Board 8 > Game of the Decade: 2010-2019 Contest Analysis Crew - Part 1

(+) Yeah! (+)

yeah if you go back to the beginning of the decade, they're super inflated because they were new. I even used it for a while back when it came out for some dumb reason.

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yeah My Games was a neat feature when it first came out but I forget it even exists now
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just did my writeups for tomorrow and boy am I feeling uneasy about one of those matches

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it's impossible to have a read on Death Stranding

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that's not the match I'm uneasy about !

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Do you have Orifear?

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I imagine everyone's got a keen eye on Dragon Age/Ori tomorrow
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Yeah, I've got a bad feeling about Dragon Age. Could be unfounded, we'll see, but something about that match has me feeling off.

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I dont feel safe about it either.

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I feel like it has the potential to be Fallout 4/VVVVVV all over again, but I get the nervousness because it could also be Shovel Knight/Dragon's Dogma all over again!
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if only the world were just and fair, you'd have a reason for that concern

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I could see Dragon Age being unpopular enough to bomb, but Ori isn't the game to take advantage of that.

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Of course I should note that I am wrong about pretty much everything so Ori > Dragon Age is a lock.

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Round 1 Red Dead Redemption vs. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Moltars Analysis

You know that Phoenix Wright series thats not strong on GameFAQs? Yeah Ghost Trick is going to be even weaker than that. Red Dead Redemption has already proven itself in the past, and being worth 40% on Shadow of the Colossus 5 years ago is more than enough strength to advance to the next round.

Moltars Bracket: Red Dead Redemption

Moltars Prediction: Red Dead Redemption 76%

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transiences Analysis

WHY IS GHOST TRICK HERE AND NOT ANY PHOENIX WRIGHT GAMES? Everyone else is bound to say this too. It's crazy that we didn't get AA5 or AA6, probably because they split nominations. Oh well.

I'm not convinced on this, but I've always thought of Red Dead as being a more appealing GTA on this site. Red Dead 1 is also universally liked, more or less, while Red Dead 2 is a little messier with its gameplay shortcomings and whatnot. It should still do work to Ghost Trick, but Ghost Trick could surprise. Red Dead could also get 64% on a Wii U exclusive Bayonetta 2, although that probably looks a lot more reasonable after LBW couldn't pull that percentage on Bayo1. Anyway, if Persona 4 can't get around the enhanced port thing, I'll be looking for Red Dead to take advantage.

transience's prediction: Red Dead Redemption with 73.41%

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Leonharts Analysis

Red Dead Redemption could be a dark horse contender for the division. We saw it before in 2015, where it got 63%+ on Bayonetta 2 (not quite as impressive as 63%+ on Bayonetta 1 like Link Between Worlds did!) and got 40% on Shadow of the Colossus, which continues to be surprisingly popular! Those performances are fine, but fine might be all you need to win this division! Im honestly not too high on its chances to go deep in this contest, but I certainly acknowledge that its within the realm of possibility.

I dont think we can take too much away from what RDR does here because Ghost Trick will probably be one of the weakest games in the contest. Its an obscure puzzle/visual novel type game made by the Ace Attorney creator. Dont take anything away from the fact that Missile beat Kerrigan in 2013. The only reason Missile did so well is because there was a cute picture of a Pomeranian on the front page, and Ghost Trick wont get that picture. In a pre-contest poll asking which 27 seed youd like to see score a big upset, Missile finished dead last, and I doubt it was because people were tired of seeing Crono lose in round 1! Thats probably closer to its real strength here.

Leonharts Vote: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Leonharts Prediction: Red Dead Redemption with 75.09%
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Kleenexs Analysis

Pretty much everything I said about GTAV applies here. Rockstar games all have the same issue on GameFAQs - we dont give a shit. The only other time weve seen RDR1, it managed to get by Bayonetta 2, before bowing out to Shadow of the Colossus. I dont find either of those results particularly noteworthy (sorry LBW!), but thankfully for RDR, it has an opponent it really cant lose to. Ghost Trick is a neat little game from like 10 years ago, but Im pretty surprised it was able to even get into the bracket this year. So congrats for making it this far!

But yeah, not much else to say here. Next round is when this part of the bracket starts getting very interesting, though.

