VIDEO Game of the Year 2016

Say what you will about the rest of the year, 2016 was a great, even historic year for video games. From fresh, original new IP to acclaimed sequels in established franchises, from multiplayer phenomenons to a plethora of fantastic single player campaigns, and even the launch of an all new way to immerse ourselves in the medium, we saw it all over the past twelve months. And this is the thread to celebrate our personal bests of the best. And to help you get started...

The Categories

Game of the Year
Honorable Mention(s)
Best Story
Best Gameplay
Best Graphics
Best Soundtrack
Best Online Experience
Best Surprise
Best DLC
Most Disappointing
Best Old Game (or pre-2016 game you played this year)
Most Anticipated 2017 Game

And as always, feel free to add more! If you need it, here is a list of every video game released in 2016. Happy ranking!

 

Game of the Year: Overwatch

Honorable Mention(s): The Witness, DOOM, Inside, Rise Of The Tomb Raider (PC)

Best Soundtrack: DOOM

Best Old Game (or pre-2016 game you played this year): Crypt Of The NecroDancer

 

Game of the Year: Stardew Valley. It's basically the perfect Harvest Moon game unless there were a version of Rune Factory 4 where events weren't randomized.

Honorable Mention(s): Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past is technically a remake but it's such a thorough one it's almost a new game entirely. Consequently it's a new DQ game and was destined for one of my top spots.

Best Story: Mafia III tells a basic revenge story very well. It's also pretty much the only game with a story to write home about of the games I played this year. So... yeah.

Best Gameplay: Fire Emblem Fates. It's a very-well tuned version of that series' formula, mechanically maybe even the best of the bunch (CONTROVERSIAL OPINION WARNING Although Conquest sadly falls back on "no grinding" for artificial challenge, something I'd hoped the series had gotten past altogether). Unfortunately it's otherwise one of the weaker games in the franchise, but hey, I can give it a shout-out here.

Best Graphics: Mafia III, basically by virtue of being the newest, highest budget thing I played.

Best Soundtrack: Dragon Quest VII. It's actually, actually impossible to ever topple Koichi Sugiyama on one of my lists, although props to Stardew Valley for making a solid effort.

Best Online Experience: I didn't actually manage to play Hitman but man if watching Elusive Target attempts weren't some of my favorite videos this year.

Best Surprise: Hitman. See above; I expect absolutely nothing out of that franchise and instead have gotten to watch a ton of entertaining footage because of it.

Best Old Game (or pre-2016 game you played this year): Paint it Back. It's Picross, but for your phone, so you might actually be carrying around the thing you actually play games on. Yeah I went there. Come at me bro.

Most Anticipated 2017 Game: Persona 5 if it actually comes out. Yakuza Kiwami otherwise.

 

Now I didn't play many new games this year, so this might be more of a recap of older games for me, that I happened to play this year.

Game of the Year
Not really sure about this. No game felt like it was head and shoulders above the rest.

Honorable Mention(s)
Tomb Raider (2013) - It was quite good, while feeling a bit too similar to the Uncharted series. I did like the free-roaming aspects though, and there were some nice visuals.

Gone Home was nice too, I liked the use of atmosphere, and the story was good, but I felt that Everybody's Gone to the Rapture had more impressive graphics and deeper themes.

Best Story
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - I really liked the last Uncharted game, and while it's not quite my favourite in the series (2 still wins for me) it was a gripping story, with lots of nice turns. It executed the slow reveal of info about the central treasure really well, and the character were all really interesting.

Best Gameplay
Minecraft - I just discovered this game this year. While I find the game incredibly dull alone, add a friend and it becomes an addictive game where you set your own goals. The best parts come from when you set yourself a project, like creating a map wall, or carving a giant face in a mountain, or recreating a full scale tower of Orthanc.

Best Graphics
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End: Another gorgeous work of art from Naughty Dog. Highlights include to massive free-roaming levels, such as Madagascar and the Island chain.

Very impressed with Everybody's Gone to the Rapture as well. It's recreation of a small English village was excellent.

Best Soundtrack
Journey - So much gorgeous music to choose from, I love the central theme, especially in Apotheosis. There's also The Road of Trials which just fits the sand sliding sequence so well.

Best Online Experience
Portal 2/Civ V - I had a lot of fun with Moll playing both these games online. Portal 2 was a hard, but satisfying experience, while Civ was a more slow burn.

Best Surprise
Overcooked - A surprisingly deep co-op cooking game. With a couple of friends it becomes insanely hilarious, and the mechanics become very complex very quickly.

Best DLC
The Last of Us: Left Behind - Pretty much the only DLC I can remember getting this year, though it was still good. A nice character driven story, with a few nice stealthy gameplay sections.

Most Disappointing
Assassin's Creed Syndicate - Yes, it did technically come out last year, but I played it this year. Just a let down in many aspects, especially story. While the gameplay was decent, it also felt unsatisfying, and I felt it was the weakest AC game yet. Yes, I think Unity was better. I liked Unity.

