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GOTY 2016 - The results are IN!

13

Posts

  • CenoCeno pizza time Registered User regular
    1. DOOM
    2. Overwatch
    3. Titanfall 2
    4. Dark Souls III
    5. Super Mario Run
    6. No Man's Sky

    DOOM and Overwatch are basically tied, but DOOM's single player and Overwatch's less-than-ideal loot box system push DOOM slightly ahead. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend either to anyone. Titanfall 2 is a fantastic package that is being criminally overlooked. Dark Souls III was a nice coda to that series (mostly made me want a DS1 remake with the QOL improvements that DS3 brought). Super Mario Run is maybe the second mobile game I've considered worth playing, and if you don't have a Nintendo system, it's nice to play a Nintendo game. No Man's Sky is on here largely because I appreciate the scope of what they're trying to do. It was interesting, but the game part of it is severely lacking.

    I also checked out Rise of the Tomb Raider, since it came out on PS4. It probably would have come in at 5 or 6. Gameplay is virtually identical to its predecessor. The tombs and exploration were improved, but the story is rubbish and I'm exhausted by this perpetually fraught version of Lara that breathlessly weeps over damn near everything. I hope that a future Tomb Raider game will incorporate design inspiration from the new episodic Hitman series.

  • Mr_GrinchMr_Grinch Registered User regular
    D'oh, forget to do any nominations myself. Missed Tumble VR (PSVR) off the list. Wouldn't have got many votes but I've enjoyed it.

    Just finished up Last Guardian and now need to get stuck in to Titanfall 2 to see where it ranks. Having time to play Xmas games before voting is definitely a good thing!

    Steam: Sir_Grinch
    PSN: SirGrinchX
    Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
  • mxmarksmxmarks Registered User regular
    In a surprise upset, my list:
    1. Overcooked (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. HITMAN (PC,PS4,XBO)
    3. Zero Time Dilemma (3DS,PC,PSVita)
    4. XCOM 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    5. Inside (PC,PS4,XBO)
    6. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    7. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (PC,PS4,XBO)
    8. Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- (PS3,PS4,PC)
    9. Virginia (PC,PS4,XBO)
    10. Let It Die (PS4)
    11. Furi (PC,PS4,XBO)
    12. Amplitude (PS4)
    13. Pokémon Go (Mobile)


    I really, in my heart, thought it was Hitman. I loved everything about Hitman, loved the episodic style, loved the way it played, loved the way it looked.

    But when I thought about the experience, I was alone. I sat and had a great time on the couch by myself. Sometimes my fiancee would watch and we'd laugh at the situations, but overall it was just me.

    Then I thought about how much I loved Overcooked. The music, the graphics, the way it played. It's all fantastic. But then I thought about all the EXPERIENCES I've had since downloading it. Going back and 3 starring EVERYTHING with my fiancee. Getting my future father in law to PLAY A GAME WITH ME, and laughing as we lit our kitchen on fire. The next weekend, him INSISITING we give it another go, and teaching even MORE older folks who never have played games how to chop up veggies so we can make this damn soup.

    Overcooked wins because while Hitman is damn near perfect, Overcooked provided a whole bunch of experiences I never even dreamed of, and is a game I'll return to much more frequently with many more folks.

    PSN: mxmarks - WiiU: mxmarks - twitter: @ MikesPS4 - twitch.tv/mxmarks - "Yes, mxmarks is the King of Queens" - Unbreakable Vow
  • 007ctrl_room007ctrl_room Registered User regular
    Stardew Valley FTW

    LFGdating | In twenty years I'll still be playing Red Alert ... and Goldeneye.
  • captainkcaptaink TexasRegistered User regular
    1. Stardew Valley (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. Picross 3d Round 2 (3DS)
    3. DOOM (PC,PS4,XBO)
    4. Tyranny (PC)
    5. Watch Dogs 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    6. Pokémon Go (Mobile)
    7. Brigador (PC)
    8. Mafia III (PC,PS4,XBO)
    9. Firewatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    10. Overwatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    11. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PC,PS4,XBO)
    12. Ratchet & Clank (PS4)
    13. Stellaris (PC)
    14. Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander (PC)
    15. Grim Dawn (PC)
    16. Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars (PC)
    17. Stories: The Path of Destinies (PC,PS4)
    18. The Witness (PC,PS4,XBO)

    I think the only game I played that I didn't rank was No Man's Sky. I just realized I forgot about Far Cry Primal but it wasn't going to rate too high.

    Stardew is #1 with a bullet. Dropped 80 hours on that game very easily, and I'm interested in the new update to start a new game.

    Picross is a super excellent fantastic puzzle game. I didn't think I wanted it to iterate on the first Picross 3D but it does in a great way.

    DOOM was great, I can't say anything about it that hasn't been said before.

    Tyranny was a great game to play the bad guy in.

    Watch_Dogs 2 has a great open world and an awesome sense of style, especially for an open world game.

    Pokemon Go has some problems, but as an experience and a cultural moment, it did something completely new.

    Brigador has a kickin' soundtrack and awesome mech and tank fighting. Criminally underrated.

  • FrosteeyFrosteey Elaise 1521-2945-8940Registered User regular
    1. Stardew Valley (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. Monster Hunter Generations (3DS)
    3. Starbound (PC)
    4. Pokémon Sun and Moon (3DS)
    5. VA-11 HALL-A (PC)
    6. Overwatch (PC,PS4,XBO)

    Stardew:
    Has some problems, but a lot of them are moddable, and they don't overly impede what is a pretty nice Harvest Moon game. Except the part where if I have bridges on my farm they have to be ugly. Unless there is finally a mod for that.

    Monster Hunter Generations:
    Has some problems, and they're the same problems that have existed in this series for thousands of years. Also it's impossible to make an armor set in this game that is not eyeballingly grotesque. Hunter arts and styles are really cool. Just balance them, and make gunlance objectively the best weapon in the game please.

    Starbound:
    I think I already voted for this game three years ago.

    Pokemons:
    Alolan Ninetails owns.

    VA-11 HALL-A:
    Okay I have not actually played this yet, but I'm 90% sure I will really like it unless the story and characters are as bad as Fire Emblem Fates.

    Overwatch:
    I like this a lot more than any other shootlord game I've played, and put a lot of hours into it during beta and for like a month after release. But it's not quite gripping enough to keep me playing regularly, and it feels pointless to just hop on for like a few matches every other week. The genre's just not really for me in the long run, but this is probably as close as it will get.


    Games I didn't play but I somewhat pressingly yearn to-

    Final Fantasy XV - When it's' on PC.
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII - When it's like $15 because the negative reception sounds pretty bad.
    Shin Megami Tensei: Apocalypse - When I'm ready to give it undivided attention for a few/several weeks.
    #FE - ...when it's on PC : ( When I borrow a Wii U from a family member eventually I guess.
    Style Savvy: Fashion Forward - When it is delivered, because I ordered it as soon as I discovered a new game was released.

