GotY/Gaming in 2022 Mega Thread

[Moonface]

Although the year isn't entirely over, since some outlets are starting to put out their GotY nominees and whatnot, I figured I'd make this mega thread now for everyone to discuss anything about what various outlets choose for nominees/winners and to share your personal choices for the best games of this year, whether it be overall or in a particular category.

I haven't played everything I want to play that released this year yet to decide which game is my favourite of the year, but what initially inspired me to make this thread is that The Game Awards announced their nominees today, and I wanted to give my thoughts on their GotY nominees, which are as follows for anyone who wants to save time from clicking the link:

• A Plague Tale: Requiem
  
• Elden Ring
  
• God of War Ragnarök
  
• Horizon Forbidden West
  
• Stray
  
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3
  

Overall I find the list fine, although Stray isn't a game I would personally put in here at all based on my experience with it so far today (I started playing it today), although I will say good on the developers of that game in getting to be put up alongside all these AAA titles regardless of my views on the nomination choice itself. As for the remaining five, it's clearly coming down between Elden Ring and God of War, and I won't be shocked to see Elden Ring take the victory given how huge of a launch that game was. I can't really comment on which should win based on individual merit because I've not played anything in this list yet except for Stray.

I decided to check out the Indie nominees from TGA to see what would be up alongside Stray in there, and I can't tell at all what could win in that category; everything in that one is good in their own ways. Looking at some other categories at random, Best Ongoing is probably between Genshin, FF14 and Fortnite, since I don't feel like Destiny 2 or Apex have done anything really notable support wise considering how little I hear said about either of those games.
I do not get why Genshin is in Best Mobile game when it isn't a 2022 release, and I hope it doesn't win that category because of that fact when everything else in there was actually released in 2022. The cynic in me wonders if it got put in just to generate clicks if it wins or loses because I'm sure an actual 2022 mobile game could've been put in its place instead.
Best Community Support is a really pointless category; all but one game are in Best Ongoing and I feel like both categories are just the same thing generally because there's so much overlap.

I don't think anywhere else has thrown up their lists yet but I expect practically everywhere to just be picking God of War or Elden Ring.

Looking at a list of 2022 releases, I feel like a lot of games are weirdly missing from any of the TGA nominee lists that I would've thought had a good shot of making it in. Of course I'm judging them purely on the fact I have an impression they were well received and good games, and will admit I have not looked into each and every one of them to see if my impression is actually correct but that's the initial take I have on some games I didn't see listed.

Also, I know that the TGA's and practically every other award show for games is something that isn't always worth taking seriously in any context but I don't really feel like being utterly cynical and just writing them all off instead of forming an opinion on the respective lists. I'd rather be positive and try to just voice valid criticisms or my personal views than be all "kekw everything is rigged for (x game)" or whatever. My biggest beef with any of these award ceremonies is that the TGA's always put more focus on trailers than the awards when the latter is meant to be the focus, especially when they'll just opt to run at least half the categories off in a fast-paced listing and not actually give any of the winning games a spotlight if they don't win an award that gets the actual stage.

[Mr EliteL]

As I only care for one game currently, nothing but that is my personal game of the year plus best music for the last two years included (unless I actually had a opinion for 2020 which I forget), and won't get contention until next year which I hope at least one of them (if Tekken 8 even releases '23) takes it there. Perhaps Forbidden West could've done it this year if I bothered to play it...still mean to but highly doubt it the rest of this year with 1 and a half month left of the year.

However, I'm expecting God of War and Elden Ring taking a number of the awards. I've seen next to nothing of GoW and little interest to, but even though I momentarily dropped Elden Ring I can still accept that game taking possibly the grand award and whatever else. I see little reason for there to be a Best Indie and Best Indie Debut, simply because of them very likely getting the same winner for this year (between Stray and Tunic although those are the only two I know of). Esports awards are whatever.

[Moonface]

@Mr EliteL: What game are you referring to in the first half of your post?

Based solely on what I saw of it, I think Cult of the Lamb is better overall as a game compared to Stray and would be a better winner for Best Indie. Stray is a very good looking game and fun but I think it lacks too much in the second half to stand up too well as an overall package.

I did see Elden Ring was in Best Narrative which I'm a little unsure on. I feel like the game is just go kill big tree and that's like it, with the rest of the context being lore dumps as is the case for most FromSoft games besides Sekiro. I've never really heard FromSoft games be talked about for their story.

[Dragon Lord]

FromSoft games have amazing stories, they just make it so that the player has to work to discover it, and you have to be very thorough in piecing the puzzle together and looking for the pieces. It's one of the things that usually makes Souls-games so good. They don't hold your hand when it comes to figuring out the story or the game play.

