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[ChryZ]

1. DOOM ; I've played the original Doom back in '93, on my brand new 486DX2 with whopping 66 MHz (!). It ran super smooth and made the already great gameplay even better. Fast forward 23 years and I'm having an epiphany, it's happening again. I recently picked up a GTX1070 and wanted a nice state of the art game to burn in the new GPU. DOOM 2016 was already on my radar for hearing nothing but good things and its technical prowess (excellent Vulcan API support, insanely well optimized, etc). Yeah, like back in '93, I once again marvel at current tech while having a blast with pitch perfect gameplay. This game rocks, literal (dat OST) and proverbial. Input reads, movement, action, pacing, level design are all top notch. Few releases are this polished. It's a primal joy to tear up the place in this first person shooter. Well and then there is the before mentioned technical side. The GTX1070 is a very capable GPU, but the Vulcan API made it sing and dance even more. Ultra + Nightmare quality settings, down-sampling, the whole nine and the game never missed a beat, buttery smooth frame pacing no matter how thick the action. The story is only there as an excuse to enable the mayhem, but still ties everything together with Paul Verhoeven like dry humor and corporatism satire. Loved it, all of it.

2. Grow Up ; I love Grow Home, but Grow Up is on a whole different level, almost makes its predecessor feel like a prototype or proof of concept! It's a poster child of a sequel. The playground got extended to a whole planet and periphery. I'd guess 4-6 times the size of the original game. Yet the new tool kit makes it so much easier to get around. Useful plant life can be DNA scanned and replicated at will and allows for even more playful high jinks. They've upgraded the engine from Unity 4 to 5 and took advantage of a few more expensive rendering techniques, so it's unfortunately a bit more taxing the hardware. This bummed me out at the beginning, but as soon as the world opened up it was more understandable. Zipping around the planet seamlessly with the given level of detail and even with additions of player created plant life is pretty impressive after all. I had a blast mainlining the story and will be back for some clean up.

3. BLUE REVOLVER ; The dev team was clearly hell-bent to create a love letter to classics like CAVE's DoDonPachi. Well, they definitely succeed. This bullet hell SHMUP is LEGIT. The whole package is: well tuned gameplay, modes for every skill level / play style, bonus unlocks, missions mode with bite sized challenges, a god-tier soundtrack, fantastic sprite work and art direction. The polish on display is almost scary. Best of all: BLUE REVOLVER is so much fun to play.

4. Uncharted 4 ; This game is the poster child of a console exclusive. The production value is off the chart. There are very few games on this level and yet everything seems so effortless: stunning lush interiors and exteriors over-saturated with detail, incredible mo-cap, story telling baked right into the flow of the action, animation that blends super smoothly without getting in the way of playability. That's not even all of it. Uncharted 4 is also a technical show piece for the PS4 in terms of geometry complexity, global illumination, lighting, picture quality and textures. Its 30 fps sport close to flawless frame-pacing and is aided by the right amount of motion blur. Lovable characters, fantastic story and solid "comfort food" gameplay close the deal. I enjoyed this brilliant experience immensely.

5. Gravity Rush Remastered ; Excellent remaster, 60 fps is really working in favor of this fast paced open world game. The scale and aerial viewpoints while zipping through the sky are popping super nicely in 1080p. I wouldn't say the game was held back by Vita, but just blossomed into something more beautiful on the more capable hardware. Great story about a Girl, who wakes up without any memories or even a name. She is able to shift gravity and uses said gift to find a place and purpose in her new world. The gameplay is lots of exploring, flying and aerial, but also ground combat. Traversal is the star of the show and so much fun. Presentation and art direction reminded me of the french comic book artist Mœbius: surreal, dream like and psychedelic ... just with a big extra dose of stylized anime mixed in. No day1 patch or update by the way, it's pretty telling that this is noteworthy nowadays.

6. RefRain - prism memories - ; The golden age of doujin bullet hell SHMUP localization has dawned. RefRain isn't new, but comes with a fair bit of story, manual, tutorial and so the english release was more than welcome. This SHMUP is amazingly well polished and balanced. It being a few years old, shows a little from the assets side though. The STG part is 3D rendered, but the rest of the presentation is sprite work with a base res of 640x480. Upping the internal resolution makes the 3D part sharper, but the 2D rest blurry and soft. I ended up using the default 480p and binary doubled it up to 960p with nearest-neighbor scaling. Blocky, but pixelicious perfect and sharp. The difficulty modes allow fun to be had at any skill level. I blasted through easy on my second try and normal took a few more attempts. The bullet curtains are top class, beautiful to look at and a joy to dodge. The gameplay system allows to cut paths into the curtains, cancel whole bullet patterns (but not lasers) and charge powerful attacks. Each run clocks in under 30 minutes, which is also nice for a play in between the busiest of schedules. The soundtrack rocks too by the way.

7. Ratchet & Clank ; Excellent reboot, they changed enough to keep me in a constant state of dé vu: great mix of old and new. The gameplay was fun as ever, mayhem and bolts everywhere. The presentation got a nice boost by the more capable PS4, so lush. 30 fps is a bummer "on paper", but the almost perfect frame pacing still makes everything super smooth. I had preferred better anti-aliasing to match the otherwise almost CGI like quality of the visuals. Oh well, maybe we'll get that for the next reboot on PS6.

8. Furi ; Now I've seen it all: Furi is a french made sword fighting boss rush peppered with bullethell elements, inspired by Japanese games, fused with western influence, stunning presentation, amazing synth soundtrack and highly technical combat. They managed to create a game more unforgiving as any Souls game. It's all focus, do or die. Never unfair, but the tiniest mistake will be punished, hard. Furi will happily crush you and then taunt you to come back for a second serving. You get up, dust yourself off and eventually crush Furi. Many people don't like the forced walking / story exposition in between fights. I never minded the calm moments before each encounter while looking at the beautiful scenery and listening to synth tunes. The story only made sense at the end of the game, which is totally fine. My only gripes were the rare sections which required "precision" dashing in moving close quarters and PS4's spotty performance spoiled the fun a couple of times: screen tearing, jumpy framerate, input lag by noticeable slowdown, all horrible for such demanding gameplay. I'll double dip down the line and buy the Steam version for a revisit without Unity performance woes.

9. PAC-MAN 256 ; Two hundred fifty-six is a lovely remix of PAC-MAN. Pixels got replaced by isometric voxels and instead of clearing single screens the maze continuously scrolls upwards while the player gets chased by a killscreen glitch at the bottom. The game is highscore driven, but unlocks and missions add another carrot on a stick. The power pellets aren't the only offensive measure anymore and many other random drops (said unlocks) help the player to keep the ghosts at bay. The highscore chase is endless, but I chalk this one up under beaten because of the "Mission Complete" achievement. I'm going to keep PAC-MAN 256 installed though. It's a wicked little gem for a quick game here and there.

10. Trouble Witches Origin -Episode1 Daughters of Amalgam- ; This doujin SHMUP went comic market scene PC debut, then Arcade, then 360 and now Steam! The core game remains as refined as ever, but the "Origin" release was reworked and enhanced in many ways: re-adjusted visuals, new magic card (power up), new modes and a new character with new story line. There are all the modes you can ask for; Origin AC (arcade with Origin assets, no story), Origin Story (character's story line), Origin Challenge (score attack, get as many points in 2 or 5 minutes) and AC (the original Arcade release!). The STG is bullet hell, but with a major twist. You can and must dodge bullet curtains, but the player can also create a magic circle that slows bullets down and converts bullets to coins, when you shoot their shooter. The magic circle depletes over time and needs to be used strategically. It's the core gameplay element to make the whole chaos manageable. Controlling the mayhem and creating heaps of coins is amazingly satisfying. The coins can be used to buy power ups at Pumpkin Girl's store, witch pops up twice every stage. The power ups help in a pinch and offer additional firepower for a short amount of time. I'm completely in love with this game: it runs buttery smooth, plays great, lots of fun to be had, the characters and their stories are adorable and funny.

 

[gollumsluvslave]

1. Dishonored 2 ; Amazing world building, level design and gameplay. Only very slightly let down by the narrative being similar to the first game, but the gameplay delivers in spades. A Crack in the Slab may be my favourite level in the last 10 years...
2. Inside ; Beautiful, thought provoking, addictive, and totally bonkers. I love PlayDead
3. X-Com 2 ; As addictive as crack, so much depth, and challenging... i'm already planning my next play through...
4. Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition ; Stunning animation, great controls, beautiful soundtrack and some great additions make this even better than what was already a great game
5. Bioshock: The Collection ; Whist by all accounts it was not a great remaster by any stretch, I was lucky on the tech side and my experience of revisiting Rapture was still extremley powerful.
6. Quantum Break ; That familiar Remedy gameplay and an interesting if flawed experiment with mixed media.

 

[Dance Inferno]

I have my top ten list completed but I'm debating whether it's worth fitting in a few more games before the deadline (likely Doom and/or Dishonored 2), or if I should just lock the list and play the remaining games at my leisure in 2017.

 

[Wink]

I have my top ten list completed but I'm debating whether it's worth fitting in a few more games before the deadline (likely Doom and/or Dishonored 2), or if I should just lock the list and play the remaining games at my leisure in 2017.

Post the list. Playing at your leisure sounds like a more optimal way to enjoy a game than out of a feeling of obligation.
But if something changes you can edit it before the deadline anyway.

 

[Dance Inferno]

Post the list. Playing at your leisure sounds like a more optimal way to enjoy a game than out of a feeling of obligation.
But if something changes you can edit it before the deadline anyway.

Yeah that's kind of what I'm leaning towards... Good point about being able to edit it later too.

 

[Romeeeeeeeeeee]

1. Dark Souls III ; It was my first Souls game. Never felt so rewarded (and frustrated) playing a game.

 

[Rosvoja Torilla]

This thread is so cool! I like the cleanliness of the format and the easiness of reading peoples short descriptions. There have been countless times I'd just like to quote and say "you are so correct!" Good job everyone.

 

[RepairmanJack]

1. The Witness ; I don't think there has been a game that has resonated and really stuck with me more than The Witness. I am constantly thinking about this game and how long I will need to wait in order to play it again without remembering everything about it. For 3 weeks I was obsessed and since then I've only been fixated on playing it again. Not only may favorite game of the year but one of my favorite games of all time.

