DoubleTake
Member
Theres no exploits like that on the next gen consoles yet. You're mistaken.
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GAF Games of the Year 2015 - Voting Thread [LAST DAY FOR VOTING]
- Thread starter Cheesemeister
- Start date
- Status
Theres no exploits like that on the next gen consoles yet. You're mistaken.
I just played Life is Strange and want to add it to my list, but I have no idea how to find my post. Help?
Click on the posts numbers under the "replies" and then Ctrl+F type your name.
Should have mentioned I'm on mobile. Still the same? Cause I can't find what you are talking about I'm afraid.
FriedConsole
Banned
Yeah I like GOTY threads for one of few places for postivity on games on the Internet. Some people can't even do that here.
You can do an advanced search for your nickname. Works on mobile too.
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; It has been a long while since an open world grabbed me quite like the Witcher did. The world was beautiful, packed with content, and the missions felt like they rewarded me with well written experiences. The story and writing sunk its hooks into me delivered a complete package for me.
2. Ori and the Blind Forest ; This game gave me such a surprise. I had thought it to be a cute casual platformer and was instead met with a beautifully crafted game. From the visuals and music to the level design and difficulty. It was balanced perfectly for lots of challenges and fun.
3. Bloodborne ; The atmosphere, level design, and boss design for the soul games are hard to rival and Bloodborne delivered once again.
4. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; A wonderful followup to the last game. It improved on a lot of aspects and delivered a much more polished experience. The sandbox areas, and increase in tomb exploration really helped pace the game and break it up from the story/linear sections.
5. Life Is Strange ; Started off slow, but it told a very interesting story with some memorable characters. It offered some fun game mechanics and really raised the bar for what i want to see in the genre.
6. Until Dawn ; Graphically impressive, but also offered a surprisingly fun story. The decisions all seemed to hold quite a bit of weight and it was so much fun to play through hoping to keep everyone safe just to quickly realize you might just be one poor decision or mistake away from an untimely end.
7. Fallout 4 ; My first fallout game, and it was a fun world to explore. The detailed world, hidden quests, and off the path locations is what makes exploring a Bethesda games a blast. A few missteps with their design choices just kept this game from being something special.
8. Rocket League ; Hands down the best multiplayer experience all year.
9. Tales from the Borderlands: Episodes 2-5 ; I never played borderlands and I wasn't expecting anything from this game. But telltale did a great job crafting a story and mixing some fun humor. One of the few telltale games that i felt got better with every episode.
10. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; I really enjoyed how this game felt. The stealth was wonderful, the other game mechanics were superb, and it really lifted this game making it easier to look past the incomplete story, barren open world, and repetitive mission structure.
2. Ori and the Blind Forest ; This game gave me such a surprise. I had thought it to be a cute casual platformer and was instead met with a beautifully crafted game. From the visuals and music to the level design and difficulty. It was balanced perfectly for lots of challenges and fun.
3. Bloodborne ; The atmosphere, level design, and boss design for the soul games are hard to rival and Bloodborne delivered once again.
4. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; A wonderful followup to the last game. It improved on a lot of aspects and delivered a much more polished experience. The sandbox areas, and increase in tomb exploration really helped pace the game and break it up from the story/linear sections.
5. Life Is Strange ; Started off slow, but it told a very interesting story with some memorable characters. It offered some fun game mechanics and really raised the bar for what i want to see in the genre.
6. Until Dawn ; Graphically impressive, but also offered a surprisingly fun story. The decisions all seemed to hold quite a bit of weight and it was so much fun to play through hoping to keep everyone safe just to quickly realize you might just be one poor decision or mistake away from an untimely end.
7. Fallout 4 ; My first fallout game, and it was a fun world to explore. The detailed world, hidden quests, and off the path locations is what makes exploring a Bethesda games a blast. A few missteps with their design choices just kept this game from being something special.
8. Rocket League ; Hands down the best multiplayer experience all year.
9. Tales from the Borderlands: Episodes 2-5 ; I never played borderlands and I wasn't expecting anything from this game. But telltale did a great job crafting a story and mixing some fun humor. One of the few telltale games that i felt got better with every episode.
10. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; I really enjoyed how this game felt. The stealth was wonderful, the other game mechanics were superb, and it really lifted this game making it easier to look past the incomplete story, barren open world, and repetitive mission structure.
Omega Kirby
Member
1: Undertale ; I think this is one of if not the best game I've ever played. The writing quality is superb, the characters you end up caring for them and legit make you chuckle at the shenanigans that ensue. The music is espectacular , on par with old nes classics. The gameplay is a nice innovative spin on rpgs. The game is also challenging and gives you a great feeling of satisfaction when you conquer a boss and don't get me started on the replay value.
2: Ori and the Blind Forest ;. A superb metroidvania game with a gorgeous art style, great music and a bittersweet story.
3: Heroes of the Storm ; A fantastic MOBA, that's easy to get into and is acutally a hell lot of fun
4: Splatoon ;. A great shooter that shakes the genre up a bit. Creative, goofy and lots of fun. The Final boss in this games single player is also one of the best in a long time.
5: Tales of Zestiria ;: A solid RPG , has a fair amount of flaws but also has a fair amount of good in it. Good gameplay, decent story, good cast of chraracters, great soundtrack. Would rank it in the top 5 'tales of games'
2: Ori and the Blind Forest ;. A superb metroidvania game with a gorgeous art style, great music and a bittersweet story.
3: Heroes of the Storm ; A fantastic MOBA, that's easy to get into and is acutally a hell lot of fun
4: Splatoon ;. A great shooter that shakes the genre up a bit. Creative, goofy and lots of fun. The Final boss in this games single player is also one of the best in a long time.
5: Tales of Zestiria ;: A solid RPG , has a fair amount of flaws but also has a fair amount of good in it. Good gameplay, decent story, good cast of chraracters, great soundtrack. Would rank it in the top 5 'tales of games'
Game titles and comments must be separated by a semicolon for your vote to be counted.
cosmicblizzard
Banned
VisualNovelgaf. Euphoria is too extreme for animegaf.
Sorry for the limited variety, this list is a product of Nintendo's lack of good sales making me more likely to buy their games day one and being lttp to other platforms where I feel pretty satisfied with what is offered on sales.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D ; While writing this it felt strange to me having a remake as the top game of the year but I just can't do an injustice to the game that had the most flawless execution of those that I played. While I already loved Majora's Mask the first time I played it, the improvements made to this version made me do a 100% run for the first time because I just needed to keep playing. Games from the N64 generation certainly have a lot to gain from improved rereleases thanks to not so good framerates among other compromises and this is a perfect example of retaining the spirit of the game while erasing all those imperfections from our memories.
2. Super Mario Maker ; I've always been into level editors but lately I abandoned them thanks to a lack of time and wanting to actually finish games. Super Mario Maker meant the return of editing to my life and before I could realize it I had already spent countless hours experimenting with its tools. The biggest merit is the combination of a streamlined set of editing tools that feel very versatile and how well the play and create parts mix. The sharing aspects certainly need improvements but the core is more than fine.
3. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D ; I love RPGs on handhelds and this was a good way of having one of my favourite games always near me. Despite some UI related questionable decisions it's a really solid port so I think it's a must have if you bought a New 3DS.
4. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; I'd love to have this game higher on the list but despite being my most played game in 2015 I felt it wasn't as well rounded as I expected or wanted. It has an impressive open world that is a delight to explore, perhaps that's the part that it manages to nail the most. As someone who doesn't put as much importance to story as other people, I was ready to forgive moving the focus to gameplay even more but for some reason I didn't connect too much with the new battle features and even after spending more than 100 hours I feel that I don't really have a grasp on how it works. The skells are another highlight and having to wait so much to get them was well worth it as finally riding one was one of those moments that I'll remember fondly.
5. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft ; I have a love and hate relationship with this game. It can feel so good and then just minutes after that increase the chances of tossing nearby items that it's incredible. Definitely not good for people that can't handle unfair things happening.
The UI is pretty well crafted and definitely reminds of physical trading card games.
6. Splatoon ; I feel a bit guilty because I haven't played this too much, but it was enough time to appreciate it. Splatoon is all around solid and the shooting and movement have a really good feeling to it. Let's see if I can enjoy it even more in 2016.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D ; While writing this it felt strange to me having a remake as the top game of the year but I just can't do an injustice to the game that had the most flawless execution of those that I played. While I already loved Majora's Mask the first time I played it, the improvements made to this version made me do a 100% run for the first time because I just needed to keep playing. Games from the N64 generation certainly have a lot to gain from improved rereleases thanks to not so good framerates among other compromises and this is a perfect example of retaining the spirit of the game while erasing all those imperfections from our memories.
2. Super Mario Maker ; I've always been into level editors but lately I abandoned them thanks to a lack of time and wanting to actually finish games. Super Mario Maker meant the return of editing to my life and before I could realize it I had already spent countless hours experimenting with its tools. The biggest merit is the combination of a streamlined set of editing tools that feel very versatile and how well the play and create parts mix. The sharing aspects certainly need improvements but the core is more than fine.
3. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D ; I love RPGs on handhelds and this was a good way of having one of my favourite games always near me. Despite some UI related questionable decisions it's a really solid port so I think it's a must have if you bought a New 3DS.
4. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; I'd love to have this game higher on the list but despite being my most played game in 2015 I felt it wasn't as well rounded as I expected or wanted. It has an impressive open world that is a delight to explore, perhaps that's the part that it manages to nail the most. As someone who doesn't put as much importance to story as other people, I was ready to forgive moving the focus to gameplay even more but for some reason I didn't connect too much with the new battle features and even after spending more than 100 hours I feel that I don't really have a grasp on how it works. The skells are another highlight and having to wait so much to get them was well worth it as finally riding one was one of those moments that I'll remember fondly.
5. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft ; I have a love and hate relationship with this game. It can feel so good and then just minutes after that increase the chances of tossing nearby items that it's incredible. Definitely not good for people that can't handle unfair things happening.
6. Splatoon ; I feel a bit guilty because I haven't played this too much, but it was enough time to appreciate it. Splatoon is all around solid and the shooting and movement have a really good feeling to it. Let's see if I can enjoy it even more in 2016.
1. Pillars of Eternity ; The long awaited return to the infinity engine games. This game’s party based real-time with pause combat system may be the best yet. With so many options available to you and multiple characters to micro-manage the quality of life improvements over the old infinity engine games helps avoid some really frustrating moments. No more questioning if my spells were positioned to avoid friendly fire, or wonder why the hell I cannot manage to hit a certain enemy type. The engagement system alone is an elegant way of making tanks understandable and party poisoning key without having to rely on some aggro-based subsystem. If there was one area this game surpasses its predecessors it’s definitely combat.
In terms of story I still found a lot to love about Pillars. There are some really memorable companions. I especially liked Durance, the crazed preacher who has come to hate is own god. Obsidian has kept up its tradition of fantastic world building with the history of the world and the different cultures all feeling fleshed out. The main plot sort of stumbles near the end where it felt like it didn’t earn its big reveal. I was left thinking “that’s what this story was about the whole time?” There are other nick-picky things I could go on about (like the iffy stronghold stuff or lack of truly unique loot to find/buy), but Pillars provided me with the most enjoyment of any game this year.
2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; CDPR managed to keep their promises about going open world and delivered something really special. The game is stunningly beautiful, the world and writing continues to be top-notch, and the combat is greatly improved over the previous entry. Some of the best moments are found in the side quests where you’re not involved in some world-saving adventure but are just playing as a witcher dealing with more local problems. I loved these smaller stories and the Witcher offers a ridiculous amount of them to stumble upon while maintaining an extremely high level of quality.
3. The Age of Decadence ; Fantastic RPG setting of a quasi-magical Roman Empire after its sudden decline. This game is all about choice and consequence, whatever your build the game will reflect your characters abilities and present you with paths suitable to them. I played as some old historian and managed to by-pass every combat scenario since they were certain death for my soft character. But it also meant I had to respect that world; when I’m told a shady part of town is especially dangerous, I wisely stayed away that that entire area. The games relative short length of ~10 hours makes it more feasible to replay as an entirely different archetype to experience some of the other paths through the game.
4. Kerbal Space Program ; I’ve put way more time into the early-access version of this game, but I’ve continued to enjoy this sandbox spaceship builder. Great for both building dumb death-traps sure to explode on lift-off, and genuine spacecraft’s that allow to appreciate the beauty of space.
5. The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 ; Loved the first one and the sequel doesn’t change all that much. Just a lovely adventure game with no overly ridiculous puzzles, some great presentation, and a charming story.
6. Shadowrun: Hong Kong ; I enjoyed it more than Dead Man’s Switch, but still preferred the companions/story of Dragonfall to this entry. I expected more Shadowrun and that just what I got, nothing was really surprising about this.
7. Cities: Skylines ; The first city builder in a while that really managed to hook me. Managing the needs of the growing traffic in my expanding cities was actually really engaging. Nice to see someone succeed with this type of game after the EAs fuckup with Simcity.
8. Total War: Attila ; A remarkable salvage job done on the disappointing Rome 2 by Creative Assembly. Attila really hits home the feeling of an empire in its death throes, barbarian groups forming new nations out of the ruins, and the utter devastation caused by Attila’s hordes.
9. Tales From the Borderlands ; A pleasant surprise from Telltale after having zero interest in anything Borderlands. Similar to Until Dawn, controlling multiple characters made it easier to roleplay someone as a straight up asshole. The episodes all had some real style to them, best seen in their intros.
10. Undertale ; A cute game that flips some of the typical RPG tropes on their head. I didn’t absolutely fall in love with it like some people have, but I found it enjoyable enough to play through to experience the wackier moments and occasional catchy song.
In terms of story I still found a lot to love about Pillars. There are some really memorable companions. I especially liked Durance, the crazed preacher who has come to hate is own god. Obsidian has kept up its tradition of fantastic world building with the history of the world and the different cultures all feeling fleshed out. The main plot sort of stumbles near the end where it felt like it didn’t earn its big reveal. I was left thinking “that’s what this story was about the whole time?” There are other nick-picky things I could go on about (like the iffy stronghold stuff or lack of truly unique loot to find/buy), but Pillars provided me with the most enjoyment of any game this year.
2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; CDPR managed to keep their promises about going open world and delivered something really special. The game is stunningly beautiful, the world and writing continues to be top-notch, and the combat is greatly improved over the previous entry. Some of the best moments are found in the side quests where you’re not involved in some world-saving adventure but are just playing as a witcher dealing with more local problems. I loved these smaller stories and the Witcher offers a ridiculous amount of them to stumble upon while maintaining an extremely high level of quality.
3. The Age of Decadence ; Fantastic RPG setting of a quasi-magical Roman Empire after its sudden decline. This game is all about choice and consequence, whatever your build the game will reflect your characters abilities and present you with paths suitable to them. I played as some old historian and managed to by-pass every combat scenario since they were certain death for my soft character. But it also meant I had to respect that world; when I’m told a shady part of town is especially dangerous, I wisely stayed away that that entire area. The games relative short length of ~10 hours makes it more feasible to replay as an entirely different archetype to experience some of the other paths through the game.
4. Kerbal Space Program ; I’ve put way more time into the early-access version of this game, but I’ve continued to enjoy this sandbox spaceship builder. Great for both building dumb death-traps sure to explode on lift-off, and genuine spacecraft’s that allow to appreciate the beauty of space.
