My Top 10 Games Featured on the GameFAQs.com Game of the Decade List

Hey all, and welcome to another video game listing. In fact, this is the same listing I did 10 years ago, but with the last decade rather than the one before. Can you believe that I've had this website for almost a decade??! I can't!

I wrote this exact same article nearly 10 years ago, to read it click here.

So, another decade, another GameFAQs poll tournament. Despite certain articles I've written suggesting otherwise, I do still have a lot of time for GameFAQs and love participating in their tournaments. I'm intrigued to know what will win this tournament. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask won it last time. My guess? Either The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

So these are, to me, my 10 favourite games of the 128 that have been put down for the tournament. Let's go!

#10: South Park: The Stick of Truth

Available On: PC, PS3, PS4, XBox 360, XBox One, Nintendo Switch

Original Release: 2014

My Rating: ****1/4 stars

Just as an aside, this was the last game I thoroughly played on my XBox 360 before I moved on to the Playstation 4.

For me, this game is terribly underrated. I had so much fun playing it, for me it's one of the funniest games ever created. If you're a South Park fan, and you love RPG games, it's a MUST play. It looks and feels like South Park, and the combat system, while takes a lot of inspiration from Final Fantasy X, is solid. It truly was a spectacular game.

#9: Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

Available On: PC, PS Vita, Playstation 4, Nintendo 3DS

Original Release: 2012

My Rating: ****1/4 stars

I first heard about the Zero Escape games probably about 2 or 3 years ago. I saw the trailer for the first game (Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors) and pencilled it as a game I wanted to play at some point. I actually only played through the games back in December of last year.

I'm telling you now - get the Nonary Games. It's available on PC or PS4. The games are simply incredible when it comes to storytelling, plot twists and keeping you on your toes.

When it comes to individual titles in the series, Virtue's Last Reward is arguably the most famous of the trilogy, but for me, "999" is a better game. That takes nothing away from this title, it's a solid title and well worth your time. The puzzles are intricately detailed and, as stated above, the story is fantastic. My advice however would be to play them in order, although they are an experience individually too.

#8: The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series

Available On: PC, Playstation 3, PS Vita, Playstation 4, XBox 360, XBox One, Nintendo Switch

Original Release: 2012

My Rating: ****1/4 stars

This is another game that took me longer to finish than it should. All the Walking Dead video games by Telltale Games are fantastic but unfortunately they couldn't improve on the first series. The story between Lee and Clementine is so beautiful, you forget these are fictional characters. It almost feels real, responding to Clementine's difficult questions during this apocalyptic zombie world. It's a shame that Telltale Games probably won't be making any more games, because I truly don't know if they made a bad game, sure there's some that are better than others, and perhaps none better than this first season of Walking Dead, but they really did know how to work this multichoice narrative style of gaming.

#7: Heavy Rain

Available On: PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4

Original Release: 2010

My Rating: ****1/2 stars

I'll confess to never having a PS3, in that one generation of gaming I changed my allegiances to the XBox 360. There was always one game that was, at the time, a PS3 exclusive that I always wanted to play, and that was Heavy Rain. It wasn't until it was bundled with Beyond Two Souls and put on PS4 that I finally got to play this absolute gem. When it comes to doing a game in the style of a movie, this game really, for me, is the first to do the narrative drama perfectly. The visuals are stunning for 2010, the music is incredibly fully of suspense, the characters are well acted and animated and, of course, the choices you make were difficult to make and lead to some brilliant plot twists. Heavy Rain truly pioneered this genre and the game still plays brilliantly today.

#6: Resident Evil 7

Available On: PC, Playstation 4, XBox One, Nintendo Switch

Original Release: 2017

My Rating: ****1/2 stars

I've reviewed this game for this website, you can view it here.

Resident Evil 7 returned the series to its roots and boy it delivered well. The game really did go above and beyond grossing us out and making us feel tense again. It had been such a long time since we had those feelings and it was so good. Sure, the game, as it goes on, gets less nervy but in fairness most horror games fall into that trap. I genuinely didn't see the plot twist coming at the end of the game and all the characters played their parts very well. It's well worth your time if you want a fantastic horror game on the modern consoles.

