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[cormack12]

We have games like Forbidden West, Starfield and Assassin's Creed.

Then we have games like Tears of the Kingdom, Elden Ring and Dragon's Dogma 2.

There is a bit of ambiguity with international studio's but it's generally easy to see where the creative influence is rooted.

So, in the year of our Lord 2024, who has been putting out the best games recently? Maybe you just don't like certain elements of Eastern games, maybe you feel Western games are focused too much on presentation and not gameplay. Either way, let's vote.

 

[T-0800]

 

[cormack12]

 

[Banjo64]

Western media is currently in a Dark Age. Eastern media is currently in a Golden Age. I’m not even a weeb, it’s just the stone cold truth.

 

[acm2000]

West by far but I got burnt out on eastern games in the PS2 era and never looked back

 

[LectureMaster]

West:

East:

Go figure.

 

[Thief1987]

I think it's not even a question. East releasing bangers left and right, while western AAA is a steaming garbage and only indies produce good things from time to time.

 

[Robb]

We have games like Forbidden West, Starfield and Assassin's Creed.

Then we have games like Tears of the Kingdom, Elden Ring and Dragon's Dogma 2.

East

 

[killatopak]

Western games are too steeped in political ideology. It’s too hard to ignore sometimes.

They intentionally make characters ugly when beautiful characters do exist in real life.

 

[VitoNotVito]

Starfield

 

[Hrk69]

Who cares

 

[Brigandier]

Eastern dev games are by far the best it's not even remotely close.

Western Devs during the 360 era were ontop but slowly they were infiltrated and infected with political correctness and woke ideology and that bullshit should not be a thing in gaming.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Eastern Devs >>> Western devs right now.

 

[Variahunter]

Simple. I rarely get excited by western games nowadays, whereas all my prefered games and my most awaited games are from the East.
Gameplay and game design ideas are by far superior in Eastern games.

Western games stopped being really interesting, different and good after TES IV Oblivion, with some exceptions in the PS360 era. Now it’s just mediocrity and political agenda.

 

[T-0800]

 

[Ozzie666]

East and it's not even close, Western companies are suffering like Hollywood studios and we all know why.
Know your audience.

 

[jm89]

East is carrying the game industry this quarter.

Overall this gen I still give it to the west.

 

[gaming_again]

Lol
Why even ask?

We have it in us to do sublime things in the West. One day we'll figure out how to do so again.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

West by far but I got burnt out on eastern games in the PS2 era and never looked back

Overall, this.
Some exceptions here and there.

 

[Doom85]

“A peasant feels the need to choose between two feasts. A king laughs at such foolishness and partakes in both.”

- some random guy from somewhere (2024)

 

[Zuzu]

Overall the East is much better at the moment.

 

[Sakura]

East by far.
The only western games I really play these days are indie games.
There are some good western games every now and then though, like Baldurs Gate 3, but most western titles (to me) are just boring.
There are Japanese gacha games I like more than anything the west has put out in like the last 10 years.

 

[Fredrik]

East for me. Because of Elden Ring and Tears of the Kingdom, basically FROM and Nintendo in general, they focus on gameplay over story and that’s my thing.
And in general eastern devs don’t constantly push gender and sexual preferences politics. Western devs should just take a step back and let games be games, it’s not real, there is no need to make your game a political platform to push your real life agenda because of your real life struggles or whatever.

 

[Skifi28]

It's like the PS3 generation, but in reverse. Japan is leaving the west behind for dead.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Japan and it's not even close. I resented that time period of the early 2010s when gaming journalism and other ilk shit on them "Haha your games are bad except Dark Souls." When most games of that time period aged like milk.

 

[Clintizzle]

East if you are a Virgin.

West if you are a gay Virgin.

 

[Denton]

Center (central and eastern europe)

 

[Lethal01]

Phew, Maybe you aren't so bad after all gaf.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

Things havn't been this lopsided in favor of Japan since the 90's. It's not even close. Interestingly, a lot of great indies are Westerm and that makes sense. The industry has completely sold out to the mainstream and AAA gaming, which spends more on advertising than the games themselves, has clearly stifled creativity. I still enjoy some of this big money games such as Spiderman 2 and Last of Us 2, but there's so many more good and fun games coming from Japan.

 

[Gallard]

East easily.

