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Giant Bomb does a yearly special on Game of the Year and other awards and here at SE++ we take this time to reflect on all the good and bad video games we've played this year. We also like to talk about sandwiches, smooth jazz, and our favorite Giant Bombers. Remember to put each day's awards and events in spoilers when GOTY talk starts.
Theodore Flooseveltproud parent of eight beautiful girls and shalmelodorne (which is currently being ruled by a woman (awesome role model for my daughters)) #dornedadRegistered Userregular
which game will be the GOTY? inquiring minds are asking the question on everyone's lips
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jaziekBad at everythingAnd mad about it.Registered Userregular
Here's how I'm feeling so far, the 10 games are pretty much set, but I might change the order around after some more deliberation, and some more going back and replaying stuff.
Games I played this year:
Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
Stardew Valley
Pokémon Sun
Doom
Overwatch
No Man's Sky
Firewatch
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
XCOM 2 (THAT CAME OUT THIS YEAR DEAR GOD)
Street Fighter V
World of Warcraft: Legion
I was waiting on finishing up Deus Ex and Dishonored before I did my GOTY, but from the little I played of both those games they won't be making any changes to it. So I wrote up my list, putting a lot more words into it than I had expected.
I still need to play Doom, and Thumper, and a few other things, but for those i'd need to be able to buy them first so a-waiting I shall continue to do.
5. No Man's Sky
Ooo, divisive! I put plenty of time into NMS even before the Foundation update. It is definitely a flawed game (and should not have been a $60 release), but I think it was unfairly maligned, and I see a ton of potential.
4. Dark Souls III
Not as impactful as the first game, naturally, but an excellent return to form. Good bosses, good equipment, good level design. Satisfying entry in the series, and I'd honestly be content were it the last as well.
3. Titanfall 2
It's always nice to get a bracing reminder that there are game designers out there that "get it" and whose talents are in no way inextricably tied to a particular franchise (like Call of Duty). Titanfall 2 has an amazing campaign that focuses on unique level ideas and runs with them in the best way. The multiplayer's design is the pinnacle of the current - or now traditional, I suppose - ADS, left trigger, right trigger that we've come to expect from shooters these days, but it feels so fundamentally satisfying that it's hard to find complaint. Yes, it's that good, even if you're justifiably wary of the COD-like genre these days.
2. Overwatch
Any game that is multiplayer-only is a tough sell for me, because I'm an old man that comes from Before the Internet and I live under the assumption that it will go away someday and then I'll be left with a game I'm no longer able to play (when I'm not begging for water from Immortan Joe). But then Blizzard happens, and the thing that happens turns out to be one of my favorite games ever. Impeccable art and sound design (seriously, take about fifteen minutes and really think about all the audio cues that brilliantly choreograph what's happening in a match at any moment). The loot box system is admittedly less ideal than just letting people purchase the precise skin they want with actual money, but if you don't take it too seriously, it can be a fun carrot at the end of a stick in a game where level progression really doesn't mean anything. It'd probably end up as my overall GOTY, were it not for...
1. DOOM
Hard to know where to begin here. The best single player shooter campaign in a decade (easily) and probably - yeah, I'll say it - the best Doom game ever made. A game that had no right to be this good, this self-aware, this immaculately playable (and re-playable), this perfectly executed. Yeah, the multiplayer is kind of generic. Who cares? This game is worth $60 for the campaign by itself, and you can get it for much less these days. You are literally doing yourself a disservice by not playing this. Get it on console, PC, whatever. Just get it.
Honorable Mention:
SUPER MARIO RUN - Mostly for being an actual game (despite being on mobile) and for its non-predatory one-time transaction.
Most Anticipated 2017 (unordered):
Red Dead Redemption 2
Persona 5
Nintendo Switch (Zelda, Mario, Mario Kart... Animal Crossing?)
So long, 2016. Your shooter campaigns were amazing and that's literally pretty much the only good thing about you.
which game will be the GOTY? inquiring minds are asking the question on everyone's lips
Either DOOM or Hitman, I bet. Titanfall 2 probably makes the Top 3.
0
David_TA fashion yes-man is no good to me.Copenhagen, DenmarkRegistered Userregular
Hitman will be GOTY.
