Whilst Push Square's staff already have ten games of the decade going up on the site going by the inflence they've had on the medium of gaming the past decade...
What are your top ten?
Does Call Of Duty make your list just for the gosh darn fun of it's multiplayer?
Does yout list brim with deep, emotional and meaningful experiences like Bioshock Infinite?
Perhaps the freedom of The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild makes your personal number 1
or maybe burning rubber in Forza Horizon sets your heart (and wheels) ablaze
Maybe you have your own choice of what you think have influenced the past ten years of gaming the most like the non stop mention of Fortnite the past two years?
Have fun discussing! I'll be sure to include my own thoughts later on!
This was really tough to come up with. This is my list, which I reserve the right to modify in the future and is based solely just on unadulterated bias — just by reminiscing on the time invested, emotional impact, thrill of the experience, and overall pleasant memories:
10. Persona 4: Golden
9. Portal 2
8. Bloodborne
7. Tomb Raider
6. Bioshock Infinite
5. The Last of Us
4. Skyrim
3. Mass Effect 2
2. Shadow of the Colossus
1. Red Dead Redemption
A few that would have made the list just barely miss out because they were released at the close of 2009 and would be disqualified, even though they were played by me within the decade: Uncharted 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Hard list to design, but this is as good a list of my ten favorite games this decade as anything else.
For the record, this is a personal top ten. I... don't really care what influenced what, personally.
I also don't really limit myself to mainstream titles.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf - The most relaxing game I've ever played.
Corpse Party - Best audio design in any horror game I've ever played. Also the best representation of classic J-horror tropes I've seen in the medium.
Cuphead - Addictive action-platformer with perfect controls and a genuinely awe-inspiring aesthetic.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony - While I might appreciate the narrative of Danganronpa 2 more, I really liked the bold way V3 deconstructed the intricate mythology previous games had built up. Also, the sheer amount and quality of post-game content is on another level, and it's hugely rewarding for long-time fans.
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age − Definitive Edition - I've never smiled this much playing a game before. It's so charming. Yet it's equally effective at plucking the heart strings, and it has some of the best pacing and classic JRPG game design I've ever seen.
Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan - The EO series at its most ambitious and accessible.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The greatest open world game I've ever played, and it finally evolved the series' formula in a meaningful way for the first time since the late 90's.
Rayman Origins - A tight, satisfying platformer that is almost perfectly executed. Also one of the prettiest 2D games ever made. Also a much more coherent and satisfying experience than its sequel.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse - SMT at its mechanical and narrative best. While the presence of anime tropes have made it a controversial entry in the series, and it lacks the atmosphere of its immediate predecessor, I really appreciated most of the changes Atlus introduced in this entry.
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward - A mind-bending puzzle adventure that would be nearly impossible to do justice in any other medium. Uchikoshi's magnum opus combined horror, philosophy, and science-fiction to create something utterly memorable.
1 - The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile
2 - Superhot
3 - Oxenfree
4 - Transistor
5 - DMC4 Special Edition
6 - El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
7 - Tomb Raider 2013
8 - Deus Ex: Human Revolution
9 - Mark of the Ninja
10 - Blur
Honourable mention goes to Ninja Gaiden 2. Yeah I know it came out in 2008 but it's the greatest game ever made and is my GOTY every damn year!
Hadn't seen you here in a couple of days @Ralizah. Glad you're ok
And it's a pretty great list you've got. I've wanted to play four titles especially from your list of Cuphead, Breath of the Wild, Zero Escape & Etrian Odyssey.
Don't worry mines a personal top ten list too and I'm certainly not factoring influence into mine either. Just thought I'd add it as those games of decade articles are causing an awful bit of discourse in the comments and some might wany to talk about the medium as a whole being pushed forward... Or dragged backwards
Mass Effect 2, Shadow of the Colossus, Red Dead Redemption, Tomb Raider or The Last of Us.
I haven't played any of those @Th3solution. I suspect any games of a decade I could take part in of the 90's, 00's and 10's I'd have a bunch of great titles missing from a bunch of different platforms. There's far too much to play! 😂
A nice list @JoeBlogs of some quality mainstream megahits. A shame to say like I said to solution, I haven't played half of them (Though I'd like to)
@Shigurui I have absolutely no clue what "The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile" is. For the name alone I've got to go have a look.
A very nice and varied list!
Been a long time since I've heard Killzone 3 be mentioned. Don't think I played past the intro myself @redd214.
A very varied list too, especially with just dance there!
Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy lol yeah I know it seems kind of out of place! No other game franchise has brought the family together like just dance. Both my wife and I have huge families (30,40+ people at Thanksgiving/Chistmas/Birthdays etc) and it's something that brings everyone together and that everyone can play. Some of my fondest gaming memories are from that.
