The Best Game From Every Year Of The New Millennium
Sorry, Roger.
Back in September, I had a beautiful, magical, pristine idea.
I’m younger than the majority of my readers: just 25 as of writing and as a result, I have a different perspective on a lot of games both old and new, so what if I listed my favourite games from each year since I was born? 2000 Is a nice, round number and I’m sure Jim Mander and others would berate my questionable choices in the comments. With my Resident Evil Retrospective series coming up though, I decided to shelve the idea for later.
This was a big mistake because unbeknownst to me Roger Renfro of Load Last Save is a practitioner of dark and forbidden sorcery.
Less than a week into my Resident Evil series, I saw this post pop up on Substack.
Roger had used profane and occult magic to pluck the idea from my very cerebrum and used it before I got the chance.
Now, the beauty behind Roger’s post is that we were all born at different times in different places and to different parents, that’s to say we’re unique individuals all with our own preferences, perspectives and experiences, so no 2 versions of this list will be the same. With that in mind, I’ve decided I’m still going to write my own version of this post when in the past, I’ve binned ideas when others beat me to them with similar concepts.
I hope you enjoy.
Winner Of 2000 - Resident Evil Code: Veronica
I reviewed this game less than a month ago so I’m not going to talk about it length again.
Essentially? Code: Veronica is a very flawed game but the charm of its distinctly Dreamcast presentation, its strange map design and increased challenge make it my second favourite game in the series. I hope to see it remade soon.
2000’s Honourable Mention - Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
I didn’t really grow up with Pro Skater: I played one or two of them on the Gamecube as a kid but it never really left an impact so one of my goals getting into retro was to try the classic Pro Skater games out for myself, in short? I understood why everybody loves these things.
Pro Skater 1 and 2 (I play the Dreamcast versions) are angsty, easy to learn, hard to master but incredibly addicting. Absolutely essential titles for any retro collection, the recent remakes aren’t half bad either.
Winner Of 2001 - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty
Apart from my review of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater a couple of months ago I’ve not had a chance to cover Metal Gear Solid in detail; MGS is my favourite video game series, up there with Resident Evil, so expect that to change in 2026.
While not my favourite in the franchise, MGS2 is absolutely the best game of 2001 in my opinion and still holds a Guinness world record for its pioneering AI and looks great for its age, especially considering the PlayStation 2 was the weakest console of its day.
2001’s Honourable Mention - Shenmue 2
Shenmue 2 is hard to recommend. It’s a tech demo for technology that is now commonplace, the story has never been brought to a satisfying conclusion and I’m sure someone out there would probably take issue with its depiction of Hong Kong in the 1980’s.
Shenmue 2 also has an enthrallingly realised world for its age, endearing characters, fun combat and a soundtrack I still listen to frequently. Shenmue isn’t so much a trilogy of games as it is an experience: a whole adventure that should be enjoyed with headphones and with no distractions, for these reasons, I love it.
Winner Of 2002 - The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Picking for 2002 was absolutely brutal. I love so many games from this year: Timesplitters 2, REmake, Jedi Outcast but I want to avoid putting the same franchises at the top as much as possible and everybody knows I love REmake anyway.
Morrowind, quite simply, is the best Elder Scrolls game. It lacks the boundless procedurally generated slop of Daggerfall and doesn’t excise all of the elements of a traditional RPG like the later games, it’s the only Bethesda game with a good main quest and the island of Vvardenfell is absolute magic to explore. I first played this game heavily inebriated after finding out I got accepted into Uni, great times.
2002’s Honourable Mention - Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime is a game that stuck with me for years until I finally got the chance to finish it.
I grew up with this game on Gamecube and never got further than Phendrana Drifts but nonetheless, I held fond memories and always planned to complete it someday, which I finally did back in 2022 and I’ve replayed it several times since. I don’t think I need to tell everyone why Prime is so good but to me? It’s structurally perfect, beautiful to look at and has a timeless soundtrack… just a little too derivative of Super for me to crown it my favourite of the trilogy.
Winner Of 2003 - Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
I had no concept of hardware specs when I was younger but seeing this game compared to my PS2 library truly sold me on the power of the Xbox and made me a mega fan for years to come.
