Three Games That Defined The Generation

Player 2 continues its fond look back at the current generation. This time is writer, Jess Zammit who picks her personal games of the era.

[Sonic-and-Crash]

lol no ...Horizon yes can be nominated as Generation defining game ...the others not ...
My list
1 Zelda BotW/Horizon/Ghost of Tsushima (as one entry , not separately, AAA open world genre games)

2 Monster Hunter World (huge achivement to faihtfully import MH next game into next gen HD era with imporved but still classic gameplay-kudos there for Capcom)

3 Bloodborne/Sekiro (again as one entry ,not separetely, for perfectising the Souls formula with artistic visuals compared to none)

plus honorable mention : Death Stranding ..Is not for everyone and has its open world cliches but it is unique in every other area

[pwnmaster3000]

Naw I agree with last of us 2 being nominated.
But I’m not trying to be that guy but this article seem so pro feminist to me.

I agree with bloodborne and deathstranding.
I would also add ms flight simulator and pubg

[Jammali]

The author is at the bottom of thre article, Jess a woman lol not a man.

[SullysCigar]

idk about flight sim. I mean first of all it's not on this gen, but will come to series x at some point. Secondly, for me it's essentially just sticking a plane in Google Earth. The scenery is great from a distance, and the fact you can go almost anywhere is really cool, but that's it - it needs dogfights or...anything really, some missions, maybe a story expansion to generate some sort of meaningful interaction and keep boredom at bay, in my opinion.

[Orpheo]

How they defined the generation:
Last of Us 2 - Most Disappointing Game of the Generation
Deathstranding - Weirdest Game of the Generation
Bloodborne - Most Satisfying Game of the Generation

[bradleejones]

Pubg came out in 2017/18.

[AnnaDea]

Bahahaha mentioning Breath of the Wild which was one empty hollow excuse of a Zelda game.

You got Bloodborne right though.

[ssj27]

I tried zelda a week or ago and I realized how outdated out of touch Nintendo is. Zelda was empty fighting mechanics verh basic outdated. Climbing was like if he is spiderman or something but is slow motion and lets not even mention animation from ps2 era poor sound quality. I mean how the f Nintendo get a pass is unbelievable poeple nostalgia or fanboysm makes them so blind.

Nintendo needs to level up their game. No wonder in only caters kids or Japanese culture who loves and call a pre maded animation turn based gameplay but they don't realize is not a genre it's because they didn't have the skills or technology to make it natively action based. Now they can make the game fluid with the accion and animation it's beyond me they want the characters to stand next to eachother and hit eachother turn by turn lol

[Fluttershy77]

Maybe you hated uh... but What a experience! you'll never forget it, you know what I'm talking about

[IMissJimRyan]

Every generation has its own defining genre. This was Open World RPG.

That in mind if someone asked me to say ONE game that define 8th gen I'd say The Witcher III Wild Hunt.

There were a lot of great games, but I think Geralt's adventure is pure definition of 2014~2020.

[AnnaDea]

Yea, I would say that The Witcher 3 was the one that made the best impression of a next-gen experience for me. The game that closed it was The Last of Us 2~

[KyRo]

This generation was the generation of forced open world's in games that didn't need them. MGSV, Ghost Recon, FF15 just to name a few. Open worlds were over saturated this generation but nearly all of them follow the same flawed gameplay designs of go here, fetch this, kill them, clear out this camp, collect that.

[IMissJimRyan]

I know is some kind hard to understand, but defining a generation is different to be the best game for someone personal taste. I know you wanna be right and make your opinion the only one. But when trying to do that stay on the subject.

I said what game defined The generation. Insider all your rant you agree with me open world rpgs are everywhere. And there's no better example than The Witcher 3.

[KyRo]

You mentioned the defining genre of the generation and I replied to that? Your game of the generation will differ to mine. There's nothing wrong with you enjoying them games but when you realise that every single one uses the same blueprint, they become very samey no matter what setting, period, FoV it uses. I'm not saying they're bad in any way, you just know what you're getting yourself in for as soon as you know a game is open world.

