It's that time of year again. Time for running down list of the best games we've played this year. This time I'm going to go for a more traditional vaguely reverse list rather than a jumble with a winner. As usual, these are games I've played for the first time this year (not necessarily games that have been released this year) and a game has to have pulled me in to be considered - I'm not one for listing games I don't like or couldn't get into, because I might just be missing something or not have dedicated enough to them. This also means if they've hit the bottom they've really disappointed me because I've genuinely tried to get into them and invested time into them.
So counting down...
Games of the Year:
The Disappointments
Shadow of the Tomb Raider:
I've generally liked a lot of what Crystal Dynamics has done with the Tomb Raider franchise (despite them being pulled away from my beloved Legacy of Kain to do so) and I've found the 2013 reboot and Rise of the Tomb Raider to be brilliant games. What could go wrong? As it turns out, a lot.
For starters Crystal had passed the reins to Eidos Montreal while they went off to work on Avengers - not necessarily a guarantee of problems, plenty of secondary studios make worthy games these days - but a bit of a warning. Even with the reviews slating it I still went in thinking it can't be that bad - let's face it toxic fandom trying to review bomb things they don't like has made review bombing virtually a hallmark of something that's actually good trying to do something different.But then I played it and just everything seemed to be off: easy jumps just wouldn't work, the collectables and side activities seems slapped on and pointless, the addition of RPG style dialogue and conversation didn't feel right and didn't work, it put up barriers to exploration only to drop then without explanation when you talked to the right person, the puzzles didn't seem as involving and had frequent physics defying glitches the story felt rushed without meaning or purpose and let's not mention the retooling of the ending .I completed it and did the side activities etc but it couldn't be over soon enough. A genuine heartbreaking disappointment.
Just Cause 4:
Wow, bad year for Square Enix from me. Ok, in my book Square Enix are one of the better publishers out there and they've got a lot of IP's I like, but particularly with their Western (former Eidos) licenses but they don't always seem to do the right thing - and this year seems to have been particularly bad for those. Just Cause 4 was another that got slated in the reviews - and whereas JC3 had suffered a similar fate and had turned out to actually be really good, this one did not. JC4 seemed to go down a similar path to Tomb Raider: nothing felt right. The chaos wasn't as entertaining, destruction wasn't integrated (or even allowed in some places), the additions didn't feel like they added anything, the challenges were boring and felt tacked on, the story felt like a generic rehashing of previous stories with no emotional weight where it should have had gravitas... and well they seemed to have dealt with JC3's technical issues by just putting everything on potato settings. A shame.
Batman Arkham VR:
Yeah I finally got into VR this year - and this was the biggest disappointment among those games I played. For something bearing the Batman:Arkham license this was little more than a basic tech demo. You can't glide, you can't traverse, you can't fight. There is a little bit of batarang throwing, but not much. It's basically a detective simulator using Batman: Arkham characters - and detective work is done just by pointing a device at things you think might be interesting . There's a few Easter eggs you can discover but it's all very linear and very short. Had it been made now it would probably be a lot better, but as it was then it wasn't very good.
Darksiders 3:
The revival of the Darksiders franchise and... well it's not as good as the previous games. Don't get me wrong it's nowhere near as bad as the disappointment entries above but it somehow lack the soul of the previous entries. Ok it's made by essentially a new studio trying to recapture the magic - and I do think they have time to get back the mojo that made the series great, but let me put it this way: where the previous games gave me massive game breaking bugs I could frustratingly forgive for their amazing open worlds, their characters (and character) their story and their soul. This has no such glitches but something wasn't right - everything feels very linear and reined in, the combat and powers feel less impressive, there's less to explore and discover and the story isn't as good. As a character I did like Fury and I did really like the ending, but it just hasn't got the pazazz of the previous entries. With that said I do feel this is a start that gunfire can build on for the future.
Call of Cthulu:
It feels wrong to dump on smaller/indie studios but for me this was a pretty big disappointment. It promises a lot but just doesn't work out as well as it should. The graphics looked like something out of the early 2000's, the gameplay felt even earlier, the controls seemed clunky, the suspense falls flat and the horror it's trying to generate just never seemed to click properly aside from a few 'monster' scenes. It's a promising idea, just something that could've done with a lot better execution.
The Middle Ground:
Transference:
Elijah Wood's baby is...okay. A VR game experimenting with the technology and pushing boundaries. It's interesting, there's some psychological horror (that actually works quite well), some nice puzzles & mechanics and an intriguing mystery at the heart of it all. Where it falls down is the technology itself - by the time I played this I had built up a resistance to the VR motion sickness yet this pulled that rug away from me and meant I was often fighting against disorientation and sickness a lot. It could have been a lot better executed, but again from a smaller indie studio they have time to grow and learn.
>Observer_:
I tried it briefly last year and couldn't get into it, but I'm glad I gave it another go. Observer is classic cyberpunk tale from the people behind Layers of Fear with some psychological, body horror and stealth thrown in for good measure. Once it gets going the premise is interesting, the sequences are trippy and fascinating and, the creeping stealth is enough to cause a few missed heartbeats. Also Rutger Hauer stars and does a pretty good job as investigating cop. Almost surprising this didn't have a VR version.
