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Before I do my top ten, here's my top three disappointments of the year: 3. Super Mario Maker 2 -- The game is fine, I'm just trash at Mario and that soils my appreciation 2. Outer Wilds -- The exploration ruled, but the realistic physics space exploration was more annoying than fun, as was the time loop 1. Untitled Goose Game -- A+++ concept, C+ gameplay And a handful of runners up, games that I liked a lot but didn't make the top ten, in no particular order: Atelier Iris 3 Atelier Lulua The World Next Door Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night And now for my proper top ten #10 - Witch's House MV  Witch's House is originally a free indie RPGmaker horror game, and the second-best example of that niche genre I'm aware of (after Ib). The creator ended up releasing a (not free) touched up version late 2018, which I played this year, which improved the graphics and added a new hard mode which mixed up which things kill you and what the puzzle solutions are. The game is rarely scary (at least to me, though I have a high tolerance for that sort of thing) but is absolutely chilling. You have to navigate through the titular witch's house, which is out to kill you in as many horrible ways as it can, culminating in a shocking ending (make sure you get the true ending). The original version of the game (with worse graphics and no hard mode) is still available for free here. #9 - Fire Emblem Three Houses  Train schoolchildren to murder, available now on Nintendo Switch! 1.5 good games stretched over 4 routes, but 1.5 is still more than most games get. Do yourself a favor and never ever read the FE3H thread on these forums though #8 - Atelier Ryza https://i.imgur.com/jr95cI6.gifv It's no secret that I'm close to the biggest Atelier fan on these forums. Hell, I bet I surprised at least one person with Atelier Lulua falling off my top ten into my runners up. Ryza didn't fall off though. It features the same kind of down-to-earth coming-of-age storytelling I love, though with more saving the world than usual, attached to a much more engaging battle system than usual and an interesting crafting system. The only thing holding it down at the bottom of my top ten is kinda wonky pacing. #7 - Ocarina of Time Randomizer  This was on my list last year and it's here again this year. A fresh way to enjoy an old classic, especially if you are the right age to have obsessively played OoT as a child, like I am. Over the past few months I've been participating in goon weekly seeds and feel like I'm halfway decent at it (I'm not). Come join us! Even if your first seed takes 8 hours or more, it's more fun doing the same seeds as other people so you can talk about it. #6 - Atelier Firis  The second Atelier on my list. I am the only person in the world who likes this one; it's generally regarded as a failed experiment by most Atelier fans. It's an attempt to make an open world Atelier, with the rest of the formula--low stakes coming of age story, and a focus on gathering and crafting, left intact. Most people think the open world fell flat, but I disagree. The gather->synthesize->gather->synthesize gameplay loop is at its strongest in Firis, where your only limit on what you can gather is your strength, not story progression. Firis is in the bottom half of my top ten because it has fewer great characters than usual for an Atelier, though it still had plenty to fill out a party with. #5 - Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers  I feel like about three years ago, ffxiv really figured out how to perfect its gameplay formula. Shadowbringers continues that, but doesn't really bring anything new to the table on that front. What it does bring is an absolutely electrifying storyline, the climax of which is perhaps my favorite story moment in any video game, of any genre. Natsuko Ishikawa, the main writer for Shadowbringers, is the only video game writer I know to have gotten a standing ovation for their work (I was at this panel and if anything the video undersells the energy of the room). This is an absolutely incredible game that I would recommend without reserve to any fan of JRPGs, whether or not their an MMO fan...if it weren't for the fact that you have to play close to 200 hours of ffxiv to even reach the beginning of it. Oh well. #4 - Ar Tonelico 2  After running out of modern Ateliers to play, I've been going back to the old PS2 ones. Ar Tonelico isn't an Atelier, but it is made by the same company, and it's one of the best stories they've ever written. The setting is so wild I don't think I can do it justice in the handful of sentences I'm writing for this top ten, but the real strength is in interaction between the two leads. Dealing with themes of grief, despair, and being trapped by your responsibilities, it lands on the uplifting, uniting theme that if two people really make an honest effort to understand each other, even the most different people can come together in friendship. #3 - Atelier Rorona  Another game that was also on my list last year. This is a game I enjoyed enough to give the #5 spot last year, then replay it this year and give it a #3. The competition wasn't any weaker this year--it's just the kind of game that's even more fun when you know what you're doing than it is when you're learning it. This game is full of friends and pies. 10/10 #2 - Hollow Knight  Prior to playing Hollow Knight, I had played so many turn-based games in a row I was wondering if I even liked action games anymore, or if my tastes had changed and my years of Dark Souls fandom were behind me. I ended up trying Hollow Knight on a whim and nope I still like them. This game loving rules. It probably has the best-designed map of any metroidvania, appealing spritework, great music, and absolutely rad boss fights. In last year's top ten thread I posted this: Cheetah7071 posted:Next up on my list is Atelier Meruru, the game made in between Totori and Ayesha. Based on the two games on either side of it I'm assuming that it will be my 2019 goty. and, well... #1 - Atelier Meruru  This game is almost the perfect Atelier. An engaging cast, a time limit that makes you think but is ultimately not that bad, a crafting system that's fun to master (and with postgame superbosses to reward you mastering it), along with the return of nearly every popular character from the previous two games to let you see how they've grown. This game is the pinnacle of bright, happy JRPGs. cheetah7071 fucked around with this message at 06:56 on Dec 10, 2019 |
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Dec 10, 2019 06:53
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Rarity posted:I just want to inform everyone that the use of images, gifs and other such creativity in your lists is heavily endorsed by the OP what about gifs of wildly mismatched size, quality, and style
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Dec 10, 2019 07:15
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Regy Rusty posted:The Streamer Defender has logged on
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Dec 10, 2019 20:03
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Overwatch Porn posted:Does this count? I'm pretty sure you could name chess or soccer your goty and rarity would allow it
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Dec 11, 2019 06:46
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Endorph posted:3 fantasy maiden wars complete This has been on my list for a while and hearing it got an enhanced version is probably enough to push it to the top Is the complete edition also translated?
