Thursday, December 3, 2015

Top 5 Games Of 2015

Welcome to part 2 of 2015's “Top 5” list series.

At the beginning of this week, we look a look at the top 5 albums of this year. That list was interesting, to be sure, but I think this one might top that. Like in 2014, I counted that year’s games, and this year will be do different. So here’s a look at 2015's top 5 games. Maybe you’ll grab one of these, and you might like them. Also, enjoy!

5) Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (Video)
I think it’s a safe thing to say that If one was to pick a title in the Borderlands franchise to be it’s black sheep, The Pre-Sequel will likely be on people’s list. Due to programming & other issues, the game didn’t sell as well as it’s predecessor, and received something of a lukewarm reaction from fans. Due to this, The Pre-Sequel has fallen by the wayside, which is actually a tragic shame. While it certainly has it’s fair share of problems, and doesn’t quite have as much staying power as Borderlands 2, the game itself isn’t quite the monster a lot of people make it out to be. If you liked Borderlands 2, you’ll actually find that this game provides a rough equivalent! Great gameplay, oddball characters, and a expansion of gun porn the likes of which modern shooters only dream off. Yes it’s not quite as good as the game before it, but Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is still a fine shooter, and it’s one I would recommend in a second!

I know that I put this on the number 3 spot on last year’s list, but with the rest of the Season Pass that was added into the game, I felt that perhaps it was appropriate to give it another moment in the spotlight.

4) Five Nights At Freddy’s 3 (Video) & Five Nights At Freddy’s 4 (Video)
If I didn’t get stuck of either of these games, I would have gladly put them a tiny bit higher on the list. Sadly, frustration kicks in when the A.I. decides to mess with you, and thus Five Nights At Freddy’s 3 & 4 are stuck together at the 4th spot on this list. Despite the difficulty (I’m stuck on round 3 in FNaF3, and round 2 in the 4th game), both of these games are downright terrifying, as I came close a bunch of times to ruining my boxers! Scott Cawthon knows how to make surprisingly good jump scares, and just the idea of being stalked by the ghosts of dead children (And 1 serial killer) inside Chuck E. Cheese-style animatronics is horror incarnate. Each game, while repetitive in nature, none the less manages to amp up the scares each time, and in my opinion these two are his most scariest. If you fancy yourself some simple horror, then these two games are nice & cheap ways to get your scare fix!

3) Raptor: Call Of The Shadows 2015 Edition (Video)
Right out of my childhood come a blast from the past! A game that in my opinion helped shape the “Bullet Hell” genre of games, Raptor: Call Of The Shadows is a classic DOS game that’s still fondly remembered & played today by fans of the PC. While not really any different from the version offered by Mountain King Studios (If you own that version, you essentially have this one), this is still a great game. One fighter pilot against a horde of different vehicular enemies (Mixed between ground, air, and buildings) across 3 different settings, the cyberpunk style of Raptor is really what sets it apart from some of the other “Bullet Hell” games. It might not be heavy in terms of story, it’s certainly heavy in terms of gameplay.....and LEAD!!!!

2) Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (Video)
Ah, Call of Duty. As much as I enjoy the series, I can’t deny that it’s reputation is in shambles. Starting back during the Modern Warfare 2 days, the franchise has gained a reputation for being highly repetitive from game-to-game, and being a money sink thanks to the DLC. Things certainly got worse when Ghosts came out, especially when the game before it (Black Ops 2) became the new gold standard for the series. With Sledgehammer Games’s first outing with Advanced Warfare, they’ve managed to regain some confidence from fans who were turned off by the previous release. They didn’t get it all back, however, but they gained enough confidence that faith is slowly returning to the franchise. Thanks to a cyberpunk-infused singleplayer & multiplayer, a great performance from actor Kevin Spacey, along with a zombie mode that rivals Treyarch’s own take on it, and you have a Call of Duty title that’s a lot of fun. Equally flawed, but fun regardless!

Before we get to the number 1 game of 2015, I wanted to take a look at some honorable mentions. Games that are good, maybe even great, but there’s something that is holding them back from getting onto the main list. Maybe it’s the game’s reputation, maybe it’s because it wasn’t released this year (Hint, Hint), or some other reason that can be used. Here’s a quick look at 2015's honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions
HM1) Hunie Pop (Video)
Markiplier. That’s all you need to know about this game. I've watched through all of his playthrough a couple months ago (And his return to the game last month), and it’s ridiculous nature, not to mention his goofy style of humor, made it an experience that’s certainly not forgettable. I’m typically not a fan of dating games, as I find them kind of superficial, but I can understand why some people get interested in them. Who knows, I might actually pick this up eventually when it goes on sale on Steam sometime.

HM2) South Park: The Stick Of Truth (Video)
While I haven’t been a fan of South Park’s recent season, I can’t deny that it’s still one of the most iconic cartoons out there, and The Stick Of Truth is practically a whole season in video game form. My Dad managed to snag this for me during Steam’s annual summer sale this year, and it was worth it! While it really doesn’t have much in the way of replay value, it makes up for this by having some of the most ridiculous humor around, and has a surprisingly good RPG system going for it as well. It’s not the most complex RPG around, but for people who enjoy a more simplistic adventure, The Stick Of Truth is up your alley. BEEFCAKE!!!!!!!! 

1) Heroes of the Storm (Video)
True story: I had Advanced Warfare at the number 1 spot for a while. Compared to Ghosts, I thought that this was considerably refreshing, and a nice change of pace compared to the previous Call of Duty game. Then in March of this year, a friend of mine managed to send me a beta invite to Heroes of the Storm. A few months later, and Advanced Warfare got pushed up the list a little. The amount of stupid fun we’ve had since March is nothing short of staggering. While it’s had a hiccup or two, I don’t hold them to how much of a blast Heroes of the Storm has been! If you’re a fan of Blizzard’s IPs (Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft), and want a MOAB game that’s not quite as forcefully competitive as League Of Legends or Smite, Heroes of the Storm is the game for you!

So these were my top 5 games of 2015. It’s an odd mix, to be sure, but it’s a mix that’s well-suited for an oddball such as myself. I’ll see you all again later this week, when we’ll take a look at the top 5 movies of 2015. See you then!



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If you want to see what I considered to be the top 5 games of last year, check out the link below.

Top 5 Games Of 2014

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