5. The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 ; Loved the first one and the sequel doesn’t change all that much. Just a lovely adventure game with no overly ridiculous puzzles, some great presentation, and a charming story.
6. Shadowrun: Hong Kong ; I enjoyed it more than Dead Man’s Switch, but still preferred the companions/story of Dragonfall to this entry. I expected more Shadowrun and that just what I got, nothing was really surprising about this.
7. Cities: Skylines ; The first city builder in a while that really managed to hook me. Managing the needs of the growing traffic in my expanding cities was actually really engaging. Nice to see someone succeed with this type of game after the EAs fuckup with Simcity.
8. Total War: Attila ; A remarkable salvage job done on the disappointing Rome 2 by Creative Assembly. Attila really hits home the feeling of an empire in its death throes, barbarian groups forming new nations out of the ruins, and the utter devastation caused by Attila’s hordes.
9. Tales From the Borderlands ; A pleasant surprise from Telltale after having zero interest in anything Borderlands. Similar to Until Dawn, controlling multiple characters made it easier to roleplay someone as a straight up asshole. The episodes all had some real style to them, best seen in their intros.
10. Undertale ; A cute game that flips some of the typical RPG tropes on their head. I didn’t absolutely fall in love with it like some people have, but I found it enjoyable enough to play through to experience the wackier moments and occasional catchy song.
Thanks, that worked!
Thanks dude, helpful! Revamped my whole list and placings except for top two.
Life is Strange is so good, everyone who liked and mentioned Until Dawn or Tales from the Borderlands shoul play it!
Please note the above is the first of three posts. Games No. 2 and No. 3 will be in the next post, which I will post sometime later this week. And the GOTY will be declared sometime after that. My top three are at war right now, and I have a lot to say about them! The formatted ballot will be in the third and final post.
I was seriously debating whether I should, if I didn't enjoy 10 games released this year. But hey, the ones I did enjoy are great and deserve a mention at least.
Tizoc
Member
Just checking but where is your list that follows the guidelines in the thead's first post?
Nice write ups otherwise.
Did you read the part you just quoted? Formatted ballot will be in the third post, which is two posts away!
Tizoc
Member
Ive heard of euphoria but was unaware it is a visual novel
I am tempted to drop 45 bucks for it based on what i read of it in this thread
Hope mangagamer titles go on sale >_>
Tizoc
Member
My bad was really enjoying reading ur write ups via my phone i just quoted ur shortest post to ask ^^;Did you read the part you just quoted? Formatted ballot will be in the third post, which is two posts away!
No prob, and thanks.
1. Bloodborne; I played dark souls for 8 hours, but it never clicked. I was not a fan of the world. I did not like the combat as it felt a bit slow paced and sluggish.Then came bloodborne. I bought this on impulse as I was in a bit of a lull. I went in blind and I was frustrated at first. But for some reason I stuck with the game. I got into the loop. After I defeated the first boss everything changed, it "clicked". I realized that every failure was a way to improve myself. The world and atmosphere was mystical and creepy for all the right reasons. The level design simply blew me away. I couldn't believe how the world was seamlessly interconnected. There are very few games that force me, out of pure enjoyment, to explore every inch of their world. I beat this game three times and I am close to beating the dlc. My enjoyment of this game has not changed my thoughts on the souls games. It is not for everyone, but once it gets it hooks into you, there is nothing quite like it. It is something special.
2. Metal Gear Solid 5; The Phantom Pain is gameplay king. Yes I was a tad let down with the story. But if the gameplay is as good as what is on offer here, I have nothing to complain about.
3. Rocket League; The most fun I had with multiplayer in a long time.
4. Life is strange; Bought this expecting a Telltale kind of adventure. What I found was a pleasant surprise. The time mechanics were used well throughout the game in different forms. At the end of the day it makes a mark for itself and left the shadow of the telltale games.
5. Batman arkham knight; Bar the Riddler trophies I did everything in this game. As a technical achievement this is a mammoth effort. The story was a tad predictable but they used the medium in interesting ways.
6. Destiny the taken king; When everyone was on full hate last year on Destiny, I was a defender. I loved vanilla destiny through all its faults. They changed so much for the better in the taken king. For the first time i felt like there were characters that I could get behind in this world. I may not play destiny until the next dlc drops, but I had my fun with it.
7. Rise of the tomb raider; This game is the definition of better than sum of its parts.
8. Helldivers; Brutal and unforgiving. This game is perfect with friends.
9. Counterspy; I was obsessed with this game. I loved the art style and the gameplay. it did show its limitation with procedural generated levels. I really hope there is a sequel for this game.
10. The unfinished swan; Finished this game in one sitting. A nice adventure.
2. Metal Gear Solid 5; The Phantom Pain is gameplay king. Yes I was a tad let down with the story. But if the gameplay is as good as what is on offer here, I have nothing to complain about.
3. Rocket League; The most fun I had with multiplayer in a long time.
4. Life is strange; Bought this expecting a Telltale kind of adventure. What I found was a pleasant surprise. The time mechanics were used well throughout the game in different forms. At the end of the day it makes a mark for itself and left the shadow of the telltale games.
5. Batman arkham knight; Bar the Riddler trophies I did everything in this game. As a technical achievement this is a mammoth effort. The story was a tad predictable but they used the medium in interesting ways.
6. Destiny the taken king; When everyone was on full hate last year on Destiny, I was a defender. I loved vanilla destiny through all its faults. They changed so much for the better in the taken king. For the first time i felt like there were characters that I could get behind in this world. I may not play destiny until the next dlc drops, but I had my fun with it.
7. Rise of the tomb raider; This game is the definition of better than sum of its parts.
8. Helldivers; Brutal and unforgiving. This game is perfect with friends.
9. Counterspy; I was obsessed with this game. I loved the art style and the gameplay. it did show its limitation with procedural generated levels. I really hope there is a sequel for this game.
10. The unfinished swan; Finished this game in one sitting. A nice adventure.
ST2K
Member
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; The complete package that ends Geralt's adventure. What a journey.
2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; This game has the best core gameplay loop in a game I've encountered since Civilization V.
3. Life is Strange ; This is the best of the neo-adventure genre. No exception.
4. Bloodborne ; More excellent design from From Software, though fatigue from the subgenre they created is starting to set in.
5. Fallout 4 ; Another great game from Bethesda, though the design structure is showing its age now more than ever.
6. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; A good game, though it needs to tighten combat and go somewhere interesting with their narrative in the future.
7. Dragon Ball Xenoverse ; Surprise of the year, a fun loot-based brawler.
8. Until Dawn ; A good horror adventure, I look forward to Supermassive's next project.
9. Steins Gate ; A fun story, though anime as fuck.
10. Undertale ; A terrible playing game that somehow managed to overcome its limits and blow me away.
2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; This game has the best core gameplay loop in a game I've encountered since Civilization V.
3. Life is Strange ; This is the best of the neo-adventure genre. No exception.
4. Bloodborne ; More excellent design from From Software, though fatigue from the subgenre they created is starting to set in.
5. Fallout 4 ; Another great game from Bethesda, though the design structure is showing its age now more than ever.
6. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; A good game, though it needs to tighten combat and go somewhere interesting with their narrative in the future.
7. Dragon Ball Xenoverse ; Surprise of the year, a fun loot-based brawler.
8. Until Dawn ; A good horror adventure, I look forward to Supermassive's next project.
9. Steins Gate ; A fun story, though anime as fuck.
10. Undertale ; A terrible playing game that somehow managed to overcome its limits and blow me away.
cosmicblizzard
Banned
Despite putting it in my top 10, I legit don't think it's something most people should play. Closest a game has ever gotten to making me straight up vomit, and my threshold for gross shit is super high.
