Thursday, December 21, 2017

The Impact Factor’s Top 10 Games of 2017
Perspectives


Oh 2017. 2017 giveth. 2017 take away. 2017 won’t be forgotten. Needless to say. (Like my little poem?)

2017 has been one of the best years in gaming in a decade. I’m staking my claim now that 2017 will remain in the top-ever gaming years for decades to come. And thank everything that’s good in the world that 2017 was such a brilliant and beautiful year for digital interactive entertainment. Pretty much any other way you cut it, 2017 was a garbage truck on fire. And that’s putting it lightly.

There’s so much to say about 2017’s games. Too much to include in one list of the top 10. 2017 delivered quality across all genres and platforms. 2017 introduced several games that can hold strong against contenders in ‘best-ever’ lists. Us enthusiasts were inundated with quality these past 12 months, and I expect (hope) everyone’s “best of” lists represent this. As true as it has been the past few years, “there is just too much to play” never rang truer.

I wanted to start this top ten with a rapid-fire list of games I wish I had found time to play this year. Any, or all, of these could have been Game of the Year contenders: Resident Evil 7, Hollow Knight, Gorogoa, Wolfenstein 2, The Evil Within 2, Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Life is Strange-Before the Storm, Night in the Woods, Danganronpa V3, Golf Story, Battle Chef Brigade, Dead Cells.

But now to the Top 10! I hope this list finds you well this holiday season. May you & yours be merry, and thanks for thinking of the now fully dead TIF. Gone, but hopefully not forgotten.

10. Destiny 2

As a long-lapsed Destiny player (I played for 110 hours at launch but never came back for any DLC/expansions), I wasn’t expecting to get excited for Destiny 2. But I got excited. Very excited. And then I played it for 110 hours. Destiny 2 is an improvement on Destiny (again, speaking as a player who only engaged with release content). I joked back in 2014 that Destiny was the most fun I’d ever had with a 6/10 game. Destiny 2 is no 6/10. Much like 2014, my life became consumed by this sci-fi shooter sequel and honestly, I’m happy it was. Don’t call it a comeback – no seriously, don’t. The game has made a lot of mistakes since launch. It won’t take away the joy I experienced during those 110 hours, though. Here’s to 2020, and another 110 hours in Destiny 3.

9. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe

Yeah. I can hear you now. “But Alex, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe isn’t a new game! It came out forever ago on the Wii U!” Yeah, well. First, shut up. Second, I never played it before. Third, why are you coming here just to poo-poo my list? It had been years since I played a Mario Kart, setting lofty expectations for this Switch port, but boy were those expectations met and more. Unless you’re a slave to nostalgia, it’s pretty clear that Mario Kart 8: Deluxe is the best Mario Kart ever made. It handles like a dream. The courses are fun and colorful. Local multiplayer is a blast. So, I’m sorry, but Mario Kart makes the Top 10 cut folks. It’s fantastic.

8. NieR: Automata

NieR: Automata’s flashy combat, heavy themes, clever writing and ability to play with long-standing video game tropes earns it its spot at #8. NieR: Automata made it into my playlist on the back of glowing praise from some of my favorite critics, and boy am I glad I listened to their recommendations. NieR: Automata is better played (or seen) than explained, but I had to let you know not to sleep on this very good robot game. Plus, the soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful.  

7. Pyre

Despite my longstanding affection for Supergiant Games (Bastion is wonderful; Transistor was my #3 GOTY in 2014), Pyre had me worried. Rather, Pyre had me confused. The way the game was talked about confused me – it was a visual novel, RPG sports game? The way the game demoed confused me – the multiplayer at PSX handled strangely. But none of that mattered because the final product is excellent. Supergiant is 3 for 3 with stunningly beautiful games, fantastic soundtracks, and innovative gameplay. I was immediately drawn into the purgatorial world of Pyre. Just as soon as the narrative hooks got to me so too did the surprisingly complex (and endlessly fun) gameplay of the soccer-like Rites. You can see me crush the game here.

