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

[Neoxon]

1. Devil May Cry 5 - This is far & away my favorite game this year. Maximilian put it perfectly, it's the most video game-ass video game out there. DMC5 knows what it is & sets out to do its job perfectly, with combat that's easily the best in the action game genre. Could it have better level design, certainly. But it does everything else so well that I'm not too miffed.
2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - A fantastic return to form for Fire Emblem after it fumbled with Fates. It made a bold move in moving to a different mission structure, & it mostly works. There are a couple of things keeping Three Houses from the top spot, namely the lack of M-M pairings for Male Byleth & Female Byleth's god-awful design. But overall, it comes pretty close already.
3. Resident Evil 2 Remake - Damn, Capcom's on a roll this year. It's kinda hard for remakes to get this high on the list, but goddamn did Capcom pull it off. It's the kind of remake that isn't the original, but excels just as much in what it sets out to do. It's no replacement for the original, & RE2R knows it. But it's a fantastic game on its own, which you have to give Capcom props for.
4. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - FromSoftware typically puts out good shit, & Sekiro is no different. But at the same time, Sekiro does a great job in carving out its own identity. And it does a couple of things better than even DMC5 (level design, for one). I still loved DMC5 more, but Sekiro is definitely worthy of being in the top 5.
5. Astral Chain - Astral Chain is one of those games where it sounds like it should't work, but it does. Do I wish the game could run at 60fps, yeah. But it was still a great experience that I hope we can revisit in the future.
6. Dragon Quest XI S: Definitive Edition - I knew this was gonna be good going into it going by all the praise I've heard for the game, but I didn't expect it to be this good. Goddamn, did Square-Enix do great. Next thing I knew, it sucked away too many hours of my life than I'd feel confident in saying.
7. Control - I don't play a ton of single-player third-person shooters beyond what Naughty Dog puts out, so Control really surprised me. Everything from the combat to the story was great, & I'm glad that I took a chance on it.
8. Super Mario Maker 2 - Super Mario Maker was already a fantastic game, so SMM2 already had a great foundation to build off of. And while I'm sad to lose the Amiibo costumes, what we got in exchange more than makes up for it (especially the 3D World mode & the shit-ton of new tools we have to work with).
9. Luigi's Mansion 3 - The series has been pretty consistent, & this game is no different. You can tell that Next Level Games put their hearts & souls into this game, & it only makes it all the more enjoyable. If only more Mario games showed this much personality (come back to us, Paper Mario series in the style of the first two games).
10. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - This is the other kind of remake that sticks closely to the original while also changing certain things. It's Link's Awakening, so it'll inherently be a great 2D Zelda game. But it's also no Link to the Past, hence why it's lower on my list. All the same, great game & easily one of the Switch's best this year.

I've yet to play MHW: Iceborne, so I can't really say where it ranks. But if it's anything like the base game, it'd easily be in the Top 10.


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[Bananastand]

1. Control - I absolutely loved this from beginning to end. I need more from this incredible world so I hope the dlc delivers.
2. Resident Evil 2 - I never played the original but I fell in love with the series with 4 and I found it hard to go back to the older games. This felt like an incredible update that plays better than RE4 but is still a lot scarier. Capcom knocked it out of the park.
3. Super Mario Maker 2 - I'm a bit disappointed with the lack of post launch support but this is still pretty much everything I wanted after the first game. Please keep those updates coming Nintendo!
4. Void Bastards - I love rogue likes and this is such a fun version of that genre. Love the art style and sense of humor too.
5. Tetris 99 - I wish I could quit this but I've been hopelessly addicted to Tetris 99 since it came out. Still have not managed to become #1 which makes the whole thing worse.
6. Hypnospace Outlaw - Terrific early internet simulator with a great sense of humor. The ending - which I won't spoil - gave me chills
7. Outer Wilds - Had a real rough time getting into this but I'm glad I stuck with it. It really is a unique experience.
8. Dragon Quest Builders 2 - This game rules and I love the world of Dragon Quest.
9. Wilmots Warehouse - Amazing mix of chill and stress. Wish this game would get dlc or something because I could organise warehouses for days.
10. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - It's not a perfect remake but I loved this game back in the day and this version improves a lot of small details.

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[OneAndOnly]

I'm going to be honest: I didn't really play many games from 2019 this year. There wasn't many games that released this year that I was interested in so I mainly played through old games, but there are still some games that I want to recognize

1. Tetris 99 - What was generally seen as a joke during the battle royale craze, a Tetris battle royale game ended up being one of the best ideas ever conceived for a game. Take the intensity of regular multiplayer Tetris games and multiply it tenfold and you get one of the most stressful games I've ever played, and I love every single minute of it. There were so many times where I was in the top 20 or top 10 only to fall short in the end, but when I finally won a game, it was one of the most satisfying experiences I've ever had with a game. Can't recommend it enough.
2. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - With all the other Kickstarter disappointments to have come out within the last few years, many were speculating that this would meet the same fate, but fortunately this game was able to exceed everyone's expectations. It's great to see a new Castlevania-like game to come out in 2019 where Konami is dropping the ball. This was also the year where I finally got to play through SotN, and although Bloodstained does not meet those highs, it does give an interesting take on the genre and it's still fun to explore the castle, even if it can be easy at times.
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - I can't even believe that I am actually putting this on my list, but it seems like Call of Duty has finally made itself fresh again. They made the gunplay more realistic and they toned down the killstreaks so it's no longer as chaotic as previous multiplayer games. Sure the campaign can be pretty lackluster, but in terms of fixing up the multiplayer, they did a fantastic job with this, and the fact that it's now crossplay makes it even better.
4. Beat Saber - We probably jumped the gun last year with this game since the full release came out this year, but it's so good that I needed to put it on twice. Beat Saber is one of the best rhythm games that you can get and makes VR worth it for anyone. I just wish that the Rift wasn't such a pain to set up else I would play this more. Hopefully I'll get a Quest soon so it would be the case.
5. Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled - Never got to play CTR as a kid as I was always a Mario Kart fan, but now I know why this game was highly revered. Yes it's difficult at places, but the courses are great and the controls are great as well. The addition of online multiplayer is a big bonus as well.
6. Baba Is You - One of the hardest puzzle games I've played. I wish I'm able to beat this, but some of those puzzles hurt my brain.
7. Untitled Goose Game - HONK!

Honorable mentions to Luigi's Mansion 3 and Astral Chain, but I don't think I'll be able to finish them in time to give a proper opinion on them, but so far they're pretty good.


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[jepense]

1. Baba Is You - One of the most original and mind bending puzzle games ever. It is super hard, perhaps too hard for it's own good, but I love how it pushes you to think outside the box, constantly. No puzzle is solved by routine. Instead every solution feels like a huge achievement. Perhaps not the best game of the year, but absolutely the best new concept.
2. Super Mario Maker 2 - It does not have the impact of the original, but I love the creative aspect of this series, and it is a major upgrade over the first game. My only regret is I've had so little time for this.
3. Shovel Knight: King of Cards - Shovel Knight is one of my favorite games of the past decade, and every new campaign has been an event for me. I had been waiting for the final one for ages, and I wasn't disappointed.
4. Ring Fit Adventure - It makes excercise fun, and I've kept coming back to it at least every other day since I got it.
5. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Fire Emblem has been one of my favorite franchises since Path of Radiance. I don't like all the new mechanics, but overall I enjoyed this one enormously.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - How many times have I played this game? It is still phenomenal.
7. Disco Elyseum - One of the few PC games I got around to playing this year. Captivating.
8. Luigi's Mansion 3 - I had actually never played a Luigi's Mansion game before, and this seemed like the time to correct this. I loved the puzzles and charm. It reminds me of point-and-click adventures.
9. Tetris 99 - I don't actually like Tetris that much, but the battle format suprisingly makes a lot of sense. The short and intense games are really fun even if I suck.
10. Cadence of Hyrule - I like rhythm games and Zelda. So I like this.

Honorable mention to Dragon Quest 11. It probably should be on my list, but I haven't played enough of it.


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[DaveLong]

1. Apex Legends - I think this is the pinnacle of co-operative-competitive game design as of 2019. There is nothing better. The synergy of its three player teams combined with a relatively fast pace, high (but not too high) mobility, tight communication system, and an arsenal of weapons that really only has one "joke" gun (which is now no joke when hopped up) is a revelation in first person shooting game design. Every single competitive or cooperative shooter should be looking at Apex Legends for inspiration because there is simply nothing better. Titanfall 2 was a masterclass in Call of Duty-style gameplay and mobility, but it's not nearly as accessible to the every day player as Apex Legends. I'm convinced that this was Respawn's way of teaching everyone how to play Titanfall (it strips away just enough of TF2's mobility) and it has become a bit of a phenomenon in its own right. All of that doesn't even take into account how much personality all the characters have and how much the map design is so perfectly layered for creating endless exciting encounters with other human players. They even made the simple door a tactical consideration! Few games make me want to gush. This is one of them.
2. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes - There are not enough games that put their creators front and center without coming across pompous and overblown. With TSA, Goichi Suda and his team created something that seems intimately personal to him. Apex Legends shows a studio at the technical height of game design. Travis Strikes Again shows a creator and studio at its storytelling and creative best. The gameplay is plenty fun and crazy enough to carry the enterprise, but it's the introspection, the writing, and the irreverence for the hobby itself that set this game way above most of what I played in 2019. If Apex was my favorite thing to play in 2019, this game is by far the most memorable.
3. Samurai Shodown - For a very long time SNK fan who owns Neo Geo cart and CD hardware, carried his memory card to the arcades, and can't get enough of their games, Samurai Shodown has to be high on my list for 2019. SNK used one of the best battle designers in the business to create a game that both celebrates its history and pushes the series forward into the modern era of fighting games. It may be 3D, but it looks so perfect next to its 2D prequels and sits proudly among the best iterations, which for me have always been the first and second games in the series. It doesn't require massive combo memorization to be good, just proper spacing, good timing, good blocking, decent reflexes and solid execution. The characters are timeless in their designs and the new additions fit nicely beside them. Fun to look at and super fun to play, I think this is top notch.
4. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Respawn ate up a lot of my time in 2019 and Fallen Order was about twenty or so hours of it. It's certainly not the type of game I normally pick to spend a lot of time on as I'm usually more about arcade sensibilities and quicker pick up and play titles I can put down quickly, but testament to this game's design and story, it kept me hooked right to the end. I didn't go plumbing all its depths, but the main path was filled with excellent light saber dueling, platforming, and storytelling. It never wore out its welcome and the ending is one of my favorites and will keep it memorable for a long time. I was super impressed with the actors who seemed to relish playing these roles and I look forward to more adventures of Cal, Greez, Cere, Merrin and especially BD-1!
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - The single player campaign actively turned me away, but I don't really sign up for Call of Duty campaigns to begin with so I can easily discount it while saying this is damn good. Apex Legends is better when it comes to overall first person shooting mechanics and map design leading to interesting encounters, but Modern Warfare comes close at times, specifically when playing Gunfight (2v2 mode). The sound design in this game is crazy good and the weapons are the best modern guns we've ever seen in a videogame. I actually kinda burned myself out on it during the Alpha and Beta phases playing it for hours during those freebies so while I own and have played the full game, I haven't been back to it as much as I'd like since. That doesn't mean it can be discounted as one of the best games of the year, though.
6. Blazing Chrome - Didn't finish this, but I enjoyed the brief time I was able to play it. It's an excellent homage to Contra that plays great.
7. Sega Ages: OutRun - It's so damn classic. I own this game multiple ways now and I think this Switch release is my favorite.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - I'm still playing through this, but it's captured me. I never finished the game on Game Boy hardware so it feels fresh and light and fun and perfect for handheld Switch play, which is something I rarely do.
9. Killer Queen Black - Some buds of mine and I played this a bit in 2019 and had a blast. We ran up against a family named Chandler and those fuckers got me pretty upset. "Fuck those Chandlers!" has become a battlecry for the ages thanks to this game. It's a great arcade game with strategy and communication imperative to victory.
10. Astral Chain - I really liked what I played, but didn't get to play enough to figure out where this goes other than to have it make the list. I will get back to it in 2020.

Honorable mentions for me come in the form of a peripheral, specifically the 8bitdo M30. It's the greatest gamepad ever made IMO. Whether you use it with the Sega Genesis or wired up to your PC or any other device it works with, there really is nothing better in a modern gamepad controller. Highly recommended.


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[shinobi602]

Forgot to throw mine in here!

1. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - I'll admit I was close to rage quitting a few times while playing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. I was frustrated at a lack of fast travel. There were moments when traversal clumsiness got in my way and framerate annoyed me. But even with all of that, the whole package of Fallen Order was still supremely well made. The Souls'esque combat worked. You had to be smart in the manner of which you took on enemies. The different worlds were diverse and level design was so damn good, with hidden areas off the beaten path and pathways that looped and twisted and opened up into each other. The cast of characters was great (especially the standouts Greez and Merrin). The story was actually compelling and something I felt fit right into the Star Wars universe. Cinematics and setpieces were great to watch and interact in. The musical score and audio design was pure Star Wars. And that ending sequence? It was the first time in a long time I squealed. I never knew I'd wanted a Metroidvania Star Wars until Respawn delivered this beauty to me on a golden platter. Thanks for an incredible journey team.
2. Control - Weird. Enigmatic. Confusing. Creepy. Gorgeous. These are all words I would equally use to describe Control from the team at Remedy. In what felt like Quantum Break and Max Payne mixed in with The Matrix, Control was a fascinating time. I've always held that Remedy are masters at creating hauntingly beautiful worlds with uniquely strange premises. The brutalist architecture of The Oldest House was alluring and genuinely fun to run around in and explore. The weapon design was ingenious and Jesse's powers made me feel like a menacingly powerful superhero. What turned out to be the best gaming moment of the year (Ashtray Maze) shocked and delighted me. It was such a kooky world and I adored every minute of it.
3. Resident Evil 2 - Having never played the original game on PlayStation, Resident Evil 2 (remake) blew me away. I think the freshness of being unfamiliar with the original only amplified my experience, but goddamn, Capcom hit it out of the park. The story was still fairly typical Resident Evil cheese, but everything from the mechanics to level design and performance were almost perfect. Mr.X terrified the hell out of me and I loved probing around the mansion and surrounding areas. If it weren't for the next two games, this would have easily been my Game of the Year.
4. A Plague Tale: Innocence - A Plague Tale was another one that took me completely by surprise in the best way. I was so engaged with its story and characters that it was all I could think about for days after completion. Amicia and Hugo have one of the strongest bonds between two characters I've ever seen in a game. Performances all around were impeccably well done. The world was genuinely brutal and the innocence and vulnerability of the children within it was at the forefront of every scene and decision made. It was a AAA quality experience in a AA package it was one truly unforgettable ride.
5. Death Stranding - This took me completely by surprise. I was put off by a multitude of things prior and post launch, but I'm glad I took the plunge. The world of Death Stranding is absolutely bizarre, yet simultaneously endearing. From its incredible cinematography and unique cast of characters to the design of environmental navigation and technical prowess, I was always having a great time. The loneliness of the world is its strength, and it was supremely confident in the game it wanted to be. What a weird and wonderful time. Nice one Kojima-san.
6. Gears 5 - Gears 5 evolved the standard stop and pop formula we've come to expect from Gears of War since 2006, and I loved what The Coalition did. I always enjoying exploring in my games. Even though most of the open world was devoid of significant areas of interest, there was still a decent number of side missions off the beaten path that I felt compelled to complete, both for the experience itself and additional narrative rewards. I think the team did an awesome job meshing the scripted, linear design of Gears past with a wider open world. Bring on Gears 6 baby!
7. Metro Exodus - I've been a fan of 4A Games since playing Metro 2033 almost a decade ago. I've always rooted for them and they seemingly improve tenfold with every new release. Exodus is no exception. While the general move from the tight, claustrophobic metro systems of prior games to a more open design was felt, the team still managed to capture that creepiness here. Those linear areas were still in the game, but I also had a great exploring the wider environments and I found myself still caring deeply for Artyom and Anna's relationship.
8. The Outer Worlds - Fallout+Mass Effect on+Bioshock on a budget. I loved it. Obsidian's writers are on another level and that completely shined through. The different worlds were incredibly diverse and beautiful, the quests were often unique and twisty, and companions (especially Parvati) were full of charisma. The combat was serviceable but it's the moment to moment character interactions and sense of exploration that landed it on this list.
9. Days Gone - Though there was the occasional jank to be had (especially at launch), I grew to really enjoy my time in the world of Days Gone. It was until hours in that the gameplay loop really clicked, but the world, its characters and nature of the zombies freakers felt unique despite what many claimed was a generic game. Deacon St. John, played celebrity Sam Witwer, grated on me in the beginning, but I took to liking his gruff and somewhat clumsy personality. Fighting freaker hordes was a blast. Sony Bend created a world I definitely want to see more of next gen.
10. Life is Strange 2 - I became a humongous fan of developer Dontnod after experiencing the original Life is Strange. While not quite hitting the high notes of the first game, Life is Strange 2 was a really emotional journey. As someone who lost their brother suddenly years ago, there were so many things that resonated with me here, and I was super invested in seeing the story through for the Diaz brothers. Dontnod keeps proving they've really got some great writing chops.

 

[ZoSo006]

1. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The most enthralled I've been with a JRPG since Persona 4 Golden. The military school setting, cast, class system, support conversations and strategically fun battle system has this head and shoulders over the rest of the year even though i'm still on my first play through at the 30 hour mark. This game is too good to not get even better during the second part of the game so i'm most confident with it's place as my GOTY.
2. Resident Evil 2 - The change to a more modern third person action game along with the incredible visuals and pulse raising Mr.X had me loving every second of what was my first complete play through of this classic. Bring on RE3 remake!
3. Borderlands 3 - While I still have some problems with stores and some other minor loot based nitpicks, once I beat the initial co op campaign with myself as a Gunner and my wife as a Siren, Mayhem mode made for the perfect difficulty setting and has even simple side quests exhilarating. Gun play is great as are the visuals for the most part and the constant want for new and exciting guns is as additive as ever.
4. Luigi's Mansion 3 - A charming and creative adventure that was cool in having the themes be more and more wild and varied with each new floor. The addition of co op via Gooigi was nice as well though I wish the controls were less awkward.
5. Pokemon Sword - It still needs a more difficult mode but I still enjoyed my time with this in a more laid back sense with the wild area in particular being a welcome addition in making the formula a little more fresh.

Games I Haven't Played Enough Of To Include:

• Outer Worlds
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
• Gears 5
• Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
• Life is Strange 2

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[Thauros]

1. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - I found the characters and story incredibly compelling, more so than any previous game in the series, and so I kept coming back for more when I would have otherwise fallen off
2. Kingdom Hearts 3 - an absolute joy to play and experience through and through, the stronger integration of Disney characters into the narrative makes the entire journey more memorable as opposed to just the big beats
3. Pokemon Sword - in spite of all the issues, the campaign is still fun in its purest form, and the additions to quality of life and multiplayer made this an entry that my friends and I are in for the long haul with
4. Shovel Knight: King of Cards - I didn't play any of the previous Shovel Knight expansions, but this one felt like a perfect balance between new mechanics and what came before; the fact that I had so much fun with the card game makes me interested in Triple Triad which I completely blew off before
5. Slay the Spire - by far the best single-player experience I've had with either a card game or a roguelike; this is a match made in heaven and executed about as well as possible
6. Resident Evil 2 - probably the most fun I could have with a game that is able to terrify me this much
7. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - expertly captures the feeling of Symphony of the Night but with layers more systems to experiment with
8. Link's Awakening - delightful and charming, it joins RE2 as one of the greatest remakes of all time
9. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - after attempting Soulsborne games over and over, this is the first in that vein that I've finished; all it took was a more palatable difficulty, the Star Wars aesthetic, and a compelling story
10. Astral Chain - super stylish, but has some issues with pacing and fluff, though still a blast and a no-brainer for Switch owners who are fans of action

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[En-ou]

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - From delivers a game with arguably the best sword-based combat system. The bosses are the best in the industry.
2. Resident Evil 2 - I find myself unable to stop playing even after I beat it multiple times - twice on hardcore S+ and platinumed. Reminds me of the 16bit days with its unlockables.
3. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Excellent story and better writing than most games. The turn based gameplay at its best.

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[Normal]

1. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne - Huge expansion to my 2018 GOTY. Doubles the amount of monsters, adds a new region, and introduces new mechanics to the gameplay. Easily one of my most played 2019 game.
2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Huge improvement over the 3DS entries. Being able to customize every unit to any class was a nice addition.
3. Devil May Cry 5 - The best action game ever to be released. Nothing is more fun to use than end game Nero.
4. Kingdom Hearts 3 - Didn't live up to KH2 for me, but I still enjoyed my time with it and was to see the end of this saga.
5. Resident Evil 2 - It's fun.
6. Dragon Marked for Death - It's a MegaMan game with co-op. What else is there to say.
7. Pokemon Sword / Shield - It's Pokemon. Introduced some new cool pokemon.
8. Mortal Kombat 11 - Improvement over X.
9. Borderlands 3 - Had fun playing through the game with friends.
10. Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn - Fleshes out the best villain the series ever had even more. The optional fight against the bros was fun too.
    

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[Tali'Zorah]

1. Death Stranding - Kojima's best game since Metal Gear Solid 3. It's pure Kojima for better and for worse, and a fantastic example of what a true vision of his games is for him. At times baffling but equally bafflingly brilliant.
2. Pathologic 2 - I've not stopped thinking about this game since I stopped playing it. Thought-provoking, punishing and unique. One of the best narratives I've played, the implications of which I continue to ponder daily
3. Resident Evil 2 - Third person action horror perfected. An amazing way to start the year and a game that remains one of the best we've seen in the genre.
4. AI: The Somnium Files - I'm a big visual novel fan, and AI: The Somnium Files is a great example of the genre. Intriguing, with likeable characters and a well written story. Sometimes funny, always interesting.
5. The Outer Worlds - I was expecting Fallout: New Vegas in space, and that's what I got. Not quite as large as some of Oblivion's previous efforts but a great example of their game design. Worth getting a next-gen Xbox just to see what's next for this amazing studio.
6. Astral Chain - PlatinumGames usually manage not to disappoint and they didn't. Maybe not as stylish as Bayonetta or as thought-provoking as NieR: Automata, but Astral Chain still showcased a studio at the top of their game.
7. Untitled Goose Game - This game is truly hilarious. I know some think it's just a "meme" or whatever but it's so well made, very focused and keeps you engaged and laughing for it's roughly 2 hour runtime
8. Luigi's Mansion 3 - I played this co-op with my girlfriend and we had a blast. Fun gameplay that managed not to become tedious and a game that was the perfect length, managing not to overstay its welcome. Definitely one of the year's more enjoyable games.
9. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Probably the best Star Wars game since The Force Unleashed. Respawn are a top development studio and proved it again here. Excited to see what's next for Cal and the rest of the squad in the inevitable sequel
10. Baba is You - Another game I played with my girlfriend, and it would be higher if I wasn't so bad at it! If you want your brain to hurt, this is the perfect game for you. Beautifully designed, turning such a simple concept into so many interesting and varied levels that really get you thinking.

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[stat84]

1. Sekiro: Shadows Dies Twice - FROM Software again proves that they are the best.Once you understand how they game's parrying system actually works then it's magic.The game is full of memorable bosses and locations and it's a shame that there is no expansion
2. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - While it's not nearly as good as Sekiro it still manages to be a great game because of the setting and nice lightsaber combat.I believe the sequel can be a masterpiece.
3. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled - Great remake to remind us how fun the orignal was

And that is when i realised that these are the only two 2019 games i played this year.(EDIT forgot about CTR)


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[broncobuster]

1. Judgement - In 2006 I bought, started, and dropped Yakzua 1. Wasn't feeling it. Months later I returned to it and it hooked me and the series has developed into a sort of comfort food. Judgement is the tenth or so of these games I've played and I still find them engaging and fun and weird and after all this time I'm still not tired of running around Kamurocho. Aside from the far too frequent tailing missions, Judgement stands among the best of the series. And for someone wanting to jump in to the Yakuza series but not wanting to revisit seven games to get caught up, it's a great entry point with it's lessened focus on Tojo drama.
2. Bloodstained - Speaking of comfort food games, that's what the Castlevania by way of SOTN series used to be for me until, well, they stopped making them. Bloodstained basically picks up where Order of Ecclesia left off and doesn't skip a beat.
3. Assemble with Care - In a year where I didn't have much time to commit to playing long games, aside from the two above, a short sub-hour long narrative puzzle game was ideal. Very charming aesthetic and story backing what is a simple Room or any sort of touch screen puzzle game
4. A Short Hike - Title says it all. Another sub-hour long game about taking hiking up mountain. Really fun to explore the mountain, do little quests to earn more stamina or tools to aid in the journey.
5. Sayonara Wild Hearts - Another short sub-hour long game, kinda meshing a simple runner with rhythm game quirks with a killer aesthetic and soundtrack. Touch screen controls were a little annoying. But yeah, a good time.

There are so many other games of 2019 that were remakes or spiritual sequels to games I love that I haven't had time to get around to. I could just as easily see Outer Wilds, Zelda Link's Awakening, Resident Evil 2, Sekiro, etc. all making my list.


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[Mathi]

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - From Software nailed it again, what an absolute unit of a game. I hope they keep this trend going with Elden Ring.
2. Control - Fantastic worldbuilding, from the redacted documents to the Oldest House design. The Ashtray Maze is probably my favorite level this year.
3. Apex Legends - I had zero expectations for another BR game after all the others didn't grab me, but I got hooked on Apex after my first few games and it became my main multiplayer game this year.
4. Resident Evil 2 - I never played the original game, but it's clear how much effort they put into this remake and it was absolutely worth it.
5. Death Stranding - This was peak Kojima weirdness and I really enjoyed most of it.
6. Days Gone - Obliterating giant zombie hordes is fun.
7. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - The art style was so inredibly charming I didn't mind the performance issues in a few areas.
8. Gears 5 - The open world parts weren't really necessary, but overall a very solid game.
9. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The campaign could've been a few hours shorter, but I always enjoy a good Fire Emblem game.
10. Ring Fit Adventure - A game that kicks my ass harder than Sekiro deserves to be on this list.

