Top 10 Games in 2019 That Defied Expectations

At launch, “No Man’s Sky” went down as one of the worst and most disappointing games to come out in 2016. Over the past couple of years, Hello Games had been quietly working on new features and meaty expansions. With their newest expansion, “No Man’s Sky: Beyond”, the game has finally become what was originally promised years ago. Planets are brimming with life, players can meet with other players to trade and explore together, and there’s even a community focused solely on the game’s base-building feature. If you were originally burned out from the lackluster launch, you may want to give this game a second chance.

When Nintendo announced its partnership with Brace Yourself Games for “Cadence of Hyrule”, we were anticipating another game similar to “Crypt of the Necrodancer” with a simple “Zelda” reskin. What we got was the complete opposite. “Cadence of Hyrule” turned out to be a classic 2D “Zelda” adventure with “Necrodancer’s” rhythm-based mechanics, and it worked so well! The game perfectly blends “Zelda’s” orchestral music with “Necrodancer’s” techno dance style, creating a score that’ll have you bobbing up and down as you fight Octoroks, Puffstools, and Bokoblins. And if that wasn’t enough, “Cadence of Hyrule” offers additional characters and gameplay modes to make every run feel unique and refreshing!

While it has its awkward moments, there are plenty of reasons to pick up “Blair Witch”. Whereas most horror games rely on jumpscares and gore, “Blair Witch” managed to psych us out even when it isn’t trying. You’ll eventually begin to question whether you’re actually making mistakes or if the game is messing with you, which replicates the same horror experienced in the films. Couple that with the unique puzzle mechanics and good boy Bullet, and you got yourself a frighteningly immersive experience brought to you by developer Bloober Team!

It took “The Division” quite a while to become a solid experience. So, when “The Division 2” was revealed at E3 2018, many fans were wondering if Ubisoft had learned from their previous mistakes. The answer was a resounding yes! “The Division 2” boasts a wide amount of mission types and difficulties for you to earn bigger and better rewards. Most of the weapons and gadgets you’ll find are a ton of fun to use, and you’ll develop more tactics as you continue to upgrade your character. If you and your friends are itching for a new looter shooter, you can’t go wrong with “The Division 2”!

On the surface, “World War Z” aims to fill in the void where the “Left 4 Dead” games once occupied. On the contrary, there is much more to be had with this licensed title. While it does follow “Left 4 Dead’s” linear structure, “World War Z” mixes things up by throwing in segments where you’ll have to place turrets and defend yourself. Enemy variety and difficulty options help keep the experience fresh and offer plenty of incentive to revisit older missions. “World War Z” isn’t a game you should shy away from as it does more than enough to stand on its own. Just don’t bother with the PvP.

“Control” may have had its fair share of problems - technical problems and messy narrative, for example - but the game shows that developer Remedy Entertainment can make up for its shortcomings. Not only are the environments imaginatively bizarre and sometimes eerie, the combat makes for an exciting, explosive experience. Each upgrade and power you earn allows you to mix up strategies and turn your enemies into a spectacle of chaos, similar to Sucker Punch’s “inFamous” games. Really, you don’t need to be a Remedy fan to appreciate the thrilling ride that is “Control”.

What started out as a franchise you’d find in the bargain bin turned around, became one of the most fun action games we’ve played in a while. “Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain” sees you leading a squad of troops as you battle giant insects, robots, and aliens. Yes, it is absolutely ridiculous, but how many games have managed to deliver a campy experience without being cringey? With diverse weapons, level design, and character classes, “Iron Rain” managed to provide enough chaotic fun that made the technical flaws worth enduring.

Imagine the disappointment on our faces when we heard the next “Titanfall” game was to be a battle royale. Releasing the day of its reveal, “Apex Legends” proved skeptics wrong by introducing various new features other battle royale games were missing. The flexible ping system allowed concise communication between mic-less players. Sliding, ziplines, and balloons made traversal more exciting and allowed more room to develop battle tactics. Oh, and the respawn system gave us more reason to stick around after our first death. It made such a strong impression that even “Fortnite” would implement similar features weeks later.

“Apex Legends” wouldn’t be the only surprise hit in February. Launching merely a week after Respawn’s battle royale, Nintendo and Arika launched the game we had all been joking about and thought would never happen. “Tetris 99” pits you against ninety-nine other players in an all-out tetromino war, where each completed line for you is a wave of trash to send to your targets. The game has seen so much success that it received a hearty helping of DLC and updates that added customized board themes, avatars, daily and weekly challenges, and even an elite mode called “Tetris 99 Invictus”! (Yes, it is insanely hard…)

The game hasn’t been out for long, but “Untitled Goose Game” has quickly become a media darling thanks to its charming visuals and giving players the ability to channel their inner goose. Yeah, the experience may only be a couple of hours long, but there’s plenty of fun to be had! Each area presents a small list of tasks for you to wreak havoc on a small town. Steal the gardener’s keys, terrorize a small child, ignite a feud between neighbors, and break into a local pub. Cute on the outside and satanic on the inside, “Untitled Goose Game” may just make it as one of our Games of the Year.