The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Breath of the Wild is without a doubt, the best game about exploration ever made. The climbing and gliding abilities make traversal to anywhere incredibly easy, while the abandoning of a icon-filled open-world map makes exploration actually mean something. Then the fill the world with shrines containing clever puzzles to give you something to explore for, and the silly little Korok puzzles to do along the way, to make sure you're always keeping your eyes open. It has its little faults, like the lack of quality dungeons or boss fights, and the weapon degradation system that was clearly designed with a now-absent touchscreen in mind, but the end result is still something that transcends any of that.
Yakuza 0 - I don't even know where to start with this game. It's so confident in its style, bouncing back and forth between over-the-top anime action, gravelly-voiced, soap-opera drama about arcane Yakuza politicking, and utterly absurd, slapstick sidequests. It infuses it all with a pitch-perfect 80s atmosphere, and by the end, every little inch of Kamurocho and Sotenbori is etched on your memory, along with the character of the people who make up those neighborhoods, great and small.
Super Mario Odyssey - This game is just joyous. The worlds, the characters, the costumes, are all so wacky and full of life, and the platforming is so sharp. It employs some of Zelda's lessons about exploration on a smaller scale to great effect, ensuring that no matter where you are in a level, there's always something on the horizon to do. Some have complained about the relative ease of most of the moons, but I find that to be a plus, making sure there was always a breadcrumb trail to lead you around the map, while keeping the game accessible to everyone. There's plenty of challenge to be found, and nothing challenging about finding it.
Nier: Automata - Nier is a weird thing. It wears its low budget on its sleeve, with its ugly, barren, low-res world full of invisible walls, and it's gameplay never really transcending any further than action-game basics, but it's the story that really carries this game. It's the closest thing to an intellectual successor that Metal Gear Solid 2 has ever had. It uses its structure as a game and the repetition of multiple playthroughs to build up a theme of despairing existentialism, while making sure to end on a note of possible hope. The sidequests, all mechanically uninteresting, also work to tell stories of machines trying to find meaning in a world that has none for them. It's hard to explain what makes this all work, because on paper it really does sound like just a rote sci-fi story about "can robot human?", but that's really not a question the game is interested in. The robots exist to explore aspects of humanity and existence, not to just imagine what things would be like with robots.
What Remains of Edith Finch - The best walking sim since Gone Home, really the only other one I'd put on that level. Like Nier, it's a game that's fixated on death, but manages to find beauty in it, while using its magical realist atmosphere to remain constantly mechanically and stylistically innovative.
Horizon: Zero Dawn - Horizon is an obvious technical showpiece, and the first in what I imagine is going to be a long line of competent Witcher-likes. It has a very well done combat system, though at times I found that the involvedness of the combat got in the way of just running around, and while the main storyline is perfectly fine, with well drawn characters all around, the slow reveal of the backstory is where it really shines.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - It's a testament to this game that it's here despite being a slog to play. The shooting is really only interesting as a Nazi violence simulator, and is thus best enjoyed on very easy. It's a game you push through to get to the next ridiculous cutscene. Because holy shit. Everything about the plot and style in that game is pitch perfect. It has maybe the only scene in a game that forced me to repress my inner American's urge to applaud. They somehow made a reboot of a franchise from the early 90s into the greatest commentary on life in 2017 that's been produced in any media thus far.
Pyre - Pyre sits for me somewhere short of Supergiant's highs with Bastion, but well ahead of Transistor, which fell flat for me. It has their signature touch of fantastic art, music, and writing, coupled with a fun little sport game, with all the usual level-up trees and power-ups their games have. It drags on a bit long, forcing you to play a few too many matches, but other than that, is great.
Night in the Woods - Another game that rides on the strength of its art and writing. Like Yakuza, it has you tracking and backtracking over a relatively small area, interacting and reinteracting with a small cast of well written characters, until by the end this little town is etched into your mind for life. The writing is pitch-perfect disgruntled twenty-something, and we're it not for Wolfenstein II, it would easily be the most 2017-ass game of 2017.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - It's weird to be here singing the praises of yet another application of the Uncharted formula of action set pieces and ridiculous graphics, but it turns out that a lot of the little faults of Uncharted could be fixed by shrinking the game down to a more manageable size, and replacing the cavalier bravado of Nathan Drake with the cavalier bravado of a pair of women feeling out their relationship with each other.
Honorable mentions:
Assassin's Creed: Origins - This game would probably rank higher if I finished it (though geez, it would break my heart to knock any of the games above it off of the list) but I'm just not going to be able to realistically do that in the next week. It's the best realization of a setting Assassin's Creed has had since the Ezio games in Italy. It would've been so easy for them to give in to the temptation of giving the player their fantasy of Egypt, but instead they paint a more complex picture of the colonial nature of Greco-Egyptian relations, and the looming menace of Rome.
Resident Evil VII: biohazard - It's just really impressive that they managed to reboot Resident Evil as something big this different but also this evocative of the original.
Cuphead - I want to shout this game out for its amazing style, even if I didn't actually enjoy it that much. It's difficulty was just a notch or too far in the direction of obnoxious for me to really like it, but god it's great to look at.
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NieR: Automata - I find it hard to articulate my feelings about this game, because I never feel like I have the words to do it justice. The places that this game goes narratively still leave my mind blown. The game leaves my jaw on the floor in a way that only MGS2 ever did and that's my third favourite game of all time. This wouldn't be far behind that if I'm being honest.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - This was the most fun ride I've had in a shooter in ages. I love how ballsy the plot it, it really goes for it and sticks most of what it attempts. I enjoyed the gameplay as well which I know wasn't always the case for others.
Persona 5 - I spent a solid six weeks or so only really playing this game. I haven't been this engrossed in a turn based RPG since the PS2 days.
Zelda Breath of the Wild - A pretty outstanding game. As someone who had never finished a Zelda game until now I found the world brilliant. I just wish there was some more story to go along with it.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - The details in this are amazing. A+++ animation, sound and visual design. An engrossing tale.
Prey - Fantastic game for 30 hours, its pacing goes off the rails late, but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey there.
Life Is Strange: Before the Storm - Another game that starts strong before having some issues late. The original is one of my favourite stories and this does a good job at building out the world before those events.
Assassin's Creed: Origins - Brought me back into the AC world after AC III drove me away 5 years ago.
What Remains of Edith Finch - I still think about moments from this game despite finishing it a month ago. Certain sequences are astounding.
Mario Odyssey - The perfect compliment to my Switch that I bought in the new year. Really enjoying digging into the post game.
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1. NieR: Automata - I find it hard to articulate my feelings about this game, because I never feel like I have the words to do it justice. The places that this game goes narratively still leave my mind blown. The game leaves my jaw on the floor in a way that only MGS2 ever did and that's my third favourite game of all time. This wouldn't be far behind that if I'm being honest. 2. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - This was the most fun ride I've had in a shooter in ages. I love how ballsy the plot it, it really goes for it and sticks most of what it attempts. I enjoyed the gameplay as well which I know wasn't always the case for others. 3. Persona 5 - I spent a solid six weeks or so only really playing this game. I haven't been this engrossed in a turn based RPG since the PS2 days. 4. Zelda Breath of the Wild - A pretty outstanding game. As someone who had never finished a Zelda game until now I found the world brilliant. I just wish there was some more story to go along with it. 5. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - The details in this are amazing. A+++ animation, sound and visual design. An engrossing tale. 6. Prey - Fantastic game for 30 hours, its pacing goes off the rails late, but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey there. 7. Life Is Strange: Before the Storm - Another game that starts strong before having some issues late. The original is one of my favourite stories and this does a good job at building out the world before those events. 8. Assassin's Creed: Origins - Brought me back into the AC world after AC III drove me away 5 years ago. 9. What Remains of Edith Finch - I still think about moments from this game despite finishing it a month ago. Certain sequences are astounding. 10. Mario Odyssey - The perfect compliment to my Switch that I bought in the new year. Really enjoying digging into the post game.
HMs: Horizon & Cuphead. Both great games and I loved the character of Aloy, but I needed to get Mario in late.
A masterpiece. In an incredible year like 2017, a game at the top of the list has to exceed all other contenders in its genre and Hollow Knight does just that. It is now the de facto king of Metroidvanias and it didn't come from Nintendo or Konami or any recogniseable game directors: it was a kickstarted indie project from an entirely new team.
The world is gigantic and the map mechanics of having to spend resources and chart areas rather than just being handed information suddenly makes you feel like an explorer in the genre for the first time. Combat seems simple at first but unrelenting bosses force you to experiment with different sets of charm badges; a way of creating classes essentially. Longer nail reach, more potent projectile magic, crafty healing methods.
Not only does Hollow Knight mechanically stomp on its peers in the genre, it goes toe to toe with the Souls series on how expertly the lore of the world is woven into its narrative. Wonderfully animated characters reveal tidbits about how the ruin and chaos came to this little bugworld. Events seamlessly transition from comical to haunting as you dig deeper and deeper into the mystery of just what you're supposed to be questing for.
Hollow Knight is perhaps so great a game, I do not feel it will be eclipsed in the genre for at least another decade, if ever. That is how tall into the sky it stands and I am excited for console gamers to finally get to grips with it themselves in 2018 and beyond.
Resident Evil 7 -
Much like the first time I ever played 3D videogames ranging from the PS1, Sega Saturn, and N64, Resident Evil 7 in virtual reality feels like the start of a whole new generation of what interactive entertainment can do. A 'AAA' franchise game completely playable in VR was just what the fledgling medium needed and Capcom excelled across the board with their first try.
Despite graphically taking a hit due to the sheer requirements of rendering twice for each eye, somehow the 3D effects in RE7 pop more than any other VR game I've played. The result is a hyper-real spooky world that could chill me to the bone. Controls feel like Capcom has been working with VR and FPS for years with aiming feeling so natural and easy it gives you a huge advantage over TV screen players.
Not only that, but RE7 is a return to form for the franchise. A soft reboot, harkening back to the puzzles of the Spencer Mansion is just what the biologist ordered. Grounding the game with more civilian level characters also made the story a lot more relatable and allowed for stakes to matter more to your progression.
RE7 was such a killer app for PSVR in 2017 that if you weren't lucky enough to play it with a helmet on your head, it genuinely feels like you only got to experience a part of what it achieved.
Persona 5 -
Despite not personally liking it as much as Persona 3 FES or Persona 4, Persona 5's incredible dungeons and streamlining of its game mechanics make it a must play. Everything has been taken up a notch with incredible animated 2D menu elements, the return of Shin Megami Tensei inspired demon conversations, and fully 3D animated, graphically delightful cutscenes.
Social Links are as oddly enjoyable as ever, and some great past-time minigames break up the flow of the game's calender year progression system. Combat feels polished to a sheen with snappy commands and just an incredible approach to GUI graphic design that will set it out from the crowd for years to come.
The story has enough dramatic twists to surprise, but ultimately it feels like a weaker plot stretched thing compared to other entries. It's still a great game with a strong ending, but I'm definitely ready for the team to try something entirely new with their Fantasy project. I hope the next Persona entry is as electrifying as 3 was way back when.
Horizon Zero Dawn -
I expected a graphically astounding game from Guerilla, and after gameplay was shown I expected fighting robot dinosaurs with a bow and arrow was going to be incredible fun. What I didn't expect was an incredibly intelligent sci-fi story woven throughout the exotic world. How the Earth got into such a sorry state is a mystery worth hunting all the data logs and other collectables for.
Some of the weapons Aloy cobbles together are some of the most iconic in games from recent memory. Tearblast arrows make an amazing sound as they blast armour off of giant metal T-Rexes and then harpooning them to the floor to spam explosive arrows into weakpoints is a combat loop I didn't get tired of. The different enemy types mixed things up all the way to the end of the game with predator style invisible jaguars and giant legendary birds.
I do wish however that voice direction had tried to give the VA's more of a prehistoric tinge to their dialogue so that it didn't seem like some inhabitants of this tribal world had just drifted out of an LA nightclub. That said, Aloy and Sylens steal the show. I haven't had a chance to play Frozen Wildlands yet, but I'm sure its an icy ribbon tied around an already excellent package.
Sonic Mania -
Over 15 years ago, I used to haunt the Sonic fangames community. Quality in titles such as Sonic Time Attacked, Retro Sonic, and Sonic XG made me wonder why such talented individuals weren't making new IP and games for themselves. Then as time ticked on, these examples so greatly eclipsed trash like Sonic Advance 3 and ultimately the disaster that was Sonic 4, that it seemed obvious to me that at least some of these talented fans should be given the opportunity to make something official.
Sonic Mania is finally just that and a long overdue changing of the guard. Over a decade of new ideas for 16-bit style Sonic explode into a clever take on what a Sega Saturn 2D Sonic could have been. Studiopolis is one of the greatest Zones of all time, and the Special Stages are so dastardly difficult that they provide a refreshing challenge. An entire games worth of Blue Ball collecting is included for the masochists amongst us.
Sprite work is top notch as is music as is level design. It's just a shame corporate politics kept the blue hedgehog from being given to true talent to work on for what feels like two decades.
SUPERHOT VR -
My enjoyment for SUPERHOT VR can be measured by the fact I played it at launch, in a heatwave, and emerging every hour from the PSVR helmet soaked with sweat but grinning from ear to ear. It is the tactile John Woo simulator of dreams, and it is relentless in its pace.
