I decided to go a different route this year. 2015 wasn't a year I was able to dive into the new releases all too much, and if I did, it was extremely choosy. This year I'm just going to list the top 10 games I enjoyed, regardless of when they released. I feel it's a more honest perspective when it comes to making this year's top 10 (for myself).
Rocket League is the epitome of perfection in competitive sports in video games. Everything feels tight and completely in-control. Your mistakes are your own, and your importance to your team is easily visible each match. The heart-pounding matches make you feel valuable at each turn, and although the game-play seems shallow and simple from the outside, the depth at which you can become a true "professional" in Rocket League is leagues deep.
Subnautica is one of those games that I watched more than I have played. I've watched hours of several different YouTuber/Twitch personalities play this and never picked it up. The undersea world is gorgeous, and the survival aspect keeps you on your toes as you explore.
During Steam's winter sale this year I finally decided to pick it up. It's wondrous. The beauty is even more jaw-dropping in person, I truly get fearful as I explore the waters away from my "escape pod;" and every new creature, coral, or plant-life I come across in the foreign-alien waters peaks my curiosity. The very fact that this game is no where near done (it is in early access) excites me even more at the prospect of this already gargantuan world being even more fleshed out as time comes.
Albeit that Star Wars: Galaxies hasn't been live for quite some time, the emulation community has been incredibly supportive. I finally decided to take a dive into the SWGEmu servers and I don't regret it one bit. Every memory flew right back into my mind as soon as the game booted up. From the iconic menu music, to the sounds of starships taking off in the starport, and the cantina music being played by real characters. Everything about Star Wars: Galaxies is unique, and the emulated servers bring each and every bit of that uniqueness back.
I can truly see myself losing hours into it's world again, and will be following SWGEmu's progress of content until they finally reach their publish 14 destination.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 is one of my all time favorite games. I have poured so many hours into it's simulated world than I can count. After discovering a robust modding community has been adding a plethora of content to it's already large roster; I found myself diving just as deep as I always had.
PS: I'm also way much better at it then when I first discovered this game.
I found Trove to be overwhelming mediocre when I first played at the beginning of the year. It felt rushed, ugly, and the premise was too simple for me to believe it had any longevity. For whatever reason, I booted it up again in mid-august and haven't stopped playing. This time around, it's simplicity is it's finest achievement. I am able to play as much as I like and feel like I've done something with that time. It's a collector/completionist's dream, and it has enough of a "building" aspect to it to satiate my creative side as well.
I'll admit it up front: I am a Blizzard fanboy. I have no problems being open about it, because I think everything they put out is solid.
I was invited to a week-long stress test for Overwatch in it's alpha-form. Even without a progression system I found myself queuing up another match. The reason this is significant is because I rarely find myself playing games lately that lack any form of artificial account/character level. Overwatch's game-play, art-style, and polish made that not matter. It's an extremely fun game to play, and the assortment of heroes to choose from makes every match feel completely unique. I cannot wait until 2016 and I can get my hands on the finished product.
I have an incredibly debilitating anxiety disorder. Playing competitive online games actually makes my heart-rate soar, and sometimes can cause me have incredibly high blood pressure. I can rarely play too long without having to take a considerable break, and Heroes of the Storm is proof that, even with the anxiety, it's worth to fight through it. The simplicity of today's MOBA genre make it worth every minute in my book. The nostalgia that comes along with each hero, and the unique arrangements of maps and character combinations make it incredibly fun and different each time I queue up for a match.
Heroes of the Storm may only be a game I can play a match or two at a time, but damn if those aren't incredibly fun matches.
I'll start off by mentioning that I really enjoy the show. I'm not a fanatic, but the genuine happiness the show emits is extremely refreshing in today's climate. That being said, Attack the Light is a genuinely fun turn-based RPG set in Steven Universes...Universe. It's a fantastic looking game, the simple mechanics are great to play around with, and the overall presentation oozes polish. I found myself putting off other games in order to play Attack the Light, and I look back without regret.
I am HUGE fan of simulation games, especially when they have this sort of "park" aspect to them. Prison Architect took an otherwise overlooked possibility for me, in the form of Prison management, and made it incredibly fun. I was there when it was in it's first forms of beta, all the way until release. Each update had me returning to see what cool new things they added, and how they changed the core-mechanics of the game.
Lara Croft Go is a mobile game done right. It's gorgeous, controls simple, and has intriguing game-play to keep me going. It's checkpoints are well-spaced to make sure I can pull it out anywhere and have a nice experience. My only qualm with this title is it's length; but that's a compliment as well as I just want more...
