The Rllmuk Game of the Year Awards 2022 - Voting thread - voting closed

[BadgerFarmer]

@Benny Maybe stick the deadline in the thread title, to make sure no one misses it?

[keptbybees]

So votes need to be in by close today? I thought the 3rd January deadline meant that tomorrow was the last day for voting. 

[Benny]

I didn't specify an exact time, so in this case 3rd of January 2023 means the stroke of midnight tonight.

[BitterToad]

Game of the Year

 

1. Elden Ring

2. Immortality (video game)

3. Gran Turismo 7

4. Neon White

5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022 video game)

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1. Lack of Xbox first party titles. 

2. Fall Guys going free to play and completely destroying its in game store with overpriced micro-transaction bullshit.

3. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (sorry!)

 

Best visuals

 

1. Elden Ring

2. Immortality (video game)

3. Need for Speed Unbound

 

Best audio

 

1. Metal: Hellsinger

2. Gran Turismo 7

3. Immortality (video game)

 

Best writing

 

1. Immortality (video game)

2. 

3.

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1. Death Stranding

2. Max Payne 3

3. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

 

Best developer:

 

From Software

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

Playstation 5

 

A few words (!?!) on the top five below. 

 

Spoiler

Elden Ring

I'm currently sitting here scratching my head trying to work out my fifth favourite game of the year. Normally this takes as long as it does due to the sheer breadth and depth of the medium we all love but this year it's simply because I can't think of anything else to go in there. And that is all because of my number one game on the list. I spent literally half the year playing Elden Ring. Well to be honest given my social life at the time I spent half the year playing life and living Elden Ring. It is a completely majestic piece of work the likes of which we've never seen before and which we'll be incredibly lucky to ever see again. I don't know if I love it as much as Dark Souls, all of Elden Ring's best features; it's size, its variety, it's complexity weirdly put it at odds with the tight knit connected toy box brilliance that makes the first game's world so utterly perfect to me, but it's very clearly one of the most complete, most enormous, most most video games ever made. 

To take the Souls formula and expand it out in so many directions whilst also keeping that tight knit brilliance of a "Souls Map" in its many dungeons; some if not most of which are absolutely the best designed area in any Souls game ever is nothing short of a masterwork. What Miyazaki and his brilliant team have done across that incredible world in terms of pacing, design and just making it feel like a real world is genuinely impressive from those first steps in Limgrave all the way to the very end 120 hours (for me) later. There are a few drawbacks, a lot of the harder bosses definitely feel cheaper and more AOE based attack wise than in previous Soulsbournes and it's definitely a shame that the lads at From didn't space them out across the campaign to avoid the slightly boss rushy feel of the last 10-15 hours, but once you're through that and looking back on your memories in that world that I literally cut off all other gaming for half a year to spend time in and explore all of that fades into insignificance. It's up there with your Red Dead 2, with your Breath of the Wild, your Cyberpunk, truly real feeling places that offer true discovery throughout their playtimes. And that, I've learned over the last few years, is exactly what I want from video games.

There was a tweet that went viral this year talking about how none of your best memories when you die are going to be of playing video games. Now obviously this is completely thick across the board but it's games like the ones above that absolutely prove it wrong. When you're discovering things across beautifully designed worlds it doesn't feel like playing a game, it feels like travelling. And Elden Ring is absolutely one of the best if not the best example of this I've ever played. 

 

Immortality 

And then there's Immortality, which if I wasn't worried about looking like a big fence sitting wally and if Benny's completely easy to understand but still insanely controversial formatting allowed it would 100% be tied with Elden Ring in top spot. As mentioned above, I want that feeling of discovery and exploration from games, but what I also treasure is showing me something I've never seen before and couldn't have seen outside of video games. Immortality ticks that second box more than most games I can remember. It all hinges around one brilliant moment of working out what the game is and what it does but as someone who studied film and edits video for a living it feels like it was specifically made for me basically from beginning to end. I said in the thread at the time, it takes what you think video games can do as a narrative medium and completely turns it on its head. You're building 3 (4) stories in your head as you play. That's where the game takes place, not in an icon filled map or overly busy quest log, but in your bloody brain!

