My Top 10 Video Games of the Decade: 2009 – 2019

Ranking my top 10 video games was probably the closest I’ve ever gotten to giving myself a brain aneurysm. There were too many great releases that it almost feels like a disservice to restrict my focus to a mere ten.

But why was this such a struggle, you ask?

Because out of all narrative mediums, gaming is hands down my all-time favorite hobby.

Video games indulge the senses in a way that is impossible with any other form of activity. I can have the thrill of watching an action film, the intrigue of a good book, and the immersion of a well-composed score in one tidy package – all while giving me the ability to interact with the experience.

One of my favorite book series to read in grade school years was Choose Your Own Adventure. To the uninitiated, these short novels provided the reader with the option of selecting different narrative decisions that could change the ending. Should I open the door to the creepy house? Perhaps I will find a hidden portal that will transport me to the Fourth Dimension. Or, maybe the floor will give out upon entry and I’ll fall several floors to my grisly death.

These are the kind of decisions that surface in video games time and time again, giving me that Choose Your Own Adventure fix in my adult years. I never get tired of the engaging decisions that challenge me as a player, and have had so many breathtaking moments through gaming that I will never forget.

While I personally tend to lean towards video games that have a strong narrative focus, I have played many that have their roots in fun and unique mechanics. Celeste, for instance, has a fairly impactful story about inspiration and forgiveness. But where the game truly shines is in its beautiful 16-bit aesthetic, memorable soundtrack, and delicious precision platforming. I would even venture to say that most Nintendo games are not known for a particularly driving story (EG: Princess Peach is kidnapped again), but they are just so fun and nail their mechanics so well.

I’m amazed at what this past decade has brought to us in the world of video games. Graphics have never looked so good, sometimes drop-dead realistic. Virtual Reality is now on the market in full force. In their release weekend alone, Triple-A games are outselling top-grossing movies’ entire box office run. It has never been a better time to be a gamer.

Ranking my top 10 movies was not easy.

Ranking my top 10 video games was almost impossible.

I’ve had the privilege to play so many great games, and found myself rearranging my selection many times over. But I did it, and here’s my final list in all its pride and glory.

10. Undertale (2015)

For the longest time, I was somewhat repulsed by the notion of indie games.

From my dogmatic point of view, I unfairly associated them with being shoddy, broken, or altogether lousy because they didn’t have the funding of a large game studio behind them.

Turns out I was wrong. Very wrong.

Undertale was only on my radar because a coworker of mine would not stop badgering me about it. I had seen some love for it on Reddit and social media, but this coworker was incessant that I try this weird game out.

And turns out, that was the problem: I love weird games, but for some reason, the screenshots I had seen online just didn’t grab me.

But after months of intermittent attrition, I finally gave in, and downloaded the Undertale to my PS Vita.

The first thing that caught my attention was the very quirky humor, not unlike something you would see in the SNES release Earthbound, or in a Calvin and Hobbes book. It was endearing, and actually very funny.

The game takes place in a strange underground world that is overrun by sentient creatures and plant life. You, as the human protagonist, are simply trying to find your way home after having fallen into a dormant volcano. But along the way, many different characters show up, each with their own quirks and personality traits.

This makes for some downright hilarious interactions.

And speaking of interactions, Undertale is fundamentally an RPG, where the player encounters other NPC’s and can choose to defeat them one of two ways: Through killing them, or through interacting with them. The latter option often provides some interesting opportunities, from singing a duet, to complementing their appearance and causing them to fall in love with you.

The game has a number of unique endings. My personal favorite is the “True Pacifist,” ending, which is achieved by not killing any other NPC’s. And what surprised me the most was how attached I felt to so many of these characters in the arguably short runtime of the entire game.

Undertale is one of the zaniest games I have ever played. And the fact that it is almost entirely developed by one guy makes it even more remarkable and worth checking out.

9. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission (2018)

I will never forget the moment when I first put on my Playstation VR headset.

