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ejsponge61 · 6 years

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Game of the Year 2016

Greetings! So, early in 2017, I listed off my top 10 games of the following year on YouTube. That was a long time ago, and now I’m writing out the script for my GOTY 2017 video. But as I wrote, I just realised something: Why don’t I post the text along with the original video? So, here I am, albeit nearly a year later, telling yall about my favorite games of 2016. And be on the lookout for another, more current, list in the coming weeks!

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Overwatch

Besides a certain pocket monster simulator, this game is the biggest gaming phenomenon of 2016. So, considering I love first person shooters, it is fitting that it managed to suck me in as well . ever character delivers a completely different gameplay experience from the next, but every playstyle manages to be fun and valuable. Each of the characters are excellent not only from a gameplay perspective, but they were also delightful to get to know. Whether it's running around with my boy Lucio or squealing with glee when Ana gets play of the game, there was rarely a moment that this game didn't give me joy. It is more that deserving of all the praise it continues to get, and it sits confidently as my 10th favorite game of the year.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

While the franchise has seen historic levels of hate this past year, I have always been a fan of the Call of Duty franchise. This year's installment was just as solid as years past, but the additions this year really spoke to me. It's single player campaign made me relate to it's characters so deeply that, once all of their fates were revealed, I found my self shedding tears. And besides an emotional story, the gameplay structure of the campaign gave me some much appreciated freedom. Add to that a zombies mode that allows me to pop heads to the tune of The G.A.P. Band and the familiar chaos of multiplayer, and you have one of my favorite installments in the series in years.

Firewatch

Games like these have historically been few and far between. As the artform matures, we are seeing more games tackle mature and complex themes like Firewatch. Besides the game having gorgeous art design and immersive UI design, the voice acting really took me by surprise. The way that Henry and Delilah's relationship develops throughout the course of the game made me feel emotions that games rarely evoke in me. While I found the ending bitter sweet, I also felt that was the point. Life doesn't always answer ever question and sometimes you have to just enjoy what is given to you. And boy did I.

Titanfall 2

Knowing that much of their team was responsible for the Modern Warfare series, I was confident that Respawn Entertainment had the talent to make a great single player campaign. And indeed did they deliver. While short, the campaign is a tightly paced compilation of increasingly awesome and innovative moments. And they aren't just visually arresting, as they add new gameplay mechanics throughout. Add to that a brilliantly simplified multiplayer with loads of depth, and you have one of the greatest shooters of 2016.

Inside

Inside is a masterclass by so many measures. It's art design, while primarily monochromatic, manages to impress within every setting and character. It's gameplay, while very simple and nearly identical to Limbo, manages to allow the player to do increasingly impressive feats. Also, it's narrative is so minimalistic that it leaves the player with so many more questions than answers. Add one of the most, um, baffling endings that I've ever seen in a video game, and you have what I consider the best independent game of 2016.

Mafia III

I love so many games for so many reasons. But even I can recognize when I fall in love with a game that isn't perfect. Mafia III is one of those games. I love the tale of Lincoln Clay's revenge. The tale is straight forward, but it's the details around it that made me giddy. Diving deeper into Vito's backstory, listening to "The Voice" on the radio go off on one of his anti-white supremacist rants, seeing the confidence and swagger of Lincoln as he interacts with other characters. Despite issues other's had with moment-to-moment gunplay, I found it to be fun and functional. Despite issues others had with repetitive mission structure, I enjoyed it. It took the outposts from Far Cry 3-4 and made that it's core gameplay loop, which I loved. But more importantly, the fact that this game tackles issues of race so directly and effectively is a watershed moment for video game narrative. I hope that Mafia III is remembered more for it's overwhelming successes rather than it's faults.

Watch Dogs 2

Watch Dogs 2 is different from Watch Dogs in every way, and that is why I love it. Marcus Holloway is such a relatable, charismatic, and fun character that he makes nearly every action in the game more fun. Even the rest of Dedsec is endearing in each of their own way. This is also one the first open world games that made stealth and fun and viable option, as I've used my drones and hacking abilities just as much as my combat abilities. This is a world that I enjoy just walking around, taking selfies, and surfing cars in, not just because it's tone is one of absolute fun, but also because it's so much more subtle in it's darkness. Unlike other open world games, like it's predecessor and GTA V, the game doesn't hammer you over the head with the oppressiveness of it's world and characters. Instead it let's you use a drone to solve a laser puzzle while listening to DJ Quik. And that is why I love this game so much.

