The Top 10 Video Games I Played in 2021

 Another year, same shitty pandemic.  So let's just get started:

10. Hades (XSX)

The first ever roguelike to make my list, though just barely.  It's certainly not the classic that topped many GOTY lists in 2020 for me, but I did enjoy my time with it thanks to the fun combat and charming take on ancient Greek mythology, with lots of charismatic characters that were fun to talk to after every inevitable death.  Eventually it succuumbed to the same frustration I have with basically all roguelikes - the endless loop gets boring and frustrating when I stop making progress.  But I thoroughly enjoyed the ride while it lasted.

9. Victor Vran (PS4)

Surprise of the year for me, a fun Diablo clone that does things a bit differently (you can wall jump??).  It takes more of a focused character approach than infinitely customizable classes, though this means you aren't paralyzed by choices but still do have lots of weapons and abilities to mess around with.  Cool Gothic setting and I was thoroughly amused that they got Geralt's voice actor to play Victor, who isn't trying to sound different than Geralt at all and so led to my head canon that Geralt got sucked through a portal (he hates portals after all) into this strange new world and is trying to make the best of it under a stupid assumed name, the best he could come up with (Victor Vran, really?).  The crazy DLC inspired by and featuring the music of Motorhead and with a guest appearance by Lloyd Kaufman of all people was also fun, though the tunes got repetitive after a while. 

8. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (XSX)

I've now played every Yakuza game except 7 (2022 probably) and while they never cracked my top 10 they were always enjoyable over-the-top brawler RPGs with an enjoyable, melodramatic yakuza story filled with intrigue and betrayal, though often a little too bloated (I mainly stuck to the main story).  This entry makes it largely as a tribute to the saga of Kazuma Kiryu, which comes to a fitting conclusion in this game as you say goodbye to the ultimate "too old for this shit" character.  It also earns its spot with its nice graphical upgrade and optional first-person view which makes exploring the streets of Kamurocho about as close as you can get to visiting Japan without the pricey plane ticket.

7. Psychonauts 2 (XSX)

Psychonauts 2 improves on the original in basically every way but most importantly, the 3D platforming is better and doesn't get in the way of the awesome characters, writing, and level design - the true highlights of the game.  From the casino hospital to the cooking game show to the psychedelic concert with band members representing the six senses, you never know what the game is going to throw at you next but you always look forward to it.  The sharp, clever writing makes you want to exhaust every dialogue option but also conveys meaningful messages about mental health and learning to cope and recover.  The game just has so much heart you can't help but like it.

6. Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS4)

I don't read the comics but judging from other media it sure does seem like a great time to be a Spider-Man fan (speaking as someone who saw No Way Home last night).  After the success of the truly awesome Into the Spider-Verse and Insomniac's original Spider-Man game, it was such a great move to give Miles his own game, even if it's a bit of a shortened experience.  If it wasn't built so much on the original this would probably be higher on my list, because controlling Miles with his different powers than Peter's is a lot of fun, and his personal story is a true highlight.  Seriously it's possible my favorite moments of the game were just hanging out with Miles' friends and family, possibly because it's a nice change from the Peter Parker saga that we know so well.  Here's hoping they continue to do Miles justice in future games.

5. Doom Eternal (XSX)

The sequel to 2016's hugely successful Doom reboot didn't sit as well with some people, but I think I actually enjoyed it more.  The first person-platforming takes a little getting used to but provides a nice break from all the shootin'.  Lots of upgrades and secrets to find in the well-designed and fairly diverse levels give it a nice RPG feel, and the story is suitable levels of Doom big and dumb with taking the fight against the hellish hordes to the surface of Earth.  My hot take of the year is that I enjoyed this quite a bit more than Halo Infinite's campaign, which has great shooting but mind-numbingly repetitive level design.

4. Assassin's Creed Odyssey (PS4)

Odyssey is pretty similar to AC Origins which made my list last year but with a few improvements - improved combat with more options, more diverse environments thanks to the Greek setting as opposed to the deserts of Egypt, bringing back naval exploration and combat, and an optional setting that makes you work a little harder to figure quests out rather than just walking straight to the marker.  Greece is amazingly huge with lots of locations to find and historical figures to interact with, with Socrates being the obvious highlight.  I also enjoy when AC acknowledges that yes, this is all a simulation so why not fight a cyclops or discover Atlantis?  Definitely a game you need to set some parameters as to when you're "finished" with it - I put in over 100 hours and could likely do 100 more without exhausting everything - but as long as you approach it with that in mind it's a great experience.

3. Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin (XSX)

After success with Nioh and Bloodborne in 2020, 2021 is the year, after multiple attempts, I finally got into Dark Souls proper.  Once you get over the initial hurdles and learn how to approach these games (admittedly no small feat), no other series rewards patience and perseverance like Souls does.  They can certainly be obtuse but for that reason I feel no hestitation about delving into online guides to learn about items, lore, or boss strategies - it's delightfully old school in that way.  DS2 seems to be regarded as the black sheep of the family by some fans though I enjoyed it nearly as much as the original (see below).  For me it's held back slightly by the level design which is not quite as good and the ultra-punishing penalty of losting max HP when you die, eventually down to half of your current total.  (pro strat - get your ass to the Ring of Binding asap to mitigate that.)

2. Dark Souls Remastered (XSX)

Basically everything I said above applies here so not much more to add.  DS1 gets the edge due to simply setting the standard and its truly ingenious level design that you learn to appreciate as you unlock shortcuts and understand how every level connects back to good ole Firelink Shrine. Beating this game with my buffed up pyromancer was probably the gaming highlight of the year.  I haven't delved into DS3 yet but I'm putting that off as I'm definitely getting Elden Ring in February, the first time I'll play a Soulsborne series game at launch and try to unravel its mysteries at the same time as everyone else.  I can't wait.

1. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition

Yes the name is stupid, though I almost got it right from memory; let's just say DQ11.  For RPG lovers like me, Dragon Quest is the ultimate comfort food series.  You pretty much know what you're going to get, but you also know you're going to have a great time.  DQ11 is no exception.  It presents you with great characters, a huge world and interesting dungeons to explore, and all your favorite DQ monsters from games past to fight, rendered more detailed than ever before.  The basic plot is nothing special - there's an evil force that wants to destroy the world and you have to stop it - but what always sets DQ apart is what is does with this very basic premise, from the little self-contained character-driven stories that guide you through each town, to the fabulous premise of Act III, which is basically "what if Final Fantasy 6, but after you defeat Kefka you can go back in time and prevent him from ever ruining the world, what happens then?"  Plus DQ11 shows some of the best reverence for the games that came before it I've ever seen, without being cloying; from the moment I realized the town theme of Hotto was an orchestral arrangement of the 8-bit Jipang tune from Dragon Quest III I knew I was in for something special.  You can even play the entire game in classic top-down 2D if you want.  If Dark Souls is the hardass coach who doesn't cut you any slack or do you any favors but secretly wants you to succeed, Dragon Quest 11 is the old friend who welcomes you over for a few drinks to relive the glory days.  And sometimes that's just what you need.

My Letter to Senator Heinrich

 

Hello - I am writing to express my extreme disappointment in Senator Heinrich for his tweet from January 7 in which he expressed his priority was to seat President-Elect Biden at this time, implying that it is not a priority to remove President Trump from office.  This is an astounding dereliction of duty, especially considering that yesterday Trump incited a mob to attack the very building Senator Heinrich was in, for which I'm glad that he and any staff there at the time are safe.  It is clear the Trump presents an immediate threat to our country and needs to be removed immediately.  Even the Wall Street Journal editorial board feels this way.  Why doesn't Senator Heinrich?  I'm a proud Democrat and normally view the Senator as a great progressive voice for New Mexico, but his tweet was frankly something I would expect from a wishy-washy centrist who just wants to get along.  It is unacceptable.  Trump, the Republican Party, and his fascist goon squad need to be shown that actions have consequences, or they will be emboldened and try again - and likely the results next time will be worse.  I turn 40 this year, and unless Americans take a firm stand against these racist authoritarians now, I have serious doubts that I will be living in a democracy when I turn 50.  If the House should impeach Trump I firmly hope that the Senator will do everything in his power to see him convicted and removed from office.  It doesn't matter if it happens on January 19.  It needs to be done, for the sake of this country.  If anything it will prevent him from running again in 2024.  Americans have incredibly short memories and I have no doubts he would have a serious chance of winning.