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[Nymir]

1. Disco Elysium - If you want to experience the game for yourself, you'll have to read enough already so I'll try to be brief. Besides, I don't know if I can do it justice. Disco Elysium's writing is simply unmatched in videogames for quality, quantity, depth, reactivity and style. How the developers managed to develop one of the most interesting worlds seen in years without ever leaving a small portual district of a forgotten city is nothing short of amazing and the antithesis to the miriads of shallow open worlds that have become the standard nowadays. The absence of a combat system unshackles the quest design from the burden of having "enemies", "encounters", "fights". The skill system and how it plays with the tendency of min-maxing in rpgs is something almost revolutionary. The themes it deals with are modern, deeply personal and they scarely hit close to home in a lot of ways. It's one of the most impacting and profound experience I had with gaming in the last decade.
   
2. Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers - I started playing Final Fantasy XIV a bit after Stormblood's release so Shadowbringers was the first time I could play an expansion with everybody else. It was also the first time I took the game seriously, learned to play at a decent level and the first time I completed the raid's Savage tier. All those reasons would've already made the game special to me, even if it was merely a decent expansion. But Shadowbringers is not just decent, it's probably the best expansion the game has received so far. Shadowbringers takes the game's story to a new level, grounding elements of the lore, giving the recurring villains a fantastic backstory, elevating old characters to new heights. The game's world is starting to rival some of my favorites ever (it reminds me of Suikoden in some way, and I don't use that comparison lightly), and it's sad to see that so much good material can't be experienced by more people because of the scary MMO barrier. People have been complaining about Final Fantasy stories (and jrpgs in general) for years, and yet FFXIV has been constantly delivering good material since 2013. Shadowbringers can be considered in some way the crowning achievement of all this effort. The game is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
   
3. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - The latest From Software game has one of the best combat system I've ever experienced. Unique, relentless, challenging. Sekiro sheds many superflous aspects of the classic Souls-like game in favor of a lean and mean experience. Sometimes it stumbles, maybe it loses a bit too much in the process (replayability, build variety) but in a genre that has become quite stale I admire what it tried to do. It was a risk worth taking. My biggest gripe is a weird one. From Software rarely disappointed with downloadable content, and I think if Bloodborne and Dark Souls are so revered, "Artorias of the Abyss" and "The Old Hunters" played a big part in it. Those expansion enhanched the games to a different level entirely, with some of the most iconic bosses and areas of the franchise. I think Sekiro needed that. What's there is good, no doubt about it, but I can't help but feel disappointed that we'll never see Sekiro's Orphan or Manus or the teased Tomoe fight. I think it could have been glorious and I'm disappointed that From Software decided against it, especially for the game that probably would have benefitted the most from new areas, bosses, skills and weapons.
   
4. Outer Wilds - It seems almost impossible to find truly alien worlds in videogames. I can count on my fingers how many game truly nail the feelings that should elicit visiting a completely different world than our own. The Metroid series excelled in that aspect, Sanctuary Fortress in Echoes is etched in my brain forever, an ominous structure set againt a dark sky during an electrical storm. Xenoblade Chronicles X came close with its strange and eery environments. I can say without any doubt that Outer Wilds join those few. I don't want to say too much because I think it's a game best experienced blindly. It can be overwhelming at first (probably by design), but if you can muster the courage to launch your ship and take one thing a time, you'll find a galaxy worth losing yourself into.
   
5. Resident Evil 2 - It's hard to find flaws in Resident Evil 2, what's there is almost perfect. It takes the best aspects of the best games of the series and manages to seamlessy unite them in one of the best survival horror games of the generation. As a big fan of the original though, the neutered Route B and the incompatibilty of Claire's and Leon's stories irk me more than I care to admit. Not that the story of RE2 was anything incredibly deep, but some of the characters and events were truly iconic, and I think this adaptation, in trying to shed some of the more corny elements, loses a bit of charisma in the process. Characters interact less, the music is not as good, some of the weirder encounters are removed. The remake is the better game, but for how good it is, it didn't manage to surpass the original in my heart.
   
6. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne - I already liked World quite a bit, but Iceborne managed to improve the base game substantially. Expanded movesets, new monsters and new mechanics (like the clutch claw) enhance the game's variety and depth. The grindy and repetitive structure still irks me sometimes, but as a whole it's one of the my most played games this generation. I don't have the time and probably the skill to engage with the endgame unfortunately, but what I saw before the credits rolled was enough to convince me. Free meaty updates and no microtransactions are just a bonus in one of the most addicting games of the year.
   
7. The Outer Worlds - I hate when a game is described as "one of those" but it never felt as fitting as with The Outer Worlds. It tries to ape the post 2008 Fallout games so much in every aspect that it can't help but invite the comparison. While some of the staple of the genre feel even more outdated (carry weight, omniscient quest markers to follow, repair system), it's a competent game all around. It just lacks depth: the setting is interesting but a bit one note, the combat works but perks and loot are completely unremarkable, it's a better written game than Bethesda's Fallouts but dialogue options are still quite limited. The skill system is designed in a way that's it's difficult to create very specific builds, you'll most likely end up as a jack of all trades, willingly or otherwise. In all of this, I want to praise Obsidian for how many ways there are to complete quests in the game, it's clear a lot of care went into this aspect. There are a lot of good ideas in Outer Worlds but they are rarely explored to their full potential, everything feels very surface level, which might admittedly be a consequence of a small budget. I'm happy that Obsidian found success with TOW, and I liked it overall, but I hope for a more daring sequel.
   
8. Devil May Cry 5 - I played a lot of character action games (and enjoyed most of them) but never got into the mindset of S-ranking every fight, climbing the difficulty ladder and in general perfecting them. Then came Devil May Cry 5 and....nope, didn't change a thing. I still enjoy the objectively superb combat system and admire its incredible depth but it didn't grab me enough to master it. This is a game that doesn't try to evolve the genre and that's ok, this is probably what the series needed after all these years. But I can't help but wonder what we could have on our hands if other aspects of the game receveid even half the care the combat receives, especially the level design. Having a series of not so varied glorified arenas connected by hallways is surely practical, but it could be so much more without becoming a platformer riddled with Kamiya vehicle sections and minigames. All of this might sound overly negative, so I will add one more positive thing: Devil Trigger is such a a banger.
   
9. Kingdom Hearts 3 - The latest entry in the Kingdom Hearts series is a flawed yet wild experience. I could say the same for every single game of the series so I don't get the controversy on this one. To me, it fits perfectly with the other episodes. The story is a convoluted mess, but some moments are truly heartwarming and hit really hard for someone that followed KH since its inception. As usual, everything is elevated by the beautiful soundtrack composed by Yoko Shimomura. Nomura's trademark crazyness and his salt towards XV are just the icing on the cake.
   

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[TubaZef]

1. Control - Remedy is one of my favorite developers and this is their best game, that already says a lot. It's the shooting mechanics from Max Payne with the powers from Quantum Break and the writing from Alan Wake, and it all fits perfectly within a Metroidesque level design.
2. Baba Is You - It's great to see a game that does something really new and can't be described as "like that other one but...". One of the best puzzle games I've ever played.
3. Disco Elysium - This game shows that RPGs can be so much more. The way it explores the human mind and how it doesn't pull any punches when talking about politics are so good, I hope we see some games inspired by it in the near future.
4. Outer Wilds - Always liked timeloop stories and it fit so well with the exploring nature of Outer Wilds. The way the world(s) is designed so that the player start getting curious and finding out about the universe on his own is brilliant, love how it never just grabs you and tell you what to do.
5. A Short Hike - Nice chilling game full of charm with a heartwarming ending and a neat well built world, someone described it as "Animal Crossing for people that don't like Animal Crossing" and that's a good way to describe it.
6. Katana Zero - Great storytelling, cool music and some very satisfying gameplay. Watching the whole scene playing at once after finishing a level feels so good, almost as good as the way the game plays with your expectations.
7. Sayonara Wild Hearts - The world needs more games about love and more musical games.
8. Hypnospace Outlaw - Nice mystery game but what really makes it special is how it manages to capture the essence of the late 90's/early 2000's Internet. Felt very nostalgic.
9. Amid Evil - Based on Heretic but much better than it's inspiration, this is a great retro FPS that deserves more attention. Has some cool interesting weapons and enemy design. Specially love how each episode has a different aesthetic.
10. Sekiro - Cool to see From Software applying their Souls ideas to other types of games, fresh enough to bring back the same feel of playing a Souls game for the first time. Probably would be higher in the list if I could finish the thing, oh well.

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[Shake Appeal]

Way late with this, but I put off playing some things until I got my new PC. I also meant to do pictures and shit, but here we are.

1. Disco Elysium - This is my favorite videogame ever, and it's not close. If you need more than that, I wrote a chapter's length about how it helps us face the past and reckon with our present. It's also funny as fuck. If you haven't played it yet, Kim help you.
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - In 2019, I finally adored a FromSoftware game. I like and admire Dark Souls, but I always get tired of it and wander off midway. That game feels murky to me, sluggish. There's too much tissue in my way—obtuse crafting and character sheets, clunky armor, leaden steps. I love RPGs, but I dislike every part of Dark Souls that's indebted to them. Sekiro, though, peels back that flesh and sinew to reveal the glittering bone beneath. It's pristine, precise. One seamless piece of steel, rinsed of ichor. You try your damnedest to meet it blow for blow. Meanwhile, it tells you a story about the necessity of dying, of letting go—and tells it ten thousand ways, until you know it by heart. Until you can carve it into every soul you meet.
3. Outer Wilds - Hapless astronaut that I am, I bounced off this one a couple times. Slingshotted myself into the figurative and literal sun. I didn't love the folksy aesthetic, and the early hours felt like waddling around a glass maze; I kept bumping into things and couldn't get my bearings. That's by design, I think: Mobius Digital puts an astonishing amount of trust in the player sticking with this stunning, supernova-sized puzzle box, and it's earned. Outer Wilds is a perfectly-built contraption, ticking and hissing away even when no one is watching. It rewards you not for switches thrown or items collected, but for knowledge gleaned. You can spend a dozen hours or more unearthing its secrets—through exploration and testing and patience—and then finish the thing in just 22 minutes. Because it was all there, right from the start. Each crystalline, heavenly piece, waiting to be seen. Now hop the galaxy.
4. Control - My biggest complaint—beyond the combat, which is slick but rote—is that this game doesn't know when to stay quiet. Control is so excited by its own mysteries that it just can't wait to explain them. It makes too many bald statements and causal links, drowning its own weirdness in a swamp of weighty proper nouns. There are too many collectibles in this videogame, and they tell you too much; the Federal Bureau of Control should slop more black ink. Yet it's hard to not get swept up in Remedy's giddy worldbuilding, in the enthusiasm with which they bundle up new and old toys, heaping them lovingly at the player's feet. At its loudest, Control is a fluid, accomplished third-person shooter. When it shuts up, it's a dizzying triumph. And thanks to RTX, it's also the prettiest thing I've ever played. Best concrete in videogames.
5. Hunt: Showdown - There was little noise when this one lurched awkwardly into its 1.0 release, and that's sad, because it's the most devilishly inventive multiplayer shooter around. Ordinary battle royales all play the same three-chord crescendo, slamming down the keys to coda. Hunt is something weirder—a warbling calliope drawing you into the cedars. Death is only ever deferred, it hums; today's chicken dinner is tomorrow's chicken bones. This is a game that has deep faith in its players and their half-cocked plans, their advances and quiet retreats. Despite the title, no gunfight in this game is inevitable, and that makes the showdowns that do emerge more thrilling. Firing it up, I never know what's going to happen.
6. Apex Legends - But what if you played that three-chord crescendo like it was taught to you by the fucken angels? What if you hit every note and beat so exquisitely that no one could fault the tune being familiar, borrowed, stolen? That's Apex: gaming's best cover song and remix—undeniably catchy, made new in its details and level of care. If the "Blackout" mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 showed what AAA developers might do with battle royale, Apex vaulted it. Yeah, it's sad that Titanfall had to die that this might live, but for one day, one week, one month, this was all everyone I knew would play. A year later, it still shreds.
7. Resident Evil 2 - I'm old. I played a little of the original Resident Evil at release and dismissed it as an Alone in the Dark homage on a platform I didn't own. Decades on, I've still never seen any game in this series through to the credits. I'm gonna finish this one, though—a reimagining of Resident Evil 2 that keeps the elements in the series I find compelling (the camp, the staginess, the intricate environments) and doesn't ask me to wrestle with its camera or controls. What strikes me is how generous this game is, in spirit and in fact. The deftness with which the developers have preserved and altered and added to the original, all in service of the player's enjoyment. It rewards veterans, I can tell, but it works on first-timers too.
8. Sunless Skies - Whoops, I never finished Sunless Seas, and I gave up on Fallen London two separate times, and I'll never be done with this one, either. Yet I'm charmed by Failbetter's neat conjuring tricks, their economy of language. The adjectives swollen like rotting plums. There's a game in here somewhere. I think. It's still mostly a wind-up mechanism for parceling out stories and pacing them. Ignore the cogs, though, and the grit between them. Such stories! A recast British Empire, unhinged from conventional space and tidy hours, grasping across the void—the seas, the skies—and jolting at everything they touch. The game dazzles in its implied spaces, in the world it spins with just a few words. Each time you leave port, you fly a little farther, chug a little higher into that rarefied air, and trust to the writers' arc.
9. Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries - This is the second-best Battletech game to come out this century, but that doesn't make it less of a stompy miracle. In 2019, I stared out of the cockpit of a Marauder—75 tons of bristling, insectile threat—and juddered my way through a nighttime forest like a shrieking bullet shot from God's own revolver. That was worth the price of re-entry, two decades after I first fell in love with this setting. And just as well. This is a repetitive, spammy game, riddled with problems. The music sucks. The narrative is a napkin sketch. So much of what's here feels rudimentary, bolted on, halfway-made—like any good freelancer's mech. I can't wait to see what gets built on this chassis.
10. The Occupation - What if you cut the combat and action-movie conventions out of Deus Ex and replaced them with a timer? It remains to be seen. The Occupation was one of the most frustrating, confounding, and downright uncharitable games I played this year, and I can't recommend it to anyone without significant caveats. Except game designers. Game designers should pick through this messy, maddening thing and mine its ambition. Strip it for parts. The Occupation creaks under the weight of its ideas and systems . . . but if you press an ear to it, there's the tick of something intricate and marvelous coming near. Iterate on that tick, someone, please. There's a version of this game that is nothing short of perfect.

