Top Videogame of the Year 2016

Yesterday, I gave my top anime of the year. This time, I will disclose my top videogame of the year. 2016 was not a very active year for me. Much of the great games that came out this year couldn't reach me because of money and time constraints. I could only buy what I could afford at that moment or that which I've saved up for. Much like yesterday's article, I will first list the games I've played this year. In no particular order, these are the games:

Tales of Zestiria (this is a game that I've played across 2015, so this is an honorable mention)
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
One Piece: Burning Blood
Final Fantasy XV
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Criminal Girls: Invite Only (since this isn't a new release, this is an honorable mention)
Overwatch
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness
Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan (since this isn't a new release, this is an honorable mention)
Tales of Hearts R (since this isn't a new release, this is an honorable mention)
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE

Total: 12

12 games. Not a lot. I have, however, watched to completion several games and tried others out but since the list above is comprised only of finished games to allow fair judgement, I will leave those out.

Most of the games listed above were great. From the Jpop adventure in the SMTxFireEmblem Wii U exclusive to the rise of the legend known as the tomb raider, these games presented their ideas well and gave me experiences that were incredible. I enjoyed the nostalgia of Digimon while I was sucked in by the freshness of my very first Etrian Odyssey game.

Out of those, I would say the biggest disappointment would be Star Ocean as that game did not meet expectations. But of course, you can find my thoughts on it here. On the other end of the spectrum, Overwatch is a game that I am still consistently playing to this day. Pack filled with new characters, maps and events, it has definitely proved its bang for my buck. It will, however, not be rated as my game of the year because I judge based on a lot of other factors that are just not present within that type of genre. Still plenty of fun though!

Now, most people might think my game of the year would be Final Fantasy XV but alas, while the gameplay was great, the story was a let down. I still love the game, don't get me wrong, but it's just that had the story been great, this title would have won my game of the year. And yes, that has quite a lot to do with my love of the JRPG genre, the real-time fantasy swordplay and the overall experience of a good fantasy game.

My game of the year is Uncharted 4. I love the Uncharted series, having played the other three on my PS3. When I heard Uncharted 4 was coming out, I was all up and about like a child who had just gotten his first Playstation. It was a joyous moment during its reveal and more so when I stood outside the store in the rain, waiting for it to open so that I could sprint back with my preordered copy. I did not write an article on Uncharted 4 but my fellow writer did. You can check out his thoughts here.

Uncharted 4 wrapped up Nathan Drake's story perfectly. It started off with a different tone to most, an atmosphere soaked with the idea that Drake was going to meet his end. Or at least, his final adventure. The story steadily picked up with incredible set pieces and level designs that only Naughty Dog can pull off and it culminated in a very satisfying finale. Everything was of top quality and I'd say that this was the perfect send off to Nathan Drake.

And that is my game of the year! Did you play more games than my mediocre list? Let me know down below! Let's all rejoice for 2017 is going to be a blast!