KOTOR and KOTOR II both add up to my favourite RPG of all time. I was a fanatical Star Wars fan as a kid and while Disney have done their best to ensure that I’m embarrassed to even admit that publicly, I can at least return to this classic and relive more innocent times.
Knights Of The Old Republic has gaming’s greatest ever plot twist, a fantastic cast of characters, unforgettable locations to explore and lets you live out the fantasy of playing a stoic Jedi Knight both philosophically and in the realm of combat. It might just have my favourite video game romance too if you take the canonical path.
2003’s Honourable Mention - Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
Before they churned out the digital equivalent to raw sewage, Ubisoft made games like Rayman and Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time. Very fond memories of this one growing up with my little Silver PS2 Slim.
The Sands Of Time is the first part of one of the greatest trilogies in gaming, this game mixes Uncharted-style climbing with acrobatic combat, an incredibly unique, game mechanic justifying plot and a Middle Eastern style accompanied by a wonderful soundtrack. Absolutely one of the best 6th generation games and that’s not a claim I make lightly. Its sequel: Warrior Within is also one of the most criminally underrated games ever made.
Winner Of 2004 - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Poor 2004, you never stood a chance.
There are a lot of games from 2004 I love and I’m trying to avoid filling the winning spot with a few of my favourite franchises but if you’ve been reading the Journal for a while, you’ll know that MGS3 is my #1 video game, ever.
What is there to say? It’s the greatest prequel ever made, still plays well 21 years later and crafts a near-flawless, systems-based stealth experience while delivering a narrative that people still discuss today.
2004’s Honourable Mention - Halo 2
I know most of my readers don’t give a shit about Halo and my dormant Xbox fanboyism so I want to say that both Jak 3 and Ratchet And Clank: Up Your Arsenal could have also gone here.
Halo 2 is a perfect sequel, a fantastic shooter and the second best game in the series. I can play Halo 2 over and over and never get bored of its set piece battles and wonderful arsenal.
Winner Of 2005 - TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
In the year of Shadow Of The Colossus (one of the most overrated video games I’ve ever played) F.E.A.R, Resident Evil 4 and Battlefield 2, I still choose Future Perfect because I’ve been playing this game since near-release and I’m still not bored of it. Every now and then I’ll switch on my PS2, boot up Arcade mode, pick a map and finely tune the weapons and settings for maximum chaos then have the time of my life fighting bots; the campaign is also hilarious.
Future Perfect is arguably not as good as TimeSplitters 2 but choosing between them for me is like picking a favourite child. This game always makes me smile.
2005’s Honourable Mention - Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is a game I have complex thoughts on but regardless, I still love to play it and it is undoubtedly 2005’s most influential video game when looking at the medium as a whole.
Of course, the combat is a highlight but I also love how RE4 still feels like a Resi game despite the genre and gameplay shift, which isn’t something I can say for RE5 and RE6.
Winner Of 2006 - The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
In my opinion, 3D Zelda struggled for a while to recapture what made Ocarina Of Time so brilliant. Majora’s Mask was a beautiful work of art trapped within a game that was annoying to play and Wind Waker made the world of Hyrule boring to explore and absolutely demolished its art-style. Twilight Princess was a stunning return to form.
Twilight Princess features my favourite Zelda art-style, just enough grimdark to make the game unsettling without ruining its family friendly appeal and the different sword techniques you could learn gave it arguably the best combat in the series.
I doubt it will happen but I hope we can return to this style of 3D Zelda someday, I’m a little tired of 80 hour long games with 4 crappy dungeons.
2006’s Honourable Mention - Hitman: Blood Money
I’m not really a Hitman fan but Blood Money holds a special place in my heart and is one of my favourite games of the era. Compared to the modern Hitman games its maps are smaller in scope and the graphics are quite hideous but I prefer the structure of this game and how inventive its kills are.
IO Interactive appear to be done with Hitman for the time being but I’d definitely play a remake/reimagining of Blood Money if one were ever made.
Winner Of 2007 - Halo 3
This year was brutal to pick a favourite from but I followed my heart, backlash be damned.
Halo 3 had the greatest multiplayer experience I’ve ever played and made me friends I would go on to speak with for over a decade and I even met one of them in the real world. The campaign is sublime, the multiplayer is perfect and Halo 3 remains the greatest entry in the series.