Some things I didn't get to in time that probably would have made the list: Anno 1800, Baba Is You, Death Stranding, Devotion, Hypnospace Outlaw, Pathologic 2, Six Ages. There are too many good videogames.


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[Meg Cherry]

1. Control - A masterpiece of level design, tone, and sci-fi worldbuilding. It's the game Remedy has been working towards for their entire existence.
2. Apex Legends - Respawn is untouchable in the world of shooters, and Apex is the moment the wider world finally noticed. It's all the addictive and fluid gunplay of Titanfall's best moments, in a wonderfully built and infinitely updated battle royale environment.
3. Resident Evil 2 - So much more than a remake - this is a fundamental restoration of a true work of classic art that stands next to the Sistene Chapel and the 4K print of Lawrence of Arabia.
4. Death Stranding - There are chunks of Death Stranding - the entire last four hours in fact - that are an absolutely miserable slog of moronic, regressive storytelling that expose so many flaws of Kojima as a storyteller. But it's the countless hours I spent getting there that I can't stop thinking about. Quiet, contemplative, and haunting with genuinely original ideas at every opportunity.
5. Cadence of Hyrule - Nintendo is a cruel gatekeeper at times. The boy in the sandbox with all the toys, refusing to let any new ideas through. With Cadence, they let this guard down and we got the best Zelda game in ages as a result.
6. Outer Wilds - While it's an experience that was ultimately too frustrating & obtuse to work on me - I have to appreciate the sheer creativity and commitment to innovation in this game.
7. The Outer Worlds - The first world of The Outer Worlds isn't just the best part of the game, it's the best stretch of any RPG this generation. The rest is a slow descent into dissapointment, but points for the entry.
8. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - I'm not a SotN Stan, but I was nonetheless charmed by this Kickstarter success story.
9. Ring Fit Adventure - Ever since Wii Fit, Nintendo's been chasing a blend of fitness & game that consistently pleases both crowds. Ring Fit is that game. An adaptive workout routine that is perfectly formed around a great RPG experience.
10. Ape Out - I tore countless men apart as a jazz ensemble scored my ape rampage antics. An instant classic.

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[Curufinwe]

1. Resident Evil 2 - Close to perfect, and even better than REmake.
2. Dirt Rally 2.0 - A massive upgrade over the first Dirt Rally.
3. Devil May Cry 5 - Almost as good as DMC3 SE.
4. Death Stranding - I get why it bored a lot of people, but the anger directed towards it is baffling.
5. Final Fantasy VIII - Wackier than I remembered.
6. Kingdom Hearts III - Donald Duck is as amusing as ever, and I only played six new games in 2019.

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[Borocor]

1. Slay the Spire - Not just game of the year, but game of the decade for me. Pefectly balanced allowing for multiple viable builds for each character. The Ascension modes offer almost endless replayabilty. I have 300 hours in it between PC and XBox and still have a lot of discovering to do with the newest character. A perfect game.
2. Civilization 6: Gathering Storm - A Civ game is almost always on my list every year. This healthy expansion gave me a reason to Civ 6 after some time away (too much StS!) and provided 150 more hours of fun.
3. The Outer Wilds - What a game. I actually bounced off it a few times before I really started to figure out how it worked. When I did jump on board, I was hooked and binged it over a long weekend and had a great time. I thought the endgame got a little tedious, but the final payoff was quite touching.
4. Crackdown 3 - Really enjoyed this one. Not sure what the compaints were about.
5. The Outer Worlds - I really enjoyed this one, even though it had a fatal flaw in that it was just way too easy. I loved the characters and the great dialog and voice acting. I am hoping for a followup and optimistic that Obsidian will take the difficulty compaints into account and it willl become their Mass Effect 2.
6. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
7. A Plague Tale: Innocence
8. Oxygen Not Included
9. Ring Fit Adventure
10. Borderlands 3

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[thewienke]

1. Imperator Rome - It's not as good as some Paradox games but I've got over 300 hours into it. If a game can hold my attention for that long, it's great. Definitely looking forward to future updates and expansions that will make this great game even better.
2. Control - Amazing weird science fiction game that keeps you pushing forward for answers.
3. Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order - Nice looking game with a good Star Wars plot. I'm a Star Wars fan so I'm easy to please here. I actually got a lot of vibes that remind me of Metroid Prime oddly enough.
4. Judgment - Like the Yakuza series, such a good Japanese story driven action RPG.
5. The Outer Worlds - Fantastic Skyrim/Mass Effect hybrid thing.
6. Dragon Quest Builders 2 - I adored the first one and really enjoyed this one as well. I didn't finish it because there's almost too much content this time around.

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[Aarglefarg]

Well, this is what I'm going with. I played through DQ11 the year before and loved it more than all these games...but barely played more than an hour on Switch because it's too soon so I didn't include it. Switching 2 and 3 was a late change I made, as was including Sekiro.

1. Dragon Quest Builders 2 - I wasn't going to buy this. I love Dragon Quest, but I didn't like the first Builders game and stopped that playing in its second chapter. I heard it was a huge improvement with many quality of life features, so I tried the demo and was so excited by the simple story concept that was introduced in it that I bought the game. The gameplay was very good and was in large part the reason for its placement but the story paid off, to the extent of significantly helping Dragon Quest Builders 2 to become my Game of the Year.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - An excellent remake, with its few issues doing little to detract from the overall experience.
3. Resident Evil 2 - There was a time when I thought it could unseat DQB2. But the game didn't continue the heights of the police station through the later part of the game.
4. Baba Is You - Very challenging and rewarding.
5. Dandy Dungeon: Legend of Brave Yamada - Released on the Switch and PC in 2019, it's a puzzle game that is themed like an RPG. It's based around line puzzles where you try to draw a line through every square in a 5x5 grid (each grid being a floor in a dungeon), from the entrance to exit, auto-battling monsters and collecting treasure. It's made by Onion Games, with a style similar to their Million Onion Hotel. The English localisation was by Kotaku's Tim Rogers.
6. Dragon Quest - The Switch release. Yes, the first game. Yes, the version with those sprites. Its perfect simplicity creates exhilarating moments, whether feeling doomed in the lower levels of a cave or facing off one-on-one against a powerful enemy.
7. Luigi's Mansion 3 - It has a lot of personality and I was mostly engaged through to the end.
8. Death Stranding - The gameplay for moving across the world is captivating. The story didn't grab me. My progress slowed because the game's long journeys isn't conducive to playing at just any time, but at the right time it's magical. I'm up to chapter 3.
9. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - I didn't play as much of it as I would have wanted, feeling too intimidated by some bosses and falling off of the game. But it was excellent for what I played, and one of the 2019 games I expect to revisit.
10. Ring Fit Adventure - I've played it almost every day since release.

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[CrocodileGrin]

1. Remnant: From the Ashes - What sold me on this was it being called Bloodborne with guns. That it is! The game was a blast and the co-op/multiplayer design is better than any Souls/Souls-like game to me. You can play the entire campaign with a friend without limitations. They even patched the game recently to allow players to unlock story trophies in other games they weren't hosting, meaning you wouldn't have to replay parts of the game if you chose to do co-op with a buddy. And yet, replayability is what that game is about. It was always a fun mystery not knowing what RNG world I rolled and which random bosses I might have never seen before could pop in.
2. Control - One of the best world building and lore heavy games I've played this gen. The gameplay, enemy encounters and combat design I never thought was worth raving about, but the weirdness of the FBC and the collectibles were the driving force of the game for me and was why I kept coming back. The Ashtray Maze and everything leading up to allow you to pass through the maze is amazing. Also Dr. Casper Darling is my character of the year. He's dynamite! If the gameplay was better and less frustrating at times and if they had a manageable checkpoint system implemented by a sane person, this would have been my GOTY.
3. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - I heard podcasts and my friends whine and complain about the normal and higher difficulties and how it was ruining the fun for them. This feedback allowed me to play the game on story mode difficulty and just enjoy being a Jedi with a badass magenta lightsaber. I think if I would have played it like a Souls game, I would have hated it, so I'm glad the option was there to help me hack and slash at my own pace. Cool game. I'll be honest, the early previews unsold me on the game and Cal as a character. After playing Fallen Order, it only made me want more of Cal and his crew in a sequel.
4. Borderlands 3 - It's just more Borderlands. It's not a bad game, but the writing could be so much more. The Cylpso Twins aren't interesting. The Twins have a strong opening, but the game never really does anything meaningful with the streamer/influencer gimmick. Instead, their characters almost do a 180 and come off much differently through the 2nd and 3rd acts of the game. I'm sure they have plans for the future involving Ava, and building her to be a core character in the franchise. And all of this is funny because I think Gearbox thought what they were was clever, but really they created one of the worst video game characters I wish I never met. So why is this #4 on my list with all of these complaints? The gameplay was good and they patched Iron Bear, making Moze more fun to play now. Typhon Deleon's audio logs were the standout portion of the game to me. I always tried to seek them out in every new map I unlocked. Of all the new characters, it felt like he could have easily been written from any of the past games and would have fit right in. He's such a funny character...for a turd farmer.
5. Indivisible - Great art style. Wonderful story, characters and music. The real standout might be the voice acting and overall casting. It's a standout title and I've even recommended to a few friends. The game wasn't perfect though. I don't want to say the game felt rushed or anything, but for a Metroidvania game, I think it could have been better. The map layout is confusing at times. The platforming level designs I thought got to be really boring near the end and I just wanted the game to be over by that point. Also, knowing what to do next might not be obvious. I felt like I wasted 3 hours at one part going in one big loop in some of the maps thinking I must have missed something to open up the next story beats. So I'd re-explore the maps the best I could only to be still lost in what to do, only to discover it was something so simple that I missed. It wasn't an "ah ha" happy moment of self-discovery like I've had with these types of games. Instead, I felt dumb and that my time was wasted. Criticism aside, good game and the final boss was very unique. If it sold well, I hope the consider a sequel.
6. Mortal Kombat 11 - Much like BL3 as a sequel, it's just more of those familiar games to play. The story was enjoyable and it opens up many possibilities for NetherRealm to try with the MK franchise. I just hope they don't do something predictable and drop the ball as a result. The brought my main from MK9 back (Jade), so I was happy about that. But still no Mileena :( My only complaint would be some of the unlockables and how you obtain them. There are only like 3 types of skins for all characters with varieties of colors and gear add-ons, and it's boring. It sucks that months down the road they finally started adding in more skins, but a lot of it has been for season pass owners. And unlocking some of the items are unfair. Maskless Skarlet, which I finally got last month, was a pain in the ass to unlock. You could only get it from one daily tower that would pop up maybe once a month for a limited few hours then disappear. It was the Cat Call of MK11 for me, and even though there wasn't a trophy/achievement tied to the item, I just wanted it since Skarlet was my main in this game.
7. A Plague Tale: Innocence - Nice story. I've been trying to get away from these types of adventure games, but something about this one hooked me in. I still have to finish it, but I liked what I've encountered so far.
8. Erica - How the hell did Erica make the list? Honestly, I don't think it's that...bad? It had some nice twists and turns, and kept me guessing what was really going on. The game isn't long, which is good thing since I still need to see all the endings.

