The System Wars Game of the Year 2015 Is...

I asked. You answered. With almost 100 votes, System Wars users came out in droves to vote for their favorite game this year.

Before we get down to the winners and the losers - and naturally, there were winners and losers aplenty this year - let's just take a moment to realize what an incredible year this has turned out to be for gaming. There were dozens upon dozens of amazing games released this year, and no matter what platform you own, you managed to find something or the other to your liking this year. Every platform put in a good showing, and we finally got to see what this generation of gaming can offer us. Some of the greatest games of all time came out in 2015- games that people will still be talking about in 10 years.

And this incredible diversity of games was best reflected in the awards and nominees this year. So without further ado, let's get right down to it:

MOBILE GAME OF THE YEAR 2015

FALLOUT SHELTER

Mobile gaming is now here to stay, and it's finally breaking out of its casual, race to the bottom, microtransaction driven bubble, to deliver some really good experiences this year. None were as great as Bethesda's first foray into smartphone games with Fallout Shelter, a game that manages to simulate the experience of overseeing your own fallout shelter vault. From light resource management to an addictive gameplay hook, Fallout Shelter far and away manages to keep us tapping away at our touchscreens, whether we're on the bus, standing in a line, or just in bed at night, waiting for sleep to come.

RUNNERS UP: Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Pac-Man 256, Lara Croft GO, Pokemon Shuffle

VITA GAME OF THE YEAR 2015

PERSONA 4: DANCING ALL NIGHT

The Vita didn't exactly have the best year, what with Sony making good on its word to not support the handheld further, and with third parties shifting their focus to the PS4 instead. But it nevertheless managed to get a few niche gems- games like Lost Dimension, or indie sensations like OlliOlli 2. Still, the one Vita game that managed to rise to the top above these all was Persona 4: Dancing All Night. Dancing All Night, the stylish Persona 4 spin off that makes a rhythm game based on Persona 4's soundtrack, presented players with a package that was uniquely stylish, and steeped in fan service (of all kinds). It was the one game that had players returning to their Vitas repeatedly throughout the year.

RUNNERS UP: OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood, Steins;Gate, DanganRonpa: Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, Shovel Knight

3DS GAME OF THE YEAR 2015

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA'S MASK 3D

The 3DS didn't have its best year on the market- in spite of a major mid life revision launch, as well as some fairly substantial games releasing on it, the handheld is in its fifth year, entering sixth, so support for it is understandably dying down now. That said, it definitely managed to get some outstanding experiences- none more so than a stroll down memory lane with the remake of the most infamous Zelda of all time. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D is something fans have been demanding since before the 3DS even launched- and when they finally got it, it was everything they had ever dreamt of. Nintendo didn't just port the game to 3DS, they managed to enhance it with 3DS specific features, such as some of the best use of stereoscopic 3D, a new control scheme, a far less obtuse quest system than the original, and even support for a second analog stick. Majora's Mask had always been a great game- and with the 3DS remake, it became even greater.

RUNNERS UP: Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker, Yo-kai Watch

WII U GAME OF THE YEAR 2015

SPLATOON

Nintendo's first new IP in over a decade is a breath of fresh air- and totally unexpected in more ways than one. From the company that has shunned action games and online gaming comes an online focused multiplayer third person shooter. But as with everything they do, Nintendo have put their own twist on the genre. Splatoon isn't as much about killing people as it is about the visceral, raw joy of territory control. Using a variety of imaginative weapons, you cover everything you see in the color of your team, and try to claim territory. It's a simple concept, taken to the extreme with Nintendo's genius development skill. And it has people returning to it months later, when other, more hyped shooters have managed to fizzle out in far less time on far more popular platforms.

RUNNERS UP: Super Mario Maker, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Yoshi's Woolly World, Mario Party 10

XBOX ONE GAME OF THE YEAR 2015

RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER

Forget for a minute the whole controversy surrounding the game being timed exclusive, or the low sales that ensued from them. Forget for a minute the fanboy wars that all of this inevitably provoked. Amidst all of this, Rise of the Tomb Raider managed to emerge an excellent game- and in the year with the so called 'Best Xbox Lineup Ever,' it managed to come out on top. Rise of the Tomb Raider manages to take the basic foundation of the 2013 reboot, and improve upon it in every way. By adding more nuances inspired by the classic games, and telling a morally grey story that makes the player question their own motives, Rise of the Tomb Raider weaves an unforgettable experience that stands at the top of the Xbox One's excellent library.

RUNNERS UP: Halo 5: Guardians, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Ori and the Blind Forest

PS4 GAME OF THE YEAR 2015

BLOODBORNE

The last time From Software and Sony Japan collaborated on a game, they left an indelible mark on the gaming industry. Their first follow up to 2009's Demon's Souls is every bit the game that that one was. Bloodborne presents players with true, psychological horror, against the backdrop of a degenerated Lovecraftian/Victorian London setting. Challenging players to constantly one up themselves, presenting them with environments that are every bit as treacherous as the enemies that they will be facing, and a horrifying story about eldritch creatures, Bloodborne remains the single best exclusive game to have been released on this generation of consoles and handhelds.

