Justin’s Top 5 Games of 2016
Everybody seems to hate 2016 like it’s Sauron; last year seemed like a dark, malevolent force that killed all of our favorite characters while creating weird orange goblins with bad hair and a lot of money. Everyone is hoping, desperately, that 2017 will somehow reset the world, and we won’t have to worry too much about certain world leaders plunging us into a dystopian Fallout-esq future of nuclear annihilation.
But for me, 2016 was a pretty good year.
Though I struggled a bunch of stuff, I accomplished a lot this year. I graduated from an intense college program that seemed impossible for me, I released my first short film (which everyone seemed to enjoy), and I even got my first grown-up job, with more opportunities on the horizon.
There were a lot of times where I felt like garbage, it comes with the territory when you’ve got depression and anxiety, but I kicked 2016’s ass.
But because I was so busy making huge changes in my life, I haven’t really been playing that many games.
So this year, I’m just going to talk about my favorite 5 games of the year, with a bunch of honorable mentions. These are in no particular order, and everything on this list is great and deserving of your attention.
Let’s start off with what some might call an odd pick for an award…
The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
Yes, this is an expansion pack. But The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine was so much fun and so jam-packed with adventure that I had to include it. The story both serves as a beautiful ending to The Witcher saga, while also being a damn fine tale on it’s own. Calling it an expansion pack is selling it short, it feels like a full sequel. But just having more “stuff” to do isn’t what makes a game special, it’s that every piece of content means something. So many other big budget games just put a bunch of endless fetch quests on a map and proudly brag about how jam-packed their game is (*cough*Final Fantasy XV*cough*). But even when the quests are simply fluff, Blood and Wine (and The Witcher 3) convinces you that everything you do counts for something, and rewards your patience with a fantastic tale. Nothing is wasted, everything matters. The Witcher 3 is one of my favorite RPGs of all time, and Blood and Wine somehow made it even better.
Dishonored 2
Even with all of the problems I have with the game, even with the lackluster story, Dishonored 2 just exhales beauty and excitement with it’s fantastic world and amazing design. Dishonored was my game of the year when it came out, and the sequel, while stumbling over a few hurtles, is still way ahead of it’s competition. The city of Karnaca is dark and unfamiliar, but also alive: Everything feels so full of life, so full of little details like diary entries or casual conversations, I couldn’t help fall in love with this world they’ve created. There’s a wide range of player abilities and weapons, the enemies almost feel sentient, and everything else about Dishonored 2 just screams with passion and a great attention to detail. Although it didn’t escape the shadow from the first game, sneaking around with magic powers to assassinate a corrupt official never felt so damn good.
That Dragon, Cancer
There were a lot of amazing indie titles this year, but none were able to pierce my heart quite like That Dragon, Cancer. I’m going to be very light on details, but it is essentially a interactive art installation, following a family as they try to deal with their son’s terminal cancer. The colorful yet simplistic art style and the symbolism helped me feel the heart wrenching pain this family went through. It’s a beautiful game that explores hope, faith, and loss in a way that very few games have dared to tackle. Please support the developers. They put their heart and soul into That Dragon, Cancer, and it deserves your time. I can’t say much more, just play it.
Overwatch
Yes, everybody and their dog, and even their dog’s chew toy, love this game. But believe the hype, because Overwatch just that good. It’s a great marriage of arena-style, fast paced shooting with the teamwork and tactical engagement of League of Legends. It’s rock-solid multiplayer and exceptionally designed characters made it a phenomena, and it’s just so darn fun. But the best part about Overwatch is the community that sprung up around it. Blizzard has done an amazing job in cultivating a great and inclusive fan base. While you’ll always find some jerks online, the fact that most of the players seemed fine with one of the main characters being gay, puts them leagues ahead of many other game communities out there. Blizzard has created a game that will be talked about for years to come.
Stardew Valley
The old RPG farming simulator of Harvest Moon has been perfected in Stardew Valley. First, the game’s characters, mechanics, and world have so much depth and passion that I became almost obsessed with it. The amount of time I’ve spent watering crops, battling monsters, and giving jars of mayonnaise to a girl in the hopes that she’ll fall in love with me, is bordering on obscene. It’s relaxing, fun, and engaging all at once. You can spend hours battling monsters, harvesting crops, or just fishing and everything just feels fine. It’s that cool, non-judgmental friend who just wants to hang out after work and listen to you talk about your day. Stardew Valley is a treat that everybody should enjoy.
And that’s it!
Below are some honorable mentions. These are games that would have been on this list, but I either didn’t have time to finish them or I thought they were good, but not great. They’re still worth your time, and they’re still worth a honorable mention.
Honorable Mentions
Most Frustrating Game that I Love Anyways
Dark Souls 3
Best Indie Games that I Haven’t Beaten Yet
Oxenfree. You can check out Albertine’s review of it here.
Inside.
The “I Will Play These Someday” Award.
Virginia.
Doom.
The “You Almost Had Something Great” Award
Final Fantasy XV.
Disagree with this list? Let me know what your Game of the Year was in the comments.
Happy new year. Hope 2017 is awesome for everyone.
