The Games Top 10 Poll of 2019: Thread In Crunch, All Posting Now 100Hr/Week

The Something Awful Forums > Archives > Comedy Goldmine > The Games Top 10 Poll of 2019: Thread In Crunch, All Posting Now 100Hr/Week

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

I remembered now why I bothered to write up a list last year, because I wanted to post the best gifs

# ¿ Dec 10, 2019 03:12

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# ¿ Apr 20, 2024 02:57

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

10) Warframe

There's a love and hate relationship here. On one hand, this is the fastest I've ever dug into a game and to such an extent as well. On the other, being at a particularly low point of my life and mental health probably played a part in how much I devoted myself to make the damage number higher :v:

. Regardless, I can safely say that this is by far one of the best free games available, despite its several nonsense mechanics that even long term players aren't fond of. Its a fast-paced, intoxicating serotonin-injector and being around such a great clan made the whole thing even better.

9) Katana Zero

It's rare that a short, arcade game makes an impression on me, someone that gets instantly turned off from a game when the credits roll, but sometimes you just have to give it another try. Katana Zero urges you to repeat yourself, which in a way might be extremely consistent with the tone of the story, and even on a second, normal playthrough, you can see why. The previous hardships that gave you so much trouble are a cakewalk, enemies that were a hurdle are now just another quick kill, sections that seemed like they were made just to infuriate you go by unnoticed. The challenge turns into how you can complete it, to how well you can improve yourself in such a seamlessly way that even our bathrobe wearing, clairvoyant protagonist couldn't see it coming.

8) Yoku's Island Express

Haha hi there little bug friend. I see you're our new postmaster, hope you can get used to the new job quickly! By the way, the GODSLAYER has awakened and has CARVED ITS MARK on our patron deity's body. With each second it grows weaker, and when it finally succumbs so will THE ENTIRE ISLAND AND ITS INHABITANTS. Could you deliver some mail to the village elders? We really should have a reunion about this, but no rush haha. And with this simple request, our little adventure begins in this Pinball/Metroidvania hybrid that somehow manages to work and be extremely charming at the same time. The island of Monokuma is a delight to travel through and the chill soundtrack does wonders to make this feel like a summer vacation that just happens to have a little deicide for breakfast.

7) Atelier Meruru - The Apprentice of Arland

Being infected by cheetah's contagious enthusiasm over GUST and the Atelier franchise, I decided to bite the bullet and see what's so good about making homemade bombs and pies with your friends. While Rorona is a solid start and Totori a mildly disappointing downgrade - technically the earliest game as Rorona is a remastered version and it shows - Meruru was a great romp, bringing back the best characters from the previous games - and some awful ones as well... - for one big capstone to the trilogy. Similarly to the previous entries, you are tasked to develop your abilities in a set amount of time due to shenanigans, except in this one you are helping develop your own Kingdom as the princess of Arls. This is one fantastic breath of fresh air, as now you not only can improve your own synthesizing abilities but completing your various task will see that the areas around you grow as well, earning you better ingredients, rewards, types of equipment while opening new places and changing visually, giving a really satisfying feeling that you truly are helping the people around you. Like a slice of life anime you can play, Meruru goes all the way into giving you a likable and extense cast of characters and multiple events to annoy and support the poor sods who have to go through this along with you.

6) Ace Combat 7

https://i.imgur.com/dvVLMde.mp4

Usually, I would brush off an entry such as this, since making a good game is nothing but the bare minimum they ought to aim for. I'll open an exception in this case because it's loving ACE COMBAT, ITS BACK BABY IN ALL ITS RIDICULOUS GLORY, the bonkers technology and politics, the impossible aces, flying into a thunderstorm to dogfight a single jet that's taking down your entire squad, everything that we could possibly want from a revival is here, and it's amazing and we are blessed to live in such times. Amen.