    Fire Emblem Fates which left me bitter and full of despairs
    So Awakening was an amazing success, with 10/10 fun, endearing characters. And like a 2/10 story. Whatever it just serves as a backdrop for all the shipping. Good vs evil. Countries exist, wars and stuff.

    Fates is three games full of 2/10 characters and like a -9/10 story. I can't go the full -10/10 yet because I still haven't finished the first branch, and I have heard that the other two are somehow even worse. I'm still not sure if I believe such a thing is possible, but I'll leave it some room to grow (unsupervised, in a pocket dimension for an indeterminate duration, until such time as I am willing to finally accept the responsibility of giving it attention once again).

  • jammujammu 2020 is now. Registered User regular
    edited January 2017
    What a disappointing year for new games.
    1. Overwatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PC,PS4,XBO)
    3. Steep (PC,PS4,XBO)
    Of these 3, only OW would have deserved a top10 spot in 2015. I was pretty much 50/50 about just having top 1.

    jammu on
    Ww8FAMg.jpg
  • DrakeDrake Edgelord Trash Below the ecliptic plane.Registered User regular
    Here's my list. There were so many games released this year that I really wanted to play but just didn't get to for whatever reason. Like I'm sure if I'd managed to get through Doom before the end of the poll it'd likely place high on my list. But these are the games I really enjoyed this year, ranked in a fashion that makes as much sense to me and likely no one else. :P
    1. SUPERHOT (PC,XBO)
    2. Devil Daggers (PC)
    3. Brigador (PC)
    4. Hyper Light Drifter (PC,PS4,XBO)
    5. Stellaris (PC)
    6. No Man's Sky (PC,PS4)
    7. Blue Revolver (PC)
    8. Sol Trader (PC)
    9. Conquest of Elysium 4 (PC)
    10. Grim Dawn (PC)
    11. VA-11 HALL-A (PC)
    12. Slayer Shock (PC)
    13. hackmud (PC)
    14. NeonXSZ (PC)
    15. We Are The Dwarves (PC)
    16. Killing Floor 2 (PC,PS4)
    17. Neon Chrome (PS4,PSVita,PC)
    18. Starward Rogue (PC)
    19. Space Grunts (PC)
    20. Butcher (PC)

    SUPERHOT is my GOTY. Insert meme here. What a fun game, with a single player campaign that doesn't overstay its welcome and lots of bite sized chunks of highly replayable content. Good stuff.

    Devil Daggers alllllmost took the number one spot. What an amazing piece of design, well executed and highly playable. I really can't wait to see what else Sorath has up his sorcerous sleeve.

    Brigador takes my third spot for a variety of reasons. It has incredibly well realized gameplay and a deceptively rich setting. This setting is further enhanced by the best damn soundtrack of the year. Makeup And Vanity Set have produced two albums and an EP's worth of solidly authentic pulsing retro 80s synth. Also included is a complete audiobook read by a man with the most awesomely grizzled brogue ever, making the kickass sci fi story just that much better. And while the gameplay may feel antiquated to modern players, it captures the isometric gameplay of the 80s with awesome modern controls. The gameplay systems take inspiration from classics like Syndicate with their simulationist approach. This game really just resonates with me on a ton of levels.

    After that things start to get murkier. How do you rate something like Hyper Light Drifter against something like Stellaris? Where does VA-11 HALL-A fit in there? Don't ask me, I've been trying to figure this out for days and this is the best I could do.

    Also I just have to say I adore Slayer Shock for being a roguey first person Buffy simulator, No Man's Sky is ok in my book, Sol Trader's conversation system is gonna change things you watch, hackmud is a legitimately terrifyingly paranoid text based MMO, and Blue Revolver is a super sweet shmup with a freakin' stupendously cool soundtrack and a gentle learning curve into a fun scoring system and solid shmup mechanics.

    What a weird year.

  • anoffdayanoffday To be changed whenever Anoffday gets around to it. Registered User regular
    edited January 2017
    Here's mine. I was surprised I played so many new games this year. This year I'll be interested in what everyone chooses mainly because I made a resolution (and a 50 dollar bet with a friend) that I won't buy any games this year. I have enough to play and catch up on this year, so I'll focus on the games I have and save some money. Hopefully everyone's lists for 2017 will give me some games to try out and maybe for a bit of discount since I won't be buying anything day one.
    1. Ratchet & Clank (PS4)
    2. DOOM (PC,PS4,XBO)
    3. Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS)
    4. Pokémon Sun and Moon (3DS)
    5. Titanfall 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    6. Starbound (PC)
    7. Overwatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    8. Stardew Valley (PC,PS4,XBO)
    9. Grim Dawn (PC)
    10. Song of the Deep (PC,PS4,XBO)

    Ratchet and Clank will be a game I play every year or so for sure and probably the same for kirby. Pokemon is always awesome for me, but the tropical island setting was really cool. Titanfall 2 is amazing and doesn't get enough credit. Overwatch is always fun. And song of the deep is a game I would recommend you guys check out if you like metroidvanias or games with a lot of exploring and puzzles. I think hearing that gamestop published it turned a lot of people off, but it's a fun game and well worth the cheap price.

    Honorable mentions include plants vs. zombies garden warfare 2 (probably my 4 year old's #1) and call of duty infinite warfare (My mother got me this for Christmas and it's pretty good. Don't understand the hate.)

    anoffday on
    Steam: offday
  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    edited January 2017
    GOTY: Overwatch

    Runner up: Battlefleet Gothic Leviathan (yes, a $10 mobile game!)

    Most disappointing: Deus Ex Mankind Divided (oh my god did the writing get worse, feels like a direct to dvd sequel that just happened to get the same main actor)

    Most surprising: Civilization 6 (such a huge improvement over 5)

    MrBody on
  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    MrBody wrote: »
    GOTY: Overwatch

    Runner up: Battlefleet Gothic Leviathan (yes, a $10 mobile game!)

    Most disappointing: Deus Ex Mankind Divided (oh my god did the writing get worse, feels like a direct to dvd sequel that just happened to get the same main actor)

    Most surprising: Civilization 6 (such a huge improvement over 5)

    Neither Civ V nor Civ 6 has pulled me away from Civ IV yet. At this point I'm honestly not sure they're capable of besting IV.

  • jammujammu 2020 is now. Registered User regular
    edited January 2017
    Latest civilizations have had too much feature bloat for my tastes.
    My favourite is Civilization: revolutions, which has all the fun parts and none of the crud.

    jammu on
    Ww8FAMg.jpg
  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    edited January 2017
    Dhalphir wrote: »
    MrBody wrote: »
    GOTY: Overwatch

    Runner up: Battlefleet Gothic Leviathan (yes, a $10 mobile game!)

    Most disappointing: Deus Ex Mankind Divided (oh my god did the writing get worse, feels like a direct to dvd sequel that just happened to get the same main actor)

    Most surprising: Civilization 6 (such a huge improvement over 5)

    Neither Civ V nor Civ 6 has pulled me away from Civ IV yet. At this point I'm honestly not sure they're capable of besting IV.

