The most interesting games released in 2004
All the best and most popular games of the year, upcoming releases, and hits from the past. Use filters to narrow down search.
Need for Speed: Underground 2
Racing
November 12, 2004
A sequel to Need for Speed: Underground, a best-selling 2003 game from Electronic Arts, which changed the shape of one of the most popular car racing franchises. The game takes you to a virtual metropolis that thrives after dark. For the first time in the history of the franchise, the city is completely open for exploration. As you ride around its streets you can challenge the drivers you meet on the way or learn more about the favorite locations of the street racing community. The gameplay mechanics did not change much; rather, the developers focused on an even more detailed recreations of licensed cars and car parts used for tuning. The game’s graphics were noticeably improved, featuring all sorts of new visual effects. The soundtrack keeps equally high level, as usually featuring songs by famous artists across a wide spectrum of genres.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Action
October 25, 2004
The seventh installment in the controversial Grand Theft Auto series – one of the most popular game franchises in history that brought Rockstar Games company international fame. The series has been letting the player start as a petty criminal and work his way to the top of the criminal underground. This next part of the series is the biggest one so far, featuring world – the State of San Andreas – almost three times larger than Vice City. Among many innovations, there are several thing worthy of mention: improved AI of civilians, option to recruit gang members, increased number of interactive buildings, hunger factor, swimming, and new means of transportation (e.g. bicycles). On top of that, there game features numerous extra activities, highlighting the sandbox character of gameplay. The game features the atmosphere of the 1990s, apparent in both the graphics and the soundtrack available via the numerous in-game radio stations.
World of Warcraft
RPG
November 23, 2004
An overwhelmingly popular MMORPG set in the universe known from a cult series of RTS games from Blizzard Entertainment. Several years after the events of WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne, Azeroth is still being shaken by the conflict between the new two opposing factions. The Alliance assembles Men, Dwarves, Night Elves, and Gnomes. On the other side of conflict there is the Horde, consisting of Orcs, Taurens, Undead, and Trolls. In the game you pledge your allegiance to either of the two, create a character by picking one of multiple races and professions, and join thousands of other players from all over the globe in exploration of the vast game world, fighting dangerous foes, and facing various challenges, which are constantly being expanded by Blizzard’s developer team. As you progress in the game, your character develops according to the frames set by the canon of computer role-playing games. In order to play World of Warcraft you must buy the game and pay a monthly subscription.
Half-Life 2
Action
November 16, 2004
A sequel to the Valve Software's best-selling game that set new standards for the FPS genre back in 1998. Half-Life 2 is set several years after the events of the first game. Once again, the player assumes the role of Gordon Freeman – a doctor of physics who used to work in Black Mesa Labs, where an unfortunate incident opened a portal for alien life forms to invade the Earth. This time, the story takes us into a fictional City 17 and its immediate vicinity. The protagonist now works for a secret government organization. His mission is to repel the invaders from another dimension, in which he is aided by Alyx Vance – a young women fighting as a part of human resistance. The sequel introduces a technological revolution, employing the Valve’s proprietary game engine called Source. Its main advantage is excellent physics simulation, letting players destroy almost any element of environment and use various objects as covers or even weapons.
Far Cry
Action
March 23, 2004
A FPS set in tropical environment. Far Cry is the first commercial production in the history of the German Crytek studio. Jack Carver, the game's main character, is a retired commando, who currently runs a small haulage company. He is contracted to ferry young miss reporter to Micronesia. Unfortunately, the job is suddenly hindered when Carver’s ship is sunk by an unknown military unit, his client vanishes, and Carver himself ends up shipwrecked on a tropical island filled with soldiers. The protagonist has to make use of his extraordinary skills retained from military service to come out unscratched of this situation. The sandbox gameplay of Far Cry doesn’t force any order, giving players a freedom in exploring the tropical setting and completing tasks. The game's impressive visuals are powered by the CryEngine.
EverQuest II
RPG
November 8, 2004
EverQuest II is a follow-up to an immensely popular MMORPG, released five years after the original. It was developed by Daybreak Game Company, a studio which created the whole franchise. The game is set in the land of Norrath, perfectly known to all the fans, which was enhanced with many new locations. The list of changes also includes the character creator: before the beginning of the game, the players can select the race, looks, and gender of their avatar – the statistics and specialization of the character are determined later on in the game. EverQuest II also introduces new means of transportation (you can travel both on horseback and aboard a boat), as well as new events (such as gladiator duels), and the whole gameplay premise has been altered in many aspects; for example, experience can now be gained by peaceful conduct as well – for instance by developing craftsmanship, trading skills, magic abilities, or elements of the inventory. If compared with the prequel, Ever Quest II can boast substantially better graphics, spearheaded by high-resolution textures, complex weather effects, and rich animations.
