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[Original Man]

Horizon.

Zelda and Mario while good, great even, are overrated.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

It would be RE7 for me if the final 1/4th wasn't so godawful. Metroid, Prey, and The Evil Within 2 are all up there as well. It's between those four really.

Mario and Zelda were good but disappointing

 

[TitusTroy]

it's been an awful year for gaming...Horizon Zero Dawn is the only one worthy of GOTY

 

[Beerman462]

Figured I'd make an OT about GOTY. 2017 has been a fantastic year for gaming:

· Yakuza 0
· Super Mario: Odyssey
· RE7
· Nioh
· Prey
· Horizon: Zero Dawn
· Zelda: BOTW
· Neir: Automata
· Persona 5
· Player Unknown: Battlegrounds
· Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
· Sonic Mania
· Uncharted: Lost Legacy
· Gran Turismo: Sport
· Destiny 2
· Divinity: Original Sin 2
· Cuphead
· Evil Within 2

· Yakuza 0-Didn't play-No comment

· Super Mario: Odyssey-Didn't play, but sounds amazing. Strong contender

· RE7-Played it loved it, but did taper off at the end. Best franchise reboot for sure.

· Nioh-Didn't play-No chance

· Prey -Didn't play-No Chance

· Horizon: Zero Dawn-Played, wish I could have spent more time with it, but BOTW over shadowed it from my perspective

· Zelda: BOTW-Didn't play much, didn't feel it at the time. But people love it and it sold a lot of Switches.

· Neir: Automata-Didn't play, but is a strong contender.

· Persona 5-Didn't play-No comment

· Player Unknown: Battlegrounds-I had an very strong month or so with this game and loved it. Lack of any real progress killed it for me. Strong Contender

· Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice-Strong contender is other categories, but maybe not game of the year. Wish it had a little something more, but for the price it was fantastic.

· Sonic Mania-Didn't play-Not a Sonic fan. No chance

· Uncharted: Lost Legacy-Didn't play-Yet, I will, but no chance.

· Gran Turismo: Sport-Didn't play-No chance

· Destiny 2-Didn't play-No chance

· Divinity: Original Sin 2-Didn't play-Strong contender

· Cuphead-Didn't play-Probably not

· Evil Within 2-Played and wish the rest of the game was more like the first 1/4 or so.

 

[highrider]

Mass Effect Andromeda. God tier combat, fun campaign, awesome multiplayer community where randoms drop everything to revive a new player. Still having fun with it.

 

[kunonabi]

Havent been able to play most of the ps4 heavy hitters or odyssey so there isnt anything that jumps out as goty for me since i didnt like BotW or RE7. If i had pick id probably go with Monster Hunter Stories or Culdcept: Revolt.

 

[FlibbertiGibbet]

I found both Odyssey and Breath of the Wild overrated, especially Odyssey.

2017 belongs to Divinity: Original Sin 2. Only 10/10 I've played this year. It is a fucking magical, masterful, spellbinding achievement in game design.

Nioh, Nier, Horizon, and Persona 5 are all runners up.

What a year this has been.

 

[Rathorial]

Prey and Divinity: Original Sin 2 are the only games I'd put up into GOTY material.

Mario and Zelda are overrated to me, but each better than their previous 3d entries.

 

[gocubs]

My top 3:

1 Super Mario Odyssey
2 Divinity Original Sin 2
3 Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild

 

[edge2]

I only played
Zelda: BOTW
Super Mario: Odyssey
Horizon: Zero Dawn
from that list.
My GOTY would be clearly "Zelda: BOTW" in this list. Looking forward for the next DLC in December.

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

Top 5:

Zelda Breath of the Wild
Sonic Mania
Resident Evil 7
Splatoon 2
Super Mario Odyssey

Honourable mention: Puyo Puyo Tetris

 

[SteffenAH]

Zelda, Mario and probably Divinity 2 is my top 3, though I'm only half-way through Divinity.

 

[Rick1o1]

I liked BOTW but it really irks me that Nintendo fans act like no other game deserves consideration. It was a great game but definitely not perfect and in no way a gamechanger imo.

