10 Half-Life 2 - [ PC ]:
Half-Life 2 is a science-fiction tour de force that easily surpasses the legacy of the first game, thanks to reserved but effective storytelling, formidable enemy smarts, and a wide variety of convincing environments. Still, as good as the game content is, it's the remarkable and endlessly flexible physics system that keeps Half-Life 2 on the nation's hard drives. Countless downloadable modifications have turned this ambitious first-person shooter into a virtual playground. Whether you're building elaborate Rube Goldberg-style machines, crafting enormous structures with game objects, or designing your own dune buggy stunt track, boredom is nowhere to be seen.
96% average critic score
9 Neverwinter Nights - [ PC ]:
There's a reason people are still playing Neverwinter Nights five years after its initial release, and though the main story campaign and retail expansion packs offer plenty of opportunity to develop fledgling characters into fearsome juggernauts of might or magic, it's the thriving community of user-created content that makes BioWare's baby one of the most addictive role-playing games of all time. There's always new equipment to win, new challenges to overcome, and a new character class to experience, and the innumerable highly-rated free and downloadable adventures give all players a nearly bottomless well of excitement to draw from.
86% average critic score
8 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - [ PS2 ]:
Taking territory from rival gangs in Los Santos, polishing off bizarre odd jobs in San Fierro, and hitting the gaming tables of Las Venturas already gives you enough to fill any vacation calendar, but it doesn't even scratch San Andreas' surface. Even after you've played through every mission and seen the story to its end, there's still a ton to do. How many cars, trucks, motorcycles, airplanes, helicopters, and tanks have you commandeered? What about the weapons, races, graffiti tagging spots, and mini-game diversions? It's hard to imagine ever experiencing everything there is to see in San Andreas.
96% average critic score
7 Virtua Tennis 3 - [ PS3 ]:
Sports games tend to ensnare only devoted fans of a given discipline, but Virtua Tennis 3 will hook anyone lucky enough to pick up a controller. It could be the deceptively simple concept of smacking a ball back and forth, or the giddy sense of power released when pounding a perfect serve past an opponent. Or is it the confidence boost that comes from outwitting the competition with cunning shot placement and ball spin that makes Virtua Tennis 3 so addictive? And who could forget the insane minigames that enhance the arcade experience? Whatever the case, Sega's slam-fest could hook even those who wouldn't give TV tennis a second look.
78% average critic score
6 Diablo 2 - [ PC ]:
The number one best-selling RPG of all time adheres to the classic design of hack-and-slash dungeon crawling defined by Rogue, but simple click-fest controls, five customizable character classes, and free online play combined to create a perfect storm of action combat, skill development, and socialization that addicted millions overnight. Pounding powerful enemies into dust, collecting ever more powerful gear, and unlocking new powers and attacks for your chosen profession can easily become an almost endless cycle of compulsion, even if you don't try your hand at one of the other character classes, or purchase the Lord of Destruction expansion.
89% average critic score
5 The Sims 2 - [ PC ]:
Not content with having only one life to live? Pick up The Sims 2 and take control of the private and professional fates of a bunch of nutty 3D personalities forced into close quarters. This quirky life simulator takes all the things that are tedious about day-to-day existence--meal preparation, cleaning, career direction, and even hygiene--and makes them enjoyable by providing instant gratification in the form of hilarious animations and skill upgrades. You can even manipulate friendships into loving marriages, or rivalries into full-on feuds, as your Sims make their way through their ever-changing lives. Who knew playing God could be so compelling?
92% average critic score
4 Lumines II - [ PSP ]:
Lumines' endless stream of falling colored blocks, each divided into four pieces and painted with combinations of two colors, is the latest darling of the portable puzzle scene. Create blocks of a single color, and a sweeping bar removes them from play, rewarding you with points and space. Lumines proved that a deceptively simple goal, made difficult by timing and musical distraction, can quickly become a fixation. Lumines II added background videos, new battle modes, and more challenging "mission" boards, making it damn near impossible to put down whether you're relaxing at home or passing time on the road.
83% average critic score
3 Guitar Hero II - [ PS2 ]:
Don't even try to deny it: you know you've played air guitar while listening to a favorite rocker, even if you didn't dare do it in public. Hand even the most mild-mannered hard rock fan Guitar Hero II's custom axe controller and watch the arena rock god emerge in the time it takes for the first level to load. Nobody's going to confuse talent with timed button presses for true musical acumen, but soaking up the virtual crowd's reaction to your simulated histrionics is so inexplicably satisfying that you won't ever want to leave the stage.
91% average critic score
2 Civilization IV - [ PC ]:
The Civilization series has garnered such a well-deserved reputation for creating addiction that one has to wonder why the government hasn't yet classified it as an actual narcotic. As you guide your burgeoning society from homeless nomads to global superpower you'll choose between styles of government and city improvements, cultural domination and military might, technological advancement and trading flexibility. You can even reach for the stars with your very own space program. This is what an absolute ruler would feel like if he lived for thousands of years, and the effect is more intoxicating and addictive than any liquor.
94% average critic score
1 World of Warcraft - [ PC ]:
World of Warcraft has become synonymous with persistent online role-playing, with more than 8.5 million players worldwide. Nine classes, eight races, stunning art direction, and a huge world of wartorn cultures and hidden lore beckon all RPG fans to start anew in the world of Azeroth. To say that World of Warcraft offers hundreds of hours of obsessive gameplay could be a gross understatement, between the unique trials of each class and the endless challenges of Battlegrounds warfare. As if that weren't enough, the new Burning Crusade expansion adds two new races, raises the level cap, and opens the way to the strange world of Outland. Anyone who's played World of Warcraft and wrenched themselves away long enough to chat will tell you: it's not just a game, it's a way of life
93% average critic score
