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[Matsukaze]

1. Undertale ; Undertale is a gem, a combination of passion on the part of a focused creator and cleverness woven through both writing and gameplay. The very idea of a game with battles that doesn't require killing or retaliating is mind-boggling for most people, yet Undertale pulls it off seamlessly. The game is smartly written; there are appropriate consequences for choosing to do ill or choosing to show mercy, and at the end, you reap what you sow. Plus, the game is full of jokes, which admittedly depends on a person's sense of humor, but which pays off big-time if you're into the style of humor here. Beyond that, however, what makes Undertale stand supreme is the cast of characters. The likes of Sans and Papyrus and Undyne and Mettaton and all the others just make them instantly memorable; their personalities are so resonant and charming in their own individual ways. Undertale is a beautiful game and I give this the top spot with no reservations.
2. Bloodborne ; There has never been a series that has kicked my ass so much yet earned my unwavering appreciation like the Souls games. Bloodborne just does everything right. The gameplay is intense; in classic Souls style, the tricks and traps are everywhere, but the game doesn't cheat you. If you act without thinking, you'll run right into your death; if you think without acting, you'll just invite your enemies to overwhelm you the moment you hesitate. Beyond excellent gameplay, the world of Bloodborne does a great job combining Victorian elements with Lovecraftian madness, and the variety of weapons means there's quite a few ways to effectively develop your playstyle. This was *so* close to the #1 spot.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; I understand why so many folks dislike this game. I can't say I blame them for being disappointed, and I would be lying if I suggested this game feels complete. Regardless, the truth is that MGSV is for me still one of the most fun games of the year. The gameplay is tight and the missions, while repetitive after so long, provide plenty of intense moments. The story is... well, it's quite a trip, I will say that.
4. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; There was never any doubt that CD Projeckt Red was going to knock this one out of the park. RPGs are my bread and butter, and the Witcher series has never put a foot out of place along the way. The game world is simply stunning, the characters are memorable, and the gameplay never let me down. Overall, the game just stands head and shoulders above most others.
5. Yakuza 5 ; I'm not exactly a veteran of Yakuza games (it's kinda hard knowing Sega is never eager to give Western fans the goods), but Yakuza 5 just goes above and beyond most games. The characters and crises are downright spellbinding, and the game does a great job of showing off the various Japanese locales along the way. I don't have enough good things to say about this game.
6. Resident Evil Revelations 2 ; I had my doubts as to whether Resident Evil was doomed to mediocrity after RE6; even the first Revelations didn't do much for me. Then along came Revelations 2, and I found my faith in RE restored. Claire and Barry are perennial favorites, but I thought Moira was a nice addition to the series roster. Even Nadalia, whom I worried would fall into the pitfall of "insufferable child character" proved to be better company for Barry than expected. The gameplay is very sharp and makes proper use of the emphasis on teamwork and cooperative combat. I was very impressed by Revelations 2 and I hope to see it get more love in the future.
7. Fallout 4 ; I've always been more partial to The Elder Scrolls than Fallout, but as soon as Fallout 4 came into my hands, I dove right in and didn't regret a second. Post-apocalyptic Boston was an enthralling place to explore, and I felt that the writing, while maybe shy of New Vegas quality, was still a cut above most games. I've only gone through the game once but I know that there's a lot waiting for me in a second playthrough. It's a great game, all in all.
8. Axiom Verge ; I love Metroid. I love Metroid's influence. Thus, I knew as soon as I saw Axiom Verge that I was going to enjoy myself. The gameplay has an old-school feel but brings new material to the table, and the number of power-ups means there's a lot to tinker with for curious players. The world and the brilliant colors used for backgrounds and enemies are food for the eyes, and as a Metroid fan, the game as a whole scratched an itch that I had almost forgotten was there. Definitely worth a spot on this list.
9. Splatoon ; It's all about the multiplayer. What more can be said? Splatoon is simple fun with neat mechanics and a great art style. I plugged away a lot more hours playing Splatoon than expected, so well done to Splatoon for keeping me hooked.
10. Life is Strange ; Alright, there's a lot in Life is Strange that isn't fantastic (namely, the repetition of lame phrases and a storyline that ultimately doesn't stick its landing). But what Life is Strange does bring to the table is a neat primary mechanic and a slew of characters who do a good job walking the line between believable and bizarre. There are plenty of idosyncracies hanging about the main cast and even the game's setting, and the story always kept me interested at every turn.

Honorable Mentions
x. Until Dawn ; A game that quite proudly points to its roots in classic horror movies and monstrous myths, Until Dawn does a good job of tackling the "gameplay as movie" style of game, which admittedly is not everyone's cup of tea. The setting and cast of characters smartly play to the tropes of slasher flicks. It's a neat experience, even if it isn't revolutionary by any means. Still, it's enjoyable and worthy of a nod for honorable mentions.
x. Soma ; If you like post-apocalyptic games of the underwater variety, this game is for you. It comes as no surprise that Soma's main strength lies in its subject matter. The game takes the scope of transhumanism and plays with its most critical conundrums, namely what it means to actually be human and whether humanity is a condition that can be replicated. The game is bleak and sobering, and there is no real "payoff" at the end; just the acknowledgement that a faint hope might persist, but even the value of that hope is all in the eye of the beholder. It's a very intriguing story, but the gameplay is nothing special, so I can't place this any higher than as an honorable mention.
x. Darkest Dungeon ; Some games let players ease into the combat. Darkest Dungeon is not one of those games. The grim setting of Darkest Dungeon makes it clear from the beginning that death comes swiftly and brutally. Reminiscent of old-school Dungeons and Dragons, Darkest Dungeon provides a range of different character classes, and as your party ventures into the unknown, you will be battered with hard-hitting attacks, traps, and a RNG that loves making you miss at the worst possible moments. It's a slog, but a pretty damn good one.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Nice tag.

