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Black Myth Wukong game producer shares salty post over losing GOTY at The Game Awards

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jm89

Member
A no name 7 hour platformer that isn't Mario is not worthy of GOTY in a year this packed with greatness.

Astrobot has fun, free game of the month written all over it. Barely any effect to the current gaming cultural zeitgeist other than some onlookers say 'aww that's kinda cute'
all-these-flavors-and-you-chose-to-be-slaty-youre-jealous.gif
 

ungalo

Member
Oh come on now, this game is all about walking in a corridor to fight the next boss. With so little variety there is not much to remember down the road. This title will be forgotten soon, it lacks any meaningful impact. It's just a good looking action game. I'd rather play Nioh or Wo Long.
If you want variety and moments to remember on the contrary i think BMW does much better than the games you mentioned. To me it's not necessarily what defines a great game, and honestly even if the game was just corridors to a boss fight without anything else (which it's not) i would say if the gameplay's great the game is probably also great.

Also variety and things that you remember are not necessarily the same thing and Astrobot kind of proves that. I played the game a few months ago and i don't remember much. Although it has tons of stuff that are supposed to impress you or take you by surprise.
 
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Dafegamer

Member
Turns out the Devs are just as delusional as the Wukong Fanboys. The competition was too high, there was no chance the game would win anyway with the countless other way better acclaimed Games
Awkward The Office GIF
 
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Oh come on now, this game is all about walking in a corridor to fight the next boss. With so little variety there is not much to remember down the road. This title will be forgotten soon, it lacks any meaningful impact. It's just a good looking action game. I'd rather play Nioh or Wo Long.
It’s crazy how overrated BMW is and how many people are so quick to defend it despite its glaring flaws.
 

nial

Member
So AstroBot would have to “redefine the entire genre” to be worthy of a win, but you were rooting for remakes of old games or souls-like #567?

Makes zero sense. I haven’t even played AstroBot but it seems way more worthy than any of those.
Parroting the same "muh REAL GAMES" bullshit, Slimy is a confirmed clown at this point.
For how much they like to go "hurr durr it's a kid's game", they're definitely acting like children right now.
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
Homie I dropped your game in like chapter 3 in the prison. It’s a mid game. Be thankful your entire nation blindly supported it. Take the sales and the queue to make a better second game.

Astro is mid too.

No matter who won this year we all lost.
 

Ceadeus

Member
If you want variety and moments to remember on the contrary i think BMW does much better than the games you mentioned. To me it's not necessarily what defines a great game, and honestly even if the game was just corridors to a boss fight without anything else (which it's not) i would say if the gameplay's great the game is probably also great.

Also variety and things that you remember are not necessarily the same thing and Astrobot kind of proves that. I played the game a few months ago and i don't remember much. Although it has tons of stuff that are supposed to impress you or take you by surprise.
I'll admit, I didn't play the game myself. But I've watched a couple hours streaming and I could swear, I found the level to be very linear. There are little to no reason to explore the barren levels. What do you remember from Black Myth? The cutscenes, the boss fights? I don't think there is any world interaction either. I remember not seeing any interiors or dungeons to roam. So with no intractability or complex dungeons to complete, that's why I was thinking that the game is too linear and lacked moment of impact.

Edit : I would add, let's compare to an old game like God of War 2. One moment you are swimming, then you are flying. The moment after you're getting through trapped room, then you'll be clearing a puzzle, getting new meaningful gear etc.. There's none of that in Black Myth I believe. That's also what I mean by "variety"
 
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mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
They definitely deserved the win.

A no name 7 hour platformer that isn't Mario is not worthy of GOTY in a year this packed with greatness.

Astrobot has fun, free game of the month written all over it. Barely any effect to the current gaming cultural zeitgeist other than some onlookers say 'aww that's kinda cute'

Whereas Wukong has been so influential it has dudes like T Pain and David Banner talking about how inspired they were by it.

