Best games of 2019
2019, and a decade has flown by. Many people say this was a weak year, but I have to disagree. It was a great year, if I was to limit this list to only 10 games, some great ones would be left out.
Happy new year, see you in 2020.
List items
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Oh man, this was a great surprise. I watched a few videos from E3, and I thought it didn't look anything special. Then it came out and got great reviews, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
The last game I liked from Remedy was Max Payne 2. I tried Alan Wake, but that fizzled away pretty quick. Quantum Break I never gave a second look. Control grabbed me from the first second. The eery setting and weird world immidiately got me invested, and I read almost every document I could find. At first the gameplay was good, but not great. But when you get your powers, the telekinesis and the levitation especially, everything clicks into place.
When you combine great gameplay with lovely graphics, a fun score and a well thought out, cohesive style, then you get - Game of the Year.
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Disco Elysium came out of the blue for me. I was reading up on Outer Worlds in anticipation of its release, and someone mentioned this game. It looked interesting, so I bought it on release. This was on a business trip, and I had planned to go to bed early. Not so much, I could not put this down. Unfortunately, I haven't finished it, as I divided mu playtime over to separate games - one for myself, and one on the TV with my wife. There aren't many games I could be bothered to play through twice, but this game is awesome. And different skills give you widely different interactions, which can be both interesting and hilarious.
As a text-heavy game, it is not for everyone. Even combat is text-based. But if you don't mind reading, this game is a great experience. The only thing I can compare it to is Planescape Torment, but that isn't quite right either.
If I had played more of it, it might have gotten game of the year for me. Maybe next year!
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I think this has to be one of my most played games this year. I got hooked immediately, one of those games where I could play into the wee hours of the day - 'just this one more building'.
I haven't played it for some months now, because I decided I wanted to wait until a few more updates were released. Seems like a big one is up for the end of January, so I guess I have one month left to play other games!
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Ah, memories. This was the first RE game I played, back on my trusty N64. I remember I was in awe with the FMV intro. The game, too, playing with a friend of mine. The Tyrant, or the 'rock man' as we called him then, terrified us.
Fast forward to 2019, showing my wife the remake. I hooked up my Steam Link and played it on our TV, and she loved it, too. We had a wonderful time, too bad it is so short. We played as Leon, and I would have liked to play as Claire if the routes weren't that similar.
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Frustrating as hell in some parts, the difficulty ramps up massively pretty fast. But it's the kind of game that makes you want to continue, you want to see the next wonderful environment, the next ability, the next story beat.
It may seem like a cutesy game for kids, but it is absolutely not. Hopefully, the sequel will also come to Switch, because this is the kind of game I don't want to play on PC.
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This was a great surprise. I've never played a game like this, except maybe Hearthstone. I got hooked and played again and again - until I got to the top of the tower, and realized I had to do this several more times if I wanted to beat it. I never touched it again.
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Obsidian had a great track record, and I usually play everything they make. Well, maybe not that tank game.
You know pretty much what you get here, it's an Obsidian game through and through. The companions were a letdown, though. Not the characters themselves, but their interactions weren't that deep. After playing their short side quests, any interaction with them was as good as dead.
A fun 20 hours, but don't expect the length and depth of a Fallout New Vegas.
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I love point and click games. That is to say, I think I love them, and then I get stuck on an inane puzzle, and I quit. This game hooked me on its unique mechanics, though. The cyber implants of the protagonist gives you the ability to detect lies, get great strength and scan the environment, and this made the puzzles more intriguing.
Not the longest game, but an interesting story. Play it if you like point and click games.
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More of the same, exactly what I was looking for. Not as good as 2, the writing is not as great, and the loot system makes no sense. In its predecessors, when you beat a boss you knew you'd get something great. In 3, I don't think I got a single good drop from a boss or boss chest.
A great coop game, though, highly recommended.
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Bought this to play with my kids. I played the original back in 2002, and remember it as a fun little game with unique gameplay.
Turns out this is still the case with the third game, but with more varied environments. The coop is also great if you have kids, as it's not as dumbed down as in the Mario games, but also not hard for the coop partner - no problem playing with a six-year-old with not as much skill with the controls.
The controls are maybe the only sticking point, as they can be a little finicky. If you get used to them, this is a great game.
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This is on my list, but I have only played it for a few hours. I can already see that this is one of the best games of the decade. I've heard complaints about the tedious nature of the game, but most of it is pretty voluntary. If you want to go from main mission to main mission and shoot dudes in the face, you can do that. If you want to hunt a bear and carry wood, then you can do that.
Graphics are wonderful on the PC, even on my old rig. Sound is just right, and the gameplay is tight. This is going to rob me of many hours of sleep in 2020.
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I never finished the original. I got to the last boss, but could not get past him/it. This was a great opportunity to finish it and play it with my kids at the same time.
We played through A Link to the Past as preparation for this, and unfortunately, I think that was a mistake. LttP is superior in every way, which is natural when you think of the platforms of the originals. Too bad they didn't do anything to bring this game to 2019s standards, expect to update the graphics.
It was a fun romp, though, and I definitely recommend it. But do not expect the same greatness as LttP.
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Not much to say about this one. Catan is a great boardgame, and this is a good digital version. The only thing I miss is a local multiplayer and more DLC.
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Anthem. I was sceptical of an online Bioware game, as that is not what I love about their games. I want a rich story, compelling companions, and the time to read everything without an online coop buddy charging ahead.
But I was willing to give them a chance, and I got the game at release.
My fears where unfortunately not unfounded. The story was underwhelming, the characters hit and miss, and I never got the impression my decisions mattered. Too bad, because I thought the gameplay was awesome. Flying around as Iron Man was great, and I hope they take that mechanic and build on it in the future.
But Bioware, please. Take a look at what got you the fame and fortune in the past, and build on that. We have other studios to make bland GaaSs.
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Got this in December, and put it on priority. I had big hopes, the setting, the developer, the genre... I got to the third planet before giving up. The combat and the platforming are so dull, and when you combine it with a horrible checkpoint system the whole thing falls apart. Doing the jumping sequences and fighting again and again if you failed an area, turned me off quick. Couple a bad checkpoint system with no health regen or pickups, and you have the recipe for a mediocre game.
I loved the exploration and lore, and BD-1 is a great sidekick. Too bad the rest of the game got in the way.
The game doesn't deserve to be on a list like this, but I had to write down my frustrations somewhere.
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