2003 (SW: Knights of the Old Republic and PoP: The Sands of Time are released) WIP
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA, 2003)
Subgenre: ARPG-ish (exp point leveling, luck-based drops, shop)
Movement Mechanics: Limited flight in bat form, Glide jump, Swimming (need an ability to dive though), High jump
Other: Modern day setting
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Return of Egypt (PC, 2003) - ARPG/Igavania-like, Short
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando/Ratchet & Clank 2 (PS2, 2003)
Subgenre: 3D TPS/ARPG, See the prequel, Weapon leveling and modding/crafting+basic char leveling (extends your life bar), Some sandbox/open-ended collectathon levels
Other: Some giant robot fights, Mini-games
New movement abilities/tools (Gravity boots let you run and jump while sticking to walls, Therminator lets you freeze/melt water)
Can strafe
Item drop magnet
Some puzzles
New game+
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (GBA, 2003)?
Subgenre: 2D Cinematic Platformer/Puzzle Platformer
Other: Hub room?
Linear structure?
2 playable chars (have to switch between and maneuver both to a room's exit to proceed in certain parts)
Gain permanent movement abilities (Prince: rolling, double jump/air jump, wall jump, run up parts of walls/walling; Farah can activate switches from afar with a bow)
Non-regenerating rewind here (and Farah can't do it)
Death pits
Can slow down and freeze time as the prince
Save points
Basic map (current sub area, visited rooms)
Samurai Jack: The Amulet of Time (GBA, 2003)?
Subgenre: 2D ARPG-ish (stats, gear)
Linear?
Some tools/abilities gained that are used for progression (double jump to reach higher, some gear can break walls, bow lets you hit switches, downstab breaks some floors, etc), Map feature (layout and some points of interest), Can find invincibility armor
Gegege no Kitarou: Kiki Ippatsu! Youkai Rettou (GBA, 2003)(Untranslated)?
Maze levels
Other: Hub map, Some auto-scrolling flight segments
Beyond Good & Evil (Multi, 2003)?
Subgenre: 3D Action Adventure (basic dialogue trees), Photography and Stealth mechanics
Perspective: TP View (FP aiming mode)
Other: Large hub area w/ a shop (buy things with pearls you find or are rewarded with) and dungeon-like sub areas, Optional collectibles (data discs)
Linear? (Mini-games and challenge levels found in the hub area can be done in any order?)
Some ability gating? (Hovercraft and plane vehicles whose moves are upgraded to reach new areas, Disc launcher lets you press some switches from afar)
Save points
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy (Multi, 2003)
Subgenre: 3D Zelda-like AA w/ manual platforming, Pokemon-like monster catching and usage mechanic (some have abilities to let you explore or remove obstacles at some points - they're basically bombs)
Perspective: TP View
Linear?
2 playable chars
Some movement abilities gained (a double jump, swim faster, push heavy objects, invisibility, faster running, fire and electric states as the mummy to remove some obstacles - similar to Wario Land 2)
Some weapons are used for switches or key gates
Good puzzles (one where you split into 3 avatars)
Teleporters and shortcuts to previous areas
No mini-map or objective markers
No lock-on or dodge moves
Gothic II: Night of the Raven (PC, 2003)(Expansion)
3D WRPG/ARPG
"The expansion focuses on further enlarging the story already presented in the original Gothic II game, by adding a world called Jharkendar and new attributes, items, and weapons."
MapleStory (PC, 2003)?
2D MMORPG w/ Character creation
Gain movement abilities (flash jump and vertical flash jump, teleport; what you can get depends on the class picked) - any ability gating?
