Two weeks or so ago, Microsoft and Sony released their next generation of video game consoles, the Microsoft Series X|S and Sony’s PlayStation 5. I took the occasion to think about my favorite and the best games of the previous console generation.
I settled on 8 games that were deserving in my mind of “Best of the Generation” status for one reason or another. I lost two games I love by not including games from the last 8 or so years that were exclusive to the PC (like Disco Elysium) or debuted on PC and were later ported to consoles due to their PC success (Stardew Valley). I also didn’t include Nintendo Switch titles, since Nintendo is, generationally, kind of off doing their own thing. This also keeps me from having to explain that I didn’t include Breath of the Wild because while I respect the hell out of it, that’s a game I like less and less the father away from it I get from playing it.
Anyway, here’s my Games of the Generation:
Persona 5
While this list is unordered, I think this is an excellent game but the weakest on my “Best Games of the Generation” list. There’s a lot here that’s like Persona 4 which had a lot in common with Persona 3, both games from earlier generations. Persona 5, before the Royal re-release, also took a step back in how it forced players to “waste” time they would otherwise expect to be available for various side activities. Nitpicks aside, Persona 5 is the top of the class of a type of game that borders on a dying breed, and its excellence in execution of art design, writing, combat, and systems design makes it the best of an almost decade generation.
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Assassin’s Creed entries Origins and Odyssey get more credit for reinvigorating the franchise and Valhalla is an early standout on this new generation of consoles. Black Flag was a new console generation standout as well, but both it and Valhalla were cross-generation releases. The first release on the PS4/Xbox One generation was Unity, a game that almost killed the franchise with bugs and tired, uninspired mission design. Syndicate addressed this and brought in multiple playable characters with likable protagonists Jacob and Evie Frye. Scaling the roofs of Victorian London, cavorting with Alexander Graham Bell and Karl Marx, and assassinating Templars? Best Assassin’s Creed of the generation.
MLB The Show 20
Sports games had a bad reputation coming into this generation as being annual roster updates applied to old games and used to milk another $60 out of fans of the sport. This reputation only worsened with the introduction of “Ultimate Team” modes pioneered by Electronic Arts. These mix video game with the fantasy sports and digital card collecting that appeals to the sports game fan. The problem is they mostly do so by preying on exploitative design that borders on gambling in the chase for the “best” players/cards to use. The Show has fought this to a degree by introducing multiple ways to earn quality players/cards in their Diamond Dynasty mode. The Show 20 stands out as the Live Team at Sony San Diego Studios released a baseball game built on live content right before the onset of a global pandemic that delayed and shortened the MLB season. They managed to keep a steady stream of game updates coming through a planned Thanksgiving day update. That’s a generational achievement if I’ve ever heard of one.
No Man’s Sky and Destiny 2
Destiny 2 is the sequel to a hyped shooter from the creators of Halo that launched, disappointed, and then brought players back through updates and steady new content. Not all of those new content released “hit” with the player base, but developer Bungie was able to release something, listen, and react. This continues with Destiny 2, including the notable change of developer Bungie buying their independence from publisher Activision and making the core of Destiny 2 free to play. The nature of being a live game means no one will ever have the same experience I had that I did when playing it at launch, but that’s in the service of improving the experience for all.
No Man’s Sky debuted with incredible hype and fizzled upon release years later based on player expectations that ballooned out of control despite the developers promising and releasing a procedurally generated exploration and survival game. Hello Games kept working on the game post-launch and has put out several major updates, increasing the game’s scope. No Man’s Sky isn’t a live game, but has benefited from this generation’s ability to react to fans and update games post-launch.
The Witcher 3
It’s easy to look at this generation and open world games with a cynical eye: “If you see it you can go to it” only has any real appeal if the “there” you see has something engaging to do on the way there or once there. Climbing Mount Everest “because it’s there” in real life is a tremendous accomplishment; doing the equivalent in a video game because there was 1 of 240 collectibles at the top...not so much. The Witcher 3 managed to create a vast world with plenty to do that felt meaningful, and had a compelling, emotional story at its core as well. It’s a beautiful looking, well playing game that has set the bar for most open world games in this new generation.
Spider-Man
And then there’s proof that open worlds don’t have to be huge: you can’t even go to Queens in Spider-Man’s version of New York City. But like The Witcher 3, a great story is augmented by wanting to traverse the city and wanting to use your Spidey Powers in ways the game challenges you to do so. The collectibles and available Spidey-Suits are love letters to fans of Spider-Man, and this was a game that I never got tired of playing. I feel lucky there’s a remaster and an expansion/whatever you want to call the Miles Morales version that’s out in PS5 at launch.
Titanfall 2
Last but not least, we have Titanfall 2. Titanfall 2 is simply a masterpiece in its level design for both single and multiplayer. Multiplayer features areas expansive enough to allow for battles between massive piloted robots yet with enough features and character to remain fun for smaller, on foot engagements. Single player is highlighted by the campaign mission “Effect and Cause,” which has players jumping through time in an abandoned factory/research facility in a marvel of story telling and technical achievement. The final mission also has a moment and subsequent gameplay sequence that is so satisfying I’m loathe to spoil it here despite it being 4 years old. Everything about Titanfall 2 was so finely focused and tuned that I find myself sad I don’t get the same enjoyment out of development studio Respawn’s excellent battle royale entry, Apex Legends, and hoping against hope we get some signal of a Titanfall 3 for this new generation soon.