Now that the start of a new decade upon us, I’ve been thinking about what games stuck with me throughout the last ten years. The 2010’s started with Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. It just ended with the Playstation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch – somewhere in the middle a Wii U entered and left, but we don’t talk about that thing much. Besides these seven consoles, PC gaming took an entirely new stance in the gaming world. Thanks to life-streaming services such as Twitch and YouTube, people have propelled games such as Fortnite, Undertale and League of Legends into massive pop culture icons. While many great PC games released independently, they will likely be over looked in this list as I did not get heavily into PC gaming in the 2010s.

Now, let me share with you the best games I played in the 2010s.

20. Life is Strange (2015)

No other story driven “choose your own adventure” game has impressed me as much as Life is Strange. From its time manipulation gimmick to the soundtrack that I still listen to, Life is Strange has many elements that delight the entire way through. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good story.

19. Yakuza 0 (2015)

While several Yakuza entries released last decade, only one stood out in a league of its own. Yakuza 0 is a serious drama filled with silly side quests.The main narrative focuses on massive crime syndicates duking it out over a plot of real estate. When it starts to get too serious, the game allows itself to let loose. There are several memorable side quests, one of which had me helping a Michael Jackson-like character and a director that resembled Steven Spielberg create a music video. I put over 60 hours into this game by the time it ended, and I still have the itch to go back and complete more side missions and games.

18. Hitman 2 (2018)

Hitman 2 perfected the Hitman formula, while also allowing you to transfer the entirety of the first game into the second. While it is possible to run and gun your way through the targets, the levels are so meticulously pieced together it feels cheap doing so. Traversing through the levels and discovering the many ways to take on targets is where all the fun comes from, and it does become endless. The developers are still adding new contracts and limited time events in such a way that makes it hard to stay away from this game for too long.

17. Little Big Planet 2 (2011)

Cute, charming and enjoyment are the three words I would use to describe Little Big Planet 2. It’s hard to not laugh while playing through this character-filled side scrolling platformer. On top of the main conquest, the game is literally endless due to the millions of user created levels and experiences. Don’t want to play? Create! The creation tools offered here, while seemingly simple at first glance, are surprisingly deep.

16. Beat Saber (2018)

The 2010’s brought consumers virtual reality (VR) to their home, with Beat Saber becoming the game to own for VR owners. It’s a slice and dice rhythm game, where you slice boxes with a laser sword to the tune of music. It may not push VR technology to its limits, but Beat Saber offers a great experience that is fun to play yet difficult to master.

15. Uncharted: Lost Legacy (2017)

While three Uncharted entries debuted in the 2010’s, Lost Legacy refined every mechanic, story beat and set piece into one nice easily digestible package for those both new and old to the series. As someone who has played and enjoyed the entire Uncharted series, I found Lost Legacy to play out like a grand finale for the series. Unfortunately, the game came out quietly. It was heavily overlooked, and it’s a shame, because Lost Legacy is a fantastic experience that does not take too much time to beat.

14. Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

Fallout: New Vegas more than fulfilled the expectations set by its predecessor Fallout 3. Obsidian Gamers created an enormous world for New Vegas, ripe full of character and great stories. Press onward through an epic main story or get caught up in the countless side quest that can engage for hours. Whether joining a gang of Elvis Presley impersonators or assisting a cult of ghouls to get to the moon, the game is an absolute blast to play through.

13. Rainbow Six: Siege (2015)

After an underwhelming initial launch, Rainbow Six: Siege has shown gamers worldwide what a successful “online service” can achieve. In an environment wherein gaming companies want to keep making money past the initial purchase of a game, Ubisoft has mastered the art of community relations, monetization and post-launch support in such a way that many other studios fail to achieve. With addictive and highly tactical one-life matches, Siege is a game I expect to see around for a long time.

12. Super Mario Odyssey (2017)

Just pure fun from beginning to end. A type of fun that big studio games has been missing in recent years. There is no politics, sense of dread or drama – other than that involving Princess Peach being kidnapped. It’s a colorful, bright and fun joyride that just wants the player to relax and enjoy themselves.

11. Divinity Original Sin 2 (2017)

Divinity Original Sin 2 is a challenging strategy RPG, derived from a very successful Kickstarter campaign designed to bring new life into a much older series. Featuring an open narrative filled with player choice and consequence, Divinity Original Sin 2 excels by giving players the authority to proceed at this adventure by their own pace. With an expertly designed world that is easy to get caught up in, Divinity Original Sin 2 is a shining example of what all RPGs should strive to be.

The top 10 Games of the 2010’s

10. P.T. (2014)

Very few games have ever scared me, but I was genuinely spooked when playing through P.T.. This Playable Teaser for Silent Hills, a game that ended up being cancelled, became an early gem for PlayStation 4 owners. It was short, sweet and spooky, and it’s a damn shame that it is impossible to get a hold of now. Thankfully, the big three that collaborated for this project (Norman Reedus, Guillermo Del Toro and Hideo Kojima) teamed up recently for another game: Death Stranding, and while I did enjoy Death Stranding, it only left me more curious about Silent Hills – the scariest game that never was.

