1. Rocket League ; Addicting and so much fun. I don't see myself putting this one down anytime soon. Playing with friends is a blast.
2. Bloodborne ; Flawless gameplay, fantastic atmosphere. From Software stands alone.
3. Dying Light ; 4 player co-op was a blast. Story was garbage, but who cares. Underrated.
4. Ori and the Blind Forest
5. Grand Theft Auto V
6. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
7. Heroes of the Storm
8. Pillars of Eternity
9. Homeworld Remastered Collection
Top Ten
1. Until Dawn ; I didn't expect this on my list, let alone at the top, but it absolutely grabbed hold of me. Lights off, headphones on, it's been amazing so far. The characters have personality, the choices truly matter. The cutscenes and interactions between chapters are masterful.
2. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; I adore TR2013. This rebooted series just hits all the notes for me.
3. Super Mario Maker ; the only game on my list that I'm very, very likely to still be playing several years from now. Keep adding and tuning, Nintendo, it's amazing and creeping closer to perfection.
4. Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious ; So nice I played it twice, completing both on Xbox One and then on 360. Racing game, you have my interest. Forza, now you have a quality pedigree and authenticity. Horizon series, now I know it's less technical and more arcade and fun. Luda-Tej giving me missions with Fast and Furious cars? Now we talkin', breh, you KNOW we got an appetite for this game... we hungry.
5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; I'm new the the franchise, having only played Ground Zeroes before this. I have no idea what is happening and it is still blowing my mind with awesomeness.
6. Hacknet ; I think I would love this even more if it didn't feel like the more interesting parts of my actual job. Despite that, pretty much insta-love.
7. Life Is Strange ; As I failed to answer that first question, and then went back and answered it correctly, the possibilities 'clicked' with me, and I'm really excited to go through this one.
8. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; The controls still seem a bit wonky, but everything else seems great enough to move past that.
9. Ori and the Blind Forest ; Beautiful in every way - atmosphere, music, controls.
10. Emily is away ; This short game actually made me feel anxiety over my choices while playing. It's kind of a one-trick-pony, but a brilliant one that I am so glad I did not miss.
Honorable Mentions
x. Star Wars Battlefront ; I'm not much of an online shooter fan, and just an average Star Wars consumer, but playing 'Star Wars: Horde Mode' as couch co-op with a friend was easily one of my favorite gaming times in the past year. Also, the amount of Suck I generated single handedly in a TIE fighter should have broken a server somewhere trying to compute negative scoring values. (don't own this one yet)
x. Splatoon ; I only played a couple of matches, but this is pretty solidly great. As above, I'm not much of an online shooter person (see: Titanfall collecting dust) some kind of campaign mode might have really sparked my interest here, but I do appreciate what this is and see the fantastic appeal. (don't own this one yet)
x. The Order: 1886 ; AKA Gears of Lore. Now that I've played it, I don't understand the wide disdain. Looks great, plays good, very enjoyable.
x. Her Story ; I was genuinely surprised by the twist as I began to make sense of it and draw my conclusion. Very good experience.
x. Tales from the Borderlands ; Had I played this more (still in the first chapter), maybe it could have made my top ten. Very enjoyable so far.
x. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection ; Picked this up on sale, 'let me just launch this to ensure it installed' (four hours later) 'oh, crap... uh...'
x. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition ; A great update to something I consider a classic 360 title, and the inclusion of digital codes for I, II, III and Judgement make this a great, great package bringing one of my favorite series along with me to the latest gen console.
x. The Beginner's Guide ; My intent was to play this straight through (est 1-2hrs?), but I got interrupted. Excited to complete this.
x. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture ; Beautiful and fascinating. As a certified member of the Diablo Barrel Breakers club, it is really, really slow moving through this as I try to explore every nook and cranny for each interaction and experience.
x. Undertale ; Charm is the first word that comes to mind. I'm probably only an hour into this and gather that it really ramps up later, and may have landed further up my list.
x. Pneuma: Breath of Life ; I would have played this start-to-finish had I not gotten stuck on one of the puzzles. I've been too stubborn to look up a solution, so I've stalled. Solid game. I will prevail!
x. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood ; I suck at twitchy shooters, but really appreciate the atmosphere and mechanics (despite being bad at them).
x. Minecraft: Story Mode ; I have played very little, but watched and participated in a good portion with my kids (who played 3 chapters in one sitting, got upset by the interruption of 'bedtime', and finished the fourth chapter that morning).
x. Lara Croft Go ; A great game... except I played it on PC. Non-touchscreen PC. With a mouse. I do not recommend this. At all.
x. Cibele ; I thought this might be similar in impact to Emily is away, but it didn't keep my interest in the same way. I really like what this is doing and would like to get back to this, but the pacing seems (intentionally or unintentionally) too slow.
x. Halo 5: Guardians ; I played a level. I enjoyed that level. If you showed me a random Halo level, I doubt I could tell you which game it was from. However, I have always enjoyed time spent with any of the Halo games I've played (3, 4, ODST, plus bits of 1, Reach, and now 5). Given that I just picked up MCC, I have enough Halo for a bit.
Dishonorable Mentions Batman: Arkham Knight - AKA Forced BatTank 2015: Run Into Walls Edition. I will probably never pick this game up again due to the un-fun-ness of forcing the Batmobile play, which is a real shame given my affection for Arkham Asylum. Grow Home - This one just didn't really do anything for me, and left me disappointed after hearing so much hype for it. Rocket League - I played for just a bit and, while I appreciate the mechanics and finese of the control available, recognized this is not for me.
Games I Haven't Yet Played But Wish I Had Played Because Maybe They're Awesome Mentions Call of Duty: Black Ops III - I started with MW, then WaW, MW2, BLOPS, MW3, started BLOPS II and sort of fizzled... started Ghosts and fizzled... I haven't picked up AW or now BLOPS III, I love and respect the series but I feel like we're growing apart. It's not you, COD, it's me. Destiny: The Taken King - I'm pretty bad at shooters in the objective sense, and I'm one of the 'play the campaign and not the PvP' types, so as much as I suspect there's an amazing game here, I'm not sure it's for me. Bloodborne - I played a Dark Souls game once. Once. I suspect this is not up my alley, but I don't know that for sure. That probably won't stop me from calling it the worst game ever just to participate in the hyperbole surrounding this title. Fallout 4 - I own Fallout 3 and all the expansions and barely made it out of the vault, so I should probably just play that first? Game of Thrones: Episodes 2-5 - I love the TV show, have not read the books. I bought these with the Telltale bundle but have not started it yet. Lego Dimensions - I really feel like this could have made my top ten, but the price tag is daunting... something like $500 retail to purchase all the content, like $300 to get enough packs to play most of everything? For context, I shop sales and my entire top ten list (all digital except Mario Maker, on disc) cost me less than $250. Lego Jurassic World - I love Jurassic Park, II and III are fine, and World was pretty great, I love Lego and love the Travellers Tales games, so in theory this is a bullseye. I'll grab it on sale after the next Lego game releases. Rock Band 4 - I shifted from 'absolute must buy' to 'wait and see' after hearing that none of the exported on-disc content from the previous games was coming over at launch. I still have RB3 on my Xbox 360 as GoD title with all that content, and my worn plastic rock star status symbol in the corner, I can hold out... Transformers: Devastation - I had those as a kid. Platinum. Probably pretty good, but reviews seemed mixed. Yoshi's Woolly World - I'd like to say I'll grab this on sale, but c'mon... Nintendo games don't go on sale =)
Two quick contextual notes:
I haven't finished most games, and some I've played for just an hour or two to get a feel for. I"m not letting that stop me from casting my judgements above, but I do recognize that these could change greatly after (if) I finish every title. If I'm honest, there's no way I'll ever finish all of these.
I listed many titles, including those I haven't played, because I often look at someone else's list and wonder whether or not they played a certain title. Is something not in their top ten because they didn't play it, or because they didn't like it more than the others? Listing so much of what I have or have not played invites you all to really, really judge me for my selections =D
Some older games that I haven’t played or voted for in past years were re-released this year, and I wound up beating them for the first time in 2015. Don't put too much weight into the order, here are some great games:
X
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Playstation 4) Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment
Missed this one on release. It's been something like five or six years since I played Uncharted 2 (jesus christ), but the obvious strengths I remember of the series are still here and are probably at their best: it's stupid gorgeous (even in 2015, compared to PS4-native games) and has consistently entertaining cutscenes. What I didn't remember, though, is the combat being this enjoyable! Maybe it's the bump up to Crushing (good on Bluepoint/ND for letting players jump right into it), because I actually think the combat animations were more satisfying in prior games (a quick check of the beginning of the original game and the enemy's hit reactions reinforced this), but there are some really cool and surprisingly dynamic battles in here. I especially love how useful melee winds up being. The last boss is pretty lame, which seems like a series tradition at this point. Looking forward to 4.
IX
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PC) CD Projekt RED, CD Projekt
A very good game and a big improvement on The Witcher 2 all around. It's huge, as anyone could tell you. It took me about 60 hours and I did less than half of the notable side quests.
The combat is okay. Like in Witcher 2, battles are something like those in an Assassin's Creed game but where you have to consider ranges, you can get attacked from behind while blocking, there's far more enemy variety than armored medieval soldiers, and you have some fun spells and items to use. It's actually pretty great early on, even if it's clearly not Monster Hunter or Souls, but the flaws stand out a bit more over time. You'll learn the enemy behavior sets and see all the times they're recycled, you can still go wild with the shield spell (though less than in Witcher 2), and the animations aren't great. But the fact that it never became a drag in those 60 hours is admirable, and there are even some pretty unique bosses sprinkled through the game that required unique approaches.
The game's biggest strength is that it has like a million quests that are surprisingly interconnected in really natural-feeling ways, and they all involve a generally likable and detailed cast of characters and take place in a world that is actually pretty interesting. The secondary quests are often at least as entertaining as the main story. It shares a lot of the same strengths as the Mass Effect games, in this way, but with a far larger and impressively interactive plot. I can't think of another game that has you naturally and frequently bending the short-term ("how do we get in") and the long-term (missing out on large branches of quests) quite like you do in this.
