Ah video games… How far have you come? The past decade was definitely a huge step forward in the industry in terms of design, mechanics and overall innovation. Sure it had its share of downs, but for the most part, our favorite digital escape is moving onward into greater days ahead.
Whether you’re a casual, competitive, online/offline, or a mobile gamer, you can’t deny that the last decade made a mark in our favorite hobby in more ways than one. So before we jump into the new year (with possibly new platforms on the horizon), lets go back a few clicks and check out our 10 best video games ever made from the past 10 years!
A bit of a disclaimer before we start, this list was made in consensus with all the writers at UnGeek, and is by no means a definitive, not to mention ordered list. After a good round of discussion and arguments, these are what we subjectively feel in our geeky hearts to be the best of the best from the past decade. There will be a lot of titles that will not make it here because of similarity/overlap and other reasons, but I’m pretty sure a few that at least a few that we’ll mention will tug your digital heartstrings. So without further ado, in the immortal words of Mario… HERE WE GO!
Minecraft (2011)
Minecraft may have been released in its early stages back in 2009, but it’s official releases was within this decade, specifically back in November 18, 2011. And honestly, its a shame that I never really got the chance to play this for long, because I personally didn’t catch its appeal, not after a few years, with a different game! (more on this later). But for my friends who still play and swear to this game up to this very day, I can definitely understand the immersion and addiction one can feel with the building aspect. There might be a few varied 3D and 2D clones that share the same spotlight with Minecraft right now, but there’s a reason why this game is still standing tall among the rest. And with the latest news that the game is now cross-compatible with pretty much every popular console and platform available, what better time to jump in than now!
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
In this decade, a ton of triple-A titles went open-world, and that’s thanks in large part to Skyrim. Released back in 2011, Skyrim may not be the first open-world game to release, but boy is it one of the most influential. Thanks to its incredibly immersive setting, Skyrim showed gamers all over the world how amazing having an open-world is, so much so that it seems that there are multiple open-world games released every year since 2011.
What’s more is that Skyrim is definitely one of the defining games of the decade, and that’s not only because it got released on almost every major platform. It’s also thanks to the incredibly creative community that has produced outstanding mods that make Skyrim worth coming back to now and again.
The Last of Us (2013)
Probably Naughty Dog’s best work. The Last of Us did a lot of things right in the action-adventure category, combining tight combat with tense zombie encounters. Aside from the engaging gameplay, I really liked the dynamic of the two protagonists which helped propel the game’s incredibly memorable and hard-hitting story. No other game made me care and be attached to a certain duo than this game. And I’m glad the ride’s not yet over as we’re getting a sequel next year!
Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
Yes, its another open-world game I know, and a lot of gamers will say that this is not their definitive GTA title (I’m a San Andreas guy myself). But six years after its original release, for some reason the 5th installment from Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto franchise is still hitting the right spot for players, and a good part of this would definitely be because of GTA Online, which has still a good chunk of followers to this day. I tried watching a few local and international streamers who play the free online mode and surprisingly, it was very entertaining to watch, to the point that I wanted to try it out myself! And this is coming from someone who tried and never went back to Red Dead Redemption 2 Online. This game sure has mileage, pun intended.
Bloodborne (2015)
There are a lot of “Souls” games on the market right now. But why do I keep coming back to Bloodborne? Maybe because I never felt such a rewarding experience from preparation to defeat and the eventual and satisfying victory. And Bloodborne really found that right balance of challenge, mystery and discovery. Yes, the game still slaps you in the soulsack, but what sets it apart from the others in the genre is that its a slap that I want to go back again and again.
Undertale (2015)
From the unconventional and witty story to the memorable mix of characters, Undertale is definitely in a league of its own. A unique and magical experience to say the very least… I really don’t want to spoil too much about the game in case you haven’t played it. What I can say is that you should be ready to throw out all your conventional expectations out the door. This game is amazing!
Overwatch (2016)
I am definitely not a fan of first-person shooter games… But I am, a fan of all things Blizzard since the second Warcraft. So when they went out and made a new IP skinned on a genre they are practically not known for, I knew they were up to something good. Yes this might not be for everyone because of its competitve nature, but you can’t deny that Overwatch made a mark on video games the moment it released; it even became game of the year last 2016. The fact that it made a lot of casual gamers such as myself play an FPS is a testament that Overwatch definitely crossed some hard-to-reach borders.
Persona 5 (2016)
From the wonderful cast of characters, to the tried and true JRPG formula, and not to mention the right amount of complexity depth the game has to offer, its to no one’s surprise that Persona V is the only JPRG in our list. Its really easy to lose a lot of hours and immerse yourself in the game’s stunning world.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: As a gamer who isn’t really into JRPGs, I was surprised by how much I loved Persona 5. Usually, I either get bored or I run out of steam when I play JRPGs, but not Persona 5. Thanks to the game’s incredibly stylish aesthetic and lovable cast of characters, I found myself having a grand time playing the game; so much so that it has convinced me to try out other games in the genre. If you’re not into JRPGs, Persona 5 is a great game to convince you otherwise! – Nicolo Manaloto]
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
If I can only choose one game on this list, this would be, hands-down, my pick. Breath of the Wild practically reinvented and redefined the whole open-world genre, where the only limits to what you can do is your imagination. This is because whatever you can think of doing, a good percentage is that you probably can do it in-game.
A definite love-letter for Zelda fans, from the intricate dungeous to the bite-sized (but still amazing) shrines, everything in this game is made out of pure love with the quality with a tried-and-true Nintendo polish to a shine that other games want to strive. Even if you are not a fan of the franchise, do yourself a favor and make this your very first Switch game. You’re welcome.
Fortnite (2017)
Love it or hate it, Fortnite is one of the biggest and most popular games of the decade. What was originally a PVE building game (thanks to Minecraft), the game has now expanded to a battle-royale style shooter (thanks to PUBG). Who would have thought the amalgamation of those two games would take the gamers by storm… Also, you might think that the story might be paper-thin in this game, but for those who follow this since the first season you would definitely know that they actually tell the story through gameplay and the evolution of the battle map which is, quite genius if I may say.
And there you have it! What game would you rather see made the list? I’m sure your ten is as good as mine. Keep on gaming!