6. What Remains of Edith Finch

Stop what you’re doing. Go play What Remains of Edith Finch. 2 hours well spent, right? Edith Finch is an emotional, imaginative experience from start to finish – letting creativity shape narrative and gameplay alike. The emotional moments worked just as effectively as the perspective shifts and gameplay experiments. No other game in 2017 so fundamentally transported me to another world. Edith Finch is a time, a place, a mood. I was blown away with Giant Sparrow’s sophomore outing. I couldn’t be more excited for what comes next.

5. Splatoon 2

I could tell you about how Splatoon 2 expands upon the colorful and creative legacy of its predecessor. I could tell you about the addictive game modes, the finely-tuned and deeply-satisfying gunplay, or the absolute sensorial delight that is Splatfest. But I won’t. I want to tell you about my, really, our first weekend with the game. Splatoon 2 released on a Friday. My wife was home that day. She booted up the game, a fan of what she had seen from the first, to see what the sequel would offer. Justine played for nearly 8 hours straight. I got home and played for a few more. Saturday and Sunday were spent trading off the controller in nearly dozen hour long play sessions. Splatoon 2 was a moment. One that I got to share with my wife. Of course we didn’t stop there, and the two of us played for nearly 3 months after the game first launched. But I’ll never forget that first weekend. That delightful, lazy weekend in which my wife and I shared something special. Thank you for that, Splatoon 2.

4. Super Mario Odyssey

Hey. Psst. In case it wasn’t clear above, this is one of those “strong contender for best-ever” games that was alluded to in the introduction. Super Mario Odyssey is journey. A symphony of sights and sounds and immaculate gameplay. Odyssey is a game that rewards the player for being curious; a game so masterfully designed it’s hard to believe that it was made by real people. Odyssey locks you into its expressive world and doesn’t let up until you’re 500+ moons deep. What has stuck with me the longest, though, isn’t Mario or Peach or the Broodals (ugh). It isn’t the throwbacks or the platforming. It’s the joy. Super Mario Odyssey is an unabashed delight from start to finish. It’s fun and funny. It exudes happiness and wants you to be happy too. In a year like 2017, I don’t know if you can ask for much more.

3. Horizon Zero Dawn

Never before has such an enticing premise on paper, an open-world game about hunting robot dinosaurs, overdelivered in the final product. Horizon Zero Dawn is an absolutely phenomenal experience. The world is rich with quests and collectibles but each feels important, never tedious. Combat beautifully meshes high-octane action gameplay with strategic situational and environmental awareness. The narrative is layered, told well and filled with characters that will stand the test of time (hi Aloy!). Horizon is jaw-droppingly beautiful to boot. Horizon is the culmination of what developers have learned from years of making open-world games, and years of fan demands of the genre. Horizon Zero Dawn is really, really good.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

I hate to pit two games I adore against each other, but I feel it necessary when introducing my #2 game of the year. Whereas Horizon is a refinement on everything open-world games have been working towards, Breath of the Wild is a reinvention. This is the game all future open-world developers will look to for inspiration. Breath of the Wild is an uncanny assembly of ideas: a game so overflowing with innovation and introspection about something we collectively thought we understood that it’s hard to fathom. Every single surface in the game is open to player exploration. Breath of the Wild is one of the only games (perhaps ever) in which the game logic 1:1 matches with real world logic. That cannot be overstated. Set a field on fire to create an updraft to glide above enemies; drop your metal sword to complete an electrical circuit puzzle; and so on. Breath of the Wild is also perfectly designed for its platform, the Switch. You can play for 10 minutes or 10 hours and find satisfaction in equal measure. Like all innovators, Breath of the Wild doesn’t get everything right (moment-to-moment gameplay gets dragged down by tedious weapon fragility and cooking mechanics), but this genre-redefining title deserves all the praise that has been heaped upon it. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the most impactful game of the year. But, as you can tell by its placement, not my #1. (P.S. this is another one of those ‘best-evers'.)

