I am partial to narrative driven, single player games so that's what will make up most my list.

Here is my top 10. TIL comments have a character limit.

1. The Last of Us Part II - The conditions that created this game should not ignored even if I view them as a symptom of capitalism in this industry more than evil whims of a singularly contemptuous game developer. That said, the conditions of filming the movie Stalker likely killed members of its crew including Tarkovsky himself, but that doesn't tarnish Stalker as a film. Similarly, TLOU2, judged solely as an artistic work in the medium, is, to me, the singular greatest achievement of the last generation. It is a technical marvel, including what I view may be the best lighting and animation to grace the medium yet. Seriously, any scene that was flame-lit left me in awe, and the level design is top class for single player linear games. It excels in gameplay, presenting one of the best stealth game experiences I've partaken in since MGS3 (I haven't played MGS 5) and largely enhanced due to its extremely context-aware animations. It's polished to a point where it perfectly feels like you are controlling someone competent in arms and combat, but not a super soldier like other games. The AI is extremely smart and dangerous to the point that getting noticed requires a tense, scramble and isn't just an inconvenience that you can mindlessly overcome. And narratively, it's one of the most ambitious games I've ever played, weaving themes of empathy, forgiveness, trauma, hate, and love and using the divide between player character and player to really push those themes to the forefront (kinda similar to SOTC if you start feeling guilty about your actions in that game and know what you're doing is wrong but push through anyway to see what happens). It's a combination of the all the strengths of a visual medium like film (top class acting/facial animation in the medium, cinematography, and editing) with a designed, interactive, "gaming" experience that compliments its narrative and themes. I think it pushes the medium forward narratively, technically, and artistically, and I think it will stand the test of time in influence.

2. Kentucky Route Zero - This game was a testament to me that this medium we call "video games" has long moved beyond consisting only of "games" and now includes pieces of digital, narrative, interactive fiction that can leave a greater impact on me than anything with rule sets and win/lose conditions. Almost a combination of game, literature, and play, KRZ tackles themes of debt and the blight of late stage capitalism using some of the best prose and writing I've seen in a game and using its 2D point-and-click adventure stage to showcase extremely clever blocking and cinematographic techniques that scratched an aesthetic itch for me. The magical realism also adds a lot to the game, allowing for some really memorable visuals and moments. Yeah if you've read Gabriel García Márquez or seen Waiting For Godot before, you might see too much an influence, but for this medium, I think this is another big step forward. Seriously, just check out some of the stills to this game and see if you are interested. It's split into 5 acts, with interludes in between and only took me around 13 hours.

3. Disco Elysium - I'm sure lots of people here are aware of this game and don't need to hear me gush about it. The political themes immediately stand out, and any game that allows me to be a Big Communist Builder is something I'm going to gravitate to (even when building the communism thought completely in the game is so honestly brutal). The world feels so real in how the conditions of the current narrative are so intertwined with its political history and conflicts. But the biggest innovation here is the skill tree that is made up of emotions/instincts more than anything, where the skills end up talking to you as you move throughout the game and talk to other characters. It's great writing, a great world, great art, an innovative gameplay system, and it was made by people who literally thanked Marx and Engels on stage at The Game Awards. Try it out if you haven't.

4. Nier: Automata - Honestly, if this game didn't have so many anime elements and a protagonist in a French Maid costume with a camera that wants to stare up her ass, I may have put it even higher. There's some enjoyable Platinum gameplay, even if not too challenging, placed in a world and narrative that highlights existential themes on meaning and purpose, and these themes are tied into the gameplay in incredibly clever ways. I haven't played the previous Nier games, so the way Yoko Taro ties the medium to his stories was novel to me and left a memorable mark. Yeah, there are at least three (or 4-5?) endings needed to witness the real ending (each playthrough is not the same, although playthrough B is similar to playthrough A), but that ending was extremely worth it for me. One of the most memorable moments in gaming for this generation and my experience with the medium as a whole. Truly a work that could only exist in this medium. Also the music is top notch.

5. The Witcher 3 - The Open World standard for me. I like my open world games to feature interesting characters, layered and engrossing quest lines that build upon each other, and a world that immerses me during the hours I spend in it and rewards my exploration. TW3 provided all three. I still think about some of the side quests in this game from time to time, and every open world game since has not come close to meeting TW3 when it comes to quest design. It helped that my playthrough was influenced by decisions in The Witcher 1 and 2, and that I had familiarity with these characters from playing those games. It also required decisions from me that weren't simply "be an evil asshole or not". My only real issues with it are that the gameplay combat is really only serviceable and fine and the main storyline kinda rushes to its conclusion in the end from what I remember. I played it in late 2015 so never go around to the DLC expansions, but I'm hoping to replay in the next year or two and see how much those add to the experiences. Regardless, the game offered tons of hours of entertainment, a gorgeous world, and a narrative and side narratives that were engrossing and rewarding. You can see the influence in the latest Assassin's Creeds, Horizon, Ghost of Tsushima, and other open world games.

6. God of War - Probably the best reboot of a series I've encountered. I enjoyed the original God of War games in my youth, but I never loved them as much as others because I never really loved Kratos and always thought he was an asshole. This entry helped change that. Clearly inspired by The Last of Us, God of War features characters with some actual depth and characterization, and makes use of mo cap acting to build off lessons learned in TLOU and bring these characters to life. The combat is seriously fun (the Leviathan axe has to be one of my favorite weapons from this generation) but also provides a decent challenge. But really it's the presentation and use of "single-take" camera that helps make this an immersive experience. Again, we see the lessons learned through other media brought in to make this medium even stronger. Also it has one of the most hype scenes this generation midway through.

7. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Sekiro has the best sword combat of any game I've ever played, period. No game has better implemented parrying and the feeling of being locked in a sword battle with an opponent better than this game, and it led to some of the most memorable boss fights I've ever encountered. Yes, it is hard, but it is so worth it to get good enough to beat these bastards and see this game through to the end. The stealth combat also was an enjoyable and thematically fitting addition (you being a ninja and all). The story isn't so subtle as past From Software games, but I was cool with that andenjoyed the themes of power and corruption. If you ever wanted a sword fighting game to seriously challenge you but make you feel like a real bad ass once you got through that challenge, then Sekiro may be for you.

8. Hollow Knight - For now, this is the peak of the Metroidvania genre for me. It's incredible how much was created by a three person team. Yes, it's a metroidvania so there is the influence of Super Metroid/Castlevania and yes there is clearly some influence from Dark Souls with the mechanic for retrieving your currency from the place you died. But every game has its inspirations, and these inspirations all just add to the experience to create a deep, memorable world in Hollow Nest. The gameplay is tight, the art is great, the boss battles are challenging, clever, and fun, and there is 60+ hours available for just $15 max.

9. Bloodborne - My first From Software experience. Great combat that encourages aggressive play and an intriguing Lovecraftian world/lore. The world and level design here is honestly just fantastic, and I really hope they put out a 60fps upgrade eventually. It's another challenging game, but rewarding and I think a great introduction into the SoulsBorne genre. You may have to find a YouTube video to explain it all to you, though.

10. Red Dead Redemption 2 - I need to replay the first to really see which one I prefer, but this game is honestly up there with some of my favorite Leone films when it comes to Westerns. Arthur Morgan is one of the most memorable and realized protagonists created in the last generation, and witnessing his arc was one of my favorite experiences of the generation. Plus, the world is gorgeous. It could have been much higher, but the repetitive Rockstar gameplay really became stale with this entry.

Runner Ups:

11. The Last Guardian
12. Outer Wilds
13. What Remains of Edith Finch
14. Uncharted 4
15. Persona 5