PlayStation games of the decade: From tears and fears to doggos

Jennifer Locke

from Latest from Android Central on 2019-12-20 14:30 (#4WVRX)

We take a look back on some of the best, worst, and weirdest things to happen in games over the last decade.

The 2010s sure flew by, didn't they? 2020 is almost here, so the Android Central gaming team decided to sit down and discuss some of our favorite games, characters, and more that graced our lives over the last decade. Some picks were easier than others, and a few strong voices managed to get nominations onto the final list. Take a look at what we loved (and didn't) over the last 10 years in gaming, starting with the best PlayStation 4 exclusives.

Decade in games retrospective

1. Horizon Zero Dawn

This pick was almost unanimous across the entire team. While this open-world title from Guerrilla Games hooked us in with robot dinosaurs, it kept us playing thanks to a breath-taking, tragic, and ultimately hopeful story about the overuse of technology, corporatism, and climate change. The game's lead, Aloy, exudes everything about the game's themes. Her determination to rise above her station and do her part is drenched in optimism. In the year 2019, we're faced with an unknowable future, and the game reminds us that we can still conquer and rise above it all. It's a beautiful game that will keep you entertained for hours with lush landscapes but will stay with you even after that excitement has waned. It's just short of a masterpiece. - Carli Velocci

2. The Last of Us

Naughty Dog created one of the most emotional, impactful, and unforgettable adventures with The Last of Us. Post-apocalyptic media is usually rife with meaningless action sequences and little story to care about, but The Last of Us bucked the trend - creating an intimate narrative while still keeping tense enemy encounters when appropriate. It was hard not to get invested in Joel and Ellie's lives, and that we care so much for these characters speaks volumes to how well Naughty Dog wrote them. When you combine that with gorgeous graphics, beautifully-crafted levels, meaningful combat, and a fully-realized world you'll understand why The Last of Us is one of the best games ever made. -Jennifer Locke

3. God of War

With God of War, Sony Santa Monica reinvented an iconic character and rebooting him for a modern age. It took a hyper-violent warrior and forced him to confront his own fears and memories while trying to raise a child. This father-son story follows a weary warrior into an unfamiliar world drawn from Norse myth, bringing Kratos once again into conflict in a way we did not expect. Incredible combat, stunning visuals, and a harrowing story backed by spectacular performances are all here, making this one of the PlayStation 4's top exclusive games. Oh, and this game introduces the Leviathan Axe, which can be thrown and called back to your hand in one of the coolest gameplay mechanics ever. -Samuel Tolbert

4. Marvel's Spider-Man

Getting a good superhero game hasn't been easy and getting a good Spider-Man game was a long time in the making. Sony used its license to one of Marvel's biggest stars and commissioned a PS4 exclusive, and after what seemed like an eternity it finally arrived and boy was it good. Every detail of Marvel's Spider-Man delivers. First, there's the open world of Manhattan, beautifully recreated and populated with bad guys, landmarks, easter eggs, even the Avenger's Tower. Then there's the web-swinging, one of the notoriously bad parts of Spidey games since Spider-Man 2, which Insomniac absolutely nailed. While the looks and the mechanics are easy to praise, the story should never be forgotten. It's so well written that you'll laugh, you'll cry, and then you'll wish this was in the MCU. Packed with drama and classic villains, Marvel's Spider-Man is easily one of the finest games to come out on PlayStation in the last 10 years. -Richard Devine

5. Bloodborne

FromSoftware made its name with the Dark Souls franchise, but this is another shining masterpiece in its portfolio. The game forgoes Western fantasy and trades it for a gruesome, gory, Gothic atmosphere that is the very manifestation of the word "dread." As a Hunter, you can wield all manner of Trick Weapons and firearms against werewolves and other Beasts as you hunt through the streets of Yharnam. Appearances are deceptive, however. As you delve further into the night, you'll find that madness and insight into the unknown are irrevocably linked. What seemed simple gives way to all-conquering horror, and what seemed like mere flesh is something beyond all understanding, ripped straight from the nightmares of Lovecraft. If you are in the mood for a difficult, dark game, this PlayStation 4 exclusive is well worth grabbing. -Samuel Tolbert

6. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

It can be hard to wrap up an iconic series and create a satisfying conclusion for some of the most beloved characters to ever grace PlayStation, but that's what Naughty Dog did in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Nathan Drake went on one last adventure for the sake of his brother to find the long-lost treasure of Henry Avery. The cinematic set pieces and action sequences the series was known for were out in full force, and the platforming and puzzle-solving were as fun as ever. Once you picked up the controller to start the game, it was difficult to put it down. Naughty Dog ensured that longtime series fans weren't let down by how it all ended. -Jennifer Locke

7. Until Dawn

This was a contentious pick. The horror title from Supermassive isn't scary enough for some and might be too scary for others. It might be messy, have some problematic depictions of mental health, and spawn moments of pure frustration. However, there's no denying that Until Dawn did the choice-driven game better than a lot of its peers circa 2015. It gives you a plethora of characters to either fall in love with or hate, along with actors like Hayden Panettiere and Rami Malek putting in top-of-the-line performances, but then goes the extra step of putting you in charge over whether they make it out of this supernatural slasher movie alive. This opens the door for a lot of replayability, with even the tiniest of decisions affecting the larger outcome. A game where the choices actually affect the story? Few titles have done it better. -Carli Velocci

8. Journey

Words and dialogue tend to be the backbone of nearly every story. But not Journey. It takes a special skill to tell a narrative through just visuals, and it's a good thing the art direction here was expertly crafted. Thrown into a vast desert with only a lonely mountain looming in the distance, you begin the titular journey. The mystery of what awaits is enough to entice any player forward, and you'll come into contact with the remnants of a long lost civilization that was left to fade away. Your journey doesn't have to be solitary, though. You're able to run into anonymous players to help you on your quest, even if you can't communicate verbally. -Jennifer Locke

9. The Last Guardian

The Last Guardian was in development hell for so long that no one thought it would ever come out. While it may not have lived up to every expectation set for it, The Last Guardian has a lot of heart and soul where it counts. Everything in this game only serves to strengthen Trico and the boy's bond, so much so that Trico could remind you of your own childhood pet. The story told means nothing if we aren't attached to the characters in some way, and The Last Guardian delivered on that spectacularly. -Jennifer Locke

10. Ratchet & Clank

One of the first games I played growing up was Ratchet & Clank on my friend's PS2. The nostalgia I have for it alone makes it hard for any sequel to top. So Insomniac went down the right path by developing a reimagining of sorts instead of a true sequel. Ratchet & Clank (2016) is how you should reimagine the original. It's like looking through rose-colored glasses. It's not a remake by any means and much of it is different from its predecessors, but the feeling I got when playing it brought me right back to my friend's living room all those years ago. And that's what a good reimagining should do. -Jennifer Locke

Honorable mention: P.T.

P.T. wasn't technically a full game, hence the honorable mention, but it made a huge splash when it dropped on PS4, arguably one of the largest of any game on this list. P.T., which stands for playable teaser, was released by Hideo Kojima as a way to reveal Silent Hills, a game that seemingly had everything horror fans could've asked for but was canceled before we could see it. P.T. isn't available to download anymore, which is a shame for a lot of reasons, but mainly because it's an extraordinary horror experience. You're stuck in a never-ending hallway haunted by a ghostly woman named Lisa, and to escape you need to uncover the mysteries of the family that lived in that home. It's tense, atmospheric as hell, and quickly became the inspiration for future horror games. That last fact alone makes it one of the most important games of the past decade. -Carli Velocci

Decade in games retrospective

Worst things to happen to gaming

If you need a palette cleanser after this, please go on ahead to our list of the best things to happen in gaming.

1. Gamergate

2014 was the start of Gamergate, but problems had been brewing way before that. Since I started in gaming back in 2012, there was always a sense of unease in regards to being a woman in these spaces. Despite a lot of powerful voices leading the way for women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized groups, there was always the idea that gaming was a boys club hidden behind a padlocked door. I saw colleagues get forced out of the industry due to harassment way before Gamergate, but that event was just the biggest of its kind. It got covered on the mainstream news. My parents knew about it. If there was a locked door before, people were now armed with fire, willing to do whatever it took to protect it.

