Now Discussing Best Action RPG
-
Hey everyone, staff have documented a list of banned content and subject matter that we feel are not consistent with site values, and don't make sense to host discussion of on Famiboards. This list (and the relevant reasoning per item) is viewable here.
-
Furukawa Speaks! We discuss the announcement of the Nintendo Switch Successor and our June Direct Predictions on the new episode of the Famiboards Discussion Club! Check it out here!
Site Event Famiboards Official GotY Nominations - Currently Discussing Game of the Year 2021
- Thread starter Lozjam
- Start date
- Status
- Pronouns
- he/him
Fami Your Consideration
Best Turn-Based/Strategy RPG
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl
Controversial? Yeah, but so is every single entry in this beloved franchise. And that is not necessarily a bad thing, as it just goes to show the passion within a fanbase of now multiple generations that grew up with the wonderful eponymous creatures and the high demands they have for the arguably most successful multi-media franchise of all time. But more importantly, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl are just really, really fun games. Well on its way to the top-selling list on the console after less than two months on the market, the game sold 6 million units in its first week and is the second-biggest launch in Japan in the Switch era, only trailing behind international COVID-19 early lockdown season's breakthrough hit Animal Crossing: New Horizons. ILCA has repaid the trust Game Freak has shown them in handling their precious golden egg with an end product that takes the original two beloved releases and (somewhat notoriously) faithfully recreates them while adding some quality of life improvements, a new grand underground system and the cleanest implementation of the battle process yet, ]although I personally cannot omit that I miss Sword and Shield's menu to see stat changes, weather effects, terrain etc. during battle. But if we set aside what isn't there even though we wish it was and just look at the products as they are released, these games are a fun romp through what is many hardcore fans' favourite iteration of the series and millions of gamers around the world, like myself and my friends, will have sunk dozens of hours into these babies over holiday season late nights. That is always a feat, but perhaps especially so with an estimated half of players doing so while simultaneously cursing how much they enjoy the experience.
My vote has to go to Monster Hunter Stories 2 (wait, do we get as many votes as we want?) for which I adored the demo and am excited to play it whenever I get back to finishing DQ XIS (trying to tame the backlog by keeping 1 game / genre lol), but this is super well said. I had the pleasure of winning a copy of BDSP here on a raffle and it delivered me a few hours of nostalgia and joy as I combed through the first opening moments of my first ever pokemon game. Selling my copy of diamond while I moved onto my Call of duty phase (only to buy and retain Black a short year later lol) is one of my biggest regrets and it feels great to have it back in my library. I look forward to poking away at it from time to time, and for all the disappointment the release caused... it did so in the face of enabling Game Freak to take the series biggest step forward ever with Legends (
), so I can't be too upset! If it were say $40, it would have been a win in my book.
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yes, if you would like to vote for absolutely everything in this thread, you certainly can.My vote has to go to Monster Hunter Stories 2 (wait, do we get as many votes as we want?) for which I adored the demo and am excited to play it whenever I get back to finishing DQ XIS (trying to tame the backlog by keeping 1 game / genre lol), but this is super well said. I had the pleasure of winning a copy of BDSP here on a raffle and it delivered me a few hours of nostalgia and joy as I combed through the first opening moments of my first ever pokemon game. Selling my copy of diamond while I moved onto my Call of duty phase (only to buy and retain Black a short year later lol) is one of my biggest regrets and it feels great to have it back in my library. I look forward to poking away at it from time to time, and for all the disappointment the release caused... it did so in the face of enabling Game Freak to take the series biggest step forward ever with Legends (
- Pronouns
- he/him
Fami Your Consideration
Best Action RPG
NEO: The World Ends With You
Man, what a game. NEO: TWEWY is the sequel to The World Ends With You, picking up a couple years after that game left off and carrying over a lot of the mechanics and structure. I just played the first game earlier last year, after NEO was announced, so I'm not really a long time fan of the series (the most experience I had with it before last year was the characters showing up in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance). While I enjoyed the first game enough, NEO is really just something else. The combat is unique and extremely fun once you get the hang of it. The core is a "Beatdrop" system, which allows you to combo moves into each other by fulfilling certain conditions. For example, one move could slam enemies into the ground, and you can pull off a beat drop by attacking with another move once the enemy hits the ground. This leads to fun and kinetic combo strings, and the game can provide quite a decent challenge on the harder difficulties. Overall, one of my all-time favorite action combat systems.
This is coupled with a story that, while not quite as strong as its predecessor, still shines off the back of an excellent cast and solid writing. The presentation, while distinctly somewhat low budget, still has a unique and vibrant charm to it. And boy, that soundtrack
Featuring all new bangers
And remixed favorites from the original
The opening has a good sampling of some of the game's other big tracks
Basically, it's nonstop bangers all the way through (provided you're into that type of music, at least). One of my favorite soundtracks of all time, coupled with a masterpiece of a JRPG that unfortunately got like, zero marketing. Dammit Square.
Best Action RPG
NEO: The World Ends With You
Man, what a game. NEO: TWEWY is the sequel to The World Ends With You, picking up a couple years after that game left off and carrying over a lot of the mechanics and structure. I just played the first game earlier last year, after NEO was announced, so I'm not really a long time fan of the series (the most experience I had with it before last year was the characters showing up in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance). While I enjoyed the first game enough, NEO is really just something else. The combat is unique and extremely fun once you get the hang of it. The core is a "Beatdrop" system, which allows you to combo moves into each other by fulfilling certain conditions. For example, one move could slam enemies into the ground, and you can pull off a beat drop by attacking with another move once the enemy hits the ground. This leads to fun and kinetic combo strings, and the game can provide quite a decent challenge on the harder difficulties. Overall, one of my all-time favorite action combat systems.
This is coupled with a story that, while not quite as strong as its predecessor, still shines off the back of an excellent cast and solid writing. The presentation, while distinctly somewhat low budget, still has a unique and vibrant charm to it. And boy, that soundtrack
Featuring all new bangers
And remixed favorites from the original
The opening has a good sampling of some of the game's other big tracks
Basically, it's nonstop bangers all the way through (provided you're into that type of music, at least). One of my favorite soundtracks of all time, coupled with a masterpiece of a JRPG that unfortunately got like, zero marketing. Dammit Square.
Neo is my big pick as well for this category and my overall Game of the Year. It’s the rare perfect sequel that’s both accessible to newcomers as its mostly focused on new characters, but still has tons of long term payoffs for fans. I can’t believe they managed to bring the spirit of the complex combat system forward from 2D to 3D. My favorite thing about Neo is definitely, like the first game, it becomes exponentially more rewarding the more you pour yourself into it. There’s so much choice in Neo, from the 300+ pins to level up that constantly mix up your attacks/abilities in battle, all the threads you get to create the best mix of stats and buffs/abilities, all the food you eat to boost stats, and the new social web that unlocks big features and other rewards. You can and should ratchet up the difficulty as high as possible by lowering your level to increase your drop rate and fuel further growth. Also yup, the soundtrack is the best of the year. My favorites are Last Call, World Is Yours, Breaking Free, and Kill The Itch.
