12-11-2015, 06:25 AM
It's a bit early to be making this thread but I wanted my 900th post to be something of great interest to myself and probably the whole forum as we all have our own top 10's. It's possible that some people may yet still play a game that that they haven't gotten to yet from this year, but for me, I know I won't be getting anything else new so now's as good a time as any. Usual rules apply for me, as long as the game came out in my region, or on a platform I had for the first time, it's eligible, unless it's port with a small twist. That said, I will have honorable mentions, and those can go there. Also, as per usual, any info anyone wants to give on their lists, no matter how much or little is welcome. Now, to the list.
10. Tearaway Unfolded. It was hard to pick a number 10 this year, as is usual for me, but unlike previous years, it was more because the start of this list really determines what I can put on it based on my own tastes after the first entry, where as in previous years it felt open. That said, I can't think of a better game to start things off with. We all already know what Tearaway was on the Vita during it's initial release, so I won't go into a whole bunch of details about all that. What I will say, is that Unfolded really does an excellent job of taking an already great game and making it work on a system that can't rely on the same mechanics. It had to be done in a way that worked on the PS4, and to that end, it was excellent.
9. The Order 1886. A lot of people are going to have their complaints about this game, about how it was short, or how the battles against Lycan's weren't all that great, etc. We've all heard it before, and with that in mind, I'd like to point out the highlight of the game that no one ever talks about, the story, because I liked it, a lot. The story of the game, while not brilliant, was far more than I expected and it had some really great characters in it. I hope there's a sequel, because I really want to see where they go with all the great characters from here.
8. Stella Glow. The first of a few RPG's to make it on this list, Stella Glow was probably my favorite Atlus game this year. Those who have seen my previous lists, might remember that I once said I don't like Strategy RPG's much, but games like this one and Fire Emblem are really turning that around. Not only does Stella Glow have great gameplay and animation, and excellent music, characters and story, but the voice acting is perfect. It is without a doubt the best dubbed game I have ever played, and I do hope that some of the creators for the game got picked up by Atlus as the developing Studio went out of business so we can see more of this series, because it has the potential to be one of the greatest of it's kind.
7. Dragonball Xenoverse. I'm actually a little bit surprised at how much I liked this game. To me though, it's the best game in the series since Budokai 3, which back then hit all the right notes, so to see something match it, and possibly even surpass it was amazing. I love the fact that the best parts of the fighting mechanics from previous games was there, I loved how it gave me a reason to want to play the same battles again, and I love the original story, because DBZ needed one bad, and this one, was excellent. I really hope they explore it more for sequels because it was just too much fin to only have on go at. Not that I did, I played through it several times. For me, it was just that good,
6. Persona 4: Dancing All Night. As if Xenoverse wasn't a big enough surprise, P4DAN was a shocker and a half. I, love, this game, so much. I've never been a huge fan of rhythm games, in fact I can't stand the final fantasy ones, but playing a game with my favorite cast of characters, in a story that's only flaw was being too short, was a great experience. The game itself has excellent remixes throughout, it's fun as hell and I spent more hours playing that then I did one of my RPG's this year. It was just that good, and that not only makes me hopeful for Persona 5, but I do also hope, the P4 spin-off games continue because I want to see these characters as often as possible.
5. Tales of Zestiria. No surprises here. Tales games are always a blast, and while I did prefer the old battle system to the new one, I can't deny the characters, the villain and game itself were just a lot of fun. The open world aspect of the game, which is something we hadn't seen in an RPG on that scale in a long time was also fun. The sidequests were also a lot of fun, and the overall experience of the game just made me happy to be a tales fan. The voice-acting was also pretty top notch. It's not the best Tales game ever, I still think that belong to Xillia, no matter how many disagree with me, but for what it was, I really enjoyed it.
4. Sword Art Online: Lost Song. Every year I find a game that I play where the fun factor just pushes a game high on the list, hell in 2013, Tomb Raider made podium for that exact reason. This game though, falls just ever so short of the top three because of how little story there was. For the most part, it was just about a bunch of kids clearing an expansion of an MMO without any real strong opponent in the way, lest you count the guild who you compete with, which I don't. That said, the gameplay was incredibly fun and rewarding and the sidequests with characters which delved more into their backstory made it entirely worthwhile.
