2016 Game of the Year Discussion

[GoldenGhost 2,058]

It's a busy time of year for everyone, but New Years is right around the corner (good riddance) and that means it's time to talk about video games! Take a few minutes away from the holiday rush and join me by the cozy fire below in discussing the best and worst games of 2016.

 

 

To start us off I'll share my top 5 games of the year. It's actually quite difficult for me to narrow it down to 5 since I played more games this year than I usually do but here's what I've got (in sort-of no particular order):

 

- The Witness (probably my overall GOTY) - The Witness is the best puzzle game I've ever played; it's a game that really sparks your interest early on and continues to captivate you to the end. The puzzle design is brilliant and starts off very friendly to beginners but frequently challenges you to think in new and creative ways. The environment design is both peacefully picturesque and deviously clever. The Witness is very good about leading you through everything it has to offer without ever pulling your arm. There's plenty to explore on your own, and the secrets to discover feel genuinely rewarding. You'll feel smart, you'll feel intrigued, and you'll feel surprised. You'll feel frustrated every once in a while - puzzles can be hard sometimes - but at the end, you'll feel very satisfied.

 

- INSIDE - Talk about a game that sticks with you! INSIDE is a prime example that video games can be powerful forms of art and even inspire horror in ways that other forms of media can't. Everything about this game is so perfectly crafted, and it's truly an experience to behold. The puzzles aren't anything special, but that's not the focus of the game at all, and overall it shines incredibly in all of the places it wants to. INSIDE is on sale for $14 on Steam until January 2nd and I encourage you to try it out. You're really missing out on something special if you don't.

 

- Fire Emblem Fates - FE Fates was on my GOTY list last year when I played the Japanese version and it's holding its spot on my list this year for the US release. It's a damn good strategy RPG just like FE Awakening and has a ton of replayability in its multiple storylines. Fates improved on a lot of things from other FE and introduces some cool new features as well, and it has some pretty rad Amiibo support too. The characters are fun, the story is engaging, and the gameplay is tight. It's easily one of my favorite games for the 3DS.

 

- Kirby Planet Robobot - This game reminded me why I fell in love with Kirby games as a kid. It's been a while since I played a really fresh Kirby game but this one pulled me in deep. The Robobot feature is awesome and really adds some depth to the gameplay in ways that past Kirby gimmicks have really failed. On top of that the music is amazing and the story has some surprising depth if you're willing to dig a little bit for it. It isn't very long, but it offers the usual Arena and Meta Nightmare modes which are fun challenges if you want more out of it.

 

- Overwatch - I didn't spend much time with Overwatch but I can't even imagine making a GOTY list without this game on it. I'm not even a fan of Blizzard but this game is incredible. The characters are all unique and fascinating in their own ways, from both a narrative and technical standpoint. The gameplay is simple enough that new players will pick a favorite character and have a lot of fun with them, but experienced players can find deeper engagement through learning and strategizing using every character. And the whole thing is designed so nicely to make sure that you as a player are completely aware of what's going on around you so you can feel smart making decisions. Blizzard knew exactly what they wanted with this game and they knocked it out of the park. Other games are going to look to Overwatch for inspiration and design for years to come.

 

Honorable mentions for me include:

- Owlboy

- Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE

- Hyper Light Drifter

- SUPERHOT

- VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

 

Here's a list of games from 2016 if you need to refresh your memory:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/5eiezv/2016_end_of_year_discussions_coming_soon/dacmmsn/

Now share your thoughts!

 

By the way don't forget to vote in Morg's forum awards if you want your voice to be heard!

http://forums.thebehemoth.com/topic/18294-the-behemoth-awards-2016/

 

[superBRADY777 41]

I agree with the addition of VA-11 HALL-A to the list because well I didn't get to play it, but I watched a Let's Play and loved the characters and all of that. It's kind of unique to a game where the gameplay is focused on getting others intoxicated for your income, while learning about their great life stories.

About Overwatch, it's a great game, but people take the characters a bit too serious *cough*Tracer.

[yugo657 450]

am I allowed to make a list?

 

I'll still do it anyways

 

Overwatch

 

Doom4

 

Dark Souls 3

 

OneShot

 

SUPERHOT

 

Hyper Light Drifter

 

Thumper

Edited December 26, 2016 by yugo657

[Mr. Hatty 1,808]

Titanfall 2

INSIDE

Overwatch

DOOM

Hitman

SUPERHOT

 

These are some amazing videogames right here

 

If any of those aren't on your list it's because you didn't play them.

I'm playing Dead Rising 4 right now and so far I kinda hate it so I don't expect that to factor in at all.

[Bloob 584]

It's Overwatch because that's the only one I've played

[Mangle 401]

The only game I've gotten addicted to this year is Pokémon Moon, so that has to be my GOTY.

I'll give some honorable mentions to games I enjoyed, but I put down once either I completed the game's main mode, 100% the entire game, or somewhere in between.

Sonic Boom Fire & Ice - Overall, I loved all the improvements it made over Shattered Crystal, but Sanzaru needs to do a better job on level design and soundtrack. I also believe they should improve the way they use characters other than Sonic. Yes, exploration should be a huge part since it is a spin-off, but I would also like to be able to speed run the game using all of their abilities if I want to (not just homing attack).

Hunie Cam Studio - I admit it, even though I'm a straight girl, I enjoy this game. I believe the devs had the right idea when it came to the clicker game and the strategies that came with it. However, due to the lack of a leaderboard, I quit playing the game as soon as I got all of the achievements, effectively 100% completing the entire game.

Five Nights at Freddy's Sister Location - Ok, maybe I might be a bit biased on this one since I'm a fan of FNAF, but I'm putting it here anyways because how can I not?

[Morg 1,517]

My personal favorites this year:

FE Fates

Metal Gear Rising (it wasn't on Steam before, it should count, shut up)

Pokemon Sun and Moon

Jackbox Party Pack 2/3

VA-11 HALL-A

[Chris 1,205]

17 hours ago, Morg said:

My personal favorites this year:

Metal Gear Rising (it wasn't on Steam before, it should count, shut up)

MGR was easily my GOTY 2013 behind Pokemon Y. Is gooood

This year my favourites have been Titanfall 2, Street Fighter V & Monster Hunter Generations. I highly recommend all 3