Subgenre: ARPG-ish (exp point leveling, luck-based drops, shop)
Movement Mechanics: Limited flight in bat form, Glide jump, Swimming (need an ability to dive though), High jump
Other: Modern day setting
- Level design is much more linear overall
- Soul system (steal enemy abilities by defeating them then use these as sub weapons/shields/specials – three different types can be equipped (one of each at the same time, but not combined for new effects) - similar to Mega Man and the previous card system)
- Improved teleport system (choose where to go in the map view, no teleporter in the floating garden area though)
- Improved shop (stays in one place close to a portal, sell or buy anything)
- Three endings (which one you get depends on your equipment during the finale rather than choices made throughout the game - need three specific souls equipped which are hinted at)
- Quick save/sleep feature lets you quickly backtrack to the beginning of the current area/room (might've been better to let you start at the most recently visited save point instead)
- Some sequence breaking opportunities (castle corridor>floating gardens by perfectly timing a double jump, castle corridor>inner quarters by floating and double jumping in the wide room near the middle of the area, more)
- Breakable walls are back (though much fewer than in CotM and you need an ability to spot them meaning it takes up a slot you could've used for something else)
- Slowly regenerating MP, Hearts now refill the magic meter (good since they were getting redundant, magic meter now fuel for sub weapons)
- Unlockables (hard mode, boss rush, Julius Belmont mode)
- Item placement is somewhat better than in HoD (potions are still sort of placed at random)
- In-game bestiary
- Battle arena is back (sort of - it's a required area containing three optional challenge rooms that aren't particularly hard here)
- Can't hold more than 9 of each item at once
- No MP or HP upgrades (perhaps more frequent level ups instead?)
- New enemies do not appear in already explored areas (see CotM or Metroid Prime)
- Dropped items disappear after a few seconds
- New game plus (start with the map revealed, all souls and all equipment but not your permanent abilities so the game world doesn't open up much more)
- You can no longer stand on petrified enemies (could've been used to reach some areas earlier)
- Dash/slide/dive kick moves have to be found here (normal running doesn’t exist; dash move no longer makes you move faster (regular movement is a bit faster than in HoD but still), no forward dash until right before the final area and it's a blue soul ability so not permanent/toggle-able)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Return of Egypt (PC, 2003) - ARPG/Igavania-like, Short
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando/Ratchet & Clank 2 (PS2, 2003)
Subgenre: 3D TPS/ARPG, See the prequel, Weapon leveling and modding/crafting+basic char leveling (extends your life bar), Some sandbox/open-ended collectathon levels
Other: Some giant robot fights, Mini-games
New movement abilities/tools (Gravity boots let you run and jump while sticking to walls, Therminator lets you freeze/melt water)
Can strafe
Item drop magnet
Some puzzles
New game+
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (GBA, 2003)?
Subgenre: 2D Cinematic Platformer/Puzzle Platformer
Other: Hub room?
Linear structure?
2 playable chars (have to switch between and maneuver both to a room's exit to proceed in certain parts)
Gain permanent movement abilities (Prince: rolling, double jump/air jump, wall jump, run up parts of walls/walling; Farah can activate switches from afar with a bow)
Non-regenerating rewind here (and Farah can't do it)
Death pits
Can slow down and freeze time as the prince
Save points
Basic map (current sub area, visited rooms)
Samurai Jack: The Amulet of Time (GBA, 2003)?
Subgenre: 2D ARPG-ish (stats, gear)
Linear?
Some tools/abilities gained that are used for progression (double jump to reach higher, some gear can break walls, bow lets you hit switches, downstab breaks some floors, etc), Map feature (layout and some points of interest), Can find invincibility armor
Gegege no Kitarou: Kiki Ippatsu! Youkai Rettou (GBA, 2003)(Untranslated)?
Maze levels
Other: Hub map, Some auto-scrolling flight segments
Beyond Good & Evil (Multi, 2003)?
Subgenre: 3D Action Adventure (basic dialogue trees), Photography and Stealth mechanics
Perspective: TP View (FP aiming mode)
Other: Large hub area w/ a shop (buy things with pearls you find or are rewarded with) and dungeon-like sub areas, Optional collectibles (data discs)
Linear? (Mini-games and challenge levels found in the hub area can be done in any order?)
Some ability gating? (Hovercraft and plane vehicles whose moves are upgraded to reach new areas, Disc launcher lets you press some switches from afar)
Save points
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy (Multi, 2003)
Subgenre: 3D Zelda-like AA w/ manual platforming, Pokemon-like monster catching and usage mechanic (some have abilities to let you explore or remove obstacles at some points - they're basically bombs)
Perspective: TP View
Linear?
2 playable chars
Some movement abilities gained (a double jump, swim faster, push heavy objects, invisibility, faster running, fire and electric states as the mummy to remove some obstacles - similar to Wario Land 2)
Some weapons are used for switches or key gates
Good puzzles (one where you split into 3 avatars)
Teleporters and shortcuts to previous areas
No mini-map or objective markers
No lock-on or dodge moves
Gothic II: Night of the Raven (PC, 2003)(Expansion)
3D WRPG/ARPG
"The expansion focuses on further enlarging the story already presented in the original Gothic II game, by adding a world called Jharkendar and new attributes, items, and weapons."
