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Your Game of the Year 2019?

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
Oh man. There were so many good games this year. I'm talking about Borderlands 3! I'm talking about Outer Worlds! I'm talking about Death Stranding! Hell yeah, I played none of those games this year! Hi-five! So yeah, I think for a lot of people whose on a budget or for certain games that are exclusive on certain platforms or maybe they simply don't have the time for it, of course not everyone is going to play every game the year offers. This is in the end a personal list of what you believe to be your Game of the Year based on your own experiences. Heck, it could even be an older game released last year but just now, you started playing it. So let's get started, what is your Game of the Year?





As for me, I played nothing but Switch games these years and these are in my opinion the best three Switch games that released this year.

220px-Pok%C3%A9mon_Sword_and_Shield.jpg


3. I'm a biased Pokemon fan who is a sucker for new Pokemon games set in new regions, so what can I say that Pokemon Sword & Shield are so far my third-favorite games of the year? I love the wild area, the characters are great and all the new Pokemon are awesome. I freaking love the new changes to the online experience. The huge amount of moves available, Dynamax makes battles more crazy fun more than Mega Evolution or Z-Moves could ever do and it's just a joy experimenting with these new Pokemon to see how they handle the big previous core threats out there. However, unlike a lot of other video game I completed this year, this is perhaps the game I have the most problems with it as although it feels like a decent product, it feels like an incomplete product that could be even better and this is without the National Dex talk. City backgrounds are missing, the story felt like it's missing a chapter or two, the postgame is Ruby & Sapphire levels of postgame which is pretty barebones outside of a post-game story that is strangely better than the main story in my opinion. Still, I had a lot of fun with this but I think what's most disappointing is how short that fun can be because of many of the reasons I mentioned.

220px-Astral_Chain.jpg


2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventures Part 9: Astral Chain introduces new JoJo protagonists, Akira & Main Character, twins/cops who utilize their stands to defeat inter-dimensional invaders lead by long-time Joestar enemy, Kars. So in this JoJo game, you essentially play as Main Character where you control two fighters at once, Main Character and his stand, Legion in order to investigate this huge conspiracy as your sibling Akira slowly discovering that he/she is not the main character. In all honesty, this is a pretty good "JoJo" game. The control scheme here is definitely different from your usual action-packed button-mashers as there is a bigger emphasis on the analogue sticks in the midst of the action, so it does take a while to get used to but man oh man, when you get better with the controls, it is so much fun pulling out an "ORA!ORA!ORA!ORA!ORA!" on foes... until your pulled out of the action and thrown into these slow investigative parts. They're not all that bad, it's somewhat fun piecing together clues, taking your time seeing bits and pieces of the world around you, chasing wrongdoers at times but there are times when you just don't want to be pulled out of the action! Regardless of the slow bits, I love the game. JoJo's Bizarre Adventures Part 9: Astral Chain is a great addition to the Platinum library!

220px-Fire_Emblem_Three_Houses.jpg


1. Fire Emblem Three Houses, this here is perhaps Fire Emblem at it's most grand where you are offered multiple compelling storylines and also that compelling gameplay experience. The battles are not ridiculously hard or long but they are fairly challenging and interesting enough that you have to use your brain to make your decision count to increase your chances of victory. The story is gripping that it is pretty dark for a Fire Emblem game in this day and age that it is not holding back on you, that you feel a sense of weight to your decisions and that is just the first playthrough as Fire Emblem Three Houses feels like it is 4 games packed into one, offering you four very long but also quality-made storylines to choose from. As you start playing multiple story routes, you start to unravel more lore and information behind-the-scenes answers questions that your previous playthroughs have asked but never answered, offering new insight that will make you question what you originally thought you knew, meet characters you originally thought of as your allies and friends in previous playthroughs are now your enemies creating a fairly unforgiving experience that puts a lot of weight into your decision-making on the battlefield. Fire Emblem Three Houses perhaps has the greatest story I have ever seen in a Fire Emblem game... right after Geneaology... and also Thracia... and maybe Sacred Stones... and maybe the Radiant series but just by a slight margin... it's better than Fates people! With that being said...

de6e150d779a12b87991b8af2fd9655f.png


I give Fire Emblem Three Houses my Manly Tears of the Year award! It is just that good ladies & gentleman.
 

