ResetEra Games of the Year 2019 - Voting Thread (READ THE OP) [Ends Jan 26th 8:59am EST]

[DidactBRHU3]

1. Ace Combat 7 - Amazing series revival post reboot that stands toe to toe with the classics. A unique game on 2019, there is nothing like it, breathtaking visuals and soundtrack, pure bliss gameplay.
2. Devil May Cry 5 - Another revival post reboot that landed amazingly. Surprisingly good story imo, insane visuals and gameplay. This kind of game is also rare with a big budget, a breath of fresh air for who just wants to kick ass and have a good time on a game.
3. Gears 5 - There is no game like this on the market, it may feel samey from the outside, but the minor tweaks the Coalition did perfects the formula on a whole new level, each gun feels better and the Lancer has a chance now on multiplayer without alienating the Gnasher fans too much. The most content rich Gears since 3 on a really tight schedule. The experimental stuff on campaign was good and didn't drag at all. The best Gears has ever been.
4. Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition - The best RTS ever is back with new content, shiny new graphics, on Steam with mod support and crossplay. The amount of love and effort the devs have put on this game for so many years is astonishing, a 20 year old game topping the Steam charts truly proves how masterfully realized this remake was.
5. Resident Evil 2 - Capcom is truly back this year. The balance of horror and nice TPS gameplay is just amazing. The RNG zombies and pursuing Mr. X were genious executed ideas. Resident Evil 3 has big shoes to fill next year. It would be higher on the list if the level design were more consisten on the sewers onwards.
6. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Iga really did it again. Even though it never reaches the highs of SOTN, the formula of variety of gameplay styles and insane exploration is a sight to behold, the soundtrack is growing on me as well. The artstyle is the only downside for me, but it still is a game to be remembered and loved.

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[GroovySnake]

1. Death Stranding - A big ol' epic, there's always one or two of these a year lately for me. 160 hours or so, all told. As a big Hideo fan, this really hit the spot for me, as different as it is from MGS. So damn addicting and engrossing, and just the way little things kept the journey and making deliveries interesting and fun. And the story and world really grabbed my imagination, I love the way Hideo directs. And a lot of great talent all around. Thanks for the good times, Kojima Productions!
2. Control - What a masterpiece. A great game to get lost in, tremendous cool level design, fun to jump around and explore. And great atmosphere and character. Remedy's finest since the Max Payne days for me, though I dig Alan as well.
3. Resident Evil 2 Remake - Thumbs up. Overall I can be dubious on remaking all the big games, but this one really sold me. I for example don't feel like I'd need an RE4 remake, since I replayed that lately and it holds up. And RE2 is a great game that can hold up too, but anyways, this ruled. I just kind of want these teams to spend more time making brand new adventures. But it ruled. Wishy washy as I may be here, this game rules.
4. Ion Fury - Great level design, very inventive and fun like in the classics like Doom etc.
5. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Pretty cool!
6. Astral Chain - I like the joke about the toilet fairy early on, it was a bold and strange joke.

Lots of cool games, and lots more to come. Here's to world peace and games for everyone. And watch some classic anime while you're at it folks.


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[doemaaan]

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. Borderlands 3 - Definitely my favorite entry in the series. While not perfect, it gives me more of what I wanted. More Borderlands. Hell, I'm still playing it to this day.
4. Kingdom Hearts 3 - Sadly, this final entry into that Xehonort saga did NOT live up to the hype. I won't be purchasing another KH game at full retail value. I'll be waiting for them discounts. That being said, I can't not give credit where it's due. The combat system in the game is fantastic. There are so many methods of attack, everyone can have their own playstyle. It's almost too much. Hack n' slash, keyblade transformations, summons, magic, shotlock, flo-motion, the disney attraction and final magic reaction commands... Yeesh.

Asked B-dubs if skipping 1 & 2 ok. He said to give it a go.


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[Saint-14]

Death stranding will win goty because there are less ways to wrongly spell it compared to sekiro and re 2 :)

Click to shrink...

So far RE 2 and Sekiro are more likely.

 

[fow]

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Strong Gampelay, strong lvl design, beautiful art direction, i love the way the jump is use to avoid enemies like in a 2d platformer.
2. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Love the DA and the art direction
3. Resident evil 2 remake - Perfect in every way but not innovative at all
4. Mario Maker 2 - Fun and complete
5. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Good gameplay, story and character.
6. Cadence of Hyrule - The crossover absolutely no one expected, but it's a damn good time.
7. Astral chain - Great new IP with strong combat

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[Zaied]

1. Death Stranding - May very well be my favorite game by Kojima. I didn't expect to be as engaged as I was, given that the nucleus of the game is traversing a dangerous and desolate world and delivering packages in a timely manner. Where Death Stranding presents it all so well is how easily everything can go to hell between Point A and Point B. The 'strand' aspect of the game was also fairly impressive in how it at all comes together: there were many occassions where other players bailed me out on a trip with a well placed ladder, a conveniently parked Trike, or halfway completed zipline system. Great performances by Mads Mikkelsen, Tommie Earl Jenkins, and Norman Reedus (who I thought really turned it on from Episode 8 onwards) elevated an otherwise okay storyline. Also, the soundtrack was pretty damn good; maybe a tad oversaturated by Low Roar, but the intro with "Don't Be So Serious" playing is one of my favorite opening segments that I can remember. Given how well the lyrics fit the theme of Death Stranding, it was a wise decision by Kojima to use that song for the game's introduction.
2. The Outer Worlds - Visually, the game is Obsidian's best work yet: the art style, skyboxes, and use of retrofuturism are all excellent. The companions are a unique bunch, the dialogue was well done, and the combat/shooting was passable compared to previous Obsidian games. The Outer Worlds is one of the rare games that had me invested enough in the world, themes, characters, and everything else going on to the point I wanted to exhaust all dialogue options, read through terminal entries, and complete every side quest I came across. While it doesn't necessarily reach the heights of Fallout: New Vegas, it proved to be a faithful successor and one of my favorite RPGs in a long time. Speaking of New Vegas, it was great to play an Obsidian game for once without experiencing any notable bugs or crashes, or being left with the impression that certain things were cut from the game or left incomplete. Now that Obsidian has the backing of Microsoft going forward, I'm excited to see what the future holds for them and The Outer Worlds.
3. Days Gone - Sony Bend created a very solid base to iterate on. The weather system was among the best I've seen, and the horde encounters were some of the most impressive use of enemy AI. I loved how integral Deacon's bike was to the survival elements: the bike needed to be in top shape, it needed the proper upgrades, it needed ample fuel to reach your destination, and it had to be parked strategically for those hasty getaways. The game does have performance issues, and issues regarding sound mixing and jarring fade to black cutscene transitions, but nothing that overly detracts from it. I thought the dialogue was also really organic compared to most games.
4. Mortal Kombat 11 - NRS' best fighting game thus far. I enjoy kustomizing the kast, and I especially like the post-launch support the game has received. Once NRS heard the grinding complaints, they made it much easier to unlock gear and skins through the Towers.
5. Assassin's Creed Odyssey: The Fate of Atlantis - Episode 1 - This was one of my favorite DLCs in a long time: Elysium is simply a breathtaking environment, and it introduced some cool otherworldly enemies and abilities to set it apart from the base game.
6. RAGE 2 - Like the first game, it has extraordinary combat, with very little to compliment it. When RAGE 2 thrusts you into a tight underground corridor, or some flashy interior location (the Eden Space Center was awesome), it gets really good. Unfortunately, those moments of brilliance were far too rare.
7. Shenmue III - Even with my expectations firmly in check, Shenmue III managed to disappoint me. While the spirit of the first two games is there at times, the insanely time sensitive nature of the quests and side activities, among other things, negatively impacted my enjoyment with it. Worse, I'm not sure if I care now about seeing Shenmue IV come to fruition, which pains me to say after Yu Suzuki's hail mary to finally make Shenmue III a reality.

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[Raylan]

1. Death Stranding - An outstanding game and one of Kojima's best. A true love letter to video games .
2. Days Gone - A great combination of survival elements and action in a gorgeous open world.
3. The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan -
4. Neo Cab -
5. A Short Hike -
6. Katana Zero -

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[Clive]

1. Death Stranding - The journey is strangely addictive and the superb art and world building makes this one of the most unique and memorable game of the entire generation. Delivery jobs in this world had a way of constantly surprising and delighting you. Not flawless but the greatest games don't need to be. They need to matter to you when you think about them.
2. Concrete Genie - Gameplay and puzzle-wise the game is arguably a bit too easy and simple but I really loved the little world they built and how you could decorate it any way you wanted with simple to create but beautiful art. The story is a bit like a classic fairy-tale well suited for children and adult. I walked away from the game thinking certain mechanics could have been made more challenging but I'm not sure it would have made the game better. A short and small but charming and unforgettable journey.
3. Days Gone - On the surface, the game looks a bit generic but I think it does several things well to set itself apart. Taking down the hordes end game was some of the most fun I had this year and I even continued post-platinum. Exploring the beautiful yet deadly world was always a thrill too and you never felt truly safe. The story was also surprisingly good even if there were some issues with the presentation occasionally and you could tell it wasn't Naughty Dog. Fun until the very end is the keyword for me and I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted me 50+ hours.
4. Gears 5 - In no way a big leap for the franchise but it's more Gears and Gears is always fun. The campaign is one of the tightest (more or less) linear TPS campaigns out there and the story had a few interesting twists and turns. The attention to detail in the presentation and graphics were also stunning. Jack's skill tree also added another layer to the combat scenarios. Had me hooked from start to end.
5. Devil May Cry 5 - The adventure game aspects of the game are downright poor but the action parts are arguably the best ever in any character action games. Plenty new and plenty familiar makes combat superbly addicting and fun.
6. A Plague Tale: Innocence - A unique adventure.
7. Natsuki Chronicles - Lacks the creativity of the studio's earlier titles but a super polished and accessible shmup.
8. Crackdown 3 - It's a really fun open world action romp. Tight controls with some new additions which greatly improve the adventure compared to the Xbox 360 games and a well designed city full of delicious orbs to gather. Hard to put down since there is always another orb you see on the horizon. It's gaming junk food and not something I will talk about years from now but one of the most fun and addictive games of the year. Disappointing to see the game get so much wrongful hate and slander about not being an evolution for the series. It was.
9. Immortal Legacy: The Jade Cipher - Bad storytelling, PS2-level at best everything but a VR game that tried to create a solid adventure. VR makes even mediocre games immersive and thrilling.
10. Shenmue III - I both love and hate the game and it's as far as it can get from what I actually wanted from Shenmue III. I wanted the interesting story from the first two games to move towards its conclusion but it barely moved forward at all in this game. Instead I did get a faithful recreation of the filler from the first two games with jobs, gambling, training and other throwbacks. I found the gameplay loop strangely compelling and I enjoyed the familiarity. Arguably a bad game but with its charm and bright spots.

Honorable mention: Sekiro. FromSoft have made the top 4 best games of the decade but this one just didn't connect with me in the same way. Most bosses were rehashed multiple times and some of the boss design encounters were awful. The final boss essentially having two unrelated bosses you had to fight before the challenge began completely soured me on the game in the end. I applaud From for trying something different but Sekiro was equal parts fun and frustrating to me. A game I sometimes hate to play is a failed game in my book.

A weird year for me in terms of gaming. The new games I played were those that were on Xbox Game Pass and more or less the only other games I bought were those who had no chance of ever coming to the service (games published by Nintendo and PlayStation). And as a FromSoft fanboy I bought Sekiro.


