What Is Your Own Personal 'Game of 2016'

Gamer Bhoy 89

(If this thread has already been made - I couldnt find it using this phone... and sorry)

Now that 2016 is on the brink of ending, what game(s) has been the highlight of your year?

For me, my own game of the year goes to The Last Guardian. As awkward the game was to actually play from a technical level, narratively it's the only game I played that made me really care for a character. No other game has done that for me in the last five years - let alone this year. Even after finishing it about 2 weeks ago before today I still think about it. It is truly an amazing game for story alone, I think.

What's been your game of the year?

(Oh yeah, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a game released in 2016. Good shout, Pigeon)

aaronjumper

I've really been enjoying Elite Dangerous on and off.
It isn't a game I would normally go for which is one of the reasons I am enjoying it.

The amount of detail in it is amazing and when you think how little it started with, how much is there now and how much more they are planning on adding in I think it is gearing up to be an amazing game for anyone that has an interest in it.
You can carve out your own adventures and decide what kind of path you want to take.

The learning curve for it can be a bit steep but worth it if you can hang on.
Obviously I have enjoyed more but I keep coming back to this one.

brianregan09

Doom for definite bought it not expecting much but it turned to be probably my favorite game of the year even went back and bought Wolfenstein when I'd finished it

Encrypted Pigeon

I'm going to assume that because its personal game of the year it didn't have to be released in 2016 but only played 2016. Anyway, I picked up Life is Strange on a complete whim as it was on sale early last year, didn't even think it would have been the sort of game I would be into. Was completely blown away by it, felt like a really gripping TV series only deeper because of the emotional investment due to the decisions you make and how that influences the story, it was one of those rare gems that come along every now and then.

AtomicHorror

I returned to Minecraft just this month after a gap of a couple of years. Mostly to show it to my son, who has become immediately enthralled with it. He can't really play it himself, but instead tells me what to do.

CalamariFritti

Star Wars Battlefront. It brought me back to gaming as I find it the best Star Wars game ever. I never played a first person shooter with the console gamepads before. Went from cannon fodder to quite handy. Now I can't wait to see what they do with the VR version.

Xenji

Steins;Gate 0, very hard for lightning to strike twice with the same love for a game.

pablomakaveli

Stardew Valley. That game had me absolutely hooked and it just got so many things right. It managed to surpass the game that inspired it in almost every way.

Hitman for me , great return to form for the series.

Honourable mention to Virginia for being something refreshingly different.

FutureGuy

In terms of longevity and fun, nothing has come close to Overwatch for me. Easily my game of the year.

da gamer

In no particular order

- Mario 3d World Wii u
- Doom PS4
- Uncharted 4 PS4

Other notable mentions to zombie army trilogy, the division and battlefield 1

Dcully

Has to be Overwatch amazing game and a phenomenon already with 20+ million players,to think its blizzards first ever fps is all the more impressive.
Doom,Titalfall2,xcom2 [although ive yet to finish it] also stand out for me,only played 2 hours of the latest civ game but it looks great too.

Switch over to smaller dev teams and Automobilista is the clear winner for me, stardew valley gets special mention too.

Chris_Heilong

Doom and Titanfall 2.

Venom

Doom and Titanfall 2 were the ones that really stood out for me. Such a crime Titanfall 2 was released between BF1 and CoD, it deserved much better.

K.O.Kiki

Overwatch, simply because I enjoy playing it, even when I'm losing (really!)

After that, DOOM has brought lots of simple, cathartic joy.
And The Witcher 3, while flawed, is amazing in the gigantic world it is able to weave.

Shoutouts to Guilty Gear Xrd/Revelator & Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen for being supremely polished PC ports.

Pickpocket

Inside is my game of 2016. Stunning art direction, disturbing atmosphere and a sensational final act. An absolute triumph.

Penn

FutureGuy wrote: »

In terms of longevity and fun, nothing has come close to Overwatch for me. Easily my game of the year.

Definitely my game of the year too. Just consistently so much fun.

I'd also give mention to Journey, which I only played for the first time a few months ago. What an amazing, unforgettable experience. I knew basically nothing about the game before playing it and played it through in one sitting. Easily one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had.

dazza161989

Had to be Star Wars battlefront for me! Multiplayer is epic!

Sonics2k

It's hard to say really, 2016 has been quite good for gaming.

