Top 10 Games of the Decade | The Completionist

video games have had quite a decade we saw the twilight years of one console generation and the rise of another we observed industry legends rise and fall we watched the boom of digital distribution which led to waves of amazing indie games but most of all we played online offline solo or with friends this decade has been the best I've experienced in terms of what I've played now how do I even start with a list like this obviously I personally have completed over 300 games over this last decade but I've played hundreds more that I haven't talked about I wanted to celebrate this decade with games that I loved but this top-10 is also celebration of the show of what the completionist represents so my top 10 list is going to be a little bit different than a lot of other stuff going around online I have picked one game for each of the best ten years that I think is the absolute cream of the crap and I'm pitting those ten against one another in the ultimate battle royale so for example my number 10 may be from 2015 and my number 9 may be from 2011 as usual this list represents my opinion and mine alone so if you don't like it you can just leave or you know stay around and watch the video and hear me talk about some incredible video games your call so without further ado here are my top 10 games of the decade [Music] Oh turn playing the perfect video game sequel it sounds elusive almost like experiencing a perfect sunset or finding the perfect meatball sub something you experience rarely if ever when valve released portal 2 in 2011 I thought to myself there is no way that this game could be anyone near as good as the first portal I have never been so happy to be wrong portal 2 takes everything great about the first portal and folds and more more puzzles or mechanics or snarky robots it's an unbelievable accomplishment that shouldn't work as well as it does then again it's valve who has a history of nailing sequels out of the park while never making three equals portal 2 is hilarious poignant and deviously smart even the co-op is fully realized and some of the most fun I've ever had playing a puzzle game you can make the robots high-five everyone that alone makes this one of my favorite games the last 10 years if I had to use one phrase to describe portal 2 I think the only way is to steal the words from GLaDOS herself this is a triumph there's no denying that the completionist is a pretty Zelda heavy channel right listen up buckaroos it's for a good reason Zelda games are generally so lovingly considered and well designed and I can't help but fall in love again every time I play a new one but when Nintendo takes risks and makes weird zelda that subvert expectations that's what really gets me going that's why 2013's The Legend of Zelda a link between worlds is the only Zelda game on this list it's impossible to talk about this 3ds game without mentioning its SNES predecessor if you have a certain age like me you probably have enough knowledge of The Legend of Zelda a link to the past to play through a blindfolded it's a legitimate classic that anyone interested in game design or just good games in general absolutely needs to play at some point in their lives a link between worlds felt like it was made for me and anyone else who grew up loving a Link to the Past playing a link between worlds is like people behind the curtain of nostalgia it feels familiar yet different like visiting your childhood home 20 years after moving away the structure of the building is all the same but the rooms are all rearranged but rather than feel unsettling the remix version of Hyrule offer this game feels fresh and inspirational I was compelled to plumb every inch of the map for Easter eggs and throw backs and I was never disappointed this game is a modern classic even if you never play the Ling's of the past before and for me a link between worlds and Link to the Past battle each other each and every day in my life as my absolute favorite Zelda game of all time and that's saying a lot considering my longtime favorite has always been willing to the past since I was a kid and you know what even the 3d is good in this game 3ds is cool as hell and had some awesome tech behind it and a link between worlds actually tries to do something with it mad props for a Borderlands has been one of my favorite comforts ever since the completionist started the first game is a legend in my book and Borderlands 2 is my pick for the year 2012 it takes everything that's great about the first game and improves upon it gameplay and gun play is tighter and more awesome feeling the characters and abilities are more varied and interesting and the sharp humor is dialed up even further the story is vastly improved upon with an actual antagonist in the form of handsome jack but more than just mechanical improvements Borderlands 2 is on this list because of what represents to me beyond the gameplay the game is not perfect by any means but it represents more than just a fun loot shooter Borderlands hype was super high in 2012 and I got caught up in it because of how much I liked the first game and how much I enjoyed doing it for at the show I even wanted a Borderlands 2 collector's edition so badly but I went to 6 different game stops and three best bites before finally getting a copy and not to get to meddle with everything but this game is also where I would go to vent at the end of a long day it never felt like work it's just fun relaxing and incredibly soothing in this weird way Pandora may be a screwed up place but it also feels like home to me because when I'm guns irking my way around in Borderlands 2 I know I'm With Friends and for a while everything is alright number 7 the year 2010 was a gaming goldmine and I had a hell of a time picking a favorite from that year it was a year of incredible sequels and ambitious open-world games but it was also the year of blasting through space while riding a familiar dinosaur and what I would call my favorite 3d Mario game ever made at least until a certain other Mario game came out several years later for right now though it's Super Mario Galaxy 2 this game is so easy to love everything about playing it is joyful the music is triumphant and soaring somehow even better than the first mario galaxy it's visually gorgeous Nintendo just going even harder on the stuff that makes Mario Mario and