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[Aaron D.]

Man Jeff is trying to lump every Nintendo release as a "type" of game that consumers only love if they already love that shit. It a whole bunch of genres he is cramming together intentionally

Eh, I kind of agree with him. Most Nintendo IPs share a common tone. Not all, but most. Esp. if you're looking at it from the outside. And that tone will resonate with some just as it will turn off others, like Jeff. One can recognize quality and still determine that something in not for them, which is how I feel about Nintendo 1st party at this point.

Obviously if you dive deep into their catalog you'll quickly parse out the nuances that differentiate Mario 3D World from Mario Kart 8 or Super Smash Bros. But from a more cursory global view they share a similar theme, look and tone that makes them all feel similar. And that "samey" Nintendo world building will either resonate with you or it won't.

The same thing happens in all types of entertainment and enthusiast genres. The more invested one is, but more sophisticated their knowledge of the finer details. While conversely, those not invested have a generalized one-note interpretation.

I'm not into animated movies from Pixar, Dreamworks, etc. but I recognize their quality. They're simply not for me. And quite frankly, if you asked me, I'd generally say that they all look the same. But a fan would be quick to point out just how disparate Shrek is from WALL-E. And they'd be right. But the truth is that I'm not invested enough in the whole thing to care, so I just take a cursory glance at the media and make broad assumptions.

That's what we all do. No one has time to pour over every detail about every subject. Even in the microcosm of gaming there are so many sub-genres that it's difficult to keep up with them all in a learned manner. I could tell you hyper-details about the ins & outs, good & bad in the Vehicle Simulation genre. It's what I'm into. I imagine most couldn't. I'm sure Mundane Vehicle Sims look like boring s**t to most. That's okay. Not everything is going to resonate with everyone. But I do recognize that it's a wildly diverse genre in spite of looking one-note to most.

So in a roundabout way I totally get where Jeff is coming from. Nintendo's core IPs & cast generally do share similar themes and tones, esp. when we're talking Mario Universe. Sure Mario Party is different than Mario 3D World. But if you're not into the aesthetic to begin with, that won't matter too much.

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with this. If it doesn't speak to us, it doesn't speak to us. That's not a value judgement, it's simply a personal taste assessment. I think if more people understood this, there'd be far less ire in online communities.

 

[toastyToast]

I went into Mordor with a fairly open mind. I was having a good enough time and then the game called for me to brand 5 war chiefs. Did that and now I get the feeling I've seen all there is to see. Is there more to it? Are people surprised at the amount of dialog because mechanically, Nemesis doesn't seem that amazing so far.

 

[Mesoian]

You were there? How was it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hkiRXQ4AbM

I'm the one on stage with the dreads.

That was, easily, top 5 parties I've ever been to.

 

[KorrZ]

I went into Mordor with a fairly open mind. I was having a good enough time and then the game called for me to brand 5 war chiefs. Did that and now I get the feeling I've seen all there is to see. Is there more to it? Are people surprised at the amount of dialog because mechanically, Nemesis doesn't seem that amazing so far.

If you're actually at the brand 5 warchiefs and not "kill 5 warchiefs" that's basically the end of the game. So yeah, that really is all there is left to the Nemesis system once you unlock the branding.

 

[bigwinnerx]

I've only played a little of the game, but, it's killing 4 warchiefs since you've placed someone in the top group of 5 yourself.

 

[Mesoian]

I've only played a little of the game, but, it's killing 4 warchiefs since you've placed someone in the top group of 5 yourself.

There are multiple sets of warcheifs.

My end game was just having a complete board of controlled captains and warchiefs, because after that happens, who cares.

 

[chaobreaker]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hkiRXQ4AbM

I'm the one on stage with the dreads.

That was, easily, top 5 parties I've ever been to.

So it was some sponsored event by Activision? What was the GB crew doing there?

Spoiler

Are you actually that tall or is that camera playing tricks on my eyes?

 

[Mesoian]

So it was some sponsored event by Activision? What was the GB crew doing there?

