Site Event Famiboards Game of the Year 2022 Celebration: WINNERS ANNOUNCED! See threadmark.

[Deleted member 2258]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Area/World
Marvel Snap - Limbo

There is a turn 7 this game. This nomination may be a odd duck, so let me explain. In Marvel Snap, you play character cards on one of three locations in a fast-paced, six round game. Each location has a special ability attached to it. The sixth turn is usually when you get to lay down your big guns. It adds a whole new layer of strategy, unpredictability and possibility for more big moves with that turn 7 that Limbo provides. The best parts of the game get amplified when this location is revealed.

 

[Josh5890]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Art Direction
Kirby and the Forgotten Land

From its vibrant and lush colour palette, to its soft lighting, to its adorable creature design, to its restrained and subtle use of modern rendering technology, the game is a masterclass in beauty through simplicity. Nothing feels overly flashy or excessive, and everything feels wonderfully cohesive, with every model, texture, and pixel geling together into a warm and lovely whole.

It achieves the look it aims for practically flawlessly, and much like the gameplay, the visual presentation is a cosy delight.

Fami Your Consideration
Best Platformer
Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Kirby’s transition to 3D feels effortless with how refined it is. Forgotten Land evokes some of the best N64-era platformers, but is executed on a level of excellence and wonder they could only dream of. The actual platforming in Kirby is generally pretty breezy thanks to Kirby’s ability to float, but by smartly limiting this power HAL is able to explore a much larger variety of interesting levels, challenges, and puzzles.

Best Level / Area / World
Xenoblade 3’s Fornis Region

Xenoblade 3’s world is breathtaking and spectacular. Of the big three largest areas, the coolest in my book is the Fornis region. It begins with a fairly linear trek through a desert as you are guided by the story. At the start of Chapter 3 though you enter this space where your journey truly begins. I call it the crossroads as it is the intersection of four major areas, the desert behind you, the cliffs ahead of you, a separate desert to the left, and a dangerous canyon area to the right. The wild thing about Fornis with this huge reveal is that it actually just keeps, densely expanding as you explore it. There’s one more large area beyond the cliffs ahead, there’s two other towns to find including one in a mountain, there’s multiple caves to explore and some even feature light dungeon/puzzle elements. To fully explore all of Fornis you must not only level up your party to tackle the toughest challenges, but also you must learn new traversal skills. Fornis is a stunning achievement of level and world design that compels and surprises you in equal measure and the sights, monsters, characters, and quests you encounter in it only make it all the more meaningful. Fornis is the best area of the year.

So, I need to apologize. I didn't really think about it before but Kirby feels more like a platformer than an adventure game. Now we have nominations for both categories. For the sake of transparency and fairness, I want to let the community decide which category/genre would be more appropriate in this case. Below is a straw poll. Everyone is free to vote at their choosing.

@curl-6 if we decide to go with platformer for Kirby, I will allow you to nominate another game in that category if you wish. Either way, you and xghost777 will both receive credit for nominating Kirby. I apologize for any inconvenience that this caused.

Which genre does Kirby and the Forgotten Land fall under? - Online Poll - StrawPoll

What's your opinion? Vote now: Action/Adventure, Platformer...

strawpoll.com

 

[NabiscoFelt]

Fami Your Consideration
Best World
Sequoia (Crystal Project)

I don't know if anyone else on this forum has actually played this game, and even I haven't finished it, but feel like it deserves this nomination nonetheless. Crystal Project is an indie open world turn-based RPG with platforming elements, with the world expanding as you collect more traversal options (in the form of mounts). The areas all interconnect masterfully, and poking around in any direction can net you a new zone, or an interesting connection between zones. It's probably some of the best Metroidvania design I've seen in a while, and it comes from an RPG

Game also doesn't look half bad at times, it has this "Minecraft"/voxel aesthetic mixed with what I believe to be free pixel art assets, but it pulls off the look pretty well at the end of the day

 

[King_Dodongo]

So, I need to apologize. I didn't really think about it before but Kirby feels more like a platformer than an adventure game. Now we have nominations for both categories. For the sake of transparency and fairness, I want to let the community decide which category/genre would be more appropriate in this case. Below is a straw poll. Everyone is free to vote at their choosing.

@curl-6 if we decide to go with platformer for Kirby, I will allow you to nominate another game in that category if you wish. Either way, you and xghost777 will both receive credit for nominating Kirby. I apologize for any inconvenience that this caused.

Which genre does Kirby and the Forgotten Land fall under? - Online Poll - StrawPoll

What's your opinion? Vote now: Action/Adventure, Platformer...

strawpoll.com

But it was I who nominated Kirby for action/adventure....

