2015 is my first time owning all the current consoles and handhelds. Despite that, I struggled to come up with 10 games, partially due to delays (Persona 5, No Man's Sky) and later than expected localizations (FF Explorers, Digimon Cyber Sleuth, FE Fates)

1. Splatoon ; If you told me a year ago that my most played game of 2015 is a competitive online third person shooter, I’d think you were crazy. Splatoon takes the “just one more” elements from Smash and Mario Kart, settling somewhere inbetween. More than any other 2015 game, Splatoon ozes style, from the menus to the music to the satisfying way ink splats and spreads over stages. Never thought a game would tear me away from Smash Wii U, a game I anticipated for years, but Splatoon managed to do it.

2. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; XCX is the perfect fusion of PS2-era JRPG tropes and 360-era open world gameplay. I’ve liked open world games before, but this is the first one where it actually felt like a full world. Skells are a highlight of the game, but Monolithsoft’s choice to delay that gratification until later in the game was smart. The first flight out of NLA is one of the most beautiful moments of gameplay that I have ever experienced. As a bonus, it’s an open world game that manages to be fun without horrible game-breaking bugs.

3. Code Name S.T.E.A.M ; Nintendo’s other new Spring IP didn’t fare as well as Splatoon, which is a shame considering Intelligent Systems hit another one out of the park. The lack of overall stage map forced players to be more cautious and filled battles with tension. This franchise is likely dead, but I’m glad I got to experience another compelling IS strategy series (now please give me another Advance Wars pls)

4. Rocket League ; Mario Kart 8’s lack of a proper battle mode is its only blemish. Thankfully, Rocket League filled that void. With Splatoon, RL dominated my online playtime this year. Easily one of the best games I’ve never paid for.

5. LBX: Little Battlers eXperience ; The story is cliche anime trash, but the gameplay is arcade era fun and fast. Bought this to tide me over until I got to play with XCX’s skells, but found a game with a great, high energy battle system and creative boss battles. Lack of online play is my only complaint.

6. Grow Home ; What an odd game for a juggernaut like Ubisoft to make, but I’m glad they did. Feels like a Dreamcast game that was unfrozen in 2015. Weird robot main character, interesting gameplay concept, and beautiful art.

7. Undertale ; The OST alone could earn it a spot. Like last year’s Shovel Knight, Undertale managed to synthesize decades of JRPG tropes and concepts into an original, yet familiar new game.

8. Chroma Squad ; Yet another great indie game. Fun postmodern take on the power rangers formula. Great music and a satisfying battle system

9. Box Boy ; very under-the-radar puzzle game. Box Boy is the type of thing Nintendo games do best - introduce a gameplay concept, then stretch that concepts in as many ways as possible.

10. Super Mario Maker ; While it didn’t stick with me thanks to Splatoon/XCX, I enjoyed my brief time with it.



Honorable mentions aka games I wish I had more time to play

x ; Fast Racing Neo
x ; Persona 4 Dancing All Night ; I finished P4G this year for the first time. A rhythm game sequel still feels like a stretch, but P4G’s excellent soundtrack is reason enough for the series to get a rhythm game.
x ; The Witcher 3 - feels more like an action game than an RPG
x ; Yoshi's Wooly World - burned by the past few Yoshis, but I keep hearing good things
x ; Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush - Should be on 3DS
x ; Rare Replay - So much to get through, but Probably the best game value this year
x ; Starcraft 2 Legacy of the Void - now that the whole game is out, it's time to finish the saga.

ViewtifulJC said:

I'm now more convinced a 40+ hour RPG can't win. Bad news for Mass Effect if its really Dragon Age Inquisition in Space like the survey leak says.

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Are we still pretending BB and TW3 are RPGs tho

Edit: wait I kept reading and sawnyou addressed this. 😂

1. Undertale ; Possibly the greatest game of all time. It started with a cute sense of humor and some clever ideas. Ends as a mind-melting meta-commentary on gaming. Helps that it has the soundtrack of the forever.

2. Box Boy! ; Cute, clever, simple fun. A great example of good game design - accomplishing a lot by iterating on a simple concept.

maxcriden said:

Are we still pretending BB and TW3 are RPGs tho

Edit: wait I kept reading and sawnyou addressed this. 😂

Click to expand...

If the RPG Codex considers the Witcher 3 to be an RPG, then it is a safe bet that it is in fact an RPG.

tuxfool said:

If the RPG Codex considers the Witcher 3 to be an RPG, then it is a safe bet that it is in fact an RPG.

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I understand. But people have long given me shit for calling Zelda an action RPG...so I've grown accustomed to a more restricted definition.

I find the required comments a very good thing.

I'm already done with my first one for The Witcher:

Like a pebble that has been rounded over the centuries by the gentle splashing of the ocean waves, The Witcher 3 has become the perfect hardcore third-person Witcher simulator. By dint of painstaking labor on the part of its developer, CD Projekt RED, it has been refined over three installments to the point where it delivers only pure, unadulterated gaming bliss. Every combat is even-sided and complex and can be waged in multiple ways, using an arsenal of long- and short-range weapons, plus grenades and sign moves. Every quest is perfectly paced and balanced and graced with soaring architectural compositions. Plus it's graphically gorgeous. The epic storyline and the stirring score don't hurt either. In one of the greatest years video gaming has ever seen, The Witcher 3 is the very best of the bunch.

