2nd Annual Community Picks for Giant Bomb's GOTY Categories!! [Winners]

Okay, not representative of the community but two dozen of us voted on GB's GOTY categories and here are the winners!

2017's Old GOTY: Stardew Valley

Best Shopkeeper: Emil (NieR: Automata)

Best VR Experience: Resident Evil 7

Most Disappointing Game: Mass Effect Andromeda

Best Looking Game: Cuphead

Best Multiplayer: PlayerUnknown's Battleground

Hottest Mess: Battlefront 2

Best Surprise: NieR: Automata

Best Music: Persona 5

Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: Ninja Gaiden Black

Best World: 3-Way-Tie - Assassin's Creed Origins, Horizon, Yakuza 0

Please Stop: Lootboxes

Best Wolfenstein 2 Moment or Sequence: Hitler

Best Moment or Sequence: Ending E (NieR: Automata)

Best Debut: Horizon: Zero Dawn

Best Styyyle: Persona 5

Best New Character: 3-Way-Tie - Aloy (Horizon),Oralech (Pyre), Senua (Hellblade)

Best Story: NieR: Automata

Best Super Mario Odyssey Capture: Dinosaur

Best Cast of Characters: Pyre

Worst Game: No Winner (no game got more than 1 vote)

Original Post:

Hey! I did this last year and I'm hoping more of you will get in on it this year. Putting this out a little earlier so more people might see it on the front page before it turns into GOTY City and to minimize influence from staff's choices. Below are the categories from last year sans a couple not really applicable this year. I'll update the page with new categories for this year as they come in and you can edit your posts accordingly. It'd be very helpful if you copy and past the category listed so there is some consistency in format and order when I go to count the votes. Thanks!

Post your picks for GB GOTY Categories!

The Categories (do the ones you can):

(please copy and paste the categories to help me with counting votes later) (please spoiler tag as necessary)

1. 2017's Old GOTY:
2. Best Debut:
3. Hottest Mess:
4. Best Styyyyle:
5. Best New Character:
6. Best VR Experience:
7. Most Disappointing Game:
8. Best-Looking Game:
9. Please Stop:
10. Best Surprise:
11. Best Music:
12. Best Multiplayer:
13. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY:
14. Best Moment or Sequence:
15. Best Story:
16. Worst Game:
17. Best Shopkeeper:
18. Best World:
19. Best Wolfenstein 2 Moment or Sequence:
20. Best Super Mario Odyssey Capture:
21. Best Cast of Characters:

or Vote Using Google Form

Check Out Last Year's Winners

1. 2017's Old GOTY: Killer7
2. Best Debut: Cuphead
3. Hottest Mess: Battlefront 2
4. Best Styyyyle: Persona 5
5. Best New Character: Aloy
6. Best VR Experience: Resident Evil 7
7. Most Disappointing Game: Mass Effect Andromeda
8. Best-Looking Game: Horizon: Zero Dawn
9. Please Stop: Blind box microtransactions
10. Best Surprise: Resident Evil 7
11. Best Music: NieR: Automata
12. Best Multiplayer: PUBG
13. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: Ninja Gaiden Black
14. Best Moment or Sequence: NieR: Automata Hacking Transition
15. Best Story: NieR: Automata
16. Worst Game: N/A
17. Best Shopkeeper: Emil
18. Best World: Gravity Rush 2
19. Best Wolfenstein 2 Moment or Sequence: N/A
20. Best Super Mario Odyssey Capture: N/A
21. Best Cast of Characters: N/A

1. 2017's Old GOTY: Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (Afterbirth+)
2. Best Debut: Cuphead
3. Hottest Mess: N/A
4. Best Styyyyle: Cuphead
5. Best New Character: Senua (Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice)
   
6. Best VR Experience: N/A
7. Most Disappointing Game: N/A
8. Best-Looking Game: Cuphead
9. Please Stop: Unnecessary onlinification in single-player games
   
10. Best Surprise: Everything
11. Best Music: Fidel Dungeon Rescue
12. Best Multiplayer: N/A
13. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: N/A
14. Best Moment or Sequence: What Remains of Edith Finch: The Cannery
15. Best Story: Stories Untold
    
16. Worst Game: N/A
17. Best Shopkeeper: N/A
18. Best World: Prey
19. Best Wolfenstein 2 Moment or Sequence: N/A
20. Best Super Mario Odyssey Capture: N/A
21. Best Cast of Characters: Resident Evil 7
    

Edit: updated!

