CC2KOnline 2015 Game of the Year Awards

 

 

 

This was the hardest choice to make, and one we did not take lightly. All of the editors weighed in, including those who only play a few games a year. We went to the readers and got their votes, and then we tabulated all the raw data. There were long nights, a few arguments, and one accidentally spilled beverage. It was epic. 

 

In the end, we decided that only one game truly captured the spirit of 2015. Only one title made us so incredibly happy to be gamers that we had to heap the award upon it. 

 

Fallout 4 was an incredible experience, but at its heart it remained the unchanged Bethesda game. There are flaws the developer has yet to address in its engine, or its story-telling. I will play that game until the next one releases, but it was not our choice for GOTY.

 

Batman: Arkham Knight capped off the trilogy with fanfare and wonder. It looked amazing, played great, and provided hours of Batman-like fun for everyone. But it was a flawed experience, with pacing and gameplay issues that took away from the overall enjoyment of the game. That and hiding the real ending behind Riddler Trophies meant we could not award it GOTY.

 

Bloodborne was, is, and shall remain amazing. It is heartbreaking, visceral, and epic in ways most other games only dream. However, it is truly not for everyone. While we can understand punishing gameplay, this was a title that turned some of our fans away. While it was neck and neck for some time, we could not award it GOTY.

 

MGSV may be one of the most amazing games ever made. It is enormous, open-ended, and incredibly fun. The story is nonsense spat up by a madman, but we accept it because it is just so darn enjoyable playing as Big Boss. Had there been a more cohesive narrative, this could easily have been the GOTY. 

 

 

And the winner is…

 

 

 

 

 

Truly a marvel of gaming development, The Witcher 3 is the undoubted winner for 2015’s Game of the Year. The scope is epic, the hero is admirable, the acting and graphics are above par, and the game is just damn fun to play. There is a real weight to everything in this title, from the movement of characters to the consequences of their actions. It is a testament to what a talented team can do when given the resources and time.