Top 10 Favorite Video Games of 2018

Wow. What a year for games. That's all I can say. I struggled.... struggled with this list and I'm still not sure I have them in the right order (it varies depending on what mind frame you catch me in), but this is what I'm going with. For now.

This isn’t intended to be an end-all be-all list of the best games that came out in 2018, so please don’t take my omission of (insert your personal favorite game of 2018 here) as a personal insult. This is just a list of my favorite games I’ve played this year. I know I missed some great ones on a variety of consoles, but since I didn’t get a chance to play everything that was released, I can only go from what I experienced.

But that’s a great problem to have.

I couldn’t be happier that there are a ton of games out there my friends raved about that I didn’t get to or have the chance to play. I’m not angry that people fell in love with Celeste or Super Smash Brothers, two games that I didn’t get to play but have dear friends raving about them non-stop. There are so many games out there, enough to drive everyone to their own personal state of fandom, and I love it.

That being said, I did wanna give props where props are due. Games gave me hundreds of hours of enjoyment this year, telling incredible stories, providing me with endless belly laughs, and - as opposed to the image of a gamer holed up in a dark room alone, covered in a layer of Cheet-O dust and reeling from a Mountain Dew Red hangover - the chance to get together and reconnect with friends in ways that movies, TV, book clubs, bowling nights and board games didn’t.

To those of you who worked in the gaming industry this year, regardless of the part you played… Thank you. Just… thank you.

Thanks especially to…

#10 THE WALKING DEAD: THE FINAL SEASON (Episodes 1 & 2)

Well… this title couldn’t have been any more fitting, huh? Or is it? What was one of the most-anticipated releases of the year was overshadowed by the company that made the game going under after two of the four episodes were released. The shock and heartbreak of the announcement only mirrored emotions felt in the game. Telltale always excelled at keeping you on the edge of your seat while telling a gripping story, and this time around was no exception.

I connected with some characters. I refused to console others because I was so mad at them. I was angered when some of my favorites got hurt, happy when those I loathed followed suit, and talked to the screen when I saw choices being made that I knew wouldn’t bode well for anyone. All of this was possible, of course, because Telltale told a story that drew me in and made me try my darndest to make everything turn out OK.

Yes, news has since broken of another studio picking up the pieces and releasing the final chapters but this still felt like an ending. An ending that was too abrupt. An ending that took me out of the game and made me wonder and concerned for those working hard (too hard, it turned out) behind the scenes to keep people entertained. Telltale, you brought us some amazing stories over the years, and yes...we will remember that.

#9 MOSS

I never “got” VR until I tried it for myself. There’s such a huge difference between the experience you get playing on a screen and playing inside the VR headset, I’ve given up on trying to explain it. I can’t. I just can’t. And Moss is a perfect example.

I watched the trailer on the PS Store and thought, “Maybe one day,” but I heard such great things about the game, I decided to give it a whirl. And man… the internet did not lead me wrong on this one.

Once you’re inside the beautiful storybook world that is Moss, you’ll never look at platform puzzlers the same way again. The game is available in the standard non-VR format but I think you'd be missing out on the true experience of the game. Yes, the puzzles are clever and fun and the fairy tale story is a real page-turner (literally) but I can't imagine being in this world without really being in this world. The stakes are raised when you're standing right next to everything that's happening in a way that's truly unique to the format. I've re-visited many times since finishing the game and I'm already eager to return again.

#8 FORZA HORIZON 4

Besides Mario Kart, racing games aren't really my thing. Unless they're in the Forza Horizon series. As it turns out, I'm kind of an FH fanatic and when each new one releases, I go nuts like a greedy kid who's just returned home from a killer night  trick-or-treating. Screw saving this candy and making it last.... IMMA EAT IT ALL TONIGHT.  And that's exactly what I did.

This game dropped and I in turn dropped everything else. Sorry, Overwatch (you knew I'd be back though, didn't you? And I indeed returned, didn't I? See? We good?), but for a few weeks, I lived and breathed my souped-up VW bug with the classic Herbie custom paint job. And when I wasn't seeking out Bonus Boards to smash or scouring the countryside for hidden barns or racing against my pals - and their Drivatars -  online, I was farming for experience points by keeping a tab open on my web browser 24/7 watching Mixer streams of the game.

I initially scoffed at the idea of seasons in the game but once I experienced them - and the new Free-For-All Forzathon events, I couldn't get enough. And to make it all the better, I'm a Game Pass subscriber and it wasn't until I got to play this game for free (well, not free, since Game Pass isn't free, but you know what I mean) that I truly understood the powerful value of the Xbox offering. A win on so many levels.

#7 DEAD CELLS

Dead Cells is a game I shouldn't have liked. It has everything that I usually shy away from. Side-scrollers? Nah, not really my thing anymore. I don't have the dexterity to maneuver like I should. Retro game visuals? Again, no thanks. I lived through it the first time around, I'm completely happy with the incredible visuals that come with games like Detroit: Become Human or Red Dead Redemption 2, thank you very much. Dying starts you over from the very beginning? NO. WAY.

So why did I try it out? I'll be honest with you. My friend Jared recommended it. I like Jared. Jared and I play Overwatch together on a fairly regular basis and we have similar tastes in games. So when he told me I should give it a shot, knowing my reservations going into it, I trusted him.

And Jared was right.

And now it's #7 on my Top 10 list.

Boy, was Jared right.

