Game of the Year 2015 (that didn't come out in 2015)

[NerfedFalcon]

I'm serious.

Though I was planning to wait until December to post this, we already have a GOTY 2015 thread running; I thought I might as well get in on the action too. So, simple enough: tell; us your favourite game that you played (edit: for the first time) this year. But...

It can't be a game that came out this year. Only games released in 2014 and earlier count. (Early Access counts as the year it was first offered for sale, even if the first 'proper' release was this year.)

As many new games get put out in a year, we still buy old games on the recommendation of a friend, or a 'huh, that looks interesting', or even 'it's on sale for three dollars, can't really go wrong there.' That's why I'd like to celebrate those older games with this thread. What previous release (2014 or older) did you play for the first time this year that still blew you away? And optionally, why did you enjoy it so much?

I'll get everyone started with my own game: Yakuza 4, on PS3.

As far as I can tell, Rockstar have made one game since Grand Theft Auto 3: a city in which you can do anything, from follow a serious crime drama storyline to going on wacky sidequests to just bowling with your cousin. The problem is that in every iteration, the cities are too big and feel too empty, and the stories themselves are nothing to write home about. Where GTA swings and misses, Yakuza 4 hits home. With a small, vibrant city filled to the brim with people, activities and interesting side stories, as well as a gripping main plot and four extremely likable main characters, not to mention the deep and fast-flowing combat system, it's an easy recommendation to anyone who likes brawlers, Japanese culture or who thinks that Grand Theft Auto has wasted potential.

(Or anyone who liked Sleeping Dogs; it was good, but Yakuza 4 beats it everywhere it counts.)

(Still haven't tried Red Dead Redemption properly, though, and I do like the Western atmosphere...)

Honourable mentions: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (one of the best shooters of its generation with great pacing, an interesting story and outstanding [not to mention genuinely interactive] setpieces), Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (best game of the series with its masterful balance, difficulty curve and storyline), and Metal Gear Solid (the original cinematic action game, and it still holds up 17 years later since the challenges fit the controls perfectly).

Edit: Wow, I wasn't expecting to get so many responses, or so many different ones. Most people are still arguing over The Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 (TW3, BTW), so I thought I'd only get a couple of people at most, but... I love everyone in this thread.

 

[tippy2k2]

Finally! A GotY thread for tippy2k2!

My "2015" GotY right now and likely to stay that way unless something blows me away is Shadow of Mordor (2014).

I just got my Xbox One this year and even though Mordor came out on the 360, I decided to wait until I got The One before I bought it for I heard the Nemesis system is either not present or bare bones on the 360 and boy am I glad I waited if that truly is the case.

The game was freaking awesome. I loved the fighting as it was basically an Arkham Asylum game except I get to decapitate people instead of "knocking them out" like Batman does. Generally I hate open worlds but Mordor was much smaller than most open world games and that is something that I actually see as a plus, not a minus. The traits of the orcs you fought made each fight interesting, at least until the end when I was basically Mordor Jesus and walking through everyone. While the story was pretty bare bones, the setup for how death works is kind of brilliant. I didn't die often but when I did, it was really cool how they showed the ramifications of my death in the orc army.

Special shout out as well to Wolfenstein; The New Order (2014) that reminded us that you are allowed to have fun in your super duper serious story.

Second Special shout out to Tales from the Borderlands (2014-2015) that showed us that Telltale can tell a very awesome story WITHOUT resorting to just murdering everyone you love for drama

 

[wintercoat]

System Shock 2. Just got done playing it a few days ago, and I gotta say, amazing game. For a game that came out before 2000, it has surprisingly tight controls, a difficulty curve that makes sense and felt perfect, an interesting story, amazing atmosphere, surprisingly good voice acting for a game from 1999, and had a free-form leveling system that just felt...right. Oh, and you can fucking climb onto things and grab ledges by holding the space bar. Why the fuck don't more games do this? It's genius.

Ugly as fuck, though. God damn, but if it doesn't work in it's favor by making all of the enemies look like decaying flesh piles, though. But seriously, it is an amazing game that still holds up against today's offerings. If you haven't played it yet, do yourself a favor. Get it. It's cheap as hell, and worth much more than the asking price.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Toss up between The Last of Us and Far Cry 3.

My recurring thought with FC3 was "games shouldn't be this much fun". I was addicted. It's a flawless game, bar a (comparatively) mediocre second half, and some inoffensive glitches. It's my kind of sandbox, where the side stuff is just as fun and engaging as the core story.

