WingedKagouti on 30/12/2016 at 17:33
Games released for PC in 2016 I've played:
BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Dispair
Shadow Warrior 2
Street Fighter V
WWE 2k16
All of them are solid games that I have enjoyed playing. I have yet to play enough SFV to properly compare it to the others, but the weakest is IMO WWE 2k16 and that still gave me 80-ish hours of enjoyment. The remaining 4 are different enough that I don't feel I can properly say that one is definitively the best of them. Going by hours played, Dragon's Dogma wins out, but that also has to do with what kind of game it is. And while the DD combat is solid, the others have enough to make me want to play them over it for combat alone. BlazBlue is a rock solid fighting series and Chronophantasma is no exception. EDF has ridiculous weapons and scenarios, often leaving the city you're "protecting" a massive pile of rubble after you've gotten some better weapons and/or vehicles.
As far as Shadow Warrior 2 goes, it breaks away from the completely linear style of the reboot and adds randomized gems on top of it. But that just means it's fun to replay on higher difficulties since you can customize your weapons for the challenges ahead. Or you can just make a grenade launcher that empties an entire clip in a single shot and blankets the surrounding area with explosives. The melee combat is IMO noticably improved from the first game and the skill system helps customize your battle style even after levelling past 100.
Games I have yet to play, but own and definitely want to play:
Captain Forever Remix
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
Stories: The Path of Destinies
Edit: Forgot Overwatch (because it's not on Steam) which I definitely also love playing. When I find time to play it at least.
Malf on 30/12/2016 at 17:38
Good year for games this year.
Wot stands out for me:
Dishonored 2
A fantastic follow up to the first game. Yes, the over-arching narrative is pretty poor and cliché, but Arkane continue to prove that their world-building is untouchable and their level design impeccable.
While Stilton's Manor would appear to be the standout level, I've found it loses its lustre on repeat play-throughs, and that overall, Jindosh's Clockwork Mansion is my favourite.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
After stepping away from the game, my passion for it died rather quickly. But while I was playing, I was completely drawn in. Nothing really revolutionary gets added to the formula, but Prague as a place to explore is sublime.
Witcher 3: Blood & Wine
Kinda feels a bit of a cheat including it here, but this once more showed that CDPR are the current kings of the hill when it comes to open world RPGs. The wonderful fairytale French setting and a healthy dose of political shenanigans only served to enhance what was already one of my favourite games ever.
Clustertruck
Thank you Secret henke!
I've only just started playing this, but it has thankfully turned out to be exactly what I had hoped it would be. I love first person trick-jumping when done properly, and this feels great. It makes me grin like a loon every time. It's basically Defrag lite, which is awesome.
Shadow Warrior 2
For some reason, I was determined that this was going to be poo. I think it came down to the apparent focus on multiplayer over the excellent single player of the first game.
I needn't have worried. The game plays perfectly fine in single-player mode, and on top of which, it actually manages to be substantially funnier than the first game. Okay, the companion in this iteration is nowhere near as interesting as the one from the first game, and the story's completely forgettable by comparison.
But man, does it play well. I don't think I've ever played a first person shooter that has offered me such freedom of movement. Oh, and the guns aren't just an afterthought this time.
New Doom
Another game I was determined to hate, but for different reasons this time. I've got massive beef with how shady Bethesda are as a company, and them buying id then suing Carmack when he left to join Oculus did nothing to endear them to me.
And that's on top of the lack of innovation from Bethesda in their first-party titles, with both The Elder Scrolls and Fallout now receiving increasingly more shonky iterations on a regular basis.
But id didn't disappoint. In fact, they released probably the best pure shooter in years. Yes, it borrows heavily from Painkiller. Yes, it's very gamey.
But you know what?
I don't care.
New Doom is the most metal game in years, and it's got incredible humour on top of the almost flawless action. It knows it's big and stupid, and it wears its heart on its sleeve.
Plus, the soundtrack kicks all manner of ass. I'd say New Doom's contextual music is one of, if not the best examples of the technology I've ever experienced.
Rimworld
It's a more accessible Dwarf Fortress that as a game, is actually harder. Thoroughly enjoyable with lots of systems to learn, and plenty of stories to tell. Plus, it's got extensive Steam Workshop support, something I have emphatically endorsed before.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Okay, I know the original console release came out relatively yonks ago, but I don't care. I was able to port across my PS3 save for this, and enjoyed it all over again. Probably some sort of heresy around these parts, but I think I prefer this to Souls games. A proper sequel would make me a very happy human indeed.