Ah, here we go. With no further ado:

1. Undertale ; Despite an unappealing graphical style and a couple of jokes that fall flat for too long, Undertale is a truly special RPG. The game's take on morality is one that no game has done previously. The game doesn't treat "good and evil" or "paragon and renegade" as two equivalent sides of a similar story. Rather, the game will make you want to do the right thing, and if/when you decide not to, you will be, to quote Hideo Kojima (talking about something else entirely), "ashamed of your words and deeds." Throw in an amazing soundtrack, clever humor (mostly), fun characters, and a battle system that's simple, yet remains interesting, and some "meta" moments, and you have a special game that innovates on familiar territory.
2. Splatoon ; Tight mechanics focused on movement, clever twists on standard shooter elements, and the pure style that this game oozes make it an easy choice for the list. By now, the game is full of content in terms of maps, weapons, and modes. Anybody who likes fun should give it a shot. And make sure you read Callie and Marie's dialogue; it's all comedy gold.
3. 3D Fantasy Zone II W ; All of M2's 3DS ports of classic Sega arcade and Genesis/Mega Drive games are great, but I had the most fun with this one. Between the lovely sprite art, nice backgrounds great soundtrack, intense boss fights, and multiple endings, improving your performance at this game until you can clear it is beyond satisfying. The new endless mode, Link Loop Land, is also a very welcome addition if you've already played the hell out of the main game.
4. 3D After Burner II ; My second favorite Sega 3D classic, After Burner II is fast, intense, and just plain cool. It's one of the few games where the stereoscopic 3D offered by the 3DS is a truly welcome benefit. Mastering this game is also endlessly satisfying, and it features an unlockable alternate mode based on mechanics from After Burner Climax. Considering the latter game was recently de-listed from PSN and XBLA, it's about the closest you can get right now unless you happen to come across an arcade cabinet of it.
5. Super Mario Maker ; The creation interface is so intuitive that, as somebody who has used more confusing programs often, I would get lost looking for a feature because I'd expect finding it to be more complicated than it is. It's a simple concept, but it's one the Wii U truly needed. The only reason it's not higher on this list is that the level searching/sharing functions leave a lot to be desired.
6. Rodea the Sky Soldier ; ***THIS NOMINATION ONLY APPLIES TO THE WII VERSION*** Rodea the Sky Soldier is a wonderful sendoff for the original Wii and its control scheme. At first, launching into the air with a point, click, and flick seems strange, but as you improve, it becomes second nature. The level design is good on many levels. Trying to beat the S-Rank times makes you notice how every little outcropping that seems like scenery can actually be another target to arc towards to allow you to fly smoothly without ever touching the ground. The game has a few quirks, but overall it's very solid, and worth playing just for being so unique.
7. Chip's Challenge 2 ; CC2 is a tile-based puzzle game right out of 1990, for better and for worse. The game is a straight-forward expansion of the first. The levels offer a wide variety of challenges, from logic puzzles to secret hunting to timing to speed. There are occasionally some stinker stages, usually ones based around a weak gimmick or ones that are too action focused, but it's a great challenge (heh) for people looking to test their minds and manual dexterity. Also, I hope you like ragtime music.

maxcriden said:

Are we still pretending BB and TW3 are RPGs tho

Edit: wait I kept reading and sawnyou addressed this. ��

Click to expand...

Yes. I'd go so far as to say Bloodborne is more of an RPG than, say, Kingdom Hearts. It has stats, it has a lot of mathematics tied to those stats beyond "This increases my damage with everything", and it's incredibly difficult to play without leveling up properly.

maxcriden said:

I understand. But people have long given me shit for calling Zelda an action RPG...so I've grown accustomed to a more restricted definition.

Click to expand...

But Zelda really isn't an RPG in any sense. It lacks stats beyond hearts.

Steel said:

Yes. I'd go so far as to say Bloodborne is more of an RPG than, say, Kingdom Hearts. It has stats, it has a lot of mathematics tied to those stats beyond "This increases my damage with everything", and it's incredibly difficult to play without leveling up properly.



But Zelda really isn't an RPG. It lacks stats.

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RPG is about maths confirmed!

What are strategy games then? Double rpgs?

tuxfool said:

If the RPG Codex considers the Witcher 3 to be an RPG, then it is a safe bet that it is in fact an RPG.

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I always saw The Witcher as some kind of mix of action, adventure and rpg. It's not a "heavy duty RPG", at least. Fixed character with a fixed role and name, not a lot of options in dialogue, it has reactivity and options but in very key, sparse quests.

And I love The Witcher.

Turin Turambar said:

RPG is about maths confirmed!

What are strategy games then? Double rpgs?

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I figured that I didn't need to mention that you play a role, have an inventory, a crafting system, etc. in Bloodborne. But, you know, you could just be snide about it.

oh god, I hope I didn't start the "define what a RPG is" conversation

right up there with "what is survival horror" conversation. "something something resident evil 1 something something no that doesnt count because you have a weapon something something"

ViewtifulJC said:

oh god, I hope I didn't start the "define what a RPG is" conversation

right up there with "what is survival horror" conversation. "something something resident evil 1 something something no that doesnt count because you have a weapon something something"

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Symphony of the Night was closer to Blaster Master than Metroid but we don't call them Blastervanias

Discuss

1. Rocket League ; A simple physics based game about pushing a ball into a goal right? Wrong. Behind it's bright, colorful and accessible exterior lurks a monster made of competitive strategy and mechanical depth. To keep this brief: I've never had as much fun playing a multiplayer game before, and that's why it's my game of the year.

2. Fallout 4 ; I love exploring and I love the pseudo-50's alternate history post apocalyptic setting.

3. Witcher 3 ; An epic and massive game. Having never played a Witcher game before, the storytelling and narrative were impressive. I plan to wait for the GOTY edition so I can play the expansions.

