ResetEra Game of the Decade 2010-2019 (NO 2020 games) -Voting Thread (READ THE OP)- [Voting Ends October 4th, 12PM EST]

[CodeZeroR]

Top 8 in order
============

1. Persona 4 Golden - Not only is this game my favorite of the decade, but it is my favorite game of all time. I became a huge fan of the series after playing this game. The relationship you build with the characters in the game really made me really reconsider the relationship in my real life and trying to get know people better. The soundtrack is one of my favorite soundtrack ever, still listen to till this day. The main theme of truth and finding your true self really resonated with me greatly. It also really hit me with each character from the main cast struggling with their own internal demons and having to face those side of yourself that you don't want to acknowledge head on. Gameplay was significantly improve from Persona 3, especially the dungeon crawling aspect of it (Fuck Tartarus!). Trying to balance the time of dungeon crawling to level up your party and spending time with your social link is what make the formula of Persona so engaging. Saying goodbye to this game was really hard when I first completed it years ago, but that journey was so worth it in the end. It will forever be a game that has special place in my heart. Live your truth.

Favorite OSTs: Heaven, I'll Face Myself, The Almighty

2. Persona 5 - One of my most anticipated hype game of this decade. When I finally got to play for the first time back in April 2017, I didn't let it go. The game has of one the most stylish UI in any game till this day. The turn-based combat was fine tuned to the max, making battle quick and efficient, but still being pretty challenging enough if you do any mistakes. The art style is phenomenal, the main cast of characters are all amazing, each with their unique quirks and style that make them memorable. The dungeon are no longer random generating floors, but are fully fledge dungeon with their unique themes and puzzles. The OST is just as phenomenal as it's predecessor, being one of the best OST ever, bringing this jazzy atmosphere to the mix. The final boss battle is still very memorable me till this day, especially when that finale music starts playing. This is my favorite PS4 game of all time. I can't wait what comes next in this series!

Favorite OSTs: Blooming Villain, Rivers in the Desert, Our Beginning

3. Witcher 3 - What a wonderful and brutal world, full of stellar and interesting cast of characters! At first, I thought I wasn't going to like this game that much when I first started it since the combat didn't look good to me, but I was so wrong and this game became my obsession for a few months. One of the few games that your choices actually have some effect on main narrative, some even deciding the fate of certain characters. Geralt of Rivera is a fantastic protagonist, with a witty charm and sarcastic attitude to really make him stand among the cast. Also, Gwent is the best mini game ever made (Mostly play the game to do Gwent quest lol). A true phenomenal game that every other Western RPG will be inspire to replicate.

Favorite OSTs: Hunt or Be Hunted, The Fields of Ard Skellig, Steel for Humans

4. NieR: Automata - A artistic wonderful game that will bring you down into tears from the optimistic existential crisis you will experience. But no, seriously, it will make you cry by the end (if you still have a soul). It's definitely a game that really shows the biggest strength that video games could do as story telling medium, and for the most part, could only be done well in video games. The gameplay is really fun and versatile compared to the original game, since this game was developed by Platinum Games, who really know how to make engaging fun combat. The character are fantastic and you really care about what happens to them in the end. The music is probably the most beautiful music ever created in existence, pure eargasm. This is video game is the pinnacle of classic tragedy story.

Favorite OSTs: Song of the Ancients - Atonement, Grandma Destruction, The Weight of the World (ENG Ver.)

5. Super Smash Bros Ultimate - The ultimate fighting game ever created! Super Smash Bros Ultimate is a love letter to video games. It brings so many different characters from so many different franchises and let them duke it out in the ring to see who is the best. From Mario, to Pokemon, to Zelda, to Fire Emblem, even including franchises outside of Nintendo such as Sonic, Street Fighter, Final Fantasy, Persona, etc. (even including recently Minecraft!). I have been a huge fan of the series since the original on N64, basically buying Nintendo consoles just to play these games. Seeing how far this franchise has come from it's small beginnings gets me teary eyes. The gameplay has really been refined that I consider it the best in the series. With almost 80 characters to choose from (plus some more in the future), you will find several characters that you will to play as. I have so many memories with this series, play and fighting my friends, and this is the best game in the series now. It's a series that I will always love.

Favorite OSTs: I'll Face Myself (Smash Ver.), Battle! (Lorekeeper Zinnia), Final Destination

6. Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Mario. In Space. Part 2. This is the game that I had the most fun with this decade. It's more Mario Galaxy! The level design in this game is what I consider the peak of the 3D Mario games. The power ups are fun to use, they brought back Yoshi and made really fun to use (some of my favorite levels include him). The music is wonderful to listen, with a excellent orchestral soundtrack. This is my favorite 3D Mario game till this day.

Favorite OSTs: Cloudy Court Galaxy, Throwback Galaxy, Bowser's Galaxy Generator

7. Super Mario Odyssey - Mario. With a magical hat. That lets him possess basically anything. Okay. This game is blast! Mario Odyssey decides to go back into a open world environment (and also not explore the universe). The best thing about this game is how excellent it feels to control Mario in this game. This has the most versatile move set that Mario has since Sunshine. It makes controlling Mario really fun. I also love discovering the new things that Mario can posses (my favorite is the dinosaur). This is one of the best Switch games out there! Have fun playing this!

Favorite OSTs: Steam Gardens, Jump Up, Super Star!, Bowser Battle 2

8. Journey - What a journey indeed! Just go play this game if you haven't yet. Be prepared to experience something magical!

Favorite OSTs: Nascence, Apotheosis, I was Born for This

==============
#9 - #20 (Out of Order)
==============

Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Best Zelda ever. It's so much fun to explore the world and discovering a new place. Music is also wonderfully relaxing.

Favorite OSTs: Life in Ruins, Zora's Domain - Night

Yakuza 0 - Majima Goro is the best character. Also, Kiryu Kazuma is excellent protagonist. Combat is pretty fun too. Cabaret club is the best mini-game.

Favorite OSTs: JUDGEMENT, Pledge of Demon

Dark Souls - The only game on this list that I haven't beat lol. The most challenging game I probably played ever. Combat is really fun.

Favorite OSTs: Ornstein & Smough, Great Grey Wolf Sif

God of War (2018) - Boyyyyy was this amazing. It has some of the best graphics ever seen. Combat is completely different from the past games. Makes Kratos a more likeable character.

Favorite OSTs: God of War, Deliverance

Bayonetta 2 - The best action game ever! Combat feels godlike. Over the top and stylish cutscene. Bayonetta is fine ass, sexy witch!

Favorite OSTs: Tomorrow Is Mine, The Lumen Sage & Temperantia

Life is Strange - A coming of age story about having to letting some people go, even if you don't want to. Really enjoyed my time with it.

Favorite OSTs: Obstacles, Mountains

The Last of Us - The swan song to the PS3 era. A very touching story about humanities beauty and ugliness. Very beautiful looking game.

Favorite OSTs: Main Theme, The Path

Xenoblade Chronicles - The best RPG on the Wii. Amazing story, amazing characters, and some of the best environments ever produce in video game (even with the low resolution lol) Also, the soundtrack is astounding and I still listen to it till this day.

Favorite OSTs: Main Theme, Engage the Enemy

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 - It's Marvel Time Baby! BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!

Favorite OSTs: Deadpool's Theme, Phoenix Wright's Theme

Dragon Ball FighterZ - The video game of my dreams! I never thought I see a 2D Dragon Ball fighting game be this good. I'm so glad this game exist!

Favorite OSTs: Hit's Theme, Goku Black's Theme

Kingdom Hearts III - The game I have been waiting for almost 13 years! It was pretty satisficing conclusion to the Xenanort Saga! Combat is really fun!

Favorite OSTs: Dearly Beloved, The Other Promise

Fire Emblem: Three House - The best Fire Emblem game in the series! The cast of characters in this game is so full of different range of personality!

Favorite OSTs: Recollection and Regret, The Apex of the World

Honorable Mentions: 999: 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors, Pokemon: Black and White, Batman: Arkham City, Catherine, Zero Escape: VLR, The Walking Dead, GTAV, Donkey Kong Country: TF, Undertale, Celeste

[x] Bayonetta 2
[x] Dark Souls
[x] Dragon Ball FighterZ
[x] Fire Emblem: Three Houses
[x] God of War (2018)
[x] Journey
[x] Kingdom Hearts 3
[x] Life is Strange
[x] NieR: Automata
[x] Persona 4 Golden
[x] Persona 5
[x] Super Mario Odyssey
[x] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
[x] The Last of Us
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
[x] Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
[x] Xenoblade Chronicles
[x] Yakuza 0

Click to shrink...

