Game of the Year – SoulCalibur 6
Game of the Year is a highly subjective thing. Usually you are looking at a AAA powerhouse like God of War or something that was best-in-class in a preferred genre (like Ni no Kuni II as RPGs are probably my favorite genre). However, Soul Calibur 6 did so many things very well and I continue to come back to it time and again since it released. The presentation is solid, if not spectacular, but it’s more about the combat and the systems. The RPG-light create-a-character mode is one of the best single player fighting game offerings I have ever experienced, the actual story mode is very well done and the combat is a great deal of fun, whether against the AI or another player. Soul Calibur 6 checked a bunch of boxes I did not even realize I wanted my fighting games to tick, but whether I am firing it up for a quick few matches or for an hour-plus session, this is the most fun I have had with a game this year.
First Runner Up – Ni no Kuni II: The Revenant Kingdom
It was no secret that I loved the original Ni no Kuni. It was flawed, but it was absolutely enchanting and I spent a ton of time with it. Well, Revenant Kingdom managed to keep almost everything that was great about the first game and improved many of the problems along the way. It is a grand adventure that has a ton of charm in its characters and story and is a great way to spend a lot of hours.
Second Runner Up – Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Yakuza 6 gave me a character that I really cared about, and a story that I felt the need to see through until the end. It’s wacky, there’s some padding that hurts pace a little now and again, but there is a ton to see and do along the way and all of it is presented very well.
Biggest Surprise – METAL MAX Xeno
Everything about this title screamed that it was put together on a budget. I can’t remember the last time I installed a full fledged RPG that had such a small install foot print on my PS4 (I believe it was about 3GBs). I did not particularly like the main protagonist, yet many of the other characters were charming and enjoyable. The further I got into the game, more of the mechanics appealed to me further and further and before long I found myself having played through the entire game. I came into METAL MAX Xeno with pretty low expectations, but JRPG fans such as myself should find a lot to like here.
Guilty Pleasure – Shining Resonance Refrain
There’s nothing new about Resonance. In fact, it is a remake of a game from the last console generation, and there are certainly times it plays and looks the part. Yet I enjoyed the characters, the story and the various systems a great deal. So much so that it was one of the only games I bothered to platinum trophy this year, and I played through it twice to experience the extra content. I came back well after posting my review just to do that, making Shining Resonance Refrain my video game comfort food of 2019
Biggest Disappointment – Final Fantasy Dissidia NT
I almost went with Telltale or The Walking Dead’s final season here, because really that has been one of the most depressing storylines in the industry this year. That being said, Final Fantasy Dissidia NT kills me, because I loved the game on the PSP. I logged so much time into it and this latest update just left me feeling cold. The RPG elements are basically gone, the combat is incredibly thin and despite the fact that it looks and sounds gorgeous, the entire experience was a hollow one for me. Considering I was looking forward to it since the moment the title was announced and picked up the deluxe version on day 1? It’s pretty easy to say this was a disappointing release for me given how little I still play it.
