gabrielcrem
not yet
2013
The original The Last of Us was pioneer for the third person storytelling genre that followed its release, and personally still stands as having my favourite beginning and end to a game. However, The Last of Us' simple gameplay (although charming) hinders the feeling of innovation that it would otherwise provide.
Unlike any other piece of media I have ever experienced, I can confidently say that The Last of Us Part II genuinely affected the way I thought and comprehended things for a long time. A story that feels this grounded, harsh, raw, and real being set in such a depressing world really made me reflect on my personal experiences, and what matters to me. Nothing I have played takes such dramatic risks so frequently and manages to land them all. Story aside, the gameplay is enhanced from the 2013 original and is perfected.
Arthur Morgan is the perfect protagonist for this style of game, and that opinion is boosted by Rockstar's unmatched writing. Red Dead Redemption 2 undeniably struggles from major issues in its pacing, however I can still appreciate it for it's technical achievements, and when the story works it strives.
2018
God of War (2018) takes a perfect amount of inspiration from its contemporaries such as The Last of Us and thrives with it. The gameplay gradually develops throughout the beautiful storyline from a simple hack and slash to a detailed system that both acknowledges and praises its predecessors.
2013
Everything that makes Rockstar Games themselves is put on full display in Grand Theft Auto V. Their witty humour, ambitious storytelling, banging soundtracks, industry leading voice acting, and immersive worlds are everywhere in GTA5, but so is Rockstar's few flaws, such as janky controls.
The first few hours of The Witcher 3 are packed with wonder and genuine disbelief, but once that has settled the gameplay and exploration are nothing special. The storyline, however, strives and at no point stutters.
Without fail, Ori and the Blind Forest consistently managed to stun me for every moment of my playthrough. The slight lack of content is easily dismissible as everything Ori attempts is done right and is outstanding.
2022
God of War Ragnarök is the perfect sequel. It honours all of its predecessors whilst innovating more than I could have imagined. The combat is improved from 2018, Santa Monica's storytelling is once again some of the best in the industry, and the visual presentation is top of its class.
2020
Ghost of Tsushima is the 'Open World Ubisoft Formula' perfected. With those expectations set, the overly linear mission-to-mission gameplay with a world that's beauty shrouds its emptiness can easily be forgiven by the polish and consistency that Suckerpunch has implemented.
2018
Marvel's Spider Man traversal and gameplay loop are addictive in every sense of the word; they are satisfying, polished, and intuitive. Unsurprisingly, the storyline is compelling and suffices. Marvel's Spider Man succeeds in the basic elements of a triple A game, however when analysing the more minute details such as the attention to detail, open world design, and side activities, I can't help but think about how safe of a product this is.
Marvel's Spider Man: Miles Morales features the same highs and lows as its predecessor; flawless swinging and gameplay with redundant side missions and open world content, but on a much smaller scale for the same price. Miles Morales would have made significantly more sense if it was an expansion for the original PS4 game, however when price is out of the picture, it is still a compelling experience for any superhero fan.
Marvel's Spider Man 2 strides in the idea of expanding on the highs that its two predecessors had; the traversal, gameplay, side missions, and story are all of high quality. However, the same issues that its predecessors had are still existing and now more annoying than before; a Ubisoft-style open world filled with mundane collectibles (iykyk), unintelligent AI, and plot holes are still around in this game and feel more prevelant the third time around. Nethertheless, If you were able to forgive the original Marvel's Spider Man for its flaws and fell in love with its story and gameplay like many others, you'll still have a blast with this game.
2009
Bayonetta is a prime example of Hideki Kamiya's game design at work. It may be mundane to say, but Bayonetta's smooth and defined gameplay tied unique storytelling are made for each other and work perfectly hand in hand. The scale of the game is grand with insane set pieces and massive bosses. The main issue I had with Bayonetta was its length; I finished the game in 5 hours, and because of that, didn't really have the time to be accustomed with the characters and their ambitions, making for less impactful scenes.
Alike to millions of other people, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was my comfort in the 2020 quarantine. So many memories spent living in this world that I'll never forget. The personality that Animal Crossing carries is so unique to it and I can presume would be hard to replicate, however the lack of features and the way Nintendo drip fed more over the course of two years was ridiculous, and undeniably damages my overall perspective of this game. Regardless of its post launch support, New Horizons is truly a special game that distracted millions.