Its my annual GOTY thread time ! 2025 edition

Split Fiction for me!

Enjoyed Arc a lot this year, same with Ghost of Yotei (although I accept not a PC) - but Split Fiction was a really enjoyable game, great story, really great looking game and just a bit different to what I normally play and enjoy!
 
Another vote for Clair Obscur. For me, I enjoy the mechanics of JRPGs, but I'm absolutely repulsed by the incel-creepizoid arrested-development art, dialogue and story they normally have. I'm a grown-a££ man and they gross me out normally just seeing the ads for them. Having a well-written, poignant, adult story and dialogue with exceptional art allowed me to enjoy a game with these mechanics. The VA and attention to detail is exceptional, and it really pushes the point that games can be art.

KKD2 is as good as Expedition 33, and I absolutely loved it. But it didn't exceed as many expectations and wasn't as novel. Still, an amazing game that is one of my favourite RPGs in the past five years.
 
Borsch said:
I'm not a historian, but some random dude on youtube says otherwise :p
@1:01
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I suspect he's thinking of great swords such as Zweilhanders that used weight more than cutting to cause damage.

There are some instances of swords like that being used as anti-cavalry or for breaking pike formations with heavily armoured knights, but by and large they were show pieces vs pikes/spears for obvious reasons.

Swords in of themselves were rarely used as actual weapons of war and more as secondary weapons, very wealthy types did use them but despite how much Hollywood likes to claim it's hard to beat a pointy stick or one with a heavy weight on the end.
 
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Coolasmoo said:
27 - Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
26 - Arc Raiders

Who is going to win this race!
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Its the battle of the ages , opposites at war ! The game which came out at the start of the year against the game which came out toward the end of the year, the cerebral RPG vs the shooter, the PvE game vs the PvP game, the single player game vs the multiplayer game. Forget Paul vs Joshua, THIS is the fight ! :D
 
Brb, buying arc raiders.

Squadron 42 might be my GOTY for 2026 because it's definitely being released next year.
 
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I think there's something lost on those decrying Expedition 33 for cleaning up at the awards, Award organizations like this, if they are well run, aren't just handing out trophies for the best game. They're handing out trophies for games that are excellent AND fulfill the a message that that organisation is a) reflecting what the audience wants in the industry, and b) is trying to send to the industry on what is expect from it going forward.

KKD2 may be the better game (which I'd agree with to a point), but it isn't as poignant a message that for a game to be excellent, it needs to push the envelope in creativity, art design, original story, dialogue and VA. In other words, it doesn't juxtapose the negative trends the industry has put forward as strongly over past years: lack of creativity, monetisation, repetition etc

I'd even venture to guess that if you asked many of those who voted for Expedition 33 across category would in fact say that KKD2 is the better game. But it's not the one that should win the GOTY award.

In any case, I consider it a banner year when people are arguing so passionately about which game is best out of what nearly everyone would say is a cadre of amazing games.
 
harmattan said:
I think there's something lost on those decrying Expedition 33 for cleaning up at the awards, Award organizations like this, if they are well run, aren't just handing out trophies for the best game. They're handing out trophies for games that are excellent AND fulfill the a message that that organisation is a) reflecting what the audience wants in the industry, and b) is trying to send to the industry on what is expect from it going forward.

KKD2 may be the better game (which I'd agree with to a point), but it isn't as poignant a message that for a game to be excellent, it needs to push the envelope in creativity, art design, original story, dialogue and VA. In other words, it doesn't juxtapose the negative trends the industry has put forward as strongly over past years: lack of creativity, monetisation, repetition etc

I'd even venture to guess that if you asked many of those who voted for Expedition 33 across category would in fact say that KKD2 is the better game. But it's not the one that should win the GOTY award.

In any case, I consider it a banner year when people are arguing so passionately about which game is best out of what nearly everyone would say is a cadre of amazing games.
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I don't really agree that kcd isn't pushing the envelope. At least for the first, I felt it had pushed the genre in every single way, with story telling, progession, world building etc
 
Not that it makes any difference to the overall running but Dome Keeper > Ball x Pit for me now. It's a fantastic little game that has much more longevity as it's bloody hard! :D
 
ic1male said:
Not that it makes any difference to the overall running but Dome Keeper > Ball x Pit for me now. It's a fantastic little game that has much more longevity as it's bloody hard! :D
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Thats ok, Ball X Pit qualifies for the tally whereas Dome Keeper came out 3 years ago, so Ball X Pit can stay on there for you :)
 
The Séance of Blake Manor.

For me and the missus it was more enjoyable than Blue Prince and third on our all time list of indie titles after The Return of the Obra Din and Disco Elysium.
Highly recommended.
 
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