It’s clear that the 2010-2019 decade left behind some truly wonderful video games. There were games to suit everyone’s taste, from survival horror masterpieces to cowboy adventures and sprawling RPG experiences.
And now Metacritic has published its user-voted list of the top games of the decade. These were the top 10 video games to grace a console or PC during the decade according to Metacritic users.
Taking first place on the list is The Last of Us. This post-apocalyptic zombie game caused a sensation when it was first released in 2013 (it later got a remaster). Set in the US after a zombie apocalypse, the game has players controlling gruff veteran Joel, who must escort little girl Ellie through a perilous journey in order to reach their destination.
The Last of Us has some pretty dramatic scenes and quieter, tender moments, while the two main characters and the supporting cast are just great. So is the gameplay too, surely making this a worthy number 1. This will likely make people eager to get their hands on developer’s Naughty Dog sequel, which is releasing in May this year.
Metacritic’s user-voted list also shows how popular open-world role-playing games have been in the decade too. Actually, Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is number 2 in the list, while The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is number 3, the latter becoming popular again thanks to the success of Netflix’s Witcher TV series.
Also, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim comes in at number 7. Bethesda’s game is surely one of the best RPGs ever made, and perhaps should rank higher on this list (see here for our game of the decade choices).
There is no doubt too that Rockstar has achieved legendary status throughout the decade, and two of its games have made the list. These are Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V, the latter being one of the best-selling games of all time, and still played by millions thanks to the popularity of GTA Online, one of the most successful multiplayer modes of all time.
The list also shows how popular From Software’s games have been in the decade. The team led by Japanese designer Hidetaka Miyazaki makes very difficult games (and this year’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice surely is an example of this). Two of its games got enough votes to make the top games of the decade list: one is Dark Souls, and the other is PS4 exclusive Bloodborne, a hard as nails game in the From Software tradition.
Rounding out the list is Sony’s superb God of War reboot and BioWare’s sensational Mass Effect 2.
It’s strange, though, that no first-person shooter made the list – some truly fantastic first-person action games hit the market in the 2010s such as Far Cry 3, while the Call of Duty series did not feature in the top ten despite being one of the best-selling and most-loved of all time.
Also, other franchises like Hitman perhaps such have nudged into the top ten, as the last two instalments in the series are arguably some of the best games ever made. It’s also odd that no traditional adventure games hit the list – the genre has been in decline for years truth be told, even if some superb episodic games like Life is Strange or The Walking Dead were released in the last decade nonetheless.
Either way, there’s no doubt that Metacritic’s user list those contain some fantastic, must-play games, and here’s hoping that this decade delivers many more superb video games too.
Top 10 games of the decade (Metacritic user-voted list)
- The Last of Us
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Mass Effect 2
- Bloodborne
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- God of War
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Dark Souls
Read more: The top 10 video games of the decade