#5: Grand Theft Auto V

Available On: PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, XBox 360, XBox One

Original Release: 2013

My Rating: ****1/2 stars

I can imagine some people being surprised that this game "only" got to #5 in my list considering how popular it is. Don't get me wrong this is a blockbuster title and an instant classic. My main issue with this game is that I truly don't think that Rockstar have really elevated the series since San Andreas. That takes nothing away by how damn good it is, but I can honestly say that this game doesn't add much more than the PS2 era games. That all being said it's an absolutely brilliant game, and the best thing about it for me is the three main characters, and, of course, particularly Trevor Phillips, who has become one of the best video game characters of all time. The dialogue, atmosphere and tensions between the three characters is truly a joy to watch and is the main reason why the game is so good. Heists are a big ball of joy too, and some of the side missions are hilarious.

#4: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Available On: Nintendo DS

Original Release: 2010

My Rating: ****1/2 stars

For me, this is THE most complete Pokemon game ever made. I always loved Pokemon Gold and Silver on the Game Boy Color, and loved how it was the only games in the series that allowed you to go to two different locations and get a total of 16 gym badges. I loved the day and night system and it was back in the days where adding 100 new Pokemon or so felt like a big deal. So when it got the remake treatment, I wasn't disappointed. It's still the only Pokemon games that allow you to traverse between two places and get those badges. Also the final battle of the game (as in, the REAL final battle) feels just as epic as it did the first time. The visuals really did make the most of the power of the DS at the time. Simply for me, this is the ultimate Pokemon experience and you must play it if you haven't before and you like what the games have to offer.

#3: Resident Evil 2

Available On: PC, Playstation 4, XBox One

Original Release: 2019

My Rating: ****1/2 stars

For a very long time I wished for a Resi 2 Remake. The original back in 1998 was a truly incredible experience for so many people that I really felt that it could do with a modern touch. And while it falls ever so short of the original in my eyes, this is by far the best Resident Evil game since Resident Evil 4. It's a truly amazing experience, the gameplay so damn slick, the monsters are truly horrifying, the attention to detail in the gore is incredible, specifically when you take out the zombies limb by limb. Tyrant, otherwise known as Mr X is as terrifying as he was back in the day. William Birkin's transformations are so well done. The main thing that lets the game down is the serious lack of a proper "B" campaign for Leon and Claire, they were so good in the original and were a serious afterthought in the Remake. Otherwise, this is the best modern Resident Evil experience we have today and I implore you to play it.

#2: Portal 2

Available On: PC, Playstation 3, XBox 360

Original Release: 2011

My Rating: ****3/4 stars

I've reviewed this game, to read it click here.

Over the past 9 years, two games came out in 2011 that, for me, were truly incredible gaming experiences. At the time I wasn't sure what I preferred, and after a lot of deliberation, I went with Portal 2. Over time my feelings have changed, but that doesn't take anything away from how amazing this game is.

Portal 2 is truly a game you must play before you die. It's gutwrenchingly funny, clever, with excellent plot twists and some of the best puzzles any video game has to offer. It improves on the original in every way possible and delivers a 6-8 hour masterpiece. It's such a damn shame that Valve haven't brought this classic to PS4 because I'd totally buy it for my modern system. Thankfully I have it on my PC to play whenever I boot this damn thing up. Seriously play this game. I mean it!

#1: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Available On: PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, XBox 360, XBox One, Nintendo Switch

Original Release: 2011

My Rating: ****3/4 stars

As I stated above, two amazing games came out in 2011 and they're both amazing in so many different ways. I used to say I preferred Portal 2 to Skyrim but now I honestly don't know how true that is. Skyrim has aged like a fine wine (so has Portal 2 but... anyway), and still for me is the ultimate modern RPG experience. Sure there are those who will say that the game was improved by The Witcher 3, but I just don't agree. For me, Skyrim just feels so good, it's close to perfection. I love the stories, the side quests, the levelling up system, the excellent characters but above all, I absolutely love the province that is Skyrim itself. It's such a wonderful place to be, I love the snowy mountains, certain cities in the game, and how this Dragonborn makes such a difference to this part of the world of Tamriel. For me it's simply one of the best games of all time, and the best gaming experience, for me, in the last decade.

