Top Five Games of 2019

Written by Michael Richardson

Published 20 April 2020

I write this blog post in the midst of the largest global crisis my generation has ever faced. I’m scared. I’m really scared. But I am also certain that brighter days lie ahead - days where society can come together and finally appreciate one another. In times such as these, I could not be more thankful for game developers, whose works have always provided me with happiness and sanity even in the darkest of times - and 2019’s games were no exception. While far from the greatest year for video games (2017 will always be hard to beat for me), 2019 was still a good year with many titles that dazzled with their sheer quality. Nintendo had a terrible first half and then released their entire catalog within the final six months, coming up as 2019’s most consistent developer out of the big three. After a terrific 2018, its evident that Sony is in the final months of the PlayStation 4 with sporadic releases filling the year, headlined by the divisive Death Stranding; the same can be said for Microsoft, who are gearing up for the holiday release of the promising Series X and had few titles as a result, but their innovative Game Pass subscription service continues to dominate mainstream conversation and could very well signal the future of the medium. Perhaps most shocking, EA made a good Star Wars game! Quite the times we are living in.

Picking a top five games list this year was not as hard as 2018, but it still nevertheless proved difficult with numerous titles gnawing at my heartstrings for their coveted positions. To qualify, I had to play a game for the first time that was released on a new platform in 2019. Indeed, remasters released in 2019 can apply as long as I had never touched the game prior to that point. Please keep in mind that this list is entirely subjective; your opinions will be different than mine. Without further ado, let’s get started with the rankings!

5. SteamWorld Quest

Available on NS, Stadia, PC

When I played SteamWorld Dig 2 in the fall of 2017, I instantly became a series fan, and Image and Form have consistently impressed me with their ability to gracefully add new genres into the SteamWorld universe without sacrificing a frame of quality. With an approachable yet complex card-based battle system, SteamWorld Quest further solidifies Image and Form’s status as one of my favorite developers. Adding new cards to experiment with never felt old, and the countless combos that can be achieved kept me largely invested for the roughly twelve hour adventure. Getting those three cards you were hoping for in the next deck so you can obliterate a foe felt extremely satisfying, while never getting to the point where luck solely determines victory. The presentation is great as well with an understandably steampunk aesthetic that pops, alongside a nuanced score that teleports you into one of the desolate forests or challenging boss battles. My favorite aspect of the presentation has to be the seamless transition between battles ala Chrono Trigger, granting combat and exploration an elegant flow. My biggest gripe with Quest is that I wanted it to last for an extra ten if not twenty hours, that way I could get to know my robust sidekicks much better and the potential of the story could have been realized. Furthermore, SteamWorld Quest proves that Image and Form takes the challenge of going outside comfort zones as an art form, with yet another great entry in their revered franchise that impressed me throughout. While I would love to see them eventually try something outside of the SteamWorld universe, new takes such as Quest will allow the franchise to thrive for a long time, and I can hardly complain.

4. Luigi’s Mansion 3

NS Exclusive

One of the biggest crimes in modern history is unequivocally how the Luigi’s Mansion franchise has received only three entries in its eighteen-year run time. Seriously - the games are critically and commercially successful, and they are one of the industry’s most charming adventures. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is no exception, seemingly pushing the Switch’s graphical capabilities to the limit to ooze charm out of every frame, while also standing as a testament to Nintendo’s creative genius. Even inside the wondrous, vibrant environments Luigi is the star of the show with laugh-out-loud animation and a layer of depth that is seldom achieved in the medium. Good for us (and less so for Luigi), every single floor of The Last Resort Hotel successfully incorporates the Poltergeist G-00’s new abilities, such as the suction shot, the satisfying slam maneuver, and the ever-so-charming Googi. Each floor culminates in a boss fight that thematically suits the setting, whether it be a gardener tending to a raucous plant, security guard in a mall, or a musician clamoring away at a piano solo. Doing away with Dark Moon’s atrocious mission structure, Luigi’s Mansion 3 allows itself to shine much better than its predecessor and is an all-around more enjoyable adventure as a result. While more interconnectivity between each floor of The Last Resort hotel would have made the game’s design standout even more, playing Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a vacation any Switch owner should take. We can only hope Nintendo capitalizes on this game’s already astounding sales with another entry somewhat soon.

3. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

Available on NS, PS4, X1, PC

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is one of the greatest platformers of the generation, with sublime level design and innovations to the status quo. At seemingly every turn, Impossible Lair surprises with a delightful attention to detail in each of its forty stages that enticed me to go back to find one of the many collectables that I missed. It certainly helps that Yooka and Laylee control like a charm, with Yooka’s signature roll being particularly fun to use. Similar to Breath of the Wild, Impossible Lair can be beaten at largely any time, but finishing each stage rewards what is effectively an extra hit on the extra-long, extra-challenging Impossible Lair: the fortress of main baddie Capital B. Besides a neat reward at the conclusion of every stage, Impossible Lair innovates with a 3D overworld that acts as a calm between the 2D platforming, with fun puzzles littered throughout that even go as far as to open up a remixed version of every stage. While these might take place at the same location on the overworld map, all of the stages are truly their own. Freezing an underwater level understandably has a massive effect on its layout to the point where few parts look exactly alike, and when you thought stuff could not get any weirder, a level has become covered in honey, and Yooka and Laylee now stick to surfaces. Combined with a great score with contributions from industry veterans Grant Kirkhope and David Wise, Impossible Lair is a must-play experience for fans of the genre that puts Playtonic Games on the map as a developer it would be unwise to underestimate.

2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

NS Exclusive

Fire Emblem: Three Houses was awfully marketed; an endless stream of story trailers without any gameplay made me concerned that the first high-definition entry in Nintendo’s blockbuster franchise would fail to deliver. If you were similarly turned off by advertising prior to launch then I urge you to put those feelings aside and play this newest entry as quickly as possible; Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a hallmark of strategic game design that envelopes you into its world like none other. The world of Fodlan is incredibly well realized with characters bursting with charm and relatability, incentivizing me to build relationships through numerous in-game systems. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have crafted a great story that tackles themes such as maturity, beauty, isolation, and corruption in a cohesive manner that allows anybody to take something out of the game. The ability to walk around the monastery provides a breath of fresh air to Fire Emblem’s established formula, with numerous activities to partake in such as fishing, dining, or sparring, and the teaching system that starts each in-game week adds a layer of strategic depth and innovation to the series that I hope returns in future installments. I loved being able to transform units the way I saw fit, and seeing their attributes improve during lectures or one-on-one conversations felt incredibly fulfilling after I got over the initial learning curve.

Thankfully, the strategic gameplay passes muster, with new additions such as the gambit system that add neat risk vs reward mechanics. Thankfully, building relationships helps augment certain characters in battle, creating a bridge between story and gameplay. I particularly adore how battles in Three Houses feel like all-out conflicts, with numerous units fighting beside characters whenever they take a turn, increasing the stakes of the adventure. Of course, I have yet to talk about Three Houses’ namesake: the three diverging paths of the Officers Academy. While I have yet to dive into anything other than the Black Eagle storyline, I can only imagine the similar awe I would feel investing myself into the Blue Lion or Golden Deer adventure, and having all the storylines in one package removes the issue that marred Fire Emblem: Fates. And as if you needed another reason to play, Three Houses’ soundtrack is utterly sublime, with sweeping battle themes I listen to almost every day. With well over one-hundred hours of high quality content, it would be a mistake to not travel to the world of Fodlan - the experience might captivate you in ways previously thought impossible.

Mighty No. 9

Available on PS3, PS4, X360, X1, Wii U, PC

Mighty No. 9 is a triumph of video game design and a terrific example as to how crowdfunding platforms should be utilized. Mighty No. 9’s story starts off promising and only escalates to become one of the best in the medium, with abysmal performances from all the actors and an ending that left me wholly unsatisfied. Blurry textures and constant frame rate dips add to the immersion, making the player feel like a robot that is slowly malfunctioning after losing his friends. Mighty No. 9 performs best on Wii U, using the console’s raw power to come up with stunningly horrific fire effects. While I was impressed by the narrative, I could not have come away more pleased from the gameplay and level design. Setting instant death spikes on nearly every level really makes the player hone their skills despite not giving them enough time to understand the game’s mechanics beforehand, and I particularly adore Beck’s dash move, which seldom entertains with unreliable enemy hit boxes. All of the levels have their mechanics stretched out to the lowest potential, finishing before anything was really fleshed out, and the bullet-spongey boss fights are magnificent, with never ending one-liners from the baddies themselves that serve as yet another example of Mighty No. 9’s cohesion between its story and gameplay. To cap off the experience, I was proud to see that the credits were longer than the entire game, mitigating my issue that the game was far too short and of unprecedented low quality prior to the final boss.

