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Made in gb
Drakhun





So it's nearing the end of 2017, and it time to see what games are peoples game of the year!


To be honest, I started off the year with a great big mneh. Nothing seemed to be tickling my fancy when I was looking ahead. However I was knocked out the ballpark by a few games.


So my GoTY is........ not actually finished yet, because it's Life is Strange: Before the Storm. So I won't count it because its not finished. But that game is like crack cocaine to an emotionally repressed man like myself.


So I'm going to go with Horizon Zero Dawn. For being one of the best damn games I've ever played. Whilst it doesn't do anything majorly ground breaking, it is such a good game and it plays so well. The story is pretty tight, which is impressive for an open world game. And Aloy is voiced fantastically by Ashly Burch. And it's clean and tight and it looks extremely pretty.

My runner up would be Nier: Automata, because it's just a game you have to play and enjoy, and it really hit me out of nowhere and I couldn't put it down. Same as above, Story is great and you really feel for the characters involved and the questions it asks and the answers you get.


What are other people's games of the year?

DS:90-S+G+++M++B-IPw40k03+D+A++/fWD-R++T(T)DM+
Warmachine MKIII record 39W/0D/6L
 
   
Made in gb
Is 'Eavy Metal Calling?





UK

Hmm... There's been some pretty good stuff this year, and some pretty major disappointments.

The game I want to give the title to is Shadow of War. It's 99% of an amazing game. It has the same fantastic systems as the first, but improved and expanded in almost every way. The world spaces are super, nice and diverse and really evoke the LotR feeling, the graphics on the whole are great and the story and characters are a big step up over the first (it's not just Angry Man Revenge Simulator any more!)...

BUT the ending is just bat-crap insane and totally put me off going back to it for any of the end-game content. Prior to that I'd done all the collectables, most of the side missions and even some online stuff, but the finale to the campaign is a horrible mess of underwhelming boss fights that take away most of the cool stuff you've been able to do, a story choice that throws the lore of LotR out the window (even moreso than the rest of the game. It's one thing to say 'alternate timeline', it's quite another to take one of the fundamental rules/major themes of the setting and ignore it completely).

So yeah, I'd really like to give it the crown; It's a wonderful game to play, looks great, is just great fun, but the ending soured me on it so completely that I haven't gone back since, and am seriously considering trading it in for AC: Origins at some point soon.

So the actual prize goes to Injustice 2, which, much like SoW, takes a great first game and improves it in every way, but also manages to have a story that is totally original, compelling and with some of the best voice work and character animations in the business... Ok, it has stupid DLC (Mortal Kombat characters and Ninja Turtles, no thanks!) but as a package it's just superb. Slick, expansive, tons of replayability and clearly made by a very talented team that has a great deal of respect for the DC license.


A few other awards, because why the heck not?

The 'No, it's fine!' Award: Mass Effect Andromeda. Yeah, it had some bugs. Yeah, some of the animations were poor at first. Yeah, some of the sidequests were heavy on the busywork. But I still enjoyed it a great deal, enough to play through twice, and I'm gutted that any hope of Story DLC or a sequel are gone. It's no masterpiece like ME2, but ME2 is so singularly brilliant it was never going to be.

The 'Probably Brilliant' Award: Horizon Zero Dawn... Tomb Raider Meets Dinosaurs Meets Robots? Hell yes! Unfortunately, it joins the long list of PS4 exclusives I really, really want to play but being an Xbox One owner, probably won't get to for quite some time (until I can get a PS4 cheap enough for the 5-6 games I'd want it for).

The 'You Were The Chosen One' Award: Battlefront 2. See my posts in the thread for that for more, but basically, even leaving aside the controversies, I just didn't find it a fun game to play outside of one mode. Big disappointment, it went from an almost-certain pre-order to 'I'll get it when it's £25 or so'.

The 'I'm Really Sorry, Guys' Award: Arkane Studios. I love the work these guys do, and this year they've brought out 2 games that I really should have played by now and unfortunately haven't (Prey and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider)... Really need to set some time aside to play through both at some point.

