@400lb_gorilla: Strongly disagree. Jan has been a stellar addition to the GBW team and I have been loving the various graphical experiments we have seen since he joined (the playful ones you are complaining about and the changes that have been made to the multi-camera layouts and the subtitling on the bombcast - all great stuff).
I may be wrong, but I seriously doubt everyone who complains about Dream Daddy is against millennial-leanings or LGBT rights/community. It seems too often that defenders assume that if you're not grand-standing for a thing, you're against that thing. I strongly suspect that there are quite a few people who just sour on any kind of grand-standing, regardless of its cause. But, to be fair, perhaps under-represented groups need to overcompensate to be heard at all.
I don't doubt you are right. I have seen many well considered arguments against its inclusion, and that's totally fine. However, it is the trashy sanctimonious nonsense others are spouting that I was complaining about. Sadly, I feel like I am seeing less of the former and a lot more of the latter.
I should also add that grandstanding is obviously not something I want to see, but it is somewhat the preserve of the young, and as a result I think a certain amount of latitude should be granted. All of us learn how to get better at these things as we get older and gain experience.
I can’t really complain about this list. It is possibly slightly skewed towards the PS4 due to its larger install base (even allowing for the excellent year it had), but that’s fine.
I am thrilled that Hollow Knight placed so highly considering it is only available on PC (for now), and is really only doing well as a result of gamer word of mouth. I can’t understand why so many outlets have not even bothered to review this game. It may not have been the very best game released last year, but it was damn close, and as a value proposition it was near unbeatable: $15 for a game of such variety that takes 20+ hrs to complete and nearer 80 hrs to 100% (or 106% as it is now, as the devs keep adding free content).
Finally, the continued whining from some quarters about Dream Daddy being on the staff’s list is making me really depressed. I want GB to reflect the gaming tastes of as many types of gamer as possible (provided they are passionate about what they enjoy), and I think last year’s changes to the staff line-up did an excellent job of expanding things in this regard. Consequently, I would expect the staff’s game of the year list to reflect a wider range of game types than we’ve seen in the past. This is a good thing people, stop being such babies about it!
Very happy to see Hollow Knight on one of the main team's top ten lists - a personal favourite of mine. Hopefully it hits all of the consoles next year – of all the games I loved this year it has had by far the least exposure and it deserves a much bigger audience. Regarding the map issue: has anyone mentioned that map pages appear on screen as a trail to the map keeper long before you start to hear him? (noticing this made finding my way through the game much easier)
Thanks for covering this game. I don't think it's getting the attention it deserves. It's a behemoth which took me over 80 hours to get the 100% completion stat and all of the various achievements. It's an unbelievable bargain at its current price. Be prepared to put the hours in, though! It's slow paced at first, but as your abilities expand you are flying (sometimes quite literally) through areas the entire size of what is shown in this quick look in less than 60 seconds. Everyone should play this game - I genuinely believe it's one of the best that has ever been made.
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