Kleenexs Prediction: Red Dead Redemption with 70.25%

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Guests Analysis - SSBM_Guy

Red Dead Redemption is getting slept on. I'm one of 9 people in the Guru who have RDR going all the way in Division 4. This division is just filled with traps of games that feel like they should be strong, but aren't as strong as you would think. RDR hasn't been tested too much, but it shows potential. In the 2010 GOTY polls, it was second only to Mass Effect 2. It even beat out Final Fantasy XIII with no other JRPG in the poll. In 2015 Games, it took out Bayonetta before losing 60-40 to Shadow of the Colossus. I can't see any other game in this division getting those numbers. It'll have to beat GTA in a Rockstar vs. Rockstar match, but I don't trust GTA at all.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, it's Ghost Trick. We don't have Ghost Trick in any games match. Ghost Trick, at its best, is as strong as any Ace Attorney game. Phoenix Wright 1 got 33% on Skyrim in 2015, but I feel like Skyrim only have room to grow stronger. I'd also take PW1 to be the strongest Ace Attorney game by far, which in turn would be stronger than any Ghost Trick game. We can look at the characters. Sissel and Missile both got in the 2013 contest. Sissel was omegafodder, but Missile somehow beat Kerrigan and got 2nd place. That is really incredible. Three-ways were stupid, but it provided some really entertaining results.

Both of these games are excellent. It sucks for my favorites bracket that they had to go against each other in Round 1!

Prediction: Red Dead Redemption wins with 73.03%.

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Crew Consensus: Ghost Trick makes like a ghost and disappears from the contest.


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not sure you can get much less interesting than four 75/25 matches

shoulda been 64 entrants

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Im guessing Cuphead comes down closer to Moltars 67 but still satisfied with going way high on that one

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Not sure how much that helps. I think it's more about bracket placement tbh.

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Imagine NOT being in your games picture along with the main character.
This post was made by the Rise gang

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Dr_Football posted...

Im guessing Cuphead comes down closer to Moltars 67 but still satisfied with going way high on that one

Most indie winners have started strong and lost a ton of percentage throughout the day.

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Fallout is so much bigger than Dragon Age though

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pjbasis posted...

Fallout is so much bigger than Dragon Age though

There's plenty of room for Dragon Age to be weaker and still win!

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Yeah but Inquisition was like this precursor to Andromeda based on how many people complained about it when it came out.

I know FO4 was in a somewhat similar position but....I feel like Ori should be a lot better than V? I don't have the best read on indie games but that strikes me as something closer to the Knight games.

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Are you sure? I've heard lots of good things about Inquisition, and it finished 3rd in GOTY in 2014.

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I'm not sure about anything! But where's Dragon Age 4 if it was so successful huh??

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Inquisition's stock has fallen since its hyped release but people still liked it.

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pjbasis posted...

I'm not sure about anything! But where's Dragon Age 4 if it was so successful huh??

https://www.gamesradar.com/dragon-age-4-online-live-service/

Consigned to EA Development Hell.

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pjbasis posted...

I'm not sure about anything! But where's Dragon Age 4 if it was so successful huh??

It's actually being made!

Unlike a new Mass Effect game sadly

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Leonhart4 posted...

Are you sure? I've heard lots of good things about Inquisition, and it finished 3rd in GOTY in 2014.

not quite
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/5750-best-of-2014-game-of-the-year

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Man and that's a multiway poll.

Dark Souls II would probably beat all those games today! Except smash who knows

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pjbasis posted...

Man and that's a multiway poll.

Dark Souls II would probably beat all those games today! Except smash who knows

I wouldn't bet on any Souls game other than the first to be all that strong.

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I don't see why they'd all be THAT different in strength. But I also don't see Bayonetta 2 and DA3 to be the games that get in between even if they were.

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Leonhart4 posted...

I wouldn't bet on any Souls game other than the first to be all that strong.

But Demon's Souls is the first Souls game...

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TsunamiXXVIII posted...

But Demon's Souls is the first Souls game...

Just in case you have him blocked

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I am the crew guest for Ori/Dragon Age. I tried my best to find a reason for Ori to have a chance and couldn't, even making pretty generous allowance for DA declining over the past few years and the Will of the Wisps giving Ori a boost. Could very well embarrass the hell out of it though!

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Previous Results: Wow what a day. The big question is if Octopath overperformed due to Undertale anti-votes, or if it won with legitimate strength. I think it's a little from both columns, as it was within striking distance of Undertale already, and anti-voting helped played a factor in pushing it over the edge.

