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

MeteoraVII · Jan 19, 2020

Kingdom Hearts 3 - I had more fun in the Toy Story world from KH3 than any other game this entire year.
Judgement - combat was really dope.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - the first actual good Star Wars-related thing in existence since the Clone Wars animated series.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - basically the same game but hey, Link's Awakening is still a good game in 2019.

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Miamiwesker · Jan 19, 2020

What a year. There are still a bunch of games I wish I could have finished in time.

Resident Evil 2 - A dream come true for RE fans. I have wanted a remake of my favorite old school RE game for years now but I never thought we would get a game that masterfully merges the old RE and TPS camera and combat. RE7 began the return to the classic style of level design and managing of ammo and health that made the series what it was. But RE7 only dipped its toes into the old style, RE2 completely embraces the classic RE game. It expertly takes elements of RE2 and revisions them in new unique ways much like joe REmake did years back. The main improvement being the addition of Mr.X stalking you through the game. They made the zombies more of a threat in a game where you can aim right at the head, we all thought the old shambling grunt enemies would be easy with RE4 like combat. This beautiful balance of difficulty with better combat and keeping all the maze like design and thrill of managing items is why RE2 is nearly a perfect game. It's also tight! Remember games you could finish in 8 hours? Remember games that were not big open world games that take 50 hours to beat... you play this game for a ton of hours because you learn to master it just like the old days. This is easily my GOTY and one of the best games this gen.
Death Stranding - MGS is one of my favorite series, I have three MGS games in my top ten games of all time, mainly because they are games that surprise me. Games that care about making sure the player can feel like they are meaningfully interacting with the game world and the story, because Kojima is a master game designer. So here is his latest idea where you deliver packages, yeah I was a little confused but I trust in Kojima and that trust was warranted. He turned the journey from point to point in an open world as the core gameplay, not the destination. Every journey becomes its own mission, I loved planning my routes, trying to understand the logistics of delivering the most packages in the least time. Then came the evolving mechanics, in true Kojima fashion the game keeps giving you new gameplay ideas constantly for so many hours. Surprise after surprises, what starts off simple becomes a massive enterprise of delivering packages. All this with a crazy sci fi story that is told with beautiful direction, great acting and mind blowing epic setpieces. It's not as good as MGS games but it's definitely one of the best games this year.
Devil May Cry 5 - Capcom you magnificent bastards you, you gave me a great remake and the ultimate action game in the same year. DMC5 is the perfection of the combat formula, the best in the industry. The three character system adds variety but the Star is still Dante. Amazing bosses, non stop action, it's a stellar action game.
Sekiro - i love souls games, I love action games, I love a more action oriented souls like game. The level design and enemy design is still top notch, the combat brutal. This is one of the hardest games I have played. It never reaches the epic quest like feel of a souls game and doesn't have the level of combat as say DMC or even Nioh. Still a very memorable game.
Super Mario Maker 2 - what a massive improvement to the first. SMM2 adds so many new mechanics that really allow players to make complex Mario levels in a way that was not possible in the first. Also Nintendo crafted a great campaign showing off loads of neat ideas that range from new puzzle levels to classic platforming goodness. This is a phenomenal platformer and it's odd it's been so ignored.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - A souls like game with metroid level design, uncharted setpieces and The Star Wars license, sounds like a dream game to me. The combat starts kind of rough but once all the force powers are unlocked it feels great to play. Respawn has moments of incredible level design brilliance like the wind temple, wish the whole game was as good as that area. still this is a perfect kind of game for me.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Moon - So I get a RE2 remake, a new Kojima game, a great DMC sequel AND one of the best CV games in the same year?! I figured this game would be like a GBA game, it's ok but doesn't match SOTN, but wow this game is incredible. It's everything that made igavanias so much fun taken to the extreme. It may not be as tight and memorable as CV but it sure is a blast to play.
Outer Wilds - I haven't even finished this game but it's so damn good I need to put it on this list. A beautifully crafted exploration puzzle game. The freedom is incredible, you get to explore a solar system, completely at your discretion and you uncover the mysteries on your own, no hand holding, it happens naturally. Then there is the twist where you have 22 minutes and everything resets Zelda MM style, love it.
Gears 5 - I don't even care for this series but I do appreciate well crafted action games and wow is Gears 5 the best in the series. It's a great TPS with loads of clever combat scenarios and a great production values.
Luigi's Mansion 3 - Still in the middle of this one but it's such a charming fun game. It's full of that Nintendo attention to detail, everything is interactive. Such great thematic variety with the unique hotel floors. Great game

A few notes, I don't count Zelda LA as it's just a remaster of an old game. One of the best games ever and it's still one of the best games ever but I don't see it as a 2019 game.

Honorable mentions:

Tetris 99
Ring Fit Adventures
Kingdom Hearts 3

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Miamiwesker · Jan 19, 2020

please delete the double post.

Gale Moran · Jan 19, 2020

Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Wonderful cast, good story. Still on my 3rd playthrough, but plan to play through all routes eventually. Would have wanted the monastery to have changed more throughout the game, but apart from that it's a wonderful game.
Pokemon Sword and Shield - Pokemon is fundamentally good, the new pokemon designs are great. I definitely want them to change the game more, but I still had a lot of fun with it.
Luigi's Mansion 3 - It's like an animated movie, very charming.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age - My favorite Final Fantasy game. It would have been at least 2nd on my list if I didn't already play the original.
Final Fantasy X - This hasn't aged as well as XII, but still a lot of fun, I just don't like random encounters.
Slay the Spire - Bought this game a few days ago, but so far it's been very entertaining.
Astral Chain - This is my first PG game, and it's quite fun, I've lost a bit of interest so I'm still in the middle of it.
Ori and the Blind Forest - Love microsoft's support of the switch, and this game looks so gorgeous, controls well and it's a fantastic port.
Collection of Mana - A good collection of old games, and for the first time an official western release of Trials of mana, one of my favourite SNES games. The collection is a bit too expensive for what you get though.
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition - My second Tales of game I've played to completion, my first one was Symphonia. It's a good game, but a little bit disappointing, the soundtrack is not as great as Symphonia's was, and I feel the game doesn't hold up until the end. In summary, a fun game, but I think Tales of Symphonia is a lot better.

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Andrew J · Jan 19, 2020

Just beat Devil May Cry 5; that's most of my 2019 anticipated list done. Now to see how far I can get into Daemon X Machina by the weekend...

Fat4all · Jan 19, 2020

final week, time to wrap up your lists, y'all

make sure your votes have been properly formatted and picked up by the bot

ghostemoji · Jan 19, 2020

Finally sitting down to write this out. I'm sure Control would've made this list had I played it, but I couldn't work it in... so--

Death Stranding - As I write this, I have not finished Death Stranding. I am somewhere in the middle of the game as it starts to force me to engage with it's poorly executed, clunky plot. The characters are largely forgettable. They aren't compelling. There are moments that strike me as Kojima trying to return to things that he's been successful at in the past and failing pretty significantly. This generation has been ripe with games that have significant faults, but end up being my favorite experiences; Destiny, Final Fantasy XV, Breath of the Wild, Horizon: Zero Dawn. Like those titles, Death Stranding is a tale of two games.

I just passed the 60 hour mark in this game, and I'm quite confident it's my favorite thing I've enjoyed this year. Maybe one of the experiences I've enjoyed most in this entire generation. Because, while the story is very weak, the gameplay is among the best I've experienced this generation. Breath of the Wild, FFXV, and to a lesser extent Horizon: Zero Dawn (I liked that one far more), are games where I didn't enjoy a lot of the core mechanics, or the story of, but exploring the worlds were some of my favorite experiences. While playing through Horizon and BoTW especially, all I could think of was wanting a hiking simulator game. A game where you look at a map, plot a course and navigate the obstacle that is the world. Death Stranding is that game. I understand that pitch is not something that will grab as many people as tactical stealth espionage, but it was perfect for what I was looking for.

Building out the infrastructure of the end of the world has been pure joy. Building a sophisticated network of zip-lines to cross the unforgiving setting is one of the most rewarding experiences I've had this generation. Getting the feedback that people appreciate my work and are taking advantage of the things I've created is even better. I have spent several afternoons running around in circles on my map delivering packages back and forth just because I enjoy how efficient I've made the process. I don't know why it works so well for me, but it does. The whole package is an experience that is unlike any other, and I'm so happy it was made.
Outer Wilds - When I first started writing up my list, I hadn't played Outer Wilds. It's the most recent game I've played, and it's one that will have a lasting impact. The core construct of the world of Outer Wilds is a really compelling way to explore the universe, it's a clever way to direct and limit the player while keeping the entire solar system open for exploration. Towards the tail end of the game however, the time loop mechanic was more of a chore than a novelty as I was just trying to bang my head against a few last details that were either hard to execute, or not immediately obvious. Some of the clunkiness of the game begins to rear its head in those situations. Having to start over again and again was not enjoyable. There is a lot of similarities between Outer Wilds and my number 3 game, and if this is a direction games are going, I'm here for it.
Return of the Obra Dinn - This released on Switch this year, and it was my first time getting to experience it. This was initially my number 2 pick before I played Outer Wilds. Coincidentally, these games are very similar. They use clever mechanics to place the player in a world they must slowly uncover and figure out. Not unlike Outer Wilds, I also found the end of this game to be a chore as I began to clean up the last handful of people. The UI reveals itself to be pretty clunky, and could be overhauled to the games benefit.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - The original Link's Awakening is one of my favorite games of all time. I must have completed that game dozens of times. I can recall sitting up in my bed to all hours of the morning on my GameBoy playing through the same dungeons over and over again. The charm of this game is unmatched, and none of that charm has been lost in this HD remake for the Switch. There are some artistic interpretations made in this release that I don't necessarily agree with, but overall, one of my favorite games of all time remains one of my favorite games of all time.
Untitled Goose Game - My girlfriend and I started playing through this game during the initial zeitgeist, and working together to figure out how to bring goosely chaos to that small British village was one of my favorite times with my partner last year. It's genuinely funny and easy for an individual not to familiar with modern video games to pick up and start playing. It has the chaotic energy of the clock-like universe of Hitman without all of the violence. It's great.
Tetris 99 - It's Tetris. It's great! This might be the most hours I have in a game this year. I played it daily for months and months. Great twist on a classic-- and it got me to pay for Nintendo's online service.
Super Mario Maker 2 - I did not own a Wii U, so this was my first shot at Super Mario Maker. While it seems to lack the community love that the first game received, I loved spending time building levels and popping in to try random Super Mario Bros 3 (the best one) levels every day. In some ways it's crazy it took so long for Nintendo to put this idea into the world. I agree with the general criticism of Nintendo's handling of the ongoing development of this game, but it's a great game as it is.
Baba Is You - I want to like this game more than I do. I appreciate the concept so much that I need to recognize it. I found the difficulty level to be wildly inconsistent, and I found that the rules weren't always obvious in what they did or represent. I'd like to see someone take a big knife to this one and cut it down and edit it into something more compelling and consistent.
Eliza - I played this game after hearing some very positive reviews online. It's very much a graphic novel with little gameplay outside of choosing dialog options. I found the story to be pretty tired. It has a message, but it wears it's message on it's sleeve with very little subtlety or nuance.

