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[AmaterasuOni]

just to back op my point how the fuck does uncharted 3 and zelda sky sword beat batman arkham city which is a game that destroy both , and is available on all platforms.

Because: opinions. I honestly think UC3 is far superior game than Arkham City, which I didn''t even finish because it got repetitive and tedious.

 

[AU Tiger]

1: The Witcher 3 ; Massive improvement over the previous 2 games. Side quests alone are better told stories than some games’ main quests. From top to bottom every aspect of this game is just staggeringly well made (well.. aside from the weird movement mechanics but I got used to em)

2: Dark Souls 2 SOTFS ; Very different game direction from DS1 but SOTFS really polished up an otherwise rather rough attempt at trying to build a different and new type of Souls world. A lot of people hate on DS2 for several reasons but SOTFS really pulled everything back together both story and world design-wise way. While I'll never like it the way I like the original DS, it stands on it's own now with all the DLC as a very very good overall package.

3: Bloodborne ; Incredible evolution to the souls forumla and a breathtakingly well realized world, second to none art style and awesome twists on the old Souls games mechanics. Similar enough in the right ways to the souls games to be somewhat familiar but different enough to set itself apart as “just another souls game”

4: Cities Skylines ; best city building game of all time. User generated content and mod support right out of the gates elevated the game far beyond what the developers could have ever achieved (similar to the bethesa games)

5: Destiny Taken King ; Sort of like SOTFS did with DS2, Taken King seemed to polish up a lot of rough parts of Destiny, added lots of new meaningful content and gameplay changes that elevates the original product concept to a new level of quality.

6: MGS V ; Not the most engrossing story or characters out there IMO but the world, it’s systems of AI and mechanics make it incredibly fun to just mess with in different ways that I found myself spending well over an hour on single missions.

7: Divinity Original Sin EE ; Really fun, challenging and well put together. The team made huge strides with improving already outstanding aspects of the game, adding controller support and online/LAN drop in/out connectivity with friends. A proper example of an extremely well made RPG that is not afraid to just let you figure out what is what in the world.

8: Grow Home ; Sleeper hit of the year for me. Really amazing movement mechanics and physics that were infuriating at times but never really seemed unfair. It didn’t overstay it’s welcome and had just the right amount of content. I’d love to see a follow up world of similar scope and size created that adds new twists on what we have now learned.

9: Axiom Verge ; A damn near flawless execution on a design and frankly a little played out metroidvania world that cuts through all the junk and mechanics that have bloated most modern metroidvania games. It cuts deep into the core of the old NES/SNES classics and isn’t afraid of trusting the player to use their brain to learn, figure out and discover the game and it’s secrets.

It also twists up quite a few of the concepts of the old classics in smart and well implemented ways that feel like a natural evolution of the old games without feeling like they were done just to avoid being a direct 8 bit Metroid clone but rather done as necessary game mechanics used to move the story (which is pretty good). Everything about the game feels "right" and all the cool new visual and gameplay elements that are there feel like legit things that the original games could have very well did if the technology back then would have allowed it.

10: Project Cars ; I’ve been an early alpha backer for well over 4 years and seeing the progress the developers have made over the years leading up to the release has been really fun. The end result of all that work is a stunning sight to behold but also a very well done sim with a nice car selection, tons of great tracks and the ability to totally customize every aspect of the race down to the weather, temp, opponents, etc. I’ve spent tons of time and even liked it so much I bought a fanatec CSR wheel and elite pedals and racing seat to play. It’s the only game that I can always count on bringing tons of excitement to guests that are at my house. Even if they never play video games (like my father in law and his brother), they know how to drive a car so putting them in the seat with a wheel and pedals requires little to no explanation from me but seeing people react to being able to drive a race car or sports car around these legendary tracks is a lot of fun.

Honorable Mention - Shovel Knight - The most perfect (to me) mash up of classic side scrolling MegaMan/DuckTales/Zelda II gameplay with incredibly tight controls and really well done sound track and characters. I really liked it but I feel like Axiom Verge did enough of the same type things just a little better and won my heart.

 

[Danny 117]

1. Metal Gear Solid V : The Phantom Pain ; gameplay was the best in a long time.
2. Halo 5 ; best multiplayer since Halo 3 IMO. Certainly the best sandbox in the franchise.
3. Rainbow Six : Siege ; a return to form for the franchise. Best tactical shooter in years. Playing this game has reminded me of the old days where everyone used to have a mic on Xbox Live.

 

[UberTag]

That top 4 is spot on for 2016.

