1. Fallout 4 ; People have already said a lot about this game, so I'm not going to say so much. The thing, though, is that it's fun. Genuinely fun. Of the games I played in 2015, this is pretty much the only one that had me sacrificing sleep, and just wanting to continue playing and exploring the world instead, which is rare. You just find yourself stuck in that classic loop of "ooh I wonder what's over there, let me explore for just a few more minutes", but the minutes quickly wind up being hours. I was also a real big fan of the lighting, and the different enviroments, which helped to add immersion. There are issues, yes, and IMO it wasn't enough of a jump from 3, but despite that it was quite possibly the most fun game I've played in 2015.
2. Life is Strange ; Didn't honestly see this one coming. This is my kind of game. Great characters that you end up caring about, great story that makes you think, a really nice art style that added to the atmosphere, and also just fun. It could've handled things poorly and dropped into cliches but they managed to do pretty well with it. The game was really well done. Oh and that's not even touching on the fantastic soundtrack. LiS is a real gem - it just grabs you and doesn't let go right until the very end.
3. GTA V PC ; Rockstar really pulled something out of the hat with this one - first in being able to pull off so much with the last gen, then going above and beyond with the current gen and PC versions. The great thing is the wait for the PC version was definitely worth it - the game runs really well (it pretty much struggles to drop below 60fps, and I don't recall seeing it drop below 30fps), and this helps you appreciate the world they built a lot more. First Person mode is also pretty nifty and does a lot to add to the immersion. Honestly it's close on its own to being a reason to play through the game again. It helps that the campaign too is really fun and of course wacky in the standard GTA way.
4. Pillars of Eternity ; Last year I finally got over being intimidated by cRPGs and decided to try play through the classics. Long story short it led to playing through Pillars, and wow, Pillars is great. The improvements to the interface are easily felt (infinite inventory so no need to worry about managment so much, and fast-forwarding so you don't have to spend hours retracing your steps for example). The writing is also very well done, so it helps that there is a lot of it. So far the story is also pretty good too. The game definitely does a good job of reinvigorating the genre, and to do so well on a new IP, as a Kickstarter as well is pretty impressive. I guess the best compliment I can give this is that I am more eager for its DLC to release than I am for Fallout 4's.
Honorable Mention
x. Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition ; I haven't played this enough to really comment enough to vote for it, but what I have played is very impressive. The combat really does live up to its hype, and honestly the rest of the game also stands up pretty well so the game doesn't feel very one-sided. The dialogue voiceovers is great and helps with immersion, and also gives the characters a lot of personality (it's really well done). While initially skeptical of the tone and art style, they're definitely growing on me as well. It also says a lot that they were willing to rework the game, and give that copy out to owners of the original.
1. Witcher 3 ; - Beautiful world, expansive set of characters and well crafted story quests. Could do with a bit more diversity on the human side as well as improved combat systems but that's just one of many little blemishes from an otherwise great package.
2. Dying Light; - As advertised, great gameplay and parkour mechanics with a predictable story but it sufficed enough to make the game systems shine and boy are they good.
3. Tearaway Unfolded; Charming characters, charming world, charming quest. A pleasure to play.
4. Everybody's gone to the Rapture; Great experience for as long as it lasts. A solid game to sit back and immerse yourself in the mystery of the game.
5. Batman Akrham Knight; It's Batman, teaming with the Joker vs. villains in Arkham. What could possibly go wrong? Liked it a lot, the combat is still world class even if the story didn't peak as well as previous entries. The Batmobile was overused in tedious/repetitive open-world type tasks - but many were optional so.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Well written RPG that tackles mature themes in gasp mature ways!
2. Fallout 4 ; Sure it doesn't continue the tradition of focusing on a strong narrative, but the world and mechanics are entertainment gold. I've spent 80 hours collecting aluminum cans and asking myself why the hell am I doing this, but I've had a blast.
3. Nuclear Throne ; I've been playing it for over a year and I still adore it.
1. Undertale ; Not only one of my favourite games of 2015, but also one of my top games of all time.
2. Splatoon ; Nintendo achieved the impossible - managed to make an online shooter I enjoy playing.
3. Super Mario Maker ; Making insane levels and watching people try to play them never gets old.
4. Box Boy! ; A lot of people ignored this game, but the levels are ingenious.
5. The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes ; This game really shines when you play it with two friends and go through the dungeons together.
1. Witcher 3 ; Absolutely brilliant. 11/10. What a time to be a sterile mutant with slits for eyes.
2. Life Is Strange ; More Feels than Old Yeller.
3. Until Dawn ; Black guy didn't die this time!
4. Tales from the Borderlands ; Man, Borderlands is super funny when there's no memes!
5. Star Wars Battlefront ; Pew! pew! pew!
EDIT: Special shoutout to Fallout 4 for being utter garbage of the steamiest kind.
Genuinely so happy to see the Life is Strange love growing as the poll starts to come to a close and people begin to see how special it is by playing it for the first time or revisiting it. It really deserves it.
Know it probably won't be in the top three (because at this point, it's gonna be a variant of either Undertale, MGSV, The Witcher 3 and Bloodborne - but I hope it does! ), but I really do hope it gets a top five placing, if not top ten.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; The only RPG where the side content is as good as the main quest and the main quest is damn good. 2. Until Dawn ; Everything I want in a horror movie and horror game rolled into one. 3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; The best playing and most option filled stealth action game I've ever played. 4. Bloodborne ; Punishing, unsettling, and beautiful all at the same time. 5. Her Story ; The first mystery based game that made me feel like I was conducting an actual investigation. 6. Star Wars: Battlefront ; A rare multiplayer title that puts a smile on my face the whole time. Simple, quick, fun. 7. Batman: Arkham Knight ; Great scale and emotional beats for the final entry in the Arkham franchise. Enjoyed the Batmobile a great deal and I usually dislike vehicles. 8. SOMA ; A rare piece of well crafted, tension filled sci-fi. 9. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture ; One of the most human stories I've encountered in gaming, elevated by a memorable and resonant soundtrack. 10. Godzilla ; A rare breed of licensed game that's perfect for big fans and appalling to anyone else. I'm thankfully one of the former.