The 'Second Hand News' award: LiS: Before The Storm. Much like the first one, I'll likely never play this, it's just not my sort of game... But again like the first one, it's a game I really enjoy watching playthroughs of. The writing is always so authentic, and even watching rather than playing it consistently hits right in the proverbial feels, and it's doubly impressive this time given that (so far at least) there's not the sci-fi element to draw me in, just a really good authentic story with some fantastic voice acting and the perfect blend of humour, heart and weight. Special mention to the actress replacing Ashly Burch as Chloe, those were big shoes to fill and she's done a fantastic job.

The 'Late To The Party' Award: Dragon Age... This time last year I'd not played any of them, and picked up Inquisition as a cheap game to play over Christmas. A year later, I've played the whole series, a fair chunk of the DLC and Inquisition twice, I'm running a DA tabletop RPG and it's sitting right up there with Mass Effect, Star Wars and LotR as one of my favourite franchises of all time. No idea how it passed me by for so long, but at the same time I'm glad as I got to play through it all in one go, without any waiting around for the next one.


That ought to do it...


This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/12/02 15:53:02


 
   
Made in us
Terrifying Doombull




Hmm. Tricky. This is the year of 'almosts' for me

Almost Game of the Year:

Mass Effect Andromeda. Don't care, largely loved it. But the feel of the game went awry, and instead of a colonization/exploration RPG, it became Fight a Goofy Big Bad RPG. Then the publisher stomped on it because the multiplayer afterthought wasn't suckering people into spending millions, and thus crushed singler player expansions and probably sunk the franchise completely. Thanks, EA

Total Warhammer 2 Had lots of fun with this, but... it isn't really finished. The vortex mode was alright, but the big battle campaign is the real attraction and still needs work, a lingering TW1 faction (Norsca), detail tweaking on TW1 factions and then the actual DLC races for this game.


Honorable Mention:
Rimworld Not really this year, as it's been in early access for a long time, and still isn't quite finished yet (soon!). But it is available and solid. I'd like to see Dwarf Fortress or another Fantasy equivalent done proper like this


Publisher I Want to Smack the Most:
Paradox

Yeah, there are a lot of controversies afoot with EA and Activision and all their nonsense, but I really don't care. But I've got a lot of hours in Paradox published games, and this year they've all most universally botched.. all of them.

The exception is Crusader Kings 2, which is actually is in a better state from my perspective than it used to be.

But the expansions for Europa Universalis, Stellaris (and planned details for future Stellaris patches), Tyranny and just the base game of Steel Division: Normandy 44 are utter crap, making the games they're attached to much worse.



Efficiency is the highest virtue. 
   
Made in us
Executing Exarch




Voss wrote:
Hmm. Tricky. This is the year of 'almosts' for me

Almost Game of the Year:

Mass Effect Andromeda. Don't care, largely loved it. But the feel of the game went awry, and instead of a colonization/exploration RPG, it became Fight a Goofy Big Bad RPG. Then the publisher stomped on it because the multiplayer afterthought wasn't suckering people into spending millions, and thus crushed singler player expansions and probably sunk the franchise completely. Thanks, EA


The deluge of bad PR that vomited forth out from the mouths of YouTube reviewers and others didn't help.


But the expansions for Europa Universalis, Stellaris (and planned details for future Stellaris patches), Tyranny and just the base game of Steel Division: Normandy 44 are utter crap, making the games they're attached to much worse.




Pity about Steel Division. It's made by Eugen, and from what I understand is basically supposed to play like their Wargame series, but set in World War 2. Wargame: Red Dragon, the last game in that series, is still going strong. But apparently it's not going to get any further releases because of Steel Division.
   
Made in us
Confessor Of Sins




WA, USA

Easy.

Persona 5 hands down. Not even a contest.

 Ouze wrote:

Afterward, Curran killed a guy in the parking lot with a trident.
 
   
Made in us
Executing Exarch




 curran12 wrote:
Easy.

Persona 5 hands down. Not even a contest.


Seconded. The game is one of the best things I've ever played.

Other good games I've played this year include Horizon Zero Dawn and Mass Effect Andromeda. But Persona 5 is far and away superior.
   
Made in us
Fate-Controlling Farseer





Fort Campbell

Of games released in 2017 that I've been playing... Total War: Warhammer 2. I've dumped so much time into it, and have every intention of dumping a ton more.

