My Top 10 Games of 2015: Game of the Year Part 2

The internet seems to have a lot of strong opinions about the idea of a 'best' games of the year list. I wish I could say that there is some secret formula or science behind my choices here, but these are just the games I enjoyed the most for the year. This is not a list of games by their respective importance to the industry or medium. This is not a list of the best designed or deepest experience. This is my first attempt at a game of the year list, and I plan to use this as a learning experience and try more in the future. So without further adieu: Colorblind Gamer's Top 10 Games of 2015!

#10 Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

This was really my first foray into the Monster Hunter series and I’m really glad I tried it. I had heard a lot of things over the years about it: The popularity of the series in Japan, its grindy nature, and the way it was known to get its hooks in people. Some of those outside perceptions were exactly why I hadn’t pursued the games in the past. But, when MH4U came out, there was a lot of talk online about how it’s more approachable than ever and that it had sold better than any other entry stateside and it seemed like a good time to jump in. What I found in my time with it was a fun combat system that had the pace and weighty combat feel of a Dark Souls game, and an interesting world full of giant monsters and talking cats. I didn’t fall too deep down, I completed the single player missions and did a few fights online with friends, but I know there is a lot more online that I could be doing if I was willing to put in the time to grind.  It was a neat way to spend a couple dozen hours, and I want to try more Monster Hunter games in the future.

#9 Rocket League

Rocket League felt like it went from ‘indie darling’ to the only thing that reddit could talk about in a very short period of time. This could be attributed to the fact that all every PS+ user on PS4 got a copy of it for free this summer, but that shouldn’t discount the fact that the game is an exciting and approachable fast-action sports game. Now this idea that it’s a ‘sports game’ could throw some people off, I realize. There is a category of video gaming folk that don’t enjoy watching traditional sports, and subsequently shy away from sports games. If you are in this category I strongly suggest you give Rocket League a try, it has all the trappings and excitement of a real sporting event, except that the sporting event is soccer with flying rocket cars. More recently, Rocket League has been adding some free updates and paid DLC options which add more interesting features to the game like old-school Unreal Tournament style match mutators, and even though I haven't played lately, I plan someday to return to a future full of exploding cars and deathmatch sports.

#8 Bloodborne

While I am not one of those folks from the internet that has beaten it dozens of times, or does naked speed runs or the like, I consider myself a big fan of From Software’s Dark Souls series. While Bloodborne is not technically part of this series, there are too many parallels in both gameplay and design to ignore the relationship. Bloodborne seems to address many of the complaints had by critics of the Dark Souls series in a lot of positive ways. The concept of carry weight and the ‘fat roll’ is a thing of the past, and the slow and plotting combat is sped up a bit by removing shields and adding more back-dash and dodge options. It also adds really neat transforming weapons that add a cool flair to the combat, and a uniqueness each individual weapon, but it does come at the cost of variation of character builds. The familiar vague storyline, creepy voice acting, and combat system are there, but the pace is faster and it just feels different in a fresh way. If you like action games and you haven't delved into the series, Bloodborne might be a more approachable entry point. Either way, it was an excellent and creepy experience and I’m glad I pulled the trigger on a PS4 to play it.

#7 Nuclear Throne

I had heard about Nuclear Throne off and on for years, but never actually pulled the trigger on playing it until I heard it had an official release. While I think there is value to the early-access system that’s becoming increasingly popular, I often find that I don't have good overall experiences with games in early access so I have been shying away from them until release and I think it's been working out. Nuclear Throne is a roguelike twin-stick shooter set in a cartoony, yet brutal, post-nuclear-apocalypse world. You take control of one of many various mutant characters, grab a pistol and venture off on a quest to find the nuclear throne. Like any good roguelike worth its salt, Nuclear Throne has randomly generated levels, permadeath, and is chock full of secrets and Easter Eggs. The game also bleeds style, all the characters and game worlds are quite unique, and there is some hip-hop cultural influences (or maybe lampoons? hard to tell) with the Character Yung Venuz, a walking triangle with a golden revolver, dancehall horn sound effects, and a mansion full of fat stacks. I think ‘odd’ is a good word to describe it, but with the oddness comes a lot of replayability and a really good way to scratch the roguelike itch. I have not yet reached the Nuclear Throne, but I can tell you, it IS real!

