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2010s adventure games that still hold up

Somewhere to get to, and plenty in the way

491 games · page 1 of 11

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 2015 Why it still holds upOn every road the world offers something to choose or find, from contracts to buried treasure, and that keeps it worth playing today.
Red Dead Redemption 2 2018 Why it still holds upA world that answers what you do, from the weather to the law, still keeps it worth playing today.
The Last of Us 2013 Why it still holds upThe fights still come down to that scarcity today, and retreating to come back from another angle is often the way through, in levels open enough to improvise in.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2017 Why it still holds upAny direction is still worth taking today, because the world runs on systems and physics and even a simple environmental puzzle can have three or four solutions.
God of War 2018 Why it still holds upThe combat still carries it today, with the axe thrown and called back while a second fighter works beside you, so each fight has several things going on at once.
Portal 2 2011 Why it still holds upA few simple tools that combine keep producing new puzzles, and the writing and characters carry them, so it still plays well today.
Hollow Knight 2017 Why it still holds upExploring is still the draw: you map the world, beat bosses to gain abilities and use them to reach places that were closed.
Mass Effect 2 2010 Why it still holds upYour squad keeps it worth playing today: you spend time on your ship, the Normandy, learning their pasts and doing their optional missions, and those choices carry through to the end.
Bloodborne 2015 Why it still holds upCome to it today for the combat: everything pushes you to step in and hit rather than wait behind a guard.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End 2016 Why it still holds upYou would play it today for the traversal and the performances, since climbing carries much of the game and the dialogue and acting carry a personal story.
Grand Theft Auto V 2013 Why it still holds upToday the reward for your time is the detail: conversations while driving change if you repeat a mission, and the story takes about 30 hours.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice 2019 Why it still holds upMastering the parrying is the reward now: the combat is built on it, and getting good at it gives a sense of pride.
Super Mario Odyssey 2017 Why it still holds upToday it works because you choose what to do toward the moon count, and capturing drives much of the level design.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 2010 Why it still holds upLevels that keep changing the rules, playing with gravity and shifting between 2D and 3D, still give each stage something new today.
Horizon Zero Dawn 2017 Why it still holds upFighting each machine is a small puzzle of weak points, in a seamless world with tribes at different technology levels, which keeps it worth playing now.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2018 Why it still holds upCrossing the city by web is still fun before you do anything else in it, which is the reason to play it now.
Resident Evil 2 2019 Why it still holds upPlayed today it keeps the tension through scarcity: ammunition is short, zombies need their heads destroyed to stay down, and a first run takes about eight hours.
Return of the Obra Dinn 2018 Why it still holds upIts deduction holds up today because nobody tells you who anyone is, so you piece together who was where and when.
Ori and the Blind Forest 2015 Why it still holds upOri moves nimbly, and the story is told through play rather than long cutscenes, so it is still a pleasure to control today.
Dead Space 2 2011 Why it still holds upIts atmosphere is why it still works: the lighting and the sound design keep you on edge from start to finish.
Inside 2016 Why it still holds upThe puzzles are why it still plays well: they are natural obstacles that make sense in the context of the game, and the wordless boy is expressive enough to carry it.
Divinity: Original Sin II 2017 Why it still holds upFreedom in and out of combat, where a fight is a puzzle of armor, elements and position and a quest has more than one answer, still makes it worth playing today.
Minecraft: Java Edition 2011 Why it still holds upBecause nothing is required of you, a new world is whatever you decide to make of it, and that is what keeps it worth starting now.
Death Stranding 2019 Why it still holds upA route planned, built and shared with strangers still makes the long walks worth doing today.
Mass Effect 3 2012 Why it still holds upBecause so much of it rests on those earlier choices, the trilogy played in order from the first game still gives it its full weight today.
God of War III 2010 Why it still holds upToday it still offers combat built on chained combos and weapon switching, on a very large scale.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 2017 Why it still holds upLayered combat across large worlds packed with hidden items and side quests still makes it worth playing today.

Huge open worlds and games you can finish in an afternoon sit side by side here, with many that are hard on purpose. What they share is that exploring is the point, whether it takes eighty hours or two.

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