As 2019 draws to a close — not only on the year, but also on a decade of gaming — we wanted to take a break from the hectic holiday period to recognise our favourite games of 2019. What initially seemed like it could be a weaker year for games, as we reach the end of a generation, turned out to be filled with unique, interesting and high-quality games. Along with larger AAA releases, we saw some utterly fantastic new experiences and debut releases from some amazing developers. Outer Wilds and its amazing sense of exploration, A Plague Tale: Innocence and Disco Elysium with their engrossing narratives, and Untitled Goose Game’s wacky goose escapades are only a fraction of the fantastic Indie and lower budget releases we saw in 2019. While they won’t feature in our list today, they’re all games we heartily recommend taking a chance on.
With the release of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X confirmed for 2020, you’d be excused for expecting a winding down of larger AAA experiences, but 2019 saw the release of some of the best games of the generation. Sekiro Shadows Die Twice showed that From Software can change up the mechanics of their games and still create a riveting experience. Devil May Cry 5 showed that Capcom can still make an exhilarating action game, and Gears 5 showed that The Coalition can take a long-running franchise and change it up with great success.
While much of our attention from now on is going to be squarely focused on the next generation and what that will bring, let’s take a moment to recognise Rocket Chainsaw’s Games of the Year for 2019.
Control
There’s no doubt that Remedy has pedigree when it comes to creating interesting atmospheric third-person shooters, but after the somewhat disappointing release of Quantum Break and moving away from a long-running publishing deal with Microsoft, it wasn’t difficult to be a little worried about their future.
Control destroyed those fears, as the heavily SCP-inspired game destroyed our expectations. With utterly amazing visuals and physics, an engrossing and engaging narrative, and some incredibly characters, Control drew us in and never let go. Remedy is back to their best and we can’t wait to see what they do next.
Resident Evil 2 (tied)
What’s that, a remake on a Game of the Year list? That’s right, and that is exactly where Resident Evil 2 belongs. Remakes are never a sure thing, especially when they change the game’s style and gameplay as much as this one did, but Capcom have succeeded in not just crafting a fantastic remake, but in creating an experience that feels modern, while staying true to its original vision.
Resident Evil 2 combines tension, action and horror in a way that was incredibly engaging, leaving us eagerly awaiting Resident Evil 2 in 2020.
Death Stranding (tied)
You’d be excused for wondering what in the hell Death Stranding is, even now that the game has been released. What we lovingly refer to as ‘Amazon Delivery Simulator 2019’, Death Stranding’s method of building its game around mechanics you normally wouldn’t think about is both novel and engaging. There’s nothing else quite like building your load out, balancing your packages and then carefully making your way across America and delivering your goods.
The bizarre story, incredibly detailed graphics and novel online implementation build on this, creating a truly unique experience unlike anything else.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Who would have thought that before the release of Fire Emblem Awakening that the Fire Emblem franchise would still be alive, let alone winning our Game of the Year? Famously told that the franchise would be killed if Awakening didn’t sell, Intelligent Systems defied the odds and have built the franchise into a powerhouse for Nintendo.
From its massive new hub area, strategic battles, deep characters and plot, and welcome alterations to classes, Fire Emblem Three Houses is one of the strongest releases in the franchise and in turn-based strategy games in general.
