As corny as it sounds, 2019 was the year all of our gaming dreams came true. Nostalgia paved the way for incredible remakes for both Resident Evil 2 and Link’s Awakening, games that have lain dormant for two decades, yet die-hard fans never gave up hope. Long awaited titles like Death Stranding and Kingdom Hearts 3 finally landed in the hands of ever-patient fans, while the wait for The Last of Us Part II and Cyberpunk 2077 will end in a few short months. The air is also electric with anticipation for the next console generation as the internet hive-mind scrambles for morsels of new hardware information. The wait for all these things will only be a little longer. In the meantime, let’s remember a handful of gaming gems 2019 gave us.
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Luigi does his best Ghostbusters impression once again as he whimpers his way through another spooky adventure. Gone is the mission structure of the previous entry, replaced by a multistory hotel that’s all yours to explore. Each new room is meticulously decorated diorama that’s begging to be smashed up, all for the pursuit of cash and ghosts. The constant trickle of imagination here is awe-inspiring and the urge to see what’s around the next corner is addictive. Throw in some great boss fights and a wildly expressive cast of characters and you’ve got one of the green plumber’s best adventures yet.
Untitled Goose Game
You are a horrible goose, an agent of chaos in an otherwise idyllic English village. Spoiling prize-winning flowerbeds, dipping slippers into ponds and tripping up nerdy schoolboys are all simple pleasures facilitated by some intentionally cumbersome controls that really make you feel like a wily mallard. In an industry that so often lets you play the hero, it’s nice to play as the bad guy for a change.
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil has recently been wrestling between action and horror gameplay styles, but Capcom found the sweet spot here and like a ravenous zombie, I just keep coming back for more. The RPD building is dripping with atmosphere, secrets and horrors. Resource management is the name of the game, juggling ammo, herbs and keys becomes a delicate balancing act and only those who pack exactly what they need are likely to survive the night. The game’s crowning achievement is how they managed to make zombies terrifying again, there’s never enough bullets to kill them all and even when you think you’ve put one down for good, zombies have a nasty habit of proving you wrong. Just when you think you’ve learnt all the game’s tricks, it throws Mr X at you, an unstoppable tyrant who mercilessly stalks you as you scramble for respite. It’s playful, horrific and enthralling, Resident Evil 2 is pure video games.
Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled
Despite the fact that I have no nostalgia for Crash Bandicoot, I found so much to love about Crash Team Racing. It scratched my Mario Kart itch and then some. Great track design and a challenging story mode kept me coming back to this one throughout the year and the sense of speed while racing is second to none.I finally understand the hype surrounding this game after 20+ years of people telling me it’s one of their childhood favourites. At long last I can join in that conversation and maybe beat some of my friends along the way.
A Plague Tale: Innocence
There’s something haunting about the visual image of two siblings running hand-in-hand through a dark tunnel as they escape from a sea of rats. A Plague Tale is a twisted fairytale brought to life by tragic characters, gorgeous visuals and one of the best soundtracks of the year. The rats are the real star of the show, their glistening, festering mass never fails to impress and disgust when they’re on screen. In truth, the story gets a little unfocused in the second half, but the emotional investment you’ll experience during the game’s opening hours is well worth the price of admission.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Nearly 20 years after its original release, this little Zelda title has been reborn with a modern facelift that’s a marvel in motion. The chibi island of Koholint is a microcosm full of lands to explore and dungeons to plunder – it’s classic Zelda distilled into a blissful, bite-sized package. Now that I’m older, I appreciated the story’s understated melancholy, Link’s quest is much more personal and it’s all too easy to grow attached to the charming islanders. Even if you’ve never played the original, Link’s Awakening works wonders as a standalone adventure, capable of taking you on a whimsical and enchanting adventure.
Shovel Knight: King of Cards
King of Cards victoriously twirls into the end of last year, proving that when it comes to platforming, there’s no school like old school. Expertly crafted levels take full advantage of King Knight’s unique shoulder-bashing gameplay style and fun writing keeps you invested in the story. King Knight himself is a great character that we see transition from a mother’s basement-dwelling nerd into a self-absorbed tyrant. This final addition to Shovel Knight’s Treasure Trove may be the finest yet.
Death Stranding
As I ran through the cobbled streets of a WW2 firefight, weaving around decaying dolphins while chugging a Monster Energy drink, I wondered to myself ‘is this the most self-indulgent game I’ve ever played?’ The answer is yes, and then some. You play as an courier set out to reconnect the entire continent of the USA by delivering packages on foot. You will do a lot of walking in this game, but if you surrender yourself to the journey it can become a meditative experience, not unlike hiking in real life. Calm moments are occasionally punctuated by bandits, ghosts or worse of all, slippery terrain. Dropping a package off a cliff or in a river is a personal calamity, but these events turn into stories to tell friends. Ironically, the game’s actual story is total bloated nonsense that’s pregnant with its own sense of self-importance, but frankly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
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