SEGA-16. 2018 is about over. What's your GOTY's?
It's preferred we are talking about games released in 2018 but if you played nothing released this year then go ahead and say your fave game you discovered this year even if it's from 1998 or 88 or whenever. I'm personally going to stick to 2018 released games.
In order for me.
Yakuza 6
2 Yakuza games released this year in the west. Kiwami 2 and Yakuza 6. Kiwami 2 was good but for me, Yakuza 6 felt far more personal and final. Which is fitting because this is it for Kazuma Kiryu. He is no more. Seeing Kiryu once again fight for the honor and protect a young child was a full circle of the first game. The game looked great and some of the stronger characters I saw in a while. As always. The drama is heavy and great. Where I really loved it is the side missions. This game doesn't have as many as Yakuza 0 (my fave game of last year) but it's loaded and my fave is by far the mascot one. I liked switching from the city we all know to a small fishing village where it had a more Shenmue feel to it.
I'm not 100% sold on the way Kiryu went out but overall Kiryu's last stand was a wild and fun ride.
Octopath Traveler
This is a Squaresoft RPG. Remember those? This feels like those SNES/PS1 era RPGs. It has no doubt the best soundtrack I heard this year. 8 characters and you see each persons personal story and journey. At first, it was jarring that the stories don't interconnect but you get used to it. Still would have been nice and maybe the games only real big flaw. Now much like those older games, it's a bit grind heavy and has some real challenge to it. It's not an easy game. Still, if you played enough classic RPGs, you know the formula. Stories vary in quality but Primrose deals in slavery and rape. So they can be a bit heavy at times and on the opposite side, there is Tressa. She is more what you expect. A teenager wanting to go on an adventure! Each story is unique. Man, that music? Have I mentioned the music? Because the music is seriously amazing. Oh, and of course we have to mention the art style. It looks a lot like Final Fantasy VI sprites in 3D. It looks amazing! Goes to show Unreal 4 doesn't always need to be realistic games.
Lastly, we have a tie. This is a first for me in recent years.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise & Xenoblade 2 Torna The Golden Country
I will start with Torna. I can't talk that much in depth because this is a prequel/expansion (stand alone at retail as well) to Xenoblade 2. Xenoblade 2 was a grand scale game as Xenoblade games typically are. Torna is a more focused and personal tale of events that lead into Xenoblade 2 500 years prior. This is the second game I know of Nomura designed a white-haired villain with a long Katana in Jin. Ok, well he is the villain in 2 and here a playable character. Alongside some others important to the story. I should say no more. Where Xenoblade 2 was this grand adventure and had a happy ending. Torna the exact opposite. Because I know the context of Xenoblade 2, that's why the story and characters make this game for me. The music is fantastic. I esp like the jazz overworld music. I can't say much more without spoiling anything.
Now onto Fist of the North Star. I need to confess. I have never seen anything of FOTN other than that horrible American movie from the 90s. I still wanted this game because of the Yakuza team. The results? It's a Yakuza game! This is 80s anime with the gore and damsels in distress in a Yakuza skin with some Mad Max driving thrown in. So in addition to a typical Yakuza like city. You have a giant overworld to drive in your buggy you can customize. You can collect materials to improve your buggy and you get treasures and such. Yes, you get into fights like any overworld. The game is so over the top to the point you can beat bad guys up with their own word bubbles. Many many MANY heads will explode. A lot of side missions. The arena to battle foes. Unlocking classic SEGA arcade games and even playing FOTN on Master System. The combat is great fun. Huge skill tree to customize your abilities. The tone of the game is of course Yakuza with 80s anime. You can play baseball using a motorcycle like a bat and swatting away bikers out of the park. The story is the weakest part. It's not as in-depth as a Yakuza game. It has the same style of writing just not the depth. There is so much to do. It's so much fun. I liked Last Battle on Genesis. I played FOTN on Master System. This is the best FOTN game I played. It prompted me to watch the older anime and films. Even when I finished the game and moved onto others. I kept checking back in for updates and to beat someone up. It's just so much fun.
Hnorable Mention is Warframe. Had this game been released this year,t would be my GOTY. Man I love this game on PC.
If a mod wants to fix the grammar on the title of the thread. Feel free. Or let it be so I can look like a goof like I deserve lol. I'm fine with it either way.
