My game 'awards' of 2015.

[Drakon]

This are just the games I played during 2015, not bought. Please put your lists and critique my list.

Biggest Waste of Money
Dragon Age : Orgins Ultimate edition - $20(sale) for a game that requires prior knowledge and lots of grinding. I heard so many good things, and it was just honestly too difficult. Open world? More like your under-leveled to go anywhere but the forced path.  How to play this game - Pick this over-powered class, grind, game done. 75% of my hours in this game are me redoing parts for two reasons ; 1. Glitches are fun, the first boss was a pillar... idk how but that just happened, I thought that's how the boss was supposed to look. 2. I literally put over 5 hours into a miniboss fight, that was avoidable and too difficult, this is the only time I have actually given up because of bullshit, instead of me just needing to git gud.

Most argue-able opinions
Undertale - A game that I wanted to play with killing everybody, was punished for the way I wanted to play. You literally need to look up a guide otherwise you won't know how to get the genocide ending. While it provides a message about being evil, it overdoes it by making you stay in the same area and kill the same enemies for hours, best way to play genocide : get some software that can speed up your game. Other than the genocide play-through, the other play-throughs are fun and satisfying.

Best Solo Game - FTL : Faster than light - I have a soft spot for space exploration games, and customization games (especially ones that are made to work well with mods). Then they added the advanced edition, which is optional (it kinda needs to be, somebody new would be so confused).

Most Surprisingly Fun Game
Euro Truck Simulator 2 - This game where to start? I got it in a humble bundle with some other games, but this was easily the best part of that bundle. It's really nice and calming, and a little hectic at time. It's one of those games where you look back after you played it, and say "Wait, how much time did I spend on that?"

Best Multiplayer Game
Tabletop Simulator - Well it's basically online board games, and such a large variety of them too. So basically it means I can finally play clue and not lose to someone, if you catch my cold.

Worth the Full Price(seriously pick these up)
Tie between ; Dying Light, and Dragon Ball Xenoverse - Dying Light is an amazing game, even though the port/optimization is sub-par.  This is the best open world game I have ever played, there are areas which you are supposed to get to later with better skills, but it's made so you can get to them at level 0, just with a little patience.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse - The only game where I can feel overpowered and underpowered, you realize what you are good at, and the opposite as well. The game looks really good, the colors are just below intense, and any colors that are too intense are faded out by the other colors. Worst part is the character system, when you pick your first character you are pretty much stuck with it by the time you get to the point of it not being worth starting over. you get more customizable characters after you beat the campaign... which you have to do side missions to get. Second worst part is grinding, it's minuscule but worth mentioning if you hate grinding.


Games I want to play more of, but are only enjoyable multiplayer
Don't Starve Together, Dino D-Day, Guns of Icarus Online, Natural Selection 2(This would be amazing if we got a squad of at least 5 people into it), Magicka 2, Risk of Rain, Saints Row IV, Sanctum 2, and Zombie Army Trilogy

[Krawkyz]

Biggest Waste of Money
1. Dungeon Defenders 2. If you bought this game, it's free now. Also, it's still unfinished. And it's by far not the quality of game that the first one was. The first was incredibly addicting.

2. Assassin's Creed Unity. Mortal Kombat X PC. Arkham Knight PC. [Based on Aggregate Opinions]

Biggest Disappointments:
1. Mario & Luigi Paper Jam - I fucking love Mario & Luigi series. I fucking love Paper Mario. But this one...didn't really seem like a good crossover. The design choices are just...awkward. And, to note, the game is fucking broken AND IT WAS FOUND QUICKLY. [Based on Aggregate Opinions]

2. The Crew - One of the worst racing games when compared to any other good racing game. It should've had huge groups of racing, fair racing [no rubberbanding], and an ACTUAL INTERESTING OPEN WORLD MOTHERFUCKER. Instead, it stands as a terrible example of racing game. [Based on Aggregate Opinions]

3. Dying Light - A bland shooter. It's brown (Call of Duty anyone?). An example of what Triple A gaming has become: focus group mentality. They literally seem like they have a checklist for what to make. FPS? Check. Multiplayer? Check. Brown? Check. Zombies? Check. Season Pass? Check. Preorder Bonuses? Check. The only thing it didn't have, thank god, was Day One DLC. [Based on Aggregate Opinions]