Gamergate was never about "ethics in games journalism." It was, first, about a jilted ex-boyfriend getting revenge. Then it became about the protection of the so-called old guard of games, this idea that games weren't political and that they belonged to one group. It was people being threatened by the outspoken and marginalized, and responding with force - everything from vague harassment online to death threats, swatting, and stalking.

The effects are still being felt today. I know people who still can't go to conventions without fear, or who don't speak up online thanks to anxiety stemming from Gamergate and similar events (again, this wasn't anything new). The term "gamer" still causes some on our staff to feel uneasy. It may have been over five years ago, but it still lingers, proving that despite movement towards inclusion in both development and media, we still have a long way to go. -Carli Velocci

2. Developer crunch

Developer crunch ruins lives. The truth behind the practice is appalling. Employees are either forced or coerced into working what can amount to over 100 hours in a single week, not even taking a moment for themselves. They'll sleep in the office and forego meals to save time. The working conditions are deplorable, and some developers have even had to check themselves into hospitals after long bouts of crunch. However much you love a new game, nothing is worth that kind of sacrifice it took to make it. This is only one of the many reasons that such a large number of people burn out of the games industry. It's toxic, it's unhealthy, and it's sadly the norm still. -Jennifer Locke

3. Tencent

Tencent is doing what it's supposed to. As a mega-corporation, it's buying up stakes in companies and making more money. It has its hand in multiple industries, but for this list, let's talk about how it impacts gaming. It owns Riot Games, has a huge stake in Epic Games, and minority stakes in Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, Paradox Interactive, and so many others. The amount of power it has in gaming is undisclosed, but the potential of it highlights a looming issue in games and across media.

China has been a growing power in economic spaces, but its authoritarian government and anti-democracy views makes it a reluctant member for many. We can't trace every instance of pro-China nationalism in games to Tencent, but watching both Riot and Blizzard take stances against those expressing Anti-China views is disturbing. Plus, watching Tencent buy up companies like Supercell raises concerns about oligopolies ready to streamline gaming. It'll continue to be a huge player in the next decade, but is it what we want? -Carli Velocci

4. Loot boxes/microtransactions/pay-to-win

Video games are more expensive to make than ever, and developers need to make their money back somehow. That's where microtransactions come in. What could have started out as an understandable means to fund new projects quickly got out of hand. While you can defend some cosmetic microtransactions, it's become a terrible trend to nickel and dime customers for everything that should have been in the game to begin with. And there's no justification for loot boxes or pay-to-win mechanics - they're downright predatory. That many are aimed at children makes them even more disgusting. You can argue all day whether loot boxes constitute as gambling (and they would be if not for some loopholes), but that we're even having that discussion shows just how bad the situation has gotten. -Jennifer Locke

5. Electronic Arts

EA is the grim reaper of video game publishers. Under its wing, EA has closed a couple of dozen development studios, the most recent notably being Visceral Games. It hasn't killed off BioWare yet, but it's clear as day that EA has done no favors for the former RPG king. Just look at Mass Effect: Andromeda and the state of Anthem. EA's insistence on using the Frostbite engine has done more bad than good. Throw in all of the controversies surrounding loot boxes and microtransactions, primarily in Star Wars Battlefront II, and it became a surprise when EA released a good game. That's just sad. -Jennifer Locke

6. Riot's gender discrimination lawsuit

A 2018 Kotaku report opened the floodgates on Riot Games' culture of sexism and harassment. The studio was seen as a boy's club that didn't respect the women who worked there, many of whom left because their jobs became untenable in that environment. This report led to a lawsuit filed against Riot Games that the company recently settled ($10 million was to be paid to women employed by the company over the last five years). It appears to be one of the largest settlements for a gender discrimination case in California history. Strides are being made to amend the work environment, but it's a work in progress. -Jennifer Locke

7. Always online games

Where to begin when talking about the bad bad bad trend of always-online games? How about this? YOU CAN'T PLAY THEM IF THE SERVERS ARE DOWN. Just in the last few weeks, huge titles like Destiny 2 and The Division 2 have endured lengthy downtime where players are simply unable to play anything. They paid good money for a game they can't play, and that's what makes it such a bad trend. Whether you have no internet connection yourself or the servers are farting, your hard-earned cash is sitting there in an investment you can get no life from.