Is that what I think it is? If so, lol

 

[RowdyReverb]

1. Halo 5: Guardians ; Brilliant FPS multiplayer that managed to please almost all fans, from the casual to the hardcore. The added mobility was just the kick the franchise needed. Also, the creativity I've already seen in Forge Mode gives me hope that the game will have decent legs.

2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Just a terrific sandbox to play around in. It was constantly surprising in what the game would let you do and the situations they've anticipated.

3. Super Mario Maker ; Just a genius idea for a game. I only wish I could find more wonderful levels.

4. Fallout 4 ; I bought this game expecting more Fallout 3 and I was entirely satisfied. The exploration is as top-notch as ever.

5. Batman: Arkham Knight ; Beautifully captures Gotham City and had very satisfying gameplay

6. Downwell ; The epitome of simple to learn, difficult to master. I probably would have enjoyed it more on a computer than my iPad, but I still had a lot of fun.

7. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; I really liked this game, but took a break from it and have had trouble getting back into it.

8. Mortal Kombat X ; Very accessible fighting game with fun characters and a wonderfully hokey story.

9. Rare Replay ; Really puts all other retro game collections to shame in both value and content.

10. Star Wars Battlefront ; A beautiful and awesome-sounding shooter that sadly lacked the depth needed for continued replayability.

 

[Tankard]

1. Until Dawn ; Never thought i would put this game first on my list, even after playing and loving it, but thinking about what a sleeper hit it was, the amount of fun and engagement i had, also with friends and family..gets my #1.

2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; Spent over 200 hours in the game, it was a gorgeous and fun experience to have, i can't wait for the next DLC.

3. Bloodborne ; Love all the Souls games and Bloodborne was a breath of fresh air to it, the combat is excellent and i love how immersive i get from the gothic world.

4. Rocket League ; Although not a surprise to me for having played the first game on PS3 and loving it, it's a joy of how they improved on that game to release this multiplayer masterpiece, i'm still playing the game, it's just one of my go to games to relax and have some quick fun.

5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; I know it isn't very popular these days, but i fell in love with this game for what it is and despite the shaky story.

6. Helldivers ; Co-Op heaven, had a blast with how chaotic it gets, mainly when you play with other 3 players, love the weapon variety in the game too.

7. Super Mario Maker ; Basically what i played the most this year on my WiiU, it's just ridiculous fun to go through the levels, although i couldn't create shit even if my life was on the line.

8. Besiege ; I love this game, it's stupid the amount of hours i put into building machines, thinking and overthinking strategies. Would love to see this one on PS4.

9. Mortal Kombat X ; I love it, but sorry, i'm one of those who cares about the story, and this one was such a disappointment after MK9. But it's MK and i love how the game plays, the fatalities. Netcode is still bad though.

10. Star Wars Battlefront ; I didn''t expect much, maybe that's i like the game so much, it does it for me online, it's not a slow and much complex one as the Battlefield series and i can get behind it also, it's my current MP shooter of almost every night.


Honorable Mentions
x. Soma ; So much more than a horror game, really unexpected to me how atmospheric and profound my experience was with the game. Frictional are making a name for themselves as one of those extremely reliable devs, can't wait to see what they bring next.
x. Kerbal Space Program ; Another game I spent silly amount of hours in. Testing the most effective way to do missions, calculating fuel, doing the rescuing missions were all so much fun to do. This is a game I need to go back to.
x. Downwell ; Love the simple idea of the game, and it's just one of those like Super Meat Boy that it's fun to do things over, get better and master the game.

 

[Godcannon]

1. Xenoblade chronicles X ; It's the best open world RPG I've played this year. It offers a beautiful world with fantastic depth and gameplay. I bought a Wii U almost two years ago for it, which was crazy, but X has blown my mind and I regret nothing!

2. Bloodborne ; I loved the design of the world and creatures. One of the best horror atmospheres ever, and also a brutal but fun experience.

3. Rocket League ; The best sports game..period. Brings the simple, balanced gameplay of soccer but takes advantage of being a game with adding over the top rocket powered battle cars.

4. Curses N Chaos ; It will go forever in the hidden gems list. I discovered it just searching through PSN. An amazing homage to the games I grew up with on NES and SNES, yet feels unique in many ways. Best soundtrack of 2015, and was so satisfying to beat.

 

[A Link to the Past]

1. Undertale ; Not just the best game of 2015, but the (second-) best game of all time. When I first heard about it, I wasn't exactly enthused to try it out - the visual style looked a little typical. When I heard though that it had all of 98 out of 100, I was really intrigued. What I ended up experiencing was one of the funniest, well-written, charming game of all time.

2. Life is Strange ;

3. Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker ;

4. Ori and the Blind Forest ;

5. Splatoon ;

6. Xenoblade Chronicles X ;

7. Her Story ;

8. Super Mario Maker ;

9. BOX BOY! ;

10. Persona 4: Dancing All Night ;

Gonna add descriptions to the rest later.

