Top 10 Games I’ve played this decade

#10 Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (2010)
This and ACII made me fall in love with the Renaissance era. Beautiful game. Still the best combat mechanics of the series in my opinion.

#9 Dark Souls III (2016)
A very dark and sad world, yet somehow beautiful. The combat was vastly improved from the previous two. A fantastic series.

#8 Bloodborne (2015)
Another From Software game. Creepy setting and even creepier enemies. Was already a great game, then they throw Lovecraftian elements in. You don’t see that much.

#7 Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
Relatable characters. Incredibly detailed world. Scathing commentary on our society, yet still hilarious.

#6 Stellaris (2016)
Probably the best strategy game I’ve played since Shogun 2. You get to create your own civilization, customizing everything from species, to their values, and their government. A ton of references to other sci-fi IPs, and a gorgeous galaxy to explore. Also: free mods. What more could you ask for?

#5 Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
Sure, Fallout 4 was good (won’t even mention the other game), but New Vegas is still the best in my opinion. The setting was absolutely perfect for the series. A little wild-west combined with Mad Max. The factions were the most well-fleshed out in the series and the followers were memorable. I really miss the ranger armor and those exploding .50 cal rounds.

#4 Mass Effect 2 (2010)
Probably the best sci-fi game I’ve ever played. Literally every single squad mate was incredibly well-written and relatable. You really do come to care for all of them by the end. The whole universe is just amazing, from the design of the technology to the many species of aliens you come across, and an absolutely terrifying villain(s). Also, my favorite expansion of all time, The Liar of the Shadow Broker was just bad ass, even if you weren’t Team Liara like I was. If only Mass Effect 3 hadn’t gone down harder than the Hindenburg.

#3 The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (2015)
I didn’t get to play the first game and played through the second a little too fast to remember a whole lot, but the third game was amazing. That should really tell you about the quality of storytelling this game has. Every little side quest was worth experiencing, and CD Projekt actually respects their fans by giving them expansions worth the price tag. I still hear the Fields of Ard Skellig when I think about this beautiful game.

#2 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
Yes, I know, everybody and their grandmother have heard of this game. But I can’t think of very many games I’ve sunk a few thousand hours into. The province of Skyrim itself was gorgeous, and you really felt like a powerful hero by the end of the story. Also, the expansions were fantastic, fighting against a vampire lord and the first Dragonborn was beyond cool. Even Hearthfire was a nice little add on. And this game isn’t dying anytime soon, with dedicated fans continuously making mods, like the amazing crew behind Beyond Skyrim who plan on adding the rest of ALL of Tamriel. Hopefully VI will live up to its older sibling.

#1 Kingdom Hearts III (2019)
Not the hardest or deepest game in the world, but definitely one of the most fun ones. I grew up with Kingdom Hearts I & II, and despite the story being kind of convoluted, it still managed to wrap things up quite nicely. The series will always have a special place in my heart, and it’s nice to know more are coming. Looking forward to playing them when I’m 50.

Honorable Mention

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (2012)
World of Warcraft has always had its ups and downs, but this expansion was a breath of fresh air. I grew up playing Warcraft III and the Frozen Throne, so it was awesome to see the Pandaren actually get added to the game. Pandaria itself is probably my favorite continent, next to Northrend.