I loved this game. It was nothing like I expected and with each venture into the game I found myself slightly better equipped, slightly more skilled, and even hatching somewhat of a plan of attack. Death comes fast and easy in the game, but although you re-start at the start with each resurrection, you're not exactly starting from scratch and so you venture in again slightly bolder...slightly tentative...and definitely more determined.

Dead Cells is the Lay's potato chips of games, because you can't try just one. This is an "OK, for real, this time is my last time" game, and of course it never is. Addictive. Exciting. Compelling. There is nothing dead about these cells at all.

#6 JACKBOX PARTY PACK 5

I mean....there's no way Jackbox Games is gonna release a party pack and it won't show up on my yearly top ten list. You know that already, right?

This time, however.... this time they've really outdone themselves. I'll go out on a limb and say JPP5 may very well be their best, most-solid party pack to date. Maybe I'm a bit biased, as You Don't Know Jack is one of my favorite games of all time, and I danced like Dilly O'Drien trying to shake termites when I learned a new iteration of the game would be included. They did not disappoint, re-configuring favorites like Dis or Dat and the Jack Attack to accommodate streamers in the cleverest of ways.

Split the Room tackles the nostalgia of The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents by inviting players to create a number of situations that are so difficult to choose a path, the answers literally split the room. Huge props to Tim Sniffen, the voice of the feline host, whose nonchalant I'd-Rather-Be-Doing-Anything-Else-Besides-Hosting delivery is hilarious perfection.

Patently Stupid asks players to come up with a series of problems and then, in true Get Rich Quick Seminar style, asks you to find an AMAZING solution and present it to the group. The first time I watched this game being played, I didn't know how well it would translate to online play, but my fears were quelled the first time around.

Zeeple Dome is the only game in the bunch that is not suited for online play (the lag in your Twitch stream will kill it) but that doesn't take away from the fun you can have with the friends who won't leave your couch. Fast-paced and frenetic, it's a game that will have everyone screaming so loudly, the cat won't stop glaring at you for the following week.

And then, of course, comes fan favorite, Mad Verse City. Somewhere between Mad Libs and improv games comes this musical rhyming battle that is without a doubt one of the funniest things I've seen in a while (funny friends with the ability to rhyme not included). Some people may scoff at first ("I can't rap!") but have no fear. Once they grab the mic, they're usually the last one to wanna put it back down.

Kudos to the amazing Jackbox writers and the genius mind of Andy Poland (who created all of the music) on a game really really well done.

#5 GOD OF WAR

OK...now things are getting tough. I can already hear the groans when people see that God of War isn't even in my top three of the year and trust me...I totally understand. This game was amazing. AMAZING. It was epic. It was intense. It was beautiful. It was wonderfully crafted, superbly acted, and wonderfully directed. And it's only #5 on my list this year. THAT is how good 2018 was, folks.

This game was my first experience in the series and because of that, I was a bit concerned I'd be lost. Yes, there's some backstory you could read up on before jumping in (which I did), but even with the nods and callbacks to previous installments, there's no need to worry about being in over your head. This is a story told so well and an experience so wonderfully captivating, knowing the details is just gravy.

Despite where it lands on this list, God of War contains my very favorite gaming moment of 2018. Early on in the game you meet and fight a character named Baldur. That by itself doesn't sound like much, but what a meeting. What a fight. What a finish to a fight. And then what a continuation of the fight. It's incredible and even though I struggled to make it through to the end (my biggest beef with the game was how difficult I found it at times which is my own fault. See... I'm not very good at games and my pride refuses to let me play on easy mode so I only have myself to blame), I was smiling and laughing and continuously being wow-ed with every punch taken, every tree smashed, and every rock split. It's a first encounter I won't soon forget.

#4 BEAT SABER

And now for something completely different.

I'd been waiting for Beat Saber to come to PSVR ever since I saw the first clip of it on YouTube and was immediately jealous that those pesky PC kids had a cool toy that I wanted but...just.. couldn't... have.

And then the heavens parted, the game was bestowed upon us, and it was good. 

You don't understand how good it was. 

I've always been a fan of rhythm games but this was like nothing I'd experienced before. Not only does the VR aspect add a new dimension to the proceedings (quite literally), but the original music is nothing to be scoffed at and each song could find airtime in mainstream radio. 

Because this isn't a dancing game, it immediately removes the "moving like a white guy" stigma that caused a lot of my friends to shy away from games like Just Dance and there are no "my fingers can't do that" excuses that deterred friends from wanting to give Guitar Hero a go. 

Anyone can swing a saber (and who doesn't want to?) and this has quickly become a favorite among guests in the Placencia household. With a variety of difficulty levels and modifications to choose from, there's something here for everyone, and a combination of local and online leader boards give you something to brag about - or shoot for - when no one else is around.

#3 RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2

Yes, this game is as huge as you've heard. Some have turned that into a complaint but I've never been one to moan about too much of a good thing. You wanna give me 16 pounds of chocolate mousse? I'll take it. Of course, I won't eat it all in one sitting, and I shouldn't. But that's what a fridge is for and I'll come back to it day after day after day after day until it's gone.

And yes, I just compared Red Dead Redemption 2 to too much chocolate mousse (in a good way).

This game isn't intended to be finished in an afternoon or a weekend or even a week. RDR2 is like a classic Western with a slow burn. You're meant to take your time. Savor it. Think about it. Ponder it. And yes, then shoot a bunch of dudes in the head.