Where else can Vinny kill Santa with an axe?
0
Theodore Flooseveltproud parent of eight beautiful girls and shalmelodorne (which is currently being ruled by a woman (awesome role model for my daughters)) #dornedadRegistered Userregular
I still need to play more titanfall SP
it's my one chance of having a relevant opinion this year!
I still got a few titles I'm playing through or need to play though, but right now my top ten is probably
10. Lego Marvel's the Avengers - Kind of a retread, but these are still solid games that I enjoy getting 100% in. Titles like ReCore, Song of the Deep or Quantum Break could have taken this spot, but I had serious issues with all three games so Avengers get's the #10 spot.
9. Headlander - This game has great style, and is fun to play. I felt the ending left too much unresolved, and there's one collectible that requires you to do something that nowhere else in the game are you taught or expected to do, which is annoying, but overall I had a lot of fun with this.
8. Inside - The fun little puzzle platformer with fascinating world, and the sequence towards the end of the game is definitely one of the most memorable moments of the year. However
Unlike some people, I hated the ending, and it REALLY took away a lot of the impact of that end sequence from me, which is why this isn't higher on the list.
7. Far Cry Primal - This is based on a formulaic series, but the wrapper made it feel fresh, IMO. Throwing spears, calling in Giant Owl attacks and riding a fucking BEAR. It doesn't break the mold or anything, but is was a rowdy good time.
6. Grow up - Chillest game of the year. You're basically just wandering around, grabbing collectibles and climbing shit, but it feels pressure free as hell. Even the timed races feel low-pressure. Great game to toss a podcast on while you play and just relax. Also the artstyle is still great, and the new world and abilities you get make this a great follow-up to the original.
5. Superhot - I wasn't as enamored with this as other people (and the meme portion of it was kind of ruined for me since my PC was dead when it first came out) but it's still a fun game with an incredible mechanic and a neat storyline.
4. Gears of War 4 - This was a pretty good entry in one of my favorite franchises. I'm worried they're going to run out of unique setpieces for these games in the future, but this one still brings it. Multiplayer is pretty good if your into it, and the new Horde mode class mechanics are crazy. Locking class abilities behind blind boxes is super shitty though. The new team at the Coalition still has a lot of room to improve, but they made a solid as hell Gears of War game.
3. The Witness - An amazing puzzle game; one that really pushed my brain to the limits and made me absolutely refuse to look anything up because dammit, this game ain't gonna beat me! Might have been my #2 game, but I felt the subtext from the developer was a bit patronizing.
2. Titanfall 2 - An incredible campaign that reminded me why I love shooter campaigns. Fantastic setpieces, and your Titan is a great character that manages to walk the fine line between literalist robot and a friend you can make jokes with. Can't wait to see where they go with this in the future. I didn't get into the MP, but man, what a campaign. Second only to...
1. Doom - God. Damn. Doom works on so many levels. It's a fitting tribute to the original, provides a shooter campaign unlike anything we've gotten in years, and good lord it's just an incredibly fun game to play. Also, I like the multiplayer and sunk tons of hours into it. Definitely my game of the year. Hot damn.
Special Mention to No Man's Sky as "Hardest to Place". Game has serious flaws and the marketing felt deceptive... yet I still sunk dozens of hours into it. Granted a lot of that was just running around while listening to podcasts, doing the INTERMINABLE quest to the center of the galaxy. (I know the "reward" sucks, but it was like the last thing I had to do.) I was pretty much done with it by then, and haven't bothered checking out the latest patch. There's something to NMS, but it feels like an Early Access game that was released a year too early.
Worst Game of the Year: Bombshell - Like, this game already had a rocky start as a Duke Nukem game that had to have Duke Nukem taken out of it due to licensing issues, so he gets replaced with a detritus character that was cut out of Duke Nukem Forever. And that reveal trailer.. Holy god it looked bad. Then you get the game and you can SEE the potential. Had the game had a lot more polish, some better VO (it's seriously atrocious) and realized that hanging a lampshade on a shitty storyline only works if you're funny about it, it might have been a decent game. Also, the only character in the game that's even partially likable basically gets killed, and nobody really even mentions it. Just a real bummer.
