Site Event (The WINNERS are here, check threadmark!) The Famiboards Game of the Year 2023 Celebration

[SammyJ9]

Best Indie Game: A Space for the Unbound

I have talked about this game A LOT on here but for me this was far and away the best Indie game I played last year, and the best narrative of the whole year period (spoilers for the next nomination period?).

A Space for the Unbound is about two high school students in a small town in 90s Indonesia who are about to graduate, and they put together a list of things they still want to do before that - and it quickly becomes apparent that there may be some magical powers or unusual things going on, too. It's a slice-of-life adventure game with an excellent sense of place and atmosphere, and you really get to know the town and its inhabitants as you explore and solve problems and learn more about the main lead characters as they work on their list and deal with being high schoolers at a turning point in their lives.

That's sort of the basic pitch and starting-off point, but the game is so much more than that and it shifts repeatedly to be about more than you initially think it's about. And once things start to click into place and you really understand what's going on - hoo boy. This is one of the most emotional game stories I've ever played that hit me hard in multiple ways, and the last 1-2 hours of the game and the way it all comes together and wraps up is one of my favorite endings of all time. It's beautiful and moving in a way I've rarely experienced, while also being incredibly hopeful. Highly recommended.

 

[Deleted member 1081]

Best Antagonist

Kraven (Marvel's Spider-Man 2)

Most of us are probably old enough to remember when Sam Raimi mistakenly attempted to cram Sandman, the Hob Goblin, and Venom into one movie. I like Spider-Man 3 more than most people (which isn't really saying much), but even I can't deny that this was just too much material for one two plus hour movie to handle.

Enter Marvel's Spider-Man 2 nearly two decades later (Editor's Note: Jesus). This game also integrates Sandman and Venom alongside a third classic villain, but this time it is a smashing success: Kraven is the star of the show. Kraven's narrative is simple enough: He is a hunter! He hunts things. Spider-Man 2 sees him take his expeditions to The Big Apple where the game is bigger and probably more clad in spandex than the prey in his homeland.

Spoiler: Spider-Man 2 Spoilers

Eventually, the player discovers that Kraven is dying of a terminal cancer and the reason he made the voyage to New York was to fall in battle to a worthwhile foe. He gets his wish when Venom emerges and literally bites his head off in what I think is the game's shining moment.

I completely expected Kraven to be an afterthought to keep players engaged until Venom reared his rather unsightly tentacles and was surprised to find that he was actually Spider-Man 2's Most Valuable Antagonist.

 

[Yamanoi]

Kratos (God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla)

You might want to spoiler tag some of that and the image.

 

[Irene]

Time to nominate Cassette Beasts for best indie game. This game isn’t exactly something that turned the world upside down, but I do consider it well worthy of a nomination at least. Vibes are on point here, and the game’s characters, world and soundtrack all ooze charm. It’s more than just mechanically sound, it’s providing its own aesthetic framing to the monster catching genre that makes it come to its own and rise above the feeling of being a mere riff on something else. It’s engaging, fun and just an overall cool time.

But what I also think the game has going for it is that it really feels so damn indie. This is the gaming equivalent of some Radiohead-worshipping teenagers in a garage, printing bootleg CD’s, or some film students making avant garde stop-motion with a shaking cam. I don’t know much about the game’s process or dev team, but it has all the youthful energy of a game jam team that started a discord server to make dreams come true.

 

[Suswave]

hey @Skittzo — now’s your chance to nominate Monsters of Mican

(I can’t do it until you make a Mac version!)

 

[Skittzo]

Best Indie Game: Monsters of Mican

Feels weird to nominate my own game, but in this case it's the truth for me that working on and playing/testing this game has been by far one of the best gaming experiences of my life. Learning how games tick, making mistakes, finding clever fixes, challenging gaming conventions, deciding on where and how to set limits and guideposts, all of it has been an incredible learning experience into how interactive media works in general. Beyond just development though, I am really, really incredibly proud of the final product I've made here. A full-fledged RPG with an original setting pulled right from my very own brain, and a game design philosophy that I consider "Nintendo-like" in that the process of design and the mechanics of the game actually informed the story, rather than the story coming first.

The game is on Epic Games Store now but keep your eyes peeled for an updated versions (with much better character avatars and gamepad controls) coming to Steam soon (and EGS and Itch).

hey @Skittzo — now’s your chance to nominate Monsters of Mican

(I can’t do it until you make a Mac version!)

Thanks for pinging me.

 

[Dunban]

Best Indie Game: Tents and Trees

I'd like to nominate Tents and Trees for Best Indie game. I've always been a big fan of nonogram games so this twist to the formula was right up my alley. I was surprised how polished this game felt and in terms of the logic involved I think it rivals its peers like the Picross series. The amount of content available here is also quite generous. Tents and Trees was probably the indie game I sunk the most time into in 2023. Plus I think it's only right to include the best rated indie game of 2023 on Switch in this category. Yes I'm aware it only has 5 reviews.