It was kind of an easy case for me though, as it's the only new game I bought this year...

Full Frontal Nerdity 
   
Made in nl
[MOD]
Decrepit Dakkanaut






Cozy cockpit of an Imperial Knight

Prey: Probably my game of the year. I live for good single player games and Prey delivered for me. I bought it on a whim, having ignored all media surrounding it, along with any game breaking spoilers and just dove into a game that is a blend between Deus Ex and System Shock, with visual cues taken from Bioshock. There is a nice story in it, the map can be freely traversed as you go, combat is hard but satisfying, the characters are great and well.. play it, because talking about the story would be giving away too much.

Resident Evil 7: I was curious to see how first person would do for the franchise, which has had its ups and many downs over the years. Not disappointed, as it has a great story, a scary setting and great locales for you to explore. It felt like going back to the roots of the franchise, as you're stuck in a house, need to find special keys to open doors, while using rather clunky (but not in a bad way) combat mechanics to survive. I also liked finding the video tapes throughout the game, though their contents were not always super-happy-fun-times. I'm not a big horror buff, but I really enjoyed this one a lot.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands: My other game of the year nomination. Yes, it's a by the numbers open world game by that one company, but a polished one at that with a lot of the frustration removed or easily avoided. In a nutshell, you are part of a four-man team and get sent to Bolivia to wipe out a drug cartel that bombed a US embassy and murdered a DEA agent. That's it really, you're not there to save the day, make things better for the locals, just there to murder narcos and be on your way again, something the game and some of the NPC's will bring up just to hammer home that killing people does not make things better like in the movies. I've had a lot of fun with this game, especially in coop, where working together to stealthily clear out an enemy base, or going in guns blazing was equally fun and rewarding. It's also a nice and big world, with plenty of tools at your disposal to explore it with. Nothing like grabbing a dirt bike or para jumping from your chopper.

Biggest disappointments of the year for me personally are:

Dawn of War 3: I like it, but there are too many things about it that are such a shame. Too much micro-management, a single player campaign that is too short and well.. not good, I mean, one of the biggest draws is supposed to be the really big units, which you can see in action a lot of the time, but don't get the play with yourself until the game is almost over, for shame! I also dislike the hard veer towards multiplayer first, single player second, which is a shame as Dawn of War usually provides fun single player experiences. I've written my thoughts about the game in the Dawn of War 3 thread over the year and while I don't hate the game like so many others out there, I can't hold it up as good either. Guilty pleasure it is then.

Wolfenstein 2 - the New Colossus: Now, I do not hate this game, I actually really enjoyed this sequel, with more satisfying shooty-bang-bang, awesome levels, some memorable moments (VENUS!) but I found it.. lacking? It was over before I knew it and the way it ended felt like we were only just getting started. So an overly obvious sequel hook it is. I also miss the ability to replay missions. Sure, late in the game you can revisit earlier locations and hunt down nazi officers, but certain missions I'd love to replay, something I could do in the first game. Close but no cigar.

Other stuff that I should mention:

The Escapists 2: Bought on the urging of my brother, a delightful game about being thrown into prison and needing to escape, all the while adhering to the daily schedule. Can be played in single player or multiplayer, with each map providing multiple ways of escaping the many prisons the game comes with. We had a lot of fun with this one in coop. Only real downsides are no real tutorials for the stuff not mentioned in the actual tutorial, such as how to go about your prison job, sure there are instructions, but while you are reading those, the game does not pause, so take too long reading and you lose your job due to slacking.. That and not a lot of ways of escaping. Four per map, two for single player, two for coop.

And the game that I keep on playing: PAYDAY 2.



Fatum Iustum Stultorum



Fiat justitia ruat caelum

 
   
Made in au
Grizzled Space Wolves Great Wolf





Total War: Warhammer 2 because it's the only game made this year that I've played for any significant time.

There's a couple of other games I've played this year but they were not released this year, lol.
   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut






Burtucky, Michigan

There is a severe lack of Nintendo titles in here! Legend of Zelda BotW would probably get my vote. Its not a perfect 10 as magazines would lead you to believe but its a fantastic game. I put 80ish hours into it before beating it and it felt like maybe 20. Unreal.