2. Overwatch ; I know it's Blizzard and the game should be expected to be good, but this game really came out of nowhere to me and really blew me away.

3. Stardew Valley ; I found out about this game the day it was first released and went in knowing nothing other than it was similar to the Harvest Moon games. This game ended up causing me to move my PC into the living room because my wife was getting annoyed at me spending too much time in the PC room. This game took over my life for at least a month and would easily be my number one of the year if it wasn't for two games above it that I will constantly return to over and over again.

4. Path of Exile ; This was the year I fell back in love with PoE. With two of their major updates in Breach League and Essence League, it really revitalized the leveling grind and I easily put probably 400 hours into PoE just this year alone. I'm glad years later PoE is still releasing their 3 month big content updates and keeping the game feeling fresh.

5. The Last Guardian ; This game has some issues and isn't perfect but it really ended up being what I had waited forever for. I still haven't beat it so things could go all down hill, but so far in the game I've enjoyed every minute of it.

6. Doom
7. Obduction
8. Dark Souls 3
9. Mario Run
10. Oxenfree

 

[rdytoroll]

So many The Witness mentions. Guess I have to go back to that game. I played it for a few hours and was lost the whole time, I had no idea where to go next

 

[GlamFM]

So many The Witness mentions. Guess I have to go back to that game. I played it for a few hours and was lost the whole time, I had no idea where to go next

That´s the beauty of it!

 

[Naarmight]

1. Overwatch ; I wont get to 10 games to vote for, because of this game. It has been fantastic, I have loved it, hated it, and loved it again. Having an FPS with such diverse playable classes is fantastic, each character being so unique and well designed give this game the depth, that some people seem to gloss over.
2. Street Fighter V ; Furious that Capcom botched the launch of this actually great fighting game, it was an early access release to all intents and purposes. That aside I love the game, I am happy they are continuing to support it, and really 2017 is basically going to see me playing my 1 & 2 game from 2016.
3. Enter the Gungeon ; Utter surprise at this one, came out of nowhere and I loved it to bits, I spent quite a lot of time with this before finally admitting defeat, gathering everything to complete this was beyond me.
4. WoW Legion ; I thought I would never go back. Legion changed that it was fantastic joining back in again, catching up with old friends and running through the ton of new things they added. That said I did tire of the game really quickly despite it feeling like the best expansion they had released (again games 1 & 2 probably contributed more to this). Everything just worked, and worked well, a surprise when compared to all the other expansions.
5. Total War: Warhammer ; Total War and Warhammer were meant to go together, and this works fantastically, I just desperately need to find more time to put in to this.

 

[rdytoroll]

That´s the beauty of it!

Yeah, I just wasn't in the mood at the time. I'm going to try it again soon

 

[AerialAir]

I keep reading posts that say they would have voted for Life is Strange, but it was a game that came out last year. Yet on the spreadsheet in the OP, it's listed. So that means it's eligible, right?

I think it's because the retail edition only came out in 2016, with some new features.

 

[8bit]

1. Dark Souls III - It was my first Souls game. Never felt so rewarded (and frustrated) playing a game.

Your vote won't be counted, read the op.

 

[Skatterd]

1. Overwatch ; How could it be anything else really? Going into this year I thought that I had lost all interest in multiplayer shooters.Then Overwatch came along and shook my world up. Easy to pick up and play, a variety of great characters and an impressive ability to make you really feel like you're contributing to the team. I absolutely love all the other games on this list don't get me wrong, but this is the only one I could still see myself playing weekly in 2020.

2. Final Fantasy XV ; A couple hours into FFXV, I said to one of my friends, "Oh this one is going to be divisive as hell." Whether you see this game as a beautiful disaster or a flawed masterpiece, it's obvious it has problems. It reminds me of MGSV in a lot of ways. and I can't shake the feeling of "Man, they were close to having something truly special here." And then there's the obfuscated plot, the pending Chapter 13 rework, and some questionable design choices. And this may read as negative, but even still nothing sucked me in like this game this year.

3. Bound ; An impressively beautiful game that I feel like has fallen off a map a bit at the end of the year and forgotten in many end of the year lists. It might not be to everyone's taste, but it looks like nothing else out there and tries (and often succeeds) to do something truly different. The added VR mode is a plus too (although I'm not crazy about the camera angles). If you haven't played it, it's certainly worth your time.

4. Titanfall 2 ; What could be said that hasn't already been; a masterful campaign. Incredible level design where "gimmicks" that could be applied to an entire game are used just enough that you don't get tired of it and discarded, leaving you wanting more more more. Great multiplayer that feeds the giant mecha nerd inside me. It has made a potential Titanfall 3 one of my most antipicated games the second it was announced. Now if only more people would buy it.

5. Firewatch; I had a hard time playing Firewatch. Not because of the gameplay or anything like that....call me sentimental but it really struck a nerve in me. I almost had to put the controller down after the intro and in most of the time that followed it made me feel something deep down inside like very games do. Maybe it doesn't quite stick the landing in the end

Spoiler

or maybe that's the point

, but I won't forget my time with Delilah in the wilderness.

6. Hitman ; The perfect game to watch people fuck around in. Like many, I had no intention of playing this game earlier in the year before all of streams (many of them Giant Bomb). Great level design that will make you want to replay missions multiple times and encourages you to really treat them as a sandbox and make your fun, this is definitely my surprise of the year.

7. Thumper ; This was one of the first games I played in Playstation VR and the one that just won't leave my mind. It surrounds you with atmosphere and presents a feeling of increasing dread and yes, "rhythm violence." Put on some headphones, strap in, and get lost in the beat.

8. DOOM ; " They are rage, brutal, without mercy. But you. You will be worse. Rip and tear, until it is done."

9. INSIDE ; I have to admit the hype did kill some of my enjoyment of this....but even so it is still a pretty impressive game. The aesthetic really cares it, even if I found some of the puzzles kinda eh. And the ending

Spoiler

(and bonus ending)

really is something.

10. Dark Souls 3 ; There was a version of this list where this game wasn't even on it. There's certainly been better Souls game and I was feeling kind of burnt out of them. And my last experience with it this year in the DLC...was certainly not great in my opinion. But then I looked back and I've played 200 hours of this game. Dark Souls is my favorite game of all time. If Dark Souls IV came out tomorrow I'd probably lose another 200 hours to it. If I didn't list it as one of my favorite games of this year, well, I'd really be lying to myself.

 

[Karu]

Have bought all the games I want to play before the deadline. Finished DOOM today, now on to Deus Ex and Dark Souls III. The rest of my games are pretty much ordered.

What a strong year it has been. I also tried to update my Top 50 document and quite a few from this year made it in. (And what a strange document that is. Nintendo 64? 2 games made it on the list - Turok Rage Wars and Mario Party )

 

[Ivan A Nguyen]

1. Hyrule Warriors Legends ; I already had this game, but my son used the Wii as his own personal youtube device so I bought it again when it came out on portable. This game really clicked with me. The extra DLC characters included in the game are fun and I've spent well over 60 hours on this title. It's been my go to title if I want some fun with out having to think too hard. The varied missions are great, all the characters handle differently, and different weapons breathe new life into the play styles. This game actually prompted me to buy Pirate Warriors 3 for the vita because I've become such a fan of the game play. Still, this game has been king for me this year. So much so that I bought the extra DLC last night.

2. Overwatch ; You can't go wrong with this game for $40. I picked it up close to release and I have been enjoying it off and on sense. I've put much more time into Hearthstone this year, but this would be my second most played Blizzard product. The skins are fun, the arcade with loot boxes has been a great addition, and I can hook up a controller and play on the big screen if I feel like being casual. I tried out ranked for the first time recently and they people I was playing with were all great. It became incredibly intense and after the 2nd win I found out it was best of 5 instead of 3. When I expressed my surprise I was greeted with some laughter and one of the ladies said, "Oh summer child." I know there can be a lot of toxic people out there, but I think the characters in Overwatch tend to inspire people to be nice.

3. Plants Vs Zombies 2: Garden Warfare ; My son has close to 250 hours into this game sense launch. We've played it together at least once a week, and for many weeks it was at least once a day. He has much better control over his coins than I do. He'll save up over 150k in coins before he buys a new character. My wife and I will beg him to spend it at 75k because we want to see something new, but he refuses. The addition of an open world area that you spawn into was key to this game becoming something special. The missions inside are great too. The AI helps when someone wants to play solo, and the gameplay is balanced for 2 (on easy at least) if you want to play waves. The missions board is great as well as the exp multiplier you get from constant play. I can't say enough good things about this game. If you liked the first one even a little then you owe it to yourself to try this one out.

4. Monster Hunter Generations ; This would probably be higher up if not for Legends. I put in 64 hours into 4U this year so the beginning grind kind of bummed me out on Generations. I've still put 48 hours into it in 2016. One of the things I've really started enjoying is switching to cat mode and completing some of the more mindless quests. The cats don't need to carry items, have 2 revives per life, and can farm all day long. I love the Monster Hunter formula. This game gets a ton of it right. It revisits places I've been and has tons of characters who are familiar as well. Some of it is confusing. There is a ton of stuff about Palico training I still don't get. I can't get a handsome scrap to save my life. All that aside, I am excited for XX and this game will hold me over until it's release.

5. Zero Escape: Time Dilemma ; The sequel we never thought we'd get. The production value and tell tale quality of animation are a perfect addition to the series. They are re-releasing the old games, but I wish they'd also animate them in the same way this one was. There were many times I'd que up a segment and just watch it. The way they play with time and keep most of the mysteries solvable was good. The twist caught me by surprise. It actually ended in a way I was happy. I also like how it kind of pokes fun at Stiens; Gate when they use the pods. It's a dark joke, but this game is full of darkness. The final decision becomes head cannon. My only complaint is that it leaves a door open for a sequel and I don't think that one will ever happen either.

