-
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.
Discussion The TGA's and their GOTY choices by year - how do your tastes differ?
- Thread starter Kreese
- Start date
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Going solely off the nominees and not adding any personal picks...
2014: Dark Souls II
2015: Bloodborne
2016: DOOM
2017: Super Mario Odyssey
2018: Monster Hunter World
2019: Sekiro (this one actually took me until last year to warm up to, then I found it excellent once it clicked)
2020: DOOM Eternal (literally the best single player FPS campaign ever imo)
2021: Metroid Dread
2022: Elden Ring
2014: Dark Souls II
2015: Bloodborne
2016: DOOM
2017: Super Mario Odyssey
2018: Monster Hunter World
2019: Sekiro (this one actually took me until last year to warm up to, then I found it excellent once it clicked)
2020: DOOM Eternal (literally the best single player FPS campaign ever imo)
2021: Metroid Dread
2022: Elden Ring
BlackthornOrion
#theprocessbroke
Yeah, more often than not my tastes tend not to vibe with what gets nominated for TGA's Game of the Year, let alone what goes on to win.
2014 - Dragon Age Inquisition
What I'd pick from the nominees: Probably Bayonetta 2? TBH I can't say I'm particularly fond of any nominees this year.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: With the benefit of hindsight, I'd say Mario Kart 8 was probably the best/most important game to release that year. Without the context of what that game would go on to be though, I think I'd pick Tropical Freeze (with Shovel Knight coming in a very close second)
2015 - The Witcher 3
What I'd pick from the nominees: Again, a year where I don't really love any of the options; I want to give it to MGSV, but it feels too unfinished to really get away with that. I guess maybe Mario Maker for being able to mainstream that kind of level creation.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Wow am I torn between Undertale and Rocket League here. I think I'd give the slight edge to Undertale
2016 - Overwatch
What I'd pick from the nominees: Doom 2016 is far and away my favorite of the nominees and it ain't even close
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: If we could consider Hitman World of Assassination as launching in 2016 (since that's when the first entry in that trilogy launched, and now the trilogy has just been consolidated into one game), then that's my choice. However, looking at games as they were back in 2016, I'm going with Stardew Valley.
2017 - Breath of the Wild
Yeah, no, as stacked a year as 2017 was (Mario Odyssey, Hollow Knight, Persona 5's worldwide release, and more), the Keighlies managed to get this one right.
2018 - God of War
What I'd pick from the nominees: Probably Spider-Man. I liked Celeste but never loved it the way others did; meanwhile, free-roam web-swinging is always gonna be hard to beat. Probably my least-favorite batch of nominees aside from 2014 though.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Smash Ultimate would be my answer, but bearing in mind that game was just barely too late in the year to make the cutoff (and got nominated the next year), my vote would instead be for Tetris Effect
2019 - Sekiro
What I'd pick from the nominees: I mean, it's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with a bullet. It's Video Games: The Video Game, and defined my 2019 with its DLC announcements throughout the year.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Is it cheating to say Dragon Quest 11 S? What about Persona 5 Royal? I'm gonna err on the side of sticking to strictly new releases, which means I'm actually going with Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Liar
2020 - The Last of Us 2
What I'd pick from the nominees: I'm strongly of the opinion that no other game better represents 2020 and so more deserved the title of "Game of the Year" than Animal Crossing New Horizons. You ask anybody what they were playing during that year, ACNH is almost certainly gonna be the first thing they think of. If they called it "Best Game", I'd hear arguments against it, but they choose to call it "Game of the Year" and New Horizons was the game of 2020.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Hades would have been my number two here, but by some miracle it actually got nominated too, so I've gotta go to my third choice of Ori and the Will of the Wisps
2021 - It Takes Two
What I'd pick from the nominees: Metroid Dread, easily. I will give 2021 credit though for having maybe the most interesting batch of nominees (imo).
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Probably The Forgotten City. Shout-out to Bowser's Fury though; still kinda wish Nintendo had dolled it up a bit more and put it out as a standalone game so we could have had 3D platformers from all three console makers get nominated.