    Yeah I admit the main appeal of Civ 6 was "it's something new and has a couple good new ideas" but Civ 4 has more staying power. I had a bunch of fun the first month and am still playing it but 1 unit per tile and the AI's total inability to take a walled city and the broken diplomacy are starting to drag it down.

    MrBody on
  • BionicPenguinBionicPenguin Registered User regular
    I love one unit per tile. Down with doom stacks!

  • PoochPooch Registered User regular
    edited January 2017
    1. The Witness (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. DOOM (PC,PS4,XBO)
    3. Overwatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    4. Titanfall 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    5. Another Metroid 2 Remake (PC)
    6. HITMAN (PC,PS4,XBO)
    7. Clash Royale (Mobile)
    8. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (PC,PS4,PSVita,WiiU,XBO)
    9. Oxenfree (PC,XBO)
    10. Grow Up (PC,PS4,XBO)
    11. The Jackbox Party Pack 3 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    12. Overcooked (PC,PS4,XBO)
    13. Drawful 2 (PC)
    14. Pokémon Go (Mobile)
    15. Fire Emblem Fates (3DS)
    16. Deus Ex Go (Mobile)
    17. Hidden my game by mom (Mobile)
    18. Star Fox Zero (WiiU)
    19. Pocket Mortys (Mobile)
    20. slither.io (Mobile,PC)



    I played a lot of games this year... and a few I didn't even get to enough to put them on the list.

    My number 1 was The Witness- it had some downsides, but when it was good it made me feel a satisfaction that a game hasn't made me feel in years. I played through it and Ithink Ifound the real ending, but looking online, it blows my mind that there is still so much stuff in that game.

    At first I wasn't sure if DOOM would hold up- I went back and replayed a level a few weeks ago- it's crazy how good that game plays.

    I'm sure that everyone has already said all there is to about Overwatch, but I put it on there because I know that i'll be jumping into it for years. Their free updates have all been really good, and I'm not mad about loot boxes- I like the gameplay, the skins are just icing on the cake.

    My top 5 was really tough to make- Titanfall 2 is awesome, but I the multiplayer doesn't have the same pull for me as Overwatch. The single player has some amazing ideas in it, but it feels like it's missing a little something that I just can't place my finger on. The time-stop level about halfway through the game is really one of the coolest things in a campaign mode I've ever seen. I wish they had done more with it.

    I'm playing Another Metroid 2 remake now- maybe that's making me a little biased, but this game is great. A Metroid game on par with what Nintendo has made. It's crazy that it pretty much came from one person, but you can really feel his love for the series throughout it. If he's not being offered a game dev position as an actual company then I don't even know what to say.

    Pooch on
  • EtiowsaEtiowsa Registered User regular
    I'm surprised I managed to get up to 10 this year.
    1. Oxenfree (PC,XBO)
    2. Darkest Dungeon (PC,PS4,PSVita)
    3. Furi (PC,PS4,XBO)
    4. Dishonored 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    5. Severed (Mobile,PSVita)
    6. Firewatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    7. Sorcery! Part 4 (Mobile,PC)
    8. Dead Star (PC,PS4)
    9. Atlas Reactor (PC)
    10. Dungeon of the Endless (XBO)

    Apparently I missed Zero Time Dilemma on the list, but I'm too lazy to do it again, so oh well.

  • LCDXXLCDXX A flask of wood and glass Terre Haute, INRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    1. Titanfall 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. Stardew Valley (PC,PS4,XBO)
    3. Monster Hunter Generations (3DS)
    4. Dark Souls III (PC,PS4,XBO)
    5. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)
    6. Final Fantasy XV (PS4,XBO)
    7. The Last Guardian (PS4)
    8. Darkest Dungeon (PC,PS4,PSVita)
    9. DOOM (PC,PS4,XBO)
    10. Civilization VI (PC)
    11. Ratchet & Clank (PS4)
    12. Gears of War 4 (PC,XBO)
    13. Fire Emblem Fates (3DS)
    14. Bravely Second: End Layer (3DS)
    15. Amplitude (PS4)
    16. ReCore (PC,XBO)
    17. No Man's Sky (PC,PS4)

    2016 continued my trend of playing fewer and fewer games. And for the first time, I think, an FPS has made it to the top of my list.

