The 10 Best Video Games I Played in 2019

10. Outer Wilds

Full disclosure: I never finished this game, and likely never will. Outer Wilds is a beautiful, unique, transformative experience… but unfortunately it’s not that great of a game.

For the first 5 or so hours, I was sure this was going to be one of my all-time favorites. The mysterious atmosphere, freedom to explore, and sense of discovery as you uncover more of the story of an ancient alien race that used to reside in your solar system is thrilling and immersive. But the game bogs down in time-based and opaque puzzles that often feel more like trial-and-error (and let’s not even talk about the platforming sections).

After a while, I realized that — even though I wanted to finish the story — I just wasn’t having fun anymore. Still, that initial experience is enough for this to break my top 10.

9. Death Stranding

Another game I haven’t finished, but this time it’s not from a lack of desire (rather, a lack of time). Once I’m done this will perhaps make it higher, as I’ve enjoyed this divisive title immensely so far.

I once read that Death Stranding is like if Hideo Kojima did Euro Truck Simulator, and honestly that’s pretty accurate. Like most simulator games, it’s hard to put your finger on why exactly a game that is mostly mundane tedium and logistical management is fun. But Death Stranding’s cargo delivery gameplay is surprisingly deep, and the act of moving from place-to-place requires enough thought and strategic planning to keep you engaged.

What really makes Death Stranding sing is what Kojima, at his best, can nail like few can: intertwined, grounded systemic gameplay; a cinematic, thought provoking story that doesn’t take itself too seriously; and excellent level design and pacing. So far, Death Stranding does all of that. Add on an addicting Dark Souls-ian asynchronous multiplayer element of helping other players, and you have a rare AAA experience that actually feels like something new.

8. Apex Legends

At its core, Apex Legends is an excellent shooter that happens to be a battle royale game. The guns all feel unique yet balanced, and engagements are protracted affairs that rely as much on positioning, communication, and tactics as they do twitch shooting.

Respawn also made some much-needed tweaks to the battle royale formula, including respawns, player powers, and maybe the best addition of all: the all-mighty ping wheel. Seriously, was there a better mechanic this year than Apex’s ping wheel? It’s the kind of mechanic that makes it hard to play other games that don’t have it.

7. Rainbow Six: Siege

Siege came out in 2015, and has been steadily been gaining in popularity since. There are few multiplayer games you can say that about, especially ones that aren’t free-to-play. It’s a testament to a gameplay system that seems to have endless layers of depth, and has been polished to perfection.

Siege doesn’t feel like other shooters. It’s 5v5; one team is attacking, the other defending; each player has a unique power; and almost everything is destructible. Games often feel more like a game of chess: what often gets you the win is not who is the best shooter, but which communicated and used their tools best.

One of the most genius parts of the game is the camera system. At the start of the round, attackers send in RC drones to scout out the defender’s position, marketing enemies and objectives while trying to find a hidden spot to camp out for the round. Meanwhile, defenders have cameras across the map they can access at any time (but also can be shot out by attackers). When you die, you still have access to the cameras, and often winning and losing comes down to manically switching between cameras to track the enemy and call out their position.

The result is a game of tense lulls and explosive highs, and one that you can always feel helpful even if you’re not racking up the kills.

6. Gorogoa

I’ve played a lot of mobile puzzle games. Gorogoa is the best one, and it’s not even close.

I played through it in a couple days and enjoyed every moment: the music and art and excellent, and each puzzle is just hard enough that you never feel stuck. The fact that it was made by one person just makes it all the more impressive.

5. Resident Evil 2

The fact that Resident Evil 2 is only fifth on my list this year demonstrates just how good of a year it’s been for me with games. I have this in my top 10 games of all time, which means — yes — every other game coming in this list is in my top 10 as well (though I consolidated three of them).

I went into Resident Evil 2 without many expectations. I’ve never really been into the Resident Evil series (RE4 was great but I never made it very far), and I bought the game on a whim after seeing the glowingly positive reviews.

What I got was the tightest 8ish hour game I’ve ever played. There are no missteps in this game: every moment builds on the previous moment, and the tension only ratchets up. I couldn’t believe how I always felt like I was about to run out of ammo, about to run out of meds, and generally like I was running for my god damn life. Yet I always found *just* enough to survive and stumble into the next safe house with a sliver of my health and three zombies following behind me.

The puzzle elements of this game also add some much-needed thinkiness that relieves some of the tension and keeps you moving. The environments and level design are also impeccable and varied; the final area in particular took things to the next level.

To me, this was a near-perfect game that made me nostalgic for super tight, polished, shorter, linear experiences.

4. Dark Souls III

I got into Dark Souls this year. I always wrote off the series as too nerdy (ha), and hated that its evangelists seemed to have a superiority complex just because they beat a difficult game.

