So how do you think I should I play Hitman whenever i get it to get the best experience? Should I be replaying each level a bunch of times before moving on to the next one? I'm hoping to pick it up soon!
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
GAF Games of the Year 2016 - Voting Thread [Voting closed]
- Thread starter Cheesemeister
- Start date
So how do you think I should I play Hitman whenever i get it to get the best experience? Should I be replaying each level a bunch of times before moving on to the next one? I'm hoping to pick it up soon!
1. FINAL FANTASY XV;A masterful gameplay, lovable characters and immersive world that made up for a lacking story.
2.Ratchet & Clank;Beautiful, fluid animations, tons of care and tight gameplay. The movie might've sucked but the game was amazing.
3.Uncharted 4;Perfect ending for such a great series
4. Gravity Rush Remastered;A simple game with the most adorable female character ever and some amazing sense of super powers
5.Overwatch;I used to hate multiplayer, now I'll pay $60 a year just for this game
6.Pokemon Sun;A breath of Fresh Air for Pokemon
The rest are ok at best not really deserving a vote
2.Ratchet & Clank;Beautiful, fluid animations, tons of care and tight gameplay. The movie might've sucked but the game was amazing.
3.Uncharted 4;Perfect ending for such a great series
4. Gravity Rush Remastered;A simple game with the most adorable female character ever and some amazing sense of super powers
5.Overwatch;I used to hate multiplayer, now I'll pay $60 a year just for this game
6.Pokemon Sun;A breath of Fresh Air for Pokemon
The rest are ok at best not really deserving a vote
Riposte
Member
I can't see Overwatch not taking this. It had the most visibility and farthest spread for longer.
Yeah, I found myself putting a quarter of the time in most maps that I did in Paris (and then Hokkaido). Then again, that could be because it's one of the better maps.
SolidSnakeUS
Member
1. Uncharted 4 ; Amazing new direction to the game that the series needed. Fantastic writing, characters, sound and good story. One of the best send offs to a series ever.
2. Doom ; The action, the soundtrack, the gameplay, all of it is outstanding. Easily one of the best FPS SP campaigns in a long time. Gleefully violent and infinitely entertaining.
3. Titanfall 2 ; Pitch perfect MP with tight and polished gameplay for both shooting, moving and overall control. Titans and pilots feel outstanding. Didn't play the SP yet.
4. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; Well written, well acted, great open world stealth and a very well realized city helps drive this game. While it just kind of ends, the story is very well done.
5. Overwatch ; Amazing art direction, characters, sound design and match to match gameplay. The best eSports game out there right now.
2. Doom ; The action, the soundtrack, the gameplay, all of it is outstanding. Easily one of the best FPS SP campaigns in a long time. Gleefully violent and infinitely entertaining.
3. Titanfall 2 ; Pitch perfect MP with tight and polished gameplay for both shooting, moving and overall control. Titans and pilots feel outstanding. Didn't play the SP yet.
4. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; Well written, well acted, great open world stealth and a very well realized city helps drive this game. While it just kind of ends, the story is very well done.
5. Overwatch ; Amazing art direction, characters, sound design and match to match gameplay. The best eSports game out there right now.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
Absolutely. Hitman is not a series where you just stumble your way through an assassination and move to the next one. Its about exploring the sandbox levels, learning all the opportunities for using disguises and props, exploiting the environment and NPCs, and eventually get so good you basically know the level like the back of your hand. The ultimate rank in previous Hitman was Silent Assassin, where you were so good you could complete your assassination without the body being found or even raising an alarm. As if you were never there at all.
Its a very unique series that treats stealth like a puzzle to be solved and eventually mastered, and Im afraid that if you get it all at one time you might just fly through the whole thing in one sitting and then wonder what the big deal is.
1. Hitman ; Despite admiring the series from afar, before 2016 I'd never played a Hitman game. It took a few videos from Giant Bomb and a few months of positive word of month, but once I finally set foot on that fake plywood yacht for the first time everything clicked. The detailed, clockwork sandboxes overflowing with opportunity, each its own flavor and each highly replayable. The suave, silly tone that allows you to inhabit an Agent 47 that's both impossibly cool and impressively stupid. The improvisational, tactical approach to stealth that ends up feeling like an adventure game with costume changes above all else. And the episodic rollout with weekly updates, giving each location its time to shine while leaving an impressive amount of content in its wake. Of everything I played this year nothing has been as tense as the conclusion to each one time only elusive target, gunning for that exit or blowing it in spectacular fashion. Nothing has been as funny as the sharp writing, over the top scenarios, random pedestrian dialogue and surreal Easter eggs sprinkled throughout each episode. And nothing has been as satisfying as a well planned, well executed hit, backed by the knowledge gained from previous runs, knowing the dials to turn and buttons to push to make the systems dance.
2. The Witness ; My trip to Jonathan Blow's puzzle island paradise is one I won't soon forget. A beautiful and mysterious getaway where learning, logic and careful observation are your keys to unlocking all it has to offer. From the moment you first trace from left to right on a single line to open a door, class is in session. Everything you need to progress can be found within those glowing panels that dot the landscape; new symbols, themes and variations on existing concepts, cryptic ruminations that provide moments of epiphany and tools to add to your growing arsenal of puzzle solving knowledge. The lush and colorful surroundings hint at a lore that never truly reveals itself but simply losing yourself in the meticulous beauty of The Witness elevates the entire experience. That path you always overlooked leading to an area you've never been to, returning to conquer that once inscrutable door puzzle and seeing what's inside, or just taking a slow boat ride to admire the sights.
3. Doom ; All the superlatives that have been thrown towards id Software's brilliant reimagining of Doom in 2016 rings true for me. The pitch perfect opening, the puzzle-like gunplay, the self aware tone, the enemy and level design, gorgeous visuals and blistering soundtrack - everything comes together to create as focused and enjoyable a campaign as I could hope for considering the weight and history behind the name. Playing it again for a second time now and it's even better than I remember from the summer.
4. The Last Guardian ; A mesmerizing journey that tackles the concept of companionship, one that instantly struck a chord with me as a pet owner. Beautifully directed with the sense of wonder you expect from a Ueda game fully intact despite the long development cycle. Painstakingly animated, puzzles that give pause but are never too tough to decipher, lovely soundtrack. Trico is unforgettable.
5. Forza Horizon 3 ; Just a blindingly good arcade racer with all the fixings. Whether I'm recklessly sliding across the desert in a tricked out rally car for combos, swapping paint in tight races around city environments Tokyo Drift style or just cruising for challenges while enjoying the music selection, Forza Horizon 3 is a good time that's hard to put down and the peak of the series to date.
6. Stellaris ; Slow burn Sci-Fi galactic empire simulator that resonated with me more than any other strategy game this year, despite it being a strong one for the genre and having its share of legitimate gripes. The kind of game I can fire up, mess with the extensive civilization creation settings and get lost in space for a weekend at a time every few months or so, trying different approaches and seeing what changes and additions the folks at Paradox have brought to the table since my last binge.
7. Inside ; When I saw there was a ‘Best Use Of A Farm Animal’ category in the 2016 Steam Awards, I knew which game was getting my vote. Inside gives off a Brothers Grimm meets Animal Farm vibe from the start, spiraling into a surreal narrative that surpasses its progenitor Limbo in just about every way. Even if a few hangups from that game still linger, it’s easy to appreciate everything it excels at. The atmosphere is thick and dreamy, with a striking muted color palette and meaningfully sparse sound design. The animations are hypnotically good, the puzzles are clever and well integrated. Inside is polished, focused, and true to an artistic vision, top tier nonverbal storytelling that’s spooky and strange and I didn't always enjoy playing it but that’s ok too.
8. Final Fantasy XV ; In Final Fantasy XV one of your bros, Prompto, carries around a camera. Throughout the game Prompto takes photos of your crew doing stuff - standing around gas stations, fighting monsters, cruising in the ride, insert plot image here - whenever he feels like it. You can see him doing it in the background, or as other bros pose, or in a selfie as his photo taking skills level up. Driving by scenic views triggers group picture quests, and at night, after setting up camp under the stars and picking out a deliciously rendered meal, you go through the shots of the day and save your favorites to a library of 150. Photography plays into the narrative as well - it’s a link to your father, whose photo with his own bros (now NPC’s) parallels your journey. If the nightly routine of photo browsing changes, you feel it. And when you’re asked to pick a single photo as the game winds down, I lingered for much longer than anticipated. It fully hit me then that, despite recognizing FFXV as flawed and compromised, it was also pretty special. And then not long after it kind of nails the ending, which both reinforced my appreciation and added to the disappointment of a near miss. The prospect of long term care smoothing out the rough edges is promising, but even in its current state FFXV is engrossing and fascinating, if not always entirely coherent.
9. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; A smaller scale project than its predecessor and a clear middle chapter but one that scratches the itch of open ended stealth, near future subject matter and thought provoking conversation like only Deus Ex can. Expands upon the universe in meaningful and interesting ways, Prague is a rich hub city to explore. Navigating environments can be a little formulaic and the AI is pure video game, but sneaking around and exploiting the branching level and quest design is as engaging as ever. Some of the best side quests of the year as well.
10. Titanfall 2 ; Fast and fluid first person traversal. Mechs that pack a punch and are fun to operate. A standout single player campaign that features some excellent one off mechanics and inventive set pieces while teaching you how to play. And then there's the briskly paced multiplayer with smartly laid out maps and progression incentives that compliment the gameplay nicely. I really need to put more time into the MP, after some thought it's probably my favorite of the year despite strong competition.
Honorable Mentions:
x. XCOM 2
x. Overwatch
x. Picross 3D: Round 2
x. Sid Meier's Civilization VI
x. Zero Time Dillema
x. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
None of these are going to count. The formatting is in the OP - Cheesemeister needs you guys to follow it because voting is automated and your ballots won't be picked up by the script.
1. The Witness ; One of the best puzzle games I've played, with an amazing concept behind it. Its 'open world' structure is the first time I've felt that approach benefitted gameplay. If you're stumped on a puzzle, go look somewhere else. Dropping a puzzle sometimes works wonders, because when you return with a fresh mind, sometimes you get it in a few minutes. There's even a whole metroidvania element to it: if you're running around the town in the beginning of the game, you can't decipher any of the puzzles because you haven't learned that 'code' yet. The upgrades in this game are knowledge, it's genius.
2. The Last Guardian ; Like most Team ICO fans I waited years for this, and somehow after I beat it all that time didn't matter anymore. I expected great things, but I even liked it more than ICO and SOTC. I loved Trico's behaviour and the bond you develop over the hours. I can see some of the complaints people have, but for me it was a near flawless experience, apart from the camera acting up sometimes. The hours of buildup lead to a finale that is just unforgettable and deeply moving. My favorite video game ending since The Last of Us.
3. INSIDE ; Playdead takes everything they've learned from Limbo, and make something more polished and refined with Inside. What impressed me is the smooth transition between 'chapters'. Each section flows perfectly into the next, and it really feels like one continuous experience. The game is also best when played in a single session to enhance this effect. So the short length is a plus more than anything.
Inside also shows restraint: there are mechanics that other games would milk 20 puzzles out of, but Playdead just gives us a few, and then we move on. It shows how needlessly padded and stretched out other games are. So obviously I'd say that the pacing is on point.I'm not even going to expand on the story/setting that much, because I want to get a better grasp of that after a second playthrough. Suffice to say that there's a lot here to take in. The finale is especially memorable, and one of the major reasons why you should play this.
