Developers From Naughty Dog, id, Square Enix, And More Share Their Top Games Of 2016

This may come as a surprise, but the people who make video games? They play and like them us much as us regular ol' non-developers. As we wave goodbye to 2016, we decided to reach out to developers and find out what their favorite five games of 2016 were. We asked for an ordered list with a sentence or two explaining each choice, with the qualifier that rules are made to be broken. This is why some lists might read more like 'games I played this year,' as opposed to 'games that came out this year,' feature extra honorable mention entries, or be just a list with no explanations. You can find the lists, presented in alphabetical order by last name, below.

You can look out for Game Informer's favorite games of the year lists in the January issue which will be in the wild soon.

Ian Dallas (Giant Sparrow / The Unfinished Swan)

1. Clustertruck – This is the strangest game I've played since Katamari Damacy. The premise of jumping along the tops of a series of trucks is wonderfully bizarre but it's also surprisingly intuitive and flexible as a core mechanic. The fact that you're jumping on semis gives the game a weird, surreal energy to it -- in some respects it feels a lot more familiar than games that have you jumping on turtles or clouds or whatever, but then it also makes you wonder about the drivers who steer their convoys straight on no matter what, over cliffs, into swinging blades, etc.
2. Inside – As a game developer, it's intimidating to look at what 6 years of polish can do to a game. The player's movements are somehow both expressive and subtle. So much of what's here is done extremely well -- and particularly the sound design -- but it does so without calling attention to itself. I don't know how they managed to turn 6 years of struggle into something that feels so effortless.
3. Superhot – I've experienced a lot of violence in my virtual life but Superhot is the first time I felt like I had a chance to actually explore it. Superhot takes moments that would be tedious routine in other games -- a man stepping around the corner to fire a shotgun into my face, let's say -- and transforms that encounter into something like a dance.
4. Firewatch – Lots of really smart, elegant design choices. My favorite was having the player character cheerfully swipe his hand past objects to pick them up, which looks great and saves the team from having to hand-animating every single interaction.
5. Darkest Dungeon – Ultimately I found myself really angry with this game and quit after a particularly soul crushing defeat, planning never to return. But before things got to that point I quite liked it. There's a nice, cohesive sense of dread that surrounds everything about the game.

Cory Davis (Tangentlemen / Here They Lie)

1. Inside – Inside’s unique childlike perspective pushes us through an ever-unfolding traumatic journey into darkness. Successfully making us feel small, and then creeping us out with its minimal sound and narrative design between heart-pounding terror—Inside has teeth and creates the most successful tone piece of the year.
2. Firewatch – The tone of Firewatch is unexpectedly endearing, but with dark, mysterious undertones. By far the strongest voice acting and characterization of 2016; Firewatch keeps luring me back into the lonely, contemplative, and majestic lands within its vast borders.
3. The Witness – The Witness is the most beautiful gaming experience of the year. Absolutely perfectly stylized visuals, along with an evolving “voice” from the core puzzle experience of the game. The Witness is spectacular in its simplicity.
4. Final Fantasy XV – Final Fantasy is quite possibly the strangest mix of extreme AAA production value and over-the-top, no-holds-barred, gonzo creative direction ever to grace us with its twisted, bedazzled maw. I can’t get enough of the quirky boy-band squad, the exhilarating combat system, or the absolutely unpredictable, seemingly cocaine-driven campaign these fellas are on.
5. Tilt Brush – The most mind blowingly innovative experience of the year for me—Tilt Brush reveals the immersive, creative possibilities of virtual reality. I spent days (and I’m sure I will spend more) riffing on sculptures, diagrams, monoliths, and psychedelic mandalas.

Mathijs de Jonge (Guerrilla Games / Horizon Zero Dawn)

1. Titanfall 2 – Having worked on the Killzone series in the past, it’s great to play the campaign mode of Titanfall 2 just to see how shooters have evolved in the last few years.  The pacing of the campaign is great, the twist in mechanics was an unexpected surprise, and the gunplay is simply superb.
2. The Last Guardian – It’s wonderful to return to a world like that of Shadow of the Colossus (one of my all-time favorites) and solve its puzzles. I adore the unique atmosphere, and Trico is brought to life with incredible craftsmanship.
3. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – I like the new angle of the story and the childhood flashback sections, but what really stands out for me is the way rollercoaster action sequences are alternated with vistas so stunning that I can’t help staring at them in awe.
4. Severed – I played this on my PlayStation Vita and absolutely loved the touchscreen combat system and the dungeon-crawling, puzzle-solving gameplay.
5. Monster Hunter Generations – This is a game I come back to regularly. It feels very complete in terms of options and content, and it’s good to see that the series was made more accessible without affecting the core Monster Hunter gameplay.