 

[VolcanicDynamo]

Best Indie Game
Venba

If you've watched the most recent episode of the Famiboards Discussion Club, you'll know that I gushed a lot about this game. This is a beautiful story about an Indian couple immigrating to Toronto, starting a family, and all the trials and tribulations that come from it. And food - lots of delicious South Indian food. This game makes excellent use of its mechanics and presentation for ita narrative, showing how culture can be upheld, lost, and preserved through things like cooking and language. I don't want to spoil too much, since this is a relatively short narrative game, but anyone interested in an excellent blend of game mechanics, lovely presentation, and emotional storytelling should check this one out.

 

[chocolate_supra]

Best Indie Game
Venba

If you've watched the most recent episode of the Famiboards Discussion Club, you'll know that I gushed a lot about this game. This is a beautiful story about an Indian couple immigrating to Toronto, starting a family, and all the trials and tribulations that come from it. And food - lots of delicious South Indian food. This game makes excellent use of its mechanics and presentation for ita narrative, showing how culture can be upheld, lost, and preserved through things like cooking and language. I don't want to spoil too much, since this is a relatively short narrative game, but anyone interested in an excellent blend of game mechanics, lovely presentation, and emotional storytelling should check this one out.

I actually added this to my eShop wishlist because of that episode!

 

[Josh5890]

My apologies for not putting out the usual reminder. If anyone has an indie game or protagonist/antagonist that they want to nominate in the next day or so, please feel free to do so.

Anyway, we are officially onto the next category.

Best Narrative and Most Badass Character

 

[VolcanicDynamo]

Best Narrative
Venba

And you all thought Super Mario Bros. Wonder would be the only game I nominated twice.

As I just covered...about 24 minutes ago, Venba tells a riveting narrative from a perspective we don't often see in games. And it does so excellently via both cooking segments and dialogue segments. Play mechanics, music and sound design, and use of dialouge come together beautifully. There's a reason people say that this game will make you want to call your mom. My description doesn't do these themes justice - absolutely check it out for yourself!

 

[Yamanoi]

Best Narrative:

Final Fantasy 16

Not only was this a superb game that absolutely restored my faith in the main series after the fucking awful XV, but it also has a narrative that has stuck with me since finishing the game. Clive's story was unforgettable with its superb main characters, twists, and finale. Highlights are Jill and Clive through the main story and side quests, Dion, Mid, Byron, the setpiece moments in the narrative, and also the ending. FF16 has the best worldbuilding in the series alongside 12 and 14.

Most Badass Character:

Cidolfus Telamon

He might be one of my favorite Cids in the entire series. Masterful voice acting and character in a fantastic game. Just thinking about Cid makes me want to replay FF16 but I'm holding out for the 2nd DLC.

 

[Aurc]

Most Badass Character:

Cidolfus Telamon

He might be one of my favorite Cids in the entire series. Masterful voice acting and character in a fantastic game. Just thinking about Cid makes me want to replay FF16 but I'm holding out for the 2nd DLC.

Based Ralph Ineson.

 

[Yamanoi]

Based Ralph Ineson.

 

[em]

Well, since Venba and Cid were already nominated, I'll rep the main man, Partitio.

Most Badass Character:

Partitio Yellowil (Octopath Traveler II)

This is the dumbest, most positive MFer there is. After his dad gets swindled out of his life's work and the townsfolk are forced into indentured servitude, Partitio goes on a quest to spread capitalism (but really socialism) across the land and buy the patent for a steam engine from the big bad, with the aim of making it open and royalty-free. On his journey he battles locomotives (eat your heart out, Sabin) and ancient magical beasts, while using the power of talk no jitsu to win both wealthy financiers and penniless orphans to his side. We doff our hats to you, Partitio!

 

[JorgenRaft]

Most Badass Character:
Leon Kennedy

The pressure was high for this one, given all the iconic lines and moments that Paul Mercier's original portrayal had provided us. That said, Capcom nailed him in the remake. Leon actually feels like a continuation of his RE2 version this time around, while providing both new and familiar quips in between performing ridiculous physical acts of heroism that you'd hope to see in an over the top adventure like Resident Evil 4. Nick Apostolides' performance effortlessly transitions from the inexperienced teenage boy scout of RE2 to the traumatized jokester John Wick we have here.

Also, his hair is beautiful.

 

[Irene]

My pick for best narrative this year is Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo.

