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GAF Games of the Year 2015 - Voting Thread [LAST DAY FOR VOTING]

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BennyBlanco

aka IMurRIVAL69
1. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; Feels like a mashup of PSO x Monster Hunter x Xenoblade that I never knew I wanted so bad. Does exploration so well. Combat is fun and engaging. A truly unique experience.

2. Witcher 3 ; Amazing storytelling. Amazing graphics. Great OST. Gwent. Got about 100 hours out of it and never got tired of it. Raised the bar for side content in these type of games considerably.

3. Super Mario Maker ; Endlessly fun and replayable.

4. Helldivers; The Starship Troopers game we always deserved.

5. Metal Gear Solid V ; Such solid gameplay mechanics that I couldn't not include it despite it's shortcomings.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D ; First time playing through it and it was a great experience.

7. Monster Hunter 4U ; Incredibly deep and fun.

8. Until Dawn ; Strangely compelling after a slow start.

9. Undertale ; Charming and well put together game. Great OST.

10. Mortal Kombat X ; Great roster with newcomers I actually enjoyed. Couldn't play another MK game without my boy Takeda.
 
1. Bloodborne ; This game feels like it was made for me. I always liked the Souls games but I never really got too into them despite my wanting to. But with the faster, reaction based combat, beautiful gothic design and a major HP Lovecraft influence, this is easily my game of the year and one of the best games I have ever played.

2. Fallout 4 ; Fallout is my shit. So despite the major flaws of this latest entry, I still felt so happy exploring my favourite fictional world all over again and when it comes to world building, Bethesda pulled no punches.

3. Undertale ; When I first played this game, I had no idea what I was getting into. I expected just a charming little RPG with a kick ass soundtrack and what I got blew me away. Unfortunately this is one of those games where the hype can kill it for some people so lower your expectations.

4. Yakuza 5 ; I’m so glad I got to play this game because the wait was fucking worth it. This is definitely the strongest of the series with many, many hours of time wasting in the arcade filled in with the typical crazy Yakuza story you may or may not expect.

5. SOMA ; I would love to make SOMA my #1 pick mainly to push how fucking deserving Frictional games are of all praise. This is a horror game that will make you think and will show you what true horror is with perfect execution.

6. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; It’s true that MGSV was a very disappointing game but that still doesn’t mean that it isn’t great. It’s the best stealth game ever made, it is a technical masterpiece and underneath all the bullshit of the tapes, it is a Metal Gear game.

7. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; I wish I liked generic fantasy settings more than I do so I could have enjoyed The Witcher more. This is one of the best RPG’s I’ve ever played with so much time, effort and love put into every single side quest that I was constantly getting overwhelmed.

8. Tales from the Borderlands ; Telltale’s best game. It made me laugh, it made me love, it made me cry (not really but I was pretty sad). It took one of my favourite series and made it about the nobody’s of the world and it’s really fucking good.

9. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood ; Proving that The New Order wasn’t a fluke, Machinegames nails the feel of a FPS again with a much tighter downloadable that I would say is better than the full game.

10. Transformers: Devastation ; Platinum back with one of their best games, this time bringing your childhood back to life. I only wish that one day Activision will give them the budget to make a full priced game like this because that would be the best.

Honorable Mentions
X. Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair ; EDF! EDF! EDF! EDF!
X. Volume ; Mike Bithel did good work on this tight MGS1 style stealth game.
 

chadskin

Member
1. Life is Strange ; If I were a developer, this is the game I probably would've liked to make. From the setting to the story to the characters to the music to the cinematography, Dontnod hit all the right notes. The Walking Dead: Season 1 was the inception of this subgenre, now Life is Strange is the natural evolution.

2. Rocket League ; I played the PS4 beta after I saw the GAF thread for it pop up on the first page repeatedly, hence the game didn't come out of nowhere for me when it finally released in July. Just playing the beta, I knew it'd be something special and it has absolutely delivered. I haven't been this hooked on a multiplayer game since Counter-Strike: Source.

3. Her Story ; I'm a sucker for these types of "experimental" games and Her Story is one of the very best. The mix of FMV and a clever gameplay mechanic, coupled with a great performance by Viva and a fascinating story make this a must-play for everyone not afraid of trying something new and fresh.

4. Until Dawn ; Absolutely gripping, intense interactive adventure with surprisingly deep and well developed characters that puts a whole new spin on this subgenre.

5. Tearaway Unfolded ; The Vita version ranked second for me in 2013, just behind The Last of Us. While it slipped to fifth place now, it's still a very special game that offers enough content for Vita players to enjoy the PS4 remake.

6. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture ; I played through this in one go, was absolutely hooked and mesmerized by the beautiful world, story and music.

7. Project CARS ; At its core, it's one of the best racing simulations in recent history but its flurry of technical issues and a tedious career tarnish the experience.

8. Contradiction - Spot the Liar! ; Not as fresh a take on FMV games as Her Story but a well executed FMV adventure that's loads of fun to play through nonetheless, not despite but because of its cheesy, B-movie style charm. I spotted the liar!

9. Blues and Bullets: Episode One ; A film noir setting with a promising story and interesting characters, all wrapped up in a Telltale-style game that has sadly flown under the radar so far. The jury's still out on how good it'll end up being but it's off to a good start.

10. Assassin's Creed Syndicate ; While it still has a host of technical issues that plagued Unity, in terms of gameplay it went back to the roots of the series and has easily become my favorite Assassin's Creed since the Ezio trilogy. Sadly, the Jack the Ripper DLC fell flat for me.
 
this ya peers huh Xtornionist

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1) SOMA ; SOMA sheds Amnesia's Lovecraftian trappings in favor of a research station on the ocean floor, but the horror and the oppressive atmosphere remains, anchored by a compelling and thought-provoking story influenced by the works of Harlan Ellison and Philip K. Dick. The horror in SOMA comes less from its terrifying creatures and more from the atmosphere, the themes, the sound design and setting. Every moment is fraught with tension, enhanced by the music and the groaning of metal being crushed by the immense ocean pressure. The game is a slow-burn experience, letting the unnerving uneasy implications of grotesque sights and of your actions stew in your mind.
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2) Ori and the Blind Forest ; Ori doesn't reinvent the wheel, or innovate the platformer. But what it does do is deliver what is easily the most gorgeous, most fluidly-animated, vibrant platformer in years. From mist-choked forest to caverns strangled by thorny vines, from crystal clear lakes to flaming ruins, every location in Ori is flush with color and life. The exploration, acrobatic combat, challenging platforming, and excellent music are all satisfying icing on a beautiful cake.
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3) Besiege ; Besiege takes the vehicle construction you love from games like Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and injects it with a dose of physics, blood, and medieval destruction, as you build powerful siege engines to level castles and lay waste to armies. It's the little details that stand out: wood beams snap in half when broken, blood stains your blades and the ground, your structure collapses and falls apart realistically when aflame, buildings crumble under the might of your cannon fire or swinging maces
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4) Invisible Inc ; Klei proved themselves to be masters of the stealth genre with Mark of the Ninja, but Invisible Inc is not only a fantastic stealth game, but an innovative one, combining the strategic, methodical nature of turn-based gameplay with cautious desperate sneaking. A wealth of agents and skills opens the door for a plethora of tactics, but at its core, Invisible Inc is all about careful sneaking around sight cones, avoiding patrols, stealing important data, and infiltrating secure facilities. A masterpiece of stealth gameplay
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5) Elite Dangerous ; Elite Dangerous was my first space sim, and it was an awe-inspiring introduction to the genre. Elite is like having your own personal Interstellar at your fingertips, each moment featuring glorious space vistas, looming suns and planets, a scale that never ceases to amaze. Every docking at a gargantuan station, every thrilling frame-shift jump, every fast-paced yet strategic encounter adds to the experience, and the immersive UI only makes the exploration more compelling
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6) Infinifactory ; At a glance, Infinifactory looks like SpaceChem in 3D. And in a sense, it is, featuring the same style of building elaborate assembly lines that always make you feel like an engineering genius when it all finally works. But at the same time, it isn't. The addition of a Z-axis changes everything, allowing for brain-breaking new challenges and building techniques that were never possible before, and the aspect of building tangible items rather than abstract elements made the construction even more satisfying.
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7) Mushroom 11 ; Mushroom 11 is a challenging physics-based puzzle platformer that turns the typical genre gameplay on its head by putting you in control of an amorphous fungus that can mold and shift into any shape. Each chapter introduces new mechanics and dangers, always exploring new uses of the mushroom's amorphous design. The unique gameplay was Mushroom 11's initial hook, but discovering what new hazards and puzzle elements the developers would introduce next was what keep me intrigued throughout my six-hour playthrough.
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8) Subnautica ; Subnautica adds a new depth to the explore/craft/survive genre, quite literally, as you explore and survive in the sprawling depths of an alien ocean. What a world awaits you: kelp forests swaying in the current, bio-luminescent growths along the walls of dark deep caves, swarms of weird fish twisting through the water, coral tunnels and reefs, floating islands, and more.
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9) Crypt of the Necrodancer ; Crypt of the Necrodancer's blend of rhythm game and roguelike coalesced to form the most addictive game I've played since One Finger Death Punch. Simple complexity is where the gameplay shines. The controls are so simple, but the game is complex and deep. Learning how enemies move and react to the beat. Lining up your attacks depending on what enemies you're dealing with and the weapon you have equipped. Timing. Adapting your strategy on the fly when some mini-boss barges in or you acquire an special item. Learning the rhythm of the game's excellent soundtrack
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10) Duskers ; The universe is dead. You are alone. Supplies are dwindling. As the lone survivor in a galaxy gone silent, you travel from ship to ship, derelict barges and stations and outposts now drifting through space, staving off starvation or certain death by sending drones onto those empty vessels. You can control these drones through command lines; a method that may sound archaic and clunky, but is actually what makes Duskers so brilliant and immersive. Every command must be planned and carefully considered, because if something goes wrong - and it will - you must adapt and improvise on the fly.
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Honorable Mention

