Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,400 most recommended games across 913 critic lists from 142 publications.

Updated: March 25, 2026

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 2002

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28 of 28

#1 Metroid Prime (2002) (#40)

Retro Studios | GC | Action-Adventure | ~14h | 68 lists

#2 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002) (#62)

Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.3 | GC | Action-Adventure | ~29h | 45 lists

#3 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) (#83)

Rockstar North | WIN , PS2 , Xbox | Action-Adventure | ~17h | 38 lists

#4 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002) (#86)

Bethesda Game Studios | WIN , Xbox | Action RPG | ~44h | 29 lists

#5 Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos (2002) (#115)

Blizzard Entertainment | MAC, WIN | Real-Time Strategy | ~22h | 27 lists

#6 Battlefield 1942 (2002) (#135)

Digital Illusions CE | WIN | First-Person Shooter | ~8h | 29 lists

#7 Soulcalibur II (2002) (#257)

Project Soul | ARC , PS2 , GC , Xbox | Fighting | ~3h | 19 lists

#8 Kingdom Hearts (2002) (#273)

Square Product Development Division 1 | PS2 | Hack and Slash / Action RPG | ~28h | 17 lists

#9 Mafia (2002) (#386)

Illusion Softworks | WIN | Action-Adventure | ~16h | 13 lists

#10 Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (2002) (#414)

Silicon Knights | GC | Horror | ~13h | 14 lists

#11 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2002) (#419)

Ubisoft Montreal | WIN , PS2 , GC , Xbox | Action-Adventure / Stealth | ~12h | 14 lists

#12 Jet Set Radio Future (2002) (#427)

Smilebit | Xbox | Action / Sports / Platform | ~11h | 9 lists

#13 Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (2002) (#463)

IO Interactive | WIN , PS2 , GC , Xbox | Stealth | ~14h | 9 lists

#14 Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (2002) (#493)

2015 | MAC, WIN | First-Person Shooter | ~9h | 9 lists

#15 Super Mario Sunshine (2002) (#519)

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development | GC | Action-Adventure / Platform | ~15h | 9 lists

#16 Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald (2002) (#531)

Game Freak | GBA | Role-Playing | ~35h | 9 lists

#17 Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (2002) (#582)

Raven Software, Vicarious Visions, Westlake Interactive | MAC, WIN , GC , Xbox | Hack and Slash / First-Person Shooter / Third-Person Shooter | ~13h | 8 lists

#18 TimeSplitters 2 (2002) (#604)

Free Radical Design | PS2 , GC , Xbox | First-Person Shooter | ~7h | 10 lists

#19 No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way (2002) (#616)

Monolith Productions | MAC, WIN | First-Person Shooter / Stealth | ~12h | 5 lists

#20 Neverwinter Nights (2002) (#701)

BioWare, MacSoft Games | 3 | Role-Playing | ~50h | 6 lists

#21 Resident Evil (2002) (#811)

Capcom Production Studio 4 | GC, Wii | Horror | ~11h | 9 lists

#22 Metroid Fusion (2002) (#835)

Nintendo R&D1 | GBA | Action-Adventure | ~5h | 6 lists

#23 Panzer Dragoon Orta (2002) (#892)

Smilebit | Xbox | Shooter | ~4h | 5 lists

#24 Burnout 2: Point of Impact (2002) (#996)

Criterion Games | PS2 , GC , Xbox | Racing | ~9h | 3 lists

#25 Ratchet & Clank (2002) (#997)

Insomniac Games | PS2 | Third-Person Shooter / Platform | ~12h | 6 lists

#26 RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 (2002) (#1001)

Chris Sawyer Productions | WIN | Construction & Management | ~66h | 4 lists

#27 Steel Battalion (2002) (#1069)

Capcom Production Studio 4, Nude Maker | Xbox | Action / Vehicle Simulation | ~15h | 3 lists

#28 FIFA 2003 (2002) (#1281)

Electronic Arts | PS2 , GC , Xbox | Sports | ~10h | 3 lists

#40

Retro Studios

Action-Adventure

~14h

68 lists

Metroid Prime 2002

#62

Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.3

Action-Adventure

~29h

45 lists

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker 2002

#83

Rockstar North

PS2, WIN, Xbox

Action-Adventure

~17h

38 lists

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 2002

#86

Bethesda Game Studios

WIN, Xbox

Action RPG

~44h

29 lists

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind 2002

#115

Blizzard Entertainment

MAC, WIN

Real-Time Strategy

~22h

27 lists

Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos 2002

#135

Digital Illusions CE

WIN

First-Person Shooter

~8h

29 lists

Battlefield 1942 2002

#257

Project Soul

ARC, GC, PS2, Xbox

Fighting

~3h

19 lists

Soulcalibur II 2002

#273

Square Product Development Division 1

PS2

Hack and Slash / Action RPG

~28h

17 lists

Kingdom Hearts 2002

#386

Illusion Softworks

WIN

Action-Adventure

~16h

13 lists

Mafia 2002

#10

#414

Silicon Knights

Horror

~13h

14 lists

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem 2002

#11

#419

Ubisoft Montreal

GC, PS2, WIN, Xbox

Action-Adventure / Stealth

~12h

14 lists

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 2002

#12

#427

Smilebit

Xbox

Action / Sports / Platform

~11h

9 lists

Jet Set Radio Future 2002

#13

#463

IO Interactive

GC, PS2, WIN, Xbox

Stealth

~14h

9 lists

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin 2002

#14

#493

2015

MAC, WIN

First-Person Shooter

~9h

9 lists

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault 2002

#15

#519

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development

Action-Adventure / Platform

~15h

9 lists

Super Mario Sunshine 2002

#16

#531

Game Freak

GBA

Role-Playing

~35h

9 lists

Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald 2002

#17

#582

Raven Software, Vicarious Visions, Westlake Interactive

MAC, GC, WIN, Xbox

Hack and Slash / First-Person Shooter / Third-Person Shooter

~13h

8 lists

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast 2002

#18

#604

Free Radical Design

GC, PS2, Xbox

First-Person Shooter

~7h

10 lists

TimeSplitters 2 2002

#19

#616

Monolith Productions

MAC, WIN

First-Person Shooter / Stealth

~12h

5 lists

No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way 2002

#20

#701

BioWare, MacSoft Games

MAC, LIN, WIN

Role-Playing

~50h

6 lists

Neverwinter Nights 2002

#21

#811

Capcom Production Studio 4

GC, Wii

Horror

~11h

9 lists

Resident Evil 2002

#22

#835

Nintendo R&D1

GBA

Action-Adventure

~5h

6 lists

Metroid Fusion 2002

#23

#892

Smilebit

Xbox

Shooter

~4h

5 lists

Panzer Dragoon Orta 2002

#24

#996

Criterion Games

GC, PS2, Xbox

Racing

~9h

3 lists

Burnout 2: Point of Impact 2002

#25

#997

Insomniac Games

PS2

Third-Person Shooter / Platform

~12h

6 lists

Ratchet & Clank 2002

#26

#1001

Chris Sawyer Productions

WIN

Construction & Management

~66h

4 lists

RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 2002

#27

#1069

Capcom Production Studio 4, Nude Maker

Xbox

Action / Vehicle Simulation

~15h

3 lists

Steel Battalion 2002

#28

#1281

Electronic Arts

GC, PS2, Xbox

Sports

~10h

3 lists

FIFA 2003 2002

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