The end of the year is here so, as is customary, we here at click-swipe-play are looking back at this year in gaming and forward to what will happen in 2016. But we are not quite through the holiday season yet, and if you are pondering what games you absolutely have to try on PC and Console from this year’s bumper crop, then our editors are here to help.
And we lead with Danni’s choices, which is certainly one of the stand out games of the year, Metal Gear Solid V – The Phantom Pain. Probably the final installment in Konami´s classic gaming series - at least with the blessing of its creator Hideo Kojima after his departure from the company – this really sees the franchise off in style.
While it may be a little lighter on bizarre story than other installment, MGS V more than makes up for it with its brilliantly open-worlds missions. These present you with a true gaming sandbox that let you tackle situation however you choose – never forcing you down a single path.
To increase your options, you have your Mother Base. This central area of operations must be built up by collecting resources and personnel in mission. This is all handled via the almost comical Fulton, a little tool lets you instantly air lift anything you want, from unwitting soldiers to bemused cattle.
Back on Mother Base you can research equipment, train troops, and pick between the various companions who will accompany you on missions. Through research you can expand the weapons and other technologies available, providing more options as you pick between stealthy infiltration, non-lethal combat, or all-out warfare.
Your companions also play into these decisions, letting you pick between options like faster movement on a horse, or your friendly sniper Quiet – who kills anyone who could sand in your way before they get a chance to.
Metal Gear Solid V is a game that respect your intelligence, letting you figure out how you want to play as you witness Big Boss’s evolving philosophy and falls from grace – eventually setting into motion the events of the original 1987 Metal Gear. Plus, it looks and sounds incredible, completely delivering on the cinematic vision that Kojima has clearly been having since Metal Gear Solid.
While Dani looked at the end of a franchise, Maria looked to a game that is somewhere around the middle of one… Assassins Creed Syndicate.
At some point I stopped counting, but even along the main games, the latest Assassins Creed game must nearly have the franchise in double digits – but even with the yearly release schedule the development teams at Ubisoft continue to create fantastically fun and games… at least every other year.
And this is a good year, so everybody celebrate as we head to the streets of 19th century London to rule is assassiny underworld. And it is perfect locale for the action, allowing for the towering building that make the franchises climbing so much fun, while also having a historical dark-side that has been romanticized to the point that you half expect Oliver Twist to join you on your adventures – unfortunately all you get is Charles Dickins.
Along with the new setting, this year did see a few other significant changes to the franchise. Most notable of these was that this is the first time in a main line Assassin´s Creed game that you half been able to take control of a female assassin… half take control that is. This years heroes are the Assassin twins Evie and Jacob Frye, and you must take advantage of all their skills to master the game.
Evie is far more of an Assassin´s assassin, while Jacob is more inclined to go in – wristblades first – and ask questions later. This allows them to face missions quite differently, with Evie tending to rely more on stealth over her brothers brute force.
To help with this, there is also now a wrist grappling hook, allowing the duo to scale tall buildings in a single … thwonk… zzzzzzzzzup. Amazing, a tool from the 1800s that I would happily trade for an Apple Watch.
True, in many ways Syndicate is just more Assassins Creed, but is a good one.
My choice of game that you must try in 2015 is a new series, and a little less high profile the previous picks, the download only Life is Strange. This was an episodic game that was slowly released throughout the year, with its evolving story gradually becoming more and more involved.
It is a fascinating tale about an art student in college who discovers she has the ability to manipulate short chunks of time. Cue lots of going up to people asking them a question, reversing time, and trying a different course of action until you have got the result you want. It’s pretty much everything every teenager has ever wanted – adding a touch of sci-fi to a teen drama.
It is an adventure game though, so the use of this rewind feature is not limited to conversation. You must find the required information and objects to continue, so expect some sneaking around bedrooms to find the key you need – then rewinding so you can do it
And we lead with Danni’s choices, which is certainly one of the stand out games of the year, Metal Gear Solid V – The Phantom Pain. Probably the final installment in Konami´s classic gaming series - at least with the blessing of its creator Hideo Kojima after his departure from the company – this really sees the franchise off in style.
While it may be a little lighter on bizarre story than other installment, MGS V more than makes up for it with its brilliantly open-worlds missions. These present you with a true gaming sandbox that let you tackle situation however you choose – never forcing you down a single path.
To increase your options, you have your Mother Base. This central area of operations must be built up by collecting resources and personnel in mission. This is all handled via the almost comical Fulton, a little tool lets you instantly air lift anything you want, from unwitting soldiers to bemused cattle.
Back on Mother Base you can research equipment, train troops, and pick between the various companions who will accompany you on missions. Through research you can expand the weapons and other technologies available, providing more options as you pick between stealthy infiltration, non-lethal combat, or all-out warfare.
Your companions also play into these decisions, letting you pick between options like faster movement on a horse, or your friendly sniper Quiet – who kills anyone who could sand in your way before they get a chance to.
Metal Gear Solid V is a game that respect your intelligence, letting you figure out how you want to play as you witness Big Boss’s evolving philosophy and falls from grace – eventually setting into motion the events of the original 1987 Metal Gear. Plus, it looks and sounds incredible, completely delivering on the cinematic vision that Kojima has clearly been having since Metal Gear Solid.
While Dani looked at the end of a franchise, Maria looked to a game that is somewhere around the middle of one… Assassins Creed Syndicate.
At some point I stopped counting, but even along the main games, the latest Assassins Creed game must nearly have the franchise in double digits – but even with the yearly release schedule the development teams at Ubisoft continue to create fantastically fun and games… at least every other year.
And this is a good year, so everybody celebrate as we head to the streets of 19th century London to rule is assassiny underworld. And it is perfect locale for the action, allowing for the towering building that make the franchises climbing so much fun, while also having a historical dark-side that has been romanticized to the point that you half expect Oliver Twist to join you on your adventures – unfortunately all you get is Charles Dickins.
Along with the new setting, this year did see a few other significant changes to the franchise. Most notable of these was that this is the first time in a main line Assassin´s Creed game that you half been able to take control of a female assassin… half take control that is. This years heroes are the Assassin twins Evie and Jacob Frye, and you must take advantage of all their skills to master the game.
Evie is far more of an Assassin´s assassin, while Jacob is more inclined to go in – wristblades first – and ask questions later. This allows them to face missions quite differently, with Evie tending to rely more on stealth over her brothers brute force.
To help with this, there is also now a wrist grappling hook, allowing the duo to scale tall buildings in a single … thwonk… zzzzzzzzzup. Amazing, a tool from the 1800s that I would happily trade for an Apple Watch.
True, in many ways Syndicate is just more Assassins Creed, but is a good one.
My choice of game that you must try in 2015 is a new series, and a little less high profile the previous picks, the download only Life is Strange. This was an episodic game that was slowly released throughout the year, with its evolving story gradually becoming more and more involved.
It is a fascinating tale about an art student in college who discovers she has the ability to manipulate short chunks of time. Cue lots of going up to people asking them a question, reversing time, and trying a different course of action until you have got the result you want. It’s pretty much everything every teenager has ever wanted – adding a touch of sci-fi to a teen drama.
It is an adventure game though, so the use of this rewind feature is not limited to conversation. You must find the required information and objects to continue, so expect some sneaking around bedrooms to find the key you need – then rewinding so you can do it
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