Missing one of them if mods don't mind adding it

[x] Super Mario Galaxy 2

 

[radiantjustice]

Of the ones I selected I have to highlight the following:

• Mass Effect 2: One of the most thoroughly enjoyable experiences from start to finish . Improved on ME1 In almost every single way IMO. The character interaction in this game is unparalleled
• FTL: One of the tightest and most addicting roguelikes I've ever played
• Monster Hunter World: Entered the HD world with less of a bang and more of an explosion. The western world won't be ignoring this series now. That's for sure
• Xenoblade Chronicles: Brought back the childlike love and wonder of JRPGs I'd been missing for soo long. Can't wait for what Monolith Soft brings next
• Titanfall 2: best competitive FPS from the past decade. I'm one of the few who prefered this over Titanfall 1.
• Planetside 2: One of a kind FPS that felt like it catered specifically to me. VERY deep but allowign the player to do things other then constant 1v1 infantry fights. Once I understood the systems and how it all worked I was free to do whatever I wanted to in this world and I loved it. I'm also one of those who actually preferred to be a lone wolf and cause havoc deep in enemy lines all by myself

[x] Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] FTL: Faster Than Light
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] Monster Hunter World
[x] Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
[x] NieR: Automata
[x] Ori and the Blind Forest
[x] Planetside 2
[x] Portal 2
[x] Radiant Historia
[x] Rune Factory 4
[x] Smash Ultimate
[x] Stardew Valley
[x] Super Mario Galaxy
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
[x] Titanfall 2
[x] Total War: Warhammer II
[x] Xenoblade Chronicles

 

[b-dubs]

[x] Alan Wake
[x] Batman: Arkham City
[x] Civilization VI
[x] Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
[x] Fire Emblem: Awakening
[x] Fire Emblem: Three Houses
[x] Mario Odyssey
[x] Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
[x] Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
[x] Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] The Legends of Zelda: Skyward Sword
[x] World of Warcraft: Legion
[x] Xenoblade Chronicles

 

[Niosai]

1: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
What can I say? This game single-handedly took everything open-world games had done thus far and did it better. There are some flaws, like weapon durability, but the gameplay loop more than makes up for it.

2: Minecraft
Is there a more iconic indie game success story? The number 1 game in the world and there's a reason. Freedom to do...whatever.

3: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Took the foundation of of open world games and delivered on "You see that mountain?"

4: Kingdom Hearts 3
Kingdom Hearts is my favorite franchise, I'll be honest. But there was something about taking the aesthetic of modern Disney films and actually standing toe-to-toe with the art direction in an interactable world. Plus, the Kingdom Hearts action gameplay was kept intact for a fantastic experience.

5: Final Fantasy XV
Take Final Fantasy and make it a more grounded, modern experience. That's what XV did. It has its detractors, but there's no game like FFXV.

6: Persona 5
Persona 5 is the only game I can say I put 100 hours into, didn't finish, and still has me wanting to go back and replay it from the start. Enough said.

7: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Look at that roster. A celebration of gaming that covers pretty much every single possible facet of the industry at this point. There's so much representation of famous franchises. It's insane, and still an amazing game even if you strip away all of the extra characters.

8: Undertale
Such a shockingly simple, yet insane concept executed amazingly in almost a minimalist format. Undertale is nearly game-design perfection.

9: Dishonored
Dishonored took the first-person genre and iterated on it in a way that seems to have affected a lot of first-person games since. The puzzle-solving and player agency makes for a great and unique experience every playthrough.

10: Portal 2
A testament to incredible writing. The puzzles are great, but I don't even remember a lot of them because of how memorable the dialogue and "character" interactions were. A game I can replay over and over and never get tired of it.

[x] Dishonored
[x] Final Fantasy XV
[x] Kingdom Hearts 3
[x] Minecraft
[x] Persona 5
[x] Portal 2
[x] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
[x] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] Undertale

 

[Mr. Gold]

[x] - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Transformed how I feel about open world games. Really wish I didn't play Spider-man and Horizon afterwards :(
[x] - Hollow Knight - 2D metrovania perfection. Hard challenges and a beautiful world to explore. Just wish spawning points were a bit more generous
[x] - Bloodborne - Such a treat to play. Better get fucking good!
[x] - Persona4 Golden - Save by the bell meats dungeon crawler. Great cast, great story! Too bad PS5 dragged on too much, made P4G that much better

 

[Aarglefarg]

1. The Witness: My favourite game of the generation for its excellent puzzle iteration and awe-inspiring surprises.
2. The Last Guardian: It almost pipped The Witness for Game of the Year 2016. The storytelling through simple motifs during gameplay was very powerful.
3. Dark Souls: A decade-defining experience for good reason.
4. Portal 2: Great puzzles and fun writing.
5. Super Mario Odyssey: It's the The Witness of platforming games :P. So much to do in any direction and a lot of surprises.
6. Dragon Quest XI: A classic JRPG that is up there with some of the best in the genre at a difficult time for the genre.
7. God of War: Very good combat, characterisation and presentation.
8. Undertale: Great characters, music, battle system and reason to replay.
9. Toki Tori 2+: A puzzle-metroidvania where the only thing blocking a path is your knowledge of how the game's systems interact.
10. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission: A very impressive VR experience. Awe-inspiring when it's at its best.
11. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom: The Wonder Boy metroidvania formula is excellent, but another thing it shows is that a colourful presentation goes a long way.
12. Splatoon: Great gameplay let down by a lot of player disconnections.
13. Hitman: I could describe the sandboxes as 'welcoming'. Though it can get very tense and difficult, playing Hitman is no longer intimidating.
14. Golf Story: Very fun concept of and writing. Sports Story is one of my most anticipated games.
15. P.T.: A very special game, even not factoring in the news around it. Very scary.
16. Grand Theft Auto V: The ability to change the character you are controlling, so quickly and across large distances, was an amazing addition to the series.
17. Hotline Miami: Great challenging gameplay and presentation.
18. Journey: An effective game at evoking a range of feelings.
19. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: The story was bad but the core gameplay was excellent.
20. Atelier Meruru: For a few years, Atelier was my favourite annualised series and this was one of my favourites along with Escha & Logy and Rorona Plus.

[x] Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
[x] Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland
[x] Dark Souls
[x] Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
[x] God of War (2018)
[x] Golf Story
[x] Grand Theft Auto V
[x] Hitman
[x] Hotline Miami
[x] Journey
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
[x] Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
[x] P.T.
[x] Portal 2
[x] Splatoon
[x] Super Mario Odyssey
[x] The Last Guardian
[x] The Witness
[x] Undertale
[x] Toki Tori 2+

 

[sharbhund]

[x] Stardew Valley
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

 

[KatharsisT]

I mean, do I really need to explain why ?

[x] - Bloodborne - Such a treat to play. Better get fucking good!

 

[Bradford]

1. Bloodborne - A revelation. Fromsoft at their finest. A nearly flawless video game and a stunning melding of design and implementation.
2. Control - A game that uses style and form for the sake of giving meaning to its substance, and easily Remedy's best game.
3. Cuphead - Design goals taken to their furthest extreme, aesthetics used to lay the groundwork for player experience.
4. Dark Souls - All three Dark Souls games are the building blocks from which Fromsoft's masterpiece were forged. All three are equally fantastic treatises on greed.
5. Dark Souls 2 - All three Dark Souls games are the building blocks from which Fromsoft's masterpiece were forged. All three are equally fantastic treatises on greed.
6. Dark Souls 3 - All three Dark Souls games are the building blocks from which Fromsoft's masterpiece were forged. All three are equally fantastic treatises on greed.
7. Disco Elysium - This game is a fucking miracle and almost no games compete with its quality of writing. Just fucking play it.
8. Fallout: New Vegas - Great quest design elevates Fallout to the heights of its original two entries.
9. Life is Strange - A defining adventure game and an interesting ludonarrative experiment in teaching players how to make choices.
10. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - An under appreciated art game that gets little credit for its actually excellent writing — at the expense of the player.
11. NieR - An ambitious examination of the aesthetics of different forms of gaming, and a commentary on the player's involvement and agency in these structures.
12. NieR: Automata - A wonderful companion piece to its original, and Taro's best work to date.
13. Pathologic 2 - Disco Elysium is pretty much the only game that rivals this game's narrative, and this game's ludonarrative is incredible and creates one of the most powerful gaming experiences I have ever played.
14. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Narrative form given pure function. An incredible experience.
15. Resident Evil 2 Remake - Taking the ideas of the original and bringing them to a new generation has never been this good.
16. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - An incredible experience in tight combat design refined from years of Fromsoft's Soulsian approach.
17. The Last of Us - An experiment in ambiguous narrative and complex theme work delivered in an accessible way.
18. The Outer Wilds - Puzzle design taken to a tremendous extreme.
19. The Stanley Parable - Joining Player, Player Character, and Narrative into one poignant whole
20. Undertale - An audiovisual experiment in aesthetics and purpose.