I suppose I should add Obduction, but only because my useless laptop is too bad to play it beyond the intro. I really want to play it as well.

Best Old Game (or pre-2016 game you played this year)
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - I played a lot of Morrowind recently, and it's still really great. The most convincing world in the series, and just my favourite.

Most Anticipated 2017 Game

 

Game of the Year: Rise of the Tomb Raider (PC)
Honorable Mention(s): DOOM
Best Gameplay: DOOM
Best Graphics: Uncharted 4
Best Online Experience: Destiny: Rise of Iron
Best Surprise: DOOM
Best DLC: The Witcher 3 Blood and Wine
Most Disappointing: Uncharted 4
Most Anticipated 2017 Game: Mass Effect Andromeda

Yeah, I didn't play that many great games this year.

 

I never play new games, so I can never participate in these rankings, but I can contribute to the category of best pre-2016 game I played.

I played an eclectic mix this year: Sonic 4, Fuse, Ico, The Walking Dead seasons 1 and 2, Tales From the Borderlands, Never Alone, Crysis, The Getaway, Bionic Commando (2009) and half of Sam & Max season 2: Beyond Time and Space.

Although I would rank The Walking Dead season 1 as the most well-made game I played this year, my favourite experience of the year was Ico. If you're interested, you can read my thoughts on it here.

 

Game of the Year: This is a joint between Rise of the Tomb Raider and Uncharted 4
Honorable Mention(s): Pokemon Sun and Moon
Best Story: Uncharted 4, it was very interesting and had a few new features - grappling hook. It was interesting and an easy story to follow and be gripped by.
Best Gameplay: Not sure about this one as all the games I have played this year have been fun and entertaining. Probably Tomb Raider though as this was fun to play and challenging.
Best Graphics: Tomb Raider and Uncharted 4.
Best Soundtrack: I have to agree with darkspine10, Journey had a really nice soundtrack but also the Civ VI soundtrack (especially the menu screen track) is really nice.
Best Online Experience: Civ V - Played with darkspine10. It is very fun to play with friends, not so fun on your own. Also Destiny, this is a great game! Played countless hours with my Sister and Uncle.
Best Surprise: Rocket League! Although not released this year, I bought it recently and it is a very addictive game and easy to get trophies (which is a bonus)
Best DLC: Rise of Iron, Destiny. Very fun and good to play with others.
Most Disappointing: Gone Home. Sorry darkspine10, the ending was very disappointing to me
Best Old Game (or pre-2016 game you played this year): Lego Harry potter: Years 1-4 (remastered). Although this was released last year, it is the same as the old ones just on the ps4 (for me) and it has been fun to play alone and with others.
Most Anticipated 2017 Game: Horizon, it looks like a really interesting game that could have a lot of potential

 

Game of the Year: Dark Souls III
Best Story: That Dragon, Cancer
Best Gameplay: Overwatch
Best Graphics: Owlboy
Best Soundtrack: Doom
Best Online Experience: Overwatch
Best Surprise: The fact that The Last Guardian and Final Fantasy Vs XIII... sorry I mean XV are actual playable products. On store shelves and everything. As for an actual game, Furi.
Best DLC: The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
Most Disappointing: On account of wasted potential, and because kicking No Man's Sky some more would be too easy, Battlefield 1.
Best Old Game (or pre-2016 game you played this year): Dark Souls 1. This category will always be Dark Souls 1. From now until the end of time, it will be Dark Souls 1.
Most Anticipated 2017 Game: It's a coin flip between Persona 5 and Nier Automata.
Honorable Mentions for Most Anticipated 2017 Game: Gravity Rush 2, Resident Evil 7, Yakuza 0 & Kiwami, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Yooka-Laylee, Nioh and that Berserk Musou game. Because licensed Musou games kick so much ass.

 

Best Game: Steep
Best Graphics: Steep
Best Surprise: Steep
Best DLC: Witcher: Blood and Wine
2017 Games: Yakuza 0 and Kiwami, ME Andomeda

 

I only played old games this past year, and will continue playing them throughout this year as well, seeing as how my game time is pretty limited. That said, I'd be hard-pressed to choose between Assassin's Creed Syndicate and Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

 

Game of the Year: Final Fantasy XV. It's a flawed masterpiece that I'm still hopelessly addicted to 60+ hours in. There were games this year that had better gameplay, graphics, plot, etc. But the package as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and the core four guys are incredibly endearing and I'm amazed that I wasn't sick of them by the end of it all.
Honorable Mentions: Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Best Story: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Naughty Dog really outdid themselves with Nathan Drake's final adventure. Compelling characters both new and old, unbelievable graphics, solid gameplay, and incredible motion capture performances all combined to give Drake and co. the perfect sendoff. The epilogue is probably my favorite sequence ever in a video game.
Honorable Mentions: Oxenfree, Gears of War 4

