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2014 Game of the Year Media Picks Thread

A

AkuMifune

Banned
Acquiescence said:
All those votes for Dragon Age. Looking forward to playing it on Christmas Day!
Click to expand...

I've been trying to find the magic in it (lol), but it's having a hard time grabbing me. It's a game I want to like more than I actually do at the moment. I think it does a poor job of roping you into the main storyline, it feels rushed on the front end and more like a game that will be much better the further you get into it/invested in your party.

But maybe I'm just a curmudgeon. Bah humbug!
 
A

antitrop

Member
AkuMifune said:
I've been trying to find the magic in it (lol), but it's having a hard time grabbing me. It's a game I want to like more than I actually do at the moment. I think it does a poor job of roping you into the main storyline, it feels rushed on the front end and more like a game that will be much better the further you get into it/invested in your party.

But maybe I'm just a curmudgeon. Bah humbug!
Click to expand...

You don't play Dragon Age for the story, you play Dragon Age for the conversations and character interactions. Same deal with Mass Effect. I haven't enjoyed the main plot of a Bioware game since KOTOR.
 
Z

Zia

Member
I thought we were over Big Dumb Game X with "epic" direct-to-PPV story sweeping with the mainstream enthusiast outlets but, you know, Video Games.
 
A

AkuMifune

Banned
antitrop said:
You don't play Dragon Age for the story, you play Dragon Age for the conversations and character interactions. Same deal with Mass Effect. I haven't enjoyed the main plot of a Bioware game since KOTOR.
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It used to feel like both for me, but maybe I was just better at suspending my disbelief before. Inquisition feels like it starts at a run, like, "c'mon let's go!" and I'm like, where? Why?

But I expect it to get many of these awards. It's fresh and long and a lot of people will be playing it over the break.

Fresh and long.
 
C

Corgi

Banned
not sure if anyone is doing, or maybe i should when i have the time, but I'm way more interested to see an aggregated list of games nominated more than just winners.

It's usually the list that is more interesting than specific GOTY for me.

Easier to spot out specific trends and broader picture of the industry's thoughts on games in general of the year.
 
R

Raptor

Member
antitrop said:
I can't possibly understand choosing Shadow of Mordor over Bayonetta 2.

One is a shallow, popcorn-affair that's fun for a few hours, and the other is one of the best action games ever made.

Shadow of Mordor must be the most overrated game in years. It's a neat rental to watch a few Orc heads fly off, but there's no depth.
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I disagree completly with this, I even got piss iff with the game precisly because it has depth.

You have to learn and study enemies behavior, kill bodyguards, look out for Intel.

What do you do in Bayonetta? figth and thats it.

Mechanically in terms of combat? sure, in terms of game design depth? not at all.
 
C

codhand

Member
lots of GOTY awards yet whenever DA comes up on Podcasts; P1P, CAG, Giant Bomb, no one is that hyped on it

as for Mordor v Bayonetta, that's an easy one, Bayonetta might be the objectively better game, but not enough people are interested in playing it to find out, myself included, it just doesnt appeal to me. I prefer my fighting systems to lean Batman, not DmC.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
codhand said:
lots of GOTY awards yet whenever DA comes up on Podcasts; P1P, CAG, Giant Bomb, no one is that hyped on it

as for Mordor v Bayonetta, that's an easy one, Bayonetta might be the objectively better game, but not enough people are interested in playing it to find out, myself included, it just doesnt appeal to me. I prefer my fighting systems to lean Batman, not DmC.
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Yeah. Very strange honestly.
 
V

Voidance

Member
This thread is making the wait for Xmas (and therefore Dragon Age) harder. :^\

Recently, I don't have or make a lot of time for games, but I am definitely going to change that once I unwrap this bad boy.
 
G

GillianSeed79

Member
I'm going to have to check out 80 days and crap I need to get back to Dragon Age. It's a great game but I have had zero time to play it recently.
 
D

DidntKnowJack

Member
Of course the final tally is yet to be determined (I assume you tally these) but my number 1 the last 3 years running has ended up being pretty much in line with the media picks. I don't know if that says something about me or the media. As someone who generally eschews reviews because my respect gaming media is basically nil, I find it puzzling. I'm hoping its just coincidence.
 
M

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
I'm not trying to pick a fight, but Bayonetta fans seem to have no understanding that a lot of people don't enjoy that kind of game. If you read my post history you would see that I haven't shut up about Alien for 2 months, but I'm very aware that it's not for everyone and I don't expect it to win many awards.
 
D

DidntKnowJack

Member
You're not alone, I've noticed it too.

edit: You know what, I'm being unfair and letting another thread (whose opinions I disagreed with) cloud my judgment. Not all B2 fans think exactly the same way. And its unfair to accuse others of some kind of hivemind. Apologies.
 
