Games of the Last Decade Ranked – (Part 3)
Second verse, same as the first! It’s time to continue with our look back at the games that released in the last decade. As usual, if the game is on this list, it’s because it released sometime between January 1st, 2010 and December 31st, 2019, in addition to being a title that I have actually played. I apologize in advance if your favorite game didn’t make my list… now let’s get to it!
#70 – Amplitude
Platform
Playstation 3, Playstation 4
Release Date
January 5, 2016
If I were to mention the name Harmonix, Rock Band might be what comes to mind. Well, in fact, Harmonix not only created Rock Band but they also the people behind Guitar Hero, which is kind of tragic if you think about it. Anyways, before all the gimmicky controllers and the Guitar Hero craze, they made a little game I like to call Amplitude for the Playstation 2. Now you might be thinking “Well that’s great but why is this Playstation 2 game that came out in the early 2000’s on this list?”, and that’s because this entry is for the 2016 reboot of this dormant franchise. Back in 2014, Harmonix took to Kickstarter in an effort to raise funds for a brand new entry. Naturally, long-time fans such as myself went nuts when we heard the news. Fast forward two years later and the game finally released. So how did it fair? Just ok, not great. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad, in a lot of ways it really felt like the classic gameplay but updated for a modern world. While the whole experience filled me with a ton of nostalgia and the updates to the formula were welcome editions, it wasn’t enough to warrant the lack of overall content. Easily the main reason you play these types of games is because of the songs that are included, and it was severely lacking in that department.
#69 – Batman: Arkham VR
Platform
Steam, Playstation 4
Release Date
October 13, 2016
Arkham VR was a funny little experience and it had more to do in it than I initially expected. Personally I loved the creative puzzles they made in this VR experience and it was pretty much what I’d think an Arkham VR game could be. My only problem is that I feel like Rock Steady limited the potential this game has. I honestly would love to see a full Arkham VR title, but instead, we’re left with an experience that ends right when it begins to get super interesting.
#68 – Tetris 99
Platform
Nintendo Switch
Release Date
February 13, 2019
Not much I have to say about this one, I straight up don’t like this iteration of Tetris. I’m a die-hard fan of Tetris games, to the point where I’m not normally a competitive player when it comes to games but Tetris is my jam… I will take anyone on in a heartbeat… That’s not to say I think Tetris 99 is bad, far from it. Honestly, the Battle Royale style suites this classic puzzle game really well, I just wish it had better local multiplayer options that didn’t involve the Battle Royal mechanic.
#67 – Epic Mickey
Platform
Nintendo Wii
Release Date
November 25, 2010
I was so excited to play Epic Mickey ever since it was announced. Like most kids, I grew up with Disney, so when you tell me that there’s a game coming out where you play as Mickey and you have to save forgotten Disney characters in a dark story that gets affected by the choices you make, it naturally piques my interest. I thought it was such a novel concept where the main mechanic is using the power of paint and thinner to shape the world around you. While there are many things I did enjoy about this title, overall it was just rather disappointing to me. The irritations mostly had to do with things that should have been caught during playtesting. The hit detection was off, the camera is a bit of a nightmare, and the game features glitches for days. However, I think the most disappointing part of the game is the fact that, like the points on Whose Line is it Anyways, your choices don’t matter. It’s true that SOME things change during the credits, they aren’t the kind of changes that feel like you made a real impact on the adventure. The game had all the potential in the world and it fell flat for me. That being said, I still don’t hate it; I am willing to play it again at some point. Honestly, I think they should have ignored the choice mechanic and just focused on telling a better narrative.
#66 – Castle Crashers
Platform
Steam, XBOX 360, XBOX One, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch
Release Date
August 31, 2010
This is another game I just don’t have much to say because barely made it on this list. I didn’t play this one a ton but I played it enough that I feel I’m able to rank it amongst the other games I’ve played over the past 10 years. It’s a fun little beat ’em up for sure, but the repetitive nature of the game just wasn’t enough to get me to continue playing. To be fair my lack of interest isn’t because this game is bad, it’s because I’m just not a fan of beat ’em ups in general. I will say I had way more fun when I played couch co-op, so take that as you will.
#65 – Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
Platform
iOS, Android, XBOX 360, Playstation 3, Playstation Portable, Nintendo 3DS
Release Date
November 17, 2010
Now we are starting to get into the games that I liked. As for Pac-Man Championship Edition, there isn’t much to say here. It’s Pac-Man on crack in all the right ways; they took the classic Pac-Man formula and cranked it to 11. I dare you to find a more exciting Pac-Man experience than this; it’s good, go play it.
#64 – Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
Platform
Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, XBOX 360
Release Date
September 28, 2010
If you couldn’t tell by now, I love rhythm games. I think my fondness of this type of game stems from when my mother would give me piano lessons as a kid. Ever since I was little, I always gravitated towards music. That being said, there’s so much that I loved about this entry. The set list was filled with a ton of recognizable rock tracks, the gameplay felt really solid, and the Party Mode was a nice touch. Party Mode was a feature where you could put all the songs in the game on auto-pilot, and at any time if you wanted, you could jump right into the middle of the song. The only problem is that this game came out during a time when most people were done with this kind of game and have moved onto the next big thing.
#63 – Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth By Sleep ~ A Fragmentary Passage
Platform
Playstation 4, XBOX One
Release Date
January 24, 2017
So Kingdom Hearts is an interesting series to talk about, to say the least. To date, it is my favorite franchise of all time, but it’s not without its flaws. As far as this entry in the series is concerned, I liked it for what it was. It was meant to act as a pseudo demo for Kingdom Hearts 3 without having to release a full demo for Kingdom Hearts 3. With that in mind, it felt more like a proof of concept that didn’t fully represent what Kingdom Hearts 3 will be like. It was fine, but I felt this game happened as a response to fan outcry for Kingdom Hearts 3. Originally this whole 4-hour experience was intended to be part of the final game, but because fans wouldn’t shut up about Kingdom Hearts 3, Nomura gave us this half baked and unpolished experience. Now they did the best they could with it, but this section of the game had the potential of being so much greater if it stayed in Kingdom Hearts 3 like it was intended to.
#62 – The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Platform
Nintendo Wii
Release Date
November 20, 2011
Skyward Sword is one of the more divisive titles in the series due to its prolific use of the Wii’s motion controls. I personally was on the side of the argument that did not care for the motion controls to some extent. I think there were certainly innovative uses of it at times, but having to play through the whole game worrying that my controls might fail on me is an aggravating experience. But that being said, Skyward Sword did feature some of my favorite moments in the entire franchise, and that’s saying something.
#61 – The Cave – Januar 22, 2013
Platform
Wii U, Steam, Playstation 3, XBOX 360, Android, iOS
Release Date
January 22, 2013
The Cave is in a weird place for me. It’s not a game that I have a lot to say because it’s not a game I’ve played a lot of. However, of what I’ve played and seen, it left a profound impression on me of just how good this game really is. In the game, you choose 3 people to play as amongst a variety of characters. Depending on who you choose, the game dynamically changes the puzzles you will encounter according to your specific character’s abilities. That being said, the writing alone is worth watching a walkthrough on YouTube at the very least, the humor is on point.