Another year of videogames, another review of my top ten favorites from this year! I only have played about 30 new games in 2015, so it wasn't too difficult to get ten of them to stand out from the others, a good mix of console and PC games, and a good distribution of genres I think. I have high hopes for 2016 - to see if a plethora of product announcements turn into actual good games - but for now, let's go down memory lane a little and muse on these games I have enjoyed.
10 - Hotline Miami 2
While not as good as the original Hotline Miami, the second game in this franchise brought back some of the same hard hitting mechanics as the first one; mainly the puzzle-like nature of these action scenarios and the weird trippy soundtrack and visual style. The addition of different characters that you're forced to play didn't improve on the game at all, but at least it did get me to try different playstyles.
9 - Crypt of the Necrodancer
I love rhythm games and RPGs, Crypt of the Necrodancer combines both of these things and ties a roguelike ribbon around the whole package, complete with permanent progression and multiple ways to play the game. The music is pretty good - which is useful for a rhythm game, obviously - and the gameplay is deep enough, sometimes verging on being too obtuse or confusing.
8 - Cities Skylines
This is the Sim City that Sim City of 2013 should've been. It's an amazing city simulator that should be a must-play for all fans of the genre. It wasn't perfect - I remember being overwhelmed with my first cities, having to restart the whole thing over - but when it clicks, you can get pretty deep into traffic management, zones and everything else you'd want from a city sim. I hadn't played such a good one of these since the original Sim City on the SNES, so take it from me!
7 - Tales of Zestiria
For a game I have completely beaten to rank this low is a sad thing, but Tales of Zestiria's only saving grace - in my case - was its multiplayer component. Even then, there were deep flaws in many systems of the game, the camera worked poorly, the equipment and skills were a confusing mess and the battle system kept the slide Tales games are taking into punishing you for playing with other people. Nonetheless, this is still a fun RPG if you can stomach its flaws and I have spent enough time with this to say that I've enjoyed it regardless.
6 - Metal Gear Solid 5
MGS5 is a fun game to play. The core gameplay of sneaking around bases, infiltrating camps and fultoning people was a blast. Much like Peace Walker, which is to date one of my favorite MGS games, this one has layers upon layers of RPG mechanics, upgrades and base management combined with cool visuals and high expectations. Sadly, pacing, story, characters and dubious choices regarding free-to-play mechanics in full priced products turned me off from enjoying it to the fullest.
5 - Kirby And The Rainbow Curse
A pretty fun Kirby game on the Wii U with some mechanics from Canvas Curse that I've completed in multiplayer in about two sittings, adorable and coming up with new mechanics all the time, this game brought more challenge to the table than Kirby's Epic Yarn did and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
4 - Shin Megami Tensei : Devil Survivor 2 - Record Breaker
Much like the original SMT:DS, Record Breaker is a strategy RPG where you make decisions, fight and fuse demons and build a party of characters to match your playstyle. I have completed both stories and really enjoyed it - even if I felt that the music wasn't as good as the first one. I'm a big fan of SMT games and this one kept me absorbed in it for a good chunk of time.
3 - Axiom Verge
I love metroidvanias, they're one of my favorite genre and sadly it seems that Castlevania proper won't really fill that need any time soon, Axiom Verge came in and boy what a good game it was! Exactly the kind of game I wish I could be making, to be honest. With tons of stuff to discover, weapons and traversal abilities, bosses and a rocking soundtrack and visual style, I've completed it happily and didn't regret any of the hours spent on it.
2 - Undertale
Undertale was such a surprise to me, with it's unique storytelling devices, cool mechanics and Earthbound-inspired visuals. The humor, great music and wit added on top of that just contributed to make me play through it as fast as I could and try to get all the endings. If you haven't played Undertale yet, I recommend it wholeheartedly to RPG fans, it was one of my favorite games of this year, without any doubt.
1 - Disgaea 5
Just by hours played, Disgaea 5 would take the cake easily. I've spent so many hours in this installment of the strategy-RPG franchise that it's not even funny. The story wasn't great, but everything else was super enjoyable. I hadn't played a Disgaea game since 3 and the number of systems and mechanics they've piled in this one gave me almost countless hours of pure RPG grinding fun. On a pure dollars to fun ratio, Disgaea 5 takes my game of the year, but it's not only that, obviously, so I'm pretty happy to give it number one for 2015!