- Sniper Elite 5: For my money the Sniper Elite series continue to be one of the most underappreciated franchises out there. I love the stealthy sandboxy gameplay, how it rewards you for being patient, and the fact that it’s one of the few series that continues to allow you to play through the campaign in co-op mode. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s beautiful to look at, or as I wrote back in July:
Just started the last mission, Rubble and Ruin, and let me just say, this level is breathtaking. Just the ambiance created by the smoke, darkness, bombed out buildings, and atmospheric music is enough to make you realize you’re playing something special.
But then when you reach the trees on fire, with glowing embers blowing in the wind… Hands down the most beautiful game I’ve played this year.
After spending 72 hours completing the campaign in single player, and another dozen messing around in co-op, I don’t hesitate even a little bit in declaring this my Game of the Year.
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Return to Monkey Island: This is a fantastic return to form for this series. I loved every minute of it. It’s basically a case study in the perfect way to pull off a satisfying legasequel. By doing some fanservice to longtime players, and keeping the mood and feel the same as the originals, but also by creating a new engaging story with some gameplay innovations thrown in for good measure. Excellent stuff.
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Tinykin: Puzzle platforming done right. The only game this year I got 1000 achievement points in, even though some of them are a bit grindy. It’s just so much fun that the grind didn’t matter.
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Norco
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Pentiment
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Deathloop
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High on Life
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Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
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Tunic
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Immortality
Ongoing:
- No Man’s Sky