1. Titanfall 2 ; Easily the best FPS campaign I've played in a decade.
2. Overwatch ; The most amazing IP launch I've ever experienced. The game played almost perfectly right at the outset. Unbelievably fun.
3. INSIDE ; An unbelievably amazing an atmospheric experience.
4. Hitman ; A joy to play and a wonderful open world to unlock with each level.
5. Uncharted 4 ; Safe but unbelievably polished.
6. Battlefield 1 ; Great to get back to the old days. Arguably the best graphics I've ever seen.
7. Batman Arkham VR ; The most immersive VR game I played. Truly felt like you were in a realized world and the first VR game that made "get it".
8. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare ; The best COD campaign since Modern Warfare. Great story and mission flow.
9. Doom ; Refreshingly simple.
10. The Division ; A great experience for the first 30 levels.

1. Titanfall 2 ; I was blown away by how good the campaign is. There was absolutely nothing that I disliked about this game. Excellent graphics, gameplay, controls and sound. I genuinely hope that there's a Titanfall 3.
2. Dark Souls 3 ; Incredible game from beginning to end. More consistent than Dark Souls 1. You know it's a great game, a great world, when you can remember your exact path through the game.
3. Ratchet and Clank ; The most polished game that I played this year. Usually it takes me a few months of ups and downs before I finish an R&C game, but with this one it just clicked.
4. Gears of War 4 ; It's rare for a game to live up to the hype. If you looked at my 52 game challenge you'll notice that 1/3 of my games completed were Gears replays. Even after all of that I still found the game to be exactly what I wanted.
5. Uncharted 4 ; In retrospect, I had some issues with the game. Too much walking and traversing. Too much like The Last of Us. Not enough like the 4 previous games. But still... I enjoyed this final entry. I'm playing through it again now.
6. Doom ; April/March/May was an incredible time for games. The majority of games on my list are from that three month span. Doom was my FPS of the year before Titanfall 2. I'll never forget running around with the shotgun with the soundtrack blasting through my headphones.

1. Doom ; Dumb, fun, and fast, this is the best FPS I've played since Half-Life 2. Amazingly fluid to control, and a killer soundtrack. The most complete single player FPS package in a long time.
2. Hitman ; What a game. Yeah the episodic nature was weird and stopped me from playing right away, but once I jumped in I was hooked. So many options, wide open levels, the crowds good lord the crowds, the amount of replay value in each level. Thoroughly impressed with this game, cannot wait for season 2.
3. Uncharted 4 ; Cinematic gaming done right. Refined gameplay that made for a great controlling TPS, performances that might be the best in gaming, and insane graphics.
4. Ratchet and Clank ; A return to form for a series after a lot of questionable entries, with fun platforming overlaid with beautiful particle effects.
5. Titanfall 2 ; If Doom was the return to form for a single player FPS, then Titanfall 2 was a return to form for online shooters. The movement system is still unrivaled, only copied, and it even put in a short but creative campaign.
6. Batman: The Telltale Series ; The first Batman game to capture the Bruce Wayne/Batman dynamic in full. Arkham might make you feel like the Bat, but this game makes you think like him, and that should be commended.
7. Final Fantasy XV ; A game that takes this long to release shouldn't be as good as it is. Yes, sidequests do get repetitive, but as someone who doesn't really care for JRPGs, this game was a lot of fun.
8. Battlefield 1 ; I've dabbled in the franchise before, but noting engrossed me into a war setting like this game. Great multiplayer game modes, an interesting if short campaign, and while not something I usually commend, insane graphics. Actually
9. Overwatch ; It's fun. Not something new in the world of gaming, but it did something right.

1. Total War: Warhammer ; Total War formula with monsters, giant bats and beastmen. Love everything about it.
2. TitanFall 2 ; Incredible SP but i adore the MP. Haven't enjoyed twitch MP as much as this in years
3. Tyranny ; Loved the story and improved combat from Pillars
4. Shadow Tactics; Blades of The Shogun : Loved the commando games from yesteryear and this brings it back. More of these next year please
5. Grim Dawn ; A true sequel to Diablo 2
6. Doom ; Pure adrenaline and a huge surprise hit
7. Inside ; A gripping story and intriguing throughout. Amazing art style.
8. Firewatch ; Good story and great characters. Fun adventure
9. XCom 2 ; More Xcom and a great experience, played around 70 hours in 2 weeks!
10. Planet Coaster. ; Another reincarnated game from yesteryear that i hadn't realised i missed so much

1. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE ; Not the crossover anyone expected, but a solid Atlus RPG nonetheless.
2. Stardew Valley ; While it sticks close to the Harvest Moon formula, it manages to surpass Harvest Moon by offering much more freedom in the gameplay.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD ; The HD remake doesn't really change much, but the core game is still one of the best in delivering Zelda-style dungeon design.
4. Overwatch ; A multiplayer shooter with a lot of personality and great visual design.
5. Pokemon Sun/Moon ; It's always fun to catch and train pokemon.
6. Paper Mario: Color Splash ; Somewhat similar to Sticker Star, yet it was still a treat to immerse myself in this bright, fun and vibrant world of Paper Mario.
7. Oxenfree ; This was a really interesting adventure. I'm not a fan of the direction the story took, but the journey through it was still enjoyable.

1. Titanfall 2 ; The second multiplayer shooter that got me invested, with a great single player to boot. I had to change my ballot after a month or so, because this game is just pulling me in constantly. I get home and think I should play something, whether it's the new DOOM arcade mode, or finally get around to buying Hit Man, but I always end up playing a few sessions of multiplayer.

The movement is an absolute beauty in this game. I'm still not great at it, but when you get into the flow, it's impossible to beat. Shooting people while wall running, or sliding just feels glorious. The Pilot combat is like an amazing version of COD. Well, I've never played COD, but this is what I imagine it to be. Just in Titanfall's case, it's fast, frantic and skill makes all the difference (not counting Devotion and Hemlock...).

I don't think it would be my number 1 game if it wasn't for the second dimension of Titan combat. Titan on Titan is a much slower affair. Planning you attack and picking your fights is essential. Couple that with how it feels to just wreck pilots in a Titan (seriously, swinging a giant sword at a pilot and seeing the splat is so satisfying), and there's the game that I can't stop playing.



2. Overwatch ; This is the first multiplayer shooter that got me invested. I really do love this game, but the major issue I have is that it feels a little bit like work.



3. Pokémon Sun/Moon ; The game that brought me back into the pokémon fold after severe disappointment with X/Y. A switch to a narrative based pokémon was a breath of fresh air to me. While it was a little frustrating at the start, getting into the classic pokémon action didn't disappoint. Some great new pokémon and interesting new challenges.


4. Hyper Light Drifter ; This years indie darling. I really love the fast paced combat. The game is incredibly atmospheric, with a surprisingly good narrative undercurrent. A new spin on a Link to the Past style game that absolutely worked.



5. DOOM ; This just hit me in the right place can't ask for much more from a single player game, but the multiplayer left me wanting something more substantial. I haven't played this in a while and I really should. The combat just feels great. I tried to play Destiny after DOOM and just...couldn't. DOOM made me realise my taste in shooters is fast, frantic and without any sort of slow down.



6. Downwell ; Such a perfect little arcade game. Almost forgot to include it because it feels like it's been forever since it came out.

1. Final Fantasy XV ; I waited a decade for this game, and it was worth the wait.
2. Dark Souls III ; An extremely solid RPG with amazing mechanical mastery, but had a really rough launch on PC.
3. Titanfall 2 ; Honestly the best shooter I've played in years, with a surprisingly gripping story.
4. Overwatch ; I don't like online shooters. I like Overwatch. Explain that.
5. DOOM ; The most metal as fuck game. Period. Tons of gorey goodness for hours and free content released frequently.
6. Battlefield 1 ; Another great shooter, but the story was too short for non-multiplayer focused players like me.
7. Zero Time Dilemma ; A satisfying end to a series filled with questions and mystery.
8. World of Final Fantasy ; A really fun JRPG with an interesting twist on the classic style, but the story had little to sustain the long run-time.
9. Pokemon Sun/Moon ; I had low expectations going in, but I haven't played this much Pokémon since middle school.
10. NES Classic ; Not really a game, but a game console? Rerelease? It's a great way to get a younger generation into an older generation of games they otherwise would never have played.

Honorable Mentions
1. Grand Theft Auto Online ; Released some of the most fun content I've played all year, but the game is 3 years old at this point.
2. League of Legends ; I've never played this much League either, but they just keep putting out better content.

1. The Witness ; Great puzzles, both in clear sight and hidden from one not paying attention. A game with an effect similar to the Tetris effect. Oh God...! There are lines everywhere!
2. Inside ; A beautiful and though provoking game with great aesthetics and limb-animations.
3. Stardew Valley ; I didn't know I wanted to play Harvest Moon again.
4. Dark Souls 3 ; Great game (and first Souls-game for me) with challenging combat (but not as challenging as the general mass have hinted).
5. Stephen's Sausage Roll ; Who knew that sausages were this complex and yet so simple?
6. Overwatch ; Feels pretty good playing Team Fortress 2 again, but with a new roster.


Honorable Mentions
1. No Man's Sky ; A bit repetitive but you still get a sense of an infinite universe which is great. Keep your expectations in check!

1. The Last Guardian ; This is not only my game of the year, it's the game of two generations. Fumito Ueda's magnum opus, tying together everything that was great about both the last games, and still managing profound innovations. The game moves forward what this medium can be for emotional interaction, artificial life, and world building.
2. Inside ; unlike Limbo, this one never faulters, and creates a remarkably compelling Kafka-esque atmosphere of oppression. It's also remarkable how these developers are able to tell a tale without words.
3. Dishonored 2 ; a wonderful evolution of the first entry, and despite the loss of Viktor Antonov, the art design has managed to evolve too. Only marred by some technical issues, but have been fully remedied for me on the Pro.
4. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; this game increasingly gets flack as time passes, but I still maintain it's the Uncharted gameplay perfected. More interactive platforming, more challenging and open firefights complement some truly staggering visuals.
5. DiRT Rally ; my favorite racer of the year, and the DiRT series gameplay evolved to its zenith. The overly simplistic career mode is a shame, but it allows you to focus on trying to challenge yourself with new cars. The track design if absolutely phenomenal, and I firmly believe this is the prettiest 60fps racer out there.
6. Titanfall 2 ; despite me having no interest in multiplayer, the outstanding campaign and the silky smooth controls in this won me over. Great science fiction and a great bond formed between Jack and BT.
7. DOOM ; I may not have loved this quite as much as the rest of GAF but I still think it's a tremendous FPS campaign. I just don't happen to enjoy it quite as much as the 3 previous entries. Felt more like a tribute band - but a fucking amazing tribute band.
8. Firewatch ; would have been much higher on the list if it hadn't come apart in the final 1/3 but its still a terrific experiment in gameplay and storytelling. Bravo, Campo Santo.
9. Rez Infinite ; still mind blowing after all these years.
10. Thumper ; I may not be able to get very far in it, but what a completely new experience. Would love to try it in VR one day.
x. Ratchet & Clank ; this one ran out of steam a bit for me, but the tried and true gameplay combined with the mind blowing visuals make for a great experience.
x. The Witness ; again, I floundered mid way through this and lost interest in some of the more obtuse puzzle design (which is a hard intellectual pill to swallow) but Blow remains one of the mediums true visionaries. Glad it's done well.