 

[curl-6]

Fami Your Consideration
Best World/Level
Alterna, Splatoon 3

A high tech facility, on a set of polar islands, in an underground dome. The concept alone is surreal, and Alterna takes things further with its mysterious atmosphere, tangled lore, and satisfying progression structure.
I won't spoil the narrative implications, but as you read the logs, it takes on deeper significance within the universe of Splatoon that really elevates it.
The best hubs feel like a fleshed out place unto themselves that are a pleasure to exist in, and this is very much true of Alterna.

 

[Thunder84]

Fami Your Consideration
Best World
Crossbell, Trails from Zero

Undoubtedly one of my favorite JRPG towns in recent memory. The worldbuilding is superb, and the NPCs are dynamic and feel alive. Seeing the city grow and change alongside you as the story progresses is the highlight of Zero.

 

[WhyS]

I have only played six (6) hours of Chained Echoes so far, but I already love it and would have nominated the game if I had played it in time for the best RPG nominations. Thankfully, there is still an indie category, and I eager anticipate my chance to participate.

 

[Illusionary]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Platformer
Tinykin

Tinykin was an excellent, unexpected surprise, combining a 'collectathon' 3D platformer with Pikmin-esque puzzle-solving. The game revolves around gathering up tiny creatures (the titular 'tinykin') any using their abilities to traverse and manipulate the environment, with five distinct colours of pikmin each having their own ability - climbing, carrying and event exploding.

The puzzles are all pretty simple and there's little in the way of danger as Milo explores each environment, comprising six main rooms, each themed around different rooms of the house - living room, bathroom, etc. Despite this they're wonderfully satisfying to solve. While the graphics are fairly simple, each level's design is meticulously detailed, with a high degree of verticality and being packed with hidden secrets - but often signposted by the game's most common collectible, small pollen motes. This is where the 'collectathon' aspects of Tinykin come to the fore, with most levels having over 1,000 pollen to collect. That may seem intimidating, but moreso these are spread in a way that rewards exploration - and it's perfectly possible to find everything without a guide, provided that you take your time to explore thoroughly, which also allows you to take in that impressive level design.


Best World
Horizon: Forbidden West

Absolutely the technical pinnacle of 2022's game releases, Forbidden West's expansive open-world is stunningly beautiful and a joy to explore. From the numerous settlements, to the imposing machines and the simple natural beauty through which they roam, the world of Forbidden West might be dying, but it always feels fantastically alive. Plenty of times I'd just stop and take it all in - and even as someone who doesn't really use photo modes in games, this one had me engaged a good number of times.


While I've missed the first few days of nominations, I'm pleased to see that my picks there all seem to be represented nonetheless - except that I'd have loved to see Chained Echoes up for the best RPG.

@Irene This thread is easily missed if you browse the site other than from the Treehouse main forum list (and I know that some people overlook stickies). Can I suggest that an announcement would be worthwhile, for better visibility?

 

[curl-6]

(Sorry, wrong thread! Please delete)

 

[Weebos]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Level/World
Area Zero (Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet)

Soundtrack:



The final area in the game is the forbidden Area Zero. If you have been attending classes and reading books throughout the game, you will know that it is a dangerous place, but I don't think that prepares you for how eerie it is. This is a strange place, full of strange Pokemon, and it has been forbidden for a reason. The deeper and deeper you descend into it, the stranger it gets, and the music and scenery reflect that. This is where the climax of the game takes place, and the few hours you spend there for the ending sequence ii the best sequence of the game by far.

 

[Josh5890]

Apologies for any delayed responses. The ballot has been updated so please check post 2 and yell at me if I missed anything.

12 hour warning before the change over.

But it was I who nominated Kirby for action/adventure....

This is where Josh puts his foot in his mouth. I apologize for mistaking posts. You are correct. As it stands the poll overwhelmingly went towards Kirby being a platformer so we are officially moving the title to that category. As I mentioned before, you will receive credit along with xghost for nominating the game. If you still want to replace your original pick for action/adventure game, I will happily accept it. And again, I apologize for not acting sooner on this.

Fami Your Consideration
Best World
Sequoia (Crystal Project)

I don't know if anyone else on this forum has actually played this game, and even I haven't finished it, but feel like it deserves this nomination nonetheless. Crystal Project is an indie open world turn-based RPG with platforming elements, with the world expanding as you collect more traversal options (in the form of mounts). The areas all interconnect masterfully, and poking around in any direction can net you a new zone, or an interesting connection between zones. It's probably some of the best Metroidvania design I've seen in a while, and it comes from an RPG

Game also doesn't look half bad at times, it has this "Minecraft"/voxel aesthetic mixed with what I believe to be free pixel art assets, but it pulls off the look pretty well at the end of the day

First I am seeing of this and it looks gorgeous. I really need to play more indie games.