6. Infinite Warfare ; This game might have been further up on my list if I had the time to play through the campaign. I keep finding myself drawn the the multiplayer instead. There are challenges and rewards for miles and not a game goes by that I don't find myself close to completing a new level on my exp, a gun, or a mission team. Had a bad game? Well you're only 3 keys away from a supply drop so keep playing! Not close on anything level wise? Check out your challenges in the barracks and see the top 3 challenges you are close to completing in each category. I am constantly editing my load outs to try something new. On the PS4 there are tons of modes that are populated. Front line is a new addition that teaches me that it's not my spawn points that are killing me. Zombies is kind of forgettable. Maybe I just haven't had the right team, but it seems like I'm always getting separated and the zombies just get more powerful instead of just increasing in number. A zombie that would die to a head shot earlier becomes much tougher to kill. There will still be times I spawn in and die to a hail of gunfire, but they are few and far between. At the start I felt I was dying to lag a lot, but that either got worked out or I got guud. I didn't play Black Ops 3 or Ghost so I wasn't burned out on this like many other people. I like the movement and wall running feels natural, but I'm still not as good as some of the guys I die to. One day I'll master the drop shot.

7. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 ; This game did what Shippudon't. It brought closure to the Naruto series in a perfect way. The fighting is chock full of characters from all over the series. The cut scenes and story are exactly what you want from a manga brought to life. I really should be playing more of this game, but I can't seem to get the controls right. I keep switching between controllers where the buttons are different and so I never got deep into it. I don't dabble online, but I'll set up fights against the computer from time to time.

8. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair ; I played this on the Vita, but it came out on the PC this year as well. I actually skipped the first game after watching the anime and I'm glad this is the one I dove in deep with. The mystery behind the world is something I always wanted addressed. The game play rarely left me at a point where I didn't know what to do. The trials were fun and I only had to resort to an FAQ twice, which is much less than most of these types of games for me. I'm looking at you early Ace Attorney games. The music was good enough that I spent in game currency buying tracks. I liked the game on the PS TV as well. It did great on the big screen. The Japanese voices were on point and the ending had me in real despair. I rank this game so low because it really came out in another year so it doesn't deserve to dethrone any really good games.

9. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven ; I discovered Jo Jo this year and managed to make my way through the entire series in just a few months. I picked this game up on sale and I've only had time to play the vs CPU modes, but the story is suppose to be by the original manga author and I am super hyped to dig into it when I have time. The characters are fun and really well animated. The fights are ridiculous. At least two characters have the ability to stop time. It's also made me realize I don't miss Hamon at all.

10. Tom Clancy's The Division ; I liked this game. It was really fun. At some point the enemies became too hard for me to walk up to fight and my gear didn't match my level. I was told I'd have to farm up some better gear and that killed my interest in proceeding with the story. I like the atmosphere, the phone conversations, and the after mission videos. There is so much that I like about this game that it's a shame it was hampered by trying to be destiny. The new survival is cool, but it's time commitment has kept me from going too deep. Hopefully I'll return to this game, but I spent a solid two weeks banging my head against the wall and the scaling enemies just made it too much of a chore.

 

[Elandyll]

UC4 and Overwatch are the clear (afaik) favorites, but I am so glad to see so many "smaller" titles also mentionned so often in the top 5, and even top spot, for many, from The Witness to Inside to The Last Guardian.

Great diversity this year (2015 was being crushed under the weight of not just 1 but 2 titles worthy of GotG-level hype, Witcher 3 and Bloodborne.

 

[Dance Inferno]

Wiping this ballot and reposting here, due to new games that have since entered my list.

 

[Dance Inferno]

Wiping this ballot and reposting here, due to new games that have since entered my list.

 

[Jobias]

1. Titanfall 2 ; Beautifully designed core gameplay and levels, a competent story and the same excellent MP experience from the original. Easily the game I think of first when I think of amazing gaming experiences in 2016

2. Overwatch ; While I actually get pretty frustrated when I play this due to my own failings, I can't help but keep coming back to this due to how strong the character design is, and how fun the gameplay can be even though I may be losing (which is pretty fucking often). The potential for esports is also bright, which is a plus in my book.

3. Stardew Valley ; More than any other game, this produced the most relaxing and zen-like experience this year. Unlike most of the games this year, it made planning and nurturing into core gameplay conceits and was charming as all hell.

4. Stellaris ; Buggy as hell, but the premise and strategic sandbox it built appealed to the science-fiction fan in me extremely strongly.

5. Tom Clancy's The Division ; A late addition, as I literally bought it on Dec 30 during the end-of-year Steam sale. I realize that it was a *very* sub-par experience at launch. But playing it now through the leveling experience and both DLCs, it feels like the Destiny replacement I always wanted. Yes, I'm a government agent brazenly murdering the citizens I'm supposedly sworn to protect. But that plum scarf and garnet beanie are worth it goddamnit.

6. Hyper Light Drifter ; I've heard this described as Bloodborne meets Zelda and that's about perfect. Combat feels precise, demanding and rewarding. While the drip-fed visual only lore feels a bit too pretentious for my taste, it's hard to argue that there isn't a depth to the story that's rewarding if you give it a chance. And the visuals are probably the best this year.

7. Pokemon Sun/Moon ; Rowlet for life. This is the best Pokemon game in at least several generations and the first to seriously change the core structure. It succeeds.

8. Starbound ; I have a soft spot for science fiction, which is why I got into Starbound far more than I did Minecraft or Terraria. It helps that there's a decent story behind it and it's not just a barebones sandbox. Floransssss are the besssst.

9. Dark Souls 3 ;

10. XCOM 2 ; It was either this or Fire Emblem Fates, and while I love the waifu breeding mini-game, the combat and replayability felt better to me. It also helps that it's science fiction to FE:Fates' fantasy.



Honorable Mentions

x. Street Fighter V ; I didn't play very much of this since I'm so terribly bad. But damn if this isn't my second favorite esport to watch. I felt weird about putting it on my actual top 10 if I barely played it however, but it's one of my most watched games this year.
x. Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak ; If this had more legs and took up (some of) the mantle of competitive RTS from Starcraft 2, this would've been bumped into my top 10. Beautiful game, surprisingly playable UI and excellent music.
x. Civilization VI ; Were this any other year or any other Civilization, this would be in the top 3. But Stellaris took up the lion's share of my strategy gaming time, and frankly despite the beautiful presentation, something about this iteration just didn't *click* for me. I played through one game and promptly went back to Stellaris. Expansions and DLC may (and probably will) change my mind, but as far as 2016 is concerned, it wasn't good enough to make my top 10.

 

[aechris]

1. Final Fantasy XV ; I was unsure about it at the beginning, but over the course of the game it sold me. Especially that ending!
2. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE ; Hit every beat for me. The idol thing was covered without being too weeb and despite the weak FE link, it was enough for me.
3. Overwatch ; Lots of fun with others, read every other post on this thread for more information.
4. Dragon Quest Builders ; Surprised me, for sure. Didn't expect to put this on my top 10 (5), but it was great. Kept thinking about it long after I got the platinum (which I also want expecting to get!)
5. Picross 3D: Round 2 ; Unsurprising, but way more puzzles than I'd expected.

 

[mobilesworking]

1. The Last Guardian ; I didn't think anything could dislodge Overwatch from the top spot. I was wrong. With The Last Guardian, Ueda and his team have crafted one of the most remarkable journeys in video game history, an intimate tale of friendship, sacrifice, and unshakeable loyalty. Even writing those words pricks my eyes with the memory of tears that fell on completing the game. It's not that these themes are unknown in other mediums -- far from it. But in what other instance is your bond forged through interaction, even of a fumbling and occasionally awkward kind? Trico, after all, is a creature with its own will, one that does not always align with the player's. This is not Roach to be summoned from thin air to serve the player's convenience. Trico's stubbornness, the source of so many gnashed teeth and pulled hairs, is among this game's many accomplishments. This is a game that is not meant to be conquered, mastered, or beaten.

2. Overwatch ; I don't care for competitive shooters but I love Overwatch. A contradiction? Not if you've played Blizzard's magnificent take on the formula that TF2 seemed to have perfected. Truly, there is something for everyone here, and Blizzard continues to show a remarkable sensitivity to balance and inclusiveness, continually unveiling tweaks and changes that make the game more fun and more fair to more people. That the game is awash in color and personality doesn't hurt either.

3. Dishonored 2 ; Yes, it's a sequel, and in the way of most sequels it's more of the same. In this case, however, 'the same' consists of intricate level design and mechanics that maximize a player's choices. This, in turn, encourages experimentation and play for its own sake. No game that I played this year -- not even Blood and Wine, a game of inviting landscapes and colorful vistas -- offers greater wonder through exploration. It's gratifying to pursue one path through a level only to replay it and discover the many alternatives, lethal or otherwise, that one could have taken. The story is slight, and some of the environmental storytelling is as clumsy as ever, but the lore remains richly developed and smartly written, and all of it describes a world brought to new and vivid life via Arkane's Void engine, which renders wood grain, shining brass fixtures, and roiling waves in impressive detail.

4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine ; The story is not as compelling as Hearts of Stone, due to the absence of an antagonist as frightening as Gaunter O'Dimm, but Blood and Wine warms up Witcher 3's chilly finale by summoning Geralt to Toussaint, a land of blossoms, sun-warmed terroir, painted facades, and the promise of respite after a life of hand-to-mouth hard living. The gameplay changes (e.g. mutations) are scarcely worth mentioning and in fact break the game by making it easy to overpower any enemy. Mostly, this is another opportunity, perhaps the last, to assume the role of Geralt and to enjoy one of the most fully realized and sensitively written games in recent memory.

5. Broforce ; Broforce went from a game I disdained on this very forum to the only game I finished twice last year. What seemed a me-too retro platformer with a Team America schtick turned out instead to offer the immediate and uncomplicated joy of arcade gaming. For all its knowing stupidity, Broforce is a remarkably funny game. Some of that comes from doubling down on an absurdist sendup of meat-and-potatoes patriotism, some of it comes from tweaking the gaming world's worst habits. But it's the game's unpredictability -- from the unstable, destructible stages to the mechanics, all different, of the Bros under your control -- that makes for bursts of frustrated laughter and multiple paths to Freeeeeeedom!

6. Inside ; Much of Playdead's spare-but-atmospheric Inside would work just as well as a movie. But then you come to that ending, one that achieves much of its power through interactivity. The game builds to an unimaginable climax in which the same ordinary movement mechanics, moving a joystick left or right, attains a stunning new affect. To say more would spoil the year's best tone poem.

7. Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition ; A masterpiece of level design with incredible game-feel (controlling Ori is a joy) and impossibly lush artwork. Little about Ori is new or surprising, but when every element is as well-executed as it is here, it feels churlish to hold the game to a higher standard. Ori stands out in an overcrowded genre and that's praise aplenty.

