The Division 2 is a looter-shooter that restores hope for those jaded by the recent influx of poorly launched live service titles. This newest Tom Clancy game offers an abundance of content, including side missions, control points, convoy escorting, random friendly NPC tasks, bounties, settlement projects, safe house activation, various collectables (e.g. audio tapes, SHD tech) and random side activities in the open world (e.g. disabling enemy radio, rescuing hostages). Every activity is generously sprinkled with loot, as playerd are rewarded for.. everything. Most Ubisoft open-world games suffer from an overwhelming amount of activities marked on a typically large map (cough, cough…Assassin’s Creed), but The Division 2 contains itself…
WASHINGTON CAPS
As a native born and raised New Yorker, there was skepticism in how more interesting an open world could be in Washington DC. I couldn’t imagine a better place to pop a bunch of goons than the benches of Times Square during a snowfall. TCTD2 proved me wrong, with great internal structures of the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of American History. Despite never having been to the Nation’s Capitol, the game threw me right in — as if I had free access to said museums — thanks to Ubisoft’s attention to detail and impressive graphics.
The most notable changes of scenary from the disheveled urban streets of DC? Facing off against the True Sons faction in the Vietnam section of the Museum of American History, or entering the Planetarium in the Air and Space Museum. So nice. Though there was a missed opportunity to include the Museum of Natural History or the Museum of Modern Art. Overall, every corner of the open world is full of finite details; rubber duckies can be seen floating in random puddles, post-it notes are almost legible, and a child’s drawings are subtly scribbled in chalk across some walls.
WASHINGTON BULLETS
Much like the original game, The Division 2 takes place after a smallpox pandemic that has caused chaos among survivors. While this setting does a lot for the gameplay, players still don’t know how we got there. The main story isn’t engaging but some of the audio tapes and echoes hidden around the world seem to tell more interesting mini stories. What lacks in story is supplemented with fun and addictive gameplay; the third-person gunplay and cover system has severely improved. Each gun feels unique and impactful. There is a large arsenal of different guns, each customizable with mods and color dye. The only downfall to mods is you need to manually remove it before deconstructing a weapon, or else the mod will also be deconstructed. Fortunately, the game warns you, but I wish the mod was stripped from the slot automatically.
Not only are weapons customizable, but gear and skills have mod options too. You can mix and match your build and test it out in the gun range at the Base of Operations. I love the ability to switch your skills and loadouts on the fly. The Division 2 absolutely improves character creation, too, (although not nearly as extensive as, say, Dragon Age: Inquisition). I really wanted my agent to be tanner, but the preset agent I chose limited how dark I could make her. There’s more of a variety to outfits than mere different colored parkas (I miss them though!) and an option to dye clothing, to boot.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Enemy factions run rampant in the streets of DC, and that’s key to what makes The Division 2’s combat addictive. Each faction has a variety of enemy types that approach the players in different ways. For example, The Outcasts have an enemy type that is sort of a “suicide bomber”, while the Hyenas have an enemy that inhales gas and goes into a frenzied state before sprinting toward you with a knife. Other enemies stay behind cover to deploy RC vehicles with explosives attached to them. The enemy AI is smarter than many shooters, as they move rapidly, dive behind cover, lay down on the ground to shoot, flank, and push in fast toward the player.
Each faction and varied enemy type make the combat more dynamic — a nice change of pace from the bullet-sponges in the original. That’s until you fight the bosses, who are essentially just armored versions of the regular enemies with specific weak points, and they have names. Once you finish the story and hit the level 30 cap, a new faction called The Black Tusks arrive; they wipe away all the control points you work hard for and create new objectives for mission replay.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
As you’re progressing through the main story, the end game is in sight as Strongholds and Dark Zones (PvPVE) become visible on the map. There’s alsonthe option to progress three specializations: Survivalists, Sharpshooters and Demolitionists. Here you’re given progression tasks, new projects and side missions, daily and weekly assignments. You also unlock powerful signature weapons, and your items levels are replaced by a gear score, which is reminiscent of the “light level” in Destiny. The gear score caps at 450 and the World Tier progression ends at tier 4. To reach this you must first complete the invaded missions and then do Control Points, Strongholds, or Dark Zone.