Well I hope you enjoyed the list. I'm sure you'll disagree with certain entries and be distraught that some of your favourite games didn't make the cut. What for you are the best games of the last 10 years? Comment below. Until next time, stay safe, take care and see you soon!

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My Top 50 Favourite Playstation 1 Games: #36

If you missed #37 click here.

#36 - Tombi!

Released: 1997
Genre: Platformer

Rating: **** stars

Best Moment: Simply finding new quests and completing them, they're all fun in different ways.

Tombi! is perhaps more well known as Tomba! in the US, but either way it never got as popular as it deserved to be. The game was met with critical acclaim, but sold poorly, and then they took their chances on a sequel, which too got critical acclaim but sold even worse. Eventually the company disbanded and the game has been largely forgotten about. To the point that if you want to buy this game now, good luck, as you'll be lucky to find it for under £100 it's that rare.

But it was a GREAT game. I confess, I never did finish it, but what I did play of it I absolutely loved. This was possibly the first game I played that allowed you to do quests that unlocked further quests to then do even more quests. You know, like Elder Scrolls Skyrim and other RPG games? The difference being this is a platformer, and it was 1997, and not many games had done this with this style of game before. It's a truly unique platformer and the quests were all very well done and the game really did deserve far more attention than it got. I'd suggest you buy it but as I said, it's so expensive to buy now, so good luck!

Ever think, "hmm, what did come in at #35"? If so click here!

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My Top 50 Favourite Video Game Villains: #30 - #21

We're 40% through the list, so let's count another 10 villains down, from #30 to #21!

Note: There are possible spoilers in each entry so avoid them if you don't want to ruin any storylines.

#30: Dr Fetus

Other Names: Dr Keith Fetus
Debut Game and Year: Super Meat Boy (2010)
Famous Quote?: None
Other Appearances: None

Super Meat Boy is a brilliant game. With a very simple storyline. Dr Fetus is an evil bastard, who dislikes everyone. Especially Meat Boy. Because he hates Meat Boy so much he kidnaps his girlfriend and hides her in very difficult traps for Meat Boy to get killed in. It's an old school platform game made fun and very difficult, and Dr Fetus always stays one step ahead of Meat Boy, continuing to hide his girlfriend away from him and flips his middle finger at him whenever possible. Dr Fetus isn't an original villain in motivation or even complicated, but he's just fun to chase and serves a great deal of joy in playing Super Meat Boy.

#29: Giovanni

Other Names: None
Debut Game and Year: Pokemon Red and Blue (1996)
Famous Quote?: "Keep your nose out of grown-up matters... Or experience a world of pain!"
Other Appearances: Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokemon HeartGold and Soulsilver, Pokemon Black and White 2

There was something quite likeable about Giovanni from the original Pokemon games. He was a man that wanted power and to use Pokemon to take over the world but, there was always a certain respect he had for the player. Despite all the evil and intent he had, he lost his battles against you with grace and respect and walked away from his plans whenever you got the better of him. I don't know why but I just thought that was such a cool thing about Giovanni. I've always liked him and always will.

#28: Creeper

Other Names: None
Debut Game and Year: Minecraft (2011)
Famous Quote?: "sssssss......"
Other Appearances: None

Ask anyone who has played Minecraft about Creepers and they will all tell a different story about this little fella, all resulting in hearing a hissing sound and an explosion of some creation that took hours of time to arrange. Creepers are like the landlord from hell, waiting for you to work your butt off for a living then take a huge chunk out of your hard work... but this time it's literally. All they do is explode in front of your house or other structures, just for the hell of it. But there's also something quite lovable about them too, and they're one of the best bunch of green pixels a game can ask for.

#27: Nemesis

Other Names: Nemesis-T Type, The Pursuer
Debut Game and Year: Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)
Famous Quote?: "S.T.A.R.S..."
Other Appearances: Resident Evil Survivor 2 Code: Veronica, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

Nemesis is one of the most iconic monsters in video game history, but he's not my favourite. More on that later in the list. But it's hard not to see why. Big grotesque monster. He's possibly the most popular stalking monster in the history of video gaming. Has a rocket launcher. Has an awesome trench coat. Very difficult to knock out, nevermind kill. He's been the nightmare of many a player, in two ways, playing the game and his scariness. He's a tough m-fer and is so hard to knock down. Easy mode or hard mode, makes no difference. But I've gotta love Nemesis, he's a different kind of badass and deserves a big mention here in my list.

