For those who somehow missed the video: http://www.giantbomb.com/game-of-the-year-2012-brads-top-10/17-6908/

I like his rationale behind placing this game at the head of the pack, and I agree with his appraisal of the trilogy as a whole. Of course, I'm one of the apparent heretics that actually enjoyed the game completely in its original form back in March, but there you go. I'm curious to see how this game fares in any of the other Top 10 lists, if it even makes them.

IM UPSET

ME3 is a great game.

Also, as a rational adult, I understand that a person's top 10 list is simply their personal preference, and not intended to be some kind of law writ in stone like some message board freaks.

Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww why would you post that as a title to a thread...........................   I was about to watch it ya goof!

Really should have reconsidered that thread title...

That said, his Lord of the Rings analogy won me over. I still don't agree with him, but I can accept his reasoning.

I was shocked. SHOCKED I SAY.

Though very very disappointed that he gave his detailed reasoning, rather than a simple "Fuck all y'all," as he dropped the mic and walked away.

Thanks for spoiling it.

Brad's just done a Brad again.

Guess we know what's Game of the Year then.

As I got near the top of the list and noticed he still hadn't put ME3 anywhere, I was scrambling to think of a game that I was forgetting that he could put there that wasn't ME3. When #1 hit I lost it.

@Terramagi said:

Guess we know what's Game of the Year then.

The rest of the guys would kill him.

It's mine as well. Fuck it.

Game would be on my list (not as high) if I had the same magical playthrough Brad had.

I call bullshit because he had the Leviathan DLC that pretty much prepared him for the ending. I don't think it would have been in top if he played the game when the rest of the guys did. Then again it's his top list. He can fuck it up any way he wants.

To anyone that's upset about the spoiler-y title, I apologize. Mods, feel free to change it (if that's possible), or delete the thread. I blame the lack of sleep and belly full of meatloaf and beer for that decision. Although, I make it a rule to not look at any forums for any games during the entirety of the Game of the Year deliberations--it's too easy to see things ahead of time. And it's just Brad's list, not the final game of the year shenanigans (which I'm looking forward to). I'm not going to be following the site too closely for the next week because of time spent doing other, more important holiday-related things, but I'm anxious to see what type of debate ME3 causes among the staff. It seems like there are a fairly equal number of supporters (particularly Brad and Vinny) versus people who are a little more ambivalent towards the game, (like Patrick, and in some instances, Jeff).

The beardmaker is clearly suffering from recency bias.

I'm angry because he has a different opinion than me!!!!!!

lol

Oh he enjoyed that game I thought was bad, good for him!

Everyone needs to shut the fuck up about ME3. The game is fine. Everyone overreacted to an insane degree and neither Leviathan nor Javik make or break it. Also, this was his PERSONAL PREFERENCE.

Just stop.

Yeah, I'm pretty okay that somebody got to see the Mass Effect 3 we all wanted. And for him, it's the best game of the year. What's the problem with this, exactly?

I liked the game.

His explanation makes sense to me. For him, it sounds like it was indeed his game of the year.

That's what a list like this is. An expression of that personal sentiment, and I think he made a fine choice.

It's a good game.

I loved it. Many other sites have a far more positive vibe about it, too.

So good for Brad for standing up for it. Curious if he just gets immediately shut down in the final game of the year deliberation.

As a netizen this upsets me because clearly I am supposed to dislike Mass Effect 3 and anyone who likes it is wrong. So take that, Bradley Shoemaker.

@TheHT said:

I hate that kid but I love that image...

After watching that video and listening to what he had to say I can totally understand why he picked it. Good on him.

It is a great game but I wish I had all the dlc when I played through it.

I was really surprised, but I really liked what he said in the video. Honestly, even if we don't agree, how many of us have actually had the same experience that he did. It really makes me wish I would have waited like he did.

well if he's comparing ME3 to Return of the King then that must mean ME3 is the best damn game ever!!!!!!!!

Understandable ... It's awesome .

The Brad Experience of playing Mass Effect 3 + all the relevant DLC has me interested enough to do the same when the package as a whole gets in the sub $15 range.

