I'm late. I know this, I'm late. But dammit I'm also lazy! Since my opinion is very important, here's my very own Top 10 favorite games of 2015.

#10. Batman: Arkham Knight

No really, it's Batman: Arkham Knight. I loved the Batmobile. This was my favorite game in the Arkham series. If I had just finished this game, stayed off the internet, and then was told that's a MINORITY opinion, I probably would have thought you were insane because I had such a blast with this one through and through. No other game in the series made me feel more like the fucking Batman than this one did. The combat was more fluid with incredibly seamless animations, the number of tweaks and additions to taking out enemies made it feel just that more fresh, and the batmobile controlled like an absolute dream. It had heft when you drove it. You tore open corners of buildings, smashed cars, and the sound design of that engine was amazing! Even the story had my head turning with twists and revelations every few scenes. I cared about what was happening and who it was happening to all the way up to what I thought was a perfectly good conclusion. Sure I'm a huge dope for not guessing who Arkham Knight was but Batman makes me a huge dope. I nerd out and become an edgy kid again in the presence of good Batman material and Batman: Arkham Knight was the perfect venue for me to do that.

#9. Soma

Frictional's Amnesia: The Dark Descent might be the most effectively dreadful horror game ever made. It's not fun. It's terrifying. One of the biggest complaints about Soma was "it's not that scary" or "it's not as good as Amnesia." If you've played the game to its end, I'd hope you'd understand that's not the point. Soma's themes, ideas, and story make it one of the most interesting games of 2015. No, it's not that scary for the more battle hardened horror game fans, and even the monsters that stalk you can be problematic and annoying with unclear gimmicks. They exist to pull you into the world though...and what a beautifully dark, depressing, and disgusting world it is. Soma presents you with a question. What does it really mean to be alive? What is consciousness? Where does it end? Where does it begin? Some people might be bored with Soma due to the nature of the "walking simulator" gameplay if you will, but if you see the game through to the end, you'll get one of the most perfect video game endings of recent years. The final sequence of events is what propels Soma from a good game to a great one, and it's the reason it made it on my list.

#8. The Beginner's Guide

"The Beginner's Guide is a narrative video game from Davey Wreden, the creator of The Stanley Parable. It lasts about an hour and a half and has no traditional mechanics, no goals or objectives. Instead, it tells the story of a person struggling to deal with something they do not understand."

That's the description for the game on Steam. I'm very sorry about this one because....I don't really want to say anything. There are many people who still haven't played this game. I wouldn't want to spoil this one for the world. To tell you anything more than the basics of what Davey Wredon has said in pre-release would kind of ruin it. It's an emotional game where you'll feel like you dived into the mind of someone. You'll be there with him for that hour and a half and you'll know his story. Get it, finish it in one sitting, and just really think about what's being presented to you. It'll be stuck in your head for weeks.

#7. Rocket League

This is an online multiplayer game where you drive remote controlled cars in an arena and try to hit a ball into your opponents goal. The cars have rocket engines on the back, thrusters for flipping, and can drive along the walls. It's one of the most joyful, blissful, pure fun-filled games ever made. The online matchmaking functions at the speed of light, the visuals are vibrant and gorgeous to look at, but what makes Rocket League so great is this idea that everyone is on the same base level of skill. There are no upgrades and no pay to win scenarios. It's just you, your car, the ball, and the game's physics engine. Yes you'll technically get more experienced at the game the more you play, but when it all comes down to it, you're just flinging your car at the ball in hopes it bounces towards the goal; that's what makes it all the more satisfying when you pull off something truly insane. The action is up to the players. Rocket League is the most pure fun you'll have with a game in 2015.

#6. Fallout 4

Fallout 3 was one of the best games of last generation. Fallout 4 is Fallout 3 again only prettier, better shooting, and with more options and gameplay variety. I feel kinda sorry for people who expected more than that. Without a doubt, what makes Bethesda's RPGs so good is the worlds they build rather than the stories they tell. It's no surprise to me that once again the finest moments of this experience has been "on the way" from point A to point B and not necessarily point B itself. When you set out to go somewhere in one of these games, you can't help but get distracted by some creature, settlement, abandoned building, or a surprise facility to explore around the corner. That's what makes Fallout 4 such a rich experience in the end, as did its predecessor.