Just an absolute masterstroke in mystery storytelling. It's story about the paranormal, and about the urban legends of Honjo, and it follows multiple characters who all gets involved with the urban legends one way or another. It has some minor but clever mechanics, but for the most part of its runtime, it's a mystery VN through and through. The game has so much more going for it, but I'll stop there, because there's "I don't want to tell anything more because of spoilers" and there's "I'm serious, I can't tell ANYTHING at all because everyone should go in as blind as possible", and then there's Paranormasight. Great characters, amazing artstyle and music but most of all, a plot that is so brilliant and brilliantly told that I won't shy away from claiming that it's one of the best VN plots I've ever experienced.

And my pick for most badass character is Link.

Watch the fuck out.

 

[PixelKnight]

Most Badass Character: Castii, from Octopath Traveller II

Easily my favourite rpg character in years. While the empathic, gifted and dedicated healer is a common trope in rpgs, and so are a parade of the role often being given to naive teenagers or the last member of an ancient race (or sometimes both), OTII turns all that on its head. Castii is already a decade or more into her career when the game starts. She’s responsible for not just what she’s done with her own hands, but

Spoiler

building and teaching an entire organisation. Her background is as effectively a fantasy hospital director, and her story shows how she lost everything, faced down completely horrific events that stole her life’s work and colleagues that meant as much to her as any adventuring party. She picks herself up, and hits the road,

as she’s a completely determined badass and convinces people to follow her through that. Not through innocence, or being sanctioned by a holy power, but even the most cynical of veteran warriors recognises that she’s a natural leader and exudes competence to match her confidence. She’s smart, wise, a confidante to everyone in the party. A mother figure to the younger ones and able to trade barbs with the more cynical older ones, her wit remaining warm and gentle. Octopath II giving each character an intro chapter interacting with just NPCs before they meet the main party really allows the characters to breathe.

Just utterly refreshing. It’s not her job, her age, unearned abilities or her relationship to anyone else that is the core of what makes Castii what she is. It’s just raw willpower (combined with, yes, ability, but only that earned through years of hard work), and then tempered with humanity that makes her a great leader. It gives her the determination to press on in the face of disaster and have others around her do so too. Not through threats, sarcasm, belittlement or being the best in a fight. But because she’s someone that demonstrably lifts spirits of those around her through determination and humility backed by competence. She’s also a great hiking companion on the trail. What’s more adventurous than that.

 

[chocolate_supra]

oh god I totally forgot about Suika Game it really should be nominated in the best puzzle category

 

[Suswave]

Most Badass Character?

it’s Moss, all the way

what can’t Moss do? she flexes on everyone, drags people around like they’re made of straw, can execute wild strategy against you with increasing complexity, and… that face. THAT FACE.

she can hypnotize your Pikmin and take them away. she can out-maneuver you with no one influencing her. and she always tends to align with people who need help — just unfortunately often against you.

Spoiler: Late Game

plus the game / Olimar accidentally give her the best disability politics — she was born on that planet, born with that leaf tail, and it isn’t something that needs to be “cured” — just accepted as part of her

though… I’m not sure how much screentime is needed to make the cut, but…

Spoiler: Final Boss

the Ancient Sirehound might be even more badass in a “wild terror” sort of way

 

[SammyJ9]

Best Narrative
A Space for the Unbound

Hi, it's me again, here to plug A Space for the Unbound yet again. I could pretty much just copy what I said a few days ago:

A Space for the Unbound is about two high school students in a small town in 90s Indonesia who are about to graduate, and they put together a list of things they still want to do before that - and it quickly becomes apparent that there may be some magical powers or unusual things going on, too. It's a slice-of-life adventure game with an excellent sense of place and atmosphere, and you really get to know the town and its inhabitants as you explore and solve problems and learn more about the main lead characters as they work on their list and deal with being high schoolers at a turning point in their lives.

That's sort of the basic pitch and starting-off point, but the game is so much more than that and it shifts repeatedly to be about more than you initially think it's about. And once things start to click into place and you really understand what's going on - hoo boy. This is one of the most emotional game stories I've ever played that hit me hard in multiple ways, and the last 1-2 hours of the game and the way it all comes together and wraps up is one of my favorite endings of all time. It's beautiful and moving in a way I've rarely experienced, while also being incredibly hopeful. Highly recommended.


This is one of my favorite game narratives of all time, especially if you like the sort of emotional plot twists and recontextualization of things sort of in the same vein as "Your Name".


(I will also agree and shout out Paranormasight is an excellent story full of great twists, and Cid is easily my favorite part of FF16)

 

[Irene]

A Space for the Unbound

 

[SammyJ9]

Hey, I did warn everyone I’d be nominating it for best narrative .