There's also a lot of typical free-roaming busywork to do if you're into that sort of thing. I didn't do a whole lot of that stuff, but it was pretty fun cutting through forests at times and running into monster nests or ability points or whatever. More enjoyable if you turn the map's undiscovered locations off. Played on Death March difficulty.
I should mention mention that I know barely anything about Transformers. Good game, though! I couldn't put it up there with Bayonetta, W101, or Revengeance, but it's way better than Legend of Korra. The combat is definitely varied, with a good selection of weapons and characters to mess with alongside beefy movelists. The cast of enemies, too, which was the weakest part of Korra, is wide enough here. The vehicle stuff takes a bit of getting used to, but the various types of attacks involving transformation are pretty cool and satisfying throughout. It didn't seem particularly short for me on Commander (Steam says 11 hours?), and the stages have hidden side-tasks that are actually pretty fun to go through. The only real downsides to the game are a loot system that doesn't feel particularly meaningful (at least it doesn't detract from the game much when you breeze through it) and a pretty serious lack of environmental variety. Oh, and the game looks wonderful, especially at 4k. PC version, played on Commander.
VII
Halo 5: Guardians (Xbox One) 343 Industries, Microsoft Studios
The campaign seems a little shorter than normal, with less of the big open battles that work well for the series, but when they're happening they're great. The new movement mechanics (boosting, ledge climbing, ground-pounding, hovering) tie into these battles excellently and are a blast. The Prometheans and their armor can be an absolute drag on Legendary, which is a let-down as the 4-player revive-your-partner setup makes Heroic a bit too easy. Overall the campaign was pretty good, but like Halo 4 it's a step down from Reach.
On the multiplayer side, though, the modes present are probably better than they've ever been. The new mechanics do wonders, and everything is so fast! Now that Big Team is in, this is pretty safely my favorite competitive entry in the series. Heroic, solo.
VI
Yakuza 5 (Playstation 3) SEGA, SEGA
I considered 4 the best in the series, but this is a step up. It's more of everything (this game feels, like, Witcher 3 big), but without any dip in quality. They incorporate the side stuff into the main game a bit more, which is a plus, and the combat is beefier than ever. There's a ton of variety in the locations, the characters all play super-differently (especially and obviously
Haruka
), and the cutscenes are pretty engaging (though, as always in this series, they could have been edited down a bit). I wish these games didn't have such a goofy backwards difficulty curve. Really looking forward to playing Yakuza 0 in 2017 or whatever. Hard mode.
Dracue's gotten pretty good at this, huh? I can't comment in detail on differences with the Mega Drive game, as I've only seen a few stages of it, but this remake follows the original plotwise and seems to use the same stage outline while pretty much rebuilding the game on Valken/Gunhound mechanics. You have more mobility, an angle-lock button, a punch button, and a shield, for starters. You have more mobility than in Gunhound even, if I remember right, assuming you're equipping the booster.
Honestly, nearly everything I said about Gunhound applies to this. The presentation is nicer this time, but still a bit inconsistent. The Leynos groundwork means you get equipment to manage throughout the game, which is pretty neat (you stock up on armor that basically serves as extra lives, for example, but if you want to use them you need to put them in your very limited inventory). There's a bunch of little unlockables in this as you earn points, and it includes a "classic" mode alongside the arcade mode which really amps up the enemy count and brings back some design decisions of the original game (like enemy death explosions damaging you).
Wholly recommended for anybody that likes these games. I still have a few more games in the subgenre to check out (Night Slave and Leynos 2), but it wouldn't surprise me if this was the best of them.
IV
Mushihimesama (PC) Cave, Degica
It feels odd to finally be voting for this game after somewhat following it through the PS2 and 360 ports, but I’m happy to have finally dug into it for real. It’s an entrancing game, aesthetically. Superior to the sequel in some ways, even. While Original in this game is more dry scoring-wise than Futari's Original, I may prefer it overall due to the smoother difficulty curve and the spectacular massive bug battleship stage. Maniac is incredibly tense and satisfying as well, picking up perfectly where Original leaves off. I always saw this game's Original mode as being tougher than Futari's, and I'd always be surprised to hear some say otherwise, but it does seem simpler now that I've cleared it without continuing.
III
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PC) Kojima Productions, Konami
Ultimately, this game's just about a masterpiece. The free-roaming world the game takes place in is very Dragon's Dogma-ish, with a bunch of excellently-designed and natural-feeling mission locations spread through an area open enough to feel huge, but small enough for the developers to keep things focused. You get this huge range of gear, even after you cut out all the tech tree filler stuff, and somehow the game's stealth and firefights don't get busted open by any crazy-powerful standout option (for a bit, at least). When you get caught, the combat is almost always fast and tense, and the enemies get satisfyingly more powerful as the hours go on. The buddies are super-varied and all compliment different play styles excellently. There are all these crazy little mechanical details that you'd think you'd exhaust after a few hours, but they keep popping up throughout the game's massive playtime. And given the game's ridiculous length and scope, it's a miracle that it isn't busting at the seams.
Of course, there are issues. It sucks that a game this good has a totally jacked up narrative and, at key points, jacked up mission progression.
Getting the endings out of order really threw a wrench in any momentum the narrative may have had.
It's also a bit disappointing that there aren't more boss battles in here, because all of them (save for sometimes the
skull male soldier
battles) are pretty good.
A hypothetical finished version of this game would be a dream, but it's still extremely good. Looking forward to messing with FOB invasions, MGO, and doing more Side Ops. No reflex mode, aim assist, or chicken hat (lol).
I was a bit uncertain about this because most of the praise I heard was based around big fluff-sounding modes, and the very first release I assumed got praise for being the only solid original PSP shooter. I was wrong to worry. This game rules. The arcade game's Original courses may only be three stages each, but they're the real deal: the difficulty curve is on-point and steep. The music is wonderful, and the stages can look pretty striking in motion once you get over their PSP roots. The player ship selection is huge and some of the ships have really unique mechanics. The new timing-based laser clashes are super-satisfying, especially with the wood-clack audio cues you get before enemy laser fire. The laser pod placement mechanic is awesome, and the game throws plenty of things at you to make you learn to use it. The bosses are so good and put said laser pod placement mechanics to great use. With all this screen space that you're given and with the way this game divides lives between players, this is one of the few STGs I've played where co-op is enjoyable. And this is all just considering the core traditional arcade modes! The other modes are neat and a good way to stretch out an arcade game, as they're kinda-sorta Crazy Taxi's Crazy Box x 1000. The port is pretty nice, too, with arbitrary resolution support and multi-monitor support. I just wish they showed player's names in Chronicle mode. Impressions based on 1cc’ing the first few courses and a good chunk of cooperative Chronicle mode.
I
Bloodborne (PS4) From Software, SCEA
At first I wasn't sold on the setting compared to that of the other Souls games, but it's so well executed that I didn't care in the end. It's every bit as overwhelmingly huge and mysterious and dark and oppressive as Dark Souls, if not moreso. There are some seriously disgusting monsters, to the point where the grosser enemies in Dark Souls look quaint in comparison. The combat is more enjoyable than in any Souls game, with health recovery and side stepping promoting aggressive play, and all of the boss battles highlight this so well. It's the most consistent game in the series, too, without any areas coming to mind as being standout weaker than the others. And holy shit, the fight at the end! That was so intense! I couldn’t believe that there was even a
third boss after Gehrman
. The Chalice dungeons aren’t as good as new areas would have been, but there are some pretty good bosses buried in there. And like all of the DLC in this series, The OId Hunters is a fantastic expansion with unmissable fights.
Honorable Mentions (a few other noteworthy games in no meaningful order):
Devil's Third (Wii U) Valhalla Game Studios, Nintendo
This is, like, a skeleton of a masterpiece. The execution of a combination NG-style game and a first person shooter is actually pretty well-realized! You'll use plenty of both. The block-and-dodge melee combat is by no means Ninja Gaiden beefy, but the core is there. Many animations are weird, many animations clip into walls and shit, and many enemy attacks seem to have needlessly huge active windows, but there are some pretty solid boss fights built entirely around the melee combat and many of the zippy standard enemies are best dealt with in melee as the game progresses and arena layouts get more complex. The shooting, on the other hand, is pretty standard cover shooter stuff: the weapons feel nice, there are goober satisfying enemy hit reactions and deaths, and the arenas have neat destructive cover here and there, but the aiming feels weird (reminds me of The Darkness) and on Hardcore you'll wind up doing a lot of classic edge-peek exploiting. The game's visually all over the place, with lots of areas and enemies looking ugly, and the Wii U is not cut out for this game on a technological level (hella stuttering, sloooow pop-in).
If this game had the visual polish of Ninja Gaiden, better aiming controls, and a bit more variety in terms of player abilities and enemy behaviors (remember all the wallrunning shit from the old trailers?), it would be insane. As it stands, it's solid. Worth a look if the concept sounds appealing to you and you can deal with all the crust. Played on Hardcore mode.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 Capcom, Capcom
Standard difficulty,
shiiiiitty ending
. Honestly, I thought the original Revelations sucked. I played a chunk of it, but I couldn't stick with it. I really do not understand how some put it above RE5 or RE6. This, though? This is a pretty good game! It's mostly a lighter-weight version of the more recent RE games, both in terms of presentation and mechanics, but it brings some cool unique co-op mechanics to the table and has some pretty unique enemies. It also handles solo play better than RE5 and RE6, thanks to the switch button and the unique abilities of the characters.
Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim (PC) Falcom, Xseed Games
I knew this shared the same engine as Oath and Origin so I had pretty high hopes, but sadly it's the worst of the three. The bosses are sometimes cool, but most have notably more basic patterns than the bosses in the other two games and are pretty forgiving provided you're the right level. Combine that with the larger world map, larger dungeons, no movement speed upgrades, and no way to teleport, and you get a Ys game where you'll spend way more time inching or retreading ground through not-varied-enough enemies than fighting badass strict bosses.