2017's Old GOTY: Rocket League

Best Debut: Horizon Zero Dawn

Hottest Mess: EA

Best Styyyyle: Persona 5

Best New Character: Kokichi Ouma

Most Disappointing Game: Mass Effect Andromeda

Best-Looking Game: Horizon Zero Dawn

Best Surprise: Nier Automata

Best Music: Persona 5

Best Moment or Sequence: Danganronpa V3 - Twist in the first class trial

Best Story: Nier Automata

1. 2017's Old GOTY: Final Fantasy XII
   
2. Best Debut: Hollow Knight
   
3. Hottest Mess: Battlefront 2
   
4. Best Styyyyle: Cuphead
   
5. Best New Character: Futaba - Persona 5
   
6. Best VR Experience: Resident Evil 7
7. Most Disappointing Game: Mass Effect Andromeda
8. Best-Looking Game: Cuphead
   
9. Please Stop: Loot boxes
   
10. Best Surprise: Nioh
11. Best Music: NieR: Automata
12. Best Multiplayer: Nidhogg 2
    
13. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: Ninja Gaiden Black
14. Best Moment or Sequence: NieR ending E
15. Best Story: Night in the Woods
16. Worst Game: N/A

Editing so I'm only picking one for each category.

1. 2017's Old GOTY: Bioshock Infinite
2. Best Debut: Horizon Zero Dawn
3. Hottest Mess: Battlefront 2
4. Best Styyyyle: Cuphead
5. Best New Character: Shiba Inu: Super Mario Odyssey
6. Best VR Experience: RE7
7. Most Disappointing Game: 1-2-Switch (Runner Up: Halo Wars 2)
8. Best-Looking Game: Destiny 2
9. Please Stop: Loot boxes
10. Best Surprise: Prey (Runner Up: NieR: Automata)
11. Best Music: Legend of Zelda: BOTW
12. Best Multiplayer: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
13. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
14. Best Moment or Sequence: Super Mario Odyssey: New Donk City Festival
15. Best Story: Horizon Zero Dawn
16. Worst Game: Halo Wars 2
    

1. 2017's Old GOTY: Dark Souls 3, releasing killer DLC that makes replaying through the campaign relevant
2. Best Debut: Hollow Knight
3. Hottest Mess: Star Wars Battlefront 2
4. Best Styyyyle: What Remains of Edith Finch
5. Best New Character: Loshe, Divinity: Original Sin 2
6. Best VR Experience: Resident Evil 7
7. Most Disappointing Game: Super Mario Odyssey
   
8. Best-Looking Game: Horizon: Zero Dawn
9. Please Stop: Loot Boxes
10. Best Surprise: Hollow Knight
11. Best Music: Pyre
12. Best Multiplayer: N/A
13. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: N/A
14. Best Moment or Sequence: Evil Within 2, Stefano's mind game architecture
15. Best Story: What Remains of Edith Finch
16. Worst Game: Drawn to Death

1. 2017's Old GOTY: XCOM 2
2. Best Debut: Horizon: Zero Dawn
   
3. Hottest Mess: Electronic Arts (Mass Effect Andromeda, Battlefront 2, closing Visceral Games)
   
4. Best Styyyyle: Zelda: BOTW
   
5. Best New Character: Rachel Amber (Life is Strange: Before the Storm) -- unsure if this counts since she was mentioned in the last game -- but never appeared for obvious reasons
   
6. Best VR Experience: N/A
   
7. Most Disappointing Game: Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
8. Best-Looking Game: Horizon: Zero Dawn
9. Please Stop: Killing single player AAA games / "Pivoting" to "games as a service"
10. Best Surprise: Hollow Knight
    
11. Best Music: Life is Strange: BTS
    
12. Best Multiplayer: PUBG
    
13. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: N/A
14. Best Moment or Sequence: Wolfenstein 2: Kicking Hitler in the Face
    
15. Best Story: Horizon: Zero Dawn
16. Worst Game: N/A

I don't have answers for some of them.

1. 2017's Old GOTY: Stardew Valley/Titanfall 2/Rock Band 4/Nier
2. Best Debut: Cuphead
3. Best Styyyyle: Persona 5
4. Best New Character: Oralech - Pyre
5. Best-Looking Game: Cuphead
6. Please Stop: Gamers
7. Best Surprise: Reigns: Her Majesty
8. Best Music: Persona 5
9. Best Multiplayer: Pyre
10. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: Ninja Gaiden Black
11. Best Moment or Sequence: Wolfenstein II -the entire Hitler scene
12. Best Story: Nier Automata
13. Best Shopkeeper: Falcon Ron
    
14. Best World (by their definition): Yakuza 0
15. Best Wolfenstein 2 Moment or Sequence: HITLER
16. Best Super Mario Odyssey Capture: Dinosaur
17. Best Cast of Characters: Pyre

Anyone else want to vote?