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pants · Jan 19, 2020

Outer Wilds - Myst meets Majora's Mask; This game is bloody special. I can't stop thinking about it. It starts off feeling like one thing, then becomes something else. Twists and turns, again and again. To say much of anything else about it is to give too much away. Handily the best game of 2019, and perhaps one of the best of the last decade. I can't recommend it enough.
Control - inFamous meets Alan Wake (with strong notes of the X-Files, Pontypool, and David Lynch); Once in a while a game comes along so catered to your own palette that whether its "good" or "bad" becomes irrelevant in the face of it being exactly right. I bought four extra copies of this game for my friends, which is not something I normally do. Ever. I love the power fantasy, the setting, the story, and the absolute perfection that is its atmosphere and visual design.
Untitled Goose Game - Katamari Damacy meets Metal Gear Solid; Long story short: two years ago I discovered my spirit animal is a goose (a fucking goose!) and its bothered me. Untitled Goose Game is the first time since I've been able to process some very complicated feelings about geese. Honk honk. Catharsis!
Overland - XCom meets The Last of Us; This one came out of nowhere, like the lowkey apocalypse happening in its background. I love the collection of stories I accumulated in my playtime; the close call escape, the dogs I rescued, and all the characters who didn't make it. More than anything I love its quiet, introspective nature and the room it left for players to carve out their own stories in the absence of a traditional one.
Catherine: Full Body - 21 year old me meets 30 year old me; The first time around I thought Vincent was an idiot, and that choosing Katherine was the only reasonable option. This time around I feel like I can actually relate to what Vincent is grappling with - something much more human than picking a favorite flavor of pretty woman - and the best ending might be the one where he ends up with himself. Atlus might not have gotten everything right with the upgrade, but 30 year old me really needed to play this game again and sort out some complicated feelings. I'm grateful this game exists.
Sayonara Wild Hearts - Gitaroo Man meets No More Heroes; I'm a simple man: give me a fresh rythmn game every couple of years and I'm happy. Thankfully Sayonara Wild Hearts is not just fresh, its fucking great.
Destiny: Shadowkeep - Destiny 2 meets... Destiny 1? Apparently I played 500 hours of Destiny last year. I feel pretty confident saying its in the best place its ever been. Shadowkeep was a couple of very needed narrative beats with a couple of very needed quality of life changes. Still, its just an expansion. I want to see what Destiny turns into when it grows up.
Apex Legends - PUBG meets Titanfall's groundplay; It was good while it lasted! Hopefully this leads to a lot more attention on the eventual Titanfall 3
Resident Evil 2 - 2019 meets 1998; Felt really interesting to return to 1998. Its different than I remember, but also intensely familiar.
Sekiro - Dark Souls meets Tenchu; Eh, I really liked Sekiro but there's only so much further the Souls formula can be pushed at this point. Great game, but I dont know how many more times I can call what is essentially the same experience one of my games of the year. It made the cut for all the fresh as fuck encounters and design, which are undeniable.

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MrFrankFontaine · Jan 20, 2020

Realized I haven't played so many of the great games that came out in 2019. Going to have to get to some of these games at some point. However, thought I show some love to the games I did get to that belong on my GOTY list.

Fire Emblem: Three HousesFire - Enjoyed the hell out of this despite the difficulty spike in the last two levels. I can see myself running through the other houses at some point, something that I'd probably never do if it wasn't such a great game.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019) - I didn't realize how much I missed 2D Zelda until I started this. I never played the original, so this was bliss.
Baba is You - Such a brilliant and unique puzzle game that really stretches you to think creatively.

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BaraSailey · Jan 20, 2020

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - I love this game. Once the combat clicked with me I was absorbed. I've played through the game three times since release and I'm no where near sick of it.
Devil May Cry 5 - Another game with great, absorbing combat. I've been waiting years for a proper DMC5 and Capcom did not disappoint. I only wish it was longer.
Resident Evil 2 - This was an excellent remake (though I never did finish the original). I love survival horror and it was great to play an old school feeling Resident Evil once again.
A Plague Tale: Innocence - I wasn't sure what to expect with this game going into it but after a few chapters the game had hooked me. I enjoyed the characters and the story, as well as the stealth gameplay.
Control - This game had some framerate issues that hindered the experience a bit but everything else about it was so phenomenal I could look past it. I was seriously craving a playthrough of Alan Wake by the end.
The Outer Worlds - This was everything I wanted Fallout 4 to be, minus the Fallout setting. I enjoyed this games bleak but humorous world and enjoyed the gunplay and characters I met along the way.
Kingdom Hearts 3 - Another game I've been waiting forever for. I enjoyed the ride, though I wish the game had been a bit harder.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - A surprisingly fun action game with Metroid-like exploration. Though the game had some bugs I enjoyed the story and combat, as well as felt like a true Jedi.
Apex Legends - Apparently this was my most played game of 2019 according to my Playstation Wrap Up. This is the first and only (so far) battle royale game that I've liked. The gunplay is great and I enjoy the variety in characters and special abilities.
Life is Strange 2 - This game had some great highs and some bad lows for me, but the narrative was still interesting to playthrough and I enjoyed most of the characters.

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Heropon_ · Jan 20, 2020

Baba is You - Best puzzle game ever made, great concept, amazing level design, huge content, with level creator in 2020 it will be crazy
Slay the Spire - Such an addicting game, deckbuilding and roguelite is a great combination
SteamWorld Quest : Hand of Gilgamech - Great light J-RPG with an excellent battle system and charming art direction and characters
Astral Chain - Great game with very intense and classy action combat. I like the setting and the story is pretty good
Katana Zero - Great mechanics, classy and satisfying gameplay, good OST, amazing presentation, captivating story
Fire Emblem : Three Houses - Interesting evolution for the Fire Emblem series with Persona-like unit management. But I got bored with Fire Emblem classic battle mechanics since I played Ambition of the Slimes
Pokémon Sword/Shield - The Wild area and raid battles are good additions, the game is good, but technically outdated and still has the same weaknesses about story and lack of difficulty options.
SaGa Scarlet Grace : Ambitions - Good combat system, but didn't like the art direction and the structure of the game.

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Xypher · Jan 20, 2020

Kingdom Hearts 3 - The epic conclusion of the Xehanort Saga, maybe a bit easy, but it was fun all the way through.
Borderlands 3 - More of Borderlands, that is also bigger and better than any game before.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Taking Fire Emblem in a new and fresh direction. It was done very well and the gameplay loop was addictive.
Pokemon Sword/Shield - It's a very controversial game, but I personally really enjoyed the Wild Area and the changes to getting Pokemon competitive ready, so much that I can forgive the dex cuts.
Mario Maker 2 - Great Sequel with many new features, but the best thing about it is it's community.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - My favorite From Soft Game so far, it really feels like a Ninja Simulator.
Devil May Cry 5 - A great new game in the DMC mainline series and I really enjoyed the changes they made to the characters, new Nero was incredibly fun to play as, and V provides an entirely new style of play.
Resident Evil 2 - I really enjoyed my first time through this game, but by the third time I played through the relatively short campaign, Mr. X was more of a nuisance, than an actual threat.
The Outer Worlds - The game definitely has some flaws, but every single quest in it feels so well made, that it's easy to forgive some of the AI and gameplay issues I had with it.
Slay the Spire - A truly perfect card game, which rewards game knowledge and situational thinking.

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kami_sama · Jan 20, 2020

Control - Remedy's Magnum Opus. One of the best settings ever. One of the most interesting settings ever. Great combat, and some of the best performances in a game ever.
Outer Wilds - This is one of the most awe inspiring games I've ever played, exploring the system on the 21 minute timer gives you a sense of exploration few can reach.
Luigi's Mansion 3 - My first Luigi's Mansion game. Really glad I picked it up. Such a joy to play.
Cadence of Hyrule - Never though mixing Crypt of the Necrodancer and Zelda would work as well as it did. But here we are, with an awesome game, and awesome remixes of TLoZ songs.
Link's Awakening - It is the game we already liked, but with a great new aesthetic, and some performance issues.
Mario Maker 2 - Never had a Wii U, but after watching people playing the first one I needed to get this. Really enjoyed it.
Untitled Goose Game - HONK
Hypnospace Outlaw - What do you get when mixing late-90s websites with an alternate history? An awesome game that will call to you even if you weren't alive back then.
Boneworks - Even if I felt nauseous the first time, I still think it is one of the best VR games, due to the presence that other games do not give you.
Travis Strikes Back - More NMH is always good in my book, and even if it had some issues, I am glad I played it.
Beat Saber - Great rythm game, and one of the best games to play in VR.
Ring Fit Adventure - Any game that makes me exersize is a great game in my opinion, and the RPG aspects of it aren't bad either!

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Ryo Hazuki · Jan 20, 2020

Shenmue 3 - Nothing matches the world and feeling of playing Shenmue and after 18 years the sequel captured it perfectly.
Control - Loved everything about this game. Fantastic exploration and a great, interesting story.
Death Stranding - There's nothing quite like this and having a huge world to explore with some great mechanics made this really absorbing from start to finish.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Loved the combat in this game and the exploration was as rewarding and fun as previous From titles. Great setting too.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Really fun game tied together with a great world to explore. I enjoyed my time with this despite not really being a Star Wars fan.
Resident Evil 2 - A great remake and was really fun to play and explore.
Manifold Garden - A deeply interesting puzzle game and world to explore. The game was a long-time coming and it definitely provided great moments and puzzles to solve.
Outer Wilds - I really enjoyed most of my time with this game. A great blend of exploration and puzzle-like solving to progress and fit the story together. Very unique and fun to explore.
Untitled Goose Game - Very fun light puzzle game to mess around with. Really enjoyed how this was made and the simplicity really added to the great world they put you in.
Superliminal - A puzzle game with very interesting mechanics. Whilst I enjoyed the concept the execution didn't really reach the heights as other puzzle games to put it higher on my list. Definitely worth checking out though.

