{"id":2237,"date":"2024-07-29T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/?p=2237"},"modified":"2024-07-29T18:10:02","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T18:10:02","slug":"ultimate-goty-showdown-round-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/29\/ultimate-goty-showdown-round-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate GOTY Showdown – Round One"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS, one thing they don\u2019t tell you about art, is that you are going to borrow some ideas from other artist.\u00a0 Not in the sense of purely plagiarizing someone, but seeing a good idea and throwing it into a blender with your own style.\u00a0 An example of this would be when I stumbled upon FilmJoy\u2019s The Movies with Mikey Movie Tournament <\/em>and the next day, I found Alt Rock Artist Max Frost running a music tournament on his Instagram where artists compete by covering their opponent\u2019s songs.\u00a0 Immediately, my mind kicked into overdrive, the creative juices started flowing, and the idea of running a similar tournament with my Games of the Year games was born.\u00a0 I quickly glanced at my GOTY lists and found I had enough for a 31 team tournament.\u00a0 To get to that perfect 32 teams bracket, I pulled up one of my favorite Honorable Mentions off the bench: The Dead Space Remake.\u00a0 <\/em>Surely, none of you are shocked by this obvious insertion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the teams picked, it was time to set the bracket.\u00a0 Much like Mikey Newman\u2019s tournament, I decided to set up the ranking by the commercial success of each game.\u00a0 I looked up the number of copies sold on Steam, which immediately struck sadness into my heart.\u00a0 Too many people are letting good indie game pass them by; hopefully, this tournament will help remind people that the best of gaming, traditionally, comes from the indie space.\u00a0 For our two primarily PlayStation titles, Ghost of Tsushima<\/em> and Spider-Man: Miles Morales<\/em>, I went with Sony\u2019s data on copies sold.\u00a0 It might not be as accurate as Steam\u2019s data, but it will have to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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So my bracket is set, many of you, might be wondering how will these games win or lose each round.\u00a0 Well, as always, it will boil down to my own personal opinion.\u00a0 I\u2019ll try to keep in mind each game\u2019s achievements and contribution to the industry, but I will probably lean to which game I would want to play at the moment. Not to use a very tired metaphor, but if I was stuck on an island with a computer that only had these two games, what would I play first?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of you might be questioning why am I running such a tournament.\u00a0 Am I doing this to give myself some time to catch up on my video games backlog?<\/p>\n\n\n

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Nonetheless, let Round One commence!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em> vs Double Kick Heroes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two wolves within me: one wolf appreciates good writing and storytelling, and the other just wants to melt his face off with some heavy metal.\u00a0 I am really tempted to have this rock-loving indie game nobody has heard of knock off one of the biggest RPGs of the millennia, but I couldn\u2019t in good faith.\u00a0 The main problem behind Double Kick Heroes<\/em> is it wanted to be both Guitar Hero <\/em>and a shoot\u2019em up (shmups) at the same time.\u00a0 The gameplay of this headbanging indie game involves driving your car away from a hoard of zombies while using guns powered by your instruments on said zombies.\u00a0 Thus, you must time when you hit the notes like Guitar Hero <\/em>and steer your car in a three lane road to line up shots to kill on coming zombies; it can quickly become unmanageable unless you\u2019re a gamer who plays Dark Souls<\/em> blinded with Donkey Kong bongos.\u00a0 The indie fairy tale upset is not happening in this round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dredge <\/em>vs The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think it is a bit fitting these two games are pitted against each other.\u00a0 A lot of games, especially ones from AAA, feel like movies broken up by combat arenas.\u00a0 Where our two contestants differ is their stories are woven directly into the gameplay.\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s the Narrator commenting on a Steam Review in The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe<\/em>\u00a0or fishing up dark texts in Dredge, <\/em>both games are showing off the strength of the media by having story and gameplay working hand-in-hand.\u00a0 However, I must confess, I lied earlier.\u00a0 There\u2019s a third wolf within me longing for tales of monsters that go bump in the night.\u00a0 So it is no surprise I am picking Dredge<\/em> over a comedy game poking fun at the medium.\u00a0 If you are worried Dredge<\/em> will steamroll through the tournament, I am sorry, but I will not apologize for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Dredge<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Resident Evil Village<\/em> vs Slay the Princess<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have another confession to make: the more I think about Resident Evil Village, <\/em>the more I am unimpressed with it.