Top 20 Games: The Honorable Mentions [2021]
If you read the 2020 edition of my Top 20 Games of All Time, then you know I didn’t really keep the list to just 20 entries. Every good list includes honorable mentions, because even the best attempts can’t include every game that deserves recognition. That’s true here too.
I did my best to make the top 20 list represent my favorite games. But in some cases, that meant dropping a favorite off the list to include something that had a big impact on my life in one way or another.
That balancing act feels like an unfair disservice to a few games that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. Sure, I could crank out 20+ honorable mentions right now. (In fact, I can absolutely imagine a future where I make a huge, all-encompassing 50-game list.) But I won’t do that.
Well, not today, at least.
For now, here are 10 games that — on any given day — could force themselves onto my list of the top 20 games of all time. And yes, I’ll include the 2020 rankings where applicable.
#30. Thomas Was Alone
2020 ranking: #29
Thomas Was Alone is a masterclass in indie game design, from the soundtrack to the narration to the platforming. Going through the game with a live commentary from the developer, Mike Bithell, only provides more insight into what made the game great. More importantly, it’s like getting a one-to-one crash course on how successful designers think about the experiences they create.
This might seem like an odd inclusion, given the tier of other games on these lists. But it’s hard to build a list of my top 20 games and not consider the game that got me to imagine making games of my own.
#29. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
2020 ranking: #28
I’m actually surprised that Oblivion continues to hold a spot here, outlasting Ori and the Blind Forest (or its sequel) and fighting off Dishonored for this position. But the truth is that Oblivion made a big impact on me, redefining the way I thought about RPGs even as I dealt with some big life changes.
When I graduated from high school, the one big purchase I made was a laptop. And not just any laptop: a Dell XPS 15” gaming machine. I started my freshman year playing Oblivion, which was then considered to be the benchmark for high-end graphics.
Being away from family and friends was really hard for me. So, in a way, Oblivion became an escape from loneliness, self-discovering, and evaluating so many other pieces of my life. The game became a safe place, and it’s hard not to feel a deep emotional bond as a result.
#28. Ori and the Blind Forest
2020 ranking: #27
We see a lot of “Metroidvania” games these days, whether that’s the ascendance of Hollow Knight or the resurgence of Metroid Dread. But in this particular case, Ori and the Blind Forest took the Metroidvania”formula (layered mechanics, difficult combat, expansive maps, and myriad secrets) and hid them behind a gorgeous art style and moving soundtrack.
The game became a breakout success for developer Moon Studios, a celebrated (critically and commercially) modern platforming masterpiece. While I admit that its sequel is the better game, there’s something about Ori and the Blind Forest that continues to resonate with me.
#27. Rime
2020 ranking: #25
Rime’s beautiful world and atmospheric storytelling feel like something of a lost art. While indie games have started dragging this style back into the world, Rime was probably my first experience with this new subgenre. (Journey, The Pathless, and The Last Guardian fit into this category too.)
Let’s approach it from the same perspective as Breath of the Wild or Shadow of the Colossus. Rime’s combination of a silent narrative and environmental puzzles allowed me to explore and learn at my own pace, while also interpreting the story in a more personalized way. It drew me into the story, and when you pair that with one of the most beautiful soundtracks I’ve ever heard… Well, I cried two different times during the ending. That’s the kind of takeaway that will stick with you.
#26. Halo 3: ODST
2020 ranking: #23
The Halo franchise has been an important piece of my gaming history, which I got into when talking about Halo: Combat Evolved. And while I almost put Halo: Reach in this spot — especially after replaying the whole series to prepare for Halo Infinite — I really couldn’t get away from how cool this game is.
In addition to being the first Xbox 360 game I owned, Halo 3: ODST built upon the generation-defining experience of Halo 3. With the new wave-based Firefight mode and a huge multiplayer suite, ODST felt like a bookend to the Halo trilogy. It also brought something unique to the series. The jazzy soundtrack and nighttime investigation deviated from what people expected from a Halo game, and the new voice cast and gameplay mechanics made this a side story that had as much value as the core games.
And in some ways, Halo 3: ODST felt like a bridge between Bungie’s times with Halo and Destiny.