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Saint-14 · Jan 20, 2020

Saint-14 said:
Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers - FF14 was already one of the best entries in the franchise but Shadowbringers solidified its position as the best, in a just world this would be The GOTY, why haven't you played it yet?

Death Stranding - Kojima managed to make a gameplay mainly revolves around walking fun, that alone deserves recognition, combine it with a great world, story and music and you have one of the best games of this gen, it's such a fresh experience that'll live on for a long time.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne - An expansion the size of the base game for a cheaper price, World was already amazing and this improves upon it even more.

SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions - Surprise hit of the year, thanks to the era member that recommended it, despite its obvious low budget what they have been able to pull is impressive.

Luigi's Mansion 3 - My first Luigi game, I'm only halfway through it but it has been a joy to play.

Sekiro Shadows Die Twice - despite finding it ultimately disappointing for me, it's still a great title and it's only fair I'd put it here.

I have Pokémon Sword, Astral Chain and Link's awakening too but haven't started them yet.

Why didn't this count? It says last edited by moderator but there is no votebot message.

Drayco21 · Jan 20, 2020

Fire Emblem: Three Houses - I've been raving about Three Houses since release to everyone who will listen to me gush about it; to the point where I'll probably post less here than I normally would for a game at my number 1 position. From the incredible cast of characters that they really get you to care for, to the school setting that is both a really fun change in style for the plot as well as a fantastic way to marry the unit stat manipulation and class change mechanics into the individual character narratives in a natural way, to the awesome map design and satisfying combat- the worst things I can say about Three Houses are that it's easier than I'd normally like, and there are a few holes where the story feels like they spread themselves too thin making four different plot lines and some stuff falls through the cracks (the identity of the Death Knight never really getting elaborated on or confronted, even though it's extremely obvious, for one), but on the whole? Three Houses takes a franchise that was already on a killer roll of late, tweaks and fine tunes it to best appeal to a wider audience without sacrificing any of the elements that made it so appealing to begin with, and fills it to the brim with lovable characters, strong writing, and excellent mission design, continuing the Nintendo streak of really knocking the Switch entries of their first party titles out of the park. If you've ever been interested in a game in this series, in this genre, or hell, ever just wondered how dope of a Hogwarts professor you would've been; you owe it to yourself to play Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
The Outer Worlds - As a lifelong Fallout fanatic who can't stand Bethesda's treatment of the series, Obsidian getting to make New Vegas was one of my favorite gaming moments of the last generation. Now, to see them take the blueprints of that game, and create a brand new series of their own that refines that style is one of my favorite moments of this generation. Outer Worlds is a charming, hilarious, and fantastic- with a smaller and more focused scope that allows it to get much more in-depth with choices and consequences than other games of this mold, to the games strong benefit. It consumed a whole week of my year, during which I tore through the entirety of the content on one playthrough, and then started a second immediately afterwards to take alternate routes and different characterizations and the entire experience was an absolute blast. Obsidian has yet to let me down on their RPGs and this year's game is no different.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - Probably the most underrated game of the year, I bought AC7 with minimal exposure to the series because of a Target B2G1 Free sale at the start of the year, and thought it seemed neat and a good starting point- but I quickly fell head over heels for it once I got in there. It feels like secretly the best Gundam game ever made, with the mechs turned into planes- with fantastic characters, dynamic level design and genuinely thrilling dog fights. On top of all that, the difficulty felt incredibly rewarding- I was constantly learning to play better and better, and slowly evolved into feeling like the ace pilot the enemy units kept identifying me as; making it maybe one of the most rewarding experiences of the generation.
Total War: Three Kingdoms - I've been off and on the Total War games for a long time- but generally find them to be a bit too clunky feeling for my liking. Three Kingdoms, while still a Total War game to its core, feels like it does a lot of really unique and neat things with the formula that it struck a chord with me that nothing in the series has since the first Rome game. The ancient China setting has been criminally underutilized outside of the same three or so franchises we all know, and seeing it lovingly rendered here is a breath of fresh air, and the balance between the historical accuracy mode and the more fantasy-based modes that turn Lu Bu into a one man wrecking crew is a brilliant idea. The RPG elements with your generals is a little less fleshed out than I'd like and hope the future DLC helps to fix that, but the way it feeds into stuff like one-on-one duels in the middle of big RTS battles, and the overlaying political game is a really cool take on things. If you've never played a Total War, I don't know if this is the one to start with, but as someone who's been at this for a while and never really fell deep enough to call myself a fan, I found myself pretty entranced with this game.
Devil May Cry 5 - It's a testament to how strong this year is that I walked away from the credits of this game thinking that DMC5 was the first game this generation to challenge Titanfall 2's stranglehold on my "game of the generation" title, and it still ended up as the fifth game on my final list. DMC5 is a definitive character action experience- full of varied enemy encounters that are a blast to fight, an excellent selection of weapons and abilities that stays just on the precipice of becoming too much to deal with, three characters that all feel distinct and great to control, and the right kind of fanservice to bring the series back to its roots.
Resident Evil 2 - An absolute love letter of a game, made with the kind of respect and passion that I normally only expect from smaller indie projects- Resident Evil 2 feels like Capcom wanted to deliver the most definitive Resident Evil experience humanly possible. The gorgeous visuals, the excellent feeling gameplay, the fantastic overhaul to the map system, the plethora of unlockables and alternate playthrough options, the pants-shitting new Mr. X encounters- RE2 was never a game I had any personal love for, and even I can't help but tip my hat to this juggernaut of a remake. Keep up the good work, Capcom; you guys are killing it.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order - I never thought this day would come; the first MUA is one of my personal all-time favorite games, and I've easily logged hundreds of hours on it on nearly every platform it released on. Team Ninja's take on the gameplay is both more limiting and more nuanced at the same time, which makes the combat feel less like the braindead power fantasy of the past, but more rewarding encounter to encounter, and the roster is better than I assumed it was going to be under modern Marvel and their MCU Synergy obsession. All in all, it's not the best game in the series, but it's a series I never thought I'd get to see again, and I'm thrilled its back.
Gato Roboto - Gato Roboto is oozing with charm, and is a great little Metroidvania that feels good to play, remains chill enough to feel like something I can drift back and forth on between other things, and wraps quickly enough that it doesn't overstay its welcome. Plus that cat is piloting a mech, you guys, oh my god.
Kingdom Hearts 3 - Kingdom Hearts is a goddamn mess, but it's a mess that my fondness for is still quite strong. I was largely disappointed with the selection of Disney stuff, lack of boss battles and ease of combat- but the endgame story stuff resonated shockingly hard with me and turned a game I thought had no chance of breaching my top ten to a solid back of the pack pick. I'm pretty sure it's the only game this year I teared up playing because of story stuff, and I never expected that to happen over these stupid anime dopes. Hopefully the upcoming patches helps even further with tuning the gameplay experience.
Pokemon Masters - I fell back into Pokemon hard in the last year- playing through (in order) Omega Ruby, X, Crystal, Ultra Moon and Sword this year, as well as relapsing on collecting the cards and getting back into Go. A funny timing, since I think this year's mainline games are the weakest yet. Masters had a rough launch, but they've been making great strides and I really enjoy the alternate take on the Pokemon experience- the 3v3 battle system, emphasis on characters over 'Mons and lack of egregious F2P energy limits make for a really chill game that's been a constant in my mobile routine.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - I never knew I wanted Dark Souls in my Star Wars, especially since I don't particularly like Dark Souls. Mix that Dark Souls flavor with some really cool Metroidvania world design, a fun cast, and a good story and you get a real winner. It's only held back from being further up on this list due to a myriad of technical issues and general jank, which deter from, but never truly ruins the experience.
Untitled Goose Game - HONK

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V0ltg · Jan 20, 2020

Dwebble · Jan 20, 2020

Control - A tour-de-force all round. From world design, to collectables (surely the finest set of documents to collect and read ever featured in a video game?), to characters, to story, this nails every beat. To top it all off, a surprisingly intuitive and entertaining gameplay loop- invest all your points into the throw ability, and you'll have a tonne of fun at every moment. Not a perfect game, but nothing gave me more joy on a moment to moment basis in games this year than Control did.
Luigi's Mansion 3 - The year's most charming game, bar none. Varied, fun locations, satisfying mechanics, and, in the form of Luigi, the most lovable, well-animated protagonist of the year. Not every level is a banger, but the overall package is the best game Nintendo's put out since Odyssey.
Outer Wilds - Maybe no game in history has offered so many fascinating discoveries and possibilities to the player, right from the get-go. The joy of discovery and the amazing sights you see throughout are genuinely amazing- you can knock the controls, but this game left me more breathless than damned near anything else in games this year.
Pokémon Sword/Shield - Ribboned with problems, both enormous and tiny, but I can't deny that I had a whale of a time with Sword. The most charming and lovable set of new Pokémon we've had for many years, an evocative and well-sketched world, a suitably banging soundtrack and a welcome injection of scale. A better Pokémon game may have topped this list, but I can't honestly complain too much about the one I got.
Ape Out - Small, but perfectly formed. Style for days, a killer soundtrack and genuinely weighty, satisfying play. A short, thrashing concept album of a game, but none the worse for knowing how to get in and out.
Untitled Goose Game - The funniest game this year, bar none. Shot through with charm, with exquisite animation for the horrible, horrible lead, and a tonne of cathartic British villager-baiting. Good year for picturesque British settings tbh
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - A magpie of gaming this one- not an original idea in its head, but there's value in stealing from the very best. Technically messy, but still a tonne of fun, and an interesting story that overcomes the white bread tedium of the protagonist.
Grindstone - I thought this one was going to be HIGH on the list for an awfully long time. Satisfying visual presentation, moreish, just-one-more-go gameplay, the works... and then you get more than a 100 levels in, and the game turns into a total slog, with prayers to RNGsus the only option. Ah well- I enjoyed enough of Grindstone to earn it a place here, but it could and should have been hobnobbing with the higher levels of this list.
Cuphead - Yeah, it's an old game, but it came out on Switch this year, so there. I don't need to convince anyone about how good Cuphead is- it's visually gorgeous, blisteringly difficult, and a pile of fun. If it was a new game, I'd be more willing to go to the mat for it, but it's still more than worthy of a place on my list.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - I'll admit it, I never bought the hype before. Link's Awakening has long had a great reputation, but the Game Boy version was just too clunky and compromised to really appeal. How nice it is to have it cleaned up (but not TOO much), and to have the truth revealed - what a good game this is.

