Your 10 GOTY?

Windcaler

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I didnt buy a lot of games this year but this is my list. Keep in mind that Im primarily a PC gamer but the 3ds also had a pretty good year for me

1. Fire emblem fates: Fates got here by not not just being good but outright amazing when compared to its predecessor which was also on my list last year. It had 3 very well written stories instead of just 1 that had 3 different starts. Most of the characters are well written and depending on what story you go with may have multiple archs, strategy battles are meaningful and require precision and thought, and when you screw up (if you choose) a character can and probably will die permanently adding to the weight of your decisions. The online features were awesome and lastly they made good use of most of the fire emblem amiibos. If you like strategy games at all but also want to see character developement then give this game a try

2. Warframe - The war within update: Even though warframe was released 3 years ago I dont have a ninth game and I cant honestly put it any lower on the list. The war within had a wait that was almost a year long, the wait was not worth it. However what we got was a deeply compelling quest that made me ask as many questions as it answered. By themselves the cinematic quests that Digital extremes have released could be a game in and of themselves but when combined with the fast paced gameplay about cybernetic space ninja's it becomes something close to a masterpiece. If you havnt played warframe in awhile this is the update to come back for

3. Oxenfree: This was a surprise. When I first heard the name my immediate thought was "that game is probably stupid" but as I happened to come across a lets play of Jessie Cox playing the game and much like he did on firewatch Cox drew me into this game. I had only watched an episode or two before I bought the game myself and have played through it 3 or 4 times now and Im still discovering things or putting clues together. Oxenfree is the surprise hit of the year for me

4. Monster Hunter Generations: Take the age old monster hunter formula and add in new mechanics to further vary playstyles, new awesome monsters, balance weapons, and pretty much improve the experience in every way except out of combat UI which still feels like it was made in the 90s and you get this newest incarnation of monster hunter. Its not just another monster hunter game like 4 was, its an evolution of the monster hunter series but as much as I love this game at this point if you want to get it just wait for double cross or whatever theyre calling it

5. Darkest Dungeon: It officially came out of early access way back in January and its just a really good dungeon crawling game but it also explores the idea of what mentally happens to these characters as they traverse a death trap

6. Stardew Valley: A spiritual successor to harvest moon and you can feel the love put into this game. Its clearly made by someone who loves what the original harvest moon games where and they've improved on the formula to make a fantastic game.

7. Banner saga 2: Take a widely loved game and improve the formula in every way while writing another excellent chapter in the worlds story and you deserve to be on everyones list. Banner saga 2 was everything I wanted out of a sequel and a little more and its one I recommend everyone play.

8. Firewatch: I dont know how to talk about firewatch except to call it a story driven walking simulator. Originally I thought the game wasnt for me but after watching a lets play of it done by Jessie Cox I got sucked into the story. Its really just a story about people running away from their problems but its compelling and thought provoking. Firewatch IMO is an unquestionable work of art and deserves a look by everyone

9. Disgaea (PC): This was rereleased waaaaaay back in Feburary iirc but this was one of my favorite games when it first came out. Having it rereleased just made my year and its a game I play off and on quite a bit.

10. Pokemon Moon: So I havnt played a pokemon game since Red and Blue but friends convinced me to give this one a go shortly after it was released and its pretty good. I had heard previous games had just gone with the same fight the gym lords, the elite 4, and be the pokemon champion but I like how this one changed up the formula while keeping true to Hawaian and philipeno themes throughout the game. It really does feel like a different region from the Kanto one I remember and I was rather happy with the story, characters, and region.
 

Kingjackl

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I've probably only played about 10 games that were released this year, so let's just go for the top 5.

1. Dark Souls 3

2. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

3. Doom

4. Pokemon Moon

5. Firewatch

As far as this year's releases go, still have Inside, Rise of the Tomb Raider and the Witcher 3 expansions to get through.
 

gorfias

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LookingGlass said:
I haven't played a ton of games from 2016, but let's see...

