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+ {"source_url": "https://www.mercurynews.com", "url": "https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/12/31/games-of-the-decade-2010-to-2019-a-personal-list-of-favorites/", "title": "Games of the Decade 2010 to 2019: A personal list of favorites", "top_image": "https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/4680934857_a23a10dc5e_b.jpg?w=1024&h=576", "meta_img": "https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/4680934857_a23a10dc5e_b.jpg?w=1024&h=576", "images": ["https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/jetpack/modules/sharedaddy/images/loading.gif", "https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/themes/mercurynews/static/images/noimage.jpg", "https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/4680934857_a23a10dc5e_b.jpg?w=1024&h=576", "https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/plugins/dfm-trust-indicators/static/images/Trust-Logo-Horizontal.svg"], "movies": [], "text": "Picking the best games of the decade is an increasingly tough task. The number of titles keeps expanding while the number of platforms has blossomed beyond consoles and PCs. Players encounter so much content that the job of winnowing all that down to a top-10 list is daunting.\n\nI haven\u2019t played all the critically acclaimed titles. Games such as \u201cUndertale\u201d have escaped my purview, but I\u2019ve played plenty of releases over the past 10 years. The list below isn\u2019t based on quality per se, but it\u2019s more personal. These are the games that had a lasting impact on me. They are the ones that I fondly remember or the titles that I still play today.\n\nThat\u2019s partly why titles such as \u201cMinecraft\u201d and \u201cFortnite\u201d aren\u2019t on that list. Although those are the two most important releases of the decade, they aren\u2019t ones that I played very much. With that said, here are the games that were the most important to me over the past decade.\n\n1 \u201cPokemon Go\u201d \u2014 This unconventional take on the popular franchise had a surreal level of popularity when it was released during the summer of 2016. That enthusiasm has died down but the game remains a force.\n\nOf all the games I played this decade, this has had the biggest impact on my life. That\u2019s because of the nature of Niantic\u2019s location-based game. It\u2019s a title that\u2019s played outside in the real world and encourages players to explore their neighborhood to find pocket monsters.\n\nThat pushes players to interact face to face and opens up opportunities to foster bonds between players. The magic of \u201cPokemon Go\u201d is how it manages to build community. It\u2019s a game that has led to real-life friendships and even a commitment to running. It\u2019s a mobile title that has enriched the lives of players because its a game that exists beyond the screen.\n\n2 \u201cHearthstone\u201d \u2014 I tried and failed to get into \u201cMagic: The Gathering\u201d as a teenager but I gave the collectible card game genre another chance with \u201cHearthstone.\u201d I wasn\u2019t disappointed. Part of the success of Blizzard\u2019s game is that the developers simplified the gameplay elements and put it on mobile platforms and tablets.\n\nIt opened up the game to a huge audience and the accessible gameplay made it easy to pick up. The combination of the two has made it hugely successful and turned \u201cHearthstone\u201d into a popular esport. The only black mark on its resume is the controversy over a Hong Kong protest this year.\n\n3 \u201cDark Souls 2\u201d \u2014 Those who love the Hidetaka Miyazaki\u2019s \u201cSouls\u201d game have a moment when his games just click for them. They look beyond the difficulty and appreciate the lessons contained within the adventure. No other title this decade taught me more about patience, persistence and perseverance than \u201cDark Souls 2.\u201d\n\nThis isn\u2019t the best game of the series, but it is the one that hooked me on to this style of gaming. Every encounter is fraught with danger and players feel the tension in every fight. Yes, the game is difficult and it can be obtuse at times, but it\u2019s also the most rewarding experience I\u2019ve had this decade.\n\n4. \u201cThe Last of Us\u201d \u2014 One of the most overlooked aspects of modern gaming has been the performances of voice actors. That has changed thanks in part thanks to the work of Naughty Dog, and the performances by actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson in this post-apocalyptic masterpiece.\n\nThe visuals are gorgeous for its time and the gameplay mechanics are solid with a mix action and stealth, but it\u2019s the world that Naughty Dog creates and the actors\u2019 performances that invest players in the characters and transformed how we appreciate games.\n\n5. \u201cRed Dead Redemption\u201d \u2014 This game kicked off the decade and set the bar for the open-world genre. The beautiful visuals coupled with an intriguing story and memorable protagonist in John Marston made this a game that fans enjoyed living with.\n\nIt\u2019s an adventure that used its environment to its advantage, creating a distinct take on the wild west. One that few games have been able to match.