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!

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!

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

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Intro song:

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Transitions:
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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!

The Impact Factor’s 2015 Game of the Year Awards!

Article, Part 2 of 2

Here's part two of The Impact Factor's game of the year discussion! If you missed it, you can find part one HERE. Onto more great games!

Honorable Mention: Shovel Knight, Heroes of the Storm, Rocket League, Cibele

These games were all great, but just missed the cut. These four stood out as ones that, at one point or another, were well within my top 10 games of 2015 before being shuffled out for the others I’ve listed here. Congrats to these games on a job well done!

6. Fallout 4

What can I say about Fallout 4 that hasn’t been said a million times in a million different places before? Let’s check some of the boxes off: Fallout 4 is amazing. Fallout 4 builds upon and refines the gameplay foundation laid out by Fallout 3. Fallout 4 has an immersive open world so filled with great details, side-quests and environmental storytelling you won’t ever want to leave. Fallout 4 is peerless in the type of game it tries to be. Fallout 4 gives the player agency in nearly every element of the game, creating one of the best truly role-playing games released this year. Fallout 4 finally made it fun to shoot things without the use of V.A.T.S. Phew, that’s a lot of boxes. All of that aside, Fallout 4 meant a lot to me personally. I had been craving a content dense open world for months leading up it its release. I was lukewarm on Fallout 3 but wanted to be part of the Fallout fervor. I wanted to play a game where reality would fade away, where I would be a survivor in post-nuclear war America. Fallout 4 met and exceeded all of my expectations. I essentially played the game without interruption until I had not only beaten the main story, but also accomplished nearly every in-game achievement (trophy). I loved exploring, finding the hidden richness of every nook and cranny. Voice acting added a new level of gravity to the game’s world, and for the first time I cared about the goings on of other survivors. The harshest critique I’ll levy here is that Fallout 4 is just Fallout 3, but better. Is that really so bad? I respect Fallout 4 as a game on so many different levels, not the least of which was (hopefully) setting a new precedent in which you don’t need a multi-year marketing and preview cycle to make a game a success. I can’t wait to jump back in once DLC is released.

5. Nuclear Throne

The team that made Ridiculous Fishing and Luftrausers is making a 2D twin-stick bullet hell roguelike? You had my attention, Nuclear Throne. Little did I know that attention would turn to adoration and my dabbling would turn into full on obsession. Nuclear Throne is fantastic. It’s my new Spelunky. Ponder for a second what I mean when I write that. Spelunky is in my top five favorite games of all time. Nuclear Throne is giving me the same kind of feeling that I had while I was learning Spelunky, during which every day was an adventure as I set new goals for myself. Nuclear Throne has me fully in its clutches. The team at Vlambeer know how to make a game with sublimely satisfying gameplay and a loop that hooks you, and Nuclear Throne is no different. Where it is different, though, is just how deep and nuanced a game Nuclear Throne can be. Each character you play as completely changes the way you approach the levels. The game is filled with secrets, some clear some obscure. Some that require an unfathomable level of skill. Nuclear Throne is a perfect roguelike. You never feel like stopping a run prematurely because you either took too much damage early or found bad weapons. At the end of each run, good or bad, I found myself thinking, “just one more run.” I played Nuclear Throne for over 35 hours after only two weeks of owning the game. Considering each run is usually between 5-15 minutes, that’s a whole lot of runs (& deaths). And still, I feel like I have such a long way to go because the skill ceiling is so high. I keep on coming back for more because it’s a perfect test of what I’ve learned. It’s fun, frantic, punishing, and addicting. Nuclear Throne sounds good, looks good, and is expertly designed. Of all the games on this list, Nuclear Throne is the one I’ll still be playing in 2016. And I can’t wait.

4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

If you were to go around the internet and see what game won the most ‘Game of the Year’ awards, it would be The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. By a landslide. For a lot of good reasons too. The Witcher 3 is one of the best open-world western RPGs ever made. The team at CD Projekt Red poured their heart and soul into the game, and it can be seen in every element of The Witcher 3. The world is expansive and brimming with things to see, people to meet, and quests to complete. The story, while simple, is easy to follow and unencumbered by usual RPG tedium. Combat is simple too, but its speed and fluidity give the player a great feeling of power. Most strikingly, every single thing in The Witcher 3 feels hand crafted. No location or path or monster is just there to fill space. Side quests are meaningful, more so than any other RPG I’ve ever played. They feel just as fleshed out as the main story quests, always having something to say or giving the player something new to do. Geralt, Yennifer, Tris and the rest of the cast are instantly familiar with distinct and charming personalities. The Witcher 3 is steeped in Slavic lore, making the monsters you fight all the more interesting (i.e. not always your standard western fantasy fare). Heck, The Witcher 3 even has a fully fleshed out card-based mini game that could have easily been a standalone release. It’s baffling to think how much work into creating The Witcher 3. But the payoff is worth it. The Witcher 3 has made me into both a Witcher and CD Projekt Red fan for life, even if I didn't like item degradation in the game. I’m so excited for what comes next.