1. Persona 5

Persona 5 is a masterpiece. I say without hesitation that Persona 5 is one of the best JRPGs ever made. Persona 5 has one of the most striking aesthetics ever. Persona 5 has one of the best soundtracks, ever. The list could go on. Essentially everything positive I said about the previous nine entries on the list apply here too – it refines, it innovates, it’s colorful, it has gameplay honed to a razor’s edge, etc. Persona 5 wasn’t just a game to me. It wasn’t just a moment. It was, well, a month. For a month straight, all my wife and I did was play Persona 5. All we thought about, all we talked about. We got home, scarfed down dinner, and played Persona 5 until we went to bed. For 4 weeks straight. I’m being effusive here but I can’t help myself. I’m still thinking about the space ship heist. I’m still singing “Last Surprise” and “Rivers in the Desert.” I still think about how wrong people are for choosing Makoto over Futaba. I still think about how perfectly the game captures the essence of Tokyo, and how much actually being in Tokyo reminded me of Persona 5. Persona 5 took us 112 hours to complete and my wife and I almost started a second playthrough on the spot. 2017 was shaped in its entirety by Persona 5: excitement leading up it its release, the month of it being everything, and then fond reminiscence for the rest of the year. If that doesn’t make it Game of the Year, I don’t know what does. Congratulations Persona 5, you are The Impact Factor’s 2017 Game of the Year!

Monday, October 2, 2017

October Scare Fest 2017
Perspectives


A long dead blog rises from the cool dirt, rotting flesh sloughing off and forming a neat puddle on the ground below it. October is a time for spooks and scares, so what better time to (briefly) reanimate The Impact Factor!

In all seriousness, the blog is dead. The podcast is ending in two episodes. But darn it I still love horror movies and want a platform to share my enthusiasm. I want to share my month-long list of horror movie watching with review scores.

Check back throughout October for a list of every scary movie I watched for Scare Fest 2017. You can check below for my past 3 years of Scare Fest lists. Let's hope for some 4+'s this year!


October Scare Fest 2017
The Boy: 2/5
Predator 2: 1/5
IT (1990): 2.5/5
IT (2017): 3.5/5
The Conjuring 2: 3/5
It Comes At Night: 2.5/5
Resident Evil: TFC: 1/5
[Resident Evil: 3/5]
Alien Covenant: 2.5/5
Scarecrow: 1.5/5
The Void: 3.5/5
The Devil's Candy: 3.5/5
Little Evil: 2/5
Raw: 2.5/5
Prince of Darkness: 2.5/5
Freddy vs. Jason: 1.5/5
Happy Death Day: 3/5
The Mothman Prophecies: 1/5
Pumpkinhead: 3/5
The Babysitter: 4/5
Cult of Chucky: 3/5
A Dark Song: 3.5/5
The Blackcoat's Daughter: 2/5
47 Meters Down: 2.5/5
Blair Witch ('16): 3/5
Creep 2: 4/5
Ouija - Origin of Evil: 3/5
Tales of Halloween: 3.5/5
Gerald's Game: 4.5/5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[October Scare Fest 2014]
Hellraiser: 3/5
Grabbers: 2/5
Candyman: 3/5
Honeymoon: 2.5/5
The Town That Dreaded Nightfall: 1/5
[Evil Dead 2]: 5/5
Rosemary’s Baby: 4/5
Re-Animator: 4.5/5
House of the Devil: 3.5/5
The Innkeepers: 3.5/5
The Taking of Deborah Logan: 3/5
The Sacrament: 2/5
Snowtown: 3.5/5
[Scream: 5/5]
[Trick r’ Treat: 5/5]