3. Rocket League. This is the first year where two games made it on to my list just because of how fun they were, and when it comes to fun, Rocket League had the most of it. I can't even tell you how many hours I poured into this game, but I can say I enjoyed, and in fact still enjoy it to death. I don't even mins most of the DLC because it's worth having. There's not really much to say about this game though because you've probably either played it, or seen people play it, and it really is as fun as they make it out to be.
2. Dragon Quest Hero's. I love, the Dragon Quest series. It is without a doubt one of my favorites. I had never played a game in the Dynasty Warriors series or spin-offs and I knew it was going to take something drastic for me to give it a go. Enter DQ Hero's. Every second I spent with it was a blast. It was amazing to see several of my favorite characters from previous games in this one, it was my greatest gaming moment this year when I got Eldric's blade, and I really understand now why people like these kinds of game. Playing Dragon Quest Hero's opened up a new genre for me, and for that, it get's my number two spot, with ease. Never mind the amazing world and forget the simple story, this is an ode to the fans that any real fan will not be able to get enough of, and that makes it great.
1. Yo-kai Watch. This one, as my favorite game of the year really surprised me. I loved it though. Simple story not withstanding, the game itself is a fun reminder of why it's okay to like games made for kids. Despite the odd mechanics, it's a really fun game. It's difficult in it's own right, it's the first game I played that made the stylus fun and the world itself is just a great place to spend time in. I can't say that about a lot of games, but something that level 5 does just make their worlds so much fun to be in, and that to me, makes a better game than anything else can. It's one of the few games I've played in this decade where my thoughts all focused around wanting more after beating it, and thankfully, there is a lot of post-game content I still need to finish, and I will love spending the time to do it, every second I go at it.
Those are my top 10 games of 2015, which is a list I didn't expect to make in that way, but I'm honestly glad I did, because really, this was a good year, and I left out a lot of games that almost made it. That said, some honorable mentions:
Corpse Party: Blood Drive
Batman: Arkham Knight
Etrain Odyssey Untold 2: The Fafnir Knight
J-Stars Victory VS +
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Xenoblade Chronicles
Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library and the Monster Seal
So, what's your top 10?
10. Tearaway Unfolded. It was hard to pick a number 10 this year, as is usual for me, but unlike previous years, it was more because the start of this list really determines what I can put on it based on my own tastes after the first entry, where as in previous years it felt open. That said, I can't think of a better game to start things off with. We all already know what Tearaway was on the Vita during it's initial release, so I won't go into a whole bunch of details about all that. What I will say, is that Unfolded really does an excellent job of taking an already great game and making it work on a system that can't rely on the same mechanics. It had to be done in a way that worked on the PS4, and to that end, it was excellent.
9. The Order 1886. A lot of people are going to have their complaints about this game, about how it was short, or how the battles against Lycan's weren't all that great, etc. We've all heard it before, and with that in mind, I'd like to point out the highlight of the game that no one ever talks about, the story, because I liked it, a lot. The story of the game, while not brilliant, was far more than I expected and it had some really great characters in it. I hope there's a sequel, because I really want to see where they go with all the great characters from here.
8. Stella Glow. The first of a few RPG's to make it on this list, Stella Glow was probably my favorite Atlus game this year. Those who have seen my previous lists, might remember that I once said I don't like Strategy RPG's much, but games like this one and Fire Emblem are really turning that around. Not only does Stella Glow have great gameplay and animation, and excellent music, characters and story, but the voice acting is perfect. It is without a doubt the best dubbed game I have ever played, and I do hope that some of the creators for the game got picked up by Atlus as the developing Studio went out of business so we can see more of this series, because it has the potential to be one of the greatest of it's kind.