It was magical. The feeling of being in completely different surroundings completely blew my mind. Virtual reality was something I had honestly dismissed as being unachievable and gimmicky. But like with my predispositions about indie games, I eventually had to eat crow when VR showed me a whole new way of experiencing video games.

On the Playstation Store was a free experience called The VR Playroom, which included six short mini games featuring adorable little robots. One of the mini games, Robots Rescue, was a 3D platformer that I LOVED. It was almost like existing in a 3D Mario level, filled with eye-popping colors and lush textures existing all around me in a simulated environment.

Thus, I was over the moon when Astro Bots: Rescue Mission released two years later by the same developers. Rescue Mission was everything I wanted and more – a 3D platforming experience that took the single-level concept of Robots Rescue, and turned it into a FULL 25-level game.

Played from a third-person perspective, the goal of the game is to guide the little robot Astro (who looks like a character ripped out of a Pixar film) through each level, saving his companions along the way. And these levels are all very different from one another, introducing completely new visuals, atmospheres, and oftentimes new mechanics to shake things up.

One level will take place in a metropolitan city area, providing immersion in a bustling environment rife with skyscrapers and steel girders. The next will plunge the player into an underwater diorama teeming with sea life, sunken ships, and rippling water effects. Still another level occurs in a Tim Burton-esque set piece featuring haunted houses, comical ghosts, and a proliferation of darkness – one that can be dissipated by a flashlight built into the PS4 controller, which you physically manipulate to look around your surroundings.

To me, this game is the Mario 64 of VR experiences: groundbreaking in its mechanics, visual quality, and overall execution. I’ll be the first to admit that the PSVR is the worst of today’s VR headsets in terms of fidelity. But Rescue Mission largely redeems many of these shortcomings by being such a stellar standout title.

It’s just such a fun game!

8. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)

I’m not a great Super Smash Bros. player.

I’m not even sure I’d go to the lengths of saying I’m a good Smash Bros. player.

But man, if there was ever a definitive version of a franchise, Ultimate is it.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate takes literally everything from the previous games, and delivers a satisfying installment in the franchise which is, in my opinion, the best yet.

There is so much in this game.

Do you want a full-fledged single player RPG experience? The “World of Light” mode will provide this in spades. Do you want to customize your match? They’ve got you covered — you can change almost any element of existing arenas, or create your own using the Stage Builder. Do you miss playing a character from an older iteration of Smash? Never fear, ALL 63 characters from previous games are available to play, with 11 new ones for a staggering total of 74 characters to choose from. This doesn’t even include the DLC characters.

But where Ultimate continues to excel is in its multiplayer capabilities.

The strategic components of the game have been further refined to provide an even more engaging competitive experience. Ultimate is so much more than punching each other in the face — rather, there are many ways in which each character can interact with one another in the arenas.

In fact, a lot of characters have their own unique move set that introduces new dynamics in each battle. This results in very different play styles. A powerful move from one character can be completely invalidated from another character’s move in classic rock-paper-scissors fashion.

Watching expert players go head to head is almost like watching an orchestrated dance play out on-screen.

The amount of variability in this game is beyond comprehension. Fighting games are definitely not on my list of all-time favorite genres, but Super Smash Bros. Ultimate rightfully earns its place in my top 10 by nature of what it is: the ultimate version of the franchise so far.

7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)

“Hey you. You’re finally awake.”

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this opening line. Well, at least five times, from various campaigns I’ve begun on PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PSVR, and most recently, the Nintendo Switch. I estimate that I’ve easily put in a combined total of 500 hours in the land of Tamriel alone. Yet some readers may scoff at these “rookie numbers,” as I know people who have put in thousands of hours into this high fantasy adventure.

What keeps pulling me and millions of other players back into this game?

Though the answer may vary, I’m willing to wager that Skyrim attracts so many players because of how many ways one can experience the game.

The power of Free Will has seldom been implemented as strongly as it has in the fifth Elder Scrolls installment.

