2K Games has published some of the best games we know; here are ten of them!
Developer, distributor, and publisher of video games, 2K Games is home to titles widely considered to be the best of their respective genres. And they boast games for several of the most popular genres known to the gaming world. First-person shooter? Turn-based strategy? Sports simulation? You name it, they’ve got it.
Here then, is A List of the 10 Best 2K Games To Play in 2015 and 2016. We’ve focused on the most recent games, and included a few that have yet to be released but have all the signs of becoming massive hits. So let’s begin with game number…
10. Battleborn
Blizzard isn’t the only developer with a first-person MOBA in the works; Gearbox Software, creator of the Borderlands franchise, is behind the eagerly anticipated Battleborn, due for a late 2015 or early 2016 release.
Cartoon violence
So why are we excited about Battleborn? Check out those beautiful, eye-catching colors, and that charming, cartoony art style. And this being Gearbox, we can expect stellar shooting – not to mention addictive MOBA elements such as leveling up, interactive battlegrounds, and a roster of eclectic heroes to kick butt with.
Battleborn is a science fiction fantasy hybrid. Its story involves different species fleeing to the planet Solus, where they form factions and fight the Varelsi – the monsters responsible for destroying entire star systems in the universe. Sounds great to us!
That wacky art style...
New look, good old fasioned shootin'!
9. Evolve
Evolve is a first-person shooter with a twist; four players assume the role of Hunters, who have to kill a single alien Monster. The Monster, controlled by another player, has to either kill all the Hunters, or accomplish a secondary goal, such as wrecking a human base so that it becomes a pile of steaming rubble.
That epic 'stache
There are four Hunter classes: assault, support, medic, and trapper. Similarly, there are four Monster types: Behemoth, Wraith, Kraken, and Goliath. While Hunters come with a variety of unique abilities, the Monster can evolve by murdering punier creatures.
It’s innovative and tactically deep, making it one of the best 2K games.
Say good night, freak!
"That tickles!"
8. The Darkness II
Enjoy your first-person shooters soaked in blood and entrails? The Darkness II will turn your stomach as one of the goriest first-person shooters around.
You are Don Jackie Estacado, head of the Franchetti crime family. You also happen to be in possession of the Darkness, a sinister, supernatural force giving you incredible powers.
They should probably just run away
Those powers include controlling enormous worm-like monstrosities that strike at enemies, sinking their teeth into heads, necks, and whatever looks particularly scrumptious to them. And while they’re busy tearing your foes into bloody chunks, you can pump their bodies with lead using your two pistols. Talk about overkill!
One of the best 2K games, if you enjoy your first-person shooters with huge helpings of horror.
Your gun doesn't impress her
Not the best way to go
7. Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide
We already know how awesome Civilization: Beyond Earth is. But come autumn 2015, we’ll be losing even more sleep with the game’s first expansion pack, Rising Tide.
So what’s new in Rising Tide? Firstly, the game introduces new factions. These were the guys left behind when the first expedition departed from our doomed planet to find a new world to inhabit. They felt a tad sore for having to stay on Earth while their forerunners got to have all that interstellar fun, so they too left for the new planet. And now they want a piece of the pie, and they’re not about to play nice.
It's time to sail the seas!
Aside from a slew of new options, systems, and units, you can also now colonize the seas by building floating settlements. Additionally, there are the new world types, including a chaotic one replete with volcanoes, and one blanketed with ice and snow.
Say goodbye to your social life!
Vast, alien landscapes await
A whole lot of squid
6. NBA 2K16
2K games is known for publishing some of the best sports simulation games, including those in the long-running NBA 2K series.
NBA 2K15 is a clear favorite among fans and critics, with its authentic feel, in-game models so lifelike you’d think you were watching your favorite basketball stars in an actual match, a MyCareer Mode, and even a coaching system that provides real-time feedback.
Dunking in style
Come late 2015, though, we’ll have NBA 2K16. A fan of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant of the 2000-2001 Los Angeles Lakers? How about the 2007-2008 Bolton Celtics’ Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce? In NBA 2K16, you’ll be able to play classic teams culled from the sport’s illustrious history.
We’re confident NBA 2K16 will be just as good, if not better than its predecessors.
Don't underestimate him just 'coz he's wearing glasses
Sign language
5. BioShock 2
Mixing storytelling, a grim yet beautiful world, pulse-pounding action, and genuine frights, BioShock and its sequel, BioShock 2, are modern first-person shooter classics.
BioShock 2 strands you once more in the beautifully decadent underwater city of Rapture. This time, you play as one of the series’ iconic mascots – a Big Daddy.
A house of freaks
Yes, you’re a powerhouse on two legs with a giant drill for one hand… what’s not to love? Plasmids and tonics give you special powers, such as the ability to fling bad guys about like rag dolls, and summon a swarm of bees to encourage your foes to do their best Nicholas Cage “Not the Beeeeeeeees!!!” impression.