Spoiler

Are you actually that tall or is that camera playing tricks on my eyes?

It was the Harmonix/Giant Bomb prepax party, I think sponsered by Harmonix themselves. We bought tickets, but it was open bar. I was BLASTED by the end of that night, those beers were HUGE.

Ugh, so much fun. I will go to every Giant Bomb party because of the fun I had at this one.

And I think I'm standing on a speaker, I don't quite remember.

 

[toastyToast]

If you're actually at the brand 5 warchiefs and not "kill 5 warchiefs" that's basically the end of the game. So yeah, that really is all there is left to the Nemesis system once you unlock the branding.

What the fuck? Lmao

My completion is 33%. It took maybe a couple hours to completely hijack the second map. I can't believe this. I didn't even really do anything.

 

[spyder_ur]

No way he's getting Sunset anywhere with both Jeff and Vinny disliking it though. GOTY will come down to the game that most of the crew are at least "OK" with, which will almost certainly be Mordor.

Giant Bomb's Horse Trading Least Non-Acceptable OK Game of the Year

Yup, that's the way I see it going. It's how it was last year too; I remember during the final talks there was barely one good thing said about TLoU gameplay, yes in the end it was just kind of accepted. That was weird.

 

[Phediuk]

Any predictions for Worst Game of 2014?

Rambo and Sonic Boom will be in the discussion, I'd bet.

 

[Grisby]

Super Time Force on the most disappointing list?

Jeff is out Jeff-ing himself here.

And no Sunset Overdrive for best looking? Most colorful game this year.

 

[Phediuk]

Eh, I kind of agree with him. Most Nintendo IPs share a common tone. Not all, but most. Esp. if you're looking at it from the outside. And that tone will resonate with some just as it will turn off others, like Jeff. One can recognize quality and still determine that something in not for them, which is how I feel about Nintendo 1st party at this point.

Obviously if you dive deep into their catalog you'll quickly parse out the nuances that differentiate Mario 3D World from Mario Kart 8 or Super Smash Bros. But from a more cursory global view they share a similar theme, look and tone that makes them all feel similar. And that "samey" Nintendo world building will either resonate with you or it won't.

The same thing happens in all types of entertainment and enthusiast genres. The more invested one is, but more sophisticated their knowledge of the finer details. While conversely, those not invested have a generalized one-note interpretation.

I'm not into animated movies from Pixar, Dreamworks, etc. but I recognize their quality. They're simply not for me. And quite frankly, if you asked me, I'd generally say that they all look the same. But a fan would be quick to point out just how disparate Shrek is from WALL-E. And they'd be right. But the truth is that I'm not invested enough in the whole thing to care, so I just take a cursory glance at the media and make broad assumptions.

That's what we all do. No one has time to pour over every detail about every subject. Even in the microcosm of gaming there are so many sub-genres that it's difficult to keep up with them all in a learned manner. I could tell you hyper-details about the ins & outs, good & bad in the Vehicle Simulation genre. It's what I'm into. I imagine most couldn't. I'm sure Mundane Vehicle Sims look like boring s**t to most. That's okay. Not everything is going to resonate with everyone. But I do recognize that it's a wildly diverse genre in spite of looking one-note to most.

So in a roundabout way I totally get where Jeff is coming from. Nintendo's core IPs & cast generally do share similar themes and tones, esp. when we're talking Mario Universe. Sure Mario Party is different than Mario 3D World. But if you're not into the aesthetic to begin with, that won't matter too much.

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with this. If it doesn't speak to us, it doesn't speak to us. That's not a value judgement, it's simply a personal taste assessment. I think if more people understood this, there'd be far less ire in online communities.

I feel exactly the same way as you, and I'm glad, because our opinion is like the antithesis of the near-religious reverence for Nintendo in the gaming community. I see topics like debates over which 3D Zelda game is the best and I just can't bring myself to care at all. Nintendo is good at what they do, but their franchises just don't excite me at all anymore and they haven't since the 90s. I'll probably get a Wii U at some point, but it'll be pretty much exclusively for Bayonetta 2 and Zombi U. I don't have anything against Nintendo--there's a high level of craftmanship in almost all of their games--but those games, as you said, simply do not speak to me.

