Top 100 Games of the Noughties: 10-1

Our countdown to the greatest game of the decade.

What a decade it's been for gaming. The Noughties saw the release of no less than six new consoles, the rise of Microsoft as a serious industry player and the re-emergence of Nintendo as the dominant force. Yeah, it's been an incredible ten years of gaming goodness. But what lights have shined the brightest? What video games are destined to join the pantheon of the immortals? Here, in the final part of VideoGamer.com's mammoth Top 100 Games of the Noughties list, we tell you, counting down from 10 to 1. Like the best rollercoasters, there are peaks and troughs, nerve-shredding twists and turns, and a bit where you're really high up and wish you'd never got on the bloody thing in the first place. But hold on tight, weary video gamer, because by the time this ride ends, you'll know just how good the Noughties have been.

Games 20-11
Games 30-21
Games 40-31
Games 50-41
Games 60-51
Games 70-61
Games 80-71
Games 90-81
Games 100-91

10. Gears of War 2 - Xbox 360, 2008

If there's a single game that represents the pinnacle of co-operative action gaming, Gears of War 2 is it. The campaign is a breathtaking ride through some of the most glorious locations ever committed to DVD, the pacing is pitch perfect and the set-pieces are stunning. No cover-based shooter has nailed the mechanic as well as Epic did with Gears 2. Add to the campaign a superb competitive multiplayer component and the time-sapping Horde mode, and you have an action game with few equals. While Gears of War ushered in the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation, Gears 2 bettered the original in every way.

9. Modern Warfare 2 - Xbox 360, PS3, PC, 2009

You've probably heard of this one - and by now you're probably fed up of hearing about this one. Or maybe you're not, because at the moment roughly 75 per cent of the Earth's population is playing Modern Warfare 2. Okay, so that's a slight exaggeration, but the fact remains that there are a lot of people having an awful lot of fun with this game. The single player campaign is a bombastic triumph, and the co-op challenges offer a surprising degree of tactical depth, but it’s the ultra-addictive multiplayer that remains the jewel in Infinity Ward's crown. The revamped create-a-class system is one of the slickest mechanics in first-person shooter history: You'll still get destroyed by a whiny 11-year-old from Forkland, Alabama - but as you die, you'll say to yourself, "I did it my way".