madbassman39 Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I haven't played much of games that came out in 2014. I just haven't been too interested in them as much as the back log. I did have the chance to play Shadow of Mordor, and my feelings seem to match everyone else's here. I want to nominate Shadow of Mordor alone just because this is the type of innovation the new generation needs. We don't need better graphics (although they are nice) what we now need are new ways to present story to us that feels more organic. Shadow of Mordor is a step in the direction that can change how we interact with our games from now on. Its exciting. My only gripe with SoM seems to be that Mordor is an ugly place, with ugly buildings and ugly brown colors. I want to see some place colorful with towns and friendly NPC's who aren't cowering or being forced into mining the side of a brown muddy cliff. Shadow of Mordor feels like a proof of concept that works and they built a solid game around it, now I would like to see them build a fuller and larger game world. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saturnine Tenshi Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Totally not the reception I was expecting for Shadow of Mordor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 The Nemesis system is just that great though it isn't like stuff like it didn't exist before. I've seen a similar but baby (?) version of it in Mount and Blade. Every lord you fight with and against will remember you. If you get defeat, you'll be captured and the world will go on without you until you get out of captivity. The only thing different is that you can't kill the lords (and they can't kill you) so they'll hang around forever. So not real progression in the vast family trees in all the kingdoms in Mount and Blade. Like I can't kill the father, his brothers and sons to leave only a daughter who will grow up to hate my guts and potentially kill me. Perhaps in M&B II Bannerlords. The Nemesis system is the first time I've seen it fleshed out so well and be in an AAA quality title. So there is that and for the game not sucking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangelove Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Dragon Age: Inquisition. So good. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielpholt Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 I'm somewhat stunned by the amount of love directed towards Shadow of Mordor. I mean, it was Okay I guess, but it seems to be garnering GOTY noms like they're going out of fashion. It's far from a bad game but It didn't hit the mark with me. The world is boring, the story is...well down right poor and the combat get's really repetitive really quickly. The one thing it's got going for it is it's much lauded Nemesis system, which admittedly brings a good amount to the game, but even that get's boring and tedious after a while. 'Hey I finally killed that annoying green bastard...aaaand now there's another annoying green bastard in his place'. Repeat until bored. Did I miss something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 You missed the fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madbassman39 Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 I think the reason its being so well received is because it just is a breath of fresh air in the gaming industry. Batman already did the combat, Assassins Creed already did the freedom of movement in an open world, but what Shadow of Mordor did was take two already proven concepts and put them together so well. The Nemesis system is what really puts this "good" game into "great". Sure the rest of the game is just solid, nothing stellar, and the nemesis system alone isn't going to make a GOTY, but when all of it was done really well together we have something that we didn't know we wanted. Every game before Mordor has sold us good villains through story. Think about every game, the scripted events make the villains. They are something different than the rest of the enemy characters in the game. Mordor doesn't do this. Mordor gives you various NPCs, and says "these guys are nobody, until they do something great, then they become a somebody." Each enemy that you hate, you hate because of an interaction that you had with them, an unscripted interaction that has set in motion a chain of events that will change how you play the rest of the game. Granted it only changes a little bit, seeing as no matter who does what you are still going to play the game the same way, but now it actually feels personal. No longer is every body chasing after the same named character, now they are chasing after someone different with different stories of how they came to be with different outcomes in the enemy line up. We have not only a proof of concept, but a damn fine game that has told us that a game can be emotionally charged with out being scripted. How you play the game, even in Mordor with very little variety on how you play, will change how the game effects you. For Example: I killed an orc leader in a fire, he comes back and he has some scaring and some new metal face. When he sees me again he says "you thought you killed me in that fire did you?" and he kills me. Now he ranks up, gets more powerful, and I'm tracking the damn orc down because he's supposed to be dead, and he's not, AND he killed me. I'm pissed, and he is now my number one target. Fuck that orc in particular. Thats my story. Everybody has a story in the game that is essentially the same, but yet it feels so much more personal for each player. This game on the merits of the gameplay alone wont win GOTY, but the nemesis system is so much more to the player than the gameplay that I believe it deserves the GOTY award. Mordor has shown the audience that the new consoles are going to allow AI development beyond what we've seen, and with creative people behind them we can get somethings that we didn't know we really wanted. Mordor is less of an amazing game and more of an amazing concept with a bright future for video games. A GOTY to me isn't the best game, but rather a great experience. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDDQD Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Kind of late to the party, but I gotta throw in my few cents. Mostly because I feel that my GOTY needs more recognition. At first I was torn between Alien: Isolation and Wolfenstein: The New Order, but by the end of december I've played a game that was originally released in 2013. However, it found its way to new consoles this last year so whatever, it qualifies. And the game I'm talking about is Shadow Warrior. Seriously, best damn FPS I've played in years. Gorgeous, stylish, with great sense of humor, surprisingly good story. Gameplay also kicks ass. While nothing too revolutionary, there's a ton of features and instruments of violence here and there wasn't a single one that felt unnecessary. One of the best of these features though is melee combat with katana - hacking away at enemies with my charater singing: "Choppin' dudes to bits again!" is something that one could easily call "stupid fun". And it get only better from there. Can't recommend this game enough. If you're tired of gritty realism or seriousness of most FPS games, definately check this one out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saturnine Tenshi Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Yeah, Shadow Warrior was a gem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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