While the Xbox One itself is still working hard to catch up to the PS4 in terms of sales, Microsoft is reporting higher first party sales and an ever increasing momentum. It’s amazing to think that roughly two years ago, the Xbox One was lagging behind with the inclusion of Kinect and a higher price tag. As Phil Spencer’s rise to the head of the Xbox division commenced, we saw a return to hardcore gaming and a wealth of great releases worth spending time on. Some titles didn’t exactly live up to their lofty expectations this year. However, others came out of left field to impress us and leave their mark as we enter the New Year.
Nominees:
- Forza Motorsport 6
- Halo 5 Guardians
- Ori and The Blind Forest
- Rare Replay
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
Winner: Forza Motorsport 6
We weren’t fans of Halo 5: Guardians turning Cortana evil but we enjoyed the new twists in the traditional multiplayer experience. Ori and The Blind Forest was an excellent platformer, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition showed us how a remaster should be done and Rare Replay is perhaps the greatest old-school compilation ever produced.
Then again, Turn 10 Studios seriously stepped up this year with Forza Motorsport 6. Not only did we get 26 tracks and more than 450 cars across a range of different leagues, a lengthy Career mode and an extensive Showcase mode full of unique little missions to complete, Forza Motorsport 6 had enough to keep us busy for a long time. Factor in the excellent presentation with commentary from former Top Gear presenters James May and Richard Hammond, a 1080p resolution and near 60 FPS frame rate and an awesome progression system that rewards you constantly and you have a game that does a great job at presenting challenges while providing enough incentive to complete them.
Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.