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[andresmoros]

I was waiting to play Death Stranding to make my list, but here we go:

1. Resident Evil 2 - Definitely my favorite game of the year. It was incredibly fun and the nostalgia I felt while playing it was incredible. RE2 on N64 was my first RE game and its the reason why I became a fan of the series Excellent remake, with excellent graphics and sound.
2. Death Stranding - Ok, so I haven't finished the game yet, but the few hours I've been plating really got me hooked. I love every little detail and how fun a "walking simulator" actually is. I am intrigued with the world and the characters, and I really want to know more.
3. Days Gone - I know the reviews weren't favorable, but that was some major BS. This game is fantastic, and addictive. I loved every minute of it, and I fell in love with the characters. It still needs polishing to be one of Sony's top games, but Bend studios are in the right path.
4. Devil May Cry 5 - What an amazing return to form. Wow. Best action game I have ever played, and the best combat gameplay in any game, ever. The story was actually fun and the production values were off the chain. I still can't believe how damn good it looks. Capcom is back!
5. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Loved Awakening, and this is just a fantastic addition to the series. I will have more to say after I am done with it.
6. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Switch) - Fantastic game! It was like playing Skyrim in third person but with amazing combat. I haven't finished it, but I booked in about 30-40 hrs worth of playtime to it. Hoping for a sequel soon.

And that's it. I only played 6 games this year, because I also spent 130 hrs or so on Horizon, which I platinum, and tons of hours into Smash bros. Ultimate.


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[Egocrata]

1. Control - There is no game that makes you feel like a bigger bad ass than this one.
2. Transport Fever 2 - Yes, I am actually listing a Transport Tycoon Deluxe clone here. It is THAT good.
3. Metro Exodus - It is such a deeply Russian game. It really feels beautiful, desperate, and hopeful at the same time.
4. Apex Legends - Add another one to the list of "this just feels gooooood to play". The mechanics are just spot on.
5. Steel Division 2 - At long last, a worthy successor of Close Combat / Combat Mission.
6. Mechwarrior 5 - Big robot. Big guns. Big fights. It is a good game. Fun.
7. Jedi: Fallen Order - Way better than it has any right to be. Surprisingly fun and engaging, looks gorgeous. It is also better than the last stupid movie.

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[TheRightDeal]

1. Control
   
   
   
   
   
   Like a resonance-based lifeform, Control started as a hiss in my head that just wouldn't go away. I didn't have high expectations going in, and the word-building, combat, and characters slowly put their hooks into me. I'm not big on collectibles, but I found myself constantly going out of my way to find every single document to discover more about what the hell was happening. And the atmosphere extends far beyond basic collectibles, the Oldest House itself is full of personality, and every hidden corner contains some texture or odd detail that just oozes with flavor from the moment Jesse steps through the door.
   So you have this environment that's intriguing to traverse, but that's only part of the game. The combat itself isn't anything groundbreaking, but it's competently made and I never really got tired of fighting off enemy waves. I think I lucked out in zeroing in on upgrading levitation and energy, as my preferred style of combat was to just never stop chucking things at the hiss and I dominated every single fight throughout the game. That's not to say the game wasn't challenging at times, but most of the frustration laid in side content I could always come back to.
   
   The strongest part of Control is how deeply it buys into its own world. The absurd geography, the terrifying chant of the hiss, strong live action and captured performances all work together to enhance the narrative of this world. Everything about this game invites thought and curiosity, and that's probably why I can't stop thinking about it, even today. Through pure atmosphere the story and characters are elevated beyond what they should be. The game's shortcomings lie in difficulty spikes and an unneeded perk system that I only really engaged with when I hit a cap and needed to sell some off. But for every small misstep, there's a new hook to drive you deeper into the Oldest House, and the game's flaws are quickly forgotten.
   
   There is nothing I played this year that oozed style, atmosphere, and love like Control did, and for that it's my favorite game this year, and I only like it more with each passing day.
   
   
2. Devil May Cry 5
   
   
   
   
   
   I rarely have the time to finish games these days. Some of the games on this very list I struggled to complete as the weeks wore on and I distracted myself with more responsible endeavors. So I think it says a lot that I played through DMC5 three times on increasing difficulty and had an absolute blast the entire time. This game is pure joy from top to bottom and I didn't have a better time this year moment-to-moment playing video games.
   
   For better or worse, this game is straight out of 2004. The environments are all identical, levels are just a series of hallways funneling you to the next combat arena, and the platforming is as stale as ever. But my God does none of that matter in the face of the smooth-as-butter combat. Each of the three character's movesets feels completely distinct and there really is something for everybody. Nero seems the most straightforward until you dive into the Devil Breaker system and discover he's way more in-depth than he first appears. V plays like nothing I've ever seen in a character action game like this, and you can mash through his encounters on easier difficulties but using his summons with precision becomes essential on later playthroughs. Then there's Dante, with enough gameplay mechanics to fill his own game on its own. So what you end up with is three distinct playstyles that kind of ramp up in complexity.
   
   The whole game is easy enough to mash through and enjoy, the story is typical DMC fair with a lot of fan service, including one of my favorite moments in games this year. I appreciate that the game is a loveletter is to every entry that came before, including DmC. However, the real fun begins on subsequent playthroughs as the game requires more and more precision and clever tactics to clear levels in a stylish manner. They smarty designed around this, as you finish unlocking primary abilities around the end of the first playthrough. At some point, you top out and hit a wall you just can't seem to surmount. But the thing is, the game is still a blast, no matter what. The movesets are so diverse that you can approach any encounter from multiple angles you're likely to find a playstyle that both works and is completely suited to you.
   
   Devil May Cry 5 brings the series back to the forefront of gaming with inviting mechanics for new players, and stylish substance for veterans. I still find myself booting the game up to go through a Bloody Palace run, and I still find myself smiling the entire time.
   
   
3. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Tension and release is at the heart of Sekiro. The tension of sneaking up on a powerful enemy, the release of a stealth kill. The tension of wearing down a foe's guard, the release of your blade breaking through their defenses. The tension of ramming your head into a boss for six hours straight, the sweet, sweet release of victory. The game even plays on this pattern with bosses like the Guardian Ape, lulling you into a false sense of relief. All in all, this core focus adds up to a hell of a game.
   
   I love Souls games, I consider Bloodborne to be the Game of the Generation and while I don't think Sekiro reaches those same highs it is certainly one of the best experiences this year. Combat is a mad frenzy as you never want to let up on your attack on any foe. Constantly putting pressure on their block gauge is essential to victory but you always have to balance that with your own stamina bar. Sekiro is a game of a lot of quick, tactical decisions that play into the theme of tension. I also appreciate how open the environments are in this game, your grappling hook can make for a quick escape and it's never been easier to kite and abuse enemy patterns for some cheap wins.
   
   I love exploring the world of Sekiro probably more than any Souls game. The increased mobility is a blessing and branching paths can lead you to some areas long before you're supposed to make it there. Like the best moments in Souls game, exploring the world can be its own reward.
   
   For all its bells and whistles Sekiro still falls back on the classic Souls formula, there's plenty of trial and error and hitting your head against a wall until an enemy or area "clicks and you can make some incremental process. It's a formula that's become increasing familiar over the last decade or so, like a nice hug from a rose bush. Still, if you can persevere through the difficulty curve, Sekiro rewards you with some beautiful environments, tight encounter design, and a feeling of tension and accomplishment which was hard to match this year.
   
   
4. Resident Evil 2
   
   
   
   
   
   The original Resident Evil 2 is probably one of my favorite games of all time. Replaying it shortly before the release of the Remake, I was shocked at how well it still holds up today. I think what impresses me most with this game is how it strikes a balance between nostalgia and innovation. It would have been easy to upscale the old version and call it t a day, but Capcom developed a whole new gameplay system that's unlike every other Resident Evil game. Infusing the original game's sense of dread and exploration with the behind-the-back camera that the more action-oriented games brought to the table. Despite an increased sense of control and precision, the game still manages to make even a room with a single zombie terrifying, as ammo is scarce and even one wrong move can lead to wasted resources that ups the tension even further.
   
   The game is absolutely gorgeous and so much more than just a remake. You can feel the love the devs have for the original game in the way they play with encounters and iconic jump scares. As with the original game, I feel like the pacing in the first half is nearly flawless, with the revamped Mr.X being a standout. I think some credit has to go to the devs for making him stick around just long enough. I think at worst he's chasing you for about half an hour, but it feels like forever as the tension ramps up to 11. The term emergent gameplay has really fallen out of favor in the last couple of years, but I feel like Mr. X is the perfect example of the concept, everyone who has played the game has a Mr. X "story".
   
   Unfortunately, just like the original game, I think it kind of falls apart a little bit in the sewers before picking up for an action movie finale in the lab. If Pokémon made the list on nostalgia and Battle for the Grid made the list from pure joy, Resident Evil 2 makes it on it's atmosphere. It's oppressive and unyielding in its pace, always pushing you to move forward no matter how low you are on resources. I think you can have complaints about the Sewer and Lab section, or how the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Run Scenario feels tacked on, but you can't deny the atmosphere oozing out of this game, I can't wait to see what they do with R3make.
   
   
5. Power Rangers: Battle For the Grid
   
   
   
   
   
   
   You probably can't tell from this list, but I spend most of my video game time playing fighting games, or at least I used to. With less time for games in general, I can feel my skills slipping and with that comes frustration. There's a secondary reason as well, and it's a shift in design focus for the genre. There's a prevailing theory that modern fighting games need to be more footsie-based, losing an emphasis on big combo damage and instead focusing on making smart decisions to get in on your opponent. You can see it in what I would call the two big fighting game releases this year, Samurai Showdown and Mortal Kombat XI. There's nothing wrong with this approach and both of these games just missed out on the top 10 for me, but footsies aren't what brought me to the genre to begin with, pure unpatched bullshit was.
   
   This brings me to Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, the best fighting game released this year. I won't lie, it has a pretty anemic launch with a single-digit roster, visuals that were completely lacking in any kind of flare and non-existent sound and voices. But it had something no other fighting game did this year, frantic gameplay reminiscent of the old Marvel games with few defensive options in site. A lot of games have tried to make claim to it, but I think it was clear immediately clear that this was the true successor to the Marvel throne.
   
   Taking the age old approach of " If everything is broken, nothing is bad", the game launched with a bevy of two button infinites, insane mixups and some absolutely devastating glitches. Most of the egregious tactics have been patched out, but Nway have been very smart about drawing a line fairly short in the sand. There's still plenty of BS, but there's a little bit more room for error and a little bit more freedom to experiment with different combo routes. Like Mario Maker, Battle for the Grid ended up being a great outlet for creativity via experimenting with different team compositions and figuring out what synergies worked best for me. I'd be remiss not to mention the simplified controls. Rather than tradition motions, Battle for the Grid takes a page from Smash's book and assigns all your special moves to a single button, with neutral special, back special, forward special, and jumping special all performing a different special move. I've never really had a problem with motions before but I know a lot of people do, and the ability to focus on WHEN you should go for your combo starter rather than HOW you go for your combo starter is a major plus for the game.
   
   And the anemic content has also quickly been rectified. The roster has introduced nine new characters in about as many months and the game is now only three away from being where Dragonball Fighterz was at launch. Hit sparks now light up the screen, and actors from the various seasons of the show now voice their characters. A story mode that serves as a shortened version of the Shattered Grid event from the comics and a barebones arcade mode round out the package, which isn't bad for a pretty budget game.
   