[October Scare Fest 2015]
The Visit: 3.5/5
[Orphan]: 2.5/5
The Babadook: 4/5
Creep ('14): 3/5
Wrymwood: Road of the Dead: 1/5
Unfriended: 2.5/5
Blue Ruin: 3.5/5
Housebound: 3.5/5
The Guest: 3.5/5
Martyrs: 4/5
The Hills Run Red: 2.5/5
The Nightmare (2015): 4/5
[Halloween]: 4.5/5
[Halloween 2]: 4/5
[Cabin in the Woods]: 5/5
[Trick r' Treat]: 5/5

[October Scare Fest 2016]

We Are Still Here: 3.5/5
We Are What We are: 1.5/5
Southbound: 2.5/5
The VVitch: 4/5
Under the Skin: 3/5
Offspring (09): 1/5
Hush: 4.5/5
The Box ('09): 1.5/5
Enter the Void: 2/5
They Look Like People: 3.5/5
The Invitation: 2.5/5
Baskin: 3/5
Irreversible: 2/5
Goodnight Mommy: 4/5
Goosebumps: 3.5/5
Green Room: 4.5/5
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night: 3/5
Hatchet: 2.5/5
The Craft: 2.5/5
Ginger Snaps: 3/5
[Jennifer's Body]: 3.5/5

*Movies in brackets are ones I’ve seen previously. I've underlined films scored 4/5 or higher to emphasize the ones well-worth watching.

Friday, March 17, 2017

The Impact Factor Ep. 97: How Should Video Games Be Reviewed?
Podcast
Welcome to the 97th episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about Cloth Map, Patreon, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Horizon Zero Dawn, Nintendo Switch, Kinda Funny, Strafe, What Remains of Edith Finch, Shadowverse, and we troubleshoot how we should review games.


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For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss 
@thecfliss on Twitter.

Intro song:
You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)

Friday, March 10, 2017

The Impact Factor Ep. 96: Lizard Brains & Triangle Man
Podcast
Welcome to the 96th episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about Nintendo Switch sales. Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s 43+ perfect scores, the Sleeping Dogs and Just Cause movies, Girls Make Games summer camp, Outlast 2, Rain World, Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, and what makes a game satisfying.


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Discord Server

For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss 
@thecfliss on Twitter.

Intro song:
You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)

Monday, March 6, 2017

The Impact Factor Ep. 95: Is Zelda - Breath Of The Wild The Best Game Of All Time?
Podcast
Welcome to the 95th episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, PSVR sales, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Avatar, Hearthstone, the Nintendo Switch, Unreal Engine, Overwatch, Shadowverse, Chrono Trigger, and whether Sony has already (or forever) won the console war.

“The Exclusive Gap Between PS4 and Xbox One Has Become A Canyon” by Paul Tassi


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For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss 
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Intro song:
You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)
The Impact Factor Ep. 94: Heavily Statted Fish
Podcast
Welcome to the 94th episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex ridin’ solo (ridin’ solo, ridin’ solo) to discuss Full Metal Furies, Shadowverse, Nintendo Switch, Hearthstone, the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, Danganronpa V3, and his review of Pokemon Moon!


YouTube page

Discord Server

For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss 
@thecfliss on Twitter.

Intro song:
You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)

Friday, February 17, 2017

The Impact Factor Ep. 93: Did Dark Souls Invent A New Genre?
Podcast
Welcome to the 93rd episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about Steam Direct, Zelda Breath of the Wild DLC, the Freedom Humble Bundle, Twitch, Hearthstone, Shadowverse, Let It Die, and whether or not Nioh proves that Dark Souls invented a new video game genre!

“Nioh Suggests That Dark Souls Actually Invented a New Genre” by Patrick Klepek, Waypoint


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Discord Server

For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss 
@thecfliss on Twitter.

Intro song:
You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)
The Impact Factor Ep. 92: Fiple Prestige
Podcast
Welcome to the 92nd episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about E3 ‘consumer’ tickets, Activision-Blizzard’s 2017 plans, Destiny 2, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 at EVO, Overwatch, Fire Emblem: Heroes, Hand of Fate, and how we approach enjoying video games!


