As this year winds to a close, the time has come to talk about the best titles to release in the last 12 months. From the likes of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and The Outer Wilds being welcome surprises, to games such as Anthem and Wolfenstein: Young Blood winding up majorly disappointing, 2019 has been a year full of shocking moments and utterly sensational new experiences. One question lingers above all the rest, however. Which game was definitively the best of 2019?
No doubt every video game enthusiast will have their pick, but the games industry will collectively decide who takes home the coveted honor at The Game Awards early next month. Geoff Keighley’s annual award show has always been a terrific celebration of the year’s best and brightest since it debuted a few years ago, but there can be only one game of the year, and with the list of Game Awards nominees now out, it’s worth taking a closer look at the six games poised to potentially take home the trophy.
The Outer Worlds
When it comes to games that listen to the cries of the player base and deliver an experience expertly tailored to their demands, The Outer Worlds is unrivaled. Built by Obsidian - the legendary developers behind Fallout New Vegas and Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic II: The Sith Lords - The Outer Worlds capitalizes on the overwhelming demand for RPGs that emphasize role-playing at their core, giving fans a fully-fleshed out world which adapts through player choice. From beginning to end, players carve their own unique route through the game's charming universe, with Obsidian putting a major focus on branching narrative and the ability to create a character entirely unique to any given playthrough. The player can kill any NPC, answer every dialogue option in a variety of entirely different ways, and even betray their allies and join forces with the corporate antagonists.
It drew major praise from critics who saw the title as a glowing example of the genre done right, with many citing its dark sense of humor and enjoyable combat as icing atop the cake. After so many years of disappointing AAA titles pulling back the reigns on immersive RPG elements, The Outer Worlds was seen by its wide player base as a game that went back to the genre's roots while simultaneously bringing aboard tons of new ideas and spins on existing systems. There’s no denying it’s one of this year’s most refreshing experiences and one that’s, once again, launched Obsidian into the forefront of the RPG scene.
Resident Evil 2
While Resident Evil 2 may ostensibly seem like a typical remake of the classic 1998 horror title of the same name, players who got to experience this revisit of the iconic series’ second entry were surprised to find it was something much more significant. Rebuilt from the ground up with gorgeous HD visuals, a new over-the-shoulder camera, and a modern reimagining of the classic’s horrifying police station and all the zombified monsters that dwelled within it, Resident Evil 2 redefined what made the series such a hit. While the franchise has trended towards a more action-heavy approach to survival horror in recent years, this exceptional remake shows that a confined setting, some utterly phenomenal sound design, and a handful of tough as nails monsters are all that is needed to make an utterly captivating horror gem.
Whether journeying down the station’s eerie corridors, battling a mutated alligator, or being stalked by the ruthless presence of Mr. X, Resident Evil 2 manages to retain the game’s exaggerated nature while still delivering a genuinely terrifying game that doesn’t waste a minute throughout its eight-hour runtime. Alongside a shower of praise for the aforementioned encounters with the intimidating Mr. X, the game's fans also celebrated its sensational ability to recapture the tone and haunting atmosphere of the original while still delivering something wholly new. To many, this wasn't just the best horror game of 2019. It was the best Resident Evil game in years.
Death Stranding
Without a doubt the most controversial member of The Game Awards line-up, there’s no denying that the release of Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding has been an interesting one. Building in anticipation since its announcement back at E3 in 2016, Death Stranding has been a game long shrouded in mystery. Its trailers were cryptic, its gameplay scarce, and Kojima’s comments made it seem like a monumental deal. Then, the game dropped, and it divided opinion entirely. Some saw it as Kojima’s most innovative title to date, while others called it a self-indulgent mess.
But, that’s exactly what makes Death Stranding such a worthy game of the year contender. Very rarely do singular experiences prompt such extensive discourse throughout the game industry, and for that, it has gone down as one of this year’s most interesting releases. Its lack of traditional combat, emphasis on traversal, and dense story have set it apart from anything else in the medium, and while there’s no denying that it has heavy detractors, its attempt at portraying something entirely unique means that it has quickly become an experience that has stuck in the minds of many. Sure, Death Stranding taking home the top prize will anger some, but with iconic directors taking lead roles, monster energy drinks becoming a focus of gameplay, and a central throughline of the game being Norman Reedus bonding with a literal fetus, at least it won’t be a dull winner.
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
While Super Smash Bros Ultimate was a 2018 release, it just makes the cut into The Game Awards 2019 line-up due to missing the ceremony's deadline last year. While that may seem questionable to some, what it does mean is that one of this decade’s most impressive fighting games could finally get the award-winning recognition it deserves. Regardless of when it released, Ultimate has had a phenomenal 2019, releasing numerous well-received DLC fighters and bringing aboard thousands of new Switch owners that have yet to experience Nintendo’s iconic cross-over franchise.
On top of that, Ultimate is simply the most well-rounded entry in the series to date, including 108 stages, a whole host of new features, and a whopping 78 fighters comprised of both new and old faces. Add to that its lengthy single-player campaign, as well as a vast array of diverse match types, and players have an outstandingly entertaining fighting game that stands as one of the most satisfying multiplayer titles of this generation. It may have launched late last year, but Super Smash Bros Ultimate has remained a constantly evolving platform that stands as the series most complete entry to date. Don’t count it out of the race just yet.
Control
While Remedy's been consistently developing underrated cult-hits for years now, its newest release, Control, has finally garnered the recognition the exceptional studio deserves. Launching at the tail-end of August, this creepy science fiction story is a showcase of everything that makes the developer so special. Its atmospheric and wildly creative, featuring deeply engaging world-building, satisfyingly crunchy physics-based combat, and some of the most stunning art direction of any game this year. In short, diving into the supernatural world of Jesse Faden and the mysterious Federal Bureau of Control is a pure showcase of Remedy's proficiency on both a technical and creative level.
Before long, the game became a slam-dunk with critics and audiences alike, its fans citing the game’s exceptional set-pieces, unique tone, and weighty combat as yet another example of Remedy completely knocking it out of the park. They’re not wrong either. Whether engaging in a high-stakes face-off with a murderous fridge, first learning the immensely satisfying telekinesis move, or battling through a constantly shifting maze while listening to a heavy metal ballad reciting the story so far, Control is consistently surprising and overflowing with stand out moments. It represents the weird and wonderful brilliance that makes Remedy such a phenomenally distinct studio and is easily a worthy candidate to be crowned this year’s best title.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
While FromSoftware has often seen its work defined by the heightened level of challenge that permeates every game it creates, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is proof that its portfolio runs much deeper than that. Within this tough but rewarding vision of a mythologically inspired Sengoku period Japan, Hidetaka Miyazaki has once again redefined what it means to play a Soulsborne game. The combat is frantic, fast-paced and hard-hitting, forcing players to stand toe-to-toe with foes like never before in a FromSoftware title, while the tightly constructed levels, horrifying enemy design, and selection of epic boss battles stand as some of Miyazaki’s all-time best.
Sekiro's also just a pure showcase of how versatile the developer's seemingly niche style of gameplay can be, merging the heavily defensive gameplay of Dark Souls and the more aggressive format of Bloodborne to create a title that delivers the best of both worlds. Outside of the experience itself, it also prompted debates about accessibility in video games and the weight of creative vision. Whether or not FromSoftware's brand of game is a personal favorite, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has clearly been one of this year’s most prevalent releases, both through the outstanding nature of the title itself and the discourse it started throughout the industry. It's yet another stunning reworking of Miyazaki's signature style, and is undeniably a worthy contender for the top prize.
The Game Awards 2019 will take place on December 12, 2019.