Really unsure how Astrobot and Balatro took spots from Silent Hill 2 and Helldivers 2.

I'm not the biggest fan of Helldivers 2 but there is no doubt it had a huge impact this year, and Silent Hill 2 remake is just...
amazing.
7 hours? More like 12 hours.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
lol what a salty looser. Stellar Blade should've won if it was up to me.
I wanted to pick up wukong... now I don't think so lol
Freaking RDR 2 lost to GOW in 2018

Thinking that you've failed just because your game didnt win the Geoff's is so freaking idiotic.

Your game sold bazillions and won the people's choice award. Chill.
and gow 2018 is a better playing game. rdr2 is amazing and all but it's just a slog.
 
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ungalo

Member
The gameplay and level design is definitely better than Wukong. For Platformer genre Astro is among the TOP, while Wukong is mostly forgettable in the Soul's like genre
I think Astrobot has the advantage of emulating a traditional and simple genre without trying to add another layer. It's definitely more efficient and "precise" (whether it's the gameplay itself or the proposition in general) than BMW (which is a typical modern game).

Honestly if we didn't have example like Yooka Laylee (or even Psychonauts 2 that's a little tedious sometimes) i would say "how can you even fuck up a plateformer in 2K24 ?".

The context is also different because currently we get games like BMW all the time in this design category (but personally BMW is one of the few "memorable" copies of Soulsborne with Nioh), whereas Astrobot is really unique today and is mostly compared to old games.

I wouldn't make the comparison outright like you do.
 
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Dafegamer

Member
They definitely deserved the win.

A no name 7 hour platformer that isn't Mario is not worthy of GOTY in a year this packed with greatness.

Astrobot has fun, free game of the month written all over it. Barely any effect to the current gaming cultural zeitgeist other than some onlookers say 'aww that's kinda cute'

Whereas Wukong has been so influential it has dudes like T Pain and David Banner talking about how inspired they were by it.

Really unsure how Astrobot and Balatro took spots from Silent Hill 2 and Helldivers 2.

I'm not the biggest fan of Helldivers 2 but there is no doubt it had a huge impact this year, and Silent Hill 2 remake is just...
amazing.
IOTY y'all (impact of the year) not Goty 👍
I love reading these posts, keep them coming
They never talk about Wukong mechanics or the shortcomings of it(fake exploration, good, not great combat, bugs, invisible walls etc) just impact, it sold 20mil it deserves to win etc 👀
 

Dafegamer

Member
I think Astrobot has the advantage of emulating a traditional and simple genre without trying to add another layer. It's definitely more efficient and "precise" (whether it's the gameplay itself or the proposition in general) than BMW (which is a typical modern game).

Honestly if we didn't have example like Yooka Laylee (or even Psychonauts 2 that's a little tedious sometimes) i would say "how can you even fuck up a plateformer in 2K24 ?".

The context is also different because currently we get games like BMW all the time in this design category (but personally BMW is one of the few "memorable" copies of Soulsborne with Nioh), whereas Astrobot is really unique today and is mostly compared to old games.

I wouldn't make the comparison outright like you do.
That's a bad excuse to dismiss ASTRO BOT. As you already said with Yooka Laylee(bad) and Psychonauts(decent, but it's more action adventure than platformer) if you compare the latest platformers, Astro would clear those by miles, when it comes to pure Platforming, which isn't a small feat. Any comparison you get compared to Mario literally makes you top tier by default as Mario is the literal Peak of the genre. As well as going by critical Acclaim its a herculean feat that a Non Nintendo platformer even comes close to reaching Mario Tier critical Acclaim. There are way more better handled 3D Action games(souls likes) than actually good platformers nowadays. It's clear that getting a 3D Platformer right in the current climate is more difficult than any genre. It shows too, by the lack of them(Apart from Nintendos decade long expertise in the Genre)
 
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ungalo

Member
I'll admit, I didn't play the game myself. But I've watched a couple hours streaming and I could swear, I found the level to be very linear. There are little to no reason to explore the barren levels. What do you remember from Black Myth? The cutscenes, the boss fights? I don't think there is any world interaction either. I remember not seeing any interiors or dungeons to roam. So with no intractability or complex dungeons to complete, that's why I was thinking that the game is too linear and lacked moment of impact.