3. SOMA

I’ll let a bit of my SOMA review serve as a quick intro, “SOMA sets a new high watermark for narrative in games. Frictional’s newest explorer slash survival horror title is a thought provoking, immersive masterpiece. Smart level and monster design keep the player actively engaged with the heady experience and maintain a great sense of momentum throughout. SOMA is deeply unnerving, content to keep you up at night rather than jump out of a dark corner to scare you.” SOMA is a game that asks the player questions about what it means to be human and what it means to die. Frictional Games matured in their storytelling, world building and gameplay in a way I never expected following Amnesia: The Dark Descent. You can tell each and every part of your trying experience in SOMA is handcrafted to immerse you in the world and the questions it asks. Long after I finished playing SOMA I wrestled with the ideas put forth by the game. How do I define my own humanity, for instance. But SOMA isn’t just some philosophy textbook. It’s a meticulously well thought out interactive experience. SOMA is a game that uses the tangibility and immersion to reinforce a narrative that could only be found in games. Frictional’s horror pedigree strengthens the game’s more terrifying moments, but also acknowledges that the scariest thing is your imagination. SOMA is easily one of the best horror games I’ve played in years and makes me so excited for the future of narrative in gaming.

2. Undertale

I was a bit late to the Undertale party, but man oh man I’m so happy I played it. This charming, old school-inspired RPG from toby fox met, exceeded, and subverted my expectations. Narrative, gameplay, fourth wall or otherwise. Undertale is a game that both stands alone as an exceptional experience as well as offers a commentary on games as a whole. The central message behind Undertale is one of non-violence or, at the very least, understanding the ramifications for your violent actions in video games. Undertale is supremely clever in doing so, with an innovative battle system and remembering your actions across play throughs or saves. The world Undertale establishes is so fully realized it comes as no surprise when you start discovering all the game’s hidden complexity. Undertale is also genuinely funny, filled with hilarious dialogue and some of the best gaming characters of 2015 (Sans and Papyrus are so great). And the music! Undertale has the best soundtrack of the year, too. I’ve seen Undertale described as a JRPG in which tedium and monotony is stripped away and replaced by humor. I can’t say I disagree (though I often like JRPG tedium). Undertale is a concise 5-8 hour experience that knows what it is and what its not. In these couple of hours Undertale establishes its own rules, tweaks them, breaks them, and keeps you on the edge of your seat as it constantly keeps the gameplay and story fresh. Undertale is probably one of the most replayable RPGs ever made, as each time you play you gain a new or fuller appreciation for the world. From my Undertale review, “Undertale is a peerless experience and serves as a perfect example of the power of auteurship in games. It’s one you shouldn’t miss.” I couldn’t agree more, me.

1. Bloodborne

“Bloodborne is a true evolution of the Souls series, taking an enormous leap forward in much the same way Dark Souls did for Demon’s Souls before it. Miyazaki and team distilled the truest essence of what makes a Souls game work and builds upon that foundation in a thoroughly unique and profoundly interesting way. The brutal and often unforgiving nature of Bloodborne works in perfect synergy with its lightning fast, hyper-aggressive precision combat. A dark and grotesque world serves as the perfect foundation of this blood-filled dark odyssey into madness and nightmares. Bloodborne has a nearly unparalleled sense of cohesion, and exudes complete confidence in every single design decision. I cannot recommend Bloodborne highly enough.” (You can read my full Bloodborne review for more)

Bloodborne is a masterpiece. Bloodborne has fought off a deluge of exceptional games over the course of 2015, staying at the top of my tentative game of the year list ever since it was release. The game is just…perfect. Combat is at a series best. The world is dark and fascinating. The gameplay loop is better than ever. The feeling of satisfaction you get when taking down one of the game’s many challenges is unrivaled in gaming. Perhaps the highest praise I can give Bloodborne is that it is just so damn confident in its design. Nothing has been compromised. Bloodborne is unashamed by its ambition, unfettered by the demands of modern gaming. It gives you a fun you can only ever find while playing Bloodborne. I’m confident Bloodborne will be looked back on as one of the best games this console generation. Bloodborne is not only my favorite game of the year, but it’s objectively 2015’s best too. So congratulations Bloodborne, you are The Impact Factor’s Game of the Year!

And of course you can hear my thoughts on the top five I listed here in The Impact Factor's game of the year podcast! You can find it below.

The Impact Factor’s 2015 Game of the Year Awards!

