Jonnas
N-E Staff
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Posts posted by Jonnas
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14 hours ago, Dcubed said:Oh wow! That's awesome!
I do wonder if the actual original GBA version would include Portuguese though, considering the inevitable cartridge space limitations in place (max of 32MB).
Some GBA titles had translations, but if the game was text-heavy, it would only fit 2 or 3. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for PAL releases to have an ENG/FRA/GER version and an ESP/ITA version, as separate releases with separate cartridges. If the game had very little text to translate, there was the possibility of the cartridge fitting 5 or 6 languages.
That said, and upon reexamining the Direct... something fishy is going on. I think that dialogue was trailer-exclusive, and was translated because they were doing that for all pop-up text with special fonts (which includes the dialogue boxes, apparently). What really convinces me that I was mistaken... is that other titles in the Direct had very tiny print saying stuff like "Available in European/Brazillian Portuguese", but Shantae had no such thing
The game is going to be great regardless, but that would've been the ultimate perk. My hopes got dashed way forward.
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That presentation felt... bare. There was interesting stuff in there, but the package truly didn't feel like much.
- Shantae: Risky Revolution looks amazing. So great to see the series keep moving along at its pace, no matter the obstacle;
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Outer Wilds is an important get, so that's good. One more system to wishlist it on
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- Blade Chimera looks solid, but aesthetically bland. Lukewarm for now;
- A Highland Song looks nice;
- On Your Tail, Death Trick, and The Star Named EOS are point&click mystery/detective games, and I'm a sucker for the genre. Consider my interest piqued;
- Howl wins the "Most unique" award for this presentation. Don't care much for the look, but the trailer convinced me it might be a gem.
So yeah, neat. Just neat.
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The Portuguese version of the Direct showed this in Portuguese!
Not sure if it was just for the purposes of the trailer (and only this trailer), but I think it would be the first-ever GBA game translated into the language, if true.
Anyway, the game looks terrific!
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It's a real shame not to see Street Fighter 6 in the GOTY category. I get it, this has been an insane year for major releases, but still.
I've complained my fair share about this show in previous years, so now I'll just say that "Best Adaptation" is a cool idea for an award, and I fully support it. More unique awards catered to the reality of the gaming industry, please! Maybe next year they'll have a "Best Boss" category... whoamIkidding?
As for my prediction... TGA normally likes to play it "safe" with the nominees, but still award the main prize to a slightly more surprising candidate (emphasis on "slightly"), to pretend they're making a hot statement. I do believe this is why they crowned "It Takes Two" and "Sekiro" in the years that they won. With that in mind......
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.... Baldur's Gate 3 will take the prize
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All I want is a date for Freedom Planet 2 on Switch, please. The game's been out for a year, I just want it on my preferred system. "December" is too vague!
Beyond that... I try not to have expectations, really, anything can happen in an Indie showcase. Normally I hope for a game from Inti Creates, but I already know what they're working on, and it's not exactly my cup of tea.
Ok, I do have a bit of a wild hope: after playing some extra Castlevania this month, I'm curious about what IGA is up to. Would be neat if he showed his next project here.
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16 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:No love for Strider, @Jonnas? This saddens me. I love that game
First of all, welcome back, H-o-T
Hadn't commented on it yet, but it's always good to see you around here.
As for Strider, the original game itself is a solid 3, as I have played it before. Very technically impressive for 1989, fun to play, aesthetically wild, and very charming. The chaotic gameplay and brutal difficulty bring it from a 4 to a 3, but I was quite pleased with it when I played the Arcade version on the 1st Capcom Arcade Stadium. Even if I couldn't finish it.
My scathing comment was specifically for the Mega Drive version, which is awful. Choppy as heck, animations don't play properly, screen size is smaller than in the Arcade... Showcases few of the original game's strengths, and it exacerbates the game's flaws even further.
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On 02/11/2023 at 4:39 PM, Glen-i said:Now, I'm just spitballing here, but I'm betting it was because PlayStation kids in the 90's had to big it up in their mind, because Ninty kids had Mario 64 on launch, and well, it's no contest, really.
Couple that with nostalgia goggles, and you've got a recipe for overrated games!
I remember plenty of kids who liked Crash Bandicoot at the time: Nintendo and Sega weren't in their minds when talking about Crash.