4. Watch Dogs 2 ; I never played WD1, but the sequel interested me because of the change in setting and tone. It turned out to be one of my biggest surprises of the year! I loved this game and kept playing long after the credits rolled. It's refreshing to play an open world game where you don't have to shoot anything if you don't want to. I started out trying gun combat in some encounters, but that just got me killed more quickly. Figuring out how to use hacking effectively, and deploying the RC car and the drone, made me fall in love with the game. For some missions you can just sit outside and remote play/hack your way through it, while you're listening to Eric B & Rakim. When you do have to enter a facility, there are some useful upgrades to help you make a clean exit. I always had fun during any of the missions (side or main), because your options are so varied. To top this off, I loved most of the characters and enjoyed the great and diverse soundtrack (both original and licensed tracks).
5. DOOM ; DOOM is back with a downright outstanding campaign, even outmatching Wolf TNO for me. The action is incredibly frantic, and the glory kill system (melee finishers) is a great addition to the combat. The animation for those finishers is top notch and they feel incredibly satisfying to do. You also get health for doing them, so it's a mechanic that is very useful when things get hairy: you get health, and a split second to catch your breath.
Every weapon is fun to use, and have alternate fire modes you can upgrade. Combat hardly ever gets stale if you mix those up a bit and combine them with power-ups. The rush you feel when you complete one of the bigger encounters, is magnificent. I want to replay this on a harder difficulty, just to get that feeling all over again.In between encounters it pays off to explore the complex maps, because they're riddled with secrets, upgrades and other - actually useful!- collectibles. The great map is your trusty companion here.
You rip and tear until it's done... and if you're like me you'll want to start all over again immediately.
6. Dark Souls 3 ; We know how the Souls games work and play out by now, and at worst 3 would feel like 'another' sequel, but Miyazaki and team somehow avoided that. The level design was more complex than ever, and the references to DkS 1 were mostly well handled. I continued to be impressed while playing, somehow they made this the best entry yet.
7. Hyper Light Drifter ; If you love 2D Zelda games and fast-paced, challenging combat, you need to try out Hyper Light Drifter. The artstyle and Disasterpeace OST are just icing on the cake. The 30 fps lock is disappointing, but overall I loved every second of this.
8. Pokémon Go ; Most people bailed out of Pokémon GO after the summer, but I kept going until I had every possible Pokémon at 143 (now 150 I guess with the first gen 2 update). The game itself is very bare bones and lacking in features, but I still had a lot of fun hunting, hatching and battling. The community aspect of the game is what made this one of the more memorable experiences of the year. I understand those that quit early because there's not much game there. What I loved about GO is that it could make a mundane work day better, like if you got to work still half-asleep and there was a Muk waiting at the door. I also did a lot more walking than I'd usually do. I'm done for the moment though, until they add more of gen 2 in the wild.
9. Titanfall 2 ; The campaign got so much praise, so I had to try it out. I like how some levels have an unique concept behind them, but don't overstay their welcome. It's a short but very sweet singleplayer, that never feels padded out. Can't really comment on the multi, but it got addictive and I was almost inclined to keep playing after a few matches.
10. Firewatch ; Staring at breathtaking vistas while listening to Chris Remo's fantastic soundtrack... there are worse ways to spend your time. But at its core Firewatch is about the growing bond between two people who haven't even met. A lot of players were disappointed by the ending, but I thought it was very fitting, a bit daring even.
x. Oxenfree ; A group of teenagers explore an island and discover it hides a dark secret. If you like paranormal elements in your games, you'll get a kick out of Oxenfree. It has elements of Twin Peaks, Lost and even Poltergeist. The biggest strength of Oxenfree is its developed cast of characters, that make the story believable.
x. Unravel ; Very charming puzzle-platformer, with inventive puzzles. Also looks absolutely gorgeuous. It may look like a style over substance game, but the platform/puzzle mix is really well done. Good soundtrack too.
x. Abzû ; The art director and composer of Journey return for a game that feels very similar to Thatgamecompany's acclaimed title. Only now you discover the vast ocean and all its secrets. It's a very relaxing experience, but it tries a bit too hard to recreate Journey's formula. In the end it felt a bit like a retread to me. This was a game that enthralled me while I was playing, but got a bit more critical on after I reflected on it later. Fans of Journey should definitely check out Abzû though, if only for Austin Wintory's soundtrack.
x. Bound ; This is another Journey-like experience, but Bound does more than Abzû to make it feel unique. First there's the gorgeous abstract artstyle, that fits well with the symbolic nature of the story. Bound's only misstep is that it also tries to be a platformer - complete with trick jumps and sequence breaks- but once you try some precise jumps or shortcuts, you see how the controls are not suited for it at all. They tried to add in some replay value with the hidden items/shortcuts and different paths to clear a level, but it's not very fun.
x. Gears of War 4 ; If you liked the trilogy on Xbox 360, you'll love this. Not much has changed gameplay-wise The campaign is almost on Epic's level and it shines especially in co-op. The early acts are the weakest because shooting robots (deebees) is not as much fun as shooting grubs. But there's more than enough of that later on. Didn't play the multi much, but Horde is as fun as ever.
davidwhangchoi
Member
1. Final Fantasy 15; bc it i played the crap out of it straight and it didn't go to my backlog. damn haven't said that in a long time for a FF game.
2. Yakuza 5; bc damn it finally came out and it was fun.
3. Ace attorney spirit of justice; was ok but i haven't played anything else worthy this year. i'm looking at other lists to try and find something to vote for.
4. Ratchet and Clank; bc it looks amazing on Pro
5. Zero Time Dilemma; it actually wasn't that good but i can't think of anything else.
6. Kentucky Road Zero Episode IV; that is freakin amazing game.
2. Yakuza 5; bc damn it finally came out and it was fun.
3. Ace attorney spirit of justice; was ok but i haven't played anything else worthy this year. i'm looking at other lists to try and find something to vote for.
4. Ratchet and Clank; bc it looks amazing on Pro
5. Zero Time Dilemma; it actually wasn't that good but i can't think of anything else.
6. Kentucky Road Zero Episode IV; that is freakin amazing game.
Edwards_Omatic
Member
Rather busy making games this year so didn't have much time to play. I'll list my top 5.
1. Dishonored 2 ; Best art direction and environments I've come across in a game. That paired with superb gameplay was exactly what I wanted. Perfect.
2. Doom ; One of the funnest games I've ever played.
3. Uncharted 4 ; Incredible polish and stupidly pretty. Gameplay was the best in the series too.
4. Gears of War 4 ; Gears 1 is my favourite multiplayer game, and this feels very much like it. True return to form for the franchise.
5. Layers of Fear ; Fantastic little horror game that was legitimately creepy (unlike most of the horror games I've played) and had some fantastic ideas and environments.
1. Dishonored 2 ; Best art direction and environments I've come across in a game. That paired with superb gameplay was exactly what I wanted. Perfect.
2. Doom ; One of the funnest games I've ever played.
3. Uncharted 4 ; Incredible polish and stupidly pretty. Gameplay was the best in the series too.
4. Gears of War 4 ; Gears 1 is my favourite multiplayer game, and this feels very much like it. True return to form for the franchise.
5. Layers of Fear ; Fantastic little horror game that was legitimately creepy (unlike most of the horror games I've played) and had some fantastic ideas and environments.
I feel like this thread should be done in March of next year,
I know I will play for sure Last Guardian and very likely FFXV but I still have some games I wanna finish first, currently working on Project X Zone 2 and Ratchet & Clank
either we have to be extremely on-time with releases or we'll put lists of 3 ~5 games... *shrugs
maybe next year.
I know I will play for sure Last Guardian and very likely FFXV but I still have some games I wanna finish first, currently working on Project X Zone 2 and Ratchet & Clank
either we have to be extremely on-time with releases or we'll put lists of 3 ~5 games... *shrugs
maybe next year.
1. The Last Guardian; one of the most memorable games I've ever played.
2. Ratchet and clank; my first r&c game and i absolutely loved it.
3. Battlefield 1; the most immersive fps game I've ever played.
4. Dark souls 3; preferred Bloodborne gameplay but still really enjoyed it.
5. Uncharted 4; not a very memorable experience but i did enjoy what i played at the time.
6. Doom; just straight up fun
7. Overwatch; found this surprisingly fun and addictive.
2. Ratchet and clank; my first r&c game and i absolutely loved it.
3. Battlefield 1; the most immersive fps game I've ever played.
4. Dark souls 3; preferred Bloodborne gameplay but still really enjoyed it.
5. Uncharted 4; not a very memorable experience but i did enjoy what i played at the time.
6. Doom; just straight up fun
7. Overwatch; found this surprisingly fun and addictive.
1. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; Perfect goodbye to one of the best gaming franchises of all time. Nathan Drake i love you. Platforming was a little on the heavy side, but it had some highs that is going to take a lot of efforts to beat. To bad its going to take a couple of years before Naughty Dog ships The Last of Us Part II, beacuse i need more ND in my blood.
2. The Last Guardian ; Almost 10 years waiting time, so worth it. It has some problems, but it's so unique and has a story that is going to stick with me for a long time.
3. Battlefield 1 ; Maybe the most fun i had in a online shooter. Played a lot of hours online and i am going to put in a lot more. Liked the singelplayer also, short and sweet. Can't wait to see how Dice is going to support this game next year and hopefully for some years to come.
4. Firewatch ; The ending was to abrupt and not very good, but loved the setting and the mystery of the game. Some tweaks and this could have been my favorite game this year. The voice acting was superb.
5. Ratchet and Clanck ; Never played the original game, so i was in for a real treat. So many fun little moments and the new game plus version where you have all your upgraded weapons is amazing.
2. The Last Guardian ; Almost 10 years waiting time, so worth it. It has some problems, but it's so unique and has a story that is going to stick with me for a long time.
3. Battlefield 1 ; Maybe the most fun i had in a online shooter. Played a lot of hours online and i am going to put in a lot more. Liked the singelplayer also, short and sweet. Can't wait to see how Dice is going to support this game next year and hopefully for some years to come.
4. Firewatch ; The ending was to abrupt and not very good, but loved the setting and the mystery of the game. Some tweaks and this could have been my favorite game this year. The voice acting was superb.
5. Ratchet and Clanck ; Never played the original game, so i was in for a real treat. So many fun little moments and the new game plus version where you have all your upgraded weapons is amazing.
SolidSnakeUS
Member
Is that better?
1. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; the perfect conclusion to the series, managing to have a more mature story without losing its sense of humor and fun, a true achievement in graphics and animation, and just a fun, satisfying game to play in the story mode or multiplayer. 2016's Game of the Year, hands down.
2. Overwatch ; great game to play with friends and is definitely my most played FPS of the year. Extra credit here for a mostly fair loot box system and the stream of new content added to the game monthly.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood & Wine ; a fantastic epilogue to last year's Game of the Year.
4. Pokémon Sun/Moon ; the next great Pokémon game. I was sure the low number of new species would be a detriment, but their diversity and prevelance of unique typing, moves, and abilities make them perhaps the best new bunch in a few generations.
5. Doom ; a back-to-basics FPS experience I didn't know I needed.
6. Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest ; extremely satisfying fantasy strategy game
7. XCOM 2 ; extremely satisfying sci-fi strategy game.
8. Forza Horizon 3 ; racing games at their finest in a beautiful open world
9. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; despite to story ending at what seems like its midpoint, the game itself is more of the stealth/ action/ RPG goodness that the series has to offer.
10. Monster Hunter: Generations ; another Monster Hunter game, but perhaps the best yet with the various QoL improvements.
2. Overwatch ; great game to play with friends and is definitely my most played FPS of the year. Extra credit here for a mostly fair loot box system and the stream of new content added to the game monthly.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood & Wine ; a fantastic epilogue to last year's Game of the Year.
4. Pokémon Sun/Moon ; the next great Pokémon game. I was sure the low number of new species would be a detriment, but their diversity and prevelance of unique typing, moves, and abilities make them perhaps the best new bunch in a few generations.