2022 - Elden Ring
What I'd pick from the nominees: Eldin Ring. Again, this time they got it right.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Here's the thing. Eldin Ring is great, but I really liked Kirby and the Forgotten Land
2014 - Dragon Age Inquisition
What I'd pick from the nominees: Probably Bayonetta 2? TBH I can't say I'm particularly fond of any nominees this year.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: With the benefit of hindsight, I'd say Mario Kart 8 was probably the best/most important game to release that year. Without the context of what that game would go on to be though, I think I'd pick Tropical Freeze (with Shovel Knight coming in a very close second)
2015 - The Witcher 3
What I'd pick from the nominees: Again, a year where I don't really love any of the options; I want to give it to MGSV, but it feels too unfinished to really get away with that. I guess maybe Mario Maker for being able to mainstream that kind of level creation.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Wow am I torn between Undertale and Rocket League here. I think I'd give the slight edge to Undertale
2016 - Overwatch
What I'd pick from the nominees: Doom 2016 is far and away my favorite of the nominees and it ain't even close
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: If we could consider Hitman World of Assassination as launching in 2016 (since that's when the first entry in that trilogy launched, and now the trilogy has just been consolidated into one game), then that's my choice. However, looking at games as they were back in 2016, I'm going with Stardew Valley.
2017 - Breath of the Wild
Yeah, no, as stacked a year as 2017 was (Mario Odyssey, Hollow Knight, Persona 5's worldwide release, and more), the Keighlies managed to get this one right.
2018 - God of War
What I'd pick from the nominees: Probably Spider-Man. I liked Celeste but never loved it the way others did; meanwhile, free-roam web-swinging is always gonna be hard to beat. Probably my least-favorite batch of nominees aside from 2014 though.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Smash Ultimate would be my answer, but bearing in mind that game was just barely too late in the year to make the cutoff (and got nominated the next year), my vote would instead be for Tetris Effect
2019 - Sekiro
What I'd pick from the nominees: I mean, it's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with a bullet. It's Video Games: The Video Game, and defined my 2019 with its DLC announcements throughout the year.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Is it cheating to say Dragon Quest 11 S? What about Persona 5 Royal? I'm gonna err on the side of sticking to strictly new releases, which means I'm actually going with Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Liar
2020 - The Last of Us 2
What I'd pick from the nominees: I'm strongly of the opinion that no other game better represents 2020 and so more deserved the title of "Game of the Year" than Animal Crossing New Horizons. You ask anybody what they were playing during that year, ACNH is almost certainly gonna be the first thing they think of. If they called it "Best Game", I'd hear arguments against it, but they choose to call it "Game of the Year" and New Horizons was the game of 2020.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Hades would have been my number two here, but by some miracle it actually got nominated too, so I've gotta go to my third choice of Ori and the Will of the Wisps
2021 - It Takes Two
What I'd pick from the nominees: Metroid Dread, easily. I will give 2021 credit though for having maybe the most interesting batch of nominees (imo).
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Probably The Forgotten City. Shout-out to Bowser's Fury though; still kinda wish Nintendo had dolled it up a bit more and put it out as a standalone game so we could have had 3D platformers from all three console makers get nominated.
2022 - Elden Ring
What I'd pick from the nominees: Eldin Ring. Again, this time they got it right.
What I'd pick that wasn't nominated: Here's the thing. Eldin Ring is great, but I really liked Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Marce-chan
Magical Girls <3
- Pronouns
- They/Them
2014: the not nominated game named Mario Kart 8 should've won in retrospect;
2015: don't think I played anything from that year tbh;
2016: I don't know;
2017: I was rooting for Super Mario Odyssey to win, even tho I see BotW has a bigger legacy and is more replayable and has more stuff in the post game. But Odyssey is absolutely phenomenal as a playthrough experience that nothing beats it. Persona 5 is a close third tho!!
2018: Celeste looks like one of the best games ever and I'm not even mid way through it. I'm sure I'd love to play GoW too!!
2019: the snubbed Fire Emblem Three Houses should've won. That game is absolutely fantastic and deserved better. One of the best stories I've seen in games and great pacing, combat and a lot of stuff to do. From the nominees, easily Super Smash Bros Ultimate. The amount of content in the game and how it plays like a dream is nothing short of fantastic;
2020: yeah... In the long term I think Animal Crossing New Horizons will be the favorite for GOAT lists. The game is spectacular even for me that ain't so much into it;
2021: METROID DREAD is one of the best games I ever played and is beside SMO and BotW on the "perfect" or as close to it as a game can get. It should've been the winner. Shin Megami Tensei V deserved better too.