\u00a0 Is Village<\/em> forever trapped in Resident Evil 7\u2019s<\/em> shadow?\u00a0 I would say yes, but only because they did it to themselves.\u00a0 Topping Resident Evil 7 <\/em>is an almost impossible task for Capcom.\u00a0 HOWEVER, aiming to make Resident Evil Village<\/em> more of a carnival than a haunted house does not help.\u00a0 I remember when Village\u2019s<\/em> game director came out and said they wanted to make Village<\/em> less scary than RE7<\/em>, and it just reminds me how lacking Villages<\/em> feels.\u00a0 The only part of that game burned into my mind is the Beneviento house, and quite frankly, I think of the Baker\u2019s residents more frequently than that house.\u00a0 I know this says more about my grievance with Resident Evil Village<\/em> than Slay the Princess<\/em>, but I just don\u2019t think Village<\/em> should make the cut.\u00a0 Make Resident Evil<\/em> scary again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Slay the Princess<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dave the Diver<\/em> vs The Red String Club<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I generally try to avoid painting games with a large brush, but both Dave the Diver<\/em> and The Red String Club<\/em> have some similarities upon reflection.\u00a0 Both appear to be a mix of running a restaurant at night and performing an almost random assortment of tasks during the day.\u00a0 So, the best way to decide the winner is to determine which establishment I preferred running: Bancho\u2019s Sushi Bar or The Red String Club.\u00a0 Some days, I certainly would enjoy running my small little sushi shop on the beach of a remote island, but I would rather be a bartender who can serve drinks that bring out specific emotions in my customers.\u00a0 The number of personalities I would see would allow me to write an endless amount of books.\u00a0 Sorry Dave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: The Red String Club<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doom Eternal<\/em> vs River City Girls<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would like to think most of these matchups, so far, have been pretty close; each game excelling in their own individual way.\u00a0 However, this round feels like a solid knockout.\u00a0 I mean no offense to River City Girls; <\/em>it is a solid beat\u2019em up with an anime aesthetic that usually turns me off.\u00a0 The fact, it is even here, should show you how solid this game is.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it has to go against one of two games that has gotten me so jacked up on adrenaline, I thought my heart would rip through my chest from all the excitement.\u00a0 That first game is Resident Evil 7<\/em>, but that second one is Doom Eternal<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Doom Eternal<\/em> \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gris<\/em> vs Scorn<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some might look at this matchup and assume the bracket has been fixed.\u00a0 It seems really suspicious that both games that fly the \u201cwalking simulator\u201d flag with pride have to step into the ring and trade blows.\u00a0 A bit poetic, but I will claim my innocence on this misfortune of a bracket, especially since it is my job to pick one of these games when you can draw so many similarities.\u00a0 Both games have exquisite art styles, a focus on finding the path forward, and being disheartening in their own unique ways.\u00a0 The one area that they differ is in their storytelling.\u00a0 Both games do convey their stories with minimal dialogue, but Scorn<\/em> seems to have more depth to their story, while Gris<\/em> is just another story about anxiety and depression.\u00a0 The wet, sloppy mess that is Scorn<\/em> wins this round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Scorn<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Katana Zero<\/em> vs Metal Hellsinger<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, this is a fight between two scrappy indie games who aren\u2019t afraid to get their hands dirty.\u00a0 They both have the lightning fast combat.\u00a0 They both have the rocking soundtrack.\u00a0 Both have stories, that are not the focus of the game, but provide enough of a solid framework to keep the whole package together.\u00a0 So how are we deciding the winner?\u00a0 By the boss fights.\u00a0 Katana Zero<\/em> is serving up a Null Soldier, just like our protagonist, for a final boss.\u00a0 With powers mirroring Zero, you must pull out every trick in your arsenal to take this boss down.\u00a0 Metal Hellsinger\u2019s<\/em> final boss is a gamer\u2019s worse nightmare, with four different stages, and will force players to restart the whole level if you fall in defeat.\u00a0 I can just imagine, Paz, the first weapon in Metal Hellsinger<\/em> telling the protagonist, The Unknown, \u201cSorry darling, you just couldn\u2019t go the distance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Katana Zero<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ghost of Tsushima<\/em> vs Rollerdrome<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To say that I am tempted to give this round to Rollerdrome<\/em> out of spite is an understatement.