YouTube page

Discord Server

For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss 
@thecfliss on Twitter.

Intro song:
You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)

Friday, February 3, 2017

The Impact Factor Ep. 91: End Transmission a.k.a. Groundhog Boys
Podcast
Welcome to the 91st episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about about the ZeniMax vs. Oculus lawsuit, Deus Ex going on hiatus, Resident Evil 7 sales, Namco, Nintendo, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, Shadowverse, The Last Guardian, and we flex our gamedev muscles to think up a PERFECT game.


YouTube page

Discord Server

For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss 
@thecfliss on Twitter.

Intro song:
You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)

Friday, January 27, 2017

The Impact Factor Ep. 90: It's Mahvel Baby
Podcast
Welcome to the 90th episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about the Marvel & Square Enix partnership, EVO 2017, Apocalypse Now the game, Xbox Project Scorpio, Mass Effect Andromeda, Prey, Ni No Kuni 2, Tekken 7, Shadowverse, Watch_Dogs 2, and what makes a great horror game.

“On Horror, Games, Death, and Immersion” by Alex Samocha


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For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss 
@thecfliss on Twitter.

Intro song:
You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)

Friday, January 20, 2017

The Impact Factor Ep. 89: Let's Dish On The Switch
Podcast
Welcome to the 89th episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about Perception, Fire Emblem Heroes, Darkest Dungeon, Playdead, Scalebound, the Game of Thrones board game, Actual Sunlight, Shadowverse, My Name is Mayo, and we utterly destroy the Nintendo Switch.


YouTube page

Discord Server

For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss 
@thecfliss on Twitter.

Intro song:
You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)

Monday, January 9, 2017

The Impact Factor Ep. 88: 2016's Game of the Year!
Podcast
Welcome to the 88th episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss are joined by special guest co-host Patrick to discuss our 2016 Games of the Year, listener 2016 GOTY lists, Total War: Warhammer, Final Fantasy Type 0, Hearthstone, Hidden My Game by Mom!, 2016’s Top 100 sellers on Steam, Ariana Grande in Brave Exvius and so much more!


YouTube page

Discord Server

For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss 
@thecfliss on Twitter.

Intro song:
You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)

Friday, January 6, 2017

The Impact Factor’s Top 10 Games of 2016!
Perspectives


2016. It’s a year that’s best described by the number itself. No year has been as explicitly independent from other years in recent memory as 2016. The year was a rollercoaster for most, one many of us were more than happy to hop off by the end of December. In my life, 2016 is a year of extraordinarily high highs, and some pretty low lows. I will forever cherish 2016 as the year I got married to the love of my life, Justine. We grew together and shared so much in 2016 it’s hard to look back on the year as a whole negatively.

2016, however, was also a year that showed us that hate and ignorance is alive and well—and that, politically at least, it will only continue to grow in the months and years ahead. 2016 was also the year I realized I had to take a step back from The Impact Factor. Graduate school demands materialized as shackles, and there were several times throughout the year I felt utterly defeated by my Ph.D. work.

But thankfully you’re all here for the games. I am too. 2016 has been a surprisingly stellar year, from AAA to indie. Though still not all the way there, this current console generation seems to finally have its feet under it. 2016 was the year of virtual reality, games that celebrated diversity, and pure gameplay joys that need little explanation. Cutting my favorite games of the year to just ten titles was challenging. Ordering those ten was an even bigger hurdle. But I did it!

My list this year is best in audio form, which you can find by checking out Episode 88 of The Impact Factor podcast.


If you don’t have the time, or you don’t enjoy the sound of my voice, don’t worry. You can check out my top ten games of 2016 right here!