You’ve also got Little Sisters to save or murder (you cold-hearted monster!), and a mystery to solve involving young girls being kidnapped and brought to Rapture. You’ve got your work cut out for you, you big lumbering freak, you!
If bullets won't stop her, maybe lightning from his hands will
Burn for me, baby!
4. Borderlands 2
With a bazillion guns to collect and even more bodies to drop in the most violent yet hilarious ways possible, Borderlands 2 revels in the absurd.
Set on Pandora, Borderlands 2 tells the tale of Vault Hunters who must end the rule of the cruel, narcissistic tyrant, Handsome Jack.
That meat shield won't stop a badass like Maya
Borderlands 2 is a first-person shooter RPG, with each of the six classes (the Siren, Commando, Assassin, Gunzerker, Mechromancer, and Psycho) boasting unique, upgradeable skills. It also gives you an overwhelming amount of loot to collect and enhance, from guns and grenades to costumes.
Aside from the stellar gunplay, the comedy will have you in stitches – which we mostly owe to one of the most memorable villains ever created, Handsome Jack.
One of the best 2k games in existence!
That's one way to take that aircraft down!
The local wildlife is pleased to meet you
3. XCOM 2
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is considered one of the best 2k games for good reason: not only is blasting alien invaders into tiny, gooey bits a heck of a lot of fun, the game’s strategy elements is also intoxicating.
XCOM’s addicting brand of tactical turn-based gameplay returns in the sequel, XCOM 2, which will be released late 2015. Set 20 years after the events of the first game, it pits humanity’s remaining defenders against the aliens who have conquered Earth.
Lookin' snazzy in that armor
Like its predecessor, XCOM 2 is squad-based. You’ll have to equip your soldiers with the right weapons and armor, then send them out to capture aliens. Winning means using every tool at your disposal effectively, exploiting the environment, and the smart positioning of your soldiers on the battlefield.
And when not exchanging laser gunfire with malevolent extraterrestrials, XCOM 2 has a new mobile base called Avenger, where you’ll be researching technology to give you the upper hand in battle.
We can’t wait to turn alien scum to dust in XCOM 2!
I think he could use a sandwich or two
I'm betting that sword isn't just for show
2. Sid Meier’s Civilization V
You can’t call yourself a true PC gamer unless you’ve spent at least one sleepless night playing a Civilization game.
In Civilization V, you’re given a randomly generated world to explore and exploit, an empire to build, and enemies to exterminate. Starting at the dawn of time, you grow your territory by conquering neighboring cities or founding new ones. And as the centuries progress, you’ll find that there are many alliances to be made, technologies to research, cultural marvels to build, and, of course, wars to be waged.
Going where no man has gone before!
You can bring prosperity to your people by nuking everyone else and forcing the entire world to bend the knee to you. Alternatively, you can be the first to show off your technological superiority by launching a vessel into orbit. You can also achieve the impossible and unite the world in peace, or win the cultural victory by impressing everybody with your vast collection of priceless paintings.
Trust us, you’ll be chanting “just one more turn” until the wee hours of the morning with Civilization V. Sounds like one of the best 2K games, to us!
Historical dignitaries await to shake your hand... or stab you in the back
Tank army
1. BioShock Infinite
When we think of the best 2K games, one title often pops into mind: BioShock Infinite.
Booker DeWitt, eager to escape his debts, agrees to kidnap Elizabeth from the floating city, Columbia. But it isn’t long before the two are dragged into a rebellion threatening to destroy Columbia, and worse.
Sky's the limit
The President
Infinite combines first-person shooter goodness with RPG elements. Upgradable Vigors grant Booker amazing abilities, such as frying enemies with lightning and summoning murderous crows to peck them to death. Elizabeth, on the other hand, can open Tears in reality, allowing you to reach into another dimension to grab items and interact with environmental features. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with.
It’s not all fun and games, though. Infinite also touches on significant social issues, many of which still affect our world today. So the game’s as intelligent as it is a joy to play.
BioShock Infinite is, hands down, one of the best 2k games – and a favorite here at Gamers Decide!
She needs a hug
Sending them flying
Well, those are the best 2k games for ya! Want to add anything to this list? Leave a comment below and tell us what other 2k games deserve a place in the top 10!
And when you’re done with that, check out these other articles!
See, there are several reasons why 2K Games titles are so popular. One is because they’ve got great stories, as you can see in the article 10 PC Games with the Best Storylines. Not to mention some of them have got really challenging boss fights, which you can read about in the 10 Video Game Bosses Who Slaughtered Millions of Noobs Worldwide.
In the first-person shooter department, 2K Games absolutely delivers, as we discussed in the 10 Best First-Person Shooter Games To Play in 2015.
But it’s not all about shooting things that move between the eyes for 2K Games… they’ve also got strategy games that’ll actually make you smarter, which you can check out in the 10 Strategy Games That Make You Smarter. One of those games is good it inspired a ton of similar brainy games, as the article Top 10 Games Like Civilization. If You Like Civilization, You'll Love These Games discusses.
