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What's your downloadble GOTY so far?

L

lt519

Member
I've come to the realization today that I've beat more downloadable titles than retail titles on my consoles/handhelds this year. There have been some retail titles that have knocked it out of the park for me: Mario Kart 8, Mario Golf, Destiny, Diablo III: ROS (yeah I know I know I'm a loot whore), and Infamous SS. I still plan on having a great holiday season for retail as well. However, the downloadable titles have just been far more enjoyable for me. I think this is the first year I've crossed that threshold where I now prefer them to full retail games.

Here's what I've beaten (granted a few were re-releases for PS4/Vita): Transistor, Hohokum, The Swapper, Rogue Legacy (beat in on PC first), Counter Spy, Shovel Knight, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, Infamous: First Light, Peggle 2, Velocity 2X, Child of Light, Fez (beat it on PC first), Resogun: Heroes, and Strider. Not to mention a few others that I've played for the first time due to PS+ like Dust, Stealth Inc, Don't Starve and soon to be Binding of Isaac. Or others that I had already beaten and didn't play again that some got to experience for the first time as re-releases like Hotline Miami and Guacamelee!

It's hard to pick a game out of there I liked the most, but I'm going to have to go with Child of Light. While a bit raw and having a lot more potential the combat system in Child of Light was a blast and I really enjoyed the exploration and characters. A close close second goes to Transistor for ridiculously awesome combat system and third to Infamous: First Light for having a bad ass arena mode. Rogue Legacy and Fez would top Infamous: First Light but I excluded them since I had played them in previous years.

So what say you GAF? What's your Downloadable GOTY so far?

If you listed multiple games with no numbering I just took the first game you listed, since you know sub-conscious and all that. All votes are final since I'm lazy too. Here's my sloppy sheets copy-pasta, up to post #181:

Shovel Knight 30
Transistor 24
Child of Light 9
Divinity: Original Sin 8
Valiant Hearts: Great War 8
Velocity 2X 6
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die 5
Jazzpunk 4
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3
Hohokum 3
Rogue Legacy 3
TxK 3
Hearthstone 3
Lethal League 2
Pix the Cat 2
Oddworld New n' Tasty 2
Counter Spy 2
Peggle 2 2
Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition 2
Resogun: Heroes 2

Honorable Mention: Rusty's Real Deal Baseball, Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails, Doorkickers, Nintendo Pocket Football Club, Pier Solar HD, Walking Dead Season 2, Freedom Planet, Strider, Yumi's Odd Oddysey, Banner Saga, Atelier Rorona Plus, Legend of Grimrock II, Trials Fusion, Fez, Dungeon of the Endless, Crimzon Clover: World Ignition, Stealth Inc 2, Outlast, Nidhogg, Pinball Arcade, Gauntlet, World of Tanks (360), SMT IV, SteamWorld Dig, The Wolf Among Us, Final Fantasy VI (iOS)
Pushmo World, Pokemon Battle Trozei
 
Acquiescence

Acquiescence

Member
Transistor. And to think that to begin with, I wasn't enjoying it at all. I wish the game held my hand a little more at the start, but once I figured things out it was fun as hell.
 
TheMoon

TheMoon

Member
Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails. Dat amazing feel.

Disclaimer: I haven't played most of the typical contenders yet (Shovel Knight, Transistor, etc)
 
S

Skux

Member
Child of Light. Proof that not everything with Ubisoft's name on it is an overhyped AAA downgraded bullshot handholding QTE fest.
 
N

nbnt

is responsible for the well-being of this island.
Spintires.

Transistor. Easily my favorite digital only game so far.
 
K

Keyser Soze

Member
DOORKICKERS

0u0JEiol.jpg
 
Nabs

Nabs

Member
Lethal League is my GOTY so far. It's a 2-4 player competitive multiplayer game that brings me back to the days of playing Melee with my friends. It's an incredible game that just doesn't get old.

For those that don't know, LL is a game where you smack a ball around and try to hit the other player. Think Windjammers x Jet Set Radio. Each character has their own specials and angles, so you'll have to learn how to face each character. There are also many ways to switch things up and add your own spin to the game. Mind games for days.
 
I

IAmRandom31

Banned
Teknopathetic said:
Divinity: Original Sin.
Click to expand...

..... damn

didn't even think of divinity as a downloadable game for some reason lol.

Yeah

tough call between Divinity and Transistor though ..... would still have to go with Transistor for being more unique in most respects. Divinity is amazing though, would take my 2 slot.
 
D

Durante

Member
Teknopathetic said:
Divinity: Original Sin.
Click to expand...
I have a box for that :p


Anyway, I really have a hard time with this question, since I don't make a mental distinction between "retail" and "downloadable" games anymore. Everything is a download, and for a select few games I like enough I'll acquire a physical artifact.
 
T

Teknopathetic

Member
"That's a retail game. As is Child of Light, technically (on some platforms at least)."


