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NeoGAF Games of the Year 2015 Awards

What a killer top 2 that is, Witcher would have been my number 1 but Bloodborne is definitely alongside it as my favourite two games of 2015. A cut above the other games I played last year. Enjoyed Until Dawn a lot and still enjoying Rocket League so good to see them make the top 10 also.
 

Eusis

Member
Trails of Cold Steel got robbed!

And the culprit was the release date. Damn, even I didn't throw it on the list and I only just got into it at all a week back.
 

Because they were released closer to/during the awards season. Bloodborne won GotY and had months for people to decide if it deserved it.

The Witcher 3 came out in May fam.

Huh, I didn't realize The Witcher III came out so far back! I just don't follow this stuff solidly I suppose. Anyway, it's less a condemnation of these games and more talking about the awards-season games. I don't think any of these games are going to experience what, say, Inquisition or Shadow of Mordor experienced.
 
The thing about From Software storytelling is that you can really come up with any conclusion you want about any aspect of it and FROM will never confirm or deny anything.

What Magic Mushroom said. Yes some things are left to interpretation but a lot of it is there in the game for you to puzzle piece together like the guy I linked in the video. Of course From wont confirm/deny things that would lessen the mystique they strive to achieve with the games. But when youre able to sit down and really break down the game's mechanics, items, naming conventions, descriptions and locations you can paint a fairly indisputable picture of the story.

Again for anybody who has played the game. Watch the video and youll be mind blown at the connections made.
 
Scrolling through the goty list and seeing that block of green was probably way more exciting to me than it should have been. Anyway, I hope it convinces some people to check out Undertale.

What really makes me sad is that SteamWorld Heist didn't get any real recognition. :( Seriously, go buy SteamWorld Heist, 3DS owners! It's really, REALLY good.

It's on my list! Great game that, as you said, deserves more recognition, but I think the December release worked against it.
 

Kiro

Member
So I guess this thread is as good as any to ask, is Life Is strange a game I should pick up? I have played all the other games in the top 10 and loved them all. This game is also pretty cheap for PS4 right now. I just know very little about it but I'm interested.
 
I don't really get the Witcher 3 / Bloodborne rivalry. I gave TW: the nod but I'm glad to see BB at the top, it's still an awesome game. If anything, this goes to show 2015 was a fantastic gaming year for a lot of people.

Trails of Cold Steel got robbed!

And the culprit was the release date. Damn, even I didn't throw it on the list and I only just got into it at all a week back.
With that release date, there was no way I was finishing it in 2015 TBH. I hope CS2 releases earlier than that (and actually releases this year).
Watch as it releases within two weeks of Persona 5.
 

Moonkid

Member
I was going to vote but I don't think it would have been fair when I haven't even played ten games in 2015. I'm going to try and pick up more games this year, even if I'm now officially a poor uni student lol.
 
BB winning instead of Witcher 3 is certainly controversial for those who gave the nod to Witcher 3. Have you not participated in the numerous GotY threads in the past few months?

That said, I do agree it deserves #1. Just about finished with NG+2 (more than 150 hours into the game so far) and I am not in the least bit bored.

I don't think that many care since The Witcher 3 will probably set the record for total number of media GOTY awards. If you read the voting thread, you'll find that many of the users who voted TW3 1st had Bloodborne 2nd anyway. 2015 was a great year.
 

Chris1

Member
Thanks again for doing this Time & Cheese, I love how in-depth all the data goes. Good stuff!

Congrats to Bloodborne for winning, haven't played it as I don't own a PS4 but if I ever do get one, It's one of the first games I'll be playing for sure.

My Affinity people -

Nice to meet you all! I recognize a few names there.
 

Zhao_Yun

Member
Trails of Cold Steel got robbed!

And the culprit was the release date. Damn, even I didn't throw it on the list and I only just got into it at all a week back.

The fact that it hasn't even released in Europe yet didn't help either.
But that means that it should be eligible next year as well, right?
 
I don't think that many care since The Witcher 3 will probably set the record for total number of media GOTY awards. If you read the voting thread, you'll find that many of the users who voted TW3 first had Bloodborne 2nd anyway. 2015 was a great year.

It really is, for PC/consoles at least. 3DS was somewhat disappointing, and I guess I can't say that I'm disappointed in Vita because I didn't expect to get one game into my top 10 from that platform. :p But other than that yeah, every console had something of value to it. Splatoon, Bloodborne, Undertale... uh I dunno what's exclusive to Xbox One lol
 

hal9001

Banned
Holy shit thanks to everyone involved for tallying up the points. Can't believe my comment made it on the top of the list. I feel honoured.
 
Bloodborne winning is well-deserved! It managed to impress me so much back in March and it continued to do so. The top 3 is basically mine as well but I need to try Life is Strange. Cheers!
 

mekes

Member
I love Bob Bourne. Nice to see a few Nintendo games getting high ratings too! And that Until Dawn.

Thanks to everybody who worked on this! By far the most in-depth GoTY analysis I've seen. Very interesting to read through. Thank you :)
 
BB winning instead of Witcher 3 is certainly controversial for those who gave the nod to Witcher 3. Have you not participated in the numerous GotY threads in the past few months?

That said, I do agree it deserves #1. Just about finished with NG+2 (more than 150 hours into the game so far) and I am not in the least bit bored.

Have you not participated in GOTY threads over the last few years? Because that happens every year. You think GTAV fans wanted TLOU to win? No. Hell, you think all the anti-downloadable and anti-"experience" game clowns wanted Journey to win? Fuck no. But the majority of those people will move on and accept the result. There might be a small minority that throw hissy fits but nobody pays any attention to them anyway.

MGS4, on the other hand, was a unique case of a game that was well loved by a lot of people but due to its disappointing story, created a backlash within its own fanbase that only got stronger in hindsight. The only 2015 game that has the potential to repeat that IMO is Fallout 4 but since it didn't win or even make the top 5, no-one's going to remember its position well enough to give a shit about it.

Anyway, great top 10 aside from Fallout 4. Congrats Bloodborne and From Software!
 

Venom Fox

Banned
So I guess this thread is as good as any to ask, is Life Is strange a game I should pick up? I have played all the other games in the top 10 and loved them all. This game is also pretty cheap for PS4 right now. I just know very little about it but I'm interested.
Yes definitely, I had to wait 6-8 weeks in between episodes and it killed me. The suspense was unbelievable. IMO better than anything that Telltale has created. (Tales from the borderlands is good though).

I went in blind as well, I was bored one night and searched the store looking for something to buy. I came across a free trial for LiS, tried it and instantly purchased the season pass.
 
The thing about From Software storytelling is that you can really come up with any conclusion you want about any aspect of it and FROM will never confirm or deny anything.

Edit: Aah beaten i dont want to dog on you. >.>


Not really no.

There are things grounded in stone where we recieve as fact. Then theres other things which are left to the payers interpretation. You can come up with anything but the most important thing is how much is that supported by the game itself.


Take Gilbert one of the first npcs the player meets. Most players would pass him off a kind sick man. We are never told outright but there is a possibility that he was part of the healing church as well as part of the group of people that burned down old yharnam. This is supported by the Flamethrower he gives the PC and the Beast he turns into. Now if you want you can say Gilbert is an old one but there isnt anything to support that.

I see FromSoft storytelling as a long stretch where we are told about Point A to Point B to point C and so forth but what happens between those points is up to the players interpretation of the items, texts, objects or whatever the game gives to the player and that isnt done by accident. Its intentional. There is no reason to confirm or deny.
 
Nah, that's not the case. A good number of posters there don't participate in voting + a decent number haven't even finished it yet. Yes, more new people are coming in, but that will only spread via word of mouth and as people recommend it more.

Also, Trails SC had some confusion. A good number of its votes went to FC despite FC being a 2011/14 game, not a 2015 game :V

Well, in light of the no-voters, I should rephrase that as "a case". I also didn't see the votes till after the fix; it's always been triple digit points.
 

Alucrid

Banned
decided to look at my recommendations

1. [XB1][PC] Ori and the Blind Forest (Platform) = 5 points
hate platformers, looks boring

2. [XB1][PS4][PC] Batman: Arkham Knight (Adventure) = 5 points
was a boring game, worse than city

3. [360][XB1][PS3][PS4][PC][IOS][AND] Tales from the Borderlands: Episodes 2-5 (Adventure) = 4 points, 1 honorable mention
put it down after like 20 minutes

4. [PS3] Yakuza 5 (Action) = 3 points
don't even own a ps3

5. [PC][IOS] Her Story (Adventure) = 3 points
again boring, don't really care for the style

6. [XB1][PS4][PC] Assassin's Creed Syndicate (Adventure) = 3 points
ass creed - boring

7. [360][XB1] Rise of the Tomb Raider (Adventure) = 2 points, 1 honorable mention
looks like more tomb raider, boring

8. [PC] Undertale (RPG) = 2 points
boring - refunded it

9. [XB1][PS3][PS4][PC] Quiplash (Puzzle) = 2 points
boring party game

10. [NWU] Splatoon (Shooter) = 2 points
boring nintendo game

11. [PS4] Gravity Rush Remastered (Action) = 2 points
okay, now this is what i'm talking about
 

antitrop

Member
I really think overall, 2015 was quite weak.

I didn't like my #1 (Bloodborne) for 2015 anywhere even close to as much as my #1 (Bayonetta 2) or even #2 (Wolfenstein: The New Order) for 2014.

2016 is looking more to my tastes. Uncharted 4 could possibly be the best game I'll play since The Last of Us.
 
Very impressive work from the creators of this thread. All those statistics are such a treat! Yummy!

I'm more than happy with that list but also shocked due to the complete lack of Xbox One (
non-time
)exclusives in the Top 20. I mean we've had a major Halo release that year! I almost cannot believe it.
 

Ikon

Member
You guys have awesome taste:
Based on the recommendations list here are the ones I'm kind of interested in trying (mainly Ori - getting that physical release for sure):
1. [360][XB1][PS3][PS4][PC] Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Action) = 21 points
2. [XB1][PS4][PC] The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (RPG) = 13 points
3. [XB1][PC] Ori and the Blind Forest (Platform) = 7 points, 2 honorable mentions
As an added bonus here are the games I was looking forward to for 2015. Apart from the delays it seems I had anticipated what I ended up enjoying pretty well :)
1. Bloodborne : I have very little doubt that this will be the best game for me in 2015 unless something comes completely out of left field.

2. Uncharted 4 : U2 and U3 are among the best games of last generation so I'm sure I'll have fun with this one too. However I've since then played Tomb Raider which to me was pretty close in quality and now I'm playing The Last of Us for the first time and not liking it as much as I'd anticipated. All in all I'm a bit more cautious to see if they'll manage to sufficiently improve on previous entries.

3. Mario Maker : The idea is genius. I've played SMB1-3 and SMW more times than I could count and the promise of more levels for said games is enough to have me really stoked. In the end though I will have to see how Nintendo handle the whole online thing, which has never been their forte.

4. The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask 3DS : One of the few games I haven't played in the Zelda series. I'm really excited to try it out and I think it could very well end up being my favorite 3D entry.

5. The Legend of Zelda Wii U : It's Zelda so I know I will buy it. I must admit though that I haven't even beaten the latest two 3D Zelda games. This really looks different though yet I hope it will hit all right notes where it counts.

6. Hotline Miami 2 : I'm really out of the loop as to what indie games are coming out next year but this one has been on my radar since the reveal. The first game was really addictive and delightfully twisted and I'm hoping this will bring more of the same and up the ante when it comes to crazy.

7. Final Fantasy Type 0 HD : I don't know enough about this game to be too hyped but it's Final Fantasy and supposedly a good one at that. Really doubt I'll pick this up at release though.

8. The Witcher 3 : This would have a really good shot at topping my list if had played further than 4 hours into the first game in the series. Won't pick it up until I'm all caught up but it looks all kinds of incredible. GotY material for sure.

9. Persona 5 : Yet another game that probably deserves to be ranked higher but I feel like I have to play at least P3 and P4 first.

@timetokill: Do you have an easy way of checking who is the most in line with the final list? Like, did anyone have a top 10 that matched the site's 100%?
 

John Harker

Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
Damn, first time in like 12 years I missed the vote. Or since its been happening anyway.

Eh I'll probably still vote later when I have time hahaha.
 

RowdyReverb

Member
Poor Halo 5! I really enjoy that game's multiplayer. Should have at least won FPS of the year imo
TTK was good, but it wasn't that good
 
It really is, for PC/consoles at least. 3DS was somewhat disappointing, and I guess I can't say that I'm disappointed in Vita because I didn't expect to get one game into my top 10 from that platform. :p But other than that yeah, every console had something of value to it. Splatoon, Bloodborne, Undertale... uh I dunno what's exclusive to Xbox One lol

Yeah if you don't game on PC, then you might not "get" why, but it was an incredible year for PC just looking at RPGs, Sims and indies alone and then there are great games on other platforms like the ones you've already mentioned and Yakuza 5.
 

Toki767

Member
Xbox One's greatest games lineup ever couldn't get a single game in the Top 10. And the PS4 which people kept saying had no games in 2015 got 2 in the Top 10.

Funny.
 

Calabria

Banned
Xbox One's greatest games lineup ever couldn't get a single game in the Top 10. And the PS4 which people kept saying had no games in 2015 got 2 in the Top 10.

Funny.

xbox one games are pretty much forgotten, not just here but also in all other GOTY threads. you don't see xbone games in any conversation at all
 

oggob

Member
My peeps....

same to you, seems like I only popped up on your list... no one else... lol

as for my data...

Voted for 2 of the Top 20 only...
9 Games on platforms I don't own (I don't PC game)... Though might consider Tomb Raider when the PS4 gets released, though possibly not as funds will be diverted to other more wanted games...

The other 9?
Dying Light - only heard good things about this, waiting on the Complete Edition now...
Destiny : The Taken King - I'm not on the Destiny train at all.
Batman : Arkham Knight - was waiting on a cheapish version, but might see what Complete Edition might come available this year
Until Dawn - I wanted this Day 1, but I was lazy in getting around to pre-order the special edition and missed out, tracking down a copy new/pre-owned with the tin case has been hard! Probably the game I'm most keen on.
Fallout 4 - Some amazing prices over the Christmas period, but lack of time only stopped me from picking it up, wouldn't do the game justice.
Life Is Strange - I was waiting on all the Episodes to be available, then they announced the physical, so it's on the list to be picked up next week.
Metal Gear Solid V - Like Fallout 4, time was a factor, I feel like I should play Ground Zeroes before playing this
The Witcher III - I haven't played either prequel, but I think I would have some fun with.

Bloodborne - This one I have owned since Day 1, as I picked up the special edition, I'd never fired it up... The DLC is half price on the EU stores currently also, so I think the stars are aligning to get me to start this thing.

With Uncharted 4, Horizon, Ratchet & Clank, The Last Guardian, Danganronpa 3, Zero Time Dilemma, Hatsune Miku X and many others possibly hitting this year, if anyone could pay off my mortgage, so I can buy all these games, that would be very lovely indeed.
 
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