One playthrough, I chose to go with a rogue-like character, opting for stealth weapons such as daggers and bows. My next playthrough, I played a beefcake: a muscle-bound oaf who decimated everything in his path with war hammers and broadswords. In my last campaign, I opted for a mage, placing my emphasis on leveling up spells and incantations.

And this is just for different classes of characters. I haven’t even gotten into the various races, guilds, storylines, and morality choices you can select from — each with their own discrete ramifications and dynamics in this massive open world of Skyrim.

The number of permutations and choices that can be made to affect your character’s story never cease to amaze me. I can save the College of Winterhold from cataclysmic disaster, and a small village on the opposite side of the continent will murmur of my heroic feats. Conversely, I may choose to go on a murderous spree in the City of Solitude. This may result in unbridled enmity from every Legion soldier for miles, making for a difficult journey across the lands.

All that to say, Skyrim is not a perfect game.

Even nearly nine years after its release, the experience can be sullied a bit by numerous bugs, subpar combat mechanics, and a fairly weak main story.

But all of these drawbacks are eclipsed by a massive scope and depth of a game experience that is nearly unmatched, even by today’s standards. Skyrim was a landmark event for open-world games as a whole. It is the gold standard that many measure against in terms of giving the player free reign to “choose your own adventure.”

Therefore, I’m likely to hear that opening line many times more in the years to come.

6. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt (2015)

In my experience, Witcher 3 gets compared to Skyrim a lot. At a cursory level, there are a few overlapping qualities. Both games are grounded in high fantasy, feature magical elements, and have sprawling open worlds.

But that’s about where the similarities end.

I struggled a bit trying to decide if I liked Skyrim or Witcher 3 more in my top 10 video games, and ultimately, the latter took the cake due to one main reason: the narrative. Skyrim was a game I delved into more for the fun mechanics, variety of playthrough options, and rewarding exploration — not so much for the story.

Witcher 3, on the other hand, was a world I immersed myself into because of how robust the story was, along with the world and denizens that helped enrichen it. The Continent, where the game takes place, is full of memorable characters, quests, and interactions that has left an impression on me years later. In fact, this is one of the few adventure RPG’s that made me feel like there was a living, breathing world that existed even when I wasn’t present.

The game also draws its strengths from fantastic writing. Each of the characters are scripted to be more than mere caricatures. They instead bring unique dynamics to the game that result in lifelike personalities which, in turn, elicit a sense of pathos that I never once had playing Skyrim. Even the little moments, such as a quest that involved finding a lost goat, was fun thanks to the hand-crafted nature of the game as a whole.

Another standout quality are the visuals of the game.

My first playthrough took place on a Playstation 4, and I was absolutely gob smacked with how gorgeous the graphics were. When I was guiding my horse-mounted protagonist Geralt through the forests of Velen, I recall being awe-struck by how detailed the trees looked, down to the individual leaves rustling in the breeze.

One aspect worth mentioning is Gwent, the fully integrated Collectible Card Game that allows Geralt to collect many variations of strategy cards (a la Pokemon) that you can play against other NPC’s. I’ve been guilty of spending at least 20 hours of my first 150+ hour playthrough for playing Gwent alone.

Like with Skyrim, I do have some minor gripes with Witcher 3, such as a poor inventory management system (which was clearly built for PC), relatively unrewarding exploration (especially when compared to Skyrim), and repetitive combat mechanics. But while Skyrim overshadows its shortcomings in scope, Witcher 3 does the same through its story.

The narrative pull of Witcher 3 has always kept me wanting to see what was happening next to the fantastic cast of characters, and the fully-realized world they inhabited.

5. The Last of Us (2013)

Naughty Dog is a force to be reckoned with in the game development world. As my all-time favorite developer, they have a wonderfully consistent track record of high quality games, ranging from Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, and Uncharted.

But then we come across the little known cult-classic indie hit known as The Last of Us.