This is far more difficult than I would have thought looking back on this year. Admittedly, I still have a couple games queued up that could completely change this list in the next couple weeks, but I honestly thought this year was a lot stronger than it really turned out to be for me. I think the main factor is that the last couple years have been so lacking. If we were doing a Game of the Generation vote right now, I'd probably pick 7 or 8 games from this year, but still I struggled to come up with 10 that I really felt like I would recommend across the board. And maybe that's not what this is about anyway, so I'd like to submit my list.
1. Rocket League ; I don't get many chances to play split screen games anymore. It's something I grew up on, but as I've gotten older, it's just not something that ever ends up happening anymore. I don't have friends over as often, and when I rarely want to just play video games, so my co-op and local multiplayer experiences are mainly limited to the games my girlfriend of many years is willing to play with me. She's not a gamer and really, that limits my gaming time overall, but something changed this year, and that something is Rocket League.
I've played a lot more than she has mind you. I've gotten completely absorbed into it for hours on end, night after night. I doubt there has been a week since it came out that I haven't played for at least a few hours. I can finally see my time with it starting to wain down, but that's after some 1200+ odd matches across ever game mode and over 500 of those have been with her.
It's made us into a team after some fairly adversarial times. It's given us a common source of joy and competition. It's brought us closer together and that's something that I've never had a video game do. It was kind of weird year like that, and that's kind of why my second pick is...
2. Her Story ; As much as Rocket League is something my gal and I enjoy playing on a regular basis, Her Story was a game we experienced together over the course of about 2 hours one night this Fall. I'd consider it the greatest co-operative multiplayer game I've ever played. Trying to figure this out together, (though it took some convincing to get her to sit down and try it) had us hooked. I just remember the heated arguments and overall feeling of really trying to solve a mystery together that I don't think could be replicated through any other medium. It really all came to a head when we typed in the word
Cellar
, and I remember we were both on the edge of our seats over what it was about to reveal. For the reveal, the story, and the joy of being able to do this with the most important person in my life, Her Story gets my second spot.
3. Fallout 4 ; I'll admit this is one of my most anticipated games since Mass Effect 2. Fallout 3 was really one of the games that got me back into video games in my mid-20's and it had a lot to do with the kind of role playing it allowed from me. The characters felt more genuine than other games and I felt like my interactions mattered more. Fallout 4 took that to a whole other level for me.
From the moment
you return to your home
after leaving the Vault, you feel connected to this world in a way that very few games can portray. I can only liken the companion interactions to the Mass Effect series only it feels more organic, like there are plenty of companions you could probably potentially encounter, but after chillin with Hancock for a good 10 hours and I ended up putting that wedding ring on Piper, well, this game just felt like something else.
4. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; It's strange that this is maybe the first Metal Gear game ever that I can describe my love for without having to worry about any spoilers. The story was what it was, weird Kojima anime ass shit, but I had no inclination the game was going to play as wonderfully as it does. Every mission was a delight,
even the second time through
because of the mountain of options you had at your disposal at any given time. I feel like there were some weak parts aside from the story like the load time (hidden by chopper rides) between missions and all the FOB/basebuilding stuff, but the actual action game Metal Gear Solid V is almost unparalleled and I can't wait to see what Hideo does next.
5. Splatoon ; Speaking of games I had zero expectations for, my number 5 is actually my most played Wii U game to date. I'm not a Smash guy, and Kart is fun with my SO, but Splatoon is the first game Nintendo has released in ages that I have sunk 50+ hours into on my own. I honestly thought this game looked terrible from the first time I saw it, and was even hesitant after reading some initial impressions, but the things I was reading, such as it being a multiplayer shooter for people who aren't good at multiplayer shooters, gave me some encouragement. Nintendo got the online right, got the gameplay loop right and got the fun vibes right...they got Splatoon just right as well.
6. Bloodborne ; It really wasn't everything I wanted the next From IP to be, but it was challenging and rewarding in the right ways, so I'll take it as a first PS4-gen attempt. To get a little deeper, I didn't love, or feel attached to any of the weapons or characaters like I did in Dark Souls. Granted, I'm one of those, "summon NPC's all the time" type guys that missed that sorely in Bloodborne, and I just think I played this one wrong overall. I might go back to it next year with the DLC and see if I enjoy it more with all the recent patches, but based on the time I played it and my impressions, it's still my #6, which ain't bad.
7. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt ;There was a time, about 30 hours into The Witcher 3, where it was undoubtedly, my game of the year. It was likely my game of the generation, but it just kept going, and going and going and at a certain point
I was near enough to the end that I was jumping through dimensions
, I just realized I do not enjoy playing this game anymore. I don't like the character movement or the combat, and maybe that's because I came back to the game after finishing MGS V, but I just could never get the feel for it again. To be fair though, the game lost me well before that, when you spend a good 20 hours just chasing down one character who does not seem to be overly important to the overall plot of the game. Regardless, for building a beautiful world and providing me so many hours of fun, I gotta include it.
8. Batman: Arkham KnightIf you would have asked me a year ago what my Game of the Year for 2015 would be (based on what we knew was coming out), I would have been very inclined to suggest Arkham Knight. I love this series, including Origin, which I consider to be slightly better than City, though not quite as perfect as Asylum. I'd place Arkham Knight below all of them however. There are parts of Arkham Knight that I LOVE, but unfortunately, every time I HAD to get into the Batmobile to progress the story, my soul wept. It wasn't fun, and it wasn't what made these games great. Every other part of the game was brilliant, and the omission of the Batmobile may have put it much higher on this list, but here it is. #8.
9. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes ;Another game I played with the gf. Had a lot of fun on both sides of the laptop, but it was pretty short lived.
10. Crypt of the Necrodancer ; I've really only gotten through the first floor, but the music is incredible!! Best soundtrack of the year by far, and easily makes my top 10 for that reason.
Honorable Mentions
xx. Undertale ; I get it. I don't love playing it, but I get it. It's pretty touching.
xx. Axiom VergeGreat Metroidvania, but that second last boss sucks, so I'm never going to beat it.