[x] Bloodborne
[x] Control
[x] Cuphead
[x] Dark Souls
[x] Dark Souls 2
[x] Dark Souls 3
[x] Disco Elysium
[x] Fallout: New Vegas
[x] Life is Strange
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
[x] NieR
[x] NieR: Automata
[x] Pathologic 2
[x] Red Dead Redemption 2
[x] Resident Evil 2 Remake
[x] Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
[x] The Last of Us
[x] The Outer Wilds
[x] The Stanley Parable
[x] Undertale

[x] Bloodborne
[x] NieR: Automata
[x] The Stanley Parable
[x] The Outer Wilds
[x] The Last of Us
[x] Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
[x] Resident Evil 2 Remake
[x] Red Dead Redemption 2
[x] Pathologic 2
[x] NieR
[x] Control
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
[x] Life is Strange
[x] Fallout: New Vegas
[x] Disco Elysium
[x] Dark Souls 3
[x] Dark Souls 2
[x] Dark Souls
[x] Cuphead
[x] Undertale

 

[StoveOven]

I had a bigger list to start with, but as I started to write up descriptions and look at the whole list I saw a clear line between these games and the ones below them. There were a lot of games I loved this decade, but these are the ones that manage to occupy the spare moments in my brain and that I really feel passion for. The first game is my definitive number one, and after that the order is a lot more loose. They all would move up or down depending on the day you asked me.

Crusader Kings II – Game of the Decade. Opened up my mind to what is possible with systems driven narrative. It's a strategy game (and a great one at that), but the things it is doing have so much potential outside of just the strategy genre.

Hitman (2016) – A game with incredible emergent, systems driven gameplay. The ultimate murder sandbox. And a groundbreaking experiment in episodic release structures that was unfortunately a commercial failure. Hitman 2 is actually probably the better game, especially since all of the Hitman (2016) levels can be played in Hitman 2, but I'm going to give the nod to the game with the experimental release structure and the one that re-established the Hitman franchise as something truly great.

NieR: Automata – The ultimate absurdist videogame. Futile and depressing, yet somehow hopeful. I'm playing through the original Nier right now, and that game is great too. It might be a retroactive addition to a hypothetical follow-up list.

Pyre – Supergiant's best game. Their incredible art and music matched up with their best showcase of storytelling. Narrative choices with real consequence that left me heartbroken.

Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy – Okay, this is actually the ultimate absurdist videogame. Not just a game where you fail, but a game about failure. It's literally Sisyphean. Also it's about creating art and the ephemeral nature of culture. A game that doesn't get its due and is too often disregarded as a meme game.

Anodyne 2: Return to Dust – I haven't actually spent much time thinking about why I lik4 Anodyne 2 because I kinda just let it wash over me when I played it. A beautiful and atmospheric game with consistently novel mechanical twists and a true sense of passion and compassion for life. Really wonderful. Everyone should play it.

The Last Guardian – Another masterpiece from Ueda and his team. The best videogame exploration of a largely wordless relationship between two beings since…well, since Ico. It is not as grand or meaningful as Shadow of the Colossus, but it is much more tender and way more heartbreaking. Shadow is a tragedy in the truest sense. The Last Guardian is content with smaller, more personal emotions, and it succeeds because of that fact.

Night in the Woods – I could give you a thought out post about what this game does right and its depiction of the failures of capitalism and those it has left behind, and it'd be true. But the more honest reason this game is on this list is that I just vibe with it. I desperately feel Mae's sense of millennial angst and hopelessness, and I also see some of myself in the character's who have to put up with Mae's bullshit. I played this game in my second year of college after switching majors a second time and when I didn't really have any friends I could rely on and it just hit me. 3+ years later the idea of revisiting the game is actually kind of daunting because revisiting Night in the Woods is also revisiting my own life circa early 2017, and I'm not too comfortable with that. But the fact that the game can make me feel that way must mean it does something right.

Kentucky Route Zero – Weird inclusion since it finished in 2020, but I don't know if there's a game more "Of the 2010s" than Kentucky Route Zero. It is easy to call it an elegy to a dying vision of America, but the game is way more hopeful than that. It's about escaping the growing detritus of neoliberalism, not succumbing to it. There are moments where characters do succumb to it, and those moment are devastating, but the general arc of this game is a hopeful one. The characters are constantly finding ways out of a world trying to consume them. It's not a game about overthrowing capitalism but about building something new in its ashes. It uses magical realism not because it's a cool stylistic choice but because this game is bold enough to believe imagine something other than the world we know. Also Act 3 has the most breathtakingly beautiful moment in any game I played this decade.

Gravity Rush 2 – Gravity Rush 2 might be the most traditionally flawed game on this list. There are design aspects that I do not like. But when it's good, it's as good as any other game on this list. And thankfully it's good more often than not. It's a game that doesn't just have impressive scale but that uses that scale to enhance both its gameplay and narrative. Flying around this world feels incredible, and some of the boss fights towards the end of the game shocked me with how good they were. It's also my favorite superhero game of the decade. There are plenty of good ones, but to me Kat really embodies the idea of somebody who makes sacrifices to help those in need and enjoys doing so. It might sound corny, but I find something inspirational about Kat.

[x] Crusader Kings II
[x] Gravity Rush 2
[x] Hitman (2016)
[x] Kentucky Route Zero
[x] NieR: Automata
[x] Night in the Woods
[x] Pyre
[x] The Last Guardian
[x] Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
[x] Anodyne 2: Return to Dust

 

[hydrophilic attack]

My game of the decade birthed an entire new subgenre. It released in my region (the EU) in 2010, so it will be eligible to vote for.

It is, of course, the GOAT. Demon's Souls. Getting through this game was such a struggle. I had never been particularly good at games, so a game like this which harshly punishes your mistakes was very intimidating at first. But slowly, I adapted. I employed scrub tactics, like standing in a safe spot and filling the boss with 200+ arrows, or sneaking past enemies. I fat rolled for 95% of the game. I built a useless jack-of-all-trades character with levels distributed almost equally among stats. It took me over 100 hours, but eventually I got through it. What better way to kick of the next decade than giving everyone who missed it the chance to experience the GOAT on PS5? I'm really looking forward to playing this again on more competent hardware.

The following comments are in the order their respective games were listed in the ballot. It doesn't represent an order of preference.

80 days is the best interactive fiction game ever released. The way the game remembers your earlier decisions and adapts to make a new unique narrative every single time you play it is really impressive. The more inclusive take on Jules Verne's vision of late 19th century Earth is refreshing. The prose is engaging. The steampunk twist on the world is imaginative and pulls the player in.

Bloodborne was the game that made me get into this generation of consoles. While the multiplayer features were lacking compared to earlier souls games, the world and atmosphere was among the best I have seen. The DLC expansion may be the best DLC expansion ever. I got hopelessly addicted to running procedurally generated root chalice dungeons and ended up spending hundreds of hours on this game

Dark Souls 2 is the best Dark Souls game. The first Dark Souls was a huge disappointment to me after Demon's Souls, but Dark Souls 2 was a return to form. I enjoyed the open structure of the game that let me explore and tackle the different early game levels in any order I wanted. The covenants were really good introductions to online play. The rat bro and bell bro covenants were great ways to get used to pvp, and thanks to the game allowing such a huge variety in builds, all forms of PVP, including arena fights, invasions and special-rules convenant pvp stayed interesting for hundreds of hours. The DLC was great too.

Dark Souls 3 is a bit weaker than 2 in structure. It offers a lot less choice of which order to tackle levels. The build variety is slightly worse as well, with spellcaster builds being less viable thanks to the ashen estus FP system, where spells take away from how the amount of available healing. But on the other hand, this game had the best bosses of any Souls game yet, and the pvp was as fun as ever. I count 2 as the best Dark Souls game, but 3 is not far behind.

