GAME OF THE DECADE 2020
It was tough only picking twenty games of the decade, because I could have easily listed 100+ games that I think deserve recognition. I limited my picks to one game from a franchise, which was a hard choice in some cases. I also didn't choose any remasters or remakes, even though there have been some excellent ones. I regret there are so many fantastic games I haven't gotten to play yet that I know could easily be on this list, eg.
Disco Elysium, Hades, Outer Wilds, Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
Honorable mentions to: Inside, Firewatch, Oxenfree, Journey, Transistor, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, The Banner Saga, Dark Souls, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Florence, Gorogoa, Sayonara Wild Hearts, The Walking Dead, Tales from the Borderlands, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, NieR: Automata, Cuphead, Bayonetta 2, Persona 4: Golden, Uncharted 4, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, The Last of Us Part II, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto V, Skyrim.
20. XENOBLADE CHRONICLES
Playing as Shulk and running through the fields to stare out at the towering frozen Mechonis in the distance is still one of the most jaw-dropping experiences I've had in an JRPG. I played
Xenoblade Chronicles in a post-FFXIII 'towns are hard' world, where I thought I would never again experience the extraordinary world exploration in a JRPG like I did in FFVI-FFIX.
Xenoblade Chronicles immediately took my breath away with the introduction of Shulk's day to day life on the Bionis, with the scope and scale of Shulk's home of Colony 9 being something that I'd seen in few games before, let alone a JRPG. The scale of journey that was to follow was awe-inspiring, with a staggering variety of locales to explore, as Shulk and co. traveled across both the bodies of the Bionis and the Mechonis. Being able to see an enemy across a giant field, walk up to it, and fight it without transitioning to a new battle screen was incredible. Whilst I ultimately think some areas were too large and repetitive for the amount of content in them, the game never ceased to surprise, right until the very end. This adventure was accompanied by a breathtaking soundtrack, which always perfectly captured the atmosphere of the area you were exploring, or the tense heat of battle. Whilst the story of
Xenobalde Chronicles ultimately went in a direction that was a bit too impersonal for my tastes -- which the sequel did rectify, to its credit -- I still look fondly back on my time with Shulk and his friends. They were a charming group with good chemistry, supported by a great English localization. It's also a miracle that the repetitive combat lines didn't become grating, even 90+ hours in. It's almost more like a musical meme that would start up each time you went into battle. With
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition now being available on Switch, I hope more players follow in Shulk's footsteps across the Bionis and the Mechonis. There are few experiences like it.
19. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD
When I first stepped out of the Shrine of Resurrection and into the beautiful ruins of Hyrule, the first thing I did was climb a tree and pick some apples. And then another tree with more apples. And another. And another. I climbed walls for fun until Link's stamina ran out. I hunted in the nearby forest, aiming the bow poorly at the easily startled boars. I eventually explored further across the Great Plateau, and strained to watch Vah Rudania crawl across Death Mountain in the distance. I felt a sense of awe and freedom I hadn't experienced since
Shadow of the Colossus, which would be magnified tenfold as the game continued.
Though I have frustrations with
Breath of the Wild, there was no way I could leave such an innovative game off my Game of the Decade list. The art direction is incredible, for both Hyrule itself and the characters that reside within it. The way the runes from the Sheikah Slate give you so much interactivity with the world is a delight, along with possibilities that come with elemental weapons and arrows. You'll use them solving Shrines, unlocking Towers, finding Koroks, completing the Divine Beasts, or traversing around Hyrule itself. The world design is such that strong visual points of interest will encourage your exploration, instead of a quest marker on the map. The freedom to go wherever you want is joyous, too. There will be obstacles in your path as you go, whether it be icy snow, boiling heat or lightning storms, but even before you get the appropriate armor, you can make meals for temporary elemental immunity... or just see how far you can explore before dying. My favorite thing to do was to trek through a new area and see how far I could get before I ran out of resources.
Negatively, though, while the game is fantastic at leading you around the map with intriguing points of interest, there was the eventual realization that there was little to be found in Hyrule apart from the Shrines and Koroks. That isn't to say there aren't unique combat encounters or locations alongside the Divine Beasts and Hyrule Castle itself, but considering the sheer size of the map I would have hoped for more. Whilst an argument can be made that Hyrule itself is one giant dungeon, the reward was often too little for the scope of the journey undertaken. The enemy variety was also sparse. Due to enemy scaling and weapon durability that lasted all the way to the endgame, combat sometimes wasn't worth the hassle, despite the variety of tools the game gives you for encounters. The Master Sword was my go to for environmental obstacles as much as combat, because it wouldn't permanently break or need repairing like the other weapons. Between changing armor, weapons, or resources depending on the situation, I also found myself spending a lot of time in menus. Scrolling across a fully upgraded weapon inventory mid-battle to find a particular weapon became more and more tedious as the game went on.