\u00a0 Earlier this year, Take-Two Interactive, the same Take-Two teasing and salivating over Grand Theft Auto 6<\/em>, closed down Rollerdrome\u2019s<\/em> developer Roll7.\u00a0 Much like Microsoft closing Tango Gameworks, this news enrages me to no end.\u00a0 However, it doesn\u2019t feel right to take it out on Ghost of Tsushima<\/em>, one of the few games I feel justifies its open world.\u00a0 With lightning fast sword play, a plethora of side activities, picturesque scenes, and a gripping story about how long can you be honorable when your enemy isn\u2019t, Ghost of Tsushima <\/em>is a standout for AAA gaming.\u00a0 As much as I love Rollerdrome<\/em>, I have to admit it doesn\u2019t do the best at weaving gameplay and narrative together.\u00a0 The gameplay is in the arena, getting all the glory, while the story passively watching from the side lines.\u00a0 I\u2019m giving Ghost of Tsushima<\/em> the win, but Strauss Zelnick can go commit seppuku for all I care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Ghost of Tsushima<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lethal Company<\/em> vs The Pathless<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I might ruffle some feathers with this round, but I don\u2019t like the idea of a game still in early access beating a fully released game.\u00a0 I have no doubt Lethal Company<\/em> will be the better game when it fully releases.\u00a0 However, I love the art style, minimalist story, and the acrobatic freedom of movement that The Pathless<\/em> allows.\u00a0 While you wait for the full release of Lethal Company<\/em>, please give The Pathless<\/em> a chance; its initial release on the Epic Store and the PS5 did it no favors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: The Pathless<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dead Space Remake<\/em> vs Maneater<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t help imagine this fight as a boxing match.\u00a0 In the red corner, Maneater<\/em> has chosen the titular shark to represent them, and in the blue corner, we have a necromorph from Dead Space<\/em>.\u00a0 Both parties would have boxing gloves on, but not a single punch would be thrown.\u00a0 As soon as the bell rings, both parties just lunge at each other, trying to devour each one\u2019s flesh.\u00a0 In this metaphorical boxing match, I imagine a shark could easily devour a single necromorph.\u00a0 However, I think the winner in this fight between these two video games has to be the Dead Space Remake.\u00a0 <\/em>I will always praise Maneater<\/em> as a goofball of a video game, but very few games well ever beat that uneasy feeling of walking the bloodstained halls of the USG Ishimura.\u00a0 The Dead Space Remake<\/em> is able to capture that and trim the fat on this already lean, mean Necromorph-infested machine.\u00a0 So naturally, it is going to the next round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Dead Space Remake<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Inscryption<\/em> vs Darksiders 3<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll always applaud a series when it knows it needs to change up the formula.\u00a0 The first Darksiders<\/em> is often regarded as a Zelda<\/em> clone, and Darksiders 2 is considered a Diablo<\/em> clone.\u00a0 Admittedly, Darksiders 3<\/em> is a Souls<\/em> clone, but I think this was the best format for the series.\u00a0 Having the seven deadly sins play out like grand Dark Souls<\/em> bosses felt like a great fit for the series.\u00a0 However, the unfortunate truth is I haven\u2019t really thought too much about Darksiders 3<\/em>, and I still continue to play Inscryption<\/em> to this day.\u00a0 The roguelite game mode known as Kaycee mod has me coming back to Inscryption; <\/em>I am constantly trying to take another crack at creating a deck that snaps the game\u2019s balance in half in that dark and dreary cabin.\u00a0 You could almost say I am one of Leasy\u2019s favorite opponent.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Inscryption<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jedi Fallen Order<\/em> vs Necromunda: Hired Gun<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t help but chuckle at these two games being pitted against each other.\u00a0 Both games have a jankiness to them.\u00a0 Try wall-running in both games; Titanfall 2<\/em>, both games, are not.\u00a0 Wall running in Jedi Fallen Order<\/em> feels like a textual button press rather than a fluid movement skill.\u00a0 However, wall running in Necromunda: Hired Gun<\/em> feels so slippery, I definitely felt like I would fall into a lava pit at any second.\u00a0 With both games having clunky combat and stories that feel menial in both respective universes, I can\u2019t escape the feeling this one is coming down to a boss fight.\u00a0 Boss fights in Jedi Fallen Order<\/em> felt much like a duel to the death, similar to Ghost of Tsushima, <\/em>and considering lightsaber duels were inspired by Japanese samurai films, it\u2019s a huge win for Jedi Fallen Order<\/em>.\u00a0 Necromunda: Hired Gun<\/em> has a boss that turns invisible and takes huge chunks of your health in single swings.