Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,400 most recommended games across 920 critic lists from 146 publications.

Updated: October 16, 2026

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 2005

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Resident Evil 4

#1 Resident Evil 4 (2005) (#8)

Capcom Production Studio 4 | PS2, GC, Wii | Horror / Third-Person Shooter | ~16h | 98 lists

Shadow of the Colossus

#2 Shadow of the Colossus (2005) (#12)

Team Ico | PS2 | Action-Adventure | ~9h | 82 lists

God of War

#3 God of War (2005) (#117)

SCE Santa Monica Studio | PS2 | Hack and Slash / Action-Adventure | ~9h | 36 lists

Sid Meier's Civilization IV

#4 Sid Meier's Civilization IV (2005) (#119)

Firaxis Games | MAC, WIN | Turn-Based Strategy / 4X Strategy | ~14h | 29 lists

Psychonauts

#5 Psychonauts (2005) (#224)

Double Fine Productions | WIN, PS2, Xbox | Action-Adventure / Platform | ~12h | 24 lists

Guitar Hero

#6 Guitar Hero (2005) (#244)

Harmonix Music Systems | PS2 | Music | ~5h | 24 lists

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

#7 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005) (#249)

Ubisoft Montreal | WIN, PS2, GC, Xbox | Action-Adventure / Stealth | ~13h | 20 lists

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening

#8 Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening (2005) (#251)

Capcom Production Studio 1 | PS2 | Hack and Slash / Action-Adventure | ~12h | 20 lists

Battlefield 2

#9 Battlefield 2 (2005) (#254)

Digital Illusions CE | WIN | First-Person Shooter | ~8h | 15 lists

Kingdom Hearts II

#10 Kingdom Hearts II (2005) (#277)

Square Enix Product Development Division 1 | PS2 | Hack and Slash / Action RPG | ~32h | 15 lists

Call of Duty 2

#11 Call of Duty 2 (2005) (#344)

Infinity Ward | WIN, X360 | First-Person Shooter | ~8h | 14 lists

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved

#12 Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved (2005) (#348)

Activision | X360 | Shooter | ~4h | 10 lists

Killer7

#13 Killer7 (2005) (#473)

Engine Software, Grasshopper Manufacture | PS2, GC | Action-Adventure / First-Person Shooter | ~14h | 10 lists

Pro Evolution Soccer 5 / World Soccer: Winning Eleven 9

#14 Pro Evolution Soccer 5 / World Soccer: Winning Eleven 9 (2005) (#552)

Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo | WIN, PS2, Xbox | Football (Association) / Sports | ~14h | 7 lists

F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon

#15 F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon (2005) (#558)

Monolith Productions | WIN, X360, PS3 | Horror / First-Person Shooter | ~8h | 7 lists

Mario Kart DS

#16 Mario Kart DS (2005) (#572)

Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.1 | DS | Kart Racing | ~5h | 8 lists

Jade Empire

#17 Jade Empire (2005) (#687)

BioWare | Xbox | Action RPG | ~18h | 7 lists

Animal Crossing: Wild World

#18 Animal Crossing: Wild World (2005) (#718)

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development | DS | Life Simulation | ~68h | 7 lists

Burnout Revenge

#19 Burnout Revenge (2005) (#766)

Criterion Games | PS2, Xbox, X360 | Racing | ~16h | 5 lists

Advance Wars: Dual Strike

#20 Advance Wars: Dual Strike (2005) (#788)

Intelligent Systems | DS | Turn-Based Strategy | ~24h | 4 lists

Meteos

#21 Meteos (2005) (#883)

Q Entertainment | DS | Puzzle | ~5h | 4 lists

Project Gotham Racing 3

#22 Project Gotham Racing 3 (2005) (#904)

Bizarre Creations | X360 | Racing | ~8h | 4 lists

SWAT 4

#23 SWAT 4 (2005) (#912)

Irrational Games | WIN | Tactical Shooter | ~9h | 3 lists

Guild Wars / Guild Wars Prophecies

#24 Guild Wars / Guild Wars Prophecies (2005) (#932)

ArenaNet | WIN | Massively Multiplayer / Action RPG | ~75h | 5 lists

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath

#25 Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath (2005) (#981)

Oddworld Inhabitants | Xbox | Action-Adventure / Third-Person Shooter | ~10h | 4 lists

Dead or Alive 4

#26 Dead or Alive 4 (2005) (#990)

Team NINJA | X360 | Fighting | ~4h | 4 lists

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

#27 Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (2005) (#1029)

Intelligent Systems, Nintendo | GC | Tactical RPG | ~33h | 3 lists

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

#28 Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005) (#1032)

EA Black Box, EA Redwood Shores | WIN, X360 | Racing | ~20h | 4 lists

We Love Katamari

#29 We Love Katamari (2005) (#1042)

Keita Takahashi, Now Production | PS2 | Action / Puzzle | ~7h | 3 lists

Indigo Prophecy / Fahrenheit

#30 Indigo Prophecy / Fahrenheit (2005) (#1067)

Quantic Dream | WIN, PS2, Xbox | Action-Adventure | ~8h | 4 lists

Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan

#31 Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (2005) (#1075)

iNiS | DS | Music | ~4h | 2 lists

The Movies

#32 The Movies (2005) (#1095)

Lionhead Studios | WIN | Simulation | ~30h | 3 lists

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

#33 Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005) (#1290)

Konami | DS | Action RPG / Metroidvania | ~9h | 4 lists

Darwinia

#34 Darwinia (2005) (#1305)

Introversion Software | 3 | Real-Time Strategy / Real-Time Tactics | ~10h | 2 lists

X3: Reunion

#35 X3: Reunion (2005) (#1335)

Egosoft | WIN | Space Simulation | ~18h | 2 lists

Brain Age / Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training

#36 Brain Age / Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training (2005) (#1361)

Nintendo SPD Production Group No. 2 | DS | Educational / Puzzle | ~2h | 3 lists

Silent Hunter III

#37 Silent Hunter III (2005) (#1368)

Ubisoft Bucharest | WIN | Vehicle Simulation | ~63h | 2 lists

Kirby: Canvas Curse

#38 Kirby: Canvas Curse (2005) (#1393)

HAL Laboratory | DS | Platform | ~4h | 2 lists

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