Moving your whole body to dodge and proceed the timeline is a uniquely physical style of gameplay, even for VR. Learning how to throw weapons to yourself at the various warp points is some sneaky yet incredibly rewarding stuff.
Thankfully also they've since patched the slightly drifting respawn point glitch which resulted in me punching my sofa as I'd slowly but surely adjusted myself over to the other side of the living room. Super. hot. Super. hot.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy -
Any other year and this would be far higher up my list. Taking things full circle, Chloe Frazer gets to raid tombs with incredible architecture and even experience a brief yet excellent example of Uncharted gone open world. I couldn't bring myself to skip finding all the tokens in Chapter 4 and thats a measure of how good the formula was mixed up for the better in this take on the tried and tested Uncharted 4 gameplay.
The banter between Nadine and Chloe is incredible, as is the animation on their incredible industry leading 3D models. There are points that the dialogue made me choke up a little, moreso than most films and TV dramas have this year.
I think there are perhaps too many weapons in the game considering its shorter length, but the bombastic take on trying to eclipse Uncharted 2's train sequence is not to be missed.
Farpoint -
A fairly slow to start game, using the VR Aim controller made this title jump into the incredible experience category. Walking with an analog stick while also being to aim wherever with the gun and look wherever with your head feels like witchcraft.
After the game gets past its walking simulator esque beginnings, things really heat up with stuff leaping at you from everywhere, alien sacs exploding, and a truly great giant boss encounter.
Towards the end of the game I was getting those "playing Halo for the first time" feels, and thats high praise for any FPS these days.
Super Mario Odyssey -
Why is this so low down? It is obviously an excellent videogame, and one of the years best. It's a return to the open world sandbox Mario, and it has a lot of creativity bursting through it. Dressing up Mario is Nintendo finally adding better reasons to track down all those hidden coins and moons.
Unfortunately I ended up judging this game on the areas it seemed to lack in. Waggle controls returning for little reason was very disappointing for instance (especially when considering the portable nature of the Switch). Some of the areas have very flat and boring texture work (Lake Kingdom and Snow Kingdom in particular). Having generic Poser model human beings in New Donk City alongside the stylised Pauline felt like corner cutting. The Broodals were terrible.
I greatly enjoyed my time with Mario Odyssey, but it just failed to exclipse the feeling I had finishing Mario Galaxy for the first time.
NieR: Automata -
Yoko Taro has my attention. Now he finally had the chance to work with a great studio like Platinum and an adequate budget, his eccentric and crazy ideas for game narrative could finally shine. The impeccable soundtrack is also in the two-horse race with Furi for best of the year. Stupid little stuff like being able to pet your hovering robot turret is what videogames are all about.
The combat didn't click with me as much as other Platinum titles (missing that Saito difference it seems) and being forced to play through the entire game as Nines again to unlock the Final Story was a tall order in a year of other stuff I could have given attention to.
An impressively bombastic and touching conclusion however drags this title and up and onto the very end of my games of the year list. Burn that forest to the ground, Taro-san.
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Honourable Mentions: Statik was a hugely fun PSVR puzzle game, Nioh had great combat but outstayed its welcome, I only got through a small portion of Night in the Woods before deciding to pick it back up with the new version, Cuphead is infuriating, and I haven't managed to afford What Remains Of Edith Finch yet. Oh and Bayonetta 1 on PC was excellent, hoo mammy.
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Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - Without a doubt the most important release of last year. While not the best game on the list by a long shot it's definitely the one that means the most to video games as a whole. Touching on unique subject matter with tact and leaving you with a powerful connection to the main character and her plight are just the tip of the iceberg. Being a AAA quality game that was essentially self published passion project and released at 30 dollars is a beautiful step forward for the games industry.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - My favorite zelda game in over a decade. The real star of the show here is a developer finally taking the concept of open world and applying it to the game as much as possible, almost no hand holding, no one telling you where to go all the time, being able to do anything whenever you want, and just a general sense of freedom that lets the adventure feel like your adventure.
Persona 5 - I have a lot of gripes with persona 5, hell between P3, P4 and P5 it's not even my favorite, I dislike the slog in the middle of the game, I feel like the pacing is a disaster, that I wasn't able to properly connect to any of the characters and that the emotional climax of the game was weakened by poor pacing. That being said when the game hits its high notes my god does it blow them out of the water, the gameplay is sublime, it's refined and polished to a mirror sheen which gives us a JRPG experience unlike any other.
Divinity Original Sin 2 - This is another one of those games I didn't like quite as much as the previous entry but what larian studio's manages to do with it's RPGs is just incredible. The game really does take into account all of your actions and any creative solutions to quests are instantly rewarded. The story isn't even the highlight here, it's all about the journey and my god does divinity original sin 2 capture the feeling of going on a journey with your party so well.
Vanquish - I've played vanquish before, or rather I had thought I had played vanquish before. This PC rerelease at 60 FPS is a fucking beautiful moment for me. This is a game that ever since sega announced they were gonna start doing more PC ports of their last gen games I had been clamoring for, and it was every bit as sweet as I imagined it. The games handles so beautifully with a mouse and keyboard that it feels like a brand new experience. It was a game that I loved and now it finally feels like it has gotten the release that it always deserved. Fast, thrilling and challenging are the pillars of this game's design philosophy. Boy does it deliver.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - A redefining of open world games and the Zelda series as a whole. I see a lot of room for improvement but it's hard to deny the impact of this game.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Feels a little less polished than XC1 in some ways but makes up for it with a great story and cast of characters, as well as all of the wonderful trappings the series is known for.
Nioh - May not surpass Souls/Bloodborne overall but it has the best combat system I've ever experience in a melee action game.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Super Mario Odyssey
Metroid: Samus Returns
NieR: Automata
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Sadly, as a Rocket League addict I didn't get to experience as many games as I wanted to this year, and I also failed to finish quite a few that I started (including some on this list). There's a good chance Fire Emblem could have been higher if I'd taken the time to see it through, for instance. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up a bit in 2018. That said, 2017 was a great year for games and I enjoyed just about everything I played.
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Nioh - I fell in love with this game the moment I played the beta (Alpha was rough but enjoyable still). Only second to Demon's as my favorite Souls-like game. Amazing. A combination of great ideas.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - It is so important for videogames an art form a game like this. This game is amazing and the sucess of it makes me very happy. I hope so many other developers try to copy the idea of publishing something like Ninja Theory did here.
Persona 5 - When expectations are met. Great game, 120 hours of pure joy. Amazing gameplay, it is unbelievable how good this game was. Turn based RPGs can be good if you really try.
Horizon: Zero Dawn - I was one of non believers of Guerrila Games (before Zero Dawn the only game from them that I played was Killzone on PS2). But they did win me here with a great and beautiful world to explore, a fantastic combat and one amazing protagonist. I hope that Aloy serves as an example of how good a female character can be in videogames.
Metroid: Samus Returns - Metroid is one of my favorite franchises ever, in some moment of my life Super was my favorite game so the series returning that strong made me so happy after that loooong hiatus. 2D Metroid was always my jam so my hype was big for this one and it payed off. Please Nintendo, never let 2D Metroid die again. Also, best bosses of the series. And the best Metroid 2 version (counting with AM2R, yep)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Will win this and I'm not even mad, really deserved. Nintendo reinvented the Zelda formula (that was a little bit stale, yep) and made my favorite Zelda here. Amazing experience, another game that I hope to get influential.
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood - I don't like online games, videogame as a hobby for me was always me and a controller, alone (except for fighting games with some friends). So, FFXIV is a love/hate story but need to be here in that TOP10. Stormblood was amazing and as a PLD main that suffered through the Heavensward, was happy with all the changes.
Cuphead - Amazing one and it isn't hard to explain why. Great bosses, controls like a dream, amazing visual and boy, that OST... Not only was one of the games of the year but the OST is one of the best albums of the year too.
Super Mario Odyssey - My favorite kind of 3D platformer always was something more straightforward like Crash Bandicoot, Sly Cooper, Mario Galaxy 1/2 so to have something like Odyssey here that is more like Banjo/Mario Sunshine (that I don't like that much) is really a compliment. Nintendo did very great with this, although not as good as the Galaxies.
Digimon World: Next Order - My favorite franchise so even something "ok-ish" for other will probably be very good to me and that's the case. Not as good as Cyber Sleuth but still really great for me.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - So much better than I expected. Even made Chloe, a char that I hated in the franchise, more likable. Nadine kicks ass no doubt about that. The Chapter 4 was really good.
Nex Machina: Death Machine - I don't think Nex Machina is as good as the other titles on this list or even is the best Housemarque game but as probably the last Arcade game from them it needs to be here, as a farewell to the amazing games they made.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – One of the best open world games ever - and the best Zelda game ever. Minor issues (breakable weapons etc) aside, the exploration and the world in this game is just pure brilliance.
Persona 5 – The music, the art style, the battle system - one of the most fun jrpgs I've ever played. There were some pacing issues with the plot, but still a great experience.
Yakuza 0 – The amount of content in this game is mind-blowing. This could have been my #2, if it were my first Yakuza – but after already playing 3, 4 and 5, some elements of the game just felt a little too familiar. Still a great package. And best substories of the series.
Super Mario Odyssey – Great platformer, and one of the greatest Mario games.
NieR: Automata – Yoko Taro and Platinum delivers. Great soundtrack, great gameplay, great plot. Too bad that as an open world game it wasn't really anything special.
Horizon: Zero Dawn – In this era of endless sequels, it was nice to play something completely new. Very beatiful and well made open world game with a decent plot and combat.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – I see this as a semi-reboot of the RE series. The first person camera works surprisingly good, and the gameplay focuses more on exploration (or avoiding the enemy) rather than combat. Has some seriously creepy and f*cked up moments.
Yakuza Kiwami - Not as good as Y0, but still a fun game to play. Majima Everywhere was a cool concept, although over-used.
Nioh – One of the most challenging and frustrating games I have ever played – and one of the most rewarding too. The fast-paced combat is great, but I just couldn't care about the plot, the lore etc. at all. Needed more enemy variety too.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy – Had a blast playing these classic platformers once again. A remake done right – my only complaint is that it wasn't 60 fps.
One of the best years of gaming ever. Still haven't had time to play games like Cuphead, Wolfenstein II, Prey, Xenoblade II… or many others.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Rekindled my love for gaming and is better than any of my nostalgic memories of my favourite video games of all time.
Super Mario Odyssey - Game equivalent of a best friend's hug. Such a welcoming, feel-good experience.
Splatoon 2 - Nintendo made online shooter another welcoming experience. So fresh.
ARMS - For elegance of design and FANTASTIC art direction.
StarDew Valley - Such a relaxing title. And so impressive with the amount of work and detail put into it.
DOOM - While it gets a little formulaic towards the end - it is so much fun throughout.
Mario Kart 8: Deluxe - Is there another game that brings people like this? My favourite MK probably, ever.
Sonic Mania - Never really enjoyed Sonic games but Mania dazzled with its level design and style. I may be converted.
Pokken Tournament DX - Really fun in short bursts if not overly deep.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - The most disappointing for a myriad of reasons, but on the list for the strength of the battle system alone.
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NieR: Automata - One of my favourite games ever made. Automata brings video game storytelling to new heights by doing something very few games do, especially these days, by putting faith in the player. I've heard a lot of people complain over the past year about how the beginning is extremely slow and the story isn't as engaging and it took me a while but now I agree. When I got ending A, I was really disappointed by the lack of knowing what was going on and I played the original so I knew Yoko Taro and his thing with multiple endings but I still felt immensely dissatisfied after those first 15 or so hours. I know why that was so, I know why route B was such a repetitive slog and I know why you are dragged along in this journey like a dog on a leash but I don't blame people at all for disliking the game. Even though it wasn't as bad for me since I also enjoyed the combat a lot (the slide dodge may be my single favourite action in a game) but I still urge people to finish it because it does go somewhere very, very special. It is far from a perfect game but it is those imperfections that makes Automata that much more effective at what it sets out to do and it is so risky that this game should not possibly exist.
Resident Evil VII: Biohazard - Traditional survive horror actually came back and it's Resident Evil of all things which I never would have expected. It feels just like the originals in all the best ways just from a first person view. It has an open level design with doors you will unlock hours later, good inventory management, save points (with the occasional generous checkpoint), dumb puzzles that make no sense to install in somebody's home and that goofy but still horrifying tone inspired by things like the Evil Dead. It's everything I loved about classic Resident Evil except for the final few hours which I still enjoyed but it does lessen the game overall to go another direction after nailing everything involving the Bakers. And speaking of the Bakers, all of them where great but Jack and Joe are fantastic and deserve to be in future games. I don't care how, just do it Capcom and keep making Resident Evil games like this.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - I have been interested in this game since it was first revealed just based on the concept alone. An indie game from Ninja Theory that looked like a triple A game without all the bullshit and wanted to tell a story that goes full on into mental illness and portray it right. I was rooting for this game but I still had my doubts that it would be as great as it turned out to be. I don't want to pretend like I know anything about psychosis but through game mechanics, visuals, sound design and an amazing performance by a video editor who apparently had no experience in acting before this, I felt like I know a lot more than what I would have got from any other work that had a character dealing with this stuff. The gameplay itself was very simple but I still liked all the different obstacles they threw at you which helped carry its themes and just exploring the world taking in the sights was something I really enjoyed. Just a really refined experience that takes risks and it's great.
