Top 5 Reviewed Games Of 2016
Well, 2016 has come and gone and we are left with our memories of last year and our hopes and dreams for a better 2017 for games and gamers! Due to the nature of The Videogame Backlog’s review catalog, I was anticipating more games that weren’t released this year would have made it in the Top 5. However, that is apparently not the case! Moving on, this is the wrap-up of what I got to enjoy during the year and I want to share it with you!
#1 Batman: The Telltale Series
I didn’t think I was going to get a review copy of Batman originally so I half wrote it off for a game that I would enjoy this year. Then poof! I’m playing this awesome game! Now, this isn’t a perfect game, but man, it has a very exciting story to play through full of emotional, agonizing and all around tough choices. However, thanks to the fact that some of your choices are ignored via how the game narrative plays out at certain points and the fact that this is basically a visual novel, I won’t be firing this game up now that I’ve finished it. At the same time, this was one of the most stressful and enjoyable story-lines I’ve played all year and that just seemed to be the perfect storm of what I wanted this year. What a fantastic game and by far, my favorite Telltale game yet!
#2 The Uncharted Series (1-3)
I believe that if you haven’t played the Uncharted series, you are doing yourself a disservice. I had it on the PS3, but I really only jumped into it full-bore when I got the Nathan Drake Collection on the PS4. While the mechanics got smoother and more fun as the series progressed (minus that goofy-looking jump from 2 & 3), it was a more of the same as it went. That wasn’t to say they didn’t continue to be fun, but that’s why, as a whole, Uncharted didn’t take the #1 spot. Batman was something new, game-wise, and was more fresh too me. If you wanted more freedom and adventure, Uncharted has got your back. I recently got my grubby mitts on the fourth iteration and I’m super excited to play it. The Nathan Drake Collection is something I plan on keeping in my collection due to is timelessness. Good adventure games are immortal.
#3 The Dwarves
What an epic tale being told here. The Dwarves has some of my favorite narration/voice work I’ve heard in a long time and I’m so glad that I backed this on Kickstarter. With the pause/tactical gameplay and the super-fun enemy crowds implemented by the folks over at King Art Games, The Dwarves could very well be an awesome series if they choose to continue. I only say “could” because, while I’m really enjoying the story being told here, I’m not sure how the rest of the books go. If this were a series about Drizzt, I would guarantee an awesome time for RPG fans. However, knowing that this game is filled with Dwarves and they are well represented here, I know I’ll be checking out whatever comes next. (Man I love playing as a Dwarf!)
#4 Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure
Gurumin has been around for a while and having enjoyed it as much as I did, I feel bad that I couldn’t be part of that crowd that saw the 3DS release and say “Oh, now I can play it on the go!” (Because who really owns a PSP?). I want to reiterate that I enjoyed the PC version more, not simply because of the frame-drops on the 3DS, but because I love my larger monitor more! Yet another 3D adventure game in my top 5… I’m sensing a pattern, but man, if you haven’t played this game either, it’s good fun for everyone… except my wife since she doesn’t really platform very well, but we’re working on that (a little Lego City Undercover goes a long way).
#5 Overwatch
What kind of sellout would I not be if I didn’t put Blizzard’s latest game on my “Game of the Year” list right? Well, if you thought that you either don’t like FPS games or are wrong. It’s cool, we can’t all be right all of the time. You can’t really ignore Blizzard’s latest offering if you’re a fan of shooters. It’s very well made and really only imbalanced when you’re counted or out-skilled (at least at my lowbie ranking). While that can appear to happen, I have spent countless hours in Overwatch and I’m not done yet. I can’t believe how much time the winter event took of my free time during the Christmas break, but as far as gaming online with others, this is my go-to game.
Runner Ups (in alphabetical order):
Avadon 3: The Warborn
Battle For Blood
Dungelot
Lost Castle
Move Or Die
Punch Club
Secret Santa
Tumblestone
Ultimate Chicken Horse
Valkyria Chronicles
In 2017 I want my switch and some Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That and Horizon: Zero Dawn for the PS4 are the two games I’m looking forward to the most this year. Ghost Recon: Wildlands also intrigues me, but it’s really only the first two that will be day one purchases as of yet. Let me know what you’re looking forward to this year in the comments below!