4. Rainbow Six: Siege ; A rare breed these days: a intense tactical shooter that requires communication and strategy to succeed. The best multiplayer shooter of this gen so far.

5. Metal Gear Solid 5 ; Laying horse poop traps and making an enemy jeep slide around like it's been hit by a banana peel from Mario Kart is one of my favorite gaming moments of 2015.

Fine Ham Abounds said:

Symphony of the Night was closer to Blaster Master than Metroid but we don't call them Blastervanias

Discuss

Spoiler

I'm not serious

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That would be rad though. I'd play it...

Did you post your list Fine Ham btw? I'm always curious to see how much we disagree haha.

Vire said:

That would be rad though. I'd play it...

Did you post your list Fine Ham btw? I'm always curious to see how much we disagree haha.

Click to expand...

Not yet, I'll be lucky to finish what I'm playing by the 23rd, but I'm going to try. Probably doing a top 5 only with a bunch of random thoughts about my runners up.

I see some ballot stuffing in the future there, tread carefully.

I'm almost always at odds with Fine Ham too but he does a really good job explaining his reasons

Fine Ham Abounds said:

Not yet, I'll be lucky to finish what I'm playing by the 23rd, but I'm going to try. Probably doing a top 5 only with a bunch of random thoughts about my runners up.

Click to expand...

I only did a top five this year as well since I didn't feel super passionate about ten games this year. I mean sure... I enjoyed my time with ten different games this year, but maybe not enough to go up to bat for some of them.

Usually I round out my list with a few mobile delights that I found along the way like Monument Valley or Hearstone last year, but I feel like it was a really weak year in general for mobile.

SocksAndShoes said:

Rocket League - A simple physics based game about pushing a ball into a goal right? Wrong. Behind it's bright, colorful and accessible exterior lurks a monster made of competitive strategy and mechanical depth. To keep this brief: I've never had as much fun playing a multiplayer game before, and that's why it's my game of the year.

Click to expand...

Separate your titles and comments with ; for you vote to count.

Steel said:

I figured that I didn't need to mention that you play a role, have an inventory, a crafting system, etc. in Bloodborne. But, you know, you could just be snide about it.

Click to expand...

Still not enough.

But it's an old discussion, for another thread.

1. Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain; I don't really care that its open world is empty, or that the story is incomplete, or that the side missions feel repetitive or that some main missions are repeated, the 150 or so hours I've spent on this game were the purest joy I've had for years.

2. Bloodborne; it may be a simplified, albeit faster, Dark Souls, but that suits me just fine, as I can enjoy the world and its challenge without getting bogged down with upgrading shields and armor.

3. The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt; it's a flawed game, with its clunky combat, shallow character upgrade system, and vast, but not too interesting world, but it's also a game brimming with character and stories I can't help but want to learn more about.

4. Resident Evil Revelations 2; a very fun experience that is highly replayable, the game's only blemish is its low production values.

5. Ori and the Blind Forest; beautiful and touching game that is challenging, too.

6. Until Dawn; a mixture of horror tropes and choice-driven gameplay, the game David Cage always promised but never delivered.

7. Dying Light; a fun evolution of the Dead Island formula.

8. Fallout 4; clunky and glitchy, but great exploration game with some funny moments, too.

9. Transformers Devastation; know nothing about Transformers, but enjoyed the Platinum goodness nonetheless.

10. Just Cause 3; didn't like the way character progression was based on completing challenges, but otherwise enjoyed this mindless but very fun experience.

maxcriden said:

Are we still pretending BB and TW3 are RPGs tho

Edit: wait I kept reading and sawnyou addressed this. ��

Click to expand...

What would cause TW3 to not be an RPG?

BB is borderline and I think of it more as character action / adventure.

Zelda I would never think of as an RPG.

1. Bloodborne ; An amazing game from start to finish. This game made me remember why i gaming. The DLC was awesome too, so this is my GOTY without a doubt.

2. Until Dawn ; Incredible! So so good. Superbe story and amazing characters, i am surprised this is number 2, position that was going to...

3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; A world made alive, with 10 stars acting. The gameplay was a little eh, but i loved Gwent.

4. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; As a hard MGS fan, the story of this final game made me really sad. The gameplay was good but the story and the characters not so much.

5. Fallout 4 ; curse you building mode! So many hours spent on that feature. The story wasn't bothing special but still an amazing experience.

6. Gravity Rush Remastered ; i don't know if this counts, but i've played the asian version and i loved it. The gameplay, the artstyle and the story are so charming. Can't wait for the sequel!

7. Rocket League ; this game is pure fun, and i don't even like soccer (and i am italian).

8. Dying Light ; the first game of 2015, a different experience with interesting gameplay.

9. Dead or Alive 5: Last Round ; My favorite fighting game as of now, i still play it sometimes.

10. Shovel Knight ; i have waited this game to come to PS4, and it was worth it. But i didn't like the DLC at all.

Special Mentions: The Holy Trinity reveal at Sony E3, Nier 2, Ni No Kuni 2, Yakuza 0, Ni-Oh, and the KojiPro resurrection.

CelticVegas said:

1. Bloodborne: An amazing game from start to finish. This game made me remember why i gaming. The DLC was awesome too, so this is my GOTY without a doubt.

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Game titles and comments must be separated with a semicolon, not a colon.

Servbot24 said:

What would cause TW3 to not be an RPG?

BB is borderline and I think of it more as character action / adventure.

Zelda I would never think of as an RPG.

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Why is Bloodborne considered a "borderline" RPG anyways? In The Witcher, you are always playing a pale chap with white hair who is a witcher named Geralt. You still have multiple origins in Bloodborne, with a emphasis on stats and weapons as defining traits, not to mention the lack of a defined protagonist, allowing you to fill your own backstory.

