Editorials and Features

Forum for Editorials and other News Features

Sam's favourite Xbox games of the decade

  • JohnnyInterfnkJohnnyInterfnk1,289,238
    Posted on 14 January 20 at 20:59, Edited on 14 January 20 at 21:01 by JohnnyInterfnk
    KasugaSama said:
    MrZombieChicken said:
    JohnnyInterfnk said:
    No Edith Finch eh?
    Good call. I don't see how Gone Home is anywhere near as good as Edith Finch.
    It's Sam's favourite games, not yours, to be fair.
    Hence the question mark. Its the Question Mark of Respect!

    On a side note, its a very strong list all thing considered. My only questioned list item is Revelations -- aka a game named Revelations that doesn't actually, you know, contain any revelations. I do concede that all of these lists are subjective (though some subjective choices are stronger than others toast).

    Heck, even Sam acknowledges the odd Revelations choices in the article.

    Of course, we all have a "Revelations" in our top 10. I have only a few 5 star games in my collection and two of them are "Alice: Madness Returns" and "Telltale Games' Poker Night 2", so there you go...
  • SeitzzSeitzz1,121,294
    Posted on 14 January 20 at 21:11
    I enjoyed Revelations, but not having Brotherhood on there is egregious to me. Probably my favorite game of the series.
  • ShinnizleShinnizle2,096,573
    Posted on 14 January 20 at 21:37
    KasugaSama said:
    MrZombieChicken said:
    JohnnyInterfnk said:
    No Edith Finch eh?
    Good call. I don't see how Gone Home is anywhere near as good as Edith Finch.
    It's Sam's favourite games, not yours, to be fair.
    To be fairrrrr
    Broke is a state of wallet. Poverty is a state of mind.
  • Posted on 14 January 20 at 21:48
    Very good writeup. Agree with your choices. I will have to go play Celeste now. Glad it was a GWG awhile back.
    Gordon Bennett (yeah, that's my real name [some older Brits would understand that])
  • JohnnyInterfnkJohnnyInterfnk1,289,238
    Posted on 14 January 20 at 21:59, Edited on 14 January 20 at 21:59 by JohnnyInterfnk
    Shinnizle said:
    KasugaSama said:
    MrZombieChicken said:
    JohnnyInterfnk said:
    No Edith Finch eh?
    Good call. I don't see how Gone Home is anywhere near as good as Edith Finch.
    It's Sam's favourite games, not yours, to be fair.
    To be fairrrrr
    I have never seen or heard of that show.

    I now want to see that show.
  • ShinnizleShinnizle2,096,573
    Posted on 14 January 20 at 22:06
    I've never seen it, but it's often referenced on r/hockey, so I got used to it laugh
    Broke is a state of wallet. Poverty is a state of mind.
  • vSullyvSully1,298,455
    Posted on 14 January 20 at 22:17, Edited on 14 January 20 at 22:22 by vSully
    It's funny how we can be so drastically different in terms of what we enjoy, but I guess that's pretty much true of everyone in relation to, well, almost everything.

    I don't play video games for story. I skip cutscenes and probably couldn't give you an explanation of the story in almost any game I've played for a million dollars. I'm far more interested in great gameplay and difficult challenges. Halo Reach, for example: it's the only Halo game I've played and I completed it, but I couldn't name a single character (Master Chief, maybe?) or tell you anything about the universe or story if my life depended on it.

    I'm sure that's part of why I enjoy the Dark Souls series so much. They have a rich lore but you aren't beaten over the head with it.

    I rarely play AAA titles. I didn't really enjoy GTAV or RDR1, for example. They were ok but nothing I'd play beyond completion. Hugely populay and highly praised as some of the greatest games of all time.

    I agree with you about Portal 2, though. It's one of about 20 games I've rated a 4.0 or higher.
  • KasugaSamaKasugaSama124,840
    Posted on 14 January 20 at 22:21
    vSully said:
    I don't play video games for story. I skip cutscenes
    Brother is the exact same way. I indulge in nothing but RPG's and story. He spam-skips cutscenes so he can get straight to killin'.

    Cool to see such polar opposites.
    Genre Manager. TT Staff member primarily.
  • ShinnizleShinnizle2,096,573
    Posted on 14 January 20 at 22:23
    JohnnyInterfnk said:
    I have never seen or heard of that show.