Overwatch wins in terms of just sit down and play. I generally hate FPS games but find myself coming back to Overwatch on a daily basis, if only to play 2 or 3 games.

Doom was a really pleasant surprise, sometimes you just want to pick up a gun and shoot stuff in the face with over the top gorey effects. A lot of games rely on narrative and insane plot twists, which can be fun, but sometimes it's just fun to run around and murder demons.

Witcher 3 Blood and Wine: I loved the Witcher 3, but B&W blew me away due to the sheer size of it. For a DLC it's basically the size of many other games from AAA companies and gave me I'd say around 30 hours of extra playtime.

Oafley Jones

Didnt manage to finish many games this year but it has to be either Doom or Firewatch. Honourable mention for Titanfall 2.

Dave_The_Sheep

Total Warhammer for me. Perfect melding of TW and Warhammer, and it was fun from the start too, none of this Rome 2 cack.

Now if only the DLCs would drop in price I could justify pulling the trigger.

Damien360

Titanfall 2 for its brilliant single player. Loved it.

Uncharted 4 for its sheer beauty.

IvoryTower

Rainbow 6

Enjoyed doom, battlefield, Rocket league, blops 3, civ v and lots of indie games but r6 gave me the fps I've been waiting for

SeantheMan

As per the GAME AWARDS 2016 we held, Doom

Sieghardt

Nights of Azure for me, amazing soundtrack and I absolutely loved the main character

kunst nugget

Sieghardt wrote: »

Nights of Azure for me, amazing soundtrack and I absolutely loved the main character

The Five Nights at Freddy's games because I played them with my daughter and I think my squeal was a higher pitch than hers. Finally played Half Life 2 and Papers Please and loved them both with Threes always bubbling in the background.

johnny_ultimate

The year started and ended with games I liked so much I feel bad picking between the two (and both Inside and Stephen's Sausage Roll would give them a run for their money).

I'm both lucky and unlucky enough to not have a particularly addictive personality when it comes to games, so I rarely if ever find myself stuck into games for months at a time - tend to move on from online games and RPGs quite quickly as a result, even ones I quite like. But The Witness got me completely. I was absolutely engrossed in it for a couple of weeks, absolutely riveted by its world and eager to dig into its various layers of secrets. Where some found it a cold, detached game, I found the whole thing immensely welcoming and respectful of my time and commitment. I've read plenty of reasonable criticism of the game and lots of different takes, and can see where many of those who didn't like it are coming from. But for me it was a uniquely captivating game: loved its puzzles, its world, its patience, its absolute focus, and the way it drip fed the narrative and themes as you dug deeper. Above all, I loved that Jonathan Blow and Thekla, Inc set out to make a game that wanted to reward players in a way beyond collectibles or achievements - and for me anyway it was a truly rewarding experience.

And then, 11 months later, along came The Last Guardian. I've written about it plenty in the main thread, but really how thrilling it was for a game to emerge from development hell with such confidence and consistency. Again, while I can absolutely see where many are coming from when they say it feels like its from the PS2 era - although it would also be wonderful to see a return to those heady days of idiosyncratic blockbusters - it also feels ahead of its time. Few games are so committed to ensuring everything works in harmony. It feels more epic than any Uncharted, but also absolutely full of quiet and subtle flourishes and moments. Time flew playing through the game, but it also doesn't outstay its welcome. Mostly it's all about that central relationship, though: how that defines the puzzles, the story, the level design, the controls, and pretty much everything to be honest. Ueda is a master of the medium, and let's hope we hear from again before another decade passes.

johnpatrick81

Wind waker HD

Looks, sounds and plays fantastically well. Simply one of the best games ever.

Stormhawk88

Overwatch just can't tear myself away from it. Apart from that I really enjoyed Life is Strange a bit quirky with a great story and all the feels.

Dyr

Hot dogs, Horseshoes, and Hand Grenades

And its not even really a game...just a gun simulator

A reminder that M!Ck^ really likes Doom

TitianGerm

Overwatch has to be my game of 2016. I've close to 200 hours already and I only bought it at the end of June and didn't play until August/September. Fantastic game.

I also want to mention Sunset Overdrive and Tomb Raider Definite Edition even if they were released 2014. Played both recently and have loved both. Great games.

D0NNELLY

Slither.io

Procyon

For me it was The Witness.

