Good riddance, 2016.
Society deified a gorilla. Arthur memes were a thing. Vine died. Thanks to two people named Hillary and Donald, Facebook became as toxic as a nitro crate in Crash Bandicoot.
But in retrospect, it wasn’t all negative. 2016 had its good moments, too.
Yeah … let’s talk about the good things. The good aspects of culture.
P.S.: These are my opinions. Disagreement and discussion are always welcome.
Game of the year: Overwatch
I’ve played more than 176 hours of Blizzard’s competitive multiplayer shooter, Overwatch, since I bought it back in June.
What’s wrong with you, dude?
Good question. That’s for another time.
But seriously, if you haven’t tried Overwatch by now, shame on you.
It’s why I fell in love with video games in the first place: it’s beautiful; its controls are easy; its gameplay is addictive; you can play with friends; it’s a frenzy.
Regardless of the type of games you typically enjoy, or even if you don't play or like video games, Overwatch has something for everybody. And for a year filled with divisiveness and (at times) ugliness, we could all use a little Overwatch to bond over.
Other games I thoroughly enjoyed:
Inside — Dark. Ominous. Yet, ambitious. Inside is a game not everyone may enjoy, but a game that everyone should try out. Its theme of control is relevant in today’s Western culture, and, I would argue, just as salient as George Orwell’s classic novel, 1984.
Uncharted 4 — A classic farewell to a beloved Playstation franchise. Nathan Drake’s finale is gripping, emotional and shows Naughty Dog’s — the franchise developer — continuous excellence in the medium.
The Last Guardian — Some may have been disappointed. I was not. The Last Guardian, along with its spiritual predecessors Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, is an exercise in emotion and dyadic communication. Any story that puts a knot in my throat is a good thing in my book.
Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon — Yes, nostalgia always plays a factor when debating Pokemon. Sun and Moon break the traditional mold of the series, but no, it probably won’t encourage new players to pick it up off the shelves. But it may show gamers that changing tradition isn’t always a bad thing.
The Witness — The academic in me loves The Witness. It’s challenging, sure, but the concept of building and growing knowledge as you solve problems is incredibly rewarding.
Hyper Light Drifter — It’s the stepchild of classic Legend of Zelda titles, but hey, I’m not complaining.
Abzu — The environment is important, folks. So is this game’s overarching message.
Virginia — A bold choice to have a story with no dialogue. None. Zip. Nada. But like anything in life: everything communicates. And Virginia communicates its themes of guilt, mystery and bureaucratic corruption with strong imagery.
Favorite Film: La La Land
I was skeptical of this one at first — I’m not a big musical person. But Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are so damn perfect in La La Land. Their passion for the dying arts resonates deeply with any moviegoer, and the scores throughout are diverse and absolutely beautiful. A must-watch.
Favorite Show: Atlanta
I admit: I may not be the target audience for Donald Glover’s show. I’m a middle-class, white, privileged male in his mid-20’s raised in an affluent northern Virginia neighborhood. My conceptual idea of “struggle” is arguably laughable in comparison to others in today’s world. But maybe that’s the point. What’s pertinent about Glover’s 10-episode masterpiece are its snapshot portions of society some are uninformed about today: black culture, the spectrum of sexual orientation, the burden of poverty and the occasional harshness of capitalism. The social commentary is subtle, yet I feel will speak profoundly for decades to come. 2016 was Glover’s year, and I’m excited to learn more from his clever writing, wit and insight in 2017.
Favorite Album: ANTI
Maybe not the absolute best album of 2016, but this is my album of the year because ... it dares. Rihanna has evolved steadily over her career, and ANTI superbly combines various styles of music. It isn’t afraid to take some chances stylistically, a key factor of mine. First, the album cover takes a minimalist approach. Braille litters the album's package with Rihanna unveiling fears and love right on the album cover. After a year away from music, the 28-year-old singer experiments with trappy beats and booming synths throughout the 43-minute album. It's bold and different from her previous work, and I loved it. Even with the wide range of falsettos, strings, drums and covers though, Rihanna never leaves behind the principles that pushed her to stardom in the early 2000s. Simply: ANTI easily could be her creative peak, and it’s a 43 minutes I plan to revisit for a while.