The Dark Zone remains a unique blend of PVE and PVP where players fight tough enemy mobs and bosses for loot in contaminated zones. Rare and unique loot must be extracted for decontamination before it’s officially yours. This process is intended to create tension, as any agent you were fighting side-by-side with can go rogue on you and steal your loot. Agents go Rogue simply by shooting any non-rogue agent, with the Rogue agent then highlighted on the map for all players in that Dark Zone to hunt. Rogue agents can lock pick supplies, access SHD terminals, and steal gear. Once you go rogue many times, you’re initiated into an exclusive hideout for rogue agents called The Thieves Den, where an exclusive merchant is available.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
There are three Dark Zones available on the map, which every agent enters on a level playing field via gear normalization. The DZ has its own progression system and you earn XP by killing enemies, going rogue, successfully extracting gear, killing rogue agents, finding collectibles, and discovering locations. If you want more of a challenge, you can enter Occupied Dark Zones at level 30 where gear normalization is turned off and AI become more aggressive. Like the original game, The Dark Zone remains a fun PVP experience that is like no other. Thus far, there are four strongholds, which are lengthy PvE encounters that seem to be just normal enemy types with more health. There aren’t any unique bosses or scenarios that require much strategic coordination that sets it apart from main and side missions.
The Division 2 has fun and addictive combat, detailed environments, interesting missions, lots of loot, and enough end game content to keep things live until the next update. It’ll be exciting to see what the Tidal Basin stronghold update and upcoming eight player raids have to offer. Ubisoft clearly took notes from the original game, absorbed player feedback, and implemented elements into the game that sets a new bar for live service looter shooters. Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 gives gamers hope that issues at launch can be kept at a minimum. 4.5/5 Bibles.
The Geekdom Gamescast had so much to say about our main subject of this episode that we ended up breaking it apart to stand on its own — and it’s worth it for our guest, “Chef” Adam Bower‘s expertise in looter shooters alone.
That’s right, we have GHG’s resident Destiny expert on to talk about the newest, and biggest, looter shooter to come out this quarter: Bioware’s ANTHEM. Before we take off in our Javelin’s we do talk about Apex Legends and The Division 2, to boot!
Despite being a long-time PVE player, I wasn’t exactly excited for my behind closed door time with Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 — a series I had only tried but hadn’t clung onto. E3 is over and now I’m a fan.
GHG — Artez, Moody and me — was given a good 30-minutes plus to play 4-player co-op in the same Washington, DC demonstration from the Microsoft press conference. Everything about the controls felt great, although heavily complicated if you hadn’t touched the first; gunfire and special weapons were easy to handle, unique, and addicting to test as we traversed our mission through the state capital and the barren wasteland surrounding it. Much like Manhattan in the previous game, Massive and Red Storm plan to recreate a 1-to-1 ration of Washington. Comparing this environment to that of the DC we’ll see in Fallout 76 and The Walking Dead action game will be interesting.
If you watched the demo, you were probably just as blown away seeing a crashed Air Force One aircraft and monument museum (infiltrated by the True Sons enemy faction) as we were in our run/communicate/shoot/cover hands-on. While not much is known on how the story campaign will play out, the most RPG elements I saw dealt with gun Specializations. Once you equip these special weapons (level 30 = very deep into gameplay) — powerful crossbows, grenade launchers, hive drones, 50-cal snipers, etc. — The Division 2 goes from your standard tactical shooter into something quite rewarding. When the tough gets going, you can also call on a group of NPC’s to get your back during a firefight.
The rest is a mystery. Eight-player raids were announced at the conference, yet nothing concerning PVP (i.e. The Dark Zone from D1) was shown. PVE is very solid, and that’s only the half of it. With another Tom Clancy franchise gamers care about, let’s hope The Division 2‘s hype (come March 15th) feels worthy to the faithful community and new players alike. 3.5/5 Bibles.
TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION 2 (Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft – PS4, X1, PC – Q1 2019) – When Ubisoft debuted their new Tom Clancy licensed IP in 2016, they named it after the organization that their players would be joining; but The Division was also aptly named, with the chasm between fans of every TC game that was released prior and all the new fans of the burgeoning subgenre of ‘games as a service’.
While the graphics and production value of The Division were unanimously lauded, this Brother could not reconcile the dissonance between the realistic-ish world and serious tone of Division and its strangely bullet-spongy, loot based, Destiny-like gameplay loops. Yet with a few tweaks the upcoming, confirmed sequel — The Division 2 — could still hope to win those of us on the edge still onto the streets of plague infested New York City as Destiny 2 did before it.
Currently, at the time that this piece is being written, there hasn’t been too many peaks behind the curtain of what TCTD2 is going to be. Its very existence was leaked at first, later confirmed by Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment, and since then all that’s really known is that Massive hinted at the setting of the game, saying “we’ve always envisioned the story in the game we launched in 2016 as the beginning chapter in a larger saga.” Which is probably corporate-speak for the vague notion that they had ideas for sequels, but can also be seen as a hint as to bigger sized maps, or more unexplored areas of their fairly faithful rendition of Manhattan. It’s hard not to imagine that certain other widely known areas, like Long Island, could be future Dark Zones, or even Battle Royale Zones (100 agents parachute onto strong island, and they… fight each other for some reason? Battle Royales don’t make sense). Yet there’s only room to improve, and speculating on its potentials only serves to remind anyone of The Division we were all hoping for when we saw the first trailer.
The two biggest aspects of the game that could potentially attract new recruits are also the two things that their main competitor, Destiny, did well already or improved upon in their sequel: gunplay and more intriguing narrative context. The Division 2 was hardly a barren sandbox, but it was kind of uncharacteristic for a Tom Clancy game in that the narrative was only held in a exposition cutscene intro and in merely world building through its missions. Div 2 would do well with more arcs, and more interesting situations — which would also improve the lack of variety in enemy types. It’s 2018; we can’t just be shooting at poor people in hoodies. Which brings us to the shooting, you know, the main thing you do in a gun-based, third person shooter. While seeing numbers fly above enemies is something that feels satisfying in a game all about raising numbers of stats, it doesn’t have the feel of the tactical shooter that was promised to us in the Div 1 gameplay trailer, however corny it was with their scripted “got your back” and “flank them!” dialogue between ‘players’ on stage. If it felt better to flank, cover, and nail headshots, Division 2 could at least feel satisfying, something that got so many people through Destiny 1.
Cue this to the biggest hit from The Clipse.
We’re a world that has seen 6 seasons of The Walking Dead, a million volumes of the comics, and had other post-apocalyptic pieces of sci-fi in media like Mad Max: Fury Road, so we’ve seen a lot of post apocalyptic, dystopian stories. There is no reason that a game-as-a-service, Tom Clancy branded, open world third person shooter should feel so disconnected to the social and economic realities of the world it’s trying to emulate. This comes with realistic gun-feel, more specific character types populating its world, and more interesting, varied quest types — with maybe some narrative arcs. As long as Massive can address this, and continue to support the game like they have been throughout the original Division lifespan, this might be the thing to change gaming Destiny.
Welcome to my first (mini) review of the new year.. Are you excited? Rhetorical question. I know you are. Because I know you’ve been wondering “Ghost Recon: Wildlands looks cool.. But is it a day one? What if it ends up like The Division?” Sure, I loved that other Tom Clancy venture at launch; but after the updates, I’d take away a bible or two after all the screw ups… Anyway, I’m here to answer your questions. Mostly.
“Is it like The Division?” Yessssehnnnoo? While those familiar will feel at home, some things that should be here from TD are not (no snap cover or moving from cover to cover?! Leaving a button pressed to just run forward and leap over obstacles), which really surprised me.
Create a character is somewhat expanded but in only a very small way. Seriously, lower those expectations. I honestly shouldn’t have told you anything; just look at my characters from TD and Wildlands. No, it’s not a character import feature. On the other hand, it’s visually beautiful. Not surprising, really, whether you love or hate Ubisoft, they’re always able to create fantastic worlds.
