Greatest Video Game Masterpieces Of The 2010s

The 2010s had a plethora of consoles and games that helped them stand out. There was the 3DS, PS3, Xbox One, and so many others. So, a decade later, what are the games that have remained timeless?

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain redefined the stealth genre, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was a great open-world action RPG, and Super Mario Odyssey was just a fun platformer. Why are these games still so great, and what others made the cut? It was a tough list, as there is easily a list of a hundred games that could work, but these are the ones that immediately came to mind.

Mass Effect 2

A Hallmark In Space RPGs

Mass Effect 2 was released in 2010, and it’s still one of the best space RPGs of all time. It’s also a great squad-based shooter as players could take their created version of Commander Shepard on exploration missions with two other party members, ordering them in battle with various commands.

The gunplay was good, but the story and characters are what really set it apart, cementing itself in the minds of RPG fans for over a decade. Whether they wanted to rekindle their friendship with Garrus from the first game or hook up with a new character like Jack, each interaction and story beat was expertly crafted in Mass Effect 2.

Portal 2

Evolving The Puzzle Formula

Portal 2 was released in 2011, and it continued the gameplay of the first game but expanded the scope. It was more of an adventure than just a series of puzzles divided into rooms, using the game’s titular Portal gun.

This time, things started on a trial-based run, but then things quickly became unhinged as players had to make their way through ruins to escape an AI with even more hatred than GLaDOS from the first game. There are also some new inventive mechanics later on, like a liquid that lets players jump higher. The biggest upgrade was the narrative of Portal 2, which was both funny and thoughtful at times.

The Last Of Us

The Horrors Of Mushrooms

The Last of Us was released in 2013, and it perhaps has the biggest legacy of the many games of the 2010s since it got a sequel and two seasons of a live-action HBO show that are well-regarded.

Taking place in a post-apocalypse following a parasitic infection across the globe, the game itself is a journey between a smuggler, Joel, and a young girl, Ellie, and their evolving relationship is the emotional core of the story. Beyond a sweeping narrative, the visuals were on fire, the stealth-based gameplay was satisfying, and the brutality of combat all helped the horrors of The Last of Us stand out as the PS3’s swan song.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Stealth Made Right

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain was released in 2015, and it was the last game that Hideo Kojima directed in the Metal Gear series following his departure from Konami soon after. It was a fitting end to his tenure with the series, though.

Like all games within the Big Boss saga, players had a good amount of customization options to choose before missions, which expanded the more their team at Mother Base researched blueprints. With several open areas to explore, missions were open-ended for the most part, whether players wanted to be stealthy and non-lethal or go in loud. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is not just a good game in the series; it’s a masterclass in stealth operations.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Evolving RPG Quests

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released in 2015, and sort of replaced the previous GOAT when it came to open-world RPGs, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. What made this conclusion to the first trilogy satisfying was the quest system. No two quests were the same, and while they may have started as tropes within the genre, they got more complicated as things went on.

The combat was also creative between the swordplay and the magic system, and the story, while dark, was expertly crafted. The world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was grim and definitely not black and white, leading to some truly amazing branching storylines that made each playthrough unique.

Persona 5

A Social RPG

Persona 5 was released in Japan first in 2016 before getting the North American bump in 2017. Like the two previous games, the narrative focused on a transfer student in Japan who happened upon some mystical shenanigans with his new friends.

Together, they became the Phantom Thieves, a dedicated group of rogues who could jump into physical manifestations of Mind Palaces, which were like dungeons, and at the end, their goal was to change the hearts of adult leaders within their community. The concept was unique, and while the turn-based gameplay and social interactions didn’t change much since Persona 3, Persona 5’s style helped elevate it from its music to its character designs to its menus.

Super Mario Odyssey

Hats Off To You, Mario

Super Mario Odyssey was released in 2017 exclusively for the Switch, and it was another in a long line of great 3D Mario platformers. The big gimmick for it was Cappy, Mario’s now sentient hat that was possessed by a ghost. This ghost allowed players to possess other objects and enemies, including dinosaurs, people, tanks, Cheep Cheeps, and more.

The gimmick was surprising with each new possession unlocked, but by and large, the platforming remained the star of the show across a wide range of planets, from jungles with ruins to a big, open desert. Super Mario Odyssey did not let fans down in terms of creativity.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Hyrule Redefined

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released for the Switch in 2017, and it was that game that helped propel the Switch at launch. It was the first true open-world Zelda game with seemingly no limits, even going beyond normal open-world standards.

Not only could players look off into the distance, see a mountain, and then go there, but they could literally climb it thanks to the new stamina meter. Not only that, at the top, players could jump off and glide to safety. Exploration is what made The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild an impressive launch game, and it has redefined the very nature of open-world games beyond just looking good.

Forza Horizon 4

Racing Through The U.K.

Each Forza Horizon game is better than the last, with 2018’s Forza Horizon 4 being a favorite among European players since it was set in Great Britain. The game had all the features that helped define the previous games in the series, like a big open world, dynamic weather, visuals that could kill, and a stellar list of cars that all performed to the best of their abilities for a racing game.

What changed ultimately was the world, as players now appeared in real-time within a shared world like an MMO or a live-service game. Whether players just wanted to explore or craved a racing challenge against an AI-based squad or a multiplayer one, Forza Horizon 4 had fans covered.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Western Bliss

Red Dead Redemption 2 was released in 2018, and it quickly became another outstanding entry in Rockstar’s line of games. It is also one of the finest Western games around, giving fans of the genre everything they could want in a video game adaptation of the time period.

It has a story about an outlaw on the verge of change, bank robberies, train set pieces, an open world with good old-fashioned camping, hunting, horse riding, gunfights, and the list goes on. Red Dead Redemption 2’s narrative is strong, but so was the gameplay, and every element combined into a product that defied expectations and then some.