first game of the Halo series, it was released on November 15, 2001 as a launch title for the Xbox gaming system,^[1] and is considered that platform's "killer application".^[6] With more than five million copies sold worldwide, Halo is second only to its sequel, Halo 2, in sales for the console.^[7] Microsoft released versions of the game for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X in 2003, and the surrounding storyline was adapted and elaborated into a series of novels.

In Halo's twenty-sixth century setting, the player assumes the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced "SPARTAN" super-soldier. The player is accompanied by Cortana, an artificial intelligence who occupies the Master Chief's neural interface. Players battle various aliens on foot and in vehicles as they attempt to uncover the secrets of the eponymous Halo, a ring-shaped structure. The game has been called "easy to learn",^[8] and has been praised for its "engaging story".^[9]

Game magazines have ranked Halo among the best^[10] and most important^[11] games of all time. Other reviewers criticized the game for repetitive levels and the lack of online multiplayer play in the Xbox release. The game's popularity has led to labels such as "Halo clone"^[12] and "Halo killer", applied respectively to games either similar to or anticipated to be better than it.^[13]^[14] In addition, the game inspired and was used in the fan-created Red vs. Blue video series, which is credited as the "first big success" of machinima^[15] — the technique of using real-time 3D engines, often from video games, to create animated films.

31. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell : Pandora Tomorrow

2007-11-05T00:10:00.000-08:00

Developer(s)	Ubisoft Shanghai (single player) Ubisoft Annecy (multiplayer)
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Series	Splinter Cell
Engine	Unreal Engine 2.0
Release date(s)	Xbox March 23, 2004 March 26, 2004 April 7, 2005 Windows March 23, 2004 April 2, 2004 Game Boy Advance March 24, 2004 March 26, 2004 Mobile April 14, 2005 PlayStation 2 June 11, 2004 June 15, 2004 April 7, 2005 GameCube July 20, 2004 July 30, 2004
Genre(s)	Stealth-based
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESBR: Teen PEGI: 12+
Platform(s)	Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, GBA, Mobile

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is a third-person stealth-based video game developed and published by Ubisoft Shanghai, while Ubisoft Montreal, creator of the original Splinter Cell, was working on Chaos Theory. Pandora Tomorrow is the second game in the Splinter Cell series endorsed by writer Tom Clancy. The game follows the covert activities of Sam Fisher, an agent working for a black-ops branch of the NSA called "Third Echelon." The character, Sam Fisher, is voiced by Michael Ironside. Dennis Haysbert, best known for his role as David Palmer on the television show 24 is the voice for the character Irving Lambert, Fisher's boss, making this the only time he is not voiced by Don Jordan. Lalo Schifrin provides the theme music for the game. The game has been translated to several languages for international distribution. Pandora Tomorrow was entitled Shadow Strike [1] during its development.

30. Call of Duty

2007-11-05T00:06:00.000-08:00

Developer(s)	Infinity Ward
Publisher(s)	Activision
Series	Call Of Duty
Engine	Quake III Arena
Latest version	1.5b
Release date(s)	^NA October 29, 2003^[1] ^EU November 7, 2003 ^JP December 18, 2003
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	BBFC: 15 ESRB: Teen (T) USK: Not free for minors
Platform(s)	Windows, Mac OS X, N-Gage

Call of Duty (released October 29, 2003) is a first-person shooter video game based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine. This war game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game was published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward.^[2] It was accompanied in September 2004 by an expansion pack, Call of Duty: United Offensive, which was produced by Activision, and developed by Gray Matter Interactive, with contributions from Pi Studios. The Mac OS X version of Call of Duty was ported by Aspyr Media. In late 2004, the N-Gage version was developed by Nokia and published by Activision. Other versions were released for PC, including Collector's Edition (with soundtrack and strategy guide), Game of the Year Edition (includes game updates), and the Deluxe Edition (which contains United Offensive expansion and soundtrack in the USA. In Europe the soundtrack is not included).