Edit : I would add, let's compare to an old game like God of War 2. One moment you are swimming, then you are flying. The moment after you're getting through trapped room, then you'll be clearing a puzzle, getting new meaningful gear etc.. There's none of that in Black Myth I believe. That's also what I mean by "variety"
In this case GoW is more "corridors" than BMW. I don't really know if you want to say that the combats are not diluted enough in some other things like most modern games are or on the contrary if the game is not tight enough.
Because if you acknowledge it's a Souls-like than compare it to GoW 2, it's something you could say for any Souls-like.

And i think BMW is just that, a mix of the 2, it has staging, setpieces, beautiful cutscenes, linear environments, open environments, secrets...to me that's the strenght of the game. It also has a lot of bosses indeed.

But i see some people talking about Stellar Blade, i wish Stellar Blade had been a boss rush a little. The end of the game is basically that and that's why people remember the game fondly, cause honestly a decent part of the game is an absolute snoozefest.
 
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Dafegamer

Member
I find it insane that we are giving basic platfomers like astro awards while dismissing real games like black myth and silent hill 2. even if you disliked black myth, its insane to compare it to astrobot. just like how its insane to compare balatro to astrobot. one is a real game with levels, while the other is solitare. do we not have any standards anymore?

if astro redefined the platforming genre like super mario 64 did back in the 90s then id understand but its a rather safe and formulaic sequel. You simply cant compare AAA games like FF7 Rebirth, Black Myth and Silent Hill 2 to a game like astrobot. it should have its own separate section like the Oscars do for cartoons or short films.
But BMW is so revolutionary 😱
 

ungalo

Member
That's a bad excuse to dismiss ASTRO BOT. As you already said with Yooka Laylee(bad) and Psychonauts(decent, but it's more action adventure than platformer) if you compare the latest platformers, Astro would clear those by miles, when it comes to pure Platforming, which isn't a small feat. Any comparison you get compared to Mario literally makes you top tier by default as Mario is the literal Peak of the genre. As well going by critical Acclaim its a herculean feat that a Non Nintendo platformer even comes close to reaching Mario Tier critical Acclaim. There were more better handled 3D Action games(souls likes) than actually good platformers. It's clear that getting a 3D Platformer right in the current climate is more difficult than any genre. It shows too, by the lack of them, apart from Nintendos decade long expertise in the Genre
I feel Astrobot is closer to Crash Bandicoot than those games, given how much it revolves around the flow of the level-design. It's not always the case, some levels are more open, and you gotta search for collectibles. But the level design is really made for you to feel comfort and having a fluid traversal with some feeling of challenge, without any frustration.

Yooka Laylee or Psychonauts 2's gameplay are far from flawless but at the same time the goal is entirely different, same for Mario Odyssey. As you say Astrobot is nothing but pure plateforming, that's what makes it even more unique.
 

Dafegamer

Member
In this case GoW is more "corridors" than BMW. I don't really know if you want to say that the combats are not diluted enough in some other things like most modern games are or on the contrary if the game is not tight enough.
Because if you acknowledge it's a Souls-like than compare it to GoW 2, it's something you could say for any Souls-like.

And i think BMW is just that, a mix of the 2, it has staging, setpieces, beautiful cutscenes, linear environments, open environments, secrets...to me that's the strenght of the game. It also has a lot of bosses indeed.

