The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

So like last year I played a ton of games in 2016. By year end I'll have completed 80+ games. I have pretty varied tastes in games so hopefully you see something on this list you haven't heard about and decide to check out.

Here's a link to last year's list for anyone who forgot.

I thought I'd change it up a bit this year by starting with my 5 favorite non-2016 games I played through this year and I also will list my least favorite game of the year.

Top 5 Non-2016 Games I Played for the First Time in 2016:

5. The Banner Saga (PS4) **sidenote I'm listing the system I played it on

https://i.imgur.com/HFrFBZD.png
Originally released on PC in 2014

I'm not much of a PC gamer so even though I thought this game looked amazing when I first saw previews of it I held out until it was released on consoles and it didn't disappoint. Everything about the look of this game is top notch from the character designs to the animations. I suck at strategy RPG's so I just kind of brute forced myself through those sections of the game but where it really comes alive is the character choices and relationships you build up along your travels. You make hard choices which cost people in your camp their lives all throughout the journey. Whenever given a choice between good and evil in games I always play pure good and in this game that will get your camp wiped out quick.

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4. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA/Wii U)

https://i.imgur.com/VvwIv7i.png
Originally released in 2005 for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance

I've always considered myself a big Legend of Zelda fan but before this year the only games in the series that I've actually played through to the end were Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker so I rectified that by playing through two of them this year.

The Minish Cap holds up quite nicely playing in the same style as Link to the Past but adding a bunch of new gameplay additions. The big one being the ability to shrink down in size which allows you to access areas of the map that you can't at your normal size. They also added a fusion system where you find kinstones in the world that you can then fuse with NPC's in the towns to unlock treasure chests, secret areas, etc.

I see people complained about the short length back when it was released but it took me around 20 hours to complete everything (other then getting all the figurines which would have been a timesink) and I thought that was a solid length since I was never bored and it held my attention throughout my playthrough.

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3. Adventures of Pip (PS4)

https://i.imgur.com/JxaZtgf.png
Originally released on PC in 2015

Adventures of Pip was the first game I played in 2016 and it definitely would have been on my 2015 list if I had played it in time. It's a fantastic 2D platformer in the same vein as Shovel Knight and the Shantae series with the central mechanic being you start the game as a single pixel and then as you kill enemies you can change into an 8-bit version of Pip and then a 16-bit version. All three versions have different abilities so you'll be switching back and forth throughout the levels. It's got a nice retro art style and I highly recommend this for any platformer fans.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

2. The Talos Principle (PS4)

https://i.imgur.com/ZxkRaQW.png
Originally released on PC in 2014

The main drawing point on me buying this game was the fantastic cover. I saw some reviews and it looked interesting so when it went on sale last year I picked it up. I actually played this very shortly after finishing The Witness and it's crazy how similar these two games are. I'm a lot better at the puzzles in The Talos Principle and it wasn't until late game that I ran into some I had to cheat on. The puzzles are more Portal-esque than the grid based ones in The Witness but it's also the overarching narrative and the little bits of info you get from monitors and the narrator that really hooked me. Spoiler for my 2016 list that The Witness will be on it but playing Talos right after actually lowered my opinion of The Witness slightly because I think Talos improves on almost everything contained in The Witness and it came out a year earlier.

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1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U) (since this is a remaster I'm not counting it as a 2016 game)

https://i.imgur.com/lEGcb5J.png
Originally released on the Nintendo Wii & Nintendo Gamecube in 2006

I bought Twilight Princess at launch with my Wii and I only ever got maybe 2-3 hours in. I was almost immediately disappointed with the Wii controls in general so I sold my Wii within the first few months of owning it. So I didn't remember really anything about this game. I wasn't planning on picking this remaster up because the original is not that fondly remembered but I was looking for something to play on my Wii U so I gave it a shot.

This is the best remaster I've ever played (Wind Waker HD would be my #2). It looks like a brand new Zelda game. All the foggy/blurry Wii textures are gone and if I was shown this game without the wolf stuff and told it was a brand new Wii U Zelda I would have believed it and that's rare for a remaster of a 10 year old game. I know a lot of people dislike when you're in wolf form but when you get the ability to switch between freely it really opens up and Twilight Princess feels like a good evolution of the 3D Zelda formula with some great characters (Midna obivously being the best), a surprisingly dark plot and solid dungeons.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

I played Talos before The Witness and felt like it was trying to be the game that The Witness actually was. :lol: But most of that had to do with the puzzles being more fun in Witness than Talos, which were overly simplistic for much of the game.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

I really enjoyed your thread last year. Can't wait to see what else you recommend. :)
And I guess I should pick up Talos Principle. I was loving The Witness, but never finished it. I stopped playing it for a bit, and going back to it was... not as fun, because I was at a point where I had forgotten what some of the symbols meant. Some day, I might start from scratch...