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Fat4all · Jan 20, 2020

V0ltg said:

hypnospace outlaw, probably

Pakesaker · Jan 20, 2020

Resident Evil 2 - A perfect remake. The graphics and gameplay are even better than my expectations. A rare situation where I can't think of much to change.
Days Gone - I really enjoyed the gameplay loop and bike mechanics. However, the performances from the cast, particularly Witwer were what impressed me the most.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - I enjoyed the story and the gameplay more than I thought I would. On Jedi Master it was the right level of challenge, not too easy, not too hard.
A Plague Tale: Innocence - Great performances and clearly a dev team maximizing their talents and budget. Super impressive tech and production from a small studio.
Gears 5 - Runs like a dream, tight gameplay, amazing graphics, fun multiplayer, surprisingly emotional
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep - I fell back in D2 hard with this release. The gunplay is still the best around and a compelling suite of content kept me busy for a long time.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - A game that fights back and forces you to learn its mechanics. Controls well. Memorable boss fights.
Apex Legends - I didn't even know I wanted this, but it hooked me big time around release. The fluid movement is textbook Respawn.
Tom Clancy's The Division 2 - The detail of the world mixed with solid encounter design and fun TPS mechanics was great fun.
Remnant: From the Ashes - The gunplay feels just right and exploring with a co-op partner is so much fun. The boss battles offered some good challenge.

Honorable mentions on games I haven't finished yet: Control, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Devil May Cry 5
Honorable mentions: Sayonara Wild Hearts, Gris, Skate City, Ape Out, Untitled Goose Game, Forza Horizon 4 DLC, Hitman 2 DLC, Wolfenstein Youngblood

Best games I played this year that released in prior years: Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Celeste, Ghost Recon Wildlands, Dead Cells, Little Nightmares DLC

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Moara · Jan 20, 2020

Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers - Shadowbringers cemented XIV as the best Final Fantasy game.
Devil May Cry 5 - It's probably the best action game ever made. One of the few times where I actually wanted to replay the game over and over on higher difficulties.

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marcinaldo · Jan 20, 2020

I think I'm ready with my list. I thought that I will finish one or two more games, but ultimately, this is probably it.
Still, I have played more 2019 games than I would think in the beginning (at least 20 2019 releases). It might not be a lot for some, but for me it really was.

I also think looking back at 2019 that it was a very interesting year for me. A lot of very good games and I think this is first year for a long time where I'm really interested what will win GOTY. For the last few years it seemed that there was always 1 or 2 obvious choices, but this year was very solid overall (which I understand why it might not be like that for all of us - there was no one standout, but I think this way is more interesting).

When I was making my list, I was really surprised at the results. There were not many games I was looking forward to and my top 3 is completely crazy because if you'd asked me a year ago I would never imagine that this would be my list. There are genres that I did not really enjoy (or truly gave a chance) in the past. But here I am... I had no problem with top 3 (well maybe the order). Then it was a bit more difficult, but I think that I'm happy with my list overall. It was also a year of technical mess in a lot of the games, which took out some joy out of them, but maybe also shown that even despite technical issues some of the titles were great.

Now, 2020 will probably be a lot slower for me. With much less time to play, I will probably be on standby until new consoles come out, but I hope that it will be as great as all the years have been since 2015 probably.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - I tried multiple metroidvania games in the past. The concept seems really interesting for me, but no game has really grabbed me. I was not interested in Bloodstained at all. One day, I saw a video of it by Giant Bomb and thought that it looks cool. So I bought it to play some time in the future. One day after it's been hanging in my backlog I though that I'll give it a chance for an hour and then it let me go when I finished it. I was so addicted to this game that it was not even funny. I could not play anything else. I think it genuinely was tickling some muscle in my brain that made me really happy. I saw some complaints about the graphics or not being original but for me it really was the best entertainment I had in 2019. Things happening constantly, the powers getting weirder and weirder. Cool music, everything was awesome for me here. Maybe if I was more familiar with the genre, I would not be as impressed, but for me it really is a great package. The best game of the year for me that came completely out of nowhere.
Death Stranding - I'm not a fan of MGS. I played some of 1, some of 2, completed 3 and 4 and they were ok for me, but I was not following everything that Kojima did. I was not waiting for Death Stranding and all the promo materials just showed that it is weird for the sake of being weird. I decided similarly as with Bloodstained to give it a go. Especially since it seemed so divisive and that was also interesting for me (I much more prefer interesting than pleasing everyone). And I really liked it from the start. The first episodes were really great and I could not put the game down. This is interesting because the main loop is mainly walking (and I don't enjoy walking sims). Then it became an MGS, with lots of talking heads dumping presentation and at some point I thought that even though I was enjoying the game, I did not have it in me to finish it. But it was still pulling me back because I wanted to see how it ends. And even though I know that a lot don't agree with this, I think it pulls off the ending and ultimately what it is trying to do beautifully. I'm so glad that I played this and that artists like that are able to get some budget to do interesting things with it. The design, the graphics, the music, the tech, the gameplay loop were all really working for me here. It's also great that in a year of broken games, this one is really polished. I think I'm glad that Kojima is done with MGS and can maybe try out some different things. And I'm glad that Death Stranding exists. It may not do all the things perfectly, it might not be written perfectly, but it is so interesting and unique that it's great that it exists.
Resident Evil 2 - before Bloodstained and Death Stranding this was my GOTY and I thought it will stay that way. Let me start by saying similar thing as in the previous titles :D I really like horror movies, but for some reason horror games are not enjoyable for me. I tried RE1 in the past, but it never clicked and I did not bother with the other ones. RE2 convinced me with beautiful graphics and atmosphere. It was really awesome with the modernised controls and quality of life improvements over RE1. I won't lie, having unlimited saves helped me as well. The game was great from start to finish (although obviously the beginning is much stronger than the middle and end part). It made me interested in RE and I even finished RE1 and RE4 after that. I know this might be blasphemy but I would like to see those 2 games remade in the same way. I'm glad we're getting 3. The cheesy horror story with light puzzle elements works wonderfully here. I really loved it.
Control - another game that I was not really waiting for. I liked the atmosphere of Alan Wake, but I did not really enjoyed playing it. Control is actually I game I liked a lot. The whole idea was wonderful and brilliantly executed. In contrast to Star Wars, there was an interesting protagonist. The gameplay with all those powers was really fun (apart from some bosses) and it was a really solid game. I'm also glad that I did not know about one set piece that looks like everyone raves about and I'm glad that I was not because maybe I would be disappointed by my high expectations. But not knowing about it, I can just say that it has the best set piece in 2019.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 - another type of game that I usually don't enjoy (builder type games) because they are usually so unfocused and I just lose interest. I saw this though at a time when I had a hard time at life and work and I was looking for some simple game to unwind to in the evenings. It gives some basic structure to your building and it is so super relaxing and charming that whenever I turn it on, I honestly can turn it off. Everything is so cozy about the game and just seeing those little characters clap makes me happy inside. Truly nice experience.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - I was wondering where should I put this in the list. I love Star Wars and I've been waiting for a good Star Wars game for a long time. This one is good. It's not great. It was a technical mess, the main character was a bit bland for me, the respawning enemies did not make any sense in this world, the platforming sections were annoying, but I really had a lot of fun despite all of this. The world was really great. I love Dark Souls so this lite version was pretty interesting instead of being a button masher (though it came with a price of goats being more terrifying than stormtroopers). It was a cool adventure that I'm glad came out, but I hope that we'll get a sequel that is more polished and gives us some interesting lead perhaps.
Outer Wilds - now hear me out on this one as I need to explain myself. It seems that there are two types of people - those who love Outer Wilds and those who have not played it yet. But I'm the one in the middle. I had a lot of magical moments with this game. I'm in awe of the world it has build and the way you have this true non-linear adventure discovering things and learning and uncovering truth. There were times when I was just going to try another thing and another and another to discover what is going on with this world. Unfortunately, and I realize that this might be my problem, there was an equal amount of times when I was frustrated by the controls because I knew what I was trying to do but was not able to execute this because of some wonky platforming element. Or was giving up because I was banging my head against the wall. Or just simply the fact that if I did not hear so great things about the game I would probably drop it after first hour and never come back. I'm glad that I sticked with it though, because it is really interesting and deserves to be mentioned on the list and I had a lot of awesome moments and discoveries throughout. I just wish I had more patience for it.
Heaven's Vault - this one would be much higher on the list if it was not for a pretty bad experience on PS4 for me. I think that it might be something on my side, but there were times when I thought the game was not doing what I want, it was showing the same prompts for two different things at the same time, go into a dialogue when I did not want to talk and so many small technical issues that if they were ironed out, it would maybe even be my top 3. The world and the way story is told is truly beautiful, the main character was really interesting in that it was not this perfect human being on an adventure as it usually seems to be with video games. And the hook of learning an ancient language and figuring out translations was really smartly done. I was really hooked by it and the whole thing was really cool experience in the end.
The Outer Worlds - after first few hours I though that it may easily be my top 3 game. The characters were truly awesome, the writing was brilliant and I enjoyed it a lot. Everything seemed so great about this game. Even the fact that it was really not that difficult made it for an enjoyable experience after a long day at work. But then it went on and on and everything was really samey, the story was not really that great and I sort of just rushed to the end. I'm actually a bit angry because it could probably be a game that I love a lot if either something was tweaked a bit or I was just playing an hour here or there for a year. I'm still happy that I played it though as the first hours were truly, really awesome and I enjoyed them so much that I'm sad that this was not my experience throughout the entire game.
Assemble with Care - I'm closing my list with one of the games from Apple Arcade (the only one that I finished from all the ones that I tried during my trial month). It might be simplistic in terms of gameplay and story, but for some reason it really stuck in my head and I really enjoyed the whole atmosphere and everything around it. Assembling all the equipment (with care) was truly a zen experience that I really enjoyed. Such a simple game, but so much fun.

If I had more time then probably Judgment would be somewhere on that list, I'm 4 hours in and it is really brilliant (and I loved Yakuza 0), but I really did not have a chance to play it that much unfortunately. Same with Ace Combat and Yooka Laylee - both had a great chance to be somewhere above, but that damn Death Stranding took my life for over 40 hours (yelling at clouds).

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rochellepaws · Jan 20, 2020

Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers - An adventure so gripping and well designed it rivals even the best traditional FF games.
Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth - A perfect off for the 3DS with a cross between several Persona generations and EO brilliance.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 - It's great to finally have a new entry on a modern system and combines the traditional charm with new ideas.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled - Really enjoyed revisiting the classic karting formula again through and it felt like a breath of fresh air with so few alternatives to Mario Kart around these days.

