GOTYTDCOTY 2017

[NerfedFalcon]

The (mainly) yearly tradition returns: Game Of The Year That Didn't Come Out This Year!

The rules are simple: What game did you enjoy the most this year that, though it wasn't released this year, this was the first time you played it?

Funnily enough, this is the first year that I can't think of anything. I guess I'm too caught up on the past by now; even all the Steam games I bought this year were the new ones. That just makes all of your opinions all the more important.

So what would you submit for this (somewhat) prestigious award?

Edit: A few people have said Playerunknown's Battlegrounds counts for this because it's still in Early Access, so it'll 'come out' next year. I suppose I'll allow it for PUBG now that it's happened, but for the most part I consider Early Access to be out 'now', so.

 

[Hawki]

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Best 2D Zelda I've played, #5 LoZ game I've played, and gets the top spot. Has a significant "sheer fun factor," and improves on A Link to the Past in every concievable way.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Probably Player Unknown Battlegrounds. Still in early access, so hasn't been officially released.

 

[Dr.Susse]

Ghost of a Tale.

Spoiler: Trailer

[link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rfuK3u7_oc[/link]

I think it was announced early 2016 or 2015 but it's a one man developed adventure game that looks really good.
There's an early release version is on steam and it's pretty fun with really charming writing.

Can't wait till it comes out next year.

 

[Saelune]

Uhhhhhh... *looks through my games played*

Uhhhh....

Hm...most games I played either were games I had played years ago but now got on Steam, games I started years ago, but only got actually into now, or games I have been playing for awhile now.

Technically my answer would be something like...Destiny 2...and I hate Destiny 2, and 1.

No wait, Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada. Only reason I barely played it is because it is a poor PC port...

 

[sXeth]

Probably Darksiders (its the free game on PS4 this month if you have PSPlus).

Oxygen not Included is one in the camp of coming out at some future point.

 

[Aerosteam]

Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice.

Fantastic finale to the game and for a character. I love it when things go full circle.

 

[Drathnoxis]

LISA.

Spoiler

LISA may be one of the best dark comedy games I've ever played! It came out in 2014 and I've only just discovered it now.

You play Brad, a drug addicted martial arts teacher living in a post apocalyptic wasteland in which all the females had suddenly vanished some time ago. You are searching for your adopted daughter who is the last girl in existence and is somewhere out there in a world of perverts.

The game has tons of quirky dialogue and silly situations alongside twisted flesh mutants and gore. The game does a great job of mixing the humorous and the macabre, ending up with a blend that I find very engaging. That's not to say that every moment is humorous, the game is very effective when it wants to get serious as well. Honestly, it reminds me of the Mother (Earthbound) series for some reason.

Combat is pretty good for turn based RPG standards, and there is a bit of strategy to assembling your party from 30+ possible members. There's quite a bit of flavour to the movesets as well, and most of the enemies seem to have unique appearances and names. There are very few random encounters.

I find the visuals to be very appealing. There are a huge amount of sprites in the game, and I think very few character end up having the exact same appearance.

My only problem is that the game presents some choices that seem like they would be significant, but while they do have effects, are not as significant as one might assume. There is effectively only one ending to the game, so don't get your hopes up.

LISA is the sequel to a free game called LISA: THE FIRST. I wasn't to crazy about it, and it doesn't really have too much to do with the sequel, so it can be safely skipped, but it's only like half an hour long anyway.

It's not too long and not too short. The game doesn't drag in any part and there's always somewhere interesting to explore. All in all I think it's a fantastic experience. So go play it!

 

[Worgen]

Shadowrun: DragonFall/Shadowrun Hong Kong.

Holy crap those are both such great games.

 

[lacktheknack]

The Dark Eye.

It's from 1995. It's a game that basically retells several Edgar Allan Poe stories, except everyone looks like this.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TXgNZewhJ4Q/hqdefault.jpg

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Hmmm, I suppose it's a toss-up between Dishonored 2 or Axiom Verge.

Both of them nicely scratched an itch of mine, but in very different ways, so I'm reluctant to raise one above the other.

Screw it, shared first place.

 

[09philj]

Honourable Mentions:
Skullgirls is my favourite fighting game now.
Westerado: Double Barrelled is a flawed, but fun, cowboy-em-up.
Transistor looks and sounds wonderful, and is pretty fun to play too.
Same goes for Bastion.
Tyranny retains everything I like about Pillars of Eternity, while offering a thoroughly different story experience.
Fallout: New Vegas is just as good as people say.

The Indisputable Winner:
Civilisation V is bloody great.

 

[Poetic Nova]

Mine goes to Analogue: A Hate Story.

It has been in my Steam Library for atleast 2 years without me even touching it, until a few months ago.
It's a VN that intruiges me greatly, I just wish it was longer, but there is a sequel I'll be buying aswel and I hope that one can deliver things just as well.

 

[Bilious Green_v1legacy]

Metro 2033 and Last Light. Played them a few months ago and was blown away by how good they were. I bought the books they're based on to tide me over while I anxiously await Metro Exodus.

 

[09philj]

Mine goes to Analogue: A Hate Story.

It has been in my Steam Library for atleast 2 years without me even touching it, until a few months ago.
It's a VN that intruiges me greatly, I just wish it was longer, but there is a sequel I'll be buying aswel and I hope that one can deliver things just as well.

There's also the dev's original freeware game, Digital: A Love Story.

 

[Rip Van Rabbit]

Dishonored 2 was a pleasant surprise.

I've always loved the aesthetics and lived-in feel of the world. Music and level design were fantastic. (Kudos to the Clockwork Mansion, and Stilton's Manor and The Grand Palace.) It was great to play as Emily and take her through Low Chaos & High Chaos. I adored her powers.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

The...Last Guardian? Life is Strange?

I base a lot of this off of long-lasting emotional impact. Because I am definitely a human and not any other entity pretending to be one merely to make enough friends to infiltrate multiple echelons on this crazy planet of confused societies.

 

[Akytalusia]

i guess... with those conditions, it'd have to be viscera cleanup detail.

it just pushes all my buttons. i like blood and gore, but hate violence. how often is that combination of preferences fulfilled? i also like cleaning up other people's messes, being completely alone, exploring interesting environments, and piecing together natural environmental lore to determine an event's history. there's easter eggs, secrets, a home-base to decorate, the graphics are pretty good, the physics are... adequate. there's just nothing not to love about that game.

 

[McMarbles]

Dragon Quest VIII. Thank goodness for portable remasters!

 

[Poetic Nova]

There's also the dev's original freeware game, Digital: A Love Story.

Never got a notification about this, huh.

But I do appreciate that reminder, have yet to play that one admittedly. But gaming isn't really on my mind now, and otherwise something I can't concentrate on.