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[opticalmace]

Xenoblade Chronicles X was robbed lol

#11 overall is pretty good.

 

[Q8D3vil]

I guess defense force can stop shitting on other games in other goty threads.

 

[woen]

Good to see indie games in top 10, but I would like to see even more next year. But a great bunch of games and surprises. It matches the most played games, early in the year, even when controversial (MGS or Falout), so no surprise when you don't see Mad Max for instance.

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

I guess defense force can stop shitting on other games in other goty threads.

Which defense force their are hundreds?

 

[generic_username]

Hell yes.

Lady Maria is such a badass

 

[Timeaisis]

Bloodborne is better than Dark Souls and The Witcher 3, in my opinion. BB is a different game than DS, and I think a better one for it. They are very different but similar in their execution. I prefer BB's mechanics and lore more than DS, but that's just my preference.

As far as The Witcher 3 goes, it's am excellent game that's parts just don't add up to something amazing, at least for me. It's difficult for me to look past it's issues.

I'm happy with the top 3 overall.

 

[Majmun]

But.

It doesn't even feel vaguely plausible on any level to any synapse in my brain that what is something of an alternate universe followup to Demon's Souls where all the refinements of Dark Souls never happened, that also retains extremely problematic and fundamentally and continually painful unresolved technical issues that all contribute to placing it firmly beneath one if not two other games in its lineage, could ever conceivably beat The Witcher 3 in this list. It's sort of existentially painful to witness. I'll just leave it at that.

Interesting post, until I saw you mentioning Witcher 3 and I had to chuckle.

In the same sentence you're critiquing Bloodborne because of its technical flaws AND praising The Witcher 3 at the same time..

And you can't win the gameplay argument because Witcher 3 gameplay is really bad.

 

[SaintMadeOfPlaster]

I was hoping Bloodborne wouldn't take #1 just for the meltdowns on GAF.

Also, I suppose it's time to finally buy Splatoon, considering it scored higher than I expected and all the "DLC" content is finished and released. If they don't have it on sale next week (the last week of their Winter sale), I'll probably pick it up.

 

[RespectThySole]

Not always, specially with rpgs where content is so important. There's a reason people love New Vegas and are disappointed with Fallout 4.

Design -> Content -> major gameplay -> story design -> story gameplay (Tell me people don't love Souls for those two first points as much as for the combat)

Precisely. It's never been about combat above all else in RPGs. Looking at nearly any Best RPGs of all time list would you show you that. We judge games holistically.

Dragon's Dogma and Divinity: Original Sin have some of the best combat around yet still pale in comparison to games with considerably worse combat like Planescape: Torment, Baldur's Gate 2, and Fallout: New Vegas by most accounts.

Persona 4 is GAF's #2 pick on the RPG essentials list yet it has incredibly dull combat and dungeons. Historically, that's just not how we view games in this genre or at all really.

 

[Fhtagn]

It feels more like a vocal minority which is decrying the combat any chance they get.
Showed by the amount of GOTY awards given to the game where they even mention the combat as something good and how I've heard almost nothing of this critiscism from other places than gaf.
But I guess that's how it is when you're on a dedicated gaming forum with a big part of the userbase seemingly entangled in the idea of applying souls combat to everything.

If you compare the combat to any open world WRPG you'll pretty fast see how the combat is at least above average.

This is a common misunderstanding I see on GAF. I have read a bunch of threads this year were someone will say "I played Bloodborne (a 2015 game) this year and then The Witcher 3 (also a 2015 game) and the combat in The Witcher just feels so bad." This makes sense because the games came out in the same year, both got a lot of hype and praise and both involve fantasy settings with swords and combat, so obviously a lot of people on GAF played one and then the other this year.

Somehow this always gets twisted into "Souls fans want Witcher 3 to have Souls combat" even though I've rarely if ever seen someone actually say that.

I've played a fair number of third person action games. Vanquish, Uncharted 2, Tomb Raider 2013, all of the Souls games, Gears of War 1 & 2, the first two Arkhams, Devil May Cry, PN 03, Nier, Resident Evil 4, etc etc. Third person games tend to be my favorites.

When I tried to play The Witcher 2, I eventually gave up because I just could not figure out how to get comfortable with the combat mechanics. This is a different thing than wanting it to have Souls mechanics. I just wanted them to click with me like all of those other games did, even though those games have wildly different control schemes. I thought everything else about the game was very compelling but I just couldn't click with it and it was a pretty big bummer because obviously there's a grand experience to be had with the series.

