06/12/2016 - The best games and television of 2016
Television:
It’s been a bit of an odd year for Television. Two of my favourite 2015 shows were renewed for a second series… but they wouldn’t broadcast until 2017. Doctor Who, similarly, took a year off. No, I have no idea why. Still, we’ve had no shortage of good shows this year. Some of them are even from the same country I was born in! How surprising, it turns out Britain still knows how to make good television. Who would have thought it?
Well, let’s get started.
1) Game of Thrones: Series 6
What is it?
Don’t play that game, you know what Game of Thrones is. It’s everyone’s favourite fantasy series with dragons and mysterious frost zombies.
Why is it good?
So, it turns out that George R R Martin was holding Game of Thrones back. Significantly. Series six started slowly… but then again show me a series of Games of Thrones that doesn’t start slowly. Aria Stark was given something to do that wasn’t washing bodies (hooray) and managed to get her way out of that tedious plot arc in Bravos. Jon Snow did some Jon Snow type stuff, culminating in a wonderful and disturbing battle. Titanic shifts of power happened in the North, the Iron Islands and in Kings Landing. The Narrow Sea is finally being crossed and Dorn might have some fun stuff next series.
Series six did have some problems. Ramsey Bolton, for example, was a terrible character. He was nothing but an unrealistically evil villain. His role added nothing to the series that couldn’t have been performed by his father with none of the gratuitous rape scenes. Still, when it was good it was so good. Episode ten in particular was amazing.
2) Dark Matter: Series 2
What is it?
A character focussed science fiction series about the exploits of a set of amnesiacs on the run from just about everyone.
Why is it good?
The first series of Dark Matter was really, unexpectedly good. Series 2 mostly matched that level of quality. It remained twisty and turny. Its focus on characterisation and plot was maintained, as was its dark sense of humour. Characters grew, other characters died, other characters regressed to earlier states. Series 2 was very good. As with Game of Thrones, it had a couple of wobbles… but they were nothing too bad. Dark Matter never quite rose to the heights of Game of Thrones but it didn’t have that series’ troubles either. Dark Matter isn’t truly great television. It settles for being merely very good.
3) And Then There Were None
What is it?
An adaptation of Agatha Christie’s best murder mystery novel.
Why is it good?
I’m cheating a little with this one as technically And Then There Were None came out right at the end of 2015. It was broadcast on the 26-28th of December 2015. My logic is it was too late for me to include it in my top 10 last year so I’m going to include it this year.
And Then There Were None did what I thought was impossible: It adapted my favourite Agatha Christie novel brilliantly. Changes were made (almost universally for the better) but the amazing oppressive atmosphere from the book was only enhanced on the small screen. There have been around twenty adaptations of Christie’s novel so far according to Wikipedia. According to reviews, most of them aren’t very good. It’s wonderful to finally have an adaptation that lives up to the novel. It even improves on it in some ways. I just wish they’d filmed multiple endings with different murderers for the purposes of re-watching the series. That would have been fun.
4) Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
What is it?
An adaptation of an acclaimed novel by Susana Clark. Set in the 19th century it focuses on themes of knowledge, betrayal and passion.
Why is it good?
I was really glad this novel was adapted to this wonderful series. This is because I refuse to read the book. The audio version (I only really read audiobooks these days) is 32 hours long. I find that when a book gets over 14 hours long it could do with things being cut here and there. I honestly don’t know how I’d get through a 32 hour book.
Still, now I don’t need to! The series was beautiful, well written and extremely gripping. It was never quite as good as the shows placed higher on this list bust still, it is definitely worth a watch.
5) Westworld
What is it?
An adaptation of Michael Crichton’s film of the same name. The series focuses on an amusement park where lifelike androids entertain their human guests.
Why is it good?
I watched the film of Westworld when I was little. Probably I was a bit too young because that film is really quite dark at times. Anyway, I was cautiously optimistic when I heard HBO were going to adapt it and, so far, my optimism seems well placed. It’s fun, it’s interesting, it’s well written, it’s well acted and it’s often extremely brutal. I’m more interested in certain plot threads than others (the show seems determined for me to care about Delores. I think I used to but I haven’t done for a few episodes now) but when it’s good it’s really quite good.
I don’t think the show really gets what it’s trying to be just yet. There are a lot of disparate elements floating around each other, occasionally banging into themes of identity and loss. Big questions are everywhere (what makes you, you? Etc.) but the show doesn’t really have one core storyline or theme with which to anchor itself to.
6) Banshee: Series 4
What is it?
