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 Sammy Barker, as new intellectual properties prevail.
Fifth Choice: Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
The Chinese Room helped define the walking simulator with Dear Esther, so I was under no illusion about what I'd be getting from Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. Sure, the Sony Santa Monica supported stroll through Shropshire may have been lacking in the "traditional" gameplay department, but I really enjoyed piecing together the plot and discussing theories with my peers. It's a game that's understandably not for everyone, but the haunting audio and familiar yet frightening backdrop really appealed to me.
Fourth Choice: Until Dawn
Despite feeling like I was the only person on the planet championing Until Dawn prior to release, Supermassive Games' schlock horror still managed to take me by surprise. I was anticipating a "so bad that it's good" type experience, but the British studio actually served up something much better than that. Yes, the dialogue is dumb and the characters are abhorrent, but the title keeps its tongue firmly in its cheek throughout, and the twists are actually impressively well executed.
Third Choice: Rocket League
I hate to say I told you so, but… Well, I told you so. Dip into the Push Square archives and you'll find Sammy Barker stamped articles from early 2014 in which I proclaim Rocket League to be the best thing since bread and butter pudding. Psyonix's soccer-on-wheels smash is incredibly similar to its verbose PS3 predecessor Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars, but the studio perfected the formula. Indeed, the game controls like a dream, matches are moreish enough to tickle that all-important "one more go" neurone, and the post-release support has been nothing short of spectacular.
Second Choice: Life Is Strange
There's someone out there who wants to make a game for Sammy Barker, and he or she works for Life Is Strange developer DONTNOD. There's a moment early on in this time editing episodic adventure where protagonist Max is walking down the Blackwell Academy corridor listening to soft rock on her iPod, and I knew from that point that it was going to be everything that I wanted it to be. I felt that the series peaked at the midway stage and got a little messy towards the end, but I still adored this game enough for it to almost top my personal Game of the Year list.
First Choice: Bloodborne
About five years ago I bought Demon's Souls and really enjoyed the first few hours, but never found the time to get back to it. Bandai Namco subsequently marketed Dark Souls as impenetrable and I got put off the entire series. I decided to give Bloodborne a go because of its importance to the PS4's catalogue and I fell in love with the gothic architecture and cunning level design. I also learned that these games aren't as impossible as publishers like to pretend – they just demand patience. A flawless combat system and some of the most grotesque enemy designs that I've ever seen make From Software's finest my Game of the Year.
Do you agree with Sammy's picks, or do you think that he's been smoking the strong stuff? Try not to get too personal in the comments section below.
Comments 25
Some solid choices there, Sammy. Love a bit of Bloodborne. But no Witcher 3!? Quite surprised by that, thought that'd be your 1st place choice.
I really like you're list it's pretty similar to my list if it's not the same <3 bloodborne and life is strange made this gaming year a special one for me
The lack of Yakuza 5 is depressing. Especially when Walking Simulator and Diary of a Teenage girl are in there. But to each their own. The other three are quality choices. Rocket League is probably the surprise hit of the year. Nobody expected Until Dawn to be good but it was a game people knew existed, Rocket League literally came from nowhere.
@LieutenantFatman I, er, don't really like The Witcher 3. To be fair, I should stress that I've only played just under 20 hours of it, but I found the controls to be sluggish, and while I appreciate some parts of it, I found the fantasy elements kept pulling me out of the intended mature storytelling. It's something I should go back to really, but based on what I played, it would never really come close to my Top 5. Just not for me.
@Illusionistt Yay!
@Gamer83 Yakuza 5 would probably be my Number Six. We actually wrote these before I'd finished Yakuza 5 because they take a long time to edit and format, so it came a bit late really. Having said that, while I love Yakuza 5 a lot, I think Rapture would have edged it out just because I felt it was something unique and different.
@get2sammyb
Rapture is different, I'll give it that for some reason it didn't click when I tried it though. Yakuza 5 may not be new or unique but I love it's old school brawling. But like I said to each their own. I know you love Yakuza 5, I read the review as soon as it hit the website.