Genuinely so happy to see the Life is Strange love growing as the poll starts to come to a close and people begin to see how special it is by playing it for the first time or revisiting it. It really deserves it.
Know it probably won't be in the top three (because at this point, it's gonna be a variant of either Undertale, MGSV, The Witcher 3 and Bloodborne - but I hope it does! ), but I really do hope it gets a top five placing, if not top ten.
1. Life is Strange ; Without a doubt my favorite episodic story game to date. It's certainly not flawless. There's definitely some grating teen slang/ memes, and the dialogue in general is not strong. But it's so deeply felt and emotionally resonant that the flaws quickly melt away. Every episode has at least one scene that's either so achingly sad, so sweetly blissful, or so quietly beautiful that it's permanently burned into my memory. And as much as I love Walking Dead s1, there's only 1 or 2 of those in the whole season for me. And it ends with the single hardest choice I've ever had to make in a video game. And for a genre in which I usually like to see all the outcomes, and for a game with a story/gameplay focus on rewinding and trying things different ways, this is one time I never want to see what would have happened if I made the other choice. This one is going to stay with me a long time.
2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; On top of all the other reasons this game is great (story, environment, art design, creature design, sheer volume and quality of content), it has the best relationships of any of today's style of RPG. Breaking up with Yen on that mountaintop was just heartbreaking. And dealing with her as an ex for the rest of the game added such an unexpected dynamic to their relationship, one I've never really seen in a game before.
3. Until Dawn ; Worked amazingly well as a Quantic Dream style narrative game and as a playable horror movie, two things I love dearly. Lots of great performacnes, especially Peter Stormare and Rami Malek. If I hadn't already watched Mr. Robot, this would have gotten me to start it immediately.
4. Her Story ; Best mystery gameplay ever. Hands down. I love the point-and-click style of detecting in the Sherlock Holmes games, but this is the only game I've ever played that immerses you this completely in the mystery and has you literally solve it. Not just click the right combination of objects until you unlock the solution.
5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; #FucKonami etc. etc., but despite the flaws and general bullshit surrounding it, MGSV pulled off open world stealth amazingly well. So much fucking fun.
6. The Beginner's Guide ; Really clever deconstruction of game design in addition to being a deeply personal and psychologically fascinating story told in a unique and engaging narrative style.
7. Assassin's Creed Syndicate ; Much less terrible technically than Unity, really great setting, had both the best protagonist and the worst protagonist of the series.
8. Batman: Arkham Knight ; Very effective visual storytelling, particularly with the sanity effects, the parts where the environment changes based on where the camera is pointed, and the jump scares. Gameplay-wise it was the perfect next step in the Asylum->City progression. I LIKED THE BATMOBILE AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS.
9. Hatoful Boyfriend ; I never thought I could care so deeply about the lives and adventures of pigeons
10. Undertale ; Haven't finished it yet, but I can already tell it's something special.
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; I am pretty sure I didn't use the fast travel system until I was 80 hours into the game. This game must be doing something right.
2. The Talos Principle ; Road to Gehenna is awesome, and offers interesting puzzles from the start rather than a (very) slow ramp up time.
3. Invisible, Inc. ;
4. Rocket League ;
5. Grow Home ;
6. Cities: Skylines ;
7. Nuclear Throne ;
8. Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition ;
9. Life Is Strange ;
10. Undertale ; A very good game that I have no regret buying full price (worth it for the music alone). But in my opinion, its greatness is vastly overplayed.
Haven't played a lot of games released this year, no money and also because most of the games I did play are friggin' huge.
1. The Witcher 3 ; With The Wild Hunt CDProject Red were finally able to fully realize their ambitious vision of Andrzej Sapkowski's masterpiece in videogame form. An immense open world filled with interesting characters and fascinating creatures, all interconnected through compelling and well written quests.
2. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC ; The writing and world building are on a level very few jrpgs can touch. The cast is one of the most endearing ever seen in a rpg. The battle system is great, the music is fantastic, its a complete package that provides an adventure that is simply unforgettable.
3. Bloodborne ; Another masterpiece from Miyazaki.
4. Resident Evil Remake HD ; A timeless classic, nothing else needs to be said.
5. Resident Evil Revelations 2 ; What a comeback for the franchise! Fan favorites Claire and Barry return in a game where gameplay, atmosphere and terrific enemy designs combine to create one of the best games in the franchise. The story is good while retaining the trademark cheesiness RE is known for. This is what modern RE is supposed to be like.
6. Yakuza 5 ; Yakuza is a very special franchise and Y5 doesnt disappoint. The amount of optional activities is overwhelming and the effort put into each is impressive. Beating up thugs never gets old and the story is as captivating as ever.
7. Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker ; Not quite as good as the first game but still one of the best srpgs ever.
8. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection: It's hard to rank a collection of 3 games in a list like this but it's one of my favorite franchises and the quality of the remaster is outstanding so I have to include it in the list.
9. Metal Gear Solid V ; The story is disappointing and the world feels a bit barren but the gameplay is outstanding.
10. Wolfenstein The Old Blood ; Just as fun as TNO, which is to say, more fun than 90% of the first person shooter out there.
1. Splatoon ; I'm not sure what I could ever hope to anticipate when the time came for Nintendo to finally make their first brand new character-based triple A-level IP. Intriguement from the initial reveal back in 2014 turned into eventual amazement when bit by bit, it built itself up into becoming a colorful mess fest that perfectly vindicates the years of wait it took for Nintendo to make something new and unheard of. The core foundation of the game yields the same subconscious Mario Kart and Smash feeling of just wanting to squeeze in one more round before you realize you've spent hours coating the ground and walls with paint, soaking in the lovely atmosphere and addicting game play, and along with the added content it creates a great job in continuously coercing the player to return and see what new there is on offer. This is the game I've wanted Nintendo to make for so many years, and proves that whenever a new idea requires a new cast of memorable characters that are informed by the concept of game play rather than convenience, Nintendo does so with a vengeance.
2. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number ; A divisive game for many but one that hasn't been a less of an experience in my eyes. Hotline Miami 2 is a game that challenges most of the conventions in it's original game to provide what I see as a fitting end to the series with a rich narrative and bold approach to it's design that I find myself instinctively replaying just to re-experience how mad it is beneath the cracks. The addicting game play hasn't grown any less old with time either, and the soundtrack is worth all of the praise it gets in that regard as it stands as a testament to how game audio can contextualize vivid imagery on screen.
3. Undertale ; Subversion is possibly the best thing that comes to mind when describing what Undertale is. This deceptively simple-looking Earthbound-inspired game turned out to become one of the most profound experiences that video games have had to offer as far as narrative, humor, emotion and even player mentality had to offer. This is a game best experienced the less you know about it so I'll leave it at that, however, I heavily implore checking this game out. You'll find yourself absorbed in the world, it's characters and even feel a little bit sad once the journey is at an end.
4. Super Mario Maker ; This is a game I still can't quite believe actually exists, but here it is - presented in it's whole untainted glory. While a cynic may take a game like Mario Maker and consider it an admission of defeat on Nintendo's part, the truth seems to be not all that. This lovingly crafted maker feels meticulously designed in a way that rewards experimentation, creativity and understanding through first hand experience with it's genius interface that singlehandedly justifies the Wii U all by itself. Making the levels is just as much fun as playing them, and the little details make it come alive in a big way. Handing the keys to some of Nintendo's most prized tools to the player and even putting some extra cherries on the top turns Mario Maker into one of the greatest anniversary celebrations of a game I've experienced, and if Nintendo are this confident with the player base to provide the entire library of design tools of the past, I really look forward to what Nintendo have in store for the future in regards to the good old plumber in evolving the formula going forward.
5. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; World building is the hallmark of a fantastic adventure game, one of the most important points of focus when it comes to building a game you can truly immerse yourself into, and Xenoblade Chronicles X aces this in all of it's spades. There are very few games I can say are ones that I actively enjoy getting lost in. It's beautiful vistas, marvelous world and traversing it ends up being a lovely experience unmatched by few things. It's a game very much developed around exploration and interacting with everything the world has on offer which I feel is aced perfectly here, and the encounters and missions do well in adding onto that feeling. That and whoever came up with the idea of mechas being the main way of doing that deserves a massive raise.
6. Yoshi's Woolly World ; Platformer saturation is a thing I imagine many people throw around in regards to the Nintendo, but Woolly World proves that at the very least, Nintendo isn't ready to skimp on the details. Arguably deserving the award of most adorable game of 2015, the hand crafted look of the game, the devilish secrets and fantastic level design finally provide a worthy successor to one of Nintendo's all time greatest platformers (Yoshi's Island) and ensures that the seemingly last Nintendo developed 2D platformer on the Wii U will be one that exits with a bang.
7. Nuclear Throne ; Having not actively followed this game since it's Early Access days it's with a lot of joy and attrition that I manage to first experience Nuclear Throne. A legitimately challenging Roguelike more dependent on raw talent as opposed to RNG, with a lot of memorable designs, characters, weapons, dead body looting, mutant shooting, venus mouthing, root in tooting, luger toting, ruger loading, bullet throwing and way too long grenade holding has provided me with such an unsuspectingly fun time and I love all the small details and lore the game has to offer as well. It's always encouraging to see such a fun game with a dedicated community spawn only from a humble game jam. It's put Vlambeer on the map for me and I can't wait to see what they do next.
8. Just Cause 3 ; If Xenoblade was a game that provided me with the joy of exploring a world, JC3 is the game that provides me with the joy of destroying it. The quality-of-life improvements to the already fun game play of the predecessor make for a much more smoother, enjoyable traversal, with more lavish destruction and chaos to cause, and a more enjoyable feedback loop of conquering several tasks to unlock more ways to be creative in the mayhem.
9. Rocket League ; Sometimes the dumbest concepts provide the most insane good times and Rocket League is no exception to that. Rocket powered stunt soccer with cars is such an enjoyable time to spend intermittently and it's yet another example of a game I never expected to be so deceptively deep, particularly in terms of it's mechanics.
10. Downwell ; This is the game that made me actually look to my phone when it came to passing the time playing games on a handheld during commutes or breaks. Another roguelike with fantastic game play feedback, I'm always compelled to squeeze as much time possible from this whenever I play it. The gun boots probably deserve an award as coolest new weapon of 2015, maintaining combos by bouncing off foes, collecting gems and power ups stays addictive throughout and is the kind of game you play in short bursts, only to find yourself playing for even longer because of it.
Right, got just over 2 weeks to finish Witcher 3 after well over 100 hours at this point and then I can decide what to do with it in my list for final. Just about to get to the (location spoiler)
Isle of Mists
and girlfriend is too skint to come see me over the weekend, so I might try and bash it out over that.
1. Splatoon ; I was never a fan of shooters or online gaming in general, so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Splatoon. The speed and the way the various mechanics work together, along with the fantastic visual design makes it an amazing experience.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D ; I never played the original, and I was wasn't a fan of the time system at first, but the game really grew on me and turned out to be very enjoyable.
3. Super Mario Maker ; As a fan of 2D Mario platformers, it's obvious that this game should be in my top 10, but it's still missing a bunch of features that could make it rise to the top.
4. Starwhal ; Hilarious and extremely exciting multiplayer game. My favorite 2015 indie game on the Wii U.
5. SteamWorld Heist ; I'm still in the middle of playing through it, so my final thoughts may change, but so far it's a very solid and original game.
6. Hearthstone The Grand Tournament ; I've been playing Hearthstone almost daily for over two years now, so one of the expansions deserved to be on this list. Still an incredibly polished game.
7. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam ; Another fun Mario RPG. Would have been higher up if it wasn't padded with mandatory minigame quests.
8. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker ; Delightful little puzzle platformer filled with cuteness.
9. Mario Kart 8: DLC Pack 2 ; Just like the first pack, it's got some great new tracks for an even better price.
10. Pokémon Shuffle ; I've put even more time into Rumble World, but I only wanted to place one of them on my list. The game itself isn't exactly special, but catching them all is as addictive as ever.