Stray definitely is the "something doesn't belong here" piece in GoTY nominations. It's very obviously going to be between God of War: Ragnarok and Elden RIng, with GoW the most likely to take home the big prize. XC3 just seems like the "well, we should probably add a JRPG so people don't call us biased" pick and has no real shot of winning. HFW is the comedy pick.

Only things I hope to see this year are Genshin winning best ongoing + best mobile, Tunic winning best Indie, and Triangle Strategy winning best RPG. Though that won't happen since The Game Awards is an American group and a game that requires use of the brain and strategic thinking is going to be the least appealing thing to Americans. KEKW

Also I love how they seem to expand the joke of eSports categories every year. Now we have best eSports individual athlete, best eSports team and best eSports "coach"? Why the fuck do eSporst have coaches? Next year we should have best eSports pre-game meal. Also big lol at them calling them 'athletes."

[Mr EliteL]

@Mr EliteL: What game are you referring to in the first half of your post?  

If you mean what can be contention next year, Octopath 2, if you mean the single game I care about is simply Genshin, even if it doesn't fall into has to release this year. I'm at least happy it gets to be in a Best Ongoing category, and heck since I started playing it on mobile this year personally, I'm happy to see that in Best Mobile too. Hopefully Genshin wins one of them, preferably Ongoing.

Still kinda wish I picked up Triangle Strategy but yeah hope that wins the RPG too. I guess all are good contenders/will have plenty of backers there though so it'll be tough for TS to take it.

eSports could at least have just Best eSports game, but yeah it's getting a bit much for their categories.

[Moonface]

FromSoft games have amazing stories, they just make it so that the player has to work to discover it, and you have to be very thorough in piecing the puzzle together and looking for the pieces. It's one of the things that usually makes Souls-games so good. They don't hold your hand when it comes to figuring out the story or the game play.

Also I love how they seem to expand the joke of eSports categories every year. Now we have best eSports individual athlete, best eSports team and best eSports "coach"? Why the fuck do eSporst have coaches? Next year we should have best eSports pre-game meal. Also big lol at them calling them 'athletes."

In my experience I find that most of the story is more world building and lore and what you as a player are doing isn't really the highlight. Like Bloodborne for me felt more like the story was about the world you find yourself in, and you yourself aren't doing that much as a character in it besides dealing with what was already there.

As for the eSport categories, I don't really get why they still keep them at the TGA's. I assume it must be sponsorship money or something, because every year it just gets footnoted in the pre-show to little fanfare so it's clear nobody in or outside of the event actually cares much for it.

eSports could at least have just Best eSports game, but yeah it's getting a bit much for their categories.

Yeah, this would probably be the best one since everyone will know the games way more than the players. Like I know LoL is probably a notable eSports title but I couldn't tell you a single bastard that plays it, and I sure as heck couldn't name a coach.


Anyways, I didn't know that the Golden Joystick Awards had already named their nominees but yesterday they announced the winners of their categories:

• Best Storytelling - Horizon Forbidden West 
  
• Still Playing Award - Genshin Impact
  
• Best Visual Design - Elden Ring
  
• Studio of the Year - FromSoftware
  
• Best Game Expansion- Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
  
• Best Early Access Launch - Slime Rancher 2
  
• Best Indie Game  - Cult of the Lamb
  
• Best Multiplayer Game - Elden Ring
  
• Best Audio - Metal: Hellsinger
  
• Best Game Trailer - Goat Simulator 3 Announcement Trailer
  
• Best Game Community - Final Fantasy 14
  
• Best Gaming Hardware - Steam Deck
  
• Breakthrough Award - Vampire Survivors
  
• Critics' Choice Award - Elden Ring
  
• Best Performer - Manon Gage (Marissa Marcel, Immortality)
  
• Nintendo Game of the Year - Pokémon Legends Arceus
  
• PC Game of the Year - Return to Monkey Island
  
• PlayStation Game of the Year - Stray
  
• Xbox Game of the Year - Grounded
  
• Most Wanted Game - Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  
• Ultimate Game of the Year - Elden Ring
  

I'm not sure when they named their nominees but apparently it was prior to God of War Ragnarok, which is why it didn't end up winning anything here. Anyone curious for the full nominee list can look here: https://www.gamesradar.com/golden-joysti...ominations

I find the platform specific lists to be a bit weird in some places. Like somehow Elden Ring is under PlayStation GotY yet it was on PC and Xbox. Sifu depends on when the nominees were announced since it wasn't on any other console until November 8. Same goes for Xbox having Dying Light 2 and Sniper Elite 5 in their GotY list when both of those are also on multiple consoles. To me those lists should be solely games that released only on those consoles (excluding PC since otherwise Xbox would practically have nothing) because I don't ever get why a game can be picked for one console over another like these all were.

