12-07-2016, 05:15 PM
This may be a bit early, but seeing as I am about to get my last game for the year, which means in the best case, I just have to move some numbers around, and seeing that I'm bored as hell right now, I thought I'd go ahead and start this. I'm gonna do things a little different this year, as I played a lot of games, and I mean, probably twice as many as the last two or three years, so rather than just having a definitive top 10 or 20 list or something like that, I'm going to make two lists. One will consist of everything from mobile games, to triple A titles excluding RPG's, because I feel like I can make one good top 10 list out of those alone from this year. I'm going to do the everything list first, not exactly sure how many games I'm going to put on it, and when I get done with that, the top 15 RPGs of the year will follow. Games that have some RPG elements but are not full on RPG's may end up on the first list though, unless I feel like they have enough RPG qualities to end up on the RPG list.
My personal rules this year are also going to be a bit different, as for the first time ever, I will include some remakes. However, these remakes have conditions, first and foremost, I cannot have played any other version of them in the past, to any extent or in any form, so say if DQ8's remake had come out this year, I wouldn't be able to include it, but DQ7 was new for me, so it might be on the list. Also, as another change, if a game came out to another system for the first time because a timed exclusive deal ended, it may not exactly be a remake, but I might include it if I didn't play the version of it that was timed. Also, it's not really a rule, but a fair warning, there will be some controversial entries here and when I explain why they are on my list, it may piss some of you off, but this is my opinion, and honestly I think people were too red in the face too much of the time this year over games, so I may shed some positive light on something that was incredibly hated, and I don't care if you agree. You are allowed to disagree with anything I have on here, just know, I won't change my opinion on it. Also, in case you couldn't tell, this will probably be my longest post ever so strap yourselves in for that. Finally, just because of the way games were released this year, two games from the same franchise may end up in one entry on this list, as several games had more than one come out for them at a time. However, these games must be direct sequels to one another creating one full plot, I won't have one game's spinoff combined with a main entry in the series. That's a lot of rules and a long intro, but with all of that out of the way, we can finally get this started.
20. Starting off the list, a controversial entry indeed, it's Mighty No. 9. We all know the complaints, the problem is, most of those complaints are either wrong, made in anger and are therefore lacking in logic, or not enough in my opinion, to bring the game down to the level so many want it to be at. I will say of course, the one complaint that is truly just, is the one about Wii U's being bricked, that's a huge issue, but you know what, larger games have done greater damage and gotten away with it, so I'm gonna let it slide enough to allow the game on the list. It feels like Mega man classic, if it were a bit faster than classic ever was. The level's and bosses are the right kind of hard, the story is about on par with anything Mega man classic, and the visuals, well, let's be honest, if they were 2D, they would have been called beautiful but because the game was 3D and didn't look like a current gen game, everyone latched on to that excuse to hate the game even more. I personally thought it was great. It does exactly what a Mega man game should do, and everybody missed that because they were looking for reasons to hate it, but as it turns out, if you look past that, you have a fun game worth playing.
19. Pokemon GO. The first and possibly only ever mobile game on my top games of the year list, Pokemon GO was, and is still, a lot of fun to play. Catching Pokemon in the wild is fun, and while I rarely mess with gyms anymore, they were still fun when I did. I don't play the game as much as I used to when it came out, because it came out at the time when most of the gaming community isn't play new games, but it was still fun then, and I'll even admit to playing it now. The fact that I've played it this long, is reason enough to stick it on this list.
18. Valley. I still haven't got to anything beyond what is basically indie level yet, I know, but there were a lot of great indie titles that I really enjoyed this year and Valley was one of my favorites. The game looked great for an Indie title, and the story was surprisingly interesting, but most of all, was the suit you had that gave you the ability to run faster than any human and jump higher than any animal we've ever known. I seriously used the stage select to go to the best areas in the game for running and jumping just to enjoy it from time to time. It never got old and I hope it becomes one of many games that uses this idea in the first person camera in the future. The setting of the game was also incredibly interesting, and using a world war era idea and modernizing it a bit when the main character comes to see it all after it happened was incredible. Even the audio logs in the game told a story so engaging that I wanted to continue just so I could find out what happened next to these characters of the past, and that had probably died in the time sense just based on how far apart me getting there was from the actual events. With all that I've said, your probably wondering why this isn't higher on the list, and the fact is, it's because is suffers from what I call, Assassin's Creed Syndrome which is when the story of what's happening now, is so much less interesting that what happened in the past, that I can't even remember the name of the character I played as most of the time. The game would have been way higher on the list if I had been playing those past events because they seemed a lot more interesting than what I was doing in the present. If there's a Valley 2 ever on the way, I want it to be in the past because I want to experience that.
17. Let It Die. Seems kind of weird to have a new game on the list that I've only had the pleasure of playing a short while, but it's actually because of that I really like this game as much as I do. I keep wanting to play it more and more. Just today I finally made it past the 1st floor and well into the 3rd one and it feels so good to progress in it like that. I love the way the game looks, how it doesn't take itself too seriously, how hard it is because it's the fun type of hard, and how many different weapons and enemies there are. The variety of the game makes it worth playing on it's own, but the fact that I want to stop making this list just so I can play it even more, is proof positive this rougelike game is amazing. I can't believe it's free, because it's probably the best free game I've played in a good long while save for another one coming up later on. I highly recommend it to everyone who sees this list.
16. Neverwinter. First game that's not an indie, technically. I mean, level 5 is the one who made it and I love it. It is actually an RPG, but I'm so jaded by most MMO's, I don't even consider them in the same genre anymore. It is nice that it has more action based elements that differ a bit from normal MMO's, and actually has some pretty good voice acting considering that it's free. It just came out on PS4 back in July and while I've only been playing it recently, I've really enjoyed it, and I probably will continue to for some time to come. It's just a good MMO game and the combat is solid, really making you pay if you're too aggressive. I went on one mission once where I had nearly 50 healing items and because I was aggressive to the point where I wasn't dodging attacks, even the ones I could, I almost ran out and things got really tight at the end, like I was actually going to fail despite all my hard work. The game has just the right amount of challenge to make it fun and different enemies using different attacks changes the style enough to keep in interesting. I think it's a game, worth playing.
15. Recore. The first Xbox exclusive on my list is one of my favorite Xbox games but I'll be honest, it's mostly because of the combat and the side missions, which are the things most likely to test your skills. In Recore, you can either attack an enemy that is weak to a certain type of ammo, or you can risk getting hit more and dodging more by hitting an enemy with the a color they aren't weak to. It's honestly fun to do both because nothing feels quite as good as dodging an enemy and finishing them off with an attack you know isn't going to do the most damage. A lot of people complained about the auto-aiming, but I didn't mind, because it got rid of the bad aiming controls most console games have to deal with, and allowed to have more fun in the combat. The side missions, particularly the dungeons were a total blast to go through. They would either be quick, fast-paced fun, or challenge your ability to platform in a game, which as someone who has been platforming for 20 plus years, U really enjoyed. The game would have actually ended up higher on the list, but the constant long loading times were bad enough that even I started getting annoyed with them, and I consider myself to be pretty patient with most things. Either way, the game is really fun and upgrading is simple and easy to understand, which a lot rarer than it should be. If you have an Xbox One, you should give Recore a go, because it's just fun, and sometimes that's all a game needs to be.
14. Abzu. If you liked Journey, you will like this game, plain and simple. It's a wonderful experience with great controls which can be hard for an underwater game to pull off. The story it tells isn't as obvious or quite as interesting as the one from Journey, but it's still an experience that anyone who has ever enjoyed great visuals and the ocean should look into playing. I won't spoil any of the better parts of the game, but man, swimming with the fishes never felt no natural, fun, and amazing. Taking time to just marvel at some of the wonders this game has in store is worth the price of admission alone, but the feeling you get from this game is euphoric much the same way as Journey was. Having played it a few times as well, I can say confidently, that replaying it, is still very enjoyable.
13. Inside. I'll be honest, I didn't like Limbo. I thought it was difficult in a way that just isn't fun, and I still think that even now. Inside though, took away the hard, annoying challenges that plagued Limbo and made something marvelous out of it. From the story, to the visuals, to either of the endings, and everything in-between, it was just great. I love the music as well, as it all really does a good job of getting every feeling across that it should as you play through it. There's also just something about a game made by the same team that is scarier than their last project without including a giant spider that makes it interesting. Inside scared the absolute crap out of me with the monster under the water and those crazy dogs chasing you all the time. After watching someone stream it, I played it myself, and even then, it was a great experience to have. Inside may be one of, if not the best indie titles ever. It's got my vote for this generation at least.