The story is good, the characters fleshed out nicely (Good Heavens, I loved hating Micah) and the performances...man the performances. Kudos to the actors, animators, and directors that elevated the words given to them to the next level. The pauses. The stutters. The frustration. The quick sideways glances that said more than a monologue could.

And the ending. The ending I knew was coming and prolonged for as long as I could. The ending that was nothing less than beautiful. Beautifully animated. Beautifully written. Beautifully performed. Resonant. Heartbreaking. Beautiful.

But there's still more to do. Much...much...much more to do. Don't complain because the game is so big and you don't have much gaming time. That's a horrible reason to be critical. Be happy that you have something this good to return to for weeks and weeks and weeks to come.

#2 DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN

For the majority of 2018, Detroit: Become Human was my GOTY. The animation was incredible; like none I'd ever seen. The acting was second to none (Whenever Clancy Brown makes an appearance, I know I'm in for a heck of a time. And Lance Henriksen? Oh man!) But at the end of the day, what got this self-professed lover of story was the writing.

Detroit doesn't just offer you one story but one of a seemingly bajillion possible stories. I've replayed this game countless times and there are still threads that have yet to be tugged upon, outcomes that have yet to be played, and scenarios that have gone unseen.

At the end of each chapter, after you finish playing as one of the three main characters, you're presented with a flowchart of your choices. What leaves you confounded is not where your decisions left you, but where they could have taken you. I found myself flabbergasted at the number of possible outcomes and as I returned to the game and made alternate decisions, couldn't wrap my head around how in the world the writing team managed to juggle so many balls and keep them from dropping to the ground.

The stakes are high in this game, and if you accidentally kill a character off too early, there are moments, scenes, and even chapters that can go missed. The scope of this game is massive, much more so than one may realize even after playing through for the first time. It's when you pick it up again and unlock an entirely new scene that you truly begin to grasp how deep it all goes. The Butterfly Effect is in full swing here, and you never know what slightest variable will affect something that takes place six chapters down the road.

It's a wonderful feat in storytelling and I picture the writer's room looking much like a detective's office one might find in the game: Post-It notes, photos, white board scribbles and yards of string connecting them all in a massive spider web. Just...wow.

And hey, speaking of spider webs...

#1 MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN

I mean... come on.

From the opening scene when you sling on your web for the first time, how can you not feel your heart race, your palms get sweaty, and utter out loud to no one, "Ohhhh man!" It - and the rest of the game - is a rush like I haven't experienced in a long, long time.

Everything just clicked. There were surprises (Oh wait, you don't play only as Spider-Man?), laughs (a special nod to Darin De Paul as the voice of J. Jonah Jameson, whose broadcasts kept me smirking as I swung from one end of Manhattan to the next), and twists (Oh snap...they're gonna go THERE with the story?). 

This game had it all. Puzzles (I was so genuinely happy to discover there were puzzles!), hidden objects (Sorry, Citizens in Peril, but I'll be right with you. I have backpacks to collect), characters I knew (I hated how fond I grew of Doctor Octavius, knowing whom he would eventually become), and of course, fighting. Can we just talk for a sec about how good the fighting felt? Yes, the controls were a lot to take in and it took me a while to get the training wheels kicked off but once I did... man, it felt good. Bring on the Saber goons with their little jet packs and the Demons with their little glow sticks. I. Got this. And those finishing moves? The combination of a triangle and circle never felt so glorious. 

But once again, as I am want to do, I boil it down to the writing and storytelling. In Red Dead I felt the acting out-performed the writing and Detroit was the opposite, but with Spider-Man everything was firing on all cylinders. I read an article in Entertainment Weekly that called this game the best Spider-Man movie to have been released and I've since stolen and repeated that line numerous times in sharing my description of the game with others. The attention to detail was impressive, from the design of Manhattan (I admit I tracked down the actual address of my apartment from when I lived in the city) to the articles, clippings, and journals I don't usually read in games but this time marveled (haha) in the way they added more depth to the story and character motivations.

The highs were high and the lows were low and I loved every moment of it. I felt every punch, every betrayal, and every yearning to make everything turn out as good as possible for everyone. I wasn't playing a game. I wasn't playing as Spider-Man. Insomniac did exactly what they had set out to do because you guys... I was Spider-Man.

Top 10 Video Games of 2017

Well, it's that time of year again. Time for me to look back at the games I played over the last year and try to whittle them down to the 10 that stood out to me the most. As is my usual MO, I'll begin by stressing that these are my personal favorites of the year. I'm not saying I'm right. I'm not saying you're wrong. You may agree. You may disagree. I'm just here to give props to the people who put in some incredible work to entertain my dorky self. 

This year was a little tougher for me when it came to choosing 10 because a lot of my gaming time was spent on games that didn't come out in 2017 (and, according to the rules I have set for myself, disqualifies them from appearing on the final list). Not only did I spend time re-visiting some of my favorites from years past (The Wolf Among Us), I also invested a large number of hours in games I haven't been able to put down since first picking them up (Overwatch, LEGO Dimensions).

Before I begin the list, I'd like to give props to the games that almost made it into the Top 10. Sniper Elite 4 was just as much head-asplodin' fun as I hoped it would be, Persona 5 probably would have made it if I'd been able to finish it (I forgot to mention that even though I love video games, I'm not very good at them), LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 is the massive sandbox I'd heard it was going to be (in a good way), and even though I didn't play the first one The Evil Within 2 still drew me in and kept me on the edge of my seat.

