What Game Do You Expect To Be Overlooked For GOTY Awards?

Something is compelling me to mention Final Fantasy XIII-2 for some reason. They killed off another character in its little universe, so they're 2 for 3 in killing off characters that I personally disliked. I want more dead characters is what I'm saying.

@Animasta said:

Binary Domain!

This, without a doubt.

@Little_Socrates said:

@JasonR86 said:

@Little_Socrates:

It's hard to explain. It's not just that it has a good story. It is the way the story is delivered and how it is so open to multiple interpretations. It could be that that is just something for me because stories that are ambiguous and open to interpretation is right up my alley. But that it was done so well in a story is really impressive to me.

Oh, I absolutely didn't mean to take on Dear Esther's validity for GOTY, I'm just saying that the "storytelling" games this year have either been like The Walking Dead (where choices matter across an entire season of episodes,) Journey (which tells said story with nonverbal co-op and top-notch presentation,) Spec Ops: The Line (for flipping an entire genre on its head,) and so on and so on.

Yeah. I mean, when I think about my personal GOTY list Dear Esther is in my top 5 but I'm the perfect person for that game because it is basically designed for someone with my tastes and sensibilities. I love when a movie is ambiguous and it's up to the audience to interject themselves into the story to interpret the meaning which is what Dear Esther allows. I think that both the Walking Dead and Journey are better games then Dear Esther. But Dear Esther tells it's story in a much, much more interesting way. But I also don't expect everyone else to think like me. But I can see where other people would be much more engaged by the story telling in the Walking Dead, Journey, and Spec Ops. I guess it's all about personal preference.

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

I really think the PC version of AC3 will win GOTY. Unless Far Cry 3 is some revelation.

Even after the amount of love they've all given to XCOM?

Anyway, I loved Max Payne 3, but none of them really cared for it, aside from Ryan. It's still my GOTY, so far. I'll play AC3 when it comes out for PC.

...who am I kidding. Persona 4 Golden is going to be my GOTY.

@JasonR86 said:

I guess it's all about personal preference.

Absolutely. And now, I really look forward to playing Dear Esther.

Max Payne 3 got a lot of critical acclaim upon release but seemed to fall by the wayside shortly thereafter. I even forgot about it when I was thinking back on my favorite games of the year recently. Hope I'm wrong, it was one of the better games of 2012 in my opinion (probably just misses my top 10 though).

Journey: only Alex will remember that game

@Yanngc33 said:

Journey: only Alex will remember that game

I really hope Alex shows up.

admittedly that is to expound the magnificence of Hotline Miami, but stillll

@Catarrhal said:

Anyone else think Dragon's Dogma deserved more recognition? I thought it was a hell of a lot more interesting than most gave it credit for, especially compared to a total rehash like Diablo III.

yeah, I thought it was great. We'll see but I bet its mostly ignored.

Mass Effect 3. That game is awesome but won't get its due

The Darkness 2. While I don't expect it appear on anyone's Top 10 I still really enjoyed that game a whole lot.

Max Payne 3 and Hotline: Miami

Mass Effect 3, Asura's Wrath, and Diablo 3.

ME3 has caught way more shit than it deserves from people and I think the ending controversy will be the main thing thought of when a GOTY discussion happens here and elsewhere.

Asura's Wrath is just too niche for most people to consider. The ending being sold as DLC probably doesn't help but, damn... what a game.

Diablo 3, similarly to ME3, will be overshadowed by its controversy, namely the real money auction house. That's not to say I don't think it's a valid criticism but the game really was just great and I think people have forgotten that.

Legend of Grimrock and Quantum Conundrum

All the games I like, bar XCOM and Borderlands 2 I'd wager. They'll talk about Mass Effect 3 but they're so bitter and sour on it, even though I loved it.

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (PC version), The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (360 version), and Xenoblade Chronicles.  
 
What I'm wondering, though, do games that have been re-released on different platforms or came out years after the original release date even get considered for awards? As far as I know none of the guys really played through any of the games I listed so I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter here anyway, but it would be nice to know the rules (if there are any). I'm just curious.

Guild Wars 2, it's a PC exclusive MMO and was brushed off by the staff.

I also expect Xenoblade to suffer, mostly due to the fact it was released in Europe last year and a lot of people imported it and had it on their GoTY lists back then.

Sorcery was overlooked by everybody apart from me, one of my favourite games this year.

trials evolution is already being over looked by everyone else

no game this year matches it in volume of content, fun, re-playability and expandability

Dark Souls PC.

@Soapy86 said:

@Animasta said:

Binary Domain!

This, without a doubt.

That, Sleeping Dogs and Asura's Wrath, sadly. My top three of the year so far.

For me, the strongest contenders are Warlock: Master of the Arcane and Alan Wake: American Nightmare. Neither of those is likely to reach my top three (that'll be more between XCOM, FTL, Torchlight 2 and Spec Ops: The Line. Not to mention Risen 2, Botanicula and others being in the running) but I enjoyed both of them thoroughly.

Warlock won't get a spot just about anywhere as far as I can tell. Aside from ThreeMovesAhead I heard no talk about it whatsoever but it's a good one. It's just very niche, a throwback to some really old games like Master of Magic and looks deceptively like Civ which it doesn't actually resemble that strongly, gameplay-wise. I'm not sad about that, really. I wish the developer all the success they can get but they develop for a narrow audience. So that'll be my super secret, extra awesome gem, I suppose.

And Alan Wake seemed to get a lot of shit for the MP aspect and the repeated use of levels. While I agree that the wave-based survival mode only gave me around 2-3 hours of fun I fucking loved the SP episode, the brilliant FMV, the emotional ending, the gentle use of a (sort of) cliffhanger to be able to keep things going and found the "repetition" to be an effective part of the storytelling. But that's another one where I can respect the criticism, I just really enjoyed the game a great deal personally even while practically playing PC AW, including the extra episodes, and this little episode back to back.

