| Darashiva said: I can't say if they will eventually make my list, but a lot of those unique titles on your list are games that I just haven't gotten around to playing yet. I own Hellblade, Cadence of Huryle and This War of Mine, but haven't played them yet, and I am planning on getting The Artful Escape, Sakuna, Pony Island, That Dragon, Cancer and at least a few others you listed. You know, once my list of unplayed games isn't so massive, so hopefully within the next five years or so. |
That is a hell of a backlog! I have to buy on a pretty strict budget, so I don't typically have much of a backlog issue, though sometimes I wind up with lengthy wish lists.
| Mnementh said: Interesting that with Deathloop and Death Stranding two AAA games only got your vote. I kinda understand Death Stranding, as far as I see from the outside it is a game really standing against usual convention. But Deathloop seems very well be mainstream compatible. Maybe too much good AAA games, only so much could be voted. |
I think that, in a sense, both games have the same problem really: they belong to unconventional genres that haven't really reached the mainstream of gaming as a scene. In the case of Deathloop, well, in a sense it's got the same issue as Returnal: roguelikes are an especially challenging genre that just doesn't appeal to, and isn't accessible to, everyone, hence why up until recently it had been relegated more to the sidelines, concentrated squarely in the indie scene and enjoying smaller budgets. And let's face it, Death Stranding IS its own game genre...which is a huge part of makes it appealing to me!
| Mnementh said: 6) Crypt of the NecroDancer I actually love these two games. But the reason they didn't make my list is simple: I am really, really bad at rhythm games. Still, in difference to platformers at which I suck as well, I enjoy the experience until I get stuck. And these two combine rhythm gaming with dungeon delver RPGs (like rogue - the namegiver of roguelikes - , nethack or more modern: Etrian Odyssey), which I like. The music in Crypt of the Necrodancer is so great. And achieving disco floor is so, so satisfying. I don't even care about better rewards, the disco floor is cool. The story is kinda cool to meet the rhythm theme, Cadence dying and getting her heart reanimated, so that she can only move to the beat of the animated heart. Cadence of Hyrule combines it with Zelda, which I love. Zelda also matches the dungeon delving theme, it has great graphics and music was always something great in the Zelda series, having it remixed to match a rhythm game is great. I guess I could play it classically, to avoid my bad rhythm, but hitting the beat is also a lot of enjoyment, so that is lost. |
In my opinion, Crypt of the NecroDancer has the best soundtrack in gaming, period. People who know me know that I'm partial to hard rock -- punk rock, grunge, metal, alternative country, whatev -- but I also really enjoy electronic dance music because it has a comparably high level of energy to it that just refuels me when I'm tired and frustrated so often, and any attempt to bring those styles together is...just perfect to me. And I love everything about the game's premise and storyline. 
Yeah, I know it's a tough game! To me, it's perfect for cultivating focus in a way that's extremely fun! I find it more fun to use a dance pad, which you can do with the home computer version of the game.
Cadence of Hyrule in my mind is a little less special because the tunes are so derivative for obvious reasons, but it's my favorite Zelda game! (I hate to call it offbeat though 'cause that's the exact opposite of the idea. 
) I love how you get to use so many different characters too!
| Mnementh said: 5) Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams I actually played it a bit. It has a great artstyle (or two of them) and cool game mechanics. But as I said before, I suck at platformers, and this frustrates me. |
I grew up on platforming games, so they don't frustrate me.
I love how the music adjusts on the fly when you switch from cute Giant to punk Giana and vice versa 'cause there are actually two versions of each stage's soundtrack going at the same time (both of which are fucking incredible!), and how the stages change drastically when you switch. The game ain't perfect by any means (it could use more tracks actually, and also more enemy variety, to state the obvious), but these shortcomings are more than made up for by my partiality to the game's subdued thematic vibes of sisterly love, to which end I classify it as one of my "targeting a feminist fan base" type games I don't expect most to appreciate quite as much as I do. It's NOT a common theme in this medium the way brotherly love and male bonding have been.
| Mnementh said: 10) Kentucky Route Zero These are all on my "have to play"-list. But well, this list is long. And stress at work can actually suck my energy so much, that I only have enough for Netflix.
I never heard of it before the VGC GOTY awards. It looks kinda cool. I guess i add it to the evergrowing "have to play" list. |
Sounds like the right plan!
| Machina said: Games only I listed:
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I've traditionally had Mirror's Edge on my lists and it remains my favorite game from its original year of release (2008), just ahead of Persona 4, but I couldn't resist adding a bunch of new games this year and Mirror's Edge was a casualty of that. What's more, it's already a settled matter in my mind that I'll also be adding Chicory to next year's list (as I just recently played it) and there may even be other additions from this year too by then. I thought it was a pretty good year for video games!
I also kinda like a lot of the Tomb Raider games myself, but they fail to make my top 50 lists anymore for similar reasons. Same principle with The Last Guardian, which is actually one of my very favorite games from its year of release as well. At this point, nearly all older games have been phased out of my top 50 and it takes something of extraordinary personal value to me to remain there after decades anymore. Still Chop Suey remains in my top 10 though, and Super Metroid in fifth place.
Now as to Mirror's Edge Catalyst, well...I think there are reasons why you're the only one to include that particular game. I just think it worked better in a more linear format.
Anyway, that Dota 6 and GTA III fail to make anyone else's lists does surprise me too! Some of the games you listed though I don't recall having heard of before, like the Homeworld games, The Surge, and N+ and N++. What do you like about those games?