   Most of all, Battle for the Grid ignited my competitive love for fighting games again, and I pretty quickly found myself grinding through online matches and signing up for some local tournaments. I want to give a shoutout to the ranked mode in this game, as it's extremely inviting to people looking to dip their toes in for the first time. Your first couple ranked matches are against computer opponents who are fairly easy to beat but use some common tactics ( projectile spam, throwing over and over), beating them provides a small boost of confidence while teaching you a lesson. And if it all falls apart on you, the ranks reset after a month and you get a few cool banners out of it. With crossplay between Xbox, Switch, and PC, you can find matches pretty quickly and there's a pretty wide swath of skill in the player base.
   
   I wrote a lot about this game, and I think it's because people slept on it this year. Don't let the poor launch fool you, this is one of two games that made the list out of pure joy.
   
   
6. Super Mario Maker 2
   
   
   
   
   
   
   I'm lucky enough to work at a gig that gets my creative juices flowing, but I occasionally feel burnt out when trying to create something for myself. Mario Maker 2 turned out to be just the creative outlet I didn't know I needed this year. I missed out on the Wii U original, so everything presented here was essentially brand new to me. What blew me away was how intuitive it is to start making a level. I'd seen Giant Bomb do it a few times, and just from that I was able to get rolling. Theming a level around a base mechanic or item, and then seeing all the ways you can expand on that idea proved to be one of the most addictive experiences of the year for me, and the social feedback you get is something that's hard to replicate in other games. Knowing there are people out there playing through your hard work, and some who even brightened my day for like a month by liking my level.
   
   Connecting people through the universal language of Mario is a stellar idea for a game, and the experience offers so much in that space. Mario Maker 2 is a game packed full of throwbacks to old school Mario levels, 20 second speedrun mad-dashes, bullet hell-esque nightmares, and off-the-wall bizarre twists on the formula. This game encourages you to put yourself out there for strangers to see, and it's really a wonderful thing. Even now, I have an idea for a level kicking around in my head that I can't wait to try out later today.
   
   I will say the game is only as good as the community around it, and the social aspects have lost some luster as the player pool has shrunk since release. However, the pure creative freedom it gave players is something I will remember for a long, long time.
   
   
7. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
   
   
   
   
   
   While my fondness for Pokémon and Fire Emblem influenced my decision to engage with them, that wasn't the case with Bloodstained. I really only got into Castlevania within the last couple of years, and preferred Rondo of Blood to the Symphony style of game. However, Curse of the Moon made my Game of the Year list last year and that was just a pre-cursor for this behemoth of a game. I think this is the most "kickstartery" game I've ever played. It's bloated with features that I can easily see as one-sentence pledge goals, and the halls of the castle are filled with names and portraits of high-profile backers and their pets. But somehow it all coalesces into something completely bizarre, and it works.
   
   Bloodstained is a game of cat and mouse where you're slowly becoming the cat. The shear amount of customization options is staggering as you obtain new weapons, powers, stat-boosting outfits, and familiars, all while exploring a multi-faceted castle full of secrets. While the castle is a daunting beast at the start of the game, it slowly morphs into your plaything as you memorize each room and find easier paths via your increasing repertoire of powers. It's also layed out very intelligently, I never felt lost and immediately knew where to go when I obtained a new ability, something absolutely essential in a game like this.
   
   The game is packed with content and some of my favorite fights were the end-game optional bosses. I wish the visuals were a bit nicer and the story was fairly lame, but that's not why I'm here. I'm here to fight weird vampires while wearing a birdcage on my head and I feel like Bloodstained was the only game that scratched that itch for me this year, and it rules.
   
   
8. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
   
   
   
   
   
   The Game Boy Advance was a special system to me. I'll always associate it with the strategy genre, and spending hours at the kitchen table with Final Fantasy Tactcs Advance and Advance Wars. But my fondest memories are of Fire Emblem. I don't remember how I got Fire Emblem VI or if I even wanted it, as I had no experience with the series beforehand. All I remember is my weekend hours melting away as I stared at my Game Boy Advance, agonizing over every decision. And after what felt like weeks I finally got the message that the tutorial was over and I realized the fun was just beginning
   
   Three Houses brings me back to those days. For whatever reason, I couldn't get into the DS entries in the series and bought Three Houses mostly on a whim. I thought the setting was pretty nifty and was itching for a strategy fix. Just like 15 years ago, the hours melted away as I joined up with the Blue Lions and got the adventure underway. The game is split into two distinct sections that work together to form a hell of a gameplay loop. The Monastary stuff starts out strong, I think teaching the students and making decisions on what they were going to study are the coolest little moments in the game. Seeing the potential in someone and working with them to achieve their goals feels rewarding, and the little social links make for some nice character moments. The problems arise in the back half of the game, when there's simply not enough to do to keep the social aspects interesting, just eating with the folks who need the motivation.
   
   Luckily, the tactical aspect of the game stays consistent the whole way through. Every single battle is ripe with tension, and always feels fair. With so much information on the field, bad outcomes only come out of your own mistakes, and the death of a student is on your hands completely. Luckily, the developers seem to know how people play these games and any poor decisions can be walked back with a handy time travel mechanic, sparing save scummers like myself from starting the battle over. It's not essential to enjoying the game, but I found myself completely engrossed in the story, seeing what became of the Three Houses after the time skip was devastating, and working with the Blue Lions to once again find purpose was surprisingly emotional. I'm not the type of player to go through the game all over again with the other two houses, but I'm glad the option is there for the people who want it.
   
   Three Houses is a game of smart decisions. Smart design decisions put the onus on you, the player, to navigate these battles. Smart decisions during downtime give you the tools you need to succeed, and smart decisions on the battlefield are rewarded with a sense of accomplishment.
   
   
9. Pokemon Sword/Shield
   
   
   
   
   
   I wish I had spent more time with this game, because it's fantastic to be excited about Pokémon again. I wouldn't consider myself a hardcore fan, Black and White was the last generation I completed, and I dabbled in Sun and Moon. So it's tough to tell exactly when quality of life changes entered the series, but I'm a fan of all the streamlining that was done this gen. Starting the game with Exp-Share was a welcome addition, that alone made me feel like I had the freedom to play around with my team without having to do a ton of grinding, and I dig both the designs of the new Pokémon and the setting. While visually it's nothing amazing the atmospheres of the gym battles adds a lot, and is exactly what I envisioned this world to be when I was a kid.
   
   The game doesn't really innovate beyond the typical formula, at least from my casual perspective, but there's something comfortable in going back to this world. To discovering what the next route has to offer, or finding out what team my co-worker has been training for our next battle. The story leaves something to be desired, and I understand how people would be frustrated with a lack of mechanical advancements in the game.
   
   However, playing Pokémon Sword/Shield is like returning to an old friend, and that feeling of nostalgia would probably be enough to make my game of the year list. But Sword/Shield is more than that. It's an accessible adventure that invites both long-time fans and newcomers to revel in the magic of Pokémon with some slick quality of life improvements.
   
   
10. Slay the Spire
    
    
    
    
    This is a late addition to my list. About a decade ago, I got introduced to deckbuilding games like Dominion and Ascension and was immediately hooked. I fell in love with board gaming and even made a career out of it. So naturally, Slay the Spire is right up my alley.
    
    Roguelikes and deck-building is the perfect fusion, every run equivalent to a solo board game experience without the messy setup. Each game sees you ascending the titular tower one room at a time, either editing your deck or using it to engage in turn based combat. The mechanics are fairly straight forward for the genre, but an almost infinite level of challenge and an expanding roster of characters ensures replayability
    
    Slay the Spire is very smart about raising the challenge level incrementally, and I think the gameplay loop is addictive enough to get more than your money's worth out of it, making it one of those perfect Switch games. I wish it had a few more bells and whistles, and I look forward to see what the devs have in store for the future.
    
    I think there are better deck-building games out there, especially in the boardgame space, but Slay the Spire is the perfect blend of genres and easy to pick up and play.

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[Hellshadow]

1. Resident Evil 2 - A remake with Claire Redfield? Sign me up.
2. Destiny 2: Shadowkeep - My most played game this year. Going back to the moon was a real treat.
3. Gears 5 - The Gears franchise is starting to lose steam, but it's still better than most games.
4. Anthem - I liked this better than most. Great graphics and good enough gameplay (loved flying around) but the endgame and loot was terrible.
5. The Outer Worlds - Loved the humor in this, was a nice alternative to Destiny.
6. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Almost scratches that Castlevania itch.
7. Rage 2 - Excellent gunplay and effects but the driving and the world caused me to lose interest.
8. Tetris 99 - The most addicting game this year. 6th place was my highest finish.
9. Days Gone - Other games do this better, but a solid experience.
10. Slay the Spire - I tried this for a day, liked what I played, but moved on to other things.

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[Rush_Khan]

I'll be honest: 2019 was a pretty poor year for me in terms of gaming. I feel like I missed out on a lot of classics that would've made my list, mostly due to time and console constraints (Disco Elysium, Shadowbringers, Fire Emblem: Three Houses).

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - "You Shinobi-Executioned"
   
   Spoiler: Sekiro Endgame

   
   From Software have created another masterpiece. Sekiro ticks all the boxes for what's required in an action adventure game: fantasic combat with amazing boss fights that always go down to the wire with your hands sweating, only just hanging on in a pinch and going berserk in the last seconds before landing that final death blow; the stunning locations that take you to places you would never have expected in feudal Japan; and succinct lore and world-building that we have started to take for granted in From Software games. It's a difficult game, but definitely worth trying, and a must-play for all action-game enthusiasts.
   
   
2. Death Stranding - "Your package has been dispatched"
   
   Spoiler: Death Stranding Ending

   
   It's not just 'Amazon Delivery Simulator 2019', Death Stranding has one of the highest production values in any AAA game ever. From the riveting soundtrack that plays when you're on that final stretch of a delivery, to the superb graphics that bring the landscapes to life, to the excellent cast of characters who help create a refreshing story filled with despair, but also hope, and a powerful ending that pulls on your heart's strings. Yes, some might feel the core gameplay loop is flawed, but the execution is near-perfect and has made me a huge fan of Hideo Kojima, having never played any Metal Gear games before. Sam and his BB's story will stay with me for a very long time.
   
   
3. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne - "You know, just Monster Hunter and chill"
   
   Spoiler: Iceborne Final Boss

   
   I've always had a rule that DLC or expansions never make my Games of the Year list, but I can't praise Iceborne enough for the amount of content it provides. It could have been sold at full price and you would still get your money's worth. The new monsters are challenging and well-designed, and the soundtrack's quality continues from the base game. It's a really good game to jump into and just help other players complete their quest while you just farm materials. If you loved Monster Hunter World, this is a must-own expansion.
   
   
4. Kind Words - "Dear R"
   
   2019 was one of the worst years of my life. A lot of downs happened but none worse than losing one of my organs. It got so bad that my anxiety levels went through the roof. My life had changed forever and I was falling into a deep depression. Suddenly, someone on ResetEra posted about this game and I decided to try it out. I initially only sent replies to others to try and help them and I felt really good about it. Once I finally started writing letters about my own issues, I couldn't believe how much support I got for each letter. Everyone is just so nice in this game. We forget that there is so much kindness out there in the world. I'm glad I was told about Kind Words. I hope one of my letters finds you. And thank you so, so much for everything. You are awesome.
   
   
5. Kingdom Hearts III - "May our hearts be our guiding key"
   
   I waited 13 years for Kingdom Hearts III. That's more than half my life just waiting to play this game. I'm glad to say that I finally got to play it. It was one of the highlights of a terrible year for me. Great combat, great music, and great fun. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the greatness of Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix, but hopefully the upcoming ReMind DLC can change that. I had so many questions after the finishing the game, which is weird because I expected a lot of series questions to be answered in this instalment. It's still a great game, though, and Kingdom Hearts III is certainly better than the steaming train of poor side games we've been getting in recent years. I just hope the fourth mainline instalment isn't another 13 year wait!
   