And that's my list. I'd compare this year to 2014. A lot of good 8/10 games, but nothing truly mind-blowingly spectacular. I wish I had the opportunity to play Judgment, but I'm too Yakuza'd out and needed a break from those type of games. I played 0, Kiwami 1, 2, 4, 6, and FOTNS in such a short amount of time and I reached my limit with the formula. It's my fault for pushing it, but they were fun games to play. I'll give it a try when a nice sale hits.

The only other game that couldn't make the list was The Outer Wilds. It's funny, I bought it because Giantbomb was so into it and yet when I finally played it, I felt like I understood Jeff's criticisms he made of it on their GOTY podcast. It's not clicking with me at all, and I thought I'd love it. The gameplay loop is fine, but the cheapness of some of the deaths, the difficult and floaty controls, and your fragile self dying to anything in space I found incredibly annoying. Unfortunately, I won't be able to beat it before the deadline, so it'll get a nice honorable mention that I at least tried it.


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[MaxwellGT2000]

1. The Outer Worlds - Capitalism can die in a fire!
2. FFXIV Shadowbringers - Best Final Fantasy narrative since the PS1 era, top 10 RPG narratives of the decade!
3. Dragon Quest XI S - Best of the series (from what I've played)
4. Jedi Fallen Order - Very fun original Star Wars story
5. Mario Maker 2 - Slopes for days! It's everything great about the first with more you can do
6. Sekiro - Plays really well, and really enjoy the style
7. Pokemon Sword/Shield (if it has to be one version just say Sword) - the innovation the series needed while making prostrats accessible
8. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 - Cause it's the best in the series and my most anticipated 2019 game
9. Untitled Goose Game - Press Y for HONK! Meme game of the year
10. Kingdom Hearts 3 - Hey it got me to turn on my PS4

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[gaiadyne]

1. Ai: The Somnium Files – I had a smile on my face throughout most of my playthrough of this from beginning to end. I had my doubts with the departure from the Zero Escape formula which I adored (yes, I have no problems with Zero Time Dilemma). Uchikoshi and his team deliver another great visual/novel and adventure game here. The voice cast is great at delivering all the lines in this one and the story has some nice twists and fake outs. My only strikes against this game is that some of the Somnium puzzles are painful to go through because of the them being timed and requiring trial and error.
2. Borderlands 3 – I had only played a little Borderlands 2 before this one, but I got caught up in the pre-release hype because I did enjoy what I played in 2. I decided to finish 1 and 2 before starting this one to get me ready for 3. Having come from those games I can see how people feel they didn't add enough but I think this game satisfies the same itch those games did. I like the new variations made to guns and that the game is no longer restricted to Pandora, which has probably been played out at this point.
3. Slay the Spire – This game ran completely under my radar until it was part of the Humble Monthly Bundle. After it was recommended by several people, I decided to read the steam description, and everything sounded good to me. Single Player, Card Based, Rogue-Like Elements – it all sounded good to me to be at least worth one playthrough. Having done that playthrough I became somewhat hooked. It amazes me how much variety you can get out of a game that only has a few characters. It is also impressible the escalation that happens over the course of a playthrough where you start week, and if things go right, end up being overpowered when the synergy between cards and relics clicks.
4. Pokémon Shield – I was completely prepared to hate this game after X/Y and Sun/Moon along with all the negative details leading up to release. However, I believe this game is a step in the right direction. Gyms are back thankfully but they have played with the formula a little here with the soccer inspired arenas and the version exclusive gyms. The designs overall in this Gen are some of the best and in hindsight I'm glad that they chose to withhold many of the designs before release because seeing them in game for the first time evoked that exciting spark from the old days. The pacing could be better especially in the later. The Wild Area open world area and raid battles are also a little under baked, both in functionality and performance. I do believe that open world has a place in the Pokémon franchise from the taste we have gotten here. I hope that in future generations we can take the next steps to bring the dream of open world Pokémon to fruition.
5. Life is Strange 2 – This was an enjoyable journey to go through and with the release schedule it almost felt like going through the journey with the boys in real time. That release schedule really hurt this one, I think. Four months between episodes is way too much time. The super power in this really did not lead to as compelling gameplay as the first one and overall, I think this story is not as great. I do appreciate the scope for this one and the attempt by Dontnod to accomplish the feel of a road trip. I think they way they handled the impact of decisions made here is superior to what existed in the first game. The endings as a result are more nuanced as a result.
6. Kingdom Hearts 3 – This game is the "conclusion" of a 17-year-old saga and fails in many ways to deliver a satisfying end. The problem is that this game does not use the entire game to resolve matters. Instead all the main story beats are pushed to the end, which results in a messy conclusion made worse by how they use it set up a continued story. They also decided to bring back characters and story beats that only served to make things murkier. This is one of those games where if you did not play the multitude of spin-offs on different platforms you will be completely lost here. Even having played most of them prior to this release it is still difficult to keep track of everything. It helps that they decided to include information in game to help catch up. The positives are that the Kingdom Hearts loop of exploring worlds and the simple Action-RPG gameplay is still very enjoyable. If you cut out the endgame and only have the Disney worlds you would likely be more than satisfied with what you get here, but alas…
7. Yoshi's Crafted World – I liked what I played of the demo for this but only picked it up after a ridiculous price error led to me getting it for a dollar and change. For that dollar I couldn't have asked for more. A short and sweet game that serves as a comfort food sort of game. Something not too difficult but still largely enjoyable for how long it lasts. Compared to previous Yoshi games I would say this is my second or third favorite. The crafted idea is used to great with the many varied stages here. It could use more varied music though.
8. Fire Emblem Three Houses – This is a game that I feel could rank much higher if a few things were changed about it. Mainly the fat needs to be cut on this one. As of now I have not finished my first playthrough because of fatigue shortly after the time skip. I enjoyed this game more than Birthright/Conquest, so that is a positive. The characters are vastly improved and made less of the one note caricatures in the 3ds games. The story and setting are a lot more well done here. The new additions to the gameplay like the gambit system and multi-break monsters are worthwhile. I feel mixed thoughts about the Monastery. I enjoyed the idea of customizing the students through managing their classes, but it outlives its welcome at a certain point and leads to the game being more inflated then it out to be.
9. Afterparty – Oxenfree was a pleasant surprise and had both great dialog and the atmosphere of the island going for it. Afterparty still has the great dialog and deliver from the voice actors but is missing a little bit in terms of compelling gameplay. The drink system has interesting potential but is underutilized here, although I appreciate the unique lines it delivers.
10. Yo-kai Watch 3 – I enjoyed Yo-Kai Watch 1 but I couldn't finish it back when it was out. I did not enjoy Yo-kai Watch 2 nearly as much as the original. I think from what I've played of Yo-Kai Watch 3 it is probably the best of the trilogy. Plenty of Yo-Kai to play with and the system of switching playable characters offers more variety to the setting and the ability to try out multiple Yo-Kai parties at once.
11. The Outer Worlds – I was able to play this game through Game Pass, but it didn't really click with me from my first play session and I haven't really returned to it since. I think I felt some things like the dialog system were a little dated, but I feel it is worth coming back to this at some point to give it another try when I have more patience.

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[lazerfox]

T'was a good year and 2020 looks even better.

1. Disco Elysium - One of the most unique games to come out since forever. The writing is just unbelievable good it's stellar.
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - I dare to say that I like it even more than Dark Souls. Without the RPG elements the combat just boils down to "your sword and your skill". Defeating a boss after several tries just feels rewarding like nothing else.
3. STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order - Respawn are such good game designers they actually managed to make me invested into Star Wars. I still don't like the movies but this game is just pure fun.
4. Beat Saber - Again I don't really care about Star Wars but I'm not gonna lie, playing Beat Saber makes you feel like some sort of badass musical Jedi. Custom music is what really kept this game alive for me throughout 2019 after it left early access.
5. Red Dead Redemption 2 - I haven't played too much of it yet, but what I've seen so far the story telling is just out of this world. Rockstar outdid themselves yet again.
6. Life is Strange 2 - Incredibly impactful story that resonated with me even more than the first one. I'm glad they didn't continue the story of Max but instead made a new journey with Sean and Daniel.
7. Greedfall - One of the surprises of 2019. While not perfect, it really has everything that I liked about former Bioware games. I hope its success means Spiders can do something even more ambitious for their next game.
8. Destiny 2: Shadowkeep - Not as good as Forsaken but Destiny at it's core is still amazingly fun. I'm hopeful that it laid the groundwork for an amazing 2020 expansion.
9. Gears 5 - This is just a fun ride from beginning to end. Unlike others, I really liked the new open world areas. Driving around with the skiff allows you to relax for a bit which does wonders for the pacing.
10. DiRT Rally 2.0 - Not really much to say. If you like Rally there's nothing better out there. The feel of the cars is unbelievably realistc and the stages are both beautiful and challenging.

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[Frunkalicious]

1. Devil May Cry 5 - Finally, the king of action games makes its great return. And what a glorious return this game is. Might just have the best combat of any game, ever. Not only a joy to play but beautiful to look at aswell. This is nothing short of a perfect game in my eyes.
2. Risk of Rain 2 - I was a fan of the first game, sure, but this is something else. What a fantastic game this is and addictive as hell. This really is Risk of Rain but in 3D and it translates so well. I've played it almost daily since the console release. Speaking of which, some might argue that this is a early access game but I bought the retail release for PS4 back in November and there is no word of 'early access'. Besides, I must've put in atleast 30h since. Safe to say, there is enough content for a full release already even though I can't wait to see whats next.
3. Valfaris - I'm a huge fan of Slain but after playing Valfaris I'm happy the developers went with another type of game. This game is so good on so many levels. I know I'll be replaying this game many times.
4. Blazing Chrome - A long awaited return of Contra. They really nailed everything that makes a good Contra game. This game was instantly put in the eternal rotation.
5. Wreckfest - A folkrace videogame? Hell yes! I'm so happy a game like this gets made. Excellence all-around.
6. Control - Great gameplay and atmosphere. Haven't played a Remedy game since Max Payne released way back when. Looks like I'll have to remedy that, heh
7. Samurai Shodown - Beautiful reimagining of a long lost franchise. I hope this is a sign of things to come from SNK. This game is a treat!
8. Wolfenstein: Youngblood - Played all the Machine Games' Wolfenstein series this year and had a blast with the latest co-op entry. What stands out other than the obvious RPG elements and co-op is the fantastic level design. Great game.
9. Shakedown: Hawaii - Didn't expect to like this as much as I did. What stood out the most was the great writing. The whole business satire works really well.
10. Mortal Kombat 11 - MK keeps getting better with each game, not only graphically but especially in regards to gameplay. Despite some microtransaction bullshit, this is probably the best Mortal Kombat has ever been

Most disappointing: Dead or Alive 6 - I'm happy one of the three active 3D fighting game franchises got another installment, but it is hard to not be disappointed, especially coming in after the great DoA5.

Biggest turd: Contra: Rogue Corps - Another shitty Contra. This game is Contra only in name. It might even be worse than 1996s Legacy of War, especially if judged by today vs then. How did this even get released?

All in all, it was a great year for me. Still have a couple of games to play but I know I'll be coming back to the excellent top 5 for many years to come.

On a side note, I love this thread and the ones that came before it. Probably the best place on the interwebz to sum up the year of games.


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[Rivyn]

I might as well jump in!

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: One of the finest 'git gud' games I have ever played. The adrenaline release of finally beating a boss is unparalleled.
2. Resident Evil 2: Nothing comes close to Capcom's true action/horror games. This remaster is absolutely phenomenal.
3. Days Gone: Great game with quite a good story and excellent support from the devs. Nothing comes close to the feeling of beating a horde.
4. Luigi's Mansion 3: One of the best couch coop experiences I had in a long time. My GF and I had an absolute blast playing this.
5. Borderlands 3: It does nothing truly new but what it does it does amazingly well. The gunplay feels great and the main story is fun and long enough.
6. The Outer Worlds: Obsidian just shows how to make a fun RPG without a huge ass budget. Bethesda can learn a thing or two.
7. Devil May Cry 5: This game went a little over my head. I played it and I could appreciate the great gameplay, but the level design was 'meh'
8. Metro Exodus: So much better than Metro 2033 and Last Light. It looks phenomenal and plays incredibly well.
9. Apex Legends: I find it amazing that the devs of Titanfall could make such a game in a market where Fortnite was dominant. This is just miles better.
10. Rage 2: Some might think I am crazy for putting this here. I find the moment to moment gunplay just so thrilling that it absolutely deserves a spot in my top 10.

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[TheHyde]

1. Metro Exodus - This is the game I put most hours into in 2019 and what I enjoyed the story better than the rest. The new more open areas were a great change of pacing, but there was also plenty of the claustrophobic stuff as well. I hope this will not be the last Metro game.
2. A Plague Tale: Innocence - Was the best surprise of the year, great story, nice atmosphere, decent gameplay as well. Look forward for the next game from this team.
3. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - It has it's issues, but still the best single player SW game for ages. They have a nice platform to build for the sequels.
4. Judgment - Got this as a gift, first "yakuza-style" game I ever played. Second biggest surprise of the year. Was really good for the most part, have to say if a sequel is made it is a must buy.
5. Dirt Rally 2.0 - Well, it is only the best racing game currently. What else is there to say. Not too fond of the money-grabbing DLC practises of Codemasters though.
6. Death Stranding - This is a tricky one, it has some of the flashes of old Kojima brilliance, but on the other hand it can be mind-numbingly boring. Also the gameplay is not on the level of MGS's and such. Still, a bold move for first game from Kojima's own studio, have to respect that.

