These are the 15 best games of 2015

This isn’t really that deep of a game, is it? In fact, I’d argue that this is the most simplistic version of the kind of games I’m not all too fond of anymore… create a character and get out there grinding quests. Buy armor, advance your character, become a one-man (or woman in my case) wrecking crew, and eventually reach a point where you just can’t stand it anymore.

Luckily, Monolith Soft has the backing of Mira, a lush open-world of unprecedented beauty. We’ve seen so many open-world games that I simply feel numb their towering size. But not Mira. Xenoblade Chronicles X looks like it plays out in a secluded bio-dome that was left to back for a couple million years. Alien life, plant life, even the planet’s geology is all so addictively weird that even cynical open-world explorers like myself can’t resist.

Plus, it’s a Japanese title too, so naturally this means a lot of old-school JRPG storytelling backed with crazy music, stylish robot and weapon design, and just a satisfying feeling that the genre can keep up with the rapidly evolving West. Great title, and I’m glad that the Wii U has an RPG that it can finally call its own.

And bless the person who decided not to include fall damage! What a rush jumping off cliffs without a care of consequences!

–Ron Duwell