 

[nobodyshero]

Super Time Force on the most disappointing list?

Jeff is out Jeff-ing himself here.

And no Sunset Overdrive for best looking? Most colorful game this year.

Sunset is too grating and Generation X-ish to be a contender. Mario Kart and Bayonetta had the colorful boxes checked.

 

[KorrZ]

What the fuck? Lmao

My completion is 33%. It took maybe a couple hours to completely hijack the second map. I can't believe this. I didn't even really do anything.

Yeah, the main story is not very long or very good at all. It's really all about how much fun you can get out of the sandbox gameplay messing with the Nemesis system.

 

[Phediuk]

Yeah, the main story is not very long or very good at all. It's really all about how much fun you can get out of the sandbox gameplay messing with the Nemesis system.

To be fair, just about every review is clear that the nemesis system is the main draw of the game, in the same way that, say, the cover system was in the original Gears of War. It's the kind of thing that would make a lot of other games play better.

 

[KorrZ]

To be fair, just about every review is clear that the nemesis system is the main draw of the game, in the same way that, say, the cover system was in the original Gears of War. It's the kind of thing that would make a lot of other games play better.

For sure, I enjoyed Mordor quite a lot for what it is. I'm just saying, if you went in expecting a great story and robust campaign then you'll be really disappointed. They hyped up the story pre-release so that was definitely a disappointing aspect.

 

[erawsd]

Yup, that's the way I see it going. It's how it was last year too; I remember during the final talks there was barely one good thing said about TLoU gameplay, yes in the end it was just kind of accepted. That was weird.

They barely talked about TLOU last year. Jeff was the only one that didnt think it should take GOTY and he put up no resistance. This year it seems like everyone really enjoys Mordor and its at/near the top of every list so far. Despite what folks here may think, those duders really enjoy Mordor.

 

[sproutella]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hkiRXQ4AbM

I'm the one on stage with the dreads.

That was, easily, top 5 parties I've ever been to.

Ha, I'm in that too, I'm the guy in blue picking up the balloons at the beginning. I bought brad like 2 beers that night after the open bar ended. Fun night, hope they have a good meetup thing for East this year.

 

[Grisby]

Sunset is too grating and Generation X-ish to be a contender. Mario Kart and Bayonetta had the colorful boxes checked.

i don't agree about the grating comment but I'm not looking to change people's opinions on the humor (which I think should be fine,say, if you're into Saints Row).

Mario Kart looked great, but Sunset blows Bayonetta out of the water in color and world design. For me, outside of Bagonetta's opening city levels I thought the rest of it was a little drab color wise.

 

[Ventilaator]

My "Fuck this shit" moment with Shadow of Mordor was when the mission was to brand a warchief. The process takes a moment, which means that other enemies can knock you out of the animation. I had grabbed the warchief, but there were a million regular guys around me. I was next to a VERY SMALL cliff, so I figured I'll be super tactical about this and throw the warchief down there, so I'd have enough time to brand him before the other orcs have climbed down.

The warchief immediately died from the fall.

So like...what's the point. Why would I track down the warchief's bodyguards one by one to turn them to my side, if I could just sprint straight to the warchief and like...cough at him?

 

[Bacon]

Jeff excluding Hearthstone was the one time I really wished Alex actually would have stood up for his opinion. It seems like after every single statement he makes on a game he immediately follows up with, "but if no one else is with me then I'll concede"

 

[rudds]

Eh, I kind of agree with him. Most Nintendo IPs share a common tone. Not all, but most. Esp. if you're looking at it from the outside. And that tone will resonate with some just as it will turn off others, like Jeff. One can recognize quality and still determine that something in not for them, which is how I feel about Nintendo 1st party at this point.

