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Site Event Famiboards Official GotY Nominations - Currently Discussing Game of the Year 2021
- Thread starter Lozjam
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Game of the Year Nominations
curl-6
Chain Chomp
Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Monster Hunter Rise
What can I say that I didn't already in the Action RPG nomination? This game absolutely the nails the loop of risk, effort, and reward better than almost any other game out there.
It asks a lot of the player, but gives so much in return, offering hundreds if not thousands of hours of intense, thrilling, and deeply satisfying gameplay in a world brimming with quirky charm and some of the most wonderfully realized digital creatures in gaming.
Playing it is like being riding a rollercoaster or whitewater rafting, while hooked up to a dopamine drip. It takes the series' winning formula and evolves it into its most accessible form yet without sacrificing any of what makes Monster Hunter so great.
One of the finest games on Switch, and a shining example of a third party Switch game done right.
Game of the Year
Monster Hunter Rise
What can I say that I didn't already in the Action RPG nomination? This game absolutely the nails the loop of risk, effort, and reward better than almost any other game out there.
It asks a lot of the player, but gives so much in return, offering hundreds if not thousands of hours of intense, thrilling, and deeply satisfying gameplay in a world brimming with quirky charm and some of the most wonderfully realized digital creatures in gaming.
Playing it is like being riding a rollercoaster or whitewater rafting, while hooked up to a dopamine drip. It takes the series' winning formula and evolves it into its most accessible form yet without sacrificing any of what makes Monster Hunter so great.
One of the finest games on Switch, and a shining example of a third party Switch game done right.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Metroid Dread
I played a lot of great new games in 2021– including Gnosia, The Great Ace Attorney, Bowser’s Fury, LiS: True Colors, and of course Death’s Door—but Metroid Dread was the only one I immediately played through a second time. MercurySteam upped their game from the disappointing Samus Returns and delivered a product that’s a joy to experience. IMO, despite the shortcomings in music and exploration compared with Super Metroid, Dread takes the crown of best 2D Metroid, and perhaps best 2D Search Action game (“Metroidvania”).
Game of the Year
Metroid Dread
I played a lot of great new games in 2021– including Gnosia, The Great Ace Attorney, Bowser’s Fury, LiS: True Colors, and of course Death’s Door—but Metroid Dread was the only one I immediately played through a second time. MercurySteam upped their game from the disappointing Samus Returns and delivered a product that’s a joy to experience. IMO, despite the shortcomings in music and exploration compared with Super Metroid, Dread takes the crown of best 2D Metroid, and perhaps best 2D Search Action game (“Metroidvania”).
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- Pronouns
- he/him
Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
Where to begin...
I played a lot of good games this year. I was as excited as anyone else about the long-awaited return of Samus Aran. I saved Kamura Village from the Rampage in Monster Hunter Rise. I faced Bowser's Fury. I relived the emotional journey of Nier and his quest to save his sister multiple times. These were all great games that have every right to be called Game of the Year, and in some years likely would have been mine.
But not in this year. Not in the year I played The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.
Ryuunosuke Naruhodou's adventure through the British justice system is at once more grounded than that of his main series counterpart but also much grander in scope. This release is a compilation of two games that had not previously seen localization, but the narratives of the two games are so intertwined that I can't imagine having not experienced them together. The first game sees Ryuunoske acclimating to both his new environment and his role as a lawyer, facing challenges such as the powerful criminal underbelly of London, a sometimes helpful, sometimes hostile legal support system, and unflinching xenophobia from all sides, most prominently in the form of his rival prosecutor, Barok von Zieks. The first of the two games ends by wrapping up some mysteries but leaving a large number still open, more than I would believe could be answered in the follow-up. But I was wrong. The second act of this compilation is a master stroke in narrative design in a video game. Characters become more fleshed out and complicated, simple notions of good and evil are further blurred in favor of a gray world of selfish motivations, at once understandable and reprehensible, and the story seems to escalate further with each chapter, leaving one to wonder where things could possibly go from here, only to over deliver and surpass your wildest expectations. I have rarely been so satisfied with the story and conclusion of a video game.