12. Quantum Break. This is a game that had a lot of people mixed on what to think. In the long run, most didn't like it because they thought it was too much cut-scene and not enough game, but I say if you can deal with the MGS series and it's horribly long cut-scenes, you can deal with this game. The show was also a pretty cool idea that I think was done quite well. As for the gameplay itself, it was really quite good. I enjoyed the gunplay in it. It felt right and natural and never got too old. Also the abilities you gain are a lot of fun to mess with. I do wish maybe that the game was a bit longer, but even with that in mind, I had fun with it, enough to go back and make the choices I didn't make the first time, even though some were actually really hard to go through with, like killing those students near the start of the game. It's not the best shooter/time travel game ever, but was one I'm glad I went through.
11. Dragonball Xenoverse 2. This game probably would have ended up a little higher on the list, but seriously, I'm tired of playing the same parts of DBZ stories again. A completely original story, where the characters from the show were DLC or characters you unlocked after beating the game would not only be a welcome change of pace, but a allow for a better story than what we got with this game. What really sells if for me, is the combat, because it doesn't allow you to rely too much on energy based attacks like the the first Xenoverse did a year and half or some change ago. Instead, your better off being in people's faces which makes the action feel more personal, and a little more dangerous as they can keep countering you forcing you to react fast to avoid damage. Also, it was really nice that parts of Dragonball Super and even DBZ that hadn't been touched on for years got moments in the spot light. It was also cool that they took the time to allow your previous character from Xenoverse 1 to be a part of the story, even as an NPC. The game isn't much of an improvement from the first but besides maybe changing up the story even more than these last two games did, there's not a lot of improving that needs to be done, and I for one am okay with what it is. Xenoverse 2 is an overall wonderful experience that really works well in a 3D fighting environment.
10. Dragon Quest Builders. DQ is always a favorite of mine, from the typical turn-based RPG's, to the monster collecting games to more action oriented games, DQ has done a lot of great things, and never has that been more obvious than recently, where despite never really marketing this year as 30th anniversary of the series, they've done quite a lot for it. Dragon Quest Builders was the console and Vita released game made for this year and it's actually a lot of fun. It doesn't have the greatest story in the DQ series, but the action based combat is done wonderfully, and despite the obvious attempt to imitate Minecraft, it's still a strong enough title to stand on it's own. The building aspect is difficult to grasp at first if you aren't that familiar with it, but once you start to understand it, it's a lot of fun and worth spending time on. I didn't manage sadly to build anything to out there during my time with the game, but I what I have done has inspired me to go back every now and again, to just enjoy the simple aspect of building.
9. Hyrule Warriors Legends. Talk about a fun and detailed game. Sure, if you really wanted to do everything, it meant a lot of grinding and repeating missions, but man was this a fun take on the Dynasty Warriors franchise. Using items from the franchise's most iconic to some left forgotten, playing as both minor and major characters, having different weapons types so characters could feel different even if you hadn't switched to another one, Hyrule Warriors Legends had it all, and gave players tons of reasons to go back to it. My only other real experience with this type of game is Dragon Quest Hero's, but this game had so many other options and side things to do that it's almost mind blowing. I spent hours just messing with new characters because it was fun. Going to Iconic locations while some of the best music from the past games plays as well was just cool. I'm amazed the Wii U version wasn't higher on most people's lists, because it's just simple fun. Maybe at some point the idea will ware thin and most people won't like these spin-off titles, but I feel like this game will create a lot of others like it, and I am okay with that. I want more like it.
8. Song of the Deep. Insomniac did a lot this year, releasing two games on console, one on VR and announcing Spider-man for PS4 to come out at a later date. Of those, I have played the two on console, and Song of the Deep was a great indie-style sort of game, where you would go along an underwater world exploring interesting locations and looking for the the father of a little girl who thought her's was lost somewhere in this wonderful world. The music for the game is what really set's it apart from other games like it, and that may be partially because it reminded a little of Spyro from back in the day, but either way, I enjoyed it thoroughly, and the combat was also a lot of fun. It was simple, but required you to be smart, so you couldn't charge headlong into anything at the start. The upgrading system was also easy to understand and fun to work with. The game all in all was a real blast, even though it was simple and I think anyone who enjoys simplistic but fun would also enjoy it.
7. Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20th Anniversary Edition. Now I didn't play this game on Xbox one, mostly because I figured and rightly so that the PS4 version would have a lot more content for the same price that Xbox one did, and man was it a good game. Back in 2013, a year that was topped by Ni No Kuni and The Last of Us, taking Bronze was Tomb Raider, because of how fun it simply was. This game ends up a bit lower on the list for reasons you will see as it goes on, but I really did enjoy it. The fun action from the first game in this reboot is there, the upgrading system is a lot of fun, despite being in the mountains instead of an island the game still feels really open, there's just a lot going on here and it all works really well. The side quests are also fun and a great way to get some of the better abilities. I was a little disappointed with the rewards for the tombs this time around, and honestly I wish there had been a few more times when Laura was with other people because she's just a little less interesting by herself, but all in all, it's still a very solid game that's lots of fun to play, and it's absolutely amazing to look at. I think I enjoyed it just a little bit less than the previous title, but I still might play it through once or twice more.
6. Attack On Titan. I never thought an anime game would be quite this high on a list this long but man does it belong here. If Valley was great for it's fast running and and high jumping and the like, AoT is amazing for it's fast flying through and soaring high above buildings and you blasted past them. The atmosphere of the game versus the anime is also spot on, though I do wish they would have shown some of the scene's from the show in-between parts where you fight to better set the stage. The action is fast paced though and getting caught by a titan is utterly terrifying. I love how they really put forth the effort to make different characters feel different when playing, and kept to their anime aspects as well. My favorite part about the whole experience though, was that weapons could dull, and you could run out of fuel, making it difficult to play certain parts of the game if you weren't being smart. It also gave a good reason to collect things as you needed certain items to make upgraded blades or better fuel reservoirs to make sure you didn't run out. Some of battles were also just on point from the anime. The visuals, a perfect recreation of the scene's they were based off of. W-Force works on the Dynasty Warriors games, but here, when they helped make a game with less foes, they did an excellent job. It was truly in their best interest to do this. I hope the second season comes out soon, and the second game follows quickly after it, because it was amazing.
5. Final Fantasy Explorers. What can I say about this one, it's a monster hunter style game that really does an excellent job at creating the feeling of Monster Hunter, except this time, you get to hunt Iconic monsters from the near 30 year history of the series. Having the option for multi-player on this game was also a smart move, and they did an excellent job of making new area's that fit the foes you were fighting. The game itself isn't too complicated but the fun aspect of it was insanely well done. The action was set just right, and the maps were made is such a way that they avoided being confusing which I for one can really appreciate as my lack of direction would get me lost in Monster Hunter sometimes but that was never a problem here. I played this game so much, that I never even ended up playing Monster Hunter Generations, because I got my fix for that kind of game largely here, and yet, there was still something else that really caught my eye. Either way, Explorers was stupid amounts of fun and I still go back to it from time to time just because of how fun it is.
4. Gears of War 4. While not my favorite game in the series, I think that belongs to Gears 3, and will for a long time unless 5 just blows me out of the water, and beat all expectations by miles, Gears 4 was a great game. It had an interesting story, it set up who I think will be my new favorite character in the series Kait, and it did an excellent job of setting up a sequel I want to play. The game using some of the horde aspects in the main story campaign was also a nice touch, because it really added to the tension of those parts of the game on top of the fear of dying. Outside of those moments was a lot of gameplay that was high action and good thrills and it ended with a really touching moment about Marcus understanding death and helping Kait to. If I'm being completely serious, Kait not only carries the whole game, but she pretty much has become one of favorite characters from this generation. Her ability to take no non-sense from anyone, but still be in tune with her emotions enough to not come off as callused or cold make for a really well rounded character and it came to a point for me where I really thought of her as the star of the show, and that I was just playing a part in her life, and I was okay with that. Kait wasn't the reason why I played the game, but she was the reason why I finished it. Also, the cover shooting mechanics are probably the best the series has ever seen outside of Gears 3 so that helps.
3. God Eater: Resurrection and God Eater 2: Rage Burst. These games fall into two of my rules as they are remakes and I'm counting them as one entry, but they aren't the only reason for this rule, but even if that were true, it would be enough of a reason to have made them. These games are fantastic in every sense of the word. They provide a good challenge, they make the weight of death feel as heavy as it should, they tell excellent stories, they looking amazing even though they were ported from handheld and I honestly think I spent more time playing them than I did any other game this year. They were simple amazing from start to finish and gave me a new respect for the Monster Hunter series and style, and they helped me understand exactly why those games aren't RPG's and why fans love them so much. I don't know that I'll ever get into Monster Hunter as much as some people do, but as far as God Eater goes, I am hooked. The main reason I've included them as one, is because I got them at the same time and I am so glad I did. Knowing the ending of the first one and not being able to immediately start the second one would have made me crazy. For me as well, these were more Sleeper hits than anything else, as I'd known about them since the PS4 port announcement, but never realized just exactly how much I would enjoy them until I started playing them. I've put over 200 hours into these wonderfully crafted games and wouldn't mind adding more to that. The characters in them are reason alone to play it but the perfect music and engaging combat and atmosphere make for a near-perfect experience. There's only two games that barely managed to squeeze by the God Eater games this year, and even though I'm making a separate list for RPG's these games would probably sit in the middle of them, even if I tend to be more RPG than anything else.
