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."
These were largely my teen years and I remember every game just being so unsatisfying to play until the Switch arrived. I'm glad I'm not alone in this feeling too.
Love seeing more favour to Fable 2, I adored that game long before I knew anything about the industry or wider reception. Special place in my heart for the series. Ditto for the Metro games.
It's not high art and it's not the most well-made game ever but it is undeniably fun and one I look back on fondly as well. Metro is just excellent too.
I'm sorry it took so long for me to get around to reading this, I'm glad I did eventually though. You'll be glad to know this idea of a post will go no further than you - if I listed a game for every year of my life, we'd be here forever!
Wholeheartedly agree with your choice of Metroid Dread. I liked the first Fable actually, never played the others.
Thinking back on Halo 2, I'm not so sure anymore about how good I found it. The first Halo I thought maybe had some flaws but was the purest expression of the game. Halo 2 wanted to be more grandiose but the Covenant side of the campaign, while somewhat interesting, wasn't completely compelling. And you don't end games on cliffhangers, unless the sequel is coming out next month.
No worries! Sure you're up to a lot outside of Substack and I do write a lot and often.
First Fable is seen as the best by many, ironically the only one I've never played! Metroid Dread definitely has issues but still excellent. still an essential Switch title.
I think Halo 2 sacrificed a lot of the horror and intimacy of the original game but is miles better to actually play and its campaign is probably my favourite in the series even if it is a bit bloated and the boss fights don't really stick the landing. Agree on cliff-hangers too.
Kudos to you for not going with the expected on many of these. TImeSplitters over RE4 would definitely warrant pitchforks and an angry mob, but honestly, I spent so much more time in TimeSplitters, and it was infinitely more fun. So, not sure I disagree!
I also appreciate you skipping MGS4. I saw your reasoning in another comment, and yeah. It wasn't a game for fans who enjoyed *playing* MGS 1 through 3. Definitely a deminished experience from a gameplay perspective, which is funny, because MGSV is a deminished experience from a narrative perspective. Couldn't quite capture the magic of Sons of Liberty or Snake Eater again.
I probably would have thrown Gears of War 2 on here for 2008, but I think that's mostly the nostalgia of staying up late with friends.
One of the things I'm always mindful of with any article like this is making sure I'm writing my own thoughts, not somebody else's; I was tempted to put RE4 at the top but I just don't enjoy it as much as Future Perfect (or previous RE games for that matter.)
That's definitely my main issue with it but it's also Kojima at peak schizophrenia and convoluted writing, I've played MGS4 in excess of 5 times and for the life of me, I couldn't tell you what happens in that game apart from the first hour and the last hour. I suppose this is all a sign of what I value in games and a reason why Sony wasn't exactly a mainstay on this list.
I've never enjoyed Gears Of War but it's an iconic piece of Xbox 360 history, a worthy choice.
Because I see two survival horror-y games I feel the need to shout-out the game Rule of Rose, a 2006 survival horror game I did not learn about until very recently but that I have really enjoyed. Deeply creepy in a way the genre rarely is. Haven’t finished it but it’s the first game in a while I am actively itching to see more of, which is quite an accomplishment from a 2006 PS2 game.
Heard the name before but not played it, I have to admit that outside of Resident Evil my survival horror acumen is embarrassingly light, I need to change that and give it a go
I'd highly recommend it. It's clunky as hell and can be a bit tedious, but in a genre (and an era) where a lot of games go nowhere it is a game that goes places and remains genuinely surprising and creepy.
Not a bad list; I would beg to differ on a few. I definitely have more love for 2018 God of War, loved the story and the combat kicked my ass. Now GOW: Ragnarok, oof. It starts out good; with angry Freya 🖤 , but it gets bogged down with itself.
Also, loved Ghost of Tsushima. Try it in Kurosawa mode, if you can handle the black & white. I couldn’t between my crappy TV and my bad eyes. I am almost through with the sequel, Ghost of Yotei. I really, really love it, the story is actually deep and I can see how it might seem slow to some.
Thanks! Honestly? Some of these could change depending on when I was asked but 2000, 2004 and a few others are pretty set in stone.