Please play Neo: The World Ends With You if you haven’t. It’s phenomenal.
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I refuse to play Neo because of @Phantom Thief 's Slander of Skyward Sword. He must pay for his sins.
Let me balance it out, Skyward Sword is awesome! The sword duels are especially amazing.
You are now free to play Neo
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Fami Your Consideration
Best Action RPG
Death’s Door
Death’s Door is a gorgeous action-adventure game with light RPG elements (leveling up attributes using XP/“Souls”). In many ways it does for Zelda what Dread did for Metroid - making combat more interesting and traversal more engaging, while making the world layout more straightforward - albeit without the Nintendo IP.
Also, Death’s Door was primarily developed by a team of two, which is astonishing in light of the game’s fantastic production values.
Best Action RPG
Death’s Door
Death’s Door is a gorgeous action-adventure game with light RPG elements (leveling up attributes using XP/“Souls”). In many ways it does for Zelda what Dread did for Metroid - making combat more interesting and traversal more engaging, while making the world layout more straightforward - albeit without the Nintendo IP.
Also, Death’s Door was primarily developed by a team of two, which is astonishing in light of the game’s fantastic production values.
Last edited:
curl-6
Chain Chomp
Fami Your Consideration
Best Action RPG
Monster Hunter Rise
From its challenging and exhilerating combat, to its fantastic creature design, to its excellent soundtrack, to its insanely rewarding upgrade and crafting loop, to its innovations to the series like Palamutes and the Wirebug, it's just a top notch game through and through, a rare example of a third party committing the kind of resources and talent to a Switch project that you'd usually only see in top shelf Playstation/Xbox/PC titles.
Not a corner was cut in bringing the modern Monster Hunter experience to Switch players, and it is truly glorious.
Best Action RPG
Monster Hunter Rise
From its challenging and exhilerating combat, to its fantastic creature design, to its excellent soundtrack, to its insanely rewarding upgrade and crafting loop, to its innovations to the series like Palamutes and the Wirebug, it's just a top notch game through and through, a rare example of a third party committing the kind of resources and talent to a Switch project that you'd usually only see in top shelf Playstation/Xbox/PC titles.
Not a corner was cut in bringing the modern Monster Hunter experience to Switch players, and it is truly glorious.
Last edited:
Dunban
Riki may well be the softest of all Nopon
- Pronouns
- He/him
Fami Your Consideration
Best Action RPG
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
Best Action RPG
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
The latest entry in the series continues to provide the fast paced action Ys is known for, while also providing what has to be the strongest cast and story of the series yet. The game once again stars Adol Christin, but the game is quick to introduce the Monstrums who each have various gifts that will help you explore your surroundings. These include running up walls or gliding across untraversal terrain. While performance of the Switch version isn't great, if you're a fan of action RPGs I feel to owe it to yourself to play this game.
If I'm being completely honest, I was torn on which action RPG to nominate. But I haven't played much Persona 5 Strikers, or even started Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. And I still have to buy the Legend of Mana remaster. So that pretty much narrowed it down to Ys.
Ys IX is definitely one of my favorite action RPGs this year. Just super fun from start to finish. It’s definitely unfortunate the Switch port isn’t up to snuff, it runs flawlessly on PS5.Fami Your Consideration
Best Action RPG
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
The latest entry in the series continues to provide the fast paced action Ys is known for, while also providing what has to be the strongest cast and story of the series yet. The game once again stars Adol Christin, but the game is quick to introduce the Monstrums who each have various gifts that will help you explore your surroundings. These include running up walls or gliding across untraversal terrain. While performance of the Switch version isn't great, if you're a fan of action RPGs I feel to owe it to yourself to play this game.
If I'm being completely honest, I was torn on which action RPG to nominate. But I haven't played much Persona 5 Strikers, or even started Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. And I still have to buy the Legend of Mana remaster. So that pretty much narrowed it down to Ys.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Fami your consideration
Best Action RPG
Scarlet Nexus
The Tales team took a bit of a gamble this year and did that scary thing - making a new IP. They settled in, grabbed a pen and drew a brave new world, filled it with unique characters, and a setting somewhat oddly named ”Brainpunk”.
Settling into the groove of Nexus begins and ends with putting yourself into the shoes of either Yuito or Kasane. The sleazy neon world of Nexus feels great to inhabit and the story is wild, if a little bit hard to follow. It does have its emotional beats that hit, and it at the very least motivates you to keep going. But the strength lies in the characters here. Playing Nexus feels like entering high school for the very first time, where you’re given a task, and tossed into a room with a bunch of people with the same task. Getting to know them is a real treat. They’re a little hard to distinguish from one another in the beginning, except for the loudmouth Shiden, but over time, they grow on you and give you that warm feeling of familiarizing yourself with friends.
Otherwise, the only real interaction you have with the game is combat, and no one complains, because damn, what combat! Kasane and Yuito can use psychic powers to fling stuff away, both small and large objects, and it’s great, tacticle fun to feel that sense of impact. The fact that you can use the other character’s abilities in tandem with your own both makes the battles multi-faceted and thoroughly entertaining, as well as contributing to the overall feeling of familiarizing yourself with them and their personalities. The game has depth, too, both in an elaborate skill tree where one uses "brain points" to shape Kasane or Yuito to one's liking, as well as in how you can spend time with the characters in the headquarters to level up and customize each character's designated skill.
Personally, I had a blast with Scarlet Nexus. The characters are great, the world is cool and the battle system is a real treat. I think this is an admirable showcase in how to make a new IP.
Best Action RPG
Scarlet Nexus
The Tales team took a bit of a gamble this year and did that scary thing - making a new IP. They settled in, grabbed a pen and drew a brave new world, filled it with unique characters, and a setting somewhat oddly named ”Brainpunk”.
Settling into the groove of Nexus begins and ends with putting yourself into the shoes of either Yuito or Kasane. The sleazy neon world of Nexus feels great to inhabit and the story is wild, if a little bit hard to follow. It does have its emotional beats that hit, and it at the very least motivates you to keep going. But the strength lies in the characters here. Playing Nexus feels like entering high school for the very first time, where you’re given a task, and tossed into a room with a bunch of people with the same task. Getting to know them is a real treat. They’re a little hard to distinguish from one another in the beginning, except for the loudmouth Shiden, but over time, they grow on you and give you that warm feeling of familiarizing yourself with friends.
Otherwise, the only real interaction you have with the game is combat, and no one complains, because damn, what combat! Kasane and Yuito can use psychic powers to fling stuff away, both small and large objects, and it’s great, tacticle fun to feel that sense of impact. The fact that you can use the other character’s abilities in tandem with your own both makes the battles multi-faceted and thoroughly entertaining, as well as contributing to the overall feeling of familiarizing yourself with them and their personalities. The game has depth, too, both in an elaborate skill tree where one uses "brain points" to shape Kasane or Yuito to one's liking, as well as in how you can spend time with the characters in the headquarters to level up and customize each character's designated skill.