MapleStory (PC, 2003)?
2D MMORPG w/ Character creation
Gain movement abilities (flash jump and vertical flash jump, teleport; what you can get depends on the class picked) - any ability gating?
Outliers:
Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim (PC, 2003/PS2, 2005)
Subgenre: 3D-ish (pre-rendered chars) ARPG w/ Platforming, Escort segment
Perspective: Top Down/Bird's Eye View
Other: Overworld and dungeons split
Mostly linear (while you can stray from the main path early on the game uses hard level gating so you can't even damage the enemies and die in 1-2 hits, some optional mini-bosses which are replaced with stronger ones later on)
No movement abilities gained and no ability gating besides the Rainbow Fragment (see in the dark and hidden things) and the Grattheos Talisman (move underwater - same as movement on land)
Save points here (64 slots; location, time, stats)
Basic map item (shows your general location and a vague layout of the islands and area locations)
Difficulty options (normal/hard/nightmare, no easy mode)
The more recent PC version includes the ability to warp/teleport between visited save points (wing of alma item in second dungeon, pick locations on a world map screen)
Hitting enemies recharges a sword's special attack (rewards more aggressive play, similar to mana in Hollow Knight)
Some boss fights are surprises but if you die you can at least choose retry and get back lost items and you can escape mini-bosses (can't escape main bosses here)
No health regeneration from standing still in outdoors areas or towns unless you get an optional quest item (but it's only accessible late in the game) - or Emelas Guard leggings?
No journal/quest log feature
Legacy of Kain: Defiance (Multi, 2003) - 3D AA, TP View w/ automatic camera here (similar to Code Veronica or DMC), Linear like Soul Reaver 2?, 2 playable chars, More of a combat focus
Deus Ex: Invisible War (PC/XB, 2003)? - 3D ARPG/Stealth Hybrid, FP View, Choose between factions early on, Non-linear besides the finale, One biomod per body part (simplified compared to the prequel)
Spy drone lets you explore and knock out enemies, Cloak ability, No movement abilities gained?, Universal ammo
Tron 2.0 (PC, 2003(XB, 2004) - 3D, FP View, Stealth element, Level-based, Manual stat distribution, Skill tree which can be re-specced, Racing levels
One movement upgrade (jump higher) - required?, Armor and damage upgrades, Enemy info upgrades (similar to Diablo or SotN), Virus mechanic which lowers your skills (have to then separate and fix them), Difficulty options, Save anywhere?
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA, 2003) - 2D RPG/ARPG/Platformer Hybrid, TD/Bird's Eye View, See Paper Mario or Mario RPG, Mini-games, More linear?, Fetch quests
Control both brothers as a party/duo and switch leader on the fly while the other follows (a bit like Sorcerian) - Permanent combo moves gained that are used to progress during exploration
Sword of Mana (GBA, 2003)(Seiken Densetsu/Final Fantasy Adventure remake) - 2D ARPG, TD View, Adds jumping as a gained ability, Weapon and spell leveling
No other ability gating?, Can sit to regenerate MP
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Multi, 2003) - 3D Puzzle Platformer w/ Hack 'n Slash segments (Cinematic Platformer), TP View (FP view aiming mode), Linear and level-based? (there's a hub area of sorts but you have to find paths to it in the levels - can upgrade your life bar here), Escort/Protection segments (need to keep Farah alive)
No ability gating? - can gain haste and enemy freeze abilities based on power tank collection, Sand tank upgrades (these let you rewind time if you make a mistake), Save points which also give clues to the next puzzle, Healing points (fountains)
Primal (PS2, 2003)? - 3D AA, TP View, Linear, Evil/Good paths, Can switch between the 2 playable chars at will
Jen gains 4 transformations with different movement abilities letting you progress
Ghosthunter (PS2, 2003) - 3D TPS (FP sniping), Linear?, Very little platforming (no jump button), 2 playable chars you can switch between at points (Astral can fly around which is used to progress a few times)
Mega Man Network Transmission (GC, 2003)? - Action Platformer w/ some RPG elements (shops in-between levels, battle chips/special weapons & items - 5 randomly (!) selected active ones out of 20 with a long cooldown before you can change, super weak buster at first, NPC dialogue), Hub map
Linear structure?