This is the type of game where characters and narrative obviously take precedence, but it should not be overlooked how much this game improves upon the Ace Attorney formula by trimming the fat of its predecessors and injecting its own innovation where possible. Ryuunoske does not have a supernatural talent for reading the lies or emotions of the people he deals with, only his ability to deduce and reason, and the support of an amazing cast of allies. The Jury system introduced in this game is fantastic and adds a great mix up to the standard questioning and cross examination cycle. It's unfortunate that it's sadly underutilized in the second game. The investigation sections see the biggest improvement mechanically, with the Logic and Reasoning Spectacular events bringing the intrigue and fun on par with the trials themselves.
There is so much more I could go into. So, so much more. The absolutely astounding soundtrack. The bombastic and intricately crafted final story. Just how wonderful each and every character is. Needless to say, I believe this game is not only the best game I played this year, but the best Ace Attorney game overall. I cannot recommend it enough.
Game of the Year
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
Where to begin...
I played a lot of good games this year. I was as excited as anyone else about the long-awaited return of Samus Aran. I saved Kamura Village from the Rampage in Monster Hunter Rise. I faced Bowser's Fury. I relived the emotional journey of Nier and his quest to save his sister multiple times. These were all great games that have every right to be called Game of the Year, and in some years likely would have been mine.
But not in this year. Not in the year I played The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.
Ryuunosuke Naruhodou's adventure through the British justice system is at once more grounded than that of his main series counterpart but also much grander in scope. This release is a compilation of two games that had not previously seen localization, but the narratives of the two games are so intertwined that I can't imagine having not experienced them together. The first game sees Ryuunoske acclimating to both his new environment and his role as a lawyer, facing challenges such as the powerful criminal underbelly of London, a sometimes helpful, sometimes hostile legal support system, and unflinching xenophobia from all sides, most prominently in the form of his rival prosecutor, Barok von Zieks. The first of the two games ends by wrapping up some mysteries but leaving a large number still open, more than I would believe could be answered in the follow-up. But I was wrong. The second act of this compilation is a master stroke in narrative design in a video game. Characters become more fleshed out and complicated, simple notions of good and evil are further blurred in favor of a gray world of selfish motivations, at once understandable and reprehensible, and the story seems to escalate further with each chapter, leaving one to wonder where things could possibly go from here, only to over deliver and surpass your wildest expectations. I have rarely been so satisfied with the story and conclusion of a video game.
This is the type of game where characters and narrative obviously take precedence, but it should not be overlooked how much this game improves upon the Ace Attorney formula by trimming the fat of its predecessors and injecting its own innovation where possible. Ryuunoske does not have a supernatural talent for reading the lies or emotions of the people he deals with, only his ability to deduce and reason, and the support of an amazing cast of allies. The Jury system introduced in this game is fantastic and adds a great mix up to the standard questioning and cross examination cycle. It's unfortunate that it's sadly underutilized in the second game. The investigation sections see the biggest improvement mechanically, with the Logic and Reasoning Spectacular events bringing the intrigue and fun on par with the trials themselves.
There is so much more I could go into. So, so much more. The absolutely astounding soundtrack. The bombastic and intricately crafted final story. Just how wonderful each and every character is. Needless to say, I believe this game is not only the best game I played this year, but the best Ace Attorney game overall. I cannot recommend it enough.
Fami Your Consideration
Game of the Year
Neo The World Ends With You
After 14 years, The World Ends With You finally got the rare dream sequel it deserved. Neo is a game driven entirely by you: whether it is the pins you equip that all offer unique attacks and abilities in combat, putting together the perfect outfits, choosing what to eat, what music you rock out to on the menu, and increasing the difficulty as much as possible to boost your rewards. You get as much out of the experience as you put into it which is awesome. The combat is incredible too, as it actually captures the spirit of the 2D combat system of the original that was forever wrapped up in the control inputs of the original DS and manages to bring it into 3D. Here you are managing your whole growing team at once and the cooldowns of your abilities to set up big combos and awesome finishers. Combat remains interesting throughout the 50 hours of the main story and because you are always trading out pins and getting new setups it still feels rewarding to crank up the difficulty to Ultimate for a New Game+ run.