Right, got just over 2 weeks to finish Witcher 3 after well over 100 hours at this point and then I can decide what to do with it in my list for final. Just about to get to the (location spoiler)
Isle of Mists
and girlfriend is too skint to come see me over the weekend, so I might try and bash it out over that.
1. Witcher 3 ; Probably one of the best games I've ever played. Only thing lacking is the combat.
2. Bloodborne ; Great world, fantastic combat, shitty framerate, great game.
3. Divinity: EE ; Love the combat and the charming, fairy tale-like word and story.
4. Monster Hunter 4 ; 200h play time speak for themselves. But it's just more of the same with little additions.
5. GTA V PC ; An exemplary port and a fantastic game,
6. Metal Gear Solid V ; Engaging stealth gameplay, boring open world and disappointing story though.
7. Life Is Strange ; Incredible voice acting and a fantastic story.
8. Fallout 4 ; Bad story, writing and dull gunplay ruin the immersion. Great world though.
1. Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain ;Graphics. Sound. Gameplay. Story (yes!). Everything was top notch. I loved it. Spent almost 110 hours on it.
2. Ori and the Blind Forest ; A very well designed metroidvania. Awesome art style
3. Splatoon ; The only title that make me play online ( usually I play only single player games). Although last boss of the single player campaign is awesome.
1. Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain ;Graphics. Sound. Gameplay. Story (yes!). Everything was top notch. I loved it. Spent almost 110 hours on it.
2. Ori and the Blind Forest ; A very well designed metroidvania. Awesome art style 3. Bayonetta 2 ; The sequel of the best action game ever made. I'd rather prefer it was released on next gen consoles, but at least it came out
4. Splatoon ; The only title that make me play online ( usually I play only single player games). Although last boss of the single player campaign is awesome.
1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Kojima, once again, delivers an amazing tale that dares delve into complex and controversial subjects such as the vicious cycles of revenge, which humans often find themselves locked into, and the use of language as a weapon, used to subjugate entire civilizations by slowly erasing their own culture. The title's gameplay, considered by many to be its strongest element, is not only fun and varied, rewarding players for constantly changing their play style and freely experimenting with the game's systems, but also pushes the envelope further in terms of structural freedom within most missions. In true fashion for the japanese designer, MGSV's gameplay is not only fun, but it meaningfully ties into the themes woven into the story by featuring a robust asynchronous multiplayer component and an invisible karma system, among many others. This is the last Metal Gear title ever directed by Kojima, and he bows out having released the best entry in the series yet.
2. Grand Theft Auto V ; The PC finally got in on the new standard set for semi-realistic, populated, open world games. GTAV features a beautiful city, realistic citizens, animals and vehicles, improved driving, shooting and stealth mechanics and an attempt at telling a story featuring multiple protagonists. Even 2 years later, this title still holds its own as one of the greats of all time.
3. Fallout 4 ; Bethesda promised a game with unprecedented exploration, crafting and wonder, it didn't lie. Social gameplay and alternative solutions to quest objectives took a receded considerably, giving way for the refined combat mechanics to shine in a Fallout game that is mostly about roaming the world, discovering locations, fighting mobs inside them and claiming ever better loot. This Fallout entry is a lot like Diablo 3, and this isn't exactly a bad thing if you're into experiencing the world a lot more than you're into experiencing the story. This franchise could yet snatch Game of the Year if it were to introduce a story with the range of options featured in New Vegas.
4. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; The game developed by the best development studio in activity today, some will argue that CD Projekt Red has been developing the game for nearly a decade. This title builds upon everything presented in the first two titles: fluid combat, extremely well executed storytelling, great graphics, interesting dialogue, challenging monster hunts and believable characters.
5. Dying Light ; Sleeper hit of the year, this title redeemed Techland for the mess Dead Island was. It combines zombies with parkour gameplay, first person combat and RPG sensibilities. In higher difficulty settings, it manages to challenge players of all skill levels by presenting menacing creatures even in the end game. The story is forgettable, but the experience isn't. 4-player cooperative play makes sure you can bring your friends along for terrifying night runs and the eventual daylight goofs.
Probably won't get my post in until sometime close to the deadline. Just now getting into Monster Hunter 4 & BoxBoy and got Neptunia U coming in tomorrow.
I must say: I've been reading this thread and just damn at all the incorrect formats. Its worse this year than any other year. I'm someone who always makes sure something is right so its so weird seeing so many not give a damn. :/
Will probably have my list up soon! I'll just go ahead and say
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Amazing game. It surpassed all my expectations and I've played it for well over a 100 hours.
2. Rocket League ; Had and still having so much fun with this game playing split screen with buddies and playing online by myself. Hockey was a great addition as well.
3. Ori and the Blind Forest ; Beatiful game with a great atmosphere.
1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Hideo Kojima and his team made one of the best playing game of the year. the ability to resolving any mission by my own means was fantastic.
2. Life Is Strange ; I am not a fan of episodic game or of the Telltale style of games or story.so I didn't honestly see this one coming. This is my kind of game. the game a real gem with a fantastic story. it's the only game to ever made me cry.
3. Assassin's Creed Syndicate ; I'm actually a little surprised that another Assassin's Creed game was able to hold my attention after Unity. The combat is satisfying and brutal, the story hooks pull you into a world that feels like it's worth exploring. The main characters that are less one-dimensional then previous assassins creed leads. couple that with a progression system that feels more flushed out and less like a game trying to rifle your pockets for money.
4. Cities: Skylines ; It's the Sim City game you wanted Sim City to be. I spent hours doing nothing but designing road system and reading about Highway engineering.
and enjoying the simulation of my mega city.
5. Rocket League ; The game that made me understand soccer and the love/hate of it. sorry for spamming "wow"
6. Bloodborne ; Bloodborne is everything a wanted from a souls game. The encounter with father gascoigne that pushed you to be more aggressive and given to the madness of the hunt to throw out the old style of souls play.
