My ten favorite games of 2019

My life is about as uneventful as it gets and I do my best to keep it that way, but moving into a new house and then leaving my place of employment after five years to start a whole new job was more than enough excitement for me. This happened all while I struggled with depression more than I have in recent memory, which put a huge damper on what could have been a great year. I want to start these write-ups more positively, I really do, but I’m so tired.

All while that was happening, I still found plenty of time to play a bunch of games. 2019 was jam-packed with new releases, but I found myself in a bit of a gaming slump. I played a LOT this year, perhaps even more than the past two, but not a ton of the big releases spoke to me. Even revisiting old favorites didn’t spark the same enjoyment as usual, meaning it was just as much me as what seemed like a lackluster year for gaming. Despite all of that, I did find a number of games that I connected with, including a couple that really helped turn this year around for me in a big way.

Before talking about the games I did play this year, I wanted to highlight a few I didn’t play but look forward to checking out in 2020: Children of Morta, Disco Elysium, Dicey Dungeons, Eliza, Remnant: From the Ashes, What the Golf?

And as per usual, here is a handful of honorable mentions worth noting.

• Mutazione — A beautiful game about a community with such a rich history that I felt like I was part of a family even after only a handful of hours with them. Can’t recommend this one enough.
• Katana Zero — Gorgeous visuals, an excellent soundtrack, and a clever approach to storytelling elevate this otherwise familiar 2D action game.
• A Plague Tale: Innocence — A surprisingly engrossing title that isn’t quite AAA, but I felt resonated me more than most AAA games I’ve played this year.
• Baba Is You — One of the most original puzzle games I’ve ever played. Even if I found myself stumped more often than not, I can’t help but applaud the creative design.
• Neo Cab — A strong aesthetic and some remarkably relatable characters turn a basic concept into one of the most engrossing games I’ve played all year.
• Eastshade — This is definitely my least played game mentioned here, but I wanted to give it a shout-out because it’s such a pleasant experience. This is an adventure game that doesn’t feel too far off from what you might expect from the Elder Scrolls series, at least aesthetically, but replaces the combat (something that has always been the weakest part of those games) with, well, painting. It’s remarkable how compelling this game is.
• Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to) — Sometimes you just need someone to talk to but don’t have anyone to lean on, which is where Kind Words comes in. Less of a game and more of a tool to provide good vibes to strangers on the Internet, my brief experience with this one really stood out to me. So kick in a few bucks, jump online and send some positivity towards people who might need it. It made me feel okay, and maybe it’ll make you feel okay too.
• Shenmue III — I’m happy this exists.

Now let’s dig into the ten games that resonated with me the most in 2019.

Non-linear storytelling is not something you see in a lot of games, but 2015’s Her Story showed not only how you could pull it off, but how to do so in a creative way that directly intersects with the gameplay. Telling Lies is similar to Her Story in many regards: it presents a large number of video clips to you, the initially unnamed “protagonist,” with the simple goal of piecing together what happened over the course of several months. The big difference? This follows the stories of four central characters and is primarily set up as conversations between them (via webcam recordings) where you only see one side of the discussion. You can easily find the other piece of the conversation with a quick search, but you will never be able to see the back and forth in its entirety.

I can’t say the overall mystery compelled me the same way Her Story did, but I found myself growing more attached to the characters as I watched their relationships grow and fall apart multiple times, learning new tidbits of information with each new video clip. There is never an “Aha!” moment, but there are many small, subtle moments of realization where you are slowly beginning to understand the nature of what is happening. The story itself is nothing particularly exciting if you play it all out in a linear fashion, but by diving deeper into these characters’ lives, you see all of the small moments that could reflect your own experiences. A father reading his daughter a bed time story, someone meeting their partner’s parents for the first time, or two people sharing the experience of watching a movie together long distance. These moments are human and really resonated with me. And as the title suggests, many of these are built on lies, at least to some degree, forcing you into the uncomfortable position of both relating to and at times hating these characters. It’s not without its flaws, but I found a lot to love here.

Even though I mention it as a game I enjoyed my time with way back in 2015, I was incredibly disappointed by Fallout 4, especially the further I am removed from it. The Outer Worlds, despite its many differences in tone and setting, is very similar to a Fallout game. It brought me back to playing Fallout 3 for the first time, a game I consider a personal favorite and one I even revisit every now and again. It was like putting on an old pair of pants that you would never wear outside of the house, sinking into your favorite chair, and enjoying a meal that reflects a simpler time in life. It didn’t do anything truly outstanding, but it didn’t need to either.

This is not a game I will think back on with great reverence years from now, but it had some smartly written characters, memorable side stories, and didn’t overstay its welcome. I completed the majority of the side quests and got an ending I was satisfied with by the 20 hour mark. I don’t always need a sprawling, 100+ hour epic; sometimes I just want something I can still sink my teeth into, but knows when to wind down just before it gets old. The Outer Worlds filled that void for me this year.

Speaking of short, but ultimately satisfying experiences, A Short Hike kind of found its way on my list at the last minute. This is an adorable little game that you can finish in a single sitting and still get a lot out of. Its art style is reminiscent of Animal Crossing, but old Animal Crossing, with visuals that wouldn’t feel out of place in a PS1 or N64 game. It’s undeniably charming, well-written, and is an absolute joy to explore the island and ultimate achieve the main character’s goal. This is one I would urge everyone to try; you might just find a last minute favorite as well!

Ace Combat is an all-time favorite series of mine, and Ace Combat 7 quickly became one of the franchise’s best. It’s ridiculous, engrossing narrative, overwrought with the kind of drama I’ve come to expect from these games was a treat. Its moment-to-moment action and mission design, while at times frustrating, brought me back to the days of Ace Combat 4 and 5 on the PS2. I’m a sucker for the chatter from your squad mates during quiet moments and intense firefights, which always adds a little bit of extra character to a game that is otherwise fairly sterile in its presentation.

