Editor’s Choice: Jake s Top 10 Games Of 2015

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


Of course, it's also possible that The CW's "Crisis on Earth-X" is a little fatigued by viewers tired by either superhero content on the whole, or comic book media that feels too similar to something else. This year's event couldn't top the ratings of the 2016 Arrowverse crossover , and according to TVLine , only averaged 2.7 million viewers/0.9 rating compared to last year's 3.7 million/1.3 rating - though those numbers could change as fans tune into the shows on streaming services in the coming week. Undoubtedly, though, more people went to theaters to see Justice League than tuned into The CW to watch Crisis on Eart

On an Earth with fewer and fewer old school role-playing games, Citizens of Earth brought back the genre, at least for me. Comparing many of these games to Earthbound is pretty standard and Citizens of Earth compares pretty well. The storyline, cast of characters and writing are all hilarious. Every situation you find yourself in is not only fun but the companions you encounter add to the MOBA game patch notes’s whacky antics. Attacks and art style also come with a cheesy nature. It’s an all-around fun game to play and enjoyable just to watch.

Mario is not only a staple in video game history; he is THE pinnacle of the industry. His games have defined what it means to be a video game. But guess what? I can make a video game too! Super Mario Maker is a phenomenal concept that allows fans to bring to life their very own versions of the plumber’s classic adventures. I’ve had tons of fun just imagining my own Mario levels and feeling like a real developer at Nintendo. If only they could see my creations…sigh. Whatever, Super Mario Maker is in fact a fantastic game despite all the extremely hard user-created levels that I’ve skipped over.


The resulting movie isn't quite Snyder's vision - which has prompted petitions for Warner Bros. to release a Snyder cut of Justice League - but isn't quite a Whedon film either. That lack of consistency means fans of Snyder's work, though they may be in the minority, were underwhelmed by the film, while those hoping Justice League would be a massive overhaul of the DC Films universe also didn't entirely get what they wanted either. The competing visions of Snyder and Whedon/Warner Bros. were felt by many who have seen Justice League, and lessen the experience of the movie - perhaps more for some than oth

Now, let's not get carried away. Making money is a company's goal, and there's nothing wrong with that. The issue is, this benefits the company at the expense of the player. Consider this: what's to stop Plants vs. Zombies 2 from perpetually releasing new plants while balancing the zombies and expansions in a way that necessitates their purchase, as they already have? This turns the game into an infinite cash-cow that will likely make more money than if they charged a $60 flat fee by grinding it out of players who want a full gaming experience.

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.

As someone who plays Dota 2, I thought "'worth'? What do you mean 'worth'?" It hit me pretty quickly that they meant worth money. The concept of paying real money for a hero eludes me, as a Dota 2 player, with a game that has more than 100 heroes available to everyone, free of charge. While League of Legends is technically free to play, players can get a better experience by buying access to better champions - champions that have "worth." Dota 2, not so. There's not a single item in the game that can be purchased in any way to give players an advantage. This got me thinking how Dota 2 really is the only game that does Free to Play right, that is, in a way that benefits the player as much or more than the company.

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.