NOTE: Although my list is numbered, it's not in a specific order, but is instead an attempt to keep my jumbled thoughts organized. If it's on the list, it's a favorite, and #10 comes just as highly recommended as #1. So yeah. Just get 'em all and you'll be good.

OK, here we go...

10. WHAT REMAINS OF EDITH FINCH

If you know me, you know how important storytelling is, and if you played What Remains of Edith Finch, then you know why it's on the list. More than just the heart-breaking analysis of the Finch family tree, this game stands out for how the story unfolds.

Told in a non-linear style that makes the player fill in the gaps and put the pieces together on their own, it's a smart game that refuses to spoon feed. The writers are particularly skilled at creating suspense by allowing the story to unfold exactly how you expect one moment (that moment on the swing!), how you least expect the next, and then letting you think you know how it's going to unfold (I was convinced I was going to slice off my hand in the fish cannery) and letting you dangle in excruciating anticipation.

Special kudos goes out to the talented Valerie Rose Lohman who voices the main character in a wonderful performance that very easily could have veered into the melodramatic but instead balances out the fantastic with realism, grounding it all and adding a sorrowful truthfulness to the proceedings.

9. THE WALKING DEAD: A NEW FRONTIER

Considering how long Telltale Games has been cranking out titles in The Walking Dead franchise, there's really no excuse for the stories to have remained as good as they are. The series doesn't seem to be getting the buzz it once did, but that's through no fault of the storytellers. The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is another stellar addition to the collection and the writers continue to hammer out compelling stories that do exactly what the cliffhanger ending of each episode is supposed to do: Leave your palms sweating at what just transpired and eager to get to the next chapter.

In A New Frontier we're introduced to Javier and his family, a new set of characters that struggles with the line between right and wrong and explores what happens when loved ones end up on opposite sides.  

I was especially impressed with the writing staff in this go-around because nothing is sacred. The heroine Clementine, whom we've grown to know and love throughout each iteration, is growing up and her choices aren't always the most heroic. I love that she does things I don't agree with and there's something oddly commendable about her good guy white hat gradually becoming grayer and grayer.

8. SOUTH PARK: PHONE DESTROYER

I've tried Gwent. I've tried Hearthstone. I've never been able to connect to a card playing, PVP game much to the chagrin of my card-playing, PVP game-loving friends.

I thought nothing could distract me from my other mobile game staples like Ballz, Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff, and The Simpsons: Tapped Out...but then along came ManBearPig and company and I. Am. Hooked. 

South Park: Phone Destroyer, to me at least, doesn't seem incredibly different from its competitors on paper, but once you add these so-wrong-they're-hilarious Coloradans into the equation, you have my attention.

Yes, there was a bit of a learning curve, mostly because this isn't the genre of game I excel at, but my enjoyment helped me stick with it, despite one four-hour stretch early on where I didn't win a single PVP match. Normally I would declare enough is enough and set the game aside but this time around was different. I finally figured out what I needed to be doing, regrouped, and came back a bit stronger and wiser. I still lose a good percentage of the time, but I'm having way too much fun while I'm losing to care.

7. DISHONORED: DEATH OF THE OUTSIDER

Speaking of not being very good at games, I'm horrible at stealth games. Like really, really bad. I can sneak up on a guy and choke him out and feel all successful and ninja-y for a few seconds, but eventually it's all going to go horribly wrong, usually sooner rather than later. I push a wrong button, I get spotted and panic, and before you know it, it's a free-for-all. Swords are swinging, guns are firing at nothing, and I'm sprinting headfirst into walls.

Because of that reason, I really shouldn't have enjoyed Dishonored: Death of the Outsider as much as I did. Sure, you can go in guns blazing if you'd like, but as bad as I am at stealth, I'm even worse at handling blazing guns. This game is so much fun, though, even trying to be stealthy is a heck of a good time. No matter how slowly I crept, how much time I spent planning an exit strategy, I knew it would go sour and I also knew I'd be failing with a big stupid grin on my face.

I've enjoyed each installment in the Dishonored series and once again Bethesda managed to one-up themselves. Introducing some clever and fun mechanics into the gameplay I was already familiar with injected the entire experience with a shot of adrenaline and kept me on my toes. With a huge variety of secrets and challenges to find and play through on each level, there's plenty of replay value to be had. And trust me, it will be had.

Top 10 Video Games of 2016

Looking over my list of my favorite video games of 2016, one thing is clear: It's been a great year for storytelling.

I'm so glad voice actors garnered some long-overdue time in the spotlight and kudos to those supporting them by using #PerformanceMatters in their social media posts. Because I'm drawn more to story-driven material, it goes without saying that my list would be very different without the talents of some incredible actors behind the mic (except for a couple, but we'll get to that later). 

As important as I believe it is to continue to shine a light on the #PerformanceMatters movement, I definitely don't want to take away from the rest of the team who toiled hard behind the scenes to bring us a lot of really incredible moments in gaming: Directors, artists, writers, developers...everyone whose name is included in the final scroll of the end credits. 

