The Best 10 or 11 Games of 2016

So, video games were pretty good in 2016, right? Everything else should probably go fuck itself. It was a strange year for the medium nonetheless, seeing the advent of legitimate VR contenders arrive with cautious optimism and immediately flop. Two infamous Japanese games we thought would never see the light of release day were finally hoisted upon us, and one kind of justified the ten year wait, while the other one played like it came out ten years ago. Some zany experimental titles were released that had people talking. Oddly enough though, 2016 was the year of the shooter, whether you liked the genre or not. There seemed to be something for everybody on that front, with even multiplayer focused juggernauts releasing quality campaigns for the first ever. So here it is folks, for better or worse, and let's never ever say we can't wait for 2017, because that's exactly what we ended up saying last year.

And now...the top ten eleven games of 2016

List items

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  1. Doom

  Biggest surprise. Best music. Huge moments. Big fucking guns. Self aware. Doom requires terse sentences because Doom is all about id. Instinct and reacting. id Software's miracle story of not just releasing Doom but making one of the best campaign shooters of all time was certainly a welcome surprise to anyone and everyone this year. I don't even like shooters that much. Shooting and movement in this game is so much fun. Doom 2016 does this interesting and archaic thing in which you don't actually crouch behind cover for ten seconds doing absolutely nothing when you're low on health. No, Doom forces you to pinball from enemy to enemy, or else you'll die. The glory kills are a game changer, and your only chance for health. Oh and your thumb, which fucking detested you after fifty hours of the Phantom Pain, requires zero pushing down on the thumbstick to run. In Doom, you always run.

  Old is new. New is old. Doom is the best game of 2016.

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  2. Stardew Valley

  While #1 on this list would certainly qualify as an intense and occasionally stressful experience, the indie darling Stardew Valley was 2016's relaxation game of the year. A an unofficial spiritual successor to the Harvest Moon games (with bits of Animal Crossing and light survival game mechanics), Stardew Valley is a remarkable accomplishment that replicates life in a small uneventful town. It thrives in the mundane, from worrying about your crops, to giving your crush the right gift, to fun town festivals where you can bask in the literal fruits of your labor. And anyone ready to write this off as a Harvest Moon close needs to see the winter season, in which farming and fishing is nixed in favor of hardcore dungeon crawling that could be its own game.

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  3. Hitman

  A late entry, but I sure am glad I gave this one a shot. Having zero experience with the series, I fully expected to be underwhelmed by Hitman's intimidating systems and confusing UI, but IO Interactive has done the unthinkable and streamlined the Hitman experience without compromising the sandbox gameplay it has always been known for. Hardcore fans will turn off the opportunity markers, but for newcomers this is a welcome addition that will get the ball rolling on your creativity instead of holding your hand the entire way. The game's opening episode, Paris, presents the player with a colossal chateau showcasing a ritzy fashion show. If you haven't heard the name Helmet Kruger yet, be prepared. The game's episodic model was initially met with skepticism by most people, but Hitman 2016 offers the player a multitude of ways to eliminate targets, allowing for actual fun and rewarding replayability.

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  4. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

  I love the original Uncharted trilogy and thought Drake's Deception was a fitting conclusion to the Nathan Drake saga, and like a vast majority of folks, was disappointed upon discovering Naughty Dog's next game would continue the story. Fortunately, this is no Crystal Skull. Yes there's still an assload of stakes free pre-determined-linear as shit environmental scaling, but Naughty Dog learned a thing or two with the Last of Us. Introducing Sam Drake (voiced by Troy Baker) was the kick in the ass this series needed, offering up genuine emotion and a true mystery to Nathan's complex life. The gunplay is still floaty but traversal has never felt better with the addition of a grappling hook that makes the game feel less linear than it actually is. Also, the most beautiful game of this console generation.

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  5. Firewatch

  Perhaps unfairly regarded as just another walking simulator with barebones gameplay, the relationship that develops between Harry and Delilah over the course of Firewatch's five hours is enough reason to experience Campo Santo's debut title. Firewatch is all about the atmosphere and characters, and the isolated backdrop of Wyoming's vast forest is the perfect setting. For anyone who thought Gone Home didn't have much of a point beyond the lonely investigation of news clippings and VHS tapes, but loves a good story about the flaws of humanity.

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  6. Superhot

  In a year rife with amazing shooters, Superhot stood out as the most innovative. The action only moves when you do, making it as much a puzzle game as much as an FPS. The starkly minimalistic aesthetic (always reminds me of Kid A's album art) amplifies the action, and watching your slayings play back in real time is the most badass I've ever felt in a video game. While the campaign is a bit on the short side and the narrative obtuse, there's a bevy of unlockable challenges to tackle once finished. Also, Superhot VR is the one and only reason I want to experience virtual reality.

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  7. Inside

  Anyone who thought Limbo was too rudimentary and brief absolutely need seek this game out. One of my biggest regrets this year was reading a ton of gushing reviews prior to the release of Playdead's seminal spiritual successor to Limbo. My absurd expectations and constant anticipation of the game's climax would have disappointed anybody, but this is truly a title that even the most casual gamer should experience.

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  8. Gears of War 4
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  9. Final Fantasy XV

  The similarities between this and my favorite game of last year, The Phantom Pain, share a key similarity; both seem to work in spite of their legacies as epic achievements in story-telling. The game formerly known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII is essentially a road trip story of four Caucasian dudes who stick out like a sore, pasty Anime thumb among the rural diners of Anytown, USA. The story isn't an incoherent mess like XIII, but it still requires viewing the Kingsglaive anime to truly understand the villains' motivations. Your three bros make for surprisingly fun companions, adding cooking, photography and fishing elements in addition to the revamped combat system. For a series that has always been synonymous with grand moments, this entry excels in the small and mundane memories you share with your party.

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  10. Titanfall 2

  Let it be known that I only played the campaign to this game, since I look forward to playing competitive online shooters with the same gusto as going to the fucking dentist, or secretary of state, or any other horrible cliche you can conjure. While the story is fairly rote and simplistic, the dynamic between you and your metallic companion is done tastefully and there are some incredible moments sprinkled throughout the brief single player experience. The moments in the Titan are ironically the least interesting parts of the game, as Titanfall's primary innovation has always been in its movement. This is undoubtedly the best first person person platforming game I've ever played, culminating in the Effect and Cause phase shifting level that must simply be seen to be believed.

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  11. Pony Island

  The first game I played in 2016, the wonderfully subversive Pony Island did for puzzle games what Undertale did for RPG's. The dead of January is the ideal time to experience this dystopian mess of a hacker's wet dream. A computer virus is Satan and fucks with you in myriad ways. There are two primary types of gameplay, one in the guise of a horrible endless runner and the other hacking interfaces with puzzle solving, and while neither is all that intuitive or fun, Pony Island's genius lies in the reveals and the destruction of age old tropes. For a twelfth of the price of a triple A game, there are far worse ways to spend five dollars.