Evan Griffin’s Top 5 Games of 2016 (so far)
- The Witness (PS4)
Jonathan Blow knows how to immerse people in any world he’s created through his bleeding of atmosphere stuffed up with puzzles to solve. Taking a note from people’s nostalgia for “Myst,” the creator of “Braid” decided to spend several years building a puzzle game reflective of those in years past that expertly conveys nonverbal storytelling, and gameplay exposition instruction. The puzzles of “The Witness” all function exactly the same way, but blossom into something more complex, whether it be systematic understandings of the puzzle panel, or the use of it’s surrounding environment depending on where on this mysterious island you happen to be. Maybe the story and ending leave very much to be desired for folks who wanted something conclusive for all of their effort, but I consider the journey, and by journey I mean several solid days of obsessive gameplay with almost no interruption, is what deems this game worthy of being at the top of everyone’s list by the time the year is over.
I’ve praised this game before in my review, but for those who aren’t aware by now, “SuperHot” is everything that GoPro movie Hardcore Henry is not: immersive. “SuperHot” slows down time so much that you feel more powerful than Keanu Reeves in Bullet Time. Not much else to say here other than “read the review or play it ASAP.”
- DOOM (XOne, PS4, PC)
“Doom” is just unabashed, insane kinetic fun and is one of the best single player campaigns for a first person shooter that I have played in a very very long time. It’s more than just running around a map and shooting and taking cover to survive. Being in constant awareness of your health and ammo, and how to get them as you fight through hoards of demons, creates a air of strategy to your gameplay that is rewarding throughout each mission. Now that Bethesda is 2-0 on remaking old ID Software games, a lot of people are going to be hyped for “Quake Arena.”
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)
Having just marathoned through the Nathan Drake Collection prior to it, I was worried about jumping immediately into “Uncharted 4” as I felt like I was feeling a sort of “Naughty Dog fatigue” considering how painfully consistent the gameplay and storytelling is between Uncharted one, two and three. However, “A Thief’s End” stands clearly from the rest of the series, most notably based on how much more cinematic it truly is than it’s predecessors. Because of the superior graphical power of the PS4 by default, and the veteran cast with additional new performers, going through each chapter of Uncharted 4 feels more like a very compelling adventure television series instead of an overextended B movie. That, combined with new mechanics and improved gunfights makes “Uncharted 4” a proper, final, evolution of the Uncharted franchise in storytelling and in gameplay.
- The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess (Wii U)
Picking a favorite Zelda has always been a very subjective argument, and I never really had one to make for “Twilight Princess”. However, this remaster is just as warranted as “Wind Waker HD,” as all the love and care into the textures, characters, music and over world have been masterfully upscaled here, and the touchpad of the Wii U is just as useful in all the remakes of Zelda games since “Ocarina of Time 3D” in 2011. While the game has a lot of fetch questing and backtracking, it by far has some of the most creative dungeons and biggest bosses in the Zelda series yet, and they only look and play even better here.
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