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After many, many, maaaaany months of buildup, Tears of the Kingdom came out last week and seemingly lived up to the lofty expectations of players here and elsewhere. Speaking for myself, I'm awe struck by what the developers accomplished with this game, fixing a number of issues with Breath of the Wild while also vastly expanding the scope of the world. It's pretty astonishing!
Thus, this thread: It's pretty common to talk about games that didn't ultimately meet expectations, so let's gear the conversation towards those that did. What are some games you would award the Tears of the Kingdom Memorial Award for Games That Also Lived Up to the Hype (TOTKMAGTALUTTH). These can be games that lived up to your personal expectations or generally lived up to the expectations of the industry writ large.
As the founder of TOTKMAGTALUTTH, I'll start:
These are the games that come to mind for me. What would you personally award with the TOTKMAGTALUTTH?
Thus, this thread: It's pretty common to talk about games that didn't ultimately meet expectations, so let's gear the conversation towards those that did. What are some games you would award the Tears of the Kingdom Memorial Award for Games That Also Lived Up to the Hype (TOTKMAGTALUTTH). These can be games that lived up to your personal expectations or generally lived up to the expectations of the industry writ large.
As the founder of TOTKMAGTALUTTH, I'll start:
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Calling anything "Ultimate" is a pretty gutsy decision, and yet! SSBU promised the moon and delivered a couple of planets alongside it, declaring "EVERYONE IS HERE" while also inviting surprising challengers such as Banjo and Joker to join the fray. Unlike TOTK, Ultimate had a furious yearlong campaign and still managed to satisfy when it arrived just before Christmas.
- Metal Gear Solid 4 - This is a personal pick, of course, because this is a pretty divisive game among those who have long dreamed of finding love on the battlefield. For me, though, MGS4 was a fantastic conclusion to one of the industry's most storied franchises (literally?). In particular, the final encounter against
Revolver Ocelot
- Uncharted 2 - After I finished MGS4, I really wasn't sure what to do with my PS3. Like any good steward of the era, I went to my local Blockbuster and rented Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Despite not really hearing much about it (likely due to the fact that it was on the P-S-Triple), I was low key blown away. Accordingly, the sequel soared to the top of my wishlist, and at the next E3 Naughty Dog showed off an incredible gameplay trailer that looked straight out of a Hollywood action movie. When the game released that fall, it was totally that: An interactive movie! And it had trains! I really like trains.
- Pokemon Gold and Silver - Pokemon Red and Blue sent tidal waves through my childhood, as they did to many others, so expectations for the sequels were deservedly out of control. New monsters? A new region? There was so much potential, and Gold and Silver delivered on most of it. Even though the included Kanto region is pretty barebones in hindsight, it is still a remarkable feat and a testament to how massive these games were despite being developed in the shadow of a certified phenomenon.
These are the games that come to mind for me. What would you personally award with the TOTKMAGTALUTTH?