* Games I have not seen through to, at least, story completion.
15. Obduction*
Remember Myst? Remember the vastly superior Riven? Remember the forgettable Myst III? Remember purging all memory of subsequent Myst games from your brain? The reason I unsubtly bring those up is because Obduction is basically one of those point-and-click adventure games from yesteryear. It has that same feeling of being dropped in a strange new world with nothing but your wits and a mouse pointer to guide you. It is a lot of fun... for a while. I have to admit that the ye olde playstyle has not aged well, and the frustration of having to backtrack because you could not find one stupid lever you had to pull to advance has not lessened. I got pretty far into the game, and enjoyed my time doing so, but I doubt I'll ever come back and finish it off.
14. Mafia III*
I heard several complaints about Mafia III being derivative and samey, and there is some merit to that. However, there are times when that is exactly what I want. Give me a game that features the same kind of gameplay I like, while giving it a new setting and coat of paint. It is basically a Grand Theft Auto game set it in the abrasive deep south of the 1960's, and that's just fine! The Grand Theft Auto series is one of the greatest game series of all time, and playing another one of those under a different title is okay in my book, even if The Simpsons did it already.
13. Amplitude
I'm a huge fan of the original Amplitude for the Playstation 2 (in spite of the fact that my original copy was burgled about a year ago). This new game, using the same name for some reason, is more of what is expected: fun and fast-based rhythm gameplay to foot-tapping music. The only thing that kept this game from being higher on the list is the lack of well-known licensed music. Unlike its predecessor, there's no David Bowie, Herbie Hancock, or Run-DMC in this game. It's disappointing. But, hey, at least Freezepop is back!
12. Final Fantasy XV*
I played several Final Fantasy games over the years, but never cared enough for any of them to see through to completion. This one, however, (15, for those counting at home) may be the exception. Admittedly, I have not finished this one either (there's only so much time in a day), but now that the designers have ditched their lame pseudo-turn-based combat system, I might actually enjoy myself enough to see it through.
This games feels much more character-heavy, and I appreciate that. Modern Final Fantasy games have such convoluted storylines, that I have a hard time losing myself in them. By focusing more on the characters – the BFFs Noctis, Prompto, Gladiolus, and Ignis – this game might actually hold my interest long enough to slog through the long runtime.
Unlike most western RPGs, there isn't much freedom of choice in this game. That may be for the best. I know if I had too much choice, I'd probably end up: giving Noctis a comb, given Gladiolus and epic Norwegian death beard, giving Prompto a bullet in the head, and giving Ignis a ring so he'll be my guy-waifu 4ever xoxo
11. Shantae: ½-Genie Hero*
Fun fact: I helped Kickstart this game, so I got it for free! I enjoy the Shantae series and its more laid-back Metroidvania style gameplay. This game even improves upon the formula by giving a world map to jump back and forth between levels, reducing some of the frustration from the series' love of backtracking.
10. Pokémon Sun
The latest entry in the Pokémon series is a true breath of fresh air that it sorely needed. For decades now, each Pokémon game was a carbon copy of the other: defeat eight gym leaders, defeat an evil organization for some reason, defeat the Elite Four. There was some variation with new features that ranged from useless to mostly useless (e.g. growing berries, mega-evolutions, etc.), but the core formula stayed the same.
Pokémon Sun (and, presumably, Pokémon Moon) finally changed the formula. There are no more gym leaders! The player character actually has a reason for defeating the evil organization! It has an actual plot! Okay, it still has an Elite Four for some utterly contrived reason, but at least you get a sweet throne to sit in after finally kicking all of their butts! Pokémon Sun reinvigorated my interest in the series by making it feel new again, and I can only hope they continue this trend.
9. Oxenfree
Ostensibly, Oxenfree is a horror game. For me, it wasn't scary as much as it was a mind-fuck (pardon my language). A group of friends(?) get together on an old, abandoned island, and, lo and behold, spooky stuff starts happening. Unlike an average Scooby Doo episode, there is no predicting what happens next. Every playthrough is different based on choices made by you (or your character; it gets a little difficult to differentiate at times). Oxenfree is a unique experience, and I won't write another word for fear of spoiling anything. Go and play it.
