Your surprise game of 2016

[Scythuz]

Every so often you might find yourself playing a game that you'd never have expected yourself to like.  


Maybe it's a genre you don't normally like, maybe you thought you hated a series but a game came out that changed that perception entirely, maybe you were gifted a game out of the blue and enjoyed it a lot; whatever the circumstances, you were pleasantly surprised.  My surprise game of the year was Mortal Kombat X, I have had a long history of really disliking fighting games but for some reason this one just meshed with me and I keep finding myself coming back to it.


What was your surprise game of the year?

 

[Vito The Boss]

...I played much games this year, but...not one impressed me...maybe Final Fantasy XV...but I don't played it...so...

 

[Hudell]

Pro Evolution Soccer 2017.


I don't like soccer. I never liked soccer games. Two weeks ago my girlfriend watched some youtuber playing PES 2017 and wanted to try it. I was already tired of having Rocket League as the only couch multiplayer game that she likes, so decided to give it a try. Took me 6 or 7 matches to understand how to play it, but ended up enjoying it. She also enjoys it, but the only thing she manages to do is to kick the ball around.

 

[Scythuz]

@Hudell Oh cool!  I haven't played a Pro Evo game since 5 on the psp I think?  I lost interest in football/soccer a while ago but the games can be fun sometimes!

 

[HexMozart88]

Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes for me. I'm not usually the strategy type. 

 

[Enzee]

Bit of a weird one, but Motorsport Manager.


I'm not really that into Formula 1 but I was familiar enough with it to get the gist of the game, as well as the management things I was expected to do when running a motorsport team. Saw it being played online by streamers and was absolutely sold. Bought that thing in a heartbeat and played almost 100 hours in the first two weeks of owning it, and still going strong. Add to that a really dedicated dev team that keeps patching bugs and listening to the community for the more egregious ones to tackle, and the fact that mod support comes in next month (CANNOT WAIT) and you get something that is definitely my favorite game of 2016. Which is a big thing to say, seeing as 2016 was a really good year as far as gaming is concerned.

 

[Scythuz]

@Enzee - That's an interesting one, I've never really been into the management side of sports.  I'd rather drive an F1 car than manage a team's career, but I can definitely see the appeal of it! 

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

God Eater Resurrection and Rage Burst 2... I am really not into this monster hunting games but this one at least has a story (compared to the MH series games that I tried, which are almost purely just monster hunting) so I kinda actually liked it.


and Visual Novels, I didn't expect to like "playing" those but I was totally wrong, now I'm so hooked up to them

 

[bgillisp]

One Thousand Lies. It was a free visual novel on steam so I had no expectations for it to be any good, but ended up enjoying the 5 or so hours it took for me to read through the entire thing (there's no choices in the game at all, so its really just sit back and relax and enjoy the story). Though I will admit it is really silly due to how ridiculous some of the situations are, so it might not be for everyone.


Also, Fire Emblem Fates. I was surprised at how bad it was. Can I get those hours of my life back, please?

 

[Scythuz]

@Engr. Adiktuzmiko - I've been thinking of getting those, only thing is, I have the first God Eater burst game on psp and I wasn't a fan.  Which is a bit odd because I really like MH style games.  Visual novels are fun, I'm not really into the dating/romance kind but anything else that has a great setting, cool characters and/or fun plot is something I'd be interested in.  That being said, Hatoful Boyfriend was one of my "I'm surprised I like it" games haha...


@bgillisp - I remember seeing a good friend of mine playing One Thousand Lies, all I can say about it is that the store description on steam amused me, I'm pretty into silly humour though   

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

oh I have hatoful on steam, just haven't played it...

 

[Scythuz]

@Engr. Adiktuzmiko - I dare you to play it then, it's extremely hard not to cringe at how ludicrous it is.

 

[Hudell]

I dropped Hatoful Boyfriend because it wasn't cringy enough.

 

[Scythuz]

@Hudell - It sounds like you've transcended beyond this mortal coil, into a higher plane of cringeology 

 

[Milkdud]

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, I didn't have high expectations as it was the developers first major game (prior work was mobile projects), but the game is a throwback to the old Commandos series so I had to try it. Only on the 4th mission but the game has blown me away with how they've spiced up the variety in the missions so far.

 

[benj2687]

Stella Glow was game of 2016.  Knocked Fire Emblem and Dragon Quest out of the water.

 

[BWright]

Doom, how was it as good as it was!? It had everything lined up for it to be bad and it wasn't.

 

[Alexander Amnell]

Fallout 4 was the only game that really surprised me (of course it's also fully one half of the games I own that were released last year) I knew I'd love it, it was the first game I've ever pre-ordered (complete with season pass, another first) because it's Fallout and Fallout is always awesome...it took me about three weeks to get past the denial and accept that Fallout 4 was not Fallout, worried I might have gotten so old that video games just aren't fun anymore where I look at them through nostalgia goggles and judge them to harshly, proceeded to replay Old School Fallout 1-2, then the reboots 3 and New Vegas for the 101st time and concluded that no, it isn't me. Fallout 4 just isn't a good Fallout game, and would have been a better game in my eyes had it been marketed more honestly; perhaps as Farcry: Wasteland X Minecraft.

 

[LxCharon]

So it's not a game of 2016 but I didn't get around to playing Shadowrun Hong Kong until this last year. When it comes to western crpgs like this it can go one way or the other with me. Like the original 2 Fallouts? Love them. Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick? Not so much. So I didn't go into Shadowrun expecting much, especially as I enjoy Shadowrun TRPG, but it's not really my favorite system by any means.

This game though. Oh boy this game, it's one of my top 5 games now. I love it so much, I feel so connected and invested in my characters in a way I haven't felt for a video game character in a long time. It took what little expectations I had and blew them out of the water. I loved it.

 

[Astel]

I guess... Paladins?

Spoiler

Usually i don't like multiplayer games, much less competitive ones, but this one was the exception. For once, i'm actually good playing... shockingly.