13 - The Last of Us.

Might as well start posting my write ups... yes I'm at #50.....

#50: Tales of Arise

I never gave the Tales series the time of day until I saw a trailer for this game. The combat looked incredible and the game's art direction really appealed to me with its vibrant colors and flashy moves.  The trailer did not lie, I got exactly what I expected and more, fun combat with crazy combos and dual techs (that's not the official name but Chrono Trigger rules so...), the characters all play differently and even though you control only one of them, the combat system has clever ways of involving the whole cast during a fight. The story is also very interesting with a focus of the effects of oppression with each region you visit experiencing it in a different way. There's a caveat here though because the last part of the game features an incredibly long and repetitive series of cutscenes dumping exposition for the final fight. 

Also, being a Final Fantasy fanboy I expected more content in the end game portion but it went by a bit too fast for my taste but then again this proves I was enjoying playing this game a lot since I wanted more.

#14: Uncharted 4

Correct.

That's the one.

#49 : Ultra Street Fighter IV

A constant with fighting games on my list is that the ones I enjoyed the most are the ones I had people I knew to play with.  I get tired pretty quickly of fighting random players online but playing someone you can interact with is so much better. This was the case with Ultra Street Fighter IV. A group of guys at work would gather and play during lunch breaks. Our skill level was roughly the same so the matches were close and we could learn from each other. My go to characters were Chun Li, C. Viper and Cammy.

USFIV was also a game that I loved to watch on Stream or on YouTube, seeing what the pros could do was really impressive.

#48: Resident Evil Village

RE Village is kind of a mixed bag... not in the usual sense of the expression because it's good all the way through but it does have an identity crisis. You get the classic careful exploration of the titular village and the castle nearby then you move on to a puzzle/horror section with the creepiest baby ever and no guns allowed, back to some exploration followed by a more action focused section in the factory and culminating with an all out guns blazing final section.  

It might be a bit disjointed but it's a wild enjoyable ride! You're back in the role of the most mutilated Resident Evil protagonist ever Ethan Winters and once again experience the RE world in first person view. The game features the return of a friendly merchant who will allow you to upgrade your weapon and purchase plenty of useful tools. The bosses are as eclectic as the game itself and they are a delight, especially the ones who get more screen time before their final showdown with our hero.

#47: Devil May Cry V : 

I'll be honest and say I don't remember much from Devil May Cry V's story but like the points in Whose Line Is It Anyway, it doesn't matter. The reason I play Devil May Cry games is for the frantic and varied combat and the over the top action scenes. DMC V delivers on that front gloriously, having three playable characters is a good start, add to that the variety of weapons, guns, devil breakers, familiars that each can use plus the moves associated to them and you've got yourself a solid combat system.

The game provides a decent challenge, lets you have fun with all your moves (like murdering demons by grinding them with a motorcycle) and features epic boss fights along the way. All ingredients for a very good time!

12) Dark Souls III?

#17

(-2)

Despite a small drop in the list, this one actually grew on me with a replay this year. With the nice little PS5 update to the game and 60fps, along with seeing it all in comparison to the first 3, I can confidently say this is my favorite in the series. Absolutely stunning with more refined gameplay and easily the most emotionally resonant entry. It doesn’t have the crazy set pieces really of the last two games but it doesn’t need to. The scene of Nathan reminiscing on his past adventures in his attic honestly rivals those moments for me. I do think this game sorta rushes to its conclusion a little too fast but regardless its a satisfying one and as a whole an amazing final adventure

Correct.