 

[Saikyo]

1. Undertale ; Amazing game, at first I was doubting about the hype (it didnt helped that people compared to Earthbound that I dislike the combat) but seeing how it wasnt a snorefest in battles (because of the mini danmaku mechanics and a lite SMT talk system) I could play it and love the characters, story and other stuffs from the game. Second game I gave a chance for "GAF hype" and I liked it (the first one was Alien Isolation).
2. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number ; Not the same impact as the first but still a great indie game that take a different route for characters and plot, hope new updates bring back the masks from the first so we can rebuild the maps on the second game.
3. Ori and the Blind Forest ; Really solid indie metroidvania game, there are some cons like you cant revisit some areas on the map but stil a great game for this year.
4. Freedom Planet ;
5. Grim Fandango Remastered ;
6. Under Night In-Birth ; Animeeeeee!
7. Resident Evil HD Remaster ;
8. Saint Seiya: Soldiers' Soul ; Liked the fanservice and the dub in my language, hope there are new games but I doubt it...
9. Downwell ;
10. Hatoful Boyfriend ;

 

[Fancy Clown]

1. Bloodborne ; From Software and Miyazaki's inky black nightmare is the closest to action game perfection we've come since 2005's Resident Evil 4. There is an absurd level of consistency to the meticulous craft of every nook and cranny of the world and the horrors that wait for you within them. Every piece of this victorian clockwork torture chamber has a handcrafted feeling to it. No enemy feels misplaced, randomly dropped in, or even just "acceptably" placed, but rather behind every encounter you can sense a malicious and enigmatic intent that successfully delivers some of the most satisfying challenges you could possibly imagine. And it does this over and over for the entire run of its game, never settling for less than a constant stream of unique enemies, bosses, and levels. None of this would matter if the mechanics weren't solid, but of course they are; in fact the mechanics are sublime. No game has satisfied me more this year than the feeling of side dashing some eldritch monstrosities' claws, allowing an opening for one of many delightfully creative weapons designed to tear and rend in the most spectacular fashion possible. And beyond the best gameplay hook in years, Bloodborne is a narrative juggernaut in a medium that struggles so often with its limitations and aspirations in storytelling. The horrific tale it tells is one of the most literary in spirit I've encountered in gaming--not because of how it tells its story (which is rooted so uniquely and thoroughly in the rhetoric of its game design as an explorable place) or its heavy influence from Lovecraft and Stoker, but rather through its restraint, subtle theming, and its beautiful language and imagery. I've already written too much on Bloodborne and yet I could go on for several pages about all the things it does right that I haven't even mentioned yet, from its art direction to its soundtrack. What few flaws it has (unnecessarily cumbersome stockpiling and health recovery items, disappointing chalice dungeons, and some framerate issues) seem trivial in the face of the achievement behind this game's design. And what was already the best game of this year only got better with the addition of The Old Hunters, which takes Bloodborne's strengths and generally magnifies them in one of the best expansions I've ever played. In its totality, from narrative to gameplay, the game is a sublimely haunting poem in videogame form. To put it simply, Bloodborne is a masterpiece.

2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; Quite the opposite of Bloodborne's restraint in many ways, my second favorite game of the year is an exercise in maximalism. The Witcher 3 is a game that demands your time and patience like no other, for its brilliance frequently lies in how the vastness of the world seems to multiply and expand as you play it, and then fully justifying its expanses and excesses by refusing to compromise its attention to detail and care in just about every facet of its world and quests. The Witcher 3 feels like perhaps the first game I've played that really capitalized on its open world in an organic way. The fields, forests, mountains, cities, and other landscapes you traverse feel less like something a team of designers crafted in a few years, and more like a land that has naturally been built upon and eroded over centuries. In short, the world it proposes and the world you explore frequently feel like one and the same, largely bereft of the schism between expectation and reality that plagues so many open world games. And to be able to explore this place and naturally come across ramifications for seemingly trivial quests you did ten hours ago is nothing short of a marvel. In its ambition and sprawl The Witcher 3 hits more than its fair share of stumbling blocks, and often demands more out of your patience as a player than it might be deserving of initially, but if you give it the time it rewards with a world and adventure unlike any other.

3. Rainbow Six: Siege ; Incredibly tactical and addicting with polished and balanced mechanics, this is one of the most unique and engaging multiplayer games I've ever played.


4. Transformers: Devastation ; My first Platinum game and won't be my last. Amazing combat and style that lets you effortlessly pull off stylish moves while still offering enough depth for advanced techniques and higher difficulties. It's a little low budget and it shows, but it puts what has where it counts, and wraps it around a highly replaable and well paced campaign and string of inventive and difficult challenges.

5. OlliOlli 2 ; Part platformer, part combo driven skateboarder, and part Hotline Miami brutally difficult and addictive indie brilliance set to a mesmerizing electronic soundtrack. Easy to jump into and hard to jump back out.

6. Tearaway: Unfolded ; A triumph of presentation, creativity, and charm that is sure to touch even the most cynical of players. What it lacks in traditional gameplay hooks and challenges (although it does have its share of these, mostly concentrated in the last third of the game) it more than makes up for by propelling you on an adventure that engages your creativity and emotions. I basically felt like a kid again the entire time I was exploring the astoundingly beautiful paper craft world Media Molecule created. The joys I had in this game were some of the most unique I've had, as the game layers the objects you create into the world in the most endearing manners possible (like stumbling across a leafless tree wearing mittens you made on the tips of all its barren branches to warm it in the cold) until you are thoroughly invested in the world and your messengers journey. And although the gameplay rests on the lite side of the spectrum, its fantastically creative uses of what might otherwise be gimmicky features of the PS4 controller make the gameplay full of wonderful surprises, as the game is as a whole.

7. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number ; Hotline Miami was one of my favorite gaming surprises, and yet it doesn't come close to being the surprise its sequel is. That's not to say Wrong Number is better than it's predecessor--it frequently stumbles where the first didn't--but rather it's surprising how surprising Wrong Number is in its execution. For a sequel that shares basically identical gameplay to the game before it, Hotline Miami 2 feels remarkably different. And I like that. The makers of this game weren't afraid to get weird, and make a neon and blood soaked experimental art instillation on the pleasure of digital violence. The soundtrack is louder, the gore is gorier, and everything is so much weirder. The story is laced with metatextual references, a healthy does of surrealism and psychedelia, bouncing timelines, and psychologically unstable characters in a game that is much, much more expansive than the minimalist package I was expecting. Sure, the level and encounter design is frequently frustrating, and you the scaling back of options compared to the first game is disappointing, but it's all in service of such a wonderfully ambitious and confident experience that I can't help but love it on its own merits.

8. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; I won't delve too much into the myriad flaws of the game, as I'm sure those who have played it are well aware of the many aspects of the game that are either underwhelming or outright terrible. But for all its constant string of faults and disappointments, the core of the game remains incredibly fun. Being able to solve stealth/action gameplay puzzles in a near infinite manner of ways with the incredible range of tools and approaches available to you, all with an incredibly precise and satisfying control scheme in 60fps in a gorgeous world, allowed me to have fun for countless hours despite doing the same objectives over and over again in the same sections of the small map with zero narrative engagement to speak of. Metal Gear Solid V is a spectacular, horrible, wonderful, successful failure, and an enigma of a game and that's why it got a spot on my GOTY list.

 

[_Clash_]

1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Modern gaming masterpiece.

2. Pillars Of Eternity ; Revival of the genre of epic isometric western RPG. Lot's of potential to improve in the sequel and develop a classic. This was only really good.

3. Helldivers ; Amazing co op fun. Nintendo-like with how all the gameplay mechanics are fleshed out to provide devilish fun

4. Fallout 4; It's an action game now, but I need a game to scratch my action itch and this was pretty satisfying. The exploration was soo goood.

5. Monster Hunter 4U ; Amazing game, great online co op and super addictive. Insect glaive and mounting was buckets of fun.

6. Ori and The Blind Forest ; super classy presentation with tight 2D platforming and exploration. Damn good game

7. Splatoon; Super clever gameplay, FUN FUN.

8. Yoshi's Wooly World ; cute art, responsive controls and some interesting level design.

 

[jett]

1. Bloodborne ; Fuck everything else. If this game doesnt get GOTY then gaf has their collective heads further up their asses then I realized. Its a fucking masterpiece.

If I could assign negative points to Bloodborne, I would. Just to spite you and your kind.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

1. Bloodborne; From Software and Miyazaki's inky black nightmare is the closest to action game perfection we've come since 2005's Resident Evil 4. There is an absurd level of consistency to the meticulous craft of every nook and cranny of the world and the horrors that wait for you within them. Every piece of this victorian clockwork torture chamber has a handcrafted feeling to it. No enemy feels misplaced or even just "acceptably" placed, but rather every encounter you can sense the intent behind and every encounter successfully delivers some of the most satisfying challenges you could possibly imagine. None of this would matter if the mechanics weren't solid, but of course they are; in fact the mechanics are sublime. No game has satisfied me more this year than the feeling of side dashing some eldritch monstrosities claws, allowing an opening for one of many delightfully creative weapons designed to tear and rend in the most spectacular fashion possible. And beyond the best gameplay hook in years, Bloodborne is a narrative juggernaut in a medium that struggles so often with its limitations and aspirations in storytelling. The horrific tale it tells is one of the most literary in spirit I've encountered in gaming--not because of how it tells its story (which is rooted so uniquely and thoroughly in the unique rhetoric of its game design as an explorable place) or its heavy influence from Lovecraft and Stoker, but rather through its restrain, its subtle theming, and its beautiful language and imagery. I've already written too much on Bloodborne and yet I could go on for several pages about all the things it does right that I haven't even mentioned yet, from its art direction to its soundtrack. What few flaws it has (unnecessarily cumbersome stockpiling and health recovery items, disappointing chalice dungeons, and some framerate issues) seem trivial in the face of the achievement behind this game's design. And what was already the best game of this year only got better with the addition of The Old Hunters, which takes Bloodborne's strengths and generally magnifies them in one of the best expansions I've ever played. In its totality, from narrative to gameplay, the game is a sublimely haunting poem in videogame form. To put it simply, Bloodborne is a masterpiece.

One of the best write-ups of Bloodborne I've ever read.

Well done, sir.

 

[Usobuko]

Looks like a 4 way fight between Undertale, Witcher 3, Bloodborne and MGS V.

 

[AniHawk]

looks like the early competition is between the witcher 3 and bloodborne. metal gear solid v would have easily taken it if it didn't divide the fanbase, i think. guessing that the top 5 will still have mgsv, witcher, bloodborne, f4llout, and maybe splatoon or some other wii u game.

 

[klee123]

The ones I finished or spent a significant amount of time on.

1. Bloodborne ; Best game of the generation for me so far. Pretty much almost every aspect about it is simply top rate. Heck, I even enjoyed the Chalice dungeons! Only small issue I have with it is the performance, which is certainly not a deal breaker in terms of my enjoyment with the title.

2. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; Definite surprise of the year for me and never would have expected this game to be 2nd on my GOTY list. Whilst there are some aspects which I thought are questionable (Like some of the music, story taking a backseat and the inclusion of Tatsu), the game pretty much nails the open world exploration aspect which so many other games do so poorly in comparison. Gameplay and battle systems are top notch too.

3. Metal Gear Solid V ; The Phantom Pain ; Best stealth game ever made hands down. Like your typical Kojima game, this game is just packed with so much minute detail in every aspect that very few games can compare. Pity the actual story leaves a lot to be desired.

4. Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin ; I actually bought the original in 2014, but was initially not impressed and thus left it until this new release came out on PS4. Whilst for me is still the weakest souls title, I really enjoyed the game nonetheless. Had I stuck with the original in 2014, it would have been my GOTY in 2014.

5. Fallout 4 ; Whilst it loses to XCX for my favorite open world game, the game was still very enjoyable to play. I really enjoyed the new additions to the new game such as base building and weapon modding. I also appreciated a lot of the quality of life changes and it certainly made going back to the older games more difficult. However, I was very disappointed with the dialogue system in general which In my opinion hurt the game a lot since the games were known for their dialogue choices.