Thankfully the game is very pretty (it looks as good as I remember Felghana looking despite coming out years prior), the music is great, the monsters you'll see over and over again have pretty cool designs, and the three weapon skills are more unique in this game (requiring you to perform different moves instead of using a generic skill button). It doesn't hit that Great Action Game mark that Oath and Origin do, but it's still worth any action game fan’s time. Played on Nightmare mode.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (New Nintendo 3DS) Capcom, Capcom
This is a very slow-and-steady series when it comes to refinement, I’m gathering. I’m not complaining, though. It’s such a solid foundation and it was a joy to jump back into the series after being introduced to it via 3 Ultimate. Leaping around and mounting monsters with the Insect Glaive is a blast, I love the monster designs, and while I’m sad that this game isn’t available on a big screen from the get-go, at least the New 3DS visual upgrades make for a smoother experience all around.
Splatoon (Wii U) Nintendo EAD, Nintendo
A pretty breezy campaign, as expected, but it's one built on a very solid foundation (the constant cycle of transforming, painting, and swimming around hasn't gotten old) and it has some cool boss battles even if the stages are often too bite-sized to be notable. And it's so pretty! The multiplayer is the main draw, of course, and it's great from what I've played, but I'm still pretty low-rank.
Eschatos (PC) QUTE, Degica
This is really good. I mean, I knew that from dabbling with the 360 version, but it holds up throughout. It's one of those shooters with a Recca shield, which seems pretty weak, but the game makes sure you aren't relying on it by the end, and the presentation is pretty great despite the low-fi assets. I like that you don't have a bomb button, but instead have to let the bomb items float around the screen and save them for when you want to use them. The music is killer, too. Definitely like this game more than their next STG, Ginga Force. Original Normal, single credit clear.
The Evil Within: The Assignment, The Consequence, The Executioner (PC) Tango Gameworks, Bethesda Softworks
Gonna group these all together. This was a pretty solid time. Kidman's chapters never really hit the heights of the core game, but the stealth stuff is explored just the right amount, you still get some dope traditional battles, and the overall narrative of the game becomes a lot stronger with her chapters in place. Would have been really nice to have them interlaced in the core game. The Executioner is pretty cool, too, though a bit too easy and left me wanting more battles like the second one. Really satisfying first-person dodging, there!
Rocket League (PC) Psyonix, Psyonix
It’s a surprise that “rocket car soccer” is as satisfying to learn as this is. Few phsyics-based games leave me with the impression that one can actually get a handle on their mechanics in a tangible way, but the gulf between weak and experienced players in this game can be huge and the matches involve a lot of frantic communication.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes (PC) Steel Crate Games
This is a fairly breezy puzzle-action game built largely around the novelty of having one player use a manual to talk the other through puzzles. Much of the game feels one-sided due to this, and the aesthetics are pretty bland, but working out the manual and coming up with quick and effective methods of communication is fun before getting all the modules down and the distraction modules provide a nice extra layer for the disarmer to worry about. The novelty of VR is still strong, too: there aren’t many substantial new VR experiences to pull hours out of, and even this fairly bland-looking game is hella immersive when you put that headset on.
-----------------------------
There were some games I couldn't quite get to, unfortunately. Raiden IV, Rodea, Sayonara Umihara Kawase, R6 Siege, SOMA, etc.
Here’s to a great 2016! #freeRiposte
For the tally:
1. Bloodborne ; Every bit as overwhelmingly huge and mysterious and dark and oppressive as Souls, if not moreso, with aggressive combat and wonderfully disgusting and hostile bosses.
2. DariusBurst: Chronicle Saviours ; A beautiful, challenging arcade STG with all the focus of the classics, excellent layered mechanics, and new modes that don’t drag it down.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Despite what could have been, this game has a ton of satisfying mechanical variety to carry it through its massive playtime.
4. Mushihimesama ;
5. Assault Suit Leynos ;
6. Yakuza 5 ;
7. Halo 5: Guardians ;
8. Transformers: Devastation ;
9. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ;
10. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection ;
x. Devil’s Third ;
x. Resident Evil Revelations 2 ;
x. Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim ;
x. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ;
x. Splatoon ;
x. Eschatos ;
x. The Evil Within: The Assignment ;
x. Rocket League ;
x. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
1. Super Mario Maker ; Its a level editor that doesnt feel like a level editor. Its a Mario game that doesnt always feel like a Mario game. Those dont seem like good things to say about a Mario level editor, but theyre indicative of why this game is successful. Had the game simply met the Jeff Gerstmann litmus test for a good level editor (i.e. you can make the original game in the editor), it would have been a failureone that tried to tap into nostalgic sentiment worn too thin by time and NSMB games. Nintendo does tap into that sentiment, dont get me wrong. Theres obviously the look and classic gameplay, the Mario Paint allusions, and all the other Mario minutiae. But Nintendos also given people the tools to break all the normative rules that make Mario, Mario. Isabelle shouldnt be flying in a clown car that looks like its having an aneurysm and shooting fireballs a la Gradius. Thwomps shouldnt be in flying clown cars either, for that matter, nor should towers of monty moles be stacked on their heads. And cannons definitely shouldnt fire giant angry wigglers while theres a laser light show going on. In that sense, Mario Maker is the Grand Inquisitor of Mario games: If Miyamoto doesnt exist, everything is permitted. While this is mostly for better, its for worse, too. Lots of Mario norms developed for a reason. It just isnt that fun to have a pipe drop you into lava, or hit invisible blocks while jumping over a pit. I actually think Mario Maker is almost a rogue-like through its combination of chaos and difficulty. But the big distinguishing factor from those games and what makes the frustration endurable is that fact another human being made those horrible levels and beat them, and Im not going to let him beat me with his level. The social features are pretty well implemented for the most part, but better in-game search tools would be nice. I dont feel obligated to say much about the editor other than it just works, and never gets in the way, which is the highest praise I think level editing tools can receive. I never felt like I was in a level editor, I was just playing a Mario level as it was being made. Thats why Mario Maker is my game of the year.
2. Splatoon ; I could go on about the fantastic aesthetics and presentation, but the innovative movement mechanics it brings to third person shooters is my favorite part about the game. Holding down turf is much more meaningful, since you can move faster through your own ink. Likewise, since you can hide in your own ink, having more of it on the ground allows to evade or flank more easily. Many of the complaints about the multiplayer at launch were valid, but many have been fixed. Chat, while not absolutely necessary, would definitely make for a more tactical experience. Many times during Rainmaker I wished I could communicate with my team in order to coordinate a plan. At this point, the map rotation should also be bigger or switched to a voting system. In conjunction with this, players should be able to change their load outs without needing to bounce out to the lobby. But these arent deal breakers by any means. Especially not when Nintendos been so committed to expanding the core game throughout the year with new weapons, maps, and updates for free. Splatoon is certified fresh.
3. Metal Gear Solid V ; Its a game with demons. On the one hand, the core stealth is the best its ever been. But the underdeveloped story and scenarios, the tedious aspects of base management and weapon development, and Konamis meddling with the FOB stuff are just an albatross around this games neck. I think its a testament to what it does right that so many, myself included, still enjoyed the game despite what it had going against it.
4. Resident Evil HD ; I got into RE around Halloween thanks to a PSN sale. What a fantastic game and series. The mansion is truly an iconic locale, and the real S.T.A.R. of this game. I mightve put it higher if it werent just a remaster.
5. Yoshi's Woolly World ; Best overall presentation of any game all year.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D ; Another great update, I appreciated this one much more now than when it originally released.
7. Xenoblade Chronicles X ;
8. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 ; Because terr- doesn't have to end in -rist."
9. Mushihimesama ;
10. Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition ;
Honorable Mentions
x. Resident Evil 2 ;
x. Resident Evil 3 ;
x. Resident Evil: Code Veronica X HD ;
x. Neo Geo games ;
x. Rocket League ; looks cool, haven't played it yet
x. Until Dawn ; game that makes me want a PS4 the most
1. Rocket League ; Car soccer is really fun. Playing car soccer with your friends on splitscreen or online is even better. There was no better feeling in games this year then your teammate centering the ball in front of the opponents net and you launching yourself from the center line to punch the ball into the back of the net for a score. Ive done it probably a hundred times by now, but it still feels amazing every time it all comes together. Every match of Rocket League is filled with similarly exhilarating moments. I look forward to many more hours spent watching cars gracefully pirouette in the general direction of a big metal soccer ball.
2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Metal Gear Solid IV was the story climax of the series. Metal Gear Solid V is the gameplay and mechanics climax. Every scenario in the open world it presents you can be approached from any direction and with any strategy you can think of. And everything connects together in amazingly surprising and unexpected ways. Every moment of play in the game was a joy, even when it became somewhat routine to just have your sniper friend put entire bases to sleep so you can attach parachutes to everything. Had the games plot been as interesting as the mechanics it wouldve likely topped this list. P.S. Quiets outfit and the way she is shot by the camera is just the WORST. Damnit.
3. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ; Rocket League had the best individual moments of the year, but Monster Hunter has the best sessions. It is a slow burn, selecting your gear, finding a team, getting fed, and finally going on the hunt. You may need to hunt the monster across several zones during the hunt. This is all worth it, because the monsters are worthy foes that are exciting to battle each and every time. Each one is different, and each one challenges you in a different way. When your team finally takes the target down, either professionally without trouble or by the skin of your teeth with a single cart left, you feel like youve did something worth celebrating.
4. Destiny: The Taken King ; I liked original Destiny a lot but good lord Taken King is so much better. The loot isnt dumb. The Strikes are way better. It has a story! Its great. I look forward to whenever more real Destiny content comes out.
5. Ori and the Blind Forest ; I enjoyed how this game draws you in with the pretty visuals and music and then viciously murders you over and over again because it is actually a fairly hardcore platformer.
6. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; Lara is a stone cold killer in this game and it is awesome. Killing dudes with her is so fun. Also it is real pretty and exploring the open zones is cool.
7. Undertale ; I beat this ten minutes before I finalized this list. The end goes some places and one of those places got it on this list. Great music, super interesting gameplay, and really good writing.