2022: Bayonetta 3 was snubbed. I think the game is vastly underrated. It has a lot of content, combat is a delight to behold and the story is just...
.
2015: don't think I played anything from that year tbh;
2016: I don't know;
2017: I was rooting for Super Mario Odyssey to win, even tho I see BotW has a bigger legacy and is more replayable and has more stuff in the post game. But Odyssey is absolutely phenomenal as a playthrough experience that nothing beats it. Persona 5 is a close third tho!!
2018: Celeste looks like one of the best games ever and I'm not even mid way through it. I'm sure I'd love to play GoW too!!
2019: the snubbed Fire Emblem Three Houses should've won. That game is absolutely fantastic and deserved better. One of the best stories I've seen in games and great pacing, combat and a lot of stuff to do. From the nominees, easily Super Smash Bros Ultimate. The amount of content in the game and how it plays like a dream is nothing short of fantastic;
2020: yeah... In the long term I think Animal Crossing New Horizons will be the favorite for GOAT lists. The game is spectacular even for me that ain't so much into it;
2021: METROID DREAD is one of the best games I ever played and is beside SMO and BotW on the "perfect" or as close to it as a game can get. It should've been the winner. Shin Megami Tensei V deserved better too.
2022: Bayonetta 3 was snubbed. I think the game is vastly underrated. It has a lot of content, combat is a delight to behold and the story is just...
.
2014: Dark Souls 2
2015: Idk, Mario Maker
2016:Pokemon Go DOOM
2017: I know it will be Persona once I get around that but for now it’s technically Hollow Knight
2018: Celeste
2019: Idk haven’t played the big games so by default it’s either Slay the Spire or Baba is You
2020: Hades
2021: Metroid Dread
2022: Neon White by default but it was great (top 3 indie game for me), ER would need to totally live to its hype to topple it
2015: Idk, Mario Maker
2016:
2017: I know it will be Persona once I get around that but for now it’s technically Hollow Knight
2018: Celeste
2019: Idk haven’t played the big games so by default it’s either Slay the Spire or Baba is You
2020: Hades
2021: Metroid Dread
2022: Neon White by default but it was great (top 3 indie game for me), ER would need to totally live to its hype to topple it
- Pronouns
- Any
The three I agree with are:
God of War (2018)
Sekiro
The Last of Us Part II
I disagree with the sentiment that 2014 was a weak year. It has some of my all time favorite games:
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Bayonetta 2
The Evil Within
Sunset Overdrive
Mario Kart 8
Dark Souls 2
God of War (2018)
Sekiro
The Last of Us Part II
I disagree with the sentiment that 2014 was a weak year. It has some of my all time favorite games:
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Bayonetta 2
The Evil Within
Sunset Overdrive
Mario Kart 8
Dark Souls 2
- Pronouns
- He/him
2014
Still don't understand how the media outlets decided to elect Dragon Age:I as the best game of that year lmao.
My pick : Bayonetta 2.
2015
Kinda hate The Witcher 3, and if today, both Witcher 3 and Bloodborne released as it is, as they released in 2015, Bloodborne would win easily. (The Witcher 3 also released in a terrible state on console. Shit was barely playable. Running at 15 fps in any area with a bit too much water). Hell, MGS V too would probably beat it. People would better understand how to have fun with the game in a post BOTW world, it was too ahead of its time and people probably only engaged with 10% of this game's gameplay possibilities.
My pick : Bloodborne. (Even if I have so much love and respect for MGS V)
2016
Highly disagree for Overwatch winning, but you had to be there to understand. The hype for this game was truly insane back then. (Even I fell for it. Blizzard still was considered a top tier studio).
My pick : Doom
2017
Such a good year. They picked the right game of course. Makes me laugh that PUBG got nominated. Such a boring Battle Royale, wasn't even the first one.
My pick : BOTW
2018
I get why God of War got nominated. But it really should have been RDR2 or Celeste.