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth
Strategy
December 6, 2004
A real-time strategy game developed by EA Los Angeles. The title takes place in the fantasy universe of Middle-Earth created by J.R.R. Tolkien. The game allows the players to participate in two separate campaigns in which they can lead one of 4 nations: riders of Rohan, soldiers of Gondor, army of Isengard and legions of Mordor. Each nation has its advantages and weaknesses. The gameplay combines features of classic RTS games, based on resource gathering and base expansion paired with epic fights during which, similarly as in the Total War series, the player controls whole formations of troops and powerful war machines. Heroes with special powers, such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas or Gimli are an interesting addition to the formula. The developers recreated many battles known from the trilogy, including the Battle of Helm’s Deep during which as much as 500 units can appear on the screen simultaneously. Graphics of the title are generated by the engine that was previously used in Command & Conquer: Generals.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos: Joey the Passion
Puzzle
June 30, 2004
The third computer game in Konami's Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos series, a virtual adaptation of the popular card game and anime series of the same name. Subtitled Joey the Passion, the production expands on the existing gameplay rules by introducing around 800 brand new cards with different properties, symbolizing creatures, battle areas, events, etc.
Ballance
Arcade
April 2, 2004
Ballance is a low-budget arcade-logic game, prepared by the German studio Cyparade. As is usually the case with such products, the plot is the least important element of the programme. There is simply a ball that has to get from one point to another through a space-based corridor full of canals, tunnels and ramps. Initially, the task is not particularly complicated. It is only during the course of defeating successive boards that more and more elements characteristic for logical games, in which you have to sharply move the brain, appear.
Call of Duty: United Offensive
Action
September 14, 2004
The first official addition to the hit FPS "Call Of Duty". It is worth mentioning that Infinity Ward is no longer responsible for the game's production. His role was taken over by Grey Matter Studios, which includes people responsible for "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" or "Kingpin".
3D Striptease
Action
September 20, 2004
The action of the game takes place in a small nightclub, where five dancers present their charms. The task of the player, armed with a petard launcher, is to knock down the bonuses falling from above and thus leave the stripper on the stage for as long as possible.
Doom 3
Action
August 3, 2004
The third installment of the legendary FPS series by id Software which set new standards in the genre’s development back in the mid-90s. The action takes place in a secret research facility of the UAC corporation on Mars, where the protagonist, an ex-marine whom we control, begins his service. Shortly thereafter, strange things begin to happen: the lab comes under attack, the communications with the HQ are severed, and the people we encounter turn into bloodthirsty monsters. It turns out that a space-time portal was opened as a result of an experiment, which led to a demon incursion that we have to repel. Compared to its predecessors from the past decade, Doom 3 offers not only fast-paced and incredibly bloody action but also quite extensive plot as well as a number of horror elements. The game also features high-quality graphics.
Winning Eleven 8
Sports
October 15, 2004
Pro Evolution Soccer 4 is a sports game, which is the fourth installment of the football cycle developed by the Konami development team led by Shingo "Seabassa" Takatsuki. Players have the opportunity to test their football skills in realistic games involving nearly 200 club and national teams. On the American and Asian markets the game is known as Winning Eleven 8.
Spider-Man 2: The Game
Action
June 28, 2004
The second entry in the series of third-person perspective action games about Spider-Man. The plot of the game is based on the movie under the same title. The player assumes the role of Peter Parker, a boy who gained spider superpowers during an accident in a laboratory. His main antagonist is Otto Octavius (in the criminal underworld known as Doctor Octopus), a scientist equipped with mechanical arms controlled by his brainwaves. Depending on the platform, the game has completely different mechanics and was developed by different studios. The main console version offers a fully three-dimensional open world with advanced physics and takes place in a faithfully recreated virtual version of Manhattan. Other versions have simplified mechanics that use features of side-scrolling action games and platform games.