Choosing my ten favorite games of the year was actually a fairly easy task. The ones that stood out to me really stood out (apologies to Far Cry Primal, an amazing game that just narrowly got edged out), but as far as ranking them from best to worst...I don't wanna do that. They're all incredible works and all of them deserve a place on your shelf/hard drive. That being said, I'll be listing them not in order of least-favorite to favorite but instead very simply the order in which I played them. Also note I'll only be including games that were released in 2016 (you know...since it's the Top 10 of 2016).

OXENFREE

I went into Oxenfree not really knowing what to expect, and I believe that's the absolute best way to go into it. If Telltale gave birth to the Duffer Brothers, they may have made a game like this (Yes, I'm aware a video game company can't give birth to humans. Work with me).

A well-written script is brought to life by an outstanding cast of voice actors (prepare to hear that phrase a lot as you read through this list) and you can't help be drawn in as you join the motley crew of explorers as they try to figure out just what in the world is happening.

A mysterious island. Secret experiments. LOST-like hints that take their wonderful time revealing to what it is they're pointing. What are we dealing with here? Aliens? Ghosts? Science gone wrong? Never have I enjoyed being so confused so much.

UNRAVEL

The first of two games I alluded to in my intro that managed to move me without a single word being spoken aloud, I'm not ashamed to admit Unravel gave me more warm fuzzies than a bucket of cute kittens watching YouTube videos of even cuter kittens. You wouldn't know it from my super-tough exterior (I'm writing this smack in the middle of No-Shave November, and my beard has given me an overblown dose of machismo), but I can be a pretty sentimental guy and this one got me right in the gut.

Beautifully animated, the adventures of Yarny are a gorgeous metaphor for the memories we hold dear and how easily they can, well... unravel with age. Each level is a quest for a memento that triggers thoughts of an earlier, simpler time, slowly filling the empty pages of a photo album as we go. The visuals of the game are presented in a filter that encapsulates nostalgia in a way that would make Instagram jealous.

Simply put, it's wonderful. Prepare to say "Awwww." A lot.

THE WALKNG DEAD: MICHONNE

There's a reason TellTale games keep popping up on my end-of-year lists: Plain and simple, they make really good games. 

Although I've been quite vocal about finally giving up on the TV show that's certainly not the case when it comes to The Walking Dead series put out by what I consider to be the Pixar of video game studios and The Walking Dead: Michonne did not disappoint.

TellTale has an amazing group of voice actors they - for good reason - continue to invite back to the party and this time around is no different. Director Kent Mudle perfectly blends the talents made available to his hands and he manipulates them with impressive dexterity, much like a puppeteer making an impossibly-complicated marionette spring to live with a natural ease.

As in the source material, what poses the highest threat of danger isn't the legions of undead lumbering through the landscape, but those still alive trying their darndest to stay that way. Cissy Jones steps behind the mic to breathe life into Norma, one of the baddest baddies you'll love to hate, and she seems more than eager to dole out the consequences coming your way based on choices you make.

If you only know Michonne from the television show, you'll be pleased to witness how the writers have chosen to present her backstory. We're jarringly thrust into flashbacks when we least see them coming; painful, heart-wrenching glimpses into what haunts her waking hours that make the walking dead seem like a walk in the park.

QUANTUM BREAK

If you're a story junkie like myself, Quantum Break is your Disneyland and I had a blast running through the park. A game experience like none I've ever witnessed, the game makers have pacing down to an art form. It's like they understand how, after a particularly stressful boss battle, I need a bit of downtime to get my heart rate back down to normal, and I'm rewarded after each chapter with a live action mini-movie (each episode has a running time of about 25 minutes).

I was genuinely surprised by the number of people who complained about this alternate approach to cut scenes and I sincerely appreciated how Remedy Entertainment broke out of the box to give me a unique adventure. Even more impressive was the replayability of the game and watching how the live action sequences changed slightly depending on different choices I made during my gameplay. I appreciated the hard work and multiple storylines the writers had to balance while at the same time moving things along in an exciting way.

The production value is quite impressive and never did I feel like I was watching a video game but instead this was a full-blown big-budget Hollywood production. Special kudos to the stellar cast, highlighted by the likes of Shawn Ashmore, Lance Hendrick, Aidan Gillen, Patrick Heusinger, and Courtney Hope just to name a few.

For as long as I can remember I've wondered what it would be like to find myself as the hero in my own action/adventure. Quantum Break made it happen.

UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF'S END

This is the game that will no doubt be at the top of most Best of the Year lists, and for very good reason. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End blew me away at every turn with its stunning visuals, clever writing, and thrilling gameplay. Nathan Drake, one of my favorite protagonists since Han Solo smirked his way onto the screen, once again finds himself in over his head and soon danger lurks at every turn.

Unlike our favorite Star Wars scoundrel, though, the writers do an incredible job of adding weight to the proceedings. Each of the relationships Nathan holds closest to his heart are jeopardized in one way or another and some of my favorite moments in the game didn't come during a thrilling mountainside jeep chase scene, a stunningly beautiful puzzle inside the workings of an old clock tower, or during a nail-biting final flame-surrounded pirate-y duel. Instead, it was the quieter moments that stuck with me. An awkward conversation on a couch. A heartbreaking revelation in the jungle. A phone call with a loved one that's more lie than truth.

Naughty Dog marvelously weaves all of this together into one seamless adventure that consistently caught me by surprise time and time again. When it comes to this game, my only regret is that I'll never be able to experience it for the first time again.

