How can you know where you’re going, if you don’t know where you’ve been?
As 2019 draws to a close and next-gen consoles are around the corner, it’s only fair that us here at CRISP. have a look back at our favourite games of the year.
Whether this can be considered a vintage year for gaming is up for debate, but one thing is for sure, we thoroughly enjoyed what we got our hands on.
Here are five of our favourites, in no special order:
Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry is back, after an 11-year wait. Capcom finally got their act together and gave the fans exactly what they wanted – a sequel, not a reboot.
The uber-cool demon slayer Dante is back again alongside Nero from DMC4. Rounding out the playable roster is ‘V’, a mysterious new character with his own unique and varied playstyle.
The music is up there with the best, a great soundtrack infuses intensity and rhythm to the gameplay. The hack n’ slash combat is outrageously fun and seamlessly smooth.
There is a fine balance between making it friendly while also deep and rewarding. The auto-assist function allows for newer players to pull off some of the more technically difficult – but visually stunning – skills and tricks.
The graphics are very good, but with simple level design and a samey colour palette, it can get a little visually stale after a while. The replay value isn’t too shabby however, as the main story should take between 15-20 hours, but you can throw away a lifetime replaying the same levels and lusting after that elusive S-Ranking.
All around, Devil May Cry 5 is in our opinion the best in the series and one of the most fun action games ever – let alone in 2019.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Released in March, Sekiro has been considered by many as the best game of 2019.
Published by Activision and developed by From Software (of Dark Souls and Bloodborne fame) is an action-adventure game set in a fictionalised version of 16th century Japan.
You play a one-armed Shinobi out for revenge after the kidnap and murder of his master by a rival clan. More than just a revenge tale, this game combines stealth, exploration, and intense swordplay throughout its 40+ hours.
The combat revolves around using your katana to methodically disrupt your enemies balance and posture, crafting an opening for a one-shot kill, all while making sure to dodge and parry.
The epic musical accompaniments paired with jaw-dropping graphics, character designs, and deep skill-based battle mechanics of precision, timing, and tactics lend to incredibly satisfying encounters.
This is an exquisite game with great storytelling and outrageous boss fights, plus a simple and rewarding progression system that encourages you to prioritise skills based on your playing style.
Sekiro is a hard game, very hard indeed. Requiring trial and error, patience and lightning-fast reactions, Sekiro pays off in spades by the end.
Available on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
Death Stranding
Some say it’s boring, overly long, confusing and a bit self-indulgent, whilst others will scream from the mountain tops about the depth and diversity of the gameplay, incredible graphics, and complex story.
One thing’s for sure, Death Stranding is a momentous achievement in gaming, almost re-inventing the genre of online gaming as your efforts can directly alter the experience of others.
Building structures like roads, bridges, and post boxes can be seen and fully interacted with by other gamers in ‘Death Strandings’ asynchronous online play.
Ultimately you are tasked with fetch quests and the occasional stealth infiltration, but the difficulty and intensity of your journey gives a real sense of accomplishment that spurs you onwards when the going gets tough.
This is not intense, frenetic action but rather a methodical thinker of a game that rewards patience, preparation and execution.
You can extract so much from this game that we believe it is worth a try, we have enjoyed its epic journey from start to finish.
Available on PS4 and PC (eventually).
Resident Evil 2 – Remake
Released in January, this 2019 remake of the classic zombie survival horror Resident Evil 2 (1998) led by example and listened to its fans by giving them exactly what they had been clamouring for.
This game follows student Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy, a rookie cop on his first day in Raccoon City.
Unfortunately for him, a viral outbreak has turned the inhabitants of this sleepy city into bloodthirsty zombies with a taste for human flesh.
Remaking an aged game onto next-gen hardware can be a tricky affair, but Capcom nailed it here. With great visuals and updated gameplay mechanics, this classic has been dragged into the 21st century and turned into a masterpiece in the process.
With over 5 million copies sold since launch, it’s fair to say this game has a huge following of fans – both old and new.
Capcom has just announced it is working on a remake of Resident Evil 3, ensuring the buzz for this series is still huge and relevant. If you’re into true survival horror games, then this is surely worth a shot.
Available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Apex Legends
Released back in February, this free-to-play first-person shooter exploded onto the scene with minimal fanfare due to the lack of any real announcement or marketing.
Yet it managed to win the crowds with an endearing and diverse cast, blistering speed, freedom of movement and intense gunplay.
Apex takes its cue from the immensely popular Fortnite. Players are airdropped onto an ever-shrinking island with nothing but wits and will to survive.
The objective is simple, scavenge for weapons and equipment to fight off up to sixty other gamers until one team of three survives. The game focuses heavily on teamwork and includes the much-praised ‘ping’ system, which allows teammates to communicate via non-verbal means.
As this is a free-to-play game, no initial costs are required to get the game and start blasting. However, a system of microtransactions and loot boxes nudge players to part with both real and virtual currency to gain new cosmetics and item upgrades.
We are not big fans of loot box mechanics, but understand why this game managed to entice millions of players; solid gameplay, cool visuals and fun characters lead to fantastic team-based dynamics, but in the form of a simple shooter.
Available on Xbox One, PS4, PC
Honourable Indie Mentions
My Friend Pedro – a 2D platformer cum shoot ’em up that channels John Wick in some of the best gunplay 2019 has to offer.
Untitled Goose Game – a stealth puzzle game, where players must control a goose as he terrorises a small English Village. Geese are the worst!