Seiklus (PC, 2003) - 2D Collectathon Platformer (600 items, 700 for the alternate true ending)/Maze Platformer, Mostly non-violent (can't attack, no lethal hazards or enemies besides some squids that pull you back to the previous door), Minor puzzles
No ability gating, There's a teleporter but you get it very late, Very short
The Simpsons: Hit & Run (Multi, 2003)? - 3D Open World (?) AA w/ a Driving focus (GTA-like), TP View, Play as Homer/Marge/Bart
No ability gating?, Highly destructible environment?
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (PS2, 2003)? - 3D AA/Stealth, TP View, Level/mission-based, Shops in-between levels, 3 playable chars (first two are slow and strong/fast and weak respectively, gain a third mid-way which is somewhere in-between, can't switch during gameplay), 2-player mode (death match and co-op - single missions only)
No movement ability gating (gain combat moves only)?
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Team Stealth Action (N-Gage, 2003)? - 2D Action Platformer/Stealth, Level-based?
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (PS2, 2003) - 3D AA/Hack 'n Slash, TP View w/ automatic camera (see Code Veronica or DMC), Hub area w/ a shop (connects to 5 levels/sub areas which you can play in any order - the 6th and final one is then unlocked), Gain combat moves automatically
No ability gating?, One-way teleporters (tickets) only, No reason to backtrack to previously beaten levels?
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story (GBA, 2003) - Tales of-like ARPG, TD View w/ Platforming (Exploration)/Side View (Encounters) Hybrid, Crafting; No ability gating?, Dialogue heavy
Rockman EXE WS (WS, 2003)? - Action Platformer without RPG elements (unlike the GBA Battle Network games), No hub map or level select screen
One branching path in most levels leading to a sub level with a different boss, 4 item inventory (sub weapons and HP recovery)
Shinseiki Evangelion 2: Evangelions (PS2, 2003)(Untranslated)? - 3D, Mech Combat/Adventure Hybrid?, TP View
Manhunt (PS2, 2003/XB/PC, 2004) - 3D AA/Stealth, TP View, Semi-automated jumping and not much of it
No ability gating, Enemy radar, Infrequent save points
Jak II (PS2, 2003) - 3D TPS/Action Platformer, More focus on vehicles and shooting (less on gaining/boosting movement abilities, fewer orbs to collect), See the prequel, Some mech segments (slow)
Mini-map, More lively hub world but a lot more time is spent driving around there
Disney's Hide & Sneak (GC, 2003) - 3D Stealth, TP View, Minor platforming (no jump button), Level-based
Chaos Legion (PS2, 2003) - 3D DMC-like Hack 'n Slash, Summon demons to fight with you - can level these up, Level-based
No ability gating?, No checkpoints
Gotcha Force (GC, 2003)? - Mech Action/TPS w/ RPG Elements, Level-based
No ability gating?