 I work in the state government in Santa Fe.  I'm proud to work in government and serve the people of New Mexico, especially over the past year as I've done my small part to help the state through the coronavirus crisis.  But on Wednesday there were armed thugs at the Roundhouse and strutting around downtown Santa Fe.  My building, the Bataan Memorial Building, was evacuated (fortunately most of us were working from home).  These people see me as the enemy.  They are not going to bother with semantics like "oh, you're a classified civil servant."  To them I'm just a tool of their oppressive Governor.  This frightens me deeply and these people need to be shown that their actions will not be tolerated.  Moreover, my wife is also their enemy, as she is a Hispanic immigrant who does not share their views and thus can never be "one of the good ones."  We are your constituents, Senator Heinrich.  We need to know that you are looking out for us, and the tweet from Thursday night does not fill me with hope that you are.

 I hope that the Senator will consider issuing a statement clarifying his tweet and that he will more aggressively seek Trump's removal from office in the next 12 days.  President-Elect Biden will be sworn into office just fine, of that I am confident.  There will be plenty of opportunities to assist him in pursuing his agenda afterward.  For now, we need the Senator's voice and influence to remove Trump from power.

 Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.  Sincerely,

Dr. Andrew Miner, DPA      

The Top 11 Video Games I Played in 2020

Well, here we are.  We made it to the end of 2020.  An unprecedented shitty year all around but maybe, just maybe, leaving us with a bit of hope for 2021 and beyond.  But I'm not here to dwell on that, other than the fact that working from home for 75% of the year left me with a lot of time to play video games.  So it was fairly hard to wittle this list down to 11, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  So let's get to it.

11. American Truck Simulator (PC)

A game you would never think could be fun.  But dammit if I didn't find a lot to love about driving around the American West during the early days of the pandemic when everything was shut down.  It took me back to playing an old truck driving computer game called CrossCountry USA in elementary school which was partially responsible for fostering my love of geography.  The amount of work that went into recreating the landscape is truly impressive, from epic scenery like the Grand Canyon or Pacific Coast Highway down to local highlights like the New Mexico Rail Runner or that pyramid-shaped Marriot off I-25 in northern Albuquerque.  I'll never play this game with a driving wheel and foot pedals and managing a giant trucking empire though that's there for you if you want it.  I just like road tripping and seeing shit, something I didn't get to do in 2020.   But I'll continue to do so in this game as it continues to expand across America.

10. Fire Emblem Warriors (3DS)

My 3DS still has some life left in it but due to my commute being erased for most of the year I didn't play it much.  Therefore this is the only 3DS game to make an appearance this year.  I've dabbled in a couple "musou" style games before but didn't get heavily into them due to 1) the repetitive nature of killing thousands of enemies and 2) the frustration of failing an entire mission because you didn't get somehwere on the map fast enough.  FE Warriors pretty much fixes the #2 by letting you issue commands to all of your active units in a nod to the strategy series, a feature that should seriously be in all musou games.  That fix only made #1 less annoying and even, combined with the character growth aspects, fairly addictive.  It won't win any awards for deepest gameplay or best story, but it's a fun tribute to Fire Emblem and a good way to blow off steam when you don't wanna think too much.

9. Slay the Spire (PC)

I don't mix board games and video games too often, as I usually think they're best when sticking to their "native territory," so to speak.  So I didn't know how much I would like this deck-building roguelike going in, but it ended up becoming one of my most addictive gaming experiences of the year.  I don't care for many roguelike, but the fact that it's a card game, and if you were playing a real card game you'd be starting from scratch every time anyway really helps get over the roguelike hump (plus there are bits of permanent progression like unlocking new cards that you can get into your deck).  The card powers are so smart, balanced, and interesting, and really take advantage of the digital format, enabling you to manipulate your deck and the game in ways that would not be possible with physical cards (or at least, not with a deck of less than something like 1,000 cards).  Recommended for any card players who need a fix in between matches with humans - I think it's on basically every system.

