Right after the new millenium the next generation of consoles hit and so did a new breed of PC hardware. This new hardware allowed us to push graphics and gameplay even further. It started off slow but by 2003-2004 PC games finally started to feel real. On the downside more and more people were dropping out of the PC scene due to this hardware being too expensive. Ever since 2001 every time a big game came out people had to upgrade their hardware and this became too expensive in the end. Because of this down slide people started turning to console games thanks to their ease of use and not having to upgrade it's hardware for better looking games. We could keep one system for a good 10 years and never have to update it. Below are 10 of the best PC games and really showed flair and also scared people away from the scene. Below are 10 of the best PC games of this era in no particular order.
1.    World of Warcraft - Whether or not you have WoW there's nodenying that Blizzard's Warcraft series put MMOs on the top of the charts. While EverQuest simmered for a few years it didn't really launch MMOs out of the mud. WoW features bright colorful graphics, super addictive leveling up system, missions structures, PvP (Player vs. Player), and not to mention the 9 million+ users online. If you want to shell out $15 a month for the server fees then go for it. WoW has both killed people, and brought so many people together it's a worldwide phenomenon.

My Score: N/A                     Also Available On: PC Exclusive      Release Year: 2004

Notable Expansions: World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

2. Civilization IV - If you haven't played the Civilization games then you're really missing out. Some may be turned away due to it's deep complex gameplay structure, but there is a lot to be had in this wonderful RTS. With updated graphics, tons of extra elements added, and excellent online play you're going to lose precious years of your life to this game. People who are RTS buffs will fall in love with Sid Meier's baby, but just don't look into it's eyes or you'll succumb to greatness that is Civilization.

My Score: N/A                        Also Available On: PC Exclusive      Release Year: 2005

Notable Expansions: Civilization IV: Warlords, Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, Civilization IV: Colonization

Convenience: Civilization IV: Complete includes all three of the above games.
3. Unreal Tournament 2004 - UT2004 did the same thing the first game did and it brought online multiplayer mayhem to the frontlines and sucked millions of hours out of people's lives. UT2004 has excellent graphics, a huge mod community, and the best online deathmathing you'll ever play. If you loved the first game you'll have to own this, if you are a new comer then grab a rocket launcher and blast off to the sound of the Liandri competition.

My Score: 9.0/10                        Also Available On: MAC      Release Year: 2004

Notable Expansions: N/A

Convenience: Unreal Tournament 2004: Editor's Choice Edition includes extra maps, vehicles, user made mods and more.

4. Half-Life 2 - We all waited five years for the sequel to the 90's best FPS game ever made and it really delivered. Coupled with the amazing Source engine and Havok physics HL2 brought everything too life. With excellent weapons from the Gravity Gun, to the Crowbar there was something here for everyone. There wasn't much to the story, but it is one of the best stories ever made ironically. Valve pulled everything off so well it just could never be done again.

My Score: 9.0/10                  Also Available On: PS3, X360, Xbox    Release Year: 2004

Notable Expansions: Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2

Convenience: The Orange Box includes all of the HL games plus the sequel to Team Fortress Classic and the best puzzle game ever: Portal. Download and install the Steam client to buy these games since you really can't find them in physical form anymore.

5. Far Cry - When Grand Theft Auto III came out open ended  gameplay was the new norm and Far Cry was one of the first games to pick up on this. With lush jungles to explore you can do anything anywhere you want. You want to go silent? Go ahead. You want to run & gun? Go ahead. Far Cry also had 64 person online multiplayer full of vehicles and boats. Far Cry is one of the best games on the PC and it shouldn't be passed up. Far Cry never saw any expansions, but when the series strayed onto the Xbox there were many great sequels that were produced.

My Score: 8.5/10                        Also Available On: PC Exclusive     Release Year: 2004

Notable Expansions: N/A

Convenience: Far Cry is being offered free from Ubisoft but it does have in game ads.

6.  F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon - With the creepy little girl being FEAR's mascot everyone loved how great this game looked and felt. While feeling very generic these days FEAR is still a very scary game with some great gameplay element thrown in. If you want a great scary FPS then FEAR is right up your alley, just don't forget to keep your flashlight on.

My Score: 8.0/10                        Also Available On: PS3, X360      Release Year: 2005

Notable Expansions: F.E.A.R.: Extraction Point, Perseus Mandate

Convenience: F.E.A.R. Files includes above games.

7. Rome: Total War - RTS games were always known to be isometric even in their 3D sense, but when Total War came out that all changed. Being an RTS with a 3D cinematic camera was something revolutionary and thanks to Total War RTS games are now being changed left and right. Total War features an excellent new style of pick-up-and-play RTS gameplay while still being extremely deep.