 

[em]

Could we get some guidance on what "Best Comeback" means? A series returning after a long absence (Pikmin 4), a better sequel (Octopath 2), DLC/patches that fix/improve the base game (Mario Kart course packs), a remaster of a beloved classic (Metroid Prime), all of the above or something else altogether?

 

[Irene]

Could we get some guidance on what "Best Comeback" means? A series returning after a long absence (Pikmin 4), a better sequel (Octopath 2), DLC/patches that fix/improve the base game (Mario Kart course packs), a remaster of a beloved classic (Metroid Prime), all of the above or something else altogether?

"Best Comeback" can be anything! It can be a game, a character, a franchise, a villain... anyone or anything who in 2023 made you feel like "Yes! I've missed you!" or "Damn, THAT is how you return after x years of absence." As long as the member nominating can provide a reasoning for why the nominated game/character/etc is a comeback, it's all fair game.

We would also like to ask people to not nitpick each other over "come on, how is TotK a comeback? It has only been six years." and stuff. The category is meant to be sort of loose.

 

[big lantern ghost]

Best Narrative
Alan Wake II
I feel like this game achieves the near-impossible task of being both deeply satisfying and intertextual for longtime Remedy fans while also telling you everything you need to know within itself. If you haven't spent a lifetime playing Remedy's games, fear not: no homework required. It's weird and confusing at times of course, but that'll have nothing to do with whether you're a Remedyhead or not; it's Just the Way It Is. I played this game back to back and was especially struck by this on the second loop: it's a lot more self-contained than it first appears.

Most Badass Character
Saga Anderson, Alan Wake II
I'll be 100% honest here: I think I may have a tiny bit of a crush on Saga. She's a hardworking, dedicated mom. She loves to pull pranks on people. She has a cool accent. And even when the literal boundaries of reality are melting away around her, she's cool as a cucumber. She also kicks a lot of ass; the lion's share of the action in Alan Wake II is Saga's!

 

[Thunder84]

Best Narrative: The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
Already talked about this with my Best RPG nomination, but Trails to Azure is a masterclass in narrative payoff built up over multiple preceding games. The expectations were high, and Azure somehow manages to deliver on nearly all of it. Plus, JRPG politics are always great, and Azure has some of the best in any JRPG.

Most Badass Character: Kosei Shishido (Like a Dragon Gaiden)
If there's one thing RGG Studio has consistently hit out of the park, it's their antagonists. And Shishido is one of their best. A Yakuza beat down into submission that never gives in, he's an imposing presence no matter the context of the story. He's certainly not a good person, but you don't have to be a good person to be a badass character, and Shishido certainly fits the bill.

Spoiler: Gaiden spoilers

And come on, that final fight is absolutely nuts. Dude goes toe-to-toe with Kiryu with a goddamn hole in his hand. One of the best boss fights in the franchise.

 

[Josh5890]

~7 hours until we flip to the final categories

 

[ADR91]

Best narrative : Master Detective Archives : Rain Code

Master Detective Archives : Rain Code is a crime investigation / visual novel type of game by the developers behind the Danganronpa series, and incidentally a Nintendo Switch exclusive title.

As you'd expect with this kind of game, much of the focus is on the storytelling, and I have to say that so far, all I've experienced with it in that regard has been absolutely delightful, putting a smile on my face throughout practically each and every minute of my play sessions.

For full disclosure, I'm still pretty far from having finished the game so I can't really tell for sure where exactly it's going with its narrative. What I will say is that even though it deals with some pretty heavy if not gruesome subject matters such as murder, suicide, and all manner of violent death, as well as people getting framed for stuff they didn't do, at its core it's a pretty light hearted game that doesn't take itself too seriously, and as such I don't think one could say that it really strives for anything grand in terms of storytelling.

However, that's not to say it doesn't actually try to tell anything meaningful, and whenever it does, it always does so in a very sharp and intelligent manner, mostly through the use of delightfully dark and crude humor that never fails to hit the mark, and really stands out for always managing to be relevant rather than just feeling obscene and gratuitous as could easily have been the case.

Perhaps a prime example of this would be just how the game sort of makes fun of itself by trying to subvert the tropes of the anime genre, through oversexualizing many female characters (and most notably Shinigami, one of the main protagonists) to an extent that is so grotesque and exaggerated that it's all too obvious it's meant to be satirical.

Also, the actual mysteries that the game has you take on are pretty solid and suspenseful, whereas the overall excellent writing is well served by some really top-tier voice acting, as well as some surprisingly impactful and cinematic-looking cutscenes.

I also find it rather commendable that in spite of the game being very much story-focused, it nevertheless doesn't end up feeling overly verbose or long-winded, as unlike in many other Japanese-produced games, dull filler dialogue has been kept to a minimum, while the pacing is sustained enough to prevent the onset of boredom.