Tough year for me on favorites. I think I am getting harder to impress.

1. Titanfall 2 ; Toughest choice for me. I kept thinking surely something better than TF2 will come, or did happen as I reflect, but it didn't. Fantastic campaign, lovable mech character, epic moments, great level design. Then we have the MP which should be how developers use as a catalyst going forward - no micro transaction garbage, unlocks, free DLC, dedicated servers that WORK, weapon balance, Titan balance, and just around fun as hell to play. If they add ranked seasons like Overwatch, then this game will keep on giving in 2017.

2. Final Fantasy XV ; 10 years paid off. Not in full, but this is definitely the best RPG this year had to offer. Both in a good and bad way. I think SE can finally start turning a corner to get their hooks back into me. This game was 1 year shy of being my GOTY to polish and refine, or maybe not, there are a ton of terrible design choices in my opinion. (How magic and summons work mainly)

3. Overwatch ; No game has triggered me more this year. I hate losing in it. I hate bad team mates, but when you get a nail biting win and you are the play of the game? Oh daddy. I'm still playing it, but less so.

4. Battlerite ; THIS is it. I hope this becomes the next E-sport game to watch. I have nothing but love for this game, and while I am bad at it I still constantly go to it in my evenings. Skill being rewarded in any MP game is a treat for me.

5. Gears of War 4 ; The major flaw to this game is microtransactions gouging the player to no end. However, the gameplay is fantastic, the campaign's final act fired on all cylinders, Horde is fun, and MP is competitive and balanced well this go around. It isn't perfect, but Gears never has been perfect. *insert too good.gif*

6. Paragon ; I am completely out of love with this game now after all the changes. The game when it launched in alpha this year was when the game was at its finest. I have spent hundreds of hours on it though, and is the only MOBA that I sunk this much time into. While I loathe it now in its current state doesn't discredit the fun I had with it this year.

7. Umbrella Corps ; My controversial pick I guess. No clue why people hated on this. They advertised it exactly as what it was going to be, had a nice price tag, worked for me on PS4 right away, fun as hell, AMAZING soundtrack, and free DLC came to follow. It's on sale now---get a buddy or two and go have fun. The only issue I had was with the small player base and bad word of mouth the game couldn't find matches worth a shit after a while sadly. Haters gonna hate.

8. Uncharted 4 ; The usual stuff here from ND. Fun romp, but the weakest Uncharted game for me since Uncharted 1. I disliked the majority of the game was walking and climbing. It had a lot less in the way of eye candy and set pieces. I guess since UC2 this franchise has just struggled to one up itself. Last of Us one upped ND as a developer, so I'm cautiously optimistic of Part II given the pedigree of ND and not being able to surpass itself. Still a must play for PS4 owners.

9. Let It Die ; I haven't been able to invest as much time as others into this F2P Souls game, and my first Suda experience, but this game is a blast. This is THE cult classic this year, and I hope they can keep the support and momentum into 2017. Shin Megami Tensei meets Souls = winner!

10. Street Fighter V ; I debated even putting this as 10. It almost feels like it doesn't deserve to be mentioned in my top 10, yet I am still playing it now that season 2 has arrived. Capcom is utterly not in touch with its fan base. This game at launch was less of a game than some of the F2P or early access titles on my list. It still isn't as captivating to watch as SF4 was at inception, and the catering to low execution is a big part of that. This is another game that could use a seasons from Overwatch mode to encourage unlocks and such. Time will keep telling with this one, but with T7 and MvCi next year this game may join an early graveyard from me compared to SF4 that I played from inception right up to SF5 launch.

---------

Honorable mention ; Firewatch. The game that I debated as a spot for #10. I liked my time with it, and I just feel the ending had no pay off. I think given what they were aiming for at the start, and the journey you take yourself on in the woods, that it could have been so much better with a Inception/Interstellar/I see Dead People kind of twist instead of the ho hum they went for. Still a unique and fun experience worth playing through.

Do we have to include a number one on our list? I'm not trying to be cute, but so far, I'm not sure anything I've played deserves to be the 'best game of the year' though there are several solid titles. There are still a few games I will get to by the deadline that I have high hopes for, I'm just wondering in case. I know you can vote for just a number one or a top 7 or whatever, but can I vote a 2-10?

1. Dark Souls 3 ; Bloodborne introduced me to "Soulsborne" but Dark Souls 3 was my first Souls game and I loved it!
2. Warhammer: Total War ; Amazing game, perfect blending of two great franchises!
3. Dishonored 2 ; Doesn't do anything to amazing from the first but it takes all the goodness from that one and really polishes it up!
4. Firewatch - Beautiful looking game, great voice work.
5. Oxenfree ; Great soundtrack, great story, really fun little game.
6. Mafia 3 ; I liked it lol.
7. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; First Deus Ex game, is a little rough around the edges but it was fun.
8. Resident Evil Zero Remaster ; Gets shat on by fans a lot but I loved it, but I'm a sucker for the old school RE games.
9. Uncharted 4 ; Looked beautiful and serviceable story, game play a little lackluster, but it is Uncharted, its to be expected.

Honourable mentions.
None, couldn't even think of 10 games lol.

1. Hitman ; Surprisingly the episodic content made the endless ways to create hits enjoyable, and the tone and sillyness of much of the game created a beautiful experience.

2. Blood and Wine ; Goodbye Gerald, I'll miss you. Your last adventure getting tipsy on Roset and killing vampires was a blast.

3. Stellaris ; It's been 130 years since the evangelizing zealot lizard people on the other side of the galaxy ripped open a whole in reality through careless use of FTL technology and let horrific energy monsters swarm through. Since then most of the Star empires there have been consumed, but the ancient arrogant military isolationists have vowed to stem the tide. Given their past behaviour I'm not optimistic. Time for a new galaxy.

4. Total War Warhammer ; Wow, who knew the kick up the butt this series needed was fantasy? The faction and unit variation makes it the most interesting Total War in a while.

5. Stardew Valley ; Couldn't put this game down. Just one more day. Really scratched that Harvest Moon itch.

6. DOOM ; Whoever thought a Doom game in 2016 could be this fun and fast? With a silly, fun story and impressive visuals to boot.

7. Civ 6 ; A much stronger entry than Civ 5 was initially. Though I will probably spend more time on this one in 2017, it still sucked up enough time.

8. Darkest Dungeon ; Fuck this game, but also wow at the difficulty and strategy involved. Just hope one of my veterans doesn't have a heart attack.

9. Pokemon Moon ; Love the setting, love the new changes in formula.

10. Tyranny ; Who doesn't want to be a Medieval Judge Dredd?

Hey, 2016. Fuck You. Anyway, here's some games I like.



1. Dark Souls III ; I was here this time last year decrying Bloodborne for being 'just another Dark Souls game' and that I was potentially getting tired of the formula. And yet here we are. I can't really tell you why I like Dark Souls III so much. It's a superlative RPG that encourages you take risks and slaps you down hard when you get cocky. It's dense and varied and imaginative and creepy and weird and mad. But so were all the others.

To be perfectly honest I think the main reason I loved this one so much was because I finally felt like I had a handle on things. The game was no longer a daunting obstacle it was a challenging adventure. I completed the damn thing four times. Which therefore allowed me to slow down and take in the monstrous sights. There's so much you miss, in terms of level design, character models, enemy variety, story structure etc when you feel like you're on the edge of dying constantly that losing that worry allows you to appreciate.

In many ways I'm entirely late to the party. People were exulting Dark Souls for these things four games ago. And yet if any series deserves continued praise it's this one.




2. Pokémon Sun/Moon ; Joy rarely gets distilled down into a game so well. Pokemon's had something of a stellar year, proving it can simultaneously reflect on its past as well as push forward to the future.

And lets be honest here, Sun and Moon aren't some huge upheaval in the main series. But what they do is breath new life into a previously ageing formula. Probably more than any other game this year, you can see just how much work has been put in to this fantasy world. Machamps build houses. Hypnos are used in marketing. Corsolas swim around in aquariums. It's a living, breathing world with its own customs and beliefs, and that goes a long way in making a place I wanted to spend hours and hours in.



3. The Witness ; I love and hate The Witness. I spent a good four hours on a single puzzle, trying every permutation, testing theories, looking for clues. Eventually I gave up. I caved. I looked up the answer. It killed me, because up to that point I had adored the game. And for the record, I maintain that puzzle was horseshit.

But the fact that I committed so much time is testament to its qualities. Its a game that tells you nothing but makes you feel damn good for working stuff out. Rules are slowly parsed out and then built up, getting gradually more complex and playing with something you learnt to be true only a few minutes ago. And the moments when these come together makes for a truly satisfying experience.




4. Picross 3D: Round 2 ; I've been playing Picross-style games for years. It's a fairly basic formula and most of the time makes for an enjoyable puzzle experience. But Picross 3D goes beyond that. It makes it an incredibly fun, satisfying, deep challenge with enough layers and massive variety to be above and beyond all others.

Putting this next to The Witness feels somewhat weird, but both present unique yet enjoyable takes on the puzzle genre.




5. Overwatch ; I'm not good at shooters. After playing Overwatch I remain not good at shooters. But for those many hours I spent playing the game I felt like I finally had talent. No matter who I was playing, and no matter how much I actually contributed, I felt good working as part of a team.

And that doesn't speak to the sheer quality of animation, character design and world building that has been applied to make something feel like its bursting with personality. This game feels like it values your time and what's nothing better than for you to feel good. And in that it succeeded.