They should have left the Master Chief in that fuckin’ cryo tube, 343 butchered this franchise.
2007’s Honourable Mention - Super Mario Galaxy
While the Wii itself is a debatably awful piece of hardware, mid-2000’s Nintendo was throwing absolute haymakers and churning out classics. 2007’s Super Mario Galaxy is my favourite in the 3D Mario series and just might be my favourite Wii game.
Galaxy has a beautiful soundtrack, a fantastic gimmick and excellent levels, it even controls well despite the limitations of using 2 TV remotes connected by a piece of string.
Winner Of 2008 - Fable II
Uh-oh, my fanboy is showing.
Yes, Fable and its sequels are generally considered raw sewage on the internet, at least in the circles I’ve frequented but Fable 2 is an essential Xbox 360 game and the 360 is my favourite console ever.
Essentially, if you’ve never played Fable 2, it’s a bit like GTA in a fantasy world based on rural England, but with a dose of light RPG elements and a bit less adult; I grew up in the small towns of Staffordshire, West Midlands so this game makes me feel a bit… c-c-c-cosy. There, I said it, yuck. Fable 2 lets you piss about in so many hilarious ways and it even has online CO-OP.
2008’s Honourable Mention - LittleBigPlanet
I really agonised over what to put here. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Far Cry 2 and Call Of Duty: World At War are also great games from 2008 that I have played more but LittleBigPlanet just about edged them out.
LBP was the first PS3 game I ever played and it left a big impression. I love the whimsical atmosphere, the tactility of grabbing different objects and surfaces and using stickers to play around, the amount of user generated content was staggering too. Sony needs to bring LBP back but I doubt it: Astro Bot is the new platform mascot they’ll dump after a generation.
Winner Of 2009 - Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is one of the all time greats as far as I’m concerned. The gothic-horror style was perfect for the Dark Knight, the progression of gadgets and abilities was highly satisfying, the roster of villains included most of the greats and Asylum’s combat was aped by every mid-budget video game for years to come.
Arkham City was the better game but there is still something more… intimate about Asylum and the idea of being trapped with all the crazies on one island.
2009’s Honourable Mention - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Uncharted 2 is probably my favourite game on the PlayStation 3 but Killzone 2 also came out this year so my answer might change depending on how Helghast I’m feeling on that particular day.
Nathan Drake is easily one of the most likeable protagonists ever committed to disc, combat in Uncharted 2 isn’t the most in-depth but it’s fun and loaded with memorable set pieces; the parts of this game set in the Himalayas are still visually striking all these years later.
Winner Of 2010 - Mass Effect 2
Hi, I’m Scanlines and this is my favourite Mass Effect game in the series.
Mass Effect 2 isn’t RPG enough for me to label it my favourite RPG ever but it is the best action-RPG ever made… yes, I’m feeling pedantic today.
The original Mass Effect in 2007 was also an excellent game but its combat, exploration and even its graphics were a bit dated and unrefined, Mass Effect 2 polished all that to a mirror sheen. Combat is impactful and deeply strategic, especially on higher difficulties, the cast of characters are flawed and fascinating, the worlds are memorable, the soundtrack brilliant and I’d go as far to say that the final hour of Mass Effect 2 might be the single greatest mission in video game history.
2010’s Honourable Mention - Metro 2033
I’m planning a proper review of the Metro trilogy at some point in 2026 so I won’t say too much here but 2033 had a pretty drastic effect on the course of my life.
Metro 2033’s blend of survival horror, first person shooting and stealth in a post-apocalyptic Moscow make it a game players of all types can enjoy and the narrative: lifted straight from the book (with some streamlining and minor adjustments) is one of those that stays with you and makes you reflect on your own actions and attitudes to life.
Winner Of 2011 - Dark Souls
I’m a natural contrarian, so I feel the need to tell you that I liked Dark Souls before it was popular. Aren’t I special?
In all seriousness, Dark Souls was a massive breath of fresh air in 2011. Games had become riddled with DLC, were getting shorter and shorter, held the player’s hand incessantly and were much too easy for the most part. From Software changed all this.
Once again, I will be writing a proper review someday but the best way I can sum up why I love Dark Souls is that it’s Ocarina Of Time for goths and depressed adults, complete with a combat system that has become the template for all melee combat in modern video games.
