The Screenies: Eternal

15 years, 30 games. 

2009

Alan: Bayonetta! Of course I am going to pick Bayonetta. For this retrospective I’m following original release dates, and we can now correct a historic wrong from the first Screenies, where I gave the nod to Mass Effect 2.

Bayonetta is close to the platonic ideal of the action game for me. It still feels fresh 15 years later. I’ll be playing it and its sequel forever; they are peerless.

Craig: Oh god. Not only do I famously not play current games, I now play even fewer. And my brain is old and slow and… I think Left 4 Dead 2 was around then. Still the best “chat and splat” multiplayer shooter out there. 

Also that year: Batman Arkham Asylum, Demon’s Souls, Minecraft, Mirror’s Edge, Street Fighter IV, Uncharted 2, Fallout 3, Braid, Assassin’s Creed II 

2010

Alan: Mass Effect 2. Won the Screenies that year, well deserved at the time. I’ve only played Mass Effect 2 once; it’s a real lightning in a bottle game. I’ve been telling Jess to play the series for years (even though she’s not a big shooter fan, and Mass Effect certainly devolved into a third-person shooter from its second entry).

Knowing how the trilogy ends, it’s perhaps a more equivocal recommendation now, but if you haven’t played the ‘Suicide Mission’, you’re missing one of gaming’s great moments. 20 hours of choices lead to unimaginable consequences, intrinsically linked to how you’ve played, impossible to wind back by reloading an old save. I’ll never forget it.

Honourable mention goes to Halo Reach, which I’ve replayed recently and holds up very well, especially in Halo: The Master Chief Collection on PC. It’s proof that the Halo series can tell great stories when it gets away from all the Proper Noun Bad Guys and crushing weight of its own lore (here’s looking at you, Halo 4). Also, the DMR is one of the all time great game guns: the power of Halo’s magnum with the range of a sniper rifle, it’s a monster.

Craig: Two titles lept forth from my memory the Wikipedia page of 2010 video releases as particularly tasty games. Two games from series I’ve written about, that 14 years later I can say were the peak of their respective lineages.  Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse and Dead Rising 2 took what worked in earlier entries, refined and then added some fresh ingredients. Both are worth digging into even today.

Also that year: Super Mario Galaxy 2, Red Dead Redemption, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Rock Band 3, Super Meat Boy, Civilization V

2011

Alan: Portal 2. This was a big year for great games that I’ve only played through once. I think we played through Portal 2 cooperatively together? The only sad thing about Portal 2 is the reminder that Valve don’t make games like this any more (disclaimer: I have not played Half-Life: Alyx), and I miss that.

13 years later I’ve finally started playing Dark Souls, which at my current rate of progress, may usurp Portal 2 in the 30th anniversary Screenies. It’s another special game, but special in an entirely different way to Portal 2.

Craig: Portal 2 is one of my favourite episodes of our long-running yet somehow not-very-many-episodes podcast. So long has passed since those days that AI became sentient, ran for office, won and now rules over our lives. Or at least, AI now transcribes our old podcasts on the Apple Podcasts app. Marvel at technology!

Also that year: Dark Souls, Batman Arkham City, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Uncharted 3, Gears of War 3, Forza Motorsport 4, Wikipedia says FIFA 12 which is true but made me laugh.

2012

Alan: Dishonored, which I finally played in 2016 after years of Rick Lane and Joe Martin begging me to play it. If you haven’t played it yet – and since this isn’t frequently mentioned in “best games of all time” lists, there’s still a chance – try a patient, observant, pacifist mission first, followed by a white-knuckle cathartic massacre. Dishonored is such an intricately designed game that it demands multiple playthroughs to appreciate the depth and detail of its systems. It’s like a streamlined Deus Ex game with the classiness of Half-Life 2.

Now Rick can scold me for having not played Dishonored 2, which I presume is even better.

Craig: The Walking Dead: Season One. Turns out this was the last shuffle of the dying narrative adventure game genre. Then Telltale Games died. Then later it came back. If only there was a metaphor for this.

Also that year: The Walking Dead, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Journey, Mark of the Ninja, Super Hexagon, Mass Effect 3, Fire Emblem Awakening

2013

Alan: The Last of Us. I gave the Screenies award to Spelunky at the time, and that’s a great game, but I’ve since played The Last of Us, which is a Great Game.

This is Naughty Dog at the height of their storytelling powers; the HBO series basically just recreates the cutscenes with actors – and it’s great! It’s an relentlessly grim game compared to Uncharted, the series that coined that pretentious term “ludonarrative dissonance” (where your murderous actions are at odds with the whimsical story).

