by Christian Paraguya
As 2019 comes to an end, let’s take a look back at the games that got us through yet another one. This year we’ve got a lot of great titles and these are the ones that made my cut.
Top 10 here we go!
10. Mario Kart Tour – Mobile (iOS, Android)
When this was first announced, I was skeptical just like the rest of us. I should’ve known better than to doubt Nintendo. Aside from the subscription service, Mario Kart is exactly what fans of the series can expect–fun filled racing that will keep you coming back again and again. Once multiplayer hits, I only imagine this ruining relationships just like its predecessors.
9. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III – PS4
If there’s anything writing for this site has blessed me with is the introduction to this series. The JRPG genre is one that I wasn’t too familiar with before, but it’s beloved almost by every member here. For us North Americans, the lack of RPGs in general is quite sad and we’re lucky enough to get some of these titles translated for us. The Trails of Cold Steel series really proves why JRPGs are something special.
8. Mortal Kombat 11 – Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
NetherRealm Studios has come a long way and it’s really shown in their latest Mortal Kombat installment. Backed by Warner Brothers, they’ve done an excellent job incorporating various characters from different series while allowing their home grown characters to develop. It’s always fun pitting Spawn versus Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800. Any fan of the series can appreciate the refined gameplay system, making this series a heavy hitter in the fighting genre.
7. Luigi’s Mansion 3 – Switch
When announced, I already knew this would be making my list. The Luigi’s Mansion series is one that is overlooked and underappreciated but should definitely be given a chance. Sure, he doesn’t have the glitz and glamour his brother has, but he has a vacuum! There’s game is easy to pick up and there’s not much missed by not playing the previous titles (although you’ll want to). Luigi continues to shine and this installment and he shows why he is more than deserving of solo projects.
6. Kingdom Hearts 3 – PS4, Xbox One
As the year of third games continues, we get the third installment in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. Despite continuing to make changes to game play and such, the tried and true formula of Disney and Pixar is still enough to carry the franchise to round off the top half of my list. We finally get some of the fan favorite maps like Toy Story and Pirates of the Caribbean, but it also poses the question, is this it for the franchise?
5. Super Mario Maker 2 – Switch
It’s not often that a company takes suggestions and critiques and actually listens. Nintendo did a great job in doing so and has given us gamers this beautiful work space. Given that this game allows heavily on the community for it’s gameplay, the tools are perfectly set out and is still being supported. I constantly find myself watching this on streaming services and testing out new maps people have made.
4. Gears 5 – PC, Xbox One
This franchise brings back a lot of memories to LAN parties and late nights. It’s odd to say we’ve made it this far as the franchise continues to put out a story that the majority of gamers don’t seem to care about. Luckily, they’ve refined their cover-based system and gameplay remains tried and true. There really is only a few things in games as satisfying as chainsawing through a Locust.
3. Astral Chain – Switch
With Bayonetta and Nier: Automata in their recent hit list, PlatinumGames continue to bring heat with Astral Chain. While the main aspect of the game will leave you with plenty to do, you can count on signature style of combat and action to really draw you in. There’s not a lot known about this series prior to playing it, but given PlatinumGames’ track record, it’s easy to understand why this game is so good.
2. Pokemon Sword/Shield – Switch
Man was there a lot of buzz around this generation of Pokemon. Everyone’s opinions were all over the place and highly critical of the exclusion of National Dex and other staples of the Pokemon franchise. Oddly enough, the game knocked it out of the park for me as the first Pokemon game on the Switch. If you can get past all the things it’s not, you’ll get a game that has enough new and old aspects to really be enjoyable.
1. Death Stranding – PS4
One of the most anticipated games of the past decade, Death Stranding delivers on just about every aspect. Maybe I’m just a Norman Reedus fan, or maybe I’m just a Kojima fan. This is truly a game that fully immerses the player in the world which many games fail to do nowadays. This is a game that requires investment in both time and patience but the payoff is so worth it.
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I swear Nintendo doesn’t pay me to put their games on my top list. I swear! Again Nintendo continues to dominate my top 10 list and I really can’t put my finger on why.
Many titles that we’ve been anticipating for years finally dropped and they did not disappoint. There’s so much worth picking up and playing from the past year.
In 2020, Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X will make their debut and alongside them plenty of new IPs and returning favorites. But since it’s Q4, that makes it almost a 2021 thing to be excited for which poses the question what will companies give us in 2020.