I'm rather selective about the games I choose to play in the first place -- though I suppose everyone has their preferences -- but picking only ten titles was still a challenge. I had to drop many fun ones such as Dead Space sequels and the new Tomb Raider games. I also decided that to make things easier, there should be no more than one title from any series although one franchise managed to make it to the list with two entries in the end.
It should be noted that I yet want to play a few select releases from the 2010s. I'm fairly doubtful that any of them is good enough to be included but if they are, I can revise the list later or something. Nonetheless, this is the definitive top 10 [+1 as of Jan 2024] of my favorite games of the 2010s (that I have played), in order of release date (because ranking some of the titles above others would've been too arbitrary):
BioWare / Electronic Arts
Third person shooter/action roleplaying game
Mass Effect 2 is a gripping space adventure and one of BioWare's great successes. One of the game's irrefutable high points are its characters and the crew they form around Commander Shepard, the player character. The recruit/loyalty mission loop is formulaic but since the missions themselves vary so much, it's not a real problem.
The game's premise and plot also have issues if you examine it within the context of the whole franchise but those are easy to ignore as well since Mass Effect 2 is such a solid experience. Its climactic suicide mission rewards you for playing the game thoroughly and making wise decisions. I also like that -- like in its predecessor -- there is still a sense of discovery and exploration in Mass Effect 2. That aspect was no longer there in its sequel.
Eidos Montréal / Square Enix
First/third person shooter/stealth game
Deus Ex: Human Revolution may have missed the intricacies of the franchise's first game. Understandable given the IP had switched owners and developer. That never really bothered me though. And it does still have the same global conspiracy themes and multiple-approaches gameplay that makes the so-called immersive sims so enjoyable for me.
I specifically choose the original release for this top list instead of Director's Cut (2013) because the latter -- even though there are few improvements -- has The Missing Link standalone DLC included in the main game. In my opinion that breaks the flow of the end with hours of additional, nonskippable content that is more polished than the main game stuff after it. I don't know how it comes off for someone who didn't play the original release however. Does it standout as badly?
Human Revolution's sequel, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided expanded its predecessor's gameplay but failed to deliver satisfaction with its plot. I don't know how much of the following is true but apparently Adam "I never asked for this" Jensen only became the protagonist after Square Enix's marketing department heard they would need to sell people a new main character. Jensen replacing some original main character would explain so well why he feels out of place and why there's a very Jensen looking body stashed in a bank vault.
Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks
First/third person open world action roleplaying game
Its huge modding community is a big reason why The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is on my top 10 list though it might be on it regardless. The exploration of a large fantasy open world and expansive perk trees make the game unrivaled. You can joke about Bethesda and their bug-infested Creation Engine but there is no one that makes this kind of huge games as well as they do.
BioWare / Electronic Arts
Third person shooter/action roleplaying game
Mass Effect 3 is a good game; I have finished it multiple times. But I'd always choose the second game's campaign over it. Mass Effect 3 also blows its load at the start of its homestretch and then limps over the finish line into an ending that didn't fail to disappoint upon release. The Extended Cut did improve it but the scars remain.
Combat gameplay of Mass Effect 3 is noticeably better than in the previous title. Things work smoother, there are more guns, and gun modding was reintroduced. Powers have more evolutions and they are more synergetic than before.
Where the improved gameplay shines, and why Mass Effect 3 is on this list, is its multiplayer. I have spent nearly 1200 hours in the 4-player cooperative horde mode. Just a few weeks back I jumped into it again to play a handful of matches -- only to discover how terribly rusty I was for not playing it in like a year. I had to even relearn how to reload cancel. Luckily with my maxed manifest and abundant consumables I was able to carry my own weight on Gold difficulty but topping the scoreboard was not happening.
I had no trouble finding a match -- people still play the multiplayer 8 years after its release. Impossible to truly say how many active players there are since it only ever takes 3 others for a full group. Having only one gameplay mode and all maps available at no additional cost (you just to need to remember to download the multiplayer expansions) is smart because it keeps the player base undivided. (The recent Steam release has the free expansions bundled together with the rest of the DLC in a paid bundle which is dumb.)
Runic Games
Isometric action roleplaying game
I remember Torchlight II as an extremely entertaining game. It's colorful, its combat is meaty, and character skills varied. As a bonus its music is very similar to the first two Diablo games, composed by the very same person, Matt Uelmen.
I recently read a comment on reddit that reminded me that there were flaws and that the game didn't really bring anything new to its genre. But I still did play it for few hundred hours so its faults couldn't have been that bad.
