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drahkon

Your GotY 2017

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2017 is coming to an end.
Nintendo did good, Sony did good, Microsoft maybe, EA can fuck right off. Many great games have been released this year and I'm looking forward to reading about all your favourites :)

 

It may be a little too early for some to choose their game(s) of the year, but why not create a thread already. Do whatever you want. Simply name your game(s), post a ranking or write a lengthy essay about why Breath of the Wild is your favourite game this year :p

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Quick reply first. Breath of the Wild just blew me away. I didn’t have many other games to play at the time, but if I did they would have all been put on the back burner. What else can I say that hasn’t been said by lovers of this game.
I did reach the mythical levels of 300 hours a week ago. Yes, I’m still dipping in now and then, and I haven’t even purchased the DLC. That can wait.


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My current top 10 at the moment. This may change though if I manage to get through anymore games in December. I do want to try and play Horizon and more of Nier, I could easily see both of those getting onto the list.

  1. Yakuza 0

  2. Destiny 2

  3. Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds

  4. Mario Odyssey

  5. Injustice 2

  6. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

  7. Sonic Mania

  8. Persona 5

  9. Yakuza Kiwami

  10. Tekken 7

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Breath of the Wild.

Odyssey is probably the more complete game, with far fewer (no?) flaws but Zelda was an experience I haven't had since the good old NES/SNES days. I'll never forget the sense of adventure that game provided and the traversal + physics engine + atypical openworld map, is a perfect mix.

Honourable mentions also for Shovel Knight Specter of Torment, Mario + Rabbids and Mass Effect Andromeda which I quite enjoyed.

2017 was easily Nintendo's year, to have two 97 Metacritic games in the same year is just incredible, and probably won't happen ever again.

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Assuming we're not going to do an official ranking, I'll just say a few words about the ones that have had the most impact on me.

 

Zelda: Breath of the Wild - This game utterly blew me away.  I appreciate it even more after playing the also-very-good Skyrim; how, in Zelda, you can just climb over any surface and go wherever you like in the huge overworld.  It's an outstanding piece of software.  Ultimately, however, it simply didn't deliver what I know a 3D Zelda can.  My favourite parts by far were the four "traditional" dungeons and I hope the series goes back to the OOT/Wind Waker formula - perhaps a bit bigger if it serves the design, but not copying open world games so closely.

 

Alchemic Dungeons - I know some may think this is a bad game, but nothing captured my mind this year more than this iOS port.  It's frustrating, unfair and luck-based, but the combination of it being turn-based (untimed too) and the way it continually asks you to make crafting decisions made it utterly addictive to me.  I've flipped open my 3DS to play this whilst I listen to the radio many a time.

 

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap - If quality matters over quantity, this is a contender.  A retro classic perfectly refurbished.  I admit there's not really enough substance for it to be GotY material, but this one really resonated with me.

 

Etrian Odyssey V - I've only just finished this game but, quite possibly, I enjoyed it more than anything else.  It's maybe not my game of the year, as it really just refines an existing idea to perfection, but it does so very, very well indeed.

 

Super Mario Odyssey - My real GotY.  This game ticked every box for me.  It was impressive, as in taking advantage of the current gen, but also instantly recognisable (and playable) from its 3D Mario predecessors, particularly 64 and Sunshine.  It's been described as "open world", but it didn't go too far in that regard and in my opinion really just has large levels.  The main story was perfectly scripted and playable, with loads of extras in the post-game.  For me this was pretty much perfect, and everything I want from a 3D Mario.

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My GOTY is probably Horizon: Zero Dawn.

 

Not only was it really good, but I only played two games this year, and the other was released in 2015, so doesn't count.

 

 

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The only games of 2017 I played were Fire Emblem Heroes (which took the majority of my gaming time this year, and for good reason, as it turned out to be a very well made game), Sonic Mania (one of the finest 2D Platformers ever made), and Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (a superb game which turned out to be one of the best-ever entries in my favourite franchise)

All of them excellent games, but my personal 2017 GOTY has to be Sonic Mania, as it's as close to perfection as any of these games get. It managed to surpass the expectations of my rose-tinted nostalgia glasses, and I mean that.

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33 minutes ago, bob said:

My GOTY is probably Horizon: Zero Dawn.

 

Not only was it really good, but I only played two games this year, and the other was released in 2015, so doesn't count.

 

 

Haha, this is the thing for me too - I wish I had the time (or money!) to be playing enough games to think about game of the year properly!

