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2025 | NeoGaf GOTY Voting thread (Round 1)

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I feel extremely safe predicting this is the exact scenario that leads to a "please don't do this shit" line in next year's GOTY rules. That, or the game's genre will determine whether it shows up in a search. :messenger_beaming:

I've done this multiple years in a row, but I just do it with games that no one gives a shit about (see: good games).

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Who's got a good "list of nominees"? These years are passing too quickly for me to really wrap my head around what is a 2025 release.

I don't think I have a GOTY this year. Surely I've got a favorite game released in 2025, but nothing is really jumping out and trying to be my GOTY. Hmmm. I can see 33 reaching that status for people who like the turn-based stuff. Just not my genre.

Damn AtomFall didn't make the collage but THPS 3&4 did? I'm out of touch.
 
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Who's got a good "list of nominees"? These years are passing too quickly for me to really wrap my head around what is a 2025 release.

I don't think I have a GOTY this year. Surely I've got a favorite game released in 2025, but nothing is really jumping out and trying to be my GOTY. Hmmm. I can see 33 reaching that status for people who like the turn-based stuff. Just not my genre.

Damn AtomFall didn't make the collage but THPS 3&4 did? I'm out of touch.
Give it to Atomfall. Its worthy.

Was going to nominate it, but runner up for me as of now.
 
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Well this is weird, I haven't really played many games of 2025, lol.

Avowed (gamepass, dropped)
Atomfall (cool at first, bored and dropped 5-6 hours later, gamepass again)
Tempest Rising (did complete the double campaign but not really GOTY material) (AoE4 is still king imo)
DOOM Dark Ages (again gamepass, dropped halfway idk why?)
Cronos, Borderlands 4 & MH Wilds (crashed or didn't run well, all are great games)

Most played:

Donkey Kong Bananza ( did complete it but not 100% as I played this on my sister's Switch 2 <- time limited lol)
AC Shadows (yet to play DLC, main game nearly 100%)
Battlefield 6 & Arc Raiders & Escape from Duckov
AoE4 DLC Dynasties of the East & AoM Retold Roguelike modes

So lol:
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Merry Christmas, Gaf. I mucked around with the categories and changed them a bit as usual. Will try to do up a top 10 list before the final deadline like always. Spoiler alert, I... really liked Expedition Tree-Triddy.

GAME OF THE YEAR
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Clair Obscur Expedition 33

Runners up: Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter


BEST ACTION GAME
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Elden Ring Nightreign

Runners up: Lies of P Overture, Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

BEST RPG
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Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Runners up: Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter


BEST ADVENTURE/EXPLORATION
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Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition

Runners up: Clair Obscur Expedition 33, Donkey Kong Bananza


BEST PLATFORMER
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Donkey Kong Bananza


BEST SPORTS GAME
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Mario Kart World


BEST INDIE GAME

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UFO 50 (Switch version)
Runner up: Hollow Knight Silksong


BEST DLC
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Lies of P Overture

Runners up: Elden Ring Nightreign The Forsaken Hollows, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Verso's Drafts


BEST MULTIPLAYER GAME
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Elden Ring Nightreign
Runner up: Mario Kart World


BEST REMAKE
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Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter


BEST REMASTER
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Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition

Runner up: Super Mario Galaxy 1+2


BEST VISUAL STYLE
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Donkey Kong Bananza
Runners up: Clair Obscur Expedition 33, Mario Kart World


BEST SOUNDTRACK







Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition


Runners up:





Mario Kart World







Clair Obscur Expedition 33


BEST UI OR HUD DESIGN
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Clair Obscur Expedition 33

Runners up: Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter


BEST VOICE ACTING
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Clair Obscur Expedition 33

Runners up: Lies of P Overture, Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii


BEST BOX ART
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Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition


BEST CHARACTER DESIGN

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Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Runners up: Elden Ring Nightreign, Donkey Kong Bananza