Killzone 3 was the first FPS I got really really good at the Multiplayer so that also holds a lot of weight for me despite the games flaws overall.
I'll update this and add to this list as I think on it/am not at work.
Currently I can actually only think of 3 definitive games that were actually from this decade in a personal top ten list. Plus I've still not played stuff like the Last Of Us, God Of War, Resident Evil 2 remake... There's so many I've missed over the years!
3. Dragon's Dogma
I really enjoyed this title. By no means is it the greatest game ever and by the time I feel happy with this list it'll probably be near the bottom of the list from it's podium spot (It already went down from second as I've thought it about it)
But sometimes a game just needs to be a game.
Where else can I be a magic archer, shooting explosive detonating bolts into the wings of a griffin, jump onto as it ascends into the sky and and carve into the bolt to explode, causing the beast to topple to the ground as it's wings are set alight?
Not many that's for certain.
Sure the pawns could do with a zip on their lips at times and there's not a whole lot of story there.
But Goblins hate Ice and Fire both Arisen! And I could do with another adventure into Grand Soren...
2. Hollow Knight
To be honest it's mere millimetres above my number three.
Sure the atmosphere and cryptic lore are in a similar vein to Dark Souls.
But my first Metroidvania might already be my best.
The lovely and simple artwork and wonderful designs, paired with the deceptively simple combat that only grows with the rather fun charm system and gained abilities with a number of tough and unique boss fights.
A wealth of content with some dialogue a year on I still remember quite clearly that gives me chills
"No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering."
It's definitely worth the price of admission of £12/$15.
1. Dark Souls. The whole series in fact!
Are you surprised? If you know me by now you shouldn't be. Dark Souls is my best of the best. The absolute cream of the crop for me the past ten years. The whole series even (Even the redheaded step child to fans that is DS II)
An absolute treat from top to botom (even with that dreaded framerate drop in blight town) No game series has honestly engaged me so such the past few years.
Whether playing offline solo or kindly helping others beat that one tough boss I'll always enjoy this series.
The variety of builds and weapons means I can always try something new.
The terrific fights set to fantastic music that really help make them into an event.
The lovely art direction that helps the mediocre graphics rise up to more lofty heights.
& Putting together lore like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that'll make me smile in satisfaction when it all comes together means I'll always have time for this series with another playthrough.
Potentially new games could come in and change most of this list... (my first impressions of Divinity Original Sin II could very well shake this podium up already) But DS is not going to be topped no matter what. It'll always be my number 1 😁
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy - Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is the sequel to Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. They were made by the same guys that made Salt & Sanctuary. All great games. While I'm here I'm going to sneak in another game to my top 10...
11 - Dust: An Elysian Tail
I can't believe I missed this from my list. Not only is Dust an incredibly good Metroidvania game, it was made by one person, Dean Dodrill, the guy is an animator by trade and taught himself to code just to make the game. Absolute legend!
It may seem a touch out of place to most @redd214 but it's important to you for a very good reason. I can't imagine dealing with that many family members. The fact it's brought you all together is by far one of the best reasons for it to be an addition to your list!
A nice list @KratosMD and I'm not surprised at a few entires such ss Persona 4 , Trails Of Cold Steel or Death Stranding.
You have me curious though. What was the game series that Danganronpa put you off?
Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"
God of War
Astro Bot Rescue Mission
The Witcher 3
The Last Guardian
Pikmin 3
The Witness
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
The Last of Us
Fez
Splatoon
AA and Danganronpa barely even scratch the same itch for me. With that said, I think AA does a few things better. For one thing, it does a great job of creating an expanding cast of characters that interact in interesting ways in the broader AA universe. I particularly realized this in the most recent game, Spirit of Justice, when seeing characters like Maya and Larry again felt like being reunited with old friends, something that I've NEVER experienced with Danganronpa. Additionally, the characters realistically grow and progress in their lives: Pearl was a teenager dealing with issues you'd expect a teen girl to deal with, Maya went from the funny little teen goober in the first couple of games to a responsible, nearly 30-year-old woman who was assuming responsibilities for her clan. Edgeworth is busier thanks to all of the responsibilities he has taken on as district chief prosecutor. Phoenix is middle-aged and, like in the previous game, training up a new generation of lawyers to take his place when he eventually retires. It goes on and on. Additionally, throughout the series, you follow, not only the individual lives of these characters, but the way society adapts to changing laws and controversies as a whole, which also deeply affects how they live their lives.
Disagree entirely on the character development side of things, too. AA's characterizations are more grounded and nuanced, while still giving a strong impression of what these people are like.
Individually, I prefer Danganronpa games (primarily DR2 and V3), but, as a franchise, I can't say that Ace Attorney is weaker.