But hey, give it a shot if you know what you're getting into. I do think Zero Escape fans would like the overarching plot and the twists, but I doubt many would make it far enough to see them play out.
I kind of want to play it since I love Zero Escape and similar games.
I actually have a scat fetish so that stuff doesn't bother me, but themes of abuse and rape definitely do.
DarkCronos
Member
1. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; Amazing open-world game, even more impressive if you consider the platform it's on.
2. Her Story ; Deep, thought-provoking. Another excellent example of storytelling by the mastermind behind Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
3. Splatoon ; The freshest Nintendo IP in years. Fun, Fast and Addicting
4. Dragon Blaze ; Yes, it's a F2P mobile game. But it's incredibly engaging, there are almost no paywalls and the art is amazing
5. Sorcery! 3 ; Third episode of the Inkle gamebook series. It incorporates elements from both the previous episodes and the award winning 80 Days. It's like the first open world gamebook ever.
6. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 - Break Record ; It may be a late port, and an inferior game to the original, but it's still a really good SRPG and a really good SMT.
7. Affordable Space Adventures ; The perfect game to demonstrate the Wii U Gamepad. Not even Nintendo's own teams have done anything like that. It's also an excellent local multiplayer experience
8. Gunman Clive HD Collection ; Two amazing games in one package. Excellent action platformers in the vein of the classic Mega Man. Made by a gaffer.
9. Rodea the Sky Soldier ; This is just for the Wii version. The Wii U and 3DS ones are garbage. It's a shame that is only available as a bonus disk for the first print copies of the Wii U version
10. Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls ; Pretty good game for a spin-off, i even liked it more than episode 2
honorable mentions
x. Devil's Third ; This one is the "so bad it's good" game of the year. I also believe it's a criminally underrated game, it's nowhere near as bad as some people say
x. Agar.io ; Could a browser game be this addicting? Yes it can.
2. Her Story ; Deep, thought-provoking. Another excellent example of storytelling by the mastermind behind Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
3. Splatoon ; The freshest Nintendo IP in years. Fun, Fast and Addicting
4. Dragon Blaze ; Yes, it's a F2P mobile game. But it's incredibly engaging, there are almost no paywalls and the art is amazing
5. Sorcery! 3 ; Third episode of the Inkle gamebook series. It incorporates elements from both the previous episodes and the award winning 80 Days. It's like the first open world gamebook ever.
6. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 - Break Record ; It may be a late port, and an inferior game to the original, but it's still a really good SRPG and a really good SMT.
7. Affordable Space Adventures ; The perfect game to demonstrate the Wii U Gamepad. Not even Nintendo's own teams have done anything like that. It's also an excellent local multiplayer experience
8. Gunman Clive HD Collection ; Two amazing games in one package. Excellent action platformers in the vein of the classic Mega Man. Made by a gaffer.
9. Rodea the Sky Soldier ; This is just for the Wii version. The Wii U and 3DS ones are garbage. It's a shame that is only available as a bonus disk for the first print copies of the Wii U version
10. Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls ; Pretty good game for a spin-off, i even liked it more than episode 2
honorable mentions
x. Devil's Third ; This one is the "so bad it's good" game of the year. I also believe it's a criminally underrated game, it's nowhere near as bad as some people say
x. Agar.io ; Could a browser game be this addicting? Yes it can.
1. Crypt of the Necrodancer ; The strength of indie titles are often it’s in unique ability to go with an outlandish concept. Without the need to homogenize to accommodate a wide audience titles like Crypt of the Necrodancer can take advantage to experiment and deliver a unique experience. Sometimes this results in something fantastic like a unique mash-up of roguelike and rhythm games. There’s nothing quite like it. But better than that, there’s nothing quite like it AND it works. You’ve got a rocking soundtrack. You’ve got the ability to make custom soundtracks. You’ve got persistent progression. And for the ultimate challenge you’ve got dance pad mode. All that and a level of polish not seen in most AAA games makes Crypt my standout choice for Game of 2015.
2. Pillars of Eternity ; Obsidian continues the CRPG renaissance with Pillars of Eternity, my second most played (and second most liked) game of 2015. Nobody doubted that Pillars would be an excellent game -- it had the pedigree to be among one of the greatest RPG’s ever made. The world was handcrafted with excellent role playing opportunities and peppered with interesting companion characters. And while the story was more expository than personal, it still delivered amazing backdrops and a fully fleshed out world. The combat being a little more routine and the story being a little too predictable brings the game a bit down, especially after a few months of digestion but it remains and overall must play for CRPG fans in 2015. Hey, I put down Bloodborne for 3 months mid-campaign because of this game, so it had to be good.
3. Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition ; 10 hours into the campaign I decided that I wanted to reroll my characters. Normally you’d expect that to be a pretty upsetting feeling but to me it was an absolute joy and a testament to the strength of Divinity: OS EE’s playability. I kept on saying that I’d get to this one, especially after the non-enhanced version ended up on a lot of CRPG fan’s 2014 lists. After finally getting a chance to dig into it over winter break I have to say I’m glad that I did. With a tactical combat system that reminds me of Temple of Elemental Evil (another favorite of mine) and a high fantasy world that manages to take itself not so serious but not so cringy, Divinity: OS is a great game. The dual protagonist setup is also brilliant. Arguing with yourself has never been so awesome!
4. Shadowrun: Hong Kong ; Backing the follow up to Shadowrun: Dragonfall was a no brainer after the excellent Director’s Cut, one of my favorite games from last year. SR: HK did not disappoint, delivering even more dialogue and even more moody cyberpunk. And while HK is regarded as quite good but not as good as Dragonfall DC (a sentiment I can agree with) it’s quite frankly still one of the best games of the year by a long shot. With excellent runs, a stellar supporting cast and a lot of definitively Chinese hooks, SR: HK is a game worth playing. I can’t wait for the epilogue campaign coming out in 2016.
5. Bloodborne ; Bloodborne brings the Souls’ series into the next generation with the satisfying thunk of a gentleman's cane. It’s everything that you’ve come to expect from the series, but amped up in a way that makes Bloodborne feel like an advancement of the gameplay found in Dark Souls. You’ve got the same meaty combat but with more speed, more enemies and less with blocking. This adds an interesting tactical layer to the traditional one versus one Dark Souls combat. You’ve got the same dark fantasy, infused with Lovecraftian Horror. And finally, you’ve got my favorite feature, exploration, the ability to choose your own path and make your own adventure. Together these come together in a wonderful package. Let’s hope that Dark Souls 3 continues the tradition.
6. Shovel Knight ; I wanted quick weekend game over a short fall vacation. I got that -- but also got one the best follow ups to Megaman in years. Shovel Knight is a much more traditional game than the other games on my list. It’s practically got homage written on the opening credits. Sometimes, however, that’s exactly what you crave. And Shovel Knight does that so well. It’s got simple base mechanics layered with 20 years of refinement. It’s a cross between Megaman and Scrooge McDuck. It’s story, just like the 8 bit era from which it draws it’s influence, is charming, innocent and predicable. The post launch support has also been superb. The addition of Plague Knight is way more than a mere palette swap. It changed the mechanics of how you play the game and it is clear that a lot of care was taken to ensure that he fits almost as seamlessly into the platform as Shovel Knight.
7. Undertale ; A smart game like Undertale is hard to resist. Like Shovel Knight, Undertale feels like an homage to games like Earthbound, the non-traditional but still within the genre RPG. It combines heartfelt moments with genuinely witty dialogue. It’s not afraid to poke fun at itself and it’s not afraid to poke fun at other games. But it never seems mean, it always seems like you’re getting ribbed by your best friend.
