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Games completed: 60
Games dropped: 26
Total hours played (completions): 770.5
Average hours played per day: 2.1
Average hours per completed game: 12.8
1. Hacknet
★★★★☆ - 6 hours - Completed 1/3/2016
Really cool faux hacking sim with interesting missions and slick presentation.
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
★★★★☆ - 53 hours - Completed 1/18/2016
Some of the best writing, storytelling, and world-building I've ever experienced in a video game. If I had enjoyed the combat as much as the game's presentation, this would have been one of my absolute favorite games of all time.
3. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls
★★★★☆ - 52.5 hours
Dived into D3 for the third year in a row. Sunk some time into Season 5 with my Demon Hunter... still fun and addictive.
4. The Witness
★★★☆☆ - 14.5 hours - Completed 2/8/2016
I appreciate The Witness' concepts more than their execution. The puzzles involving environmental clues were amazing, but the game's more abstract puzzles were far less interesting and, unfortunately, more common. Nevertheless, I respect the hell out of the game.
5. Rise of the Tomb Raider
★★★★☆ - 21 hours - Completed 2/24/2016
Solid but less impressive follow-up to the 2013 reboot. Where Rise falters most is falling into the open-world trap of watering down the overall experience with excessive collecting, crafting, and other busywork. But the core is still great.
6. Firewatch
★★★★☆ - 4 hours - Completed 2/27/2016
The impressively believable interactions between the two lead characters make this mystery adventure worth experiencing. Outstanding dialogue and voice acting. Doesn't resolve all its narrative threads satisfactorily, sadly, but I really enjoyed the journey.
7. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
★★★☆☆ - 5.5 hours - Completed 3/2/2016
Shallower than I expected for a character action game, but there's button-mashing fun to be had here.
8. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
★★☆☆☆ - 9.5 hours - Completed 3/10/2016
Intriguing story and fantastic animation, but I was disappointed by the ending twist and never found the trial-and-error puzzle gameplay to be fun.
9. Stardew Valley
★★★★☆ - 40 hours - Completed 4/6/2016
What a way to finally scratch my Harvest Moon itch that I'd had for over a decade. Love all the ways it streamlines and expands upon HM's mechanics, though the social aspect was underwhelming to me.
10. Dark Souls III
★★★★★ - 26.5 hours - Completed 4/21/2016
Dark Souls III tops the original Dark Souls for me by offering more polished combat, a greater selection of weapons and armor, and my favorite enemy and boss designs in the series. And whereas the later areas and bosses of DS1 disappointed me, DS3 managed to maintain quality throughout. Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, with its amazing art direction (what a breathtaking vista upon entering) and one of the game's best boss fights, is one of the most memorable levels I've experienced in all of video games.
11. Star Fox Zero
★★☆☆☆ - 6 hours - Completed 4/24/2016
A plethora of questionable design decisions (beyond just the gyro controls, which I was able to ignore for most of the game anyway) made this nostalgic reimagining/reboot an utterly disappointing and sometimes frustrating experience.
12. Star Fox Guard
★★★☆☆ - 5 hours - Completed 4/25/2016
Surprisingly more enjoyable than Star Fox Zero. I've played lots of tower defense games, but none that allowed me to have direct control over every turret. Fun game for what it is.
13. Darkest Dungeon
★★★★☆ - 33.5 hours - Completed 5/2/2016
Darkest Dungeon has one of the most well-designed and engaging turn-based battle systems I've ever played. Every enemy encounter feels high-stakes with the potential to ruin your party and halt your progress. I was more than ready to beat it when I did, though, since the lack of variation in dungeon/mission design turned the dungeon crawling into a repetitive grind at a certain point.
14. Box Boy!
★★★☆☆ - 8.5 hours - Completed 5/4/2016
Clever little puzzle platformer with some original mechanics. Difficulty could've been paced better as most of the game is far too easy and the levels far too short, but the last few (bonus) worlds provide some challenge.
15. Wario Land: Shake It!
★★★☆☆ - 6 hours - Completed 5/7/2016
Unwieldy tilt controls aside, a solid platformer. Doesn't do anything particularly noteworthy or memorable in terms of mechanics or level design, but, as usual from Good-Feel, the visual design and soundtrack stand out.
16. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
★★★★☆ - 13 hours - Completed 5/13/2016
Once again I'm left somewhat unimpressed and unsatisfied by Uncharted's gameplay, but it's enjoyable enough. The storytelling (best in the series) and unparalleled visuals carry the experience here.
17. Doom (2016)
★★★★☆ - 8 hours - Completed 5/15/2016
Somehow id Software made a classic style FPS that works well in 2016. It's fast and it's fun. Solid level design and surprisingly enjoyable platforming. The campaign starts to wear thin towards the end but it doesn't overstay its welcome for too long.
18. Overwatch
★★★★☆ - 23 hours
One of the best games I've played all year, which is saying something considering I'm not really into competitive multiplayer games anymore. Polished in so many ways.
19. Kirby: Planet Robobot
★★★☆☆ - 8 hours - Completed 6/29/2016
I've never been much of a fan of traditional Kirby platforming. Planet Robobot does little to change that, but it's undoubtedly creative.
20. Zero Time Dilemma
★★★☆☆ - 19 hours - Completed 7/4/2016
I can't remember the last time I was this disappointed by a game. ZTD's narrative left me so astoundingly unsatisfied, and the game's fragmented structure did the experience no favors. 999 and VLR deserved a much better follow-up to conclude the series.
21. Limbo
★★★☆☆ - 3 hours - Completed 7/5/2016
Some neat ideas buried in a tedious slog of trial-and-error.
22. Inside
★★★★☆ - 3 hours - Completed 7/7/2016
Thankfully, Inside does away with Limbo's dependence on trial-and-error and instead delivers a well-crafted, engaging puzzle-platforming experience from beginning to end. Some truly original ideas here - the final 20 minutes in particular are seriously mind-blowing.
23. Furi
★★★☆☆ - 5 hours - Completed 7/9/2016
Solid combat mechanics, mediocre presentation. Unremarkable outside of a few fun boss fights.
24. Superhot
★★★☆☆ - 1.5 hours - Completed 7/14/2016
Innovative, sure, but short on depth and content. Felt more like a proof of concept for its mechanic rather than a full game.
25. Mirror's Edge Catalyst
★★★☆☆ - 7.5 hours - Completed 7/17/2016
Well, the parkour is still fun, the combat is still terrible, and the storytelling is still forgettable. In other words, it's essentially the first Mirror's Edge, but 8 years later and without any of the novelty.
26. Velocity 2X
★★★☆☆ - 5 hours - Completed 7/19/2016
Fun when it's just pure fast-paced action on a linear path. Unfortunately, the flow is far too often disrupted by its tedious teleport mechanic and forced backtracking.
27. Moirai
★★★☆☆ - 12 minutes - Completed 7/25/2016
Interesting experiment with asynchronous player interaction in this (extremely short) mystery adventure game.
28. Rhythm Heaven Megamix
★★★★☆ - 8.5 hours - Completed 7/31/2016
Smiled my way through this entertaining and often funny introduction (for me) to the Rhythm Heaven series. I'm itching to play through its predecessors.
29. Mass Effect 2
★★★★☆ - 17 hours - Completed 8/6/2016
Mass Effect 1 was certainly a flawed game that needed some streamlining, but Mass Effect 2 strips away a little too much of what I enjoyed about the first game, which remains my favorite. Still, ME2 is a great sequel that I found hard to put down.
30. Pokémon Go
★★★☆☆ - Level 20
What was initially exciting and addictive due to the Pokémon license and geolocation integration just became too much of an unsatisfying grind with mediocre-at-best gameplay mechanics. But it did hold my attention for a few dozen hours.
31. Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved
★★★★☆ - 5 hours - Completed 8/22/2016
Finally got around to the DLC campaign, and although it's essentially more of the same, it was an enjoyable reminder of how great this game is.
32. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
★★★★★ - 80 hours - Completed 9/2/2016
Human Revolution (my 2011 GOTY) allowed me to indulge in my stealth predator power fantasies to a degree no other game had, and in that regard Mankind Divided delivers, offering a few new bells and whistles and letting me loose in some shiny new sandboxes. Everything about its gameplay and design does feel extremely familiar (perhaps too familiar for a sequel in development for 5 years), but it's still so satisfying to play. And although the main plot fails to deliver in any way, there are plenty of interesting stories to be discovered by completing the game's side missions, digging through the many emails and pocket secretaries, and exploring and soaking in the world's environmental design and set dressing. In two weeks after release, I put in 80+ hours over six playthroughs... My GOTY unless Dishonored 2 or something unexpected can top it.
33. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice
★★★☆☆ - 32 hours - Completed 9/17/2016
Ace Attorney 6 ranks on the lower end of the series for me, but I still quite enjoyed it. The new Insights mechanic adds a really cool dimension to the gameplay, perhaps my favorite in the whole series. I'd like to see it return in future cases. The characters and soundtrack somewhat disappointed, though. Edit: A couple months later and I realize the cases haven't stuck with me at all, unlike previous games in the series. Disappointingly forgettable.
34. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - System Rift
★★★★☆ - 5.5 hours - Completed 9/23/2016
Essentially an expanded version of one of the main campaign's levels, with a couple new design gimmicks thrown in. It's more Deus Ex, and that's perfectly fine with me considering it's my frontrunner for GOTY. 80+ hours with the game and I still can't get enough.
35. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice - Turnabout Time Traveler
★★☆☆☆ - 5 hours - Completed 10/5/2016
An unexciting and predictable DLC case that sadly falls flat in all its attempts at fanservice.
36. Thumper
★★★☆☆ - 6 hours - Completed 10/22/2016
If there were ever a game for which that venerable term "visceral" actually applies, Thumper is it. You will feel every rhythmic action, turn, and crash due to the game's superb audiovisual design. Unfortunately, the level design becomes quite repetitive and often leads to more frustrating than fun gameplay.
37. Kingdom Rush
★★★☆☆ - 3 hours - Completed 10/22/2016
Enjoyable enough to scratch my tower defense itch for a few hours.
38. Dark Souls III - Ashes of Ariandel
★★★★☆ - 4 hours - Completed 10/27/2016
Aside from a great main boss encounter and several intense new enemies, this DLC doesn't quite reach the overall highs of the base game. Still, I found it to be gripping in the ways this series tends to be. I mean, it's fucking Dark Souls.
39. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
★★★☆☆ - 21.5 hours - Completed 10/31/2016
Playing Skyrim for the first time in 2016 didn't impress me as much as I'd hoped, but I expected that. What it offers has been done (much) better by other games since, in my opinion. But I enjoyed it enough to see the main story through, and the Dark Brotherhood questline was pretty fun, too.
40. Hitman: Season One
★★★★☆ - 10 hours - Completed 10/31/2016
The seemingly endless amount of shenanigans possible in this reboot is truly amazing. My respect for Hitman only grows the more I play the game and watch others play it. I must say I'd prefer greater polish and more levels, but I suppose those are things to look forward to in Season Two.
41. Aragami
★★★☆☆ - 6.5 hours - Completed 11/5/2016
It's alright. Solid stealth mechanics, decent level design, boring mission objectives, frustrating boss encounters.
42. Dead Space 2
★★★☆☆ - 6.5 hours - Completed 11/12/2016
More or less on par with my memory of my experience with the first game, which is to say I enjoyed the combat and atmosphere.
43. Dishonored 2
★★★★★ - 50.5 hours - Completed 11/19/2016
Performance issues aside, Dishonored 2 is an improvement over the original (my 2012 GOTY) in every way. Emily's set of powers is even more fun than Corvo's, enemies are far more challenging, the art direction is downright mesmerizing at times, and the level design might be the best I've experienced this generation. Gameplay feels incredible whether I take a stealthy or combat-oriented approach, and the game offers expanded options for both lethal and non-lethal playstyles. And even if the storytelling doesn't match how well it plays, I'm nevertheless completely immersed by the world design and freedom of exploration. Up there with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided for my GOTY. Edit: The NG+ update which allows you to combine Emily's and Corvo's powers just made an incredible game even more incredible. Four playthroughs completed so far and I'm itching for more. Probably my GOTY.