5. Doom ; a back-to-basics FPS experience I didn't know I needed.
6. Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest ; extremely satisfying fantasy strategy game
7. XCOM 2 ; extremely satisfying sci-fi strategy game.
8. Forza Horizon 3 ; racing games at their finest in a beautiful open world
9. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; despite to story ending at what seems like its midpoint, the game itself is more of the stealth/ action/ RPG goodness that the series has to offer.
10. Monster Hunter: Generations ; another Monster Hunter game, but perhaps the best yet with the various QoL improvements.
1. Trails of Cold Steel II; Loved the story and the world, my hype for iii is very high.
2. Final Fantasy XV; Best gameplay of any FF, the story is emotional, has its highs and lows, but is good, for certain a great final fantasy.
3. Digimon Cyber Sleuth; story is ordinary, but digievolution and battlesystem is addicting, best monster game i played in a white.
4. Uncharted 4.; Best graphics today, its beautiful, story is OK, gameplay is good, multiplayer is very good.
5. Overwatch.; Best multiplayer released this year.
6. Valkyrie Chronicles Remaster.;One of the best games on ps3 in ps4, story is great, gameplay is great.
7. Final Fantasy 9 (PC); One of the greatest FF on PC with graphics a little better.
2. Final Fantasy XV; Best gameplay of any FF, the story is emotional, has its highs and lows, but is good, for certain a great final fantasy.
3. Digimon Cyber Sleuth; story is ordinary, but digievolution and battlesystem is addicting, best monster game i played in a white.
4. Uncharted 4.; Best graphics today, its beautiful, story is OK, gameplay is good, multiplayer is very good.
5. Overwatch.; Best multiplayer released this year.
6. Valkyrie Chronicles Remaster.;One of the best games on ps3 in ps4, story is great, gameplay is great.
7. Final Fantasy 9 (PC); One of the greatest FF on PC with graphics a little better.
RespectThySole
Member
Still need to play Titanfall 2, The Witness and a couple others, but this is my list for now. Will edit in comments.
1. Overwatch ;
2. Hitman ;
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood & Wine ; The final DLC of my GOTY from last year. Although I have some issues with a couple of the quests and new enemies, it wraps up Geralt's tale wonderfully.
4. Dark Souls III ;
5. Doom ;
6. Inside ;
7. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ;
Honorable mentions:
x. Stardew Valley ;
x. Ratchet & Clank ;
x. Firewatch ;
x. Final Fantasy XV ;
x. Gears of War 4 ;
x. Let it Die ;
1. Overwatch ;
2. Hitman ;
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood & Wine ; The final DLC of my GOTY from last year. Although I have some issues with a couple of the quests and new enemies, it wraps up Geralt's tale wonderfully.
4. Dark Souls III ;
5. Doom ;
6. Inside ;
7. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ;
Honorable mentions:
x. Stardew Valley ;
x. Ratchet & Clank ;
x. Firewatch ;
x. Final Fantasy XV ;
x. Gears of War 4 ;
x. Let it Die ;
1. Overwatch ; Awesome Characters, addicting gameplay. Last Mp Shooter
i played this much was Unreal Tournament 2k4.
2. Inside ; Artstyle and ending were so good. Better than Limbo in my opinion.
3. Dark Souls III ; Dark Souls games can not go wrong with me and will always
find a way in my Top 10 list.
4. Firewatch ; Captivating Story and brilliant voice acting. Ending was a letdown
could have been higher otherwise.
5. Doom ; Insane Shooter kept me on the edge for most of the time. Lost a bit of
power near the end.
6. Watch Dogs 2 ; A lot better than the first Watch Dogs. Cool characters and
different gadgets. Awesome music aswell.
7. Forza Horizon 3 ; Best racing game in a long time. Music was a letdown.
8. Oxenfree ; Surprise Hit for me this year. Loved the story and characters.
9. Tom Clancy's The Division ; Loved the setting and atmosphere. Great Co-op game.
Survival DLC is really good.
10. XCOM 2 ; XCOM like Dark Souls will always be something i play and most
likely enjoy.
i played this much was Unreal Tournament 2k4.
2. Inside ; Artstyle and ending were so good. Better than Limbo in my opinion.
3. Dark Souls III ; Dark Souls games can not go wrong with me and will always
find a way in my Top 10 list.
4. Firewatch ; Captivating Story and brilliant voice acting. Ending was a letdown
could have been higher otherwise.
5. Doom ; Insane Shooter kept me on the edge for most of the time. Lost a bit of
power near the end.
6. Watch Dogs 2 ; A lot better than the first Watch Dogs. Cool characters and
different gadgets. Awesome music aswell.
7. Forza Horizon 3 ; Best racing game in a long time. Music was a letdown.
8. Oxenfree ; Surprise Hit for me this year. Loved the story and characters.
9. Tom Clancy's The Division ; Loved the setting and atmosphere. Great Co-op game.
Survival DLC is really good.
10. XCOM 2 ; XCOM like Dark Souls will always be something i play and most
likely enjoy.
1. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse ; Wow this game. After the disappointment of SMT4, my expectations for this game weren't all that high. It absolutely blew them out of the water. The game was phenomenal, and it quickly worked its way into my top 3 games in the series.
2. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice ; What a game. I was quite disappointed with the 4th and 5th games(and the first investigations game), then this game came out and delivered on pretty much everything. I couldn't stop thinking about it for days.
3. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE ; This game actually took a long time to click with me, but like some other megaten games, when it clicked, it clicked hard. The battle system, characters, music, dungeons, all of them were amazing.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD ; this version of the game really made me appreciate Twilight Princess for what it was. Dungeons are fantastic, story is great, and the world itself is nothing short of amazing. It's a shame the starting is so slow, because otherwise this would definitely be in the top 3 Zelda games.
5. Pokemon Sun/Moon ; For someone who hasn't played the series since Gen 3, I was surprised how good this generation was. It kept me entertained for a long time without me even knowing time was passing.
6. Fire Emblem Fates ; Although it was very disappointing for a fire emblem game, the gameplay was very refined and the level design(in one of the versions) was some of the best this series has seen. It's such a shame that the story was such utter garbage
7. Uncharted 4 ;
2. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice ; What a game. I was quite disappointed with the 4th and 5th games(and the first investigations game), then this game came out and delivered on pretty much everything. I couldn't stop thinking about it for days.
3. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE ; This game actually took a long time to click with me, but like some other megaten games, when it clicked, it clicked hard. The battle system, characters, music, dungeons, all of them were amazing.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD ; this version of the game really made me appreciate Twilight Princess for what it was. Dungeons are fantastic, story is great, and the world itself is nothing short of amazing. It's a shame the starting is so slow, because otherwise this would definitely be in the top 3 Zelda games.
5. Pokemon Sun/Moon ; For someone who hasn't played the series since Gen 3, I was surprised how good this generation was. It kept me entertained for a long time without me even knowing time was passing.
6. Fire Emblem Fates ; Although it was very disappointing for a fire emblem game, the gameplay was very refined and the level design(in one of the versions) was some of the best this series has seen. It's such a shame that the story was such utter garbage
7. Uncharted 4 ;
ArkhamFantasy
Member
1. Final Fantasy XV ; Satisfying combat, a beautiful and vast world, lovable characters, and one of the best OSTs ever make up for the narrative problems. I've put 120 hours into this campaign so far, something that i havent done on a single play through since FF7.
2. Last Guardian ; Unique and intensely emotional. Beautiful visuals compliment clever level design and puzzles, i cared for the boy and Trico as if they were real.
3. Dark Souls 3 ; Some of the best combat around, beating bosses in this game is about as satisfying a feeling as you will get from video games.
4. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE ; A surprisingly good JRPG, despite its small and linear world the combat, music, and characters more than make up for it.
5. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; The best visuals and story telling ive ever seen from a game, they implemented gameplay mechanics from TLOU and it works really well.
6. Doom ; A game that knows what it is, 60 FPS, good visuals, and awesome sound track and great gunplay.
7. Fire Emblem Fates ; This game made me think more than any other game this year, a single bad move can wipe 45 minutes of progress but winning is so satisfying.
8. World of Final Fantasy ; FF is my favorite franchise of all time, this game has lots of great callbacks to the older games and has a solid combat system and tons of enemies you can experiment with.
9. Inside ; One of the best indie games i've ever played, i said "wtf" about 20 times and love it.
10. Titanfall 2 ; Short but sweet campaign, seems like they came up with a bunch of cool ideas and just made a campaign out of it, also has the smooth and fast multiplayer that i prefer.
2. Last Guardian ; Unique and intensely emotional. Beautiful visuals compliment clever level design and puzzles, i cared for the boy and Trico as if they were real.
3. Dark Souls 3 ; Some of the best combat around, beating bosses in this game is about as satisfying a feeling as you will get from video games.
4. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE ; A surprisingly good JRPG, despite its small and linear world the combat, music, and characters more than make up for it.
5. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; The best visuals and story telling ive ever seen from a game, they implemented gameplay mechanics from TLOU and it works really well.
6. Doom ; A game that knows what it is, 60 FPS, good visuals, and awesome sound track and great gunplay.
7. Fire Emblem Fates ; This game made me think more than any other game this year, a single bad move can wipe 45 minutes of progress but winning is so satisfying.
8. World of Final Fantasy ; FF is my favorite franchise of all time, this game has lots of great callbacks to the older games and has a solid combat system and tons of enemies you can experiment with.
9. Inside ; One of the best indie games i've ever played, i said "wtf" about 20 times and love it.
10. Titanfall 2 ; Short but sweet campaign, seems like they came up with a bunch of cool ideas and just made a campaign out of it, also has the smooth and fast multiplayer that i prefer.
Yeah that should be good!
Magic Mushroom
Member
Really happy about that. In a dark year for humanity, this beautiful game about bonding, compassion and communication is not just a wonderful game, it's also an important and heart-warming one.
The New Yorker said it well.
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-best-video-games-of-2016?intcid=mod-latest
It's probably played by a fraction of an Overwatch or Uncharted 4, but each mention warms my heart.
1. Tyranny ; Everything I wanted in a RtWP RPG. Player choice, great combat, loads of replayability, and great writing make Tyranny something truly special.
2. Shadow Warrior 2 ; A great sequel that improves on its predecessor and is fun by yourself or with others. Oh and the soundtrack is fucking amazing.
3. DOOM ; Despite a disappointing multiplayer mode, I loved DOOM's single player. Makes me wish more fast paced FPS were made.
4. Pony Island ; This is a game about Ponies. I won't say anymore. Just play it.
5. XCOM 2 ; The sequel to my favorite strategy game that adds turn limits to missions. And it works! Expect to lose valuable soldiers and miss 99% shots and love every minute.
6. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; No massively disappointing Invisible War like follow up here. Mankind Divided lives up to the Deus Ex name and the stealth and combat are both excellent.
7. Dark Souls III ; I know I'm gonna get shit for this, but I think this is the best Dark Souls title (at least from a single player perspective.)
8. SUPERHOT ; An innovative shooter and a brief and wonderful ride.
9. Overwatch ; Buff Pharah
2. Shadow Warrior 2 ; A great sequel that improves on its predecessor and is fun by yourself or with others. Oh and the soundtrack is fucking amazing.
3. DOOM ; Despite a disappointing multiplayer mode, I loved DOOM's single player. Makes me wish more fast paced FPS were made.
4. Pony Island ; This is a game about Ponies. I won't say anymore. Just play it.
5. XCOM 2 ; The sequel to my favorite strategy game that adds turn limits to missions. And it works! Expect to lose valuable soldiers and miss 99% shots and love every minute.
6. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; No massively disappointing Invisible War like follow up here. Mankind Divided lives up to the Deus Ex name and the stealth and combat are both excellent.