Divine Retribution

Conquistador de pan
Honestly 2019 really wasn't a great year in my eyes. I was looking forward to Borderlands 3 until I found out that it incorporates VMProtect as a DRM measure and decided against purchasing it unless they release a version with less invasive antipiracy measures, and honestly from the gameplay I've seen on YouTube and Twitch, it looks like a step backwards from Borderlands 2.

I was also looking forward to PlanetSide Arena because I thought that had potential to breathe new life into the withering PlanetSide franchise (Planetside and PlanetSide 2 are among my favorite video games of all time, and if you enjoy combined arms games like Battlefield or Arma, I'd strongly recommend giving PS2 a try. There's nothing else quite on its scale.), but... Well...

https://steamcharts.com/app/987350

That's gonna be a yikes from me, dawg. It's not even a bad game, but the decisions to design it with a cartoonish, vaguely Fortnite-esque artstyle (compared to the previous PlanetSide titles which use a much cleaner, much less cartoonish, somewhat Halo-esque artstyle), to make it third person by default, and Daybreak Games completely and utterly dropping the ball with its release have essentially killed it before it even got a chance to get on its feet. I try to be optimistic and say that maybe they'll learn from this flaming disaster and move onto developing PlanetSide 3 (Preferably while keeping in mind what made the previous two titles so great), but the more pessimistic/realistic side of me is thinking the PlanetSide franchise is probably on its last legs. Maybe a competitor will arise at some point in the future, but as of right now there's really no other game that fills the niche of being a massive combined arms MMOFPS. Arma 3 is the closest thing I can think of and the differences in gameplay are huge (most of your time in Arma is spent actually getting to fights, where as PlanetSide 2 offers constant action).

I actually enjoyed playing Pokemon Sword but I can't deny that the game had some pretty major flaws, most notably in its storyline. I think this game had enormous potential and laid some important foundations for future titles in the Pokemon series, but I can't say it was my favorite game of the year.

I'd say my favorite game of 2019 would actually probably be Apex Legends, which is a bit ironic because I don't think I've played a match of Apex since like September (I'm on a bit of a burnout, plus I don't have much free time these days, and most of what I do have I spend on PlanetSide 2 or RuneScape). I've been a long-time Battle Royale player (I played DayZ back when it was an Arma 2 mod, and I played a little bit of H1Z1, but I first got seriously into the genre when PUBG was released), and I think Apex Legends is a breath of fresh air in the genre, combining classic BR gameplay with a somewhat Overwatch-esque class/ability system that leads to some interesting gameplay. The movement is significantly more fluid than other BR games, the various weapons are all nicely balanced, and the map is very well-designed. The well-designed map combined with the various character skills means that a good team has a chance in nearly any scenario in this game, compared to PUBG where the metagame revolves around not putting yourself in bad situations to begin with, because if another team opens up on you while you're running through one of the numerous open fields in its maps, you're dead. Doesn't matter how good you are. On top of all that, it's free to play. Definitely a game I'd recommend to anyone who has any interest in the genre, or similar games. Even if you're not a Battle Royale player, but you enjoy class-based shooters like Overwatch or Team Fortress 2, I'd still recommend you give this game a try as it combines elements of both genres into a single game and can really be quite enjoyable for players of both genres.
 
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Captain Jigglypuff

Leader of Jigglypuff Army
I have a few choices for the best games. Best Fighting game is definitely Mortal Kombat 11. Best Lifestyle game is definitely Ring Fit Adventure. Best remake Link’s Awakening. And best games of the year goes to Pokémon Sword and Shield.
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
Honestly 2019 really wasn't a great year in my eyes. I was looking forward to Borderlands 3 until I found out that it incorporates VMProtect as a DRM measure and decided against purchasing it unless they release a version with less invasive antipiracy measures, and honestly from the gameplay I've seen on YouTube and Twitch, it looks like a step backwards from Borderlands 2.