1. 2017's Old GOTY: Stardew Valley
2. Best Debut: Horizon: Zero Dawn
3. Hottest Mess: Battlefront II
4. Best Styyyyle: Persona 5
5. Best New Character: Aya (Assassin's Creed Origins)
6. Best VR Experience: Resident Evil VII
7. Most Disappointing Game: N/A
8. Best-Looking Game: Cuphead
9. Please Stop: Lootboxes
10. Best Surprise: Prey
11. Best Music: Persona 5
12. Best Multiplayer: PUBG
13. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: N/A
14. Best Moment or Sequence: Divinity: Original Sin II: Candles Scene in Lohse's Personal Quest
    In Arx in The Demon's Dimension in Lohse's Personal Quest, the moral dilemma of snuffing out many thousands of candles (1 candle = a soul of a living being). The reveal and the way the scene is presented is what makes it so good.
15. Best Story: Horizon: Zero Dawn
16. Worst Game: Battlefront II
17. Best Shopkeeper: Reda (little kid from AC: Origins)
18. Best World: Assassin's Creed: Origins
    
19. Best Wolfenstein 2 Moment or Sequence: N/A
20. Best Super Mario Odyssey Capture: N/A
21. Best Cast of Characters: Divinity: Original Sin II

1. 2017's Old GOTY: The Last Guardian
2. Best Debut: Horizon Zero Dawn
3. Hottest Mess: Bluehole, developers of Playerunknown's Battleground, for thinking they can own a genre
4. Best Styyyyle: Persona 5
5. Best New Character: Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn)
6. Best VR Experience: Gran Turismo Sport
7. Most Disappointing Game: Full Throttle Remastered
8. Best-Looking Game: Uncharted - the Lost Legacy
9. Please Stop: 'always-online' for single-player content
10. Best Surprise: Mass Effect Andromeda
11. Best Music: Gravity Rush 2
12. Best Multiplayer: Destiny 2
13. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: Golden Axe Beast Rider
14. Best Moment or Sequence: Evil Within 2, the first slow-motion death scene you come across
15. Best Story: Prey
16. Worst Game: N/A
17. Best Shopkeeper: N/A
18. Best World: Assassin's Creed Origins
19. Best Wolfenstein 2 Moment or Sequence: N/A
20. Best Super Mario Odyssey Capture: N/A
21. Best Cast of Characters: Yakuza 0

1. 2017's Old GOTY: Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
2. Best Debut: NBA Playgrounds
3. Hottest Mess: Battlefront hatin'.
4. Best Styyyyle: Zelda: Breath of the Wild
   
5. Best New Character: Anyone but Aloy.
6. Best VR Experience: N/A
7. Most Disappointing Game: Metroid: Samus Returns
8. Best-Looking Game: Horizon: Zero Dawn
9. Please Stop: Selective no grey area criticism.
10. Best Surprise: Fire Pro World
11. Best Music: N/A
12. Best Multiplayer: Star Wars: Battlefront II by default
13. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: N/A
14. Best Moment or Sequence: Blocking a Guardian's beam attack for the first time in Zelda.
15. Best Story: Horizon: Zero Dawn...if only for the historical aspects of it.
16. Worst Game: WWE2K18(SWITCH)
17. Best Shopkeeper: The dye shop guy in Zelda, I guess.
18. Best World: Horizon: Zero Dawn
19. Best Wolfenstein 2 Moment or Sequence: N/A
20. Best Super Mario Odyssey Capture: N/A
21. Best Cast of Characters: The WWE 2K18 roster!

1. 2017's Old GOTY: Rise of the Tomb Raider
2. Best Debut: Horizon: Zero Dawn
3. Hottest Mess: Destiny 2
4. Best Styyyyle: Persona 5
5. Best New Character: Senua (Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice)
6. Best VR Experience: N/A
7. Most Disappointing Game: Mass Effect Andromeda
8. Best-Looking Game: Horizon: Zero Dawn
9. Please Stop: Lootboxes
10. Best Surprise: Nier Automata
11. Best Music: Persona 5
12. Best Multiplayer: Player Unknown's Battlegrounds
    
13. Xbox One Backwards Compatible GOTY: N/A
14. Best Moment or Sequence: Ending E (Nier Automata)
15. Best Story: Nier Automata
16. Worst Game: N/A
17. Best Shopkeeper: Tae Takemi (Persona 5)
18. Best World: Horizon: Zero Dawn
19. Best Wolfenstein 2 Moment or Sequence: N/A
20. Best Super Mario Odyssey Capture: Bowser
21. Best Cast of Characters: Persona 5

Here the winners, thanks folks that voted!