I would say Crash is fondly remembered for the same reason that Ghosts&Goblins, or Ninja Gaiden, or any unfairly difficult game is fondly remembered: because kids don't put too much stock into finishing games. They remember the fond times exploring and trying to beat each level that they could, and largely ignore that certain parts of it are overly difficult even for seasoned players (because, for beginner players, everything feels equally difficult). Crash was fun to control and had a charming design, that's all it takes to form fans.
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Speaking of games we drop as adults, I dropped a few over these past few months (as an adult!). Here are some quick-fire opinions on each:
- Pnickles: Got it on the Capcom 2nd Arcade Stadium, and I absolutely regret it. It's a Puyo Puyo clone, with the twist that the blobs of 3 or more don't burst on their own, they require two special blocks before they burst... It's a slow game, with no way to regulate difficulty, and it's just really boring. 1 star
- Flicky: Tried it on NSO. I found it to be a pretty fun Arcade game that I can revisit from time to time. Didn't finish it, but I'm not exactly in a rush to do so right now. 3 stars
- Altered Beast: I tried it previously on a PS2, a long time ago. I remember it being horrible. Tried it again on NSO, and I can confirm it is horrible. I will say that the graphics and sound look great for the 80s, but that's all the praise I'll ever give it. 1 star
- Strider (Mega Drive): I was surprised to see this on NSO. Didn't know there was a Strider game on the Mega Drive! Now I know why, because it was a lousy port of the Arcade game. The original is pretty fun, and difficult enough on its own, the MD version makes it look amateurish. 1 star
- Ghosts'n Goblins (NES): Was on a Halloween mood, checked the NES version of this game... Wasn't impressed. I played the GBC version a long time ago, and that one ran better than this one. Plus, it was so unbearably difficult, I'm starting to question if the original game is good to begin with. 2 stars
And now, for some that I have played more thoroughly.
Streets of Rage 2
I played the first one last year! After getting the NSO, I figured this was as good a time as any to check the following game in the series. The beat'em up genre is one that I've neglected over the years, due to seeing it as more of a co-op experience. I've given it more of a shot over this past year, but never really found the one to truly wow me.
Until now. Boy, did I love this game. To think this wasn't part of my childhood, me, a Mega Drive boy! Four distinctly fun characters, memorable charming enemies, varied stages, creative bosses (except for that second Wolverine...), wonderful difficulty curve, and excellent music? Oh yes. It's also the right kind of short, perfect for a chill session of gaming.
I started with Blaze on Normal, but I felt it was too easy, so I switched to Hard. Did fine until around Stage 5, where difficulty spiked. I decided to dial it back, try Normal difficulty with Max, and ended up beating the game with some save states. Then I went back to Blaze's Hard playthrough and powered through the last couple of levels with save states. To restore my honour, I played Very Hard with Axel, and actually did pretty well without save states! Ended up relying on them to deal with the ninjas, so there goes my honour. Still, even without save states, I think I could beat it without wasting all my Continues.
Anyway, I can't give it less than 5 stars. Between this, Chiki Chiki Boys, and the Power Rangers game, it seems that Mega Drive was a true beat'em up utopia.
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Julius Mode
I played this one four years ago! I said at the time that playing like Julius felt slow. But after this monumental break, it only feels "kinda" slow
Julius' age is getting to him. Anyway, it was Halloween, and I wanted a fun romp. Plus, that 7-hour Castlevania video left me in a mood, let me tell you.
Julius mode is fun. If the sub-weapons from the 3 protagonists were scattered across the map, it would even make for a robust campaign. As it stands, it's more of a side-attraction, albeit one with genuine challenge involved. Some bosses need to be approached very differently (like soloing Aguni with Yoko because the other two chumps don't have an overhead attack), and I certainly did not expect Paranoia and Death to be more difficult than Abaddon.
This has nothing to do with the playthrough, but I give Dawn of Sorrow 4 stars. With this, the game has gone from "Beat" to "Completed".
The Horror of Salazar House
I...never played this one. But it was Halloween, and I needed something genuinely creepy. I grabbed a short game from my Steam library.
