Mister Jack Posted December 14, 2019 Report Share Posted December 14, 2019 The Game Awards have come and gone and we're pretty much done with all the major releases for the year so now seems like a good time to do the annual PXOD Game of the Year thread. If you don't remember last year, you can pick your personal GOTY as well as one runner-up, and to start things off my personal pick for game of the year is... This was honestly a tough call for me. A lot of great stuff came out this year, some of which I haven't even played yet, but in the end Sekiro just barely edged out everything else for me. Frankly, I'm surprised at myself for choosing this. I used to hate Soulsborne games, and to be honest even after I came around to them there are still things about the main Souls series that I hate even though everyone else seems to like them. I don't like the almost total absence of story in the franchise, I don't like cheap "gotcha" deaths that almost nobody is going to see coming the first time, and I REALLY don't like enemies that can kill you in two hits. Sekiro is guilty of all of these things to some degree, but the gameplay that accompanies it is so good that even when I was cursing at the screen I didn't want to stop. It's not really a Souls game even though it shares several mechanics. It's more of an action game than an RPG so the combat is much faster and more intense which is probably why I got so much more immersed. It's kind of ironic that I ended up enjoying it this much because Sekiro is BY FAR the hardest From game I've ever played. The final boss in particular is one of the most punishing enemies I've ever been expected to beat. Damned if I wasn't literally cheering when I finally took him down, though. RUNNER-UP Is it cheating to name the expansion to a game that's already released? If it is, I'm doing it anyway. Monster Hunter World was my GOTY last year, but this is one of those expansions that adds and fixes so many things I never even realized I wanted. In fact, the game is so much better now that I don't think I could ever go back to the vanilla version or even recommend that somebody else buy the base game without Iceborne because it's cheaper. It's an essential buy for anyone who has Monster Hunter World. I also feel like proper expansion packs are a dying art in the modern game industry and I give Capcom a lot of credit for giving us something way more substantial for my $40 than you'd ever see in some season pass. To me, Monster Hunter World is the best example for how to do a live service game properly. While they do sell cheap emote and sticker packs in the store, there's no premium currency so I never feel pressured to spend money when I'm hunting for monster parts and the forty dollars they ask for all this new content is more than reasonable. I don't know if they intend to do more expansions or move on to Monster Hunter World 2 now but they've got me hooked either way. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 Ooh, this is gonna be hard. I'm going to have to put some thought into this... I don't think naming an expansion is cheating if it's the size of a full game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted December 22, 2019 Report Share Posted December 22, 2019 Drum roll please... Fire Emblem: Three Houses I mean, honestly, how could it have been anything else? I played this game three times! In like 2 months! And each time is like 60 hours! It clearly got its hooks into me hard. I rarely replay games anymore, and never back-to-back like that. But every time I'd finish and think about playing something else I'd go "Nah, I really need to do Golden Deer still..." I love all the interlocking parts that go into how the various stories interact, and I love the Hogwarts lifesim nonsense, and the TBS battles, and really everything about it. And it's got the best characters. Probably my favorite part is how the different characters all interact with each other and develop relationships independent of their relationship with the protagonist. Everything about it just draws me in so much. I think I might be talking myself into a 4th playthrough, gotta do the non-secret Black Eagles route... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted December 22, 2019 Report Share Posted December 22, 2019 DAYS GONE Enjoyed every moment of it, even the beginning, slow as it is, was fun, my first encounter with a horde is one of my favourite moments in gaming ever, and the late game, when I was actively hunting hordes with my fully upgraded bike, the chicago chopper and the .50 BMG rifle was great. Then the sawmill horde happened, and I went back to being afraid of hordes. The music is pretty cool and the way it starts playing when you're riding around adds a nice touch, the story was cool, fun and it kept me interested, sure, it doesn't do anything new, original or subversive, but IMO, it doesn't need to, it's a fun ride and that's all I wanted out of it. It's also one of the few open world games were I never felt overwhelmed when I opened the map, or when looking at the different things you can do, and not once did I felt like I wanted to just rush through the story and get it over with, I took my time, collected some things, went everywhere I could, ended up with a fortune in credits for every camp, and I had fun all along not something common for me. This also reignited my interest in bikes, and if I had the money I would get a custom one to look like the one I finished the game with. I love that I had no interest in this game, didn't remember anything about any trailers, announcements or anything and it ended up being my GOTY. \m/ \m/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted December 23, 2019 Report Share Posted December 23, 2019 @MetalCaveman You use the word "fun" a lot, so I'm wondering if I've completely misapprehended that game. Based on the aesthetic and what I'd seen of it I assumed it was another slow slog type zombie game, like The Last of Us or whatever. Am I wrong? Is it more of a joy-to-play type game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted December 24, 2019 Report Share Posted December 24, 2019 While I wouldn't put it in the same group as Dead Rising and stuff like that, for me it was a joy, the start IS slow, too slow for some people maybe, but it didn't take me* long to get to a point where I could capture camps, and fight groups of zombies without trouble. Once you get to a certain point where better weapons become available it gets way better, and there are some really powerful weapons out there, also, your bike can carry more ammo, and once you max out both your bike's pouches and Deacon's ammo capacity you can take on several hordes