“How does it play, handsome giant?” I’ll tell you. Don’t expect to be emptying clips into enemies and seeing hundreds of thousands of numbers pop up until they drop. A few well placed shots or a headshot, and they’re dead. And now, my favorite things: stealth/team coordination, and skills. The branching skills tree is the most RPG-like feature in the game. With tons of options to choose and different types of materials you have to gather in order to upgrade what you want.
Better, the stealth feels like it really matters. Given how damage works in the game, you can die relatively easily (and you’re only allowed one revive from your teammates once per fight, so there goes that crutch). Thus, scouting an area and tagging enemies–be it with the sniper scope, drone, or binoculars–is critical before going in and deciding what orders to give your squad mates and/or rebel backup… It kinda makes you feel like Jack Bauer or Sam Fisher, which is always a plus.
“Felipe.. Is this a day one purchase? If I don’t like it, will you help me get my money back?” First off, duh. I will absolutely help you get your money back*. Second.. I don’t know. I put in some time in and really enjoyed it, but after The Division fiasco and Ubisoft’s spotty launches, it’s hard to tell. I’d have to say “no” to it being day one purchase.
… Even though I’m giving this 3.5/5 Bibles.
“Saint” Timothy Markham
The popular anime created by Rooster Teeth has officially been brought into the video game world. If you are a fan of the series, then RWBY: Grimm Eclipse is for you! Otherwise, leave it on the shelf. The game music sounds fantastic and the character selection adds more levels to the game, but the positives stop there. The surrounding scenery had a very simplified look that didn’t keep me distracted very long from the mind-numbing button mashing that comes from this hack-and-slash game. At first I applauded the immediate combat that brought you into conflict within seconds of starting the game. But that first bit of excitement quickly turned to boredom as time went on.
You play as characters from the show, going through challenges trying to defeat enemies called Grimm. These characters level up individually and start to accrue “Skill Points” that you are then able to turn around and spend on upgrades to that character’s abilities. Unfortunately, there are very little options available to upgrade. After each attempt to beat a level, you are loaded back to the level selection screen where you can change characters (allowing you to test out several of the character options).
The overall gameplay of the game was very glitchy and I found myself dying to bugs. Whether that was caused by my character getting stuck on spaces where they should not have gotten caught (i.e. random curbs/rocks that stick out of the ground too high), Grimm’s attacks hitting farther than their range should be (melee attacks hitting even though no contact was made) and, admittedly not a glitch but equally annoying, enemies being able to block every single attack coming their way which leads to fights taking longer than they probably should.
Also, the game was very spam-happy. I noticed when using Blake, I could just spam my ranged attack which causes the enemies to become dazed for around 5 seconds. A few final criticisms about this game include the horrible voice acting that made me cringe every time anyone spoke, a map that was very simplistic not leaving any room for wandering around and getting lost and the very dumbed down story mode that could not capture my attention for more than 3 chapters.
Eight GHGamers give their Top 5 Video Games of the Year–AAA titles, sports titles, fighting titles, racing titles, indie titles. Xbox. PlayStation. PC. Well…not quite Nintendo. Heh.
But–we also have a new twist this year: Our Nerd Clergy of Cool also tip their caps for this year, with an early look at their Most Anticipated Games of 2017. Enjoy!
(Feel free to click on the highlighted titles to read the reviews.)