It isn't universal. For example, Microsoft allows you to play Forza Horizon 4 offline, albeit without all the features, but that's fine - there's something to play. However, games like Destiny, The Division, Ghost Recon, all big hitting franchises, are virtually unplayable if something is offline. The lack of offline gaming is infuriating and sadly it'll only get worse in the next decade. -Richard Devine

8. Bethesda

Bethesda is a classic example of living long enough to see yourself become the villain. What was once a studio that could do no wrong in the eyes of its fans has found itself under a lot of harsh criticism. First, there was it not releasing games ahead of time to critics. Then came the disappointing Fallout 4, which was only the beginning. It really came to a head with the disastrous launch of Fallout 76. After "apologizing" for its release, along with a lot of promises left unfulfilled, Bethesda only went and made it worse with the laughable Fallout First subscription membership. The developer is a hollow shell of what it once was and only continues to screw up. Here's hoping it can get its act together over the next decade. -Jennifer Locke

Decade in games retrospective

Best things to happen in gaming1. Unionization advocacy and efforts

Video game workers are often exploited. They're forced to crunch on games for weeks, sometimes months, without overtime pay, can be laid off or fired from jobs without severance, and are often not eligible for benefits from their employers. These aren't just reports from one company. It's an industry-wide problem, so workers are looking to do something about it.

Over the past couple of years, unionization efforts, like Game Workers Unite, have been ramping up. Public conversations and internet campaigns have become much more common as workers look to fix the issues plaguing the industry. There hasn't been anything concrete yet, but seeing so many people attempting to fix a systemic issue or looking to openly talk about them is a huge step in the right direction. If we love games (and we do) we must treat the people that make them fairly. A union is one way to make sure they're protected. -Carli Velocci

2. Push for greater inclusion

We're nowhere near a point where the games industry can pat itself on the back for greater inclusion and representation, but we're slowly getting there. It takes time. The last decade has seen an increase in the amount of minority representation across several communities. We're seeing more LGBTQ+ characters; we're seeing more women; we're seeing more disabled characters; we're seeing more people of color. For any pitfalls that some studios may stumble into in their efforts for diversity, I'm happy to see (some of) them truly trying. -Jennifer Locke

3. Push for more disability/accessibility features

Games are for everyone - or at least, they should be. Unfortunately, they're not always designed that way. That's why we're glad this last decade has been marked by an uptick in accessibility features so that no one is left out. You have in-game settings like colorblind modes or the ability to remap buttons on your controller. Subtitles are becoming the norm. The Xbox Adaptive Controller is a thing that exists, and I wouldn't have expected it years ago. This is another area where we still have a long way to go, but with organizations like The AbleGamers Charity (founded in 2004), the future looks bright. -Jennifer Locke

4. Extra Life really takes off

Extra Life may have been founded in 2008, but it's really taken off over the last 10 years. Extra Life is a fundraising event that anyone can participate in that raises money for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals), which provides 32 million treatments to children each year. The event has raised over $50 million in donations since its inception, with all proceeds going directly to the hospitals, by having people team up and play games for a 24-hour period every year. It's become a tradition to get people from across the gaming world together for a good cause and it works. -Jennifer Locke

5. Games Done Quick raises money for charity

Games Done Quick started off the decade by hosting its first charity marathon on January 1, 2010. Since then the semiannual speedrunning event has raised over $22.5 million, much of which went towards the Prevent Cancer Foundation and Doctors Without Borders. Special speedrunning marathons have also been held to raise money for relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey and the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami. A community banding together can do a lot of good. -Jennifer Locke

Decade in games retrospective

Best gaming twists and surprises

Please note that the following page contains spoilers.

1. Joel's decision in The Last of Us

Throughout The Last of Us, players get to know Joel and Ellie. They see them do brutal, harsh things to survive. They see them help each other survive. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that when the Fireflies needed to carve into Ellie's skull for a fungal sample to try and find a cure, which would kill her in the process, Joel's reaction was...extreme. He'd grown incredibly close to the girl. She essentially was his daughter. So he kills every last Firefly in his way, rescues Ellie before she undergoes surgery, then lies to Ellie about what happened when she comes to. Her response? "Okay."