Rex Dickson (EA / Madden)

1. Oculus Touch – I wish I could pick just one game from the lineup but the truth is, I love almost all of them. The Oculus touch was the best hardware launch in gaming history with too many amazing games to list here. I love playing it with my kids and now find myself spending more time playing VR than I spend on my PS4/Xbox One.
2. Far Cry Primal – This was one of the few console titles I played through from start to finish this year. I love all the Far Cry games, this one was no exception. So many ways to take on encounters and riding a saber-toothed tiger into battle was awesome.
3. Adr1ft  – Really struggled to pick a favorite game from the Oculus lineup but Adr1ft really stood out for me. That feeling of floating in space in VR and watching the earth spinning beneath you was pretty transformative for me as a gamer.
4. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC – I am a JRPG fan boy and have been for a long time. The trails series on the PSVita really blew me away with story and character development. The relationship between the two lead characters (Joshua and Estelle) was as powerful and memorable to me as Cloud and Aeris back in FF7. I think I sunk well over 100 hours into this franchise and loved every second.
5. Madden NFL 17 – I play Madden throughout the year now. Between MUT and the online franchises I play in, Madden keeps me coming back all year long. It’s been in my top five since 1991 when I started playing on the Sega Genesis.

Neil Druckmann (Naughty Dog / The Last of Us)

1. The Last Guardian – My GOTY. Another beautiful tale of a bond created through interaction by Team Ico/genDESIGN. Trico is a masterclass in creating a believable, living creature. By the end of the journey I was wiping away tears – the first time that has ever happened to me in a video game.
2. Inside – Felt like I was inside (no pun intended) a dark Amblin Entertainment movie. The graphic look of the art direction, incredible animation, and fantastic puzzles created and unforgettable experience. And holy crap that final sequence... creepy, tense, and totally unforgettable.
3. Super Mario Run – Nintendo simplified Mario down to one mechanic, jump, while still retaining much of the depth of its 2D predecessors. Once I started I couldn't stop playing until I had all the secret coins on each level.
4. Rez Infinite – The best VR experience. I was immersed and transfixed. Area X was just drop dead gorgeous. I'll be coming back to this one for years to come.
5. Dishonored 2 – Amazing world building combined with some of the best level design. Loved stealthing my way through its dark corridors, discovering its hidden nooks.

For lists from Matt Firor (ZeniMax Online), Nina Freeman and Steve Gaynor (Fullbright), Kazuyuki Hoshino (Sega), and Kazutoki Kono (Project Aces), head to page two.

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/01/01/developers-from-capcom-square-enix-and-more-share-their-top-5-games-of-2016.aspx

Extended Intervew: Nathan Fillion Talks Destiny, Halo, And His Passion For Gaming

Nathan Fillion is best known for his work on beloved TV shows such as Castle and Firefly, but he's also voiced some memorable characters in gaming, such as Halo's Buck and Destiny's Cayde-6. Fillion is an avid fan of video games, especially the FPS genre. We recently chatted with him about how he got into games, if he'd ever want to play Nathan Drake, and his favorite games of all time.

[Editor's Note: This is an extended version of an interview that ran in issue #283]

What's your history with video games?

I didn't have a game console when I was a kid. Kevin next door had ColecoVision and an Intellivision. He also had a Vectrex – this was a little mini stand-up video game [system], which was quite amazing. I would trade him stacks of comics to borrow his Vectrex. I only had a Telestar, which was a little [system] that would connect to your TV and you could play Pong on it.

So when I was growing up and PlayStation came out, that was so advanced that I couldn't even imagine what was going on with games at that point. Then the Xbox came out, and when I went out and got it, the following day I had a hernia surgery, so I was down for a couple of weeks. I remember there were a few games that I really wanted that I sought after. I was like, "Give me that one, that one, and that one, and why don't you throw in this Halo one?" I didn't even know what it was. I just saw a guy with armor and a chief with a gun on the back and thought, "That looks alright." It changed everything. That game was the be-all and end-all of gaming for me.