\u00a0 That\u2019s an automatic disqualification for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Jedi Fallen Order<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If I had to pick a single word to describe each game, I probably go with cute for Stray<\/em> and stupid for Evil West<\/em>.\u00a0 You may be thinking with that opening sentence, I am ready to declare Stray<\/em> the winner, but hold onto your vagabond rags.\u00a0 Stray<\/em> might be cute as a cat simulator, but I feel it’s kinda lacking as a game.\u00a0 Much of my memory of Stray<\/em> seems to be around being a cat who loved just annoying the robots.\u00a0 As the titular stray cat, I never really felt I was contributing to the story or the gameplay as a whole.\u00a0 Many of the game\u2019s puzzles seemed to revolve around knocking things over and grabbing what you need as the robot cleaned up your mess.\u00a0 Certainly on brand for a cat, but not really fit for a game.\u00a0 Evil West, <\/em>despite being as dumb as a box of rocks, is still a video game.\u00a0 You\u2019re a cowboy vampire hunter fighting a legion of vampires.\u00a0 It is very much a dessert for dinner kind of game, but it beats out eating cat food for dinner.\u00a0 The cat fans might not like this, but I have to go with Evil West<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Evil West<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Resident Evil 2 Remake<\/em> vs Psychonauts 2<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this moment, I am the Michael Scott GIF just yelling no over and over again.\u00a0 Why did these two have to be paired up against each other?\u00a0 Both games deserve to move onto the next round, but hard choices need to be made.\u00a0 Honestly, I feel like these two are evenly matched in terms of story, gameplay, boss fights and catharsis.\u00a0 So what impacts have the two games made?\u00a0 Both Resident Evil 7<\/em> and Resident Evil 2 Remake<\/em> are credited with helping to birth this new age of horror that we are in, and unfortunately, the amount of colorful vibrant 3D platformers didn\u2019t really change with the release of Psychonauts 2.\u00a0 <\/em>Against many other games on this list, Psychonauts 2<\/em> would be an easy win, but in this matchup, I have to go with Resident Evil 2 Remake<\/em>.\u00a0 Microsoft, this is certainly not an open invitation to damn Double Fine to the darkest pits of hell.\u00a0 You just might incur my wrath if you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Resident Evil 2 Remake<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Guardians of the Galaxy<\/em> vs My Friend Pedro<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tough choice; knock off Guardians or knock off Deadpool.\u00a0 Below the belt jabs aside, this does feel like a tough choice.\u00a0 On one hand, Guardians of the Galaxy <\/em>goes out of its way to provide a story unique from the MCU Guardians, but the copy-paste third person gameplay is lacking. \u00a0 On the other, I really enjoyed the gameplay of My Friend Pedro, <\/em>and felt the story was pretty standard video game plot with \u201clol random\u201d humor mixed in.\u00a0 So let\u2019s pit the two worst aspects against each other.\u00a0 Are there story moments in My Friend Pedro<\/em> that I remember?\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever forget the final level in the Banana world.\u00a0 Are there gameplay moments I remember from Guardians of the Galaxy?\u00a0 I remember the team huddles, but if that\u2019s gameplay, then FromSoftware will be weeping in the corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: My Friend Pedro<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spider-Man: Miles Morales<\/em> vs The Missing<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am going to do my best to focus on Spider-Man: Miles Morales<\/em> and not just the PS4 Spider-Man games as a whole.\u00a0 That being said, nothing cures an awful day like swinging around New York in any of the Spider-Man games.\u00a0 Unfortunately, for the opponent, The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories,<\/em> it doesn\u2019t have anything close to capture that zen-like feeling of movement.\u00a0 It does have good puzzle design and eerie visuals, but I have never spent hours completing its puzzles, unlike how I have lost track of time, simply just web-slinging through New York.\u00a0 I\u2019m giving Miles the win, but this is the only round where web-slinging can be used as the trump card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Spider-Man: Miles Morales<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our winners have been crowned. Stay tune for our second round. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS!!! Over the years, I have given many games the Game of the Year nod. With so many titles winning this awards, I wondered how they all stacked up. So today, I present the Doomsayer’s Ultimate Game of the Year Showdown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game-reviews","category-opinion","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2237"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2237\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2277,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2237\/revisions\/2277"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}