Game of the Year 2015

10. Undertale

This is a game that should be played so I will keep it brief. In this game I dated a Skeleton. I lied on the floor for 10 minutes with a ghost. I bested a robot on a trivia game show. It is a game that sticks with you long after its over. Wait. Is it over?

9. Guitar Hero Live

This is the best Guitar Hero game ever made. I feel pretty confident about saying that. Guitar Hero Live is refined to purity. No frills, no nonsense, plastic guitar playing goodness. The FMV stuff is impressive and adds a fun twist on playing in front of a crowd by well, putting you in front of a real crowd. The dynamic reactions from said crowd and your band mates to your playing is really cool and a nice touch.

It just seems like there was some real effort put into this project when it could have easily just been another run of the mill guitar hero sequel, built scrappily to rake in cash of nostalgic fans on a new generation of consoles. Its fresh, challenging and feature-filled compared to the monotony of Rock Band 4.

The LIVE mode is the best addition of them all however. A 24/7 stream of songs on two parallel channels that bring you endless Guitar Hero. It is slick and addicting, the way each music video flows into the next, like the days of old MTV. Did I mention the background of this mode is entirely official music videos? Brilliant. No longer are music rhythm games a bore for everyone else in the room to watch from the couch.

8. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

A truly impressive and ambitious game. Some of the best and most engaging writing I have ever seen in a game. Featuring a staggeringly beautiful and dense fantasy world that begs to be explored with an almost overwhelming amount of things to see and do. But the relentlessly dour atmosphere weighed on me after a while. I found myself only able to play in small bursts despite the game's mammoth amount of content. There was rarely any emotional variation in my time the Northern Lands to keep me engaged.

It has glimpses of true greatness but is unfortunately held back by nasty bugs, repetitive NPC's, occasionally clumsy combat and some poor animation. Its unfortunate too, because these issues stand only stand out because of the huge potential this game holds to be one of the all time greats. However, if I had a story of the year category, this would be it.

7. Batman: Arkham Knight

Batman: Arkham Knight has gotten a pretty bad rap this past year, due to a disastrous PC release. It's unfortunate too, because buried underneath the drama is a great game. I played this on Xbox One and loved it. The gameplay is better than ever, but still feels like Batman. The open world feels large and varied, and the side objectives and collectibles are far better than Arkham City's filler. The story is engaging and loyal to the franchise but tapers off slightly by the end.

6. Fallout 4

It is more Fallout. Both its biggest strength and fault. The shooting is in a whole other league compared to its Bethesda predecessor, which adds a lot to the experience. The world is beautiful and dense in a year where so many other games have worlds that are beautiful and dense. Fallout 4 is a victim of its time, where this would have been a bombshell release in last year's desolate game library. The engine is aging poorly and too many familiar issues from Skyrim and Fallout 3 are still present here.

Despite its faults it is a Bethesda RPG through and through. And that is great. I hope I always love those as much as I do. The world is still as tangible and living as the others. But a fresh coat of paint every few years can't fix a sinking boat.

5. Super Mario Maker

The game I've wanted since I was 6 is real. This is the best level editor ever made. Sure the actual game part wrapping the product is a bit thin and it is difficult to filter levels, but this game still stands out as something special. I think that would hold. The tools you want are there save for a few wishlist items that will likely be added in the future. You can play it for 5 minutes or 12 hours which is a large part of why Super Mario Maker will be the game that will keep everyone's Wii U plugged in for years to come. Its a game of endless enjoyment and timeless, classic gameplay and creation. Nintendo seems to be devoted to improving the game as well, which is nice to see from them and I am excited to see where it goes.

4. Xenoblade Chronicles X

Best surprise game of the year for me. A fantastic, strategic combat system makes up for a horrendous story that falls far below its potential(mostly thanks to one of the worst video game characters in history). Despite what the box art depicts, you don't get a mech or "Skell" as they refer to them until after about 30 hours, which is a controversial point, but it was an endlessly enjoyable grind thanks to the fun combat and general ease of movement and is extremely rewarding when you finally get handed the keys.

The game takes a dramatic turn in gameplay once you receive it. The same world you've been exploring for the past 30 hours, suddenly opens up to you in a whole new way. You are able to jump much higher, skate across water, slay lower enemies with ease and eventually even fly. What makes this great is the dense and interesting world that the developers have created can suddenly be seen from an entirely new perspective. The power fantasy you indulge in when climbing aboard your 30 foot Skell for the first time, after running on foot for so long is just simply incredible.

3. Splatoon

The best new franchise from Nintendo in probably decades. This is personally the best "shooter" to come out in years. It has been a very long time since an online shooter has held my attention after a few hours. The motion controls actually feel better than traditional control styles which is baffling but welcome. It feels precise and natural after a brief period of getting used to them. Swimming around in your own paint is fast and fluid (no pun intended) and just feels great. Splattering enemy squids is almost as satisfying as splattering the arena itself.