Since October 13, 2006, the original game, Call of Duty: United Offensive, and Call of Duty 2 have been available for purchase via Valve's content delivery platform, Steam

29. Need for Speed: Underground

2007-11-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Developer(s)	EA Black Box
Publisher(s)	EA Games
Series	Need for Speed
Latest version	4.0 (2004-02-04)
Release date(s)	^USA November 17, 2003 ^PAL November 28, 2003
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	CERO: B ESRB: E OFLC: G PEGI: 3+ PEGI: 4+ (Portugal) USK: No restrictions
Platform(s)	Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, GBA

Need for Speed: Underground (NFSU) is a racing game, developed and published by Electronic Arts in 2003. It is part of the Need for Speed video game series. It was developed by EA Black Box.

Its premise (highly tuned, customised cars participating in illegal street races) was likely inspired by the Import Scene and the movies The Fast and the Furious and 2 Fast 2 Furious.

A complete reimagining of the series' formula, NFSU offered a career mode featuring a storyline, and a garage mode that allowed players to fully customize their cars with a large variety of brand-name performance and visual upgrades. All races take place in a generic city at night (though the city bears some resemblance to New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles). Instead of hundred-thousand dollar exotics, Underground featured vehicles associated with the Import Scene. This, plus the increasingly arcade-like controls, became points of controversy for Need for Speed fans. Despite this, Underground was commercially very successful, and inspired a sequel.

It is rumored that the car manufacturers were very strict in how their vehicles were to be portrayed in this game, especially considering the "illegal street racing" reputation of the tuner culture. EA took some effort in making the races appear as sanctioned racing events, and included a public service announcement in the game's introduction. In addition, vehicles do not have damage models.

28. Need for Speed: Underground 2

2007-11-04T23:37:00.000-08:00

Developer(s)	EA Black Box
Publisher(s)	EA Games
Series	Need for Speed
Latest version	1.2 (2005-03-10)
Release date(s)	November 15, 2004 November 18, 2004
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	CERO: B ESRB: E OFLC: G PEGI: 3+ PEGI: 4+ (Portugal) USK: No restrictions USK: 6+
Platform(s)	Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, GBA, NDS, Mobile

Need for Speed: Underground 2 (NFSU2) is a multiplatform racing video game published and developed by Electronic Arts. Released in 2004, it is the sequel to Need for Speed: Underground, and is part of the Need for Speed series, available on GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance and Windows. It was developed by EA Black Box.

The game is based around tuning cars for street races, resuming the Need for Speed: Underground storyline. Need for Speed: Underground 2 provides several new features, such as a broader customization, new methods of selecting races, the "explore" mode (just driving around freely, similar to Grand Theft Auto, in a large city known as "Bayview", which heavily resembles Los Angeles) with a hint of San Francisco and Las Vegas locations like the Casinos and Red and White radio tower on the mountain. Underground 2 also introduces several SUVs, which could be customized as extensively as other Underground 2 vehicles and used to race against other SUV racers. Brooke Burke is the voice of Rachel Teller, the person who guides you through the story.

27. Doom 3

2007-11-01T01:48:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	id Software
Publisher(s)	id Software, Activision, Aspyr Media
Engine	Doom 3 Engine (id Tech 4)
Latest version	1.3.1
Release date(s)	PC: August 3, 2004 August 12, 2004 August 13, 2004 Xbox: April 3, 2005 April 8, 2005
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	BBFC: 18 ESRB: M (Mature) OFLC: MA15+ PEGI: 18+ USK: 18+
Platform(s)	Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, Xbox

Doom 3 is a science fiction, horror, first-person shooter computer game. It was developed and published by id Software, and was released on August 3, 2004. Doom 3, despite its name, is not a direct continuation of the original Doom series storyline. Doom 3 is a re-imagining of the first game in the series, and has a completely new game engine and modern graphics.

Doom 3 is set in the year 2145 in a fictional Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) research center on Mars. In the game, the player takes control of an anonymous marine as he fights to survive a mysterious invasion of inter-dimensional demons. In the process, the marine learns more about the nature of the shadowy research being conducted within the massive base, as well as information on its main instigator, Dr. Malcolm Betruger.

