Game of the Year 2015: Rhys’ Top Five

3. Call of Duty: Black Ops III

Treyarch has gone from being “the lesser Call of Duty studio” to possibly the team that players look forward to seeing the most, and none of their games demonstrate why that is better than Black Ops III. For the game’s campaign, Treyarch has not only made the levels more of a non-linear sandbox with a variety of tools at players’ disposal, but has also implemented local and online co-op play, allowing up to four friends to fight through the game’s trippy futuristic world. Those two things together make the game a blast to play, but of course, the focus on multiplayer doesn’t end there. The game features the obligatory – but always fun – Treyarch Zombies mode, with the included Shadows of Evil map placing players in a 1940’s city overrun by a horde of undead and other monsters; on the flip side is the game’s multiplayer offering, with new distinct characters adding new abilities to the mix. Couple these various modes with an improved alternate approach to the parkour and boosting system introduced in Advanced Warfare, and Black Ops III becomes the most memorable and fun Call of Duty experience since 2012, with plenty of lasting content.

2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

2015 was a whirlwind for Metal Gear fans. Rumors sparked early in the year of series creator Hideo Kojima’s feud with and eventual departure from Konami, leaving many wondering if The Phantom Pain would be the send-off the series deserved. Despite a few flaws possibly stemming from these events, The Phantom Pain is undoubtedly exactly that; the game represents the absolute pinnacle of “tactical espionage action,” with quite possibly the most fluid controls I’ve ever seen in a game, stealth-genre or otherwise. On top of the great-feeling controls are two vast open maps, each with numerous bases to infiltrate, missions to complete, and a variety of ways to complete any given objective. A Metal Gear game isn’t complete without its story though, and thankfully, despite feeling somewhat rushed towards the end, the game’s plot manages to fill in holes left throughout the series in a manner that meshes well with the gameplay and makes sense… at least, in Metal Gear standards. Even without factoring in the post-launch Metal Gear Online mode, The Phantom Pain is one of the best gameplay experiences of 2015, and possibly the best stealth game ever released. Anyone who’s ever been invested in the series owes it to themselves to play this one.

1. Life is Strange

Going into 2015, I fully expected The Phantom Pain to be my game of the year. However, as great as it was, there was one game that caught me in a much, much more profound way, and it was one that I didn’t even have on my radar until right before I played it earlier this month. Life is Strange is a story-focused adventure game developed by Dontnod Entertainment that follows the story of photography-loving high school senior Max Caulfield, who has returned to her hometown of Arcadia Bay after being gone for several years. Weeks into her new school life, Max discovers she has the ability to reverse time and alter events; this leads to her being re-introduced to childhood friend Chloe Price, and becoming entangled in a quest to uncover the truth behind a missing friend of the hers. Without going into detail, the ensuing events are examples of some of the best storytelling and framing I’ve seen in any recent form of entertainment, and anyone who’s been through high school in the last decade will relate to at least some of the game’s characters and events. Let me put it this way: after completing Life is Strange, I felt moved. No other game has done that to me before.

A game wouldn’t be… well, a game, without its gameplay, and Life is Strange is what every modern story-based game should look at for examples. The time-reversing mechanic is used in a clever way; after speaking to someone, you may learn some information that you could have used with them, and if you rewind time to mention said info, they may tell you more or become friendlier to you later on. It’s also helpful in the world: for example, unlocking a door may set off an alarm, but going into the next room and rewinding time will leave you there, with the door still locked and the alarm not going off. The different ways the game allows you to interact with characters and the world make it much more interesting to play than most other adventure games in recent memory, and the ability to play through the game a second time and make different story decisions adds a good amount of replay value, as the choices you make throughout the game can greatly alter its overall storyline. Life is Strange is an excellent recent example of not only a good story-focused game, but also great storytelling in a game. If you’d like to play a more grounded alternative to Telltale’s games, or even if you’ve never played them and just want an interesting story, I highly recommend that you play Life is Strange.

And there you have it. As I said earlier, 2015 was a busy year for gaming, with many great games releasing all across the year. Out of all the games I played, these were the ones I enjoyed the most for one reason or another. If you have any questions about them, feel free to ask in the comments below; conversely, if you disagree with my choices, speak your mind.