Best of the 2010s: Video Games

This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant

NerdyPoC’s Best of the 2010s series is back for a look at our favourite video games!

This decade brought us the PlayStation 4, X-Box One, the Nintendo Switch and the er – Ouyer. With such fantastic consoles, came fantastic games and a plethora of choices that we narrowed down to our top ten favourite video games of the 2010’s.

If you missed the start of our Best of the 2010s series, check out our 10 favourite movies and our 10 favourite TV shows of the decade!

(Note: This list is presented in chronological order.)

 

 

---

 

 

1. The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series (2012-2019) Telltale Games/Skybound Games

The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series consists of four seasons plus “400 Days,” a one-off special episode and “Michonne,” a three-episode mini-series. Each season tells the story of human survival during a dystopian America in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. While you play as multiple characters throughout the series, Lee and Clementine become the unofficial “faces” of the series. Their friendship grows and lives on as the series comes to an end in the fifth and final season.

The game is famous for its multiple outcomes which is influenced by the player’s choices and actions made during their play; decisions which can determine the fate of each character from season-to-season, making for some fantastic re-playability.

(By Jordan Simmons)

 

2. The Last of Us (2013) Naughty Dog

It’s not that often that a video game resonates with players quite like The Last of Us, but this action-adventure game delivered a narrative that is not only incredibly complex, but it creates an individualized dystopian experience in a way which most games cannot boast.

In The Last of Us, players control a smuggler named Joel who has been tasked with escorting Ellie, a teenage girl who we discover is immune to the mutated Cordyceps virus. Together they must traverse a post-apocalyptic U.S. which is plagued with zombies –each differently affected by the virus.

(by Naomi Alexander and Jordan Simmons)

 

3. Destiny (2014) Activision

There were plenty of issues which caused many to turn away from Destiny; but over time, Bungie regained our attention and we returned to a game that was boasting with incredible gameplay and decent first-person-shooter and role-playing-game blend.

The world, or universe, is meticulously crafted and it looks awe-inspiring, even on last generation consoles. What truly hits in Destiny are the enemies. There is a plethora of different enemy types with various weapons, skills and ways to kill them. It’s especially fun when playing with friends. 

(By Ariel Rada and Jordan Simmons)

 

4. Uncharted 4: Thief’s End (2016) Naughty Dog

This was the most anticipated video-game – not only for the PlayStation 4, but everywhere. Uncharted 4: Thief’s End saw the return of Nathan Drake in the finale of the Uncharted series (for now at least) in an action-adventure that can only be described as epic.

Nathan Drake is forced out of retirement by his estranged brother and together, they search for clues regarding the location of the long-lost treasure of Henry Avery. While the story sounds simple on paper, it is a huge feat for Naughty Dog, as Thief’s End became one of their greatest games from its first day of release.

 

It’s a huge upgrade from the previous three games with a grander visual design, thanks to Naughty Dog use of the PlayStation 4’s hardware to create an absolutely stunning world; which is as real as can be without trespassing into “the uncanny valley.” The gameplay mechanics are familiar yet superior to the previous entries and the story is written with layers of more emotional depth with characters so real and unique that what they experience will last with you once you complete the game’s epilogue.

(By Jordan Simmons)

 

5. Pokémon GO (2016) Niantic

In 2016, Pokémon had a sudden resurgence in the form of a mobile app which used augmented reality and GPS tracking to bring Pokémon to life like they have never been before.

In Pokémon GO, players were finally able to live their dreams of becoming Pokémon masters by catching Pokémon in their own neighbourhoods. With their ingenious way of promoting physical activity, Niantic has been able to help local businesses grow after they became PokéStops and Gyms overnight.

With over 1 billion downloads worldwide and 147 million active users, Pokémon GO quickly became a mainstay in popular culture.

(By Jordan Simmons)

 

6. Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) Guerrilla Games

Estranged from her tribe, Aloy journeys on a quest to uncover her past in a world where machines have long-dominated the planet.

The world of Horizon Zero Dawn is as unique as it is flawed. It is set in a world where humans live side-by-side with large robotic machines which have overrun the planet. It’s flaws lie in it’s world-building. For example, the Indigenous-like approach to spirituality is, for the most part, is discarded and disproven in such a willfully ignorant manner.

There is still a lot of charm to Horizon Zero Dawn. The creators were able to formulate a very intriguing storyline not just through its protagonist Aloy, by presenting both the past and the future to us by the use of technology, which is characteristic to the modern day. Instead of a “we live in a society” monologue, the creators present a story that shows not just the pros-and-cons of technological advancement, but also the importance of community over atomized individualism.

(By Naomi Alexander)

 

7. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) Nintendo

Nintendo brings the Kingdom of Hyrule back to life like never before in what is undoubtedly the most beautiful Zelda game made so far. The player is free to explore a world which looks like a fantasy-illustration brought to life and it’s filled to the brim with diversely designed creatures and characters.

In this non-linear story, we control Link as he tries to save Hyrule from Ganon, who has possessed the kingdom’s Divine Beasts. Besides the core storyline, there are plenty of mini-adventures and puzzles you can partake in; each one with varying degrees of difficultly, ensuring each is just as unique as the last.

(By Jordan Simmons)

 

8. What Remains of Edith Finch (2017) Annapurna Interactive

While so-called “walking simulators” are considered the lesser of the video-game industry, What Remains of Edith Finch. It tells the haunting story of Edith Finch, the last member of the Finch family, who are widely believed to have a curse over their family tree, which kills all but one family member of each generation.

The game unfolds as an anthology of tales which the player must collect in order to piece together the story of Edith’s relatives and how they each met their untimely fates.

What Remains of Edith Finch is more of a visual novel than a conventional game. Rather than gameplay, its story is the primary focus, and that alone pushes the player along the path to discovering the mysteries of the family and the eccentric house which they have built.

(By Jordan Simmons)

 

9. Monster Hunter: World (2018) Capcom

Capcom’s Monster franchise was never a big deal outside of Japan, but in 2017 that all changed when Monster Hunter: World was unleashed, featuring beautiful landscapes that hide brutal monsters which can be difficult to kill.

Despite being a sequel in a long-running franchise, Capcom aimed to make the game as appealing to newcomers as it would be to pre-existing fans. To do this without alienating either groups is a big challenge but Capcom pulled it off. They were able to take this niche product and transform it into a game that not only satisfied newcomers, but hardcore fans as well.

(By Ariel Rada and Jordan Simmons)

 

10. Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018) Insomniac Games

The friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man has had his fair share of video games, but it has been a long time since he was given a decent one. With Marvel’s Spider-man, Insomniac Games delivered!

In a very Tomb Raider-like fashion, the creators were able to not just revive the video game franchise, but also present a thrilling storyline that wove the playable character’s individual narratives together seamlessly, as well as offer really killer DLCs (Downloadable Content) that neither detract from, nor muddle the core storyline.

(By Naomi Alexander with Jordan Simmons)

 

Edited by Abeer Khan with Lauren Hailey

 

 

 

---

 

 

Looking for more highlights of the decade? Check out our Best of 2010s Movies list here and our Best of 2010s TV Shows list here!

Follow us on Twitter for more content and commentary on media, entertainment and pop culture!