There is something almost therapeutic about splashing paint about, to try and cover every inch of the map in neon goo. The "weapons" you unlock to get that done are all fun to use, very unique and there are TONS of them. Every level you unlock several new ones to try out against your squid enemies each with their own combination of perks. Each class of weapon and each perk is a smart balance between stopping power and painting ability which lets you decide exact the way you want to play. It makes the multiplayer rewarding and addicting.

The single player mode consists of short levels where the goal is to either paint your way to the end or defeat a Mario Galaxy-esque end boss. Its great. Levels are well designed, and the progression is enjoyable but its not the mode to write home about. The multiplayer is really where its at. Splatoon is a very liquid solid package, and I can't wait for more from this new franchise.

2. Life Is Strange

When I first saw this game I thought it seemed like something that was just made for me. I'm a sucker for anything time-travel. I love indie dramas and mumblecore. And in many ways this is how I always wanted the Telltale adventure games to be. It feels polished and whole as apposed to the inherent loose seams of Telltale's work. The art style is refined and purposeful, where Telltale games feel old, lifeless and reused. But it is unfair to compare Life is Strange to anything else. Because it is brilliantly unique, powerful and important to the game industry all on its own.

1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Quite literally a masterpiece. Kojima's best work to date.

Let me be clear though, I have never liked the Metal Gear Solid franchise. I have appreciated them from a distance for their weirdness but that's about it. I think the overall story is garbage. It's convoluted, messy and infuriating to follow. Anyone who defends the series' storytelling is insane and shouldn't be trusted(Dan). MGSV has a story, sure, but what sets it apart is the way it lets the player tell their own stories within its open ended structure. With a mostly silent protagonist its easy to just roleplay Big Boss and tell your own story to make up for its decidedly forgettable one.

"Emergent gameplay" is something that is thrown around a lot in the industry but MGSV I think is the first to fully capture its meaning. Flawless controls lend the player the keys to do anything they want with the tools provided. I found myself constantly testing the limits of what I could do. Drop a truck on a sniper to clear the way? Sure. Attach a balloon to a truck full of soldiers to bring them back to base? You bet. It never ends. After 80 hours the game still introduces new and exciting gameplay changes that make your brain drool with possibility.

Something as ambitious and polished as this rarely ever finds its way out of someone's brain and into the world. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the best game of the year without a doubt.

Mad Max

Avalanche managed to create a beautiful and dense open world out of a barren apocalyptic wasteland. I didn't care much for the story but the fun combat, driving and collecting kept me interested for hours on end. Ended up enjoying it far more than the studio's other big release this year, Just Cause 3.

Halo 5: Guardians

The shooting part of Halo has never been better. And that is what usually matters most in FPS's, but the Halo series separates itself from the rest by interweaving deep lore and interesting storytelling, despite a decidedly stoic main character. Unfortunately 343 still has not found the secret formula of gameplay and storytelling that Bungie once held. I will say, it is slightly more coherent than Halo 4, however. There are audio logs, strewn throughout the campaign, but they are brief and add nothing of narrative value. Its unfortunate too, because Halo 5 has great gameplay pacing, level design and shooting mechanics. It takes some interesting risks too, in walk-and-talk missions that attempt to flesh out the story, but they don't make up for an ending that comes close to mirroring Halo 2 in its feeling of emptiness and incompletion. It all feels a little pointless by the time the campaign raps up and you start to realize that the past 5 hours (yes, 5 hours) have basically been a prologue to the inevitable Halo 6.

But hey the multiplayer works this time! And its pretty great! The begged-for changes from Halo 4, like weapons on map and less armor abilities make for a balanced and very enjoyable competitive multiplayer experience. In its current state, it is lacking some classic Halo modes(which will be added over time), but Warzone, Halo 5's flagship new game-type, borrows elements from popular MOBA's and feels right at home in the long Halo's long list of fantastic, unique multiplayer modes. All together, Halo still feels like Halo and with some smart additions and changes, the now 15 year old series feels as fresh and fun as ever.

Grand Theft Auto V (PC)

It took an Eon, but Rockstar released a fantastic PC port of Grand Theft Auto V. I dumped another 90 hours into this, enjoying every minute causing chaos in Los Santos. GTA Online is still garbage though.

Valiant Hearts

I missed out on this one in 2014, but I'm glad Xbox Live's Games with Gold program gave me the opportunity to go back and play it. Ubisoft is very hit or miss with me, even their UbiArt games, which most people love. Valiant Hearts captured me with its attempt to weave in a narrative inspired by true events, while including real letters and historical facts. I felt like I learned a lot about the first great war by the end of it.

The gameplay is simple but enjoyable, mostly involving hunting for specific items throughout the level to let you activate something to move forward. But those items and the many collectibles are hidden well behind clever puzzles that are never frustrating and never too easy. With a great cast of characters, an interesting story and beautiful art from Ubisoft Montpellier, Valiant Hearts was a real treat to finally play.