I found The Last of Us almost unbearably tense at times. I haven’t played the sequel yet and I’m a little scared to do so. The Last of Us has been remastered twice – once on PS4, again on PS5 – so if you haven’t played this one, no rush, you’ll be able to play The Last of Us Part 1 Re-Remastered on PS9 some day.

Craig: I replayed the BioShock trilogy and its expansions on Switch this year. Everything felt fantastic as it did the first time I dived into Rapture. But it was BioShock Infinite that actually went up in my estimations. The lows were still low with its clunky handling of race, and uneven combat that has bigger arenas but somehow fewer thrills. The world of Columbia soared higher than it ever did and my great was taken away time and time again. 

Also that year: Grand Theft Auto V, Flower, Fez, Spelunky, Super Mario 3D World, Dota 2

2014

Alan: Bayonetta 2. I replayed this one on Switch recently and I appreciate the additional depth over the original Bayonetta — unbelievably I never reviewed this for Split Screen, but I’ve got a draft in progress — and I really appreciate that there are no silly instant-fail QTEs to mess up a decent run. It’s Bayonetta with some of the rougher edges sanded off, but it keeps all of the silliness and crassness. It doesn’t make its predecessor redundant: the first game had better boss fights and I miss some of the weapons. But it’s Bayonetta 2 that I turn to when I need an angel-slaying fix.

I feel a little bad not giving the nod to Alien Isolation, which I reviewed for MacFormat at the time. A truly brilliant use of the Alien license even if it’s way too tense for me. I wrote something at the time like “this is the perfect simulation of being stalked by a bloodthirsty xenomorph, which as it turns out, is an unpleasant experience”. That’s probably the ‘right’ choice in a Bayonetta-free world, although such a world is more horrifying to me than any Weyland-Yutani dystopia.

Craig: My oh my, didn’t we all applaud the Nemesis system from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor? And rightly so. Fresh and fun with consequences in game for my actions. Elevating Orcs based on my previous wins and losses gave the world a memory that formed and evolved as I warred my way across Mordor. So why didn’t it appear in games thereafter? 

Well, that legal patent and copyrighting saga was sealed only a few years ago. I hate this. I don’t think you can patent a game mechanic. Imagine copyrighting the concept of dealing cards, or guessing a word on a hidden card, or rolling double dice? Sure, trademark the name and the imagery. But the concept of a rule of play or its implementation is not a proprietary asset. All that said, I’m no lawyer. I’m just the losing party to an innovative idea being locked away rather than shared. 

Also that year: Dark Souls II, Alien Isolation, Shovel Knight, Monument Valley, loads and loads of re-releases. Worried about committing to the shortlist (and the whole feature, let’s be honest)

2015

Alan: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. I played this during the pandemic, all 80 hours of the main story. It has some of the best traditional storytelling in games – the TV show isn’t nearly as well written – and the most fantastic environments to explore whether you’re moving ahead with the main quest, a monster contract, or just cantering around on Roach to see what you can find (and there is always, always something to find).

It’s perhaps at its weakest as an action game, with the hacking and slashing feeling a little stodgy at times, but everything else from the sights to the soundtrack is sublime. Wild Hunt lives up to what Skyrim‘s marketing was trying to claim: a massive open world with thousands of reasons to explore it. And I still haven’t played Hearts of Stone or Blood and Wine yet!

Every time I think about The Witcher 3, I feel the urge to return to the filthy streets of Novigrad or the haunting isles of Skellige (say it with me now in a Northern Irish accent: “fuck you, Witchurrrr”). Perhaps you never stop playing The Witcher 3, you merely preserve it for the next generation.

Also that year: Her Story, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Fallout 4, Bloodborne, Ori and the Blind Forest

Craig: These are all indeed noteworthy:

• Her Story. My favourite recommendation for any grown up who wants to try videogames for the first time.  Listen to the podcast episode afterwards.
• Metal Gear Solid V. Outside of Metal Gear Solid 3 which is the best all round Metal Gear game, MGSV is probably where I’d recommend new comers to start. 
• Fallout 4. My top recommendation for most boring Fallout game. 
• Ori and the Blind Forest. I recommend someone who has played this recommend it. (I have played, and am happy to recommend it – Alan)

2016

Alan: DOOM. When we moved to Australia in 2017 and our possessions were slowly shipped behind us, all I had for gaming was a Wii U I’d stuffed into my carry-on luggage – no, really! – with Breath of the Wild, and Jess’s old desktop gaming PC waiting for us when we arrived. Finally I could play that copy of DOOM, which must be written in all caps, that I’d picked up in the Steam sale. I spent my days working on job and visa applications, and the evenings ripping and tearing until it was done. What a marvellous resurrection of the series after a long time in the wilderness: it captures the spirit of classic Doom, while building on the formula in new and invigorating ways, like evolving the soundtrack from classic thrash to Meshuggah-inspired chugging. Wow!