I was also looking forward to PlanetSide Arena because I thought that had potential to breathe new life into the withering PlanetSide franchise (Planetside and PlanetSide 2 are among my favorite video games of all time, and if you enjoy combined arms games like Battlefront or Arma, I'd strongly recommend giving PS2 a try. There's nothing else quite on its scale.), but... Well...

https://steamcharts.com/app/987350

That's gonna be a yikes from me, dawg. It's not even a bad game, but the decisions to design it with a cartoonish, vaguely Fortnite-esque artstyle (compared to the previous PlanetSide titles which use a much cleaner, much less cartoonish, somewhat Halo-esque artstyle), to make it third person by default, and Daybreak Games completely and utterly dropping the ball with its release have essentially killed it before it even got a chance to get on its feet. I try to be optimistic and say that maybe they'll learn from this flaming disaster and move onto developing PlanetSide 3 (Preferably while keeping in mind what made the previous two titles so great), but the more pessimistic/realistic side of me is thinking the PlanetSide franchise is probably on its last legs. Maybe a competitor will arise at some point in the future, but as of right now there's really no other game that fills the niche of being a massive combined arms MMOFPS. Arma 3 is the closest thing I can think of and the differences in gameplay are huge (most of your time in Arma is spent actually getting to fights, where as PlanetSide 2 offers constant action).

I actually enjoyed playing Pokemon Sword but I can't deny that the game had some pretty major flaws, most notably in its storyline. I think this game had enormous potential and laid some important foundations for future titles in the Pokemon series, but I can't say it was my favorite game of the year.

I'd say my favorite game of 2019 would actually probably be Apex Legends, which is a bit ironic because I don't think I've played a match of Apex since like September (I'm on a bit of a burnout, plus I don't have much free time these days, and most of what I do have I spend on PlanetSide 2 or RuneScape). I've been a long-time Battle Royale player (I played DayZ back when it was an Arma 2 mod, and I played a little bit of H1Z1, but I first got seriously into the genre when PUBG was released), and I think Apex Legends is a breath of fresh air in the genre, combining classing BR gameplay with a somewhat Overwatch-esque class/ability system that leads to some interesting gameplay. The movement is significantly more fluid than other BR games, the various weapons are all nicely balanced, and the map is very well-designed. The well-designed map combined with the various character skills means that a good team has a chance in nearly any scenario in this game, compared to PUBG where the metagame revolves around not putting yourself in bad situations to begin with, because if another team opens up on you while you're running through one of the numerous open fields in its maps, you're dead. Doesn't matter how good you are. On top of all that, it's free to play. Definitely a game I'd recommend to anyone who has any interest in the genre, or similar games. Even if you're not a Battle Royale player, but you enjoy class-based shooters like Overwatch or Team Fortress 2, I'd still recommend you give this game a try as it combines elements of both genres into a single game and can really be quite enjoyable for players of both genres.
Oh my god, I forgot about Apex Legends. Okay now that is a game I actually played and I think what surprised me the most is this is actually a really good Battle Royale game... FROM EA. I am a huge Titanfall fan so when I heard rumors that EA wanted to turn the series towards a Battle Royale game, I think you can imagine a lot of TF fans were slapping their forehead thinking, "Goddamit EA, ruining another franchise as usual" but no. Apex Legends is actually really fun.
 

SubtleVVeirdoh

Unova Enthusiast
My GotY would definitely be The Outer Worlds. I was expecting great things from that game. Aside from minor things, I was not disappointed.

It’s really the only (new) game I have nothing bad to say. Not saying others are terrible or anything but the type of game itself, I already have a liking for it. My opinion is 100% biased and I’m completely fine with that.

Death Stranding gets an honorable mention though, because Kojima is “Dat Guy”. Still waiting for more Zone of the Enders, which will probably never happen.
 
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Bguy7

The Dragon Lord
Mario Maker, hands down. I've already put over 300 hours into the game, and with the new update, I'm primed for many more to come. As someone who loves creating stuff, I will never get bored of building levels, and for the times I don't feel like doing that, there are endless amounts of levels for me to play. The first was one of the best games on the Wii U, and the second only improves upon it.
 

WishIhadaManafi5

To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before.
Staff member
Moderator
Mario Maker, hands down. I've already put over 300 hours into the game, and with the new update, I'm primed for many more to come. As someone who loves creating stuff, I will never get bored of building levels, and for the times I don't feel like doing that, there are endless amounts of levels for me to play. The first was one of the best games on the Wii U, and the second only improves upon it.
Yea I agree with you there. I've only been able to rent it so far, but what I've been able to play and do is very fun.
 
