Poll: Which Game Do You Think Deserves GOTY?

[[Kira Must Die]]

Bloodborne is definitely my GOTY. In fact, it grew to become one of my favorite games.

And yes, I have played Dark Souls, and I like that game, too, but BB appeals to me more in both visuals and gameplay.

Undertale was a great game, too, and I enjoy Fallout 4.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

Personal GOTY is Undertale partially because I'm an indie hipster and partially because it's been a while since I've genuinely enjoyed a game that much.

AAA-GOTY is Witcher 3 though, MGSV runner up although that's only because I haven't played Bloodborne.

 

[Kyrian007]

I had to go with Fallout 4. Biggest reason, it's the only one I have played on the list. Every one of these games is part of an established franchise. And the only franchise represented that makes my "release day buy" list is Fallout. The rest are either on my "don't bother" list or "when a Steam sale makes them cheap" list. Heck, Arkham Knight is on my "When they make a working version and give out free stuff for the shit pc port list." And of course Blodborne is on my "interested but no way I'm paying U.S. $600.00+ dollars to play a game" list.

And it would probably be Fallout anyway just by judging my reactions to prior installations in each series. Never finished Witcher and 2 sits forlornly on my Steam backlog and isn't going anywhere soon. And MGS 5... I know I'm going to love MGS 5. I just haven't bought it yet and therefore can't give it the nod over Fallout.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Witcher 3 easily takes my GOTY vote. Easily the most amazing open world RPG game I've ever played and probably in my top 3 games of all time (and it'd be number 1 if I was excluding games being made better by mods).

 

[jhoroz]

I picked other, because Undertale is my GOTY, but Witcher 3 and Bloodborne are solid picks too. I had more fun in the moment to moment in Bloodborne, but Witcher 3 pushed the boundaries of its respective genre more.

 

[jhoroz]

It's still a fine game, but in the shadow of Dark Souls...

In the shadow of what? Dark Souls being an overrated piece of shit?

I'm really baffled when people complain about the lack of variety in weapons and environment. The core combat of DS always basically boiled down to two handing a melee weapon, rolling out the way and wailing on the enemy. BB basically capitalized on that. Yeah there's spellcasting and archery, but they've always been god awful mechanics. I'm glad Bloodborne decided to focus less on them. BB has also a much more specific theme when it comes to environments, and it still has more atmosphere and dread than Dark Soul: Prepare to Play Unfinished Edition and Dark Souls 2 Scholar of the First DLC. Give me the tightly designed atmospheric quality of Demon's Souls and Bloodborne over anything in either Dark Souls or Dark Souls 2. Artorias of the Abyss is the only piece of content I genuinely love in Dark Souls, the rest I can take it or leave it.

 

[yamy]

Would just like to point out that that at point of writing there are exactly 69 votes.

Spoiler: Yes I'm immature

[http://imgur.com/zaFe2cR]

My GOTY is none of the above for the simple fact that I have not played any of them. My most played game and favourite game of this year is still Dark Souls, which I recently finally gotten all the achievements for after reaching my 200th hour of playtime.

If I were to award it based on game footage though Witcher 3 takes it. No contest.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

The only one on the list that I've played is Fallout 4, and while it's pretty good it's definitely not GOTY material for me. My vote goes to Life is Strange, not only my GOTY but one of my all time favourite games. I still haven't finished Undertale bit I don't think it's going to beat Life is Strange.

 

[stroopwafel]

In the shadow of what? Dark Souls being an overrated piece of shit?

I'm really baffled when people complain about the lack of variety in weapons and environment. The core combat of DS always basically boiled down to two handing a melee weapon, rolling out the way and wailing on the enemy. BB basically capitalized on that. Yeah there's spellcasting and archery, but they've always been god awful mechanics. I'm glad Bloodborne decided to focus less on them. BB has also a much more specific theme when it comes to environments, and it still has more atmosphere and dread than Dark Soul: Prepare to Play Unfinished Edition and Dark Souls 2 Scholar of the First DLC. Give me the tightly designed atmospheric quality of Demon's Souls and Bloodborne over anything in either Dark Souls or Dark Souls 2. Artorias of the Abyss is the only piece of content I genuinely love in Dark Souls, the rest I can take it or leave it.

That is b/c From Software is a shitty developer(play any of their games pre-Demon's Souls) but one that revels in art direction and atmosphere and an absolute refusal to compromise on their vision.

That's why Demon's Souls is so good. From Software's(or rather Hidetaka Miyazaki) had the vision and Sony Japan made it. Same for Bloodborne. For Dark Souls they basically used the gameplay systems co-developed by SCEJ but this time without their involvement and it's a lot less polished game for it.

