5. Dark Souls II
I hate Dark Souls II. I hate it so much. But I just keep playing it. I’m probably going to buy the current-gen re-release, too. The moment-to-moment gameplay is much more fun than that of Dark Souls, but many more aspects also simply feel more unfair. Honestly, I can’t explain it. With four complete playthroughs and a character up to NG+++, there’s clearly something there.
4. Shovel Knight
The Mega Man series, with its classic platforming, absurd difficulty, and wide variety of bosses, has always been one of my favorites. Unfortunately, this style of game is entirely under-represented in modern gaming, and even less represented on modern handhelds, where I think they’re best played. Luckily, Shovel Knight comes to the rescue with its quirky sense of humor, dynamite soundtrack, and all the classic gameplay my little nostalgic heart can handle. It’s also a huge bonus for me when a handheld game can actually be played in short bursts, and, with each level only being about 10 minutes long, Shovel Knight is just excellent.
3. Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls
First off, I love Diablo 3. I’ve spent well over 100 hours in it, and even before the expansion, I kept coming back. Reaper of Souls just adds in another act, one that’s even better than the other four, and then a host of new content like a new class, Nephalem Rifts and Seasons. Additionally, the auction house was finally removed and loot drops were increased, making this feel more like a classic Diablo game. This added dozens more hours to the already delightful dungeon-crawler, and what’s not to love there?