Yes, someone is telling me Demon Souls did it first but let’s face it: nobody had heard of that game.
2011’s Honourable Mention - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim is a game I’ve slowly fallen out of love with as years have gone by but I still cherish my memories with it and used to wake up at ungodly hours before school to grind out my magic stats.
Skyrim is the most casuali-I mean, accessible Elder Scrolls game, so it spread across the world like wild fire and remains a popular game to this day. It feels pointless typing much since I’m 99% sure you’ve played it but to summarise? Bethesda takes you to a whole other world and that world is beautiful, dangerous and full of Norse maidens and sweaty men too.
Winner Of 2012 - Crusader Kings 2
From 2012-2017 gaming entered something of a dark age in my opinion, so you’re going to see some more of my weird basement dweller picks here.
Crusader Kings 2 was my first Paradox game and really put the company on the map in mainstream gaming along with EU4 the next year. The goal is to play as a medieval dynasty and make your way in the world, you earn a higher score by ruling kingdoms, founding empires and generally altering the course of history. I’m grossly oversimplifying because it really is a big sandbox grand strategy game with RPG mechanics. CK2 is now free to play since the sequel is already half a decade old.
2012’s Honourable Mention - Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs takes the ingredients of Grand Theft Auto: an immersive open world, a bevy of vehicular based missions and a storyline drenched in crime intrigue, cooks those ingredients up and produces a much better game.
Sleeping Dogs features an incredibly fun melee combat system, a detailed, open-world version of Hong Kong (that’s 2 games on this list featuring Hong Kong… I think I like this city) and a plot where you play as the good guys for once: an undercover cop in the Triad but grappling with personal loyalties and a sense of duty.
Winner Of 2013 - Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
I generally don’t enjoy the Assassin’s Creed series. Assassin’s Creed essentially killed off Prince Of Persia, I always thought the combat felt terrible and when I tried to play the beloved Assassin’s Creed 2 I found myself thoroughly underwhelmed… but Black Flag is fucking awesome.
Set around the Caribbean, Black Flag sees you sailing the high seas, managing a pirate fleet and doing battle both on foot and on the high seas as you follow a plot that… I didn’t care about but the simple act of engaging in naval warfare and boarding actions kept me entertained for hours.
2013’s Honourable Mention - Ryse: Son Of Rome
I feel a disturbance in the force, as if a million The Last Of Us fans cried out and hurled their controllers.
Gotta be honest, not a particularly great year for video games this one and it’s only going to get worse. I don’t like The Last Of Us, the launch line-ups for the Xbox One and PS4 were mostly quite bland… but I really like Ryse: Son Of Rome.
If you weren’t around for the early Xbox One days then firstly: I envy you and secondly, Son Of Rome was basically the prettiest, most impressive game around in 2013, it also had a 5-7 hour long campaign which took you across Britain and into Rome itself. The combat was reminiscent of Arkham Asylum: nothing too special but what really kept my interest was the horde mode which had online CO-OP and had you fighting waves of enemies in the colosseum. Not an amazing game but one I enjoy.
Most Rome games are strategy titles, that needs to change.
Winner Of 2014 - Wolfenstein: The New Order
2014 Is a year that stands out to me as being particularly shit for video games. Destiny was a dud, Titanfall was a dud, Dragon Age: Inquisition was a bloated, tedious mess; Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze looks amazing… but I’ve never played that game, so my award goes to Wolfenstein: The New Order.
The New Order presents the most classic alt-history scenario: what if Germany won the Second World War? The result is robotic dogs, giant guns, a globe-spanning empire and a seriously fun FPS.
2014’s Honourable Mention - Mario Kart 8
I was debating whether to put Mario Kart 8 as the winner but I decided not to because the Deluxe version on Nintendo Switch is way better.
Mario Kart 8 is the perfect Mario Kart game, so perfect that it necessitated the shift to open-world that we saw with this year’s fantastic Mario Kart World. This is the best-selling Switch game so I doubt I need to write much but it should be acknowledged that, like a lot of the Switch’s success, the foundations for MK8 Deluxe to soar so high were laid in the Wii-U era.
Winner Of 2015 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Easiest year ever, there were only a few games that I really enjoyed in 2015 and of course, the excellent Witcher 3 was the best of them.
