So 2015 has come to a close. It's almost time to get out the party hats, and consult the gaming release calendars for 2016. But before that, I'd like to just ramble on and write out a list about the best games I've played this year.
The GBAtemp GOTY thread proves that there was a wealth of amazing games out this year, and while some 2015 games are going to be on this list, I also want to talk about games that were released in previous years, that I only got around to playing this year. I won't be ranking these purely in a critical fashion, just by my enjoyment from the game.
Since it's 2015, I'll be doing a top 15 list. Fitting, no? Let's get to it.
15. Danganronpa: Another Episode
A spinoff of the popular Danganronpa series, Another Episode manages to add some background to the established story of the Most Despair-Inducing Incident in the History of the World, while also giving the two main heroines some great character development. A dark, twisted, and well written game, it's the rough gameplay mechanics that held it back from being higher on this list.
14. Borderlands
Do you enjoy ingame gambling even half as much as @chavosaur ? Do you obessivlely loot and hoard good weapons? Do you enjoy shooting things? Do you enjoy shooting things with FRIENDS? Well have I got the game recommendation for you, non existent reader of my blog!
13. Uncharted 2
Great, fun characters, beautiful, vibrant graphics, and good gameplay mechanics make this game a must-play. It's basically Indiana Jones in video game format. How could you not love it? I will admit, the controls led me to jumping off cliffs quite a few times, so your best bet would to be to play the Nathan Drake Collection instead.
12. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
One of the few reasons to own a Wii U. DKC:TF is another fantastic platformer from Retro. It's got the perfect amount of challenge, and will keep drawing you back to play it over and over. It really captures that fun and difficulty of the SNES DKC games. David Wise's soundtrack for the game also deserves mention, as it's just perfect for the game.
11. The Last of Us
A truly fantastic game. The Last of Us offers a gripping post-apocalyptic story, and intertwines it with solid gameplay, as expected from Naughty Dog. The AI isn't quite perfect, but that's really a minor complaint for such a good game. Characters are written exceptionally well, and everything in this game just feels very natural and realistic. If you have a PS3/4, this is a game you really ought to try.
10.Waifu/Husbando Factory 4 Rune Factory 4
Take your standard old Harvest Moon game, let the player have more input on the town, and make everything about the series a tad easier to learn. Slap in some weapons, and RF4 is what you get. Very time consuming and addictive.
9. Dishonored
A man with the choice to kill none, some, or everyone. You can sneak through the building, stealthily avoiding everyone, or you can slice your way through a trail of corpses. Dishonored is a short game, but the changes and impact of different styles of playthroughs make it worth coming back to. And did I mention that it's FUN as heck?
8. Fallout 4
Before November 11th, this spot belonged to FO3. But the gameplay and mechanics change in FO4 gives this game the edge. More fluid controls, customization, no level cap. Fallout 4 gives players a near endless amount of things to do and explore. I've sunk 70 hours in, and I still feel like I've barely made a dent in what FO4 offers. It still suffers from the typical Bethesda "charm", like previous modern Fallout entries, but it's easy to overlook.
7. Bloodborne
Oho, now we're getting to the hard hitters. As this was my first entry to the Souls series, I wasn't quite prepared for how punishing the game is. I'm not quite sure if I am now, even. You'll be learning from trial and error continuously, but it doesn't get dull or repetitive. I'm a good few hours into the game, and although I haven't gotten too far in, I'm having a blast with this game. Definitely worth picking a PS4 up for.
6. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
A classic 2D PS1 game that I had never played? Whoops! The dialogue might be as cheesy as a 4th grade school play, but the gameplay is just so much fun. Exploring, finding something new, accidentally hitting a wall and finding a secret room, SotN is the definitive 2D adventure game. *throws wine glass*
5. Final Fantasy VI
Before I played this, I always heard FFVI and Chrono Trigger touted as the BEST 16BIT RPGS EVER. Well, after a few...complications in playing it, I finally got around to playing FFVI. And this game definitely deserves all the merit it's accrued through the years since it's release. I have realized that turn based combat is getting a bit stale for me, though.
4. Undertale
What hasn't already been said about Undertale? Everyone must have heard about this game by now, right? All you need to know is sad goats+humor+lovable characters+DETERMINATION= a great game. Also dat soundtrack.
We don't talk about the genocide run.
3. Tales of Graces F
I'm too busy sinking more hours into this game to write more about it. Seriously, it's a LOT of fun. It doesn't have the best story, but the gameplay more than makes up for it.
2. Steins;Gate
The writing, the dialogue, the characters, the art, the everything. Steins;Gate does everything right. Easily one of the best visual novels ever, it more than surpasses its anime adaptation. EL. PSY. CONGROO.
1. Tales of the Abyss
This, and Steins;Gate are probably in the top 5 of my all time favorite games. TotA had a slow start, I think, but as I kept playing, the game got better and better. Once again, with a lot of games on this list, the great characters and story really make the game. The mechanics aren't as good as the previously mentioned Graces F, but it's still very fun. The best part is, it's fairly cheap on both 3DS and PS2. So now you can stop reading this, and get to playing it!
