Ahh, the Teenies. That period within the human construct commonly referred to as 'time' that we are currently inside of... but not for long. The decade is almost over, and you can say what you like about what has happened to the world during its long reign, but it has been the home of perhaps the most important years of my life, and that's something I do not take lightly. I could talk for a very long time about just how meaningful this decade has been for me and how much it has changed me as a person, but that's not what we do here on this blog. No, this is a place for obsessing over pop culture phenomenon of the past, present and future - so with that in mind, I decided now would be a good time to move my annual celebration of the year's media over from my Twitter account and increase it tenfold. That's right, ladies and gents; we're plunging into some of the most impactful media from the last decade to reflect on how far we've come, and maybe where we could be going next while we're at it. These will be broken up into categories: film, TV, animation, music, books... and Doctor Who gets its own category too for good measure. Today, though, we're starting with a category that I'm yet to discuss in these pages, despite it having its own category in the header - so grab your Joycons, Wiimotes, Oculuses and assorted peripherals, because it's time to run down the decade's top video games.
Portal 2 (PS3/X360/PC)
This list would not be complete without a Valve game. From 2011 to 2013, I lived and breathed Valve, and while this slot could just have easily gone to Left 4 Dead 2 or Team Fortress 2 (because here is a company that just nails its sequels) I just wouldn't feel right about not including Portal. I was introduced to this game - and gaming in general, really - by my cousin, and it was hard not to fall in love with its ingenious simplicity and puzzle-based strategy gameplay.
In Portal 2, you take up the mantle of Chell as she returns to the scene of a past crime: a scientific test facility run by sociopathic computer core GladOS - but this time, she has a score to settle. Armed with an Aperture Science portal device, a gun capable of creating 'Portals' for you to step through, you are forced to unravel begrudging test chambers and unlock the secrets of how this place came to be. With Easter eggs and hidden story details galore, allowing you to use your own creativity in order to piece together an even more horrifying story than what is presented to you by the narrative, this is a linear story-based game that rewards free thinking and creativity more than any I've played before or since.
However, the main reason this game made my list is because of just how much it expands on its predecessor in the series. I especially recommend it if you have never played the first entry, as each revelation of what happened on Chell's previous outing only builds the intrigue and draws the player further and further into the world. There is no puzzle game that makes you emphasise with absolutely everything within it quite so much.
Oh, and don't eat the cake.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (WiiU/Switch)
I wanted to make this game a post all of its own, but Breath of the Wild is so big and had such a profound impact on me that I struggled to sum it all up. So we'll do this one as a timeline.
1998: I am born. However, so is something else: a little game called The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Yep, Miyamoto's Citizen Kane. The highest-rated game ever made. However, due to having a brain that is too under-developed to comprehend what a Nintendo 64 is, let alone how to physically hold a controller in my hand and manipulate to create output, it passes me by.
2004: Christmas morning. I excitedly unwrap a package from the gigantic pile under, over, around and in adjacent rooms to the tree. Inside, I find a second-hand GameBoy Colour. My first video game console. Included with it are copies of Pokémon Yellow Version and Scooby Doo: Classic Creep Capers. Also included in this bundle, as I learn much later, were two games deemed unsuitable for me at this age and sold on to someone else: Tomb Raider, and - yep - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. So once again, Zelda and I do not quite meet.
2011: Much later. I am much older, and I've just started picking up the official Nintendo UK Magazine every month. In this issue, I'm excitedly reading about the new titles set to launch with the revolutionary new handheld console: the 3DS. With this comes my first real exposure to Zelda. I learn that Ocarina of Time, a game I have only heard faint whispers of, is coming to the platform. How exciting! I sure hope it won't be long before I can get my hands on one of these amazing new-
2016: Five years later. Better late than never right? At long last, I pick up a 2DS and a copy of Ocarina of Time. At last, I can discover what I've been missing out on all these years.
Yeah... it wasn't for me.