Id love to add Mariokart8 but thats a rerelease so I wouldnt count that for this year but good gravy thats a fantastic racer.
   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

Voss wrote:
Hmm. Tricky. This is the year of 'almosts' for me

Almost Game of the Year:

Mass Effect Andromeda. Don't care, largely loved it. But the feel of the game went awry, and instead of a colonization/exploration RPG, it became Fight a Goofy Big Bad RPG. Then the publisher stomped on it because the multiplayer afterthought wasn't suckering people into spending millions, and thus crushed singler player expansions and probably sunk the franchise completely. Thanks, EA

Don't thank EA on that one. Look at Mass Effect 3. Same set-up for MP and microtransactions, yet didn't have people "spending millions" and got its paid DLC.

EA's actually, according to BioWare developers who commented on the matter a few years back, the ones who initially pushed for ME3's multiplayer and the free DLC setups. The reasoning at the time came from John Riticello who wanted a way to screw over GameStop and other retailers who deal in second-hand games by encouraging players to keep the game. Hence the "Online Pass" that was present in the game and the openness with regards to how the MP expansions were announced(they were announced sometimes months in advance). They tried to ensure that there was always something happening on ME3 by having weekend events that changed the way the game played (more Banshees might spawn, more Geth Stalkers might spawn, more Phantoms--my least favorite one--might spawn) that guaranteed you an ultra-rare N7 weapon(at that time the only way to get the N7 Hurricane, Valiant, Crusader, or Eagle) upon completion of the MP event. They also made sure that there was at least 2 MP content drops during the time between SP content drops, adding in new characters for the players to use and later on adding the Collectors as an enemy faction.

It seemed to have worked quite well for them, as it was one of the top 10 multiplayer activities per Xbox Live for some 3-4 years and it's still possible to play the multiplayer and get matches pretty damn quickly on Xbox given the now backwards compatible nature of the game.


With that out of the way, I don't really have a game of the year nomination. I haven't played enough of the releases for this year to have one and those I have played, I feel like they're going to take some time to get their footing.

Maybe Battlefield 1? Did that come out this year? I just got it on sale via XBL and I'm loving the campaign. The music is fantastic. Really liking the "Operations" game mode for MP as well.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/12/03 13:05:59


 
   
Made in us
Secret Force Behind the Rise of the Tau




USA

I'd probably pick Ghost Recon Wildlands, only because I haven't played a lot of new games this year and I was utterly shocked to find a Ghost Recon game that wasn't absolute gak.

   
Made in ca
Longtime Dakkanaut






Toronto

Two games I really enjoyed:

Doki Doki Literature Club:

It’s free, just go and play it, no spoilers. It’s not what you think it is, trust me.

Total war Warhammer 2:

Also pretty good, critically acclaimed and it’s fun. My much to say here, most people already know.

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Astra Militarum: 7,500 Points
Dark Angels: 16,800 Points
Imperial Knights: 12,500 Points
Legio Titanicus: 5,500 Points
Slaaneshi Daemons: 3,800 Points
 
   
Made in gb
Is 'Eavy Metal Calling?





UK

 Kanluwen wrote:

Maybe Battlefield 1? Did that come out this year? I just got it on sale via XBL and I'm loving the campaign. The music is fantastic. Really liking the "Operations" game mode for MP as well.


2016, but still holding up very well indeed and to my mind, unchallenged as the best multiplayer shooter currently on the market. Definitely the FPS I've played the most this year, DICE did a really fantastic job with a period that was presumably very difficult (both tonally and practically) to turn into an enjoyable and involved game. As a package, it's one of the best-made games going at the moment.

Speaking of shooters, I'm surprised no one has mentioned PUBG yet, seeing as how that's pretty much exploded in popularity and set a whole new zeitgeist of Battle Royale shooters in motion.

 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





I never finished Horizon. Breath of the Wild came out the same week and I never got back to it. It was good enough to be my GotY, but apparently Zelda was better.

Cuphead is another strong contender for me. The controls are a little floaty though and its heavily segmented nature makes it easy to put down. It's an absolute gem though.

I think really for me it comes down to the two big Switch releases. Zelda is unbelievable, but to a degree kind of asks the player to make their own fun. That's not really a bad thing but it does lead to a lot of janky feeling solutions to things and an ending that feels a little unfinished.