XCOM 2
While the base game is basically just an iteration of the original Firaxis take on the old property, once again this is a game that only reveals its true potential when you dive head-first into the Steam Workshop. That and the maps being random this time around ensures the game's longevity.
HITMAN
And for me, this is the game of the year.
I didn't buy it an episode-at-a-time, instead waiting for the full release. And sure, that means I've missed out on some Elusive Targets, but I don't care.
This is the best stealth action game since MGS V, and I may even prefer it to that goliath of the genre. See, MGS V loses focus thanks to the story being notoriously unfinished and becomes a walk in the park difficulty-wise once you've unlocked enough gear. But HITMAN remains challenging throughout, mostly thanks to it encouraging the player to try new approaches through the various optional challenges on offer. There are numerous ways to approach every target in the game, from the scripted to the improvisational, and the game's strength is in the fact that it consistently remains entertaining no matter which approach you take.
I'd even say it's one of the best immersive sims of recent years too, knowing full well that this will provoke the ire of those who insist it can't be classified alongside titles such as Deus Ex, Thief and System Shock purely because it's not first-person. This strikes me as needlessly petty, as it shares more gameplay elements with games such as those than it does with games like Assassin's Creed. The environments are packed with detail in much the same way as in immersive sims, and the level to which you can improvise is on a par with, if not exceeding other more traditional titles in the genre. It's certainly more an immersive sim than Mankind Divided, which has more in common with the Ubisoft Übergame than previous exemplars of the genre.
I had avoided Absolution having read the reviews, but this is a return to what made Blood Money great.
I picked the complete version for £19.99, and rarely have I felt I've got as much value for money as HITMAN has given me.
Edit: Oops, I forgot Factorio (It's okay, it's still only Early Access™)
Brilliant game, this. Yes, it all gets a bit overwhelming in the late game, but the sheer scope of the thing is incredible, and it really does make you think hard.
demagogue on 30/12/2016 at 19:13
Quote Posted by Sulphur
I'm surprised to see Firewatch figure in here as much as it does. To be honest, I liked its down-to-earth, isolated yet intimate narration, but I don't feel it did enough with it.
I just played it so I might be making more of it than I would 6 months from now. First person adventures are starting to come of age this year, which I'm happy about, and this was part of that trend. And I've been watching lots of indie movies, which are also having a golden age recently, and it fits that trend as well. On its own merits, it had a good story/gameplay mix--I am not a fan of Dear Esther or Stanley Parable types which skimp on gameplay and want to see the alternative--but I wouldn't say it's revolutionary. I don't think the revolutionary FPA has come yet, but I like thinking about it & games that give me models to think about.
PigLick on 30/12/2016 at 22:10
funny I have just played through Firewatch as well, the only thing I knew about it going in was that it supposedly had an anticlimactic ending. I found the ending fine, really enjoyed how it is basically a short story in first person game form.
In fact it was some of the more gamey elements which I didnt enjoy so much, such as all the climbing and backtracking involved, I think a fast travel system would have worked in this regard.
icemann on 31/12/2016 at 03:24
Of the 2016 Games/DLC that I've played this year, I'll put them in order of preference:
1. Witcher 3 - Blood and Wine
2. XCOM 2
3. Deus Ex - Mankind Divided
4. Doom
If I'd had the time I'd have played Dark Souls 3, but with so many games to get through it just wasn't possible.
Renzatic on 31/12/2016 at 05:34
You should've made time for DS3 :mad:.
Sulphur on 31/12/2016 at 07:14
@dema: I hear you, there's probably no first person game this year that did a decent mix of gameplay and story, and while I was not a fan of Firewatch's more gamey aspects, I can see how the cohesiveness of what you're doing in the game along with the narrative appeals in general.
And now, games of 2016. I suppose I should put a list in, but it's hard to remember what I played, let alone ranking them sequentially. So I'm just going to do games that stood out for X reason in later posts, and forego the numbers.
For now, my game of the year is:
Doom 201 Quantum Break
Call it a return to form. It's not, though, there's not actually been a form quite like this. Remedy's experiment with a TV show-cum-game is something they've been hinting at since at least Max Payne 1. How'd they do?
Weeeelll...
Let's get to what doesn't work first. The pacing of the story is... lumpen. Not a particularly attractive word, but there's no better way to describe it. The way QB works is that there are 4 live action episodes that play at certain 'junction points', which are places in the story where you have to make a choice that decides what happens next, both in the game and on the show. It's an ambitious idea, but in practice the narrative beats are the same. The details change, and yes, at least one person lives or dies based on the choices you make, but the story needs to get to the same places in the end.