BATMAN: A TELLTALE SERIES

I realize I'm jumping the gun on this one, but I've learned to have faith in the Telltale team. The game isn't actually completely released yet (they just released episode 4 of 5 but since it's halfway over I've decided to put this one on 2016's list instead of saving it for next year) but so far the journey has been incredible.

When I first heard that Batman: A Telltale Series was going to focus more on Bruce Wayne as opposed to his Dark Knight alter ego, I admit to being slightly non-plussed. "Oh cool, what am I gonna do, sit in my manor by the fireplace taking inventory of my priceless Japanese sculptures and Mayan artifacts?"

But as Roland the gunslinger might say, I'd forgotten the face of my father. This is Telltale we're talking about and they've brought me some of my favorite games of all time (Have I mentioned Tales from the Borderlands lately?).

Here we're shown that being Bruce Wayne can sometimes be just as perilous as donning the cowl, and as you navigate the interpersonal relationships between thugs, goons, deviants, liars, thieves, killers, and politicians - characters often landing in more than one of these categories - the fact that you know your decisions will affect how the story unfolds makes it nearly impossible to tread lightly.

With the characters brought to life by a stellar acting cast (#PerformanceMatters), it's possible the bat signal has never burned so brightly.

MR. ROBOT

Hey, remember that time I mentioned there were two games on this list that managed to tell amazing stories without the use of voice actors? Well, Mr. Robot is the second one and Telltale (again!) has managed to spin an intriguing web using only a handful of JPEGs and some well-timed texts.

The premise is simple: You've come across a phone (played in this game by your actual phone) and soon you're pulled in by a hacker group (fsociety, the same group from the Mr. Robot TV show you don't need to be familiar with to enjoy the game (but you should be)) who've decided to recruit you for a job or two and they're not taking no for an answer.

You begin exchanging messages with a mysterious contact and soon you find yourself pulling off cyber hacks you never thought were possible from your phone. One of the reasons the game works so well is how it unfolds in real time. If the person you're texting says, "I'll be in touch later" they mean it. It could be hours, sometimes a day or two before hearing back, and that's how they hook you. I genuinely found myself wondering about the game throughout the day, why I hadn't heard from anyone, and what would unfold next.

And then...then you hear back.

And it's not just a text saying hello, it's URGENT. They need you to jump on this RIGHT NOW and then you'll get a text from someone else and you're suddenly juggling three conversations at once and wait, did I get a clue about how to do this or am I just supposed to wing it and oh man I'm doing it, I'm doing it, I'm doing it and....

Breathe.

The texts stop.

Radio silence.

And you realize that without any voices, animation, or musical score this game really sucked you in and got your heart pumping.

And then your phone buzzes again. Here we go!

MAFIA III

For years my pal Gabe would talk about going into stores and feeling like he was being watched. I always thought he was just being paranoid.

"What do you mean 'they're watching you?'"
"Because they think I'm gonna steal something."
"What? Why? You're crazy. I've never felt like that."
"Of course not. You're not black."
"Dude, they're not watching you just because you're black."

And then Gabe would just stare at me and raise one eyebrow as if to say, "Please." I realize now I was being quite naive. I just couldn't grasp why. Mafia III helped me understand what he was talking about, if only just a bit. It may seem like an exageration to proclaim a video game helped me look at racism from an angle I hadn't seen before, but it's true.

This isn't the first game to include a black protagonist but it is the first one to remind me of my skin color (or my avatar's skin color) on such a regular - and realistic - basis. The game is set in the South in the 1960s, and it doesn't take long for you to pick up on the NPC citizens of the city and their conversations and what they're muttering about you.

You can only hear so many "We don't want your kind around here"-type phrases (most of them actually much much worse than that) before you just want to scream, "But I'm not doing anything! I'm just walking by!!"

And God forbid you stumble into a store or shop whose employees and patrons are standing firm in their bigotry. Again, I'm not saying I experienced anything in a video game that even begins to compare with what people experience in real life...but I got a glimpse. And it sucks. And because I felt how much it sucked, it's a testament to how well the developers succeeded.

I would be remiss not to mention the other aspects of the game. Each mission was thoroughly enjoyable and the writing really kept me guessing (Be sure to watch through the end credits!). All of that, as excellent as it was, was made even better by a stellar voice cast.

Finally....that soundtrack. Oh, MAN that soundtrack. I could happily drive horribly (I am NOT a good driver, Rain Man) through the streets of New Bordeaux blaring Sam Cooke for hours on end. Especially if I knew I was on the way to shoot some racist hillbillies.

DISHONORED 2

I really enjoyed the original Dishonored. But I reeeeeeeeally enjoyed Dishonored 2. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that as soon as I finished I opened up a new game save and started all over again.

This time around you can choose from two different characters to play: Corvo, the lead character from the original, or his daughter Emily who is now grown up and has developed some impressive powers that put her dad's to shame. I played as Emily the first time around and the new skills play like driving a finely-tuned sports car (and yes, making the switch back to Corvo felt like getting behind the wheel of a classic. It's not as slick or flashy and may not have the same get-up-and-go but it sure feels good while you're behind the wheel).

The storyline this time features the appearance of a heretofore unknown family member looking to cash in on the family's claim to the throne (not unlike "those" family members who pop out of the woodwork as soon as they hear of your lottery windfall). Depending on which character you choose to play, the other finds themselves in a position of needing rescue and thus the chase is on.