Is it? I wasn't aware of it getting any physical distribution. Must be some Euro thing, loleurope doesn't count.
 
L

lt519

Member
Durante said:
I have a box for that :p


Anyway, I really have a hard time with this question, since I don't make a mental distinction between "retail" and "downloadable" games anymore. Everything is a download, and for a select few games I like enough I'll acquire a physical artifact.
Click to expand...

Hmm, my definition was anything without a retail presence at release. If the release was such a success that retail came later then I'd still consider it downloadble at heart. Most PC games qualify, I was intending for this to mostly be a console/handheld thread, but we can all share the love!
 
TheMoon

TheMoon

Member
Teknopathetic said:
"That's a retail game. As is Child of Light, technically (on some platforms at least)."


Is it? I wasn't aware of it getting any physical distribution. Must be some Euro thing, loleurope doesn't count.
Click to expand...

Superior Euroland had a regular boxed edition and a collector's edition for Divinity!
 
B

Benzychenz

Member
Hohokum and it's not even close.

It's a surreal audio-visual experience, and it actually has really good gameplay and puzzle solving. All with absolutely no tutorials or guidance. It's A+ design in teaching the player what to do while never outright giving the solution.

It's a damn shame I hardly see it mentioned here on GAF :(
 
D

Durante

Member
lt519 said:
Hmm, my definition was anything without a retail presence at release. If the release was such a success that retail came later then I'd still consider it downloadble at heart. Most PC games qualify, I was intending for this to mostly be a console/handheld thread, but we can all share the love!
Click to expand...
What about games that didn't have regular retail physical distribution, but a pre-order boxed limited edition?
 
L

lt519

Member
Durante said:
What about games that didn't have regular retail physical distribution, but a pre-order boxed limited edition?
Click to expand...

Sounds like the heart of a downloadble! (did it only have a download code and no disc inside?)

Benzychenz said:
Hohokum and it's not even close.

It's a surreal audio-visual experience, and it actually has really good gameplay and puzzle solving. All with absolutely no tutorials or guidance. It's A+ design in teaching the player what to do while never outright giving the solution.

It's a damn shame I hardly see it mentioned here on GAF :(
Click to expand...

I did a review of the four PLAY games from Sony this year: I absolutely loved it, but there were just so many damn good titles out this year.
 
S

sheaaaa

Member
Benzychenz said:
Hohokum and it's not even close.

It's a surreal audio-visual experience, and it actually has really good gameplay and puzzle solving. All with absolutely no tutorials or guidance. It's A+ design in teaching the player what to do while never outright giving the solution.

It's a damn shame I hardly see it mentioned here on GAF :(
Click to expand...

I haven't put that much thought into what OP is asking, but I'll just go ahead and agree with you - Hohokum was fantastic.

These two guys get it:

Eurogamer's 9/10: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-08-18-hohokum-review

Amusement Arcade: http://www.amusementarcade.org/2014/08/28/this-game-got-a-great-review-hohokum-ps4/

I hope the game gets the attention it deserves if it ever hits PS+.
 
C

Chunky

Member
Not trying to slag you off OP, but the games you mentioned really demonstrate how "best downloadable game" has become an outdated lable. Transistor, Shovel Knight, Velocity 2X and all the rest are just proper games. There's nothing slight about them.

Obviously Shovel Knight could have have essentially been an NES game, but Velocity made feel like I'd bought a twenty years late megadrive game, in the best possible way.

Santiako said:
SMT4

Not technically cheating :p
Click to expand...
And fuck the fact that I can't put SMT4 in my SMT collection :(
I love Persona as well, but why on earth does Q get a physical release and 4 gets shafted?
(although this is less Atlus' problem and more Nintendo's disgusting region locking practice)
 
S

Storm360

Member
Metal Gear Solid GZ was digital only on Xbox One in Japan, and that's probably my most played version


Straight up "no physical copies exist at all" would be Oddworld New n Tasty
 
V

Vlitra

Banned
Transistor - loved the combat and atmosphere.

Honorable mentions go to First Light, Luftrausers (sp?), and if it comes out this year Gang Beasts.
 
RPGCrazied

RPGCrazied

Member
Walking Dead Season 2 probably. I really hope for the 3rd season we get to play as someone as though. I'm sure it'll be a slightly older Clementine.
 
L

lt519

Member
Chunky said:
Not trying to slag you off OP, but the games you mentioned really demonstrate how "best downloadable game" has become an outdated lable. Transistor, Shovel Knight, Velocity 2X and all the rest are just proper games. There's nothing slight about them.

Obviously Shovel Knight could have have essentially been an NES game, but Velocity made feel like I'd bought a twenty years late megadrive game, in the best possible way.
Click to expand...

I think that's the point of my OP, many of these games are straight up GOTYs without a label. But I thought it'd be fun to talk in the literal sense of only being available through download (with the couple exceptions we've noted). Not having a retail presence is a massive drawback in the world of video games as the general populace will mostly skip over them, it's cool to give them a little notoriety :)
 
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