8. Until Dawn ; We really screwed up in our first run of this because was Emily was one of the two surviving teens. Damn it Emily. Making me care which walking tropes survived and which didnt was quite commendable.
9. Magic Duels: Origins ; I play a lot of Magic: The Gathering with physical cards, but Magic Duels was my go to way to play it digitally. It is still an incredibly clunky piece of software when compared to something like Hearthstone, but it shows great improvement over the previous versions of the Duels series. They also seems to be actually supporting it as a platform going forward, so Im happy to support them. The most commendable thing it does is the very reasonable free to play system, where you buy booster packs, but can never get more copies of a card than you need, so there is a guaranteed max number of boosters to buy per set.
10. Starwhal ; Starwhal is a very silly game, but it is always fun to fire up when friends are over. The ridiculousness of the whales trying to awkwardly stab each other in the heart is always hilarious and wonderful sight.
Honorable Mentions
x. Xenoblade Chronicles X
x. Splatoon
x. Super Mario Maker
I find myself reading the long ones and skimming over the one liners. A raw list with some comments from people I don't know isn't interesting but some of the more passionate long writeups have been very insightful and have turned me onto a couple games I would've otherwise completely ignored.
1. Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair ; Sandlot took an already great game in EDF4 and made improvements in almost every area. EDF is all about massive scale - from the hordes of gigantic enemies you fight to the enormous maps that each mission takes place in, and EDF4.1 is the most refined take on the formula yet. This series seems to have a bit of a rep as being a joke or something, but don't be fooled by its goofy presentation, this is one of the best TPS that's ever been made.
2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
3. Bloodborne
4. Halo 5: Guardians
5. Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition
6. Yakuza 5
7. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
8. Sayonara Umihara Kawase
9. Dariusburst Chronicle Saviors
10. Assault Suit Leynos
x. Resident Evil: Revelations 2
x. SUPERBEAT XONiC
x. Dead or Alive 5 Last Round
x. Rise of the Tomb Raider
Other games I played this year: Final Fantasy Type-0, Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls, Transformers: Devastation, Until Dawn, Lost Dimension, Ori and the Blind Forest
Games I want to play, but haven't gotten around to yet: Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin, Devil's Third, SteinsGate, The Evil Within DLC, Ys VI, Trails in the Sky SC
Best 2014 game I played in 2015: Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin. I like it more than Yakuza 5.
The actual best games I played in 2015: Dodonpachi Daioujou and Ninja Gaiden II.
1. The Witcher 3 ; Far and away the best game I played all year, and easily makes my top 5 off all time. Maybe top 3.
2. The Witcher 3 - Hearts of Stone ; Matches, and maybe even surpasses, the original game in some ways. I love that it's a bit less focused on combat & gives the story & Geralt time to breathe. The best expansion I've ever played.
3. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection ; A rock solid compilation of one of my favorite gaming trilogies. A perfect refresher in anticipation of Uncharted 4.
4. Star Wars Battlefront ; Where it lacked in content it made up with its core gameplay, excellent graphics, and sheer fun factor. I still play this regularly with friends.
5. Until Dawn ; This one completely sprang up on me as my expectations were very low. Amazing game.
6. Life is Strange ; I'm a sucker for a great story in my games, and this fully delivers on that front. Add unique gameplay & a phenomenal soundtrack on top of that and you have yourself a winner.
1. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate; this game took up so much of my time, and I haven't even made it to G rank yet or anything.
2. Invisible, Inc.; A fantastic turn-based strategy stealth game. Klei Entertainment continues to just kill it. Best indie game developer out there? Maybe.
3. Splatoon; This game is just fun, and has amazing style.
4. Super Mario Maker; Infinite Mario, you guys. What an amazing game and creation tool.
5. Lara Croft Go; It's even better than the Hitman game, and is a great turn based puzzle translation of what Tomb Raider is really supposed to be.
6. Rocket League; This is a fantastic multiplayer game. It's so fun.
7. Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin; A good remix of an already great game. The new stuff is interesting.
8. Steven Universe: Attack the Light; This is a really solid take on a Paper Mario styled JRPG. If it weren't for Lara Croft Go, this might be the best mobile game this year.
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; I was having a hard time with the top two. I know Fallout 4 has a lot of flaws but it is my type of game.The Witcher III was the game I wanted the newest Dragon Age to be. Most of the quest were fun and I would do them even though I was overleveled and would not get any xp I would still do them. My favorites were dealing with the trolls. When it came down to the scene that separated The Witcher III for me was getting drunk with your fellow Witchers. After traveling all over the land slaying monsters, sailing oceans, bedding maidens, it was such a nice change of pace to just sit back and shoot the shit. I can't wait to jump back in and play the dlc, and I didn't even mention Gwent, best mini game since triple triad.
2. Fallout 4 ;
3. Rocket League ; It's soccer with rocket cars! nuff said
4. Bloodborne ;
5. Dying Light ; Sleeper of the year, can't wait to dive back in with the following. Night time actually felt tense and scary (for awhile at least) which is rare. Soundtrack is underated.
6. Life is Strange ;
7. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Should be much higher but so much filler bullshit pulled it down. Collect resources, to process them, to build your base, to be able to process more resources, to be able to build equipment. Just pure gameplay is a blast though.
8. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture ; No moment in any game this year gave the chills like the scene in the Church. Just thinking about it gives me the chills, it was beautiful. Later at the Windmill was a great scene as well.
9. Mad Max ;
10. Until Dawn ; A Quantic Dream game that's better than a Quantic Dream game. I was expecting to hate most the characters but instead really enjoyed them to the point where if was genuinely upset if one died. Except Emily, Emily sucks
Honorable Mentions
x. Tales From The Borderlands ; My favorite Telltale game to date. Was in the top 10 until Life is Strange and Until Dawn bumped it out at the end of the year.
x. Batman: Arkham Knight ; Didn't mind all the car segments as much as most it seems. Had a blast for the few weeks it lasted.
x. Just Cause 3 ; All I wanted was more Just Cause 2 and this is it...sorta. Lots of steps back in this game, still fun to play. Wingsuit is actually boring, Arkham knight gliding is a lot more fun.
Argh, I made the list like a month ago and then put off the thoughts until a couple of days ago, so they're a bit rushed.
1. Bloodborne ; Bloodborne is not without flaws, in particular the online functionality and Chalice Dungeons, but what it does right, it does better than any game, let alone any of the other Souls-like's. The gameplay is a big improvement over their last attempt, turning the easy and boring turtling strategy of the Souls games into a joke class and getting rid of the useless weapon clutter, while focusing on a dozen deep and unique weapons and increasing the tempo. On top of that, I love the victorian setting and the story surrounding the Hunt. It seems to me like a lot of people's first Souls-like was their favourite Souls-like but for me, Bloodborne's the best.
2. Yakuza 5 ; It took three years to FINALLY get localised but it finally arrived in December and I love it. As always, it has by far and away the best combat of any brawlers on the market but this time I really think they've knocked the story out of the park, which is something I haven't thought for a while with this series. Each chapter feels huge, each character feels unique (especially Haruka), the world itself has an absurd amount of shit to do and everything is just so much fun.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; In a year of highly anticipated disappointments, I thought Witcher 3 was one of only two that lived up to the hype. The combat isn't the best but when put alongside its contemporaries, it's certainly passable. More importantly though,when you then put its other parts alongside its contemporaries, it blows them away. The world is huge and filled with a ton of detail, while not feeling far too crowded like some other open world RPGs I could think of. The story, characters and even the side quests are incredibly well written, pulling from the lore of The Witcher's world, while also adding to it. I can't wait for the second expansion comes out.
4. Until Dawn ; I was interested in Until Dawn when they re-announced it in 2014 because I like playing these kind of cimematic adventure games but wow, I had no idea it'd be as good as it was. Supermassive (and Dontnod) really raised the bar on the genre, setting a standard that Quantic Dream, Telltale and others really need to try and match.
5. Life is Strange ; With one game Dontnod entered what I call the cinematic adventure genre and became one of its leaders. Where decisions in Telltale's games almost always felt absolutely pointless, the decisions in Life is Strange felt like they had some real impact on the story and the characters. The time rewind mechanic let the devs include a few cool puzzles that utilised it but it also served as a way to put more emphasis on your decisions themselves, instead of the half a second initial pick. Then when it's taken away from you at a couple of points, the pressure really ramps up to make the right decision.
6. Rocket League ; My brother was a big fan of the original and I never really got it until Rocket League came out (and was free on PS+). What an insanely fun game, mixing soccer with cars and throwing rockets in there with them. I'm not really a big fan of multiplayer games but this was one of the few that really caught my interest.
7. Helldivers ; It's a bit of a shock to me that two mostly multiplayer games made it into my top ten but that's how good those two games are. Helldivers is a hell of a lot of fun, whether you're fending off hordes of enemies or accidentally being killed by a team-mates resupply drop.
8. The Fall ; This is one of those games that I heard a lot about at the end of last year, so when it finally arrived on PS4, I decided to check it out. What an awesome adventure game. The puzzles are all fairly easy but they're interesting and tie into what is a great story really well.
9. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; There was a point after MGS4 came out when I thought I was done with caring about Metal Gear's story and while that's partially true, as I don't really bother thinking about the overarching story, the disappointment I felt when I finished this game proved that I still care a hell of a lot. KojiPro got so much right too, the gameplay is incredible, the plot twist is cool, the soundtrack is amazing, Keifer does a fantastic job (sorry Hayter, your cheesy delivery doesn't fit with this game) and a lot of the missions are fantastically designed. But then at some point in the game, it just becomes obvious they stopped working on it and that really sucks because it had so much potential to be the best game in the series.
10. Tearaway Unfolded ; If this had been the first Tearaway game I'd played, it would've been up in the top five, but having played Tearaway on the Vita, knowing where it was going was enough to knock it down a few places. Even so, Unfolded is still one of my favourite games of the year. I thought the redesigned levels were really well done, while the new levels and new mechanics fit in perfectly. In particular, I loved being able to fly around the paper airplanes.