Yoshi there's no better way to make Mario feel more like a powerhouse than by adding Yoshi especially when he puts his little adorable arms out to the side like he's a jet plane and of course who could forget our favorite purple boy lover aka biggie smalls creating a weird floating Mario head spaceship one of the strangest things in Mario history but I feel like no one ever talks about you know every little quirk in the art direction is incredibly memorable to me I loved the challenge of this game and I think Super Mario Galaxy 2 marks a shift in nintendo realizing how much they could experiment with an established formula like there's no real reason to make a direct sequel to Super Mario Galaxy other than Nintendo realizing that they had more to say in that universe this sequel is incredible and one of the Wiis absolute best what a wonderful way to send off a legendary system the moon landing Stonehenge Final Fantasy 15 so many impossible things have happened over the course of history and to me the fact that Final Fantasy 15 was actually made released and fun to play in this decade is proof that there are higher powers at play in this universe in a know me to catch some flack here since my number 1 in my top 10 of 2016 video was in fact overwatch and not this game but you know what as I put more time into both games and I put a few more years behind me my views have changed I love that this game is about growing up and changing perspectives and I think that's reflected on my choice to put this game on this list so playing a file fantasy game has always been a ritual for me and my brother when now a new fantasy is released I turned into a hermit with him and shut ourselves away until the game is done final fantasy 15 was unlike any other final fantasy before it and I couldn't get enough of it this game is the ultimate road trip and I've never wanted to hang out with a group of friends more I love being able to throw on classic Final Fantasy tunes while I tool around am i out of place yet exactly perfect convertible and love the battle system which is chaotic but just feels cool as hell but the best part about Final Fantasy 15 is the biggest reason why I love it it's the fact that this is the first Final Fantasy in a long while that has an all-encompassing theme for all walks of life this game is about Brotherhood legacy death sadness betrayal and through it all these four boys are there for each other they stick together and it's beautiful I think the gorgeous Florence and the Machine cover of stand by me at the very beginning of the game says it all I won't be afraid as long as you stand by me I consider myself a creative person producing the show is incredibly rewarding and with every episode that comes out I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment creating stuff feels good full-stop and Super Mario maker helped supercharge that feeling for me creating levels in that game and watching others play them or playing in sharing levels that other people have built is still a mind-blowing experience the fact that Nintendo basically threw the entire world of bone and said you know what here all the toys go nuts is still incredible Nintendo rejuvenated what it means to play a Mario game by bringing him back to his roots and letting others share what Mario means to them Mario levels are such a known quantity in videogame culture that it was and still is an incredible delight to see what people would come up with during the time this game was out at its peak in 2015 also the costumes if you're a Nintendo fan or have a huge amiibo collection the unlockable costumes and Mario maker will instantly fill up your nostalgia meter this game also marks the start of my journey with Nintendo now I ordered a Nintendo on so many different promotional materials before this so for this game is where it really kicked into gear and I started to build my relationship with them around this time it's been a great partnership and literally a lifelong dream and Super Mario maker is all tied to that and although Super Mario maker 2 which came out uh Nintendo switch last year has made tons of improvements to the Mario maker formula it still doesn't feel nearly as revolutionary I mean how could it the first Mari maker was such an incredible bonding experience for everyone who had a Wii U Mario maker 2 is an incredible accomplishment but the first one represents a perfect moment in time where all of us were figuring out the best way to pay tribute to something we all loved Mario have you ever seen a grown man scream at the top of his lungs because of a videogame wait don't answer that most you already have if you have watched any of my e3 coverage from this last year you would instantly say yes and that's because of the reveal of a certain bear and bird duo that made their debut for the next game on this list Super Smash 4 this ultimate from 2018 is one of the hypest games of the decade for any number of reasons but I think one of them is the sheer possibility space that's been unlocked ever since Joker's reveal for the fighter pass it feels like for the first time ever practically any videogame character in history is on the table as a potential fighter reveal by one of the best fighting game franchises ever and credit to Sakurai he has created an unstoppable hype juggernaut and he has fans in the palm of his hands as we breathlessly wait for the next character unveiling but the amazing thing is it isn't just Nintendo fans anymore smash ultimate is a comprehensive celebration of video games as a medium and every aspect of this game reinforces the love of video game history and the future yet to come and of course for me Cloud Strife and banjo kazooie I cryed folks when I saw that jiggy roll across the floor I laughed and cried and screamed all at the same time and that's the real power of this game number three there is a lot of left behind in the last decade even more than I've left behind last 20 years and yet some things have followed me crept and shambled from the dark recesses of the past into my present it feels sick and twisted to say that I am grateful to still be chilled by what scared me as a kid the Resident Evil 2 remake released in 2019 is an absolute master class in how to take a masterpiece and update it this game is more than a game it's a bone-chilling thrill ride that absolutely terrified me I didn't think I needed it