Greetings, TAYers everywhere. Today I’d like to talk about the games I played this year, and what I liked about them. The ones I remember, at least!
Counter Strike: Global Offensive (PC)
I got way, way too immersed in CS:GO this year. No regrets – I made some great friends, there were thrills and spills, and the worlds greatest tac-shooter will forever have a special place in my heart.
Firstly, I’m not big on the FPS genre, but the tactical and teamwork elements of CS make it quite immersive, and I haven’t even mentioned the mechanical abortion genius it can be. It’s not the only game I played, but I spent a good chunk of my gaming time this year in CS.
Pokemon Shield (Switch)
I’m a huge fan of Pokemon, and as divisive as the 8th generation is, I think it’s a good game. Not great, not excellent, but good – especially because it makes the future of the franchise look promising… and also not so promising, with the news that we may never see a national dex again.
Like all things in life, one has to take the good with the bad. There are still plenty ‘mons to catch, even if you can’t catch ‘em all.
There were some very refreshing changes, well documented elsewhere, which made the game a delight.
No Man’s Sky (PC)
I picked up NMS on special earlier in the year, and after some niggles with my graphics card (I had to roll back my drivers to get it to work), I found the game really enjoyable. I haven’t even scratched the surface of this titanic game, but found my time exploring an unknown galaxy finding all manner of weird and wonderful things sublime.
The game did earn some derision at launch, but I’m happy to say that in 2019 it’s an enjoyable game that offers almost endless exploration.
Universe Sandbox 2 (PC)
Universe Sandbox allows you to find weird and wonderful ways to destroy the earth, and offers hours upon hours of entertainment. You can build interesting star systems, turn the Sun into a black hole, turn Jupiter into the Sun and then explode it, it’s really neat.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (PC)
One of my early purchases this year, I would rate this game as one of the best western RPG experiences one can possibly hope for.
The story is quite engaging, the combat is difficult but satisfying, and the world is fun and interesting to explore as one sees fit. What more could you want from an RPG?
What makes KC:D stand out, for me, is that it has a realism to it that is rarely found in games today. It’s no Skyrim, but perhaps that is one of the most appealing things about it.
Celeste (Switch)
An outstanding little gem, Celeste puts you in the shoes of Madeline who is determined to scale the titular mountain for some very personal reasons. Along the way, she meets some strange characters and learns a few important lessons.
Celeste is a pretty bare bones platformer, all one can do is jump, dash and climb. In it’s simplicity, the game excels at setting up some interesting challenges in a beautiful environment. It took me just shy of 9 hours to beat, but I will definitely be re-playing this one because the gameplay is just so damn satisfying. Try and collect all them strawberries.
Untitled Goose Game (Switch)
OK, this one should require no introduction as it ascended to meme status at some point in this year.
I didn’t take long to beat this particular game, but it was really fun to play and is one of the most interesting gaming experiences I’ve had in a while – there’s just something so fun about running amok as a cheeky goose in a little English town.
I highly recommend playing Untitled Goose Game if you haven’t already – it might just be the whimsical experience you need in a game right now. One of the selling points is that there is a dedicated “honk” button, and if that doesn’t win you over, I don’t know what will.
There you have it, folks. Thats my year of video games – how was yours? Are there any games you think I should have played? Do you think my choices suck? Fight me in the comments!
This will likely be my last contribution for the year, so, to all of you reading this – I hope the new year brings great things for you, and great video games too!
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