Honorable mention to Titanfall 2, which has a campaign bursting with imagination (and giant robots, obviously). Proof that military shooters can add some brains to their brawn.

Craig: Chainsaw goes VVVVRRRRROOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM! Shotgun goes BOOOOOOOOOOOM! Craig goes WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! DOOM rules.

Also that year: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Overwatch, Firewatch, Pokémon Go, Dishonored 2, Titanfall 2

2017

Alan: Sonic Mania. While I adored Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey (what a launch year the Switch had!), the real breath of fresh air I needed was a superlative 2D Sonic sequel. It’s a masterpiece: the best Sonic game ever, a great introduction to the series, impeccable fan service, and a soundtrack I listen to every few months. I’d love a sequel, but sadly I don’t think it will happen since Sega have cut ties with Headcannon. Nothing more to say – read the review.

Craig: I played Doki Doki Literature Club immediately after hearing about it on a podcast and then took several years to finish writing about it.

Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey are games I still dip back into. But I only bought a Switch in 2018 so it’s not for this paragraph. 

Also that year: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Resident Evil 7, Cuphead, Super Mario Odyssey, What Remains of Edith Finch, Hollow Knight

2018

Alan: Return of the Obra Dinn. Jess and I played this one together last year, when we needed something cerebral and all-consuming to take our minds off the loss of Spyro. We needed both our brains to figure out this monochromatic marvel, but both those brains felt smart when we did. It reminds of me of these logic puzzle books my mum used to enjoy where she would need to scribble in the margins to work out all of the details. We played Obra Dinn with an iPad for notes – photos, scribbles, writing “WHO IS BEANIE MAN?” a lot. Once you figure out the identity of Beanie Man, the game really starts to fall into place. You realise that all the information you need is right in front of you, but it’s also not quite so simple. It’s also the only game where racial profiling is acceptable and perhaps a necessary step to completing it.

The only problem with Obra Dinn is that half the joy is in the discovery, and you can only do that once. Although it is so good, I might consider giving myself concussion to relive that new game experience one day.

Craig: OK, now it is the right paragraph to talk about Breath of the Wild and its phenomenally successful venture into the open world genre. Less so, it feels about its second DLC The Champions’ Ballad. Breath of the Wild is its own long-distance run, with many moments of discovery guided by your own sense of direction and sense of adventure. The Champion’s Ballad is a victory lap around Hyrule; shorter and, perhaps, sweeter. Ballad brought a strong ending to a strong game, one I thought was unrepeatable until Tears of the Kingdom. 

Also that year: God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, Fortnite, Celeste, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate

2019

Alan: Astral Chain is perhaps Platinum Games’ finest hour, and considering how many times I’ve mentioned Bayonetta in this feature – 14, but who’s counting? – that is quite the claim. I’ve got a draft review floating around my notes (in the astral plane?) but even after 20 hours of synergistic, stylistic action, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of this one.

In some ways, Astral Chain is ‘Bayonetta: Cyber Cops’, a mix of influences from Ghost in the Shell and Pacific Rim to Platinum’s prior works, but it’s more human and less of a comic book than Bayonetta. A truly exceptional action game, largely forgotten because it’s a Switch exclusive (and deserves a system with more processing grunt to do it justice).

Craig: I bought my Switch just before the birth of my first daughter. You know what’s great? Games you can play with one hand while holding the gift of human life in the other hand. For that, I thank Pokémon Sword & Shield. (For a genuine change in Pokémon games, I thank Alan for alerting me to ROM hacks like Pokémon Prism.)

Also that year: Red Dead Redemption 2, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Disco Elysium, Tetris Effect, Untitled Goose Game, Control, Death Stranding, Apex Legends

2020

Alan: I spent most of 2020 playing through Super Mario 3D All Stars and watching 30 Rock. I know it was the year of Animal Crossing for many, but I found my pandemic solace in properly experiencing Super Mario 64.

But my modern game of the year was Streets of Rage 4. I wasn’t sure about this one from the trailers, but it’s an exceptional fighting game that is worthy of the legacy of the best Mega Drive game. There’s more variety to Streets of Rage 4 than the original series, more understanding of how players might exploit its systems, and a surprising amount of depth while keeping the timeless fun of smashing oiks in the face with a lead pipe. It’s a perfect pick up and play game whether it’s your first or fiftieth playthrough.

