What Was Your Game of The Decade (2010-2019)? and Why?

I understand nostalgia may (and likely will) play a big part in this, but that's fine.

For me it's Breath of the Wild. I know this may not be a surprising or unique answer, but as someone who has always been a big Nintendo fan, I never really got into the Zelda series. I'd always get 5-10 hours into a game, get lost in one way or another, tell myself I'm coming back to it and never do.

Considering my expectations were somewhat lowered as a result, first playing Breath of the Wild was an absolute treat. The fact I could do whatever I wanted at my own pace without feeling a sense of pressure or anxiety artificially induced by the game along with knowing I could literally go anywhere without the hindrance of invisible walls, weird geometry or advanced mechanics made me feel like being a kid again in the same way I'd always explore every nook and cranny of a level in Banjo Kazooie to avoid the harder boss fights or explore every inch of a Pokemon overworld looking for hidden secrets, only now as an adult and years of gaming experience behind me to see me through the harder bits I would have avoided as a kid.

Comments

  • It's a pretty hard toss up between Terraria (the gift that just keeps on giving) and Rocket League for me.

  • Of all the games I played in the last decade Halo Reach was the one I enjoyed most. I don't get a lot of time to play games anymore but when I do these days it tends to be with the kids. Now they're grown a bit more hoping to get back doing some more PC gaming rather than the console.

  • AFL Evolution. Why? It's delicious…

  • +1

    Command and Conquer Red Alert 2 :D (yes I still play it)

  • +3

    Mass Effect 2
    I have never been so thoroughly invested in the story and characters of a game. Being aware that my actions would carry over to a future game was a truly unique experience. I loved the whole trilogy.

    Runners up (and all brilliant):
    Uncharted 4
    The Last of Us
    Breath of the Wild
    The Witcher 3
    Bioshock: Infinite
    Minecraft
    Red Dead Redemption
    Journey
    GTA V
    Super Mario Odyssey
    INSIDE
    Kerbal Space Program
    Batman Arkham Knight
    Little Inferno
    Heavy Rain
    Portal 2
    Dark Souls III
    Limbo
    Life is Strange
    Rocket League
    Horizon: Zero Dawn

    Yes I've given this some thought.

    • Rocket League, Life is Strange, Inside and the Uncharted series are all on my list as well, however one curiosity I noticed in your list was Little Inferno.

      I played it and beat it in one sitting on Wii U and, while it captivated me, I was left feeling quite confused as to what I'd just experienced.

      What makes you put it in your list?

      • I have played through it twice. I love the mood of the game, the catharsis of burning things, the quirky little story, and in particular, the wonderful music. I'm a big fan of all Tomorrow Corporation's games.

    • +2

      Ahh forgot about Portal 2! Hmm ..

  • So one theme I'm noticing amongst this is that a lot of people are listing "graphics" as a genuine reason for their choices as GOTD.

    How important are graphics to a game for you?

    • We've reached a point where even 'low-end' graphics are pretty damn good, so it's becoming a less decisive factor in the games we play the systems we play them on. The Switch and Oculus Quest are good examples of people valuing the form factor of the device itself over its graphical capabilities.

    • +1

      Given how many people play Fortnite I'd say that they're not very important.

    • +2

      Probably more 'art-direction' than 'graphics', but Cuphead is probably the best looking game to me in the last few years but I'd never play it. I don't need that kind of frustration in my life! ;)

    • Very low importance for me. If I am spending time and money on a game, it needs to be fun. Otherwise I can just watch someone play on yt.

    • Graphics are not as important as quality. I'd prefer to play a game that has a solid story, mechanics and then the visuals.

      I've spent many hours revisiting my youth with my retro pi setup and old school arcade or console games.

  • +1

    Dark Souls 1

  • +5

    Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

    One of the most competitive FPS games I've played, have spent way too much time on it. Also its still very popular and is topping the Steam Charts despite being released nearly 8 years ago :)

    • +1

      The only correct answer. Nothing comes close to CSGO.

      • Rainbow six shield definitely does.

  • If we are only allowed to list one then Pokemon Go.