Those frustrations aside,
Breath of the Wild is truly generation defining, due to the sheer amount of freedom and interactivity with the world. And I will say, I put 200+ hours into the game without even touching the DLC, and I never got tired of finding a Korok and hearing, "Yahaha!" I can't wait to see what Nintendo has in store for the sequel.
18. TITANFALL 2
Titanfall 2 is one of the best FPS campaigns of the decade that you've probably never played. I always liken it to the love child of
Portal and
Vanquish. The game is expert paced, with each level either introducing a new mechanic or a clever twist on the level design that continues to surprise until the final moments of the game. There are more jaw dropping moments than I can count, and there were so many missions with uniquely memorable level design, the likes of which I have still rarely experienced. The level design had an incredible synergy with the gameplay in ways few games are able to achieve, and wall running feels as natural as breathing. Every aspect of
Titanfall 2 has a fantastic rhythm and flow, whether it is wall running, weapon switching, or changing load outs on the fly with BT. The guns feel responsive, and everything is polished and smooth. Whether you're playing as Cooper, or Cooper piloting BT, the flow remains present throughout. Whilst
Titanfall 2's story was comparatively simple, I still found it touching, and I hope that we'll one day get a sequel. I should add that one of my proudest gaming achievements was beating Captain Lastimosa's score in the training simulation. It's sad, but true.
17. BLOODBORNE
Choosing between
Dark Souls and
Bloodborne for this list was hard. How do you pick between a game that rightfully popularized an entire subgenre, or the game that polished it to perfection? Both have incredible interconnected level design, beautiful art direction, memorable NPCs/enemies/boss encounters, snappy and responsive gameplay, a variety of weapons at your disposal to suit your desired play style, and excellent follow up DLCs. Ultimately, though, I chose
Bloodborne for its Lovecraftian setting of Yharnam, the horror of which escalates further and further you delve into its world. There have been few pieces of media that have been such a love letter to the true existential horror that is Lovecraft, and
Bloodborne does so with delight with its own unique twists. There's no describing it, you just have to experience it. Even more so than the previous Souls games,
Bloodborne also took me even further out of my comfort zone and forced me to be braver in combat, as there was no longer a shield to hide behind. It is also to your benefit to stay smartly on the offensive with the ability to regain back your health as long as you damage your opponent shortly after taking damage yourself. It's unfortunate that some fantastic boss encounters are locked to the Chalice Dungeons, that involve a lot of tedium to get there. The pay-off is worth it if you have the patience. Regardless,
Bloodborne is an extraordinary experience that will challenge you, delight you, and make your skin crawl. May Miyazaki give us eyes so we can see.
16. WHAT REMAINS OF EDITH FINCH
Picking just one game out of Annapurna's publishing catalog is a tall order, with so many talented developers making such brilliant games under their banner.
What Remains of Edith Finch from Giant Sparrow is ultimately my pick, because anyone who has played it knows how cleverly the game integrates story and player interactivity into the level designs of the each character's vignette. The story of Lewis highlights the game's utter brilliance of player interactivity and narrative, and the story of Gregory is one that is still a devastating gut punch to think about to this day.
What Remains of Edith Finch constantly keeps the player engaged with the world throughout, which can be a problem with games that fall within the similar adventure game/'walking simulator' genre. If you haven't explored the complicated and turbulent history of the Finches, I recommend you visit the Finch family home as soon as possible. You won't regret -- nor forget -- it.
15. LIFE IS STRANGE
It's been years since
Life is Strange was released, and I still long for Arcadia Bay, like it was a place I genuinely visited and look back on with a fond nostalgia. I can almost smell the sea breeze, the stuffiness of the Blackwall Academy's halls, the sizzling of bacon in the Two Whales Diner, the smelly old shoes in the cluttered dormitories... and Max's dead plant. This is all thanks to Dontnod's impeccable attention to detail and striking art direction, alongside the memorable cast of characters. The pacing of
Life is Strange is snappy, with drama and intrigue beautifully built across the episodes, whilst still not sacrificing quieter character moments nor freedom of player exploration. The tension, horror, and surreal nature of the world is always palpable and heightened due to the player interactivity via Max. Some of the later episodes turn familiarity against you in deeply unnerving and claustrophobic ways. The time travel mechanic was smartly implemented, and the writers did such a great job with Max's possible choices that I'd often be rewinding and replaying the various scenarios because I couldn't pick between them.