   
6. Astral Chain - "Legion Revengeance"
   
   Platinum Games's signature action gameplay is here in all its glory. The combat is slick and precise. The soundtrack is heavy and complements the combat perfectly. While the story and ending are quite weak, it's not really the main appeal of these types of games. The gameplay has a relatively steep learning curve but once you grasp it, it feels amazing. If you loved Nier: Automata and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, then you'll love their love child.
   
   
7. Pokemon Sword/Shield - (Shield) "Your Pokemon grew to level 9001"
   
   It would be the perfect Pokemon game if it had the GTS and a decent PvP component that wasn't so broken by Dynamax. Other than that, there are so many QoL improvements that make these the best mainline games in a long time. The games respect the player's time by streamlining so many components. I'm still trying to build my competitive team which is taking ages, but it's a lot of fun. The only downside is that the Raid battles could have been a bit more fleshed out. I am literally just constantly fighting Snorlaxes and Corviknights.
   
   
8. Heave Ho - "Scar! Brother, help me"
   
   Wow, this game is so infuriatingly fun! It's a huge task trying to coordinate with friends and family, before someone pulls off an insane throw/jump/swing to save the day. We're still playing through this but this is an excellent family game on Switch, and I highly recommend it. (Note that this game is not currently on the spreadsheet, but it should definitely be there given it first released in 2019 on PC and Switch).
   
   
9. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - "Wake up, Link"
   
   I never played the original Link's Awakening on the GameBoy, so I was excited to play this one. Admittedly, some of the puzzles haven't aged well, and the sense of indirection from the original could have been toned down significantly more towards. All told, I probably only needed to use a guide once (and that time was for something really stupid that I missed) so I'm pretty pleased I managed to solve all of the puzzles on my own.
   
   
10. Control - "Things only got a tiny bit weirder"
    
    I'll be honest, I thought the story was really poorly told. For the most part, I had no idea what the goal was of Jesse, it was just all over the place. However, the gameplay was pretty fun (barring poor last-minute pacing).
    
    
11. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled - CTR was one of my favourite racing games ever, so it was nice to revisit it once again, even if it feels slightly dated compared to Mario Kart 8.

Other games I played this year:

• Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age - I never finished the original XII because it was just too slow, so the 4x speed modifier helped me to finish this and really enjoy it. A feature like that should really be obligatory in every 40+ hour RPG. Loved every minute of this game. It's the sublime cast of chracters that make this game memorable.
• Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition - I loved the original XV so thought I'd give this a try and compare. It does a really good job in replicating the original game.

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[Prolepro]

All in all, this was a good year for my gaming.

1. Devil May Cry 5 - So much genuine joy came out of this not only through the story and fan service moments, but the gameplay itself. It should be obvious, but gameplay being fun before anything else is the most important aspect of character action, and that is what this game has in spades. A fantastic entry (and potential conclusion) for the series and I feel lucky to have gotten it.
2. Katana Zero - Justin Stander and Katana Zero do in just a few hours what most developers and games with x100 the budget and size struggle to accomplish for me. Its story kept me on my toes and its gameplay fulfilled a satisfying arc of being challenging without overstaying its welcome. The fact that so much of it came down to so few is a testament to the passion driving game development which we're all indebted to.
3. Death Stranding - I wasnt expecting to love this as much as I did but Kojima still found a way to take me by surprise. It's a simple gameplay concept garbed in Kojimas most esoteric thoughts and the enjoyment in diving into either of those aspects kept me entertained for all of 60 hours.
4. Total War: Three Kingdoms - Creative Assembly continue their streak of recent great Total War titles. By honing in on hero gameplay and building on the foundation of the endlessly intriguing Romance of the Three Kingdoms setting, theyve carved out, yet again, another successful slice of strategy gaming.
5. Apex Legends - Fitting that this game is the most time Ive spent in a competitive FPS since TF2. While I think my time with it is spent, I am glad for what its continued success means for Respawn.
6. Resident Evil 2 - Capcom's slavish dedication to reimagining RE2 with modern gaming sensibilities not only succeeds as a recreation, but sets a new standard for any who would compete with them in the Survival Horror genre.
7. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - The first post-Demon's Souls From game I havent finished and yet its quality is unmistakable. The gameplay and story have their faults which led to me not finishing it, but the production aspects of the game are head and shoulders above even From's own catalogue.
8. GreedFall - An admirable and, at times, even great substitute for the Bioware style RPG that seems to be missing.
9. World of Warcraft Classic - Fuck Blizzard, but this game being as playable and even frustrating for me in 2019 as it was fifteen years ago solidified my love for World of Warcraft as not only one of the most important games for me, but the industry as a whole.
10. Untitled Goose Game - HONK

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[Prolepro]

dp

 

[GraphicViolets]

1. Slay the Spire - fun roguelike deckbuilder. i put 350 hours into it before it even came out of early access
2. Eliza - game about a silicon valley therapist app and meditation on complicity in capitalism
3. Disco Elysium - best of both the crpg and point and click genres. game is great and i cant wait to see games influenced by it
4. Hypnospace Outlaw - 90s browser game with great soundtrack. really gets the time period
5. Hades - possibly the most polished action roguelike yet with fun greek god plot
6. Baba is You - excellent puzzlegame using essentially programmer like logic. very hard
7. DOTA Autochess - The first of the auto battler genre. unfortunately its now dead as it is still the best thats come out
8. Borderlands 3 - more of the same with some polish. not a bad thing but not revolutionary by any means
9. Kingdom Hearts 3 - smoothed down version of the kingdom hearts series with somehow every version of their combat combined. some great fights and some bad pacing
10. Dicey Dungeons - a "dicebuilder". great music great polish, gameplay is a bit random for my tastes and can get quite hard

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[kiryyuu]

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - I gotta be honest, I expected a flop, not a massive flop, but a flop relatively to their previews masterpieces. Needless to say, I was dead wrong. This is FROM at their best! Combat is focused, tight, and very enjoyable, it topped Bloodborne in that department for me, and I appreciated it way more after playing the new Star Wars, the level of polish is truly unmatched. Overall it was blast and can't wait to get my hands on Elden Ring. I'll never doubt you again, FROM Software!
2. Disco Elysium - I had my eyes on this game since before it was renamed, I knew it'll be good, but not THAT goddamn good! ZA/UM delivered what might be the best written game I've ever played. The humor, the way it deals with subjects like hardships, and politics is fantastic and thought provoking! I can't praise the writing enough. The intricate systems like the thought cabinet, stats and skills is something new and refreshing in this genre and video games as a whole. It was a tough decision picking between this titan of an RPG and Sekiro, but hey, after a second playthrough..
3. Katana Zero - Stellar presentation from the beautiful pixel art to the great soundtrack, add that adrenaline inducing gameplay and you got yourself one of the finest Hotline Miami-esque games out there. Story was a nice surprise as well! My only gripe is that it's clearly unfinished and I would've loved a proper ending.
4. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Not much of a JRPG fan but I really enjoyed my time with this game! Combat was much deeper than most JRPGs, and I really liked the classes system, I wish more games would incorporate it instead of the usual boring stuff. Kinda skipped some dialogues near the end but I appreciate the fact it's fully voiced, and has multiple path that actually differs from one another. I might give it another playthrough and join the blue house.
5. Catherine: Full Body - This is a weird one, some of its ideas and sub-plots are questionable at best, nevertheless I was so addicted to the platforming/puzzles, I kept thinking about tricks and strategies even after I was finished playing, and I never got bored of it. Also, music is fantastic, and the presentation is stylish as is always the case with Atlus' games.
6. Resident Evil 2 - Excellent remake, I couldn't finish the original so I was very pleased when I played this. I still need to finish Leon's route though.
7. Yuppie Psycho - Very unique gem. I don't know how I found it but I'm very glad I did. Very immersive game, it's like Silent Hill/The Office mashup directed by David Lynch. I know, doesn't make much sense until you play it, I guess. Highly recommend you check out.
8. Devil May Cry 5 - I really hated the story, characters, and everything about them yet the combat was very compelling so I had to finish it. Nero's bionic arms were fun even though I wished I could swipe between them on the fly, Dante's style was my favorite and I really wanted more of him combat and story wise, V however... he kinda put me to sleep. Oh, and Devil Trigger is a banger.
9. Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order - A mishmash of excellent ideas with no polish unfortunately. Had they been given more time, Respawn would've probably delivered a much better experience but I had decent amount of fun playing it.
10. A Plauge's Tale: Innocence - Good story with basic gameplay. The sibling dynamic was what grabbed my attention and made this game enjoyable to me, and the rats swarms was a cool idea.

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[J_ToSaveTheDay]