44. Titanfall 2
★★★★☆ - 4 hours - Completed 11/22/2016
Unrelentingly-paced campaign with a few clever gimmicks. Really solid shooting and mobility mechanics.
45. Deus Ex: The Fall
★★★☆☆ - 3 hours - Completed 11/23/2016
Impressive for what was initially developed as a mobile game and surprisingly enjoyable on PC. Maybe I just love Human Revolution so much that even a 3-hour, unpolished, scaled-back version of it can keep me engrossed.
46. Emily is Away
★★★☆☆ - 28 minutes - Completed 11/24/2016
Hauntingly nostalgic and relatable.
47. The Stanley Parable
★★★★☆ - 1.5 hours - Completed 11/24/2016
Cleverly-written deconstruction of narrative structure in video games. I managed to find half of the endings before hitting a wall and then looked up the rest. Brilliant game.
48. The Beginner's Guide
★★★☆☆ - 1.5 hours - Completed 11/24/2016
A thought-provoking, albeit self-indulgent, look into the mind of the game's creator. At the very least, it challenged me to reflect on my own battles with insecurity and depression.
49. Virginia
★★★☆☆ - 1.5 hours - Completed 11/25/2016
Fresh use of cinematic cuts and transitions that really enhance the narrative here. Unfortunately, the story goes off the rails in the last 10-15 minutes.
50. Spec Ops: The Line
★★★☆☆ - 4 hours - Completed 11/27/2016
I didn't find the story as remarkable or the twists as surprising as the praise had me expect, but it goes places. Some satisfying shooting, too.
51. Frog Fractions
★★★☆☆ - 42 minutes - Completed 11/30/2016
...What the fuck!?
52. Orwell
★★★★☆ - 4 hours - Completed 12/2/2016
Intriguing investigative adventure game, described by some as a cross between Papers, Please and Her Story. I found myself feeling more or less inclined to incriminate a given person based on how much I liked or disliked that person, which was an interesting realization about my own susceptibility to personal bias. The story becomes more compelling in the third act and sticks the landing with a great ending.
53. Pokémon Moon
★★★☆☆ - 33 hours - Completed 12/5/2016
A few quality of life improvements and a change in story structure weren't enough to stave off some series fatigue that I'm starting to feel. Furthermore, I just didn't care much for the new setting or any of its new Pokémon other than Mimikyu (highlight of the game). As usual, though, the music is great - probably my soundtrack of the year.
54. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
★★★★★ - 33 hours - Completed 12/11/2016
Biggest surprise of 2016 for me. Shadow Tactics is a real-time tactical stealth game that came out of nowhere and provided some of the most satisfying gameplay I've experienced all year. The game is hard. It demands player creativity and, at times, razor-sharp execution as you utilize each of the five playable characters' unique abilities (often in tandem to incredibly satisfying effect) to unravel the game's masterfully-crafted levels and overcome its extremely difficult encounter design. And it's all beautifully set against the backdrop of feudal Japan, with a simple but solid story to boot.
55-57. Dishonored + Knife of Dunwall + The Brigmore Witches
★★★★★ - 20 hours - Completed 12/19/2016
Having played multiple times through Dishonored 2 (my 2016 GOTY), I decided to go back and replay Dishonored 1 and its two story DLCs. It holds up even better than I remembered. The two DLCs are probably my favorite pieces of additional content ever, with a different playable character and smart gameplay tweaks/addtions that almost make it feel like a legitimate sequel in its own right. Incredible series.
58. Portal
★★★★★ - 2 hours - Completed 12/19/2016
Not quite as funny or mind-bending as the first time, of course, but still such an enjoyable, tight package.
59. Portal 2
★★★★★ - 5 hours - Completed 12/21/2016
A less-than-stellar second act prevents Portal 2 from being as expertly paced as the first game. Those first and third acts, though? Amazing. Some of the best writing, voice over performances, and, of course, puzzle design of all time. Portal 2 remains the pinnacle of the puzzle genre for me.
60. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
★★★★★ - 8 hours - Completed 12/23/2016
Its pure stealth gameplay largely holds up, even if I notice where the game has aged a little. They just don't make 'em like this anymore, sadly. Forever a classic to me.