I'm generally not enthralled with Sony's first party games: too film-like and devoid of charm for my liking but I do need to check out Ragnarok and have a more thorough play of the Ghost games.
I do see your point about the Sony games’ characters . That was the case with Horizon Zero Dawn. Great story, but all of the characters had the personality of rubber mats. Not just Aloy; as a female gamer myself I don’t like the pile-on, but man she was pretty annoying.
Female leads in games is one of those caustic topics I tend to avoid: some bozos are fundamentally against a woman with any combat ability leading a game while some people are divorced from reality and fail to see why a dainty blonde taking out a 6'7 lumberjack in hand to hand combat comes off as a bit of a bad joke. I'll write on the topic some day, when I can put it more eloquently.
I miss the PS2 and PS1 era Sony, a lot of variety and personality back then
You dare to challenge me? Well, I hate to say it, but you seem to be off the hook here. Giving Morrowind its due, MGS2 and 3... wait a minute...
Fable 2 for 2008 and not MGS4? Are you even a Metal Gear fan? MGS4 was the perfect movie to end the franchise on, and the final fight with every final boss back to back? Absolute cinema. If you understood Kojima, you'd know that his greatest aspiration has always been to make Hollywood dreck, and with MGS4, he achieved his goal. If not for the innovative gameplay that is entirely optional, or the narrative rollercoaster so intentionally and frequently derailed, at least give it credit for the voice acting so dedicated it destroyed a man, Heath Ledger Joker-style. Edit this list lest I throw you into the Microwave Hallway.
Also, Ryse instead of Metal Gear Rising? Now you're just trying to be edgy. You really think some Xbox One exclusive beats out the best rhythm game ever made? Have you even experienced these memes, Scanlines? Shouldn't have disabled your posting inhibitors.
Incredibly telling that you are not man enough to admit that you cry every time at the end of MGS3, by the way. That alone shows you still have some growing up to do.
Why am I not surprised that you give a pass to Metroid turning into parryslop? And who the hell thinks FUSION is the best 2D Metroid game? Obviously that award goes to Zero Mission, unless you have the heart to admit that Nintendo cannot be trusted with the franchise, in which it goes to AM2R, or you're a REAL retro enthusiast who can embrace quality that endures the ages, and can give it to Metroid II: Return of Samus.
I was half expecting someone to cry because I didn't pick Majora's Mask for 2000. I love 4 shitty dungeons, replaying the same crap over and over and 80% of the game being side-quests with no replay value.
Metal Gear Solid 4 is a Sony fan's wet dream. It's a video game for people who hate video games: 40% gameplay, all graphics and no substance; the real microwave hallway is knowing how cool PS1 and PS2 exclusives were before every Sony game became Oscar-bait.
I'm making the mother of all Substacks here, Mander, can't fret over every rustled jimmy.
It's true, every time I reach the credits I stand up straight from my chair and salute my monitor as a single stoic tear rolls down my cheek. God bless you Kojima, the most original, genius storyteller and dialogue writer to ever grace this muddy blue dot we call Earth.
You'd be shocked how many people unironically declare Fusion the best, absolute cretins. Nothing helps exploration liek a chatty companion and a giant objective marker.
The visual direction of Uncharted 2 was fantastic. I did not know how good I had it while playing it. This may be controversial but I don’t think it was ever topped (even though 4 is still a great looking game).
It’s also nice to see a fellow Twilight Princess respecter. That was my introduction to the series, and I was entranced by the somewhat dark tone. Its also very middle earthy in a way the other games aren’t.
Not controversial at all, at least in my eyes. Both visually and in terms of my enjoyment, I put Uncharted 2 as the best game in the series.
You'll be pleased to know then that this article prompted me to replay it and that I'm cooking up a full review as we speak. It definitely has the best art-style: an evolution of what Ocarina and Majora were doing, I don't like the ghibli thing they've got going on now
Now that's a respectable list! There's only a few times I would switch the winner with the honorable mention (and years like 2017 would be very hard to decide), but all pics here are great on their own.
