Whenever I compile a year-end list like this one, I feel the need to run with the same sort of disclosure. That is to say that really these aren't the games that I'm announcing as being "The Best" of the year, but rather the games that I enjoyed the most. There may be games on this list that I think are technically worse than games I left off of here. And though I do try to play every game that truly interests me each year, it's hard to keep up. Not to mention, there are the ones that slip through your fingers. There's always a chance that come January, I'll discover a game released the previous year that I end up loving, though I had no idea it would interest me at all. At the end of the day, I've got to make this my honest list of what I really had the most fun playing this year. So here we go...

(WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead!)




Wolfenstein: The New Order
Honestly, I had no way of knowing that The New Order would be this good. How would I? It's a Wolfenstein game. And since Wolfenstein 3D was released as a freeware 3.5" floppy disc, I've expected only so much from this series. Fun, of course, but never something this sublime. I can remember seeing preview screenshots of The New Order a full year or so before release and thinking that this new futuristic look was at least interesting.

I've always been a fan of a game series taking some crazy step outside of its own comfort zone. And while the robo-dogs and Orwellian Nazis are cool looking, the final product is far more accomplished than merely its visual lean. What makes The New Order so impressive is its ability to straddle the line so perfectly between realism and the ridiculous. To put this into perspective, this is a game where you will find yourself in an intense scene of being almost discovered by the Nazis on a train while nervously trying not to spill a tray of hot coffee to give yourself a way. You are unarmed, and the feeling of fear and helplessness is palpable. It's also a game where you infiltrate a Nazi base on the moon. It's a game where sex scenes are interjected to perpetuate an emotional story about the need for human connection. And one in which a Nazi's brain will fuel a gigantic mech. The game constantly shifts gears between these extremes and it always manages to pull it off, at times even to its own surprise.


The Wolf Among Us
Everything about this game was brilliant: the writing, the voice acting, the neon lined visuals. In my review, I talked about it taking the fairytales of fables and presenting them in a world similar to David Lynch's Blue Velvet. But no, it's deeper. It's more like Mulholland Drive. There's a distinct feel that you recognize everyone, but you don't know anyone. It's like one of those dreams where you know somebody is supposed to be somebody, but you don't recognize their face. It blurs the lines between right and wrong, quaint and horrifying, pretty and violent, etc., into a brutal mess of childhood fear, adult responsibility and guilt. This all sounds like I'm being overly deep, but considering the game's execution, it's truly a heavy story that presents itself like hot pink pulp.

The story progresses amazingly. I felt for characters - and I mean not people - characters like Mr. Toad, or the Woodsman, or the Little Mermaid. And when the final episode played through, with its crazy action scenes featuring one Miss Bloody Mary, I was on edge. The final act was so somber and the game ended on a note that made me feel so upset and so confused. The Wolf Among Us is one of those games that makes you go off to Google to try to make sense of what you've just experienced.


Escape Goat 2
Puzzle-platformers have had so many years to be perfected. At this point, it's incredible to me that any developer can bring something new to the table. Yet, Escape Goat 2 managed to be both nostalgic and fresh at the same time. The controls are precise - which is of course necessary in such a genre. The visuals are superb. The music is haunting. But, it's the puzzles that keep you playing. They are easy enough to lure you in and difficult enough to keep you scratching your head. The sheer number of levels that eventually open up to you are great. It's a perfect game to revisit with speed-running in mind once you've wrapped your brain around all the mechanics. I assure you, you will find no better game about a goat and his hatted mouse friend anywhere.


Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
Pre-Sequel has gotten a bit of a bad rep as being "just Borderlands 2 with less gravity." Really, it should be thought of as "more Borderlands 2 with less gravity!" Sure it's mostly more of the same, but the same is still great. It also feels balanced a little differently, as it's the first Borderlands game I've been able to spend any serious time playing without friends to help get me through it. Though it's not a proper numbered entry, I honestly wouldn't mind if we got some DLC episodes to keep this one going for a while before we see Borderlands 3.


