Something went wrong. Try again later

Giant Bomb News

20 Comments

Koji Igarashi's Top 5 Games of 2019

The director of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night takes us through the games he managed to find time for in a busy 2019.

No Caption Provided

Known as IGA to his fans and considered one of the godfathers of the “-vania” genre, Igarashi-san has been designing games since the early '90s. Beginning with his work on Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, a groundbreaking title that’s inspired two generations of game developers since its release in 1997, IGA served as producer and scenario writer for a long series of fan-favorite Castlevania titles.

1. Astral Chain

The action part of the game was done very meticulously. It was especially fun controlling the chained Legion, making the battles really enjoyable.

No Caption Provided

2. Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night & Rondo of Blood

Not only are these two games I was deeply involved in, but the launch was also around the same time as Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night in Japan. It felt like it was fated.

No Caption Provided

3. Slay the Spire

This is a game I bought on Steam after seeing all the rave reviews. This reminds me of the first time I played Magic: The Gathering in English. The way the deck of cards evolve also gives it that Dominion-like quality, which was very fun to play.

No Caption Provided

4. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Although I'm not far into the game yet, I really like this type of game and it's one of those titles where I want to sit back and take my time.

Personally, the romance element is a bit abashing, but the character development and seeing their growth in this series has a consistent quality every time.

No Caption Provided

5. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

The game I put the most time into playing! It was really special to play a game that is very close to my heart. Also, the reason it's on the list is it illustrates that I have not had the chance to play very many games this year...

No Caption Provided