2016 is almost over.

Earlier this year, I swore to complete at least 30 games from my backlog.

I did. In fact, I beat more than 30 games. Some were great, others were not-so-great. Let’s talk about the best of the best.

But first…

Honorable Mentions

I’d like to name three games as honorable mentions this year. First, Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet, which I reviewed for MonsterVine, is a hilarious adventure game I adored.

Second, Muv-Luv, which I just finished and will review soon, is an enjoyable visual novel that left me looking forward to the final (and, by all accounts, fantastic) part, Muv-Luv Alternative. Alternative is due out next year.

Finally, World of Final Fantasy deserves a mention because it would have won a spot on this list if I’d finished it yet. I thought I was nearing the end the other day, but it’s not over yet. I’m still loving every minute of it.

That’s it for the honorable mentions, so here we go: the best of the best, the top five games I played in 2016.

5. Xenoblade Chronicles X

Probably the most divisive of the games on this list, Xenoblade Chronicles X is exactly the sort of game I should consider lackluster: it has a fully open world and is driven more by exploration than its story. I dislike open worlds and play RPGs for their stories.

Yet Xenoblade Chronicles X won me over. As I explained in my review, it managed its open world in such away that I enjoyed it. After all the exploration was a key part of the plot.

And while the story might have been the strongest by RPG standards (not to mention that William Birkin bit), the worldbuilding was fantastic. I loved meeting different alien races and watching the city transform as they became our allies, and there were some really funny moments.

If you’ve avoided Xenoblade Chronicles X because of what people say about its story, but you like science fiction, you might want to reconsider. It’s really a fantastic game.

4. Kingdom Hearts 2

Kingdom Hearts won a spot on last year’s list, and when I moved on to the Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix, Kingdom Hearts 2 won itself a spot on the list as well.

Kingdom Hearts 2 did everything I loved from Kingdom Hearts and Re: Chain of Memories, but did it better. (Aside from the structure of the levels, since I preferred the less linear worlds in the first game.)

I love the original story content. It has original story content galore.

I loved Ansem. Xemnas is even better. (Sorry, Ansem.)

I loved Organization XIII. Turns out several of them were mad scientists.

You can check out my review for my full thoughts on Kingdom Hearts 2, but suffice it to say I would play it again in a heartbeat if not for my massive backlog.

(Except the Tron Light Cycle section. *shudder*)

3. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice

Not only is 2016 the year in which the first Ace Attorney takes place, it also saw the release of the fantastic sixth entry in the series, Spirit of Justice.

Available only from the Nintendo eShop, Spirit of Justice divides its time between Phoenix Wright in the distant Kingdom of Khura’in and Apollo Justice back at the home office. While jumping back and forth between protagonists could be tricky, it handles it well and delivers both a compelling story and several interesting cases.

For me, its story and humor fell short of Dual Destinies, but it had several welcome gameplay improvements. Take a look at my review, and then head to the eShop to buy Spirit of Justice.

(Come on, Capcom, let me have a localized Great Ace Attorney on my list next year! …Or Investigations 2.)

2. Steins;Gate

Steins;Gate is one of those games that makes it difficult to talk about how awesome it is without spoilers, but the praise I showered upon it in my review should have made its presence on this list a foregone conclusion.

I enjoyed it from the start. The protagonist was a nut who considered himself a mad scientist, the supporting cast was entertaining, and it was an enjoyable little story.

Then I reached that moment. If you’ve played, you know the moment I mean.

From then on, I remained glued to my Vita until I reached my first ending, and I immediately wanted to see the other endings after that. And when I finally reached the true ending, well… all I can say is that the pay-off was worth the work needed to get there.

Steins;Gate is brilliantly written. It’s emotional. Intense. Fantastic. It could easily have claimed the top spot on this list…

Except…

Here we go, the #1 game I played in 2016…

1. Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep

Anyone who has spoken to me since I finished… or perhaps since I started Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep could probably have predicted this one.

It was the next step in my journey through the Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix, and it quickly became my favorite Kingdom Hearts game.

Everything about Birth By Sleep made it a delight to play: the story, the characters, the gameplay, the mini-games (and by that I really mean the Command Board; if Square Enix wants to turn mini-games into mobile games, why haven’t they released a standalone Command Board game?)…

And of all those things, the story stands out the most. I especially enjoyed Terra’s story. While I got my share of laughs out of Terra trusting Disney villains, I’ll also defend him for that. He’s not stupid, and he’s a good character.

…but of course, I love my villains, so the standout character of Birth By Sleep was Master Xehanort. It took me 75 hours to beat Birth By Sleep, and I would have happily played another 75 hours of Master Xehanort manipulating people and ranting about darkness.

If you’re a Kingdom Hearts fan, you need to play Birth By Sleep. (If you’ve only played the numbered titles and plan to go into Kingdom Hearts 3 without knowing who the sinister gentleman pictured above is, you really need to play Birth By Sleep.)

