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[Uno Venova]

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nope

 

[Incendiary]

1. Undertale ; I'm just going to repeat my thoughts from what I posted in the Essential RPG thread for this one with some slight adjustment. Ahem. Undertale was my surprise of the year this year, completely blowing me out of the water with how deep the characters were and how attached I got to everything in the game. Most importantly, it has one of the best video game soundtracks ever made (A few examples) to the extent that this soundtrack has been on my iPhone for the last two months and I've yet to get sick of listening to it. On top of that, it explores combat in an RPG like no RPG before it (in my opinion) and manages to be funny, engaging, and display genuine emotion. It's one of the few games to legit make me tear up with the manliest of tears. This is a game that needs to be played by anyone that's a fan of video games.

2. Bloodborne ; Thought this was a shoe-in for game of the year for me until Undertale came along. Bloodborne simplifies the Souls aspect to make a much tighter, combat-focused game that has a very frenetic energy. There's no stopping to catch your breath or running away to cast spells - you get into combat and fight, and if you take hits you dive in there and get your health back, showing those beasts who's boss. There are way more memorable boss fights than Dark Souls 2, and the lore is probably the best Miyazaki has done. There are definite flaws and it's not perfect, but considering how much open-world bloat there's been this year, I really appreciate Bloodborne's tighter experience.

3. Tales from the Borderlands ; I was legit shocked how quickly this game pulled me in. I downloaded the first episode for free just because and figured I'd play it and take my time. Nope. On finishing episode one I immediately went and bought all the other episodes and finished the entire game the same damn weekend. Amazing story crafted by Telltale. They wove a story into the Borderlands universe with ease. All the characters were great, and while it still fell into the trappings of not having many of your decisions actually matter, the finale more than made up for it. It was fucking awesome, and I'm really hoping they work on a season two for this.

4. Fallout 4 ; I know it's not really that much of an RPG. I know it's supposed to have all sorts of bugs (that I haven't run into) and jank (that hasn't affected me). But any game that I end up exploring and building and just doing my own thing for 20+ hours before finally getting around to an actual quest? It's worth it. This is still the Fallout universe in all its glory, and I honestly don't mind how the perks are set up now. Yeah, it sucks that your dialogue choices are next to nil, and they basically don't matter. But as an open-world shooter, it's hella fun and sucks me in for hours at a time.

5. Rocket League ; This is the most fun I've had playing soccer in a long time. Everything about this game is just top-tier. The way they truck out new modes and free stuff along with the DLC is great. Multiplayer is a blast, I enjoy going online and playing with a group full of randoms just to have fun for a while because the gameplay is so enjoyable.

6. Until Dawn ; Supermassive really perfected the cinematic story game, and turning it into a B-movie horror type game was awesome. I really enjoyed the characters, it was tense trying to get everyone to survive, and while looking back retroactively the story is pretty directed there's still a lot of tension and sitting on the edge of your seat that first playthrough. Plus, it was just so much fun to have a group of friends sitting around yelling decisions at the screen as I played. Probably one of my favorite gaming-associated experiences in my life.

7. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; I've spent a lot of time with MGSV, the gameplay is top-notch and I have a lot of fun with the missions and extractions. But a lot takes it down, namely I've put a ton of time into it and am barely halfway through the game and it's starting to feel like a chore to finish the whole thing. The FOB stuff isn't particularly fun, and all the cool weapons and things are locked until deep in the game. It's fun as hell and a good finish for Kojima, but it's not top-tier due to...well, fuck Konami.

8. Just Cause 3 ; Surprise late entry that I had to edit into my list. World traversal is amazing once you get the hang of it, the grapple/parachute/wingsuit combination is just so much fun and with all the gear mods there are tons of tools you can use to have fun in the world. Destroying everything has never been so fun, and while it's a little repetitive it is a fun repetitive. I'm not tired of it yet and am really looking forward to all the places I get to make explode.

9. Batman: Arkham Knight ; Good game. Loved the story, combat was awesome as usual. But the Batmobile was used a little too frequently and the lack of boss fights really, really hurts it because that's some of the best parts of the earlier Arkham games. It also suffers from open world bloat and there just being way too much busy work to unlock the "true" ending. Hopefully Rocksteady goes for a more focused experience next time.

10. N++ ; The original N on the PC was a game me and my friends competed on in college. This is a worthy successor, with so much content and so many levels that I've barely scratched the surface, completing them in bite-size chunks. I love challenging platforming and N++ is the pinnacle of that. You really have to be on your toes and have great reflexes for some of what's thrown at you.

Honorable Mentions
x. Mad Max ; Enjoyed the car combat a lot, but suffered because while it was fun as hell to drive around in the open-world, there isn't a whole lot to do that doesn't feel checkpointy and like I'm just ticking off the sidequest boxes.
x. Titan Souls ; Fun little game that's really challenging. Didn't really stick with me as much as some of the other games up here, and didn't really have a drive to finish it after getting through about half of the titans. But still worth a mention.
x. Rock Band 4 ; I like the changes they've made to the Rock Band formula, and it's been really enjoyable being able to rock out with my friends again. I'd been dying to play some newer songs on my plastic guitar.

---

So I didn't see N++ on the spreadsheet but that definitely came out this year. Could just be a case of it being a pretty niche game and not on a lot of people's radars. If it's not eligible for some reason I can't see, I'll switch it out for Mad Max probably.

This is also subject to change because I'll probably be playing Lost Dimension, Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition, and Life is Strange before the voting period ends so any of those might knock out those on the lower end of the top 10. I think my top 6 is pretty secure, though, unless one of those three is super amazeballs.

