Random Other Gaming Awards for 2016

On Friday I announced my Game of the Year for 2016, which was Uncharted 4. Today I’m going to hand out a few other awards related to games I played last year and gaming in general in 2016.

Best Soundtrack
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture

 
Music is an integral part of video games, and while just about all the games I played last year had at least a decent soundtrack, only a few of them I remembered for long after I finished the game. At the top of the list of last year’s memorable soundtracks is the one from Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture. If you’re interested, I’ve linked to a Youtube playlist of it here.

Best Trailer
Battlefield 1 Singleplayer Trailer

 
Lots of great trailers came out last year, more than I could remember at the time of writing this, but the one that I remember most is the singleplayer trailer for Battlefield 1. It’s not a cinematic trailer, but it has a distinctly cinematic feel, to the point where it’s almost like a trailer for a war movie. I’ve embedded the trailer below for those who haven’t seen it.

Most Disappointing Game I Played In 2016
Halo 5: Guardians

 
Let me say at the outset that Halo 5 is a good game in many ways. It earns this award, however, because its two major missteps were so unexpected, given the legacy of the Halo series. The first stumble was the absence of split-screen co-op, which removed what is in my mind the definitive way to play a Halo campaign, and the second, and far worse flaw, was the half-baked story. Hopefully Halo 6 will not repeat these mistakes.

Game I’m Most Thankful For Being Made
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst

 
I’ve called for another Mirror’s Edge game since I played the original years ago, and even though Catalyst isn’t quite everything that I hoped for, it does make a lot of the adjustments I wanted, and it kept what I liked about the first game. A special thanks goes out to developer DICE for making this game, as I suspect both it and the original Mirror’s Edge didn’t make much money in terms of sales.

Game Most Overhyped By The Games Media (that I played)
Gone Home

 
Seriously people, it’s good, but not that good.

Game Most Needing A Sequel
The Order: 1886

 
I freely admit that The Order: 1886 has some gameplay issues, but its story, characters, universe, and aesthetic are strong enough to warrant a sequel. If developer Ready At Dawn can just get the gameplay down, we could have something truly special.

Game That I Probably Benefitted The Most From Playing Late
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition

 
I played several games last year that had undergone substantial changes since their initial release, but from my cursory research it appears Diablo 3 made the most significant adjustments, and for the better. Playing late also allowed me to experience the Reaper of Souls expansion pack at the same time that I played the base game.

Game I Most Want To Return To
Overwatch

 
Though I don’t play a lot of multiplayer, I have a strange desire to go back and play a little more Overwatch. There’s no denying Overwatch’s quality (it has won the 2016 Game of the Year award from many games media outlets) and it is an incredibly stylish game as well. It says a lot about Overwatch that a multiplayer game can keep me interested in it.