Lots of games I enjoyed this year but not too many that I think stood out as year defining or anything, I think this list will do for a few I want to shout out while there's still others like AI Somnium Files that I can't wait to play!

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Ultron · Jan 20, 2020

Outer Wilds - This was the game this year that made me think: I've never played anything like this before. The feeling of discovery and progression in this game that does not mechanically limit you in any way was absolutely brilliant. It also had my favorite realization moment in a game this decade, when you realize the incredibly cool reason why a thing you've seen so many times is doing what it is doing, and how that ties into everything that is happening. This game is an absolute achievement that I hope everyone plays.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne - Already loved World, and Iceborne just made it better. Also this was the year that I got into playing Monster Hunter almost exclusively as a duo, and that made it a lot better. The teamwork and feeling of bringing down all these huge monsters with a partner is just excellent. We also dug way more into the post-game content than I did in the base game, this was super satisfying and resulted in learning the systems of the game in a much deeper way than I ever had before.
Control - The presentation and vibe of this game just matched up with what I was looking for perfectly. The stark architecture of the House, combined with the absolute weirdness of the bureau's cases was fantastic.
Heave Ho - This is the best multiplayer game of the year. If you can get 4 people in the same room as a Switch you owe it to yourself to get people to play it. I've introduced to at over a dozen people this year, and watching each new group figure this game out is an absolute delight. Everyone starts laughing immediately. Then they bounce off each other or toss each other to their death a few times. When they get to the stages that require team work they really start to click. Then someone farts everyone out of the goal as a great betrayal and it's amazing. Every group swings too far into the exact same spikes and I love it every time. PLAY THIS GAME WITH OTHER PEOPLE OMG.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - The second to last mission in AC7 has a moment where the music and events of the mission line up perfectly. It's amazing, and locked this moment into my heart and head.
Apex Legends - Making battle royals playable without having to talk to people was a blessing.
Magic: The Gathering Arena - It's the greatest card game ever, in a mostly playable format that doesn't cost that much. Even though it has significant problems and a long way to go, I still love it.
Sayonara Wild Hearts - So many songs in this game are bangers.
Kingdom Hearts 3 - This game was a mess, most of it was kind of a waste of time, and the pacing is terrible. But when the story hits the big moments and pays off some stuff that's been building for years and years, it got to me.
Disco Elysium - I've only played like 5 hours of this game, but it's clearly something very special. I look forward to playing more of it.

It is kind of weird to have this list here and be missing a game that I played the most. That was Apex Legends, which is still in early access, and therefore not eligible. This was the year I realized that Factory game and supply chain games were my absolute jam. So I played a ton of Satisfactory, got back into Factorio (which is actually also not eligible), and investigated a lot of other stuff like Anno 1800 (which almost made the list), Frostpunk, Factory Town, and Automation Empire. Satisfactory and Factorio were the only ones that stuck with me long term, but all of them definitely had their weeks where they really had their claws in me. This also introduced me to a lot of great YouTubers who are now providing a lot of content for me due to playing these kind of games. Shout outs to Geekism, KatherineOfSky, and Skye Storm.

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Joeku · Jan 20, 2020

Outer Wilds - Myst walked so The Witness could jog so Outer Wilds could run. It is perhaps the most intrigued I've ever been in a space that I've become familiar with I could navigate it in my sleep. Every hour there is a "holy shit" revelatory moment where my neurons would connect two previously-disparate things across the star system and eventually all those connections came to a wondrous, grand, and sweet conclusion.
Resident Evil 2 - This is most likely the tightest, smartest action-horror experience of all time. Every bullet counts and it's a testament to the design that a run through it could take one hour or it could take ten. Super clever, super cheesy, and I can't wait for RE3.
Control - I think the big mess that was Quantum Break forced Remedy to take a step back and restrain themselves, and in that they came to just provide a space and general direction and let the player navigate through its spookiness. It adds so much to just let the player roam and trust them to get to the right places.
Disco Elysium - Really just the best writing I've ever seen contained to the old "city block" setting. Not much more needs to be said.
A Plague Tale: Innocence - "Hey what if we made a Naughty Dog game on one-tenth the budget?" sounds like a bad idea, but it really worked out. It's a little 80's Kids Adventure and a little historical fantasy and it flows together really well. I hope a sequel expands on the ideas in an entirely different setting.
Gears 5 - I was shocked that even though I enjoyed all the previous Gears games this was the first time the tactical combat really clicked for me. I found myself targeting particular enemies with particular weapons from particular positions and it all flowed fantastically. Also, the bigger dive into the world of Sera was really neat and the devs set themselves up with a fun problem to solve in the third game in the trilogy.
The Outer Worlds - Space Fallout-but-replace-50s-Americana-with-capitalism, mostly successful. It could definitely have been tighter in the middle (come on, Monarch) but it really landed. A followup could smooth out the rought edges and with Microsoft backing them I look forward to what Obsidian does next.
Sayonara Wild Hearts - Gorgeous, charming, sweet, and fun. Adorable game.
Mortal Kombat 11 - Weirdly thoughtful about its own past and super tight to play. I may be the odd one out but I miss the other two Kombat Kids. Also replacing Tricia Helfer with a poorly-acting transphobe was *barf*.
Telling Lies - It's more expanded and yet more grounded than Her Story, but it didn't quite land as hard as it wasn't novel. I nonetheless went through the story in the directed way and came to a pretty powerful conclusion. All the actors were fantastic, and Angela Sarafyan needs to become a big star.

Writing it all out now, I see that my top four games are all in spaces that I would come to know like the back of my hand by the end of my time with them. I guess that's something I really treasure in games. Running back in forth in the same spaces is something we do in a ton of games, but having narrative justification for that certainly adds to the verisimilitude. Thanks, Majora's Mask!

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goodretina · Jan 20, 2020

Joeku said:
Outer Wilds - Myst walked so The Witness could jog so Outer Wilds could run.

Well I guess I need to play it. Now I need to decide if I am going to get this on PS4 or wait for a Switch port.

edit: 20% off on PSN. Downloading now.

divisionbyzorro · Jan 20, 2020

Finally getting around to it. As usual, I'm not going to pad this out to 10. I'm just going to highlight a few experiences that I thought are worth voting for.

Baba is You - I've never played anything quite like it before, and I don't expect I will play anything like it again. This was an incredible experience - I couldn't exactly call this the most "fun" game I've played, but every drop of the experience was worth savoring.
Celeste Chapter 9 - A beautiful piece of free DLC that kicked my ass for over a dozen hours.
Untitled Goose Game - I've never had this much fun gaming with my daughter.

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WadiumArcadium · Jan 20, 2020

I would have liked to have played more new games as usual, but I did choose wisely. To my shame, Resi 2 is still sat on my shelf untouched.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - It kicked my arse more than I'd like to admit but Sekiro was definitely my game of the year despite that. I loved the environments and the rhythm of the combat. The moment it 'clicked' at Genichiro was my favourite gaming moment of the year. The more involved story also made a nice change and I felt more invested than in From's previous games.
Devil May Cry 5 - Speaking of great combat, DMC5 is a joy to play. I'm a casual fan of the series so it's hard not to be overwhelmed with the options available to you, but the game always feels welcoming despite its depth. The quality of the levels drops a bit in the second half but the combat only improves as you gain new skills. The polish was also really impressive. It's a real looker.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - I never played the original so this was a completely new experience for me and I had a great time. I loved BOTW but it was nice to dig into a more traditional Zelda game again (minus the Goombas!). I loved the art style and the overall tone of the game was really endearing. The frame rate issues were a shame but it didn't ruin the experience.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - I would love a new Advance Wars but a great FE game is the next best thing. The balance of turn based battles, exploring the monastery and mentoring your students worked really well and by the midpoint, I was really attached to my house's characters. The conflict between the houses felt a bit too manufactured in my playthrough but I enjoyed the story by and large. The move from handheld back to console was definitely a succes.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Other than the awful performance on my base PS4, I really enjoyed this. With the limitations of the time period Respawn did a good job telling a worthwhile story and I had a great time exploring the environments. The combat was solid and I liked the cast. It was nice to enjoy a good Star Wars single-player game again.

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abrack · Jan 20, 2020

Control - It didn't exactly come out of nowhere, but I didn't expect to love this game as much as I did. The gameplay was excellent, the powers are great, and the atmosphere is unmatched. And the Ashtray Maze! Too good.
Death Stranding - Mads Mikkelsen Forever.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Typically I don't really like strategy RPGs. I'm honestly not sure what this Fire Emblem did differently to grab me... but it damn sure grabbed me. Black Eagles for life.
Kingdom Hearts 3 - It has the best Disney Worlds in the series and a really epic final 4-5 hours, but it definitely turns into a bit of a slog in the middle.
AI: The Somnium Files - Doesn't reach the heights of the Zero Escape games, but still really solid. Date, Aiba, Iris, Mizuki are fantastic.
MLB The Show 19 - I play Madden and The Show every year, I've always resisted getting into Ultimate Team / Diamond Dynasty... Until this year. This was my most played game of the year. All I wanted was that sweet sweet Michael Young card... I never got it.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Honestly thought this would be higher. The original is one of my favorite games of all time, and this is a great remake. I guess it was just too similar to the original, while I enjoyed playing it, it just didn't really grab me as much as I thought.
Cadence of Hyrule - Not a fan of the rogue-like aspects, but the music and rhythm gameplay are very very good.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Good enough to make the list, but honestly a bit of a disappointment? It was solid, but super glitchy/rough. I think this one just needed more time in the oven.
Pokemon Sword/Shield - SirFetch'd is the best.

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Fj0823 · Jan 20, 2020

Kingdom Hearts III - A great if flawed conclusion to my most beloved game series of all time
Resident Evil 2 - Brilliant atmosphere, great action and scares, also Mr X gon give it to ya mod
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - A lovely blast from the past with beautiful new visuals

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Selphie · Jan 20, 2020

I only really played games on my Switch this year so my list is pretty Nintendo centric but here goes!