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[Mandos]

,

Click to shrink...

You need to bold your game titles if you want them to count

 

[medyej]

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - An amazing experience from beginning to end. Fromsoft merged their expertise in world design with top tier action game mechanics and some stealth roots to create the ultimate ninja experience. Final boss is one of the most memorable in gaming.
2. Resident Evil 2 - This is how a remake should be done, paying homage to the original while being it's own thing.
3. Devil May Cry 5 - It took 10 years but it finally happened it and it was amazing. The time has come and so have I.
4. Astral Chain - Fast, frenetic action with new interesting mechanics that explore the 'summoning' area of action games. Great Platinum stuff.
5. Outer Wilds - A beautiful game that lets you explore the galaxy and uncover mysteries. Anytime someone talks about the 'feeling of discovery' in a game, this is the high water mark.
6. Control - Remedy finally making the game I wanted them to make since Max Payne 2. Awesome fast paced third person shooting with great abilities paired with an interesting world and universe.
7. Apex Legends - Came out of nowhere and was awesome. Can't say I'm thrilled with how they handled the post launch content but I had lots of great times in this game this year, and the movement and feel of it are still top notch.
8. Gears 5 - Brought Gears back for me. Possibly the best looking game of the year and classic Gears solid gameplay.
9. Total War: Three Kingdoms - A Total War game set in the ROTK times, finally
10. The Outer Worlds - A more compact and constrained modern Fallout style game, and better for it

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[Bosh]

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Possibly Froms best game (Still toss up between this and Bloodborne). I loved every minute of this game, the world they built, the enemies you fight. Once you get the hang of it also you feel untouchable, like a late game Samus in Metroid.
2. Death Stranding - Its a game I am still working on, but after 65 hours I can safely put it at #2. The game is tranquil to play, with the greatest threat the terrain itself and how to navigate. The NPCs have character and the voice acting is phenominal. The game is also quite unique in how it delivers the gameplay and presents itself to the player which was fun to see.
3. Judgment - An alternative game to Yakuza and the new characters stand on their own two feet just fine delivering possibly the studios best story to date. The combat feels good, the side missions are hilarious as ever and I hope they make a sequal to this game.
4. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Fantastic game from start to finish. Its #4 on my list but could easily be #1 any other year. Played 2 houses routes to completion. Characters, combat and story where all told well and seeing how it unfolds through the eyes of another house was very cool. Planning to play the other 2 routes this year.
5. Resident Evil 2 - The environment of the game is so well done as well as the enemies and animations. Had a free weekend earlier in 2019 and went through the game start to finish for both routes that weekend.
6. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Game put a smile on my face and kept it there the entire way through. 100% it and enjoyed it the entire time. Each floor was unique and the puzzles were always fun to solve.
7. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Iggy is back and brought a fantastic game with him. The closet feel to SOTN, its combat and world to explore are well done.
8. Ring Fit Adventure - This game suprisingly can kick my ass and is actually a well done fitness game. It has a huge story I am still working through as well as mini games and custom workouts. Game packs a ton of content.
9. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes - Wrapping up so much of the Sudaverse into one game it takes Travis in a unique topish down approach and delivers a fun game.
10. Wreckfest - I have finished so many races in close to last place after getting pummled by cars. In other racing games thats not fun but in this one the crashes are so well done, fighting my steering wheel at any moment is half the battle and watching my car shatter into pieces is the other half.
11. Super Mario Maker 2 - Great game that will keep getting better. Single player portion is fun and presented in unique way. Online focus for community is where the game shines and will keep shining.
12. Devil May Cry V - Game is a tale of two halfs, the first being phenominal and the second half only okay. While the second half starts to feel a little two similar to previous levels the games combat is a joy to play and see in action the entire way through.

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[DisturbedSwan]

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - One of the finest Action games I've ever played and by far and away the best game I played last year. Experiencing the tight, close duels with the feeling of parrying shots and the clanging metal-on-metal of the sword fighting is absolutely sublime and one of the best experiences I've ever had in gaming.
2. Kingdom Hearts 3 - I watched 20-ish hours of movies from the previous KH games in preparation for this and it definitely lived up to the hype! Fantastic combat and unforgettable worlds along with an emotional climactic conclusion make this an absolute gem for me.
3. Tetris 99 - Was never a huge fan of Tetris before but I seem to really like Battle Royale games so when they combined the two last year I found a new affinity and appreciation for Tetris as a result. Such a fantastically fun, frantic little game.
4. Devil May Cry 5 - Had never clicked with the series before, tried play the original many years ago and DMC4 last generation but just couldn't quite get on with it at all. Something about this game was just so damn fun though, I felt like it was perhaps more playful and accessible than previous entries. Whatever it was, this had the special sauce for me.
5. Pokémon Sword and Shield - Having skipped Pokemon Sun/Moon - believing 'Star' would shortly be released on the Switch - but very much enjoying Let's Go Pikachu last year this would be the first mainline Pokemon game I've played since Y back in 2013. I forgot how fun, how jolly and how charming a place it is to be playing a Pokemon game. The world of Galar was delightful - with the towns of Ballonlea and Spikemuff my standouts - and the usual Pokemon power trip you get towards the end - becoming Champion and saving the world - ensured this was one of the best games I played last year.
6. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Absolutely adored the first two entries to this franchise and 3 is a LM fans dream game really. Everything that made the previous games so charming and fun is back here along with some great new additions, superb cutscenes and phenomenal visuals. Luigi has never looked so good.
7. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair - An amazing platformer in the same vein as recent Donkey Kong Country games whilst taking a few cues from the older entries in the series. A really tight 2D platformer filled with charm, when combined with a fantastic isometric world map filled with even more secrets and puzzles it's a winning formula for me.
8. Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled - As a big Crash fan missing out on this when I was younger has always bugged me. Thanks to this amazing Remake I get to experience the game as if it was 1999 all over again.
9. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - An amazingly tight, difficult 2D platformer. Tons of levels filled with charm and wonder that'll keep you going back day after day. One of my favourite 2D Mario games.
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - An amazing reinvention of a classic. Some events throughout the campaign hit really hard - harder than lots of the recent games - and the campaign feels more focused on smaller moments like infiltrating a house at night than the overblown bombast of some previous titles in the franchise.
    

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[Squirrelised]

1. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - I feel like I could spend over an hour talking about all the minor complaints I have with this game, but in the end, all of that is completely overshadowed by everything it accomplishes. It has my favorite characters, supports and music in the entire series. It has four fully fleshed out routes, each with a great story. It introduces boss units (black beasts), giving greater enemy variety. It introduces battalions, which work really well with the boss units and also make the battles feel more monumental, rather than just a few dozen people fighting eachother. I could go on, but I'll just keep it at that.
2. AI: The Somnium Files - Great story, great characters, great writing, great voice acting. Everything you could ask for in a visual novel.
3. Astral Chain - Platinum-quality action with a new flavor. The highlight of the game for me was actually the postgame missions, the main story wasn't too demanding but the postgame really pushes the combat system to its limits. Also, best art direction of the year.
4. VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action - Comf the game. My only complaint is that it's not longer.
5. Dragon Quest 11 Definitive Edition - A near-perfect execution of the classic JRPG formula. Although that also includes its flaws.
6. A Plague Tale: Innocence - Unlike many others I didn't find the story and characters that amazing (still good though), however the setting is so unique and well-executed that it elevates everything else with it. And hey, it's a game about stealth and escort missions that's really fun. That alone is impressive.
7. Pokemon Sword/Shield - I'm actually happy that Game Freak has gotten as much criticism as it has, because I do feel like they've taken the Pokemon games a little too much for granted. However, I still had a really good time with Pokemon Shield. The new Pokemon are great, and Dynamaxing made gym battles truly a spectacle. I even appreciate how the story isn't just an evil team doing evil things but instead is more focused on your three rivals and their motivations and struggles. It's not gonna win any awards, but for Pokemon standards it's pretty good.
8. Super Mario Maker 2 - I had fun making a few levels, but I got most of my enjoyment from playing other people's levels. If the future of 2D Mario would be just more Mario Maker games with bigger singleplayer modes, that would be fine by me.
9. Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution - Competitive Yu-Gi-Oh sucks. But it's still fun to duel against AI opponents with competent but not ridiculously OP decks, and this game has plenty of that.
10. Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers - I'm slightly cheating with this one because I've not actually reached the Shadowbringers expansion yet, I only just made it to the first credits of Stormblood. But if Shadowbringers is at least half as good as everything else I've played so far, then it definitely belongs on here.

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[Sasliquid]

So it has been a strange year. A lot of good stuff (especially out of Japan) but not a huge deal of outstanding games. It had that 'last year before new gen' feel alright. Found it hard to breakdown the top 4 into a consistent order and I may very well change my mind years down the line.

1. Judgment - The most original? No. The most polished? No. But goddamn if this isn't the best Yakuza-adjacent game since Yakuza 0. The new mechanics may not always work but its weird world, loveable cast and smooth combat meant I enjoyed another 50 hours in Kamurocho like it was the first time all over again.
2. Resident Evil 2 - A near perfect remake and modernization of a game I would have been far to young to originally appreciate. Perhaps the most well-rounded thing I enjoyed all year.
3. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Sekiro isn't for everyone but once its parry mechanics clicks it is one of the great melee systems. Unfortunately it will be near impenetrable for many and I don't think I'll be capable of keeping up with it 20/30 years down the line.
4. Outer Wilds - Extremely imaginative Indie game that taps into the pure joy of exploration and putting a story together. Some frustrating mechanics may hold it back but easily the game I would recommend most on my list.
5. Death Stranding - They just don't make big AAA games like this now (or possibly ever). A must-play experience, just to see if its your thing, with just too many niggles and an overwrought length to attain classic status.
6. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The most accessible Fire Emblem stands out by blending Persona-esque social elements into its gameplay which for the most part work (until the steam runs out in the back half)
7. Devil May Cry 5 - Gorgeous with a fluid combat system this is the best Devil May Cry yet (but it's a series that has not really clicked with me)
8. Jedi: Fallen Order - Respawns apeing of Uncharted, Tomb Raider, Souls and Metroid creates a jack-of-all-trades master of none experience.
9. Kingdom Hearts 3 - Having played through all the KH series this year I think III is a worthy followup to the first two games in the series. It has the most fun combat system and the worlds actually feel alive. The plot may be silly but that has always been the case
10. Control - Another modern, western Metroidvania, Controls sterile environments and sudden ending held it back for me but its clearly more daring than your typical FPS.

Other games I am currently playing that may have made the list if I could finish them in time:
Borderlands 3
The Outer Worlds
Astral Chain

Spoiler: Other Games I Played That I Didn't Like Enough

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Untitled Goose Game
Days Gone
Baba is You
Football Manager 2020
Sayonara Wild Hearts
The Bradwell Conspiracy
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

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[Zach]

1. Control - I'm, like, in the middle of this game and the performance on my Old Xbox One is an old person's bottom, but boooiii is it good. I'm really into it. The art direction is delicious and the story is X-Filesy and the vibe can be Twin Peaksy and I just love it. Hopefully it keeps on keepin' on. Update: Beat it! Game of the 2019 after all!
2. A Plague Tale: Innocence - My longtime close personal friend Skikkiks introduced me to Rat Movie and not even he could've predicted its spiritual tie-in. Colloquially known as Rat Movie: The Game, this -- ResetEra's Game of the Year -- is a Very Good Narrative Classic for Adult Gamerz. Enjoy, America! Update: Control takes home the championship at the buzzer!
3. Death Stranding - 10/10. The Perfect Game. Would play again for 100+ hours.
4. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - My friend Dental Plan made this game alone in his garage and it shows! I had a lot of fun with it, though. Note to DP: Menome is still waiting for her copy in "the post."
5. Guacamelee 2 - I played it on Xbox Game Pass. What a service! What a thrill! What a life! cc: Brian_FETO
6. Resident Evil 2 - It got a little long in that tooth at the end with some monster thang being all annoying on a platform or something. I don't remember. But it was better than that crumb bum Sekiro foolishness that my life partner BiggestGeekEver pretends to like.
7. Wreckfest - I like dirtin' and ridin' and smashin', babe.
8. Outer Wilds - I didn't get very far into this game due to my small brain but it seems quite special. Like, it could be the Best Game of the Year, Actually, but who am I to say.
9. The Outer Worlds - This game was exciting and fun at the beginning and I played it via Xbox Game Pass (cc: Brian_FETO again) but it got samey and lamey and dragged a bit for me even if some of it was my own fault for doing Too Many Thangz. P.S. Parvati is kewl and Ellie's got The Look.
10. Baba is You - Lady and I have enjoyed what we've played but it got kinda hard and who knows if either of us will ever go back. Neat!