While it is extra satisfying for fans of the original, Neo does an excellent job of being accessible to newcomers as it mostly focuses on new characters. It gives you just enough insight to understand the returning characters who are still big players in the story, but leaves out enough details so you could always go back and enjoy the original which is a tough line to walk. Perhaps my favorite element of the game is the amazing three and half hour original soundtrack that heavily emphasizes vocal tracks. Old favorites return with new remixes, but tons of new songs steal the show including Last Call, World Is Yours, Breaking Free, and Kill The Itch. For a game with such an awesome soundtrack, I love two little touches of always displaying the name of each new song that plays and being able to dash in the game to the beat of the music (which is fun in itself and gives you a bonus heading into battle).
There were tons of excellent games last year. Some like Metroid Dread have a tighter focus, but for me there is no comparison for Neo: The World Ends With You. Neo is an awesome experience, captivating from start to finish, that reaffirms my love for games and makes me excited for the future. Neo: The World Ends With You is the 2021 game of the year.
Game of the Year
Neo The World Ends With You
After 14 years, The World Ends With You finally got the rare dream sequel it deserved. Neo is a game driven entirely by you: whether it is the pins you equip that all offer unique attacks and abilities in combat, putting together the perfect outfits, choosing what to eat, what music you rock out to on the menu, and increasing the difficulty as much as possible to boost your rewards. You get as much out of the experience as you put into it which is awesome. The combat is incredible too, as it actually captures the spirit of the 2D combat system of the original that was forever wrapped up in the control inputs of the original DS and manages to bring it into 3D. Here you are managing your whole growing team at once and the cooldowns of your abilities to set up big combos and awesome finishers. Combat remains interesting throughout the 50 hours of the main story and because you are always trading out pins and getting new setups it still feels rewarding to crank up the difficulty to Ultimate for a New Game+ run.
While it is extra satisfying for fans of the original, Neo does an excellent job of being accessible to newcomers as it mostly focuses on new characters. It gives you just enough insight to understand the returning characters who are still big players in the story, but leaves out enough details so you could always go back and enjoy the original which is a tough line to walk. Perhaps my favorite element of the game is the amazing three and half hour original soundtrack that heavily emphasizes vocal tracks. Old favorites return with new remixes, but tons of new songs steal the show including Last Call, World Is Yours, Breaking Free, and Kill The Itch. For a game with such an awesome soundtrack, I love two little touches of always displaying the name of each new song that plays and being able to dash in the game to the beat of the music (which is fun in itself and gives you a bonus heading into battle).
There were tons of excellent games last year. Some like Metroid Dread have a tighter focus, but for me there is no comparison for Neo: The World Ends With You. Neo is an awesome experience, captivating from start to finish, that reaffirms my love for games and makes me excited for the future. Neo: The World Ends With You is the 2021 game of the year.
Soul Skater
Koopa
Fami your consideration
Game Of The Year
It Takes Two
At the time of the Game Awards I was pulling for Dread to win the GOTY; but that’s because at the time I had not played this yet. I can’t believe how good this game is, how well polished it is and how much it just straight up feels like a game Nintendo could/should have made. People say that line about whatever whimsy platformer that whoever makes but like, no this time it’s true. This is the game I dream I’m capable of developing in my head after watching a Game Makers Tool Kit video. Pulled out of an alternative timeline where 90s/2000s couch co-op multiplayer games didn’t die out like they did and just continued onward. I really did not realize just how much I missed this sort of experience until I ran through it with my girlfriend. The story is cute, funny, touching and full of more than a handful of dark/messed up“wtf is this for kids?” moments like all the best 90s kids movies had.