Best World
Horizon: Forbidden West

Absolutely the technical pinnacle of 2022's game releases, Forbidden West's expansive open-world is stunningly beautiful and a job to explore. From the numerous settlements, to the imposing machines and the simple natural beauty through which they roam, the world of Forbidden West might be dying, but it always feels fantastically alive. Plenty of times I'd just stop and take it all in - and even as someone who doesn't really use photo modes in games, this one had me engaged a good number of times.

Thank you for nominating this beautiful open world map! I was debating which area I wanted to highlight (was leaning towards Vegas), but you went for the whole damn thing. My thanks again!

 

[Illusionary]

Thank you for nominating this beautiful open world map! I was debating which area I wanted to highlight (was leaning towards Vegas), but you went for the whole damn thing. My thanks again!

Honestly it's all absolutely stunning; graphics help of course (as you've comprehensively covered in post #12), but it's much more than that and I'm just sad that I've recently 100%-ed the game. It's all that I can do not to jump immediately into NG+, but I've got plenty more to play. 19 April can't come soon enough!

(and if you need a tag-team partner to nominate Forbidden West everywhere, I'm right here!)

Spoiler

Machine Strike counts as a strategy game, right?

 

[Josh5890]

Honestly it's all absolutely stunning; graphics help of course (as you've comprehensively covered in post #12), but it's much more than that and I'm just sad that I've recently 100%-ed the game. It's all that I can do not to jump immediately into NG+, but I've got plenty more to play. 19 April can't come soon enough!

(and if you need a tag-team partner to nominate Forbidden West everywhere, I'm right here!)

Spoiler

Machine Strike counts as a strategy game, right?

Ooh, I didn't think of that.

Tbh I suck at machine strike lol

 

[Josh5890]

Ok, it is time for round 4 of nominations.

Best RTS/Strategy Game
An award recognizing games that allow you to take part in complex, tactical decisions. Games that encourages careful consideration and planning, and has you immerse yourself in a world where victory is key.

Best Multiplayer Experience
An award recognizing the fun that can be had with friends and close ones - or rivals, for that matter. Whether it be in purely multiplayer-focused games, or games with multiplayer elements, this award is for spotlighting times where the most fun comes from, and with, other people.



@MissingNo.

 

[King_Dodongo]

Fami Your Consideration
Best RTS/Strategy game
Triangle Strategy

As usual for these times, Squenix announced a game with a name that made more than one chuckle. This game, in the 2D-HD vein, revolves around a world where three nations are in a truce over resources. As usual time of peace doesn't last too long and soon our protagonist has to take his father's mantle and start doing things his way, while still using the house's tradition of scales, based around voting alongside his crew. The strategy and world building is excelent, each character delivers a specific speacialty which makes team selection varied, customization is minimal in the characters themselves (you equip accesories and some abilities) so their different skills become the essential part of the battles. The visuals, art, and OST are also excellent. 2022 was a great year for the genre, and while there were many other games I enjoyed Triangle Strategy is indeed worthy of a nomination in this fascinating category.

 

[Irene]

@MissingNo. Nominating strategy now!

EDIT: Oh, saw Josh already pinged you, haha.

 

[xghost777]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Multiplayer Experience
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Pokemon took a massive leap forward with SV and the multiplayer is a central part of the experience. While there is only one dedicated co op activity, the Tera Raid battles which offer an increasing challenge that eventually demands close coordination and planning, to me the true stand out is being able to largely exist in the same world at the same time. This means you can set out and catch Pokemon together which means so much more than rather simply trading with friends, family, Fami(!), or strangers. You can share the surprises of the unknown with others or help friends track down elusive Pokemon. Even better if you have friends with the other version, they can spawn their Pokemon in your world so you can catch them yourself.

My favorite part of how SV multiplayer works is that you can jump in and out of the social experience as needed because you aren’t locked out of activities while playing online. This is huge because say you need a gym badge to increase your level you can tackle the next gym while sharing a world with your friends. In practice sometimes this would play out like me challenging a gym, a friend taking on a Titan pokemon, while another made a cool discovery and would ask everyone to meet up with them when they took care of business. Sharing directions like “fly to Alfornada, look to your left, and jump off the cliff, for a bunch of rare sea Pokemon” made SV’s world more tangible and meaningful. I played nearly the entire game in multiplayer with my brother and best friend and it truly elevated the entire experience as we shared all of our discoveries and experiences together. This was the true next evolution of Pokemon I’ve always dreamed about and was far and away my favorite multiplayer experience of the year.