9. Civilization V (2010)

Many hours were lost while playing this game. It’s addictive “one more turn” turn based gameplay may turn some off, but it’s strategic real-world inspired mythos kept me wanting to see what the game had for me next.

8. Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Grand Theft Auto has a history of allowing players do whatever the hell they want. Whether it’s stealing a car, going to the strip club or on a murderous rampage, Grand Theft Auto allows the player to play in its sandbox. It’s stark satirical look at our world and over the top characters, created a unique spin of Los Angeles and California. With the games online component, it’s easy to tell why this has become the biggest money maker in entertainment history.

7. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

Every few years a main console Zelda came arrives, and each one has been cherished by many, but Breath of the Wild took a different approach to the formula. By giving players the freedom to explore a dense world at their own pace, without much direction or assistance, Breath of the Wild took the Zelda series to new heights. While seemingly empty at first glance, this reinvention of Hyrule has many secrets, details and fun to be discovered.

6. Cities Skylines (2015)

Whether taking the game seriously or playing it carefree, Cities Skylines is an absolute delight to play. It’s a city building game that puts a modern spin on the SimCity formula, and oh boy is it addicting. Climbing over its initial learning curve provides an overwhelming sense of accomplishment that few games ever offer. Ever city I built became a passion project, fueled by a desire to see the town become a city. Like watching a child grow into an adult, I was proud of every skyline I developed.

5. Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2 (2010, 2018)

The original released with the start of the decade and seemed like it could never be topped. Due to the advancements in technology, animation quality and mo-cap – it would be hard to put the original game in the top 10 decade list. However, its sequel serves as a prime companion piece that expanded on and enhanced every aspect of the original. It’s almost impossible to want to play both side by side.

4. God of War (2018)

Just as I was wrapping up my Mythology class in college, with the final subject covering Norse Mythology, God of War released its self.God of War captured the spirit of the mythology so well, that I became enamored by it’s world. Much like a play, the game focuses only on a small handful of characters that come and go as the story pleases. Featuring extremely tight gameplay, mesmerizing graphics and thought provoking-story from begging to end made this the easiest game to place in the Top 5.

3. The Witcher 3 (2015)

The Witcher 3 provides players the pleasure of experiencing one of the biggest, most-believable open worlds to date. While intimidating at first, The Witcher 3 rewards its players with a wide variety of enemies, expansive quest lines and hundreds of hours of potential gameplay. Rightfully so, CD Project Red has since been propelled into a peerless studio that many gamers are now very fond of.

2. The Last of Us (2013)

Inspired by a viewing of John Hillcoat’s 2009 drama The Road, Naughty Dog set out to create a cinematic story-driven video game. The Last of Us ended up being the result of this project, and after being awarded numerous perfect scores, game of the year awards and high praise from every which direction – what could be said about The Last of Us that hasn’t been said before? This game provides an emotionally tough journey set across the United States, that had me glued the entire time. By its end, I was both relieved and upset. With an eagerly anticipated sequel on the horizon, now is the perfect time to revisit The Last of Us.

1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)

Skyrim is one of those rare games that defines a generation. It’s a simple RPG that anyone can – and should – pick up and play. Its main quest becomes a distraction from the rest of the game. The world of Skyrim is dense and filled with interesting discoveries, making the game feel like it is literally endless. Even with outdated graphics, dull animations and stiff voice acting, Skyrim leads the decade with more charm, character and world than any other game in the 2010s.

Honorable Mentions

There were several games I wish I could have squeezed into this list, but just had a hard time justifying.

XCOM 2

An addicting strategy game that tasks players with the enormous goal of taking Earth back from an alien army.

Stardew Valley

If this list was 21 instead of 20, this game would have landed there. A game where it is too easy to be perpetually immersed. Build a farm, make friends/families and live in a simple virtual world.

Battlefield 3

The best Battlefield to date. It will likely never be topped due to the continuing evolution of live service. This game is still beautiful and fun, but it’s out of it’s prime and the single player slacks.

Journey

An incredible – albeit short – experience that is definitely worth more than it’s low price point.

Dishonorable Mentions

Not all these games are terrible, some of them are quite okay. However, these games have stuck with me as some of the most disappointing games I played. In other words, don’t have high expectations if you ever play one of these games.

Anthem, The Division and Destiny

Each of these games over promised and under delivered. All three are looter shooters, that are supposed to be a grind but rewarding. Instead, they each lacked meaningful content and were plagued by a real lack of quality content. Going into the 20’s I really hope to see a lot less live service games and much more quality games.

Kingdom Hearts 3

After waiting over a decade, Kingdom Hearts 3 released to very little fanfare, and for good reasons. The game just couldn’t live up to its decade+ older predecessor. Whether this game faulted because of Disney or Square Enix, we may never know.

Watch_Dogs

After a pretty impressive E3 reveal, Watch_Dogs quietly released on launch day with PS4 and Xbox One. If it weren’t for this strategic release, I highly doubt it would have sold well. Not sure why or how it has spun off 2 sequels.

Project Spark

Microsofts attempt at a game creation tool. It had a lot of potential and reviewers actually found it to be quite good. However, Microsoft shut it down after just a few short years of support.

Life is Strange 2

Not much to say about this game other than it has little resemblance to its first installment. Weak plot, dumb characters and a lack of consequence made this game a major disappointment.