Honorable Mentions
x. Tales from the Borderlands ; Game of Thrones: Season 1 may have been absolute garbage but this was up there with The Wolf Among Us as one of the best games Telltale have made. But in 2015, with both Life is Strange and Until Dawn out, their games just seem dated to me.
x. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture ; It took a while for it to click but once it did, the story hit me pretty hard. It's such a unique and cool story.
x. Final Fantasy Type-0 ; The story is a bit messy, with some necessary information not even available within the game itself, but the gameplay is a hell of a lot of fun.
x. Danganronpa: Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls ; A great story that's up there with the others in the series but the wonky aiming really hurt it for me.
1. Genei Ibun Roku #FE ; No game put a bigger smile on my face this year than this one. Such an amazingly well crafted and fun RPG, with great characters and a really great setting. It has all the gameplay you expect from an Atlus game and enough tie ins to both universes to make many of the fans happy. Such a wonderful experience from start to finish. Really hope people give this game a shot, it deserves it. Already ready to jump in for a second play through after my long first one. Really, the game is so worth playing, and doesn't deserve the hate it gets from people for it not being the game many wanted.
2. Bloodborne ; Demons Souls was my favorite game of the last generation, and this title brought back the feelings of that game in the way that the dark souls series for some reason hasn't. Fantastic combat, great setting, overall fantastic game. So close to number one but none the less a game I will be playing for years to come.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; The Metal Gear Solid 2 demo remains to this day one of my all time favorite game experiences, because of the excitement of going into the ship and trying every possible outcome in handling the short mission. Me and my friends played it so much trying to discover every little secret to its gameplay. For me mgs 5 was the full game experience of that demo. Pure gameplay wise, such a fun experience. I loved going back to missions, trying different strategies and taking different paths to finishing them. Sure the story was not the best, and all the mess between kojima and konami soured the title a bit, but the gameplay made up for a lot of that for me.
4. Splatoon ; I never would've ever expected to not only see Nintendo make a game like Splatoon, but that I also would love it as much as I did. I'm not really a fan at all of online shooters, but this was one of the two that came out this year that really made me appreciate the good aspects of the genre. So innovative and enjoyable. Great controls and fantastic art style. One of the best new ips out there, and one of my favorite online games ever.
5. Fire Emblem: Fates ; Fire emblem if is another fantastic fire emblem game, and with so much content to go through, it's been a joy to play. Having the special edition with all three versions of the game was a plus. The classic Fire Emblem gameplay never disappoints.
6. Star Wars Battlefront ; Just a blast to play, a game that brought back so much fun of my childhood. And like Splatoon, it being in a genre I'm not a big fan of, I was shocked how much I enjoyed playing it, especially cause it's online. The issues that bothered others never really did to me. I really have enjoyed so much of what was offered in the game and can't wait to experience the new stuff it will bring this year.
7. Fallout 4 ; it was great jumping into a new fallout game. While the game didn't really bring much new to the series, I still enjoyed it for what it is. A nice good RPG.
8. Dragon Quest VIII ; This 3DS remake of the game is the best version of the game by far. The improvements to the Japanese version of the game and the additions made to if were very nice. And the transition to 3ds went better than I ever could predict. Fantastic new version. So much fun.
9. Contradiction ; I have always been a fan of the old classic fmv games. They had a charm to them that really worked for me. So to get a new one that was as enjoyable, interesting, and funny as contradiction was a real blast. I loved the conversations you have in the game. Such a nice concept too. I really hope we get a sequel, since that ending was a bit abrupt and a little dissapointing. But considering what was introduced I'm sure they could make something great in a sequel.
10. Super Mario Maker ; The game many had wanted for so long, and it turns out to be such a great experience. Seeing all sorts of great levels to play from people all over the world was a real blast. And of course the ability to make your own is fun too. Just wish I was good at that.
Honorable Mentions
x. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; my most anticipated game of the year, and also the one that was a bit of disappointing in the end. The aspect of exploration was fantastic and a joy to do for most of my playtime. However I ended up getting frustrated with many aspects of the game, and started getting board of it surprisingly. It's a good game, great in many parts even, but when I look back at it, it didn't fulfill my expectations completely, and just missed out of my top ten. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer the old xenogears over the whole xenoblade worlds.
x. Tokyo Xanadu ; sadly haven't played as much as I've wanted so I can't put it in the top ten, but it's a fine game from what I've played.
x. Nights of Azure ; Very fun action game, but just missed out of the top list.but was close.
x. Mad Max ; Playing now and enjoying quite a bit. Perhaps if I played more it might sneak up to the top ten but not sure yet, so it's here.
x. Yokai watch puni puni ; Very fun and simple mobile game. Love the Yokai Watch franchise even though I'm so behind in the games. But this one is fun to play on the phone for quick bursts. Nice game.
x. Strangers of Sword City ; The Japanese vita release was one of my favorite portable games this year. Great dungeon crawling fun. Will be a blast for sure for Western gamers when they get a chance to play it this year.
x. Rocket League ; Simple, fun, blast to play online. What more is there let to say.
x. Witcher III ; haven't played enough to put it in my list, but what I've played, wonderful RPG. Amazing amount of content and lots of fun gameplay.
That was a bit harder to make than I expected. Some last minute changes happened to my list. Honestly surprised how it turned out after looking back to what I expected of games this year. Still very happy with the list, especially the number one. I really hope more people check it out.
Had a harder time ranking GOTY in 2015 due to playing less games overall and leaving a major backlog.
Bloodborne;
I thought I knew what I was getting, but Miyazaki threw in Lovecraftian cosmic horror into the mix. That kind of twist in any game would be enough to warrant a place on this list. That Bloodborne is the one to do it cements it at #1. It also helps that the Souls formula was changed for this new franchise by ditching shields to force more active combat.
Destiny: The Taken King;
Despite any shortcomings -- and there are many -- I put in hundreds of hours more than I ever expected to.
Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide;
No one will miss the fact that it's Left 4 Dead + Payday 2, but it's a well done combination, and still feels fresher than most other games of 2015.
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin;
Pillars of Eternity;
Rocket League;
This would be ranked higher if I were better at the game.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong;
Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance;
Honorable Mentions would just be a bunch of games that I WANTED to play in 2015, but still haven't gotten around to.
Comments on games must begin on the same line as the game title itself, following a semicolon ( Not a hyphen. Not a dash. Not a slash. Not a space. Not a period. A semicolon.
1. The Age of Decadence ; One of the best RPGs released in years and it only took about eleven years to come out. It has satisfying turn-based combat, an interesting setting, and one of the most extensive choices and consequences in video games.
2. UnderRail ; One of the more mechanically sound games Ive played. Its kind of like Fallout meets Deus Ex. Combat and exploration are top notch in this game thanks to the oddity XP system.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; The RPG systems might be a bit lacking but it doesnt dull the content of the game which was top notch. CD Projekt Red really outdid themselves here and made the previous Witcher games look like practice run for this one.
4. Axiom Verge ; As one of those people begging Nintendo to make a proper Metroid game again (not that Prime filth), this hit all the right notes for me.
5. Undertale ; I remember when it first released two things caught my eye. One was the fact that it had a pacifist option which is somewhat novel in JRPGs and the other was that the creator described his game with RPG game. I chose to mock the latter thing but still buy it. About two months later it had blown up and I got to playing it and really liked it. Unfortunately, in fifty or a hundred years when the cult of Undertale has squashed all rebellion, my post will probably enter into the wrong side of history. I am very impressed with how popular it got when its so hard to say what makes the game great without ruining critical parts of it. The best Ive got is that its subversive and a must play for everybody even if you dont like RPGs.
6. Pillars of Eternity ; It sort of has the opposite problem of the Witcher 3. The systems are mostly solid (exempting the whole action and recovery time thing) and outdoes the IE games it was trying to emulate but the content isnt up to par with Obsidians usual standard. Which isnt to say that its bad just not the classic we were all hoping for.
7. Ori and the Blind Forest ; Absolutely beautifully crafted in pretty much everything it tries to do.
8. Invisible, Inc. ; Klei is quickly becoming one of the best and most varied indie developers. This is tightly polished with not much to complain about.
9. Serpent in the Staglands ; A game with the aesthetic and character system of Darklands, the plot structure of Fallout, and the gameplay of Baldurs Gate 1. It might reach higher than the two person team that made it should have but underneath is a really good game in an interesting setting with some great atmosphere.
10. Stasis ; One of the most atmospheric games Ive ever played and its only this low because Im a coward and it scared me too much.
Honorable Mentions
x. Broken Age ; Probably one of the better adventure games in recent years but that says more about the adventure genre than BAs merits.
x. Chaos Reborn ; A strategy game by the guy that made x-com. How could it not be a least decent?
x. Grow Home ; A solid 3D platformer.
x. Shadowrun: Hong Kong ; It was just a tick under Dragonfall when I was hoping for a tick over it.
x. Telepath Tactics ; A fun fire emblem like game with determinism.
9. Serpent in the Staglands ; A game with the aesthetic and character system of Darklands, the plot structure of Fallout, and the gameplay of Baldurs Gate 1. It might reach higher than the two person team that made it should have but underneath is a really good game in an interesting setting with some great atmosphere.
Cool to see this on someone's list. It felt like this game got totally overlooked when it came out, even by the cRPG crowd that is expanding among the new renaissance of them coming from Kickstarter. It certainly is really ambitious and impressive for a 2 person team. Sadly I didn't get around to playing too deep but what I did play was very intriguing.
Ehh, I don't know about that. Remember, it's a good reference point that you can link back to later down the line like "Oh a sequel is coming? [Game X] was one of my favourite games of that year!". Then if there are friends of that GAFer, they'll check it out to see what he/she was loving from that year. If the GAFer has Twitter, there can be reach there. Riposte or someone else started doing this where they put their GOTY post as their homepage under their user details. I bet there are some who've read every single page here. See, timetokill (ok, he's a judge so he might have to! ) said so.