 

[Jamix012]

Also LOL at the Bloodborne fans only voting for Bloodborne and nothing else.

Guys, it's not that important.

~_~
I'm going to have a full list I just know Bloodborne is number 1 and am still playing 3-4 of the other games in contention. For reference I'll probably put Xenoblade Chronicles X at number 2.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Bloodborne stan

My dude with GOAT Bloodborne propaganda post.


I would make a list filled with controversial opinions and brash statements, but I played like 50 games this year and only finished 3 so my post would be fraudulent. Rocket League's amazing, everything else goes in the bushes.

 

[Turin]

1. Bloodborne ; What more can be said?

2. Batman: Arkham Knight ; You're the Batman. Gotham is your playground. There's also a silly but mostly fun story attached.

3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; Near perfect open world rpg. Combat could be sharpened up and the central story didn't interest me at all.

4. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter ; Very cool slow burn game where you investigate a beautiful and haunting little town. Neat little story and visually stunning.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Spoiler

edit - shit, posted by accident and now no one will see it, oh well

Don't worry I saw it, you plague ridden rat

 

[Tizoc]

My dude with GOAT Bloodborne propaganda post.


I would make a list filled with controversial opinions and brash statements, but I played like 50 games this year and only finished 3 so my post would be fraudulent. Rocket League's amazing, everything else goes in the bushes.

Just look up which games u put 10+ hours into and make ur list generally some games cN b beaten in 10ish hours so u can use that to define which games u enjoyed the most from playing and compile it that way

 

[fargofallout]

So I didn't see N++ on the spreadsheet but that definitely came out this year. Could just be a case of it being a pretty niche game and not on a lot of people's radars. If it's not eligible for some reason I can't see, I'll switch it out for Mad Max probably.

I think you're the first person, other than myself, to vote for it. That bums me out, because it's a hell of a game. And it definitely came out this year, so it's probably just an oversight.

 

[The Xtortionist]

Don't worry I saw it, you plague ridden rat

<3

 

[evilromero]

1. Super Mario Maker ; It's possibly the best way to experience classic Mario levels in HD but now with tons of extras and an endless stream of levels. Now that the game has been out a few months the experience is even more robust with a much higher quality collection of user created content.
2. Splatoon ; I got this one pretty late in the year but it blew me away. Even the simple single-player mode was addicting as hell. But multiplayer is clearly where this game excels and anyone saying otherwise is just kidding themselves. It's one of the most enjoyable online experiences I've had since I used to game on the PC.
3. Yoshi Wooly World ; This is another one that exceeded my expectations. Clever level design that keeps things fast-paced and fresh. It's a bit short but it encourages you to replay the levels to find the little yarn things to unlock new Yoshis.
4. Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 ; Honestly, it gives the core game a run for its money. All new karts, racers, levels and 200cc mode.
5. Nintendo Badge Arcade ; Is it a game? I think it is. In any case, I check it every damn day.
6. Xeodrifter ; Yeah, I really didn't play many 2015 games this yea but I enjoyed this one quite a bit despite it being super short.
7. Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition ; I had not played the original P&D game so this was a brand new experience for me. The added layer of Super Mario aesthetic sucked me in and the simple paper-rock-scissors mechanics was highly addictive. An easy choice for one of my top games of the year.
8. Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival ; Like I said, I didn't play many 2015 games but this is one that we bought with the B2G1 deal at Target and honestly we enjoy it for what it is. You play to level up your characters, which also gives you money to buy things for your village, which in turns affects your board game experience. Fun for the wife and I to play for 30 minutes or so.
9. Earthbound Beginnings ; I was very surprised when Nintendo announced this and downloaded it immediately. Pretty fun game that definitely satisfies a bit of my Earthbound lust.
10. Mario vs. Donkey Kong Tipping Stars ; I haven't played a M v DK game in a very long time so this one felt fresh enough despite them sticking closely to the game mechanic that the series is known for.

 

[Alpha Phoenix]

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; If there's one thing this game has shown, it's that open-world and compelling storytelling are not mutually exclusive.
2. Life is Strange ; Better than anything Telltale has come up with. Just brilliant all-round.

 

[timetokill]

I think you're the first person, other than myself, to vote for it. That bums me out, because it's a hell of a game. And it definitely came out this year, so it's probably just an oversight.

It would be impossible for us to list every game. As noted, it's not exhaustive! So if it came out thus, definitely feel free to vote for it.

 

[AniHawk]

So the U/3DS versions are the same?
And the Wii is unique?

the wii version is yuji naka's game. it was made with just the wii remote in mind. the game is much faster paced, a little less forgiving with the checkpoint system, and focuses mostly on two kinds of rankings. it's basically nights into dreams meets 3d sonic (but only the sonic parts).

the game was remade for 3ds and uses the slide pad to control the cursor. there are also camera controls with the shoulder buttons. aside from the control differences there are changes to how the game systems work. the 3ds/wii u version has a health bar that can be upgraded with collectibles found across the levels and from defeating baddies. you can also upgrade other parts of rodea in this system to make him fly further, attack with more power, etc. the wii version has more of a mario/mushroom upgrade system where collecting a power up gets him a super saiyan look, fly faster, and attack with more power. this resets at the start of each level.

the levels in the wii u/3ds version are also different. they lack all the 2d sub-levels present in the wii version, and each major level was redesigned around the 3ds's limitations. so things are more spread out. as a result the game has more of an action-adventure feel, with far-off islands to eventually explore.

