As this year comes to an end in a few days, it’s time for my list of games that I personally enjoyed playing the most this year. As is the case with last year’s list — these games were not necessarily released this year, I merely played them this year.
Without further ado, here’s the list:
Overwatch
Easily my pick for game of the year. It’s a fun, stylish game that constantly receives new content updates. This became our go-to shooter once we moved away from Rainbow Six Siege. My take on the game, after having played the beta:
Overwatch is like a breath of fresh air. Stylish and polished. It’s clear that a lot of love went into this game.
I bought it and here we are, many hours of fun later. Overwatch is just incredibly fun, and with the new game modes that were added recently, the game still feels very fresh, many hours later.
PC. First person shooter. Played for 80 hours.
Rainbow Six Siege
I had a lot to say about Rainbow Six Siege, and how I thought it was a well-thought out game that spoke to me more than the usual Call of Duty game that I enjoyed when I was a bit younger.
The way the game operates — how counters work, how the environment is destructible, how operators counter each other, how the map design is done: it’s all excellent. The fact that the community seems to be loving the game as well is a testament to how great this game is compared to most of the other yearly releases that Ubisoft seems to be pushing out.
Like I said above: earlier part of 2016 was R6, latter half was Overwatch. Both are phenomenal.
PC. Tactical first person shooter. Played for 120 hours.
The Witness
I never really got around to writing about The Witness, but I do believe it’s just one of those games you need to have experienced. I tweeted about it while I was playing it, though.
Just played the first 40 minutes or so of The Witness. Fantastic presentation and very intuitive learning curve.
The game gets progressively more difficult as you proceed. Take a break when you’re stuck, and then try again. I’ve had a few oh, wow moments while playing this game. Very, very rewarding when you figure stuff out.
PC. Puzzle. Played for 20 hours.
Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken
The only reason that it’s Fire Emblem 7 on this list is because I haven’t finished Fire Emblem Fates — out of the three GBA Fire Emblem games, I enjoyed this one the most. I was not sure about going back to play this game, but boy, it still holds up. It’s still a helluvalot of fun.
Virtual Console. Strategy. Played for 50 hours.
Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice
I was so glad to see a new Ace Attorney game announced. Like I said in my post-game impressions:
Sure, there’s certain elements that previous games did slightly better, but I’d say that overall this is the best game in the series yet. I also warmed up to the Khura’inese characters, whom I initially did not enjoy, but by the end have learned to love.
Play the other games first, though, if you haven’t already. You’re missing out!
3DS. Investigation & visual novel. Played for 55 hours.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions: #FE
This is Persona meets J-Pop meets Fire Emblem. Enough said. I was afraid that the pop idol stuff would get a little cringey, but it was fine.
So what we have here is a fun RPG, based on a great franchise, with a nice cast and a decent story. It’s also one of the best games on the Wii U if you’re looking for JRPGs. It’s going to keep you busy for a while as well.
Wii U. JRPG. Played for 60 hours.
Uncharted 4
It’s more Uncharted as you know and love it, but it looks and plays better than before. Naughty Dog’s crowning achievement and probably one of the best looking games ever. The worthy conclusion to Nathan Drake’s story we deserved.
PS4. Adventure, 3rd person shooter. Played for 14 hours (estimate).
Honorable mentions
As far as honorable mentions go, I have only a few here.
- Project Diva: Future Tone. Yes, I enjoy vocaloid games. (An official European release is coming out January 10th.) Played for ~30 hours.
- Fire Emblem Fates. Haven’t completed Conquest or Revelation yet, so no full recommendation… yet. Played for ~75 hours (Birthright only).
- Digimon Cyber Sleuth. It’s a ton of fun, but top JRPG goes to Tokyo Mirage Sessions — although I would say it’s almost 50/50 as to which one I like the most. Played for ~50 hours.
Meanwhile, I still haven’t played The Witcher 3. But hey, it’s on my shortlist!