1. Dark Souls 3
2. Nioh alpha/beta. Yes this isn't a full, released game. Even so, I spent more time with it than most games and I would have gladly paid full price for it. It's that good.
3. Salt and Sanctuary
4. Hyper Light Drifter
5. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
6. Rise of the Tomb Raider (came out on PC this year)
7. Firewatch
8. The Banner Saga 2
9. Oxenfree
10. Uncharted 4


Haven't yet played but has a good chance of making the list: Dishonored 2, Tyranny, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (loved the demo), Total War: Warhammer, The Last Guardian, Stardew Valley, Titanfall 2.
I include Rise of the Tomb Raider for that reason too.
Play Anywhere is fun too: got Forza Horizon 3 and Gears of War 4 and can play on my desktop PC and XB1, depending where I am (and if one of my kids is hogging he XB1). They are both fine looking, DX 12 games. I really stink at Forza though. I want to get better. Quantum Break for play anywhere? I've only played on the PC and it is very good.
I don't know if I bought 10 games from this year (I did buy >10, but from various times). And I haven't finished much of anything.

Battlefield 1 is very good. Not multiplayer as I'm killed a milisecond after spawning, but the single player campaign.

Witcher 3 PC with all DLC (which did come out this year)
I want Uncharted 4 and Doom. Edit: and Titanfall 2.

I got Battleborn and am underwhelmed but got it with a ton of other stuff in a Humble Bundle for $15 total. So, I'll give it another shot ASAP.
 

_Exhuminator_

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I finished over 130 games this year, but only four of them were released in 2016. Of those four, Gal*Gun: Double Peace was the most enjoyable. However, I wouldn't call it a GOTY by any means. So to provide a top 10 GOTY list for 2016, I'll have to list games I beat in 2016, yet were not released in 2016. So these were my personal top 10 from this year:


Aquales (X68000) [awesome mech platformer]
Beneath Apple Manor (Apple II) [a fantastic roguelike that preceded Rogue]
Front Mission 5: Scars of the War (PS2) [fitting end to a fantastic SRPG series]
Jet Impulse (DS) [basically Ace Combat on DS]
King's Field III (PS1) [a great entry in the best dungeon crawling franchise ever]
Lost Kingdoms II (GameCube) [underrated JRPG that evolves on the original]
Nayuta: Endless Trails (PSP) [fantastic Falcom action-RPG]
Night Slave (PC98) [it's Assault Suits with ecchi]
Shadow Tower Abyss (PS2) [easier than the first, but just as absorbing]
Sorcery! 3 (Android) [I love this series of digital gamebooks]
 

Weaver

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I'm not even sure I played 10 games this year lol. Is this what getting old is?
 

gsilver

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My games of 2016 (in no particular order, and more than 10)

HoloBall
Oxenfree
House of the Dying Sun
Rabi-Ribi
Devil Daggers
Butcher
DOOM
Salt & Sanctuary
Overwatch
Pony Island
Hyper Light Drifter
Slain: Back From Hell

I'd stop short of calling any of it "great" but there were definitely a lot of very good titles this year.


I played more than that (and missed many of the AAA games entirely), but those were the ones that I liked a lot.
 

Nazulu

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Xprimentyl said:
1. INSIDE
2-10. n/a
Agreed. INSIDE takes the cake with it's unique moments, which there are a plenty.

This year I mostly played games that were recommended to me awhile ago (years ago), but I did play a couple of new releases, and I reckon Enter The Gungeon and Thumper deserves a mention.

Enter The Gungeon: for being a very competent and challenging dungeon lite with a ton of stuff to unlock. So much so that I don't think I'll ever unlock it all.

And Thumper: as the only rhythm game I have ever really enjoyed for being really atmospheric and intense. I find this game more badass than the new DOOM.
 

Scarim Coral

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My is just Hyper Light Drifter.