My pick : RDR2
2019
Such a good pick. Everyone was betting on RE2make back then to take the crown. Either way, I would have been fine, as they were my two favorite games of that year. But it was nice, showed that big mediums were finally willing to put FromSoft as one of the most important studio right now. Especially since Sekiro feels imo way more niche than their Souls.
My pick : still probably RE2make as that was just incredible and I'm a big RE fan, but Sekiro is a close second and I'm glad it won.
2020
I get it. Still felt too much of a slog compared to the masterpiece of pacing that was the first Last of Us. My pick would have been New Horizons, but I think they should have rewarded Final Fantasy 7. That was such a crazy game. Bold, original, fresh, fun, big, an actual mainline, solo, Final Fantasy game that is an actual RPG, both in gameplay and systems.
My pick : Animal Crossing New Horizons. FF7 close second.
2021
Very disappointing list imo. Can think of many more games more interesting than Ratchet and Clank and Deathloop (Arkane what happened to you...).
My pick : Village. Dread close second.
2022
No nomination for Kirby ? Really ? I mean, Elden Ring is the obvious winner for this year, but Kirby is the only other game of that year that really made me think "holy SHIT, now this is video games". Weak year tbf.
My pick : Kirby and The Forgotten Land.
Still don't understand how the media outlets decided to elect Dragon Age:I as the best game of that year lmao.
My pick : Bayonetta 2.
2015
Kinda hate The Witcher 3, and if today, both Witcher 3 and Bloodborne released as it is, as they released in 2015, Bloodborne would win easily. (The Witcher 3 also released in a terrible state on console. Shit was barely playable. Running at 15 fps in any area with a bit too much water). Hell, MGS V too would probably beat it. People would better understand how to have fun with the game in a post BOTW world, it was too ahead of its time and people probably only engaged with 10% of this game's gameplay possibilities.
My pick : Bloodborne. (Even if I have so much love and respect for MGS V)
2016
Highly disagree for Overwatch winning, but you had to be there to understand. The hype for this game was truly insane back then. (Even I fell for it. Blizzard still was considered a top tier studio).
My pick : Doom
2017
Such a good year. They picked the right game of course. Makes me laugh that PUBG got nominated. Such a boring Battle Royale, wasn't even the first one.
My pick : BOTW
2018
I get why God of War got nominated. But it really should have been RDR2 or Celeste.
My pick : RDR2
2019
Such a good pick. Everyone was betting on RE2make back then to take the crown. Either way, I would have been fine, as they were my two favorite games of that year. But it was nice, showed that big mediums were finally willing to put FromSoft as one of the most important studio right now. Especially since Sekiro feels imo way more niche than their Souls.
My pick : still probably RE2make as that was just incredible and I'm a big RE fan, but Sekiro is a close second and I'm glad it won.
2020
I get it. Still felt too much of a slog compared to the masterpiece of pacing that was the first Last of Us. My pick would have been New Horizons, but I think they should have rewarded Final Fantasy 7. That was such a crazy game. Bold, original, fresh, fun, big, an actual mainline, solo, Final Fantasy game that is an actual RPG, both in gameplay and systems.
My pick : Animal Crossing New Horizons. FF7 close second.
2021
Very disappointing list imo. Can think of many more games more interesting than Ratchet and Clank and Deathloop (Arkane what happened to you...).
My pick : Village. Dread close second.
2022
No nomination for Kirby ? Really ? I mean, Elden Ring is the obvious winner for this year, but Kirby is the only other game of that year that really made me think "holy SHIT, now this is video games". Weak year tbf.
My pick : Kirby and The Forgotten Land.
- Pronouns
- He
This is actually a more interesting topic than I originally anticipated! I'm going to do 4 slots - TGA's pick, my pick out of TGA's nominees, my personal pick overall, and my runner up (copying @Thunder84 here).