I still have Firewatch, Shadow Warrior 2, Picross 3D 2 and Shiny to get through, so my list may change by then. We'll see.
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Mx. QuillI now prefer "Myr. Quill", actually...{They/Them}Registered Userregular
My own GoTY list changed quite a bit in the last few weeks, considering that I didn't expect to even play #7 at all:
10) Firewatch
I really liked the interactions between Henry and Delilah, and the game looked so good that I got the physical photos printed.
9) Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
I only ever got halfway through because that dungeon before the final party member joins is some hot bullshit and just watched the rest, but I still greatly enjoyed it's style being all about performance.
8) Dark Souls III
This one ended up a bit low just because it's the third Dark Souls; I love the Souls series, but it's time for a change.
7) Final Fantasy XV
I'm only 17 hours in but I wanna see more of the Beautiful Boys and their road trip.
6) Pokemon Sun/Moon
Probably my favorite Pokemon games since Gold/Silver, but God do I hope that Switch port rumor turns out to be true cause the games have run poorly since XY. Solid Pokemon designs and really good music, plus Alola really stands out as a completely different region.
5) Furi
Furi's 5 hours of pure adrenaline with great boss design, deliberate combat, and so much style via its soundtrack and art direction. Plus it was free with PS+ at launch.
4) Picross 3D: Round 2
Fuck this game/I love this game.
3) Stardew Valley
I learned that pickles are actually cucumbers! Can't wait til the Switch port.
2) Oxenfree
Oxenfree was the first game of 2016 I played and has just stuck with me throughout the whole year, and not even for the great characters, world design, creepy radio mechanic, nor the menacing supernatural beings. It sticks out because of the feud between Alex and Clarissa due to how it resonates with so many people, due to how easily and unreasonably we can hold grudges, even if they come from misunderstandings and grief. I had a similar experience two years prior, and realized that Clarissa has the same reasoning I do. It's easily jumped ahead of Walking Dead Season 1 as my favorite adventure game.
1) Overwatch
This game. This game has gotten so much money from me between the Origins Edition, tons of Loot Boxes during the three seasonal events, merchandise, and even resulted in me going to Blizzcon for the first time. I love how inclusive the game is, with "kills" being attributed to everyone who aided in the defeat of an enemy instead of just the one to get the last hit, the commendation cards at the end that award actions like healing, and Plays of the Game likewise rewarding players that pull off resurrections as Mercy, putting an end to enemy Ultimates, and saving allies from being killed. I've been completely absorbed by the little hints of story that are isolated from the game in the way that surprised me in contrast to how annoyed I was that Destiny did the same. I actually like every character and enjoy playing them all, Widowmaker aside (though just because I suck at sniping). It's a breath of fresh air how radccally different everyone is in a shooter on par with Splatoon; they avoided the tiring "two weapon loadout, perks, everyone can sprint, etc" that pretty much every shooter does. And it's just simply fun. I've sunk more time in this game in the past seven months than any other in a good long time, and will continue to visit it for years to come as they add new characters, seasonal events, maps, game modes, and tweaks to existing characters like the recent huge changes to Symmetra.
I do want to point out the Titanfall 2 cosmetic economy
No loot boxes, no random chance, just buy what you want. You also get a ton of skins for much lower prices than darn near any other multiplayer economy out there. Maps and DLC are all free, you only ever will pay for cosmetics and early access to maps I suppose.
+2
Theodore Flooseveltproud parent of eight beautiful girls and shalmelodorne (which is currently being ruled by a woman (awesome role model for my daughters)) #dornedadRegistered Userregular
I do want to point out the Titanfall 2 cosmetic economy
No loot boxes, no random chance, just buy what you want. You also get a ton of skins for much lower prices than darn near any other multiplayer economy out there. Maps and DLC are all free, you only ever will pay for cosmetics and early access to maps I suppose.
I get why people don't like the Overwatch loot boxes, but if Heroes of the Storm is any indication, they would be selling legendary skins for $10 a pop. I've ultimately spent less and gotten more using Overwatch's system than I did buying specific skins in Heroes. Sometimes it feels like people think of the Overwatch cosmetics as core parts of the game.
