There is no doubting this year was huge for games. I spent most of the year cheering on all of the successes of the industry while decrying my lack of free time to play so many great games. When I sat down to compile this list, I realized just how much my entries have been shaped by chance and the demands of work rather than ultimate quality of the games, but at the same time I also realized how much I have to look forward to catching up on in 2016.
I have a hard time explaining why Grow Home is my favorite game experience of the year. It comes down to the emotions I felt while playing. No other game in the past few years has resurfaced the joys of platforming that I remember from childhood. All of the wonder, the perceived danger, the sense of progression, this game gave me all of that from beginning to end.
I'll be honest, I did not think Nintendo had it in them to turn this game around after the promising but lackluster demos at tradeshows last year. I couldn't have been more impressed with the final product. True, it was hard to find good levels in the early days of the game, but as time wore on and I found good creators, that problem shrank to near insignificance. The real reason why this was one of my favorite gaming experiences of all time, is that Mario Maker taught me to appreciate game design as I had never before. I look at platformers in a new whole way. It is rare that a game changes the way you understand games as a whole.
Buying a PS4 late in the year let me finally begin to address some of the holes in my game playing history. Like my number one spot, Journey ranks so high for me this year because of the jubilation it engendered as I played. I wondered if this game would hold up to the high expectations set by its original reception, but I forgot about all of that once I started playing. I forgot about everything until I finished it, feeling like I had just awoken from a restful and profound dream.
I love detective novels. This game let me live out my detective fantasy. Not since Fez have I taken so many notes by hand. And I loved every minute of it.
I agree with many reviewers who felt something lacking in Fallout 4. Too much of the same. Too much brown, drab, and truthfully uninteresting landscape. I loved my time exploring, but I couldn't help but feel that Bethesda should have taken more chances with the setting and story.
This is not a great game. The ridiculous destructive sandbox, however, is worth the price of admission (especially if you can get it on sale). Just Cause 2 is one of my favorite games of all time. The third in the franchise really failed hit that high water mark, but I enjoyed my time blowing stuff up all the same.
These games might not have the impact they once commanded, but I still enjoyed playing half-way through the collection. I look forward to finishing up the trilogy before the next installment arrives.
I began this game as a pure experiment. I had zero interest in playing a Telltale game in the borderlands universe, no interest at all. But I kept hearing just how great the storytelling was, and when the game came on sale, I jumped in. To go from complete skepticism to near giddy elation is the highest praise I can give this game. Bravo, Telltale; bravo.
I sank a lot of time and far too much money into this game, but I enjoyed every minute played and every dime spent, even if I am still really just a novice.
Had I played more 2015 games, this may not have made my list, but I am happy to give it a little more light in which to shine.