    XBL: LCDXX | PSN: LCDXX | Steam: LCDXX
  • Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    1. DOOM (PC,PS4,XBO) - Just wow. Not only did id manage to bring back Doom, without the help of the founders of id, and after a very troubled development; they also made one of the best games of the past several years. It's a fitting tribute to the original, works incredibly well in a modern context without being modernized, and hell, I even liked the multiplayer and sunk dozens of hours into it. And it's just nice that Doom is relevant again,
    2. Titanfall 2 (PC,PS4,XBO) - This had an incredibly fun campaign, the likes of which shooters have been sorely lacking for years. Tons of variety and awesome set pieces, and your robot buddy is pretty great as well. BT walks the fine line between being a literalist robot and wisecracking sidekick and it's pretty amazing at how well they pulled it off. I didn't get into the MP but I hear it was pretty great as well.
    3. The Witness (PC,PS4,XBO) - Some of the best puzzle gaming I've experienced in years. The island is fantastic and how the game progresses you through the puzzles is incredible. Sadly I feel some of the undercurrent of the game comes across a bit patronizing, which bothered me enough to keep it out of the #2 spot.
    4. Another Metroid 2 Remake (PC) - Almost missed that this was on the list (and wasn't sure it should count given it's an unlicensed remake, but given what Nintendo has done with the franchise lately...) Incredible iteration of the Metroid formula. It plays great, looks amazing and really, really makes me wish the 2D Metroids were still a thing these days.
    5. SUPERHOT (PC,XBO) - This was a really fun game that had an incredible concept, executed it perfectly and didn't outstay its welcome. I wasn't as big on it as some people, and I had the big end thing spoiled for me because of memes (and my PC being dead at the time) but this was still a high quality package.
    6. Grow Up (PC,PS4,XBO) - Chillest game of the year; this was a great sequel to Grow Home, adding more stuff: a bigger world, better mobility and some new activities to do. The game still looks great and the controls are just the right mix of responsive but also drunk baby.
    7. Gears of War 4 (PC,XBO) - Sigh. This was a great game that really brought back Gears in a big way: the campaign is awesome and full of great set pieces, the addition of robot foes adds a new dimension to the combat and story, the MP is probably the best it's been and the new class-based Horde is pretty great. Sadly, the campaign doesn't really push the series forward, instead of being more of a return to form. Even more unfortunately, Horde mode needs more variety, there's a card system that kinda gets in the way of the fun, there's so-damn-many microtransactions (the shitty loot box kind), and the Coalition has been rolling them out at really inopportune times, and at some ridiculous prices. They've rolled back some of that stuff, but it's hard to support a game that does this crap while at the same time has trouble keeping their servers from catching on fire. The last month probably knocked this game two spots down on my list.
    8. Firewatch (PC,PS4,XBO) - This was a very cool experience with an interesting story line. Less of a game and more of an interactive story, it offers two very well developed characters as their relationship grows against the backdrop of a mystery that, I thought had a good payoff, but I can see where people might have been lost or unhappy with it.
    9. Far Cry Primal (PC,PS4,XBO) - It took this game to make me realize how much I like prehistory as a setting, and taking the good Far Cry formula and applying to to making spears, controlling owls and riding a fucking BEAR is fantastic. Still has the cruft of a Far Cry game though.
    10. Picross 3d Round 2 (3DS) - Love me some Picross and this is some good ass Picross, sadly the addition of two colors of blocks requires one too many buttons for me to really have gotten comfortable playing it. (It's way too easy to get confused and pick a color or paint tool that you didn't mean to select.) Still this was pretty great, and there's so many puzzles!
    11. Pony Island (PC) - This was a pretty cool game with some great moments and some interesting mechanics. The programming logic puzzles were really cool, but I wish there had been more of that stuff.
    12. Shadow Warrior 2 (PC) - This was a fun game, but I don't think the "loot shooter" aspect of it really worked as well as I would have hoped; it just felt like a normal shooter slightly more customization in the end. Also, the storyline picks up the story from the first game (Which had a surprisingly touching ending) and kind of shits all over it.
    13. Inside (PC,PS4,XBO) - This was a good puzzle-platformer that has a few cool moments, and (IMO) one utterly amazing moment that it completely squanders the momentum of and that made me like the whole game slightly less.
    14. Headlander (PC,PS4) - This was a neat, if simple, Metroidvania. The mechanic of possessing bots with certain security as a substitution for the door locks in previous games was neat, and it had a very cool aesthetic. Found the ending to be kind of a disappointment. (It leaves things hanging in a way that doesn't feel organic)
    15. Lego Marvel's Avengers (3DS,PC,PS3,PS4,PSVita,WiiU,X360) - It's another one of these, but it's a good one that doesn't really have any big flaws. If you like Lego games and Marvel Superheroes, this is a game for you.
    16. Abzû (PC,PS4,XBO) - Didn't capture my interest like it did for some people, but it's a solid experience that looks really great.
    17. ReCore (PC,XBO) - I liked this game a lot, but the endgame is really bad and it's obvious they cut content out to either make ship date, or to sell as DLC later.
    18. Song of the Deep (PC,PS4,XBO) - An OK metroidvania, with a very charming story, but the water physics makes some of the puzzle solving a bit of a chore.
    19. No Man's Sky (PC,PS4) - Man... Looked incredible, failed to deliver on some key promised stuff, and wound up being incredibly repetitive with an utterly shitty endgame quest that seems to just be a giant middle finger to people who asked "So what do you do?" I sunk 80 plus hours into that game (most of that was listening to podcasts) because I find the initially loop fun, but the fact that every planet has the a million of the same 9 landmarks is so disappointing compared to what the game was billed as.
    20. Quantum Break (PC,XBO) - Loved the story and the TV stuff, but the gameplay itself was a real letdown; very rough and not a lot of fun. Kinda wish I played on easy. Also, game developers; don't put reams of tiny ass text on screens, it's the HD age! Gave myself eyestrain reading all of the collectibles.

    Special Mention to: Shiny (PC) - This would have been a contender for worst game of the year, if I could have actually finished it. It initially caught my attention by being designed by an ex-police officer who wanted to make a game with no violence in it. Admirable! Sadly the game is super buggy, unpolished, with stiff animation, not great controls, questionable design choices and I literally couldn't finish the game due to bugs (which apparently will require them to rewrite the entire lighting engine to fix). The real tragedy is this doesn't feel like a cheap greenlight cash-in, or the detritus of a larger developer who should really know better: it feels like a passion project that just could not execute on their vision in the slightest, and it sucks. Shiny is cute! There are interesting concepts in the game! But it's also flat-out broken.

    Special Mention to: Bombshell (PC) - This game already had a rocky start as a Duke Nukem game that had to have Duke Nukem taken out of it due to licensing issues, so he gets replaced with a detritus character that was cut out of Duke Nukem Forever. And that reveal trailer.. Holy god it looked bad. Then you get the game and you can SEE the potential. Had the game had a lot more polish, some better VO (it's seriously atrocious) and realized that hanging a lampshade on a shitty storyline only works if you're funny about it, it might have been a decent game. Also, the only character in the game that's even partially likable basically gets killed, and nobody really even mentions it. Just a real bummer.

  • Mr_GrinchMr_Grinch Registered User regular
    1. Until Dawn: Rush of Blood (PlayStationVR)
    2. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)
    3. The Last Guardian (PS4)
    4. Batman: Arkham VR (PlayStationVR)
    5. Oxenfree (PC,XBO)
    6. Inside (PC,PS4,XBO)
    7. Titanfall 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    8. Job Simulator (HTCVive,OculusRift,PlayStationVR)
    9. Mirror's Edge Catalyst (PC,PS4,XBO)
    10. Severed (Mobile,PSVita)
    11. Dangerous Golf (PC,PS4,XBO)
    12. Overcooked (PC,PS4,XBO)
    13. PlayStation VR Worlds (PlayStationVR)
    14. The Brookhaven Experiment (HTCVive, OculusRift)
    15. I Expect You To Die (OculusRift,PlayStationVR)

    Some last minute additions to my list. If it wasn't for PSVR at the end of the year then it would have been much slimmer. VR suits my gaming perfectly at the moment, I don't get that much time so small bite size but extremely immersive experiences are just the ticket.

    I'm a big fan of light gun games and clung on to a CRT as long as I could so I could still play my PS2 collection (I did buy some fancy gun that worked with an LCD and sensor bars like the Wii but it wasn't the same), so Until Dawn was basically a perfect game for me.

    If Batman: Arkham VR had been a little longer then that would probably have hit the number two spot, absolutely fantastic.

    Uncharted 4 was such an amazing, wonderfully polished and entertaining experience.

    I set up the op for the Last Guardian thread over 8 years ago and have finally played through it. It's utterly infuriating and 'janky' in a lot of places, but still definitely strong enough to be number 3 on the list. I loved it even if it annoyed me at times. I'm looking forward to playing it through again in future. It is also the first game I played in 4k, HDR on my new tv.

    Oxenfree was great, both comical and frightening.

    Inside was weird and I loved it. I love all cinematic platformers, give me anything with a hint of "Another World" and I'm happy.

    Dangerous Golf is by some ex Criterion devs and is pretty much crash mode with a golf ball, what's not to love?

    Then there are a load of other VR experiences that I've really enjoyed. I'm totally sold on VR as a medium for gaming and can't wait to see what comes this year. I'm just hoping Sony support it as I really can't afford the PC upgrade + Rift/Vive.