Personally, I had a blast with Scarlet Nexus. The characters are great, the world is cool and the battle system is a real treat. I think this is an admirable showcase in how to make a new IP.
- Pronouns
- he/him
Great game, even the fact that the Switch version is horrendous didn't stop me from loving it.Fami Your Consideration
Best Action RPG
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
The latest entry in the series continues to provide the fast paced action Ys is known for, while also providing what has to be the strongest cast and story of the series yet. The game once again stars Adol Christin, but the game is quick to introduce the Monstrums who each have various gifts that will help you explore your surroundings. These include running up walls or gliding across untraversal terrain. While performance of the Switch version isn't great, if you're a fan of action RPGs I feel to owe it to yourself to play this game.
If I'm being completely honest, I was torn on which action RPG to nominate. But I haven't played much Persona 5 Strikers, or even started Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. And I still have to buy the Legend of Mana remaster. So that pretty much narrowed it down to Ys.
But seriously man that Switch port ain't great. It impacted me for a while and I shrug off or barely notice most performance issues on Switch. It makes AoC look like a technical showcase. Falcon really needs to get its technical stuff in line
Throwing in my vote for NEO: The World Ends With You. The original is one of my favorite games of all time, and I honestly didn’t believe the sequel would be able to match up to it. And in some minor spots it doesn’t, but overall NEO is very much a worthy successor. The risk-reward level scaling is back, and there’s an insane number of customization options via pins and clothes. Playing through the Reaper’s Game’s challenges while slowly unraveling the machinations in the background is fantastic, not to mention the fanservice for fans of the first game. Also the devs did a tremendous job in translating the original’s art style into 3D.
Man, what a game indeed.
Now Discussing Best Sports/Racing Game
- Pronouns
- he/him
Fami Your Consideration
Best Sports/Racing Game
Cruis’n Blast
CRUUUUIIIIIIS’N
Admittedly one of the few sports or racing games I did play this year, but I still had a good time with its fun, arcadey gameplay. Races are hectic, there’s tons of fun unlockables, and the game runs very well. And it has an absolute banger of a title theme.
Best Sports/Racing Game
Cruis’n Blast
CRUUUUIIIIIIS’N
Admittedly one of the few sports or racing games I did play this year, but I still had a good time with its fun, arcadey gameplay. Races are hectic, there’s tons of fun unlockables, and the game runs very well. And it has an absolute banger of a title theme.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Fami Your Consideration
Best Sports/Racing Game
Cruis’n Blast
CRUUUUIIIIIIS’N
Admittedly one of the few sports or racing games I did play this year, but I still had a good time with its fun, arcadey gameplay. Races are hectic, there’s tons of fun unlockables, and the game runs very well. And it has an absolute banger of a title theme.
I was wondering if someone would beat Nate to it.
Fami Your Consideration
Best Sports/Racing Game
Mario Golf Super Rush
Mario Golf is finally back on home consoles for the first time since the Gamecube! Super Rush controversially changes the long time shot mechanics, but it is enjoyably different as it trades accuracy/information for making quick gut decisions that feel both exciting and satisfying. While the base game package was good enough, free characters and courses arrived throughout the year and really brought it all together. These DLC courses brought both welcome creativity (New Donk City!) and harsher difficulty that played well to the new mechanics. There are other modes and challenges of varying quality/interest to keep you busy, but having Mario Golf back on the TV to play together with friends and family is the star attraction and it’s excellent.
Best Sports/Racing Game
Mario Golf Super Rush
Mario Golf is finally back on home consoles for the first time since the Gamecube! Super Rush controversially changes the long time shot mechanics, but it is enjoyably different as it trades accuracy/information for making quick gut decisions that feel both exciting and satisfying. While the base game package was good enough, free characters and courses arrived throughout the year and really brought it all together. These DLC courses brought both welcome creativity (New Donk City!) and harsher difficulty that played well to the new mechanics. There are other modes and challenges of varying quality/interest to keep you busy, but having Mario Golf back on the TV to play together with friends and family is the star attraction and it’s excellent.
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Fami Your Consideration
Best Sports/Racing Game
Cruis’n Blast
CRUUUUIIIIIIS’N
Admittedly one of the few sports or racing games I did play this year, but I still had a good time with its fun, arcadey gameplay. Races are hectic, there’s tons of fun unlockables, and the game runs very well. And it has an absolute banger of a title theme.
@NateDrake
You are slacking my man. Come in this powow and dedicate your love for cruisin. We all know you want to
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Fami Your Consideration
Best Sports/Racing Game
FIFA 22 (Xbox Series X/S, Playstation 5)
Best Sports/Racing Game
FIFA 22 (Xbox Series X/S, Playstation 5)
Listen, nobody likes EA and the Switch's Legacy Edition is utter shite that nobody should buy. But, there's a reason why the series overall rakes in money year after year after year. It's simply the best in its genre. The game looks nothing short of amazing on PS5 / XBSXS, and the new features for the game are good: Goalkeeping and team movement are more realistic than ever, making jumping in for a quick match even more immersive and fun. Additionally, the additions to the career mode make a good game even better. Ultimately, this game should be in contention for this category.
Fami Your Consideration
Best Sports/Racing Game:
Rocket League Sideswipe
The mobile outing of video gaming's premiere rocket-powered car soccer simulator would have been a worthy nominee in the Rerelease/Remaster category had it included Reimaginings and Remakes, too, for it perfectly translates the full 3D experience into a smaller 2D format, right down to a hard technical skill ceiling, beyond which advancement is impossible without spending several hours a day practicing moves from YouTube tutorials and matches become unrecognizable compared to the thing you fell in love with, and the community squeezing maximum toxicity from a cute bunch of pre-set emojis. Now this may or may not sound appealing to you personally, depending on whether you're a chump or not, but it is the game that won millions and millions of fans when it released for free to PlaystationPlus subscribers six years ago, albeit in a bite-sized though not much more digestible scale, available anytime, anywhere, in the palm of your hand ... taking up even less space in said palm than when Rocket League proper first arrived on the Nintendo Switch family of systems in 2017. Play hoops, go head-to-head, test your skill in teams of two, where veterans of vehicular football will be delighted to learn that rotating from offense to defense as well as fuel managment are still essential skills to learn early and learn well. Win, loss, no matter, it's all over so fast, you've started the next round before you know it, and the battery of your smart device will drain quicker than your will to keep trying to finally secure that promotion into Platinum rank, goddamnit.Best Sports/Racing Game:
Rocket League Sideswipe
Don't swipe left on Rocket League Sideswipe!