I didn't played alot of new games this year.
 

squid5580

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Geez no love for Far Cry Primal? It made my top 10 list for sure. I still got a few 2016 games that I haven't started yet to officially formalize a list though
 

gorfias

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squid5580 said:
Geez no love for Far Cry Primal? It made my top 10 list for sure. I still got a few 2016 games that I haven't started yet to officially formalize a list though
I've started it. Just picked it up at Bestbuy for only $15. Nice looking, story is good so far BUUUUUUuuuuutttttt... like Far Cry but I got a cheap melee weapon and a bow and arrow. By this time in 4, I had automatic weapons to use while driving a jeep!
 

Zombie Proof

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Tops for this year...

1.Fallout 4:Survival mode
Easily the game I've put the most time into this year. Currently on my Third Survival mode character and I'm still finding new and interesting ways to experience the world of Fallout 4. It also scratches that Stalker itch rather nicely.

2. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Great gameplay, story, characters, and awesome visual and audio design to boot. This one score's top marks in all areas. Phenomenal game and a brilliant entry to the Deus Ex franchise. Currently going through it a second time and holy crap are there a shit ton ton of different ways to go through this bad boy. This might very well be my favorite Deus Ex.

3. Doom
This joint plays as smooth as butter and makes you feel like an unstoppable juggernaut of gun toting destruction. Doom, doesn't play around.

4. Enter the Gungeon.
Binding of Isaac got me into isometric shooter roguelikes and Enter the Gungeon is the latest one that's caught my attention. I still like Nuclear Throne a liiiiiitle more but in terms of best of the year, this one definitely deserves it's spot on this list.

...and that's about all I got. Everything else I've been playing are old games. Not a helluva lot of new titles have actually managed to pique my interest to be honest.
 

The Artificially Prolonged

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1. Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

I think this year in gaming I've been suffering from post Witcher 3 blues, that is to say nearly every game I've played since finishing The Witcher 3 has failed to grab me in the same way. So chance to return to that world was a welcome one.


2. DOOM

I've not played many shooters in the last few years and never really was a fan of the previous Doom games. DOOM re awoken my love for FPS in a symphony of hellfire, demon gibs and metal.

3. Shardlight

Wadjet Eye Games have developed/published some of the best point and click adventure games in recent years. Shardlight is their latest release. Well written, well voice acted and some good puzzle design that does not rely on moon logic.

4. Samorost 3

More point and click goodness. More focused on exploration than taxing puzzles but has some excellent art and sound design.

5. The Witness

So much graph paper...

6. Day of the Tentacle: Remastered

I like adventure games if that wasn't already clear. I never played Day of the Tentacle before and got to enjoy this classic with a nice lick of paint. Big smile on my face all the way through.

7. Grow Up

It is essentially Grown Home again with some additions but that was really all it needed to be. Climbing to the top of a beanstalk and sonic spinning B.U.D. off the top speaks to my inner child.

8. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Prague was amazing to explore. Some of the best hub design in the series. This really should have been higher for me given my love of the series but only one hub, micro transactions and a story that clearly was stretched out to span more than one game took some of the shine off. Plus the augs treatment as an analogy for racism did not work. Which was a shame because the argument for and against augmentation in Human Revolution was much better handled.

9. Civilization VI

Any year a Civ game is released it is likely going to be in my top 10 of the year. The districts do really change up how you approach the game in planning how and where you expand. Still does need some tweaking in terms of balance and AI silliness but it is much better than where Civ V was at this point in its life.

10. Inside

A simple yet very well designed platformer. At an ending that quite something...

Honourable mentions to Rise of the Tomb Raider, Pillar's of Eternity: White March expansion, Enter the Gungeon and Starbound. I've yet to play a lot of game like Dishonored 2, Hitman etc so a lot of catching up to do in 2017.
 

balladbird

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theevilgenius60 said:
Persona feel in mainline(unless you went Anarchy route, you beautiful edgelord, you)? Ok, I guess so.
Ah, but that was the thing that infuriated me about Apocalypse: I'm many things, but I'm not an "edgelord". XD I hate 'evil' endings, and am not the type of gamer for games like GTA, where mayhem is the whole point of playing.