6. Dragon Quest Builders ; In spite of everything, Minecraft remains an enigma to me. I can see the fun in it, I just get absolutely nothing from it. And that's because I was the instruction kid; give me a set of LEGO for Christmas and I will strictly follow the guide. I have imagination, sure, but building something of my own somehow seemed wrong. Clever people with clever ideas are much better at that.

All of which is to say Dragon Quest Builders is my Minecraft. Give me quests, give me characters, give me yummy, yummy blueprints that I can follow to a tee. I adored it. The game has its issues, with a camera from ten years ago and a non existent quest log, and yet I couldn't stop playing it. And I didn't have to come up with a single creation of my own.



7. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; Human Revolution was something of a surprise to me. Having known nothing of the original PC games, and picking up this weird stealth reboot on a whim, I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it. And that enjoyment remains in the sequel. Kind of.

Mankind Divided is an interesting beast in that it is very much a sequel. True to the spirit and framework of its predecessor in mostly every way. The problem being that predecessor is now 5 years old. And, even though I haven't actively noticed it, games have come on since then. Which isn't to say Mankind Divided is bad. In fact, it's extremely enjoyable. But there's an undeniable sense of age with it, a disconnect in some of the things you do that would have past by unnoticed 5 years ago but now stand out as weird glaring flaws. Look past those though, and the game remains a stellar example of the stealth genre.




8. Rhythm Heaven Megamix ; My lack of rhythm has always been a burden. I have next to no timing, which, for a game like Rhythm Heaven, is as bad as lacking bones in your fingers in the average game. This isn't some fairytale story of how Rhythm Heaven showed me my musical soul. I just love the game so damn much I have to put it on the list regardless.




9. Stardew Valley ; I'm still not sure how much I actually like Stardew Valley. There's clearly a lot of heart in it, an adorable, interconnected world with mythos and characters and events. But it also feels a lot like work. And maybe that's the point. Regardless, I kept playing because there was something there, be it gameplay loops or otherwise. And overall I think its charm and personality won me over.




10. Pokémon Go ; Let's get this out of the way up top: Pokemon Go is a pretty terrible game. Its mechanics are flawed, the tracking system obtuse, the levelling and evolving frustrating. Yet I can't help but feel I was part of a phenomenon that will not be repeated any time soon. On the game's first day I spent a good half hour trying to catch a Venonat outside someone's house. The app crashed repeatedly, the Pokeballs froze, the Venonat jumped from place to place. But it was one of my favourite moments of the year.


Honorable Mentions



x. The Talos Principle ; Another puzzle game! And a mysterious sci-fi room-based one to boot. Yes, we've been here before. But Talos Principle has enough unique mechanics and ideas that I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Perineum said:

Tough year for me on favorites. I think I am getting harder to impress.

1) Titanfall 2. - Toughest choice for me. I kept thinking surely something better than TF2 will come, or did happen as I reflect, but it didn't. Fantastic campaign, lovable mech character, epic moments, great level design. Then we have the MP which should be how developers use as a catalyst going forward - no micro transaction garbage, unlocks, free DLC, dedicated servers that WORK, weapon balance, Titan balance, and just around fun as hell to play. If they add ranked seasons like Overwatch, then this game will keep on giving in 2017.

2) Final Fantasy XV - 10 years paid off. Not in full, but this is definitely the best RPG this year had to offer. Both in a good and bad way. I think SE can finally start turning a corner to get their hooks back into me. This game was 1 year shy of being my GOTY to polish and refine, or maybe not, there are a ton of terrible design choices in my opinion. (How magic and summons work mainly)

3) Overwatch - No game has triggered me more this year. I hate losing in it. I hate bad team mates, but when you get a nail biting win and you are the play of the game? Oh daddy. I'm still playing it, but less so.

4) Battlerite - THIS is it. I hope this becomes the next E-sport game to watch. I have nothing but love for this game, and while I am bad at it I still constantly go to it in my evenings. Skill being rewarded in any MP game is a treat for me.

5) Gears of War 4 - The major flaw to this game is microtransactions gouging the player to no end. However, the gameplay is fantastic, the campaign's final act fired on all cylinders, Horde is fun, and MP is competitive and balanced well this go around. It isn't perfect, but Gears never has been perfect. *insert too good.gif*

6) Paragon - I am completely out of love with this game now after all the changes. The game when it launched in alpha this year was when the game was at its finest. I have spent hundreds of hours on it though, and is the only MOBA that I sunk this much time into. While I loathe it now in its current state doesn't discredit the fun I had with it this year.

7) Umbrella Corps - My controversial pick I guess. No clue why people hated on this. They advertised it exactly as what it was going to be, had a nice price tag, worked for me on PS4 right away, fun as hell, AMAZING soundtrack, and free DLC came to follow. It's on sale now---get a buddy or two and go have fun. The only issue I had was with the small player base and bad word of mouth the game couldn't find matches worth a shit after a while sadly. Haters gonna hate.

8) Uncharted 4 - The usual stuff here from ND. Fun romp, but the weakest Uncharted game for me since Uncharted 1. I disliked the majority of the game was walking and climbing. It had a lot less in the way of eye candy and set pieces. I guess since UC2 this franchise has just struggled to one up itself. Last of Us one upped ND as a developer, so I'm cautiously optimistic of Part II given the pedigree of ND and not being able to surpass itself. Still a must play for PS4 owners.

9) Let It Die - I haven't been able to invest as much time as others into this F2P Souls game, and my first Suda experience, but this game is a blast. This is THE cult classic this year, and I hope they can keep the support and momentum into 2017. Shin Megami Tensei meets Souls = winner!

10) Street Fighter V - I debated even putting this as 10. It almost feels like it doesn't deserve to be mentioned in my top 10, yet I am still playing it now that season 2 has arrived. Capcom is utterly not in touch with its fan base. This game at launch was less of a game than some of the F2P or early access titles on my list. It still isn't as captivating to watch as SF4 was at inception, and the catering to low execution is a big part of that. This is another game that could use a seasons from Overwatch mode to encourage unlocks and such. Time will keep telling with this one, but with T7 and MvCi next year this game may join an early graveyard from me compared to SF4 that I played from inception right up to SF5 launch.

---------

Honorable mention - Firewatch. The game that I debated as a spot for #10. I liked my time with it, and I just feel the ending had no pay off. I think given what they were aiming for at the start, and the journey you take yourself on in the woods, that it could have been so much better with a Inception/Interstellar/I see Dead People kind of twist instead of the ho hum they went for. Still a unique and fun experience worth playing through.

Click to expand...

danm999 said:

1. Hitman. Surprisingly the episodic content made the endless ways to create hits enjoyable, and the tone and sillyness of much of the game created a beautiful experience.

2. Blood and Wine. Goodbye Gerald, I'll miss you. Your last adventure getting tipsy on Roset and killing vampires was a blast.

3. Stellaris. It's been 130 years since the evangelizing zealot lizard people on the other side of the galaxy ripped open a whole in reality through careless use of FTL technology and let horrific energy monsters swarm through. Since then most of the Star empires there have been consumed, but the ancient arrogant military isolationists have vowed to stem the tide. Given their past behaviour I'm not optimistic. Time for a new galaxy.

4. Total War Warhammer. Wow, who knew the kick up the butt this series needed was fantasy? The faction and unit variation makes it the most interesting Total War in a while.

5. Stardew Valley. Couldn't put this game down. Just one more day. Really scratched that Harvest Moon itch.

6. DOOM. Whoever thought a Doom game in 2016 could be this fun and fast? With a silly, fun story and impressive visuals to boot.

7. Civ 6. A much stronger entry than Civ 5 was initially. Though I will probably spend more time on this one in 2017, it still sucked up enough time.

8. Darkest Dungeon. Fuck this game, but also wow at the difficulty and strategy involved. Just hope one of my veterans doesn't have a heart attack.

9. Pokemon Moon. Love the setting, love the new changes in formula.

10. Tyranny. Who doesn't want to be a Medieval Judge Dredd?

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You two need to format your list correctly. Separate with a ; not a . or -

StrongBelwas said:

Dark Souls 3 ; Bloodborne introduced me to "Soulsborne" but Dark Souls 3 was my first Souls game and I loved it!
Warhammer: Total War ; Amazing game, perfect blending of two great franchises!
Dishonored 2 ; Doesn't do anything to amazing from the first but it takes all the goodness from that one and really polishes it up!
Firewatch - Beautiful looking game, great voice work.
Oxenfree ; Great soundtrack, great story, really fun little game.
Mafia 3 ; I liked it lol.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; First Deus Ex game, is a little rough around the edges but it was fun.
Resident Evil Zero Remaster ; Gets shat on by fans a lot but I loved it, but I'm a sucker for the old school RE games.
Uncharted 4 ; Looked beautiful and serviceable story, game play a little lackluster, but it is Uncharted, its to be expected.

Honourable mentions.
None, couldn't even think of 10 games lol.

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You actually got the semi colon right, but you still have to number them so we know for sure Dark Souls is your number one not your number nine.

1. Dark Souls III ; the best games are the ones that have an addictive nature, where coming back and playing it to completion feels almost effortless. How then does a game that is so stressful and challenging in nature make it doubly-so? Perhaps the question answers itself. There is a feeling of learning a skill across the franchise, one that culminates with this title. As the saying goes: the best things in life never come easy. It must be why Dark Souls III was the best thing in my gaming life in 2016.
2. Overwatch ; this game did the impossible for my tastes and sucked me in to an online-only console shooter for a significant chunk of time. It then did it again by breaking what had been my personal creed of not purchasing a chance at cosmetic items for my favorite characters. It's this decade's Team Fortress 2, with enough variation to be highly regarded for its own merits. If Overwatch 2 does not get a single-player campaign I will be massively disappointed.
3. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; a satisfying end to one of the most memorable franchises of the last decade. While I was partially mesmerized with the theatrical storytelling, the other part was slightly underwhelmed at the lack of innovation in game play considering previous titles.
4. World of Warcraft: Legion ; a return to form for this colossus of the MMO genre. If it'd kept me playing through the end of the year it probably would have been my number one.
5. Pokémon Go ; It takes a very special game to appeal to the attention of both lifelong gamers and casual gamers alike. Pokémon Go was my biggest surprise in 2016, and one of the best times this lifelong gamer has ever had gaming with his casual spouse.
6. Final Fantasy XV ; perhaps as seemingly one of the minority who liked Final Fantasy XIII with all of its faults, I never quite looked to Versus XIII to be the savior of the franchise. Likewise, I came into the game with as low of expectations as possible, and was pleasantly surprised with its unique combat and Western open-world tendencies. While the intriguing story never quite paid off and the game fell apart once the story really started to get into motion (can't we have a game that can both progress story while being less linear in nature? I feel like I'm talking about XIII again), I feel like I got enough of what I came for to make it in my top 10.
7. Pokémon Sun/Moon ; this is the one that finally brought me back, truly brought me back, since Gold/Silver.
8. The Witness ; an amazingly colorful and strangely haunting puzzle adventure. I'm not ashamed to admit that it may have been closer to number one if only I was smart enough to figure out all of the puzzles on my own.
9. Batman Arkham VR ; the perfect showcase for the virtual reality platform which ends way too soon.
10. Firewatch ; while it just falls short of making it out of the "walking simulator" genre, it at the very least proves to be the best of its ilk.

