Another year... another bundle of games that I played a lot of, games I wish I played more of and games that I haven't got to but will fill my backlog for the foreseeable future.

First, I want to give a little hand to some of the games that didn't come out this year that made this list even more difficult to create by dragging me away from 2016's latest and greatest. Thank you Yakuza 4 and 5, finally you've entered my life and I don't know why I put the series off so long. Thank you Final Fantasy XII and V, two of the greatest JRPG's I've had the pleasure of plowing through. Thank you Football Manager 2016, every few years I come back to your warm embrace and spend 100+ hours grinding through stat sheets and you gave me more than enough in the early summertime. Thank you Galak-Z and Persona 4 Dancing all night, I'm sorry you didn't make it on time for last year's list but revel in the fact that the earliest part of 2016 was spent with you. The Witness and The Walking Dead Season 3, I've just got started with you and have really enjoyed my time so far but this list can't be put off any longer.

Next, to the 2016 games I look forward to playing when the time finally comes. Hitman, I kept putting you off but finally I've been convinced that you're the game for me. The Last Guardian, I wait 8 long years for you, surely I can wait a few more days. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, it's not me, it's you - releasing this late in the calendar (in Europe) in a year where I already haven't given my 3DS enough love just wasn't going to work...

10. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright

My anticipation of this game perhaps hurt it more than it helped it. I absolutely adore Fire Emblem Awakening, I put more than 60 hours into it and Birthright promised more of the same and maybe in the last three years, my taste in games has changed more than I thought. Birthright is a fantastic SRPG with entertaining characters, the same art-style as Awakening and one of the best OSTs I've heard all year. Something just didn't work for me though - it was too similar. I felt like I could see the Awakening characters basically reimagining themselves in front of me and I just couldn't get attached to the cast of Birthright in the same way. I also couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something - Birthright is one of three games and considering I can barely finish this one, I have no desire to go and play the other ones. I don't want to knock Birthright too hard, when I enjoyed it I really enjoyed it but it just didn't live up to the hype I had for it.

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9. American Truck Simulator

I genuinely can't believe I'm typing this... I was going through all the 2016 games I'd played a decent chunk of and came across this - "Oh yeah, haha.." I thought to myself but then I turned it on for a second... "Oh wait.." I thought, "...this is THE game." American Truck Simulator is amazing, relaxing, enchanting - how can any game compete with the open road? Seriously, ATS puts me in a zen-like state and perhaps it's because i'm a European who has never been to America but driving through California and Nevada excites me in a way that driving through Germany and France never did. I'm genuinely finding it hard to say why I like this game so much but some of you will understand - if you're one of the people who thinks they will like this, buy it. It's beautiful.

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8. Overwatch

Okay. I'm going to level it with you. I haven't played that much Overwatch. I'm not an expert, I barely play any class besides Lucio, Pharah and D.Va and I can't remember the last time I even touched a first person shooter before I played Overwatch. Despite that, Overwatch is one of my favourite games of 2016 which pretty much says it all. I haven't had this much fun playing a shooter since Team Fortress 2. Overwatch pretty much hits all the same points - beautifully animated characters that are full of life, fun objective based gameplay and a community (at least from what I've experienced) that is chill as fuck. I haven't ventured into ranked mode or whatever and I doubt I ever will because Overwatch is a game for me to have fun with and that's it. At the end of each game I get told that I played amazingly! Thanks Overwatch.

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7. Final Fantasy Record Keeper

A what... what platform is this on... MOBILE??? I'm cheating a bit, this released in 2015 globally but the game that came out then and the game that I am enjoying now are so different that I can justify myself. Yes, a phone game made it onto my most enjoyed games of 2016. It happened. The future is now. Seriously, I'm a Final Fantasy nut and this game tickles my nostalgia in the best possible way whilst having gameplay with some real depth. Heroes from all your favourite Final Fantasy games (From I-XIV, Tactics, some of the awful sequels and even WoF in Japan and Advent Children) coming together in bite-size ATB chunks, beating the hell out of your favourite monsters and villains whilst playing all the classic music... AHHH! Now, I can't ignore the Free-to-play stuff - some people don't like the stamina system and the gacha system is frustrating (albeit I played Brave Exvius as well, if you want some real frustration with draws try that) but I've never spent a penny on this game, never really felt tempted and still have numerous level 80 characters and some of the best relics in the game. I can't leave this game off the list. It's really fun.