    Steam: Sir_Grinch
    PSN: SirGrinchX
    Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
  • RandomHajileRandomHajile Not actually a Snatcher The New KremlinRegistered User regular
    edited January 2017
    1. HITMAN (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. DOOM (PC,PS4,XBO)
    3. Picross 3d Round 2 (3DS)
    4. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)
    5. Titanfall 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    6. Severed (Mobile,PSVita)
    7. Pocket Card Jockey (3DS)
    8. The Witness (PC,PS4,XBO)
    9. Inside (PC,PS4,XBO)
    10. Firewatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    11. Headlander (PC,PS4)
    12. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (PC,PS4,XBO)
    13. Abzû (PC,PS4,XBO)
    14. Mafia III (PC,PS4,XBO)
    15. Ratchet & Clank (PS4)
    16. Final Fantasy XV (PS4,XBO)
    17. Tom Clancy's The Division (PC,PS4,XBO)
    18. Overwatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    19. Reigns (Mobile,PC)
    20. The Battle of Polytopia (Mobile)
    Thoughts:
    1 - HITMAN - This was a last-minute swap with DOOM, but I had to move it up due to Giant Bomb videos and the fact that this was the only game I thought about really wanting to play whenever I wasn't playing it.
    2 - DOOM - Fantastic over-the-top revival of what DOOM is. This time around, they made it almost a puzzle in a way.
    3 - Picross 3D Round 2 - Typical addictive puzzle game. A great refinement and new mechanic on top of the first game.
    4 - Uncharted 4 - Just a great way to bring the series to the new platform and finish the Nathan Drake story.
    5 - Titanfall 2 - So many great moments. Press L1 to do the thing. Pilot, you need to take this and escape. Etc.
    6 - Severed - Really great layered touch mechanics, with a bit of Metroidvania/Zelda and a neat little story. I worry that people slept on this game because of the Vita, but it's also out on Mobile phones and 3DS.
    7 - Pocket Card Jockey - Golf style solitaire with a horse racing wrapper. Really neat, but I'm a little worried that it is becoming grindy trying to get better horses through the breeding portion of the game.
    8 - The Witness - I really enjoyed what I played of it, but I'm worried that when I go back to it I will have forgotten all of the tricks and won't want to force myself to progress.
    9 - Inside - Really neat twist toward the end, and a few really cool puzzles. Great art and all that, too.
    10 - Firewatch - I loved the setup and the feeling that this game evoked throughout. (Coincidentally, we had a German Shepherd that passed away a bit before I started playing this game, so that got my emotions pretty early on, just in the text setup to the game.)
    11 - Headlander - Madcap Metroidvania, set in a 70s retro future space station.
    12 - Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare - If you had told me that I would have three big FPS games in my top 12 (with one of them being CoD and the other being ex-CoD guys), I'd have said you were crazy. I have never really even played a CoD game prior to this.
    13 - Abzu - Not as good as Journey, but a beautiful piece of art nonetheless.
    14 - Mafia III - This is on here simply for that opening sequence. I only Redboxed it a couple times, so I didn't get to see the whole story through, but what I did see is a cool framing device and great character in Lincoln.
    15 - Ratchet & Clank - Admittedly not too far into this, but it is really a showcase for what the PS4 (and Pro) can do. I think my nephew is going to love it the next time he is over.
    16 - Final Fantasy XV - This finally came out, huh? Here again, I want to spend more time with it, but it is a good evolution of the FF format.
    17 - The Division - Solid mechanics, but the enemies can get to be bullet sponges. I do want to revisit this now that they have changed the gearing up phases.
    18 - Overwatch - I got on this train waaaay late. It's really fun, but the loot box system is something else. Also, I just find myself way more likely to jump into Destiny PvP (for better or worse).
    19 - Reigns - I really liked the decision process, but the "true" ending path is rather obtuse if you don't just look it up.
    20 - Battle of Polytopia - Here's another gem that I'm not sure a lot of people played. It's a Civ-light for your phone. Great distillation of that formula.

    And then games that I played that didn't make the list, in no particular order (not exhaustive):
    No Man's Sky - I really waffled on having this on the list, but I don't know where I'd put it. I enjoyed it, but it gets to be somewhat aimless at times.
    Rhythm Heaven Megamix - I had fun with this, but I'm just not a rhythm game guy.
    Tharsis - Great concept, and when it is clicking, it feels awesome. Problem is that it almost never seems to go right. Like, I get it, things are terrible and it's based on luck of dicerolls, but this game is tough.
    Bound - Artful platformer, but it just didn't hold my attention at times.
    The Last Guardian - Beautiful, and I'm hoping it hooks me more than it has a couple hours in. The controls and the camera bother me just enough, but I'll probably power through it eventually.
    The Tomorrow Children - Neat concept, but I feel like it ends up a bit aimless.
    Watch Dogs 2 - Need to spend more time with this.
    Grow Up - More of Grow Home, but more overwhelming. I'll get back to it.
    Tricky Towers - I'm sure this would be amazing if you had a few friends over, but I hit a wall in the SP challenge stuff.
    Let it Die - Love the wrappings on it, but it's still a Dark Souls sort of game... Maybe I should give it another try.
    Really Bad Chess - Great, but I'm really bad at chess in general.
    Virginia - Neat cinematic approach, but something just missed with me.
    Super Mario Run - This is not the Mario game I'm looking for. Okay for what it is, though.
    Street Fighter V - What a botched launch. Great mechanically, but I can't get my head in fighting games any more.
    Bomb the Right Place - This is the best game on the GOP arcade in my opinion. Gives you a bit of a geography lesson on top of the message.
    Oxenfree - Struggled with keeping this off my list. Part of me wanted to put it in the top 10, but I just didn't get far enough... That's a recurring theme, I guess.

    RandomHajile on
  • Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    Mr_Grinch wrote: »
    Fwiw you can vote again if you missed something. It'll just replace your first vote.

    @Bursar @CaptainNemo @Gvzbgul @captaink

    In case you missed it.

  • GvzbgulGvzbgul Registered User regular
    Ooh

  • mccmcc glitch Registered User, ClubPA regular
    I voted! My top ten were
    1. Inside (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. The Witness (PC,PS4,XBO)
    3. Ladykiller in a Bind (PC)
    4. Stephen's Sausage Roll (PC)
    5. SuperHyperCube (PlayStationVR)
    6. VA-11 HALL-A (PC)
    7. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (PC)
    8. No Man's Sky (PC,PS4)
    9. Pokémon Go (Mobile)
    10. N++ (PC, PS4)

  • mccmcc glitch Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Does SYSOP give a confirmation message

  • InfidelInfidel Heretic Registered User regular
    mcc wrote: »
    Does SYSOP give a confirmation message

    No (so that it doesn't get spammy/abused, and reading PMs is much safer than having it send them if not necessary).

    You should refresh the page that gives you the token and says your vote is unclaimed at first. If it is claimed correctly then the red goes to green saying you're all set!

    OrokosPA.png
  • CaptainNemoCaptainNemo Registered User regular
    Cool, sent the new pm.

