As you may have guessed, I like games. I played quite a few of them in last decade. So here is my Top 20 games that I’ve played between 2010 and 2019.
But first the rules:
- To be eligible for this list, I must have put considerable play time between 1st January 2010 and 31st December 2019.
- The Game must have been released in English and UK or USA between 1st January 2010 and 31st December 2019.
- If a Game is rendered unplayable or unable to be purchased, by the time of creating this list, it is excluded. This applies to mostly online games.
- However, if the game is still available in another store/system compared to the version I played, it will be retained, as most features will be retained or have expanded on in subsequent releases.
- Older Games re-released by emulation during this window will not be considered.
- However, if the game was never released in English or Europe before 2010, it can be consider as a new game, and eligible. Examples: NES Earthbound Beginnings, SNES Earthbound & SNES StarFox 2 are valid.
- “HD” Remasters/Remakes and Ports of games outside the window will be done on a case by case basis, but I must have played the remake version for the game to be considered. In the cases where Original and remake was released in the same decade, Rule 3.a often applies, as the Original is often removed from stores.
- One game in a series will represent the game series.
- This list is based on what I played, so I won’t comment on games that I won’t have played. If your game didn’t make it, I can always add that to my yearly list in the future.
For this Decade, this means only a few DS, Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 Titles, can be considered. The entire 3DS, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One, and PS4 Libraries can be considered.
So here are my top 20 games of the Decade, in Alphabetical Order:
Borderlands 2 – PC (Also on XBox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and Vita)
Wow.. After Star Trek Online, Borderlands 2 managed to get over 400 hours of play time? Yikes. I covered the latest DLC earlier this year. The base game was actually good, but felt some what lacking after the by the 10th play though. I think I’ve done the game about 10 or more times now.
The game and the DLC is not bad, just that the Story and Jokes don’t really work after the 5th time though. But to complete the game with all 6 Classes, you end up playing the story about 3 or more times, per Class. The DLC actually helps limit how many times simple play need to play though the main story. Some DLC, Mostly Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, and Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage felt like an extra story in keeping with the main story, and felt as good as the main game. Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary wasn’t as phoned in as the other DLC, did feel like they not really gotten back in the flow after 10 years.
Destiny 2 – PS4/PC (Xbox One, Google Stadia)
Another “Top 10 games I played” regular.. partly due to the Taken Wolves YouTube channel. But this also another Free-to-Play game.
The Free version of the game lets you do a large amount of the content, which includes all of Year 1 content, and get limited access to the Year 2 and very little of Year 3’s content.
The game even offers Cross Platform Save support. It means that I don’t need to restart every time I want to play on another system.
Dungeon Defenders – PC (Mobile, PS3 and Xbox 360)
It was certainly the most played game of 2011 and 2012. I never really got in to Sequel, despite being in one of the closed Betas. (I’ve not even checked the credits to see if I’m there or not.) This is game has you defending several Eternia Crystals from enemies such as Orc, Goblins and Kobolds.
I liked it so much, I’ve ended up with 4 digital copies of it.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – PC (Also on XBox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and Switch)
One of the bigger games, of the early 10’s and got a Remake that enabled console Modding that helped was decent addition for the PS4 generation.
As this game, is very much a sandbox with a limited story line though it. After I completed many of the story lines, and DLC storylines it lost some of it’s charm.
Grand Theft Auto V/Grand Theft Auto Online – PS3/PS4 (Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC.)
Given the GTAV and GTAO are so intertwined you can’t buy one without the other. GTAV is one of the better Single player games to date, and really doesn’t really mess around. Even the PS3 version holds up today, even when there is a PS4 and PC versions to play.
GTA Online has evolved and doesn’t really lock anything behind a cash purchase, baring the game itself. All the Micro-transactions is for ingame cash, so it does make the challenge to obtain in game cash shorter. There have been regular additions to online game, where we can do things like rob Banks and Cashinos, make our own Biker Club and Run several businesses that aren’t exactly legal.
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2: Sisters Generation – PSVita/PC
I’ve played may of Neptunia games in the last decade, so why Rebirth 2? To be honest, it’s one of the decent places to start off, and most games are based on this game.