Most controversial opinions:
1. Warframe.
There's just so many things wrong with this game being new to it. The story is barebones, cryptic. It's a Destiny ripoff of a story (that's a very bad thing) which doesn't give any information to the character or motivate you in any way to play the game. "I don't even have time to explain why i don't have time to explain."
The missions I've played consist of either: horde mode on certain points or run through this place. Remind you of any game that was considered to be lackluster in story and mission design? And was proven to be because of a shift in management of the company who made it? Bungie. Destiny. Except, it wasn't because of a shift of management, it was because "lulz this is an MMO who needs a good story amirite fuck stories"
Lastly, the game does nothing to tell you what to do. I mean, it tries. "Go to armory in your ship." Alright, where's the armory? *Looks around* I can't find it. Oh! There it is. Now what do I do with it? Um....*looks up guide*....*sees the game has updated and is different*. K, I'm lost. Gotta ask a friend. *Takes 2 hours to figure out how to do first mission tutorial shit with friend's help*. Alright, let's play!....how do I start a mission? "Go to the control room or whatever who cares." *cant find* fuck this game. It's MySims but it insults the player more.

2. Abyss Odyssey. A rather boring approach to the saturated market of roguelike games.

Best Solo Game
1. Undertale. I'll quote and argue point by point on Drakon's idea of this game, and provide my own insight.

You literally need to look up a guide otherwise you won't know how to get the genocide ending.

Well, that's just circular reasoning. You wouldn't know how to get true pacifist without looking up a guide. It just happens on its own. It's a game about doing what you want. If you want to kill everyone, you can do that. You are met with the choices you make later in the game

While it provides a message about being evil, it overdoes it by making you stay in the same area and kill the same enemies for hours, best way to play genocide get some software that can speed up your game.

A game that I wanted to play with killing everybody, was punished for the way I wanted to play.

It's like tobyfox was trying to send a message about don't kill monsters or something, and you have to work towards killing everyone. It's not automatic.

Undertale, in itself, represents what games ought to strive to be: where the gameplay dictates the story. What you do impacts the world, and it isn't merely a choice of "kill or don't kill" or "press f to pay respects." You don't have to befriend everyone. You don't have to kill everyone. The gray area is vast, and gameplay dictates where on the spectrum you lay. Not clicking on a fucking button like Mass Effect 3, where you choose between four things and that's all. The gameplay dictates the story. The story does not dictate the gameplay.

Honestly, Undertale is what triple A developers should hope to achieve, in every right. Instead, they're stuck using focus group mentality to make brown Call of Duty clones instead of taking advantage of other markets (see: medal of honor, battlefield: hardline, call of duty: black ops 3). Undertale fills the niche market in which it resides, because triple A developers are too scared to have a game with...

2. Ori and the Blind Forest
Simply the best 2D platforming game in a long time. The story isn't told in words, in gestures. While not at the masterpiece level of Undertale, it's gameplay serves to slap triple A developers in the face on how to actually make a game people want. Of course, they won't listen.

Most Surprisingly Fun Game
Far Cry 4. Honestly, with the introduction of a villian I didn't really care for (I didn't like Handsome Jack, and I mainly disliked Borderlands 2 because of that), I thoroughly enjoyed it even with the lack of an amazing villian. Also, it ran like shit at release. I couldn't even play it for 6 months.

Best Multiplayer Game
1. Left 4 Dead 2. This is an old fucking game, but it still stands as the best co-op shooter of all time. I want to see one of these in the future, but sadly Turtle Rock is stuck up their asses making worthless shelf life games like Evolve.

2. Speedrunners. It's just fun. This is bias.

Worth the Full Price
1. Far Cry 4. If you liked Far Cry 3, this game is amazing. Pagan Min is...somewhat interesting. He isn't Vaas, which makes this game automatically not as fun. I wish they had just done a Vaas again, honestly. If you want more fun gameplay, however, Far Cry 4 does not disappoint (except for coop, where you can't do campaign together, which leaves boring side missions to do. The only thing fun to do in coop in capture bases.)

