Looking Back At 2008, An Unbelievably Incredible Year Of Video Game Releases

Taking a brief look at the hit list of 2008 in the space of the gaming industry, it baffles me to realize that this year was packed with so many heavyweights. It’s crazy really, and certainly not comparable to the standard of the day and age we live in today, especially when we talk about things such as staying power and cultural impact. 

Walk along with me in the featured piece at hand as I talk about some of the most memorable games that had the privilege of coming out more than one and a half decades ago, all the while holding such significance that they remain relevant to some extent even to this day.  

6 Of The Most Profound Video Games Released In 2008

Now please bear in mind, that this is not a definitive list of all the best games that were released in that year. The forthcoming entries are reflective of my personal opinion and are meant to be taken as such. With that said, I’d be more than happy to discuss your perspective down in the comments ahead, should you choose to add to the list. 

1. God Of War: Chains Of Olympus

• Developer: Ready at Dawn 
• Platforms: PSP, PlayStation 3
• Genre: Action, Platformer 

Easily being one of the best God of War games in my eyes, 2008 gave rise to God of War: Chains of Olympus, which tells the story of Kratos during his period of servitude to the gods and is therefore set sometime between the events of God of War 2 and God of War: Ascension. Surreal gameplay, top-notch characters, great storytelling, and a fantastic atmosphere make Chains of Olympus worth playing in 2024. 

2. Left 4 Dead

• Developer: Valve
• Platforms: PC, Xbox 360 
• Genre: First-Person Shooter

Left 4 Dead, dear God the amount of memories I have with this one … it’s super nostalgic if nothing else. So, the ultimate co-op shooter that inspired a whole breed of like-minded titles came out all the way back in 2008, serving as the epitome of fun at the time. It boggles my mind that Valve decided against continuing work on the franchise, especially while knowing the vast potential it ensued. 

Anyhow, a wise man once said: Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened, and over the years, I’ve had many smiles reminiscing about my time with the first-person shooter back in the day. 

3. Grand Theft Auto 4 

• Developer: Rockstar North
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
• Genre: Open-World

Grand Theft Auto 4 will remain a legend of the industry for introducing a character as fine as Niko Bellic to the realm of gaming. The sixth mainline rendition in the franchise was launched in 2008, sending shockwaves across the board for its revamped gameplay and a better-than-ever open world. The GTA franchise still continues strong, with the extremely anticipated GTA 6 expected to come out in 2025.

4. Far Cry 2

• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
• Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
• Genre: First-Person Shooter, Free-Roam

Far Cry 2 is one of the best-selling games in the franchise, and for good reason. Sure, the gameplay balance has its pain points here and there, but that does not take away from the fact that Far Cry 2 is well-designed and has terrific potential for mods on PC. Can’t go wrong with this banger from ’08.  

5. Call Of Duty: World At War 

• Developer: Treyarch
• Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii
• Genre: First-Person Shooter

Call of Duty: World at War has served as the novel introduction of so many players to the Call of Duty franchise, particularly because of its remarkable gameplay mechanics, a high-quality storyline, and the added bonus of a multiplayer mode availability for boosting replayability. 

6. Fallout 3

• Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
• Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC 
• Genre: First-Person Shooter, Post-Apocalyptic, Free-Roam

There’s no question about it—Fallout 3 is going down in the history books as one of the greatest video games ever made. You definitely don’t come around gems like these too often. Everything from the art direction and environment to the gameplay and in-game mechanics and systems is well-built, not to mention the realistic approach taken for the title’s world design. 

So this one too was released back in 2008, and it barely has me answering the question when one of my colleagues asks me about my favorite game from this magnificent year. Go ahead and you be the judge down below.