2. Ratchet and Clank. I never thought a reboot could be so much fun, even after Tomb Raider in 2013, but then enter Ratchet and Clank, one of the most beautiful and fun games I have ever played. The story is, pretty much the same as the first game, although with a few more modern jokes in them and only having Al as the character that modify's Clank, but otherwise, it's an excellent game. I like how Ratchet has a mentor character, I like that this around the nerdy character of Clank doesn't just immediately get along with the more action-based Ratchet, I like the fact that we actually see some of Quark's more low actions take a direct effect on the characters, and I like the fact that Ratchet joins the galactic rangers after he helps save them. The narrative of this game is just better the original, and despite relying almost entirely on the original game's story, the changes that are made better fit the characters. The weapons in the game are also fantastic, although I do wish that they had used a different version of the RYNO. The one they had just uses too much ammo, but it is powerful as I used it only in a new game plus since I missed a part of the plan the first time around and it worked incredibly well against the tougher enemies, including bosses. Seriously though, this might be my favorite Ratchet and Clank game to date and that's really hard to pull off considering how much I loved the Future series, and honestly look at those with higher regard than PS2 games.
1. Uncharted 4. We all knew this was coming. Naughty Dog and Insomniac have been my favorite devs since the OG PlayStation and that hasn't changed in all this time. Uncharted 4 is a clear cultivation of all the talent at Naughty Dog who worked on it really putting their all into the game. It looks, absolutely amazing, the controls are the best since Jak and Dexter 3, the areas you visit are just stunning to see and the story is probably the best the series has ever had. Seeing Sully still around and kicking, and even helping you was a nice touch, but really, everything great about the series as a whole coming together in this one game was a real treat. I like how certain parts of the game are a bit more open than they were in previous titles, I love the stealth element you can have, I like how the game really let's you have it if you make a mistake, and I like how smart the AI is in this game. Sure it'll miss a couple of obvious things, and when you have water around you, it's a bit easier to lose them. but the AI here, like many things in this game, is the best the series has ever done. It's amazing too how much they made me like Nadine even though she seemed so insufferable at the start. Also, Troy Baker really killed it as Nate's older brother and they bounced off of each other really well. The game also did a good job of making consequences between Nate's lying to Elena mean something and it cultivated to really touching moment for them at one point. Also, the part at the end when you play as Nate's and Elena's child was really touching. All in all, it was just a really good game and I am glad I played it, more than once even. Uncharted 4, for me, was the best game of the year outside of RPG's, but also even with those included, it poses some pretty stiff competition. I've recommended a lot of games I've played on this list, but there are few I would recommend more than Uncharted 4. It really is that good.
Well no reason to relist the rules, here are my top 15 RPG's of 2016.
15. World of Final Fantasy. Unlike the top 20 list I just did, where picking the starting game was really easy, here it was more of a challenge because I am excluding a few games by putting this one at the start. That said, World of Final Fantasy is an excellent fan service game with a decent plot to match, and the proper voice actors that have been established for characters that have gained voices since their games where there wasn't any voice acting. It is a little weird that in a game titled World of Final Fantasy, that a few games in the main series weren't included, even more so, because the cast here isn't just Final Fantasy's main characters. With that in mind, World of Final Fantasy is love letter of sorts for long time fans of the series, while still managing to have a new and interesting combat system in it, and actually spicing up the capture feature from other monster collecting games but making it so that just lowering an enemy's HP isn't always enough to capture it. The game also has a fair amount of funny moments but there's some dialogue that isn't great. It's also not the best story I've seen tagged onto the FF games, but that's why it's at the bottom of this list, it's not perfect, but it is the best place to get started.
14. Gurumin 3D. This game has an interesting history. First was a PC title, and then it was ported to the PSP then after several years of laying dormant, it was brought to the 3DS. I didn't even know this game was coming out until Gamescom and even then I never saw a release date for it. Imagine my surprise when it was suddenly on the 3DS eshop. I wanted to play it so I bought it, gave it a go, and I really like it. The main character is kind of a jerk, and kind of like World of Final Fantasy, it doesn't have the best story, but the gameplay is great. It actually can be pretty difficult, even more so if you're like me and want to go back to areas you've already been through to get a better rating on them, and some better items. The combat in the game is a lot of fun as well, since it's proper action style combat, without trying to complicate things for no reason. The bosses kind of play like Mega Man Legends or early 3D Sonic bosses where you have to do things like jump on to platforms that only stay in place so long or aim attacks like you're about to do a spin-dash attack on some rings. It's obvious the game was made several years ago, but it's charming like a level 5 title. It may not be for everyone, but for what it was, I really enjoyed it.
13. Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness. Man did I ever want this game when I first saw it was coming westside. For the most part, I'm glad I got it as well. It was beautiful, the action based combat is so good that even Final Fantasy XV wasn't quite as enjoyable for me, but there were two huge problems. First off, the lack of areas to go to. Even on the PS2 version had more to explore and went to different planets, but this game, doesn't do that. You are stuck to the same planet the entire time and while it's a fun planet to explore, it's a solid reminder of the other issue I have with this game, and that's how short the story is. It's not a bad story, it's just rushed. With those two complaints, you're probably wondering why I would put this game on my list at all, and the reason is simply gorgeous places to explore and honestly, the best combat any action RPG I've ever played has had. Also, there were some touching moments between the main characters that really endeared them to me. If the game has just been a bit longer and had a little more to explore, it would have ended up on the top 3 of this list easy. Here's hoping the next game gets that art right.
12. Project X Zone 2. This has been a year of great sequels and Project X Zone 2 was a great start of the year to let us know that. Gone are the eking bits of repeating the story for any new characters joining your party that took up far too much from the first game. In it's place, a better story was made that makes the obvious fan service make a lot more sense. The improved combat is also greatly appreciated as the game feels more like the fighting game/RPG hybrid it was trying to be the first time around. Another great addition, are the new characters they added in like one of my personal favorites, Haseo who actually changes the fighting considerably on his own since he has all his different weapon types. Project X Zone as a series, still isn't perfect, but nearly everything that made the first game feel slow and repetitive is gone and in their place, the ability to make a truly great cross-over franchise the likes that RPG's have never seen. Maybe next time, they can try to get a few more companies involved and see what happens when a slue of new characters enter the fight. Either way, this sequel was a step in the right direction, and I for one, I'm glad I stuck around to see it through.
11. 7th Dragon III: Code VFD. This is what happens when Sega rightly uses Atlus' better qualities combined with their own talents to make one game, a more light-hearted version of a Shin Megami Tensei game. The combat is fairly similar to Shin Megami, but that's not a bad thing at all. Your characters are also kind of a blank slate but that to works in your favor. Even though the combat is turn-based, characters are given special abilities to up their stats for a period of time not unlike a Tension mode from a Dragon Quest game, and of course they specials beyond just that like Magic and multi-hitting moves popular in Shin Megami games. The story is also pretty solid, dealing with people who are tasked with trying to save the world and the obvious difficulty that would come with that. I also love the idea of traveling to different times to defeat the enemies whose power you need to defeat the one that would lay the world to ruin. The game also has several side-quests with more minor characters that really allows you to get to know them better, which is of course, always a welcome addition to any game. The style is also really interesting to look at and the musical accompaniment is a perfect balance at almost every turn to make it flow nicely. It's not my favorite game ever, obviously given it's ranking, but it leaves me hopeful that we'll more like it, because I would love for that to happen.
10. Dragon Ball Fusions. Lots of fan service games here this year, but seriously, they are well earned this time around, and among all of them. DB fusions is probably the best. It's not exactly a complicated story as it's mostly just about gathering a team to fight a group of opponents that are competing as a universal martial arts tournament and it doesn't really go far beyond that. However, it's followed by one of the most engaging strategy style fighting systems I've ever seen. Its seems pretty simple up front, but different enemies will be placed differently which switches up your locations as well, and with the constant threat of at least taking damage to a ring out, to actually losing a character for the rest of a fight they get a ring out, it really does require some smart thinking. Some characters are made more for distance attacking with beam and energy attacks but even they need to be moved around to protect themselves from oncoming attackers at times. The combat is also paced just right so that you never make a mistake because you felt the need to rush. Any mistake you make, is yours, and it feels like that, so it puts weight to your attacks and moves. Also, once you start getting stronger, and gathering different party members which give you different energy, you can unlock certain harder areas that give you greater rewards. There is but one downfall to this game, and that's recruiting people with different energy types as it can take a long time to get them. All in all though, DB fusions is fun and engaging game that any fan would probably greatly enjoy.