Furi is a game I would never have played if not for PS plus. I would just never have heard of it. I am so glad I tried it though. The shmup/character action hybrid combat really forces you to focus 100%, and when you get into that zone of full focus, together with the electronic music and huge challenge, it really is a rush like no other. After beating the game, I immediately started over on the Furier difficulty. As a casual fan of bullet hell shooters and character action games, this game really combined those elements to create something special.

Gone Home is just a really emotional experience. Voyeuristically going through this house to piece together all the different aspects of the story, and then the emotional main story and great voice delivery just makes for a really unique experience. This was the game that proved the "walking simulator" as a viable genre to me.

Invisible Inc. is just so elegantly designed. The game has no hit percentages, so you can't blame the RNG when you mess up. It's just a test of your ingenuity for getting out of tricky situations, and the balance between greed and survival keeps up the high stakes throughout a run. With lots of different characters and tools available, it's highly replayable too. Just a good turn-based stealth tactics time.

Life is Strange starts out as a high school drama mixed with a detective story, but it quickly starts touching on many serious topics, like rape culture and mental health. The voice performances of the actresses portraying Max and Chloe add a lot of emotion to the narrative and the time rewind mechanic allowed for some fun, if simple, puzzles.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was actually the first Platinum game I played. The high speed action, cheesy music and nonsense story made for a unique experience.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain may have the worst female character of the decade. But the stealth gameplay is the best it ever has been in the series. The open world provides a lot of freedom in how you approach your objectives and the controls and animations are just beautiful. Seamlessly switching between crouching, aiming, crawling, and the best sprint in a game ever at this point (though it was later surpassed by the speed skeleton sprint in Death Stranding) just felt perfect. Clearing out enemy bases with your trusty D-doggo at your side stayed engaging throughout the entire run of the game and the story does manage to say some important things about war and peace and the toxicity of legends. If you could just cut out everything related to Quiet, this game would be perfect

While the combat was bad and the graphics were shit, Nier is just pure pathos. Throughout the game, I got so attached to my little family of endearing misfits as the party kept following their path of good intentions all the way straight to hell. The soundtrack is one of the best game soundtracks ever. Emi Evans has deservedly gotten a lot of praise for her vocal parts, but I would also like to shout out the great choral pieces in the game

An important appeal of From Software's games is the difficulty. But how can you keep this appeal as your fanbase becomes better and better at your game? You can just keep making your games harder, but at some point they will be impossible for new players to get into. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice provides one potential solution to this conundrum. You change the core of the combat up in a way that will punish people for trying to play it as a Souls game. Sekiro is the first From game that managed to recreate that feeling of helplessness and hopelessness that I got addicted to with Demon's Souls. For the first time in a long time, I had to resort to cheesing and guerilla tactics just to get by. Demon's Souls is my game of the decade, but Sekiro is my game of the generation

Spelunky is the first roguelike I got lost in. It was the game that to me, and many others, proved that procedural generation could create interesting and engaging levels. The way that all the different elements in a level can interact in unexpected ways to mercilessly kill you will make you experience something new and unique in almost every new run. I didn't get as deep into this game as many others, but I sure was addicted to it for a solid month or so. I actually never managed to beat it, but I got to the boss a couple of times at least.

As you can tell by my avatar, I am a huge fan of Tactics Ogre. I put over 200 hours into this game, playing all the different paths, and seeing all the different scenes. It's got that Matsuno writing with the Alexander O. Smith translation that we all love. I will bathe in that political intrigue. I will bathe in the tactics rpg systems and I will overlook the worst gear crafting system ever conceived for one of the deepest tactics rpgs ever.

While the story may be more on-rails than Telltale would have you believe, and while the engine may be stuttering and struggling, The Walking Dead: Season One is full of humanity among all those zombie hordes. While I was spoiled on the ending beforehand, it was still very touching. The relationship between Lee and Clementine is genuine and sweet and with writing this good, I don't care if the gameplay is 100% of Press X not die, or if I don't actually have any choice in how the story plays out.

The Witness is the greatest puzzle game ever. The creator is an idiot, but the game is puzzle perfection. The way it teaches you its language by slowly ramping up the complexity whenever it introduces new mechanics. You start out doing Trial and Error, testing what works and what does not work as you try to decipher the language of the game. The epitome of this is the tetromino puzzles in the swamp which start out so simple, but quickly ramp up, while introducing new mechanics, to really mind-bending puzzles.

OlliOlli2 is the greatest skateboarding game ever.

The elevator pitch for Tricky Towers is Tetris with a physics engine. It is the most fun local multiplayer game ever released and I will die on this hill.

Salt and Sanctuary is the most successful soulslike. The world is huge and filled with secrets. The metroidvania elements that are added actually work really well with the Souls game formula. And the combat is beautifully realized in 2D.

[x] 80 Days
[x] Bloodborne
[x] Dark Souls 2
[x] Dark Souls 3
[x] Demon's Souls
[x] Furi
[x] Gone Home
[x] Invisible Inc.
[x] Life is Strange
[x] Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
[x] NieR
[x] Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
[x] Spelunky
[x] Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
[x] The Walking Dead: Season One
[x] The Witness
[x] OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood
[x] Tricky Towers
[x] Salt and Sanctuary

 

[Darkstorne]

I guess I'm a huge open world RPG fan.

Skyrim would get top billing for me if that was the system. I know it gets a lot of hate these days (for various reasons...) but it's a 2011 game that is still in the top played lists almost a decade later, and became the gold standard for open worlds that inspired a generational shift in game design. Many games have since surpassed that game design, but very much because they stand on the shoulders of what Bethesda demonstrated was possible from Morrowind through to Skyrim.

TW3, because of the phenomenal story and dialogue quality in an open world game, proving that the two aren't mutually incompatible design directions.

AC Origins, because it demonstrates how games can be so much more than simply mindless entertainment. It's historical tourism, it rebuilds an immersive ancient world in a way no other medium can, and not only did they create an educational focused Discovery Tour mode, but they partnered with Google to create a machine-learning hieroglyph translation tool for the benefit of archaeologists. That's seriously awesome. I was bummed to see Odyssey pull away from this direction, and create a high fantasy version of Ancient Greece littered with make-believe giant statues for the benefit of penis jokes. Malaka to that.

[x] Assassin's Creed Origins
[x] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

 

[killa2max]

[x] Bloodborne
[x] Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
[x] Dark Souls
[x] Hollow Knight
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
[x] Persona 5
[x] Portal 2
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] Yakuza 0
[x] Destiny 2

[x] Bloodborne
[x] Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
[x] Dark Souls
[x] Hollow Knight
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
[x] Persona 5
[x] Portal 2
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] Yakuza 0
[x] Destiny 2

 

[Chunchun]

[x] Clannad

 

[TheRulingRing]

1. Destiny - what an incredible but frustrating, flawed but groundbreaking, endlessly fun game this was for console. It honestly changed the way I play games.

The mix of PvE and PvP was just brilliant, even though Bungie most frequently screws up the balance for me.

The RPG mechanics and grind while still focusing on FPS game shooting skill is something that I just hadn't seen done before in such a game. The focus on playing with people who are speaking meant it was the first "forced social" game I played, and it worked! Everyone would be in a chat party in this game, even randoms you could jump in with.

And then of course we get to the gameplay which is just sublime and has of course been praised so much. Shooting feels so good (even if it relies on copious amounts of aim assist/magnetism), but something this game does that just isn't matched by any other FPS is the mobility and how versatile the movement abilities are (no, Titanfall doesn't match this). That's why I cant help but keep coming back to this game.

It's sometimes hard to believe Bungie could make such an incredible game/franchise, but also screw up so much that it looks like they're doing it on purpose.


2. Fortnite - another incredible, original game. Maybe they just jumped on the BR bandwagon, whatever, but they did it so well they basically catapulted the genre into every household.

Not only is the building a completely unique and novel twist to shooting games, it basically has the highest skill ceiling of any mechanic in a shooting game!

Couple that with their industry leading support for a game and much better in-game monetization than any other game (I bought a Battle Pass back in early 2018 and from that I'm still able to get every new one each season), and it's basically the best model for a GaaS game.

And the reason it shoots right up next to the top of my list? Its ubiquity meant that for a few years back when we had more time, loads of my friends and I would jump on it for hours almost every day (and even now to some extent tbh). No other game has ever managed that to this level.


3. EDIT: I can't believe I forgot Battlefield 4! The best Battlefield. The feeling of all out open war was perfectly captured by the multiplayer battles in this game.

"Only in Battlefield" may seem like a meaningless marketing statement, but boy did this game make the best of that statement.

