Welcome to the VDZE Media 2019 Game of the Year awards! It has been another incredible twelve months in gaming, especially on PlayStation. I am going to break down my personal top 10 list, but I would like to point out a few glaring omissions. Metro Exodus, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Pokémon and Kingdom Hearts III are just a few of the games that may well have made their way onto my list, but I just didn’t have the time to play them.
Before I break down my Top 10, I would first like to hand out eight honourable mentions. These are games that didn’t quite make the list, but that I feel are well worth checking out if you are on the fence.
Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled – The best kart racer on PS4. As with the N Sane Trilogy this is another superb remake that brings Crash Racing back to prominence. (Our review)
Erica – The best FMV game to date. Erica is shot beautifully with an engaging story and loads of re-play value. Holly Earl is a star. (Our review)
Frostpunk – While technically releasing in 2018, Frostpunk makes the list thanks to it’s 2019 PS4 release. A really challenging city builder with hard decisions and heavy consequences around every corner. (Our review)
LA Noire VR Case Files – Technically a two year old game releasing in 2017 on PC, but it came to PSVR in 2019. LA Noire VR is a truncated version of the 2011 hit detective game. The graphics can be a mixed bag but the sense of freedom and sandbox nature of the gameplay coupled together with solving numerous cool crimes makes this one of the best games on Sony’s virtual reality headset. (Our review)
Afterparty – A narrative driven adventure from the team that brought you Oxenfree. You play as two young friends who find themselves in hell and the only out is to beat Satan in a drinking contest. I haven’t had a chance to finish the game yet, but if I had there is every chance it could have even made the top 10.
Leisure Suit Larry Wet Dreams Don’t Dry – Larry is back! After the god awful Box Office Bust in 2009 my expectations were suitably low going in to this, which made the game even more of a welcome surprise. This is a genuinely funny and well made point and click adventure. The only downside is the price. (our review)
Snooker 19 – This game is unlikely to appeal to a mass audience, but damn if you love snooker it really is amazing. In Snooker 19 potting a ball is not an issue most of the time, it’s all about positioning. This allows you to really feel like a pro, and combined with all the licenses makes for the best Snooker game I have ever played. (our review)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – I didn’t pay too much attention to the pre-release hype for Modern Warfare. I think at this point I am immune to COD articles. However, knowing that this year would feature a campaign I reached out to Activision for a review code and boy am I glad I did. This is in my opinion the best COD campaign yet. Multiplayer has taken it’s lumps for problems with camping, but as a package this is not a year you want to skip! (our review)
I genuinely didn’t know what to think when first loading up Fallen Order. I am not the biggest Star Wars fan so the source material wasn’t going to be enough to reel me in. However the Uncharted traversal and Souls-like combat was enough to completely win me over. It should be noted that many gamers have reported experiencing weird bugs but luckily I have avoided all of that. The only real negative I have is the map, which is a disjointed mess at times. (our review)
This game isn’t going to be for everyone. It is very slow paced at times with the story evolving largely through dialogue while the characters walk from location to location. You play as Amicia who is forced to flee her home with her brother Hugo, who has been kept away from her for years in mysteries circumstances. They bond that forms between the two is one of the best stories told this year and since you play as children the usual combat has been replaced with puzzle based stealth. (our review)
Perhaps a controversial inclusion given the game’s bumpy release. Patches certainly haven’t ironed out all the issues the game has, but for me the story, characters and world were so compelling that it overshadowed the negatives. I had never heard of the award winning Blacksad comics before this game, but I have been inspired to go and read my very first comic solely because of this game. (our review)
Another game I didn’t expect to feature on my list. I enjoy the Metal Gear Solid games, but unlike most my fandom is based on the stealth gameplay. The over-the-top Kojima stories are always just an afterthought to me which is why I was so pleasantly surprised when I dove into Death Stranding and was hooked immediately. Gameplay on the surface is bland, as you spend the bulk of the 50+ hours delivering packages from A to B, but it’s hard to explain unless you have experienced just how addictive and more-ish it feels.
This may be the one game on the list that many of you haven’t heard of. Think Hotline Miami mixed with Max Payne. Hong Kong Massacre released back in January and was the first brilliant game of 2019. Levels are tough and you will die over and over again, but with instant restarts and slick and responsive control scheme this is one of the best top-down shooters on PS4. (our review)
I feel a bit weird about this games inclusion because I have only played about five hours of it so far due to time constraints. However those five hours has been enough to make me itch for more. I loved Fallout 4 and this is a more colourful, less buggy sequel that is exactly what I had hoped for. If you like the Fallout formula, you’re going to love The Outer Worlds.
Many have said this shouldn’t be allowed on GOTY lists because it’s a remake. I disagree. If it was a remaster I would be willing to have the conversation, but a remake is built from the ground up for the new system and therefore should be judged separately. That said, this game uses one of the best survival horror games ever made for inspiration and is crafted to perfection with gorgeous visuals, tense gameplay and the a story that stands the test of time. (our review)
I was really excited in the lead up to Control’s release. Remedy are a superb developer and I had high hopes for this new game. Unfortunately going by the sales it seems like I was the only one. Control does have performance issues and at times the map can be a bit of a pain, but gameplay, story and the setting are all absolutely on point. Weird and completely engrossing, this is a must play! (our review)
Days Gone released to a mild critical response, but feedback from gamers was overwhelmingly positive. This was in large part due to Sony sending the game to reviewers way too early (three weeks before launch). By the time regular consumers got a hold of Bend Studios open world zombie title it had already been stitched up with three or four patches.
As things currently stand I think there have been about twenty updates to the game so if you decide to jump on now you are likely to get a much more polished experience. However having started the game a few days before launch myself I can say this is one of my favourite zombie games ever. It reminds me of the original State of Decay but better all round and with a good story.
If you are looking for a game to pick up in the new year that you can easily sink 40-50 hours into, Days Gone is a brilliant choice and one I don’t think many gamers would regret. (our review)
For me there was only one winner this year. Blood & Truth is an absolute masterpiece. 2019 wasn’t as strong a year for PSVR with no Astro Bot, no Moss etc. This follow up to the London Heist which launched alongside the headset on the VR Worlds disk is exceptional though. I would go so far as to say it is the best VR game I have played to date.
Now that doesn’t mean it is perfect. There are nagging control issues stemming from the move controller limitations. You can’t walk around freely, instead selecting an area to move to and waiting while your character walks over, but while en route to your chosen location you can shoot, duck etc.
That aside though, with Blood & Truth you get to star in your own Guy Ritchie style popcorn film, with great graphics, accurate tracking, a wealth of weapons, plenty of collectibles and mission star ratings for replay-ability. This really is one of those games that is a headset seller and I can’t heap enough praise on it. In the near two years since I started this website there has been only two perfect scores handed out. One was to Red Dead Redemption 2 and the other was Blood & Truth. That’s how good it is. (our review)
Well that’s it for another year. Congratulations to Blood & Truth and the whole team over at SIE London Studio. 2020 is set to be one of the craziest years in gaming history and we will be covering as many of the top games as we can. If time permits I am looking to put together an article previewing the year ahead so keep your eyes peeled for that early next year.
Until then I hope you all had a great Christmas and that 2020 is the best one yet!
-VDZE