5) Wandersong

Heartwarming, positive indie games aren't anything new and Wandersong could've been just another one of those. Indeed, the first few acts of the game do set up a saccharine, lovable story about how just trying hard enough will solve everyone's problems and we can all ride with a smile towards the sunset. But it does not last long and the grim reality of the world ending threat flips both the player's and the bard's expectations, and yet somehow it lands on its feet. Something that could've turned into a mean spirited, pessimistic romp, instead turns into a grounded but still lovable adventure about considering ours and other's feelings, and what they really mean to us, without losing a beat.

4) Control

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0QsHKH77MI

There's hardly much I can say about this that hasn't been said in much better ways. Remedy had an ambitious project and it surpassed any expectations we could possibly have for it. A fantastic game that never lets down from its weird, engrossing premise and the fantastic world its set on.

3) Trails in the Sky SC

The second part of the extremely text-heavy series, SC takes place almost a year after the events and twists of the first game, with a more mature and level headed Estelle dedicating herself to improve and uncover the mysteries of the people behind the previous occurrences. Once again you travel around the country of Liberl, both tracking down the organization that is antagonizing the barely stable political climate and doing your own job as a Bracer, the guild tasked with helping the citizens in need around the regions. The main difference this time is that you're no longer a rookie, both the player and Estelle herself, and have a solid grasp on the landscape, its people and how to handle the entire dire situation that is happening all over the country. The cast of characters return, and its a joy when any of them reunites with the group, often with very heartwarming and well-earned scenes, fulfilling payoffs from the several setups that the first game laid around. It's amazing to have one story where the cast actually sits down and talks about their issues while supporting each other in meaningful, good-natured ways. Longer and much more dialogue-heavy than 1, this is at a lot of times very weary to get through but never unrewarding.

2) Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbrigers (Edited for better Accuracy)

( :siren:

Video contains spoilers for up to the Heavensward expansion :siren:

)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtuwltmTp9I

Working through this list, it just dawned on me that the reasons for having this game here are very similar to Trails in the Sky. A "sequel" that throws the previous lackadaisical nature of plot through the window and builds on a more serious, personal story while the characters experience loss, suffering but also mature and grow closer to each other. Except that it's a goddamn MMO that had absolutely no business doing any of this, or even doing it so well. Trappings of the genre aside, FFXIV has easily one, if not the, best current jRPG stories due to its continuous storytelling format that keeps building its characters and world, bringing both to life in a surprisingly engaging way. Not to mention how good even the optional content is, and all the little QoL mechanics added over the years that solidify it in a complete package, gameplay, story, OST, and, perhaps the most surprising aspect, a welcoming and lovable community.

1) The Outer Wilds

The hardest part of making this list wasn't choosing what would take the top spot, but how to properly do it justice. The Outer Wilds was a complete surprise, a space adventure involving a time loop taking place in what was recently, and very aptly, described as a "Little Prince Universe". The smalls worlds that make up the solar system you travel around sure fit into the metaphor, but so does the melancholic nature of your journey. Tasked with an archeological investigation of the Nomai, a long-extinct and extremely advanced race that met its end due to unknown reasons, you are suddenly thrown into millennia spanning history that dwarfs your very existence at the same time where you are one of the few constants of the dying and rebirthing universe. A search for knowledge and a way out of your predicament that takes you through the lens of the old explorers of your solar system, and your mission to explore all those lives, and understanding yourself that sometimes life just happens, and life has to end one day.