Thanks everybody who listed Life is Strange. I had missed out on the game for some reason, but all the recommendations got me to try it out. It is an excellent narrative game. I really like how the time travel mechanic takes all the stress and panic out of the moments when you have to make important choices. I usually stick with my original altruistic choices, but it is nice to be able change your mind in such a hassle-free way. The game runs beautifully in 4k resolution with 8xMSAA for me, which works really nicely with the stylized graphics. Some aspects of the plot are pretty unremarkable, I guess, but just exploring the world and interacting with the characters feels more entertaining than in most other narrative games I have tried.
I will not be able to play enough of the game for it to make it to my neogaf GOTY 2015 list, but I have a hunch that it would have ranked if I only had some more time to play until the deadline.
1. Bloodborne ; Punished and beaten to a bloody pulp, yet I still craved for more. It was my first entry to Miyazaki's world of fun, and it captured me so hard I played the game through thrice, which is something I very rarily do. I ended up platinuming the game in the process, but I still have cravings to go back for more. The gameplay mechanics are just so satisfying. As a big fan of Soul Reaver, I also loved its sprawling and intertwined world, that gradually opens in Metroidvania fashion. The best game of this generation so far.
2. Bloodborne: The Old Hunters ; Perhaps sometimes a bit too hard, and mob-ridden, to my taste, but loved it anyway, and ended up going 100% with it as well.
3. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter ; An intriguing Lovecraftian thriller, that managed to totally capture my attention, and still stays in my thoughts.
4. SOMA ; I waited until the last moment to post my list, so I could finish the game, but it's still waiting in my backlog that began to grow after Bloodborne arrived. The distressing existential journey in the deep depths has been fantastic so far. The downside is, that I'm not a fan of run & hide gameplay mechanic, as it often leads to needless repetition and frustration, which dilute the atmosphere. I wish you could alter the encounters like you can on PC.
5. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture ; If only the game had a faster moving speed, it would have been a flawless experience. The story, dialogue, and soundtrack were all moving and magnificent, but strolling through the vast landscape at that slow pace was often frustrating.
6. Resident Evil HD ; It took 13 years to finally get to play the game, but it was worth it to experience it in an even better form. It was also great to revisit the game, that was the first one I ever played on a console, 17 years ago. Loved the addition of Crimson Heads, and the other changes they made to the original scenarios. Its success also made a remaster of RE0, and a remake of RE2 possible.
7. Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser ; A worthy conclusion to the story, and a farewell to the wonderful cast of characters. Can't wait for the next one.
8. Destiny: The Taken King ; I wouldn't have returned to playing Destiny, if I hadn't got it for free from a friend of mine, but I'm glad I did. TTK added a lot to the vanilla version, and I still keep doing the bounties and patrols for fun. It's definitely the shooter with the best gameplay mechanics of this generation. That being said, I don't think it's worth paying another 70, and I still wish raids had matchmaking.
9. The Order: 1886 ; The game certainly has its share of flaws, but I found the experience entertaining nonetheless, and I wish I had the time to replay it. Great atmosphere and audiovisual presentation, not so great gameplay mechanics, and the story was pretty predictable.
Bloodborne, Ethan Carter, and The Order were also on my top 3 soundtrack list of last year.
The worst game of the year: Batman: Arkham Knight. The batmobile racing, tank battles, trivial fetch quests, and the lack of good boss fights failed to entertain me, and made me quit playing it. The game left a bitter taste, and never reached the heights of its predecessors.
I haven't had time to play Zombi and Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt more, so for that reason I have to leave them out. The lack of time is also the reason why I haven't yet bought Until Dawn.
1. Heroes of the Storm ; I don't know if Heroes of the Storm is the most time I've ever put into a Moba, but as far as I'm concerned, it's easily the best adaptation of the genre. This is for a lot of reasons, but the biggest being that I fucking hate the shop systems in MOBAs. Heroes of the Storm fixes that for me by moving towards a more specialized approach like Awesomenauts where builds are more variations on the character rather than outright stat buffs. It also "casualizes" aspects in the genre by introducing shared XP across teams, giving players much more mana in the early game, giving every map it's own unique resource/territorial based gimmick and making matches blazingly fast relative to every other proper moba on the market. Incidentally, these are all aspects modern Awesomenauts share so what I'm really saying is that Awesomenauts is also 2015's game of the year, but I'm not allowed to do that, so Heroes will have to suffice. And damn if I don't love it for that. I've poured hundreds of hours into this game in 2015 and here's to the hundreds of hours I'll continue to pour into it.
2. Rocket League ; Prettier 120fps SARPBC son, what I gotta say. What I gotta say.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Metal Gear Solid is a series I've given multiple chances. Up until Peace Walker, I didn't like any game in the series. I didn't think MGS1/3/4 were fun to play and the execution of the writing in all three games border on terrible, even if there's something there to the quality of the stories. But Phantom Pain finally got, at the very least, the former right. Shooting dudes feels fun. Crawling away from dudes feels fun. Even crawly shooting dudes feels fun. And all Kojima and co. had to do was purge the fanfiction out of MGS4, pump the movement and shooting mechanics into a PSP and then become forced to grow not only as designers but also as storytellers because fuck you you're not putting hour long cutscenes on the PSP. And honestly, even though KojiPro clearly didnt have enough time to fully finish building the roof on MGSV given some of the issues with the the storytelling and the mission design, this is still not a game short of content. There is a lot of shit in MGSV and so much of it is born out of what was so refreshing about Peace Walker, not only in terms of mechanics but also narrative, that it makes wonder me if a fully completed MGSV would have had the narrative people were seeking. Snake talked less, there wasn't as much story and everything was slightly less theatrical and silly, but coming off of what was so great about Peace Walker, I'm not sure a "finished" MGSV would have placated the people who chose to ignore or didn't like Peace Walker. Given that so much of what I like about certain narrative elements in MGSV reflect what I liked about Peace Walker, I'm legitimately curious if the elements people dislike about MGSV are purely the result of unfinished threads or Kojima/Murata growing into more restrained and subdued writers. And the priority placed on the wealth of gameplay content versus the story content seems to reaffirm my suspicisions.
Regardless, everything in the story could have been nuked and this would still be one of the greatest stealth games ever made.
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 ; Treyarch are back and they...made the weirdest, most scatterbrained campaign I've ever seen in a Call of Duty. But wait, they also made the best movement system in a Call of Duty game and still know how to make great maps. Their netcode also isn't fucking terrible like Advance Warfare. Hooray!
I don't know what else to say here. It's great Call of Duty. I shoot the mans(and womans!) in Black Ops 3, except I now shoot them by sliding and double jump floating and occassionally wallrunning around. And while their parkour system is hilariously half baked and incredibly restrictive coming off of Titanfall(and therefore the map design is clearly nowhere near as good), I still feel like it adds more than it hurts the game. I can also be a Cool Robot with a transforming minigun hand. Yeah, this game's pretty alright.
5. The Witcher 3 ; Witcher 3's combat is the most middling shit this side of Mediocreville, which I probably should've come in expecting after Witcher 1 and 2. And I've come to terms with that. But while CD Projekt may have combat ambitions completely at odds with their actual ability to make a game where you cut some motherfuckers, their quest system is still off the motherfucking chain, their writing is still on point(and in a lot of ways subversive), their environment/world design got RI-FUCKING-DICULOUS in W3, and the amount of content they generated for this game is absurd, to the point that I don't even know what the purpose of certain parts of Velen/Skellige were even for because I likely never stumbled into the quests that tied into those areas. For that I have to give major props to Witcher 3 because as whatever as their combat might've been, the talking to dudes and running through grassy plains part of their game is top fucking notch. It was probably 70% of the gameplay anyways.
6. Bloodborne ; It's like them Souls game, but there's a piston weapon that explodes dudes when you fully charge it.
But all the armor looked the same. Sorry Bloodborne. You only get to number 6.
7. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ; MH4U was the first time I sat down and put a significant amount of time into a Monster Hunter. It's also the first time a weapon that let me fling myself into the air and mid air wack the shit out of monsters was introduced. Coincidence? I think not.
But it's fantastic. The core loop of fighting tons of unique monsters of gradually increasing size and speed is immensely satisfying and acts not only as a smart way of signifying that you're growing as Hunter, but also as a tip off that once you're done beating up that asshole Monster who keeps treating you like a soccerball, you're going to get some hella sweet gear once you carve his stupid fucking face 3 or 4 times wait what.
There are things I don't like or outright hate about Monster Hunter, though, such as being unable to continue to use outdated, but cool looking gear through transmutations or more importantly the obscurity of it's crafting and gathering system. From what little I've played of MH3, it does seem like Capcom is getting progressively better about tutorializing more and more elements of the series. But fuck guys, just give me an easy way to find out where to find some Arachnid juice or whatever, I'm just going to go look at a wiki anyways.
8. Transformers: Devastation ; Transformers is easily the most disappointing game on this list and perhaps the most disappointed I've been in a Platinum title in some time. For one, the crafting system in Devastation was just...poor. Poorly utilized, poorly implemented and a real pain in the ass to navigate(especially if weapons are equipped on Autobots you're not currently using). The camera system in Devastation was also preeeeeeetty terrible in some specific cases. Good cameras have never been Platinum's bread and butter, but holy fuck, without giving anything away, there are some specific bosses that are tag teaming with the camera's inability to zoom out to really make you eat shit.
But, even on top of the lack of enemy diversity or the limitations in place of what weapons and powers you have access to based on which character you choose to play, the biggest issue with Transformers was just the...lack of bombast. The basic combat system flows beautifully, is really kinetic and just looks crazy as hell. But man. Relative to other Platinum joints, this was a real dour and restrained game just in terms of theatrics pretty much all the way through if you give zero fucks about the G1 license. Even something like the last boss in Korra edges out practically everything in Transformers: Devastation in terms of a game having fun with itself.
That said, the game's still in my top 10 and not out of unbridled Platinum fanboyism.
9. Duck Game ; QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK.
QUACK.
QUACK QUACK.