Yakuza 0 - I'm happy to finally see this series get the recognition it deserves and there is no better one to start with than Yakuza 0. It's crazy how well this prequel fits into the rest of the series and how it gives Majima an origin story that is sincerely tragic and gives a good reason for why he's the way he is in the future. 80s era Japan was also a cool and interesting place I didn't know much about and it shows how great the story is that I cried twice which I never thought I would do playing a Yakuza game. Once due to an emotional scene which people who have played it would know and the other was just because of somebody's acting which I thought wasn't possible because of the language barrier. The only issue was that it was the fourth Yakuza game I played and they all pretty much play the same so I was definitely feeling franchise fatigue. I really hope Yakuza 6 has enough differences to make it somewhat fresh again.
What Remains of Edith Finch - I've always had a soft spot for these "walking simulators" (hate that term). I appreciate the blatant use of just taking a story that could easily be adapted into a novel but choosing to use interesting visuals and walking around the world with limited interaction. This game is a huge step in what this new genre needs to become and I have played a couple more ones like it since that were ruined because I played them after Edith Finch. It takes the limited interaction but makes something more meaningful out of it by giving the player a lot of different perspectives to make you feel like that person or what they imagine themselves to be. The story is really well done with this nice pleasant tone throughout even when all the characters stories end morbid as hell. It also has one of the best examples of how to tell a story through gameplay in this one sequence people have just been calling the cannery.
The Evil Within 2 - The biggest surprise of the year for me. The game wasn't really on my radar, I just picked it up when it was cheap out of curiousity because I was very excited for the first game but was crushed by how disappointing it was. The sequel is better in almost every way. I thought the little open world areas in between the linear stuff were a great addition that are really fun to explore and made the transitions to different areas more meaningful because it's all centered around the setting of a small American town. The writing was also better because it doesn't take the ridiculousness of the setting so seriously. There are three villains and while the priest guy isn't that great, Stefano is awesome because he is like the anti-Ruvik who does everything that I think Ruvik should have done but didn't, and the final villain has something going on that is pretty cool. Sebastian is the biggest change since in the first game he was just a nobody with no defining personality. In the sequel, he is almost given the Leon in RE4 treatment by making him be a cheesy, not so serious action guy who is given the task of saving his daughter which is campy but done right to make it enjoyable. Also, the gameplay is a big improvement and is an example of streamlining done right.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony - Over the past year, I had a lot of fun playing the Danganronpa trilogy alongside my sister and I think V3 may be my favourite. The first thing that jumps out at me for why that would be is because of the ending. Never before have I seen a work of fiction just go "You know what? Fuck it." and mean it and it is a sight to behold. I don't think the game has the best characters in the series (that goes to Danganronpa 2) but I think it has the best overall cast and that is really reflected in the trials where the relationships between characters matter more than ever before. Also, there's only one bad mini-game this time!
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - I struggle to hold an opinion on how I feel about this game. It was disappointing and yet there were moments where it blew my expectations out the door. The biggest complaint is the level design because it's just straight up bad which I found really weird because the levels in the New Order and the Old Blood I thought were pretty good. There's also the cheap side missions where they just change the enemy placements and throw the player back into the bad levels but sometimes worse because you have to do them backwards. There's also the whole thing about starting off the game with half your health which I appreciate how it's worked into the story but it could have been handled better. The thing that makes the game worth playing is of course the story which I don't think is as tight as the New Order but the directions they go in are so amazing and crazy it makes the rest of the game worth it.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - It's kinda weird to have what I consider the best Uncharted game so low on my list but that's a testament to how many other great games came out in 2017. But like what I said about Yakuza 0, I think it's another case of franchise fatigue and the disappointment I still felt for the entry that came before it. Still though, Lost Legacy is amazing and it feels like Naughty Dog really listened to the criticism for Uncharted 4 because all the problems I had with that game are all gone in this. It is paced very well with not even the climbing sections out staying their welcome because there was always something new to gawk at, the tone doesn't go into a weirdly dark but still light hearted place and the enemy encounters went back to feeling natural. Throw in two main characters that play off each other extremely well, a great open world like chapter and the evolution of my previous favourite moment in all of these games, the train, which is the most technically impressive thing I have ever seen in a game.
Gravity Rush 2 - This is probably the most lackluster game I've played this year. I could have put Horizon, Pyre or Persona 5 here but I just don't like them as much as Gravity Rush 2 even when I do think they are far better games. I can't really describe it other than this game has fucking charm. The gameplay isn't much different other than a few quality improvements and the two modes that decrease gravity like you were on the moon and increase gravity if you hate yourself. Increasing gravity is hell but bouncing around in low gravity is really fun and animates well. The biggest issue is the missions since they are very basic open world stuff like follow this guy, go here and fight enemies which gets pretty boring. But what I really liked was the story. It's weird and not really that good but you can tell the people who worked on it had a lot of fun with it and I appreciate how they tried different things. There's also a Silent Hill boss in here.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - One of the best games I've ever played. I don't have the history with this series that some do, but it still absolutely floored me how transformative an experience BotW was. If I could only re-experience one game for the first time, it would be this one. I just finished the Champion's Ballad stuff and I am still reveling in this game with just under 400 hours in it. The map and its topography are so utterly terrific, it feels like the game world is a giant, explorable, living puzzle. I cannot possibly praise this game enough. It also feels really good to see Aonuma succeed so bombastically with his vision for it, and I eagerly await their continued efforts with the series.
Super Mario Odyssey - The perfection of the 64 formula and terrifically inventive and fun 3D platformer. I suppose if my only complaint is that I want more, then they must have done something very right. Cappy is a fantastic and effortlessly satisfying addition to Mario's usual movement and capabilities, so much so that I wouldn't mind some DLC or a sequel which reuses the capture mechanic. The different kingdoms really do a great job of evoking the "odyssey" theme, and there's a lot to explore in each of them. There's also a very nice challenge here for people who want it. Oh, and the last boss battle and ensuing sequence are perfect in every conceivable way.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - I wasn't as down on this as some were before its release (Rayman: Raving Rabbids was one of my first Wii games so I have a bit of a soft spot for the little guys), but I was still pretty shocked by how fantastic this game is. There's a lot to do with the main game, collectibles, and challenge missions. I haven't had a chance to check out multiplayer, but I imagine it's a riot. It's certainly a strange concept, but it's brilliantly executed. More content via DLC for this already-fantastic game is terrific by me.
Splatoon 2 - I have to admit that I haven't played Splatoon 2 as much recently because I've been trying to catch up with other games. However, near launch and for a time afterward I couldn't put it down. I kinda missed the hype train on the first game, but I can now absolutely see why this is such a smash hit. Personally, the biggest draw is Salmon Run. It's a ridiculously fun mode and easily my most played. I think they should look into adding more cooperative online experiences with this franchise, because it's an absolute blast in my opinion.
Metroid: Samus Returns - I had actually never played the original Metroid 2, so this was a wholly new experience for me (on top of the new additions made which weren't present in the original). Though I am a Metroid fan, I'm not necessarily the most die-hard about the series. That said, this was a delight to play. An incredibly fun game which reminds me why the term "Metroidvania" exists.
Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy - As a child, the first game console I owned was a Playstation, and the first game I played on it was Crash Bandicoot. I was incredibly pleased when this trilogy was announced, and even more pleased that it was crafted with such care. These games are as good as I remember them being. I'm very pleased that this effort was successful, and hopefully we can get a new Crash game soon.
Arms - A great effort at a new property for Nintendo and the MK team. There is a very serious lack of substantial single-player content (story mode, please), but the concept and gameplay are really fantastic. Also, these are some of the best character designs for any game, let alone an original fighting game. There's a terrific amount of charm and style in the art for this game and I love it. I want to see them expand on this game in a meaningful way with more modes and ways to play.
Dark Souls III: The Ringed City - I was late to the party with the Souls series, but this was an utterly perfect sendoff for it. I feel like Dark Souls 3 in general is a prime example of creators putting pieces of themselves in their games emotionally, and The Ringed City drives this home excellently. It kind of subverted expectations about what it ought to do narrative-wise, and to delightful effect. Additionally, it's just very fun to play. I think this expansion has some of the best boss fights in the game, and the areas are really well-designed. The theme for the final boss is also a highlight.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - I will say that I haven't experienced a chunk of this game yet, so I suppose that disclaimer should qualify my praise for this game. However, I put it in my list because of how delightfully it defied my expectations. Historically I don't have much patience for JRPGs and I don't play many of them. In fact, I tried to get into the original Xenoblade on Wii and had no luck. It just wasn't clicking with me for whatever reason. So I'm not totally sure why I gave Xenoblade 2 a chance, but I am very glad that I did. It's a very pretty game with a huge, compelling world. The story so far isn't anything extraordinary for me, but the characters are pretty likable and well-acted. The tutorials and slow start for the battles and gameplay are a godsend, and I'm finding myself getting the hang of things pretty quickly (and it's immensely satisfying). I'm looking forward to the remainder of the experience based on what I've played so far.
Steamworld Dig 2 - Beautiful, fantastic sequel to the beautiful, fantastic original. I have to say I kinda burned through it really quickly, but that's only because I was having such a good time playing. The core gameplay loop is incredibly satisfying, and the progression and pacing are perfect. The art and music are exceptionally great as well. Whether I&F continue making more Steamworld universe games or do something new, I am very much looking forward to their future work.
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*** There isn't a way to do a line break with the ordered lists, right? I suppose it doesn't really matter, but it looks a bit better with line breaks between the entries.***
Sure you can. On PC, I usedShift+Enter to make a carriage return instead of a next item confirmation.
Shift+Enter is one of those shortcuts that work way more often than you'd expect. If any software tries to make a new paragraph or similar, but you don't want that, Shift+Enter is your friend.
*** There isn't a way to do a line break with the ordered lists, right? I suppose it doesn't really matter, but it looks a bit better with line breaks between the entries.***
Sure you can. On PC, I usedShift+Enter to make a carriage return instead of a next item confirmation.
Shift+Enter is one of those shortcuts that work way more often than you'd expect. If any software tries to make a new paragraph or similar, but you don't want that, Shift+Enter is your friend.
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild - I wasn't extremely excited about this game when I got it. I originally bought it to have a big game when the switch came out. Within minutes I was completely in love with this game. I absolutely loved the open ended nature of the game. I really felt like my experience was unique because the way that the game let me approach everything. I spent the first 100 hours without using fast travel once. I really enjoyed moving around that vast map and making random discoveries. Little mysteries distracted me constantly, but I have never felt so happy to be distracted. In all my years of gaming, very few games have left me this kind of feeling before. This is only the second Zelda game I have completed, but it is now one of my favorite games of all time.
Super Mario Odyssey - I was waiting for this type of game since after Sunshine. Galaxy didn't do it for me. This game to me is more about the exploring and less about the platforming. I love finding a moon in a place you've run past a dozen times. The level variety and design was near perfect for me. Every level feels very unique. My main complaint is the motion controls. So many buttons went unused and could have been better used for the "advanced techniques" that instead required motion controls. The game itself was so good that I couldn't hold that nitpick against it. Any other year this game would have been my #1.
Yakuza 0 - I knew very little about this game going in. It had been recommended to me and I bought it on Black Friday on a whim. The first hour didn't really catch me, but I was soon hooked. I realized how great my impressions of the game was when I had spent around 10 hours on the Cabaret Club side story. I had way too much fun running that business, managing staff, and recruiting and dressing up the girls. The actual combat is the weakest part of the game to me. I enjoyed that the game always had some new story to tell. There is a lot of variety to the story and I have been consistently entertained. Another thing I really loved was how the game just oozes the 80s time period. Running around the cities really feels not just like a place, but like a time.
Snipperclips Cut it out Together - It is great to play a puzzle game that feels fresh after so many years. It was a perfect smaller launch title for the switch that showcased the fact that the system came with two controllers right out of the box. The game was a great experience to play local co-op with my wife.
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Persona 5 - I haven't gotten this invested in a main JRPG cast like this in a long time. Top-notch presentation and music, stylish graphics, and fun battles means that even though the game has some egregious flaws it's still my favorite of the year.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Beautiful and atmospheric with an open world that begs to be explored. I was a little wary going into this because I'm not normally a big fan of games with areas that are just too big (this was my main complaint with the original Xenoblade) but the fact that you can climb anything and go anywhere means that I never got bored of exploring new places.
Super Mario Odyssey - The Cappy mechanic means that just the act of running and jumping around the levels is super fun and rewarding.
NieR: Automata - It's Platinum and Yoko Taro. Not much else I need to say really
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - I just finished this yesterday so out of all the games on my list it's the freshest on my mind. Needless to say I got those just-finished-a-100-plus-hour-long-game-and-now-have-no-idea-what-to-do-with-my-life blues.
Splatoon 2 - Great game and worthy sequel to the original, and while it fixed some problems the first game had it also added some it didn't. Adding to that the devs' continuing inability to nail down proper game balance plus the fact that 2017 was fucking stacked with great games means that this game is significantly lower on this list than I expected before its release.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony - Danganronpa is a series of big, dumb twists. This game has a lot of big, dumb twists and I loved all of them.
Night in the Woods - I'll contend that Night in the Woods has the best-written characters and dialog out of all the games on my list.
Hiveswap - Technically Hiveswap: Episode One but the spreadsheet just had the main game name so I went with that. Anyway, this game captured a lot of what made early Homestuck so appealing to me. Good dialog with hilarious narration (there is so much hidden flavor text in this game that finding it all can double or triple the length of a standard playthrough). I hope it can keep up this level of quality in the future.