  • +1

    GTA V would be up there. The way rockstar pulled off the mechanic of switching between 3 playable characters was incredibly well done, and while the story wasn't amazing, I think the missions and general tone brought some of the fun back into GTA that was missing from IV.

    But ultimately I think it would be tie between Subnautica and Breathe of the Wild. I have trouble defining exactly why, but I think it comes down to the fact that they were both amazingly crafted open worlds. You didn't explore because a mission told you to go somewhere, you explored because you genuinely wanted to see more of the world and everything in it. They transported me somewhere else and reminded me why I enjoy games in the first place.

    I've just started playing Outer Wilds and I'm getting similar vibes from that game too.

    • I love how when you switch characters in GTA V they are doing their own thing in line with how their character acts

  • +1

    Horizon Zero Dawn

    • Game of the decade?

  • +2

    League of legends. Have played it for nearly a decade now

  • +4

    Nier:Automata

  • For me it was:
    Last of us (by a large margin)
    Red dead redemption 2
    Mario odyssey.

    Still to really get into Zelda botw but I am sure it’s up there.

  • It is hard to choose one as they have different styles, their own upgrades, their own way of playing.
    These are the games I played, once you start playing you just cannot stop it.

    • Horizon (PS)
    • God of War (PS)
    • Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Xbox)
    • Gears 5 (Xbox)
    • Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Xbox)
    • Battlefield 5 (Xbox)
    • Call of Duty World War 2 (Xbox)
    • Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019)(Xbox)
    • Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox)

    Although some of them are kind of the same style such as shooting (Wolfenstein, BT and COD), their history and how you play are completely different.

  • Skyrim
    Fallout: New Vegas
    The Witcher 3
    Rocket League

  • game of thrones

    • The Telltale game?

  • +2

    Left 4 Dead 2

    • Yep! Still playing it!

  • +1

    Heavy Rain still might be the best game I've played. Unique and great storytelling with almost every genre mixed into it

    • Have you gone back and replayed it recently?

      It was a very interesting and unique concept at the time, but the story is bad and full of plotholes. It also takes itself too seriously to be considered a "so bad it's good" concept as time has gone on, so it's kinda just settled into that realm of "yeah it's alright".

      Don't mean to offend, but you may find this interesting:
      https://youtu.be/SkM4vnB9cRA

      • -2

        Yeah I have and it holds up. Story is bad? It's got one the best reputations of any game released ever and even Detroit was so anticipated because of how good Heavy Rain is. Anyone who rates kiddy Nintendo games as the best I can't take seriously…

        • -1

          I think that says more about you and your inability to take criticism on behalf of something you didn't create.

          Also I criticised the game and you criticised me as a person for my tastes in the medium which is also quite bizarre and defensive.

        • +1

          It's got one of the best reputations of any game released ever

          Sits on a 78 on Metacritic for the PS4 release. 75 for PC. Signs of having not aged well.

          Anyone who rates kiddy Nintendo games as the best I can't take seriously…

          Breath of the Wild sits at a 97 on Metacritic for Switch and a 96 for Wii U… I guess those reviewers were all kids?

  • +1

    Witcher 3 or Skyrim for me.

  • +1

    Far Cry 3 or Dota 2

  • Broodwar… oh wait that's from the decade before… the last real game i played :(

  • not sure on best, maybe Far Cry 3 for me.

    Could also say biggest bombs of the decade, Duke Nukem Forever and possibly Jagged Alliance back in action (took one of my all time favourite games and turned it into a bucket of poo)

  • ARMA 3

  • Hay day… the number of years I’ve wasted playing this ☺️

  • +1

    Battlefield 3 for me I think. Just edges it over BF4 as I think the expansion packs were better.

  • Definitely Final Fantasy XIV, started playing Nov 2013, and still playing it…, 6+ years, started on PS3, moved to PS4, and then PC now.

  • +1

    CSGO, GTA V, Doom

  • +1

    GTA5 easily. The game is still mindblowing IMO. Just how big and detailed the world is. Yet they achieved it on last gen consoles. I play on my Xbox One X now.but started out on PS3 which still holds up well today.

    Until GTA6 comes out I am 100% positive I will regularly boot this up for fun.

  • The 7/11 choppa game

  • +1

    Hard choice to be honest to pick just one as there were some really good games this decade.

