My Favorite Games of 2015
Looking back on 2015, I’m not sure what to think of the year that’s now just about over. It feels like a year in which the big hits were too few and far between, where the smaller indie releases and risky projects took the spotlight far more often than not. Even then, though, I’m horribly behind at digging through those games—from the latest Nobunaga’s Ambition to Hatoful Boyfriend to Her Story to Beyond Eyes to a slew of otome games, I’ve got such a shameful stack (physical and digital) of titles to get to. There were some great gaming experiences that I loved this year, and I’ve listed them below—but I’m once again left hoping the following year will be when things really pick up.
| 05 | Crypt of the Necrodancer |
I’m a sucker for crazy genre mash-ups, and from the moment I first saw Crypt of the Necrodancer at a PAX event a few years ago, I was drawn in. A rhythm game—mixed with a Rogue-like? How in the world would that work? Well, it does, and it does so fantastically. In order to survive, you’ve got to do everything to the beat of the game’s wonderful soundtrack (or your own music files), and that small twist on the genre add an extra layer of fun and tension as you’re encouraged to keep up a brisk pace. And the best part? I’ve got reason to dust off my DDR dance pads again. I just wish Crypt’s PS4 and Vita versions had come out this year—but that’ll give me reason to go back to the game next year.
| 04 | Until Dawn |
Up until I sat down to write the text of my entries, I was sure this spot could easily have gone to Rise of the Tomb Raider. Let me be clear—I’ve enjoyed every moment I’ve spent with Lara’s latest adventure—but my heart decided that I had to give this slot to Until Dawn instead. What began life as an iffy-looking first-person Move-focused project ended up one of the freshest-feeling releases of 2015. The idea of translating the B-grade horror movie genre to gaming worked fantastically, offering an experience that stayed thrilling and enjoyable all of the way through. What sealed the deal was Supermassive’s amazing level of visual wizardry, resulting in characters that looked (and acted) so realistic that it sold the idea that you’re playing an interactive piece of cinema. I’m glad Until Dawn turned into a sales success—and hope it convinces more studios to take chances like this.
| 03 | Bloodborne |
Sometimes it’s easy to have too much of a good thing—and that’s the worry I was starting to have about From Software’s Souls games. My fear of becoming burnt out on the magic From was able to craft then mixed with the disappointment I had over Dark Souls II’s faults. And then Bloodborne came into my life this year, and washed away any doubt or dismay I held in my heart. I hadn’t realized how ready I was to play a well-crafted Souls-style game again, and the new Victorian slant really brought something new to the adventure—even if I’m still more a fan of the dark fantasy direction of previous games. Bloodborne proves that From Software is in top form when Miyazaki is at the helm, and has the added bonus of now making me even more excited for the upcoming Dark Souls III.
| 02 | Splatoon |
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Nintendo is often at its best when it pushes aside its “cornerstone” franchises and delves into fresh territory. And as its cast of colorful characters will tell you, there was nothing fresher in 2015 than Splatoon. Nintendo gives the shooter genre a kick in its rear end with battles waged between squid-like Inklings that turn down the violence level but amp up the fun. Having matches won by and fought with colored inks was a brilliant decision, allowing for a rethinking of the old shooter standbys while giving the world a welcome splash of color. Mario, Link, Pikachu? Pshaw—Nintendo’s true mascot, in my eyes, is now the Inklings. And, if the developer plays its cards right, they could have a growing property for both hardcore gamers and the eSports scene for years to come.
| 01 | Life is Strange |
Even with months now separating the final scene in Life is Strange and I, remembering moments or watching others experience the game via YouTube can bring me to the verge of tears. As much as I enjoyed Dontnod’s previous project, never could I have expected something like this from the team. What starts as a cute, clumsy story of a girl who gains the power to control time, and her reconnection with her estranged best friend, ends up as an emotional, gut-wrenching adventure through friendship and inevitability. Sure, Life is Strange has its faults—but they didn’t matter to me in all of those moments when the relationship between Max and Chloe expressed with such brilliance the power games can have to pull us into their narrative and make us care for digitally-crafted characters and worlds. Good job, girls—you did hella good.
| EX | My Biggest Shame of 2015 I Spent More Than $10 on Badge Arcade |
Nintendo Badge Arcade is utterly shameful. What starts as a fun way to add some personality to your 3DS’ home screen quickly turns into a gigantic free-to-play con, where players constantly sit through long-winded advertisements with only the occasional chance to receive a free play—not even smartphone gaming is that disrespectful of your time—and buying real-money plays is ridiculously overpriced. And yet, I’ve helped in Nintendo’s new-era downfall, giving them money because I just “had to have” those pixelated Famicom or Samus sprite badges. I really don’t like the free-to-play direction Nintendo has now taken—but I like myself even less for helping to justify their business plans.
| EX | The “I Love You, I Hate You” Award Evolve |
Given my weird on-again off-again romance with first-person shooters, Evolve is the kind of game that could have come and gone without me even giving it a second thought. And yet, something about Turtle Rock’s 4v1 adventure grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. Maybe it was my love for team-based shooters, or the fact that I got to play my favorite role (the medic) with a character that I loved (Caira). Or, at least, I got to play her sometimes. When the absolutely awful matchmaking felt sorry for me and found me a group where someone else didn’t snatch up the medic role first. In a game where playing—and being good at—specific classes is so important, it’s unbelievable that we still have no option to search for groups based on who we want to be. A legitimately interesting and fun multiplayer game was killed by horrible matchmaking decisions, something I’ve seen happen far too many times at this point.
| EX | Comeback of the Year Japanese Gaming |
As rapper LL Cool J-Gamer once said, “Don’t call it a comeback/Japanese devs been here for years.” For folks like me, we’ve never given up on the Land of the Rising Sun’s gaming scene, but in recent years, plenty of people in the West absolutely have—and, to be fair, with good reason. As Western developers thrived on the last-gen systems, their Japanese counterparts struggled, focusing mainly on handheld projects. This year, however, something changed. This year, Japan came back to consoles, and came back with force. We got Shenmue III, The Last Guardian, and Final Fantasy VII Remake all in one conference. Gravity Rush is getting both a remaster and a sequel, Vanillaware is prepping both new games and re-releases in HD, and the fourth Disaster Report game has been brought back from the dead. Hideo Kojima isn’t gone from Konami for 24 hours, and he’s already got a new studio and an exclusive first project. That’s just some of the excitement that happened for Japanese gaming fans this year—and, for the first time in a while, the future’s looking brighter.