x. Exanima ; Exanima is not the most complex game, offering only a grim low-fantasy dungeon crawler and an arena mode to test your skills. But the game's combat is a game-changer, delivering the weightiest, most intense melee you'll find in an action RPG. Each swing and stab feels desperate and realistic. Attacks have weight and force behind them, and blows and misses throw you off balance. Bodies and blades get tangled up and pushed around. Size, weight, and reach matter. It's Demons Souls' "Don't use broadswords or pole-arms in a narrow corridor" logic expanded with realistic physics.
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x. Dark Echo ; Dark Echo boasts the most minimalist of visuals, conjuring horror from the unknown and unseen and an atmospheric soundscape. The game's unique aesthetic and sound design turns each moment into a tense game of cat and mouse where sound is your only means of sight. Your footsteps, hollow against stone and squishing against undergrowth. The guttural growls of those things lurking in the dark. Water splashing and sloshing, or dripping overhead. Flies buzzing in agitated swarms, croaking frogs. Heavy locks and groaning doors.
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x. Broforce ; Broforce is not the most sophisticated game. A story is non-existent and there's not much motivation beyond rescue the hostages and kill the bad guys. But that's not much of a negative at all, because the gameplay blows away any wishes for a story or deeper motives. Broforce set out to be an ode to 80's and 90's action movies, the Expendables in video game form, and it succeeds on every possible level.
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x. Rocket League ; Rocket League is the multiplayer game everyone can enjoy. No leveling or perks to worry about, no game-changing unlocks. It's 100% skill-based, as you fly gracefully through the air, drive up the walls, make glorious last-minute goals and amazing interceptions. Fast, fun, colorful, and easy to pick up and play, Rocket League is the best multiplayer experience of the year
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x. Stasis ; Stasis is a tense isometric horror advemnture game that delivers the kind of industrial atmosphere and gruesome visuals that would make Ridley Scott and David Cronenberg proud. Eschewing combat in favor of exploration and puzzles, Stasis crafts terror through its constantly uneasy atmosphere, fantastic sound design, and some incredibly disturbing visuals and situations. The grimy and blood-soaked industrial corridors of the Groomlake feel claustrophobic and eerie; the echoing screams and other ambient noises only add to the atmosphere.
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x.Darkest Dungeon ; Darkest Dungeon is perhaps most aptly described as "The Road" of dungeon crawlers. The bleak Lovecraftian game explores the human angle of dungeon crawling, delving into what would happen to the mind and body as you bled, toiled, and endured the dank darkness filled with unearthly horrors. Stylized visuals, gruesome beasts, deep tactical combat, and an atmosphere anchored by the compelling tones of narrator Wayne June makes Darkest Dungeon a gripping experience
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x. Hand of Fate ; Hand of Fate combines card game, dungeon crawler, and action RPG/brawler to deliver a brilliant and incredibly addictive hybrid of an experience. Other games may have more complex card mechanics or better combat, but Hand of Fate combines hefty combat and the unknown exploration of a text adventure with engaging deck-building, the varied locations, and the excellent voice acting from the mysterious Dealer, creating a compelling experience that's easy to dive back into again and again.
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x. Downwell ; Downwell is no simple mindless shooter. Carefully leaping around enemies to get in the best positions to fire, jumping on enemies to converse ammo, deftly avoiding hazards, is all necessary to survive. Downwell shines due to its subtle depth and challenging action. Like games such as Spelunky or Vlambeer's titles, it nails that amorphous element of "game feel", gameplay design that just feels satisfying and addicting and powerful.
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x. Her Story ; Whether you classify it as a game, a visual novel, interactive fiction, or something else, one thing remains constant: Her Story offers a mature and gripping experience. Her Story distills the adventure game to its purest form. Your items you gather are the parts of a story, and you're trying to discover the truth. Through deduction and learning more details, you gather new keywords and phrases to unlock more of Her Story's narrative puzzle box. Her Story strips all out those extraneous elements since in other detective game and places the onus on the player to piece together the mystery
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x. Snakebird ; Beneath Snakebird's colorful friendly aesthetic lies one devious puzzle game. Snakebird never evolves beyond moving and twisting those colorful birds, but uses that seemingly simple mechanic to deliver an incredibly tricky puzzler. A single puzzle could take an hour or more, but it's always satisfying to figure out the game's spatial challenges. Don't be fooled by its cutesy facade; this is an amazing gem of a puzzler
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Ikon

Member
I didn't play a ton of 2015 games but here goes anyway:

1. Bloodborne ; The best game of the last couple of years. The near perfect gameplay is really enough in itself to merit this spot. This is of course enhanced by the incredible encounter designs - especially the bosses. Add the gothic aesthetic and oppressive atmosphere that are in a league of their own and it all just comes together into an incredible package.

2. Super Mario Maker ; I had predicted this to be my favorite game of the year. I mean, what could be better than an endless supply of new Mario levels? Some good ones would have been a start. Or at least some way of tagging and searching for the kind of levels I want. Still, I'm having a lot of fun creating my own levels and I do find some great levels every now and again. Oh, and the gameplay is as flawless as I'd expected.

3. Splatoon ; This game came out of nowhere for me and really impressed with its own take on the multiplayer shooter. The paint mechanic added a really fun element to weapon choices and match tactics. The art style and music are spectacular as well as the character customization.

4. Until Dawn ; Here's a game that defies logic. A teen horror QTE-fest that's actually good? How is this possible? In some sense I still don't know. The acting was great for what it was and the setting and story were pretty damn fun. When it worked it really worked and I absolutely loved the old prison area. Other times it fell pretty flat and I disliked most if the last couple of acts. But I guess that's pretty much par for the course when it comes to the horror genre.

5. Rocket League ; I never got as good at this game as I would have wanted but it was still a ton of fun to play. At my level it provided some grade A chaotic multiplayer matches that let you feel incredible when you managed to pull off that rare aerial goal or save from half the field away.

Games I hope to get around to at some point and that would no doubt have placed high on my list: Pillars of Eternity, Ori and the Blind Forest, Axiom Verge and Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Also: Is the Final Fantasy VII PS4 port eligible?
 

jetsetrez

Member
1. Heroes of the Storm ; I've probably put over 500 hours into the game this year. There really isn't even another game close for me this year, or in many years. The most fun, most well-designed, most clever and unique game I've played in years.

2. Ori and the Blind Forrest ; Wonderful platforming that has a great inertial feel that feels like you would imagine Ori's physicality to work. Some of the best art in any game. A nice, fair challenge that never feels too frustrating, nor too easy.
 

jett

D-Member
Since Talos Principle was released this year on PS4 (but is originally a 2014 PC game), does it mean it's eligible or not?
 
And here I am so neurotic about proper formatting, lol.

Got one more game coming up at least, lessee where she lands in this, as the rest of the list is now in stone.
 
1. Bloodborne ; This is essentially the game I bought a PS4 for, and I wasn't disappointed. Outstanding atmosphere, intricately detailed gothic architechture, brilliant sound design, and some of the best level design I've ever experienced. Not without its flaws, but so far this is my favourite game of this generation.

2. Ori and the Blind Forest ; Heart breaking and memorable. Easily soundtrack of the year for me, super tight and satisfying controls, and of course it looks superb.

3. Metal Gear Solid 5 ; Repetitive? Yes. Unfinished? You know it. Empty open world? So empty. But the controls are so good and the options plentiful. Sneaking around extracting people listening to 80's tunes is damn good times.

4. Helldivers ; The co-op Star Ship Troopers game the world has always needed.

That's... my list. I need to play more 2015 games.
 
Honorable Mention. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons ; (Starbreeze Studios; 505 Games) -
2014. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor ; (Monolith Productions, Warner Bros.) -

Your honorable mention is not formatted correctly. LTTP voting has been discontinued.

Honorable mentions:
Bloodborne, Rocket League, Yo-Kai Watch, Splatoon, Dying Light

Your honorable mentions are not formatted correctly.
 