Not sure how I feel on Elden Ring winning Best Multiplayer. It never felt like anyone made much mention of it and I'm sure there were other games that were way more popular as titles played for their multiplayer that released this year compared to that one.

[Mr EliteL]

Just found out about the times for the Game Awards show, didn't check before.

The Game Awards 2022 Thursday 8th December

PT 4:30PM Pre-Show, 5PM Main Show
ET 7:30PM Pre-Show, 8PM Main Show
GMT 1:30AM Pre-Show, 2AM Main Show (9th December)

*sigh* Was actually looking forward to watching it live, but yeah that isn't happening for me. Mainly for the Tekken 8 announcement that's due to appear there, would've gladly missed that sort of time if T8 wasn't there. Oh well.

[ShiraNoMai]

The Game Awards 2022 Thursday 8th December
...GMT 1:30AM Pre-Show, 2AM Main Show (7th December)...

Hmmm. Not too sure that that's how time works, my friend.

Still, oof, I gotta rush gym that night. Or somehow get there earlier. Ugh. Hopefully it'll be worth watching. 

The Golden Joystick ones seems pretty fair, aside from that multiplayer one, yeah. Quite a strange choice.

[Mr EliteL]

Yeah that was my fault for first typing in the 6th instead of the 8th, then not changing the 7th to 9th.

[Moonface]

*sigh* Was actually looking forward to watching it live, but yeah that isn't happening for me. Mainly for the Tekken 8 announcement that's due to appear there, would've gladly missed that sort of time if T8 wasn't there. Oh well.

Oh, is it confirmed for Tekken 8 to be at the TGA's, or is it just highly expected to be?

I've also seen today a lot of dispute over the Player's Choice Award for the TGA's. Firstly, how Sonic and Genshin fans are both going to war with each other in the voting (which just shows how much of a stupid pissing contest this category is in the first place), and secondly I've seen claims that the voting in that category is busted for some people where it refuses to allow a particular game to be chosen, although why it only happens to certain people and the games it happens to isn't consistent at all I have no idea what to make of it. Not too sure why people are kicking up a stink about the category anyway since nothing is winning it from an objective standpoint in the first place.

[Mr EliteL]

Yup, at least something is confirmed to be happening with Tekken 8 at TGA. Even Harada has put out a teaser for it to "Save the D8". Not sure how much news it'll be, but will hopefully ease people off waiting for anything since the first teaser with Jin and Kazuya. Bet something leaks though, tends to happen.

I didn't even look at the Player's Choice so wasn't aware that was happening, but whatever. I wouldn't have voted anyway. Apparently the voting has stopped and the results are being tallied.

[Moonface]

Yup, at least something is confirmed to be happening with Tekken 8 at TGA. Even Harada has put out a teaser for it to "Save the D8". Not sure how much news it'll be, but will hopefully ease people off waiting for anything since the first teaser with Jin and Kazuya. Bet something leaks though, tends to happen.

Yeah, I saw Harada make a tweet yesterday about Tekken being at the TGA's. I never got around to checking if something was shared officially before then about the event or not but I still want to look just to know if I forgot or not. XD

Not long left to go though. I'm mostly looking forward to the reveals since a lot of the games confirmed for the show are ones I have interest in, and hopefully the overall event won't be too painful since apparently it'll only be 2.5 hours this year due to having less time spent on random shit, and sponsors are fewer but bigger so less time is given to ads and such. I'm sure something cringe will happen though because I feel it's inevitable at any live gaming event that involves a stage presentation.

[Dragon Lord]

I'm going to be watching tonight just to try and win a Steam Deck through Steam's giveaways so I can sell it for some extra cash and also to catch the Blue Protocol news that'll be there. It's been a very long wait for BP and I'm hyped as fuck that we're finally getting some information about it. I don't need much tonight, just want a confirmed release date for a global release and maybe news on a CBT for global as well.

[Moonface]

LMFAO they did it again! They just announced the nominees for Best Mobile Game and the woman said "Jenshin Impact". HOW DO YOU DO IT TWO YEARS IN A ROW?!

[ShiraNoMai]

Brooo this shit is wild. Don't know if any of y'all saw/were watching, but at the very end, when Miyazaki was finishing his acceptance speech, somehow this kid infiltrated through security/ticket verifying and was able to Agent 47 himself on stage with the devs and fucking made a weird anti-semetic dogwhistle about Bill Clinton before being quietly escorted by like 5 security guards off stage and the show ended. This dude was also apparently on Info Wars recently saying shit like "free taiwan".

More stuff continues to come out as this shit breaks but man. What a weird end to the event.

GG to Elden Ring though!

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okay wait here's a good meme for it