8. Gravity Rush Remastered ; The problems of the Vita original are preserved here. The tedious A-to-B mission design, the simplistic combat. But no other game, save its imminent sequel, better captures the joy of flight. I haven't felt this giddy in three-dimensional space since taking to the skies in Super Mario 64. Often I would ignore the missions for long stretches of time, preferring to explore the nooks and crannies of Hekseville, collecting the gems tucked into back alleys, rooftops, and the forgotten places of the floating city's infrastructure.

9. Superhot ; I don't buy the 'critique of shooters' argument that some read into Superhot. Sure, it's implicit in the narrative about a Polybius-like game that brainwashes its players, but Videodrome it ain't. What Superhot is, however, is stylish and abundantly clever. The game's they-move-when-you-move mechanic is probably the biggest innovation in shooter design since, I dunno, WASD? It's also got a stylish minimalism that recalls the earliest days of computer graphics.

10. Doom ; I found myself growing weary of this game near its end, and I have nothing but giggles for that Doomslayer nonsense. But id deserves kudos for honoring the blistering, circle-strafing speed of the original. And the glory-kill mechanic, seemingly borrowed from Bloodborne, incentivized a gung-ho, into-the-maelstrom play style, a refreshing change from scum-saving and cover-based gunplay.


Honorable Mentions
x. Assault Android Cactus ; How do you make a bullet hell STG even more nerve-wracking? Put it in an arena.
x. Super Mario Run ; "I admire its purity." Mario reduced to a single mechanic.

 

[Weebos]

1. Pokémon Sun/Moon ; The best Pokemon has ever been. The way they incorporated Pokemon into the world finally meets the expectations I've had for a 3D Pokemon. It was hard to not give the number 1 spot to the next game on this list, but I would be lying to myself if I didn't give it to these excellent games.

2. Hitman ; My first Hitman game, and boy, what a surprise this ended up being. Easily the most fun I've had on my PS4. I have stacks of other games to play, but I keep finding a reason to boot up Hitman.

3. XCOM 2 ; Incredible followup to Enemy Unknown, with an incredible mod scene. I got so into this game I actually made a few mods of my own. I look forward to playing this for years to come.

4. Fire Emblem Fates ; An excellent Fire Emblem game, still not sure how I feel about it in regards to the rest of the franchise, but Fates made many interesting changes which felt fresh. Conquest is easily the best route, but all three are worth a playthrough.

5. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse ; An excellent followup to SMT 4 that improved almost every system in its predecessor.

6. Bravely Second: End Layer ; More Job fun, exactly what I wanted.

7. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE ; I haven't finished this yet, but it has an excellent combat system and a poppy, upbeat story that I really enjoy.

8. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth ; Another RPG I have not finished. Cyber Sleuth really caught me up in some Digimon nostalgia. It helps that it is actually a pretty good game too.

9. Overwatch ; Blizzard makes good games. I've fallen off this game quite a bit, but I'm confident I will keep returning to it over the next few years..

10. Pocket Card Jockey ; Solitaire + Realistic Interpretations of Horse Racing = Great Game.

Honorable Mention

x. 7th Dragon III Code: VFD ; I only just started this game because I got it for the holidays, but it is great. It probably would have made the list if I had time to play more of it, great little dungeon crawler so far.

 

[grizzelye]

Was hard to rank these games, but here is my list. I haven't finished Doom/The Last Guardian yet, so not included.

1. Inside ; Great experience, played this in one sitting. Masterpiece.
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine ; Fitting ending to the Witcher series, loved the new area, and the final framing shot of geralt was bitter sweet.
3. Final Fantasy XV ; Enjoyed playing what I deem to be the future of JRPGs, hope they bring this system to FF7R and FFXVI
4. The Witness ; I went into this blind, and didn't expect to be met with exclusively line puzzles, but the whole island and mystery pulled me in.
5. Dark Souls III ; My most played game of 2016.
6. Hitman ; Great game, Disliked the online connection but it's a excellent game and missions are really fun.
7. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; I missed the Indiana Jones vibe of the previous entries, but there is no doubting the polish of a Naughty Dog game.
8. Titanfall 2 ; Campaign was a blast, enjoyed every second.
9. Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition ; Pixel perfect controls, beautiful graphics/music, and story.
10. Watch_Dogs 2 ; Enjoyed the latest entry much more with the drones. Looking forward to the sequel.

Honorable Mentions
x. NBA 2K17 ; I'm not usually a NBA/Sports game fan, but I loved this entry. ORANGE JUICE!
x. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare ; Loved the Starlancer vibes of the campaign, wished they added different success/fail states depending on the mission performance.
x. Quantum Break ; Lore and graphics were superb, the difficulty should have been more challenging.
x. Stardew Valley ; Brought me back to my SNES days, great spiritual Harvest Moon.
x. Forza Horizon 3 ; Another great entry to my current favorite racing series.

 

[DomsPlaying]

Here are mine. Thanks!

1. Overwatch; Blizzard’s expertly-made competitive hero shooter is probably the game I played the most in 2016, both with friends and solo, as it features an excellent blend of competitive gameplay hooks, positive reinforcement and casual appeal with some of the most well-crafted characters this generation; as is expected from the developer, who is known especially for its attention to detail.

2. DOOM; Developer id Software successfully reinvigorated this classic action-packed series in 2016, which is much more than a standard popcorn blockbuster game with its smart level design, fast-paced gameplay, fluidity of movement and surprisingly deep narrative, making it my favorite single-player first-person shooter campaign in years since probably another id property: Wolfenstein: The New Order.

3. Pokemon Go; I’m not sure I can say much more than already has been said about 2016’s cultural phenomenon that was Pokémon Go: Niantic’s augmented reality mobile title took not just gamers but the world by storm after its summer release, and while admittedly it’s not the deepest game, it is severely addicting and caused millions to adventure to places they normally wouldn’t to collect all the cute creatures in the long-running franchise has to offer; including me, as I’ve sunk at least a hundred hours and still play to this day.

4. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End; Naughty Dog’s epic conclusion to the Uncharted series is a technical marvel that expands on the swashbuckling, action-adventure gameplay by opening its level design and offering even more approaches to missions than its predecessors including a well-design stealth mechanic; Not to mention it’s the best-looking game I played in 2016, there were at least a half dozen times I stopped to take in the scenery, and it nails the landing on a story following its most-beloved characters that fans have known for years.

5. Watch Dogs 2; Ubi’s sequel to its 2014 open-world stealth-hacking game Watch Dogs is just lots of fun to play, in its much brighter setting of San Francisco plus more relatable main character Marcus Holloway, who is a parkour master with a variety of cool apps and drones at his disposal, allowing for creativity during mission approaches and clever puzzle-solving that results in an enjoyable main storyline with worthwhile side quests; even collectible hunting becomes unpredictable and more fun than usual, as many can’t be completed without creative approaches using Marcus’ drone hardware.

6. Ratchet & Clank; Insomniac’s modern rebuild of the cartoony 3D platformer is not only among my favorite games of 2016, but it’s the one that took me most by surprise since it wasn’t on my radar until after its release; and with that surprise came moments of pure joy, as playing through the beautiful, colorful planets alongside the humorous narrative as the Lombax/robot duo warmed my heart like few games can.

7. Dishonored 2; Arkane’s follow-up to the original 2012 stealth title is exceptional in that it keeps the magic of the first Dishonored, with its wonderful level layouts and character designs plus dreary-yet-beautiful setting and art, while expanding upon its best elements since it now offers two playable characters both with unique talents, boasting a plethora of abilities and tools to ultimately allow the player to decide if she or he would be a silent ghost or a vengeful assassin.

8. The Witness; Plain and simple, The Witness by designer Jonathan Blow is my favorite puzzle game of 2016 as it’s not only one of the most stunningly-beautiful minimalistic first person games I’ve played, its focus on mind-bending puzzles (some of its best are secretly hidden within the environment) and collectibles that reveal philosophical ruminations ranging from the nature of consciousness to the existence of God prove that there are layers upon layers to this modern day indie classic; if only its ending was more powerful, it would be higher on this list.

9. Titanfall 2; Yet another sequel, I know, but this time Respawn studio head Vince Zampella and his team injected a thrilling single-player story into its mech-shooter that originally debuted in 2014, and crafted a comfortable balance between fast-moving mechanics and narrative quality (especially in one much-discussed mission focused on the manipulation of time) not to mention reinforced the already strong multiplayer mode featured in the first game to shape what I think is the year’s second best shooter campaign behind DOOM.

10. Oxenfree; Rounding out my Top 10 is this weird, adventure-mystery game, made by a small team featuring folks previously from Telltale Games and Disney, which follows teens on a trip to a deserted island; Oxenfree plays on dialogue and choice like few other games have done to tell a unique coming-of-age story in a very cool, supernatural manner and truly allows the player to decide the outcome of various story elements.

Honorable Mentions:

Let It Die; This 3rd person roguelike hack-and-slasher made by Japanese designer Goichi Suda (Suda51) and team at Grasshopper grabbed me randomly for a few weeks after its surprise announcement at the PlayStation Experience, and features some of the coolest characters this year along with challenging-yet-rewarding gameplay; but its free-to-play elements and difficulty spike are the reasons why it couldn’t crack my Top 10.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood & Wine; I’m including this excellent expansion for last year’s fantasy masterpiece The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in the honorable mentions essentially on a technicality, since it’s not necessarily a brand new game; Though with that said, Blood & Wine rivals most standalone role-playing games in its quality, gorgeous setting and breadth of content plus it puts a bow on this legendary story in a way that most games seldom accomplish.

 

[Raysoul]

1. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE ; Best console RPG that I have played. The gameplay is an excellent fusion of Fire Emblem and SMT elements. The music is well executed an integral to the game. The story is so stupid and I love it.

2. Monster Hunter Generations ; This is one of the best MH in terms of gameplay. The variety of styles is a very good addition. Hopefully it will be added on future installments other than XX.

3. Kirby: Planet Robobot ; You can't just help but smile the whole time while playing this game.

4. Pokken Tournament ; Like MH, the core gameplay is excellent. I just hope they would add more characters. Would buy a Switch version for this.

5. Super Mario Run ; Runner of the year. Not necessarily deep but the challenges are good (Black coins are brutal)

-=-=-=

Note: I almost forgot Kirby, Pokken, and MH came out of this year. WTF memory.