I still really enjoy Dark Souls and in no way do I think it's a 'piece of shit' but there is no denying Demon's Souls is the superior game. Dark Souls is really inconsistent with some levels being really good and a lot of shitty levels bolted on that bring the entire game down. If it didn't have that Demon's Souls gameplay loop holding it all together Dark Souls would just be a high-res Kings Field or Shadow Tower game.

Bloodborne is really what I consider both From Software and SCEJ doing their very best. They trimmed down on the excess fat of the previous games and intensified the Souls gameplay loop with razor sharp focus. With pristine and unique environmental design that suits the game perfectly and isn't just a re-iteration of previous concepts. From Software and SCEJ is a match made in heaven.

Compare that to Dark Souls(while still good) is just a poorer imitation of Demon's Souls. Similarly Dark Souls 3 lends heavily on Bloodborne from what we've seen from the game so far both in environmental design and faster pace of the combat. From Software gets all the credit for the 'Souls games' but really it's SCEJ that deserves most of it.

 

[Bobular]

Not having played any of the listed games I've gone for 'other'.

I've had a quick look through all the games that came out this year and I think the games I've had most fun with and played the most are:

1) Cities: Skylines
2) Disgaea 5
3) Shadow Run: Hong Kong

I would also say Prison Architect as it technically only came out this year.

 

[Angelblaze]

Undertale.

Because, in a game with a dedicated combat system and no stealth, they made a dedicated system around NOT killing things. As in, the creator said. 'Yeah. Okay. Kill everything. If you want. But here's a better idea.'

Plus every major character, and even some of the mobs, are iconic as all fuck, recognizable as hell and charming almost to a fault.

YOU'RE SO EAGER TO DATE ME YOUR TRYING TO GO INTO MY HOUSE WITHOUT ME
THAT'S REALLY WEIRD.

 

[Casual Shinji]

It's still a fine game, but in the shadow of Dark Souls...

In the shadow of what? Dark Souls being an overrated piece of shit?

Nice way to start off a discussion.

I'm really baffled when people complain about the lack of variety in weapons and environment. The core combat of DS always basically boiled down to two handing a melee weapon, rolling out the way and wailing on the enemy. BB basically capitalized on that. Yeah there's spellcasting and archery, but they've always been god awful mechanics. I'm glad Bloodborne decided to focus less on them. BB has also a much more specific theme when it comes to environments, and it still has more atmosphere and dread than Dark Soul: Prepare to Play Unfinished Edition and Dark Souls 2 Scholar of the First DLC. Give me the tightly designed atmospheric quality of Demon's Souls and Bloodborne over anything in either Dark Souls or Dark Souls 2. Artorias of the Abyss is the only piece of content I genuinely love in Dark Souls, the rest I can take it or leave it.

If you boil the combat of Dark Souls down to two-handing everything and rolling out of the way, then that's all on you. I've played through Dark Souls many times, either as a tank or a mage. Each offered its own pros and cons, but each offered a viable way to play through the game. I've never even touched the miracles or pyromancy, so that can lend to even more builds.

My problem with Bloodborne is that while it focusses less on RPG elements, it still puts a certain emphasis on them eventhough the added value is barely a blip on the radar. Which is why I rather they'd stripped the RPG mechanics entirely and made it a full-on action game.

Dark Souls is an RPG. You can play it in a variety of ways, whether it be a strength, dexterity, magic, miracle, or pyromancy build, or a combination of the sort. Bloodborne gives you the impression of being an RPG, but then basically forces you down a path of action that consists of only melee action and parrying. And I'm fine with melee action and parrying, but then why am I navigating through stats that offer little choice, and finding spells I can't activate unless I spend the first 2/3 of the game dedicating myself to a weak character?

It's a good game, but as an RPG, which it claims to be, it's terribly shallow.

 

[DefunctTheory]

It's still a fine game, but in the shadow of Dark Souls...

In the shadow of what? Dark Souls being an overrated piece of shit?

I'm really baffled when people complain about the lack of variety in weapons and environment. The core combat of DS always basically boiled down to two handing a melee weapon, rolling out the way and wailing on the enemy. BB basically capitalized on that. Yeah there's spellcasting and archery, but they've always been god awful mechanics. I'm glad Bloodborne decided to focus less on them. BB has also a much more specific theme when it comes to environments, and it still has more atmosphere and dread than Dark Soul: Prepare to Play Unfinished Edition and Dark Souls 2 Scholar of the First DLC. Give me the tightly designed atmospheric quality of Demon's Souls and Bloodborne over anything in either Dark Souls or Dark Souls 2. Artorias of the Abyss is the only piece of content I genuinely love in Dark Souls, the rest I can take it or leave it.