I was public about loving that game so much, so when they came out with the second installation Bungie gave me a ring and asked me if I wanted to do a couple of lines in the game. I think we called my character Sergeant Reyn olds. I had a few lines and people went squirrely and had a great time with it. [Bungie] called me up later and said they wanted to do something bigger and invented the Sergeant Buck character. Now Sergeant Buck has become a Spartan. I love that [series]. To be a part of it – amazing, so much fun.

You voiced Cayde-6 in Destiny, which became a popular character in The Taken King. Can you talk about injecting humor into the franchise and how the recording style was different for The Taken King?

I think [Bungie] had a great game, but they were looking at it in a way that – and this is just my opinion – as, "We're off to a great start, it can get a lot better from here." So with that colossal update they did, they were able to say, "Here's a great place where this story can go."

Gamers now are far pickier about their entertainment. You have to be entertained. You have to know why you're infiltrating this enemy spaceship to get something back, why it's important, and how it plays into the drama of this war. Watching the story unfold becomes so much a part of playing the game, and it allows you to invest. I enjoy investing in the stories of the game, and I think Bungie's done a wonderful job on the story in Destiny...and of course I enjoy swooping in at the last minute, recording the voice work, and then taking all the credit.

Cayde-6 had such a warm reception. Would you like him to be a part of Destiny moving forward?

Heck yeah! I mean he’s a great character. He’s a lot of fun to have around. When I’m playing the game, he kind of has my attitude. Not me as the guy who voices him, but me as the gamer. He’s not a patient guy. He wants to move forward. He’s not into politics; he’s into action. He will do something secretly, steal his ships and steal another thing, cloak it, and send a guy on a secret mission that’s not been sanctioned by their group. That’s the kind of guy he is, and he says, “Look! It turned out great!” It’s only a bad idea if it doesn’t work. 

Would you like to continue and do more voice acting in video games? How’s it been different for you than working on a TV show or movie?

Doing voice stuff is super duper easy. You don’t have to memorize your lines. You don’t have to get pretty. No one is looking at you. You don’t even have to wear pants. You just go in there, sit down at the microphone, record your stuff – give it two or three takes, and go on to the next one. When you have a fantastic group, and I’ve been very fortunate with the work I’ve done through Warner Bros. and some of the superhero stuff I’ve done with Disney and Pixar – they’ve been so wonderful to me. They have such amazing staff doing this work, the recording staff, the directors, the voice casting, and these video games I’ve been doing are no different. They’re really good at their job, and they care about the game. They care about the story and they want it to be great. I love going into a job where everybody wants it to be great, and they’re invested and they love it. It’s a great feeling and it makes really easy because everyone is just doing their damndest to do the best job they can.

You’ve worked on popular series, such as Firefly and Castle. Which do you think would make the best video game?

Firefly, obviously. You got space ships, horses, guns, an evil government, smuggling, crimes that you can commit. You’ve got people you can help and you got the Reavers – the baddest of them all. That TV Show is screaming for a video game. 

Has it been cool to see the resurgence of Firefly on the board game circle?

I am so pleased that Firefly doesn’t die. I’m so pleased that every year I meet more fans. People keep finding it, going on 14 years now! New fans are coming all the time and they run the same gamut of emotions that we all did when we first watched Firefly. “It’s great! Where’s it going? That’s the only season!? Why did it get canceled?” Everybody has that same journey. I think that’s what brings fans together. We’ve all experienced that same roller coaster ride that people want it to continue to live by resurrecting it through board games or on TV shirts or by collecting cards or posters, what have you, and people won’t let it die, and thank god. I’ve never experienced anything like it.

[Up next: Fillion shares his top-five games and his Jade Empire regrets...]

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/01/01/extended-intervew-nathan-fillion-talks-destiny-halo-and-his-passion-for-gaming.aspx

Five Narrative Directions For The Last Of Us Part II

Warning: Major spoilers for The Last of Us and the Left Behind DLC.