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My Least Favorite Game of 2016:

That Dragon, Cancer (PC)

https://i.imgur.com/hxqJRGA.png

Let me start by saying the story behind this game is incredibly sad. It's an autobiographical game about a couple raising a child who is diagnosed with cancer at 1 and eventually passes away at 5. With that out of the way this game is fucking terrible. I have never been more baffled by the critical reaction to a game then this one. Story driven indie games are my wheel house and this is probably the worst one I've ever played. The actual gameplay is clumsy and amateurish. The art style isn't a good fit for the story. I never saw any review mention this but about halfway in it doubles down on the religious tones where I felt like I was playing some sort of Christian church sponsored video game. But the worst part is the crying child. If you thought Baby Mario falling off Yoshi in Yoshi's Island was the most annoying crying baby in a videogame wait till you play That Dragon, Cancer.

Now normally if I'm not enjoying a game I'll stop playing it but this one is only 2-3 hours long and I kept hoping to understand the love for it but it did absolutely nothing for me.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

Pretty sure I played Life is Strange because of your thread last year Questyen. Best game I've played in a LONG time. I'm looking forward to seeing if you have a similar gem this year.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

Add me to list of people who really appreciated last year's list :thumbsup: Even though I struggle to find the time to play all of the things that look good. Though it's particularly helpful to me to see strong recommendations of indie titles that I never heard of, aren't too expensive, and don't require a huge time investment.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

Thanks everyone. It was a fantastic year for both AAA and indie games and I'm pretty happy with how my list turned out.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

Looking forward to your list. Hoping for less Walking Simulators this year, but resigned to the likelihood of a glut of them....

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

I had two games last year you could put in that category. I hardly call that a glut.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

I picked up S.O.M.A and Life is Strange based on your list. Now I just need to find the time to play them :lol:

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

Oh sure guys, ignore people like Dan and myself who raved about Life is Strange all of last year :(

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

Yeah, it was Dan who told me about Life is Strange. I really liked it, but still think some of you all over-rated the game. It was well acted and involving, but with less real choice and outcome (and, let's face it, gameplay) than a Telltale Walking Dead game.

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That's funny, I thought the complete opposite - the choices mattered more and it had much more engaging gameplay then a Telltale game - so much so that it kind of made me bored of the Telltale formula.

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right?? I was hooked from day-fucking-one on that game.

And Decker... no YOU!

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Absolutely. Just because the end

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

Exactly my feelings.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

Thanks! Adventures of Pip and The Talos Principle both sound like games that are right up my alley and I had never heard of either one.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

Dan, I don't want to argue the position against a game that I really enjoyed, but regarding that ending

Like I said, I really enjoyed the game. Just thought it was a little over-praised.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

Off we go!

20. SteamWorld Heist (PS4)

https://i.imgur.com/MUPzPnU.png
released on 3DS in Dec 2015 but didn't hit consoles/PC until 2016

I was a big fan of SteamWorld Dig so I was super excited when I heard they were making a sequel. All that excitement went away when I saw they were changing the format to a turn based strategy game. Once it got closer to release though and I watched some videos of it I decided I would give it a shot and while I still greatly prefer Dig the sequel is a fun game in its own right. The cast of characters that join your crew are all given distinct personalities and have interesting quirks and dialogue. The missions are for the most part varied and during the later parts used quite a bit of strategy in figuring the best party to bring to maximize effectiveness. I also highly recommend the small DLC pack (The Outsider) which adds one of my favorite characters and one of the most intriguing plot lines.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

I was impressed that this traffic was getting so much action, but most of it was for Life Is Strange. ;)

I find the actual Questyen entries interesting, though.

Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2016
 

19. Pony Island (PC)

https://i.imgur.com/A9RPG4P.png

Pony Island is one of those games that the less you know about it before hand the better. It starts with you playing an old arcade game called "Pony Island" and then you find out it's possessed by a demon. It then turns into all kinds of "Too Many Cooks" level weirdness and metafiction.

It's only $5 on steam and will take you 2-3 hours to play. If you are open to bizarre videogames give it a go!