Fans have debated the ending of this game since release, and even Joel and Ellie's voice actors are split on their opinions, but there's no denying it makes for a riveting, shocking final act to be remembered. -Samuel Tolbert

2. Recovering the Blades of Chaos in God of War

When Atreus falls sick in God of War, Kratos is tasked with grabbing the heart of a creature in Hel. But the powerful Leviathan axe is completely useless in the land of the Nord dead. To enter, he solemnly takes a journey back to his house, while the music and atmosphere take a dark, foreboding turn. Kratos is taunted by the spirit of the long-dead goddess Athena. He has to confront his sins, but he manages to do so, retrieving the Blades of Chaos, the weapons of the Greek God of War and a remnant of what he once was and a monument to the atrocities he committed. The way the story weaves this moment is simply fantastic, doubly so as it introduces a completely new weapon and gameplay mechanic late in the game. Whether you are familiar with past God of War games or not, it's absolutely chilling. -Samuel Tolbert

3. The entirety of Spec Ops: The Line

Shooters, whether third or first-person, tend to handle war clumsily. Spec Ops: The Line didn't shy away from the subject. Players were made to deal with their thoughts on how war is treated as an entertainment commodity. Spec Ops used its interactive medium to its advantage. You're not just watching morally ambiguous decisions being made on screen; you're the one that needs to make to them. There's ownership of your actions in a way that you can't get from passive experiences. I don't think anyone expected Spec Ops: The Line to tackle war this way, but the industry is all the better for it. -Jennifer Locke

4. When Ted Faro was the worst in Horizon Zero Dawn

I can usually figure out a plot twist or a reveal way before the surprising moment happens, so much so that my husband doesn't let me guess things when we're watching a show or playing a game. However, I did not expect Ted Faro to be such an asshole in Horizon Zero Dawn. I already hated him for being the idiot who allowed his dangerous AI machines to be used in the military and then get out of his control and go on a rampage destroying the world. However, I didn't expect him to delete all of the knowledge in the APOLLO archive and then murder all of the Alphas in charge of saving humanity (I seriously got so emotionally invested when they all were asphyxiated in that room).

What I love about this twist is that while I wasn't expecting it, it perfectly fit into the story. Faro's actions are caused by a mental breakdown because he's tormented by his role in destroying humanity. In his psychotic state, he concludes that giving the new humans knowledge of their ancestors will only cause harm. -Rebecca Spear

5. Booker is Comstock in BioShock Infinite

Alright, storytime. I love BioShock: Infinite. I've played it from start to finish three times, across five years. It's beautiful, fun to play, and the characters are a ton of fun. This game is frequently on my best games ever list when recommending to friends. Yet somehow, and I'm telling you this as honestly and seriously as I can manage, I forgot that Booker and Comstock were the same person from different points in the timeline. That twist, the big twist from this end of this game, had completely disappeared from my brain. When it came up in the meeting where we decided which twists went on this list, I audibly said "Booker was Comstock? I don't remember that" and everyone proceeded to mock me, which I deserved. Anyway, this game is great and that twist is very good and I should probably take a vitamin or something before I forget my kids' names. -Russell Holly

6. The end of Inside

The second title from Playdead is both like its predecessor, Limbo, and a beast all its own. It's creepy and mysterious, counteracted slightly with some challenging puzzles and great platforming sections. However, what sticks in the minds of most of the people that played it is that ending. After traversing through a series of dystopian settings, and running into some monsters along the way, you become the monster - a giant, disgusting ball of flesh fused with other bodies. You spend most of the game trying to escape the sickness that seems to have infected the countryside and the experiments that adults seem to be performing, only to find you can't escape it at all. However, you can do something about it, which makes the final sequence so impactful. -Carli Velocci

7. Every route in NieR: Automata

There's no spot in NieR: Automata that quite beats all the other spots for how shocking it manages to be. In Route A, players are introduced to the world and the cast, with androids 2B and 9S taking center stage, with mysterious A2 off to the side. In Route B, you see the same story played from the perspective of 9S. As you nearly finish, what follows is nothing short of a bombardment of twists: 9S has been killed by 2B in the past, multiple times, for knowing too much. Humanity didn't survive.