Sorry I Haven't Really Played You Much If At All in the Field of Gaming Excellence Award: Untitled Goose Game, Metal Wolf Chaos XD, & Shenmue III (>_>)

God bless.


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[Rokal]

1. Slay the Spire - Slay the Spire is a nearly perfect game and one that I easily sunk 60+ hours into in 2019 and am looking forward to playing even more in 2020. I never feel upset when I lost a run or felt like I wasted my time and I was constantly impressed by the variety in deck building and item/encounters that make every run unique. I did a fair amount of travel in 2019 and this game on Switch or a laptop was absolutely perfect on the go.
2. Control - Control starts off a bit rough, leaving you in the dark as to what is going on and giving you a pretty limited combat move set, but it totally earns the slow way it unravels its paranormal tale and by the end of the game the combat feels like something I dreamed about when reading X-Men comics as a kid. I absolutely loved the presentation and attention to detail in the game too.
3. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne - MHW was my GOTY in 2018 and after I got back into the groove of Iceborne it was very clear that the experience is just as addictive and fun in 2019. Iceborne is loaded with new monsters and variants, a pretty cool new snowy hunting area, and dozens of new outfits for your Palico. The monsters are as satisfying to hunt as ever and MH remains my favorite multiplayer franchise, easily balancing a goofy lighthearted feel and deep exciting combat.
4. Steamworld Quest - Quest is yet another game, yet another genre, in the long series of wonderful Steamworld games. I loved how Quest handled deckbuilding and party composition. Allowing only a small number of cards for each character in your deck makes all of your choices feel really weighty and the game allows to go way outside the holy trinity and do some really weird and fun party compositions that all actually work.
5. Outer Wilds - The way Outer Wilds allows you to self-discover the story and your purpose is incredibly impressive and very well done. I'm not usually into Space settings for entertainment but I loved the planets in Outer Wilds too: they were so varied and wild, seeming totally impossible and yet totally believable in the game universe.
6. Devil May Cry 5 - The combat in DMC5 looks and feels absolutely amazing. The sheer quantity of weapons, characters, and move sets is a bit overwhelming but incredibly impressive too. I'm still not sold on the rest of the aesthetic of the series but I had a ton of fun playing this.
7. Ape Out - The integration of gameplay and music in Ape Out is perfect, with gameplay that feels fast, reactive, and improvisational just like the Jazz music that is being dynamically built as you play based on what you and enemies are going. It's the closest I've had to a gaming synesthesia experience outside of a Mizuguchi game.
8. Gear 5 - Gears 5 is a confident entry to the series after an unnecessary-feeling Gears 4. It covers interesting new ground in the story, is loads of fun to play with a campaign that supports up to 3 players now, and looks amazing and colorful, far from the brown/grey stereotype from Gen 7 that the series came to embody.
9. Grindstone - Grindstone takes well-worn match-3 mobile game design and strips away all engagement/monetization design that plagues the mobile space thanks to being on Apple Arcade. Instead it's simply fun to play. There is a shocking amount of variety between each set of levels and the game is constantly throwing new enemies, obstacles, and equipment your way to keep things fresh. There are even multiple bosses, which seems as crazy now writing this as it did while playing through the meaty 30+ hour campaign in 2019.
10. Remnant: From the Ashes - I like Remnant because it took a multiplayer experience that I enjoyed, that of Soulsborne games, and made it feel like it was actually meant to be played in multiplayer. Since it plays like a shooter you are never waiting your "turn" to attack or be attacked by enemies. Enemies will also attack you at range and combat encounters can take place in bigger spaces with more enemies thanks to the focus on ranged combat.

I should mention that I didn't get a change to play through Sekiro or RE2 but suspect both would have ranked highly on my lists if I did. None-the-less, I played through a lot of games in 2019 and feel really strongly about the list above. Steamworld Quest and Grindstone weren't on the GOTY 2019 spreadsheet from the OP but hopefully the votes still register.


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[John Rabbit]

Honestly I only have it in me to do this for 6 games this year. I played more, but when you have to do things like remind yourself that Bloodstained and Resident Evil 2 came out in 2019, let alone that you played them, it doesn't speak very highly of their quality in my opinion.

1. Destiny 2: Shadowkeep - I wanted to be erudite and cool gamer guy about the list this year, like I did last year and gave #1 to something other than my most played game, but at this point its silly to deny Destiny 2, and it's literal game-changing expansion haven't been the most dominant thing in my gaming life all of 2019. The game is wildly up and down in terms of it's content drops, but Shadowkeep especially introduced new mechanics, resurrected (sometimes literally) old ideas, and touched off one of the best storylines in the series to date. It's also still the best cooperative shooter experience by miles.
2. Outer Wilds - One of the best endings of all time; deeply reminiscent of old PC adventure titles from the 90's; an interactive treatise on "knowledge is power".
3. A Short Hike - I didn't realize how emotional the ending would make me and I'm so happy that it did. A beautiful beautiful beautiful and endearing game.
4. Hypnospace Outlaw - This game has a goddamned "Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music" reference in it and I'm here for that 1000%. A pitch-perfect encapsulation of a time, place and (mind)space that we will literally never see again.
5. Ring Fit Adventure - I talk shit to the enemies in this game while humping the floor (planking). I mean come on.
6. Deadly Premonition: Origins - First time replaying this game basically since it came out and my God does it hold up. Still an unbelievable mess of a game with a surprisingly evocative story and memorable characters. The port performs anywhere between "Wow this is running pretty good" to "Check out this slideshow of a car driving through a town" but overall the higher-resolution and the adjusted difficulty make up for it, right Zach?

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[ChrisR]

1. Death Stranding - I haven't finished this yet, but love almost everything about it. The game looks beautiful and I really enjoy the gameplay and story elements, even if I can see why they might not be for everyone.
2. World of Warcraft Classic - Still love this thing, after all these years.
3. Baba is You - Loved what I could solve of this on my own, not ashamed to say I had to use a guide for a bunch of the later levels, I just wanted to see how crazy the game got.
4. The Outer Worlds - Still need to finish this, but I love seeing this after having an awful time with Fallout 4 years ago.
5. Dragon Quest 11 Definitive Edition - Enjoying the enhanced battle speed and other options this version brings to the game.
6. Ring Fit Adventure - The killer app for the Switch at the moment I think.
7. Super Mario Maker 2 - Would have loved more Nintendo levels.
8. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - I'd probably rank this higher if I had played more of it. I'll grab it at some point this year, enjoyed what I played of this minus the poor PS4 Pro Performance.
9. Eliza - The story is interesting, but this is on my list for the Solitare.
10. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Glad to see a good Zelda game finally arrive on the Switch. Only downside for me was the performance, even in docked mode.

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[SaitoH]

1. Death Stranding - What can I say, I'm one of those people. As ridiculous as it can be, Kojima really has something here, something I would love to see other people expand upon. I played obsessively, building my road and zipline network, maxing out rep with every NPC. I'm excited to see what Kojima does next.
2. A Plague Tale: Innocence - This was a late entry to my list, but I'm so glad I finally played it. An engaging story, good characters and gameplay not focused on mowing down tons of enemies. Couldn't put it down.
3. Mortal Kombat 11 - Though my days of trying to play fighting games competitively are long gone, I still love them; Mk11 was a great single player experience.
4. Days Gone - Though Zombies may be tired, I'm not tired of Zombies. Some pacing issues, but I thought this game was a lot of fun.I enjoyed it from beginning to end.
5. Resident Evil 2 - I should of loved this more than I did. Not sure what's up, because I did really enjoy playing it, but once I finished Leon's campaign I was done. Still, a very well made game.
6. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - This is the only game I didn't finish on this list --which makes its inclusion a bit odd for me-- but it's so well designed. but every time I put it down I had a hard time conviincing myself to continuet. Being a huge Fromsoft fan since Demon's Souls it weird to consider this a dissapointment but there you go.
7. Bloodstained - The only kickstarter I supported and I'm very happy with the results. This is the Symphony sequel I was waiting for.
8. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Very nice surprise .Game felt a bit unpolished, but beyond it's compelling story this game has that speical something that makes it's faults more forgiveable and kept me coming back.
9. Monster hunter Iceborne - MH was one of my favourite games last year and definitely my most played. I enjoyed the expansion but burnt out pretty quick. Pretty quick being over a 100 hours.
10. Life is strange 2 - Though I didn't like it as much as the original , but it was an interesting sequel that goes some interesting places.

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[ActWan]

1. Death Stranding - The atmosphere of this game is something to behold. I just adore the premise and everything around it. And some moments in the story made me almost tear up!
2. Devotion - This game scarred me. What a story...and it's so sad no one will be able to buy it anymore.
3. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Another FromSoft masterpiece...I loved the gameplay so much that I replayed the game about 9 times.
4. Resident Evil 2 - The dark atmosphere is king here. Didn't like all of the changes from the original but a great take on it nevertheless. Mr. X will haunt me in my dreams...
5. Devil May Cry 5 - Best combat of all time, as far as I'm concerned. I just wish the level design was more varied and the story more interesting.
6. Katana Zero - Hotline Miami. That is all.
7. Sayonara Wild Hearts - Gorgeous game, with amazing music, and really addicting.
8. Layers of Fear 2 - Started off as a GOTY contender for me, but I think the ending was somewhat of a letdown.
9. A Plague Tale: Innocence - Nice gameplay, great visuals, compelling story and characters (until the final stretch which I feel wasn't really necessary)
10. Yuppie Psycho - Very cute game. Cool artstyle, very good worldbuilding and story and a lot of memorable moments.

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[Sakon]

1. Death Stranding - I sincerely believe that this is Kojima's greatest work. The writing can get pretty bad at times, but the story is surprisingly heartfelt, and all the actors give a great performance. The gameplay mechanics perfectly reflect the simple message of bringing people together. It is so immersive. I give this game a big LIKE.
2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Great characters, soundtrack and gameplay. The game is pretty accessible toward new fans who are willing to give this niche series a shot. The rewind feature in battles is a welcome addition and allows for experimentation in battle without the constant fear of losing your favorite unit.
3. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - This game really makes you FEEL like a ninja. Arguably the best Souls-like. Not as immersive as the others in terms of atmosphere, but the game has the most engaging combat ever. I love the fact that you can't grind your way to victory. The Mikiri Counter is the most satisfying combat mechanic ever. You must play this if you are a Souls fan.
4. Dragon Quest 11 Definitive Edition - Most fun I had playing a game in 2019. Will only dock points as it technically is not a 2019 game. Play it if you want a JRPG that will make you really happy <3
5. Resident Evil 2 - A great, focused survival horror experience. I only wish the two routes weren't as similar. Going through the same encounters took me out of the experience several times. Still great though.
6. Tetris 99 - Winning in this game is impossible. I love it.
7. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Next Level Games put so much charm into this game. It is beautiful and cozy. I can't wait to see what they make next.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - An amazing game hampered only by an inconsistent frame rate.
9. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - A perfect homage to Symphony of the Night.
10. Gears 5 - Every Gears game improves upon the gameplay. This game feels so good to play. Play through the campaign with a friend.

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[ThatOneGuy831]

I didnt really play a ton of new releases this year but gonna go ahead and put in my votes for the ones I did.

1. Death Stranding - Easily the best game I played all year and possibly the entire generation. I was hesitant going into it because I had no idea if the gameplay of going around and delivering packages to people would be fun, but boy am I glad I was wrong. The team at Kojima Productions managed to make the game fun and interesting to play and the story was pretty good as well. It's the only Playstation game I've played where I've actively tried to get the platinum trophy. The game definitely has its flaws but they are far outweighed by the good things the game does.
2. Resident Evil 2 Remake - Having never played the original game but hearing good things about it, I was excited to try out the game for the first time. I went in as blind as a could before playing it and what an experience it was. The gameplay was solid, the way the map was connected, the enemies were terrifying and the atmosphere was top notch. Cant wait for Resident Evil 3 Remake later this year!
3. Borderlands 3 - A solid third entry in a good series. Played it all the way through with a friend I've known since high school and had a great time with it since the series was the first we had played together. Great game to play with friends.

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[MrHedin]

1. Outer Wilds - Probably about 6 hours of gameplay ago I figured out what I needed to do to trigger the end sequence. I haven't done it yet because I am not done exploring, there are still things to discover. The sense of discovery and exploration from this game is like none that I have experienced in quite awhile (BOTW comes close but not quite), the little "paper" trails that lead to those "ah ha!" or "holy crap!" moments are just so good. Edit - finished and it's definitely top 10 all time for me.
2. Luigi's Mansion 3 - This is the most fun I have had in a game with my daughter. The controls aren't the greatest but just going around and destroying everything together has been fun.
3. Baba Is You - How can a game that's so fun also routinely make me feel like I'm the biggest idiot?
4. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - I really thought this would be a surefire #2 for me but the more I thought about it the more I remember how the second half just drug on too long. I really want to do other playthroughs and see what happens in the other houses but not sure I am ready to put myself through that again.
5. Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition - Its on the spreadsheet so it goes on the list. I imagine 6 months from now it would be higher on the list, just haven't been able to put more than 10 or so hours in. At this point in time its looking like it might be my favorite cRPG ever even while playing on a Switch with a wonky left joycon.
6. Anno 1800 - This might be my favorite Anno game, it's just a well made one of those and something I want and need to spend more time with.
7. They Are Billions - It's been out for a little bit but it officially released last year with a campaign mode so it goes on the list. The campaign is just fine, nothing too earthshattering on that front, but the survival mode remains probably my favorite RTS experience of the last several years.
8. ISLANDERS - Just a fun little city building strategy type game. Doesn't ask too much and has been a nice palette cleanser game this year
9. Super Mario Maker 2 - I had a lot of fun with it when it first came out and then I just fell off it hard. For what its worth this was my daughter's favorite game from this year.