Life is Strange is also a superb example of don't write 'strong' female characters: write interesting, compelling, and flawed ones. It's because of this that Max and Chloe ended up having one of my favorite dynamics in gaming. Their relationship is raw, awkward, and touching. Via Max's journey, Dontnod also explores some heavy subjects, but all of these were approached with such a deft hand that they never felt gratuitous, objectifying, or exploitive. Max, Chloe, and Arcadia Bay will stay with me for many years to come, and I long to return there. (...though I still feel bad about killing Max's plant.)
14. GOD OF WAR (2018)
It would have been safe and easy choice to make 2018's
God of War a clean reboot, now set in Norse mythology as opposed to Greek. Instead, the team at Santa Monica Studio chose the gargantuan task of making it a sequel to the previous God of War games, leaving Kratos' bloody rampage of revenge throughout ancient Greece still canonical. Kratos evolved from being comparatively one-dimensional into a multifaceted character, whilst still believably feeling like we were playing as the same character we met in the first
God of War. He's a man haunted by his past, grieving for the loss of his wife, and trying to raise his young son alone, to clumsy results. The father/son journey Kratos and Atreus go through over the course of the game is beautifully written, and is an important deconstruction of toxic masculinity. The two combine well in combat, with Atreus being a valuable ally throughout, and you desperately feel his loss in the few moments he isn't around -- or isn't interested in listening to your commands, in a brilliant combination of story and gameplay.
It's also a credit to Santa Monica Studio that they not only gave us the memorable Blades of Chaos in the original games, but now the Leviathan Axe as well. The axe handles superbly, and creates an excellent flow to combat, whether it is used up close, thrown, or is catching an enemy from behind. The runic attacks add another layer of complexity to combat, and finding a rhythm is extremely satisfying. This was taken up to another level with the bonus bosses and the Muspelheim Trials. That being said, as incredible as the combat was, some of my fondest memories of
God of War were sailing around the Lake of Nine, listening to the bantering of Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir, along with Mimir's many stories.
God of War'
s camera following Kratos in an unbroken tracking shot is also an astonishing achievement, with the few necessary cuts cleverly hidden. While as a consequence the game lost the pulled-back scale from the previous entries in the series, where you could be a tiny speck as Kratos fighting on a giant Titan, the camera choice gave the game an intimacy appropriate for the journey that Kratos and Atreus embark on. Seeing Jormungandr arise from the water for the first time from Kratos' perspective was awe inspiring. With
God of War, Santa Monica Studio made an astonishing achievement of building on the echoes of the past whilst creating something entirely new, with excellent groundwork for future -- and that was one hell of a sequel hook, goddamn.
13. RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2
When
Red Dead Redemption 2 was announced, many players -- myself included -- grumbled that we weren't playing as John Marston. Who's this Arthur Morgan? One of Dutch's gang? Well, he's got a lot to live up to, and I don't know if I'm going to like playing as him.
...I adored Arthur even before the end of the prologue. (Touché, Rockstar and Roger Clark.)
As with
Red Dead Redemption, the sequel is also a brilliantly written and memorable journey. Arthur is a richly fleshed out protagonist, who can be more of a humorous gruff softie or a ruthless outlaw depending on your choices. I loved seeing his sketches and musings in his notebook. The Van der Linde gang are a striking group, lead by Dutch himself. Dutch's character is another highlight, well-written and impeccably acted by Benjamin Byron Davis. You know that any time Dutch talks that he's full of shit, but he's such a captivating character that you're riveted regardless. There are so many fantastic interactions with the entire Van der Linde gang, but these have a bittersweet weight to them. Even in the most joyous moments, you know the gang can't last due to the existence of
Red Dead Redemption.
The world itself is as much of a star as Arthur. There aren't as many densely placed points of interest as other open world games, but
Red Dead Redemption 2 is often content to just let you just breathe and take in the scenery. Well, that's before you're held up by outlaws or suddenly mauled by a hungry carnivore. One of my most memorable times in
Red Dead Redemption 2 was spent upgrading Arthur's satchel. Since his inventory space was pitiful, I did this fairly early into my playthrough. Acquiring perfect pelts required a lot of time and patience, particularly the perfect cougar pelt. It took many in-game days camping out by Little Creek River in West Elizabeth. Arthur died to the cougars as much as he killed them, honestly. When I finally got the perfect pelt, I made my way back to Pearson with my heart in my throat, terrified that something would happen and I'd lose my prize. Finally crafting that Legend of the East Satchel was a bizarre catharsis of triumph over such a simple, yet practical, fashion accessory.