“Saint” Patrick Obloy @OffTheGeekEnd
2016:
1. Titanfall 2 (X1/PS4/PC) – “Running, double jumps, wall running, clambering, sliding, etc. are still as great as I remember. And the new option to grapple and sling up to locations–or onto titans–only adds to the gameplay, providing new ways to get around the area and take down your enemies. More on the Halo side than anything, the single player campaign has that not too serious and not too whimsical feeling in a space epic. It’s great!” – 4.75/5
2. Overwatch (X1/PS4/PC) – Excellent multiplayer fun, with a multitude of varying characters, new types of game modes, and the support and free content is awesome, to boot. – 4.5/5
3. Battlefield 1 (X1/PS4/PC) – BF1 provided a great campaign using a different method of story telling via actual accounts from various people during World War 1. And the multiplayer, while using the same great game mechanics and modes from previous releases, still excites with new modes and historic WWI weapons and vehicles. – 4.5/5
4. DOOM (X1/PS4/PC) – “I don’t think anyone will walk away feeling ripped off or let down from the new DOOM. id Software has definitely listened to the fans, offering a game with properly rendered shadows and lighting, high detail textures, and excellent animation and level design.” – 4.5/5
5. Forza Horizon 3 (Xbox One/PC) – “Graphically, it’s hard to disagree that the game looks phenomenal. FH3 is also extreme fun for those that enjoy a racer that isn’t super serious, but still has a lot of the super serious racer qualities.” – 4.5/5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtu3fUs9i7M
2017:
1. Sea of Thieves – What more is there to say about SoT that wasnt already shown? The game looks like great pirate fun with your friends, looking for treasure and looting from other players, all on the high seas. 2. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 3. Red Dead Redemption 2 4. Forza Motorsport 7 5. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Adam “The Advocate of Al’Akul” Bowers @chefadambowers XBL: Advocate05
2016:
1. Battlefield 1 (X1/PS4/PC) – “The campaign is amazing and Operations is one of the best new modes they have, not to mention the Multiplayer mode, War Pigeon! – 4.75/5
2. Destiny: Rise of Iron (X1/PS4) – “The Destiny fanbase wish for more content, others want changes to the quality of life aspects of the game, and some want changes to the Crucible; but while the game may have its flaws, the expansion is an enjoyable experience for any guru of FPS…not to be missed.” – 4.5/5
3. DOOM (X1/PS4/PC) – I might have only been able to play for a short time (motion sickness), but Goddamn did I love those fleeting moments! – 4.25/5
4. Overwatch (X1/PS4/PC) – “I could very well see Overwatch being namedropped come New Year’s, but the game has flaws. Although those blemishes are nowhere near as noticeble as, say, Vanilla Destiny, even Blizzard knows they have some stuff to fix.” – 4.25/5
5. Quantum Break (Xbox One/PC) – I enjoyed the hell out of this game. Unlike Bulletstorm, the “gimmick” was enjoyable and felt natural. Most importantly (when you were in the final stage), it wasn’t forgotten. – 4/5
Honorable mention: Call of Duty – Infinite Warfare.
2017:
1. Ghost Recon: Wildlands – This game has all the makings for a great game: open world, side quests, objectives laid out like Destiny, but then you remember it’s being made by Ubisoft… 2. For Honor – Another Ubisoft game and this one seems neat: swords and fantasy, brutal action, and multiplayer. But again! Ubisoft… 3. Tacoma – I’ll say this peaked my interest when it was the Game Informer cover story. Let’s hope it’s not delayed. 4. Cuphead – Please be awesome. Please be awesome. Please be awesome. 5. Scalebound – Please be good. Please be good. Please be good.
Michelle “Magdalene” Kisner @RobotCookie
2016:
1. DOOM (X1/PS4/PC) – The gameplay is lightning fast and visceral with each fire fight being a straight up adrenaline rush. The graphics were breathtaking with the Hell levels depicted in all their horrifying glory. The sound design and music were amazing too thanks to Mick Gordon’s stellar compositions. Doom proves that single-player story-driven first person shooters are not dead. – 5/5
