Another strategy game I played on my list is SteamWorld Heist and it’s a winner for me. Understanding the gameplay is simple and the story jumped right into the action. Exploring randomly generated ships and shooting it out with robots makes every stop along the way a true challenge. The old west aesthetic and steam-powered environment in SteamWorld Heist is pulled off much better than Wild Wild West. It’s almost the complete opposite of SteamWorld Dig but you could say SteamWorld Heist is a more grown-up version in the series. It’s a game to both kill time and robots with.
On a slightly cheerier note, Galactic Cafe’s funny and cerebral indie title The Stanley Parable also scored four nominations, as did the dystopian bureaucracy simulator Papers, Please , which is up for a Best Game award. Other nominees for Best Game include Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Super Mario 3D World . Tomb Raider has three nominations, as does mobile title BADLAND and Beyond: Two Sou
I saved the best for last on this list. While many folks pointed out Nintendo’s lack of original titles, Splatoon made a splatastic debut and made up for the last few decades. The cute, colorful, simple online shooter is a friendly way to introduce players to the genre. Clever weapon designs and fresh gear to wear makes Splatoon a uniquely designed game. It’s not serious or violent like many others, which appeals to players of all ages. Friends, parents, kids and squids can all enjoy this MOBA Game DLC together and not have to yell or scream about campers. Inking the entire level and fending off the other team is a big task, but Nintendo made it enjoyable. Plus, you might run into a Squid Party and those are always fun to mess with. Splatoon is my choice for best game of 2015.
Shovel Knight was released back in 2014 but it just wasn’t enough. Luckily, Yacht Club Games came out with a whole new storyline and adventure centered around Plague Knight with Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows. In it we’re playing as one of the bad guys as we go off to do bad guy things, but is Plague Knight really all that bad? He’s definitely one of the most interesting characters in the game and ditching the shovel in favor of potions and explosives is a great change of pace. Altering the story to fit Plague Knight is a great addition to the classic NES-style platformer. Playing through all the same levels we’re used to but as a different character bring a new perspective to the world. We can only hope every knight will get their chance in the spotlight.
The HGC Western Clash pins the top four HotS teams from North America and Europe in a bracketed tournament (more on that shortly). The winner of the tournament will win the Western Clash trophy, the $30,000 cash prize, and an additional spot at the HGC Finals, which will be held between October 25th – November 4th of this y
The two (former) professionals are Olzhas “Naiman” Batyrbekov and Dan “Alchemixt” Walton. The two lesser known players were only identified by their gamertags, XzaM and Damnery. While Blizzard has banned players for offenses like botting and win trading in the past, this is the first time they have publicly named the players. It seems like they’re stepping up their efforts to clean up the professional scene as Blizzcon gets clo
No list of Blizzard cinematics would be complete without mention of the original World of Warcraft reveal trailer. In many ways, this is the trailer that kicked off the modern era of Blizzard gaming. The reveal trailer takes players back to Azeroth after Warcraft 3 and offers a brand-new perspective on the Warcraft setting. Aside from Trolls, just about every race and class get some love in this trai
Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V isn’t lagging too far behind, with a respectable nine nominations in categories including Best Game, Best British Game, Best Performer (for Steven Ogg, who voiced Trevor) and Game Innovation. Released to both critical acclaim and the usual controversy, Grand Theft Auto V was the first game in the franchise to feature three protagonists, with the player able to move between each of them at almost any t
Blizzard dropped the ban hammer this past week on four different players for “win trading,” including two well-known professional players. All four players are now disqualified from the World Championship, and the two pros have apparently had their entire Hearthstone account shutdown as w
It’s no secret that Mists of Pandaria is not the most beloved World of Warcraft expansion. Many players were disappointed by the game’s move in a seemingly less serious direction, especially as it arrived just after one of the darker stories in the game’s complicated l
Talon can be very strong, but I think he is well balanced overall within the game. The frustrating thing is that damn ability to parkour. Walls are no obstacle to the man, making chasing him a fool’s endeavor. Even if you somehow catch up to him, the expenditure of time and effort negates the gain of putting him down. One of the barriers that keeps lower elo players from advancing is the inability to capitalize after winning a team fight. Talon exploits those inabilities. He may be the last person left alive, with little health, on his team, but he is so hated, that instead of putting pressure on objectives to win the game, the enemy team will chase him through his jungle gym. Seen here in his premium monkey skin, Talon wastes the enemy team’s t