Spec Ops The Line is up there in my personal list, but I don't think it will earn more than a passing mention by some of the less mainstream guys (like Dave or Patrick)...

I also think Mass Effect 3 will be pulled down from the discussion because of all the ending controversy; which is stupid to me. The game is up there with 2 for the most part.

Persona 4 Arena, the one true answer.

Yeah, I agree with others that ME3 will probably be swept under the rug or out of focus for most places GOTYs, because of the ending controversy. You know if anyone puts it somewhere near the top of their list, there'll be people screaming at how it doesn't deserve it or whatever - which is a shame, because messiness of that endgame aside, I really enjoyed ME3, and the MP was perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the year merely in the fact it wasn't the utter disaster everyone expected it to be. 
 
Aside from that, I think fighting games will have a rough time getting recognition this year. SFxT was a good game, but tripped itself up between the flat out broken Online and the On disc DLC stuff, and then well-received games like Tekken, DOA and P4A (although I can't personally attest to that last one, as Atlus hates my filthy Europe-money) are probably all under the radar enough that they'll be pushed aside by bigger titles.

Everything on PC.

FEZ. It's a brilliant little game and no other game does what it did so well this year to me (in making me spend time with paper and pencils to decipher as much of that game as I can whilst observing every nook and cranny of the world). That and its beautiful soundtrack to complement both the exploration and those times when you just have to sit down and think. Apologies if I sound like a broken record to anyone regarding that game.

I'd also join with Animasta in mentioning Binary Domain. That game deserves something too as it was a pure delight to play. I'll never forget that french robot.

Kid Icarus Uprising. After the staff almost completely ignored Mario 3D land (and since Brad and Patrick have gone on to say how much they like the game) I fully expect the same of this game, I assume being on the 3DS, being a handheld and having initially awkward controls doesn't help. It's a real shame that it will be overlooked, but y'know lists don't really matter.

Binary Domain deserves serious consideration also. I enjoyed the hell out of it and have seriously questioned if it was just that it was released so early in the year that it seemed so exciting, but then I think of some of the awesome stuff that happens, the really interesting story and the way robots explode. Great game.

I want to say Syndicate, but Jeff did finally bring it up again in this past week's podcast. I really liked that game. Also Max Payne 3 was great but the crew seemed to hate it.

It's striking how so many of this year's AAA games are seriously marred by flaws one way or the other. Sometimes it's glitches, other times disappointment over story or gameplay decisions and then there are the games that are merely "more of the same". There isn't one big game that really stands out as a goty candidate this year, lots of disappointment on a high level I guess.

Catherine will be overlooked.

Binary Domain, i don't even know if any of them played more than what was in the Quicklook... which is a damn shame cuz that game is like a flower.... it blossoms later on.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 - a game which tried some quite interesting new ideas and (at least in my opinion) it succeeds in quite a lot of them. I think the number of people who overlooked this game (especially the GB crew - just listen to them completely ignoring the game in the Quick Look and instead focusing on things like the design of the characters ect...). I don't think it wholeheartedly deserves GOTY awards objectively (from my personal opinion it will be on my list purely on the enjoyment I got out of it) but it definitely deserves a mention even if it is just to point out to the developers that it is good that they are trying new things with the Final Fantasy formula and to not just scrap everything they tried in the next game.

Crusader Kings II. I know it's pretty niche, but it's honestly the most fun I've had with any game this year. Maybe that's just because I'm a history nerd, but seriously, CKII is amazing.

Xenoblade Chronicles will get skipped over, and that's a tragedy.

Elemental - Fallen Enchantress.

@Catarrhal: YES god that game is fucking stellar

max payne 3.

that game was amazing but it didnt really get much hype or buzz around it.

@Atlas said:

Crusader Kings II. I know it's pretty niche, but it's honestly the most fun I've had with any game this year. Maybe that's just because I'm a history nerd, but seriously, CKII is amazing.

this guy knows what's up

@Hailinel said:

Xenoblade Chronicles will get skipped over, and that's a tragedy.

Should of ported it to 360\PS3. Need a decent JRPG, haven't played one since FF XIII and haven't really gotten into one since Lost Odyssey

Dota 2, because none of the staff played it.

Wargame: European Escalation

I don't think they even know it exists.

Not that it deserves a ton of praise, but Kingdoms of Amalur.

Crusader Kings II and Wargame: European Escalation.

Basically all strategy games and most PC games.

Dragon's Dogma, Binary Domain, Diablo 3(because of the myriad of fiascoes), Dust An Elysian Tail, and maybe even ME3.

@Hailinel said:

Xenoblade Chronicles will get skipped over, and that's a tragedy.

Should of ported it to 360\PS3. Need a decent JRPG, haven't played one since FF XIII and haven't really gotten into one since Lost Odyssey

@Hailinel said:

@Bourbon_Warrior

@Hailinel said:

Xenoblade Chronicles will get skipped over, and that's a tragedy.

Should of ported it to 360\PS3. Need a decent JRPG, haven't played one since FF XIII and haven't really gotten into one since Lost Odyssey

The game was produced by a Nintendo-owned studio. So no.

No wonder no one brought it, hopefully they do a HD version for Wii U

@Kaiserreich said:

Crusader Kings II and Wargame: European Escalation.

Basically all strategy games and most PC games.

This ^^^ + Mark of the Ninja.

Any and all portable games.

@Kaiserreich said:

Crusader Kings II and Wargame: European Escalation.

Basically all strategy games and most PC games.

they're going to give GOTY to xcom (imo) so not ALL strategy games.