8. XCOM 2
I am terrible at this game. Every mission saw me save-scumming almost every third turn. Every failure taught me a lesson, and I never made that same mistake again (instead, I made all new ones). But, gosh darn it, I was so invested in the story and my rag-tag team of rebels that I couldn't help playing it through to the end.
7. Tyranny
A lot of games pay lip service to the idea of player choice. "Your choices matter", the back-of-the-box marketing may claim. Tyranny is the first game I played that that actually felt true. You play the bad guy (though, not necessarily a bad guy). You are sent by totally-not-the-Dark-Lord-Sauron to conquer the last remaining stronghold of freedom and liberty. The choices you make to take over the lands are weighty, and there is seldom a "good" response. And each choice made weighs on future choices in a very satisfying chain of events. For example, I think I tested out of an entire chapter and boss battle by presenting a solid case in a court of law. Seriously.
6. Planet Coaster
Can I tell the world my dirty little secret? I never played a RollerCoaster Tycoon game beyond the first one. I don't know why, but I never got around to them. Thankfully, it seems like the official series went off the rails (ha!) in later installments. Planet Coaster is a RollerCoaster Tycoon game in all but name, so I figured it was as good a time as any to get back into the genre. You build and manage a theme park. That's it! Real-life hours just fly by! It's very dangerous.
5. Stellaris
It's a 4X game in space. That one sentence alone is enough to make my wallet fall open. Thankfully, Stellaris is one of the good ones.
4. Sid Meier's Civilization VI
It's a 4X game not in space. Maybe that's not enough to necessarily cause my wallet to fall open, but attaching Sid Meier's name to it certainly does. I have hundreds of hours logged in Civilization V (it's my second most played game on Steam!), and I see myself clocking even more with its sixth entry. For me, the Civilization games have always been about role-playing. I pick a civilization and try to put myself into their shoes. Can I conquer the seas as Japan? Can I blitzkrieg as a militaristic Gandhi? Can Poland into space? These are all questions I can answer!
3. Doom
Doom was a surprise. When I read reviews stating that Doom matched old-school gameplay with new-school graphics and polish, I was skeptical. It was too good to be true.
Well, it seems like someone prayed to Satan just right, because the singleplayer campaign of Doom was one of the most fun experiences I had in a shooter for a long time. The action is fast-paced, brutal, and satisfying. The soundtrack is beautiful and appropriate. The replayability is endless. I already beat all of the missions, and I still want to go back and replay them!
I haven't played the multiplayer, and, from what I read about it, I don't want to.
2. Overwatch
With Team Fortress 2 almost a decade old, and the idea of a Team Fortress 3 laughable, Blizzard decided to make their own class-based shooter. In their first new intellectual property in eons, they created an impressive game that helps melt away the hours. And that's just playing the game! Even more hours are lost while perusing the pages upon pages of high-quality Widowmaker/Tracer smut.
1. Stardew Valley
I wish I could include a Harvest Moon or Story of Seasons game on my list. I really do. But I can't. The two series, for me, have plateaued in mediocrity for the last several years. They just don't have the same spark they used to. Stardew Valley is a spiritual callback to these farming simulators and does everything right. It makes the farming more satisfying, and adds automation for late-game progression. It makes the characters and their stories deeper and more nuanced than Harvest/Seasons' twee archetypes. It makes achieving 100% completion difficult, but not impossible.
I always struggle to explain the appeal of farming games like these, but you have to trust me. Stardew Valley is deep and entertaining, and I fear it may've raised the bar impossibly high for future Harvest Moon games.
Honorable Mentions
Team Fortress 2
As much as it pains me to admit, Team Fortress 2 is dying. Recent updates have done little more than dilute the fun I had with the venerable shooter. Much of the blame for that is its attempt to compete with Overwatch. It just doesn't work. They're two different games, and they should've stayed that way. Oh well. It's still looking good for a game that's almost nine years old.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf ~Welcome amiibo~
The best Animal Crossing game got a free update that makes it even better. Now, by using amiibo cards available at many fine retailers, you can make sure your favorite villages can never, ever leave!
Farming Simulator 17
I wanted to add this game to my top list, but I had to disallow it since it's basically the same game as the version that came out in 2013.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition –
As amazing as this game is, I had to exclude it because it, technically, came out in 2011.
The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine
I was so close to adding this expansion pack to my official list. It was just that amazingly good! But, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. As much as it felt like a whole new game, it was still just an addition to a game that came out in 2015.
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