 

[8bit]

.

You need formatting fixes and comments to have your vote counted, read the op.

.

thx!

 

[demosthenes]

1. Dishonored 2 ; Yes there were some issues with the PC launch but I haven't really run into much of those playing on my 1070. This is the first game in years that I'm going to 100% because it's so damn fun. The level design is amazing. . I wish I was 10% as good as this person is.
2. Uncharted 4 ; My favorite games of the past decade have been the Uncharted games. Uncharted 4 I hope was a great conclusion to the story of characters that I loved. The game follows mostly of its predacessors but introduces some new things to the series. It took steps to even in small pieces have different paths to get to a point. These were really small but I also thought really cool.
3. Dark Souls III ; I love the formula. I'm not tired of it. I had an amazing time with Dark Souls 3. Everything was great. Game pulled me in a lot more than Dark Souls 2 and I did a lot more than I usually do in these games. I think I'm currently on NG++ waiting for all the DLC to come out.
4. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; Again, some issues on the Steam launch and the game felt like it ended too soon I thought the side content was mostly great. Sneaking around in this game game is awesome. Level design was also pretty great.
5. Ratchet & Clank ; It's just fun. That's what I want in a R&C game.
6. Rise of the Tomb Raider ; Playing this late due to waiting for Steam and while I didn't like it as much as the first game I still enjoyed my time with it.
7. Pokemon Go ; My friends and I had a lot of fun with this and still do.

Most notable misses that I own but haven't played yet: Gravity Rush remastered and The Last Guardian.

My fix this year was sneaking. I started the year off sneaking around in Fallout 4. Followed that up with Dark Souls 3, because I play very methodically, then into Deus Ex and then finally with Dishonored 2. I should really get Hitman, shouldn't I? Oh well, next Steam sale.

I feel like I'm playing catch up each year and I'm always playing a bunch of games from the prior year or catching up on a series I'm new to. I had a lot of fun with Fallout 4 in January and February but that was last year. I apparently only played 6 games that came out this year that I would consider for GOTY. I guess that's actually pretty good. There are some other games I just don't think they hold together very well. Most notable: FFXV. I just don't understand the praise the game gets AT ALL. I don't know if something broke in me. I have either loved or enjoyed every prior FF game. This is the first one that I just thing is NOT GOOD. This summer I put probably another 150-200 hours into Civ 5. Starcraft 2 is still getting played a lot and there were some games I played at the start of the year from the prior year that were getting wrapped up. Plus I lost about 2 months of game time in between evacuating my apartment from bed bugs and moving into my house. Hoping I can do better this year, but I'm already starting in the hole by playing Dishonored 2 some more, just started Witcher 3

 

[Snuggles]

This is a work in progress, but I might as well post now before I forget to do it at all.

1. Overwatch ; I honestly cannot recall another videogame that has had the level of impact that OW has had on me. I read the NeoGAF thread and Reddit page daily. I spend time out of my life looking at fan art on line. I'm a closet gamer but I talk about it somewhat frequently in real life. The sublime gameplay, the ridiculously lovable cast, the rewarding feel of mastering heroes and strategy...Blizzard single-handedly revived my love for videogames with Overwatch. Unless they really fuck up I can see myself playing it for years to come.

2. Hitman ; I love sandbox gaming and Hitman is the best of what the genre has to offer in 2016. Still have a couple chapters to play but I already am looking forward to replaying each one in every possible way.

3. Dark Souls III ; Because Dark Souls always will have a place on my GOTY lists.

4. Stardew Valley ; I actually voted for this one on Greenlight years back, it was nice to see it deliver on the initial concept. I always have love for a game that provides a leisurely experience like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley. You're not saving the world, you're just watering your crops and trying to find a wife. It's nice.

5. Uncharted 4 ; UC4 was a one-and-done experience for me, but it was a fun and beautiful ride.

That's all I can think of! I need to do some catching up. But thanks to no. 1 on my list I haven't really had the time or desire to play any of the other games released this year.

 

[seady]

1. Pokemon Go ; as usual for my GOTY, I don't vote for the best game, instead, I vote for the game that affects me the most. Pokemon Go encourages people to go outside to explore and get together - something no other game has done before.

2. Uncharted 4 ; as a person who thinks all previous Uncharted are overrated, I am surprised at how much I like Uncharted 4. It is the first time I feel the characters in an Uncharted game believable.

3. Final Fantasy XV ; inside me, I still miss the old Final Fantasy where the characters and story are more simple but delivered in a heart-warming way, but for what it is now, FFXV is still a pretty neat game with great presentation.

4. Pokemon Sun/Moon ; this geneneration of Pokemon games probably has the best Pokemon design since Gold/Silver. All 3 starters are likable and I love how they altered the original gen Pokemon (even though I wish they put more time to alter all of them instead of just a few).

5. The Last Guardian ; All Team ICO games have a special place in my heart. This would have been higher if not for the horrible camera in the game.

6. Stardew Valley
7. Pokken Tournament
8. Firewatch
9. Doom
10. Overwatch

 

[Bolivar687]

1. Sid Meier's Civilization VI ; I've already logged a scary amount of time on this since it came out just over two months ago. Every Civilization release is an event but Firaxis has done so much with the series aesthetically and mechanically on this installment. They went back to Civ IV's art style and brought it to life with all the animated wonders and improvements, the time of day cycle, and the Age of Exploration-style cartography that enhances the sense of discovery when sending your Scouts to go beyond the horizon. Moving the Cities' buildings and wonders on the map for the first time (and with adjacency bonuses) has made geography play a big role in the story and strategy of your civ. The new mechanics with Builders and Policies allow players to think and act more spontaneously on the fly instead of waiting several turns to start on a new project. Each of the victories are fun to pursue and offer a variety of pathways to achieving them. Civilization VI is the best new game I played this year. It's also not on the OP spreadsheet for some reason.

2. Tom Clancy's The Division ; This game broke all kinds of Ubisoft records when it launched but it deserves even more recognition for where the game is now at the end of the year. It provided a strong base with its open world, by bringing the MMORPG Trinity of Tank/Heal/DPS to a shooter, and offered something original for the AAA space with its PvPvE Dark Zone. Everything they've done since then has made it the premier action loot game in my mind. We've gotten Raid-like missions with Incursions and Diablo-style, procedurally generated dungeons with Underground. 1.4 made it meaningful to explore Manhatten again by scaling the enemies to World Tiers and 1.5 perhaps brought the game's most compelling activity yet with Survival. It's safe to say that when 1.6 revitalizes the Dark Zone and brings new PvP modes, The Division is going to have an undeniably great endgame content proposition. It's not a coincidence this game's biggest following is on PC. The Division may be a blockbuster but it's still incredibly underrated in my opinion.

3. Dragon Quest Builders
4. DOOM
5. Battlefield 1
6. Hitman

7. DOTA 2 ; this is my protest vote because I believe it is arbitrary to exclude games as services simply because they weren't released this year. That said, Dota 2 received a massive update with a substantial UI overhaul and changes to the map which significantly impact the metagame.

 

[Iceman]

1. Uncharted 4 ; the storytelling has graduated to cinema-worthy with this iteration. It's heavily thematic and evenly paced, if overly long by a few hours. But this is the stuff we're complaining about these days? Too much content? Levels that are too large? It's an embarrassment of riches - ironically enough. Combined with dynamic combat encounters with fun balance of stealth, slaughter, swinging, and (tag-team) melee, this game just knocked everything out of the park.
2. The Witness ; like many have said, can make you feel sooooo stupid and so brilliant almost simultaneously. I finished the game, but part of that is discovering that you've only just started. I probably have another 30 hours to go and I can't wait to keep exploring. I'm playing this with a friend so it depends on our overlapping availabilities. The wait between sessions has been/is frustrating. It's that great.

No other games even rank compared to these two master works.

 

[Weltall Zero]

I have a question and I'm not sure if this is the place to ask it, but whatever. Should I vote for a game that was released this year in a new platform, if I actually played it in another platform that released earlier? Two questions actually, one for each of these cases:
a) I played it in an earlier year.
b) I actually played it this year due to backlog.
(there are games in both cases in my list this year).

 

[Gen X]

Didn't even play 10 games released this year.


1 Doom ; Back to basics doesn't mean dumbed down in this balls to the wall shooter. Best reboot ever.

2 Titanfall 2 ; Probably my favorite single player campaign since Bungies Halo games.

3 Alien Nation ; A great top down twin stick shooter with just enough goodies to keep you coming back.

4 Dirt ; Glad to see Codemasters go back to their McRae roots.

5 Deus Ex Mankind Divided ; More of the same which isn't a bad thing.

6 Uncharted 4 ; Nothing to say that hasn't been said already.

 

[LordofPwn]

1. Overwatch ; Beautifully designed and executed team-based shooter. Fun, and post launch support has been a-mei-zing.
2. Rocket League ; Best game on Xbox One, also happened to release this year.
3. The Witness ; Best Puzzle game I’ve ever played.
4. Doom ; Best FPS campaign I’ve played in a very long time. Soundtrack is superb.
5. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End ; The best Uncharted game to date, and it’s very pretty.
6. Ratchet & Clank ; Not the best in the series but it is a return to some classic R&C goodness. Beautiful game.
7. Final Fantasy XV ; Story sucked, but gameplay was fun. Also that secret dungeon was awesome.
8. World of Final Fantasy ; The most adorable game ever.
9. Thumper ; music violence, intense soundtrack, loving it.
10. Driveclub VR ; Best racing game that came out this year.

Honorable Mentions
x. Firewatch ; Best art, loved the characters.
x. Adventures of Mana ; Best Vita game this year, and 1st one i've platinumed.
x. Amplitude ; Great gameplay, would have liked a better soundtrack.

 

[TissueBox]

1. Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book ; A journey through rural landscapes in the company of friends, Atelier Sophie is another evocatively simple and heartwarming entry in the Atelier series. It trades a revelatory design or conniving story for a setting and cast that's confidently at home just being nice to each other and worrying over sales figures and customer satisfaction first, saving the world second. "Phronesis" indeed.

2. Kentucky Route Zero Act IV ; Point-and-click at its finest and most wonderfully surreal, the storytelling is continued in this fourth episode with an atmospherically taut flair. It is both more subdued and equipped with some of the most compelling aesthetic craftsmanship yet.