9. The Legend of Hero's Trails of Cold Steel I and II. Again I'm combing games here for one entry, largely because I didn't play the first game the day it released, but rather about a month later in January and then of course I played II right out of the gate of it's North American release. I have to say, for a game series I got into solely because it reminded me of Persona, Trails of Cold Steel really did a great job of becoming it's own game. Yes, the battle system is very slightly like Persona and the relationship building a very similar, but the game series as a whole so far, has really stood on it's own. The story of the game, is about an incoming war of old ideals versus new ones, and you play as characters that would have a hand in both sides of the conflict, and one that's sadly dragged into it because of where they live. In the first game, the war doesn't really break out and is about building relationships with a cast of absolutely wonderful characters that could stand up to Persona at any day of the week. The relationships cultivating from one game to the next is also really appreciated and leads to some really nice feel good moments for the characters. I can't help but feel some of the things they feel whether events are hitting an all time low or high but the range of emotions and the story being told here is just amazing and well worth getting into if you have a Vita or PS3. I'm amazed these games aren't more popular, they are some of the best from this decade, and I can't wait to see how they end.
8. Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. Talk about a great game I'm sorry I missed back in the day. This game was released on the PS1 for it's original release and was just recently released on the 3DS following a petition made by France to see the game and it's sequel brought to the west when plans were not originally there to do that. I for one, am so glad they did it to because DQ7 is phenomenal. Everything from the concept of it to it's brilliant execution is on point. It would have ended up a little higher on this list, but that's just a testament to how great a year this was for RPG's. The combat that made Dragon Quest so much fun for 30 years is alive and well here and the story while a bit stereotypical is a reminder of why that isn't a bad thing. It's a long game for sure, probably the longest solo title I played all year, but it's well worth it, and becomes a lot more fun when you get to the point where you can change your class and really spice up combat and mess with your stats. As a fan DQ, I am sad I missed this title back in the day, but also glad that I got to play it now. It's well worth it.
7. Pokemon Sun and Moon. Another entry where I will be looking at both games because hey, I bought, played, and beat both and I'm still playing them now(get used to that by the way). There's not really much that separates one from another but they are both a lot of fun. The new mechanic's, the new pokemon, the new system in place of badges is not only welcomed but enjoyable to a fault. I really liked the story as well, and like many others will say, it's one of the best Pokemon has ever done. The post game is also a lot of fun, but first you have to get through the marvelous main story full of wonderful moments for Pokemon fans. This is a great mixture of new and old coming together to make one of the best experience's in the franchise's 20 year history. I won't harp on it too much because I've already reviewed it, but they are games worth checking out and I highly suggest you do.
6. Yokai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls. In terms of quality, I find these two games to be just slightly above Sun and Moon. Not because they have a better story, because they don't, but because sometimes fun is all you need to really enjoy a game and these really bring that. The games aren't much different from the first one, you still have little control over your Yokai save for giving them items or having them use soultimates, but it's still seriously fun to fight things, and that's the main draw of these games. Also, it's a nice touch to allow the main character to meet a man who passed before they could ever meet in the current time as you get to visit the past, that man being in grandfather. The new Yokai are also a lot of fun and the side quests are better than they were in the first one by a long shot. It's just a testament to how good this year was that the game that topped my list last year ended up here instead.
5. I am Setsuna. This is one of the best games I ever played, it would be higher on my list, but again, the RPG's this year are just that good. I am Setsuna is an old-style RPG in the vain of Chrono Trigger and older Final Fantasy games. The art style of the game is a beautiful mixture of 3D graphics combined to 2D styles and to top it all off, it has some of the best music any game has ever had. I love the piano but to have most of the soundtrack just be the one Piano with a little flare from some other instruments from to time is amazing and I love how it managed to grab the feeling of the ever slightly changing locations and settings this game had. The constant snow is a beautiful way to show off the feelings and emotions of the characters as they really work with the background they are given. The story itself while a bit simple is also wonderfully done, and the combat is just so spot on that you can't help but all in love with it all. It may not be a great game for fans newer to the genre as the turn-based combat does bore some, but as someone who has never lost interest in this style of RPG, I can honestly say, I am Setsuna is one of the best games to fall into this style.
4. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse. Man what a great game. From the darker themes, to the engaging story, to some of the best combat in the Shin Megami series, it's a wonderfully dark experience that just sucks you in from start to finish. Also, I may be a little weird, but games that give me a sense of how far I've come are always nice, because sometimes you can get stuck and it's hard to know after that, and that for sure happens here. However, knowing when the game is most likely to conclude is really helpful. The combat mechanics in this game are simple, but absolutely a blast, I never got tired of fighting, even when I got stuck for a long period of time from one puzzle to another. The side areas are also a lot of fun, and there's something that makes exploring encouraging when you know you're about to get some great items for doing it. The voice acting is also top notch and the actors do a great job of getting their emotions across, although I do have to admit there was a bit of a disconnect when I kept hearing Nanako's voice from Persona 4 Golden coming from an adult all the time, but then when that character really comes into her own, you kind of forget that which just shows how much skill is there. The music is one of the best I've heard in recent years which isn't easy to do considering most of it has to be dark enough to fit what's going on. I love to that you sometimes have to make choices on the fly in combat that will make your party react a certain way. It really makes you feel like your in charge, and your party isn't shy about letting you know when you did something wrong or right, which creates great moment little moments of character interaction. Shin Megami Tensei has always been on the darker side of things, but I don't think it's ever been done quite so well.
3. Fire Emblem Fates: All three games. These games were fantastic. They told a great story, could create great challenge depending on which game you were playing, had great visuals throughout and were absolutely filled with wonderful combat. For those of you who may have seen it, I once praised Fire Emblem Awakening as being the best modern RPG of our time, because it brought me back to the tactical RPG so you would think the sequel would fall into the first spot this year without a problem, but sadly it has to come up a little short because Fates is just a little to much like it's predecessor in that it feels too much the same. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but the reason it is, is because Awakening was such a new and great step for the series, and I think this game relied just a little too much on that and re-used too much of it as a result. That said, it's still an absolutely wonderful experience because the formula of Awakening is still wonderful, and the changes that are here, such as being the main character for once, give it enough to make it stand on it's own, even if while playing Fates three titles, I still kept thinking about experiences I had from the last game. This is by far, one of the best in 2016, among all games, and probably would have been if it was just a little more of it's own thing.
2. Final Fantasy XV. I won't talk about this one for too long, I just barely reviewed it recently, but I loved this game. It had great music, an engaging story, it was just a lot fun to play the post game content is a great test of your skills and the visuals are absolutely stunning. It's a short game, not much longer than Pokemon, but every second I've spent in it so far has been amazing. As a fan of the series since way back during the FF4 days, I can honestly say, this is probably the best Final Fantasy has ever done in terms of a 3D title, save for FF9, which is my favorite game in the series. I could see a lot of cynics taking issue with it, but this whole list has been made up of me just looking at games as they are, instead of looking for what's wrong with them, and in that sense, FFXV is one of the best we've had this year.
1. Bravely Second: End Layer. This game is not only my favorite RPG of the year, but also my favorite game of the year. It has amazing visuals, it's the best representation of how to do a sequel right, and it's just so much more fun that the first game. I was in the camp of not liking the Bravely Default system too much, because it made battles too easy and required a lot of grinding. Bravely Second puts that problem to bed by asking you to try and defeat all foes at once so you can chain battles together and multiply your EXP. Not only does that system allow for a higher level of strategy, it encourages you to move your characters into different classes to make it easier to chain as many battles as possible together. This also eliminates any need for grinding to get past the more difficult battles, which in turn keeps the pace of the story going smoothly. The voice acting is also a lot better, and the story in general is really sincere and calculated, and does an excellent job of wrapping up character arcs from the previous game as well as for the new characters. If there's ever another game in this series, I want it to be with all new characters, because everyone was wrapped up so nicely in the end, that changing anything about them would actually be greatly upsetting. The music in the game, is by far the best I've seen in an RPG this year, never missing the tone of the game, and it's incredibly smart how well the story mashes together with the music, one never missing a beat from the other. There are a few stereotypes in this game, and the end is really sappy for a few moments in the end, but even that rolls up together nicely. What I like almost more than anything else, is that even small characters who have little time on screen or to do with the story still get moments where you get to understand them more creating some great character development the likes of which only a few games have ever done. If there was a perfect game that came out this year, Bravely Second: End Layer was it. I cannot suggest you play this game enough.