Obviously if you dive deep into their catalog you'll quickly parse out the nuances that differentiate Mario 3D World from Mario Kart 8 or Super Smash Bros. But from a more cursory global view they share a similar theme, look and tone that makes them all feel similar. And that "samey" Nintendo world building will either resonate with you or it won't.

The same thing happens in all types of entertainment and enthusiast genres. The more invested one is, but more sophisticated their knowledge of the finer details. While conversely, those not invested have a generalized one-note interpretation.

I'm not into animated movies from Pixar, Dreamworks, etc. but I recognize their quality. They're simply not for me. And quite frankly, if you asked me, I'd generally say that they all look the same. But a fan would be quick to point out just how disparate Shrek is from WALL-E. And they'd be right. But the truth is that I'm not invested enough in the whole thing to care, so I just take a cursory glance at the media and make broad assumptions.

That's what we all do. No one has time to pour over every detail about every subject. Even in the microcosm of gaming there are so many sub-genres that it's difficult to keep up with them all in a learned manner. I could tell you hyper-details about the ins & outs, good & bad in the Vehicle Simulation genre. It's what I'm into. I imagine most couldn't. I'm sure Mundane Vehicle Sims look like boring s**t to most. That's okay. Not everything is going to resonate with everyone. But I do recognize that it's a wildly diverse genre in spite of looking one-note to most.

So in a roundabout way I totally get where Jeff is coming from. Nintendo's core IPs & cast generally do share similar themes and tones, esp. when we're talking Mario Universe. Sure Mario Party is different than Mario 3D World. But if you're not into the aesthetic to begin with, that won't matter too much.

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with this. If it doesn't speak to us, it doesn't speak to us. That's not a value judgement, it's simply a personal taste assessment. I think if more people understood this, there'd be far less ire in online communities.

This is a Very Good Post.

 

[Vire]

I disagree completely about Mordor doing things better than its competitors.

The combat isn't as good as Batman and the traversal isn't as good as Assassin's Creed. With Batman I felt compelled to do every challenge room and really master the intricacies of everything. Similarly, the world is a flat barren wasteland that just isn't that fun to climb around by comparison to the grand architecture in Paris.

It's a jack of all trades and master of none. Combine that with the absolutely atrocious storyline that bastardizes the Lord of The Rings universe and the insulting final boss fight and I just don't the game really is all that great.

The love for the thing just kinda baffles me.

 

[Phediuk]

Jeff excluding Hearthstone was the one time I really wished Alex actually would have stood up for his opinion. It seems like after every single statement he makes on a game he immediately follows up with, "but if no one else is with me then I'll concede"

Personally, I don't think Shadow of Mordor or Hearthstone should have been in that category. Mordor is not a "new IP" no matter which way you slice it; LOTR is a licensed property that has had many previous games. Given that their definition of the "Best Debut" is "New IP without the business-speak", their criteria for inclusion were just weird.

 

[nobodyshero]

Personally, I don't think Shadow of Mordor or Hearthstone should have been in that category. Mordor is not a "new IP" no matter which way you slice it; LOTR is a licensed property that has had many previous games. Given that their definition of the "Best Debut" is "New IP without the business-speak", their criteria for inclusion were just weird.

Their criteria for inclusion were what Jeff made up on the spot, including his personal biases.

 

[Vire]

Jeff excluding Hearthstone was the one time I really wished Alex actually would have stood up for his opinion. It seems like after every single statement he makes on a game he immediately follows up with, "but if no one else is with me then I'll concede"

Lord of The Rings has literally a bazillion other games using the same franchise/license.

Makes zero sense why that was included and Hearthstone wasn't. Also, I'm confused as to why "Best Exclusives" was limited to consoles, anyone who has been paying attention this year would know that iOS has had one of the strongest years in terms of exclusives, especially when compared to something like PS4. (Hitman Go, Kingdom Rush Origins, Crossy Road, Framed, Monument Valley, 80 Days, Desert Golf, Threes etc.)