Shovel Knight and DMC5 looked good in their victories (chalking up DKC's loss to it being weaker than expected), but the big star (or should I say moon) of the day was Odyssey, which looked like an absolute beast in its blowout.

Crew Predictions: 21/24

Next Round Thoughts: Shovel Knight seems like the favorite going into Round 2, but like I said it's hard to tell how impressive beating Undertale actually is these days. Odyssey will probably put up more big numbers again.

Crew Prediction Challenge:

Moltar: 21
Kleenex: 21
transience: 20
Leonhart: 20
Guest: 18

Crew Accuracy Challenge: MetalmindStats gets the point for Undertale, Hbthebattle gets the point for SK, and Moltar gets the point for SMO.

Moltar: 7
Guest: 6 (spooky96, Hbthebattle (2), Black Turtle, ctes, MetalmindStats)
Kleenex: 4
transience: 3
Leonhart: 2

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Round 1 Xenoblade Chronicles vs. Splatoon 2

Moltars Analysis

Its actually kind of amusing to see that every GotY poll Splatoon has been in, it has shared with a Xenoblade game that soundly beat it. Thats clear proof that on this website, Xenoblade is higher on the Nintendo hierarchy than Splatoon.

SFF? Probably! This could get ugly.

Moltars Bracket: Xenoblade Chronicles

Moltars Prediction: Xenoblade Chronicles 75%

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transiences Analysis

Xenoblade was one of my contest disappointments in 2015. It seems like it should be popular - it's a well-made, well-liked RPG with the pedigree of Nintendo and old Square combined. The Xenoblade series seems to have grown in stature just by sheer exposure, so maybe this is its year?

The one thing Xenoblade has going for it this year is just competition. Xenoblade's weakness is nostalgia; it's a good game but it doesn't have the history that a lot of old franchises do here. It's only loosely tied to the Xeno series which is a weird lineage in the first place. This year, everything is pretty weak.

Speaking of weak -- Splatoon 2! Splatoon is cool, but you need to be a real Nintendo head to bother. It's too much of a shooter for most Nintendo fans and too babyish for shooter fans. It has an audience, but I feel like Splatoon was at its peak on the Wii U where there just wasn't a lot and you played what was available. That system was kind of n64-ish in a way but without the big games to distract you from how sparse the library was.

Anyway, Splatoon might have done it against a no-name game due to the Nintendo brand, but Xenoblade nerfs that appeal. It probably won't get killed, but this is a match that Xenoblade could really rock if it's grown in the ways that I'd think it should have over the last five years.

transience's prediction: Xenoblade with 71.44%

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Leonharts Analysis

Xenoblade has become the new Tales of Symphonia. Its a darling JRPG on a Nintendo console that was starving for good JRPGs, so we ate it up. I think Board 8 tends to overestimate its potential as a result because of its fanboyism for the game. That type of game seems to have a ceiling it cant break through when it comes to a mainstream popular game, like we saw with Symphonia over the years, where it came close but couldnt quite win, and we saw it with Xenoblade in 2015 when it fell short against DKC2. It was basically equal to Fire Emblem: Awakening that year, and its performance against Deus Ex the other day shouldnt inspire confidence if youve got Xenoblade making a deep run! I know people will point to the upcoming Switch port, but I dont expect that to do much for it until it actually comes out.

Of course, Im not picking it to lose to Splatoon 2 here. Im just laying the groundwork for the future! We saw the original Splatoon get quadrupled by Metal Gear Solid in 2015. That being said, I do think the sequel is probably more popular because its on Switch instead of Wii U, and it sold twice as much. It just wont be enough to stand a chance of winning.

Leonharts Vote: Xenoblade Chronicles

Leonharts Prediction: Xenoblade Chronicles with 67.83%
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Kleenexs Analysis

Im very skeptical of how strong Xenoblade actually is. I know the series has had a lot more exposure since the last contest - a sequel, Shulk being in another Smash game, the upcoming remaster - but I dont think the game looked all that great back in 2015. I dont have that much respect for DKC2, and the fact that Xenoblade couldnt get that done leaves me wanting. Luckily, the first two rounds wont make much of a difference because the game is still stronger than anything its facing until round 3. Spla2n (still the greatest crime in the history of video games that this isnt the title) got completely buried under ZELDA and MARIO in the 2017 game of the year poll, and the original game got handled easily by MGS. Theres not much hope from an upset, so this is mostly an opportunity for Xenoblade to flex its muscles and prove me wrong. This is a pretty wide open division, so if Xenoblade can step up, its one of 5-6 games that could actually come away with it.