The Last of Us is a well-crafted adventure that many believe doesn’t need a sequel. Could a continuation of this narrative diminish the impact of the original’s tense ending? Will revisiting these beloved characters, in a drastically different tone than the last game, be satisfying? It’s hard to say, but if anyone is equipped to deliver a promising storyline, it’s Naughty Dog.

At PlayStation Experience 2016, we were treated to The Last of Us Part II’s two-minute reveal. Ellie takes center stage as the protagonist, and a foreboding sense invades the teaser as piles of bodies lie in her wake. Joel stands in the doorway, but the emotional connection between the two seems to stutter. It’s clear that much is different this time around.

Questions and fan theories have been rampant online, and we have some of ideas of our own. Here are five narrative directions we hope to see in The Last of Us Part II.

Repercussions of the Lie
The original The Last of Us ended with Joel making a tough decision and telling an irredeemable lie. After discovering that Ellie would need to be sacrificed in order to extract a cure for the spore-borne virus turning everyone into monsters, he couldn’t face that reality. Instead, he brought her to safety, and lied by telling her that the Fireflies were no longer looking for a cure. Rather than saving the world, he saved the one person he loves.

Did Ellie believe him, or is there part of her that knows he's hiding the truth? In the final scene, we see her confronting Joel again, who insists that he is telling the truth. It’s left ambiguous as to whether she believes him or not, and it’s likely we’ll see ramifications of this in the sequel. Perhaps Ellie discovered the truth, or maybe Joel finally admitted it. Joel didn't only tell her a huge lie, but he also killed several Fireflies in the hospital, and brutally murdered Marlene. If Ellie found out, I can imagine that there would be significantly more friction in their relationship. It wouldn't be surprising to see some animosity between the two or a falling out, considering Neil Druckmann has described the sequel as "a story about hate."

Perhaps this hatred divides Ellie and Joel, but it's also possible it'll appear in the form of self-hatred. Ellie is already plagued with survivor's guilt, and if the truth came to light about Joel's decision, it's likely that this guilt would become even more crippling.

Emphasis on Backstories
The Last of Us did an astounding job of fleshing out characters that felt real. Talking to Ellie during the quieter moments brings depth to her personality, whether she's pulling out her joke book of bad puns or commenting on the world around her. What ended up really connecting me to Ellie, however, was playing through a pivotal moment in her past in the DLC Left Behind. Rewinding back to when she was first bit, the game acquaints us with her best friend Riley, and what life was like for Ellie before she met Joel or the Fireflies.

In the main campaign, we see Joel’s hardships first-hand; we know exactly what pain he went through and how it shaped him into the hardened man he is today. Ellie also saw loved ones fall at the hands of the infection. What’s interesting is that neither of them opened up much about these past traumas. Ellie briefly mentions it at the end of the game, but it's most effective and emotionally impactful when we play through the past ourselves, rather than being told about it through exposition. 

Ellie’s Sexuality
In Left Behind, we got to know Ellie better. Like most people in this world, she has lost people she loved, including one girl she cared deeply for. Ellie and Riley's kiss was a defining moment that was real, beautiful, and heart-wrenching. It was a brief romantic moment that didn't feel shoehorned in, but instead had a genuine lead up, making the sorrowful ending that much more difficult to face. While Naughty Dog's games never fully focus on romance, they have proven that they are more than apt at writing realistic romance. For example, the relationship between Nate and Elena has had its fair share of ups and downs, and the connection between the two shined brightest during the quieter moments of Uncharted 4. 

The Last of Us is first and foremost a zombie apocalypse thriller, but the original game also focused on realistic human connections. It would be interesting to see Ellie's sexuality further explored, or see how a love interest could impact the story.

A Human Enemy
In the first game, Joel and Ellie bond despite having difficult histories, helping one another move past incomprehensible traumas just by showing affection to one another. This is the core of The Last of Us. It's less concerned about an enemy figure, and more centered on character development. In the sequel, it will be interesting to see how the cast grows, and what new faces appear. Perhaps we will see the return of the Fireflies, with them becoming a more central enemy this time as Joel keeps Ellie from their grasp. Or perhaps it'll be something altogether different. What I hope is that zombies won't be the sole enemy, with more human conflict coming into play during this desperate fight for survival.

