Here are my top picks from the 2015 games I played this year. Ranking is always a tricky business, but I did want to recognize some of my favorites. My criteria is simply what I remember liking the best.
My list and criteria are, of course, far from perfect. It's easier to remember playing games which are longer or more recent. It's also tough to decide finer details of ordering or which games to cut. I'm comfortable settling on this list, though.
Honorable mentions this year include Undertale, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime and Splatoon.
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There are few games I "100%" and even fewer I'm excited about when I do. Axiom Verge had the same kind of atmosphere, subtle storytelling and exploration as Super Metroid. It also had its own cool and unique gameplay mechanics.
Aside from its solid campaign gameplay, incredibly well-balanced multiplayer and new (if thin) co-op missions, StarCraft II is also still an exciting game to watch.
Downwell hits a sweet spot for me. It was challenging enough that it felt like an accomplishment to beat, but had an engaging difficulty curve. The randomness and variety also gave the gameplay a lot of legs.
Sure, most of the game was serviceable but I had a lot of fun playing it co-op.
Shadowrun was a new franchise for me this year. The first "core" game set a high bar, but I enjoyed each successive game a little more than the first.
A surprise hit this year. I really enjoyed its high-energy soundtrack and wacky multiplayer gameplay.
While it had its share of multiplayer frustrations, Evolve is a tight, competitive, co-operative shooter with a fresh take on the genre.
Bloodborne fell far short of Dark Souls for me, but that's a high enough bar to still be number 8 on this list.
Mario Maker inspired me when I first saw it played at the Nintendo World Championship. I picked up my copy late this year or it might be higher on this list.
Arkham Knight had a number of kinks, but it also had incredibly high production values, fun open-world traversal, classic Arkham Asylum gameplay with well-placed updates and a few smart moves in its comic-inspired story.