The GBAtemp GOTY thread proves that there was a wealth of amazing games out this year, and while some 2015 games are going to be on this list, I also want to talk about games that were released in previous years, that I only got around to playing this year. I won't be ranking these purely in a critical fashion, just by my enjoyment from the game.
Since it's 2015, I'll be doing a top 15 list. Fitting, no? Let's get to it.
15. Danganronpa: Another Episode
A spinoff of the popular Danganronpa series, Another Episode manages to add some background to the established story of the Most Despair-Inducing Incident in the History of the World, while also giving the two main heroines some great character development. A dark, twisted, and well written game, it's the rough gameplay mechanics that held it back from being higher on this list.
14. Borderlands
Do you enjoy ingame gambling even half as much as @chavosaur ? Do you obessivlely loot and hoard good weapons? Do you enjoy shooting things? Do you enjoy shooting things with FRIENDS? Well have I got the game recommendation for you, non existent reader of my blog!
13. Uncharted 2
Great, fun characters, beautiful, vibrant graphics, and good gameplay mechanics make this game a must-play. It's basically Indiana Jones in video game format. How could you not love it? I will admit, the controls led me to jumping off cliffs quite a few times, so your best bet would to be to play the Nathan Drake Collection instead.
12. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
One of the few reasons to own a Wii U. DKC:TF is another fantastic platformer from Retro. It's got the perfect amount of challenge, and will keep drawing you back to play it over and over. It really captures that fun and difficulty of the SNES DKC games. David Wise's soundtrack for the game also deserves mention, as it's just perfect for the game.
11. The Last of Us
A truly fantastic game. The Last of Us offers a gripping post-apocalyptic story, and intertwines it with solid gameplay, as expected from Naughty Dog. The AI isn't quite perfect, but that's really a minor complaint for such a good game. Characters are written exceptionally well, and everything in this game just feels very natural and realistic. If you have a PS3/4, this is a game you really ought to try.
10.
Take your standard old Harvest Moon game, let the player have more input on the town, and make everything about the series a tad easier to learn. Slap in some weapons, and RF4 is what you get. Very time consuming and addictive.
9. Dishonored
A man with the choice to kill none, some, or everyone. You can sneak through the building, stealthily avoiding everyone, or you can slice your way through a trail of corpses. Dishonored is a short game, but the changes and impact of different styles of playthroughs make it worth coming back to. And did I mention that it's FUN as heck?
8. Fallout 4
Before November 11th, this spot belonged to FO3. But the gameplay and mechanics change in FO4 gives this game the edge. More fluid controls, customization, no level cap. Fallout 4 gives players a near endless amount of things to do and explore. I've sunk 70 hours in, and I still feel like I've barely made a dent in what FO4 offers. It still suffers from the typical Bethesda "charm", like previous modern Fallout entries, but it's easy to overlook.
7. Bloodborne
Oho, now we're getting to the hard hitters. As this was my first entry to the Souls series, I wasn't quite prepared for how punishing the game is. I'm not quite sure if I am now, even. You'll be learning from trial and error continuously, but it doesn't get dull or repetitive. I'm a good few hours into the game, and although I haven't gotten too far in, I'm having a blast with this game. Definitely worth picking a PS4 up for.
6. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
A classic 2D PS1 game that I had never played? Whoops! The dialogue might be as cheesy as a 4th grade school play, but the gameplay is just so much fun. Exploring, finding something new, accidentally hitting a wall and finding a secret room, SotN is the definitive 2D adventure game. *throws wine glass*
5. Final Fantasy VI
Before I played this, I always heard FFVI and Chrono Trigger touted as the BEST 16BIT RPGS EVER. Well, after a few...complications in playing it, I finally got around to playing FFVI. And this game definitely deserves all the merit it's accrued through the years since it's release. I have realized that turn based combat is getting a bit stale for me, though.
4. Undertale
What hasn't already been said about Undertale? Everyone must have heard about this game by now, right? All you need to know is sad goats+humor+lovable characters+DETERMINATION= a great game. Also dat soundtrack.
3. Tales of Graces F
I'm too busy sinking more hours into this game to write more about it. Seriously, it's a LOT of fun. It doesn't have the best story, but the gameplay more than makes up for it.
2. Steins;Gate
The writing, the dialogue, the characters, the art, the everything. Steins;Gate does everything right. Easily one of the best visual novels ever, it more than surpasses its anime adaptation. EL. PSY. CONGROO.
1. Tales of the Abyss
This, and Steins;Gate are probably in the top 5 of my all time favorite games. TotA had a slow start, I think, but as I kept playing, the game got better and better. Once again, with a lot of games on this list, the great characters and story really make the game. The mechanics aren't as good as the previously mentioned Graces F, but it's still very fun. The best part is, it's fairly cheap on both 3DS and PS2. So now you can stop reading this, and get to playing it!