Is Joel Dead?
In the teaser from PSX, Ellie is surrounded by corpses, and blood runs down her forehead. It gives the impression that she has killed off all these people herself, and some fans believe it may have been to avenge Joel. A popular theory online is that Joel is murdered in the sequel, and that he returns as a ghost, or as a figment of Ellie's imagination, as she hunts down those responsible for his death. We never see him up close in the teaser, with his back turned to the camera as he talks softly to Ellie, which could be an indication that he's not making the full return we are expecting. It could make for an intriguing story, perhaps with Joel acting as a guide to Ellie, even though it would be a hard pill for fans to swallow.

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/01/01/five-narrative-directions-for-the-last-of-us-part-ii.aspx

The Games Andrew Reiner Finished In 2016

Something remarkable happened in 2016: My four-year-old daughter became engrossed in console games. Thanks to her growing interesting in my favorite entertainment medium, I saw a number games through to the end that I normally wouldn't have, but I'm glad I did. The two good games she had me play were Unravel, the yarn-based platformer, and Lumo, an isometic puzzle-platformer that she ended up calling "Witch Game" since the protagonist looks like an adorable little magic caster. She also made me play one terrible game: Snoopy's Grand Adventure, which may be one of the most uninspired things to ever use Charles Schulz's character.

My backlog for games I wanted to finish during 2016 is sizable, but I knocked out most of the games that I felt I needed to play – the big triple A releases, the beloved indie darlings, and even some of the weird crap Javy Gwaltney recommended. The debut of my column, Science-Fiction Weekly, also led to the exploration and enjoyment of two other titles Game Informer likely would not have reviewed: The Turing Test, which is in consideration for our Top 50 Games of the Year list (hitting in the February issue), and Valley. Capcom's Stephanie Palermo also reinvigorated my interest in classic adventure gaming through her Top 5 Games of 2015 list. I was baffled by the inclusion of Goosebumps: The Game, and decided to venture into it to see why she was raving about it. I had a good time with it, but found myself wanting more experiences like it. The outlet I found to scratch this itch is a development studio named Artifex Mundi. Nightmares from the Deep, Enigmatic, Clockwork Tales are all titles created by this studio that I enjoyed the living hell out of. Are they great games? No, but they are good fun, offering a wide variety of puzzles, and campy stories rivaling Overblood's. If you're interested in these titles, the best versions are on Xbox One.

The biggest release I didn't get to was The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine. I know it's just an expansion, but I just couldn't find a nice 30-hour window to devote to it. The three games I played the most are Overwatch, Clash Royale, Pokémon Go. Yes, two mobile games, both are likely making my personal Top 10 list (which you can read about in the soon-to-be-released February issue). My total games finished for the year? A respectable 57, second only to 2011's whopping 70.

As always, feel free to jot down the lists of games you completed in 2016 in the comments section below. There are no rules here, just games that you finished between January 1 and December 31.

Batman: Arkham Knight (second time and all DLC)
Batman: Arkham VR
Batman: A Telltale Series
Beyond Good and Evil (second time)
Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse
Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink
Dark Souls III
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Dishonored 2
Doom
Edge of Nowhere
Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek
Enigmatis 2: The Mists of Ravenwood
Far Cry Primal
Final Fantasy XV
Firewatch
Forza Horizon 3
Fragments of Him
Fru
Gears of War 4
Goosebumps: The Game
Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride
Heroes Reborn: Gemini
Hyper Light Drifter
Inside
Just Cause 3: Sky Fortress
Lego Marvel Avengers
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Lucky's Tale
Lumo
Mafia III
Manual Samuel
Mighty No. 9
Nightmares from the Deep: Cursed Heart
Nightmares from the Deep 2: The Siren's Curse
Overcooked
Oxenfree
The Park
Quantum Break
Ratchet & Clank
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter
Skylanders Imaginators
Snoopy's Grand Adventure
Song of the Deep
Star Wars Battlefront: X-Wing VR Mission
Superhot
Titanfall 2
The Turing Test
Uncharted: A Thief's End
Unravel
Valley
Virginia
Watch Dogs 2
Whispering Willows

By the Years:
2016 – 57
2015 – 52
2014 – 45
2013 – 48
2012 – 48
2011 – 70

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/01/01/the-games-andrew-reiner-finished-in-2016.aspx

Here Are The Winners Of The First Ever Steam Awards

Valve's first ever Steam Awards runs from December 22 to January 2. The winners, which were voted on by users, were announced last night. Rather than looking at 2016's best games, the Steam Awards encompasses games from the last several years.

