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[LakeOf9]

We've had this topic earlier in the year, but since then, we've had some notable releases, so it's worth revisiting again now. This year has seen a fair few great games released, big and small. I've listed all the notable releases I could remember below, if I have missed anything, please feel free to vote for Other and list it in your reply.

So anyway, now that we are getting into the final leg of the year, what currently stands as your Game of The Year? I imagine Clair Obscur is going to be the undisputed winner this year, but with Death Stranding and Donkey Kong also having thrown their hats in the ring, it's worth seeing how things stand now!

 

[Danjin44]

I LOVED Expedition 33 but my GOTY has go to Donky Kong Bananza, that game was just pure fun.

In all honestly really don't care what wins in VGA shows, I'm mostly watch them for new game announcements.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

Mafia: The Old Country

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azura

 

[R3TRO]

Expedition 33

 

[analog_future]

It's so close between Expedition 33 and DK Bananza for me, but I think Bananza just edges Expedition out. Bananza is just doing so many new, inventive, novel things in the 3D platformer realm.


I'm kinda rooting for Expedition 33 to take all the awards though as I love an underdog.

 

[DaleinCalgary]

Could be Battlefield 6 beta

 

[Grildon Tundy]

Clair Obscur's going to win it because of the mass appeal and emotional story. And it was great, but real ball-knowers know Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is GOTY.

 

[xiaoming10086]

Abiotic Factor

My personal choice but I don't think it will actually win GOTY

 

[Liopleurodon]

Delta.

 

[deriks]

Didn't play Donkey Kong, and even if looks great as hell, the effort with Clair Obscur is one of the biggest examples ever that you can be small and make it big

 

[bender]

Since Monkey Kong kind of fizzled out towards the latter third, I'll go with TETRIS THE GRAND MASTER 4 -ABSOLUTE EYE-.

 

[Topher]

Top 3 for me:

1. Clair Obscur
2. Donkey Kong Bananza
3. Avowed

Haven't played DS2. I could never get into the first one. But yeah, Avowed deserves a place in the selections a heck of alot more than AC: Shadows, imo

 

[reinking]

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azura

I have been playing this but got distracted with Grounded 2.

 

[Loomy]

 

[Topher]

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azura

Gotta add that to my Gamefly list

 

[Plies]

DS2

 

[simpatico]

Second time this thread has been made without a mention of AtomFall. Despite Rebellion being the most underrated AAa studio out there. Technically indie, and release fully featured, long single player games in 3 years.

 

[vodka-bull]

Depends. If it's my personal GotY, unrelated to release date, meaning what I played this year and would rate as my GotY it would definitely be RDR2. Finished it for the first time this year and this game is something very special. Spend 462 hrs in it and don't regret a single one.

If it has to be a game that was released this year as well it would be Clair Obscure.

 

[Topher]

Depends. If it's my personal GotY, unrelated to release date, meaning what I played this year and would rate as my GotY it would definitely be RDR2. Finished it for the first time this year and this game is something very special. Spend 462 hrs in it and don't regret a single one.

If it has to be a game that was released this year as well it would be Clair Obscure.

Best game I've played this year is W40K Rogue Trader. If it had been released this year I'd vote for it as my GOTY easy.

 

[vodka-bull]

Best game I've played this year is W40K Rogue Trader. If it had been released this year I'd vote for it as my GOTY easy.

Which, quite frankly, makes more sense imho because no one has the time to play all the games released this year to make a somewhat reasonable decision. And as a patient gamer I rarely play games that got released the same year. On average I wait about 5-10 years before I play games.

 

[Deerock71]

The Hundred Line, for you unwashed masses.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

I think the 6 nominees will be: KCD2, DS2, E33, Split Fiction, DK Bananaz, Ghost of Yotei . . .

. . . my fav games this year will probably be the precinct, mafia, hell is us, and everybodys golf.

 

[Metnut]

Any other year and it would be Expedition 33. Just a masterpiece in so many ways. And it's going to win all the awards too. Nothing wrong with that.

But, my vote is for Kingdom Come 2. It's everything an open world game should be. Could (and did) get lost in that world for hours. Add in a gripping plot with great twists and you literally live through history. Game of the generation for me.