3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition ; Still beautiful (now with enhanced textures and 64-bit code) and still a big and immersive world with almost detrimental flexibility, Skyrim nevertheless maintains a power over the modern blockbuster WRPG, and with certain auxiliary modifications boasts some of the most comprehensive UGC a game at this scale could provide and should scratch the itch during the wait for ESVI. (Despite still being glitchy as shit.) That said, it is afflicted with an unshakable familiarity, and the craving for something new is destined to tail it along the way.

4. Dishonored 2 ; Arkane continues their strong level design with robust game mechanics and fun choice-based stealth action in the addition of two playable characters.

5. Darkest Dungeon ; Cleverly brutal in the way it toys with the limits and advantages of the player's control, this is a profoundly striking party-based, customizable RPG that is both very entertaining and sometimes masochistic in its genius.

6. Hyper Light Drifter

7. Kirby Planet Robobot

8. The Witness

9. Overwatch

10. Black Desert Online

Honorable Mentions:

X. Final Fantasy XV ; The game of 2016, for me, though not in terms of 'quality' or 'merit', to use such terms loosely. I love a couple things it does, but it falls short from being the game I know it only lives in the shadow of now. Despite this, out of all the games I've played this year, this one will be stirring around in my head once the dust has cleared, and the one I arguably had the most gratification with -- right alongside the disappointments.

X. Ladykiller in a Bind ; Christine Love concocts an insane trip of crossdressing love and nail-biting choices and it was both grating and welcome to see the usual eccentricity in action here. Along with enigmatically charming characterization, any normal-minded player will be in for a bit of a ride dipped in psychosocial double entendre.

X. The Last Guardian ; I will just say that I was always skeptical about this game. As much affection as I had for Ueda's previous two endeavors, their abstraction and taut design were nearly perfect in their simplicity to me. And in the end, The Last Guardian does falter a bit, and in some ways its literal mechanics might have been a technical somersault to achieve next to a compelling, deliberately told story. Despite this, it's still beautiful in spirit -- it still separates itself from other games with a distinct eye for the meditative and the meaningful. Though its seams as a game surface from time to time, it also succeeds in never forgetting the heart underneath by the closing moments.

 

[Dance Inferno]

I don't know if you've posted a smaller, correctly formatted list but I'm not sure your walls of text and Roman numeral countdown will be counted. Check the op.

Yup, it's posted at the end.

 

[dcassell]

1. Hitman ; Without a doubt the most fun I've had with a game this year, and was a title I really didn't expect to put as my favorite in this huge year of releases. As a complete release, the game puts forth easily 100+ hours of content and encourages the player to explore with the game's huge toolset of possibilities. On top of the variety and world, the game's feel and mood are almost whimsical in its ridiculousness, very similar to how Doom created a sort-of satirical take on its demon-infested world. Hitman is a treat, and one that I've continued to return to well after completing its six levels once.

2. Overwatch ; Really, this is what I was thinking took my #1 spot. Overwatch has been the yelling voice of gaming for the year of 2016. Even months after release, people outside of just the competitive scene are talking about new patches. It's a very rewarding multiplayer game, and one that I didn't think I'd enjoy as much as I did.

3. The Witness ; I couldn't beat this confounding game, but I came very close. During my 20-some hours exploring this island, though, I was absorbed into its world and really appreciated Blow's vision. I plan to come back to this, and put it here simply because it had some of my favorite gaming moments of 2016 that I won't spoil here for the people who haven't given it a shot yet.

4. Titanfall 2 ; This was my favorite "blockbuster" game of 2016. Every ten minutes the campaign of TF2 shifts gears and often lead to moments that had my jaw on the ground. Nothing in terms of a single-player shooter campaign has beat the smart pistol moment in TF2 (at least this year). While I haven't gotten extremely into the multiplayer, the single-player experience was more than worth my money, and ranks as one of my favorite campaigns

5. Doom ; And speaking of campaigns, who would have thought this would be good? While the multiplayer was a mess, the campaign of Doom was a solid, very well-designed trip through hell and back. The "fatality" mechanics and skill-based gameplay make a game that feels fair, rather than the military shooters of years past where shots can appear out of nowhere and end a perfect run. Also, the tone of Doom is second-to-none. The only reason this didn't really shoot to the top is I found it exhausting. The intense combat of Doom, while satisfying, only allowed me to play it about 45 minutes at a time.

6. Dark Souls 3 ; It's more Dark Souls, though it feels a bit recycled this year. I love these games, and more of what I love is enough to make it on my list. Very solid game, and no serious complaints, but I never had a "wow" moment during my time with it. Actually, that dragon fight was alright towards the end.

7. Final Fantasy XV ; I waited for this for years, and ended up loving what was finally given to the public. The game is a mess, but playing through is an extremely entertaining and fascinating experience that reminded me more of Deadly Premonition than a traditional Final Fantasy game.

8. Owlboy ; I love bright, optimistic games. Owlboy fits that bill perfectly, and it's truly a beautiful piece of sprite art, tightly packaged into a solid trip through an inspired and character-filled world. Loved every minute I spent with this game, though my right finger did get exhausted from shooting so much during certain sections of the game.

9. Pokemon GO ; Pokemon GO led to me discovering sectors of my hometown that I didn't even know existed. Everyone I knew had this on their phones and pretty constantly checked it when we went out. While at first this game frustrated me with its glitches and crashes, it eventually led to a city-wide social circuit that made walking around downtown a joy, since everyone talked with each other. I'd never seen anything like it before, and I feel like the cultural experience of Pokemon GO puts it above any other mobile game I've played before, even if the actual game part isn't solid whatsoever.

10. Watch Dogs 2 ; WD2 came along when I needed a solid open world title. Playing through in a non-lethal fashion was a very satisfying experience, and the game's attitude actually managed to win me over after I initially disliked its advertising at E3. This is a great Ubi game, and is the only Ubi game I've actually completed since Assassin's Creed 2.

 

[8bit]

Yup, it's posted at the end.

Ah, nice. Didn't see it. Just trying to make sure votes are counted. Thanks for confirming!

 

[therealminime]

1. The Witness ; It's the best puzzle game ever made. It's the best designed game of this year. It's the most singularly memorable, emotional, and unique game experience I've had this year. There are so many things I love about this game. The way it got my friends and I talking was unlike any other I've played. I don't feel like digging into everything it is about this game that makes me so happy because I'd be writing for a long time. It's utterly magical. I wish I could wipe it from my memory and reply it fresh. What a game.
2. Overwatch ; This game is the most I've loved a multiplayer game since Halo 3. It makes me endlessly happy. I want to be playing it constantly. I love it's color and personality. I love the emphasis on team and objective play. I love their events. I love their skins. This game is life.
3. Titanfall 2 ; The only reason this is above DOOM is because the multiplayer is amazing and I am hopelessly addicted to it. The campaign exceeded my high expectations in every way. Just so many great moments and mechanics and ideas. The multiplier though, woof I am in too deep.
4. DOOM ; MOTHER FUCKING DOOM OH MY GOD
5. Inside ; Like most I expected this to simply be a better Limbo and it is, but it's so much better then I thought it would be. It's alarmingly well made, seamless in every way, full of so many moments that escalate in craziness. The pulse waves, the water baby, the blob. So many beautiful, twisted moments. A fantastic nightmare that I liked even more on a second playthrough.
6. Uncharted 4 ; I've never loved the Uncharted games as a whole. 2 is still the best action adventure, set piece extravaganza thing out there but I've never cared for the gameplay all that much nor the huge amount of combat. The way 4 slows things down and learns from The Last of Us' combat in so many great ways. Add in the lack of terrible paranormal shit in the last quarter and the just baffling quality of the presentation and it's definitely my favorite Uncharted game.
7. Ratchet & Clank ; I had never actually played any of the old R&C games and had always wanted to, so playing this was really fun. It made me realize that I'd missed out on a series of wonderfully fun games. I platinumed the game and still wanted to keep playing. It's light and easy and looks absolutely unbelievably spectacularly pretty. It also made me miss the era from which those games were born.
8. Superhot ; The most innovative shooter in years!
9. Stardew Valley ; This was one of those "oh, hey, I really like this genre of game, I didn't realize that" experiences. The visuals, music, and personality is all absolutely lovely. Most impressive was just how much variety and content the game had. Though I mainly just stuck to farming, it was greatly enjoyable. It also satisfied my OCD itch exceptionally well.
10. The Witcher 3 Blood and Wine ; I have left this low mainly because I want to give full games released this year some extra weight. That being said this is the best possible goodbye to my favorite game ever and I'd probably actually have it at my number 3 if I wasn't being weird.

 

[Kalor]

1. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II ; Cold Steel II builds on the first game and solves most of the problems that I had with it. It isn't perfect but the story kept me moving through it and wanting to see what happens next in Erebonia.

2. The Witness ; Out of all the games on the list The Witness is perhaps the one that I wish I could forget everything and play it again. Whenever I was going about my day I would be thinking about a puzzle I was stuck on and started to see the puzzles in things around me.

3. HITMAN ; After Absolution I wasn't expecting much from HITMAN but it turned out to be perhaps the best game in the franchise. The episodic structure gives you time to learn the intricacies about each map and the elusive targets add an intensity to the targets that the regular missions or escalations don't have.

4. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel ; The first Cold Steel took a long time to really grab me. I like the previous Trails games but just something about this took me a while to really get into it. However when it clicked with me I was looking forward to playing more of it to find out where the story goes. The gradual build up of momentum in the last few hours is great and completely redeemed the really slow start.

5. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice ; I like the Ace Attorney series but I was not expecting how good this game was going to be. It rivals Investigations 2 for my favorite game in the series. The characters that they introduce are fun and they got me to care about them in a way that the previous games never really did.

6. Steins;Gate 0 ; I've only gotten 2 out of the 6 endings so far but already it has proven to be a great successor to the original game. It presumes that you already played the first game so it's able to just skip right into the meat of the plot, not needing the long build up that the first game had. The soundtrack is great and sets the tone really well.
The first game became one of my favorite games when I first played it 3 years ago but it felt complete so I was unsure about 0 but this has already exceeded my expections in nearly every way.

7. Street Fighter V ; The game has had a rough time since launch but the core gameplay is great. It's something that I've kept coming back to over the course of the year.

8. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ; Mankind Divided had a disappointing main story but it made up for it with the strength of the gameplay and side missions.

