5: Sekiro - One of the best modern works of gothic horror in any medium (yes better than Bloodborne and Souls). A tight central narrative tied into a much deeper lore than is apparent at first glance. Also informed by Buddhist morality, which is pretty cool.

4: Ark - You can shoot a rocket launcher at robots from the back of a Giganotosaurus. What's not to love?

3: Spec Ops: The Line - A controversial game, but one of the only shooters in existence to actually critique the bloody imperialist power fantasy that all modern shooter games inherently are. It spat on Call of Duty and gave the finger to every ooh-rah Marine dipshit who thought they were buying another game to fellate themselves with.

2: Disco Elysium - self explanatory

1: Journey - Less a game and more an interactive therapy tool. Helped bring me out of a major depressive spiral way back when. Play it on mescaline and it becomes a spiritual experience. Also a playable deconstruction of The Hero's Journey story framework, which I just enjoyed aesthetically.

  • machiavellianRecluse [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I am gonna present the top 5 games I played in the last decade (so this might include older games)

    1. Dragon Age: Origins - The aesthetic is very much to my liking. The muted and muddy colors, the music, the plot - all the right amount of cheese, earnestness and edge. I also like how leather armor looks super simple (they definitely could make some of the armors less sexed up which they do in later games but the armors start becoming too fancy for my taste). The combat is also great (I prefer strategic and slower placed game play). The 2nd game in the franchise is also great (could use some more polish - the plot could also go further while trying to make its point about violent revolution but they are only able to go with a somewhat melodramatic and liberal take there which still is pretty interesting), the 3rd I found an incredible slog alas (it squanders so many interesting ideas in service of being an open world game - it really made me hate the concept of those altogether - would have much rather had a much smaller world with more time given to the plot threads - also the most boring gameplay imo).

    2. Disco Elysium - I just hope more games like this come out - not clones per say but RPGs which allow for more interesting roleplaying even if the combat is not as involved (or absent).

    3. Vestaria Saga: War of the Scions - This is a free SRPG made by the creator of Fire Emblem. Really fun and hard maps. The mechanics are really simple but it makes great use of events happening during the game to add fun story bits - plus the final map basically melted my mind but truly felt worthy of being a final chapter (you will have to replay at points to re-adjust your strat but it really feels great to get all the side objectives down).

    4. Quest for Glory 1 to 5: It is a point and click adventure from ages past with some RPG elements. You can start from the first game and carry over progress to the last one. Game 4 is the best - fully voice acted, gothic theme and the narrator is Gimli from LOTR :).

    5. Pyre: Haven't played their latest but all the supergiant games are awesome. Great aesthetic, music, plot and gameplay. I find Pyre the most charming and losing in fights is a valid story choice (the story will give you reasons which might make you want to deliberately lose). The gameplay is kinda weak but I find the cast, plot, gameplay and music combo incredibly cute.

    • acealeam [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      I played pyre but i dont remember why you would want to lose

      • machiavellianRecluse [none/use name]
        ·
        3 years ago
        spoiler

        Hmm winning and losing controls who gets to escape the prison world right? There are many people who want to go and you might want to lose and let certain enemies escape. This controls a lot of plot threads. Sending certain characters together will change their ending - the harp sisters, Jodarius and Ignacius (the two horned demons end up together if you send Jodarius - which requires you win at some point and let Ignacius also escape - which requires that you lose in a fight with them), etc

    • RandyLahey [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      The Quest for Glory games don't get the love they deserved, they were awesome games (and waaay better than all the Kings Quest slop). 2nd and 4th definitely the standouts, but I looooved the fantasy African mythology setting in the 3rd one and I wish we saw more of that sort of thing (and it's a shame it was so short and didn't really stick its landing)