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc (Multi, 2003) - 3D Platformer, Level-based and linear, Optional collectathon element, Bumper car segments; Temporary abilities via power up pads placed in levels (can be picked up again and again like the pads in Spyro 2), Some puzzles
Blowout (Multi, 2003) - 2.5D Action Platformer/Maze Shooter, Level-based and linear
Mini-map, No new abilities gained over the course of the game, Some hidden paths
No platforming:
Way of the Samurai 2 (PS2, 2003) - 3D Hack 'n Slash/AA, TP View, Non-linear (10 different endings), Little to no platforming, NPCs with quests (basic dialogue trees)
Teleport between areas, Unskippable cutscenes
Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hands (GBA, 2003) - 2D Isometric, Stealth, Sunlight mechanics (IRL sunlight levels affect your ammo/weapon charge access (and Pile Drive machine access - purifies immortals/vampires) as well as some enemy behavior (undead enemies also die from sunlight), The game's day/night cycle follows real life time based on area settings - time passes faster than IRL though?, The solar sensor in the cart can make your solar gauge in-game overheat if it receives extreme sunlight for too long which renders your solar gun useless for some time, the sensor also stores energy and puts it in solar stations in-game for later use, Solar energy can be stored in the game's solar bank to gain interest and pay debt - this energy can be transferred to the solar stations and also be transferred to other saved games)
Mostly non-linear structure (branching paths between dungeons - can also go back and play dungeons that you moved past earlier, some backtracking for unlocking new paths in a beaten dungeon with a new ability/weapon, Enemy drop magnet, Can level up some gear (can equip what you want to level up right before killing an enemy/boss to make something gain the full exp), Warp past beaten dungeons, Warp items, Transformations (mini form achieved by using the red mushroom - needed in sol city), Basic map feature (doesn't show your exact position in a room (only which room you're in and the direction you're facing) nor does it show the topography of a room), Save anywhere
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Multi, 2003) - 3D WRPG, Party-based, No platforming
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (PS2, 2003/XB, 2004 (Director's Cut)) - 3D Survival Horror, TP/FV View Hybrid, No jumping
Silent Hill 3 (PS2, 2003/PC, 2004) - 3D Survival Horror, No Jumping
Tales of Symphonia (GC, 2003/PS2, 2004) - 3D ARPG, CPU Allies, Partially non-linear, See previous Tales of games, No platforming
.hack//Quarantine Part 4 (PS2, 2003) - 3D ARPG, TP View, No platforming
Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time (PS2, 2003) - 3D ARPG, TP/TD View Hybrid, CPU Allies, No platforming; Non-random encounters, Spells don't pause battles, Long dungeons
Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna (PC, 2003) - 3D Diablo-like ARPG, TD View, Party-based, No platforming
Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes (XB, 2003) - 3D Diablo-like ARPG, TD View, No platforming, 4 classes
Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II (GBA, 2003) - 2D ARPG, TD View, No platforming
Shining Soul II (GBA, 2003) - 2D ARPG, TD View, No platforming
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Multi, 2003) - 3D ARPG/Hack 'n Slash, TP View, CPU allies, Non-linear (level select), No platforming; 2D and TD View on GBA
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (PS2, 2003) - 3D JRPG, No platforming (you just jump down holes at times)
Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark (PC, 2003)(Expansion) - 3D WRPG, No platforming; "The followup to the Shadows of Undrentide expansion, Hordes of the Underdark adds a campaign, prestige classes, and other features. The Windows version also includes new scripting options for the Aurora toolkit."
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (GC, 2003) - 3D JRPG, Very minor platforming in a few parts (no jump button)
Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim (PC, 2003/PS2, 2005)
Subgenre: 3D-ish (pre-rendered chars) ARPG w/ Platforming, Escort segment
Perspective: Top Down/Bird's Eye View
Other: Overworld and dungeons split
Mostly linear (while you can stray from the main path early on the game uses hard level gating so you can't even damage the enemies and die in 1-2 hits, some optional mini-bosses which are replaced with stronger ones later on)
No movement abilities gained and no ability gating besides the Rainbow Fragment (see in the dark and hidden things) and the Grattheos Talisman (move underwater - same as movement on land)
Save points here (64 slots; location, time, stats)
Basic map item (shows your general location and a vague layout of the islands and area locations)
Difficulty options (normal/hard/nightmare, no easy mode)
The more recent PC version includes the ability to warp/teleport between visited save points (wing of alma item in second dungeon, pick locations on a world map screen)
Hitting enemies recharges a sword's special attack (rewards more aggressive play, similar to mana in Hollow Knight)
Some boss fights are surprises but if you die you can at least choose retry and get back lost items and you can escape mini-bosses (can't escape main bosses here)
No health regeneration from standing still in outdoors areas or towns unless you get an optional quest item (but it's only accessible late in the game) - or Emelas Guard leggings?
No journal/quest log feature
Legacy of Kain: Defiance (Multi, 2003) - 3D AA, TP View w/ automatic camera here (similar to Code Veronica or DMC), Linear like Soul Reaver 2?, 2 playable chars, More of a combat focus
Deus Ex: Invisible War (PC/XB, 2003)? - 3D ARPG/Stealth Hybrid, FP View, Choose between factions early on, Non-linear besides the finale, One biomod per body part (simplified compared to the prequel)
Spy drone lets you explore and knock out enemies, Cloak ability, No movement abilities gained?, Universal ammo
Tron 2.0 (PC, 2003(XB, 2004) - 3D, FP View, Stealth element, Level-based, Manual stat distribution, Skill tree which can be re-specced, Racing levels
One movement upgrade (jump higher) - required?, Armor and damage upgrades, Enemy info upgrades (similar to Diablo or SotN), Virus mechanic which lowers your skills (have to then separate and fix them), Difficulty options, Save anywhere?