1. Resident Evil 2 - The original RE2 was one of my favorite games of all time, but I've been fond of how the series has experimented and grown into action territory over the years. However, taking this opportunity to provide the best (though not necessarily the first) attempt at blending the action and original tactical survival elements of the series together under such a visually beautiful package is truly now an even better experience in my eyes than the original. I loved this game from top to bottom, and I played through it more than 20 times this year between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One releases of the game, achieving both Platinum Trophy and Full Achievement, and even now at the end of the year, the announcement of RE3 remake next year has me replaying it joyously once again, originally feeling motivated to pop the new achievement but really just finding myself sucked into its gameplay loop all over. This is now my 2nd favorite game ever made, and hats off to Capcom for reimagining this classic from the ground up for the modern age — it's my favorite Resident Evil game to date as well! I can't stop thinking about and playing this game!
2. Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers - This game is an MMORPG, a genre I very notably tend to completely ignore story and context in and focus entirely on mechanical progression. With FFXIV 2.0 and its subsquent expansions, I've been drawn to the actual storyline that's unfolded over these years, and Shadowbringers both revamps many of its gameplay mechanics to great new heights and provides the most stellar story arc in the larger FFXIV series to date, with a compelling premise and convincingly-driven antagonist. This game makes me feel a genuine sense of pleasure between the oft-supportive and friendly community of players and the many tender and emotional moments littered throughout its story.
3. Control - This game's art direction, its setting, its ambiance, its weird cast of characters is all charming to me, having seemingly stemmed from influences in the "SCP" internet creative collective, David Lynch films and storytelling, and other "paranatural" sci-fi concepts sets Control directly into my realm of preference. Layer on top of that some really cool super-power-augmented combat that has Remedy's signature arcade-style fluidity running the gameplay segment, and you set yourself up for big success with me. I loved this game from start to finish, even reading all of the text documents along the way, a habit I often completely avoid in games. Exploring this world in a Metroid Prime-like fashion was extremely satisfying, and touched upon some of my tastes in fiction that I oddly feel don't get explored much in high-budget action games of this level of refinement.
4. Death Stranding - I admit, I am a long-running fan of Kojima, but I've long since begun to understand that it's an increasingly acquired taste. Upon reveal, I was quite optimistic of what Death Stranding would eventually become, but as we learned more and more and things felt even less and less clear between E3 and Tokyo Game Show this year, I began to harbor significant doubts that Death Stranding would appeal to me at all. I was, thankfully, quite wrong — I really love the premise, the art direction, and the gameplay of Death Stranding, full well knowing that it doesn't operate at a cadence that will suit everyone. I do harbor a lot of gripes with storytelling and some pacing problems in Death Stranding, but alas, I feel like the strong elements more than make up for it. I love going for my long hikes through Death Stranding's supernatural landscape and immersing myself in the role of post-apocalyptic reconnector — it feels both constantly engaging and deeply meditative to me.
5. Mortal Kombat 11 - I grew up loving the Mortal Kombat franchise, but never really understanding its mechanics on a level well enough to appreciate what I was actually doing as I played — I was in it for the over-the-top violent style, the then-appealing use of actor-capture sprites and animation, and to have something to go toe-to-toe against my brother and my friends with. It was definitely a style-over-substance love affair in those early childhood days, but it was enough of a love of the style that I continued to follow the series over time, with varying degrees of interest, even as I evolved as a player and eventually got into actually playing fighting games competitively. Even as I grew to appreciate the competitive and technical aspects of fighting games, I still enjoyed the style of Netherrealm fighting games enough to dabble, but I could never really come to appreciate them as truly competitive, having a predisposed view of mechanical superiority from a range of (mostly) Japanese-developed fighting games. MK11 does the amazing trick of combining my long-running love for MK's over-the-top, self-aware style with what I feel like is some of the best combat design the studio has offered for competitive play to date. While it isn't necessarily my favorite fighting game ever mechanically, it's the first time I've been struck with the impression that it was actually well-thought-out for competitive play. It's then backed by a story mode that really, really plays with nostalgia for the series in super fun ways, has some of the greatest-looking graphics in the genre today, and is backed by really good netcode to actually make playing online competitively a lot less frustrating and inconsistent than its peers. It's just such a great package for someone exactly like me: always loved how cheesy and over the top MK was, grew up to eventually enjoy competitive fighting games, and craved something with a sense of high level of presentation and polish to every possible aspect of a fighting game, and this game is it. Again, it's not mechanically my favorite fighting game on the market right now, but I dare say it is the most robust and well-put-together package in the genre to date.
6. Devil May Cry 5 - I've loved this series since I played the demo of the first game that came packed in with Code: Veronica on PS2, and in 2019 it was really cool to see it return in RE engine high fidelity, with some of the greatest looking character models and fun animation work in a high-budget game that I can imagine from throughout the year. The story presentation is as bonkers and fun-loving as always, and the gameplay looks and feels as satisfying as ever, now with even more tools in an already incredibly in-depth action combat system. Like RE2 above, this game stands as now my favorite in the series, a long-running adoration that wasn't just reignited, but completely delivered on a ton of weighty, long-standing expectations, and it feels so effortlessly and deftly done. Welcome back, Devil May Cry — it was one hell of a return!
7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Another comeback, but with an even harder hill to climb in my eyes. Just like many folks, I was enamored with COD in its early paces, and just like many folks, it became incredibly easy to take those early groundbreaking entries for granted as it became kind of an exhausted yearly franchise that kind of failed to notably reinvent itself in any substantial way year-over-year. Admittedly, along the lines of reinvention, Modern Warfare once again misses the mark, but there's new technology driving the presentation here and a return to roots focus on the gameplay design that pays off in delivering what I personally feel like is a really fun and largely polished-feeling product, and it takes advantage of the series' long-running success to bolster features like cross-platform play right at launch and dropping the tired old season pass model, which gives the game a sense of a larger and more unified community. So it's a very solid core and proven gameplay design matched with online technology that gives it a sense of big scope and I really, really enjoy playing it, despite acknowledging that besides introducing the new COD engine (which is great to look at), it does nothing particular new — it's just done so well through-and-through that it effectively reminds me of why I loved COD since the beginning of the series, and makes a really good case for why it should still exist now.
8. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - I have loved the Igavania games since unexpectedly encountering Symphony of the Night back on the original PlayStation, and while it has spawned a wide range of imitators and a ton of games that take clear inspiration from SOTN's breakthrough success, I have missed Iga's own kind of distinctive touch on the genre, and Ritual of the Night feels like it evokes it in absolutely fine fashion — arguably matching some of the peak positive feelings I held for some of the classic Igavania games. It's great to see this Kickstarter project, which debuted with a quirk and endearing video that felt completely on-brand, actually live up to most of its promises. It was unfortunate and stings to me that the Switch version isn't so hot, which is where I had made my first attempt to play this game, and while the other versions also have some technical hiccups, I think overall this game's high points are really, really high points and it overall comfortably holds this spot on my list. It's a super fun game that came from a clear focus and passion to make it, and I really appreciate that it got a chance to exist!
9. Luigi's Mansion 3 - While this game plays out quite a bit differently than a Resident Evil game, I feel like it hits a lot of the same emotional responses in its gameplay loop. It's an extremely polished and satisfying game where I derive a ton of joy from exploring and discovering its secrets, and I feel like the combat is pretty satisfying, too. To the combat's credit, the core Ghostbusters-like idea of capturing ghosts feels like it should have very limited application, but there's a wide range of gameplay diversity in just the act of catching ghosts that's pretty surprising and hugely satisfying, too. All of these great things are wrapped in a charming and goofy presentation style that's some of modern Nintendo's finest endearing and mood-sustaining work!
10. Dragon Quest 11 Definitive Edition - I loved this game at its North American debut on PS4 last year, and this Switch version feels like a significant enough of an improvement over that already-stellar experience that it once again ended up being one of my favorite games of the year. The various quality of life changes and content additions, with an art style that can compensate handily for some technical downgrades versus last year's releases, proves to truly be the definitive and easiest-to-recommend way of experience Dragon Quest XI, which is itself just really well-honed classic JRPG design paired with a lovely cast of characters and a fun plot that makes great use of a multitude of long arcs that stretch the game's runtime to crazy lengths without, in my opinion, ever overstaying its welcome. It's a grand adventure rooted in classic style and I love it so much.
11. Ace Combat 7 - I had no prior experience with the Ace Combat series, other than briefly trying out Ace Combat 4 back on PS2 and liking it fine but perhaps not really appreciating it. I have no great understanding of aircraft, and almost no experience with anything within flight or flight combat sims. I picked up Ace Combat 7 on a complete whim in order to test its merits as an action game, and I didn't walk away disappointed — it is just a damn satisfying game to learn how to play and the gameplay requires just enough precision and tactical forethought to feel extremely gratifying to come to grips with, even as an individual almost completely ignorant in any knowledge of real-world supersonic flight to contextualize to. Ace Combat 7 just stands as a great action game, and I can only strongly recommend it to anyone that maybe just wants a great action experience that differs from the norms they're used to — that's how I came to it, and I really loved my time with this game.

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[amlabella]

1. Outer Wilds - Few games instill a sense of wonder and discovery like Outer Wilds. The contrast of its 22-minute time loop with an emphasis on anthropological epiphanies and quantic revelations creates a dynamic in which players truly feel like explorers in an alien world. The successes, failures, desires, fears, and motivations of an entire ancient race are laid bare for the player, resulting in a beautifully melancholic experience that captures the euphoric excitement of space and how it parallels the struggle to find meaning in an unknowable world. It's beautiful, mysterious, uplifting, thrilling, and one of my absolute favorite games of the decade.
2. Disco Elysium - It's like the developers of Disco Elysium know I always put points into charisma in RPGs so I can talk my way out of situations. Well now I get to talk my way out of everything! Much of Disco Elysium is contained within a single city block, but its limited environmental scope creates a staggeringly dense RPG experience in which bold ideas take center stage. Dialogue dictates every choice. Skills influence inner monologues. Characters debate over politics and economic philosophy. The protagonist can die from sitting in an uncomfortable chair. It's a series of daring design decisions, propelled by the kind of incredible writing I'd expect to find in a truly great novel more so than a standout video game.
3. Resident Evil 2 - I didn't play the original Resident Evil 2 in my younger years (in fact, RE4 was the first series entry I played at launch), but I've become a big fan of the series in recent years and 2019's Resident Evil 2 was a wonderful way to experience a classic. Its over-the-shoulder view results in a far more functional, modern combat experience without losing any of the terrifying horror atmosphere. Oh, and running away from Mr. X goes right at the top of my list for most stressful game experiences of 2019. I'll never forget the sound of those footsteps, thanks Capcom!
4. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night feels like a follow-up to 1997's Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, 22 years after the release of the PlayStation classic. There's an expansive castle, gated areas, a leveling system, special moves, the list goes on and on. But Bloodstained also takes inspiration from the silliness of SotN, with a stronger emphasis on ridiculously powerful weapons, armor, and skills. There were times when I felt like I was breaking the game, and I mean that in the best possible way. I often prefer a good challenge in video games, but sometimes I like to just let loose and shoot a flurry of daggers at a demon's head without getting touched once.
5. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - I really enjoyed Sekiro for the first 15 or so hours I played in March, but then I spent a long time away from it and struggled to go back. That lack of motivation made me question my feelings on the game, but after playing more at the end of the year I can safely say I still think Sekiro is great. I do miss the RPG elements from the Souls series and Bloodborne, but I respect From Software's shift to a more offensive, poise-based combat system. The addition of stealth and vertical traversal also adds a lot and makes Sekiro feel like its own distinct experience within From Software's impressive catalog of games.

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[Luminish]

1. Death Stranding - Its walking mechanics alone is a game changer that I hope other devs take, taking what is usually just holding the stick forward at your next waypoint and adding just enough challenge to be fun and not grating.
   
   And the game's complex thoughts on communal progress and its stumbling blocks has honestly made me change the way I look at social media and the internet. It's not very often that a single player game can take over my thoughts even when not playing it. I'm happy that the symbolism is blatant enough as to not bury those thoughts into obscurity.
   
   It's far from the most flawless game of this year, but for me what the game did well was done so well in such a unique way that it completely overshadows any of the problems with the combat and weaker parts of the story.
   
   
2. Disco Elysium - Another game I hope developers draw some ideas from. The player character not being at the center of the large events of the story kinda solves the problem with having to undo the player's choices to keep them on track, and the dice roll skill checks feel very personal and way more interesting than the simple "charisma" stat you'd see from a Bethesda game.
   
   The way the game treats its world and characters is also great and something i don't see much of. There's a lot of emphasis on people doing bad things because they feel they have to in their situation, not because they're bad people. It doesn't let things be tied up into a neat bow where everything is good for everyone, but it's also not exactly cynical by saying everyone and everything will always be bad. It's kinda all just is what it is.
   
   I'm especially intrigued by the giant bill you're given you need to pay to sleep inside the first night. As far as I know, there's no easy answer besides some sort of coruption, or be homeless. And that situation doesn't feel arbitrary or forced at all. It just is what it is.
   
   
3. Kingdom Hearts 3 - It can't be easy to make a game with 20 years of story which fans have great interest in, and a two generations of technology gap from the previous games.
   
   I felt pure wonderment going through the Kingdom Hearts style Disney Worlds with such a big technical upgrade in visuals and ways to interact. It's a delight to explore the large open spaces in Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Big Hero Six worlds, and the girth of side challenges in all the worlds which challenge you in a big variety of ways. Some of it does feel like a PS2 era game with better tech, but in 2019 I think that makes it stand out as a new and different thing. My one problem with the difficulty, but the critical difficulty level added by a free DLC is perfect.
   
   There's nothing surprising in the conclusion to all the stories laid out by its predecessors, but that's how it should be. It's good to sometimes just have your characters finally get the storybook endings you are rooting for them to get.
   
   
4. Outer Wilds - Yet another game that feels like it elevates game design to a whole new level. I've never seen such a pure feeling of exploration and adventure, or a game where exploration progress is narative progress is gameplay progress all in one.
   
   
5. Slay the Spire - The most pure gameplay fun I've had all year and is the one that sucked me in with "one more run" all the way to literal daybreak. Nearly every run had something new to try and something new to learn. And nearly every battle had some very difficult decisions.
   