I took a while to click with The Last of Us, to get the feel of Joel's movement and just how much 'I' has the AI. Working the stealth started off as frustrating. Not a fan of heavily-scripted set-pieces either. But eventually I fell in groove, and the game became consistently awesome. It has that "easy to learn, hard to master" appeal.

 

[Tilted_Logic]

Dragon Age: Inquisition. I adored Dragon Age: Origins but Dragon Age II I wasn't entirely impressed with, so DA:I wasn't really on my radar - I hadn't even seen a trailer for it. If anything I was just going to wait for it to go on sale sometime and give it a try then. And then this year, it did go on sale, so I figured I'd check out a trailer, and wow - instant purchase.

I regret not getting it sooner. It's an amazing blend of all the good things about Bioware; the story, the companions, the choices, heck, even the environments (I love open world so much) are all fantastic. I haven't had time to try out the DLC yet, but this game has been such an amazing ride, and such a huge time sink that I absolutely cannot wait to continue the Inquisitor's story.

Yeah... pretty recent, but I haven't really played any other games for the first time this year.

 

[remnant_phoenix]

Dark Souls.

Yes, I just started playing for the first time this year, a couple weeks ago in fact.

And. It. Is. Excellent. I am enthralled.

The pacing of the combat feels more like real-life combat (I've studied a bit of sword combat), the 3D-Zelda-meets-Metroidvania exploration is awesome, and the overall atmosphere and world-building is so rich. All I want to do is play more of this game.

 

[mizushinzui]

Outlast.

Although not quite as scary towards the end as I had hoped I still really enjoyed the experience of playing it, which is odd for a horror game.

I liked the found footage style to the game and the run-away gameplay, my only issues were that it didn't feel necessary to ever stop having the camera in front of your face, and the fact that after a while monsters stopped being threatening when you realized you can just run away from them and hide under a bed until they leave and then move past them, except that mad doctor bloke, you're strapped with that SOB.

 

[Dornedas]

Well my favourite game that I finished this year for the first time is Gothic 2.
But I already played it years ago so I guess it doesn't count.

So from the games I played this year for the first time I guess it would be Shadowrun Dragonfall.
A pretty excellent game and not to difficult for someone who never played a Shadowrun game before.
I quite liked the fact that the characters sometimes used German phrases as a greeting or a Good Bye.
It makes the game-world believable and I really missed this in Hong Kong.

What I don't believe though is the fact that the story expects someone from the "Kohlepott" (the Ruhr district) to save Berlin.
I mean realistically speaking if you asked someone from there to stop the destruction of Berlin he would laugh and order another "Pommes Schranke" (french fries with mayonnaise and ketchup).

Honourable mention:
Legend of Heroes; Trails in the Sky. As someone who usually doesn't like jRPG this one really gripped me.

 

[Fox12]

Dark Souls.

Yes, I just started playing for the first time this year, a couple weeks ago in fact.

And. It. Is. Excellent. I am enthralled.

The pacing of the combat feels more like real-life combat (I've studied a bit of sword combat), the 3D-Zelda-meets-Metroidvania exploration is awesome, and the overall atmosphere and world-building is so rich. All I want to do is play more of this game.

I noticed that too. I used to fence, and I was impressed by how they captured the flow of real combat. It really shows commitment when they pay attention to the little details. A zweihander may be better then a short sword in an open field, for instance, but in a narrow hallway it's a completely different situation.

I loved the gameplay so much that it took me a while to realize how deep and complex the story was. There's a lot going on there, but when you figure it out it actually has one of the best game plots I've ever seen. I avoided this title for a while because I assumed it was another high fantasy Tolkien ripoff, like DA or Kingdoms of Amular. Boy was I wrong.

Also, it has berserk references while being something unique and original. It's like this game was made for me.

 

[remnant_phoenix]

Dark Souls.

Yes, I just started playing for the first time this year, a couple weeks ago in fact.

And. It. Is. Excellent. I am enthralled.

The pacing of the combat feels more like real-life combat (I've studied a bit of sword combat), the 3D-Zelda-meets-Metroidvania exploration is awesome, and the overall atmosphere and world-building is so rich. All I want to do is play more of this game.

I noticed that too. I used to fence, and I was impressed by how they captured the flow of real combat. It really shows commitment when they pay attention to the little details. A zweihander may be better then a short sword in an open field, for instance, but in a narrow hallway it's a completely different situation.

I loved the gameplay so much that it took me a while to realize how deep and complex the story was. There's a lot going on there, but when you figure it out it actually has one of the best game plots I've ever seen. I avoided this title for a while because I assumed it was another high fantasy Tolkien ripoff, like DA or Kingdoms of Amular. Boy was I wrong.

