The greatest video game masterpieces of 2010

2010 had a plethora of consoles and games that helped them stand out. There was the 3DS, PS3, Xbox One and many more. So ten years later, what games have remained timeless?

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain redefined the stealth genre, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was a great open world action RPG and Super Mario Odyssey was just a fun platformer. Why are these games still so great and what have others done? This was a tough list because there is easily a list of a hundred games that could work, but these games immediately came to mind.

Mass Effect 2

A hallmark in space RPGs

Mass Effect 2 was released in 2010 and is still one of the best space RPGs of all time. It's also a great team-based shooter, as players can take their crafted version of Commander Shepard on scouting missions with two other party members and command them in battle with various commands.

The gunplay was good, but the story and characters are what really set it apart and cemented itself in the minds of RPG fans for over a decade. Whether they wanted to rekindle their friendship with Garrus from the first game or bond with a new character like Jack, every interaction and story beat was expertly crafted in Mass Effect 2.

Portal 2

Evolving puzzle formula

Portal 2 was released in 2011 and continued the gameplay of the first game but expanded the scope. It was more of an adventure than just a series of room-based puzzles using the titular Portal gun.

This time things started out as a trial run, but then things quickly unraveled as players had to fight their way through ruins to escape an AI with even more hatred than GLaDOS from the first game. Later on, there are also some new inventive mechanics, such as a liquid that allows players to jump higher. The biggest improvement was the story Portal 2which was both funny and thoughtful at times.

The last of us

Mushroom horrors

The last of us was released in 2013 and has perhaps the biggest legacy of the many 2010 games since it received a sequel and two seasons of a well-reviewed live-action HBO show.

Set in a post-apocalypse after a worldwide parasitic infection, the game follows the journey between smuggler Joel and young girl Ellie, and their developing relationship is the emotional core of the story. In addition to the expansive narrative, the visuals were on fire, the stealth-based gameplay was satisfying, and the brutality of the combat aided the horrors The last of us stand out as the PS3's swan song.

Stealth Made Right

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain was released in 2015 and was the last game that Hideo Kojima directed Metal Gear series following his departure from Konami soon after. However, it was a fitting end to his tenure on the series.

Like all games in the Big Boss saga, players had a large amount of customization options to choose from before missions, which expanded the more their team at Mother Base explored the blueprints. With several open areas to explore, the missions were for the most part open to whether players wanted to be stealthy and non-lethal or go loud. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is not just a good game in the series; it's a master class in covert operations.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Evolving RPG quests

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt came out in 2015 and sort of replaced the previous GOAT in terms of open world RPGs, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. What made this conclusion to the first trilogy satisfying was the quest system. No two quests were the same, and while they may have started out as tropes within the genre, they got more complicated as things progressed.

The combat was also creative between the sword and magic system and the story, while dark, was professionally crafted. World The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt it was grim and definitely not black and white, leading to some really awesome branching storylines that made each play through unique.

Person 5

Social RPG

Person 5 was first released in Japan in 2016 before making its way to North America in 2017. Like the two previous games, the narrative centered around a transfer student in Japan who encountered some mystical twists with his new friends.

Together, they became the Phantom Thieves, a dedicated group of villains who could jump into the physical manifestations of the dungeon-like Mind Palaces, ultimately aiming to change the hearts of the adult leaders in their community. The concept was unique and while the turn-based gameplay and social interactions haven't changed much since then Personality 3, Persona 5 the style helped elevate it from the music to the character designs to the menus.

Super Mario Odyssey

Hats off to you Mario

Super Mario Odyssey was released in 2017 exclusively for the Switch and was another in a long line of great 3D Mario platformers. The big gimmick for this was Cappy, Mario's now sentient hat that was possessed by a spirit. This spirit allowed players to possess additional items and enemies, including dinosaurs, humans, tanks, Cheep Cheeps, and more.

The gimmick was surprising with each new asset unlocked, but overall the platformer remained the star of the show across a range of planets, from a ruined jungle to a wide open desert. Super Mario Odyssey did not disappoint fans in terms of creativity.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Hyrule Redefined

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released for the Switch in 2017, and it was this game that helped power the Switch at launch. It was the first true open world Zelda a game with seemingly no limits, even beyond normal open world standards.

Not only could players look into the distance, see a mountain and then head up there, but thanks to the new stamina meter, they could literally climb it. Not only that, at the top, players could jump off and slide to safety. Research is what has been produced The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild an impressive launch game and redefined the very nature of open world gaming beyond just looking good.

Forza Horizon 4

Racing across the UK

Each Forza Horizon the game is better than the last one, with 2018 Forza Horizon 4 it is popular among European players because it was set in Great Britain. The game had all the features that helped define the previous games in the series, such as a large open world, dynamic weather, visuals that could kill, and a star-studded roster of cars that all performed best for a racing game.

What ultimately changed was the world, as players now appeared in real time in a shared world like an MMO or live service game. Whether players just wanted to explore or craved the challenge of racing against an AI-based team or a multiplayer team, Forza Horizon 4 had the fans covered.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Western bliss

Red Dead Redemption 2 was released in 2018 and quickly became another excellent entry in the Rockstar game line. It's also one of the best Western games out there, giving fans of the genre everything they could want from a video game adaptation of the era.

It features an outlaw story on the brink of change, bank heists, train sets, an open world with good old fashioned camping, hunting, riding, gunfights and the list goes on. Red Dead Redemption 2 the storytelling is strong, but so was the gameplay, and every element came together in a product that defied expectations and then some.