Thumper - Super difficult and super fun. Good use of HD rumble on the Switch too.
Honorable mentions:
Snake Pass
Yakuza 0
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Cuphead
Resident Evil VII Biohazard
The Evil Within 2
Phew, what a year. This was the first time since I joined the old site in 2014 that I was actually able to fill my list with 10 games that I played.
Most of my honorable mentions were for games I didn't play myself but just enjoyed watching streams and playthroughs of so I wanted to mention them as well.
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Super Mario Odyssey – This game is a bundle of joy. The platforming is top tier and moons come at a fast enough pace to bring a sense of accomplishment that makes it difficult to stop and put the controller down. From the music to the animations to the multiple worlds you traverse, it is hard to play this game without a big smile across your face. Once you finish the main story, the game rewards you with a post-game full of surprises and challenges that ensures the wonderful time you have to not end anytime soon. For years I told myself I grew out of Mario and didn't view them as personal system sellers. I enjoyed 3D World but it wasn't the reason I got a Wii U. I was never the biggest Zelda fan either. In fact, I only bought my Switch due to a sale on eBay. Now 2017 is over and I'm ashamed that I almost didn't give this game, my GOTY, a chance. If this is year 1 of Mario on new Nintendo hardware is like, I can't imagine what comes next with the bar set so high!
Persona 5 - I don't think I ever played a game that oozes such style, charm, and identity from just the UI and loading screens alone! Just like with previous games, the main cast is fantastic and watching them interact with each other and grow as individuals makes it depressing as you realize you are nearing the end of the journey with them. The premise of the story is unique and provides framing for the game's social commentary on abuse of power and taking advantage of others in modern society. Gameplay wise, it's still the fast pace, land weaknesses turn-based battles of SMT but increased difficulty and demon negotiation from the main series was quite a surprise to see in this game! However, I believe that this entry is as refined as it can be for the style of game introduced to the series since P3. I'm hoping that the sequel will feature big and interesting changes to the formula. Out of the three games I waited ten years to release, this is the only one that lived up to expectations. Also the game has "picosecond" in the lyrics of the battle theme. Picosecond! PICOSECOND!!!!
Nier: Automata – Let me start off with the bad. The game looks like a high res PS3 game. The world gets tiring and tedious to traverse after a few hours even when the game introduces fast travel. The combat although good is not Platinum's best work. The main story being told in the first half of the game (A and B) felt generic at times and during this part of the game, all the crazy, dark, messed up story telling that you hear praised from the Yoko Taro cult members are often regulated to the side quests.
But then the tonal shift from A/B to C/D occurs and my mind is blown. All the little bits of story you experienced add up to a climax of revelations that leaves you drowned in a sea of thoughts and emotions you didn't expect to have over a video game. I still ask myself "How can a game starring completely of machines and androids express such thought provoking themes of free will, identity, and the causes and effects of human society?" An absolute bit of brilliance in the game that just continues to blow my mind whenever I recall it is making the player an active participant in one of the story's themes throughout the entire game without him or her noticing and not revealing it till the very end. This game won't just win best story of the year awards. It will probably be unchallenged to win story of the generation! If this is the norm for a Yoko Taro game, then consider me a fan! I managed to type all of this without even mentioning how beautiful the soundtrack is!
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia - For any FE fan, the game provides a modern glimpse back to the early years of this long running franchise, a time when Intelligent Systems didn't know what traditions and mechanics make a Fire Emblem game and decided to try out a whole bunch of new stuff. No weapon triangle? Let's try that out! No weapon durability? Sure. Magic costs hp to cast but has a fixed hit rate at all times? Ok. Real time dungeon crawling? Why not?
Overall, even after the first hours of me screaming "Is this even Fire Emblem anymore?" , I'm really happy that I got to experience a FE so different after two games of pair-up mechanics. Character designs are the best in the series and even with the handicap of having to follow the same basic plot of the original two decade old game, the story somehow beats out whatever crap Fates had as a story.
Finding Paradise - Beautiful music, charming sprite animations, and a story just as great as the award winning To The Moon, I immediately had to change this Top 10 list after I finished it! Even though I called the plot twist early on, the way the plot twist was used to push the narrative and its message is wonderful. Kan Gao's music and storytelling continues to be excellent and I hope that we don't have to wait another six years to enjoy his next masterpiece.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd- When I started the game, my initial thoughts were about how bad the story framing was. Seriously, some sort of otherworld/parallel universe and piling up huge amounts of story dumps behind doors??! I felt it was extremely lazy compared to any of the other Trails games. None of that mattered to me in the end because the doors gave me more of what I want most from the series : Explanations of how the world works and seeing the history and interactions among the cast. I also liked how the story ties Phantasma to Kevin's past and his character development throughout the game. Overall, this is a great conclusion for this cast of characters and leaves me and other Trails fans waiting anxiously for future localizations of this fantastic series.
Uncharted The Lost Legacy - This is a shorter yet more refined Uncharted 4. Pacing is better and the setpieces are top notch Naughty Dog quality. If this is going to be the last bit of Uncharted, then the series ends in a high note.
Tekken 7 – Lack of gameplay modes. no tutorial , and a short lame story mode aside, playing this game online with vsync off and great netcode has just been a pleasurable experience. Having the opportunity to play against one of U.S 's top players online was an amazing moment in my gaming career!
Picross S – This is my first Picross game and boy did I get addicted! Self discovering strategies to find the correct squares and watching a humongous daunting white plane become a picture through your intellect gives a wonderful sense of accomplishment. This year I took two megabus trips and this was my go-to game to play on the ride over my other Switch games.
NBA 2k18 – This game has massive microtransaction issues but luckily I never had interest in playing any of the modes that utilizes it such as MyCareer and GM modes. My time with the series every year is spent almost exclusively in MyLeague mode where I get to enjoy the latest slight adjustments to the movement and animations from the previous entry and listen to the new commentary lines. After that, the game becomes my go-to "podcast game" as I simulate multiple years of NBA seasons till the league is full of bald generic players and new expansion teams that do not exist in real life.
Other thoughts : Just skimming other people's list and my own backlog, 2017 has been a great year. I haven't finished Cuphead, AssOrange, and Tokyo Xanadu yet. I still haven't played a single game of PUBG yet. I only played 2 hours of BOTW at a friend's house. I see so many other games on other people's lists that I expressed interest in playing but never had the time to buy or touch them. The backlog just gets bigger and bigger :)
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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Zelda is probably the best game of the year but Xenoblade 2 is both my most played and favorite game of 2017. It's rough in parts and the quality can be uneven but the battle system is so fun and cast so memorable. Zelda is going to win anyway so I want to make sure Xenoblade 2 at least gets some props this year.
Super Mario odyssey - A pure delight to play the entire way through. I simply could not stop smiling.
The Legend of Zelda breath of the Wild - My favorite Zelda since A link to the Past and my favorite 3D Zelda ever.
Gorogoa - I came in not knowing anything about the game and utterly fell in love with it. I showed it to 3 people and they all bought it after.
Thimbleweed Park - It wasn't perfect and a bit too self aware but it's the closest thing we have to a new 90's era LucasArts Adventure.
Super Bomberman R - At launch this would not have made my top 10 but after several updates it has become my go-to party game when friends come over. A worthy successor to the Super Famicom games.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - When it was first announced, it sounded like the worst idea ever. But the game is charming and surprisingly challenging.
Splatoon 2 - The WiiU game was my GOTY in it's year. Splatoon 2 is a better game than the first one. Goes to show how many great games came out this year.
Persona 5 - More games like this please. Great art style, music and story.
Cuphead - Played it at a friends. LOVE the style. I will eventually buy an Xbox One for this game alone.
Puyo Puyo Tetris - Best puzzle game in ages.
Picross S - Not even in my top 5 picross games. But still one of my most played this year.
What a crazy crowded year. I didn't realize I played so many fantastic games this year until I complied the list.
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Horizon Zero Dawn - I had a long debate over what my favorite game was and when it came down to it it was the consistency of my own enjoyment of the game. Overall Horizon was a fantastic game with consistent quality in which I only really remember one big issue in the consistency which simply comes down to the way I play. The game was great and the story was more engaging than I ever expected it to be. The world was great, gameplay fun, and story fantastic with only a few issues which is more than you can say for many games. Plus I really enjoyed the fact that there is some representation of my home state of Utah within the game map and story locations. My only hopes are that with any sequel we may get they can continue an engaging narrative without the mystery we had going into Zero Dawn.
Yakuza 0 - Yakuza was a surprise but a welcome one. I have never really touched games like this favoring more westernized or at the very least localized properties and when I went into Yakuza all I had were a friends recommendations and my own assumptions. While still don't care for subtitles when it comes to a hundred hour experience I found that I could get past it easily as I enjoyed the ridiculousness of the story while at the same time enjoying its seriousness. The tonal shifts are not a problem with this game it all meshes well. Another problem that doesn't become a problem is that game is largely built on to blocks janky fighting and walking around a tiny map. However, those two blocks are supported by a great collection of side tasks and storytelling setpieces that it becomes very enjoyable to move through. I always like feeling strong in a game and tearing through a big group of guy in Yakuza only to be met with a joke or serious moment after was always fun.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Though I do agree with the general consensus that this game is fantastic in most regards I still have a few complaints. That really bother me in regards to the structure of the game. One important one is that the game is very shallow when it comes to in depth dungeons, the shrines are short and overly time consuming, and the latter half of the game can become repetitive. However this is not to say I didn't enjoy the game why would it be so high if I didn't. The list of complaints is simply much shorter than what the game does well.
Cuphead - This was a game that took years to be delivered and after all that waiting it was a concern it might have been a dud. However it was a fantastic experience with almost every boss being a good challenge only a sparse few being to easy or too hard for full enjoyment. Plus the art and music were unique and special.
Assassin's Creed Origins - I didn't know what to expect for Origins going in, I had heard good things and have been a more than loyal follower of Assassin's Creed going back to the first game and all eight main games and two of the side games since.So going into Origins I knew it would be something new and I really liked it. The game was lovely with the endlessly charming Bayek to the beautiful world the game breathed fresh air into AC and I look forward to more.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider - The Dishonored series is an all time favourite of mine so coming into what may be the final story in this world I was hopeful. I was quite happy with what we got it was a good conclusion to Billie's story and kind of tying a bow on the Outsider as a whole I can only hope for more. Arkane has done so much with Dishonored that I am always interested in something like it in the future.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - Here is where some of my complaints are growing. I enjoyed Wolfenstein II, I did. However there are a few big giant glaring issues. First to play the game as the bombastic hero I feel you the game insist on you have to play it on the easiest difficulty because any harder and even at full health and armor and you are gone in just a few shots. As well the tone of the game is absolutely and totally fucked. The first half is defined by BJ's depression while the second half is the bombastic party with side jokes placed in the absolutely worst places after or during these emotional outpourings. With that said the game is still fun and playing as a bombastic hero at easy is worth the experience. I hope the next one is better but this one was good enough to say it was worth it.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - Hellblade is a mastery of audio and visuals working together. The games simple combat is enjoyable and the initial threat of losing progress is a scary one. However two big complaints are that by the end of the second act the game is getting a bt tired and that the puzzles are kind of dull. However that can be ignored by the fact that the game for as simple as it is is an experience.
Prey - This game I have more problems with than I care to list but many of them are a result of my expectations. Feeling this might be more akin to Dishonored I expected a structured delivery which it was not at all with the whole map available early which I personally dislike. As well the games enemy variety was weak and the story only really gets interesting later on. I still can't deny the quality of the game and the love that went into it. It just wasn't the game I built it up in my head as which isn't its fault.
Super Mario Odyssey - Mario was a great game but it is something that was magical for such a short period. Over time the game wore out my love but that love was strong at start. The game is fun but seems to draw you into this bad repetition between worlds that grows tiring that I had to kind of force myself to finish a while after I stopped in the first place. So what makes this game earn its place? My niece who has just turned four love it and watching her love it makes me love it. It is worth it all just to watch the smile on her face as she runs around just having fun is great.
Special mention of some of the smaller games I played specifically Stardew Valley for the Switch which was enjoyable and something I will keep going back to. As well I want to mention Mass Effect Andromeda which was a good game bogged down by expectation and development missteps but still did try to achieve some grandeur in the end. I enjoyed it but given that it was one of my most anticipated titles for several years and now fails to make the list shows its missteps. Just dear god don't let that be the end of Mass Effect.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - This game has been a long time coming. It's easily the most hyped I've ever been, so surely there was no way for Nintendo to meet my lofty hopes. Yet still it surpassed even my highest expectations. Nintendo managed to completely redefine not just the franchise, but open world games altogether. The feeling of freedom the game provides is simply unparalleled. The game never says no, everything from puzzles to combat to how you reach a destination can be tackled in any way and is only limited by your own ingenuity. Besides the freedom, the enormous world is filled to the brim with things to do and is just magical to explore. The towns are full of life and I adore the characters. The soundtrack is super great as always, and the sound design is on another level. Breath of the WIld isn't only the best Zelda game. It's the best game ever made.