2014 - Dragon Age: Inquisition
My TGA pick - Bayonetta 2
My GOTY - Bayonetta 2
My runner up - The Talos Principle
Overall one of the worst years in gaming in a while, but Bayonetta 2 really captured me that year even if I haven't revisited it and don't know how I'd feel nowadays with respect to the genre. I think the biggest takeaway though is that more people should play The Talos Principle. It's a 3D puzzle game where the levels are divided into worlds, and each level in a world has multiple standalone puzzles within it. It's essentially set up like a Mario game, but with the non-linearity of Mega Man, and its Mario Odyssey-esque way of world progression, where players only need to get a certain amount of puzzles completed in a world before moving onto the next one, means that players can learn how to do puzzles from earlier in the game by doing puzzles in later levels. The ability to chew on puzzles by doing other ones and coming back to them later is amazing, and the games themes of existentialism are fantastic. It's also extremely atmospheric. It's basically the closest you'll get to a Portal 3, just a lot more depressing. It's a fantastic zen game.
2015 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
My TGA pick - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
My GOTY - Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
My runner up - ???? The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
This year is almost as bad as 2014. Every game in this lineup is overrated, except maybe Mario Maker which I didn't play. Bloodborne has never been my thing despite being a big From fan, it made me disconnect with the games even further. Metal Gear Solid V has amazing gameplay, but gets boring after a few hours thanks to having no story, and being disappointing when it is there. Fallout 4 is whatever, and even The Witcher, while pretty good, is wayyyy too long. I've never finished it, and it's combat is pretty bad especially on consoles. Surprise surprise Capcom saved the year.
2016 - Overwatch
My TGA pick - Overwatch
My GOTY - Overwatch
My runner up - Hitman
This year was the first sign things were getting better. Overwatch was genuinely great in its first year, it got me into hero shooters in a way no other game has. People will act like it never deserved it because it sucks now and Team Fortress 2 existed, but this ignores that Team Fortress 2 was basically broken by this point, had a community of sweaty gamers, was very impenetrable for newcomers, and didn't have the same great roster. I also really loved Hitman and I can write an essay about how games like this are too underappreciated from a game design standpoint. The idea of a game that's based off repeating the same levels over and over again to soak in the details and find new ways of completing your objective is amazing, basically Super Mario 64 on steriods (Dark Souls III was also pretty good).
2017 - Breath of the Wild
My TGA pick - Breath of the Wild
My GOTY - Breath of the Wild
My runner up - Resident Evil VII: Biohazard
I haven't actually beaten Breath of the Wild to be honest, and while I loved it in its release year I did have some problems with it. I think Tears of the Kingdom has me pretty confident though that it was my favorite game that year and would be now if I revisited it. Resident Evil VII comes close though, it's not as strong but it's really good.
2018 - God of War
My TGA pick - God of War
My GOTY - God of War
My runner up - Spider-Man
Even as someone who doesn't like Playstation games too much, this was sort of a weak year for every platform but Playstation imo. It has two Playstation games that I think are genuinely pretty great or at least very fun, God of War and Spider-Man, and it also was the platform to play Red Dead Redemption 2, which to this day is the only Rockstar game I really like. Ultimately I'm conflicted between saying if God of War was better or if Spider-Man was better. God of War inspires video games to go in a direction I don't really like, but it's mixture of elements of Resident Evil 4, Souls games and standard character action games is pretty brilliant and too often overly criticized by character action snobs (even if I see where they're coming from). Spider-Man, on the other hand, is too one-dimensional and honestly pretty hard to go back to nowadays now that you know what to expect. But for the time it was very fun. If I played more of Valkyria Chronicles 4, that would probably be my Game of the Year.
2019 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
My TGA pick - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
My GOTY - Devil May Cry V
My runner up - Super Mario Maker 2
To be honest in that year I probably enjoyed Super Mario Maker 2 more than DMCV, but I think long term DMCV is probably the better game. Super Mario Maker 2 is the only 2D Mario game I've loved thus far, and DMCV is the best its genre has to offer.
2020 - The Last of Us Part II
My TGA pick - ???
My GOTY - ???
My runner up - ???
Holy shit, super meh year. Can I pick the port of Pikmin 3 instead? I'd nominate Hadesif it wasn't so mid.
2021 - It Takes Two
My TGA pick - Metroid Dread
My GOTY - Monster Hunter Rise
My runner up - Metroid Dread
Great year for gaming thanks to Metroid Dread, Monster Hunter Rise, and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. Those three saved this year.