The Wild Hunt needs little introduction, it has virtually everything you could want in an RPG: great writing, fun combat, a vast world to explore, excellent side-quests and the most enjoyable expansions ever made. The only complaint I would lay against this game is that the main quest is the most boring of them all and I’ve never really cared for the Triss-Geralt-Yennifer love triangle, mainly because Yennifer is the clear winner for me. I won’t be taking any questions.
The Witcher 4 seems quite unnecessary to me but I still hope it turns out well.
2015’s Honourable Mention - Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
MGS5 Is a terrible Metal Gear game but it’s a damn good video game when taken on its own merits and without the baggage of decades of storytelling and prior design.
The Phantom Pain sees the player running a private military corporation off an oil rig in the Seychelles and waging a global campaign of revenge against a rival organisation who destroyed your previous base. It de-emphasises stealth more than previous entries but the player freedom, attention to detail and sheer fun of MGS5 cannot be overstated.
This is a Kojima game so expect weirdness, a plot you can barely understand and a lot of padding.
Winner Of 2016 - Hearts Of Iron 4
Sigh… you knew this was coming, I knew this was coming, you can all laugh at me now.
Hearts Of Iron 4 is the most addictive game I’ve ever played and I’ve racked up over 2000 hours, my review of HOI4 is also my most successful Substack article ever but it’s a few months old now so I’ll be linking it for those who want a (very long) read about my history with this beautiful mess.
In short? It’s endlessly deep, endlessly frustrating and endlessly replayable too.
2016’s Honourable Mention - Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life
Yakuza 6, like most of these games, is quite flawed and doesn’t really innovate on the formula much besides a new engine and combat system but I found Kiryu’s (first) send-off to be a touching tale which delivered the right emotional punch without going too far.
Combat is fun, Kiryu’s little band of misfits are all likeable companions and the Dragon Engine was a major step forward for the series and no doubt helped to popularise Yakuza here in the West.
Winner Of 2017 - The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
A very easy choice for me. After years of what I considered to be very bland gaming and approaching the end of my teens, I wondered if I had grown out of video games and needed to give the pastime up… Breath Of The Wild changed all that and reignited my love for the medium.
Breath Of The Wild brought Link into a Western-style open world setting for the first time and introduced a more systems-based kind of combat where the player would overcome foes through clever manipulation of physics and gadgets rather than wailing away with their Master Sword or using dungeon items. It looks and plays beautiful and truly immerses you in a living, breathing vision of Hyrule.
I have such vivid memories of my first playthrough of this game and how it brought everything back: how after years away from Zelda and Nintendo in general, I felt like a little kid again playing Ocarina Of Time and Wind Waker on my Gamecube.
I’ll likely review BotW game someday.
2017’s Honourable Mention - Super Mario Odyssey
The Nintendo Switch’s early success was founded upon a revolutionary hardware gimmick and the one-two punch of Breath Of The Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. Odyssey was a fantastic return to form for the Mario franchise, both 2D and 3D, after years of samey New Super Mario Bros. titles and the barely 3D Super Mario 3D World.
Armed with Cappy, you control Mario through a series of endearingly realised kingdoms collecting hundreds of Power Moons and assimilating poor creatures like a family friendly version of The Thing. I’d imagine this would take top spot for many but Zelda has always been my favourite Nintendo IP. Whatever comes next for Mario, it will be hard to top Odyssey, even 8 years later this is an essential Switch title.
Winner Of 2018 - Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter is one of those series where I rarely sing its praises but every time I pick one of these games back up again, I remember how good they are.
While the series had always made its way to the West and has been an enduring titan in Japan, it wasn’t really until World and its massive boost in production values and adoption of Western open-world design that the series really became a chart-topper over here.
While Monster Hunter is best played with a group of friends all headsetted up, I can guarantee you that no matter when you decide to play, a random guy from the other side of the planet with a name in a script you can’t read will become your best friend for the night and by the time you’ve finished a few hunts you’ll wish he was the best man at your wedding.
2018’s Honourable Mention - God Of War
I must admit, I do prefer God Of War 3 to this game and I almost put Sonic Mania here instead but considering that game is mostly recycled nostalgia, I went with God Of War 2018.
