Game of the Year: South Park: The Stick of Truth
Every time the GOTY chat cropped up in the office, my mind immediately jumped to Stick of Truth. I’m fully aware it wasn’t the greatest turn-based RPG, but for somebody who has seen every episode of what I think is the greatest thing on TV, it was exactly what I wanted from beginning to end.
I can’t tell you the amount of times I laughed out loud while playing, and to tell you any of the moments that caused me to lose it would be a spoiler. I even laughed at some of the descriptions in the trophy list, mainly because many of them involved farting or cacking your pants and I’m a giant infant. Stick of Truth played like the sequel to Bigger, Longer and Uncut I’ve always wanted, and I’d choose that every day over Final Fantasy.
With other RPGs, I either give up on the main story because of side quests or ignore subsidiary missions altogether to make sure I finish the campaign. I explored every inch of the quiet little mountain town, ensuring I played everything it had to offer. From Mr. Hanky to the Crab people, I obsessed about playing every mission available.
Again, it’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it is by far the best South Park experience it could have possibly been. If you’re a fan of the show, you have to play it. Trey and Matt’s writing is as superb as any episode, and you’ll just love being the new kid in town.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
A quick glance on social media or iTunes charts will show that the world is utterly engrossed in the Serial podcast. Every week people are frantically discussing the latest episode, trying to work out ‘whodunnit’. This was exactly how I felt at the beginning of the year with Danganronpa, except I had far fewer people to discuss the tale with.
For the few people out there I haven’t sung Trigger Happy Havoc’s praises, think Phoenix Wright meets Battle Royale and you’ve almost got it. Every spare second I had was spent uncovering the truth hidden in Hope’s Peak Academy. The wonderful story that seemed to endlessly go from bad to worse for the students was great to play. The story that unfolds before you is brilliantly told, and you’ll always be taken aback when the next kill happens. Also, Monokuma stands alongside gaming’s great antagonists, with only Far Cry 3 and 4’s baddies coming close to offering such a fiendish character who you hate to see but oddly miss when they’re gone.
For anyone who has a Vita collecting dust somewhere in their house, Danganronpa is essential, especially if Persona 4 is among your favourites for the handheld.
Titanfall
Everyone expected Titanfall to be good, but I thought it was brilliant. I’ve always played multiplayer shooters, but never more than a few hours before growing bored or falling behind the pack, meaning the experience was soured by angry teenagers who suddenly became savant shooters.
Titanfall is different: even in a bad game you feel like you’re doing well. The AI cannon fodder littering the map serve to tide you over, and create a false sense of success.
The maps also expertly serve the parkour mechanics. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare delivered the best multiplayer the series has seen in years, but some of the level design didn’t quite line up with the new Exo Suit abilities. I had to alter jumps in order to land on roofs, I missed windows when leaping between buildings. This never happened in Titanfall, every map felt like a perfectly arranged jigsaw puzzle. Jetpack boosts allowed me to land in a building’s window to shoot the next hapless foe in the face. Wall-running meant I could quickly escape heavy fire and jumping between walls meant I could hop out of a narrow passage, somewhere the Titans couldn’t follow.
Respawn created a great multiplayer experience with Titanfall, and I can’t wait to see where it takes the series next.
Honourable Mentions
Mario Kart 8, The Evil Within, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Rogue Legacy, Shovel Knight, Trials Fusion, Smash Bros Wii U/3DS, Child of Light