Ratchet and Clank

Since Size Matters way back on the PSP, I've been a fan of Ratchet and Clank. So, I was looking forward to this PS4 remaining of the original game, and it even managed to surpass my expectations. It's blend of platforming, 3rd person shooting, and ridiculous humor and weapons has been perfected here. After playing more than half a dozen games in the series, the fact that this formula still manages to deliver this much fun is impressive. Add one of the most fun platinum trophies I've earned all last year, and you have what is hopefully a fantastic new start for one of PlayStation's greatest franchises.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

My love for Uncharted 4 snuck up on me. I've been a fan of the franchise for years, but by the end of this game's epilogue, I realized just how much I cared about Nate, Elena, and friends. The graphical detail, performances and setpieces are all top notch and Naughty Dog continues to prove that they are the most talented developer in the industry. But besides giving Nathan Drake the most fitting of sendoffs, they also delivered a fantastic multiplayer mode. I continued to surprise myself by how much I kept coming back after each content update. And it's recently added Survival co-op is sure to take up even more of my free time. It's hard to deny how perfect of a package this game is.

DOOM

I've made it painfully obvious that I love Doom, but even I was surprised that it made the top of my list. But the more I thought about it, it made perfect sense. I love first person shooters. It's varied weapons, platforming, and abundance of collectibles was reminiscent of Ratchet and Clank. It's hilariously ridiculous tone kept me just interested enough in the world to want to keep running through demons. In addition, it's mechanics fed into each other in brilliant ways. It's frenetic combat tapped into adolescent Quake Live reflexes that I assumed were long forgotten. And it's melee finishers we're so gleefully brutal that I found myself excited to see the next one. I even adored the multiplayer, which many wrote off as a soulless addition to a stellar campaign. This all combines to make one of the greatest FPS games of the last decade, and my game of the year.

#Doom #Mafia 3 #ratchet and clank #titanfall2 #uncharted 4 #overwatch #watch dogs 2 #cal of duty #infinite warfare #inside #firewatch #video games #2016 #game of the year #GOTY

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hakafufe · 7 years

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Favorite Games of 2016

Disclaimer

My list includes games from previous years. As long as I've never played it and started it for the first time in 2016 then it's fair game.

#10 Rock Band 4

I picked up this game in a bundle with the Rivals expansion pack and this game reinvigorated my love for rhythm games. However, it is noticeable that Harmonix has shifted into “Indie Game Dev” status with the downgraded graphics, animation, and limited DLC songs every. Nevertheless it fills that rhythm game itch phenomenally.

#9 Shadows of Mordor

As if Batman: Arkham City and Assassin’s Creed made sweet love in the plains of Middle-Earth. Changes up gameplay by introducing the nemesis system. Mind-controlling an orc general and watching them move up the ranks made me as happy as a mother on Toddler’s & Tiaras. Other than the Nemesis System, Shadows of Mordor doesn’t do anything else but refines familiar mechanics to a T.

#8 Bravely Second

I love Bravely Default. And the sequel builds up from the foundation established by the first game albeit with a weaker, much stranger story. I don’t want to delve deeper into spoiler territory but the ending gets truly meta and self-aware to a weird degree. But it’s the gameplay that carries the experience. A whole slew of new classes are introduced as well as a number of the classes from the first game. The amount of customization and hypothetical class combos is vast and a hell of a lot of fun to experiment with.

#7 Titanfall 2

Respawn Entertainment found their solid footing after the misfire that was the first Titanfall. Don’t get me wrong, the first game is fun but as deep as a deflated kiddie pool. Titanfall 2 improves on the first Titanfall in spades. More titans, customization, unlockables, maps, and an actual single-player campaign. The real tragedy was the marketing and release date for this game. With a release date sandwhiched between Battlefield 1 and Cod: Infinite Warfare this game was set-up to be overlooked. But that didn’t matter to me, as I still believe Titanfall 2 is better than both those games.