All of your RPGs are inferior to obsessive Star Wars LARPing from the early 90s fyi

1. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter ; I thought at most this would match the first game, but how wrong I was. The story is excellent, it truly makes it feel like you're on an adventure. The characters have depth, it does a good job of developing what you previously assumed were shallow characters conforming to typical anime tropes into unique individuals. The amount of work which went into the development and translation of this game is insane, a random NPC in a random house which you probably won't even visit will have many lines of dialogue, reacting to everything going on in the game world and each having their own little stories which you can keep up with if you so wish. This becomes most apparent when at a certain point you are free to visit almost the entirety of the game's world map and on talking to any NPC you come across you realise that they are not spouting general lines which you have come to expect in many other JRPGs, but are reacting to a major event which previously occurs.

2. Witcher 3 ; The world is massive, with the peerless quest design helping build it. The story is captivating. The characters are interesting, helped by the excellent animations and voice acting.

3. Bloodborne ; From Software does it yet again with the excellent lore and world building we have come to expect. The faster pace makes for a welcome change from the Dark Souls series, while still retaining everything that was good about those games.

4. Life is Strange ; This game came out of nowhere. The premise seemed interesting enough but I didn't expect to be so taken in by it. The relationships between the characters are developed well, and you come to appreciate the moments where the pace slows down so you can appreciate the world the game has built.

5. Until Dawn ; It took on the task of combining a gameplay style filled with games which failed to live up to their concepts and a movie genre which a lot of people have become tired of, and it executed it brilliantly. The understanding and appreciation the developers clearly have for cheesy horror flicks allowed them to deliver effective jump scares and tense moments.

6. Tales from the Borderlands ; This is one of the few games which made me genuinely laugh throughout. The voice acting is superb, the humour is on point, and still manages to deliver on the more serious moments. As someone who has never played the Borderlands games, I can still definitely recommend this.

7. Rocket League ; Having never heard of it prior to playing it through PS+, there is a lot of fun to be had with this game, especially when playing with friends.

8. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; There are many issues with this game. The party management system is terrible. The sub-missions are filled with fetch quests and kill x monster. The fetch quests themselves sometimes don't even tell you where you can find the items, aside from the continent it is in, which isn't great in a game as massive as this. The story is mediocre, while some of the character interactions are ridiculous and repetitive, with generally poor cutscenes. Having said that, the world you explore is unlike anything else I have ever experienced, with blue grass, amazing rock formations, gigantic waterfalls, what can best be described as dandelion trees, ancient alien structures and diverse animals of different sizes. It takes the best image you have of an amazing looking and exotic alien world, and it shows you something better. You feel like a tourist every time you load it up and flying around in it in your massive robot is reason enough to put it on this list. It also makes excellent use of the gamepad, showing you the map of the region you are in and splitting it up into hexagonal segments which you can teleport to.

Azzanadra said:

Why is Bloodborne considered a "borderline" RPG anyways? In The Witcher, you are always playing a pale chap with white hair who is a witcher named Geralt. You still have multiple origins in Bloodborne, with a emphasis on stats and weapons as defining traits, not to mention the lack of a defined protagonist, allowing you to fill your own backstory.

Click to expand...

If Bloodborne didn't have a create your own character thing at the start I would easily call it a character action game.

Even though you play as a defined character in Witcher 3, you have more choice in where he ends up especially in the side quests and in the dialogue. There are even big changes in the final story based on your choices. Contrast this with Bloodborne where you have very little choices on the matter and many don't even matter that much.

Witcher 3 also has more mechanics that are trademarks of RPGs like crafting, skill trees/upgrade paths etc.


In the end though both games are action adventure RPGs. One is just more open world with more emphasis on narrative and the other is more compact in level design and less focus on narrative (with more focus on tight combat instead).

1. Pillars of Eternity ; This vote is from the heart more than the head. When I think back on 2015 in videogames (important qualification, that), my favorite days were the ones I lost thinking about PoE -- which quests to take on and where the story might take me; my favorite hours were those I wasted on the party creation screen before even starting the game; and my favorite minutes were those I spent devising tactics for one of the game's (all too rare) challenging encounters. For all I have joined in the criticism of Eternity, it was the best time I had playing videogames this year.
2. Invisible, Inc. ; Indie developers seem determined to test my ambivalence toward roguelikes. But when the year's best turn-based, tactical gameplay show up in a stealth roguelike, I guess there's nothing I can do but learn to love losing.
3. Rocket League ; This one took me by surprise. I am placing it over Splatoon based on its edge in local multiplayer.
4. Splatoon ; The colors and movement pulled me back to a genre I'd dropped in college.
5. Bloodborne; Just another A+ action RPG from Miyazaki and co. Lovecraft horror isn't my bag, but damn is that combat smooth.
6. Undertale ; I was lukewarm on Undertale for a while. If you're not laughing out loud at Papyrus and Alphys, it can be an awful lot of text for so little gameplay. But what's that line from Adaptation--"Wow them in the end, and you've got yourself a hit."
7. Axiom Verge ; This was the first Metroid-like that's come anywhere close to scratching that 2D Metroid itch.
8. Super Mario Maker ; You guys are great. Now stop making puzzle levels and just let me run and jump.
9. Shadowrun: Hong Kong ; A solid follow-up to the surprise-classic Dragonfall. The dialogue trees and skill checks are as good as ever. Unfortunately, where Dragonfall builds a lot of dramatic energy toward the end (leaving a deeper impression in this player's mind), Hong Kong grows gradually less interesting as you approach the end.
10. Sunless Sea ; Here again with the roguelikes.

