We get it, games can go hard again. I couldn't be happier that difficult games come in all kinds of flavors these days, but Titan Souls stepped onto the scene quietly and asked all of us, "But can you beat me with one arrow?" Huh. I never thought about that before. 12 year-old Justin would have dominated that challenge while 33 year-old Justin meekly replied, "I'll try..."

The gauntlet being thrown down got me to hit the start button, but then Titan Souls got even cockier and took away the minions so I just had to fight bosses. The Titans themselves are some of my favorite puzzles of the year, and beat me the hell down. I wasn't frustrated though because I just wanted to hug the game and call the Titans, Colossuses, before throwing them in my pocket forever as my new buddies.

In between beatdowns, I was surprised to find how immersive this pixel world really was. This could have very easily been a single gimmick game, but there's a lot of heart to Titan Souls that ties everything together from its soundtrack down to the nuanced controls of firing the single arrow. Thanks for not taking it easy on me, Titan Souls. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Others Agree This was a Game of 2015

Aaron McNeal - "I figured I had merely gone into retirement from games all about big boss beatings since the days of Shadow of the Colossus, but Titan Souls was a call to get off the couch and keep on slaying giants like I was popping Pringles. It was about the 20th death by a man-murdering plant that I realized I had grown soft after years of what can only be described as mobile game conditioning. Yeah, I blame match-three games and shit. At least battles look cool when you're losing them."

Stay tuned for more Games of 2015 this month as we build towards The 2015 Grimmys - Horrible Night's Games of the Year Awards.