A ton of video games are released each year. Some of them are incredible with great graphics, a fun storyline, and unique mechanics that make the gameplay challenging but entertaining. Other games... Are not so great. But when it comes to the good ones, it's always a ton of fun to play and replay them and discover new secrets and things that we didn't see in our first playthrough.
Just about everyone has a favorite game, but there are some games that are so popular among gamers and critics alike that they get a reputation for being the best games. With recent advances in video game technology, the best games each year just keep getting better and better.
Keep reading to take a look back at the past 9 years with the 10 best games from the 2010s according to Metacritic!
10 Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2 was released on the Nintendo Wii in 2010. This game is part of the longstanding Super Mario franchise. Like other games in this franchise, Super Mario Galaxy follows as Mario tries to rescue Princess Peach who has been taken hostage. Instead of doing so in the Mushroom Kingdom this time, he is sent into outer space where Bowser has taken control of the universe with Power Stars and Grand Stars.
It's no surprise that this game is on the list of the best games of the 2010s. With a score of 97 on Metacritic, this game has become a super popular one in the world of Mario games. Like the previous Super Mario Galaxy game, this game was widely praised for having a really unique plot and some interesting gameplay elements.
9 Read Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 was released in 2018 and is the third game in the Red Dead series. This prequel to Red Dead Redemption is set in a fictionalized version of the United States back in 1899. The game follows Arthur Morgan, an outlaw living in the Old West who is trying his best to survive despite constant threats from rival gangs.
This game received a score of 97 on Metacritic and was met with acclaim from critics and gamers alike immediately after this highly anticipated game was released. The game received a perfect score from multiple different outlets and had a high rating on many others.
8 Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure game that was released in 2013. This game has become massively popular among gamers both for its storyline and for the online mode that allows players to explore an open-world setting, either with friends or with strangers, and do anything they want.
This game was given a score of 97 on Metacritic and a score of 96 for the PC version of the game. Many publications gave this game a perfect score and it's been called one of the best games on the different consoles that it can be played on. Even though it was released in 2013, this game remains massively popular and still has a huge following that still love the story and still love to play online.
7 Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey is a game that was released in 2017 for the Nintendo Switch, shortly after the release of the console. This game, like other games in the Super Mario franchise, is a platforming game that has the player travel through different worlds known as "Kingdoms" in order to try to save Princess Peach who has been kidnapped by Bowser. In each Kingdom, Mario has different objectives that have to be met like collecting Power Moons.
Metacritic gave this game a score of 97 for its "universal acclaim" that it was met with at release. This game is one of the most popular ones that has been released on the Nintendo Switch and is super popular for its unique gameplay mechanics.
6 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an action-adventure game that was released in 2017 with the launch of the Nintendo Switch. It came out on that new Nintendo console as well as the Wii U. This game was released as the latest in the Legend of Zelda series. It's set in an open-world in which Link can travel around Hyrule, complete puzzles and dungeons in the form of Shrines, and take back the Divine Beasts before defeating Ganon.
Metacritic gave this game a 97 for the Nintendo Switch version and a score of 96 for the Wii U version of the game. This game was praised for its open-world and for the unique take on the classic Legend of Zelda storyline with the Shrines and quests.
5 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was originally released in 2011 and has been put on multiple different game systems over the years because of its immense popularity. It's the fifth main installment in the Elder Scrolls series and was given Metacritic scores of between 96 and 82 for the various different versions that have been released on different platforms.
The game became popular among players for its graphics, open-world setting, and the character creation system. The game has a ton of side quests that the player can choose to either complete or completely ignore as they make their way through the game, leveling up certain aspects of their character, and exploring the world.
4 Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City is the second game in the Batman: Arkham series and was released in 2011. These games are based on the DC Comics character by the same name and allow players to experience what it's like to be the masked hero that protects Gotham.
The different platforms this game was released on received Metacritic scores ranging between 96 and 85, making it one of the top rated games from the 2010s on Metacritic. When it comes to licensed video games based on movies and comic book characters, the Batman: Arkham games are among the most popular.
3 Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption is an action-adventure game set in the Old West that was released in 2010. The game takes place in 1911 as the American frontier begins to change and become more and more modernized. The game follows the main character, a former outlaw named John Marston, after his family is taken by a government official who is trying to convince him to work for them.
Metacritic gave this game a score of 95. This game was critically acclaimed after its release for the open-world setting, the unique storyline, and the graphics. Something that many fans loved was all the unique details within the game's environment that made it really immersive and fun to play, even if you weren't focused on the storyline.
2 The Last Of Us
The Last Of Us is a game that was released exclusively on PlayStation consoles in 2013. This action-adventure game was given a Metacritic score of 95 and is loved among fans of survival horror and post-apocalyptic games because of its graphics, storyline, and unique gameplay.
This game is set after the zombie apocalypse broke out and people became infected by a mystery fungal infection that turned them into terrifying creatures. In this game, the player follows two characters named Joel and Ellie. Ellie is a teen girl who is immune to the virus that has ravaged humanity and Joel was tasked with smuggling her across the country.
1 Portal 2
Portal 2 was released in 2011 on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. This game was given a Metacritic score of 95 and a lot of publications gave this game either a perfect or a nearly perfect score after it was released. Even though this game came out in the early part of the 2010s, it remains one of the most popular games of the decade.
This game is a sequel to the first Portal game, a game that is set between the first and second Half-Life games. Meanwhile, Portal 2 is a game that is said to be set way into the future. The game involves a lot of puzzle solving and a fun storyline that has helped it to remain popular among gamers for nearly a decade since its release.