    PSN:CaptainNemo1138
    Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
  • mccmcc glitch Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Infidel wrote: »
    mcc wrote: »
    Does SYSOP give a confirmation message

    No (so that it doesn't get spammy/abused, and reading PMs is much safer than having it send them if not necessary).

    You should refresh the page that gives you the token and says your vote is unclaimed at first. If it is claimed correctly then the red goes to green saying you're all set!

    Thanks!

  • davidsdurionsdavidsdurions Your Trusty Meatshield Panhandle NebraskaRegistered User regular
    I did this thing. Top 5 was really crowded this year for me. Top 10 were all great fun. Top 20 really filled out nicely with lots of time played all the way through.
    1. Overwatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. Dirt Rally (PS4,XBO)
    3. Darkest Dungeon (PC,PS4,PSVita)
    4. Firewatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    5. Civilization VI (PC)
    6. Tom Clancy's The Division (PC,PS4,XBO)
    7. Battlefield 1 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    8. Clash Royale (Mobile)
    9. Just Dance 2017 (PC,PS3,PS4,Wii,WiiUX360,XBO)
    10. Super Mario Run (Mobile)
    11. Stardew Valley (PC,PS4,XBO)
    12. Plague Inc: Evolved (PC)
    13. Pokémon Go (Mobile)
    14. Tricky Towers (PC,PS4)
    15. Stellaris (PC)
    16. XCOM 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    17. Madden NFL 17 (PS3,PS4,X360,XBO)
    18. Dark Souls III (PC,PS4,XBO)
    19. slither.io (Mobile,PC)
    20. No Man's Sky (PC,PS4)

  • HardtargetHardtarget There Are Four Lights VancouverRegistered User regular
    1. Forza Horizon 3 (PC,XBO)
    2. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)
    3. Titanfall 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    4. Tom Clancy's The Division (PC,PS4,XBO)
    5. Overwatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    6. Mafia III (PC,PS4,XBO)
    7. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PC,PS4,XBO)
    8. HITMAN (PC,PS4,XBO)
    9. MLB 16: The Show (PS3,PS4)
    10. DOOM (PC,PS4,XBO)
    11. Civilization VI (PC)
    12. Stellaris (PC)
    13. Gears of War 4 (PC,XBO)
    14. Firewatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    15. SUPERHOT (PC,XBO)
    16. XCOM 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    17. Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak (PC)
    18. House of the Dying Sun (PC)
    19. Abzū (PC,PS4,XBO)
    20. Total War: Warhammer (PC)
    that's a good year of gaming

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  • Stabbity StyleStabbity Style He/Him | Warning: Mothership Reporting Kennewick, WARegistered User regular
    1. HITMAN (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. DOOM (PC,PS4,XBO)
    3. Ladykiller in a Bind (PC)
    4. Dark Souls III (PC,PS4,XBO)
    5. The Witness (PC,PS4,XBO)
    6. SUPERHOT (PC,XBO)
    7. Civilization VI (PC)
    8. Abzű (PC,PS4,XBO)
    9. Stardew Valley (PC,PS4,XBO)
    10. Hyper Light Drifter (PC,PS4,XBO)
    11. VA-11 HALL-A (PC)
    12. World of Final Fantasy (PS4,PSVita)
    13. House of the Dying Sun (PC)
    14. DEADBOLT (PC)
    15. Epistory - Typing Chronicles (PC)
    16. XCOM 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    17. Oxenfree (PC,XBO)
    18. Watch Dogs 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    19. Firewatch (PC,PS4,XBO)

    Looking at other people's lists, I've come to the conclusion that more people need to play Ladykiller in a Bind.

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  • SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    1. Shenzhen I/O (PC)
    2. Mirror's Edge Catalyst (PC,PS4,XBO)
    3. Satellite Reign (PC)
    4. Tyranny (PC)
    5. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PC,PS4,XBO)
    6. Oxenfree (PC,XBO)
    7. SUPERHOT (PC,XBO)
    8. Inside (PC,PS4,XBO)
    9. Stellaris (PC)
    10. DOOM (PC,PS4,XBO)
    11. Firewatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    12. Orwell (PC)
    13. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice (3DS)
    14. American Truck Simulator (PC)
    15. HITMAN (PC,PS4,XBO)
    16. Pokémon Go (Mobile)

    Man, I guess I really haven't played that many (new release) games this year. Usually I'm doing a lot of shuffling, with my lists being a good 5-10 items over, but this year I didn't even hit it when I went and played a bunch of short indies after the list was already out (Oxenfree, Inside, Orwell).

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  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    edited January 2017
    These things are always opportunities for me to list games I'm almost certain would've ranked high if I had played them. So for instance I resisted the urge to put Kentucky Route Zero Act IV at the top even though I know that's where it'll end up once I play it. I'm sure Oxenfree, Inside, DOOM, Mirror's Edge: Catalyst, Virginia, SUPERHOT, and lots of other stuff would've done well if I had ever gotten around to them. Oh well! It was a good year for games with names involving animals, for me:
    1. Quadrilateral Cowboy (PC)
    2. Firewatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    3. Dishonored 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    4. Titanfall 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    5. Devil Daggers (PC)
    6. Battlefield 1 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    7. The Raccoon Who Lost Their Shape (PC)
    8. Pony Island (PC)
    9. Overwatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    10. damn.dog (PC)
    11. i will never forget you because you have made me the happiest dog on earth (PC)
    12. Hidden my game by mom (Mobile)

    TychoCelchuuu on
  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    Special categories:

    Game I really, really wanted to like and almost did but ultimately didn't -
    Darkest Dungeon

    Gorgeous art style and tone that needs to be in more games. It was intriguing at first but the grind just got to me eventually and I had to stop playing. Zero gameplay change from hour 1 to hour 50, only difference was the numbers got higher. Feels like they should have tripled the xp/item/gold gain, then slapped on a time limit so complete campaigns were shorter. Thing is, I just started playing Rogue Legacy and it's pretty much everything I wanted to like from Darkest Dungeon.


    Top backlog game I haven't gotten around to playing yet-
    Furi

    I've been desperate for a good Devil May Cry game since the 3rd one. A DmC game that's all boss battles? Sure!


    Critically acclaimed game that I just don't get and wish I did-
    Oxenfree

    I loved Life is Strange (the first 3 episodes, anyway). I love 80s kid adventure movies. Everyone said this is a great throwback to the latter with a great story.

    I just don't see it. All I've done for 3 hours is listen to non-compelling teenagers complain, occasionally selecting a pointless dialog response that usually times out before you can read all the choices (timed dialog responses needs to just go away as a mechanic, thanks Telltale). "Stand under a light and turn the radio dial until something happens" has been the only puzzle element. Ledge climbing segments that make the climbing in Twilight Princess seem warp speed by comparison. A soundtrack that falls into an uncanny valley between "disturbing Silent Hill discord" and "cutesy catchy". A central mystery that's given away in the first hour.

    For quaint little adventure game with barebones gameplay, I enjoyed The Deed: Dynasty a lot more.