Astral Chain - I always really like Platinum Games's games and this one is no different, I thought that the combat with the chain was really mesmerizing amd it kept me engaged throughout.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - One of my favourite entries in the series, the characters are almost all great and the background lore for the whole region really adds to the great story, gameplay was also good as it always is, but I did miss the weapon triangle a bit.
Dragon Quest 11 Definitive Edition - A classic JRPG in a modern coat of paint, Dragon Quest games always give a nostalgic feelgood feeling and this one is no exception, I love the characters, Sylvando is my favourite, he cheers me up so much.
Raging Loop - I was looking for a creepy game around Halloween and this game caught my eye, I really enjoyed the story and it was pretty spooky at times.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy - The classic series returns with some good art finally, the pervious HD version left something to be desired, this trilogy contains 2 of my favourite games in the series so I had to put it here. A must play for people who are interested in the genre.
AI: The Somnium Files - Good story and characters, and that Kozaki character art makes the characters even more appealing. Haven't fully finished the game but I plan to.
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action - I first played this game a few years ago on steam, but the Switch release made me pick it up again. It has funny and quirky characters and the mixing minigame is pretty fun as it becomes second nature the more you get into the bartender role.
Tetris 99 - It's Tetris but with a twist! Fun for everyone while playing against everyone.

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DJChuy · Jan 20, 2020

Resident Evil 2 - One of the best horror experiences I've had. The RPD level is just fantastic with the atmosphere and sound design being excellent.
Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled - It was nice to revisit one of my favorite racers. Great new additions and still fun as ever.
Kingdom Hearts 3 - Waited a long time for this, and for the most part, it delivered. Nice big level designs, fun combat and good final sequences.
Devil May Cry 5 - Great combat minus V. Dante is still the best character to play with his set of skills and weapons. Level designs and V drag the game down a bit, but it is one of the best hack n slash games of the year.
Untitled Goose Game - A very charming game. Sticks out as one of the most entertaining experiences. Honk!
Judgment - As a Yakuza fan, it filled the void until the next one comes out. Good story and characters. Stuff like tailing, lockpicking, etc. bring the experience down, and sadly it's frequent.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth - One of my favorite 3DS games got a sequel. While I don't think it beats the first, it's still a very good game.
Nier: Automatia - Game of the YoRHa - This was probably my game of the year when it came out, so it's great to pick up the main game + the add-ons at a cheap price. Hell of an experience. Godly music and a very interesting plot. Platinum did well.
Life Is Strange 2 - Tbh, I hated the characters for the most part, and the premise / story didn't come anywhere close to the first. Once I fully accepted that I hated the characters and started making the worst decisions for them, I started to have a lot of fun with this. It does have a good closure.
Gears 5 - I didn't care for the previous two, but this one somehow clicked with me. Very fun. Hoping to spend more time on the multiplayer.

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Hieroph · Jan 20, 2020

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - IGA did it. IGA really did it. Bloodstained is one of the best Metroidvania games ever.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy - sure, this is a HD remaster of a collection of ports/remasters of Nintendo DS ports/remasters of Game Boy Advance games, but that just goes to show how incredible these games are and how much staying power they have. Some of the absolute best video gaming classics ever.
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered - still incredible. Everyone looking for a "a classic RPG" needs to check this out.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey - excellent remake of the best Mario & Luigi game.
Frostpunk: Console Edition - a fresh and interesting take on strategy games.
Concrete Genie - a fantastic experience.
Yo-kai Watch 3 - putting all 3 editions into a single release was a great move.
Age of Wonders: Planetfall - great turn-based strategy in a scifi setting.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth - the culmination of Etrian style games for me.
MediEvil - this remake isn't a trick, it's a treat.

It was a great year for games.

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blackMamba1187 · Jan 20, 2020

Control - x1x pc - I love Remedy games. This one might be the best of those. Very satisfied.
Sayonara Wild Hearts - atv pc ps4 sw -
Resident Evil 2 - x1x pc -
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - pc -
What the Golf? - iPh -
Pokemon Shield - sw -
A Plague Tale: Innocence - pc -
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - pc -
Grindstone - iPh -
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair - pc -

I had a great time with games this year and, full disclosure, I have not beaten Sekiro (currently at 27 hours). I still have plenty of great 2019 games to play. All in all, no complaints!

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NediarPT88 · Jan 20, 2020

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - One of the best games I've played. Incredible bosses, unique combat system, awesome level design/exploration with lots of freedom to decide what to tackle first, beautiful art direction, great sound design, impactful NPCs with a interesting mechanic to learn more about them (Sculptor being my favorite). It's a really good game overall.
Kingdom Hearts 3 - Even though the combat and (especially) story leave a lot to be desired I still had plenty of fun with this game. Controlling Sora feels great so exploring the different worlds was very enjoyable, there's a huge variety in gameplay mechanics. I liked most minigames and the Gummi sections were a surprising highlight for me. Soundtrack is phenomenal.
Devil May Cry 5 - I was expecting to like this game more than I did tbh. Nero and Dante feel great to play but also more of the same. V was a complete disappointment, ended up loathing his sections. Main story was serviceable but bosses were a bit disappointing. Will definitely spend more time with the game in BP/higher difficulties though. Vergil when?
Slay the Spire - Super addicting, time flies playing this. Only managed to beat it once though, in 30h or so. Game can be quite hard and it's very luck based.
Katana Zero - Short game but with many awesome moments and a killer soundtrack.
Blasphemous - Incredible art direction, fitting soundtrack and good bosses are the highlights.

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SubvertedTrope · Jan 20, 2020

Control - Wonderful setting, that a game like this exists makes me happy and though I had some issues with a few things, I sort of didn't care cause this is exactly the kind of game I want to be playing, I got the plat sort of accidentally just playing the game cause I was having so much fun! I can't wait for whatever is next, the IP has infinite potential to do whatever they can think of. LOVE IT.
Resident Evil 2 - Classic RE modernized and executed so well, they nailed it almost completely (Zapping), who knew Capcom had this in them, I can safely say this game is better than every other non Control game from 2019, even though I didn't play any of them, that's how good this is.

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Skikkiks · Jan 20, 2020

Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled - A fantastic recreation of one of my favourite games of all time. Lovingly recreated from top to bottom with some of the best post launch support you could ask for. It will continue to take up my time for the foreseeable future.
Touhou: Luna Nights - My biggest surprise this year. An absolutely wonderful metroidvania with great mechanics, tight platforming and highly rewarding boss fights.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The best Fire Emblem game to come out of the franchises recent renaissance. Chock full of great content, great characters and great gameplay.
ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove! - One of the first games I ever kickstarted that delivered fully on its promise. A groovin roguelike with some absolute bangin' tunes.
Control - A great third person shooter. Fun mechanics and powers, a striking artstyle and interesting side missions that flesh out the setting elevate this game to greatness.
Later Alligator - A really fun combination of point and clickery with a side dose of varied, random minigames. All held together with some great writing and incredible animation.
Hypnospace Outlaw - A tribute to the early days of the interwebs that hides some fantastic puzzles within. One of the most unique games of the year, without a doubt.
Dicey Dungeons - Fun roguelite dungeon crawler based on dice rolls. It's key feature is sporting multiple playable characters that behave significantly different from each other and really stretch the premise of rolling dice to its limits.
Medievil - A game I always wanted to play as a kid but never got to. While it's still unabashedly the PS1 game it once was, this remake has significant quality of life improvements that let me appreciate an old diamond in the rough in our current age.
Indivisible - Another great crowdfunded game. A fun varied roster of characters, some pretty good feeling platforming and a simple but unique combat engine made this a standout for me.
River City Girls - A fun beat-em-up with good characters, good fighting mechanics and a good story.

Honorable Mentions: Arise: A Simple Story, Slay the Spire, Blasphemous, Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Minoria, Ring Fit Adventure, Untitled Goose Game, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Auto Chess, Wattam, Gato Roboto, Virgo vs The Zodiac, Team Sonic Racing, APE OUT, A Short Hike

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ScreamingMadden · Jan 20, 2020

Skikkiks said:
Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled - A fantastic recreation of one of my favourite games of all time. Lovingly recreated from top to bottom with some of the best post launch support you could ask for. It will continue to take up my time for the foreseeable future.

Touhou: Luna Nights - My biggest surprise this year. An absolutely wonderful metroidvania with great mechanics, tight platforming and highly rewarding boss fights.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The best Fire Emblem game to come out of the franchises recent renaissance. Chock full of great content, great characters and great gameplay.

ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove! - One of the first games I ever kickstarted that delivered fully on its promise. A groovin roguelike with some absolute bangin' tunes.

Control - A great third person shooter. Fun mechanics and powers, a striking artstyle and interesting side missions that flesh out the setting elevate this game to greatness.

Later Alligator - A really fun combination of point and clickery with a side dose of varied, random minigames. All held together with some great writing and incredible animation.

Hypnospace Outlaw - A tribute to the early days of the interwebs that hides some fantastic puzzles within. One of the most unique games of the year, without a doubt.

Dicey Dungeons - Fun roguelite dungeon crawler based on dice rolls. It's key feature is sporting multiple playable characters that behave significantly different from each other and really stretch the premise of rolling dice to its limits.

Medievil - A game I always wanted to play as a kid but never got to. While it's still unabashedly the PS1 game it once was, this remake has significant quality of life improvements that let me appreciate an old diamond in the rough in our current age.

Indivisible - Another great crowdfunded game. A fun varied roster of characters, some pretty good feeling platforming and a simple but unique combat engine made this a standout for me.

River City Girls - A fun beat-em-up with good characters, good fighting mechanics and a good story.

Honorable Mentions: Arise: A Simple Story, Slay the Spire, Blasphemous, Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Minoria, Ring Fit Adventure, Untitled Goose Game, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Auto Chess, Wattam, Gato Roboto, Virgo vs The Zodiac, Team Sonic Racing, APE OUT, A Short Hike

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Looks like you have the numbered list option on, but you need to use Bold Font for titles of the games you listed in order for it to count.

Also Heck yeah another Later Alligator fan! Makes me happy seeing that game get some love here! Great list overall.