Indeed, Mighty No. 9 is a spectacular experience, and the same goes for the way Comcept handled its Kickstarter campaign. I absolutely loved how a Mighty No. 9 animated series, a new Red Ash game, and more distracting projects were announced months before the game was released. Failing to deliver on the promise of 3DS and PS VITA ports and providing backers with a DIY physical game box over a year after the game’s launch provided the gaming community even more reasons to trust Comcept. Furthermore, all of Mighty No. 9’s 67,000 backers should feel proud that they got the game they were promised - a highly detailed, masterfully crafted spiritual successor to Mega Man that put Keiji Inafune’s team on the map. What a game!

Mighty No. 9 is the worst video game I have ever played.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Available on PS4, X1, PC

Talk about a redemption story; after coming away from Bloodborne largely unimpressed, I was met with trepidation at the idea of visiting another of FromSoftware’s worlds, but I had to give the developer another shot - I had to see what all the fuss was about. Sekiro’s visceral combat and enchanting art direction immediately grabbed me and never let go. My two biggest issues with Bloodborne were that after leveling a weapon up to a certain point there was little incentive to experiment with a new arsenal since changing weapons left my character underpowered, and secondly, that health potions did not regenerate upon death, causing countless hours of grind. Those two issues have thankfully been alleviated in Sekiro, making for a far more enjoyable product. While being trapped with a blade for the entire game might initially feel underwhelming, Wolf constantly gains new skills and secondary armaments that provide something to enjoy for every player, whether it be an umbrella to protect from long range blasts or a powerful area of effect fireworks show. Wolf’s most useful tool is his parry maneuver, which turns several boss fights into delightful ballets where I felt as though I was launched into zen, dodging swings with my blade like it was nothing. The sheer adrenaline rush that comes with dwindling a boss’s health bar is unmatched to most games I have played, undoubtedly aided by the game’s superb sound effects that make every clash feel both satisfying and powerful. Outside of battle, I thoroughly enjoyed discovering secrets with the grappling hook, which provides a unique layer of verticality to FromSoftware’s lineup that I hope receives iteration in future games.

Sekiro’s gameplay is by far the strongest aspect of its design, but the story helped motivate me through the journey. What starts out as a simple vengeance tale quickly morphs into an evocative narrative that left me pondering its messages, helped by a memorable cast of characters. I was happy with how well the story foreshadows itself and how it ultimately manages to connect the world through gameplay. Sekiro also shines a beauty throughout with its gorgeous environments; from the beautiful wooden architecture of Ashina Castle to the serene Japanese ponds that follow afterward, I was left with a wondrous, awe-inspiring feeling after coming across many locations in Sekiro’s world.

I absolutely adored my time with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Although I was challenged, I never felt punished for experimentation and was consistently rewarded with varied weaponry, a nuanced story beat, or a luscious vista. I have not gone more than a few days since finishing my playthrough not smiling at the time I had in the Sengoku period, and for that I am extremely grateful to FromSoftware for proving to me that they are truly remarkable developers. By weaving together the most satisfying combat of the year with an outstanding presentation and insightful narrative, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is easily my favorite game of 2019.

Congratulations to FromSoftware and all of the nominees! Especially in times of crisis, I believe it is paramount to thank artists who dedicate their lives to bringing joy, because without video games, tv shows, movies, books, and more navigating this conflict would be an even more excruciating experience. While the near future will be a struggle, we can look forward to brighter days with new consoles on the horizon and many blockbuster titles to follow. While 2020 can go screw itself, here’s to what was a great 2019 and to brighter days!

To 2020’s credit, a new Half-Life has finally come out! I have not played Alyx, but it appears to elevate the virtual reality space in intriguing ways. And the Final Fantasy VII Remake actually saw the light of day! 2020 has certainly defied expectations.