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6. Zero Time Dilemma

Now this is an interesting one because, as a massive fan of 999 and Virtue's Last Reward, I felt disappointed by this game. The conclusion is unsatisfying, the models and animations are so stiff and stupid compared to the beautiful sprite work from 999 and even the 3D portraits in VLR that I don't understand why Aksys wasted their time. Some of the twists just exist for the sake of having a twist, none of them hit anywhere near as hard as the twists in the other games but... despite all of my criticisms I still sat next to the wall whilst my Vita was charging waiting for it to turn on so I could get back into it. Even though I had my problems with it, most of the story in this game is enthralling and filled with tension, just like the other Zero Escape games and the characters for the most part are well written and interesting. The villain is menacing and mysterious and the puzzles are tricky without being frustrating and interrupting the flow of gameplay too much. I'm glad this game exists even though it doesn't do the other games the justice they deserve and it's still a great visual novel.

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5. LET IT DIE

"Hey Senpai, you climbed that tower yet?!" Nope, I haven't but I'm going to keep trying, dammit! Seriously, where the hell did this game come from? It's an incredibly strange comparison but it's pretty much my Undertale of 2016 (ironically it's in the same place, 5th, on my GOTY list) as I had no hype for it, I didn't even know it existed until Jeff mentioned it on the podcast so I downloaded it with no expectations and was entranced by it. LET IT DIE is like... a dark souls rogue-like with style seeping out of every orifice it possesses - my man Uncle Death is one of the coolest cats you'll ever meet. The gameplay is satisfying, whether you're smashing the enemies heads in with a hammer or firing fireworks at a hater and the PvP aspects are fun albeit it is a bit annoying to come back every so often and find your base ransacked, I don't play everyday so I'm always welcomed by about 8 failed defenses. My only misgiving is the potential free-to-play pitfall that I haven't stumbled into yet. It's getting more and more expensive to ride that elevator and I can see it becoming incredibly frustrating if I make it far enough in but until that actually happens I'm going to enjoy the ride.

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4. The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

Okay seriously... a mobile game is one thing but a piece of DLC? Seriously?! Really, it's hard for other games to compete considering I already spent a good chunk of last year waxing lyrical to anyone that will listen about how much I adore the Witcher 3. It was my 2015 GOTY and it would make a top 10 list (if I ever made one) of my favourite games EVER. Blood and Wine has more depth to it than most of 2016's games which isn't a slight on them. Ignoring the DLC, Witcher had things like the UI update making it easier to play, the numerous software updates that made running it in 2016 easier than it was in 2015 and more that made the base game even more of a joy to play. Now onto BaW - we have the beautiful lands of Toussaint which are so different to Velen and the Northern Realms that it's almost like Geralt stepped into another universe. Characters like Detlaff and Regis join the impressively large list of "Witcher 3 characters I adore" and then there is the side activities like the tournament side quests, helping princesses with curses, dealing with a cheeky little shoe-shiner and much much more. The main story is intriguing but also heart-wrenching as you make some of your toughest decisions to date and Geralt's sense of morality really comes to the fore. The way Blood and Wine concludes with Geralt simply smiling is one of the best single moments I've played in any game ever. That's how much Witcher 3 has touched my life. Thank you so much for this CD Projekt, I'll never forget it.

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3. Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator

I need to preface the next few games by saying this: I liked fighting games but in 2016 I became obsessed with them. I read frame data, I watched streams, I spent time in the shower thinking of set-ups. Like holy shit, I adore this genre in a way I never thought I would. Now onto number 3.

Xrd Revelator is fucking beautiful, plays like a dream and sounds amazing. Every aspect of this game is top of the class in the genre and I just can't give enough credit to it. It's a different game to Street Fighter, far more complex on the surface but at its core a lot of the same ideas of spacing and footsies apply despite Revelator leaning far more towards set-ups and okizeme. Basically, in Revelator you want to score a knockdown and make it so your opponent can't escape from your offense which as a beginner is incredibly hard to deal with and even understand. The diverse roster of characters are all very fun to play and a lot of the goofy stuff in Revelator - walking around the lobby and fishing for example - gives it a sense of personality that other games can't compete with. Despite it being an anime fighter and thus not incredibly popular in the west, I get games easily enough in France 01 and get to test out my Raven against a lot of different players and styles. On the single-player side, which isn't really a big deal to me but is to others (we'll come to that), Revelator has all you need - an arcade mode, missions, combo challenges, a full length anime movie, unlockables, replays, everything! If you're looking for a singleplayer fighting game, this is your best bet. Really, it's a better game than Street Fighter V but I personally just don't enjoy the style of game as much as the Capcom fighters (despite loving it.) Revelator is a hell of a time, please play it if you're even slightly interested.