2022 - Elden Ring
My TGA pick - I've played none of those
My GOTY - Kirby and the Forgotten Land
My runner up - Splatoon 3
I don't think I played much new games this year despite having a decent amount. Still haven't gotten to Legends Arceus or Xenoblade 3 or Elden Ring. I played most of Tunic but don't want to give that game an award. So I'll give it to Splatoon 3, I guess. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one of my favorite Nintendo games though. That was awesome! I also really like what I've played of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, but that's a 2019 release and not even a new localization like TGAA, so I wouldn't count it as it's just a port.
Overall this makes my taste look way more basic than I actually think it is : / I find myself rarely agreeing with TGA nominations so this feels a bit weird
(I could legit not find a better gif)
2014 - Dragon Age: Inquisition
My TGA pick - Bayonetta 2
My GOTY - Bayonetta 2
My runner up - The Talos Principle
Overall one of the worst years in gaming in a while, but Bayonetta 2 really captured me that year even if I haven't revisited it and don't know how I'd feel nowadays with respect to the genre. I think the biggest takeaway though is that more people should play The Talos Principle. It's a 3D puzzle game where the levels are divided into worlds, and each level in a world has multiple standalone puzzles within it. It's essentially set up like a Mario game, but with the non-linearity of Mega Man, and its Mario Odyssey-esque way of world progression, where players only need to get a certain amount of puzzles completed in a world before moving onto the next one, means that players can learn how to do puzzles from earlier in the game by doing puzzles in later levels. The ability to chew on puzzles by doing other ones and coming back to them later is amazing, and the games themes of existentialism are fantastic. It's also extremely atmospheric. It's basically the closest you'll get to a Portal 3, just a lot more depressing. It's a fantastic zen game.
2015 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
My TGA pick - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
My GOTY - Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
My runner up - ???? The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
This year is almost as bad as 2014. Every game in this lineup is overrated, except maybe Mario Maker which I didn't play. Bloodborne has never been my thing despite being a big From fan, it made me disconnect with the games even further. Metal Gear Solid V has amazing gameplay, but gets boring after a few hours thanks to having no story, and being disappointing when it is there. Fallout 4 is whatever, and even The Witcher, while pretty good, is wayyyy too long. I've never finished it, and it's combat is pretty bad especially on consoles. Surprise surprise Capcom saved the year.
2016 - Overwatch
My TGA pick - Overwatch
My GOTY - Overwatch
My runner up - Hitman
This year was the first sign things were getting better. Overwatch was genuinely great in its first year, it got me into hero shooters in a way no other game has. People will act like it never deserved it because it sucks now and Team Fortress 2 existed, but this ignores that Team Fortress 2 was basically broken by this point, had a community of sweaty gamers, was very impenetrable for newcomers, and didn't have the same great roster. I also really loved Hitman and I can write an essay about how games like this are too underappreciated from a game design standpoint. The idea of a game that's based off repeating the same levels over and over again to soak in the details and find new ways of completing your objective is amazing, basically Super Mario 64 on steriods (Dark Souls III was also pretty good).
2017 - Breath of the Wild
My TGA pick - Breath of the Wild
My GOTY - Breath of the Wild
My runner up - Resident Evil VII: Biohazard
I haven't actually beaten Breath of the Wild to be honest, and while I loved it in its release year I did have some problems with it. I think Tears of the Kingdom has me pretty confident though that it was my favorite game that year and would be now if I revisited it. Resident Evil VII comes close though, it's not as strong but it's really good.
2018 - God of War
My TGA pick - God of War
My GOTY - God of War
My runner up - Spider-Man
Even as someone who doesn't like Playstation games too much, this was sort of a weak year for every platform but Playstation imo. It has two Playstation games that I think are genuinely pretty great or at least very fun, God of War and Spider-Man, and it also was the platform to play Red Dead Redemption 2, which to this day is the only Rockstar game I really like. Ultimately I'm conflicted between saying if God of War was better or if Spider-Man was better. God of War inspires video games to go in a direction I don't really like, but it's mixture of elements of Resident Evil 4, Souls games and standard character action games is pretty brilliant and too often overly criticized by character action snobs (even if I see where they're coming from). Spider-Man, on the other hand, is too one-dimensional and honestly pretty hard to go back to nowadays now that you know what to expect. But for the time it was very fun. If I played more of Valkyria Chronicles 4, that would probably be my Game of the Year.
