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2019 has been a great year for games in general, with releases such as the 2019 Game of the Year, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, as well as Hideo Kojima’s first independent (in a way) game, Death Stranding.
Google’s Year in Search highlights the top trending terms used by Singaporeans each year and gives us a better glimpse at what is popular amongst Singaporean gamers this year. Without further ado, here are the top 10 trending games in Google’s Year in Search for 2019.
10. Days Gone
Days Gone is an action-adventure survival horror game which is set in a post-apocalyptic America following a global pandemic which resulted in the creation of cannibalistic creatures known as Freakers. We follow former-outlaw-turned-drifter Deacon St. John on his quest to find his wife Sarah.
Aside from the overarching story of Deacon looking for his wife, the game also explores themes of hope, determination, and the values of relationship. With all that and the game’s great graphics, it is little wonder that it got as popular as it did, scoring itself a place in Google’s list of top 10 searched games for 2019.
9. Borderlands 3
The fourth instalment to the Borderlands franchise, Borderlands 3 is an action role-playing first-person shooter game by Gearbox Software that brings with it even more guns and new vault hunters for players to choose from.
Borderlands 3 shares much of the same concept as earlier Borderlands game, with players having to take on missions, defeat enemies, and go around looting for items to collect from fallen foes and treasure chests. Playable characters from previous installations also make a return as non-playable characters to assist the player. A game that is definitely one for the fans, Borderlands 3 is a definite upgrade from previous instalments in the franchise.
8. The Division 2
Set in a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C., Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 will have you playing as an agent of the Strategic Homeland Division as you try your best to rebuild the city. The Division 2 is also filled with well-paced game progression and a compelling story-line that will keep you playing for hours.
Following the events of the first Division game, the battlefield has since shifted to Washington D.C., where a pandemic has left many dead and the survivors are left broken, all ready for opportunistic factions to take over and rule. Though similar to the first game, The Division 2 does bring much need gameplay upgrades to make the experience a much more fulfilling one to go through.
7. World War Z
Set in the same universe as the 2013 film adaptation of World War Z, the game is a cooperative third-person shooter game which pits four players against hordes of zombies in five different locations across the world – Moscow, New York, Jerusalem, Tokyo, and Sydney.
Players will be able to choose from one of six different classes to fight back against the zombies, according to which fits best with their play style. Aside from the standard game mode, the game also features five competitive multiplayer modes for even more zombie-killing fun.
6. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Set in an alternate, more supernaturally charged version of 16th century Japan, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice have you playing as the deathless assassin Sekiro armed with just a sharp bladed and weaponised prosthetic arm.
The game is filled with breathtaking fight scenes that will put your gaming skills to the test. As unlike other games produced by Hidetaka Miyazaki, in Sekiro there is no help to be found, and all you have are your wits and skills at your disposal in order to best the various foes in the game. This alone has led to Sekiro being the subject of scrutiny for having a lack of accessibility options, but it didn’t stop it from being just amazing at what it did as a game.
5. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
After the disappointing game release that was Star Wars: Battlefront 2, which fielded many criticisms over its loot box system which many saw as a pay-to-win system, it seems EA has learned their lesson with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Whereby in Star Wars Battlefront 2, a player could essentially more or less guarantee their success in the game if they were willing to spend money on it, Jedi: Fallen Order is a single-player game with no loot box system at all. This allows players to focus more on the story of the game and the gameplay itself.
The game centres around former Jedi-in-training Cal Kestis as he goes around hiding from the newly risen Galactic Empire, following the execution of Order 66 in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Though it is not without its flaws, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order still remains a strong new video game addition to the franchise with its great blend of action, platforming, and replayability.
4. Apex Legends
Respawn wowed the world with the release of their newest battle royale game Apex Legends which is set in the same sci-fi universe as Titanfall 2. Much like other battle royale games, Apex Legends has a group of players teamed up into groups of three whereafter they will be sent freefalling onto an island to survive and outlast against other players.
Though unlike other battle royale games, Apex Legends will have players selecting from a pool of heroes, each coming with their own unique set of skills such as Bloodhound who has the ability to reveal hidden enemies, traps and clues in a map, and Lifeline, who is able to summon drones down to heal their allies over a period of time.
3. Pokémon Sword and Shield
Nintendo’s newest addition to their Pokémon franchise is the first Pokémon game that is released for the Nintendo Switch. Set in the Galar region, Pokémon Sword and Shield comes with several new features that are unique to this iteration, such as Pokémon Max Raids, the ability to Gigantamax your Pokémon, as well as being able to set up camp while travelling.
Filled with tons of adorable new Pokémon and gym leaders, it is little wonder how popular Sword and Shield got even before the duo’s release.
2. Anthem
Anthem is EA’s latest online action role-playing game where players will assume the role of Freelancers tasked with the duty of defending humanity from threats beyond the city walls. To do so, they will don on one of four different powerful exosuits, called Javelins, to help them in their fight to save humanity.
Though the game has been criticised for its middling storyline, microtransactions and various other bugs, Anthem still remains a visually stunning game that allows for great team interaction and customisation of one’s own Javelin.
1. Death Stranding
The long-awaited game from legendary game producer Hideo Kojima, Death Stranding is a game truly unlike any other. It is in Kojima’s own words, a new type of game, a “social strand game”. Possibly in how players will get to help other players in the game by leaving supplies and sharing safe houses with them, despite never meeting them in-game.
Death Stranding is set in a post-apocalyptic United States and we follow Sam Porter Bridges as he embarks on a mission to connect the various cities in the United States through the Network, delivering Cargo and assisting other Bridges staff along the way. Aside from the cinema-grade cutscenes in the game, the appearance of so many A-list voice actors such as Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and even Guillermo del Toro in one game makes it another that is worth checking out.
If anything, we would say that this list does suggest Singaporean gamers do lean quite a bit into the realm of Playstation. Despite that, it’s nice to see Nintendo break into the top three with Pokémon Sword and Shield which is a testament to the Switch’s rise to power.
So how many of the above games have you played in 2019?
Germaine is a fun-sized introvert who loves nothing better than sleeping in on rainy days. She can be found reading fanfiction and manga while still waiting for her Hogwarts acceptance letter. It’ll come eventually.
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