Greatest Video Game Masterpieces of the Last 10 Years, Ranked: Four Standouts Across Genres
Battlefield 1’s Warfronts
DICE set Battlefield 1 during the First World War, giving its campaign five protagonists across distinct theaters of war. Players can fly, operate tanks, climb Monte Grappa, fight at Gallipoli and ride with Lawrence of Arabia.
Its multiplayer supports battles of 64 players, with roles that include operating boats, vehicles and planes. Destructible environments and historically accurate weapons help convey the devastation of the conflict, alongside occasional moments of beauty.
Hollow Knight’s Atmosphere
Hollow Knight is a role-playing Metroidvania set in Hallownest, a damaged world inhabited by insect-like life. Players control a faceless creature called a Hollow as they explore its shadowy surroundings.
The game is praised for its distinctive atmosphere, rewarding exploration and imaginative boss fights. Though challenging, it offers plenty to do and is described as an exceptional experience for fans.
Dead Space Returns
The 2023 Dead Space remake revisits the survival-horror story of Isaac Clarke, a space miner who docks at a station orbiting an alien planet. He discovers that a parasitic life form has killed the mining crew and must investigate the outbreak while seeking his girlfriend.
Clarke uses varied weapons and a stasis device that can freeze aliens and move objects. The station’s corridors and zero-gravity areas create different routes and combat situations; the remake is described as building on the original’s mechanical strengths.
Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the series’ first new entry for Nintendo Switch. It presents Hyrule as a broad sandbox that encourages players to explore and choose what to do.
The game is characterized as one of the franchise’s strongest entries, though not its best. Its world is described as much larger than those in earlier games in the series.
Key points
- Battlefield 1 combines a First World War campaign with 64-player multiplayer battles.
- Hollow Knight stands out for its atmosphere, exploration and creative boss fights.
- The Dead Space remake follows Isaac Clarke as he investigates a deadly outbreak aboard a mining station.
- Breath of the Wild turns Hyrule into a large, open-ended world for exploration.