This is an interesting point, but there is kind of a counterpoint you could argue:To be fair my local Domino’s has overwhelmingly positive reviews in excess of 15k. Not knocking this game, but just because a bunch of people like it does not make it good. It’s just a data point. We all have different tastes and (should be) aware that the internet can easily become a megaphone in an echo chamber.
This game doesn’t have the number of sales of a Fortnite or a Call of Duty. This game may not have a world or story of TLOU/GhostofT. That said we have game of the year to mean any game and arguably Minecraft and Mario Kart 8 are super different but also “games.”
We have older media that separates this. There is a short story award and a poetry award and a book award. TV and Movies have separate awards. Games though, as a media, do not have anything separating them. But I could still see the argument. Maybe you think that a certain episode of a TV show was better than any movies that came out that same year.
Can a rogue-lite compete with a AAA platform exclusive? Sure. I think a rationed opinion could form that a $30 game of type A could be a “better game of the year” than a free-to-play service game and also a $60 single player AAA open world story-driven game.
I guess what I’m saying is that sure, Hades might be Dominos. It might not be the 5-star restaurant, but it might still be good for what it is. If your parameter is “its fast food pizza” Dominos is quite a bit better than many fast food pizza. Maybe sometimes “fast food pizza” was better at being “fast food pizza” than an “upscale seafood restaurant” was at being “upscale seafood restaurant” because rating food is kind of the right question but asked in an insufficient manner.
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