Mine is finalised and up on first page. Repeated below...

Game of the Year
1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.An epic game full of wonderful combat and fights, amazing bosses, great audiovisuals that help create a convincing setting and characters and story. Some slight issues with camera in tight spaces and a couple of the bosses can seem tough and frustrating until you realise that it’s you who is shit and you figure it out, but otherwise faultless. [10]

2. Astral Chain. [not quite finished but most of the way there] Slow start but once this got going and you unlock some abilities and skills, the combat is good Platinum stuff as always. The mix of styles is good and works really well. Not the best example of each genre it puts into the mix, but the overall game is far better than the sum of its parts. [9]

3. Slay the Spire. Not my usual type of game. But so many hours spent on this, although nowhere near as much as other Badgers. I’m a bit rubbish to get the most out of it, relying too much on luck maybe, but it hasn’t stopped me from enjoying the game. [9]

4. Devil May Cry 5. A good return to the series and Dante is as great as ever. Nero is also good and his new abilities and toys can be fun to play around with, but V can be a bit tedious and unenjoyable even if at first he seems a good change of pace and tactics. Some great bosses, and mechanics are as sound as ever. Let down by repetitive and dull areas/levels/backgrounds, but that can be forgiven when the fights are so damn good. [8]

5. Sayonara Wild Hearts. Quirky art and music, comes into its own once you’ve learnt the levels and aim for all gold and collectibles, and chasing higher scores. Good use of changing styles and perspectives. [8]

Best sound design
1. Sayonara Wild Hearts. A fairly well-made sound-based game with nice sound and some good tunes.
2. Sekiro. A great traditional Japanese music soundtrack, and SFX that From seem to do so well.
3. Astral Chain. Purely for some good music.

Best visual design
1. Sayonara Wild Hearts. Lovely trippy stuff.
2. Astral Chain. Some great visual effects and cartoony looks.
3. Sekiro. Just looks gorgeous.

Best writing
1. Sekiro. For the story and characters.

Best character
1. Genichiro Ashina. Cool character and great fights.

Best ongoing game released before 2019 (anything that received further support, a major expansion/update etc. this year)
1.

Best game you played this year that didn't come out this year
1. Bayonetta 2 (Switch). I love me the Platinum brawlers and I could play them once a year forever. Bayo 1 on normal in 2018, Bayo 2 on normal in 2019. Want to go back and do all platinum medals on normal. Maybe. And then get cracking on harder difficulties. Bayo 1 hard mode up next.

Game of the Decade
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Whilst at first I was disappointed with the lack of traditional dungeons and what seemed like a samey environment, I soon leaned to love the world and just wandering around and exploring. Losing myself in the world and just living it, taking my time to take every corner of the map in and absorbing my surroundings. It didn’t take that long to become my greatest game and I forgive it’s shortcomings. I could wander around forever. Obviously the actual gameplay is great too. The dungeons are decent, there are some fantastic well-designed and ingenious shrines, plenty of collectibles and secrets and side quests, good combat, and so much scope for improvising and experimenting with the inventory and play mechanics. It helps that it’s also and absolutely beautiful game in both sound and visuals. All this makes the overall package the best game ever.

2. Super Mario Galaxy 2. The level designs and the ingenious use of the gravity mechanics make this technically the best Mario game, although I like the original better cos of impact and the hub (I love a good hub). Recently the kids started watching some gameplay videos of the Galaxy games which just reminded me how great these were and how Odyssey was a bit disappointing.

3. Journey. The greatest two hours of my gaming life. Journey is different things to different people, including being the worst thing for some, but it deeply resonated with me. That ending / credits section with the accompanying song is possibly my greatest gaming experience ever. Never been so happy to just press and hold up to win.

4. Persona 4: The Golden. Where to start? One of the greatest soundtracks ever, a great setting (I do love me some Japan), and a great whodunnit story with the great and bizarre characters and friendship building and relationships and all the different world religion and cult and fantasy lores in the personas and the dungeons and battles and stuff. By the end of the game I actually got quite attached to the characters and that tipped it into GoaT status even more for me.

5. NieR Automata. The battle mechanics are functional at least and can be good if you delve deep enough, but never really tested except one or two fights. But it’s the dystopian world and setting, the amazing OST, and the shifting play styles that all work together and make the game such a great experience. Then you have the twisting and turning narrative and the way it all fucks with your head. I don’t tend to use the word subversive much, but this is it. So much feels too, which is always a plus. Glory to Mankind!