7. Dark Souls III ; I know I'm gonna get shit for this, but I think this is the best Dark Souls title (at least from a single player perspective.)
8. SUPERHOT ; An innovative shooter and a brief and wonderful ride.
9. Overwatch ; Buff Pharah
So it's finally time to figure out my games of the year and since this is the end of my first full year here on GAF I've decided to spruce it up a bit with fancy banners and descriptions I actually thought about. Bear in mind I haven't played many games that I own/want to which is why games such as Final Fantasy XV, Dishonored 2, Titanfall 2 and Hitman aren't on this list. Without further ado:
1. Overwatch ; When I came into this year I never thought I'd be giving GOTY to a multiplayer game; but 2016 has proven that one should rarely put much faith in expectations. Not only is this my most-played game this year, it's also the one that will likely be my most-played next year. I was ambivalent at first, but with an almost impulse purchase I bought this and I was hooked after the first few matches. Blizzard has managed to create a wide cast of like-able characters with unique identities and some of the best design work in gaming. Whilst much of the game's built on the legacy of Team Fortress 2, MOBAs and such, it's come into its own as the best multiplayer game I've played in a long time.
2. The Last Guardian ; Overwatch defied my low expectations, The Last Guardian met my high expectations and more. Despite the hype baggage of over 5 years of anticipation from when I first saw the E3 trailer back in 2009, the final product does not disappoint. This is one of the most human games I've played in a while, which is ironic considering that half of its cast isn't one. As a pet owner it manages to capture the frustrations, and companionship, that caring and working with an animal brings. It's both a technical and graphical marvel, with some of the best AI work in gaming. This, out of all the games this year, is the one I will remember the most.
3. Dark Souls III ; Miyazaki has done it again with another masterful Souls(borne) game. Whilst DaS1 is my favorite game of all time; I must admit that this sequel is better in many ways including its individual level design, combat and bosses. It was an absolute joy to play through, with just the right amount of difficulty throughout to keep from the erratic spikes and dips seen during previous games. The shameless fan-service is woven into the plot and world in a way I've never seen before in gaming. Souls 3 is perhaps the most refined the Souls style of gameplay will ever be, which is why I'm happy that it's the one to complete the trilogy.
4. DOOM ; Talking about exceeding expectations, I was sure that DOOM would never be as good as it turned out to be. The demo at E3 2015 completely turned me off the game, Bethesda deciding to show it in the slowest possible manner with the finishing moves looking more like hindrances than the intrinsic parts of gameplay they are. Instead the game is fast-paced, old-school, action gaming in its purest form, each level being a practically non-stop gauntlet of combat that just feels amazing.
5. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; I played through the entire Uncharted series this year, and whilst 2 is definitely my favorite over all, 4 is a very close second. Its an insanely good looking game for the console its running on, Naughty Dog have really proven themselves as the masters of their tools. The game has many pacing problems, with a couple of very long sections where little happens, but it's all fun to play and the incredibly well-written dialogue and plot more than makes up for it. Nathan Drake's final adventure is a perfect ending to the mainline series.
6. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; This is a game with two distinct halves; gameplay, and story. Its story is way too short and ends way too soon, though it is otherwise very well-written overall. Its gameplay, however, is an amazing example of stealth action, building and improving on the foundation laid down by Human Revolution with so many different routes and ways to play.
7. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine ; Blood and Wine has the content and quality of a full game, yet I got it on release at just over £10. Witcher 3 was my GOTY for 2015, so more of the same is not an issue. Whilst failing to live up to the writing heights of Hearts of Stone, Blood and Wine is a fitting end to Geralt's story in an expansion that encapsulates all I love about the series.
8. Picross 3D: Round 2 ; After Overwatch this is the most addicting game I've played this year; I'm always finding myself finishing a puzzle or two (on hard with no faults, of course) whenever I get the chance. The inclusion of different colours adds so many new layers of strategy and logic and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to go back to regular old Picross after this.
9. Battlefield 1 ; I could never get into Battlefield 3 or 4, but the WW1 theme and WW2 gameplay of 1 has made it the first Battlefield game I've actually bothered putting a lot of time into. On top of the excellent multiplayer is a singleplayer that's actually quite decent, something I thought I'd never see in a Battlefield game.
10. Ratchet and Clank ; Ratchet and Clank is an amazingly crated, albeit short, action platformer that improves on the gameplay seen in the original. It has some of the best "cartoony" graphics I've ever seen, and is overall a very fun time.
Honorable Mentions
x. SUPERHOT ; An amazing concept let down by a story that's too short and too pretentious. Was definitely a fun time whilst it lasted, however.
x. Inside ; This would be nowhere near this list if it hadn't been for the technology on show in the ending.
x. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD ; Whilst nowhere near the best Zelda out there, it's still a fun ride and I liked revisiting it on Wii U.
x. Abzu ; Way too similar to Journey, but an otherwise great-looking and great-sounding game.
1. Overwatch ; When I came into this year I never thought I'd be giving GOTY to a multiplayer game; but 2016 has proven that one should rarely put much faith in expectations. Not only is this my most-played game this year, it's also the one that will likely be my most-played next year. I was ambivalent at first, but with an almost impulse purchase I bought this and I was hooked after the first few matches. Blizzard has managed to create a wide cast of like-able characters with unique identities and some of the best design work in gaming. Whilst much of the game's built on the legacy of Team Fortress 2, MOBAs and such, it's come into its own as the best multiplayer game I've played in a long time.
2. The Last Guardian ; Overwatch defied my low expectations, The Last Guardian met my high expectations and more. Despite the hype baggage of over 5 years of anticipation from when I first saw the E3 trailer back in 2009, the final product does not disappoint. This is one of the most human games I've played in a while, which is ironic considering that half of its cast isn't one. As a pet owner it manages to capture the frustrations, and companionship, that caring and working with an animal brings. It's both a technical and graphical marvel, with some of the best AI work in gaming. This, out of all the games this year, is the one I will remember the most.
3. Dark Souls III ; Miyazaki has done it again with another masterful Souls(borne) game. Whilst DaS1 is my favorite game of all time; I must admit that this sequel is better in many ways including its individual level design, combat and bosses. It was an absolute joy to play through, with just the right amount of difficulty throughout to keep from the erratic spikes and dips seen during previous games. The shameless fan-service is woven into the plot and world in a way I've never seen before in gaming. Souls 3 is perhaps the most refined the Souls style of gameplay will ever be, which is why I'm happy that it's the one to complete the trilogy.
4. DOOM ; Talking about exceeding expectations, I was sure that DOOM would never be as good as it turned out to be. The demo at E3 2015 completely turned me off the game, Bethesda deciding to show it in the slowest possible manner with the finishing moves looking more like hindrances than the intrinsic parts of gameplay they are. Instead the game is fast-paced, old-school, action gaming in its purest form, each level being a practically non-stop gauntlet of combat that just feels amazing.
5. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; I played through the entire Uncharted series this year, and whilst 2 is definitely my favorite over all, 4 is a very close second. Its an insanely good looking game for the console its running on, Naughty Dog have really proven themselves as the masters of their tools. The game has many pacing problems, with a couple of very long sections where little happens, but it's all fun to play and the incredibly well-written dialogue and plot more than makes up for it. Nathan Drake's final adventure is a perfect ending to the mainline series.
6. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; This is a game with two distinct halves; gameplay, and story. Its story is way too short and ends way too soon, though it is otherwise very well-written overall. Its gameplay, however, is an amazing example of stealth action, building and improving on the foundation laid down by Human Revolution with so many different routes and ways to play.
7. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine ; Blood and Wine has the content and quality of a full game, yet I got it on release at just over £10. Witcher 3 was my GOTY for 2015, so more of the same is not an issue. Whilst failing to live up to the writing heights of Hearts of Stone, Blood and Wine is a fitting end to Geralt's story in an expansion that encapsulates all I love about the series.
8. Picross 3D: Round 2 ; After Overwatch this is the most addicting game I've played this year; I'm always finding myself finishing a puzzle or two (on hard with no faults, of course) whenever I get the chance. The inclusion of different colours adds so many new layers of strategy and logic and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to go back to regular old Picross after this.
9. Battlefield 1 ; I could never get into Battlefield 3 or 4, but the WW1 theme and WW2 gameplay of 1 has made it the first Battlefield game I've actually bothered putting a lot of time into. On top of the excellent multiplayer is a singleplayer that's actually quite decent, something I thought I'd never see in a Battlefield game.
10. Ratchet and Clank ; Ratchet and Clank is an amazingly crated, albeit short, action platformer that improves on the gameplay seen in the original. It has some of the best "cartoony" graphics I've ever seen, and is overall a very fun time.
Honorable Mentions
x. SUPERHOT ; An amazing concept let down by a story that's too short and too pretentious. Was definitely a fun time whilst it lasted, however.
x. Inside ; This would be nowhere near this list if it hadn't been for the technology on show in the ending.
x. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD ; Whilst nowhere near the best Zelda out there, it's still a fun ride and I liked revisiting it on Wii U.
x. Abzu ; Way too similar to Journey, but an otherwise great-looking and great-sounding game.
Lightningboalt
Neo Member
Damn, I just really did not expect any of my top picks for the year. Well, except for one of them, but I thought that one would be my #1 and instead it fell short of my top 3.
1. Overwatch ; I put 200+ hours into this game, so I guess it must be okay. The past two years have been weird for me in that I've never been that much of a multiplayer guy, I always gravitate more towards single player games. Last year Splatoon ended up my GOTY, and somehow Overwatch ended up resonating just as much with me, to the point it might just be my favorite multiplayer game ever. Such an incredibly refreshing game, with a lovable cast of fun to play characters who all happen to be bursting with personality. I'll be playing this one for years to come, and I can say that with confidence because I've already played it for the better part of a full year and I still haven't lost interest. The only thing that makes me take breaks from it is a need to play the other games I've spent money on, really.
2. DOOM ; This game. God, this game. I really, really wanted to put it on top. It was incredibly close and honestly I ended up defaulting to Overwatch just because of how much time I spent with it. Doom is a perfect kind of over-the-top actiony ridiculousness, one of the most purely fun experiences I've ever had with a game. Doom's entire purpose is for you to sprint around like an absolute madman, tearing limbs from demons and using them as a blunt weapon in between bouts of firing volleys of rockets and plasma at them, all the while never breaking a sweat. It is a game where you survive the trials you face by simply being better than everything else around you. The thing is, though, you're not some invincible death machine. You BECOME an invincible death machine, and you earn that title by fighting tooth and nail to survive against the hordes of hell, somehow making it feel effortless even if you struggle and face a ton of adversity. Some games like to try and swerve you with some emotional moment where it's revealed that you were the real demon all along... in Doom, that's not a secret, and you're not shocked to learn it. Instead, you take it in stride, you say aloud "damn straight I am", and you laugh as you punch some wuss imp's face before hurling yourself at a Baron of Hell.
3. Kirby: Planet Robobot ; In other recent Kirby games, the gimmicky powerups the games were marketed on were slow, boring, and overcentralizing things that lost their impact after the first time you saw them. Ultra powers and Hypernova just dragged down the pace of the game and dumbed down the level design. Robobot figured out how to make this new trend of gimmick abilities in Kirby something that ACTUALLY WORKS. Unlike Ultra abilities and Hypernova, the mech is actually fun and engaging, creating actual scenarios that utilized them in a way that doesn't amount to "activate your ability to win". It works because the Mech is just Kirby with a slightly different powerset. With really fun powers, creative puzzles, some of the best level design in the franchise, and as always a fantastic soundtrack, this is a Kirby game that wants to remind you of why this series is so good.