2. Rez Infinite (PSVR): Sony released their PlayStation Virtual Reality peripheral this year to mostly positive reviews. I know, I know—Rez isn’t a “new” game, but I’ll be damned if VR isn’t the perfect way to experience it. New to this edition is Area X, which is an area that has been completely retooled for VR. Words cannot describe how absolutely breathtaking and gorgeous this level is as it uses particle effects to the fullest extent possible. Area X is the future of VR gaming and its capabilities. – 4/5
3. Final Fantasy XV(X1/PS4) – “My fears were assuaged after playing the opening ten minutes of this game, watching these four young men push their broken down car to the tune of ‘Stand By Me’ tugged at my heartstrings. It’s refreshing to see some levity and happiness in a JRPG, and the bond they share is palpable and endearing. Though there are still some technical and story pacing issues with this game, it’s a promising step in the right direction for Square Enix. – 4/5
4. Hitman (X1/PS4/PC) – “Although SquareEnix made an odd decision to make this game episodic, they did refine the gameplay and graphics and added a great variety of levels to explore. Hitman has come a long way since its inception.” – 4/5
5. I Am Setsuna (PS4) – Though I love a good open-world RPG, I had been itching to play something decidedly more old school. Instead of just replaying Chrono Trigger for the thousandth time, I gave Square Enix’s I Am Setsuna a try. It’s definitely a love letter to 16-bit SNES JRPGs with its super deformed character designs and active-time battle system. For fans of retro gaming, it’s worth picking up. 3.5/5
2017:
1. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – I really enjoyed the demo for this game and it seems like it is going back to its survival horror roots. Plus, it is PSVR compatible and I want to poop my pants in fear. 2. Persona 5 – Persona is the most stylish and batshit insane JRPG series out and I always enjoy the wacky stories and character designs. 3. Ni No Kuni 2 – The first game was adorable and I will gladly take another tip into this world. 4. Star Trek Bridge Crew – I’m a filthy Trekkie and I cannot pass up a chance to be a crew member in virtual reality. That’s like a dream come true. 5. Tales of Berseria – The Tales games are always action-packed and they have some of my favorite battle systems ever. This one looks like it will have a darker atmosphere as well.
Felipe “The 3rd Deacon” Crespo @F7ovrdrv
2016:
1. Forza Horizon 3 (Xbox One/PC) – “The game gives you an unparalleled level of control. Players can turn it into whatever type of racing game they want at any time, especially when you start expanding your festival to different sites…between the online features, the different difficulties, adapting drivatars, car clubs, and championships, replayability is not something you need to be worried about.” – 5/5
2. Inside (X1/PS4/PC) – “Limbo‘s world has a constant sense of ‘calm before the storm’–an eerieness and unsettling vibe that can best be described as a near-constant state of tension.” – 5/5
3. Titanfall 2 (X1/PS4/PC) – The award for best improved franchise goes to Titanfall 2. In a year littered with great shooters, TF2 was able to deliver the best campaign in the mix, as well as building upon what was already some solid multiplayer. – 4.75/5
4. *TIE*XCOM 2 (X1/PS4/PC) ///Killer Instinct – Season 3 (Xbox One) – “On top of the improved enemy AI, the maps in XCOM 2 are procedurally generated, so replay value is not a concern at all if you love the genre–let alone this franchise.” And, hey–if that crap SFV can count, the game that did the proper business model first–Killer Instinct–counts on my list. Season 3 brought old favorites (Tusk) and some cool surprises (Raam!) into the fray, adding to an already stellar fighter. – 4/5
5. Battlefield 1 (X1/PS4/PC) – This game tends to be a lot higher in a lot of lists, but here’s my thing: as fantastic as that campaign was–and I loved it–it really is still the same crap multiplayer. – 3.75/5
Honorable mention: Pokémon Sun/Moon, NBA 2K17, Dishonored 2, Uncharted 4 – A Thief’s End, Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim, Watch Dogs 2, Quantum Break.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOB0QAVUiXc
2017:
1. Crackdown – I need to drop skyscrapers on my friends–and jump like Hulk across town to stop crimes. 2. Sea of Thieves 3. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite 4. *TIE*Scalebound///Halo Wars 2 5. Kingdom Hearts 3
Honorable mention: Detroit – Become Human, God of War 4, Killer Instinct – Season 4, Pokémon Wtfever, Halo 6 News, Forza Horizon 4 anything, Horizon: Dinobot Hunter.