6. Resident Evil Revelations 2 ; Best Resident Evil game since RE5 for me. The return of Barry made it even more awesome. Pity the production values leave a lot to be desired.

 

[tuxfool]

If I could assign negative points to Bloodborne, I would. Just to spite you and your kind.

Reading that post made me excise it from my list.

 

[AniHawk]

If I could assign negative points to Bloodborne, I would. Just to spite you and your kind.

please look forward to the gaf games of the year 2015: 2019 edition.

 

[medze]

1. Bloodborne; This game was near perfect in all aspects. Art direction, music, character design, combat... I could go on and on. It's very difficult for me to recommend purchasing hardware based on a single game but if any game is worth it, its Bloodborne

2. Undertale ; A stunning re-envisioning of what a RPG really is. The concepts and gameplay in Undertale rivals many AAA games and puts heavyweight RPGs to shame. It also doesnt hurt that the game has perhaps the best soundtrack of the year.

3. Witcher 3 ; It was a tall task for W3 to be as rich as W2 and I was a bit nervous that the open-world would become a chore and that it would water down the storytelling seen in Assassin of Kings. What I experience surpassed W3 with a game full of actually interesting sidequests. The world building is unmatched and the story engaging. While the combat is not great, every other aspect of the game clearly is deserving of accolades.

4. Fallout 4 ; This is a world that is just enjoyable to explore. I love that there is so much to discover by just wandering around Boston and checking out different buildings. While I haven't finished the game, I don't see it moving down in my list. The story is not important to me because I enjoy most everything else going on in this game.

5. Journey ; Well, I never played this on PS3 so this was my first time experiencing this game. And thats exactly what it was, an experience. The art direction is so tightly honed that the entire experience is a pleasure to look at. The atmosphere is full of both loneliness and elation. Few games can spark emotions like Journey did.

6. Arkham Knight ; The best Batman game ever made. It's unfortunate what happened with the PC version but on PS4, it played and performed beyond my expectations.

7. Rocket League ; Unexpected fun and depth for a game that I thought would be small diversion while I waited for other games. Instead, I was hooked on it for a while and found myself watching streams of some of the top players, which was nearly as fun, if not more fun, than playing the game myself

 

[Swhalen]

1. Bloodborne ; Easily my favorite gaming experience on the PS4 so far, great single player game with really fun multiplayer elements. Great difficulty, very interesting world. I spent a long time reading lore and item descriptions just to learn more.

2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Easily one of my favorite games in many years. A follow up to a game I loved. The whole play through had me hooked. Some of the side quests had better writing than some entire games this year.

3. Splatoon ; Such a fun multiplayer game, spent hours playing this game with my girlfriend, passing the controller back and forth after the short rounds of each match.

4. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; Great RPG on the Wii U. I haven't had the time to finish it yet, but It's definitely one of my top 5 this year. The game play and the world are both amazing and unique on a Wii U game.

5. Destiny: The Taken King ; Although I no longer play it currently, it was incredible to see the positive changes they have made to this game, I don't think I spent as many hours on any game as I did this one. I am very excited to get back into the game when it's next major content expansion is released.

 

[Shalashaska]

1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Best playing MGS game, while the story was a bit less than what I would normally want, the gameplay is amazing and I'm still playing it nearly every day.
2. Kerbal Space Program ;
3. Prison Architect ;

 

[JumpJeff84]

This year I didn't play on my PC at all. Need a new video card. As a result, list is all console. Did all my gaming on PS4, Vita, 3DS and a tiny bit of IPad. Didn't really play the WiiU much at all this year.

Games that I didn't try this year that I think I'd dig include Undertale, Tomb Raider, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Invisible Inc, Massive Chalice, Wasteland 2, Tales From Borderlands and probably more I'm forgetting.


1. Bloodborne ; over 100 hours invested. Still playing. Yeah they stripped down the systems from previous Souls games, but what's left is fun as hell. On my list of all time faves.

2. Metal Gear Solid V ; haven't finished it, but the 35+ hours I've played have been sublime. At times it feels like the perfect video game. I hear the story goes to shit, but I don't care. To me MGS games have always had too much story, not enough gameplay. I've enjoyed what I've played so much, game is #2 on my list easy.

3. Fallout 4 ; RPG systems aren't as good as New Vegas, but I got hooked and had fun exploring. VATS never gets old to me. Haven't finished it yet.

4. Contradiction ; game needs WAY more love. Awesome FMV mystery game. I hate most mobile games, but playing this on iPad with my girlfriend was a blast.

5. Witcher 3 ; not even close to finishing it, but I like it a lot.

6. Dying Light ; I loved the first person parkour, and the progression is amazing. Addictive game. Haven't finished it yet, but I'm right at the end I think.

7. Batman Arkham Knight ; Arkham Asylum is still my favorite in the series, but I had fun with this. Didn't love the tank stuff, but the game had me hooked.

8. Until Dawn ; I don't like it as much as most people do, but it was damn cool. On this list because my girlfriend and I played it together. That happens with 1 game in a million.

9. Lost Dimension ; part visual novel, part SRPG. It's like a not as good Danganropa mixed with a not as good Valkyria Chronicles. Still a pretty damn good game. Vita owners should try this.

10. Transformers Devastation ; so fun. Great color and great fan service. I love Platinum.

Honorable mention is Divinty Original Sin on PS4. Haven't played it nearly enough, I'm sure if I played more it'd end up on the list.

Another honorable mention goes to Stella Glow. That's a good SRPG right there.

 

[GravityInsanity]

(link)

 

[LifEndz]

1) The Witcher 3
What an experience. The story, the combat (eff the haters), and the visuals. It was a living breathing world. From the children playing in town to the random corpses hanging from trees to the music...this game had it all. I loved it all from start to finish.

