The year of the FPS, with both Blizzard putting its trademark accessible yet deep spin on the multiplayer shooter and DOOM and Titanfall 2 delivering the strongest campaigns seen in the genre in years. Dishonored 2 improved upon its excellent predecessor in almost every way.
If it's been said once it's been said a thousand times, the year's most delightful surprise. Long live the Doomguy.
If I had to pick one game for my GOTY, it'd be Overwatch. The game I spent the most time with and had the most fun with. Blizzard, you loveable magicians, you've done it again. Now give us a campaign, please!
In my rose-tinted, adult-tinged dreams this is what games like Legend of Zelda were like back in the day. Mysterious, mechanically satisfying, hard as nails, beautiful. A classic from day one.
An improvement on the excellent XCOM Enemy Unknown in every way. Like its predecessor the difficulty curve goes the wrong way, in that by the end you're breezing through armies of aliens with your pack of superpowered soldiers, but that's a small price to pay when you've ha to fight so very hard to get there.
After Bloodborne's various improvements and innovations to the Soulsian formula this was always going to be a bit of a letdown. Nevertheless, Dark Souls 3 has some of the best bosses and environments of the series, and is a fitting end. Here's hoping Miyazaki and friends do something wildly new next time.
What a place, what atmosphere and what use of colour and light and sound. Also, what a sense of dread. Can't wait to see what Campo Santo does next.
2015's best leftover and proof positive that Nintendo can and absolutely should break new ground more often instead of sticking with their stalwarts.
Scratch what I said about Overwatch. This is my favourite game of the year. The only game I finished and immediately set about playing a second time through. What a world to explore and get lost in, such mechanical brilliance!
Seeing as we'll never get Half-Life 3 we'll just have to settle for Titanfall 2. And you know, I reckon this game's campaign would hold its own against the very best Valve could come up with.
While I understand why some are frustrated with its archaic camera and controls, let's not forget Team Ico's previous games weren't exactly mechanically brilliant back in the PS2 days either. The Last Guardian is a towering achievement in its emotional resonance and in its artistic design. This is one for the ages. Thank you Fumito Ueda.