 

[tchocky]

Eh, I kind of agree with him. Most Nintendo IPs share a common tone. Not all, but most. Esp. if you're looking at it from the outside. And that tone will resonate with some just as it will turn off others, like Jeff. One can recognize quality and still determine that something in not for them, which is how I feel about Nintendo 1st party at this point.

Obviously if you dive deep into their catalog you'll quickly parse out the nuances that differentiate Mario 3D World from Mario Kart 8 or Super Smash Bros. But from a more cursory global view they share a similar theme, look and tone that makes them all feel similar. And that "samey" Nintendo world building will either resonate with you or it won't.

The same thing happens in all types of entertainment and enthusiast genres. The more invested one is, but more sophisticated their knowledge of the finer details. While conversely, those not invested have a generalized one-note interpretation.

I'm not into animated movies from Pixar, Dreamworks, etc. but I recognize their quality. They're simply not for me. And quite frankly, if you asked me, I'd generally say that they all look the same. But a fan would be quick to point out just how disparate Shrek is from WALL-E. And they'd be right. But the truth is that I'm not invested enough in the whole thing to care, so I just take a cursory glance at the media and make broad assumptions.

That's what we all do. No one has time to pour over every detail about every subject. Even in the microcosm of gaming there are so many sub-genres that it's difficult to keep up with them all in a learned manner. I could tell you hyper-details about the ins & outs, good & bad in the Vehicle Simulation genre. It's what I'm into. I imagine most couldn't. I'm sure Mundane Vehicle Sims look like boring s**t to most. That's okay. Not everything is going to resonate with everyone. But I do recognize that it's a wildly diverse genre in spite of looking one-note to most.

So in a roundabout way I totally get where Jeff is coming from. Nintendo's core IPs & cast generally do share similar themes and tones, esp. when we're talking Mario Universe. Sure Mario Party is different than Mario 3D World. But if you're not into the aesthetic to begin with, that won't matter too much.

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with this. If it doesn't speak to us, it doesn't speak to us. That's not a value judgement, it's simply a personal taste assessment. I think if more people understood this, there'd be far less ire in online communities.

The difference between you and Brad and Jeff is you admit Pixar movies have quality but you are just not into it, whereas Brad and Jeff outright dismiss MK, Smash 3d world and will not listen to people who have played those games extensively (Patrick/Alex/Dan) and will just say "oh its just the same game again".

 

[Nestunt]

Eh, I kind of agree with him. Most Nintendo IPs share a common tone. Not all, but most. Esp. if you're looking at it from the outside. And that tone will resonate with some just as it will turn off others, like Jeff. One can recognize quality and still determine that something in not for them, which is how I feel about Nintendo 1st party at this point.

Obviously if you dive deep into their catalog you'll quickly parse out the nuances that differentiate Mario 3D World from Mario Kart 8 or Super Smash Bros. But from a more cursory global view they share a similar theme, look and tone that makes them all feel similar. And that "samey" Nintendo world building will either resonate with you or it won't.

The same thing happens in all types of entertainment and enthusiast genres. The more invested one is, but more sophisticated their knowledge of the finer details. While conversely, those not invested have a generalized one-note interpretation.

I'm not into animated movies from Pixar, Dreamworks, etc. but I recognize their quality. They're simply not for me. And quite frankly, if you asked me, I'd generally say that they all look the same. But a fan would be quick to point out just how disparate Shrek is from WALL-E. And they'd be right. But the truth is that I'm not invested enough in the whole thing to care, so I just take a cursory glance at the media and make broad assumptions.

That's what we all do. No one has time to pour over every detail about every subject. Even in the microcosm of gaming there are so many sub-genres that it's difficult to keep up with them all in a learned manner. I could tell you hyper-details about the ins & outs, good & bad in the Vehicle Simulation genre. It's what I'm into. I imagine most couldn't. I'm sure Mundane Vehicle Sims look like boring s**t to most. That's okay. Not everything is going to resonate with everyone. But I do recognize that it's a wildly diverse genre in spite of looking one-note to most.

