Games of the Decade: 2010s

My 10 favorite games of the 2010s

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
It's a game I enjoyed more at hour 50 than hour 20, as I learned to love the environmental puzzles scattered across Hyrule
Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
MGSV offers one of the purest distillations of a gameplay loop I find very satisfying: sneak into an enemy location, take them out as quietly as you can, and get rewarded with new tools for future such jobs. The freedom afforded to you, and the variety of possible approaches is what makes this stand out.
Rocket League
Rocket League
It is hard to imagine a simpler concept executed better.
Hitman 2
Hitman 2
Each of Hitman 2's locales is a clockwork machine, the pieces of which I toyed around with for hundreds of hours in-game, and hundreds more in my imagination, when I was unable to play. It is a marvelous stealth sandbox made better by the ability to create and share challenges within it.
Super Mario Maker 2
Super Mario Maker 2
XCOM 2
XCOM 2
Sid Meier's Civilization V
Sid Meier's Civilization V
Forza Horizon 3
Forza Horizon 3
Forza Horizon 3 is committed to the idea of letting players make their own fun, even as it provides a sturdy structure to allow for that. In particular, creating blueprint bucket list events and championships scratched a real itch for me that wasn't satisfied by FH4.

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