None of it is perfect, despite how gorgeous and polished it all looks, but there is something about this series that resonates with me on an emotional level. I’m not necessarily invested in the story, or the characters, or even the specific objectives during missions. I think it’s the combination of all of these elements that makes Ace Combat unique, and AC7 is quite possibly the best of them all.

When I finished the last episode of Life is Strange 2 earlier this month, I felt like I had been hit by a tidal wave. So much of this game builds and improves upon the concepts in the original, telling a story very relevant to 2019 and one that stuck with me more than most moments from the original. The strength of this game lies with the bond between the two brothers, Sean and Daniel, and the choices you, as Sean, make that influence Daniel throughout. Their bond is tested multiple times and in a way that feels natural considering the situation you find yourself in. As Sean, I found myself making choices that had a positive impact on Daniel; I felt like the big brother looking out more for my little brother than myself.

Once you reach the very last decision in the game, you’ll quickly realize it’s more complicated than picking one option or the other as it is also impacted by every choice you’ve made regarding Daniel up to that point. Even if you feel you’re making the right decision in the end, you may have pushed Daniel in a different direction indirectly that will lead to the events going in an opposite direction to what you might expect. It’s a brilliant way to conclude a story that is ultimately about being the best we can be, even in light of truly awful circumstances.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 is so good, folks. This came out at a time when I was at my lowest point, really struggling to connect with any game, new or old. I did enjoy my time with the first Builders game, but it felt…incomplete at times, held back by some mechanics that really turned an otherwise fun experience into a tedious one. Builders 2 isn’t without its flaws (fuck you, Skelkatraz), but this game took me to my happy place. I rarely lose track of time while playing a game, but I felt myself transported to another world here, with hours going by in the blink of an eye.

The thing is, I don’t think DQ Builders 2 does anything particularly amazing, but it’s such a relaxing, stress-free experience that allows you to be creative while also providing you fun objectives to complete along the way. I rarely found myself going out of my way to do anything above and beyond what was required, but that’s because I was enjoying the core loop of the game so much I never felt I needed to. I hope we see a Builders 3 in the future, because I know it will continue to tweak and improve a formula that only seems to get better with each iteration.

As mentioned with A Short Hike, I love a good one-sitting gaming experience, and Sayonara Wild Hearts is exactly that. It’s one of best 90 minute sessions I’ve had with a game all year, complete with what is easily the best soundtrack of the year and visuals that best capture the brilliant imagination of the team at Simogo. I truly can’t put into words what makes this such a special experience, all I can say is you should give it a shot. If you enjoy music-infused games such as Rez, you’ll find a lot to like here.

A gorgeous mix of the surreal and natural worlds collide to create one of the most original games I’ve played in quite some time. Yes, at its core, Control is a third-person shooter with abilities not unlike the PS2 and original Xbox “classic” Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy*, but there is so much more to Control than its central mechanics. The shooting combined with Jesse’s abilities make for undoubtedly fun time, but the real hook here is the world building. It didn’t take me long to believe that The Oldest House has been around for a very long time and the Federal Bureau of Control has seen some shit over the past several decades.

Remedy does a remarkable job of dropping you into this world, one not unlike our own, and just letting the atmosphere of The Oldest House wash over you. Every new room you enter, every conversation you have, every Dr. Darling video you watch, every document you find — it all serves a purpose and none of it feels tacked on. There are sections of this game that are alone better than entire games I’ve played this year. It all adds up to an experience that delivers on everything it sets out to do and I’m already dying to see more of it. In short, it’s one of the coolest games to come out all year (and arguably all decade).

*The fact that I remembered the full title without needing to look it up tells me something is very wrong with my brain.

Capcom took one of the best games in the Resident Evil series and remade it from the ground up, turning it into a title that is not only better than the original, but also one of the best in the survival horror genre. High praise, yes, and here’s one of the main reasons: Mr. X. They took an interesting part of Resident Evil 2, one that I’m sure many people didn’t even realize was there to begin with, and expanded on it, creating numerous moments of suspense just from the possibility of him showing up to wreck your shit. As soon as you hear those loud footsteps, you immediately know to be on your guard. It turned routine backtracking into some of the most terrifying moments I’ve ever experienced in a game.

It isn’t just Mr. X that makes this version of Resident Evil 2 stand out; it really goes above and beyond to retain what made the original so great while also turning it on its side as often as possible. Even taking on your standard zombies presents a new challenge as they sway and shamble around in such a manner making it difficult to line up precise shots. RE2 helped me remember why I love this series as much as I do and gave me all the more reason to look forward to Resident Evil 3’s remake in 2020.

The Fire Emblem series is one I’ve always enjoyed, but never loved, at least not the way many people do. Three Houses changed that all for the better. It features what is easily the best cast of characters in the series’ history and gives you ample opportunities to get to know them, something I know the series has not necessarily lacked, but it has not done to this extent.

This came out right as I was wrapping up my time with Dragon Quest Builders 2, which really helped me when I needed it most, and the timing couldn’t have been better. It gave me another 40+ game to sink my teeth into, one that provided countless hours of memorable moments that will go down with some of my favorite gaming memories of the past several years. If Three Houses is a demonstration of the future of Fire Emblem, I’m all for it.

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Oh, you’re still here? Okay, well I guess it’s the end of the decade, so here are my five favorite games from the past ten years.

1. Wandersong
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
3. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Portal 2

Thanks to all for reading this and my previous top tens! I hope you had a good 2019 and here’s to an even better 2020.