Shovel Knight
"Charming," "love-letter," etc... these are words that get thrown around so frequently when it comes to retro-inspired titles that they've nearly lost their meaning. But Shovel Knight is that rarest of rare exceptions where all such hype is completely warranted. While the aesthetic is totally old school, you never feel stuck playing an antiquated game for the sake of nostalgia. Instead, you have an experience on par with something recent (such as the risk/reward checkpoint system a la Dark Souls). Everything about this game is well thought out, and playing it is a pleasure thanks to spot-on controls. Shovel Knight is truly a game that deserves to be played by everyone who frequents a video game website. If you have ever loved an 8 or 16-bit platformer, then you're doing yourself a disservice by not playing this.


Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare
The last Call Of Duty game I played was the original. Not that I've had anything against the series. I've just always found some other game that I wanted to play more. This trend started to change with the release of Ghosts last year. Though I still haven't gotten around to playing it yet, it was the first time a CoD game actually grabbed my attention. Something about Ghosts seemingly stepping out of the series' comfort zone just seemed so appealing to me. And the even more out in leftfield, this year's Advanced Warfare was something I just had to play and I wasn't disappointed. Advanced Warfare is an awesome rollercoaster ride of excitement.

First off, let's get the graphics out of the way; they are stunning. Kevin Spacey and the rest of the cast are so life-like, and the story is serviceable. It's certainly not as emotional as Wolfenstein: New Order, but it is interesting enough to make those long loads between levels worth sitting through for the cut scenes. But of course, it's the shooting that matters here. The gameplay is stellar and everything feels so smooth. I've got to say that I'm probably more shocked than anyone to see a CoD game on my year-end list. But I have a feeling I'll finally get around to going back and playing through more of the series this upcoming year.


The Crew
The Crew's major selling point was that it was an MMO racing game. But I don't care. There's also apparently a pretty lengthy single player campaign. But I still don't care. What I love about The Crew is not what the game is intended to be at all. Instead, I love what I've made it into. That is to say that in my ten or so hours playing it, I've made no real progress outside of the forced introductory missions. You see, once I got past that and unlocked the map itself, I've used this game as nothing more than an outlet for relaxation. Some nights I feel like loading the map in New Hampshire, setting a spot in California as the destination and just taking a nice hour-long drive across the country. It's exciting to see the various terrain and weather change as I make my way through night and day cycles, all the while twiddling with the radio to find a perfectly fitting station for my drive. Other times, I feel like having a bit more fun. I might get on the highway going the wrong way and see how far I can make it without getting totaled, or maybe I'm in a mischievous mood and want to see if I can bait some cops into a high speed chase. Whatever I'm doing in The Crew, it's not playing the game the way the developers really thought I would. But that's fine, because I'm getting enjoyment out of it.

The environments are gorgeous, and expansive (and somehow manage to have no load times between regions). The driving is arcade style, which is a total blessing for those of us that are tired of trying to wrap our heads around car sims. This is a weirdly awesome game as long as you approach it on your own terms.


The Walking Dead: Season 2
I loved the original Walking Dead, so playing Season 2 was a sure thing. Since it was a continuation, it was easy for me to jump right in and remember why I cared so much about Clementine. With that said, the second game is very different from the first. In some ways, it's more streamlined. There are quicktime events for instance, actually add to the action. And that's the thing, the game is actually a bit closer to an action title than an adventure game this time around. While I had my problems with the game, mostly because it's impossible to not compare it to the first, I still had a great time playing it. Sure, TellTale raised the bar with The Wolf Among Us this year, but I'll still be more than willing to give a Season 3 a go should they give us one.


Titanfall
Run around gigantic maps as part of a team shooting dudes in the head with... mechs! What could be better? Oh it's easy to say that Titanfall is a limited experience. Sure you can scoff at the so-called campaign, but the game was fun. Like seriously......a lot of fun! Though I haven't kept up with the subsequent modes and DLC that has been released in the last several months, this is the sort of game I can see myself keeping installed for quite a while to just throw myself into when I've got an hour to kill and not quite sure what I feel like playing.


The Banner Saga
I love strategy games, so it's not really shocking that I got into this title. I must say that this is one of the more unique strategy games I've played in a while. The Nordic art style and music are both gorgeous, but it's the story that really stuck with me. Though the visuals are bright and colorful, this is a dark game. It always has a depressing feel, which matches the snowy environment. A sequel was recently announced, and I'm already looking forward to it.

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