This has been a great decade for gaming; the release of consoles such as the PS4, the Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch revolutionized the gaming industry through the power of their hardware alone. Pair this with the multitude of innovations that pushed the imagination of gamers and game developers alike, and you’ve got the makings of a gaming experience that transcends mere entertainment.
More recently, the PS5 and Xbox Series S have helped drive gaming to new heights, with so much more to come. Gamers are always looking forward to the new Grand Theft Auto, although they may be waiting some time, according to Games Radar. Still, there’s always anticipation for the next Assassin’s Creed or the next Need For Speed. More often than not, looking back isn’t the done thing. Retro gaming has us looking way back into the past, but games that are only a few years old can quickly be forgotten. The last ten years have produced many games that fit this definition, and so as we move into the ninth generation of consoles, let’s take a look back at the best games from the past ten years that are bound to be retro classics in the future.
Fortnite
The late 2010s were ruled by battle royale games. And while the first game on this list can’t claim to be the start of the trend, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that it was the one that perfected it. Epic Games’ Fortnite redefined the battle royale genre and catapulted it into a global phenomenon. Fortnite single-handedly turned streamers into celebrities that make millions of dollars per year.
What’s the secret behind Fortnite’s success? It’s the constant stream of new content that Epic Games keeps churning out – content that will continue to evolve, as Fortnite isn’t satisfied with being just another run of the mill battle royale game. If you have any doubts about whether or not it deserves its place on this list, consider how many games have come out with their battle royale feature just to try and replicate what Fortnite has been able to do.
God of War
While technically a remake of the original God of War, 2018’s iteration of the Greek mythology-themed action-adventure game took all that was good with the first version and cranked it up to 100. God of War pushed the technological limits of the current consoles and delivered a visually stunning and emotionally compelling narrative that dwarfs its contemporaries.
But is anyone really surprised? Even the first version changed the landscape of the gaming industry when it was released, as the number of mythology-themed games has been on the rise since the first God of War turned out to be a smash hit in 2005. The games have even managed to cross genres, as Foxy Games’ range of mythology-themed online slots shows. Games like the Age of the Gods Norse God and Giants and Gates of Olympus have proven to be quite popular over the years, as the struggle between gods, men, and mythological beasts continue to appeal to gamers everywhere. Indeed, the most recent Assassin’s Creed title, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, has only served to underline how popular the genre really is.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Have you ever wondered who would win in a fight between Super Mario villain Bowser and Pokemon’s Charizard? If you have, then Super Smash Bros. is the game for you. This two-decade-old fighting game franchise spans five releases, with the latest iteration containing all the characters from the previous games. This amounts to a whopping 78 characters, plus those that will be added via downloadable content. The scale and ambition of the game coupled with stellar mechanics, are what makes Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo’s opus for the decade.
In fact, Super Smash Bros. is so successful that rival game company Sony tried to come up with their version, using characters from their universe in an attempt to overthrow the fighting game genre juggernaut. Tried is the operative word, as their game PlayStation All-Stars generally flew under the radar, only serving to underscore Nintendo’s success.