So there's my list of 35 total games I played this year, dishonorable mentions going to Street Fighter V and SAO: Hollow realization who both belong on a disappointed list, but that's just about everything I played that I thought was worth a mention. Feel free to make your own lists, as I for sure missed a lot of games that came out this year, and if you actually read all that, then good on ya, because I will admit to having stopped a few times just to collect my thoughts make sure I didn't rush anything out. Let me know what your top games were.
My personal rules this year are also going to be a bit different, as for the first time ever, I will include some remakes. However, these remakes have conditions, first and foremost, I cannot have played any other version of them in the past, to any extent or in any form, so say if DQ8's remake had come out this year, I wouldn't be able to include it, but DQ7 was new for me, so it might be on the list. Also, as another change, if a game came out to another system for the first time because a timed exclusive deal ended, it may not exactly be a remake, but I might include it if I didn't play the version of it that was timed. Also, it's not really a rule, but a fair warning, there will be some controversial entries here and when I explain why they are on my list, it may piss some of you off, but this is my opinion, and honestly I think people were too red in the face too much of the time this year over games, so I may shed some positive light on something that was incredibly hated, and I don't care if you agree. You are allowed to disagree with anything I have on here, just know, I won't change my opinion on it. Also, in case you couldn't tell, this will probably be my longest post ever so strap yourselves in for that. Finally, just because of the way games were released this year, two games from the same franchise may end up in one entry on this list, as several games had more than one come out for them at a time. However, these games must be direct sequels to one another creating one full plot, I won't have one game's spinoff combined with a main entry in the series. That's a lot of rules and a long intro, but with all of that out of the way, we can finally get this started.
20. Starting off the list, a controversial entry indeed, it's Mighty No. 9. We all know the complaints, the problem is, most of those complaints are either wrong, made in anger and are therefore lacking in logic, or not enough in my opinion, to bring the game down to the level so many want it to be at. I will say of course, the one complaint that is truly just, is the one about Wii U's being bricked, that's a huge issue, but you know what, larger games have done greater damage and gotten away with it, so I'm gonna let it slide enough to allow the game on the list. It feels like Mega man classic, if it were a bit faster than classic ever was. The level's and bosses are the right kind of hard, the story is about on par with anything Mega man classic, and the visuals, well, let's be honest, if they were 2D, they would have been called beautiful but because the game was 3D and didn't look like a current gen game, everyone latched on to that excuse to hate the game even more. I personally thought it was great. It does exactly what a Mega man game should do, and everybody missed that because they were looking for reasons to hate it, but as it turns out, if you look past that, you have a fun game worth playing.
19. Pokemon GO. The first and possibly only ever mobile game on my top games of the year list, Pokemon GO was, and is still, a lot of fun to play. Catching Pokemon in the wild is fun, and while I rarely mess with gyms anymore, they were still fun when I did. I don't play the game as much as I used to when it came out, because it came out at the time when most of the gaming community isn't play new games, but it was still fun then, and I'll even admit to playing it now. The fact that I've played it this long, is reason enough to stick it on this list.
18. Valley. I still haven't got to anything beyond what is basically indie level yet, I know, but there were a lot of great indie titles that I really enjoyed this year and Valley was one of my favorites. The game looked great for an Indie title, and the story was surprisingly interesting, but most of all, was the suit you had that gave you the ability to run faster than any human and jump higher than any animal we've ever known. I seriously used the stage select to go to the best areas in the game for running and jumping just to enjoy it from time to time. It never got old and I hope it becomes one of many games that uses this idea in the first person camera in the future. The setting of the game was also incredibly interesting, and using a world war era idea and modernizing it a bit when the main character comes to see it all after it happened was incredible. Even the audio logs in the game told a story so engaging that I wanted to continue just so I could find out what happened next to these characters of the past, and that had probably died in the time sense just based on how far apart me getting there was from the actual events. With all that I've said, your probably wondering why this isn't higher on the list, and the fact is, it's because is suffers from what I call, Assassin's Creed Syndrome which is when the story of what's happening now, is so much less interesting that what happened in the past, that I can't even remember the name of the character I played as most of the time. The game would have been way higher on the list if I had been playing those past events because they seemed a lot more interesting than what I was doing in the present. If there's a Valley 2 ever on the way, I want it to be in the past because I want to experience that.
17. Let It Die. Seems kind of weird to have a new game on the list that I've only had the pleasure of playing a short while, but it's actually because of that I really like this game as much as I do. I keep wanting to play it more and more. Just today I finally made it past the 1st floor and well into the 3rd one and it feels so good to progress in it like that. I love the way the game looks, how it doesn't take itself too seriously, how hard it is because it's the fun type of hard, and how many different weapons and enemies there are. The variety of the game makes it worth playing on it's own, but the fact that I want to stop making this list just so I can play it even more, is proof positive this rougelike game is amazing. I can't believe it's free, because it's probably the best free game I've played in a good long while save for another one coming up later on. I highly recommend it to everyone who sees this list.
16. Neverwinter. First game that's not an indie, technically. I mean, level 5 is the one who made it and I love it. It is actually an RPG, but I'm so jaded by most MMO's, I don't even consider them in the same genre anymore. It is nice that it has more action based elements that differ a bit from normal MMO's, and actually has some pretty good voice acting considering that it's free. It just came out on PS4 back in July and while I've only been playing it recently, I've really enjoyed it, and I probably will continue to for some time to come. It's just a good MMO game and the combat is solid, really making you pay if you're too aggressive. I went on one mission once where I had nearly 50 healing items and because I was aggressive to the point where I wasn't dodging attacks, even the ones I could, I almost ran out and things got really tight at the end, like I was actually going to fail despite all my hard work. The game has just the right amount of challenge to make it fun and different enemies using different attacks changes the style enough to keep in interesting. I think it's a game, worth playing.
15. Recore. The first Xbox exclusive on my list is one of my favorite Xbox games but I'll be honest, it's mostly because of the combat and the side missions, which are the things most likely to test your skills. In Recore, you can either attack an enemy that is weak to a certain type of ammo, or you can risk getting hit more and dodging more by hitting an enemy with the a color they aren't weak to. It's honestly fun to do both because nothing feels quite as good as dodging an enemy and finishing them off with an attack you know isn't going to do the most damage. A lot of people complained about the auto-aiming, but I didn't mind, because it got rid of the bad aiming controls most console games have to deal with, and allowed to have more fun in the combat. The side missions, particularly the dungeons were a total blast to go through. They would either be quick, fast-paced fun, or challenge your ability to platform in a game, which as someone who has been platforming for 20 plus years, U really enjoyed. The game would have actually ended up higher on the list, but the constant long loading times were bad enough that even I started getting annoyed with them, and I consider myself to be pretty patient with most things. Either way, the game is really fun and upgrading is simple and easy to understand, which a lot rarer than it should be. If you have an Xbox One, you should give Recore a go, because it's just fun, and sometimes that's all a game needs to be.
14. Abzu. If you liked Journey, you will like this game, plain and simple. It's a wonderful experience with great controls which can be hard for an underwater game to pull off. The story it tells isn't as obvious or quite as interesting as the one from Journey, but it's still an experience that anyone who has ever enjoyed great visuals and the ocean should look into playing. I won't spoil any of the better parts of the game, but man, swimming with the fishes never felt no natural, fun, and amazing. Taking time to just marvel at some of the wonders this game has in store is worth the price of admission alone, but the feeling you get from this game is euphoric much the same way as Journey was. Having played it a few times as well, I can say confidently, that replaying it, is still very enjoyable.
13. Inside. I'll be honest, I didn't like Limbo. I thought it was difficult in a way that just isn't fun, and I still think that even now. Inside though, took away the hard, annoying challenges that plagued Limbo and made something marvelous out of it. From the story, to the visuals, to either of the endings, and everything in-between, it was just great. I love the music as well, as it all really does a good job of getting every feeling across that it should as you play through it. There's also just something about a game made by the same team that is scarier than their last project without including a giant spider that makes it interesting. Inside scared the absolute crap out of me with the monster under the water and those crazy dogs chasing you all the time. After watching someone stream it, I played it myself, and even then, it was a great experience to have. Inside may be one of, if not the best indie titles ever. It's got my vote for this generation at least.
12. Quantum Break. This is a game that had a lot of people mixed on what to think. In the long run, most didn't like it because they thought it was too much cut-scene and not enough game, but I say if you can deal with the MGS series and it's horribly long cut-scenes, you can deal with this game. The show was also a pretty cool idea that I think was done quite well. As for the gameplay itself, it was really quite good. I enjoyed the gunplay in it. It felt right and natural and never got too old. Also the abilities you gain are a lot of fun to mess with. I do wish maybe that the game was a bit longer, but even with that in mind, I had fun with it, enough to go back and make the choices I didn't make the first time, even though some were actually really hard to go through with, like killing those students near the start of the game. It's not the best shooter/time travel game ever, but was one I'm glad I went through.