For me it's between Horizon, Prey, P5 and Stellaris Utopia if that counts (haven't played the original release in 2016).

 

[VCALMLIKEABOMBV]

I haven't played everything on that list yet, but I would say, Mario Odyssey, Zelda: BOTW, Horizon: ZD, and Cuphead are strong contenders.

This is pretty much my list, there are several great games like Nier that may not make a North Amercan list, but were amazing games. I really feel like it is going to be Mario or Zelda BOTW.

 

[kb8998]

it's been an awful year for gaming...Horizon Zero Dawn is the only one worthy of GOTY

the irony of this post wow

 

[goathouse774]

I liked BOTW but it really irks me that Nintendo fans act like no other game deserves consideration.

I know Nintendo fans are doing that, but the reverse is happening a lot, too. Myself, I was a lapsed Nintendo stalwart that played mostly PS4 games in recent years. I bought a Switch for Zelda and Mario.

Zelda is a very hard game to judge because it’s very large, thinly spread and contains some oddball mechanics. I suspect the weapon durability thing was the biggest hurdle for most. The somewhat passé collectathon exploration was probably the finisher, for many.

I understand those complaints and could add a few of my own, but the game survives these controversies and I eventually grew to really appreciate the combat and the zen-like simplicity of tracking down hundreds of similar things. If you are utilizing the game’s full arsenal of goal-types, there is always something to do that requires a slightly different approach and you always feel like you’re evolving as a player.

For me, what’s there is thin, but it’s elegant content and enough content. A game that a sequel can really blow out and improve massively, but the precedent it sets here feels like a big flag plant for Nintendo and the Zelda franchise, and let’s not forget that, outside its controversial aspects, it does a whole lot of things spectacularly well.

 

[SirNinja]

Wait is FFXV eligible for GOTY this year or last year?

Last year. (It placed sixth overall on our GOTY thread.)

Think it would be great if Nier got it over FFXV to make Square stop and think why people would think that way and start making their game stories well written than worlds prettier.

This line of thinking is unusually prevalent among gaming forums and I don't know why, because this isn't even remotely how this works. Like, I totally see how people can think this, but it's just so incredibly off the mark.

First and foremost: Publishers largely do not give two shits about Top X lists. There are a few exceptions, like when they get some underpaid intern to mash together an accolades trailer or when they want a back-of-the-box quote for a rerelease edition. Other than that, though...they really don't care about those. Here's something closer to how they actually think:


Final Fantasy XV was very costly to develop but sold well overall. Thus, we're going to get more Final Fantasy.

Nier Automata was somewhat expected to be a cult hit like the original but sold well. Thus, we're going to get more Nier.


That's really all the big publishers are concerned with. Screw reviews, screw lists. Did it sell? (Thankfully, both did.)

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

For me, what’s there is thin, but it’s elegant content and enough content. A game that a sequel can really blow out and improve massively, but the precedent it sets here feels like a big flag plant for Nintendo and the Zelda franchise, and let’s not forget that, outside its controversial aspects, it does a whole lot of things spectacularly well.

I feel this about both Mario and Zelda. They are good games that could use A LOT of refinement. Most important thing is to cut the fat off. There are WAY too may repeated/similar objectives. It's a flaw of modern open world game design, but I wish Nintendo was clever enough not to fall into that trap of padding their games.

 

[Nasigil]

Personally it has been Hollow Knight.

For the actual awards I am quite sure ZOTW will be the biggest winner.

Cannot stand the shallow and over the top writing in HZD and Nier.

 

[JThird]

Figured I'd make an OT about GOTY. 2017 has been a fantastic year for gaming:

· Yakuza 0
· Super Mario: Odyssey
· RE7
· Nioh
· Prey
· Horizon: Zero Dawn
· Zelda: BOTW
· Neir: Automata
· Persona 5
· Player Unknown: Battlegrounds
· Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
· Sonic Mania
· Uncharted: Lost Legacy
· Gran Turismo: Sport
· Destiny 2
· Divinity: Original Sin 2
· Cuphead
· Evil Within 2

I would vote for Automata, probably.
This game is good, but nothing really special (aside from OST). This year was mediocre for me.

