A quite different list compared to previous years. Previously I had quite a lot of indie games in there, but this year is dominated by big budget titles. Surprisingly a lot of them were actually really good this year. It is also very shooter heavy which has not happened for me in a long time.
Not only did id have a comeback this year, but so did IO Interactive as well. After the awful Hitman Absolution they had a lot to prove and they totally delivered. They created incredible killing sandboxes and the episodic delivery actually worked in favor of the game design.
Despite being a big id fanboy Doom was still a big surprise. It's fast and ruthless gameplay combined with it's self aware tone just did it for me. The music is also just top notch. I played through the campaign twice back to back. The multiplayer is just ok, but that really didn't matter in the end.
When it comes to multiplayer we have Overwatch. Blizzard just did it again. They took something familiar, polished it to no end and sprinkled in their own flavor when it comes to the characters. Great fun all around.
Australia in this game is just beautiful and this might be the most fun I have had with a racing game since Burnout Paradise. They find the right balance between realism and fun. The first expansion they just realized is also really good.
The campaign is just ok, but man the multiplayer is great. No other game manages to create such impactful moment in a multiplayer scenario as this series, which is why I was also very much enamored with the latest iteration.
Titanfall 2 added the often requested campaign and actually delivered one that is really fun. The multiplayer also feels somewhat more complete than the first time around, but I don't think they launched with enough maps to keep it interesting enough for a long time. I also don't think all changes that were made from the previous game are for the better.
Hey it's more Dark Souls! I love the Souls games and this one was no different. It still felt a bit too much like a best of album, otherwise it might have been higher on the list.
Gears of War 4 is an amazing package. It has a very good campaign, coop, great multiplayer and the cool Horde mode. It just plays it a little too safe in the campaign and the microtransactions are a bit too slimey.
Just like the games at 7 and 8 Deus Ex played it a little too safe for a top position. After all this time I kinda expected the sequel of Human Revolution to do a little more, but it very much was just more of that game. Not bad by any means, just not quite up to expectations. The main story also isn't that great and feels incomplete.
Square has put so much different stuff in this it's crazy. The game is actually kind of a mess. Systems don't quite work well together, the open world and the story elements are at odds with each other and the story needed a lot more actual story. Maybe next time don't move that stuff to a movie and an anime? Despite all of that it still was great fun to play, which is shocking.