11. Dragonball Xenoverse 2. This game probably would have ended up a little higher on the list, but seriously, I'm tired of playing the same parts of DBZ stories again. A completely original story, where the characters from the show were DLC or characters you unlocked after beating the game would not only be a welcome change of pace, but a allow for a better story than what we got with this game. What really sells if for me, is the combat, because it doesn't allow you to rely too much on energy based attacks like the the first Xenoverse did a year and half or some change ago. Instead, your better off being in people's faces which makes the action feel more personal, and a little more dangerous as they can keep countering you forcing you to react fast to avoid damage. Also, it was really nice that parts of Dragonball Super and even DBZ that hadn't been touched on for years got moments in the spot light. It was also cool that they took the time to allow your previous character from Xenoverse 1 to be a part of the story, even as an NPC. The game isn't much of an improvement from the first but besides maybe changing up the story even more than these last two games did, there's not a lot of improving that needs to be done, and I for one am okay with what it is. Xenoverse 2 is an overall wonderful experience that really works well in a 3D fighting environment.
10. Dragon Quest Builders. DQ is always a favorite of mine, from the typical turn-based RPG's, to the monster collecting games to more action oriented games, DQ has done a lot of great things, and never has that been more obvious than recently, where despite never really marketing this year as 30th anniversary of the series, they've done quite a lot for it. Dragon Quest Builders was the console and Vita released game made for this year and it's actually a lot of fun. It doesn't have the greatest story in the DQ series, but the action based combat is done wonderfully, and despite the obvious attempt to imitate Minecraft, it's still a strong enough title to stand on it's own. The building aspect is difficult to grasp at first if you aren't that familiar with it, but once you start to understand it, it's a lot of fun and worth spending time on. I didn't manage sadly to build anything to out there during my time with the game, but I what I have done has inspired me to go back every now and again, to just enjoy the simple aspect of building.
9. Hyrule Warriors Legends. Talk about a fun and detailed game. Sure, if you really wanted to do everything, it meant a lot of grinding and repeating missions, but man was this a fun take on the Dynasty Warriors franchise. Using items from the franchise's most iconic to some left forgotten, playing as both minor and major characters, having different weapons types so characters could feel different even if you hadn't switched to another one, Hyrule Warriors Legends had it all, and gave players tons of reasons to go back to it. My only other real experience with this type of game is Dragon Quest Hero's, but this game had so many other options and side things to do that it's almost mind blowing. I spent hours just messing with new characters because it was fun. Going to Iconic locations while some of the best music from the past games plays as well was just cool. I'm amazed the Wii U version wasn't higher on most people's lists, because it's just simple fun. Maybe at some point the idea will ware thin and most people won't like these spin-off titles, but I feel like this game will create a lot of others like it, and I am okay with that. I want more like it.
8. Song of the Deep. Insomniac did a lot this year, releasing two games on console, one on VR and announcing Spider-man for PS4 to come out at a later date. Of those, I have played the two on console, and Song of the Deep was a great indie-style sort of game, where you would go along an underwater world exploring interesting locations and looking for the the father of a little girl who thought her's was lost somewhere in this wonderful world. The music for the game is what really set's it apart from other games like it, and that may be partially because it reminded a little of Spyro from back in the day, but either way, I enjoyed it thoroughly, and the combat was also a lot of fun. It was simple, but required you to be smart, so you couldn't charge headlong into anything at the start. The upgrading system was also easy to understand and fun to work with. The game all in all was a real blast, even though it was simple and I think anyone who enjoys simplistic but fun would also enjoy it.
7. Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20th Anniversary Edition. Now I didn't play this game on Xbox one, mostly because I figured and rightly so that the PS4 version would have a lot more content for the same price that Xbox one did, and man was it a good game. Back in 2013, a year that was topped by Ni No Kuni and The Last of Us, taking Bronze was Tomb Raider, because of how fun it simply was. This game ends up a bit lower on the list for reasons you will see as it goes on, but I really did enjoy it. The fun action from the first game in this reboot is there, the upgrading system is a lot of fun, despite being in the mountains instead of an island the game still feels really open, there's just a lot going on here and it all works really well. The side quests are also fun and a great way to get some of the better abilities. I was a little disappointed with the rewards for the tombs this time around, and honestly I wish there had been a few more times when Laura was with other people because she's just a little less interesting by herself, but all in all, it's still a very solid game that's lots of fun to play, and it's absolutely amazing to look at. I think I enjoyed it just a little bit less than the previous title, but I still might play it through once or twice more.
6. Attack On Titan. I never thought an anime game would be quite this high on a list this long but man does it belong here. If Valley was great for it's fast running and and high jumping and the like, AoT is amazing for it's fast flying through and soaring high above buildings and you blasted past them. The atmosphere of the game versus the anime is also spot on, though I do wish they would have shown some of the scene's from the show in-between parts where you fight to better set the stage. The action is fast paced though and getting caught by a titan is utterly terrifying. I love how they really put forth the effort to make different characters feel different when playing, and kept to their anime aspects as well. My favorite part about the whole experience though, was that weapons could dull, and you could run out of fuel, making it difficult to play certain parts of the game if you weren't being smart. It also gave a good reason to collect things as you needed certain items to make upgraded blades or better fuel reservoirs to make sure you didn't run out. Some of battles were also just on point from the anime. The visuals, a perfect recreation of the scene's they were based off of. W-Force works on the Dynasty Warriors games, but here, when they helped make a game with less foes, they did an excellent job. It was truly in their best interest to do this. I hope the second season comes out soon, and the second game follows quickly after it, because it was amazing.
5. Final Fantasy Explorers. What can I say about this one, it's a monster hunter style game that really does an excellent job at creating the feeling of Monster Hunter, except this time, you get to hunt Iconic monsters from the near 30 year history of the series. Having the option for multi-player on this game was also a smart move, and they did an excellent job of making new area's that fit the foes you were fighting. The game itself isn't too complicated but the fun aspect of it was insanely well done. The action was set just right, and the maps were made is such a way that they avoided being confusing which I for one can really appreciate as my lack of direction would get me lost in Monster Hunter sometimes but that was never a problem here. I played this game so much, that I never even ended up playing Monster Hunter Generations, because I got my fix for that kind of game largely here, and yet, there was still something else that really caught my eye. Either way, Explorers was stupid amounts of fun and I still go back to it from time to time just because of how fun it is.
4. Gears of War 4. While not my favorite game in the series, I think that belongs to Gears 3, and will for a long time unless 5 just blows me out of the water, and beat all expectations by miles, Gears 4 was a great game. It had an interesting story, it set up who I think will be my new favorite character in the series Kait, and it did an excellent job of setting up a sequel I want to play. The game using some of the horde aspects in the main story campaign was also a nice touch, because it really added to the tension of those parts of the game on top of the fear of dying. Outside of those moments was a lot of gameplay that was high action and good thrills and it ended with a really touching moment about Marcus understanding death and helping Kait to. If I'm being completely serious, Kait not only carries the whole game, but she pretty much has become one of favorite characters from this generation. Her ability to take no non-sense from anyone, but still be in tune with her emotions enough to not come off as callused or cold make for a really well rounded character and it came to a point for me where I really thought of her as the star of the show, and that I was just playing a part in her life, and I was okay with that. Kait wasn't the reason why I played the game, but she was the reason why I finished it. Also, the cover shooting mechanics are probably the best the series has ever seen outside of Gears 3 so that helps.
3. God Eater: Resurrection and God Eater 2: Rage Burst. These games fall into two of my rules as they are remakes and I'm counting them as one entry, but they aren't the only reason for this rule, but even if that were true, it would be enough of a reason to have made them. These games are fantastic in every sense of the word. They provide a good challenge, they make the weight of death feel as heavy as it should, they tell excellent stories, they looking amazing even though they were ported from handheld and I honestly think I spent more time playing them than I did any other game this year. They were simple amazing from start to finish and gave me a new respect for the Monster Hunter series and style, and they helped me understand exactly why those games aren't RPG's and why fans love them so much. I don't know that I'll ever get into Monster Hunter as much as some people do, but as far as God Eater goes, I am hooked. The main reason I've included them as one, is because I got them at the same time and I am so glad I did. Knowing the ending of the first one and not being able to immediately start the second one would have made me crazy. For me as well, these were more Sleeper hits than anything else, as I'd known about them since the PS4 port announcement, but never realized just exactly how much I would enjoy them until I started playing them. I've put over 200 hours into these wonderfully crafted games and wouldn't mind adding more to that. The characters in them are reason alone to play it but the perfect music and engaging combat and atmosphere make for a near-perfect experience. There's only two games that barely managed to squeeze by the God Eater games this year, and even though I'm making a separate list for RPG's these games would probably sit in the middle of them, even if I tend to be more RPG than anything else.