Also, it has berserk references while being something unique and original. It's like this game was made for me.

Indeed. The way different weapons work more effectively in different situations, the way armor effects movement, the way that keeping your shield in the defensive position inhibits stamina regeneration...all these little things give the combat such a tangible feel to it; even though the game is fantasy, it terms of the combat gameplay, it's one of the most realistic games I've ever experienced. I'm certainly not in the "more realistic is always better" camp in terms of game design preference, but in this game it works beautifully.

And yeah, I'm really digging the minimalist storytelling. I'm making my way through Blighttown (shudder) and really wanting to know more about the story and world. I expect to learn more once I get to the second bell.

 

[F-I-D-O]

Doom 3 (specifically BFG edition).
It's not a particularly good Doom game. Actually pretty crap in that respect. But as a straight up tense/light horror FPS it's really fun. The gunplay, pickup pacing, and level structure all feels incredible, with the game showcasing how good iD was at designing environments/sequences even if they weren't great at making whole games.

The barely-there narrative fell apart, but felt like a re imagining of Half-Life to me. Just with better gunplay and more varied enemies/environments. Despite going through a closed station on Mars, each level had a different feel, and gets slightly more twisted into the end.

There's also something to be said for the way enemies spawn. By not forcing enemies to spawn in front of the player, the station feels less friendly and the player is more likely to stumble into unwanted combat. Through reinforcing the uncertainty and idea of limited safe zones, the horror element remains present despite the story being absent. Even near the end of the game, sudden archviles or swarms of cherubs can mess up a well armed player. Backtracking also became less tedious as you were always sin danger of an enemy spawn. Some might consider that a problem, and I would in a straight up FPS, but for the horror tone Doom 3 tried to have, it worked. Despite never really being "afraid," I was constantly on edge and the game made me jump more than any other I've played recently. Some atmosphere got lost in taping the flashlight on the armor (like the test subject light sequence), but it facilitates a more gun-focused approach, which is the game's prime strength.

I went in with really low expectations for a throw away Halloween game. It was one of the best surprises I'd had. It was incredibly mechanically sound, and very well designed. It lacked the soul of other games I've played from before prior years like Invisible Inc or MK9, but made up for that with pure structured design.

 

[09philj]

Well, it's a close one.

Fire Emblem: Awakening is a flawed, but hugely fun game that hold a lot of affection for. Who cares about refined mechanics when you have a whole swathe of characters to marry off to each other? Nuts to difficulty when you have the satisfaction of one man slaughtering his way through the game's hardest level by himself! And the soundtrack is sublime. Although, I think I mostly played this at the back end of 2014. So it doesn't count.

Bioshock Infinite is a brilliant piece of swashbuckling adventure disguised as social commentary disguised as a swashbuckling adventure that is awfully well designed in all areas from gameplay to art to music to story, and is a shining example of what first person shooters can be like.

So, this one needs some context. Early this year, I was reading all of the back editions of Critical Miss for the first time, and I came to this particular strip [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comicsandcosplay/comics/critical-miss/9372-Ani-Chan]. Understandably, I had no idea what I was looking at. I followed the link to the explanation. Then I followed the link to download the game because, I'll be frank, weird smut holds a fascination for me that compels me to view it even though it generally makes me confused and afraid. So, I downloaded the game, and I played it. Then I played it through four more times. Because, as it turns out, I was wrong. This isn't weird smut, despite it being a product of 4chan. This is something beautiful. It reduced me to a sobbing wreck on more than one occasion. Yes, it's light on interaction even by visual novel standards, and yes, the first chapter is obtuse to navigate. (Although, for new players, the latter point is a good thing. You'll understand if you play it.) But it did something, honestly, not many games manage. It made me really feel something. So I really have no choice but to say this is the best game I played this year. In future, I will probably look back and pick Fire Emblem or Bioshock as the superior work, but right now, this is what I like the best. You can download it here. [http://www.katawa-shoujo.com/] If you want.

 

[FPLOON]

Portal 2: Oh my glob! This game is hilarious! I still can't believe Disney Channel sponsored this game at one point! Plus, it crossplays with both my PSN and Steam account!

Other than that, due to a lack of a Wii U, I've been replaying some Super Smash Bros. Melee, so that can count for funsies, I guess...

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Hey, someone beat me to this concept...Oh well, it's a damn fine concept.

A part of me wants to say Yokai Watch since Japan has had it since 2013 but it's new in the West so I'll keep it as an honorable mention.