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- he/him
Woah, I totally missed that this released. Thanks for the rec!Fami Your ConsiderationThe mobile outing of video gaming's premiere rocket-powered car soccer simulator would have been a worthy nominee in the Rerelease/Remaster category had it included Reimaginings and Remakes, too, for it perfectly translates the full 3D experience into a smaller 2D format, right down to a hard technical skill ceiling, beyond which advancement is impossible without spending several hours a day practicing moves from YouTube tutorials and matches become unrecognizable compared to the thing you fell in love with, and the community squeezing maximum toxicity from a cute bunch of pre-set emojis. Now this may or may not sound appealing to you personally, depending on whether you're a chump or not, but it is the game that won millions and millions of fans when it released for free to PlaystationPlus subscribers six years ago, albeit in a bite-sized though not much more digestible scale, available anytime, anywhere, in the palm of your hand ... taking up even less space in said palm than when Rocket League proper first arrived on handhelds in the form of the Switch family of systems in 2017. Play hoops, go head-to-head, test your skill in teams of two, where veterans of vehicular football will be delighted to learn that rotating from offense to defense as well as fuel managment are still essential skills to learn early and learn well. Win, loss, no matter, it's all over so quickly, you've started the next round before you know it, and the battery of your smart device will drain faster than your will to keep trying to finally secure that promotion into Platinum rank, goddamnit.
Best Sports/Racing Game:
Rocket League Sideswipe
Don't swipe left on Rocket League Sideswipe!
Now Discussing Best Platformer
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Fami Your Consideration
Best Platformer Game:
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Best Platformer Game:
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
As part of the 35th anniversary celebration of Super Mario Bros, Nintendo re-released Super Mario 3D World and included an all new adventure known as Bowser's Fury.
I will just focus on Bowser's Fury if that is ok. This was a slightly different take on 3D Mario where you start with Mario being dropped in an open world and being told to go crazy. The goal is to explore and collect cat shines and defeat Bowser. This time though there are no levels. It is just a large, open area where possibilities are endless. Along the way, you have to pay attention to the impending doom that Bowser presents every so often. The game offers that nice balance you get in Mario games where the early stuff is easy and you can beat the main game without breaking much of a sweat, but there is also late/post game shrines that provide a greater challenge. I don't know if this is a hint at future Mario games, but it was an awesome ride to go through!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Well, we really are showing ourselves up as a nintendo focused forum with the single platformer nomination and it's Mario haha so let me at least throw out another great platformer that brought us into 2021: Cyber Shadow.
Cyber Shadow is a 8 bit throwback inspired by Shadow of the Ninja, Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man and other classic platformers. There are some very light metroidvania style exploration elements and upgrades to collect but at it's heart it's a hardcore skill based platformer that doesn't let up for it's 6-8 hour run time, and features some solid creative boss fights. It's visually gorgeous, slamming you with the neon lights of mekacity, grungy sewers, hitech labs and more.
The game is largely made by just the one developer, Aarne Hunziker, which is cool as hell but also has a rather significant contribution from the publisher Yacht Club Games in the soundtrack by Enrique Martin and produced by Jake Kaufman of Shovel Knight fame. Anyway, it's an absolutely killer game and kicked off the year for indies in a strong way in January. Here's a killer track from the first level, Geothermal Towers, to leave you all on
Cyber Shadow is a 8 bit throwback inspired by Shadow of the Ninja, Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man and other classic platformers. There are some very light metroidvania style exploration elements and upgrades to collect but at it's heart it's a hardcore skill based platformer that doesn't let up for it's 6-8 hour run time, and features some solid creative boss fights. It's visually gorgeous, slamming you with the neon lights of mekacity, grungy sewers, hitech labs and more.
The game is largely made by just the one developer, Aarne Hunziker, which is cool as hell but also has a rather significant contribution from the publisher Yacht Club Games in the soundtrack by Enrique Martin and produced by Jake Kaufman of Shovel Knight fame. Anyway, it's an absolutely killer game and kicked off the year for indies in a strong way in January. Here's a killer track from the first level, Geothermal Towers, to leave you all on
- Pronouns
- he/him
Fami Your Consideration
Best Platformer
Psychonauts 2
I've just had the pleasure to finally dive into this one after completing the first, and it is a dream come true. The fact that this game even exists is a blessing– it started as a crowd-funded project following the cult-classic original and was eventually sweeped up by Microsoft in their acquisition of DoubleFine, allowing the team precious additional months of development to polish and expand the game into something truly special.
From what I've played so far, the game takes the outstanding concept of the original, modernizes and expands on it in every way imaginable. The primary levels of the game take place as you enter into the minds of others and explore varied levels which expertly pair together varied level design, narrative and exploration to create productive conversation about heavy topics such as anxiety, depression, multiple personality disorder, and alcoholism. Meanwhile, this is all wrapped up in a complex and well thought out universe and hub worlds of the classic collect-a-thon variety. Add on top of this an ever expanding toolset of powers to master, upgrade and customize, a hilarious script and beautiful varied visuals... it's a masterpiece in my eyes.
Nintendo fans– find a way to play this series if you haven't yet. I recommend Xbox Game Pass Streaming as an easy entry point if your internet can handle it, that's how I played the first and now I've upgraded to a Series S for the sequel.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- he / him
Maybe I'll expand later but hope someone writes about It Takes Two.
Yes, the book is bad, the story is a miss, and you can't play it if you don't have anyone to co-op with (both it's biggest flaw and strength really), but there are so many creative and mechanically interesting designs in the game that the act of playing it is a joy.
Yes, the book is bad, the story is a miss, and you can't play it if you don't have anyone to co-op with (both it's biggest flaw and strength really), but there are so many creative and mechanically interesting designs in the game that the act of playing it is a joy.
Nabbit
Heading to Lorule? Rent your equipment here!
Fami Your Consideration
Best platformer
Kaze and the Wild Masks
Though this 2D platformer starts out feeling like it apes too much of a certain simian series, the Country-side soon gives way to an engaging, engrossing and exciting variety of expertly-designed levels. The game hits that sweet spot on the difficulty curve, too. I had decent hopes going in and the game far exceeded them. It's brilliant to look at, too.
Best platformer
Kaze and the Wild Masks
Though this 2D platformer starts out feeling like it apes too much of a certain simian series, the Country-side soon gives way to an engaging, engrossing and exciting variety of expertly-designed levels. The game hits that sweet spot on the difficulty curve, too. I had decent hopes going in and the game far exceeded them. It's brilliant to look at, too.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I reeaaaalllyy feel like I should play this. I'm a huge old-school DKC fan but I wasn't sure if *all" this game had to offer was being a Donkey Clone or if it was more than that. Sounds like I aughta snag it.
Nabbit
Heading to Lorule? Rent your equipment here!
Yeah you aughta! It definitely develops its own ideas and identity after the initial set of levels. The other DKC-like that I'm a fan of is Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair - in fact I absolutely loved it and it's one of my all-time faves.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
YES Impossible Lair was GREAT!!
- Pronouns
- he/him
Tada! My expanded thoughts and official nomination for Psychonauts 2 has been added. I edited my original message since some votes had already came in there + I wanted to secure it a spot in case the category flipped before I had a chance to.Oh wow I can’t let Psychonauts 2 go unmentioned! I’ll edit this post from my computer with more info later.
Fami Your Consideration
Best Platformer
Psychonauts 2
I've just had the pleasure to finally dive into this one after completing the first, and it is a dream come true. The fact that this game even exists is a blessing– it started as a crowd-funded project following the cult-classic original and was eventually sweeped up by Microsoft in their acquisition of DoubleFine, allowing the team precious additional months of development to polish and expand the game into something truly special.