Red Dead Redemption 2 certainly isn't without its well-discussed flaws. The tedium in animation priority in a game one could easily put 100+ hours into is deeply frustrating, and it was already grating at the five hour mark. I infuriatingly failed many a mission not because I died, but due to the fact I wasn't walking quickly enough behind an NPC or stopped to pick up much needed loot. The missions were great in isolation, but created an extreme dissonance in a game that otherwise was all about incredible freedom. The random encounters showed the game's cracks, too, as there is only so many times one can save a woman from under a trapped horse before losing patience.
Still, like for so many players, it's easy to look over the frustrations and flaws of the game considering what a vibrant world and cast of characters Rockstar created in the final days of the Wild West. When I think of
Red Dead Redemption 2, my first thought is Arthur riding across sweeping green plains, coat swaying in the breeze, patting his horse with a fond, "That's my girl."
12. PERSONA 5
Persona 5 and I didn't get off to the best start. After such a memorable beginning to the game with Joker arriving in Tokyo, teaming up with Morgana, Ryuji, and Ann to take down Kamoshida, there were soon small irritations that began to build up. There were repeatedly many circular moments of dialogue, where the point of the conversation would be resolved early on, and yet the characters would still keep talking/texting. The social links were far more shallow that
Persona 4, let alone
Persona 3: FES/PSP. The episodic nature of the game felt more apparent without the thrilling murder mystery aspect of
Persona 4's plot to keep the intrigue going. By the beginning of the fourth palace, I needed a break. I didn't return for well over a year. When I eventually restarted the game with a clearer understanding of what to expect from the game's pacing, I couldn't put it down. That isn't to say I still don't have my complaints, because dear god I do -- the game's plotting is a structural abomination, it has a thousand endings by even JRPG standards, which are made all the worse by the new story content after the original game's ending in
Royal.
...and yet, it had to be on my Top 20 list, even over
Persona 4: Golden. The Phantom Thieves themselves are endearing, brought to life by Soejima's impeccable character design and a strong voice cast in both Japanese and English. Tokyo is beautiful, with a great attention to detail. The UI design is stylish like no other game without sacrificing a snappy response time or clear readability. The turn based combat was addictive and thrilling, which is saying a lot from someone who doesn't have much patience for turn based combat. The fantastic soundtrack that accompanies it all varies from smooth jazz to upbeat melodies to relentless pounding boss battle themes. Between my playthroughs, I put 200 hours into
Persona 5, and I'm still not sick of listening to
Last Surprise. How is that possible? Even though thematically the game frequently becomes hypocritical, I still found it relatable, emotionally effecting and relevant to our current times, especially the ending. Though the journey was very long and dragged in places,
Persona 5 and Phantom Thieves stole my heart, despite my best efforts. It's an awful cliché, but true.
11. HOLLOW KNIGHT
When you, as the Hollow Knight, first arrive at desolate little town of Dirtmouth, it's impossible to comprehend the immensity of the scale of the journey that awaits you. There are beautiful green forests and gardens, decaying ruins, raining cities, toxic wastes, and dark depths that contain creatures to be feared, all with an atmospheric soundtrack to match. The game balances map usage and fast travel in innovative ways, with both needing to be earned. The kingdom of Hallownest has memorable NPCs dwelling throughout its ruins, many with their own stories that develop over the course of the game. The history of Hallownest itself is intriguing to piece together through characters and environmental storytelling. The sheer amount of unique enemy designs is astonishing -- some to be pitied, many to be terrified of. The gameplay is snappy and responsive, with so many possibilities for character builds. It is astonishing, then, that all of this was created by a team of three people. The level of polish to
Hollow Knight is extraordinary, along with the sheer amount of content. I can't wait to travel to the kingdom of Pharloom in
Silksong with Hornet to see what beautiful and terrifying surprises Team Cherry has for us there.
10. HORIZON: ZERO DAWN
I often find with open world games that I either: a) get bored with combat, because both the enemy variety and the gameplay itself eventually becomes stale, or b) very rapidly lose interest in scouring the world for collectibles, because it's a waste of time.
Horizon: Zero Dawn changed my perspective on both of these things.
I've never played an open world game where the combat and interacting with enemies doesn't grow repetitive, even when you're overpowered. There is a surprising unpredictability to
Horizon's world. Even though the machines have their own patrol areas, it just takes one wrong move whilst fighting one machine to alert another, and suddenly hellfire can be raining down upon you. The variety is fantastic when it comes to Aloy's weapons and freedom in approaching enemy encounters. Fighting the machines themselves is a satisfying puzzle, and you're continually learning and refining the quickest ways to take them down without wasting resources. Do you want to override machines so that you have a friendly buddy? Do you want to corrupt them so they maul each other in a glorious free-for-all? Do you want to do both at once and jump into the fray yourself? How do you feel about explosions? All choices are valid! It's also extraordinary that there are so many unique enemy designs. Not only are the machines themselves incredibly detailed with many components that can be removed, but the amount of varied attack patterns always keeps you on your toes. This was refined further in
The Frozen Wilds DLC, to terrifying results. The short version: machine bears and lots of fire.