 

[ADR91]

Most badass Character : Shinigami from Master Detective Archives : Rain Code

Aside from acting as a spectral companion of sorts for the main character throughout the whole game, the deceivingly cute-looking Shinigami also happens to be an absolute freak that thrives on unsolved mysteries, hence shamelessly rejoicing each and every time someone gets murdered.

Also, she has literally some of the most NSFW dialogue I've ever seen in any game, ever.

 

[Josh5890]

Alright alright alright. We are now down to the final home stretch. Keep in mind that this will be a five-day nomination period. You have until the 26th to get your choices in! With that said, we are now nomination for....

Best Comeback and GAME OF THE YEAR
Wondering what qualifies as a comeback? Well I will let my good friend Irene explain that!

"Best Comeback" can be anything! It can be a game, a character, a franchise, a villain... anyone or anything who in 2023 made you feel like "Yes! I've missed you!" or "Damn, THAT is how you return after x years of absence." As long as the member nominating can provide a reasoning for why the nominated game/character/etc is a comeback, it's all fair game.

We would also like to ask people to not nitpick each other over "come on, how is TotK a comeback? It has only been six years." and stuff. The category is meant to be sort of loose.

Lastly, please check out the list of nominations in the second post. I want to avoid any forgotten nominees before I get the ballot out there.

The Famiboards Game of the Year 2023 Celebration (Now nominating: "Best Narrative" and "Most Badass Character")

Hello everyone, and welcome to this year’s Game of the Year ceremony, where we all gather together to write about, talk about and yell about our favourite games from 2023. 2023 was an incredible year, where we participated in touching stories, had fun with engaging gameplay, overcame devious...

famiboards.com

 

[Thunder84]

Best Comeback AND Game of the Year: Super Mario Bros. Wonder
2D Mario has been stuck in a rut for decades, and it finally made its grand return with Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and what a return it was. Wonder is easily my favorite 2D Mario game yet, as well as my 2nd favorite Mario game overall. A stellar platformer that injects so much life into the formula, it's the kick in the pants Mario has needed for years. Pair that with some stellar art direction, and it's a brilliant return to form that isn't just amazing for 2D Mario standards, but for gaming standards as a whole.

 

[chocolate_supra]

Game of the Year
Sea of Stars
I've written a lot about this game on Fami (and even in this thread) so just summarizing:

• The graphics are gorgeous
• The environments are neat
• The battle system clicks hard once it clicks
• The music is rad (and Mitsuda is here!)
• There's an area where giant mushrooms with faces in the background sing the area theme
• That one scene no spoilers but yall know what I'm talking about
• Sakaguchi and Horii said they were impressed by it
• There's a battle class literally called "Warrior Chef"

 

[xghost777]

Best Comeback
Alan Wake II

After 13 years away, it became hard to imagine just what exactly Alan Wake II would be, but somehow Remedy made perhaps the most amazing sequel that brought forth awesome new and unexpected ideas and brought Alan, his story, and his world back in fantastic fashion. Bright Falls remains as delightfully weird as before and is more menacing than ever thanks to switch from an action game to a survival horror game. So many classic characters return like The Old Gods of Asgard and Pat Maine and are joined by plenty of new endearingly weird characters like the Koskela Brothers. The game also does a great job celebrating itself most notably in the absolute highlight of the game in the Herald of Darkness section. I couldn't be more thrilled Alan Wake came back so successfully after 13 years away so it's easily my pick for best comeback.

 

[chocolate_supra]

Best Comeback
Alvis
Alvis appeared in the first Xenoblade in 2010. He was a very important character, pivotal to the history and future of that game's world. But since then, three Xenoblades later (yes I count XBX), he had yet to make another original appearance, even in the game that was overtly a mishmash of stuff from Xenoblades 1 and 2! Furthermore Xenoblade 3 left some fans wanting more when it came to exploring the narrative reasons/implications of why the game was a mashup of 1 and 2 in the first place.

Enter Xenoblade 3: Future Redeemed. It was shown right off the bat in the trailer that Alvis was back for this expansion, and not only that but the way he's integrated is part of the narrative exploration that many fans felt was missing from the main game. Not only did his comeback bring along that "fix" for Xenoblade 3, but it also served to tie the entire series together in a way that's fitting for a character so pivotal to the first game. He doesn't get much screentime in Future Redeemed but his return brings with it a splash that ripples through both the base game and the Xenoblade series as a whole. In true Takahashi fashion, Alvis is the beginning and the end.

 

[Yamanoi]

Best Comeback

Final Fantasy 16

This might be considered cheating because we have FFXIV that is ongoing and amazing, but I was very happy with FF16 delivering and not being a complete mess like FFXV. 16 has great music, actually good characters, gorgeous visuals (we haven't had a mainline game push visuals like this since FF13 did on PS3/360 or XII did on PS2), stunning boss fights, and combat that didn't make me want to punch myself.