2. Any Pronounced Indie Game this Year. 2015 was a terrible year for triple A gaming. Basically, any indie game you heard of being good this year was better than 90% of triple A releases this year. Undertale, Ori and the Blind Forest, SpeedRunners, Tabletop Simulator, etc. [Based on Aggregate Opinions and Gameplay]

Top 10 Games of 2015 [may include games I have not played]:

10. Bloodborne| I did not play this, but from what I've seen it's pretty good.
9. Dungeon Defenders 2| Still good, not as good as the original.
8. Battlefield 4| This game didn't come out until 2015 on PC. It ran like shit pre-2015.
7. Super Mario Maker| holy fuck this is amazing
6. Pillars of Eternity| a return to classic rpg's. amazing in its own right
5. Tabletop Simulator| fantastic experience. open-ended
4. Rocket League| sports game that's good
3. The Witcher 3| skyrim with sex
2. Ori and the Blind Forest| graphics and controls that make you jizz
1. Undertale| almost no flaws. gaming masterpiece

[Drakon]

1. Dying Light - A bland shooter. It's brown (Call of Duty anyone?). An example of what Triple A gaming has become: focus group mentality. They literally seem like they have a checklist for what to make. FPS? Check. Multiplayer? Check. Brown? Check. Zombies? Check. Season Pass? Check. Preorder Bonuses? Check. The only thing it didn't have, thank god, was Day One DLC.

This opinion is based on reviews that happened over a year ago before the game was patched. It also came out at a bad time for zombie games, and shooters for that matter. Kraw has never played it, or even seen gameplay after March 2015(except the DLC, but I haven't played that either). Based on actual experience this game is far from bland, Kraw has just used other people's opinions. I recommend not putting this high in your priority list when considering this game.

[Jaysers]

Biggest waste of money
Metro: Last Light Redux. I absolutely loved the Metro series. That being said, It was fun playing through them once or twice. When the redux came out, I thought I would love playing through the game series another time and see what's been changed to its dynamic. However when I bought it I just... lost the will to play it again simply because it was pretty much the same playthrough as I originally played. It was just a waste of money to buy it. The game itself is still incredible, just not worth playing through for the 4th time.

Resident Evil 5. Just no. Not worth the time or money spent into it.


Biggest Disappointments
Are we talking about games we actually played or just theorycrafting based on popular opinions?


Most controversial Opinions(?)
Da fack is this category...


Best Solo Game
Huniepop. Just... yeah...

Darkest Dungeon. Cuz it's... solo player... and is a niche game for those that can get past its controversial development.

Obligatory Ori and the Blind Forest. Amazing art for a 2D platformer, fun gameplay, good story. Can't ask for more than that. Also you're welcome Kraw.


Most Surprisingly Fun Game
Um.. what...

Huniepop. Yeah.


Best Multiplayer Game
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition

Viscera Cleanup Detail.


Worth the Full Price
Huniepop. With a uh... certain patch, I'm led to believe.

Ori and the Blind Forest.

Shower with your Dad Simulator. Still haven't played it though. Sorry Blackenout.

[Drakon]

Best Solo Game
Huniepop. Just... yeah...

*cough*

[RevolverMech]

Biggest waste of Cash Money
For myself this was Elite: Dangerous, however this is for reason that aren't present for every player. The game simply stated is a mess; a tutorial that requires doing an effective "Homework assignment", not Intuitive controls, and a dlc that effectively fixes these issues being released at full price. Potentially a great game, but not for me.

Biggest Disappointment
Yeah this one is a mix of shock and no shock, Fallout 4. A game that decisively brings back a lot of love and care over the buggy sack of fun that was Fallout 3, Fallout 4 grows on a lot of it's predecessors merits, yet seems to have lost a number of things along the way.
A linear story that seems only to have two actually "different" endings. Fallout 4 falls apart in the plot department, carrying you onto the same problems that games such as Skyrim had, an inexplicable need to throw the Hero into the arms of whatever organization you encounter.
Actual Gameplay however was an A+.