Immortality is one of those games that absolutely keeps going when you turn the console off and walk away from it. You're constantly remembering little bits you've seen and jotting notes down about what to go back to to discover what's going on. Anyone who says it's just three films and isn't a game is frankly a moron who has misunderstood what it's doing basically from top to bottom. It's the years second masterpiece and I feel really lucky to have played it. 

 

Gran Turismo 7

I'm a Forza boy. Always have been. I love following that driving line and inching ahead of perfectly tweaked competition. I love the Horizon series too! As mentioned above virtual tourism is a big part of why I love gaming and Horizon has that in spades if you can put up with the "heeyyyyy broooooo" bullshit that goes alongside it. Gran Turismo, by comparison, always felt dull and beige by comparison. There's clearly a game in there for people who obsess over cars but that was never really me. I love racing games and driving games but car wise I'm essentially a moron. And GT always felt to me like it was made for guys and girls who aren't car morons. There wasn't even a proper driving line for Gods sake! How are you supposed to know when to turn the corners!? 

Gran Turismo 7 is a bit of a different beast though, isn't it? It not only introduces you to its systems in a series of excellent driving schools as the series always has but it introduces you to car culture in a way Forza's cool dudes and rad girlz can only dream of. It basically says "look at all these lovely cars, aren't they lovely!? Here's why they're lovely and here's one or two to drive! Aren't they fun and lovely!? Have a coffee and let's chat about how lovely they are!" When you finish the story mode everyone you've been taught by and raced against queues up to tell you how good you are and what a nice time they've had! It's chilled out, it's relaxed, the driving model is essentially perfect and I enjoyed it so much I trained myself to drive without a driving line! Turns out you know when to turn because there's a corner there! Who knew!? It also made me a bit better at go karting but I've already written a small book about Elden Ring so the GOTY thread probably isn't the time or place for that story. It's a belter, and anyone with a passing interest in cars, racing games or controller haptics that completely change and improve an experience should get involved. 

 

Neon White

Neon White is pure distilled arcade gameplay in perfectly formed bite sized chunks. If you've ever watched Awesome Games Done Quick and want a speed running simulator this is the one for you. Beating 'mukkers Switch times on the opening few weekends was a real gaming highlight for me this year and while by the end the game became a bit more stretched and long and lost that immediacy the drawn out levels provided an enjoyable experience in a different way. The switch version struggles a bit, certainly by the end, but you can do a lot worse than sellotaping your eyelids open and smashing through some first person platforming that actually works! It's a belter, basically. 

 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II 

It's all about those PS5 haptics. GUHGUHGUHGUHGUHGUHGUHGUHGUHGUH. If you want a game that'll make your bumhole shake as much as your hands you can go far worse than dropping the frankly mad seventy notes on COD:MW2(2022). The single player's fine, the multiplayer's what you know and expect, but the guns feel absolutely sublime and apparently that's enough to get you the number five spot in a year that was absolutely dominated by one game for six months. Cor, Elden Ring was good wasn't it?

 

 

[Bushtopher]

Game of the Year

 

1. Pentiment (video game)

2. Elden Ring

3. Immortality (video game)

4. Return to Monkey Island

5. Kirby and the Forgotten Land

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1. Delay of Advance Wars - albeit for understandable reasons

2. Lack of Ghost Valley 1 in any of the new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tracks

3. Switch Sports - just didn't replicate the joy of Wii Sports in the way I'd hoped it would 

 

Best visuals

 

1. Pentiment (video game)

2. Elden Ring

3. Immortality (video game)

 

Best audio

 

1. Elden Ring

2. Citizen Sleeper

3. Return to Monkey Island

 

Best writing

 

1. Pentiment (video game)

2. Immortality (video game)

3. Citizen Sleeper

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1. Hollow Knight

2. What Remains of Edith Finch 

3. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

 

Best developer:

 

FromSoftware

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

Game Pass

[Giles]

Game of the Year

 

1. Pokémon Legends: Arceus

2. Splatoon 3 

3. Pentiment (video game)

4. Vampire Survivors

5. Kirby and the Forgotten Land

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best visuals

 

1. Elden Ring

2.

3.

 

Best audio

 

1. Sonic Frontiers

2.

3.

 

Best writing

 

1. Pentiment (video game)

2.

3.

