There have been a particularly large number of great games released in 2022. From Elden Ring to Bayonetta 3 to Persona 5 to the remake of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, there’s no shortage of immersive and exciting games to choose from this year. However, sometimes you just can’t beat the feeling of returning to an old favorite from a past year.
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2015 is a year full of titles like this. Whether it be a franchise entry or a standalone game, there are plenty of great titles from 2015 that have proven to be endlessly replayable.
As a halfway point between the 2010s, these 2015 titles occupy a unique space: with the decade half through, these top 10 games from 2015 that we’re still playing perfectly encapsulate what came before and what was to come after in the world of video games. With the sixth generation of video games coming to a close, the seventh generation nearing its conclusion, and the eighth generation well underway, 2015 is something of a gathering place for all sorts of different consoles, game types, and genres alike.
Before looking at our top 10 titles, let’s dive deeper into the history of 2015 in gaming.
2015 in Gaming
While we often think of consoles when we think of gaming, 2015 brought with it a unique statistic: digital video games made $61 billion that year. Computer games and video game subscription services accounted for more than half of the $61 billion, while mobile games made up much of the other half. Physical games made up around $23 billion in sales on top of that aforementioned figure, bringing the grand total to nearly $85 billion in total video game revenue. It seems unbelievable, but digital sales far exceeded physical sales in 2015.
Also interesting to note about 2015 in gaming: no new consoles were released, just like in 2014. The closest thing was the release of the New Nintendo 3DS, a moderately successful new-and-improved version of the original Nintendo 3DS handheld console released in 2011. It sold just shy of 10 million units. It was a moderate success for Nintendo (especially compared to the original 3DS’s sales figures, which topped 11 million in its first year). Odds are, the lack of other competing console releases from rival brands only boosted these sales.
All in all, though, the video game industry was on the up-and-up in 2015. Revenues for physical games were up 5% over 2014, while digital console revenues were up 8% over that same year. Mobile games saw an even greater increase, besting 2014 sales by a whole 10%. As new games for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U started to dwindle, video game developers and console manufacturers looked less and less to the past and fixed their gaze on the second half of the 2010s instead. This forward-thinking nature manifests itself in the top 10 games from 2015 that we’re still playing.
Top 10 Games from 2015 We’re Still Playing
Even with no new major consoles, 2015 proved to be a great year for gaming. There are plenty of endlessly replayable titles, offering equal parts nostalgia and joy for spinning them back time after time. From the latest entries in long-running series to exciting remakes for the latest-gen consoles to promising one-offs from the best in the industry, these are the top 10 games from 2015 that we find ourselves returning to again and again.
10. emMortal Kombat X/em
It’s not out of the ordinary for many of the most iconic and long-running video game franchises to fall victim to a sort of placidness after a while. With emMortal Kombat X/em, however, this popular franchise proves that it doesn’t always have to be this way.
The game is just as fun to play today as it was upon its release in 2015, complete with excellent controls, remarkable graphics, fun gameplay, and top-notch (not to mention shockingly graphic) finishing moves. It just might be the best Mortal Kombat game to date, making it worth continuing to replay for years to come.
9. emStar Wars Battlefront/em
A remake of the popular 2004 game, emStar Wars Battlefront/em is a real highlight of 2015 (not to mention one of the top 10 games from 2015 worth booting up again and again, even still to this day).
- The Most immersive and Photorealistic Interactive Entertainment.Ground-based Combat on a Galatic Scale.Master the Battelfront with Iconic Star Wars characters.Take to the skies in Epic Star Wars Dog Fights.Made for Jedi and Padawans Alike.
Made and released in conjunction with Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, emStar Wars Battlefront/em came at a time when no one truly knew what to expect from the new Disney-produced Star Wars films. In hindsight, it seems the Star Wars games made under Disney might be better than the films themselves. emStar Wars Battlefront/em set the bar high and kept it there.
8. emBatman: Arkham Knight/em
Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham games were a highlight of the late 2000s and early 2010s, and emBatman: Arkham Knight/em proved to be a remarkable (if temporary) final entry in the series.
- Live the complete Batman experience with the introduction of the Batmobile and enhancements to signature featuresThe Batmobile is brought to life with a new distinct visual appearance and a full range of on-board high-tech gadgetryFor the first time in the series, explore the entirety of Gotham City in a completely open and free-roaming game worldMore combat moves and high-tech gadgetry than before, including ‘gadgets while gliding’ ability and upgraded utility beltFully immerse yourself in the chaos in the streets, taking down individual villains or pursuing the core narrative path;Text: DE, IT, FR, ES, PL;Audio: ES
With no new Batman: Arkham games released in the years since this 2015 title, emArkham Knight/em serves as a fantastic Batman game with a truly rewarding experience upon each revisit. There’s always something new to discover, always someone new to fight, and always a new area to explore. It still feels just as fresh today as it did upon its 2015 release.
