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Comment by cudder | Hacker News Reader

I agree, BG3 is phenomenal and deserves every bit of praise it gets. But I'd also like to mention that this has been a ridiculously good year in gaming in general. Playing these new releases, I've been giddy like a little boy for the first time in years. It's like if I made a top 5 of this year, every game in that list would deserve to be GOTY way more than anything that was released in the previous couple of years.

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For me it‘s a rather disappointing year.

I‘m playing on PS5 and Switch, where no title came out I enjoyed until Tears of the Kingdom.

But even that game had me a little disappointed, because the recycling of the map kills the wonder of discovery. I stopped somewhere in the middle.

Mario Wonder, Spider-Man 2 are ok, but no GOTYs. I didn’t play BG3 yet because I‘m no fan of turn based RPGs.

Due to the weak start of the year I played Bloodborne for the first time and it is my GOTY.

You didn't try Armored Core?

I absolutely love the mecha genre but AC has always been nearly unplayable for me. I could never get used to the controls.

Unless the new AC does something different, I would always classify AC as a niche series.

Did I understand that correctly?

You classify AC as a niche series because you don't like the controls?

that's not nearly what niche means.

AC is a niche series, historically no other games played like it. Chrome Hounds or MechWarrior are/were also niche for that reason.

the newest release is the least niche AC ever gameplay-wise, similar to newer MechWarrior. The controls now play similarly to an over-shoulder shooter rather than being pan/scan limited and tracking focused, and not much maneuverability is lost during any high speed segments like boosting/etc.

those control differences in the past excluded a large player-base due to perceived awkwardness, thus the reverse-controller meme associated with the franchise. Understandably a lot of fresh blood has joined now that it plays more similar to what is expected in gaming trends.

and if we're just nitpicking due to the meaning of niche, i'd argue that the entire mecha segment of entertainment is niche.

this isn't about whether or not AC is niche, this is about the idea that what qualifies it as niche is this posters like or dislike of the controls.

No, what qualifies it as niche is not my personal like or dislike of the controls.

It’s my understanding that a -lot- of people were historically intimidated by the controls of the AC franchise, not just myself.

While that may have been your intent, you said _I_ in the following quote

> Unless the new AC does something different, I would always classify AC as a niche series, implying that your decision to consider it niche is predicated on the control scheme.

I don’t really understand what you are arguing for or against, but I think we are diverging from the main subject anyways, so let’s agree to disagree - whatever it is.

It controls a lot better than the old ones certainly, should feel comfortable enough if you play the souls series. Actually the old-hat AC players whined about AC6 a lot on the grounds that there is less overwhelming focus on mech customization options (though still enough build variety), or they prefer the obtuse AC2-3 controls. The stages are also more interesting in general.

IDK watch some yt clips of the early levels, I bounced off the old AC series too and enjoyed this one.

i'm certainly one of those old-hat players. The entire game/physics/movements/animations just felt like a re-skin of Elden Ring to me; I think the 'obtuse' controls aided in the feeling of magnitude/momentum/mass.

I enjoyed the game for the technical design and world-building and so on, but the gameplay left me on the shore, and I missed the tactical aspects of ACV.

I think the likeness in the movement/feel to Souls is highly overstated. It's more along the lines of Daemon X Machina, or maybe Zone of the Enders which is decades old, for lighter builds. I think med/heavy builds still give you a sense of mass without compromising ease of movement.

They basically kept the myriad of weak but hard-hitting enemies over large maps, though there's a stronger focus on duels, and melee is now viable but optional.

I didn‘t try it yet. Came out when we were on vacation. And afterwards I had no time until the next games came out.

I‘ve read it‘s mainly about the right load out to defeat the bosses. Not in the mood for that kind of game right now.

Hm, to each their own I guess. I kind of see where you're coming from, though - my partner isn't really into RPGs and the Switch is apparently such an underpowered children's toy console that it's unfathomable it could have any decent games. It's been quite a quiet year on the gaming releases front for him.

give Tears of the Kingdom a go, it's incredible

but I suppose it's one of those "add a star if you've played every title in the Zelda franchise since 1990" kind of things

Oh I loved TotK, no doubt about that. It's my partner you'd have to convince. Sorry if I wasn't clear on that. :)

What games are your other 4?

I posted my list in another comment earlier: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38568968

God of War?

Came out last year. Was good, but having no control over jumps and level design was meh.

Have you considered that maybe you just don’t like games? It’s hard to imagine what would impress you. God of war was one of the finest storytelling games in recent memory. And my wife is addicted to Spiderman 2.

I like games that surprise, play well and make you wonder. For example Elden Ring last year. Great game.

I agree, PS5 has a real problem with a lack of games. AAA single-player development cycles have now gotten so absurdly long, a studio might release a single game an entire console generation, if the studio is brave enough to make a single player game at all. Thats a problem for Sony, who've staked their claim with AAA single player experiences. They think a pivot to live service is going to fix this, with something like 12 upcoming first party live service games in the works. I tend to think thats a horrible strategy, and they should focus on building up AA studios instead.

Yeah, this year is ridiculous for gaming - I think Polygon has a "top 50" games list this year and it STILL leaves out some of my favories.

What are your top 5 (and even 10)?

I nominate Talos Principle 2

In random-ish order:

    Baldur's Gate 3
    Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
    Super Mario Bros: Wonder
    Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
    Alan Wake 2
    Hogwarts Legacy
    Metroid Prime Remastered
    Pikmin 4
    Starfield
    Jagged Alliance 3

I was thinking about Elden Ring and Dwarf Fortress for the last two spots instead, but seems like both of them were last year's releases. Time flies! That makes last year a bit better than I'd initially remembered, though.

There was also:

  - Aliens: Dark Descent
  - Last Train Home
  - Like a Dragon: Ishin
  - Chants of Senaar
  - Diablo 4
  - Resident Evil 4 Remake
  - Talos Principle II
  - The Expanse
  - Age of Empires II: Definitive

and probably tens of other smaller excellent games.

whaaaaat, a 2nd Talos Principle got released this year?

runs off to steam

Don't forget Final Fantasy XVI!

Been playing it for like 6 months and really enjoyed it.

Wait, an Expanse game? To Steam!

E: Oh its a Telltale one. Dang.

I'll recommend Viewfinder as a neat game (take pictures with a camera, then you can place down those pictures and they become full level geometry) and The Finals for fans of multiplayer shooters. It's a 3v3v3 destruction based objective shooter from the team behind Battlefield after they left EA.

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