1. Battlefield 1; Great gameplay keeps me coming back. I miss the choppers but I'm still having a blast with it.

2. Uncharted 4; just a huge fan of all of NDs work. This is the future of entertainment imo (not necessarily gaming, but just storytelling as an interactive medium. Eventually others will figure it out as well)

3. Titanfall 2; can't say enough about the movement. This would be my number 1 but I usually only play a few games and I'm good. I haven't gotten tired of it but it wears out after playing for an hour or so and I have to wait a day before coming back to it

4. Doom; crazy year for FPS. This game is just plain fun.

5. The last Gaurdian; This could have also been number 1 but the camera and controls where too infuriating.

6. ABZU
7. Gears of war
8. Inside
9. Hitman
10. Watch dogs

1. Firewatch; Beautiful, engaging and well-acted. Firewatch will always hold a special place in my heart.
2. Final Fantasy XV; Everything I've dreamed of for 10 years, and then some. Glad to have the king back.
3. Shin Megami Tensei: Apocalypse ; While flawed, SMT is always good. A subpar game in a 10/10 series
4. Hitman ; Most FUN I had in all of 2016. Hitman is so well designed
5. Mega Man Legacy Collection - Classic games that will always be top 10 material
6. The Witness ; Annoying at times, but beautiful and so much fun
7. Abzû; Despite popular opinion, I consider Abzu to be every bit as good as Journey
8. Hyper Light Drifter ; Great aesthetic, great game play, great OST
9. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 ; What a solid end to a great fighting series. These games are all just so enjoyable.
10. Severed ; Not as good as I had hoped, and certainly no Gucamelee, but Severed is still top tier

1. Overwatch ; Polished to a gleaming radiant star. Fun for one match or ten. Class diversity to play the style I want and when.
2. Inside ; Jaw dropping. Surgical execution of simplicity at its best.
3. DOOM ; Exactly what I wanted from Doom even if it is boggled down with worthless multiplayer content.
4. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; Gorgeous, flexible and fantastic story.
5. World of Warcraft: Legion ; Refreshing and fun. Made alts more than viable. Same raid wall exists.
6. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; Tombs that must be raided. All the details that make the title fantastic.
7. XCOM 2 ; Ton of customization, base building and a story to boot. Not a fan of the artificial timers though.
8. Titanfall 2 ; Fantastic single player and stunning multiplayer. Wasn't sure it was still possible.
9. Warhammer: Total War ; Finally a Warhammer game a Warhammer fan can be proud of.
10. Dishonored 2 ; Great game up until Chapter 4.

1. Final Fantasy XV ; Despite one of the later chapters, this game still delivered a memorable experience
2. Uncharted 4 ; The tale between brothers and a man and his wife is one I wont soon forget.
3. The Last Guardian ; I was not expecting the level of attachment I had towards Trico.
4. Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 ; I loved this game more than I expected to, its fun and lighthearted and easy to jump in to.
5. Titanfall 2 ; This game is so much fun. One of the best single player shooter campaigns I have played in a long while.
6. Dragon Quest Builders ; A very happy surprise for me this year.
7. Severed ; A beautiful and somber experience with a story that stuck with me.
8. Dark Souls 3 ; The game was tough but rewarding, and some truly memorable moments.
9. Odin Sphere Leifthrasir ; While the game got a bit repetitive, the game play was still fun and the art is beautiful.
10. Call of Duty Infinite Warfare ; I liked this game a lot more than I was expecting to, especially the campaign.

Honorable Mentions
x. Stardew Valley ; A game I look forward to sinking more time in to.
x. Headlander ; A very fun Metroivania game.

1. HITMAN ; After I finished Paris in march I already knew that this game will be my number one this year. The maps in this game are amazingly detailed and the level design is near to perfect. The elusive targets, which definitely are the highlight of the game are the pinnacle of Hitman's game design. Learning the game's mechanics and the maps to an extent where you become the perfect killer on this map is what will help you killing the elusive targets.
Oh, did you mention that you only have one shot at them?
2. FFXV ; A beautiful and memorable story about friendship is what got me in the end and made me play 16 hours straight because I didn't want to stop.
3. DOOM ; Great gameplay, awesome music, great level design, great enemy design, awesome music.
Had my fun with this one, I wish there was more of it.
4. Furi ; Well, basically everything what I wrote up for Doom, but plus the character design from Afro Samurai.
5. Uncharted 4 ; Might even top Uncharted 2 for me and the multiplayer is great fun. Didn't get to try Survival yet but I'm sure it's a blast too.
6. Ratchet and Clank ; Everything about this game makes me love it, except the boring animated-family-movie-orchestral-soundtrack, this one was pretty forgettable and the original OST is infinite time better.
7. Watch_Dogs 2 ; Big surprise that this game is as good as it is. It's the Watch Dogs game the franchise needed now and I hope that we'll get more WD in the future.
8. Dark Souls 3 ; My first Dark Souls after Bloodborne introduced me to the series and I really liked it, gotta admit.
9. Mafia 3 ; It's a shame that this game got rushed out because I'm pretty sure that it would've been much much better than it already is.
I still think that it's great and the bad critics are a bit too exaggerated.
10. Street Fighter V ; I wish I was better at this game. I had fun with it but I think I'll let it rest in favor of Tekken 7 next year.

1. Final Fantasy XV ; Where to even begin. I had reservations about XV before the game released, however 70 hours in as the credits roled, me and my girlfriend took a few minutes to grab a drink, take in our thoughts, and i realised at that point it had to be top of my list. I think if XV Is any remote indication as to the future of this franchise, i'm very happy in the way in which it's going. The story was fantastic, the music was superb. I laughed, I cried, and it was a journey. Amazing, amazing game.

2. DOOM ; Entering DOOM in my list at number 2 was a tough call. The minute this game loaded up, killing enemies in such a brutal fashion - the soundtrack to accompany the game, I loved every single minute. I don't think in the last 15 years or so i've loved an FPS game anywhere near as much. ID totally smashed it outo f the park, and in any other year this would have smashed my #1 spot.

3. Forza Horizon 3 ; It's hard to sum in words just how utterly brilliant FH3 actually is. I load it up constnatly just to experience the fast, fun game it is. I feel as though i spent all the time playing this with a smile on my face, single handedly for me the best racing game of all time.

4. Overwatch ; Overwatch was a sleeper hit for me. I'm not a huge fan of TF2, however being a huge Blizzard fan, as we got nearer to release the shorts that were released really peaked my interest, and im genuinely glad I put the time in to go and play. It's one of the most fun multiplayer games i've ever had the joy of playing, and i spent hundreds of hours with it. Just utterly brilliant.

5. Dead Or Alive Xtreme 3 ; I had so much fun with this game, so much so that it was the first game I actively sought out to get the platinum trophy. Incredible graphics, loads of replayability, and most importantly - it tought me to play Poker haha.

6. XCOM 2 ; XCOM 2 was just sheer fun from start fo finish. I grew to really care about my guys, it was super rewarding come the end of the game, and it had an really punishing difficulty level that kept me going back to try and see if I could do better.

7. Gears Of War 4 ; Like many of the games in my list this year, Gears 4 was just a total blast. Playing with my brother the night of release with a few drinks on the hardest difficulty brought me straight back to the first and second games, and was a great return to form after I didn't overly enjoy the third entry as much. Online was fantastic, and genuinely a great great game.

8. Call Of Duty : Modern Warfare Remaster ; Call Of Duty 4 is single handedly my favourite game in the entire series. The amount of hours i've invested is beyond me. Having the game come back, looking incredible was everything I wanted and more. The online felt i jumped straight back into the mid 2000's and I've loved every minute i've spent with it.

9. Street Fighter V ; Despite some obvious issues, Street Fighter V and the hundreds of hours i've invested has been a total blast to me. Playing with friends has resulted in some awesome drunken nights, and trying to finally get better at a fighting game has been super rewarding, to the point where I even purchased my first fight stick, as well as travelling out to EVO. Come season 2 and some returning characters hopefully returning, I know SFV will be one of my top played games going well into 2017.

10. Firewatch ; Really a surprise to me. I had no real expectations going in, however word of mouth sold me. A really beautiful, thoughtful game with a fantastic story and great narrative. 100% one of the games i'd go back too for sure.

1. The Last Guardian ; It finally released and it was absolutely worth the wait. It obviously has a few issues but they don't stop from being an all-classic. I have never been so invested in the events of a game as I was here, phenomenal ending as well. The best of Ueda's games, wouldn't have predicted typing that this time last year.

2. Uncharted 4 ; The best game in an illustrious series, was even better the second time through. Nothing on console or PC comes close to it graphically

3. Doom ; Probably the most pleasant surprise in the last decade, an unbelievably good shooter.

4. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare ; Should have just been called Call of Duty: Battlestar Galactica. The best CoD since the original Modern Warfare

5. Dark Souls 3 ;
6. Firewatch ;
7. Gears of War 4 ;
8. Watchdogs 2 ;
9. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens ;
10. Battlefield 1 ;

Will probably change the order at some point but these are the top 10 anyway. Haven't played Inside, Titanfall 2 or FF15 yet either.

1. Ratchet and Clank ; I thought it was a competent throwback to the 'good' Ratchet and Clank games, but it felt like something was missing. It's only my #1 due to the few games I bought that released this year.

2. Doom ; Not sure if I'm breaking a rule of this thread. While I bought Doom, I still haven't played it yet. However judging by what I know of the game, it's a safe bet that it'd be at least my #2 game of the year. In fact odds are that it'll take my #1 spot.

x. Tom Clancy’s The Division ; Another game that I bought but haven't played. I only expect to play the single player up to where the grinding starts and then quit. Can only give it an honorable mention because I'm much less certain on how much I'll enjoy this game.