4. Dark Souls III ; The combat is maybe the best the series has ever had, most of the bosses are incredibly well designed, and the level design is very solid. HOWEVER, I feel the game is held back by poor pacing and feeling way too linear. Once the game feels like it's really getting going, you're at the end. To some degree Bloodborne felt that way as well, but Bloodborne had so much more optional content and felt like a far more cohesive game with such depth of purpose and identity that it was forgivable. Plus, Old Hunters expanded upon its base in so many ways and was a genuinely perfect expansion pack. DS3 is the conclusion of a trilogy that leans way too much upon what was established in the past rather than building its own legacy, and it suffers for it. Dark Souls 3 has very little identity, it subsists purely off of what came before, especially Dark Souls 1. Dark Souls 3 should have been by far the best Souls game, and instead I found it to just be an okay one, and that wasn't fixed at all with the addition of the very mediocre/barren/short/poorly designed Ashes of Ariandel, the first ever bit of Souls DLC I actually regretted buying. Unfortunately I've spent most of this entry dumping all over Dark Souls 3, but I guess in part that's because this game should have been an easy slam dunk #1 for me. The thing is, it's a genuinely fantastic game. All the Souls games are, really, and DS3 is no exception. It's just hard to get out what I think is positive when the game ended up failing to land in so many ways for me - it's better than most games out there, but at this point in the Souls series, that's not enough to ride on.
5. Titanfall 2 ; In a year of big surprises for me, Titanfall 2 may just have been the biggest for me. I played a tiny bit of Titanfall 1 and while I thought it was good, I laughed at how horribly overhyped it was. With a laughable media overhype centered literally around the phrase "believe the hype", Titanfall 1 was a merely competent and well playing game that didn't feel like it stood out as much as it should have. Now that Titanfall 2 is out, I find that it suffers from the absolute polar opposite issue - it wasn't hyped at all. Titanfall 2 is the one where you actually SHOULD believe the previously promised hype. In any other year, I would hail this as the best FPS of the year, a hallmark for the genre in terms of inventiveness. Unfortunately, Doom and Overwatch both happened and provided incredibly stiff competition. However, that's no knock on Titanfall 2. It as an excessively good FPS game, with one of the best FPS campaigns I've ever played. While I preferred Doom's campaign overall, Titanfall 2 has some of the most exciting and imaginative levels I've ever seen in any game. The multiplayer's not bad, in fact it's quite enjoyable, but man. Titanfall 2's campaign is secretly the main event here, it's one I'd genuinely love to try speedrunning. It's on the shorter side but when it's this well crafted, that doesn't matter - it's worth revisiting and replaying. I originally rented it, just to see how it was, and I almost got the platinum trophy within two days because of how much I enjoyed it. Upon returning it I found myself wishing that I actually owned it. I decided to buy my own copy for Christmas, and damn. I didn't think it was possible to be that excited to get something you already spent a lot of time with.
So, I only played around 15 or so new games altogether last year. A month after posting this, I decided that while I don't really feel like I should expand beyond a top 5 for the year, there's still a few games that I liked enough that I want to toss them a vote here for the sake of maybe getting some points in the overall Gaf GOTY ranking. So, consider this part my Honorable Mentions, just with a continued number ranking because I wanna show them some support here.
6. Clustertruck ; Off-beat and bizarre, Clustertruck is one of the best stupid ideas I've ever played.
7. Dishonored 2 ; It's kind of more of the same, which isn't a bad thing at all. It's effectively the third Dishonored game, considering the Daud DLC campaign is pretty much an entire second Dishonored already. As a result, 2 doesn't do anything shockingly new or different, but it's still just about as fantastic as its predecessor. When you've got a template this high quality, an iterative sequel is forgiven.
8. Fire Emblem Fates Conquest ; While the writing in this game is atrocious, it's one of the most challenging strategy games I've ever played. It really, REALLY tests you. It pushes you to the limit and often has you hanging on by a thread - but damn it, you hanged on by that thread because you planned it to be that way. It was your only choice, the one moment that could make or break your strategy, and you chanced it and let your strategy play out as intended. And it feels amazing when it comes together.
9. The Last Guardian ; Team ICO games for me are something that I feel incredibly torn on. I feel the act of actually playing them is often a chore due to how bad and unresponsive the controls are. That killed SotC for me, a game I love everything else about so much that if I simply had even the slightest bit of enjoyment playing it I would consider it an all-time great game and a personal favorite. The unresponsive controls are that much of a killer for me... but nonetheless I can't deny that these games are special. Last Guardian isn't the greatest game ever, but it's an experience that I think you should have if you enjoy this medium. It's not a mindblowing story, but the setpieces and little moments resonate with me and it makes me happy to think about it as an overall package.
10. Pokemon Moon ; This game brought us Pyukumuku, which is pretty much one of the greatest pokemon ever created. Plus, it's probably the best story mainline Pokemon has ever had, and it's my second favorite generation after Gen 5 (the previous "best story in a mainline pokemon game" title holder), so I feel it deserves props for that too. But seriously guys. Pyukumuku. Look at that stupid little thing, be honest, it's perfect. Its shiny colors are even the same color palette as my personal favorite pokemon, Skiploom. Pyukumuku, guys, if I could I'd nominate it as GOTY, but sadly Pyukumuku is not actually a game and thus does not qualify.
And props to Paper Mario Color Splash for actually being shockingly good. Ironically, the biggest failing of a Paper Mario game was pretending that it was an RPG - if you cut that stuff out, it'd be the best classical adventure game we've seen in years.
1. Overwatch ; I put 200+ hours into this game, so I guess it must be okay. The past two years have been weird for me in that I've never been that much of a multiplayer guy, I always gravitate more towards single player games. Last year Splatoon ended up my GOTY, and somehow Overwatch ended up resonating just as much with me, to the point it might just be my favorite multiplayer game ever. Such an incredibly refreshing game, with a lovable cast of fun to play characters who all happen to be bursting with personality. I'll be playing this one for years to come, and I can say that with confidence because I've already played it for the better part of a full year and I still haven't lost interest. The only thing that makes me take breaks from it is a need to play the other games I've spent money on, really.
2. DOOM ; This game. God, this game. I really, really wanted to put it on top. It was incredibly close and honestly I ended up defaulting to Overwatch just because of how much time I spent with it. Doom is a perfect kind of over-the-top actiony ridiculousness, one of the most purely fun experiences I've ever had with a game. Doom's entire purpose is for you to sprint around like an absolute madman, tearing limbs from demons and using them as a blunt weapon in between bouts of firing volleys of rockets and plasma at them, all the while never breaking a sweat. It is a game where you survive the trials you face by simply being better than everything else around you. The thing is, though, you're not some invincible death machine. You BECOME an invincible death machine, and you earn that title by fighting tooth and nail to survive against the hordes of hell, somehow making it feel effortless even if you struggle and face a ton of adversity. Some games like to try and swerve you with some emotional moment where it's revealed that you were the real demon all along... in Doom, that's not a secret, and you're not shocked to learn it. Instead, you take it in stride, you say aloud "damn straight I am", and you laugh as you punch some wuss imp's face before hurling yourself at a Baron of Hell.
3. Kirby: Planet Robobot ; In other recent Kirby games, the gimmicky powerups the games were marketed on were slow, boring, and overcentralizing things that lost their impact after the first time you saw them. Ultra powers and Hypernova just dragged down the pace of the game and dumbed down the level design. Robobot figured out how to make this new trend of gimmick abilities in Kirby something that ACTUALLY WORKS. Unlike Ultra abilities and Hypernova, the mech is actually fun and engaging, creating actual scenarios that utilized them in a way that doesn't amount to "activate your ability to win". It works because the Mech is just Kirby with a slightly different powerset. With really fun powers, creative puzzles, some of the best level design in the franchise, and as always a fantastic soundtrack, this is a Kirby game that wants to remind you of why this series is so good.
4. Dark Souls III ; The combat is maybe the best the series has ever had, most of the bosses are incredibly well designed, and the level design is very solid. HOWEVER, I feel the game is held back by poor pacing and feeling way too linear. Once the game feels like it's really getting going, you're at the end. To some degree Bloodborne felt that way as well, but Bloodborne had so much more optional content and felt like a far more cohesive game with such depth of purpose and identity that it was forgivable. Plus, Old Hunters expanded upon its base in so many ways and was a genuinely perfect expansion pack. DS3 is the conclusion of a trilogy that leans way too much upon what was established in the past rather than building its own legacy, and it suffers for it. Dark Souls 3 has very little identity, it subsists purely off of what came before, especially Dark Souls 1. Dark Souls 3 should have been by far the best Souls game, and instead I found it to just be an okay one, and that wasn't fixed at all with the addition of the very mediocre/barren/short/poorly designed Ashes of Ariandel, the first ever bit of Souls DLC I actually regretted buying. Unfortunately I've spent most of this entry dumping all over Dark Souls 3, but I guess in part that's because this game should have been an easy slam dunk #1 for me. The thing is, it's a genuinely fantastic game. All the Souls games are, really, and DS3 is no exception. It's just hard to get out what I think is positive when the game ended up failing to land in so many ways for me - it's better than most games out there, but at this point in the Souls series, that's not enough to ride on.
5. Titanfall 2 ; In a year of big surprises for me, Titanfall 2 may just have been the biggest for me. I played a tiny bit of Titanfall 1 and while I thought it was good, I laughed at how horribly overhyped it was. With a laughable media overhype centered literally around the phrase "believe the hype", Titanfall 1 was a merely competent and well playing game that didn't feel like it stood out as much as it should have. Now that Titanfall 2 is out, I find that it suffers from the absolute polar opposite issue - it wasn't hyped at all. Titanfall 2 is the one where you actually SHOULD believe the previously promised hype. In any other year, I would hail this as the best FPS of the year, a hallmark for the genre in terms of inventiveness. Unfortunately, Doom and Overwatch both happened and provided incredibly stiff competition. However, that's no knock on Titanfall 2. It as an excessively good FPS game, with one of the best FPS campaigns I've ever played. While I preferred Doom's campaign overall, Titanfall 2 has some of the most exciting and imaginative levels I've ever seen in any game. The multiplayer's not bad, in fact it's quite enjoyable, but man. Titanfall 2's campaign is secretly the main event here, it's one I'd genuinely love to try speedrunning. It's on the shorter side but when it's this well crafted, that doesn't matter - it's worth revisiting and replaying. I originally rented it, just to see how it was, and I almost got the platinum trophy within two days because of how much I enjoyed it. Upon returning it I found myself wishing that I actually owned it. I decided to buy my own copy for Christmas, and damn. I didn't think it was possible to be that excited to get something you already spent a lot of time with.
So, I only played around 15 or so new games altogether last year. A month after posting this, I decided that while I don't really feel like I should expand beyond a top 5 for the year, there's still a few games that I liked enough that I want to toss them a vote here for the sake of maybe getting some points in the overall Gaf GOTY ranking. So, consider this part my Honorable Mentions, just with a continued number ranking because I wanna show them some support here.
6. Clustertruck ; Off-beat and bizarre, Clustertruck is one of the best stupid ideas I've ever played.
7. Dishonored 2 ; It's kind of more of the same, which isn't a bad thing at all. It's effectively the third Dishonored game, considering the Daud DLC campaign is pretty much an entire second Dishonored already. As a result, 2 doesn't do anything shockingly new or different, but it's still just about as fantastic as its predecessor. When you've got a template this high quality, an iterative sequel is forgiven.
8. Fire Emblem Fates Conquest ; While the writing in this game is atrocious, it's one of the most challenging strategy games I've ever played. It really, REALLY tests you. It pushes you to the limit and often has you hanging on by a thread - but damn it, you hanged on by that thread because you planned it to be that way. It was your only choice, the one moment that could make or break your strategy, and you chanced it and let your strategy play out as intended. And it feels amazing when it comes together.
