Broforce
Very likely the final game I finish this year. And...it's pretty American alright. Or rather, 'Murican. The game takes itself seriously in no way, but I could see how the most hardcore 'Muricans would shout "F*** YEAH Taste Our Freedom!!!" after every two seconds. This was actually one of the reasons I hesitated to buy the game for so long: the other being that I absolutely, utterly despise the word "bro". But, as you can see I finally gave in and got the game. And it's pretty fun actually. The game features a huge roster of 80's and 90's action heroes, and thus getting a new one was always really interesting in the sense of "who's it gonna be next!?" Although honestly, by the end the game started to feel a bit repetitive. I guess get it if you really love explosive 2D action platforming (and in this game, the action REALLY is very explosive) and have a soft spot for classic movie action heroes.
Finally, I'd like to once again, as is tradition, name my top and bottom picks of the games I've finished this year. I purposefully decided I wouldn't play just anything any more, which is why my list of finished games is maybe half of what it was in 2014 and 2013. Thus, picking especially the bottom ones might be a challenge. However, after much consideration (of maybe 10 minutes), this is my list:
Top List:
#5 Fallout 4. As far as the Bethesda Fallouts go, this one is the best so far without a doubt. Sure, it has it's flaws, such as still not getting the Black Isle established atmosphere right, radiant quests, weak story and forgettable / annoying characters, but as far as open world games go, it does a pretty good job keeping you interested all the way through.
#4 Alien: Isolation. This game really surprised me by how good it was. Especially considering that the one Alien game before this one, was Colonial Marines. Isolation managed to be very atmospheric and tense, and it nails the look of the first Alien movie perfectly. Definitely the best horror game I've played in a long time.
#3 Ronin. A small indie game that played just perfectly. I loved the action, and how you chose your next move in pause mode. Since you always knew where the enemy would shoot, it made for some awesome-looking ninja action. I loved it.
#2 Hand of Fate. This game combined deck-building and Batman-style melee combat in a way that works great. Even after beating the campaign, I went back to it until I had unlocked every single card: it's just that addicting. Really awesome game.
#1 Grand Theft Auto V. It's bigger and better than ever. 'Nuff said.
Honorary mention: Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition. My #1 pick of last year got even better with the free update. Since I technically had already beaten it before, I didn't include it in this list although it definitely would deserve it. Other games that just barely didn't make the list: Super Time Force Ultra; The Wolf Among Us; Pillars of Eternity; Lords of Xulima; Guild of Dungeoneering.
Bottom List:
#5 Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. Not so much "a bad game", but a huge disappointment. The first Hotline Miami was absolutely brilliant, but this one messed it up with a confusing plot and too much emphasis on guns.
#4 Ryse: Son of Rome. Looks gorgeous, but the gameplay is really, really boring. Mash mash mash, move forward a couple of meters on a tight corridor, then mash mash mash again. It numbs the mind faster than a lobotomy.
#3 Breach & Clear: Deadline. Again, another disappointment after a pretty good prequel. The gameplay is actually not that different from Ryse: Son of Rome: you move forward a little, shoot some zombies, then move forward some more, and shoot some more zombies. The plot is really stupid and forgettable, and suddenly the game just ends. Really poor writing.
#2 Hatred. Repetitive, dull and unfair. The epitome of "much ado about nothing". Killing helpless civilians might be fun for the first five minutes, but after that, you've seen all the game has to offer. The player character is an emo psycho killer for no apparent reason, and it's really difficult to relate with him or his motives, if there even are any. Gameplay consists of nothing but killing and getting shot outside the screen. Not what I would call fun.
#1 Paper Sorcerer. I feel kinda bad giving this "award" to this game, but I just didn't like it at all. It looks and sounds awful, the gameplay consists of simply wandering around and attacking floating cloud enemies until they decide to die ('cause there aren't any health bars), and...that's it actually.
So, that was it. Now it's almost 2016: there are many, many great games coming up which I'm already excited to play! If any of you have read my reviews: I hope you enjoyed reading them and maybe found them to be helpful in deciding whether or not they are games you yourself would maybe like to play. Also, thanks for any of the comments I've received. Happy New Year - and happy gaming!
Post edited December 30, 2015 by DProject