    I now want to see that show.
    Also, very NSFW, but Shoresy is apparently a masterpiece laugh
    Broke is a state of wallet. Poverty is a state of mind.
  • Smudgenat0rSmudgenat0r840,514
    Posted on 14 January 20 at 22:35
    Interesting list. Personally would choose Brotherhood over any of the other AC games. But definitely agree on Mass Effect 2 and Portal 2 inclusions.
  • Silver1337Silver1337769,421
    Posted on 14 January 20 at 23:01, Edited on 14 January 20 at 23:04 by Silver1337
    I really enjoyed reading this list and Sam's explanations. It helped me to better reflect on exactly which games resonated with me this decade and why (often a matter of when). Still stumped though. I have 11 at the moment and when I compare any two games on that list, my brain explodes trying to understand which should be ranked higher. In any case, FPS are disproportionately represented on my list. Whoops. laugh

    It was interesting to see that I don't have any games in common with Sam, but I absolutely can understand the choices. Except Skyrim and Mass Effect 2. laugh It's certainly a product of how I play/enjoy videogames, but I've always thought those two were overrated; the Witcher 3 may not suit me, but I can still feel the magic in that game that I don't with Skyrim or Mass Effect 2 (of course, I know many many people love them and I'm sure they're great in their ways). Oh well. At least Halo: Reach and Portal 2 hold a special place in my heart and are worthy of being honourable mentions in my top 10/11.

    I'm looking forward to starting Gone Home and Celeste in this decade!
  • Skanker irlSkanker irl1,030,837
    Posted on 14 January 20 at 23:35, Edited on 14 January 20 at 23:35 by Skanker irl
    Nice top 10. I agree with you on a lot of the ones you picked.

    Some not on your list that were favorites of mine are:
    Skyrim
    Sea of Thieves (current state, not when it came out)
    Red Read Redemption
    ARK (despite the bugs)
    Alan Wake
    Subnautica
    Titanfall
    Battle Block Theatre
    Bastian

    I am a bit biased towards open world games.
    Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up!
  • Posted on 14 January 20 at 23:42
    i feel fallout 4 is one of my top 5 of the decade as is skyrim
    Gamegoddess 21
  • LegendgenesisLegendgenesis1,127,244
    Posted on 15 January 20 at 04:05, Edited on 15 January 20 at 16:07 by Legendgenesis
    AlterPred said:
    I will never understand why people like gone home. It is a good example of a bad walking sim, you wander a house where literally nothing happens picking up notes that serve as a paper thin narrative. After finding five notes you already know where the story is going. I honestly believe its only relevant because of the LBGTQ storyline, but there are much much better ones out there with actual characters to grow attached to.
    I played it through twice on two different platforms, so I can most certainly say that I agree with you. The only thing the game really had going for it was the semi-creepy atmosphere, which turned out to be a giant red haring. I found What Remains of Edith Finch and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter both to be much more enjoyable experiences than Gone Home, but I wouldn't have ever considered any of them as top ten material.
  • KanemanKaneman403,817
    Posted on 15 January 20 at 08:52
    Revelations over Brotherhood is a very... interesting choice.

    The two games that I think are worth a mention are LA Noire and Spec Ops: The Line. Neither is really a #1 contender, but both are Top 10 material, imo.
  • Vr EnglishVr English834,830
    Posted on 15 January 20 at 09:23
    A Dreadful Shot said:
    Some good choices but you’re missing Dark Souls.

    coloradojack said:
    Very interesting and personal list. Alan Wake was the best experience for me.
    Agreed, Alan Wake was a great game.
    You've made me rethink my top 5. I'm putting Alan Wake in!
  • EthigyEthigy1,371,607
    Posted on 15 January 20 at 09:47
    Vr English said:
    A Dreadful Shot said:
    Some good choices but you’re missing Dark Souls.

    coloradojack said:
    Very interesting and personal list. Alan Wake was the best experience for me.
    Agreed, Alan Wake was a great game.
    You've made me rethink my top 5. I'm putting Alan Wake in!
    You can’t have a top 10 without Alan Wake!
  • OldManXanderOldManXander389,414
    Posted on 15 January 20 at 12:17
    I don't know how to break the news to some in this thread - maybe its your first day on the Internet and if so welcome- but sometimes people are going to have a different opinion than yours. Its okay and healthy.
    videogames... amrite?
  • KBop a dooKBop a doo415,477
    Posted on 15 January 20 at 16:52
    Thanks for the list, Sam. Enjoyed reading it with your insights about why the games resonated with you. Enjoyed reading everyone else's lists in the comments too.