Your game of the generation was TW3, it will be many other people's to.

It weren't a rant either. Quite impressive how you managed to interpret it that way though.

[Dragonscale]

Witcher 3 is totally overrated fgs. It didn't even define 2015, that honor belongs to Bloodborne.

[IMissJimRyan]

Nobody is asking if you like or not or even what is the best game of the generation. The article and my answer is about the game that defined this generation. You could argue that is isnt open world rpg. That other genre representes 8th gen even more. But your favorite game is irrelevant here.

[RgR]

It was the first open world to offer decent side quests. That was gen defining. Bloodborne was another souls game with an awesome skin of course and incredible combat. But they were already doing that type of game anyways.

[Silly gameAr]

I wish I thought the same, but I couldn't get into Wild Hunt. Just started playing Persona 5 though, and I can't put that game down.

[IMissJimRyan]

I didn't say that it's my favorite game, even though I really liked. I said it's The defining game of the generation. I think open world rpgs are the FPS of this generation: the most popular gente, and the witcher 3 represents it for its best and for its worst.

[Notellin]

Unbelievable Witcher 3 is left off.

[Asuka]

For me personally it would have to be xenoblade 2 and torna the golden country.

[Asuka]

Look at that I didn't mention a PlayStation title hence all the disagrees.

Okay I'll bite since the topic was three games I'll add another one : Nier Automata. How's that?

[GaboonViper]

For me Bloodborne, God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn.

[MajorLazer]

You read my mind

[VerminSC]

Mine are
The last of us part II
God of war
Bloodborne

So many good games though
Zelda: Breath of the wild
Dark souls 3
Uncharted 4
Uncharted the lost legacy
Final Fantasy VII remake
Dead cells
Red dead redemption 2

[TheKingKratos]

Now that is a list

[gamer7804]

Halo 5, Hellblade, blair witch, And Detroit become human

[aconnellan]

As a diehard halo fan, Halo 5 isn’t even the defining Halo game of this generation

[gamer7804]

Huh? No other halo was even made this gen. I loved it. Remember all of these are opinions, there is really no right answer.

[generic-user-name]

Haven't heard much praise for Blair witch before

[gamer7804]

gameplay isn't anything to write home about, but the story and character are done really well.

[aconnellan]

“No other halo was even made this gen”

Halo Wars 2 came out this gen, which is my point - it was a better Halo game than Halo 5, even though it’s an offshoot from the main series.

“I loved it”

Tbh the multiplayer is some of the best in the series, but the story and single player is what kills it for me. It had lots of potential (especially after Halo 4’s story, and the Hunt The Truth marketing), but just completely fell flat

[gamer7804]

Halo wars 2 was good. But halo 5 was great even single player where halo wars 2 wasnt

[TheKingKratos]

Lol

[gamer7804]

Lol

[Hungryalpaca]

Halo 5 was terrible. I’ve been playing halo since launch 2001. Halo 5 released and me and all my friends quit the series.

[gamer7804]

it is a very polarizing game for sure, love it or hate it, like the last of us 2.

[Ashunderfire86]

"If somehow the lord gave me a second chance at that moment, I would do it all over again"

-Joe Miller

Last of Us 2 one ☝️ of the games that define a generation no matter if you like it or not, you can’t deny the huge amount of detail packed into this game! An I can wait to see what Naughty Dog 🐕 does next with the PS5.

[RgR]

It did not define anything except how to divide a fanbase and ruin the future of a franchise.

Whether you like it or not it's a cliche story told very badly and centered around sexual preferences.

For me it was that and an unmemorable game. I'm left with nothing to truly recall fondly and only the feeling that the franchise has met it's end.

I don't play a game and like it because of the graphics or attention to detail or voice acting. I like games when they are good, when they tell a good story in the case of a narrative driven game.

God of war for me takes the place of the top Sony 1st party franchise right now. And quite possibly the top studio

Of course you're entitled to your opinion and Im not expecting anyone to agree with me at all

[Redemption-64]

You are also entitled to your opinion, i honestly don't think most people take you seriously at all. Every thing you said about TLOU part 2 is subjective and will never amount to anything more than that.