 

[Nickdogmoneycash]

1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; One of the greatest RPG's I've ever had the pleasure of playing. The story, characters, and environments were all top notch.
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops III ; Single handedly revived the series for me.
3. Fallout 4 ; Admittedly not as good as some of the previous entries, but it still presents an absolutely gripping post-apocalyptic world, worthy of exploring.
4. Bloodborne ; Easily the hardest game I've played this year, but also the one that provides the most payoff. An insane amount of detail went into this one, with each area seemingly more gloomy than the last.
5. Until Dawn ; What a nice surprise this game was. Not a moment was wasted in this one, the pacing was good throughout.
6. Dying Light ; This was a survival zombie game done right. At the beginning you felt weak and powerless; by the end you were faster, stronger, and more athletic than even the toughest of zombies.
7. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; My first entry into the series, and it was a memorable one. The story could have been better, but the gameplay made up for it and then some.
8. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection ; After not owning a PS3 last generation, this was a must buy for me. UC1 felt dated, but the other two were simply fabulous.
9. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number ; The gameplay, soundtrack, and variety of the characters all made this worthy of a few play-throughs.
10. MLB 15: The Show ; Quite possibly the game I've spent the most time with this year. The stabilizing of the online play, adding of legends, and gameplay tweaks all made it one of my favorites this year.

 

[The Xtortionist]

My dude with GOAT Bloodborne propaganda post.


I would make a list filled with controversial opinions and brash statements, but I played like 50 games this year and only finished 3 so my post would be fraudulent. Rocket League's amazing, everything else goes in the bushes.

I won't judge ( &#865;° &#860;&#662; &#865;°)

Also, maybe this isn't the right place to ask but does anyone know if there are plans for a soundtrack of the year thread?

 

[Incendiary]

I think you're the first person, other than myself, to vote for it. That bums me out, because it's a hell of a game. And it definitely came out this year, so it's probably just an oversight.

Yeah, that's why I wasn't sure if there was something I was missing since when I started writing up my list, nobody else had mentioned it. Which I thought was weird because it's a great game...I figured surely more people on GAF than me liked it!

 

[hughesta]

1. Undertale; Just an incredible experience. The music, the story, the characters... haven't seen anything like it. Just beautiful.
2. Bloodborne
3. Splatoon
4. Xenoblade Chronicles X
5. The Witcher 3
6. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
7. Persona 4 Dancing All Night
8. Rocket League
9. SOMA
10. Call of Duty Black Ops 3

 

[gogosox82]

Damn this is starting already? Still need to play a couple more games.

 

[Deleted member 102362]

1. Fallout 4 ; I'm 103 hours in and don't see things letting up for a good while. I love the weapon modding system, the exploration, the combat, the variety of people and personalities, and the fact that I can wear clothing under armor. It certainly has its flaws, especially compared to Fallout: New Vegas (some of the writing, quest design decisions, some story/companion stuff), but those hasn't stopped me from having a ton of fun roaming the wastes of Boston with my robots n'shotguns, raiding raiders and exploring ruins, looting everywhere I go.

2. Hotline Miami 2 ; A bigger, better soundtrack, mixed with a deeper, weirder story and a cast of deplorable yet fascinating player characters with different abilities makes HM2 superior to HM1 in most respects. The gameplay is brutal and unforgiving - certainly not flawless, but far from boring. Finishing this game is an utterly satisfying experience that has me eager for the next Dennaton title.

3. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood ; Yes, more Nazi zombie killing action, but with two very important factors: 1. it was developed by the very talented Machine Games, and 2. you play once again as B.J. Blazkowicz, the ass-kicking, witticism-spewing, dual-wielding protagonist from the previous entries in the series. Half the fun in the game is hearing the commentary he offers on this alternate take on reality; the other half consists of excellent gunplay mixed with a touch of stealth and an interesting story.

 

[Papercuts]

Stuff

I'm not too sure I agree.

 

[The Xtortionist]

I'm not too sure I agree.

You may want to reconsider what you're saying.

 

[Bsigg12]

You may want to reconsider what you're saying.

He's not wrong.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Just look up which games u put 10+ hours into and make ur list generally some games cN b beaten in 10ish hours so u can use that to define which games u enjoyed the most from playing and compile it that way

I don't feel like I'd have enough enthusiasm to come up with a list and honestly comment on those games if I did that. Something like Fallout 4, for example, I had an okay time with for ~15 hours, but I know if I tried to finish that game I'd hate myself. That might be the story for any number of titles I didn't finish this year, even the shorter ones. My lust for revenge gaming isn't gone, so if I didn't manage to power through a game to finish it, I can only chalk it up to the game not engaging me on some level, which happened over, and over, and over this year. Even something like The Witcher 3 that had me absolutely immersed eventually petered out long before I got to the end.

But there's a month left to submit somethingt. Maybe I'll finish a ton of stuff by then and have a legit list (spoilers: Nahh, I won't)

 

[Cheesemeister]

Post reserved. On mobile.

Bummer.

 

[The Xtortionist]

I don't feel like I'd have enough enthusiasm to come up with a list and honestly comment on those games if I did that. Something like Fallout 4, for example, I had an okay time with for ~15 hours, but I know if I tried to finish that game I'd hate myself. That might be the story for any number of titles I didn't finish this year, even the shorter ones. My lust for revenge gaming isn't gone, so if I didn't manage to power through a game to finish it, I can only chalk it up to the game not engaging me on some level, which happened over, and over, and over this year. Even something like The Witcher 3 that had me absolutely immersed eventually petered out long before I got to the end.

