10. Bloodstained: Ritual
of the Night With the Metroidvania love at an all-time
high, Koji Igarashi chose one of the best moments to return to the iconic world of gothic
action. With his iron grit and a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, the ritual was completed
and we get perhaps one of the most faithful additions to the Castlevania lore we’ll
ever get.
Igarashi was one of the main people responsible for the success of the cult classic Symphony
of the Night and the Castlevania titles that followed. In this spiritual successor, he
brings all that energy back, and more.
With its story of an orphan making her way through the floors of a castle to lift an
alchemist’s curse, Bloodstained boasts fantastic level designs, tactile controls, and even
the silliness that we all associate with the Castlevania series.
While its greatest strength has always been its similarity to its predecessor, this could
also be its weakness. It’s a recreation, but like PC Gamer says, it might be a bit
too old fashioned.
With its high scores from gamers though, maybe it’s exactly what it needs to be. It has
a playscore of 8.84
9. A
Short Hike In a world obsessed with fast-paced action
and punishing difficulty, A Short Hike is the videogame equivalent of a breath of fresh
air. It’s a singleplayer indie adventure that puts you in the shoes of bird person,
Claire, who ventures to Hawk Peak in search of a cellphone signal.
Aside from its incredibly relatable plot, A Short Hike’s journey to the top is also
sprinkled with all things bright and beautiful. It’s literally just a walk in the park.
Sometimes you meet new characters and have natural yet dorky conversations, Or you can
glide around and go on collection sidequests around its lush pixel environments. It's this
combination of relaxing atmosphere and genuine interactions that make up the bulk of what
makes A Short Hike awesome.
The game does struggle a bit with endings. Destructoid gave it a 7.5, saying that while
its two-hour storyline doesn’t give it a chance to grow stale, “the final moments
suffer from a lack of setup and character development.”
But, if it’s a bite-sized vacation you want, A Short Hike is more than willing to serve.
Created by a developer burned out from another project, Thumbsticks has this to say: “It’s
fitting, then, that what began as an act of self-care...has blossomed into a welcome respite
from the modern world.”
It has a playscore of 8.85
8. AMID EVIL Everybody knows nostalgia is one of the easiest
ways to make a videogame hit. But, if you pair that with fresh and original ideas, that's
when you've hit the jackpot. For our 8th spot, we get a game that might be awfully familiar
to long-time fans of the Doom series. However, it's most similar to the classic fantasy FPS
titles like Heretic and Hexen.
Indefatigable's Amid Evil offers frenetic FPS action in the style of the old MSDOS days.
Except, with a much bigger scale than the games of old. The game spreads across 7 distinct
worlds, all jampacked with monsters and mystical weapons.
On the other hand, it's definitely not the first to explore the retro shooter formula.
Dusk, a retro-style shooter from the same publisher, earned high praise just the year
before. Thankfully, for AMID EVIL, it makes itself worthy of the same acclaim. This is
exactly Destructoid's view.
"I'm not as over the moon as I was with DUSK, but that's like saying you didn't enjoy driving
the Camaro as much as the Corvette." they said.
Game Revolution expounds on the point in their review, saying "Even if you’ve already tired
yourself out on retro shooters, Amid Evil deserves your attention as a well-crafted
and unique entry in the genre."
The verdict is out. Despite the many competitors in the market, AMID EVIL is just as deserving
of its spot on the list, with a total playscore of 8.93
7. Devil May Cry 5 It took 11 years of waiting but it looks like
CAPCOM finally figured what to do with their iconic hack and slash series. After the slightly
polarizing results of Ninja Theory's DmC reboot, which changed too many things for comfort,
this fifth main installment seems to have nailed the balance.
It brings back the two favorite demon slayers, Nero--with his new robot appendage--and Dante,
with his grey hair. But, DMC5 also brought a new character in V, whose demon companions
give an added edge to the entry. As a series built on making demon-slaying as stylish as
ever, Devil May Cry 5 is definitely equipped with next-level visuals.
However, for most reviewers, what really sets it apart is its combat. IGN SEA gave it a
score of 9.5, praising the depth, variety, and freedom that the three main characters
provide. PC Gamer similarly praised the game for its "greater variety of combat styles
and a higher degree of challenge."
Aside from combat, its renewed focus on story and characters also makes it a standout in
a series that's mostly been praised for its straightforward action.
All in all, Devil May Cry 5 is a return to everything we loved about the series and more,
and it has a playscore of 8.98
6. SEKIRO: Shadows Die Twice FromSoftware has built a reputation for punishing,
genre-defining action RPGs. But, in their latest IP, they switch things up just a little
to create something that's hauntingly familiar yet beautifully fresh in its own way.
Putting you in the shoes of a samurai with the useful ability to come back from the dead,
SEKIRO is more of a focused action-adventure compared to FromSoftware's traditional RPGs.
Without builds and multiplayer distractions, Cheatcc calls it "a game that asks you to
succeed on your own and creates an intimate, engaging experience as a result."
But, while its story, settings, and characters were welcome additions to the formula, SEKIRO’s
greatest strength is ultimately its enhancements on the studio's signature punishing combat.
It adds stealth, verticality, and open level designs into the mix. This means that fights
are as complex and grueling as ever but there's a lot more to play within how to approach
them.
As heavy.com notes in their review: "The greater focus on dynamic, nuanced fights greatly improves
over Dark Souls’ hack and slash methodology."