From the moment the inciting incident occurs, the game kicks off into full gear, causing you immediate emotional investment into the characters. Based in a post-apocalyptic setting, Last of Us is a personal story about loss, redemption, and moral quandaries. While titles like the aforementioned Witcher 3 provide the player with many choices on how to impact their journey, Last of Us is a more traditional narrative, opting for linear storytelling with one ending.

And this is absolutely to its benefit.

The focus is placed on the two main characters, Joel and Ellie. The duo is making their way to Salt Lake City to help find a cure for Ellie, who is discovered to be infected by the mutant pandemic that has swept the nation. They immediately fall into an Odd Couple paradigm, with the rugged older Joel not taking a liking to the angsty teenager Ellie from the onset. But the evolution of the relationship between these two is so nuanced and well-written, it’s impossible not to become emotionally invested in every dire circumstance they find themselves in.

The Last of Us simply nails the genre it’s set in. A third person action-adventure game with survival-horror elements, Last of Us juggles a healthy mix of fast-paced action and edge-of-your-seat suspense. The game does well to make me feel like I’m trying to survive in the apocalypse, with resources being scarce and the threat of impending danger looming around every city corner. Every in-game location, atmosphere, and set piece perfectly complements the world that Last of Us is seeking to convey, further adding to the believability aspect of the experience.

To be honest, the zombie/undead genre is one that I feel is quite oversaturated, and one that I have very little interest in overall. And then Last of Us released, and I’ve played through the game no fewer than three times (with a fourth planned to prepare for the upcoming Part 2), with each playthrough as impactful as the previous one.

What Naughty Dog managed to do with not only the zombie genre, but also with gaming as a whole through this title cannot be overstated. The Last of Us is a work of art, and absolutely deserves all of the accolades and recognition.

4. God of War (2018)

It’s common to see a video game try many different things.

It’s rare to see a video game do all of these different things well.

Enter God of War.

To put it simply, the action-adventure title wears a lot of hats. God of War combines lore from two discrete sources of inspiration (Greek and Norse mythology). It endeavors to pay homage to a long line of pre-existing games, while reimagining the franchise. It completely overhauls the hack-and-slash combat mechanics in favor of a system that is more reliant on player preference rather than specific button combos. And I could ramble at length around the new RPG systems, graphical facelifts, sound design, strategic combat encounters, and so much more.

So does God of War succeed in juggling all these balls in the air?

My answer: A resounding YES.

Of the existing Playstation exclusives, this franchise was fairly low on my list. I had played bits and pieces of previous installments, but none of them really grabbed me. But then 2018 happened, and a franchise I quietly dismissed immediately shot up to being dang near the top of my list.

What changed?

For me, it comes down to one thing: the level of polish.

All of those facets I mentioned above have been streamlined and tweaked so well by Santa Monica Studios that I have almost zero complaints about the game as a whole. I even have more complaints about my favorite game of all time (Super Metroid) than I do about God of War.

One of the biggest and most obvious changes comes from the gameplay. Whereas older titles utilized a hack-and-slack system (essentially button mashing to kill enemies), 2018’s God of War redefines the combat mechanics. Fighting enemies has never felt better in a high fantasy game, with each hit of the Leviathan Axe feeling so visceral and chunky. The game feels extremely responsive, with Kratos reacting to my button inputs in a way that I would expect. And the control scheme makes perfect sense, leaving me with no desire to remap the controls — a common thread in most FPS or fighting games I’ve played.

Visually, God of War is striking, to say the least. Loosely set in the Nine Realms from Norse mythology, each location is a treat to behold. Audio-wise, the sound design is immersive, and perfectly encapsulates the player (headphones are a must). Narratively, the story is so fascinating and well-written, providing immense value to both newcomers and veterans of the franchise.

I could go on and on about the many different elements that make this game stellar.

Again, it’s so rare to come across a game that nails almost every system with such a high degree of polish. God of War is a perfect example of reimagining a franchise in the best possible way.