Kleenexs Prediction: Xenoblade Chronicles with 65.25%

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Guests Analysis - Luster Soldier

Xenoblade won't have any problem winning this match, but the 2015 contest has shown that the game isn't quite as strong as it should be with how well loved it was among the people who played it. This decade has been pretty bad overall for JRPGs in general, and Xenoblade is one of the few shining jewels of the JRPG space from this decade. And yet, the playrate probably isn't as high as it could have been since it came out on the Wii at a time when a lot of the site had already abandoned it. Xenoblade does have the New 3DS port, but that really wouldn't help much. Too bad this match is happening before the the Switch port comes out in late May, as that could really be a game changer in getting more exposure to people who wanted to play it back when it was only on Wii.

We have no data on Splatoon 2, but the original game was almost quadrupled by MGS1 in 2015. Splatoon 2 is probably stronger than the original game just by being on a better system in general, but it's still going to be kind of weak. Splatoon is also a relatively new Nintendo series, so it doesn't have the benefit of nostalgia associated with the older Nintendo series that have games from early 2000s and older. It's also a multiplayer shooter game, and we've seen the site move away from multiplayer gaming over the past decade as they get older.

Luster Soldier's Bracket: Xenoblade Chronicles

Luster Soldier's Prediction: Xenoblade Chronicles - 70.48%
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Crew Consensus: Xenoblade splats Splatoon


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Next two matches save us
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Round 1 Overwatch vs. Death Stranding

Moltars Analysis

Well this is interesting. Overwatch isnt really a GameFAQs type of game, and yet it seems to have somewhat of an audience here. D.Va made it into the last Character Battle and actually won a match! Death Stranding...I dont even know. It definitely has its fans, but also definitely has detractors. Its the definition of a divisive game (or piece of art depending on who you ask).

My struggle here is trying to decide how high the ceiling is for Death Stranding. Itll have a high floor and shouldnt get killed here, because the people that liked it really liked it and arent going to abandon it here. Overwatch has its fans, but will also pick up Death Stranding anti-votes, but I could also see Overwatch getting some anti-votes itself because some people dont like its fans and oh god this is confusing.

Overall, Overwatch is the safe pick, and you know me, I like to play it safe. Plus, MGS/Kojima have been on a downturn at GameFAQs, so even those fanboys arent really around to prop up Death Stranding. Overwatch is going to be weak, but I cant see Death Stranding having the strength to beat it.

Moltars Bracket: Overwatch

Moltars Prediction: Overwatch 53%

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transiences Analysis

I have no idea, and nor does anybody else. Death Stranding is a real strange thing, a game with a lot of buzz that completely flopped and then kinda didn't? Critics trashed it for being a complete mess narratively and for not having a lot to it but there was a certain kind of fan that just loved building stupid stuff and smashing that like button and balancing that stupid goddamn pizza. It was unique and a lot of people were paying attention to it. It's not anything close to Metal Gear, but it's not as much of a bomb as it might seem.

Overwatch has a fanbase here but it's hard to identify how big it is. Its character focus lends itself to fandom here as compared to other competitive multiplayer shooters. Overwatch is hard to gauge and Death Stranding is a literal black box. I've got Overwatch here, but the more I think about it, the more I think we might just stick to our roots and vote for the single player Kojima game with a dude named Die-Hardman.

transience's prediction: Overwatch with 54.66%

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Leonharts Analysis

This is a weird match. Overwatch isnt really our jam, but its not outright pathetic in terms of strength like other games of its oeuvre. It did decently in 2016 GOTY (a very weak field but still), and one of its characters actually managed to win a match in 2018. I think Death Stranding is really more the type of game this site goes for, or at least that was true at one point. Its a spiritual successor to Metal Gears plot thickness and occasional absurdity. It did fine in 2019 GOTY, but its got such a divisive reception. I could see this being a match where it comes down to which game gets more heavily anti-voted.

But Im going to roll with Death Stranding here. Its only worth one point either way, and I think its a worthwhile upset to take. Plus, this is the game for our time. It could get a quarantine boost! Besides, this is the game of and for my profession, so I have to support it!