#26: Mankar Camoran

Other Names: None
Debut Game and Year: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)
Famous Quote?: "So, the cat's-paw of the Septims arrives at last. You didn't think me unawares? Here of all places, in the paradise that I created?"
Other Appearances: None

Before I talk about this dude I'd just like to say I was debating whether or not to put Cicero from Skyrim in this list. I've decided not to as he can be a friend or a foe. But he would have made this list, and quite far in it, if it wasn't optional.

Anyway, Cicero aside, The Elder Scrolls games do struggle to make great villains. There are some good villains, but very few are "great". Mankar Camoran is a great villain however. He's almost invincible and talks a lot of sense to a certain extent, and that's what's so good about him. It seems inevitable that evil will run over the planet at some point or another, when Oblivion is just underneath the world. But obviously you want to stop it, and try to make it so it'll never ever happen. But Mankar Camoran's speeches are great to read, whilst travelling through Paradise. I love Camoran, and for me he's one of the best characters in the entire series of The Elder Scrolls.

Okay, we're half way there now, so here's a recap of the list from #50 to #26:

#50 - Ogre (Tekken)
#49 - Tom Nook (Animal Crossing)
#48 - The Tank (Left 4 Dead)
#47 - Akuma (Street Fighter)
#46 - Ba'Gamnan (Final Fantasy XII)
#45 - Mr. X (Streets of Rage)
#44 - The Director (Manhunt)
#43 - Tiny Tiger (Crash Bandicoot)
#42 - Goldman (House of the Dead)
#41 - Bryan Fury (Tekken)
#40 - Blue (Pokemon)
#39 - The Ghosts (Pac-Man)
#38 - Lisa Trevor (Resident Evil)
#37 - Knuckles (Sonic 3)
#36 - Dr Zomboss (Plants vs Zombies)
#35 - Scissorman (Clock Tower)
#34 - Seifer (Final Fantasy VIII)
#33 - Walter Sullivan (Silent Hill 4: The Room)
#32 - Black (Gunstar Heroes)
#31 - G. Ceara (Super Monaco GP)
#30 - Dr Fetus (Super Meat Boy)
#29 - Giovanni (Pokemon)
#28 - Creeper (Minecraft)
#27 - Nemesis (Resident Evil 3)
#26 - Mankar Camoran (Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion)

So, let's start the Top 25! At number 25 is...



#25: Dr Robotnik

Other Names: Doctor Ivo Robotnik, Dr Eggman
Debut Game and Year: Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
Famous Quote?: None
Other Appearances: Almost if not all Sonic the Hedgehog games since

Do you call him Dr Eggman? Because fuck you, if you call him Dr Eggman. He's Dr Robotnik and I won't take any arguments about that.

You've gotta love Dr Robotnik. The man will stand at nothing but to try and take over the world, just to be thwarted every time by an annoying speedy blue hedgehog. He has no soul; kidnapping all sorts of animals and shoving them into his high-intelligence robots and make them take over precious lands in attempts to taking control. He's real evil like. And I love him. His grin, his Eggmobile, his running animation, he's just so awesome.

#24: Zachary Comstock

Other Names: Zachary Hale Comstock, Father Comstock, The Prophet, Booker DeWitt
Debut Game and Year: Bioshock Infinite (2013)
Famous Quote?: "One man goes into the waters of baptism, a different man comes out, born again. But who is that man who lies submerged? Perhaps that swimmer is both sinner and saint, until he is revealed unto the eyes of man."
Other Appearances: None

