The 2010s saw a huge variety of gaming consoles and titles, like the 3DS, PS3, and Xbox One. Now, looking back, which games from that decade are still enjoyable today?
Games like Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Super Mario Odyssey are still considered amazing for good reason. But what makes them stand out, and what other games deserve recognition? It was hard to narrow it down – there are so many great options – but these titles immediately sprang to mind.
Mass Effect 2
A Hallmark In Space RPGs
Released in 2010, Mass Effect 2 remains one of the greatest space RPGs ever made. It’s also a fantastic shooter where you control Commander Shepard and lead a team of two companions on missions, giving them orders during combat.
While the shooting was solid, it was the story and characters that truly made Mass Effect 2 special, and why it’s remained a favorite among RPG players for over ten years. From reconnecting with old friends like Garrus to building relationships with new characters like Jack, every conversation and plot point felt carefully made.
Portal 2
Evolving The Puzzle Formula
Released in 2011, Portal 2 built upon the original game with a larger, more adventurous experience. While still focused on puzzle-solving using the iconic Portal gun, the sequel moved beyond simple room-based challenges.
The game began with a series of tests, but soon descended into chaos as players navigated through crumbling ruins, desperately trying to evade an AI even more malicious than the one from the original game. New and creative gameplay elements were introduced, such as a fluid that allowed for increased jump height. However, the most significant improvement in Portal 2 was its story, which managed to be both humorous and surprisingly insightful.
The Last Of Us
The Horrors Of Mushrooms
Released in 2013, The Last of Us is arguably the most impactful game of the 2010s. This is demonstrated by its sequel and the critically acclaimed two-season live-action HBO adaptation.
Set after a worldwide parasitic outbreak, the game follows Joel, a smuggler, and Ellie, a young girl, and focuses on the growing bond between them. Beyond its epic story, The Last of Us was visually stunning, offered rewarding stealth gameplay, and featured intense, realistic combat, making it a standout title for the PlayStation 3.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Stealth Made Right
Released in 2015, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain marked Hideo Kojima’s final directing role in the Metal Gear series, as he left Konami shortly after its completion. It proved to be a satisfying conclusion to his work on the franchise.
Like other games in the Metal Gear Solid series, I loved how much I could customize my gear before each mission. The more I built up Mother Base and unlocked blueprints, the more options I had. And the missions themselves were really open – I could play them totally stealthily, avoiding fights, or go in guns blazing, it was up to me. Honestly, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain isn’t just a great Metal Gear game, it’s a perfect example of how to do stealth right.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Evolving RPG Quests
Released in 2015, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt quickly became the new standard for open-world RPGs, surpassing The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. A key reason for its success was its fantastic quest system. Each quest felt unique, taking familiar ideas and building them into complex and engaging storylines.
The fighting in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was imaginative, blending sword skills with magic. The story was dark but well-written, and the game’s world was complex and morally gray, resulting in branching storylines that made each time you played feel different and special.
Persona 5
A Social RPG
Persona 5 initially launched in Japan in 2016, and then came to North America in 2017. The story, similar to its two predecessors, centers around a new student in Japan who gets caught up in a series of mysterious events with his friends.
We became the Phantom Thieves, a team of rebels who could actually enter people’s minds – these places looked like full-on dungeons, which we called Palaces. Our mission? To change the hearts of corrupt adults in our town. The core gameplay, like the turn-based battles and hanging out with friends, was similar to what I experienced in Persona 3, but Persona 5 just took everything to the next level. Seriously, the music, the character designs, even the menus were all so stylish and made the whole experience amazing.
Super Mario Odyssey
Hats Off To You, Mario
As a huge Mario fan, I was so excited for Super Mario Odyssey when it came out on the Switch in 2017, and it definitely didn’t disappoint! It’s another fantastic 3D Mario adventure, but this one had a really cool twist. Mario gets help from Cappy, his hat, which is actually possessed by a ghost! This lets you ‘capture’ all sorts of things – dinosaurs, people, even tanks and those little Cheep Cheeps – and play as them to solve puzzles and explore. It was such a unique and fun idea!
Each new power-up was a fun surprise, but the core gameplay – expertly designed platforming – was consistently the highlight. The game took players through diverse and imaginative worlds, like ruined jungles and vast deserts, and Super Mario Odyssey truly delivered on its promise of creativity.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Hyrule Redefined
Released in 2017 for the Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a key title in launching the console. It was the first Zelda game to fully embrace an open-world design, offering players incredible freedom and surpassing typical open-world game expectations.
Players weren’t just able to see distant mountains and travel to them; they could actually climb them, thanks to a new stamina system. And once at the top, they could even glide down safely. This focus on exploration is what made The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild such a groundbreaking game when it launched, fundamentally changing what we expect from open-world games – going far beyond just impressive graphics.
Forza Horizon 4
Racing Through The U.K.
Every Forza Horizon game improves on the last, and many European players especially love Forza Horizon 4 from 2018, which took place in Great Britain. The game kept everything that made the series great – a huge open world, changing weather, stunning graphics, and a fantastic selection of accurately modeled cars.
The biggest change was the game’s world itself, allowing players to interact with each other in real-time, similar to popular online games. Whether players preferred simply exploring the environment or competing in races against AI opponents or other players, Forza Horizon 4 offered something for everyone.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Western Bliss
Released in 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2 quickly established itself as another excellent game from Rockstar. It’s also considered one of the best Western games ever made, delivering exactly what fans have always wanted from a video game set in that era.
Red Dead Redemption 2 tells the story of an outlaw who’s trying to turn his life around, featuring thrilling bank robberies and train chases. You can explore a vast open world where you can camp, hunt, ride horses, and get into intense gunfights – and that’s just the beginning. The game’s story is compelling, but it’s the combination of the strong narrative and engaging gameplay that truly exceeded expectations.
Read More
- Change Your Perspective Anomaly Commission Guide In NTE (Neverness to Everness)
- All Nameless Hospital Endings Full Guide In NTE
- Lonely Player Anomaly Commission Guide In NTE (Wandering Puppet Locations)
- Robinhood’s $75M OpenAI Bet: Retail Access or Legal Minefield?
- Beware! Phishing Emails Are Deceiving Robinhood Users in a Sneaky Plot!
- Midas Tower ReroRero Phone Booth Location in NTE
- NTE Banners (Current, Next, And Upcoming Banners)
- How to Get the Wunderbarrage in Totenreich (BO7 Zombies)
- All Skyblazer Armor Locations in Crimson Desert
- How To Get Day Off Arc (Free S-Rank Arc) In NTE
2026-05-07 06:08