Aaron’s Top Games of 2019

When Will asked me to write up my top 10 list of games for 2019, I immediately became overwhelmed. I’m not going to lecture about how great 2019 was for games, but there were some solid releases that surprised me and sent me back to this list for numerous readjustments. In a year where I saw drastic life changes, one of which included moving from my job at Deep Silver in San Francisco back to my current PR job in Los Angeles, I was able to spend a good amount of time playing through my backlog to catch up on the year’s releases. Overall, I think this list is a good representation of things I enjoyed in the last 12 months, or at least I’m trying to convince myself of it. 

I’ve changed this list many times as is, so before I make any further adjustments, here’s my current list of games as of Jan. 22, 2020 at 8:45PM (it’ll change drastically at 8:46). 

10. My Friend Pedro

Falling into the “short and sweet” category, My Friend Pedro is a zany-yet-gritty platformer with a simple premise: get from point A to B and kill everything in between. Using a variety of mechanics, including slow-mo, dodge-rolling, skating, and shooting, My Friend Pedro is a hectic adventure that features a bloodthirsty masked dude influenced by a talking banana. It’s an absurd Devolver-ass Devolver game perfectly suited for Switch (it’s also available on PC and Xbox One now). 

9. Stormland (Oculus Rift)

So, Insomniac launched a game this year. It’s called Stormland, an Oculus VR exclusive. “Coincidentally,” I picked up an Oculus Quest the same day it launched, so I was able to put some time into another Insomniac VR adventure that, bluntly, is the best VR game from the studio so far. Stormland offers a sense of freedom you always wanted from VR – surf the open storm, climb virtually anything, soar through the skies, approach encounters in stealth or loudly unload weapons on your enemies, dance on the graves of said enemies, and much more. It has it all. 

Stormland is also a gorgeous piece of work with glowing sunsets and lush environments mixed with bulky mechanical architecture. Best of all, the whole game can be played in co-op, amplifying that experience tenfold.

8. Pokemon Sword & Shield

Sword & Shield was a complete surprise for me. I’ll admit, I’ve been burnt out on Pokemon for the past decade, so coming back to this was a real treat despite how samey it is, but it was gifted to me. I gave it an honest chance, and I ended up loving it. Whether it was because enough time had passed or because it’s a nice palate cleanser from my usual shooter, Pokemon Shield was a nice change of pace that introduced us to a big new world, including the “wild area” that brings us many steps closer to the Pokemon dream. Coupled with an absolutely ridiculous dynamax system and a fantastic selection of music, Sword & Shield was a delightful time sink in 2019.

7. Life is Strange 2

I didn’t like the first Life is Strange, so I didn’t pay much attention to the sequel until around episode 3’s release. After reading up on a few reviews, I ended up giving it a shot. I played it alongside my partner who, like me, was hooked with every decision. Let’s not beat around the bush, though; the major reason this game worked for me? I’m hispanic, and this game gave voice to experiences that I (and many of my friends and family) have had. Life is Strange 2 was bold with its stance on U.S. politics; it didn’t mince words, it didn’t allude to racism and struggle, it tackled the tough head-on. And I appreciated that. 

From a gameplay perspective, the decisions it asks you to make through the course of its narrative carry serious weight with substantial consequences. You feel the impact of those choices by the time it’s over, which lands you in one of the many potential fates of the Diaz brothers. My ending was a best case scenario, but I still felt an emptiness in my heart when the credits rolled. For all the supernatural stuff they stuff into this game, my conclusion felt feasible, as if it could happen to anyone.

6. The Outer Worlds

I dropped a lot more time on The Outer Worlds than I wanted. My initial plan was to mainline the story and be done with it. But once the world opened up and introduced me to the wider galaxy of characters, planets, and decisions you’re left to make, it became an absolute time suck. Every loyalty mission was completed, every nook was explored, and lots of people were either killed and robbed in some instances. Fight or flight, sorry.

In the end, things turned out okay despite my kleptomania. I earned the respect of my companions and I mostly did right by the galaxy. My influence on the world and the culmination of my choices felt right, like I had done some serious good (or serious damage) in every town I visited. The cause and effect of The Outer Worlds is impressive all heck too, often leaving me to explore catastrophic avenues that usually begin with “Oh, what does this button do?” Despite some of my obvious and purposeful bone-head decisions, I always knew that my crewmates had my back and I respected them for it, and I made sure to make them happy when I could.

Parvatti, my friend, I would travel the ends of the galaxy for you.

5. Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled

I knew Nitro-Fueled would be featured on my list for 2019 when Activision announced it at the 2018 Game Awards. Beyond being a remake of the original 1999 kart racer, it’s the one game that means most to me on a personal level. It’s the game that my dad and I played every. single. day. for years. It’s the game that my dad always talks about when he feels nostalgic, it’s the game that cheers me up on my worst days. I love Crash Team Racing, so when Beenox took the helm of it in 2019, I was elated.  

It lived up to every expectation and then some. My only real gripe was locking it in at 30fps even on upgraded hardware. There’s a lot of good content here, though. The campaign mode remains just as memorable as before, customizations are pretty phenomenal, and the addition of Nitro Kart content was an excellent touch. There’s also free seasonal DLC. I’m also still really good at CTR, so that helps.