@SkanetWasTaken Yay! Glad I'm not the only one who really appreciated the moments of reflection in Life Is Strange. Such a special and unique game.
Only one game it that list would make my top 5 but I expected as much there's no right or wrong choice's just people's personal taste plus I suppose if your very busy you don't get time to put 75 to 200 hour's plus into a game.
I'd quite like to give Life Is Strange a go. I've heard nothing but good things about it.
Same for Bloodborne, although the horrific nature of the enemies and the grim world put me off.
Only thing I have from here is Rocket League, and having a hard time getting into it.
I would get Rapture for my bro since he likes Myst, but not spending that much as he quickly gets bored of games. Except Uncharted 3 mp. He adores that thing.
@xMEADx Which one would get in your list, man? Bloodborne?
@Quintumply I think you'd like Life Is Strange, Stephen - give it a go.
@sinalefa If he gets bored quickly, Rapture may not be the best choice. It's very slow.
Saying Bloodborne is your GOTY is just another way of saying you didn't complete Witcher 3 or Fallout 4.
Really like the fact you pointed out that Bloodbourne isn't this crazy hard-core experience but more so a game that just demands patience, demands it quite forcefully mind you I think too many people have been put off the souls games because of this perception and more people would "get it" if they approached them with patience in mind
@sub12 I didn't complete The Witcher or Fallout, but I'd be very surprised if I deemed either better than Bloodborne. Let's be very clear here: I love Bloodborne. I certainly don't think The Witcher comes anywhere close (for me) in the spell I have played it. The combat in Bloodborne is in a different stratosphere for starters.
As for Fallout 4, we'll see - very much looking forward to getting stuck in this Christmas.
@Hego Agreed. I think the marketing has done these games a disservice - they're difficult, but I didn't find myself getting too frustrated during Bloodborne, something I was expecting after hearing people chat about Dark Souls.
I was expecting Rocket League or Life is Strange to top your list. Actually kinda surprised Bloodborne gets gold.
Played 3 and own 1 unplayed in your top 5 (only missing Bloodborne) Crikey I'm indoctrinated.
@get2sammyb yes Bloodborne i'm only on the third boss in the expansion and 1st ng+ but there's so much to do, I spend most of my time in dungeon's trying to farm the best gem's for the handfull of the new weapon's I have. It's the sort of game you can come back to anytime and the expansion is so much better than the original game (that was to easy but pretty good), I can't wait to finish the game but I want to try and do it with the best gem's equipped first but they are only found in the dungeon's, plus it's hard finding the the time between playing Fallout and R6V
I have a love and hate relationship with Life Is Strange. I didn't like how it started or ended but enjoyed the in between.
Bloodborne was amazing, I'm hesitant to try Dark Souls 2 though.
A great list. Bloodborne is definitely my number 1 pick. The way that game is made is simply masterful. I hope there is a follow-up of sorts along the same gothic/Lovecraftian themes.
Even though sammy likes first person walkers the guy still knows whats good usually.
@sonicmeerkat Is that a back-handed compliment, I detect?
@get2sammyb Eh it's not like that you write well and your reviews criticism is based on aspects others can see for themselves, you just like things that I dislike.
@sonicmeerkat Haha, I know - just pulling your leg. I think reading through these lists really evidences how much variety there's been on PS4 this year. There's crossover for sure, but no one picked the same five games, and in fact, many people picked completely unique top fives, which is cool.
@get2sammyb I really loved everything about Life Is Strange, specially the ending. I discovered Foals and it became one of my favorite bands thanks to Life Is Strange. Such a special game and one of my favorites across all platforms.
I'm glad to see that Until Dawn is getting some end of the year love. It's definitely my personal favorite for the year. The whole thing felt like a celebration of the horror genre as a whole and it was an adrenaline rush from beginning to end. As a cheesy aside, keep up the great work guys. Here's looking to an amazing 2016 for the PlayStation faithful.
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