So... I probably have to give it to Odyssey, just because its been a really long time since I've played a game where I consider bits of gameplay a spoiler. I get into a pretty jaded "seen it all" rut with games these days, but Mario is so full of clever ideas I regularly found myself playing for hours past when I should have quit. It'll take the crown from me, but its a pretty crowded podium.
   
Made in gb
Steady Space Marine Vet Sergeant




England

Persona 5 is easily my GOTY, so much so that the second place spot will probably be more hotly contested for me. I got a PS4 just to play P5, and no other single game has ever got me to do that before.

Honestly I wasn't too fussed about BOTW, though I heard a lot of people liked it. I think it was one of the major selling points of the Switch when it first released, which to be fair makes it deserving to be a contender. I'm having Odyssey be my Christmas present to myself, and damn have I learnt a lot about self restraint.

A special gem I found to be was Fire Emblem Warriors. Going in I had low expectations due to it basically being a 3DS FE fest + Marth, but upon playing it I was pleasantly surprised. Combat was fun and I was surprised at how I wasn't getting bored of it. The couple things that fussed me was that a few of the voice actors sounded a bit off, and the character roster of course could have been a lot better. However, apart from that it was excellent!

Speaking of Fire Emblem, does Heroes count? Because wow, I never thought I would sink so many hours into a mobile game. Even if my luck is awful, I can't help but play it all the time. Probably the best mobile GOTY (is that even a thing?).

Shoutout to Danganronpa V3, which would probably be in my top 5 for its beautiful graphics and some really good trials, but the ending was just... I won't spoil it, but it was so much on the philosophical side that I can't help but feel like it was an awful ending. Basically, it would be top 5 if Danganronpa V3 stopped at Chapter 5.

If you can't believe in yourself, believe in me! Believe in the Dakka who believes in you!  
   
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Posts with Authority






Endless Space 2? It was good.
   
Made in ca
Longtime Dakkanaut




Building a blood in water scent

Horizon: Zero Dawn. Best game I have played in a long time.

We were once so close to heaven, St. Peter came out and gave us medals; declaring us "The nicest of the damned".

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'” 
   
Made in ie
Norn Queen






Dublin, Ireland

Didnt dip into a huge amount of games this year, thought it was a poorish year for PC games (or maybe I didnt look hard enough).
But goty is most definitely Prey.
Brook pretty much covered it but suffice to say I havent had the tingles from a game like that since DX mankind divided.

On a flipped note worst game by far was Firewatch. Had a decent bit of potential mind you but ohhhhh boy did they do nothing / go nowhere with it. And with a total play time of 3.5 ours just. No


Dman137 wrote:
goobs is all you guys will ever be

By 1-irt: Still as long as Hissy keeps showing up this is one of the most entertaining threads ever.

"Feelin' goods, good enough". 
   
Made in us
Damsel of the Lady





drinking tea in the snow

I think i only played one game that came out this year this year, so i guess Breath of the Wild wins by default!

Also it was just a fun and good game.

Wait, i also did play andromeda, and while i liked it a lot more than many people did, Zelda still wins.

realism is a lie
 
   
Made in us
Did Fulgrim Just Behead Ferrus?





Fort Worth, TX

 BrookM wrote:
Prey: Probably my game of the year. I live for good single player games and Prey delivered for me. I bought it on a whim, having ignored all media surrounding it, along with any game breaking spoilers and just dove into a game that is a blend between Deus Ex and System Shock, with visual cues taken from Bioshock. There is a nice story in it, the map can be freely traversed as you go, combat is hard but satisfying, the characters are great and well.. play it, because talking about the story would be giving away too much.


For lack of anything else springing to mind, I'll go with Prey for now, too. I'm rarely "current" with my gaming, as I often don't get around to playing a game until at least a year after it's released. I'm usually just so busy playing other games before it, there aren't too many games that I play on release. Subnautica would have been one of my picks, but they pushed the official release date from October of this year to January of next year.