Yet, when I played through SMTIV:A without spoilers, I still wound up on the anarchy route...why? Because apparently giving a damn about honoring my word after a god saves my life and gives me the power to save my friend makes me a monster.

Seriously, I wish I knew that was the ending fork ahead of time, because it still pisses me off to think about it. All of a sudden my entire party is, like, "Hey, you know that guy who's literally the only reason you're still alive, whose power is what gave you the ability to influence the events of the game? Well, now that it's about time for you to repay him for that, we need you to screw him over at the last minute if you want the happy ending, okay? Thanks!"

I was loving the game up to that point. I'd put sixty hours into it, and completed every side quest, but realizing I had been railroaded into the "asshole/kill-em-all" route just because I wanted my Nanashi to have a sliver of integrity? Yeah, I quit right then and there.

*ahem*... sorry... had that rant inside me for a few months now, and had no one else who played the game to discuss it with. XD


to be more on-topic, I honestly can't think of 10 individual games I played in 2016. It's not that I haven't been gaming... it's still where all my time goes, I just put insane numbers of hours into older games of the PS2 and PS1 era this year. That said, all the new games I have played this year I've enjoyed, so, in no particular order:

Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse (minus the last couple hours)
Final Fantasy XV
Atelier Sophie
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Zero Time Dilemma
Fire Emblem: Fates


I may have played more... I'll edit the list if I remember some that have slipped my mind.
 

theevilgenius60

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balladbird said:
theevilgenius60 said:
Persona feel in mainline(unless you went Anarchy route, you beautiful edgelord, you)? Ok, I guess so.
Ah, but that was the thing that infuriated me about Apocalypse: I'm many things, but I'm not an "edgelord". XD I hate 'evil' endings, and am not the type of gamer for games like GTA, where mayhem is the whole point of playing.

Yet, when I played through SMTIV:A without spoilers, I still wound up on the anarchy route...why? Because apparently giving a damn about honoring my word after a god saves my life and gives me the power to save my friend makes me a monster.

Seriously, I wish I knew that was the ending fork ahead of time, because it still pisses me off to think about it. All of a sudden my entire party is, like, "Hey, you know that guy who's literally the only reason you're still alive, whose power is what gave you the ability to influence the events of the game? Well, now that it's about time for you to repay him for that, we need you to screw him over at the last minute if you want the happy ending, okay? Thanks!"

I was loving the game up to that point. I'd put sixty hours into it, and completed every side quest, but realizing I had been railroaded into the "asshole/kill-em-all" route just because I wanted my Nanashi to have a sliver of integrity? Yeah, I quit right then and there.

*ahem*... sorry... had that rant inside me for a few months now, and had no one else who played the game to discuss it with. XD
Not judging. You should go ahead and finish the anarchy route. It's New Edge City, but it makes you feel like the ultimate badass at the end. Like Demi-Fiend level. Tbh, it feels like a Megaten ending where the peace route feels like Persona 4's Golden ending. So it's really up to whether you want the super badass feeling(no backup in YHVH's dimension for anarchy route) or the super happy ending(it'll have you humming Nevermore, it's so Persona).
 

squid5580

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Gorfias said:
squid5580 said:
Geez no love for Far Cry Primal? It made my top 10 list for sure. I still got a few 2016 games that I haven't started yet to officially formalize a list though
I've started it. Just picked it up at Bestbuy for only $15. Nice looking, story is good so far BUUUUUUuuuuutttttt... like Far Cry but I got a cheap melee weapon and a bow and arrow. By this time in 4, I had automatic weapons to use while driving a jeep!
Who needs automatic weapons when you got a sabretooth tiger?
 

gorfias

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squid5580 said:
Gorfias said:
squid5580 said:
Geez no love for Far Cry Primal? It made my top 10 list for sure. I still got a few 2016 games that I haven't started yet to officially formalize a list though
I've started it. Just picked it up at Bestbuy for only $15. Nice looking, story is good so far BUUUUUUuuuuutttttt... like Far Cry but I got a cheap melee weapon and a bow and arrow. By this time in 4, I had automatic weapons to use while driving a jeep!
Who needs automatic weapons when you got a sabretooth tiger?
Hopefully I get that soon. If my AADD doesn't kick in... all these sales! For the holidays, I got Just Cause 3, Doom and Titan Fall2 for PC and Uncharted 4 for PS4. I got to try a Samsung S7 w/ VR Headset and will likely get one of those ASAP too. That was so much fun it could be the future of entertainment (though, I don't think anyone gave GOTY to a VR game this year.)