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Thanks! Responsibilities, family members dealing with medical issues and requiring assistance, etc. have made me less active online recently.
Dragon's Dogma is a game I've wanted to try for a long time, but it just feels like it's never a good time to get around to it. Much like Witcher 3. Just like with Witcher 3, one day I'll need to buckle down and dig into it.
You always manage to find such pretty promotional art for each game!
You've definitely got a preferred 'type' of game, it seems: gritty, fantasy-based action RPGs with a focus on exploration, combat, and obscure lore.
As to my favorite games... well, my tastes are somewhat niche, I reckon, but I'll defend my selections to the death.
@KratosMD Fez is a weird one, the lovely graphics and utterly incredible soundtrack really helped elevate it but it also came along at the right time for me. There wasn’t much else out on PS4 at the time, and it had cross play so I could play it on Vita. It was a weird time in my life as I was just getting to grips with a new job, and was using the train a lot at the time. I had a lot of fun code breaking and I’m proud to say I figured out a lot of the really hard puzzles using my own noggin and a pen and paper. If it came out now, I doubt it’d get a second look from me honestly.
That’s why I’m looking forward to PS5. Hopefully the limited software options around launch will focus my mind a bit and get me giving games the attention they deserve.
As for Max Payne 3, some of the key scenes have stuck with me since launch and I’ll take it any day over a third person adventure like Uncharted or Last of Us. I really liked Max Payne 2, but I don’t feel like you need to have played it to enjoy 3. Max is basically a washed up alcoholic still not really getting over the death of his family, it’s all you need to know. I’m not the kind of guy who has to play or watch stuff in order though. Actually I quite like being a bit confused by certain elements of a story due to not having seen previous instalments, then if I enjoy what I’ve seen I’ll go and check them out. In fact, turning a dumb film on half way through can make it a lot more interesting. You’re half watching what’s happening and half trying to figure out what the hells happened so far 😂 Try it next time Tokyo Drift is on or something lol
I can see why you might like Danganronpa over Ace Atorney from that description @KratosMD
Though... from your description of the cases being a one night stand I'm now imagining you waking up to see Ace Atorney just putting it's trousers on and trying to make a sneaky exit whilst you were snoozing 😅
No worries @JoeBlogs! Certainly wasn't intended as a form of dig or looking down my nose at you or anything was just the one thing I could say that really binds your list together.
It's a good list and I really do need to play the others on your list that I haven't touched.
Downwell is pretty fun but I'm awful at it... especially on my phone 😂
Dragon's Dogma is a game I've wanted to try for a long time, but it just feels like it's never a good time to get around to it. Much like Witcher 3. Just like with Witcher 3, one day I'll need to buckle down and dig into it.
Dragon's Dogma is like the polar opposite to Witcher III @Ralizah. All gameplay near no story (til the end where the little story it has all comes together weirdly in a rather neat though predictable way) 😂
The Witcher 3
Red Dead Redemption 2/Online
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Mass Effect 2
GTAV/Online
TES Skyrim
Horizon Zero Dawn
P4G
The Last Of Us
Final Fantasy XIV ARR
It seems that I'm a sucker for massive open world games. It's all good.
Dragon's Dogma is like the polar opposite to Witcher III. All gameplay near no story (til the end where the little story it has all comes together weirdly in a rather neat though predictable way) 😂
That actually sounds lovely. While I love my great story games, there's something very satisfying about an experience that you just... play. While I will defend its controversial approach to backstory development, I feel like the lack of intrusive narrative elements was one of the big things that appealed to me about BotW. The gameplay feels like the story, if that makes sense.
Thinking about it, the embeddedness of narrative via gameplay is something you might also appreciate about Etrian Odyssey. The mainline games have very little in the way of cutscenes or pre-developed characters. It's you and your guild of adventurers exploring a labyrinth and completing side-quests while optional dialogue, quest descriptions, etc. gradually fill in a picture of what the world around you is like. EO V also has these lovely little D&D-esque adventure logs where you'll stumble across scenarios in the labyrinth and have to make choices in the moment that sometimes affect how your exploration will go down the road (or, more often, lead to immediate results).
@KratosMD Definitely not. Maya/Pearl are like old friends that I might loan money to and reminisce about the old days with. Junko is the objectively bad influence I'd nevertheless end up going to prison for because she's charismatic enough to get me bound up in her delicious insanity.
I dunno, I feel like, especially when it comes to the newer games, AA gives you ample time before the cases are established and during investigation segments to get to know the characters. Over the course of several games, and as you expand on their backgrounds/personalities, you start to feel like you know them.
But I get what you mean. You don't have the daily life aspect like in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Danganronpa, etc. where you live, work, and learn around the same people from day-to-day. It's different. I guess the Danganronpa approach just resonates with you more, which I can understand.
