What about stuff like Omori, which was technically released on Christmas day of 2020 but most people didn't even hear of it till last year? I really want it to get its due somewhere... :-(
Thank you for the list! Lots of games here I haven't been following. You make such a good case for "Before Your Eyes" I'll have to check it out. Deltarune is a strange one for me. I liked Undertale, and consider Toby Fox to be a great game designer and musician, yet I feel absolutely no longing at all to play Deltarune despite it being free. I know it is good, but I think its episodic nature as well as some people hyping Undertale to a ridiculous degree makes me want to wait until the whole package is out, even if it means I will have to wait till 2034.
Psychonauts 2 is a well deserved winner, but I can't help but feel like Omori came out at the worst possible time in terms of end of year discussions. Like with you, it is something I simply cannot get out of my head (and the amazing soundtrack isn't helping).
Mother 3 did a great job of directing the series forward by having a clear narrative of tragedy. Many of its emotional moments hit you hard and there is a deep sense of the ethereal hovering over everything. However, I really feel as if the fragmented story lessens the impact and the game drags for long sections. Perhaps if it came out as an indie game right now instead of relying on so much of the RPG structure at the time it could have justified making a more focused story, but as it stands, you need to get through long stretches of unremarkable combat between the great story parts.
While Omori also has some pacing issues, they are not nearly as pronounced as in Mother 3, and you feel much more propelled forward by the linear narrative. The game quickly sets the stage for the type of story it is so you immediately get engaged with the plot. Though the combat in Omori is creative but unremarkable, it is always fun to see the enemy drawings and you never need to grind for xp or equipment so you are always advancing the plot.
I really love good game stories, as I think this medium can make you more attached to the setting and characters than any others. This for me is undoubtedly my game of the year, and like @jeremyf, I really recommend going in blind. If you don't want to play it on Steam, it will also be released on Switch this spring. It isn't overly long, clocking in at 15-20 hours with some exploration.
@majormitch Thank you for the great recommendations! I will definitely check some of those soundtracks out. Nowadays I don't have much time for gaming, but I always enjoy a good gaming soundtrack. My personal pick of gaming soundtrack of the year very technically came out last year, but as it was published on Christmas day, it didn't really get on any lists and has been sadly overlooked in all awards talk. That game is Omori, a psychological horror RPG developed over 7 years by the artist Omocat and her team.
The soundtrack is composed by Pedro Silva (the bulk of it), Jami Lynne and bo en (3 tracks, though they are all great). It has a balanced mix of somber and contemplative piano tones, absolute bops and well crafted horror tunes. It runs to almost 4 hours with 178 tracks, but has very little filler. I would easily place it in my top 5 gaming soundtracks of all time, maybe higher. Here are some examples:
Contemplative/sad
Lost Library is a simple piano medley, but might genuinely be my favourite track. You can really get lost in the music. Composer: Pedro Silva
By your side. Another medley, but this one is more uplifting and tender, though it has some underlying sadness. Composers: Pedro Silva and Jami Lynne
Crossroads. I personally quite like how calming this track is, though perhaps it is better in context Composer: Pedro Silva
Boppers
World's end valentine. This is the most popular original song on the soundtrack, and for good reason. It has an awesome buildup and really hammers you with its intensity. Composer: Pedro Silva
Splintered sweets in the castle. This is a BOP. I consider the game's battle themes to perhaps be its main strong point and this is a very creative and uplifting one. Composer: bo en
Three bar logos. Another battle theme, and this one is a funky one. Composer: Jami Lynn
Creepy
Remina. I won't include more horror themes as they fit much better in context and there honestly aren't that many, but I genuinely really do find this one quite beautiful, though it is also unnerving. The only jumpscare horror theme in the soundtrack is Friendsssssss. Composer: Pedro Silva
I won't discuss Omori at length, but I really do recommend the game as well (especially as the soundtrack will hit more). I am not at all a fan of horror, but about 85% of the game is a quirky Earthbound RPG with an interesting mechanical twist and great characters. The horror stuff is mostly dread, creepy atmosphere and unsettling themes. I really wouldn't say there were any jumpscares (at least ones with loud noises accompanying them) making it more tolerable than I expected. The story is great (though the pacing could be a bit better) and has stayed with me for months.
@budgietheii: Oh wow. That's genuinely hilarious to me.
I agree with @noblenerf. I don't think there is much of a reason to keep going with 1'500 word scored reviews as a way to help you make purchasing decisions, but I do think there is space for in depth critical analysis essays of games, which have a different tone to podcast discussions or quick looks.
In general, I really prefer writing to video, as it gives the reviewer/writer/entertainer the space and time to gather their thought into a coherent package. I don't read those essays to help me decide whether to spend my money, but rather as entertainment. One other benefit to written analysis is that it is much easier to keep track of for posterity than podcast discussions for example. Unless you are really prepared to dig, a lot of podcast or video talk can simply get buried, while it's much easier to both find written texts and also find things within the text.
In all, I hope that though it sounds like Giant Bomb is finished with reviews (which does not really surprise me as everyone who regularly wrote them besides Jeff [Alex, Dan, Brad] has left the site) it doesn't mean that they have completely finished with writing, as they are all talented with the pen (or keyboard, if you will) as can be seen by their GOTY lists (which actually do influence my purchasing).
I really enjoyed the quick look itself, but as someone who really enjoys strategy games (of which I include card battlers) a lot of the battles were painful for me to watch. In a way though, I guess it might be a good thing as it makes me want to get in there and play it better myself.
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