So in a roundabout way I totally get where Jeff is coming from. Nintendo's core IPs & cast generally do share similar themes and tones, esp. when we're talking Mario Universe. Sure Mario Party is different than Mario 3D World. But if you're not into the aesthetic to begin with, that won't matter too much.

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with this. If it doesn't speak to us, it doesn't speak to us. That's not a value judgement, it's simply a personal taste assessment. I think if more people understood this, there'd be far less ire in online communities.

completely agree

I'd love to like them. The controls seem so fun

but after many years with SNES, 64, Gamecube. I cant put up anymore with those characters and artstyle. They both lack depth. That I could forgive years ago due to controls. Nowadays I look for something different in the games I play. For example, I hate the general tropes of zombies or westerns, but I loved Red Dead and TLOU

 

[RE_Player]

Their criteria for inclusion were what Jeff made up on the spot, including his personal biases.

Pretty much.

 

[CosmicQueso]

Sunset is too grating and Generation X-ish to be a contender.

What?

It can't be best looking because Generation X?

Can you please elaborate on this...

 

[TheBaronOfNA]

The difference between you and Brad and Jeff is you admit Pixar movies have quality but you are just not into it, whereas Brad and Jeff outright dismiss MK, Smash 3d world and will not listen to people who have played those games extensively (Patrick/Alex/Dan) and will just say "oh its just the same game again".

Jeff did say that smash was a quality product in the last podcast.

 

[Noray]

I wanna run something by people re: Destiny, because I feel like Jeff is out of his goddamn mind / coming from a weird place regarding that game's expectations.

As a non-Bungie superfan, the only times I saw Destiny was basically at big keynotes at E3 and such. I didn't watch/see many trailers, I don't follow vidocs, I'm talking like, big mainstream Destiny coverage. All I saw of it was the stage presentations, and it looked nice, but at no point did I get the sense that Bungie were promising THE BEST GAME EVERRRR or whatever Jeff says they were doing. So when Destiny came out, for me, it was kind of a nice surprise: Not the best game ever, but it did some really neat, innovate cross-genre stuff, it looks amazing and the gunplay is terrific. Sure, it's light on content, but even so you can easily play it for 100 hours if you're into loot games before you exhaust all the content, which isn't bad for such a novel thing, and a lot more than I get out of most games.

If it's not for you, it's not for you, but I never got the sense that Destiny was buzzed to be The Best Thing Ever. And really, if you're letting your expectations get set by the PR Hype Machine to that extent, I feel like you're a sucker, and you should know better, especially if you're Jeff Gerstmann, with all his industry experience. And ESPECIALLY with how cagey Bungie was being with showing gameplay before launch, that should've been a sign for someone like Jeff not to expect the best. I feel like he's not calling Destiny most disappointing game of the year, but he's calling Bungie's marketing Most Overzealous Marketing of the year, you know?

Thoughts?

 

[chaobreaker]

What?

It can't be best looking because Generation X?

Can you please elaborate on this...

The general edgy in-your-face attitude the game has, methinks.

EDIT: Which has nothing to do with it being a gorgeous looking game, though.

 

[Draft]

Hearthstone basically defined mobile gaming in 2014 so I dunno maybe get it right next time Giant Bomb.

 

[dimb]

Hearthstone basically defined mobile gaming in 2014 so I dunno maybe get it right next time Giant Bomb.

It's not really even a mobile game though.

 

[Dragon]

i don't agree about the grating comment but I'm not looking to change people's opinions on the humor (which I think should be fine,say, if you're into Saints Row).

Mario Kart looked great, but Sunset blows Bayonetta out of the water in color and world design. For me, outside of Bagonetta's opening city levels I thought the rest of it was a little drab color wise.

I haven't listened to their reasoning but Infamous and Drive club not being up there are just as mystifying based on posts I've read in this thread.

