Best of 2016
I've played a lot of games this year, and here are the ones that stuck with me the most as the best.
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I went into Dark Souls III around release and fell into it hard. So hard that I played through 3 times (and completed Ashes of Ariandel when it came out) then went on to finally finish up the original and complete the platinum in Bloodborne.
Some very strong bosses (Dancer, Nameless King) and some pretty good areas throughout and this left a strong impression on me.
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This seemed to be a big surprise for everyone. Fast paced and fun, although it took me a while to get used to not having to reload in an FPS again, all without taking itself too seriously.
It slowed the pace down a few too many times for my liking for exposition, and the boss fights were neat ideas that didn't really seem to execute as well as they were looking for, but still a great experience and game through and through.
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I never really got into the Hitman series before. I had played a few levels of 2 back on PC, but not much more than that. The controls to the games were always a little too unwieldy for my tastes which led to more frustration than anything else. Pretty much all of that has been solved in the 2016 entry in the series. I dug the additional options that would clue you in to some of the more ridiculous options, and the ability to turn those hints off. One of the most satisfying things in games this year has been chucking things at hapless bystanders or targets. The episodic approach has been great for getting me to return to the game throughout the year, rather than playing through it once and forgetting it, and couple with neat ideas such as the elusive targets, has made this a great experience that I hope some other studios find a way to incorporate into their games where it makes sense.
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XCom: Enemy Unknown took me by surprise after I played a demo back in 2012. It didn't take much for me to commit to the full game and get absorbed into my squad and base.
I was a little doubtful of XCOM 2 since there appeared to be such a focus on timed missions, which were one of the weaker parts of EU, but giving Firaxis the benefit of the doubt I went ahead and picked up the sequel.
XCOM 2 easily raised the tension over the previous game and pulled it off while making you feel anxious about what you were running into. Mods helped greatly in customizing how you preferred to play through as well. I'll need to go back through this now that DLC is available.
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I had more fun with this than I thought I would based on the previous demos. Sure, it's disjointed in its second half and it starts throwing things out of left field, but the combat is snappy and interesting and there are enough neat little things sprinkled throughout the game to get me to play through the story and looking at some of the post game.
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I haven't touched much of the single player but man do I keep wanting to dive back into that multiplayer. Looks amazing, frantic and fun throughout. It also has an interesting selection of weapons based on the timeframe that help provide a level of freshness.
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I never thought I would like a Minecraft-esque game, but then they put Dragon Quest on it and put just enough quest structure around the formula to make the whole approach appealing to me.
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This game will beat you down. Your in game squad will be beaten down physically and emotionally in one of the cooler mechanics that is both refreshing and at times can feel unfair. Awesome sense of style and tone. While there isn't much variety in game play, the loop of sending your squad into a dungeon, fending off the denizens within and recovering back in town is addictive and satisfying.
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More Gears of War, but prettier and still just as fun.
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Starts off slow, but definitely nails the "adventure" hallmarks it's looking to hit.
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