Horizon's world building was so addictive and well-thought out that I was desperate for even the slightest scrap of information to find out more. It's the only open world game where I've obsessively devoured notes and audio logs, and been actively disappointed that I haven't been able to find them all. There were many clever ideas, too, with collectibles being excerpts from radio broadcasts, news reports, propaganda, personal letters -- the game continually keeps it fresh. There's even an amateur song recording! There are some absolutely horrifying audio logs to be found from the past, and the voice work is of a high calibre throughout. Going into
Horizon, I was baffled with how the animalistic machine design were going to be justified in a comparatively primitive post-apocalyptic world -- and they are, with surprising results.
Horizon's story is smart and equally bittersweet, and is easily one of my favorites of this generation. It combines a detective 'whodunnit' story of the past with Aloy's coming of age story in the present, with very emotional results. It was unfortunate that the present day story wasn't nearly as intriguing as the one Aloy was uncovering in the past, but thankfully the two come together for a deeply satisfying result. Whilst the game is fairly self-contained as is, there are multiple intriguing plot hooks that I hope will be explored in future sequels.
Whilst Aloy might not have the nuance of other protagonists on this list, I wasn't expecting to be as emotionally effected as I was by seeing a female protagonist in AAA game set off on her own unique Hero's Journey. She's now one of the main faces of the PlayStation brand. It means a lot that a generation of kids get to grow up with Aloy to look up to, and I can't wait to journey with her again in
Horizon: Forbidden West, to uncover further mysteries of the past.
9. THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT
When I think of
The Witcher 3, I can still almost feel the breeze in my hair, hear the howling of the wind, and the sudden rush of adrenaline at the realization that there is some creature moving through the trees, ready to pounce on Geralt.
The Witcher 3 is a game that constantly rewards your exploration with quality side-quests or Witcher contracts, which are as engaging as any of the main quests to the point it becomes blurry as to what content was mandatory or not. The level of quality in the writing throughout
The Witcher 3 is staggering, especially as side-quests in most games are often filler and a way to get more experience. There were so many unforgettable moments of story content that I could purely spend 1000+ words talking about that alone. The amount of unique NPCs continued to surprise throughout the game, as did the quality of their voice work and the polished animation. If you don't immediately find new story content whilst travelling, the weapons, diagrams, potions, and valuable items to uncover means your time is never wasted, which is something I can say for very few open world games. (Well, the exception being the points of interest within Skellige's ocean. Which I may have completed in one playthrough. Yes, I hate harpies.)
The locations are as memorable as the quests and characters you'll find within them. There is the barren and withering White Orchard, the green fields of Velen, the bustling Novigrad, the haunting frozen beauty of Skellige, and bittersweet ruins of Kaer Morhen. The soundtrack expertly captures the atmosphere of every location Geralt travels to, and in combat, becomes a primal wail that immediately gets the blood pumping. The combat itself provides a lot of variety in how you prefer to play Geralt, which becomes more diverse again with the DLC expansions. The amount of time I had to spend in the inventory was frustrating, though, and was a necessity on higher difficulties between using potions, checking ingredients, and needing to quick check the bestiary.
One of the other weaker aspects of the game is the pacing of the main quest. While enjoyable for the most part, it ultimately treads water until you reunite with Ciri, then suddenly moves at a blinding pace. I wish more of the main quest had been optional (particularly the Novigrad portion with Dandelion), or that Ciri had been introduced much earlier. The back quarter of the game feels weighed down with important plot points where there had been so few up until then. That isn't to say the journey to get there is without its delights, and Geralt's nearest and dearest are an enjoyable cast of characters to spend time with, along with the large supporting cast Geralt will interact with throughout his travels.
Credit also has to be given to the fantastic DLCs
Hearts of Stone and
Blood and Wine, of which there was not even the slightest dip in quality of content from the base game. There were many improvements, too, as both DLCs have memorable, well-paced main stories without losing quality with any side-quests, contracts, or exploration, and bring even more options for customizing Geralt for combat.
It's hard to put into words the feeling of playing
The Witcher 3, as reflecting on the game brings back a rush of memories of stories, monsters, locations, and an atmosphere few games can match.
8. NIGHT IN THE WOODS
It still astonishes me that some of the most believably 'human' characters I've experienced in the last decade was a cast of anthropomorphic animals.
