10 Reasons Super Mario Odyssey Isn't Game Of The Year

Long before the universally-positive reviews for Super Mario Odyssey began to land, the debate was already raging among gamers: will Mario's latest adventure be a Game of the Year candidate?

Well, the post-release consensus seems to confirm that, yes, it is, but is it really worthy of being popularly deemed 2017's best video game outright?

[addictedtochaos]

No, and most of the reasons are Zelda is.

[Snez]

Zelda isn't GOTY either. The "see that mountain? You can climb it" mentality has led a world that feels empty.
You come across a keep, there are guardians everywhere and this guy is getting his butt kicked by one... You save him and he tells you this is the fortress where the the Hyrulian army took their last stand against a never ending onslaught of guardians.

This sounds really cool, in any other LoZ you would be exploring the ruins, fighting any remaining enemies and enjoying a challenging boss at the end. BotW? You can't even enter it, your choices are a path that goes up the side or climbing it.
What's up the top? A couple of bokoblin things, some fluid you shouldn't touch and a tower to get some map markers. Great.

Shrines feel detached from the world and often repeat themselves, they're also really, really boring outside of that one that literally starts you by dropping you in a fall with a giant lava pit at the bottom. Oh, and outside the one that strips you of your gear on the island. That was kind of cool.
Lynels are pointless to fight because you often break more weapons than you get from beating them... This isn't because they're hard but because they're damage sponges.

Oh, and when you get to a certain point in the game it becomes just a irritating grind of fighting a couple of guardians for random drops, spamming a timeskip for a blood moon and then fighting them again. Repeat until enough random drops are obtained for guardian armour.
And the fact that the game gives you the most powerful shield right at the end of the game, hidden behind one of the easiest fights in the game. The skeletal hinox is a joke compared to regular ones.

[Seraphim]

that's my sentiment about BoTW. That huge world often feels lifeless and boring. I find myself riding a horse from A to B and at the best finding 1 encampment w/ a chest and 1 shrine across miles of world. Don't get me wrong, BoTW is great but having additional enemies throughout the world would have done wonders. As it sits BoTW feels morel ike a blank canvas than a game world. Having a big open world only works when you utilize the space between. HZD was perfect in that regard. Between A and B you were constantly coming across machines to kill, a side quest, collecting materials, exploring a cave, etc. The world never felt small, too big or boring. Not to say HZD should or is GoTY either. Though BoTW or HZD or many other games like Nier, Nioh, etc could be.

[SierraGuy]

This is why open world sucks. It always has and always will suck.

[Uken12]

The world isn't lifeless and boring at all. Most gamers understand that the climbing is done extremely well and balanced, it also adds more depth to the game. I think the problem is that you are being a pessimist on the game. Counting the negatives way more than the positives.

Most of your complaints are laughable.

Shrines feel detached from the world? And repeat themselves? Ok the only shrines that are actually repeated are the Guardian Fights. Otherwise every shrine is different and can be beaten in many ways. Also complaining that they have a Consistent style is just nitpicking and preference. Also entitlement. From a design perspective in makes sense. Look at any ancient architecture and design in our world, it is all consistent in look. Which is why it worlds and fits perfect with the world.

The Koholint Island Challenge you mention, I would consider that a dungeon. Just because it's an isolated Island doesn't mean it isn't designed like a dungeon experience. Which it was. And you can either do it with many hearts or three. Which is very challenging with 3 hearts.

How are you breaking more weapons on a Lynel? First of all you should ALWAYS start a fight with the master sword, because it recharges. Once it loses charge you switch to a different weapon. You probably won't break your weapon on one Lynel in this case. Also Attack armor? Attack Potions or Food? You could have +6 attack.
Not to mention Lynels drop the most powerful Bows in the game and weapons period. So you are losing one for the best. And if you are smart you only fight Lynels with a 3 shot bow or higher. Use the Stasis.

Also you had to farm for guardian armor? Dude wtf were you doing? I never had a problem having enough for the armor.

You can actually get the most powerful Shield anytime you want. And honestly use Korok Seeds. It is so easy to collect them and add to your stock. It's not hard to collect weapons and shields.

One last note, every game has flaws. EVERY GAME. Even the best games have huge flaws but they are so enjoyable that it does't really matter to many. I can see that you don't think it is GOTY but c'mon dude your complaints don't hold up.

I think the real problems are that the Bosses to the dungeons are weak. Really easy and the fact that they aren't themed to each animal and just some blight Ganon thing, very disappointing but not horrible. I liked the dungeons but i don't think they are great or special. The Camel was the most interesting and challenging. No enemies in the dungeons except trash enemies. And the dungeons felt very small.
Not enough variety in enemies. They need things like Darknuts, Iron Knuckles and the such.

Also more castle type dungeon experiences.

But I think it would be better if these things were addressed in a sequel. If the first attempt at this new type of Zelda was this good, it just gives more room to make an even better sequel.

[Snez]

The camera and throwbacks to older games are fine. What isn't fine is how easy the game is and that coins respawn when you die.
In fact because of this, some challenges you'll actually gain money even from falling at the first obstacle, simply because they put more than 10 coins at the start.

The final 500 moon challenge is wonderfully difficult, but since moons feel useless even when you do a difficult challenge the reward doesn't really feel justified when you could have gotten more moons in less time from simply talking to someone, ground pounding a shiny hill and jumping on top of a roof.