#25. The Outer Wilds
2020 ranking: #24
I wrote a glowing review of The Outer Wilds, and I’m not sure there’s much more I can say about the game without spoiling the magic of discovery that is inherent to the experience. It’s a totally unique game, and the more I learn about its development, the more impressive it becomes. This quote from IGN’s best games of the decade ranking really drives it home:
“There is simply nothing quite like Outer Wilds, a bizarre chimera of time loop structure, archeological fantasy, comedy space sim, first-person planet explorer, and meditation on existence. That Outer Wilds attempts to be all of this at all is a marvel, and that it succeeds would be a miracle if it wasn’t clear how meticulously, perfectly designed it is. There may never be another game like this, because no one else will be as brave.”
#24. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
2020 ranking: #22
Most people think of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves as the best game of the PlayStation 3 era and one of the premiere titles in PlayStation’s history. From what I’ve seen, the game definitely established Uncharted as a console-seller and Nathan Drake as the face of PlayStation. Between stellar writing, a good heist story, and memorable characters, it improved every aspect of what the first game attempted.
I borrowed my best friend’s PS3 for a weekend just to play it, and I’ve always considered Uncharted 2 one of my favorite games. And after playing through the entire franchise last year, my feelings are unchanged. Sure, I may prefer the story of the first game or the gunplay of the fourth, but there’s no doubt that Uncharted 2 remains one of the best-written games ever made.
#23. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
2020 ranking: #19
Prince of Persia is one of my oldest gaming memories…or at least one of the clearest ones. The puzzle platforming and time control mechanics blew me away; even after decades of Ubisoft building the Assassin’s Creed franchise around that foundation, no game has ever managed to recapture Prince of Persia’s environmental parkour and acrobatic combat.
The Prince’s clothes wore down as the game went on. His relationship with other characters ebbed and flowed. He got more competent with his abilities, and his tone became tired and even jaded… In some ways, this felt like a game way ahead of its time. And the only reason it fell out of my top 20 games of all time is because it hasn’t aged well, at least compared to the other titles around it on my list.
#22. Marvel's Spider-Man
2020 ranking: N/A
I’ve been pretty open about my thoughts on Batman, and how a lot of my passion for the Arkham games stems from Batman: The Animated Series being a big part of my childhood. But that wasn’t the only cartoon I watched every day after school — there was also Spider-Man: The Animated Series.
Insomniac’s Spider-Man game felt like a perfect 10/10 game to me. The movement and personality of the character were perhaps the most spot-on I’ve ever seen in a comic adaptation, and the story had great emotional beats for familiar characters. The open world activities were satisfying and fulfilling — especially because of the movement — with a beautifully realized New York City.
As the lone new addition to this part of my top 20 games list, it’s important to note that I could see this climbing higher as time passes. I’ve jumped back into the game every few weeks just to swing around New York, and my gut says this is a game I will continue to think about (and enjoy) in the future too.
#21. Dragon Age: Origins
2020 ranking: #21
I came across Dragon Age by total accident during my junior year of college. Mass Effect 2 had become a bit of an obsession for me by then, so I was on the lookout for news about Mass Effect 3’s development. One day, while looking around BioWare’s website, I learned that the studio also made a fantasy RPG.
(Sidenote: It’s weird to think about a time when the only gaming news I followed was IGN’s Daily Fix and their weekly Halo: Reach Top Kills of the Week clips…)
Dragon Age is more than just a fantastical Mass Effect. I loved the old-school tactical combat. The writing was among the best I’d seen in any game, and the setting was different from any book series I had read. The sheer size of this game swept me away on an epic journey with an unforgettable cast of characters.
I’m also about 40 hours into an impromptu playthrough after rereading Blood, Sweat, and Pixels. Pretty sure that if I’d started the list a little bit later, Dragon Age would be sitting in the top 20...
Concluding my Top 20 games list… for now
Despite my best efforts, I just can’t include everything I want on this list. I think about games like Dishonored, Hollow Knight, or ABZU and wish these 10 honorable mentions could be a second set of 20.
Like most of my posts, my (totally subjective) top 20 games list exists to start conversations. Maybe it starts a discussion about older games you aren’t familiar with. Or it becomes a recommendation for something you overlooked and forgot about. It could even be fuel for a debate about why one particular title doesn’t deserve to be on any “top 20 games” list, ever.
Hey, as long as they’re starting conversations, I consider these personal rankings a success…even if other people don’t agree with them.
I mean, if you aren’t starting a few friendly debates, what’s the point of a subjective ranking system anyway?