This year has been a huge disappointment. Ratchet and Clank was the only game I bought at release, and it only cost $40. The other two games I picked up only after big discounts. I spent most of the year going through my backlog and buying older games when they went on sale. If software sales really are on the decline, then I'm part of the reason. There was little to get excited about this year. Luckily 2017 looks to make up for that in spades.

1. The Witness ; Ingenious puzzle game that is uncompromising.
2. DOOM ; Rip and tear with a side of self-deprecation.
3. INSIDE ; Oppressive and haunting atmosphere mixed with flawless pacing.
4. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; Action adventure perfected.
5. Thumper ; Intense and mesmerizing VR music experience.
6. Titanfall 2 ; Outstanding single player campaign built on fresh ideas.
7. Battlefield 1 ; My favorite multiplayer game of the year.
8. Final Fantasy XV ; Redeeming the FF brand.
9. The Lab ; Shows the concepts of VR better than anything else.
10. Hitman ; Surprisingly fun and deep gameplay.

1. The Last Guardian ; The first game I've played in years that feels like an actual adventure.
2. Inside ; Beautiful, serene, eerie, terrifying.
3. Ratchet & Clank ; Solid, visually amazing game.

PrinceOfWhatever said:

snip

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You need to put semicolons after your game names, and have the comments start on the same line, like this:

PrinceOfWhatever said:

1. HITMAN ; After I finished

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1. Forza Horizon 3 ; If you are only to play one game from 2016, make sure it be this one! Trust me, it's that good.

2. Quantum Break ; Remedy can't do wrong to me, my favourite games studio since Alan Wake. Short, enjoyable but leaves you craving for more.

3. Gears of War 4 ; This series is coöp heaven for me and my best friend, we played it since the first one dropped almost a decade ago and the tradition is never broken.

4. Ori and the Blind Forrest DE ; It's a beautiful looking platformer that's challenging too.
5. FIFA 17 ; With the inclusion of the new story mode this years FIFA is quite good.
6. NBA 2K17 ; I play every NBA2K game since the first one on the Dreamcast, it never dissapoints me.
7. Batman The Telltale Series ; One of their better efforts.
8. Happy Dungeons ; Toylogic's new F2P futures the same colorful flair as their Happy Wars, it's a fun dungeon crawler with an artstyle that's pretty cute.
9. Mafia 3 ; As a big fan of the earlier entries this game did dissapoint me a little, the missions are repetitive as every review menitioned, but I love the story to much to leave it out.
10. Steep ; Unfortunately it's no SSX which pains me, but it's the best we have this gen. This will do for now, but EA better take notice.

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1. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; If you ask me what makes a game great, it probably boils down to all of these: choices, stealth, strategy and cyberpunk. DXMD has all of these things, and more. OK, strategy might have come from the inventory tetris kinda strategy, but still. A very personal choice for me, and I wish the story could've been longer and it's not marred by Squeenix's rubbish DLC practice, and it could've run a little bit better on PC, but I still think DXMD is greater than all that. (PC/Eidos-Square Enix)

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2. The Last Guardian ; Sometimes, a sense of wonder is all it takes to make a game shine. Cast away the low resolution textures, frame rate drops, camera controls and what nots and you still left with astonishment. You felt you were there, and it was beautiful. Remember, it's not a cat-bird. It's a DOG-bird. (PS4/SIE)

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3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II ; My favourite headpat simulator game, which also coincidentally an RPG. And it's one of the best Falcom RPG at that. Like Sora FC, SC and Sen I before it, a very hard game to put down once you get going. Rich in lore and interesting characters, this game isn't without flaw, but I feel like more people should be more aware and playing it, and probably to push XSEED to localize Zero and Ao. (PS3/Falcom-XSEED)

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4. XCOM 2 ; I love creating my own narrative in XCOM 2. You can start a mission with nothing but rookies, took that 5% to hit shot across the map for a flawless victory, or you can get a full-colonel team make a tiny mistake for 1 turn and get them all KIA. The game is even better with mods. Now where's that XCOM2: Long War ? (PC/Firaxis-2K Interactive)

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5. Xanadu Next ; The original release for Xanadu Next was in 2005. The level design in this game still feels fresh for 2016. The story was light, the mechanics are rather simple, but they are so tightly designed that you actually have to use the full extent of your skills and inventory. Falcom practically made a masterclass on ARPG mechanics and level design here. (PC/Falcom-XSEED)

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6. Dishonored 2 ; My favourite steampunk game, or in Dishonoured's universe -Whalepunk. You can visit the OT at any given day and you'll have people gushing over 'The Crack in the Slab' or 'The Clockwork Mansion'. They aren't wrong. On the flipside, visiting the PC performance thread will yield a number of Gaffers complaining about a fair number of technical issues. They aren't wrong either. I wish that more people play (and like) this game more than the first Dishonoured. Because they kept all the things which makes the game great, and make it better. Much, much better. (PC/Arkane-Bethesda)

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7. Tyranny ; A short but charming game which elevates one of the most important elements of all in RPGs: Choice. In this game, people in the game remembers what you did in the past. And they'll never forget. Although, if you did an evil thing to them, you aren't without redemption either. I didn't play any other game this year which lets me perform a systematic slaughter of a village because of a choice I made, early in the game. Without a doubt, this year's Age of Decadence. (PC/Obsidian-Paradox Interactive)

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8. Final Fantasy XV ; A format which I thoroughly enjoyed: 4 sworn brothers road-tripping across middle America Eos. They learn more about one another, and also about themselves. Sure, the driving sucks. Travelling at night is a chore. Quest design is simplistic. They made the crown prince a glorified gofer. And don't get me started on the story. But like one other RPG I have in this list, a very hard game to put down. Car banter is fun to listen to. Dungeons are great for the most part. The night is dark and full of terrors. I might shell out for the DLC, and I will put this game in my GOTY list. (PS4/Square Enix)

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9. VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action ; I don't know a game with such a mundane concept of serving drinks can be so enjoyable. Add a tiny dose of cyberpunk to a smashing tech-house/techno soundtrack, squeeze in a real world commentary on oppressive state to serve a very personal story, and you get this charming little game. I don't normally play visual novels, although I have plenty of them wishlisted in my Steam account, but this one I just have to buy and play. I recommend this to anyone who have even just a remote interest to play a visual novel game. (PC/Sukeban Games-Ysbryd Games)

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10. Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book ; My favourite slice-of-life RPG of 2016 which not many other Gaffers plays. As always, since the main mechanics of the game is crafting, it is very polished and enjoyable to play. Although it is a bit lacking in the time management mechanics of the earlier game, the crafting tetris (for a lack of better word) is very involved and crafting the ultimate weapon in this game means min-maxing your ingredients. I recommend this game to anyone who doesn't hate crafting mechanics. I expect the next entry, Atelier Firis, to improve it even more. (PS4/Gust-Koei Tecmo)


Honorable Mentions

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x. Stellaris ; Somewhat lacking in political machinations compared with other Paradox grand strategy games, I enjoyed Stellaris for what it does best: blot out an entire star system with your space fleet and crushing other civilizations with it. (PC/Paradox Development Studio-Paradox Interactive)

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x. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine ; Although The Witcher 3 is my GOTY of 2015, I feel that I shouldn't put this game in the top 10, not because of lack of merit (this game has plenty of it), but because I feel other games should have their chance to shine and improve on the standard set by Witcher 3 and its expansions. (PC/CD PROJEKT RED)

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x. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; A conclusion to a lifetime of adventure. An origin story of sorts, I feel that I enjoyed the mechanics of this game the most, solely because of the improvements it made to stealth. When I realised that you can clear a whole level with stealth, that's when the game clicked for me. Although, I must admit, I will have a hard time remembering the set pieces, which is a shame, since I can still remember Uncharted 2's Nepal and Train level set pieces vividly. (PS4/Naughty Dog-SIE)


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TLDR; 2016 was a great year for games. RPG lineup wasn't as strong as 2015, but 2017 will be something to look forward to. I regret the purchase of 1 game this year: No Man's Sky. I didn't refund it, because I want it there to remind myself what I would have to do when the hype is reaching a critical mass: Look at this game, and temper your expectations. But let's focus on the positives: There's more to look forward to in 2017, especially for my platforms of choice.

1. The last guardian- first time I've been surprised by AI. Ever.
2. Battlefield 1- my favorite in the series the presentation is top notch
3. Final Fantasy XV- it's far from perfect but still a joy to play, (Dragons Dogma)
4. Doom- never played a doom game, this game feels more fluid than any FPS since CE
5. Inside- clever....on consecutive playthroughs it just comes of as clever.
6. Blood and wine(will replace if doesn't count) - tousaint is the most beautiful setting I've played in since okami
7. The division- a very beautifully crafted New York, with decent gameplay but repetitive objectives
8. Hitman- the first episodic game that felt completely worth it each entry
9. NBA 2k17- the presentation and ease of use makes it the best sports game I've ever played
10. Dishonored 2- Level design, level design, level design! Move over Deus ex

1. DOOM ; Sets a new standard for single player shooters unlikely to be surpassed until its own sequel.

2. Titanfall 2 ; When it comes to the importance mobility and maneuverability play in the success of multiplayer combatants in the shooter genre, the Titanfall series deftly snatches the crown from the stagnanting Tribes series.

3. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; Whether or not you think someone should erect a wall between Augs and Naturals, we should all agree this entry is second only to the Y2K original in player freedom, world building, gameplay, and atmosphere. And now with less yellow.

4. Dark Souls 3 ; The closest thing to Bloodborne we'll get on Xbox One, and arguably second to none in regards to other Souls games.

1. Rhythm Heaven Megamix ; I love rhythm games in general, but I missed out on the Wii game and found the stylus flicking in the DS game a bit annoying. This was really the ideal game for me. Almost every notable minigame from this series is here as well as a good set of new ones

2. Ace Attorney Spirit of Justice ; My biggest surprise of the year. I was honestly expecting to hate it and begrudgingly play it while wishing I got DGS instead. But it ended up being one of my favourite games in the entire series. Every case but the first is a winner and the marketing ended up being
3. Kirby Planet Robobot ; The best non-spinoff Kirby game. I know it's the same formula they've used since Superstar, but hey, I think it works. This, in my opinion, is the first Kirby game with interesting backdrops and cool looking stages with environmental hazards. The boss fights are also awesome, and the final boss's scale is matched only by The Wonderful 101. Plus the post-game modes like the usual are great fun.