OP should list Red Dead Redemption 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 in the first post to make feel like more of a fair fight.

 

[Carmen Winstead]

East

For real.
Putting up Ass Creed, Horizon and Starfield against the likes of From and Zelda games should be a crime.
Easy win for the east. At least since this gen began the west has been putting out 90% shit.

 

[Mr Hyde]

East. Always have been. Always will be.

 

[Klosshufvud]

East is a broad term. I'd say Japan alone has been more or less carrying this medium on its shoulders for the longest now. There was a period when we got consistent release of exciting and innovative western games too but that era has faded amidst a highly destructive gold rush mentality of over-exploitation and trend chasing.

Just this year and last, Japanese publishers are crazy consistent with their output and generally provide games of a decent quality level. Western games take forever and feels like half of them end up like Suicide Squad.

 

[rofif]

East. Forspoken is made by square.

 

[Aion002]

East.... Always.

Without japanese games I don't know if I would like video games as much as I like.

 

[KungFucius]

Western games are too steeped in political ideology. It’s too hard to ignore sometimes.

They intentionally make characters ugly when beautiful characters do exist in real life.

What the fuck? The vast majority of people don't look like characters in some games or A list actors/models. Most people look, well, average. Just because you can find an example of a beautiful 10/10 Woman, it does not mean some artist who wants to make someone that looks closer to average is doing a disservice. It doesn't mean the choice is political because you don't like it either.

People tend to just be themselves most of the time, not mindless political activists.

 

[IlGialloMondadori]

East by far atm. Capcom at the top of their game right now, just smashing it. Nintendo doesn’t quit delivering. FROM at the top of their game.
West is…fine. But not innovating and focusing on things I don’t really like.
There are notable exceptions- bg 3, some AA and indies.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Pretty sure the vast majority of major titles are Western.
Goes for Sony as well, even though it's a Japanese company.
Playstation is even carrying the console-market.

*Nintendo is the exception

 

[killatopak]

What the fuck? The vast majority of people don't look like characters in some games or A list actors/models. Most people look, well, average. Just because you can find an example of a beautiful 10/10 Woman, it does not mean some artist who wants to make someone that looks closer to average is doing a disservice. It doesn't mean the choice is political because you don't like it either.

People tend to just be themselves most of the time, not mindless political activists.

If this was in the past, I'd believe you.

Right now when there is overwhelming evidence of arbitrary guidelines being followed just to please some political leaning company, I doubt it.

Whatever the fuck they look as wouldn't matter to me if it actually has an impact on the game's story and setting. 99.9% of the time, it doesn't. Since it doesn't, guess what I'm human and I follow my instinct, I love looking at beautiful, sexy, handsome men and women.

 

[Damigos]

East all the way
West devs have gone mega woke. Not all, but a lot

 

[Guilty_AI]

As much as like plenty eastern games, i feel the AA/indie western scene brings more genre variety to the table, as well as more interesting design usually.

Well, by "western" i mean anything made west of China minus Australia.

 

[balls of snow]

Like Baldurs Gate 3 didnt just bitch slap a Zelda game back to Japan.

 

[Aces High]

Herman Hulst shut down Japan Studios so it's got to be west, right?

Spoiler

It's east.

 

[Ogbert]

It’s never not been the East.

Western AAA is fucking hideous. Valve are the only company that can save us.

 

[Beer Baelly]

 

[MagnesD3]

East free. From Software and Nintendo are the only big guys that still make consistently great games.

 

[TwiztidElf]

ehhhhh. This is not new. Japan has been dominating gaming for a few years now for anyone noticing.

 

[Kurotri]

East easily and it's not even a contest. This year is so much better than last year for me. Unicorn Overlord, Granblue Fantasy, Yakuza Infinite Wealth, Persona 3 Reload, Metaphor Refantazio, SMT V Vengeance, FF7 Rebirth, Stellar Blade, Dragons Dogma 2, Shadow of the Erdtree.

None of these are from the West. And this is just 2024. It's total domination.

 

[Banjo64]

Like Baldurs Gate 3 didnt just bitch slap a Zelda game back to Japan.

Sympathy vote.

 

[Roberts]

I don't know, if I look at my end of the year favourite lists, majority consists of western games, but there is always one or two Japanese (or Korean like Lies of P) bangers usually at the top of the list.