  • Kestrel1Kestrel1 falco sparverius Noblesville, INRegistered User regular
    1. Titanfall 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. Forza Horizon 3 (PC,XBO)
    3. Overwatch (PC,PS4,XBO)
    4. SUPERHOT (PC,XBO)
    5. Batman: The Telltale Series (Mobile,PC,PS3,PS4,X360,XBO)
    6. Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak (PC)
    7. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PC,PS4,XBO)
    8. Mirror's Edge Catalyst (PC,PS4,XBO)
    9. Motorsport Manager (PC)
    10. Clustertruck (PC)
    11. Tron RUN/r (PC,PS4,XBO)

    I didn't play a ton this year, but what I did play was pretty great. Titanfall 2 is, by far and away, one on the best games I've ever played. Forza Horizon 3 is easily the best Forza ever.

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    Mixer: Kestrel1 | Twitch: KestrelTV
  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    edited January 2017
    Ah crap, I forgot all about Shadow Warrior 2. Bump Battlefleet Gothic: Leviathan down to #3.

    1. Overwatch
    2. Shadow Warrior 2
    3. Battlefleet Gothic: Leviathan
    4. The Deed: Dynasty

    Sorry, Battlefleet!

    MrBody on
  • MongerMonger I got the ham stink. Dallas, TXRegistered User regular
    So 2016 was a raging trash fire of a year, but it fortunately happened to be stuffed to the brim with really good video games. I actually have a shorter list than I have in several years, though. I ended up playing a lot less than I bought, and a whole lot less than I was interested in, but that's mostly because... well, we will observe the culprits below:

    1. DOOM (PC,PS4,XBO)
    I almost didn't buy DOOM. I wasn't really sure what to expect out of it, and word coming off that multiplayer beta could be diplomatically described as "poor." Even when it came out and there was an upswell of people starting to shout that the multiplayer did not reflect on the campaign even one tiny little bit, I was clicking the button to purchase it and not really sure if I was making a good decision. Then, of course, you actually boot that game up. Jesus fuckzooming fuckballs, guys. DOOM is exquisite. I don't really think there's anything I can say here that hasn't already been said more eloquently by someone more intelligent than I am, but DOOM stands tall in the FPS genre in a way that very few shooters over the past few years have. I spent a lot of time this year forcing myself to not replay DOOM because I had so many other things to get around to, and I only barely managed it.

    2. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II (PS3,PSVita)
    I have said many times on these forums that I hate cuteness in all its forms, anime cuteness prime among them. I am good and dead inside, trust me.

    But goddamn Trails, man. Trails has consumed me.

    Some notable exceptions aside, I'm traditionally not a JRPG guy. There was a highly circuitous path that lead to me trying out Trails in the Sky a couple of years ago, but, despite my valiant efforts, that game hooked me immediately and did not let go. Straight up some of the best worldbuilding and character development I have ever seen in a game. Had I not missed to voting window in 2015, Trails in the Sky SC would've been up there with Witcher 3 and MGSV. However, having come off Sky SC and Witcher 3 and a cavalcade of giant kickstarter RPGs, I skipped on Trails of Cold Steel for the PS3 in favor of some things that weren't 100 hour commitments. With Cold Steel 2 on the way, though, I got back around to the first over the summer.

    And here we come to the aforementioned culprits of this short list. Three solid months of my year were devoted just about exclusively to Cold Steel 1 and 2. There have been politics, multiple sequential anime theme song intros, laughably predictable character reveals, staggeringly unpredictable character reveals, ludicrously unexpected genre shifts, teachers that really shouldn't be teachers, the most asshole cat known to man, more assorted facts about honey than you will ever make use of, kidnappings, uncomfortable insinuations about sibling relations, fucking Phantom Thief B (fuck that guy), motorcycles, a bunch more politics, that fucking blue tree that I don't know enough about because those games aren't in English yet and I'm mad about that, magnanimous dads stacked upon magnanimous dads, literal war crimes, a goddamn jrock concert, fake credit rolls, epilogue chapters for days, ten shit tons of fishing, way too many playable characters, and enough heartfelt speeches about the power of friendship to drive any reasonable person to supervillainy. And, really, that's just the beginning. I, at this point, probably understand more about the political structure in Erebonia than my own country. Granted, that probably says more about the sheer absurdity of certain modern events than anything else.

    I digress.

    Trails is good and I like it. If it weren't for DOOM, this would be at the top of the list.

    3. XCOM 2 (PC,PS4,XBO)
    I played a lot of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. I watched a lot of other people play XCOM: Enemy Unknown. I spent a good 3 years with EU, EW, and Long War. It is unsurprising XCOM 2 is another culprit of this short list. It exceeds EW in every way, and they even added in proper mod support this time around. I have yet to complete a campaign because I'm deep enough in on mods that I keep breaking campaigns midway through. As it should be. In any other year, XCOM 2 would be at the top of this list.

    Now, I suppose one could criticize it for being a bit disappointing when compared directly to Long War, but you know what? Long War 2 is already out, and Long War 2 is why I am putting this list together now instead of last week. I have stories about Bandit Squad.

    4. Dark Souls III (PC,PS4,XBO)
    They made another Souls game. I still really like Souls games. One of the coolest moments in Souls happens to be in this Souls game. I spent way more time with this Souls game than Bloodborne, as, again, is pretty well shown by the short list. In any other year, I would probably put this at the top of the list.

    5. SUPERHOT (PC,XBO)
    SUPER
    HOT
    SUPER
    HOT
    SUPER
    HOT
    I don't really even want to say anything about SUPERHOT. Go play SUPERHOT. Now.

    6. Hyper Light Drifter (PC,PS4,XBO)
    Look at Hyper Light Drifter. Look at it. That should sell you on it alone. Then you add that it's some fascinating exploratory Souls-Zelda hybrid with an excellent strategic combat system based around positioning, and that should double sell you on it. I never actually finished it. I need to get back around to it. Because it's great.

    7. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (PC,PS4,PSVita,WiiU,XBO)
    I have been vaguely aware of Shantae for a while. It wasn't really until I saw a run of the original gameboy game at AGDQ that it really caught my interest. I played through Risky's Revenge and Pirate's Curse over the past couple of years, and very quickly found a whole lot of fun platforming, clever level design, frustratingly attractive undead chicks, and, of course, the ham stink. Ohhhhh, that ham stink. What was I talking about?

    Half-Genie Hero definitely feels limited by its kickstarter budget with its lack of proper dungeons, and, like Pirate's Curse, feels like it leans more adventure game in its design than metroidvania, but its still as charming and creative as it's ever been. Looks pretty spiffy under its new art style, too.

    8. Inside (PC,PS4,XBO)
    It's a better Limbo. Apparently, mileage varies on whether that is positive. I happen to think it is. Inside's presentation is some of the best around, with the rare kind of ingenuity in its camerwork and detail in its backgrounds that almost makes you depressed that it is rare in the medium. Anything past that, I really don't want to expand upon. It's a game best experienced firsthand, and it's definitely a special kind of experience.