Article, Part 1 of 2

2015 has been an absolutely phenomenal year for games. We’ve had stellar AAA games years in the making, surprise indies that wowed, and small artistic experiences that brought something new to the world of gaming. It’s also probably my busiest year ever as a gamer. I jumped between my computer, phone, Vita, 3DS, PS3 and PS4. I played nearly 60 games total. Starting The Impact Factor back in January was a huge inspiration to sit down to play anything and everything that not only caught my eye, but the critical eyes of others too. 2015 is the year current generation consoles became a must buy. Welcome to The Impact Factor’s game of the year awards for 2015! Strap in.

It’s a real treat to once again list my favorite, and the best, games of the year. After all, making a game of the year (GOTY) list was how I started The Impact Factor. What was five last year is twelve this year. I’m sorry. I just can’t narrow it down to the standard list of ten. Believe me, I tried. The games in the #12 and #11 slots are just too good to not be represented here today.

As a scientist first and games writer/podcaster/streamer second, I’m all about full disclosure to my audience. To address the first and most pressing question: no, I was not able to play literally every single game that came out in 2015. You may notice some big exclusions, or games that made it onto many other GOTY lists.  By virtue of me actually trying to complete my Ph.D. in a non-Rip Van Winkle-esque timeline, I just can’t get around to playing all the games I want to. My list, like all lists really, are a collection of the games I thought were the best this year. My favorites. All GOTY lists are subjective and given how many exceptional games came out this year, it should come as no surprise that lists this year were so varied. So I suppose I should include an asterisk in this article’s title that reads: *based on an incomplete sampling. You can see all games that I ‘sampled’ below.

This year was the first I could share my GOTY list in more than written form! The Impact Factor podcast just recorded its GOTY talk, in which I go into more detail about my top five favorites of the year. You can find the episode below.

But without further ado, let’s get into The Impact Factor’s top 12 games of 2015! 12-7 are today, honorable mention and 6-1 tomorrow!

12. Grow Home

3D platformers are few and far between nowadays, but Grow Home gets it so right. The game is charming, whimsical, atmospheric, and fun. I finished Grow Home over the course of one night & the following morning because I couldn’t stop playing. Grow Home nails floaty physics, contrasting the powerful pull of growing large vines with the lightness and clumsiness of your lovable little robot. 2015 is the first year I can quote myself about just how much I enjoyed some of the games on this list, so I’ll let my review’s summary do the rest of the work here: “Grow Home is an unmissable experience in gaming. My time with the game was awe-inspiring and meditative. A beautiful world complements your simple objective—to fill a planet with life. Climbing your way through a growing world creates a tremendous sense of player impact. Unusual physics and controls set the foundation for creating a compelling bond between the player and the game’s robot avatar, B.U.D., the more you play. Grow Home is a game that understands what it wants to be and shows players total respect. Grow Home is a perfect, compact experience deserving of your time.” You can read my full review of Grow Home for more about what makes the game so great.

11. Life is Strange

Life is Strange does a remarkable, and almost unprecedented, job of making the ordinary extraordinary. You live the life of a teenage girl discovering who matters most in her life, who she is, and who she wants to be. With a bit of supernatural elements added into the mix to amp up the drama. To summarize it briefly: you play as Max, a senior at a high school for the arts, who discovers she can manipulate time. She uses her newly found powers to reinforce, or erode, her social bonds. More importantly, though, it’s about rebuilding her time worn friendship to her childhood bestie, Chloe. What’s most impressive and engaging about Life is Strange is its depiction of normal life. The coming of age in during a trying time and about the complicated nature of making meaningful connections. Life is Strange runs the gamut of big dramatic moments, like drug abuse and suicide, but it’s groundedness (and humanness) make its dramatic flairs feel earned. Over the course of the five episodes I grew so attached to Max and Chloe. I did everything in my power to keep the two happy and healthy, because they deserved it. A few instances of clunky dialogue aside, Life is Strange excels in every way. I loved seeing another studio, DotNod, take a shot at a genre that Telltale had seemingly monopolized. And do it so incredibly skillfully. Life is Strange was another of 2015’s big surprises.

10. Persona 4: Dancing All Night

The surprises keep rolling with Persona 4: Dancing All Night (P4D). At the start of 2015 I would have scoffed at the idea that I’d care about a rhythm slash visual novel hybrid game based off a JRPG franchise I’d never played before. Let alone that it makes my top ten of the year. But here we are, and P4D is my number ten favorite game of 2015. I was blown away by Persona 4 Golden earlier this year, and it created an insatiable hunger for more. P4D sated that hunger, surprisingly, and stood out as it’s own fantastic game. P4D does everything well. The visual novel elements are well-written, funny, and feature great animated character models (a big deal for a visual novel game). The rhythm elements are even better. Motion-captured dancers move through interesting backgrounds, songs are instantly catchy and infinitely repeatable, and the inputs are simple yet mask a complexity that appears at higher difficulty levels. The Persona team does not make bad spin-offs. Perhaps most powerfully, P4D is a game that my fiancée played while I watched. Playing through P4D with her is one of my favorite gaming memories from 2015, easily cementing the game’s placement in my top ten list. I’ll let my own words wrap this up, “ P4D exudes design confidence, showing that Atlas not only knows its world, but knows how to perfectly expand upon it. I expected P4D but to be fun, but not great. Turns out it’s exceptional.”

