Games of the Last Decade Ranked – (Part 8)
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!
#20 – LEGO Dimensions
Platform
Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Wii U, XBOX 360, XBOX One
Release Date
September 27, 2015
Right behind LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, this is one of the best LEGO games I have ever played. LEGO games have always been about fan service, and this maxes it out to the fullest. What other game can you go on an adventure with Doc Brown, Homer Simpson, and Scooby Doo? Well other than fan fiction… That being said, it’s good, go play it.
#19 – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Platform
Nintendo Switch
Release Date
December 7, 2018
Super Smash Bros. was a series I never really got into growing up, it was just always something everyone wanted to do so I’d participate. It wasn’t until Brawl that I made some friends that got me more into the games, but even then I couldn’t say that I was all that into the games. But much like Mario Kart and how it wasn’t until 8 Deluxe that I started to get more into it’s series, the same can be said about me and Smash Bros. Ultimate. While I still don’t play it that much, this is hands down my preferred version of Smash Bros. to play.
#18 – Batman: Arkham City
Platform
Steam, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, XBOX 360, XBOX One, Wii U
Release Date
October 18, 2011
Sequels are some of the most hit or miss titles I can think of, and it’s mostly due to them typically following games that were huge hits. Fortunately Arkham City was a follow up to the 2009 classic Arkham Asylum that was able to live up to the hype it generated. It was a game that took everything that made the original great and cranked it to 11.
#17 – Majora’s Mask 3D
Platform
Nintendo 64, Nintendo 3DS
Release Date
February 13, 2015
While this is a game I never have completed (but fully intend to at some point), I do love everything this game represents and what it means for players who adore this title. It’s a game with such rich and deep narrative themes that it’s difficult to put into words why this game is as good as people make it out to be.
#16 – Fallen Order
Platform
Steam, Playstation 4, XBOX One
Release Date
November 15, 2019
In a time where EA as a brand is held in low regards in the eyes of the general gaming public, this publisher managed to produce a Star Wars game that would make any long fan proud to call a Star Wars game. While it isn’t perfect, it is a game that indicates that EA is finally going in the right direction with the Star Wars licence.
#15 – Donkey Kong Country Returns
Platform
Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS
Release Date
November 21, 2010
The Donkey Kong Country series has been laid dormant for a long time in part due to Microsoft’s purchase of Rare. Thankfully Retro Studios, who previously worked on the Metroid Prime series of games, came along and made a sequel to the Donkey Kong Country games that felt true to form. While the game was missing a few things that many associated with the series, it’s hard to argue against the fact that this game was a fun time.
#14 – Minecraft
Platform
Pretty much everything
Release Date
November 18, 2011
This is one of the few games on this list I won’t ever review due to the simple fact that I have deemed this game impossible to review in this day and age. It’s Minecraft, you know what it is, your mom knows what it is, hell even your smart fridge could tell you all about it. Don’t think there’s much more to say about this game that don’t know already or even why it’s ranked so high on my list.
#13 – Dragon Quest Builders
Platform
Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, Nintendo Switch
Release Date
January 28, 2016
Now a lot of you might be thinking “isn’t this game just Minecraft with a Dragon Quest skin?”, and you’d be correct in that observation. But to write the game off as a Minecraft knock-off is doing yourself a huge disservice. While yes it features many similarities with Minecraft, it does enough different (and better in my opinion) that I felt it was not only worth adding to this list, but also ranking it slightly higher thank Minecraft. This is a game I want to talk more in depth at some point, so stay tuned for that.
#12 – Twilight Princess HD
Platform
GameCube, Nintendo Wii, Wii U
Release Date
March 4, 2016
Every gamer has that particular game that came into their lives at just right point in time. For many that might be games like Super Mario 64, Super Metroid, Minecraft, and so on. For me, it was Twilight Princess, among many other games I have a personal affinity towards. While it arguably had a divisive opening, it was a game that came at the right time for me when I was really starting to get invested in video games and beginning to form articulated opinions. And for that, it will always be a game that will have a special place in my heart. It’s just not ranked higher mostly because this version is still a port, which I feel other games that released in the last decade deserve the higher spots.
#11 – Rocket
Platform
Steam, Playstation 4, XBOX One, Nintendo Switch
Release Date
July 7, 2015
Rocket League is a game that I love because of how mindless and easy it is to boot up and zone out. I find myself not particularly caring too much about competitive focused games, which is partly why I had a lack of interest in Mario Kart and Smash Bros. until the Switch came along; this is where Rocket League differs for me. I can’t tell you exactly what it is about this game that resonates with me, but it’s a game that just clicks for me even if I’m not particularly good at it.