But, yes, either way, I get why people don't like them.
Most anticipated
-Yooka-Laylee: I love Banjo-Kazooie and it looks like a pitch perfect game in that style. (it almost feels like a pallette swap.). The toy box's controls felt perfect and everything I've seen of the game makes it look like the devs are totally nailing it.
-Nintendo Switch + New Mario and Zelda: The Switch looks neat, Zelda sounds incredible and I would love to dig into a new 3D Platformer Mario game.
-Underworld Ascendant: I recently played through Ultima Underworld again and DAMN if that isn't a fantastic game despite the ancient controls. A modern follow-up could be incredible. Though I'm not sure if it'll be out in 2017.
-Crackdown 3: This, so far, seems like Microsoft's big title for 2017, so it's likely they're going to use it to showcase the power of the Scorpio. I'm really curious what they could do with that game with more hardware at their disposal.
Stuff I'd like to see
-Shadow Complex 2: God dammit Epic, just do this already. ChAIR has already said they have the game designed and Peter David mentioned it was already written; just make the damn thing already!
-Wolfenstein: The New Collossus: Teased at E3 this year. The New Order was fantastic and I would love to see the sequel.
4. Dark Souls III
Not as impactful as the first game, naturally, but an excellent return to form. Good bosses, good equipment, good level design. Satisfying entry in the series, and I'd honestly be content were it the last as well.
It is the last Dark Souls game, they are moving on to other things.
Considering Demon's Souls and Bloodborne I assume those other things will be third person action rpgs set in bleak environments, but Dark Souls is done. Well, once that final DLC comes out and completes the disappointment anyway.
I do want to point out the Titanfall 2 cosmetic economy
No loot boxes, no random chance, just buy what you want. You also get a ton of skins for much lower prices than darn near any other multiplayer economy out there. Maps and DLC are all free, you only ever will pay for cosmetics and early access to maps I suppose.
I get why people don't like the Overwatch loot boxes, but if Heroes of the Storm is any indication, they would be selling legendary skins for $10 a pop. I've ultimately spent less and gotten more using Overwatch's system than I did buying specific skins in Heroes. Sometimes it feels like people think of the Overwatch cosmetics as core parts of the game.
But, yes, either way, I get why people don't like them.
Gacha mechanics in a game I paid 60 dollars for is gross. Like, I saw their Christmas update and I liked Mei a lot when I played Overwatch, and I'm probably dumb enough that I'd buy a Christmas skin for a game I haven't played in 6 months. But I'm not buying blind boxes for it.
Titanfall 2 is great though, I'm excited to try the multiplayer after that great SP campaign. I need to get a PS+ sub again but someone was asking for a cheap gift for christmas so I told em to get me a month mostly so I can play Titanfall.
Posts
Or just let this hibernate for a week or so, do what y'all will.
I mean also the Christmas Hangout will have kicked in by then
but whatever
video games were good this year!
But are we allowed to have a Giant Bomb thread? I thought these got the axe
Uh-oh I accidentally deleted my signature. Uh-oh!!
GOTY roundup usually gets a free pass
I specifically asked permission
Hitman and More?!?!
Here's how I'm feeling so far, the 10 games are pretty much set, but I might change the order around after some more deliberation, and some more going back and replaying stuff.
Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
Stardew Valley
Pokémon Sun
Doom
Overwatch
No Man's Sky
Firewatch
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
XCOM 2 (THAT CAME OUT THIS YEAR DEAR GOD)
Street Fighter V
World of Warcraft: Legion
Currently playing:
Final Fantasy XV
Want to play:
Titanfall 2
Mafia 3
Watch Dogs 2
http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/aistan/lists/top-10-of-2016/358090/
I still need to play Doom, and Thumper, and a few other things, but for those i'd need to be able to buy them first so a-waiting I shall continue to do.
5. No Man's Sky
Ooo, divisive! I put plenty of time into NMS even before the Foundation update. It is definitely a flawed game (and should not have been a $60 release), but I think it was unfairly maligned, and I see a ton of potential.
4. Dark Souls III
Not as impactful as the first game, naturally, but an excellent return to form. Good bosses, good equipment, good level design. Satisfying entry in the series, and I'd honestly be content were it the last as well.