Super Mario Odyssey - Pure joy. There's no other way to describe Super Mario Odyssey besides pure joy. It is downright impossible to play without the biggest smile on your face throughout the entire adventure. Capturing enemies is such a brilliant twist on the power ups of Mario. More important than anything though, Mario just feels amazing to control. I can waste hours in this game jumping around with no direction, which is especially great for this sandbox game where there's a moon in every corner. This game solidifies that gameplay is king.
NieR: Automata - Not a day has passed by since completing Nier Automata that I haven't thought about it. It has had such an impact on me, it's a miracle this isn't my GOTY. Genuinely, it breaks my heart that this game came out when it did, because anytime in the last decade it would've been GOTY by a longshot. The story. the characters, the music, it all just comes together in such a beautiful way. Ending E is forever etched into my soul.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is the sequel I always envisioned for the original Wii classic. The focus on story with great characters is exactly what I wanted. Seriously, this cast of characters is so lovable and endearing. The music is back to the standards of the first, the environments are beautiful, the world is so fun to explore, and though its a 70 hour+ adventure the pacing is super strong throughout.
Persona 5 - Such a stylish game. Persona 5 just makes you feel so damn cool. The menus, the music, Joker himself, this game just screams style. I loved the cast of characters, especially in their confidant side stories, and having confidants give you new abilities was a great idea. A solid RPG throughout, even with its more uneven pacing. Also, Makoto is life.
Splatoon 2 - This is how you do a sequel. Splatoon 2 takes everything from the first game, and just throws more, more, and more at you. New modes like Salmon Run are a great addition and the new mascots are super cute and have great tracks. And of course I have to mention the outstanding free post release support from Nintendo.
ARMS - My personal surprise of the year. Who knew a motion controlled fighting game could be so great? The character designs are top notch, the side modes are a great change of pace, and that main theme is so damn catchy. Party Mode in particular deserves attention as an amazing lobby system that more games need to copy.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the definitive Mario Kart experience, full stop. The racing feels amazing, the game is drop dead gorgeous, and the new battle mode is such a great addition to an already fantastic game. I don't know how the franchise can top itself from here.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - It's almost cheating putting Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy on this list, but I just love these games on PS1 so much. Bringing them up to modern visual standards just makes me so happy, I love that this collection exists.
Sonic Mania - Sonic Mania is the game of every Sonic fan's dreams. It takes the heart of the Genesis classics and turns it into this modern wonder. They nailed what it means to be Sonic, moreso than the actual Sonic Team ever has.
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The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild - In a console generation filled with excellent, but often very samey open world games this one manages to leave a mark. The world is just great and the various gameplay systems create such a good gameplay loop that you can't put this game down. It's the franchises second OoT moment.
Super Mario Odyssey
What Remains Of Edith Finch
Resident Evil 7
NieR Automata
Metroid Samus Returns
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Assassins Creed Origins
Danganronpa V3
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
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Zelda: Breath of the Wild - There's no need for me to add anything else to what so many have said in this thread and elsewhere. All I'll say is that my copy (Wii U) was going to take weeks to ship to me so I just downloaded it while I waited. And did so two days before general release. Those may have been the two most enjoyable days of my gaming life. Blindly playing one of the greatest games ever made before anyone else even had it. Went on to buy the Switch version as well and the DLC for both so I don't think Nintendo can be mad at me!
Splatoon 2 - I don't think I've ever played a game where I would describe each of the single player, online competitive and online co-op modes as 'exceptional' but that was the case here. It is the complete package. Every moment spent playing it - no matter the mode - is a total joy.
Mario x Rabbids - The surprise of the year, bar none. I had never played XCom so I had no idea what to expect. What I got was a consistently funny and charming game with strategy gameplay that was both totally intuitive and yet completely engrossing. I loved it from start to finish, and it was the perfect length. What was interesting was that it didn't feel like a Nintendo game at all - it felt very "Ubisoft" from start to finish, so as a huge Ubisoft fan it was delightful to see Mario done in that style.
Horizon Zero Dawn - A poor open world game, but a wonderful game nonetheless. Yes, exploration is the weakest part, but the combat, visuals, narrative and most of all the core concept of the game were all superlative. It was essentially a perfect linear game set in an open world to give you a bit of freedom and space - and as an open-world lover that's a winning formula to me. To go from Killzone Shadow Fall to this is one of the most insane increases in quality I've ever seen a dev pull off.
The Golf Club 2 - One the one hand it wasn't as much of an upgrade as I'd hoped, there were still bugs and Unity still runs like shit. On the other hand the best social gaming experience I've had all year was the tournaments we organised on the old site as a 'society' in the game. It still plays the best game of golf around, and there has NEVER been a game where putting is this realistic, which is really what sets it apart. Thank god this game was so good to redeem the sins of Everybody's Golf.
Super Mario Odyssey - A great game, yes. But there were just too many moments of boredom or frustration for me to say it's among the best Marios. Still among the best games of the year, because the highs were ridiculously high, and some of the level design was spectacular. But moons were too cheap, and as you hit the end of the post-game it becomes a really tiresome treasure hunt for hidden moons that aren't always cleverly hidden, when what I want is pure platforming, all the time.
Gran Turismo Sport - Light on tracks and content, but I got it for 30 euro and the improvements to the online mode more than made up for the light car roster. The online mode here is insanely good. Racing clean becomes as important as moving up a spot. Qualifying in 16th and painstakingly raising my position to 4th on the Nurburgring (GP track) was one of the highlights of the gaming year.
Yakuza 0 - I actually really don't like the beat-em-up gameplay. I don't like it in 2d; I don't like it here either. But everything else about the game is spectacular. The scenarios, the writing, the diversions, the side-quests. It's funny as hell, well paced, and made me care about its characters more than any other game this year.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Could have been a top 3 game if it wasn't so damned flawed. All the basics of a great JRPG are here - a well-paced, epic story that isn't full of vague bullshit. A loveable cast of unique characters. Plenty of open exploration and quests to do. Well-developed antagonists. A battle system that feels good and has some depth. All of those things being there is what made it make this list - it's a fundamentally good game. But it's let down by a host of QoL issues, from the ugly visuals to the horrible UI, broken map and compass, terrible English dub, slowness of menus, overproliferation of meaningless gameplay systems and so on. Each Xeno game is like this. If they could just get the director a damn editor they'd be out here creating GOAT games. I can only hope for the future.
Metroid Samus Returns - Mechanically a wonderful return to form for Samus, I absolutely loved this one as I was playing it. It was only at the end (after a brilliant final boss) that I realised that it was really missing some of the non-linear level design that makes Metroid so good. That's on the original, though, as the level design is cribbed from there. As for this game's new ideas, nearly every one of them was good. That bodes well for the future of the franchise. Metroid is back.
Honorable Mentions
Fire Emblem: Shadow of Valentia - Very enjoyable return to FE basics after the disaster that was Fates. Enjoyable characters, story, and enjoyably simplified battle system. Shame the maps were so hit and miss.
Sonic Mania - It did exactly what it set out to do, and is probably the second best Sonic game of all time. The problem is simply that I'm someone who things that 2D Sonic's gameplay has always been fundamentally flawed. I liked it, but they need to evolve Sonic to something better now that the nostalgia has been done.
Golf Story - Irrepressibly charming RPG let down by some really dodgy golf mechanics and some bland quest objecives. No golf game should ignore putting to the extent this one did. The writing and characters alone carried me through, though. Would love a sequel that improves the weak spots as the core game idea is right up my alley.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Would be way up there if it wasn't a port as it's one of the best games ever made.
Wipeout Omega Collection - See above, one of the best games I've played all year but I devoured this on PS3 back in the day.
Pokken Tournament DX - Wouldn't have made the top 10, but it's a really, really enjoyable fighter. The daily challenges were a good addition and the DLC characters included were great.
Biggest disappointments:
x. Everybody's Golf - It was going so well… I loved the game at first. Then I realised that they had introduced a nonsense RNG effect to the shot, which hurt. Then the P2W / gem grinding bullshit reared its head and I was done immediately. I waited 6 years for this game. Disappointed doesn't even cover it.
x. Gravity Rush 2 - I was really, really shocked how bad the core game design of this one was. Combat is still terrible. The increased world size does NOT play nicely with the way quests are designed. Stealth was a disaster. The camera was a disaster. The story was a disaster. I genuinely felt ripped off, and I loved the first game.
x. Mass Effect Andromeda - Felt woefully unpolished, sure. But that can happen - game dev is hard. What was worse was the writing. The core concepts were dull, and the tone was so off from the start, rarely serious and often 'forced-quirky'. It irritated the shit out of me and I dropped it less than 5 hours in. As a huge fan of the first trilogy that was a major disappointment.
x. Persona 5 - The ultiamte style over substance game. The first 10, 15 hours were great. Then the game sets into a dull rhytmn of episodic storytelling where each episode is worse than the last and none ever come close to the Kamoshida arc. The group dynamics are terrible because the localisation is terrible. The story has a flimsy and boring overarching mission. The mute protag sucks the life out of almost every scene. By 50 hours in I was desperate for it to end, but I had to suffer through another 40 hours, which is what lands it on this list.
x. ARMS - I loved every single thing about it... except the gameplay, which I despised. Unfortunately, that's a problem. Considering this was the new game from the incredible Mario Kart 8 team I can't deny being hugely disappointed.
Best game of last year I played this year:
x. Tokyo Mirage Sessions - Playing this after P5 was an eye-opener. This one was massively superior in basically every way.
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Not really into voting or ranking things, but I just want to write love letters to five of my favorite games this year. In no particular order:
Etrian Odyssey V
Surprise hit of the year for me. I never played an Etrian Odyssey game before, but I tried out the demo for this and was immediately hooked. What I loved about it, more than anything, is how it's pure gameplay. There's not much story getting in your way, or anything. It's just you vs. the labyrinth. There's something raw and adventurous about that. Something appealing about that simplicity. I feel the joy of discovery and adventure in this game more than other RPGs I've played recently, because it really feels like me discovering this labyrinth, instead of the game's story foisting it upon me.
Yet there is a background story and world, and I love that too. I like how peaceful and chill the world is -- it's not something you see often in RPGs, which often go for really dark stuff. The game seems to have a dark backstory, but I think it's cool how that's all in the past or in the background, while the foreground world is chill. I love how friendly the NPCs are, how everyone seems to know everyone, and how their confidence in you grows as you progress through the game and get stronger.
But let's talk about the gameplay, which is the real star here. The game has so many gameplay systems and mechanics, but everything feels so well balanced and thought about. Drawing out the map, finding shortcuts, warping to the next floor... all of this is fun and allows you to play the game at your own pace. Then the retire/rest/class change/memory conch system also feels really balanced and fair. So does the forge/recycle/craft system. And the gather/cook system. And the FOE puzzles system. And of course, the class and battle system. I spent hours studying the class system and came away impressed with it. To a casual fan like me, everything seems viable in its own way. But more importantly, I feel that the class system is exactly the right size. It's big and complex enough to be interesting and to allow for lots of player choice and creativity, but it's not so big and complex that you can't keep track of it all.
To top it all of, the presentation is excellent. The labyrinth designs are lush and beautiful. The menus are really pretty. The voice work and writing are hilarious and wonderful -- there are so many memorable lines here.
Xenoblade 2
Oh, Xenoblade 2. There are various things I find bad or annoying about this game, but none of those details matters once you get sucked into the story, the characters, and the battle system. This is why RPG is my favorite genre: once you get invested in adventure, you're totally hooked in, and there's no other feeling in gaming like it. And while Xenoblade 2 has issues in the details, it delivers that core RPG experience better than any game this year, and that's why I love it.
I love how positive this game is. It's so easy to get swept up in negativity in today's times, and Xenoblade 2 is such a breath of fresh air. In this game, the villains are the people who can't see past the corruption of the world and think it is beyond saving. Whereas the heroes are the people who are able to see through to the beauty of the world, and want to move on past the corruption to a better future.
Nothing shows this better than the contrast between Xenoblade 1 and Xenoblade 2, when the main characters meet God. In Xenoblade 1, you kill God (rightfully so, as God is an terrible person in that game). In Xenoblade 2, in contrast, you don't kill him, instead you just kind of tolerate him. And Rex's one question for God is: "Why did you create all these beautiful people?" I love that. There's something so unexpectedly beautiful about that question. I'm not religious myself, but if it turns out there is a God, that's what I would ask, too.
Xenoblade 2's themes about relationships also resonated with me a lot personally. There are aspects of Rex and Pyra's relationship that feel very real to me, and remind me of my own relationship. If I had to sum up the game's main message in a single sentence, it would be: "Being in a mature relationship means being able to respect your partner's decisions and autonomy." That really rings true for me.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
This game is something special because of the freedom it offers you. Freedom in the game's structure: Unlike past Zelda games (and most other games in general), you're not required to complete tasks in a given order, and can instead do them whenever you want, or not at all. You can go completely at your own pace: if you want to slow down and do all the side quests and exploration you can, or if you want to speed through the main story you can do that too. You might worry that the lack of clear direction would make you feel less motivated to do things, but actually, it's the opposite. Since you do only the things you choose to do, everything feels important. I never felt "busier" playing a game than when I was playing this one -- there was just so much to do, and so much I wanted to do.
Complementing the freedom of the game's structure is the freedom of the gameplay itself. You can climb almost any surface, so there is no place in the world you can't get to. And there are so many ways to travel, whether by horseback, or gliding, or surfing. There are always multiple ways to solve puzzles and multiple ways to approach enemy fights. Do you charge in with your sword? Stay back and use bomb arrows? Freeze enemies with stasis? Or maybe you just sneak in, steal the treasure, and then run.