I agree... we're a predictable lot after all. That's assuming, of course, Nintendo doesn't drop any surprises like a new Mario and that Zelda will get delayed again. Both will trump a game like Deus Ex even if it's uniformly excellent.

It's also assuming that all of those 4 games come out next year and I'm not entirely convinced that Persona 5 and Mass Effect: Andromeda will make it out. (I have no such concerns for Uncharted 4 and Dark Souls 3.)

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

....the "Nintendo ceiling" is also kinda real though, it's why Nintendo managed to dominate last year when the rest of the field was shit but the same number of points wasn't nearly enough other years (see Skyward Sword)

for reference, Nintendo exclusives in the top 10:

2014
1. Bayonetta 2 = 1132 points, 12 honorable mentions
2. Mario Kart 8 = 925 points, 21 honorable mentions
3. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U = 850 points, 20 honorable mentions
6. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze = 675 points, 16 honorable mentions

2013
4. Super Mario 3D World = 915 points, 14 honorable mentions
5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds = 905 points, 16 honorable mentions
6. Fire Emblem Awakening = 795 points, 21 honorable mentions (speaking of which, I wonder how Fates will hold up in comparison?)

2012
8. Kid Icarus: Uprising = 472 points, 11 honorable mentions

2011
5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword = 1120 points, 8 honorable mentions
9. Super Mario 3D Land = 615 points, 12 honorable mentions

Xenoblade (would have almost certainly been top 10 in one of the two years if not split up)
2012: #15, 299 points, 14 honorable mentions
2011: #11, 514 points, 17 honorable mentions

2010
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2 [WII] - 904 points, 12 honorable mentions

I think 2010's the first year the current scoring system was used (but for the record, looking at 2009's system I prefer it!)

There is something very real to Nintendo being slightly hamstrung by focusing primarily on gameplay over presentation though. I know blasphemy but hear me out. I love Nintendo games but none have stayed with me since SMG1 and 2. Everything on the Wii U I pick up play and will have a great time with in the moment but they very rarely are experiences that leave a lasting impression. There is no narrative or emotional hook to be had to any of them.

They got more votes



Its totally real. I can't imagine a Nintendo game getting 2,000 points like Portal 2 or The Last of Us(and probably Bloodborne this year and Uncharted 4 next year). Bayonetta 2 won cuz there wasn't a Bloodborne/Uncharted 4/The Last of Us/Portal 2 to grab even more votes.

But Bayo 2 is amazing so lets just be happy about that.

Bayo 2 is better than any Nintendo game released since SMG2.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

There is something very real to Nintendo being slightly hamstrung by focusing primarily on gameplay over presentation though. I love Nintendo games but none have stayed with me since SMG1 and 2. Everything on the Wii U I pick up play and will have a great time with in the moment but they very rarely stay with me. There is no narrative or emotional hook to be had to any of them.

The lack of a meaty Zelda / Metroid game recently hurts. Those are my favorite Nintendo titles and tend to be GOTY contenders for me.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

The lack of a meaty Zelda / Metroid game recently hurts. Those are my favorite Nintendo titles and tend to be GOTY contenders for me.

Absolutely. Nintendo desperately needs Retro to fill that role again. I replayed through the whole trilogy when they were re-released last winter. Those are incredible games.

 

[Iva Demilcol]

Woah... People are salty already because of what game is winning? The thread of the announcement of the final results will be fun. =D

 

[ViewtifulJC]

There is something very real to Nintendo being slightly hamstrung by focusing primarily on gameplay over presentation though. I know blasphemy but hear me out. I love Nintendo games but none have stayed with me since SMG1 and 2. Everything on the Wii U I pick up play and will have a great time with in the moment but they very rarely are experiences that leave a lasting impression. There is no narrative or emotional hook to be had to any of them.

Thats why a really good Zelda will always do better than a really good 3D Mario, that narrative/emotional hook builds support and keeps them in memory for vote time for most. The "experience" factor, over the "gamey" stuff like 3D World or Mario Kart or DKC.

Same reason Galaxy 3 gets requested so much, because the bombast and spectacle of it all makes it more of an "experience". Even if its very superficially similar to 3D World. Same reason people want Metroid Prime style game from Retro as compared to DKC.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

The lack of a meaty Zelda / Metroid game recently hurts. Those are my favorite Nintendo titles and tend to be GOTY contenders for me.

Absolutely. Nintendo desperately needs Retro to fill that role again. I replayed through the whole trilogy when they were re-released last winter. Those are incredible games.

Have you guys checked out Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles X? I wouldn't put them in the same league as Metroid or Zelda but they're definitely worth playing.