GAME OF THE YEAR

Hi-Fi Rush

Bethesda's best game yet and an instant classic. The best action game since the original Bayonetta alongside Devil May Cry 5. The only flaw is no physical release (yet). Hi-Fi Rush also has an excellent use of licensed music. If you have access to Xbox Series X or play on Steam, get this soon. I hope we get DLC or a sequel at some point.



Thank you for putting this together @Irene @Josh5890

 

[xghost777]

Game of the Year
Trails Into Reverie

Trails Into Reverie is a phenomenal experience and achievement that somehow pays amazing tribute to the 1,000 some hours of JRPG storytelling and gameplay before it across the nine mainline games and teases an exciting vision for the future all while offering some of the finest JRPG combat and minigames around. More thoughtful writing across the board for the 50+ playable characters and a few hundred NPCs gives everyone their chance to shine once again and shows how far they have come and where their lives might be heading next. The main story offers this at grand scale and is backed up by the many Daydream short stories so you get an excellent range of experiences here. I loved getting to spend all of this time with characters I cared so much about and was regularly caught off guard when some of the more obscure NPCs got their moments too. Shifting gears, the turn based combat that has carried the series for nine games now is perhaps at its peak once again as it rightfully recognizes that the most exciting turn based combat comes from regularly shuffling your teams around (which the game does in the story and in the True Reverie Corridor) and by offering a very steady stream of boss monsters for you to face off against. There's also a lovely array of minigames including a magical girl themed rail shooter, the awesome card game Vantage Masters which rules, and a fun Puyo Puyo clone among others. Trails Into Reverie is thus one of the finest JRPGs ever made and fully succeeds in giving us one last ride and send off for so many amazing characters all while giving us a game that is just so much fun to play through. It is easily my 2023 GOTY so I have to nominate it for Fami's GOTY.

 

[curl-6]

Game of the Year: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Following up on one of the most beloved games of recent times must have been a staggeringly difficult task, but the Zelda team have risen to it in breathtaking style.
From new abilities so powerful and ambitious in their implementation that they have blown the minds of developers across the industry, to world so huge and dense that one can spend hundreds if not thousands of hours unearthing its riches, Tears of the Kingdom is bold and confident creation, showcasing some of the best developers in the industry given the time necessary to fully realize their vision.

 

[BlackthornOrion]

Best Comeback
F-Zero 99

OK, look, it was already a huge surprise that F-Zero emerged from roughly two decades of hibernation, and as a battle royale of all things. It's even more surprising just how fun and robust it is, how naturally F-Zero's gameplay translated into the battle royale format. And on top of that, it's a Nintendo online multiplayer game that (at least in my experience) just works. If F-Zero 99 was just an F-Zero comeback, that'd be deserving of a nomination on its own

But then, one last surprise, F-Zero 99 is actually a dual-comeback, because unlike the past 99 games, this one ain't from Arika. That's right, NST is back, baby. One of Nintendo's oldest 1st party studios finally clawed its way out of the "Mario lemmings and EPD 8 support" mines it spent the bulk of the '10s in and have kicked off their own comeback by returning to their racing roots in glorious style

 

[Irene]

Oh, so Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder have already been nominated for Game of the Year?

Well then... guess I'll nominate Fashion Dreamer!

This game is an absolute sugar rush of an experience that delivers HARD on the ultimate fashionista experience, where follower count, brand management and designing clothes are all tied into addictive game systems and mechanics that had their hooks in me immediately. I could tinker with looks and camera angles for hours upon hours, and it always felt fun, creative and satisfying to come up with new looks. This is a game that knows what it wants to aim for, and while it's not without faults, its the kind of experience that within its own niche rises to a top-tier experience. That, to me, is worth recognizing and celebrating.

And my nomination for best comeback goes to Metroid Prime Remastered. After so, so many whispers and rumours, we finally had it in our hands, fresh, shadowdropped and $40. With it's absolutely stunning visuals, tight controls and with it being a powerhouse showcase that true art never dies, Prime Remastered is a freaking gift from higher powers.

 

[Party Sklar]

Oh, damn, sorry but I thought the admissions for "most badass character" were stopping tomorrow, not today, so there's a late admission if you wanna take it into account, otherwise just consider it a fantasy admission and that's fine

Most badass character – Rosado (Fire Emblem Engage)

Because sometimes being badass is not being muscular and kicking ass. Being badass is being a man and dressing against the societal norms, not being afraid of who you are and what you like. Being badass is being a relentless optimist even in the face of evil, even in times of great danger. And being badass is doing all of that while still going to war mounting a wyvern. And that's why I'm nominating Rosado.