Only complaint I have I suppose is the lack of collectibles. I know platformers get a lot of crap for that and I guess I get just cutting that out entirely and just focusing solely on the levels themselves but I think it still would have gone a long way in regards to replayability had there just been more stuff in the environments. All the levels are so awesome I just want to keep exploring them but maybe that’s just me.
anyways never thought this would be my pick going into last year with all that I was looking forward to yet here we are
Game Of The Year
It Takes Two
At the time of the Game Awards I was pulling for Dread to win the GOTY; but that’s because at the time I had not played this yet. I can’t believe how good this game is, how well polished it is and how much it just straight up feels like a game Nintendo could/should have made. People say that line about whatever whimsy platformer that whoever makes but like, no this time it’s true. This is the game I dream I’m capable of developing in my head after watching a Game Makers Tool Kit video. Pulled out of an alternative timeline where 90s/2000s couch co-op multiplayer games didn’t die out like they did and just continued onward. I really did not realize just how much I missed this sort of experience until I ran through it with my girlfriend. The story is cute, funny, touching and full of more than a handful of dark/messed up“wtf is this for kids?” moments like all the best 90s kids movies had.
Only complaint I have I suppose is the lack of collectibles. I know platformers get a lot of crap for that and I guess I get just cutting that out entirely and just focusing solely on the levels themselves but I think it still would have gone a long way in regards to replayability had there just been more stuff in the environments. All the levels are so awesome I just want to keep exploring them but maybe that’s just me.
anyways never thought this would be my pick going into last year with all that I was looking forward to yet here we are
- Pronouns
- he/him
Fami Your Consideration
Game of The Year
Shin Megami Tensei V
(Full disclosure, this is just copying what I said for the Turn-Based RPG section)
The fifth game in the "Persona Without The Heart" series, Shin Megami Tensei V is an incredibly fun game that takes the series in an interesting new direction. The highlights are the combat and exploration - the combat is another iteration of the excellent Press Turn system, which incentivizes team building to exploit enemy weaknesses in order to gain more actions per round. SMT V iterates on this primarily by making demons more unique from a gameplay perspective by putting more emphasis on unique moves, carrying over the elemental affinity system from IV: Apocalypse, and fixing a certain amount of demon's move sets after fusion. It also adds new incentives for swapping demons mid-combat by making the penalty for doing so a lot less and by increasing mana costs and boss health bars. This creates a pretty unique take on a system that's been used quite a bit before this, and one that I personally enjoyed a lot more than my previous experiences with the franchise.
The other main highlight of the game is its stellar exploration. This may be the best level design, on a mechanical level, that I've seen in a JRPG. Even the likes of Xenoblade doesn't quite reach the mechanical complexity of the levels here (though it does beat it in other areas of level design). There's so many nooks and crannies tucked into each level, like areas that are accessible only through some hidden passageway tucked into some other corner of the map, and so many shiny thinks to collect. Each area starts off as intimidating as you cautiously explore in fear of having your progress wiped by that all-too-familiar SMT instant-team wipe, but they gradually reveal their secrets as you continue to poke around, eventually leading to a feeling of mastery over the world that ends up fitting pretty well with SMT"s overall themes. All that is coupled with some really satisfying movement and rewards that tangibly affect your capabilities in game. It's marvelous stuff
Also the soundtrack is a banger, forgot to mention that earlier
There are some flaws with the game, which I'll list here in interest of fairness. The story and characters are...mostly not there. Imo, that isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's probably the most common complaint with the game so it clearly affected a lot of people. For my money, what's there is fine, and I thought the story had some neat concepts. I might honestly have enjoyed the story elements more than SMT IV, a much more story-intensive game. But there's no denying that if you're looking for a fulfilling narrative, you're not going to get it here.
In short, for a game that was first announced before the Switch even launched, SMT V fully delivers on the hype and gives the Switch another fantastic JRPG to add to its already crowded JRPG lineup. An amazing game and my GoTY in a year where that title had some fierce competition.