From what I've played so far, the game takes the outstanding concept of the original, modernizes and expands on it in every way imaginable. The primary levels of the game take place as you enter into the minds of others and explore varied levels which expertly pair together varied level design, narrative and exploration to create productive conversation about heavy topics such as anxiety, depression, multiple personality disorder, and alcoholism. Meanwhile, this is all wrapped up in a complex and well thought out universe and hub worlds of the classic collect-a-thon variety. Add on top of this an ever expanding toolset of powers to master, upgrade and customize, a hilarious script and beautiful varied visuals... it's a masterpiece in my eyes.
Nintendo fans– find a way to play this series if you haven't yet. I recommend Xbox Game Pass Streaming as an easy entry point if your internet can handle it, that's how I played the first and now I've upgraded to a Series S for the sequel.
I hope my evaluation of the game holds strong for its full duration– perhaps @doodlewhizz can provide some expanded thoughts since I saw he nominated a level from it for an earlier category
Fami Your Consideration
Best Platformer
Crash Bandicoot 4 (Switch)
Screenshots captured on Switch (handheld)
Crash Bandicoot 4 has got to be one of the most enjoyable platformers I've played in years -- and I'm usually fond of playing Mario and Sonic games!
I didn't grow up with Crash games, I didn't like the N'Sane Trilogy, and I was skeptical about CB4. But when it was finally announced for the Switch, and for a lower price of $40, I was kind of excited to give it a go. A non-Nintendo AAA 3D platformer optimized for the Switch -- what's not to be excited for? I quickly fell in love with the modern take on Crash with all the new stuff and QoL improvements, and 30+ hours later (across half a year), I just finished beating the main story (all the main levels) and there's still tons of skins left to unlock, challenges to complete, and bonus levels, extra difficult levels, and "mirrored" levels (with creative filters applied) to be played
The level design, the difficulty, the tight controls, the double jump that allows for split second decisions and fine tuning, the differently-themed creative worlds, the extra playable characters added (and their creatively crafted levels), new gameplay elements added (masks that grant new abilities, and levels designed around them), the replay value, the plethora of gorgeously crafted skins (that are earned through in-game challenges), the AAA quality (this is not an indie game, it's made by a big studio with lots of talent working for ~2 years!), the throwback to the classic 3D platformer era (with hard, unforgiving levels filled with secrets and challenges without holding your hand, and tons of references to past Crash games), the humoristic cutscenes and plot (I'd seriously watch a whole animated series based off of it; the interactions, the characters, the personalities, the expressions, the expressive animation style, Neo Cortex, and the funny, yet "good" plot, are all stupidly hilarious), and the love and charm poured into this game has made me love Crash and Crash Bandicoot 4
The best decision was to not include any microtransactions. Knowing that I have an AAA 3D platformer at hand with linear levels, good controls, tons of content and secrets, and ALL the beautifully crafted skins ready to be unlocked right off the bat through sheer hard (and fun) work, without anything being stripped or milked later on, that's such a relieving and awesome feeling. Almost feels like the good old days of unlocking everything by simply exploring, playing, and frustratingly dying countless of times trying to beat the hard parts, all while knowing that the only way to unlock stuff is to work hard for it -- can't pay your way out
I know this game was released in 2020, but the Switch version came out in 2021, and it's been optimized very well for the handheld device! It's one of those ports made with passion, and hand-optimized to give the best performance on all levels and screen sizes. Also, the game coming to Switch is a match made in heaven.
The grind to earn the skins + playing the fun levels makes you want to keep playing, and you'll die a lot, and that's why the Switch is perfect for this game with short sessions of playing linear levels with lots of hidden stuff and secrets to uncover and unlock.
Crash 4 is the best platformer I've played in recent years, and I might even argue it's better than many Nintendo platformers. Linear level 3D platformer lovers who're looking for a quality game with tons of free content, give this game a try!
Getting all the boxes in a "rail" section in an "n.verted" level (mirrored levels with visual filters) -- captured on Switch (handheld) (compressed due to Switch capture + Imgur)
More thoughts:
Best Platformer
Crash Bandicoot 4 (Switch)
Screenshots captured on Switch (handheld)
Crash Bandicoot 4 has got to be one of the most enjoyable platformers I've played in years -- and I'm usually fond of playing Mario and Sonic games!
I didn't grow up with Crash games, I didn't like the N'Sane Trilogy, and I was skeptical about CB4. But when it was finally announced for the Switch, and for a lower price of $40, I was kind of excited to give it a go. A non-Nintendo AAA 3D platformer optimized for the Switch -- what's not to be excited for? I quickly fell in love with the modern take on Crash with all the new stuff and QoL improvements, and 30+ hours later (across half a year), I just finished beating the main story (all the main levels) and there's still tons of skins left to unlock, challenges to complete, and bonus levels, extra difficult levels, and "mirrored" levels (with creative filters applied) to be played
The level design, the difficulty, the tight controls, the double jump that allows for split second decisions and fine tuning, the differently-themed creative worlds, the extra playable characters added (and their creatively crafted levels), new gameplay elements added (masks that grant new abilities, and levels designed around them), the replay value, the plethora of gorgeously crafted skins (that are earned through in-game challenges), the AAA quality (this is not an indie game, it's made by a big studio with lots of talent working for ~2 years!), the throwback to the classic 3D platformer era (with hard, unforgiving levels filled with secrets and challenges without holding your hand, and tons of references to past Crash games), the humoristic cutscenes and plot (I'd seriously watch a whole animated series based off of it; the interactions, the characters, the personalities, the expressions, the expressive animation style, Neo Cortex, and the funny, yet "good" plot, are all stupidly hilarious), and the love and charm poured into this game has made me love Crash and Crash Bandicoot 4
The best decision was to not include any microtransactions. Knowing that I have an AAA 3D platformer at hand with linear levels, good controls, tons of content and secrets, and ALL the beautifully crafted skins ready to be unlocked right off the bat through sheer hard (and fun) work, without anything being stripped or milked later on, that's such a relieving and awesome feeling. Almost feels like the good old days of unlocking everything by simply exploring, playing, and frustratingly dying countless of times trying to beat the hard parts, all while knowing that the only way to unlock stuff is to work hard for it -- can't pay your way out
I know this game was released in 2020, but the Switch version came out in 2021, and it's been optimized very well for the handheld device! It's one of those ports made with passion, and hand-optimized to give the best performance on all levels and screen sizes. Also, the game coming to Switch is a match made in heaven.
The grind to earn the skins + playing the fun levels makes you want to keep playing, and you'll die a lot, and that's why the Switch is perfect for this game with short sessions of playing linear levels with lots of hidden stuff and secrets to uncover and unlock.
Crash 4 is the best platformer I've played in recent years, and I might even argue it's better than many Nintendo platformers. Linear level 3D platformer lovers who're looking for a quality game with tons of free content, give this game a try!