Nere

Member
1. Bloodborne ; Another entry to the Souls series another masterpiece from From (this sounds stupid). This game has excellent combat and holy shit at the art direction simply jaw dropping. The bosses were varied and had different phases a first for the souls series.Simply put I don't know what this game could do better. Before the expansion I could blame it for few weapons but that got fixed.
2. The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt ; One of the best RPGs I have played. Excellent told story, really likable characters that you won't forget, interesting side quests, the combat was a bit meh but it was passable.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Gameplay was awesome but story was really lacking.
 

mekes

Member
1. Bloodborne ; Amazing art, music, adventure and challenge. Easily my GOTY.
2. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; This is how I like my games. More games like this!
3. Until Dawn ; My personal biggest surprise of the year, I feel it lifts the genre.
4. Rocket League ; Just great game play, I kept going back.
5. Splatoon ;
6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ;
7. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth ;
8. Soma ;
9. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ;
10. Everybodys Gone to the Rapture ;
 
I didn't play much games this year either but I definitely want to vote this time to have Bloodbourne as my #1. I didn't realize how much I needed that kind of rewarding challenge in my games.

Also glad reserving has been killed, I love reading this thread every year.
 

DarkFlame

Banned
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Best RPG since many many years
2. SOMA ; Best sci fi horror story since i can remember
3. Bloodborne ; Anything Souls style can't be anything less than great
 
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1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; This is honestly one of the best games I've ever played, full stop. From the moment it starts, I just feel like I'm on a journey. The motivation for Geralt feels real and close to his heart. The lands are downright gorgeous from the forests to the cities to the Skellige Islands and beautiful weather system. Dialogue is top notch, voice acting is phenomenal, the characters are extremely memorable, the quests are supremely well made and unique and I truly enjoyed the combat. Swords strikes had impact, using the signs was fun and knowing when and how to attack was instrumental. I fucking love this game.


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2. Fallout 4 ; This took up so many goddamn hours of mine this year and every one of those hours was great. The Commonwealth is massive and I LOVE wandering into the middle of nowhere and discovering something that tells a story through its environment. Coming across locations and seeing their names pop up is almost addictive. Lots of great characters like Piper and Nick Valentine, massive improvement in gunplay and combat that felt like a legitimate shooter, fun quests and enjoyable upgrade and customization system. The main storyline is thoroughly interesting.


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3. Until Dawn ; This practically took me by complete surprise this year. I didn't get it at launch but I played through it in two sittings (would have been one but it was almost 3 A.M.). I couldn't get enough. Supermassive did such a great job making all the characters come into their own, and you definitely will have favorites by the end. A surprisingly well made story, fantastic acting and writing with what felt like real, emotional interactions between the characters. That Killzone engine does wonders too as these are some of the most lifelike characters I've seen in a game. I didn't want the game to end.


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4. Bloodborne ; I wasn't a big Souls fan for the longest time, as I gave Demon's Souls a shot a very long time ago with bad results. I guess I developed a more open mind over the years and I absolutely fell in love with Bloodborne. The brutality of the combat and the enemies, the minimalist storytelling that seemingly shares its story through select characters and through its environment are some of the things that really struck out to me. I also applaud the team for their goddamn brilliant level design and some of the most badass bosses I've had the pleasure of fighting in a game. And let's not forget that fucking amazing art design.


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5. Batman: Arkham Knight ; Contrary to many here, I loved the Batmobile. The controls were fluid and simple and I enjoyed the tank battles, though could have done with a fewer of them during the course of the game. Probably one of the best looking games I've played, the combat was as fun as ever with slight adjustments and improvements made over the prior two in the series. Scarecrow was a great villain, the Joker sections were unforgettable and I have never felt more like Batman than any other time in gaming. Fantastic sendoff Rocksteady.
 
Even in his GOTY list, More_Badass made me discover cool new games :p
Hey, I do my best. I don't really play AAA games (don't have current consoles yet and my laptop can't handle them), so my lists tend to exclusively be indies. Let me tell you, narrowing it down to 20 games (30 over in the IndieGAF Voting thread) was really tough. This year was amazing
 

Philtastic

Member
1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; The attention to detail in all aspects of this game, from its gorgeous graphics to its intricate game systems and open approach to objective fulfilment, puts almost everything else to shame. In my opinion, this is the current pinnacle of stealth gameplay where it is forgiving enough to avoid the typical annoyances of stealth games (where you make one mistake and there goes your entire stealth game as every enemy goes into alerted/shooting mode) while still rewarding perfect play both through tangible benefits and just from feeling like a legendary badass. Building on its core systems are an incredible number of weapons and tools that open up the degrees of freedom which feed the creativity that the player can exercise. And even if you fail to be stealthy or choose not to be, MGS V is still a more competent third/first person military shooter than many that specialize in that. Jam packed with content with an interesting take on PvP, MGS V is a complete package that delivers on every front and one that you can play in any way that you feel like.

2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Absolutely breathtaking graphics, a ridiculous amount of quality content, quest choices that have ambiguous morality and consequences, and a combat system that I highly enjoyed that, in my opinion, is more satisfying than every other Western RPG. In fact, it's my favourite RPG of all time, surpassing the likes of Baldur's Gate, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, Arcanum, any entry in the Neverwinter series, and the Ultima series.

3. Grand Theft Auto V ; The PC version was my only experience of GTA V, and it did not disappoint. After what was a huge disappointment for me in GTA IV and my incredible enjoyment of Saints Row: The Third and Saints Row IV, I was thrilled that Rockstar went back to their fusion of over-the-top scenarios tempered with a reasonable amount of realism. Combined with some of the best graphics and sound in the industry and a somewhat enjoyable online mode, it deserves to be one of the best games of the year for the third time in a row.

4. Dragon Ball XenoVerse ; As with most Dragon Ball games, I was a bit sceptical that it would be any good. Compounded on top of this reservation, I also generally don't like fighting games except for Super Smash Brothers so I was pleasantly surprised to find a highly enjoyable fighting game. Since you can customize the gear and skillsets of your characters as you level up and unlock new abilities, the sheer amount of play-style diversity kept things fresh in spite of its somewhat grindy progression. I had hours of fun just experimenting with all of the skills and basic melee attacks to create devastating combos that were never spoon-fed to me. Presentation and story were surprisingly excellent, feeling very much like an alternative history ripped straight out of the TV show. What I truly enjoyed the most from it was the way they captured the feel of being a powerful fighter moving at breakneck speeds, teleporting around, but obviously still slow enough that us regular human beings could actually play it. Highly recommend it as a less serious fighting game that's great fun but may not be that great for competitive play due to potential balance issues.

5. Broforce ; Officially released this October, its satire of action heroes and American xenophobia and global policing really hit the mark while delivering a legitimately fun and intense game. With over-the-top explosions everywhere ripping up the fully destructible terrain, there was never a dull moment in Broforce.
 

Razyl

Member
1. Fallout 4 ; Yeah, I know. It has many flaws, but I really like the world, the exploration, the gunplay and the music. The story could be better, the rpg system and so on. But for me its good to get such a open world after so many ubi formular open worlds.
2. Life is Strange ; MAX! CHLOE! Q_Q Such a god damn trip with one of the best soundtracks this year!
3. Heroes of the Storm ; After six years of League of Legends this is another moba that caught me. Its different, fun and it got many blizzard heroes i like.
4. Evoland 2 ; (released this year, but don't appear on the list) - its long (25 Hours!), its fun and got some enjoyable writing. Really like this mix of different videogame generations and game mechanics
5. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; If I would be "objective" or some form of that, this would be the best RPG/game of the year. I played it 130 Hours but I'm not a fan of Geralt as a character and this combat system was only good against big monsters. But it showed that open world and great narrative can work.
6. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection ; Didn't played it on ps3, so I'm new to the series. Except the first one a great collection!
7. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege ; Best multiplayer shooter this gen so far!
8. Dying Light ; Dead Island just overall better in every aspect - one of the funniest and best coop experiences i've ever got!
9. Cities: Skylines ; Sim City without MP and in better - great game!
10. Dirt Rally ; Hands down: The best rally game ever and maybe one of the best racing games generally
 

tcrunch

Member
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1. Bloodborne ; Souls style, some new tricks, a wild story, and some of the most gruesome enemy looks in the business - and I haven't even played the expansion yet. Above: actual gifs of me showing you how to git gud and conquer the world of Bloodborne.
2. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ; Though I have come to conquer the mechanics of Monster Hunter coming in due to my experience with Tri, the mounting mechanic and some new weapons (for me) like Hunting Horn keep the wild ride fresh.

x. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D ; Remake but hnggngh remake of one of the best games of all time, the perfect evolution of Ocarina of Time.
x. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; Pretty good game in the same vein as Peacewalker. Unsatisfying story and conclusion. I had this game numbered till I realized that more reflected the relatively small number of games I have played this year rather than the game's quality.
 