Teggy · Jan 20, 2020

Control - Control feels like a game that Remedy made with all of their love. It embraces its humor and oddity and is a genuine joy to visit and play in their world.
Resident Evil 2 - Polished and incredibly fun to play, a model for bringing old but dated favorities into the present. But it did have an already great game to build on.
Outer Wilds - Some of the highest highs I've had in gaming, it had me constantly catching my breath with each new revelation. But the frustration in actually navigating between those moments kept it from being higher on the list
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Some of the most satisfying light saber combat yet, and a story that fans of the lore could really appreciate
A Plague Tale: Innocence - Rats!
The Outer Worlds - Uneven difficulty, but really scratched that Bethesda itch I always have
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Metro Exodus
Disco Elysium

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ShinobiBk · Jan 21, 2020

Sekrio: Shadows Die Twice - Simply put, this is the best game I've ever played. The first game I've ever bothered to Platinum/get all achievements for, I beat it front to back 5 times in 2019 totalling 160 hours of playtime. The best combat in a video game to date, amazing visuals and art, incredible lore, some of the best bosses ever. This is the game for me. It might be one of those I go back to and play through once a year
Astral Chain - My favorite Platinum game to date. Straight up fun, unique combat mechanics, anime bullshit drama in the best ways, tremendous boss fights, awesome visuals and OST. The post game challenges took this game over the top for me. Would probably be #1 in most years
Ring Fit Adventure - One of the best new IPs of the decade. This game is a 10/10 and hits every note it was going for. You rarely hear anything but positivity from people who've played this and there's a reason why
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - A fantastic fucking game. Memorable characters, outstanding localization with pretty much voice acted everything. Amazing OST. Tremendous story. Edelgard did nothing wrong. The game looks like complete ass (and not because the Switch isn't powerful enough) and that kept it from being any higher, but there was stiff competition
Control - Fully expected a mediocre game with this one and wound up absolutely loving it. An absolute looker, cool as shit power fantasy, confusing as fuck but intriguing story. Performance on console is abysmal with the worst frame drops I've experienced this gen. The ending dragged and brought the game down for me but overall this is still worth everyone's time. This is actually the second game I wound up getting the "Platinum" for after Sekiro. Play this game
Shovel Knight: King of Cards - Most underrated game of 2019. Yacht Club comes through and drops yet another instant classic 2D platformer that is completely different from the previous games and seem to have got no credit. That's sad. Also there's a really fun fully functional card game built into the game itself. It's a blast. A lot of you have this expansion for free just from owning Shovel Knight, please play this
Resident Evil 2 - This game (along with Control) are the reasons why this list took so long for me to make. I wanted to give them a fair shake before compiling a top 10 list and leaving them off. This game is awesome, one of the greatest remakes/reimaginings ever created and basically did exactly what it set out to do. Still playing my B run but it absolutely deserves to be on this list.
Luigi's Mansion 3 - What a fun, charming absolutely addicting game. No other game (outside of Fire Emblem) had me playing my Switch into the wee hours of the morning cause I could not put it down. Game is doing amazing and rightfully so. A must play Switch game.
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of Elusive Age - Definitive Edition - A charming very traditional JRPG with memorable characters and amazing art and visuals. Weak OST drags it down. Sylvando is the star of this show and while the game kind of dragged for me in the second half, I still had a great time overall.
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order - I had a lot of fun with this, but the longer I've gone since beating it, the more I feel it's the most overrated game of 2019. Gameplay is pretty mediocre and derivative. Performance is horrendous on console. The world building is fantastic, probably the highlight of the game. The force echoes giving you bits of lore out of order, where you got more pieces of the story as you went off the beaten path and found secrets was excellent. So as overrated as I think it is, it was still a good time and I definitely didn't play 10 better games this year.

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Griffin · Jan 21, 2020

Dragon Quest XI: Definitive Edition - I left it off my list last year so I should finally give Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age S Definitive Edition (phew) the spot it deserves. It's a perfect mix of classic JRPG design and modern production values, with a story and characters that are standouts in the series. The journey is a lengthy one, but it's so simple and structured that you can play at your own pace and not lose track of what you were doing. The retro style from the 3DS version, more events to flesh out the characters and a soundtrack that isn't excruciating to listen to make this the best version of one of the decade's best RPGs.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The turn-based strategy parts were excellent, with the squad system and big bosses requiring a different approach to previous games. And it was complemented so well by having a big home base at the monastery where you could tutor, tea time and watch your students grow throughout the game. Although the school stuff becomes a drag in the second half, the dramatic showdowns with your former students make for one emotional experience.
Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fuelled - After the dodgy remaster of the Crash trilogy, I was worried about how this remake of the classic PS1 kart racer would turn out. The answer: arguably the best kart racing game of all time. Not only is it a beautiful visual update, but it added in all the tracks and characters to the sequel, online play and regular events that keep me coming back. And Vicarious Visions are still adding to it with more tracks and what feels like every Crash character imaginable!
SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions - I'm sure a lot of people slept on Scarlet Grace but it's an absolutely fantastic RPG. Towns and dungeons? Who needs them anyway. The open-ended stories give players freedom to tackle events in different ways and recruit a huge cast of characters to use in brilliant turn-based battles. It's a game that's dense and challenging, but never overwhelming.
Hypnospace Outlaw - Much more than just nostalgia for the early net, Hypnospace Outlaw used its format well to tell all these interconnected stories of different web users who are about to feel the wrath of your mod powers. It's also incredibly funny, with some amazing original songs and pizzadance.gif.
Dandy Dungeon: Legend of Brave Yamada - Sure, it's a port of a mobile game from a few years back, but no one played that anyway. Dandy Dungeon is a game about game dev as indie designer Yamada constructs new dungeons about his daily life and then gets to exploring. As expected from a game directed by Yoshiro Kimura (Chulip, Little King's Story) it's a satire that gets downright surreal at times. The dialogue is hilarious and the allure of new loot gives it that "just one more dungeon" feel.
Kingdom Hearts III - Though a little disappointing, I loved having huge Disney worlds to explore. Battling through the settings of Toy Story and Tangled was one of the best times I had in a game this year. Kingdom Hearts III never unravels the series' convoluted story in the most satisfying way but the finale was still a lot of fun
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III - It was nice to reunite with the old Class VII and the new pupils made for interesting characters. It was definitely an improvement on the systems from the previous games - the battles were better, especially the robot combat. Still, I wasn't fond of the direction the story eventually took. Cold Steel III shed more light on some of the series' mysteries, but I really wish it hadn't.
Tetris 99 - It's impossible to make a bad Tetris game (if you're not Ubisoft) so it's no surprise that Tetris 99 is showing up on so many lists. I would have never imagined I'd be so hooked on a Battle Royale version of Tetris, but the competitive nature of the whole thing keeps me coming back to improve my place. Maybe I'll make it to #1 someday…
Super Robot Wars T - Another year, another strategy game about giant robots…. Super Robot Wars T was one of the better recent entries thanks to a more lighthearted story with cool original characters and plenty of classic anime like Cowboy Bebop and Rayearth. Some of the new properties didn't get much attention (looking at you, Expelled From Paradise), but with the excellent localisation it all came together as one fun fanfic. See you, space cowboy.

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Taka · Jan 21, 2020

Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The best game in the series. A masterpiece and a new bar for SRPGs.
Resident Evil 2 - Absolutely fantastic remake of a classic. Capgod knocked this out of the park.
Luigi's Mansion 3 - Next Level Games at their best.
Astral Chain - Platinum never loses its luster.

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Batatina · Jan 21, 2020

Control - This was for me the most original experience of the year. From the art style to the powerful and out of this world gameplay, this game gave me a taste of next generation.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 - It's strange to me how sometimes the small scale experiences are the ones that make the most impact. This game is just a delight through and through, with a much improved crafting system, amazing building and charming characters. Turns out I played this game longer than any other this year, and I wouldn't be able to tell you that because time flew by.
Dragon Quest 11 Definitive Edition - Look. I'm not that huge a fan of Dragon Quest, but this was a good year for it. Dragon Quest has a charm in the way it build a world that just draws me in, and this was one of their best so far.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - This game was such a pleasant surprise. A genuine adventure that picked up elements from Souls and Tomb Raider to make an excellent package, full of interesting level design and a good impactful story.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - An excellent Metroidvania game, full of interesting secrets that I loved exploring.

Honourable Mention: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - I would normally place a From Software game at the top of my lists. But despite the quality of this game it just fell short due to the extreme difficulty, with no way to surpass those struggles other than just repeating the same thing over and over. It was a beautiful world and gameplay, but the bosses were a constant source of frustration, ruining the experience for me. Biggest frustration of the year for me, because with a bit of summoning, or more forgiveness it would have been my 1st pick.

That's it from me. I think it was a generally weak year, where I played lots of games that were enjoyable but I don't feel are worth including in an expanded top 10.

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LiquidSolid · Jan 21, 2020

Death Stranding - Death Stranding has its flaws but what it does right, it does brilliantly. The way Kojima Productions took a simple and boring idea like courier delivery and crafted such a fun gameplay loop out of it is incredibly impressive and that's what made it stand out to me from all the 2019 games I played.
Resident Evil 2 - Resident Evil 2 is one of my all time favourite games, so it was always going to be really hard to win me over with a remake, especially when taking Capcom's stumblings like Resident Evil 6 into account, but they did it. I don't think it quite hit the "perfect remake" tier that REmake did before it, as the B scenarios were clearly rushed, but it's brilliant nonetheless.
Judgment - While Judgment is very much a Yakuza spinoff, featuring similar great combat, locations, writing and side quests, the new detective spin on the formula really makes it stand out from the others. The story itself is still steeped in the underworld but the approach from the other side of the law makes it feel fresh and new. As a result, it's easily one of my favourite stories that's come out of Ryu ga Gotoku Studio.
Control - It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a Remdy game but even though Control clearly had some very tight time and budget constraints, they really pulled it off and delivered a great third person shooter with some great characters and a fascinating world.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 - I loved the original Dragon Quest Builders and this was everything I wanted from a sequel and more. I love how they've grounded the game with the world map and various different islands, rather than taking portals to different locations like the original. I love how they've actually made the other villagers fairly useful this time, letting them build things and do odd jobs. And I especially love the pattern of each chapter in the story and how that all comes together in the end.
Untitled Goose Game - Brilliant, creative and charming as hell. Not much else to say about it.
Concrete Genie - I really wasn't sure about Concrete Genie when I first saw it. It looked like a cool idea but I felt like the painting gimmick would get old quickly and the platforming looked janky. I was wrong, Concrete Genie hooked me from beginning till end. The painting mechanics work extremely well, to the point where I'd often just play around with them. And the platforming is perfectly fine. The only real issue I had with it was the complete 180 the bullies pulled in the story, otherwise it's a great game.
Kingdom Hearts III - I liked Kingdom Hearts 3 and I think it's a good game but I also think it's very flawed. Lacking the Final Fantasy characters was a huge disappointment but the big one for me was just how much the final part of the game drags on for far too many battles and boss fights. It was obviously meant to be this big, epic final sequence but it just got tedious to me.
Knights and Bikes - Shocking news: The guy who came up with Tearaway created another game that's really fun and charming as hell.
Erica - A bit of a left field pick but I didn't play too many new games in 2019. I've played a few FMV adventure games before but Erica's the first one that really grabbed me. What the developers did with FMV interactivity is really cool and it did a great job immersing me in their bizarre little story. I'd love to play more games like this from them.

