The most interesting games released in 2002
All the best and most popular games of the year, upcoming releases, and hits from the past. Use filters to narrow down search.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Action
October 27, 2002
A new installment in the bestselling series of action games. The game expands the ideas introduced in the third entry in the franchise, released in 2001. The game was developed by the authors of the previous installments who, after having been bought by the American giant, were transformed into Rockstar North. The game takes place in the 80's in a completely new metropolis called Vice City. The player becomes Tommy Vercetti, who was sent by his boss to establish a foothold in the city while taking care of the local gangs and corrupted police. The game has similar mechanics to its predecessor and focuses mostly on completing various non-linear story missions. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City added some new features, such as the possibility to use motorcycles and helicopters. The graphics, inspired by aesthetics of the 80's, were greatly improved as well. During the game, the player is accompanied by a varied soundtrack broadcast by several different radio stations.
Stronghold: Crusader
Strategy
September 24, 2002
A sequel to Stronghold, an economic strategy game set in the Middle Ages and developed by FireFly Studios in 2001. This time we travel to the Middle East of the crusades period in the late 11th and the early 12th century. The game mechanics are not much different from what fans of the series know and love. The game's biggest innovation is the setting, albeit it features also some minor gameplay adjustment, such as dealing with limited water supplies. The developers offered four campaigns, in which you can lead the crusader army as Richard the Lionheart or command the Arabic soldiers as Saladin. The already wide spectrum of military units was expanded even further, featuring several units unique for each side of the conflict. In addition, the game offers a wider selection of clever siege weapons and defensive measures to be used in battle, a functional scenario editor, and a new Skirmish Mode.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
Action
January 22, 2002
A tactical first-person shooter developed by 2015 and the first PC installment of the series which was launched on PlayStation in 1999. The action takes place between years 1942 and 1945, and the players assume the role of an American ranger Mike Powell who, being an operator of the OSS intelligence service, takes part in the most famous campaigns of the World War II. In the game, there are 20 diversified missions to perform. They involve not only subtle tasks behind enemy lines but also large-scale military operations such as the famous landing in Normandy. Our arsenal includes over 20 faithfully recreated weapons of the World War II period as well as stationary guns and over a dozen different vehicles. The title's visuals are powered by the Quake III engine. The production features an orchestrated soundtrack composed by Michael Giacchino who is known for such movie hits as Star Trek and Lost.
Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven
Action
August 29, 2002
A 3D action game that takes the players to the 1930’s USA, the time when criminal underground flourished. The game was created by Czech developer Illusion Softworks, mainly known for the highly acclaimed tactical shooter Hidden & Dangerous. The story focuses on a rookie gangster named Tommy, who takes his first steps on the path of criminal life by doing jobs for an influential mafia family. Gameplay comes down to exploration of a virtual city and completing a string of story missions, featuring many subplots. While playing, you will engage in street shootouts, bank heists, car pursuits, and assassinations. The creators did their best to recreate the evocative atmosphere of the USA in the 1930s, and implemented weapons and cars from that period. Insanity 2 game engine made it possible to generate interactive, bustling city with road traffic and changing seasons.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
RPG
May 1, 2002
The third installment in a legendary action RPG series developed by Bethesda since 1994. The story once again takes the player to the realm of Tamriel, this time to the east, to the Morrowind province. The player assumes the role of a prisoner released from imprisonment by the Emperor and given a secret mission. As it turns out, the protagonist may be the reincarnation of the legendary, treacherously murdered hero by the name of Nerevar, and his mission is to stop the reemerging evil that his previous self had once defeated. The player can chooses from ten available races and twenty-one character classes - thanks to the game's flexible character progression system the character development is influenced mainly by the player's preferred gameplay style. The player can freely choose which quests to complete and when. The game's fully 3D visuals are a big step forward in comparison to the previous installments in the franchise. Additionally, a special editor allows the player to modify the game world to a very large degree.
Utawarerumono
RPG
April 26, 2002
A combination of tactical RPG and visual novel. Players take on the role of a masked man suffering from amnesia, who ends up in a small village. He soon becomes the leader of a rebellion aimed at overthrowing the regime of the evil emperor. The action of the game takes place in a fantasy world inspired by Japanese culture, especially the Ainu people.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
Racing
October 1, 2002
The sixth installment in the popular racing game series from Electronic Arts, expanding on the ideas of the 1998’s Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit. Similarly to its predecessor, the action is focused on police chases. The players have several game modes at their disposal, allowing them to become either road hogs or law enforcers and compete against the AI or their friends online. The game's highlight is the eponymous Hot Pursuit mode, in which we race against opponents with police hot on our heels. The title offers more than 20 varied tracks located in urban, coastal, and woodland areas. In our garage we will find a considerable collection of licensed vehicles that have to be progressively unlocked with the points gained in races. The production features detailed three-dimensional graphics and a soundtrack with tracks from numerous famous artists.