2. Ratchet and Clank. I never thought a reboot could be so much fun, even after Tomb Raider in 2013, but then enter Ratchet and Clank, one of the most beautiful and fun games I have ever played. The story is, pretty much the same as the first game, although with a few more modern jokes in them and only having Al as the character that modify's Clank, but otherwise, it's an excellent game. I like how Ratchet has a mentor character, I like that this around the nerdy character of Clank doesn't just immediately get along with the more action-based Ratchet, I like the fact that we actually see some of Quark's more low actions take a direct effect on the characters, and I like the fact that Ratchet joins the galactic rangers after he helps save them. The narrative of this game is just better the original, and despite relying almost entirely on the original game's story, the changes that are made better fit the characters. The weapons in the game are also fantastic, although I do wish that they had used a different version of the RYNO. The one they had just uses too much ammo, but it is powerful as I used it only in a new game plus since I missed a part of the plan the first time around and it worked incredibly well against the tougher enemies, including bosses. Seriously though, this might be my favorite Ratchet and Clank game to date and that's really hard to pull off considering how much I loved the Future series, and honestly look at those with higher regard than PS2 games.
1. Uncharted 4. We all knew this was coming. Naughty Dog and Insomniac have been my favorite devs since the OG PlayStation and that hasn't changed in all this time. Uncharted 4 is a clear cultivation of all the talent at Naughty Dog who worked on it really putting their all into the game. It looks, absolutely amazing, the controls are the best since Jak and Dexter 3, the areas you visit are just stunning to see and the story is probably the best the series has ever had. Seeing Sully still around and kicking, and even helping you was a nice touch, but really, everything great about the series as a whole coming together in this one game was a real treat. I like how certain parts of the game are a bit more open than they were in previous titles, I love the stealth element you can have, I like how the game really let's you have it if you make a mistake, and I like how smart the AI is in this game. Sure it'll miss a couple of obvious things, and when you have water around you, it's a bit easier to lose them. but the AI here, like many things in this game, is the best the series has ever done. It's amazing too how much they made me like Nadine even though she seemed so insufferable at the start. Also, Troy Baker really killed it as Nate's older brother and they bounced off of each other really well. The game also did a good job of making consequences between Nate's lying to Elena mean something and it cultivated to really touching moment for them at one point. Also, the part at the end when you play as Nate's and Elena's child was really touching. All in all, it was just a really good game and I am glad I played it, more than once even. Uncharted 4, for me, was the best game of the year outside of RPG's, but also even with those included, it poses some pretty stiff competition. I've recommended a lot of games I've played on this list, but there are few I would recommend more than Uncharted 4. It really is that good.
Well no reason to relist the rules, here are my top 15 RPG's of 2016.
15. World of Final Fantasy. Unlike the top 20 list I just did, where picking the starting game was really easy, here it was more of a challenge because I am excluding a few games by putting this one at the start. That said, World of Final Fantasy is an excellent fan service game with a decent plot to match, and the proper voice actors that have been established for characters that have gained voices since their games where there wasn't any voice acting. It is a little weird that in a game titled World of Final Fantasy, that a few games in the main series weren't included, even more so, because the cast here isn't just Final Fantasy's main characters. With that in mind, World of Final Fantasy is love letter of sorts for long time fans of the series, while still managing to have a new and interesting combat system in it, and actually spicing up the capture feature from other monster collecting games but making it so that just lowering an enemy's HP isn't always enough to capture it. The game also has a fair amount of funny moments but there's some dialogue that isn't great. It's also not the best story I've seen tagged onto the FF games, but that's why it's at the bottom of this list, it's not perfect, but it is the best place to get started.
14. Gurumin 3D. This game has an interesting history. First was a PC title, and then it was ported to the PSP then after several years of laying dormant, it was brought to the 3DS. I didn't even know this game was coming out until Gamescom and even then I never saw a release date for it. Imagine my surprise when it was suddenly on the 3DS eshop. I wanted to play it so I bought it, gave it a go, and I really like it. The main character is kind of a jerk, and kind of like World of Final Fantasy, it doesn't have the best story, but the gameplay is great. It actually can be pretty difficult, even more so if you're like me and want to go back to areas you've already been through to get a better rating on them, and some better items. The combat in the game is a lot of fun as well, since it's proper action style combat, without trying to complicate things for no reason. The bosses kind of play like Mega Man Legends or early 3D Sonic bosses where you have to do things like jump on to platforms that only stay in place so long or aim attacks like you're about to do a spin-dash attack on some rings. It's obvious the game was made several years ago, but it's charming like a level 5 title. It may not be for everyone, but for what it was, I really enjoyed it.
13. Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness. Man did I ever want this game when I first saw it was coming westside. For the most part, I'm glad I got it as well. It was beautiful, the action based combat is so good that even Final Fantasy XV wasn't quite as enjoyable for me, but there were two huge problems. First off, the lack of areas to go to. Even on the PS2 version had more to explore and went to different planets, but this game, doesn't do that. You are stuck to the same planet the entire time and while it's a fun planet to explore, it's a solid reminder of the other issue I have with this game, and that's how short the story is. It's not a bad story, it's just rushed. With those two complaints, you're probably wondering why I would put this game on my list at all, and the reason is simply gorgeous places to explore and honestly, the best combat any action RPG I've ever played has had. Also, there were some touching moments between the main characters that really endeared them to me. If the game has just been a bit longer and had a little more to explore, it would have ended up on the top 3 of this list easy. Here's hoping the next game gets that art right.
12. Project X Zone 2. This has been a year of great sequels and Project X Zone 2 was a great start of the year to let us know that. Gone are the eking bits of repeating the story for any new characters joining your party that took up far too much from the first game. In it's place, a better story was made that makes the obvious fan service make a lot more sense. The improved combat is also greatly appreciated as the game feels more like the fighting game/RPG hybrid it was trying to be the first time around. Another great addition, are the new characters they added in like one of my personal favorites, Haseo who actually changes the fighting considerably on his own since he has all his different weapon types. Project X Zone as a series, still isn't perfect, but nearly everything that made the first game feel slow and repetitive is gone and in their place, the ability to make a truly great cross-over franchise the likes that RPG's have never seen. Maybe next time, they can try to get a few more companies involved and see what happens when a slue of new characters enter the fight. Either way, this sequel was a step in the right direction, and I for one, I'm glad I stuck around to see it through.
11. 7th Dragon III: Code VFD. This is what happens when Sega rightly uses Atlus' better qualities combined with their own talents to make one game, a more light-hearted version of a Shin Megami Tensei game. The combat is fairly similar to Shin Megami, but that's not a bad thing at all. Your characters are also kind of a blank slate but that to works in your favor. Even though the combat is turn-based, characters are given special abilities to up their stats for a period of time not unlike a Tension mode from a Dragon Quest game, and of course they specials beyond just that like Magic and multi-hitting moves popular in Shin Megami games. The story is also pretty solid, dealing with people who are tasked with trying to save the world and the obvious difficulty that would come with that. I also love the idea of traveling to different times to defeat the enemies whose power you need to defeat the one that would lay the world to ruin. The game also has several side-quests with more minor characters that really allows you to get to know them better, which is of course, always a welcome addition to any game. The style is also really interesting to look at and the musical accompaniment is a perfect balance at almost every turn to make it flow nicely. It's not my favorite game ever, obviously given it's ranking, but it leaves me hopeful that we'll more like it, because I would love for that to happen.
10. Dragon Ball Fusions. Lots of fan service games here this year, but seriously, they are well earned this time around, and among all of them. DB fusions is probably the best. It's not exactly a complicated story as it's mostly just about gathering a team to fight a group of opponents that are competing as a universal martial arts tournament and it doesn't really go far beyond that. However, it's followed by one of the most engaging strategy style fighting systems I've ever seen. Its seems pretty simple up front, but different enemies will be placed differently which switches up your locations as well, and with the constant threat of at least taking damage to a ring out, to actually losing a character for the rest of a fight they get a ring out, it really does require some smart thinking. Some characters are made more for distance attacking with beam and energy attacks but even they need to be moved around to protect themselves from oncoming attackers at times. The combat is also paced just right so that you never make a mistake because you felt the need to rush. Any mistake you make, is yours, and it feels like that, so it puts weight to your attacks and moves. Also, once you start getting stronger, and gathering different party members which give you different energy, you can unlock certain harder areas that give you greater rewards. There is but one downfall to this game, and that's recruiting people with different energy types as it can take a long time to get them. All in all though, DB fusions is fun and engaging game that any fan would probably greatly enjoy.