Honorable Mention: Age of Decadence. When it worked, I enjoyed it as well as anything I played last year. Unfortunately, my first playthrough was soured by bugs locking off content, and my second playthrough ended with a series of untimely crashes.

1. Bloodborne ; Easily, EASILY the best game this year. Nothing beats it for gameplay. The world is amazing, the art direction is amazing, the sound track is amazing, it's just so damned good.

2. Resident Evil HD Remaster ; A perfect remake of one of the best games of all time.

3. Until Dawn ; This game knows exactly what it wants to be, a ridiculous B horror Movie, and pulls it off better than I could have imagined. I loved this game so much.

4. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; So much greatness here. If it weren't for the performance and technical problems I'd probably have ranked it higher.

5. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 ; I wasn't expect much from this after Revelations 1, but I ended up being blown away by the quality of it. It's a fantastic Resident Evil game and one of my favorites now.

6. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel ; Absolutely love this game. It feels like Persona, but less complicated day-planning and more fantasy.

7. Dying Light ; I really enjoyed this and it helped start 2015 off with a bang. The running in this game feels so good and nighttime is tense as hell. It's a huge improvement on Dead Island.

8. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; This game just left me wanting more even after I got the 100% survey rate on it and did every mission available. I just wish the Main Story wasn't so pathetically short. It left me wanting a sequel or some heavy story DLC badly.

9. Shadowrun: Hong Kong ; They just keep making this series better and better. Hong Kong was a joy to play and the best from Harebrained Schemes so far. I can't wait for the next chapter from them.

10. Galak-Z: The Dimensional ; Such nostalgia. They hit the 80's Macross vibe so well and I loved it.

x. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; This game is definitely amazing and I would have loved to put it higher, but the unfinished nature of it and some bad things about it holds me back.


There's many other great games I've played this year, but I have to give it to these 10 right now. However, I have not played Trails of Cold Steel yet and that my change my mind on things before the vote is over.

Edit: Finally got around to ToCS and I love it so much that I have to bump MGSV down.

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; Easily one of the best Open World experiences I have had in some time. I have been a fan of this franchise since before it was cool (read some books people!) and #3 took it to heights I wished #2 went. The side quest design and story structure may actually be superior to the already strong main story quest and story. It is the game I expected from the beginning and I can't imagine what The Witcher 4 may offer in the future.

2. Bloodborne ; Even though I never played it, I had known From's pedigree and expected greatness from Demon Souls when it was first announced but didn't actually get into the Souls franchise til Dark Souls, and while I enjoyed it, the setting and combat wasn't what I expected. With Bloodborne, the victorian setting was enough to sell me but the Combat and enemy design was what kept me coming back.

3. Heroes of the Storm ; I can't get into most MOBA's. The Last Hit concept places the focus too much on individuality and the store slows the game down to an unncessary point in my opinion. HOTS removes both of those concepts, adds unique objectives beyond a standard 3 lane design and embraces the team concept all the while shrinking the stages and trimming the fat. Instead of 60 minute rounds (plus the usual 5+ minutes just waiting to get into a game), most games average 20-30 minutes and the genre is all the better for it in my opinion. While not my #1 game of the year, it holds the most hours of any other game played and I still find my self investing 10-15 hours a week.

4. Tomb Raider: Rise of the Tomb Raider ; Seems like a lot of people complained about this sequel being too much like the original. I LOVED the original and the sequel more than lives up to the original and has enough uniqueness to make it just as enjoyable.

5. Fallout 4 ; The hate that this game gets is absolutely unfounded. While the game feels more like a shooter than Fallout 3 or New Vegas and even less like a Fallout game, it is still a fantastic experience, and a great game should not be based on the franchise, but how well it plays, and Fallout 4 plays great. While the facial animation and character design is not one of Bethesda's strongest assets, the art style is still solid and environments look great and varied.

6. Cities: Skylines ; What else can be said about this game other than it does what Sim City (2013) should have done. This is the best city builder I have played and the Steam Workshop makes it even better!

7. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 ; Most will call CoD a stale/dying franchise, but you just can't deny its staying power. While the overall game balance seems hit or miss with certain hero abilities, I continue to get sucked into its gunplay and I am glad that 360 degree free form movement cotninues to grow this generation. It continues to add a new level of skill to these games.

8. Toxikk ; There still is no game that comes close to the competitive arena shooter perfection that is UT2004, however Toxikk was a great step in the right direction. Level design is above average, movement is fluid and the weapon arsenal is solid. Toxikk is also one of the early pioneers during this resurgence of the competitive arena shooter.

9. Batman: Arkham Knight ; The intro to this game was fantastic, however it is a shame that the rest of the game doesn't live up to the same quality standard. Gliding and grappling around the city and engaging in melee combat continues to elevate this game above other action titles, however the standout continues to be the detective aspect and Rocksteady continues to do deliver on this, however the inclusion of the batmobile, while a great feature on paper is executed poorly from a design standpoint. The controls are suspect, being able to destroy most of the city sounds anti batman, and the using the winch can be hit or miss.

10. Assassin's Creed: Syndicate ; I have been a fan of this franchise since AC2. The movement and gameplay has always been the major draw, however lately, it is the setting more than anything. Victorian london sets itself up for some great art design, and Syndicate delivers. While I wasn't very fond of Jacob, I loved the character of Evie. I wish the game had more Dickens missions though... say what you will about AC: Unity, but the detective missions were some of my favorite missions, and I felt they were lacking in syndicate, and saving Jack the Ripper for DLC was a huge disappoinment. Also, the grapple mechanic was a great addition to the franchise, but can't live up to Batman's.