 

[ninjablade]

Because: opinions. I honestly think UC3 is far superior game than Arkham City, which I didn''t even finish because it got repetitive and tedious.

yea i'm sure sure it's not inflated scores cause both of those were exclusives. batman:ac has way more goty awards then both those games, a higher metracritic, and available on all platforms. the game was beyond amazing for its time, nothing like it. combat, stealth, gadgets, gliding, and grappling in the city all felt amazing. what you called repetitive and tedious perfectly describes uncharted 3.

 

[tuxfool]

Some people seem intent on purposefully misrepresenting my point. Let me reiterate once again it is not a slight against people's preference for one or the other, even though it is not mine. I am annoyed by people voting only one game in a polarized process, some of whom have only a few posts in a number of years.

The only reason I signaled out The Witcher and Bloodborne, and let me state again that the Witcher was in my list so it's not that I hate these games and want them to lose, is because curiously nobody is saying 1. Helldivers, this is the only game of note I played this year. Because nobody is rigging Helldivers to win over an actual fair preference process.

I see your point, but one would think that the people buying very few games in a year will be buying games with a lot of mainstream support (on GAF). Judging by the votes both Witcher and Bloodborne have a lot of popular support.

I'm not sure there is any way of winning, if people are determined to push a game, there is nothing stopping them to inflate their list with other games. There are one or two which are transparently egregious like that wonderful post in the first few pages but as a counterpoint there are a lot of small lists with some less popular games.

 

[Catvoca]

2: Dark Souls 2 SOTFS ; Very different game direction from DS1 but SOTFS really polished up an otherwise rather rough attempt at trying to build a different and new type of Souls world. A lot of people hate on DS2 for several reasons but SOTFS really pulled everything back together both story and world design-wise way. While I'll never like it the way I like the original DS, it stands on it's own now with all the DLC as a very very good overall package.

3: Bloodborne ; Incredible evolution to the souls forumla and a breathtakingly well realized world, second to none art style and awesome twists on the old Souls games mechanics. Similar enough in the right ways to the souls games to be somewhat familiar but different enough to set itself apart as “just another souls game”

Dark Souls 2 above Bloodborne! You know what's up.

 

[Forearm Star]

1. Metal gear solid 5 ; have been really hyped for this game and it delivered in every way possible

2. Bloodborne ; took me awhile to get what all the fuss was about but after spending a solid amount of time with it I get it. Frustrating but satisfying

3. Fallout 4 ; see above. Was ready to write this one off and not even bother but I must say I've been spending way to much time building settlements as of late.

4. Tearaway unfolded ; because Tearaway. Crying shame no body cares about how good this game is.

5. Splatoon ; shooter of the year?! Good take it! Haven't played it yet but good on you anyway!

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Thats why a really good Zelda will always do better than a really good 3D Mario, that narrative/emotional hook builds support and keeps them in memory for vote time for most. The "experience" factor, over the "gamey" stuff like 3D World or Mario Kart or DKC.

Same reason Galaxy 3 gets requested so much, because the bombast and spectacle of it all makes it more of an "experience". Even if its very superficially similar to 3D World. Same reason people want Metroid Prime style game from Retro as compared to DKC.

to add to this, this is also why MGS4, which isn't the best vis-a-vis stealth action game in the world, can win GOTY twice cuz its such a memorable narrative experience, and MGS5 can lose GOTY despite having the best stealth-action gameplay in the series and doesn't hold up very well as a MGS narrative experience.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Have you guys checked out Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles X? I wouldn't put them in the same league as Metroid or Zelda but they're definitely worth playing.

I sadly don't have a Wii U because of the lack of Zelda / Metroid, but that series is one I'm interested in and would get if I had the platform.

Hoping to get an NX if the price is right and the new Zelda launches with the platform. Looks absolutely gorgeous and it's been far too long since I've enjoyed a Zelda game.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

Thats why a really good Zelda will always do better than a really good 3D Mario, that narrative/emotional hook builds support and keeps them in memory for vote time for most. The "experience" factor, over the "gamey" stuff like 3D World or Mario Kart or DKC.

Same reason Galaxy 3 gets requested so much, because the bombast and spectacle of it all makes it more of an "experience". Even if its very superficially similar to 3D World. Same reason people want Metroid Prime style game from Retro as compared to DKC.

Yeah exactly. Its the same reason M64 is held so dearly by people. The spectacle and experience create that connection.

Have you guys checked out Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles X? I wouldn't put them in the same league as Metroid or Zelda but they're definitely worth playing.

Chronicles X is sitting in my Wii U at this moment waiting to be played. I'm really excited for it I just have to clear this backlog first.