7. Splatoon
If you were quick enough to secure a Wii U during its surprisingly short life cycle, then you know how fun Splatoon was, is, and will continue to be.
It’s not often Nintendo puts so much work and effort into creating new franchises when they have so many long-standing and iconic franchises under their belt, but Splatoon‘s endless replayability proves that it often pays to take a big risk. Even with its two sequels, the first Splatoon is easily one of the top 10 games from 2015 worth revisiting — and not just because it’s fun to take the seriously underrated Wii U console for a spin every so often.
6. emThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D/em
A 3D remake of the 2000 Nintendo 64 game of the same name, emThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D/em takes an already great Zelda game and makes it even better with improved graphics, gameplay, and more.
- An ancient evil has doomed the world of Termina. Can you save it in just three days?Together, the land of Termina and its citizens form one massive puzzle for Link to solve20 plus powerful masks make this one of the most varied Legend of Zelda games everEntertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Cartoon violence
Released exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS, it’s remakes like these that show the fun to be found in replaying older games. (After all, why’d they bank on a remake of a pre-existing game if it wasn’t a joy to play in the first place?) Majora’s Mask 3D can be played again and again from start to finish and still feels like a new game every time.
5. emMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain/em
Anyone familiar with the Metal Gear Solid franchise, the work of Hideo Kojima and his work at Konami, can attest to the glorious farewell that is emMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain/em.
Kojima’s final project for Konami as well as the last Metal Gear Solid game to be released (for now), emThe Phantom Pain/em is a game so dense, so artful, so profound that it demands to be replayed time and time again. Even after Konami eventually returns to the Metal Gear Solid franchise, The Phantom Pain is sure to continue to be one of the top 10 games from 2015 worth replaying.
4. emBloodborne/em
Hailing from the same minds that created the ever-popular (and ever-replayable) Dark Souls franchise, emBloodborne/em draws from the works Bram Stoker and H.P. Lovecraft to create one of the top 10 games from 2015 that we can’t help but return to.
- A Terrifying New World: Journey to a horror-filled gothic city where deranged mobs and nightmarish creatures lurk around every corner.Strategic Action Combat: Armed with a unique arsenal of weaponry, including guns and saw cleavers, you’ll need wits, strategy and reflexes to take down the agile and intelligent enemies that guard the…A New Generation of Action RPG: Stunningly detailed gothic environments, atmospheric lighting, and advanced new online experiences showcase the power and prowess of PlayStation 4.
Haunting visuals, extreme difficulty, immersive worlds… it’s a perfect recipe for a game that you love to rage quit just as much as you love picking the controller back up again later. It’s one you’ll be replaying not only because it’s a thrill, but also because you honestly still haven’t beaten it yet.
3. emFallout 4/em
Several video game franchises released their latest entries in 2015, with many of those franchises yet to return to the series in the years since. Fallout is one such series, with emFallout 4/em remaining the last Fallout game to be released in over seven years.
As such, fans of the Fallout series find themselves returning to this fourth entry whenever they get the itch for the iconic franchise. Whatever comes next is sure to be just as great (if not better), but for the time being, this is one of the top 10 games from 2015 we’re still playing in 2022.
2. emThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt/em
Speaking of the latest entries in popular franchises yet to be revisited since 2015… emThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt/em is a go-to game from 2015 not only because it’s the latest Witcher game but also because of the popularity of the Netflix series based on the same books as the games.
- If you buy this game, you will receive a free next-gen update on December 14th!Play the most polished and complete version of the most awarded game of 2015 The Fuji 3: Wild Hunt. Now available with all expansions and additional contentBuilt for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth and complexityThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the year edition brings together the base game and all the additional content released to date
Fans new and old have found a newfound appreciation for this 2015 game in the wake of the Netflix show, and all of us are happy to find that the game still holds up against replay after replay. When it comes to the top 10 games from 2015 we’re still playing, it’s hard to beat emThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt/em.
1. emRocket League/em
Like Fortnite, Minecraft, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Team Fortress 2, and all those other games that are built to be enjoyed forever, emRocket League/em was always going to be the game to top the list of the top 10 games from 2015 that we’re still playing.
- Italian cover - Game fully playable in English
Combining the thrill of driving games with the excitement of sports games, emRocket League/em is the sort of uniquely thrilling and genuinely inspired video game that was meant to be played and played and played. There are still people (including us) who are just as satisfied with the game today as we were upon its release.