9. DOOM ; I wasn't as enamored with DOOM as other people were but it was a surprising return to form for the franchise after all the pre release material weren't flattering to the game.

10. Zero Time Dilemma ; Compared to Virtue's Last Reward this was a disappointing follow up. Dropping plot threads for no reason and creating new characters that I never grew to care about. But despite that I still enjoyed my time with the game. The puzzles were better than the previous games and about the first two thirds is pretty good. They just massively drop the ball in the last third.

 

[ElephantShell]

1. Uncharted 4 ; A fitting end to one of my favourite franchises of all time. Beautiful to look at and fun to control. The perfect storm of story, visuals and gameplay with a hint of nostalgia.

2. Dark Souls III ; My second "soulsborne" game. Cool bosses and areas to explore. A finely tuned experience with the perfect amount of challenge as to not be frustrating.

3. Final Fantasy XV ; Simply put: worth the wait. Addicting combat and a surprisingly loveable cast of characters drive the experience. A lacklustre story for the most part keeps this game from being higher, but the last few minutes of the game are so emotionally charged and well executed, which keeps it from dropping lower and makes the game worth sticking out to the end.

4. Hyper Light Drifter ; Super cool art style, great music and fun combat and exploration make this game a joy to play. Challenging but not frustrating, the mechanics are simple to learn and the challenge of the game is learning to master them, which is a blast to do.

5. Darkest Dungeon ; Dangerously addictive. A neat twist on a class-based RPG with some of the coolest classes I've seen in a game. Permadeath and other brutal mechanics make this game frustrating and stressful at times, but the setting and action lend itself to that aspect, and the brutality does not feel out of place in the world.

6. Inside ; Drenched in atmosphere and beautifully animated. This game is simple yet enjoyable to play but it's narrative is much deeper, if you want it to be.

7. Overwatch ; A wonderfully designed, balanced and polished competitive multiplayer experience, built to not be intimidating for new players. There really is a hero for everybody.

8. Dishonored 2 ; Amazing level design, great art style, and tight stealth gameplay. Two character options with separate powers mark an improvement over the original game.

9. I Am Setsuna ; A throwback to SNES and PS1 era RPGs which isn't perfect, but hits a lot more often than it misses. A nostalgic experience with enough new ideas to stay fresh and a story that affected me more than I expected come games end.

10. Firewatch ; My all time favourite "walking simulator", to use that term. The Wyoming wilderness is beautifully depicted and enjoyable to traverse. Great voice acting and an unexpected and emotionally effective story make this a game worth playing and one I'll remember for a long time.

Honorable Mentions
x. The Last Guardian ; I have to admit I have not yet finished this game, and likely wont before the deadline. I am enjoying it though, and Trico is a wonderful companion.
x. Tom Clancy's The Division ; The end game content is pretty weak, but I really enjoyed my playthrough of the story.
x. Thumper ; Only recently got a PSVR so I haven't spent as much time on this game so far as I'd like to, but holy crap is it intense.

 

[besada]

1. Overwatch ; What can I say? More than a thousand fights, 140 hours, and I'm still finding new ways to play different characters, and still playing nearly every day. The only game I've been willing to hurt my thumbs over in awhile.

2. Firewatch ; Best non-Overwatch game of the year, hands down. Everything I want from a game that doesn't involve shooting people in the face. An interesting, complex, and nuanced story. A cast of interesting people, both alive and dead. Amazing voice acting, lovely art style, and just some of the most fun I've had wandering and exploring.

3. Stardew Valley ; So much fun, and so many things to do. I played through the whole storyline and then spent hours and hours collecting and redesigning my farm. And when that got boring, there were always dungeons.

4. No Man's Sky ; Yes, I know, I'm evil and lying and couldn't possibly have enjoyed this game. And yet I poured more than a hundred hours into it, and have started playing again after the update. Regardless of the foofaraw around its release and the hype, I really enjoyed the core game, and the update has just increased that enjoyment.

5. Rimworld ; Exploding bunnies, drug-crazed workers, fucking sappers, and all the other crazy stuff that makes trying to manage your colony such a pain in the ass, but so fascinating.

6. Thumper ; It thumps, man.

7. Mafia III ; Sort of a special mention because of the high quality to the acting. It had plenty of problems, and its reach exceeded its grasp, but that's how I want to see video games fail -- by trying for too much.

8. Amplitude ; It was actually a real disappointment, mostly because of the soundtrack, but it was still Amplitude, making it better than the majority of stuff released this year.

 

[Fat4all]

The lack of DLC knocked Amplitude off my top ten list

 

[Khronico]

1. DOOM ; The videogame equivalent of a metal album cover.

2. Trails of Cold Steel 2 ; Falcom continues to dominate the JRPG space with another excellent Trails game. An incredibly satisfying conclusion to the story set forth in the first game. I'll miss you, Class VII.

3. Titanfall 2 ; One of the most varied and mechanically interesting FPS campaigns I've played in a decade coupled with multiplayer I can't stop playing.

4. Battlefield 1 ; DICE makes good on the premise of a WW1 FPS. I haven't had this much pure joy playing a battlefield game since Bad Company 2.

5. Tyranny ; An RPG that made me question how far I was willing to go to roleplay an evil character. Answer: Uncomfortably far.

6. Tom Clancy's The Division ; Tactical third person shooting combined with a diablo esque loot system combined with MMO lite design is something that doesn't exactly sound like it would work out right. Not only does it work right, The Division nails it so well I played for 100hrs across 2 different platforms.

7. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare ; My complete apathy for the multiplayer package aside, Infinite Warfare has a fantastic campaign that stands with the best in its series.

8. XCOM 2 ; The sequel I didn't really know I wanted. Everything about the original reboot is added upon and improved in XCOM 2, making it one of the mast satisfying strategy titles I've played in quite a long time.

9. Megadimension Neptunia VII ; Every single game in the Neptunia series is marked improvement on the last, and Megadimension is the best they've made so far. Funny, lighthearted writing with great characters (aside from Blanc, literally trash) and an enjoyably brisk combat system.

 

[Cheesemeister]

I have a question and I'm not sure if this is the place to ask it, but whatever. Should I vote for a game that was released this year in a new platform, if I actually played it in another platform that released earlier? Two questions actually, one for each of these cases:
1) I played it in an earlier year.
2) I actually played it this year due to backlog.
(there are games in both cases in my list this year).

No, only new platform releases for 2016 are eligible. Don't vote for 2015 games because they were ported later.

Also, this post would be picked up as a ballot due to starting lines with Arabic numerals and generate junk data I'd have to clean up.

Yup, it's posted at the end.

Using Roman numerals for long-form text rankings means that rank 10 would be picked up as an honorable mention and rank 10, disqualifying you for ballot-stuffing.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Life kept me busy this year and I had far less gaming time than I would have hoped for. With that said, I think 2016 was a tremendous year for games. So many amazing titles that I managed to play and many more that I didn't...

Top 10

1. Persona 5 ; With no end in sight, this is definitely my favorite JRPG in many many years.

2. Dark Souls III ; Played it once through on PS4 and then twice (one NG+) on PC and thoroughly enjoy it. Definitely the most consistently good game in the series. Perhaps not my favorite or most memorable, but an amazing Souls experience nonetheless.

3. HITMAN ; I didn't get around to this until much later in the year, so I missed much of the elusive target fun, but this is simply an incredible sandbox Hitman experience. The level of freedom and replayability is incredible, and I am consistently blown away at just how much they packed into each of the stages.

4. Uncharted 4 ; An incredible end to a series that I grew rather sour on with Uncharted 3. I still didn't like the combat scenarios very much, but everything else in this game really impressed me. Going to play through it again soon now that I have a PS4 Pro and 4K HDR TV.

5. DOOM ; This game just feel good to play. Definitely one of the best straight shooter campaigns I have played in a long time. Quite a long game, but it always felt fresh. I really hope we get a sequel with some proper deathmatch multiplayer.

6. The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine ; I loved The Wild Hunt and the first expansion and this final expansion raises the bar even higher. These guys must have an insane production pipeline to be able to produce such amazingly high quality content in such a short amount of time. I love the new setting and just how different it is from the original game. I haven't been able to finish it yet, but the story so far is very compelling.

7. Dishonored 2 ; A great follow up that is improved in just about every way to the original, even if I preferred the setting of Dunwall. Really nice looking game, too!

8. Rise of the Tomb Raider (PC) ; Excellent action game with incredible visuals. I kind of wish the "detective vision" mechanic didn't exist as it really hurt the pacing for me, because I was constantly activating it trying to find everything in each area. Regardless, I had an absolute blast with this game.

9. Dragon Quest Builders ; I picked this up after trying the demo back in January. I probably would have dropped it after a few hours, but my son (then two, now 3) just loved to watch it, so over the months we eventually made it to the end. A lot of great memories were made thanks to this game.

10. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (PC) ; I always wanted this on PC and it's finally here! Glorious port and the game is still a blast to play. I didn't have a chance to play the Dark Arisen content before, but it's been a ton of fun to go through it at 144 fps!

Disappointments:

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided -- I really, really didn't like the story, setting or characters in this game. Gameplay-wise, it was pretty fun and very similar to the original, but after such an amazing first game, this was hugely disappointment to me. I know it's subjective, but nothing about the state of the world or the situation that Adam Jensen was in really felt all that believable to me considering the events of the first game. The whole "Augs lives matter" thing was kind of gross and I don't feel like they really did a convincing job with the aug oppression stuff.

Final Fantasy XV -- I'm still only 15 hours in and working my way through the game, but this game feels kind of bland so far. I'm oddly compelled to continue to playing despite not really liking any of the characters or the combat system and knowing that there are huge criticisms of the story. I'll probably finish it, but this definitely doesn't feel like the result of 10 years of development and a crazy amount of resources.

XCOM 2 -- I loved the original reboot, but for whatever reason, I just couldn't get into this one. I played about 10 hours of it and just dropped off of it completely. Not exactly sure why...