EDIT: Just got this for $50
 

sXeth

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squid5580 said:
Gorfias said:
squid5580 said:
Geez no love for Far Cry Primal? It made my top 10 list for sure. I still got a few 2016 games that I haven't started yet to officially formalize a list though
I've started it. Just picked it up at Bestbuy for only $15. Nice looking, story is good so far BUUUUUUuuuuutttttt... like Far Cry but I got a cheap melee weapon and a bow and arrow. By this time in 4, I had automatic weapons to use while driving a jeep!
Who needs automatic weapons when you got a sabretooth tiger?
A sabretooth tiger that dies almost instantly in any real scenario you need it for because the AI is moronic. And doesn't just pop back in a few seconds like its predecessor in Shangri-La in Far Cry 4.

Kind of my issue with Primal in a nutshell. The concepts cool, but its just a straight copy-paste of half-assed side-mission mechanics from Far Cry 4. They barely coasted by despite their awfulness by being optional there. Made central to a game, its just bad. If they'd reworked the melee and beefed up the AI for the animals, maybe.
 

psicat

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My top 10 of 2016:

1.Final Fantasy 15 (PS4)
2.Titanfall 2 (PS4)
3.Shin Megami Tensei 4 Final (3DS)
4.The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II (Vita)
5.Uncharted 4 (PS4)
6.The Last Guardian (PS4)
7.Doom (PS4)
8.Bravely Second (3DS)
9.Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PS4)
10.Dragon Quest Builders (PS4)
 

Aiddon_v1legacy

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1. Blazblue: Central Fiction
An amazing sendoff to my favorite fighting game series and pretty much the only series that has managed to do the multi-entry overarching plot structure correctly (and I predict it will hold that crown for a very, VERY long time).
2. Fire Emblem: Fates
A great example of how one decision can radically alter one's fate and the structure of a game (the first I've seen since Tactics Ogre years back). Forget moral choice systems, this is what developers need to look at in order to find a basis for decision-based gameplay.
3. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Atlus giving an interesting new twist on the SMTIV timeline while also making huge improvements to gameplay as well as doing a meditation on faith and what role humans play in the divine tragedy.
4. Bravely Second: End Layer
Luxendarc is more charming than ever with a host of new characters to adventure with and a new set of tools with which to break the game. Here's hoping Silicon Studios can keep upping the ante.
5. Project X Zone 2
This is just good fun, the game fully embracing its absurd nature and amping the spectacle up to 50,000. Now to just hope that they make a third game with more Nintendo characters.
6. Pokemon Sun and Moon
A shift for the franchise that experiments with its structure and really brings the beauty of a place like Hawaii to the Pokemon universe.
7. Monster Hunter: Generations
The best MH that radically redesigns the fundamental mechanics, making it great for newcomers and offering hefty rewards for veterans
8. Tokyo Mirage Sessions: #FE
This was something that shouldn't exist, like bacon lemonade. And it's something that shouldn't work. But it does, proving once again that Nintendo really knows how to do these franchise crossovers. It marries the mechanics and settings of SMT and Fire Emblem into something truly unique, guaranteeing that it's not just a throwaway.
9. Pokken Tournament
Again, another thing that shouldn't have worked but did. Furthermore, Bandai Namco has finally managed to make the 3D arena fighter work by making sure it remained exciting and fast-paced and provided enough depth for advanced players. Here's to hoping we'll see an updated version as the Arcade version has been getting new characters.
10. Star Fox Zero
Talk about a different way to use the gamepad. While definitely an exotic control scheme, master it and you'll be running circles around enemies while sniping their weak points.