(Perhaps ironically, Armored Core 4 by From Software is another game I've tried multiple times to click with and could not get my head wrapped around it and am also bummed that I can't figure it out for similar reasons to The Witcher 2.)

Now, you'll say "but The Witcher isn't an action game!" And yes, that's true, it's an action RPG leaning heavily on the RPG. But it's a game with a lot of action in it and that action is hard to get a handle on.

As I've said, I've read a lot of those BB v TW3 threads and it turns out even die hard TW3 fans are divided on whether the combat is worth learning. I've seen all sorts of advice from "play on easiest and spam X,Y,Z" to "play on hardest and focus on prep..." And opinions from "yeah the combat is terrible I play for the story" to "I love the combat."

But I pretty much only ever see TW3 fans say that BB fans want TW3 to have combat that feels like BB. At least the bulk of the threads making comparisons don't make that request.

There's something about TW3's combat that makes it divisive. I can't say what it is, because I haven't played it yet myself, but the "Souls fans just want Souls combat" thing feels like a dodge to me, because clearly they (TW3's devs) could at the very least do a better job of acclimating people to their combat system so that more people clicked with it.

 

[Servbot24]

You're setting yourself up for disappointment when the most popular game on GAF in the next years doesn't coincide with your "gameplay should be above all else" perspective.

It's not setting himself up for disappointment. It's just what he, and many gamers, inherently enjoy. If it wins some polls, so be it.

 

[dreamfall]

Incredible work always, dedicated GAF.

Great games all around!

 

[swearing-circle]

Good list. The top 3 were all fantastic games and made 2015 a hell of a memorable one for me.

 

[NIGHT-]

Great list. I think TW3 is a better experience overall than Bloodborne but whatever, opinions. Also, i'm very glad for Life is Strange, i had no idea so much people loved it. Fallout 4 in 7#? Meh, i don't think it's top 10 material.

I think Witcher 3 is the better exoerience and overall more innovative for its genre. Open world games have come a long way!

 

[DrROBschiz]

Incredible work always, dedicated GAF.

Great games all around!

Yup!

Very sexy list

Awesome to see MH4u on there! Legitimately surprised!

 

[Geg]

Going through the top 10 again, it's amazing how many games there are not from established franchises or IPs compared to previous years. Overall this was a great year for people who wanted something new and different. Going back through the past ten years...

2015 has 6: Bloodborne, Rocket League, Life is Strange, Splatoon, Undertale, and Until Dawn.

2014 had 1: Shovel Knight.

2013 had 2: The Last of Us and Tearaway.

2012 had 4: Journey, Sleeping Dogs, Dishonored, and Hotline Miami

2011 had 1: Dark Souls (and it's kind of dubious as to whether that counts as a new franchise/IP).

2010 had 3: Bayonetta, Heavy Rain, and Super Meat Boy

2009 had 2: Demon's Souls and inFAMOUS

2008 had 4: Little Big Planet, Left 4 Dead, Dead Space, and Braid

2007 had 4: Bioshock, Mass Effect, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, and Crackdown

2006 also had 6: Gears of War, Okami, Wii Sports, Dead Rising, Elite Beat Agents, and Viva Piñata

 

[SpideySenses]

It's crazy the amount of people who use the terms gameplay and combat interchangeable, if you only played gwent matches in Witcher, you could still have a perfectly valid argument that gameplay was better than Bloodborne.

 

[DrROBschiz]

The war between Witcher 3 and Bloodborne on these forums will be a great memory

Such an interesting parallel form 2011 with Skyrim/Dark Souls

East Vs West man... Epic

 

[silva1991]

I was hoping Bloodborne wouldn't take #1 just for the meltdowns on GAF.

Also, I suppose it's time to finally buy Splatoon, considering it scored higher than I expected and all the "DLC" content is finished and released. If they don't have it on sale next week (the last week of their Winter sale), I'll probably pick it up.

You won't regret it.

Splatoon is fantastic.

 

[Bl@de]

The war between Witcher 3 and Bloodborne on these forums will be a great memory

Such an interesting parallel form 2011 with Skyrim/Dark Souls

East Vs West man... Epic

I think it's pathetic.