But there's a month left to submit somethingt. Maybe I'll finish a ton of stuff by then and have a legit list (spoilers: Nahh, I won't)

Transformers doe

or are you saving all your passion for soundtrack of the year

 

[IKizzLE]

1. Witcher 3 The Wild Hunt ; One of the greatest games I've ever played. From the fully realized world to the multitude of ways to tackle any combat scenario, completing this game feels like an absolute journey.
2. Bloodborne ; Smothering atmosphere, visceral combat and some of the best boss battles I've ever played. One of a kind.
3. Rocket League
4. Call of Duty Black Ops 3
5. Star Wars Battlefront
6. Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain

 

[StaffyManasse]

This is going to be the year of Bloodborne essays, isn't it?

I feel like I simply cannot compete with the awesome write ups we have already seen. Maybe I will just say something silly about it, and the other games on my list.

 

[Zornack]

1. Bloodborne ; The only game that matters. Two years into the console and we already have our game of the generation. Impeccable gameplay wasn't enough, Miyazaki decided to also create the best Lovecraftian game to date. Some say Kos, others Kosm, but I say game of the year.
2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; This game was pretty good too.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Transformers doe

or are you saving all your passion for soundtrack of the year

More important to me than seeing if my personal favorite games won anything is having a list on hand for future reference of what I loved in 20XX. If I'm only posting about 1 or 2 games, it's kinda useless for me. I loved Transformers, but it's not enough.

I'll absolutely vote for it in a soundtrack thread though because I probably spent more time melting my face off with those songs than I did actually playing the game.

 

[Flunkie]

1. Rocket League ; There are no other games released in 2015 as far as I'm concerned.

 

[PeregrinSe7en]

1. Bloodborne ; what an amazing experience. amazing art direction. best of this gen bar none. memorable boss encounters. kickass weapons that are fun to master. no other game comes remotely close

2. Metal Gear Solid 5 ; what a fitting end to this series. Kojima, despite Konami's fuckery, leaves the series on a high note

3. Dying Light ; sleeper hit of the year. soo much fun to traverse Haran with satisfying melee combat to boot. really excited for the following dlc in february

4. Mad Max ; haven't beaten it yet, but it's everything a mad max game I envisioned. loads of fun.

5. Until Dawn ; another game i havent yet finished but what a pulse pounding experience it has been so far. the background music really sets the mood for the terror that awaits.

6. Black ops 3 ; fun campaign. zombies mode is great too. online mp is where the game truly shines. various game modes as well as tons of stuff to unlock gives it great replay value

7. Rocket League ; best indie game of the year. who woulda thunk soccer with cars would make a winning combination.

8. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture ; Quite the emotionally driven experience. although on the short side i enjoyed exploring that world and i would play a sequel if the chinese room made one.

9. White Night ; a terrifying journey into a haunted house with a twisted narrative.

10. The Order 1886 ; Enjoyed it for what it was meant to be but i hope the sequel (if there is one), will be a lot meatier

 

[The Xtortionist]

More important to me than seeing if my personal favorite games won anything is having a list on hand for future reference of what I loved in 20XX. If I'm only posting about 1 or 2 games, it's kinda useless for me. I loved Transformers, but it's not enough.

My list this year gets stomped by whatever I had last year and for 2013, I bet. I feel like nearly everything I enjoyed this year either wasn't that great to me, or was kinda great on some level but came with a huge list of caveats. eh

Next year is gonna be a fucking Royal Rumble.

 

[ron_bato]

1. Until Dawn ; My favorite game this year, and perhaps this generation. First, the game will live and die with the quality of the story, the writing, and performances, and those all delivered for me. As a huge horror nut, this felt really really genuine, and was a great homage to a number of inspirations from the genre. In addition, the game itself has some excellent production values, graphics, facial models (in general), the setting, the atmosphere and the mood all contribute to a fantastic experience. I enjoyed the butterfly effect and having to let go of whatever outcome was going to happen, and it delivered. I think I have three scenes in the game, where I was really surprised with what happened, and loved every minute of it. I don't mind that that the gameplay was simplistic, as the game delivered everything I hoped for. This game is a must play for horror fans.

2. The Witcher 3 ;Out of all the open world games I played this year, this was probably the least of a chore to play as side quests, and general quest design were all well thought out. I loved the story, and the performances, the combat was fine, it wasn't anything special, but it was good enough that I didn't consider it a chore to play.

3. NBA 2K16 ; Every year, VC delivers the best sports game, but since it's a sports game, it doesn't get enough attention. The level of detail, the depth of the gameplay, the authenticity, and excellent recreation of the sport, and the broadcast of basketball is second to none. I don't care too much for the story mode, because I never bothered with it, but the gameplay on the court is unparalleled and continues to evolve.

4. Metal Gear Solid V ; From a gameplay perspective, probably the most fun I've had with all open world games played this year. I just didn't enjoy the entire package, the story didn't click for me, and by chapter 2, I was already burned out and had to chug my way through. But those first 25 or so hours I played, I couldn't stop because of the great gameplay mechanics, it just felt a lot uneven towards the end.

That's about it, I don't feel compelled to vote for other games that I liked (like Arkham Knight - that was very uneven) nor did I stick long enough with other games I really enjoyed like Rocket League and Helldivers. Overall, it was a pretty great year for games. Looking forward to 2016.