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Auraninja

Eh, ragazzo!
I skipped out on many games this year, which include Astral Chain, Mario Maker 2, Fire Emblem: 3H, Link's Awakening HD, Luigi's Mansion 3 among others.

My point is that I wouldn't be the arbiter of what the best game of 2019 is.

I have, however, honed in on two titles, Dragon Quest XI and Pokemon Sword/Shield (counted as one title).
They are both good in their own right, so I am not really going to say which one is better.

That said, I think Smash deserves to win Best Fighting Game and GOTY in this year's Game Awards (though I don't care that much).
 

Pyrax

The Ghost of Tsushima
Judgment by virtue being the only game I've played this year that came out in 2019 >>
It's a good game, but it's dragged down by a few elements. Tailing is clunky at best, and imo RGG played it too safe by setting it in Kamurocho. It's not even trying to get out of Yakuza's shadow.
Still, I had fun - the final boss fight was one of the best I've ever played. I'd definitely play a sequel.
 

bobjr

You ask too many questions
Staff member
Moderator
My top 3 might have to be the following.

3. Death Stranding. I was surprised at how attached I got to this game, I really just like how everything you did felt earned and the landscape would change based on other players. The story has some flaws but for the most part you can avoid it.

2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses. After arguably one of the worst FE games this one comes out and blows it out of the water. So much effort went into even the little things like minor changes in supports based on who you recruited, and the only real downside is the beginning being the exact same no matter who you picked.

1. Control. This game is outright amazing and could be my favorite game of the decade with Life is Strange and Breath of the Wild. Everything feels so tight and responsive, and the brutalist style combined with the SCP style plot come together perfectly. The only real downside is some of the bosses have a few cheap factors, but I'm glad after Alan Wake this studio could come out with another big hit.
 

Zoruagible

Lover of underrated characters
Outer Worlds, it's not even a contest. They did a spectacular job and the only faults are the limits they had due to a small budget, but now that Microsoft is backing them the sequel is sure to blow the first one out of the water! It's nice that they actually know what made Fallout great and respect that, they didn't even mention DLC at all for the game until the past few weeks and I'm most definitely going to be buying the season pass(Assuming it gets one) soon as it goes live!

Pokemon Sword/Shield get honorable mention. It'd be a draw if Dexit wasn't a thing :rolleyes:
 

WishIhadaManafi5

To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before.
Staff member
Moderator
Adding Pokemon Shield as my second favorite game of 2019, right behind Super Mario Maker 2. It's been more fun to play than I thought it would be.
 

The Mega Champion

Well-Known Member
3. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remastered (PS4)
2. Detective Pikachu (3DS)

Game of the Year 2019 (for me):
627945_front.jpg
Digimon Cyber Sleuth: Hacker's Memory (PS4)

*runs from angry mob of Pokemon fans*
 
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Xaby

SW-3553-0104-8530
How dare you say that in this Pokemon forum when Dragon Quest 11 S came out in 2019.

Apologies but re-releases don't count for me. I'm not saying DQ 11 S wasn't a good game - far from it - but a good game I consider to have come out some years before is not qualified for another ride on the pony.
 

NPC

sleep researcher
5. River City Girls (Switch)

A cute and fun beat-'em-up with RPG elements that follows up on the River City Ransom series. The gameplay isn't perfect, but it's a great co-op experience.

4. Resident Evil 2 (PS4)

A very enjoyable RE4-style remake of RE2. Feels kind of generic, and re-uses a lot of assets, but the core gameplay is solid and there's replay value.

3. Dicey Dungeons (PC)

An adorable turn-based dungeon crawler with dice-based combat. Each character has a completely different play style and progression is very addictive.

2. Disco Elysium (PC)

An Estonian-developed detective adventure game. Tons and tons of text. Some of the best writing and characterization I've ever seen in a game.

1. Pathologic 2 (PC)

An enhanced remake/sequel to the cult classic original. A sort of murder mystery art-house survival adventure that's unlike anything else in games.
 
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