This is a one-man Indie game by a Chilean developer called Ignacio Maldonado. It tells the story of a young reporter investigating a house that's been abandoned ever since its family - the Salazars - vanished a few years ago. Kinda pulpy, the author does say it was inspired by Italian horror films.
Anyway, the game looks like this, aiming for some Pentium vibes. It's very much a "pick-your-story" adventure book at heart, with occasional choices that lead to immediate, gruesome death. Thankfully, the game is short, save points exist, and there are no soft locks. Visually, it does a lot with very little, using its monochromatic colour scheme to great effect, and the creepy parts are creepy. There are also "Hiding in closet from the stalker" segments, which are appreciated to keep me on my toes, though they do feel a tad undercooked.
It was a cool experience, and a great fit for Halloween. 3 stars
Castlevania Legends
Added on the NSO! Never played it before now! Perfect night to have a curse.
It's clunky, the level design is filled with dead ends, stupid traps all over the place, hitboxes and jumps are janky af, bat enemies are the worst, spells are either OP (if you have hearts to use them) or absolutely useless (when you don't have hearts), music is best described as "bootleg Castlevania", the barebones plot manages to be overwritten, and just to be annoying, the game displays the existence of collectibles just to deny me the pleasure of a "Completed" game.
But it's fine, not the worst Castlevania I played. 2 stars
-Mega Man V (1994) Beat
-Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon [Game Boy] (1997) Dropped
-Super Bomberman R (2017) Beat
-Samurai Shodown Neogeo Collection (2020) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown (1993) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown II (1994) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown III (1995) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown IV (1996) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V (2003) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V Special (2004) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V Perfect (2020) No Goal
-The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (2023) Completed
-Mechstermination Force (2019) Beat
-F-Zero 99 (2023) No Goal
-F-Zero (1990) Beat
-Fallblox (2012) Beat
-Pnickles (1995) Dropped
-Streets of Rage 2 (1992) Beat
-The Horror of Salazar House (2020) Completed
-Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005) Completed
-Flicky (1984) No Goal
-Castlevania Legends (1997) Beat
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Live action is not the route I imagined an official Zelda product to follow. The series is so colourful and vivacious.
I really hope this doesn't take itself seriously. This better turn out really cheesy.
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Mysterious Murasame Castle is a fun game, but very difficult. Feels like a predecessor to many a hack&slash, but its design is clunky like only a NES-era game could be.
Very much worth playing, mind you. I certainly like it way more than, say, Ninja Gaiden.
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Yeah, I haven't played it, either! That's quite the Halloween treat!
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On 01/11/2023 at 12:03 PM, darksnowman said:I thought Legion was pretty stinking in Portrait of Ruin with the way the bodies fall away. *shudders*
That happens in a few titles, yeah. There is one particular instance where that is used to great effect in this one Castlevania game...
SpoilerAria of Sorrow. You enter some catacombs, and there are several naked zombies walking around, they don't present a threat, you don't know what's going on... Then you enter one particular hallway and BAM! the zombies are slowly forming Legion. It's a creepy, really well done introduction. They do fall off the main ball occasionally as well, and now they'll attack.
(I also think this is the one game where the center was a fetus the entire time..? I might be wrong on this one)
But what gets me about the Harmony of Dissonance version of Legion is how sturdy it is, how it refuses to lose parts, how it starts to slowly open... Plus, the one body that refuses to fall, staring at the fourth wall with its eyeless face... It gives me so many creeps.
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I'm very fond of Harmony of Dissonance (or CHoD, according to these last few posts). It's very smooth to play, the plot is engaging enough, the visuals are psychedelic and ethereal, and the soundtrack is eerie enough to match. Helps that it was, in fact, my first Castlevania
It's a shame the map itself is so needlessly large, but it sounds like the QoL changes from this version help a lot I also like how the game marries the Metroidvania genre with Horror. This game still has the creepiest (and grossest) Legion in the series.
But to be perfectly fair, Aria of Sorrow has it beat pretty handily. CAoS is sublime, and the best Castlevania of this genre (of the ones I played, anyway).
I'd also like to take this opportunity to share something I've been listening for these past few weeks: the most thorough Castlevania retrospective I've ever seen.