That's not the problem, at least as far as I'm concerned. The conceit works fine, as long as you're not expecting it to be a playable TV show. The deeper problem is that when you're actually playing the game, a lot of the story detail is buried in collectibles. When you've got a counter in a third person shooter that says '12/15 documents found', there's a bit of a problem there. To the game's credit, it measures out the combat and down time in a way that encourages casual exploration at points - it's not executed perfectly, but it's tolerable.
What's strange is that the game then forces you to rush through anyway, usually in the form of NPC barks. 'We need to go!' 'They're waiting!' etc, usually at a ten second interval, which makes you feel guilty for sticking around and glomming onto all the information strewn around the landscape.
Essentially, what I've taken three paragraphs to explicate is that the interplay between the game and its narrative isn't very seamless at all, and it can turn you off if you're sensitive to that.
So why on God's green earth is this my game of the year, then?
Very simply: this is the Max Payne 3 we should have gotten. A Remedy game, like a Kojima game, has a certain feel to it, and this one feels very much like an alternate universe Max Payne. Which is to say, if you're a fan of Max Payne 1/2, QB feels like coming home. Sam Lake's off-kilter storytelling is very much in place here, sans the purple prose. There's a ridiculous character or two, some unexpected Easter eggs featuring Alan Wake, and neither the game nor the show take themselves completely seriously all the time. One of the best gags features an audiobook, and there's another running joke involving a spec script that's so dumb it's brilliant.
Meanwhile, the actual story is a bit convoluted like all time travel yarns are; it won't win many (if any) awards, but manages to be consistently entertaining, plus there are some nice performances from Littlefinger and Cedric Daniels, along with Iceman* (which gets him a throwaway joke from a cabbie, because why not). There's also a character turn or two that was pretty affecting in the middle of all the time madness, and led to one of the standout moments for me in 2016's video game storytelling.
As for gameplay: since the story revolves around time loops, fractures, and related hijinx, you get an entire suite of powers to juggle around with, from bubbles of slow time that you can shoot bullets into and release in a stream of molten lead once the bubble pops, to targeted explosions and streaking around like The Flash and thwapping people on the head. It's not as satisfying as Max Payne's bullet time, but there's a decent strategic element to the combat since all your abilities are on an individual timer, so choosing when and how to deploy them is half the challenge.
There are also a few bits of time-based puzzling and platforming, but they're really more palate cleansers for what comes after than anything actually mind-bending.
It won't surprise you to learn that it's a great-looking game, with lighting and effects work on par with the best in the industry at this point. The in-game models for the actors are great digital doubles, thanks to excellent modelling and mocap work. Some of the levels get stuck in time stutters, which are exactly what they sound like. The levels bend and break and reconstitute themselves around you, which makes for a few moments of fiddly platforming, but some pretty stonking great set pieces.
The caveat is that the presentation is somewhat blurry on account of the engine temporally reconstructing each base frame out of four 720p frames. Didn't bother me, but I suppose people looking for pin-sharp visuals will be upset -- unless they own a GTX 1080, in which case just disable upscaling. For everyone else, this is a fine-looking game that runs well on a 970 if you nudge a setting or two down.**
So, in summary: 2016 is the year I thank Remedy for finally making a game I could be enthusiastic about again.
*Shawn Ashmore, not our icemann, though I'm pretty sure he's also a handsome bastard.
**On Steam, on DX11. Don't be a masochist and buy the Windows Store version, which was a bit of a clusterfuck on release.
Kolya on 31/12/2016 at 09:41
So there IS an ending to Abzu? It seemed to repeat more or less the same level. Swim swim swim, light up the temple, rinse and repeat.
The first time I thought it was awesome. The second time it seemed a bit filler-ish. The third to nth time I just grew bored and eventually dropped it.
I played Firewatch right after Life is Strange in what seems like at least a year ago. I didn't think much of its opening text cards that establish the main character. But then I really liked the game's graphics and the dialogues with Delilah. Although some of them went by too fast for me to pick an answer. The ending was a bummer of sorts. Not because of how the big mystery was solved, that was indeed a nice reality check, but because of how the relationship with Delilah just ends. Overall I have very fond memories of the game though and would play it again. If only for the bathing teens.
I think Space Beast Terror Fright came out this year. Anyway, it was a game I enjoyed this year and that showed me how to squeeze shiploads of exciting scary gameplay out of the old Alien formula with little in terms of graphics but lots of gameplay systems working together to generate an experience. I even played it in multiplayer a few times after persuading a friend and while I did suck as usual I enjoyed it as is not usual.
In the end though I spent most of my time in Elite Dangerous this year. Still do.
