I'm kind of hoping that they'll end up having a long discussion about Batman and Uncharted and end up with "Let's just pick Uncharted so we can go home" again.
Anyway, Dark Souls has zero chance of winning or even being "nominated" for Giant Bomb's game of the year. I can't see anyone even making an argument for it. Vinny, who has been the most receptive to it, even he just kind of seems like he "puts up with it" rather than actually enjoy or like it. Having said that, I'm almost certain that the Bombcrew will invent a category just so they can give Dark Souls something, even if only to appease the internet.
What are you talking about? Vinny is playing it and loves it. Brad is playing it and loving it. Patrick is playing it and is loving it. Having a "oh fuck this game" moment with the game does not ruin its chances.
For all this talk about Dark Souls not getting a proper chance on GB people don't seem to realize that this is still one of the most talked about game by the GB crew. They talk about it almost every bombcast for the last month, gave it an 1h30 quicklook, Rorie wrote a lengthy article, he and Vinny are actively playing it, Jeff tried it again despite hating Demon's Souls and now Brad and Patrick are playing it too. Brad seems relatively positive about it too, more positive than negative anyway.
Despite not every game gets reviews and a lot of them are still considered GOTY contender. If i remember well, Red Dead Redemption never got an official review and was still Brad's number 1 game on his personal top 10. The game was also considered for GOTY and was possibly the closest contender to Mass Effect 2.
All this to say the Dark Souls being snubbed talk are getting real old real fast.
@Nashvilleskyline you should listen to the game of the year debate podcasts from awhile ago. they push whatever game they choose and not all of them were really popular triple A games. sure the winner was mass effect 2, but that was for good reason. it could very well be in the running
What are you talking about? Vinny is playing it and loves it. Brad is playing it and loving it.
Stop being cynical
I have not heard anything that would lead one to believe either one of those two loves the game. Even If either of those two loved the game, you sure as heck wouldn't catch them admitting it. When they've discussed both Demon's Souls and Dark Souls you get the impression that Vinny admitting that he even likes the games is akin to admitting he enjoys snuff films.
I love Dark Souls but it's a game for a rather niche audience and I'm okay with it not winning any GotY awards.
The GB crew will talk about it though and even though (at least) half the crew doesn't like it, I feel like they at least acknowledge some of it's merits.
What are you talking about? Vinny is playing it and loves it. Brad is playing it and loving it.
Stop being cynical
I have not heard anything that would lead one to believe either one of those two loves the game. Even If either of those two loved the game, you sure as heck wouldn't catch them admitting it. When they've discussed both Demon's Souls and Dark Souls you get the impression that Vinny admitting that he even likes the games is akin to admitting he enjoys snuff films.
The talk on the tested octoberkast reveals that Dark Souls is the 'watercooler' game. Everyone comes into the office and just talks about their experiences through the frustration, anger and triumph of dark souls.
@uniform: I think Vinny just doesn't talk about the game with enthusiasm because there are parts that make him so angry he gets ashamed. I do the same thing when my wife is around while I am playing. So when someone asks me hows it going, soon after I have an "episiode," I tend to not be so excited about it. But looking back, she really shouldn't have tried to kiss me when I am murdering. I mean, I am murdering after all.
So what... I am alone now. I have lotion, I don't need her, I have Chex Mix. Baby come back!
Despite not every game gets reviews and a lot of them are still considered GOTY contender. If i remember well, Red Dead Redemption never got an official review and was still Brad's number 1 game on his personal top 10. The game was also considered for GOTY and was possibly the closest contender to Mass Effect 2.
Multiple people in this topic have made the assumption that Dark Souls is not getting reviewed. Absolutely not true. Kessler has the review duties for Dark Souls, and evidently he is doing a thorough-ass playthrough before writing his review.
You can't autopilot dark souls like you can most other modern console games. I think that makes it naturally unfriendly to game review crews. It takes a lot out of you to get in there, figure out the game systems, and then implement a winning plan. There is no tutorial level that slowly spells out "here is how you win this game".
For people that have a huge list of things all demanding their attention at the same time, this is going to be a big negative mark against it. They just won't have the time and energy to get into it. It's a damn shame because as you can see from the response of avid game players, it's a big positive mark for many of us. The discovery and exploration are big fun. The surprises are fun, figuring out the weird game systems is fun.
I think anyone who follows the guys here can understand why it won't rate that high. Honestly for me, yeah it's up there in the top 5 so far. But we've had some pretty awesome games this year and honestly I don't rate it higher than The Witcher 2 or Portal 2. I trust that the crew here will give it it's due and rate it fairly. I can't even give it my personal GOTY, and I have plenty of time to play thru it. I certainly don't expect them to give it GOTY given the competition and their taste in games.
@CosmicQueso: I feel like I am posting too much in this thread, but I think I might be able to explain my interests in others enjoyment.