Getting all the boxes in a "rail" section in an "n.verted" level (mirrored levels with visual filters) -- captured on Switch (handheld) (compressed due to Switch capture + Imgur)
More thoughts:
I can't stress enough how the core mechanics make or break a game, rather than everything else around it, no matter how good it may be. The reason I didn't like N'Sane Trilogy but am having a blast with Crash 4 is because of the new and improved controls design. They're really simple and easy for newbeginners and people new to the Crash games in general, but they also have another layer of depth that requires a bit more precision and maneuvering that's meant for a more skilled audience. But most importantly, they're tight, fast and responsive, which makes them fun and sort of precise. The introduction of double-jumping single-handedly made the game infinitely more fun than the original N'Sane Trilogy, imo. DKC: Tropical Freeze is a game I really wanted to like (being a die-hard fan of the original DKC Trilogy), and everything about it is great, except the controls. They broke the game for me :/
I seriously can't go back to "other" platformers after enjoying Crash 4. The other day, I tried playing Super Mario 3D World, Super Mario Odyssey, NSMBU Deluxe, Yooka Laylee and the Impossibe Lair (I'm a DKC fan), and even tried Psychonatus 2, to quench my thirst for more Crash 4-like platformers, but they didn't do it. They feel so slow, too easy (at least the first couple of levels), they take too long to restart (Crash 4 almost loads instantly after dying, getting you back into the action asap), lack replay value (like, there's nothing fun in finding obscure items for no reason), they don't feel "rewarding" enough (a new, hidden world is usually the reward in Mario games, but nothing else), and most importantly, the controls aren't all that fun, at least not compared to Crash 4. Also, earning aesthetically pleasing skins in CB4 has spoiled me -- I want the same in all Mario games now.
The way Crash 4 appealed to the classic platformers era is such an unorthodox move in this day and age with live games and microtransactions. You have to earn all the skins by completing challenges in stages (like smash all crates, find hidden gem, only die 3 times max on a level, etc.), and they also balanced it well by introducing "n.verted" levels that are the mirrored versions with some cool filters applied (some of those filters can be really creative), and so you can earn the skins by completing x amount of challenges across the original and the n.verted levels. It's great for those want a challenge, and for newcomers alike looking to get those skins in a more manageable way
Not only that, if you do complete all the "smash all crates" and "find hidden gem" for all levels in a world, you will unlock concept art for enemies and stages of that world. It's a really cool addition. When was the last time you could earn cool skins and artwork in a game without it being littered with microtransactions, psychology (FOMO, limited-time shop items, etc.) or have the game be ever-evolving, and WITHOUT the unlocked stuff being a cheap afterthought (like an easy way to add bonus stuff post-development that's easy for the developer and "scales" well enough to produce a large quantity of "content"/costumes easily)?
Even the new Mortal Kombat games are full of these modern live game practices (like paid DLC, in-game currency, post-launch DLC content (characters + story continuation), heavy advertisements for all of this, requirements of being connected to internet for live events, etc.), and it's understandable, but who doesn't miss the old era where you could dive into a game as-is and explore all its secrets and unlock all the bonus stuff simply by playing and having fun, and without feeling like having to pay for it in some way or be connected with the rest of world or be bombarded with marketing tactics trying to get you to buy stuff?
In Crash 4, it's just you, the whole complete game, all the skins ready to be unlocked by simply playing the game, fun and creative levels (and hard as well), challenges that add replay value, and tons of extra content built around fun core mechanics. These days, it's mostly just indie developers that make these types of games, but it's so refreshing to see a non-Nintendo AAA platformer developed with passion and a budget
My 11-year-old niece just finished the whole game yesterday, and it's really mind-boggling to me how good she's become since 2 years ago when she struggled with playing even Luigi's Mansion 3 with me. My sister-in-law is also a big Crash fan and is currently playing N'Sane Trilogy before moving on to Crash 4. This family circle of playing Crash games together might also be an important factor to me getting into this game and enjoying playing it, since my niece and I have sort of played this game together in that we've waited for each other before progressing further. This is also why I went back to play older levels and unlocking skins while waiting for her to catch up to me
Regardless, Crash 4 is that one game I've found that I can whip out any time I'm bored or wanting to game for a short bit of time, just mindlessly trying to unlock a new skin by beating a level over and over again, thereby becoming really good at that one level, and managing to complete most of the challenges. It's a really fun and rewarding experience, rooted in a great gameplay experience and tight controls If you've read this far, go buy this game, you won't regret it if you're anything like me (loving linear platformers with great level design, varied worlds, and rewarding unlockables).
I seriously can't go back to "other" platformers after enjoying Crash 4. The other day, I tried playing Super Mario 3D World, Super Mario Odyssey, NSMBU Deluxe, Yooka Laylee and the Impossibe Lair (I'm a DKC fan), and even tried Psychonatus 2, to quench my thirst for more Crash 4-like platformers, but they didn't do it. They feel so slow, too easy (at least the first couple of levels), they take too long to restart (Crash 4 almost loads instantly after dying, getting you back into the action asap), lack replay value (like, there's nothing fun in finding obscure items for no reason), they don't feel "rewarding" enough (a new, hidden world is usually the reward in Mario games, but nothing else), and most importantly, the controls aren't all that fun, at least not compared to Crash 4. Also, earning aesthetically pleasing skins in CB4 has spoiled me -- I want the same in all Mario games now.
The way Crash 4 appealed to the classic platformers era is such an unorthodox move in this day and age with live games and microtransactions. You have to earn all the skins by completing challenges in stages (like smash all crates, find hidden gem, only die 3 times max on a level, etc.), and they also balanced it well by introducing "n.verted" levels that are the mirrored versions with some cool filters applied (some of those filters can be really creative), and so you can earn the skins by completing x amount of challenges across the original and the n.verted levels. It's great for those want a challenge, and for newcomers alike looking to get those skins in a more manageable way
Not only that, if you do complete all the "smash all crates" and "find hidden gem" for all levels in a world, you will unlock concept art for enemies and stages of that world. It's a really cool addition. When was the last time you could earn cool skins and artwork in a game without it being littered with microtransactions, psychology (FOMO, limited-time shop items, etc.) or have the game be ever-evolving, and WITHOUT the unlocked stuff being a cheap afterthought (like an easy way to add bonus stuff post-development that's easy for the developer and "scales" well enough to produce a large quantity of "content"/costumes easily)?
Even the new Mortal Kombat games are full of these modern live game practices (like paid DLC, in-game currency, post-launch DLC content (characters + story continuation), heavy advertisements for all of this, requirements of being connected to internet for live events, etc.), and it's understandable, but who doesn't miss the old era where you could dive into a game as-is and explore all its secrets and unlock all the bonus stuff simply by playing and having fun, and without feeling like having to pay for it in some way or be connected with the rest of world or be bombarded with marketing tactics trying to get you to buy stuff?