1. Bloodborne ; Not just the game of the year, but easily the game of the gen so far. It's a masterclass in game design. Phenomenal combat, sublime level design, wonderful art direction and music and the most successful mariage between a videogame and Lovecraft yet with excellent lore. A game that respects the player. The DLC is the icing on a truly phenomenal cake.
2. Downwell ; Another example of Japanese brilliance. Falling down a well, shooting at enemies with gun boots and reloading when you land creates a wonderful dynamic.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; It has flaws, but the mechanics, freedom and player agency are unmatched. A true sandbox.
4. Transformers Devastation ; Because Platinum does combat better than pretty much any other studio, even if the game itself is lower budget than their usual output.
 

Spirited

Mine is pretty and pink
1. Witcher 3 ; The best narrative and quest design I've seen in a modern RPG. With a wonderfully crafted main storyline following Geralt and his intresting mates in a wild goose chase.
But where the narrative, storytelling and questdesign really shines is the fully fleshed out sidequests which fits more in with the witchers job as a monster killer.
The game isn't perfect with a "just ok" movement system (I actually like the combat). The game which really is more than the sum of its parts sits on my GOTY throne this year.

2. Undertale ; Played this while in a sort of a slope in my gaming habit, not feeling like playing anything really I was recommended to play this game without reading anything about it.
At first I had silly complaints to make me quit the game like "not good looking" or "Combat system doesn't feel right" but all of the concerns dropped sooner than I had thought.
The charming chracters, catchy soundtrack, silly humour and the fast thinking needed for the bullet hell fights made me just want to play more and more.
I couldn't kill even one of the lovely creatures and persons in the game and the game made me feel good about myself and my choices all throughout.

3. Contradiction ; I've never understoood the appeal of the cheesy madness that is FMV games and that really put me on ow expectations against this game that I picked up in a bundle.
The game in and of itself is nothing revolutionary, you are a detective that tries to figure out a murder. To do so you go around in a village asking questions by showing them items and trying to find statements from the poeple that contradict eachother.
The concept is easy and the game is mostly risen by the characters wonderful (cheesy) acting and an engaging murdercase.

4. Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the first sin ; Dark souls is one of my favourite game series. It has that adrenaline pumping and dangerous action that I loved in the original with some added flair.
The areas are varied and many are out of this world beautiful and unique. The enemy designs is a step down from the first game with all too many humanoids.
The DLC also added some of the best areas in the game with more variaties and much more content. I can't really complain too much about a game which makes getting good feel soo rewading.

5. Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth ; By far the most played game of december and november motnh for me with the classig rougle-lite formula.
Every run is different and with the new DLC the game has even more variety, combos and strategies that you can use.
It's not a forgiving game and is absolutely a massive timesink which I can dip in every day to do a few runs and do the "daily runs" which was added with the DLC.

6. Metal Gear Solid V ; A game series which was mostly known for its crazy story and stealth action.
Now with the newest installment has gone open-world just like a lot of current gen games in longer running game series has (Witcher 3 for an example of this done right).
The areas feels empty and the games story is nothing but subpar against the earlier games. The game also has a lot of grindy sidemissions and other things which bored me to death.
Now you might ask "Why would you put it on your GOTY then?" well that's for the incredible gameplay.
The controlls feel so incredibly tight and the gigantic aresnal of weapons and gagdets led too many an hour of weird and hilarious enjoyment with the games mechanics which might even be the best this year.

7. Dying Light ; Hasn't gotten far in this zombie slayer game. What I've gotten so far of this game is that the zombies varied and many of them can be extremly brutal and deadly.
The Gameplay is greatly above the earlier games made by techland (dead island) and the game can be hilarious in co-op with a friend where you can take on challenges and kill some zombies in wacky ways together.
The story is pretty generic and can be pretty bad at times with shitty dialogue and choices made for me. The protagonist is also generic guy with shitty attitude and nothing intresting about him.

8. Cities: Skylines ; A good game in a genre that really needed just that. A bit barebones vanilla but with some mods and the DLC the game becomes everything that the newest simcity should've been.

9. Pillars of Eternity ; A throwback to the old infinity engine games from yesteryears.
Not much to say, me and my dad had a fun time playing it but we havn't gotten far and I never really was the biggest fan of CRPGs.

10. Life is Strange ; is a new game in the telltale kind of "action-click" gamegenre which I got a bit burned out on.
The game has a good premise that it SPOILERS END
failed to live up to
led this game to this 10th place on my GOTY.
The story in and of itself follows Max and her strange time when she comes back to her old hometown and meets and old friend, pretty much feels like any about "teenagers".
 

Elitist1945

Member
1. Until Dawn ; a great interactive game with likable characters, an interesting narrative, amazing graphics, sound and atmosphere, and a great take on player choice with The Butterfly Effect.
 
1. Bloodborne ; Great atmosphere and even better combat. Near-perfect.
2. SOMA ; Who says it's not scary? Tense and maybe my favorite story of the year.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; The lack of ending and post-release nonsense be damned, it's stealth combat perfected.
4. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Fantastic sidequests and a great story overcome occasionally sluggish gameplay.
5. Undertale ; Simultaneously charming, moving, and hilarious.
6. Crypt of the Necrodancer ; Rhythm games and dungeon crawlers are a match made in heaven...who knew?
7. Hacknet ; A gorgeous Hollywood-style hacking game with just enough realism.
8. SteamWorld Heist ; Who says XCOM-style strategy can't work on a 2D plane?
9. Ori and the Blind Forest ; Simply a gorgeous Metroidvania. Loved every minute.
10. Rocket League ; I'm terrible at it, but I can recognize its balance and beauty.

Honorable Mentions
x. Pillars of Eternity ; a great throwback western RPG.
x. Fallout 4 ; No game absorbed more of my time this year.
 

Uraizen

Banned
1. Transformers: Devastation ; Another good game by PG, what a shock.
2. BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend ; It's fun and that's all it has to be.
3. Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition ; Best action game ever? Probably.
4. Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax ; A simple anime fighter by French Bread.
5. Hyperdimension Neptunia Rebirth 3: V Generation ; Has a dominatrix.
6. Hyperdimension Neptunia Rebirth 2: Sisters Generation ; Doesn't have a dominatrix.
7. Onechanbara Z2: Chaos ; Decent combat in a budget game.
8. Mortal Kombat X ; Another decent fighter from NRS with shitty netcode.
9. Ultra Street Fighter IV ; A good final update to send the game off with.
10. Bloodborne ; A good game, but not as good as the other nine.
 

Berto

Member
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; It blowed up my incredible high expectations. It's just a remarkable experience.
2. Cities: Skylines ; Super addictive, spent almost 150 hours on it and I feel like I have a lot to uncover yet. And mods.
3. Life is Strange ; It surprised me, easily the most emotional game of the year for me.
4. SOMA ; The best story of this lot, it asked really unconfortable questions I had no answer for.
5. Batman: Arkham Knight ; It was a small disapointment and I played on PC, wich is a complete mess. But the core gameplay is still great and it was a nice ending to the trilogy.
 
1. Bloodborne ; Game of the year and my second favorite game of all time. Everything about it oozes quality. The combat is perfection, the level design is second to none, the aesthetic and atmosphere is haunting, the enemy designs are varied and interesting, the music is fantastic, and the lore is deep and twisted.
2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; The best open-world RPG there is. Huge scope, amazing attention to detail, good story, fantastic dialogue and voice acting, and actual good side quests. Average combat.
3. Ori and the Blind Forest ; A terrific metroidvania with tight controls, an amazing art style, and a beautiful soundtrack.
4. Resident Evil HD Remaster ; This was my first time playing the game and I loved every second. A tense and oppressive atmosphere, pleasantly cheesy dialogue and characters, and a huge mysterious mansion to explore.
5. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin ; The weakest version of the weakest Souls game, but still better than almost everything else! The equipment/build variety continues bringing me back to the game.
6. IA/VT Colorful ; One of the best rhythm games I've played. It has a huge tracklist and I love every song. I also really like the challenges/daily challenges.
7. Tearaway Unfolded ; Fantastic art direction combined with fun and unique gameplay.
8. Journey ; Loved it on PS3, love it on PS4. Short but sweet, great visuals, fun exploration, interesting co-op mechanic.
9. Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void ; A satisfying conclusion to the saga. Very well-balanced multiplayer.
10. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection ; Fun in the same way watching a big-budget action movie is fun. I wish there was less gunplay and more exploration though.

Honorable Mentions:

x. Yowamari ; A fun little isometric horror game on the Vita. Short but sweet.
x. Until Dawn ; They nailed the B-movie horror vibe with this game.
x. Undertale ; A pretty unique RPG with some endearing moments, memorable characters, and fantastic music.
 