8. Hand of Fate; Hand of Fate is another game that mashes up different genres of play and makes it work. In this case, rogue-like action adventure, RPG, and card games mash in a classic manner. This creates a “drawn to life” quality to Hand of Fate that, while hardly unique, stands out. The format purposefully evokes a game-like quality, which makes it a surreal experience. The narrative draws you in, and the semi random nature of the quest ensures that you’ll want to keep on playing. Only the somewhat lackluster combat keeps it from scoring higher -- while this game (and the next) drip with atmosphere, the weird 3-d plane and clunky combat are a turn off. The rest of the game is more than enough to engross you, however, so I’d encourage anybody who has access to it to give it a shot.
9. Sunless Sea ; Sunless Sea has perhaps the most interesting premise of any game on this list. A Victorian Era London gets swallowed up into the depths of the Earth. This realm is populated by nightmarish demons, Lovecraftian Horrors, the Living dead and Mongols. Yes, Mongols. As a fledgling sea captain your task is to chart a course through the “zee” for fame, fortune, glory, or some other reason only you can fathom. In practice, this plays out more like FTL and other roguelikes. There’s a lot of text on the screen and you respond accordingly. You navigate using the keyboard and your primary goal is resource management. And while certain aspects of the gameplay are flawed (looking at you, combat, travel), the interesting world and the tale you weave navigating through it kept me coming back for more.
10. The Jackbox Party Pack 2 ; Jackbox 2 did this year what few other things do -- which is to keep a family of too competitive, too think-we-are-smart, too opinionated families from tearing each other’s throats out over numerous holidays. Playing from your smartphone or tablet is a brilliant innovation -- no extra controllers needed. The variety of games were great. You’ve got pure random, yet fun, games alongside a few witticisms and even a hair pulling cooperative experience. And yes, while the content doesn’t last forever and the announcer’s smarm eventually gets old it’s still one heck of a ride for 15 bucks. Plus, what other game will ask you to describe Justin Beiber’s dreams using an woman’s scream, an airhorn, and the happy squeal of a pig?
Honorable Mentions, in no particular order.
x. Super Mario Maker ; There’s nothing quite like seeing somebody, somewhere, has played your level and enjoyed it enough to give you a thumbs up. Super Mario Maker has infinite potential for any patient level creator and infinite content thanks to the number of people creating things. The only limitation is the amount of time you’re willing to put into it. Oh, and a less than stellar peer curation system. Still a worthwhile experience and a nice way to round out the top 10.
x. Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth ; Last year, BOI: Rebirth made it to 2 on my list. This year, Afterbirth gets an honorable mention. Rebirth was a ground up remake of the original and Afterbirth adds to that in a positive way. But while last year my experiences were heavily tilted towards co-op play this year I didn’t get as much time to play with other people. Afterbirth is still really fun and adds a lot of new content to a game that has no shortage to begin with. But overall it doesn’t really add anything to Isaac that makes me think that I wouldn’t be able to play without it.
x. Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft: League of Explorers ; I’ve consistently continued to play Hearthstone over the last year. And while there’s a lot of negativity around the game right now I feel like the latest expansion, League of Explorers, deserves an honorable mention. It shook up the game way more than the ill-fated Grand Tournament expansion and introduced several new competitive cards into the game. The impact of LoE on the game is of a positive nature, and I hope that Blizzard continues to shake things to make the game more fun, balanced, and watchable. Oh, and obligatory death to secret paladin mention here.
x. Grim Fandango Remastered ; It’s hard to justify playing Grim Fandango Remastered among the top 10 games of this year because it actually didn’t really have any new, playable, content. Still, it was awesome to replay one of the best games ever. The game still holds it’s place as one of the best games of all time, with a great scenario, witty dialogue, and fun characters. The developer’s commentary, one of the few really new things about the Remaster, was funny and insightful. Worthy of a playthrough for both nostalgia driven fans and for newcomers, but not quite worth of a top spot.
x. Dragonball Xenoverse ; More fanservice than anything else, really. Dragonball Xenoverse is a nostalgic romp through the glory days of Dragonball Z, just like pretty much every other Dragonball game in existence. What makes Xenoverse special is it’s the refined version of these romps, with a satisfying combat system that captures the style of the show along with the an absolute deluge of content, perhaps more than we’ve ever been given for a single DBZ game. What keeps it off of the the top 10 are the grindy MMO style elements, which can lock you out some content unless you’re willing to spend time leveling up your character in simulation style missions. It’s still worth a check out to folks who think about the show nostalgically from time to time as I do.
2. Pillars of Eternity ; Obsidian continues the CRPG renaissance with Pillars of Eternity, my second most played (and second most liked) game of 2015. Nobody doubted that Pillars would be an excellent game -- it had the pedigree to be among one of the greatest RPG’s ever made. The world was handcrafted with excellent role playing opportunities and peppered with interesting companion characters. And while the story was more expository than personal, it still delivered amazing backdrops and a fully fleshed out world. The combat being a little more routine and the story being a little too predictable brings the game a bit down, especially after a few months of digestion but it remains and overall must play for CRPG fans in 2015. Hey, I put down Bloodborne for 3 months mid-campaign because of this game, so it had to be good.
3. Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition ; 10 hours into the campaign I decided that I wanted to reroll my characters. Normally you’d expect that to be a pretty upsetting feeling but to me it was an absolute joy and a testament to the strength of Divinity: OS EE’s playability. I kept on saying that I’d get to this one, especially after the non-enhanced version ended up on a lot of CRPG fan’s 2014 lists. After finally getting a chance to dig into it over winter break I have to say I’m glad that I did. With a tactical combat system that reminds me of Temple of Elemental Evil (another favorite of mine) and a high fantasy world that manages to take itself not so serious but not so cringy, Divinity: OS is a great game. The dual protagonist setup is also brilliant. Arguing with yourself has never been so awesome!
4. Shadowrun: Hong Kong ; Backing the follow up to Shadowrun: Dragonfall was a no brainer after the excellent Director’s Cut, one of my favorite games from last year. SR: HK did not disappoint, delivering even more dialogue and even more moody cyberpunk. And while HK is regarded as quite good but not as good as Dragonfall DC (a sentiment I can agree with) it’s quite frankly still one of the best games of the year by a long shot. With excellent runs, a stellar supporting cast and a lot of definitively Chinese hooks, SR: HK is a game worth playing. I can’t wait for the epilogue campaign coming out in 2016.
5. Bloodborne ; Bloodborne brings the Souls’ series into the next generation with the satisfying thunk of a gentleman's cane. It’s everything that you’ve come to expect from the series, but amped up in a way that makes Bloodborne feel like an advancement of the gameplay found in Dark Souls. You’ve got the same meaty combat but with more speed, more enemies and less with blocking. This adds an interesting tactical layer to the traditional one versus one Dark Souls combat. You’ve got the same dark fantasy, infused with Lovecraftian Horror. And finally, you’ve got my favorite feature, exploration, the ability to choose your own path and make your own adventure. Together these come together in a wonderful package. Let’s hope that Dark Souls 3 continues the tradition.
6. Shovel Knight ; I wanted quick weekend game over a short fall vacation. I got that -- but also got one the best follow ups to Megaman in years. Shovel Knight is a much more traditional game than the other games on my list. It’s practically got homage written on the opening credits. Sometimes, however, that’s exactly what you crave. And Shovel Knight does that so well. It’s got simple base mechanics layered with 20 years of refinement. It’s a cross between Megaman and Scrooge McDuck. It’s story, just like the 8 bit era from which it draws it’s influence, is charming, innocent and predicable. The post launch support has also been superb. The addition of Plague Knight is way more than a mere palette swap. It changed the mechanics of how you play the game and it is clear that a lot of care was taken to ensure that he fits almost as seamlessly into the platform as Shovel Knight.