One thing I really liked about SoJ (and, to a lesser extent, T&T) was how, in those games, most of the cases felt relevant to the main plot in some way. The entire game was an incredibly organic experience. A bit like Danganronpa, actually.
Something I think AA generally does better is having an elaborate final case that gathers various plot strands together to create something akin to a narrative epiphany. Granted, no AA game will ever have anything similar to the destabilizing nuclear explosion that was DRV3's final chapter, but I'll submit that Bridge to the Turnabout (T&T Case 5) and Turnabout Revolution (SoJ Case 5) are better final cases than anything in the Danganronpa series story-wise. They're just superb, and do such an amazing job of connecting disparate pieces of information across their respective trilogies to create something truly epic. While it's less remarkable, I feel like this was also done well in the original Ace Attorney with the DL-6 incident and the intertwining fate of Miles Edgeworth, Phoenix Wright, Maya Fey, and Manfred von Karma.
DRV3 did that in the sense that it nuked the series' weird mythology and world-building in order to drive home certain artistic and existentialist themes, but that's a very different approach.
I guess I'd say I think AA games have better stories, but DR games are more thematically fascinating. Also, DR games are more consistently excellent. Even my least favorite one is miles better than Justice for All (which truly is a game of nothing but one-night-stand cases) and Apollo Justice.
Ultimately, though, I love both series. It's a pity that Danganronpa is over, but I really appreciate how it went out with a bang. I wish more creators loved their creations enough to set them on fire like that.
I don't have an overly complicated list of games, however I do have some I'd love to share.
These are listed in no particular order.
-Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
-Animal Crossing: New Leaf
-Mass Effect 2
-Diablo 3
-The Last of Us Remastered
-God of War
-Destiny
-Doom
-Rocket League
-The Witcher III
I'm honestly not too familar with Breath of the wild to make a comparison.
But I'd honestly say they're not alike as there is a main plotline, side quests and stuff @Ralizah in Dragon's Dogma.
There's just something about the execution of Dragon's Dogma's storyline though.
I'm not quite sure what it is... but it feels very loose and not quite lackadaisical... but very carefree I guess.
Like you end up in the main city and you have to do some quests to gain favour with the duke to advance and there's four you can pick from.
One is there's a castle that's been besiged by a hoarde of goblins.
If you haven't been there already you'll either have to take the quick route through some nearby mines that are filled with ogre's otherwise you'll have to go the long way around with a bunch of bandits and the likes.
There's a very minimal fast travel system too (At least at first but it's still very limited) so you'll have to go by foot and in turn get lost in the gameplay side if things.
There is narrative elements there like you'll eventually meet the soldiers sent there to retake it... but the game doesn't take itself too seriously as a whole? OR it does but it's a bit cheesy about the whole thing?
I dunno I know that was kinda waffly but it's pretty hard to express in words the exact tone it's going for and I probably haven't really explained it well at all...
The combat was done by the Monster Hunter and Devil May Cry teams (I think the guy who leaded Devil May Cry after the first also directed this) and I think it shows.
There are huge enemies like Griffins, Ogres, Golems and it does feel like a bit of an event when you come face to face with one even when you can carve though a chimera like a hot knife through butter.
Plus the nine classes have some flashy moves and the whole grappling/climbing system is a lark too. There's even some stategic elements at play, like I said in my original post of setting a Griffin's wings alight to stop it from flying or attacking a cyclops in it's eye which'll blind but enrage it
The day and night cycle is really neat too. You need a lantern to legitmately see a few inches in front of you at night otherwise it's pretty much pitch black. Monsters switch locations too and new ones come out at night...
... It can surprise you when you're sticking to a road that's rather safe at night, only for a chimera to leap out from the darkness of night or a bunch of zombies pop up from the ground.
And then there's the pawn system. Your cusomisable NPC buddy whom you can create with adjustable behaviour tactics... and you can hire other people's Pawn's too to make a party of four. Suprising nobody has tried to replicate/improve upon this really as it is quite unique.
Again It's quite difficult to put into words why I like this so much other then I find the gameplay really solid and enjoy exploring it.
There is a story and main quest, but for most of the game it's threadbare and just sort've there and not that important til the final few missions and the postgame where it suddenly ramps it all up and weirdly explains it all, wrapping it up in a neat little bow.
Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"
@kyleforrester87 Yeah, as I was thinking about my list of games, it’s hard to form something without either recency bias or rose-tinted nostalgia. We will remember the recent games better and therefore give them more credit since they are fresh in our minds, or the opposite occurs where we conveniently forget all the weakness of past games because our remote memories are geared to blot out the negative and focus on the positive.
In the end, I just had to go with which games impacted me the most emotionally.
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Topic: Your Top 10 Games Of The Decade
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