You can click here or check below to see the list of winners. Game Informer's top games of 2016 will be announced in the upcoming February issue, which hits in early January.

• Villain Most in Need of a Hug: Portal 2
• I Thought This Game Was Cool Before It Won an Award: Euro Truck Simulator 2
• Test of Time: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Just 5 More Minutes: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
• Whoooaaaaaaa, dude!: Grand Theft Auto V
• Game Within a Game: Grand Theft Auto V
• I'm Not Crying, There's Something in My Eye: The Walking Dead
• Best Use of a Farm Animal: Goat Simulator
• Boom Boom: Doom
• Love/Hate Relationship: Dark Souls III
• Sit Back and Relax: Euro Truck Simulator 2
• Better With Friends: Left 4 Dead 2

 

Our Take
The winners of the Steam Awards were picked by the community, but it's still strange to see some of Valve's own games on there. What I find even stranger is that most of these aren't new releases, but I suppose this is a way to highlight some of the better titles that Steam has to offer. Still, nothing really stands out much here. The categories are pretty amusing, at least.

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/01/01/here-are-the-winners-of-the-first-ever-steam-awards.aspx

Reader Discussion: What Is Your Most Anticipated Game Of 2017?

2016 brought us several quality games, including titles that were long-awaited for fans such as Final Fantasy XV and The Last Guardian. Overwatch was one of the biggest hits of the year, and Uncharted 4 gave us a satisfying end to Nathan Drake's story. Today marks the start of a new year, and gamers have a lot to look forward to as we head into 2017.

What 2017 video game are you most excited for? Are you looking forward to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? Ubisoft's For Honor? As for me, I'm most looking forward to next year's RPGs, such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Persona 5. Horizon has such a neat premise with its mix of a primitive setting with advanced technology, and Persona 5 is something I'm incredibly excited since I'm a fan of the series.

You can head here to see our growing list of announced 2017 video games and their release dates. Let us know in the comments below what game you're most looking forward to!

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/01/01/reader-discussion-what-is-your-most-anticipated-game-of-2017.aspx

Video Game Trends That Haven't Gone Away

With 2016 officially gone and 2017 upon us, it's natural to look at where we are and what got us here. The past is prologue as they say, and that applies to video games. Taking a look back at some of the summations in our year-end issues of Game Informer reminds me that the past is all around us.

Combing through the last six or so years of Game Informer Magazine's year-end awards, I was not only reminded of how many great games we've been spoiled with in that time, but some of the events that were important at the time, and which are still big issues today.

Japanese Development – "Floundering Japanese Development" was number 6 on our Disappointments list for this year, highlighted by Keiji Inafune's broadside against the stagnant Japanese development industry and the ascendency of the West. Inafune was right on the mark at the time, and sadly, it's a situation that still largely persists.

John Marston/Ezio Auditore – Ezio debuted the year before in Assassin's Creed II, but he was awesome enough to rank number 2 in our Heroes list for his work in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Number 1? Red Dead Redemption's John Marston, of course. There have been plenty of video game heroes since this pair, but even today Ezio and Marston would be very hard to top. For many Assassin's Creed fans and casual players alike, the series hasn't successfully replaced Ezio, and Marston was a big part of how beloved Rockstar's reboot of the Red Dead franchise was. Number four on that year's Heroes list? Mass Effect 2's Commander Shepard.

Minecraft – The game's alpha phase was so successful it landed in our Top 10 Moments list. You know how the rest turned out.

The Patch Crutch – There used to be a time when you could buy a game, put it in your system, and you'd be ready to go. 2010 seemed to be the realization that it was never going to be this simple again. With companies relying more and more on consumers having their consoles constantly connected to the network, titles were released that needed a day one or post-launch patch. Some times these added features, but often times they were necessary just to play the game as intended. Sadly, since this time, we've become numb to the whole rigmarole.

Online Passes – As publishers became more and more worried about losing potential revenue via secondary sales [Full Disclosure – Game Informer is owned by retailer GameStop], some publishers turned to online passes to grab some of the second-hand cash. Gamers purchasing used games had to buy these passes from publishers before they could access the game's online features. Thankfully these have been mostly phased out, but after online passes, and then the Xbox One's initial attempt to impose game DRM and limit sharing, gamers still fear companies' DRM and control over games post-purchase.