4. Uncharted 4 ; As someone who isn't an Uncharted fan, all I really have to say about this one is that it's really pretty and I loved it. I'm sure people who have played the others will write longer descriptions about how perfectly it wraps up the story. I really need to play the other three before the DLC...

5. Ratchet and Clank ; It's such a nice looking game. A demonstration of how good colourful cartoonish games can look when using the power of current gen. It plays well too.

Since I started Final Fantasy XV like yesterday and haven't had a chance to play The Last Guardian yet, I'll probably change this list to add them at some point. Most of this thread was spent skimming it to remember what actually came out this year...I've mostly been catching up on games I missed out on from previous years.

1. Total Warhammer ; Huge numbers with huge monsters in the most varied total war game to date.
2. Stellaris ; The 4X game where you can role-play all your space faring fantasies.
3. XCOM2 ; Random generated levels, missing 99% shots and all of the XCOM fun.
4. Overwatch ; The only thing better than the gameplay is the fan-art.
5. Battlefleet Gothic ; The physics, the variety of the races, the campaign and the felling of ramming the enemy ship make this game unforgettable.
6. Stardew Valley ; farming, relationships, mining, foraging, fighting,and even more activities make this one of the most diverse and relaxing games i ever played.
7. Darkest Dungeon ; A depressing narrator, excellent artwork and excruciatingly difficult battles make this one of the best roguelikes.
8. DOOM ; Excellent campaign and soundtrack, a must for shooter fans.
9. Civilization VI ; few maps but great mechanics a worthy entry to the civ franchise.
10. Hearts of iron IV ; While the game is a bit shallow on content, the base mechanics are incredibly solid.

Honorable Mentions
x. Transport fever ; a tycoon game that feels like RRT3.
x. Rights of men (Europa universalis IV DLC) ; More content for an already complex and satisfying game.

1. Titanfall 2 ; in absence of Half Life 3 this is our Half Life 3 with its level design and fun gimmicks
2. Total War: Warhammer ; I had to wait 18 years (since Dark Omen) for such faithful adaptation of clearly better of the two Warhammers (aka figurine money sinks)
3. Hearts of Iron IV ; more accessible than its prequels with enough depth to keep me entertained
4. Stellaris ; a sequel to Master of Orion 2 we've all wanted all this time
5. Superhot ; it's the most innovative shooter I've played in years, duh.
6. Doom ; simply oooooozes style and knows what it is the second you start playing it
7. Inside ; that ending raped my mind in so many ways I feel violated just thinking about it
8. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare ; the best CoD campaign since Black Ops and Ethan is THE MAN guys
9. Firewatch ; one of the best looking games this generation with an engaging story to boot
10. Darkest Dungeon ; holy shit that game can give you an instant depression and teaches you not to care about your heroes because THEY WILL DIE HORRIBLY SO FORGET ABOUT THEM ALREADY

1. Monster Hunter Generations; Round 3 for 3DS Monster Hunter, and the series isn't stopping being enjoyable for me. Generations replaces my least favourite part of MH4, Guild Quests, with an endgame around Level 1-10 farming of special Subtypes. Really enjoyed them, even though the amount of kills required for an armor set was a bit too high for my liking.
2. Darkest Dungeon ; Was looking forward to this, and it really delivered. Looks great, sounds great and just the right difficulty setting. Haven't gone back to check out the additional updates after launch though.
3. World of Warcraft: Legion ; Got dragged back into this by my brother, played for the last time during early Cataclysm. Constant zone scaling was great during leveling, the Dungeons were pretty fun, with the Mythic+ being interesting, even though I don't enjoy it on the higher levels. Emerald Nightmare was OK, but I enjoyed being able to PUG it on HC without being dragged back into raiding. World Quests was great for the first month. Legendary RNG, artifact grinding and War/Titanforging was the worst part of the endgame.
4. Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice ; The main gimmick of this game is the Divination Seance, which is seeing and experiencing the last moments of a victims life thorugh a spirit medium. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. The game is a a bit to long and tends to drag especially during the last case.
5. Pokemon Moon ; Generation 7 starts out with removing gyms and instead introducing trials, which the first few at least are very enjoyable, but the sort of just vanishes around the halfway point of the game. The game has too many cutscenes and keeps stopping play way too often. Doesn't help that the MC never changes his expression from a smile no matter what even though all the other characters emote just fine. Alolan Forms and Z-Moves are both OK, but not that interesting. Not as good as X and Y.
6. XCom 2 ; Return of one of my favorite strategy games. Concealment at the start of missions is great, mobile base and world travel is a fun idea, and overall gameplay is great.
7. Zero Time Dilemma ; Probably my most anticipated game of 2016, sequel to 999 and VLR. Suffers a lot from having to be the setup for the events of VLR. Has some great moments despite it's flaws.
8. Dark Souls 3 ; It's Ok.
9. Umineko ; When it was first being released I loved Umineko. However the actual gameplay was from trying to figure out the mystery of the game. With all the episodes out, that aspect doesn't really exist anymore. All that's left is to read the story. There isn't any dialog choices or routes to choose from, just plain reading. And some amazing music.
10. Hearthstone Whispers of the Old Gods ; 2016 is the Year of the Kraken, with Standard mode being released and cards being rotated out, it started the year strong with Whispers of the Old Gods and ended it strong Mean Streets of Gadgetzan. Karazhan was pretty meh.

Honorable Mentions
x. Fire Emblem Fates ; I played Awakening for over 100 hours, but couldn't get into a JRPG mood at all during the year, only played around 8 hours and didn't finish.
x. Bravely Second: End Layer ; Same as above, played around 10 hours but never got into the right mindset to sit down and finish the game.

1. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE ; I dunno, say what you will, I really loved TMS. Took me a few months to play through, and it was just an engaging combat system with some cool, if simple, characters.
2. Sid Meier's Civilization VI ; Does it have its issues? Definitely. But is it the best launch Civilization in a long, long time? For sure. The core systems are multifaceted and engaging.
3. Pokémon Go ; Hey, I'm still playing it. Shit was a phenomenon.

Damn, was that really it? I play like five new games a year, I guess that's the problem with waiting for stuff to hit dirt cheap.

Megatron said:

Do we have to include a number one on our list? I'm not trying to be cute, but so far, I'm not sure anything I've played deserves to be the 'best game of the year' though there are several solid titles. There are still a few games I will get to by the deadline that I have high hopes for, I'm just wondering in case. I know you can vote for just a number one or a top 7 or whatever, but can I vote a 2-10?

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You may list up to 10 games for your ballot. The games must be numbered, and consecutively listed in numerical order from 1 to 10. Was this not clear enough?

1.The Last Guardian; From the moment I started this game to the second the credits (and post credits!) ended I was transfixed, an completely emotional tale of a boy and his beast. Camera issues aside this is an instant classic for me. A game that I will never ever forget.

2. Final Fantasy XV; What this game lacks in quality of story it makes up for in troves with the combat, the world, and the character interactions, while not my favorite Final Fantasy game (FF12 represent!) it is by sure the best Final Fantasy game in a while. As someone who loves FF12, the hunts in XV really took me back.

3. Dark Souls 3; While not the most original Souls game to date, this game really reminded me a lot of Demon's Souls (for that I love), the combat and bosses are as great as ever. If this is the last Dark Souls game then FROM did a great job indeed.

4. Titanfall 2; One of the best FPS single player campaigns I have ever played really, what I really loved about the game was obviously the mobility and of course BT as well. Not to mention the multiplayer is really fun as well.

5. Uncharted 4; The perfect end to Drake's story, the game looks incredible and so was the story as well. The pacing leaves a bit to be desired (too many slow moments early on have killed replay ability for me) but when you get past that I absolutely love the game.

6. Ratchet & Clank; After a few years of being in hit and miss entries, the Lombax and his robot buddy really came back strongly in 2016. The game looks gorgeous, plays really well, and overall is just a blast to play.

7. Battlefield 1; What I really love about this game is that when you get a group of friends playing together then this is where the game really shines. Playing solo is good and all but it really is transformed as soon as you have a squad of people that you know and play well with. Plus the campaign was decent as well!

8. The Witness; What can I say? A really cool puzzle game, that probably for me goes down as one of the most rewarding games of 2016. When you figure out a puzzle and are able to solve it, then the game really becomes a great game.

9. The Division; A really cool game that took me a little while to get into but then after that I loved it. The recent updates also made the game a lot better and give me faith that a sequel will be loads improved.

10. Abzu; Austin Wintory's score here really sold this game on the list for me. A beautiful score in a really relaxing game, in some areas I would swim with the rays and fishes for minutes on end, simply incredible.

paradox121 said:

Hey, 2016. Fuck You. Anyway, here's some games I like.

1. Dark Souls III ; I was here this time last year decrying Bloodborne for being 'just another Dark Souls game' and that I was potentially getting tired of the formula. And yet here we are. I can't really tell you why I like Dark Souls III so much. It's a superlative RPG that encourages you take risks and slaps you down hard when you get cocky. It's dense and varied and imaginative and creepy and weird and mad. But so were all the others.

To be perfectly honest I think the main reason I loved this one so much was because I finally felt like I had a handle on things. The game was no longer a daunting obstacle it was a challenging adventure. I completed the damn thing four times. Which therefore allowed me to slow down and take in the monstrous sights. There's so much you miss, in terms of level design, character models, enemy variety, story structure etc when you feel like you're on the edge of dying constantly that losing that worry allows you to appreciate.

In many ways I'm entirely late to the party. People were exulting Dark Souls for these things four games ago. And yet if any series deserves continued praise it's this one.

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Psst.