[RgR]

@Redemption-64

You took me seriously enought to reply and proving my point. Although at the same time insulting but hey i wont complain.
Obviously reviews and comments on whether a game is good or not is always subjective. But based on user reviews, which i know includes fake 0's and fake 100's, the game is subjectively bad. Based on critics it is subjectively almost the best game ever made.

To be fair doubt anyone will take you seriously either.

[Redemption-64]

Proving your point that, it’s only and only your opinion and will never amount to anything more than that? And you actually view that as insulting? 👏 wow, how thin skinned are you to actually think, someone telling you your opinion on a video game is subjective as insulting.

To be fair doubt anyone will take you seriously either.

And no one should, everyone should be able to make their own opinion, be grown and mature enough to not think, someone telling them, their opinion is just an opinion and most people wouldn't care about their opinion as insulting

User reviews are about as reliable as a broken condom, especially from metacritic. I don't take reviews from users, that review bomb a game with thousands of fake ratings within an hour of the game being released, those who clearly have not played the game. How about you look at user views from sites that requires only people that can verify they actually purchased the game to review it? Look at Amazon, BestBuy, or Target, all have overwhelming positive rating of the game, from actual people who purchased the game, not from a site where people who clearly didn't play the game to create multiple accounts to spam a rating.

[RgR]

@Redemption

Well clearly you are unable to distinguish an insult from otherwise a normal comment.
The insult is when you said, "I honestly dont think most people take your seriously at all."
Kinda a crappy thing to say to anyone.

But now your reguritating the same things we all now. Opinions are opinions. good job not actually adding anything to the conversation. Other than a strong liking to discrediting opinions you disagree with.

[Redemption-64]

Just in case your copy and paste is not working well, this is what i wrote, You are also entitled to your opinion, i honestly don't think most people take you seriously at all. And this somehow makes you feel insulted? 😂 wow

[generic-user-name]

"centered around sexual preferences"

Oh please. The story was centered around revenge, Ellie being straight wouldn't have changed it.

Sick of the knee jerk reactions from the super anti-sjw brigade. It'd be one thing if it was shoved down your throat, instead of simply existing. But simply existing is considered 'throat shoving' to some.

[gamer7804]

Didn’t like it, terrible writing , terrrible story, terrible characters but you can have your opinion.

[talocaca]

The Last of Us 2 is truly spectacular. After I finished playing it felt weird playing other similar games.

It just felt like the animations in particular and the acting were truly AAA quality.

Horizon was also a surprisingly competent game, mostly because of how ambitious it was. It shouldn't work but somehow it does and really well.

I would include Breath of the Wild as my third title. The way you can literally go EVERYWHERE and play your own way using the game's rules was really cool.

[kneon]

That's the problem with Naughty Dog games. After finishing one most other games seem like they were made by amateurs.

[where-eagles-dare]

I played Last Of Us 2, didn't enjoy it, but I know the game exudes quality throughout from a technical perspective. I just disliked the narrative.

A few weeks later, after getting immersed into the world of the absolutely spectacular & 'fun' Ghost Of Tsushima, I had mercifully forgotten all about Naughty Dog's misery simulator.

[Levii_92]

The Last of us 2 ain’t one of them

[FunAndGun]

It sure did touch you in a special way to single it out like that. Sounds generation defining to me if that is the SINGLE game on your mind and lips. It invades your brain like a spore.

[RgR]

The natural reaction when something disgusts you to no end. Or at least deeply lets you down.

[mastershredder]

Define a GENERATION. and this is the list. You are so basic consumer, the list was predictable as a launch list.

[chicken_in_the_corn]

Tomb Raider Definitive Edition as it started the remaster craze

[generic-user-name]

Were you not around during the PS3 generation?

[chicken_in_the_corn]

They weren't as prominent and gamers weren't demanding them over new games back then

[generic-user-name]

God of War, Silent Hill, MGS trilogy, plenty more, Tomb Raider was absolutely not the start if it.

