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[Aselith]

I just finished the last GotY podcast and I was super disappointed at where they came out for GotY. I feel like this site in particular has such a love for Saint's Row that I can't believe they went Skyrim. Brad kept saying that you should strip the story from Saint's Row and if you did that, it's mediocre because the combat is not great and not enough variety but I can't believe that Vinny who is usually really good at calling people on their bullshit didn't come back that Skyrim combat is worse and so the game becomes more reliant on writing.

Like SR is at least a satisfying shooty driving game if you strip the writing away and has fun vehicles and special weapons whereas Skyrim has just godawful combat because you're just chopping wood after a while because there's nothing else to it. Only thing that changes is that you chop wood faster and can kind of blow by it if you get powered up and you can shoot a jet of flames at the enemy if you use magic which makes it go faster but frankly none of that shit is actually fun to do. A counter system would go a long way towards improving the combat in Skyrim but Bethesda doesn't seem to be willing to work on it. There's even a game that could work well as a template for the first person fantasy combat done right in King's Field.

Strip away the writing from SR and you have a pretty fun open world game still with rock solid gameplay.

Strip away the writing from Skyrim and you have one of the most unsatisfying combat systems ever devised and a pretty, empty world.

 

[Basileus777]

I don't really agree with that. Writing is one of the strength's of Saint's Row 3, while the story in Skyrim might as well not exist. The only interesting story stuff in Skyrim is the optional Lore you find in books, the actual writing in that game is mostly poor and uninteresting. Take away the writing and Skyrim is basically the same open world, follow the compass or explore game.

 

[Aselith]

I don't really agree with that. Writing is one of the strength's of Saint's Row 3, while the story in Skyrim might as well not exist. The only interesting story stuff in Skyrim is the optional Lore you find in books, the actual writing in that game is mostly poor and uninteresting. Take away the writing and Skyrim is basically the same open world, follow the compass or explore game.

Writing includes things like sidequests and the little vignettes that exist in the environment. If you don't have those, I don't see what motivation you would have to explore. Loot, I guess? Except everyone has the same loot until you level up enough that they hit the next loot tier and then they all have that.

Also, just the general idea of taking writing out of the equation is silly in itself. Of course, the writing is part of the game and should be just as much a deciding factor as gameplay and SR is much better written moment to moment though not as exhaustively written.

 

[Broder Salsa]

The texture work is pretty rough on PS3, makes me wonder what it's like on 360.

EDIT: Look at the rocks behind my girl:

Doesn't hold up to the rock textures in Skyrim

Spoiler

pc, on high, at the beginning of the game, go start a new game and look around there, it's not just a texture that hasn't loaded, i know we weren't comparing to skyrim but it fits the thread.

 

[Riposte]

I don't really agree with that. Writing is one of the strength's of Saint's Row 3, while the story in Skyrim might as well not exist. The only interesting story stuff in Skyrim is the optional Lore you find in books, the actual writing in that game is mostly poor and uninteresting. Take away the writing and Skyrim is basically the same open world, follow the compass or explore game.

As far as books go, there are a lot of repeats from older games.

 

[parasight]

Just finished the final GOTYcast. Ryan's heel turn was pretty amazing. Brad got a lot of hate in this thread and I don't really see why. Having Patrick on his side really did help his case out though. I wonder how it would have gone down without him. Probably a Minerva's Den thing. And I love Vinny, but if you're gonna talk about Brad having thin arguments, Vinny was toeing that line. But of course, given the love Vinny receives here he often gets a pass.

 

[Jharp]

Dark Souls was so close. I listened to the four hour cast in two sittings during my work drive and every time they named a game to eliminate I was shouting "don't you dare say it you fuckers!" and it made it down to the last goddamn two and Vinny just let it go. Why, Vinny? Patrick and brad we're willing to support it on the top 10!

Oh well, at least Eric Wolpaw knows what's up. Eat a fat one, Jeff!

 

[Jhriad]

Just finished this today and I can't express how disappointed I am that they gave it to Skyrim. I don't care how fantastic the game is you can't overlook the issues all the versions have had and the fact that the PS3 version is broken. I know they're not giving it to the PS3 version but it's still bullshit that they're essentially rewarding Bethesda for a busted ass product. If you're going to cut MK from the list entirely because it was partially broken (single player was still fine) you shouldn't be rewarding Bethesda for putting out yet another buggy game.

Bethesda deserves the kudos for the game beyond those bugs but you don't give GotY to someone that is essentially giving a big finger to the many people that buy their product on PS3. Give it #2 with the caveat that had the PS3 version been even partially up to snuff it would have captured the top spot. I would applaud and understand that.

Brad got a lot of hate in this thread and I don't really see why.

Only reason I'd see from my listen of the whole affair is L.A. Noire. He's the only reason that game is on the list and I think it was mostly because he just wouldn't budge on it. Then he doesn't really budge or concede much the entire podcast.

 

[tusken77]

Listened to the GOTY podcast today. I may not agree with a lot of their opinions but, as always, very enjoyable. I loved the moment when, just as Jeff went to strike Uncharted 3 off the list, they lost their wi-fi connection. It was like some higher, unknown forces tried to intervene and avoid such a mistake to be made.

 

[HamPster PamPster]

Vinny talking about how he played Skyrim on yesterday's bombcast made me see the final showdown in a new light. Having not played Skyrim (would have gotten the PS3 version...) I can't comment on the quaility of the combat but after hearing how Vinny plays I come away thinking, well of course he wouldn't like it. I wonder if his opinion will change after leveling up a bit and spending those points

 

[Daante]

Wait.. , let me get this straight.. , Dark Souls wasent even in their top 10?

 

[firehawk12]

Jeff hates Dark Souls, so it's out.

 

[Neuromancer]

Resistance has never been as good of a series as Playstation fans make it out to be, so maybe that's why it gets ignored.

I can't speak to R1 and R2 but R3 is a damn fine shooter. One of my favorite this year.

 

[BigAT]

Wait.. , let me get this straight.. , Dark Souls wasent even in their top 10?

Only one member of the staff likes it even a little bit, did you really expect it to?

 

[Curufinwe]

Going back to something the guys mentioned about the characters in Uncharted 3, I just read in Nolan North's "Uncharted Drake's Jounral" book that Charlie Cutter was supposed to appear in the entire game. But Amy Hennig had to write him out of the story early because he got a role as one of the dwarves in the Hobbit and wouldn't be available for as long as they would have needed him.

 

[ultron87]

Wait.. , let me get this straight.. , Dark Souls wasent even in their top 10?

Tied for 11th.

 

[Risible]

I don't get how anyone can hate on Brad. I don't always agree with him, but he seems like a genuine, nice dude. I bet he'd be a blast to hang with.

 

[RZI]

Giant Bomb's GOTY 2011: Supplemental

Paul Barnett's GOTY list.

http://www.giantbomb.com/podcast/