Doom 3 was developed for Windows and ported to Linux in 2004. Seven months later, it was also released for Mac OS X (ported by Aspyr) and Xbox (co-developed by Vicarious Visions). The Xbox version is graphically similar to the original, although less detailed. It also features an additional two-player online co-operation mode. An expansion, Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil, developed by Nerve Software and co-developed by id Software, was released on April 4, 2005. The Xbox version of Doom 3 is an Xbox 360-compatible title, and the Xbox version of Resurrection of Evil is also forwards compatible as of July 2007. A Doom movie, loosely based on the franchise, was released roughly one year later on October 21, 2005.

26. Far Cry

2007-11-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	Crytek
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Designer(s)	Crytek labs
Engine	CryENGINE
Latest version	1.4
Release date(s)	March 23, 2004 (NA)
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	DJCTQ: 16 anos ESRB: Mature (M) USK: Not free for minors PEGI: 16+ OFLC: MA15+
Platform(s)	Windows and GameTap

Far Cry is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Crytek Studios from Germany and published by Ubisoft on March 23, 2004 for Windows. Far Cry sold 730,000 units within four months of release^[1] and has currently sold over 1 million copies worldwide. The game's story follows an ex-Special Forces man named Jack Carver, who is stranded on a mysterious archipelago in Micronesia. He is searching for a female journalist he was escorting after she went missing when their boat was destroyed by mercenaries.

25. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2

2007-11-01T01:38:00.000-07:00

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 is the debut Need for Speed title of Blackbox Software and the first Need For Speed for the "sixth-generation" of consoles. Hot Pursuit 2 draws primarily from the gameplay and style of NFS III; its emphasis was on evading the police and over-the-top tracks featuring lengthy shortcuts. Although the game allowed players to play as the police, the pursuit mode was drastically less realistic than preceding versions of NFS; players merely needed to "tap" a speeder a certain number of times to arrest them, as opposed to using actual police tactics such as the PIT maneuver or utilizing spike strips to immobilize a speeding vehicle.

For the multiplayer mode of the PC version, GameSpy's internet matchmaking system was used in place of Local Area Network (LAN) play. Hot Pursuit 2 is also the first Need for Speed to forego an original instrumental rock/techno soundtrack in favor of songs sung by licensed song artists under the EA Trax label. The game is also the first in the series to lack an in-car cockpit view that was available in preceding Need for Speed titles.

While well-received by the press, it lacked the realism and sheer depth of Porsche Unleashed. Strangely, different versions of the game were produced for each system; the best version, according to the gaming press, was the PlayStation 2 version, with the Xbox, GameCube and PC versions generally considered inferior. (EA Seattle developed the inferior versions, they were not ports of the PS2 version which was developed by Black Box Games.)

24. Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed

2007-11-01T01:25:00.000-07:00

Porsche Unleashed (North America and Latin America title), Porsche 2000 (European title) or simply Porsche (in Germany) is different from the previous versions because it featured only Porsches and featured a wealth of information regarding them. The cars handled more realistically than in any other NFS game, and there is an in-depth catalogue of different Porsche parts that span throughout the years. The player had to win races in the Evolution career mode to unlock cars in chronological order from 1950 to 2000. Porsche Unleashed also featured a Factory Driver mode, where the player had to test Porsches with various stunts and move on with his career. The game is also the first in the series since the first NFS game to not feature a split screen mode. However, the game did contain a well constructed LAN multiplayer feature.^{[citation needed]} In later years, it was released for the Game Boy Advance.

In terms of game construction, it is most often hailed as Need For Speed's best collaborated effort to bring forth one singular car brand and amplify and deepen the depth of knowledge both on history and motor functions. It features historical videos and many pictures of old photos of Porsche vehicles. The Evolution concept was a hit for many people, creating many new Porsche fans due to the game's high level of academia and depth of Porsche cars. The Factory Driver was also a different kind of unlocking, except to do with performing and excelling in certain slaloms, speed races, deliveries, etc. Many of the missions were considered to be really difficult. In addition, the graphics of the game were relatively impressive for the time the game was released.