1. The House in Fata Morgana ; Normally I wouldn't put a visual novel so high, but Fata Morgana deserves it with its superb writing and soundtrack.
2. The Last Guardian ; The fact that TLG lived up to the hype after nine years of development is quite the feat.
3. Tyranny ; No game this year has had me think about every decision I've made like Tyranny did. But then again, that's par for the course with Obsidian titles. Tyranny offers a ton of interesting choices that lead to interesting outcomes, and while the game may be short it offers crazy replay value with all of the ways the initial world state can be set up and four different ways to go through the main quest. The actual gameplay is kinda bad but I don't play Obsidian games for the gameplay anyway.
4. Dark Souls III ; Whether this is the best Souls game is debatable, but it's certainly the most refined one. The way the PC controls, the environments, and the music lend a slightly different atmosphere to the title than previous Souls games in that everything feels a little more "badass" instead of the melancholia of Demon's or Dark 1&2, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
5. DOOM ; You run around real fast and shoot demons with shotguns and it's so much fun.
6. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse ; While I had mixed feelings about the more "anime"-ish plot and characters, and the game could have had more quality side content, the core battle system and demon management has been improved so much that it's some of the best in the entire series.
7. The Silver Case ; May actually be my favorite Suda51 game.
8. Monster Hunter Generations ; Usually I drop MonHun games mid-late into high rank, but this one was good enough to keep my attention through all of the available village and guild quests along with about half of the "deviant" monster quests (there's like 120 of them so that's a lot). The design and music for the new monsters is some of the best in the franchise.
9. Kindred Spirits on the Roof ; Pretty much the only good yuri game in English.
10. Gravity Rush Remastered ; Fun and weird as heck with a fantastic soundtrack, can't wait for the sequel.

Honorable Mentions
x. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice ; The fact that this isn't in the top ten is only because there were so many other great games coming out this year. This was way, way better than AA4 or 5, with a final case that jockeys with 3-5 and I2-5 for the best one in the whole franchise.
x. Paper Mario: Color Splash ; After the dire quality of Sticker Star, it's nice to see a good Paper Mario game again. All of the characters in the game may be Toads and assorted Mario enemies, but that doesn't stop the dialogue from being funny as hell. The level design is also worth noting, every level has some unique thing going for it and a lot of them are just really cleverly designed. The art style is the best of any Paper Mario game and almost any game this generation.
x. Titanfall 2 ; Another game that would be in the top 10 if it weren't for so many other great games coming out this year. One of the best single player campaigns in recent memory with a lot of fun level design. I really liked how levels could come apart or be put together around the player, it was amazing to see that in motion. If I have any complaint about this game, it's that it's too easy. I was barely challenged even playing on hard mode.
x. Pokémon Sun/Moon ; After the lackluster X/Y GameFreak really upped their game with this one. Gyms are out, replaced with a variety of unique encounters and dungeons that are mostly more fun to go through. While it's still a pretty easy game, it's not completely braindead easy like X/Y was at least.
x. Kirby: Planet Robobot ; The quality isn't much more or less than any of the recent Kirby games, but all the recent Kirby games have been solid and this one is too. I'm getting a little worried if HAL and Nintendo can continue to pump these out though, maybe it's time to give 3D Kirby another shot?
x. SteinsGate 0 ; Chiyomaru mixed content from various spinoffs into a blender and made a game out of it. The result was very solid, I think I might have liked this more than the original game in some ways.
x. Zero Escape: Time Dilemma ; The actual title of the game is "Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma" but I'm just following the spreadsheet. Screw the haters, I liked this. The ending might not have been quite what some were hoping for, but the 90% of the game leading up to that is just an incredibly entertaining roller coaster ride.

I apologize for the long-windedness of a few of these comments, please let me know if they need to be trimmed

1. Street Fighter V ; An unquestionably incredible fighter that I feel draws far more genuine anger than it deserves, to the point of being kind of weird. As time goes on, I hope that the fervor dies down and that we're able to discuss the progress the game continues to make without going in the same circle every topic about it eventually falls into. Story mode is goofy fun, Rashid is probably my pick for best character of 2016, and there's an immensely rewarding feeling to becoming a better player. Being able to look at the commands in a trial and say "oh okay, I know what that should look like" without needing the demonstration feels really good, and is part of the ongoing change in the way I see fighting games in general as I put more time in. SFV reinvigorated my interest in the genre, and for that, think it deserves the number 1 spot on my list

2. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth ; Hands down the best JRPG I have played in a very, very long time. Love the battle system, raising Digimon is deep and satisfying, the characters are fun and interesting, and the music is fantastic.
3. Furi ; This game came out of nowhere. It plays amazingly, has incredible style, and that OST is absolutely orgasmic

4. Amplitude ; Soothing yet challenging, this game was blast to play and is something I will definitely revisit for years to come

5. Pokemon Sun/Moon ; A great entry in a great series, a lot of significant changes for the better but still about what I expected. I can't not love a new mainline Pokemon game so it being a step up from X/Y doesn't say much to me

6. Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator ; Fantastically made fighting game that I'm just getting into, looking forward to the future as I become acquainted with the series

7. Final Fantasy XV ; I just got the game a few days ago, so I haven't played a ton of it, but I already feel that it was worth the wait

8. Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 ; An awesome surprise to have pop up so late in the year, and a game I didn't spend a ton of time with in the past. Mahvel tugs my heart strings in a weird way and I'm glad to have it always at the ready on my PS4

9. Tom Clancy's The Division ; Game that I was surprised to enjoy as much as I did, was a ton of fun playing with friends, but I fell off before the first expansion came out

10. Overwatch ; I didn't spend a ton of time on this, but it was fun and I'd definitely like to see what competitors it draws out that might hold my attention longer

I didn't complete many of the games I have played this year, and many of them I didn't play enough to have a good opinion but my favourites were:

1. Dark Souls III ; felt like a good blend of Bloodborne and Dark Souls, atmosphere and level design was top notch as always.
2. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; so much freedom and ways to play the game how you want.
3. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; my first Uncharted game, I didn't know what to really expect. Not as good as I expected, but in the end it's still one of the better games I played in 2016.
4. Tom Clancy's The Division ; really cool idea, I enjoyed it even though I ended up playing it solo for most of the time. The end game stopped me from coming back.

I played many other games, but not enough or just not on the level for me to consider as a GOTY contender.

1. Final Fantasy XV ; Depsite being able to see glaring flaws in the game, once I finished it and saw the ending I couldn't stop myself from moving because of all the emotion going through me. Dtil playing the game now which is unusual for me as the gameplay system is just fun.
2. The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine ; Amazing way to finish the whole saga and basically more fleshed out DLC than many full games.
3. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth ; amazing battle system, really top notch story in the vein of the anime and digivolving is just so fun.

I did not expect Mankind Divided to do so well, I thought it was generally more of the same/a disappointment. Happy to see Ratchet & Clank so much though.

1. Dragon Quest Builders ; Never been a fan of sandbox games, but the DQ theme and RPG questing made it very appealing to me.

2. Overwatch ; Multiplayer FPS aren't my thing, but I was drawn to this because of the varied characters and it felt easy-to-pickup.

3. Stardew Valley ; I put like 70 hours into it. lol

1. Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir ; Utterly gorgeous to look at and listen to, this is one of the most immersive side-scrolling beat 'em ups I've played, with a beautiful, whimsical fairy tale-like story. Vanillaware deserves praise for treating this game with respect and delivering a high quality remake to bring it to a new generation.
2. Inside ; Captivating and creepy from start to finish, and shows what a talented bunch Playdead is.
3. World of Final Fantasy ; The love letter fans deserved and the best Final Fantasy released in 2016.
4. Firewatch ; Such an engrossing story made possible with excellent writing, characters and voice acting, which forced me to play through in one sitting.
5. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; Great gameplay and satisfying platforming. A better treasure hunting game than that one a certain Mr. Drake was in this year. Plus, the DLC modes bundled into the PS4 edition were pretty good, too.
6. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Colorful Sound and Future Tone ; I love Miku games, but this is just pure bliss. Over 200 songs right from the word go. So many addictive old and new ones to keep me going for ages.
7. Lara Croft Go ; One of the best puzzle games I've played. I could play new entries of this forever and never get bored.
8. Gravity Rush Remastered ; Some of the most fun I've had gaming this year was spent messing around with Kat and pulling off awesome gravity-based platforming.
9. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II ; Strikes a fine balance between its JRPG anime origins and mature storyline, keeping you hooked till the end.
10. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero ; Pure fun 2D platforming. We need more games like this.

1. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; As much as I loved the previous Uncharted entries, this one is on another league. None of them handled storytelling and character development the way A Thief's End did. Its clear that Naughty Dog as a whole looked at The Last Of Us as an influence here (both at single and multiplayer). More impactful dialogues and more intimate set pieces made this my favorite Uncharted game to date, a game that was so good to the franchise that IMO even made the other games better because it gave them a bit more of context at times. Also, that ending is the perfect way to say goodbye to Nathan Drake and as whole package I dont see any game having any more value to me this year, as this has a great multiplayer component as well.

2. INSIDE ; The six years of development are understandable after a playtrough of this game. Playdead must have had insane amounts of QA and playtest hours to tune some of those sequences so it would end up having the perfect timing and tone. The result was a masterpiece when it comes to the technical fields and an insanely intriguing narrative that had a bunch of ''whoooa'' and ''oh shit'' moments. Keep it weird guys.

3. The Last Guardian ; I had my expectations in check before going in TLG, and I knew that the years of anticipation and backstory on its development time would prob hurt this game. None of that mattered the second I started paying attention to how naturally Trico behaved and how unique this AI is. This game has its issues (especially with its camera which is straight up bad) but the relationship built here between the boy and Trico, and between me and both of these characters was deep in a way I did not expect. Puzzles were simple at most (only a few are an example of genius design) but going trough them with Trico acting so much as my own pets would was just so relatable to me. I had never cried in a videogame before, and I did in The Last Guardian, both of sadness and joy. This may sound insane for some, but man was this worth the wait.

4. DOOM ; The biggest surprise of the year for me as I did not expect to be in my top 10 at all prior to release. Gameplay and design wise DOOM was thrilling and simply fun to play, listen and look at. The lack of a more interesting and developed narrative does not bother that much because of the IDGAF attitude Doom Marine has, and that was handled on an awesome and not cringy way which was really surprising. Only letdown was the multiplayer, but that campaign was worth the price no doubt.

5. The Witness ; Since the PS1 days I didnt have a notebook with me while playing a game. Main puzzle designs were great and so satisfying when it clicked in your head (or paper), but the enviromental puzzles were the ones that really got to me. Just like INSIDE its understandable why this took so long to come out. The freedom and loneliness the island provides were also very much responsible of this beeing one of my favorites this year.

6. Stardew Valley ; I got late to this one, but boy do I love it. Maybe its because I had not played a Harvest Moon game in so long, but this resonated with me way more than any game on that franchise. The loop of the routine got to me fast and I love doing my chores and analyzing what I need to do and if I can accomplish stuff in time for the day. Also, at the beginning I was feeling no real connection to any of these characters, but man when relationship with them rises, their backstory is revealed in very cool ways. Also, discovering the secrets of that valley is so awesome and gives me a sense of adventure that I really love in games with this visual aspect. I hope ConcernedApe keeps working on this for a long time, and I would gladly support him via DLC or something like that so we can have new areas, new crops and items and new villagers.

