Brand loyalty. It's a big deal and a huge crutch for businesses all over the world. In gaming, we associate series' with past accomplishments which plays on our nostalgia each time a new iteration of our favorite game comes out. Unfortunately, reality is not the same as nostalgia and just because one company makes one great game in a given series doesn't mean every game they make after that will retain that same level of quality.
The point of this guide is to point you in the direction of top notch games that anybody for an eye for quality can appreciate.
Bloodborne
Platform: PS4
Rating: 4.5/5 (1,045 Customer Reviews, 92 Metascore)
Buy: Amazon
Price: $29.99
Bloodborne initially released as a PS4 exclusive back in March of this year to widespread critical acclaim. Inspired by the Souls' series, Bloodborne builds on the successful foundation laid down by its predecessors, and tweaks it in a way that rewards offense and careful aggression. The game's DLC package, The Old Hunters, was later revealed at the Tokyo Game Show and will be packaged with a Game of the Year Edition starting November 27.
Bloodborne is currently one of five candidates for Game of the Year at the Game Awards this year, so if you are looking for a game that embodies death and insanity while maintaining a high level of quality, you can't go wrong with Bloodborne.
Divinity: Original Sin: Enhanced Edition
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4
Rating: 4.5/5 (19 Customer Reviews, 89 Metascore)
Buy: Amazon
Price: $59.99
Divinity: Original Sin started as a Kickstarted PC exclusive that released back in 2014. This year, it made its way to consoles in the form of Divinity: Original Sin: Enhanced Edition that seamlessly translated the keyboard and mouse controls to work with game pads. PC players were automatically upgraded to the Enhanced Edition via a free upgrade.
Divinity: Original Sin is role-playing personified, targeting fans of old school RPG's. The game throws you into world of near limitless customization with combat that forces you to carefully consider your options before executing them. Divinity: Original Sin demands your time as it is quite a meaty experience, but if you are a fan of the genre, you are doing yourself a disservice by missing out on this game.
Fallout 4
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4
Rating: 3/5 (180 Customer Reviews, 85 metascore)
Buy: Amazon
Price: $59.99
Fallout 4 is a post-apocalyptic wanderer's dream world. It's filled with danger to face, dilapidated dungeons to dive into, loads of customization options, and amazing community driven mod content. Fallout 4 is a true evolution of Fallout 3 in nearly every sense of the word, and fans of the series will not be disappointed.
Fallout 4 is another one of the Game Award's five contenders for Game of the Year, and if history is any indication, Fallout 4 has a pretty good chance at taking the title.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Rating: 4.5/5 (599 Customer Reviews, 93 metascore)
Buy: Amazon
Price: $59.99
By now, everyone knows about the Konami/Hideo Kojima drama but what's actually important is the game the two sides came together to make a reality. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the definition of open world stealth and has pushed its genre further than any game released this year. Sure the story may not make a lick of sense most of the time, but if you can find a way to get on its wavelength, you're in for a treat.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is currently one of the favorites to win Game of the Year and is a culmination of quality game design and cinematic prowess that has grown and evolved over time as a series that has always been at the forefront of both.
Ori and the Blind Forest
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
Rating: 4.5/5 (50 Customer Reviews, 88 metascore)
Buy: Amazon
Price: $19.99
Ori and the Blind Forest is meatier than it appears on the surface. What looks like a relaxing adventure is actually a demanding, Metroid-vania platformer that expects its players to be skillful and attentive. It's art style and soundtrack are also top notch, and the game has been nominated for Best Independent Game this year at The Game Awards.
StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void
Platforms: PC, Mac
Rating: 4.5/5 (24 Customer Reviews, 88 metascore)
Buy: Amazon
Price: $39.99
StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void is the last entry in the StarCraft II trilogy and ends the overarching StarCraft narrative that began with the original game back in 1998. Legacy of the Void's campaign focuses on the Protoss race and their leader, Artanis, as they battle to defeat an ancient evil that threatens the existence of life in the universe. It's an epic conclusion that will help to keep StarCraft II relevant to Strategy gamers for years to come.
Super Mario Maker
Platform: Wii U
Rating: 4.5/5 (400 Customer Reviews, 88 metascore)
Buy: Amazon
Price: $59.99
Super Mario Maker appeals two types of gamers, those looking to create, and those looking for the most bang for their buck. Long time Nintendo fans finally have a platform to lay down all of the creations they have had in their head for the last 20 years and the with the shear amount of community driven content there is, the game will keep you busy for a long time to come.
Super Mario Maker is another nominee for the Game of the Year award, and is undoubtedly the best game to come out on Wii U this year.
The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition
Platform: PS4
Rating: 4/5 (8 Customer Reviews, 88 metascore)
Buy: Amazon
Price: $49.99
The Talos Principle snuck in the back door of 2014 as a PC exclusive (which can be found on Steam) but was re-released in a Deluxe Edition exclusively for PlayStation 4 that also included the game's DLC, Road to Gehenna. The Talos Principle is a brain-busting first-person puzzle game with a unique narrative that ponders the notion of existence. The Deluxe Edition is the best value you can get for the game and a real find for that PlayStation gamer than seemingly has every game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4
Rating: 4.5/5 (605 Customer Reviews, 93 metascore)
Buy: Amazon
Price: $49.99
The best may very well have been saved for last. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the ultimate Witcher experience; a dream come true for series fans and a testament of incredible world building and exploration. To say the game is huge would be an understatement. Wild Hunt comes packed with 150 hours of content plus 16 free pieces of DLC, among a number of other goodies if you buy a physical copy of the game. There's currently an expansion, Hearts of Stone, that adds on at least another 10 hours that you can buy for $10. There is also another one, Blood and Wine coming Q1 2016, that is due to add another 20 hours.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is currently the favorite to land the award for Game of the Year at the Game Awards, and is nominated for a number of other categories. Whether you are buying for yourself or someone else, Wild Hunt deserves a spot in any gamer's library.
And those are the games that will make you look good this holiday season. Are there any I missed? Let us know in the comments below and Happy Holidays to you all!
Published: Nov 20, 2015 02:43 pm