Wow… okay so I was going to start this article by saying something really small-talk-y like: “Can you BUH-LEAVE it’s already the end of 2019?! What a year in gaming, eh?”
But then I thought: “Oh man that’s the phrase everyone says about everything this time of year. I’m going to switch it up!”
So here goes, my opening sentence before I dive into my favourite games of 2019:
“When I eat a Lindor chocolate ball, I like to take my time with it and really let it melt in my mouth. Please consider trying it this holiday season. Especially try drinking a hot beverage right before you eat it. Also, almond eggnog is THE BOMB DOT COM! That is all.”
WOO! ARE WE ALL PUMPED UP NOW!? HERE WE GO FOLKS!
Three Quick Disclaimers
- These games aren’t in any particular order; I just couldn’t bring myself to put them in an order because I loved them all so much for different reasons.
- Yes there are more than five, I also didn’t want to – or think I needed to – narrow it down to a specific amount.
- All of these games didn’t necessarily come out in 2019; these are just games that I obtained and played in 2019.
The GAMES!
Where The Water Tastes Like Wine
Of course I loved this one! Of all the games I reviewed this year (and granted it wasn’t THAT many since I joined Ladiesgamers later in the year) it was my only one that got the two-thumbs-up perfect score from me.
It is amazing storytelling, combined with such a cool and interesting premise, as well as really intriguing characters that will awaken all kinds of feelings of pathos inside. As well, the artwork was beautiful and unique.
Bittersweet stories are my favourite ones. As well, I have always been into tarot cards and spirit animals and crystals and cool stuff like that.
So this game basically combined a bunch of things I love, then shaken – not stirred – and I got to drink in this delicious cocktail of awesome game. What’s not to love?
Bee Simulator
Goodness gracious, where do I even begin with this one? I. LOVE. BEES. I love everything about bees. I love every kind of bee. I love to pet bees. I wish all of the bees could recognize me as an ally and defender of them and they’d always fly to, crawl all over, me.
I honestly squee with happiness when I see bees or pictures of bees.
I am surprised that the overload of cuteness I had playing this game didn’t make my heart explode and kill me.
The gameplay made me smile, and I loved seeing the world from the perspective of a bee. I loved talking to squirrels and fighting with wasps! I loved gathering pollen for my hive and popping balloons with my stinger.
It’s one of those games that you can just sit and relax with and play for hours and then all of a sudden it’s 2am and you have work the next day!
And BEES!!!
Pokemon Shield
Not since the original Pokemon Blue (where my much younger self managed to achieve a completed pokedex), and Pokemon Diamond have I been so engrossed and addicted to a Pokemon game.
I am obsessed with completing my pokedex. I’ve been hatching eggs and leveling up and using stones and catching so many pokemon, and every time I add a new pokemon into my pokedex I feel a swell of accomplishment.
Perhaps that’s the feeling an addict gets every time they take a hit. Nintendo knows what it’s doing and how to addict the gamer masses to their IP’s.
Until I have my perfect team, get all those special Gigantamax pokemon, and maybe catch a shiny or two, I have no shame in admitting that my Switch is going to see a lot more Pokemon in the coming months.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
As previously mentioned, I am a sucker for a good story. Fire Emblem is usually pretty good at providing a good story experience as well as engaging gameplay and interesting characters.
As with Pokemon, the last Fire Emblem game to really grab my attention was Path of Radiance on the GameCube, and then it’s direct sequel Radiant Dawn on the Wii. This game is just as good as those, and I LOVED those two so much.
With Three Houses I can really tell that a lot of time, money, and effort went into it; and it was not for naught. It’s a great game that had a great budget, and used the budget well. As well, plenty of replay value, which is always a good thing to factor in when deciding to purchase a tripple A game.
It’s like in the theatre world: I can put on a production in a community theatre with a budget of $50, and you can get some really amazing quality stuff (indie games); but then you go to London, England and see Harry Potter And The Cursed Child in the Princess Theatre and you can almost TASTE just how much money went into the set and lights and actors and costumes… And all you can do is lament the fact that so many little games deserve to have the budget of a major title like Fire Emblem, and we are just lucky that some smaller indie developers manage to push through all the crap and lack of money and make something great (Stardew Valley anyone?).
Also, Golden Deer house for life!
Akash: Path of the Five
I love otome games; and this is an amazing example of the very Japanese genre being done by a North American team.
This game also combines a few of my favourite things: elemental magic fantasy stories and romance.
Boom! You really can’t go wrong, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Also, anyone ever played Golden Sun, an old GBA RPG back in the day? To THIS DAY that is still my favourite RPG of all time. The story, the elemental magic, the little djinni, the EVERYTHING! Get Akash, and then if you can find it also get Golden Sun 1 & 2.
Lovers In A Dangerous Space Time
I think in terms of fun party games, this one is my number one; not only for this year, but for all time!
It’s fun, it’s clever, it’s cute, it’s cooperative. It’s some of the best eye candy I’ve ever had. And there’s a bit of tongue-in-cheek in that as your in-game spaceship is called the Gumball.
GET. THIS. GAME. PERIOD. It will not disappoint, and you’ll find yourself and your friends 11 hours later on board-games-day being like “What… we have to go do the show now? Noooo, can’t we just all call in sick and stay here instead?”
(Incidentally, my friends and I literally have to still play the very last level because that exact scenario happened.)
Cadence of Hyrule
What an amazing gaming experience. I hadn’t played Crypt Of The Necrodancer, but you bet your bottom-dollar I will be after playing Cadence.
Zelda music is some of my favourite video game music. And it’s been a long time since I’ve played a good rhythm game (Elite Beat Agents I think was the last one I truly loved). Highly love and recommend!
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