I think we can all agree that 2015 was a great year for gaming, whether you’re a PC or a console gamer. We’ve had so many memorable titles this year that choosing just one game of the year per genre was near impossible. While not everyone may enjoy the direction that video games are going into, it would be silly not to admit that every single big release of these days can easily be considered a work of art. Here’s to hoping that 2016 will be at least just as good.
We chose to split them on genres for PC and choose one game of the year for each other platform respectively, for the console-only titles. However, because it would be unfair to completely disregard all the wonderful games that heavily competed for number one, we’ll at least give them a mention in each category. So be sure to check them out too!
Action – Adventure Game of the Year
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Not only the game proclaimed as the best action adventure of year 2015, but this one is most likely to make it to the title of “Game of the Year” too. And there’s a very good reason behind that: no gameplay of this caliber has ever graced us in a Metal Gear Solid game so far, and boy, were we grateful. If there’s anything that this game truly excels in, it’s freedom; and I don’t mean Grand Theft Auto kind of freedom, at least not the same tonality. But despite the action-adventure stealth tag on it, The Phantom Pain does nothing to limit you and instead lets you choose your own way of doing things. Mission objectives remain minimal in the method you employ to complete them; it’s up to you to act according to external factors such as weather or time of day.
Story-wise, Metal Gear Solid: the Phantom Pain is chronologically set before the original Metal Gear game and takes onto the story of mercenary Punished “Venom” Snake. Sadly, however, Konami and Hideo Kojima have announced that this is the last instalment in the Metal Gear Solid series. And if this is truly the last time we get our hands on a MGS game, Kojima Productions has made sure it will be something to remember.
Special Mentions: there’s no action-adventure genre without the defining Grand Theft Auto series in it – and most specifically the GTA V that only managed to come out this year on PCs. Although it’s far from being a new game, the PC instalment of the game was an iconic release of this year that stole the souls of many in an even larger open world experience.
Secondly, the true successor to the Arkham series – Batman: Arkham Knight – also hit the shelves and amazed us with the possibilities of the genre
Role-Playing Game of the Year
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Another name murmured on the lips of gamers all over the world, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was a release that once again changed the way we see video games altogether. The game astounded the masses through its sheer size, managing to dwarf even epic names such as Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Considering that most actions you choose to undertake have a different outcome on the way the story or your relationship with various characters progresses, the game will take you hundreds and hundreds of hours for you to see every single possibility that the story holds.
Freedom of action plays an even greater role here as one could easily get lost in the dozens of side quests that can be found all over the place. But whom am I kidding? I probably spent most of the first days of the play through just riding Roach and enjoying the scenery – indomitably a work of art that truly deserves the praise and the title of the best role-playing game of the year.
Special Mentions: I’d be a heretic if I didn’t mention Fallout 4; an amazing success of the gaming industry altogether, Fallout 4 marked the end of a 7 year wait for the sequel to a genre-defining game. In the end, the game was an outstanding success that brought many great additions to gameplay and even more wasteland to explore and scavenge.
Action RPG Game of the Year
Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin
For the die-hard fans of the Souls game series, the Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin upgrade was an amazing thing to behold. With the already boundless popularity that the original Dark Souls 2 gained throughout the ranks of hardcore games, the Scholar of the First Sin brought new things to the table. Firstly, it made the game available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and enabled DX11 features on the PC version. But that wasn’t what truly brought the game out in the light; instead, it was the rearranging of all of the monsters and items in the world. For all the players who’d already finished the game multiple times and lost count of the pluses in NG+, this brought a breath of fresh air to the game and even made it challenging once again.
Additionally, From Software added one more alternate ending, a new final boss as well as elaborating on the lore behind Aldia – whom we caught a glimpse of when we ventured in Aldia’s Keep in the basic Dark Souls 2. The Scholar of the First Sin edition also brought a new PvP feature, in the shape of 4-on-2 matches and a number of NPC invaders that are there to make your life particularly difficult. You’d thought you got enough white hairs from the original version plus the DLCs? How mistaken you’ve been.
Special Mentions: Games these days become harder and harder to define in terms of genre as the RPG features seem to have been seeping and stretching their tendrils all over the place. Tales from the Borderlands, however, I’ll stick here even if I’m fully aware of the very obvious lack of action and a more point and click experience, typical to what Telltale usually does with its seasonal games.
Dungeon Crawler Game of the Year
Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth
While I have to admit I’m doing a little injustice to other games here by listing Binding of Isaac, it honestly has to be done. For an independent game that has been released back in 2011 and received 3 expansions up to date, the Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth is the last addition that was brought to the series in order to make it whole.
The heavily downright disturbing story of Isaac continues as he delves into new challenges, countless of new bosses and new achievements to obtain as well as gaining the possibility of a new ending and final boss with the Afterbirth DLC. Individuals who have already played the original Binding of Isaac have probably told you what makes this game an amazing example of contemporary video game development. Here, it’s not about the graphics or incredibly amazing and intricate system of gameplay features. It’s about the way a very delicate and disturbing story is told and developed in a game that doesn’t initially look anything like the message it’s trying to convey.