The final series of a show about an ex-convict who winds up as a sheriff in a small town. It’s a gloriously pulpy series rife with gratuitous nudity and wonderful martial arts sequences.
Why is it good?
Banshee Series 4 is remarkable for two reasons. Firstly, it pulled the series back from the pretty serious quality dip that was Series 3. Secondly, it ended the show in a way that was satisfying.
This cannot be understated. I have never seen a television show end well. When shows don’t get cancelled their quality tends to fade so much there’s no point in continuing to watch. Occasionally shows will be allowed to wrap up properly. Such endings are usually a mess where the lingering plot threads are tied up in a way which is neither satisfying nor entertaining. See the finale of Battlestar Galactica for an example.
The ending to Banshee isn’t perfect, by any means, but it is good and that makes it unique as far as I am aware.
7) Fleabag
What is it?
A BBC comedy about a foul mouthed woman and her quest for emotional and financial stability.
Why is it good?
The positioning of Fleabag in this list might be a little controversial. Certainly it was good. Occasionally it was great. It was emotionally raw and extremely funny. Still, was it better than the show in position eight on this list? Possibly not. What it is, however, is complete. I know how good Fleabag is. It’s very good. The show below this one might suddenly go off the rails next time it broadcasts an episode so on that technicality it gets stuck behind Fleabag. Hey, if life was fair my country wouldn’t have voted to Brexit.
8) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Series 2
What is it?
The second series of Rachel Bloom’s wonderful musical comedy about a neurotic but highly intelligent woman looking for love in a small town.
Why is it good?
Series two of Crazy Ex-Girlfirend is incomplete, so it’s hard to judge how good the complete series will be. So far it’s been… interesting. Things have changed a lot since the finale of series one. I honestly don’t know where series two is going to go from here. That’s exciting… but also worrying. Will the writers be able to maintain the level of quality they’ve managed so far? Time will tell.
9) You’re The Worst: Series 3
What is it?
A black comedy about a series of objectionable people who make each other more mentally healthy through the power of companionship.
Why is it good?
It’s a shame to see You’re The Worst so far down this list. Series 2 was my favourite series of last year. I doubted series three was going to be able to live up to that, and I was right. It didn’t. Series three was a little worse than even I’d hoped, annoyingly. It wasn’t bad by any means, but there were a few contrivances and character developments that took the show one step closer towards being a Soap Opera. I enjoyed watching the series but the last few episodes left a bad taste in my brain. I’m not sure if I’m going to bother with the fourth series.
10) Speechless
What is it?
A comedy about a family’s exploits and the challenges of caring for someone with cerebral palsy.
Why is it good?
Speechless is a tricky one. Only six episodes of the first series have aired so far but it’s a show I’m already very fond of. It’s hilarious and unafraid to tackle difficult subjects. I’m a big fan of any show that promotes disability awareness and Speechless gets so much right. They even cast someone with cerebral palsy to play the chap with cerebral palsy. I know it sounds obvious but this is actually really, really rare.
Honourable mentions:
Stranger Things! It was good but not better than other things on this list.
Wagnaria!! Is an absolutely hilarious and totally bonkers anime but, again, not as good as other things on the list.
Adam Ruins Everything Series 2! Or series 1.5 or whatever. The American series system is bonkers. Still, it continues to be a good show, just not quite as special now they've moved outside topics they clearly really wanted to talk about.
Last Week Tonight & Full Frontal with Samantha Bee! We've really needed biting news satire this year, more then ever.
Disappointments:
Limitless was cancelled
What Was It?
Limitless was a television show acting as a pseudo-sequel to the film of the same name. Brian Finch takes a pill that unlocks his LIIIIIMITLES BRAIIIIIN POTENTIIIIIIAL. He then goes to work for the FBI solving crimes because of course he does. It was a really great, fun, silly show. It managed to occupy the space that has been empty since Leverage was cancelled. Unfortunately, because we cannot have nice things, Limitless wasn’t renewed for a second series.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt series 2
What was it?
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is the new show from 30 Rock creator Tina Fey.
Why was it a disappointment?
Overall, the series was decent. It struggled to have anything to say for long parts of series 2. Titus reverted to being a tedious stereotype for episodes at a time. An excellent guest role for Tina Fey brought things together a little but generally the series was killed for me by an episode that wasn’t just bad, it was also massively racist.
Class
What was it?
Another in the long line of Doctor Who spin off shows. It followed six human teenagers, an alien teenager and an alien psychopath as they deal with various threats that emerge at Coal Hill School.