Instead of being happy that there are great games for every taste, every thread ends up in "but X is better because I say so"...

 

[DrROBschiz]

I think it's pathetic.

Instead of being happy that there are great games for every taste, every thread ends up in "but X is better because I say so"...

Awww way to focus on the bad

There were plenty of great posts analyzing some interesting details in those discussions

I thought NeoGAF users had learned to read between the lines by now

 

[Magic Mushroom]

It's crazy the amount of people who use the terms gameplay and combat interchangeable, if you only played gwent matches in Witcher, you could still have a perfectly valid argument that gameplay was better than Bloodborne.

Just depends what you want out of games. Combat is still a huge part of TW so if you think it's not great it can still seriously hinder your enjoyment.

Just like Bloodborne isn't all combat either. I love the lore hunting for example and exploring its masterful level design is a joy.

 

[Azzanadra]

Precisely. It's never been about combat above all else in RPGs. Looking at nearly any Best RPGs of all time list would you show you that. We judge games holistically.

Dragon's Dogma and Divinity: Original Sin have some of the best combat around yet still pale in comparison to games with considerably worse combat like Planescape: Torment, Baldur's Gate 2, and Fallout: New Vegas by most accounts.

Persona 4 is GAF's #2 pick on the RPG essentials list yet it has incredibly dull combat and dungeons. Historically, that's just not how we view games in this genre or at all really.

If you're going the story route, The Witcher 3 wouldn't exactly win that one either. Sure the side stories were great, but the main story was rather mediocre. I honestly preferred the Dragon age Inquisition main story. Hey, at least Corypheus had more than 12 lines.

 

[Shahed]

It's crazy the amount of people who use the terms gameplay and combat interchangeable, if you only played gwent matches in Witcher, you could still have a perfectly valid argument that gameplay was better than Bloodborne.

I loved Witcher III. I ranked it 3rd for the list I think. However if all combat was removed and replaced with Gwent, it might have been my GOTY!

 

[benny_a]

I loved Witcher III. I ranked it 3rd for the list I think. However if all combat was removed and replaced with Gwent, it might have been my GOTY!

You should get the PC version, if you don't have it already, because there is a mod that replaces all combat with Gwent.

 

[DrROBschiz]

I loved Witcher III. I ranked it 3rd for the list I think. However if all combat was removed and replaced with Gwent, it might have been my GOTY!

Such an interesting takeaway

You think they will double down on the card game someday? Make a standalone version?

 

[spekkeh]

I don't really get all the hate for Fallout 4. Moment to moment I'm having more fun with it than say The Witcher. Combat feels satisfying and you're constantly being rewarded for exploration. Yes it's more of the same so it shouldn't be high up in the list, but frankly I have the same problem with this years 1-3.

 

[ultron87]

Rocket League getting #4 makes me so happy. Such a great finish for a small game like that.

 

[adj_noun]

if you only played gwent matches in Witcher, you could still have a perfectly valid argument that gameplay was better than Bloodborne.

If that was an option, I'd have toggled it.

You should get the PC version, if you don't have it already, because there is a mod that replaces all combat with Gwent.

Stupid sexy PC mods.

 

[Shahed]

You should get the PC version, if you don't have it already, because there is a mod that replaces all combat with Gwent.

Yeah seen this already. I bought the PS4 version (which I no longer have either) so no go. Maybe when I get a better PC I'll give this a shot at the same time as playing the expansions!

Such an interesting takeaway

You think they will double down on the card game someday? Make a standalone version?

I think they could do more with the card game. But they'd probably need to add a bit more depth and tinker with the rules a bit. Once you got all the spy cards it became far too easy. But yeah I'd be happy with it if they did. Haven't enjoyed a mini game this much since Triple Triad in FFVIII, something I'd also enjoy if there was a standalone or spin off version.

 

[EpitaphUnmei]

Let the people have a choice rather then some dumb journalist for GOTY, GAF rules!

 

[generic_username]

Not always, specially with rpgs where content is so important. There's a reason people love New Vegas and are disappointed with Fallout 4.

Design -> Content -> major gameplay -> story design -> story gameplay (Tell me people don't love Souls for those two first points as much as for the combat)

What is design? Level design, encounter design, enemy design? A case can be made for BB being far superior to the Witcher in each of those respects.