 

[The Xtortionist]

I thought MGSV was a shoo-in for GAF GOTY five months ago. Then the game came out and its wasn't a very good MGS game! The fact that its still getting third speaks to the passion that series has on NeoGAF.

I guess I'm still reeling from the Dragon Age prediction

 

[EhoaVash]

1. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; Exploration the game. So much fun to just explore the world, combat is also pretty fun and interesting. Story has its moments but man the exploration aspect is amazing.

2. Bloodborne ; again exploring the game was really really fun. the bosses sucked though and combat was so so, near the end it became too too much grinding for blood vitals =/ but still really fun

3. Splatoon ; I can't get enough of this game, I usually play 30 minutes or so every other day and its really fun and addictive multiplayer keeps me coming back

4. Batman Arkham Knight l Story was really good in this one until ..the ending, pretty predictable but man all the batman mechanics are super tight and fine tuned.

5. Metal Gear solid V ; Gameplay is so tight but its ..a bit too repetitive =/, also 2nd half of game is super lacking and just..repetition..

honorable mentions go to the last of us lol, I played this game this year but was interesting, good story
also Until Dawn, the only other game i beat this year. thought it was okay, Heavy rain did these type of games better.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

I guess I'm still reeling from the Dragon Age prediction

I'm now more convinced a 40+ hour RPG can't win. Bad news for Mass Effect if its really Dragon Age Inquisition in Space like the survey leak says.

 

[AmaterasuOni]

yea i'm sure sure it's not inflated scores cause both of those were exclusives. batman:ac has way more goty awards then both those games, a higher metracritic, and available on all platforms. the game was beyond amazing for its time, nothing like it. combat, stealth, gadgets, gliding, and grappling in the city all felt amazing. what you called repetitive and tedious perfectly describes uncharted 3.

Yes, and I read your answer as "opinions". I don't care about metacritic or GOTY awards or anything like that; it's what I think, how I think and what I like PERSONALLY. I must emphasize the word I. It is MY opinion, not yours, not gaming media's, but my opinion. That's why I vote how I vote, that's who people vote how they vote, they have opinions.

If you like to vote how metacritic votes or how gaming media votes, go ahead, then you vote how majority would vote. I'd like to have my own opinions, thank you very much.

That's a lot of votes, goddammit.

Opinion: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opinion

 

[spekkeh]

I see your point, but one would think that the people buying very few games in a year will be buying games with a lot of mainstream support (on GAF). Judging by the votes both Witcher and Bloodborne have a lot of popular support.

I'm not sure there is any way of winning, if people are determined to push a game, there is nothing stopping them to inflate their list with other games. There are one or two which are transparently egregious like that wonderful post in the first few pages but as a counterpoint there are a lot of small lists with some less popular games.

That's a very fair point. I was gonna say life is strange or Splatoon, but then people might notice I put these high in my list and that I was biased to want to have them win, so that's why I chose helldivers lol. But I was going to let this rest, so let's assume people just played the popular games and that's also why they are the most popular games and let this rest.

 

[newjeruse]

Edit: nm

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

I'm gonna be really mad if TIS-100 doesn't win. I blame fanboys!

Cyan you do know that TIS-100 is really just a murder simulator and your responsible for wiping out hundred's of bee colonies right? Ben and Jerry are the majority stockholders of Zachtronics and have been trying to destroy the principle ingredient in Haagen Daaz Vanilla - Honey

 

[WAR recon zero]

1. Destiny: TTK ; hours of fun
2. Rocket League ; ps4
3. Super Mario Maker ; wiiu
4. Batman: Arkham Knight ; ps4
5. Until Dawn ; ps4

 

[theprodigy]

This is a discussion forum. If we didn't want discussion, ttk and cheese could just set up a poll somewhere and then post the result later.

Sure, we get empty, useless posts where someone says "gameplay best evar" in an attempt to meet the bare minimum requirements. But having posting comments be the norm also results in the fun, big posts where people talk about why they liked each game in depth. It results in people learning about games they might not have otherwise known about.

If the thread was only "hey neat Witcher/Bloodborne won" and nothing else, why bother? Just have a thread about mainstream gotys and be done with it.

tbh I do wonder how things would change if this was done through polls instead!

 

[BumRush]

I'm now more convinced a 40+ hour RPG can't win. Bad news for Mass Effect if its really Dragon Age Inquisition in Space like the survey leak says.

Honest question because I see you've mentioned it a few times: are Bloodborne and W3 not RPGs?