I'm going to have to go with Casual Shinji on this one... all that's on you. Spell casting, both 'Pure' magic and Pyromancy, are completely viable, as is becoming Havel and Clubing/Shielding your way through the game.

I haven't played Bloodborne (Not buying a PS4 just for that game), and I would agree that Demon's Soul probably edges out Dark Soul when it comes to atmosphere, but piece of shit? No atmosphere at all? Limited combat options? I can understand not liking Dark Souls, but the complete disdain and hate you have for the game is mind boogling.

 

[stroopwafel]

Dark Souls is an RPG. You can play it in a variety of ways, whether it be a strength, dexterity, magic, miracle, or pyromancy build, or a combination of the sort. Bloodborne gives you the impression of being an RPG, but then basically forces you down a path of action that consists of only melee action and parrying.

Dark Souls is exactly the same though. I agree in theory you can play the game other than melee but it's obvious the game was intended to be played as a melee character. Everything in the game is designed around melee combat from the weighty animations to enemy behavior to the graphic and sound effects. The only difference with Bloodborne is that Dark Souls has more useless stats to put your points in. Bloodborne just focuses on the one thing that made the Souls games so great and does that incredibly well instead of diluting the experience with half-assed 'alternative' playstyles(like breaking the game's formula with OP magic). The combat in Bloodborne is much more intense and faster paced than in Dark Souls but it isn't just an action game as stamina management and tactical approaches to enemies are still pivotal to the experience. Though it's more 'fight for your life' instead of baiting for attacks with your shield up. The trick weapons espescially I think are much more imaginative than anything found in Dark Souls.

Bloodborne is an action-RPG just like Dark Souls is but with a much more focused stat distribution system as it's much more confident in what it does best instead of diluting the experience with useless junk.

 

[BarryMcCociner]

I expected my picks this year to be a complete and utter three way knock-down drag-out fight between Witcher 3, Fallout 4 and MGSV.

MGSV came out incomplete and that sucks because I look at it and I see a good game buried under Konami's... stink.

Fallout 4 was... good but not great. I went into it with low expectations and came out pleasantly surprised but not amazed.

Bloodbourne was good but didn't even come close to GOTY consideration. Mechanically I much preferred the slower, more methodical, less aggressive kind of passive tension of the Souls games.

Arkham Knight? Releasing such a shitty PC port should automatically disqualify a company without question.

Witcher 3 is the clear winner for one solid reason. This is the first game I've plated in years that felt like a complete game from day one. I didn't feel like I was getting shafted for DLC, I didn't feel like the game was mechanically held back for the patronizing attitude toward casual players. ("DROOL DROOL, WHAT IF THE CASUALS WON'T BUY THE GAME BECAUSE IT MAKES THEM THINK ABOUT THEIR ABILITIES AND ENEMY WEAKNESSES N SHIT" - EA)

Shit, Witcher 3 just made me feel like I was ripping CDPR off, I got far MORE than I paid for by today's industry standards. It's the clear winner, just for treating the consumer like someone worth pleasing.

Also, just a wonderful and touching adoptive familial relationship between Geralt and Ciri. That game does character moments well.

 

[Zeraki]

None of the listed games, since I really haven't played any of them. Too many massive open world games came out this year and I don't have the time or patience to play all of them. The only exception I'm making is Xenoblade Chronicles X, because after Star Fox and Zelda got delayed that's basically the only game I was anticipating this year.

 

[kenu12345]

My personal GOTY is definitely Undertale which is surprising since it was just some random game I just decided to get one day since steam recommended it. I have enjoyed it ever since and I am eagerly awaiting for more content to be patched in .3.

 

[Something Amyss]

Who voted for Arkham Knight?!

Some men just want to watch the world burn, I hear.

Anyway, I was going to vote, but none of the games appeal to me except one I haven't played, and I can't think of another game to nominate (well, a serious one, I could sarcastically nominate Battlefront or Samurai Warriors 4 ii)

 

[COMaestro]

I've only played Arkham Knight and MGSV on that list, and really haven't played much else this year as I don't have a lot of time for gaming these days, so I'm picking MGSV. Both AK and MGS were at the peak of their gameplay compared to previous entries, but at the low of their stories with weak but serviceable plots and predictable twists, which was unfortunate for both since they are essentially the last entries of their respective franchises. Both also looked gorgeous and ran well (on PS4).

MGS wins out because it was more ambitious in execution. Batman fine-tuned its mechanics but didn't really create any new ones (excepting the Batmobile), making the player feel more like Batman than ever before, though it forced too much usage of the Batmobile and had very lackluster boss fights compared to previous entries. MGS, however, totally shook up the stealth formula of previous entries, giving the player a multitude of options to accomplish every objective. I still find new ways of doing things every time I play and it is just a joy. So for those reasons, MGS V is my GOTY.