Top 5 games I played in 2019

It's that time of the year again. Unfortunately, I didn't play a great deal this year, so I haven't got much to draw from. I thought 9 games last year was low, but I only completed 7 this time around. Despite that, I've decided to stick with a Top 5. My thoughts on them are short and sweet this year. Here's what I decided on...

(It should be noted that I dropped three games this year. The first was Assassin's Creed: Origins, as I didn't get along with the new levelling system. The second and third were Mario Odyssey and Yakuza Kiwami 2. Nothing really wrong with them, but I just wasn't in the mood to continue playing at the time)

List items

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  1. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

  Top spot was an easy decision for me this year, as I haven't played anything that comes close to Three Houses. Even if I had played more of this year's offerings, I'm sure there's a good chance it would still take the top spot (or thereabouts). It was everything I wanted out of a Fire Emblem game..and more. I thought the monastery aspect of the game made it fresh, and the combat was what I've come to expect from the series. Definitely worth playing if you're a fan of the series, or just into tactical RPGs.

  ...also; Bernie. That is all.

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  2. Watch Dogs 2

  This takes second place, as I remember having a lot of fun with it. I was able to make it last a while, too, as the side missions and DLC were satisfying. While I enjoyed the original, I think the sequel is a vast improvement on it. It doesn't take itself too seriously, which works in its favour. I enjoyed the campaign, and there was plenty of other stuff to do. Everything you want from an open-world game.

  As a side note, I particularly appreciated how Josh was handled, given I could relate to him personally on the most part. I think they did a good job with that.

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  3. Resident Evil 2

  I never got incredibly far with the original version, as I didn't have the patience for it back then. It wasn't a problem for me this time around. While quite a lot has been changed, the general story is mostly the same, but more elaborated on (thanks to both modern hardware and probably a larger budget). Not surprisingly, the remake draws a lot from the more recent entries, in terms of set-pieces and combat. The result is a game that's pretty faithful to the original, but arguably more accessible.

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  4. Life Is Strange: Before the Storm

  As a fan of the original Life is Strange, it was great to experience a prequel featuring one of the main characters from it. The overall feel is very similar; from the soundtrack, to the situations the characters find themselves in. It really does a good job of drawing you in. I wish there was more stuff like this. Thankfully, now that Life is Strange 2 is fully released, I'll probably play that next year.

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  5. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All

  I played the first game last year, and enjoyed it, so I naturally decided to play the second entry. I found it just as fun as the first, and I enjoyed the twists and turns. The earlier entries of the series came out a while back now, but I think they're still worth playing. The games have a lot of charm, some satisfying puzzles, and the murder cases are pretty inventive. The humour is great, too. I suspect I'll get around to the third title next year.