1. SOMA ; There are some gaming experiences that stay with you long after you've finished the game. I remember going for a walk after I completed SOMA, and the sky felt a bit bluer, and the trees greener. SOMA's world is a compelling one, with captivating characters and strong world building. Most intriguingly, SOMA constantly offers up opportunities for players to self-reflect. The game doesn't criticise your actions, but leaves that judgement up to yourself. This opportunity takes advantage of the gaming medium in a way that other forms of entertainment can't compare. The highest praise I can give SOMA is that I learned about myself while playing it, which is something I can rarely say for any game, let alone any other forms of the entertainment.

2. Undertale ; Never before has a game truly been able to say The Dev Team Thinks of Everything. Without spoiling anything, Undertale is a genuinely heartwarming (or horrifying) experience, whilst being funny, intriguing and extremely thoughtful. Special mention really must go to the varied and incredibly unique boss fights, along with some of the most immediately memorable music I've ever heard in a video game. I went into the game with incredibly high expectations, and they were exceeded. Every moment of Undertale takes advantage of the gaming medium to its fullest. Like with SOMA, this is a game that will be staying with me for a long time.

3. Bloodborne ; Bloodborne is such a polished all-round experience that there aren't really any weak links to it. The art direction, world building, and the lore are incredible. The bosses are varied, the exploration is enjoyable. The atmosphere was oppressive, but constantly intriguing. The game keeps up a fantastic pace throughout, which DeS/DS unfortunately did have issues with. My time in Yharnam was a memorable, beautiful, and terrifying experience.

4. Tales from the Borderlands ; Tales from the Borderlands turned the repetitive Telltale formula on its head, and made it so your decisions mattered without weakening the strength of the main story. The interactive action sequences were thoughtful and enjoyable, and often managed to be exhilarating for what generally involved pointing and clicking. Every moment of Tales is stylish, clever, and surprisingly genuine, with a cast that is effortlessly charismatic in both writing and voice work. No Borderlands knowledge required for this incredible experience. Fingers-crossed for a Season 2!

5. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; W3 is still a game that I can't believe exists. It's a big-budget RPG with an incredible amount of high-quality storytelling, with a loving attention to detail that permeates even the smallest side-quest and character you'll stumble across. Whilst I did dislike dealing with the clunky inventory, and that the game had a nasty habit of sending you off on a wild goose chase when you just wanted the plot go from A->B (damn you, Novigrad!), there was still such a level of quality that I never thought my time was being wasted. I also really do have to give special mention to the writing and interaction with both Yennefer and Geralt, who genuinely felt like two real people in a complicated, long-term relationship in a way I've seen few games achieve. I haven't gotten to start Hearts of Stone yet, and I'm so pleased that I have that and Blood and Wine to look forward to this year. Thank you for such an incredible gift, CDPR, and for what will surely be the gold standard of RPGs for many years to come.

6. Grim Fandango Remastered ; I'd been looking forward to playing Grim Fandango for years, and when the opportunity arrived with the Remastered release, I was not remotely disappointed. The story, characters, and dialogue are incredibly strong, with some clever world building besides. Both the soundtrack and art direction are still utterly timeless. It also has one of the more cathartic endings I've seen in a video game. That being said, the puzzles are downright sadistic at times. Pain and puzzle torture aside, Grim Fandango was an incredibly memorable experience all round, and I'm so pleased I finally had the opportunity to play it. Sadly, I'll never be able to hear any reference to poor Robert Frost without having a private snicker.

7. Broken Age: The Complete Adventure ; The incredible art direction, soundtrack, charismatic voice work, and charming writing make Broken Age a genuinely delightful and memorable experience. In a year when I played both Grim Fandango and Broken Age for the first time, I was impressed how Broken Age's puzzles didn't break up story momentum, which would often grind to a complete halt in Grim. There's so much love and detail packed into Broken Age, too. I was pleasantly surprised how beautifully animated the game was, with so many unique animations that the player may never see. It's that attention to detail that made my time with Broken Age feel special, especially when the team could just have stationary characters with animated mouth flaps and called it a day. While the main cast was wonderful, special mention does have to go to some of the side characters. The Yarn Pals and the Dead Eye God Guards often had me laughing out loud. There's also so much dialogue that can be missed, especially if you don't experiment with the Spoon and Grabbin' Gary. (Makes sense in context. Also, Gary doesn't want to grab that. Poor Elijah Wood must break into a cold sweat anytime he hears the name 'Gary'.) The puzzles do get a bit more brutal in the second half, but there is a really interesting synergy to them that is frustrating in the first playthrough, but ends up being satisfying retrospectively with both the narrative and the gameplay mechanics. I'm looking forward to hopefully more point-and-click adventures from Double Fine!

8. Assassin's Creed Syndicate ; If you told me that one of my most consistently enjoyable experiences this year would be skulking my way through the dank, atmospheric streets of London with the Frye twins, I wouldn't have believed you. London has been one of the more memorable semi-open world experiences in a game I've played. London feels like a city first, and a gaming sandbox second. The variety in gameplay is really refreshing, too, with so much freedom in how you explore London and how you can interact with enemies in it. The missions never feel very repetitive either, and there's a great momentum to the game.

Whilst the plot of the game was thinner than I would have liked, it was the characters of Syndicate that really shined. In a year of games with very charismatic characters - Tales from the Borderlands and Witcher 3, for example - Syndicate holds up brilliantly. With Syndicate, Ubisoft gave us a refreshing female power-fantasy protagonist in Evie, who thankfully isn't a one note Strong Female Character. When I was playing as her (along with a more specifically spoiler component to the game), I remembered being a kid and getting a rush playing as Lara Croft for the first time. Evie's practical, but she's got a good sense of humour with a dash of silliness. She's an absolute badass, whilst being a knowledgeable and passionate bookworm... who still believes in ghosts. Her foil is Jacob, who I ended up being pleasantly surprised by. Jacob's charming, with a bit of a young naive optimism to him - he wants to help the people of London, and he'll do it in any way necessary. He's a kid in a lot of ways, covering it up with a lot of earnest bravado. The impression I got from the trailers was Jacob would be the comic relief and Evie would be constantly serious, but that thankfully isn't the case. We don't get to spend much time with the supporting cast, but they were all extremely well done and memorable. Every moment Starrick spent onscreen was electrifying. Henry is a gentle, grounding presence for Evie and Jacob. Pearl Attaway was fantastic, and Detective Abberline stole the show in every scene he was in. Roth and Jacob had some riveting - yet disturbing - chemistry. A combination of great casting and a synergy between animation+mo-cap puts AC:S up there with W3, Uncharted, and The Last of Us in turns of riveting CGI characters that are freed from the grasp of the Uncanny Valley.

Even though it's Ubisoft making tiny-baby-steps, I do have to commend them for giving us a female lead and a bisexual male lead whose-sexuality-was-only-hinted-at-in-game-but-was-confirmed-via-Word-of-God. Phew. Mouthful! Baby steps, but they're something. Double-props to Ubisoft for giving us an older playable female protagonist in the Jack the Ripper DLC. How often does that happen? Like, ever? I hate to say it, but I'll be there Day 1 for any and all adventures with the Frye twins.

9. Dragon Age: Inquisition's Trespasser DLC ; More so than any of Bioware's DLCs before, Trespasser is a must if you played Inquisition. It's really the essential ending to the Inquisition experience, alongside setting up the eventual (hopeful) sequel. If the ending to the base game went out with a whimper, Trespasser goes out with a bang. The DLC has great momentum, with a perpetual ominous build that is expressed superbly through both narrative and gameplay mechanics. The art direction is wonderful, and Trespasser contains some of the most memorable set-pieces/levels in any Bioware games. Another highlight is Trespasser's incredible score. Trevor Morris' score was beautiful and very striking in the base game, but he somehow manages to even step it up from there. Every single track is very distinctive, with an incredible atmosphere - special mention has to go to a certain spoiler character's theme. It's the best DLC Bioware's ever done (Bioware does some damn fine story DLCs), and I thoroughly recommend it, even if you were lukewarm on Inquisition.

10. Fallout 4 ; While I was disappointed in main story/side-quests, removal of many RPG components, and the lack of gun variety, I will say that it is the smoothest Bethesda Fallout experience thus far. The cinematic camera, non-pausing VATS, unpredictable enemies, and glorious quick-loot were enjoyable changes to the series. I also found the companions extremely likeable. In fact, you could say that they were all outstanding. Ad Victoriam, Safety Danse.

Honorable Mention

x: Borderlands: The Handsome Collection; When I'm on my deathbed, I'll still be trying to get through all the BL2 DLC. More importantly, it was with the Handsome Collection that I finally had the opportunity to play The Pre-Sequel, along with the incredible Claptastic Voyage DLC. The Pre-Sequel certainly made some interesting improvements to the Borderlands formula. The Grinder made your old legendaries useful, and Cryo was a refreshing addition... but my favourite was the Oz Kits. Playing BL1/BL2 now feels a bit constricting in comparison - let me jump everywhere! Gravity, why must you hold me down? My other favourite element was the added interactivity the player character had with the world they were engaging in - Handsome Jack and playable Doppleganger Jack were a particularly funny combination. I also have to give rare credit to a prequel game for filling in the blanks and actually strengthening the overall narrative of the series. Moments retrospectively in BL2 become more powerful when TPS is taken into account. (For negative examples of this, I'm looking at you, Kingdom Hearts series/Compilation of FFVII.) Lilith, Handsome Jack, and Moxxi characters especially benefited from The Pre-Sequel. Thank you for a wonderful experience, 2K Australia. You are very missed.
 

