Top 10 Best Video Games of 2019

The game that took the world by storm, and managed to steal our hearts the same way its sadistic poultry stole everything else - by honking and flapping its wings like crazy! As the goose, your job is to make everyone’s lives as miserable as you can while crossing off tasks from your To-Do List before progressing to the next area. However, its easy to get sidetracked and start conjuring up your own malicious deeds as we’ve discussed in our list of Horrible Things You Can Do over on MojoPlays. While the game only takes a couple of hours to beat, its puzzles, music, and charm make this indie title worth every penny.

The biggest skepticism this game faced was the simple fact that it was yet another battle royale game in an overcrowded market. Little did we know that this was going to shake up the formula. “Apex Legends” not only incorporated hero characters with diverse sets of abilities, but it also implemented a flexible ping system, making it easier for mic-less players to relay info to each other. It also made navigating around the map more entertaining thanks to the inclusion of sliding, ziplining, and balloons. It may not have become the “Fortnite” killer we were inclined to believe, but it certainly gave the giant a run for its money and has appeased many players who were looking for a more fast-paced experience.

Finally . . . it's been a long time since we had a great single-player Star Wars game! Handing the reins over to Respawn Entertainment for “Fallen Order” was the best decision EA has made in . . . quite a while. The gameplay might not be original, but mashing together elements of “Tomb Raider”, “Uncharted”, and “Dark Souls”, just WORKS for a Jedi game. Following Padawan Cal Kestis, and set five years after Order 66, “Fallen Order” tells a story that feels necessary, rather than superfluous, filling the gaps between “Revenge of the Sith” and “Return of the Jedi”. The combat is compelling, the environments are stunning, the Force Powers are awesome, and BD-1 is just cute as hell.

Making a game without combat can be incredibly difficult to develop. After all, without conflict, where are the stakes? How do you create suspense or challenge the player’s skill? Developer ZA/UM found a way and succeeded with “Disco Elysium”, an RPG that puts players in the shoes of an alcoholic detective suffering from amnesia. What makes “Disco Elysium” such a memorable game is how it’ll challenge you through dialogue trees and skill checks. If you want to solve the murder case, you’ll have to know how to talk to certain characters in certain ways, and bolstering skills can lead to both enhanced abilities AND consequences. Trust us - there’s plenty of reason to check this game out!

To call this a spiritual successor to “Fallout: New Vegas” would be an injustice. “The Outer Worlds” has proven to be more than just a callback to Obsidian’s history with the “Fallout” franchise (the studio comprising of staff from the old days in the 90’s). With its fleshed out, well-written characters and colorful, vibrant environments, the game has managed to impress critics and fans alike, providing many starved players with an immersive action-RPG we haven’t experienced in a long time. Its unique humor and personality also makes it one of the funniest AAA titles we’ve seen in recent years, satirizing topics that run parallel with current events such as corporate greed.

Once we got a good listen to the song “Devil Trigger”, we knew the hack-&-slash series was back and better than ever. “Devil May Cry V” was a wonderful return to Dante’s story since we last saw it in 2008 (That reboot doesn't count). The story was entertaining from start to finish, the combat was as crazy as it's ever been, and each of the three playable characters offered exciting new playstyles with their own respective abilities. Needless to say, those looking to kick demon ass may look no further - this game will do more than satisfy your bloodthirst!

The fact that this turned one of our most skeptical reviewers into a fan of the series speaks volumes about “Fire Emblem: Three Houses”. The newest game in the tactical RPG series is practically three games in one, boasting three factions that undergo their own storyline. Every portion of the game forces you to think critically about your situation whether its choosing between fishing or engaging in a limited timed battle, or trying to figure out how to use the battlefield in your favor. Simply put, “Three Houses” was an experience that mentally challenges you and touts enough character and story to steal hours of your time, and we mean that in a positive connotation.

If you’ve seen my review of the game over on MojoPlays, you’ll know why this game is this high on the list, and the rest of the team quickly saw why too. “Luigi’s Mansion 3” became the game to play this Halloween, and it wasn’t just because of its spooky ghosts or haunted hotel. With its exceptional animation, humor, and adorable Polterpup, “Luigi’s Mansion 3” took the best of what made the first two games so beloved and cranked it up to 11. It excels at presenting creative and challenging puzzles, which are more satisfying to solve when hints are turned off. On top of the phenomenal campaign, the multiplayer modes provided plenty of reasons to keep playing. It truly was Luigi’s time to shine.

Wow! This was a remake that was so good, it sets a new gold standard on how to do Video Game Remakes. Based on the 1998 PlayStation classic, this title showed a strong start for a year of gaming. Characters and environments were brimming with detail, monsters like the Lickers and Mr. X were far more terrifying than they were twenty years ago, and the change in camera placement made the game just as difficult for veterans as it did for newcomers. Regardless of your nostalgia, “Resident Evil 2” quickly became a must-own for players, selling more than 4.5 million copies by the end of June 2019.

Honestly guys, this was a super tough year to limit our choices to just 10, true we didn’t really have a single major standout this year, like we had with “Red Dead Redemption 2” or “Breath of the Wild” the last 2 years prior. But that also meant that this was anyone’s year for GOTY. Even the following Honorable Mentions had a shot at the title at one point. It was that contentious, so; Here they are.


Honorable Mentions


“Kingdom Hearts III” (2019)


“Super Mario Maker 2” (2019)


“Gears 5” (2019)


“Control” (2019)


“Death Stranding” (2019)

Yes, we’ve gone back and forth all year over whether this game or Resident Evil 2 was the better choice, but ultimately, “Sekiro” won out due to the fact that it was an original IP. Having ended the “Dark Souls” franchise just a couple years ago, we couldn’t help but be amazed at how FromSoftware put a new spin on its own formula. Focusing more on exploration, stealth, and vertical level design, “Sekiro” showed this wasn’t another “Soulsborne” game. Of course, it wouldn’t be a FromSoftware game without the sometimes maddening difficulty, a punishment we’ve come to love and would never want to change.