In November 2001, Microsoft made the plunge into the gaming industry with their first Xbox console. The original Xbox had stiff competition with the PlayStation 2 and GameCube both releasing around the same time, though the green brand got off to a fantastic start with their launch title Halo: Combat Evolved. Along with RPGs, third and first-person shooters would become a major part of the original Xbox's success.
Although most people associate the original Xbox with first-person shooters due to the Halo games, the console also had a handful of fantastic third-person shooters. As one would expect on a console that, believe it or not, was released over two decades ago, some of these shooters have aged far better than others. These are a few that still hold up today.
7 James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing
In the world of entertainment, it can almost be a curse for a film franchise, musician, or game series to have a beloved hit early-on if numerous other releases are planned. Subsequent releases will always be held to an unfairly high standard. The James Bond gaming series is a good example of this, as every 007 release has to deal with comparisons to the classic GoldenEye 007.
James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing is one of the few games in the franchise that has been able to shrug off the comparisons and stand on its own merit. The game implements everything that players loved about 007, from over-the-top action sequences to futuristic gadgets and fast cars to drive. Although the game wasn't as well-received as some other Xbox third-person shooters upon release, it still deserves its spot on this list as it holds up extremely well.
6 Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction was developed by Pandemic Studios, a former studio that is best remembered for Destroy All Humans! and the original Star Wars: Battlefront II. Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction differentiated itself from most other shooters in the mid-2000s with its open world and sandbox elements.
The game lets players freely pick and choose their missions, find and acquire a wide range of weapons and vehicles, and even destroy any of the game's buildings. Many of these features were ahead of their time, and make today's gamers feel right at home.
5 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
When Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas first hit stores, there were some who claimed that it was the greatest game ever released up until that point. It's easy to see why as San Andreas' open-world was incredibly impressive for 2004, and the game is still one of the most enjoyable GTA titles to play today.
Unfortunately, the game doesn't rank higher on this list for how poorly it has aged. The game still provides good fun; however, blocky visuals, lackluster gameplay, and fact that the open world is no longer impressive by today's standards, have taken away some of its charm.
4 Max Payne
Max Payne was first released on PC in July 2001 before coming to PlayStation 2 and Xbox later the same year. The game was developed by Remedy Entertainment, a Finnish company best known today for Alan Wake, Control, and Quantum Break​​​​​​.
Max Payne emphasizes over-the-top action. Players can dual-wield handguns and even dive in slow-motion, creating memorable cinematic gunfights that made players feel like they were truly experiencing the next generation of gaming in the early 2000s.
3 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow was developed by Ubisoft and was the second release in the Splinter Cell series. Like its predecessor, the third-person shooter has many similarities to the Metal Gear Solid games, particularly with its emphasis on stealth.
Pandora Tomorrow was extremely well-received by fans and critics upon release, exemplified by its 93 Metascore, though the game doesn't feature higher on this list as (spoiler alert) it was overshadowed by its sequel, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.
2 Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance was released on Xbox in November 2002 and is an expanded edition of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, which was released on the PlayStation 2 a year prior. New features in Substance included a plethora of new VR and alternative missions that players can take on with either Solid Snake or Raiden, and "Snake Tails," which featured five story-driven missions as Snake.
The game's campaign is one of the strongest in the entire series, and its story is surprisingly relevant today. Issues like fake news and echo chambers are central to the game's narrative.
1 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
As mentioned before, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. 2005's Chaos Theory scored just one point higher than PandoraTomorrow on Metacritic, though many people today consider it to comfortably be the best game in the series, and one of the best stealth games of all time.
Chaos Theory tops this list because its stealth gameplay is still some of the best available in gaming today. The game finds an excellent balance in making the stealth feel both fun and realistic — a balance that few other stealth games have accomplished.