Why was it a disappointment?
The first episode of Class was great. It was morally complex, had a tense, interesting plot and did a lot with a limited budget.
Every subsequent episode I have seen (I watched episodes 2, 3 and 4 before I gave up) has been just your standard Torchwood/Primeval British story of the week disappointment. There was none of the awesome moral complexity that made episode 1 so interesting. The show just devolved into the same ‘Things are attacking! Teenagers implausibly stop the things’ storyline.
You’re the worst: Series 3
What was it?
We’ve been through this one already.
Why was it a disappointment?
Okay, this one wasn’t that much of a disappointment or it wouldn’t have ended up as my 9th favourite series of this year… but it was a pretty serious step down from Series 2. Things took a few crucial steps towards soap-opera territory. Characters had fights over issues I still don’t fully understand and one twist late in the series required one character to be so completely, artificially ignorant of another character’s personality it completely pulled me out of the show.
I’m honestly not sure if I’m going to bother with series 4 or not. I might just leave the show as a pleasant memory rather than watch it decline any further.
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life
What was it?
A four-part series of specials reviving the classic show about a mother and a daughter who are also best friends living in a small town.
Why was it a disappointment?
Because everything about it was essentially lifeless? I only watched one of the specials, because I hated it so much I couldn’t watch the others… but the one special I watched (‘Winter’) was just an extended sequence of cameos. The show checked in on characters from the show in sequence. Here’s what Kirk is up to! Here is what Michelle is up to! Here’s a bit with Miss Patty! Here’s what wacky antics Taylor is inflicting on the town!
There was no story. Gilmore Girls has never really been comfortable with story but even the weakest episodes had a basic set up which led to conflict which was then resolved. Here… it was just a load of stuff that happened. I like the Gilmore Girls characters but after sixty minutes of just… nothing happening I checked out and never really came back.
Games
1) The Witcher 3: Expansions
What are they?
Two 20+ hour expansions to the best game of last year, and very possibly the best game ever.
Why are they good?
I’m cheating a little here. Hearts of Stone and Bood & Wine were great… but they’re not stand alone games. They’re expansions to an already great game. I’m still putting them at the top of my list. This is for two reasons:
Firstly, they’re both massive chunks of content. If CD Projekt Red had released them together as a standalone title they would count.
Secondly, nothing better than these expansions came out this year. As with last year, we’ve not really had a great year for games. There were plenty of good games, but nothing amazing. Unless you count these expansions. Which I do.
2) Dishonoured 2
What is it?
The sequel to Dishonoured, a stealth action game set in a steampunk/fantasy world.
Why is it good?
Dishonoured 2 is basically the game Dishonoured should have been. The design is better (and less grey) the city hubs are less tedious to get through, the voice acting isn’t the worst… generally it’s just awesome. My only real complaint is that there were no levels as spectacularly beautiful as Lady Boyle’s mansion from the first game but hey.
3) Doom
What is it?
A remake/numberless sequel to ID’s 1993 classic FPS where you kill daemons from hell.
Why is it good?
I bought Doom when I was having a really bad day. I can’t remember what happened on the day exactly but I know everything was working together to make me really frustrated and angry. Then I played Doom… and the anger flowed out of me. Ripping the heads off daemons and punching through them with a double barreled shotgun is just magical for stress relief.
4) X:Com 2
What is it?
The sequel to the critically acclaimed turn based strategy game X-Com: Enemy Unknown.
Why is it good?
As with Dishonoured 2, I think X-Com 2 is the game X-Com should have been. It’s more varied in terms of gameplay and you’re given way more options when it comes to your soldiers. It also doesn’t have a completely insane difficulty curve, which is what always killed my enjoyment of the first game.
5) Inside
What is it?
The new game from PlayDead – the creators of the brilliant Limbo.
Why is it good?
Inside is a really interesting game. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was just Limbo again with a slightly different theme but that would be doing the game a disservice. Inside is mechanically more interesting than Limbo. It even has a story, albeit not a particularly complex one. I’m not usually someone who gives too much thought to environmental storytelling. I generally prefer things a little more on the nose… but Inside was wonderful in the way it conveyed ideas. It’s a really rare game that manages to both have a silent protagonist and a beautiful story.
6) Overwatch
What is it?
A multiplayer only shooter from Blizzard
Why is it good?
It’s just so damn polished. It brings absolutely nothing new to the table but it remixes enough old ideas to make the game feel fresh. It’s more successful in that regard than Star Wars: Battlefront or Battlefield 1. It provided me with hours of quality multiplayer fun. If it had a few maps released every once in a while I might still be playing it now but we’ve had a grand total of one since the game was released six months ago. As a result I haven’t played it since October but never mind.