 

[PixelKnight]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Multiplayer Experience
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Unsure if expansions are allowed, but at this point I’ve poured 200+ hours into it, almost all in multiplayer. It’s so fast and smooth to party up with random players, compared to previous games where I’ve sat in a lobby for huge amounts of time waiting for someone that wanted to do the same quest. Now you either join one in progress, or get going yourself and have others join you. Over hundreds of hunts it’s been really rare that I haven’t had a full team join me within five minutes. The game continues to be updated (there’s another one due later this month, I think), with continually new mechanics added to to give new things to chase, from increasingly dangerous iterations of monsters to weapon and armour upgrades being hugely expanded as you can tinker with just about any piece to your hearts content. Monster Hunter’s community also remains the friendliest, most welcoming gaming one I’ve ever been part of.

 

[MissingNo.]

@MissingNo. Nominating strategy now!

EDIT: Oh, saw Josh already pinged you, haha.

Didn't receive a notification for Josh's ping for some reason, so thank you!

@King_Dodongo already did my job, so all is well.

 

[Party Sklar]

Fami Your Consideration

Best RTS/Strategy game
Marvel Snap

If there's one game that took everyone by surprised this year, it's this one. Accessible, fun and strategic, Marvel Snap found the perfect formula for a mobile card game, one that you can play between two bus stops or for hours in your bed. With a business model that doesn't require you to pay to win (yet), it doesn't fall into the usual trap of mobile games. It remains to be seen how it will renew itself, but in 2022, it was one of the high points of the year.

 

[cire]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Multiplayer Experience
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Unsure if expansions are allowed, but at this point I’ve poured 200+ hours into it, almost all in multiplayer. It’s so fast and smooth to party up with random players, compared to previous games where I’ve sat in a lobby for huge amounts of time waiting for someone that wanted to do the same quest. Now you either join one in progress, or get going yourself and have others join you. Over hundreds of hunts it’s been really rare that I haven’t had a full team join me within five minutes. The game continues to be updated (there’s another one due later this month, I think), with continually new mechanics added to to give new things to chase, from increasingly dangerous iterations of monsters to weapon and armour upgrades being hugely expanded as you can tinker with just about any piece to your hearts content. Monster Hunter’s community also remains the friendliest, most welcoming gaming one I’ve ever been part of.

A bit of a derail, but I've always wanted to get into Monster Hunter. Glad you liked it.

 

[Illusionary]

Fami Your Consideration
Best RTS/Strategy game
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

Admittedly I'm yet to find time to dive into this properly myself, but I already know enough to be sure that the satisfying "XCOM-lite" mechanics from Kingdom Battle are reprised and evolved impressively, while retained a wonderful sense of charm throughout - a particularly notable achievement when many people (myself included) might typically be put off by the rabbids characters.


(I'm assuming that Tactics Ogre: Reborn is ineligible under the "remakes" rule)

 

[Josh5890]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Multiplayer Experience
Nintendo Switch Sports

While this wasn't the first time Nintendo took its sports franchise online, it is definitely the best online experience yet. There is an enjoyment with ranking up and unlocking new outfits and other accessories. Playing knockout rounds of bowling and golf has been super addicting. Tennis is still a classic. Soccer is fun as anything! (as long as your teammates can work with you and everyone doesn't play offense or defense at the same time. Seriously, communicate!!!!) Anyway, I wish that there were more modes within each sport, as well as other sport offerings, but the multiplayer is top notch.

 

[Josh5890]

~9 hours until the next change over

 

[Josh5890]

We have reached round five for nominations!

Best Puzzle Game
An award recognizing true brain-twisters. Games where you have to utilize logical thinking, rationalize solutions, or just guess your way through. Games that offers gameplay and solutions that are incredibly satisfying to solve and take part in.

Best Rerelease
An award recognizing the chance for newcomers to experience a classic game anew. Whether they be remasters, rereleases or remakes released in 2022, this is an award for those games that gets a second, sometimes better, chance on new or old hardware.

 

[curl-6]

Fami for your consideration
Best rerelease
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

In an industry where so many games play it safe, 13 Sentinels is a unique gem with a style all its own.

Its breathlessly ambitious and wildly entertaining narrative packs more twists and turns than an F-Zero track, its hand drawn 2D art is gorgeous, its tactical combat manages to be both accessible and satisfying, and it’s just so refreshingly different.