Game of The Year
Shin Megami Tensei V
(Full disclosure, this is just copying what I said for the Turn-Based RPG section)
The fifth game in the "Persona Without The Heart" series, Shin Megami Tensei V is an incredibly fun game that takes the series in an interesting new direction. The highlights are the combat and exploration - the combat is another iteration of the excellent Press Turn system, which incentivizes team building to exploit enemy weaknesses in order to gain more actions per round. SMT V iterates on this primarily by making demons more unique from a gameplay perspective by putting more emphasis on unique moves, carrying over the elemental affinity system from IV: Apocalypse, and fixing a certain amount of demon's move sets after fusion. It also adds new incentives for swapping demons mid-combat by making the penalty for doing so a lot less and by increasing mana costs and boss health bars. This creates a pretty unique take on a system that's been used quite a bit before this, and one that I personally enjoyed a lot more than my previous experiences with the franchise.
The other main highlight of the game is its stellar exploration. This may be the best level design, on a mechanical level, that I've seen in a JRPG. Even the likes of Xenoblade doesn't quite reach the mechanical complexity of the levels here (though it does beat it in other areas of level design). There's so many nooks and crannies tucked into each level, like areas that are accessible only through some hidden passageway tucked into some other corner of the map, and so many shiny thinks to collect. Each area starts off as intimidating as you cautiously explore in fear of having your progress wiped by that all-too-familiar SMT instant-team wipe, but they gradually reveal their secrets as you continue to poke around, eventually leading to a feeling of mastery over the world that ends up fitting pretty well with SMT"s overall themes. All that is coupled with some really satisfying movement and rewards that tangibly affect your capabilities in game. It's marvelous stuff
Also the soundtrack is a banger, forgot to mention that earlier
There are some flaws with the game, which I'll list here in interest of fairness. The story and characters are...mostly not there. Imo, that isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's probably the most common complaint with the game so it clearly affected a lot of people. For my money, what's there is fine, and I thought the story had some neat concepts. I might honestly have enjoyed the story elements more than SMT IV, a much more story-intensive game. But there's no denying that if you're looking for a fulfilling narrative, you're not going to get it here.
In short, for a game that was first announced before the Switch even launched, SMT V fully delivers on the hype and gives the Switch another fantastic JRPG to add to its already crowded JRPG lineup. An amazing game and my GoTY in a year where that title had some fierce competition.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Fami Your Consideration
Game of The Year
Game Builder Garage
The dream became real this year. Like, literally.
”When will we get Nintendo’s Dreams”?
Well, now.
Game Builder Garage does, of course, have nothing against Media Molecules game engine monolith in terms of pure breadth and depth of options, but what it does have is a niche in the level creation genre that is completely its own. The rather simple games one can make becomes increasingly deep as one stretches the boundaries, sure, but Game Builder Garage is equally concerned with the process of making, and learning.
The 5 or so hour tutorial is so much more than a tutorial, it is a game of its own, and a tremendously fun one at that. Completely unexpectedly, this game beats everything else I've played this year in terms of tactile feedback, a part of game design evaluation typically reserved for movement and combat. When using the touch screen to place out nodons and draw lines, one can’t help but smile at how pleasant the gentle and snappy sound effects and vibrant animations are in this game.
Game Builder Garage does have depth, too, with a lot of nodons such as the pixel creation nodon and the movement pattern nodons allowing for increasingly intricate implementations. As of writing this, someone has made a mind-blowing horror game called ”Shackled”, which could easily pass as a real 3D computer game from the late 90s. First-person horror games seems to be a fan favorite, as I’ve seen many impressive ones. Other creations include a 3D Kirby character model, the lovely "Link Goes Crazy In Town" pictured above, and the first game from Squid Game, recreated down to every detail. Even the background music nodon seems simple at first, but has a wealth of options and tweaks one can indulge in to make one’s game sound truly unique.
I spent 80 hours in this game constructing a multi-game game called Rebecca’s Fire, a rehash of an old idea I had about a girl who travels through the internet to save the world. Game Builder Garage is a masterclass in game pedagogy, and it gave me everything I needed to know and set me off wild into the open. While the ”spaghetti code” could become difficult to navigate, it was both motivating and entertaining to do what I needed to do, and I had the most fun I’ve ever had this year. The nodons and their options, the way they can connect to one another, and just the fact that they added some completely bonkers stuff like the ”reduce gravity” nodon, and a Neon preset, all come together to create a groundbreaking way to approach the game creation subgenre.