God Of War 2018 Is a sombre tale where a thoroughly civilised Kratos journeys with his son: Atreus to scatter his departed beloved’s ashes atop a mountain. This simple premise turns to chaos when the divine beings of the Norse realm begin to realise who exactly this suspiciously Hellenic old timer is and the allure of old power calls to Kratos when his offspring comes under threat.
Winner Of 2019 - Metro Exodus
The stars seemed to align and the hand of God was felt because in 2019, the third Metro game: a series I had already developed a deep love for since the original, arrived on no other day than my 19th birthday.
Metro Exodus sees Artyom (if I see that name translated as ‘Artem’ one more time I’m going to put out my eyes) Anna, Miller and the other Spartans departing Moscow on a journey across Western Russia and one area in Central Asia. Exodus takes place across an entire year where you will add to your merry band of travellers, stealth, stab and shoot your way to several different endings. I’m going to destroy my image here and admit that Exodus is one of only 2 video games that has ever made me cry.
The other is Yakuza 0.
2019’s Honourable Mention - Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
2019 Was an especially busy year for me, so I mostly spent my time playing games I already owned and a lot of the heavy hitters like Devil May Cry 5 didn’t really appeal to me; Resident Evil 2 felt like a cheap choice.
Ace Combat is a venerable series of arcadey air combat games that has been quietly chugging away since the launch of the original PlayStation. I have the first 2 on that console and really enjoy them, I grew up with Ace Combat 5 on the PS2 and loved that as well; Skies Unknown doesn’t really match up to those old ones in terms of quality but it looks stunning, plays great and was accomplished under less than favourable circumstances, so I’m reluctant to bash the developers too hard.
I would be first in-line to buy Ace Combat 8 whenever that may be.
Winner Of 2020 - Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal was a huge event when it launched.
Most of us were being locked down and shut indoors just as the hottest new FPS was coming out… what a pity! I’ve always found Eternal’s lore and storyline to be force-fed to the player and I’m a bit mixed on the art-style to this day but gameplay is fast and violent, the underappreciated multiplayer was quite fun and that soundtrack is legendary.
2020’s Honourable Mention - Ghost Of Tsushima
![Ghost of Tsushima][Screenshot] This game is breathtaking : r/PS4](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_G5o!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd965e18e-087d-446f-82c9-878a8ffae93d_1920x1080.jpeg "Ghost of Tsushima][Screenshot] This game is breathtaking : r/PS4")
Unfortunately, my playthrough of Ghost Of Tsushima earlier this year was foiled when my controller stopped working; I tried keyboard but playing this type of game on KB&M is for psychopaths.
Ghost Of Tsushima can be a little repetitive and slow but the combat is incredibly fun, the historical event depicted hasn’t ever been explored in another video game as far as I know and the environments you explore are stunning. I’m not a fan of Sony’s first party games generally but Tsushima gets a tentative pass, at least until I can revisit it.
Winner Of 2021 - Metroid Dread
It’s often been said that Metroid is Nintendo’s most underappreciated franchise. Practically every mainline entry in this series is critically acclaimed and an entire genre: Metroidvania is built around its design but… these games never sell that well, until Dread that is.
Metroid Dread is the sequel to Metroid Fusion which released all the way back in 2002 around the same time as the Gamecube; Dread was the first 2D mainline entry on a home console since Super Metroid in 1994 too. Metroid Dread sacrifices a lot of the atmosphere and intricate world design but replaces it with challenging boss fights, fantastic combat and a narrative with plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked.
Still not better than Super Metroid… but we’re getting closer. If you honestly think that Metroid Fusion is the best 2D entry in the series then we can’t be friends.
2021’s Honourable Mention - Forza Horizon 5
When putting together this section I realised just how little of interest came out after Covid hit, at least to me. These were the only 2 games from 2021 that really stood out.
Forza Horizon takes Microsoft’s open-world racer to a squashed up, extrapolated Mexico where you race around jungles, deserts and roads completing races of every kind and absorbing the country’s car culture. I really enjoyed the location, it was unexpected, everyone and their dog expected Horizon 5 to take us to Japan where all the Initial D fans could cuddle up to their body pillows and race Toyota Truenos about.
I feasted on their disappointment, I hate anime.
