First Runner Up: XCOM 2
XCOM 2 was long-awaited, as the original hadn’t received its due sequel officially (what with the failure that was The Bureau: XCOM Declassified). It holds an intensely difficult campaign that really pushes you to carefully plan your next move, especially if you chose to make your characters resemble friends and family. Maybe not so much if you shaped them after your enemies.
It’s precisely there, too, where XCOM 2 thrives. The overarching story that the developers crafted is pretty predictable and forgettable. However, the story you make with the soldiers you recruit and the way you approach missions is what really makes the game. It’s a telltale sign of a good game: how many moments you encounter that make you want to tell your friends all about them. “You got wrapped by a giant alien snake’s tongue, but Emily came in and slashed you free… but then Diana was mind-controlled and killed you both with a grenade.”
There will be plenty of challenging moments as you play through the game that will make you grit your teeth and maybe even reload a save entirely. But even so, you’ll come out feeling more fulfilled than you would with any other game this year. How many times you’ll get knocked down, but not out, by XCOM 2 is what really makes it special.
