2015
17) Megadimension Neptunia V-II / Megadimension Neptunia VII-R
Publisher: Idea Factory International
Platform(s): PlayStation 4 / PC
Release Date: February 2, 2016 / May 8, 2018
Steve Baltimore says:
Megadimension Neptunia V-II was first released in 2015 in Japan, and it was the first entry in the Neptunia franchise to be released on the PlayStation 4. This gave Compile Heart more horsepower to work with in order to create the latest and greatest entry in this over-the-top series. Sporting a brand new graphics engine and a much improved soundtrack, the game was a big hit with fans.
Megadimension Neptunia V-II made our list of games of decade because of just how unique it is. There is no other franchise like the Neptunia franchise, as it spoofs the video game industry in hilarious ways. This game amped all this up to 1000% even going so far to parody a famous internet forum known to share false leaks from the industry. The updated release Megadimension Neptuina VII-R not only had an improved graphics engine, but you could spend some quality time with your favorite Goddess in VR as well. This worked without a VR Unit as well, so all fans could enjoy this. Every game in the series improves on the last, and while its been a while since a mainline entry in the series has been released, fans are very much looking forward to it.
18) Stella Glow
Publisher: Atlus USA
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: November 17, 2015
Jenae R. says:
Stella Glow was Imageepoch’s final game before they went under. It takes place in a world where the people have had their ability to sing taken away a long, long time ago. The only people left who can sing are the various Witches. One day Hilda, the Witch of Destruction, starts trapping cities of people in crystal. When she does the same to Alto and Lisette’s town, they go on a journey to stop her.
This is a game that was greatly overshadowed by other SRPGs [Strategy Role-Playing Games], mainly Fire Emblem. But the lack of attention it got doesn’t make it any less of a great game. It’s a game that after playing, will legitimately cause you to be disappointed when you remember Imageepoch is gone. Stella Glow is one of the best SRPG titles of the decade. It has everything that makes an SRPG wonderful. Characters with heart whose stories you want to follow. A beautiful soundtrack that suits it perfectly and sets the atmosphere for battles. And finally, challenging battles which you not only have to grind for, but also must think about carefully and strategically if you even hope to succeed.
19) Super Mario Maker
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform(s): Nintendo Wii U / Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: September 11, 2015 / December 2, 2016
Leah McDonald says:
Have you ever wanted to design your own Mario game? That’s the central conceit of Super Mario Maker. Players are given a sandbox full of iconic items, landscapes, and characters from Nintendo’s flagship series, free to design any level of their choosing within the constraints of those items. Want to make insane speedruns with tricky jumps? Go for it. Want to challenge players to precision gameplay where one mistake means game over? Have at it. Or maybe you want to show off your musical side and build impressively large self-playing levels that use the game’s building blocks to create music? You can do that, too.
Super Mario Maker is one of the best games of the decade – and one of the best Mario titles, period – because it gives players a chance to both create and experience entirely new concepts using simple building blocks. For many adult gamers who grew up on Nintendo titles, it’s a nostalgia trip with a twist, giving them behind-the-scenes access to the games of their youth. And for their children, it’s a fun, interactive game they can share with their parents, bonding over mutual love of these timeless titles, while also teaching the fundamental building blocks of game design. It’s edutainment at its best.
And that covers it for the years 2014 and 2015, and the next five entries of our top thirty-one best games of the decade list!
Do you think South Park: The Stick of Truth or Dark Souls II should have been included in our list? What about any other games from this time period?
Let us know in the comments below!