 

[Vire]

I wanna run something by people re: Destiny, because I feel like Jeff is out of his goddamn mind / coming from a weird place regarding that game's expectations.

As a non-Bungie superfan, the only times I saw Destiny was basically at big keynotes at E3 and such. I didn't watch/see many trailers, I don't follow vidocs, I'm talking like, big mainstream Destiny coverage. All I saw of it was the stage presentations, and it looked nice, but at no point did I get the sense that Bungie were promising THE BEST GAME EVERRRR or whatever Jeff says they were doing. So when Destiny came out, for me, it was kind of a nice surprise: Not the best game ever, but it did some really neat, innovate cross-genre stuff, it looks amazing and the gunplay is terrific. Sure, it's light on content, but even so you can easily play it for 100 hours if you're into loot games before you exhaust all the content, which isn't bad for such a novel thing, and a lot more than I get out of most games.

If it's not for you, it's not for you, but I never got the sense that Destiny was buzzed to be The Best Thing Ever. And really, if you're letting your expectations get set by the PR Hype Machine to that extent, I feel like you're a sucker, and you should know better, especially if you're Jeff Gerstmann, with all his industry experience. And ESPECIALLY with how cagey Bungie was being with showing gameplay before launch, that should've been a sign for someone like Jeff not to expect the best. I feel like he's not calling Destiny most disappointing game of the year, but he's calling Bungie's marketing Most Overzealous Marketing of the year, you know?

Thoughts?

There are reasons to have those expectations though. This is the first new franchise from the people who created Halo in ten plus years. (One of the most revered console shooters of all time) Let that sink in for a second. Combine that with the fact that this had one of the largest production budgets in the history of the medium and that Bungie had been working on it for close to four years and you'll realize why it's not hard to see why expectations were sky high.

Hearthstone basically defined mobile gaming in 2014 so I dunno maybe get it right next time Giant Bomb.

I fucking hate trading card games and Hearthstone is probably the game I played most this entire year. If a game can make you enjoy a genre that you normally wouldn't be interested in, it definitely deserves to be recognized. Much more so than a game that apes all of its ideas in better games.

I had similar feelings about racing games until Burnout 3 came along and that changed everything for me. Then I branched out and went onto play the Project Gotham series, Forza and many others.

 

[Moofers]

Can we get a recap of each day in the OP? I am still just listening to Day Two, but I've already forgotten who won one of the categories in Day One.

 

[SuperSonic1305]

It's not really even a mobile game though.

That's why it's the best mobile game.

 

[TheBaronOfNA]

In the Swery list he mentioned that he appreciated the localization of Infamous Second Son, and I actually remembered how much I like the voice acting and the cutscenes.

Is a shame that game is dismissed so easily but then I'm not the only one with a game not in GOTY lists.

 

[tchocky]

Can we get a recap of each day in the OP? I am still just listening to Day Two, but I've already forgotten who won one of the categories in Day One.

Click the day 1 link under articles.

 

[Noray]

Can we get a recap of each day in the OP? I am still just listening to Day Two, but I've already forgotten who won one of the categories in Day One.

There are text recaps of each day's winners on the site.

There are reasons to have those expectations though. This is the first new franchise from the people who created Halo in ten plus years. (One of the most revered console shooters of all time) Let that sink in for a second. Combine that with the fact that this had one of the largest production budgets in the history of the medium and that Bungie had been working on it for close to four years and you'll realize why it's not hard to see why expectations were sky high.

I guess. I just don't really see how Jeff could feel that way. He's not the biggest Halo fan ever, and I mean, Bungie makes FPS games. Realistically, what were they gonna do to completely raise the bar again? It's such a saturated genre. I just don't ever get that hyped for anything, regardless of who's developing what. That's not to say I never get my expectations up, but after a certain amount of time of playing and following the development cycles of games, I feel like you should learn to keep those expectations healthy.

 

[stump sock]

In the Swery list he mentioned that he appreciated the localization of Infamous Second Son, and I actually remembered how much I like the voice acting and the cutscenes.