Now even if we start focussing on traditional rpg leveling systems you are left with putting points in areas meant to enhance the combat system or make the combat more rewarding ( alchemy, swords, magic etc.. ). Because the core combat system is subpar I never got any sense of empowerment from leveling up. Yeah my swords improve the chance of bleeding and higher damage but practically nothing changed when I fight. It is still the same subpar combat system with sub par weapon depth and feedback. So having a ton of different areas to put points into ultimately still does nothing to improve core gameplay.

What you are left with is quest design which is cool but once again most of your interaction with quests comes from navigation ( poor ), combat ( poor) or just using Batman detective mode ( which is what it is - neither poor nor particularly noteworthy ) so again it is not particularly satisfying. The writing is cool and element of choice is cool but ultimately for people who want mechanically strong games it could be a let down.

 

[RespectThySole]

If you're going the story route, The Witcher 3 wouldn't exactly win that one either. Sure the side stories were great, but the main story was rather mediocre. I honestly preferred the Dragon age Inquisition main story. Hey, at least Corypheus had more than 12 lines.

I disagree, but it doesn't even matter. TW3 isn't just about one story. There are many stories told in the game as you've stated. Hearts of Stone alone is better story-wise than anything else this year (to me). It's not about story vs combat either. I just found TW3 to be the most satisfying experience of the year holistically as did many others. You even voted for it yourself.

I'm not even going to start on Inquisition because I can't even fathom how someone could have that opinion. I'll just say that I found Eredin as well as many of the minor antagonists to be more satisfying than Corypheus. The Crones, Imlerith, Gaunter O'Dimm, and Olgierd just to name a few.

 

[randomkid]

haha I love that Wii got its own platform of the year awards award too

that shade against other systems though, everyone knows this was the Year of the PSP

 

[Azzanadra]

I disagree, but it doesn't even matter. TW3 isn't just about one story. There are many stories told in the game as you've stated. Hearts of Stone alone is better story-wise than anything else this year (to me). It's not about story vs combat either. I just found TW3 to be the most satisfying experience of the year holistically as did many others. You even voted for it yourself.

I'm not even going to start on Inquisition because I can't even fathom how someone could have that opinion. I'll just say that I found Eredin as well as many of the minor antagonists to be more satisfying than Corypheus. The Crones, Imlerith, Gaunter O'Dimm, and Olgierd just to name a few.

True, but my vote was concerned with the open-world mainly. I think just that sense of adventure and the influence of slavic tales really pulled it ahead for me, but if there's one thing I didn't appreciate it was the story. I don't even care about the combat debacle, because none of the previous Witcher games combats were good anyways, so the fact that the combat was serviceable was a pleasant surprise. But if there is one thing I knew CDPR would not screw up it would be the main story, what happened was... the other way around. Everything was excellent except the main story (and the combat I geuss, but like I said I wasn't expecting it to be mindblowing anyways).

I agree with all the other villains you mentioned though, except Imlerith, he was like Eredin in that regard. I am surprised you like the Wild Hunt so much though, considering CDPR themselves have admitted that they were bad. Its partly the reason Gaunter is so excellent and why they also really emphasizing the villain in Blood and Wine.

 

[Ozium]

I think it's very suspect that many people came in and voted for only 1 game, which was Bloodborne. This is like ballot stuffing, where they only vote for one game so they can be sure that no other game gets points which could potentially raise their placement

In the future if someone just lists 1 game it should only be worth 1 point IMO

 

[Fhtagn]

I think it's very suspect that many people came in and voted for only 1 game, which was Bloodborne. This is like ballot stuffing, where they only vote for one game so they can be sure that no other game gets points which could potentially raise their placement

In the future if someone just lists 1 game it should only be worth 1 point IMO

How many people actually did that?

 

[Meccanical]

I think it's very suspect that many people came in and voted for only 1 game, which was Bloodborne. This is like ballot stuffing, where they only vote for one game so they can be sure that no other game gets points which could potentially raise their placement

In the future if someone just lists 1 game it should only be worth 1 point IMO

We are taking this made up bullshit award thing way too seriously.

No one actually cares that Bloodborne won GAF game of the year.

