The article title was the best hyperbole I could come up with to get you to read this article. So, now that you’re here, let’s delve a little into what I hope stirs you into checking these games out for yourself.

Because we are conscientious, we are capable of gobbling up information differently; we comprehend things uniquely

I like to think of media as the ultimate expression of the human condition. Because we are conscientious, we are capable of gobbling up information differently; we comprehend things uniquely. And it is in that uniqueness that some stuff ends up being more hard-hitting than others.

By that metric, this list will depend on how well these games resonated with you. It’s hard to argue that the past decade has not produced some of the most critically acclaimed videogames of our generation; notwithstanding of all time. It’s only right that I shine a spotlight on some games that I consider key pillars in steering art, gameplay, or narrative direction in the industry.

A franchise that needs no introduction. From time immemorial, The Legend of Zelda has reinvented the wheel, or rather, steered the industry’s direction in one way or another. The original game popularized what we consider today as the Open-World genre with a cohesive world. Ocarina of Time was a major leap for 3D gaming, and introduced Z-targeting; what we consider the lock-on system today.

Therefore, Breath of The Wild, in its own regard, was considered a major leap in encouraging player freedom and world interactivity. Prior to this, the Open-World had more or less plateaued. The industry had more or less come to a standard on how these worlds functioned, all of which led to the biggest gripe at the time; player restriction.

The player felt restricted in interacting with the world; irrespective of its open-world nature. The path, from the get-go, was obvious, due to an overwhelming number of markers and waypoints. The player was never rewarded for going off the beaten path.

Breath of The Wild allowed players to approach challenges in multiple ways, with no prescribed order or method to follow. This open-ended approach, combined with a dynamic physics engine and environmental interactions, allowed for a deep, emergent gameplay experience.

Influenced Games: Elden Ring, Genshin Impact, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, Halo Infinite

Unbeknownst to many, Resident Evil is probably my favorite franchise at the moment. The release of RE:2 opened the eyes of developers to new possibilities. The game reminded them that remakes are not only meant to pay homages to their respective original games, but are also encouraged to incorporate new mechanics. The remake was built from the ground-up in an in-house engine.

The game’s release revitalized the AAA videogame horror genre which had been on a downward curve for a couple years.

The game’s critical acclaim and record-breaking lifetime sales, may not have solely influenced companies to create a similar game, but it did give them the confidence to create horror games that could stand toe-to-toe with some of the best in the genre.

Influenced Games: Callisto Protocol, Dead Space Remake, Alan Wake 2o Infinite

Sekiro Shadows Die Twice, was released in 2019, three years after Dark Souls 3. Creating a new IP is not something that studios are renowned for, especially when they have a winning formula. It was a bit jarring to see FromSoftware do this, but it eventually worked in their favor.

The game draws inspiration from Tenchu, an action-adventure stealth game, and was initially intended to be a sequel before it outgrew the concept.

It further evolved the action genre by integrating various ways of interacting and engaging enemies with combat. The simple deflection was turned into an offensive tool by integrating a posture system.

Sekiro has a very peculiar playstyle in the modern-era that becomes easily noticeable when other games use it. From deflections to quick-paced combat, and more.

Influenced Games: Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Black Myth: Wukong, Lies of P, Nine Sols, Phantom Blade, Stellar Blade

Celeste, is an endearing game because it emphasises the vulnerability of humanity, and the beauty that comes with accepting yourself; flaws and all.

As Madeline resolves to climb the Celeste Mountain, the game reminds the player constantly that failure is okay, and that growth nurtures itself even in places deemed unsustainable. You are Madeline, by extension, and your resolve fuels hers; when you urge her, she does the same despite how many deaths she goes through. The game is not entirely subtle about how it portrays mental health, and that works to its benefit. By accepting herself and forgiving herself for self-inflictions, Madeline becomes whole as a person.

“By weaving discussion of mental health into the gameplay mechanics, level design, structure of the game, and music. By allowing every element of the game to be influenced by the message it wants to convey instead of simply being a story added to an existing concept; it elevates the message that it wants to share far above what has been seen before.

By implanting the message it wants to tell into the very fabric of the game in such a manner, it makes it more personable, more real… and for me, it made the story connect in a way I never expected. Every moment I was playing Celeste, I was engrossed yet aware of what I saw of myself in Madeline, and in the mountain itself. By implementing this discussion on mental health into every nook and cranny of the game, the result was a case study for how developers should attempt to tackle the subject of mental health through the medium of gaming.”

Influenced Games: Hollow Knight, Katana Zero, Ikenfell, Ori and The Blind Forest

An article by SocialAnigirl Rambles delves further into how Celeste symbolises and incorporates mental health and its themes into the videogame.

Thanks for reading my article. I hope it gave you some desire to delve into the aforementioned videogames, and possibly resonate with what made them so special.