Board 8 > Second Chance Favorites Bracket

(+) Yeah! (+)

Division 1 Final
Original Pick: Dragon Quest XI > Final Fantasy XV
Second Chance Pick: Dragon Quest XI > Breath of the Wild

This was a division of death for me, as all three of these games are in my top 10 for this decade. This was the hardest match to pick in my original favorites bracket, but it's a bit easier in the Second Chance

Division 2 Final
Original Pick: Fire Emblem: Awakening > Horizon Zero Dawn
Second Chance Pick: Mass Effect 2 > Resident Evil 2

The only games I've played here are Awakening, Horizon, and Borderlands 2, of which Awakening was far an away my favorite. Having played neither of these games, I'm much more intertested in the Mass Effect series than the RE series.

Division 3 Final
Original Pick: Super Mario Odyssey > A Link Between Worlds
Second Chance Pick: Super Mario Odyssey > Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Mario Odyssey is amazing. I took Tekken 7 over Smash in round 1 as it is the superior fighting game. Next!

Division 4 Final
Original Pick: Xenoblade Chronicles > Cuphead
Second Chance Pick: Xenoblade Chronicles > Persona 4 Golden

Both of these games are on my list of "started but haven't finished", but I enjoyed what I played of Xenoblade much more.

Division 5 Final
Original Pick: Starcraft II > Nioh
Second Chance Pick: The Witcher 3 > God of War

Stracraft II is literally the only game I've played in this division, although I own SMG2 and Nioh. In terms of interest, W3 > Nioh > GoW for me, but I would like to get to all of them eventually!

Division 6 Final
Original Pick: Persona 5 > Portal 2
Second Chance Pick: Persona 5 > Portal 2

Hey, this one didn't change! Also my favorites bracket was nearly perfect other than SFV > AC:NL. The only two games I have played in this division are P5 and Sonic Mania, but if Portal 2 is anything like Portal 1 I like it more than anything in the bottom half of this bracket.

Division 7 Final
Original Pick: Rocket League > Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Second Chance Pick: Dark Souls > The Last of Us

I have played Dark Souls, Rocket League, and Metal Gear Solid V, which I would have taken to win this division but I started it after brackets closed. XC2 is the most appealing to me from the bottom half of the bracket.

Division 8 Final
Original Pick: NieR: Automata > Skyrim
Second Chance Pick: Pokemon HG:SS > Skrim

These 3 games plus Hearthstone are the only games I've played from this division. I like all of them, but the order is pretty clear cut for me. Nier > Pokemon > Skyrim > HS

Quarterfinal 1
Original Pick: Dragon Quest XI > Fire Emblem: Awakening
Second Chance Pick: Dragon Quest XI > Mass Effect 2

Fire Emblem: Awakening was great, but I'm a jRPG guy at heart so even the best FE wouldn't be able to measure up to a top tier DQ game. I haven't even played Mass Effect 2 so easy choice here.

Quarterfinal 2
Original Pick: Super Mario Odyssey > Xenoblade Chronicles
Second Chance Pick: Super Mario Odyssey > Xenoblade Chronicles

Another one that stays the same! Xenoblade might be able to overtake Odyssey when I actually finish it, but for now I have to go with Mario.

Quarterfinal 3
Original Pick: Persona 5 > Starcraft II
Second Chance Pick: Persona 5 > The Witcher 3

Stracraft II is only here because I haven't played anything else in it's division. The Witcher 3 is only here because it looks more appealing to me than God of War. Persona 5 is here because...

Quarterfinal 4
Original Pick: NieR: Automata > Rocket League
Second Chance Pick: Pokemon HG/SS > Dark Souls

I liked Dark Souls up until Blightown... never got past that. Pokemon gets the nod.

Semifinal 1
Original Pick: Dragon Quest XI > Super Mario Odyssey
Second Chance Pick: Dragon Quest XI > Super Mario Odyssey

Another one stays the same! Odyssey is excellent but for me I'll take an A+ JRPG over the best any other genre has to offer.

Semifinal 2
Original Pick: Persona 5 > NieR: Automata
Second Chance Pick: Persona 5 > Pokemon HG/SS

I originally had Pokemon falling to NieR, which couldn't get the job done against Persona 5. So this result should be obvious!

Final
Original Pick: Persona 5 > Dragon Quest XI
Second Chance Pick: Persona 5 > Dragon Quest XI

The final is unchanged! I'm really stoked that my top 2 games this decade both made it this far. As much as I love Dragon Quest XI, P5 is a contender for best game ever to me, so I have to take it here.

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