 

That said, the answer is obviously Breath of the Wild since I've played nothing like it in about ten years and it's a total joy. Fornite might have challenged it since that's like well fun, but given it's a rip off of PUBG, not sure I could morally give it the accolade

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I'll wait a bit longer before I dish out my thoughts/awards. I've got 3 days left to work before I finish for the rest of the year and I plan on catching up on a bunch of games. One of these may make the list...

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16 hours ago, Ronnie said:

Breath of the Wild.

Odyssey is probably the more complete game, with far fewer (no?) flaws but Zelda was an experience I haven't had since the good old NES/SNES days. I'll never forget the sense of adventure that game provided and the traversal + physics engine + atypical openworld map, is a perfect mix.

 

Breath of the Wild for the exact same reasoning as above.

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Breath of The Wild for me; it's the closest a game has come to a work of art in my opinion, and is only surpassed by Ocarina of Time in my standings.

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I've just realized that there aren't a lot of games from 2017 that I've completed :laughing: Not sure if I'll finish more games this year.

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It's been a really interesting year for games not just generally for the industry but also for myself in how I've approached certain titles and how I've pushed some aside for some poor practices. I can definitely see an almost global glut of awards for Zelda in the coming weeks from a lot of places, and maybe even Mario, and while it's a game that hasn't gelled with me, I wouldn't call anyone's awarding of Zelda as GotY out as wrong. I think the discussion of the game's merits and demerits and how it fits in within the context of what the industry is doing could be an interesting one not just for that game but across the spectrum for all games which would be considered for that award but maybe that's a discussion for another place.

I'll be trying to put together a top 20 list again this year for my own favourite games but I think it's pretty obvious from various posts in the last couple of weeks what I consider my GotY, which would have to be Horizon Zero Dawn. I'll probably post more about that when I finish putting together my top 20, I've got a couple of other smaller games to jump into and finish before I commit to some of the placements within that but there's a skeleton list I have on the go. Both Night in the Woods and Tooth and Tail are two such examples which I started last night and are both excellent examples of titles that I've put off or just not had the time to do so, so they're getting the attention they deserve now and because they're fantastic from what I've played of both so far.

Generally speaking I don't know if I'd say the quality of the indie/digital download space has been as strong this year, though there are some standout titles that definitely deserve some attention, and that's a shame as I've fallen more on this area of gaming in the last year or two and fallen out of favour with some of the bigger games but there's still been some good games, some great ones even, that for me are right up there in my list. The common denominator does seem to be a strong narrative focus and I think that's something which, over the last couple of years, is something I've come to appreciate a lot more.

So yeah, still a couple of games to go before I finalise my thoughts so watch this space.

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Breath of the Wild. I bought a Wii U to play it, and I'd only seen footage of the opening 5 minutes before setting down to it myself, and yet it somehow surpassed my expectations.

In the 21st century there has been a handful of games that stand out to me as trailblazers. Grand Theft Auto III, Halo, Portal, Demon's Souls, and now Breath of the Wild. People will look back on it as a pivotal point in the history of game design.

 

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Although my interest waned and I grew cynical post-completion, it's definitely Breath of the Wild purely for that first impression, for the engine and interaction, and the huge leap in the right direction. Might not be the best Zelda game or the most accomplished game of the year but it's put the series right back on track in my eyes.

Overwatch is my ongoing game of the year.

Destiny 2 is my disappointment of the decade.

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2017 was the year Nintendo should have had in 2002 with Sunshine and Wind Waker, two games which ultimately turned out to be massively rushed to market. I'm glad history hasn't repeated itself this time - both Odyssey and BOTW were stunning games.

It's hard to pick between them but to be honest, this year has been incredible for gaming. From Persona 5 to indie titles like Steamworld Dig 2, it's been stellar. Xenoblade 2 is still to come out as well, and I haven't even touched Fire Emblem: SoV and the 3DS Metroid title yet.

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I guess I'll put my top 10 here.

Spoiler

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10. Puyo Puyo Tetris

I'm pretty awful at Tetris, and I'm even worse at Puyo Puyo, but this insane mash-up is an absolute riot in Multiplayer. The mode that has you play both games simultaneously is a stroke of genius. It also has some great humour that only the unfunnest of people would not crack a smile at. Plus you can now get Sonic Forces free with it, so that's a bonus, I suppose.

CI_NSwitch_Splatoon2_SplatRoller.gif

9. Splatoon 2

It's no secret that I wasn't keen on the original WiiU game. And to be honest, I'm not entirely sure why I enjoy the sequel, maybe it's Salmon Run? Maybe it's how much more there was from the get-go? Maybe it's because that totally cheating Invincibility Special is nowhere to be seen? Well, whatever it is, I'm a fan. Way to claw it back, Splatoon.