9. The Last Guardian ; Team ICO games for me are something that I feel incredibly torn on. I feel the act of actually playing them is often a chore due to how bad and unresponsive the controls are. That killed SotC for me, a game I love everything else about so much that if I simply had even the slightest bit of enjoyment playing it I would consider it an all-time great game and a personal favorite. The unresponsive controls are that much of a killer for me... but nonetheless I can't deny that these games are special. Last Guardian isn't the greatest game ever, but it's an experience that I think you should have if you enjoy this medium. It's not a mindblowing story, but the setpieces and little moments resonate with me and it makes me happy to think about it as an overall package.
10. Pokemon Moon ; This game brought us Pyukumuku, which is pretty much one of the greatest pokemon ever created. Plus, it's probably the best story mainline Pokemon has ever had, and it's my second favorite generation after Gen 5 (the previous "best story in a mainline pokemon game" title holder), so I feel it deserves props for that too. But seriously guys. Pyukumuku. Look at that stupid little thing, be honest, it's perfect. Its shiny colors are even the same color palette as my personal favorite pokemon, Skiploom. Pyukumuku, guys, if I could I'd nominate it as GOTY, but sadly Pyukumuku is not actually a game and thus does not qualify.
And props to Paper Mario Color Splash for actually being shockingly good. Ironically, the biggest failing of a Paper Mario game was pretending that it was an RPG - if you cut that stuff out, it'd be the best classical adventure game we've seen in years.
Blackleg-sanji1
Banned
The amount of ffxv's I'm seeing feelsy heart with joy honestly. With how threads go you would've thought it was shit on here guess not so cool. These lists are also very varied really cool
1. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; this could have been an unnecessary addition to a solid series. Instead, it's a masterpiece of character development and storytelling. It's also the right way to do a
tribute.
2. The Witness ; visually stunning, layered puzzle game with thought provoking themes and brilliant progression. If it had told a more compelling story it could have been my GOTY.
3. Dishonored 2 ; unlike many here who adored the original, I never did finish the first entry. Playing as Emily this time around proved to be the hook I needed to thoroughly enjoy this love letter to the original Thief games.
4. The Last Guardian ; occasionally awkward controls and positively abusive treatment of Trico throughout kept this from being a contender for the top spot for me. It's impossible to deny how impressive your companion's presence was, given that I cared enough to be bothered by it all.
5. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; a year late but still well worth experiencing, especially on a PS4 Pro with a 4K display. Lara still hasn't found her stride personality-wise and lack of HDR mars an otherwise superb technical achievement.
6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine ; not just more Witcher 3, but a fitting finish for Geralt's story. I really appreciated the respect for characters and lore here, and found the vineyard development surprisingly effective as a way to settle my in-game persona down for the long haul. It made me want to play through the entire game again to see how Trish and Gerald relate at this point in their story after playing through with Yen the first time around.
7. Ratchet & Clank ; visual perfection and a solid reworking of the titular duo's introduction. If only captain Quark wasn't such a grating character, I might be more eager to replay the title to experience the 4K/HDR presentation on PS4 Pro. Now the real question is whether the duo can be taken in a new direction, or is reselling their origin story the peak and a worthy end to the series?
8. Final Fantasy XV ; it's still hard to believe this actually shipped, and a mere week from The Last Guardian at that. Better yet, the updated gameplay is actually pretty solid. Dated character designs and an incoherent plot kept this from ranking near the top for the year. To be fair, I haven't yet finished the game so my impressions might change, but I found Noctis and friends much more endearing than I expected going in.
9. XCOM 2 ; as shipped the game is full of serious flaws but it's also an ambitious sequel to one of my favorite games of all time. Great game with a huge asterisk attached. I can only hope that if there's another sequel it builds on what works here. Bugs, wild difficulty swings, and performance issues aside, I thought the timed aspects of the missions worked well enough. They created a sense of tension that relaxed just enough when it was absent to made it effective again when it returned.
10. Dark Souls III ; same great core gameplay but not enough new to feel fresh. This is the perfect reminder that while endless sequels to a game I loved always seem like a good idea, in practice it's a tricky balance between revisiting what made the series great and taking a few risks to keep it going. While the second entry wasn't entirely successful, I felt like it deserves a lot of credit for going in some new directions. The third entry simply feels like a lazy callback to the original a little too often, while also lacking the obsessively labyrinthine world layout that created a coherent environment,
Crash Bandicoot
2. The Witness ; visually stunning, layered puzzle game with thought provoking themes and brilliant progression. If it had told a more compelling story it could have been my GOTY.
3. Dishonored 2 ; unlike many here who adored the original, I never did finish the first entry. Playing as Emily this time around proved to be the hook I needed to thoroughly enjoy this love letter to the original Thief games.
4. The Last Guardian ; occasionally awkward controls and positively abusive treatment of Trico throughout kept this from being a contender for the top spot for me. It's impossible to deny how impressive your companion's presence was, given that I cared enough to be bothered by it all.
5. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; a year late but still well worth experiencing, especially on a PS4 Pro with a 4K display. Lara still hasn't found her stride personality-wise and lack of HDR mars an otherwise superb technical achievement.
6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine ; not just more Witcher 3, but a fitting finish for Geralt's story. I really appreciated the respect for characters and lore here, and found the vineyard development surprisingly effective as a way to settle my in-game persona down for the long haul. It made me want to play through the entire game again to see how Trish and Gerald relate at this point in their story after playing through with Yen the first time around.
7. Ratchet & Clank ; visual perfection and a solid reworking of the titular duo's introduction. If only captain Quark wasn't such a grating character, I might be more eager to replay the title to experience the 4K/HDR presentation on PS4 Pro. Now the real question is whether the duo can be taken in a new direction, or is reselling their origin story the peak and a worthy end to the series?
8. Final Fantasy XV ; it's still hard to believe this actually shipped, and a mere week from The Last Guardian at that. Better yet, the updated gameplay is actually pretty solid. Dated character designs and an incoherent plot kept this from ranking near the top for the year. To be fair, I haven't yet finished the game so my impressions might change, but I found Noctis and friends much more endearing than I expected going in.
9. XCOM 2 ; as shipped the game is full of serious flaws but it's also an ambitious sequel to one of my favorite games of all time. Great game with a huge asterisk attached. I can only hope that if there's another sequel it builds on what works here. Bugs, wild difficulty swings, and performance issues aside, I thought the timed aspects of the missions worked well enough. They created a sense of tension that relaxed just enough when it was absent to made it effective again when it returned.
10. Dark Souls III ; same great core gameplay but not enough new to feel fresh. This is the perfect reminder that while endless sequels to a game I loved always seem like a good idea, in practice it's a tricky balance between revisiting what made the series great and taking a few risks to keep it going. While the second entry wasn't entirely successful, I felt like it deserves a lot of credit for going in some new directions. The third entry simply feels like a lazy callback to the original a little too often, while also lacking the obsessively labyrinthine world layout that created a coherent environment,
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine ; I've essentially quit gaming but CDPR pulled me back in, first with the base game and again with this expansion. A phenomenal send-off and a showcase of how DLC should be done.
2. Hitman ; Despite the online-only chopped up nature of the game it's one of the best sandbox games I've played and a worthy successor to Blood Money.
3. Doom ; A return to form with tight gameplay and characterisation too clever for its intended audience.
4. Steep ; Its online-only nonsense isn't justified by its lacklustre online features but its otherwise a great snowboarding game with interesting mechanics.
2016 was thoroughly mediocre for my tastes.
2. Hitman ; Despite the online-only chopped up nature of the game it's one of the best sandbox games I've played and a worthy successor to Blood Money.
3. Doom ; A return to form with tight gameplay and characterisation too clever for its intended audience.
4. Steep ; Its online-only nonsense isn't justified by its lacklustre online features but its otherwise a great snowboarding game with interesting mechanics.
2016 was thoroughly mediocre for my tastes.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
VanCityGamer
Member
Interesting. 2016 was so damn good and varied, I'm surprised anyone feels this way.
Forsaken82
Member
Maybe I've just gotten more selective in purchases, but I'd actually agree with him/her. I didn't even play 10 new games this year, I spent a lot of my time playing games from previous year. I mean hell... Star Ocean 5 made my Top 10 (i enjoyed it and all... but i didn't play 10 better games this year...)
MrS
Banned
I feel the same way - I couldn't think of 10 games worthy of a spot so had to go with 5.
pixellated_man
Member
I would like to point out that I have played only the following games released in 2016 (I liked them all) and will be adding to the list if I get to finish any more notable games from the year.
1. Uncharted 4 ; Been playing games since 8 bit days. This game managed to enter my all time top 10, a feat very few games have managed in the last decade.
2. Doom ; Yet to finish the game - just arrived in hell! Couldn't have asked for a more polished contemporary take on one of the greatest games ever. Just edges out Quantum Break so far into my playthrough. Reports of lack of new ideas late game and repetitiveness make me a little unsure if it is truly deserving of this spot. But so far this has been an exceptional experience.
3. Quantum Break ; Unfairly overlooked by critics and even people here on GAF. Remedy have my respect for melding together so many forms of story telling to tell a very memorable and surprisingly poignant tale of time travelling gone awry.
4. Gravity Rush Remastered ; Excellent port of the Vita title by the always dependable folks over at Bluepoint. Only the shallow combat and rather repetitive mission design held this back from being a truly great game. Something that will hopefully be addressed by the sequel.
That's it - 3 games played and all of them good ones!
edit: added Doom. Also played and finished Virgina since posting the list for the first time. Not deserving of being mentioned alongside these games as I found it disappointing.
1. Uncharted 4 ; Been playing games since 8 bit days. This game managed to enter my all time top 10, a feat very few games have managed in the last decade.
2. Doom ; Yet to finish the game - just arrived in hell! Couldn't have asked for a more polished contemporary take on one of the greatest games ever. Just edges out Quantum Break so far into my playthrough. Reports of lack of new ideas late game and repetitiveness make me a little unsure if it is truly deserving of this spot. But so far this has been an exceptional experience.
3. Quantum Break ; Unfairly overlooked by critics and even people here on GAF. Remedy have my respect for melding together so many forms of story telling to tell a very memorable and surprisingly poignant tale of time travelling gone awry.
4. Gravity Rush Remastered ; Excellent port of the Vita title by the always dependable folks over at Bluepoint. Only the shallow combat and rather repetitive mission design held this back from being a truly great game. Something that will hopefully be addressed by the sequel.
That's it - 3 games played and all of them good ones!
edit: added Doom. Also played and finished Virgina since posting the list for the first time. Not deserving of being mentioned alongside these games as I found it disappointing.
Shadynasty
Member
1. Battlefield 1 ; This is my only entry since it's the only game of 3 I've purchased this year I feel is worthy of goty. I originally was going to sit out of this installment of Battlefield. I scoffed at the idea of it because I thought having a fps from anything pre World War 2 would be a less than satisfying experience. I couldn't have been more wrong. The maps are gorgeous, the vehicles are better than expected, flying is not only more fun than it's ever been, but it's more approachable than the modern day fighter jets from Battlefield 3 and 4. The addition of Operations mode has really taken the multiplayer experience to the next level for me, but what really make this game shine is how objective centered the game is. A squad that works together can score way more points than the guy camping with 56 kills and 3 deaths. The game also taught me a lot about The Great War that I never knew and actually motivated me to study about it further. For this I feel it should be game of the year
over many other equally as good titles.
over many other equally as good titles.
Magic Mushroom
Member
Agreed. So much quality and variety in both the indie and AAA space. Games with fantastic mechanics, level design, puzzles and character moments.
