My Favorites of 2016: 7-4

I wouldn't be a video game site without a proper top 10 list at the end of the year. Unfortunately, I don't have games sent to me, or a full work week to dive into longer or stranger game, or even every current console, so there are some large gaps in this list.

There were some AAA games I still haven't touched this year that likely could've made the list. I'm waiting for that Hitman full season to be pressed to a disk and I didn't have enough friends concentrated on one console to tip me over the edge to get Titanfall 2.

So, without wasting further words, here's game 7-4 of 2016.

Game 7

Played on: Vita

Severed captured my imagination in a way that it hasn't since Zork: The Grand Inquisitor did.

You explore dungeons, slicing the limbs off of monsters. It's great at teasing rooms you can't get into yet through cracks in the walls, and you bang your head against ... well... the wall ... trying to find a way in there. 

Drinkbox Studios was one of the last developers loyal to the Vita. Sony had long abandoned the platform, countless other games were cancelled and moved to other systems, even some of Vita's biggest exclusives like Gravity Rush and Tearaway were remastered for the PS4. Drinkbox however stuck to their guns and released Severed for the Vita. 

It was a short lived exclusive as you can now get it on mobile platforms, but for that moment in time, Vita owners remembered what it was like to be cared about. 

Game 6

Played on: PS4

Dragon Quest Builders is such a weird idea I didn't know I wanted. Basically, "we have this fantasy world that already exists, and that Minecraft game keeps selling, let's mash the two together. Oh yeah, throw in some Dark Cloud for good measure."

As you attract people to your town, they give you quests like, "I need a kitchen, here's how you build it." And then you do just that, build it. 

Like Minecraft, it taps into that LEGO building part of your brain. The main strike against Dragon Quest Builders is that you leave behind your creations as you move onto new levels, not letting you build the giant city you imagine. 

Game 5

Played on: PS 4

Battlefield 1 was a refreshing change from the advanced warfare first person shooters from the past few years. 

I was tired of the jet packs, grappling hooks, lasers, and drone strikes. I was excited to go to a time where you crawled through the mud with your bolt action imprecise rifle. A time where people still road horses through the battlefield 

Battlefield is one of the best looking games I've ever seen on a console. There are times where you're running through the woods, explosions going off all around you, trees falling over, smoke hugging the ground, and you can't believe you aren't watching some time travelers HD documentary about the actual war. 

And EA solved the issues we saw with Battlefield 4 where the server would boot everyone from the game randomly or maps were so large that you often spent most time running to the battle than actually being in the battle. They made maps that played to the strength of each class about equally. 

Game 4

Played on: PC

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided sort of flew under the radar of most people. I looked at my Steam list and only saw two other people that had played it. 

Ubisoft tried to make a game that tackled tough issues of racism that we see on a global level today, but in their future dystopia. There were times where things were subtle and I was intrigued, but mostly the game threw it in your face a little too hard, especially when Aug Lives Matter played into the story. 

Despite that major flaw, the game was fun and had me searching every vent and catwalk available, looking for the best way to take a room out quietly. It wasn't as good of a game as Human Revolution, but in a time between Metal Gear Solid 5 and Dishonored 2, there wasn't much for stealth game lovers and Deus Ex filled that gap.