23. Tekken 3

2007-11-01T01:19:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	Namco
Publisher(s)	Namco
Release date(s)	Arcade Summer, 1997 PlayStation ^{March 26, 1998} ^{October, 1998} ^{November, 1998}
Genre(s)	Fighting
Mode(s)	Up to two players
Platform(s)	Arcade, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 (as a part of Tekken 5's Arcade History mode)

Tekken 3 is the third installment in the popular Tekken fighting game series. It was the first game released on Namco's System 12 hardware (an improvement to the original two Tekken games, which used System 11). It was the last installment of Tekken for the PlayStation. It was released for the PlayStation in 1998, and in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 as part of Tekken 5's Arcade History mode. The PlayStation port became a major critical and commercial success, and is still widely regarded as one of the greatest fighting games ever released.

22. Freedom Fighters

2007-11-01T01:10:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	IO Interactive
Publisher(s)	EA Games
Release date(s)	October 2003
Genre(s)	Third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer* * (console versions only)
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T) PEGI: 16+
Platform(s)	PC, GameCube, PS2, Xbox

Freedom Fighters is a 2003 video game, a third-person shooter available for the Playstation 2, Gamecube, PC and Xbox, that is set in an alternate present. The player takes the role of Christopher Stone, a plumber turned American resistance leader who fights against the Red Army that invades and occupies New York City. It was developed by IO Interactive, using a modified version of the Hitman 2: Silent Assassin game engine, and published by EA Games.

21. Delta Force : Black Hawk Down

2007-11-01T01:07:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	NovaLogic
Publisher(s)	NovaLogic
Designer(s)	Rebellion Developments
Release date(s)	2003, 2005
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T)
Platform(s)	PC, PS2, Mac, Xbox

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down is a first-person shooter set in Somalia during Operation Restore Hope in 1992 and Operation Gothic Serpent in 1993, with missions taking place primarily in Jubba Valley and the capital Mogadishu.

The game was developed by NovaLogic and was released on PC on March 24th, 2003, on Mac on June 21st, 2004, on PS2 on July 27th, 2005 and on the Xbox on September 8th, 2006. It is the 6th game of the Delta Force series.

Although the game shares the name "Black Hawk Down", it is not a tie-in with either the novel Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden or the film Black Hawk Down directed by Ridley Scott.

20. Medal of Honour : Allied Assault

2007-11-01T00:59:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	2015, Inc.
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Engine	Quake III Arena (with Ritual's custom SDK)
Latest version	1.11
Release date(s)	January 22, 2002
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T) ELSPA: 15+ PEGI: 12+
Platform(s)	PC (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux)

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (MOHAA) is a first-person shooter (FPS) computer game developed by 2015, Inc., and the 3rd installment of the Medal of Honor series. The game, based on the Quake III Arena engine with modifications from Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.², simulates infantry combat in the European and North African Theaters during World War II. Allied Assault is the first game in the Medal of Honor series to be released for Windows, and the only one to be ported to Linux.

In the game the player takes on the role of Lt. Mike Powell of the United States Army Rangers who works for the OSS. Single player missions include assaulting German bases in Algiers and Norway, storming Omaha Beach on D-Day, and rescuing comrades behind enemy lines in occupied France. The original game's Omaha Beach mission is often compared to Steven Spielberg's 1998 film Saving Private Ryan. This level was re-created in Medal of Honor: Frontline for consoles. Other elements in the game are also comparable to the film, like the "Sniper Town" level and the "Guarding of the Bridge" level where the final battle sequence of the movie is very similar in action and visuals to the game.