Still contemplating the order of the games in my list.
texhnolyze
Banned
Indeed. Really glad that my prediction of UC4 winning by a great margin proven wrong.
Anyway, I need to finish FFXV & TLG first before the voting ends.
Freeglader
Member
1. Final Fantasy XV ; A beautiful and fun game that, in my view, understands what it means to be a Final Fantasy.
2. Dark Souls III ; Another wonderful classic from Miyazaki.
3. No Man's Sky ; Although it really did not deliver on its promises, I admire its boldness.
2. Dark Souls III ; Another wonderful classic from Miyazaki.
3. No Man's Sky ; Although it really did not deliver on its promises, I admire its boldness.
QuixoticNeutral
Member
Many releases in 2016 fell into my sphere of interest but not my playing schedule, and I expect to look back at this list someday and wonder where I would have placed the notable omissions. Others that featured significantly in my year are as yet ineligible. This was a year of depth over breadth, and as it stands, I won't be counting to ten.
1. Fire Emblem Fates ; Ambitious and spectacular beyond what anyone could have expected of a struggling, perpetually underplayed series a few scant years ago, Fates retains the interface improvements and popular concessions of Awakening and reunites them with the tactical complexity of Fire Emblem's finest campaigns while brandishing a whole new bag of tricks, delivering several of the series' most unique and dynamic maps to date. One could even excuse the removal of the resource management game inherent in the weapon durability system, a critical staple of the series, on the strength of the new mechanics and decisions introduced in their place. The generational masterpiece of the 3DS, this is the standard by which the strategy RPG will henceforth be judged. [N.B. If the campaigns are tallied separately, mark this as a vote for Conquest.]
2. Stardew Valley ; Overlook for a moment its notoriety as a one-man job—commendable as that is in its own right in every respect from sprite animation to music—and what still remains in our hands is the living proof that what the Harvest Moon formula needed all along was variety and expansion, a whole new magnitude of discovery to outpace the player's impatience to explore. A delicately paced experience in economy-building, shorn of survival pressure, it takes a staggeringly long time to reach the horizon of repetition where you begin to believe you might have seen it all. And even then, you may be wrong. The pinnacle of the farming genre in scope, richness of character, and charm, the apprentice has surpassed the master.
3. World of Warcraft: Legion ; Expansions are ultimately measured by the aftertaste they leave as they fall into a period of exhaustion and disrepair before the next. But from the first few months of Legion alone, one can be confident in declaring that we are now at last in the Silver Age of WoW, its second term of renewal and unfettered glory, with the balance of quality-of-life systems against their social effects finally just right to draw the players into the world again and entice them to return for more. WoW was always at its most massive when the developers understood that a player shouldn't see everything, that the complete experience should emerge as a gestalt of contrasting anecdotes and differing habits of play. In Legion, a character's path through the world feels customized and exclusive again; and best of all, thus far, this cycle has demonstrated every sign of being well maintained.
4. Star Fox Zero ; The most underrated and misunderstood creation from Shigeru Miyamoto, Zero joins Skyward Sword in delivering a risky, unorthodox method of control that asks you upfront with naked honesty if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone. For the happy few who answered "Yes", who stuck it through the initial clumsiness of a toddler learning to walk, the reward provided in kind was a dogfight simulator of unparalleled intensity and finesse. In spite of its brevity and the hit-or-miss idiosyncrasies of its arsenal of vehicles—we never do get enough time with any of them—this is the best Star Fox has been since the long-abandoned brooding mystery of the SNES original. The coolness of its popular reception is an indictment of the modern audience's patience for discovering the visceral through a process of seizing control over the unfamiliar, rather than having the visceral handed to them on a surface layer of graphical spectacle alone.
5. Offworld Trading Company ; A high-frequency trader's Catan, Offworld delivers on its mandate to occupy a special niche of economic warfare compressed into the temporal density and moment-to-moment urgency of a real-time strategy skirmish. The AI is well equipped to match the player up to very high levels of difficulty on deviousness and timing alone instead of recourse to material advantage—a rarity for a builder's game—while the systems provide enough volatility to raise to staggering heights a skill cap composed of game knowledge, observational acuity, and quickness of wit in response to the sudden and unforeseen. In a year replete with polished refinements of the familiar and safe, this game stands out as a true original.
6. XCOM 2 ; A relaxed and freely structured refinement of the series' revival in Enemy Unknown, XCOM 2 is the model of a sequel that cautiously but tidily expands a playground we already know. On paper the iterations look like the feature set one would ordinarily expect: greater tactical diversity in the class design, new forms of positional disruption from the enemies introduced, open battlefields that take advantage of the engine's existing support for verticality with a wider variety of generated layouts. Yet in their combined effect, the sum of these additions is greater than the parts, compelling the player at every turn to take maximal advantage of the available mechanics and carefully weigh where to strike next on the world map.
7. Paper Mario: Color Splash ; Yes, it's Sticker Star 2, inheriting from its lean and controversial predecessor a stripped-down cast of characters, a pace of battle hostile to RPG item hoarders accustomed to chipping away at encounters with minimal expenditure, and a questionable approach to boss design that functions like a point-and-click puzzle adventure with consumable keys. But for all its sporadic lapses of design, Color Splash is ample proof of how interesting a game of the Sticker Star format can be if its robust foundations are buttressed and inflected with charm, variety, late-game encounter balance that elicits full engagement with the battle system, and a vast overworld experience that, while straightforwardly navigable without much progression for the explorer, ranks among the most intrepid of the series.
*
x. Overwatch ; The primary reason this has been excluded from my main list is that I honestly can't say I've spent enough time with it to make a fair assessment, as a multiplayer game, especially from Blizzard, doesn't begin to show its true colours until you have seen its range of permutations over dozens or even hundreds of hours. The art design alone is the most sumptuous of any Blizzard series, while the characters themselves stand out for their dynamism and fluidity of movement, which in the world of multiplayer shooters I had only seen to date in Splatoon. This will almost certainly look like a glaring omission someday.
x. StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops ; The swan song for single-player SC2, though I dearly wish it weren't. Blizzard's RTS campaign design has been a nearly unbroken crescendo since WC3:TFT in its inventiveness and its commitment to a unique identity for every map, and while some repetition began to appear in the cracks in Legacy of the Void, after over seventy missions already in the bag the Nova campaign came along and proved that the designers still weren't done squeezing every last drop out of what the SC2 engine would let them do.
Notable games I would ordinarily be in a position to comment on, given my interests or the early promise of what I have seen, but which I haven't sufficiently played to the extent of considering my opinion informed: Axiom Verge (Wii U), Bravely Second, Civilization VI, Kirby: Planet Robobot.
Previous ballots: 2014, 2015.
1. Fire Emblem Fates ; Ambitious and spectacular beyond what anyone could have expected of a struggling, perpetually underplayed series a few scant years ago, Fates retains the interface improvements and popular concessions of Awakening and reunites them with the tactical complexity of Fire Emblem's finest campaigns while brandishing a whole new bag of tricks, delivering several of the series' most unique and dynamic maps to date. One could even excuse the removal of the resource management game inherent in the weapon durability system, a critical staple of the series, on the strength of the new mechanics and decisions introduced in their place. The generational masterpiece of the 3DS, this is the standard by which the strategy RPG will henceforth be judged. [N.B. If the campaigns are tallied separately, mark this as a vote for Conquest.]
2. Stardew Valley ; Overlook for a moment its notoriety as a one-man job—commendable as that is in its own right in every respect from sprite animation to music—and what still remains in our hands is the living proof that what the Harvest Moon formula needed all along was variety and expansion, a whole new magnitude of discovery to outpace the player's impatience to explore. A delicately paced experience in economy-building, shorn of survival pressure, it takes a staggeringly long time to reach the horizon of repetition where you begin to believe you might have seen it all. And even then, you may be wrong. The pinnacle of the farming genre in scope, richness of character, and charm, the apprentice has surpassed the master.
3. World of Warcraft: Legion ; Expansions are ultimately measured by the aftertaste they leave as they fall into a period of exhaustion and disrepair before the next. But from the first few months of Legion alone, one can be confident in declaring that we are now at last in the Silver Age of WoW, its second term of renewal and unfettered glory, with the balance of quality-of-life systems against their social effects finally just right to draw the players into the world again and entice them to return for more. WoW was always at its most massive when the developers understood that a player shouldn't see everything, that the complete experience should emerge as a gestalt of contrasting anecdotes and differing habits of play. In Legion, a character's path through the world feels customized and exclusive again; and best of all, thus far, this cycle has demonstrated every sign of being well maintained.
4. Star Fox Zero ; The most underrated and misunderstood creation from Shigeru Miyamoto, Zero joins Skyward Sword in delivering a risky, unorthodox method of control that asks you upfront with naked honesty if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone. For the happy few who answered "Yes", who stuck it through the initial clumsiness of a toddler learning to walk, the reward provided in kind was a dogfight simulator of unparalleled intensity and finesse. In spite of its brevity and the hit-or-miss idiosyncrasies of its arsenal of vehicles—we never do get enough time with any of them—this is the best Star Fox has been since the long-abandoned brooding mystery of the SNES original. The coolness of its popular reception is an indictment of the modern audience's patience for discovering the visceral through a process of seizing control over the unfamiliar, rather than having the visceral handed to them on a surface layer of graphical spectacle alone.
5. Offworld Trading Company ; A high-frequency trader's Catan, Offworld delivers on its mandate to occupy a special niche of economic warfare compressed into the temporal density and moment-to-moment urgency of a real-time strategy skirmish. The AI is well equipped to match the player up to very high levels of difficulty on deviousness and timing alone instead of recourse to material advantage—a rarity for a builder's game—while the systems provide enough volatility to raise to staggering heights a skill cap composed of game knowledge, observational acuity, and quickness of wit in response to the sudden and unforeseen. In a year replete with polished refinements of the familiar and safe, this game stands out as a true original.
6. XCOM 2 ; A relaxed and freely structured refinement of the series' revival in Enemy Unknown, XCOM 2 is the model of a sequel that cautiously but tidily expands a playground we already know. On paper the iterations look like the feature set one would ordinarily expect: greater tactical diversity in the class design, new forms of positional disruption from the enemies introduced, open battlefields that take advantage of the engine's existing support for verticality with a wider variety of generated layouts. Yet in their combined effect, the sum of these additions is greater than the parts, compelling the player at every turn to take maximal advantage of the available mechanics and carefully weigh where to strike next on the world map.
7. Paper Mario: Color Splash ; Yes, it's Sticker Star 2, inheriting from its lean and controversial predecessor a stripped-down cast of characters, a pace of battle hostile to RPG item hoarders accustomed to chipping away at encounters with minimal expenditure, and a questionable approach to boss design that functions like a point-and-click puzzle adventure with consumable keys. But for all its sporadic lapses of design, Color Splash is ample proof of how interesting a game of the Sticker Star format can be if its robust foundations are buttressed and inflected with charm, variety, late-game encounter balance that elicits full engagement with the battle system, and a vast overworld experience that, while straightforwardly navigable without much progression for the explorer, ranks among the most intrepid of the series.
*
x. Overwatch ; The primary reason this has been excluded from my main list is that I honestly can't say I've spent enough time with it to make a fair assessment, as a multiplayer game, especially from Blizzard, doesn't begin to show its true colours until you have seen its range of permutations over dozens or even hundreds of hours. The art design alone is the most sumptuous of any Blizzard series, while the characters themselves stand out for their dynamism and fluidity of movement, which in the world of multiplayer shooters I had only seen to date in Splatoon. This will almost certainly look like a glaring omission someday.
x. StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops ; The swan song for single-player SC2, though I dearly wish it weren't. Blizzard's RTS campaign design has been a nearly unbroken crescendo since WC3:TFT in its inventiveness and its commitment to a unique identity for every map, and while some repetition began to appear in the cracks in Legacy of the Void, after over seventy missions already in the bag the Nova campaign came along and proved that the designers still weren't done squeezing every last drop out of what the SC2 engine would let them do.