Anyway, back to the categories du jour

Best comeback – Like a Dragon: Ishin!

Western Yakuza/LaD fans thought they would never get this one. Not only we did, but it got a fairly substantial visual update, updating certain characters and systems, localization in many languages, while still keeping what made it a great game at its core. Thanks SEGA, thanks RGG Studio.

Game of the Year – Pikmin 4

2023 shall be known as the year Nintendo perfected Pikmin. Many games brought be happiness last year, but none as much as Pikmin 4 did. Great and addictive gaming loop, a lot of care put into everything (whether it be sound design, level design, animations, balance...), every Pikmin getting a chance to shine, and it has a dog as a playable character! What more can I say?

 

[MissingNo.]

Game of the Year — Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

We have several nominations for AC6 in various categories already, and now it looks like it’s my turn to nominate it for the big one.

Not a whole lot I need to say that hasn’t already been touched on. I'll focus on the satisfying gameplay loop that really encourages you to experiment with your loadouts and to fine tune them to whatever mission you’re currently tackling. The learning curve in this is rather steep, especially for newcomers to the genre/series, but it really pays off when you stick with it. And on top of that, the level design is fun and varied, the boss fights pretty much always have you on the edge of your seat, and the gameplay is just super snappy and responsive. Definitely the most fun I've had with a 2023 release, and more than deserving of the nomination.

Edit: I really did say 2024 instead of 2023, smh.

 

[goombaicebro]

Most badass character – Rosado (Fire Emblem Engage)

Because sometimes being badass is not being muscular and kicking ass. Being badass is being a man and dressing against the societal norms, not being afraid of who you are and what you like. Being badass is being a relentless optimist even in the face of evil, even in times of great danger. And being badass is doing all of that while still going to war mounting a wyvern. And that's why I'm nominating Rosado.

massive fire emblem engage W we love to see it

 

[Yamanoi]

Oh, damn, sorry but I thought the admissions for "most badass character" were stopping tomorrow, not today, so there's a late admission if you wanna take it into account, otherwise just consider it a fantasy admission and that's fine

Most badass character – Rosado (Fire Emblem Engage)

Because sometimes being badass is not being muscular and kicking ass. Being badass is being a man and dressing against the societal norms, not being afraid of who you are and what you like. Being badass is being a relentless optimist even in the face of evil, even in times of great danger. And being badass is doing all of that while still going to war mounting a wyvern. And that's why I'm nominating Rosado.

Anyway, back to the categories du jour

Best comeback – Like a Dragon: Ishin!

Western Yakuza/LaD fans thought they would never get this one. Not only we did, but it got a fairly substantial visual update, updating certain characters and systems, localization in many languages, while still keeping what made it a great game at its core. Thanks SEGA, thanks RGG Studio.

Game of the Year – Pikmin 4

2023 shall be known as the year Nintendo perfected Pikmin. Many games brought be happiness last year, but none as much as Pikmin 4 did. Great and addictive gaming loop, a lot of care put into everything (whether it be sound design, level design, animations, balance...), every Pikmin getting a chance to shine, and it has a dog as a playable character! What more can I say?

Game of the Year — Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

We have several nominations for AC6 in various categories already, and now it looks like it’s my turn to nominate it for the big one.

Not a whole lot I need to say that hasn’t already been touched on. I'll focus on the satisfying gameplay loop that really encourages you to experiment with your loadouts and to fine tune them to whatever mission you’re currently tackling. The learning curve in this is rather steep, especially for newcomers to the genre/series, but it really pays off when you stick with it. And on top of that, the level design is fun and varied, the boss fights pretty much always have you on the edge of your seat, and the gameplay is just super snappy and responsive. Definitely the most fun I've had with a 2024 release, and more than deserving of the nomination.

 

[PixelKnight]

Game of the Year- Octopath Traveller II

I've written tons about this across multiple threads at this point, but I genuinely believe it’s one of the best RPGs I’ve played in a very long time. Not just because of the awesome characters and soundtrack. But because it nails the sense of adventure and exploration. I was stumbling into cities full of NPCs enjoying their own lives that I didn’t know existed even in the late game, and, for the most part, the world doesn’t care what adventurers are doing. And that’s great. There’s all these wonderful moments of warmth on the trail, the side stories, the dialogue that just wasn’t there to the same extent in the first one. Some of the Travellers individual tales are often more desperate, more severe than in the first game, but it’s tempered by a light hearted touch amidst the relentlessly huge amount of optional NPC stuff, and by the party members with more optimistic takes. The battle engine expands on the first one, rounding out the classes while also allowing for powerful latent talents that add pacing to combat too, making the beastmaster and apothecary abilities stuff you can use every battle rather than resources to hoard.