Night in the Woods follows college dropout Mae on her return to her hometown of Possum Springs and the mystery that unfolds there, accompanied by her friends Bea, Gregg, and Angus. All of the cast are nuanced, flawed, and tragic, whether it is the main leads, Mae's family, or the inhabitants of Possum Springs. The game's dialogue is excellent -- laugh out loud funny one moment, and then devastatingly philosophical and poignant the next.
One unexpected enjoyable aspect to
Night in the Woods was the almost
Persona-esque slice of life aspect to the game's day-to-day formula and character interactivity. While it's realistic that you can't see every scene in one play through as Mae can't be in two places at once, I recommend playing the game twice, as there is so much fantastic content that can be missed, and unique storylines with Mae's friends. Filling up Mae's notebook is a delight, and the content will vary depending on what choices you make or the people you've met. Exploring the town for little side stories is engaging, and there is something new every day. More areas of the town will open up the further you get through the game. The stories of Mae, her friends, and the townsfolk are cathartic, heartbreaking, and depressingly relatable.
Night in the Woods has extremely important things to say about mental health, family, relationships, growing up, nostalgia, belief, and small town/failing industry. The prominence of LGBTQ+ characters in the main cast is a wonderful surprise, and the relationship between Gregg and Angus is wonderfully written.
When it comes to gameplay,
Night in the Woods had so many clever moments that think outside the box, eg. shoplifting with Mae, or carrying the head of an animatronic robot up the stairs to disastrous results. I was surprised by how well the mini-games were implemented, too. I'm addicted to playing Mae's guitar. (Attempting to beat the roguelike game 'Demon Tower' on Mae's computer, however... life is pain.) The game has impeccable art direction, and a fantastic use of strong character design that works well in silhouette. The soundtrack is terrific, and the band songs are damn earworms.
Night in the Woods is a coming of age story that will make you laugh and cry, and possibly shut the blinds in case there is someone -- or something -- out there, watching and waiting.
7. SOMA
There are very few games that have haunted me like SOMA has. It's an experience that leaves you wrestling with the decisions you made, with a strong side of existential crisis. After I finished the game, finally free from PATHOS-II, the sky almost felt bluer, the grass greener, the air smelt fresher. I frequently wonder what I would have done in the protagonist's place. How would I have reacted? The game doesn't judge you for your choices, but leaves that agonizing moral quandary up to yourself. Was my choice a kindness? Was it cruelty? To stay as spoiler-free as possible,
SOMA is one of the smartest, most devastating pieces of science fiction that I have experienced in any form of media. Uncovering what had befallen those who worked at PATHOS-II was a heartbreaking and horrifying experience. Though there are enemies in
SOMA, there is no way to fight back -- your only choice is to run, adding to the game's atmospheric powerless claustrophobia. Special mention has to go to the complex Catherine, who alongside
Firewatch's Delilah is one of the most memorable companions of the decade. My time at PATHOS-II is one I'll never forget. Sometimes I wish I could, to shake off that existential dread, but it's a game that made me look at both myself and the world in a different way, which is the most valuable thing one can take from a story.
6. MASS EFFECT 2
There is hope, determination, and dread going into the final mission of
Mass Effect 2 as Commander Shepard, a feeling captured effortlessly by Jack Wall's 'Suicide Mission'. Standing in the briefing room choosing how best to utilize your squad is an overwhelming one, a moment that the entire game has been leading up to. Are all your squadmates loyal? How well do you know their talents and weaknesses? Is your ship upgraded enough? Once the mission starts, there is no going back -- depending on your choices, you could have causalities even before you've arrived in enemy territory. Whilst the plot of the original
Mass Effect is fantastic and still easily the strongest in the trilogy, successfully surviving the Suicide Mission with a fully loyal squad is a moment few games have topped, and that's one of the many reasons why
Mass Effect 2 made this list. The game wouldn't have been nearly as effective if it wasn't for a likeable cast of characters with diverse skill sets, and Shepard gaining the trust of each of their squad members was deeply satisfying. Gaining that respect carries over into gameplay, with an additional skill to unlock if your squadmate is fully loyal.
Mass Effect 2's combat is also an excellent and addictive evolution from the first game, now a more polished TPS game whilst still retaining RPG elements. While ME2 lost the intriguing open world exploration of ME1,
Mass Effect 2's missions became tightly crafted memorable experiences instead, whether it was main missions, recruitment/loyalty missions, side quests or the fantastic DLC content. I've replayed
Mass Effect 2 many times over the years, and I never tire of meeting Shepard's squad once again, gaining their loyalty, and venturing forth into the unknown.
5. UNDERTALE
When it comes to video games I love, I usually try to experience as much content as the game offers.
