Every year the Push Square Team gets together to vote for the site's PlayStation Game of the Year. While we usually keep these polls secret, we're putting the spotlight on some of our authors this holiday so that they can highlight some of their personal favourites from 2015. Today it's the turn of Phil Kennedy, as he brings out the big guns.
Fifth Choice: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
I love Rainbow Six: Siege. This game is a first-person shooter for people who aren't very good at first person shooters. The focus shifts from the twitch-based reaction skills that other franchises demand to a more methodical approach, where planning and communication is the key to success. This means that, with the right preparations and the right team, even those with my age dulled reflexes have every chance of being victorious. This game should win the award for most pleasant surprise of 2015.
Fourth Choice: Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
Black Ops 3 represents a generous amount of value, even without picking up the annual season pass. Here we technically have three games, which could have each sold comfortably as a full retail release packaged onto one disc. And okay, the story may be convoluted, but get one or even three of your pals to play and you're sure to have an absolute blast. True, this may not be the most in vogue franchise among you gaming hipsters, but for a series that is consistently polished and slick this stands out as the best Call of Duty in years.
Third Choice: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
The Phantom Pain sees the culmination of Kojima's efforts on this landmark series to deliver, what I imagine is, the closest game to his creative vision. Out are the restrictions of enclosed levels of previous games and in is an open world. This allows you to tackle each level with your own individual approach. But don't rest on one tactic for too long as in an ingenious design choice the AI will learn and adapt to your strategies. This game is a more than a fitting swan song for Kojima's time at Konami, leaving me eager to see what comes next.
Second Choice: Batman: Arkham Knight
Never has a game made me feel quite like being a super hero as Rocksteady's latest. Whizzing around Gotham and roughing up shady types feels entirely natural. The story is immense and Rocksteady's attention to the smaller details, such as changing billboards throughout the game along with Batman's changing state of mind, really help to bring it to life. And while the game's insistence on thrusting the Batmobile on to you at every possible opportunity can begin to drag a little towards the end of the game, this doesn't detract from a highly polished, highly enjoyable game.
First Choice: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
CD Projekt RED ties up the story of everyone's favourite Witcher Geralt in this epic RPG. You don't fancy carrying on with the main quest? Feel free to go monster hunting in some good old honest Witcher work or numerous side quests. The feeling of freedom is unparalleled. There are few games where upon completion I get a sense of sadness at it being all over, but this is one. Not only is this my game of the year, but one of my favourite ever.
What do you make of Phil's all-star selection? Would you swap the positions of any of his picks? Go loud in the comments section below.
Comments 21
I've been meaning to pick up Black Ops 3 due to the generous amount of single player content, but I haven't pulled the trigger yet, January seems to be a slow month in 2016 though.
The Witcher 3 is easily up there with The Last of Us as one of the best games of this decade, first 100 hour game I've played back to back, and it will probably be the only one ever.
Finally, the witcher is number one in PushSquare list. For me, the witcher 3 is the best RPG i ever played, mi favourite before this was Gothic 1 & 2.
This list fits closer to my list than any so far. Not saying its better or worse, just that your choices more closely resemble mine.
The Witcher 3 is easily my game of the year, in fact its my game of this generation (so far) and I can't see it being dethroned soon. Batman: Arkham Knight I have already talked about - particularly in the countdown #7:Batman Thread. CoD:BO3 is the other game to make my top 5. Its certainly been my favourite MP and Zombies is very close to being my favourite co-op experience (only Raiding n Destiny is potentially better).
The Witcher 3! Finally! Alson MGSV! Both great games!
@Neolit I did play the previous two Witcher games but didn't finish either of them. This is the first one that really seems to have grabbed me. I wouldn't avoid this one just because the other two weren't perfect. This is the most accessible witcher yet.
@sub12 if you do pick it up I hope you enjoy it pal! It's still very much a COD games but bigger and slicker than ever before. Which is a good thing!
@Neolit Gameplay-wise I'd say TW3 is miles better than the second game - the developer literally improved everything. I didn't hate the first two games by any means, but I thought they were flawed in many respects, while TW3 is just utterly brilliant. May be worth a try if you can get it cheap at some point.
Hurray! Witcher 3 ftw, love it. Well done, Phil, you deserve a cookie.
@LieutenantFatman Thanks mate! Its my game of the year by some distance. I hope you get some kind of biscuit based snack too.
Holy crap, Witcher 3 got on someone's list.
@DerMeister
Right, faith in Push Square is restored.
But if they award the GOTY to Journey on PS4,........burn it all down.
Witcher 3 is up there with some of the greatest games I've ever played. It's one of those games I wish I could start again with no memory of having played it before.
Somebody likes their AAA releases....
Honestly Witcher 3 must be unbelievable as mgs v has and keeps my gob stuck on the floor playing it. I'm currently trying to finish it with Witcher and Fallout screaming 'pick me' from my shelf, and every time it blows my mind (except the backwards crawling and not being able to climb some things which look climbable.
@themcnoisy
It is, stop playing MGS V.
@themcnoisy I'll be keen to know if Witcher 3 is up your street, It's pretty so so as far as I'm concerned - got about 2/3 through and got bored of it. Would like to think I'll go back to it at some point and give it another run. Also Fallout 4, played it for 8 hours and thought "nope!" lol
It has to be said though, Witchers world is incredible to be in sometimes, the environments are stunning.
@kyleforrester87 Fallout 3 and new Vegas were fun, but I never knew why I thought I was having fun. There's the start of the game, low health and scouting for a while a huge blur then the end of the game. So maybe they aren't good In a Mario 64 / ff7 / mass effect 2 / Halo Reach way but scratch a different itch.
@sub12 I cant
@themcnoisy
Yes, you can buddy, it's like a bad girlfriend, once you start playing The Witcher 3 or Fallout 4, you'll forget all about her....
On a serious note, MGS V has an amazing game play loop, but it's problems (sterile world, lack of interaction, mediocre story, disorganized ending, and tacked on multi-player - micro-transactions)......kinda left it out of the GOTY discussion IMO.
@themcnoisy If you like Fallout 3 and New Vegas I can't imagine you'd not like 4 then!
@sub12 your on point with the disorganized ending and micro transactions. The story is deep in parts, especially the kikongo strain, child soldiers and the miller / ocelot partnership. So with the story I would disagree although its so strung out I can agree with you at the same time. As for the sterile world and lack of interaction that is definitely wrong. The world is full of fun - in a game world take on Afghan and later on North Africa. there's no need for civilians, they would make the world worse. Also the options for interactivity are only limited by your imagination and skill. But yes I will stop playing.... Just 1 more gooooo.
(I do understand Witcher 3s world is teeming with stuff to do. Hyped for it)
@Neolit Yeah I totally understand as this is a problem I've had recently. It's all good for games to offer hundreds of hours of content - hooray for value - but playing several in quick succession can be incredibly difficult. Still, I'd say a sound strategy with regards to TW3 would be to wait for the inevitable GOTY edition which will include both expansions late next year. Hopefully it releases at a smart price point, too.
Best Pushsquare top 5 yet hat's off to you!
Tap here to load 21 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...