Jo's Top 6 Games of 2015

Every year, gamers are treated to a multitude of goodies (and, more frequently than not, baddies) developed by our gracious and greedy Market Masters. We have the occasion of playing dozens of games, and some of them serve to mark the year for us. Unfortunately, most of them fall deep into the oblivion of our memories, and we fail to remember the unremarkable. However, every year a select few games burst out of the pits of mediocracy and light up our year in a definitely positive manner.

With that said, I present to you a list of the 6 best games I discovered and played in 2015. (Why 6? Because fuck you that's why.) Note that this is not limited to games that came out in 2015, but are games I myself experienced in that year. And who knows, perhaps this will convince some of you to discover these games for yourselves in 2016!

(Also whenever possible I'll link screenshots from my miiverse account where I post a few sillystuffs and you can find it by following this link but whatever enjoy!)

6. Fantasy Life (Nintendo 3DS)

I feel that Fantasy Life can best be described as an action adventure RPG... with a twist! In Fantasy Life, you are a citizen of the land of Reveria who just got their first Life License (Life here being synonymous with "job", which is somewhat cynical now that I think about it). The game features a cute story along with some surprisingly deep RPG elements. You can play as one of twelve jobs (which you can change at almost any time) divided into three broad categories: combat (paladin, mercenary, hunter, and magician), gathering (miner, woodcutter, and angler), and maker (blacksmith, carpenter, tailor, alchemist, and chef).

The writing is definitely one of the high points in this game, with novels of dialog present in-game, containing a few gems worth remembering. A game for RPG fans, casual and hardcore alike.

5. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D (Nintendo 3DS)

I've actually hesitated to put The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D on this list. Not because it wasn't a good game, oh no, but I wondered whether it would be fair to put the 2015 remake of one of my all-time favourite games which originally came out in 2000, especially since I already pretty much knew what to expect. That being said, the reasons I always loved Majora's Mask were present in this remake, and the ability to now play the game on the go without having to setup my Nintendo 64 or my Wii make it easier to experience pretty much anytime, anywhere.

So basically, "The ability to play Majora's Mask whenever you feel like playing Majora's Mask" is what I'm really putting up here. If you've enjoyed the original game, or want to play an action-adventure game with a deep storyline and amazing atmosphere, buy this game!

Please don't leave your dog out in the rain, however, that's just plain irresponsible.

4. Cities: Skylines (PC)

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Cities: Skylines is the SimCity game we deserved, but didn't know we needed. After the extremely disappointing release of SimCity (2013), Cities came as a breath of fresh air, and is a must-have for any fan of city-building games. As you take control of your city, more options unlock such as public transportation, industry specializations, districts, etc. The game gives you complete control on how to mould the city without feeling overwhelming in its complexity. Elegant and beautiful, this game is truly a work of art.

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3. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (Nintendo 3DS)

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate came out on the same day as Majora's Mask 3D, and my budget only allowed me to select one or the other, and I chose the former. What I expected was the usual Monster Hunter formula of hunting large and diverse monsters in an unforgiving world. What I did not expect, however, was to become this enthralled with the game. Elegant, beautiful (for the system on which it is played), and challenging, this is one game that keeps on giving. I've played over 100 hours on this game since March, and most of them on the bus or another form of public transport, and I only recently finished the single player campaign, and I have yet to start my foray into multiplayer. My 2015 3rd place winner is a must-have title for anyone owning a 3DS; get out there and start hunting!

2. Splatoon (WiiU)

I got Splatoon for my birthday in July, not long before my wife broke her collarbone, and it kept me company while she was recovering. Splatoon is basically a third-person multiplayer shooter... with a twist! You gain points by painting the map floors with your team's colour while preventing the other team from doing the same. Sure, you can kill (splat!) the other team players all day long, but the painted turf is all that matters when it comes to winning or losing. The game features multiple weapon classes along with equipment that grants you bonuses, and you can play it straight or using some pretty elaborate strategies if you want to. Never before has it been this fun to be a kid now, and a squid now, this game is just fun to play, and takes the 2nd place in my year's picks.

Get out there and paint.

1. Fallout 4 (played on XBox One)

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Oh boy, Fallout 4. What can I say about this game? Can I talk about its absolutely fun gameplay? Or what about its well-written characters? When it was first announced in June, I hopped right aboard the hype train train (woo woo, round and round we go ok I'll stop now). I don't know how many times I've watched the gameplay trailer. And when I finally got my hands on it... I couldn't play because I was at work, but when I got home HOO BOY. I don't remember enjoying a game this much since The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, and that's saying something.

Throughout 2015, I played hundreds of hours of Splatoon and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. I reached that number within a month of receiving Fallout 4 (sorry love!). It felt like a game tailored specifically for me, and had everything I ever looked for in a game. The companion system evolved gracefully from previous games (including Bethesda's other flagship franchise, The Elder Scrolls), and having more than only two participants in a conversation really helped with the pacing of dialogues, which were no longer dry and grinding affairs between only two parties (Christ that could have been worded better). Your companions also occasionally chime in and give their two cents, either in conversation or while roaming around, giving everything a much more organic feel.

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I've always loved building and customization in games, and the Fallout 4's settlement system gives me exactly that. While it can take some time getting used to, you can easily lose hours of your gaming session getting those settlements to look and function just right. The combat also has been improved, moving even further away from the previous semi-turn-based combat system (through VATS) and feeling much more energetic and active as a result. This has been praised by some and critiqued by others, but I feel it has definitely improved the experience than in previous games.

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Add to those points a solid crafting system, respawning loot and enemies and bosses, so much stuff to explore and discover, a cold depressing atmosphere... There was no doubt in my head that Fallout 4 would rise to the top of my picks, and it definitely has left a mark on me. It might possibly be the best game I have ever played.

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Well, there you have it folks, my top picks for games I've played in 2015. I hope you've enjoyed this, let me know in the comments, and I will see you in my next post!