2016 GOTY Contenders

Lost in a sea of game releases, look towards the light...

By silversuriv · September 3, 2016

Here is a list of my extremely biased, personal 2016 GOTY contenders for each category.
Be warned of spoilers!

❖ Game of the Year ❖
Rise of the Tomb Raider (Tentative: In Progress)
Tom Clancy’s The Division
DARK SOULS III
Overwatch
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

❖ Best Independent Game ❖
SUPERHOT
Stardew Valley
Enter the Gungeon (Tentative: In Progress)
SteamWorld Heist (Tentative: In Progress)
Furi
Redout

Best Art & Music
Furi
ABZU

Best Multiplayer Game
Overwatch

Best Casual Game
LEGO STAR WARS: The Force Awakens
ABZU

Most Difficult Encounter
DARK SOULS III: Pontiff Sulyvahn
Enter the Gungeon: 4th Chamber
Furi: The Star

Most Shocking Moment
DARK SOULS III: Anri's fate

Past Winners
2015
❖ GOTY: MGS V: THE PHANTOM PAIN
❖ Best Independent Game: Rocket League
Best Multiplayer Game: Titanfall
Best Casual Game: LEGO Jurassic World
Most Difficult Encounter: MGS V: THE PHANTOM PAIN: Sahelanthropus
Most Shocking Moment: Life is Strange: Mark Jefferson's revelation

Comments 5

honestgamer Staff Sep 4, 2016

I could see Overwatch winning a lot of awards this year, because it really is good. I dipped into it for an enjoyable few hours as Mercy, and I wouldn't mind putting a lot of time into it... if only I had the time to spare. Which I don't. But for people who do, it's probably the year's best value and a lot of fun. I'm old-fashioned enough to wish it had a single-player campaign, but that doesn't seem to be something as many people care about these days, so I'm probably in the minority.

Genj Sep 4, 2016

Is it really fair to call Rise of the Tomb Raider a GOTY contender when it came out last year on Xbox One? Granted that version wasn't released worldwide, so I could see an argument for someone living outside of North America, the UK, and Australia. And were you running a Sorcery or Miracle build in DS3 because Pontiff Sulyvahn isn't even the hardest boss in his game let alone for the whole year.

silversuriv Blogger Sep 4, 2016

@honestgamer
I really do love OW. I also wish that it had a single-player campaign, but with a lower pricing tier, I let it pass. I didn't buy the new Star Wars Battlefront because of the same issue.

@genj
I decided to use Steam's release date that way I keep everything consistent and allow early access games that have been out for years to contend if they leave EA (Starbound). Also, DS3 was my first DS game, so it was especially eye-opening to me. I am very weird though because I had a harder time with Pontiff and Crystal Sage than Nameless King. I went knight though so using the great fireball spell that leaves a lava pool thing wasn't in my repertoire (I saw my roommate do that and wreck him); although, being a knight made clearing an area super easy whereas he could get 2 shot by any random thing.

bbbmoney Sep 13, 2016

Pontiff was the most difficult for me by far. DS3 is currently GOTY for me. Waiting to see what Battlefield 1, Titanfall, and FFXV have to say.

silversuriv Blogger Sep 13, 2016

@holdthephone

I'm pretty excited for those exact 3 games too. I'm assuming you watched Kingsglaive? A lot of critics hated it, but I loved it. Sooo pretty, and now I'm on the FFXV hype train hardcore.