7) Hitman: No Subtitle
What is it?
The best Hitman game since Blood Money – you play an assassin whose job it is to wander around massive, lovingly crafted environments looking for inventive ways to kill people.
Why is it good?
First, I want to say that I enjoyed Hitman Absolution. It wasn’t better than Blood Money. I also don’t think it was any worse than Blood Money. It was different to Blood Money and the internet appears to have decided that was a bad thing. Hitman: No Subtitle takes the best bits of Blood Money and smushes them together with the best bits of Absolution. Most of the ‘innovative’ things in No Subtitle actually come from Absolution but hey.
The levels are great, although there hasn’t been anything as wonderful as the Heaven/Hell nightclub from Blood Money. There’s lots to do and finding the perfect way to assassinate people is still awesome. It does have awful DRM, however.
8) Firewatch
What is it?
A walkie-talkie (the less pejorative term for ‘walking simulator’ about uncovering a mystery in a remote woodland.
Why is it good?
It has really good character work, a compelling narrative and a fun focus on exploration. The opening is a bit heavy but there you go. There’s not much that can be said about it without getting into spoiler territory. It’s not as good as The Stanley Parable or The Beginner’s Guide but it’s still really entertaining.
9) Titanfall 2
What is it?
The sequel to the original multiplayer FPS focusing on squishy humans and massive stompy robots. Now with a completely pointless single player campaign.
Why is it good?
Well the single player campaign wasn’t. Definitely not when compared to Doom. It was so linear and tedious. It lacked any challenge whatsoever. The storyline was also somewhat dubious. I was never given a reason to care about my side in the war, given Titanfall 1 had pretty clearly established that both sides were as bad as each other. The game seemed to think giving one side American voice actors and the other South African voice actors was enough to make me side with the former.
I’m just going to let that sink in for a moment.
The multiplayer game was still good, thankfully, although I’d rather have had some more maps. Maybe the team making that awful single player campaign could have made some? But no, that’s crazy talk. There were plenty of changes for the better, although I think Rodeo-ing Titans was nerfed a bit too hard.
10) Abzu
What is it?
An experimental exploration game about swimming around beautiful seascapes.
Why is it good?
Because it’s unbelievably beautiful and supremely relaxing. There is a narrative (of sorts) but it’s deliberately vague and not really worth mentioning. The game takes you on a magical journey that’s really stuck with me. It’s a must for fans of Flower (I’m told. I’ve never played it because platform exclusivity is fucking bullshit).
11) Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
What is it?
The sequel to Deus Ex: Human Revolution. It’s an RPG set in a cyberpunk world where player expression through mechanics is encouraged.
Why is it good?
Well it wasn’t that good or it wouldn’t have placed at the bottom of my list but it had to be quite good for me to include an eleventh game on a top ten list…
Mechanically it’s still a fun game, although it’s basically Human Revolution again with better designed hub cities. Plot wise things are a total mess, but they were in Human Revolution as well. Mankind Divided loses points for being extremely short and for feeling really quite rushed in terms of story and structure. It doesn’t have the massive dip in quality that the last act of Human Revolution did… but then Human Revolution had a last act, whereas Mankind Divided kinda… doesn’t.
Disappointments:
The Witness
What was it?
Jonathan Blow’s high profile next game. You wander around an Island and solve 2d maze puzzles until you get bored.
Why was it a disappointment?
Braid was one of my favourite games ever so I had high hopes for The Witness. It disappointed me, hard.
The puzzle mechanics were tedious and uninteresting. Solving 2d maze puzzles was fun for all of about half an hour before I wanted to do something else. The game was also obnoxiously obtuse about what, exactly, you were supposed to be doing. It got to the point where solving the puzzles was the easy bit – working out what the puzzle actually consisted of was the challenge. I hate that shit.
I like walking into a room and knowing ‘I have to get thing A to point B’ and the challenge is working out how to go about doing that. The Witness, by contrast, has you walk into a room and go ‘I know there is a puzzle at point A. I don’t know how to solve it. Any of these things in the room might give me a clue to solve it… or they might be random bits of environmental junk. I suppose I just have to guess.’
There was no story to keep me interested, there was no music to soothe me. The game world was beautiful but even that faded as my frustration and anger with the puzzle mechanics grew. I hated The Witness and I was very grateful for Steam’s new refund policy after I bought it.