Best Solo Game
Nothing has sucked me in more this year than the "ravenous gaping clutches, of the Darkest Dungeon"

This game is the pinnacle of a theme that matches gameplay to create an excellent mesh of what defines a Lovecraft Style of game. While interconnecting what makes Lovecraftian Horror an outstanding genre and what defines a Rogue-like, Red Hook Studios truly captures a feel of hopelessness that only strengthens itself by small moments of vigor. Not to mention the light price tag.

Most Surprisingly Fun Game
Rocket League. Seriously, it's great pick it up.

Best Multiplayer Game
I have to disclaimer this one, I haven't played many multiplayer games this year. That said the one I've had the grandest of times with has to be Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. A card game that's shown that a constant state of hatred to a game can produce good results. I'd treat it as a game with a $30 price tag and not free to play however.0

Worth the Full Price
Fallout 4 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are tied here for me. While I realize I just attacked Fallout, it is nonetheless a game I have sunk the most hours into this year. Witcher 3 gets a mention as I'm 10 hours in and about 3% done with the story.

Disclaimer: I haven't played undertale, sorry,

[Emperor_Quimby]

Biggest Waste of Money
-Guns of Icarus

Most argue-able opinions
-Dota 2

Best Solo Game
-Dota 2

Most Surprisingly Fun Game
-Dota 2

Best Multiplayer Game
-Dota 2

Worth the Full Price
-Dota 2

Games I want to play more of, but are only enjoyable multiplayer
-Dota 2

[Glenn]

Since I can't really pick one game over another, I'll list a few for certain categories.
(Also, shouldn't it be "game awards", instead of "game rewards"?)

Biggest Waste of Money

-Infinite Crisis
I actually enjoyed this game, a ragular MOBA with DC characters (I'm very much into superhero comics & movies, so this got me into MOBAs for a while) but the game shut down and I lost all the money I put into it
-Payday2
Really don't like the game and it needs to be on this list to annoy Drakon.
-Terraria
Same as Payday2.
-H1Z1
Didn't enjoy playing it one bit, and the que to even get into the game was horrible when I tried playing.

Most controversial opinions

-Payday 2
-Terraria
Do I need to say more?

Best Solo Game

-Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas
A fun Legend of Zelda clone that I found suprisingly enjoyable
-Disney Epic Mickey 2
I can't express how big of a fan I am of this game and it's predecessor, they're just really fun and imaginative games
-Color Guardians
Yeah, this suprised me a lot, it's a fast action side scrolling game which really challenged me to the limit (Sidenote: Controls when riding a minecart (not something that happens often) are very klunky and have cost me a lot of time, but it didn't stop me from playing)

Most Surprisingly Fun Game

-Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas
-Color Guardians
-Tabletop Simulator
-Driver San Francisco
Really fun driving game, despite it's age. It's also especially enjoyable with a few friends

Best Multiplayer Game

-Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
My god did I enjoy this game... it's great! The multi-tasking, the suspence, the stress and of course, the feeling when you finally complete the next, harder challenge
-Portal 2
Old but good, first picked it up, having never played Portal and it was really fun, especially multiplayer
-Rocket League
Yeah, it's here, no suprise, I love the game, and I certainly recommend it to everyone
-Tabletop Simulator
-Starbound
Yup, it's here, and I know what you're gonna say: "But you don't like terraria..."
Live with it, I love Starbound, and hate Terraria.

Worth the Full Price
/
(I tend to never buy games at full price, I find it a waste of money)


Games I want to play more of, but are only enjoyable multiplayer
-Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
-Rocket League
-Tabletop Simulator
-Starbound
-Civalization V

Most Awaited game of 2016 (Yeah, why not)
-Overwatch
-Overwatch!
-Overwatch!!!
-OVERWATCH!!!

I even plan to pick it up at launch, which I usually never do... My god does it look good!

[Jahona]

Biggest Waste of Money
Star Wars Battlefront - It's shiny Star Wars.  It still has potential but I don't feel like it will survive long down the DLC road.

Most controversial opinions
Terraria?
Warframe
US Politics

Best Solo Game
Tales From the Borderlands - This was probably the most fun I've had with a Telltale game.  The story just got me hooked from the beginning.