In Crash 4, it's just you, the whole complete game, all the skins ready to be unlocked by simply playing the game, fun and creative levels (and hard as well), challenges that add replay value, and tons of extra content built around fun core mechanics. These days, it's mostly just indie developers that make these types of games, but it's so refreshing to see a non-Nintendo AAA platformer developed with passion and a budget
My 11-year-old niece just finished the whole game yesterday, and it's really mind-boggling to me how good she's become since 2 years ago when she struggled with playing even Luigi's Mansion 3 with me. My sister-in-law is also a big Crash fan and is currently playing N'Sane Trilogy before moving on to Crash 4. This family circle of playing Crash games together might also be an important factor to me getting into this game and enjoying playing it, since my niece and I have sort of played this game together in that we've waited for each other before progressing further. This is also why I went back to play older levels and unlocking skins while waiting for her to catch up to me
Regardless, Crash 4 is that one game I've found that I can whip out any time I'm bored or wanting to game for a short bit of time, just mindlessly trying to unlock a new skin by beating a level over and over again, thereby becoming really good at that one level, and managing to complete most of the challenges. It's a really fun and rewarding experience, rooted in a great gameplay experience and tight controls
If you've read this far, go buy this game, you won't regret it if you're anything like me (loving linear platformers with great level design, varied worlds, and rewarding unlockables).
Last edited:
Best Party/Casual Games
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Indeed, it has been a crazy year! Now, next I would love to move on to best Party/Casual Game!
What are the games that you loved to bring to social gatherings? Either online, or in person? Which games did you bring out from 2021 that just really had you have a blast with. Are there any looser, more chilled experiences you have had in 2021 as well? We can be a little loose with this one, but I would love to see your nominations.
Just to kind of help with this one, of what is a party game or casual games, here are some games from past years that could have been nominated.
Smash Ultimate
1+2 Switch
Clubhouse Games
Mariokart 8
Wii Fit
Fortune Street
Wii Play
Pokemon Snap
Tetris
ect.
What are the games that you loved to bring to social gatherings? Either online, or in person? Which games did you bring out from 2021 that just really had you have a blast with. Are there any looser, more chilled experiences you have had in 2021 as well? We can be a little loose with this one, but I would love to see your nominations.
Just to kind of help with this one, of what is a party game or casual games, here are some games from past years that could have been nominated.
Smash Ultimate
1+2 Switch
Clubhouse Games
Mariokart 8
Wii Fit
Fortune Street
Wii Play
Pokemon Snap
Tetris
ect.
- Pronouns
- he/him
For this category, there can really only be one
Fami your consideration
Best Pary/Casual Game
Mario Party Superstars
Easily the best Mario Party in over a decade. Continues the return to form of its predecessor Super Mario Party by going even further back into the series roots, specifically back to the N64. For the boards anyway, as it does draw games from across the entire series. In many ways, this feels like a celebration of everything that has come before. I appreciate how much faster it plays that Super Mario Party, though I do somewhat miss the gimmick of character specific special dice and ally assist characters.
This game is basically a Switch essential if you ever play it with friends or family.
Fami your consideration
Best Pary/Casual Game
Mario Party Superstars
Easily the best Mario Party in over a decade. Continues the return to form of its predecessor Super Mario Party by going even further back into the series roots, specifically back to the N64. For the boards anyway, as it does draw games from across the entire series. In many ways, this feels like a celebration of everything that has come before. I appreciate how much faster it plays that Super Mario Party, though I do somewhat miss the gimmick of character specific special dice and ally assist characters.
This game is basically a Switch essential if you ever play it with friends or family.
HockeyBird
Villager
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Fami your consideration
Best Pary/Casual Game
New Pokemon Snap
It's Pokemon Snap...but new! What more needs to be said? It's not like Mario Superstars which is Mario Party...but old!
If you're looking for a game to relax with after a long workday, New Pokemon Snap is that game. It's the same formula you loved as kid but with new Pokemon looking better than ever. You can either casual go form local to local or spend dozens of hours trying to get pictures of all the Pokemon, in all their poses, and with the highest ratings. This game feels like summer vacation and you'll wish you visit those islands and relax on those beaches in real life. It's perfect for the hardcore Pokemon fan and non-gamers alike. After 20 years of waiting for the sequel, New Pokemon Snap offers a gaming experience not easily found elsewhere. Don't sleep on this gem because who knows when we'll get another. New Pokemon Snap is the best casual game of the year and one of the best games of the year.
Best Pary/Casual Game
New Pokemon Snap
It's Pokemon Snap...but new! What more needs to be said? It's not like Mario Superstars which is Mario Party...but old!
If you're looking for a game to relax with after a long workday, New Pokemon Snap is that game. It's the same formula you loved as kid but with new Pokemon looking better than ever. You can either casual go form local to local or spend dozens of hours trying to get pictures of all the Pokemon, in all their poses, and with the highest ratings. This game feels like summer vacation and you'll wish you visit those islands and relax on those beaches in real life. It's perfect for the hardcore Pokemon fan and non-gamers alike. After 20 years of waiting for the sequel, New Pokemon Snap offers a gaming experience not easily found elsewhere. Don't sleep on this gem because who knows when we'll get another. New Pokemon Snap is the best casual game of the year and one of the best games of the year.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I missed the boat to nominate this one for the main it award it should be nominated for, but I think it's a great pick for this category as well!
Fami Your Consideration:
Best Party/Casual Game
Forza Horizon 5
One of the real strengths of the Horizon series, in my opinion, is how it caters to a very wide range of players, from the very casual to the hardcore, and is able to deliver a fun, engaging experience for all. With the very wide range of options regarding difficulty and vehicle assists, including the new autodrive functions, it allows anyone to have fun and compete, and the rapid progression brought by wheelspins and other prizes always enable a constant stream of new content for everyone, allowing those who might struggle with the game to get the chance to drive some of the fastest or rarest cars in the game. In addition, the new accolade system allows players to progress through the game by choosing the content they want to play. If someone doesn't want to do cross country races, drifting, or even online play as a whole, they can still progress and see all the single-player content the game has to offer. In addition, Horizon 5 has a plethora of online content focused more on good times than pure competition, such as the perennial Playground Games (games like capture the flag and infection), the return of Horizon 4's Forzathon Live (a series of small, themed challenges, now branded as Horizon Arcade), as well as the new addition of Horizon Tour, a chill co-op race mode that has small road trip sequences between each round. It's a great time, as the racing tends to be more casual with the lower stakes and slow AI, and the team based scoring allows slower players to still contribute to the total success of the team. And there's always the fun in just driving and exploring the open world together. It's just a great overall package, and it's no wonder why the series continues to expand.
Fami Your Consideration:
Best Party/Casual Game
Forza Horizon 5
One of the real strengths of the Horizon series, in my opinion, is how it caters to a very wide range of players, from the very casual to the hardcore, and is able to deliver a fun, engaging experience for all. With the very wide range of options regarding difficulty and vehicle assists, including the new autodrive functions, it allows anyone to have fun and compete, and the rapid progression brought by wheelspins and other prizes always enable a constant stream of new content for everyone, allowing those who might struggle with the game to get the chance to drive some of the fastest or rarest cars in the game. In addition, the new accolade system allows players to progress through the game by choosing the content they want to play. If someone doesn't want to do cross country races, drifting, or even online play as a whole, they can still progress and see all the single-player content the game has to offer. In addition, Horizon 5 has a plethora of online content focused more on good times than pure competition, such as the perennial Playground Games (games like capture the flag and infection), the return of Horizon 4's Forzathon Live (a series of small, themed challenges, now branded as Horizon Arcade), as well as the new addition of Horizon Tour, a chill co-op race mode that has small road trip sequences between each round. It's a great time, as the racing tends to be more casual with the lower stakes and slow AI, and the team based scoring allows slower players to still contribute to the total success of the team. And there's always the fun in just driving and exploring the open world together. It's just a great overall package, and it's no wonder why the series continues to expand.
