Game of the Generation Awards
(8th Generation)
Requirements: All entries must have been released on an 8th generation system, no remakes/re-releases, or remasters.
8th Generation systems: PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, WiiU, 3DS, & PC games released between 2013-2020.
8th Generation systems: PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, WiiU, 3DS, & PC games released between 2013-2020.
The eighth console generation has certainly been a mixed bag. Speaking personally, it’s actually been pretty dull in comparison to almost every other console generation I have lived to see. Whilst there have certainly been great games and innovations to come out of this generation, there have been far more lessons learned and shady practices employed than perhaps any other generation in memory. So, I have compiled a list of awards, as well as my list of my favourite 10 games from this generation. Obviously, I have not played every game this generation so there are bound to be ones I’ve missed, but this list captures a pretty great range of everything I have played this generation.
For clarification purposes the eighth generation of consoles consists of the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, 3DS, and WiiU. Therefore all awards given in this list will only be given to games that released for at least one of these systems, or on PC between the years of 2013-2020. Due to the Nintendo Switch being a 9th generation console no games exclusive to that system will be considered in this list.
Unexpected Success Award
For clarification purposes the eighth generation of consoles consists of the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, 3DS, and WiiU. Therefore all awards given in this list will only be given to games that released for at least one of these systems, or on PC between the years of 2013-2020. Due to the Nintendo Switch being a 9th generation console no games exclusive to that system will be considered in this list.
Unexpected Success Award
This one came very early on in the generation, and whilst it was certainly general consensus that the game was expected to be good, I don’t think anybody expected it to be quite as good as it was. Machine Games take a series that had repeatedly failed to adapt to modern sensibilities and not only made it work in the current generation, but also kicked off a resurgence in retro revivals thanks to its roots firmly planted in old gameplay styles. The Wolfenstein reboot was not only a blast to play but also has a surprisingly brilliant story with B.J. Blazkowics not only retaining his badass Nazi killing attitude, but also has a surprisingly deep philosophical inner monologue for the first time. It’s just an amalgamation of so many unexpected parts that probably shouldn’t mesh as well as they do, but the result is an undeniable smash hit.
Biggest Balls-Up Award
Biggest Balls-Up Award
Star Wars has had a rough few years and I don’t think even the major backlash the sequel trilogy of films received can even compare to the whole situation surrounding Battlefront II. A game marketed towards children and young teens that effectively encouraged gambling with its wildly unbalanced loot crate system that was reliant on spending real world money to maybe unlock in game items if you got lucky. Disney were none too happy when they found out what was going on and not only was the game reverse engineered to function completely differently at the demands of Disney, but EA damn near lost the rights to create Star Wars games because of it. It’s even worse when you consider how few Star Wars games there were this gen with more projects getting cancelled in the late stages of development than seeing the light of day. Games get cancelled all the time, but these games were practically ready to be released at times! Games that got cancelled to make way for Battlefront II of all things!
Most Underrated Game of the Generation
Most Underrated Game of the Generation
I’m sure these next two awards are going to cause quite a stir. But yes, I am jumping to the defence of Call of Duty! Infinite Warfare was dead before it even got off the ground, the announcement trailer is among the most disliked Youtube videos of all time and the sole reason behind it is because it was cool to hate on CoD for a while this generation. As a result, nobody bought Infinite Warfare and nobody got to experience arguably one of the best games in the entire franchise. It provided multiple significant gameplay innovations for the series, as well as a frankly excellent story. Were there issues with it? Yes, microtransaction riddled multiplayer and a controversial launch of Modern Warfare Remastered being bundled exclusively for certain editions (only to be reversed later). But was the game worthy of all the hate it received? Certainly not.
