Wrote up stuff for the top 10, then included a few that just missed the cut.
I did not play Metal Gear V (no interest after reading about Konami's we-fuck-with-your-game-with-this-online-element-that-is-not-optional-oh-also-we-treat-our-employees-like-shit series of events). Also did not play Fallout 4 (no interest).
Don't buy a console for one game. It took 30 years for me to break that rule. I bought an undersupported, underpowered system during what is likely going to be its final year.
Zero regrets. This may just be the best thing Nintendo has done since the 16-bit era. It seems asinine that what is basically just an officially licensed level editor is so incredible, but it is. I'm mediocre at best at design (although seeing some of the total garbage out there made me feel better about myself), but it is totally irrelevant.
I really hope they stick with this game and continue to improve on it, because as fantastic as it is, there is still room for improvement.
Screw it. This isn't just GOTY, it's one of the best things I've ever played.
Next to my number 6 entry, this was the best looking game I saw this year. This game surprised the heck out of me with the level of quality in just about every aspect. I like the first game enough, but not enough to crack a top 10 list of mine or anything. This one improved in almost every way and was the best console-exclusive game to come out this year. Shame it didn't get more attention, but that didn't hurt my enjoyment of it one bit.
Yeah, the story didn't really pan out the way I (or other people, judging by the general reaction) expected, but it's still a testament to the Halo lore that people give a damn about it. When's the last time there was any serious discussion about Call of Duty or Battlefield's continuing narrative? Does Battlefield even have one?
I'm not a fan of yet another FPS rolling out some weird "card" system, but I've seen far more offensive implementations of that kind of thing in other games, both paid and full price. Recent updates to the game have given me what I'm looking for as far as game type options, and I don't have much to complain about at this point.
The singleplayer still isn't flawless as some enemies are more "fun" to fight than others, but it looks fantastic and is just long enough so you don't feel short-changed. It's the middle of a trilogy so I really don't fault the semi-cliffhanger ending. Anxious to see what they do to close it out next time around.
I originally had this swapped with Tomb Raider, but when I put the two head to head in my battle of third-person action/adventure games I felt like RotTR looked better and controlled better. That doesn't mean this game isn't incredible, because it is. I usually can't get into those games where you get bogged down with side-quests (witness my zero interest in Fallout 4). I usually can't get into games that have a heavy "crafting" element. This game still pulled me in pretty seriously. I'm only about 3 weeks into it at this writing, but I expect I'll be sticking with it for months to come.
MK9 was my game of the year when it came out, so this one had a hell of a reputation to live up to. Because they kind of blew everything they had with the prior game, this title had to start branching out into a new story. I'm really glad Shinnok was the villain, as although MK4 wasn't a great game in terms of actual fighting, the storyline was just fine. MKX's story mode by requirement isn't as much a nostalgia-fueled revamp of what fans remember, but it still has its moments. The tough part is going to be where they go for the next sequel, since at the end of MKX they are firmly established in the future, and that probably means a lot more new characters next time.
The Krypt/unlockable content stuff is beginning to wear pretty thin and doesn't do much to actually extend the life of the game. Fatalities and outfits are fine, but just give us stuff like music and concept art out of the gate.
I've never been an elite fighting game player so I won't comment on whether or not it's "better" than the prior game, but I definitely didn't feel it was any worse. The music, which I've always loved in the MK games, seems to have taken a step back. It's just not nearly as noticable as it has been in the past (even in the middling XBox/PS2 era games).
Still, it's an impressive entry in the series overall. They just need to freshen it up in the next one.
Best looking game of the year, best "Metroid-inspired" game of the year, and a pretty engrossing setting/storyline that required minimal dialogue. I took my time with it and beat it over the course of a week. Afterwords, I was tempted to go back again and try to 100% it, which hasn't happened for me since Mark of the Ninja. Ori is a very difficult game in spots, but fortunately respawns are fast and you can control your save points the majority of the time.
I originally had this very high on my list, but a few instances where game mechanics are not well presented (or explained at all) knocked it down a bit. Having to go on Youtube to find a solution not to a puzzle but how you need to control your character in certain scenarios was kind of a bummer.
But this was still a hell of an experience and I want to see what the same creative team does next.
Look, I dunno. It was ok. I haven't played a CoD game since BlOps2 and I like to check in every few years. Funny to see how much Titanfall has influenced this (and the prior CoD game) in terms of movement. I got a couple months of enjoyment out of this and then sold it off, I'm not really in it for the long haul. Got some serious enjoyment and laughs out of "robots" being a major enemy in the singleplayer. It's still pretty much same shit, different day, but at least they're well-made.
Last second entry. I had finalized my list but finally got to check this out after the new year and felt strongly enough about it to stick it in the top 10. Admittedly it's irresponsible for me to put it here since I haven't spent a ton of time with it yet, but it has already hooked me more than several games already on my list and I'll be sticking with it for the foreseeable future.
Hey, this wound up ok! Platinum seems to be super hit and miss between the exhilirating high end of Bayonetta and the frightening low end of Legend of Korra, but this was fun. Admittedly, if you couldn't care less about the Generation 1 Transformers you're not going to get a ton out of this, but if you like your G1 stuff, the nostalgia factor nudges this into something that is well worth your time.
Well, they tried. I'm sure their budget was small compared to past offerings in the series, and there is definitely stuff missing - the lack of keyboard support, not being able to carry over RB Network songs, and no online multiplayer chief among it. Still, it's a sequel to my personal "Game of the Generation" and still the king of the genre, and I appreciate that I have a modern place to play (most of) my Rock Band content.
The game has come along a bit through updates since launch, adding features and available content, which helps. I don't ever want to see a "sequel" to this though, not in this generation. This has to be it. Update the game for the next couple of years and keep putting DLC out at a steady clip.
I've admittedly kind of moved on to Rocksmith at this point, but nostalgia and a massive library pretty much assure that I'll never totally be done with this game.
I was advised to check this game out by none other than ZODIAC MOTHERFUCKER himself, and although GB said it was the most disappointing thing to come out this year, I found myself liking it just fine. That probably means I need to go back and play the "good" ones from last gen.
Also, Masters of the Universe > GI Joe.
This feels like 70% of a game, but it's fun for a short time. Good sound design and decent visuals but It's definitely a "baby's first shooter" offering. Running around the battlefield as Palpatine still looks hilarious.