7. Dragonball Xenoverse. I'm actually a little bit surprised at how much I liked this game. To me though, it's the best game in the series since Budokai 3, which back then hit all the right notes, so to see something match it, and possibly even surpass it was amazing. I love the fact that the best parts of the fighting mechanics from previous games was there, I loved how it gave me a reason to want to play the same battles again, and I love the original story, because DBZ needed one bad, and this one, was excellent. I really hope they explore it more for sequels because it was just too much fin to only have on go at. Not that I did, I played through it several times. For me, it was just that good,
6. Persona 4: Dancing All Night. As if Xenoverse wasn't a big enough surprise, P4DAN was a shocker and a half. I, love, this game, so much. I've never been a huge fan of rhythm games, in fact I can't stand the final fantasy ones, but playing a game with my favorite cast of characters, in a story that's only flaw was being too short, was a great experience. The game itself has excellent remixes throughout, it's fun as hell and I spent more hours playing that then I did one of my RPG's this year. It was just that good, and that not only makes me hopeful for Persona 5, but I do also hope, the P4 spin-off games continue because I want to see these characters as often as possible.
5. Tales of Zestiria. No surprises here. Tales games are always a blast, and while I did prefer the old battle system to the new one, I can't deny the characters, the villain and game itself were just a lot of fun. The open world aspect of the game, which is something we hadn't seen in an RPG on that scale in a long time was also fun. The sidequests were also a lot of fun, and the overall experience of the game just made me happy to be a tales fan. The voice-acting was also pretty top notch. It's not the best Tales game ever, I still think that belong to Xillia, no matter how many disagree with me, but for what it was, I really enjoyed it.
4. Sword Art Online: Lost Song. Every year I find a game that I play where the fun factor just pushes a game high on the list, hell in 2013, Tomb Raider made podium for that exact reason. This game though, falls just ever so short of the top three because of how little story there was. For the most part, it was just about a bunch of kids clearing an expansion of an MMO without any real strong opponent in the way, lest you count the guild who you compete with, which I don't. That said, the gameplay was incredibly fun and rewarding and the sidequests with characters which delved more into their backstory made it entirely worthwhile.
3. Rocket League. This is the first year where two games made it on to my list just because of how fun they were, and when it comes to fun, Rocket League had the most of it. I can't even tell you how many hours I poured into this game, but I can say I enjoyed, and in fact still enjoy it to death. I don't even mins most of the DLC because it's worth having. There's not really much to say about this game though because you've probably either played it, or seen people play it, and it really is as fun as they make it out to be.
2. Dragon Quest Hero's. I love, the Dragon Quest series. It is without a doubt one of my favorites. I had never played a game in the Dynasty Warriors series or spin-offs and I knew it was going to take something drastic for me to give it a go. Enter DQ Hero's. Every second I spent with it was a blast. It was amazing to see several of my favorite characters from previous games in this one, it was my greatest gaming moment this year when I got Eldric's blade, and I really understand now why people like these kinds of game. Playing Dragon Quest Hero's opened up a new genre for me, and for that, it get's my number two spot, with ease. Never mind the amazing world and forget the simple story, this is an ode to the fans that any real fan will not be able to get enough of, and that makes it great.
1. Yo-kai Watch. This one, as my favorite game of the year really surprised me. I loved it though. Simple story not withstanding, the game itself is a fun reminder of why it's okay to like games made for kids. Despite the odd mechanics, it's a really fun game. It's difficult in it's own right, it's the first game I played that made the stylus fun and the world itself is just a great place to spend time in. I can't say that about a lot of games, but something that level 5 does just make their worlds so much fun to be in, and that to me, makes a better game than anything else can. It's one of the few games I've played in this decade where my thoughts all focused around wanting more after beating it, and thankfully, there is a lot of post-game content I still need to finish, and I will love spending the time to do it, every second I go at it.
Those are my top 10 games of 2015, which is a list I didn't expect to make in that way, but I'm honestly glad I did, because really, this was a good year, and I left out a lot of games that almost made it. That said, some honorable mentions:
Corpse Party: Blood Drive
Batman: Arkham Knight
Etrain Odyssey Untold 2: The Fafnir Knight
J-Stars Victory VS +
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Xenoblade Chronicles
Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library and the Monster Seal
So, what's your top 10?