That's seven hours (!!!) of content, and it's pretty liberal with spoilers, but I found this guy's takes to be pretty fair, and he certainly did his homework when contextualizing each release. If you don't/can't/won't listen to the whole thing (understandable), you can just check the parts where he talks about specific games, since they're adequately timestamped (for example, Harmony of Dissonance is at the 3:22:38 mark, and only lasts 14 minutes).
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Hey flameboy! I definitely remember you, and it's always nice to see a familiar face
And while I can only speak for myself, I think you made the right call. Social Media is a scary place, I don't wanna go back there either!
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On 13/10/2023 at 11:12 PM, Glen-i said:BTW, how many games actually let you fight a previous protagonist?
At the risk of spoiling a 10+ year old game... there's Spirit Tracks
SpoilerThere's a Boss Rush mini-game at the main castle town. It's made up of boss fights from the main game, but if you beat it on the hardest difficulty, you suddenly enter a new, unfamiliar room where the reward is supposed to be... and surprise motherfucka, Dark Link shows up out of nowhere to fight you.
What's especially notable of this iteration of Dark Link, is that he's very heavily implied to be Phantom Hourglass's (and by extension, Wind Waker's) Link. He has that hurricane slash that existed in his games, the boss music is this very distorted, dark remix of the Great Sea... the fight is a surreal experience, and not even the hostess knows what's up with this.
The devs never addressed what that Dark Link truly was (a clone? A ghost? The true canonical grim fate of WW!Link?), and I respect that.
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After some forum mishaps, it's time to make a post about the scant few games I finished over the past couple of months.
Free, lighthearted game, and of a genre I appreciate, so I checked it out.
Writing-wise, it's fun, and clearly made by loving fans. Lots of small references to the franchise's history and fandom here and there. Plus, this is the first time I've ever thought Shadow was likable. The ending was a bit "meh" for me, but nothing that hurts the overall thing.
Gameplay-wise, it's super basic. Like, 2004-flash-game-on-newgrounds basic. Every scenario is locked to one location at a time, with 2 or 3 items to be used at any point. The only moderately exciting part was the final "whoddunit" at the end, where you're actually asked to think about and recap everything that happened. There's also GameGear-style minigames, I liked those plenty.
3 stars. Very cute game, and a nice afternoon
Recommended by @Londragon at the N-E Café, way back when. It was made by the Hörbergs (of Gunman Clive fame), so that's all I needed to know.
If Gunman Clive is like Mega Man, and Super Punch Patrol is like Streets of Rage, this game is like Contra. The main twist is that there's no levels or stages, only boss battles. That's great by me, Boss Rushes are an unappreciated genre. These are excellent bosses too, if you think you know what mechs look like, you haven't seen THESE mechs. The creativity is off the charts.
I should say, I don't actually like Contra, it's not my cup of tea. I do like this game better, and it all comes out due to game design... but the controls aren't that hot. Weapon-switching is very clunky, and movement is excessively floaty and janky. This wouldn't be much of an issue if I was just rushing to the end, but the game rates your performance against any of these boss fights, and it's so frustrating to miss any of them just because a wall jump (or even a regular jump) decided to not register properly.
The writing is very silly, and I already knew that going in. It's a Hörberg guarantee.
4 stars. Great concept, in need of a final coat of polish and refinement.
I posted about this in the main thread. It's great.
It's a great revival for the series, and very much a direction I appreciate. Despite the chaos, skill can still be rewarded, and I generally feel satisfied if I can finish within the Top 20. So far, the only real flaw is the small amount of tracks, and the fact that any other interesting game mode (team racing, mini-GP, etc.) is locked to events, therefore hour-dependent. We'll see what future updates will bring to the game... and hopefully the series.
4 stars. Great revival, and one of the most exciting games of 2023.
Oh, they made a single-player game out of F-Zero 99. Neat.
To be frank, I had never played the original before, not properly. I gave it a try a long time ago, and I was not fond of the controls. Looking back, I think someone messed with them, because the game plays pretty great in NSO, and after 99, I had to give this the time it deserved.
So yeah, raw F-Zero, prototypical F-Zero, it's pretty fun. A shame that there's only one boost per lap, but the hazards are damaging enough to make health matter, so races are just as exciting and risky as they're supposed to. Furthermore, playing the various Grand Prixes (sic) gave me some serious GX flashbacks, in a great way. Simple, but very well designed tracks, that somehow manage to include various gimmicks and retain distinct character.
