Game of the Year: The Full Rundown

Best Sports Game – Rocket League

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]lthough it doesn’t have the massive budget, or big name sponsors of EA’s blockbuster Madden or FIFA franchises, Rocket League is one of the best games of 2015 as whole, and is far and away the year’s best ‘sport’ game, a feat it pulls off despite offering only the faintest of nods to anything resembling actual sport. The game’s premise is simple: take a game of football, add cars, give those cars huge tanks of nitrous, and see who comes out on top. Rocket League often feels limitless, turning the simple task of getting a ball from A to B into one of the most satisfying and addictive sporting experiences gaming has to offer.

___

 

Kafka Award for Buggiest Game – Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]oor Tony, he can’t seem to catch a break with his games. Many were hoping Pro Skater 5 would mark a return to form and quality for the series, but sadly this has not been the case. A dysfunctional collision detection engine results in sometimes hilarious, but mostly frustrating, moments of calamity as the player is launched across the map upon making contact with a ramp or rail at an awkward angle. More grievously, the floor will at times simply cease to exist, causing the player to fall through the world and into an endless void for no evident reason. For a game dedicated entirely to flow and movement, these bugs render the game essentially unplayable, earning it the undisputed title of the buggiest game award.

___

 

Best Episodic Game – Life is Strange

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s an answer to Telltale Game’s nearly vice-like grip over the episodic subgenre, Life is Strange is arguably good win Game of the Year award in its own right. The chemistry between characters is excellent, the artwork is consistently beautiful, and the story ebbs and flows perfectly. Life is Strange constantly sets itself apart, opting for the still unorthodox practise of utilising a female protagonist, and dealing with issues which often hit much closer to home than the far-flung worlds of other AAA games.

___

 

Sobbing Fanboy Award – Metal Gear Solid V

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]etal Gear Solid 5 is far from the worst game we’ve seen in 2015. Mechanically, it excels, refining and improving the stealth formula to make it one of the best examples available in the genre. Narratively, it’s disastrous. After a strong opening in Act One, the narrative all but collapses; Act Two consists only of disjointed fragments of story and Act Three simply doesn’t exist at all. Whilst Metal Gear has always prided itself on its ability to meld fairly baffling concepts with serious interpersonal drama, MGS V seems to jump the shark, a feat previously thought impossible for the series.

___

 

 

Highly Commended – Undertale

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat can you say about Undertale which hasn’t already been said? The story is unforgettable, the gameplay unique and compelling, and the characters endearing and genuine. In many ways Undertale is a revelation in modern gaming. To top it off, the meta-narrative transcends the conventional play-through, shattering the fourth wall in a way not yet seen in gaming. All of this pushes Undertale to be not only an icon of indie gaming but one of the most unique and compelling RPGs ever created. It knows when and how to break the rules. It’s fun, captivating, and revolutionary and, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a standout game of 2015.

___

 

Runner Up – Fallout 4

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here’s no denying Fallout 4 has its problems. It’s buggy, often broken, and occasionally even a chore. But despite all that, people are content to pour hours, and even days of their lives into Bethesda’s third run at the post-apocalypse wasteland. While not exactly the shining jewel of the franchise, Fallout 4 still manages to shine.

a world so large that you can wander around for hours and still find new things to surprise you

With improved combat, near-limitless crafting opportunities, and a world so large that you can wander around for hours and still find new things to surprise you, this game isn’t just an upgrade from Bethesda’s last generation of games, but a true evolution for the franchise, developing on all the elements that made past entries in the series so engaging. It’s because of this that Fallout 4 is a title that will continue to impact its genre for years to come.

___

 

Winner – Witcher 3

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was always going to be good, but I don’t think anyone was prepared for just how good it was going to end up. Developer CD Projekt Red’s third iteration of the Witcher franchise is, put simply, a masterpiece. Not only is it stunningly beautiful, but its vast open world is simply a joy to explore.  What’s most exciting is how deeply the game delves into smaller stories; NPCs have complex back stories that slowly come to life; nothing is immediately as it seems, and the complexity and accessibility of these stories is one of the game’s greatest strengths. This ultimately helps to lend the world a sense of density and life that many open world games seem to lack; instead of populating the world with a myriad of arbitrary collectables, CD Projekt Red instead chooses to focus on the human element of the world, and the game benefits for it.

Developer CD Projekt Red’s third iteration of the Witcher franchise is, put simply, a masterpiece. Not only is it stunningly beautiful, but its vast open world is simply a joy to explore. 

The game employs an almost rhythmic approach to combat, with counters and attacks needed to be carefully timed and chained in order to attach effectively; a refreshing change from the typical button mashing. With an estimated 200 hours of consistently excellent gameplay, engagingly human characters and a rich world to explore, The Witcher 3 is easily our Game of the Year, and will arguably go down as one of the greatest games of all time.