It’s very crazy, partly as the “4th wall” is more of a Suggestion than anything concrete.. This series also knows when to stop making joking when it’s not appropriate to.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 1 & 2 – PSVita (PC, PS3 & PS4)
Ok, This entry is one that I’ve chosen to break the 1 Game per Series rule. (Rule 6) Both games will be counting as single entry here. This pair of games follows Rean Schwarzer, a Student of Class VII, in Thor’s Military Academy.. at least for the first game. The Second game still follows Rean, but due to his affiliation with Class VII and other things, he is forced to fight in a Civil war.
As a Pair of 80 hours RPGs, they aren’t weak and for adding content for the sake of content, I only had to grind for hardest Difficulty mode in late game areas. In a few areas where I had gotten lost and had to double back a few times made some latter battles easier than normal.
Mass Effect 2 – PC (Also Xbox 360 (+Xbox One Backwards Compatibility) and PS3)
Considered the oldest game on the list being released in January 2010. (Another entry is arguably older.) But as 2007’s Mass Effect 1 is not eligible, we have the two sequels (and a few spin offs that I’ve not played). 2012’s Mass Effect 3 original ending kinda drop the series more or less right there and then, it’s taken until late 2019 to even consider revisiting it. So ME2 is pretty much going to be the one left.
The game starts with your character almost dying. You are then essentially healed and is tasked by your benefactor to take out as the Reapers. The Reapers would destroy the whole galaxy. This game suffers from being the middle part of a Trilogy, which also uses Save files from the previous games to unlock content in the next. There are even things that you did in a ME1 DLC that only shows in ME3.
Pick up the Trilogy if you can. It’s a story based RPG, it’s worth spending that time with the oldest game in the trilogy. Also, Don’t be afraid to pick up the story DLC as well. For console users, I’d ideally grab the Xbox 360 version and play it on the Xbox One X if you can.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Spirit of Justice – 3DS
While I could technically include any of the 6 Main series games, and the three English language Spinoffs, due to either being released after January 2010, or received at least one remake in that time. I felt like I couldn’t include the first 4 Main series games, as I had already played them before 2010, and I can’t remember if I had played them at all since then.
While Phoenix Wright VS Professor Layton is pretty good, but due to it also using Professor Layton mechanics outside of Court, and is a decent starting point if you are a fan of one of the series. Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations doesn’t really represent the main series for a beginner. (The second Edgeworth game is excluded due lack of an official English release.)
The 6th game Spirit of Justice felt the better to represent the series than the 5th Ace Attorney game Dual Destinies. Spirit of Justice did feel like some of the game had to many assistants for the story.
Pokémon Heart Gold/Soul Silver – Nintendo DS
With many other Pokémon games in the list, why this pair? This happens to still retain most of the charm and features over the years, and didn’t feel like something was removed for this game. HeartGold and Soul Silver are remakes of Gold and Silver with elements of Crystal added. As part of the 4th Generation, it enjoyed many of the Features that Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum had that wasn’t present in the Gameboy Colour originals.
Black/White and their sequels had a focus on Online play, and that has now gone due to the lack of servers, so lost out of contention for this slot. Given how much I sank in to it, I considered it a decent third place for games to pickup in 2020. It lost a lot several features and ability to get many things is now impossible. X & Y made second place within this series, as it was a decent place for the 3DS consoles, the easiest to buy a copy.
While this is oldest game on the list, as the Japanese release was in 12th September 2009. As English dates being in March 2010, and had a feature replaced, I could include it. (As Per Rule 6 this both games are treated as the one and the same.)
Skylanders SuperChargers – Wii U
For a game to make me consider getting figures several years later. I also played all bar 2 games in the entire series.. not bad for a Cheap Amiibo. I’ve played the game a few times since I got it back in the day, but I wouldn’t have dared to get in the series for SuperChargers.
Splatoon 2 – Switch
Well, Ink based shooter Ahoy.. Quite honestly, very good shooter, which doesn’t focus on killing the other side. You can, in theory, loose lives like crazy, but still win due to stage coverage. Stay Fresh.
Not purchased the Octo Expansion, I may actually do so in the future.
Star Trek Online – PC (Also PS4 and Xbox One)
I almost didn’t include this one, but with the 2nd February 2010 as the Official Launch date, I couldn’t exclude this one due to being too old. Given that this is the only game that has appeared in every one of my Top 10 Games of the Year articles to date. (It also on course to make a 4th appearance.)
It also has one of the longest play times recorded, partly as It’s been keeping busy since I started playing it in Xmas 2012, with a nearly daily play time for the game.
With this game about to release the 10 year event, I’m certainly will be covering it later.