If this counts, then New Pokemon Snap gets my vote. What surprised me about it the most is that my girlfriend ended up getting hooked on the game after initially being skeptical of the premise (“so you just take pictures of Pokemon?”). It was great seeing Pokemon act like real creatures living in their natural habitats, and puzzling out how to get some shots was really fun.
Now Discussing Best Action/Action Adventure Game
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- He/Him
We actually have 2 more categories! Sorry about the hubub, and the slowness and lateness.
Up next is best Action/Action Adventure Game, and after that we just have Game of the Year Nominations.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Fami your consideration
Best Action Adventure Game
Metroid Dread
Best Action Adventure Game
Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread is that kind of comeback, the kind of game that makes the wait worth it, and has one giddy with excitement over the return of the queen. That has one squinting eyes, wondering if what we’re seeing is really true.
The greatness of Metroid, and the reason this is such a pinnacle franchise - one that has more or less spawned a subgenre, to say the least - is immediately evident as soon as Metroid Dread boots up. Stranded on ZDR this time around, heroine Samus Aran needs to make her way up again, through walkways and rooms, obstacles and enemies, so familiar yet new, so warm yet alienating, things that gives one the cosy feeling of coming home. It really can’t be overstated how awesome it feels to finally be back.
The words one can reach for are many, and I’ll stick with this one: Metroid Dread is SLICK. The actions and controls are unbelievably polished and movement feels undeniably fantastic. The combat, ever-present and intense, is a continuous joy thanks to the snappy responsiveness in Samus’ moveset, and everything has a level of polish on par with Nintendo’s plethora of AAA titles.
The tempo is more intense, the exploration is handled differently, and progress can feel unnatural at first, but when it all clicks, it really clicks, and Dread becomes a fluid and engaging experience. The item locks are handled differently this time around, where it can take a long time to get, for example, the morph ball, but it’s all part of a design approach that gradually allows the player to become a real powerhouse. Finding missile expansions is addicting, and the bosses are amazing and intense. Samus moves fast, and the controls allow for a versatilty that is unmatched within the series.
The change in tempo and different approach to progression is more evident than ever in the EMMI sections, where the player gets hunted down by one-hit kill robots. Standing outside one of many entrances to their zones fills the player with, well, dread, as the EMMI sections are tense sections that puts everything you know to the test. They’re an excellent new addition to a game already bending what it means to be Metroid.
Metroid Dread is one hell of an action adventure romp, and, again, the return of the queen. It’s slick, and well-designed, and does its own design approach justice. DAMN, this game is good.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Fami Your Consideration
Best Action/Action Adventure Game
Death’s Door
Death’s Door is a gorgeous action-adventure game with light RPG elements (leveling up attributes using XP/“Souls”). In many ways it does for Zelda what Dread did for Metroid - making combat more interesting and traversal more engaging, while making the world layout more straightforward - albeit without the Nintendo IP.
Also, Death’s Door was primarily developed by a team of two, which is astonishing in light of the game’s fantastic production values.
Best Action/Action Adventure Game
Death’s Door
Death’s Door is a gorgeous action-adventure game with light RPG elements (leveling up attributes using XP/“Souls”). In many ways it does for Zelda what Dread did for Metroid - making combat more interesting and traversal more engaging, while making the world layout more straightforward - albeit without the Nintendo IP.
Also, Death’s Door was primarily developed by a team of two, which is astonishing in light of the game’s fantastic production values.
curl-6
Chain Chomp
Thank you for bringing this one to my attention, I had actually never heard of it, but upon checking it out, it definitely looks like something I might enjoy!
I have one question though; just how hard is it?
I ask because I have a minor fine motor control impairment and dislike being frustrated; I can handle most games just fine but anything in the vein of say From Software's works are just too much for my hands to handle and I just end up getting permanently stuck and feeling stressed and unhappy.
About the hardest games I've ever managed to beat are the Ori games.
Thanks in advance.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I think Ori is a fair point of comparison in terms of difficulty, but Death’s Door really plays more like Link to the Past or Four Swords Adventures. Death’s Door has you respawn at the entrance of the room you died in (at least for bosses and enemy gauntlets), so at least you don’t have to make a repeat trek.Thank you for bringing this one to my attention, I had actually never heard of it, but upon checking it out, it definitely looks like something I might enjoy!
I have one question though; just how hard is it?
I ask because I have a minor fine motor control impairment and dislike being frustrated; I can handle most games just fine but anything in the vein of say From Software's works are just too much for my hands to handle and I just end up getting permanently stuck and feeling stressed and unhappy.
About the hardest games I've ever managed to beat are the Ori games.
Thanks in advance.
It’s on Game Pass if you want to try it without commitment.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Fami Your Consideration
Best Action/Action Adventure Game
Eastward
Damn, honestly two fantastic nominations already, what can I say about Eastward! Eastward is a fantastic Action Adventure game made primarily by a small Shanghai based team called Pixelpil and published by Chucklefish, that is equal parts Legend of Zelda, Mother and dare I say it, The Last of Us? It's an epic journey of friendship, courage, loss and finding your place in the world. Well, a world turned upside down anyway. With GBA inspired visuals and an exquisite soundtrack by Joel Corelitz I didn't want to see Sam & John's journey end, and despite a relaxed pace and long run time I found myself scouring every corner and speaking to every NPC along the way (it's crazy how often the NPC dialogue refreshes in this game). The game has a lot of clever engaging puzzles, interesting boss fights and fun mini games, it's a triumph. Please consider Eastward!
I'll leave off with my favourite track of the game with the disclaimer that the title may be final boss but there are no spoilers involved in the track or video
Best Action/Action Adventure Game
Eastward
Damn, honestly two fantastic nominations already, what can I say about Eastward! Eastward is a fantastic Action Adventure game made primarily by a small Shanghai based team called Pixelpil and published by Chucklefish, that is equal parts Legend of Zelda, Mother and dare I say it, The Last of Us? It's an epic journey of friendship, courage, loss and finding your place in the world. Well, a world turned upside down anyway. With GBA inspired visuals and an exquisite soundtrack by Joel Corelitz I didn't want to see Sam & John's journey end, and despite a relaxed pace and long run time I found myself scouring every corner and speaking to every NPC along the way (it's crazy how often the NPC dialogue refreshes in this game). The game has a lot of clever engaging puzzles, interesting boss fights and fun mini games, it's a triumph. Please consider Eastward!
I'll leave off with my favourite track of the game with the disclaimer that the title may be final boss but there are no spoilers involved in the track or video
- Status