Most Overrated Game of the Generation
Most Overrated Game of the Generation
Now don’t get me wrong, RDR2 is a great game. It is the ultimate cowboy simulator and what Rockstar achieved with this title is extremely impressive. But was it worthy of all the perfect scores it received from critics (and bound to receive game of the generation awards from many)? Absolutely not. Red Dead Redemption II is a prime example of the fact that video games clearly need editors, much like books and films have, to tell the creative visionaries behind the project that certain things need to be removed in order to make the experience more enjoyable. RDR2’s story alone will take you damn near 80 hours and a lot of it can be skimmed over. Add to that all the side activities which generally add very little to the core experience, and on top of that how absolutely everything you do takes an age to do. Animations are gruellingly long, even just navigating menu’s takes far longer than it should. Is it a game that people should play? Absolutely. But is it the best thing since sliced bread like many will have you believe? Far from it.
Biggest Missed Opportunity Award
Biggest Missed Opportunity Award
Microsoft had a grand total of zero interesting exclusives this generation. That’s an impressive feat in of itself, especially considering many of the exclusives they did put out were continuations of existing well received franchises. But Quantum Break, from developer Remedy, was a great experiment in what is possible when you cross videogames with TV shows. In fact, almost everything worked, other than the undercooked and underwhelming gameplay. Not only does it not try to stand out from the crowd with its third person shooting combat, but it does it arguably worse than almost any other game that plays like that. A true shame because had the gameplay been good, I feel the title would have been perhaps the only MS exclusive really worth getting excited over.
Biggest Disappointment Award
Biggest Disappointment Award
I was initially torn between the two of these because both are sequels to arguably the best games in their respective genres. But they both do almost everything they can to not live up to expectations. Outlast 2 was a case of clearly misunderstanding what made the first game good and as a result the game is underwhelming and nausea inducing (not in a good way). But I feel Borderlands 3 takes the crown because it almost feels as though Gearbox went out of their way to fuck up all the good they did with Borderlands 2. The gameplay and UI is just a mess, gone is BL2’s straightforward structure and in its place comes some abomination instead. On top of that the game has serious performance issues across the board regarding frame rate, texture and resolution problems, and a whole mess of bugs. Then to put the cherry on top of the turd pile the story spits in the face of everything Borderlands had been up to that point, it contradicts its own lore on the regular and delivers a story that suffers from a serious chosen one complexes with none of the ‘chosen ones’ being well written or just generally likeable characters. BL3 was a game that just outright hurt when I finished it and I can’t see myself ever returning to it.
Best Recovery Award
Best Recovery Award
I was initially tempted to put Microsoft in this category because the generation started so awfully for them (rightly so) but thanks to the excellent value of Xbox One S/X consoles, the backwards compatibility integration, and game pass they’ve made a hell of a comeback. But I then remembered that No Man’s Sky was public enemy #1 when it launched amid a storm of false promises and shattered dreams. Now though, No Man’s Sky has gone through countless revisions, all free of charge for existing players, and has gone on to become one of this generations most beloved games. Whilst Hello Games certainly cocked up at the start, their persistence and dedication to the fanbase has produced a game that is undeniably great.
Biggest Innovation Award
Biggest Innovation Award
Speaking of Micirsoft, the best thing to come out of this generation was easily when they announced the backwards compatibility program for Xbox One (and will continue in the future with the Series S/X consoles). Game Pass came a close second, allowing you to pay monthly to access hundreds of games including all of the exclusives from launch day (even if they aren’t great).
I was tempted to put the Nintendo Switch here, but technically it’s a 9th generation console even if it’s been out for years now. So, it just gets an honourable mention for its truly innovative approach to hardware.
Worst Innovation Award
I was tempted to put the Nintendo Switch here, but technically it’s a 9th generation console even if it’s been out for years now. So, it just gets an honourable mention for its truly innovative approach to hardware.
