LogFAQs > #948516548

#2: Nioh 2

What a pleasant surprise this game was. The first Nioh was the first souls-like game I'd tried out, and it didn't wow me. It had fun combat and great boss fights, but got pretty repetitive with how much it re-used bosses and levels, and the story was completely tossaway.

Nioh 2 initially feels like more of the exact same game, except it quickly becomes clear that everything is simply better. The boss fights haven't decreased in quality at all, the weapon variety has been improved, a new Yokai Shift mechanic has been added to let you hulk up occasionally, and the story is actually engaging. In my experience, there wasn't a single area of the game where Nioh 2 didn't outclass its predecessor.

It still has the occasional problem where bosses and environments are re-used, but this is less of an issue than it was in the original, and it's honestly the only notable complaint I have. From a gameplay perspective, Nioh 2 was the best game I played this year, but that doesn't quite mean it sits at the very top of my list.

#1: The Last of Us Part II

This should come as no surprise. I've thoroughly documented how The Last of Us was (and still is) my favorite game of all time, while Uncharted 4 places in my top 5 and other Naughty Dog games hold high ratings from me. Naughty Dog rarely misses; they've proven themselves to be possibly the most consistent developer of great games.

It's going to be hard to state exactly why I thought this game was so brilliant despite all the vitriol and detractors its earned because I don't want to spoil anything for people who have yet to play it. I've heard most of the complaints people could possibly levy at this game, and while I understand a good portion of them, I ultimately have to disagree with them. The one negative about this game that I think is 100% accurate is that the pacing isn't quite right. When I realized I was only about halfway through the game, I almost felt sick to my stomach. The story's length is massive compared to most other games in this genre, and at times, the tempo slows down considerably. Some major story beats are separated by a little bit too much distance.

Nevertheless, TLOU2 delivers mountains of memorable setpieces and earth-shattering emotional moments throughout its story. And I think what wins this game so many awards are the narrative risks it took. It asks the player to accept a lot of things that you may not be willing to stomach just yet, but that's what makes it so effective. This isn't a game that wants you to be comfortable. It forces you to handle a story so deeply rooted in heartache and pain that by the end you are left coping much in the same way that Ellie is. As the player, you may not have much agency over what happens, but you are a willing participant, and your authorization to continue the unfolding events is a way to make the game's brutality extra effective. For this reason, I think it's a game you have to play to have a truly valid opinion on whether or not this game succeeds at what it does.

Another narrative piece of the game I adore is how it approaches some of its themes in an indirect way. Of course, the whole revenge thing is front & center throughout every second, but themes of forgiveness, family, and even unconditional love peek out through the bitterness. They are not what immediately captures your attention, but they are what sits at the roots of most characters' actions. It's like the motivations of the characters are at odds with the situations they've placed themselves in and the consequences they incur.

(I hope that was vague enough to avoid spoilers).

To top it all of, the improved gameplay mechanics from TLOU part 1 manage to round out the game and make it the complete package. There's nothing exactly unique or novel about it - you've got stealth, crafting, prone movement, and enemy AI that flanks you (at least on the higher difficulties), all existing ideas - but everything works so well that it's still impressive. The environments that enemy encounters take place in are well-thought out to blend the world and the arenas of combat together.

The exclusion of the Factions multiplayer mode from TLOU part 1 was a disappointment to me, but that wasn't ever the focus of this IP anyways. TLOU exists because it tells a story that tries to push the boundaries of storytelling in video games. And on that front, it has almost no equivalent. Only TLOU1 and the most recent God of War entry are games on this level of production that tell a story so impressive. Hopefully in the future we get more AAA games like this. Whether you agreed with Naughty Dog's story direction in this title, you have to appreciate the way the game dared to engage with an unconventional method of telling its story and challenged players on what they were willing to push through.

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Got a brand new blues that I can't explain