Batman: The Enemy Within:
One of the last Telltale games and sequel to one of their more interesting fare. It builds upon the solid lore foundations of the Batman Telltale series to give something a little more experimental. As usual with Telltale dialogue is important choices matter - in this case a bit more important than usual - and characters are key... and the enemy within certainly knows how to play it's characters with the final chapters Joker choices being simply inspired.
Vampyr:
The combination of Dontnod, a vampire game, and 'gothic' Victorian London was something I was really looking forward to (Hi Legacy of Kain) and if I'm honest I was a little disappointed this game didn't quite live up to that promise. It's good in so many areas: the story and overall premise is definitely interesting, the environments, music and atmosphere are great and the RPG elements make so many interesting little mysteries and dilemmas.The biggest problem it has though is combat which feels clunky and awkward and the powers of the protagonist - though cool - don't come off as well as expected and the last boss seems to be anticlimactic somewhat ruining the mystery. Ultimately one of the games most interesting premises proves to be it's biggest downfall - the choices over who you feed on can ultimately lead a player aiming to be 'good' into a largely unsatisfying playthrough. It feels (much like the original Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain) that bad is the 'canon' way to do it, just Vampyr lets you enjoy the process of reaching that conclusion a lot less... Perhaps with more echoes of LoK I also found myself enjoying the end 'epilogue' section a lot more, like that should have been the jumping off point for the rest of the game. Still a lot for Dontnod to do and a lot of promise for the future here.
Blood & Truth:
An expansion of one of the PS4 VR's best tech demos, Blood and Truth is a VR cockney gangster simulator. It's mostly a VR first person shooter but really shows its origins as a tech demo with the sheer range and ingenuity of tasks involved. Shooting, reloading, taking cover, unscrewing screws, cutting wires, pressing buttons, clambering through vents, climbing scaffolding, creating artworks, DJing on the decks - there are so many things to do. It's an exhilarating and sometimes exhausting ride that pushes the boundaries of what VR can do - although sometimes it feels like it leans a little too heavily on tropes and cliches, it is a genuine barrel of laughs.
Life Is Strange 2:
The sequel to one of my favourite games. Dontnod once again makes choices matter - it's their forte and it shows. The design and graphical quality really shoes how far they've come since LiS1 but tragically the game doesn't really live up to it's predecessors: the travelling format means that you don't get much time to get used to or care for anyone and make it really feel like a disparate collection of almost unrelated adventures. On top of this the mystery and story of the original seems to be toned down to be a straightforward road trip and the 'power' is handled very differently - with you essentially just guiding the one using it. There are small Easter eggs toward the end for longer terms fans but aside from this it's something of a let down. Still even at their worst the game did pluck a few heartstrings and easily outclassed most of the Telltale games.
My Friend Pedro:
You gotta love Devolver Digital and their uncanny knack of delivering entertaining fun even when it means taking the p*** out of themselves. My Best friend pedro is another indie stunner from them. A deceptively simple 2d shoot 'em up where physics are optional and the goal is to eliminate the enemies with as much style as possible. Run in, do a cartwheel to triple backflip while twirling shooting bullets at two enemies in different directions, land on a barrel, roll it into a group of enemies, then kick a frying pan in the air and ricochet bullets off it to clear the room - all in glorious slow motion. Controls are a bit fiddly but otherwise enjoyable as hell and just oozes cool.
Gris:
Another Devolver Digital special but this is one with a lot more heart. Again it's a simple 2d platform game from an indie studio, with some impressive artistic graphics and style. But its real power is in its ability to tell a story without words, with nothing but sounds and colours to communicate the power of grief and depression. It's an heartfelt and soul-filled experience with a real sense of wonder and awe riding on it. Despite it simple nature Gris' story is one of the more emotional resonant I have played this year. Well recommended.
Return of the Obra Dinn:
Something a little different from Lucas Pope - the man behind Papers Please. Obra Dinn is a mystery game which has its own sense of style and graphical nuance - this time a beautiful monochrome look inspired by early macs that really has to be seen to be believed. Gameplay resembles something of a detective story mixed with a logic puzzle - the empty ship pulls into port and through the power of logic and reasoning you have to work out the fates of all of the crew members: aided by a series of dioramas detailing life and events on ship presented out sequence. Be prepared for a really intriguing and detail heavy brain teaser.
The Cream of the Crop:
Superhot VR:
The original Superhot was one of the most innovative shooters I've played in years...(cough)... and the VR version takes it up a notch to an insane level. What's cooler than bullet time shoot fest? Actually doing it yourself. There are few more exhilarating feelings than physically matrix dodging bullets, throwing an ashtray at a guy, grabbing his gun out of mid-air and taking out a sniper. And if you know the original then you know the story says this was kinda made for VR. Pure amazing bitesize fun and the kind of party game VR was made for.