6. The Last Guardian. And even more feels. I’m one of the lucky ones who managed to download a digital copy that didn’t have any bugs or control issues. Trico is the greatest character created in any game. A friend, a companion, a saviour, so full of life. Going through the game with this creature, you build a bond and by the end, you’re emotionally attached and committed to it. One of the greatest achievements in games. Great world building as only Ueda and his team can do.

7. Bloodborne. My favourite of the (recent) From games, due mainly to the faster and more polished battle mechanics and a dark non-fantasy setting, and fewer weapons and items and bloat than the Souls games. Some of the best bosses and fights around, and a real challenge, and that together with the lore and atmosphere makes this an utterly unforgettable game.

8. Bayonetta. Jan 2010 U.K. release!!! Tone and weirdness be damned, this is still the pinnacle of the genre. So much depth to the mechanics and gameplay, it makes Mariana jealous. I could plunge hours and hours endlessly to this game.

9. Hollow Knight. Finally, Super Metroid has a challenger (but not quite there). It only took 25 years to so. Oodles of atmosphere, an intriguing set of weird and wonderful characters, plenty of dark lore. But it’s the sprawling map and how you slowly unravel the world with new abilities, the joy in wandering around, finding secrets, going back to previously inaccessible paths, the satisfying and precise controls and combat: a perfect mix, so polished, and all works so well together.

10. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. See earlier.


Not in due to limit on one per series otherwise would be there:
Dark Souls
Zelda: Skyward Sword

Almost/could’ve made it:
The Last of Us
Into The Breach
Tetris Effect
God of War
Halo Reach

God dang it I would’ve liked to play/finish:
RDR 1&2
Portal 2
Mass Effect 2

Surprised you haven't played/finished Portal 2.  It's impossible to name a better two game franchise.

I was ready for that, but nope.

Hmm I forgot about sekiro at the crucial moment. Probably should have featured somewhere.

I feel sorry for Bloodborne and Mario/Zelda not featuring in my GotD list too. Hmm, can I reroll??

Yup. Co-op is a separate campaign and it's pretty great, but the single player is the reason it's on so many GotD lists. What a game. Just thinking about it makes my heart flutter a little.

OK updated

Game of the Year
1. Ace Combat 7
2.
3.
4.
5.
 
Best sound Design
1.
2.
3.

Best visual Design
1.
2.
3.

Best writing/story
1.
2.
3.

Best character
1.
2.
3.

Best ongoing game released before 2019 (anything that received further support, a major expansion/update etc. this year)
1. Destiny 2
 
Best game you played this year that didn't come out this year
1. Destiny 2

Worst/most disappointing game
1. Anthem
2.
3.

Game of the Decade
1. Destiny 2
2. Rock Band 3
3. The Last Guardian
4. The Last of Us
5. Minecraft
6. Ratchet & Clank
7. Marvel's Spider-Man
8. Bayonetta
9. Vanquish
10. Life is Strange[/quote]

Last minute changes


Game of the Decade
1.Mass Effect 2
2.Rock Band 2
3. Dead Space 2
4. Hotline Miami
5. Splatoon 2
6.Super Mario Maker
7. Yakuza 0
8.Braid
9. Breath of the Wild
10. Super Hexagon

regmcfly wrote:

Last minute changes


Game of the Decade
1.Mass Effect 2
2.Rock Band 2
3. Dead Space 2
4. Hotline Miami
5. Splatoon 2
6.Super Mario Maker
7. Yakuza 0
8.Braid
9. Breath of the Wild
10. Super Hexagon

Braid is 2008 isn’t it?

monkey wrote:

regmcfly wrote:

Last minute changes


Game of the Decade
1.Mass Effect 2
2.Rock Band 2
3. Dead Space 2
4. Hotline Miami
5. Splatoon 2
6.Super Mario Maker
7. Yakuza 0
8. Breath of the Wild
9. Super Hexagon
10. Bastion

Ffs. Udpated page 2 finally.

Trials gotd

After midnight. Illegible vote. If that counts, democracy truly is dead. I trust you, Jon, don't let me down here.

Lol

Dubs has the best choices.