In GameGravy Podcast #46 (that’s “number” 46 not “Hashtag” 46. Sorry kids.). We spent some time discussing what our current 2015 title holder is for Game of the Year. It’s one of my favorite discussions to have at the end of the year after the deluge of holiday window titles are released. However, we’ve already seen a handful of worthy high profile contenders for king of the hill to hold off the “Johnny Come Lately’s”. So let’s give the old dogs a bone.
The first Hotline Miami was like the crazy friend you had in High School that keeps pushing you to try drugs, alcohol, and all sorts of delinquent juvenile jackassery. It wasn’t all bad though that friend also got you into some cool music and was a lot of fun. Hotline Miami 2 is that same friend that not only ended up miraculously getting into college but somehow got into the same college as you. Only now they multiplied into 14 characters with a story that’s just crazy enough to work, even more daring, and with awesome new music to show you.
I wrote the review for Batman Arkham Knight and I loved it. Batman will absolutely get some Game of the Year love and it’s well deserved for it’s polished gameplay, stunning presentation, and a gripping story. There will most assuredly be some backlash against the Batmobile but at the end of the year Batman will be standing head-to-cowl against the best.
Beautiful. The was my initial thought seeing Ori and the Blind Forest in action for the first time. An absolutely beautiful, well designed game that is just as much substance as it is style. In the vein of many Metroidvania clones Ori stands above damn near all of them. At $20 and downloadable only on the XB1 there will definitely those that dismiss it’s seemingly meager standing but that would be a mistake.
The Witcher 3 is my pick for Game of the Year at the end of 7 months. It’s got some of the best aesthetics, gameplay, and value I’ve ever seen from a game. The world is so rich and gripping that a simple side mission had a better story than most action adventure games I’ve played. If you haven’t picked it up, I can’t possibly recommend it enough. I encourage anyone that enjoys open world adventures to dive into the world of The Witcher 3.
I suck at these games. FromSoftware has made it a habit of dropping the proverbial hammer on my head over and over and over again. Like a punch drunk boxer though, I come back for more, chin out and talking trash. That’s when I die. Again. The Lovecraftian setting oozes cool and atmosphere along with the faster pace gameplay made it more inviting to newcomers and Souls veterans alike.
HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER!
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a Wii U exclusive made by Monolith Soft coming stateside in December with high praise and stellar reviews from Japanese journalists. It’s an open world RPG with a heavy dose of exploration, not to mention the 40ft robots.
This is Kojima’s swansong. Coming out on PS4, PS3, XB1, XB360, and the PC on September 1st. To call the development of this game “rocky” would be disingenuous to say the least. This may be the last Konami game that matters for a long, long time.
Releasing worldwide on September 11th, Nintendo gives gamers the tools to the Mushroom Kingdom to create their own levels and share them around the world a la Little Big Planet. Shipping with a 100 page booklet and plenty of Nintendo created levels to keep gamers busy for a lifetime.
Just Cause 3 releases December 1st this year on XB1, PS4, and PC. Avalanche Studios puts you on a 400 square mile island with plenty of weapons and freedom to cause as much havoc as possible. Destructible buildings and vehicles will crumble in enthusiastic fashion and looks fun as Hell. Gleefully roaming the fictional island in a squirrel suit may be the a great way to end the year.
Star Wars Battlefront 3 will arrive on PS4, XB1, and PC on November 17th. Let’s just say that the GameGravy crew is pretty damn excited for the multiplayercentric title in a galaxy far far away. That was even before the 10 seconds of aerial galactic dog fights that DICE gave us a taste of today as a teaser for the teaser that they’re teasing us with. Tease.
Master Chief and Spartan Locke will have their showdown on October 27th in a dance off for Cortana’s digital affection. The XB1 exclusive brings the multiplayer thunder with new abilities and gameplay types in their sandbox with free expansions to all users. Hey EA! Hey Activision! You see that word “free”? I know it might look like another language, but trust me, it’s English. ::gets off soap box::
Half-Kryptonian Lara Croft arrives in a yearlong exclusive love affair with the X-Box One on November 10th. If you saw the Gamescom trailer that was just released you may have noticed that Lara Croft was in a particularly brutal murdery vibe, looking much more like The Last Of Us than Uncharted in that short clip.
Fallout 4 caused audible gasps and many a fist pump when they unveiled it to kick off E3 2015 with a smirk and a “good luck” to everyone else with a press conference. Hello Mods! They continued to show the love by not only giving a release date but giving us a release date this November 10th on PS4, XB1, and PC. The secrecy that Bethesda was able to sustain is commendable and one of those great surprises we hope for every E3. Hopefully the game lives up to the tremendous hype.
It will be one helluva debate when the GameGravy staff gets together and gives their cases for what game will end up taking home the crown of GOTY. This has already been a damn good year and looks like the next 5 months will be jammed packed with content for many a happy gamer. Say sorry to your wallets and your free time.
What’s your GOTY so far? Did I miss a game you’re willing to bang the table for? Let the debate begin.
