The third, but not final, end of year list I have written about the games I played in 2015. The first two are here and here. The following two are here and here.
These are the games I played this year that stood out as the enjoyable, the most memorable and the most fun.
I hope you enjoy reading and I hope you had, and continue to have, fun playing games this year and for many years to come!
The writing, presentation, voice acting and art in Sakura Wars are all so reminiscent of early 2000's anime that I honestly had a hard time believing this wasn't based on a pre-existing show. I'm not even into the kinds mecha/super sentai shows that it primarily draws inspiration from but that didn't stop me from falling in love with it. I remember having just the biggest, dumbest grin on my face when I was playing Sakura Wars. I can't even so much as think of this game without immediately smiling afterwards. My only hope is that everyone can find something that brings them an unconditional amount of joy that I experienced during my time this game.
Never before have I played a game that felt like it was pulled straight from the mind, the dreams and nightmares of a human being than Hylics. The look, the music and the way the most NPCs spit out randomly generated garbage all contribute to the ephemeral vibes this game exudes. All these elements feel as though they were salvaged from various vague recollections of nights gone by. It's also got a bunch of really interesting mechanics that shake up the tried and true turn-based JRPG combat formula.
Nuclear Throne is a game I could see myself playing off and on for the rest of my life. Every weapon, upgrade and character seem like they were balanced in favor of fun. In many other games of a similar nature, there's always a good number of items/weapons/whatever that you just don't use because they're not viable or just plain bad. It rarely feels like that's the case in Nuclear Throne. Every character is different, and fun to use, in a meaningful way and the same could be said for the items and mutations. This along with the fast-paced nature of the game and endless challenge make Nuclear Throne a great game to pick up and a hard one to put down.
Also, please #verifyvenuz.
A cyberpunk adventure game that is not unlike one of my favorite "adventure" games (Phoenix Wright) presented and informed by an aesthetic that I have a particular fondness for (PC Engine games/visual novels). I can't properly articulate it but Read Only Memories brought about a lot of warm fuzzy feelings and general good vibes in a multitude of ways that make it one of the many standout video game experiences I've had this year.
I'm not the only person to get swept up in the hype tsunami that preceded the Phantom Pain and I'm definitely not the only person that was somewhat disappointed by it either. Luckily, there were other MGS experiences I had in 2015 that I can look fondly on. MGS3 is the Metal Gear game that exemplifies what I love about the series as a whole. The relatively serious story, larger than life characters and goofy moments all combine to form a one of a kind experience that I'm glad I got around to seeing this year.
A different take on the match 3 genre with a little bit of dating sim spread on top of it. The dating sim parts aren't quite there for my tastes but it's all presented with just enough a wink and nod that I can forgive it. I genuinely enjoy the voice acting, dialogue and gameplay (and to a lesser extent, the art and music) to the point where I seriously hope a sequel to this gets made.
A puzzle game with a story that tackles some rather heady subjects in a manner that is very approachable and understandable. In addition to that, the puzzles themselves have a very nice difficulty curve that makes learning how to use and manipulate the tools at your disposal in a way that never felt frustrating and always felt rewarding.
A score focused twin-stick shooter with a cast of cute and lovable androids. The quick restart options that are made available make shooting for S ranks rather easy and hard not to attempt. The characters, again, are super cute and have a ton of personality to them. From the unlockable cheats, sound test and the characters getting disappointed when you deselect them, this whole game is just kind of oozing with personality. I just wish I didn't grip my controller so tightly whenever I get really into it though. It's hard to continue playing when my hands hurt so much!
It might be just more Dark Souls but facing off against a host of new unseen enemies and bosses was such a blast. I also experienced it all blind, which is something I never got a chance to do with the original.
Lisa was my number one game last year. The release of the Joyful DLC was a brief but reassuring reminder of why I held this game in such a high regard.