Rome: Total War
Strategy
September 22, 2004
The third installment in the acclaimed Total War strategy game series developed by Creative Assembly. This time, the player is taken to the period during which the Roman Empire is in its prime. The player participates in historical events, such as the Spartacus slave uprising, the Punic Wars, or Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul. The creators faithfully recreated such historical elements as different military units, machines and technologies the ancient nations depended on. As usual, the gameplay is divided into two phases. The player makes large-scope decisions in the turn-based mode featuring the world map - for example, concerning technological development, diplomacy, development of cities or army management. The battles, on the other hand, are played in real time and the player commands particular formations or individual units. Rome: Total War includes the features introduced by the previous installments, such as sieges of cities, reconnaissance or reserves. Apart from the single-player campaign, the game offers multiplayer for up to 8 competitors.
Strip Poker Exclusive
Puzzle
February 26, 2004
Emotion Video Poker is a so-called "disassembled poker", the preparation of which is the responsibility of Emotion Design. As the title suggests, this is an erotic game, designed exclusively for adult computer owners - it can be easily compared to Video Strip Poker released in September 2002.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Adventure
November 30, 2004
Sequel to the 2003’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, rebooting the story of the hero from the classic 2D platformer from Broderbund Software studio. This time the prince has to deal with consequences of his reckless actions. He managed to turn back time and prevent releasing The Sands of Time, but he did not change his destiny, resulting in Guardian of Time chasing him to seal his fate. He travels to the mysterious island where, according to the legends, the Sands were made; the prince attempts to change the past and prevent their creation, thus saving himself from the fate. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within has a much darker atmosphere, but the gameplay is similar to its predecessor. Our hero must overcome many obstacles and traps, not to mention enemies. Game introduces a new, expanded fighting system, with prince himself becoming stronger and gaining new abilities.
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero
Action
March 23, 2004
An expanded version of the popular online shooter Counter-Strike, distributed as an official game add-on. Condition Zero's main goal was to add a single-player mode to the original game in order to reach players who don't like or have the opportunity to participate in multiplayer battles. In the single player version, we take part in the story campaign consisting of 19 missions, impersonating members of elite special forces, such as Navy SEALS, GIGN, Specnaz or SAS.
The Sims 2
Simulation
September 17, 2004
A sequel to the bestselling human life simulation game – The Sims (2000). The Sims 2 was developed by Maxis Studio (SimCity, EA Land, and others) in cooperation with the Electronic Arts company. Players again take care of virtual characters leading them through their entire lives – from early childhood till elderly age. The main goal is to achieve as high Life Score as possible, which stands for how well a sim leads his/her life. When compared with its predecessor, The Sims 2 offers much more complex character creator and a wider array of available objects. A new, more efficient game engine allowed for presenting the life of the sims in fully 3D graphics.
Sonic Heroes
Arcade
January 6, 2004
Sonic Heroes is a position climatically referring to the best parts of the series with the title hedgehog in the lead role. The gameplay is characterized by high dynamics (various platforms, turns, circles in the air, etc.), lots of jumps or skies (launchers, hills) and (but less often) forceful elimination of enemies.
18 Wheels of Steel: Pedal to the Metal
Simulation
August 30, 2004
"Pedal to the Metal" is the subtitle of the third part of the "18 Wheel of Steel" series from ValuSoft. Players have two roles here: the head of a transport company and the driver of a huge 18-wheeled truck that runs on selected routes in North and Central America.
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault
Action
November 4, 2004
A continuation to the 2002's best-selling first-person shooter Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, released by Electronic Arts company. Action of the installment, developed this time by the EA's internal studio, focuses on the US-Japan conflict during the World War II in the Pacific region. In the game we take part in a series of missions taking place in jungles, military bases and warships – fighting both alone and alongside other members of our squad – starting from the historic attack on Pearl Harbor base and ending with the famous battle of Guadalcanal. Compared with the original, Pacific Assault features much more cutscenes, illustrating ongoing events and changes in the psyche of the protagonist. Individual missions are also characterized by increased degree of non-linearity, which allows us to complete them in several different ways. Concerning technical aspects, the game is built on improved Quake III engine, used in the first installment of the series.
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Action
November 10, 2004
A computer game based on the very popular series of books for children "A Series of Unfortunate Events", as well as a film adaptation of the first three parts of the cycle (The Bad Beginning; The Reptile Room; The Wide Window).
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
Action
April 27, 2004
The third installment of the cult series about the great warriors of Onimusha. In order to stop evil, the main characters, Samanosuke Akechi and Jacques Branc, have to visit foreign worlds and look for a recipe for victory there, while discovering what they really have in common.
Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots
Strategy
April 27, 2004
Full extension of the Real Time Strategy (RTS), entitled 'A strategy for the future'. Rise of Nations. Big Huge Games development team headed by Brian Reynolds (designer of the second part of Civilization or Alpha Centauri) is responsible for the development of the add-on.
