10 Greatest Games of the Last 10 Years, Ranked

The last decade of gaming has been nothing short of incredible. Over the last 10 years, gamers have been treated to all-time classics, like Elden Ring and new versions of old favorites like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. These video games have helped the industry thrive, even in the face of studio closures and microtransactions.

While some games make a splash and then fade away, the best games of the last decade are timeless, and people will still be enjoying them 10 years from now. Since 2016, gaming has only gotten bigger and better, and these titles prove it.

NieR: Automata is interesting because it's the sequel to a spinoff of the Drakengard series. It also requires multiple playthroughs to get the full experience, but dedicated fans are rewarded with an unforgettable story. In fact, many fans consider it to have one of the best stories in a modern JRPG.

The combat is fast-paced hack-and-slash action with various other types of gameplay throughout, such as text adventure and shoot 'em up sections. Beyond that, both the characters and existential themes in NieR: Automata are top-notch and should be experienced by anyone, regardless of whether they enjoy the JRPG genre or not.

Hogwarts Legacy is one of those long-awaited titles that actually lived up to the hype. Fans of Harry Potter have wanted a proper open-world game that lets them explore many of the areas made famous in the Harry Potter books and films. Setting the game in the past also allowed the developers to have unique storylines and characters without needing them to relate heavily to the canon storyline.

Exploration is the best part of Hogwarts Legacy. There are so many secrets and challenges to find, even just within Hogwarts Castle. The Harry Potter lore is enticing enough, but it's great exploration and puzzle-solving even if it were an original IP. It's one of the most immersive open-world games ever made, and it's one of the best ways to experience the Wizarding World.

Monster Hunter has been around for more than 20 years and was already a major success in Japan long before it caught on worldwide. Although many entries were released in North America, the series remained relatively niche in the West for years, but that changed with Monster Hunter: World.

The game streamlined several systems and made meaningful quality-of-life improvements without losing the core hunting loop that longtime fans loved. Those changes helped World break through to a much larger mainstream audience, and follow-up releases like Monster Hunter: Wilds have taken that success to new heights.

Final Fantasy VII is one of the greatest JRPGs and Final Fantasy games of all time. Fans had wanted a remake for years, but what they got was much more than anyone could have imagined. It not only upgraded the graphics and battle system, but it also expanded greatly on the lore and story from the original.

The combat shifts from a turn-based battle system to a real-time one. Many of the same spells and abilities are present in Final Fantasy VII: Remake, but the new combat system allows for more to be done. Though some fans may have wanted the traditional battle system and unchanged story and plot, Final Fantasy VII: Remake shows just how involved a true video game remake can be.

CD Projekt Red was praised for The Witcher games, so when Cyberpunk 2077 was announced, fans couldn't wait to see how they'd handle the Cyberpunk universe. Few games immerse players in a living, breathing city quite like Cyberpunk 2077.

Though it had a rocky start on consoles, the base game was already impressive. Not only are the storyline and worldbuilding throughout phenomenal, but it actually feels like a place the player can live in. The expansion, Phantom Liberty, improved on an already great game and showed just how committed the developers were to delivering the best experience possible.

2010's Red Dead Redemption was already considered a masterpiece, but its 2018 follow-up, Red Dead Redemption 2, improved upon it in every way. Rockstar went above and beyond to recreate the Wild West, and the result was a world so immersive it actually feels real.

There's so much care and attention to detail in Red Dead Redemption 2, like NPCs who change clothes based on the time of day or animals who will start scavenging if a carcass is left untouched. It's Rockstar's magnum opus and a testament to how well gaming can bring the past to life.

Elden Ring was highly anticipated as it combined the gameplay of FromSoftware's Dark Souls games with the worldbuilding of George R.R. Martin, known for Game of Thrones. What came from this union was an amazing game that players could easily get lost in and one of the best open worlds of all time.

Dark Souls is known to be brutally difficult and unforgiving, but rewarding. The satisfaction of learning an enemy's attack pattern and how to defeat it, then executing it, is unparalleled. Elden Ring also provides plenty for players to explore in addition to the satisfying combat and progression. The style of game may not be for everyone, but there's no denying how well it nails the genre.

Persona has always been a great series, particularly since the formula was changed in Persona 3. It never quite hit mainstream popularity, though, until Persona 5. Fans of the series loved it, of course, but it also appealed to gamers who have never played a JRPG, let alone any Persona game.

Persona 5 allows players to travel into dungeons to battle and level up, while also offering a life/dating sim experience at other times. It's a unique blend of genres and experiences with memorable characters and a fantastic story. Persona 5 is also one of the few games that actually takes 100 hours to beat, not including the side content.

The Legend of Zelda is an old series. Ocarina of Time has often been called one of the greatest games of all time, so the series is no stranger to accolades. However, Breath of the Wild defined a whole genre and changed both the series and gaming with its release.

The fact that Tears of the Kingdom improves on the perfection of the previous game is a testament to just how good this game is. It's the definitive open-world Zelda experience with much to uncover and explore that any fan of video games in general will enjoy.

Few games have left an impression on the gaming industry in the last 10 years quite like Baldur's Gate 3. Independent developer Larian Studios proved that even a small Belgian studio could make a game that rivals AAA companies. The fact that it beat out The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for Game of the Year is enough to know this is an incredible game.

Though Baldur's Gate 3 is a party-based RPG set in Dungeons & Dragons' Forgotten Realms, it was a hit even for casual gamers. The masterfully written characters and story alone are worth experiencing, which is why it has appealed to such a wide audience. From its unbeatable gameplay to its staggering depth, Baldur's Gate 3 is as good as RPGs get.