Leonharts Vote: Death Stranding

Leonharts Prediction: Death Stranding with 54.01%

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Kleenexs Analysis

Multiplayer gaming going up in smoke on this site has really thrown me for a look with this match, but not really though. Overwatch is definitely not a GameFAQs game, but it was fucking huge back when it came out. The fervor around it has absolutely cooled off over the past couple years, but a lot of people still play a lot of Overwatch. Death Stranding, on the other hand, was widely seen as a monster disappointment. I dont hear people talk about it too much anymore (which is perhaps the most damning thing of all), but boy did this thing fall flat on its face.

I still feel relatively good about Overwatch here, though. Its not going to be a strong game by any means, but I still think the tenor around the game is mostly positive, whereas I dont think you can say that about Death Stranding. Its possible Im completely misreading the reaction around that game, but I have a hard time justifying an upset today.

Kleenexs Prediction: Overwatch with 55.75%

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Guests Analysis - MechanicalWall

This is one of those matches where the winner feels super obvious, but the second you click on it in your bracket you get hit by a million niggling doubts.

OBVIOUSLY Overwatch wins, yah? Death Stranding has become one of the biggest punchlines of this gen of consoles! Not only did it not live up to the insane hype built around it, it ended up being the sort of game most people on this site didn't even want to play: a walking simulator in the truest sense of the term. If I'm not mistaken, it's the single most recent game in the bracket, so unlike, say, FFXV, that disappointment is still fresh in a lot of people's minds, making it prime antivote fodder in an apathy contest.

On the other side you have Overwatch, a highly acclaimed Blizzard multiplayer shooter that sold like hotcakes, did OK in its GotY poll (finished ahead of DOOM, natch), and recently got a Switch port that introduced it to a new audience. The game looked like it was on the cusp on single-handedly ushering in a generation of 'hero shooters' before PUBG and battle royales stole its thunder (why is PUBG not in this bracket?)

But, uh, note the phrase 'Blizzard multiplayer shooter'. Shooters already don't do amazing on GFAQs, and Overwatch doesn't even have a single-player mode (unless they added one in while I wasn't looking). While I don't know how much people still care about the Blizzard/China debacle, that stuff certainly hurt their brand and might ALSO make Overwatch antivote fodder. Not to mention it was already fading from relevancy after PUBG and Fortnite took all the kiddies away. Meanwhile, Death Stranding at least has a respectable pedigree and might get some auteur points from people who appreciate it being a pretty bold and unique title to put out for a AAA company.

Bah this is already too much thought being put into a single point match. For all the niggling doubts that I have about Overwatch, I have even bigger doubts about Death Stranding. Overwatch choking would not surprise me, but I'm going with my in

You're welcome

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https://gamefaqs1.cbsistatic.com/images/contest/gotd-back/451575.png

Death Stranding's pic doesn't help. Needed Norman Reedus and the fetus for maximum impact

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Damn you I want that curse

Master Moltar posted...

I have no idea, and nor does anybody else. Death Stranding is a real strange thing, a game with a lot of buzz that completely flopped and then kinda didn't? Critics trashed it for being a complete mess narratively and for not having a lot to it but there was a certain kind of fan that just loved building stupid stuff and smashing that like button and balancing that stupid goddamn pizza.

Just as a note, DS won more GotY awards from critics than any other 2019 game!
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Yes, but since when has GameFAQs given a fuck what critics think?

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Mac Arrowny posted...

Just as a note, DS won more GotY awards from critics than any other 2019 game!

https://gotypicks.blogspot.com/2019/10/2019-game-of-year.html?m=1

DS benefitted from the single most divided field of the decade. RE2 and Sekiro are pretty hot on its tail and Control isn't that far down for a fourth place finisher.

The 80 awards DS got is lower than a lot of second place finishers in previous years and it might still lose if RE2 picks up a couple of stragglers.

Though I agree with Tsunami that this doesn't mean much at all, I just find it interesting

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MIA Guest Alert - @DoomTheGyarados

I don't have a write-up for Three Houses/South Park yet. If I don't get one in a few hours, it's not getting posted with the rest of the Crew write-ups.

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I will have it in the next 90.

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awesome thanks!

see ya'll in the next topic

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Go Persona 4 Golden

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