You know what was a great year for gaming? 2019. We were given the opportunity to experience things like Mortal Kombat, Dragon Quest, Zelda and even a brand spanking new Pokemon game – all from the comfort of our toilets. It has been a blast swimming through such an abundance of quality, so I was dreading writing this up, as you can probably tell by the fact it is around 20 days late. So after much deliberating and many meetings with the Toast Council (my son…) I have come up with the DEFINITIVE game of the year. I have even managed to package this amazing idea into an incredibly compact article, because I am just that kind of guy. Remember folks, this list is indisputable. What follows next is categorically, objectively correct.
Honorable Mentions
Despite this being a rather brief article containing the most important decision/opinion of the year, I couldn’t just dive straight into revealing the actual game. Instead I thought I would quickly touch on some of the games that were in the running, or were simply really, really good, that didn’t quite make the cut. So without further ado, lets dive right in.
Final Fantasy…All Of Them
Final Fantasy has been a bastion of quality JRPG’s for decades now. With a few exceptions, you can dive into any numbered title and leave feeling satisfied, confused and a little bit heart broken. It is a vicious cycle that has brought countless tears to my eyes. Square Enix in their infinite wisdom thought that the Switch was the best place to drop a number a FFBombs, and they were right. We were given not one, not two, but SIX mainline Final Fantasy’s this year. We got generation defining games like VII and X, underrated classics like VIII and XII, and the forever glistening gem that is IX. There are so many games in this series on the Switch that everyone and their Nan can jump in and enjoy. Out of all of these, I have sunk the most time into VIII, but they are all worthwhile purchases if you want a top notch, timeless roleplaying experience. An easy 60/10.
The Witcher 3
Screw tossing a coin to your Witcher, I want to BE The Witcher. The Witcher 3 is easily one of the greatest games of the last 10 years. Heck, I would say it is in the running for being one of the great games of all time. There are not enough words in my obviously vast lexicon to describe why this game is so good. In short this game is an utterly perfect meld of graphical fidelity, music, characters, story, world and gameplay. I have sunk hundreds of hours into this game, and play it to completion at least once a year. The only reason this game is not number one is due to it being a port of a four year old game. It just didn’t seem fair.
Pokemon Sword/Shield
The eighth generation of Pokemon has been a hurricane of mixed emotions for many, many fans. With the incredibly controversial (but objectively correct…) decision to purge the Pokedex, Game Freak managed to anger many long time fans. But screw those guys, this game is actually pretty awesome. Sword and Shield pack a lengthy story, multiple post games and an indepth multiplayer component that elevates Pokemon from “childrens game” to adult eSport. When compared to the other games released this year, especially RPG’s, Sword and Shield do fall a bit behind, but they are nonetheless content rich experiences that are worth playing.
Castlevania Anniversary Collection
This game was teetering on the edge for so long. It precariously balanced at the cusp. I wanted to give this package the victory, but in the end, I simply couldn’t. If I couldn’t put the Witcher 3 at number one, then a collection of games 4x its age couldn’t be given the honour either. Despite that, this is one of the best value for money games on the Switch. I spent over a month being assimilated into Castlevania for the Castlevania Marathon, and I have forever fallen head over heels for the series. This collection contains some of the greatest 2D platformers of all time, with all of the games being worth a playthrough. If you want to experience, or relieve a classic era of gaming, you can’t do much better than pick this up. As a side note, I have reviewed all of the games in this collection, so check them out!
We. The Revolution
Games are a medium that can make us feel in ways that other forms of media can only dream of. We. The Revolution is one such game that grabs that concept by the goolies, and cracks you over the coconut with it. Through incredibly subtle mechanics, We. The Revolution fundementally changed how I perceived the choices I was making. It flipped my morality on its head, and truly shook me to the core once I realised what it had done to me. Couple this is a truly breathtaking artstyle and a rich, historical backdrop and you have a beautifully dark title that demands your attention. I reviewed this game a couple months back where I mention a few of the games flaws, which ultimately held it back from attaining GotY status, so check that out if you are interested.
And The Winner Is…
Of course there have been hods of other games released this year, and I simply can’t list, or even play, them all. Games like Dragon Quest 11 absolutely deserve to be up here for example, but I don’t own it, so can’t really justify its inclusion. That being said, it is time for the main event – which game is Game of the Year for 2019?
Untitled Goose Game
Untitled Goose Game filled my cold, empty hearth with warmth and joy. The simple act of being a goose and terrorising a small village was an experience I wish I could relive. So much so, I haven’t touched it since launch in the futile attempt to forget about it, so I can solve its devious puzzles once again. Its concept was executed flawlessly, it is artistically divine and everything about it is just coated in hilarity and charm. When I was thinking about what game deserved Game of the Year, Untitled Goose Game came up time, and time again. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the Undisputed 2019 Game of the Year.
Let me know in the comments below if you agree with my verdict, and let me know what your game of the year 2019 was. Hopefully 2020 will be even better.
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