My Score: N/A                     Also Available On: PC Exclusive      Release Year: 2004

Notable Expansions: Rome: Total War Barbarian Invasion, Rome: Total War Alexander

Convenience: Rome: Total War Gold Edition includes Rome: Total War and the Barbarian Invasion expansion.

8.  Call of Duty - Since Medal of Honor came out on the original PlayStation WWII games broke into their own genre. Call of Duty beat MoH to the gold with a better cinematic experience, online multiplayer, and a more realistic feel. Call of Duty won multiple game of the year awards and was one of the best games of 2003. CoD 1 still sits in gamers hearts as the best WWII game ever made.

My Score: 8.0/10                  Also Available On: NGE      Release Year: 2003

Notable Expansions: Call of Duty: United Offensive

Convenience: Call of Duty Deluxe Edition Box Set includes the expansion and the soundtrack CD plus more.

9. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - While the Elder Scrolls series didn't really pick up steam until this one, it did feature huge open environments since the DOS era. Morrowind featured a great story, a superbly massive open world to explore, being able to pick up and sell everything in site, first person combat, and (at the time) amazing graphics. Morrowind did have it's flaws with no waypoint warping and a bad combat system, but the game was still addictive nonetheless. It's a beautiful-looking, sprawling, and completely open-ended game that allows you to play pretty much however you like as long as you're willing to fill in a few blanks using your imagination. If that's that case, then you could easily spend a couple of hundred hours over the course of days, weeks, or months losing yourself, deliberately or not, in Morrowind's carefully detailed world. And if you're hard-core into computer role-playing games, then that's about the highest recommendation you could hope for.

My Score: 7.0/10                        Also Available On: Xbox      Release Year: 2002

Notable Expansions: The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal, The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon

Convenience: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Game of the Year Edition includes all three above games.

10.  Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos - It may not be fair to put two Warcraft games on this list but Warcraft III is the reason why we have WoW. Warcraft III is an RTS and a lot of people don't know this. The game has excellent colorful graphics, simple strategy gameplay, and a great story. If you love WoW you should play WC3 since this is what WoW is based off of.

My Score: 8.5/10                  Also Available On: PC Exclusive      Release Year: 2002

Notable Expansions: Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne

Convenience: Warcraft Battle Chest includes both of the above games.

Honorable Mentions:      These games were also just as good as the top 10, but didn't impact the PC industry as much as the above games. I highly suggest getting as many of these as you can.

• Act of War: Direct Action (2005)
  
• Age of Mythology (2002)
  
• Alien vs. Predator 2 (2001)
  
• Battlefield 1942 (2002)
• Battlefield 1942: Road to Rome (Expansion) (2003)
  
• Battlefield 2 (2005)
  
• Battlefield Vietnam (2004)
• Beyond Good & Evil (2003)
  
• Black & White (2001)
  
• Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (2005)
  
• Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (2005)
  
• The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (2004)
  
• Call of Duty 2 (2005)
  
• City of Heroes (2004)
  
• Civilization III (2001)
  
• Civilization III: Conquests (Expansion) (2003)
  
• Clive Barker's Undying (2001)
  
• Dark Age of Camelot (2001)
  
• Darwinia (2005)
  
• Doom 3 (2004)
• Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (Expansion) (2005)
  
• Fable: The Lost Chapters (2005)
  
• Freedom Fighters (2003)
• Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich (2005)
  
• Grand Theft Auto III (2002)
  
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2005)
  
• Guild Wars (2005)
  
• Halo: Combat Evolved (2003)
  
• Heroes of Might and Magic IV (2002)
  
• Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (2001)
  
• Mafia (2002)
• Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003)
  
• Medal of Honor Allied Assault (2002)
  
• Medieval: Total War (2002)
  
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight (2003)
  
• Myst IV: Revelations (2004)
  
• No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way (2002)
• Painkiller (2004)
  
• Psychonauts (2005)
  
• Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001)
  
• Rise of Nations (2003)
• Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots (Expansion) (2004)
  
• Serious Sam: The First Encounter (2001)
  
• Sid Meier's Pirates! (2004)
• Silent Hunter III (2005)
  
• The Sims 2 (2004)
  
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003)
  
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (2005)
  
• SWAT 4 (2005)
  
• Syberia (2002)
  
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2003)
  
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005)
  
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (2004)
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield (2003)
  
• Tribes 2 (2001)
  
• Tribes: Vengeance (2004)
  
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (2004)
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Winter Assault (Expansion) (2004)
  
• Wizardry 8 (2001)