Ultimately, what makes the game work is that the world is fun to play in. It's fun to explore mountain ranges, to capture and raise horses. to go fishing with bombs, to hunt dragons, to gather ingredients and cook weird meals, to light everything on fire and then glide on the updrafts.
This game does a better job capturing the feeling of nature than most other games I've played: Sometimes you're just wandering the mountains, a few animals are roaming about, and everything is peaceful. I think some people can criticize these parts of the game for being boring, but I liked them. They remind me of the many wonderful times I've gone hiking, and anyway, they provide a nice breather from the action. The game's beautiful presentation backs this up as well: the are style is very Ghibli, and it does a great job capturing the beauty and calm of nature, as well as the monstrous horror of technology.
SteamWorld Dig 2
Compared to the other games on my list, this one is short, but no less sweet. What a joy of a game from beginning to end. The gameplay loop is just so rewarding: Explore a little down, return to cash in treasure and abilities, then go back to explore a little further. But this game is more than just a metroid-like, mining, exploring game. It's also a pretty legit platformer, with really fun movement options (best hookshot ever!), and fun platforming challenges.
The presentation of this game is also of special note: The high res 2D graphics are awesome. It's so unfortunate how rare 2D games without pixel graphics are, and this game shows just how beautiful they can be. And SteamWorld Dig 2 really shows off with environments that evoke a variety of moods: from cartoony mines, to myseterious caves, to that one area which is downright horrifying.
Super Mario Odyssey
These days I find myself falling out of love with the platformer genre, but Odyssey is so fantastic otherwise I find myself still appreciating it anyway. I think what I like about this game more than anything is how utterly bizarre it is. I managed to get through this game without being spoiled on anything, and what a ride it was. It just keeps going places you don't expect, places you didn't think Nintendo had in them.
Something I find especially impressive in Odyssey is just how fun all the movement options are. Controlling Mario is a joy, of course, with his crazy hat throw/mid-air dive shenanigans, but they didn't stop there. Actually pretty much all the captures and vehicles are super fun to control too, and add a lot to the game. It's something that other 3D platformers often get wrong: usually special transformations are more limited than your normal fun, and therefore less fun. But movement as the transformations feels so good in Odyssey, even while being more limited. Ahhh that scooter, that jaxi, so good!
Odyssey also does something no Mario game has ever done before: have a reward system that I care about. I'm talking about costumes here. I wanted to complete the challenges in Odyssey because I wanted those costumes! In previous Mario games you would collect all the stars or coins or whatever just because, but there was no external motivation to do so. Odyssey actually makes it worth your time!
Prey - Successfully bringing back the classic gameplay of System Shock 2 is no small feat, but combining it with the aesthetic pioneered by Bioshock, and a whole new interesting world full of well written characters, an amazing new slew of enemies to challenge you, and an economy that allows you to craft a character and playstyle exactly to your liking has created an experience matched by few others. There's a perfect balance of freedom and structure, and exploring Talos to uncover its stories and its secrets was a journey that I won't forget anytime soon.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - An expertly crafted open world game, rivaled only by New Vegas and GTAV in terms of attention to detail and the sense of place provided by the environment. Exploration is constantly encouraged - and then rewarded - in a way that no other game has ever even come close to. Hours melted away in Hyrule in a way they haven't since the 90's. The highs never quite reached the peak of the series, but systemic gameplay and deep movement mechanics work together to make this game one of the most consistently fun games I've ever played. 200 hours later and there's a small part of me still craving more.
Mario + Rabbid Kingdom Battle - A streamlined strategy game that snuck up on me with surprisingly deep options in combat, with perfectly-crafted weapons, levels, and enemies that encourage you to make the most of its systems. Appealing art, one of the best soundtracks of the year, and a charming sense of humor on top of that pushed me to not only 100% the game, but buy the season pass and sit here anxiously awaiting more. The game manages to make Mario and the Rabbids equally important without making it feel forced, annoying, or overly-subdued, and that in itself is a testament to the care that went into this game.
Cuphead - Astonishing visuals are enough to draw you in and keep repeated deaths from getting frustrating, but incredibley solid gameplay coupled with ummatched charm and audio that effectively transports you to another time and place elevates this game above just being a throwback to old games and cartoons, but puts it into another class all its own.
Steamworld Dig 2 - An addicting little game that has a simple but incredibley satisfying gameplay loop. Exploration was consistently satisfying and the unlock system was constantly rewarding.
Super Mario Odyssey - Worse than the previous 4 3D Mario games, failing to capture the same sense of magic and achieve the same highs. Despite this, it's managed to refine and advance movement of the character that has already consistently had the best movement mechanics in the industry. Levels are detailed, unique, and lively, and the creativity that comes from the CAPture mechanic rivals any other game I can think of.
Superhot VR - The first game to really sell VR as more than just a fun gimmick for me. Everything feels so natural, and it finally captures a feeling of action-movie-intensity that so many games have attempted and failed to capture.
Snipperclips - The best multiplayer puzzle game ever, next to Portal 2. It facilitates cooperation better than just about any game. One person can't just solve it for both of you; it requires precision and communication that naturally leads to hilarious moments.
ARMS - Strips away fighting games to their most essential elements, allowing fast and fun yet accessible gameplay that works great on both the handheld and local on the TV, coupled with great characters, slick art, and a catchy theme.
Gorogoa - A clever and original puzzle game unlike anything I've played before.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - It's really hard to argue putting this masterpiece in the top spot. Nintendo's first foray into the open world genre and they killed it. Dat survival island tho.
PlayerUnknown's Battleground - Without a doubt the most fun and addictive gaming experience of the year. Nothing feels better than dropping hot in Pecado or Military and bringing the Chicken Dinner home.
Mario + Rabbids Kindom Battle - The surprise game of the year. Removes the frustrating 95% misses in XCOM and makes a more rewarding puzzle like gameplay that focuses on movement combos and positioning. The art direction is gorgeous, the music is masterful. When "Mr. Tom Phan" did his intro I was blown away. This game feels like it was made by Nintendo. Bravo.
Super Mario Odyssey - The sequel to 64 we all wanted. Pure joy and an homage to Mario's history. The addition of Cappy and the movement it gives the user is wonderful and Nintendo in peak form.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - The greatest thing to come out of kick starter. The amount choices you're able to make and the implications they have on the world is truly remarkable.
DOOM - A big middle finger to cover mechanics and I love it.
Shovel Knight Treasure Trove - Better 2d sidescrolling platforming than any in its genre. Better 8bit soundtracks than any in its genre. Free DLC coming. Nuff said.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - The best mario kart game of all time.
Snipperclips - A wonderful couch coop game that even non gamers enjoy
Snake Pass - What starts off as a chill relaxing game, turns into a really intense and challenging unique platformer.
My backlog rated by my most anticipated to play
Nier Automata
Hollow Knight (Waiting for Switch release) Golf Story
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Resident Evil 7
Cuphead
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1. Divinity Original Sin 2 - Each fight is a true chess play. Combat and progression are incredibly well done and story is compelling enough to have you begging for more.
2. Horizon: Zero Dawn - Most thrilling adventure I've had in a while.
3. NieR: Automata - Top three is incredibly close, hard to pick between the three and it could have been this one, Route B almost felt like a chore unfortunately. Apart from that, deep game with great mechanics and interesting world.
4. Super Mario Odyssey - Perfectly matched with my expectations, had great fun with it.
5. Fortnite - Dumb fun with friends.
6. Crash Bandicoot the N'sane trilogy - Nostalgia bought this, it was not disappointed.
7. Assassin's Creed: Origins - Jaw-dropping world and great fighting mechanics.
8. Overcooked - Unsure if it qualifies but technically the switch port came out in 2017 and that's where I played it. Best local multiplayer for me this year.
9. Splatoon 2 - Refreshing take on shooters, funny weird world. 10. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - Good characters and story.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Simply incredible. I am not a fan of Open World games normally as I find them meandering and aimless. Usually choice for me means the horrible choice of what-not-do instead of giving me freedom. For these reasons I was apprehensive about BotW at first. Then it simply blew me away. The ever-looking threat of Ganon gave me the purpose the game needed and everything felt like preparation for the final confrontation. What really made the game, however, were the short adventures every play session provided. Run through a field of guardians, arrive at an island and lose your weapons, climb a mountain and see a dragon. Nintendo has done it again. Another Ocarina of Time. Wow.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - This would have been my GOTY if not for the game of the generation in spot number 1. I loved it. The complex battle system was engaging and fun. The world spectacular and the story optimistic and emotional. Even the artstyle turned out to be great because of how expressive it was. The character design betrayed the great cast underneath. Nia, Poppi, Morag, Zeke. I already miss you. My favourite Anime of the year and a worthy successor to the game that rejuvenated my love for JRPGs.
Fire Emblem Echoes Shadows of Valentia - a very welcome surprise. The dual protagonists gave room to a great cast that didn't immediately lose their relevance once recruited. I hope some of its innovations will be incorporated into the next game of the series. Now my favourite of the 3DS titles.
Metroid Samus Returns - one of the last games with the 3D effect that I usually ignored but loved here
Super Mario Odyssey - a great game in itself but turns out I just prefer the more level-based 3D Marios like 3D World and Galaxy
Steamworld Dig 2 - improved upon the first in every conceivable way and is just a fun game
Uncharted Lost Legacy - loved Chloe in 2, was always hoping for a bigger role for her but only liked her here. Good thing Nadine was there to support her. The other late-game support character can go back into oblivion.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - just has no right to be anywhere as good as it is
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age - didn't put enough time in it yet to place it higher but I can already tell that I like it a lot more than I used to back then.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - well, it's the best Mario Kart ever ... but only a port
My list this year is very Nintendo heavy. Usually Uncharted places places higher but I only liked Lost Legacy and didn't love it. Most surprising to me is that there are still 3DS games on it!
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - A return to form for the franchise, all while being modern and innovative in the process. A contender for best game ever, even when it has so much potential for improvement. Zelda is about adventure, and this game nails that feeling. Nintendo finally realized that embracing player autonomy and making play itself compelling is preferable to hand holding and scripted linearity.
Super Mario Odyssey - Incredible polish and a joy to play.
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Nioh - A game that surprised me in nearly every respect, it grabbed me right out of the gate and demanded my attention. Insanely enjoyable combat that is easy to get into but incredibly deep and varied, a fairly unique story and setting, interesting and well-written (and well voice acted) characters, and a finishing masterstroke that left me out of breath puts Nioh as my GOTY. One of the few games I can think of that can manage to make Yokai and Japanese mythology feel exceedingly real and incorporates it into every fiber of the game, from the menus to the monsters. Incredibly well-priced, with DLC both paid and free dripping with content. Some of the best gameplay and level design I've seen in a long, long time. Every hit, every dodge, and every misstep that led to my immediate death felt so amazing and perfect. My only major complaint is that the journey had to end, but this is a game I will be returning to year in and year out for a long, long time.
Persona 5 - I had mixed feelings going into Persona 5, as it was my first game in the acclaimed series. I had both extreme expectations and doubts, but Persona 5 managed to blow me away. With a soundtrack that had me buying the OST the same night I started playing, interesting characters and a great story, and fun, intuitive combat, I loved every minute (of which there are a lot of) of Persona 5. One of the few games to make me angry at the justice system of a foreign country, and feel like I've really bonded with an adoptive parent.
NieR: Automata - This was a difficult game to put at #3, only because I think it deserves the #1 and #2 spot just as much as the other two games on the list. It's hard to really encapsulate my feelings on NieR: Automata, as there is so much in this game that just shook me to my core. A true masterpiece, and the lovely marriage of two insanely talented development teams. The more I think about this game the more I want to put it at #1, but... things have to be this way.
Divinity: Original Sin II - I grew up on classic strategy RPGs, and Divinity: Original Sin II made me feel like I was a kid again. The most intuitive, well-thought out, and simply enjoyable game to come out in this genre in years.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds - As much as I am disdainful of PUBG, I can't deny that when the game ACTUALLY works, it works really, really well. A testament to how friends can make everything, even frustratingly clipping through the terrain into instant death, fun.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - A true masterpiece absolutely riddled with flaws. I put tons and tons of time into this game, well over 150 hours. Half of the time I was contemplating throwing my Switch at a wall (because yeah, it just had to start raining right when I was near the top), but the rest of the time was pure bliss. Beautifully textured and colorized bliss.
Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs - Though Hearthstone has a long, long way to go to recapture the glory days of WotOG, K&C is a step in the right direction. Dungeon Run itself is a mode that requires a nomination for GOTY; the changes to arena and some interesting interactions created by new cards solidifies it on this list.
Fire Emblem: Heroes - Graduating college meant a lot of things, but FE:H got on this list because of 2 things in particular; 1: With a job I had disposable income and 2: Commuting every day to work meant a lot of 30 minute sessions where I could only use my phone. Mobile games, your time is now.
Xcom 2: War of the Chosen - A great expansion that expanded on an already great game. Made the whole experience feel fresh and fun, and was a major time sink for weeks of my life.
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Persona 5 - Very fun and stylish despite being too long for its own good.
Wonderful Everyday Down the Rabbit-Hole - Its first part is very different from the rest of the game. Its story has a lot of layers that will have you thinking about it for a while after completing it.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmory - Gets good quick and stays that way.
