More Thoughts From Me #202: My Top 10 Favorite Games of 2019

Last week, I talked about the games I couldn’t wait to play in 2020. This week, I’m talking about my favorite games of 2019. That seems a bit out of order I know, but there was a game that I was getting for Christmas that I thought might be on this list! So I waited and sure enough, its on this list. Please check out my top 10 games of 2019.

2019 is almost over. After tomorrow, we’re headed into 2020. Here of my favorite games of 2019:

10. Shadows of Adam: I love classic jrpgs like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 6, Final Fantasy 4, and other cool retro rpgs. And sometimes, an indie company brings out a game that not only reminds me of those classic rpgs, but also a game that you just have to play if you love the genre. Shadows of Adam looks like a retro turn-based rpg. And yet, it is a product of these times because its graphics are more detailed then those old rpgs and you can save anywhere out of battle in Shadows of Adam. This is a wonderful game.

9. Headliner: NoviNews: I reviewed a lot of indies this year but one that really stuck out for me was Headliner: NoviNews. For those that don’t know, Headliner focuses on a news writer in another country. In this country, you’re character has a lot of sway over what the public thinks and depending on what you publish, NoviNew’s world can take a good turn or a really bad turn. The gameplay is so very different from anything else on this list. If you like simulation games, you should check this one out. The multi-endings add some very nice replay. This game blew me away.

8. Medievil: I didn’t think I’d like this game at first but Medievil turned out to be a really good remake. Medievil is spooky, a bit creepy, very kooky, and a lot of fun. If you don’t have a Switch and you do have a PS4, Medievil should be your go to title for Halloween!

7. Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening: How do you remake Gameboy classics? Link’s Awakening is a crash course: a ground up remake with new graphics, some new dungeons, and the same gameplay we all loved back then. If you haven’t played this one and you either love the original or you’ve never played it before and you’re a Zelda fan, check this game out.

6. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order: I just got this game for Christmas, so this is the newest game on this list. Maybe it shouldn’t even be here, but I’ve been enjoying it so much. Its been a long time since I’ve played a Star Wars game this good (Knights of the Old Republic). Fallen Order has great graphics and really fun gameplay. Plus it has an extremely interesting story! I can’t wait to play more of it.

5. Concrete Genie: One of the most creative games this year was Concrete Genie. We’ve seen games before where we draw things and they come to life (coughScribblenautscough) but we had never seen one that was had such wonderful graphics and gameplay. If you haven’t played Concrete Genie and you have a PS4, what’s wrong with you?!

4. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch: For the Nintendo Switch. I had played a little bit of this game when I had PS Now briefly but hadn’t played a lot of it until I got the Nintendo Switch verison of the game. The first Ni No Kuni is so very great on the Switch. It feels like this game belongs on the system.

3. Kingdom Hearts 3: Fans of the Kingdom Hearts series have been waiting forever on a new mainline game. This year we finally got it and in my opinion, it was well worth the wait! The new Disney worlds are a blast to explore, the combat is better than ever, and even the story is pretty good (though still confusing). I love this game!

2. Luigi’s Mansion 3: I was blown away by Luigi’s Mansion 3. I liked the graphics of the first two games, but found them too hard. Luigi’s Mansion 3, meanwhile, has the best graphics of the series yet and the gameplay is a lot of fun. There is some challenge to be found in Luigi’s Mansion 3 but not as much as previous games. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is finally, in my opinion, what the series should be: pure fun. Its a must play for any Nintendo Switch owner.

1. Dragon Quest 11 S: My Game of the Year of 2018 is also my Game of 2019. Well, kind of. Dragon Quest 11 S for the Nintendo Switch is actually better than the version of the game that came out in 2018 for the PS4. With the Switch version, you get two games: one 2D and one 3D. Plus more content and better music. This is the ultimate version of Dragon Quest 11. Every rpg fan that has a Nintendo Switch should have this game!

Honorable mentions: Super Mario Maker 2, Final Fantasy X, Steamworld Quest, Evoland Legendary Edition

There were so many great games that came out this year! This is only my top 10 favorite games of the year. It is be no means my entire favorite 2019 list. What a fantastic year for video games!

What are your top 10 favorite games of 2019?

Next week: Fire Emblem Three Houses! I finally got to play it recently. What do I think of it? What took me so long to play it? Why isn’t it on my top ten favorite games of 2019 list? The answers next week!

More Thoughts From Me is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed here are mine and mine alone. Is it March 2020 yet?