"Through the darkness of future past, the magician longs to see.
One chants out between two worlds: Fire, walk with me."
- Twin Peaks
"You listen to me. While I will admit to a certain cynicism, the fact is that I am a naysayer and hatchetman in the fight against violence. I pride myself in taking a punch and I'll gladly take another because I choose to live my life in the company of Gandhi and King. My concerns are global. I reject absolutely revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method... is love. I love you Sheriff Truman." - Twin Peaks 
   
Made in us
Terrifying Doombull




 feeder wrote:
Horizon: Zero Dawn. Best game I have played in a long time.


I honestly don't get this game. It's every open world-collect junk-climb towers game. The story was predictable and cliche (it seemed obvious that the ignorant savages she lived near were addressing her literally during the childhood sequence), and the combat was pretty stilted and same-old-thing for games of that type.

Efficiency is the highest virtue. 
   
Made in ca
Longtime Dakkanaut




Building a blood in water scent

Voss wrote:
 feeder wrote:
Horizon: Zero Dawn. Best game I have played in a long time.


I honestly don't get this game. It's every open world-collect junk-climb towers game. The story was predictable and cliche (it seemed obvious that the ignorant savages she lived near were addressing her literally during the childhood sequence), and the combat was pretty stilted and same-old-thing for games of that type.



We were once so close to heaven, St. Peter came out and gave us medals; declaring us "The nicest of the damned".

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'” 
   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

My Game of the Year:

Total War: Warhammer 2. And if my experiences with other Total War games hold true, likely for next year as well, depending on the strength and frequency of the DLC releases.


Prey is my runner up. The Gloo Gun is awesome, as is the Recycle grenade that breaks its victims down to useable material. I’ve put alot of time into it and really never even explored the depth of the skill tree or the various psychic upgrades. Trying to a run without Psychic powers at the moment.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/12/04 23:00:22


"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in gb
Grim Dark Angels Interrogator-Chaplain





Earth

Game of the year: Stellaris.

Total warhammer 2

Sins of a solar empire (its the game that keeps giving!!!)

Worst games of the year:

Mass Effect Andromeda: wow this game sucked hard, it takes a lot for me not to finish a game, the story was meh, nevermind all the other issues it had.

Battlefleet Gothic Armada: a lesson on why not to trust a Dev team.

Dawn of War III: sweet jesus they could not have got this one more wrong, in spite of being told repeatedly during the dev videos that people did not like the direction it was going.... so disappointed.
   
Made in us
Krazed Killa Kan





Denver, Colorado

For me, I might have to say Prey. Possibly because I played it most recently.

It turned out to have a pretty fantastic story. While not truly survival horror, as there was very little effective sneaking you had to do, for about 85% of the game I was scraping for every bullet, psi hypo, and medkit I could find.

For me, the gameplay was right on the ragged edge of survival for most of it, which is perfect for that type of game.

Near the end, I was basically a space god who killed everything with mind bullets, but still, I found it great for the gameplay and the story.

Resident evil 7 was also surprisingly good. In truth, the further you got in the game, I think the less good it became, but the first half-ish inside the mansion was excellent.

Horizon zero dawn was pretty good, though, when you got down to it, like Voss said, it really was 'the open world' game template, but I felt it had a great story. Far better than I would have expected 'robot dinosaurs in the past-future' to have done.

Total warhammer 2 is good, and I probably put more hours into it than all of the above, but in the end it kind of is more of the same. Not a bad thing, but not exactly the surprise hit TW1 was for me.

The biggest flop for me this year was Nier: Automata. It was a solid enough game in terms of gameplay, but the story and characters were completely bland to me. I feel like it was trying to be deep and meaningful, but it came off as boring and vague.

Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough to fully appreciate it's depth of its artistry, or something, but I didn't get the hype.

And Dawn of war 3 wasn't nearly as bad as everyone said it was. It's fine. Maybe not amazing, but it's worth picking up on sale, at least.

"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment." Words to live by. 
   
Made in us
Terrifying Doombull




 feeder wrote:
Voss wrote:
 feeder wrote:
Horizon: Zero Dawn. Best game I have played in a long time.


I honestly don't get this game. It's every open world-collect junk-climb towers game. The story was predictable and cliche (it seemed obvious that the ignorant savages she lived near were addressing her literally during the childhood sequence), and the combat was pretty stilted and same-old-thing for games of that type.


<noncontent>


Great. So... what makes it 'best game you've played in a long time' and not just more of the standard ubisoft formula?