Special Mentions: Pillars of Eternity, Dungeon of the Endless
Real Time Strategy Game of the Year
StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void
Video game releases are split in two categories, regardless of genres: firstly, there’s the innovative and amazingly-designed new releases that don’t occur that often but manage to surprise and win the hearts of many gamers out there. Then, there’s the classics and their sequels, which people are already fond of as soon as they hear their name. StarCraft 2 is an iconic real time strategy game and only managed to seal the deal with the addition of the latest expansion, Legacy of the Void.
It’s not difficult to tell why we’re listing the new version of StarCraft as the best RTS of the year; while it may have lost a lot of ground in the esports section, the new expansion continues the story with a focus on Aiur and the Protoss. The expansion came with new units as well as balance changes to previously existing ones, not only serving a lore purpose but also appealing to the multiplayer factor of the series. Many of the old StarCraft 1 iconic units make an appearance – such as the Dragoon and Dark Archon – appealing to the other category of StarCraft player: the nostalgic. Even to the regular RTS player, the latest instalment of the StarCraft series will answer to all needs one may have from strategy games.
Special Mentions: Total War: Atilla, Grey Goo
Platformer Game of the Year
Ori and the Blind Forest
Ori and the Blind Forest was one of the unexpected releases of the year that for some reason strongly reminded me of the PS3 exclusive Journey, despite being completely different. The reason it reminded me of it is the amazing atmosphere and the heavily immersive soundtrack that made for more than just a simple platformer game (and in Journey’s case, simply an adventure art game). If there’s any single word that I can use to describe Ori and the Blind Forest is “beautiful”.
But the greatness of this game is far from ending there. The beautifully designed levels and downright dreamy sceneries are complimented with an amazingly high levels of gameplay that call back to the Metroidvania genre and keep you on your toes an amazing amount. With its very own skill tree that allows you to build your character the way you find it suitable and the increasing difficulty of the game, Ori and the Blind Forest stands out from so many other platformer games that prefer to place humor and other appealing focuses higher up the ranking ladder. Instead, it gives off a graceful feeling to the game that enchants you as soon as you start the first level.
Special Mentions: BROFORCE, Oddword: New ‘n’ Tasty (PC)
Shooter Game of the Year
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
The last instalment of the Call of Duty series marks the 12th iteration of a long chain of games. It comes as a sequel to Black Ops 2, taking place 40 years after the events in the previous game of the series and continuing the story in a world where robotics has been developed to the point where robotic drones and cyborg supersoldiers are present.
But let’s be honest now, how many have been waiting for the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 just to get to play the campaign? It’s not the primary focus of the developers and certainly not the primary focus of the players either. While the campaign is something you can also do in your spare time, the multiplayer is where the money’s at: with the new momentum-based movement system that was introduced with Black Ops 3, players are now able to perform a number of more or less airborne tricks such as wall running or sliding, as well as short-distance boosts in the air. You don’t lose your gun control in the meantime, giving the game a new level of gameplay altogether.
Special Mentions: Both Evolve and Star Wars Battlefront sadly lost the race to the top, coming with a number of improvements that ended up being choked by gameplay issues in the end.
Fighting Game of the Year
Mortal Kombat X
We don’t get that many fighting game releases in a year, simply because the already existing series have already tucked themselves in a very comfortable position on the market and not many even attempt at the well-established genre. So what is there to look forward to when releases such as the wild Injustice: Gods Among Us don’t make an appearance? We return to the classics we love most, of course!
And thankfully, they return to us as well. The latest Mortal Kombat X was released in Q1 of 2015 and brought countless of graphic and gameplay improvements. While the very first reception of the PC version of the game was reported quite unsatisfactory by individuals due to the technical issues that hindered a smooth and enjoyable experience. However, there’s no denying that Mortal Kombat is an iconic fighting game, only surpassed in multiplayer aspects by the Street Fighter series. Otherwise, the new Mortal Kombat X brought us new characters, new gameplay mechanics, great graphics and yet – an uncanny familiarity to what we’ve grown to love.
It’s a shame that Street Fighter V hasn’t made it as a 2015 release. Then we’d truly have a hard time deciding; but with just a beta that seems to be having difficulty in finding you a match running at this point in time, it’s hard to tell what the future holds for the fighting game genre.
Indie Game of the Year
SOMA
Although there’s a huge number of amazing indie game releases that have graced our shelves and Steam Library this year, and even a huge number of indie subgenres, we had to choose one. And it’s going to have to be SOMA – a science fiction survival horror game. With an outstanding story and plot development, some may have been a little put off by its rather random and sudden introduction into the action.
Still, the game managed to drip with a rich textured narrative and atmospheric suspense, with the unshakable sense of impending doom and ultimate bitter-sweet ending sealing the deal. Coming from the developers at Frictional Games, the same group of people who made the iconic Penumbra and Amnesia series, the game is highly reminiscent of the aforementioned. It delves in psychological horror over the most commonly employed jump scares and mostly leaves you to choose your own level of involvement in the plot. Story-wise, the game may seem linear, but in terms of level design, the devs managed to pull off an outstanding degree of intricacy.
