What's your game of the year?

[Aazealh]

I also think if I didn't burn myself out on playing the game 10+ hours a day for a few weeks maybe I'd have done NG+ instead of stopping once I beat it.

Don't feel bad, quickly pushing through these games and then never replaying them again is how I've been doing it since Demon's Souls.
As far as I'm concerned, it's why I'm still interested when a new one comes out.

Anyway, as for my ranking, since we're doing that again apparently:

Dark Souls
Elden Ring
Demon's Souls (gotta respect the OG)
Sekiro / Bloodborne
Dark Souls 2
Dark Souls 3

 

[Griffith]

It's Elden Ring. But there wasn't a ton of competition for it this year, at least insofar as the games I've played. Chained Echoes is my second.

Nice, it's basically unanimous. As for Chained Echoes, is it second because it's that damn good, or because it's the second most you played? At this point I'm ready to make Sonic Frontiers #2 as I edge closer to Platinuming this stupid fucking game (I think you can do it without S ranking the stages, otherwise it'd be a no go for me, though I did S rank Stage 1-2, for anyone that knows what the hell I'm talking about =).

Griffith, we have the same amount of kids. How did you play and finish this many games?

That's where the real games begin; it's a fine line between neglecting sleep and your family to a level acceptable enough not to get divorced! Basically, I mostly play when they've gone to bed or if everyone is otherwise occupied and I can get away with it. The latter part requires aggressive urgency though, like you jump on that shit until you're pried away again, which will be shortly when everyone's innate "dad is having fun" detector goes off. Headphones help, but just to keep them from hearing the aforementioned fun, during day play I keep one ear in the real world for emergencies.

TL;DR I'm a bad father.

Damn straight. For sheer scale, scope, and ambition, I think the only competition it has in this generation (I'm counting PS4 gen here since ER is on there too) is probably the Witcher 3.

I think I'm finally going to complete the Witcher 3 DLCs in next-gen since you can skip straight to them, I just need to figure out where I left off (I might have wholly completed the first one already).

Interesting list. Mine would probably go
1. Elden Ring
2. Dark Souls 3
3. Dark Souls 1
4. Sekiro
5. Bloodborne
6. Dark Souls 2
7. Demon’s Souls

First, marks for bravery putting DS3 second, I love that game. BUT, somewhat contradictorialy, Bloodborne fifth (I'd say it and DS3 are the most similar)!? Demon's Souls last is another bold stance even though I understand it; it's naturally the most rudimentary in many ways, especially the bosses, World Tendency is as broken as it is interesting, etc.

I think you said that you never finished Sekiro right? You should right back on that immediately!

This is a libelous falsehood! I've beaten Sekiro and even played NG+ all the way to Owl (Father), it just never clicked with me or inspired dedicated, obsessive play like the others, even Dark Souls II, the Niohs, or the likes of Jedi Fallen Order.

Elden Ring obviously takes the cake, nothing could really beat it.

It's like comparing any other player to Tom Brady; whatever the resume it just has more of it.

Elden Ring - My biggest complaint is that I'd have liked if the NPC questlines were a bit better set up to accommodate the style of open world it has.

I guess you would have preferred if it really had been MADE LIKE THIS, MR. UBISOFT!!

Kidding, just couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Death Stranding Director's Cut: Finally beat it playing this version on Steam, I enjoyed it a lot and am happy for DS2 being made, I am excited to see how Kojima changes up the open world stuff in 2, I liked delivering the entire time but I'd want it to be massively changed up for a sequel, which I expect them to do.

A fellow Porter! Yeah, as an early adopter I'm a little anxious about a sequel, but the first game was great and it's not like there wasn't room for improvement with the combat, etc.

Bloodborne (I am going to beat this fully finally this year so lets see if it jumps up lol)

Another 5th place finish for BB, within its own franchise essentially!? Do you guys not like offense or fun or something? Even Lawliet has it fourth! =)

Griff's example is my one my hopes that if / when I am responsible for little ones, I can / will still have a life haha. Admittedly, he's among the minority

I'll take the compliment, but I don't know if burning the candle at both ends for gaming counts as "having a life." Yeah, I'm having it ALL over here!

Haha I've been trying to get him back to Sekiro for a while, but my posts have been as effective as (continuation) Guts' sword on manga Griffith.

I mean, I want to feel the same way you guys do about Sekiro, but it's hard to go back into something I played thoroughly but never quite loved playing like those others.

I think the dynamic world where NPCs can die/move/disappear based on where you explore doesn't work as well when it's so large, I never ran into Patches once, never ran into Rya before getting to Volcano Manor, and a few other things like that. I'm not sure how they'd do it better exactly and I do think figuring that stuff out over time across other play-throughs or hearing about it from friends is cool but I found myself frustrated often with finding out I messed up a questline for myself or missed giant parts of it by progressing too far in the open world.

Counterpoint: Same things happened to me actually, and... it didn't matter! You have your experience, and you don't have to experience everything in the game, period, let alone all at once. I actually like that approach and mentality so I'm not tempted to try and do everything and talk to everyone. I actually fucking hate that and suspect most people do too. It becomes an obligation or chore. If you don't feel like going back and exploring further after the fact, that's fine.

