A decade of gaming - Voice of London

2020 is just around the corner and with it marks the end of an important chapter in our lives, so before we close the book VOL looks back at the games that made an impact this decade.

Video games play an important part in our life and some best one are the ones that shape you who you are, there are games that help you when you were down on your luck and there games that bring joy to your life.

Narrowing down the best video games of the decade to just 6 is impossible as every game affects people differently.

This is why VOL’s very own Mohamed Ahamad and the host of the popular gaming podcast The Chompcast, Morgan Barnes come together to explain which games have made an impact on them in the past 10 years.

VOL Mohamed Ahamad

3) Spiderman (2018)

Spiderman (2018) is an action-adventure open world game developed by Insomniac Games which chronicles the adventure of Peter Parker as he swings on the tallest buildings in New York City fighting crime.

With the superhero genre dominating the movies, Marvel Studios decided to bring the lovable web-shooting kid back to the gaming platform.

Spiderman (2018) was able to incorporate elements of the previous spider-man games and the movies which ultimately led to creating a world that was so similar yet so different and new which made the game successful.

2) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)

Based on the fantasy novels of Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) is an open-world action role-playing game.

Playing as Geralt of Rivia who searches for his long-lost lover Yennifer and his surrogate daughter Ciri has him fighting monster, demons and many other mythical beings only heard in stories along the way.

The world of Witcher 3 is a wild and exciting fantasy roleplaying experience in which each decision affects the outcome of the entire story and with over 100 hours of gameplay, there is no shortage of adventures to find.

1) The Last of Us (2013)

The Last of Us (2013) is a horror action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog.

Following smuggler Joel and teenager Ellie as they journey through the post-apocalyptic United States seeing how the world has changed since the virus.

The game forces the player to constantly think through their approach to every encounter of zombies and humans by having limited resources, all the while the tension is constantly upped to 100 to make the player feel a sense of unease while playing.

The Last of Us is ultimately a human story about surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, but what makes the game one of the best of this decade is how realistic it is with its superb dialogue and story-telling which makes it impossible to not feel attached to Joel and Ellie.

Morgan Barnes of The Chompcast

3) No Mans Sky (2016)

No Man’s Sky (2016) is an exploration survival game developed by the Indie company Hello Games.

The game allows you to explore infinite universes, making it the biggest open-world game ever created, where every planet and life form is unique.

The purpose of the game is for the players to simply discover the beauty of the universe Hello Games have created and try to survive on different planets and solar systems.

“No Man’s Sky changed the game of procedural generation forever by randomizing an infinite number of universes. The game is a gorgeous triple-A science fiction adventure with an indie heart. To me, No Mans Sky is: The Forever Game”

2) Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) is an action-adventure game created by Rockstar Games. Following the success of the previous installment, Red Dead 2 is a perfect prequel to the much-loved series.

Red Dead 2 is an open immersive world set in the Old West where players spend most of their time galloping on their horses across the American Wilderness. When the players are not riding their prized stallions, there are a range of things they can do such as train robberies, hunting, settling disputes and being a gunslinger for hire.

The game is not only breathtakingly beautiful, but players can spend hours on their horses exploring the world and interacting with the people of the wild west.

“Red Dead Redemption is the greatest technical achievement of the generation. The game is a nearly flawless open-world western saga with characters you will never forget.”

1) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) is an action-adventure open world game created by Nintendo.

Playing as the hero Link players must travel across Hyrule as the villain Ganon ravages the land with his dark force.

However, unlike the previous incarnations of Zelda, Breath of the Wild is a completely different game as players may choose to fight the villain or explore the vast world of Hyrule which is full of living creatures, hidden populations, threats, and secrets.

The entire world of Hyrule is a playground where players are encouraged to enjoy the scenery, hunt for animals, forage for ingredients to cook, go fishing, or simply explore the vast world.

“Nintendo took the familiarity and charm of the Zelda games we grew up on and used it to evolve the open-world genre forever. Did I mention you can play the game on the go? Total Game changer!”

The decade may be over but these games will stay with us forever, let the next chapter begin as the games of the past will pave the way forward for the future of gaming.

Special thanks to Morgan Barnes of The Chompcast who you can follow on:

Words: Mohamed Ahamad |