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Hello All! It’s been a little while since I made a game list of different titles. I have been doing a lot of reviews for games this year, but I have also been playing a very large amount of games this year. I have a list of games that I have played and beaten this year on my Twitter timeline. It is located here if you want to see more titles that I have played and beaten besides what is shown here. Titles range from Indies to AAA and there are loads of experiences that I want to go more in depth with, but for this article, I am sticking with my favorite 10 so far. This will include games both released this year and also in years prior. This list will be in no particular order, just my favorites that I want to share. Now, let us get into it.
Game 1: Sayonara Wild Hearts
I completed this journey in the beginning of the year. After reflecting on it for a long while, I can safely say it has taken hold of me and is one of my favorite indie games of all time. The music is so phenomenal that sometimes I still put it on while I am doing other things or even while playing other games, it is that good! The variety of level designs, gameplay variety while also being a music driven adventure game speaks volumes to the creativeness that the team at Simogo has. Games that hold so much creativity and so much variety deserve the same amount of love as established IPs that just rinse and repeat iteration after iteration. I am glad that I finally played this one, even though it is pretty short; it’s sweet.
Game 2: Pokémon Legends Arceus
I said it back in February, and it is still in my top 10 games played this year. I have been a Pokémon fan since the original series and games. As much of a fan I am of Pokémon, I was definitely getting a little sick of the same old thing that the games have become. However, this game… yeah this is in my top 3 Pokémon games of all time. I cannot describe how happy I was with this title where you can go to different areas and just catch them without even needing to battle them. It being part open world also made this game really jive with me. I wish that all of the games in the future incorporate some of the features that were introduced with this one as I think it would make future games even better.
Game 3: A Plague Tale: Innocence
I finished this game in January and I have to say, this game is so fantastic. I have been told by so many people that I need to play this game, ever since it originally released. I finally got around to it at the beginning of this year, and I was blown away. The relationship that Amicia and Hugo have in this game makes it feel like you also have a connection to these characters. The story grabs you and is in fact so good, that I actually had a hard time finishing it since I didn’t want it to end. All of the twists and turns that you learn are so well done and the game seriously is something everyone who likes adventure games needs to play. I am looking forward to seeing what Asobo Studio is cooking up for the sequel that is releasing in October.
Game 4: Horizon Forbidden West
For HFW, I actually played and platinumed this game, which took about 90 hours, and I wrote a full review of the game. After you finish this list, feel free to check it out above. I still believe that this game will be my game of the year at the end of it all, but as the year goes on there are so many games that I could see as toppling this for me, including Xenoblade Chronicles 3. What I said in this review, I still firmly believe, I think Sony and Guerrilla nailed this franchise and expanded on it so much in the sequel that I am excited to see what is next, as the ending of the game hints towards the future and I’m ready for it all.
Game 5: Hollow Knight
Yeah, I am very late to the party, I know. I started this game when it launched on Switch back in the June E3 2018 direct. I just never finished it and so many games kept coming in and I never got back around to it. I definitely think back and I regret that decision; however, I am glad to say I have now finished the game. I am excited for Silksong whenever it does come out, but Hollow Knight is insanely well crafted and polished that I will wait as long as I need to for the sequel. I think every fan of Metroidvania and action games needs to play this title as there is so much to it. Just please play this game!
Game 6: Arise – A Simple Story Definitive Edition
What I will say about Arise: A Simple Story is what I said above in my original tweet. Everyone needs to check this game out. It is such an emotional rollercoaster that hit more than you might ever expect a title would without there being any dialogue. Untold Tales and Piccolo Studio knocked it out of the park with this title, and I think after being away from it for so long, it is a story that will stick with you for a long, long time. It is really that good of a game. A game that makes me cry isn’t typically something I find find anymore and this one made me cry. I never expected it to; but this game is incredibly powerful and is currently in my top 10 indies of all time. I don’t foresee that changing anytime soon either.
Game 7: Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes
Alright, I loved Fire Emblem Three Houses so much back when it launched in 2019 that I played all 4 routes and the DLC, which was about 300 hours total. Now, this game isn’t as big and I have only played one route so far clocking in at 60 hours. I think this game deserves to already be in my top 10 for the year and after I am done with the other routes, maybe even top 3. I am planning on playing the other two routes later on; but seriously this game is something else. I also played and beat the first Fire Emblem Warriors game this year but this one is leaps and bounds better compared to that one. Yes, from a combat standpoint it is a warriors game, but everything else is absolutely a Fire Emblem game through and through. This game is seriously so good, just wish I had more time to play another route in this one before Xenoblade 3 comes out next week, but I don’t.
Game 8: Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
Technically, this is three different games so I am kind of cheating here with this one, but it was released as a single package so I am really not. Uncharted has been a franchise that has always interested me but not one I have really been able to spend time in before now. The first game, I started to see the appeal of the franchise, but I felt it had a lot of issues that I needed to see if the later games would fix; and to my delight they did. I finished games 2 and 3 in the months that followed and I am currently over 1/2 way through the fourth game. I really see why these games are so loved as they have so much in them that make them fun and complex. Naughty Dog definitely created a great IP with this franchise and after these games are done; I am gonna check out their other big IP. The Uncharted 2 is my favorite so far for sure but I know that will be changing extremely soon.
Game 9: TOEM
Like I said above, sometimes games are just copy and paste titles year after year, or iteration after iteration. I can safely say, that I have NEVER played a game like TOEM. This is a creative game that I definitely hope more and more people will check out. New Pokémon Snap is good on switch and is also a photography game, but this game has so much more creativity and fun baked in that I enjoyed this indie adventure more than that AAA experience for some reason. The game is not in color and yeah, that may be off putting to some people but trust me when I say this, it really is so breathtaking in motion. Especially on the Switch OLED; my word is this game something else. I implore you to check out this game if you can!
Game 10: Moonlighter
This one was actually a title that I have been semi-interested in since it launched but for some reason I never dove into the game. I think it was partly because I never liked randomly generated dungeons before I played Returnal last year. Or maybe it was the simulation of running a shop that put me off as those kinds of games don’t usually jive with me. Part of it was I wanted to find a physical copy of the game since physical games are better than digital… sorry not sorry, and I finally found one this year. This game was a delightful surprise that got me more hooked that I thought it would. Definitely worth taking a look at this title as it was a fun time and surprised me. I think people shouldn’t ever judge a game by it’s cover, and this is an example of why I should keep an eye out on more surprises in the future.
There are a bunch of other great games that are in my Twitter thread which is linked above. Some of the other big standouts that are in my list of games completed include: A Short Hike, SMTV, Trek to Yomi, The Unfinished Swan, Triangle Strategy, and SIFU. There are 60 that I have completed so far, but there will be many more games finished later on this year. Who knows if it will change later on, it probably will, but that is the fun of gaming. Not everyone will have the same taste, and that is perfectly okay; but remember to be respectful of other people and their taste in games.
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