Notable games I would ordinarily be in a position to comment on, given my interests or the early promise of what I have seen, but which I haven't sufficiently played to the extent of considering my opinion informed: Axiom Verge (Wii U), Bravely Second, Civilization VI, Kirby: Planet Robobot.
Previous ballots: 2014, 2015.
1. Trails of Cold Steel 2nd Chapter ; Played the first chapter only this year, loved it, especially the graphics update from the PSP was nice. Going to school was a little bit of a letdown. But Second Chapter has left the school and build upon the first chapter in a great way, expanding the battle system is superb (and no cheating of going back to level 1 and start from scratch again).
2. The Last Guardian ; Can't believe this actually came out. Have not finished it yet, so this ranking is a little bit of guess (it might go higher or lower depedning on how I like the ending)
3. Ratchet & Clank ; Awesome looking game and enough new stuff in this re-master of the very first R&C game to be a worthy number three for the year.
4. Grand Kingdom ; I spend an incredible amount of time with this game> Not the best story but it has this just one more battle effect on me.
5. Mafia III ; While it has a lot of repetitive gameplay, I didn't mind it. In fact I enjoyed it and the story was good.
6. Uncharted 4 ; Probably a good idea for Naughty Dog to lay UC to rest. While it is a great game, polished to a t, it is Uncharted, a world we have visitded already multiple times (depending on whether you also played UC on the Vita and the re-masters).
7. Root Letter ; The best of the VNs I played on my beloved Vita (though Stein's Gate 0 is still waiting for its turn)
8. Mirror's Edge Catalyst ; Great game, usually EA screws it up when they reboot games (I am still angry about SSX), but for some reason they managed to avoid that here.
9. Mantis Burn Racing ; Great racer in the spirit of Motorstorm RC.
10. Zero Time Dilemma ; Worthy successur (even if it is not as good as VLR, but few games are).
2. The Last Guardian ; Can't believe this actually came out. Have not finished it yet, so this ranking is a little bit of guess (it might go higher or lower depedning on how I like the ending)
3. Ratchet & Clank ; Awesome looking game and enough new stuff in this re-master of the very first R&C game to be a worthy number three for the year.
4. Grand Kingdom ; I spend an incredible amount of time with this game> Not the best story but it has this just one more battle effect on me.
5. Mafia III ; While it has a lot of repetitive gameplay, I didn't mind it. In fact I enjoyed it and the story was good.
6. Uncharted 4 ; Probably a good idea for Naughty Dog to lay UC to rest. While it is a great game, polished to a t, it is Uncharted, a world we have visitded already multiple times (depending on whether you also played UC on the Vita and the re-masters).
7. Root Letter ; The best of the VNs I played on my beloved Vita (though Stein's Gate 0 is still waiting for its turn)
8. Mirror's Edge Catalyst ; Great game, usually EA screws it up when they reboot games (I am still angry about SSX), but for some reason they managed to avoid that here.
9. Mantis Burn Racing ; Great racer in the spirit of Motorstorm RC.
10. Zero Time Dilemma ; Worthy successur (even if it is not as good as VLR, but few games are).
I think I actually haven't played that many games this year. Still quite a few really good, but no idea if I can even fill a list with 10 games this year. xD
1. Fire Emblem Fates ; I admit, the story is pretty meh. And I haven't finished Revelations yet or even started it for that matter. Still, I already poured over 120 hours into Birthright an Conquest and the latter has the best Fire Emblem Gameplay to date. It's such a great game, gameplay wise.
2. Pokemon Sun/Moon ; The best Pokemon game so far. I enjoyed it far more than I would have thought.
3. World of Warcraft - Legion ; Legion is so much better than the previous expanion. World Quests, the level scaling and Mythic+ are some of the best additions Blizzard has added in years and I hope they will stay for years to come.
4. Zero Time Dilemma ; Unlike many others, i really enjoyed this game and was more or less satisfied with the conclusion it gave. Now could it have been done better? Yes, definitly. Still, it's a really good game and worthy successor after both 999 and VLR.
5. Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ ; Well, my first Gacha game and my first smartphone game for the matter. I play it pretty much every day since it was released in EU earlier this year in june, even if I am only logging in for the reward at times. Still, I played it for the last 190 days since the official EU release and it's really good. I will definitly still play this for quite some time. Probably months. Or years. Send help.
6. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice ; Aaaand we get to the part where I haven't finished the games. xD
I am only halfway through case 3 so far, but it's another Ace Attorney game. I love Ace Attorney games and so far this one has been pretty good.
7. Kirby: Planet Robobot ; A really good Kirby game, many say it's one of the best. I haven't finished it yet, but it's definitly one of the better ones (and that says something in a franchise that basicaly has no bad games).
8. Etrian Odyssey Untold 2 The Fafnir Knight ; EU release was February this year. Another EO game I probably will never finish, but I still enjoy it everytime. Probably poured at least 20-30+ hours into this even though I am only at 15F. Definitly an improvement over EOU 1.
9. Shadowverse ; A good card game that "clones" Hearthstone, but adds quite a few other mechanics to make it unique enough. I only played a little bit, but it's fun for a few rounds.
10. Granblue Fantasy ; Another Gacha game, but I only started this a few days ago. The combat system is quite a bit deeper than KHUX, but since I haven't even beaten the tutorial yet I can't say much. Except for the art and music, those are god tier. Jesus.
1. Fire Emblem Fates ; I admit, the story is pretty meh. And I haven't finished Revelations yet or even started it for that matter. Still, I already poured over 120 hours into Birthright an Conquest and the latter has the best Fire Emblem Gameplay to date. It's such a great game, gameplay wise.
2. Pokemon Sun/Moon ; The best Pokemon game so far. I enjoyed it far more than I would have thought.
3. World of Warcraft - Legion ; Legion is so much better than the previous expanion. World Quests, the level scaling and Mythic+ are some of the best additions Blizzard has added in years and I hope they will stay for years to come.
4. Zero Time Dilemma ; Unlike many others, i really enjoyed this game and was more or less satisfied with the conclusion it gave. Now could it have been done better? Yes, definitly. Still, it's a really good game and worthy successor after both 999 and VLR.
5. Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ ; Well, my first Gacha game and my first smartphone game for the matter. I play it pretty much every day since it was released in EU earlier this year in june, even if I am only logging in for the reward at times. Still, I played it for the last 190 days since the official EU release and it's really good. I will definitly still play this for quite some time. Probably months. Or years. Send help.
6. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice ; Aaaand we get to the part where I haven't finished the games. xD
I am only halfway through case 3 so far, but it's another Ace Attorney game. I love Ace Attorney games and so far this one has been pretty good.
7. Kirby: Planet Robobot ; A really good Kirby game, many say it's one of the best. I haven't finished it yet, but it's definitly one of the better ones (and that says something in a franchise that basicaly has no bad games).
8. Etrian Odyssey Untold 2 The Fafnir Knight ; EU release was February this year. Another EO game I probably will never finish, but I still enjoy it everytime. Probably poured at least 20-30+ hours into this even though I am only at 15F. Definitly an improvement over EOU 1.
9. Shadowverse ; A good card game that "clones" Hearthstone, but adds quite a few other mechanics to make it unique enough. I only played a little bit, but it's fun for a few rounds.
10. Granblue Fantasy ; Another Gacha game, but I only started this a few days ago. The combat system is quite a bit deeper than KHUX, but since I haven't even beaten the tutorial yet I can't say much. Except for the art and music, those are god tier. Jesus.
Dragon1893
Member
Yakuza 5 was last year.
Nestunt
Member
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine ; Much more than a DLC/Expansion. It's longer and more engaging than most full games. As a matter of fact, it felt grander than 9 of my favourite games of 2016.
The setting contrasts beautifully with the war-torn lands of Wild Hunt. And CD Projekt goes even further by designing the quests you undertake in a way that they all share the theme of the land: chivalry. Furthermore, it is so interesting to see how this idyllic new place struggles with the tragedy that arose in its own backyard. It's as if everyone is in constant denial and masking their problems with colourful clothes and wine.
Blood and Wine manages to recapture the disparity of options and consequences of Wild Hunt, giving those moments a splash of extravagant and intensity that really helps in the culmination of a wonderful series.
5/5
2. Dark Souls III ; FROM does it again. Dark Souls III combat, by taking some inspiration from Bloodborne, is so well balanced and crafted that you really feel the weight of each step, swing, miss and hit in your own body.
An attention to detail that gives life to even the emptiest of rooms. And a majestic soundtrack that knows its place. These games are the correct ones to use the term "atmosphere" on. Visuals and sound give tone to your journey throughout a desolated world full of past story and menacing future. And the controls empower you to feel like everything is in the balance of your sword's blade.
5/5
3. Final Fantasy XV ; My Review.
5/5
4. The Last Guardian ; I had this list locked before the end of 2016. Yet, I managed to finish The Last Guardian before the deadline. Of course I had to come here again. It is such a dichotomous product. On one hand, I cannot forgive the frustrating controls and the lackluster technical performance - for a game that was so much time in development (most on a previous generation), it should be much more polished in that department.
On the other hand, and despite having more bad moments than Inside, I have to reward what was accomplished here. The Last Guardian pushes the envelope on two fronts I feel that are really important for the future of the videogame industry: AI programming and Environmental cues for progression.
I really think that the best challenges this industry faces are the creation of less robotic AI and start designing worlds where you feel accomplished without having HUDS telling you that. Trico always felt organic not because of acting or mo-cap but because of great programming. And I felt completely in tune with the world and its aesthetic because all I had was my contextual awareness and the attention to detail the developers had put into crafting the geometry.
I would love to reward this game even more because of those two pillars, but I had much more enjoyable experiences with the games above. It's at Number 4 for Academic Reasons and, let's be fair, the final product is a very strong art piece for the hellish development it went through.
5/5
5. Inside ; At first glance, this game looks like "another Limbo". Very soon you understand its own merits. It is a masterclass in design and how to roadmap a world and a message. Everyone should play this game.
5/5
6. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; Captain Avery is one of the best flushed out non playable and non visible characters in the history of videogames. Without that, this game would simply be an amazing technical showcase.
5/5
7. Doom ; Like Hugo Martin (Art Director) said in Danny O'Dwyer's documentary: this game has the same deceptive minimalism as Apple products.
5/5
8. Abzû ; A lot to live up to when you are tagged "Journey but with water". It is not as craftily built as Journey. But I have to admit, there are moments in this game that impressed me more.
5/5
9. Street Fighter V ; This game should be a lot higher on my list. I even played locally against Daigo this year! But the amount of flaws and the changes they made to SF gameplay to make it faster and more eSportsy makes this game a rushed and without identity product.
4/5
10. Klaus ; Yes. One of those 2D indie platformers. Yet, it is full of interesting ideas and has a very innovative way of telling a story.
4/5
x. The Banner Saga 2 ; I must confess I was not very good at this game. Even so, the music, the visuals and the design around scarcity and struggle made me respect the hell out of it. Can't wait for 3, and get my ass kicked, once again.
4/5
x. Stories: The Path of Destinies ; Not the most polished game in terms of production and controls. It is still worth your playing time, because it has a very interesting take on re-playability and how that is encouraged and almost unavoidable, without being frustrating due to nice writing.
3/5
Lionel Richie
Member
I feel sad for not listing Dark Souls 3, Inside and Titanfall 2 in my top 10 because I heard those are all very good (and I love Souls games) but I still haven't played any of them. My backlog is just ridiculous at this point lol.