    These personal lists are far more interesting to me than lists that are a general consensus of what was critically or widely acclaimed that year or decade etc. I like to see what others have personally enjoyed the most, and often player testimonials make me pull something out of my backlog sooner rather than later.

    Here's to a new decade and year of gaming toast
  • bgiesingbgiesing79,505
    Posted on 15 January 20 at 21:27
    I only just got my Xbox a few months ago so I can't really vote for like 50-75% of my picks so I figured why not comment my choices here instead. 😂 Includes mostly games I didn't actually play on Xbox since I only got it but many of them are still on Xbox with a few exceptions since I also play PC and Switch so apologies if many of these choices are out of place on an Xbox site.

    1. A Hat In Time: Very fun 3D Indie platformer, one of the few games I've ever fully beat (including DLC) in my entire almost 23 years of existence. Played on the Steam version which is more up to date than Xbox, includes 2 DLCs, and has fantastic mod support.

    2. Dead Cells: One of the few games I constantly come back to. Originally bought and completed on Switch but currently I'm replaying on the Xbox and Windows 10 versions in Game Pass.

    3. Celeste: Technically nowhere near close to fully beating this one yet cause it's really tough but I have loved what I have played so far, have similar mental health issues so the story hit close to home, and it has an amazing soundtrack. Playing on Switch but also own on PC thanks to Epic's crap ton of free giveaways.

    4. Forza Horizon 4: First Forza game I've ever played, started on PC in early 2019 but currently playing on the Xbox I got a few months ago. Definitely one of the best driving games I've played and another one of the rare games I come back to.

    5. Super Mario Odyssey: Much better story than some past Mario titles plus the new mechanics really change up the gameplay. Also still can't get Jump Up Superstar out of my head after like 2 years. Obviously played on Switch

    6. The Outer Worlds: Another one I'm not close to beating yet but I'm absolutely loving it since I got it my Xbox and tried it on Game Pass. Was never a fan of Fallout or Elder Scrolls so I was surprised how much I liked this.

    7. Tetris Effect: If you told me Tetris would be on this list a few years ago and that it's trippy af, has VR, and is basically a rhythm game with an awesome soundtrack, never would've believed you. It's insane how well this combo worked out. Played on PC.

    Side Note: I'm surprised there's literally no way to buy Tetris on the Xbox atm. Puyo Puyo Tetris never got a western localized release like the other platforms so you need to import the Japanese copy which means you are screwed if you have an All-Digital and Ultimate was de-listed cause they lost the license.

    8. Splatoon 2: Basically the only console shooter I can play, every other one I've tried is impossible to aim cause analog sticks while Splatoon uses a mixture of analog for big movements and gyro/motion aiming for precise positioning. That combined with the unique concept of it being less about kills and more about stealing turf makes it feel more fun to play imho even if the aiming was less precise like other console shooters. This game alone makes me wish the Xbox controller had a gyro sensor. Switch obviously.

    9. Sonic Mania: The fact this game even exists is a bit of a miracle, a big company letting fans basically take over the franchise and it becoming the best selling game in said franchise in 15 years is huge. The team nailed the feeling of a classic Sonic game while still adding improvements and new stages that make it feel fresh. The only complaint I would have is they should've had even more new stages but I could give that a pass for a first run that's basically proving themselves to SEGA, I look forward to a possible sequel with more unique stages. Played on PC

    10. Audiosurf 2: The only PC-only game on this list, it's another game I come back to constantly. It's a rhythm game similar to things like Guitar Hero, osu, etc but auto-generated from any MP3 or even YouTube videos. Ranked lower on this list cause the game is buggy as crap and the developer basically vanished but with a fan patch, it's still super fun. Just only buy it on sale which it goes on regularly.

    So that's:
    - 1 Xbox Exclusive
    - 2 Nintendo Exclusives
    - 1 Steam Exclusive
    - 6 Cross-platform titles

    Only 4 not available on Xbox at all so while this list might have been games I mostly played on non-Xbox platforms, the majority can still be played on Xbox.
Want to join in the discussion? Please log in or Register For Free to comment.
Hide ads
Hide ads