Really, my only major complaint is that God of War is so good, it makes similar titles pale in comparison.

3. Fallout: New Vegas (2009)

My earliest memories of Fallout: New Vegas are defined by frustration, stigma, and bad reviews.

While I didn’t have the game myself for several years after release, I remember some frustration from my friends who did own it. Bugs and glitches ran rampant throughout the game, which also fed into many of the tepid reviews that came out in the days following its release. I also recall hearing some concerns around Obsidian Entertainment being the ones to helm the title, instead of being done in-house at Bethesda.

Thus, I felt that there was a bit of stigma around New Vegas as being the dark horse of the more recent Fallout installments.

Fast forward nearly a decade later, and I found myself needing an expansive, open-world RPG. I had recently completed my Switch playthrough of Skyrim, and there my copy of New Vegas lie, taunting me to give it another chance. I dusted off the case, and inserted the disk into my Xbox 360 — only to leave it there for weeks to come as I became lost in the vast world of the Mojave Desert.

And all I’ve got to say is: WOW.

The bugs I remember? Largely absent from the game. Sure, there were some glitches here and there (par for the course for any Bethesda title), but nothing to discourage my playthrough altogether. As I began interacting with NPC’s and crafting out my own path for my Courier character, I was enamored by the large level of customizability and free will that I had to be able to do whatever I wanted.

Everything is set, as you might have guessed, in Nevada, with the city of New Vegas (essentially Las Vegas rebuilt) lying smack-dab in the middle of the Mojave Desert. It’s a sizeable chunk of virtual real estate, with various locations interspersed throughout the map. However, to some players’ chagrin, much of this map is a, well, deserted wasteland.

I actually love this.

One of my favorite things to do in any video game is explore. While I thoroughly enjoy narrative-based experiences, there is something inherently therapeutic about trudging into the unknown and not knowing what I might encounter. New Vegas is the best game to deliver this experience, with enough variability in locations to keep me wanting to peer around every hilltop and inside every abandoned shack. And there are a ton of ways the game rewards this exploration, between unique loot, weapons, and caches. It’s a gameplay loop that I loved the entire length of the journey, from Hour 5 to Hour 150.

On top of this is a fascinating world filled with rival factions and political intrigue, which are further bolstered by the excellent DLC. New Vegas tackles complex themes such as existentialism and artificial intelligence, further bringing life to a world that is fraught with the Machiavellian motifs of war and personal gain. I would even venture to say that there is no clear antagonist in the game, as each prominent figure is characterized by complex motivations that are rarely black or white.

If John Steinback penned the script to a video game, New Vegas would be it.

In spite of some technical flaws and dated mechanics, New Vegas is, in my opinion, the perfect coupling of true open-world exploration and narrative strength.

2. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009)

This may come as a surprise to some, but The Last of Us is not my favorite Naughty Dog game. That honor goes to Way of the Warrior for Panasonic 3DO.

Just kidding.

The Uncharted series as a whole is akin to an interactive Indiana Jones tale. We follow the exploits of protagonist Nathan Drake as he seeks to uncover the mysteries behind the world’s most valuable relics and artifacts. And like his bullwhip-cracking counterpart, Drake encounters elaborate puzzles, stunning locations, and magnificent set pieces.

Turns out, this is simply a thrill to witness in the video game format. Very much a linear experience like Last of Us, Uncharted puts the player right into the action, allowing them to guide Drake through momentous tales of grandeur and suspense. All installments in the series follow this general structure, but each presents a new and exciting chapter in the Uncharted universe.

But why Uncharted 2?

For starters, the storytelling is magnificent.

In the tutorial mission, or the first level that teaches new players to get familiarized with the controls, Nathan Drake is literally hanging off the edge of a crashed train. Uncharted 2 wastes absolutely no time in stomping on the gas pedal. Later on, we find that this very same train sequence is actually a key scene that takes place far later in the actual sequence of events — allowing us as viewers to piece together the narrative in a fun and interesting way.