   
6. Sayonara Wild Hearts - Somehow combines charm and awe into a feeling I have no words for. It's a game where you're always looking forward to see what's next, or at least you would be if it wasn't so well paced, moving on right before you can start thinking about what's next.
   
   
7. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - This is a game that is not ashamed of being a game. Very silly and fun moments and a large amount of game mechanics which all somehow keep fun to play with.
   
   
8. Demon's Tilt - A very good video pinball table. There are not enough arcady games that give you a very tight, focused gameplay where the replayability is in the achievements and leaderboard. This is my Geometry wars of 2019. It's also has an emphasis on making you learn the specifics of the table through poking and prodding and seeing what happens, which I had a lot of fun with.
   
   
9. Untitled Goose Game - A game that gets you into the mind of a character you don't usually get into the mind of, and gives you opportunities to make stories with that character which feel like your own.
   
   
10. Indivisible - A game with a lot of heart. I didn't like a lot of things about that game, but I still always left it feeling good just thanks to the tone that game lives in.
    
    
11. Cadence of Hyrule - Nintendo please give indies the ability to do more like this.
12. Katana Zero - Pure Style.
13. Devil May Cry 5 - A number of very epic and memorable moments.
14. Life is Strange 2 - First episode had one of the most unexpected and interesting turns I've seen in any narrative
15. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Finally a good star wars game. You'd think it'd be easy, but the lack of good star wars games in the last decade might make it seem not.

Have not yet played Baba is You, Hypnospace Outlaw, Sekiro, Ace Combat 7, and Fire Emblem, but seeing them on so many lists makes me want to.


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[Lokoline]

1. MediEvil - One of my favorite games from childhood, it's great to see it back.
2. Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled - Same reason as MediEvil, even though I think the new tracks are kinda bad.
3. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Forgot about this game until I saw it on the PC Game Pass, then quickly 100% the map and got the true ending.

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[Deleted member 24021]

1. Resident Evil 2 - The best remake of a game I've ever played. Incredible and terrifying atmosphere with tense gameplay and great graphics.
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Extremely satisfying combat with awesome bosses to fight. Love the setting as well.
3. Kingdom Hearts III - This is everything I wanted from a Kingdom Hearts game. Some pacing issues, but the second best Kingdom Hearts.
4. Devil May Cry 5 - Devil May Cry is back. Love all the characters and humor. The combat is fluid but also tight and snappy. Soundtrack slaps.
5. Days Gone - I've wanted a great open world zombie game for a long time. Other games didn't scratch that itch, this one did.
6. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Awesome game.The successor to Castlevania that I've been waiting for. Also, fuck Konami.
7. Metro Exodus - I love the first two Metro games. This one is my favorite of the trilogy and I can't wait for the sequel.
8. Katana Zero - The most satisfying gameplay of any indie game I've ever played. Best soundtrack of the year. Absolutely fantastic.
9. Blasphemous - Awesome Metroidvania style game with super detailed pixel art. Love the exploration and soundtrack.
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Finally, another good Call of Duty campaign. I like Infinite Warfare more, but this is up there with MW2.

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[Nephilim]

Reading from bottom to top is the way to read this thread:)
Will post my list in a few days.

 

[Luminish]

1. MediEvil - One of my favorite games from childhood, it's great to see it back.
2. Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled - Same reason as MediEvil, even though I think the new tracks are kinda bad.
3. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Forgot about this game until I saw it on the PC Game Pass, then quickly 100% the map and got the true ending.

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Click to shrink...

Ranking games like it's 1999. I like it.

 

[Deleted member 61002]

1. MediEvil - One of my favorite games from childhood, it's great to see it back.
2. Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled - Same reason as MediEvil, even though I think the new tracks are kinda bad.
3. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Forgot about this game until I saw it on the PC Game Pass, then quickly 100% the map and got the true ending.

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Click to shrink...

 

[Deleted member 61002]

1. Resident Evil 2 - The best remake of a game I've ever played. Incredible and terrifying atmosphere with tense gameplay and great graphics.
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Extremely satisfying combat with awesome bosses to fight. Love the setting as well.
3. Kingdom Hearts III - This is everything I wanted from a Kingdom Hearts game. Some pacing issues, but the second best Kingdom Hearts.
4. Devil May Cry V - Devil May Cry is back. Love all the characters and humor. The combat is fluid but also tight and snappy. Soundtrack slaps.
5. Days Gone - I've wanted a great open world zombie game for a long time. Other games didn't scratch that itch, this one did.
6. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Awesome game.The successor to Castlevania that I've been waiting for. Also, fuck Konami.
7. Metro Exodus - I love the first two Metro games. This one is my favorite of the trilogy and I can't wait for the sequel.
8. Katana Zero - The most satisfying gameplay of any indie game I've ever played. Best soundtrack of the year. Absolutely fantastic.
9. Blasphemous - Awesome Metroidvania style game with super detailed pixel art. Love the exploration and soundtrack.
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Finally, another good Call of Duty campaign. I like Infinite Warfare more, but this is up there with MW2.

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Click to shrink...

Please change Devil May Cry V to Devil May Cry 5 or it won't count

 

[Deleted member 60295]

I only really played one game this year that technically counts as a 2019 release:

1. Black Mesa: Xen - An absolute fucking miracle. The game on the whole is contender for one of the best full remakes of a classic game in history. And Xen scratched the Half-Life itch like nothing that has come since Episode 2.

 

[Deleted member 24021]

Please change Devil May Cry V to Devil May Cry 5 or it won't count

Click to shrink...

fixed

 

[Lonestar]

Well, here goes:

1. Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers
2. The Outer Worlds
3. Death Stranding
4. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
5. Red Dead Redemption 2
6. MLB The Show 2019
7. No Man's Sky Beyond
8. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
9. Untitled Goose Game
10. Shenmue III

1. Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers - A new expansion on maybe the best MMORPG out there, and an expansion that raised the bar higher than any of the previous expansions. Using built-in Story Lore to give a reason for what could almost be considered a reboot, you can explore a similar but entirely different world, filled with similar but entirely different cultures. That the game's outdoor environment changes as you advance the story (going from never-ending daytime to bringing the Night back), is a neat feature. New, phenomenal musical scoring (adding to the plethora of fantastic themes of FFXIV) with some outstanding highlights as mentioned on various posts on the Gaming Soundtrack of the Year topic.

Having the best Final Fantasy story, one that doesn't feel like it's built on convoluted bullshit crammed in at the end, is a feat. The final "Boss" is someone who you get to know and fully understand, and allows for you to almost feel compassion to why things end up the way they end up.

The last thing I'll add as being my favorite gaming moment of the year, is one that you really can't get back, and you can't have it if you joined in on Shadowbringers late: Being in on the game launch rush as the servers opened up in late June, watching as hundreds of other people enter into the early city hub of The Crystarium , exploring it and trying to understand the new environment. It's a neat feeling that when you add in it being 2 AM or so and you're sleep deprived, gives it that extra spark. Logging on, chatting with fellow members of ERA's community as each person makes it into the overwhelmed server, gleefully checking in the new sights of Norvrandt. This is also not a repeatable feeling, not until the next expansion comes out. I'm glad for the New Game+ mode, so I can replay the story of this great expansion.

2. The Outer Worlds - As someone who fell off the Fallout bandwagon right after Fallout 3, I gave this game a try on GamePass, and loved it. It has flaws in some of the story bit towards the end, where things feel more "check box" like as it fits you into an ending, but the characters you add are generally good. The gameplay mechanics actually work most of the time, and doesn't appear to have that normal Fallout brokenness that turned me off of them. I'll leave with what is my favorite bit of cliche dialog from Vicar Max

3. Death Stranding - A controversial game, but one I enjoy my time with. I appreciate the gameplay ideas they put in, as it kind of interests me (Making Deliveries: The Game). Some of the acting scenes are surprisingly great (DieHardman's scene at the end, Mads Mikelson). The "final" bit of the game as you make "one last delivery" trip and the music kicks in, actually affected me emotionally. The Asynchronous multiplayer actually works pretty well, and it's nice to build up zipline systems with other people. But I admit, I've been a Kojima fan for awhile, and have built up a tolerance to some of the bullshit he puts in these games.

4. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered - An old favorite returned, but in a more digestible form. Improved graphics and a speeding up option, chef's kiss. Haven't fully beaten the game, as life and some other games got in the way.

5. Red Dead Redemption 2 - This is a cheat vote. I have bought it on PC, but my current PC refuses to play this in a playable form. This is a vote as a way to say "Thanks for being what was probably my #1 game last year" as I loved my time in RDR2, and desire to replay it very soon, either once I build a new PC, or just pop it in on the console.

6. MLB The Show 19 - At this point and beyond, I'm filling in with what I played this year, which isn't much. MLB is my first Baseball game in years, as I haven't followed the MLB in well over a decade. I don't know any of these players besides maybe 2 or 3. It looks nice, I remember why I liked baseball in my youth, and it gives me the power fantasy of putting myself in the game as the best switch hitting Shortstop that hits for Average, Power and Speed, because the game won't stop my 99 Overall rated ass.

7. No Man's Sky Beyond - I played this update on a weekend, it's good, but also alot different, and the game requires alot of time to fully understand the changes and what's going on. It's a game that I constantly "want to play more of" but never find the time to do it.

8. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - I really enjoyed LA back on Gameboy back in the 90's, and this game is real cute. But I was put off by the choppiness of the game, and buyers remorse kicked in having spent $60 on it. I've played it maybe an hour. Maybe I'll get back to it.

9. Untitled Goose Game - I have not bought this game, but have seen almost the entire game through streams of other people, specifically Spencer Hall from Banner Society. You had to be there.

10. Shenmue III - I bought this game and played 30 minutes. 🤔



There's a few games I thought about grabbing and playing from the year, but for various reasons have not felt like it. These include: Control, Sekiro, Monster Hunter Iceborne, Super Mario Maker 2, Outer Wilds, Kingdom Hearts 3, Metro Exodus, and Jedi Fallen Order. Maybe next year, as I've done with previous years games being played this year (Breath of the Wild, Gran Turismo Sport, replaying Witcher 3)


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[Morrigan]

I couldn't see My friend Pedro in the linked spread sheet. Was it a mistake?

Click to shrink...

A lot of games are missing. Added, thanks.

 

[Zlug]

1. Fire Emblem Three Houses - That was my first Fire Emblem ever. I had low expectactions and the game blew me away. It's really rare that I feel that immersed with the story and the characters. These goofballs are all likeable. Soundtrack is also memorable.
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Memorable bosses, memorable soundtrack, memorable gameplay. My favorite From Software game after Dark Souls 3.
3. Disco Elysium - It registered me as a boring cop...but hell was it not a boring game. The game is so unique. From funny, to sad, to philosophical, to political, it has everything. They also did a really good job with the NPC's. Lieutenant Kim is an absolute bro, just for him, this game deserves to be in the top 3.
4. Luigi's Mansion 3 - The game was charming since the beginning to the end, lot of ideas everywhere. Only big complaint would be that I wanted more when I finished the game.
5. Super Mario Maker 2 - More Mario is always good for me, enough said.
6. Borderlands 3 -- I loved Borderlands 2 so this game was one of my most anticipated. Gameplay-wise it felt really good, the worlds were also pretty. My only concern was story-wise, I wanted to see more of the "legacy" characters.
7. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled - My favorite PS1 game, I was so happy when it was announced. It was still good after all these years.
8. Ring Fit Adventure - I expected nothing and....here I am doing one session per day since when it came out. I've lost 12 kg since I began playing it, it works and it's fun.
9. Dicey Dungeons - I'm really fond of rogue-like in general, I wanted to wait its release on Switch but I was weak and bought it on PC, I had a really good time with it.
10. The Legend of Zelda : Link's Awakening - I never played the original so it felt obvious to buy it, it was cute and charming but a little too much on the easy side. I still had a great time with it
11. Tetris 99 - It was fun for a while, winning a game is soooo satisfying, good little surprise this year
12. Death Stranding - Oh boy. For context, I'm not a fan of Kojima's games, the only game I really enjoyed from him was MGS2. Death Stranding intrigued me so I bought it. The first 3 chapters were really good actually and....rest of the game happened. The story happened. How much did I not enjoyed my time from Chapter 4 to nearly the end? A lot, especially because of the cutscenes/story. Gameplay loop was still interesting to play, even if I have complaints about it but it's really nothing ( BT's are not menacing at all, bosses are...trash, I'm sorry to say it like that) compared to how I hated the story/cutscenes in this game. Final chapter happened and it reconciled me with the game (a little) and the Soundtrack is gorgeous.