#6 Jackbox Party Pack 2

I mentioned in my prior article that this game became the go-to pastime for my group of friends over the last year. That is true, but it's really quite the understatement. Basically every time my closest four or five friends and I all hang out we play this game, almost without fail. Quiplash is always an inappropriate treat of a game, and feels more like roll-your-own cards against humanity than anything else. And even after many attempts, we still haven’t been able to beat Bomb Corp, though we are quite a few days into the story mode. The variety and replayability here is huge, not to mention that anyone who knows how to use a smartphone can have fun playing these games. Having a party? Throw on Fibbage or Quiplash, you can explain the game in 30 seconds and I promise everyone involved will have a blast.

#5 Undertale

I still harbor some mixed feelings about this game, (seriously, cut out the first hour of this game)  but Undertale made me ask more questions about how and why I play games than anything I have ever played before it. It plays on tropes and expectations of the genre, and video games as a whole, in a really unique way. If you can get through the annoying slog of the first couple hours, the payoff is amazing. The game is genuinely funny in a way that's hard to do in the medium, and the last hour or two of the game will leave you saying “WTF?” and wanting to know more. The music is fantastic, and the game has dozens of unique and awesome tracks. Most of all about Undertale, I am really glad that the video game industry and the internet have developed to the point where not only can a game like Undertale be made and sold, but also be accessible to a big audience and get the praise I think it deserves.

#4  Fallout 4

As the long awaited sequel to one of my favorite games of all time, Fallout 4 took up a lot of my time in 2015. It is true, the game did not shy that far away from its modern roots, but I really enjoyed my time with it.  Fallout 4 made a lot of quality of life improvements to the game’s systems, making things like looting and item management easier, and it did not go unnoticed. Most importantly, Bethesda finally added a use for all the junk you acquire throughout the game in the form of upgrade and base-building systems. When Bethesda first announced this addition of a base-building mechanic I was happy about its existence, but not real excited about it personally. Boy was I wrong. I ended up building a badass mansion that held all my equipment, had a sweet lounge, bedroom, and even a room to show off all my power armor. The story had some not-so-great bits, and the limited graphical upgrades left something to be desired, but I regret nothing about my almost 150 hours in Fallout 4.

#3 Super Mario Maker

I honestly wish there weren't so many games I want to play right now so I could devote more time to Super Mario Maker. Almost everything about this game is amazing, and the fact that the same Nintendo that brought you Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival and Sticker Star brought you this is mind-boggling. The tools for creation are amazing, not just because they allow you to make a wide variety of levels and player interactions, but also because of how easy to use they are. The tools that let my friends who never play games make simple fun levels or experiment, are the same tools that brought this monstrosity to life. On top of all the creation tools, the game has a system to share levels publicly and with friends, and while it's not perfect, Nintendo has been making improvements regularly over time. Despite all that, the part that I find I interact with the most is the 100 Mario Challenge, where you pick a difficulty and play through a ‘world’ of semi-random user made levels. Sure, it has some of the typical pitfalls of user created content, but the ability to skip any level quickly turns the mode into, play a bunch of levels, finish the ones you like. It is a fun way to waste an hour here and there, and an even better way to get inspired to make levels of your own. If you have any love for the classic Mario games, it's more than worth it to check out Super Mario Maker.

#2 Axiom Verge

The first article I ever wrote for this blog was about my love/hate relationship with the “Metroidvania” genre, and I can tell you that I had nothing but love for Axiom Verge. Looking at it when it was initially announced, I was so pumped about the idea of a spiritual successor to Super Metroid. Little did I know that it was going to be so much more than that. Axiom Verge turns the traditional game of the genre on its head by subverting expectations left and right. You find things you might expect in the environment, think for yourself you know how to solve it, and you will almost never be right. A simple but fun sci-fi story, amazing environments and music, and a lot of influences from classics like Metroid, Bionic Commando, and Castlevania make this a complete package that I would suggest to anyone who enjoys the genre, and even some who don't.

#1 Splatoon

This should come as a surprise to no one. I have been accused to talking too much about this game. I promise you it is only because it's a fantastic game and I think more people should play it. It’s fun, it's beautiful, it's unique, it's stylish, it's well designed, and best of all, it is all of those things while still having all the polish and silliness we’ve come to expect from first party Nintendo products. Ill spare you more gushing, go read my full review here for more about Splatoon.