Then comes Route C, D, and E, where 2B dies, more lies of Yorha are revealed, and then everyone and everything dies. It's not the end though - pod companions 042 and 153 offer to try and restore the three androids. A grueling shoot-em-up ensues where the player fights the very credits of the game and is eventually overwhelmed. Upon being assisted by other players, you eventually triumph. The three protagonists have another chance at life and you, the player, can choose to sacrifice your save data to assist someone else. It's an incredible, haunting moment that redefines the very nature of the fourth wall in gaming. -Samuel Tolbert

8. That death and its effects in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons has a unique twist that ties in with the game's narrative and game mechanics. Players explore this world as two brothers, Naia and Naiee, and you control each brother with only one side of the controller. Each has his own specific set of skills based on their age, size, and fears that you utilize to complete various puzzles. It's a clever game mechanic that lets you experience the game in a new way - that is, until Naia, the older brother, is killed. Not only do you lose a pivotal character, but the game also forces you to use only half the controller, the part that controls Naiee. This simple design is an added punch in the gut and a heart-wrenching twist that truly makes you feel like you've lost part of yourself with Naia's death. -Sara Gitkos

9. Gone Home being happy and not spooky

When I first saw the trailers for Gone Home before its release, I didn't want to play it because I thought it was a survival horror game (I thought the same of Firewatch, too, but I digress). It's amazing how marketing can paint a vastly different picture than what the actual game is. And where the developer could have taken the easy road to end it on a sad note, Gone Home is actually happy and hopeful at the end of it. That's not something that can be said for a lot of other LGBTQ+ stories, unfortunately. -Jennifer Locke

10. Doki Doki Literature Club is not the dating sim you thought it was

This is less of a note on Doki Doki Literature Club and more about the state of visual novels over the past decade. Doki Doki is just one of many that utilize the medium to only then subvert it. Hatoful Boyfriend used the absurd notion of dating birds to tell a serious tale about war while Amnesia, a more straightforward dating sim on the surface, used the replayability inherent with the genre as a plot point. Doki Doki is in another league: a (spoiler alert) psychological horror game masquerading as a cutesy dating simulator. The game starts off innocent enough, but in its second act, one of the characters you can romance becomes self-aware and starts messing with the game. It then becomes something else entirely. The game is free and only a few hours long so if you haven't played it yet, be sure to check it out. -Carli Velocci

Decade in games retrospective

Best new IP1. Horizon Zero Dawn

Sony dominated with new IP this generation, and one of the very best was Horizon Zero Dawn. It seamlessly blended elements of a long-forgotten society wiped out by a calamity with elements of a futuristic world that the current society can't quite grasp. Hulking robotic behemoths roam the land, and, honestly, coming across one of the larger ones feels like that scene out of Jurassic Park when Dr. Grant sees the Brontosaurus. Guerrilla Games knocked it out of the part, and I can't wait to see what the future of this series has in store. -Jennifer Locke

2. The Outer Worlds

This was the Fallout: New Vegas sequel we were waiting for. Best of all, it sets up a new world for us to get lost in. Obsidian's follow-up lives up to a lot of expectations. The dialog system is varied, the characters are charming, and the quests set up an ambiguous system for the player to get lost in. What we loved about The Outer Worlds, most of all, is all the potential for going even further. It takes place in a colonized solar system in the future run by corporations and we play the people just trying to survive in it. That opens the door for a lot of dark humor, but also new sci-fi stories. We're excited to see what comes of this new IP. -Carli Velocci

3. The Last of Us

I'm a sucker for horror games and anything zombie-related, so it's no surprise that when Last of Us came out, I fell immediately in love. This game delivers a top-notch story, excellent voice acting, vibrant environments, and a world gone to hell thanks to a fungal infection that essentially turns people into zombies. The original game arrived in 2013, followed a year later by another story-driven DLC in 2014 that only made the world and the story better. It delivers a world I still want to know more about, characters I am (irrationally) attached to, and even some replayability. Best of all, we're finally getting the second installment in the Spring of 2020. -Jen Karner