James Sawyer Ford

Gold Member
1. Bloodborne ; In a year filled with open-world, feature creep bloat fests, this game was a breath of fresh air and honestly the only title worth mentioning for my GOTY list. It is so far beyond other titles and is the clear standout for Game of the Year. Being new to the "Souls" series, I was reluctant to play this given what was mentioned about the difficulty. But as I progressed, I learned to love what the challenge presented, the spectacular level design, phenomenal artistic and musical direction, and of course the unmatched gameplay mechanics. Why is this the only game I've listed? Well, it's the ONLY title that I feel respects the player's time. It's a long game (took me 35-40 hours to complete), but I felt all of those hours were deserving of my time. In other games, you may sink 100+ hours into what ultimately boils down to dead air -- quests that aren't fun, bloated things on your mini map to accomplish, gameplay that you begrudgingly put up with because the story and world are immersive. Bloodborne has NONE of these flaws. It is one of the tightest, most well designed game I've played and probably sits firmly in my top 10 list of all time. More games should aspire to have complete mastery over all elements of the videogame experience that Bloodborne clearly exhibits.
 
I'm aware LTTP voting entries have been officially suspended, but would it be fine to feature the choice as a theoretical recommendation that I wish I could've featured in my initial list just for the sake of fun?

Lines starting with numbers may get misread as another place value: 2.
 

JayEH

Junior Member
1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; This might be the best game I've ever played. I followed this game since the moment it was announced as The Phantom Pain at the VGA 2012. It was a journey with the hype train with this game and it was ultimately a journey even when I played and beat the game. For the first month of the game I was so disappointed by the ending to the point that I thought it invalided the fun I had throughout the game. After the first month, I came to appreciate the ending and came to really like it. I recognize I was being shallow when the ending fit with the rest of the series and was even a special message to fans. I also came to appreciate the themes and plot of the rest of the game. I know it gets a lot of hate but it doesn't take away the love I have for this game. The pacing can be off and the presentation is certainly different from past MGS games but I liked the story overall. And we haven't even got to the gameplay. One word: amazing. The controls are tight, the levels are well designed and the options available are out of this world. It truly is the ultimate sand box game. And yes I said sand box game though this game is "open world" it isn't really. It really is an open sandbox. Even though the mission design for almost everything boils down to "extract this" the way you can tackle each mission is incredible. Just the route you take, the buddies with you, your equipment, time of day, vehicles, support items, etc. The options are almost limitless. 230 hours and still going. This is why MGSV is my Game of the Year and possibly favorite game of all time.

2. The Witcher 3 ; One of the best RPGs I have played. After Dragon Age was a huge disappointment for me last year I really needed a good WRPG and Witcher came and surprised even though I knew it was going to be good based on the past games. Mediocre combat is the only downside to the game but the world felt believable and was fun to explore.

3. Bloodborne ; Fresh take on the Souls series. Faster gameplay and interesting lore. I'm still disappointed with the lack of NPCs and differentiating gear but this game is a joy to play. Consumed me for a few months. DLC was also excellent though I didn't get to enjoy it that much do to being in NG ++ and getting my ass destroyed by the bosses.

4. Ultra Street Fighter IV ; Well it came on PS4 this year so I'm putting it on the list. I had dabbled in SF IV a bit a couple years ago but it wasn't until the PS4 version that I really put the time into the game. This is probably my most played game this year and I can't wait for SF V.
 

Exentryk

Member
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; My Favourite RPG of all time. Outstanding writing, great quests, immersive world, good music, seamless dense environments, etc, all combine to make for an incredible experience.
2. Ori and the Blind Forest ; Best music of the year, best art of the year, tight gameplay mechanics, touching story... what more could one ask for? Absolutely loved it.
 

Dysun

Member
1. Bloodborne ; What else is there to say? Sublime combat and exploration that puts almost every game of its ilk to shame. A breathtakingly well realized cthulu game disguised as a werewolf romp. Only drawbacks are it's technical performance and chalice dungeons, which were optional anyways.

2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; A sad tale of what could have been. As it stands its the best stealth game ever made, period. Chapter 1 was perfect, two more like it and we could have a serious game of the forever.

3. Fallout 4 ; Another thoroughly engrossing Bethesda game with all of its charms and faults. I knew what to expect, and I got it. The added benefit of gunplay that actually worked goes along way for me.

4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; The best story and presentation of the year, but the combat was to bad to dismiss. Felt like three steps sideways instead of forward. A missed opportunity.

5. Batman: Arkham Knight ; The least impactful Rocksteady Batman game to date, way too much battank, predictable story, and no bosses. Yet, the gameplay and world were really fun to play, and a safe formulaic Batman is still better than most games.

6. Pillars of Eternity ; Nice throwback to CRPG's of yore, although the story could have been better.

7. Mortal Kombat X ; Superb gameplay and graphics, if only the story mode didn't fall flat on its face it could have rivaled MK9.

8. Star Wars Battlefront ; Great framework waiting for content. The lack of features, maps, weapons, and variety hurt.

9. Until Dawn ; Surprise of the year for me. I would have never pegged it for a GOTY-list appearance, or even purchase. The best story driven choice game to date.

10. Rainbow Six: Siege ; Like PoE, its a nice throwback to games of old. Could have used more maps and modes but the gameplay is great (granted you have a full party of friends)

Honorable Mentions (could not allocate proper amount of time to play and rank)
x. Rise of the Tomb Raider
x. Halo 5: Guardians
x. Yakuza 5
x. Dying Light
x. Xenoblade Chronicles X
 

RK9039

Member
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; Easily one of the best games I have ever played and I found it to be such a huge improvement from previous titles. I think CD Projekt have raised the bar in this genre to such an extent that I couldn't enjoy many open world games that came out after, such as Fallout 4 or even MGSV, because all I could think about while playing those games was that those titles just weren't as good as TW3. Everything about this game is detailed, none of the quests ever felt like filler, fetch quest nonsense and it never felt tedious to me unlike those other games I mentioned. Yes the combat isn't as good as Bloodborne/Souls but I never expected it to be considering this game is a lot more than just the combat (unlike Souls/BB). Heck, Gwent on it's own is better than all the games that came out this year, plus it still has one big expansion coming out next year.

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(link)

2. Ori and the Blind Forest ; The art style alone makes this game worth it to me, well it did beat Bloodborne for that award, and rightfully so might I add, but the soundtrack is great also. I'm not even a huge fan of platformer games but Ori was just really enjoyable and it almost made me cry.

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3. Pillars of Eternity ; I've always wanted to play those old school CRPG games such as Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale but I was too young at the time to really appreciate those kind of games. So when I heard about Pillars I knew this modern take on the genre would finally be the time for me to see what I've missed, and even though I haven't finished it yet, because I keep trying out new character builds, from what I've played it really is an amazing game. Divinity: Original Sin was my GOTY last year so I'm definitely into these type of PC games.

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4. Shadowrun: Hong Kong ; It's another great Shadowrun game, those of us that have played previous games in the series knew exactly what to expect and Hong Kong was just as good as Dragonfall if not better, at least combat-wise.

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5. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward ; Seriously the music in this expansion is enough for me to keep coming back to it. The story of HW was great and I really love how much they've added to all the classes, especially the Warrior because that's really all I play for the most part, we finally got ourselves a DPS stance and it's really fun swapping stances during fights. If there's one MMO I don't mind paying a subscription for that isn't WoW, it's definitely this game. Hopefully they have more story content for us soon.

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6. Mad Max ; I love the Mad Max movies, and while this game is a fairly straightforward open-world game, I had a really great time with it due to the awesome car combat. The story is very slow and mostly gets really interesting towards the end, but I was able to see past that major flaw because it really did feel like I was inside the Mad Max universe. It also helps that the game runs amazingly well and also looks pretty awesome, and I think this game probably has the best skybox in recent memory.


7. DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE ; I don't even like Dragon Ball Z, but fuck it, this game was pretty fun and I definitely had a good time customizing my own Majin.

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8. Dying Light ; This game came out very early this year, I almost forgot about it, but hey, it was pretty great getting chased in the dark by those zombie junkies and the free running reminded me of Mirror's Edge, not as fluid, but it's still decent.

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9. Grand Theft Auto V (PC) ; Played it on the PS3, PS4 and finally on the PC. Great port, PC custom radio soundtracks, editing mode and mods. Yeah, it was worth it.

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10. Broforce ; I don't want to be shot.
 