8. Tom Clancy's The Division 2 (PS4)

My guilty pleasure of the year, as I don't usually take for military-style shooters with a big dose of "yeah fuck em up" patriotism.  I even tried the first Division last year and found it way too hard.  But for some reason this one was way more manageable, and the cover-based shooting, the loot system, and the familiar DC setting really drew me in.  I mean, fighting your way through the Air and Space Museum is just cool.  Of course, the backdrop of "hey, there's a nasty pandemic that has sent society off the deep end and you have to kill a bunch of people who may or may not be really evil" might understandably be a bit too much for some in 2020, but it was a good stress reliever for me in the weeks following the election when my head canon was that all the bad guys were right-wing militia types.  This might even be higher on the list if not for some problems with respecting the player's time - the main missions are often way too long and, due to its online nature, don't let you save mid-mission.  Even in a year when I had more time to kill than usual, that was frustrating at times.  But if you can get over those hurdles, it's a fun time.

7. Greedfall (PS4)

Greedfall is a game I have a lot of respect for because it's a lower-budget euro-RPG that finally gets most everything right.  A perfect example of a game fulfilling the cliches of "better than the sum of its parts" or "has a lot of heart."  Euro-RPGs tend to be pretty janky with awkward controls and can be a bit obtuse.  Greedfall controls fine, is pretty straightforward, and the small amount of jank can be a bit charming, a reminder of its indie roots.  The highlight is the colonial-era setting, fairly uncommon in RPGs, bathed in the colors and foliage of autumn - there is no better non-horror game to play in the fall.  The combat and exploration are good and the character progression is interesting if not the deepest.  The weaknesses are the story which is nothing memorable and the characters which are mostly Very Serious and lack personality.  But it is just a fun, laid-back time and I hope this studio (Spiders) continues to build on its success as it seems to learn more with each game it puts out.

6. Assassin's Creed Origins (PS4)

After a lot of trying, an Assassin's Creed game finally broke into my list, and all they had to do was turn it into mostly an RPG and make the stealth pretty much optional.  I also rejoiced when I saw you could adjust the difficulty, as I figured I could move down to easy if I needed, but then played the entire game on normal or even hard.  The star of the show here is definitely the recreation of Cleopatra-era Egypt, when Alexandria was one of the greatest cities in the world and the pyramids were already ancient.  The amount of detail and craft that went into creating the world is truly impressive and makes it intriguing to see what's around the next corner or cliffside.  The combat, loot, and fairly simple crafting systems work well together and I appreciate that you won't completely fill out the skill tree (unless you play the DLCs).  The story is fine but not spectacular, pretty standard revenge tale.  In the end this game deserves credit for finally winning me over to Assassin's Creed - a series I was always drawn to due to the historical settings but could never get over the gameplay hump - and I look forward to trying out AC Odyssey, which I hear steers even more into RPG territory.

5. Prey (2017, PS4)

Arkane Studios' Prey is very clearly inspired by classic first-person immersive sim/shooter games like System Shock, BioShock, and Deus Ex.  The result is the creation of Talos I, a moon-orbital space station that became my favorite video game environment to explore every inch of since the original BioShock.  In fact the art design and general vibe of the game is very much "what if Rapture survived and built a space station."  I don't want to give away much more of the story and setting since uncovering them is absolutely the best part of the game and worth if if you enjoy any of those other titles.  Like other immersive sims there are multiple ways to grow your character and approach problems, such as shooting, hacking, and some pretty unique psychic powers.  I enjoyed my time on Talos I so much Prey was almost higher on this list, but unfortunately it really falls flat towards the end.  In the final few hours you stop exploring intriguing new sections of the station and instead have to run back and forth among areas you've already been to in order to accomplish various tasks, accentuating the long load times, and that's capped by an ending that tries way too hard to be shocking and ends up being unbelievably dumb (no matter which way you go with it).  It's a shame because everything prior to that point is gold-star material.