Great level of customisability compared to subsequent Battlefield games and other loadout based shooters.

What a game this was man, I dream of the day Battlefield can return to this glory.


4. The Last of Us - this is basically the game that single-handedly got me back interested in single player games, after the entire generation of PS3 convinced me of the superiority of multiplayer games.

I hadn't played another game that had the level of writing and character building of this game. The best single player game I've ever played. And when you spend 10+ hours with the characters over the course of a game, controlling them and whatever else, you get more attached to the characters than a movie (or maybe even TV shows tbh) could do.

Gameplay was aight, fit the setting, but honestly if I wanted to play a game for the sake of gameplay I'd play a multiplayer game. I don't care about supposedly average gameplay in a SP game, that's not what I play them for.


5. Grand Theft Auto V - the best open world game ever, still. The side quests are so unique and full of flair (and fleshed out) it puts all other open world games to shame.

And of course GTA does rampaging through a modern city better than any other game.

And they manage to translate that over to the online! I eventually fell off the online due to the insane inflation, but I can't deny what an incredible feat it was. There are so many other open world games that I wish could do something like GTA Online.



Honourable mentions to:
Breath of the Wild - the world was so, so interesting to explore for the first 40 hours or so, but then you realise the massive repetitiveness and the lack of any decent story meant I was just going through the motions until the end of the game.
The Last of Us: Part 2 - I actually liked the story, but some chapters (especially the open world ones) were so dragged out that it just crushed the game for me.
As I said earlier, I play SP games for the story, not for the gameplay, and this game wasn't even close to getting the balance right.
The difference in pacing in part 2 compared to part 1 in night and day. People criticise UC4 for having poor pacing but my god are people wrong - this is the ND game that needs to get slammed for that.

[x] Grand Theft Auto V
[x] The Last of Us
[x] Destiny
[x] Fortnite
[x] Battlefield 4

 

[Mugen]

Many good games over the last decade. For me the best of them all is FTL: Faster Than Light.

[x] Batman: Arkham City
[x] Control
[x] FTL: Faster Than Light
[x] Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
[x] Her Story
[x] Hollow Knight
[x] Inside
[x] Into the Breach
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
[x] Papers, Please
[x] Return of the Obra Dinn
[x] Slay the Spire
[x] Subnautica
[x] Super Meat Boy
[x] Tetris Effect
[x] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] The Swapper
[x] The Witness
[x] Yakuza 0

 

[Linus815]

My overall favorite is definitely Red Dead 2. The game is not without flaws, for sure. In fact it has several - some of which even annoy me, like the loadouts resetting. But maybe in a weird way even those quirks contribute to how I feel about the game - it's like a ridiculously big budget indie game. The game is incredibly stubborn and relentless when it comes to sticking to its vision. A grounded, slow burn western that attempts to emulate more than just the big classic spaghetti westerns, but actual outlaw life - a slice of life, a historical time capsule. It is by far the most immersive and richly detailed, well realized open world I have ever explored. No other open world made me just stop and take in my surroundings - walk around town, interacting with random npc's, taking a bath, renting a room, playing some cards - in almost any other game you could call this act "boring" but RDR 2 is so good at emulating a world and time period long gone that in a weird way it feels like virtual time traveling.

But really it's not just the world. The narrative is a monumental achievement. At face value, it's not really all that special - the story itself is rather straightforward, and in a way, predictable. I mean, of course, it's a prequel. But even if you didn't play RDR 1, the game outright tells you your fate with its opening quote. The entire game is a struggle in a fight that is lost from the get go. It's about desperation, and how far people are willing to sink in their desperation just to maintain an illusion of hope. And among the desperation is where characters can truly shine. Arthur and Dutch's story arcs are absolutely incredible and mirror eachother really, really well. By the end I was so attached to these characters that I just cried.. and not really at one specific moment, it was several. Narrative heavy games often make me tear up but RDR 2 straight up made me ugly cry. And that's really something else.

Now of course there's a lot of games on my list and I'd feel bad for putting focus only on RDR 2, so some short words about a few others...

I have a lot of rockstar games on my list.... GTA 5 is one of my most memorable gaming experiences, I couldn't believe that the PS3 was outputting those graphics, that world size, and that variety on my tv screen. It is also one of the most fun rollercoaster rides in its campaign, so many awesome, memorable missions. Minor turbulance being probably my favorite one. The online also deserves a shout out for being so fucking massive.

Witcher 3 has re-defined how people look at side content, i think. You can just play the main qeust and enjoy a really, really good game. But then you're basically missing 50% of what makes this game so memorable. All the character work, and world building hidden away in optional quests is fucking incredible and enhance the main story signficiantly. Also, much like RDR 2, the world is incredibly well realized, which is a huge achievement given the fantasy setting.

Max Payne 3. I mean, my avatar says it all. This is my favorite third person shooter of all time. The game holds up beautifully, I highly recommend it at least on PC. The controls are perfect, this is by far the best balance between realism and playability when it comes to rockstar games, and I'd say its only competition is MGS 5 and TLOU 2. Rockstar chose to take Max and take him out of his comfort zone as much as possible, and yet,Max Payne is still the same Max Payne you remember. This intriguing contrast makes for some truly hilarious moments, and some excellent voice overs from Max.

Kingdom Hearts 3 was a disappointment to me at first and many others. But after revisiting the game, I did a complete 180 on it. Sure, the pacing isn't the best, the story should have been spread better throughout the game. But the gameplay, after the updates is perhaps the best in the series (which says a lot in a series known for excellent gameplay), the disney worlds are EASILY the best ones, and even those which are vague retellings of the movie they're based on tend to be quite charming, like the Tangled world. And the game really nails some of the key moments in the keyblade graveyard section.

Forza Horizon 3 helped me out during a rough part of my life. All forza horizon games are amazing but 3 is really quite special. The ultimate rich person holiday simulator. This game wants to be your friend and nothing else. Australia is incredibly charming as well, and to this day, absolutely beautiful.

I could go on and on about the rest of my list, about how the most cathartic videogaming experience I had was watching Nier Automata's final credits sequence, or how AC Black Flag and RDR 1 made me appreciate negative space in games, or how Tales from the Borderlands showed the insane potential of the franchise, or how Life is Strange made me much more open minded about certain subjects but frankly no one will read this and I've wasted enough time typing anyway ^_^

[x] Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
[x] Forza Horizon 3
[x] Grand Theft Auto V
[x] Kingdom Hearts 3
[x] Life is Strange
[x] Max Payne 3
[x] NieR: Automata
[x] Red Dead Redemption
[x] Red Dead Redemption 2
[x] Tales From the Borderlands
[x] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
[x] Tomb Raider (2013)
[x] Uncharted 4

 

[Miamiwesker]

some great games this decade.

[x] Batman: Arkham City
[x] Red Dead Redemption
[x] Dark Souls
[x] Devil May Cry V
[x] God of War (2018)
[x] Hollow Knight
[x] Horizon Zero Dawn
[x] LittleBigPlanet 2
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
[x] Mass Effect 3
[x] Grand Theft Auto V
[x] Red Dead Redemption 2
[x] Resident Evil 2 Remake
[x] Sonic Mania
[x] Super Mario Galaxy 2
[x] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
[x] The Last of Us
[x] The Legends of Zelda: Skyward Sword
[x] The Witness

 

[Mercury_Sagit]

1. Breath of the Wild: the only thing I can say about this game is pure excellence from a game-design perspective. Everything is connected to each other in coherence and honed toward a singular vision: "open air" gaming experience. The GDC conference video would always be my recommended starting point for anyone to analyze and critique BotW as well as understanding EPD's thought process.

2. Hollow Knight/Ori of the Blind Forest: I was torn between these two as my personal favorite Metroidvania, but at the end both of them share the same space in my heart and resonated with me in different ways. For Ori, it's the fantastical art style and fluid character movement that mesmerized me. Meanwhile for HK, it's the deep lore hidden everywhere in the Hallownest, the intense but satisfying combat mechanics and dedicated post-launch support from Team Cherry that won me over my heart.

