GameSpew’s Game of the Year 2015
Rich: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
As a long-time Assassin’s Creed fan, even enjoying last year’s Unity despite its issues, it was nice to find that this year’s entry in the series was one of the greatest yet. With its hugely likeable protagonists Jacob and Evie, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate had both an engaging storyline and fresh gameplay thanks to numerous new features such as the grappling hook and the addition of vehicles.
As per usual for a Ubisoft game, there was a great number of things to see and do, and whilst many people may bemoan the “Ubisoft formula” with its plethora of collectibles, with a game world such as a 19th century London it just added to my enjoyment of the time spent within it.
Whilst Assassin’s Creed Syndicate scratched my action-gaming itch, The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition must also get a mention for its engrossing combination of philosophy and puzzle solving which had me enthralled from beginning to end. With its Jack the Ripper DLC just released however, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is my personal Game of the Year 2015, and I will once again spending time with it trawling the streets of London beating thugs, climbing landmarks and generally being a nuisance.
Graham: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
2015 was a pretty packed year in terms of ambitious gaming. In a time of Witcher 3s and Bloodbornes, it’s seriously difficult picking a favorite out of this fantastic line up this year but for me I absolutely cannot ignore Metal Gear Solid 5. Despite the controversial release and events surrounding Konami, and despite a botched narrative, MGS5 is still my Game of the Year 2015. 80 hours worth of explosive, experimental design coupled with an excellent game engine is strong enough to weather the storm of controversy and deliver a pounding, expansive experience that I’ll probably come back to again and again.
It’s mighty hard for me to pass over Bloodborne in favour of this, and Miyazaki’s twisted cthulhu-inspired masterpiece is still going to be one of my favourite games of all time, but Snake’s final send off just pips it by an inch for game of the year. Intelligent systems, beautiful visuals and brilliantly complex AI mean this is my game of the year. May Kojima continue long into the future under the wing of Sony.