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1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; I don't know where to start, one of my absolute favourite open world RPGs ever, coming from someone who liked but didn't love the series up to this point. Almost every individual part is done fantastically in its own right and it's all knit together so well - the writing, the acting, the characters, the main plot, the side quests and side stories, the detail and density in the world design from both an artistic and narrative sense, the art design, the music. I even enjoyed the combat, while not necessarily a standout aspect. It's one of those games which does so many things better than any other game, aims for and reaches such a high bar in so many ways that you wonder if it can be topped. Shout-out to the Hearts of Stone expansion too, I wish it had more content outside of the main quest line but those quests and the characters they introduce are right up with the very best in the core game, really looking forward to the next expansion.

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2. Kerbal Space Program ; This has been in the honourable mentions section of my last 2 GOTY lists I believe, and even though I played significantly more of it in 2013 and 2014 than I did in 2015, since it's been officially released I figured it was time to give it proper recognition. An incredibly deep, addictive and brilliantly designed game with a level of mechanical complexion beyond almost any other game. I love games which allow you to set your own goals and targets and give you the tools to achieve them instead of railroading you down a path, and KSP lets you express your own creativity (in rocket form, of course) while also having a real mechanical sophistication to it. There's a palpable tension in everything you do, when you achieve what it you're trying to achieve it's unbelievably satisfying, and when you fail you feel driven to try again.

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3. Undertale ; Started out as a cute but largely unremarkable little RPG with quaint but funny writing and a unique battle system, which then introduced some of the best-written and funniest characters and had some of the best moments and boss battles of the year, which then turned into a fourth-wall breaking statement on player choice, violence and completionism in gaming, in a way I was not at all anticipating. All while presenting a game world, visual style and music which managed to be both cohesive and ludicrously varied in order to tie all of the game's wackiness together. I have gripes with some of the pacing, particularly the introduction, and elements of the combat system, but as a cohesive narrative and artistic piece created and composed (largely) by one auteur, it's shockingly accomplished. Also it's fucking hilarious. Also did I mention the music?

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4. SOMA ; Man, I knew Frictional had it in them to make an atmospheric and tense horror stealth game, but I had no idea that they had such brilliant story-telling and world crafting in them too. One of the most coherently constructed and thought-provoking stories you'll find in a game. Some of the enemy encounters are frustrating, and the tension and horror of the gameplay mechanics is maybe not as innovative as it was in Amnesia but is still effective at building up the game's atmosphere. Above all, though, it tells one of the most fascinating and mature science fiction stories I've seen in maybe any media this year.

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5. Cities: Skylines ; The best city-building game in years, no question. As fun as it is to play Sim City 4 for hours while angrily mumbling to yourself about how that damn reboot scuppered the genre's chances, it's so wonderful to have a new product with new ideas which still has the smart design and addictive teeth that the old Sim City games have. It does feel like a relatively small project, and it's lacking a lot of the polish in its graphics and presentation that would come with being released by EA, but fuck do I care, I've finally got a deep, modern city-builder to play 60-something hours of.

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6. Life is Strange ; Had zero interest in this until I heard some of the positive buzz around while it was still being released, recently played through the entire thing and I really enjoyed it. Somewhere between The OC, Donnie Darko and Black Mirror in premise and tone in the style of a Telltale adventure game, tackling both science-fiction elements and a number of socially relevant or taboo themes in modern society in a grounded setting and with a great cast of characters. I'm not in love with how it all came together, but it has some of the most emotionally resonant moments of any game this year, up with The Walking Dead as the best games of that style.

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7. Just Cause 3 ; Given that I'd list Just Cause 2 as among my absolute favourite games in a heartbeat, this was a little bit of disappointment - while slightly mechanically improved over the previous game, the game that's built around that in 3 isn't structured in such a way that it makes the most of those mechanics as much as 2 and feels more stripped back, empty and homogenous. Nonetheless, traversing the world and causing mayhem in the vast sandbox you are given is even better than ever, making this an incredibly fun time.

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8. Grow Home ; Ubisoft released a game entirely about climbing a tower and collecting objects, and yet it's one of the most charming, mechanically unique games of the year. I love the flat-shaded visual style and vast sense of scale, and especially the drunken stumbling of the robot protagonist. Most of all though, it has a singular core mechanic which is unique, natural and ingenious. It's a bit one-note and wore out its welcome slightly before the end of its 3-ish hour run time, but its still a very cute, charming and innovative thing.

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9. Her Story ; An interesting experiment in game storytelling with a fantastic performance from Viva Seifert at it's core, it really wouldn't have worked without such good acting. The database-mining aspect of the game is fun at first but gets to be sorta nonsensical and annoying, but the game's reveal is profound and you a fantastic sense of discovery when you uncover it. The core concept of searching for and uncovering a narrative from a series of videos which you can approach from any direction is so cool, and I'd love to see more games working with a similar structure.

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10. Project CARS ; The core content of this is both expansive and enjoyable - the driving model and pure racing is great, and the selection of cars and especially tracks is impressively varied. I really wish everything around it was presented or structured as well, the career mode goes for free-form but comes out being characterless and barely structured, and like Cities: Skylines the entire package has a bit of a budget feel to it in its presentation and some of the elements on the fringe of the racing experience. I've put a lot of time into it though, largely because the core experience of driving is so well done.

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x. Ori and the Blind Forest ; This was on the top 10 when I first started making this list, but I've grown somewhat colder on it the more I've played, plus I played Undertale and Life is Strange in the meantime.

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x. Beseige ; Taking the KSP-spirit award for construction-based early access game I love but can't in good conscience put on my actual top 10 list.

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x. Grand Theft Auto V (PC) ; Didn't get round to playing this until this summer, I definitely have some issues with a lot of the mission design, story and characters but this is maybe the most detailed and well-crafted world I've seen in a game like this, so enjoyable to explore.

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x: The Talos Principle ; My 2014 LTTP game. This came out really late last year and I didn't get round to playing it until the summer, but this was absolutely one of my favourite 2014 releases in retrospect. Really challenging and entertaining first person spatial logic focused puzzles combined with a captivating and philosophically thought-provoking story about the nature of free will. Fantastic, so surprising given that it's made by fucking Croteam of all people too.

Also a dishonourable mention for Hotline Miami 2, fucking hell that was disappointing. The first game was probably my favourite of 2012 but nothing they did or changed helped the gameplay formula in any way and the entire thing had a tone of condescending masturbatoriness which bummed me out so bad. Felt like I needed to say that somewhere.

Honestly haven't had the chance to play a lot of games which really should be on this list or somewhere close, this really isn't a comprehensive list and I imagine I'll be kicking myself after I've played, I don't know, MGSV, Fallout 4, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Tales from the Borderlands, Rocket League, Until Dawn, Bloodborne, etc.
 

Gouty

Bloodborne is shit
1. Bloodborne ; In a year filled with open-world, feature creep bloat fests, this game was a breath of fresh air and honestly the only title worth mentioning for my GOTY list. It is so far beyond other titles and is the clear standout for Game of the Year. Being new to the "Souls" series, I was reluctant to play this given what was mentioned about the difficulty. But as I progressed, I learned to love what the challenge presented, the spectacular level design, phenomenal artistic and musical direction, and of course the unmatched gameplay mechanics. Why is this the only game I've listed? Well, it's the ONLY title that I feel respects the player's time. It's a long game (took me 35-40 hours to complete), but I felt all of those hours were deserving of my time. In other games, you may sink 100+ hours into what ultimately boils down to dead air -- quests that aren't fun, bloated things on your mini map to accomplish, gameplay that you begrudgingly put up with because the story and world are immersive. Bloodborne has NONE of these flaws. It is one of the tightest, most well designed game I've played and probably sits firmly in my top 10 list of all time. More games should aspire to have complete mastery over all elements of the videogame experience that Bloodborne clearly exhibits.

I'm going to have this engraved on a baseball bat and placed lovingly just below a framed picture of Eric Hosmer.
 
1. Splatoon ; It reinvented the shooter. Hard to overstate how significant an accomplishment this is, and it came from the last company anyone expected. At its best, Nintendo's talented developers remind me why I play games and why I love them. I haven't felt the same unbridled joy of play since -- surprise! -- Super Mario 3D World.

2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; Is it true that much of Wild Hunt consists merely of riding, running, or Witcher sensing your way between cutscenes? It sometimes seems that way. But what cutscenes! No game this year had better writing, characterization, and storytelling, and few are the games that can stand toe to toe with it in this regard. Its side quests, in particular, are probably the best I've ever played. As a game, Witcher is eclipsed by the likes of Bloodborne and XCX, which are more mechanically interesting. So why did Witcher 3 top them in this list? Because it's less a game than a wardrobe to another world. Sorry, Narnia -- my heart belongs to the Northern Kingdoms.

3. Xenoblade Chronicles X ; A powerful reminder that games are more than the sum of their parts. In the year of Witcher 3, the hardware compromises of XCX glare brightly. The dub is frequently annoying, and the story is fine but lacks the grand ambition of XCX's predecessor. Yet these complaints are petty when stacked against the game's expansive alien landscape which, unlike so many open world games, stirs real curiosity and rewards exploration. The game's complicated systems are intimidating, but to master them is to create and merge with a dynamic, living world. Perhaps the year's deepest game, and one of the best at inspiring awe.