4. The Outer Worlds (PS4)

If you've read any of my lists over the past 8 years you know I'm a sucker for Obsidian RPGs, and The Outer Worlds is no exception.   I wouldn't rank this as high as Pillars of Eternity 2 or Fallout New Vegas in the Obsidian body of work, but it's still a really good "one of those" games.  As usual, the stars are the writing and interacting with the various colorful characters you meet along the way (the folks at Spiders should really learn something from that).  The corporate parody/space opera setting has been done elsewhere before, but given that this is probably as close to a Firefly video game that we'll ever get, it's worth a dive if space westerns are your thing.  I also appreicate that it's not overly bloated and 100 hours long, which actually makes it feasible that eventually I'll replay it with a very different character (I want to see how playing a dumb character supposedly changes dialogue options).  Obsidian may be under the Microsoft umbrella now, but I hope they don't forget their roots and keep churning out great RPGs.

3. Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)

It finally happened.  FF7 was never my favorite Final Fantasy, so I wasn't dying for a remake like so many others were, but I was certainly curious enough to give it a go when it came out.  And given that Midgar was easily my favorite part of FF7 - a revolution at the time (1997) that you could spend 6 hours in a single city in an RPG before heading out into the world - this first part of a god-knows-how-many parts remake had a lot of appeal.  And I wasn't disappointed.  Easily the best looking and sounding game I played all year - bringing both Midgar and the classic Uematsu soundtrack to life with unmitigated success.  They expand the story in smart ways, with a lot more attention given to the members of Barrett's crew, and the meta-narrative in which the game metaphorically addresses fans' expectations of an FF7 remake is very cool and unexpected.  The combat takes some getting used to, but once you realize that you are still responsible for all of your characters' actions, you come to see this is the best blend of turn-based and real-time combat ever put into a JRPG.  The game is only held back by its dungeon/level design, which is just ok and too linear at times.  Hopefully the next parts of the remake - if they happen - open things up a bit.  But frankly, even if this is all we ever get for an FF7 remake, I would be plenty satisfied.

2. Bloodborne (PS4)

2020 was the year I finally broke into Souls-like games, after dipping my toes into them a few times and always getting discouraged.  I guess anything's possible given the time bestowed by a quarantine.  Bloodborne was the 2nd such game I finished (slight spoilers for #1), so it didn't hook me into the genre, but I quickly came to appreciate what it was doing.  I love the Gothic-to-Lovecraftian horror atmosphere, so evocative, moody, and mysterious.  The combat is very satisfying and I think a bit more manageable than actual Dark Souls.  The trick weapons are fun to mess around with even if I ended up mostly sticking with what worked.  Ultimately Bloodborne doesn't quite top the list because at times it's a little too mysterious (frequently had to consult guides on what items did or where to go next), which I know is anathema to Soulsborne purists, but hey, it's my list.

1. Nioh (PS4)

And here we are.  The game I liked enough to beat my head against it until I broke through.  Why did this one work for me when previous other attempts (from the actual Souls series) failed?  Three reasons I think.  One, the combat is faster and smoother, I love love love it.  Two, the addition of loot meant that I was always finding something that I got to keep after I inevitably died, which lessened the pain of losing my souls (here, amrita).  Three, breaking the game into separate main missions really emphasized the accomplishment of completing one.  The setting of shogun-era Japan plus oni and other demons from Japanese folklore is also really cool and kept me wanting to see the next area.  It's probably one of the most challenging games I've ever played, but also one of the most rewarding, just out of a sheer sense of accomplishment.  In a year when it was hard to feel accomplished about anything, that was often enough.

My Favorite 11 Video Games I Played in 2019

2019 was the first full year I owned a PS4 so there was a lot of catching up to do in that system's massive library.  It also marks the waning days of the 3DS for me; I've just about tapped out the games I want to play through on that epic little portable.  My list this year is reflective of both those trends.  To quote Mario, here we goooo!



11. Cosmic Star Heroine (PS4)
I thought I'd be able to lead this off by noting that I believe Zeboyd Games is the only developer that I've played and completed their entire library, but apparently they just came out with Cthulhu Saves Christmas so nope.  Anyway, these indie devs specialize in churning out slick, old-school style JRPGs but with modern trappings that respect the player's time (including not being 60 hours long).  In Cosmic Star Heroine they break out of the Penny Arcade universe to tell their own spacepunk tale with graphics inspired by the Super Nintendo/Sega CD era and a battle system with hints of Chrono Trigger.  Story is fine (light touches of humor without trying too hard); the game really shines in the tense battles and unique characters and how their skills play off each other.  Top it off with a pretty great soundtrack, including one of the better "standard battle" themes I've heard in a long while: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD22y2Ibclw.