N

Nothing1016

Member
What's funny to me is the contrast between review score and game of the year. For example:

Super Smash Bros Wii U - 93 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Bayonetta 2 - 91 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Mario Kart 8 - 88 metacritic - 1 GOTY
DA: Inquisition - 89 metacritic - 7 GOTY
Shadows of Mordor - 84 metacritic - 2 GOTY
Donkey Kong Tropical Freese - 83 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Destiny - 76 metacritic - 2 GOTY

Would this be the lowest scoring metacritic game, DA:I, to win the most GOTY awards?

Edit: Google links directly to the PC version which sits at an 86. Changed the score to an 89 which is the PS4 version.
 
D

DidntKnowJack

Member
Timeaisis said:
Where Smash and Bayo 2? I'm glad MK8 got at least one shoutout.

The media only ever favoring western story driven games is getting a little old for me.
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Is that really so shocking? I doubt Famitsu and other Japanese outlets, if they even have GOTY, would have many western developed games on their list. There's a bit of a cultural divide, this has been true for eons. Bayonetta 2 is kind of a niche game, and probably why they had trouble finding a publisher in the first place. I'm sure its an outstanding game, but its a product of its lineage, for better or for worse.

That said, I see how it can be frustrating, and I understand your dissatisfaction with the western media with this.
 
B

BeatResetsTheWorld

Banned
Nothing1016 said:
What's funny to me is the contrast between review score and game of the year. For example:

Super Smash Bros Wii U - 93 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Bayonetta 2 - 91 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Mario Kart 8 - 88 metacritic - 1 GOTY
DA: Inquisition - 86 metacritic - 7 GOTY
Shadows of Mordor - 84 metacritic - 2 GOTY
Donkey Kong Tropical Freese - 83 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Destiny - 76 metacritic - 2 GOTY

Would this be the lowest scoring metacritic game, DA:I, to win the most GOTY awards?
Click to expand...

Because Western reviewers like western games

But more seriously, I think it's because reviewers, while having trouble finding many fault in Nintendo's games, just don't like them. Like, they can acknowledge that they're highly polished and extremely well crafted, but those games just don't appeal to them

Let's take Smash Bros for instance. You can't really fault it for it's graphics, because at 1080p/60fps it's a beautiful looking game. You can't fault it for it's gameplay, because it's solid and polished and accomodating everyone from beginners to seasoned players of the franchise. You can't fault it for it's online because, aside from communication options, it works really well and you have a good number of options. It really then just comes down to whether it's their kind of game or not, hence the high review scores but lack of GOTY picks
 
L

LX_Theo

Banned
Nothing1016 said:
What's funny to me is the contrast between review score and game of the year. For example:

Super Smash Bros Wii U - 93 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Bayonetta 2 - 91 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Mario Kart 8 - 88 metacritic - 1 GOTY
DA: Inquisition - 86 metacritic - 7 GOTY
Shadows of Mordor - 84 metacritic - 2 GOTY
Donkey Kong Tropical Freese - 83 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Destiny - 76 metacritic - 2 GOTY

Would this be the lowest scoring metacritic game, DA:I, to win the most GOTY awards?
Click to expand...

Maybe if you keep using its lowest Metacritic score option, lol. Wow. 89, dude.
 
R

Radec

Member
Only 2 pages so far and there's already an abundance of salt here.

Come on, this happens every year on media picks goty votes.
 
M

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
DidntKnowJack said:
You're not alone, I've noticed it too.

edit: You know what, I'm being unfair and letting another thread (whose opinions I disagreed with) cloud my judgment. Not all B2 fans think exactly the same way. And its unfair to accuse others of some kind of hivemind. Apologies.
Click to expand...

I wasn't suggesting that ALL B2 fans do this, that is ridiculous of course. It's certainly more prevalent with B2 fans though.
 
G

Gurish

Member
Nothing1016 said:
What's funny to me is the contrast between review score and game of the year. For example:

Super Smash Bros Wii U - 93 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Bayonetta 2 - 91 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Mario Kart 8 - 88 metacritic - 1 GOTY
DA: Inquisition - 86 metacritic - 7 GOTY
Shadows of Mordor - 84 metacritic - 2 GOTY
Donkey Kong Tropical Freese - 83 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Destiny - 76 metacritic - 2 GOTY

Would this be the lowest scoring metacritic game, DA:I, to win the most GOTY awards?
Click to expand...
Dude no need to bend the data, DA:I is 89, a big difference from 86 when we talk about MC, it's closer to 90 than 85, 90 is a legitimate GOTY contender.

And i guess no one will give TEW a GOTY ha? :p
I guess it's fair, although it's probably my GOTY I don't think it's a kind of game that should get such an award, it's got some hard flaws and meant only for the hardcore fans of the genre, and it's too niche, just like Bayonetta i guess.
 