7. Undertale ; A smart game like Undertale is hard to resist. Like Shovel Knight, Undertale feels like an homage to games like Earthbound, the non-traditional but still within the genre RPG. It combines heartfelt moments with genuinely witty dialogue. It’s not afraid to poke fun at itself and it’s not afraid to poke fun at other games. But it never seems mean, it always seems like you’re getting ribbed by your best friend.
8. Hand of Fate; Hand of Fate is another game that mashes up different genres of play and makes it work. In this case, rogue-like action adventure, RPG, and card games mash in a classic manner. This creates a “drawn to life” quality to Hand of Fate that, while hardly unique, stands out. The format purposefully evokes a game-like quality, which makes it a surreal experience. The narrative draws you in, and the semi random nature of the quest ensures that you’ll want to keep on playing. Only the somewhat lackluster combat keeps it from scoring higher -- while this game (and the next) drip with atmosphere, the weird 3-d plane and clunky combat are a turn off. The rest of the game is more than enough to engross you, however, so I’d encourage anybody who has access to it to give it a shot.
9. Sunless Sea ; Sunless Sea has perhaps the most interesting premise of any game on this list. A Victorian Era London gets swallowed up into the depths of the Earth. This realm is populated by nightmarish demons, Lovecraftian Horrors, the Living dead and Mongols. Yes, Mongols. As a fledgling sea captain your task is to chart a course through the “zee” for fame, fortune, glory, or some other reason only you can fathom. In practice, this plays out more like FTL and other roguelikes. There’s a lot of text on the screen and you respond accordingly. You navigate using the keyboard and your primary goal is resource management. And while certain aspects of the gameplay are flawed (looking at you, combat, travel), the interesting world and the tale you weave navigating through it kept me coming back for more.
10. The Jackbox Party Pack 2 ; Jackbox 2 did this year what few other things do -- which is to keep a family of too competitive, too think-we-are-smart, too opinionated families from tearing each other’s throats out over numerous holidays. Playing from your smartphone or tablet is a brilliant innovation -- no extra controllers needed. The variety of games were great. You’ve got pure random, yet fun, games alongside a few witticisms and even a hair pulling cooperative experience. And yes, while the content doesn’t last forever and the announcer’s smarm eventually gets old it’s still one heck of a ride for 15 bucks. Plus, what other game will ask you to describe Justin Beiber’s dreams using an woman’s scream, an airhorn, and the happy squeal of a pig?
Honorable Mentions, in no particular order.
x. Super Mario Maker ; There’s nothing quite like seeing somebody, somewhere, has played your level and enjoyed it enough to give you a thumbs up. Super Mario Maker has infinite potential for any patient level creator and infinite content thanks to the number of people creating things. The only limitation is the amount of time you’re willing to put into it. Oh, and a less than stellar peer curation system. Still a worthwhile experience and a nice way to round out the top 10.
x. Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth ; Last year, BOI: Rebirth made it to 2 on my list. This year, Afterbirth gets an honorable mention. Rebirth was a ground up remake of the original and Afterbirth adds to that in a positive way. But while last year my experiences were heavily tilted towards co-op play this year I didn’t get as much time to play with other people. Afterbirth is still really fun and adds a lot of new content to a game that has no shortage to begin with. But overall it doesn’t really add anything to Isaac that makes me think that I wouldn’t be able to play without it.
x. Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft: League of Explorers ; I’ve consistently continued to play Hearthstone over the last year. And while there’s a lot of negativity around the game right now I feel like the latest expansion, League of Explorers, deserves an honorable mention. It shook up the game way more than the ill-fated Grand Tournament expansion and introduced several new competitive cards into the game. The impact of LoE on the game is of a positive nature, and I hope that Blizzard continues to shake things to make the game more fun, balanced, and watchable. Oh, and obligatory death to secret paladin mention here.
x. Grim Fandango Remastered ; It’s hard to justify playing Grim Fandango Remastered among the top 10 games of this year because it actually didn’t really have any new, playable, content. Still, it was awesome to replay one of the best games ever. The game still holds it’s place as one of the best games of all time, with a great scenario, witty dialogue, and fun characters. The developer’s commentary, one of the few really new things about the Remaster, was funny and insightful. Worthy of a playthrough for both nostalgia driven fans and for newcomers, but not quite worth of a top spot.
x. Dragonball Xenoverse ; More fanservice than anything else, really. Dragonball Xenoverse is a nostalgic romp through the glory days of Dragonball Z, just like pretty much every other Dragonball game in existence. What makes Xenoverse special is it’s the refined version of these romps, with a satisfying combat system that captures the style of the show along with the an absolute deluge of content, perhaps more than we’ve ever been given for a single DBZ game. What keeps it off of the the top 10 are the grindy MMO style elements, which can lock you out some content unless you’re willing to spend time leveling up your character in simulation style missions. It’s still worth a check out to folks who think about the show nostalgically from time to time as I do.
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
Net_Wrecker
Member
Slowly getting back into The Witcher 3 (in a futile attempt to maybe actually possibly finish one of these big 2015 games) and it almost has me wanting to make a quick list to gush about the world design and quest dialogue. I can't even begin to imagine how much time Geralt's actor spent in the booth for this game. Even a bunch of the side-side missions (marked with "!") have actual conversations and at least a bit of substance to them. If Rocket League can't win, this'll do, pig. This'll do.
I thought someone hacked your PSN when I saw you playing not-rocket league.
Net_Wrecker
Member
Not-Rocket League is never as good as Rocket League, but every now and then you gotta spice things up to keep it fresh, y'know.
- Bloodborne ; This is my game of the generation so far: everything in this game is nothing short of amazing: gameplay, combat, atmosphere, level design, bestiary, From nailed everything and more in both the base game and the expansion.
- Axiom Verge ; The closest thing to Super Metroid we'll ever get on non-Nintendo consoles: and the fact this game has also been made by only one man, makes it even more awesome.
- N++ ; Played and loved N+ on my PSP back then, this sequel manages to keep that "one more level, before I quit" feeling intact.
- Rocket League ; I hate football and can't stand playing online MP games, but this game completely got me hooked: this is the best football game ever made, simple and fun, and to think I even got for free with PS+!
- Until Dawn ; So different from the rest of the other games on my list, yet so refreshing and enjoyable in its limited gameplay: it really felt like I were playing a very good horror movie.
- Everybody's Gone The Rapture ; I really hate FP games, but to my surprise I enjoyed this FP game quite a bit: an amazing atmosphere and a very good story probably helped here.
- OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood ; Loved the original and this sequel improves on everything: when it came out, I couldn't play anything else on my Vita.
- Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number ; It totally felt like a step down from the original right up until level 12 or 13, but after dat music started banging in my ears, I completely changed my mind.
- Jamestown+ ; Bought on a sale, this game totally looks and plays like a great old-school Neogeo shmup, with a great local co-op experience.
- La Mulana EX ; I bought it hoping it could become my next Spelunky, but even if it doesn't reach those heights and in fact it's quite different, it's really charming and adds many clever puzzles to the platforming experience.
Honorable mentions:
x. Nathan Drake Collection ; Bluepoint showing everybody how remasters should be made, plus the fact 2 of those remasters were also amazing games doesn't hurt, too.
x. Towerfall Ascension ; Bought this on my PS4 very recently and I see on the list it came out on Vita this year, so I guess technically it could still be on my 2015 GOTY list, but this game is so much fun in local versus matches that the Vita version probably doesn't share the same experience: well worth a mention, anyways.
x. Metal Gear Solid V, Super Mario Maker, Tearaway and Xenoblade Chronicles X ; my backlog is so damn huge that they're still shrink-wrap, but I'm sure they would be somewhere in my GOTY list, had I found the time to play them. ;_;
1. Life is Strange; One of the most immersing game experiences in years for me, was really sad when it ended which is rare for me nowadays.