 

[TheDarkKnight774]

Scrolling through the thread I see a Lot of people are not following the formatting rules detailed in the OP and their votes won't count. That numbering format and semicolon with comments is important and it's my understanding that without it your post is thrown out.

 

[Barry Burton]

1. Bloodborne ; My first "Souls" game. Although I fully expected to like this game going in, I wasn't prepared to fall in love with it the way that I did. Bloodborne is a master class in game design, level design, art design, combat and progression. It's a game that had its hooks in me from the start, and managed to occupy my thoughts for nearly every second that I wasn't playing the game. At work the day after failing the same boss fight 20 straight times? There I was, sitting around thinking about what to do differently the next chance I'd get to face him. In the middle of a five hour drive to go visit family? "I've got, like, six possible paths I can explore at this point in Bloodborne. When I get back home, what order should I tackle these in?" When I was playing it, I wanted to keep playing it. If I wasn't playing it, I wished that I was. Bloodborne is maybe the closest any video game has gotten to being an addictive drug for me. I found progressing through the game to be immensely rewarding and satisfying, and I couldn't get enough of it. It kept me coming back for more in a way that very few games do. (From Software, PS4)

2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; The Metal Gear franchise peaked on the Playstation 2, with the batshit insanity of Sons of Liberty and sheer brilliance of Snake Eater. Since then, the series has been on the decline, and I wasn't sure what to expect going into The Phantom Pain. As it turns out, it's the series strongest entry since those PS2 days, though I didn't reach that conclusion until after I'd run the gamut of emotions towards MGSV. It's a true "anti-Kojima" game, the sort of gameplay juggernaut with an understated narrative that I'd expect out of a Nintendo, but never from KojiPro. And through the first chapter, with all of the new systems that were constantly unlocking and the variety of ways to tackle each mission, I was a believer in this potentially being both the ultimate Metal Gear, and the ultimate stealth game. And then Ch. 2 happened. It was clear that, regardless of whose fault it was -- Kojima's? Konami's? Both? -- this was an unfinished product, and the haphazardly thrown-together "conclusion" left me feeling sour towards the game. But I returned to it, replaying the missions over and over, figuring out how to get S-ranks on each of them. And in this sort of second look, I discovered the real heart of the game, something that I had been missing earlier: you are Big Boss, the world's best espionage operative, leader of the Diamond Dogs. In the same way that carrying out the perfect assassination as Agent 47 feels awesome, figuring out how to successfully complete each mission quickly and efficiently (not necessarily quietly!) made me feel like peak Snake for the first time. None of this would have been possible if MGSV wasn't the best-playing game of 2015. It drove me to sink over 200 hours into getting the platinum trophy. For all of its flaws, and there are plenty, this is by far the game I spent the most time playing this year. And in his (likely) final go-round with the series, Kojima went out on a high note with his third great Metal Gear. (Kojima Productions, PS4)

3. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; If it were its own game, Gwent would have been a contender to make this list. Okay...maybe that's a little bit of hyperbole. But as one small part of a 100+ hour RPG, the excellence of Gwent is a microcosm of everything The Witcher 3 achieves on a much grander scale. I'm talking about the level of care that is put into every single piece of content in an incredibly content-rich videogame. Because as someone who has developed open-world fatigue over the last few years, I wasn't sure if I would like this game. Especially early on, as it became clear that this game was a staunch follower of modern open-world design -- no towers to climb here, but bulletin boards serve the same purpose of cluttering the map with "---> **GO HERE THIS IS IMPORTANT** <---" icons. So, what's different about The Witcher 3? Why is it one of the best games of 2015? It's because out of all of the things there are to see and do in this game -- and there's a ton of it -- very little felt like a throwaway. And that's what separates The Witcher 3 from the bulk of open-world games, which often fill the world with shallow, repetitive busywork. Here, even the most insignificant of quests has a worthwhile story associated with it. Main quests, side quests and everything in between often intertwine and overlap, establishing a world that truly feels real and lived-in. Consequently, I did everything that I could do in this game, because if I didn't, I'd have felt like I was missing out on something that was worth my time. Within the constraints of a traditional open-world structure, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt puts forth an impressive display of writing and world-building that runs laps around its peers. It has set the bar for all story-driven, open-world games going forward. (CD Projekt RED, PS4)

4. Soma ; If not for the underwhelming monster encounters (especially compared with last year's stellar Alien: Isolation), this may have been my game of the year. That's because SOMA is a tremendous achievement in video game storytelling, pacing, and creating suspense. And by bringing all of these elements together in a well-crafted and believable world, SOMA succeeds in being one of the most atmospheric games I've ever played. It strikes a really nice balance between quiet, serene moments, and the slow building-up of tension to the occasional terrifying, thrilling moment. It's not an overly scary game, but delivers when that's what it goes for. Design-wise, it rarely holds your hand, leaving it mostly up to the player to explore and figure out where to go, what to do, and how to piece the story together. It offers a thought-provoking narrative where choices are less about how in-game events will play out, and hits more on a personal level about whether or not these choices line up with what you'd consider moral or ethical. Despite most of these decisions having no real far-reaching effects on the game's story, I still found myself questioning my actions well after finishing the game. Now that's effective storytelling. (Frictional Games, PS4)

5. The Talos Principle ; A first-person puzzler that expects a lot out of you as a player, Talos admirably fills the void left by the lack of Portal since 2011. Figuring out the solution for each puzzle, and then further exploring each world for hidden secrets, was tremendously engaging and fun. It's clever and challenging and offers a lot of things to think about, both in terms of its puzzles and its better-than-expected story. (Croteam, PS4)