Worst Innovation Award
Can’t have good without the bad right? The bad this generation could have been a number of things but many of them started last generation and only got worse this generation. But Live Service games are firmly rooted into this generation and provides a phrase that is an instant turn off for any gamer who sought good level design and gameplay mechanics. Live Service games are online only games that could function perfectly well as solo experiences. They consist almost exclusively of repeating the same activities over and over again in order to access marginally better equipment based on a randomised loot generation system. The most egregious examples of this are Bungie’s 'Destiny', Ubisoft’s 'The Division', and more recently Square Enix’s 'Marvel’s The Avengers'. Special mention for Fallout 76 which removed everything people liked from the previous Fallout games to create some horrendous, empty, broken mess of a game just for the sake of being a live service. Nothing good ever comes from these kinds of games, even if they have promising elements to them.
Best Company
Best Company
Thankfully some game company’s still care about the medium and I feel none exemplified that this generation better than Campo Santo. Despite only developing one title, Firewatch, before being bought up by Valve; the company has been touted by its employees as a complete joy to work for where their creative abilities were allowed to flourish. In a world where money is often the biggest driving force, I’m glad that a developer like Campo Santo exists. It simply gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside when I think of Campo Santo.
Worst Company
Worst Company
Unfortunately, though there are far more studios that exemplify the opposite of Campo Santo, and I’m hurt to say that a studio I used to consider being among the greatest on the planet to be one of them. There are four dishonourable mentions to this entry, and they are firstly Konami, Naughty Dog, and Rockstar Games for their well-documented mistreatment of staff. Despite the high quality of the games they are producing (well, aside from Konami), to have staff working inhuman hours and setting unrealistic quality expectations is simply unforgivable. Then comes Telltale Games for their completely shambolic closure, kicking their employees to the curb with no severance pay and with only an hours’ notice to clear their desks. Mismanagement was paramount in Telltale’s closure, but now the studio has been adopted by Skybound Games it appears they may be on a better track now.
But no, the winner of the award is the frankly sickening practices of Epic Games this generation. Since the release of Fortnite the studio has never left the coutroom, whether it be over theft of copyrighted material, or breaking terms and conditions of platforms hosting Fortnite like Google Play & Apple’s App Store. To top this off there’s the shady tactics used to create artificial competition in the PC gaming space by creating digital storefront exclusivity on an otherwise open platform. This is made even worse when Epic claims they are doing this for the benefit of the gamer and industry at large, but anyone who takes a close enough look at the situation can see they are only interested in lining their own greedy pockets using whatever shady and illegal tactics they can.
Best Console
But no, the winner of the award is the frankly sickening practices of Epic Games this generation. Since the release of Fortnite the studio has never left the coutroom, whether it be over theft of copyrighted material, or breaking terms and conditions of platforms hosting Fortnite like Google Play & Apple’s App Store. To top this off there’s the shady tactics used to create artificial competition in the PC gaming space by creating digital storefront exclusivity on an otherwise open platform. This is made even worse when Epic claims they are doing this for the benefit of the gamer and industry at large, but anyone who takes a close enough look at the situation can see they are only interested in lining their own greedy pockets using whatever shady and illegal tactics they can.
Best Console
Again, I was close to choosing the Switch for this entry but it’s a 9th gen system so in that case I’ll hand it off to Sony and the PlayStation 4. Whilst Microsoft certainly made a great comeback the PS4 started strong and ended stronger with one of the greatest exclusive games line-ups in gaming history. Add to that the consistently excellent PlayStation Plus service which has delivered some excellent games over the years, and the extremely user-friendly UI that’s needed relatively few adjustments over the years. It’s the best-selling 8th generation console for a reason.
TOP 10 GAMES OF THE GENERATION
#10 Outlast (Red Barrels, 2013)
Kicking us off at #10 is the pant shittingly terrifying Outlast! You are Miles Upshur, an investigative journalist who following information provided by a whistle-blower travels to Mount Massive Asylum to uncover a conspiracy of tests being performed on the inmates. You find yourself locked in the asylum with only a camcorder to guide you through the darkness as you desperately try to escape your ruthless pursuers, the murderous inmates of the asylum driven mad by a paranormal entity.