What I really enjoyed was how your writing evolved. You made your case in a short but compelling manner in every single entry, and it was a joy to read each one. I felt like reading a special edition of an old gaming magazine, which is the highest compliment I could give.
Also, kudos for being one of the very few people I know who mentioned Ace Combat 7. More people should play this series!
Honestly? There's a few where I'm still not sure if I picked the right one either. The first 10 years were especially brutal, a lot of games I would have liked to have given a spot like one of the Ratchet and Clanks or Jak And Daxter games, hell, even some of the better Call Of Duty games.
I really appreciate that. I purposefully try to avoid writing in an academic tone or in a way that people can't relate to so for me that's a sign I'm hitting the mark.
Agreed! AC7 sold the best in the whole franchise I believe, I think they're one game away from being a mainstream, respected franchise if they play their cards right.
Looking to start playing games in the next phase of my life 😃. Maybe I'll start with Warhammer 40k as I enjoy watching videos of it on YouTube. Really nice list, although I know little about games. More than just games, they're memories too. Thanks for sharing this.
Appreciate you reading! I'll most likely make another in future for retro games going back to 1980.
Definitely best to start with more modern games, anything pre-2010 will probably feel quite dated now if you've not been a gamer for long. Don't be afraid to bump the difficulty down and just play what looks interesting to you, not what everyone else likes.
Thanks, good advice. Despite being bad at games, I'd always felt weird playing games in easy difficulty. 🤦🏻♂️ That's why the number of games I've ever finished can be counted on one hand.
Yeah, I'll start with something more recent. Thanks.
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."
No worries! Glad you enjoyed it.
These were largely my teen years and I remember every game just being so unsatisfying to play until the Switch arrived. I'm glad I'm not alone in this feeling too.
Love seeing more favour to Fable 2, I adored that game long before I knew anything about the industry or wider reception. Special place in my heart for the series. Ditto for the Metro games.
It's not high art and it's not the most well-made game ever but it is undeniably fun and one I look back on fondly as well. Metro is just excellent too.
It's funny because I have been drafting a similar article for my December issue. I thought I was being original, hahaha.
Good list, of course I differ in a few years but we'll get to that later on
That's what makes it fun :) Do post your own, I think this is a format that basically every writer here can make interesting
I'm sorry it took so long for me to get around to reading this, I'm glad I did eventually though. You'll be glad to know this idea of a post will go no further than you - if I listed a game for every year of my life, we'd be here forever!
Wholeheartedly agree with your choice of Metroid Dread. I liked the first Fable actually, never played the others.
Thinking back on Halo 2, I'm not so sure anymore about how good I found it. The first Halo I thought maybe had some flaws but was the purest expression of the game. Halo 2 wanted to be more grandiose but the Covenant side of the campaign, while somewhat interesting, wasn't completely compelling. And you don't end games on cliffhangers, unless the sequel is coming out next month.
As always, a great post!
No worries! Sure you're up to a lot outside of Substack and I do write a lot and often.
First Fable is seen as the best by many, ironically the only one I've never played! Metroid Dread definitely has issues but still excellent. still an essential Switch title.
I think Halo 2 sacrificed a lot of the horror and intimacy of the original game but is miles better to actually play and its campaign is probably my favourite in the series even if it is a bit bloated and the boss fights don't really stick the landing. Agree on cliff-hangers too.
Cheers!
Your thoughts really make me see why these games stood out. Super interesting!
Appreciate you reading! I'll do another for the earlier couple of decades later
Kudos to you for not going with the expected on many of these. TImeSplitters over RE4 would definitely warrant pitchforks and an angry mob, but honestly, I spent so much more time in TimeSplitters, and it was infinitely more fun. So, not sure I disagree!
I also appreciate you skipping MGS4. I saw your reasoning in another comment, and yeah. It wasn't a game for fans who enjoyed *playing* MGS 1 through 3. Definitely a deminished experience from a gameplay perspective, which is funny, because MGSV is a deminished experience from a narrative perspective. Couldn't quite capture the magic of Sons of Liberty or Snake Eater again.
I probably would have thrown Gears of War 2 on here for 2008, but I think that's mostly the nostalgia of staying up late with friends.
