This is just a small slice of the pie that was 2015’s release calendar. There are plenty of great games big and small across a multitude of genres that made this year epic, but these are the ones that we are especially thankful for. Are there any you would have rather seen? Sound off in the comments below.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC – Released: September 1, 2015
Just forget the Kojima/Konami drama; that’s between them. What really matters is the revolutionary open world stealth game the two sides were able to come together to make in the form of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Sure, the story marches to the beat of its own drum, but the amount of freedom that the player has to tackle each objective is unmatched and the quality of the game’s cinematography is razor fine. Metal Gear Solid has always been a series that pushes stealth game design and cinematography to heights never seen before and The Phantom Pain does just that.
Fallout 4 – PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 – Released: November 10, 2015
Sure, we all knew it was coming, but it wasn’t until Bethesda’s first ever E3 Press Conference that we had any idea just how good Fallout 4 was going to turn out. Then again, was anybody shocked? Nah. Fallout 4 is all about options. You can make your character anyway you want, spec them anyway you want and when you’re finally let off the leash into the vast wasteland, you can literally pick any direction you want and just go. Fallout 4 evolves on Fallout 3’s shooting mechanics, balancing them in a way that makes them more satisfying, making V.A.T.S. feel more like an option than a necessity.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 – Released: May 19, 2015
CD Projekt RED blew the doors down when Wild Hunt burst on to the scene in May. Despite a number of technical issues and glitches, the game was undeniably masterful in its craftsmanship. Wild Hunt was a love letter to its fans, bringing back nearly every major and minor character since the first game either through the main quest or the brilliantly constructed side quests. The game boasted over 150 hours of content, released 16 free pieces of DLC and came packaged with a number of other goodies that showed how appreciated the Polish-based studio was for buying the game. Hearts of Stone released as an expansion recently and another, Blood and Wine is due sometime in Q1 2016.
Batman: Arkham Knight – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC – Released: June 23, 2015
PC players might disagree, but Batman: Arkham Knight deserves a spot on this list. Regardless of how hard Rocksteady and Warner Bros. have dropped the ball on the PC version, the game is undeniably the best Batman video game ever made. Arkham Knight builds on the mechanics established in Arkham Asylum and Arkham City to deliver the biggest digital world the Dark Knight has ever graced. The amount of detail and fan service that Rocksteady has poured in is incredible, and you don’t even have to be a Batman fan to recognize just how good this game is.
It’s amazing to think that 2015 is almost over. It seemed like just yesterday we were making our New Year’s resolutions and looking forward to what was promising to be one of the biggest game release calendars in years. Now as we get set to gobble down as much turkey and stuffing as we can muster, we take a moment to look back at the five games from 2015 that we are most thankful for.
Bloodborne – PlayStation 4 – Released: March 24, 2015
Bloodborne was one of the PS4’s most anticipated exclusives heading into the year, but internet skeptics were labeling it something akin to “a Souls game with a different name”. While there’s no denying that Bloodborne looks and plays a lot like one, the game makes a number of subtle tweaks that enhance everything that has come before. Bloodborne takes the established formula and creates a focus on careful aggression and offensive prowess, particularly in the ability to recoup precious lost health from enemies upon killing them. Bloodborne sacrifices none of its difficulty while enhancing the overall flow of the gameplay to make the best Souls-like game yet.