6. Yoshi's Woolly World ; Deceptively-challenging and bringing something unique to each level, Yoshi's Woolly World is the second-best 2D platformer on the Wii U behind Tropical Freeze, and it represents the developers' best work since Wario Land: Shake It! It's the most charming game I've played all year. (Good-Feel, Wii U)

7. Fallout 4 ; In a year that featured a lot of big open-world games, I've come to really appreciate how no one makes them quite like Bethesda does. I've sunk dozens and dozens of hours into Fallout 4 already, and I've barely even scratched the surface of the story. The post-apocalyptic Massachusetts setting that they've crafted has been an absolute joy to explore thus far, by virtue of how richly-detailed and content-dense it is. There's so much to see and do within walking distance of virtually every spot on the map, and so I've spent the bulk of my time just roaming around, looking to uncover the next new location. The story is obviously this game's big shortcoming. Because of the built-in backstory, there's this persistent nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I shouldn't be doing all of the things that I've been having fun doing in the game. There seems to be a disconnect between the story they're telling and the story that this style of game should have. The new gameplay additions to the Bethesda open-world formula are also very hit-or-miss, and there are many other aspects of the game's design that leave a lot to be desired, but I can't deny how much fun I've had just wandering from place to place. (Bethesda Game Studios, PS4)

8. Ori and the Blind Forest ; Ori is one of the prettiest-looking games I've ever played. But there's far more to it than just how beautiful it looks and sounds; it's a really great Metroidvania that doubles as a very tightly-designed and very challenging 2D platformer. (Moon Studios, XBO)

9. Undertale ; I was an N64 kid, and as such, I don't have the same sort of reverence for 16-bit-era JRPGs that players that grew up with those games do. So going into Undertale, I didn't really have any expectations. A lot of people were raving about it, and at some point I felt I needed to see what all of the fuss was about. And at the halfway point of the game, I still wasn't sure. I was liking it overall, but the gameplay was uninteresting and repetitive, and the humor was very hit or miss; I cringed at the jokes about as often as I laughed at them. But the game's final act was something to behold - a delightful combination of thoughtful storytelling and a willingness to engage and surprise, and within the only medium where such a story could be told. By the time it concluded, I felt a genuine sense of empathy and compassion for the enemy characters that I've mercilessly and thoughtlessly massacred in 99% of all video games. It resonated with me in a way that I never expected, and that's why it's on the list. (tobyfox, PC)

10. Until Dawn ; Until Dawn is a David Cage-style game that's actually good. It follows the same basic concept, where a series of split-second (and often heart-pounding!) choices moves the story along one of many different branches. But the difference here is dialogue that happens to be both well-written and well-acted, and because it's all so well-executed, they end up nailing the "teen horror" experience they were going for with this game. It's every bit the video game equivalent of a B-horror/slasher film, complete with all the cheap jump scares and cheesy dialogue you could ever ask for. The result is one of the most genuinely entertaining games I've played all year. Beyond that, I was impressed with its chops as a horror game and its ability to subvert genre expectations. I'm looking forward to playing through it again next Halloween. (Supermassive Games, PS4)

x. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; As with the 2013 reboot, this is still not the Tomb Raider that I want. But it's a markedly better game than its predecessor in every respect, striking a better balance between exploration, crafting and combat. It's also one of the most impressive-looking games I played in 2015. Sure, there's still not nearly enough tomb raiding for a game in which you star as "The Tomb Raider", but most of my time spent playing this game was worthwhile and fun. And in the end, that's really not such a bad thing, is it? (Crystal Dynamics, XBO)

x. Grow Home ; I'm glad that this game can exist in 2015, and from Ubisoft, no less! It takes N64/Gamecube-era 3D platforming in a direction that I've always wanted to see it go. (Ubisoft Reflections, PS4)

 

[Lys Skygge]

I'm actually really excited to vote this year. It was seriously a great year for gaming in my opinion. I just gotta complete a couple games I'm in the middle of, and maybe try Undertale since I've heard it's amazing, then I'll post my list.

 

[30yearsofhurt]

1. Metal Gear Solid V: the Phantom Pain. Although it has its flaws it still was deeply engrossing and I ultimately spent two months of my life eating, sleeping and breathing this game.
2. Bloodborne ; I still don't understand what was happening or what my part was in it but the nightmare finally ended with a platinum trophy. Superbly creepy world and atmosphere made this more than a game; it was an experience.
3. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood. Even though it was way shorter it was still the best first-person shooter I played this year.
4. Destiny: The Taken King. The best shooting mechanics I've played. Although not the best FPS by any stretch it was easy to sink 100+ hours into this just based on the gunplay and loot mechanics.


I played a lot more this year but these are the only ones that really stood out from every thing else or weren't released last year (I'm still playing Diablo ]I[: RoS and Persona 4: Golden ffs)

 

[KyanMehwulfe]

1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; diamond dogs story and mother base gameplay made its free roam my most played game of the year
2. Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence ; new policy system made it a big improvement over recent koei 4x imo
3. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; it's been the most i've ever felt like i was actually in a fantasy novel, and it looked like the painting on its cover, to boot

 

[lowhighkang_LHK]

1. Bloodborne; superb gameplay. Tons of repeatability abd I loved the lore.

2. Soma; great story. Not many games make me think about concepts of life and death the way soma did.

 

[plutoknight]

1. Until Dawn -- Until Dawn isn't a perfect game; the replayability is a little low, some of the acting is off, and, really, like all 'choice' games, you can narrow it down to a certain sort-of...dichotomy of "everyone lives" or "everyone dies." That being said, Until Dawn is definitely my biggest playable SURPRISE of the year, and it all comes down to pacing.

