It feels weird to think that pretty much every game that is going to be released in this decade, has been. We’ve done top 10 lists, and talked about top 100 lists put together by magazines/websites, but gaming has changed a lot in the last 10 years alone so what games from that period have you enjoyed the most and which ones have had the most profound effect on you?
Quality
For me, the absolute best game released in the last 10 years is The Last of Us. For me media is all about story, whether that be in books, film, or games, and I feel that TLOU not only had a great one but also presented it fantastically. It’s also very fun to play, which is rather important for a video game! It will live on long with me as something I’ll replay often, which isn’t something I can say for most games.
Emotion
I’ve also been really fond of Telltale’s The Walking Dead, which of course is more of a series than an individual game. The writing is excellent, and the characters are really believable and relatable. It’s been an intense journey watching as Clementine has matured throughout the series, especially having had to make so many difficult decisions in her shoes.
Atmosphere
Again a series, but Metro 2033 and it’s sequels have some of the most depressing wasteland environments I’ve come across in a video game. When you walk through the tunnels you can feel the claustrophobia and the thick, dry air. But when you step outside it’s almost worse, trapped as you are behind the plastic and filters of your gas mask.
Action
I’ve bleated on about Far Cry 4 a lot but it really is just so much fun. This edition boasts (IMO) the best story and locale, but also introduces the co-op mode which took the series to a new level. You can do all the sidequests, free-roam, and community maps with a friend for the first time and this extra layer is what elevates FC4 above the rest.
Replayability
Portal 2 has for me probably had the most longevity of any game released this decade. It’s been installed on my PC continuously for about 8 years now, and I’ll admit I haven’t played it in a few months but over time I have sunk an unnatural amount of hours into it’s community maps. Some of the creations are just incredible, but really any map that someone has put a little love into is a lot of fun to play.
I’d also like to make a special note of two games that I only first played in this decade but were actually released prior; Deus Ex and Bioshock. Deus Ex is an absolute masterpiece, and had I played it at the time of release it would certainly hold a more special place for me. Bioshock really sucked me in, and I felt I lived those few days in Rapture more than I played them.