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Super Mario Odyssey - The game I had the most fun with this year and Im still nto done with collecting moons. The amount of details, the kingdoms, everything is absolutely fantastic.
Horizon: Zero Dawn - A truly stunning game that I found to be super exciting to play.
Nex Machina - The game came out of nowhere, yet it was so damn fun and addicting.
What Remains of Edith Finch - A stunning game, my favorite walking simlator of all time. Really interesting story and beautiful environments.
Prey - Had pretty much no expectations and forgot that the game existed until a few weeks after the release. Picked it up and received a masterfully crafted game.
Resident Evil 7- My favorite Resident Evil game since 4. Loved it.
Cuphead - Fantastic gameplay, fantastic music and jaw-dropping art direction.
Nioh - As a lover of Soulsborne I found this game to be suprisingly good and well made.
The Evil Within 2 - Did not really have any expectations for it, but I thoroughly enjoyed the game as much as the first.
Call of Duty WW2 - The first Call of Duty game that entered my game of the year lists for years. Suprisingly good campaign and multiplayer.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The first Zelda to hold my attention more than a few hours, almost 100 hours in and I always end up playing for 3-4 hours without realising.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - I was blown away by Melina Jurgens haunting performance as Senua.
Undertale - It only works as a game, it's a good laugh and the soundtrack is one of the GOAT.
Night In The Woods - I don't replay games often but I've started this up again days after finishing. I'm not ready to say goodbye to Mae and the perfectly realised world of Possum Springs just yet.
Nex Machina - Simply put; it is Housemarque's best game yet.
Horizon: Zero Dawn - I never believed that Guerilla could pull off an open world RPG on their first try. A great start.
Injustice 2 - A great fighter for casual fans with a shockingly good story campaign, interesting Gear system and endlessly playable Multiverse.
What Remains of Edith Finch - It's bleak as hell, I don't really remember why I enjoyed it, only that I did.
Ruiner - It's got it all. It's fun, stylish, presentation is on point, great soundtrack, an intriguing story. Unfortunately it's kinda....ruined....by some ridiculous difficulty spikes and that's in normal difficulty.
Dead By Daylight - My favourite MP of the year, has some jank but hey you can play as Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers and Leatherface.
Picross S - Never played Picross before but as soon as S clicked for me I sunk hours upon hours into it. 50+ and counting.
Splatoon 2 - Still fun, still fresh, the best MP game on Switch.
The Sexy Brutale - It's basically Edge of Tomorrow as a puzzle game. I wish I connected with the story more.
Everybody's Golf - Just a nice relaxing game to play before bed.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - MK8 is one of my favourite games ever and this version includes a real Battle mode. I didn't feel comfortable placing it higher because I prefer to reward new games.
Sonic Mania - Surprisingly good.
Wolfenstein 2 - I liked or loved so much about it except actually playing it. I could completely understand why someone would rather watch Wolf 2 on YouTube than play it themselves.
Gorogoa - The art is beautiful and puzzles are wickedly clever.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - I was late to this and had big reservations with yet another open world game, but this was an amazing experience. It's not without some big flaws but the fact that it's high points make those forgettable says a lot.
What Remains of Edith Finch - Another amazing experience, I finished it in one sitting. Had some really interesting gameplay ideas though it's mostly a walking sim.
Nioh - Fantastic combat plus Souls influence, had a lot of fun with this.
The Surge - Souls influence with some little twist to it, and some awesome level design. This was a huge improvement over their previous game.
Prey - Loved this, good level design and varied opportunities to go about it.
Hellblade - This was surprisingly awesome, and minimal in a good way. Visuals were awesome and atmospheric. I liked the simpler combat.
Steamworld Dig 2 - Big improvement to the first, just plain addicting and fun.
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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - The soundtrack, the titans, the story, the characters, the gameplay. It's a game that really pulled me in, and I could not stop playing. Even today I still play it sometimes just to take out the superbosses and am excited for the dlc content to arrive. That ending man ;(
Super Mario Odyssey - Movement, the worlds, so many things to do. It really is what I wanted it to be.
The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild - Did many different things and it paid off. Dungeons is the only thing that needs some work, but otherwise amazing.
Prey - Completely took me by surprise and loved every single moment of it. It almost tied Zelda for me.
Nioh - Never been interested in the Souls game, but this game was right up my alley. Many different weapons and learning each of them is fun. I like the story, it knows what it is and can't fault it for that. Bosses are really cool and fun to fight, but needs more variety in normal crap mobs.
The Evil Within 2 - A clear improvement over the first game. It has so many enjoyable moments, and really made feel tense at several points in the highest difficulty. And man, the fight against Theodore is such a cool moment
Injustice 2 - Another game that people like undermine for some reason. It's a fighting game that's the complete package. Gameplay is really fun and there's nothing better than playing as Flash.
Romancing Saga 2 - I was kind of surprised by this game. Didn't think it would as fun as it has been. The game is clearly a relic of its time, but what it does is very ambitious and the battles are fun. The game should have some tutorials, but beside that my only complaint is that dialogue doesn't update that much as generations go by. It would have been nice, but I understand.
Ghost Recon Wildlands - People love to hate this game, they are wrong. It's mindless fun and that's sometimes what one really needs. The best turning the brain off game of the year. Haven't completed the story but it's just so fun hopping into co op and screw around.
Steamworld Dig 2 - Almost got off the list because of it being a grind to get every upgrade, since you can completely loose resources. It's a very very smooth platformer and really fun to play. Love the movement.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Systemic design and open-ended exploration with complex interactions of many interlocking pieces in the same vain as the likes of STALKER... by Nintendo?! Sign me up. A design including (but not limited to) a global weather system on top of a temperature system, a physics system that is intuitive and logical, which makes your surroundings more alive, rather than some uninteractive pieces of asset, even a noise gauge that is affected by the surface, rain or speed... and all that polished to a T, and presented in a spectacular Ghibli-like art style, yeah, we're in 2018 and I still can't believe that Nintendo chose this route for the next Zelda.
Super Mario Odyssey - When it comes to 3D Marios, I've always preferred the more open style of SM64/Sunshine where you've got a more diverse movesets and you're in total control, and while SMO can never touch SM64 as the more influential game (few if any games can), it definitely topped SM64 in that particular style of 3D Marios.
Hollow Knight - If Dark Souls had been 2D, it'd have been Hollow Knight, and I mean that in just about every last aspect of the game, that's the highest praise that I can give to a Metroidvania.
Divinity Original Sin 2 - I feel bad about putting it at 4th, it's on me though, since I haven't put nearly enough time into the game yet, so in a couple of months it might move up on my list.
Prey - I feel good on the inside everytime I recall that an immersive sim like this could be made in the current gaming landscape, based Bethesda-the-publisher.
Pyre - I loved both halves of the game individually, namely the VN half with the curious world and lovely characters that they've created, and the sports half, still I wished that they could've somehow mixed them more naturally or made it more interactive, but that's mostly due to their limited budget I think.
Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition - It was time that it got the same EE treatment and be out there for the masses.
SteamWorld Dig 2 - I like it that everytime they do something new and neat within the SteamWorld franchise, Dig 2 is their best one yet.
Yakuza 0 - This game is ridiculous in a very good way.
Metroid: Samus Returns - This one was a solid 2D Metroid all things considered, but in a post-Hollow Knight/Ori/etc. world that alone isn't enough, still considering the dev. and the expectations, it was pretty good, and got the IP back on track, hopefully for the next one they start from scratch and incorporate many more new ideas to freshen things up more.
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Horizon: Zero Dawn - This game really captured my imagination. Robo dinos, a bow and a beautiful open world made this a huge win for me. So much fun to play and look at.
Resident Evil VII: Biohazard - The refreshing take on Resident Evil and one of the best games in the franchise.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - I felt Uncharted 4 was the perfect end to one of my favourite franchises, but Lost Legacy showed me how it could continue and in some ways, be better.
Persona 5 - Wonderful entry to the Persona series. Loved the characters and story. Not quite a good as 4, but still a great game.
NeiR: Automata - I really enjoyed the previous game, so with Platinum doing the gameplay this game reaches almost magical status.
Nioh - Big surprise here. Team Ninja does Dark Souls and does it well.
Gran Turismo: Sport - Besides being the best showcase for a 4k HDR TV, it's a ridiculously fun game to play. I find myself logging in almost every day to do my workout. Wish the single player was more robust and better designed, but still really enjoy what's there.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - I loved the story but only liked the gameplay, still it was quite a ride.
The Evil Within 2 - A sequel that really manages to address the problems with the first. I can't believe we got two fantastic survial horror games in one year. More please.
Little Nightmares - This is like Playdead's Inside made specifically for me. Loved it from start to finish.
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Horizon: Zero Dawn - Wow. This game. The complete package. Everything I want from a single player game. Amazing graphics, very compelling setting and story, and a seriously bad ass main character in Aloy.
Destiny 2 - I absolutely love this game. Loved the main story, I am actually good at the Crucible, and I love playing this with friends. MP game of the year for me.
Cuphead - Coolest art style I have ever seen in a game. Amazing soundtrack and it was hard as fuck but not impossible. So much fun playing this game.
Resident Evil 7 - I haven't forgot about ya! Loved this game from start to finish. Scariest game of the year for me too. Was blown away by the setting in this game.
Super Mario Odyssey - What a beautiful game. Huge fan of the Mario games and this one did not disappoint in the slightest. I beat this game and so did my 5 year old son. Watching him play the last level against Bowser was one of the coolest parenting moments ever for me lol.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Best racing game of the year, actually it's probably my all time favorite racing game come to think of it. It's frustrating as shit at times, but goddamn is this game just a blast to play and it looks soooooo good.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - I wanted to like this game more than I did, but you can't deny how well made this game is. The gameplay here is just incredible, and the world is detailed in ways I didn't see until like 20 hours in, even if it does look a bit bland at times. This is a great game.
Splatoon 2 - This game is so much fun!!! Surprise game of the year for me. Never played the first one so this one really snuck up on me. I'm still playing this one frequently.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - This game is fucking crazy. I get creeped out playing it honestly and it's not even a horror game. Stunning looking game though, and the main character is very interesting. I really liked the bare bones combat in this too.
ARMS - Coolest fighting system in recent memory and the character/art style in this was awesome. Really cool party/online system too.
I think this format is okay? If not I'll edit asap.
Edit: Thank you DriftingSpirit, thought something looked off
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Breath of the Wild – Despite some issues with late-game difficulty and less-than-ideal dungeons, there was simply no other pick. The world was beautiful and a joy to explore, combat was great, puzzles (even spaced out as they were) were solid, and the "chemistry system" allows for tons of gameplay possibilities. It also almost singlehandedly brought Nintendo out of the Wii U's rut and back into the public mindshare—the Switch launched without any other major games, but no one cared. I just wish there'd been a cool-down time on how often you can eat...
Super Mario Odyssey – I've never been a fan of "open" Mario games such as 64, but this game made it work, with great feeling controls and lively worlds.
SuperHot VR – The reason to own a VR headset. Completely immersive with mechanics that translate perfectly to Virtual Reality. Able to make me forget I was wearing a giant uncomfortable helmet.
Persona 5 – Despite some major issues with pacing and character development, particularly compared to the masterful Persona 4, this was a well-crafted adventure with a fun combat system, an engaging story, and a terrific soundtrack. It should have been significantly shorter, however.
Super Cloudbuilt – I'm amazed this game seemed to mostly slip under the radar. The controls and physics are second-to-none, and running and jumping through the levels feels phenomenal. The later game levels were too difficult for me, but what I was able to play was magical.
Finding Paradise – A solid sequel to To The Moon held back by its RPG Maker roots.
Monument Valley 2 – A gorgeous game with engaging puzzles and wonderful themes about love and growing up.
Sonic Mania – Superbly crafted levels make this the first time Sonic has ever really worked in 2D (sorry). Held back by an overabundance of bosses (several of which were awkward and unengaging) and overly long zones.
Cuphead – Fantastic art style and tight gameplay make this game feel unique. However, the difficulty often crosses into punishing territory.
Fast RMX – A tight and super tense futuristic racing game.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Breaking the open world mode by adding interactivity with the world. Utilizing physical object based interactions witha small set of user tools while making it feel natural. Sense of adventure through purposeful game design.
Super Mario Odyssey - Nintendo has the best game designers on the planet, still. Mixing Mario64's goals in to a game world that develops instead of making you reload, while cramming in maybe too many secondary gameplay objectives (moons).
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds - "Was a game that was released" – Dunkey. I have not played it, but I have watched it, and this is clearly deserving of being on this list. 100 players, simple goals/rules, and you make your own stories every time. Chicken dinner indeed.
Cuphead - This genre of game, regardless of everything else, lives and dies by how well it controls and how well they balance the gameplay. 100% nailed on both counts (except the last phase of the dragon boss dsfjkhdkjf). Everything else is just nice dressing on top, and it is really good dressing. Bravo.
Prey - This is a great game. Fairly open, lots of world to be invested in. Combat is the weakest part, and towards the end becomes aggressively tedious. But everything else is great.
Nier: Automata - I am only on the second play-through, but I like the feeling of never know what kind of game you may end up playing from moment to moment
Enter the Gungeon - Roguelikes are for me some of the strongest games that can be made. Even hearthstone got in to it a bit with the latest single player bit for Kobolds. Strong controls, interesting weapons, and a good progression system.