#6 Overwatch (PC Edition)

Blizzard struck gold, diamond, platinum, oil, and every other valuable resource with Overwatch. I knew after watching the first reveal trailer that this was gonna be a good game, but in my opinion a good game with friends. Playing solo can prove to be a frustrating, anti-fun experience when you’re getting stomped and your team can’t cooperate even if their lives depended on it. But the universe Blizzard created is probably the best part about this game and the selling point in my eyes. The colorful cast of characters, all with their own backstories, unique abilities and great design to top it off. And it’s only $40 bucks in PC, the perfect price for this kind of game (sorry console players D:).

#5 Monster Hunter Generations

Sneaking it’s way into my #5 spot is Monster Hunter Generations. I say sneaking because I didn’t expect to love this game as much as I do. It may not seem too impressive to MH veterans but after sinking 100 hours into Generations, I can safely say I’m a newfound fan of the series. The game might seem boring to some: a cycle of accepting quests, eating food for buffs, prepping for the quest, finish the quest, rinse and repeat. But the game really starts picking up once you start hunting giant wooly mammoths and dinosaurs ripped straight out of Jurassic World. Then using their carcasses to create new gear and weapons for yourself. The game just keeps on giving and giving to no end. Oh, and there’s online mutiplayer which a blast to play with minimal lag and very few connection issues.

#4 Final Fantasy XV

The last game I beat before the end of 2016, Roadtrip Fantasy XV was a great way to close out the year. Much like previous games in the series, the story is batshit insanity. Square Enix went out of their way to create a small universe for this game, complete with a film and anime series. So without watching the movie specifically, some of the story elements may seem confusing and out of left field. Now the best part about FFXV is hands-down the main cast of characters. The Backstreet Boys (Noctic, Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto) all have a lot of heart and feel like genuine characters. They play off of each other extremely well, have great banter between them, and even have some surprising heart-to-heart moments with each other. Their relationship carries over beautifully into the combat. This FF game plays a lot similar to the likes of Kingdom Hearts. Battling as Noctis and setting up combo moves with your squad is exhilarating and rewarding. I know I gave my 2 cents about the story but it wraps up in what might be my favorite ending to a video game this year. It took Square 10 years to make this game, and it was all worth it.

#3 Fire Emblem Fates

I’ll say it now, this game doesn’t hold a candle to Awakening. The fact that the full experience is essentially split into 3 games takes a toll on the story. But the gameplay is still the same tried and true Fire Emblem formula. Managing your units and trying to get them killed is a very strategic and rewarding experience. The marriage/child mechanic makes a return in Fates but from a narrative point of view, the reintroduction of this mechanic doesn’t seem to make as much sense as Awakening. Overall, it’s more Fire Emblem and I can’t really complain too much about that. Also, Felicia/Jakob best partners.

#2 Pokemon Sun and Moon

Pokemon Sun and Moon is the definitive Pokemon experience. I’ve been a longtime fan of the series so placing the game at #2 may seem biased, but I truly feel like Sun and Moon changed up the traditional Pokemon formula to warrant the #2 spot. While yes, the first few hours is nothing but tutorials and hand holding, I don’t see it as much of a problem since it pretty much makes Sun and Moon the most accessible Pokemon game in the series. And with the spike in popularity because of Pokemon GO I anticipate there may be a whole slew of series newcomers. Out with the old conventional Pokemon gyms and in with island trials, a really good story (in Pokemon standards), beautiful art and graphics, and countless quality-of-life changes that polish the overall game experience. The Pokemon game for everyone, Sun and Moon still proves that Game Freak can still inject some life into this franchise.

#1 Ratchet and Clank

I mentioned earlier about Overwatch’s killer price tag. Now imagine that price on a full, triple A, single player experience and you got yourselves the Ratchet and Clank reboot. This game in amazing in every aspect. It runs and plays beautifully even though it’s set at a sneaky 30 FPS, but it’s almost unnoticeable. Insomniac really surprised me with this game. I knew from the start I was in for a treat but I wasn’t aware how well made this game would actually be. Zany, quirky weapons galore, a reimagining of the plot from the first game, very tight and fluid gameplay, and the introduction of the galaxy’s greatest duo on the Playstation 4. Ratchet and Clank is my #1 favorite game of 2016, and here’s hoping Insomniac will release another one of these masterpieces in the foreseeable future.

#2016 #favorite #list #rockband #shadowsofmordor #bravelysecond #titanfall #overwatch #monsterhunter #finalfantasy #final fantasy xv #fireemblem #pokemon #ratchetandclank

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