I missed a lot of games this year and considering how 2020 is going to be...it will be hard to play these games I missed but eh...we will see.


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[Deleted member 543]

1. Resident Evil 2 - Capcom went all in on making a classic Resident Evil game with modern design philosophy. They managed to make a game that both shares the same DNA as its PS1 brothers while somehow feeling completely of its own time. A sublime experience. I played through it seven times this year, which—given how rare it's become for me to replay even on game a generation—is remarkable.
2. Outer Wilds - A finely tuned clock the size of a mini galaxy just begging to be explored. Each cycle is a beautiful science fiction adventure of its own, with so many fun concepts to make a truly emergent experience. Some of my favourite moments occur when going to a place which has started to become routine, only to screw up the landing just enough to throw me of course, and as I scramble to get back on track I make a completely new discovery.
3. Devil May Cry 5 - Picks the series up where DMC4 left off eleven years ago and improves upon it. As such a late sequel, it was never going to have the impact of any of its predecessors. But the fact it exists at all and feels so good to play is a miracle.
4. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series - I was a huge fan of The Walking Dead comics for the first half of its run before life got in the way and I drifted away from it. The series ending this year pushed me to revisit it and I read the entire run over the course of a couple of months. My experience with the games parallels that--played the first two years ago but didn't get round to the rest until this complete set came out. It's a somewhat uneven ride and you can trace Telltale's rise and fall through it: two stellar first entries, a weak spin-off and third entry as Telltale overstretch themselves and the formula becomes tired. The Final Season is a fantastic return to form though and pushes the Telltale formula in ways I never thought it would go. Very much enjoyed seeing Clem's journey the whole way through.

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[bixente]

1. Tetris 99 - 700 hours played this year. Digital crack.
2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Began with Blue Lions. Didn't regret it.
3. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of a Lost Age - Kept getting better and better. Looks amazing on Switch, too.
4. VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action - Banging soundtrack, characters you care about, great writing, nice visual style. Can't wait for the devs next release.
5. Door Kickers: Action Squad - Really fun game where you play as a SWAT Team member, saving hostages and taking out the bad guys. Some real nice pixel art.
6. Shakedown Hawaii - I remember this had some buzz behind it prior to release. I really enjoyed it, it was funny, and the gameplay loop was addictive, though it was very easy to complete.
7. Daemon Ex Machina - The controls are very intuitive, and I was impressed with the performance, even in online, whenever I was grouped together with a few other Japanese players the fps remained pretty solid.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Despite the slowdown, it still looks stunning. I actually haven't finished this yet as I got stuck on one of the final dungeons :D
9. Astral Chain - I feel kinda guilty putting AC this low, as I enjoyed it an awful lot. Well, except the beginning, when I really struggled with the combat system. But the standard of games this year was very high.
10. Slay the Spire - Really addictive game.

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[Deleted member 10737]

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guys, your votes aren't formatted correctly and won't be counted.

 

[Terrysaur]

1. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - A gorgeous remake that stays true to the mystery, intrigue, and beauty of the original Game Boy title – preserving its rich story and crafting its world through one of the best art styles I've seen in a video game yet. It's a really simple, yet incredibly engaging tale of dreams and consequence that'll leave a lasting impression on players for a long time to come, much in the same vein as the original did.
2. The Outer Worlds - Colourful is its world and characters, enjoyable is its adventure, and witty and hilarious is its writing, this game is one of the best science fiction role-playing games ever made. An absolutely fun romp that never ceases to excite and inspire, its strikes a great balance of being equal parts a great escapist experience and a light-hearted dish of politicial criticism. Joy in a hand-grenade, I'd say.
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - The return of great storytelling in the Call of Duty series has finally come, and it's an intricate exploration of morality and leadership that's bold, loud, and impactful in its narrative. The unique perspectives players are taken through across the game's story provide a sense of endearment to the game's characters and their world that is rarely seen in big-budget shooters, and one ought to give credit where credit is due, even with a franchise as controversial as Call of Duty.

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[Zlug]

guys, your votes aren't formatted correctly and won't be counted.

Click to shrink...

Thanks, I edited my post, do I need to do a new post or is the edited one ok?
Edit: Well, Votebot says it's ok, thanks again.

 

[Emick81]

1. Efootball PES 2020 - I was planning to Buy Fifa20 but after playing both Demos I liked PES more. Bought PES 2020 as sort of an impulse buy but no regrets at all. Took a little time to get into but I think it is the best soccer game I have ever played. So much random things that happen in matches and also the AI that puts up a good fight. The new Stadiumcam with the 4k Resolution is very nice as well.
2. Call of Duty Modern Warfare - I have been craving a Modern Warfare COD for this whole generation. I was very glad it got announced. Gunplay feels very satisfying, but the maps are lacking. 6 vs 6 modes in particular although the experience is getting better with IW slowly adding more maps. I think this game will really shine halfway 2020 when each of the modes have sufficient maps and the game will probably better balanced by then.
3. The Division 2 - Not really a fan of Lootgames but the Grounded setting and realistic weapons made me decide to try it. Beautifull game in 4k/HDR. The missions/maps also felt diverse and challenging. Did not finish it but I will pick it up next year again.
4. GRID - I am alway a sucker for a new arcaderacegame. Game is a little light on content but the racing itself is very good. Challenging AI that also makes mistakes which leads to a lot of random action on track. All the upcoming tracks will be free DLC so it might turn in something decent in the upcoming year contentwise.

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[Lastbroadcast]

1. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Absolutely loved this game - possibly my favourite FE in the series.
2. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - I've been waiting for a castlevania game for ages, and this hit the spot perfectly on PS4.
3. Wargroove - Okay sure, it's a blatant Advance Wars rip off, but a damn good one.
4. Untitled Goose Game - HONK
5. Astral Chain - This is a heck of a game - really impressive running on the switch and some innovative combat.
6. Luigi's Mansion 3 - A surprisinggly good game for me, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it, and the visuals are fantastic.
7. Pokemon Shield - Yeah I enjoyed it. Not the most innovative in the series, mind you.
8. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Another utterly fantastic actionRPG game.
9. Monster Hunter World: Icebourne - A fantastic follow up to one of my favourite PS4 games.
10. Death Stranding - I didn't always love it, but I loved what it was trying to do. And when it hit, it hit big.

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[Deleted member 60295]

guys, your votes aren't formatted correctly and won't be counted.

Click to shrink...

Well, that's what I get for voting after midnight right before going to bed.

(Let's be honest though: I'm probably about the only person here attempting to vote for Black Mesa: Xen anyway - especially as number one.)

 

[Neil98]

1. Kingdom Hearts III - End of a journey for me, the only game in history I've cried with.
2. Resident Evil 2 - Fantastic horror experience from start to finish. What a gem of a game.
3. Untitled Goose Game - Took the world by surprise, although I had been following it for a long time. Happy to hear about its success.
4. Death Stranding - Best Kojima game imo. Absolutely gorgeous experience.
5. Pokemon Sword - First true mainline console Pokemon experience, a dream come true.
6. Days Gone - Freakers, a bike and a vast open world. What else can I say?
7. Sekiro Shadows Die Twice - The Miyazaki experience takes the gameplay to the next stage. Wasn't so fond of the story though.
8. The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening - Super cute old-school adventure with the best art-style of the year.
9. Call of Duty Modern Warfare - Call of Duty is kickin' again with this masterpiece of a shooter.
10. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order - First EA Star Wars game that I thoroughly enjoyed. Great work by Respawn.

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[Deleted member 3196]

I didn't even beat 10 games this year, I actually beat 9. But I have 10 because my final game is one that doesn't necessarily end in the traditional sense. I don't think. But at the very least I've had my fill to know it's worthy of this list.

1. Resident Evil 2 - A terrifying game that felt manageable. I've played scary games that make me feel completely powerless and feckless, and it's just too much. I've also played games that are supposed to be scary but make me too powerful to feel threatened. Resident Evil 2 creates a balance between those two kinds of games that no entry in the series, or any game for that fact, has accomplished since Resident Evil 4. It's a masterclass of horror and action, perfectly blending the two to create not only my personal favourite game of this year, but also possibly the best remake ever.
2. AI: The Somnium Files - Weird and sometimes cheesy, this game still manages to tell a great plot and, some questionable Somnium puzzles aside, is actually full of interesting puzzles. I think the game's humour falls short, being more cringe (in a bad way) than funny, but what exists around those few moments is a solid adventure/visual novel with a great artstyle and high budget. Props also to the Western voice acting and localisation, which is top shelf for a game like this.
3. Pokemon Sword/Shield - I'm always partial to a Pokemon game, and Sword and Shield is no different. The game is a little shorter than previous games, and the plot feels like it is very top-heavy, and not really going anywhere for most of the journey, but simply exploring the Galar region and beating the Gym Challenge is how I've always imagined a bigger budget Pokemon game to be. If they'd only take out the stupid Dynamax gimmick that looks dumb, and we'd have ourselves the perfect entry to this series.
4. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - I loved the mix of Uncharted and Soulsbourne with a Star Wars skin. Respawn told a good Star Wars tale that had challenging gameplay and a scalable difficulty for those of us resistant or merely unable to "git gud". I really felt like a badass Jedi playing this, in the same way that I did in the old Jedi Knight games. When EA got the Star Wars license I thought we'd see an unending stream of GaaS garbage, but we've actually not seen much at all, and frankly Fallen Order is one of the last things I'd think the company would produce, and for that I'm grateful.
5. Devil May Cry 5 - Stylish action, an amazing soundtrack, and the right learnings from the unfairly-maligned DmC. Devil May Cry 5 is my favourite entry in a mostly good series.
6. Gears 5 - It's a Gears game, and I don't mind playing one of those every now and then. The gunplay is solid, the level design is still great, encounters are always good. The Coalition has mastered how to make a good Gears game, and did that with Gears of War 4. With Gears 5 they've taken it a step further and tried a few new things. I thought the open world was a mixed bag of good and bad, but they didn't lean on it too heavily and got us back into gunfights promptly. Is that a sign of a lack of ambition, or knowing how to stay true to the roots of the series? I think it's the latter - they could've very easily turned this into an open world borefest, but they chose not to.
7. Apex Legends - This game is so good I had to stop playing, because I actually wanted to play other games this year. The Battle Royale bug never left me, even if certain Battle Royale games did. Fortnite had rubbish gunplay and I dislike the building mechanic, while PUBG (at the end of last year at least) was buggy and full of cheaters. Apex Legends, with its team and class-based approach, mandated first person view, and useful innovations to allow strangers to communicate without having to wear a headset elevated this game above the rest. As I said, I had to stop because it was sucking up all my time, but that I managed to play for a good two months without spending a dime made the game the best value of the year, and even without spending it was compelling enough to keep going.
8. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth - I loved Persona Q on the 3DS - it was one of my favourite games of 2014 - but Persona Q2 was lacking the soul of the original. Why? Well, a lot of the character interaction scenes were distilled down into bland sidequests that change up the dungeons, as opposed to the original's which felt more like actual downtime outside of the labyrinths. It also doesn't help that the Phantom Thieves are the most bland Persona heroes, yet take mandatory center stage in this game. The Persona spinoffs have always been about removing nuance from characters and turning them into a parody of themselves, but most of the Persona 5 cast even lack the personality to be properly parodied. As a result, the casts of 3 & 4 outshine them, despite it not even being their game, and that was the killer blow for this title.
9. Zanki Zero: Last Beginning - Well... this game had bland gameplay, but a decent story. Thankfully, you can turn the gameplay off, which is the only way to make Zanki Zero actually worth playing. Bizarre, I know, but there we go.
10. Slay the Spire - I don't like card based games, and I really dislike roguelikes, but somehow Slay the Spire managed to be a compelling gateway game for both genres. I don't think I will delve deeper than this game, but the fact that I've kept coming back to it for months for a play here and there proves that it at least deserves a place on this list.