AHA-Lambda

AHA-Lambda

Member
Hmm, in a year with Shadowrun Returns DC, Wasteland 2 and Divinity Original Sin, I'm just not convinced Dragon Age is the best RPG this year let alone game >_>
 
brickarts295

brickarts295

Member
Nothing1016 said:
What's funny to me is the contrast between review score and game of the year. For example:

Super Smash Bros Wii U - 93 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Bayonetta 2 - 91 metacritic - 0 GOTY
DA: Inquisition - 89 metacritic - 7 GOTY
Mario Kart 8 - 88 metacritic - 1 GOTY
Shadows of Mordor - 84 metacritic - 2 GOTY
Donkey Kong Tropical Freese - 83 metacritic - 0 GOTY
Destiny - 76 metacritic - 2 GOTY

Would this be the lowest scoring metacritic game, DA:I, to win the most GOTY awards?
Click to expand...

FTFY
 
N

Nothing1016

Member
brickarts295 said:
FTFY
Click to expand...

Gurish said:
Dude no need to bend the data, DA:I is 89, a big difference from 86 when we talk about MC, it's closer to 90 than 85, 90 is a legitimate GOTY contender.

And i guess no one will give TEW a GOTY ha? :p
I guess it's fair, although it's probably my GOTY I don't think it's a kind of game that should get such an award, it's got some hard flaws and meant only for the hardcore fans of the genre, and it's too niche, just like Bayonetta i guess.
Click to expand...

I wasn't "bending" the data. Just made a mistake. Google links to the PC version which sits at an 86 with 34 reviews. The PS4 version sits at an 89 with 40 reviews. Jesus. I used the first link I clicked on which was the PC version. My bad.
 
T

TheXfactor

Member
jim2point0 said:
Why? It's an extremely popular game that reviewed very well. Let me guess, you don't like it and think that nobody else should either?

It's certainly my game of the year. Shadow of Mordor was close behind though.
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extremely popular? This game is not extremely popular, call of duty is extremely popular, mario kart is extremely popular, this is mildly popular, it hasnt even sold a million on any of its platforms yet and looks unlikely to do so, except for maybe the ps4.
 
T

Tripon

Member
http://www.newstatesman.com/killing-time/2014/12/games-year-2014

New Statesman picks Alien Isolation.

The Best Game of 2014: Alien: Isolation
The setting has already been mentioned, but there is a lot more to this game than just how it looks and sounds. Alien: Isolation represents a bold departure in the design of big budget games. It is a legitimately tough game to complete, plus it is scary in the right ways - you hide in lockers, enemies don’t leap out of them. It is an uncomfortable game to play with many elements of its interface, such as the save system, made purposefully unfriendly to increase the difficulty. It is a game in which the worst of the violence on offer is directed squarely at the player character.
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The Spring Gazette picks South Park: Stick of Truth.

Game of the Year – “South Park: Stick of Truth”
I’ll be honest; I had a hard time picking a game of the year. While 2014 had a number of good games it didn’t really have one or two GREAT titles that turned the gaming world on its head. I considered several different games but when it came right down to it, I was looking for something that was unique and not a sequel. “Stick of Truth” was the most logical choice. It features creative gameplay and somehow conquered one of the gaming industries biggest problems – taking a popular franchise from one medium and making it successful in another. That’s quite a feat. Congrats “South Park: Stick of Truth!” Eric Cartman will be pleased to know that a free bucket of KFC comes with this honor.
Honorable Mention – “Alien: Isolation”
Read more at http://gazette.com/the-golden-contr...s-of-2014/article/1543136#xGYcjQxBWCOOlCK0.99
Click to expand...
 
U

Uno Venova

Banned
I like Alien Isolation getting some nods for taking such good care of a license.

And it seems people are getting increasingly salty about their games not winning enough awards.
 
K

K.Sabot

Member
What is probably my favorite game of the year got released after these sites made their lists, but before the year ended. Of course I can't expect publications looking for traffic to hold their lists, but sucks for those games in the interim period.
 
P

Psycho_Mantis

Banned
BeatResetsTheWorld said:
Because Western reviewers like western games

But more seriously, I think it's because reviewers, while having trouble finding many fault in Nintendo's games, just don't like them. Like, they can acknowledge that they're highly polished and extremely well crafted, but those games just don't appeal to them

Let's take Smash Bros for instance. You can't really fault it for it's graphics, because at 1080p/60fps it's a beautiful looking game. You can't fault it for it's gameplay, because it's solid and polished and accomodating everyone from beginners to seasoned players of the franchise. You can't fault it for it's online because, aside from communication options, it works really well and you have a good number of options. It really then just comes down to whether it's their kind of game or not, hence the high review scores but lack of GOTY picks
Click to expand...

Makes sense. Just because a game has a high metacritic does not guarantee its appeal or how fun it is to certain people. For instance I'm sure if a racer got a high metacritic score ( GT3 for instance) it still would not even garner a look or recommendation by a lot of people simply due to the genre.
 
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