Most Surprisingly Fun Game
Shadow of Mordor

Best Multiplayer Game
World of Warships
Heroes of the Storm

Worth the Full Price
Rock Band 4

Games I want to play more of, but are only enjoyable multiplayer
Tom Clancy Rainbow Six Siege.  I would like to get into it as it looks fairly interesting
Zombie Army Trilogy
Depth
ARK Survival Evolve
I would play more tabletop if I wasn't active in playing in real life.

Most Awaited game of 2016
.....Overwatch
Overwatch?
yeah Overwatch

Glenn we may be in different time zones but I'll be joining you on that bandwagon.  I got into a weekend beta test and it was the most fun I have had in an FPS in a while.

Maybe the Division if Ubisoft doesn't screw it up.

I'll also probably update this list as I remember exactly what games I played this year.

[Krawkyz]

Most Awaited Game of 2016
Yooka-Laylee.
Made by the original Rareware guys, a successor to Banjo-Kazooie. (The same people who made DK64, Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie and Tooie.) Kickstarted raising $3.2 million [Highest UK Kickstarter ever]. I'm sure it'll be amazing.

[RevolverMech]

Most awaited Game

Overwatch, please god Blizzard just take it all.

[Jaysers]

... And here I'm waiting for Starcraft covert ops ._.

[Emperor_Quimby]

... And here I'm waiting for Starcraft covert ops ._.

... And here I'm waiting for Total war Warhammer

[bren4q]

Biggest Waste of Money

• Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 - There are usually subtle improvements in gameplay with each annual release, but the 2016 version plays the exact same way as the 2015 one. Increased pixel count on player's hairstyles are irrelevant.
• The hundred or so indie games I bought in bundles but never even installed.

Most Controversial Opinions

• Payday 2 - It quickly went from being one of the most exciting, visceral things ever, to an unenjoyable, repetitive chore.

Best Solo Game

• Fallout 4 - By no means perfect. It feels like there's less choice and less consequences to your actions than Fallout 3. But the atmosphere and landscape is immersive, there are new things to keep you occupied (weapon mods, base building), and plenty of play time that still makes it a great game.
• Red Faction Guerilla - Smashy smashy! Nice mix of driving, shooting and destructible environments with a good physics engine that appeals to me.

Most Surprisingly Fun Game

• Boom Beach (mobile) - "Ugh. Yet another tower defence game on mobile. So predictable. I'm gonna stop playing it. Maybe tomorrow. Ok, let me just upgrade this cannon. That's it then, no more. Shit, that noob's base looks so easy to raid. I'll do that first..."

Best Multiplayer Game

• War Thunder - I'm still getting enjoyment out of this even though there's not much new. Pity the planes mode doesn't encourage more teamwork.  It still feels like a free-for-all. But a fun one at that.

Worth the Full Price
If I had paid for Fallout 4 it would go here.

Games I want to play more of, but are only enjoyable multiplayer

• Gang Beasts
• NidHogg

Most Awaited game of 2016
Umm... I'm not terribly excited by any upcoming PC release. On the PS4 I'd be keen on Tekken 7 and Uncharted 4, but I don't have a PS4. So eh, let's just say No Man's Sky.

[wills20202]

Biggest Waste of Money

123 Slaughter Me Street. I got this game thinking it would be similar to Five Nights At Freddy's then I realized the controls are terrible and the whole game is basically walking down hallways and stairs evading monsters.
 

Most Controversial Opinions

Most likely this would be Saints Row due to all of the sexual innuendos included.

Best Solo Game

Stuck between The Escapists and Five Nights At Freddy's 4. Both games are awesome and I love them both which makes it hard to choose. One you escape from prison and the other scares the crap right out of you over and over again.



Most Surprisingly Fun Game

Saints Row III, Saints Row IV and Saints Row Gat out of Hell. These three games are extremely fun. I have played III and IV through twice and am still working on the last one. High replay ability makes these fun as well.

Best Multiplayer Game

ARK Survival Evolved. This game is very enjoyable though there are lag spikes and other bugs it is a great Early Access game.

Worth the Full Price

N/A This section would apply to ARK if I had not gotten it from a friend.


Most Awaited game of 2016

Outlast 2. I loved the first game and now they are making a second one in the same universe as the first one. Looks interesting.