10. Final Fantasy XV

A late contender to the list but one that well-earned its spot here, Final Fantasy XV delivered something I thought impossible: a great new Final Fantasy game. FFXV had the odds stacked against it. Not many games can come out the other side of a tortured decade-long development playing as well, looking as great, and being as engaging as FFXV is. The game is not without its problems. Tedium is built a little too intractably from its open world and the second half has some serious pacing & design problems. But every single time I picked up FFXV I didn’t want to put it down. Combat is fantastic. The characters are endearing, distinct, and show an underrepresented side to male companionship. FFXV had me hooked from start to 50+ hour finish, and is easily in my top five of the franchise.

9. Overcooked
Frantic fun is the name of the game (it’s Overcooked, actually) in this couch co-op gem about working as a chef. Yeah, you read that right. A cooking game is in my top ten games of the year. And honestly, it could easily be so much higher. Overcooked is uproariously fun. The intricate choreography of prepping ingredients, cooking food, plating and service is satisfyingly skill intensive. Achieving a 3-star rating on every level is a challenge, and one that my wife and I had the pleasure of accomplishing. Overcooked combines its simple but perfect gameplay with a charming aesthetic, a memorable soundtrack, and an awesome throwback world map. Overcooked is couch co-op at its finest and one of the year’s biggest surprises.

8. Clash Royale
When a new mobile game usurps my Hearthstone time for the better part of a year, I need to give it serious game of the year thought. And thought I did. For the longest time, Clash Royale existed just outside of my top ten. It was fun, sure, but it also has serious faults that even after 9+ months of playing I cannot get over.  But that ignores the fact that I have been really enjoying Clash Royale for 9+ months. I play the game daily. Still. Clash Royale’s hybrid of competitive card game with tower defense and real time strategy still boggles my mind. The mix works so well. Whether duking it out in legendary arena, playing in special event challenges, or trying out new decks, Clash Royale has provided a consistently fun experience that’s defined my 2016 gaming. It deserves its spot here. If you’re curious, you can read my review for the game here. The only thing that has changed since then is that I like it even more. It would still get 4 stars, though.

7. Dark Souls III
The alleged end of the storied franchise, Dark Souls III delivered on all fronts. The game maintains the brilliant design, excellent balance of risk and reward, and eerie fantasy setting that’s a staple for the franchise. Like the other Souls games before it, once I started playing Dark Souls III, I couldn’t stop until I had defeated every single boss and scoured its immense world. Dark Souls III righted the slight wrongs of its predecessor, returning the series to peak form. Playing the game truly felt like the end, with plot callbacks throughout. Dark Souls III was the first Souls game, however, in which I started to feel slight franchise fatigue. It makes me extra happy then that the series gets to end on a high note, long before I crossed too far into exhaustion. Dark Souls III is fantastic. For more detailed thoughts about the game, please check out my review here.

6. Inside
 Here’s an almost impossible argument to make: “so-and-so is a perfect game.” What game would be in consideration? What even is a perfect game? After weeks of reflection, Inside comes pretty darn close. Every single element of Inside hits the nail squarely on the head. Creepy, dystopian aesthetic? Perfect. Platforming physics and challenges? Perfect. Puzzles? Perfect – they never keep you stalled for long but are just hard enough to give a satisfying sense of completion once solved. Surprises? A meta-narrative about playing games? Check and check. Inside is a game you could tell took full advantage of its six year development cycle. Inside learns from its predecessor, Limbo, and improves every single aspect. I got lost in Inside’s world and challenges. The only thing going against Inside is that I haven’t really thought about it much after completion. Still, Inside is a tremendous achievement and I game I think everyone should play. Everyone.

5. Firewatch
 I’m going to let my review do most of the talking here, “Firewatch is a game, a vignette of the human experience, that’s in a league of its own. There are no aliens, no headshots, no fate of the world, not even a focus on one of life’s particular moments.Firewatch transports the player into a snapshot of existence. It takes you to a time and a place and a mindset we haven’t really seen before in games. Firewatch is gorgeous, well-written, well-acted and gripping. The game skillfully touches on themes of love, loss, isolation and paranoia, delivering a mature narrative that has stayed with me. I give it my highest recommendation.” Well said, early 2016 me. Nearly a year later Firewatch still means a lot of me. It was an engrossing, human experience that gave me something I never knew I wanted in games.