10. No Man's Sky (PS4)
This game has been on quite a ride since its release in 2016, including major updates that added a lot of new content.  I'm benefiting from coming to it late and seeing all that from the get-go.  This space exploration game is truly impressive, with its near limitless planet, flora and fauna generation and ability to just get in your ship and go.   Once you figure out how to not die it can become quite addicting as you discover new worlds and materials, learn new tech, and upgrade your suit, multitool, base, ship, and vehicles.  This is one of those games you could play forever if you really got into the crafting and building aspects.  That's not the case for me, as it did get fairly repetitive after a while (especially once you grok how all the systems are working under the hood), but it is the perfect game if you just need to relax for a while and explore strange alien frontiers (just watch out for those Sentinels).



9. Rocket League (PS4)
Car soccer, all you need to know.  I'm marginally better at Rocket League than when I first started, but I know I'll never be great.  That's ok, as I am able to at least play a few matches online and, if matched accordingly, not completely embarrass myself.  Even though I've never go pro, I can't deny how fun this super simple game is.  It's presented very well and the varied car customizations are fun.  It'll never be my favorite game, but it'll always be on my PS4 ready to go.



8. DOOM (2016) (PS4)
My experience with classic Doom (actually Doom 2) is inextricably tied with launching the game off of floppies on my Packard Bell 486 before Windows 3.11 started (not enough RAM for both) and playing while listening to No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom as I didn't have a sound card.  That might be the most 90s sentence I've ever written.  Anyway, while I was never great at old school Doom (iddqd FTW) I ended up really enjoying this modern reboot for managing to recapture the classic run and gun action but incorporating modern elements like leveling up your weapons.  The monster-shredding melee and chainsaw kills are also quite satisfying.  And there's even some reworked levels from the classic games to discover!  Doom 2016 won't burn your brain, but it just might melt your face.  Ok sorry about that.



7. Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS)
I missed this JRPG when it originally came out on DS so I was glad to have an opportunity to revisit it on 3DS.  The presentation and battle system definitely harken back to the 16 bit era, but this game's major innovation is the introduction of multiple timelines, wherein your character Stocke has to travel back and forth between them in order to solve puzzles or otherwise alter history of the future in order to progress in the overall story - this works surprisingly well.  Some people don't like the battles much but I thought they were quite fun, not very complicated but the ability to push enemies around the field and line them up for killer combos added just enough depth to make the fights enjoyable and not rote.  Overall this is just a great homage to the golden era of JRPGs, even if it doesn't quite reach those same heights.



6. The Last of Us Remastered (PS4)
I originally tried The Last of Us back on PS3 but got discouraged during the early stealth section when soldiers are gunning you down (I hate stealth) so decided it wasn't for me.  When the remastered version was a free monthly game for PS Plus I decided I'd give it another go.  It was October, after all.  Spooky.  This time it clicked, though I'm not ashamed to say I played through it on easy, as this is the type of game I play for the story and experience, not so much for the challenge.  (For what it's worth, I still liked the gameplay on easy, I thought it does a good job of making you feel like a badass survivalist but not completely invincible).  Anyway, it's tempting to write this off as yet another "survive in the zombie apocalypse" tale, but developer Naughty Dog really did a great job of connecting you with the characters and consistently throwing new situations and environments at you (I was surprised by how much of the US this game covers).  I appreciate how character progression is entirely based on exploring which makes thematic sense.  The ending does a great job of wrapping things up but also leaving you with complicated feelings about protagonists Joel and Ellie.  I'm looking forward to seeing how things progress in the The Last of Us Part 2 next year.  Lastly, fuck clickers.



5. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (3DS)
It wouldn't actually be possible to release Shovel Knight on the NES.  If it had been, though, it would be remembered as one of the greatest games of all time.  This action platformer takes elements from some of that system's most beloved games - Mega Man, Super Mario Bros 3, Ducktales, even Zelda 2 - and fuses them to create something that feels both new and a love letter to that generation of gaming.  The action is intense but always fair, thanks to infinite lives but a Dark Souls-esque corpse run system of recovering lost money.  Every level throws something new at you but Shovel Knight earns an interesting variety of weapons, armor and skills to meet the challenge.  The Treasure Trove package is also quite the value - now that it's complete it offers the main game, 3 substantial side games, and dozens of short challenges that I suck at.  It's a must-have for anyone that remembers gaming in the 80s fondly or wants to know what all the fuss was about, albeit with fairer challenge.  And just like the classics of old, Shovel Knight throws in the game's best song as the theme of the first level: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqAYMZSOQao. 



4. Marvel's Spider-Man (PS4)
It's a great time to be Spidey, though maybe the best reason is the Into the Spider-verse movie.  This game, however, does an awesome job of crafting a Marvel-ized New York City for you to swing around in - a great feeling that never really gets old - and fight some crime with a Spider-ized take on the Batman Arkham combat system.  I also really enjoyed the story in this one, grateful that Insomniac Games focused on a slightly older Peter and eschewed his origin story.  Great Stan Lee cameos in both this and Spider-Verse were real gut punches hitting right after he passed away.  The stealth sections with Miles and Mary Jane were a bit of a drag, though not too bad and it should say something about how much I enjoyed the rest of the game that I slogged through them.  It was just an all-around fun time that left me anticipating a sequel with Miles as the star. 



3. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire (PC)
It's not a stretch to say that Obsidian is probably now my favorite Western game developer (especially with BioWare currently on um, shaky ground).  So it's no surprise that their follow-up to their giant homage/successor to isometric PC RPGs like Baldur's Gate would rate highly on my list.  Deadfire brings something new to the formula - an archipelago setting where you get to play the pirate and/or naval explorer, bringing a touch of open world action to the conventions of the genre.  Also new and optional - turn-based mode!  Finally I could abandon the "real time with pause" style that always held me back in the combat of these games and truly plan out all my character moves.  The story and character interactions are great, and your companions' reactions will really make you think about how you interact with the various factions.  Now that Microsoft owns Obsidian they are probably off to bigger things, but I hope they're still able to return to this genre that they truly brought into modern times.  At least I have The Outer Worlds to play through in 2020.



2. Fallout 4 (PS4)
I feel like Fallout 4 is a game that comes with a lot of caveats.  I loved it despite a rather long list of things.  The jank and bugs (I was never able to fully interact with the Brotherhood of Steel due to a broken quest).  The awkward and clunky base building (fortunately mostly optional).  The general lack of satire that helped put the Fallout series on the map.  And yet I kept coming back.  Exploration, developing my character, finding new gear, headshotting fools, completing quests - it all drove me forward.  Post-nukes Boston was a fun setting, one that I've been to in real life so it was fun to visit familiar locales.  It may not be the most polished, or have the most to say, but it's just a fun world to explore and screw around in.



1. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt (PS4)
I'm not sure why The Witcher 2 didn't show up on my top ten list when I played it a few years ago.  I liked it but just fell short.  Maybe I should go back and reevaluate it sometime (yeah, right).  Anyway, The Witcher 3 was undoubtedly the best time I had a video game in 2019.  Geralt's story comes to an epic and satisfying conclusion, but it's all the little things you do along the way that make it worthwhile.  Drinking with buddies, hunting monsters, tracking a serial killer/vampire, interacting with a bloody baron, romancing the ladies (my Geralt ended up with Triss) - all of it worthwhile.  An amazingly detailed world - the best medieval-style cities I've ever seen in a video game - filled with all sorts of nooks and crannies (and question marks that I'll never get to all of - come on, Skellige, really?).  The combat is fairly simple but streamlined and improved from its predecessors to the point I was actually fairly good at it - could play on Normal with little difficulty and barely even needed to prep for fights.  It's overall quite an accomplishment and I haven't even played the massive expansions yet - perhaps a playthrough alongside watching Netflix's Witcher series is in the cards.  Bring it on, 2020.