Undertale is a different matter. There is a version of this game I have never played, amazing bosses I've never fought, dialogue I've never seen, music I've never heard in-game. Every so often I'm tempted to do an alternate playthrough, wondering,
'Could I? Should I?' But my answer still comes back to 'no'. Those who have played
Undertale would understand why I might feel this way.
In your journey through the Underground, you'll meet an instantly unforgettable cast of characters, all with their own stories.
Undertale's story is irrevocably entwined into its gameplay and how you approach encounters. Trying to finish encounters without combat will offer you many unique options, as you dodge back and forth in a tiny box trying to avoid attacks. Finding the right combination of actions that will appease a monster was always a delight, often with either humorous or heartwarming results. The varied bullet hell gameplay itself never ceased to surprise, all the way up to the final boss. I'd often find myself laughing out loud at the clever twists on the usual bullet hell format or groaning in frustration at the difficulty spikes, particularly with the bosses.
Undertale also can't be talked about without mentioning Toby Fox's incredible soundtrack, which can be humorously earworm-y, absolutely majestic, heartwarming, or downright terrifying in equal measure. It's extraordinary from beginning to end.
Undertale exemplifies the thrilling possibilities of gaming as a medium for interactive storytelling without compromising quality gameplay. For those who haven't experienced it, go for a walk, take a tumble into the Underground, and let your heart guide you.
4. NIER: GESTALT
Starting
NieR for the first time and hearing Laura Bailey bellow profanities over a black title screen is still an experience unmatched to this day. You'd think that an introduction like that would have prepared me for the endless gut punch of what was to come, but when it comes to a Yoko Taro game, few things can. Choosing
NieR: Gestalt over
NieR: Automata wasn't easy, as
Automata is such a rich game thematically in its exploration of humanity via those who, ironically, are not human. But
NieR's story still tugs at my heart to this day, accompanied by its memorable cast of characters. Seeing these outcasts come together to become a tight-knit family was incredibly moving, with an equal amount of laughter and tears. And in true Taro style, that's just Ending A. All of this is accompanied by Okabe's breathtaking soundtrack, which is capable of such brittle beauty, haunting grandiosity, and raw terror. Special mention to 8-4's localization, and the fantastic English cast.
NieR is a game I look forward to more players experiencing with the upcoming
NieR: Replicant remake. You won't regret it.
3. THE LAST OF US
The Last of Us is a comparatively simple game in contrast to its daring and innovative sequel, but it is such a tightly crafted experience that ultimately there could be no other choice for me. When I think of impeccably paced games,
The Last of Us is masterclass, just behind the original
Portal. Each cutscene starts at the last possible second, and stops the moment the point of the scene is done. The downtime between heart pounding gameplay segments is always placed at the right time to give you a breather, before ramping up the tension again. For me, there is no content in TLoU that needs to be removed, nothing to be added. I can't say that for many pieces of media.
Joel and Ellie's relationship and journey is meticulously plotted, going from wary strangers, to allies, to a mutually protective father and daughter. Both characters are brought to life by incredible performances by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson respectively. Each new location Joel and Ellie journey to is distinct and purposeful, with its own story to tell via environmental storytelling and artifacts. Joel and Ellie are accompanied on their travels by Gustavo Santaolalla's beautiful score, which is as much of a character in the world as Joel and Ellie are. Santaolalla captures both the post-apocalyptic beauty of the world, along with terror of both the Infected and ruthless humans that live within it. The game's supporting cast are expertly utilized, all being smart foils to both Joel and Ellie whilst still feeling like their own unique characters.
The game's tense atmosphere is supported by its gameplay, with inventory access and crafting always happening in real time. Whilst the level design isn't as naturalistic as the game's sequel, there are so many unforgettable encounters that are seared into my brain. Like the cutscenes, none of the gameplay segments outstay the welcome, moving smoothly from one encounter to the next.
Towards the end of the game, Joel tells Ellie that they don't have to continue on their quest. Ellie responds, saying, "After all we've been through, after everything I've done... it can't be for nothing." And it certainly wasn't at a meta level, because the release of
The Last of Us irrevocably changed the gaming landscape forever.
2. FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS
Ring a ding-ding, baby. All these years later,
Fallout: New Vegas is still a dream combination of an RPG for me. The aesthetic of Fallout's post-apocalyptic world trapped in the 50s meeting the glamour of Las Vegas is so striking, accompanied by Inon Zur's atmospheric score and the brilliantly chosen licensed music. This artistic flair also carries over into a large portion of the quests, which are named after licensed songs from the era. Regarding the quests themselves, the amount of player freedom is astonishing. You can complete the game without directly killing anyone in combat, with the help of some NPCs -- or alternatively, you can kill every living creature you meet, and still complete the game via Yes Man. The variety in dialogue options and quest outcomes is still unmatched by very few games, the true depth of which I didn't understand until picking up the guide book many years later. The Courier's companions, like the world they reside in, are weighed down by their pasts, and all have their own memorable quests and variety of endings.