I feel like I'm missing a "new" game but can't remember what it might be. Among old games that would have made a best games played in 2019 regardless of release year list for me would have been Obra Dinn (probably #2), Assassin's Creed Odyssey (#3 maybe?), and Factorio (would have put it just in front of Anno however it sorted out).


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Click to shrink...

Can anyone decipher why Outer Wilds comes out with my whole thoughts instead of just the game title on the vote counter? I have tried tweaking it but can't seem to get it list correctly.

 

[erd]

1. Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers - I've only started playing FFXIV late this year, but I quickly realized it's is more or less everything I want from an RPG - a great cast of characters, an enjoyable story with constantly-expanding world building, deep and engaging gameplay that doesn't get old even after hundreds of hours, a ton of awesome boss fights, and simply the best videogame OST there is. I also really enjoy how focused the game is on co-operative group content and how its game design is focused on making those both possible and highly enjoyable with random people. Playing through all of FFXIV, it was also incredible to see how the game kept constantly improving with more complex encounters, deeper character development, and increasingly better stories. Shadowbringers in particular is really impressive. At that point, the game is already incredibly good but Shadowbringers somehow improves every aspect by a huge amount, easily making it my favorite release of the year.
2. Outer Wilds - The amount of creativity on display on Outer Wilds is unlike anything else I've seen in gaming in a long time. At a glance, the game appears simple: you have 22 minutes before the universe blows up and you have to figure out how to stop it. However, the game is packed with strange planets and complex mysteries, to the point where you can't go five minutes without running into something strange and intriguing. The story is also great. Initially, it appears straightforward and simple but it quickly evolves into something much more. The way it ties together everything that happens in the game, from locations to game mechanics, is really impressive.
3. Sunless Skies - A worthy sequel to Sunless Sea. The main draw of the game is its writing, which is unlike anything else I've seen in gaming, featuring some of the most inventive and imaginative stories of any game. The world itself is a joy to explore. It's packed with interesting towns and places that all have their own unique story to tell, featuring things like sentient stars that control the laws of the universe and a space-faring British Empire. And while that might sound silly, the game does a wonderful job of tying it all together with a heavy atmosphere filled with dread and horror. The game also manages to fix the dreadful gameplay of Sunless Sea, making it actually fun to play.
4. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - While the gameplay doesn't quite reach the high standard set by FE: Conquest the characters, story and music more than make up for it, making Three Houses one of my favorite FE games. For the first time in the franchise, the game actually made me care about every playable character, which is something no other FE game even came close to doing. And while the gameplay itself might not be the greatest I still found myself enjoying all the small tweaks it makes to the core FE formula.
5. Banner of the Maid - An intriguing Chinese indie take on the Fire Emblem franchise that retains most of what makes the franchise great while changing up the formula in some neat ways. The addition of optional objectives to most missions helps with making every map feel challenging and a bigger focus on its weapon-triangle system makes the gameplay feel surprisingly unique. Together with varied map design with some truly outstanding missions this makes for a great Fire Emblem game.
6. Heaven's Vault - I always appreciate good narrative-focused games set in strange settings and Heaven's Vault is exactly that. It's theme of sci-fi archeology is fresh and inventive and is made even better by the vast and deep history of the world in which it takes place. On top of that, the narrative is really good at letting you slowly uncover all that history in a surprisingly non-linear fashion, and there's plenty of small twists along the way that constantly force you to rethink how everything ties together.
7. Slay the Spire - This game manages to distill the fun of deck building in card games into a quick rogue-like experience that still hasn't gotten old for me even after dozens of hours. There's just something inherently enjoyable about seeing your deck slowly come together. There's also a ton of replay value with the game's challenge system and four characters that all require you to rethink how you're going to build your deck.
8. DiRT Rally 2.0 - The sequel to my favorite racing game. It doesn't change anything drastic but it does add a lot of new content and improves the already-great engine from the original game.
9. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - A fun departure from the Souls series, trading the RPG mechanics for a more action-focused experience that retains the series' great boss fights. The combat system really impressed me - it's a huge change from the Souls games that requires you to make some drastic changes in how you approach the game. After getting a bit tired of the Souls combat system this was really nice to see.
10. Mahjong Soul - I enjoy playing Japanese Mahjong from time to time but until now the only real way to do so online was on a platform that wasn't at all inviting to new players due to awful visuals and a rather hardcore playerbase. It just wasn't much fun to be honest. Mahjong Soul fixes this with flashy graphics, a ranking system that's well-suited to beginners, a more casual playerbase, and some decent progression mechanics making it a much more enjoyable experience.

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[endlessflood]

1. Control - The PS4 Pro version wasn't ready for release day and needed to have been delayed for a little while longer: it had the worst performance I've ever personally seen in a console game, and one entire area had a horrific lighting bug. Thankfully these things were improved in later patches I'm told. The combat is an absolute joy, some of the best I've ever experienced in a game, it controls beautifully, it looks stunning, and they nailed the atmosphere. The difficulty felt spot on. The game design with respect to combat was great, everything was designed in a way that forced you to play it in the most enjoyable way. I will say that the characters and story were very good, but could've been even better IMHO. But despite that, I loved it. For me, it stood head and shoulders above every other game in 2019.
2. Ace Combat 7 - Amazing on a technical level and really gave you the sensation of flying. The arcade style combat was perfect. The VR mode was the best thing I've ever experienced in VR. The story unfortunately wasn't as good as some previous AC games, but still a brilliant game overall.
3. Mortal Kombat 11 - I'm a very casual fighting game player who's just in it for the SP experience, and MK11 shows the rest of the industry how it should be done. The microtransaction/grindy stuff was disappointing, but I just skipped it.

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[brink22]

1. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Love that Goigi!

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[Conrad Link]

1. Super Mario Maker 2 - I was a huge fan of the original on Wii U, it was one of my most favourite games on that entire gen! So the sequel had a lot to live up to and thankfully it delivered! I love playing Mario games but had no idea I would enjoy making them this much, even my initial concerns over not having the Wii U Gamepad this time turned out fine and in usual Nintendo fashion they figured out a great way to make the same experience work on a controller. Between all the new elements and tight 2D Mario gameplay, even if you're not a fan of making levels there is just so many good ones made by others to play and enjoy - but to me, making them is honestly just so much fun and addictive. My favourite game of 2019.
2. Pokemon Sword/Shield - After hating Pokemon Sun so much my love for the franchise died quite dramatically, thankfully Let's Go! Eevee last year and now Pokemon Sword this year rekindled my fandom with a really fun Pokemon game! It's far from perfect but the core things I care about (catching/raising Pokemon, filling the Pokedex) are really well done. Honestly some of the best Pokemon designs in MANY generations, with certain ones even being added to my top tier fav list of ALL TIME! I love them! And the OST is surprisingly phenomenal, not really something I associate Pokemon with usually but it's really great! Raid battles are an awesome feature and the Wild Area is such a cool place with so much promise. I just hope they keep with them and develop it bigger and better in future titles to come!
3. Dragon Quest XI S: Definitive Edition - Oh how I have pined for a classic JRPG game but with a wonderful current gen 3D coat of paint. DQXIS delivered and then some! I've always been a FF guy first of all but still collected all the DQ games with a passing interest in actually playing them. DQXI on Switch was the first one I've actually sat down to play 'properly' and it completely consumed me for hundreds of wonderful hours. Now I'm a full on DQ fan! Wonderful characters, wonderful world to explore and a great story to experience all made alive with such beautiful looking graphics. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of variety in the OST, way too much repeats made so many zones just feel the same/lacking individuality. Shocking that a game that has clearly SO MUCH effort and content put into it is happy just half arsing the OST. Anyway, that wasn't enough to ruin what was such a wonderful gaming experience, DQXI on Switch truly turned me from a casual DQ fan to full on super fan. I legit want a Slime plushie!! MERCH ME!
4. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Zelda is my fav franchise in all of gaming and has been since the NES days, so obviously I'm really happy we're still getting top down view ones too, even if they have to be remakes. Link's Awakening was an awesome game originally, and now with such a wonderful new and charming graphic style. I'm really happy we're still getting these 'handheld' entries into Nintendo's big franchises on Switch!
5. Devil May Cry 5 - A true return to form comeback. So many games like this just end up disappointing, but DMC5 actually managed to return after such a long wait and deliver pretty much what the fans wanted. Devil Trigger is prolly my song of the year too! <3
6. Shovel Knight: King of Cards - Had to come and edit my list to add this in, can't believe I forgot it. I finally got my physical Switch copy of Treasure Trove at Christmas and boy is it amazing. I really love Shovel Knight and King of Cards is a wonderful send off to what became a truly special package. Shovel Knight by itself would have been fondly remembered for me but the fact that they kept adding quality expansions FOR FREE - there isn't much else like it in gaming. This game goes beyond 'good for an indie' or 'NES-style retro game', Treasure Trove is just a damn fine game full stop.
7. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order - As Marvel fans my wife and I loved playing through this game together! Even with all the chaos going on and it being hard to know what is happening some of the time haha, there's just something purely pick-up-and-play fun about having a billion characters you know and love already and having access to playing them through a cool story with amazing voice work and great graphics. Then if you really want you can dive even deeper with lots of customisation options etc. I feel it is a little underrated/forgotten, they should have released it during peak End Game hype not later in the year and a few days before Fire Emblem. Oh well, I'm sure it still has many fans. I just imagine a kid looking at even just the cover and having his mind blown with all his favs being in one game!
8. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight - Came out in 2019 for Switch which is where I finally played it after having it on Steam for ages and wanting to play, but I'm just not a big PC guy. Thankfully having it on Switch allowed me to finally experience a wonderful platform adventure with beautiful graphics and engaging gameplay. In a world full of these 'types' of games, Momodora is one of my favs!
9. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - As a complete Souls fanboy of course I'm gonna be into whatever From Software come out with, so Sekiro was well on my radar. Sadly, the game just never clicked with me, I'm absoutely terrible at it (despite hours and hours of trying!) and that really hinders my enjoyment. While I managed my way through it there were parts that were good and I can tell it is really well developed, just not what I was hoping for I guess.
10. Ring Fit Adventure - I never expected there to ever be a fitness game on my top 10 list but Nintendo managed to encororate fun aspects of other games with the 'unfun' aspect of excerise into a really solid package. And they're being rewarded with the game doing really well sales and crictically wise. Both my wife and I play and agree, it's fun and it actually works. Well done Nintendo!

I tend to buy/play games waay after they come out, I'm mostly always just playing/catching up on old games from previous times lol. So I've no doubt games like Fire Emblem, Bloodstained and Resident Evil etc would be on my list eventually.. the above are the 2019 games I actually played in 2019!


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[sandboxgod]

1. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Really loved what Respawn did with this title. Felt like a Jedi. Had a blast playing this game on PC.
2. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order - I play this game every other day still. Marvel vs Capcom Infinite really felt bare bones roster wise and I was just simply craving a decent coop experience with lots of superhero fan service. This game delivers!
3. Devil May Cry 5 - Was so glad to see this magnificent series return in full form.
4. Astral Chain - Platnuim Games is one of my favorite developers.
5. The Outer Worlds - This game was very fun and loved playing it.
6. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - This game was brutal in difficulty for me but felt so good to bring down a tough boss
7. Gears 5 - Really enjoyed playing this game coop. Engine runs great
8. Control - first game I played that had RTX features on a 2080ti. These devs did a wonderful job here.
9. Kingdom Hearts 3 - This plot is nuts but was really fun. I agree on Normal it was a bit easy but was very relaxing and fun. I enjoyed it more than the others.
10. Mortal Kombat 11 - native ultrawide support, lots of content, great netcode, etc. Nuff said there

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[Fina1e]

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - While initially hesitant due to the stripping of RPG elements from their previous titles, From surprised me in the best way possible. The combat in this game is near perfect and eventually mastering it is one of the best feels on this generation.
2. Death Stranding - I admittedly had not played a Kojima game since MGS3, but this game was also a big surprise.
3. Baba Is You - A god damn brain melter.
4. Resident Evil 2 Remake - I still prefer the original, as I think it is still the better game, but the game was good enough to keep my attention all the way through for both playable characters.
5. Total War: Three Kingdoms - I have to give it credit for introducing me to the better entries in the series, but the game is still good.
6. Control - A bit of lackluster gameplay and level design, but the story and art design keep me interested til the end.

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