So now that 2016 is upon us we can take a step back and look at the year of 2015. It was a year of some really amazing games and I thought that the first post of 2016 should be one that recognizes those amazing games. There are three categories I’d like to look at in particular: Story, Design, and Gameplay.

Story

No game came anywhere near the amazing Soma as far as story goes. In Soma you play as a man who, due to a serious car wreck has been hospitalized with brain trauma. A new agency offers a chance to try out a new type of brain scan that will help find a better treatment for your character. You go in for the scan and as soon as the machine falls over your head, you are transported to a mysterious underwater facility full of weird bio-mechanical creatures.

If you want a longer explanation for why the game makes this list, read my review of the game. Soma is rated M for mature.

Design

Bloodborne by far has won the design award for 2015. Its intense, lovecraftian atmosphere reeks of intentional and beautiful design. Each texture looks dark and grimy in such a perfect way to give off a foreboding and hostile atmosphere that I have only felt when reading the works of Stephen King and H.P.Lovecraft himself.

Each enemy is incredibly well crafted featuring almost entirely unique designs and animations for  every monster. The characters are all well crafted and interesting, as they bring a unique blend of insanity and beast-hood that is not seen in any of the other From Software Souls games.

I also have to say that the weapon designs are one of a kind and incredibly fascinating to watch. I was sold on my personal favorite weapon, the Burial Blade, from a gif I saw before the game was even released. The weapon appears to be a short sword in folded stick on the player’s back, but when grabbed the other side of the stick, it unfolds to reveal a massive scythe. Bloodborne is rated M for mature.

Gameplay

I regret to put this game on the list, because the company that made the game (Konami) has since put out patch after patch that have altered the game drastically, and actually made the game considerably worse.

However, the base game remains most unchanged from when I reviewed it and Metal Gear Solid V definitely deserves to win the best gameplay of 2015. This game plays so smooth and feels pleasant. The controls are direct and responsive to the point that anybody can pick it up and play the game, but only skilled players can master all of the systems built into the controls and moment-to-moment actions.

It is built in such a way that, given some guidelines, the player can approach a given mission is practically any way they want. If they want to run in, guns blazing, murdering everyone in search of their target, they can. If they prefer the slow, methodical, recon of an outpost and guard schedule to find the best strike point, they can.  Same as Soma, if you want to hear more about Metal Gear Solid V, read my review. Metal Gear Solid V is rated M for mature.

To read more from Checkpoint, check out Fallout 4 review part 1.