[starchild]

The Witcher 3 is the defining game of the generation for me. It was the game I kept coming back to most and which also had the longest lasting impact. I literally played it off and on the entire generation.

[S2Killinit]

TLOU2
Horizon
God of War

[The-Matrix-has-you]

I’m pretty sure Cyberpunk 2077 will end up being the game of the generation. If that is considered too late to consider than I would say The Witcher 3, Dying Light and Bloodborne.

[trippyaaron]

For me, even though I haven't played nearly as many games as others, I'd have to say Dreams is my game of the generation. It's by no stretch as popular or its practices as templated as Fortnite's, but it is one of the few games that pushes boundaries and couldn't have been accomplished a generation before.

[Petebloodyonion]

Bloodborne because it start the trend of Dark soul game we saw all around.
Witcher 3 the Skyrim game of this generation that will probably have a gameboy port at one point
Beat saber Because It's freaking Beat saber and for the majority the 1st title that comes to mind when you talk about VR.

[SullysCigar]

Yeah man, Beat Saber is the real deal. People hate because they love to hate VR, presumably because they haven't tried it.

I played Beat Saber to death over lockdown, as my usual sports were not happening. It's an excellent cardio workout on harder difficulty settings. I got the platinum and felt like a beast lol

Plus the content just keeps coming and most of it is free - they added the mode where you have to turn as the blocks come from different angles, load of official licensed song packs with professional mapping, custom sabers, custom levels, block colours, and very soon they're adding 5 player online multiplayer!

[sagapo]

For me: Bloodborn, Witcher 3, Red Dead 2 and Detroit Become Human. That’s 4 games, I know, but those are the games I loved the most this gen.

[Dragonscale]

Tlou 2 is overrated trash lol.

[RightFootGames]

You sound so very angry.

[S2Killinit]

Okay buddy

[BrettAwesome]

Battlefront 2: greed and controversy
GTA V: re-release and open world
Call of Duty Infinite Warfare: generic linear shooter
Those "qualities" have defined the generation

[northpaws]

Three games that defined the generation, not 3 of your favourite games...

The games have to be doing something completely new that pushed the genre or game mechanic forward that changes how other games are designed...

To me, I would say...
- Witcher 3 in terms of open world quests design, how well quests connected to each other, and without any boring fetch quests
- Tlou 2 in terms of story telling in video games, animation and graphic are top notch as well
- Player's Unknown Battleground - which started the whole battle Royale craze, more games trying the 32+ players concept, such as the recent hit fall guys, which wouldn't happen otherwise

These are not my favourite games, but these are what I think defined the generation and a good representation of what this gen had achieved.

God of War, Bloodborne, Horizon, RDR2 and tons more are all excellent games in their own ways, but most of them are refining an existing mechanic instead of bring something completely new to the table.

[LoveSpuds]

Not to be pedantic, but generation defining means something completely different to 'favourite games of the generation'.

Personally, I would say PubG takes top spot this generation, it popularised the whole battle royale genre of games.

[Z501]

Below you wrote "without the huge success of PubG there would be no Fortnight"

Fortnite Save the World was a thing before the BR mode. So, factually you are wrong.

[RgR]

Bloodborne, god of war, hollow knight

Can't think of any others that left an incredible impression on me

[Stanjara]

Hollow knight was meroidvania redefined. 10/10

[RgR]

Wish I could wipe my memory and replay it.

Dead cells is quite interesting as well but a lot more focus on grinding

[Stanjara]

I didn't like dead cells, because it's a rouge like...you die and let's go all over again, an then you have to have a perfect run to go till the end.
Also for that reason didn't like Enter the gungeon.
I did love Blasphemous.
Also must try that 2d dark souls...black an white...something souls.

[RgR]

I agree i dont really like rogue like much. But i almost did my first run on my first try. Beat it a couple of times got all the permanent abilities and such and will pick it up now and again since there are so many builds to try.

[Stanjara]

Cool, but Hollow knight, 75h. What a game.