4. Bloodborne ; A wonderful game, but a refinement of its forebears. What it lacks in groundbreaking invention it more than adds in sheer, throat-gripping terror. No game this year was more terrifying or mysterious. And you haven't lived until you've felt the... exaltation? No, relief of finally toppling a hated boss.

5. SOMA ; Frictional trades shivers for storytelling and comes up big. There are plenty of scares in SOMA, of course, but the emphasis is less on pee-pants terror and more on delivering a narrative that asks big questions, but poses no easy answers, about what it means to be human. The denouement is among the most powerful in gaming history.

6. Scram Kitty DX ; With Treasure all but dormant, Dakko Dakko's quirky, hard-as-nails shooter is heir to the developer's legacy.

7. Sayonara Umihara Kawase Plus ; If you'll indulge a bit of self-promotion, I explained my affection for this game in a review for gamecritics.com

8. Affordable Space Adventures ; One of a handful of games that deliver on the promise of the Wii U's Gamepad. To play Affordable Space Adventures is to glimpse what might have been.

9. Until Dawn ; Yeah, it's schlock, but when was the last time you enjoyed a cheesy horror movie this much? Yes, you're restricted to just one of two choices at each impasse, but I was never less than curious to see how my decisions would play out. Until Dawn's most impressive feat, though, is mending the reputation of QTEs.

10. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood ; This prequel to The New Order fixes everything I disliked about the latter, namely its pretentious and self-serious story, while retaining its tight gunplay and exhilarating action. The Old Blood understands that Wolfenstein is inherently ridiculous, and instead of attempting to redeem the franchise it doubles down on the original's exploitation appeal.

Honorable Mentions
x. Never Alone ; As it game it's derivative, even boring. As a vehicle for cultural education, it's a masterpiece.

x. Super Mario Maker ; If this were a thread for best game concepts SMM would top my list. While I admire it immensely, I take no pleasure in piecing levels together. I've never gotten on with creation games; they feel like work to me. Alas, SMM was no different. I love playing other people's levels, though, and the UI is typical of Nintendo's charm and invention.

x. Hand of Fate ; Ingenious concept. It's a shame the mandatory combat is so shonky.
 

Raw64life

Member
1. Super Mario Maker ; Everything I hoped it could be and more
2. Bloodborne ;
3. Yoshi's Woolly World ;
4. Undertale ;
5. Dragon Quest Heroes ;
6. Tearaway Unfolded ;
7. MLB 15: The Show ;
8. Rocket League ;
9. Mortal Kombat X ;

Thank god reserving posts is no longer allowed. Silliest shit ever.
 

jett

D-Member
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1. The Talos Principle ; This is an absolutely wonderful release. A puzzle game at heart, but it actually raises valid and compelling philosophical discourse in the way its story unfolds. I found it utterly unique and captivating. It's really hard to imagine that the studio that has been making nothing but Serious Sam games over the years was capable of something of this sort. It's rare for a game to affect me on a personal level, but Talos is really something special.

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2. SOMA ; I thought this was absolutely outstanding in terms of story, setting and atmosphere. An achievement in video game sci-fi.

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3. Undertale ; The indie darling of the year, made entirely by a single person. It tricks you with its seemingly simple and basic 2D indie rpg aesthetic, but soon enough you discover how it sets itself apart: the game is designed around the fact that you can spare your enemies. It's all about figuring out how you can have an enemy claim mercy. Part RPG, part puzzler, part bullet hell, all heart though. The game hits you with a surprisingly affecting and emotional story, filled with memorable characters. In pretty much every sense, it's a true successor to Shigesato Itoi's Mother stylings, while being completely its own thing. Nevermind the soundtrack, which is one of the year's best.

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4. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number ; This game. I thought I hated this game at first. I found it cheap and thought the level design was nowhere near as tight as the first game. Then... I got gud. This game is borderline unique in that it's a sequel that continues the same difficulty curve from the end of the first game. Nearly every level is harder than anything in HM1. It's a hard adjust, but once you do you'll find a bigger game with considerably more variety and complexity than the original classic. Also comes with a creatively multilayered plot that changes between taking places before HM1, during HM1, and after HM1. And the soundtrack is the best of the year no fucking doubt.

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5. Transformers Devastation ; It's a Transformers game. With an 80's cartoon aesthetic. With the same voice actors. Developed by Platinum Games. With a kickass metal soundtrack. If you're of a certain age and of a certain taste, this game is just goddamn tailor-made for us. That's all there is to it.

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6. Rocket League ; I had been wavering for a while about getting it, jumped the gun on a Steam Sale. I don't need to waste my time explaining what this is, it's one of the most popular new releases of the year. Dangerously addictive. Even when you're losing, you're having all kinds of fun.

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7. The Witcher 3 ; It's been a while since I played this so it's not all that fresh on my mind, but I'm pretty sure l really liked this video game.

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8. Ori and the Blind Forest ; Gorgeously executed Metroidvania.

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9. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ; I have my issues with this game, mainly being fucking incomplete, but when it comes to game mechanics and design this shit is top notch.

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10. Life Is Strange ; A TellTale game done right. Awesome "time rewind" mechanic for the genre, and lots of likable characters. It's super charming and has its own thing going on. Excellent art style used to full effect with carefully designed "cinematography." TT really needs to step up their shit, their games and production values look so dated compared to LiS.


if you didn't vote for it last year, yes.

Alrighty then, thanks!
 

Stoze

Member
Since Talos Principle was released this year on PS4 (but is originally a 2014 PC game), does it mean it's eligible or not?

Yeah it's eligible (just not on the list right now), re-releases count. It's definitely going on my list.

edit: beat
 

newjeruse

Member
1. Bloodborne ; Game of the generation so far. Amazing moment-to-moment action.
2. Until Dawn ; Went in with very low expectations. My girlfriend and I loved it. Took itself the perfect amount of seriously.
3. OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood ; Added to what was a near perfect formula for the first game. So easy to pick up and play.
4. MLB 15: The Show ; The best and most overlooked sports series right now. Probably logged my most play time.
5. Helldivers ; Really fun co-op action.
6. DriveClub Bikes ; Great addition to this generation's best racer.
 

bbd23

Member
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; this was my most anticipated game and It delivered in every aspect. some of the most memorable quests I've done with a ton of likable characters. great atmosphere and the soundtrack to this game is great.

2. Dying Light ; I didn't think much of this game leading up to its release, I picked it up as a game to pass the time while waiting for the witcher to come out but I ended up loving what I played. solid gameplay and the atmosphere of this game during the night time...I had to pause the game a couple of times because I was so spooked. slicing zombies and drop kicking them off buildings never get old!

3. Call of Duty: Black Ops III ; yea yea...this is actually my first COD game and I am loving the hell out of it. the movement in this game is perfect and I love the specialist aspect of the multiplayer. its my go to game if Im feeling bored and need to pass some time!
 

Nilaul

Member
1. Splatoon ;
2. Super Mario Maker ;
3. Xenoblade Chronicles X ;
4. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D ;
5. Until Dawn ;
6. Shovel Night ;
7. Metal Gear Solid 5 ;
8. Westerado: Double Barreled ;

This list is more or less based on how much fun I had playing a game. Gameplay is king I guess. Witcher 3 didn't make the list because even though its nice to explore, its combat is a nuisance (to put it lightly) and a few other annoying game play elements. The game makes you want to avoid combat like rotten eggs. Splatoon is just pure fun in terms of gameplay (amazing free dlc support), Super Mario Maker could had been top too as it is really fun to create levels and play other peoples creations. I also thought I'll add an western indie game to the list (Westerado: Double Barreled); as I do have a soft spot for those sometimes.
 
1. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; The story and the world are in another level compared to other open world games. I also really liked the gameplay.
2. Pillars of Eternity ; The best RPG I played all year. Shows that Obsidian still has it.
3. Way of the Samurai 4 (PC) ; While the game looks and feels kind of janky, it's full of charm and you can sink a great amount of time trying to see the different endings.
4. D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die -Season One- (PC) ; An incredibly weird and engrossing game, I got really hooked up when I played it at a friend's Xbox so when it came to PC I knew I had to get it again.
5. Contradiction - Spot The Liar! ; The best FMV adventure I've played in a long time.
6. Sunless Sea ; Great storytelling and an amazing atmosphere.
7. Tales from the Borderlands ; Another great episodic game, with a really well told story and great characters.
8. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood ; While it doesn't quite have the great storytelling that TNO sported, it still has the same amazing gunplay (and I have to say, the story still has some great moments)
9. Rebel Galaxy ; The freeform gameplay and the great soundtrack made me feel like Mal Reynolds, and that's an amazing feat.
10. Life is Strange ; Great episodic game, loved the story and the characters.
 
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