What many seem to want from this genre of games is an engaging, endless endgame loop. Torchlight II does not have that (at least not without mods) -- its mapworks is a very barebones feature. But I never minded that, I simply started a new character and played through the game again.
Now, replaying the same story repeatedly is not ideal but it doesn't matter all that much when the narrative doesn't get in the way, which is the case in Torchlight II -- its story is also barebones. Compare it to something like Diablo III whose campaign has all kinds of story bits you have to do every time. Replaying its story gets old really fast even if I like the universe's lore.
You can still consider Diablo III sort of an honorable mention for this top list however. In its current state the game is nice to visit every season. The adventure mode has shaped up to be awesome. It took awhile for Blizzard to get it there though. Even when I bought the game discounted some time after the release of its Reaper of Souls expansion, the endgame was still numerous iterations away from what it is now. And there are still few things they could polish.
Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks
First person stealth action game
I love pretty much everything about Dishonored: the fluidity of its combat, the verticality of its level design, and the intriguing Victorian Era like setting. Dishonored is almost a perfect game as far as I'm concerned.
Its chaos system is perhaps the only thing that felt off to me at first but I've later come to consider it an important part of the game. It gives Dishonored a sense of maturity of sorts to have consequences to your actions even if it's ultimately merely a binary state based on some arbitrary kill count.
Dishonored's sequel is visually sharper and gameplay-wise broader but its narrative is weaker which is why it's not on this list. I have pondered the reasons for the poorer story-telling in previous posts already but another good example are the people of the Hound Pits Pub and the lack of them in Dishonored 2. So many distinct characters you keep returning to between missions and who connect you to the world. The second game gives you only Meagan, Sokolov, and possibly two others briefly depending on your choices. Dishonored 2 feels a more solitary journey.
Creative Assembly / SEGA
First person survival horror game
I didn't place Alien: Isolation in my top tier the year I played it. That was mostly due to the frustration caused by having to redo sections. I have since replayed the game -- multiple times -- and the frustration is completely gone. Save points are frequently available, they just feel distant on your first run because you are so scared to keep moving forward. Alien: Isolation succeeds at horror a bit too well for its own good.
I think I should later write another post about this game which has become one of my all time favorites. It's hard to find a horror experience as atmospheric and intense as Alien: Isolation.
CD Projekt Red / CD Projekt
Third person open world action roleplaying game
If Skyrim felt immersive to me, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was doubly so. Its combat mechanics are adequate but could be more expansive -- and the game's great two DLCs do help with that a bit. Witcher 3's splendor comes more from the care put into its quests and characters, how everything fits into its convincing world. The game's music has a unique sound and its visuals are quite pleasing.
It's not without its faults but if I really had to, I would name Witcher 3 as my choice for game of the decade for the high quality of its overall package.
Frictional Games
First person horror game
SOMA is an unusual entry for this top 10 list because unlike all the others, I have played through it only once. It's not worth revisiting due to its limited gameplay mechanics: slight stealth and puzzle elements. The game's physics-enabled objects do it make it immersive though. Being able to throw books around and fling doors open pushes it from a dull exhibition into a gripping experience.
A replay should be considered if/when one has forgotten SOMA's story which is what makes it so superb. It has actual philosophical depth to it and it ties narrative to interactivity smarter than most other walking simulators do.
Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks
First person shooter/action game
Calling Arkane Studios' Prey a first person shooter is selling it short. Trying to play it as a typical, linear shooter will probably even give you a boring struggle against seemingly too difficult enemies. Prey's gun selection is way too limited to provide anything worthwhile from such a direct approach. A silenced pistol and a shotgun against a score of amorphous enemies that even lack weak points is not going to be exciting.
In a Deus Ex game picking up guns and running through obstacles might still work but Prey takes immersive sim games a step further. Prey is more of a spiritual successor to games like System Shock and Arx Fatalis. It rewards exploration, gathering of resources, and planning your approach -- playing it smart. Using all your tools and environment does not only make things easier but fun as well.
ZA/UM
Narrative roleplaying game
Some used to say Planescape: Torment is the best book you'll ever play. Disco Elysium is even more so: it skips combat mechanics entirely and focuses on dialogue. Similarly to Torment, you play an amnesiac, a police officer on a murder case. The world is more grounded yet still different from ours.
Disco Elysium's writing is brilliant. It is smart, funny, and it has drama. Often that stems from absurdism which the game then embraces or immediately casts aside. It is slathered with political, sociological, and literal critique. Sometimes the tone gets somber as hell and makes you feel very satisfied for handling the situation with tact. Disco Elysium is simply terrific; definitely a game worth playing.
Edited 2024-01-14: Added Disco Elysium.
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