[Xaywhat]

Man I loved hollow knight! Great call

[Z501]

How is Fortnite not here?
*I don't even like the game
It elevated the BR mode to new heights. The battle pass is/will become a gaming staple from now on. It took streaming to new heights.

[SullysCigar]

Agreed. A few are mentioning PUBG - a game that played like crap, with awful technical issues throughout it's peak-player count period, only fixing most of them after the game got stale. It's had somewhat of a resurgence of late, thanks to being free on PS Plus, but it will drop like a stone when PS5 launches, if not before.

People credit it as the first battle royale, but it wasn't, it was just the first to be publicised into the mainstream. Pllayer count grew quickly and then Fortnite took it's crown almost overnight - probably because it played well from the start and kept things fresh with new content, seasons, features, etc.

For the record, I'm not a fan of either game in any way, but Fortnite was and is HUGE and has catapulted Epic Games beyond many industry giants and into the stratosphere. That's why Fortnite shouuld be on this list, as much as I don't like it lol

[LoveSpuds]

I don't like PubG (or Fortnight for that matter) but the fact remains, without the huge success of PubG there would be no Fortnight, Apex Legends or Warzone. Nobody is claiming PubG did it first, but it was certainly the first game of its kind to go mainstream the way it did and it is responsible for all the others that came afterwards looking for a slice of the pie.

[Bridges28]

It's great to see everyone stating their own favourite titles from this generation. To each their own. <3

[RgR]

Absolutely. It helps expose you to games you may not have tried. For myself im itching to try some VR once sony releases more info for plans on ps5
What were yours?

[Bridges28]

Hard to decide. But Bloodborne and Red Dead Redemption 2 comes to mind first.

[FullmetalRoyale]

Mine are probably

Bloodborne
The Witcher 3
The Evil Within 2
There are so many games that might take that third slot on any given day(like Stardew Valley), but that's what is on my mind when reflecting on this generation.

[Obelisk92]

The Last of Us Part 2
Monster Hunter World
Death Stranding
Bloodborne
Zelda Breath of the Wild
Persona 5

Pretty much.

[Qin1982]

Mine:
TLOU2 (my personal game of the generation)
The witcher3
God of War

[anast]

Last of US 2, Bloodborne and RDR2

[stupidusername]

1. Witcher 3
2. Breath of The Wild
3. Not sure, but got to be either RDR2, God of War or Tlou2. Bloodborne right behind.

[Rambokind]

Anything to stan for Last of Us 2. Move on, for God's sake.

[ChickenOfTheCaveMan]

God Of War - It proves you can take an old formula flip it and make it a whole new thing without alienating the previous fan. It's also the most perfect game of this generation.

Last Of Us II - A perfect sequel, it answers any questions the first one created and then some. In terms of videogames pushing a narrative, it takes risks just as the first one did but the story is so much more intricate, flashbacks, complicated themes, mirror narratives and all that good stuff. Sure the pacing is weird at times but in hindsight after completing the game, idk how it could have been otherwise.

Horizon - In terms of creating an ambitious new IP, just wow, the world is big, different than many things we've seen before, it touches on cool subjects like world ending man made cataclysm, AI takeover, religions, traditions, wars. Robot dinosaurs would be cool enough on its own, but the trapping system is awesome, and the whole game is a spin on the Assassin's Creed formula but with mostly interesting side missions interactions and content. Let's see how much they can extend the universe in the sequel.

Honorable mentions to Far Cry 5 and Detroit.

[chiefJohn117]

Hell no to that list completely
Depending on what you mean by generation defining
It was
Rdr 2 (took open world and a.i to the next level cyberpunk may go here too)
Fortnight (BR f2p MT fest and ppl loved it)
Gow (a franchise that was non open world going open world like everything else....and it paid off)
This generation defined in a nutshell with just 3 games.

[SFXtreme3]

Last of Us 2 was amazing. I believe the author’s Life is Strange pick is due to her lifestyle not the quality of the game.

[Hitman007]

Oh News Alerts Opinions are like farts everybody’s has them💩And you get as much out that then U do this article 🤮