RUNNERS UP: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Rocket League, Fallout 4

PC GAME OF THE YEAR

THE WITCHER III: WILD HUNT

CD Projekt RED's conclusion to the story of Geralt of Rivia is, without a doubt, one of the greatest open world games ever made, as well as one of the all time RPG greats. With The Witcher 3, CD Projekt RED craft a world that feels real, where people exist and have problems, a world populated by real people and their real stories, stories that Geralt often plays a role in, and at other times does not. Geralt's actions may have the desired effects, or they may not, but they are always too complex to be broken down into something as simple as 'good' or 'evil.' An incredible game that manages to immerse players in its world, and make them feel conflicted about their actions in a video game, The Witcher 3 is a masterclass.

RUNNERS UP: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, Fallout 4, Pillars of Eternity

AND THE WINNER IS...

THE WITCHER III: WILD HUNT

Being called one of the greatest RPGs of all time is no small feat- in a genre that is populated by games that can very easily win the crown of greatest game of all time, The Witcher 3 somehow manages to shock and awe and comes out as what is possibly the boldest, most cohesive story we've experienced in a long, long time. The Witcher 3 does something that games rarely ever manage to do- it throws us, the players, into a vast, beautiful world, full to the brim of things to do, sights to see and monster to slay, while also telling a tight, compact story, which is backed by memorable characters and excellent writing. In a year that has seen the launch of some truly memorable games, The Witcher 3 manages to top most lists and win most awards. And for once, it can be said without reservations that all those accolades are well deserved.

RUNNERS UP: Bloodborne, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Fallout 4, Super Mario Maker, Rocket League, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Splatoon, Halo 5: Guardians, Xenoblade Chronicles X

CREDITS:

@Zassimick: Graphics and Images

@khoofia_pika: Scoring, Tallying, and Assistance with Write-Ups

Well deserved. TW3 is far better than most games this year, I don't think there has been a year other than 2013 (TLOU) when GOTY was such an obvious choice.

And that overall Top 10 is VASTLY better than GS' own. Proud of SW voters :3

Odd seeing Majoras Mask winning something, what year is this? The Witcher deserves the hype, its not the best, but the majority thinks it is and thats all that really matters. Good picks all around by System Wars.

Fine choice for goty. Although I just started playing Xenoblade Chronicles X and am really impressed so far.

What the **** is this

Heathstone: Heoes of Wacraft

Hell Yeah!

Thanks for all the effort.

lol

In my opinion,Halo 5 deserves to win Xbox One Game of the Year.

But I did read/hear Rise of the Tomb Raider was a flippin great game.PS4 players will be happy holiday 2016.

My pleasure!

If I am not wrong, Rise of the Tomb Raider was generally received better than Halo 5, critically and among players.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, Rise of the Tomb Raider only just nicked it in terms of number of votes.

As expected.

your sig is freaking me out, ff

Splatoon is good but Mario Maker and Xenoblade blow it out of the water. Just one mans opinion! Good list!

@n64dd: I don't think I've had as much fun with any game this year as I have had with Splatoon, except for maybe Rocket League. And I mean, in the votes for the Wii U category, Splatoon doubled the runner up, which was Super Mario Maker.

Funnily enough, in the overall GotY category, Super Mario Maker ranked higher than Splatoon (though both, and Xenoblade, made it into the Top 10).

Not a fan of seafood?

Hmm... seafood... sure...

I'm the kind of gamer that has lost interest in the huge majority of games. Witcher 3 is the best game I've ever played and deserves the win. In my 25 years of gaming... nothing touches Witcher 3. Not link to the past, super Mario World, half life, Diablo 2 or StarCraft.

Witcher 3 is masterpiece in gaming history. Never has a game blended crafting, customization, open world, seemless storytelling, amazing graphics and incredible immersion.

Riding along a ridge watching the sunset in one direction while there is a storm forming in the other direction is brilliant. The way weather dynamically changes with the story, the way each little random task ties into the overall world, the way you can change the controls so they are much better than Witcher 2 were all very impressive. But the way that it's an actual roleplaying game seals it all together.

Take Fallout 4, Bloodborne, Divinity, Pillars of Eternity... They all had some major roleplaying immersion breaking aspect but not Witcher 3. I can't say enough good things about it, it's as close to a perfect game as there ever was. It's a little under appreciated imo, in the time of Dragon Age Inquisition and Fallout 4 one might be tempted to look at Witcher 3 as just another open world RPG with grinding, boring clichéd dialogue, terrible animations and terrible gameplay. But nope, it excels in every area. There are no weaknesses

Dope thread.

All top quality games, which isn't surprising. Damn, sometimes we have good taste.

The anticipated games thread of 2016 should be stickied now so everyone can vote.

Yep, just did it.

Thank you! And yep, it was a surprisingly good ballot.

Really pleased Fallout 4 didn't win anything, tbh.