7. Final Fantasy XV ; Noctis says at one moment of the ending chapters of this game how relieved he is that ''Its finally over''. I felt exactly the same, not because Final Fantasy XV is a bad game overall, but God was that story bad and I could not wait to take that weight off my mind so I could freely appreciate the strong points of this adventure. Combat is mad fun, the world is beautifull and interesting, most of the characters are cool, side quests are simple but fine and secret dungeons are awesome. If only they had constructed the main story in a cohesive way, and didnt fuck the combat sometimes with stuff like Titan and Leviathan battles. Man I love this game but I hate this story so much.

8. Ratchet & Clank ; I love the OG trilogy on PS2, and love most of the Future games. And here they basically mashed the structure and story of the first game (with some changes) with some of the Future series mechanics. Game looks and plays amazing too, which is expected since is Insomniac. They didnt take a lot of risk here, but I cant deny or ignore how great this game is.

9. Firewatch ; For me It took the next step when it comes to walking simulators/FPX's. Introducing some traversing mechanics like the map and having an open world really worked well for me to connect to this world, even though exploration incentives were kinda limited. But what really shines here is the greatly written dialogues delivered amazingly well both by Cissy Jones and Rich Sommer. I was really invested in these two stories, and even though choices hardly change anything massive in gameplay or overall story, it made me feel more like a part of this. Also, Olly Moss art which can only be a plus.

10. Overwatch ; In the first few years of this gen, multiplayer games like Destiny and Rocket League were my jam and I sinked massive hours into them. This year though, I was kinda burned out of the multiplayer pace, but I could not ignore Overwatch and its amazing gameplay loop and diverse and fun roster. This is not higher because the amount of sutff this year made me not play that much after the first few months (also, shitty pricing on consoles), but there is no doubt how impactful and important this game is. Also, props to Blizzard for the great support so far with the game and this is prob the game we'll keep talking about for many years and beyond this generation.

1. Forza Horizon 3 ; Definitely my GOTY simply because it is the game I had the most fun playing and also the game I played the most, which is no coincidence. Damn near flawless except for how one gets DLC cars one at a time. And that is such a small nitpick in the grand scheme of things.
2. DOOM ; One of the best SP FPS Campaigns ever made. What else is there to say?
3. Watch Dogs 2 ; This was the sleeper hit of the year for myself. I beat it faster than any other game this year, which is a minor miracle I even beat it due to my overall limited amount of time to play anything period. I do need to go back and play some side missions now, but overall I loved this game and did not think I was going to especially since I did not enjoy the first one.
4. Dead Rising 4 ; This very well could be #3 on my list, and I actually have it on pause right now to type this list. With so many games I still have yet to beat (Titanfall 2, COD:IW, The Last Guardian, none of which made my Top 10 BTW), I keep playing this game. Again, it is fun, and it seems as if the older I get and the less time I have to play, that is what matters most to me. A game I can get in, get out, make some progress, but still have fun playing. I also have a soft spot for this series. Clock or no clock, it is a game that is made for me.
5. Uncharted 4 ; Possibly the only game on my list that can be considered a "let down" as I thought for sure it would be my #1. Still a great game overall with what I believe to be the best visuals overall. Just felt they could have trimmed the experience down some to make it more concise and impactful.
6. Battlefield 1 ; My favorite MP FPS series. Been playing since Day 1. The only MP game I cannot play for months or a year, pick up, and still hold my own as a result of my familiarity. I also think people take BF for granted. What it achieves is pretty damn remarkable. It also is no slouch in the visuals department. It is one of the primary reasons I still and always will own a dedicated Gaming PC.
7. Quantum Break ; Remedy's game that seemed to be in development forever. I was super psyched for it when it was announced years ago, and overall I felt people were incredibly harsh on this one. Sure, that ending could have used some work, but prior it had some super smooth 3rd person gunplay and although I am a big proponent of all video game stories are horrible and should not be taken seriously as the storytelling aspect of the medium is still very much in it's infancy, it reminded me of a decent SyFy channel exclusive series. Okay enough.
8. Overwatch ; Although I abandoned the game after about a month as I just could not commit the time or effort at remaining super competitive at it, I had to give Blizzard credit for doing something they were not known for doing and doing it damn well. If I was 20 again I very well may have played nothing but Overwatch.
9. Inside ; The only game on this list that once I was done with it I was questioning my existence. The incredibly stylized visuals and sense of melancholy and doom were just icing on top of the cake. I also loved the length as again, it fit my limited gaming schedule. I keep mentioning it and my age as I do believe it is very relevant overall as it is a very big factor as to why I find games enjoyable these days. The only game this year I beat in one sitting.
10. Superhot; A new take on bullet time? Yeah, I am going to love that. And I did.
I backed the game on Kickstarter. I am actually proud to say I did as I believe it is that good of a game and by backing it it just goes to show what incredibly good taste I have.

Honorable Mention: Mario Run (iOS) ; The game that got me seriously playing mobile games and I have owned a smartphone since one could own one, I just never enjoyed many games on them. Was always a PS VITA man if the discussion was mobile gaming. I personally feel it was easily worth the $10 and I suck horribly at Toad Rally. Just the "campaign" levels are enough for me and I cannot see how anyone who has played it can say it does not feel like a Mario game as it absolutely does.

Overall I feel this is one of the better years in gaming in a few years.
I also recognize that it is the first year in a while that Microsoft has the better exclusives for the year, at least the ones I enjoyed more. Historically this has not been the case, so good on them for delivering a solid year of varied games.

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1. Doom ; Everything about this game is amazing in my opinion. It simply does not stop from the moment Doom guy awakens to implement his zero tolerance policy on hell once again. The gameplay is exhilarating with its fluidity and sense of speed that builds on itself whenever you obtain a new rune or weapon. The presentation is epic along with great characterization seen in both Doom guy and Samuel Hayden. Last and not least is the amazing soundtrack done by Mick Gordon, I typically do not prefer metal music, but when I hear BFG Division I get the sense of energy and aggression that the game nails in presenting causing me to Rip and Tear until I'm done what is in my opinion the 2016 game of the year, and possibly of the generation.

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2. Overwatch ; Little did I know this would become my personal 300+ hour addiction. The first time I heard about this game was when the situation referring to Tracers victory pose occurred. I thought little of it since I knew nothing of the game. Then the trumpet of Ragnarok rang in the form of the beta. I fell in love instantly. When The game fully released I found myself swooped up in playing the game for countless hours with a bunch of gaffers, a fair amount I still play with today. At the end of the day what I adore about this game is simply the Character design and the addictive gameplay. I love that it can appeal to a variety of playstyles, for example the two heroes I have always played since beta: Tracer and Reinhardt, satisfy two kinds of gameplay I gravitate towards, having high speed mobility, and being a hard hitting tank. While the honeymoon phase is over, and I now have a love hate relationship with the game (mainly due to competitive) I still find myself coming back time and time again.

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3. Rez Infinite ; I saw Rez occasionally throughout the years, but did not have the chance to actually play it myself untll now. The way this game is able to provoke emotion and a sense of Trance for me was truly an experience. It felt like a game I've been wanting to play all my life. As stages progress along with the music is great. Once reaching the final stage it felt like a one of a kind of experience. Here is hoping going forward with how fun Area X is, a Rez two or equivalent will be coming in the near future.

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4. Titanfall 2 ; There are two things I've discovered I loved in games in the past few years, and that is fast paced action and mechs. Luckily Titanfall 2 has both, and I found myself loving the game the moment I dropped into combat. I am ashamed to say I have yet to start the campaign even though I am close to my second regen, which I suppose is a testament to how good the multiplayer is. The combination of this and Overwatch I now feel that I have found the perfect balance in what I want out of multiplayer shooters.

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5. Gundam Breaker 3 ; I'll start by saying I love Gundam, Prior to this the only other Gundam game I played was Extreme versus full Boost on PS3 a couple years ago and loved it. I figured I would pick up Gundam Breaker 3 after hearing that it had a good reviews, revolved around making Gunpla (another hobby of mine), and it was available in English. The combat in the game I found to be deeper than I expected with movesets based around the type of parts you equip, you can play the game completely melee or ranged depending on your tastes. While I found it more charming in EX VS since its the actual characters, the fan service in this game is great, my favorite example being that when you activate super mode you will hear its theme as it was originally heard in G Gundam. Also as a fan of Gunpla it was also really cool to see the kits I own in real life available to be purchased adding a bit more of a personal connection to the game. I Highly recommended this for fans of Gundam. It is a fantastic time if you party up and talk about all things Gundam while building your perfect kit.

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6. Final Fantasy XV ; While I am not really far in the game, I can't help but support it in my list. It reminds me of MGS V (another game I loved) where even though there are visible flaws, the gameplay makes up for it in strides.

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7. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; Uncharted 4 is a game I liked a lot, but I wanted to love more than I did. Little things kept this from being higher up on my list. The game has a pretty good story overall and amazing set pieces/locations as I have come to expect from the series, but I felt that something was lacking. I found the game took gameplay away from me in times where I found it either jarring or uninteresting. I am mainly referring to while not the worst thing ever, I found myself disinterested in how scripted it felt. I also feel that I did myself a disservice in choosing to play the game on hard, because even though I have platinumed all three previous games, I found myself unable to a lot of the cool environmental attacks such as attacking from a rope without getting shoot to death. I think going back I would enjoy it more than if I played on normal, but regardless I liked it a lot and would recommend it to fans of the series in a heartbeat.

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8. Street Fighter V ; This was the first fighting game I put time into online and tried to learn some actual combos and found myself enjoying it a fair amount despite its barren presentation.

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9. Resident Evil 6 ; First time playing through the game with the PS4 version. While not as good as previous Resident Evils I played, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. Though I would probably think differently if I did not do a co-op run.

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10. Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 ; You know if I played any other games that came out this year you would not be seeing the joy shame that this game brought me, but here we are.
¯\_(&#12484_/¯

Cheesemeister said:

You may list up to 10 games for your ballot. The games must be numbered, and consecutively listed in numerical order from 1 to 10. Was this not clear enough?

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Up to 10 games means you can have less which means they can't be numerical from one to ten. Seven games could be 1-7 or 4-10. But I take your point. I am optimistic one of my unplayed games will win me over.