Video Games From This Year:
As regular readers recognize, I offer
continual peons
to Steam for its ability to deliver exceptional deals, as long as one
has the patience to wait a year or two. Humble Bundle and GOG do
this as well, but not like Valve. The annual winter sale is in
progress currently, and I'm stocking up on games to play throughout next
year.
I'd like to wrap
up 2016 by cataloging the games which made the blog, and a few
which didn't. In reverse order:
Games That
Didn't Make the Blog (Tier 7)
I
briefly played Chroma
Squad, but the writing
was so poor, and the gameplay too shallow, to be worth more than ten
minutes, or more than a single sentence.
In
the first five minutes The
Fall hints at a
compelling story, a mysterious atmosphere, and a devious decent into
madness. The only reason it didn't make the blog is I wanted to make
a Let's
Play and never got around
to it. Could happen in 2017.
I nearly followed Alien: Isolation
with Amnesia, and while I did begin The Dark Descent, I
was distracted and never returned.
Odallus: The Dark Call is
a Castlevania style game, released in 2015. It was
going to be the concluding article of the year, but there wasn't much to discuss except: all the secrets are easy to find, but I'm terrible
at retro bosses (it took me longer to beat than one would expect), and I
gave up because I couldn't beat the final boss (But there's
nothing wrong with the game and if you like Castlevania,
you'd probably like Odallus).
Games I wrote about During the Year:
Not Worth It (T6)
These are the games I found to be
utterly without enjoyment. Not broken or bugged, but no fun for me.
Guacamelee
(Super Turbo Championship Edition), was reportedly a fantastic game,
but I didn't care how the colors styled, splashed and burst upon the
eye, the combat was uninspired and the story cliched, with nothing of
redeeming value.
Her
Story wasn't one of the
dreaded walking simulators some
in the video-game scene revile, but instead an hour and a half movie
snipped into ten second segments and marketed as a mystery. Try to
watch all the pieces and discover the answer for yourself. Or watch
the complete video on YouTube. But don't really: even in
chronological order, the script, acting, and production are sub-par.
O.K. Once (T5)
These games I
found to be enjoyable once, or most of the way through, but couldn't
imagine reinstalling. Therefore, they are recommended but with
intense and solemn reservations.
Massive
Chalice offered a
sparse, but rewarding experience for the first century. Then you
realize you'll be repeating the same limited actions for the next two
hundred years. MC is worth the perk of eternal life if you enjoy
minimal strategy, genealogy, and (shallow) tactical RPGs.
Thief:
The Dark Project
almost ended up as “Not Worth It”, but the avalanche of past awards, snuck it up a rank. Do I think it was a
waste of time? Yes, but only because the game was painfully
prolonged. The same game, but half the length would have been
tolerable. And just in case you suspect length is dis-qualifier:
Alien: Isolation
was as ambitious and, well, you'll see...
If
you're already a programmer Human
Resource Machine is
going to be too easy for you. If you're looking to become one, this
isn't the best method to learn. Why play HRM? If you want to
discover you're not half as smart as you thought you were.
As
someone who liked Gunpoint, I would recommend Ronin
if you're interested in an inferior story and simple game-play, but
also because the protagonist slices henchmen with a katana like Hiro
Protagonist.
Just
yesterday I posted my review of Titan
Souls. It
almost fell into the “Not Worth It” category, but the short
time required to complete, and the unique bosses earns it a spot here.
And
finally, Shadow
of Morder.
Unlike Titan
Souls
and Thief,
which
barely reached Tier 5, Shadow almost made the next Tier. These two
articles
explain how conflicted I was about the experience. In short, it
takes Assassin's Creed mechanics in a unique and enjoyable direction.
But the game is too easy and perverts Middle Earth mythology. It
doesn't hold any replay value for me, but I enjoyed it most of the
time.
Would Go Back To, And Sometimes Do
(T4)
These are games I
would enjoy spending some more time with.
First,
This War of Mine
was a tough, reinvention of the survival genre, while taking some
game-play and visual cues from Deadlight.
It
had the ability for the player to fashion a story to fit the events
of the game, which is something I
delight in.
Massive Chalice
failed to do this, but TWoM succeeded by crafting choices which
mattered. In three playthroughs I discovered the game was deadly
and unforgiving, but in a way which makes me want to try again. I
haven't beaten it, but I would like to start another journal.
Europa
Universalis IV
is a three category game. What I mean is: it's a game I'm always
playing, an honorable mention for Best of the Year, and a game I
leave for awhile before returning to it. The last is why it's in
category three. While EU 4 hasn't surpassed the amount of time I've
sunk into EU 3, (and only just passed my hours in EU: Rome) it's
become the Paradox title I play (partly because everyone else is
playing it). As my comparitory
article
describes, I'm uncertain which iteration is superior. EU3 is the
more complex and deep game. But there are aspects of EU 4, such as
the expanded historical events and the streamlined gameplay which
make it an acceptable successor. Ultimately, the difference is minimal, and I
suspect EU 4 is here to stay. Also, Paradox is still tweaking and
DLC-ing EU4, which increases its replay value.
Honorable Mentions (T3)
These are the games which I enjoyed and
would recommend without reservation. The order below, is the order I
played them, not any hierarchy of enjoyment.
The
Talos Principle was the first game I wrote about on the blog.
A fascinating take on the puzzle genre, grafted with a
real-philosophical or fake-philosophical theme (I couldn't decide),
and brilliant, sunlit locations, it's definitely worth playing even
if the ending is a bit of an under-deliver.
Life
is Strange appeared on my wish-list because of
TellTales' The Walking Dead series (also the Wolf
Among Us – when are they going
to make a second?), and it made the honorable mentions because
of its compelling protagonist, even if other aspects of the story
wibbled and wobbled here and there. Is it superior to TellTale's achievements? I
would say no, but don't dismiss Life is Strange. While its conclusion is unacceptable, the path to the denouement does
matter.
If you're keeping track (and you
probably aren't) you may be surprised (or not) to see Gods
Will Be Watching, survive this far. Yet as I compiled the
list I realized there was no game better at delivering desperate
situations and making you own them. If you won't make the difficult
choice, you won't endure, and you won't get to enjoy this short, but
intriguing gem.
Game of the Year of 2014/2016 (T2)
As a game which swept the awards in
2014 (Game of the Year – PC Gamer and British Academy Game Awards)
(Best Horror – Games Radar, Rock Paper Shotgun, and Giant Bomb),
it's unsurprising that Alien:
Isolation was my favorite
game of this year. This, in spite of the fact that I avoid horror games,
as evidenced by my lack of experience with Silent Hill, Dead Space, or
Amnesia. There isn't much more I could say beyond the articles,
except that it wasn't even a question of which game I would choose.
This so superseded the other titles, it was an easy pick.
Always Playing (T1)
And as everyone knows, I use Dota 2 as
a grading method. I'd rather play Dota than any of the games beneath
Tier 4. For this semi-addiction of mine I have a former student, who
introduced me to this Black-Hole.
The blog include five articles about Dota this year, more than any
other game. Icefrog's reinvention of the game two weeks ago with
version 7.00 is an amazing transformation, offering both more of the
same, and a radically redefined experience. I'm sure to keep
playing.
Thank You:
If you're been reading the whole year,
or joined in just recently, thanks for your attention. I hope you'll
stay with me for the new year.
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