I played a lot of really good Steam games this year since I have a computer capable of running a very specific kind of game. Games like Gunpoint, Papers, Please, Hotline Miami and Shadowrun Returns but my Steam Game of 2015 is Renowned Explorers...oh wait, that came out this year...OK, Shadowrun Returns because I played as a sexy Elf chick who murdered mages inside of and outside of The Internet.

When it comes to handheld games that aren't Yokai Watch, I played Bravely Default for the first time this year and DAMN! DAMN, this is the best Final Fantasy I've played since Final Fantasy IX! Well it was...I haven't beaten it yet. I've done the time warp but I haven't beaten the game quite yet. Still, a favorite this year.

When it comes to console games, I played a few really great games this year; The Darkness 2, Wolfenstein: The New Order, No More Heroes and strictly in terms of gameplay I enjoyed Metroid Other M. My console game of the year though is Deus Ex: Human Revolution DX on the Wii U. I loved the original and played through it on the 360 but I love the new boss-fight mechanics presented in this version. I can't say I like how you could literally unlock everything this time around though, especially considering how some powers are kinda useless...Still, I think this was an excellent game. Then again, so is Hyrule Warriors...and Wind Waker HD...

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

Damn, ninja'd! First thing I thought of when reading title and OP was Shadow of Mordor. I got to it late, but picked it up really cheap this year. And it's fantastic.

Wolfenstein as well, what a fantastic romp. Over the top gunplay, crazy alternate universe with Nazi robots, yet the characters are still serious and in-depth. Very polished game with nice graphics as well.

Other than that, I guess this fits the criteria despite it's age: I finished Vampire: Bloodlines recently as well, with the unofficial patch and a couple graphics/models/skin tweaks. And what a superb game that is, still. So dark and moody, dry humor, imaginative and interesting quests which make you doubt your moral fiber. And some really cool villains!

 

[mysecondlife]

We should make this thread more often. I'm quite behind on games and I always feel left out when it comes to this year's GOTY games.

Most notable that comes to me are Dark Souls, Saints Row 4, and The Wolf Among us.

I'll have to give this one to Saints Row 4 on basis that it disappointed me the least.

-Dark Souls had technical difficulties on PC port and Lost Izalith is such a chore.
-The Wolf Among us started to run on fumes at parts of Episode 4 and 5. Its such a shame really.

 

[MysticSlayer]

One Epic Knight was the most fun game I played. I enjoy infinite runners when done right, but that's the problem. They rarely are done right. One Epic Knight actually was a lot of fun.

However, the most memorable would be This War of Mine. The game initially shot itself in the foot by explaining so little I spent the first few runs, which should have been the most emotionally impactful, trying to just figure out how even basic systems worked. But regardless of that, it still was an engaging experience that had a tremendous potential for storytelling.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Other than that, I guess this fits the criteria despite it's age: I finished Vampire: Bloodlines recently as well, with the unofficial patch and a couple graphics/models/skin tweaks. And what a superb game that is, still. So dark and moody, dry humor, imaginative and interesting quests which make you doubt your moral fiber. And some really cool villains!

I don't care how old it is as long as it's older this this year.

Hey, someone beat me to this concept...Oh well, it's a damn fine concept.

I actually did this thread last year as well. "Game of the Year that Didn't Come Out This Year", the title was, if you want to look it up. Maybe I should make it my regular thing.

 

[Ryallen]

I've got a few...

Divinity: Dragon Commander is loads of fun. I don't like RTS games, usually, but this one has a third person shooting element to the game, and I say "Fuck it, that'll do!" The RTS elements are fine, as far as I can tell. I don't usually play them, but this one does have a lot of heart to it, with some pretty cool, if somewhat stiff characters, and some REALLY fun political decisions. They end up being a bit predictable, but I end up having to carefully assess what would most benefit me from a political standpoint rather than a moral one, so if nothing else, props to you!

Shadow Warrior is a very good shooter. While the guns in the game are fun to use, they ultimately take a backseat for the real spectacle of the game, the god damn katana. Using that sword is so much fun, more often than not, I just run circles around the enemy while cutting off parts of their bodies until they realize that it's not possible to live without their arm, leg, half of their torso, and most of their blood.

I finished Bastion this year, and oh my God, it was so much fun. The combat was responsive and tight, the art style was beautiful to observe in action, and the audio. Oh my God, the audio. Whoever was in charge of the sound design deserves all of the concubines of their choice. Rucks, the narrator, and the soundtrack were all god damn audible gold. Hell, I downloaded all of the songs onto my phone and I still listen to them!