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8. Sonic Mania

Sure, I still think Sonic 3 is the better game, but almost as good as Sonic 3 is pretty damn good, if you ask me. This retro smorgasbord boasts fantastic music, great gameplay and some of the most inspired bosses I've seen in a Sonic game. I'd say go play it, but let's face it, you already have, haven't you? You weirdos.

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7. Super Mario Odyssey

Man, I could go on and on about the issues this game has, but hey, I still had fun with this one. Mario has never been more fun to control and the capture mechanic adds a new layer to the Mario 64 style of game. Lack of platforming challenge and far too many brain-dead easy collectibles stops it from getting higher in my list. (Oh, look, I still mentioned some of my issues, I can't help it)

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6. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

Probably my surprise hit of the year, Fire Emblem Echoes wowed me with it's solid Strategy RPG gameplay, great characters and amazing soundtrack. Fire Emblem games tend to leave me lukewarm, but this one was a blast from start to finish. An absolute must-play for SRPG fans.

tumblr_oiu60aoNRH1vjg6o4o1_400.gif

5. Pokemon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon

Sun and Moon was a pretty decent Pokemon game, but was let down by all sorts of irritating setbacks, and while the enhanced versions still have some of these, at least Game Freak had to actually add Pokemon from games that aren't generation 1, because they already used all of them anyway.

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4. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment

The second DLC campaign of "awesome retro throwback that isn't Sonic Mania" continues the trend of tight gameplay, catchy music and ridiculous fun that this top-notch game has been established for. A great little story to boot makes this title a great little pick up and play game.

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3. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

A remaster of a PS2 classic. Dragon Quest VIII is often on top of people's "best Dragon Quest" lists. And now I totally see why. The 3DS version has extra content, extra characters as well as some QoL improvements. You're kidding yourself if you're a fan of Turn based RPG's and haven't tried this one yet.

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2. Monster Hunter Stories

It really sounds like it shouldn't work, but "Monster Hunter: RPG edition" is one of the most outstanding 3DS games on the whole system. It's full of charm, gorgeous visuals and absolutely adorable versions of deadly, man-eating abominations of nature. I really hope this isn't the last we see of the series on a Ninty console...

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1. Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

Come on, you MUST have seen this one coming. A true labour of love that brings a Master System classic right into modern times. Building on the solid base game with a stupendous soundtrack remix and a visual overhaul that can only be described as stunning. 2017 has been a bit of drag for me in the gaming side, but Wonder Boy is a stark reminder that every now and again, I'm going to play a game that leaves a real impression on me. One that sets a standard for future retro remakes.

Play this game, it deserves your attention.

Even if I had less than 10 games to choose from, BOTW would not be allowed on my list out of principle. Any game that bores me as much as it did doesn't deserve to be there. Definitely my disappointment of the year.

 

Edited by Glen-i
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Without a doubt, my Game of the Year is Horizon Zero Dawn.  A game many (including myself) didn't have much hope for, considering Guerilla Games's last PS4 outing was Killzone Shadow Fall.  Horizon blew the opinion away, i was amazed at just how good this game was when i played it.  Normally, i start a game and leave it for a bit before picking it up and playing it through.  Horizon was that one game i started and played right to the end without changing my game.

And with the additional DLC in the form of The Frozen Wilds, which came out earlier this month.  It's cemented this game as my Game of the Year for 2017.

Other notable mentions this year include

  • Sonic Mania
  • Assassin's Creed Origins
  • Breath of the Wild
  • Snake Pass
  • Little Nightmares
  • Uncharted The Lost Legacy

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2 hours ago, Goron_3 said:

It's hard to pick between them but to be honest, this year has been incredible for gaming. From Persona 5 to indie titles like Steamworld Dig 2, it's been stellar. Xenoblade 2 is still to come out as well, and I haven't even touched Fire Emblem: SoV and the 3DS Metroid title yet.

 

Ah yes, Samus Returns!  That's a genuine contender for GotY.  I don't know why I forgot it (so many games, I suppose), but it really is that good.

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Even if I had less than 10 games to choose from, BOTW would not be allowed on my list out of principle. Any game that bores me as much as it did doesn't deserve to be there. Definitely my disappointment of the year.

@Glen-i You're a hilarious person. Not because of your dislike for the game, but because you're clearly so angry with the people who do like it. 

That use of 'principle' tickled me good.

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2 hours ago, dwarf said:

@Glen-i You're a hilarious person. Not because of your dislike for the game, but because you're clearly so angry with the people who do like it. 

That use of 'principle' tickled me good.

I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed.

Now Pokemon Red/Blue nostalgia bias, that's what gets me angry.

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