Every December I never quite know what games might end up on this list till I put some thought into it. What were the games that really caught my eye or kept me entertained for longer than any other this year? Let us find out by stepping into another highly opinionated list created just cause everyone does it.
The last thing I thought of when going into 2016 was that my favorite game would be about being a bartender. Yet tending a bar is only the background noise compared to the important part and that is listening to the wide variety of people that stop by Valhalla. Everyone has their own attitude and narrative that plays out as the weeks go by. Getting me to care about a character who may be in trouble is when I know a game has really got to me in a way I didn’t think was possible. Which is only aided by a jazzy soundtrack that fits the mood of a gloomy cyber future. In the end this game managed to capture my heart thus earning the title of Game Of The Year.
At least for me Hitman never lost it’s charm even when it focused a bit more on a narrative. Which takes a back seat this time for some creative murder playgrounds. Getting dropped into a big environment only to figure your way through it to find your target is fun. Once you find them the choices of how you deal with them are numerous. The classic fiber wire will work but sometimes it requires a bit of setup. Learning how all the mechanics work to pull off some dumb assassinations is the gift that keeps on giving. Which is why this earns the number 2 spot on this list.
Guilty Gear is even better the 2nd time around. Not much has changed gameplay wise since it is quite similar to Xrd. But that doesn’t matter the important thing is that they added more characters to fill out the roster and i liked playing them. Still a bit bummed that the story is literally just a flashy visual novel but it is still crazy in all the right ways. I hope your ready to rock because Guilty Gear Revelator smashed it’s way through the rest of this list to get the number three spot.
Drake returns for one last hurrah with what could be considered the best storyline in an Uncharted game so far. It is also aided with some great action set pieces that are a cornerstone of this franchise. Hard to not also mention how great this game looks too. This treasure shall be proudly displayed in the #4 spot on this list.
Like the original game, Doom is all about killing demons. It also has a reasonable amount of lore that is much better than it should be. With takes a back seat to blowing up demons with a wide selection of weapons. Bolstered with new abilities like a double jump I enjoyed ripping and tearing my way through the dark hallways of hell. I had a hard time putting down the controller and that is why this game earned the title of #5.
Boss fights the game isn't an easy thing to do. Furi manages to succeed by crafting a simple yet complex fighting system. Which relies entirely on how skillful you are to succeed. Aided by a very neat looking visual style and a great soundtrack Furi earned the sixth spot on this list.
Kirby gets a mech suit. He then uses that suit to copy the abilities of his enemies like always. It may not change up the gameplay too often but it was still a fun ride. Whoever is thinking up the endings in the last few Kirby games should get a raise cause it's awesome. Yet in the end Kirby gets #7 since I just don't get tired of his classic formula.
So this is a movie tie-in game that doesn't suck. That alone is worthy of praise but the real reason this is on my list is that it is a return to form for R&C. Hopping around shooting guys with crazy off the wall weapons still works. After I finished this I just wanted more so it gets to be number eight on this list.
I'm sure this isn't a huge list but Oxenfree does an excellent job of incentivising me to play through it again via new dialogue. With the gist of the game being about seeing how Alex and her fellow teens escape the island it was quite surprising to me that I wanted to play through this multiple times. I just had to see if I could change things and that is why this is number nine on my list.
Living on the edge sums up SFV very well. Capcom releasing what was half of a full release early isn't something I should be praising. Yet I really did love playing this game occasionally throughout this year. Out of the fighting games I play this is the one I think I spend more time thinking about what I should do next instead of rushing down my opposite. For that alone, it at least deserves this number 10 spot.
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