3. Octopath Traveler: my first impression with this game during Switch 2017 presentation is of course its unique modern-retro art style. And my interest just grew over time until release upon knowing of its battle and overworld gameplay mechanics. Although I really love it for what it is, the game is certainly not for everyone. The story is fragmented into 8 unrelated storylines with a bunch of unrelated side quests offering little to no hints, plus post game contents (those who played the game until the end probably knew what I mean here). Such design choices is quite unconventional, thus requiring an equally unconventional approach. OT is not a game to be played in long session, and not for anyone expecting a grand adventure. To me playing OT is like reading a slice-of-life manga: you pick the game up and play through 1-2 acts of a chapter, or process 1-2 side quests, or just do some battles to farm equipment. The freedom in this game resonated with me much more than I expected, and for once I actually prefer this over the traditional linear storytelling among other JRPGs.

4. Xenoblade Chronicles II: I initially hesitated to add this game due to its crappy performance in handheld mode as well as some questionable character designs. However the positives outweighed the negatives here for me. Under the sometimes lewd designs as well as thick layers of anime tropes, there are very deep personalities (I'd recommend this character study on reddit). Under the blurry TAA images, there are excellent art direction and world design. Under the agonizing blade gacha, there is a very deep combat system that welcome anyone to min max and play with numbers. The core story itself is also splendid, especially for those who played Xenoblade Chronicles. All in all a flawed gem that deserved a spot in my list.

5. Fire Emblem Three Houses: this is actually my first experience with SPRG ever. I was wary of them at first during DS days, then I switched over to PC gaming during 3DS days. But I guess I was very lucky to start from FE3H. IS and KoTec poured a huge amount of effort into fleshing out Fódlan, and it really paid off for me. All characters have deep backstories with complex personalities under stereotypical archetypes. The RPG aspect is rich with tons of options for character customization, and the combat mechanic is intuitive. The main story is also well-grounded and fulfilling (the downside is one must play through all routes to get the full experience). Nearly 500h in and I still want to play more to conquer everything in Maddening mode.

5. Bayonetta 2: I did not try this game until it's released on Switch, but once I got in I could never get out lol, always have to turn it on now and then to play a chapter. For me it really speaks about Platinum's philosophy in designing their games: easy to learn and hard to master, plus satisfying combat set pieces and fluid character actions.

6. Stardew Valley: nearly 200 hours spent into this game spoke it all for me. A satisfying gameplay loop plus generous post-launch support from ConcernedApe.

7. Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void. A satisfying conclusion to the SC storyline, plus the usual addictive gameplay loop that pulled me in since the Brood War days.

[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] Ori and the Blind Forest
[x] Hollow Knight
[x] Bayonetta 2
[x] Octopath Traveler
[x] Fire Emblem: Three Houses
[x] Xenoblade Chronicles II
[x] Stardew Valley
[x] Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void

 

[Adamastor]

[x] Alan Wake
[x] Final Fantasy VII Remake
[x] God of War (2018)
[x] Horizon Zero Dawn
[x] Marvel's Spider-Man
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] P.T.
[x] Resident Evil 2 Remake
[x] Resident Evil HD Remaster
[x] Shadow of the Colossus
[x] The Last of Us
[x] The Stanley Parable
[x] Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
[x] Until Dawn

 

[John Dunbar]

[x] Bloodborne
[x] Euro Truck Simulator 2
[x] Europa Universalis IV
[x] Hollow Knight
[x] Shenmue III
[x] Super Mario Galaxy
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
[x] Thimbleweed Park
[x] Yakuza 0
[x] Kingdom: New Lands

 

[OzBoz]

Updating my list. Added 80 Days and Ace Attorney Investigations 2; removed UMVC3.

[x] 80 Days
[x] Ace Attorney Investigations 2
[x] Axiom Verge
[x] Danganronpa
[x] Dicey Dungeons
[x] Ghost Trick
[x] Gorogoa
[x] Hollow Knight
[x] Journey
[x] La-Mulana Remake
[x] Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
[x] NieR: Automata
[x] Obduction
[x] Super Mario Maker 2
[x] The Witness
[x] Thimbleweed Park
[x] Undertale
[x] Volgarr the Viking
[x] Xenoblade Chronicles
[x] Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

 

[beezer]

SOMA is my GOTD, vote without rankings is such a poor effort, voting from mobile browser was a nightmare. That's all.

[x] Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
[x] Bloodborne
[x] Cuphead
[x] Disco Elysium
[x] Enter the Gungeon
[x] Judgment
[x] Kane & Lynch 2
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] Persona 4 Golden
[x] Persona 5
[x] Red Dead Redemption 2
[x] Resident Evil VII
[x] Return of the Obra Dinn
[x] SOMA
[x] Sunset Overdrive
[x] Super Meat Boy
[x] The Binding of Isaac
[x] The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
[x] Wolfenstein: The New Order
[x] Yakuza 0

 

[Coricus]

I'm not really the type to label things in order, but if that's what it takes to get my two cents in, then I'll order my top 10 roughly like this with the caveat that the numbers are a little on the arbitrary side.

1. Kid Icarus: Uprising - Absolutely hilarious and incredible writing, awesome gameplay, and one of the few games to be have a stellar multiplayer alongside a stellar single player. Also the most underrated of my list by far, so it has to go first or you dweebs will take it for granted.
2. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time - Another game with some wonderful writing, and gameplay that's also wonderfully satisfying. Feels almost like a single-player only counterpart to Uprising, in a way.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - I spent a solid year playing the Switch release. There's just a je ne sais quoi about the gameplay loop that keeps me hooked.
4. Splatoon 2 - An upgraded version of an already inkredible game.
5. Splatoon - As Kid Icarus: Uprising manages to be all around and ACIT is to single player, Splatoon is to multiplayer. It does have single player, but I wouldn't rank it all that highly, unfortunately. The multiplayer alone, however, is above and beyond in how great it is, and the writing manages to be of a similarly fantastic tier to the other games I just compared it to.
6. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - The Ultimate showdown of Ultimate destiny, with incredibly satisfying multiplayer gameplay and a single player campaign that I'd honestly compare to eating potato chips. You can't just have one match against the all-stars of video game history, you just gotta keep going!
7. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - A game with the kind of world interaction I could hardly have dreamed of having prior to it's announcement. An absolute breath of fresh air.
8. Sonic and All-Stars Racing: Transformed - An absolute blast to play both online and with family, with an extensive single player campaign to boot.
9. Terraria - Block-style games when successfully realized are a great mix of creativity and combat, and Terraria best embodies that out of those out there.
10. Minecraft - That said, Minecraft still holds up quite excellently as well, and will continue receiving updates into the new decade even as Terraria transitions to being on it's way out.

[x] Kid Icarus: Uprising
[x] Minecraft
[x] Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
[x] Sonic and All Stars Racing: Transformed
[x] Splatoon
[x] Splatoon 2
[x] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
[x] Terraria
[x] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

 

[TheWildCard]

Edit: bah ate my votes. Reposting

 

[Ashlette]

[x] Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy
[x] Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
[x] Spyro Reignited Trilogy
[x] Super Mario Galaxy 2
[x] Super Mario Maker 2
[x] Super Mario Odyssey
[x] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] Undertale

 

[TheWildCard]

Persona 4 Golden- Pushes an amazing game into masterpiece territory. One of the most emotionally cathartic games I've ever played and the bar I judge all others in the genre against. Most games are about epic adventure and the hero's journey, but P4G just wants to warm your heart, and boy is it good at it.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim- It's easy to make fun of Bethesda Studios output recently, but I still hold exploring Skyrim as one of the most magical experiences I've had in games in the last decade.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter- This game blew me away. The scope and texture of the world building, the quality of the localization, the nuances of the characters, the way it consistently upended my expectations with it's twists and turns, it's close to the ideal jrpg for me. Traditional in the rights ways but also unlike anything I've seen before in the genre.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax- While Arc System Works have been making great fighting games for a long time, this is still way better than a spinoff has any right to be. Streamlines and makes approachable familiar systems of their previous games while still have a lot of room for expression, the persona system hypercharges spacing decisions to make an incredibly interesting fighter. There's quite a lot of variety in the roster and all are so fun to play, to the point it's one of the only fighters I have trouble even naming a main because they are all so fun to play.

Monster Hunter World- Despite bouncing off multiple previous entries, I quickly feel head over heels for World. Despite have a strong base, Capcom cannot be applauded enough for how well they pulled this off.

Yakuza 0- Yeah, it's more Yakuza, but Yakuza at it's peek, being both the funniest and dramatically effective. And the cabaret mini game is more fun that it has any right to be. And that music!

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together- Sure it's a remake, but it's the mother of all remakes. Many tactics rpgs followed in it's foot steps (including FF Tactics) but not many really can hold a candle to TO.

