YEAR IN REVIEW: Top Video Games of 2019

Video games are hours of entertainment and in one year, our contributors played through so many titles that narrowing it down to the top games of 2019 – of, the video variety. From RPGs to Battle Royale, emotional indies to AAA adventures, this list took rankings of games from 10 of our contributors. With such a diverse game catalog, there were many to choose from, the only metric was our contributor’s personal opinions on the media. So, let’s get into the top games of 2019.

15. Death Stranding

Available on: PlayStation 4
Developer: Kojima Productions
Genres: Action, Adventure

From legendary game creator Hideo Kojima comes an all-new, genre-defying experience for the PlayStation®4 system. Sam Bridges must brave a world utterly transformed by the Death Stranding. Carrying the disconnected remnants of our future in his hands, he embarks on a journey to reconnect the shattered world one step at a time.

14. Mortal Kombat 11

Available on: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC, Google Stadia
Developers: NetherRealm Studios, QLOC
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Fighting

Mortal Kombat is back and better than ever in the next evolution of the iconic franchise. The all-new Custom Character Variations give you unprecedented control to customize the fighters and make them your own. The new graphics engine showcasing every skull-shattering, eye-popping moment, brings you so close to the fight you can feel it. And featuring a roster of new and returning Klassic Fighters, Mortal Kombat’s best in class cinematic story mode continues the epic saga over 25 years in the making.

13. River City Girls

Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
Publisher: WayForward Technologies
Genres: Arcade, Adventure

There’s trouble once again on the mean streets of River City, but this time the boys are in over their heads! In this all-new entry in the legendary beat-’em-up series, hot-blooded heroes Kuni and Riki have been captured, leaving it to their hard-hitting girlfriends, Kyoko and Misako, to serve up some payback.

12. Control

Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: 505 Games
Genres: Action, Adventure

After a secretive agency in New York is invaded by an otherworldly threat, you become the new director struggling to regain control.

11. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

10. Planet Zoo

Available on: PC
Developer: Frontier Developments
Genres: Simulation, Strategy

Build a world for wildlife in Planet Zoo. From the developers of Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon comes the ultimate zoo sim, featuring authentic living animals who think, feel and explore the world you create around them. Experience a globe-trotting campaign or let your imagination run wild in the freedom of Sandbox mode. Create unique habitats and vast landscapes, make big decisions and meaningful choices, and nurture your animals as you construct and manage the world’s wildest zoos.

9. Sea of Solitude

Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Sea of Solitude takes you on a personal journey of a young woman’s loneliness. Set sail across a beautiful and evolving world, where nothing is quite what it seems. Meet fantastical creatures and monsters, learn their stories, and solve challenges. Explore a flooded city, either by boat, on foot, or by swimming through the water itself. Dare to look what lies beneath the surface, in a haunting struggle of darkness and light, and discover what it truly means to be human.

8. Pokemon Sword/Shield

Available on: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo
Genres: RPG, Turn-Based Strategy

A new generation of Pokemon is coming to the Nintendo Switch system. Become a Pokemon Trainer and embark on a new journey in the new Galar region! Choose from one of three new partner Pokemon: Grookey, Scorbunny, or Sobble. In this all-new adventure, you’ll encounter new and familiar Pokemon as you catch, battle, and trade Pokemon while exploring new areas and uncovering an all-new story. Get ready for the next Pokemon adventure in the Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield games.

7. Borderlands 3

Available on: Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4, Google Stadia
Developer: Gearbox Software
Genres: RPG, First-Person Shooter

The original shooter-looter returns, packing bazillions of guns and a mayhem-fueled adventure! Blast through new worlds and enemies as one of four brand new Vault Hunters, each with deep skill trees, abilities and customization. Play solo or join with friends to take on insane enemies, score loads of loot and save your home from the most ruthless cult leaders in the galaxy.

6. Kingdom Hearts III

Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Publisher: Square Enix
Genre: RPG

Kingdom Hearts III is the third installment in the beloved RPG series and features a mature Sora who sets forth on an adventure with Mickey, Donald and Goofy through new and legendary Disney worlds. Continuing from Dream Drop Distance, Sora, Donald and Goofy will attempt to search for seven guardians of light and the “Key to Return Hearts”, while King Mickey and Riku search for previous Keyblade wielders, in an attempt to stop Master Xehanort’s plan to balance the light and darkness, which will ultimately lead to the final showdown between Sora and Master Xehanort

5. The Outer Worlds

Available on: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Private Division
Genre: RPG

The Outer Worlds is a new single-player first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division. Lost in transit while on a colonist ship bound for the furthest edge of the galaxy, you awake decades later only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the Halcyon colony. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter various factions, all vying for power, the character you decide to become will determine how this player-driven story unfolds. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable.

4. Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 2 is a gold-standard for how to do a remake, combining the original’s nostalgia with modernized and fresh gameplay to bring an awesome experience for players old and new. This may be the best Resident Evil game ever released.

3. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Developers: Respawn Entertainment
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genres: Action, Adventure

A galaxy-spanning adventure awaits in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a new 3rd person action-adventure title from Respawn Entertainment. This narratively-driven single-player game puts you in the role of a Jedi Padawan who narrowly escaped the purge of Order 66 following the events of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. On a quest to rebuild the Jedi Order, you must pick up the pieces of your shattered past to complete your training, develop new powerful Force abilities, and master the art of the iconic lightsaber – all while staying one step ahead of the Empire and its deadly Inquisitors. While mastering your abilities, players will engage in cinematically-charged lightsaber and Force combat designed to deliver the kind of intense Star Wars lightsaber battles as seen in the films. Players will need to approach enemies strategically, sizing up strengths and weaknesses while cleverly utilizing your Jedi training to overcome your opponents and solve the mysteries that lay in your path.

2. Apex Legends

Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Developer: Respawn Entertainment
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genres: Survival, First-Person Shooter

Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Battle Royale shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame and fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.

1. Gears 5

Available on: Xbox One, PC
Developer: The Coalition
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

From one of gaming’s most acclaimed sagas, Gears is bigger than ever, with five thrilling modes and the deepest campaign yet. With all-out war descending, Kait Diaz breaks away to uncover her connection to the enemy and discovers the true danger to Sera – herself.

This rounds out our list of top games of 2019. What do you think? Did this list that pulled across genres this year leave you in agreement? Or do you have some of your own that we missed? Who makes your top games of 2019 list?

All synopsis for the top games of 2019 on streaming services were pulled from OpenCritic