“Pastor” Bill Ammon @BAmmonB
2016:
1. NHL 17 (X1/PS4) – “With amazing graphics and a more challenging GM mode this year, I’m satisfied with all the other improvements EA has made with NHL 17, even if it often feels like the same game.” – 4/5
2. The Division (X1/PS4/PC) – Teamwork was reinvented with this game–the bigger the team, the bigger the challenge. While it didn’t exactly live up to its original promised RPG billing, the game came packed with outstanding graphics, cool gunplay and impressive customization. – 4/5
3. Battlefield 1 (X1/PS4/PC) – The sheer magnitude and realism of the title’s World War 1 battles got me so immersed that my hands literally didn’t stop sweating. Of all the solid shooters in 2016, BF1 had the best visuals to boot. – 3.75/5
4. Gears of War 4 (Xbox One/PC) – While it didn’t reinvent the chainsaw wheel, The Coalition may have put forth their finest storyline and characterization yet. Hell, Gears of War looks great on an Xbox One. – 3.5/5
5. Doom (X1/PS4/PC) – Edge-of-the-seat scary. The return of “old style” Doom offered a fun–if not exponentially long–campaign, along with an assortment of amazing new guns, gouls and upgrades. – 3.5/5
2017:
1. Red Dead Redemption 2 – They better bring back hunting and card playing, plus who doesn’t love a massive open world setting from Rock Star? 2. Prey – While I never played the first, I hear they are alike in name only. 3. Mass Affect: Andromedia – I missed the original trilogy. Still reading? At least I have the smarts to trust a true Bostonian. #Moody 4. For Honor – While a toss-up because…Ubisoft, it looks like it could have a lot of potential with epic battles. 5. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – I’m taking a lot of risks with this list–seeing how I was never a fan of the previous–but something tells me next-gen will take this game to next-level.
“Dynast” Dana Keels IG/Twitter @hatandwand
2016:
1. The Last Guardian (PS4) – The long delayed spiritual successor to Team Ico’s ICO and Shadow of the Colossus finally arrived, and it didn’t disappoint this geek. From its beautiful art direction, enchanting score, and to Trico’s behavior and interactions with the player, The Last Guardian feels unlike any other game that was released during 2016. As a pet owner, it’s hard not to get carried away and enamored with Trico’s lifelike animations. – 4.5/5
2. Final Fantasy XV (X1/PS4) – The wait was worth it. Final Fantasy 15 reignites life into a franchise that was almost on its last legs, blending the past and present of the series together into a beautiful package. – 4/5
3. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4) – With part 4, Naughty Dog has perfected their Uncharted formula. This one combines the stellar visuals that we’ve been blow away by time and time again, with its next generation gameplay that equates to an extremely satisfying conclusion. – 4/5
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – It’s Zelda. Nuff said 2. Red Dead Redemption 2 3. Mass Effect: Andromeda
“The Traveling Nerd” Lance Paul @lance_paul
2016:
1. Dishonored 2 – DH2 is one part graphical refresh from the first and another part brutal espionage masterpiece! By the time you unlock and upgrade a handful of Void powers, this game becomes one of the best of 2017. – 4.5/5
2. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – A much needed and beautiful final send-off to one of PlayStation’s most beloved characters. Uncharted 4 was easily one of the prettiest in the series and told one of the best humanizing adventures for friend Nate. By the time the end hits you are saying goodbye to an old friend. – 4.5/5
3. Battlefield 1 – In a sea of futuristic FPS games, BF1 is a breath of simplistic fresh air. This results in one of the freshest shooters to hit the next generation systems. With a heartfelt campaign and enough finely-tuned multiplayer adventures makes it a must-play. If only Star Wars: Battlefront had been this much fun. – 4/5
4. The Last Guardian – A vibrant, living masterpiece. Though technical coding issues still arise like previous Team Ico games, everything in this game comes to life — making the simplest atmosphere like the decaying sky or the beautifully mastered Trico a work of art! – 4/5
5. Gears of War 4 – While it may not reinvent the Gear, but it does bring the game back to its roots and makes it feel fresh again. Something we’ve been missing. The campaign does bring an interesting twist with the good guys being bad guys flip, but does fall back on its laurels half way through with an all-to-familiar Hordesque enemy. Though, the plethora of Multiplayer fun more than makes up for it. – 4/5
Honorable mention: Overwatch, Dead Rising 4, Severed, Batman: A Telltale Adventure.