What separates the new from the old is the additions to gameplay, the biggest of which is the settlement building "mini game." Don't get me wrong, it's completely optional and only there for those interested in a sort of town building sim....but it's quite well done for their first try at this. In previous games, you found a town to live in and sort of go back to every now and then. Here, you can build the fucking town. Bethesda also pulled some guys from Destiny to actually make good shooting mechanics this time around and it shows. So maybe the new dialogue system is limited and maybe the intro and overall story isn't as hot as Fallout 3...but unless you're playing New Vegas, that's not really what this experience is all about. It's not only a vast interesting world you can get lost in, it's one you *want* to get lost in. Literally.

#5. Her Story

There might not be a more cleverly written game than Her Story. Period. Her Story is an interactive mock computer interface with interview videos from a police database. It stars one woman's live action performance as she's being interviewed by the police for the murder of her husband. You search her words, watch the video segments, and piece together this mystery yourself while digging deeper in the story.

The fact that so many people have finished this game 100% and still can't all come to the same conclusion is a testament to how intricately woven and smart this story is. EVERY detail has been thoughtfully placed. Everything from her words, her clothing, hair, time of recording, mannerisms, and even just the way she smiles. Viva Seifert deserves all the credit in the world for carrying this entire game on such an engaging level. Her Story is one of the most memorable, chilling experiences you'll have with a video game. You'll finish this game with a prominent theory in your mind... but don't be surprised if you converse with someone afterward only to find out they thought things happened completely differently.

#4. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Not even Konami hacking this one to pieces could stop it from being the best stealth action game ever made, and I do mean that. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the best stealth action game ever made. It's crazy to think how we got from hiding behind walls to where we are now in this series. Controlling Snake in MGSV is like nothing I've ever felt before. It just feels so...good. You won't find a third person action game of this caliber that feels this tight. The combination of Snake's animations, the inputs, and responsiveness are unparalleled in the genre. The game handles like a dream and only gets better with the stuff it allows you to do. Fultoning people, vehicles, mechs, and tanks to be brought to your base and be used at any time...building a real physical army you actually watch grow...calling in air strikes...and all this is done in an open world that's living and progressing as time goes on. Guards have real patrol schedules. Sometimes sandstorms hit to distort vision and sound. To see all these pieces move together and clash during play is an amazing thing to witness.

You know what else? THE STORY IS GOOD TOO. Look, I know Konami wasn't fit for Kojima's ambition on this project and therefore we got loads of content MISSING from the game but what isn't missing is the Metal Gear craziness, the well directed action set pieces and cutscenes, and those heavy hitting emotional moments that will resonate with you. You may have your opinion on MGSV's bizarre minimalist story, but there's no denying this game's ending almost changes your entire perspective on the series. Above all else, that is a damn good note to end on.

#3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

People in my generation, think back to those N64 days. Remember when you were a kid getting blown away by the new 3D graphics and thinking something like "if games are like this now, imagine the worlds that will be built in the future." Imagine a beautiful, rich fantasy world adventure fully realized. A living, breathing world that you have influence in. Imagine The Legend of Zelda if it was open world and mature. That's what The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is. It's that fully realized, rich, open fantasy world you only dreamed was possible in games all those years ago. The characters react to what you've done in this world. Completely random NPCs are fully voiced with dilemmas you could just happen across, sometimes without even a quest marker. A farmer will be suddenly attacked by a group of flying beasts and if you help him out, you'll get a short conversation with him; this random person you could have just missed. It's mind blowing.

