Games of the Year 2015

Genres

Best Shooter – Splatoon

Kyle – Who ever would have guessed that a Nintendo title would win Best Shooter 2015? And when you realize that this was a year filled with great shooters, from Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 to Halo 5: Guardians, it becomes all the more impressive. Yet, that is exactly what happened thanks to the fantastic fun that is Splatoon.

Taking the shooter genre and turning it on its head, Splatoon offers a totally unique take on the formula. Sure, you can shoot other players, but in the most popular game mode that isn’t the point at all. Instead, it is all about map control, something that is true of other shooters, but not to this degree. Nintendo took many of the conventions that competitive shooter players understood and put them front and center into the game, reshaping the genre in the process.

None of this would work if the core gameplay didn’t work though. Thankfully Nintendo nailed this, offering another unique twist on shooter controls and mechanics, thanks to the Wii U Gamepad. Sure, you could use standard twin-stick controls, but moving around the Gamepad just felt accurate and natural after a short time.

On top of this is a whole new world of fun characters, with the Inklings quickly becoming favorites among Nintendo fans worldwide. These characters inhabit an even more fun and colorful world, with Splatoon quickly and easily taking its place as one of the finest shooters in a long time.

Honorable Mention – Halo 5

Best Sports – Rocket League

Kyle – I hate sports games. I try not to rule out entire genres from my gaming experience, but Madden, FIFA, and their ilk just don’t interest me at all. And yet, a sports game is exactly what I spent the most time playing this year.

Rocket League seems simple enough, “it’s soccer with cars” people say, yet its depth runs far deeper than anyone could guess. The game is sort of the distillation of the best elements of the sports genre, presenting a simple premise that can keep you interested for hundreds of hours.

Once you begin to master the tougher techniques, such as aerials and wall hits, you start to realize just how great of a sports game Rocket League is. It’s the perfect example of easy to learn, hard to master, that so many sports have been in the past.

Honorable Mention – Madden NFL 15

Best Racing – Forza Motorsport 6

Damian – When Forza Motorsport 5 came out during the launch of the Xbox One, many people were disappointed. The game was rushed onto shelves as it only had a fraction of the number of cars and tracks that were in Forza Motorsport 4. The game also threw DLC in your face all of the time too.

Thankfully, Forza Motorsport 6 is the exact opposite of Forza Motorsport 5. The newer game offers tons more cars and tracks and DLC is not as “in-your-face” as it was before.

This game also adds night racing and different weather effects. This is the first time that the main entry Forza series added them in. The gameplay is as realistic as ever and the graphics are gorgeous too.

Forza Motorsport 6 is one of the best Xbox One exclusives and racing fans should consider buying this instead of Forza 5. You’ll have more hours of fun with the newer game.

Honorable Mention – Project Cars

Best Action-Adventure – Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Damian – Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is far different from the other games in the series. What was mostly a linear action experience that can be completed in a couple hours turned into a huge open-world game that offered hours of gameplay. It is pretty much the only stealth-based franchise that completely changed its entire gameplay mechanics for the better.

Much like in Fallout 4, you can also recruit buddies to help you in missions. This includes the popular sniper Quiet, the wolf D-Dog and of course the horse. All of these buddies makes life easier for Snake as he infiltrates enemy bases around the world.

In a lot of ways, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain felt more like an action RPG due to the number of ways you can customize everything. You are free to choose your own loadout as you gain access to better weapons and vehicles the more you play the game.

The game also has a non-linear style as you can decide whether to sneak in quietly, or literally drive through the front door using a tank!

Honorable Mention – Batman: Arkham Knight

Best RPG – Fallout 4

Damian – The thing that makes Fallout 4 the best RPG this year is that it gives the player lots of choices. You are not stuck playing as a character you don’t want to be, and you can also decide how you want to play the game. What I am trying to say is that Fallout 4 is not linear and this is what makes it such a fun RPG to play.

I won’t spoil the game’s story for you, but I will mention that there are four different endings in the game. The amount of choices that are available to you in Fallout 4 are endless. There are also a ton of side missions offered in the game that prolong what is already a very long experience.

Fallout 4 also exceeds Fallout 3 in lots of ways. The open world environment is much prettier to look at as more color has been added. It’s far better to look at than the drab green and brown colors that dominated Fallout 3.

Another fun feature is that your character can buddy up with companions. The companions are awesome as not only are they helpful, but they all have their own backstories too.

Anyway, Fallout 4 is our pick for best RPG, thanks in large part to the many choices it offers, and the different ways that you can play through the game.

Honorable Mention – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Best Fighting – Mortal Kombat X

Damian – It was a quiet year for the fighting game genre in 2015, with Tekken 7 and Street Fighter 5 not coming out until 2016. However, we did get one awesome fighting game and that was Mortal Kombat X.

Mortal Kombat (2011) was a reboot that truly reinvigorated the franchise, and Mortal Kombat X is a great follow-up to that game. Boasting the best looking visuals in the entire franchise, the detailed graphics made the famous Fatalities more gruesome than ever before. Even the newly added Brutalities were bone-crushingly difficult to watch sometimes.

Not to mention the actual gameplay is as fun as ever. Unlike some other games released in 2015, Mortal Kombat X has tons of modes that will occupy you for hours on end.

Honorable Mention – Dragonball Xenoverse

Hit the next page for best Multiplayer, best Story and other awards

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