I enjoy this game, a lot, I'm not hiding this. I am 29 and a calm person, I am not fueled with flavor of the weekness at high school and am just shouting my joy about this game because all the cool kids are. I like this game, genuinely. I want to talk to others who enjoy it and hear their experiences. I don't want to talk about this game with people I don't like, cause I don't care what they have to say. So that brings me to why I would like all of the GB crew (Bomcast regulars at least) to play this game is because I like them. I want people I like to like something I like so we can talk about the parts we like. Or to at least try it and tell me why they didn't like it, besides "poor gameplay."
You know what force means right? I'm not forcing. I am a nobody on a forum. I'm sure they're not even going to read this thread, let alone my post. So, no, I am definitley not forcing them. What I am doing is asking, I am asking EVERYONE to give this game a try if they can. Asking, not forcing. Try doing an ask push on a stormtrooper. It's not going to work.
You can't autopilot dark souls like you can most other modern console games. I think that makes it naturally unfriendly to game review crews. It takes a lot out of you to get in there, figure out the game systems, and then implement a winning plan. There is no tutorial level that slowly spells out "here is how you win this game".
For people that have a huge list of things all demanding their attention at the same time, this is going to be a big negative mark against it. They just won't have the time and energy to get into it. It's a damn shame because as you can see from the response of avid game players, it's a big positive mark for many of us. The discovery and exploration are big fun. The surprises are fun, figuring out the weird game systems is fun.
That's true, but I feel everyone forgives every flaw that game has for no good reason like it's meant to be fucked up in spots. I can admit that for the most part but I just don't know that I believe that all of it was done on purpuse.
And I keep hearing about how it's "tough but fair" but I don't see how dying because of input lag is fair. That happened to me a couple times (I'm not talking about the slow animation, but how sometimes you hit R1 and nothing happens for 2 seconds).
Of those of the staff members who love the game, I don't think many if any would call it their game of the year. It will get mention and maybe a little discussion, but it will be one of those early brushed-aside games.
It doesn't matter what the Bombsquad has to say about Dark Souls, it's already won the internet's GOTY. Most journalists hate it, every single non journalist with an internet connection and a forum account loves it.
You appear to be high, sir, perhaps you should lie down with a nice cup of tea until your delusions pass. I haven't seen this much Internet hate aimed at a game since Duke Nukem Forever came out. The difference is that no one actually liked Duke Nukem Forever.
They'll get used to these types of games eventually. Based on the crazy success of this game over Demons Souls I would say that this genre is here to stay.
It doesn't matter what the Bombsquad has to say about Dark Souls, it's already won the internet's GOTY. Most journalists hate it, every single non journalist with an internet connection and a forum account loves it.
If you spend time on the site and consume the content created by the GB crew, than you should appreciate how their GOTY gets done. Hell some of the winners, not all of them finished it or even played, I appreciate that. Give the coverage you want to the games you want. How many DS games did Jeff play before he decided Picross 3D was GOTY? Who gives a shit!
I love Dark Souls ( 50 hours in and never played Demon's Souls!!!I It's so fing awesome AHH!!) and I'm aware that, like Skyward Sword, Dark Souls has zero chance of making GB's GOTY 2011 Deliberations, and I'm okay with that. I would love for all of the crew to play Dark Souls and Skyward Sword but I know they are not their thing. Keep in mind how all of GB's GOTYs have been games that everyone in the crew has played. You are just gonna have to deal with the pain duder maybe it will win for Most Deliciously Brutal Game :(
Personally, I have a feeling that any future bombcast will be hard to listen to if they discuss Zelda. Probably because they will write it off as " another Zelda game" and very possibly complain about the nature of the controls but whatever I love and respect the guys so much that I will fight through the pain.
I'm excited as hell for this year's Deliberations though. With Patrick in the mix, it's bound to be, imo, the most divisive and heated one yet. Can't wait!! :3
They're not going to pretend to like a game just to call it GOTY. Vinny will have a personal list where he'll presumably have Dark Souls and that will be it.
The amount of people are this site who are of the mindset "HEY I LIKE THIS GAME SO YOU SHOULD LIKE IT TOO" is really dumb. You can't force it on them and Dark Souls is CLEARLY not a game for everyone. Just let it go. Vinny and Brad seem to like it well enough. Jeff and Ryan don't. That's just the way it goes.
Personally the deliberations for GOTY are what interest me, the award itself isn't that useful. For PC GOTY, if witcher 2 wins, it would have been only played by Vinny.
@mosdl: Have they even played many PC games this year, besides Jeff's Trackmania 2 (which should not even be up for nomination), Brad's Starcraft 2 (irrelevant), Hard Reset (which I don't think anybody actually liked much once it came out), and Quick Looks where they bumble their way way through E.Y.E.: Divine Cybermancy, Achron, etc.?
No one in the main bomb squad seems likely to advocate Total War: Shogun 2. I feel like The Witcher 2 pretty much has to win PC GOTY, unless they give it to Portal 2 or Deus EX: HR. If they give the PC GOTY to Rage or Dead Island, I will have to start cutting people.
