Video games are becoming better and better every year. Well, from a graphical point of view at least, since if we focus on the scenarios that are created or the mechanics that are being designed, it is different with this. That said, you can find and pull from the previous decade a few releases that somehow influenced the industry.
While there were many great games in the previous decade, in this article, we have picked up 10 of the best 2010s games which were able to greatly influence the gaming industry. Stay tuned.
10- Disco Elysium
The success of Disco Elysium should be looked at if anyone has been thinking that indie games have no voice in the industry. The developers from the independent ZA/UM team have prepared an original isometric RPG that enabled us to play the role of a scrubby police officer. The greatest emphasis was put on a storyline filled with choices.
You can even say that it is a masterpiece, since it is hard to find another such engaging story. Disco Elysium proved that as long as you have ambition, an even small team can manage to create a hit that will attract the interest of gamers from all over the world.
9- Pokémon GO
In 2016, Niantic caused a huge percentage of players to get out on the streets and use their phones to catch creatures. Year after year, we were given interesting updates, which added new content, but – like most free titles – Pokémon GO was eventually overrun by most anyway. Such a boisterous launch of the game, however, prompted an increasing number of developers to create mobile items utilizing augmented reality (AR) – such as CD Projekt with its The Witcher: Monster Slayer.
8- Dark Souls
In the beginning, Dark Souls was one great unknown. Nevertheless, after the game hit store shelves, it started to take stores by storm. It was very well received by the industry, and later it also made its way to the PC platform (it was initially only available on seventh-generation consoles), finding more customers. In fact, Dark Souls further advanced the soulslike genre, which is amazingly popular today. Do you need a proof of this? All you have to do is look at the massive commercial success of Elden Ring.
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7- Minecraft
While everyone in the movie industry are familiar with Fast and Furious, in the video game industry everyone knows Minecraft. Although the game was available in its very early versions just two decades ago, the game was released in late 2011 on personal computers. Without fail, tens, if not hundreds of thousands of gamers have been spending time on open or private servers ever since. There has been tremendous popularity for the title, and revisiting it always is a great treat.
6- The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt hardly needs to be introduced to anyone. Against all odds, the Polish production had a significant impact on the industry, as it was possible to read between the lines that even Ubisoft itself had carefully studied the title and then tailored its Assassin’s Creed series to it, in an attempt to implement more compelling storylines and a beautiful world. There were plenty of common features between the so-called “The Witcher 3” and Assassin’s Creed Origins.
5- Mass Effect 2
For many, Mass Effect 2 is the greatest RPG that has ever been made. Yet for others, it is the best part of the space trilogy concentrating on Commander Shepard, while for still more gamers, it is a mere decent production. For me, on the other hand, it was a game which demonstrated how little was needed to offer such a deep, moving and, more importantly, exciting title filled with choices and engaging characters. This is one of those games – along with GTA: San Andreas or NFS: Underground 2 – which will be fondly remembered for decades to come.
4- Fallout: New Vegas
While we’re on RPGs, it would be a shame not to mention Fallout: New Vegas, which pushed Bethesda to great heights. In fact, the game was among the first Fallouts developed with 3D graphics in mind, which enabled the developers to offer the community an intriguing, well-presented city or weather effects that represented a breath of fresh air. The potential of the production was fulfilled, and even to this day it is claimed to be the best Fallout ever made.
3- GTA 5
Is it safe to say that Grand Theft Auto V is the ultimate game of all time? Should you ask someone from Rockstar Games, they would certainly answer “yes.” With this installment of the gangster series, the publisher was able to earn huge sums of money through GTA Online and in some ways has consistently delayed the release of GTA 6.
There is no hurry at all for the developers to prepare “six”, because “five” is continuing to lay golden eggs. What we have in this case is a game that, in my opinion, has had a negative impact on the industry. While the company is still working on the next instalment of the series, they are certain that GTA 5 is still going to be on top for the coming years.
2- Death Stranding
In the wake of the deleted Silent Hills P.T. project, Hideo Kojima opted to team up with Sony, and Death Stranding was the result. The Japanese surprised us this time as well, with an emphasis on cooperation between gamers. You can even say something like a connection, because it was us – couriers in a post-apocalyptic world – who were able to rebuild roads and make the gameplay for us and other audiences simpler. Kojima is very creative, and he only confirmed this with the unusual Death Stranding.
If you are following the news of the gaming industry, you probably know that just a few days ago, at the 2022 The Game Awards, Hideo Kojima officially announced that they are working on the Death Stranding 2.
1- The Last of Us
All along, Sony has always been excellently renowned for its engaging action games. This trend is still in place today, but it was demonstrated at its best with The Last of Us. This production from Naughty Dog has moved us to the near future, where a civilization has collapsed, which we observe from the perspective of Ellie and Joel. The focus was put on the portrayal of their relationship, which in the end came out very well for the screenwriters.
Moreover, for its years, the game was distinguished by amazing visuals and animations that were polished to the extreme. While the Last of Us part 2 was also a great success for the company, nowadays there are rumors out there that Sony in working on the third instalment of the Last of Us series.