    The standouts for me personally would be:

    • Witcher 3
    • Crusader Kings 2
    • The last of us
    • Fallout: New Vegas
    • Soma
    • GTA 5
    • Horizon: Zero Dawn
  • +1

    Civilisation. Mic drop.

    • mic drop

      DayZ

  • PUBG

  • +1

    BOTW

  • +3

    Battlefield 3 for me. 1600Hrs sunk into that game, enjoyed every single minute.

  • +2

    Titanfall 2 on XBox. Great storyline for the campaign and the multiplayer was just downright fun.

    Coming from a PC gaming background, it was the game that made console gaming "click" for me.

  • +3

    Fallout New Vegas.

  • I loved games that have all been named before; Skyrim, RDR2, Uncharted but the game I probably spent most time on this decade was Just Cause 2.

    Spent over 100 hours getting platinum on that one, the only platinum I've ever got.

  • +2

    Game I played the most of Dota 2 (8 years worth).

    Game the game of the decade would be hard as I cannot remember what I was doing in 2010, but here is a list of games I enjoyed.

    Divinity 2
    Brothers - A tale of two sons
    Portal 2
    FTL
    Papers please
    Persona 5
    Slay the Spire
    Celeste
    Stardew Valley
    The tale of the Obra Dinn
    Shovel Knight
    Disco Elysium
    Skyrim

    I am sure I have missed a few, but am fairly selective about what I play.

    These are the ones that come to mind, there were other games I enjoyed but do not feel they would make the list for me personally such as Witcher 3, BOTW, anything Mario etc

    I can be a sampler at times were I get 5 to 10 hours into a game and never go back even when I enjoy it (sorry last of us).

  • Elder scrolls V: Skyrim.

    Such a rich and detailed world with endless opportunity to loot and plunder through any cave. Great leveling up mechanics and character building system, endless repeatability for me.
    Massive third party support from the nodding community.

    Fallout 4.

    Love the fallout world theme and stories. Rich detailed world with great character build system and endless repeatability.
    Massive modding community for extra support and to entertain.

    Battlefield 1.

    Great online fps with rich detail, almost historically accurate weapons, theatres of warfare in WW1.
    Easy to pick up and play, always entertaining.
    Great mix of maps for the close range to sniper combat.

  • +2

    League of Legends

  • horizon zero dawn
    BOTW
    Rainbow Six Siege

  • -1

    Solitaire - any number of versions.

  • Kerbal Space Program. I have an Astronomy degree but had never learnt orbital mechanics. The controls are completely unrealistic but the visual demonstration of the concepts makes learning them easy and fun. Plus making mega rockets go boom!

  • Witcher 3
    Amazing gameplay, visuals, story, characters, etc.

    GTA 5 is probably runner up… for similar reasons

  • DOta2

  • +2

    BF3 - Felt like a true next gen game, graphics were amazing.

    Rust - Perfect mix of resource gathering, building and pvp. Very frustrating game at times.

    Pubg - First real battle royal game, something really different at the time.

  • CSGO

  • +3

    Tough call between BOTW, RDR2, Mass Effect 2, last of us or the Witcher 3. I’d probably give it to ME2 by a whisker. If a game can make me feel something, I’m all in. Any one of these games could be legit argued as the GOAT.

    LOU was incredible but perhaps not that greater game to play - that ending though!

    RDR2 was like nothing I’ve experienced in a game with such incredible attention to detail, the world drew me in.

    BOTW was a masterclass in open world - not sure any other game has ever evoked such a sense of scale and “aloneness”. You really do feel like the wild is another character all to itself.

    The Witcher (especially with the expansion) was just so darn pretty and really drew you into an incredible story (even the side quests had their own cutscenes).

    But… ME2 gave me all the feels. A perfect game - especially if you’re a sci-fi nut where your decisions really matter. Tremendous cast of characters which you grow very attached to (and then cause their deaths). A true space opera for the ages.

    • +1

      Aww man, you're making me want to replay the mass effect series (again!)

      I'm also a sci fi nut and it hit all the right places. Go femshep go!

      • For someone who hasn't played any of the ME games, and only has a PS4, should I start with ME3?