2. Undertale -- What can I say about this game that hasn't been said already? The soundtrack is phenomenal, the writing is very well done, and somehow, Toby Fox and co. have created a great cast of characters, and a game chock full of surprises that uses the medium to great effect. Undertale is what would happen if more developers tried to mimic games like Nier.

3. Life is Strange -- Another EXCELLENT surprise awaited me inside Blackwell Academy. Who knew that the combination of Twin Peaks, Degrassi, and Twilight Zone could work so well -- but dontnod mostly hit it out of the park. Just like with Until Dawn and Undertale, Life is Strange gave me a great cast of characters, an excellent setting, and tied that all together with great art direction. Life is Strange also contains some of the most emotionally tense moments I've experienced in a game in a long, long time.

4. Splatoon -- I generally stay away from Mainly-Multiplayer shooters, but there's something about Splatoon that keeps luring me back in. I think it's the simplicity of it all -- it follows the old Blizzard mantra of 'easy to play, but hard to master' and it's all the better for it.

5. Yoshi's Woolly World -- I haven't played a platformer this 'chill' since DKC: Tropical Freeze. It's a GREAT thing to see a game that doesn't take itself too seriously and that, actually, kind of embraces the whole "You're here to have fun!" idea. Everything, from the visuals, to the excellent soundtrack, works together to form a game that's the perfect remedy for those stressful days (at least, until you run into the checkpoint system.)

Honorable Mentions:
x. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain -- I never, ever, ever thought that, in a year where a Metal Gear Solid game releases, that it wouldn't even be part of my main GOTY list! MGS is one of the two game series I hardcore fanboy over! And yet, here we are -- MGSV contains some of the BEST gameplay in the entire series. It was a BLAST to play, but, man, what was up with that story. I know that MGSV will be great for sandboxers for years to come, much in the same way that GTAV or Just Cause are great for those types of folks, too. But I like good gameplay to be married to a good story, and MGSV just....fell flat on that.

x. Tearaway Unfolded -- I'm loving this trend of high-quality platformers making a return to the (mostly) mainstream. Tearaway was great on the Vita, and whether it's your first time guiding Iota, or you're a veteran of the Vita version, the PS4 version has enough new stuff in it to keep you guessing. Plus, again, the soundtrack is sublime.



I think that's it. Most of the games I've played to completion this year have been older titles (I mean, I'm 12 hours into my first run of Suikoden 2! I finally finished FF5 this year!) But, I think this has been a banner year for gaming.

 

[lowhighkang_LHK]

1. Bloodborne - what an amazing experience. amazing art direction. best of this gen bar none. memorable boss encounters. kickass weapons that are fun to master. no other game comes remotely close

2. Metal Gear Solid 5 - what a fitting end to this series. Kojima, despite Konami's fuckery, leaves the series on a high note

3. Dying Light - sleeper hit of the year. soo much fun to traverse Haran with satisfying melee combat to boot. really excited for the following dlc in february

4. Mad Max - haven't beaten it yet, but it's everything a mad max game I envisioned. loads of fun.

5. Until Dawn - another game i havent yet finished but what a pulse pounding experience it has been so far. the background music really sets the mood for the terror that awaits.

6. Black ops 3 - fun campaign. zombies mode is great too. online mp is where the game truly shines. various game modes as well as tons of stuff to unlock gives it great replay value

7. Rocket League - best indie game of the year. who woulda thunk soccer with cars would make a winning combination.

8. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture - Quite the emotionally driven experience. although on the short side i enjoyed exploring that world and i would play a sequel if the chinese room made one.

9. White Night - a terrifying journey into a haunted house with a twisted narrative.

10. The Order 1886 - Enjoyed it for what it was meant to be but i hope the sequel (if there is one), will be a lot meatier

Semicolons dude.

 

[JJDubz]

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; It is the best RPG (that isn't isometric) that I've ever played. It has taken every other major WRPG to task with its detailed questing, great writing, and superb voice acting. The combat is challenging, engaging, and a heck of a lot of fun. It is the perfect ending to Geralt's trilogy (even if it was a bit rushed) and has cemented CD Projekt RED as the top RPG developer in the business.
2. Undertale ; I didn't have any expectations of this game when I bought it. I didn't know anything about the game, just that it looked like Earthbound. What I played was the biggest surprise of the past couple years and a work that was crafted with love and

Spoiler

D E T E R M I N A T I O N

. The humor hits, the sadness hits, and the happiness hits. Was very close to taking my top spot, but Witcher 3 is just too great.
3. Kerbal Space Program ; The game I have dreamed of having since I was a kid. KSP is sitting at 3rd place only due to the massive amount of time that I put into the Alpha & Beta. Nothing else has grasped my sense of wonder, joy, anxiety, or accomplishment as well as KSP has.
4. Pillars of Eternity ; I am a complete mark for anything that Obsidian makes. Much like Witcher 3, the well-written subject matter is something that is sorely needed in the medium. With a love for Baldur's Gate and Planescape, I had insanely high expectations. Those expectations were met.
5. Cities: Skylines ; A city builder with a freedom to do what you want. The anti-SimCity, an open game with open arms to mods. Insanely fun and a great experience.
6. Rocket League ; The only mp game that I spent considerable time with this year, and it is a joy to play. It is simple, and that's a great thing. Pick up and play is great, and the matches are quick enough to be quick jolts of enjoyment.
7. Until Dawn ; I shouldn't have loved this game. I'm not a flan of slasher films (save for the Alien series) but it was a lot of fun to experience. There was character development, which was a major surprise, and I grew to like many of the characters that I hated at the start.
8. Super Mario Maker ; It brings a bit of disappointment when I put SMM this low on my list. There is a great, GOTY product here, but a complete lack of foresight and misunderstanding of what the SMM consumer will want ends with something that should be much better.

