Top 5 Games From The Last 5 Years

Hello dear readers and welcome to a new Top 5 post here on Shoot the Rookie. Although I used to do lots of Top 5’s I haven’t done one recently so thought it would be a cool thing to resurrect. Today’s theme, which was inspired by a comment on my previous post, is my Top 5 games that came out in the last 5 years, so why not join me to see what makes the cut!

Now I’m not the most up-to-date gamer, and it often takes me a great deal of time to get through games. Because of this my starter list for this post was quite short, containing only 17 games from the period that I’ve actually completed. As I said in my intro, this theme was inspired by a comment on my previous post where a lovely reader said they would put Untitled Goose Game in their top 5 games of the last 5 years. Very sadly for the goose it only made number 6 in my list, but don’t worry I’m sure it will chastise me later.

There are a lot of other games from this time that may have made this list had I actually got around to playing them yet. I feel Tales of Berseria, Devil May Cry 5, Final Fantasy XV and others may make the list once I play them, but for now I’m sticking with things I’ve already played and loved, so let’s jump straight in and take a look at the 5 I’ve chosen!

Thimbleweed Park

As a fan of point and click adventure stories from the distant past, the release of Thimbleweed Park was an unexpected and most welcome surprise. Keeping the feel of games like Monkey Island but polished up to be more accessible for the modern gamer, it tells the story of a murder in a small town with all the style, wit and absurdity of those older games whilst managing to be much more than simply a nostalgia trip. It has a cast of memorable characters combined with an excellent script and story, and absolutely tons of nods and pop culture references – half of which I’m sure I didn’t even get. Many of the puzzles are great too and the inclusion of ‘specks of dust’ as an inventory item is inspired. While this style of adventure game may not suit everyone, I think it’s an excellent introduction to the genre and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Astral Chain

One I’ve written about recently, Astral Chain is a wonderful and unique action game which combines PlatinumGames’ signature super-slick action with a stunning world, incredible music and some really clever puzzles and level design. I love how the skills of the different ‘Legions’ you control can be utilised both in combat and in environmental puzzles, and I also like how the different parts of the game combine to fill out the world and create a really interesting and varied experience for the player. Whilst the characters are perhaps not the main appeal of this game, they still manage to inject some charm into it and the inclusion of the mascot character Lappy is a welcome bit of fun. There is a lot going on in this one for sure, but somehow they manage to weave it all together into a really cool sci-fi action experience that I sincerely hope gets a sequel.

Breath of the Wild

I actually can’t believe this came out in the last 5 years. It feels like an essential game that has always been there, but then I guess that is why it has made this list. There are many games in the Zelda series that I love, in fact I’ve never played one I didn’t like but for me Breath of the Wild is something special and a brave leap by Nintendo which I am aware not everyone liked. One of the only games I’ve ever got on release day, my hype levels were high a long time in advance of playing it but then diving into that world, exploring its wonders and climbing every peak in sight was an incredible feeling. There is just so much to discover, and an even larger number of ways in which to discover those things. Out of all video games this is probably the one I find it easiest to lose myself in, and that’s before you start to think about the cool characters or main story and when you combine all the elements of the game you are left with an absolute classic.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Not a great surprise that this game makes my list given how obsessed I am with Xenoblade, but it really is an excellent game. It has everything you could want from a Xenoblade game – a huge and stunning world, amazing characters, a mildly bonkers story and a really enjoyable combat system. Then there’s the music. The music in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is truly wonderful, in my opinion surpassing that of the first game (although I can’t pick between 2 and X) to be one of my favourite scores of all time. The voice acting is another thing I love about it, going full-on regional British this time. Whilst I still marginally prefer the first Xenoblade game overall, even that notion was challenged by the dlc add on, Torna The Golden Country, which is basically a whole new game which boasts one of the most compelling stories I have ever experienced. I am obviously biased when it comes to Xenoblade but Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna are absolute gems. They had a big impact on my life and when a video game does that it is always worth shouting about.

Persona 5

Ok who saw this coming? Everyone? Oh never mind! I don’t mind being predictable when it comes to Persona 5 since I have such a deep love for it. There is almost too much good in this game to know where to begin talking about it. The music is truly sensational and the graphics are just so awesomely cool. Its sense of style blows pretty much every other game I’ve played out the water, but that isn’t even the best thing about it. For me the cast of characters in Persona 5 is astonishing. There are very few games where I can say I like every member of the main party, but this is one of them and I don’t just like them, I love them. Even reaching far outside the main cast, I like the vast majority of supporting characters too. Wait! I haven’t talked about the story yet! Yes of course like other JRPGs it goes a bit crazy at the end but the story is full of intrigue, and has a darkness that kind of shocked me, and whilst I’m not a fan of the stealth element the combat is pretty cool too. For me, Persona 5 is within touching distance of perfection and I will never, ever, forget it.

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So there it is! My Top 5 Games that came out in the last 5 years. But what do you make of my selections? Do you love or loathe any of these titles? What games would make your Top 5? Let me know below in comments or maybe even write your own post on the subject! Don’t forget to drop by next time for more video game and anime goodness.

Thanks for reading,

Pix1001 x