Early 2019: I've just finished my university dissertation. Yes, I think to myself, I deserve to treat myself for this. With that, I head to my local GAME store and ponder over the Nintendo Switch titles, until something catches my eye. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Ahh yes, this is the game that a great number of my friends have been raving about. The graphics look phenomenal and I'd love to explore that beautiful world. But I played the best one and it was kind of underwhelming. Is it really worth it?
...oh what the hell. Let's go for it.
NOW: Ladies and gentlemen, I have been set free. For years, I have stared off at 2D single-poly mountains in the distance and wished I could climb their jagged surfaces to see what might lie at the top. Never again. If Breath of the Wild is on this list for one reason, it's because of that moment at the very beginning where you're stood at the edge of a cliff staring off into the distance, marvelling at all the wonders that lay beyond the walls of the Great Plateau, and shortly you realise...
Holy crap. I can actually GO there.
With barely a loading screen in sight, you are free to climb anything, glide to anywhere and form a meaningful connection with anyone at all. The engaging story about saving a princess and defeating the great evil that grips the land, masterfully created within an open world non-linear setting, is almost secondary. Sure, you can go straight to Ganon with nothing but a Nintendo Switch-branded t-shirt and a stick, or you can spend all of your time trying to ride the giant glowing rabbit who lives at the magical fountain. The world is truly your oyster. Reaching the end of this game was like reaching the end of one long 21-year journey, like it was always my destiny to free Princess Zelda and save the kingdom of Hyrule; it just took me a little longer to get there than most.
But damn, this game needs an ending. It just sort of.. stops. Fingers crossed for 2020!
Stardew Valley (PC/PS4/X1/Switch/Mobile)
Ahh, my latest obsession. The game that consumes my every waking thought. It was actually a very close call between this game and Animal Crossing: New Leaf, both of which transport the player into an escapist reality to join a colourful and diverse community of NPCs, so I decided to play both for an hour in order to decide which to choose. Here's what happened.
Animal Crossing: Talked to the villagers to let them know I'm alive. Pulled weeds, again. Got a haircut, again. Paid my bills, again.
Stardew Valley: Discovered an alien species living in the bushes around my house. Hatched an evil chicken from another dimension. Fought off an invasive crab species in the mine. Uncovered the remains of a secret society that existed long before our own. Found out my wife was pregnant.
In Stardew Valley, you play as yourself as you leave your old city life behind in order to rediscover yourself and reconnect with nature when you inherit a farm from your grandfather. You start to form meaningful and ever-changing relationships with the townsfolk, become a part of the local economy, play detective as you uncover the mysteries of the valley, fight your way through treacherous dungeons in search of riches and rewards, and that's just in the first 'year' of the in-game cycle. You live an entire life within the game, and it ended up making my list because of just how much there is to discover. Every time I boot up the game, I end up setting off on a brand new trail of events that lead me to something astonishing, and most of those aren't even set within the handful of objectives the developers set out for you. The art style may be much more simplistic than the other games on this list, but that only widens the horizons of your own imagination. It's a must-play for everyone, gamer or not, and leaves little to be desired.
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Bonus Round
For each of these posts, I'll be bringing in a guest to give us their pick for each category. They may resist at first, but eventually they will submit. This week, I invited my friend and fellow vidja-gem enthusiast Dan to tell us about his top game of the Teenies.
@danrimmer_tv: Far Cry 3. "For game of the decade, I just can't look past this simply sensational 2012 first-person shooter from Ubisoft – although labelling it as simply another FPS would be doing this title a great disservice. With an utterly compelling story, a believably-captivating world, and deep, memorable characters, Far Cry 3 presents one of the most thrilling single-player console experiences I’ve ever played, providing great strategical and physical challenges and immersive activities that will keep the disc inside the console for months and keeping you coming back for more."
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That concludes the video game section of our look back on the media of the decade. Check back next week when we'll be taking a look at animation!
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