10. Dying Light ; Dropkick Simulator 2k15 you need the dropkicks I got the dropkicks you're looking for, you see that shack in the distance, you can dropkick it.
Shout outs to stuff I need to play more of that could've been on this list maybe?:
Xenoblade X
Stealth Inc 2(Stealth Bastard was mega good, wish I played this, especially since I got it for free)
Environmental Station Alpha
Soma
Revelations 2
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; One of the best games I've played in years and set a high bar for future open world games to beat. Also had the best DLC of the year.
2. Bloodborne ; Allt that Lovecraftian stuff.
3. Tales from the Borderlands ; Had some of the funniest moments this year and was a big surprise since I've no affinity for Borderlands prior this.
4.Rocket League ; Best multiplayer of the year and I got for free!
5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; The story and characters sucked but you could make your horse poo on demand.
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; A supremely ambitious, genre defining game. A massive open world that looks phenomenal and still runs amazingly well. The developers masterfully crafted a game world with tons of detail that feels alive and realistic, complete with a looming war, political and social tensions. It has a main quest where you care about the characters and their fates and side quests that make you ponder your position on various issues. There are very few times when you know the right answer to the questions the game asks of you. All of this enveloped in a lovely soundtrack. This is going to be the gold standard for RPGs in the years to come.
2. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ; What's so great about a game where you just go into levels and kill monsters? Why are people around the world addicted to this franchise? Those who have played it will understand that it's appeal lies in the beautiful combat it offers. The monsters you fight will get progressively harder and the combat becomes incredibly technical. At the highest levels, any mistake in execution will result in a fatal loss. And so people keep playing the game endlessly to get better at it. Fun, fast, fluid combat combined with loot hunting ARPG mechanics and the possibly the best and most helpful online community I've ever seen make this one of the finest games I've played.
3. Grand Theft Auto V ; Played this game two years ago but I still went and got 100% completion on the PC version. I was very worried about how the port would turn out after GTA 4 but Rockstar knocked it out of the park. A wonderful sandbox focused on letting the player have fun above all else.
4. Life is Strange ; A wonderful episodic journey telling the stories of people you end up genuinely feeling connected to. A very rare occurrence in video games. Backed by one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a long time. It had it's flaws and inconsistencies but the journey of Max and Chloe was just so special that it trumped the issues.
5. Tales from the Borderlands ; A game that was just funny as hell from start to finish. It managed to avoid the low brow humor the Borderlands games are known for and instead crafted a narrative filled with moments that would just make you smile. A fun script brought to life by some absolutely stellar voice acting and another really great soundtrack.
6. Rocket League ; Nobody saw this coming. A football game with cars? Sure, it sounds like it could be fun. But this much fun? How? A straightforward multiplayer game that is easy to understand, easy to play and remains fresh and fun at all times. Whether you play well or bad you will end up enjoying yourself in every game.
7. Her Story ; An FMV game with an interesting story told in a very unique way. It asks for a sense of discovery from the player to put together pieces of a story and guess where it could go next. Also worth mentioning that the actor did a great job in the role.
8. Contradiction ; Another experimental FMV murder mystery game. A callback to the FMV games of the 90s with it's highly exaggerated and over the top acting.
9. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood ; I was a slightly disappointed with the focus on stealth gameplay because that's not what I associate with Wolfenstein. And the second half of the story felt a little undercooked. That said, it was still a followup to the wonderful Wolfenstein: The New Order which was one of the best FPS games I've played in years. Same amazing gunplay and combat set within Nazi Germany. Good fun.
10. Fallout 4 ; One of the most disappointing games I've played this year and yet it still managed to keep me engaged for 50+ hours. The main quest was entirely predictable and all quests played out the same, but there were still pockets of hidden beauty in the wasteland. You could stumble upon a building which had it's own self contained story that could be funny or tragic but still interesting. These vignettes weren't enough to make me want to explore the entire map but I am glad for the few that I did find while playing it.
1. The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt ; Story, Visuals and Gameplay, the complete package.
2. Undertale ; My personal surprise of the year.
3. Rocket League ; An amazing game to play with friends.
4. Dying Light ; Not just another zombie game but THE zombie game.
Do I need to do a top10 or this is already a valid list?
1. Snakebird ; I love puzzle games. This kind of came out of nowhere and had me enthralled from the beginning. Lovely cute art style hides some truly devious puzzles.
2. The Beginner's Guide ; Easily the story of the year.
3. Invisible, Inc. ; Interesting stealth game where every turn increases the difficulty of the mission. Really has the risk/reward mechanic down.
4. Ori and the Blind Forest ; Beautiful Metroidvania. Enjoyed every second.
5. Crypt of the NecroDancer ; Great mix of genres.
6. Mini Metro ; Always wanted to be a civil engineer.
7. You Must Build a Boat ; Match three perfection.
8. Downwell ; Arcade game of the year.
9. Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist ; Short game, but I’ve gone through it multiple times. Funniest game of the year.
10. Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville ; Like Rebuild but more.
Haven't played all of the 2015 games I want to play (Tomb Raider, Fallout 4, Life is Strange, Dying Light etc) but here's the list of my favourite games I played last year...
1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Gameplay is king and MGSV was unmatched this year
2. Bloodborne ;
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ;
4. Splatoon ;
5. Until Dawn ;
6. Rocket League ;
7. Destiny: The Taken King ;
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 ;
9. Batman: Arkham Knight ;
10. Yoshi's Woolly World ;
Since I spent a lot of this year playing games from last year, my list is pretty short.
1. Undertale ; You know the drill. Excellent characters, amazing soundtrack, a surprising amount of secrets that are still being discovered, and the battle system shows that JRPGs are far from getting stale.
2. Splatoon ; Another case of a seemingly stale genre getting new life breathed into it. The sheer amount of weapons and stat bonuses means there's a playstyle for everyone, plus the support the community has gotten ensures the game is going to have a long lifespan.
3. Super Mario Maker ; What could've been a bog standard cash grab turned into a very enjoyable and straight up fun game with a ton of charm that makes it worthy as a "Spiritual Successor" to Mario Paint.
1) The Pinball Arcade: The Addams Family ; best pinball sim ever gets the best pinball table ever: it's a match made in heaven!
This year has seen the first time that a pinball sim had a digital recreation of the table, it's part of The Pinball Arcade Season 4, so a dlc table. They had a kickstarter for the table because the license was so expensive and so tricky to get (especially with the Raul Julia Estate being super protective of the actor's likeness) that without raising money on KS, Farsight would've had been forced to price the DLC waaay to high for release to be feasible (it's $5 now, bit more for the Pro version). As with every table on the TPA "platform" (now 60+ !), TAF too is licensed from the real table and even uses emulation on the original rom for the game's mechanics/rules/DMD display/audio samples: it's as close as it gets to the real thing; of course the audio, gfx, the new lighting engine (exclusive to PS4/X1 and the DX11 executable of the Steam release) really help in kicking in your nostalgia full steam, but it's the superb physics engine to make the game and thus tables as great as it is and the best ever in the genre by far.
The Addams Family is the best selling pinball machine of all time, it's been ranked the best pinball machine of all time for years on pinside.com out of thousands of machines and still hovers between the top spot and #5 in the weekly ranks with thousands of votes: no, this time you can take off the rose tinted glasses, because the table is just that good!
10. Dying Light ; Dropkick Simulator 2k15 you need the dropkicks I got the dropkicks you're looking for, you see that shack in the distance, you can dropkick it.
Best gifs of the thread and well played on Dying Light. It's in my top 3 IIRC.
Did you play Dying Light on Hard after they patched it in? On Normal the game's Dropkick Sim 2015 but on Hard it's legit Nightmare Mirror's Resident Evil Edge Zombie Punt 2015
1. Bloodborne ; The game is outstanding. While I thought that 30fps would affect my overall experience, it didn't. Although it felt a little bit more "actiony" than Demon's Souls (which is my favourite Souls game) the difficulty was greatly increased. Overall, my game of the year.
2. Rocket League ; I actually played Rocket League before Bloodborne, and honestly? I thought this was going to be my game of the year. Superb competitive game. I mean, no spells, no stats, no anything. Only absolute and pure skill, combined with a little luck sometimes makes an almost perfect game.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Solid gameplay, solid soundtrack and impressive performance weren't enough to hide the awful mission structure and the poor pacing of the game. A game with huge potential that didn't felt like a Metal Gear. A newcomer might have look over some flaws, but the final game of Kojima deserved a little better.
1. Bloodborne ; The game is outstanding. While I thought that 30fps would affect my overall experience, it didn't. Although it felt a little bit more "actiony" than Demon's Souls (which is my favourite Souls game) the difficulty was greatly increased. Overall, my game of the year.
2. Rocket League ; I actually played Rocket League before Bloodborne, and honestly? I thought this was going to be my game of the year. Superb competitive game. I mean, no spells, no stats, no anything. Only absolute and pure skill, combined with a little luck sometimes makes an almost perfect game.
3. Metal Gear Solid V ; Solid gameplay, solid soundtrack and impressive performance weren't enough to hide the awful mission structure and the poor pacing of the game. A game with huge potential that didn't felt like a Metal Gear. A newcomer might have look over some flaws, but the final game of Kojima deserved a little better.
1. Splatoon ; The way the gameplay mechanics are fused together with the theme is pure genius. Squids that shoot ink that is used as the scoring, for movement... And even though the multiplayer is the main mode, the single-player campaign is really good. It also got a lot of free content, which is always nice.
2. Super Mario Maker ; Making a level creator tool that is powerful but easily usable for everyone is a difficult task, but Nintendo has done it with this title.
3. Yoshi's Woolly World ; A great 2D platformer that rivals with the classics. Don’t be fooled by its looks, some stages can be quite challenging to get all the collectibles.
4. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker ; While it is a relatively short puzzle game, it is filled with charm and great level design.
5. Star Wars Battlefront ; I’m still not sure if it deserves this place, as it has its fair share of problems. But if you know what to expect, which is a simple FPS with a great atmosphere, it is a really fun game.
6. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes ; A really great and innovative game.