Pretty difficult too, made me sweat. What I didn't like was the bumpers, that is, the extra racers that aren't doing anything but impede your progress. I have no words for how frustrating and unfair they feel. They block roads, they purposefully drive against you, they sometimes explode, they pop out of thin air when you're trying to catch up and my brain hates to see that. There are no words for how pissed off I get, being in 2nd place, trying to catch up to Dr.Stewart (always him in the lead), but there are 3 or 5 bozos in the way, which should not happen in any race! Makes me livid enough to *bump* the score down a point.
Anyway, I beat Knight, Queen, and King in Standard difficulty, and that's good enough for me.
3 stars. It feels very aged, but I still appreciate it.
I played the first one a few years ago. Ended up getting the sequel near the end of the 3DS eshop.
It's better than the first one, I found. Mainly because these feel more like organic block puzzles, they're much more intuitive. Rather than navigating a vertical labyrinth, you're solving puzzles based on gravity and movement.
Pretty challenging too, with a steady difficulty curve. There are also sprite-based puzzles here, but this time I strongly disliked them. They did not feel natural, and I got headaches trying to work out the solutions to those. Thankfully, they only make up less than 10% of the game.
I finished the 100 story puzzles, and I'm now working my way through the 40 post-game puzzles. They somehow feel easier, despite requiring more complex thinking. Good stuff.
3 stars. Sweet game, I hope it sees a rerelease sooner, rather than later.
-Mega Man V (1994) Beat
-Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon [Game Boy] (1997) Dropped
-Super Bomberman R (2017) Beat
-Samurai Shodown Neogeo Collection (2020) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown (1993) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown II (1994) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown III (1995) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown IV (1996) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V (2003) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V Special (2004) No Goal
-Samurai Shodown V Perfect (2020) No Goal
-The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (2023) Completed
-Mechstermination Force (2019) Beat
-F-Zero 99 (2023) No Goal
-F-Zero (1990) Beat
-Fallblox (2012) Beat
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1 hour ago, Ike said:Are you using Tapatalk? You should be able to see it still and be able to unhide or edit the post using a browser.
If not I can delete it for you.
I did all of this on my laptop. Can't see any posts here, nor any unhide option.
But you did give me the idea to check the thread from my phone, where I'm not logged in. Sure enough, as a guest, I can't see the accidental post, so it's safe to assume it's effectively deleted.
Thank you, in any case
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Not sure if this is the spot to ask this... but I accidentally posted in the Gaming Diary thread just as I started to write a post. I tried to delete it immediately, and all I found was the "Hide" button.
So, did that button hide the post from everybody, or just from myself? And if it was just from me, how do I "unhide" it? So I can delete it properly?
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Does the Mega Drive version of Virtua Fighter 2 count? That game physically hurt me, and is also infamously bad.
Beyond that, I never really go out of my way to play games that look painfully unfun. Every game I'd give a 1-star review is one where that opinion is unusual (like my general dislike for Gargoyle's Quest), or the game simply aged poorly (Street Fighter 1, Castlevania II, ...), or maybe everybody agrees it's a bad game, but it's not that infamous for it (like Dragon Ball GT Final Bout).
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I finally gave this a fair shake and... it's absolutely marvelous
I think I have a new daily activity, playing this game is so fun! I am very partial to Wild Goose right now.
It's also exciting, the idea that this game is creating a whole new generation of F-Zero games out of the (big) blue. Build that fanbase!
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So many questions swirling through my mind! I am absolutely astonished that they're bringing this series back! With a proper remake too (which was absolutely needed). Ashley's voice, the facial animations, and they even redesigned her for R! She looks so nice with those earrings, and the boxart is a work of art, and just... God, this is such a nice thing to happen in the world.
I am excited to hear about the developers, I truly am.
By the way, for anybody who hasn't played the originals, such as @Julius, I should warn you that the original games were tailor-made for their respective platforms, and cannot work outside of them. As such, I fully expect this remake to have entirely new puzzles and/or interfaces (ideally, tailor-made for the Switch). It's a key aspect of the series that you should at least be aware of, if you're thinking of checking it out.
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I am actually really happy about this. Battle Royals don't do much for me, but it makes so much sense with this series! Looking forward to trying this one out.