2. Witcher 3; An awesome world that feels genuine and not just like a sandbox. They even managed to cram a really good story in there too.
3. Soma; It's a philosophical horror game by Frictional, with the same amazing atmosphere as Amnesia and a thought provoking story.
4. Batman Arkham Knight; Even though it wasn't as good as the first two I still really liked it, and since I'm a hopeless Batman nerd it was one of my favorite games this year.
5. GTA 5 PC; The best GTA to date and a beautiful port. 60 fps is heavenly.
6. Tales from the Borderlands; Almost as good as Walking dead season 1 and The Wolf Among us.
7. Resident Evil HD Remaster; A timeless classic.
2. Witcher 3; An awesome world that feels genuine and not just like a sandbox. They even managed to cram a really good story in there too.
3. Soma; It's a philosophical horror game by Frictional, with the same amazing atmosphere as Amnesia and a thought provoking story.
4. Batman Arkham Knight; Even though it wasn't as good as the first two I still really liked it, and since I'm a hopeless Batman nerd it was one of my favorite games this year.
5. GTA 5 PC; The best GTA to date and a beautiful port. 60 fps is heavenly.
6. Tales from the Borderlands; Almost as good as Walking dead season 1 and The Wolf Among us.
7. Resident Evil HD Remaster; A timeless classic.
Matt Frost
Member
You need to add ; after the names and a reason for your votes to count
PuppetMaster
Member
1. Metal Gear Solid V; A dream come true for me. Everything I have ever wanted out of a MGS5 game. My only complaint is that I did not want it to end but it did. But I can forgive it for that.
2. Life is Strange; I love it! A masterpiece. It seems to have come out of nowhere.
3. Witcher 3; A shocking good game and my first Witcher game. I was blow away but what I experienced here. Some of the best story telling in an open world game to date. Love the Ciri character.
4. Fallout 4; I enjoyed just living in this game. I felt like I was living in that world for a few weeks. I have problems with the way they tried to wrap up the ending. But otherwise I was in love for a few weeks.
5. Rocket League; GOOOOAL!!!!
6. Bloodborne; Love me some Souls action. And this was an interesting take on one of those.
7. Until Dawn; Finished it in one sitting. Could not put it down
8. Tearaway Unfolded; This game needs all the love it can get
9. Destiny; Still playing this game...
10. Kings Quest; More or an honorable mention because not all episodes are out. But I loved what I played of it.
2. Life is Strange; I love it! A masterpiece. It seems to have come out of nowhere.
3. Witcher 3; A shocking good game and my first Witcher game. I was blow away but what I experienced here. Some of the best story telling in an open world game to date. Love the Ciri character.
4. Fallout 4; I enjoyed just living in this game. I felt like I was living in that world for a few weeks. I have problems with the way they tried to wrap up the ending. But otherwise I was in love for a few weeks.
5. Rocket League; GOOOOAL!!!!
6. Bloodborne; Love me some Souls action. And this was an interesting take on one of those.
7. Until Dawn; Finished it in one sitting. Could not put it down
8. Tearaway Unfolded; This game needs all the love it can get
9. Destiny; Still playing this game...
10. Kings Quest; More or an honorable mention because not all episodes are out. But I loved what I played of it.
1. The Witcher 3 ; I loved everything about this title and it is now one of my all time favourite games (inluding the amazing dlc).
2. Bloodborne ; In a world without Witcher 3 this would have won easily in my mind and just like The Witcher 3 it became even better once the dlc released.
3. Life Is Strange ; After seeing it mentioned in a lot of GOTY awards I decided to pick this up. Excellent game with great characters and story.
4. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin ; I can't get enough of the Souls games and I had a lot fun of replaying this on the PS4.
5. Fallout 4 ; Even though this game has many (many!) flaws I still enjoyed it enough to warrant a place in my top 10 list.
6. Pillars of Eternity ; Loved the setting, characters and story.
7. Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition ; Fun combat and the controller support is so good for someone like me who likes to relax in front of a TV.
8. Wasteland 2: Director's Cut ; Good solid game.
9. Helldivers ; Best local co-op game this year.
10. The Order: 1886 ; Yes, I enjoyed this game. It could've been better, but all in all I had fun playing through it.
2. Bloodborne ; In a world without Witcher 3 this would have won easily in my mind and just like The Witcher 3 it became even better once the dlc released.
3. Life Is Strange ; After seeing it mentioned in a lot of GOTY awards I decided to pick this up. Excellent game with great characters and story.
4. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin ; I can't get enough of the Souls games and I had a lot fun of replaying this on the PS4.
5. Fallout 4 ; Even though this game has many (many!) flaws I still enjoyed it enough to warrant a place in my top 10 list.
6. Pillars of Eternity ; Loved the setting, characters and story.
7. Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition ; Fun combat and the controller support is so good for someone like me who likes to relax in front of a TV.
8. Wasteland 2: Director's Cut ; Good solid game.
9. Helldivers ; Best local co-op game this year.
10. The Order: 1886 ; Yes, I enjoyed this game. It could've been better, but all in all I had fun playing through it.
CarlieCaplin
Member
1. Splatoon ; Felt ok during the reveal but this game completely blew me away!
2. Super Mario Maker ; I think everything's been said about it.
3. Human Resource Machine ; Really cool game
4. Affordable Space Adventures ; Really nice indie game with great gamepad usage
5. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse ;
6. Yoshi's Woolly World ;
7. Bloodborne ; Would have ranked it higher but frame rate issues and that fanbase...
8. Rocket League ;
Haven't played Xenoblade X and Captain Toad...
2. Super Mario Maker ; I think everything's been said about it.
3. Human Resource Machine ; Really cool game
4. Affordable Space Adventures ; Really nice indie game with great gamepad usage
5. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse ;
6. Yoshi's Woolly World ;
7. Bloodborne ; Would have ranked it higher but frame rate issues and that fanbase...
8. Rocket League ;
Haven't played Xenoblade X and Captain Toad...
Ha, what bothers you about Bloodborne's fanbase? They're part of the Souls community, and in my experience the Souls community is generally friendly. We bond over getting our asses served to us repeatedly by the game.
SolidusDave
Member
My voting list is completely barren compared to some of the nice write ups here, but instead I decided to post a screenshot collection in the console screenshot thread of all the main games I've played since almost exactly the last GAF GOTY date.
1-2 pics per game and not only 2015 titles, but that allows me to give a little shout-out to ineligible games
January I
January II
February
March I
March II
April I
April II
May
June I
June II
June III
July I
July II
July III
August I
August II
September
October I
October II
November I
November II
December
End of the deadline I
End of the deadline II
These are the receipts.
1-2 pics per game and not only 2015 titles, but that allows me to give a little shout-out to ineligible games
January I
January II
February
March I
March II
April I
April II
May
June I
June II
June III
July I
July II
July III
August I
August II
September
October I
October II
November I
November II
December
End of the deadline I
End of the deadline II
These are the receipts.
The Xtortionist
Member
Been playing some too and it's pretty alright, but Death March makes combat such a slog :x
bout to unlock my fourth ability slot then I'm gonna explode my Quen on some motherfuckers
Not even complete, and it's already the most tits list of them all!
edit - RE Revelations 2 sounds like a game I need to play. Don't know why I haven't gotten around to it, yet.
My knowledge of you and your tastes makes me think you'll be iffy on the combat at first — the feedback isn't as visceral as other RE titles, although once you learn its rhythm it becomes quite satisfying, IMO.
I'm pretty confident you'll dig the pacing and overall journey, though. Game really picks up after the first episode. Give it a whirl.
And thanks for the kind words on my list! The next post will have #3 and #2, and then the third post will have #1. My top three are shuffling around at the moment, so we'll see how they shake out.