One of the beautiful things about this game is it lets you choose what kind of experience you'd like. Are you, like me and my MTTG co-host Tim, trying to sneak through as stealthily as possible? And, on top of that, make it with as few casualties as you can? Then go for it.

Or are you looking to mete out your own brand of justice, slaughtering anyone and everything in your path? The go for that.

Either way you're awarded with  an ending appropriate to your gaming style. More importantly you're rewarded with some fantastic gameplay. Each level is massive in size and those who like to take their time and snoop through others' bathroom cabinets will be paid handsomely. As of this writing I am halfway through my second go-around.

And yes. There will be a third.

WATCH_DOGS 2

2016 was definitely the year of highly-anticipated sequels. And not just that, but highly anticipated sequels that really paid off. Watch_Dogs 2 fits perfectly into that classification. Don't get me wrong. I loved the original and was happy to don the conductor's hat on the hype train. But this time around... (Picture me pinching my thumb and index finger together, kissing them, and making a "MUAH" sound). That's a spicy meat-a-ball.

This time Ubisoft took what really worked (the clever hacking puzzles) and amped them nicely (now 3D geographical puzzlers) and introduced a couple of new mechanics I quickly fell in love with (I couldn't get enough of the new drone and hi-tech RC car). What didn't really click with fans last time (Digital trip, anyone?) seems to have been left behind in Chicago.

What really sets this one apart is the incredible DeadSec team voiced by some actors who are really throwing down some impressive work. I laughed out loud. I empathized with them. I yelled "No!" at a completely unexpected turn. And I called the villain with a man-bun a douche. A lot.

Ubisoft really excels at presenting you with a massive map to explore and they did not disappoint this time around (Although I admit I was waiting for the moment the map would open and expand even wider than you originally expected. And yeah, I miss the "Free the outpost/Unlock the map" missions that were in the first one as well as the Far Cry and Assassins Creed series).

I'm looking forward to playing this one again and since I'm not a Final Fantasy-er, I'll have a few hundred hours to spare.

***

And there you go. My choices for The Best Video Games of 2016 According to Ed. Visiting them again for this write-up has only solidified my choices. It was a great year for games. It was a great year for great writing. It was a great year for incredible performances.

2017, you have your work cut out for you.


Ed is a co-host on the Married to the Games podcast and a regular contributor to the MTTG YouTube channel.

Mug Shots - Last Call

Well, there you have it. The end (for now, at least) of my Mug Shots series. If you missed it, here's what happened: I went through our cupboards and wrote about some of our coffee mugs. 

Trust me, it was more exciting than it sounds. Or maybe it wasn't. 

Joking aside, it really was fun to go share some of the stories that zip around my head each time I brew myself a cup of coffee. It was great to sit down and simmer with memories of those close to me and flashpoint moments in my life. 

I'd like to encourage you to do the same. I'm not saying you have to sit down and write about everything in your kitchen, but take the time to notice the items around you that usually go unnoticed. What do you have in your house that was a gift or meant something to you at the time you picked it up? Is there something on your desk at work you placed there to remind you of a person or experience and the significance has slowly faded away? You might be surprised at the happy moments that come flooding back to you. Once those good memories are fresh in your mind, make it a point to not forget them. 

Chances are you're surrounded by more mementos of love and support than you realize. 

Mug Shots - Among the Thirsty

I love this mug for so many reasons. 

First, let's just talk about its aesthetic design. This has fast become a favorite in our house just because of how it's made. It's large enough to hold a 12-oz homemade pourover, which in itself is a plus. But it's also much skinnier than most mugs, which means there's less surface area at the top and your coffee doesn't cool off as quickly. 

Secondly, let's talk about how I got this mug. I was working as the contest coordinator at a radio station and one of the record labels I got to work with was Tooth and Nail/BEC Recordings. Tess, my contact there, is one of the coolest people you could ask to work with and one of the on-air giveaways they sent to us was a package promoting the new project from the band, Among the Thirsty. It included a signed copy of their CD, a bag of coffee from Land of A Thousand Hills, and one of these super-cool mugs. 

I joked with Tess about taking the mug home for myself instead of giving it away...but didn't. I promise. A short time later, I got a package in the mail from Tess and - you guessed it - it was a mug of my very own all for me! See what I said about how cool they were to work with? 

Thirdly, let's talk about Among the Thirsty, more specifically front man Ryan Daniel. He's the kind of guy working in the Christian music industry that you're glad is working in the Christian music industry, mostly because he isn't "industry" at all. Follow him on social media and you'll soon see what I'm talking about. 

I believe that for a long time Christian music fans have castrated anyone and everyone in the CCM public eye, especially those in the music business. Say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, be human, and we're coming after you. Boycotts. Outrage. Protests. Wailing and gnashing of teeth. 

That tide is turning, and I like what I'm seeing. I like that artists and musicians have started to be less concerned with offending the easily-offended and more concerned with speaking the truth. You know...like that one guy in the Bible. 

I really admire that about Ryan (you can listen to my conversation with him here). We need people who will speak out and take a stance when others don't have the guts (or permission from their publicity department). Life is hard. Wear a helmet.

And that's why I love this mug. Yes, it's conducive to a great cup of coffee but it also reminds me of Tess, whose unexpected expression of kindness made my day, and Ryan, who reminds me to never back down from the Truth just because looking it in the eye might make me a bit uncomfortable.