3. Titanfall 2
It's always nice to get a bracing reminder that there are game designers out there that "get it" and whose talents are in no way inextricably tied to a particular franchise (like Call of Duty). Titanfall 2 has an amazing campaign that focuses on unique level ideas and runs with them in the best way. The multiplayer's design is the pinnacle of the current - or now traditional, I suppose - ADS, left trigger, right trigger that we've come to expect from shooters these days, but it feels so fundamentally satisfying that it's hard to find complaint. Yes, it's that good, even if you're justifiably wary of the COD-like genre these days.
2. Overwatch
Any game that is multiplayer-only is a tough sell for me, because I'm an old man that comes from Before the Internet and I live under the assumption that it will go away someday and then I'll be left with a game I'm no longer able to play (when I'm not begging for water from Immortan Joe). But then Blizzard happens, and the thing that happens turns out to be one of my favorite games ever. Impeccable art and sound design (seriously, take about fifteen minutes and really think about all the audio cues that brilliantly choreograph what's happening in a match at any moment). The loot box system is admittedly less ideal than just letting people purchase the precise skin they want with actual money, but if you don't take it too seriously, it can be a fun carrot at the end of a stick in a game where level progression really doesn't mean anything. It'd probably end up as my overall GOTY, were it not for...
1. DOOM
Hard to know where to begin here. The best single player shooter campaign in a decade (easily) and probably - yeah, I'll say it - the best Doom game ever made. A game that had no right to be this good, this self-aware, this immaculately playable (and re-playable), this perfectly executed. Yeah, the multiplayer is kind of generic. Who cares? This game is worth $60 for the campaign by itself, and you can get it for much less these days. You are literally doing yourself a disservice by not playing this. Get it on console, PC, whatever. Just get it.
Honorable Mention:
SUPER MARIO RUN - Mostly for being an actual game (despite being on mobile) and for its non-predatory one-time transaction.
Most Anticipated 2017 (unordered):
Red Dead Redemption 2
Persona 5
Nintendo Switch (Zelda, Mario, Mario Kart... Animal Crossing?)
So long, 2016. Your shooter campaigns were amazing and that's literally pretty much the only good thing about you.
DOOM
Either DOOM or Hitman, I bet. Titanfall 2 probably makes the Top 3.
Where else can Vinny kill Santa with an axe?
it's my one chance of having a relevant opinion this year!
10) Firewatch
I really liked the interactions between Henry and Delilah, and the game looked so good that I got the physical photos printed.
9) Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
I only ever got halfway through because that dungeon before the final party member joins is some hot bullshit and just watched the rest, but I still greatly enjoyed it's style being all about performance.
8) Dark Souls III
This one ended up a bit low just because it's the third Dark Souls; I love the Souls series, but it's time for a change.
7) Final Fantasy XV
I'm only 17 hours in but I wanna see more of the Beautiful Boys and their road trip.
6) Pokemon Sun/Moon
Probably my favorite Pokemon games since Gold/Silver, but God do I hope that Switch port rumor turns out to be true cause the games have run poorly since XY. Solid Pokemon designs and really good music, plus Alola really stands out as a completely different region.
5) Furi
Furi's 5 hours of pure adrenaline with great boss design, deliberate combat, and so much style via its soundtrack and art direction. Plus it was free with PS+ at launch.
4) Picross 3D: Round 2
Fuck this game/I love this game.
3) Stardew Valley
I learned that pickles are actually cucumbers! Can't wait til the Switch port.
2) Oxenfree
Oxenfree was the first game of 2016 I played and has just stuck with me throughout the whole year, and not even for the great characters, world design, creepy radio mechanic, nor the menacing supernatural beings. It sticks out because of the feud between Alex and Clarissa due to how it resonates with so many people, due to how easily and unreasonably we can hold grudges, even if they come from misunderstandings and grief. I had a similar experience two years prior, and realized that Clarissa has the same reasoning I do. It's easily jumped ahead of Walking Dead Season 1 as my favorite adventure game.