Rev2 is great. They NAILED the atmosphere this time.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
1. Destiny: The Taken King ; Let me tell you something about Destiny. This game rose from being my honerable mention/disappointment of 2014 to being my person GOTY. Back when House of Wolves launched we saw what Destiny was turning into and I stuck with it. And what a complete 180 this game did to us all. So many stories, so many loot drops, so many moments. I've played for over 1000 hours. This game has my soul and I wouldn't have it any other way.
2. Tales from the Borderlands ; Telltale took a series with untapped lore potential and made something out of it. It's more than a side story as Rhys, Fiona, and the gang feel more like important characters to the world of Borderlands. It has the right amount of humor and drama that matches the quality of season 1 of The Walking Dead.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; A grand sendoff to my favorite series. It's almost perfect in my eyes and truly serves as a swan song to Kojima's long work with the franchise. The production value of cutscenes and tapes enhanced the storytelling while having me on the edge and the gameplay is Metal Gear at it's peak of perfection. D-Dog is forever in my heart. So good.
4. Guitar Hero Live ; A revival of the music rhythm genre. As someone who preferred Rock Band Guitar Hero Live didn't decide to tread on old waters and play it safe. The new guitar and button placement makes the feeling of playing notes new like in the first Guitar Hero. GHTV is a revolutionary idea that succeed and encourages me to try out new music every week. It feels good to get into a rhythm game again.
5. Curses 'N Chaos ; This game kept my Vita busy. Every time I have a couple of minutes to kill I played a level in this game. Levels are quick but hard as fuck. This game tested me. New levels will introduce a wave of new enemies and it's enjoyable to find out what fastest way is there to kill them. There's a satisfaction in mastering levels and mixing items to discovering new items. Tribute Games has pixel art on lock down with well designed characters like Lea and Leo and a variety of enemy designs.
6. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; A competent Tomb Raider game that takes the original 2013 reboot and adds, polishes, and expands upon the formula. A good video game ass video game in every sense of the word.
7. Batman: Arkham Knight ; Batmobile. Batmobile. I love the Batmobile. The Batmobile is the greatest thing to this game since Tim "Slim Shady" Drake.
8. Splatoon ; Nintendo can do multiplayer with a twist, and have cool hip squids, and release free content, and a fat cat named Judd that knows you are the true winner, who knew.
9. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. ; Once you get past the game's rough starts it's an excellent XCOM like strategy game that challenges the risky moves you make on the battlefield and reminds you that America is #1.
10. Transformers: Devastation ; A simple Transformers game that honors the OGs and has that trademark Platinum crazyness. It's also got an 80s metal ass soundtrack. Platinum doing work.
I don't think I even played 10 games released this year but I'll give it a shot.
1. Metal Gear Solid V:; The Phantom Pain; It's like Splinter Cell and Metal Gears love child. I've always loved the MGS series and more so the way SC played so this is the ultimate mix of stealth and action to me. Not my favourite MGS game (that's still Snake Eater) but a damn good game and my #1 for 2015.
2. Project CARS; Everything I've wanted in a console sim, something that both Forza and GT is missing. Shame about the lack of G27 wheel support on PS4.
3. Until Dawn; Surprise hit for me, really didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did and I only bought it because I hadn't had a new game in 3 months since Pcars and was dying for something till MGSV.
4. Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved; It's Geo Wars! All the modes of the previous games plus some crazy design decisions that paid off. Better than I thought it would be.
5. The Order: 1886; Yup, despite a slow start I really enjoyed the story and the world Ready at Dawn created. 19th century London was amazing and the voice acting and graphics are fantastic. I wouldn't be listing this if I paid full price but a $10 second hand game makes it a worthy purchase.
6. Rocket League; My 5th and final game I played this year so I'll stick it in.
A poor year for gaming for me.
1. Metal Gear Solid V:; The Phantom Pain; It's like Splinter Cell and Metal Gears love child. I've always loved the MGS series and more so the way SC played so this is the ultimate mix of stealth and action to me. Not my favourite MGS game (that's still Snake Eater) but a damn good game and my #1 for 2015.
2. Project CARS; Everything I've wanted in a console sim, something that both Forza and GT is missing. Shame about the lack of G27 wheel support on PS4.
3. Until Dawn; Surprise hit for me, really didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did and I only bought it because I hadn't had a new game in 3 months since Pcars and was dying for something till MGSV.
4. Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved; It's Geo Wars! All the modes of the previous games plus some crazy design decisions that paid off. Better than I thought it would be.
5. The Order: 1886; Yup, despite a slow start I really enjoyed the story and the world Ready at Dawn created. 19th century London was amazing and the voice acting and graphics are fantastic. I wouldn't be listing this if I paid full price but a $10 second hand game makes it a worthy purchase.
6. Rocket League; My 5th and final game I played this year so I'll stick it in.
A poor year for gaming for me.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Didn't play that many 2015 games, and few of those that I did play were OK but not really that great (like some PS+ freebies) so my list is short.
1. Bloodborne ; From Software is on a roll and can seemingly do no wrong lately. It was everything I wanted it to be, and more (
.
2. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin ; Dark Souls II was my GotY 2014, and this is like an improved version of it. Though it's a remaster, it still gets second place, because it's friggin' Dark Souls.
3. Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim ; Not the best Ys, but even a slightly weaker Ys is still an amazing game.
4. Dragon Quest Heroes ; I had more fun than I expected, since I'm not a DQ fan and I'm not that much of a musou fan either. I think Hyrule Warriors was much better, but I still enjoyed DQH despite its completely rubbish story and sometimes clunky interface.
5. Tembo the Badass Elephant ; A really fun (and funny) indie platformer with influence from Sonic, Metal Slug, Donkey Kong, but still with its own personality. Short game though, but with great mechanics and nice visuals.
6. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood ; This actually kind of disappointed me, it's really not as good as The New Order, but I still enjoyed my time with it.
7. Super Mario Maker ; Being honest, I only tried a couple of levels, but I think the idea is pretty amazing. I just wish the search were better... c'mon Nintendo.
I'm pretty sure that if I had played Monster Hunter 4, Axiom Verge, Trails of Cold Steel, Trails in the Sky SC and Ori and the Blind Forest, and maybe Fallout 4, they'd make it, but alas, I have not...
1. Bloodborne ; From Software is on a roll and can seemingly do no wrong lately. It was everything I wanted it to be, and more (
didn't expect the Lovecraftian twist, and was pleasantly surprised -- blown away, even -- media blackout FTW!)
2. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin ; Dark Souls II was my GotY 2014, and this is like an improved version of it. Though it's a remaster, it still gets second place, because it's friggin' Dark Souls.
3. Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim ; Not the best Ys, but even a slightly weaker Ys is still an amazing game.
4. Dragon Quest Heroes ; I had more fun than I expected, since I'm not a DQ fan and I'm not that much of a musou fan either. I think Hyrule Warriors was much better, but I still enjoyed DQH despite its completely rubbish story and sometimes clunky interface.
5. Tembo the Badass Elephant ; A really fun (and funny) indie platformer with influence from Sonic, Metal Slug, Donkey Kong, but still with its own personality. Short game though, but with great mechanics and nice visuals.
6. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood ; This actually kind of disappointed me, it's really not as good as The New Order, but I still enjoyed my time with it.
7. Super Mario Maker ; Being honest, I only tried a couple of levels, but I think the idea is pretty amazing. I just wish the search were better... c'mon Nintendo.
I'm pretty sure that if I had played Monster Hunter 4, Axiom Verge, Trails of Cold Steel, Trails in the Sky SC and Ori and the Blind Forest, and maybe Fallout 4, they'd make it, but alas, I have not...
- Status