Special Mentions: Darkest Dungeon, Undertale, Hotline Miami 2 – very different from our first place selection, but still worth looking at
Expansion/DLC Game of the Year
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone
In case you hadn’t spent enough hundreds of hours trying to explore every single nook and cranny of the gigantic world that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt brought you, here’s a new reason to spend some more. Guaranteed to offer you at least 10 more hours of gameplay if you stick to the main storyline, Geralt is put in the position where he has to defeat a new antagonist – Olgierd von Everec.
On the way to succeeding in his quest however lie new characters, new monsters and a whole new gameplay mechanic, namely – the Runewords – that come in 3 tiers and offer a wide range of buffs. This changed the way combat gameplay worked before, thus giving the fans a new perspective on playing the game, and a very refreshing experience altogether. Ultimately, the Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone DLC ended up as a very well rounded addition to the game, equally enjoyed by players as the original was.
Special Mentions: Destiny: The Taken King, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
Best Remastered Game of the Year
Resident Evil HD Remaster
Getting a video game remake to actually appeal to the original’s fans is actually more difficult than it sounds. Remastering is a newer trend we’ve seen in the video gaming world, especially proficient this year. We’ve seen a few of them, but our winner has got to be the Resident Evil HD Remaster.
Finally, we were able to relive the 2002 nostalgia with a Windows 7 and above compatible game remake, featuring a more up to date aspect ratio, light blooms and more contemporary background textures. The plot and story of the original game were hardly, if at all changed, giving the old fans just a better looking game to replay and reminisce on the good days of the video games of our childhoods. For those who didn’t get to enjoy the original at its time, the remastered version came as a headache-free chance to play a very loyal copy of the 2002 version.
Special Mentions: Grim Fandango Remastered (with a heavy heart not Remastered Game of the Year), Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered
Best Xbox One Game of the Year
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Following the highly successful Tomb Raider reboot of the series that came out in 2013, the Rise of the Tomb Raider continues the story of Lara Croft in a new-gen, highly stylized game that features highly intensive levels of gameplay and compelling puzzles. It maintains the 2013 Tomb Raider’s rather brutal and harsh-themed display of the main character over the more classic “cool” Lara Croft we remembered from the original Tomb Raider games.
Gameplay-wise, Rise of the Tomb Raider received a number of improvements over its predecessor, giving stealth-based play a more reliable role in the game, complimented by the new crafting system that allows you to turn scavenged items from plants and animals into useful tools. Weather conditions and the day-night cycle-dependent features have also been added into the game, giving it a whole new level of depth to gameplay and decision making.
Best PlayStation 4 Game of the Year
Bloodborne
I’ll start off by saying I am a big fan of the Souls games, dating back to the soul-crunching, power of will-challenging and nerve-wracking Demon’s Souls. When I first saw the trailer for Bloodborne, I have to admit I was very reluctant and a bit of a non-believer because of the change of theme and a strong personal dislike of vampire-related things. However, for the sake of From Software and Hidetaka Miyazaki mostly (hearing that he was back at the wheel, unlike the case was with Dark Souls 2, figures), I decided to give the game a spin and now I can’t even go back to Dark Souls 2 anymore.
Safe to say, Bloodborne is a masterpiece that managed to appeal even to the less hardcore gamers without giving up much of its difficulty aspect. Or at least that’s how it felt for an old timer like me, I wouldn’t be able to speak in the name of someone who’s never played any Souls games whatsoever. Bloodborne managed to combine the strengths of each of the previous Souls games (without actually officially catering to the series, given the change of scenery), add some new features and creating an absolute masterpiece.
Amazingly rich in story – the kind of story that nobody actually tells you, but which you gather by reading item descriptions and particularly short dialogues with the scarce NPCs found in a dying world – Bloodborne truly showed its colors to me only on my second playthrough (on NG+). With the addition of the Old Hunters DLC that elaborates on some loose strings from the base game but also leaves so many questions unanswered, Bloodborne is probably something to continue looking forward to. At least until Dark Souls 3 comes out in April 2016.
Best Online Game of the Year
Halo 5: Guardians
The fifth instalment on the Halo series finally came out roughly 2 months ago after a hefty 3 years wait. While the campaign depicts Master Chief’s disappearance and Jameson Locke’s job of finding him, it’s the online aspect that we were most enthusiastic about. Although it comes with the loss of split screen co-op play (R.I.P.), the new Warzone is where you’ll spend most of your time gaining points and increasing your ranks.
There’s also a level up system that allows you to access better items as you progress through your Warzone matches. Arena is where the diehard competitive gamer will go in order to amass skill rating and take competitiveness to the next level with the help of the 7 ladders: bronze, iron, gold, platinum, diamond, onyx and champion.
Special Mentions: H1Z1, Rocket League
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Roxanne Briean
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