@charizard1605: I'm with you, very much disliked Fallout 4. Couldn't force myself to beat it, can't stop thinking about Witcher 3 and what I'm going to do differently the second play through.

That was exactly how it was with me. The trouble with my case especially was that just as I was getting to the end of Witcher 3, I started playing Fallout 4 as well. So for at least the first half dozen hours of Fallout 4, I was playing it alongside Witcher 3.

Not a good look for Fallout, lol.

Gaiz stop hating on FO4 plz

At least it wasn't Undertale, I do have to say though people on here have piss poor taste in Wii U games since Splatoon won Wii U goty...it's like did people even play Xenoblade Chronicles X?

Also how's there almost 100 votes?, there's maybe 30-40 (tops) posters that post in SW, are we counting alt votes again char?

The thing with Xenoblade, I suppose, is that it came in too late in the year. That, and the fact that Splatoon simply sold far more, which means that it has more people voting for it.

Am I reading seeing this right?

All platforms have an exclusive (well TR is timed but whatever) as their GotY....and PC has a multiplat?

I mean....it's a great game but after all the shit you hear from the hermits about "1 meeelion AAA exclusives and counting"....it's kind of a shock.

I'm just surprised that Undertale didn't do too hot, especially after how much you hear about it, well, everywhere.

The releasing way late in the year thing I agree with, but as someone who bought Splatoon and XCX, while Splatoon was a good game, it doesn't hold a candle towards XCX or SMM (which honestly I'm shocked SMM didn't get it).

Wow an actual good list, well done guys.

Undertale excels in writing, storytelling, and gameplay, but it lacks decent graphics, production values, or marketing. And the gameplay itself is targeted towards a niche market rather than a mass market. It's not the kind of game that would have mass-market appeal.

Why didn't MH4U or Xenoblade 3D win best 3ds game?

MM3D got more points

Well, SMM at least outranked Splaoton (and Xenoblade, for that matter) in the overall GotY list.

@charizard1605: Hardly any talk about it on SW though.

I have no issues with any of those picks. TR deserve xbox game of the year, The WitCher deserves GOTY, just bought Splatoon easily Wii U game of the year and Bloodborne made the Ps4 a must have for 2015. Not into vita or mobile so have no opinion on those games but great winners all around.

Nah, there were specific rules to prevent alt votes (account needs to be 90 days and/or have 100 posts before it is eligible for voting) that were enforced.

That said, the 100 votes thing is literally just an estimate. Since the polling thread had four pages (around 160 posts last I checked), and about a third were discussion posts, I just made an estimate and posted that number. Hence the 'almost 100 votes' rather than any specific number.

Yeah, but I have just heard a lot about it on gaming enthusiast boards. Would've figured it'd pull in the numbers, or at least some numbers.

This is also true, yes.

True, Undertale is popular at sites like Reddit, Tumblr, 4chan, and GameFAQs... but System Wars is a very different board to those places.

TW3 earned it. One of the few RPG's all I'll again and one of the very few I finished all quests availble,

You forgot 360 and PS3 awards. :(

Seems about right

Deserved winner.

Yeah, it's just my opinion is all. I need to play more Splatoon to be honest.

I'm so glad, I almost cried here when I saw the PC GOTY winner. #Soproud :')

PC Game Of The Year: multiplat. lolz. Though I am buying a new PC just for multiplats on the new TV. I added that for Juubs who I'm sure wants to be informed about what I'm playing on lol.

Finally getting to play Fallout 4 and Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Tomb Raider is great. I dunno if I'd rate it above Halo 5, but a couple hours in and it's superb. Fallout 4... Not enough time with.

Overall, not bad. Not the greatest year but some standouts.

Well deserved for The Witcher 3, once of the best games ever made.

Witcher 3 deserved to win. I didn't know there is a fallout game on android. I should download that. Is it free?

Witcher 3 best PC game??? WTF`?

It's imo ok to vote it the overall GOTY. But CDPR doesn't give a shit about PC anymore so this vote is sad and just wrong, guys.

Pillars of Eternity and Cities: Skylines are two examples for good PC games this year with developers who really care about PC. Witcher 3 was made with console gamers and casual gamers in mind from the very beginning. Even EA (!!!) cared more about PC with Dragon Age Inquisition which at least had its own PC specific UI...

Absolute bummer.

Geralt's actions may have the desired effects, or they may not, but they are always too complex to be broken down into something as simple as 'good' or 'evil.' An incredible game that manages to immerse players in its world, and make them feel conflicted about their actions in a video game, The Witcher 3 is a masterclass.

Nice marketing brochure for Witcher 3 - if it was just true. "The lesser evil" mantra is completely absent in Witcher 3 for most of the time. Hard (moral) hoices, especially late in the game and during the main plot, are hardly existent. But I guess for people who are only used to the typcial Bethesda "RPG" crap Witcher 3 must look like the best RPG game with the best choices ever. But at least (older?) PC gamers should know that this is SO not true.

Witcher 3 is sadly worse than Witcher 2 in all the core areas. It lost a lot of its original heart and soul during the transition to console and ultimately, the absolute mainstream.