Moss:
Another VR gem, but where Superhot gets in for its sense of fun and excitement Moss makes it for its sense of wonder and beauty. Moss is in many ways similar to the Sony's own Astrobot with the player becomming a floating entity - controlled by VR movement controls - that can aid protagonist mouse Quill - controlled by more traditional joypad controls. The story and breathtakingly magical scenery of Moss make it stand out however and it is obviously not only pushing the envelope of VR technology but in many ways breaking through and redefining what is actually possible to do in VR games beyond just being life like recreations. The sense of wonder was so amazing like being a kid in a themepark ride. It's only problem is that it was over far too soon. I look forward to more
Marvel's Spider-Man:
Without a doubt one of the finest games of the last year or so. Sony and Insomniac take the Spiderman franchise to new heights. There's more than a feeling of the Batman Arkham franchise here but with a less brooding atmosphere and a much greater sense of fun and enjoyment. Quips a plenty, with enjoyable combat and a traversal system that is so enjoyable that you can just swing around the city for ages just admiring the views - and what views they are. The missions and the story are enjoyable and well put together and the characters are brilliant - hell it made me care for one of the biggest villains in it. Potentially a bit repetitive in places but as an overall package this is just so great it's a hard one to top.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey:
How do you top the Amazing Spiderman PS4? Well, value for money is one way and AC Odyssey was the gift that kept on giving - for an entire year straight. Truth be told I started this in 2018 but didn't get far enough through it to give it a rating that year and I played it on and off until nearly Christmas this year racking up over 340 hours...and I didn't play new game plus. For a single player game it's an amazing amount of content and it seemed like every time I'd finished with it it wasn't long before they added more to it to enitce me back. Some have somewhat unfairly maligned it as an AC Origins clone, but it feels like a different, more complex beast to me - and something that has arguably been looking as much to the Witcher for inspiration. The return of the proper return of naval gameplay, new weapons & style and new RPG and dialogue/choice elements are welcome additions that give the franchise a breath of fresh air. I perhaps didn't feel like the main 'family' arc was as satisfying as its predecessor but there was so much other story and mini-arcs to keep you interested. That you can just get lost in it. And there is some beautiful scenery, history and stories to get lost in. Hell you can even create your own stories with minimal experience - I recreated Blood Omen
here. For me 2019 was very much the year of the Odyssey, and they delivered it, every last one, Malaka!
And the Winner is:
So how do you even top 340 hours? Well there could be only on winner... and it's not what you're thinking (primarily because much like AC Odyssey itself the game you're thinking of I've only gotten recently and haven't given it a fair crack of the old whip just yet).
My favourite game I played this years is...
Horizon Zero Dawn:
Okay I'm a bit behind on this one and full disclosure - I got a shit-tonne of glitches with this. But equally it took my breath away with it's fantastic breathtaking environments, it's creative gameplay, it's innovative and interesting setting and my oh my that story and background - proving that once again I'm a sucker for a beautiful open world with real good story and characters. The game could definitely do with some working out of bugs and in places it felt like the traversal mechanics were kind of raw and will be improved in future, but the post-apocalyptic techno-primitive sandbox definitely won my heart and the intrigue and mystery behind it all kept it from all other potential takers. I look forward to a sequel with baited breath.
The Also Rans/'Maybe Next Year' games:
I did of course play a lot more games than the above but for whatever reason I could not get into or otherwise could not investigate thoroughly enough the following games so here's my list of also rans aka the 'maybe next year' category. These aren't necessarily bad games or games I disliked, just games I've played but can't currently recommend (yet) for whatever reason.
Red Dead Redemption 2:
The obvious choice for a game towards the top of the poll -the problems is that I only got it in late December and though I can see it's going to be high in my rankings, I don't know enough to say how high. Look out for it on my 2020 list.
Kona:
Got it looking for a nice mystery game. Started then got busy. Looked nice though.
The Witness:
Interesting puzzle game I've had on my list for a while. started, got a bit overwhelmed with the choice of puzzles then got busy. Hopefully I'll get back to it.
Flower:
A nice relaxing indie game where you play as a flower drifting on a breeze. Interesting concept - I actually played this for a few hours but if anything it's too relaxing (or boring) and I found myself unable to concentrate on it.
Borderlands 2: Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary:
Well I'm trying to stay out of the whole Borderlands/Epic controversy and I might play BL3 when it comes to Steam, but I booted this back up for the bridging DLC and ended up, well a little bored and disappointed. Perhaps time has moved on and BL2 now feels dated or something.
Devolver Bootleg:
LoL Devolver Digital strikes again with their E3 madness, gotta love them. I immediately got this at E3 - cos who wouldn't? A bootleg/ripoff of your own games for the sake of a pointed joke at the industry, damn that's worth a couple of quid. Was I even supposed to review? It's hilarious if you know the originals anyway.
Astrobot Rescue Mission:
A Sony VR title. A slection of fun party games with a main game with a very similar concept to Moss with you playing a hovering giant robot using VR movement and a smaller robot using traditional controls - but therein lies its problem - Moss does everything so much better and and more interesting and immersive, so I concentrated on that instead.
Playstation VR worlds:
Essentially a collection of VR demos. What can you say? London Heist is brilliant - That's why it got it's own game (Blood and Truth above). Ocean Descent is great but too passive. The others are a bit meh, but demonstrate the concept well. Not really worth reviewing.
