2008 was one of the biggest years for the video game industry, and that's reflected by all the major games that are turning 15 this year. Some of the highest-rated and best-selling video games of all time were released in 2008, and now they will all be turning 15 by the time 2023 comes to a close.
2008 started off strong with open world racing game Burnout Paradise and the long-awaited Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii. Grand Theft Auto 4 launched a few months later, and it is still the third-highest rated video game to this day, according to review aggregate site Metacritic. Things didn't slow down in the summer of 2008 either, with PS3 exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Persona 4, one of the last major PS2 game releases, both launching around that time.
Most of the big games that released in 2008 were big AAA affairs, but one indie game stood out that year as well. Innovative puzzle/platformer Braid released on August 6, 2008 as an Xbox Live Arcade game exclusive to the Xbox 360. Braid launched to widespread critical acclaim and was a major financial success as well, ushering in a new age of indie games being treated with the same level of respect as the big budget titles. All major indie games released to this day owe a debt to Braid, and hopefully the Braid: Anniversary Edition remaster drops this year to help celebrate the groundbreaking game.
Major Games That Turn 15 Years Old in 2023
- Burnout Paradise (January 22)
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl (January 31)
- Grand Theft Auto 4 (April 29)
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (June 12)
- Persona 4 (July 10)
- Braid (August 6)
- Dead Space (October 13)
- Fable 2 (October 21)
- LittleBigPlanet (October 27)
- Fallout 3 (October 28)
- Gears of War 2 (November 7)
- World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (November 13)
- Left 4 Dead (November 17)
Fall is typically the busiest time of year for the gaming industry, and that certainly held true in 2008. October alone saw the launches of Dead Space, Fable 2, LittleBigPlanet, and Fallout 3, all of which are now considered landmark game releases. Luckily, Dead Space fans will soon be treated to a full-fledged Dead Space remake that brings the classic sci-fi survival-horror game to modern platforms, though fans of those other October 2008 games may not have all that much to look forward to this year.
While a new Fable game was announced years ago, there haven't been many updates about it since. It's possible fans will get a fresh look at the new Fable game this year, though they shouldn't hold their breath. As far as LittleBigPlanet goes, rumor has it that LittleBigPlanet 4 is in development for PS5, but that has yet to be confirmed. No new Fallout game is expected to release for years, but Bethesda fans do have open world sci-fi RPG Starfield to look forward to at least, and that could very well scratch a similar itch whenever it releases.
The final big three releases of 2008 were Xbox 360 exclusive Gears of War 2, which popularized the Horde mode concept that was lifted by countless other games, the acclaimed Wrath of the Lich King expansion for World of Warcraft, and the wildly popular co-op zombie shooter Left 4 Dead. These games helped cap off a year that was easily one of the best years in gaming history, and hopefully some of these titles get recognition as they turn 15 this year.