Hitman: Contracts
Action
April 20, 2004
The third installment in a popular stealth action game series, in which you play as the mysterious assassin known as Agent 47. Story-wise, Hitman: Contracts is made up of a series of flashback missions, beginning in a Parisian hotel, where the protagonist gets into after having been shot in the stomach during one of his missions. Heavily wounded, the protagonist is plagued by visions of his past contracts. Some of them are brand new missions and not related to one another, while some are more or less redesigned missions from the first Hitman game. Game mechanics employ the same well-proven gameplay formula from the previous installments in the series. Each of the 12 long missions features several objectives that can be completed in many different ways. Moreover, the game is darker and more brutal than its predecessors thanks to an interesting story and some audiovisual tricks.
Sonic Adventure DX
Arcade
February 6, 2004
In Sonic Adventure DX, we once again control the blue "jet" jets, which this time must defend the world from a strange water monster that is growing in size thanks to the Emeralds of Chaos that we find. As usual in games with Sonik, Eggman is one of the main opponents of the hero.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
RPG
November 16, 2004
The second virtual adaptation of the classic RPG system known as Vampire: The Masquerade. It is a third-person action RPG developed by Troika Games - though not the creators of the first adaptation, they were a team popular mainly for the well-received Arcanum: Of Steamwork and Magick Obscura. VTM: Bloodlines is set in an alternative version of the modern Los Angeles, where seven vampire clans fight each other constantly. The protagonist tries to become an important figure in one such community, making use of unique abilities, such as invisibility, superhuman speed or mind control. As the main character gains experience, these abilities can be additionally developed. The player explores the virtual environment, talks to NPCs and fights enemies. In combat, the player makes use of up to twelve vampiric abilities and a wide variety of conventional weapons. The high-quality visuals were delivered thanks to the Source engine, a technology created by Valve for the purpose of running Half-Life 2.
Delta Force: Black Hawk Down - Team Sabre
Action
January 20, 2004
The first official extension of the action/FPS game entitled "Delta Force: Black Hawk Down" (pol. "Delta Force: Helicopter in Fire"). Plugin offers us two new campaigns dedicated to single player gameplay and a number of upgrades to multiplayer mode.
Kohan II: Kings of War
Strategy
September 7, 2004
Continuation of the excellent RTS entitled Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns. This time, the authors abandoned those known from previous 2D editions and instead offered a full three-dimensional graphic engine. Compared to typical games of this genre, the Kohan series offers a much deeper depth of tactical battles.
Zoo Tycoon 2
Strategy
November 12, 2004
A continuation to a popular economic strategy developed by Blue Fang Games. Once again, the players takes on the role of a zoo manager, and the game features about thirty species of animals. Because the animals one breeds require constant supervision, it is necessary to hire adequately-trained staff - animal trainers, cleaners, security; one also needs to hire entertainers for the guests. Alongside progression, the player gains access to subsequent buildings - apart from enclosures and cages for the animals, one will be constructing mainly entertainment facilities and elements making the zoo more attractive, such as lanterns, benches or stylish bridges. Of course, executing one's plans requires gathering a sufficient amount of money; if things go wrong, the player can additionally increase the income through increasing ticket prices or reducing salaries of the staff. Zoo Tycoon 2 offers several game modes. Apart from the story campaign and free play, one can also check out the Guest Mode, which casts them in the role of a guest at the zoo, or the Keeper Mode, focusing on taking care of the animals and training them. The experience comes with high-quality visuals in full 3D.
Chris Sawyer's Locomotion
Strategy
September 7, 2004
Locomotion is in fact a continuation of the extremely popular strategy and economic game called Transport Tycoon, which was launched in 1994. A huge transport corporation, operating on land and water and in airspace, must therefore be administered again.
Soldiers: Heroes of World War II
Strategy
June 29, 2004
A real-time strategy game developed by Best Way. The action of the game takes place in the World War II Europe, while the player assumes the role of a commander of a group of soldiers. Our job is to get through 25 varied missions, in which we control infantry and as mechanized units. The game is characteristic for its original mechanic that enables the player to take direct control over a given unit – a well-aimed shot can disable a tank by tearing its tracks, while soldiers can be hurt or killed through efficient aiming. Soldiers: Heroes of World War II also employs advanced AI modules (the soldiers can scour the area, or encircle the enemy), and detailed 3D graphics, as well as destructible environments.