I also think if I didn't burn myself out on playing the game 10+ hours a day for a few weeks maybe I'd have done NG+ instead of stopping once I beat it.

Don't feel bad, quickly pushing through these games and then never replaying them again is how I've been doing it since Demon's Souls.
As far as I'm concerned, it's why I'm still interested when a new one comes out.

It's an interesting phenomenon with this particular style of open world game. For example, I played BotW obsessively at first, like 130 hours in a fucking month... but haven't touched it since. I've gotten way more long-term out of the regular Souls games, and Elden Ring I obviously put a few months into, but once I was done with it I've been done ever since.

Anyway, as for my ranking, since we're doing that again apparently:

Dark Souls
Elden Ring
Demon's Souls (gotta respect the OG)
Sekiro / Bloodborne
Dark Souls 2
Dark Souls 3

Yeah, it's the "What's Your Favorite Souls Game?" thread. I think your ranking Bloodborne and Sekiro together as the two sort of outsiders/outliers is an elegant solution, and gives Demon's Souls its due without pushing either of those two too far down, but putting DS3 below DS2 is just rude. Bad form, Aaz! =)

What's funny is if we were going by uniqueness and originality it's Demon's Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro all the way, but Elden Ring is clearly better yet is the most derivative of them all.

 

[Aazealh]

It's an interesting phenomenon with this particular style of open world game. For example, I played BotW obsessively at first, like 130 hours in a fucking month... but haven't touched it since. I've gotten way more long-term out of the regular Souls games, and Elden Ring I obviously put a few months into, but once I was done with it I've been done ever since.

To be fair it's the same for most games in my case. I'll usually try to do a "complete" run and once I'm satisfied and/or bored I'll move on. NG+ has never appealed to me (outside of games where it's integral to the gameplay of course).

putting DS3 below DS2 is just rude. Bad form, Aaz! =)

It's really just because of that big hole that keeps going down and down. Can't get enough of that shit. Elden Ring 2 should have a giant hole too. But they're really both at the bottom of the pile. I barely remember anything from either, if you can believe that. I should probably have put them on the same line.

What's funny is if we were going by uniqueness and originality it's Demon's Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro all the way, but Elden Ring is clearly better yet is the most derivative of them all.

Indeed, my ranking is really a function of Dark Souls and Elden Ring being both closest to a perfection of the form, whereas Demon's Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro are the ones that strove the most to be creative. Still, I have to hand it to Dark Souls, which really sublimated what its predecessor had done in a way that Elden Ring doesn't quite reach.

 

[Dar_Klink]

I guess you would have preferred if it really had been MADE LIKE THIS, MR. UBISOFT!!

Hehe got me! Maybe I should investigate that cave....

Another 5th place finish for BB, within its own franchise essentially!? Do you guys not like offense or fun or something? Even Lawliet has it fourth! =)

I liked what I played of it a lot but I didn't get extremely far, IRL circumstances sort of soured it and got me to stop playing at the time, so I need to experience it fresh I think.

It's an interesting phenomenon with this particular style of open world game. For example, I played BotW obsessively at first, like 130 hours in a fucking month... but haven't touched it since. I've gotten way more long-term out of the regular Souls games, and Elden Ring I obviously put a few months into, but once I was done with it I've been done ever since.

DS3 did this to me as well, I played all the way til I only had the last boss and Nameless King and then stopped because I got tired of one day of banging my head against Nameless King. I kinda wanna re-assess it as well perhaps but I don't see it jumping up like I think a full Bloodborne experience would.

As far as I'm concerned, it's why I'm still interested when a new one comes out.

What's funny is that Sekiro I put it off for years and ended up loving it and it got me re-excited for Elden Ring the month it was coming out.

 

[Walter]

Nice, it's basically unanimous. As for Chained Echoes, is it second because it's that damn good, or because it's the second most you played? At this point I'm ready to make Sonic Frontiers #2 as I edge closer to Platinuming this stupid fucking game (I think you can do it without S ranking the stages, otherwise it'd be a no go for me, though I did S rank Stage 1-2, for anyone that knows what the hell I'm talking about =).

It's very good, earning its #2 spot. Still, I didn't play many games this year so take that as you will.

As I expected from the outset, it fulfills the promise of being a genuine-feeling blending of FF6/Chrono Trigger/Xenogears, though so far (20 hours?) it lacks the emotional punch of all three. Instead, surprisingly I find that the strengths are the combat systems and exploration. It feels oddly modern for a game that's hearkening back to the heydey of 20-30 years ago. There's a lot of ground to cover, a lot to do, and combat always feels like it strikes the right balance of challenge/"i am so smart". The problem I would say is the story is translated from someone who isn't a native speaker, so often critical lines of dialogue come off as ham-fisted or weak. Oh well, I can squint and see the beauty they meant.

 

[Patrick]

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 would be at the top of my list for 2022. Loved everything about it. Took the time to go through 2 before I beat 3 and really glad I did as it made the experience better.

Really need to try Elden Ring at some point, but I can't seem to like any of the souls game outside of 1 (Which is a game I love very much)