19. Star Trek : Elite Force 2

2007-11-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	Ritual Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Activision
Engine	Quake III Arena (with Ritual's UberTools)
Latest version	1.1 (October 10, 2003)
Release date(s)	^GER June 20, 2003 ^GBR June 24, 2003 ^USA June 24, 2003
Genre(s)	First-Person Shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T (Teen) OFLC (AU): MA 15+ PEGI: 16+ USK: 16+
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows Apple Macintosh

Star Trek: Elite Force II is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Ritual Entertainment and published by Activision. It was released on June 20, 2003 for Microsoft Windows. Elite Force II is a sequel to 2000's Star Trek: Voyager: Elite Force.
Unlike the first game, Elite Force II is largely set onboard the USS Enterprise-E stationed in the Alpha Quadrant. The game's storyline is a semi-sequel to the movie Star Trek: Nemesis, and the end of Star Trek: Voyager series. Many of the members from the original Hazard Team reappear. However only a few of the primary cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation did voice acting for the game, among them Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, Dwight Schultz as Reginald Barclay, and Tim Russ as Tuvok. Several actors from Star Trek series provided additional voice acting: Jeffrey Combs (Weyoun from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Commander Shran from Star Trek: Enterprise) as one of the main villains; Robert O'Reilly (Gowron from Deep Space Nine) as Krindo; J.G. Hertzler (Martok from Deep Space Nine, plus roles in Voyager and Enterprise) as Lurok; and Vaughn Armstrong (Admiral Forrest in Enterprise) who contributed with several character voices.

18. Max Payne 2 : The Fall of Max Payne

2007-11-01T00:50:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	Remedy Entertainment (WIN) Rockstar Vienna (Xbox, PS2)
Publisher(s)	Rockstar Games
Engine	MAX-FX 2.0 (PC) RenderWare (PlayStation 2 & Xbox)
Latest version	1.01
Release date(s)	October 15, 2003 (WIN) November 25, 2003 (Xbox) December 2, 2003 (PS2)
Genre(s)	Third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: M (Mature) BBFC: 15 USK: Not free for minors PEGI: 18+ OFLC: M15+
Platform(s)	Windows, Xbox, PlayStation 2

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne is a third-person shooter developed by Remedy Entertainment for Windows, Xbox, and PlayStation 2 systems. Max Payne 2 continues the story of Max Payne, a fugitive undercover cop framed for murder in New York City. The game, like its predecessor, borrows heavily from film noir mood and techniques, from stylistic cinematography, use of effects such as bullet-time (slow motion), to graphic novel style cutscenes and narration. The Fall of Max Payne was published by Rockstar Games and the Windows version was released on October 15, 2003 with console versions following later. Despite critical acclaim and an enthusiastic fanbase, the game was met with lackluster sales upon its debut.

17. Max Payne

2007-11-01T00:46:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	Remedy Entertainment (WIN) Rockstar Toronto (PS2) Rockstar Vienna (Xbox) Rockstar Leeds (GBA) MacSoft (MAC)
Publisher(s)	Gathering of Developers (WIN) Rockstar Games (PS2, Xbox, GBA) Feral (MAC) ^NA MacSoft (MAC)
Engine	MAX-FX
Latest version	1.05
Release date(s)	July 25, 2001
Genre(s)	Third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: M (Mature) BBFC: 15 OFLC: MA15+ CERO: Z (Adults only)
Platform(s)	Windows, Xbox, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Mac OS

Max Payne is a third-person shooter video game developed by the Finnish company Remedy Entertainment, produced by 3D Realms and published by Gathering of Developers in July, 2001 for Windows. Ports later in the year for the Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation 2 were published by Rockstar Games. A Macintosh port was published in July 2002 by MacSoft in North America^[1] and Feral Interactive in the rest of the World. There were plans for a Dreamcast version of Max Payne, but they were cancelled.^[2]

A sequel to the highly popular shooter followed in 2003 entitled Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne.^[3]

16. Delta Force : Task Force Dagger

2007-11-01T00:42:00.001-07:00

Developer(s)	NovaLogic
Publisher(s)	Zombie Studios
Release date(s)	2002
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T)
Platform(s)	PC

Delta Force: Task Force Dagger is a first-person shooter computer game by developer and publisher NovaLogic. It's the expansion to the previous PC game, Land Warrior.