Well, I’m now one of those evangelists. It took hours and hours of frustration, anger, confusion, and threats to quit. But I didn’t give up, and when I finally beat the first boss… I still didn’t like it. But I kept going, and at some point in the second area, the game clicked. Suddenly, it didn’t feel unfair. Suddenly, I saw the beauty of its gothic design and gloomy atmosphere. Suddenly, I loved Dark Souls.

In my mind, what really makes Dark Souls one of the best games of all time is the sense of discovery. Every new level is so carefully crafted and so different, and the joy of the game is that cycle of initial discovery, learning what’s new and different, and then executing to beat those new challenges.

Dark Souls III kicked off a fevered addiction, as you’ll see below…

3. Bloodborne

After Dark Souls III I jumped right into Bloodborne, which I’d tried way back in 2015 and despised. With the experience of Dark Souls behind me, it was funny to look back and see how little I understood about how these games work.

Bloodborne takes the Dark Souls formula and strips out the focus on more RPG-centric elements like gear and stats (though they are still important) for a more unified setting and frenetic combat. The Lovecraftian design is the star of the show here; I don’t think I’ve played a game with a more evocative atmosphere or fully-realized environments and monsters.

My only complaint was the sometimes overly arcane and disjointed world design, which often left areas hidden behind complicated action paths or cryptic entrances. The DLC — The Old Hunters — fixes this minor quibble and is probably my favorite From Software experience thanks to its more traditional Dark Souls linearity and over-the-top weapons/areas/monsters.

2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Up next was Sekiro, which took me back to my initial frustrations because of its reworked combat system that emphasized reactive, precise reactions rather than aggression and dodging. I actually think I got more frustrated at early bosses in Sekiro than at any point in my early Dark Souls trials and tribulations, which is saying something. The first real boss killed me 30–40+ times.

But, like I’ve learned now with From Software, the pain is worth it. Once the combat system clicked, I slowly began to realize this was probably the best combat system I’ve ever played. It’s difficult, yes, but it rewards patience, focus, and practice (which is why, smartly, FromSoftware gives you an undying opponent to practice on). Each new area and boss tests just how much you’ve mastered it, and punishes your mistakes until you learn.

The setting also transforms from your typical feudal Japan (+ some monsters) to more mythological, fantastical areas — each more unique than the last. It also doesn’t the hurt that the relatively straightforward story, while simple and lacking in much character development, is effective and engaging.

I think Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro are all masterpieces, but Sekiro stands just slightly taller than the rest.

1. Prey

Prey isn’t as good as any of those previous games. It has flaws — a lot of them, in fact. The last fourth of the game is a mess of loading screens and fetch quests; the “boss” enemy you repeatedly run into is glitchy and easily exploitable; and the ending of the story, while not terrible, doesn’t match the quality of the rest of the game.

But, despite those flaws, Prey was my favorite game I played this year. To me, Prey is the high-point of the so-called “immersive sim”, which I’ll let Wikipedia define:

Immersive sim is a video game genre that emphasizes player choice. Its core, defining trait is the use of simulated systems that respond to a variety of player actions which, combined with a comparatively broad array of player abilities, allow the game to support varied and creative solutions to problems, as well as emergent gameplay beyond what has been explicitly designed by the developer.

I’ve never played a game that let you come up with more creative solutions to problems. That emergent gameplay creates a level of immersion that other games can’t match. Your enemy are an alien race that can take the form of any object, which means you never feel safe. And the setting is a fully-realized space station, Talos 1, that you become intimately familiar with and can navigate without a map by the end of the game.

It’s a game that is, particularly towards the beginning, truly terrifying and mind-bending. Then, as you gain power and experience, you realize things aren’t as scary as they first seem: you have solutions. See a locked door? Don’t bother finding the key — pop a hole in the window and shoot the security computer with your nerf crossbow; create a staircase with your Gloo Gun and climb through the vents; or transform your into a coffee cup and slide through the opening in the window.

Every encounter, whether violent or not, forces you to pause and think. Conventional shooting is never enough. How can you use the environment against your enemies? What powers can you use to distract, hide from, or turn an enemy to your side? Or how can you avoid the encounter all-together and save your precious ammo?

Talos 1 is also one of the best settings I’ve seen in a video game. Each area is connected and full of hidden compartments, multiple paths, and a sense of dread and loss. The music also does a lot to create the atmosphere with its chilling strings and frenzied electronics.

The first 15–20 hours are some of the smartest, best-paced, immersive gaming I’ve ever experienced. That and Prey’s excellent DLC — Mooncrash, which spins the game into a rouge-like — make up for any shortcomings seen elsewhere in the game, and make it the number one game I played in 2019.