Samuringa fucked around with this message at 16:27 on Dec 24, 2019

# ¿ Dec 11, 2019 18:01

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

bullying works

# ¿ Dec 11, 2019 23:07

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

PunkBoy posted:

The Outer Worlds
https://i.imgur.com/hHiFTVu.gifv
Gonna get very personal here. It was hard for me to place The Outer Worlds. It wasn't the New Vegas follow up that I hoped for, and lots of criticisms of it are totally valid. On the other hand, I did have plenty of fun with it, probably more than others. On the other, other hand, this game holds a a great deal of significance for me, so I decided the best thing to do is to put it as its own separate listing. The biggest thing in The Outer Worlds that really stood out for me were the characters, particularly the first companion you gain, Parvati Holcomb. Not only was Parvati, who was brought to life by an excellent performance by Ashly Burch, an absolute sweetheart and joy to have in my party, her companion quest, written by Kate Dollarhyde, meant a lot to me on a personal level. This year, I realized that I was asexual, and seeing Parvati be such a positive ace representative played a big factor in helping me accept and be happy for who. At one point during your conversations, she says that people considered her "robotic," (which painfully resonated with me deeply and was also apparently taken from an actual experience of Dollarhyde's), and you not only have the chance to say how that isn't true, but also that you understand her because it's something you experience as an ace person as well. I can't accurately put into words what it meant to me when I first saw that option. It was...comforting?...cathartic?...to be able to have my character be someone like me, and for both Parvati and I to affirm to each other that who we are is valid. It was something I needed to see, and if it wasn't for this game, I probably wouldn't be as open as I am right now. While The Outer Worlds might not be a �Top 10� game in the traditional sense, it will forever be one of the most important games I've ever played, and that is definitely worth recognizing and lauding.

Sometimes video games are good

# ¿ Dec 13, 2019 20:32

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

Rarity is a pony, the gems are from the other cartoon

# ¿ Dec 22, 2019 23:17

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

I'm not sure if there was a 2017 one, this was the last year's

https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3875640

# ¿ Dec 26, 2019 00:08

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

Shadowbringers just got released, it'll be at least another couple of years before a new one comes up.

# ¿ Dec 26, 2019 21:44

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

I can't get a queue in the Bahamut raids even as a healer, its pretty crazy how dead that specific one is.

# ¿ Dec 27, 2019 15:11

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

If this turns out to be a secret solution to one of the fates I'm going to be seriously mad

# ¿ Dec 28, 2019 03:27

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

but all my bribes to get spots for FFXIV

# ¿ Dec 31, 2019 14:56

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

You mean, literally Transistor

edit: but good, hah

# ¿ Jan 1, 2020 00:26

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

professor metis posted:

seduced into Atelier by Cheetah

This is my favorite Chuck Tingle novel

# ¿ Jan 1, 2020 16:07

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2020 15:34

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

the true first place

# ¿ Jan 3, 2020 16:03

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

That's two golden quotes so I got my prize already :smugdog:

# ¿ Jan 3, 2020 16:30

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

wuggles posted:

Rarity is great

# ¿ Jan 3, 2020 19:22

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

MMF Freeway posted:

Sounds about right but I think I counted enough Outer Wilds picks for it to make it up there.

VideoGames had to omit the fifth place due to pressure from the publisher

# ¿ Jan 3, 2020 21:29

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

cheetah7071 posted:

if you're in love with sophie, boy are you in for a treat when you play the good ones

I was just going to say

# ¿ Jan 3, 2020 22:21

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

Escobarbarian posted:

My obsession with not playing Judgment until I�ve played Yakuza 1-6 is really getting the better of me

Same and I'm going through 4 right now

Be strong

# ¿ Jan 3, 2020 22:59

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

Jay Rust posted:

How many goon quotes have been variants of �I spent way too much time on this game, fml�

No one has said "fml" in at least 5 years, grandpa

# ¿ Jan 3, 2020 23:42

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

This thread will receive a vote equal to Outer Wilds' position on the scoreboard

# ¿ Jan 4, 2020 00:07

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

Sekiro will get 1st but Disco Elysium will rise back with a full healthbar

# ¿ Jan 4, 2020 00:15

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# ¿ Apr 20, 2024 02:57

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

That's it for the thread then, thanks for the good time, Rarity and all voters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvHsnZzdM0Y

# ¿ Jan 4, 2020 00:38

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