In that rich world is your own personal main story as well. You're looking for a young girl, almost like a daughter to you. Someone you trained as a child and find as she becomes a woman. Your choices determine the fate of the interesting characters you meet and that includes relationships. Player choices effecting the story in a game of this caliber has merely scratched the surface up until now. In The Witcher 3, that kind of stuff has a new weight and meaning. Big epic battles whether it be in an all out war or just protecting a castle suddenly have a whole new level of realism and heft compared to similar efforts in the past. The Witcher 3 is so dense. It's the best open world RPG ever made and probably the most well realized fantasy game ever made. There are so many things going on and you'd be privileged to follow Geralt on his final journey through this breath taking world.

#2. Bloodborne

Games like Bloodborne are arguably what stretch the medium to its full potential. The world and lore appear best to those who keep their eyes peeled. The story only makes sense if you explore and pay attention. Full satisfaction is given to the players who make a sort of pact with the game. You have to play it thoroughly, and finish it to completion as best you can...only then can you appreciate every little worthwhile detail Bloodborne has to offer. The constant threat of your life is what grabs your attention. The ferocious, challenging enemies are what keep your eyes glued to the screen. The dire, disgusting environments set in the world of Bloodborne end up beautiful because of how interesting they are. You're interested because travelling into such unknown territory is just that compelling. Every step you take is another step closer to understanding the secrets that lie ahead. You'll play Bloodborne and do anything to gain more insight as to just what the hell is going on. It's an intimate, fascinating experience and done in the most appropriate fashion: Souls-esque. Without From Software and the focused direction of Hidetaka Miyazaki, Bloodborne wouldn't be the amazing experience it is.

The gameplay speaks for itself. It's Souls gameplay. The combat, exploration, and challenge are what pull you into this strange universe, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Bloodborne is a clutching, almost thought-provoking game that demands your attention at every turn.

#1. Undertale

Last year was the year of dreams, but it was also the year that "next gen" really kicked in. Between MGSV, Bloodborne, and Witcher 3, we really started to do things that felt "only possible" with new hardware....and to think, among all this exciting tech, Undertale is the one that won me over. This indie game with a graphical style akin to the SNES days. A game that starts out very simple. A human child falls into a world of monsters. Who could have predicted this could have such an impact at a time where we really *needed* to start seeing "next gen." Well, we got next gen...but we also got Undertale.

I had next to nothing of expectations going into Undertale. It was an alien thing with a very high rating on metacritic that seemed simple enough and only cost $15. Little did I know this would be one of the most emotionally rollicking experience I've had since playing Persona 3 and 4. Perhaps Undertale's best achievement is how progressive it feels despite harkening back to the old school days of RPGs. Combat is a bullet hell, the humor is modern, there's a dozen fourth wall breaks, the music has tons of real instruments in it, you don't even HAVE TO fight, and hell...there are even some homosexual relationships going on. I see Undertale compared to Shovel Knight but the difference is Shovel Knight was made specifically to be a throw back to NES platformers. You play Undertale and feel like you're diving into something new. The characters, story, music, art style, humor, wit, and everything in this game when combined together create a cohesive whole that feels fresh. You'll start Undertale feeling like you know what's going on. Random humor, cute characters...but it goes by the way of Adventure Time and pulls the rug from under your feet. You'll feel emotions you didn't expect to feel from an evil talking flower or a pun-loving skeleton. Undertale is something any gamer with an open mind and heart should take a chance on. Ignore the memes and Tumblr fan art for now and get lost in its brilliance.

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And that's it!

Honorable mentions:

Life is Strange- You know how Telltale games keep doing the same thing without shaking up the formula and now it's kinda stale? Life is Strange shakes things up, albeit with some bad dialogue but with a story and characters to care about.

Super Mario Maker- I own this game but don't play much of it. Still, I see why it's a brilliant thing. For Iwata to leave us with tools to make our own Mario games is something special.

Games I just kinda...had lots of fun with but would never make this list:

Halo 5- After the trainwreck that was Halo 4, I expected another one...but I got another pretty good Halo game and a step in the right direction. Nice work, 343.

Transformers Devastation- Platinum made a Transformers game. It's what you expect. It's lots of fun.

Star Wars: Battlefront- Yeah. It's an incredible looking game that looks and feels like Star Wars. Sue me