All in all I came away from it thinking ‘that was an incredibly well rounded game, and a perfect example of a sequel that develops everything the original game set out to do while keeping sight of its core themes and principles.’ Wonderful stuff.

As an aside, looking above there’s 3 or 4 other games I played that I’m not surprised are listed too. It was an awesome year for games.

 

[Clov]

Game of the Year: Soft Kitten Experience

Another Sylvie classic, and some of the most fun I had with any game in 2023! Soft Kitten Experience is an extremely difficult action platformer, that challenges you to not only discover its mechanics as you play, but to complete it multiple times through different routes and difficulty settings. The difficulty is extraordinarily high, but the game proves to be very rewarding if you stick with it. After all, you wouldn't give up on a kitten, would you? And if you think it's too hard... there's plenty of accessibility options you can use to adjust the challenge level back down to something more reasonable. It features not only a catchy soundtrack, but an unforgettable vocal theme by Sylvie herself (as is tradition). One thing I like to keep in mind while playing this game is Sylvie's own thoughts on game design, that the game design itself is a way the creator tries to reach and communicate with the player. As you try to fulfill Ultrasylvie's Impossible Request, keep Sylvie's intentions in mind; this game is meant to make you you laugh, scream, and cry, sometimes all at once. I know it's a little mysterious, but there weren't many games last year that made me smile quite as much as this one!

On the count of three
Won't you meow with me
Till the twilight splits in two~

 

[big lantern ghost]

Best Comeback
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon / the AC series

Bolder and better than ever after a decade-long absence! That’s how you do it. It’s not a retread of what came before, nor is it overly reliant on that FromSoft Soulsiness. It can be tough, sure, but the hows and whys are all its own. It makes complex, three-dimensional movement a breeze. There is an absolutely wild array of possibilities for your AC, and being able to teardown and re-assemble after every death goes such a long way toward making all those parts worth testing out. The mechs look amazing. There are a surprising amount of extra challenges and story threads to seek out. The online is great. Here’s hoping we see more of the series before 2033.



Game of the Year
Alan Wake II

Remedy has been working on its mixed media approach to game-making for decades, but the leap they’ve made with Alan Wake II still manages to feel unprecedented. The audiovisual experience mimics the storytelling, amalgamating the developer’s history into a new and satisfying whole. There is endlessly clever use of layered video over the rendered graphics on screen. Eventually it becomes apparent that the way in which a character is being rendered means something. Without getting into specifics, there is a whole-ass short film baked into this game. There is a depth and texture to the presentation that I have never seen in the medium before!

The style isn’t at the expense of substance; I immediately started a NG+ after finishing up, and that’s because I had an absolute blast playing. Combat is tense, demanding. The typical speedy tempo of a Remedy game is slowed down a bit, bullets made less plentiful, the enemies more threatening. With the difficulty notched up in particular, this is a true survival horror experience. It’s also the gosh darn best time of the year.

 

[em]

GotY has been covered for me. So…

Best Comeback:

God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla

Valhalla is a great comeback in a number of ways: for the franchise to re-examine its history, including returning enemies/areas from the classic series; for the game structure, unshackling combat in a Roguelite design (heavily inspired by Hades) over the bloated quests and RPG mechanics of Ragnarok; for Kratos himself to delve into his actions, his regrets, and transitioning from being the God of War to being better (as the God of Hope); and, of course, for a specific spoiler character that would be inappropriate to discuss here. After Ragnarok, I was afraid the series had run out of steam, but Valhalla has me excited for its future. All that from free DLC.

 

[hologram]

Game of the Year: Baldur's Gate III

What is there to be said about this game that hasn't already been said? An astounding achievement in player freedom, creativity, narrative depth... this game truly pushed the envelope in so many ways, to the point where it briefly inspired a panic that we shouldn't expect all games to be this good. A truly incredible game that I'm sure people will be playing for years to come, and have people asking Larian Studios... what's next? How do you top this?

 

[slide's]

for game of the year I’ll nominate Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. I’m not much of a video game music person, and wasn’t much of a Final Fantasy person until recently, AND I have never been even remotely decent at any rhythm game, but somehow this Final Fantasy music game ended up being the most consistently fun new game I played all year. like every single time I fire it up it’s just 10/10 good time gaming. I hear the music and I push the buttons when I’m supposed to and the rainbow lights flash and the big number goes up—what could be better? working my way up (most of) the difficulty tiers over the first couple months of playing was a blast, and it’s nice to know there’s still a huge amount of stuff outside my current skill level some 80 hours later. I have some minor quibbles, like for example why oh why are there only five party slots, or for another example why can’t I see a track’s runtime before choosing to play it, but it is a remarkably polished, large, lovely, and fun celebration of one of the medium’s weirdest and best-composed massive franchises