4. Rocket League

It might seem odd to include Rocket League when so many new IPs came out, but bear with us. Rocket League's importance in cross-platform play can't be understated. It was one of the first major titles to support gameplay between consoles and PC, and it led the push to make cross-play an industry standard. We're not there yet, but we wouldn't be nearly as close without Rocket League. Even when you don't consider any of that, it's still a hell of a blast to play. -Jennifer Locke

5. Dishonored

Arkane made a name for itself with the Dishonored series and continued to prove why the studio excelled at immersive sims with its sequel. From the industrial whaling city of Dunwall to the Mediterranean-inspired Karnaca, the world that Arkane created oozes character out of every pore. The world around you reacts to your actions and you really feel like you're changing the course of the game, for better or worse. With so many paths to explore and powers to use, you'll need to complete several playthroughs just to experience everything Dishonored has to offer. -Jennifer Locke

6. Destiny

Since 2014, Destiny has been one of the biggest games on the planet. It's had some low points, but the team at Bungie reinvented the game just enough to keep it moving forward and beloved by its players. Both Destiny and Destiny 2 have continued a story that is epic in scale, that spans planets and time, and has soundtracks that blow me away every time I listen. Now that Bungie has branched out on its own, it has the freedom to take the Destiny franchise to new heights. Destiny 2: Shawdowkeep has ushered in a new era for Destiny, and firmly planted it has one of the greatest MMOFPS of all time. -James Bricknell

7. Control/Alan Wake

When we got Control from Remedy Games in 2019, we weren't expecting it to tie back into the studio's earlier new IP, Alan Wake, from 2010. Somehow, Remedy managed to surprise everybody by not only creating a great new title but by also setting up a multiverse of spookiness. Control is a fascinating horror-inspired action game with incredible world-building, a mysterious antagonist, and a range of cool powers to play with. However, when you pick up that first document with "Bright Falls" mentioned, or when you find Alan Wake hiding in a secret area of the government agency at the heart of the game, you realize that it's all bigger than you thought. With new DLC set for 2020, including one that seems to promise an Alan Wake/Control crossover, the possibilities are now endless. -Carli Velocci

8. Overwatch

Overwatch kicked off the hero shooter craze in part thanks to Blizzard's ability to make character shorts worthy of Pixar Animation Studios. The genre became so popular that other companies tried to emulate it with little success. Blizzard captured magic in a bottle with Overwatch, and it's no wonder that people fell in love with it. With an ever-growing team of lovable heroes (and villains) and Overwatch 2 on the way, there's a lot to look forward to. Now please, go defend the payload and protect your support heroes. -Jennifer Locke

9. No Man's Sky

No Man's Sky is proof that you can rise up and be what people always dreamed you could be. Overhyped from Day 1, Hello Games has spent the last three years constantly improving the game with massive updates, each one redefining how the game plays, looks, and feels. The current iteration of No Man's Sky - called Beyond - is as close to the ideal that was promised then I could ever imagine. There is no end in sight either. Hello Games are continuing to update No Man's Sky regularly, bringing in new base building mechanics, animal farming and riding, and even virtual reality, and they do it all for free. If you haven't had a chance to play, you should make it a goal to pick it up before the end of the year. -James Bricknell

10. Fortnite

What's there to say about Fortnite that hasn't already been said? Like it or not, it's without question one of the biggest new IPs from the past 10 years. From fairly humble beginnings it exploded almost overnight, becoming the darling of streamers and their viewers alike.

Exactly why can be put down to plenty of reasons, but ultimately, Fortnite was in the right place at the right time and at the right price - as in free. Capitalizing on the Battle Royale boom that drove the gaming industry crazy throughout 2018 and 2019, Epic Games turned Fortnite into something quite special. Deals with Marvel and Star Wars, live concerts inside the game, and an ever-evolving world that engages with its players, Fortnite deserves its place among the elite. -Richard Devine

Decade in games retrospective

Best lead character1. Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn)