Whilst the first person survival horror trope was not new when Outlast was released, it did refine it to such a high quality that it set the new benchmark for everything that came after. Such a high quality in fact that even developer Red Barrels have never been able to replicate their success.
#9 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Naughty Dog, 2017)
Whilst the first person survival horror trope was not new when Outlast was released, it did refine it to such a high quality that it set the new benchmark for everything that came after. Such a high quality in fact that even developer Red Barrels have never been able to replicate their success.
#9 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Naughty Dog, 2017)
The most recent Uncharted game started life an expansion for Uncharted 4, but an ever-expanding vision for the title granted it a standalone release. Whislt smaller in scale than most other Uncharted games, Lost Legacy puts you in the shoes of Chloe Frazer as she searches for the Tusk of Ganesh in India and attempting to stop a warlord, Asav, from using it to start a civil war. Just as action packed and funny as ever, Lost Legacy proves its worth even as a budget title.
#8 Resident Evil VII: Biohazard (Capcom, 2017)
#8 Resident Evil VII: Biohazard (Capcom, 2017)
I’ve never enjoyed the Resident Evil series so that’s why I find it surprising that the 7th entry has landed at #8 on my list! Biohazard is a completely original RE story disconnected from the rest of the canon and shifts from 3rd person action to 1st person survival horror gameplay akin to Outlast. Exploring the Baker Mansion is terrifying and the way the game does whatever it can to keep you on your toes is a truly refreshing horror experience. Whilst the final act does slump a little into tired Resident Evil territory with a focus on action, the first two acts are so strong that it far outweighs the negatives. Hopefully the upcoming sequel, Resident Evil VIII: Village is just as great!
#7 P.T (Kojima Productions, 2014)
#7 P.T (Kojima Productions, 2014)
Oh what could have been! During a Gamescom press conference in 2014 Konami announced P.T would be arriving on the PlayStation Store to download for free. It was a first person horror game designed specifically for the purpose of announcing the revival of the Silent Hill franchise with Metal Gear's Hideo Kojima at the helm alongside horror film veteran Guillermo Del Toro. P.T was so successful as a horror game in its own right that it went on to spawn countless imitators in the months and years following its release, and is even considered among the greatest horror games of all time despite only being a promotional demo.
But shortly after its release and in the lead up to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima & Konami had a huge falling out which lead to Kojima's departure from the company and the planned Silent Hills project being cancelled entirely, as well as the P.T demo being scrubbed from all existence unless you already had it currently installed on your hard drive! This did lead to Kojima releasing Death Stranding, and although I haven't yet played Death Stranding I have to say it looks mighty good...but not quite as good as the idea of a new Silent Hill.
#6 Firewatch (Campo Santo, 2016)
But shortly after its release and in the lead up to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima & Konami had a huge falling out which lead to Kojima's departure from the company and the planned Silent Hills project being cancelled entirely, as well as the P.T demo being scrubbed from all existence unless you already had it currently installed on your hard drive! This did lead to Kojima releasing Death Stranding, and although I haven't yet played Death Stranding I have to say it looks mighty good...but not quite as good as the idea of a new Silent Hill.
#6 Firewatch (Campo Santo, 2016)
I’ve already spoken about how great Campo Santo are as a studio, but Firewatch is such a testament to their skills as developers. Playing as new fire lookout posted in the Shoshone National Forest and your only company is another fire lookout who only communicates to you by radio. You must tackle challenges of kids partying where they shouldn’t, fallen trees, and the constant fear that you’re being watched and followed. Firewatch is part psychological thriller and part emotionally driven drama where main character Henry must confront his own personal demons in order to come to terms with what is happening in the forest. A gorgeous looking and brief stint through madness in the wild.
#5 Life is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment, 2015)
#5 Life is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment, 2015)
This game started out very high up on this list and then over the past year it slipped further and further down. Partly because my interests in games have changed drastically over the time since I played it in 2015, and partly because other than one game everything from this point on I played this year!
