It's time once again for the indomitable staff here at Push Square to share their own personal Game of the Year picks. Every year, we herd our writers together and force them to spill their opinions on their five favourite games of the last 12 months. Usually, this involves poking them with a stick until they come clean. Below, you'll find the personal PlayStation picks of reviewer Ken Talbot.
Fifth Choice: Street Fighter V
This took a long time to worm its way into my affections. A mere skeleton of a game on release, it was months before the slow trickle of content became a steady flow of additional fighters and a truly bonkers story mode. Still the best all-rounder in the fighting business; just a shame that this instalment left a lot of casual fans wanting.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
Fourth Choice: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
The story is ham-fisted, fails to engage, and ends abruptly - but what makes Eidos Montreal's amber-hued future noir shine isn't the writing. Precision stealth mechanics combined with the welcome excision of frustrating boss encounters combine to create a worthy sequel, and it has gorgeous environmental design to boot.
Third Choice: Titanfall 2
The multiplayer is bigger and better than before, but it's the solo game that really blew me away. Developer Respawn met the campaign criticisms of the first game with one of the most innovative and exciting single player experiences since the Modern Warfare days.
Second Choice: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
I am so emotionally invested in Naughty Dog's characters by now that this ranking high on my yearly list was inevitable. The gameplay is largely unchanged, and aside from a fresh lick of (admittedly astonishing) paint, it's the same old Drake. It remains to be seen whether this is the final mainline title in the series, but it feels like a fitting swansong to one of the greatest action adventure series in gaming.
First Choice: Final Fantasy XV
It released in the second last month of the year, but it made it right to the top of the list. I was hooked and reeled in by that beautifully understated opening, and have enjoyed a few dozen hours in Final Fantasy XV's idiosyncratic world. Goofy as hell in places, it carries with it the legacy of its predecessors and also the myriad influences of other releases across a lengthy development cycle. The adventures of Noctis and his crew are a triumphant return to form for the series, and my personal favourite game of the year.
What do you think of Ken's personal picks? Are there any games on this list that would make it into your own top five? Spill your own opinions in the comments section below.
Comments 7
Great list, Ken. I'm definitely hooked on Final Fantasy XV, too.
So far, this is the list closest to me. Exact ordering too if you replaced titanfall and deus ex with ratchet and clank in third and um...stardew valley in 4th 😂
FFXV is my game of the year. Nice to see Street Fighter V on there too ...
Good picks - overall I was kinda disappointed with Deus Ex (Loved HR). I played it in the summer and don't remember a thing about the story :/ Still, was fun.
Decent list. Nice to see FFXV and Titanfall 2 get recognition.
@get2sammyb
Ha... Final Fantasy XV will be your RPG gateway drug. They lure you in with the nice modern open world and real time combat... then before you know it your open world becomes linear half way through, your dirty real time combat is purged and cleansed through wait mode, and by the time you're done you've transfigured into something else entirely....
Another Ramsey.
@JaxonH I enjoy RPGs just don't really have time for them really. I always try to play one every Christmas, though.
Boss list again. FF15 FTW! I'm actually reading this list whilst waiting for it to load.
Tap here to load 7 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...