It’s also a love letter to science fiction and geekdom, but in a way that never comes across as pandering or intrusive. It pays homage to everything from War of the Worlds to Star Trek to Godzilla, and it does so in a fun and respectful fashion.

13 Sentinels the kind of game I normally wouldn’t be interested in; neither strategy games nor visual novels/point-and-click adventures are my cup of tea, yet somehow its disparate elements add up to something so much more than the sum of its parts, and it was one of the best games I played in 2022.

 

[Illusionary]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Puzzle Game
The Curse of the Golden Idol

The Curse of the Golden Idol is a very welcome addition to the underserved genre of detective games. Presenting players with a series of scenarios each following a recent death, the core task of the game is to deduce the preceding events, from observation of various aspects of the environment. This is done primarily through interaction with specific hot-spots in each case (almost of which span multiple linked scenes), which can then reveal simple descriptions, lines of dialogue, letters or other texts, etc.; a "thinking" panel then describes each scene with a large number of blank spaces that need to be filled. It's a simple precise but pulled off incredibly well, with an impressive level of detail in each scene and just enough clues to make the 'solution' accessible but far from immediately obvious. As the game progresses, the level of complexity of each case ramps up significantly, building to tell an engaging narrative arc that spans the entire game. The inspiration provided by Return of the Obra Dinn is clear - and if you enjoyed that you''ll certainly have a good time here - but The Case of the Golden Idol achieves that same feel in a tighter, more accessible way.


I'm very much hoping that someone else will nominate Return to Monkey Island, it was a difficult choice for me between these two!

 

[xghost777]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Rerelease
Chrono Cross The Radical Dreamers Edition

Ok, I know the Chrono Cross portion is of somewhat questionable quality in parts, but even so The Radical Dreamers Edition was my favorite remaster last year. The big reason why is that it includes the never before released in the West Radical Dreamers adventure game. This truly was the missing piece of the Chrono series as it bridges the gap in interesting ways between Trigger and Cross despite its odd place in the actual canon. It is a must play for all Chrono fans, it absolutely enhances appreciation for Cross, and it is just pretty cool on its own. I was won over from the start as I happened to trigger the slug battle as my first battle which pulled me with its evocative writing, images, and sound. Beyond the main story, there are multiple endings that are mostly super goofy and offer lots of laughs (especially the one with the bunny).

The Cross portion is more contentious I know with rough performance and some questionable upgrades, like AI upscaling environments, but there are some cool benefits including remastered music samples, sharper UI, and the turbo mode item being available from the start. More importantly, it finally makes this classic game widely available on every platform which is awesome because it never had the reach of Trigger. But I think what really sealed the deal for me and pushes it over the edge over other contenders is a brief new scene unlockable after beating both Radical Dreamers and Chrono Cross that serves as both a farewell and a potential reopening of the door for more. The farewell portion especially gives needed closure for Chrono fans who have been waiting over two decades for a sequel. If this is the end, I’m glad we can put the series to rest on better terms.

 

[shoptroll]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Puzzle Game
Elechead

A wonderful puzzle game in the vein of Portal, VVVVV, and BoxBoy! before it. The game oozes charm and doesn't overstay it's welcome, while also providing plenty of satisfaction when you figure out how the solution to the current room. Just a very tight and wonderful experience while also featuring multiple endings, and several secrets and collectibles that reward exploration of the world.

 

[Yamanoi]

I feel like I'm too new on this forum to vote for this as it wouldn't feel right. I'm enjoying reading you all post your lists though.

 

[Irene]

Fami your Consideraton
Best Rerelease
NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition

This version of an amazing game that still intrigues and hits me with feelings every single time I play it is not only a great opportunity for newcomers to get their hands on something truly special, it's also one of those Switch ports that makes you scratch your head and say "how?". Automata was already quite unoptimized on previous platforms, and this attempt to bring it to Switch is a real home-run when it comes to port efforts. It runs great in handheld, and while it makes some technical shortcuts here and there, I found my experience with this port to almost match the experience on PS4. This version also comes with some nice added content. All the DLC is included, which are combat-focused sections of the game that are maybe a bit boring to play, but quite interesting in their own right. The version also comes with some cool costumes that I never hesitated to wear throughout the journey. If it weren't for the audio compression, I'd say that this version of Automata would definitely be the most preferable one.

