My Top 5 of 2015.

2015 is almost over, so here's a list of games I played and liked and want to share with you.

Wall of shame (aka games I didn't play this year, but will play eventually):

1. Undertale

2. Not a Hero

3. King's Quest

Here's a list of good games that I played that are good, but not good enough to make this list OR games I have failed to complete:

1. Charnel House Trilogy (Good game, not good enough)

2. Life is Strange (Didn't finish, only got up to ep. 2 and didn't think that was enough to judge)

3. Until Dawn (Good game, but ended up missing the 5th spot)

4. Xenoblade Chronicles (this game is massive!)

List items

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  1. Super Mario Maker

  Lots of games claim to be a sandbox without actually knowing how a sandbox works. It's not a huge place with lots of activities, It's a contained space where you can play with toys and share your monstrosities with others. In this regard, here's Super Mario Maker, a true sandbox and my favorite game of the year. If you need an excuse to pick up a Wii U, you've found one.

  It's also a game where I can sit for 6 hours and make a level that might be 16 seconds long. It has that going for it! Playing other levels can boost your blood pressure if you want!

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  2. SOMA

  SOMA has frustrating parts. SOMA has pacing problems. SOMA can be overlong. SOMA isn't very scary. SOMA is a great game.

  I should say great "game", as when this otherwise masterful portrait of philosophy tries to be a game, it falters. Puzzles break pacing and are sometimes unintuitively designed. Hiding from monsters is a sometimes frustrating, sometimes unintentionally hilarious affair. And I haven't even gotten started on the blur effect when you get hurt. Bleh!

  But man, the surprises in store make it all worth it for anybody wanting an actual thought provoking narrative in their video games.

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  3. Pillars of Eternity

  It may not be the best CRPG ever made, but it's certainly the most modern, and I mean that in a good way. It streamlines its RPG systems instead of relying on old D&D rules and gets points for being both dense and well written when it comes to dialogue. The whole reading other people's souls thing is also a great mechanic that's put to good use.

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  4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

  If there was an award for doing things well in many areas, but not being overall amazing, this game fits the bill. Combat is pretty good, but not spectacular. The story's pacing is somewhat slow due to the open world nature, but otherwise competent and well acted. I took a long break from this one, and I recommend actually playing this game in short spurts as to not get burned out on it. If all of this sounds bad, it actually isn't. This is a well made game that does everything I expected it to do, which is really all I could ask for.

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  5. Splatoon

  I feel this game is going to get overlooked by many, and to be frank, this game should be treated like candy. One where you enjoy the sweetness of its gameplay and aesthetic, but know that it's ultimately sugary sweetness without substance. It's a great game, but needed to do more with its systems to be relevant in the long term. Still one of my favorites for the year and one where you should consider getting a Wii U for if you like multiplayer games, but prefer the toxicity to be more ink related than verbal related.