4. Apex Legends

In case you forgot (you didn’t), Respawn launched a game earlier in 2019 called Apex Legends. There’s not much to really say about it aside from the fact that Respawn completely refined the battle royale genre with fresh ideas, systems, and mechanics that really set it apart from games in the genre that came before it. Okay, so there is a lot to say, but this is the most important thing: it’s the best take on battle royale, full stop. According to my PlayStation 2019 Wrap Up, Apex was my second most-played game of the year and contrary to my rage-filled hollerings on my streams, I actually *did* have a great time with it, thank you very much.

Second most important thing to say about it: Mirage. 

3. Control 

Remedy has a penchant for making weird games. Alan Wake and Quantum Break were great introductions into the company’s modern era, which I both enjoyed and felt they could’ve gone a bit further in a few ways to really flesh them out. 

Control is that game. It’s a bizarre experience set in a freakishly cool world of supernatural mayhem and over-the-top destructibility. You have telekinetic powers that allow you to slam a forklift into possessed foes all while wielding a Cybertronian gun that molds into whatever the hell you want: shotgun, pistol, automatic rifle, sniper, you name it. You also have a variety of traversal options at your disposal, which you can incorporate into combat to create some incredibly stylistic kills. Suffice it to say: the combat is a whole lot of fun: levitate, gun down a couple enemies, drop a toaster on someone’s head, and end it with a ground pound execution.

Combat aside, The Oldest House sells the David Lynch-inspired atmosphere, with multiple rooms, corridors, and lobbies filled with lore and freaks galore. I’m not usually a big fan of heavy reading in my games, but I was certainly invested here. 

The FCC allows for one ‘F-Bomb’ per article, right? Or is that TV? Whatever. This game is fucking bizarre.

2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 

If Call of Duty and I made our relationship Facebook-official, it would shamelessly fall under “It’s Complicated:” we’re hot, we’re cold, we’re arctic, we’re nuclear. As a raging (pun definitely intended) fan of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, it was difficult to ignore the flashbangs of excitement at the pit of my stomach when Infinity Ward announced its reimagining for 2019. My expectations for it were high, and to really get the point: my expectations were met by, like, 50. Whatever that means.

I’m genuinely surprised by Activision’s decision to release Modern Warfare in the current generation. It’s a game that feels like a next-generation leap, a grand evolution of a series that’s become so complacent with its own status quo that releasing it now seems a bit insane to me. Modern Warfare is a next-gen Call of Duty that pushes visuals, gameplay, and competitive multiplayer further than before. It might feel a bit sterile compared to previous installments, which were far and away more bombastic and absurd, but it does so to benefit its more sensible approach to gameplay. Here, “check those corners” carries much more weight.  

Modern Warfare’s campaign fleshes out the series’ gameplay in new and familiar ways that grounds environments down to 1:1 believability while also taking you through the franchise’s iconic set pieces alongside (what I consider) a cast of beloved characters. The multiplayer this time around ups the ante with free content and a plethora of competitive modes, including some fun, yet gimmicky ones like “NVGs” that pits you against an enemy team in pitch-black environments where night vision goggles are key. Modern Warfare also offers loads of weapon customizations with a variety of perks and attachments via the gunsmith mode. And the co-op? Well, it’s there.

1. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 

Whether you like it or not, Star Wars was the one constant in 2019 for the entertainment industries, reaching out again to gaming. EA launched another Star Wars game and it was very good. In fact, it’s my number one game of 2019 (in case I wasn’t clear about that yet). But why? While I am a fan of both Star Wars and Respawn Entertainment, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a well-made game in its own right. The best way to introduce the unforgiving is with the well-known, and clearly that is where Respawn succeeded. A lot of discussion around Fallen Order that is centered around the Dark Souls/Metroid lineage may be intimidating, but because of its foundation in a familiar galaxy far, far away, I’m now more interested in the rest of that genre. It totally helps that the lead character is a powerful Force-wielder, and as he taps into his abilities becomes a satisfyingly playable murder machine.

Despite his proficiency with a lightsaber, Cal Kestis is still a red-headed try-hard do-gooder, if a little unsure of his abilities. Kestis’s story may be a familiar one to Star Wars fans, as the effects of Order 66 on the galaxy have become well-worn territory, but Respawn again married the comfortable with the difficult. Cal’s story of coping with psychological trauma is what galvanized this game’s number one spot for me. Subtle threads throughout all avenues of the game — the way the animations change for certain movements to reflect Cal’s growing confidence and powers, the delivery of passive lines throughout combat and important boss battles, the unravelling of Cal and Jaro’s experience during Order 66 — all immersed me in a story of a scared kid who is given no other option than to be greater. Cameron Monaghan gives an earnest, wholesome portrayal of Cal, supported by Debra Wilson (Cere), Daniel Roebuck (Greez), Elizabeth Grullon (The Second Sister), Travis Willingham (Jaro), and the rest of the cast, and they are easily why you’ll see this story to the end.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order isn’t a wholly original game from Respawn, but it’s one that was affectionately made by a team of developers who know how to make good shit. It’s not without its faults of course, but much of the good it has to offer significantly outweighs its glaring issues — it’s a Star Wars-ass Star Wars game about the Jedi and that’s all I wanted out of Respawn.