 

[Cotrip]

1. Metal gear solid 5; have been really hyped for this game and it delivered in every way possible

2. Bloodboune; took me awhile to get what all the fuss was about but after spending a solid amount of time with it I get it. Frustrating but satisfying

3. Fallout 4; see above. Was ready to write this one off and not even bother but I must say I've been spending way to much time building settlements as of late.

4. Tearaway unfolded; because Tearaway. Crying shame no body cares about how good this game is.

5. Splatoon; shooter of the year?! Good take it! Haven't played it yet but good on you anyway!

I think you have to put a space between the title and semicolon. Not sure tho.

Also, there's a typo in Bloodborne.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Honest question because I see you've mentioned it a few times: are Bloodborne and W3 not RPGs?

W3 clearly is, but I put Bloodborne in the Mass Effect 2 slot of "technically" being an RPG cuz you level up with stats...but they're really 20-25 hour action games. They're certainly much less RPG than their direct predecessors Dark Souls and Mass Effect 1, respectively.

 

[Deleted member 125677]

tbh I do wonder how things would change if this was done through polls instead!

Results, maybe not too much.

But the thread would be as interesting as the inside of my anus

 

[AniHawk]

This thread is a list thread. There is barely any discussion because the games that are chosen are highly subjective to these individuals. I did not read every post in this thread, but there are only very few posts that complain about people voting for certain games, and these posts don´t serve any kind of purpose or discussion besides the complaint. Having an arbitrary comment for a rule which many, many are are one liners don´t serve any kind of purpose or discussion besides not getting their votes disqualified. People should not be forced to justify their picks, as you are not forced to justify voting in an award show, or in a political process at the voting booth.

if you want a stronger reason why we have comments, moderation strongly prefers comments to justify choices. a couple years ago, there would be a couple list threads a month. they were pretty dull and moderation eventually put a ban on all of them except a select few that did have comments in them.

plus i think arguing against discussion (which does happen, whether you see it or not), is not the best hill to die on.

 

[taybul]

1. Bloodborne ; The one game I haven't been able to put down since release. This game was the reason I bought the PS4 and it completely lived up to my expectations and then some. I've never played a game so rich and deep in mechanics and story-telling. I've also never played a game where I was excited to receive new items just so I could read its description to learn more about the world. The combat system is so precise that, much like the other Souls game, nothing feels (too) cheap and any mistakes are truly your own.

 

[-COOLIO-]

1. Metal Gear Solid 5 ; Hella good gameplay and a hella great ending.
2. Rocket League ; Hella fun party game with friends.

 

[higgsboson1997]

There is something very real to Nintendo being slightly hamstrung by focusing primarily on gameplay over presentation though. I know blasphemy but hear me out. I love Nintendo games but none have stayed with me since SMG1 and 2. Everything on the Wii U I pick up play and will have a great time with in the moment but they very rarely are experiences that leave a lasting impression. There is no narrative or emotional hook to be had to any of them.

Bayo 2 is better than any Nintendo game released since SMG2.

^ It's the opposite for me. I find myself quickly getting bored with most emotion and story/narrative driven games, while I love experiences I can keep coming back to for a quick fix. I feel that the pick-up and play style leads to more fun gameplay, like with Smash, SM3DW, MK8 and Splatoon. It is why Metroid and Zelda (except ALBW) are my least favourite Nintendo franchises amongst the major ones, and Bayo 2 was the only game I picked up for the U last year that disappointed me.

 

[Ivan A Nguyen]

1. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ; 183 hours and I am still seeing new versions of monsters. I know a lot of people call it a grind, but I have yet to really reach that point. There are a few armor sets I've crafted but nothing that took a super long time to get. Most of them came from materials I already had. I've topped out on the single player content and I have to play more online to get further. I really enjoy a good online group. There was quite the hurtle between High Rank and G Rank online, but even that was fun due to the epic nature of the fights. I have been a fan of the series sense 3U and I see myself picking up X the day it comes out state side.

2. Batman: Arkham Knight ; I am a sucker for Batman games. This one delivered on a lot of fronts. The extra stuff that I didn't like did not take away from all the things I did like. I think we can all agree that the Riddler belongs in some kind of home for the criminally insane. The use of Mark Hamill was spot on as well. I ended up Youtubing the true ending. So glad I saved myself the trouble. It was not worth the effort of those trophies. Another big thing in favor of this game has been the fact that I have had a challenge battle between me and my best friend. I really need to go back and beat some of his scores.

3. Bloodborne ; I've only had a few weeks to play this game, but I am liking it's style. I wish the counter shots had a bit longer of a window, but that's just me wanting games to be slightly easier. I've cleared two bosses and I can't wait until I have more time to go in and beat some more.