Some of you folks could be wiping your ballots by posting things about previous years or examples using lines starting with "1." or "2." and so on. Be careful not to do that.

Cheesemeister said:

Some of you folks could be wiping your ballots by posting things about previous years or examples using lines starting with "1." or "2." and so on. Be careful not to do that.

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er...does that include me?

1. Bloodborne ; The best entry in the best game series in the past 10+ year! Of course it's the best game of the year. I'd felt Souls fatigue by the end of DSII, but the tweaks to the formula in BB not only re-invigorated my Souls love, but improved on the previous games. The most consistent game in the series, with no real sticking points. Unprecedented art design. Phenomenal creature design and animation. Old Hunters was the icing on the cake. Top notch expansion, from start to finish.

2. Destiny: The Taken King ; Even if The Taken King hadn't released, Destiny would have been up at the top of my list due to how much I've played, and enjoyed, the game in 2015. Dark Below wasn't much to write home about, but House of Wolves fixed so many of the issues I'd had with the game up to that point. Then TTK came along and made the game even better. God damn I love Destiny.

3. Rocket League ; The best Dreamcast game ever made! I still suck at it, but never fail to enjoy myself even if my team is getting slaughtered. The best game to hit PS+, and I'm so happy that it's been such a success for Psyonix. Fantastic to spend long sessions on, or as a quick palette cleanser after a night of Bloodborne or Destiny.

4. Nuclear Throne ; Late entry, but the game I've played most of during my Xmas break from work. Far more depth in the game than first impressions give you, and I'm still figuring out the secrets. Hopefully 2016 will see me reach the throne.

5. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ; My first MH game, and it's a corker. Looks and plays great on my n3DS.

6. Metal Gear Solid V ; One step forward, two steps back. I've never been a fan of open world games, due to them being focused more on huge, open areas, rather than core mechanics. MGSV nails the mechanics. It's a top tier action game. But the open world and lack of story narrative are a big detriment to the game. Missions are too similar, and there's a lack of variety in locations. It was so close to being special. It does have the best opening hour in any videogame I've played this year. The epilogue alone warrants the game being in GOTY lists.

7. Earth Defence Force 4.1 ; I love EDF, but for whatever reason, didn't really play much of 2025. The shiny, prettier PS4 version plays like a dream, and it's so weird to play an EDF game at 60fps. Gets hectic fast. A fantastic game to dip in and out of. I'll be doing missions with various characters throughout all of next year too.

8. Yoshi's Woolly World ; Better than the original, and a wonderful game to co-op with my kids. Best music of the year, too.

9. Until Dawn ; Didn't know if I'd like it. I did. It really highlights how ropey the actual gameplay parts to Telltale game are, and how you can have play choice with real, permanent impact, rather than the illusion of it.

10. 3D Out Run ; Such a treat. Playing on a n3DS with the 3D at max is hypnotic. The game is as fun to play now as it was when I was a kid going to my local arcades.


Honorable Mentions

x. Dariusburst Chronicle Saviors ; Solid shooter. Darius series will never be up there with the R-Types and Einhanders of this world, but this is a must for all shmup fans.
x. Galax-Z ; If the game hadn't gone down the Rogue-like perma-death path, this would have made my list. I hate the death/save structure of it, but adore everything else.
x. Splatoon ; Thought this would be one of the favourite game in 2015. The fact it wasn't isn't due to the underlying game, but that I hate playing on the Gamepad and they didn't support other controllers for single players. My 7 y/o son played the life out of it, and I always enjoyed watching him do so.
x. Super Mario Maker ; Another WiiU game I bought for myself, but ended preferring to watch my two kids play it instead. If nothing else, the user generate levels highlight how fantastic Nintendo are at their craft, with so few user levels coming close to real Mario game stages,

Cheesemeister said:

Some of you folks could be wiping your ballots by posting things about previous years or examples using lines starting with "1." or "2." and so on. Be careful not to do that.

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What about posting a game that's not on the game spreadsheet? For example, I put Thea: The Awakening on my list, it released this year, and isn't on the list.

theprodigy said:

er...does that include me?

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Yes, you.

Steel said:

What about posting a game that's not on the game spreadsheet? For example, I put Thea: The Awakening on my list, it released this year, and isn't on the list.

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The OP says go for it.

1. Halo 5, great single player and multiplayer game.

2. Witcher 3 - solid single player rpg.

Didn't get to fully play much else.

1) The Witcher III - Wild Hunt; story got me hooked like no game before it, lively world, beautiful graphics, excellent side quests - just a masterpiece.

2) Rocket League; local multiplayer with friends and over 150 hours logged of fun. This is the kind of game that makes me come back for more even after months and months after release.

3) Fallout 4; never played a Fallout game before. Atmosphere is amazing, graphics are pretty good (on PC) and it's just depressingly beautiful on its own way.

4) Batman Arkham Knight; technically flawed on PC before a few months, it left a bad first impression. But I gave it time, and when the game finally became playable, it was a blast. The best Arkham game in my opinion, awesome graphics and the Batmobile was actually pretty fun.

5) Bloodborne; Souls games never managed to hook me for more than a few hours, and I never quite got the whole "die a lot and it's still fun" thing. Not with Bloodborne. The aesthetics, the fighting mechanics, the atmosphere... everything was so well put together that I couldn't help but to keep playing (and really enjoying) it.