I must say: I've been reading this thread and just damn at all the incorrect formats. Its worse this year than any other year. I'm someone who always makes sure something is right so its so weird seeing so many not give a damn. :/
Again, I'd argue that it would make more sense for the OP to not require such a particular format. People make mistakes. They misread the OP or misread the format. Last year I read the OP several times, checked over my list a bunch, read every post in the topic, and still put colons instead of semicolons (luckily someone PMed me about it and I changed it).
Again, I'd argue that it would make more sense for the OP to not require such a particular format. People make mistakes. They misread the OP or misread the format. Last year I read the OP several times, checked over my list a bunch, read every post in the topic, and still put colons instead of semicolons (luckily someone PMed me about it and I changed it).
I've done the E3 Voting for the last three years and having people not follow a proper format (which makes automation much harder) is a pain in the ass.
And when you don't use automation you become susceptible to dropping ballots. Maybe unconsciously those that score games you don't like to win higher.
Proper formatting which means automation means better representation of the voting and less work for the people running the voting.
1. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; Fantastic game with a ton of missions to do. This game quite possibly has one of if not the most densely populated open worlds in all of gaming. There's things to do in every area of the map proper. Also, the monster designs are top notch with appendages being able to be destroyed as you engage them in battle. I've played 200 hours and never once felt bored of the game.
2. Super Mario Maker ; Unlimited Mario levels are a great thing, but what makes this amazing is the creativity you can bring to the table. You can make a shooter, musical stage, story based stage, boss rush, etc. Also, the remixes of classic Mario tunes in the editor menu are wonderful.
3. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ; Wonderful 4 player hunting game. The monsters are varied and unique, and the multiplayer is extremely rewarding. It's great going on drop hunts with friends.
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ;
2. Bloodborne ;
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ;
4. Destiny: The Taken King ;
5. Batman: Arkham Knight ;
6. Yakuza 5 ;
7. Rocket League ; If bringing the joy of competitive sports games back into my life and reconnecting me with irl friends were all that mattered this would be my 1-10.
8. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 ;
9. Life Is Strange ;
10. Fallout 4 ;
Again, I'd argue that it would make more sense for the OP to not require such a particular format. People make mistakes. They misread the OP or misread the format. Last year I read the OP several times, checked over my list a bunch, read every post in the topic, and still put colons instead of semicolons (luckily someone PMed me about it and I changed it).
I'd agree. These threads aren't so big that a group of posters can't manually go through the thread. And especially when there is so much time to go through the votes. It's whatever to me but as it stands these threads are more a poster competency check than a definitive determination of gaf's goty.
1. Life Is Strange ; Hands down the longest I thought about choices in a video game. Whether the choices mattered in a causal sense isn't important to me. My choices defined what kind of person Max is, and in turn her interactions with the rest of the cast. Max is all about waffles.
2. Rocket League ; In a list ranked by hours lost to one more game, Rocket League eclipses the rest. Many months later and it is as engaging as it was day three; server issues plagued the initial two days. It is one of the all time great multiplayer games.
3. Yakuza 5 ; Being a good taxi driver is about sensible driving and pleasant chit-chat with the passengers. Always signal before a turn. Never slam on the break. Watch for pedestrians crossing the street. If the passenger is part of an elaborate scam and leads you to a pack of thugs waiting nearby, smash them to the ground using the nearest bicycle. Stomp on their faces; first with one foot, then jump and land firmly on the nose with both feet jutting downward.
4. Bloodborne ; A fresh spin on Souls series suited to my play style in those games. Return to wonderful level design after Dark Souls 2 and the back-half of Dark Souls 1.
5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Exceptional open world stealth mechanics marred by open world-isms, timers, a lack of charm and character, and I can go on. With its countless weaknesses, placing at five is a testament to its strengths.
6. Super Mario Maker ; Everything about Super Mario Maker tells me Super Mario Maker 2 will be phenomenal. What it is are the first steps, and missteps, on the way there.
7. La-Mulana EX ; Fun to play a video game that hates you.
8. Persona 4: Dancing All Night ; The fantastic music and charisma of Persona 4 makes a fun but unremarkable rhythm game into something special.
9. Undertale ; Others will tell you about this game. It's very good.
10. Fallout 4 ; This okay game captured my attention for an embarrassing amount of time.
Honorable Mentions
x. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Witcher 2 is fantastic. By all accounts, Witcher 3 is. Wish I got around to it.
x. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D ; Top notch port, remake, what have you.
I'd agree. These threads aren't so big that a group of posters can't manually go through the thread. And especially when there is so much time to go through the votes. It's whatever to me but as it stands these threads are more a poster competency check than a definitive determination of gaf's goty.
To be fair, I can see why they do it. I don't think the people in charge of these topics should be required to manually go through the topic several times to tally the votes. Using a parser is just a lot simpler, and I think it's fair that they use one, even though it's not how I would. And like benny said, ensuring everything is right is probably an arduous task.
It's just, I dunno, I just sort of get tired of all of these posts talking about how so many people aren't formatting their post correctly.
1. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC ; Sequel to one of the few recent games that has managed to make my all time list and it managed to earn it's place right at the top with it. This series has managed to continue on with it's lore and characters for longer than any any other game has on my favorites list, something that I enjoy the most out of the games I play. I can't even imagine what it would have been like waiting 4 years or more for this to come out after FC and it's cliffhanger.
2. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel ; It may have only come out right at the end of the year, but it's among the best of the year. I may not hold it in as high of a regard as SC, due to how some of the characters played out, but I still enjoyed the time I spent with it. The music is some of the best Falcom has done and I look forward to playing it's sequel later this year.
3. Undertale ; With 2 of the Mother games on my favorites list, this showed me that there is still hope when it comes to another game having the feel of that series, even if it's been finished by it's creator. The music was spectacular and the ending is one of the better ones I've seen. The characters are what really made this in the end.
4. Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & the Monster Seal ; I bought this expecting nothing but the fanservice it shoved in your face at every moment, after only several hours had I seen that the gameplay is where it really shines. The main story was really only the beginning when it came to learning the ropes, it only got even more crazy with it's significant amount of postgame content, something that I still have yet to finish even 100 hours in.