without worrying about running out of stuff, healing items are also pretty abundant, as are grenades and traps so it never felt as slow or as survival-horror as TLoU, nor did it feel like I should try to avoid combat or that I was at a disadvantage, if anything, it was usually the opposite, specially against human enemies. I would put it somewhere in the middle, between DR and TLoU. If you don't mind some light spoilers, I'd suggest looking up some videos on hordes, those are the highlight of the game, and going from running for your life at the start of the game, to actively hunting them is great, specially when you get the Chicago Chopper. *Disclaimer: My copy of the game came with the pre-order code which unlocked the drifter crossbow at the start, it is silent, accurate and a one-hit-kill on most enemies, it also included an upgrade for the fuel tank, playing normally, it takes a bit longer to get this stuff. Thinking about it, the best way I can put it is: TLoU is like drone-ish doom metal, Days Gone is death metal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxicitizen Posted December 31, 2019 Report Share Posted December 31, 2019 (edited) Shit, I really don't know. The year was ridiculously frontloaded with RE2, DMC5 and Sekiro but then I spent the rest of it chipping away at the backlog so uh... one of those? RE2 was everything I wanted it to be and more. Sekiro was just different enough from the usual Souls formula to kick my ass all over again and I actually remember it much more fondly than Dark Souls 2 and 3 because of it. I'll definitely be giving it a replay at some point, possibly closer to Elden Ring's release. That being said, I think the one that pulled my devil trigger the hardest was... (start the video now for full effect!) Just getting DMC5 at all after a decade of anticipation was incredible, especially after that misguided reboot and the years of silence that followed. It wasn't just everything I wanted it to be and more, though. It topped DMC3 as the best of the series, the story was pure fan service injected straight into my veins and the gameplay was the best it's ever been. And it did all of that while having the hypest fucking theme song of all time, one to surpass even Metal Gear (Rising). Honorable mention to my boy Kazuma Kiryu. They were late ports but I played 2 Yakuza games this year and I honestly would've happily played 2 more. I swear to god, SEGA, if you don't release those remasters on PC in 2020 I'm gonna scream! Edited December 31, 2019 by FLD 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted December 31, 2019 Report Share Posted December 31, 2019 EARTH DEFEN- Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Mirroring DMC5 in a lot of way, a mainline AC game was not released for 12 years. Sure, there's Infinity but that was pure multiplayer and not really comprehensive in the AC experience. We also don't talk about the misguided Assault Horizon. AC7, while not perfect due to troubled development, was a return to form that I have been waited for for so long. It delivered. The chilly glee you get from piloting a fighter jet and doing insane maneuvers to a fantastic soundtrack (try listening to this while driving) cannot be understated. I guess I should give Three Houses honorable mentions since I did play it a bunch (gameplay is on-point) but as a whole never quite resonated with me like say Xenoblade 2 did (and I HATED XB2 initially). Make no mistake, I like the characters (Golden Deer for life!) but the story... eh. Also, I like to say that Three Houses is basically Trails of Cold Steel games and what I sense Trails of Hajimari to be, crammed into one game. Re: DMC5 Spoiler DMC5 would almost win for the theme song alone. It hyped the game so well that even I, someone who never played a DMC game, was hyped like so: 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted December 31, 2019 Report Share Posted December 31, 2019 Holy shit, Ace Combat 6 was 12 years ago? AC7 is great though. It's the first game I've owned that actually makes me want a VR headset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCP Posted December 31, 2019 Report Share Posted December 31, 2019 I don't care if it's technically a port of a game from 2018 that was originally released in Japan in 2017 I FRIGGIN LOVED IT. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorgiShinobi Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 I can't really decide what my Game of the Year would be. So many scratch a different itch I've had. I haven't even gotten to some I know I would enjoy... I do know I've loved playing Monster Hunter World: Iceborne for many hours this year, though I do feel like giving recognition to new games like Control and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Heck, I need to get around to Resident Evil 2, but I guess that's for 2020. And Death Stranding has that bangin' soundtrack. Haven't finished that one though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielpholt Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 Mario Maker 2 takes the title for me. I didn't spend much time on MM1 when it came out, but its sequel has become a mainstay. Its a constant stream of fun, interesting takes on an already incredible formula, whats not to love? I'm still working my way through Outer Wilds, so that may end up finishing higher, and I didn't get around to Steamworld Quest or Control but both are on my to-do list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. GOH! Posted January 2, 2020 Report Share Posted January 2, 2020 (edited) This is so tough! Of the games I have completed, Disco Elysium, Control, and Fire Emblem: 3 Houses are tied as my personal GOTY. But Sekiro seems really cool from the small parts I've played and Outer Wilds is just a triumph of game design and exploration. So I guess those are my five Games of 2019. Edited January 2, 2020 by Mr. GOH! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pojodin Posted January 2, 2020 Report Share Posted January 2, 2020 Starting the end of the decade as the end of the century savior? I wouldn't say it was the best game I played this year by any means, but it was the nostalgic kick I needed to start my year! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baconrath Posted January 5, 2020 Report Share Posted January 5, 2020 hnnng Slay the Spire is so good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 Game of 2019 might be Pokemon Sword, by virtue of being one of the few 2019 games I've played. My other one being Outer Worlds, which is solid but Pokemon is bringing me the most joy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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