Remasters/Reissues Emerge – With the predominance of HD, this year-end category makes its debut as games like Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, God of War: Origins, and Resident Evil 4 HD are redone and re-presented to the public. Since this time, the practice has become an expected and welcome way to make what was old new again.

LucasArts Goes Over To The Disney Dark Side – LucasArts hasn't always put out the greatest games, but there was always hope that a company with licenses like Star Wars and Indiana Jones could see itself to better days. When Disney took over and said that it wasn't going to get mired in game development, but instead license out its properties, nobody knew what to expect. Over four years later, the exact video game fate of one of entertainment's biggest brands – Star Wars – remains up in the air, depending on your outlook. EA is in control of Star Wars video games, but as the mixed opinions of Star Wars Battlefront illustrate, the jury is still out on whether EA's stewardship is a boon for the brand. With more games on the horizon from EA, the true effect of LucasArts' exit from the industry is still TBD.

The Walking Dead – With relatively simple graphics and gameplay, but with an engrossing story and characters, this series took the world by storm. It put Telltale firmly on the map, entrenching its episodic structure, and enabled the company to expand its approach to myriad other licenses like Game of Thrones, Batman, Minecraft, and Borderlands. The Walking Dead's third season has just begun and is already off to a strong start.

Alternate Funding – In 2012 Kickstarter and other alternate funding methods were the talk of the industry, seemingly showing a way for indies to acquire money for projects by appealing directly to fans. While games have been funded by these methods, it hasn't altered the publisher/developer landscape to the point that many had hoped. Still, the continued existence of titles like Shenmue III and Star Citizen prove that fans' voice can be powerful.

NBA Live 13 Canceled – ...marking the second time in three years that EA didn't put out an NBA Live title. This sparked a huge makeover for the franchise that it still hasn't recovered from. While EA put out NBA Live 16 in 2015, there was no console basketball title from the company in 2016. This from a company where yearly, major licensed sports titles like FIFA and Madden are big parts of EA's overall identity.

EA Drops Out of College Football – The victim of legal wranglings between multiple armies of lawyers, suffice it to say that EA has bowed out of the college football business until the NCAA sorts out the status of its student athletes and all the lawsuits therein. Not only are football fans extremely thirsty for the return of college football, the whole situation only highlights the importance of licenses to companies like EA, their expense, and how it even prevents those games/companies that don't have them from grabbing gamers' attention.

Grand Theft Auto V Releases – Not only was this a much-awaited release of a mammoth franchise at the time, Rockstar's support of the game since then is nothing short of amazing. While the delay of online co-op missions was a running joke after the game came out, the title itself has seen countless free updates that include all sorts of events, modes, weapons, customization options, and untold reasons to return/stay in the sandbox world. Rockstar's support of the game has been exemplary.

Xbox One Changes Course – Microsoft's initial decision to require an online connection and limit game sharing for the Xbox One did not help the public's perception of the system when it launched in 2013 even though Microsoft reversed course after much outcry. I believe this perception hampered the system out of the gate, and it's only until this year – when the Xbox One led domestic retail sales for four months – that the Xbox One has started to make up ground on the PS4.

Pro Gaming – Pro gaming made our Top 10 list of 2013's Successes, after years of everyone hearing how big the prize pools and crowds were getting. Since then companies like Electronic Arts have committed to eSports in their games, and with as mainstream as it's become, we still don't know if we've seen its true limit.

The Oculus Rift and VR Gaming – After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012, the Rift development kit was released in 2013 and gained momentum – signaling a new era in the attempt to bring VR to the masses. While that ultimate goal still hasn't been reached, VR is closer than it's ever been to merging quality with a relatively affordable price point.

Games as a Service – We included this category for the first time, celebrating titles like Dota 2 and League of Legends that have continued to evolve long after their initial release, rewarding players and constantly offering incentives to return. Since then, titles like Hearthstone have only further proven the validity of this model, and console franchise like Destiny have openly adopted it with microtransactions without turning off its loyal fanbase.

from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/01/01/video-game-trends-that-havent-gone-away.aspx