Fallout: New Vegas also has some of the best DLC ever made, all of which beautifully entwine with the base game thematically whilst having their own unique tone. There is the claustrophobic and heart pounding
Dead Money, the tragic beauty of
Honest Hearts, the humorous
Old World Blues, and the menacing finality of
Lonesome Road. It's been many years since I first played
Fallout: New Vegas, and it's ironic that I've struggled with one of the main themes of the game ever since: letting go. But I don't think I'm the only one.
Fallout: New Vegas came out in 2010, and it's still one of the gold standards that all RPGs are compared to.
1. THE LAST GUARDIAN
I haven't replayed
The Last Guardian since release. That isn't because it wasn't a fantastic game, but because I don't know if I'm emotionally equipped to handle a replay yet. I also have fears that the next Trico I meet may be different from the Trico I journeyed with, as I've read anecdotal accounts of that nature. And, oh, Trico! What an extraordinary creation from Ueda and his team, to the point it almost feels wrong to call Trico a 'creation'. Video games understandably have a hard time in general of maintaining an illusion of life, which frequently falls apart for me when you can see how scripted your companion's decisions are. With Trico, the illusion rarely broke. He felt like a real creature that you and the boy were scaling the world of The Nest with. His train of thought felt like a genuine, organic curiosity, and he would react in response to interactions with the player. The constant flow from one animation to the next was incredible, and like nothing I've seen before or since. Though I found Trico to be extremely responsive, the potential unpredictability of your interactions with him was thrilling, as was his autonomy. Every time he followed your commands, it felt like a joyous moment of understanding between the two of you, moments that you'd worked towards by caring for him. Trico's vocalizations also helped with the synergy between him and the player, and were a non-intrusive way to hint that you might not be approaching a puzzle correctly. ...the realization that I was the annoying, dim-witted companion was quite humbling.
I also quickly learned the best thing to do when entering an area was to watch Trico, as he'd generally look or head to where you had to start. There were no visible quest markers, just an unspoken understanding that he would lead you right to where you needed to go. I also wasn't expecting Trico to be as intelligently autonomous as he was in general. There were plenty of platforming sections with him where no directions were needed. He'd observe, and then move onward. It was a sensible choice, as manually telling him to jump all the time would be tedious.
The scope and scale of
The Last Guardian's platforming is like nothing I've experienced before or since. Whilst the platforming wasn't hard as such, the vulnerability of the boy and the scale of the world made exploration harrowing, especially when the ground was so far away that you couldn't even see a hint of it. The scale felt even more ludicrous when I'd see our friendly giant Trico bounding back and forth in the distance, feathers blowing in the breeze as he called for the boy, with the building you both had come from almost tiny Lego sized in the distance.
The Last Guardian still has some of the most well-crafted level design alongside
Dark Souls and
Bloodborne, and the scale of these levels continued to astound throughout the entirety of the game. Getting higher and higher within The Nest gives you a fantastic sense of how far you've come, and how the areas are interconnected. There were so many memorable set piece moments to
The Last Guardian, and they perfectly combine player interactivity throughout whilst maintaining urgency and scale.
The tragedy of
The Last Guardian is that it's a flawed gem. The primary downfall of the game outside of the camera is its issues with getting across how to interact with Trico. The response from players and reviewers over the years indicates more instruction was definitely needed. An unsubtle tutorial from the narrator would have helped, eg. 'just call Trico once, he'll respond, no need to repeat!' That being said, I saw players having issues with Trico that I never did. The button hints were also intrusive, and not utilized as effectively as they could have been. It's frustrating, because Trico is extremely responsive, and these problems didn't need to happen. It's incredibly rewarding when you develop a back and forth with Trico organically, but some handholding would be better than the player never really connecting with Trico at all.
The story of
The Last Guardian is a simple one, but beautifully told from beginning to end, with the ending itself still being one of my favorites of any game. As much as I desperately want to revisit the world of The Nest, and journey once again Trico, I know I'm still not ready. Until that day comes, I'll hold my memories close.
[x] Bloodborne
[x] Fallout: New Vegas
[x] God of War (2018)
[x] Hollow Knight
[x] Horizon Zero Dawn
[x] Life is Strange
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] NieR
[x] Night in the Woods
[x] Persona 5
[x] Red Dead Redemption 2
[x] SOMA
[x] The Last Guardian
[x] The Last of Us
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
[x] Titanfall 2
[x] Undertale
[x] What Remains of Edith Finch
[x] Xenoblade Chronicles