        Would really love to play ME2…

        • +1

          You don't have a pc? It's not exactly a demanding game these days.

          I recommend playing all the way through from 1 through 3. 2 is the best though

        • +1

          I'd definitely leave ME:3 for last - the original ending in ME:3 caused a tremendous uprising in the fan base and demands for a rewrite because people had invested thousands of hours into their character development and they didn't like where the storyline went. Eventually a more detailed and slightly modified ending was released as free DLC. Seriously - start with ME:1 - the greatest thing about the whole series is the depth of the character development and the story arc which really influenced how deeply invested people became in the story, their Shep and the party members.

  • +1

    Probably going to have to have to say for best game of the decade Skyrim this included its Expansions and VR (which is a hell of a lot of fun)

    However Mount and Blade War is probably the best game for me personally ive spent like 500+ hours playing it the game itself its basic but fun but it has some amazing Mods TDL, Star Wars, Song of Fire and ice etc If you havent played it get it on steam on a sale for like 4 dollars it is worth it

    Other Honourable mentions - Dota 2, GTA V, Mass Effect 2 (however 3 ruined the story and MEA was terrible) and Shadow of Mordor (very underrated game), the last of US remastered ….

  • +1

    Mount and blade: Warband

    Still a gangster game

    • +1

      Hahahaha i just said that games got the mods

  • Super Mario Brothers 2 BABYYYYYYYYY

  • +1

    Super Mario Odyssey and Hole.io (iphone game). Both so cathartic.

  • -1

    it's not a fair discussion. there are best games according to different metrics, e.g. replayability (online multiplayer games shine here), storyline, mix of story and action, wideness of audience (young vs older players, gender, area of the world etc), mechanics vs fantasy vs fun (think GTA V vs COD).

    with that all said, i think open game worlds won the decade. while i personally didnt like the tedious customisation of skyrim, i like what skyrim did for the industry. without games like skyrim and rdr, botw wouldnt have happened. and despite taking 2 years to enjoy botw, i think botw mixed traditional zelda with the open world format very well.

    hopefully in botw2 they make it a little bit harder. its way too easy to just insta-pause and consume cooked durians and equip different weapons to beat any enemy. its only possible to die if you're too lazy to farm items (the only exception being trial of the sword of course)

    • +2

      There's no right or wrong. As long as you understand your answer is subjective. Some people don't seem to get that

      • -1

        i think a better way to frame it would be 'what game that came out in the last 10 years did you enjoy most?' if that was the question, dota2 for sure

    • it is ALL subjective, so yes it is a completely fair discussion. There is no right metrics, importance of various aspects differ greatly between people.

      • its like asking whats the best food

        • +3

          Pizza. Duh.

  • +2

    Bloodborne

  • For me a tough choice between Supreme Commander 2 and Doom 2016.

    Edit: looking up the thread at other answers, apparently I have unusual taste in games. Got a few recs here though so thanks for the thread, OP!

    • +1

      I'm actually surprised at the lack of Doom mentions before this one

  • Forza Horizon 3

  • -1

    city of heroes
    starcraft 1 and 2
    diablo

    • +1

      Wrong decades!

  • +1

    The Last of Us.

    I’m thinking about buying a PS4 Pro ready for the Last of Us 2.

  • Dishonored + Dishonored 2

  • +2

    Not one mention dark souls series?

    Bloodborne

    followed by Dark Souls III.II and I.

    • +1

      I mentioned Bloodborne. Might be my favourite game of all time.

    • DS2 was my #1 game of the decade, if you scroll up :)

  • Probably Faster Than Light otherwise known as FTL (still dreaming for it to be released on Android).

    Favourite Switch game: BoTW.

    Favourite Android game: if by play time, probably Boom Beach (although stopped playing it in 2018).

    Favourite Aussie developed game: Last Ticket To Earth.

  • Stellaris. It was my first Paradox 4X game and despite the bugs and performance issues I've had so much fun playing it.

  • +1

    Darksouls

  • I loved Breadth of the Wild, Danganronpa and Zero Escape, but it has to be Dark Souls 3 for showing me what games can be, and for giving me that sense of wonder, of never knowing that I will find around each corner.

Login or Join to leave a comment