Because of open world the levels are boring. They're initially fun but that magic quickly runs out when instead of doing engaging platforming you're running around a map 500 times looking for a plant pot to place the seed in... And when most tasks you do are just repeats from previous worlds.

Also it's never mentioned but the soundtrack can get really bad at times. That music during the tank sections of night time New Donk City? It's bloody awful.
And yes, the boss recycling is extremely lazy. You fight at least every boss twice if you want every moon. The rabbits? Three times each. This wouldn't be so bad if the way to beat them wasn't exactly the same each time, and their attacks are the same each time just with one more hat attached.

Persona 5 is GOTY, Sonic Mania is best 2D platformer 2017. Though Mario Odyssey can take best 3D platformer 2017.

[Jinger]

The easy difficulty, the simplistic idea of finding a moon around every corner, the repeated side missions for each world, repeated bosses and bad boss design are all dragging this game down.

Gaining a moon literally means nothing because you can get 30+ of them without even really searching hard.

+ I like the level ideas
+ It's cute
+ Plays well
+ I like Cappy and controlling various characters
- Too easy
- Repetitive
- Bad bosses
- Not rewarding while collecting moons

[Snez]

Controlling Mario with cappy is the best it's ever been. This is even better than using FLUDD and that's saying something.
But you have nothing to actually use his amazing moveset on outside of maybe one or two challenges?

[Last_Boss]

The boss thing is a huge reason both Mario Galaxies will never be stellar to me. This is why Zelda or Mario will never be 10/10 games, just by that merit alone. Nintendo definitely utilizes the gimmicks & abilities fantastically, by if there is no challenge to put what you've earned to the test, then I'm sorry. Go back and look at how cool Skyward Sword retained that, even with it's small hub world.

[Uken12]

@Jinger
Agreed. Collecting 900 moons is boring and it makes each area become boring to where you don't want to play it again. Most of the worlds are small. Some stand out but aren't really breathtaking or memorable.

@Last_Boss
I agree with you on Mario (Only after Mario 64) but not Zelda bro. Zelda64 had great battles. Windwaker had great battles. Twilight Princess had some of awesome battles. I thought Skyward Sword was awful and quit 1/4 way through that chore. Breath of the Wild Ganon is pretty good if you fight him off the bat lol. Otherwise he is anticlimactic with the ease.

One last note, Mario 3D World's last levels are challenging as hell. Especially Champions Road.

[Last_Boss]

@Uken

I agree with you 100% I actually should've have stated that too. Sunshine had the first variety, but the bosses were ok. Zelda was magical until Skyward Sword, and you could see awkwardness in some of the designs. It still had heart. I also heard those final levels were ridiculous, and I like that type of stuff.

[Instantnoodles88]

I agree. Mario Odyssey is overqualified to be just called Game Of The Year. It deserves a more fitting title, such as Game Of The Decade.

[Jinger]

Nah. Its a great game, but it definitely has its flaws.

[ForeverTheGoat]

Just like every game, doesn’t mean it can’t be that.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

That'd be The Last of Us

[Jinger]

Also false

[AirJohnston]

I’ll throw an agree your way on this

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Actually The Last of Us isn't the best game of the last decade. To me, it's the best game of all time with Life is Strange following at #2.

[Jinger]

@Solid

Okay now i know you're trolling... Life is Strange? Wtf?

[Yui_Suzumiya]

No, I'm serious.. I absolutely love Life is Strange. Maybe not #2 of my all time favorites but definitely in the top 10. I'd probably put Snatcher, BioShock, Portal 2 and Soma ahead of it at least.

[Uken12]

Sorry bud but Dark Souls came out in 2011.

[gangsta_red]

I bet a Luigi expansion will be coming like the did before.

[Seraphim]

at this point it wouldn't surprise me. BoTW DLC, Xenoblade 2 DLC. I bought a Switch thinking Nintendo was still following the sacred rules of video games. Release a finished and final product. Guess the times are changing even for Nintendo.

[kevnb]

their games dont feel unfinished at all though, I dont mind dlc coming out for finished games like BoTW and Witcher 3.

[Prince_TFK]

Almost every other outlets say otherwise with their score of the game. So...?

[Jinger]

I was hyped initially also, but that nostalgia and hype is dying the more I'm playing and I'm seeing more of its flaws.

[Prince_TFK]

My only flaw is that each worlds are abit too small. Other than that, I'm loving everything about this game. It is pure fun.

[PhoenixUp]

No Luigi in a modern mainline Super Mario title is a huge sin

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Prey
The Evil Within II
Call of Duty: WWII
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
Resident Evil VII: Biohazard
Get Even

There's 10 reasons alone

[Jinger]

Get Even? Really tho?

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Been waiting years for that one!

[Elda]

Mario looks really fun but goty is a stretch platforming goty or Nintendo goty..yes!

[sk8ofmnd]

Yeah i agree with this article... There are 3rd party games that are doing much more than botw and mo... Let alone the heavy hitters sony released. Persona 5 and nioh easilly beat mario odyssey imo

[bluefox755]

I agree. I just don't understand the hype. It just doesn't live up to the gold standard set by Mario games of the past. Persona 5 is my GOTY, it's been years since I've put over 100 hours into a game without getting bored enough to take a few days or weeks off from it.

[Last_Boss]

I'm still going to pick a copy up, when I snag my Switch. In complete honesty, games have gone downhill just in part of bad boss fights.