by slag
So after making a Game of the Decade List for the 2010's, I got the fever to do more. Especially since I wanted to test an assertion I made in the previous list that the 2010's were slightly better than the 2000's for me. Turns out, it's really hard to tell even moreso than I initially thought, 2007-2009 were not quite as weak as I remember them being, though. They were very top heavy years upon analysis (at least for me) so my memory wasn't totally off.
So the 2000's might actually have the edge over the 2010's especially once you get down to comparing around 35-55 ranks. Or it could be that I just haven't played as many AAA 2010 titles to really make this an equal comparison
So let's go back a decade further shall we?
Some notable themes in the 2000's was the normalization and dominance of the 3d/Polygonal gameplay that was just nascent in the 90's. Genres such as FPS and Open world games went from novel and niche to dominant. As well as online multiplayer becoming a larger and larger factor as the decade progressed. It also served as the twilight of the JRPGs. While the genre is still with us today, it's not ever present force it once was. Perhaps as a result of that I found myself playing more and more western developed games than I ever had.
DISCLAIMERZ: Like with any of these lists, there's always gonna be stuff you missed, forgot or just didn't get to play. While I haven't finished everything in this list (nearly all of them tho and nothing less than 75%), these are all games I feel I've spent enough time with to at least feel they deserve placement on the list.
I also already notice major omissions in this list and will likely need to adjust it when I feel less tired.
Inspired by @liquiddragon's best of the 2010's list
https://www.giantbomb.com/profile/liquiddragon/lists/a-top-100-games-of-the-decade-list/366880/
Other lists from me in this series
1980's-Games of the Decade - 1980's (and earlier) (giantbomb.com)
1990's-Games of the Decade - 1990's (giantbomb.com)
2010's-Games of the Decade - 2010's (giantbomb.com)
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I already loved Warcraft a lot by this point and just inhaled the campaign, but then this was the Warcraft my friends started playing a ton to stay in touch. it only elevated another level when we discovered the DotA AllStars mod
I'm honestly surprised how much I love this game, now that I've gotten play through on controller. Turns out, More/better Ocarina of time is something I definitely want to play. It was just having to do the motion control stuff that impacted my enjoyment of it
I don't know what the perfect realization of the JRPG template Dragon Quest(Warrior) created back in the day would be, but this probably came as close as any game ever did. It may not be the most surprising thing ever, but it's gorgeous and it just executes the whole way through. Consistency and high quality thy name is Dragon Quest
I wasn't big on shooters, metroidvanis or Metroid itself (obviously) till I played this one. But then boy oh boy did I get it.
Arguably the last elite Final Fantasy from the golden era of IV-X I was totally in this franchise's thrall when this came out. I expected to be blown away and I was.
Vandal Hearts had already sold me on this genre a gen earlier, so when I got to play SRPG with great style that took advantage of Gen 6 graphics I was 100% down to try it out. Been a Fire Emblem fan ever since.
While I preferred the Ocarina of Time aesthetic, I wasn't one of those people who got pissed off by cartoon Zelda. I thought the cel-shading looked awesome, and I absolutely adored the sailing. I do wish this had 8 dungeons not basically 4 tho
What's a 90's game doing here? Well I'm going by US release dates because I don't play fan translations etc and we didn't get this properly until the ArtePiazza SNES DQ DS remakes. But boy oh boy does this game still have one of the very best stories ever told in games. Really shows you how risk averse, rote and poorly crafted many game stories are even today in comparison.
Damn shame this series died. The Judgement ring was such an excellent JRPG combat mechanic. And the story had a gravitas to it that most JRPGs don't dare to tread these days.
Sometimes you just see something really new and different and you just know it's going to be amazing. That's definitely what Katamari is!