but once this remake got its hooks in it didn't let me go I didn't want it to Capcom absolutely crushed it with this remake they took a beloved game and improved it this remake looks like now what it looked like in my nightmares from 20 years ago vivid and terrifying all together re 2 was my surprise top team of 2019 because I thought you know something new would topple it and I feel absolutely no shame talking about it once again so soon it might not be a wholly brand-new game but I don't care it stuck with me like survivor's guilt for anyone lucky enough to escape Raccoon City it is far and away the most mesmerizing horror experience I've had in years not to mention challenging and incredibly rewarding it also has one of the most satisfying completion processes with incredible rewards for each successful play through this game is the perfect example of how to revive a classic now I've talked a lot about sequels in this top 10 there have been any number of great follow ups in the last decade but there's only one game that has simultaneously a follow-up a spiritual successor a herald of what's to come and a non-stop nostalgic celebration of everything that came before it I'm talking about my new favorite 3d Mario game of all time Super Mario Odyssey even the herring jump up superstar to this day gets me pumped this game is my mother freaking Super Bowl how it took Nintendo as long as it did to combine musical theater and Mario is a mystery but I'm glad they finally solved it this game is a never-ending string of delightful discoveries letting Mario take the form of practically every enemy in the game never stops being amazing and I'm still laughing about the Frog with the moustache from the game's first world super mario odyssey captures the excitement of playing super mario 64 for the first time rush of realizing that Mario can go anywhere there are power moons everywhere and they always felt like I was earning something for exploring I felt like the developers were begging me to explore every inch of the world and I wanted to do so everything about this game rules and that makes me even more excited to see what Nintendo does in the future with their most popular character so as we come down to this final entry in this list my personal game of the decade they're of course one or two or twenty games that aren't on this list incredible games that if they were released in any other decade would easily be on the list so that said I'm gonna talk about a couple of titles that I was really passionate about they didn't quite make the cut first up God of War 2018 God of War 2018 has never made me more excited for God of War game this is a story about a father and son it's got tons of awesome combat sonic always gets made fun of for not having a good game but honestly I love all sonic games even if I don't like them I still appreciate them but one of my favorite games come out of the second had to have been Sonic mania it felt like Sonic 3 & Knuckles Plus came out and we just had such a great time experiencing it when I think of the decade I have to talk about the one game that really blew everyone away and now my friends was undertale undertale has become this cultural phenomenon in the last couple of years that really has changed how we look at games and storytelling and overall it probably has some of the biggest heart I've seen in a game in quite some time and one that I have to absolutely talk about has to be breath of the wild now personally and mother big fan of these open-world games than whether they've done them but when it comes to Zelda this was the best choice that could have gone with a big playground for everyone to just explore as link now I could go on for hours about all 4 of these games in fact I actually have in-depth videos on them so if you want to hear more check them out oh that said it's time to focus on my number one game of the decade the year 2014 going into 2015 was one of the hardest in my entire life my personal and professional lives were falling apart and I became a target online in ways that I never would have imagined being doxed and being personally and professionally targeted by thousands of people all over the world it was an incredibly difficult year for the show and for myself and I wasn't even sure I still wanted to do it and on top of all that I lost my mom anyone who's been through this kind of trauma knows that it is truly indescribable yeah it's somehow in the middle of all this I found the game that would save my life shovel knight is my game of the decade and it isn't simply because it's an extremely good video game shovel knight was exactly what I needed to find myself again I discovered shovel knight through a series of fortunate events now I met the composer and my good friend Jake Kaufman for the very first time at a party for a game called mighty number 9 and he told me about this game he was working on we clicked and instantly became fast friends I had never even heard of shovel knight or Yacht Club games but the game became both an escape for me and a solace that helped remind me of why I love video games in the first place the amount of work and care and love that was poured into this game is immediately clear in an instant reminder of what putting your passion into your work looks like no other game has made me reflect as much on my life or the decade as a whole as shovel knight I formed a relationship with this game and I played it non-stop for six or seven months and for those of you out there who have no idea plague night spectre night King night they're all out and they're free if you own the [ __ ] game there's even a in Smash Bros game in it shovel my showdown and I cannot thank them enough for all of the hard work I know they're going to be times when the work outweighs the play or when the hard stuff overwhelms the good but we just got to keep digging our way through it coming out the other side stronger and wiser so that was my weird Battle Royale top ten games of the decade what are your weird battle royale top ten games of the decade let me know in the comments down below and hey guys is a brand new year it's a brand new decade which means we're gonna get a lot of crazy stuff in the next few months we're getting so many good games let me know what games you're excited for in 2020 in the comments down below that's it that's all you guys and I'll see you all next time