But i see some people talking about Stellar Blade, i wish Stellar Blade had been a boss rush a little. The end of the game is basically that and that's why people remember the game fondly, cause honestly a decent part of the game is an absolute snoozefest.
Nope, GOW is way more open and explorable than BMW, it's not even close. Nothing in BMW level design feels as interconnected as the Lake Of Nine in what you explore. You constantly unlock new pathways to other locations by either exploration or puzzles solving in GOW, making it metroidvania like in level structure. Calling GOW a corridor is absurd and you know it. The world in BMW feels very small in comparison. I'm not even bringing up Ragnarok which literally got big explorable realms in each world and secret locations to discover to complete the many side quests. In BMW you literally feel like you can go that way and boom you suddenly can't due to weirdly placed invisible walls in the game. In GOW every clear pathway that looks explorable, "IS" explorable. Can't say the same for BMW
 

MiguelItUp

Member
Honestly, I'm glad they lost. He sounded way too over confident and needed to be brought back down to Earth.

I haven't played either, but I've seen a ton of gameplay of both. I played and loved the Astrobot game that came with the PS5 though. I plan on buying it in due time. Wukong, I'm in no rush. I had some close Chinese friends growing up so I was always very familiar with that whole tale. It's awesome to see it portrayed that way and in video games finally.

But, yeah. I dunno. What I saw in Wukong looked fine and good, but nothing mind blowing.
 

ungalo

Member
Nope, GOW is way more open and explorable than BMW, it's not even close. Nothing in BMW level design feels as interconnected as the Lake Of Nine in what you explore. You constantly unlock new pathways to other locations by either exploration or puzzles solving in GOW, making it metroidvania like in level structure. Calling GOW a corridor is absurd and you know it. The world in BMW feels very small in comparison. I'm not even bringing up Ragnarok which literally got big explorable realms in each world and secret locations to discover to complete the many side quests. In BMW you literally feel like you can go that way and boom you suddenly can't due to weirdly placed invisible walls in the game. In GOW every clear pathway that looks explorable, "IS" explorable. Can't say the same for BMW
I read GoW 2 i thought instantly about the original GoW 2 lol, i didn't know he was talking about Ragnarok.

I didn't play Ragnarok i can't talk about it, only played 2018, BMW has rough invisible walls but i feel less constrained in the way i approach the environment. I would say the two games seem artificial to some degree.

BMW is structured in chapters so when it comes to the entire scale of the game it's not as open as new GoW, or the Souls etc far from it of course. But at some specific point in the game, i think the environments are just as opened as those games.
 
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Dafegamer

Member
The lack of personality in its aesthetics/level design, awful techno chipmunk music, the basic bitch platformer mechanics, and worst of all its pathetic, shallow "remember me?" cameos from better games.
Lack of Personality in Level design 🤣

"techno music" 🤣
Bro which Astro Bot did you play

Literally every single Level has a different level design. Like literally no level looks like the other in the game. This gotta be a troll post. There's no "techno chipmunk" music in astro bot.
 

Dafegamer

Member
It doesnt need to be. its a much more complex game than astrobot and balatro.
No, the gameplay is decent for a Souls like, nothing to write home about with all the countless other in the market. ASTRO BOT on the other hand is a literal masterpiece in platforming game design. Tight controls, polished to the T, creative and varied levels/level designs, cathers to casual and more hardcore players in its levels, unique power ups and near flawless moment to moment gameplay loop which is important to nail in the 3D Platforming. Now all that said if you actually compare with other platformers over the years that accomplished all of this, you don't have much competition unless you face the literal King of the Genre itself: Mario

I don't get why people don't realize this simple fact. I can't say much about Balatro as I haven't played myself, but you get the gist
 

Ceadeus

Member
In this case GoW is more "corridors" than BMW. I don't really know if you want to say that the combats are not diluted enough in some other things like most modern games are or on the contrary if the game is not tight enough.
Because if you acknowledge it's a Souls-like than compare it to GoW 2, it's something you could say for any Souls-like.