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep was the most fun I’ve had with the Kingdom Hearts series so far, and it was the most fun I’ve had with any game in 2016.

Conclusion

Xenoblade Chronicles X, Kingdom Hearts 2, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice, Steins;Gate, and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep are the five best games I played in 2016.

What are yours?

Welcome to 2016! I’ve looked at the best games I played last year, and while many “older” games are on my list for this year (Kingdom Hearts and Witcher for sure), we’ve also got great new releases to look forward to.

Last year it didn’t go so well… of my most anticipated games for 2015, one was delayed, one suffered launch issues on my platform of choice, two I just didn’t get around to yet, and one I’m currently playing.

But this year I’ll play all of those and my newly-anticipated games. Hah, backlog!

Okay, so the chances of that happening are slim. But hey, you never know.

Note: only games with announced 2016 release dates are on this list. So no Ace Attorney 6, despite my excitement for it.

Let’s take a look.

My Top 5 Anticipated Games of 2016

First up, a familiar face…

5. Cosmic Star Heroine

Appearing on my list two years in a row is Cosmic Star Heroine, an upcoming sci-fi RPG from Zeboyd Games.

Despite being planned for a 2015 release, it’s been delayed, but I’m not worried. Zeboyd shares regular updates on Cosmic Star Heroine’s development, and it’s coming along well.

Both the PS4 and Vita versions were playable at this year’s PlayStation Experience.

And speaking of those versions, Cosmic Star Heroine will receive a limited-run physical release for PS4 and Vita. As a backer, I’ll have one of the first opportunities to pre-order a physical copy… and I probably will.

Cosmic Star Heroine is a traditional RPG styled after games like Chrono Trigger, and I can’t wait to finally play it this year.

4. Project Setsuna

We still know very little about the mysterious Project Setsuna, titled Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna (Setsuna of Snow and Sacrifice) for its Japanese release.

It was one of Square Enix’s many delightful E3 announcements. It’s a traditional RPG in the style of Chrono Trigger (wait… am I repeating myself?) with an ATB combat system.

In a demon-ridden land where it’s always winter, a maiden named Setsuna goes on a journey with a mercenary and other companions to sacrifice herself in order to appease the demons. The story’s theme is “sadness,” but I assume we’ll still try to fight Setsuna’s fate.

Have a look at the trailer.

With so much confusion around the FFVII remake, I’m even more excited for a new turn-based RPG from Square-Enix.

Setsuna is due out on February 18 in Japan, with a Western release to follow later this year. I can’t wait. Restore my faith, Square-Enix!

(And yes, I know I didn’t include it in my list of most-anticipated turn-based RPGs. My enthusiasm for it surged. Plus I feel more confident about its 2016 release.)

3. Yooka-Laylee

The bear and bird are back!

Well, not really. They’re a lizard and a bat, and they’re named Yooka and Laylee rather than Banjo and Kazooie, but Yooka-Laylee promises to channel the spirit of Banjo-Kazooie.

Back when it was known as “Project Ukulele,” I expressed my hopes that it was a spiritual successor to my favorite 3D platformer… and it is!

With former Rare employees on the development team, Grant Kirkhope involved with the soundtrack, and early gameplay previews that feel like a blast from the past, Yooka-Laylee is shaping up to be the Banjo-Threeie we never got.

Yooka-Laylee is planned for PC/Mac/Linux, Xbox One, PS4, and Wii U, with an intended release window of October 2016.

Just watching that footage fills me with a nostalgia for Banjo-Kazooie. I can’t wait!

2. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Yesterday, I realized (to my own surprise) that Mario & Luigi: Dream Team was one of the best games I played last year.

And although I had my doubts about it at first, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam sounds like a game I’ll love. Most of the reviews after its European release praised both its gameplay and writing, and that’s what I want.

People say its funny. Fun. And filled with surprises.

It may be more Mario & Luigi than Paper Mario, but maybe this will help Paper Mario cast off Sticker Star’s shadow and become a great RPG series again!

And so, what is my #1 top anticipated game to be released in 2016?

…

1. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue

Excuse me, that’s Kingdom Hearts HD II.8 Final Chapter Prologue.

Let’s face it. I’m hooked. I also really like poking fun at this game’s title, but more importantly, I’ve fallen into a deep abyss of Kingdom Hearts and I don’t want to leave.

Kingdom Hearts 2.8, which contains a remastered version of Dream Drop Distance, a new chapter in the story called Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, and Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, which (as far as I know) tells the story of Kingdom Hearts χ through cinematics.

(Speaking of which, when is Unchained χ coming out in the West? They promised it at E3, and I want to play it… before 2.8, if possible!)

I hope to catch up on the entire Kingdom Hearts series before this collection comes out. I’ll also need to get a PS4. But neither of those things changes the fact that I’m more excited about Kingdom Hearts HD II.8 Final Chapter Prologue than about any other game already announced for 2016.

Are you interested in these five games? What 2016 games are you looking forward to the most?