My list this year is using the same format I used in 2017, from the Game of the Year event over at discourse.zone. Because I liked that! Anyway let's do it:

Favourite Big Developer Game

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

From Software's latest is both a marked departure from the Souls series, and a razor-sharp refinement of it.

Sekiro is not a game about picking armor sets, weapons, spells, or even a character. Most of those choices are gone- you are always Sekiro, you always have your katana, this is always your foundation. But FromSoft builds that simplicity into an aggressive combat system with depth and immediacy. Sekiro is a series of extremely tight combat encounters that push the player out of their comfort zone, rewarding aggressive blocks and parries rather than conservative dodges and evasions.

The entire game is a repeating cycle of frustration, to understanding, to dominance. You'll internalize each fight until- like the best action films- that Samurai that kicked your ass can no longer land a single hit on you. It feels amazing and only gets better as you progress- right up to the final white-knuckle duel that infuriates you until suddenly, you've got it.

Runner-Up: Control

Known for Max Payne, Alan Wake, and (perhaps with less pride) Quantum Break, Remedy Entertainment can never be accused of playing it safe.

With Control, they've made what feels like the game they always wanted to make. All of their strengths are on display here- Lynchian world-building right out of Twin Peaks or The X-Files, lovingly corny live-action video, and an always-malleable sense of reality.

There are legitimate criticisms to be levelled at some of Control's gameplay, but none of them managed to overshadow how much I loved spending time in its world. I wanted to find every tidbit of lore and backstory, and spent hours still exploring The Oldest House after the credits had rolled on the main story. I can forgive a lot of rough edges for that.

Favourite Small Developer Game

Outer Wilds

I won't even front here- Outer Wilds is the best game of 2019. It hits so many of my specific buttons that it's almost suspicious.

A time-loop structure explicitly inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask? Check.

"Big idea" science fiction right at home with 2001 or Contact? Check.

Grounded, tactile exploration of an intricate solar system, orbital mechanics and all? Checkity check check.

I'll talk more about specific parts of this game later, but it suffices to say it was my favourite game of 2019, and is easily in the conversation for my favourites of all time.

Runner-Up: Sayonara Wild Hearts

A late-comer for me this year, Sayonara Wild Hearts is an endlessly stylish two-hour music video turned rhythm game turned rail shooter.

Each chapter is tight and exhilerating, never overstaying its welcome. Sayonara deftly introduces something completely new every time you think you've got a handle on it- all leading up to a conclusion that pulls together everything before, and might even make you feel something other than creeping dread here in 2019. That's somethin' else!

Favourite Narrative

Outer Wilds

It's tough to describe Outer Worlds' narrative without spoiling anything, so I'll err on the side of caution.

You play the newest astronaut from the tiny, homey planet of Timber Hearth, set to explore the solar system like others before you. After 22 minutes, your sun suddenly goes supernova, swiftly obliterating everything, and you wake up at the start of the game.

You'll repeat this cycle countless times, and the only thing you can bring with you is knowledge. Uncovering the mystery at the center of this game was the greatest pleasure of 2019- culminating in a beautiful finale sequence that reaches some of the highest heights science fiction can reach.

Runner-Up: Control

"Narrative" is perhaps the wrong word for what I liked most about Control. The basic narrative is a-ok, and I love the characters- but what I loved most was Control's world. The narrative works because I desperately want to know everything I can about the titular Federal Bureau of Control, and the mysterious "Oldest House" they occupy. It's a space and a world packed to the gills with satisfying mystery, and I can't wait to keep returning to it as Remedy rolls out expansion content in 2020.

Favourite Moment

Putting it all together in Outer Wilds

This is almost impossible to talk about in detail, but I'll keep it simple. When you're ready to finish Outer Wilds, you haven't gained anything tangible in the game. You don't have any new abilities, or items. You just know more about the game's world and its 22-minute cycle, because you've spent so much time exploring it.

