It happens every year. A combination of gaming enthusiast, fanboys, and journalist alike always debate on what was that one game that stood out from the rest over the course of the year. Now while not as prestigious as being the greatest of all time, a game being crowned game of the year (GOTY) shows the collective praise a game has gotten from gamers everywhere. But what constitutes a game to be considered game of the year? What characteristics or criteria does a game need to fulfill in order to be considered among the best games out there? Forgetting about award shows and rating scales, knowing what things to look for can help anyone judge for themselves what game deserves to be seen as the best game of the year.
Replaying Skyrim after 13 years is a reminder of the progress made in western RPGs over the last decade, but also what's been lost.
RPGs are often huge, sprawling endeavours. With limited playtime, we have to choose wisely, so here's the best western RPGs available today.
"I started playing games yesterday" the List... Meh!
How about a few RPGs that deserve some love instead?
1 - Alpha Protocol - Now on GOG
2 - else Heart.Break()
3 - Shadowrun Trilogy
4 - Wasteland 2
5 - UnderRail
6 - Tyranny
7 - Torment: Tides of Numenera
And for a bonus game that flew under the radar:
8 - Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Not only glorious jank, but the idea that the story can completely change depending on what you do, or say, or side with, makes it one of the most forward thinking games ever. The amount of story permutation is the equivalent of a Hitman level but in Story Form. And it wasn't just that the story changed, no, it was that you met completely new characters, or missed them, depending on your choices. Made Mass Effect feel static in comparison.
Alpha Protocol was absolutely glorious, indeed. And it was, and still is, more Next Gen than most anything out there these days. In this regard at least.
Pity.
A new Partner Spotlight Sale is now live on the Switch eShop, including Skyrim, lowest price ever for Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, and more.
30+ hours game play, a main character you can create/ at least customize, a story where you can make different decisions that cause different outcomes, kick ass abilities that you have to develop, kick ass battles you can approach with different play styles/ tactics..decent ai. Whatever game has most of these elements usually gets game of the year in my book. Skyrkm had all these, hence why it easily took goty 2011.
Nowadays Requirement for GOTY
Publi$her> developers > hype> the actual game
money
Definetly Far Cry 3... such an awesome game.
Mass Effect 3, Uncharted 3, Xenoblade Chronicles and New Super Mario Bros U are my personal GOTYs this year.
My criteria: all of them are bloody fun. :P