While there may have had some hiccups at launch, SEKIRO's recent reviews, especially on Steam,
have been overwhelmingly positive since.
It has a playscore of 8.98
5. Katana ZERO Speaking of Japanese combat settings, Askiisoft
brings Devolver Digital another impressive win with their flashy take on cyberpunk action
platforming. At first blush, it has all the markings of a Devolver title. Just like Hotline
Miami, it's got that lush retro aesthetic, colorful visuals, and fast-paced difficulty.
When every hit results in instant death though, the premise anchors on perfection. That's
when the rewind button comes in handy, letting you plan out your movements for each interaction
and culminating into a surgical but satisfyingly smooth combat experience.
But, Katana ZERO didn't earn its spot for action alone. There's a complicated narrative
underpinning it, too. It tells the tale of a sword for hire and it does so with a timed
dialog that lets players project their personalities into the story.
As Shacknews puts it: "Katana Zero dares to go bolder, with a story that takes more than
one left turn, and an innovative dialogue system that can paint both the story and the
main character in a different light."
And, if like most critics, you’re worried about its short run time and lack of replayability,
Game Reactor offers some reassurance: "Katana Zero is a short experience with very little
replay value...but it's also, without a doubt, one of the best low-profile games we've played."
It receives a playscore of 9.01
4. Baba Is You Indie games might mean low-budget but what
they lack in production value, they make up for with boundless creativity. And that’s
kind of what Hempuli Oy offers in their endlessly charming puzzle game.
In their world, the only rule is that there aren’t any rules at all. As you push letters
and blocks around their pixel-based environment, you get to be the sole decider of how the
world around you works. For Game Reactor: “It's not about shifting the pieces in the
game but changing how the game itself operates.”
When there’s so much freedom involved, it widens your scope of imagination and forces
you to think outside the box. It only gets harder, as words and conditions continue to
pile on. It’s challenging, but it’s the kind of challenge that puzzle fans will love--the
kind that leaves you thinking even long after you’ve put it down.
Baba Is You doesn’t just continually redefine itself, it’s irreverence to rules manages
to redefine the genre too. MeriStation describes it beautifully, calling it an “orderly anarchy”
that “demonstrates the magic of words.”
A puzzle that will leave you suitably baffled, it has a playscore of 9.02
3. Slay the Spire Released early in January of this year, Mega
Crit's debut title has continued to slay the charts throughout the rest of 2019. Now, it
finds itself at home among the top ranks as one of the most innovative card games of the
year.
Slay the Spire offers turn-based strategy, cardgame mechanics, and roguelike gameplay
all rolled into one. It's not just the unlikely mixture that gives the game its flair, it's
how well the three combine into an exhilarating cardgame that's relatively low-cost.
Unlike other deck-building titles, it's a level playing field where you choose from
three characters, each with unique basic decks which you build up along your journey.
For IGN, its formula "encourages experimentation, gives you time to make mistakes, and will
challenge you immensely."
As a roguelike game, death is an integral factor but it also means it has replayability
in droves. Slaying the titular spire only takes about an hour, but its balance of chance
encounters and tactical depth will keep you coming back for more.
At its earliest stage, it’s been called “the first great surprise of 2019. ” But
with a new playable character in the works, it shows that the game will only get better
with time.
It has a playscore of 9.13
2. Resident Evil 2 Though Bloodstained may have been the picture
of an all too faithful spiritual successor, CAPCOM shows them off in their biggest hit
this year, creating 2019’s poster boy for a remake done right.
In their effort to bring 1998’s Resident Evil 2 to the modern generation, CAPCOM didn’t
just build it from the ground up--with new textures for Claire and Leon, and a more immersive
over the shoulder perspective--they turned it into a modern horror game in its own right.
In line with the challenges presented by the big visual changes, CAPCOM had to explore
other ways to deliver the series’ signature scares. But, in doing so, they created a whole
new experience that’s packed with content and provided new insight to Claire and Leon’s
adventures in Raccoon City.
As IGN puts it: “Capcom did a fantastic job of resurrecting all the best parts of
the classic Resident Evil 2 and making them look, sound, and play like a 2019 game.”
Released in January, Resident Evil 2 bookends the year with a chart-topping finish and it
rightly deserves its spot--here and in the halls of modern horror fame.
It has a playscore of 9.15
1. Disco Elysium For a game that's only been out for two months,
ZA/UM's Disco Elysium snuck its way to the top being called one of the most groundbreaking
RPGs yet. RPGs are known for their emergent quality, customizations, and unique interactions
with an unfamiliar environment. And, that's exactly what Disco Elysium brings to the table.
It
follows the footsteps of Larian Studios' Divinity series with its intricate role-playing mechanics.
Instead of sprawling fantasy settings, we get a political tale of a detective fighting
to solve a murder mystery and to survive the voices in his head.
Ultimately, though, you, the player, will get to tell the story yourself through the
many choices on offer, making each lengthy run-through a different experience. As PC
Gamer notes: "...my experience of it is completely unique to me, such is the dizzying variety
of skills, stats, thoughts, and conversation options on offer."
Freedom of choice aside, its Disco Elysium's story that stands out the most. Only Single
Player notes that its characters "explore highbrow themes such as existentialism, political
theory, and psychology, all wrapped around a twin mystery of murder and identity."
If you want to be engrossed, intrigued, and awed by a gorgeous, painterly world that's
not your own, Disco Elysium is the place to be. That's why it's our best PC title of 2019,
with a playscore of 9.29