 

[Newk86]

I wonder if it is fair to factor in the DLC and post launch content for a game if it came out in the same year as the original game. Horizon including patches and expansion almost enough to give it the edge over RE7 for me just at the moment.

 

[TannerDemoz]

Last year. (It placed sixth overall on our GOTY thread.)




Final Fantasy XV was very costly to develop but sold well overall. Thus, we're going to get more Final Fantasy.


That's really all the big publishers are concerned with. Screw reviews, screw lists. Did it sell? (Thankfully, both did.)

I would LOVE to see total marketing spend for FFXV if anyone has figures.

 

[JustCheeze]

Yakuza 0 was my 2015 GOTY. So I don't know if it's fair to name it my 2017 GOTY as well, the game didn't come out this year.

B-but the game came out in ENGLISH this year! riight?

Anyways, GOTY for me is probably Tekken 7.

 

[soyamilo]

1. BOTW
2. MARIO odyssey
3. Persona 5

The Japanese have 2017.

 

[CaptainDreads]

Divinity: Original Sin 2 absolutely hands down for me.

It seems they took everything from the first game and just expanded on it.
I'm not totally enamoured by the new armour system; I actually preferred the slightly campy story of the original and the first 5 hours or so are a bit of a slow burner.

But in spite of all of that just playing this game, exploring areas and talking to people is just a joy. Most of this is underpinned by the excellent writing.

 

[Ragnaroz]

My list, it's pretty much final because there's no new releases that could make me rethink it until next year.

1. Divinity: Original Sin 2
2. Nier: Automata
3. Horizon: Zero Dawn
4. Prey
5. Persona 5
6. Nioh
7. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
8. XCOM 2: War of the Chosen
9. Hollow Knight
10. Cuphead

 

[Aggie CMD]

Since GOTY is such a subjective choice I like to develop objective selection criteria - something that can be measured and observed. This year I am measuring hand/palm sweat generation. Using this objective measurement the hands down (pun!) winner is Cuphead. Thanks Cuphead for making my controller a disgusting mess after every play session!

 

[philm87]

Lots I haven't played, but Horizon Zero Dawn should be the winner imo. Epic story full of lore, incredible graphics, ridiculously good and enjoyable gameplay mechanics. On top of everything else it was optimized and bug free from launch, which can be rare nowadays. Only negative was it seemed relatively poor when fighting humans compared with robots.

Got Prey and Shadow of War in their packets still at home ready to play. Resident evil 7 I've not finished yet but doesn't feel like game of the year material to me.

I really didn't like Yakuza 0, felt simple and tacky to me, but people seem to love it.

Best mobile game: Golf Clash.

Can't comment on any others.

 

[Gaplanet]

Seems like I have to buy a PS or Switch... Missing out on so many games.

My faves (/new games I played this year):

1. Cuphead
2. Prey
3. Observer
4. Outlast II

I will be bying PUBG in December and
am hoping to see Div: OS II soon on Xbox One.

 

[Razzorn34]

PUBG is still in Early Access. Giving an unfinished game Awards is a slippery slope considering the number of Unfinished games in Early Access or that were released and abandoned, bugs and all. I don't like it.

Yep. Unfinished early access games shouldn't even be in the running. They are just a paid alpha/beta test.

 

[Billy_Pilgrim]

1. Zelda
2. Mario
3. Nioh

If you pick Horizon over Zelda you should be on some sort of register.

 

[Remeard]

Going to have to be Horizon Zero Dawn for me. It really did an amazing job presenting stories, characters, and the world that they live in so creatively and seamlessly. I don't think there's been a game made in this way where the combat was so simple and epic. Usually it's something like Skyrim where a hit is just a percent of damage lost, here it really feels like you've cheated death.

It's been a great year for games, loved me some Persona 5 and want to give Yakuza a go with all the praise it's gotten. I wasn't too big on BotW, haven't played Mario.