4. Star Wars: Battlefront ; I love Star Wars to bits. My first experiences with this game were very good. Subsequent ones were not as much fun. I found that when I was trying to claim the points then I'd end up dying fairly often. It's hard for me to sit back and shoot people I see go running by, but when I go in and wreak shop I feel like a true bad ass. The force is strong with this game.

5. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number ; I hated myself by the time I beat this game. Getting through the later levels that lacked any kind of meaningful save midway through was a nightmare. Getting shot from off screen is balls. Getting one punched by a thug is balls. Getting my throat ripped out because I miss timed a sword swipe on a dog is, you guessed it, balls. Those are the reasons this is a #5 game instead of a #2 game. I enjoyed the game play, the music, and the pixelated violence.

6. Super Mario Maker ; When you play the same level in the 10 Mario challenge for the 4th time in a row, then you know there is an issue with the game. I love what Mario Maker is. I enjoyed making a level for my wife and for my son. I like sitting down and playing a few levels every now and then. The level discovery is my issue here. I still haven't found a way to get the Nintendo World Challenge levels to show up. I want to play more of this game, but I also just want a bunch of good levels to be there when I turn it on. Maybe it's better now, maybe.

7. Fallout 4 ; This game has yet to grab me. I feel too weak. I get stuck during quests. People's end of the world stories tend to blend together. I just got to Diamond City, but I have doubled back to explore some of the area I've missed so far. I like the time I spend with this game but I just haven't been hooked. It also doesn't help that the main plot line has kind of been spoiled for me.

8. Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions ; I love me some Geometry Wars. This came out on the Vita as part of the PS+ and was the first game I played on my Playstation TV. I've had tons of fun with this game, but I have no online friends when it comes to the Playstation Network so I have no scores to compare it to. That is half the fun of the game.

9. Splatoon ; Me and my son will take turns with this game. It's great to see a shooter where he is having as much fun as I am. He can be just shooting the ground and he is still contributing to his team. The skill level in that game is so vast that he can run around with the paint roller and still get a few kills. He has a lot of fun as a squid and his favorite thing to do is to super jump to someone at the start of his new life. He likes the fact that he can see the entire map when he does it. He also likes dressing up in the different clothes. The Pizza vs Hamburger battle was a lot of fun for me and him. We need to play this game more, but my son uses the Wii U for YouTube so much that we just don't get the chance.

10. Saints Row: Gat out of Hell ; Maybe it was a price error with Gamestop or maybe they knew what they were doing, but getting this game for 5$ was the perfect fit for me. This game was short, but retained all of the Saints Row humor. It only took a few sittings to beat, but I enjoyed what I played of it. The flying was handled really well. The chance to play as the hacker girl was a ton of fun, and the only way to play. The tower take over aspects of it were not balanced well. It was a brief visit back to the SR4 universe, but I prefer 'How the Saints Saved Christmas'. Seriously, I play that DLC every year on Christmas day.


Honorable Mention
Xenoblade Chronicles 3D ; A good RPG for my 3DS. I've only put a few hours into this game, but I really need to stop using Shulk. I am too comfortable with him. I also feel like I need to sell a lot of the junk I pick up, but that's neither here nor there. I like playing my RPGs on mute so this one gets less play time due to the fact that I want to wear headphones while I play it.

Mario Party 10 ; I bought this for my son. The minigames are fun even if the way the boards work can be frustrating. We've played with the Amiibo features and it doesn't seem like people are missing too much by skipping it. The fact that you can unlock all the extras pretty quickly was kind of sad. We never use the extras but it was nice to know there was something your game went towards. I had to throw a lot of matches to keep my son happy, because at the end of the day that was the reason I got the game. If my son could play at a higher level then maybe this game would have ranked higher for me.

 

[ohlawd]

just replace all those "-" with a ";" and ")" with a "."

you're almost there!

 

[Cotrip]

Bloodborne - The one game ...

1. Metal Gear Solid 5
2. Rocket League

1. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ; 183 hours and I am still seeing new versions of monsters...

Wrong format, remember to follow this model:

1. Game A ; Your thoughts on Game A.

 

[boingball]

1. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter ; After years of wait finally the continuation of the story.
2. Yakuza 5 ; Thank you Sony for bringing this to the west.
3. Life is Strange ; Great setting (Remember me also had an awesome setting, Dotnot really can create nice worlds) and a good story. And technically much better than Telltale's games.
4. Steins' Gate ;
5. Olli Olli 2 ; The best of the Indie bunch on the Vita this year.
6. Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls ; A good game but I really had high expectations for it (expected it to contend for GotY) which it could not entirely fullfil. Looking forward to V3 though.
7. Tearaway Unfolded ; The Vita version was my GotY when it came out. This is a great remaster, but
8. Mad Max ;
9. Disgaea 5 ; Have not played it enough otherwise it might have ranked higher.
10. Until Dawn ; Better than expected (the opposite of The Order), originally did not plan to buy/play it.