2) Metal Gear Solid V
I wish I didn't let my friends and cousins get me back into Destiny and away from this. Was having a lot of fun and I don't even have a fully grown d dog yet.

3) Until Dawn
Surprise of the year. Came out of nowhere. Seriously, who saw something this great coming from this. Bravo, Sony. Hopefully next time you market the damn game.


4) NBA 2K16
Aside from the weird and cheesy My Career story mode, this is basketball as we want it. Next year they just need to let you easily chain the iso crossovers into a move away or towards the basket.
5) Life is Strange

 

[Gouty]

If I could assign negative points to Bloodborne, I would. Just to spite you and your kind.

Reading that post made me excise it from my list.

We gettin that GOTY. Tears will be drank, blood viles will be popped.

 

[DNAbro]

Looks like a 4 way fight between Undertale, Witcher 3, Bloodborne and MGS V.

I was expecting that from that start.

We gettin that GOTY. Tears will be drank, blood viles will be popped.

bruh it ain't that serious.

 

[Kriken]

We gettin that GOTY. Tears will be drank, blood viles will be popped.

Gouty
Bloodborne is shit
(Today, 10:10 PM)

 

[silva1991]

All those lists with Undertale on the top of o them. I should really try it.

 

[Battlechili]

1. Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon; This game in particular was extremely surprising to me in just how far it went with its storyline. Its full of fantastic unexpected twists and lovable distinct characters, each having gotten a huge amount of focus, thus in turn making the story stronger. The music was extremely well made and the inclusion of a Jukebox mode is much appreciated, and the remixes of older tracks in the game are solid. The gameplay itself is both challenging and rewarding, what with it forcing players to learn to use items and all, and the community for it is excellent and makes it all the more fun to play (getting help when one falls in a dungeon is fun). I also liked how the ending pre-post game

Spoiler

wasn't a happy ending.

It was refreshing.

2. Undertale ; A lot that could be said has already been said for it, but basically, in a nutshell, the game has fantastic characters, music, and story, with occasional moments of fun humor. It has some problems, such as overly long empty hallways and the general linearity of it all, but that doesn't hurt it too badly and it does well to express its theme that one's actions have consequences.

3. Splatoon ; The whole concept of squids using paint guns to paint as much of an arena as possible against another team is somewhat unique and fun, and the abilities gotten from the characters all being squids along with the really unique music makes for an interesting experience. Plus the squid sisters are qt.

4. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 ; Revelations 2 reminded me a lot of what made RE4 good, only with much shinier graphics.

EDIT: Did I do this right? Is it okay to space these out?

Reading that post made me excise it from my list.

Shouldn't your list of top games this year be what you personally believe to be the best and not influenced whatsoever by those around you?

All those lists with Undertale on the top of o them. I should really try it.

You could always give the demo a try. Its free so you'd get to try the game without spending any money.

 

[braves01]

I'm a bit surprised at how well Bloodborne is doing. It seems like a kinda iterative entry from an annualized series (from my outsider's perspective), but I guess being the only big PS4 exclusive this year helps. Also this being the first current gen year of the series helps, too.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

1. Star Wars Battlefront ; I've waited 10 years for this game and it's the best multiplayer game I've played in 10 years.
2. Godzilla ; As a diehard Godzilla fan this game was a love letter to me.
3. Dying Light
4. Fallout 4
5. Batman Arkham Knight

 

[Rathorial]

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; Only open-world game this year where I loved the quest design and storytelling. The gameplay is decent enough, player choice enjoyable throughout, and it's just a world I want to keep exploring. I want more open-world games that put enough varied content in to justify their scope.
2. Invisible Inc. ; Best game design of anything I've played this year. The procedural levels, focus on intel gathering, escalating difficulty, and turn-based nature make every mission great tension-filled stealth. I've replayed it multiple times throughout the year, and another success for Klei Entertainment.
3. Galak-Z ; Most pure-fun experience I've had this year. Fantastic controls, some impressive enemy variety with great AI, and another solid execution of procedural levels that make exploration truly organic. Oddly enough found the game works best with the Steam controller.
4. Ori and the Blind Forest ; The most gorgeous looking and sounding game this year. Unlike other pretty games, it manages to have substance to back up the production values. A solid metroidvania platformer with great controls, enjoyable progression, and some real challenge.
5. Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void ; I expected this to be a game I mostly played the campaign and multiplayer...yet I've largely been entranced by the co-op. Playing with a friend in a variety of missions, using generals with unique powers and units is a great new spin for the series.
6. Cities: Skylines ; Took all the things Sim City (2013) did right like curved roads, excellent readable UI, and nice production values. Then removes the lame city size restriction, some better traffic simulation, and mod support the way it should be done day 1. So happy the game had sales success for Colossal Order Ltd.
7. Bloodborne ; Best console exclusive this year, and the one reason to keep my PS4 on. A fantastic return to form in level design and enemy variety for the Souls formula. Loved the new health system, dual-function weapons, guns for crowd control, and the 1st game in the series where I liked the art style.
8. Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide ; Basically a better Left 4 Dead experience in my mind. It creates a much better first-person melee system that is approachable, and makes large fights incredibly tense with friends. Ranged combat is still there, but something you manage more. Loot and class types create more play variety, and reason to return back to the fairly solid level design.
9. Fallout 4 ; The weaker dialog system and removed karma system weakens the ability to role-play, but I still enjoyed this game. Bethesda finally makes combat passable, has crafting that is among the best I've seen, some decent settlement construction, improved storytelling (though not New Vegas levels), and a Fallout that discovered color variety.
10. Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain ; Hated the 1st hour, still hated the story, and never been a fan of the previous games. After that hour though, it becomes an exciting systemic choose your own approach stealth game, which is the kind I love. The variety of tools, ways to deal with enemies, and the systems the game does to promote non-lethal stealth is engaging. I'd have preferred more mission variety, less empty space in the open-world, less busy-work travel, and a better story...but the game shines during base infiltration.