While I still don’t love the art style – I think the pixel art look of TMNT Shredder’s Revenge is a better fit for SoR than the comic book style, which worked better in Lizardcube’s previous release Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom – in every other respect, they nailed it. They even brought Yuzo Koshiro back for (some of) the soundtrack, which is very good. It’s not “I literally have this soundtrack on vinyl, mounted to the wall behind me” good like Streets of Rage 2, but it’s good.

I’m tempted to give the nod to Command and Conquer Remastered, but Red Alert is a better fit for the 1996 Screenies. While C&C Remastered is an awesome collection, it’s a different kind of fan service. I’m not sure that it would convert any newcomers to the series – but who cares? I’ve been playing Red Alert since the 90s and have no intention of stopping now.

Craig: Baba is You is one of those games I played, I enjoyed, I learned, I got stuck, and I walked away from not knowing how far into the game or how near the end I managed to get. You know? One of them. I should go back and see it through, even if it is with a walkthrough in hand.

Also that year: Animal Crossing New Horizons, The Last of Us Part II, Hades, Half-Life: Alyx

2021

Alan: Metroid Dread. The real dread was in playing this for the first time, knowing the developers were responsible for that mediocre Samus Returns remake on 3DS (play AM2R instead, it’s much better!) but this is a real return to form. Tightly designed, challenging, and full of clever new ideas for Metroid fanboys like me who have played every game in the series. I understand why some people didn’t like the stealth / instant death encounters with the EMMI robots, but I enjoyed the change of pace, and those sections are rather short with generous checkpointing.

It’s a great example of how to keep a franchise fresh and relevant – including facilitating speedrunners, which is surprising coming from a publisher so hostile to streaming – without losing its soul in the process. Now, I can shift my anxiety to Metroid Prime 4.

Craig: I completed Tetris. Beat the game. Beat the boss. Saw the credits. Pumped my fists. And you can too with Tetris Effect: Connected alongside experiencing the most vibrant, musical and cerebral games of Tetris you’re likely to find inside or outside a VR headset. 

Also that year: The Forgotten City (it’s great!), It Takes Two (urgh, we need to talk about that one day).

2022

Alan: According to my notes, I’ve completed two games released in 2022: TMNT Shredder’s Revenge, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. I now have to admit that I haven’t played Bayonetta 3 yet. When we travelled to Japan in 2024 I was still playing Bayonetta 2, and that came out a decade ago, so what’s the rush?

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a lovely game. Jess and I played through the whole thing cooperatively, and it’s far from the best co-op game (the second player’s role is too limited: they’re the support act, never truly on the main stage), but it’s still joyful for everyone. Kirby is always a good time, whether you’re swallowing enemies and vomiting them out as star shuriken, or in this game, trying to swallow a whole car and hooning around. Forgotten Land is a breezy, hazy game, like a summer road trip.

Craig: Dwarf Fortress released in 2022. Or at least the version I was finally able to play and enjoy released then. Losing is, indeed, fun.  

Also that year: Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarök, Tunic

2023

Alan: I’ve been deliberately avoiding buying new games except for birthday and Christmas gifts. The only 2023 games I have played, but not in large amounts, are: Super Mario Bros Wonder, Pikmin 4, and Pizza Tower.

Any of those could be my favourite game of 2023. Super Mario Wonder is appealing from the first frame, Pikmin 4 is a slow burner that’s such a relaxing way to spend an afternoon – and you have Oatchi the rescue pup, who is delightful. Pizza Tower is perhaps the ultimate 90s Alan fantasy game: Sonic the Hedgehog meets the animation of Ren and Stimpy with a really silly sense of humour. I think they’re all my favourite. I’ll report back in a couple of years.

Craig: I am still playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. A little bit here and there. A little smile here and there. One hundred hours and I’ve put off beating the final boss for so long. But my daughter and I have just built a home for Link and Epona and there are still, somehow, side quests and shrines for us to find. How the hell are Nintendo going to follow this?

Also that year: Baldur’s Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, Hi-Fi Rush

2024

Alan: It wouldn’t be Split Screen without overcommitting to an arbitrary essay concept! This year I have played… one round of Balatro. I love the look of Animal Well, Astro Bot, and Thank Goodness You’re Here. On the bright side, we’ve got plenty of material for the 30th anniversary Screenies. 

Craig: This has been a year. My second daughter was born. And with a free hand, I know play Marvel Snap. I read the rage posts on Reddit about what is apparently a game in decline but I don’t see it. It’s free with optional purchases that have never got in my way. Snap takes what I loved about Hearthstone before it became bloated and keeps it simple. The dynamic nature of what rules are in play for each game keeps the cards intera rooms fresh and fun. A guaranteed but if fun in under two minutes. Perfect for life in the Dad lane. Expect me to write an article about Marvel Snap in about seven years from now.