Heroes of Might and Magic III Complete
Strategy
January 15, 2002
A collector’s edition of the third installment in the turn-based strategy fantasy game series which has been developed at New World Computing since 1995. Heroes of Might and Magic III Complete consists of the vanilla game that came out in March, 1999, as well as its two official expansions: Armageddon's Blade and The Shadow of Death (both on separate CDs). In total, the players have over 20 story campaigns and an impressive number of scenarios, heroes, monsters, and artifacts at their disposal, not to mention all the novelties and modifications introduced to the core game by the two aforementioned add-ons.
Gothic II
RPG
November 29, 2002
A direct sequel to the 2001's bestselling RPG developed by Piranha Bytes. The sequel continues the story of the original game set in Myrtana, where good and evil forces are constantly fighting each other. This time, the Nameless Hero faces the Army of Darkness led by dragons, creatures summoned by the main antagonist of the original game, a demon known as Sleeper. In order to recover and restore his skills, the protagonist has to join one of the three main factions and find lord Hagen, a man whose help is crucial for the victory over the forces of evil. In comparison to the original game, the story in Gothic II is set in a substantially larger and more diverse environment. As for the story itself, it is less linear and features a set of additional quests given by members of different guilds. There are plenty of new weapons, equipment, and monsters to be dealt with. What is more, both the graphics and artificial intelligence of NPCs were greatly improved.
Emperor: Rise of The Middle Kingdom
Strategy
September 11, 2002
An economic strategy in which we build and manage cities in ancient China. The player has an influence on all aspects of the ancient city, including taxes, distribution of agricultural crops, military forces, construction of monumental buildings. The whole was built on an engine from Ceasar III.
Command & Conquer: Renegade
Action
February 26, 2002
Side-scroller of the extremely popular strategy series started in 1995 by Westwood Studios. The story of the game uses a well-known motif from the full-fledged parts of the series - a conflict between the forces of GDI and NOD. This time, however, we don't have to do with a classic RTS strategy, but with a first-person action game, in which we play as captain Nick "Havoc" Parker, performing a number of dangerous missions against the NOD Brotherhood.
Battlefield 1942
Action
September 11, 2002
Set in WWII realities, an multiplayer-focused FPS by Swedish studio DICE – though it includes a single player mode with bots as well. In Battlefield 1942 you take control of soldiers from one of the five countries fighting in the war. The character you control can assume one of five classes – Scout, Assault, Anti-Tank, Medic, and Engineer. The game offers 35 vehicles – starting with armored vehicles and tanks, through fighters and bombers, ending with different kinds of warships. The action takes place on 16 extensive maps modeled after real WWII battlefields. During gameplay you will visit the European, African, and Pacific theaters. Players are divided into two teams and try to hold control points – the key to success is cooperation.
Doom II
Action
October 22, 2002
Classic FPS, this time on Game Boy Advance. In the distant future, the Earth is attacked by hell-born monsters whose habitat was discovered on Mars. As a surviving marines with an impressive arsenal, we face hordes of hellish beasts on more than 32 levels. In addition, we get a sensational multiplayer mode.
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Strategy
July 3, 2002
Third part of a classic real-time strategy series set in fantasy world started in 1994 by Blizzard studio. It takes us once again to the land of Azeroth known from previous games, where forces of humans, orcs, and night elves face invasion of undead known as Plague. Gameplay features mechanics typical of the series, but there are still some novelties. The most important is the introduction of heroes for every race, who gain experience and new special abilities that help us during battles. Additionally, third entry in the series features a cutscene-driven narrative. Warcraft III also has complex multiplayer, offering several modes through Battle.net network. Another attraction comes in the form of expanded editor, enabling us to modify almost every element of the game.
Age of Mythology
Strategy
October 31, 2002
A strategy taking place in antiquity permeated with Greek mythology. We play the role of the leader of one of several civilizations and we take care of its development. The specificity of the game means that we often fight against mythological creatures and enter into deals with gods. In terms of gameplay, the title has all the features of the Age of Empires series - economic, military or even technological.
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
Action
September 30, 2002
The sequel to Io-Interactive's well-received stealth action game from 2000. The game’s story starts in a Sicilian monastery, where the protagonist of the first game, Agent 47, tries to forget about his former deeds by seeking atonement in peaceful life and prayer. Unfortunately, he is soon tracked down by the Russian mafia and forced to get back to work. He quickly learns that he is being manipulated and eventually becomes a target himself, hunted by highly-trained ex-Spetsnaz operatives. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is a set of 21 new missions set in six main locations all over the world. As you play, you make use of the protagonist’s talents, such as reconnaissance, camouflage, sneaking, and covering his tracks. The game offers a selection of more than 30 diverse weapons, including brand new tools, such as crossbows, poisonous darts, stun ammo, and even chloroform.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Action
November 14, 2002
The second installment of the video game series following the adventures of Harry Potter based on the books written by J.K. Rowling. Young wizard, who is about to start his second year at Hogwarts, is bound to encounter new challenges.