    9. I Am Setsuna (PC,PS4,PSVita)
    I mentioned way up there that there are notable exceptions to my historical disengagement to the JRPG genre, and by far the most exceptional of them is Chrono Trigger. I really like Chrono Trigger. And Square-Enix put together a team of people that really like Chrono Trigger to make a thing for people that really like Chrono Trigger. They lay it on pretty thick in the first hour. The silent protagonist. The sparkles on the map for hidden items. The locked chests absolutely everywhere. The Cliff. Yeah. That cliff. It's not just Chrono Trigger, either. The game's opening scene may as well be the mode 7 opening to Final Fantasy VI. Your first set of party members may as well be Yuna, Rikku, and Auron. The soundtrack shamelessly cribs from basically every major Square release. You can only exit the game by holding start+select. That's what they're making here.

    It's no Chrono Trigger, though. I will tell you that much. It's a fun combat system with a sort of passable storyline, and I've enjoyed it for what it is. For as much as it mimics the classics, its art style and admirable dedication to a solo piano soundtrack actually do make it feel pretty unique.

    10. Thumper (HTCVive,OculusRift,PC,PlayStationVR,PS4)
    Buckle up, motherfuckers. This chrome bug thing is taking you for a ride.

    I don't play all that many rhythm games, but Thumper is probably the purest that I've seen. It's also hard. Even as a person with decent timing and not much of a problem with weird time signatures or complex rhythms, it is hard as shit and it does not stop. And I love that about it.

    11. The Last Guardian (PS4)
    We waited ten years for this game. I waited ten years for this game. And it came. And it may not have been what you had hoped it would be, but it's definitely exactly what you thought it was going to be. It's no Shadow of the Colossus. It's not going to redefine the way anyone thinks about the medium. It's incredible. Sometimes. Or it's broken. One of the two, at all times, and nowhere in between. There are moments when you are bonded to an actual animal that behaves of its own will and it is magical. And then there are other moments where you're just placing and re-placing and throwing that barrel and yelling "Eat the food, you oversized shitweasel! Eat! The! Food!" and he just won't eat the food.

    He wants the food, you guys.

    Why won't he eat the food?

    12. Devil Daggers (PC)
    Devil Daggers is the most metal thing I have ever played. The non-music is metal. The pixels are metal. I am bad at it. And that's metal.

    13. Shadow Warrior 2 (PC)
    I loved the Shadow Warrior reboot. I loved its Dark Messiah-ish melee combat, its triple rocket launcher that it totally pulled from Unreal Tournament, its slick dodge move that I want in every first person game from now on, its dumbshit protagonist asking somebody where the Nobitsura Kage was every other line, and its inexplicably good story that it pulled out of its ass in the last hour. I was stoked for more Shadow Warrior.

    And it didn't really hold my attention as much as I wanted it to. It's still really good. It's got ulaks and the super shotgun. I just haven't spent as much time with it as I thought I would.

    14. Gnomoria (PC)
    So I played Gnomoria years ago, and had a fair bit of fun with it from what I remember. I put it here mostly because I want to recognize that it's cool that someone made a competent Dwarf Fortress For Babies, because I'm sure never going to be able to wrap my head around actual Dwarf Fortress.


    Honorable Mentions:
    -Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - You seemed cool. I liked Human Revolution a lot. But you kept crashing on me at release and you came out a week before Cold Steel 2. Sorry. Maybe I'll get back around to you after Ni-Oh. And Nier: Automata. And Persona 5. And Horizon: Zero Dawn. And fuck, the beginning of 2017 is packed.

    -Those Ni-Oh demos - I spent a probably unreasonable amount of time with the Ni-Oh alpha and beta, as well as the final demo that came out a couple of weeks ago. Ni-Oh seems real good, guys, but more than that, this thing with iterative public demos that this game and some others like FFXV have done is extremely interesting to me. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it yet, but I'm definitely interested in seeing more developers experiment with it.

    The shame pile of stuff that I bought or backed and just didn't get around to:
    Darkest Dungeon
    Furi
    Salt and Sanctuary
    The Witness
    The Banner Saga 2
    Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan
    Amplitude
    Frog Fractions 2
    Aragami
    Republique
    Blood Alloy: Reborn

  • furlionfurlion Riskbreaker Lea MondeRegistered User regular
    New vote! Having played DOOM for almost 5 hours today I feel I can truthfully vote for it! Also fuck no man's sky so it falls off my list.
    1. Dark Souls III (PC,PS4,XBO)
    2. DOOM (PC,PS4,XBO)
    3. Darkest Dungeon (PC,PS4,PSVita)
    4. Smite (PS4)
    5. Pokémon Go (Mobile)
    6. The Deadly Tower of Monsters (PC,PS4)

    sig.gif Gamertag: KL Retribution
    PSN:Furlion
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    Wow, almost missed this.
    1. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse (3DS)
    2. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice (3DS)
    3. VA-11 HALL-A (PC)
    4. Stranger of Sword City (PSVita,XBO)
    5. Project X Zone 2 (3DS)
    6. Amplitude (PS4)
    7. Kindred Spirits on the Roof (PC)
    8. Let It Die (PS4)

    wVEsyIc.png
  • sergiocornagasergiocornaga Registered User regular
    This year I played 185 games from the list, apparently 5 more than last year. I wouldn't recommend playing this many games. Next year I will aim to play fewer.

    Below are my top 50, spoilered for convenience:
    1. Inside
    2. The Witness
    3. Rhythm Heaven Megamix
    4. Samorost 3
    5. Reigns
    6. Stephen's Sausage Roll
    7. Dondgynns Auv Ye Wyrdd
    8. Tribute to Myst
    9. Swap Sword
    10. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice
    11. Strawberry Jam Chapter 1: The Machine Fortress
    12. Even The Ocean
    13. Samurai Lantern
    14. Graduated Cylinder
    15. Deep Freeze
    16. Void Pyramid
    17. Animal Village
    18. Lacuna III
    19. Leaving Ur
    20. Hyper Light Drifter
    21. Another Metroid 2 Remake
    22. Thumper
    23. Magic Wand
    24. Kentucky Route Zero Act IV
    25. Canveus
    26. Rose [PuzzleScript]
    27. Fitz Packerton
    28. The Endless Express
    29. i will never forget you because you have made me the happiest dog on earth
    30. Firewatch
    31. Zero Time Dilemma
    32. 🐹
    33. PLLUG
    34. NORTH
    35. Princess Remedy In A Heap of Trouble
    36. Shadow Doctors
    37. Dépaysement
    38. cognizance
    39. Glimby
    40. Quick Draw!
    41. Noisy Beetle
    42. Triennale Game Collection
    43. ISLANDS: Non-Places
    44. Surf Shogun
    45. There There
    46. Spherical Constitution
    47. Bamboo EP
    48. Black Ant
    49. slither.io

  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    oi fuck I forgot Fitz Packerton. Oh well.

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