Channel: The Completionist

Views: 711,529

Rating: 4.7559066 out of 5

Keywords: games of the decade, top games of the decade, top games, top 10, top 10 video games of the decade, top 10 video games, top 10 games, best video games, decade, top 10 games of the decade, game review, game reviews, completionist, list, portal, portal 2, zelda, legend of zelda, a link between worlds, borderlands 2, borderlands, super mario galaxy 2, final fantasy XV, super mario maker, super smash bros, smash ultimate, resident evil 2 remake, super mario odyssey, shovel knight

Id: kyVNUyq5XmU

Length: 18min 19sec (1099 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 15 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/captainsassy69]

God i felt so vindicated by the number one pick

[u/DrunkenSepton]

I’ve gotta say, I didn’t know 2014 was such a tough year for you, Jirard. I knew about the stuff that happened around then, but my mind never realised they were all in one year- and I had no idea about the online abuse or doxxing, either. I can’t imagine what that all must have been like to go through.

With that said, 2014 was the year I found your channel, and I probably wasn’t in a great place either. But I’ve stuck with it and the amazing content you produce across TOVG, and I’ve gotta say your content and personality have probably, at least a little, helped shape who I am today, particularly your optimism, chill ness and just general good vibes towards everybody. It’s been a pleasure to regularly watch for the last six years, and I can’t wait to see where it’s going next!

As for your top game of the decade: it was actually your review of the game and the genuine enthusiasm and love you showed for it that inspired me to get it- and it’s a game I’m still playing and absolutely loving six years later. So thank you also for that!

Looking forward to seeing whatever you make next. :)

[u/CharizardEgg]

I was so happy to see that footage of Alex pouring the sprinkles again.

[u/justinhook]

FULL LIST:

10) Portal 2

9) Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

8) Borderlands 2

7) Super Mario Galaxy 2

6) Final Fantasy XV

5) Super Mario Maker

4) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

3) Resident Evil 2 Remake

2) Super Mario Odyssey

1) Shovel Knight