2019’s Gaming Thanksgiving
2019 was a GREAT year for video games. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving we here at CheckpointXP would love to lay out a lovely meal for you of the year’s best releases.
Turkey/Ham – Death Stranding
The big bird is your centerpiece, you spend the most time and care on it. Like a good turkey or ham, Hideo Kojima took his time on this strange experience that stripped gameplay down to the essentials. Turkey doesn’t need to be complicated. And while the story of Death Stranding may be convoluted, the act of playing it isn’t.
Mac & Cheese,Mashed Potatoes & Sides – COD Modern Warfare
Listen, we know folks come for the fowl, but they stay for the sides. You spend more of your Thanksgiving eating everything along side the turkey. So while Death Stranding may be the main dish, you’ll more than likely sink more hours into Modern Warfare this year. Good multiplayer games are virtually never ending, just like the options of a good Thanksgiving dinner.
Rolls – Mortal Kombat 11
A good roll is totally necessary for a well-rounded Thanksgiving, and a good fighting game is the backbone of any collection. A good fighting game is the base of all esports, just like bread being the foundation for your feast. Mortal Kombat is the top fighting game of the generation and improves on virtually everything 2015’s Mortal Kombat X did to revive the series. Just like those Wheat Bread Hawaiian Sweet Rolls…just a massive improvement over the original.
Weird Dish Your Vegan Cousin Brought – River City Girls
You know the, Obscure, odd, casserole-y thing that almost no one at the gathering touches it but it’s actually kinda tasty. It also makes you feel like your’re adulting better because it’s better for you. That’s sort of the feel you get from Way Forward’s River City Girls. Flipping the “kidnapped girlfriend beat-em-up” genre on its head, RCG has all the things that make you love these types of games, but it feels better to play because it eschews the triple A micro-transaction model. And supporting small studios always feels good.
Jellied Cranberry Sauce – Resident Evil 2
Listen, Cranberry Sauce is the best part of holiday food. Period. There’s no replacement for it. Just like there’s no replacement for Capcom’s Resident Evil series. Their remake of RE2 was a sweet nostalgia trip with a new engine and tight gameplay. Not only was it on of the best games of 2019, it’s competing for the best iteration of a Resident Evil game ever.
Pumpkin Pie – Pokemon Sword & Shield
No one hates Pumpkin Pie. Literally no one hates Pokemon, and if you do you are a monster. Who cares that this is the year your aunt decided to “not add as much nutmeg” or “not include the national Dex”? ITS. STILL. POKEMON.