Dragon Quest XI- I expected XI to be good, since DQ is nothing if not consistent. I wasn't expecting it to be the best in the series, even eclipsing my beloved DQ V. A tour de force of tried and true rpg-ing that still feels unlike anything else. God bless Yuji Horii.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel- As a whole the Cold Steel arc could have been executed better, but I really love how the first chapter builds the setting. And whew that ending is one of my all time favs.

Blazblue: Central Fiction- It's hard to pinpoint my favorite in the iterative series, but I have to give a nod to one of them to represent one of my favorite series, might as well be the one with the largest roster.

rain- No one cares about this game but I loved this little artsy journey-esque game from Sony Japan in 2013.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown- Especially with the Enemy Within Expansion that really opens up your options, sunk a lot of hours into this one.

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze- Incredibly, the best game in the series, with an ost that even outdoes the legendary DKC2.

Dark Souls III- It's close, but I think it's all around my favorite in the trilogy.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker- Takes the Metal Gear series in interesting directions, while still being MG in the ways you'd want.

Etrian Odyssey Nexus- All EO games are similarly excellent so it's hard to pick the best one, but the fact that this one has some much variety in terms of classes, environments, and music might push it slightly ahead of the others.

Under NIght In-Birth EXE: Late [cl-r]- If you get over the crazy name you find a fantastic anime fighter that's a little more grounded than an arc sys game with interesting resource management. It's crazy but still approachable at low levels.

Guilty Gear Xrd: Rev 2- The most refined game in the Xrd series and my favorite GG overall.

Doom (2016)- Don't have any affinity for FPS's or previous Doom games, but this game is awesome. Rip and tear indeed.

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair- Features some of the craziest characters and situations of the series. Ridiculous and stylish, just a very memorable game.

[x] Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
[x] Dark Souls 3
[x] Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
[x] DOOM
[x] Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
[x] Etrian Odyssey Nexus
[x] Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2
[x] Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
[x] Monster Hunter World
[x] Persona 4 Golden
[x] Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
[x] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC
[x] The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
[x] XCOM: Enemy Unknown
[x] Yakuza 0
[x] Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
[x] BlazBlue: Central Fiction
[x] rain
[x] Under Night In-Birth EXE:Late [cl-r]

 

[LinguisticGoblin]

[x] Ghost Trick
[x] Kid Icarus: Uprising
[x] Bayonetta
[x] Doom
[x] Dota 2
[x] Titanfall 2
[x] Pyre
[x] Undertale
[x] Overcooked 2
[x] Bravely Default
[x] A Hat in Time
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] Devil May Cry 5
[x] Portal 2
[x] Dishonored
[x] Endless Legend
[x] Dustforce

 

[Batman49]

The Last of Us would be my top pick. Such a strong decade of games.

[x] Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
[x] Bloodborne
[x] Dragon Age: Inquisition
[x] Far Cry 3
[x] God of War (2018)
[x] Hitman (2016)
[x] Hitman 2
[x] Horizon Zero Dawn
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] Mass Effect 3
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
[x] P.T.
[x] Portal 2
[x] Red Dead Redemption
[x] Sleeping Dogs
[x] Tekken 7
[x] The Last of Us
[x] Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
[x] Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

 

[me3x]

From Software is just on a different level. Mr Taro's team as well. Valve didn't disappoint me either. RE2, on the other hand, was such a cool experience. I think this sums up the winners for me.

[x] Bloodborne
[x] Dark Souls
[x] Nier: Automata
[x] Half Life Alyx
[x] Sekiro
[x] Resident Evil 2

 

[Deleted member 10795]

[x] Alien: Isolation
[x] Bloodborne
[x] Dark Souls
[x] DOOM
[x] Doom Eternal
[x] God of War (2018)
[x] Hotline Miami
[x] Mario Kart 8
[x] Portal 2
[x] Red Dead Redemption 2
[x] Resident Evil 2 Remake
[x] RESOGUN
[x] Sea of thieves
[x] Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
[x] Tetris Effect
[x] Titanfall 2

 

[Deleted member 15457]

[x] Dark Souls
[x] Pokemon Black and White 2
[x] Shin Megami Tensei IV
[x] Super Mario Galaxy 2
[x] Super Mario Odyssey
[x] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
[x] Undertale
[x] Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

 

[Kaji AF16]

[x] Assassin's Creed Origins
[x] DiRT Rally
[x] DOOM
[x] Elite Dangerous
[x] Fallout 4
[x] Flight Simulator
[x] Forza Horizon 3
[x] Forza Horizon 4
[x] Halo: Reach
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] Rainbow Six: Siege
[x] Red Dead Redemption
[x] Red Dead Redemption 2
[x] Sea of Thieves
[x] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
[x] Titanfall 2
[x] Warframe

 

[effingvic]

[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Best game ever made.
[x] The Legends of Zelda: Skyward Sword: Second best game ever made.
[x] Splatoon: Super creative and intense
[x] The Last Guardian: Made me cry ugly tears

 

[BY2K]

[x] Batman: Arkham Knight
[x] Darksiders
[x] Final Fantasy XIV
[x] Life is Strange
[x] Super Mario Odyssey
[x] Tales of Vesperia Definite Edition
[x] The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] Titanfall 2

 

[Matty H]

1. The Witcher 3 - The ultimate RPG. Specific characters and a great narrative just work better for me than making everything up through customisation. The sidequests are still the highest bar that other games attempt to reach but always fall short.
2. The Last of Us - The best told story in games. Gameplay and story were so synergistic.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 - An epic cowboy adventure that really tugged at the heart strings.
4. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission - The best platformer I've played in years and the best implementation of VR that I've experienced so far.
5. Batman: Arkham Knight - The best combat and storytelling of the trilogy (I'm not a comic reader so I didn't mind the actual story either). Includes a Batmobile that made the echo of my inner 6 year old self resonate at its highest pitch.
6. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order - This is what we wanted all along EA! I'm still salty about the cancelled Amy Hennig game though.
7. Control - I thought Quantum Break was unfairly labelled as a cover shooter when it was really just a powers-based action game with guns. Control takes that gameplay loop to the next level and pairs it with a Metroidvania that is set in an impossible space that fits perfectly within the mysterious Remedy-verse. The success of the storytelling is in the eerie characters, the obfuscated telling of past events and mundane objects that possess great power.
8. Prey - I waited decades for a game set in a space station that lets you float in space and presents a great Sci-Fi Thriller narrative. The best 'shock' game this decade.
9. SuperHOT - The most innovative shooter I've played in years. SUPER. HOT. SUPER. HOT. SUPER. HOT.
10. Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) - The most exhilarating multiplayer game I've played. Solo feels like a horror game when you don't have much gear and are still learning the maps and controls. The tension is palpable.
11. Ori and the Blind Forest - My favourite 2D Metroidvania. Great story, animation, level design, ability upgrades and I even love the escape levels that require every bit of your skill to get through, especially if you want to collect all the items along the way.
12. The Last Guardian - Birddog! That big loveable beast was a great companion. Wait, what are those barrels of goup?
13. Hitman (2016) - The level design in this game is masterful and the sequel is arguably better but this is where I became a fan of the series. The stories within each level that lead to an elaborate kill are so much fun to stumble upon and they also work as a great tutorial on each level.
14. Inside - The perfect puzzle-platformer within an intriguing setting that just ramps up in a really nice way. Lots of gross and creepy surprises to uncover and without really having a story, it makes you think and interpret its themes. This game belongs in a museum.
15. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - The best of Drake's adventures. The story was less pulpy but it was more sincere and I cared about the characters so much more.
16. The Witness - Everything is a puzzle. Genius game.
17. Marvel's Spider-Man - An absolutely fantastic take on Spider-Man. The story is great, the combat is really good (except for enemies with guns) and the boss fights are great. I even loved all the side quests, including chasing the pigeons.
18. Titanfall - Mech/robots and dudes in jetpacks all battling in multiplayer, this game was groundbreaking at the time.
19. Grand Theft Auto V - Still the best open world crime game in a modern and realistic setting, sorry Watch_ & Sleeping D0/ogs. Trevor was an escapist fantasy of a character at the time, I wonder if he still seems crazy or if he comes off as Presidential in a modern context.
20. Mass Effect 2 - The best of the trilogy. It isn't the best Mass Effect in any particular category but it has the least issues or flaws. I really enjoyed the journey.
21. Fallout 4 - The best Bethesda game. Lots of cool exploration, interesting factions, whacky side stories, big set pieces and a base building feature. My only slight let down would be the storytelling of the main plot and limited dialogue options.
22. Gone Home - The horror game that I didn't realise wasn't a horror game until the credits rolled. Just simply an engaging story told through exploration of an empty house.

