Taking its name from one of the greatest technological inventions of the 20th century, Transistor is unequivocally one of the greatest games this year.
From the graphical detail of each piece of equipment, to the dialogue of The Dealer which rarely repeats itself, Hand of Fate pays attention to every last nook and cranny, carving out a niche all its own and bringing Defiant Development into the much-deserved spotlight. This is one conceptual experiment that thoroughly works and anyone who clamors for innovation in gaming needs to sit down at the table and play a hand.
Grim Fandango Remastered is a welcome chance to play a visionary game that everyone, in the name of creativity, should rightfully experience at least once.
Sure, the soundtrack isn't terribly interesting, the story largely doesn't matter, and the inventory could have a running list of the most recently collected items. But disregarding these very minor gripes, it has all the dangling carrots you want to take a lowly character, beat the game as a Level 59 monk within three days (like I just did), and savor every minute of it.
Watch Dogs converges the best of what Ubisoft has to offer as a game developer and serves as one of the strongest debuts for a new franchise this year.
Screamride may not revolutionize the genre in a deep compelling way and it doesn't have strong multiplayer options, but it's pure entertainment and packs in as much content as a world-class amusement park. If you've been wanting a game that makes you scream "WHOO!", Screamride has just the ticket.
Forza Horizon 2 may be vanilla when compared to other open-world racers, but if so, it's one of the most well-produced vanillas ever made. While it could be bolstered by having more skill-based challenges and any kind of avatar customization, it impresses with technical brilliance, robust online integration, and graphical splendor.
If it were just five or more hours longer in content, South Park: The Stick of Truth would have struck the perfect balance between writing, gameplay, humor, and length. Not since Earthbound and Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars has there been a turn-based RPG with such a distinct style and with so many memorable moments.
Crypt of the Necrodancer joins Hand of Fate as one of the best indie titles this year whose innovation speaks load and clear, giving credence to the better side of Steam Early Access and to well-tuned, well-crafted design.
Fallout 4 is a roaring response to criticism that the series has ignored its qualities as a shooter in favor of its deeper and stronger RPG roots. Nearly every design change in Fallout 4 poises the game as a more streamlined modern shooter with high production value across the truly open-world Commonwealth wasteland. The introduction of settlements, newly designed power armor, and deeper crafting evolve the Fallout franchise for the better. This occasionally comes at the cost of storytelling, however, with a plot based on stringently polarizing factions as well as diminished interaction with characters in general. But despite these missteps, Fallout 4 will only improve with time, assuredly with the assistance of the community and user-created mods, and soundly reclaims the franchise as a forward-thinking series in the industry today.
Through climactic boss fights, bewitchingly forsaken landscapes, and heightened combat, Dark Souls III meets the lofty expectations of the Soulsborne series. Even with minor issues with linearity, framerate, and the originality of level design, Dark Souls III is an outstanding send-off for a seminal trilogy that has influenced and legitimized difficulty in games with unapologetic force. Its undying flames will be felt forevermore.
Gearbox Software's experience with Borderlands clearly shows throughout Battleborn, blending a silly episodic story and a cast of charismatic characters with the competitive, on-trend MOBA genre. While its single-player and multiplayer offerings are limited at the moment, they're strong enough on their own to sustain a community, so long as Gearbox continues to update the game frequently. Battleborn could have easily been a soulless copycat of Borderlands or just another MOBA, but this is one fusion game that has its own identity and lays the solid groundwork for much more to come.
XCOM 2 more or less maintains the XCOM series as one of the best strategy titles today. The very nature of concealment and fast-and-loose guerrilla tactics lends itself to an almost obsessive amount of trial and error, but that doesn't mean you won't want to try over and over again until you pass unscathed. I've sunk hours into XCOM 2, and there's no doubt that you will too. With an unnerving sense of persistent tension and procedurally-generated maps that extend the value of every map, XCOM 2 survives the hype train with just a graze.
Trespasser is one of the best DLCs in recent memory.
Even among other Persona 3 remasters, Persona 3 Reload is the new definitive version of the original game. Though I replayed Persona 3 a few years ago, I was still surprised by the sheer number of improvements and additions in Reload. For the sake of completion, Atlus should consider adding DLC that adds an option to play as the female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable. That would make me reload the game all over again.
One Piece Odyssey is a wonderful trip down memory lane for fans of the series. The game’s original story is earnest and the endearing bond between the Straw Hat Pirates comes through loud and clear. The engaging combat system and a decent number of side quests don’t hurt either. Sure, new players might get overwhelmed by some of the rushed chapters in the midgame and the flow between chapters could be better, but it’s hard not to notice the amount of heart and soul that was poured into the game. More than just a fantastic anime-based video game, One Piece Odyssey is an impressive JRPG and already one of the best surprises this year.
I haven’t felt as challenged or as impressed by a puzzle game like Humanity since Portal 2 and The Talos Principle. Sony likely saw something special about it too (and this time at least, I agree), as it is one of the few games that will be available with a PS Extra or Premium subscription on day one. While Humanity does become less of a puzzler near the endgame, that’s a minor quibble in light of the risks it takes, its inventive range of content, its thought-provoking story, and its curiously peculiar presentation. (The dog is cute too.)
Street Fighter 6 simply lives up to the hype. From its smooth graphics and fresh presentation to its approachable controls and intricate fighting system, pretty much everything is on point. Not only is the Battle Hub a fantastic multiplayer venue for online play, but World Tour is a revelation. It’s clear Capcom has learned many lessons from Street Fighter 5 and has poured everything it could into this sequel. And in today’s age of modern, live-service gaming, it’s rare to see a game like this come out of the gate swinging with tons of content. In what marks a triumphant comeback for the series, Street Fighter 6 sets a new standard for all future fighting games to come.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a funny valentine. The graphics aren’t particularly stunning, quest progression can be vague, and it has some deliberately old-school ideas that are frustrating to deal with. Still, the game is able to capture a sense of freedom and wonder while delivering on challenging boss fights throughout exploration. It’s one of the few games that has made me want to investigate every inch of the world map without any prompting by the game through a notification or a quest. And I haven’t had that sensation in an astonishingly long time.
Both the integrated gameplay and the polished presentation set a high standard for the fighting genre, and the replayability of the towers system along with the dangling carrots in the revamped Krypt will ensure that Mortal Kombat fans have plenty to sink their teeth into. In fact, it's roasty-toasty.