BEST OVERALL VALUE
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Xenoblades Chronicles X Definitive Edition

Runners up: UFO 50 Switch version, Clair Obscur Expedition 33


MOST UNDERRATED GAME
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Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
Runners up: Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition, Atelier Resleriana The Red Alchemist and the White Guardian


MOST DIFFICULT GAME
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Hollow Knight Silksong


IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON GAMEPASS
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Metroid Prime 4 Beyond


GAME THAT RESPECTS YOUR TIME

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Clair Obscur Expedition 33


GAME THAT DESERVES A SEQUEL
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Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition


GAME I BOUGHT BUT DIDN'T PLAY
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Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star Crossed World

Runners up: Kirby Air Riders, Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater


BEST FIRST HOUR OF PLAY
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Clair Obscur Expedition 33


Last year's picks
 
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It's a pretty E33 heavy list but what can I say, the game deserves it.

For best sports game I wanted to give it to Konami's e-Football 26 but it wasn't in the database.

I'm probably the only person who will have BLEACH Rebirth of Souls on their list, but damn I enjoyed that game a lot despite it being pretty bare-bones. Still, for the small team at Tamsoft, it's pretty impressive. I put 100+ hours in and I still play it regularly even though I've already platinum'd it.

Anyway, Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah (or whatever else you may celebrate) to all.
 
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Very good year.
KCD 2 is my no. 1.
Fast Fusion/DS2/Yotei and Bananaza were/are also great experiences.

Maybe I cannot play that much anymore, but after many decades of gaming, I still love it!


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P.S.: Merry Christmas!
 
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ARC Raiders really is as good as I thought it would be after playing the beta test and watching the prerelease content. This is a real industry disruptor. Love it for the guys who made it. Seem to be hardcore industry veterans achieving the goal we all wish more would try for. Venture out on their own and release a game that doesn't compromise on scope without the baggage that comes along with a AAA publisher. I cannot believe the sentiment against it. This is exactly the type of success story we need to get more of the types of games we want. There has to be serious funding behind the anti ARC Raiders push we're seeing on social media. This game is an absolute gem in so many ways. There needs to be an audio award on this list aside from soundtrack, and it should be named after ARC Raiders. I bought a new pair of headphones because of it. (DT 990 ProX be here tomorrow woooooot!).

I'd suggest adding a category for old multiplayer games that have new life. This year we have two in that category: Division 2 and Darktide are both in absolute renaissance periods and worthy of recognition. For me the biggest disappointment by far was Killing Floor 3. KF is my favorite multiplayer IP and the third entry was absolutely insulting. Not just a swing and a miss. An actual attack on fans of the series. I went from willfully buying KF2 keys just to support the team to actively wanting Tripwire shuttered. Darktide has been a very nice replacement for the Killing Floor shaped hole in my heart. It's kinda like the perfect marriage of Left4Dead and Killing Floor with a cool 40k prison aesthetic.
 
It was a fantastic year (if you actually love videogames!) with so much I still need to get around to playing (Cronos, Absolum, Dispatch, Bananza - once I pick up a Switch 2, Hades 2 - once it comes to PS5). Didn't play any sports or fighters this year so I didn't vote in those categories. Bought 25 new releases day 1 plus a bunch of older stuff, finished most of it, plat'd some it, good times.

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Edit: and special mention to Split/Fiction which I played through friend pass, my buddy bought it. It's not in any of my categories but it *is* in my top 8 of 2025.
 
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Games like Blue Prince and Silksong are tough to cram into a GOTY list, when they both have earned a spot on a GOAT list. I was considering not including them in the consideration for goty and just focus on AAA blockbuster games for the occasion, but looking over the categories its pretty obvious that by the sheer numbers of wins in all categories, Silksong had to be considered as the GOTY for now as well. And there are many games in 2025 that I havent played yet, but I guess thats always an issue with these award things.
 
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