Task Force Dagger (TFD) takes you to the front lines of Afghanistan. You can play any one of 10 Special Operations. These forces are the actual Special Forces units deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom. Each special op team has a special role. For example Seal Team 6's role is that of medic, Green Berets are heavy weapon specialists, CIA SOG's are snipers. Though they have preferred weapons, you can outfit yourself with whatever weapons you choose.

The multiplayer is similar to all others in the series but is noted among its diehard fans as being one of the most simple, laid back first person shooters around.

15. Project IGI 2 : Covert Strike

2007-10-30T03:11:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	Innerloop Studios
Publisher(s)	Codemasters
Designer(s)	Technical consultant: Chris Ryan
Release date(s)	March 3, 2003
Genre(s)	Stealth action
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: Mature (M)
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows

I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike is a computer game developed by Innerloop Studios and released by Codemasters in 2003. The game is a stealth-based first person shooter. It is the sequel to Innerloop's Project I.G.I.: I'm Going In. The original, published by Eidos Interactive, offered only single-player play with no save game feature; it was polished and well-executed. Covert Strike added multiplayer play and limited save game capability, but the game's many bugs led to poor sales, which contributed to Innerloop's demise.

14. Unreal Tournament

2007-10-30T03:02:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	Epic Games
Publisher(s)	GT Interactive
Engine	Unreal Engine
Latest version	436 (Official) 451b (Unofficial)
Release date(s)	November 26, 1999 (PC) March 13, 2001 (Dreamcast) October 21, 2000 (Playstation 2)
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ELSPA: 15+ ESRB: Mature (M) USK: not under 18
Platform(s)	Dreamcast, Linux, Mac OS, Mac OS X, PlayStation 2, Windows

Unreal Tournament, abbreviated UT, (sometimes referred to as UT99, UT Classic, UT1, or UT:GOTY to differentiate from Unreal Tournament 2003, Unreal Tournament 2004, and Unreal Tournament 3) is a popular first-person shooter video game. It is Epic Games' 1999 follow-up title to Unreal and focuses mainly on multiplayer action. It was launched in direct competition to id Software's Quake III Arena which was released ten days later. Although Quake III Arena was considered to have better graphics, streamlined gameplay and a widely adopted engine, UT had superior bot AI, "alternate fire" for weapons which introduced a further element of strategy, and a larger variety of multiplayer capabilities.

As with the original Unreal, the ease with which players can create and release mods to the core game is a key factor contributing to UT's longevity. UT improved upon the mod-friendly nature of its predecessor with support for mutators such as Sniper Arena, Instagib, BunnyTracks, MonsterHunt, Jailbreak and more. Further, UT clans, or gaming teams, and a score of UT dedicated clan and fan community sites continue to sustain Unreal Tournament's popularity years after its initial release.

13. Aliens Vs. Predator 2

2007-10-30T02:57:00.000-07:00

Developer(s)	Monolith Productions, Third Law Interactive
Publisher(s)	Sierra Entertainment, Fox Interactive
Engine	Lithtech Talon
Latest version	1.0.9.6
Release date(s)	October 30, 2001
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: M (Mature) USK: 16+ ELSPA: 15+ OFLC: MA15+
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X

Aliens versus Predator 2 is a video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Sierra Entertainment, which was released through Fox Interactive in 2001. The game is a sequel to Aliens versus Predator, which is based loosely on the movies of the Alien and Predator series.

Similarly to the previous game, it is a first person shooter (FPS) that uniquely gives the player a choice of three characters/species, each with their own distinct set of weapons and abilities. These factions include the The Alien, The Predator, or Colonial Marines. The storyline features a fourth non-playable side called the Iron Bears or "Corporates", human mercenaries with Marine weaponry who provide security for the Weyland Yutani Corporation; the Corporates are the playable fourth choice in multiplayer.

Sierra released an expansion to the game titled Aliens versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt in 2002.

MacPlay ported Alien versus Predator 2 to Macintosh OS X on June 30, 2003. Initially it did not support online multiplayer for Macs running Mac OS 10.3 or newer, however an unofficial patch was released which fixes the problem.