One of the things I'm always mindful of with any article like this is making sure I'm writing my own thoughts, not somebody else's; I was tempted to put RE4 at the top but I just don't enjoy it as much as Future Perfect (or previous RE games for that matter.)
That's definitely my main issue with it but it's also Kojima at peak schizophrenia and convoluted writing, I've played MGS4 in excess of 5 times and for the life of me, I couldn't tell you what happens in that game apart from the first hour and the last hour. I suppose this is all a sign of what I value in games and a reason why Sony wasn't exactly a mainstay on this list.
I've never enjoyed Gears Of War but it's an iconic piece of Xbox 360 history, a worthy choice.
Because I see two survival horror-y games I feel the need to shout-out the game Rule of Rose, a 2006 survival horror game I did not learn about until very recently but that I have really enjoyed. Deeply creepy in a way the genre rarely is. Haven’t finished it but it’s the first game in a while I am actively itching to see more of, which is quite an accomplishment from a 2006 PS2 game.
Heard the name before but not played it, I have to admit that outside of Resident Evil my survival horror acumen is embarrassingly light, I need to change that and give it a go
I'd highly recommend it. It's clunky as hell and can be a bit tedious, but in a genre (and an era) where a lot of games go nowhere it is a game that goes places and remains genuinely surprising and creepy.
Not a bad list; I would beg to differ on a few. I definitely have more love for 2018 God of War, loved the story and the combat kicked my ass. Now GOW: Ragnarok, oof. It starts out good; with angry Freya 🖤 , but it gets bogged down with itself.
Also, loved Ghost of Tsushima. Try it in Kurosawa mode, if you can handle the black & white. I couldn’t between my crappy TV and my bad eyes. I am almost through with the sequel, Ghost of Yotei. I really, really love it, the story is actually deep and I can see how it might seem slow to some.
Thanks! Honestly? Some of these could change depending on when I was asked but 2000, 2004 and a few others are pretty set in stone.
I'm generally not enthralled with Sony's first party games: too film-like and devoid of charm for my liking but I do need to check out Ragnarok and have a more thorough play of the Ghost games.
I do see your point about the Sony games’ characters . That was the case with Horizon Zero Dawn. Great story, but all of the characters had the personality of rubber mats. Not just Aloy; as a female gamer myself I don’t like the pile-on, but man she was pretty annoying.
Female leads in games is one of those caustic topics I tend to avoid: some bozos are fundamentally against a woman with any combat ability leading a game while some people are divorced from reality and fail to see why a dainty blonde taking out a 6'7 lumberjack in hand to hand combat comes off as a bit of a bad joke. I'll write on the topic some day, when I can put it more eloquently.
I miss the PS2 and PS1 era Sony, a lot of variety and personality back then
You dare to challenge me? Well, I hate to say it, but you seem to be off the hook here. Giving Morrowind its due, MGS2 and 3... wait a minute...
Fable 2 for 2008 and not MGS4? Are you even a Metal Gear fan? MGS4 was the perfect movie to end the franchise on, and the final fight with every final boss back to back? Absolute cinema. If you understood Kojima, you'd know that his greatest aspiration has always been to make Hollywood dreck, and with MGS4, he achieved his goal. If not for the innovative gameplay that is entirely optional, or the narrative rollercoaster so intentionally and frequently derailed, at least give it credit for the voice acting so dedicated it destroyed a man, Heath Ledger Joker-style. Edit this list lest I throw you into the Microwave Hallway.
Also, Ryse instead of Metal Gear Rising? Now you're just trying to be edgy. You really think some Xbox One exclusive beats out the best rhythm game ever made? Have you even experienced these memes, Scanlines? Shouldn't have disabled your posting inhibitors.
Incredibly telling that you are not man enough to admit that you cry every time at the end of MGS3, by the way. That alone shows you still have some growing up to do.
Why am I not surprised that you give a pass to Metroid turning into parryslop? And who the hell thinks FUSION is the best 2D Metroid game? Obviously that award goes to Zero Mission, unless you have the heart to admit that Nintendo cannot be trusted with the franchise, in which it goes to AM2R, or you're a REAL retro enthusiast who can embrace quality that endures the ages, and can give it to Metroid II: Return of Samus.