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA, 2003) - 2D RPG/ARPG/Platformer Hybrid, TD/Bird's Eye View, See Paper Mario or Mario RPG, Mini-games, More linear?, Fetch quests
Control both brothers as a party/duo and switch leader on the fly while the other follows (a bit like Sorcerian) - Permanent combo moves gained that are used to progress during exploration
Sword of Mana (GBA, 2003)(Seiken Densetsu/Final Fantasy Adventure remake) - 2D ARPG, TD View, Adds jumping as a gained ability, Weapon and spell leveling
No other ability gating?, Can sit to regenerate MP
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Multi, 2003) - 3D Puzzle Platformer w/ Hack 'n Slash segments (Cinematic Platformer), TP View (FP view aiming mode), Linear and level-based? (there's a hub area of sorts but you have to find paths to it in the levels - can upgrade your life bar here), Escort/Protection segments (need to keep Farah alive)
No ability gating? - can gain haste and enemy freeze abilities based on power tank collection, Sand tank upgrades (these let you rewind time if you make a mistake), Save points which also give clues to the next puzzle, Healing points (fountains)
Primal (PS2, 2003)? - 3D AA, TP View, Linear, Evil/Good paths, Can switch between the 2 playable chars at will
Jen gains 4 transformations with different movement abilities letting you progress
Ghosthunter (PS2, 2003) - 3D TPS (FP sniping), Linear?, Very little platforming (no jump button), 2 playable chars you can switch between at points (Astral can fly around which is used to progress a few times)
Mega Man Network Transmission (GC, 2003)? - Action Platformer w/ some RPG elements (shops in-between levels, battle chips/special weapons & items - 5 randomly (!) selected active ones out of 20 with a long cooldown before you can change, super weak buster at first, NPC dialogue), Hub map
Linear structure?
Seiklus (PC, 2003) - 2D Collectathon Platformer (600 items, 700 for the alternate true ending)/Maze Platformer, Mostly non-violent (can't attack, no lethal hazards or enemies besides some squids that pull you back to the previous door), Minor puzzles
No ability gating, There's a teleporter but you get it very late, Very short
The Simpsons: Hit & Run (Multi, 2003)? - 3D Open World (?) AA w/ a Driving focus (GTA-like), TP View, Play as Homer/Marge/Bart
No ability gating?, Highly destructible environment?
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (PS2, 2003)? - 3D AA/Stealth, TP View, Level/mission-based, Shops in-between levels, 3 playable chars (first two are slow and strong/fast and weak respectively, gain a third mid-way which is somewhere in-between, can't switch during gameplay), 2-player mode (death match and co-op - single missions only)
No movement ability gating (gain combat moves only)?
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Team Stealth Action (N-Gage, 2003)? - 2D Action Platformer/Stealth, Level-based?
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (PS2, 2003) - 3D AA/Hack 'n Slash, TP View w/ automatic camera (see Code Veronica or DMC), Hub area w/ a shop (connects to 5 levels/sub areas which you can play in any order - the 6th and final one is then unlocked), Gain combat moves automatically
No ability gating?, One-way teleporters (tickets) only, No reason to backtrack to previously beaten levels?
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story (GBA, 2003) - Tales of-like ARPG, TD View w/ Platforming (Exploration)/Side View (Encounters) Hybrid, Crafting; No ability gating?, Dialogue heavy
Rockman EXE WS (WS, 2003)? - Action Platformer without RPG elements (unlike the GBA Battle Network games), No hub map or level select screen
One branching path in most levels leading to a sub level with a different boss, 4 item inventory (sub weapons and HP recovery)
Shinseiki Evangelion 2: Evangelions (PS2, 2003)(Untranslated)? - 3D, Mech Combat/Adventure Hybrid?, TP View
Manhunt (PS2, 2003/XB/PC, 2004) - 3D AA/Stealth, TP View, Semi-automated jumping and not much of it
No ability gating, Enemy radar, Infrequent save points
Jak II (PS2, 2003) - 3D TPS/Action Platformer, More focus on vehicles and shooting (less on gaining/boosting movement abilities, fewer orbs to collect), See the prequel, Some mech segments (slow)
Mini-map, More lively hub world but a lot more time is spent driving around there
Disney's Hide & Sneak (GC, 2003) - 3D Stealth, TP View, Minor platforming (no jump button), Level-based
Chaos Legion (PS2, 2003) - 3D DMC-like Hack 'n Slash, Summon demons to fight with you - can level these up, Level-based
No ability gating?, No checkpoints
Gotcha Force (GC, 2003)? - Mech Action/TPS w/ RPG Elements, Level-based
No ability gating?