\n\n6. \u201cMass Effect 3\u201d \u2014 This title capped off arguably the best video game trilogy in years. It was also the culmination of years of storytelling as BioWare wrapped up a journey that began in 2007. What\u2019s notable about this project is how the choices players made over each chapter impacted the totality of the finale.\n\nThe ending itself was not without controversy and showed how games aren\u2019t just one-way streets from developers to players. It is a collaboration in which those who make the games must listen to their audience.\n\n7. \u201cThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild\u201d \u2014 Nintendo\u2019s first foray into an open-world \u201cZelda\u201d was hugely successful and helped with the strong launch of the Nintendo Switch. \u201cBreath of the Wild\u201d was also the biggest departure from the series tried and true formula, but somehow it maintained the ethos of discovery and adventure. It was a series that needed a heavy dose of change and Eiji Aonuma and his team delivered.\n\n8. \u201cMonster Hunter World\u201d \u2014 The disparity between the popularity of the \u201cMonster Hunter\u201d franchise in Japan and the U.S. has always been wide, but it has significantly narrowed thanks to this entry in the series. Not only has Capcom produced one of its most visually striking games, but by streamlining the mechanics it made it more approachable and addictive. All of this creates one of the best entries and one that broke out in the United States in a big way.\n\n9. \u201cSid Meier\u2019s Civilization V: Brave New World\u201d \u2014 Every once in a while I have the urge to play a campaign of \u201cCivilization.\u201d Few franchises have had its hooks in me like that. The developer, Firaxis, has molded a successful franchise by launching a new chapter with improved visuals and mechanics, but over time, they have refined it through downloadable expansion packs. The process has made a great game perfect. The pinnacle of the series is \u201cBrave New World,\u201d where the team brings in ideas such as the World Congress, tourism and Great Works to add a new layer of depth to the late game. This game continues to be one I return to despite a solid sequel.\n\n10. \u201cOverwatch\u201d \u2014 The rise of esports has been one of the major stories of the decade, and one of the games that capitalized on that is \u201cOverwatch.\u201d Blizzard\u2019s team-based shooter was a hit because it allowed players of all skill levels to compete by allowing them to fulfill different roles. If someone doesn\u2019t great quick-twitch skills or accuracy, they may have a talent at tactics or healing. That makes it more accessible and rewarding. I\u2019ve spent hours playing with my brother and cousins and figuring out our own playstyles.\n\nBlizzard has done a great job at cultivating \u201cOverwatch\u201d as an esport, and with its Overwatch League moving its teams to local markets in 2020 and a sequel on the way, the future looks bright for the game.", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": ["Top 10", "games of the decade", "2010 to 2019", "video games"], "tags": ["Video Games"], "authors": ["Gieson Cacho", "Gieson Cacho Is The Video Game Columnist For The Bay Area News Group. He Lives In Berkeley", "Roasts His Own Coffee", "Drinks Craft Beer."], "publish_date": "Tue Dec 31 00:00:00 2019", "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "Although titles such as \"Minecraft\" and \"Fortnite\" were more impactful, video games such as \"Pokemon Go\" and \"Hearthstone\" had more staying power fo me.", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/32x32-mercury-news-white.png?w=32", "meta_data": {"application-name": "themercurynews", "viewport": "width=device-width, initial-scale=1", "msvalidate.01": "4B535F7EB2971D1FCBA5D1D3E3E292C3", "description": "Although titles such as \"Minecraft\" and \"Fortnite\" were more impactful, video games such as \"Pokemon Go\" and \"Hearthstone\" had more staying power fo me.", "keywords": "Top 10, games of the decade, 2010 to 2019, video games", "generator": "WordPress 5.3.2", "wp-parsely_version": "1.14", "fb": {"pages": 63095136336}, "google-site-verification": "jvnaFa4kq5tUDhFMQZ84bDI74A2qnu0gfhxZjZXlkko", "og": {"type": "article", "title": "Games of the Decade 2010 to 2019: A personal list of favorites", "url": "http://www.mercurynews.com/games-of-the-decade-2010-to-2019-a-personal-list-of-favorites", "description": "Picking the best games of the decade is an increasingly tough task. The number of titles keeps expanding while the number of platforms has blossomed beyond consoles and PCs. Players encounter so mu\u2026", "site_name": "The Mercury News", "image": {"identifier": "https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/4680934857_a23a10dc5e_b.jpg?w=1024&h=576", "width": 1024, "height": 576}, "locale": "en_US"}, "article": {"published_time": "2020-01-01T03:25:56+00:00", "modified_time": "2020-01-01T03:26:27+00:00"}, "twitter": {"site": "@mercnews", "text": {"title": "Games of the Decade 2010 to 2019: A personal list of favorites"}, "image": "https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/4680934857_a23a10dc5e_b.jpg?w=640", "card": "summary_large_image"}, "msapplication-TileImage": "https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/32x32-mercury-news-white.png?w=32"}, "canonical_link": "http://www.mercurynews.com/games-of-the-decade-2010-to-2019-a-personal-list-of-favorites"}