See our Game of the Year 2015 video above!

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For the better part of the last decade, open-world RPGs have struggled to marry measured storytelling, free-form exploration, and enjoyable minute-to-minute gameplay. The Witcher 3 might be the genre’s first prototype, if not the final form, of how that ideal marriage might look.

In the moment, surrounded by depraved bandits or a ravenous pack of Nekkers, you might be absorbed in the rhythm of Withcer 3’s excellent combat, confidently dodging, parrying, and positioning while looking to exploit your foes weaknesses. Once your sword is sheathed though, your attention turns to the open road, with gorgeous hills and fields stretching out before you in every direction. There are great stories to uncover out there, great loot to find, and innocent people to help (or not).

Then, when you’ve had your fill of the open-world, you return to a lengthy fantasy story that is, ultimately, about family; a surprisingly intimate turn for a series about a near-emotionless slayer of men and monsters, but one that CD Projekt Red handles deftly, with reams of well-written dialogue delivered impossibly well by a voice cast that breathes life into a wide array of interesting, layered characters. You may never even meet all of them. Heck, you might even kill one or two, but you probably won’t forget about them. In fact, for all of its breadth, there’s hardly any element of The Witcher 3 that doesn’t stick to the mind, which is why, as much as any other reason, IGN has named it our Game of the Year for 2015. Read IGN's Full Review

Runner-up: Bloodborne

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

See the People's Choice Game of the Year video above!

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Let the will of the people be known. The People's Choice winner for Game of the Year 2015 is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Thanks for voting!

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Bloodborne

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From IGN's Review: "Bloodborne is an amazing, exacting, and exhausting pilgrimage through a gorgeous land that imposes the feeling of approaching the bottom of a descent into madness. Though extended load times and minor frame-rate hitches have an effect on the pacing, it’s otherwise an intensely challenging and rewarding game. There’s an incredible power to unlocking its mysteries, and in succeeding, despite its demand for a pound of your flesh."

Fallout 4

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From IGN's Review: "The world, exploration, crafting, atmosphere, and story of Fallout 4 are all key parts of this hugely successful sandbox role-playing game. Great new reasons to obsessively gather and hoard relics of happier times, strong companions, and sympathetic villains driving tough decisions make it an adventure I’ll definitely replay and revisit. Even the technical shakiness that crops up here and there can’t even begin to slow down its momentum."

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

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From IGN's Review: "The Phantom Pain is the kind of game I thought would never exist - one where every minute gameplay detail has true purpose. Its lack of story focus is sure to be divisive for the Metal Gear faithful, but the resulting emphasis on my story, my tales of Espionage Action, easily make it my favorite in the series. There have certainly been sandbox action games that have given me a bigger world to roam, or more little icons to chase on my minimap, but none have pushed me to plan, adapt, and improvise the way this one does. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain doesn’t just respect my intelligence as a player, it expects it of me, putting it in a league that few others occupy."

Ori and the Blind Forest

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From IGN's Review: "Bigger and tougher than it looks, Ori and the Blind Forest is a beautifully realized, brilliantly designed, and at times brutally difficult sylvan Metroidvania-style platformer with enough charm to leave a lasting impression. It's often frustrating and sometimes confusing, but its spectacular platforming, memorable world, and engrossing story wash those concerns away."

Pillars of Eternity

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From IGN's Review: "Pillars of Eternity embodies nearly everything that’s great about old-school RPG experiences. and the quality of its writing and the attention given to every little detail of its world is such that it sometimes feels like Neil Gaiman is playing dungeon master here. Most importantly, Pillars of Eternity paves the way for what should become a landmark RPG series in its own right. It honors the classics, brings great ideas of its own, and in the process it emerges as a classic itself. Games like this are always about the journey, and it's sure as hell a journey worth taking."

Rise of the Tomb Raider

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From IGN's Review: "Rise of the Tomb Raider raises the bar set by Lara’s last outing with a rollicking adventure story, strong villains, gorgeous vistas, and smart puzzles – go off the main path to find the best stuff in dastardly optional tombs. Though the mandatory combat doesn’t distinguish itself with challenging enemies unless you crank up the difficulty, Lara’s newfound versatility on the battlefield makes fighting a lot more fun. Once again it’s Lara herself, however, who steals the show, her complex ambitions and hardened resolve showing new sides to a character who has well and truly grown from survivor to the most fascinating action hero in video games today."

Super Mario Maker

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From IGN's Review: "Super Mario Maker is a great way to mark Mario’s 30th birthday, but it’s not concerned with being an overwrought history lesson. Instead, it’s a celebration that folds three decades of Mario into one accessible, powerful creation suite. The perpetual joke at the end of every 10 Mario Challenge run informing you that the Princess is in yet another castle hints at Super Mario Maker’s bigger promise: There will always be more levels to play thanks to the online creation community, and a virtually endless pool of challenges to overcome."

Tales From the Borderlands

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From IGN's Review: "Tales from the Borderlands Episode 5: The Vault of the Traveler finishes off Rhys and Fiona’s journey in impeccable fashion. From heartbreak to hilarity, it runs the gamut of emotions in some really effective ways. All of the questions and mysteries from the previous four episodes pay off in wonderful fashion, while Episode 5 simultaneously introduces a slew of new, intriguing possibilities for the future of the world. I’m bummed to say goodbye to Telltale’s adventure on Pandora, but I'll be damned if it wasn’t one hell of a ride."