I was half expecting someone to cry because I didn't pick Majora's Mask for 2000. I love 4 shitty dungeons, replaying the same crap over and over and 80% of the game being side-quests with no replay value.
Metal Gear Solid 4 is a Sony fan's wet dream. It's a video game for people who hate video games: 40% gameplay, all graphics and no substance; the real microwave hallway is knowing how cool PS1 and PS2 exclusives were before every Sony game became Oscar-bait.
I'm making the mother of all Substacks here, Mander, can't fret over every rustled jimmy.
It's true, every time I reach the credits I stand up straight from my chair and salute my monitor as a single stoic tear rolls down my cheek. God bless you Kojima, the most original, genius storyteller and dialogue writer to ever grace this muddy blue dot we call Earth.
You'd be shocked how many people unironically declare Fusion the best, absolute cretins. Nothing helps exploration liek a chatty companion and a giant objective marker.
MGS3, BOTW, DOOM Eternal.
Some really great choices here that align with my own preferences :)
Thanks! There’s no getting around it: MGS3 has never been beaten as far as I’m concerned. Best. Game. Ever.
what about star craft 2?
Not played it but Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance is my favourite RTS by miles
2025: Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Honorable mention: Arc Raiders
I'm pretty set in stone on my game of the year but waiting for December to see if Metroid Prime 4 gets honourable mention
The visual direction of Uncharted 2 was fantastic. I did not know how good I had it while playing it. This may be controversial but I don’t think it was ever topped (even though 4 is still a great looking game).
It’s also nice to see a fellow Twilight Princess respecter. That was my introduction to the series, and I was entranced by the somewhat dark tone. Its also very middle earthy in a way the other games aren’t.
Not controversial at all, at least in my eyes. Both visually and in terms of my enjoyment, I put Uncharted 2 as the best game in the series.
You'll be pleased to know then that this article prompted me to replay it and that I'm cooking up a full review as we speak. It definitely has the best art-style: an evolution of what Ocarina and Majora were doing, I don't like the ghibli thing they've got going on now
Now that's a respectable list! There's only a few times I would switch the winner with the honorable mention (and years like 2017 would be very hard to decide), but all pics here are great on their own.
What I really enjoyed was how your writing evolved. You made your case in a short but compelling manner in every single entry, and it was a joy to read each one. I felt like reading a special edition of an old gaming magazine, which is the highest compliment I could give.
Also, kudos for being one of the very few people I know who mentioned Ace Combat 7. More people should play this series!
Honestly? There's a few where I'm still not sure if I picked the right one either. The first 10 years were especially brutal, a lot of games I would have liked to have given a spot like one of the Ratchet and Clanks or Jak And Daxter games, hell, even some of the better Call Of Duty games.
I really appreciate that. I purposefully try to avoid writing in an academic tone or in a way that people can't relate to so for me that's a sign I'm hitting the mark.
Agreed! AC7 sold the best in the whole franchise I believe, I think they're one game away from being a mainstream, respected franchise if they play their cards right.
Here's hoping that the Project Aces team gets popular enough one day to be able to remake AC3.
A bundle of PS2-era Ace Combat games in HD would be amazing, especially handheld on the Switch
Looking to start playing games in the next phase of my life 😃. Maybe I'll start with Warhammer 40k as I enjoy watching videos of it on YouTube. Really nice list, although I know little about games. More than just games, they're memories too. Thanks for sharing this.
Appreciate you reading! I'll most likely make another in future for retro games going back to 1980.
Definitely best to start with more modern games, anything pre-2010 will probably feel quite dated now if you've not been a gamer for long. Don't be afraid to bump the difficulty down and just play what looks interesting to you, not what everyone else likes.
Thanks, good advice. Despite being bad at games, I'd always felt weird playing games in easy difficulty. 🤦🏻♂️ That's why the number of games I've ever finished can be counted on one hand.
Yeah, I'll start with something more recent. Thanks.
★TWO★ best games from...