Spoilers! Spoilers! Spoilers! Avoid the text above and this paragraph to avoid spoilers! Okay? Right. Anyway. Wow. Wow is the best word to describe the amazing storyline and scenario created in Bioshock Infinite. Comstock is Booker DeWitt. Never saw that coming. The horrible cycle of Comstock, Colombia, Elizabeth's birth and amazing power all comes down to a loop in Comstock's bloodline. He can see the future apparently. Elizabeth can see the past. Time travel is everywhere in Colombia, and Booker DeWitt is in the middle of a huge confusing storyline of time travel that is way above him. Or is it? It is him. He is the core of the whole situation. DeWitt is an alternative version of Comstock, the "old" Comstock, before he became a prophet. DeWitt is full of dispair and shame, because Elizabeth is his daughter, and he loses her. And he has to die, to stop everything from happening over and over again. He has to die to stop the time travelling and for Comstock's existence to be void. For Elizabeth not to be taken advantage of. Of course she has to die too (although that's been debated... not gonna go into that). Either way, Comstock, or Booker DeWitt, is a great villain. Full of badass quotes, a strong agenda and an almost clear cut invincibility, until the events of the game finally occur, Comstock is one great bad guy.

#23: Heihachi Mishima

Other Names: None
Debut Game and Year: Tekken (1994)
Famous Quote?: "I'll be quick with your death!" - pre-fight quote from Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Other Appearances: Every Tekken game since

His dad, Jinpachi, his son, Kazuya, and his grandson, Jin, all have different forms of the devil gene, but you can always argue that Heihachi, the only person who doesn't have it in his bloodline is the most evil of the lot. He disposes of his father and takes over his country, throws his son down a ravine to "test his strength" and tries to kill his grandson. All he cares about is himself, and his power, and has very little time for anyone or anything, and won't hesitate to double cross anyone, family or not. But, like a lot of these villains in this list, there's something lovable about Heihachi. I love his relationship with his pet bear, Kuma. And there's quite a few funny moments in some of the endings, throughout the series. Not to mention that he has an awesome moveset. I just love Heihachi.

#22: Dormin

Other Names: None
Debut Game and Year: Shadow of the Colossus (2005)
Famous Quote?: "We, Dormin, have arisen anew..."
Other Appearances: None

Spoilers! Spoilers! Don't read this if you want to avoid spoilers! Done? Okay. Like the Comstock entry, I thought it's important to warn you about spoilers because of how amazing the game and its storyline are. If you haven't completeled Shadow of the Colossus you won't recognise Dormin. All of the colossi you defeat in the game, are actually parts of Dormin. He tricks Wander, the main character, promising him to ressurrect his lady if he kills the colossi in the lands around the temple, where in actual fact, by killing them, they, one by one, take over Wander's body to their master in the temple. When he gets killed in the temple, Dormin takes over, all sixteen parts of him, become one giant demon-thing, and destroy the people who are in the temple. He tricked you into believing him, thinking he was good, and had the power to bring back your lover, when in actual fact, he was using you to become born again. Dormin looks badass, and is a horrible villain, for using your character like that.

#21: William Birkin

Other Names: None
Debut Game and Year: Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Famous Quote?: None
Other Appearances: Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

If you haven't seen it yet, I wrote a homage article to William Birkin on this website. It's the second most viewed page on this site. You can read that here.

Considering I wrote a homage article about him you'd have to expect me to place him high on this list of villains. Some may have expected him higher on the list. Fair enough. But it shows you how much I love the next twenty villains.

William Birkin was an amazing monster. And that's one of the main reasons why he's not higher on the list. As a monster, he's absolutely incredible. My homage article pays homage to the monster, the transformations and everything about his physical appearance, and how much it affected me as a gamer. But as a villain, William Birkin isn't really a bad guy. He was a researcher who was experimenting for the Umbrella company. When he realised how special his research was, he started to guard his virus vaccine from those who wished to use it for bad. But he became obsessed with it, and his obsession lead to him being mortally wounded by Umbrella Special Forces. He'd rather use it on himself than give his life's work to those leeches. So, as a villain, he wasn't an evil dude. He was on the wrong side of the fence, and was desperate. So that's why he's not higher on the list. But sure, the monster, not the man, is an incredible sight to be seen and will live with me, and many gamers, forever.

See other parts of this listing!

#50 - #41 | #40 - #31 | #30 - #21 | #20 - #11 | #10 - #2 | #1 + More

Other entries you might want to read:
2013 Special Show (3/1/14) - DJ Show
My Top 50 Favourite Mega Drive Games - Listing
My Top 50 Favourite Final Fantasy Locations - Listing

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