Lurker > UberPyro64

Still one of my favorite games of all time.

I enjoyed Octopath 2 much more than the first tbh.

I'd give the first a 7.5, I'd give the second a 9.0. The characters, story, world design, battling, and boss fights, were all just better.

Alan Wake II won the Critics Choice at the Golden Joystick Awards so I would definitely consider it a lock for being nominated for GOTY. At this point, I'd say the locks are:

Alan Wake II
Baldur's Gate 3
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel's Spider-Man 2

I still believe Resident Evil 4 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be the last two nominees, but I wouldn't call them locks.

KamikazePotato posted...

MP4 is going to be a Switch 2 launch title. That seems like the obvious choice for Nintendo to make.

I'd expect that and 3D Mario at launch. But with Wonder out this year, I wonder if that would be too soon for a 3D Mario, but at the same time, I think they probably have been working on one since at least Bowser's Fury was finished. Meanwhile, MP4 should be well on it's way for launch next year. It's been in development for so long. Even excluding before the restart.

TeamRocketElite posted...

Not with that attitude it won't.

Alright. They will shadow-drop Metroid Prime 4, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Half-Life 3 this Friday. Gamers worldwide will rejoice!

MacArrowny posted...

GoW Ragnarok was Nov. 9 and got in last year.

Yeah, I don't think it would be. It's only a mild concern because review copies came in late. Generally, the media nomination deadline is super early in November even if the deadline for releases is later.

Bloodychess posted...

BG3
Zelda
Starfield
Spiderman 2
RE4Make
And one left field choice, so probably Lies of P

This is a stacked year so Mario is going to settle for the Platformer category. Politics will keep HL out of a lot of nominations. Really its going to be BG3 vs Zelda across a lot of publications

I do really feel like Alan Wake 2 is a lock. Unless it was too late for some reason. There has been so much praise for its innovation and direction, it's hard to imagine it not being nominated. And it seems like total Game Awards bait anyway.

I feel very confident in my previous prediction, but at the very least I'd say Zelda, BG3, Spider-Man 2, and Alan Wake 2 are locks.

LightningStrikes posted...

GTA6 has not been announced yet so is technically ineligible. I have a feeling Rebirth is the right call although really there is a dearth of big AAA games on the immediate horizon. TEVI feels too far away.

I feel like they would pick games that are closer to release. As they at least believe are releasing closer. If I were to predict nominees, I'd say Death Stranding 2, FFVII Rebirth, Persona 3 Reload, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, and Star Wars Outlaws. Hades 2 or Hollow Knight: Silksong if there's a sixth. I don't think we'll see Wolverine or Elder Scrolls VI since we've basically seen nothing of those games and especially with TESVI, are still a ways away.

LiquidOshawott posted...

I feel like if you included BG3, you would include Hitman 3 and that doesnt sound right

Yeah, that does sound strange, lol. I would say probably not.

foolm0r0n posted...

Self-published, but not indie

I was mostly going by this Steam thread.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1086940/discussions/0/3811785047381360950/

Some say they are indie. Some say no. I said technically based on their reasonings.

I replayed it and MM in January. Still one of my favorite games, but I'd rank ALttP and TWW higher these days. Probably BotW and ToTK too.

andylt posted...

Ha, for a sec I thought they had been officially announced there. That's a viable set, though will they do two horrors and two Nintendos? While snubbing MS entirely? ...Yeah they could, I dunno.

I was thinking about other categories too like Best Indie, and it struck me we haven't had a big crossover breakout indie hit this year like Hades or Vampire Survivors, and there's not been one backed by big names like Stray or Kena as far as I know. What will that category look like- Cocoon, Dave, Sea of Stars, then what? Pizza Tower, Blasphemous 2, Darkest Dungeon 2, Turbo Overkill, Venba, Dordogne, Volcano High, Dredge... I'm probably missing some likely ones.

Baldur's Gate 3 is technically an indie game. Also, generally, Nintendo gets one slot, but having both a Mario and a Zelda game is definitely the exception to the rule as noted in 2017 when both BotW and Super Mario Odyssey were nominated. Mind you it was a 3D Mario, not a 2D one.

LightningStrikes posted...

Thinking about other categories:

Tears of the Kingdom probably gets in Direction, Art Direction, Music, Audio Design, Action Adventure.

Baldurs Gate 3 gets in Direction, Narrative, Music, Performance, RPG, maybe Multiplayer.

Alan Wake II gets in Direction, Narrative, Art Direction, Music, Audio Design, Performance, Action Adventure.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder gets in Family and Action, Multiplayer, MAYBE Music and MAYBE Direction.

Spider-Man 2 gets in Narrative, Art Direction (even though it shouldnt), Audio Design, Performance and maybe Direction.

Street Fighter VI gets in Art Direction, Multiplayer, Fighting.

Resident Evil 4 gets in Direction, Audio Design, Art Direction, Action Adventure.

Thinking about it this way makes SFVI seem weaker!

I think SF6 could be nominated for innovation in Accessibility. Maybe even Game Direction. Personally, I have RE4 in GOTY, but SF6 in Game Direction.

I think these will be the GOTY nominees:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/5da51e82.jpg

Mars Bars are where it's at.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/f65355f9.jpg

I enjoyed it, but I wasn't in love with it the same way I was in love with VII Remake.

In order of priority for me:
Alan Wake II
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Alan Wake II looks like it could be a real GOTY contender. If it weren't for Zelda or BG3 anyway. Mario and Spider-Man should be great too of course.

Astro Boy reimagining by Naoki Urasawa, the creator of Monster? Sign me up!

Doom 64 is not a port, lol. @IceCreamOnStero

UberPyro64 posted...

It was definitely considered for this poll. Alongside A Space for the Unbound, Casette Beats, Dredge, FE Engage, Hogwarts Legacy, Humanity, Wo Long, and the Ghost Trick remaster. Just too many games. Almost wish GameFAQs would double the poll option limit.

Cassette Beasts*. I hate finding typos and not being able to fix them.

Pikmin 4, but I'm still going through Diablo IV and need to play FFXVI. So I probably won't get to it until August.

MacArrowny posted...

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line should really be in here imo.

TotK is outstanding though.

It was definitely considered for this poll. Alongside A Space for the Unbound, Casette Beats, Dredge, FE Engage, Hogwarts Legacy, Humanity, Wo Long, and the Ghost Trick remaster. Just too many games. Almost wish GameFAQs would double the poll option limit.

For the poll, I decided to include all video game releases of 2023 that weren't a simple port job. This includes remakes and remasters. Vote "other" in the comments. What is your favorite video game release of 2023 so far?

Elden Ring.

This year really shaping up to be one of the GOAT in gaming.