Polygon lists seven 2000s shooters it believes have aged poorly, arguing that technical flaws, disappointing execution or stronger later rivals have undermined their reputations. The article matters chiefly as a retrospective comparison: it distinguishes games that were influential or enjoyable in their day from those whose mechanics now feel dated.

Among the examples discussed are the original Call of Duty, judged eclipsed by Call of Duty 2; BlackSite: Area 51, criticised for unreliable squad commands and weak enemy AI; and Haze, whose hype exceeded its delivery despite Free Radical’s pedigree. Fallout 3 is praised as an exceptional role-playing game with strong quests and world-building, but faulted as a shooter because aiming and manual gunplay are poor without its VATS targeting system.