 

[PixelKnight]

Fami your Consideraton
Best Rerelease
Tactics Ogre Reborn

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, the PSP game this is based on, was already a stunning SRPG, so I won’t rehash it here. Suffice to say, it’s an isometric strategy game with a great story and everything you’d expect- being higher up or flanking the enemy is good, and the list of classes and abilities starts simply but becomes huge, allowing for endless tinkering. The chariot system (allowing you to rewind time to avoid critical errors and a wasted hour on the battlefield) was innovative at the time and seemingly an occasional influence on similar mechanics adopted by Fire Emblem too .

However, this edition of the game brings in some new twists and QOL features that significantly reduce grinding (i.e. battles you aren’t overly interested in). Now there are buff cards on the field that both player and enemy forces can use, which reminds me a little of the way Trails sprinkles buffs along it’s timeline for the player and enemy to grab too. When switching classes, an item means you no longer need to restart at level 1. Random battles are gone, replaced with training battles, and a story-based level cap stops you trivialising story missions but still allows you to beef up your units to an appropriate level. They didn’t need to do any of this. Tactics Ogre LUCT was already regarded as a genre classic. But that the developers went in, pulled it apart and found a ton of extra tweaks they could make to make it smoother than ever is a huge amount of effort when they could have got away with a far more barebones port.

 

[Party Sklar]

Fami Your Consideration

Best Puzzle Game
Picross S8

Yes, it’s more of the same… but why would Jupiter want to change up things when they already have a perfect formula? Picross is love, picross is life, picross is the stuff you play when you wanna chill before going to bed, picross is a game that makes you feel smarter than you really are, and even better : when people who don’t play picross see you play, even they think you’re really smart (I’m not, I’m a dumbass, picross is quite easy!). They keep releasing those yearly, and every year they’re among the best puzzle games of the year. 2022 is no exception.

 

[shoptroll]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Rerelease
Live A Live

I don't have any misconceptions that this will win the category, but I think it's worth highlighting.

Live A Live HD-2D is the sort of game that on paper should not exist. The original 1994 release was considered a commercial failure in Japan (selling about 270,000 units while most of Square's releases up to that point were 1 million+ sellers) and never made it outside of that region. It was delayed at least once and as a result looked dated upon release because the graphics were done in the style of earlier Square titles like Final Fantasy IV and Romancing SaGa 2 rather than the contemporary mid-generation style that was ushered in with Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy VI.

And yet... somehow here we are in 2022 with a re-release. And not just a simple "let's stuff the original game in an emulator with a Unity wrapper and ship it" style remake that's been done for some other games. Instead, we got a full soup-to-nuts conversion of the game as a joint project between Takashi Tokita (back in the director's chair) and producer Tomoya Asano utilizing the HD-2D style that Asano's team coined.

And what a conversion it is! I haven't finished the game yet, but everything is here in-tact as I remembered it from the nascent days of fan translations. The cracking combat system that takes standard turn-based JRPG brawls and adds a tactical layer that requires you to also juggle character and enemy positions in order to evade attacks while also setting up your own. The outstanding soundtrack by Square newcomer Yoko Shimomura* now rebuilt from the ground up by hand. The graphics obviously get a huge boost, not only with the great use of HD-2D but also bringing the game in line with the art style utilized after Secret of Mana and giving everyone a look at an alternate history where the game's graphics were overhauled to match its siblings at release.

You've got 7 8 unique scenarios that come with their own stories and mechanics that you can freely choose between. One minute you're helping defend a Wild West town from invading bandits, the next you're a martial artist training three disciples so you can pass on your techniques to the next generation, then you're off to a sci-fi horror homage where combat means death. Or maybe you're interested in a prehistoric RPG with no written dialogue, just pictograms? Or how about infiltrating an Edo era castle where you can be as stealthy or lethal as you'd like? There's something for everyone in this game, and if you bounce off a scenario it's ok, they don't tend to last long and you'll be onto the next episode. Eurogamer I think hit the nail on the head when they likened it to channel surfing.

And it's the experimental nature and structure of the game that I think makes this game worth highlighting. Many of these experiments would later tip up in beloved Square projects. The story spanning multiple epochs would be replicated with Chrono Trigger which also utilized some of the position based combat design in Live A Live but synthesizing it with the ATB system. Parasite Eve would take the combat a step further by limiting you to a single party member but would allow for free movement in combat again. Both games have a very episodic structure, even if it's presented linearly, with Parasite Eve neatly broken up into days while CT's scenario beats would be given chapter titles almost in the style of a TV series, or more specifically a weekly anime. Tokita would later become Square's go-to person for episodic projects on mobile like Final Fantasy IV After Years and Final Fantasy Dimensions in the years prior to this re-release.

I couldn't tell you exactly why Square-Enix's current management decided to re-release Live A Live and give it the treatment they did. But, I for one, am glad that they did. This was an absolute labor of love by everyone involved and it shows.