5. Hyperdimension Neptunia Rebirth 2: Sisters Generation ; I enjoy how this series pokes fun at the industry and rarely takes itself seriously. It may be a lot more of the same when it comes to Rebirth 1, but I honestly liked the main girls in this one more than the first. The gameplay also isn't the worst thing in the world, even if it gets really repetitive by the time additional playthroughs come in.
These rules aren't suffocating and enable the beautiful data sets we get each year. It's not hard to copy and paste from the OP or another post. The rules are pretty simple.
Rank. Game ; comment.
If I were running this, I'd be super strict about disqualifying votes. Instead, the OP is spending time helping people follow directions. I find that admirable.
1. Life is Strange ; Maxine Caulfield. Chloe Price. Those two characters are the main reason why Life is Strange is not only my game of the year, but the best episodic adventure game I've ever played. The concept immediately intrigued me, as the idea of your decisions made in the moment not necessarily being final was unique for games of this type. I constantly found myself second-guessing my choices and wondering if I should turn back time and change things. The story has tons of twists and turns, and the endings of episode two and three are memorable and carry a lot of emotional weight. Any game that can make me care about characters to the point of feeling emotional is a winner in my book, and Life is Strange does this excellently. The character moments feel earned, and the choices for the most part feel like they matter. One way the game excels where a lot of other modern adventure games fail is in the moments in-between the big sweeping decisions. The simple conversations between friends and even enemies. The quiet moments of reflection. The atmosphere of the environments. The game is filled with characters that you want to know more about, and it delivers on giving you that information if you are willing to look for it. The final choice in this game is the most I've ever struggled with a decision in a game, and that is a credit to how well the game builds to that moment and the weight the decision carries for characters you have come to both love and hate. Life is Strange came out of nowhere for me, and it compelled me to invest as much as possible into it once I was there. I will remember a lot of what this game showed me. The characters. The relationships. The moments. The choices. And most importantly, the fucked up, awesome, beautiful, tragic, and at times heartbreaking story of Max Caulfield and Chloe Price.
2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; If you had asked me two months ago what my game of the year was, MGS V would be my answer easily. The reasons it fell are twofold, but the changes to the game in the months following its release are definitely a factor. Typically I like to judge games how they were at the time I played them, and luckily I finished my time with MGS before it got too bad, but the changes have been so terrible and drastic that I can't ignore them. Now that that is out of the way, I will say in terms of the core gameplay loop, MGS V is one of the best games I've ever played in that regard. The moment-to-moment action and the sheer magnitude of options at your disposal for any given mission or free-roam is astounding. The buddy system is incredibly well used, and all of the game's buddy options offer something unique and useful for the player. The idea of playing a mission and simply having to complete the objectives in any way possible is a great concept, but it is executed upon so tremendously well given the amount of options that are actually available. I have so many stories of moments I had in that game simply from the way the action played out. I loved constantly reading stories of how people completed certain missions or tasks and thinking "You can do that?!" The gameplay is not simply the best MGS gameplay ever, but some of the best gameplay of any action game ever. The story is compelling enough for what it is, though its incompleteness and lack of real memorable characters is a mark against it. The character of Quiet is very much a shame, because she has many moments in the game where you can see that there is an interesting story and character behind the sexual fantasy she is so obviously designed to be. If Kojima could have held back better, Quiet could be an extremely memorable character in a game that is lacking them, and almost pulls it off anyways. For all the flaws the game has in the parts that surround the gameplay, the simple fun and versatility of the action makes this one of the best games of the year.
3. Bloodborne ; I don't like Souls games, but I love Bloodborne. Yes, I am that person. Any time I tried to play Souls games I found myself frustrated with the speed of the game and felt it was way too methodical for my taste. A Souls vet will probably say I was playing it wrong, but that was my experience. What drew me in to Bloodborne was the promise of a faster and more offense-focused experience. It delivered that in the form of some of the most satisfying combat I've ever played in a game. The feeling of fighting the same boss over and over, each time learning something new about it's movements and how to exploit it, and finally putting it all together and conquering it is easily the most satisfied I've felt in a game this year. The game gave me those moments constantly. The idea of using the same weapon throughout the whole game worked so well. As you went, you came to learn exactly what your weapon is capable of, and how to best use its various forms to clear out enemies. I've never had a vehement argument about a weapon in a game until I was defending the Threaded Cane in threads about the game's best weapons. The presentation is also top-notch. The environments are creepy and unsettling, all the while being beautiful. The creature designs kept me marveling. If you own a PS4 and don't at least try to play Bloodborne, you are doing yourself a disservice.
4. Undertale ; Yeah, I know. Of course Undertale is on my list. It seems all anyone wants to do is debate the merits (or lack thereof) of this game. I was never a fan of Earthbound. I tried to play it and found it amusing, but I could never get into it. When I heard this game mentioned in comparison to it, it meant nothing to me. Then it kept showing up, and people would not stop talking about it. So I decided "What the hell, it's only like four or five hours." My first playthrough of it was something I enjoyed and was amused by, but nothing I found amazing and if I had stopped there, it probably wouldn't make my list. Going for the true ending, and experiencing it, is what put this game over the top. I implore you, if you are even reading this goofy list, do not play Undertale without getting to the true ending. It is almost a disservice to the game that it's hidden like it is. I won't say anything out of fear of spoiling it, but it reveals a great and at times horrifying story behind the world of this game. I will remember the true ending of the game and the events leading up to it for a long time.
5. Splatoon ; I never expected Nintendo to make an online shooter. I expected even less for it to be one of the best shooters of the past few years. The concept behind Splatoon is one of the most unique and original that we've seen in a long time. The matches are short and sweet, and the mechanics are tight and easy to grasp. The strategy layer evolves as the match goes on, and the games can get quite intense towards the end. All of this says nothing of the presentation, which is out of this world. The character designs are fantastic, the world they have created is interesting and fun, and the art style of the game is simply gorgeous. Nintendo has a new hit IP on its hands.
6. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; 2013 Tomb Raider was a fun game, but it felt too reliant on the run and gun formula of Uncharted. Rise feels like the game that Tomb Raider should be in 2015 and beyond. The run and gun theatrics are perfectly supplemented by actual tomb puzzles and side missions spread throughout the world. The areas in the game are much more open, and allow for more freedom in combat and exploration. The story itself is even pretty good as far as these types of games go. Even the cinematic sections of the game feel much more involved than most other games of this ilk. I'm glad more people will be able to play this game in 2016, as it definitely deserves your attention.
7. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; I'll admit up front that I didn't play as much of this game as I wanted to, and that probably has to do with why it is so low on this list. I will say however that what I did play was exceptional. The Bloody Baron quest line is one of the best I've ever played in a game, and pulled a wide range of emotional responses out of me. The game is huge and ambitious, and in a lot of ways it pulls off what it was trying to do. The combat was not great at times and anytime you have a game this big, there are bound to be problems of too much openness, but on the whole this is an amazingly well-crafted experience that any RPG fan should play. There's a whole world of stories to see, and most of them will give you something to remember.
8. Destiny: The Taken King ; I played a ton of vanilla Destiny. Way too much, in fact. I was one of the people who could acknowledge every flaw the game had, of which there were many, but still not be able to stop playing. I did this for months following its release. Then I fell off, and I felt no desire to come back. Even when Taken King was first announced, I felt no need to return. I hadn't even played the first two expansions. Once it became clear that Taken King was bringing major changes, I decided to give the game another shot, and I am so glad I did. This is an excellent expansion because it does so much to change the game for the better. The story content is coherent and engaging in a way vanilla Destiny never was. There are a ton of missions and quests that you never expect. The raid is the best of any of them. The strikes are so much more inventive and clever than the strikes in the base game. Everything about Taken King is an improvement on a game that needed them.
9. Cities: Skylines ; When EA first revealed the new SimCity, I was cautiously optimistic, as I loved the genre and was happy to see a new game get made. I can only play so many hours of SimCity 4, as much as I love it. What followed was an unmitigated disaster. I didn't hate SimCity as much as most did, but it was by no means a good game. I was extremely disappointed because I felt that the genre needed something great. And Colossal Order delivered it in spades. Skylines is the game SimCity should have been. I don't play it every day, or even every week. But when I hop in to check on my city, I end up getting lost in all the options and power at my disposal. The expansion only made a great game even better. Thank you, Colossal Order for saving a genre all on your own.
10. Ori and the Blind Forest ; As a fan of platformers of this type, I was excited for Ori from the first moment I saw gameplay of it. I went in expecting a mostly light affair that would be visually impressive, but have little in the way of challenge. I was very wrong. Behind the shiny veneer you first see is a platformer that sometimes borders on Super Meat Boy levels of difficulty. The precise jumps, the extended chase sequences, and the combination of different abilities are all ways in which the game will test your coordination, and at times your patience. My only complaint is some parts of the game locking away after you finish them, which robs you of the ability to go back and fully complete it.
Might have to edit it in a few latecomers to my list. I've been spening a looot of game time on OlliOlli 2 and Transformers recently and I think they might take up my new 3&4 spots, bump everything else down. So much for a lean top 5 of the year, but these games got it goin on.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; Great game, so easy to get immersed in the world and the every day lives of the folks around you. The world building is masterclass.
2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; My first Metal Gear game, my last Metal Gear game. I understand the draw of these games is usually the story, but I had tons of fun playing it as a stealth game.
3. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; After hating the original Xenoblade for it's slow start and crappy resolution, this was a very pleasant surprise. Extremely rough around the edges, but incredibly fun. They nailed the on foot / mech transition.
4. Bloodborne ; The first "souls" game I didn't beat, and the first one I didn't have a desire to replay. Still an incredible experience with a great visual theme.
5. Fallout 4 ; Has it's fair share of problems, but still plenty of joy playing Fallout 4 even if it's simply more of the same.
6. Super Mario Maker ; Not a big platformer fan, but the community that has sprung up around this game and the insane creativity makes for a very pleasant experience.
7. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ; Also my first Monster Hunter game. I spent a couple hundred hours at this and enjoyed the combat quite a bit. I feel like this is a game and a genre that needs a good kick in the ass to expand it's Horizons a bit. It could be so much more if they expanded the framework of what the game is. This series needs a New Dawn.
8. Splatoon ; Also not a Shooter fan! The last one I enjoyed was Halo 3. Another big surprise for me this year. Splatoon is just fucking cool and fun, although it falls in to the same traps that cause me to lose interest in any shooter. Could benefit from a different way to select stages.
9. Underrail ; Yes, Under rail not Under tale! If you enjoy any variety of crpgs, you owe it to yourself to check this game out. It is simply fantastic, and HUGE. I'm not finished with it, but I hear it rivals the expanse of the Baldur's Gate games.
10. Axiom Verge ; I'm a huge fan of Super Metroid and that genre of games, and this is a brilliant new addition to the family. It has it's own twist on things and takes you places you may not expect.
Nothing stops anyone from counting the votes themselves manually. I might do it but i obviously i have to wait until the voting ends because many change their mind.
I'd agree. These threads aren't so big that a group of posters can't manually go through the thread. And especially when there is so much time to go through the votes. It's whatever to me but as it stands these threads are more a poster competency check than a definitive determination of gaf's goty.
I think you should be grateful someone is actually taking it upon themself to put all this together, instead of whining about how they are not putting even more effort into it by control reading and correcting ballots manually. Cheesemeister has given feedback to a bunch of people in this thread. How much baby sitting do you guys require? I find it weird that someone could feel that their own list is so important that everyone but themself should make a grand effort to ensure it is included in some defintive determination.
The automated tally also gives you a bunch of interesting information we would never get otherwise. If you can't bring yourself to follow the few simple rules clearly indicated in the Op - *shrugs*
Here's an idea though:
You are concerned about the scientific integrity of this process. This is important to you. Ok, you could PM posters with wrongly formatted ballotts, asking them nicely about correcting them. This is a nice way to contribute, without demanding even more work from people already working hard with this and without devaluating their effort.
), but I really do hope it gets a top five placing, if not top ten.
