As this console generation winds down, 2019 stands as a year that falls somewhere in the middle; while there were several strong titles, there wasn’t a grand release or set that stood tall among every other video game released this year. Despite the lack of killer titles, the industry still took some positive steps with some major companies returning to prominence in a brilliant way. With new consoles beckoning and far bigger titles set for release in 2020, it’s time to look back on the year.
Game that came and went with low impact
3rd: Days Gone
Clearly identified as a AA release from Sony, Days Gone took a lot of elements from its fellow PlayStation 4 exclusives and did them to a competent if unremarkable standard. Be that as it may, the game still managed to tide system owners over for a bit.
2nd: Team Sonic Racing
Following the successes of Sonic and Sega All-Stars, the blue hedgehog’s latest spin-off title settled into a ho-hum rhythm, not matching its predecessors or managing to match its biggest competitor Mario Kart.
1st: Rage 2
Proposed as a long-awaited return, Rage 2, for all its wackiness, failed to make a major impression on players. Outside of its combat system, almost every aspect of its gameplay had been done better in its fellow Bethesda contemporaries.
Biggest gaming casualties
3rd: Human Head Studios
Human Head were often under the radar when compared to greater studios, but they still had a couple of high-quality releases, the most notable being 2006’s Prey and the Rune series. After developing the critically panned The Quiet Man last year, the company was effectively struck down, but the biggest missed potential from HH as a studio was the delayed and eventually cancelled Prey 2 which was eventually remade and reformed by Arkane Studios. Luckily though, the developers at Human Head were able to reform a new studio; Roundhouse Studios, whose fate now lies with Bethesda Softworks.
2nd: AlphaDream
Japanese studio AlphaDream had been in the business since the turn of the millennium; while not among Nintendo’s most cherished partners, they certainly made an impression with the Mario and Luigi RPGs for the Nintendo DS. Their skills in the genre could have easily been applied to the Nintendo Switch but sadly this is not to be as the company declared bankruptcy in October 2019, their last release being the subpar Mario and Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
1st: The many game studio employees made redundant by corporations
The biggest casualty of 2019 for gaming isn’t a developer, but the many hearts and minds tossed aside by greedy corporations. The gaming industry is more profitable than ever and yet that isn’t for company execs who made serious cuts throughout the year. 775 employees at Activision Blizzard and 350 at EA were laid off despite their high contributions, again calling into question the ethics of video game company management.
Most disappointing game
3rd: Crackdown 3
After five years in development, the last exclusive title for the Xbox One was released with a dull thud; basic gameplay, downgraded technical details and a painfully stripped destruction system are just some of the elements that make Crackdown 3 such a let-down. When you see how Red Faction Guerrilla, a game from 2009, has a far superior destruction model, you know Crackdown 3 should have been so much better.
2nd: Anthem
Created by Bioware’s major studio in Edmonton, many were expecting the Canadian developer to pull out all the stops for their next big IP. What we got instead was a poorly produced live service title that not only disappointed fans, but also ruined the wellbeing of those who made it. The roadmap of updates for the game was quickly abandoned and it is now rarely mentioned by both its developed and publisher.
1st Shenmue 3
Announced to overwhelming fanfare at Sony’s E3 Press Conference in 2015, Shenmue III was put out to comparatively little fanfare this year and while it may have satisfied the fanbase to a certain extent, it was incredibly lacking when compared to other more advanced releases. The retraction of the game from Steam, disrespectful treatment of kickstarter backers and lack of a satisfying conclusion also didn’t help.
Best and Worst Industry Trends
Best: Developers finally being given some leeway or reprieve from publishers
As far as game development went this year, several companies were finally given free rein or more creative control to make the titles they wanted to make, rather than money-making machines to please their publishers and shareholders. The three biggest beneficiaries this year were Bungie, Remedy Entertainment and Respawn Entertainment, something I hope will carry over into other major studios in 2020.
· At the start of the year, Bungie cut themselves loose from Activision after a five-year partnership which certainly fell short of the company’s pedigree. Now that the Destiny IP is entirely in their hands, they’ll be able to do much more with it
· After splitting from Microsoft, Remedy Entertainment was able to make their own independent product Control, an inventive action thriller free of ties to TV shows and corporate multimedia strategies, both of which plagued Quantum Break previously.
· Respawn Entertainment were left to their own devices by EA for much of 2019, putting out the smash hit Apex Legends and at long last, the first single-player Star Wars title, Fallen Order with no egregious monetisation methods in sight.
Worst: Subscription models all over the place
With loot boxes and gambling now placed under a far greater scrutiny by regulators and national governments this year, the slimier executives in the gaming industry are now looking for the next big money-making scheme. Having already consumed both the TV and film landscapes, the rise of the gaming subscription model is failing to get the community invested. Currently the only service worth paying monthly for is Xbox’s Game Pass model, with other offerings such as Google Stadia, EA Origin Ubisoft’s Uplay+ falling well short in terms of value. It appears that following the increased onset of paid online play, there’s no shortage efforts to squeeze a few extra pennies out of consumers and until they offer a buying proposition on par with full physical or downloadable games, they’re unlikely to catch on. Not only that but there’s also a risk of content splintering as well as the slow demise of video game ownership, putting more control in the hands of publishers than ever before.