Which unfortunately might be awhile as Bioware DLC on PC never goes on sale, but apparently Bioware points occasionally do through Origin.

Also EDI's derriere has be interested in playing Mass Effect 3.

I haven't watched the video yet, but so what? Brad's existed in an incredible bubble with a lot of releases this year, and his experience with ME3 is the experience the vast majority of people didn't, and aren't going to, have. Of course he has a better impression of the game than anyone else, because he experienced it like no other normal consumer did.

Awesome thats my GOTY so yeah fuck it lmao.

It's a good game, but...I just can't look at it the same after the ending. Playing it was amazing (especially the Korgan thing, goddamn), but there's a sour taste in my mouth.
 
It's still in my top 10 for the year, and still probably the best game in the series...but it would have been just that much better had it cut short about 15 minutes earlier. Still a disappointing ending, but not a bad ending.

It's my #2 game, so I'm totally alright with his decision.

The beardmaker is clearly suffering from recency bias.

That's his personal GOTY, people. Nobody should be raging because that's his opinion.

Besides, ME3 was fine. It's not making my personal top ten, and it certainly wasn't the best in the series, but it was fine.

And that's my opinion. Opinion, people.

Edit: On second glance through the thread, it seems most people are staying calm. Nice! :D

That's totally fine. Nothing to discuss, really.

Also, people who liked the ME3 ending, please stop with the ironic self-flagellation.

Clearly Brad is indoctrinated. That's the only way the ending to Brad Effect 3 makes any sense. THINKABOUTIT.

ME3 is a great game.

Also, as a rational adult, I understand that a person's top 10 list is simply their personal preference, and not intended to be some kind of law writ in stone like some message board freaks.

@Jeffsekai said:

IM UPSET

FUCKING VIDEO GAMES OH POOP DARN

I agree with alot of people. If we had the brad experience the still a bad ending would have been more palatable and less people would think of it as bad.

However alot of us got a terrible ending that soured our hole outlook on the game, add on DLC that looks like it shouldn't have been cut is like salt in the wound. It realy blurs my opinion on ME3.

However Brads experience sound perfect....not the bad ending that gets retconned 3 MONTHS LATER! And then the talking down too...it was a horrible time.

ME3 is fine enough just too many thing soured what was a great game. As the issue about the ending took over the actual game. And after seeing Leviathan info dump....it enrages me again on EA/BioWare partnership.

Dosnt make Brad wrong.

I think personally ME3 was great the whole build up towards the final mission was awesome and I had a blast with it. Yeah the ending was a bit disappointing, but I think it's not fair to say that the last 2% of the game ruined the other fantastic 98% of it.

I loved ME3 it's in my top 3 and thats before the changed ending and DLC, wil play though with my renagade character over the break with all the DLC on insanity.

Brad's opinion is incorrect.

It has always bugged me that Mass Effect 2 won both Best Multi-Platform and Game of the Year when it didn't come out on PS3 until the year after the original release of the title. It wasn't really all that Multi-Platform. The reason it really bugs me is that all I have is a PS3 and in the deliberations it is even said that the Multi-Platform category is for games that you can play no matter what you have (unless you're me, I guess). I don't usually let things like this bug me because I don't really play that many games anymore; but, I feel like Giant Bomb is pretty careful about their Game of the Year categories which makes it feel like they pulled a huge boner. Just something that felt very out of place to me. Kind of like Mass Effect 3 topping Brad's Top Ten Games of the Year list.

@SpencerBoltz said:

It has always bugged me that Mass Effect 2 won both Best Multi-Platform and Game of the Year when it didn't come out on PS3 until the year after the original release of the title. It wasn't really all that Multi-Platform. The reason it really bugs me is that all I have is a PS3 and in the deliberations it is even said that the Multi-Platform category is for games that you can play no matter what you have (unless you're me, I guess). I don't usually let things like this bug me because I don't really play that many games anymore; but, I feel like Giant Bomb is pretty careful about their Game of the Year categories which makes it feel like they pulled a huge boner. Just something that felt very out of place to me. Kind of like Mass Effect 3 topping Brad's Top Ten Games of the Year list.

PC and Xbox = Multiplatform