Chrono Trigger: There is zero wasted space in Chrono Trigger, in a genre known for even it's best examples often having at least a little bloat or filler. Chrono Trigger wastes nothing. It's about as close as I can personally consider a game to be perfection.
Final Fantasy VI: A strong contender for my favorite game of all time, but not quite. Some truly amazing characters and it was so far ahead of the curve when it came to narrative and writing for it's time that it's honestly mind-blowing. Truly a next-level game for it's genre from it's era.
Final Fantasy Tactics: Another game that I consider at least close to perfection. This particular game also happens to feature my favorite soundtrack ever. I still think this game features the best narrative in the entire Final Fantasy series, personally.
Bloodborne: As a major fan of the Soulslike formula and of cosmic horror and horror in general this game was a match made in heaven for me. And it delivered on every front. Deep, rich lore and complex world building combined with rock solid combat and levels drenched in atmosphere and detail. This is hands down my favorite game of the past decade, without a doubt.
God of War 2018: There's little I can fault this game with. It looks great, sounds great, plays great, had me hooked from start to finish. Made me actually want to platinum it and even made me shed a tear. It hit me on personal levels that I didn't even think a video game could at this day and age.
The Witcher 3: Take an already excellent series based on an excellent book series and turn it up to 11. The Witcher series continued to climb in quality and excellence since it's original game, but the jump from 2-3 is a massive one. One of the most engrossing and well written games period, let alone of the decade.
Hotel Dusk: Room 215: This is the game that made me fall in love the the visual novel genre, even though to call it that is to do it a disservice. It's art style alone is worth taking note of, but it's well-written and believable characters are the star of the show. A fantastic adventure that doesn't hinge of a giant world-saving event or anything quite so dramatic, but a much more realistic mystery to unfold. Hotel Dusk also features one of my favorite video game soundtracks, and arguably the one I listen to more than any other in a given year. Truly a shame it has never truly gotten the recognition it deserves, even among fans of it's genre.
Stardew Valley: Take the familiar concepts of Harvest Moon, amp them up and wrap them into a bigger, better written game with more realistic characters all created and updated regularly by an extremely passionate developer. I've bought this game three times across multiple platforms and I'd buy it again just to support it. The game is the very definition of "chill" in video game form. Enjoy this one however you like.
Earthbound: A game that has plenty of obvious faults right off the bat, but it doesn't matter. A game where the nails the definition of the term "Better than the sum of its parts." If there's one word to describe Earthbound it would be "Charming". Although "Weird" might work, too. It's one of the silliest overall games I'll probably ever play that still manages to evoke emotion. Even just thinking about this game now gives me warm, fuzzy feelings.