Crawl - The lost art of couch co-op. Simple controls, deep combat choices, and permadeath. Classic! I like that you unlock more and more kinds of traps/rooms/items/weapons/monsters etc the more you play which keeps it fresh.
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Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - This was the one game I was excited for that nobody else really seemed to care about all that much. And it delivered on all fronts. Experiencing Senua's very personal nightmare was a marathon of emotions and an absolutely exhausting adventure, in all the best ways. Phenomenal sound, acting and motion-capture work all created a technical marvel on a budget that's also a self-contained, incredibly satisfying story with a powerful message. And hell, I enjoyed the combat, too. It's immediate, rough and puts you in a weird trance along with the psychologically tormented main character. Senua is also one of the best game protagonists in a while – a flawed and damaged personality desperately fighting for the one person that made her happy. The whole game isn't easy on the mind – in fact, it's a fucking struggle – which only supports its very impactful conclusion. Game of the year in a year full of them.
Persona 5 - It took me nearly three months to finish Persona 5, which made it even more crushing to say goodbye to the wonderful cast of characters and the stylish world around them. It drags at times, some story twists are very foreseeable, but those are just small cons of a fantastic experience. Combat is still exciting after 100 hours, and you never get tired of the game's undisputably awesome art style and soundtrack. A one of a kind experience I probably won't replay in the near future due to its overblown length, but that only makes it more special.
NieR: Automata - I played Nier Automata after the post-release hype, knowing you have to complete its three cycles to get the full story, even knowing who's the final, final boss. Still, it surprised me with its philosophical themes, memorable characters (despite some questionable designs), great music and an unforgettable set of locations that are only tiresome after playing the game three times. It also concludes with one of the most mind-boggling sequences I have ever seen in a videogame, which makes the whole experience totally unique. If it weren't for some annoying boss encounters and signs of repetition near the end, this would have been GOTY easily.
Horizon: Zero Dawn - Best open world of the year and a surprisingly great origin story of a franchise in the making. Staggering combat that keeps things fresh after dozens of hours.
What Remains of Edith Finch - A great exploration of themes of life, death and finding beauty in tragedies. A thoroughly moving experience with novel-level writing and wonderful variety in its many vignettes.
Yakuza Zero - Balancing the wacky and the serious is pure perfection in one of the best gaming prequels ever. Fantastic characters, over the top action, amazingly detailed business side missions and once in a while a guy ambushes you in the sewers on a bike with a katana. Does it sound like something you don't want to play?
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - If Silent Hills had to die, for Resident Evil to live... I'll take it. (*sobs in a corner over Silent Hills cancellation*)
Detention - You won't forget these moody three hours spent in a Taiwan high school during the White Terror era. A terrifying experience that will chill you to the bone while still offering a very human touch – a must for a truly impactful horror story.
Wolfenstein: The New Collosus - BJ is back and still fun. Narrative goes into so many directions it barely finishes its main threads, but this is still a world-class FPS.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm - This just barely gets on here, mostly because of much love and respect to the original, but since I originally anticipated this to be a complete disaster (and Square's shady pre-order politics certainly didn't help the cause), I was surprised at the finished result. It's a poignant portrait of a troubled teen and coming of age that never quite reaches the highs of the amazing original, but is a worthy addition to the overall Arcadia Bay story. Not bad for a game that has no right to exist.
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Nier: Automata - I really liked the original Nier. I liked the music, the story, the characters, and, most of all, that it used the structure of the game to say something interesting and affecting about guilt, vengeance, and the possibility of absolution. I was, therefore, excited about Automata going into it. However, I was also a little skeptical that it would be able to operate on the same level as the original. The game exceeded my expectations, most impressively in the area I care about most: narrative depth and innovation. The washed out aesthetic works great, and the music is fantastic (the opera boss theme is probably my track of the year). The gameplay is slick but still grounded in rpg leveling mechanics. But what makes this game my run away GOTY, and puts it up there with Witcher 3 far above all other games this generation, is how Taro just decided to grapple with existential concerns and went at them head on. No beating around the bush, just straight up: what's the meaning of existence when not only we, but our species, won't last? How do we find meaning in everyday actions (procreation, child rearing, socializing, working) when the specific actions become unmoored from their immediate biological context? How does generative art help dress the wounds of a modern life detached from the immediate concerns of biological survival? To what extent are these questions even reasonable as opposed to navel-gazing self indulgence? The robot/android approach to this was brutally effective and also quite poignant. The ability to let the player sacrifice their in-game self not just for an idea (as in the original Nier) but for the well being of another flesh and blood individual, was brilliant, and fully in keeping with the (ironically) more humanistic bent of the narrative. This is all heady stuff, and Taro was often very on-the-nose in his narrative approach. That it all works as well as it does (particularly if you make it through the final primary endings) is a testament to his story telling chops and his thoughtfulness. I may be in the minority on this, but my favorite games continue to be those with narrative depth, nuance, thoughtful characterization, and, most of all, something interesting and meaningful to say to the player. That this weird game from a weird developer was as successful as it was gives me hope we'll keep seeing similar efforts in the future.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - This was a surprise late entry for me, and the 70+ hours I've spent on the game in January is a big part of why I'm only just now finishing my GOTY list. I've never been a big Xeno fan. Original Xenogears was cool, but too clunky and mech-focused for my tastes. Xenosaga had nice moments, but the dull philosophizing (contra Nier) bogged down the narrative and constricted the space available for real character development. Xenogears Chronicles was cool, and I really enjoyed exploring the Bionis, but, again, the characters left me cold, and the game was too much in the vein of single player MMORPG. On top of all that, I hate the character design in Chronicles 2, so the game had a lot of strikes against it. Still, I was looking for a meaty current jRPG after the holidays, and this is what I had. Deep in Chapter 6, and this is my favorite Xeno game by a mile. The story is engaging (and yes, very anime, but not, I think, in a bad way) and takes front and center. One of my biggest gripes about modern jrpgs is that so many sacrifice exciting story beats and narrative pacing to foreground game systems instead. Not in Chronicles 2. From the first half hour we've got engaging narrative beats, and they just keep coming, every chapter. The cutscenes are quite good (even granting the horrible character design), well scored, well paced, and well story boarded. They're like bigger, flashier versions of the (mostly notional) event scenes from classic SNES and PS1 jrpgs. All of this wouldn't work except that the characters are, by and large, grounded, charming, and likable. Even Rex and Tora, who I was predisposed to find grating, have grown on me substantially. And Nia, Morag, Vandahm, Zeke, and a number of the blades, are all top shelf protagonists, despite their seeming, at first introduction, to be mired in tired stereotypes. The characters interact in believable and amusing ways, make reasonable decisions, and move through the world in plausible ways along a genuinely engaging narrative arc. Throw in some kicking tunes and you have all the stuff that classic jrpgs did so well.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - If XBC2 was a surprise, this one is even more so. I've never enjoyed a Zelda game, despite trying a great many (and despite my undying love of Okami). Link is too generic, the world progression too clockwork and gated, the characters all held back by their contrived circumstances. Despite its sui generis status in video games, Zelda has always felt insufferably derivative to me, like someone took a bunch of fairy tale beats, watered them down, and strung them together with technically sound but soulless traversal and puzzling. Still, I was impressed by footage of BoTW, and liked the environmental and item interaction, which reminded me of a much prettier version of systems used in old rogues like ADOM. So I gave it a whirl. 60 hours later, I've defeated four divine beasts, found the master sword, explored 70% of the world, and become genuinely interested in Link and Hyrule, and many of the characters therein. I'm not sure exactly why this game succeeds for me when the older games fail. Clearly something about their open world made a difference, although I'm not an open world fan in general. I think it's that Hyrule seems like a real place, with its own history and logic and customs, and Link's journey through feels like a real journey. Cook food before you travel. Keep your weapons in shape. Find a steed. Climb something tall to look out for the best route. Take shelter when the weather turns. The adventure gameplay loop is really tight, and remarkably fun given the number of times it's repeated. If Link had just been turned loose in the world with no real goal, I don't think I would have enjoyed the game as much. But having the four world regions, each with their own characters and quests, and the simple but effective frame tale of a fallen land and persistent evil, everything just clicked for me. I doubt I'm a Zelda convert. I think this game just had a rare alchemy that, for some reason, worked for me, despite the relatively sparse narrative.
Yakuza 0 - Yakuza is another series I never really got into. I appreciated the spirit, but found the old games I dipped into a little too clunky. Yakuza 0 plays beautifully. Most importantly, it nails its characterizations right out of the gate. Everyone you come into contact with is larger than life, but in a coherent and balanced way that doesn't detract from the overall story telling. Perhaps part of my appreciation of this game is its almost sweet and innocent take on hyper-masculinity. As a child of the 80s who grew up watching Schwarzenegger and Stallone (and who still gets misty eyed when Rocky tells his son: "Life hits you, but you just...keep...getting...up!"), but who is also fairly progressive in views on gender dynamics and power structure, having a narrative place where men are men in ways both absurd, irritating, evil, touching, laughable, and laudable, warms my cockles. The characters here obviously aren't without foibles, but they've embraced a life philosophy (basically a mix of machismo and chivalry embedded in family loyalty) and are going to do their utmost to carve out a meaningful existence, good bad or in between, within the confines of that conceptual space. The conceptual space many men try to inhabit in 2018 is quite different. Is it better? Hard to say, but I aspire to bring some of the zest and energy to it that Yakuza 0's protagonists do theirs.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana - Yet another series I've never gotten into (mostly for reasons of platform accessibility). I wasn't sure what to expect going into Ys VIII, but really dug what I got. Silky smooth action jrpg combat across a wide expanse of colorful environments with kicking guitar licks. And a surprisingly engaging story at points as well. It's been a long time since I've really got into a straight up action jrpg, and this game scratched some of the itch that older games like Secret of Mana did for me.
Ever Oasis - This game also SoM to mind. I don't pick up the 3DS much anymore (though will be dusting it off for Alliance Alive). However, I jumped at the chance to play a colorful, slow action jrpg. The setting and characters are charming, the dungeons tend to be fairly interesting, and the combat is engaging. I felt the game started dragging just a bit half way through. I also felt the game would have benefited from being on a system that could host more vivid and detailed graphics. A lot of the fun is in seeing new areas and watching the Oasis expand, but it's sapped a bit by the blocky tiny graphics. Still, I'd like to see more whimsical, slow action rpgs to counter the more intense fare like Soulsborne stuff.
Final Fantasy XII: Zodiac Age - FF XII isn't my favorite Final Fantasy. I find the story-telling disjointed and top heavy, and the characterization (although well done) is far too sparse for my tastes. The environments are boxy and mostly uninspired too. And I've never liked Sakimoto. 50% of his tunes grate on my nerves. Still, I really like the gambit system, and found the mmo-lite combat to work beautifully w/ it. Basic encounters require little management, putting the focus on strategic set up. But then hard fights (particularly higher level hunts) require frantic gambit juggling and manual control in equal parts. Very nice balance. In the original game, my enjoyment of the battle system was hampered by the half-way point as all the characters turned into clones. It was just too effective to have a bunch of white and green magic slinging warriors. This played into the underdevelopment of the characters too, as, like FF V, their fighting style couldn't say much about who they were. ZA remedies all that w/ a deep job system (and fixing magic priority makes mages much more viable). I had a ton of fun tearing through the game, and wished the original had the same quality of life features, as I'd probably have enjoyed it more.
Shadow Tactics: Blade of the Shogun - This is an under-appreciated gem on consoles. This game is crunchy and tactical, has an engaging story, beautiful clock-work level design, and just enough variability in characters and situations to keep it feeling fresh almost the whole way through. This is one of the few times I've had a console experience that mirrors the crunchy feel of my early PC gaming (e.g., Warcraft 2, Masters of Orion). The narrative emerges through careful application of super tight game systems. The controls are great too, and should be studied by other folks hoping to do tactical gameplay on consoles. My only complaint about this game is that, near the end, the levels get a little bit too big, and there aren't enough upgrades to the heroes. I didn't expect (or, given the tightness of the game design, want) something like a full rpg upgrade tree. But once you know the five in and out, getting just one or two new skills in the back quarter of the game for each character would have gone a long way to keeping levels engaging. Also, if those skills were very powerful (but, say, limited in number of uses) they could have served as good get-out-of-jail-free cards for some of the very difficult situations in the final maps. None-the-less, would love to see more games in this spirit on console.
That's it for me. There were a couple of other games I wanted to play this year, but just never got around to, including Gravity Rush 2, Nioh, and Horizon. I'm still going to play Golf Story and Sexy Brutale, as well, but not until I finish w/ Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
A number of pleasant surprises. One major disappointment too - Persona 5. It was my most anticipated game coming into this year, and turned out a boring, spiritless slog. So many great elements, but they just didn't come together at all. It's like the game needed a really good editor to come in, cut about half the dungeon crawling, draw out a more coherent overall narrative, and sharpen up characterization and writing a good deal. Stylish as the game was, it left me cold. I played Mario Odyssey with my kids. That was fun for a bit, but the game left no lasting impression on me. 3D platformers aren't for me I guess. I actually had more fun w/ the Mario games on the SNES Classic.
Despite my disappointment with P5, this games till made me feel more secure in the continued presence of story-focused Japanese games on console. Big Western developers continue to flounder at producing truly excellent story and character in AAA games. Nothing has yet come close to Witcher 3 this gen. I'm hopeful for Red Dead 2 and of course CyberPunk.
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