The eighth generation of home console gaming has seen the industry rise in prominence once again, with the form of media beinglarger than sports and films combined in 2020. ThePlayStation 4andNintendo Switchcontinued to please their fans withexcellent exclusive titles, while Microsoft’s Xbox Onefound success with its Game Pass service.
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The eight-generation has been kind toPCgamers, who have benefited from Sony’s and, in particular, Microsoft’s more consumer-friendly approach of making some of their games available for PC players. Along with once-exclusive titles likeHorizon: Zero Dawnand theHaloseries, Xbox’s Game Pass and Sony’s PlayStation Now service have recently become available.
PC players have been treated to numerous fantastic games this past generation, and with the recent release of theXbox Series X|SandPlayStation 5, now seems like the perfect time to look back uponthe previous generation’sbest offerings.
10Microsoft Flight Simulator (91)
Released in August 2020,Microsoft Flight Simulatorcame at a perfect time as it allowed players to explore an incredible simulated earth while stuck at home in lockdown.
Along with the excellent world design,Microsoft Flight Simulatorreceived plaudits for its immersive and realistic gameplay. The best advert for the gameplay came from Microsoft’s Jorg Neumann who claimed thatreal pilots played the game during lockdownto prevent their skills from going rusty.
9Okami HD (92)
One of the fewZelda-inspired action-adventure titles that canhold a candle to Nintendo’s iconic series, Capcom’sŌkamireleased to high praise from critics but low sales.
Since its initial 2006 release, the game has traveled around the gaming industry, popping up on nearly every major system. The PC iteration released in 2017 and was one of the driving forces behind the game finally receiving the commercial success that it has always deserved.
8Out Of The Park Baseball 17 (92)
With a Metascore of 92 and a user score of 3.3, it’s fair to say thatOut Of The Park Baseball 17divides opinion. The game is one of a whopping 22 entries into theOut of the Park Baseballseries that began in 1999.
The text-based management sim didn’t attempt to re-invent the wheel and kept the gameplay very similar to the previous entries in the series. Much like theFootball Managerseries, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the developers have found a winning formula with the series that can be replicated for many years to come.
7Undertale (92)
With a fantastic soundtrack, well-written dialog, and a fantastic battle system, Toby Fox’sUndertaleprovided one ofmodern gaming’s best role-playing adventures.
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The game was showered with awards upon release, with accolades including theAudience Award at the 2016 Independent Games Festival Awards, and theMatthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award from the 2016 SXSW Gaming Awards.Undertalewas also runner-up for theGlobal Game Award’s Best Indieaccolade which ultimately went toRocket League.
6Divinity: Original Sin II (93)
Divinity: Original Sin IIis one of five games that scored 93 on this list, meaning it could have been in second place if Larian Studios didn’t make the fatal error of beginning the game’s title with the letter D.
Even more infuriating for the publisher is thatPolygon gave the game a score of 7 out of 10, which potentially knocked one or two marks off its final score.Divinity: Original Sin II, much like the next four entries on this list, could justifiably place 2nd on this list, as it provided a fantastic role-playing experience aloneor with friends.
5Hades (93)
Hadesreleased in September 2020 and has quickly become one of themost beloved entries into the roguelike genre. The indie game has already picked up numerous awards includingGame of the Year from IGN, andBest Action from The Game Awards.
Praise from fans and critics has been directed towards the game’s great story that is smartly integrated into the gameplay, along with the excellent loot system andgenerous offering of post-game content.
4Half-Life: Alyx (93)
Released 13 long years afterHalf-Life 2: Episode Two, Valve’sHalf-Life: Alyxhas continued the series' tradition of offering an innovative gameplay experience, this time by utilizing virtual reality. The move was a bold choice, as it cut-off a huge portion of potential buyers, but it provided a fantastic, immersive experience that will be extremely hard to top.
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Following the fairly disastrous release ofCyberpunk 2077,Half-Life 3has retained its spot as the gaming industry’s most highly anticipated release, and fans will be hopeful thatHalf-Life: Alyxis a sign that the game could be in the works.
The eighth generation of home console may not have been treated to a newGrand Theft Autogame, but it did get the next best thing, a sequel to 2010’sRed Dead Redemption.
The console iteration of the game currently boasts an eye-watering 97 Metascore, making it the joint-6th highest-rated game in the site’s history along with classic titles such asSuper Mario Galaxy,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,andHalo: Combat Evolved.Unfortunately, the PC release ofRockstar’s game was held back by numerous technical issues, resulting in a weaker score.
2The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt (93)
There’s a reason why the aforementionedCyberpunk 2077was so highly regarded before it even released, and why it has sold an incredible13 million+ copiesdespite the backlash; that reason isThe Witcher 3.
Following two excellent, but somewhat underappreciatedWitchergames, CD Projekt released their magnum opus in 2015 on PC, Xbox One and PS4. The best compliment for the game is that it invertedly advertised the systems that it released on; showing off the hardware of the recently released PS4 and Xbox One that were still at an early stage of their lifespan, and proving the worth of owning a high-end PC with the game’s stunning visuals.
1Grand Theft Auto V (96)
Grand Theft Auto Vwasinitially released in September 2013, at the very end ofPlayStation 3andXbox 360’s lifecycles. Following a re-release on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the game finally came to PC in 2015.
Grand Theft Auto Vset a new standard for open-world games with its incredible map that truly feels alive. Gamers were understandably disappointed to not hear news aboutGrand Theft Auto VIwhen the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 were released, butGTA 5’s excellent online mode continues to provide more than enough content to tide people over until that exciting day comes,