2019 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
My TGA pick - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
My GOTY - Devil May Cry V
My runner up - Super Mario Maker 2
To be honest in that year I probably enjoyed Super Mario Maker 2 more than DMCV, but I think long term DMCV is probably the better game. Super Mario Maker 2 is the only 2D Mario game I've loved thus far, and DMCV is the best its genre has to offer.
2020 - The Last of Us Part II
My TGA pick - ???
My GOTY - ???
My runner up - ???
Holy shit, super meh year. Can I pick the port of Pikmin 3 instead? I'd nominate Hades
2021 - It Takes Two
My TGA pick - Metroid Dread
My GOTY - Monster Hunter Rise
My runner up - Metroid Dread
Great year for gaming thanks to Metroid Dread, Monster Hunter Rise, and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. Those three saved this year.
2022 - Elden Ring
My TGA pick - I've played none of those
My GOTY - Kirby and the Forgotten Land
My runner up - Splatoon 3
I don't think I played much new games this year despite having a decent amount. Still haven't gotten to Legends Arceus or Xenoblade 3 or Elden Ring. I played most of Tunic but don't want to give that game an award. So I'll give it to Splatoon 3, I guess. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one of my favorite Nintendo games though. That was awesome! I also really like what I've played of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, but that's a 2019 release and not even a new localization like TGAA, so I wouldn't count it as it's just a port.
Overall this makes my taste look way more basic than I actually think it is : / I find myself rarely agreeing with TGA nominations so this feels a bit weird
So fkin based
(I could legit not find a better gif)
Stilt Village
GBA
For fun, just picking from games I've played like some people are doing and ignoring what was actually nominated:
2014 - Tropical Freeze
2015 - Yoshi's Woolly World
2016 - AM2R
2017 - Specter of Torment
2018 - Celeste
2019 - Luigi's Mansion 3
2020 - Ikenfell
2021 - Metroid Dread
2022 - Kirby and the Forgotten Land
I'm not very interested in multiplayer or AAA games and I didn't like Undertale, so 2015 was brutal for me apparently. I'm just defaulting to the only game from that year I played through and liked.
2014 - Tropical Freeze
2015 - Yoshi's Woolly World
2016 - AM2R
2017 - Specter of Torment
2018 - Celeste
2019 - Luigi's Mansion 3
2020 - Ikenfell
2021 - Metroid Dread
2022 - Kirby and the Forgotten Land
I'm not very interested in multiplayer or AAA games and I didn't like Undertale, so 2015 was brutal for me apparently. I'm just defaulting to the only game from that year I played through and liked.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- He/Him
2014 - I would’ve given it to Bayo 2 of those choices, and I think it’s great despite it being the worst Bayo game to me! Definitely a mid year.
2015 - Metal Gear Solid V, but I’m playing Bloodborne right now and honestly that’ll probably be my new GOTY 2015. Amazing game.
2016 - I don’t think I played anything that released this year lol
2017 - they got BotW right
2018 - they got God of War right
2019 - Fire Emblem Three Houses, wasn’t even nominated
2020 - Hades
2021 - Metroid Dread
2022 - Was actually amazing for me. I have no qualms with Elden Ring winning, it’s fucking awesome. But Xenoblade 3 and Bayonetta 3 (not nominated )are just as special to me. It’s really hard to pick just one. I was feasting last year.
2015 - Metal Gear Solid V, but I’m playing Bloodborne right now and honestly that’ll probably be my new GOTY 2015. Amazing game.
2016 - I don’t think I played anything that released this year lol
2017 - they got BotW right
2018 - they got God of War right
2019 - Fire Emblem Three Houses, wasn’t even nominated
2020 - Hades
2021 - Metroid Dread
2022 - Was actually amazing for me. I have no qualms with Elden Ring winning, it’s fucking awesome. But Xenoblade 3 and Bayonetta 3 (not nominated
)are just as special to me. It’s really hard to pick just one. I was feasting last year.