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc (Multi, 2003) - 3D Platformer, Level-based and linear, Optional collectathon element, Bumper car segments; Temporary abilities via power up pads placed in levels (can be picked up again and again like the pads in Spyro 2), Some puzzles
Blowout (Multi, 2003) - 2.5D Action Platformer/Maze Shooter, Level-based and linear
Mini-map, No new abilities gained over the course of the game, Some hidden paths
No platforming:
Way of the Samurai 2 (PS2, 2003) - 3D Hack 'n Slash/AA, TP View, Non-linear (10 different endings), Little to no platforming, NPCs with quests (basic dialogue trees)
Teleport between areas, Unskippable cutscenes
Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hands (GBA, 2003) - 2D Isometric, Stealth, Sunlight mechanics (IRL sunlight levels affect your ammo/weapon charge access (and Pile Drive machine access - purifies immortals/vampires) as well as some enemy behavior (undead enemies also die from sunlight), The game's day/night cycle follows real life time based on area settings - time passes faster than IRL though?, The solar sensor in the cart can make your solar gauge in-game overheat if it receives extreme sunlight for too long which renders your solar gun useless for some time, the sensor also stores energy and puts it in solar stations in-game for later use, Solar energy can be stored in the game's solar bank to gain interest and pay debt - this energy can be transferred to the solar stations and also be transferred to other saved games)
Mostly non-linear structure (branching paths between dungeons - can also go back and play dungeons that you moved past earlier, some backtracking for unlocking new paths in a beaten dungeon with a new ability/weapon, Enemy drop magnet, Can level up some gear (can equip what you want to level up right before killing an enemy/boss to make something gain the full exp), Warp past beaten dungeons, Warp items, Transformations (mini form achieved by using the red mushroom - needed in sol city), Basic map feature (doesn't show your exact position in a room (only which room you're in and the direction you're facing) nor does it show the topography of a room), Save anywhere
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Multi, 2003) - 3D WRPG, Party-based, No platforming
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (PS2, 2003/XB, 2004 (Director's Cut)) - 3D Survival Horror, TP/FV View Hybrid, No jumping
Silent Hill 3 (PS2, 2003/PC, 2004) - 3D Survival Horror, No Jumping
Tales of Symphonia (GC, 2003/PS2, 2004) - 3D ARPG, CPU Allies, Partially non-linear, See previous Tales of games, No platforming
.hack//Quarantine Part 4 (PS2, 2003) - 3D ARPG, TP View, No platforming
Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time (PS2, 2003) - 3D ARPG, TP/TD View Hybrid, CPU Allies, No platforming; Non-random encounters, Spells don't pause battles, Long dungeons
Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna (PC, 2003) - 3D Diablo-like ARPG, TD View, Party-based, No platforming
Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes (XB, 2003) - 3D Diablo-like ARPG, TD View, No platforming, 4 classes
Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II (GBA, 2003) - 2D ARPG, TD View, No platforming
Shining Soul II (GBA, 2003) - 2D ARPG, TD View, No platforming
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Multi, 2003) - 3D ARPG/Hack 'n Slash, TP View, CPU allies, Non-linear (level select), No platforming; 2D and TD View on GBA
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (PS2, 2003) - 3D JRPG, No platforming (you just jump down holes at times)
Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark (PC, 2003)(Expansion) - 3D WRPG, No platforming; "The followup to the Shadows of Undrentide expansion, Hordes of the Underdark adds a campaign, prestige classes, and other features. The Windows version also includes new scripting options for the Aurora toolkit."
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (GC, 2003) - 3D JRPG, Very minor platforming in a few parts (no jump button)
