The Best Games of 2019

2019 is approaching its end and it has been a very fruitful year for gaming just like in 2018. There were many exceptional title releases for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. We also saw a lot of ports and remasters such as Resident Evil 2, Witcher 3 on the Switch, Assassin's Creed III and many more.

We are now in the crossroads between very high graphics quality, a transition to a new generation of consoles and a possible transition to cloud gaming which could change gaming for everyone.

While we wait for some exciting releases in 2020, let's take a look back at 2019 and see the best games the year had to produce. Here are 8 of them we handpicked, though they are not necessarily in order from worst to best as they've all had their own unique charms to them.

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#8. Luigi's Mansion 3

Release Date: 31 October 2019

Available on: Nintendo Switch

Luigi's Mansion came back after 6 years since the second game was released. A first release on the Switch, Luigi's Mansion 3 added many more mechanics to the game and made it even better than the previous iterations. You explore alongside your gooey friend Goo-igi who you can summon to do various tasks that would normally take 2 people.

There are 17 floors to explore, many hidden gems and powerful bosses and Boos to tackle on all of these floors. Luigi's Mansion 3 takes full advantage of the power of the Nintendo Switch console and delivers a solid game with the right amount of silliness, fun, and creativity.

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7. Apex Legends

Release Date: 4 February 2019

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One

EA surprised us all with their Titanfalls based Battle Royale, Apex Legends. Apex Legends was dropped without any announcement or marketing and it was also dropped at a time where everyone wanted in on the Battle Royale pie.

But it was not at all another generic addition to the Battle Royale pool of games. Apex Legends has unique heroes you play as with their unique abilities that can determine how you play the game and how you strategize with your squad. Their respawn feature later inspired Fortnite, the most popular Battle Royale, to add that mechanic to their game.

Although Apex Legends has not been very promising or kind on their Battle Pass unlocks, Apex Legends still holds very well today and is still a really fun Battle Royale game to play.

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6. Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

Release Date: 15 November 2019

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One

EA and Respawn are back with another Star Wars game and it is certainly a welcome one. People were still bitter and skeptical from Battlefront 2 (which is now an amazing game after lots of user feedback) but Jedi Fallen Order held up really well, if not better than expected.

The game is set 5 years after Revenge of the Sith and 14 years before A New Hope. This is a period where the Jedi have been destroyed but they have been secretly training in the down-low. The combat mechanics are inspired by the Batman: Arkham series and it is fluid and amazing just like the Arkham games.

It is a single-player game and has a very rich story with many things to do as well as some nice easter eggs from the Star Wars universe.

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5. Judgment

Release Date: 25 June 2019

Available on: PS4

Although the game had some local controversies in Japan (and subsequently being pulled out of the market), Judgment is a great open-world game that follows the story of detective Takayuki Yagami investigating a case of serial murders. The game is set in the same universe as the Yakuza games and has been developed by the same team.

In Judgment, there are plenty of side missions and quests you can do and plenty of fun mini-games as well to pass the time. The game's map and environment is based on real-life settings in Tokyo. Judgment also has a very fluid combat system which is not too hard but not too easy on your enemies too.

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4. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Release Date: 26 July 2019

Available on: Nintendo Switch

The Fire Emblem series gets a home console game after 12 years and after a couple of entries in the 3DS. Fire Emblem: Three Houses features three factions in the continent of Fódlan and is probably one of the best RPGs ever made this year, if not of all time.

You can choose which of the three houses you wish to enter. You have to recruit "students" who become warriors, mages, and others to fight for your faction. Your students can die in battle as well causing you to train new ones again.

It also has a very engaging story and quite frankly, it can be a huge time sink. But it is also a single-player game so you can take your time and play the story as you see fit.

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3. The Outer Worlds

Release Date: 25 October 2019

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One

The Outer Worlds was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, who also gave us Fallout: New Vegas which is undoubtedly one of the best games in that series. The Outer Worlds is a spiritual successor to Fallout: New Vegas but in its own unique setting. You are put in a world (or worlds) where corporate mismanagement and corruption have left the solar system in ruins.

In this depressingly real story, you are tasked with finding other smart people to fix this ruin while also helping out the residents of other colonies. It has some of the richest amounts of content and is probably one of the best single-player games ever made and it's definitely up there in 2019.

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2. Death Stranding

Release Date: 8 November 2019

Available on: PS4, PC (2020)

Hideo Kojima returned with his first project since departing Konami and concluding the Metal Gear Solid series. He came back good with a game that is so unique and fun and with that Kojima feel. Although it seems like Death Stranding is a hit or miss, with some favoring it to be an exceptionally good game and others not being able to get into the game.

In Death Stranding, you play as Sam Bridges where you have to deliver couriers and cargos to different isolated cities. The game also has an online feature where they can pick up other players' cargo, send them "likes" (which has an effect on the cargo delivery) and also view messages from other players. But players never meet each other directly.

There is a lot more to the game than just delivering cargo but to expand that would be to reveal spoilers. It is one of the best games of 2019 for a lot more!

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1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Release Date: 22 March 2019

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One

FromSoftware is back again to deliver yet another masterpiece after their infamous Dark Souls and Bloodborne games. Sekiro is set in the Sengoku period in Japan and features many elements to navigate the world such as stealth, combat and general exploration. It is also incredibly hard but incredibly rewarding just like most of FromSoftware's games.

It also features a very well put-together story with one of the best combat mechanics ever seen in any games. There are also all these little details such as the timing you pull your sword for combat that give it this realistic richness. Facing bosses is full-on panic mode and you need to try many times to get it right.

All of these combined make Sekiro one of the best, if not the best game in 2019.