Again, Game Builder Garage isn't exactly Dreams, but the focus is, primarily, the joy of creation, rather than the end product. This is a ”journey” type of game, and the journey is always, always rewarding and totally worth it. The simple act of connecting nodons to build your games feels great, and Nintendo's excellent skills in pedagogy makes the games feel laughably simple to create.
Game Builder Garage is astonishing. Surprisingly deep and endlessly fun to just tinker with, this game should be hailed as one of Nintendo’s greatest original IP’s of the Switch era.
Game of The Year
Game Builder Garage
The dream became real this year. Like, literally.
”When will we get Nintendo’s Dreams”?
Well, now.
Game Builder Garage does, of course, have nothing against Media Molecules game engine monolith in terms of pure breadth and depth of options, but what it does have is a niche in the level creation genre that is completely its own. The rather simple games one can make becomes increasingly deep as one stretches the boundaries, sure, but Game Builder Garage is equally concerned with the process of making, and learning.
The 5 or so hour tutorial is so much more than a tutorial, it is a game of its own, and a tremendously fun one at that. Completely unexpectedly, this game beats everything else I've played this year in terms of tactile feedback, a part of game design evaluation typically reserved for movement and combat. When using the touch screen to place out nodons and draw lines, one can’t help but smile at how pleasant the gentle and snappy sound effects and vibrant animations are in this game.
Game Builder Garage does have depth, too, with a lot of nodons such as the pixel creation nodon and the movement pattern nodons allowing for increasingly intricate implementations. As of writing this, someone has made a mind-blowing horror game called ”Shackled”, which could easily pass as a real 3D computer game from the late 90s. First-person horror games seems to be a fan favorite, as I’ve seen many impressive ones. Other creations include a 3D Kirby character model, the lovely "Link Goes Crazy In Town" pictured above, and the first game from Squid Game, recreated down to every detail. Even the background music nodon seems simple at first, but has a wealth of options and tweaks one can indulge in to make one’s game sound truly unique.
I spent 80 hours in this game constructing a multi-game game called Rebecca’s Fire, a rehash of an old idea I had about a girl who travels through the internet to save the world. Game Builder Garage is a masterclass in game pedagogy, and it gave me everything I needed to know and set me off wild into the open. While the ”spaghetti code” could become difficult to navigate, it was both motivating and entertaining to do what I needed to do, and I had the most fun I’ve ever had this year. The nodons and their options, the way they can connect to one another, and just the fact that they added some completely bonkers stuff like the ”reduce gravity” nodon, and a Neon preset, all come together to create a groundbreaking way to approach the game creation subgenre.
Again, Game Builder Garage isn't exactly Dreams, but the focus is, primarily, the joy of creation, rather than the end product. This is a ”journey” type of game, and the journey is always, always rewarding and totally worth it. The simple act of connecting nodons to build your games feels great, and Nintendo's excellent skills in pedagogy makes the games feel laughably simple to create.
Game Builder Garage is astonishing. Surprisingly deep and endlessly fun to just tinker with, this game should be hailed as one of Nintendo’s greatest original IP’s of the Switch era.
Nominations are over!
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Alright everyone! Thank you so much for your nominations.
In light of the recent direct, we will be holding our very own GotY show and voting next week, on Monday. Can't wait to see you all there.
This also gives me time to draw up a proper OP and graphical design stuff. Thank you all for your patience and participation.
In light of the recent direct, we will be holding our very own GotY show and voting next week, on Monday. Can't wait to see you all there.
This also gives me time to draw up a proper OP and graphical design stuff. Thank you all for your patience and participation.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'll lock this thread up now and I'll unpin it on Monday and replace it with the GoTY thread but I just wanted to say thanks to @Lozjam for organising this, he took over the project at last minute and I like the direction we've went in. And thank you to everyone participated! All categories and eventually awards will reflect directly what all of you wanted to see 
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