 

[Omnipunctual Godot]

Clair Obscur and it's not even close.

 

[BossLackey]

Claire Obscur, but had I continued KCD2 it easily could have been that I think.

 

[asdasdasdbb]

I believe we are up to 7 threads now?

 

[pqueue]

minecraft.

 

[NeverYouMind]

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4. Some of the best levels, goals, and mechanics in the franchise with a photo mode to find collectibles and an option to extend 2 minute runs to an hour. Even has custom goals in Create-A-Park with levels that can be downloaded from other users and played.






P.S. The game really opens up with Pro Goals unlocked (necessary to beat all other goals and earn gold on competitions).

 

[ZehDon]

That's a pretty incomplete list, OP.

Dune: Awakening is GOTY for me.
Runner up is Oblivion Remastered.

 

[Rickyiez]

Expedition 33 for sure. Hitting parry counter felt like ecstasy

 

[Bartski]

for today it's Death Stranding 2

 

[HYDE]

Expedition 33 is trash…Banana!

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

1. Death Stranding 2
2. KCD2
3. Claire Obscure
4. Elden Ring: Nightreign
5. Split/Fiction

Games I'll be buying for the remainder of the year:

Mafia
MGS Delta
Silent Hill f
Hell is Us
Borderlands 4
FF Tactics
Shinobi
Ghost of Yōtei
Cronos
Ninja Gaiden 4
Battlefield 6

(Crimson Desert and Silksong IF they release in 2025)

I don't how much any of these releases will shake up my list, think the top 3 are locked in but anything can happen.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Donkey Kong Bananza

Expedition 33 is my 2nd

With E33 being multiplatform, I see it winning here. But I think DK will beat it, overall between all the publications.

 

[clarky]

Donkey Kong, KCD2 or whisper it, Battlefield 6 if they deliver on the promise of the beta.

 

[powder]

Clair Obscur's going to win it because of the mass appeal and emotional story. And it was great, but real ball-knowers know Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is GOTY.

Clair Obscur is also gonna win simply for the "small studio makes huge game" thing.

 

[yogaflame]

Its still death stranding 2. It is so epic in scale and very beautiful, cerebral, challenging, addictive and interesting story and lore.

 

[Robb]

Monkey.

 

[Arsic]

Current ranking:
Clair 33
KCD2
DK Banaza
Death Stranding 2

Noteworthy games that aren't of this year for me:
UFO50
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
Zone of the Enders 2
Animal well

 

[Aenima]

Expedition 33 is my GOTY, the music, the artstyle, the turn based combat and one of the best original stories. Almost everething in the game is award winning material.

Would put Kingdom Come 2 as my personal runner up as i enjoyed my time with that game even more than E33. After 140h in KC2 i was just sad that it ended.

 

[iALX]

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and it's not even close for me.

The story, characters, world design, lore, ambiance, music and gameplay all cemented it as my GOTY.

It's been a few months since I finished it 100%, and I still re-watch key story and gameplay moments, and others' reactions online, which I haven't done for a game in a long while.

The only downside it had (on PC) were the strange slight but inconsistent input lag (that made parries more difficult) and the optimization could've been better; hopefully they slowly resolve those through updates.

 

[Fabieter]

E33 no contest man.

 

[Raven117]

E33. It's the game of the generation for me

 

[Steve Holt]

I went with expedition 33,

This year has been a stand out year so far.

I almost forgot about KCD2 damn.

 

[Ar¢tos]

Nightreign

 

[Paasei]

So far it's still Expedition 33 for me. Probably one of the best games I've played in years instead of just this 1 year. And I usually hate turn based games, so go figure.

 

[GymWolf]

I'm gonna wait the end of the year to decide.

 

[StereoVsn]

Clair Obscur's going to win it because of the mass appeal and emotional story. And it was great, but real ball-knowers know Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is GOTY.

Yep, KCD2's world, very flexible approach to quests, excellent dialogue, great quests, and expansive city with very well done NPCs is unmatched.

 

[powder]

I'd give it Death Stranding 2 if it weren't for driving the off-roader into a raspberry bush destroys your cargo like hitting a boulder