1. Return of the Obra Dinn
What a genuinely remarkable experience this was. It feels so fresh, and it's incredibly clever in how it turns some obvious indie budget limitations into strengths. I think the game look absolutely stunning for a start, and so many aspects come together to create this extremely unique package.
I don't want to spoil anything, but this game really makes you feel likeSpider-Man a detective. The game provides you so many different kinds of clues, and the 'aha!' moments come fast and often. I have to give major props to the voicework and sound effects in particular - they're absolutely fantastic.
This is one of those games where, upon completion, I have been filled me with a sense of emptiness rather than satisfaction. I'll never be able to play this for the first time again, and that's pretty sad. Only goes to show how great it is, though.
2. Into the Breach
Into the Breach consumed me. As a big fan of turn-based strategy RPG's, this is my freaking jam. Some of the roguelike elements irritate me at times, but overall it's probably the best combination of strategy mechanics I've ever seen. The way the systems play together is downright masterful. This is a game I will be replaying for years.
3. God of War
From the incredible opening fight against the Stranger, to the quieter moments in the boat with Atreus and head - I was transfixed from start to finish. This was a fantastic experience, and is one of very few games where I have appreciated the attempt to tell a 'cinematic' story. The writing, character animations and general aesthetics are all on such a high level.
It's not perfect - more bosses would definitely be welcome, and I have a few issues with Atreus' story arc overall, but in the face of what the game offers as a whole, they feel like pretty meaningless complaints. I adored this journey, and can't wait to jump into the next chapter. Oh, and the Leviathan Axe really can't be praised enough - it's easily one of my favourite video game weapons of all time.
4. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
I was initially dismissive of virtual reality, but I'm completely onboard now. This game was pure magic. We're talking Nintendo-at-it's-best level polish, here. It plays like a regular 3D platformer where you control the titular character, but being in VR changes everything. You are IN those worlds. You're now making jumps from angles that would never be possible in a traditional game. If someone had recorded me playing it would look hilarious - I was regularly standing up to peer over ledges, or crouching down and peeking around corners and stuff. The levels are super distinct with some incredible standouts, and the boss battles are all amazing as well. It was so much fun! Definitely one of my games of the generation.
5. Marvel's Spider-Man
Web-swinging is the most important thing you need to get right in a Spider-Man game, and Insomniac knocked it out of the park. Traversal is fantastic, and it only got more and more fun the longer I played. By the end of the game when you're elegantly weaving your way through the city...it just feels awesome. I honestly think this elevates the game considerably.
Combat is solid as well. You have a wide variety of moves at your disposal, and the enemies are no slouch. I was getting wrecked pretty often at the start, and even by the end-game it was still reasonably challenging to build up 50+ combo's. I enjoyed the story far more than I was expecting, too, with great development for a few key characters, and some surprisingly dark moments.
It's definitely a game with its' fair share of issues - most notably in the side content, but I still had a fantastic time with it overall.
6. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
To be honest - my response to this iteration of Smash has been fairly tepid in comparison to previous entries in the series. That's mostly due to some issues I've been having with lost inputs - apparently there's a new input buffering system at play?
I really hope Nintendo addresses this in time, because it's the one thing holding it back from being the best Smash ever. Well, that and the abysmal online, anyway. With that said...Smash is Smash, and I love the core gameplay too much for it to be any lower on this list.
Formatted list:
Obra Dinn, Moss, Tetris Effect, Beat Saber and Celeste in particular. Red Dead 2 is something I'm willfully omitting for those wondering - I hated it.
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What a genuinely remarkable experience this was. It feels so fresh, and it's incredibly clever in how it turns some obvious indie budget limitations into strengths. I think the game look absolutely stunning for a start, and so many aspects come together to create this extremely unique package.
I don't want to spoil anything, but this game really makes you feel like
This is one of those games where, upon completion, I have been filled me with a sense of emptiness rather than satisfaction. I'll never be able to play this for the first time again, and that's pretty sad. Only goes to show how great it is, though.
2. Into the Breach
Into the Breach consumed me. As a big fan of turn-based strategy RPG's, this is my freaking jam. Some of the roguelike elements irritate me at times, but overall it's probably the best combination of strategy mechanics I've ever seen. The way the systems play together is downright masterful. This is a game I will be replaying for years.
3. God of War
From the incredible opening fight against the Stranger, to the quieter moments in the boat with Atreus and head - I was transfixed from start to finish. This was a fantastic experience, and is one of very few games where I have appreciated the attempt to tell a 'cinematic' story. The writing, character animations and general aesthetics are all on such a high level.
It's not perfect - more bosses would definitely be welcome, and I have a few issues with Atreus' story arc overall, but in the face of what the game offers as a whole, they feel like pretty meaningless complaints. I adored this journey, and can't wait to jump into the next chapter. Oh, and the Leviathan Axe really can't be praised enough - it's easily one of my favourite video game weapons of all time.
4. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
I was initially dismissive of virtual reality, but I'm completely onboard now. This game was pure magic. We're talking Nintendo-at-it's-best level polish, here. It plays like a regular 3D platformer where you control the titular character, but being in VR changes everything. You are IN those worlds. You're now making jumps from angles that would never be possible in a traditional game. If someone had recorded me playing it would look hilarious - I was regularly standing up to peer over ledges, or crouching down and peeking around corners and stuff. The levels are super distinct with some incredible standouts, and the boss battles are all amazing as well. It was so much fun! Definitely one of my games of the generation.
5. Marvel's Spider-Man
Web-swinging is the most important thing you need to get right in a Spider-Man game, and Insomniac knocked it out of the park. Traversal is fantastic, and it only got more and more fun the longer I played. By the end of the game when you're elegantly weaving your way through the city...it just feels awesome. I honestly think this elevates the game considerably.
Combat is solid as well. You have a wide variety of moves at your disposal, and the enemies are no slouch. I was getting wrecked pretty often at the start, and even by the end-game it was still reasonably challenging to build up 50+ combo's. I enjoyed the story far more than I was expecting, too, with great development for a few key characters, and some surprisingly dark moments.
It's definitely a game with its' fair share of issues - most notably in the side content, but I still had a fantastic time with it overall.
6. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
To be honest - my response to this iteration of Smash has been fairly tepid in comparison to previous entries in the series. That's mostly due to some issues I've been having with lost inputs - apparently there's a new input buffering system at play?
I really hope Nintendo addresses this in time, because it's the one thing holding it back from being the best Smash ever. Well, that and the abysmal online, anyway. With that said...Smash is Smash, and I love the core gameplay too much for it to be any lower on this list.
Formatted list:
- Return of the Obra Dinn
- Into the Breach
- God of War
- Astro Bot
- Spider-Man
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Monster Hunter World
- Shadow of the Colossus
- Overcooked 2
- Florence - My comments are above, but I need something here for my votes to be read.
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