1. Bloodborne ; Visceral, deep and rewarding gameplay meets genious world and level design. Truly a masterpiece and my most mindblowing gaming experience since Mario 64 landed in the mid 90s. A Lovecraftian horror nightmare populated by some of the most twisted and sinister characters in a videogame; so terrifying I class is as Horror. It's a fair game but clearly not for everyone; intense battles, white knuckled consequential challenges and zero handholding give it a reputation of being hard when it's really not; other games just got easier. Crazy awesome sinister art design, an amazingly beautiful haunting soundtrack and addictive risk/reward gameplay it is a masterpiece in every way; transcendant. The amazing DLC is the cherry on top.

2. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; My favourite JRPG since Dragon Quest VIII. The world is absolutely beautifully alive its twisted arms welcoming exploration, adventure and mystery. The characters, flora, fauna and Mira itself is a sci-fi fans pleasant dream. It is a joy to explore. The gameplay itself is seamless, relaxing, fun and well; it has MECHS YOU CAN CUSTOMISE AND PILOT. So much customisation and depth that at first its a bit overwhelming but when it clicks it is nirvana. The online is well implemented and cool and it's a technical marvel on Wii U. Considering how awesome most of it is - it's strangely got some really annoying flaws and oversights (no music level controls argh) but get past this and it's fantastic. Uh Uh Yeh Yeh aaargh

3. Splatoon ; Nintendo knocked the ball out of the park with Splatoon. Reload, run, climb, hide, and slide with the same action? Genious. Completely original, nothing quite like it has been done before. Nintendo created the freshest new IP this year and the single most innovating multiplayer on consoles whilst being inclusive of gamers of all ages and walks of life. On top of that it features an awesome single player mode plus free content on the reg. Really surprised me; so much fun.

4. Super Mario Maker ; Through the absolutely genious gamepad touchscreen interface - creating 2D levels is a breeze. However, good level design isn't. When I get it right and I have people starring my course there's a feeling I haven't got in videogames before, a sense of satisfaction that is unique to partaking in a creative process and having people play your Myamoto quality designs (ahem). Endless 2D levels; some good - many bad, make for a package essential to any 2D platforming fans.

5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Even though Konami tried to fuck this up with microtransactions and intrusive online features - Hideo Kojimas final Metal Gear game is fucking rad. Flawless tight 60fps gameplay, great focused semi-open world design, incredible depth in the many ways to approach levels plus so much attention to detail it is staggering. It is a really big game which hurts it in the long run as it has too much content but not enough story. Art design is phenomenal as usual from Kojima and the characters are rad (Quiet is cool as!). The 80s setting and soundtrack are a treat. The game does feel incomplete after the second half (#fuckonami) but by that time I was over 120hrs and had my fill. This game just feels so good to play!

6. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Incredibly large sprawling epic open world RPG - filled to the brim with quests that are all amazingly written, unpredictable and great to role play. Very little meaningless quests or objectives and every quest taken on adds to the world and the story in often shocking and surprising ways. I love that Geralt is an anti-hero, he drinks, makes mistakes, sleeps around and has a surprising bumch of mates. The game is written very well and quite maturely (though the sex scenes in game are a bit eww...) - plus the story, world and characters are believable in a fantasy setting. The core gameplay itself is OK and has evolved substantially since the previous entries but the battle gameplay is imperfect and just doesn't feel right to me. At launch on PS4 it controlled annoyingly and there was framerate issues but patches came over time and improved the game substantially. If they could just nail the core gameplay this would be LEGENDARY.

7. Soma ; Thankfully I played this to completion before voting ended. Amazing atmosphere, excellent writing, actually scary and brilliant horror / sci fi. It scared me, made me laugh, made me feel part of its twisted world and best of all moved me and made me smile.

8. Fast Racing Neo ; Shinen squeezed the fastest and most incredible Fzero inspired racer ever onto Wii U in only a 500mb download. A true homage to Fzero, blazingly fast, tight, blazing arcade gameplay that just kicks ass. At 60fps (locked) this game is very well optimised and carries an Nintendo like quality. Biggest surprise of the year for me and its $22au. Absolutely filthy.

9. Until Dawn ; Another huge surprise this year. An interactive horror movie (umm game) that's actually tense, fun, hilarious, moving and features consequential and intense gameplay. It's like making all the major choices in a 90s slasher movie; but it goes far beyond that by putting you in control: making you care for the characters, making you despise them and giving you the reigns to see them all live or die. I really enjoyed my time with this and as a horror fan it blew me away. Quality performances from the actors, gory special effects, a cool setting and genuinely intense scares and situations make this something truly special. Additionally I've found it attracts an audience that don't normally play games which is cool bananas.

10. Yoshis Wooly World ; I played this co-op with my 6 year old Nephew and it was the funniest and most fun experience I had all year. We could play together really well despite our experience/age difference, throwing each other off ledges, bouncing off each other and causing mischief. The genious of Nintendo has always been their ability to create games that all gamers can enjoy. This game is fun and simple enough for a 6 year old, really great for less serious gamers/non gamers and features extra challenges in each level that will test the most experienced platformer gamers. The gameplay has that Nintendo feel where it just melts into your hands. It's perfect platforming gameplay the way only Nintendo do. Cute gorgeous visuals, crisp level design and oozing charm. A fine platformer and a great game for families, kids and experienced gamers alike. A glorious follow up to the classic Yoshis Island on the SNES.

Turns out I didn't even play ten games released in 2015, so I may as well just list what I did play.

1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Right now, this is my favourite game ever. Sure, it's not perfect, but every quest was interesting in its own way. Even what other games would make a 'generic' mission to kill unique monsters is made special. It's beautiful, the music's great. Just a sublime experience.
2. Pillars of Eternity ; Worth the wait, though I felt the story was bunched up way too much at the end of the game.
3. Grim Fandango Remastered ;
4. Shadowrun: Hong Kong ; A step down from Dragonfall, but still enjoyable.
5. Broken Age: The Complete Adventure ;
6. Fallout 4 ; A huge letdown.
7. Octodad: Dadliest Catch ;
8. Titan Souls ;
9. Ronin ;

Tmecha said:

1. Halo 5, great single player and multiplayer game.

2. Witcher 3 - solid single player rpg.

Didn't get to fully play much else.