2017:
1. Mass Effect: Andromeda – Easily one of my favorite series on the Xbox. Surely, this new adventure will be just as much fun as the last. 2. Vampyr – Dontnod is coming off of their huge success with Life is Strange, and I predict this dark vampire story to be just as beautiful as it is creepy. 3. Injustice 2 – The first one is still one of my favorite fighting games; and now that WB has upped the ante with new characters and upgradeable armor and weapons, my interested is piqued! 4. Spider-Man – This is easily looks like the best Marvel game to hit the consoles in some years, minus anything LEGO. 5. God of War – Hello, it’s Kronos with a kick-ass beard! I’m sold.
“Monsignor” Travis Moody @TravMoody
2016:
1. Forza Horizon 3 (Xbox One/PC) – A racing game is your #1 — really, dude? After countless treks around FH3‘s breathtakingly vast and diverse Australian outback… yes, abso-frickin-lutely. With festival locations that range from splendid hilly beaches, gorgeous forest downpours, smooth coastal innercities, and, now with DLC, snow-infested blizzard mountains, never has racing been more exciting. Great rides aren’t as difficult to obtain as previous Forza incarnations, and the usual great paint customization is still there (#N7, bitch!). While the overall sounds are solid, the game’s only minor blip is the lack of playlist shuffling with Groove Music. – 4.75/5
2. NBA 2K17 (X1/PS4/PC) – “Arguably the most impressive addition in a game full of spectacular additions–including a tremendously enjoyable RPG-inspired MyPlayer campaign with Michael B. Jordan–is the regionalized 3-man (and woman) commentary booth, unprecedented for any sports game.” – 4.75/5
3. *TIE*DOOM ///Battlefield 1///Titanfall 2 (X1/PS4/PC) – 2017 was indeed “Year of the Shooter”, so much so that even after finishing said games’ bad-ass campaigns, I have absolutely no fuckin’ idea which of these three is better. DOOM‘s hell was visually stunning and rapidly intense; TF2‘s colorful collection of mechs and puzzles offered ultra brilliant gameplay possibilties; and BF1‘s self-contained story vignettes packed plenty of reward, courage and heart. If you were ever a fan of any of these mammoth franchises, go collect ’em all!” – 4.5/5
4. Final Fantasy XV (X1/PS4) – “FFXV is a real treat and, perhaps, one of the best surprise plays of 2016. This side of the Blood & Wine DLC from Witcher 3, I can’t think of more preferred RPG in 2016. For a game that has also had a long run of development blunders, delays and heavy doubters, there’s a lot to be proud of here.” – 4.25/5
5. Gears of War 4 (Xbox One/PC) – If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Everything Gearheads adored about their longtime, beloved Xbox franchise is back; while it isn’t quite “survival horror”, GOW4 definitely sticks to those original roots while improving on the grotesque environs, sicker melees, horde mode and just overall personality. The last level is such a treat! Saying anymore would spoil, but you’ll see with bright eyes that the beginning of the end is, alone, worth the price of admission. – 4/5
1. Mass Effect: Andromeda – I’ve never purchased a Collector’s Edition before. That’s going to change come March 31st. Wonderfully cinematic, Andromeda plans to be the “Rogue One” of video games (it sets between Mass Effect 2 and 3); you’ll even have your own Jyn in Sarah Ryder the Pathfinder (or twin brother, if you prefer to play with a male lead). Further impact: return of loyalty missions, fragment-exploding cover, impactful multiplayer, etc. #N7Bitch 2. Cuphead – The most fun game I watched at E3 2016. 3. *TIE*Tekken 7/// Injustice 2 ///Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – If 2016 was “Year of the Shooter”, then 2017 will be the “Year of the… 4. Prey – Bethesda’s track record is damned near flawless. 5. Agents of Mayhem – The most fun game I played at E3 2016.
Honorable mention: South Park – The Fractured But Whole, Scalebound, Red Dead Redemption 2, WWE 2K18, Crackdown 3.
GodHatesGeeks @GodHatesGeeks
***GHG’s Games of the Year***
1. Battlefield 1
2. DOOM
3. Forza Horizon 3
4. Titanfall 2
5. *TIE*Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End///Final Fantasy XV
Honorable mention: Overwatch, Dishonored 2, The Last Guardian, Gears of War 4.