[x] Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
[x] Batman: Arkham Knight
[x] Control
[x] Grand Theft Auto V
[x] Hitman (2016)
[x] Inside
[x] Marvel's Spider-Man
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] Ori and the Blind Forest
[x] PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
[x] Prey
[x] Red Dead Redemption 2
[x] Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order
[x] SuperHOT
[x] The Last Guardian
[x] The Last of Us
[x] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
[x] The Witness
[x] Titanfall
[x] Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

 

[TheAndyMan]

[x] Batman: Arkham Knight
[x] Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
[x] Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
[x] Deus Ex: Human Revolution
[x] Dishonored
[x] Dishonored 2
[x] DOOM
[x] Dying Light
[x] Fallout: New Vegas
[x] GTAV: Name speaks for itself, rockstar at the top of their game
[x] Half Life: Alyx
[x] Hitman (2016)
[x] Hitman 2
[x] Resident Evil Revelations 2
[x] Skyrim

 

[Sacul64]

[x] - Bloodborne - Such a treat to play. Better get fucking good!
[x] - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Transformed how I feel about open world games. Really wish I didn't play Spider-man and Horizon afterwards :(
[x] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
[x] Antichamber
[x] Demon's Souls
[x] Dragon Quest Builders 2
[x] Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
[x] Fire Emblem: Three Houses
[x] Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
[x] Hitman (2016)
[x] NieR: Automata
[x] P.T.
[x] Xenoblade Chronicles
[x] Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

 

[Josh5890]

[x] Animal Crossing: New Leaf
[x] Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
[x] Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
[x] Fire Emblem: Awakening
[x] Grand Theft Auto V
[x] Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild
[x] MAG
[x] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
[x] Metroid: Samus Returns
[x] Overcooked
[x] Rocket League
[x] Splatoon 2
[x] Starcraft II
[x] Street Fighter V
[x] Super Mario Odyssey
[x] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
[x] The Last of Us
[x] Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

 

[Man Called Aerodynamics]

[x] Gone Home
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] BioShock 2
[x] Dragon Age II
[x] Borderlands 2
[x] Saints Row: The Third
[x] Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
[x] Fez
[x] Gears of War 3
[x] Destiny 2
[x] The Walking Dead

 

[Palazzo]

[x] Vanquish
[x] Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem
[x] Hard Corps: Uprising
[x] Dark Souls
[x] Serious Sam 3: BFE
[x] Kid Icarus: Uprising
[x] The Wonderful 101
[x] The Evil Within
[x] Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
[x] Devil May Cry 5
[x] The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors
[x] Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
[x] Nex Machina
[x] Pikmin 3

 

[Dazraell]

This was a really great decade. Here's my list:

[x] Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
[x] Batman: Arkham City
[x] Deus Ex: Human Revolution
[x] Disco Elysium
[x] Fallout: New Vegas
[x] God of War (2018)
[x] Kingdom Come: Deliverance
[x] Life is Strange
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] Persona 4: The Golden
[x] Persona 5
[x] Pillars of Eternity
[x] Rayman Origins
[x] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] The Last of Us
[x] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
[x] Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
[x] Wolfenstein: The New Order
[x] Crash Team Racing: Nitro-fueled
[x] Valiant Hearts: The Great War

 

[Mass Effect]

1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 - By far the best game of the decade for me. What it loses in novel magic from the first, it more than makes up in execution and brilliant new levels. As far as I'm concerned, Galaxy 1 and 2 are pure joy in video game form.

2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Well it's right there in the title... this is the ULTIMATE version of Smash -- a celebration of all things video games. Not to mention it's one of the best fighters ever made. There is something for everyone in Smash Ultimate, from the competitive level, to big crazy multiplayer matches with friends, to even single-player.

3. Bloodborne - Best Souls game made so far. Amazing combat and an even more amazing world dripping with atmosphere in every corner. It's still probably the best PS4 game too.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Completely flipped the Zelda formula on its head. BOTW is probably the best open world game this generation. The flexibility and crazy interactions with the environment are awesome -- it's not even something you see in many open world games on the more powerful systems. Best Zelda? It's up there no doubt.

5. Mass Effect 2 - While I still am not a fan of the shift in design philosophy regarding some aspects of the game, I can't deny that it was still a top tier experience for the time. Combat was greatly improved, writing was excellent, and we got some of the best squadmates ever seen in a Bioware game while improving a few of the previous ones. Too bad the ME2 is made retroactively worse by ME3, but again, as a stand-alone title it shines.

[x] Bastion
[x] Batman: Arkham City
[x] Battlefield: Bad Company 2
[x] Devil May Cry V
[x] Fire Emblem: Awakening
[x] Fire Emblem: Three Houses
[x] Forza Horizon 4
[x] Gears of War 3
[x] Gravity Rush
[x] Hollow Knight
[x] Mario Kart 8
[x] Red Dead Redemption
[x] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
[x] The Last of Us

 

[kami_sama]

[x] Deus Ex: Human Revolution - One of the first games I really, really loved. Introduced me to a whole new genre, mechanics and a world I love. I even have a tattoo of the logo.
[x] The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth - The first one polished. I've wasted HOURS AND HOURS on this game. Shame about the dev.
[x] Portal 2 - The perfect sequel. Witty, fun, clever.
[x] Stardew Valley - It took the world by storm, as it did my life. I've played too much to say and it was fun all the way.
[x] Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - The sequel to my favorite game ever. Better mechanics, but the story being cut in half, lacked something. The DLCs are great.
[x] Skyrim - The eternal game, it'll be re-released to eternity, but back in 2011, it was the best game ever. I've played a lot of it, and will probably re-play it soon.
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Such a great game. It really nailed the world after such an event.
[x] Super Mario Odyssey - Sooo many great kingdoms, I had so much fun (the rope challenge can go fuck itself tho)
[x] Celeste - I think I haven't played a similar game since Super Meat Boy in the 360. I've shed tears and blood, but I completed it, and it was one of the best experiences ever. Great music.
[x] The Talos Principle - It's a similar game to Portal, but with different mechanics. That by itself is great, but the worldbuilding is one of the best I've seen in any game ever. Really recommend it.
[x] Alan Wake - I still remember playing it on my couch with the 360 plugged into the large tv. Such a great game, and suck great characters.
[x] Control - The newest Rememdy game. It is also great, though not as good as AW.
[x] Kerbal Space Program - I've wasted hours to this game, sending kerbals to their death repeatedly. Sorry Jebediah.

 

[Easy_G]

[x] Celeste
[x] Civilization V
[x] Dark Souls
[x] DOOM
[x] Firewatch
[x] Gone Home
[x] Hotline Miami
[x] Inside
[x] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
[x] Papers, Please
[x] Splatoon 2
[x] Tetris 99
[x] The Last Guardian
[x] The Last of Us
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] The Witness

 

[Aniki]

[×] Prey
[×] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[×] Street Fighter V
[×] Sekiro
[×] Final Fantasy XV
[×] Pathfinder: Kingmaker
[×] Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin
[×] Octopath Traveller
[×] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
[×] Hollow Knight
[×] NIOH
[×] Transistor
[×] Overwatch
[×] Alien: Isolation
[×] NieR: Automata
[×] Devil May Cry V
[×] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
[×] Shadow of The Colossus
[×] Xenoblade Chronicles 2
[×] Horizon Zero Dawn

 

[Stefarno]

I was struggling to cut my list down so limited things to one game per series.

[x] 428: Shibuya Scramble
[x] Bayonetta 2
[x] Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
[x] Deus Ex: Human Revolution
[x] DOOM
[x] Mass Effect 2
[x] NieR: Automata
[x] Papers, Please
[x] Persona 4 Golden
[x] Severed
[x] Steins;Gate
[x] Super Mario Odyssey
[x] The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
[x] VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
[x] Xenoblade Chronicles 2
[x] Yakuza 0
[x] Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
[x] Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd
[x] Velocity 2X
[x] Last Window: The Secret of Cape West

 

[Zhao_Yun]

Do games count that were released in Japan before 2010 but only saw a Western release in 2010-2019? Mainly asking because of Trails in the Sky.

 

[Alexander89]

[x] The Last of Us

 

[Pulp]

[x] Dark Souls
[x] Europa Universalis IV
[x] Factorio
[x] God of War (2018)
[x] Life is Strange
[x] Red Dead Redemption
[x] SOMA
[x] Subnautica
[x] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
[x] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt