I like all kinds of niche shit (see my ballot this year) and so do a lot of people I like, and the way I remember it everyone seemed to agree 2012 was a big miss. Some solid games of course, even 1 of my GOTG's (Tokyo Jungle), but as a whole, very little to get excited about.
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NeoGAF Games of the Year 2015 Awards
- Thread starter timetokill
- Start date
I like all kinds of niche shit (see my ballot this year) and so do a lot of people I like, and the way I remember it everyone seemed to agree 2012 was a big miss. Some solid games of course, even 1 of my GOTG's (Tokyo Jungle), but as a whole, very little to get excited about.
Apologies for quoting myself but I was thinking with all the awesome affinity stats we get from whatever magic the guys have set up, we should get one that shows each user's affinity with the GAF's final rankings. The person who gets the highest affinity should win the 'King Pleb' award. As far as I'm concerned, this year I was King Pleb. And damn proud of it.
But in all seriousness that affinity could be a fun one to include for next year.
RespectThySole
Member
Definitely agree on it being more memorable. Neither made it onto my top 10, but Until Dawn was actually a last minute cut for me so I really liked it. Halo 5 never really had a chance of making it on mine even with its great mechanics. It seems weird saying that since I was way more excited for Halo 5 than UD pre-release.
MarkMclovin
Member
I will never understand GAFs boner for a mediocre football game with cars.
NavyPharaoh
Member
It's a sports game for people who don't play sports games. A market that used to be tapped out that has been untapped in the past 5 or more years
Admiral Woofington
Member
Witcher 3 not winning the GAF GOTY award isn't surprising, the love for Souls titles here is pretty big. The fact Witcher 3 got the #2 spot is a good testament that even with the various versions of "witcher 3 combat is the worst thing I've ever played" hyperbole, that it still is a game many in here loved.
What's surprising to me is that Tales from the Borderlands even ranked in the top 20. It was such a small gem that I thought not many had played.
iz.podpolja
Neo Member
5 with Journey.
Before you claim Sonygaf and become another griever on twitter:
I don't think other games deserved it more than them. Sure 2012 had Walking Dead, and that year they were really close, like less than 20 points, either deserved it. This year runner ups were W3 and MGSV, both great games with flaws (gameplay former, content latter). BB was the complete package and Gaf took note.
To be completely frank BB simply doesn't do story in a standard manner, it's more akin to a puzzle or fortune-telling, but it works as it engages players in creating their own head-canon, and as "indocrtrination theory" & ME3 ending debacle taught us, sometimes fan-fiction can be better then devs' creations. So BB in a way bypasses this issue.
The perceived lack of flaws of Bloodborne (mind, it's not a game wout some misteps IMO - lack of build variety, chalice dungeons, so-so MP) is more a result of it being a very focused game - it does one thing, but does it extremely well - however "complete package" label is sort of misguiding, because the difference in scope between BB & TW3, makes comparing these two titles is kind of useless.
Ultimately these kinds of plebiscites are about choosing what kind of experience was most compelling to people voting, and undeniably BB excels in the area of its specialisation (and as DS2 example shows, it's not smth given, even in case of Soulsborne games), and is definitely a game that deserves accolades.
PS. And please can with stop with the "objectively better" shtick? All GotY threads are so full of this and in entertainment it make less then little sense - the only thing that is really inter-subjectively (never objectively, as we are not talking about reality, but norms & conventions) evaluable is craft, ie. mostly technical stuff, the rest is subject to personal preference.
Most people got it for free?
Not that I agree with you about it being mediocre, but I don't think it would have caught on the same way if it wasn't for PS+.
5 with Journey.
Before you claim Sonygaf and become another griever on twitter:
I don't think other games deserved it more than them. Sure 2012 had Walking Dead, and that year they were really close, like less than 20 points, either deserved it. This year runner ups were W3 and MGSV, both great games with flaws (gameplay former, content latter). BB was the complete package and Gaf took note.
Still kind of Sonygaf because Nintendo publishes many more games than Sony; twice as much this year according to Cheese/Time. Though I'm not arguing against any of Sony's exclusives winning, they are generally perceived as some of the best games in recent times (and more deserving than say Portal 2), even though I find the ND games overrated and don't like Souls games.
It controls perfectly and is incredibly fun to play? You sound like you're trying to be as dismissive as possible.
JehutyRunner
Banned
Would you like to try that drive-by again?
whew
Vital Tundra
Member
Not digging the overall GOTY results (MGSV wasn't fantastic, Splatoon was absolutely top 3, as well as MH4U. But the individual GOTY's were spot on! Literally every top result I agreed with.
It's fun/addictive. The reason why many people play video games.
RowdyReverb
Member
Don't get me wrong, I really liked TTK and thought that it delivered on many of the unfulfilled promises of Destiny, but I just can't put an expansion on the same level as an entire new game. I also think TTK's appeal is a bit inflated because of just how much better it is than vanilla Destiny.
I guess we were in different circles at the time.
MarkMclovin
Member
Ah yeah I forgot it was free. I paid a tenner for it after the constant praise it got here. I don't regret buying it, its fun but I felt the small amount of Fifa '16 I played was much better.
That says more about GAF and its wealth of single-platform console gamers and brand obsessives than it does 2012. I'm pretty sure that I had 10 solid entries in 2012 as compared to the 5 I put on my ballot this year. Dishonored, Fez, Spelunky, XCOM and Xenoblade are now all considered modern classics.
Already Torn
Banned
I kind of agree? It's probably the best a soccer game with cars could ever be done though, it's not mediocre in that respect. The problem is that soccer is boring no matter what. Like it's okay but once I get the platinum trophy I'll never play it again.
I wouldn't call Dishonored a modern classic by any stretch of the imagination. The rest are very well regarded though, I'll give you that. Maybe not Fez either, but that may just be me. Nobody talks about Fez anymore.
Aarglefarg
Member
I notice a few games like Resident Evil HD Remaster, Final Fantasy VII or Dragon Quest V aren't in the overall ranking list. Majora's Mask is there though as is a Letter Quest remaster.
Infinite_Daremo
Member
I knew it would be BB or Witcher. Either game deserved it so I'm not bothered. Two legendary games in the same year.
Fallout making the list at all is the real disappointment.
Fallout making the list at all is the real disappointment.
toddhunter
Member
Quantity != quality and I think it is less a case of sonygaf and more a case of simple demographics.
Nintendo primarily make games for a very young audience. When they finally don't? You get the 2014 goty results.
So blame Nintendo, not gaf.
LTTP, but I think the list is pretty great. I especially appreciated the breakdown of people who voted for a high percentage of exclusives. I've always been interested in that considering the people who say that gaf is dominated by a large subsection of Sony enthusiasts or Nintendo enthusiasts.
Seems to have been proven that they both exist, and that Microsoft fans are less vocal/less prominent? (could just be a down year for Microsoft exclusives though).
Seems to have been proven that they both exist, and that Microsoft fans are less vocal/less prominent? (could just be a down year for Microsoft exclusives though).
All five of the games I listed have made multiple all-time Top 100 lists in the last year or so. Also, Fez is huge.
I'm not saying that, but with more quantity you have more chance of accumulating points. In this case, Nintendo had 2x the output of Sony, but amassed fewer points, so on average Sony's games were more than twice the 'quality' of Nintendo games.
I think that last conclusion could be debated. Hence a little bit more Sonygaf perhaps than Nintendogaf. Which is predictable considering the install base.
SargerusBR
I love Pokken!
Legit surprised that MGSV ranked #3, since that game was the disappointment of the year for many MGS fans, including myself.
Congrats to Bloodborne. Not my game of the year but it's not hard to see why it placed there.
I can't forgive gaf for MGS5 at 3 tho.
Agreed. The original placed 8th the year it came out(year of Last of Us, GTA, Bioshock, 3D World, etc.), and especially with Uncharted's delay it would have made a much bigger impact normally. Pretty interesting to see.
I can't forgive gaf for MGS5 at 3 tho.
Agreed. The original placed 8th the year it came out(year of Last of Us, GTA, Bioshock, 3D World, etc.), and especially with Uncharted's delay it would have made a much bigger impact normally. Pretty interesting to see.
Based on the points awarded these are the top 20 games over the last 5 years and the games with over 1000 points.
01. Bloodborne = 2729 points (2015)
02. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt = 2460 points (2015)
03. The Last of Us = 2268 points (2013)
04. Portal 2 = 2114 points (2011)
05. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain = 1786 points (2015)
06. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim = 1654 points (2011)
07. Mass Effect 2 = 1302 points (2010)
08. Rocket League = 1237 points (2015)
09. Dark Souls = 1219 points (2011)
10. Deus Ex: Human Revolution = 1206 points (2011)
11. Red Dead Redemption = 1174 points (2010)
12. Bayonetta 2 = 1132 points (2014)
13. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword = 1120 points (2011)
14. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception = 1096 points (2011)
15. Journey = 1080 points (2012)
16. BioShock Infinite = 1080 points (2013)
17. The Walking Dead = 1063 points (2012)
18. Grand Theft Auto V = 1058 points (2013)
19. Batman: Arkham City = 1055 points (2011)
20. Life Is Strange = 1030 points (2015)
The number of games in each year :
2015 = 5 games
2014 = 1 game
2013 = 3 games
2012 = 2 games
2011 = 7 games
2010 = 2 games
So 2015 was pretty damn great but still not as good as 2011.
01. Bloodborne = 2729 points (2015)
02. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt = 2460 points (2015)
03. The Last of Us = 2268 points (2013)
04. Portal 2 = 2114 points (2011)
05. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain = 1786 points (2015)
06. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim = 1654 points (2011)
07. Mass Effect 2 = 1302 points (2010)
08. Rocket League = 1237 points (2015)
09. Dark Souls = 1219 points (2011)
10. Deus Ex: Human Revolution = 1206 points (2011)
11. Red Dead Redemption = 1174 points (2010)
12. Bayonetta 2 = 1132 points (2014)
13. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword = 1120 points (2011)
14. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception = 1096 points (2011)
15. Journey = 1080 points (2012)
16. BioShock Infinite = 1080 points (2013)
17. The Walking Dead = 1063 points (2012)
18. Grand Theft Auto V = 1058 points (2013)
19. Batman: Arkham City = 1055 points (2011)
20. Life Is Strange = 1030 points (2015)
The number of games in each year :
2015 = 5 games
2014 = 1 game
2013 = 3 games
2012 = 2 games
2011 = 7 games
2010 = 2 games
So 2015 was pretty damn great but still not as good as 2011.
DirtyManos
Member
Kudos to my new best friends on GAF.
TheDarkKnight774
Member
Great Top 20 list. And my GOTY won so I'm happy. Also glad to see MGS5, until dawn and Life is strange represented.
Messofanego
Banned
If you run in the immersive sim circles, Dishonoured is considered a modern classic because it's as open mechanically as you can expect from such games that are all about intertwining systems. Watching StealthGamerBR's videos are perfect examples of that and his creativity.
https://youtu.be/DhLcm3uPCME
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
Yeah that's possible. I'm just talking about GAF. The MP reveal was lackluster and then the E3 showing was COD influenced and really underwhelming. All the ads were pretty nothing as well
TheDarkKnight774
Member
True. But in my opinion it was an important year because it's when indie/digital only games broke through and started to gain acceptance that they could win the big GOTY awards.
Did you read his post? Because this doesn't make any sense.
NinjamicWZ
Banned
MGSV, Witcher 3 and Until Dawn were in my list. I still need to actually sit down and commit to Bloodborne and Fallout 4.
All my indie favs got shut out, but that's to be expected for where vote concentration goes. Don't sleep on Helldivers, Axiom Verge and Galak-Z.
Tried to get to Undertale before the 23rd and it never happened (probably because I can't escape from MGSV's grind). I did start Ori & the Blind Forest, but my mediocre laptop had me running it in a really low resolution with a chugging frame rate (like I did with Strider 2014), and I didn't want it to be a bad experience instead of a good one.
All my indie favs got shut out, but that's to be expected for where vote concentration goes. Don't sleep on Helldivers, Axiom Verge and Galak-Z.
Tried to get to Undertale before the 23rd and it never happened (probably because I can't escape from MGSV's grind). I did start Ori & the Blind Forest, but my mediocre laptop had me running it in a really low resolution with a chugging frame rate (like I did with Strider 2014), and I didn't want it to be a bad experience instead of a good one.
...are not in the Top 10. Not that any of this matters, but the poster you were responding to was talking about the Top 10
A Link to the Past
Banned
Oh, and if I had to change my GotY list (didn't get around to it in time), I'd probably have slipped Bloodborne and Rocket League in.
this was really just for wii.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190021907&postcount=59: 4 points, wii version specified
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190027379&postcount=207: 1 point, wii version specified
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190029824&postcount=251: honorable mention, wii version specified
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190703393&postcount=1365: 1 point, wii version specified
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190907709&postcount=1718: 2 points, wii version specified
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=191095260&postcount=1888: 2 points, wii version specified
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=191371358&postcount=1995: 1 point, wii version specified
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=191857776&postcount=2248: 1 point, wii version specified
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=192830549&postcount=2764: 2 points, wii version specified
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=193029531&postcount=3192: 3 points, wii version not specified, but described
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=193036532&postcount=3268: 1 point, wii version specified
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=193038888&postcount=3299: honorable mention, wii version specified
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=193006742&postcount=3055: 2 points, wii u version and wii version included at the same time only after a discussion on the last day.
guys, i don't really understand. if you're going to ask for comments, then why not read them? this wasn't really a mess as it was described, and it actually made people change some of their lists.
my opinion of these threads wasn't that they were great for having data year in year out, but to have an accurate look at gaf's game of the year.
Already Torn
Banned
poodaddy
Gold Member
At least Bloodborne got what it deserved somewhere. Adore The Witcher 3, but Bloodborne is design perfection. Bloodborne is literally the reason I'm so excited about Dark Souls 3 as I believe it's being made on the same engine, and having that engine on PC is going to make me drool. Maybe we'll even have some enterprising modders pop some Bloodborne enemies into the game some how? .....probably not but a guy can dream.
victreeb3l
Member
Quite a year for high quality video games. Good stuff.
Yabberwocky
Member
Congrats to Bloodborne and TW3! I'm looking forward to digging into the DLC for both. It's been such a great year for gaming, and it's also been such an exciting year for story driven games. It's wonderful to see Undertale in the top ten, and for Tales from the Borderlands get so much love. Even though I haven't gotten to play them yet, I'm really pleased to see Life is Strange and Until Dawn rank so highly.
To the good people of GAF who voted for SOMA, I salute you. Or love you. Maybe both at once.
To the good people of GAF who voted for SOMA, I salute you. Or love you. Maybe both at once.
So you don't understand the "boner" just because you didn't enjoy it as much?
I didn't like Splatoon, do you see me in threads trying to be dismissive of the game, specially when a lot of people talk about how revolutionary it was? Because i didn't like it it doesn't mean i'm the right about it to the point i don't understand how people can think like that.
You mentioned Fifa in another post, i think the game is really bad, even in comparison to PES, should I imagine you are crazy for not only enjoying it, but also enjoying it a lot more above Rocket League?
Respect other people's opinions, dude.