The 20 most important games of the decade – text edition

First released in: 2001
Developed by: Konami
Published by: Konami

It’s notable for: Better stealth, better graphics, some douchey blond guy, and being one of the games that absolutely defined the last generation.

It inspired: MGS 2 and the series as a whole have hugely impacted (by which we mean, pretty much invented) the stealth genre, as well as gaming at large. Even aside from the series’ gameplay, which spread faster than herpes, its cinematic qualities have permeated modern games.

Blah blah blah: “In the two weeks leading up to the game’s European release, and this will make me seem like a complete raving mentalist, but every night I watched the TGS 2001 trailer and the E3 2001 trailer...it was the last thing I’d do before I’d go to bed.” -David Meikleham, Content Editor (UK)

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