1) Overwatch
This game. This game has gotten so much money from me between the Origins Edition, tons of Loot Boxes during the three seasonal events, merchandise, and even resulted in me going to Blizzcon for the first time. I love how inclusive the game is, with "kills" being attributed to everyone who aided in the defeat of an enemy instead of just the one to get the last hit, the commendation cards at the end that award actions like healing, and Plays of the Game likewise rewarding players that pull off resurrections as Mercy, putting an end to enemy Ultimates, and saving allies from being killed. I've been completely absorbed by the little hints of story that are isolated from the game in the way that surprised me in contrast to how annoyed I was that Destiny did the same. I actually like every character and enjoy playing them all, Widowmaker aside (though just because I suck at sniping). It's a breath of fresh air how radccally different everyone is in a shooter on par with Splatoon; they avoided the tiring "two weapon loadout, perks, everyone can sprint, etc" that pretty much every shooter does. And it's just simply fun. I've sunk more time in this game in the past seven months than any other in a good long time, and will continue to visit it for years to come as they add new characters, seasonal events, maps, game modes, and tweaks to existing characters like the recent huge changes to Symmetra.
pokemon go I guess
but I'm going to say my game of the year was Stardew Valley because I know it would have been.
Jeff also thinks it was the best fighting game of the year
I'll just miss Austin, period
He was an incredibly thoughtful articulate voice in those discussions
Hopefully Waypoint will have some sort of recorded GOTY discussion
No loot boxes, no random chance, just buy what you want. You also get a ton of skins for much lower prices than darn near any other multiplayer economy out there. Maps and DLC are all free, you only ever will pay for cosmetics and early access to maps I suppose.
i wanna infinite duel YOU, geoff keighley
I get why people don't like the Overwatch loot boxes, but if Heroes of the Storm is any indication, they would be selling legendary skins for $10 a pop. I've ultimately spent less and gotten more using Overwatch's system than I did buying specific skins in Heroes. Sometimes it feels like people think of the Overwatch cosmetics as core parts of the game.
But, yes, either way, I get why people don't like them.
Most anticipated
-Yooka-Laylee: I love Banjo-Kazooie and it looks like a pitch perfect game in that style. (it almost feels like a pallette swap.). The toy box's controls felt perfect and everything I've seen of the game makes it look like the devs are totally nailing it.
-Nintendo Switch + New Mario and Zelda: The Switch looks neat, Zelda sounds incredible and I would love to dig into a new 3D Platformer Mario game.
-Underworld Ascendant: I recently played through Ultima Underworld again and DAMN if that isn't a fantastic game despite the ancient controls. A modern follow-up could be incredible. Though I'm not sure if it'll be out in 2017.
-Crackdown 3: This, so far, seems like Microsoft's big title for 2017, so it's likely they're going to use it to showcase the power of the Scorpio. I'm really curious what they could do with that game with more hardware at their disposal.
Stuff I'd like to see
-Shadow Complex 2: God dammit Epic, just do this already. ChAIR has already said they have the game designed and Peter David mentioned it was already written; just make the damn thing already!
-Wolfenstein: The New Collossus: Teased at E3 this year. The New Order was fantastic and I would love to see the sequel.
"four"
Sure, Sure.
Listen
after all these fucking delays
fuck, there better not be another one
You can't have games from last year on your 2016 GotY list. That's cheating.
thereee wiiiill beeeeeee
God you're right
I keep forgetting that
at least it's not something even more ridiculous like the Japanese version came out in 2015 or anything.
hahaha!
It is the last Dark Souls game, they are moving on to other things.
Considering Demon's Souls and Bloodborne I assume those other things will be third person action rpgs set in bleak environments, but Dark Souls is done. Well, once that final DLC comes out and completes the disappointment anyway.
Gacha mechanics in a game I paid 60 dollars for is gross. Like, I saw their Christmas update and I liked Mei a lot when I played Overwatch, and I'm probably dumb enough that I'd buy a Christmas skin for a game I haven't played in 6 months. But I'm not buying blind boxes for it.
Titanfall 2 is great though, I'm excited to try the multiplayer after that great SP campaign. I need to get a PS+ sub again but someone was asking for a cheap gift for christmas so I told em to get me a month mostly so I can play Titanfall.