9. The Legend of Hero's Trails of Cold Steel I and II. Again I'm combing games here for one entry, largely because I didn't play the first game the day it released, but rather about a month later in January and then of course I played II right out of the gate of it's North American release. I have to say, for a game series I got into solely because it reminded me of Persona, Trails of Cold Steel really did a great job of becoming it's own game. Yes, the battle system is very slightly like Persona and the relationship building a very similar, but the game series as a whole so far, has really stood on it's own. The story of the game, is about an incoming war of old ideals versus new ones, and you play as characters that would have a hand in both sides of the conflict, and one that's sadly dragged into it because of where they live. In the first game, the war doesn't really break out and is about building relationships with a cast of absolutely wonderful characters that could stand up to Persona at any day of the week. The relationships cultivating from one game to the next is also really appreciated and leads to some really nice feel good moments for the characters. I can't help but feel some of the things they feel whether events are hitting an all time low or high but the range of emotions and the story being told here is just amazing and well worth getting into if you have a Vita or PS3. I'm amazed these games aren't more popular, they are some of the best from this decade, and I can't wait to see how they end.
8. Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. Talk about a great game I'm sorry I missed back in the day. This game was released on the PS1 for it's original release and was just recently released on the 3DS following a petition made by France to see the game and it's sequel brought to the west when plans were not originally there to do that. I for one, am so glad they did it to because DQ7 is phenomenal. Everything from the concept of it to it's brilliant execution is on point. It would have ended up a little higher on this list, but that's just a testament to how great a year this was for RPG's. The combat that made Dragon Quest so much fun for 30 years is alive and well here and the story while a bit stereotypical is a reminder of why that isn't a bad thing. It's a long game for sure, probably the longest solo title I played all year, but it's well worth it, and becomes a lot more fun when you get to the point where you can change your class and really spice up combat and mess with your stats. As a fan DQ, I am sad I missed this title back in the day, but also glad that I got to play it now. It's well worth it.
7. Pokemon Sun and Moon. Another entry where I will be looking at both games because hey, I bought, played, and beat both and I'm still playing them now(get used to that by the way). There's not really much that separates one from another but they are both a lot of fun. The new mechanic's, the new pokemon, the new system in place of badges is not only welcomed but enjoyable to a fault. I really liked the story as well, and like many others will say, it's one of the best Pokemon has ever done. The post game is also a lot of fun, but first you have to get through the marvelous main story full of wonderful moments for Pokemon fans. This is a great mixture of new and old coming together to make one of the best experience's in the franchise's 20 year history. I won't harp on it too much because I've already reviewed it, but they are games worth checking out and I highly suggest you do.
6. Yokai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls. In terms of quality, I find these two games to be just slightly above Sun and Moon. Not because they have a better story, because they don't, but because sometimes fun is all you need to really enjoy a game and these really bring that. The games aren't much different from the first one, you still have little control over your Yokai save for giving them items or having them use soultimates, but it's still seriously fun to fight things, and that's the main draw of these games. Also, it's a nice touch to allow the main character to meet a man who passed before they could ever meet in the current time as you get to visit the past, that man being in grandfather. The new Yokai are also a lot of fun and the side quests are better than they were in the first one by a long shot. It's just a testament to how good this year was that the game that topped my list last year ended up here instead.
5. I am Setsuna. This is one of the best games I ever played, it would be higher on my list, but again, the RPG's this year are just that good. I am Setsuna is an old-style RPG in the vain of Chrono Trigger and older Final Fantasy games. The art style of the game is a beautiful mixture of 3D graphics combined to 2D styles and to top it all off, it has some of the best music any game has ever had. I love the piano but to have most of the soundtrack just be the one Piano with a little flare from some other instruments from to time is amazing and I love how it managed to grab the feeling of the ever slightly changing locations and settings this game had. The constant snow is a beautiful way to show off the feelings and emotions of the characters as they really work with the background they are given. The story itself while a bit simple is also wonderfully done, and the combat is just so spot on that you can't help but all in love with it all. It may not be a great game for fans newer to the genre as the turn-based combat does bore some, but as someone who has never lost interest in this style of RPG, I can honestly say, I am Setsuna is one of the best games to fall into this style.
4. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse. Man what a great game. From the darker themes, to the engaging story, to some of the best combat in the Shin Megami series, it's a wonderfully dark experience that just sucks you in from start to finish. Also, I may be a little weird, but games that give me a sense of how far I've come are always nice, because sometimes you can get stuck and it's hard to know after that, and that for sure happens here. However, knowing when the game is most likely to conclude is really helpful. The combat mechanics in this game are simple, but absolutely a blast, I never got tired of fighting, even when I got stuck for a long period of time from one puzzle to another. The side areas are also a lot of fun, and there's something that makes exploring encouraging when you know you're about to get some great items for doing it. The voice acting is also top notch and the actors do a great job of getting their emotions across, although I do have to admit there was a bit of a disconnect when I kept hearing Nanako's voice from Persona 4 Golden coming from an adult all the time, but then when that character really comes into her own, you kind of forget that which just shows how much skill is there. The music is one of the best I've heard in recent years which isn't easy to do considering most of it has to be dark enough to fit what's going on. I love to that you sometimes have to make choices on the fly in combat that will make your party react a certain way. It really makes you feel like your in charge, and your party isn't shy about letting you know when you did something wrong or right, which creates great moment little moments of character interaction. Shin Megami Tensei has always been on the darker side of things, but I don't think it's ever been done quite so well.
3. Fire Emblem Fates: All three games. These games were fantastic. They told a great story, could create great challenge depending on which game you were playing, had great visuals throughout and were absolutely filled with wonderful combat. For those of you who may have seen it, I once praised Fire Emblem Awakening as being the best modern RPG of our time, because it brought me back to the tactical RPG so you would think the sequel would fall into the first spot this year without a problem, but sadly it has to come up a little short because Fates is just a little to much like it's predecessor in that it feels too much the same. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but the reason it is, is because Awakening was such a new and great step for the series, and I think this game relied just a little too much on that and re-used too much of it as a result. That said, it's still an absolutely wonderful experience because the formula of Awakening is still wonderful, and the changes that are here, such as being the main character for once, give it enough to make it stand on it's own, even if while playing Fates three titles, I still kept thinking about experiences I had from the last game. This is by far, one of the best in 2016, among all games, and probably would have been if it was just a little more of it's own thing.
2. Final Fantasy XV. I won't talk about this one for too long, I just barely reviewed it recently, but I loved this game. It had great music, an engaging story, it was just a lot fun to play the post game content is a great test of your skills and the visuals are absolutely stunning. It's a short game, not much longer than Pokemon, but every second I've spent in it so far has been amazing. As a fan of the series since way back during the FF4 days, I can honestly say, this is probably the best Final Fantasy has ever done in terms of a 3D title, save for FF9, which is my favorite game in the series. I could see a lot of cynics taking issue with it, but this whole list has been made up of me just looking at games as they are, instead of looking for what's wrong with them, and in that sense, FFXV is one of the best we've had this year.
1. Bravely Second: End Layer. This game is not only my favorite RPG of the year, but also my favorite game of the year. It has amazing visuals, it's the best representation of how to do a sequel right, and it's just so much more fun that the first game. I was in the camp of not liking the Bravely Default system too much, because it made battles too easy and required a lot of grinding. Bravely Second puts that problem to bed by asking you to try and defeat all foes at once so you can chain battles together and multiply your EXP. Not only does that system allow for a higher level of strategy, it encourages you to move your characters into different classes to make it easier to chain as many battles as possible together. This also eliminates any need for grinding to get past the more difficult battles, which in turn keeps the pace of the story going smoothly. The voice acting is also a lot better, and the story in general is really sincere and calculated, and does an excellent job of wrapping up character arcs from the previous game as well as for the new characters. If there's ever another game in this series, I want it to be with all new characters, because everyone was wrapped up so nicely in the end, that changing anything about them would actually be greatly upsetting. The music in the game, is by far the best I've seen in an RPG this year, never missing the tone of the game, and it's incredibly smart how well the story mashes together with the music, one never missing a beat from the other. There are a few stereotypes in this game, and the end is really sappy for a few moments in the end, but even that rolls up together nicely. What I like almost more than anything else, is that even small characters who have little time on screen or to do with the story still get moments where you get to understand them more creating some great character development the likes of which only a few games have ever done. If there was a perfect game that came out this year, Bravely Second: End Layer was it. I cannot suggest you play this game enough.
So there's my list of 35 total games I played this year, dishonorable mentions going to Street Fighter V and SAO: Hollow realization who both belong on a disappointed list, but that's just about everything I played that I thought was worth a mention. Feel free to make your own lists, as I for sure missed a lot of games that came out this year, and if you actually read all that, then good on ya, because I will admit to having stopped a few times just to collect my thoughts make sure I didn't rush anything out. Let me know what your top games were.
