Burnout 3: Takedown is a racing video game released in 2004 by Electronic Arts and developed by Criterion Games. It is the third installment in the Burnout series, which is known for its fast-paced arcade racing. The usage of boost, acquired by hazardous driving, to drastically enhance a car's speed is a series mainstay. Takedowns, a new element added in Burnout 3, allow players to bash their opponents until they crash. Takedowns operate with the boost mechanism by filling and expanding the boost meter. Aside from conventional circuit racing, the game includes modes centered on conducting Takedowns on competing vehicles and inflicting monetary damage at a busy intersection.

Burnout 3: Takedown earned critical praise from the video game press upon its debut, becoming one of the highest-rated racing video games of all time and is widely regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time. The transition to a more aggressive racing game style, as well as the addition of gameplay concepts such as Takedowns, wowed critics. Reviewers lauded the addicting gameplay and aesthetics, with much ranking Burnout 3: Takedown among the finest games published on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game went on to receive a slew of accolades, including three from the British Academy Games Awards.

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Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001, also known as Capcom vs. SNK 2: Millionaire Fighting 2001 in Japan, is the sequel to Capcom vs. SNK. It was first launched in arcades using NAOMI hardware. As in the original, players choose a team of fighters from several Capcom and SNK games and then compete against other teams, winning each battle by beating all opponents from the other team.

Aspects of the first game, such as the Ratio system, were changed. Unlike the original's set structure, players may now freely pick characters and assign each one a number from one to four (or "Ratio") defining their relative power, up to a maximum team ratio of four. Teams can now only have three characters, as compared to four in the original game. For a total of 48 characters, further characters from Capcom and SNK titles outside of the Street Fighter and King of Fighters series were included. The Millennium Fight 2000 Groove system has been expanded to incorporate four additional play systems inspired by various Capcom and SNK fighting games. In addition, the number of buttons has been increased from the Neo Geo standard of four to the six-button system first seen in Capcom's Street Fighter.

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Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening is an action-adventure game released in 2005 by Capcom. The game is a prequel to Devil May Cry, starring a youthful Dante. The tale is set a decade before the events of the original Devil May Cry in an enchanted tower, Temen-ni-gru, and focuses on Dante and his brother Vergil's tumultuous relationship. Combat mechanics are introduced, with an emphasis on combinations and fast-paced action. The plot is conveyed mostly through cutscenes generated by the game's engine, with a few pre-rendered full motion films thrown in for good measure.

Devil May Cry 3's gameplay comprises stages and missions in which players combat adversaries, do platforming activities, and solve riddles to proceed through the plot. Each mission's performance is scored from D through C, B, and A, with top grades of S and SS. Grades are assigned depending on the amount of time it takes to accomplish a task, the number of red orbs (cash won from slain foes) collected, "stylish" combat, item usage, and damage sustained. The performance of a succession of attacks ("combos") while avoiding damage is tracked by an on-screen gauge in the game. The greater the score, the longer a player attacks without repetition and avoids damage.

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Final Fantasy X is the tenth main installment in the Final Fantasy series and was developed and released by Square. Originally published in 2001 for the PlayStation 2, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster was re-released in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, in 2015 for the PlayStation 4, in 2016 for Microsoft Windows, and in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. The game represents the change of the Final Fantasy series from wholly pre-rendered backgrounds to fully three-dimensional settings, and it is also the first in the series to have voice acting. Final Fantasy X ditches the Active Time Battle (ATB) system in favor of the "Conditional Turn-Based Battle" (CTB) system and introduces a new leveling system known as the "Sphere Grid".

Final Fantasy X, like previous games in the series, is presented in third-person view, with players directing the main character, Tidus, throughout the environment to interact with items and characters. In contrast to prior games, the global and town maps are fully merged, with the scenery outside of cities shown to scale. Tidus faces adversaries at random while exploring the globe. When an adversary appears, the landscape changes to a turn-based fighting arena where characters and adversaries wait for their turn to strike.

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God of War II is an action-adventure hack and slash video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by Santa Monica Studio (SCE). It was published on March 13, 2007, for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) system as the second chapter in the God of War series, the sixth chronologically, and the sequel to 2005's God of War. The game is based on Greek mythology and takes place in ancient Greece, with retribution serving as the dominant theme. The protagonist is Kratos, the new God of War who slain the previous one, Ares. Kratos is deceived by Zeus, King of the Olympian Gods, who dethrones him and kills him. Slowly dragged to the Underworld, he is saved by the Titan Gaia, who instructs him to find the Sisters of Fate, as they can allow him to travel back in time, avert his betrayal, and take revenge on Zeus.

The gameplay is identical to that of the previous iteration. It focuses on combo-based fighting using the player's main weapon—Blades—and Athena's secondary weapons obtained during the game. It includes quick time events (QTEs), which force players to accomplish various game controller activities rapidly in order to fight tougher opponents and bosses. As an alternate fighting option, the player can employ up to four magical attacks and a power-enhancing ability. There are additional riddles and platforming components in the game. God of War II has enhanced puzzles and four times as many bosses as its predecessor.

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