My list of shame, in no particular order, of games I really wish I had found the time to play:

SUPERHOT (only played about 30 minutes the other night, but love what I saw)
Civilization 6
Tyranny
Gears of War 4
Forza Horizon 3
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare campaign
Shadow Tactics
Stardew Valley
Titanfall 2 campaign
The Last Guardian
Thumper
The Banner Saga 2
Hyper Light Drifter
Obduction
Watch_Dogs 2
Mafia III
Overwatch (played about 2 hours of this and really enjoyed it. Wish I had more time to play)
Darkest Dungeon
Dead Rising PC (alongside Dragon's Dogma, this was one of the games I wanted a PC port of most--can't wait to play it!)
Virginia
Salt & Sanctuary
King's Quest (although I don't like the visual style they went with very much, I really enjoyed the story, gameplay, and characters of the first episode. Looking forward to playing more)

 

[sappyday]

1. Overwatch ; A fantastic multiplayer experience that I never thought I would get this addicted to considering I don't play many multplayer games, let alone multiplayer-only games. But the characters and gameplay are just top notch.

2. Uncharted 4 ; What a journey. This game has the best send off I can think for someone who has played the game since the beginning. The combat is polished to pretty much perfection and the story is captivating from the moment you start it.

3. Final Fantasy XV ; A huge disappointment. However, I still love a lot of it. It speaks how powerful this game was capable of becoming if it actually didn't suffer from such a development hell and botched story. If this game didn't have those flaws then it could have easily become my favorite game of all time, unfortunately this isn't the case.

4. The Witness ; A wonderful puzzle game that had felt like no other. I remember every step I took while playing this and discovering some of those puzzles will stay with me forever.

5. Inside ; Never thought I would put two indie games in my list, but they deserve it. Inside is a game where the world is more captivating than anything on this list and I it worked perfectly from the beginning all the way to the end.

6. Doom ; I just finished this game before typing this out so I'm still riding off of it. Nevertheless, it's a fantastic shooter with great level design. I never played any of the previous Doom games but I can see why they are loved.

7. Dark Souls 3 ; A good Souls game and Souls is my favorite series, but this one is my least favorite of them all. Even 2 had a bigger impact despite a lot of its flaws. This one just felt like going through the motions again which is fine, but it if it's truly the last one then I wish it would have left in a bang.

8. The Last Guardian ; It's a good game and I can see how some will love it but it's not as special as SoTC for me. Ico wasn't my cup of tea and this feels more of just that. Also the performance and controls for this one bothered me more than any of the other games on this list.

9. The Witcher Blood & Wine ; It's an expansion and so that's why it's so low. However, TW3 is my favorite game so far this gen so I enjoyed playing this more than TLG, DS3, and DOOM.

 

[randomkid]

I’ll get my list for the parser out of the way, here’s the ten best ports and remakes of the year. The top five in particular are absolutely incredible miracle releases, just think about how implausible it is that they exist in their respective forms at this point in time.

1. The Silver Case; (PC) tense unease AKA my 2016
2. Sega 3D Classics Collection; (3DS)
3. Romancing SaGa 2; (Android)
4. Wild Guns Reloaded; (PS4)
5. Dragon Quest 7; (3DS)
6. Last Blade 2; (PS4)
7. Odin Sphere Leifthrasir; (PS4)
8. Rez Infinite; (PS4)
9. Gravity Rush Remastered; (PS4)
10. Day of the Tentacle; (PC)

With additional miracles like Battle Garegga on the way I could not be more happy about the comparative state of old game availability in 2016. A special shout out to Microsoft also for embarrassing the competition with BC efforts, I now own Lost Odyssey and will own Blue Dragon, Guwange, and hopefully several other games when I eventually get an XBO.

The main point of this post though is to talk about two games that weirdly defined my videogame year. First off is an embarrassingly lengthy rant about Shin Megami Tensei 4 Apocalypse that will be of no use to anyone who hasn’t already played the game (and probably also to those who have lol). Shin Megami Tensei 4 was a game I had many problems with but was still unquestionably my 2013 GOTY. It took a very long while for me to sort out my feelings on Apocalypse but here they are:

Let’s just do this as bullets so I don’t drag this out even longer.

Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse

+Skill affinities are a great addition, helping to make demon fusion a bit less mindless than in SMT4
+The fixes to the way Smirk and Hama/Mudo function are good
+Dagda's charismatic voice actor
+the record scratch sound effect
+the breakdown at :53 of the fusion music and the very 90s Persona-ish world map theme
+The mechanics of the last boss fight, the only challenging fight of the entire game. Also the aesthetics of the (extremely mild spoiler)

Spoiler

first form of the fight

. Perfectly done.
+Adramalech looks very cool. Mephisto too, the most Kaneko-looking of the lot (which as everyone says is very Faustian considering his DLC, see below)

-a lot of the new “improved” art still looks pretty bad. Lucifer looks so dopey with his big dumb hand and his goofy grin. The Trauma artist is still having problems drawing basic human faces. It’s the sort of thing that takes you out of scenes and prevents you from taking anything seriously.
-some of the lowest difficulty this series has ever seen on normal, the only difficulty without idiotic fusion costs. SMT1-level challenge for bossfights, even the supposed "Matador" of this game!
-Enemy formations that share the same weakness, encouraging even more magic all spamming, which is the only thing you need to do steamroll through the entire game. at least this didn't work 100% of the time in SMT4 like it does here. There’s not even a hint of need for resource conservation. So weird to play an SMT game that’s this completely frictionless.
-fusion still ends up pretty mindless despite the improvements from SMT4.
-reused city and dungeon content for 80% of the game saps all the mystery and fun of exploration from those who have played the prequel.
-reused music, with the few newer songs you hear the most frequently based on a not-so-great new leitmotif with a bouncier more generic tone
-boring and repetitive NPC dialogue, a major step down from the previous game
-fewer and less interesting and meaningful sidequests
-major problems with the writing and storytelling. Because the story is targeted to teens everything is pretty goofy and feels over-explained and unambiguous, taking ideas and themes that were subtext in previous games and executing them flatly as broadly written text without any finesse. To boil it all down, a lot of the plot just comes across as dumb.
-many many choices that do not matter at all, which is extremely out of place and off-putting for a mainline Shin Megami Tensei game

SHRILLNESS WARNING ABANDON POST IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY

-nearly every character in the game. flat, irritating, unlikable, dumb looking, or dumb acting, these characters are absolutely a series low. the worst was the ninja stereotype who starts calling you master at one point for no reason at all. Just awful.
-some of the most pathetic DLC ever devised. Not just the obviously bad beach DLC, which is honestly even worse than you think it is (see for yourself) but also the supposed "hardcore" DLC that panders to series oldheads in the exact manner of a reverse version of the "how do you do fellow kids" gif.
-Let me take the time to explain why I found the Diamond Realms DLC so offputting (spoilers ahead!) Setting aside the complete slog of dungeon progression that whooshes completely in an attempt to mimic Super Famicom design, you’ve also got fanfiction level dialogue assigned to each new classic hero (drawn in a way to homogenize any of Kaneko's uniqueness) and a true lowpoint with the confrontation with Steven, an enigmatic figure from through out the series who for some incredibly dumb reason in this DLC is a boss fight. In the grand climax he decides to stand out of his wheelchair in order to demonstrate how much of a badass he is. Even if this wasn't in a series that used to be known for being intelligent and thoughtful this would be just terrible.

SHRILLNESS OVER, GETTING REASONABLE AGAIN

Even if I remove my baggage and try to judge this as a game on its own terms the flaws still make this a big miss, although I would say newcomers to the series will definitely find fun if this is their first time in Tokyo (the OG sections atmosphere and music is too great to fully diminish). But to anyone who had an affinity for the series beforehand your faith in the staff of Atlus to properly steward a special series into what remains of the future for Japan’s RPGs might end up completely shot.

The optimistic take is that this was a weird sidestory experiment designed to attract a new audience of Japanese teens (in a heavily plot-dependent sequel for some reason???) and that things will get back to normal for SMT5. The pessimistic take is that the series has completely lost its identity and there is nothing that will come close to ever replacing it.

Reading this thread and others over the course of the year I’ve come to learn that I might be completely out of step with the average Megaten fan and that’s okay. When I feel overwhelmed by the flaws of SMT4A, others see improvements in terms of both mechanics and storytelling. When I see tedious combat and hideous theming and styling, others are completely smitten by #FE. These are two Megaten games from this year that were generally received with rapturous praise that makes me feel completely out of place. I’m being a grumpy dour old shaking my cane which is a terrible look, I know. But sometimes you just gotta get your feelings out on the page in order to move on, so that’s where we are.

But to end this all more positively and completely tank any shred of oldhead cred, I’ll wrap it up by telling you about a game I found to perversely be more in the spirit of Megaten than Apocalypse. My 2016 game of the year, which is the Digimon game.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth

There was no reason at all for this to be as good of a game as it is. I have no special affinity for the cartoon show. I do not like the Devil Survivor character designer even a little bit. I do not find grinding and monster collecting for the sake of monster collecting entertaining. But from the very first trailer something seemed compelling, and as good word of mouth spread I decided this was going to be a game I needed to play.

People other than me have commented on how Megaten this game feels, and for me the closest analogue is actually Raidou. From the first extended trailer I noticed the jazzy main theme, the detective agency conceit, the visible partner monsters appearing in a Tokyo with bold camera angle choices, and felt a weird familiarity. Digimon also function very plainly as Megami Tensei demons in multiple ways, not only mechanically but also through their story roles. And the somewhat arcane stat manipulation needed for high-end Digivolving scratches the exact same itch as high-end Megaten fusion from previous SMT iterations, which is both a dangerous (100 hours of playtime jesus) and wonderful (100 hours of playtime jesus!) itch to scratch.

You need to put up with some annoying characters and prattling dialogue, but unlike Apocalypse there is no pretense here which absolutely helps. Also, re-interpreting traditional Japanese folklore through the lens of the Digimon world is something that never stopped being fascinating for me even amidst a sub-par localization, and as someone with low familiarity with the cartoon, the Digimon designs themselves were alternately hilariously bizarre, bafflingly stupid, and straight up awesome. They even have their own Lucifer!

By the time you get to the second half of the story where the game completely changes and becomes about alliances and faction-building and what happens to a city facing apocalypse, when you take in the incredible atmosphere in Odaiba all buoyed by a soundtrack that has no right to be as good as it is, you start to feel optimistic about how Megaten influence can live on even outside of the series itself.

Anyways, the lesson learned is that even if you feel your favorite franchise has lost its way you may be able to find parts of it in the places you least expect. So there you go, that's 2016 in games, and that's enough of me rambling. Here’s to the brutal nightmare of chaos we face in 2017! (((