I'm not sure what to make of the year, when all's said and done. It's the first one in a long while where I've had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to get 10 games on the list, but the high points of the year were very high. Resident Evil 2 in particular will go down as one of my all-time favourite games, and would definitely make a top 10 of the decade list.

That said, a lot of high profile games this year disappointed me: Stormland for Oculus Rift was too repetitive on the quest side, while the character progression system really felt pointless. Boneworks was just plain bad - VR sins on top of a bland single player game make for my biggest disappointment of the year. Catherine: Full Body left a vinegary taste in my mouth, with the extra content suffering from Bolt On Syndrome - sometimes less is more and the original game was enough. And lastly Shenmue III was a crushing disappointment, having loved the first two games dearly - terrible combat, timewasting mechanics and the fact that game lacks any momentum or sense of direction just exasperates all the things people criticised the originals for, things which are usually mitigated when you look at the games as a sum of their parts rather than nitpicking on a few components. In short, Shenmue III is all the sins of the original games without any of the good bits - a true stinker in every sense of the word.

Other games showed promise, but either weren't for me or just weren't quite "there" yet. One such example was Disco Elysium, which plays well but desperately needs native controller or ultrawide support before I can play it, since most of my PC gaming is done on the TV or streamed to an ultrawide monitor in my office these days. Fire Emblem Three Houses, Astral Chain and Super Mario Maker 2 just weren't for me, as much as I can appreciate their quality objectively.

I'm anticipating 2020 to be somewhat special as the console generation comes to a close and we see things like FF7 Remake and The Last of Us Part 2. That and we'll start to see some technology coming into its own, especially VR with the likes of Half-Life: Alyx, and beautiful ray traced games on PC and the new consoles like Cyberpunk 2077 and many unannounced titles.


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[Dust]

1. Devil May Cry 5 - game that I pretty much dreamed of as a die-hard fan of the series since day one. Massive props to Capcom for delivering on something that I thought was long gone.
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - another masterpiece from FromSoft, not really much else to say.
3. Control - great game from Remedy that took silly creepypasta stuff and turned it into compeling experience mixed with fast and fun gameplay. Amazing world building too.
4. Death Stranding - interesting experience that delivered both on gameplay and Kojima's technobabble I love so much.
5. Resident Evil 2 - another wonderful effort by Capcom that proves they can do superb stuff if they want.
6. Days Gone - one of my biggest surprises. Game looks bonkers at times with real time snow fall and weather, enjoyable gameplay loop and cheesy drama. Seriously enjoyed it even if sometimes shows it's jankiness.

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[Apples_89]

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[Deleted member 58846]

1. Death Stranding - Remarkably fresh, incredibly addictive and compelling. Stupid ass story and writing, but the actual game is one that reinforces Kojima's genius
2. Fire Emblem Three Houses - 200 hours of gameplay and counting. Incredible feat of world building and characterization, and the calendar system suits the series. Loads of room for improvement in a follow up, but Three Houses is ace.
3. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition - Would have this at #1 but technically this came out last year, and this is just me replaying it on a re-release, so.
4. Pokemon Sword and Shield - Extremely flawed, extremely fun. Hopefully Game Freak takes the feedback to heart to deliver something even better next time around
5. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Legitimately surprised at how much I liked this. Gorgeous game, dripping with charm and character, and totally unlike anything else in Nintendo's arsenal, or on the market really. Hopefully Luigi 4 has better controls and no backtracking
6. The Outer Worlds - We got what was promised, which was a great RPG. I do have many issues with the combat, some quest design, and on the whole this doesn't match Bethesda's best, but it doesn't need to to be great anyway.
7. Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition - Kind of feels like cheating to have this here, but this was the first time I played it, and I liked it a lot, so here we are.
8. Super Mario Maker 2 - While not the long term mainstay I had imagined it would be, those few weeks when I actually exhausted all the tools this has to offer were great.
9. Life is Strange 2 - It's not as good as the first season, but it's not trying to be. It sets out to do its own totally different thing, and it achieves it to a very great extent. It's also the rare big release with the spine to take a stand on major real life issues.
10. Days Gone - Surprisingly fun. The systemic gameplay in the open world makes for one of SIE's best playing games. While the setting is generic, the story and gameplay have surprising substance to them, and it was worth playing for those in the end.

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[Moves]

1. Death Stranding - I love games that innovate and love to be able to experience something I've never experienced before. To me that game this year was death stranding. Was constantly at amazed at all the details, gameplay mechanics, and the mundane desolate beauty of the world I got to explore throughout.
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Miyazaki mixed it up and created a whole new flavor of a fromsouls game. A tightly designed world and one of the best combat systems I have ever experienced in a game that literally turns the act of sword fighting into a game of rhthym and dance as an actual swordsman might describe what it's like.
3. Resident Evil 2 - A perfectly polished re-imagining of a beloved game. Resident Evil 2 was a complete and utter joy.
4. Kingdom Hearts 3 - Kingdom Hearts has always had a special place in my heart, and I'm not going to pretend like I did not enjoy re-entering one of my favorite franchises of all time. Enjoyed fighting heartless though Disney worlds while listening to yoko shimomura's score, playing the mini games, and playing through the game on critical once it was released.
5. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Respawn's star wars game though unpolished, blends all the right game genres to make for a very fun experience. Can't believe how long it's been since a new star wars game came out that is actually good!
6. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - A mostly very enjoyable experience. Enjoyed training up students and taking them into battle and experiencing the story that unfolded throughout.
7. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - Nails the balance between sim and arcade. Feels great to fly the various aircrafts through missions with tons of variety. All while listening to one of the best soundtracks/score of the year.

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[Ojli]

1. Outer Wilds - The amount of times I felt 'Wow!' is in itself a wow-moment.
2. Baba is You - Inspiring puzzle mechanic that feel fresh
3. Slay the Spire - Surprisingly addictive (was my second favorite game 2018 while in early access)
4. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Personally the best game from From Software
5. Control - Excellent gameplay but lacking story
6. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Best piece of Star Wars media in 2019
7. Resident Evil 2 - Solid game and Mr. X made it memorable
8. The Outer Worlds - It's fun to min-max
9. Gears 5 - Felt really good to play a Gears game again
10. APE OUT - The music alone makes it worth a place in the top 10

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[Jeep]

1. Resident Evil 2 - An excellent remake of one of my favorite games. True to its heritage hitting all the right notes from beginning to end, by far my most played game this year with its extensive replayability factor.
2. Gears of War 5 - Had an enjoyable romp through the campaign and I liked the newly isolated open world sections. Not extraordinary innovative overall but I also liked the further depth into the series lore. Absolutely gorgeous to look at too, found myself stopping to admire the scenery often.
3. The Outer Worlds - Although feeling rather "safe" somehow in design and the fact it gets easier as you progress I loved it. Most of that can be attributed to Obsidian's knack for great storytelling and making choices matter, love sci-fi settings too.

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[definedMF]

1. Death Stranding - Kojima did it again and it was one of the most compelling and unique gaming experiences of this gen, with nothing played this year that highlighted the uniqueness the video games bring that other mediums do not.
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - From's tightest controlling game, with superb animation and the most addictive and ambitious enemy encounters to date for the developer, it stands on the shoulders of the best of From Softwares works, next to Bloodborne & DSIII. Cannot wait to see where they go from here with Elden Ring. Just wish there was more of this game :(, first soulsborne game since Demon Souls with no DLC
3. Devil May Cry 5 - The king has reclaimed his throne in the hack & slash gaming spectrum. DMCV offers the most robust and deep combat system in a DMC game since DMC3, with the best action animation I have seen in a non-From Software release to date. Bayonetta 3 has a lot to live up to now, with DMCV setting the bar high up in the gameplay department alone.
4. Resident Evil 2: Remake - First game I got to in 2019 and the best Resi I have played since Resi 4. Quality experience with great atmosphere and solid storyline to boot. Hoping Resident Evil 3 Remake builds on its encounters and goes for the more Resi 4 route, with every encounter being deliberate and eventful.
5. Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled - The best kart racer of all time got a HD Remake this year, with the tightest a racer has ever felt, without the bullshit RNG that is found in the part first, Mario Kart 8. Solid remake, but Activision keeps getting slimier with the micro transactions.
6. Halo Master Chief Collection (PC) - Halo on PC is finally a fully realized thing! It still has a long way to come, with only Reach part of the deal, but if this is there first go at it, I can only imagine how much greater the rest of the series will shape up on PC.
7. Kingdom Hearts III - This being the sequel to my favourite JRPG to date, I had high hopes going into this. I have to be frank, if I had played 4 other games this year, I would probably have left this off the list. It was a good game, solid in its concept, but too simple and lacked the imagination, especially in the Disney Worlds, that helped me connect with the juxtaposition of Disney crossing over with Final Fantasy characters and the like.
8. Astral Chain - Much like KHIII, this game wouldn't make a top 15 this year if I had gotten around to as many games as I did this year, with the weakest combat system I have played in a Platinum game, a utterly worthless and uncompelling story, repetitive combat encounters and an over reliance on the Guardian creatures has me utterly dissapointed that this is the game to be one of the most successful for Platinum as a studio. I hope the rest of their projects can shape up to their potential, because if there is a developer that can reshape the action genre, it is Platinum games.

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[NeoBob688]

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - The most tense, atmospheric, and engrossing game I have played all year.
2. Dragon Quest 11 Definitive Edition - A big improvement over the original release and a wonderful RPG to sink one's teeth into.
3. The Outer Worlds - This game exceeded my expectation based on some middling impressions.
4. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - A deep and fantastic game.
5. Astral Chain - A wonderful realization of the cyberpunk genre in an anime game.
6. Halo: The Master Chief Collection - The biggest bang for the buck, bar none.
7. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - Enjoyed it again on the Switch. A great game.
8. Gears 5 - A fantastic coop experience.
9. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - A lovely and focused remake.
10. Borderlands 3 - Even with its flaws, it is so fun to play as always.

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[B-Dubs]

Are there any additional formatting edits you would suggest I make in order for my vote to be counted (Post #18)?

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You used indent, not list. Use the list feature. There's an example of what the bbcode should look like in the OP