THE BEST GAMES OF THE 2010's:
(in my very subjective opinion ...)
Okay ... let me actually preface this with a disclaimer. This is really my list of "favorite" games from the past decade. Some are higher on the list by virtue of the sheer amount of time I spent on them. Some are lower because, while amazing, I never quite saw them through to completion and there was something that held me back from going the distance. But these are the games that, over the last ten years, I enjoyed the most.
1. The Last of Us
- Games have always been about visceral experience. But The Last of Us is one of the best games ever at combining intense gameplay with a genuinely emotional narrative experience. The narrative fed back into the gameplay and vice versa. It was seamless. It was unforgettable. It was art. The Last Of Us is the greatest game of the decade, in my humble opinion.
2. Super Mario Odyssey
- Before I got a Switch, I had been without a Nintendo console since the day of Super Nintendo. And Super Mario Odyssey reminded me of how much I had missed the sorts of incredibly imaginative, ingenious adventures that only Nintendo can deliver. A masterpiece.
3. Horizon: Zero Dawn
- I often find myself struggling to fully commit to the big, epic, open-world games of this generation. But I made an exception for Horizon: Zero Dawn and I'm glad I did. A gorgeously-rendered game, the adventure had thrilling action but also a compelling post-post-apocalyptic narrative.
4. The Walking Dead
- A milestone for great narratives in games, Telltale's The Walking Dead was a throwback to the golden age of point and click adventure games. It started a wave of narrative-based games, and it showed just how good of a story a videogame could tell. This game was a horror game, a zombie game - but ultimately it was an emotional game.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Another bit of Nintendo magic, this one combines classic Zelda tropes with a Skyrim-like open world. The sense of discovery in this game is unparalleled. It's just fun and awe-inspiring to wander around the world and find new places and quests and dungeons.
6. Batman: Arkham City
- Batman: Arkham Asylum gave us one hell of a Batman game, but its open-world sequel gave us a true Batman epic. This game really made you feel like the Dark Knight, and had some great writing and voice-acting to boot. Its sequel, Arkham Knight, was cool too - but it couldn't quite match the brilliance of this one.
7. Life Is Strange
- I love the world of Life is Strange (can you tell I love great videogame narratives?). This game has its own, unique style that I think is super-cool. The characters are awesome. The time-travel conceit is great. The narrative is affecting and intense and will make you feel all of the emotions. One of my favorite gaming experiences ever.
8. God of War
- A bold reinvention of a modern-classic franchise, God of War for PS4 crafted a more story-based game that was surprisingly awesome. You still had the kind of epic action that the series was known for, but the new GoW had a previously-unseen level of narrative depth. "Boy!"
9. Inside
- This past decade saw an amazing boom of cool indie games, and one of my favorites was Inside. A creepy, mysterious 2-D action/puzzle game, Inside led you down a strange rabbit hole. It was one of the most engaging games I've played.
10. Skyrim
- Skyrim created a feeling like no other game to that point. You were in an open world of magic and adventure, and the sky was truly the limit. My experience with this one was a little weird. I bought it on PS3, a system on which it really struggled. I eventually re-bought it on PS4, and gained a new appreciation for how good the game is and how cool its world is. Truly a standard-setter.
THE NEXT BEST:
11. Rocket League
- The best 2-player game of the decade, Rocket League was addictive, competitive fun.
12. Nier: Automata
- A fantastic action game that's weird and unpredictable and just aesthetically amazing.
13. The Wolf Among Us
- Another of Telltale's best, this adventure took the world of the Fables comic book and brought it to life.
14. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
- The Uncharted series is one of my favorite videogame franchises ever, and it came to a satisfying end with the fourth and final (?) installment. Naughty Dog are the masters of narrative-driven action/adventure games, and it's amazing how often the aesthetics of Uncharted pop-up both in other games and in movies and TV.
15. Bioshock Infinite
- The original Bioshock was a groundbreaking game, and its long-awaited successor was also pretty amazing in its own right. With a super cool steampunk aesthetic and a whole new dystopian world to explore, this game ruled.
16. Injustice: Gods Among Us
- The original Injustice game was a can't-miss combo of Mortal Kombat gameplay with DC Comics superheroes and villains. My brother and I engaged in endless battles in this game - it was always a great time.
17. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- This should probably be higher on the list - it's an all-time great game. I just moved it down several notches because I still don't feel like I've spent enough time with the game to properly rate it. I want to go back! Suffice it to say, one of the most engaging and well-made RPG's ever.
18. Spider-Man
- Combine the superlative development prowess of Insomniac with Spider-Man and you have a can't-miss proposition. An incredible cool, fun game that combines smooth-as-silk gameplay with excelsior-worthy storytelling.
19. Hollow Knight
- Another of the best indie gems from this decade, Hollow Knight provides classic (if at times super challenging!) Metroidvania gameplay with an absolutely amazing cartoon art-style.
20. Control
- My favorite game of 2019, Control is a unique action game that had an ultra-compelling, Lynch-ian aesthetic and super fun psychic-power shooter gameplay.
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