GOTY 2019 - Games James Bosco Wished He'd Played More of in 2019
This year has been great for games, like, really great . I think most people are forgetting just how stacked this year has been considering how frequent top shelf releases have been. We’ve been spoiled with so many AAA masterpieces, amazing indie projects, and top quality esports that I found it ridiculously difficult to stick to just one game, hence where this list comes in. These are some of the games that I’ve been lucky enough to dip my toes in, but never got the chance to fully commit to before the next big game came around. There’s bound to be more of that to come in 2020, but before we start drooling at that thought, let's reflect on some of the stellar games released in 2019.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
If you don’t follow SunhiLegend on Twitter this gif should be all the convincing you need.
Sekiro boasts one of the best-designed combat systems this year. The game forces you to think about your movement in a way that rewards you for every tough fight won and every encounter with a chicken survived. The beautifully crafted architecture and landscape absolutely satisfy my addiction to Japanese warrior aesthetics, and the steady and patient playstyle encouraged makes it easy to soak in your surroundings and immerse yourself. This game really looks like my cup of tea, and considering I’ve never played a Dark Souls game before either, Sekiro looks like a great entry point into a series notorious for being so damn difficult.
The Outer Worlds
Fallout has been a franchise that has escaped me over the years, with each game requiring you to funnel so much time and patience into it, I never found the time to give the game justice. Luckily, The Other Worlds feels like a game that compromises time commitment and content to allow people like me to properly experience a Bethesda game without having to commit to a Bethesda time investment.
The Outer Worlds took everything that made the Fallout franchise great and improved on it. Whimsical dialogue, vibrant and gorgeous scenery and a difficulty that allows you to relax and enjoy what’s in front of you. Most quests in The Outer Worlds have multiple outcomes, meaning the game is rife with replay value. There are a couple of shortcomings worth mentioning, mainly the fact that the game is quite short. On average, The Outer Worlds can be completed in 11.5 hours if you focus solely on the main story, which is much shorter than your average Bethesda game. Needless to say, if you’re craving the next big open-world RPG, The Outer Worlds will at least stave off your hunger.
In the eternal word of Tim Curry in Red Alert 3, “SPACE!”
Luigi’s Mansion 3
As a professional courtesy I’m not going to mention my Luigi based opinions to myself.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a genuine treat that injects the green-capped coward with more loveable character than ever before. Things were looking grim for the franchise after Dark Moon failed to live up to expectations, but this third instalment completely revitalises the series with creativity and charm. The Luigi’s Mansion franchise has always been one that I’ve really wanted to pick up but could never take that step and commit to monotonous ghost hunting and backtracking. Thankfully, Luigi’s third trip around the block fixes many of the issues I had with the first two games (outside of the fact that the first game scared the ever-living shite out of me when I was a child). New abilities allow for creative approaches to battles, and the introduction of ‘Gooigi’ is a hilarious way to play with a friend and encourages co-op play by reframing puzzles and boss fights. It truly is a smash hit that brings out the best of the Switch and allows casual play in a way that encourages you to pick it back up at any time.
Pokémon Sword and Shield
Pokémon Sword and Shield was mired in controversy at conception. The announcement of ‘Dexit’, the awfully empty world design and reports of major frame rate issues were all a huge factor in the internet collectively dismissing the game well before it hit the shelves. Then something magical happened: people bought the game. Not only did they buy the game, but the game was bought so much that it quickly became the highest-selling Switch game of all time.
Despite its flaws (and trust me, there are flaws) Sword and Shield delivers a solid addition to the Pokémon franchise. It continues to represent what core Pokémon is about: providing an individual experience that you can share with your friends. Cutting the Pokédex allows for more Pokémon to shine in the new competitive meta, and both the species and level variety makes the Wild Area my favourite way to encounter Pokémon. This game is a prime example that less can be more and that there is a reason a franchise as big as this one has lasted so long.
Where’s my 80 open-world Beyblade RPG? I blame Game Freak… somehow.
Hot Lava
Hot Lava > Hot Coffee.
Hot Lava is undoubtedly my favourite indie game this year. Klei’s, creators of Don’t Starve and the early access title Griftlands, new parkour experience is exactly what I wanted when I first saw the trailer back in 2016. They’ve made a parkour game with creative routing, insane world design and fluid movement. The fact that it plays well on both Steam and Apple Arcade is certainly a feat worth celebrating. If you’ve always wanted to play a proper parkour game, this will absolutely scratch that itch. I had never experienced a parkour game quite like this before. Mirror’s Edge and Dying Light come close, but they often draw too much attention away from their gameplay to focus on their narrative. CS:GO surfing is cool, but I can’t b-hop to save my life, and Minecraft parkour can be fun, but I get an uncomfortable feeling of shame playing that cube-shaped hell game, so I’ve turned my sights to Hot Lava and never looked back. Easy to learn and hard to master, Hot Lava focuses solely on honing your mechanics and holds more than enough content for you to feel a sense of improvement without giving you a migraine in the process.
Katana Zero
You know Katana Zero is good because it only took three YouTube videos for me to kind of understand the story.
I’ve been overwhelmed by the amazing retro style platformers released over the past few years. Hollow Knight, Celeste, Shovel Knight, Dead Cells, Cuphead, the list goes on. Thankfully, I own all of these in some shape or form and I’ve fallen in love with all of them for their own unique reasons. Katana Zero is one of the few games of its kind that I knew nothing about yet really wanted to sink my teeth into. Katana Zero is balls-to-the-wall crazy, delivering a psychedelic experience through a crazy story and intense visuals. You play as a bathrobe-clad ex-military assassin haunted by his past and fuelled by a time-warping drug, how cool does that sound? The clever and complex puzzles weaved into the high octane, psychotic action tossed throughout this game makes this an absolute must-play if you’re looking for an addictive alternative to the roguelike genre.
Sayonara Wildheart
Sayonara Wildheart will take up a relatively small portion of this list but is worth mentioning just as much as all the others. Frankly, After watching the launch trailer and seeing how others responded to its release, Sayonara Wildheart became another game that I hadn’t really seen before. An intense soundtrack and another dose of crazy visuals combined with the easy and almost self-piloting controls make it almost one of a kind. The game is available on almost every relevant platform, making it a quick way to relax and groove to some wicked tunes.
If you don’t like the Wild Hearts soundtrack, don’t worry, our friendship was never going to last anyway.
I’ll be completely honest; this list should absolutely be 2 or 3 times as long as it is, and while I still believe these games are the cream of the crop, you’d easily be justified in having your own wildly different list. As 2019 nears its end, take the time to not only reflect on your favourite games, but also the fact that so many top-quality games were released in one year. The conversation surrounding games has never been more open, and all the huge games expected to release next year are ready to take the spotlight. Here’s to an incredible 2020!
