5. Super Mario Maker
There’s nothing quite like making your own Mario levels. This was a game a younger me was dying for and it delivered in every possible way. I loved making my own levels and sharing them with friends to play and vise versa. The experience is even better knowing your friends can’t beat the levels! I’ve had more fun designing levels than anything, but there’s also a certain joy in seeing what unique and fantastic levels other fans design. Nintendo has done a great job adding post-release content and I’m sure we can look forward to more, but as it stands, Super Mario Maker is a great value for the endless possibilities you can create.
4. Batman: Arkham Knight
This game wasn’t even on my radar until late December, but wow did it deliver an experience! It has the grit and quality of the Nolan Batman movies, the charm of the comics, and the thrill of being Batman rolled into one. The story is pretty good, with some great twists and turns that make it a solid plot, the city is massive and beautiful and rich with detail, and the Batmobile feels like a beast to drive. A particular chapter of the game boasts some of the best visuals of the series and had me tempted to simply stop playing and enjoy the chaos. Another segment thanks to the Scarecrow is perhaps the best in the series, but I’ll leave that for you to see. I’m still not a big fan of the combat system in these games and ignoring the hiccups of the PC launch, this game is a solid experience for any gamer and a thrilling one for us Batman fans.
3. Rocket League
This game is a thrill. I’m not a big soccer fan, but there’s something seriously fantastic about crashing cars into a giant ball and trying to score goals! I quickly took to the controls of this game and found myself shouting, “GOAAAAAAAAL!” as my shots made it into the opponents’ goals, forcing my friends to endure my weird behavior. There’s a lot of depth to the gameplay in this car-sports hybrid and mastering each type of shot and aerial skill is something that takes practice and a knack for the movements. The ability to customize and trick out your racer is even better when paired with items from other famous series like Portal and Fallout.
2. Undertale
The surprise entry of my list, this game came to me late December as well. I had never been sure I’d enjoy it, but I dove in headfirst and fell in love with everything the game represents. From the pacifistic approach to the morality of each decision, I quickly and deeply felt connected to what happened to the characters. There’s a certain charm to every bit of this game and the humor in it had me chuckling often, but even the final battle had my heart swelling with anticipation and determination. Add onto it one of the best gaming soundtracks I’ve ever heard and you’ve got a seriously stellar experience.
1. Fallout 4
After so much anticipation and excitement about this game, how could it not be my #1? Ever since I finished New Vegas and 3, I’ve been dying for more Fallout! From the opening scenes to the end, I had a blast exploring a new wasteland and a new locale in this universe. Boasting some of the neatest locations in Fallout game history (The Glowing Sea, Diamond City), I felt this game delivered on most things I wanted from a new entry. Granted, it has its problems and things aren’t perfect, but I played over one hundred hours of this game and enjoyed every minute. I spent at least thirty hours building bases and felt it was one of the best new features of the series, along with power armor modifying (how can’t you love that Atom Cats paint!?), and a colorful cast of companions (Piper being my favorite of the bunch), this game was a great way to get back into the Fallout world.
As a game I was so anticipating, it satisfied my cravings for the universe of Fallout. I often wish I could go back and play it all over as exploring Boston was exciting, interesting, and enjoyable. Starting the game on a harder difficulty and trying to survive the Commonwealth with less supplies, less armor, and less power is another fun twist on the game that extends its lifetime – obviously something I should avoid doing given my loss of almost five days on the game already. However…
I patiently wait for what’s next from the post-atomic series.
Game of the Year 2015: Geoff’s Top Ten