 

[AniHawk]

I guess being the only big PS4 exclusive this year helps.

control+f disg

:\

 

[Blobbers]

1. Bloodborne ; One of the best games I've ever played. Great soundtrack, amazing atmosphere, top level design, godly combat, godly creature design, godly mechanics and godly replayability. When you have a combat system so tight and enjoyable to use, it's easy to keep coming back for multiple playthroughs. What a GOD DAMN MASTERPIECE
2. The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth ; Imo the best DLC in the series counting the original's because it introduced the highest amount of interesting and actually well-balanced items. Great work Tyrone and Ed.
3. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 ; A surprisingly awesome game after the shitness that was REV1. I liked the Moira and Claire chemistry and the levels were fun. Can't wait for Revelations 3.
4. Dragon Quest Heroes ; Playing with old DQ characters in a new gameplay setting was cool. Alena keep staying best.
5. Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition ; I'm no CRPG vet, but Divinity: OS has one of the best turn-based systems I've seen. The area interactions really added depth and fun to the system. Fireballing a poison cloud or teleporting a mob into lava never gets old. The writing could've been better. Hopefully the sequel fixes that.
6. Fallout 4 ; Ever since the E3 reveal I've dropped all expectations that we would get a great RPG in Fallout 4. I still ended up liking what we got, which was an immersive world full of fun areas to explore ala Fallout 3. The legendary system was also a good addition.
7. Life is Strange ; Best story of the year and best Max of the year.
8. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Bad story but that Kojima gameplay touch is still there and it's great and controlling Snake is bliss. One of the best stealth games out there.
9. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; The great open world RPG which puts in perspective how shitty most open world games are *cough*DA: Inquisition*cough*. The story and characters were great. The sidequests were given as much attention as the main stuff. Didn't like the overuse of Witcher Sense though. The combat could've been better too. I was hoping for a total overhaul after The Witcher 2.
10. Race the Sun ; Probably my most played PSPlus game. I mostly played the main mode, even after getting max level. Really addictive.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

looks like the early competition is between the witcher 3 and bloodborne. metal gear solid v would have easily taken it if it didn't divide the fanbase, i think. guessing that the top 5 will still have mgsv, witcher, bloodborne, f4llout, and maybe splatoon or some other wii u game.

really thought MGSV was a shoe-in for GAF GOTY until it completely shit the bed storytelling wise. Now its BB vs W3.

 

[tuxfool]

1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Simply an amazing game. You can do story in an open world game. You can do meaty quests that don't have to be packaged up into neat little boxes.
2. Cities: Skylines ; We desperately needed another city builder. This one didn't have 100% of all the features one would want, but the mods definitely made up for it.
3. Ori and the Blind Forest ; An amazing platforming game. Extra bonus was the fact that it looks gorgeous.
4. Pillars of Eternity ; Dead genre that deserved more life. Felt that the combat sometimes got a bit too chaotic to my liking but I managed. Has everything else one would want from Obsidian.
5. Life is Strange ; A better composed Telltale game. It had a different kind of story that certainly resonated. The writing was sometimes questionable but the game had heart.
6. Kerbal Space Program ; Satisfies the scientific and iterative optimization urges in me.
7. Shadowrun: Hong Kong ; A much better shadowrun than the previous iteration, felt much more comfortable especially as a person without a strong attachement to the franchise.
8. Bloodborne ; I really liked the Lovecraftian horror theme and the faster, snappier combat. I also felt the monster design is unrivalled by any other game including their previous games. I didn't like the fact that it was tilted into a more character action game, where builds were less important to the play style.
9. Until Dawn ; A David Cage game done right. The style of game really fits well with the trashy horror theme without feeling like it wants to be two different things.
10. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Had a lot of fun with it in the beginning, but the open world was a waste and the missions became very repetitive. Insert kyle_bossman.gif to demonstrate my feelings on the game.

Honorable Mentions
x. Grim Fandango Remastered ; Some slight improvements, but the game feels just as charming and snappy today as it did way back. Many consider the puzzle systems outdated but I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[NIGHT-]

I'm a bit surprised at how well Bloodborne is doing. It seems like a kinda iterative entry from an annualized series (from my outsider's perspective), but I guess being the only big PS4 exclusive this year helps.

Gaf seems to really favor Sony exclusives, so it's not entirely surprising to me, great game though.

 

[Kindekuma]

1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Masterclass of gameplay from the series. I wasn't personally expecting anything huge story wise with such a limited window of story canon from the get go. Awesome visuals, amazing acting, great OST, and again gets my GOTY for the gameplay.

2. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; Fantastic open world gameplay improving over the first XC, while the OST is mixed in my opinion, I can't put it down.

3. Bloodborne ; Fantastic gameplay with an atmosphere and art direction that is a league of it's own compared to other Souls series titles.

4. Splatoon ; Unique and fresh IP from Nintendo with simple gameplay mechanics but addicting multiplayer makes Splatoon fun for hours on end. Splatfests make for fun competitions to root for your team, and overall a fun game to hop back into after any amount of time.

5. Undertale ; Quirky RPG with lovable characters, great soundtrack and interesting story impact depending on player action. I'm gonna have a bad time if I do a genocide run.

6. Super Mario Maker ; Great creative engine for players to make and share their own levels. What more could I say about this game?

 

[Tankard]

I'm a bit surprised at how well Bloodborne is doing. It seems like a kinda iterative entry from an annualized series (from my outsider's perspective), but I guess being the only big PS4 exclusive this year helps.

Well, your outside perspective is wrong, and also the way you are being dismissive as people are voting as the ONLY big PS4 exclusive, i mean...are you serious?