9. Until Dawn

Until Dawn is the best realization of a long-promised notion in games: that your choice matters and affects the outcome of the story. What an exceptional surprise and a devilishly fun game. Until Dawn had everything going against it: a troubled development (it started as a PS3 Move game over five years ago), a formulaic plot (teen slasher / supernatural horror set in a cabin in the woods), and released with almost no fanfare. As a big fan of both horror and adventure games, I had to see what Until Dawn had to offer. I was blown away. Until Dawn is so freaking fun. The characters are shallow and tropey, but knowingly so. Voice acting is exceptional. The story takes twists and turns that easily carry you through the 10 hour experience. You’re in a constant state of fear, not only because of the monsters lurking in the shadows, but knowing that every choice you make could result in the permanent death of one of the game’s protagonists. You can beat Until Dawn with everyone alive, no one alive, or anywhere in between. Until Dawn does new and interesting things with adventure game control schemes too, namely the ‘don’t move’ prompt that requires you to keep your controller perfectly still during some of the game’s most tense moments. Until Dawn is a great solo experience, was a great co-op story experience for my fiancée and I, and would also be an exceptional party game. Until Dawn is the game form of yelling at the screen during a B-horror movie: do you run or try to hide from the masked intruder? And so on. Until Dawn was another of 2015’s great surprises and easily one of the best games this year.

8. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

Well, here it is. The game I promised to review since March. The game I never got around to reviewing. So this will have to suffice. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (MH4U) is exceptional. MH4U was my first foray into the long running Monster Hunter franchise. A franchise that, while limited to a small (but passionate) following in the west, is routinely one of the biggest games in Japan. The game boils down to a couple disparate parts. You travel out into a multi-zoned map to track, find, and kill gigantic monsters to complete quests. Killing said monsters awards you with monster parts, which can be used to craft new armor and weapons. There’s a loose story, but MH4U is all about killing big things with big swords (or axes, in my case). MH4U is impressively complex and almost unfathomably content dense. Killing your targets is never a button mash fest—it’s the exact opposite. Killing these giant monsters requires problem solving, pattern recognition, and quick reflexes. Your attacks are slow, monsters do a ton of damage, and they have a large health pool. Each new fight is a puzzle, one in which your life is on the line. Combat is therefore deliberate and tense. Enemy design is great, too. MH4U is an RPG fanatic’s dream, with a wealth of systems to master, each with immense complexity. The game is also like 8+ games in one, as each weapon type makes monster encounters feel totally different. Fighting with a sword and shield is nothing like fighting with a switch axe, a bow gun, or a hammer. They each require their own skill set and approach. I played MH4U for 80+ hours and I got maybe halfway through the content. That’s if I’m being generous. MH4U took me completely by surprise. And as I’ve read online, as the most accessible Monster Hunter yet it’s a perfect place for newcomers like me to jump on board. Just writing this makes me want to pick it up again. Dangit.

7. Tales from the Borderlands

Tales from the Borderlands is the little game that could. It had a lot to prove from the outset: how could Telltale make a game set in the Borderlands universe? It also had some pretty lofty expectations to overcome. As a big fan of both Telltale and the Borderlands IP, this unusual pairing was very much a peanut butter in my chocolate kind of scenario. But I was skeptical. Tales from the Borderlands delighted in proving me wrong. The game is one of the year’s best (duh), one of the year’s funniest, and Telltale’s second best game ever (just behind The Walking Dead S1). If I were to make a list of my favorite new characters from 2015, Tales from the Borderlands would easily secure upwards of four to five slots on a top ten. Letting me speak for myself here, “Tales from the Borderlands is fresh and exciting. Telltale flourishes in their return to comedic storytelling. Original characters feel at home in the Borderlands universe and are some of the best Telltale has ever done. The writing is sharp, witty, and often laugh-out-loud funny. Decisions made in Tales from the Borderlands feel meaningful, both within the game’s self-contained plot and in the Borderlands universe at large. Tales from the Borderlands is a wild ride and a raucously good time.” Telltale also plays with their own game conventions in Tales from the Borderlands, freshening up the play experience for the first time since The Walking Dead. Fan of Borderlands or not, Tales from the Borderlands is a must play. You can check out my full thoughts on the game in my review.

Check back here tomorrow for a couple honorable mentions and #6-1!