Bonus list of games I would've liked to play but haven't yet:
Total War: Three Kingdoms (I started it but ended up sinking all my time into Judgment, so I didn't get far)
Days Gone
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Devil May Cry V
Return of Obra Dinn
AI: The Somnium Files

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Aygomyownroad · Jan 21, 2020

1. Resident Evil 2 - One of the best remasters I have played this generation, it was a fabulous game on the PS1 and Capcom really nailed it. RE3 remake will be day 1 for me.
2. The Outer Worlds - a truly amazing RPG, with a cast of memorable characters an character builds that actually mean something. I hope a sequel comes soon.
3. The Outer Wilds - thought it was The Outer Worlds, but what I got was a fantastic looped exploration game which just blew me away after my initial dissapointment
4. Untitled Goose Game - A hilarious game, a flash in the pan it seemed but was worth the ride
5. Gears 5 - enjoyed my time with it. I will be honest the games this year have been lacklustre outside the top 4 but felt the need to expand it. Mostly BoI, Enter the Gungeon, Cities Skylines, Fallout NV,3,4 have taken up my time.

Geg · Jan 21, 2020

The top 3 for me was extremely difficult to decide on this year because I loved each of them but all 3 had their own specific flaws that kept them from really being "GOTY" level for me, and thus it was really hard to decide on how to order them.

AI: The Somnium Files - In the end I picked this as my game of the year almost entirely on how much I fell in love with the game's characters and how hard the post game completion depression hit after it was all over. I wish the game were twice as long just so I could keep interacting with this cast.
Astral Chain - From a purely gameplay perspective, this was my favorite game of the year. Story-wise it may be Platinum's worst but at least the setting was fun.
Judgment - And this was just overall an extremely good game that didn't quite reach the same highs as those other two. This was the first Yakuza-adjacent game I played and it's made me want to go through the whole series now, which I've slowly started to do. Also this doesn't seem to be on the game spreadsheet? Hope this vote counts.
Pokemon Sword/Shield - Not my favorite Pokemon game, but I still had a lot of fun with it. I've never really liked competitively battling with other people, so the addition of raids and being able to play co-op with friends was a major positive for me, even if after a while most raids felt pretty samey.
Baba is You - Baba is Good
Death Stranding - I think I fall in that small group of people who neither loved nor hated Death Stranding. I liked it, had a pretty good time, and enjoyed the ridiculous Kojima storytelling that was sorely missing from MGSV.
Kingdom Hearts III - Super pretty, music was great, gameplay was really fun. My memories of it are kind of weak since I haven't played it since I beat it almost a year ago but I'm planning to replay it once the DLC is out.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Link's Awakening was actually the first video game I ever played when I got it and a Game Boy for Christmas when I was 5. It was great being able to go through it all again, and to finally beat the game without having to ask a friend to beat the eighth dungeon for me lol.

Honorable mentions: These are games that I didn't actually play myself this year but still got a lot of enjoyment from watching others play through streams.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Devil May Cry V
Super Mario Maker 2
Luigi's Mansion 3

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NeoKnight · Jan 21, 2020

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - From Software does it again. Amazing game from start to finish. The challenge here got taken up a notch, but the joy of finally nailing that perfect parry and defeating a boss is unique. The combat and speed keeps you on your toes and the various mechanics make you feel like a true shinobi. Also, the level design and setting are incredible. Excellent game.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - It's a Souls like Star Wars game. I'm in! Combat needed a little more polish, and the map is confusing to use. However, Respawn did a phenomenal job, and everything from the sounds of lasers, to the damage details left by your lightsaber are outstanding. It really shows how much the developers really loved the source material and wanted to make a great Star Wars game. Mission accomplished.
Metro Exodus – Amazing atmosphere and story. This game was outstanding, since once I started, I was hooked for two weeks with all I would care for was progressing in this post-apocalyptic world. Great level design with open levels that let you roam around while also giving you a clear goal and letting you decipher how to complete each stage. Also, the stage and enemy variety is spectacular. Really enjoyed playing this. If this is the last of the Metro games, this trilogy should be considered among the best in the last few years.
Rage 2 - Just started playing this game a few days ago, so I didn't wanna push it way up on the list based on only a handful of hours, but this game plays outstanding so far. The controls are spot on and responsive, and combat is super satisfying. Excellent game from Bethesda, deserved a lot more love that it got based on my current experience. Cannot wait to go back and continue playing more.
Tom Clancy's The Division 2 - I like looter shooters, so this was right up my alley. Really loved the Washington DC setting this time.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep - I am a Destiny fan. Been into every expansion and put 100s of hours each year. This expansion was weak IMO, but I love that they made Destiny f2p finally. Adds a lot of new players to the game. However, the time commitment is just harder than ever, and with my loss of interest in doing the raids as a mainly solo player, this is lower on the list. I still check Xur inventory on a weekly basis to ensure I don't miss any exotics.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare - I expected this to be the downfall CoD, especially after playing the alpha/beta and being very underwhelmed. However, the final product was very good. The multiplayer is on point, even if some levels are poorly designed this time around.
Gears 5 – Great continuation to the Gears games. The story I felt was way better than 4 and the action and combat is improved by all the attention to detail and variety of weapons and enemies. Also, great coop fun.
Apex Legends - The surprise of the year. Probably should be the GOTY from a critical standpoint, but I dislike battle royale games in general. Thus, why I placed it in my top 10, as I have to recognize how great this game is, even if I know it's not my personal cup of tea.
Code Vein - You can tell I like Souls like games. This game I got on the list because I played it coop all the way with my brother. And it was fun all around. Game has a lot of issues, especially the hit detection, which can kill a game like this.

Honorable mentions:
Pokemon Sword/Shield - Always enjoy Pokemon games, but this game played it safe, and also, I did not play it as much, so it is outside my top 10.
Darksiders Genesis - Really like the game, but that camera can be so frustrating at times, it takes it out of my top 10 for that one reason alone.
Death Stranding - I did not expected to enjoy let along put 60+ hours into this game; however, I do see the gameplay limitations and the story is just bad and utter crazy to the point it's a waste to even think/rationalize it. Good futuristic FedEx simulator thought.

Game I got into this year for the first time and, holy shit:
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - This game is perfect! OMG, what an amazing RPG experience. Put over 250 hours in the summer alone. It would have been my #1 game last year and even this year since it came out for Switch, but I do not like to vote for games that came out officially on prior years, so it's out for my GOTY list this year. Nevertheless, this is an easy 10/10 if I have ever seen one.

Game that might have made the list if I'd had time to play it:
Control - I bet I would have loved this game, and probably could have even been my #1 game this year. Sadly, I have not played it, so I cannot say. Looking forward to playing it next year once my backlog, hopefully, decreases.

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Piston · Jan 21, 2020

Slay The Spire - This game made a late surge for me in my rankings. I played a huge amount of it in the last month and have been severely addicted. It has a great balance to it that makes runs unique and challenging. I can remember the specific decks that I won with and beating the Heart of the Spire the first time may have been the most elated I've been in a long time.
Baba is You - A really inventive puzzle game that manages to blow your mind continually. I binged it until I hit the first "ending" and put it down after I started running into the more complex endgame puzzles, that said, I'm still chipping away at puzzles in this game every few weeks and have enjoyed sharing it with others.
Teamfight Tactics - This is League of Legends auto-chess spinoff. I got real addicted at the start and managed to get myself pretty far in Ranked without ever looking up strategies. I went back to it recently and they have completely changed the game around which makes it a bit daunting to get back into. It is great to do with something on another screen where you can split attention.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (Switch) - One of my favorite Final Fantasy games. I'm not sure how much the job system adds considering I played it the first time over 12 years ago and I don't remember the specifics the original edition. The best new feature is the speed up for sure.
Ring Fit Adventure - The game is brilliant all around. A legit workout if you can stick with it.
Untitled Goose Game - Honk.
Wargroove - A solid Advance Wars-like. I played it when it just came out and finished the campaign. I enjoyed it but never felt compelled to comeback for more.
Pokemon Sword - This was a quintessential Pokemon game for me. I have only completely played through Blue, Silver, and Diamond, so it had been a while since I beat one. I enjoyed building and naming my team, the music, and the new designs. The Wild Area was lacking but I didn't have too many issues overall.

Games I Haven't Played Enough Of To Include: Dragon Quest XI S, Mario Maker 2, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
Games I Still Want To Try: Control, Luigi's Mansion 3, Disco Elysium, The Return of the Obra Dinn, Outer Wilds, AI: The Somnium Files, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

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LaunchpadMcQ · Jan 21, 2020

Outer Wilds - The biggest surprise this year, that kept delivering more surprises as I played, was Outer Wilds. A game where exploration is its own reward is so hard to come by and it's an incredible thing when it nails it as well as Outer Wilds does, each planet having its own set of exciting story and puzzles to uncover. A perfect marriage of fun gameplay and thoughtful narrative, Outer Wilds isn't just my game of the year; it's one of my all time favorites.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - I had high expectations for Sekiro, and From absolutely delivered on it. Thrilling combat led to many satisfying arcs of starting off getting my ass hand to me to beating bosses without getting hit.
Remnant: From the Ashes - Souls with guns feels like the most basic pitch, but it undersells Remnant's myriad interesting enemies, tight gameplay, and charm. Needless to say, Remnant was a huge surprise for me this year.
Slay the Spire - A masterclass of rogue like design, coming up with strategies for each run is engaging and satisfying every single time.
Devotion - The most unique and affecting story I've experienced this year, Devotion tells a haunting story from a perspective rarely portrayed in any medium. It is a travesty that this game is not easily available anymore.
AI: The Somnium Files - While having some of the worst fan service bullshit, AI nonetheless lives up with Uchikose's legacy for wild suspenseful narratives.
Sayonara Wild Hearts - An amazing soundtrack weaves together ever-changing mechanics and a compelling story of love.
A Plague Tale: Innocence - A really tight experience with an engaging narrative. Really upsetting to play through at times, but the emotional stakes elevated the story and characters for me.
Judgment - A fantastic spinoff with compelling characters, an exciting mystery, and tons of goofy fun side stories.
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight - A brisk, hauntingly beautiful, and tight experience that I find myself wanting to return to time and again.

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Deleted member 10737 · Jan 21, 2020

Aygomyownroad said:
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your list is not formatted correctly and your vote won't be counted. you need to use an ordered list.

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