Heroes of Might and Magic IV
Strategy
March 29, 2002
The fourth installment in a best-selling series of strategy games initiated in 1995 by New World Computing. The game is set in Jadame - a fantasy world the players can associate with Might & Magic VIII. Six factions were included here and each of those has their own towns, different units and technologies. Each of them also has a dedicated school of magic and can hire characters belonging to one race only (Strongholds are the only exception). The mechanics went through many modifications and simplifications. The creators got rid of recruitment on a weekly basis, modified the combat system, and erased the necessity to have a character within an army - the characters were turned into units that participate directly in combat sequences. This however, brought many restrictions that made the experience both more difficult and entertaining. The game engine was significantly modified as well, which influenced the size of the maps and brought improvements to the visuals. For the first time in the series, the game is played from an isometric view.
Spider-Man: The Movie
Action
April 20, 2002
Action adventure game developed by Treyarch studio, based on the storyline of Hollywood superproduction film directed by Sam Raimi. In the game we play as a teenager Peter Parker, who becomes a heroic Spider-Man endowed with superhuman abilities. The plot of Spider-Man: The Movie develops in the same way as in the original movie. While completing subsequent missions in the game, our task is to solve a criminal mystery, which is hidden behind the mysterious figure of the Green Goblin and his devilish legions.
Emergency 2: The Ultimate Fight For Life
Strategy
October 21, 2002
The second installment of the series of strategic games, which shows the work of the services dealing with disaster response. We can lead fire brigades, police and ambulance units. We have to face a road carambole and a railway accident, a fire on a nuclear submarine, kidnapping of an aircraft or a gas attack, among others.
Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel
Simulation
August 19, 2002
The famous simulator developed by Czech SCS Software allows the players to sit behind the wheel of a huge, eighteen-wheel truck. In Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel the players’ task is simple: deliver the chosen cargo before the deadline and without damage. During the game, players not only have to control the truck, but also face various trouble along the way, such as severe weather, car crashes, police control or leaking fuel. Players can chose from six trucks and sixteen types of cargo, the delivery of which yields some cash. The whole thing takes place in the United States of America – the American highways, to be more precise. The developers recreated thousands of miles of roads that stretch across eleven states, through cities, mountains and deserts.
Sudden Strike 2
Strategy
August 8, 2002
Sudden Strike 2 is a continuation of the real-time war strategy issued in 2000. Developers from the Fireglow studio remained faithful to the realities of World War II, however, expanding the area of activity by Asia and the Pacific as well. Players can command the forces of the USSR, USA, Great Britain, Third Reich and Japan. Compared to the original, the sequel is characterized by a higher number of units and better visual setting.
Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe
Simulation
October 31, 2002
The next installment of the well-known combat aircraft simulator. The game is set in the realities of World War II and allows you to sit at the controls of RAF, US Army Air Force and Luftwaffe machines. The authors focused on realism, thanks to which every virtual plane behaves in the air just like its equivalent in reality. New are the elements of RPG in the form of a pilot development system.
BloodRayne
Action
October 15, 2002
TPP action game about the adventures of the title character - a sexy agent and a half-vampire. The production takes place in an alternative version of history just after the end of the First World War. Rayne's task is to stop the Nazis who intend to use an ancient power to return to power. Extremely brutal gameplay consists of numerous battles and platform scenes.
Dungeon Siege
RPG
April 5, 2002
An interesting hack'n'slash RPG based on fantasy reality and created by Gas Powered Games. Our hero sets off on a journey through a fantastic world, performing numerous tasks, developing his skills and gaining allies. Great audio-video setting, refined gameplay mechanisms, as well as a developed multi-player mode make this title a must for every RPG action fan.
Disciples II: Dark Prophecy
Strategy
January 28, 2002
A turn-based strategy embedded in the reality of fantasy, which is a direct continuation of Disciples: Sacred Lands. We enter a magical world reminiscent of the Middle Ages, where four races fight for vast territories. Compared to the previous part, graphics, user interface and artificial intelligence of opponents have been improved. The game has a multiplayer mode for up to four players.
Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood
Strategy
November 12, 2002
Another tactical strategy game by Spellbound Interactive, the creators of Desperados. Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood takes place in the medieval England and its story focuses on the most famous outlaw in history and his fight for honor and justice against the local authorities. You lead a party consisting of such characters as Robin Hood himself, Little John, Friar Tuck or the beautiful Maid Marian, and each of them has their own unique abilities. The mechanics are similar to those from the Commandos series or the already mentioned Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, and during the 40 non-linear missions, linked with an interesting plot, you complete various tasks, from infiltration, through saving your companions, to classic attacks (such as e.g. capturing a caravan) and laying siege to a fortress.