You couldn't ask for anything more for a rerelease.

Spoiler: *

Very fun easter egg in the game: one of the scenarios is a riff on fighting games like Street Fighter II which Shimomura composed some of the more well-known themes for. And as an easter egg inside an easter egg, there's a Mega Man style mechanic where you learn skills from your defeated opponents, and Mega Man's free selection of 8 stages before the final 4 stages is mirrored exactly in SF II's structure. chef's kiss

 

[Josh5890]

~10 hour warning

 

[Josh5890]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Rerelease
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

For years I said that it would never happen. I thought for sure that licensing hell would keep us from getting the majority of these games released on modern consoles. Well Konami proved me wrong! This collection is packed with 12 (mostly) amazing games. The online is nearly flawless, and more games continue to get added. Anyone who grew up playing these games owes it to their inner child to pick this up!

 

[King_Dodongo]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Rerelease
Pocky and Rocky: Reshrined


Tengo Project does it again after the two previous remakes/remasters. They weren't just happy copying and pasting the base game, they added a lot to it. Levels are different from the third one and they feel fresh and challenging. New characters also offer some varied playstyles. Graphics are amazing and the OST is incredible. Being a noob as I am, it took me a bit to finish the game, but the experience was so satisfying that I expect to do more runs in the future. For fans of the genre and/or the franchise, you won't be disappointed.

 

[Josh5890]

Only a few more rounds to go! We are more than halfway there. Thank you to everyone who has participated so far.

We are now accepting nominations for best Indie game and the best Gaming Moment of 2022.



Best Indie Game
An award recognizing games that are made by smaller teams and publishers. Games that are just as outstanding as bigger productions, in spite of their sometimes shorter length and smaller scope.

Best Gaming Moment
An award recognizing what’s happening outside of games themselves, in the wider worlds of games and the gaming industry. Events, viral clips, jolly or heartwarming moments - anything in the gaming space outside the actual games.

 

[xghost777]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
Lunistice

Lunistice was one of my favorite surprises last year. The moment I saw it in action I knew it would be super fun to play and that definitely panned out. Lunistice has a charming low poly 3D aesthetic, but the real draw is the precise controls and moveset. Lunisitce is a platformer that’s comfortably controlled with two sticks and two shoulder buttons, one for a double jump and the other for an attack that serves as a third jump that you can even mix in between normal jumps. You feel super in control for Lunistice which makes conquering each obstacle course and collecting every item a delightful and satisfying experience. Lunistice is a short experience at merely two hours to get/beat everything, but it feels like the perfect length as is and there is extra replay value in going for perfect runs and there’s also two additional unlockable characters to play as if you do want more. It’s a steal at $5 and I encourage you to try out the demo if you are on the fence. I hope we see more smaller games like Lunistice. It was awesome!

 

[Party Sklar]

Fami Your Consideration

Best Indie Game
Cursed to Golf

Roguelike and golf don't really sound like a match made in heaven, and yet, it works tremendously well. But that's not the only thing that Cursed to Golf brought to the table. I think it might be the first 2D side scrolling golf game, and what a marvelous idea! It gives golf a bit more simplicity, one that allowed the studio to be more creative with the courses and the obstacles and therefore making a hard game that almost never feels punishing. "Come on, one last game" is usually the first thing to cross your mind whenever you die, and finally getting to the credits feels incredibly satisfying. One of criminally overlooked games of the year, with a detailed and greatly animated pixel art and a fun OST that sounds like it's coming straight from a SNES sports game.

Best Gaming Moment
The 8-Bit Big Band winning a Grammy

The 8-bit Big Band has been doing some excellent work for years now, and their three compilation albums are among the best things in the very specific genre of "video game music covers". The Grammy nomination, and subsequent win, of this year felt well-deserved. And watching them going onstage, so happy to have won for a passion project, felt a bit like a "Miyamoto praising Soliani" moment : you can't help but feel happy for the guys.



Also, their winning cover of "Meta Knight's Revenge" is obviously excellent.

 

[Irene]

Fami your consideration
Best gaming moment
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom title and release date reveal trailer

I can't recall the last time I was so on edge, so anticipating and so downright nervous than when last year's September Direct was wrapping up and Koizumi thanked us all for watching.

OH SHIT, THIS IS THE MOMENT. Or is it? IS IT? The rumours of Prime HD was at the time running wild, and it had been absent for the entire Direct. Which put a very high possibility for it to be the last thing showing up. Would that mean - no Zelda? Would it? WOULD IT? My heart was thumping. This was THE moment. Metroid or Zelda? Metroid or Zelda?!?!

And then, when the mysterious figure appeared on screen accompanied by gentle piano notes, it.. just had to be Zelda. And it was. What followed was 110 seconds of me just exhaling in relief, and feeling elated and ecstatic. It's happening. It's happening, it's happening.

May 12th. The time is approaching.

 

[PixelKnight]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
Infernax

Infernax is a game greater than the sum of its parts, and far more so than it looks at first glance. Initially, it seems like Castlevania 2, and indeed, that’s the clearest influence- you roam across a 2D world, talking to people, gaining info and items and quests, hiding into dungeons to fight a handful of key bosses and becoming stronger. But the decision points scattered throughout lead you towards multiple endings, and they aren’t always clear which are ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Sometimes you can just go with your gut, some have larger consequences. However, in the moment to moment gameplay, it’s a joy to control. Less stuff than Castlevania, far more responsive, making platforming much more enjoyable. It’s not a long game but it means there’s little aimless backtracking, it’s just right.

 

[Brock Reiher]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
High on Life

I already nominated this for Action GOTY, but it is an indie game as well. I already said what I think in the previous post but HoL is probably the best single player shooter in the past 10 years or so and deserves recognition. Will be interesting to see how they expand upon it with the inevitable sequel.

 

[SammyJ9]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
Tunic

Tunic is such a wonderful love letter to the mystery and unknown of games past - back when there was no internet or way to look things up anywhere, and all you had to rely on was your trusty game instruction manual (which used to exist, be good, and full of gorgeous art, believe it or not!). The exploration and sense of discovery in this game is unlike anything else I've ever played, and for most of its length was pure magic.

 

[DistractedByPixels]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
Vampire Survivors

This is also getting a GotY nod from me. This is a four-ish USD game packed with content and secrets, a throwback to NES games with semi-obscure secrets, but with gameplay that is lighting up the same parts of the brain that pulling the arm on a slot machine does.

And when it feels good, it feels good. When you build a death machine out of upgrades, you feel like you're getting justly rewarded for proper building and planning.

 

[Illusionary]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
Chained Echoes

A beautiful tribute to classic 2D JRPGs that, despite clearly owing a debt to Chrono Trigger, Chained Echoes is nonetheless unafraid to push boundaries with an innovative, highly tactical battle system. My playthrough is still in progress, but the plot is immediately gripping, epic in scale while still affording time to the nuances of character relationships. Coming from a solo developer, the sheer quality and quantity on show here is simply astounding.


Is there really no chance of a late entry for best RPG? It did get suggested at the time by @PixelKnight, but as one of two.

Edit: and another voice of support from @WhyS below.

 

[Aether]

So, I need to apologize. I didn't really think about it before but Kirby feels more like a platformer than an adventure game. Now we have nominations for both categories. For the sake of transparency and fairness, I want to let the community decide which category/genre would be more appropriate in this case. Below is a straw poll. Everyone is free to vote at their choosing.

@curl-6 if we decide to go with platformer for Kirby, I will allow you to nominate another game in that category if you wish. Either way, you and xghost777 will both receive credit for nominating Kirby. I apologize for any inconvenience that this caused.

Which genre does Kirby and the Forgotten Land fall under? - Online Poll - StrawPoll

What's your opinion? Vote now: Action/Adventure, Platformer...

strawpoll.com

...why is it action adventure instead of action/brawler?
as if we don't have enough games under the "adventure banner" =P
and brawler fits way better in my opinion.

 

[hologram]

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
Stray

You play as a kitty. The game does a very good job of making you feel like a kitty. You can scratch furniture with reckless abandon. There is a dedicated meow button.

I rest my case

 

[Josh5890]

...why is it action adventure instead of action/brawler?
as if we don't have enough games under the "adventure banner" =P
and brawler fits way better in my opinion.

We went with Platformer for Kirby.

Fami Your Consideration
Best Indie Game
Stray

You play as a kitty. The game does a very good job of making you feel like a kitty. You can scratch furniture with reckless abandon. There is a dedicated meow button.

I rest my case

 

[WhyS]

Fami Your Consider
Best Gaming Moment
The friends we made along the way

Honestly, I wanted to come in here and nominate Chained Echoes for best indie game. It's the best RPG that I've played since Dragon Quest XI. However, I had not actually played the game yet when we were doing nominations for best RPG, so I was going to nominate it for best indie when the time came, but I'm too late as someone else already has.

With all that said, the nominations for best gaming moment seems a little light at the moment. Therefore, I would just like to say that the best gaming moment of 2022 were the friends we made along the way.