Aloy is a no-nonsense badass who isn't afraid to do what she thinks is right no matter the social or political repercussions. Despite repeatedly being told what she can or can't do, she always thinks things through, casts aside biases and superstitions, and comes to her own logical conclusions. In addition to that, she doesn't mind telling people when they're being stupid, which you often want to do when playing a video game. This makes her incredibly intelligent and relatable. She just seems like a person you could actually be friends with. When it comes to combat, she takes on massive mechanical monstrosities with just a bow and arrow and she utilizes every resource she comes across. Another thing I love about Aloy is that she doesn't need to prove herself as a female lead by being overly sexy or by proving that she isn't the "average" woman. She feels like a real human being who happens to be female. -Rebecca Spear

2. Geralt (Witcher 3)

In an RPG, being stuck with a pre-set character is both a blessing and a curse. In the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red managed to make it entirely a blessing. Geralt is always compelling, from Doug Cockle's wry delivery of different lines ("Oh all god, help a poor wretch in need. Pretty please") to his dead serious, I-pretend-not-to-have-emotion-so-I-don't-get-hurt attitude. Geralt is funny, charming, a ladies' man without being misogynistic, a capable warrior, a near philosopher, and a good friend. Is it any wonder players took to liking him so much? -Samuel Tolbert

3. Kratos (God of War)

Reinventing an icon is dangerous, to say the least. It doesn't usually work out and it's almost always asking for trouble. Yet with God of War (2018), Sony Santa Monica did just that to both critical and commercial success. Kratos is every bit the cunning mind and brutal warrior he used to be, the same one that slaughtered the Greek pantheon, except he's tired and can't quite take hits like he used to. His age is showing and he has a son to look out for. Under Cory Barlog's incredible direction, the team breathed life into an irredeemable character - one who is forced to confront his mistakes - and gave him a new life. Much like the players moving from one console to the next, Kratos grew up and is hopefully just a bit wiser. -Samuel Tolbert

4. Joel and Ellie (The Last of Us)

The Last of Us has two main characters: Joel and Ellie. While Joel is mostly the point of view character, as the game goes on, Ellie becomes a stronger presence of her own. The two spectacularly work off each other. Joel is protective to a fault, with problems of his own that he can't overcome by the game's end while Ellie starts off the game unaware but grows into a self-sufficient adult (that's still unaware of a lot going on). The two need each other to survive but are each other's worst enemies. What makes The Last of Us so fascinating is partially the creepy atmosphere and unending sense of dread, but mostly it's this dynamic. We want them to survive, but at what cost? -Carli Velocci

5. Nathan Drake (Uncharted 4)

Nathan Drake has become an adventuring icon like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft. He's a rebel with a heart of gold. He's charming, he's funny, he's handsome, and he's easy to love. Best of all, he makes mistakes; he's not perfect. That's exactly what Naughty Dog intended to make him more relatable. We get to live out our dreams of treasure hunting vicariously through Nathan Drake throughout four games, all of which saw him undergo significant challenges and character development. -Jennifer Locke

6. Senua (Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice)

Senua's struggle in Hellblade is deeply intimate and immediately felt by a lot of players due to Melina Juergens' impeccable performance. For someone who had never done voice-over or motion capture before starring as Senua, she had no right to be as good as she was. How Senua handles her psychosis shines a new light on mental health awareness, and it does so without casting Senua as a villain. She's the hero. Senua is someone you want to see overcome every one of her obstacles and come out stronger for it, and she does. -Jennifer Locke

7. Ezio Auditore

Ubisoft took Ezio's immediate popularity and ran with it, making him the star of three games in the expansive Assassin's Creed franchise. From a brash, charismatic young playboy to a wiser, weary adult, Ezio underwent a lot of character development. We, quite literally, got to see his story unfold from birth until death. No other assassin in the series managed to capture our attention and love like Ezio did. His willingness to sacrifice for the greater good of an unknown future will always be admirable. When you think of the face of this franchise, it's Ezio's that you see. Requiescat in pace, Ezio. -Jennifer Locke

8. The Goose (Untitled Goose Game)

The Goose is a late entry that makes its case by simply being what it is: a goose. Geese are assholes. I know it, you know it, and God knows it. It's just how they're designed - they're Satan's pets. They'd be roaming the campus back at my old college and everyone knew to stay away from them. The

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