@mosdl: Have they even played many PC games this year, besides Jeff's Trackmania 2 (which should not even be up for nomination), Brad's Starcraft 2 (irrelevant), Hard Reset (which I don't think anybody actually liked much once it came out), and Quick Looks where they bumble their way way through E.Y.E.: Divine Cybermancy, Achron, etc.?
No one in the main bomb squad seems likely to advocate Total War: Shogun 2. I feel like The Witcher 2 pretty much has to win PC GOTY, unless they give it to Portal 2 or Deus EX: HR. If they give the PC GOTY to Rage or Dead Island, I will have to start cutting people.
They played plenty of games on PC, but not many PC exclusives, which is what PC GOTY would have to be (Witcher 2 probably should qualify as the 360 port is next year).
Hard Reset is neat, but too flawed to be a contender. Starcraft 2 is last year. Perhaps Torchlight 2 (if it releases this year)? Other potentials are Terraria, Back to the Future. Probably missing some other ones.
It doesn't matter what the Bombsquad has to say about Dark Souls, it's already won the internet's GOTY. Most journalists hate it, every single non journalist with an internet connection and a forum account loves it.
It's a fucking amazing game, and if it weren't for Battlefield 3 coming out, I could pretty much assure you it would be my GOTY. I just love Battlefield too much for that not to be my GOTY. (I played the alpha and beta, already know how much I adore it)
I think for the most part they get it right and they all have their own personal top games of the year. Besides, I think I'm way more interested in the discussions and arguments they have prior to announcing the sites picks than the actual picks themselves.
You know for sure, Vinny and maybe Brad will bring up Dark Souls. They've talked about it for the last 3 (I think?) Bombcasts.
@mosdl: Good point. However, I want to refine my point. If someone tries to seriously even bring up Rage or Dead Island in a Multiplatform GOTY discussion (I'm looking at you, Brad), people will get shanked. Sure, give them some kind of "Best Graphics" or "Best Zombie Game" award or something, or put them in the middle of a top 10 at best, but that's it.
I think all of you should start your own video game website, so you can validate your own opinions with your own awards because you guys obviously have the best opinions.
While we are in the topic for GOTY, the Witcher 2 for PC or even RPG GOTY would make me one happy camper! :)
Dark Souls seems too impenetrable to me. Never played it or Demon's souls but I've watched a lot of playthroughs of this game over the weekend (including the one done by Pascual during his Extra Life marathon) and though I can see the appeal I just can't imagine doing it and being happy with it. I don't want to come home just to figuratively bash my head against the wall while playing a game. I like challenging games but I don't want to be punished repeatedly either. I realized when I got into DOTA not being able to play as well as most hardcore players (in the long run), and playing Call of Duty 4 single player in Veteran. Both experiences was a lesson in anger management, that I should have just turned away and just enjoyed the games the way I can. I just don't see myself being able to do that in Dark Souls. I could play it but I just feel that I'l just end up wasting money and time.
They have given it a fair chance. It's not for them. People need to STOP with this. It's ok for it not to be their cup of tea: it isn't for everyone. In fact, it isn't for most people. It can still be a good game, even though one place doesn't like it. I doubt even the people who are getting through it will put it in their tops for the year. Brad almost certainly won't, and Vinny probably won't. And there is no way it's getting into a traditional GOTY spot, especially when none of them are going to play it.
In all honesty, they all could have played it through and loved it and it still would not have won game of the year in a year where Skyrim, Arkham Asylum, Uncharted 3, Gears of War 3, Portal 2, etc, etc all came out.
I'm sure it'll rate at least a mention somewhere in the proceedings.
While I certainly have a lot of love (and hate) for Dark Souls, I'm not sure I would consider it my game of the year. Yes the combat is one of the best implemented in the history of action RPGs and it's certainly one of the most immersive and atmospheric games I've played all year but it also relies on a lot of repetition, grinding and has a multiplayer implementation that while interesting intentionally makes it difficult for friends to play with each other (yes I know they have an "explanation" for that but it's really more of a excuse than an explanation). Also, a lot of the so-called "difficulty" in the game can easily be overcome by exploiting systems that are built into the game itself (i.e. memorizing level layouts, boss patterns, enemy line of sight, AI issues, etc) especially if you've played a lot of Demon's Souls. Don't get me wrong, I loved the hell out of it because I don't mind repetitive or grindy type games (hey that's why I've pretty much played all the JRPGs that have been released on the 360) but I'm not seeing as the sensation that certain sectors of the internet seem to think it is. At the end of the day Dark Souls is just an iterative improvement on Demon's Souls, certainly not anything revolutionary (nor is it a game that I will see myself getting back to anytime soon or ever; I'll probably spend way more time playing Skyrim when that's released later on this year). Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I would argue that games like Dead Space 2, Gears of War 3, Deus Ex, The Witcher 2, etc. have done similar things: improve upon but not revolutionize an existing game/franchise.
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