It’s like a Christopher Nolan film in video game form.

Really, the whole story plays out beautifully from beginning to end, peppering the plot with action, respite, and plot twists when needed. As someone who has an interest in filmography, I find that Uncharted 2 is the very best type of action movie out there, with the added bonus of having me progress the storyline along at my own pace. This results in an altogether immersive experience, driving me to keep Drake alive to see what happens next.

Of course, solid editing does not necessarily make a good game. One of Naughty Dog’s strong suits, as evidenced by The Last of Us, is their ability to write great characters. Uncharted 2 is no exception, with each cast member imparting life to their virtual counterparts through a vibrant and lively script. Nolan North, Claudia Black, Richard McGonagle, and various other actors bring their A-Game through stellar performances.

In addition to the aforementioned narrative superiority, Uncharted 2 clicks so well mechanically. The gunplay and moment-to-moment experiences are done so much better. Drakes’s Fortune (the first title) had many instances which were bogged down by monotonous battles. These are almost nowhere to be found in Uncharted 2, which strikes a healthy balance between fighting and platforming. Not to mention, the implementation of stealth kills and refinement of combat makes the overall experience so much more fluid and enjoyable. Furthermore, the sequel adds a number of Indiana Jones-esque puzzles that are head-and-shoulders above the ones from the first game.

Beyond the mechanics themselves, Uncharted 2 irons over almost every wrinkle that bothered me from the first game. Visually, the animation was fantastic, and has largely stood the test of time (especially in the re-release through the Nathan Drake Collection on PS4). The stakes are constantly raised, and the game is reinventing itself throughout.

Really, the divide between the first Uncharted game (Drake’s Fortune) and Uncharted 2 (Among Thieves) is massive. While I liked Drake’s Fortune when it first released, its sequel utterly and completely blew it out of the water on every level: narratively, mechanically, and qualitatively.

It’s everything you could want from a sequel, and more.

Uncharted 2 is action-adventure perfection.

1. Mass Effect 3 (2012)

Yes, you read that correctly. Mass Effect 3 is the #1 game of my Top 10 Video Games of the Decade.

Before you pick up the torches and pitchforks, let me give you some context. (Mild Mass Effect spoilers to follow, so be warned)

I started the series late in the game – much later than most.

To be exact, I decided to hop into the first Mass Effect back around 2016, almost a decade later after it released. And honestly, I wasn’t all that impressed. This was almost entirely due to the dated graphics and mechanics which made the Sci-Fi title a tough pill to swallow. I almost quit several times, but the promise of superior sequels made me grit my teeth and continue onward. The main component that kept me going forward was the fascinating lore, which I completely immersed myself into. I remember spending six hours in the Citadel map just reading the Codex to get a sense of the massive sandbox I was playing in.

Then Mass Effect 2 enters the scene.

As was the case with Uncharted 2, Mass Effect 2 was essentially a brand new game. The mechanics, graphics, and pretty much everything saw a massive overhaul. But the aspect of the sequel that caught my attention the most was how seamless Mass Effect 1’s storyline led right into the events of the sequel. This included all of the many decisions I made from the first game. The “effects” (sorry) of these choices were felt, from the death of key companions, to my alignment with certain factions. Things I did directly affected the events of Mass Effect 2, which were embroidered into the very fabric of the game.

Mass Effect 2 also marked a crucial turning point in my feelings about the series as a whole.

I was certainly fascinated by the lore, but I didn’t feel personally invested in the story or characters until this sequel. The implementation of the “loyalty” missions was, without a doubt, one of the best aspects of the game. By going on individual missions with Commander Shepard’s companions, the game subtly made me begin to care for each of the crew members that accompanied me on the Normandy starship.

In fact, by the time the infamous Suicide Mission came around, I had taken a liking to most of the characters. And when two of my favorite companions, Garrus and Mordin, lost their lives in the fight, I was absolutely mortified.

