A look at favorite games in 2016

Let’s take a look at the games that made 2016 a good gaming year for me. This past year I’ve picked one game per month, one game that grabbed my attention and made my gaming extra fun.This are the 12 favorite games of 2016.

In hindsight, 6 of 12 games were Vita games, 5 on the 3DS and 1 game on Mobile. And you know what I noticed too? I buy less games for the Vita, but when I do, it almost always turns out to be one I love.

This is my list of games of the month for 2016. I’ve added the year of release for the games too.

January:

Persona 4 Golden on the PS Vita (2012).
The game is a turn based RPG featuring Japanese high school kids that unearth the truth behind murders in the little town of Inaba. The game has a good background story, a catchy soundtrack and social interaction within the game. I do realise this game is not for everyone: the Persona can be disturbing, the murder scenes are kinda graphic and the chat between the teens aren’t for everyone. Loved this game though, and if it wasn’t that it’s already an older game, it might have been my game of the year.
Read my review here. 

February:

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth on the PS Vita (2016)
Digimon is often named in the same breath as Pokémon, it does indeed have monster gathering at it’s core. But this turn-based adventure has so much more: while fighting and collecting monsters, you do all sorts of side quests. The main quests you do make up the story, and it’s a great story too. It’s what kept me glued to the screen! It’s a must for Digimon fans, but as I have proven, a good entry point into the series for newcomers too.
Extensive review here. 

March:

Bravely Second: End Layer on 3DS (2016)
Bravely Default introduced us to a new kind of turn-based RPG. One where you could stock up on your attacks, going for the bigger effect. Based on that same kind of battle mechanic Square Enix presented us with an excellent RPG with an great storyline and very likeable characters. Bravely Second: End Layer is one of my favourite games on the 3DS this year.
 My thoughts here.  

April:

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re:Birth 2 on the Vita (2015)
A strange turn based RPG, strange in the sense that plunging in this game series made me feel like I was missing some background story. To be honest, I chose the game because of a lack of other games that month. Tried to stick with it, but pretty quickly the game got quite hard, and I wasn’t in any mood for grinding.

May:

Fire Emblem Fates on the 3DS (2016)
This long awaited strategic RPG came in threes: you can choose to play the game from the point of view of each of both battling nations ( Birthright and Conquest), and if you’d finish that, you can even go for a third point of view with Fates.

Nice enough storyline, challenging gameplay ( more so in Conquest than in Birthright) and nice side quests too.

June:

Atelier Sophie and the Mysterious Book on the Vita (2016)
Combining a good RPG with turn based fighting and the sense of discovery and crafting. For me, the Atelier games are a sure fit, and this year Atelier Sophie was a new game coming simultaneously to the Vita and PS4. For the first time there’s no time pressure in the game, which seems to lean more towards simulation. Interesting with friends and townies, the weather makes a differences in the gameplay.
You can read my review here. 

July:

Pokémon Go on Mobile (2016)
I guess you must have been living under a rock if you don’t know about Pokémon Go. Even people who don’t like playing video-games know about this game. It’s been all across the media for months, and even now that the hype is gone, some of my non-gaming colleagues still play it. Which to me is a sign of a hugely successful game.

August: 

Style Savvy 2; Fashion Forward on the 3DS (2016)
There are some gamers out there who won’t look twice at this game, even thinking it’s not a real game at all. They are so wrong, as this management/ simulation game is fun to play. It’s bright, there’s a lot to do managing your own boutique, making sure you have enough variety in stock, doing your clients hair and makeup and designing for fashion shows as well. Fun and addicting!
Find my review here. 

September: 

Animal Crossing New Leaf (and Welcome Amiibo edition) on the 3DS (2013)
This three year old game recently had a free update that added new game elements and gave the game a new lease on life. But even without the update, Animal Crossing has a way of not letting go once you’ve checked in as mayor of your little town. I will go as far as to say that there is no better simulation game out there. It’s relaxing, soothing, has great connectivity and it can be an outlet for your creativity.
See what the update entails here. 

October: 

Dragon Quest Builders on the PS Vita (2016)
A very special sort of RPG: you have to rebuild the world using building blocks and recipes, while fighting in real time with enemies. It’s a wonderful combination of exploration, crafting, building and real time fighting.

Find my review here. 

November: 

World of Final Fantasy on the PS Vita (2016)
Find yourself collecting Mirages in the world of Grymoire in this colourful game with a good storyline. The battles are turn based, and like with all monster collecting games, you feel the need to find all Mirages. The characters you meet are familiar from former Final Fantasy games, but they are all chibi-fied into cute little characters.
My thoughts here.  

December: 

Pokémon Sun and Moon on the 3DS (2016)
I have yet to publish my Game of the Month article, but even with 10 more days to go in December, how can it be any other game then Pokémon Sun and Moon? The series has changed over the years, but this time the changes are more profound, which makes the game feel fresh and new. Monster collecting at its finest in this turn-based adventure game.