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felipepl said:

1) The Witcher III - Wild Hunt
2) Rocket League
3) Fallout 4
4) Batman Arkham Knight
5) Bloodborne

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You guys might want to read the OP.

1. Bloodborne ; initially had some technical issues with the matchmaking but design wise it's pretty much as perfect as it gets. The last level especially I'd describe as perfect. Still have The Old Hunters to play as well, can't wait.
2. The Witcher 3 ; has its share of flaws but overall it's just a brilliant RPG. The side quests were especially amazing, the game was only let down by the fairly weak main story.
3. Metal Gear Solid V
4. Destiny: The Taken King
5. Fallout 4
6. Rocket League
7. Tearaway
8. Until Dawn
9. Tales of the Borderlands
10. Game of Thrones

Tmecha said:

1. Halo 5, great single player and multiplayer game.

2. Witcher 3 - solid single player rpg.

Didn't get to fully play much else.

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Need to our a semicolon after the game titles as a separator for it to count

Just so that I understand this, must the title be exactly as specified in the google doc? Or will Broken Age count, even if the doc says either Broken Age: The Complete Adventure or Broken Age: Act 2?

1. Life is Strange ; Finally after years of playing Telltale games DONOTNOD comes out with one that not only upstages them in terms of production values but also the emotional impact of the story and characters. I enjoyed every second of it and it had some of the best moments in gaming this year at the at the end of Episode 2 and Episode 3.
2. Shadowrun: Hong Kong ; This was the first Shadowrun game that I've played (If you don't count the 360 game and why would you) and I enjoyed it immensely. From the combat which reminded me of X-Com to the agency they give the player through choice in actions and dialogue. The atmosphere of the game is superb as well really nailing that cyberpunk asthetic.
3. Until Dawn ; This gave me the feeling of being in a horror movie, it has just the right amount of scares along with cheesy acting and story to make a really special game. It's also helped along by some of the best graphics I've seen in a PS4 game thus far in this generation.
4. SteinsGate ; Another great visual novel for the Vita it took awhile for me to get into this one but once the first major event happens it really took hold of me and I just had to keep playing/reading until I got to the end.
5. Batman: Arkham Knight ; A really solid Batman game, it still doesn't quite hit the heights of Arkham Asylum but it is certainly better than City and it's up there with Origins. I think it helps that I actually enjoyed the Batmobile segments in this game though maybe they could have used it a bit less of them towards the end. The main criticism I have of this game are the boss fights are kind of bad especially after coming from Origins which was the first of the Arkham games to have good boss battles.
6. Tales from the Borderlands: Episodes 2-5 ; Hands down the funniest game I've played all year, I wasn't really expecting much from this when I got into it after not really enjoying season 2 of the Walking Dead and not caring too much about the Borderlands lore but Telltale do an excellent job of bringing the characters and world to life.
7. Fallout 4 ; This should be much higher on the list, Bethseda made great strides to improve the combat in this game but regressed when it came to dialogue options, side quests and the story. It's still fun to play but I can't see myself replaying it as often as I did New Vegas which handled factions, choice, story and dialogue so much better than this game.
8. Halo 5: Guardians ; Probably has the worst singleplayer campaign of any Halo game (Which isn't to say it's terrible it just doesn't hold up to the rest of them) but what saves it is the MP which I think is easily the best MP Halo game since Halo 2. It is a bit light on content but what is there is tight and well designed and it keeps me coming back to play every week.
9. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; The best gameplay of any game that has come out this year bar none but it is let down by the game being unfinished, the story and its structure being garbage and after launch the patches to shoe horn in more microtransactions and online features made the game worse to play.
10. Dying Light ; Combines parkour and killing zombies to great effect I really enjoyed this when it came out at the start of the year and I'm really looking forward to playing the expansion in the new year.

CecilRousso said:

Just so that I understand this, must the title be exactly as specified in the google doc? Or will Broken Age count, even if the doc says either Broken Age: The Complete Adventure or Broken Age: Act 2?

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If you use the name specified in the google doc, it will DEFINITELY count. So it's in your best interest to do so.

If you use a different name that is very similar, it will PROBABLY count. But no promises. It's extra work for us and sometimes we miss them. Your specific example would almost certainly be picked up, though.

1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; This series was one of diminishing returns for me, with each game following MGS becoming less enjoyable until the mess that was Peace Walker. This game undid the damage of the preceding games, pushing the story to the side and promoting the sublime gameplay which offered the player an unbelievable amount of choices in approaching each situation.
2. Life is Strange
3. Resident Evil HD Remaster
4. Resident Evil Revelations 2 ; I really didn't expect this janky looking budget title to be the best Resident Evil in a decade. Well played, Capcom.
5. The Witcher III
6. N++
7. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

Grexeno said:

Game titles and comments must be separated with a semicolon, not a colon.

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Ok, my bad.

1. Bloodborne ; My first souls game. Couldn't get enough of it. The atmosphere and level design is epic.
2. Until Dawn ; Really enjoyed the story and the graphics were superb.
3. Transistor ; not usually my type of game but gave the PS+ version a shot and was hooked till the end. Loved the art style and music.
4. Journey ;
5. The unfinished swan ;
6. Batman Arkham Knight ; Loved being the bat and rainy Gotham was great. Feel a bit of fatigue setting in with the series though.