x. Nuclear Throne ; Haven't spent enough time with it. It's fun, but I don't see it grabbing my interest for very long.
x. Downwell ; Much like Nuclear Throne, it hasn't grabbed me like Binding of Isaac or Spelunky did. I expected to have a rogue-like pull me in, but of the ones I've played this year, nothing did. Plenty of fun, not enough substance.

This is what I've played that was released this year and was worthy of making my list. I've been getting lost in EUIV and working my way through an (almost) insurmountable backlog.

Dishonorable Mention
MGS V - It's fun to play for about 7ish hours. Then it falls into tedium. Everything is tedious. The story is complete nonsense, and the nonsense isn't anywhere near good enough to make it enjoyable. I've played an MGS title with good controls before and Ground Zeroes did just as much to ruin MGS V as Quiet's questionable design/explanation, its poor story, and its disgusting online practices.
Fallout 4 - This isn't what I want from Fallout. I want to role-play and I want to experience writing that doesn't flounder. I don't expect future Bethsoft titles to suddenly pivot back to RPG's, and it's sad that I may never play a new Fallout again.
Bloodborne - This is most likely more me than it is Bloodborne. I've played Demon's Souls and both Dark Souls through to completion and I'm just tired of these games. Yes, the art, music, and design is great. But everything else seems to be more of the same and I desperately need a break. It was a drag and I wasn't having the fun that I had with the previous iterations.

2015's Old Games of Note
Europa Universalis IV - Each expansion has offered drastic changes and additions to the game. Even if The Cossacks is a bit overpriced, they still cause me to play 1 or 2 campaigns. Hearts of Iron is looking fantastic and Stellaris has the potential to be perfection.
Binding of Isaac: Rebirth - Afterbirth added bullshit and not fun, so I haven't touched that expansion since its release.
Divinity: Original Sin - A beautiful world, beautiful music, serviceable writing, and great combat.

A quick note is the prevalence of Paradox Interactive. Just want to give them a quick recognition, as they have given me a ton of fun over the past 2-3 years.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

My list this year gets stomped by whatever I had last year and for 2013, I bet. I feel like nearly everything I enjoyed this year either wasn't that great to me, or was kinda great on some level but came with a huge list of caveats. eh

Next year is gonna be a fucking Royal Rumble.

Yeah 2016 has a lot of titles I'm itching to play. Could've said the same for this year though, and I ended up not finishing anything :X

 

[BakkaGames]

1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; One of the best RPGs ever made.
2. Bloodborne ; My first Souls game. Loved every second of it.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ;
4. Splatoon ;
5. Persona 4: Dancing All Night ;
6. Her Story ;
7. Life is Strange ;

 

[guek]

1. Splatoon; The freshest experience I had this year and easily my most played game of 2015
2. Xenoblade Chronicles X; I'm still only about a quarter of my way through this massive game but I can already put it at number 2...though that's not saying much, haha
3. Bloodborne; A really solid game from all angles aside from story
4. Shovel Knight; My surprise gem of 2015

I didn't play enough games this year :-(

 

[t26]

1. Yakuza 5; There is just so much to do.
2. Yakuza 0; import only but great story
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain; Best metal gear since MGS3
4. Tales of Zesteria; best cast since Vesperia
5. Final Fantasy Type-0 HD; would be better as a portable game.
6. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3; best warrior game of the year
7. Onechanbara Z2: Chaos; meh fanservice

 

[Wagram]

.

You need to use a ; for them to count.

 

[The Xtortionist]

Yeah 2016 has a lot of titles I'm itching to play. Could've said the same for this year though, and I ended up not finishing anything :X

You should blitz through Batmang at least. I want to see what you think of the ending sequence :3

 

[Aceofspades]

1. Bloodborne ; Amazing soundtrack, epic battles, combat is the best in souls games. BB is the perfect package.
2. Until Dawn ; surprise of the year, amazing pace and well put story.
3. Helldivers ; Had countless hours of fun with my friends playing Helldivers, amazing game.
4. Fallout 4 ; First fallout game for me, loved the vastness of the world and gameplay was fun.
5. Rocket League ; Still played by me to this day, quick fun with my friends. Solid gameplay mechanics.
6. Grand Theft Auto V ; Well crafted open world game, details are beyond anything I have seen before.story missions are well done.
7. Grim Fandango Remastered ; Charming characters, and the story is simply amazing.
8. Odd World New n Tasty ; Big fan of the original games on PS1, this remaster captures everything about oddworld and makes it suitable for this age.
9. Everybody gone to the Rapture ; unique game, interesting characters and the story was beautiful.
10. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection ; Beautiful execution of PS3 masterpieces, tight gameplay and amazing set-pieces.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

You should blitz through Batmang at least. I want to see what you think of the ending sequence :3

It's still on my HDD which bodes well considering I've been deleting a lot of other stuff to make space for more stuff. I'll get back to you on that in the next 7 3/4 months.