 

[Magic Mushroom]

I'm a bit surprised at how well Bloodborne is doing. It seems like a kinda iterative entry from an annualized series (from my outsider's perspective), but I guess being the only big PS4 exclusive this year helps. Also this being the first current gen year of the series helps, too.

I wouldn't say it is. It has mechanical changes, a difference in design philosophy (it wants you to play agressively), a different setting (it trades in dark fantasy for cosmic horror) and lore that's all its own. It has Souls in its DNA, but it's definitely its own thing. Which is why it's an original IP in the first place.

 

[Blobbers]

I'm a bit surprised at how well Bloodborne is doing. It seems like a kinda iterative entry from an annualized series (from my outsider's perspective), but I guess being the only big PS4 exclusive this year helps. Also this being the first current gen year of the series helps, too.

It's also a great video game, so that probably helps too.

 

[Battlechili]

1. Star Wars Battlefront ; I've waited 10 years for this game and it's the best multiplayer game I've played in 10 years.

Battlefront doesn't come off as a Call of Duty clone with Star Wars skin to you?

 

[tuxfool]

Shouldn't your list of top games this year be what you personally believe to be the best and not influenced whatsoever by those around you?

It is still there. Just waiting. It makes me feel better after shit like that.

 

[EatChildren]

Y'all motherfuckers not voting Broforce should be shot.

 

[CrazyDude]

1. Trail in the Sky Second Chapter ; Conclusion to one of my favorite games of all time. I can't think another game series where I go out of my way to talk to every npc after every major event in the game. I have also grown really attached to the characters of the game.
2. Trails in Cold Steel ; On my list for similar reasons as SC.
3. Bloodborne;
4. Undertale;
5. Witcher 3;
6. Xenoblad Chronicle X;
7. Ori and the Blind Fores;

 

[Reave]

1. Fallout 4 ;
2. Until Dawn ;
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ;
4. NBA 2k16 ;
5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ;
6. Bloodborne ; Tense, brooding, atmospheric and extremely vindicating in ways I never thought I'd ever grasp with this type of game.
7. Rocket League ; The inventiveness of its premise is beyond refreshing, and the fun factor is out of this world. This'll be one of those games I'll always come back to.
8. Splatoon ;
9. Batman: Arkham Knight ; It doesn't top Arkham Asylum, but it was a damn good way to wrap-up a rock-solid trilogy.
10. Halo 5: Guardians ; Warzone might not have been the best thing since sliced whole wheat bread, but everything else about Halo 5's multiplayer offering is outstanding.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

1. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; This is my GOTY (and possibly game of the gen) simply from the few hours I played of it at a friends house.

2. Until Dawn ; I had a real good feeling about this one, and I was right! Once you pick up the controller it's so hard to put it down again.

3. Happy Wheels.

Overall 2015 stunk when it came to gaming. I lost a ton of my passion/enthusiasm for them this year.

 

[wapplew]

1. Bloodborne; Great control, best level design, best art, great music, sense of accomplishment, best gaming moment of the year for me.

2. Heroes of the storm; 300 plus hours enough said.

3. Until Dawn; Got hook from start to finish, most fun I have all year, #teamEmily

4. Rocket League; local split screen multiplayer is super fun in my house.

5. Life is strange; great characters, beautiful art style, engaging story.

 

[Juanfp]

1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; It's something I could dream that rpg will be some day. Almost the perfect game for me.
2. Halo 5: Guardians ; The campaign, mainly the story was a let down for me, but the multiplayer is the best halo mp I have play.
3. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin ; 60 fps changed everything
4. Pillars of Eternity ; I return to the time when I was 10 and was trying to play old rpg on my old computer and never understanding how the game work but having a lot of fun.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D ; First time playing this game and I love it, don't know why I didn't do it early.
6. Destiny: The Taken King; Improve a lot of thing but not everything.
7. Rare Replay ; Incredible collection

 

[Tankard]

Y'all motherfuckers not voting Broforce should be shot.

Personally, the fact that i feel i've been playing this game for 5 years doesn't help. Fantastic game though.

 

[DirtyManos]

1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Best RPG I've played in years, one of the few games I've played to completion, gorgeous on PC. One of the all time greats for me.
2. Bloodborne ; Couldn't ever fully get into it's spiritual predecessors, but this one hit the right combo of difficulty and gameplay.
3. Rocket League ; Such a nice surprise, especially for someone who loves soccer but couldn't stand FIFA.
4. Until Dawn ; Another surprise, I had high hopes this would be a great game and it did not disappoint. Sometimes you just want a game for it's story alongside some crowd pleasing mechanics.
5. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege ; After being burned out on any type of multiplayer shooters in the past few years, this one has brought a smile to my face with it's intense tactical team combat.
6. Cities: Skylines ; Having always loved simulation games, I always struggling to really find one that I could sit down and play without having an insane learning curve and fit my schedule. This game definitely scratched that itch.
7. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number ; Kickass soundtrack, fun gameplay, and who couldn't say no to that awesome Collector's Edition? Only time I've ever bought one.
8. Fallout 4 ; Good game, expected enjoyment from series but marred by increasingly banal open world game design.

Honorable Mentions

x. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Combat and actual stealth mechanics were fantastic and deserve mention. Unfortunately brazen monetization attempts and ungodly amounts of repeating missions and grind quickly soured me on the experience. However, the worst thing about this game was a story that failed to captivate with it's eccentricities and characters. This game was not Metal Gear for me, and stopped playing around a third of the way in I guess.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Gaf seems to really favor Sony exclusives, so it's not entirely surprising to me, great game though.

Look out for PS4 taking next year as well between Uuncharted 4 and Persona 5, if the most anticipated lists are anything to go by

2017 will finally be the year of the Xbox exclusive GOTY, you heard it here first guyz