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/12/05 00:12:36


Efficiency is the highest virtue. 
   
Made in ca
Longtime Dakkanaut




Building a blood in water scent

Voss wrote:
 feeder wrote:
Voss wrote:
 feeder wrote:
Horizon: Zero Dawn. Best game I have played in a long time.


I honestly don't get this game. It's every open world-collect junk-climb towers game. The story was predictable and cliche (it seemed obvious that the ignorant savages she lived near were addressing her literally during the childhood sequence), and the combat was pretty stilted and same-old-thing for games of that type.


<noncontent>


Great. So... what makes it 'best game you've played in a long time' and not just more of the standard ubisoft formula?


Story, characters, combat, robot dinosaurs. All better than any other game I've played since TLoU.

But really, it's an opinion on a fething game. That's why I responded with <noncontent>. You think the story was predictable and cliche, I think it was fascinating and compelling. Opinions.

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Horizon: Zero Dawn. Best game I have played in a long time.


I honestly don't get this game. It's every open world-collect junk-climb towers game. The story was predictable and cliche (it seemed obvious that the ignorant savages she lived near were addressing her literally during the childhood sequence), and the combat was pretty stilted and same-old-thing for games of that type.


<noncontent>


Great. So... what makes it 'best game you've played in a long time' and not just more of the standard ubisoft formula?


Story, characters, combat, robot dinosaurs. All better than any other game I've played since TLoU.

But really, it's an opinion on a fething game. That's why I responded with <noncontent>. You think the story was predictable and cliche, I think it was fascinating and compelling. Opinions.


I wouldn't say it has the most original story arc, but honestly it's the execution that's the most important for me and IMO Horizon: Zero Dawn did a wonderful job of laying out the story. It was one of the few open world RPG's where I actually wanted to hear the audio logs and makes you hate Ted Faro for the douchebag he is. The combat was engaging and very varied given all the different types of enemies and there were no stand-out unlikable characters (in the annoying sense I mean). Most of all, it was refreshing to see a post-apocalyptic setting that is so lush and beautiful to see (with variety as well, when go further north), in contrast to the usual drab colours of things like Metro and Fallout, which fit their setting but honestly gets kinda boring at times.

Overall, I would have to say P5 is probably game of the year, just because of overall quality and "hoo boy" Sojiro. Horizon is damn close though.

Honorable Mentions:

Gravity Rush 2. A sequel to a game I thought would never get one. Kinda miffed it wasn't also for the Vita, but after playing on the PS4, it really made me appreciate how much more it could go with a powerful engine and proper buttons. Great send off to the series and amazing soundtrack. Ties up all the loose ends with some decent feels at the end.

Due to backlog, a lot of the other games I played this year wasn't released in 2017, but the notable ones were:

Witcher 3. Damn fine game and I see where the hype was coming from. Solid story, and beautiful world with great side quests. Really love trolls in this game and the variety and type of monsters and the different human nations. Only the gameplay was a little underwhelming but being able to spin like a madman was fun.

Dark Souls 3. Still making my way through this one, but after having played Bloodborne I definitely appreciate and enjoy it. Go go Onion Knight!

Ratchet and Clank. Surprisingly good reboot, with pixar level movie graphics and I can't go without mentioning the disco weapon. What other game has a weapon that forces enemy bosses to dance while you're melting their faces off?



   
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Gravity Rush 2 was quite good. Played it pretty thoroughly through which is a rarity for me these days.

Horizon and Zelda releasing so close together was interesting to me. Both are very fully realized open worlds with tons of dynamic content to explore. Ultimately, the big differentiater for me is that Zelda really lets the world speak for itself. It really only gives you one task to check off the list (Kill Gannon) and points you vaguely in a direction to wander to get there.

Horizon has the Ubisoft problem of not really trusting players to play with their world and explore it. It drowns you in tasks and points you directly where to go next all the time and as a result; you kind of get snagged on a hunter's lodge or some inconsequential task and have to break free of the task list to really play with the world. In some ways, Horizon's encounters with the robosaurs are more varied and interesting than what Zelda has to offer too, but Zelda's dynamic interactions come across more organically because the game trusts the player to seek them out.
   
 
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