Ah, the holidays, a time to sit down and spend time doing nothing but playing games with family. On second thought, perhaps it's the former for some os us.
If there's one word that I would use to summarize 2016, it would be "surprising" especially in gaming. From the No Man's Sky fiasco to Firewatch's ending; 2016 also ends with the release of two games, within a week of each other.
What's your Game of the Year?
What did HDE employees enjoy playing this year? As the moderator of the #gaming channel at HDE, I wanted to find out.
Keep in mind that a few of the games mentioned were not released in 2016.
INSIDE
The world is immersive, surreal, post-apocalyptic and dystopian. I love the amazing puzzles and the dark, primarily monochromatic, silent environment with well designed audio and visual cues throughout the game. It's truly a masterpiece and one-of-a-kind.
- Kenny a.k.a Spicy Chickenny
Bloodborne: The Old Hunters
My game of the year is, of course, Bloodborne DLC: The old hunter[sic]. I recommend it to those who like hard core action games and enjoy being tortured.
- Jerry
Dota 2
I would go ahead and recommend Dota 2 for the MOBA enthusiasts out there. It's a competitive, ever-changing online battle game I have enjoyed a lot since it's second year as a standalone game (starting out as a mod before acquired by Valve). Last summer it held its 6th international tournament with a prize pool total of $20,770,460.
- Bumi
Stardew Valley
If you used to love Harvest Moon, you couldn't missed out playing Stardew Valley. "I want to play for one more day in the game" will absolutely lead you to play one more day in the real life. And also, it's more realistic. Tried to ask all girls out for dance, they just simply reject you with "Eww". 10/10 will get rejected again.
- Iskandar
XCOM 2
I grew up with the original X-COM series (UFO Defense, Terror From The Deep, Apocalypse, Interceptor), so having X-COM and X-COM 2 as a proper tactical turn-based combat after 15 years gave me that nostalgia back. It also helps that they’re both polished products, developed by Firaxis, which is a top-notch development house famous for their Civilization series.
- Jeffrey
Oxenfree
Incredible dialog system, interesting story and (spoiler alert) brilliant multiplayer feature.
- Jonas
Uncharted 4
There are so many reasons to love this game. This is so far the best-looking video game I’ve ever seen. The story is very good on its own, and it’s a perfect way to close the book on Nathan Drake’s story. They added new mechanics that fits so well with the gameplay. All those elements come together to make such an enjoyable gaming experience (for me, at least).
- Bagus
Dishonored 2
Finally, my personal game of the year is Dishonored 2. If you're into stealth games or enjoyed the original Dishonored, then you'll love Dishonred 2. The sequel not only improves on the first game's systems but also adds quite two unique, innovative and puzzle-esque levels. The "Play Your Way" philosophy that Dishonored established and that the sequel expands on, is some of the most fun that I've had in my gaming career.
With that all said, the gamers at HDE wish you the best this holiday season, game on!
Also, save some cash for the upcoming Steam sales!
