What an incredible year 2016 has been for video games. I sat down to put this list together, and first I had to sort through the billion different games I played this year, then narrow that down to 10! I could easily just put Overwatch as every single entry on this list, but I wanted to showcase 10 other games that I played this year.
Honorable Mentions: But first: honorable mentions! While it isn’t a 2016 game, I spent a lot of time with The Division towards the end of the year, and I am addicted to it now. There aren’t many good loot shooters on PC, and I never got into Borderlands, so it is nice to have a loot shooter that I can enjoy. Also, I want to give a shout out to Watch_Dogs 2, that game was a huge surprise to me, and I still need to finish it, but what a huge improvement from the first game. Anyway, onto the list!
10: Firewatch (Campo Santo) – The lasting appeal of Firewatch with me was the interaction between Henry and Delilah. It is rare in video games that the two main characters talk to each other and sound like real people. The Olly Moss art took the game to the next level, and it was a beautiful game that left a huge impression on me.
9: Inside (Playdead) – This was another short adventure, but damn was it memorable. The last 15 minutes of the game is one of my favorite “holy fuck” moments in video games. The transformation of the main character over the course of the game was very well done, and I had fun sneaking around a top secret lab.
8: Hyper Light Drifter (Heart Machine) – I was about halfway through Hyper Light Drifter before everything started to click, and after that I fell in love with it. I really enjoyed the precise combat of the game. It never felt unfair, just you were too slow with the enemies. The game also features some of the best pixel art in a game. I haven’t checked the game out since the latest patch, but maybe it’s something I should do.
7: Hitman (IO Interactive) – If I would have spent more time (and money) on Hitman, it would be higher on my list. But I have only played the first two maps, so it didn’t feel right putting it up higher. That being said, I’m so happy that Hitman is back. It has been one of my favorite game series since the original Xbox, and I can’t wait to dive into the other maps and see what IO Interactive has planned for season 2!
6: F1 2016 (Codemasters) – When becoming a fan of a new sport, a great way to familiarize yourself with said sport is to play the video game. FIFA helped me get into soccer, and the F1 series from Codemasters has helped me get into F1 racing. This year’s game was such an improvement over last year (except for the lack of splitscreen multiplayer). The driving feels amazing, and I love the attention to detail in the game. I’m glad the game exists; it will help get me through the F1 offseason.
5: Titanfall 2 (Respawn Entertainment) – I haven’t even touched the multiplayer on this game yet, but the incredible single player campaign is the reason it is on this list. If you’ve played the game, you know the moment that Titanfall 2 goes from just a standard shooter campaign to one of the most original campaigns ever.
4: Doom (id Software) – It’s pretty incredible that in 2016 I’m including a Doom game on my GOTY list. Leading up to release, I remember being interested in the game, and thinking that the jump to 3D looked good, but wow, I wasn’t expecting anything close to what was released. It was a relentless FPS that didn’t let go until the credits. The gun battles were intense, but you never felt like you were outmatched. If anything, it was the demons that needed the extra help.
3: Witcher 3: Blood and Wine (CD Projekt Red) – The meme surrounding Blood and Wine is that as an expansion, it has more content than other full games, and I would agree with this statement. I’ve played RPGs that had less content than Blood and Wine, which is a testament to the developers at CD Projekt Red. Blood and Wine isn’t even the best Witcher 3 expansion, but I still had a lot of fun solving the mystery in Toussaint. And you get your own vineyard that you can fix up over the course of the expansion. Blood and Wine is an example of why The Witcher 3 is one of my favorite games ever, and why I really respect the folks at CD Projekt Red.
2: Rise of the Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamic) – While originally released in 2015 on Xbox One, it was released on PC in January of 2016, which is how I played the game. Rise of the Tomb Raider took everything from the reboot that worked, tweaked things that didn’t and gave us a fantastic action adventure game that had me hooked. The fantasy stuff towards the end was more enjoyable, and the world that you got to run around in was beautiful. I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series.
1: Stardew Valley (Concerned Ape) – This game came out of nowhere for me. I heard some positive buzz about it, but wasn’t 100% sold until I booted it up for the first time and heard that amazing soundtrack. When I was playing Stardew Valley, it was all I could think about. I’d be at work thinking about what crops I needed to plant next, what steps I need to take to get my brewery up and running, and other silly details. I never thought that a Harvest Moon clone would suck me in so much, but it did. I loved going to town and talking with the locals, participating in festivals, and exploring the different areas of the world. I haven’t played it since the big update, but I keep meaning to get back to it.
OVERALL A+ #1 GAME OF 2016: Overwatch (Blizzard) – While I wanted to focus on 10 other games that came out in 2016, Overwatch is the clear winner. While I knew Blizzard could make good video games, I didn’t realize HOW good their games could be. I never cared about a hero shooter until Overwatch, and it’s what I play 80% of the time. I wasn’t sure if I would get tired of the game, but that moment hasn’t come yet, and it is my go-to game when I have a couple of hours to kill in the evening. I’m excited to see what the future of Overwatch is, and I hope that Blizzard continues to support it for years on end.