Best Gameplay: Ratchet & Clank. It's a remake/reboot of a franchise that perfected its gameplay long ago, but Insomniac still found a way to refine it even further and add in new hooks with the weapon upgrades and collectibles. It feels perfect.
Honorable Mentions: Doom, Gears of War 4

Best Graphics: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Far and away the best graphics I've ever seen in a video game. I took so many screenshots during my second playthrough, I've got enough desktop backgrounds to last me for a long time. The scenery is stunning and the characters feel incredibly real. The fact that this is Naughty Dog's first new game on the PS4 is scary when you consider how much better Uncharted 3 looks compared to Uncharted 1.
Honorable Mentions: Forza Horizon 3, Ratchet & Clank

Best Soundtrack: Doom. I actually still listen to Doom's soundtrack outside of the game pretty frequently. It's loud, it's heavy, and as soon as I get a nice sound system in my home theater (whenever that will be), Doom is without a doubt the first game I'll fire up. It compliments the frenetic gameplay extremely well. I recommend looking up Mick Gordon's Behind the Music videos to see the process he went through in making it. Great stuff.
Honorable Mentions: Final Fantasy XV, Amplitude

Best Online Experience: Forza Horizon 3. Honestly the online functionality in FH3 isn't anything to write home about, but I rarely play multiplayer games and doing races with a couple buddies online is always a solid bet for a good time. I also like how you're able to compare stats to your friends and members of the clan you belong to.
Honorable Mentions: Alienation, MLB 16: The Show

Best Surprise: Stardew Valley. This one came out of nowhere for me. Heard some good things through word of mouth, was immobilized with a broken ankle, and didn't have anything else to play. Took a shot on it and kissed weeks of my life goodbye. Outstanding game with loads to do.
Honorable Mentions: Doom, Oxenfree

Best DLC: Uh, maybe some Rock Band songs? It's a testament to the quality of new games released in 2016 that I didn't have time to go back and play any DLC for games like The Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 like I'd planned to.

Most Disappointing: Song of the Deep. A 2D animated Metroidvania from Insomniac? Just those facts alone were plenty to get me hyped for Song of the Deep. What I got, however, was a frustrating game with irritating, monotonous puzzles and dull gameplay that felt really uninspired. Not a good first outing for GameStop as a publishing brand.
Honorable Mentions: Owlboy, Super Mario Run

Best Old Game: Rock Band 4. Wasn't ready to plop down a bunch of cash for this one when it first released in 2015. Got it on the cheap from a friend and it's been a lot of fun picking the series back up and enjoying it with family and friends like old times. It also helps that I was able to import all of my DLC from the previous generation as well as the soundtracks from the first three games, because the on-disc songs are seriously lacking. Now I just need to five star that damn Lightning Bolt song.
Honorable Mentions: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Gone Home

Most Anticipated 2017 Game: Red Dead Redemption 2. RDR is my favorite game of all-time, so to say I'm looking forward to Rockstar's sequel/prequel is a massive understatement. Just keeping my fingers crossed that it actually does release this year.
Honorable Mentions: Detroit: Become Human, Mass Effect: Andromeda

 

Game of the Year uncharted 4 great ending to the nathan drake saga beautiful to look at and play easily my game of the year naughty dog hit it out of the park

Best Story again uncharted 4 best graphics on console a great story everything you would want from a triple a game
Best Gameplay battlefield one
Best Graphics uncharted 4

Best Online Experience battlefield one
Best Surprise last guardian actually released
Best DLC witcher 3 blood and wine
Most Disappointing no mans sky
Best Old Game (or pre-2016 game you played this year) assassins creed ezio collection
Most Anticipated 2017 Game mass effect andromeda or rdr2

 

Game of the year: Rise of the Tomb Raider
Honorable Mentions: Overwatch, Uncharted 4, Dark Souls III
Best story: Mafia III
Best gameplay: Doom
Best Graphics: Uncharted 4
Best Soundtrack: Mafia III
Most Anticipated Games of 2017: God of War, Vampyre, Kingdom Come Deliverance, Red Dead Redemption 2, Detroit: Become Human

 

I didn't play many 2016 games, but we'll see how this goes.

Game of the Year: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Honourable Mention(s): Rise of the Tomb Raider and Batman: The Telltale Series.
Best Story: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Best Gameplay: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Best Graphics: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Best Soundtrack: DOOM
Best Online Experience: Battlefield 1
Best Surprise: Batman: The Telltale Series (I'd never played a Telltale game before.)
Best DLC: N/A (I haven't played the Blood and Wine DLC for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt yet, but I'd imagine that would take it.)
Most Disappointing: No Man's Sky (Lol. One of the worst games ever.)
Best Old Game (or pre-2016 game you played this year): The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Most Anticipated 2017 Game: Red Dead Redemption 2 (This was my most anticipated last year, but now it's been pushed back to 2018.)