7. Mario Kart 8: DLC Pack 2 ; More great content for the best console Mario Kart.
There are many more games that I would probably put in the list (The Witcher 3, Xenoblade X...), but I haven't played them yet.
1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; A masterpiece in game design. 210+ hours and still no sign of me stopping. I spend those hours only coz i wanted to not because the game forced me to. Best sandbox game ever made, just start doing those side task and you'll know what i'm talking about. In every other game each and every one of those side task would have been a separate mission but KP cleverly and elegantly managed to jam pack all of them on a single mission. Its basically far cry 2n°
2. Rocket League ; Simple and addictive, that is all. I usually fall off from multiplayers but this one got me hooked even to this day.
3. Bloodborne ; Dark souls with superior combat but with inferior RPG and inferior level design and inferior world building and.. that is all.
4. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Incredible open world with great side quests and short stories but the game design, characters and overall story was just mehhh
5. Batman: Arkham Knight ; Batman game with the best core gameplay. car combat was good too
6. Until Dawn ; 1st play-through : wow there are so many ways the story can go, 2nd play-through : wow, there are not many ways the story can go
A sorely disappointing truth which pushed it pretty far down my list.
It's the worst way of handling it imo - one ending with a handful of minor variations which don't do anything except add backstory.
Compare that to Life is Strange - binary ending choice
The Witcher - 4 plot thread elements that react to your actions
or Heavy Rain - 7+ plot elements that react to your action
1. Splatoon ; This one went and back and forth with #2, but in the end I think I had more fun with this one overall. The 'ink the floor' turf war objective is a fun mode, the matches are nice and short, the squid transformation mechanic is really neat and the different weapon sets and stats add plenty of variation for each playstyle. Only recently did I finally try my hand at ranked battles which has three different modes of its own. The content may have been a little on the low side at the start, but constant flow of free stage and weapon updates more than made up for it. Hell, I'm ready to cough up some dough for paid DLC if it means the ride doesn't end yet. Splatoon is a really fun game that still get old yet after all these months, with a lovely style and some of the best videogame music in '15. For that it gets my #1 vote.
2. Super Mario Maker ; A Mario level editor was one of my childhood dreams. If Excitebike, Mach Rider and Wrecking Crew had level editors, why couldn't the Mario games have one? I did fiddle around with rom editor programs on PC at some point, but it was confusing, difficult to work with and frankly who would be bothered to actually play the levels I made? In 2015 Nintendo gave me the solution: release software based around building Mario levels with an easy to use toolset and giving a huge focus to uploading your work for other users to play through. Seeing a carefully designed level of yours being appreciated by other players is a really good feeling. The last few months I wasn't even making any levels at all, instead I was having a fun time playing through random stages other people made. GAF will let you know that 99% of the stages uploadded are... 'sloppy', but even those I had a lot fun trying to get through. Every player has their own style and way of thinking when it comes to level design. The troll stages in the 100 Mario Challenge are pretty annoying, but a quick flick on the gamepad and you find yourself in a much better stage... hopefully. The search options ingame are rather limited, but thanks to the web portal released late last year you can easily que interesting stages that you find online and that you want to play. Playing GAF stages has never been easier!
3. Undertale ; I'm glad I could play this one before the ever growing fanbase would most likely overhype me on it. I remained mostly spoiler free (Youtube spoiled the 'genocide boss' for me which got me to quickly boot it up and get through it asap) which made all the twists and turns more unexpected. I honestly expected ASGORE to be this evil mastermind, not... that. I only completed the neutral playthrough where I just played through the game like a regular RPG: kill monsters, get stronger. Even killed off Toriel to get those juicy exp points. I did make use of the special commands where you could eventually spare the enemy, because usually that's when their defense drops. I didn't feel bad about it until the Undyne fight, where she loudly proclaimed to slay me for her fallen comrades that I killed earlier. The way she grows weaker during battle as she's slowly dying, but refusing to do so in order to avenge her friends... it was really poignant and part of me is sad that there's actually a good solution to all of this. I want more enemies like this in games. After getting through the neutral run I watched any cutscenes I missed and as expected I started to get into the game world and the characters and felt like a dirtbag for killing them in my playthrough. And that's why this game is my #3.
4. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M ; The reviews made the game seem pretty bad and I didn't find the artstyle too appealing. Still decided to get it sometime later last year and I'm glad I did! The enemy aliens designs and environment took some time to get used to, but it really doesn't bother me anymore. The new characters do seem to be getting weirder and weirder tho (wtf Queequeg?). Altough the game starts off with a lot of 'get to the exit' missions, it does make use of different objectives later on, like defeating a certain enemy unit or protecting an NPC character. Each map has a bunch of collectibles sprinkled around too so the game rewards you for taking the harder routes or taking your time to fetch them (which usually brings new enemy reinforcements). Thanks to the 'fast forward enemy turn' option the wait times really aren't as bad anymore as people would let you think. Ohyeah, and the game has a Punch-Out style giant robot battle segment. I like this game.
5. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse ; This is the first Shantae games I played actually (though I did watch a complete playthrough of the very first GBC game). I hardly bother with 'Metroidvanias' because I can't stand roaming around small spaces looking for secrets. Randomly bought and played this one and it's surprinsgly fun. Maybe because it's easy? The game doesn't refrain from dropping all kinds of hints to guide you to the right area. As of now I haven't reached a deadend yet. Haven't beaten it yet, but it makes me want to check out part 2 when I'm done and, eventually, part 4. Maybe I should give those other 'Metroidvanias' a shot too. The iOS text window with the pixelated sprites is a little jarring tho and it's obvious some of the scenarios were only made with the thought of 'how can we be as fanservicey as possible while staying E10+?'
6. Yoshi's Woolly World ; Simple Yoshi game with cute aesthetic. This is one of those games where I stop to look at the surrounding environment, it's surprisingly pretty at times. The co-op's fun too.
7. Freedom Planet ; Finally got to play this one with the WiiU 're-release'. It's essentially a Sonic fangame, except without the Sonic IP. The story is something straight out of a Sonic comic book too, with the kind of 'hardcore edge' and silly drama you'd expect. Oh and the voiceacting, so corny it becomes good (Lilac's VA is honestly pretty good tho). If you want to ignore all that and go straight to the gameplay then don't worry, the devs implemented a 'classic mode' without cutscenes. While I found the Genesis Sonic games to be good fun, I don't have a huge affinity with the style and gameplay. Still I can appreciate how closely they managed to make it look like a Genesis game. Lilac can stop saying CYCLONE!! tho.
8. Earthbound Beginnings ; I played through a chunk of this game a few months before its official Western release through... other means. It's been too long for me to remember where I was and where I had to go so I decided to start anew with Earthbound Beginnings on WiiU. Didn't get to where I was yet, but it's still fun getting there. As a NES RPG it is rather slow and simple, but it still has the same wacky humour Earthbound is known for and the empty feel of the world gives it a bit of a mysterious vibe. Heading to the North of the zoo and walking near the seaside cliffs is still awesome, 8bit or not.
9. Nintendo Badge Arcade ; Yeah it's F2P and yeah the EU version is really stingy with its free plays, but reading the bunny's silly quips is still good fun. Watching the miiverse highlights is surprisingly entertaining too. Still boot this one up every once in a while.
10. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; Don't have the free time to get invested in this game right now, but I had some fun going around exploring the alien world. It's really annoying when you succesfully sneak by a pair of high level monsters and it turns out you can't install a probe because your level is too low. Isn't getting past the monsters enough?! I wanted to just focus on the story missions, but the game doesn't allow that either. After every story mission you need to complete a bunch of sidequests (boring fetch quests) and explore the contintent some more (even tho you can't install the probes wherever you want). The character creation was rather lackluster too. I feel like the game will be more fun when I eventually get to a higher level... but I gotta get there first.
Honorable Mentions x. Fossil Fighters: Frontier ; It's pretty bad when the car driving, upgrading and fossil digging are a lot more fun than the actual Pokémon style battles the game is built around. I kind of like how you can't grind and overlevel since a lot of your dinosaur's power is based on the fossil parts you find, but this means that at the game's start the enemy will constantly knock out your own weak dinosaur and there's not a lot you can do about it. AI partners doing their own thing is kind of annoying too. I'd much rather just have 3 dinosaurs under my own control. Still, I'm glad they bothered to finally release a game in this series in Europe so I atleast want to give it an honorable mention for that.
Note: I only own a 3DS and Wii U, and didn't buy many games.
1. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; Once I dream of playing an open-world RPG, with mech combat. This is the realization of that dream. Same with Wonderful 101, this games has flaws, but fuck it, all the positives for this game negates them. The combat, the exploration, and the music are all wonderful. Definitely will be in my 'GOAT' list.
2. Super Mario Maker ; When I was in college, I really like to create and design games. Sadly, the lack of resources, training, and time made that null. Playing this game ignites my creative juices on game design. It makes me think how other people will approach the stage that I make, whether it will be easy, hard, or annoying. Playing other stages also improved my platforming skills. Sure, there are other 'game makers' out there, but the charm and accessibility of SMM makes it one of the best.
3. Splatoon ; Confession - I haven't played the multiplayer part of the game. However, the single player campaign is good, although it makes me want more. The boss battles are creative, specially the final boss. I would wish for a Single Player DLC campaign if possible.
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt: One of the best games I've played in years and set a high bar for future open world games to beat. Also had the best DLC of the year.
2. Bloodborne: Allt that Lovecraftian stuff.
3. Tales from the Borderlands: Had some of the funniest moments this year and was a big surprise since I've no affinity for Borderlands prior this.
4.Rocket League: Best multiplayer of the year and I got for free!
5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: The story and characters sucked but you could make your horse poo on demand.
Haven't played all of the 2015 games I want to play (Tomb Raider, Fallout 4, Life is Strange, Dying Light etc) but here's the list of my favourite games I played last year...
1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
2. Bloodborne
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
4. Splatoon
5. Until Dawn
6. Rocket League
7. Destiny: The Taken King
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
9. Batman: Arkham Knight
10. Yoshi's Woolly World