 

[Tallshortman]

I think it's very suspect that many people came in and voted for only 1 game, which was Bloodborne. This is like ballot stuffing, where they only vote for one game so they can be sure that no other game gets points which could potentially raise their placement

In the future if someone just lists 1 game it should only be worth 1 point IMO

That's not what ballot stuffing is. Ballot stuffing is "illegitimate" votes being put in, none of those were illegitimate in terms of the rules. Besides that, those "many" people you cite were few and far in between in the scope of the voting.

Don't get salty because whatever your game is didn't win.

 

[benny_a]

I think it's very suspect that many people came in and voted for only 1 game, which was Bloodborne.

Yeah those 2 more people that did that for Bloodborne vs. The Witcher 3 are really the devil.

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

I think it's very suspect that many people came in and voted for only 1 game, which was Bloodborne. This is like ballot stuffing, where they only vote for one game so they can be sure that no other game gets points which could potentially raise their placement

In the future if someone just lists 1 game it should only be worth 1 point IMO

Are people really this upset bloodborne won. Did you really just make up a conspiracy theory??

 

[Calabria]

I think it's very suspect that many people came in and voted for only 1 game, which was Bloodborne. This is like ballot stuffing, where they only vote for one game so they can be sure that no other game gets points which could potentially raise their placement

In the future if someone just lists 1 game it should only be worth 1 point IMO

what if they can only afford one game? are you saying poor people opinion worth less?

 

[JudgmentJay]

I think it's very suspect that many people came in and voted for only 1 game, which was Bloodborne. This is like ballot stuffing, where they only vote for one game so they can be sure that no other game gets points which could potentially raise their placement

In the future if someone just lists 1 game it should only be worth 1 point IMO

Single Issue Voters WINNERS (Only voted for one game)

1. Bloodborne (19)
2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (17)
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (4)
4. Splatoon (4)
5. Life Is Strange (3)
6. Super Mario Maker (3)
7. Until Dawn (3)
8. Rocket League (2)
9. Downwell (1)
10. Dying Light (1)
11. Grim Fandango Remastered (1)
12. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (1)
13. Xenoblade Chronicles X (1)​

.

 

[generic_username]

Are people really this upset bloodborne won. Did you really just make up a conspiracy theory??

And to think people complain about the Souls fanbase

 

[Meccanical]

Clearly, this is evidence of the the secret cyber war between CDPR and From Soft.

 

[AgentP]

I think it's very suspect that many people came in and voted for only 1 game, which was Bloodborne. This is like ballot stuffing, where they only vote for one game so they can be sure that no other game gets points which could potentially raise their placement

In the future if someone just lists 1 game it should only be worth 1 point IMO

I think you should investigate this. This is serious. Maybe start a blog?

 

[RiverKwai]

My peeps....

Congratulations to Bloodborne! It ended up becoming one of my favorite games of all time, so it was an easy #1 for me.

Anyways, here's my Affinity List.

Kudos to my new best friends on GAF.

my affinity list People who likes until dawn, tearaway unfolded, grown home and putting nathan drake on their GOTY list

Great year overall

Sup Gafbros?
RiverKwai
1. Lys Skygge (114) http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=193024008&postcount=3150
2. jbluzb (111) http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190138181&postcount=834
3. fastmower (104) http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190815330&postcount=1507
4. BeeDog (103) http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190232429&postcount=1005
5. DirtyManos (102) http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190026957&postcount=199
6. Bishop89 (97) http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=191376518&postcount=1999
6. Interfectum (97) http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190078535&postcount=722
8. joshcam19 (95) http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=191172402&postcount=1931
9. Moosichu (90) http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=191211893&postcount=1947
10. bombshell (89) http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=192951242&postcount=2925

 

[DrROBschiz]

Clearly, this is evidence of the the secret cyber war between CDPR and From Soft.

Dude

what if the next souls project is in a scifi setting and gets released alongside cyberpunk.....

see you guys in 2017-18

 

[myco666]

I think it's very suspect that many people came in and voted for only 1 game, which was Bloodborne. This is like ballot stuffing, where they only vote for one game so they can be sure that no other game gets points which could potentially raise their placement

In the future if someone just lists 1 game it should only be worth 1 point IMO

Someone posted the statistics on ballots that had only one game on them few pages back. You guess what the statistics were? Bloodborne had 19 of those while Witcher 3 had 17. So yeah I am not sure if your suggestion would have changed anything.

 

[Spieler Eins]

.

Witcher clearly robbed because BB had a whopping 2 more singular votes.