Vicarious on 31/12/2016 at 10:51
The best game of 2016 for me is easily DOOM4. It's pretty much one of the best (if not the best) shooter ever made, a bold one (especially for a AAA studio) and an incredibly focused effort.
The other one would be XCOM2. A massive upgrade over the EU(2012). A much more focused game with emphasis on being great rather than ticking boxes for a 'proper X-COM game'.
A honorable mention to Dishonored 2 that is still one of the best games of 2016. It just didn't impress me as much as the first one at the time.
henke on 31/12/2016 at 10:53
Some good cases made for games I haven't played here. Adding Quantum Break and Hitman to my to-play list.
Ok, let's do this.
Top 10:
10. Duskers
Tense space-salvage-mission-simulator that had me on the edge of my seat more than once.
9. Inside
Beautiful in both it's looks and it's gameplay design. There are a few points where the game throws you into unexpected situations, with completely new gameplay parameters introduced on the spot and expects you to just roll with it. And the amazing thing is how intuitive and obvious those moments end up feeling. This is Valve-level gamedesign.
8. DOOM
Leveling up weapons. Perks. Bonus objectives. Double jumping. Abstract videogame rules like punching a demon gives you health but chainsawing it gives you ammo. There is so much videogamey shit in this, that if anyone had asked me about it beforehand I would've said “that does not belong in a Doom game”. I'm glad no one asked me, because all those elements add up to a tremendously fun game. Simply calling it a return to form is doing it a disservice, as it introduces a lot of bold, new ideas into the series as well.
7. Hyper Light Drifter
Unlike most of my gamer friends, I wasn't swayed by the kickstarter trailer. Sure, it looked pretty, but I've never really been into these 2D action-rpg fantasy kinda thingies. Picked it up in a sale later on and ended up loving it.
6. Gravity Rush Remastered
Superhero games were starting to get a bit stale. Even things like Infamous: Second Son, which I loved, had pretty ho-hum powers. Jumping SUPER HIGH, shooting fireballs WITH YOUR HANDS. It's just amped-up versions of what you do in regular action games anyway. Gravity Rush, with it's gravity-shifting mechanic, is unique in concept and the way it plays. It truly makes you feel like a fantastical being with superhuman powers.
5. American Truck Simulator
Fixes the only problem Euro Truck Simulator 2 had, which was that it was not set in the good ol' U.S. of A. This here is finally my trucker dream perfected in videogameform. Behind the wheel of a Kenworth W900, Johnny Cash on the radio, and the setting sun in my eyes as I pull into Tuscon hauling a load of fertilizer.
4. The Last Guardian
Barring a few technical issues and odd gamedesign decisions, this is a game that delivers every bit as much epic adventure and genuine warmth as it's predecessors.
3. Watch Dogs 2
Not only builds on the formula of the first one, but also cuts things out and introduces new elements to make it more than just “more of the same”. Also has the most likeable and interesting characters in a Ubisoft game since Beyond Good & Evil.
2. Steamworld Heist
An unexpected delight. Never before have I played a turn based strategy game that feels this good to play and is so pleasant. Not even Valkyria Chronicles matches it's pure... niceness. So nice, I played through it twice.
1. Firewatch
I played this in the middle of summer, when I was feeling kinda down, and it just completely enraptured me and whisked me off to another place. I don't wanna analyze or dissect it too much. It made me feel things, and I loved it.
Honorable mentions:
Super Hot - great concept, but it kinda wears out it's welcome before it's brief 2 hour campaign is over, and the story is a buncha derivative fluff.
Quadrilateral Cowboy - great concept, but the game only really comes into it's own on the final mission, and then it's over.
Mirror's Edge Catalyst - open world action game with solid parkour and fighting mechanics. Enjoyable but unremarkable.
Dark Souls 3 - the first of the 5 Souls games(yes I'm including Bloodborne) I haven't bothered finishing. It's still good, but I think I've had my fill off this series.
Pony Island - cray-cray in a good way.
XCOM 2 - solid game that drove me into fits of rage with it's random dice rolley bullshit.
Dishonorable mentions:
Uncharted 4 - one of my most anticipated titles of this year. Well written and acted characters, great graphics, solid gameplay, some great moments of environmental storytelling, and I absolutely had to force myself to keep playing it every step of the way. When I'd dragged myself to the end of it, I felt nothing.
Far Cry: Primal - stripped out a lot of the good stuff from FC2-4 and didn't have anything terribly compelling to replace it with.
Unravel - good looks, but dead inside.
Dishonored 2 mention:
I haven't played Dishonored 2.
Still to play:
Dishonored 2
DX Manky
Final Fantasy XV
Shadow Tactics
Hitman
Shadow Warrior 2
Quantum Break