A PSP game at Number 1 and a PS3 game at Number 2. Yeah, the new generation is starting extremely slow.

 

[Ivan A Nguyen]

just replace all those "-" with a ";" and ")" with a "."

you're almost there!

Did this.

Wrong format, remember to follow this model:

1. Game A ; Your thoughts on Game A.

Got this.

Ya'll need to either get your acts together or speak about the games we talk about.

 

[CecilRousso]

1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; I'm not an regular read of fantasy litterature, but I feel that if I read books in that genre, I would probably want something on the level of this. It has probably 8 out of 10 of the best quests and subplots out of the games I've played in this genre. It's not exactly everything I want from an open world RPG, where many of the flaws are related to things CD Projekt hasn't been able to fix since The Witcher 1, and that it always tries to emphasise that you should be in a hurry to continue the main plot while at the same throwing additional tasks at you. But it's still by far the best game I've played this year.

2. Broken Age: The Complete Adventure ; The one kickstarter adventure of those I backed that really understood the old LucasArts adventures. It has the same kind of characters, the same kind of scene structure, an impressive variety in the puzzles, and a distinct art style. It's at the same time a game that appeals the old school and doing something of it's own. Tim Schafer got a lot of stick for this game by many people, but I don't think that he did anything wrong. In terms of story and locations, sure, he could have played it a bit more safe, and been a bit less abstract in the twists the story takes, but it's still in it's core the same kind of adventure game as the one I rank as the finest in the genre. I think that all it misses is a catchy main theme.

3. Broforce ; Supringsly good. It looks like meme, but is one of the smarter action games I have played, with dynamic gameplay that keeps adding new stuff and suprise you, from the start to the end. Early Access done right, so right.

4. Invisible Inc ; Klei never fails you. Espionage roguelike XCOM battles with a nifty art style. Quite difficult, but always fun. A game based on challenge and choices, love that.

5. Rocket League ; One of those game that you think, "it can't be that good, can it?" Sure it can! Just simple, and fun.

6. Cities: Skylines ; It's crazy how this game managed to tick all the right boxes when Maxis pretty much missed them all. The one thing that took it down a notch was that money never was a problem for you. But if you set your own goals, there were always challenge to be found.

7. Massive Chalice ; I haven't played it that much, so it can't justify a higher place, but I like what I've seen so far, I like the style of the game, the atmosphere, I like the ambition, and turnbased battles like these are never wrong.

8. Grim Fandango: Remastered ; Only played a few hours of the remaster, but it shows again why it's a classic.

9. Fallout 4 ; It's weird that a game you spend 50h+ is so low down on the list, but after those hours, the disappointment start to hit you. It's good, but should have been so much better. I never want call developers lazy, but this game makes me question what kind of ambitions they had with it at least.

Will add a few more games in an edit, but need to think about it a bit more.

 

[Catvoca]

2. Broken Age ; The one kickstarter adventure of those I backed that really understood the old LucasArts adventures. It has the same kind of characters, the same kind of scene structure, an impressive variety in the puzzles, and a distinct art style. It's at the same time a game that appeals the old school and doing something of it's own. Tim Schafer got a lot of stick for this game by many people, but I don't think that he did anything wrong. In terms of story and locations, sure, he could have played it a bit more safe, and been a bit less abstract in the twists the story takes, but it's still in it's core the same kind of adventure game as the one I rank as the finest in the genre. I think that all it misses is a catchy main theme.

Good list. I particularly like seeing Broken Age so high, I feel like a lot of people have forgotten about it or didn't like the second half too much but I enjoyed my time with it immensely. That art style is something else.

 

[Actual]

1. Rocket League ; This game took the gaming world by storm for good reason. It made multiplayer sports games fun again, and it's easy enough to play for anyone to learn. Also, it has 4 player split screen...

2. Axiom Verge ; Incredible atmosphere and music, fun weapons, creepy vibe... And it was made by a single person on top of it!

3. Fallout 4 ; I spent 130 hours playing this... Great new world, interesting story and fun weapon and armor crafting mechanics.

4. Forza Motorsport 6 ; The best racing sim on the market, period.

5. Batman: Arkham Knight ; As usual for the series, it had great combat and fantastic visuals. The story was pretty cool too, and I liked the Batmobile more than most people.