And i think BMW is just that, a mix of the 2, it has staging, setpieces, beautiful cutscenes, linear environments, open environments, secrets...to me that's the strenght of the game. It also has a lot of bosses indeed.

But i see some people talking about Stellar Blade, i wish Stellar Blade had been a boss rush a little. The end of the game is basically that and that's why people remember the game fondly, cause honestly a decent part of the game is an absolute snoozefest.
That's what BMW does well, it's a boss rush game. Because everything in between is to set the tone for the next. The world design is not made to make the player think and interact. In fromsoft games you'll be roaming labyrinthic and hazardous lands filled with stuff ready to scare you and to make you fall in a pit or setup a trap. There are locked doors, missable quests and items and NPCs ...

Black Myth feels like the developers only knew how to build a good looking world but forgot to fill it with set pieces and exciting things to do.

I've yet to play Stellar Blade! Honestly I don't think I'll be playing it soon though. From what I've seen, I would suggest playing Bayonetta trilogy! Character action games are some of my favorite.
 

Karak

Member
Lots of good games this year and really wouldn't be bothered by any of those noms winning.
But the same reviewers/coverage people bitch about whenever a game gets reviewed, are the same who vote. But it seems like every dog returns to its vomit and eats it regardless. Also real translation really didn't seem too bad. A person happy with their game, disappointed they lost and thought they should. Such is life.
 
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Neolombax

Member
Read through the first time and yes it came off as salty. Re-read it and I can sort of understand. Anyone who spent years on a product would want validation for their work, but I thought the sales number reflected that in spades.
 

CosmicComet

Member
IOTY y'all (impact of the year) not Goty 👍
I love reading these posts, keep them coming
They never talk about Wukong mechanics or the shortcomings of it(fake exploration, good, not great combat, bugs, invisible walls etc) just impact, it sold 20mil it deserves to win etc 👀
A shit, false premise that I don't remotely agree with.

I can extoll Wukong's virtues all day.

-Wukong's combat was excellent. I liked it far more than GoW and just about as much as Elden Ring despite being limited to one weapon type.

Great enemy and boss variety, akin to the PS2 era.

Getting in those for full powered focus points hits on the hugely varied enemy and boss encounters was a unique feeling of satisfaction that I won't forget.

The vast amount of transformations, spirit skills and equipment made such a variety of play styles as well.

I'm already on NG+2 because I can't get enough.

-Art Direction was phenomenal. They had FromSoft level art direction from their first game. That's a flex I can't say anyone else can claim.

-It's levels were relatively huge and kept me engaged with trying to find every secret. So no, the exploration was great.

Invisible walls are so minor a gripe that I didn't care. In fact the invisible walls made me want to explore every nook and cranny more, because everything looked so equally detailed and seamless that you wouldn't be able to tell right away where you could or couldn't go.

So in that sense their excellent art direction actually ended up making a very minor gripe for me.

-The soundtrack was the best all year. Bombastic, exotic and epic. Nothing else came close for me.

-I didn't come across any bugs. Sorry about your damn luck.

The only thing I didn't really like was the lack of dedicated block/parry button outside of the rock solid special skill, but i had to stop thinking it was Sekiro and then it was fine.
 
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Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
That's what BMW does well, it's a boss rush game. Because everything in between is to set the tone for the next. The world design is not made to make the player think and interact. In fromsoft games you'll be roaming labyrinthic and hazardous lands filled with stuff ready to scare you and to make you fall in a pit or setup a trap. There are locked doors, missable quests and items and NPCs ...

Black Myth feels like the developers only knew how to build a good looking world but forgot to fill it with set pieces and exciting things to do.

I've yet to play Stellar Blade! Honestly I don't think I'll be playing it soon though. From what I've seen, I would suggest playing Bayonetta trilogy! Character action games are some of my favorite.
You can just tell us you haven’t played BMW instead of spouting falsehoods.
 
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