2016 has been quite a rollercoaster of a year, full of ups and terrible, gut-wrenching drops. Let’s take a minute to forget how awful and paralyzing the real world can be by counting down my top five favorite games this year.
5. Jotun: Valhalla Edition - I’ve always been a fan of games that are easy to pick up and hard to master, and Jotun definitely fits that bill. Originally released on Steam last year by Lotus Games, the adorable hack and slasher made it’s way to consoles over the summer. The game’s gorgeous visuals only get better in HD and the boss fights only get me even madder.
4 . Hearthstone: Heroes Of Warcraft - I know this game wasn’t technically released this year, but with all the new content that’s come out, it feels entirely new. Blizzard introduced the Standard format, throwing away a lot of the game’s most overpowered cards to make room for new ones. I can say I don’t miss Mysterious Challenger or Dr. Boom, but I wish Patches would go away. The League Of Explorers brought the Discover mechanic to the card game, which found a way to turn crazy RNG into a strategic decision. One Night In Karazhan, Whispers Of the Old Gods and The Mean Streets Of Gadgetzan built on those idea that RNG and strategy can work together, turning a great card game into something more.
3. Pokémon Go - A mobile app on a top games list, have you lost your mind Steven? Pokémon Go had a super rough start, but has slowly crept it’s way into my daily routine. The Pokémon Go Plus , which I originally hated, is starting to grow on me. With the inclusion of Generation 2 coming into the game over the coming months, I’m sure I’ll only be spinning Pokeballs more.
2. Pokémon Sun And Moon- No game sucked me in as much as Pokémon Sun and Moon . The story is engaging, the characters are fun and Alolan Pokémon are just plain awesome. From catching Ultra Beasts to grinding for shinies, I haven’t felt bored even though I beat the main story after the first week. Pokémon is one of the most important game franchises in my life, I’ve grown older and so have the quality of games. Waiting for the sequels isn’t going to be easy, but I’ll doing with a Mimikyu and Mudsdale by my side.
1. Overwatch - Do you really think there was any game that’s going to beat Overwatch ? I’ve spent hours upon hours perfecting my Mei icicles, Reinhardt slams and BM emotes. It’s the closest thing to a perfect multiplayer game and the only thing that ruins it is having to play with other people. Even with the caveat of human interaction, Overwatch is still amazing. I scream when I get headshot by a Widowmaker on Watchpoint: Gibraltar and cheer when my allies shoot back. Winston and his band of buddies will be an important game of the gaming ecosystem as the years go on, heroes never die!