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2. Street Fighter V

Okay, this game was pretty much a mess. It launched with barely any content at all but... I just didn't care. I just needed online and a training mode and I was fine. I was already on the cusp of fully immersing myself in fighting games and Street Fighter V was just the game that I needed to turn me from observer to obsessive. The game itself is a bit easier to get into compared to USFIV but the characters are all very fun to play with a variety of different styles. The online mode has worked pretty well for me albeit I have seen issues people have had and there is work to be done. I've enjoyed maining Nash, moving to Mika after being inspired by Fuudo and loving her and now switching to give Cammy a try after the season 2 update and I feel that despite the problems it has had, Street Fighter V is here and it will stay. 8 frames, "early access" etc are all criticisms I understand and agree with but I've played it more than any other game this year. This ranking isn't just due to the game itself, otherwise I'd probably have Guilty Gear ahead of it, it's everything else this game has given me. I've been watching loads of the Capcom Pro Tour, enjoying talking strategy with the rest of the FGC online, following pros and tech gurus. I cheered when Phenom defend the EU and won a premier almost as much as I do for my football team. I loved finally watching EVO as a fan after getting introduced to it when our own Luffy won it a few years back. I loved seeing NuckleDu win it all after the year he's had. I loved hearing Infiltration say "download complete" after taking EVO and then going out 0-2 at Capcom Cup in the shock of 2016. It's not just the game, SF V and fighting games in general have become such a big part of my life that if I didn't put it this high, I'd be lying to myself despite the grievances I and a lot of the community have with this game.

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1A. Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition

It's better than ever, play it if you haven't. The new areas are fantastic. I don't need to write anymore about this game.

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1. Final Fantasy XV

It has been 10 years since we saw Noctis for the first time and somehow, someway Final Fantasy XV delivered for me in a way I never thought it could. I had to draw attention to that development cycle because it has hung over this game and Square like a shadow for the last 10 years but FINAL FANTASY XV IS NOT THAT GAME. It has elements and such but it's a different beast and sweating over what isn't there has caused some people to ignore what is there. I come back to the open road - the endless possibilities. The road trip setting for this game just worked for me, I absolutely adore it. The four main protagonists are developed in a way that other Final Fantasy protagonists haven't. Prompto seems to be a standard goofball but then I saw him spend an evening with Noct discussing his fears and feelings, Ignis loves cooking but I got to see him try and get his glasses back from a black chocobo, Gladio is a tough bastard but has an unrelenting desire to eat Cup Noodles. They feel real in a way I thought Final Fantasy and Square could NEVER pull off. I can't ever remember fast travelling during the main story in this game because I was worried I'd miss Prompto spot a photo opportunity or the guys discuss 5 star characters or whatever came to mind, I loved being part of it. The overall story has some faults but I can easily look past it because the connection these four guys create is just wonderful to witness. It did have some great moments despite it faltering a lot, Chapter 10 is one of my favourite moments in regards to video games in 2016 - it made my heart ache. Add in the beautiful world of Eos and the old soundtracks you can chill to in your car, I just felt like this was a world I wanted to be part of. The dungeon design is masterful - I enjoyed all of them (besides Costelmark tower which went on a bit) because of the dialogue between the characters but also the level design. Every dungeon feels unique and they're all fun - probably the best dungeons in the entire series. The combat is fast, fun and (despite being a bit easy to cheese with items) can be challenging, with some of the later bosses requiring me to really make use of my partners techniques and the Royal Arms i'd acquired with Noct. Writing this just now makes me want to dive back into it which is truly the mark of an excellent game.

It's been a long time coming but Final Fantasy XV delivered for me, it gave me what I wanted and it felt like a Final Fantasy game. I'm incredibly excited to see what's next for these characters in the form of DLC and also to see what Square does next for the series.