Mug Shots - Star of David

Once upon a time I did a show at a theater that was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. To say the working conditions were less-than-ideal would be a bit of an understatement. Up until this point, everyone I'd worked with in the past had been incredible and only encouraged my love for this creative field. I suppose that if you work long enough in the acting world, eventually you'll end up working for one of those directors you always hear horror stories about. This show was my time.

Fortunately, my number came up at a time in my life when someone screaming and swearing at me didn't bother me the way it would have if it happened to me in my 20s. It's much easier to keep a professional attitude when you have a loving wife to go home to and the insight that the more someone rants and raves and belittles others, that's more than likely a reflection of their own insecurities.

The girl playing my wife in the show was young and enthusiastic, this being her first professional job out of college. For both of us this was our first time involved with the company. The other cast members warned us about what the director could/would be like, but neither of us could have expected things to turn as sour as they did. 

Rehearsals were a test of everyone's mettle. When things didn't go according to the director's exact vision or if there was a line flub, she would let loose with a vulgar tirade that brought everything to a halt. To this day I'm still not sure how belittling and embarrassing someone in front of others is supposed to encourage improvement, but maybe that's just me.

After the show was up and running, things didn't get better. On more than one occasion, she would come swooping backstage during intermission like a foul-mouthed Cruella DeVille to berate actors, swearing TO GOD they were horrible, should never have been hired, and are. Not. Funny (Have I mentioned this was a theater that only does comedies? Yep. Perfect environment to encourage humor, huh?).

One positive product of such a situation is how it fosters camaraderie among the cast and crew. At the time I likened it to the children of an abusive, alcoholic father, huddling together at night, whispering words of encouragement to each other after the tornado swept through. We encouraged each other to stay strong, let those words - all untrue - roll off your back, and not to give in. I assured my co-star that the situation we were in was not reflective of how most people work and at least she was getting her terrible experience out of the way early in her career. 

More than once we wanted to walk off, letting the director/theater owner dangle in the wind as the two leading actors just...didn't show up one day. War is hell, though, and you can't leave your fellow soldiers behind. So we stuck it out, did our best, had some great shows, and swore we would never work for them again. It almost because a game, as we threw down some incredible performances and then laughed as the director struggled to find something to get worked up about. Soon the rantings and ravings became just what they were: Hilarious. And fodder for stories such as this one. 

In the show, the character I played was Jewish and as a Christmas gift (the production was their holiday show), my co-star got me this mug. After the show's run was over, she went on to work with a different theater troupe, is still working with them to this day (she even met her husband-to-be there!), and it makes me happy to see her working in an environment where she - and her talents - are appreciated.

This mug reminds me that even though circumstances may be crappy, a lot of good can come out of it. And, if you stay professional and do your best, one day that crappy situation may come back to you, asking you to return to work for them and you'll have the pleasure of telling them no.

And, if you're especially fortunate, they'll ask you more than once and you'll have the pleasure of telling them no more than once. I'll raise my Jewish mug to that.

Mug Shots - Square One

Everyone thinks their local coffee shop is the best and I can't fault them for it. We're all a little biased toward our local businesses and I don't have a problem with that at all. Except... when I say Square One Coffee in PA is one of the best (if not the best), I can sort of back that up.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in getting my regular (a 16-oz latte) and when the barista Sarah was about complete, she dumped my drink out and began again. She apologized and told me she wanted to start over. When I asked what happened, she explained that the shot was pulling too slow - ten seconds too slow - and she wanted to make sure it was right. That attention to detail is just one of the reasons why I love the baristas over at Square One. Tell me you're going to get that kind of attention to detail at (insert name of a popular chain coffee shop with a drive-thru here). 

Square One has gradually turned me into a coffee snob. Not a coffee snob in the fact that I look down on you for drinking whatever it is you're drinking that you picked up at the gas station, but in that I've come to appreciate the tastes and flavors that can come out in a perfectly made cup. A lot of that has to do with the bean. Square One roasts their own beans, and I admire them for so closely working with the farmers who grew them. Just like pouring the perfect latte design is an art, so is the process of roasting and I don't think most people know just what goes into it (or should go into it). 

Coffee cupping (the process of tasting various brews and rating them for flavor and roast) isn't unlike wine tasting, and I don't mind bragging that I can now identify a coffee's origin by taste alone. Until Square One, I didn't even know there was a difference. Probably because most of the coffee I'd had until then was burnt to a crisp or pre-ground Folgers crystals that tasted more like something that should be used to fill a litter box.

Just a few more reasons to support my Square One fanboydom: They've won multiple awards for their coffee, co-owner Jess Steffy is a judge at the regional, national, and international coffee championships, and they have people like Hadassah training their new baristas. They have Joel, Sarah, Rachel, Trevor, Justine, and Taylor working the bar (not only is it a place where everybody knows your name, but you know everyone else's name, too) who always serve me a cup that makes me pause and say, "Man, that's good."

What really stands out, though, is how they've educated me about the coffee community - and it really is a community. The next time you visit your local coffee shop, ask questions. There's a lot to learn about the beans, the farmer that grew those beans, the process, the way weather affects how a shot is pulled...it's fascinating. 

So yeah. I like this mug. Not only does it represent one of my favorite coffee places or let you know what brand of coffee is currently in said mug (as is usually the case in the Placencia casa), it's also a symbol of just how good you can be when you do what you love to do and take the time to do it right. 

#alwaysbecupping