by reddirect
Thanks to Apple Arcade and more leisure time in my schedule than most recent years, I was able to play a heck of a lot of different games this year, even if only for a brief moment. And yet, somehow, I still feel like I missed so many major releases. I'll never be able to experience everything I want to. That's the tragedy of life, I guess. Scarcity.
What I did play, though, was really fantastic. The year started off a bit slow for me, but it caught fire through September and October. At one point, there were so many big games that I had to make a conscious choice to put off playing Death Stranding. I couldn't find a way to fit it into my schedule. Such overcrowding makes me nervous for next year. March of 2020 looks to be the month to end all months. At least I'll have the rest of the year to make up for lost time.
The following are the games I played in 2019, ranked in the order in which I loved them most.
Showing 1-10 of 32 items
Control is my perfect power fantasy. Not since 2016's DOOM have I had this much, smiled this much, through every second of a game. It's as if it were designed from top to bottom to satisfy my desires. The aesthetic of this empty office building, the telekinetic combat, the world-building uncovered through documents and videos, the PROG METAL MONTAGE that takes place in the final act of the game. Everything, every single component of this game, injects dopamine into my bloodstream. Jesse Faden is a badass woman who is absolutely one of the greatest characters from this year. Her journey is engaging and surprising. Even with all the slowdowns in performance, even with some of the difficulty in maneuvering through the overworld, I never minded. I played this game in a frenzy, earning all trophies and completing all side-content. I read essays about the world on display. I fell in love with the Oldest House and Control this year. Though other games may be technically better performing or deliver more unique experiences, Control will be the one game, the one experience, that I remember more fondly than any other.
Yeah, yeah, everyone's been talking about how great Outer Wilds is. Well you know what? They're absolutely correct. A staggering construction, a scale model of space travel that truly inspired me to look up into the stars and night and consider my physical place in the universe, Outer Wilds rules. The feeling of exploration is a one-of-a-kind experience. Slowly unlocking the secrets of this doomed cosmos was rewarding in a way that games rarely are. I think it's closest parallel to me was The Witness, another quiet game that through its ingenious design demands respect. I couldn't stop thinking about Outer Wilds in the times I wasn't playing it, reviewing essential information and planning out the next planet I was going to explore. Although the movement can be tricky to nail down at first, the highs this game provided are too numerous to count. What a surprise from this year.
I missed the PUBG phase out of circumstance. I didn't have the PC or the Xbox to play it. I missed the Fortnite fad out of choice. As a naturally contrarian person, I just didn't want to get swept up in what all the kids were doing. So, Apex was my first official battle royale experience. It took me probably ten hours of playing before I understood the dance happening here. I think it took Respawn most of the year to figure out who its characters were. But by the end of the year, I think Apex is the most exciting multiplayer shooter option next to Overwatch, and as an Overwatch fan, it's those similar elements between those games that keep me playing. Knowing that I can choose to act as a healer or a scout for my team is supremely satisfying, and it makes the teamwork tolerable. The other essential component here is the smart ping. A perfect system that every game should strive to adapt in some form going forward. I love the way the game has evolved over the course of the year. Seeing the short films to announce the new seasons has been genuinely exciting. The second map is a ton of fun. I hope that ApeLegs continues to build on its identity next year. It's FREE!
How have I gotten to 2019 and have never played a Resident Evil game? Not even 4! I messed around with a demo for Revelations back in the day, but that's it. I have no affinity for these characters or this universe. Imagine my regret on missing out after picking up this inspired remake of 2. RE 2 is similar to Luigi's Mansion in that you're exploring a space and slowly acquiring the means to progress into different areas. All of the time spent in the Raccoon City Police Department is perfect. I love the keys and the doors and the back entrances and the constant plodding of Mr. X. The back half of the game is not fun, particularly some brutal boss fights that seem to require a much more agile character than the one this game has designed. The game looks outstanding, and I'm glad to see the engine being used in DMC and the upcoming RE3 remake. Total surprise, and I loved it. Absolutely will be picking up 3 when it drops next year.
As a kid, I had a wild week where I played through Luigi's Mansion with a friend. I loved exploring the massive house, sucking up ghosts and finding secret cash stashes. Dark Moon was a massive letdown for me. The episodic nature of the game took away the fun of exploration. Thankfully, Luigi's Mansion 3 proves that this franchise has plenty of fresh ideas left in the tank. I can't believe how good this game looks. The Nintendo polish is there. I love the amount of personality that's been injected into Luigi. I even love Gooigi (Guigi?). It's an addictingly fun couch co-op experience, and a return to form for a series that doesn't get enough love.
I think I hate Sekiro. Or at least, I hated myself while I was playing it because I was so bad at it. This game made me hate me. And it made me hate that monkey. And those other two monkeys. And that last boss. Look, I'm no sucker for difficulty. I've beaten Bloodborne and the first Dark Souls. I have it in me to face staggeringly tough challenges. This game was so hard. Unlike in the other Souls games where you can grind out some levels in order to grow stronger, Sekiro requires you to master its combat system in order to succeed. And every boss you encounter is increasingly better than you. I nearly gave up. I nearly set down the game and walked away. But I had to conquer that final boss. And after three days of smashing my katana into his face while simultaneously smashing my face through my controller, I finally won. I then immediately uninstalled the game. Even though I hate Sekiro, I think I kind of love it. No game has ever been more disinterested in my feelings. No game has ever made me leap, physically leap into the air, from the joy of finally overcoming that tricky boss encounter. More than many of the games on this list, Sekiro made me feel. But please tell me that Elden Ring will be easier.
The first Fire Emblem game I've played through since the excellent Awakening a few years back. The tactics here are as good as ever. I don't always love everything they've dumped into this game, because holy cow did they dump everything into this game. But I do love acting as a professor and personally teaching my ragtag bunch of buddies how to do war good. I loved the characters of my house by the end.
That darn goose game sure did come out of nowhere this year and completely take over everyone else's attention for about a month. I love the score and the flexibility that the gameplay provides. Being a jerk goose is supremely satisfying. The goose animates so well, it's amazing. My wife and I had a terrific weekend playing through this together. She's not much for games, so any time she sits down to experience something like this is memorable to me. Love that honkin' goose.
Tetris 99 was the little game that could for me this year. What started out as a completely free little thank you gift for subscribing to Nintendo Switch Online turned into one of my most played Switch games. The grind to win this became all-consuming through the summer months. As of this moment, I've logged 8 Tetris Maximus wins and the triumph from that feeling never feels any less meaningful than it did the first time. I love that they've continued to update this little gem of a game. It's not the transcendent experience that Tetris Effect was last year, but it's pure multiplayer mindset means that I'm always in the mood to hit some lines.
I'm still only about ten hours into The Outer Worlds because the opening to this game is completely difficult and ridiculous if you choose to play on Hard mode. But the writing here is just so good that I keep bashing my head against enemy encounters to try and proceed further into the game. I love the explanation as to why the character creator exists, and the interaction between NPCs is always a delight. I look forward to the dialogue options as much as I do the combat. Well, as of right now, more than the combat. The game does feel a bit like it could have come out last generation, but what's here is charming and enjoyable.