So much so that I took four hours to replay the entire Suicide Mission, as I couldn’t bear to go through the third game without these virtual best friends of mine. Not realizing there were ways to save everyone from imminent doom, I made the executive decision to kill off two other characters in order to save Garrus and Mordin — and even that was not an easy call.

By this point I was all in for Mass Effect. I began my playthrough of the third game and was immediately hooked.

While the divide between Mass Effect 2 and 3 isn’t as massive as 1 and 2, there were definitely some positive changes right off the bat. Graphically, things had never looked better for the series. The opening sequence with the Reapers overtaking Earth had me enamored. Additionally, I noticed how much more refined the control scheme was. The great combat from Mass Effect 2 was made even better in this third installment.

But ultimately, what really won me over was the narrative.

I acknowledge that many of my reviews above stem from the vantage point of the games’ story. I know that the plot of video games isn’t everything, but it is certainly a core element that is important to me as a gamer. That is why I prefer gaming to any other form of storytelling. I love being able to interact with the simulated world, and influence the events of the plot.

And Mass Effect 3 scratched this itch better than any game I have ever played.

Take, for example, an instance that began with Mass Effect 2. I remember exploring some faraway city in the outer reaches of the galaxy, and coming across a young couple who was having relationship problems. The female, an Asari, was unsure if she wanted to stay with her lover, a hulking Krogan (who also happened to be a poet). Because I err on the side of being a good guy (known as being a “Paragon” character), I implored the two to work things out.

Many hours of my playthrough later, in Mass Effect 3, I was on a military-oriented mission. I came across some random audio log lying in a pile of alien carcasses, which I thought nothing of at the time. When I listened to it a little while later, it turned out to be a love letter done in poetry. It then struck me that the Krogan poet – the same one from the couple I had helped much earlier – had put together a poignant final recording for his Asari lover before losing his life on that planet.

This beautiful moment would not have happened had I not reunited those two lovers many hours earlier in the previous game. And this is just one example out of many that richly rewards the player’s choices. A decision I made in Hour 25 from Mass Effect 1 may not come to fruition until Hour 125 in Mass Effect 3. The attention to detail is astounding, and made me enjoy the immersion so much more.

Now, whenever the subject of Mass Effect 3 comes up, one simply cannot ignore the ending that has divided so many. And believe it or not, I’m with the majority: I did find the conclusion of the game (and really, the trilogy) to be somewhat underwhelming. To see that all of the elaborate decisions I’ve made only come down to one of three outcomes was crushing, to say the least.

But in spite of this, I don’t let this one blemish mar my impression of the game as a whole.

To me, it was more about the journey than the destination.

Mass Effect 3 tied together so many elaborate plotlines and relationships that I had curated over my journey of 135+ hours. I felt that I had lived a lifetime in this galaxy, and that I had gone through so much with the Normandy crew whom I had grown to know and love through countless experiences we had together. There were so many moments that made me laugh, and even some that made me cry (looking at YOU, Mordin Solus). When the credits rolled, I literally felt that I had lost close friends, and was truly sad that my time in the universe was over. Even years later, I still think about some of the key moments and interactions that took place within the Mass Effect universe.

That is the mark of a truly powerful game. One that makes you feel.

That is something that can’t be beat, and why I have resolved to give Mass Effect 3 the crown as the #1 choice of my top 10 video games of the decade.

Honorable Mentions

• Celeste (2018)
• Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
• Journey (2012)
• Resident Evil 2 (2019)
• Doom (2016)
• Portal 2 (2011)
• Beat Saber (2018)
• Diablo 3 (2012)
• Spider-Man (2018)
• Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)
• What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)
• Inside (2016)
• Shovel Knight (2014)
• Fortnite: Battle Royale (2017)
• Shadow of the Colossus (2018)
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013)
• Metroid: Samus Returns (2017)
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017)
• Firewatch (2016)