7 hours ago, Dcubed said:Does this… does this count as a new F-Zero game?
...Yes? It's not an old F-Zero game, that's for sure.
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I mean, this is Jonnas bait, if I ever saw some
I appreciate the art style a lot, I must say, and the portfolio is trustworthy. Looking forward to its release.
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20 hours ago, Jonnas said:Aight, wild predictions:
- DLC for Pikmin 4
- Something from Grezzo. Their last work was Link's Awakening remake, right? I feel like it's time
- Camelot will be shown to be cooking something
- Dragon Quest III HD will finally resurface
- Kid Icarus for Switch!
- F-Zero will be mentioned!
- Skies of Arcadia remastered!
- MOLE MANIA, NINTENDO!
You know what? I'm going to sleep to reset my expectations.
If I ever expected one thing to come true out of my prediction, it certainly wasn't that!
This was a weird Direct. There was nothing bad or boring about it, and every announcement had something interesting about it... But when you consider that the bulk of it were rereleases, ports, and remakes, it does leave a man wanting. I associate Directs with proper surprises, you know?
Anyway, my highlights:
- Princess Peach Showtime looks pretty good. I wonder if it'll feel like a novelty or like a game with a lot of depth, but in concept and aesthetics, it's already a winner;
- SaGa Emerald Beyond caught my eye. Looks pretty decent and unique. I'll try to check reviews when it comes out;
- Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered was not something I was ever expecting! I have them on GOG, so I'll likely not get this. What I'm happy about is the effort to preserve these classics;
- Unicorn Overlord is a terrible title, but a fascinating-looking game. Just my type. I must consider it for sure;
- Trombone Champ is a perfect fit for Switch, and I hope it takes off;
- Dave the Diver I hadn't heard of before. Will try to learn more;
- I am happy to finally have another opportunity to play Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. It was a glaring Gamecube gap in my bucket list;
- F-Zero 99 makes me happy. I don't actually like the SNES game that much, but the fact that the franchise has a chance to gain fans is a legitimately positive thing. Plus, we're now one step closer to my dream game: F-Zero GX 30
- Another Code Recollection got me legit emotional. I have so many questions, like, will the puzzles be similar? Is Cing back? Is there a team of developers willing to carry their torch? For now, I just greatly enjoyed the recreation of certain scenes, fully voiced.
So yeah, though it had some great stuff, I was just a tad underwhelmed by the whole package.
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Aight, wild predictions:
- DLC for Pikmin 4
- Something from Grezzo. Their last work was Link's Awakening remake, right? I feel like it's time
- Camelot will be shown to be cooking something
- Dragon Quest III HD will finally resurface
- Kid Icarus for Switch!
- F-Zero will be mentioned!
- Skies of Arcadia remastered!
- MOLE MANIA, NINTENDO!
You know what? I'm going to sleep to reset my expectations.
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The Official 2023 Events Thread—Of E3 Hesitancy and Other Things
in General Gaming Discussion
Posted
If it was all up to recency bias, it would be a tight race between Alan Wake, Spider-Man, and Mario.
Anyway, I get the feeling that TotK, Resi 4 R, and Spider-Man aren't going to win it because, despite being quite good, they're all fairly similar to other memorable games that came out relatively recently. If they can help it, I think TGA wants to avoid giving the GOTY award to "Twice the Spider-Men as 5 years ago", "Remade even harder than 5 years ago", and "We won the award 7 years ago, but now we craftin'".
Super Mario Wonder is way too off-genre of what TGA wants. If they didn't give it to Metroid Dread, they ain't giving it to Mario.
Alan Wake has a legit shot, but this Horror passion project also falls short of the kind of game that tends to gain awards. Plus, direct comparisons to Resi 4 would then be inevitable, and TGA likely doesn't want the scrutiny of "picking a side" in a flamewar. Alan Wake is too risky, is what I'm saying.
Baldur's Gate is part of a mainstream-approved genre, is universally praised (quasi-Cinderella story, too), hasn't had any recent game quite like it, and it is just unique enough (especially when seen with the other nominees) to look like a hot take when it wins.
...On a side note, I do wish Baldur's Gate had come out before the Dungeons&Dragons film. That was a good one, and it might've helped its chances.