Most importantly, you know what to do. When you finally "wake up" for your final cycle, with a powerful sense of purpose and determination, it's all the more satisfying because everything you've gained is in your head. Hours and hours of exploring, dying, and exploring some more have left you with an understanding of what decisive action you can finally take. I won't spoil any further than that. But it's not often you can say "that was the best 22 minutes of the year" with such specificity.

Runner-Up: Intro to Main Menu in Sayonara Wild Hearts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sG5VRRomFw

This is just a really strong intro sequence leading into a bumpin' main menu. It hooked me right away and I loved it. That's all. It's great!

Favourite Soundtrack

Tough category folks- that's why I'm not even crowning a winner. All of these soundtracks were spectacular for wildly different reasons. Some are eminently listenable in any context, some are tightly entwined to their game and are all the stronger for it. All of them are worth seeking out immediately.

(Full disclosure: Later Alligator's soundtrack is by 2 Mello, a pal and fellow mod at Waypoint. This soundtrack would be on the list regardless, but hey go check them out at https://2mellomakes.bandcamp.com/ ! )

Sayonara Wild Hearts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppy__ut9eB8

Outer Wilds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS2KB_cFrTo

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN74PMk4IBQ

Later Alligator

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LCev3G_YEw

My Top 10 Games of 2019

10. F1 2019

Not a lot to say about F1 2019, except that it's an excellent entry in the yearly series and probably a high point for the past several years. If you're an F1 fan, you probably already have an opinion on it. If you aren't, you don't care!

9. John Wick Hex

John Wick Hex is a clever tactics game that tries to take a less obvious approach to capturing the spirit of the John Wick films. Not an action game or a shooter, Hex is turn-based, placing the focus instead on tight time management and tactical decision-making.

Hex knows that the real fun of an action sequence in a John Wick movie isn't that Keanu always shoots accurately, it's that he is constantly making decisions fractions of a second faster than everyone around him. Who to aim for, where to move, when to just throw your gun and duck. By going turn-based, Hex lets you truly roleplay that otherwise impossibly quick thinking.

8. Slay the Spire

A masterful deckbuilder that only emerged from Early Access this year, even though I've been playing it for far longer.

Start with a basic deck of cards, work your way up the tower collecting cards and modifying your deck as you go, until you're defeated or you reach the top. It's a simple premise that's only getting more popular, and for my money Slay the Spire is the reigning champ.

7. Resident Evil 2

I never played the original Resident Evil 2 way back in 1998, but this 2019 remake is comprehensive enough that it doesn't really matter. This is just a fantastic Resident Evil game on its own merits, whether you're a long-time fan or an extremely casual observer like me.

6. Satisfactory

I know, Satisfactory isn't technically "released" yet. But it entered Early Access this year and I've put enough hours into it that it's gotta be here somewhere.

"Automation games" sound excruciatingly boring and- to most people- probably are. I can't explain why I love them, but I do, and Satisfactory is probably my new favourite. No big story here, no exciting conflict, just...build a factory on an alien planet. Build machines to build materials so you can build other machines. Then build bigger machines to automate all that. Repeat forever.

I love it.

5. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

I can't believe it took me until this point in my life to realize how much the Ace Combat series is tailor-made for me. An extremely arcade-style flight model that's styled to look realistic (so, you know, you feel cool), utterly ridiculous pseudo-sci-fi storytelling, and bombastic orchestral scores. Put this shit in my veins.

4. Sayonara Wild Hearts

I've said most of my peace about Sayonara Wild Hearts above. It suffices to say that it's a tight experience that didn't have a single weak thread for me, and left an impression long after the credits were done.

(You should watch those credits all the way through. By the way.)

3. Control

Again, I don't have a lot more to say- Control is just great. I love this world, I love these characters, I can't wait to come back to it.

2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

If Bloodborne didn't exist, Sekiro would be my favourite From Software game. Enough said I think, yeah?

1. Outer Wilds

Just play this game, please. Come on.