Life is Strange was the little Telltale competitor that could, developed by Dontnod (of Remember Me fame, or infamy depending on who you ask, and if they do actually remember) Life is Strange is an episodic adventure game akin to titles like The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us. But Life is Strange took a decidedly grounded tone for the most part and delivered one of the best coming of age stories I’ve actually ever witnessed. A murder mystery, time travel, themes of suicide and depression, and of course angsty high-school drama, what's not to love?
#4 Spider-Man (Insomniac Games, 2018)
Life is Strange was the little Telltale competitor that could, developed by Dontnod (of Remember Me fame, or infamy depending on who you ask, and if they do actually remember) Life is Strange is an episodic adventure game akin to titles like The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us. But Life is Strange took a decidedly grounded tone for the most part and delivered one of the best coming of age stories I’ve actually ever witnessed. A murder mystery, time travel, themes of suicide and depression, and of course angsty high-school drama, what's not to love?
#4 Spider-Man (Insomniac Games, 2018)
Insomniac’s Spider-Man is probably about as much fun as you can have with your PS4 without going blind...trust me the alternative is not worth it. You play as an older Peter Parker who’s been Spider-Man for some time as he gets entangled in a plot to assassinate Mayor Norman Osborn led by the mysterious Mr. Negative. Most of the great Spidey villains make an appearance (Kingpin, Doc Ock, Vulture etc.) as well as all the great aids like Aunt May, MJ and even Miles Morales! It feels like a suped up version of the PS2 Spider-Man 2 tie in game in all the best ways and it’s a complete blast from start to finish.
#3 The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog, 2020)
#3 The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog, 2020)
They say that lightning never strikes twice, and whilst that can be said for TLOU Part 2 the lightning certainly didn’t strike too far away from where it previously hit. TLOU Part 2 has been an incredibly divisive game released at a time of great unrest in western society as we are currently struggling with our own pandemic, and our leaders appear to be allowing things like homophobia and racism to go unchecked. These problems plagued the public reception of TLOU Part 2 but underneath all that is a story that is far bolder than the first ever was, even if it doesn’t quite stick the landing as well. The game is a true technical marvel as it squeezes every last ounce of power thought possible from the PS4, and it’s an experience you won't soon forget I can guarantee.
#2 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog, 2016)
#2 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog, 2016)
The Uncharted series was a true staple of the previous generation and went a long way in proving just how great a console the PS3 was. But Uncharted 4 blows each and every one of the previous games out of the water. Set several years after the 3rd game Nate is retired and married to Elena, he’s brought back into the action by his thought dead brother to search for the treasure of infamous pirate Henry Avery. Uncharted 4 borrows heavily from The Last of Us’ guidebook of spending a lot of time with the characters and building believable relationships and the result is a game that is less bombastic than the previous entries, but ultimately far meatier in substance. Top it off with some incredible gameplay and some of the best visuals on PS4 and you’ve got an all-round winner.
#1 God of War (Sony Santa Monica, 2018)
#1 God of War (Sony Santa Monica, 2018)
I first played the original God of War around 11 months ago, having never touched the series before that point. I really enjoyed it and went on to play all of the follow up games besides the 2018 PS4 game within around 3 months. I then took a really long break from the series and took the COVID-19 lockdown as the perfect opportunity to play God of War 2018 and oh lord was it incredible. The story of an older and wiser Kratos teaching his son how to survive in a cruel world and get entangled with the vindictive Gods once more, but this time from Norse mythology, is a true epic of epic proportions. I loved every second I spent with God of War, even the grinding in Niflheim to get the Mist Echoes! I don’t think I’ve enjoyed getting 100% completion in a game as much in my life as I did with this game. It’s an incredible progression for the series, and I cannot wait to play the sequel slated to release 2021 for PS5! Without a doubt the best game I have played since the original The Last of Us in 2013.