Winner Of 2022 - Pokémon SC/VI
I know some eyebrows are going to be raised over this choice but I didn’t experience these games on the original Switch; on the Switch 2, where I play it, Generation 9 Pokémon is a really great time.
Scarlet and Violet take you to the Paldea region based on Europe’s Iberian Peninsula, I wrote about this game recently so I won’t go into too much detail but with the technical issues removed, it’s the best generation since Black and White in my opinion.
2022’s Honourable Mention - Pokémon Legends: Arceus
That’s right, it’s a full Pokémon sweep for 2022.
I can feel the tomatoes flying as I type this but listen: Elden Ring does nothing for me as a long-time Souls fan, I’ve not played God Of War: Ragnarok yet and Resident Evil 8 is poor man’s Resi 4. Most of all? Arceus surprised me, I didn’t expect to like the game, so that’s why I’ve picked it.
Legends: Arceus sees you conducting research in the vast and unsettled Hisui region: what would later become Sinnoh. It’s the usual battling, catching and team building of Pokémon but the monsters are presented more like dangerous local fauna and you explore different zones similar to Pokémon Snap on the N64. A lot of the ideas in Arceus have informed the other Pokémon games going forward.
Winner Of 2023 - Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The fetid stench of New Super Mario Bros. was finally lifted from 2D Mario and it was glorious.
I still don’t think Wonder is as good as World on the SNES because it’s too easy, which is a crippling problem for a 2D platformer but it’s an incredibly fun game with a breathtaking art-style and the ego boost I got from passing players falling into spikes and dying to enemies put a malicious grin on my face.
I love how many characters there are, I’ll definitely replay this soon when the Switch 2 edition goodies arrive, I hope it’s a substantial bit of content.
2023’s Honourable Mention - Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon
You have no idea how much pain it’s causing me to leave the ‘u’ out of ‘armoured.’
Armored Core VI reminded me of what I used to love about From Software before they coughed up the Elden Ring open world slop. Missions are tough, boss fights are visually striking and the mechs are endlessly customisable. I’ve only played very brief parts of the earlier games so I can’t tell you how well Fires Of Rubicon stacks up in the wider context of Armored Core but this is a game I really enjoyed.
Winner Of 2024 - Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2
Listen, I’m not a big 40K guy or anything like that but Space Marine 2 was awesome and I thoroughly enjoyed it even when 80% of the lore was lost on me; I know Chaos is bad, the blue ones are Ultramarines and the Emperor is actually a corpse on life support but not much beyond that.
Space Marine 2 features a lengthy campaign, PvP, CO-OP missions and a horde mode, all playable with friends and all made exceedingly fun by visceral, gory melee combat, devastating firearms and stampedes of Xenomo-I mean Tyranids.
2024’s Honourable Mention - Tekken 8
This is it, the final entry.
Tekken 8 has gone seriously astray since it launched but let’s not forget that beneath the shitty balancing, scummy DLC practices and lack of communication from developers… the skeleton of the best Tekken game ever is in there.
Tekken 8’s campaign was a glorious buffet of fan-service, epic brawls and long-awaited confrontations, the graphics are stunning compared to Tekken 7, most characters look better than they ever have and this game brought in thousands of new fans to the venerable 3D fighting series… if any of them are still playing, I don’t know.
I don’t get to play every game from every year: I’m not a journalist or really anybody of any import, I don’t get offered codes or go out of my way to request them, so there are only so many games that grace my screen. This isn’t a top 25 games list or the only games I liked from each year either, 2000-2010 especially had me furrowing my brows about what games to pick. The chances are, if your favourite game isn’t here, I either haven’t played it or liked something else more.
I’ll be announcing my picks for 2025 in my final post of the year in mid-December.
Thank you very much for reading to the end, I hope you enjoyed today’s post, as always I’ll be happy to chat in the comments below and please like and subscribe to the Journal for more.
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Great write up! Thanks for the shoutout! Really appreciate it.
"From 2012-2017 gaming entered something of a dark age in my opinion, so you’re going to see some more of my weird basement dweller picks here."
Reading someone else verbalize this makes me feel less crazy. It's like there was a meeting between all the developers where they sat in a room and said "gamers have had it too good for the past few years. Let's make some slop."
Your thoughts really make me see why these games stood out. Super interesting!