4. Enter the Gungeon
 I love roguelikes. It should come as no surprise that much like in 2015 when Nuclear Throne slipped into my top five, so too would another absolutely phenomenal roguelike. This year, it’s Enter the Gungeon. Enter the Gungeon does so much so well I don’t really even know where to start. The game mashes together the fast, bullet-hell + twin-stick gameplay of other roguelikes with depth and mystery matching the best in the roguelike genre. Enter the Gungeon’s gameplay loop is endlessly addictive. I played off and on for months, ignoring big releases to focus on perfecting my runs. The freshness new guns, items, and characters add to each run meant that the dozens of hours I played never felt boring. Enter the Gungeon has a brutal skill ceiling that always pushed me to try harder and do better, with challenges I have yet to beat still calling out to me. Enter the Gungeon has etched its name into my pantheon of extraordinary roguelikes, and I’m excited to jump back in. For more detailed thoughts on the game, you can find my full review here.

3. Hyper Light Drifter
 Hyper Light Drifter has earned itself a rare distinction. It was a game that, despite my years of anticipation and incredibly high expectations, far surpassed anything I imagined. Hyper Light Drifter is amazing. I’m going to let past me have a turn at this again, “Hyper Light Drifter is a new classic. The game’s stunning art direction and soundtrack compliment an immensely satisfying gameplay experience. Combat is a perfect balance of simplicity with depth and fluidity with strategy. Hyper Light Drifter creates a world that is easy to get lost in and is filled with hidden secrets. The game does so much with so little and respects the player’s intelligence and perseverance throughout. Hyper Light Drifter should not be missed. It is easily one of 2016’s best.” Yeah, it sure is. You really should read my full review of Hyper Light Drifter here. There are so many reasons it is one of the year’s best games—too many to write here now. Just do yourself a favor and go play it.

2. Uncharted 4: A Theif’s End
Nobody does cinematic storytelling better than Naughty Dog, and they made one of their best in Uncharted 4. Uncharted 4 is the culmination of a long running, and critically acclaimed, franchise that bests all entries before it. We’re given a more nuanced take on adventuring, the price of ambition, and the lengths people will go to protect the people they love. Uncharted 4 refines and adds to the gameplay in ways that tighten up a franchise in little need of improvement. Uncharted 4 was so good it made me look more favorably on the entire franchise. It was always something I enjoyed, but never felt like a key part to my gaming identity. After Uncharted 4, Uncharted is integral to my gaming lineage. And that’s an accomplishment a precious few franchises can boast. For more about what I actually loved about the game itself, you can read my full review here.

1. Overwatch
 For the longest time (really, I mean long) Uncharted 4 was my 2016 game of the year. It gave me everything I could ever ask for in a game of the year. But then there was Overwatch. A game that, for most people, defined 2016. Rescued from the ashes of a failed MMO, Overwatch took everyone by surprise (myself included) with how brilliant it was. Overwatch is game design euphoria. As Blizzard always does, the gameplay is refined to a razor’s edge. Simple, elegant, but with extraordinary depth. Overwatch made me care for and identify with 20+ insane characters. It soothed during hard times and had me yelling at the TV in frustration at others. Overwatch stuck with me throughout 2016, grew as I grew, changed as I changed. I thought I was done with competitive FPS games. Overwatch proved me wrong. I thought hero shooters would all suck. Overwatch proved me wrong. I thought I wouldn’t adopt another lifestyle game. Overwatch, again, proved me wrong. Overwatch celebrated joy and diversity in a year desperately needing positivity. And it delivered on all its promises (some of which I detail in my review). I’m thrilled with the year I spent playing Overwatch, and I’m looking forward to keeping it a small part of my life as 2017 rolls on. Congratulations Overwatch! You are The Impact Factor’s 2016 Game of the Year!