Easy choice for #1 this year. My list was a little light this year yet again, as I continued to play Fortnite on a daily basis. I even dipped back into Save The World and got on a serious grind. Save The World's endgame is an absolute joy.
Regrets and Honorable Mentions:
I was obviously going to play Sekiro from the beginning because it's FromSoftware, but I didn't anticipate the game eclipsing some of my all-time-favorites (Bloodborne, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls).
Sekiro was basically flawless for me. I thought I might miss the multiplayer, in fact, I thought I might need the multiplayer to even finish the game. You know what I did though? I got good and had the time of my life with it. They sacrificed some of the variety in weapons/magic for what felt like the tightest, most satisfying combat I've ever experienced in a game. They actually had characters and told a non-cryptic story as well.
The game's mechanics were so deep that it probably wasn't until my 2nd or 3rd play through (out of 4 or 5) where things really started clicking and I truly felt like I had a strong understanding of the game. However, mastery never occurred due to the level of execution required. It felt a lot like trying to learn a musical instrument where you're awful at first and can barely play a note. As time progresses, you can play parts of a song, and after so many hours, the parts you've practiced ad-nausea come naturally and feel wonderful to perform.
This game came at the perfect time when I hadn't experienced one like it in so long and the last one I played through (Fallout 4) wasn't the best experience.
Every element of Outer Worlds was terrific, even the setting, and I'm typically not a space/sci-fi guy. Visiting all the different planets had a real Interstellar vibe going for me. The dialog provided a range of emotions and had me laughing out loud on a number of different occasions. The combat was good and even though it didn't have V.A.T.S., the Max Payne mechanic served it well. I played it on Hard and had an amazing (and difficult) time getting through each encounter. When I finally got the Mind Control Ray, I completely broke the combat and loved pitting enemies against one another until all of their health was equally low. I played it on PC and haven't had so much fun save scumming through decisions and seeing different outcomes in ages (played Fallout 3/NV/4 on PS4 sadly).
This game is such a damn good vibe. I played it with my 8 year old daughter, passing the controller back and forth until we got gold on every single level, and after it was all over, I was still left wanting more. The soundtrack absolutely bangs and is something I'll be listening to in the future. The rest of the game (visuals, mechanics, and light story) worked together with the soundtrack to create harmonious bliss. It's one of those games that keeps you smiling every step of the way and delights you in the end as you "defeat" the bosses. There was enough variety in the levels such that it never even came close to being boring or feel like a chore.
Not only all of that, but there was a moment in the game that ranks up there in my top 5 video game moments (along with INSIDE and the Last Of Us). I cannot wait to see what else this studio creates in the future.
I convinced my 10 year old son to buy this on his Switch after seeing it mentioned just about everywhere without really understanding what the game was. I watched him play some of the first level and immediately knew I had to play it for myself. I spent the next two nights and some of the day time playing it through to the end. It was an absolute delight and just puzzling enough to not be frustrating. If I had the game on a device I owned myself, I would probably have gone back and 100%'d it, but alas. I may to return to it on PS4 now that it's been released there to nab the Platinum.
It's a shooter. It's also a looter. It's a looter shooter.
What can I say? It was more Borderlands. I enjoyed the looting, the shooting, the boss fights, and did about as much chuckling as I did eye rolling. I completed almost every quest I came across up until about the 3/4ths mark where I felt like I had my fill, and I then main-lined the story until the end and never went back. I got a free Fortnite skin out of the deal too!
Remake.