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Dec 11, 2019 06:59
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Rarity posted:If it was video game chess or soccer then sure! top three non-video games I played this year: 3. Castles of Burgundy My all-time favorite board game but it doesn't win cause it doesn't have recency bias 2. Spirit Island I don't have anything clever to say, it's good 1. Down with the Monster Lords My friend's making a board game and it's pretty fun, look for it on kickstarter in like, 2021 or 2022 probably
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Dec 11, 2019 07:05
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Senerio posted:1) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Randomizer (PC): While I myself am not terribly great at ZOOTR, as it is shortened to online, I have had so much fun playing, watching, and even just chatting with friends about this game that no other game could be number one this year. The original Ocarina of Time does not hold up as well as you would think, but the randomizer removes the chaff, and leaves only the best parts, turning this game into a real winner in my estimation. The sheer amount of customizing that has been introduced into the randomizer alone, allowing you to change the color of Link's tunic, Navi's colors, basically every sound effect and song in the game, and even what sequence breaks you wish to allow the logic of the randomizer to factor in when placing everything. They gave the D-Pad a purpose in the game! They've even utilized the emulator's online capabilities to allow multiplayer, spreading the items to complete the game across multiple instances of the game, requiring players to work together to finish. The best part is that it is still actively being worked on so I highly recommend checking it out. Honorable Mentions to FF4 Free Enterprise and Super Mario RPG randomizers, which would be on the list if I liked the base games more. I don't think I've seen you over in the thread in retro games, but we do weekly goon races if you're interested https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3901690&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1
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Dec 19, 2019 17:31
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The level 1-50 experienced is being improved in some as-yet unknown way in about 5 months from now so waiting is potentially beneficial The parts people rave about are levels 51-60 and 71-80 which aren't changing
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Dec 26, 2019 22:27
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Rarity posted:An Atelier game breaks into the main countdown and cheetah's not even here to celebrate I was asleep PantsBandit posted:Subnautica is the only good crafting game ever made bold of you to say, when hit game Atelier Meruru made #69 this year
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Jan 3, 2020 20:19
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StrixNebulosa posted:Anyways I actually came back to say that this thread is the reason that I'm playing Atelier Sophie this afternoon despite having a million better games I could be playing instead. But holy poo poo it's so charming. Extremely slow-paced and tutorialized so far but I don't even care, I'm gonna help this teenager restore her magic book and level up and become the best alchemist ever!!!! if you're in love with sophie, boy are you in for a treat when you play the good ones
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Jan 3, 2020 22:20
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Jan 3, 2020 22:36
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#1 and #2 are shadowbringers and disco but I don't know which order. Calling it now quote me when I'm right
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Jan 3, 2020 22:57
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Rarity posted:These posts are getting longer and longer now so in order to give you all adequate time to take them in the gap between updates is increasing to 10 minutes. This is done purely for your reading benefit and is certainly not an attempt to increase the mounting tension. Thread is in crunch I'm gonna need them in 8 minutes. Work overtime if you have to
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Jan 3, 2020 23:07
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what the gently caress
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Jan 3, 2020 23:23
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ban rarity, gas the thread
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Jan 3, 2020 23:24
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The first game I'm playing in 2020 is a NG+ replay on Heavensward, so look forward to that in my 2020 list, maybe Shadowbringers might make it again but the inter-expansion content, while fun, usually isn't top-ten material
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Jan 3, 2020 23:36
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