Strongest company performance
3rd: Obsidian Entertainment
After several years of releasing smaller scale titles, Obsidian finally released their long-awaited successor to Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds which was released to high sales and critical acclaim. Yet they also went a step further with this release by putting it out with no pre-order bonuses, no monetisation methods and no added gimmicks, making them one of the genuine and committed developers of the year. With their acquisition by Microsoft last year however, their future remains uncertain as they are now working on the cooperative survival game Grounded for 2020.
2nd: Respawn Entertainment
Initially putting out the breakout hit Apex Legends under the Titanfall universe, Respawn enjoyed high success and were also able to make good on their use of the Star Wars license. While not quite breaking the top of review scores, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, alongside The Mandalorian TV series has been a strong contributor in reaffirming excitement for Star Wars again. We can only hope the developer continues to receive this same level of freedom in their work.
1st: Capcom
The Japanese giant Capcom came into the 2010s on a middling level and now they close the decade having regained their capabilities and confidence. They went on an absolute tear this year, creating one of the best remakes in recent memory with Resident Evil 2, bringing back Devil May Cry 5 in a big way and developing a full blown expansion in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, a stark contrast to the usually overpriced DLC seen from the industry. By sticking close to what the fans want and committing fully to AAA projects, Capcom performed better than every other company this year and they should continue this approach in 2020.
Weakest company performance
3rd: Bioware
Continuing its downward plunge after the release of Mass Effect Andromeda in 2017, further hardship spread to Bioware Edmonton this year as their new IP Anthem crashed and burned after being in development for five years. Gross mismanagement plagued the title all the way through its development, culminating in the worst AAA release of the year and following its release in February, the studio has kept a low profile, rarely coming out to talk about any of its games. It’s honestly hard to believe that the studio is still alive after the battering they’ve taken over the last few years. EA has shuttered studios before and yet Bioware clings to life. Will they ever return to their former glory? It’s looking less likely every year.
2nd: Blizzard Entertainment
Many believed Blizzard to be the finest branch of Activision’s grand machine, a developer that could do no wrong while pouring all the heart and soul into their games. 2019 was the year that the company fell from their pedestal, somewhat with the announcement of Diablo Mobile but most notably with the Blitzchung scandal which saw them ban a professional Hearthstone player for voicing his support for protesters. Their rather sheepish and half-hearted addressing of the controversy at November’s Blizzcon did little to assuage the hordes of angry fans who turned on the company quickly, thus overshadowing their announcements of Overwatch 2 and other titles. It will take some time for Blizzard to regain this good will.
1st: Google
Blizzard may have made multiple missteps this year, but they clawed their way out of second place with a couple of welcome announcements. Google’s first foray into the video gaming market are far more woeful. Google Stadia’s poor launch and terrible feedback in November 2019 stand as a textbook example of how not to venture of the medium and considering the corporation’s gigantic presence and resource, it’s a deeply disappointing effort from top to bottom. Poor game streaming quality, bitty and unfinished game releases and very little incentive for purchase could cause Stadia to be abandoned right after coming out of the gate. It’s clear that Google has a mountain to climb if they want to properly compete.
Worst games of the year
3rd: Crackdown 3
A pitiful excuse for an open world game in 2019 and a disgrace to its franchise, Crackdown 3 is the latest and possibly final major disappointment for the Xbox One exclusive line-up. A title that failed to deliver on all its promises.
2nd: Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
Breakpoint is a low blow for the Ghost Recon franchise, another dreary live-service title with horribly dull gameplay and horrid monetisation that plagues the title from top to bottom. It’s easily the worst project Ubisoft has released in some time.
1st: Anthem
Not just the worst game of 2019, but arguably the biggest failure of the entire gaming generation; poorly managed and poorly made, Anthem’s sluggish looter-shooter gameplay is bland and forgettable in every way, not to mention Bioware’s lowest point yet.
Best games of the year
Honourable Mentions: Return of the Obra Din, Disco Elysium and Devil May Cry 5
3rd: The Outer Worlds
The perfect antidote to the recent failures of the Fallout franchise; a true role-playing title with a great story, memorable characters and dialogue alongside a solid range of player choices to make.
2nd: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Another brilliant and welcome direction for FromSoftware with an incredibly precise combat system placed against the same brutal difficulty the developer is known for. Add to that an excellent art style inspired by Japanese history and you’ve got another hit.
1st: Resident Evil 2 Remake
A phenomenal remake of an already excellent game that brings it into the modern day with an intense atmosphere and standout horror gameplay. It kicked off Capcom’s winning streak and continued the resurgence of Resident Evil as a franchise.
That’s my final word on 2019; next year will see a (hopefully!) rousing conclusion to the eight generation of consoles with massive titles like The Last of Us 2, Cyberpunk 2077 and Halo Infinite to name a few. See you there…