6. Yoshi's Woolly World ; This one is just too adorable to pass up, plus, it actually plays really well and is challenging.

7. Star Wars Battlefront ; While it's not the deepest shooter out there, it's a lot of fun anyway. Simple controls, fun modes, incredible graphics, maybe the best this year, and great sound create a good experience. Plus, there's nothing quite as satisfying as taking out an X-Wing in mid flight with an Ion Torpedo.

8. Super Mario Maker ; The fact that it works is already impressive, but the ease of use of the tools meant that everyone can make Mario levels. Hell, even my 5 year old daughter made a fun, playable level!

9. Halo 5: Guardians ; While I didn't like the story at all, combat is as good as it's ever been. Multiplayer is fun too, though it didn't keep my attention for long. Plus, it looks great and has awesome music.

10. Xeodrifter ; A simple metroidvania with good graphics, good design and fun abilities. Plus, I really like the little hero guy!

Honorable Mentions
x. Valiant Hearts ; This one was great because it tackled war without being about combat. The characters and story were worth caring about, and it looked real pretty.

 

[ohlawd]

Did this.

Got this.

Ya'll need to either get your acts together or speak about the games we talk about.

I would

but I can't

I ain't interested in 90% of the games y'all like

 

[impact]

worst year since 2012 tbh

pretty much yea

Journey and Walking Dead LMAOOOOOOOOOOOO. At least we got Bloodborne and Rocket League this year to wash away the pain of everything else being terrible.

 

[Banjo Tango]

1. Bloodborne ; Amazing mood with a great twist once you realize it goes much deeper than Werewolves in London. Nice tweaks on Souls gameplay. Plus the DLC made this game even better.
2. Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide
3. Helldivers
4. Splatoon
5. Ori and the Blind Forest
6. Rocket League
7. Broken Age
8. SOMA
9. Galak-Z
10. Until Dawn

 

[seady]

1. Splatoon ; Unique art style and gameplay, it has that special and fresh Nintendo's charm that has not been seen since the original Animal Crossing on Gamecube.

2. Super Mario Maker
3. Yo-Kai Watch
4. Metal Gear Solid V
5. Until Dawn
6. Bloodborne
7. Pokemon Picross
8. Fallout 4
9. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
10. Xenobloade Chronicles X

 

[kinaesthete]

Will add a few more games in an edit, but need to think about it a bit more.

Heads up, you missed a 1. before Witcher

 

[CecilRousso]

Heads up, you missed a 1. before Witcher

Thank you, fixed.

Good list. I particularly like seeing Broken Age so high, I feel like a lot of people have forgotten about it or didn't like the second half too much but I enjoyed my time with it immensely. That art style is something else.

The art style is magnificent. I think the appreciation for the game will come in time, when the internet drama and the expectations for the game are lowered.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

^ It's the opposite for me. I find myself quickly getting bored with most emotion and story/narrative driven games, while I love experiences I can keep coming back to for a quick fix. I feel that the pick-up and play style leads to more fun gameplay, like with Smash, SM3DW, MK8 and Splatoon. It is why Metroid and Zelda (except ALBW) are my least favourite Nintendo franchises amongst the major ones, and Bayo 2 was the only game I picked up for the U last year that disappointed me.

Very interesting. Have you always been that way or was it related to franchise fatigue?

 

[GamerJM]

^ It's the opposite for me. I find myself quickly getting bored with most emotion and story/narrative driven games, while I love experiences I can keep coming back to for a quick fix. I feel that the pick-up and play style leads to more fun gameplay, like with Smash, SM3DW, MK8 and Splatoon. It is why Metroid and Zelda (except ALBW) are my least favourite Nintendo franchises amongst the major ones, and Bayo 2 was the only game I picked up for the U last year that disappointed me.

I feel sort of similarly. I actually like a lot of narrative-driven games, but I'm less inclined to but them on a list of all-time favorites over something like Smash and Mario Kart. The latter will stay in my mind and are games that I enjoy over long periods of time, whereas the former are experiences that I play through and usually forget about unless they're completely mindblowing like 999 or just really solidly crafted from a mechanics perspective, like Fire Emblem. I love Zelda, but yeah I'm not a fan of Metroid and found Bayonetta to be rather disappointing. My GotY this year isn't a Nintendo game, but it is a game that has absolutely no narrative and I'll continue to return to for the rest of the generation.

The only reason I don't give more praise to Smash and Mario Kart is because I like Melee and MKDS more than Smash 4 and MK8.