Whether games are serious art can be debated, but at least Jonathan blow is trying to do something interesting with the medium.

mickstupp

Think it's got to be Doom for me. Though I've had a lot of fun with other games, that was constant joy and adrenaline.

FutureGuy

After thinking long and hard regarding my single player choice, Titanfall 2 for me.

Potential-Monke

I was a bit different last year, only a few AAA games stood out for me, and i'm against the grain for most people. Like everyone saying Doom is their GOTY, but i just can't get into it, and i love FPS games. I play about a level or two and give up out of meh-ness. Same happened with Dishonored 2, and i had to stop playing Watch_Dogs 2 due to the unacceptable levels of hipsterness (seriously, way too hipster for me).

However, a couple of games i only got around to playing this year have really stood out for me. Even though they're not 2016 games, i haven't enjoyed a game as much as i have these 2 in a long time; Guacamelee and Dust: An Elysian Tale. Two absolutely fantastic games, and not a moment of boredom or grind between them. They were fantastically paced, just enough of everything without going overboard and making it boring. Really well made games. So, they would be my 2016 Games of the Year.

TerrorFirmer

For me, there were 2 standout games that ate up most of my time last year - Fallout 4 and Battlefield 1. As someone who games less and less the past few years, it's always fantastic to find a game that totally reawakens your interest in gaming. Haven't played Fallout 4 in a few months but will be clearing some time this month to pour into it again to wrap it up - think I've about 100 hours put into it and haven't finished the main story or touched the DLC yet. If only all single player games could be that good value for money.

Honorable mention to Company of Heroes, a game that's ten years old yet still manages to look, sound, and handle spectacularly well and is still as much fun to play with friends as it was in 2006.

cherryghost

Easily Rainbox 6 Siege for me. The game has come on leaps and bounds since launch and currently enjoying its largest playerbase currently. The game is so intricate yet so simple, no map is ever played out the same twice. It's rewarding and its tactical, above all other modern shooters in that respect.

bigphil2

Lots of Great games released and played in 2016 but i have to say Everybody's Gone to The Rapture was the game that really affected me,and had me thinking about it long after id finished it..

Game i played most? Rainbow 6 Siege..

Rezident

Titanfall 2 - campaign is excellent and multiplayer is surprisingly good, very fast paced action. Great fun.

Temptamperu

Titanfall 2, the multiplayer is just fantastic fun.

FAILSAFE 00

Rainbow 6 Siege.

I have to go with the game I clocked insane hours in.

It's been a great year for Rainbow 6 Siege. Player base continues to grow. Free maps and characters all year was a great way to build up the player base.

super_furry

Titanfall 2 for me, just ahead of Overwatch. I suspect I'll spend more time in the future on Overwatch than Titanfall but the campaign for me was the best single player shooter campaign since Half-Life 2 and the multi-player is a hell of a lot of fun.

Playing Doom at the moment through and really enjoying that too, 2016 was a great year for shooters.

joe123

Final Fantasy XV for me. Im a fan of the main series anyways but after the disappointment of 13 I was worried. If you invest time into learning what 15 is about, its brilliant.

Mankind Divided came a close second and surprisingly, The Division is up there. Got a hard time from many but I loved it and played the absolute crap out of it.

Generic Dreadhead

Overwatch

Sephiroth_dude

Digimon cyber sleuth

Retr0gamer

Pocket Card Jockey was the perfect portable game and it's a crime more people haven't played it. While I enjoyed a few games last year, Doom and being the standout, I think I had the most fun with Pocket Card Jockey. A simple concept with some surprisingly well written and funny dialogue.

super_furry

Pocket Card Jockey is a hell of a lot of fun for the first few hours but after you've been through three or four generations of horses, there's not much left to do.

Mind you, you can't really complain too much when it costs next to nothing.

Retr0gamer

Yeah but those first few hours are fantastic

I kind of fell out of love with games this year so nothing really blew me away. Happens to me every so often until I find something that gets me back into them. Found it last night in the unlikeliest places, Shining in the Darkness on the Megadrive

Maximus Alexander

I'd really like my answer to be more high-brow and to give this to something fresh, creative, or thought provoking.

But the unfortunate reality is I'd have to say Battlefield 1. It really got its hooks into me and I can't tear myself away from it. There isn't a class or vehicle in that game that I don't enjoy using. And everything just feels dirty and meaty and impactful.