Is a shame that game is dismissed so easily but then I'm not the only one with a game not in GOTY lists.

since that's going to be free next month, maybe I'll see if I can switch it over to the japanese localization.

 

[tchocky]

since that's going to be free next month, maybe I'll see if I can switch it over to the japanese localization.

Isn't it just the dlc first light that is free.

 

[pelican]

Still can't believe the guys managed to talk themselves into selecting Guilty Gear for the best looking game award.

It is a nice looking game, but I found it odd to be considered since the team as a whole have hardly seen it or invested time into it.

 

[Nestunt]

Still can't believe the guys managed to talk themselves into selecting Guilty Gear for the best looking game award.

It is a nice looking game, but I found it odd to be considered since the team as a whole have hardly seen it or invested time into it.

you just described how marketing works. We eat with our eyes

 

[stump sock]

Isn't it just the dlc first light that is free.

you might be right. I've already played SS though, so if FL has the language option I'll give it a crack.

 

[Mesoian]

I wanna run something by people re: Destiny, because I feel like Jeff is out of his goddamn mind / coming from a weird place regarding that game's expectations.

As a non-Bungie superfan, the only times I saw Destiny was basically at big keynotes at E3 and such. I didn't watch/see many trailers, I don't follow vidocs, I'm talking like, big mainstream Destiny coverage. All I saw of it was the stage presentations, and it looked nice, but at no point did I get the sense that Bungie were promising THE BEST GAME EVERRRR or whatever Jeff says they were doing. So when Destiny came out, for me, it was kind of a nice surprise: Not the best game ever, but it did some really neat, innovate cross-genre stuff, it looks amazing and the gunplay is terrific. Sure, it's light on content, but even so you can easily play it for 100 hours if you're into loot games before you exhaust all the content, which isn't bad for such a novel thing, and a lot more than I get out of most games.

If it's not for you, it's not for you, but I never got the sense that Destiny was buzzed to be The Best Thing Ever. And really, if you're letting your expectations get set by the PR Hype Machine to that extent, I feel like you're a sucker, and you should know better, especially if you're Jeff Gerstmann, with all his industry experience. And ESPECIALLY with how cagey Bungie was being with showing gameplay before launch, that should've been a sign for someone like Jeff not to expect the best. I feel like he's not calling Destiny most disappointing game of the year, but he's calling Bungie's marketing Most Overzealous Marketing of the year, you know?

Thoughts?

Destiny was certainly being billed as "the next big space shooter epic", just as Titanfall was. And while the two of those games delievered when it comes to their respective gameplay elements, both games fail miserably in every other aspect. There is no world building, there is no meaningful characterization, there is no narrative structure, these games games are, by and large, arena shooters. And while they being arena shooters is fine, that is not what they were being billed as. The fact that both ReSpawn and Bungie were so cagey about the actual not shooting aspects of their respective games before launch is telling, and was all I needed to cancel my preorders (well, for Destiny anyway).

It's one thing to ignore the hype train and go in with a low expectation of what a game is, but it's another to ride the hype train, listen to what the PR machine is telling you the game is, and then (like in my case) play through the Alpha, have a "is that it?" feeling towards the entire project, then steadily watch for the next coming months as your fears are realized and, yes, that is is, this is not the next Space Shooter Epic, this is this year's arena shooter.

I'm not saying your wrong either, having a tempered measured ideal towards this stuff is important, but in this 2014 world where we are given a half dozen trailers, two design doc video series, all the concept art we can handle and a lot of hand waving with the words, "don't worry guys, we're bungie, we've got this," 6-8 months prior to release and certainly before we see anything playable, it's not hard to understand why people who drank the coolaid are frustrated by what Destiny was when they had a pretty good understanding of what it was supposed to be.

I think this is going to be a process that gets a lot of publishers in trouble over the next few years. It makes the entire pre-production cycle seem dishonest.

 

[strafer]

Jeffs top 10

mind blown