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

2. Yakuza: Like a Dragon

3. Dragon Quest XI

 

Best developer:

 

here

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

Steam Deck

[footle]

On 20/12/2022 at 13:04, footle said:

Game of the Year

 

1. Elden Ring

@Benny - edited.

 

[Treble]

Game of the Year

 

1. Vampire Survivors

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

3. Horizon Forbidden West

4. Xenoblade Chronicles 3

5. Neon White

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1. PC Game Stutter

2. Gran Turismo 7

3.

 

Best visuals

 

1. Rollerdrome

2. God of War Ragnarök

3. Horizon Forbidden West

 

Best audio

 

1. Impaler

2. God of War Ragnarök

3.

 

Best writing

 

1. Citizen Sleeper

2. Immortality (video game)

3. Persona 5 Royal

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1. Cyberpunk 2077

2. Viewpoint (video game)

3. Xenogears

 

Best developer:

 

Tribute Games

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

Steam Deck

 

I'll try and add notes tomorrow, if there's time

 

EDIT: some commentary!

 

Spoiler

Game of the Year

 

The differentiator, when it comes to Vampire Survivors, is the tension caused by thousands and thousands of demons clogging up your screen. Yeah, there are musou and tower defence and RTS games but screen-filling (and thus pant-filling) experiences in action-focused are still rare. Slapping Castlevania stylings onto a hybrid action/strategy title was the cherry on the cake. Furiously addictive.

 

--------------

 

 

I'm a bit upset that many bounced off TMNT: Shredder's Revenge. I think everyone - devs, pubs and audience alike - would have had sunnier feelings if the Cowabunga Collection came out before TMNT:SR; a reminder that nostalgia ain't what it used to be and priming the buying public to look forward to something just as juicy-looking, but a bit more sophisticated.

Poor release timing aside, the game itself is GREAT. You own the playfield by zipping from one end of the screen to the next, plate spinning enemies through rolls, double jumps, head bounces and keep-aways. All the while, the 80s cheese is pumped into your guts through the cartoony visuals and music. Simple yet deep, for me it's the best arcade game of the year.

 

---------------

 

 

There are a lot of criticisms you can level at Horizon Forbidden West, but 'unambitious' isn't one of them. The scope makes the game a 'choose your own adventure' that is as off-putting to many as it's enticing to some, not helped by the sheer amount of choice presented to the player with no way of understanding what will be vital come the end-game.

The thing is, though, you can mainline the quests and do just fine; you can push the fat to the side of the plate and enjoy the tasty treat that is the main game. Messy as that is, it's worth doing. The plot is compelling but, even more importantly, the characters and their lives form a rich story layer that marries-up beautifully with the action. Missions and battles have direct consequences to the lives of the people you have kinship with, taking it a world away from the standard 'I'm killin manz becuz... reasons' you get in most action games. A rough gem, for sure, but a gem nonetheless.

 

---------------

 

Biggest disappointment - PC game stutter:

Stutter is just the tip of the iceberg. There's a worrying trend in recent months/years for PC games to be poorly optimised. Partly down to the ubiquity of Unreal Engine and many teams not getting to grips with it properly, partly shader compilation stutter, partly under-utilising CPU cores, we're at a stage where dodgy framerates and frame pacing issues are blighting new releases in a way that even brute force - the traditional coping mechanism of PC gamers - can't solve.

You only have to look at The Callisto Protocol to get a sense of how damaging it can be but loads of high-end games are similarly knackered by terrible optimisation, like The Witcher 3 remaster as a recent example. A worrying trend that I hope gets sorted fast.

 

 

---------------

 

Best Visuals: Rollerdrome

 

 

Rollerdrome seems to have become the forgotten darling of 2022*; a lost child if you will. It's got a fair few gameplay issues that stop it being great, but the graphics aren't one - a gorgeous line-art look in the style of Moebius, it blends with the 70s aesthetic beautifully to make a retro-futurist experience with a unique vibe.

 

*although there's a few to pick from, not least Stray and Sable

 

Best format: Steam Deck

I'm not sure if PC and Steam Deck will be separated in the final analysis, but they probably should be. The form factor and sheer variety of experiences it offers is a total game-changer. Over a million units sold, for a console only advertised on a closed platform, translating games designed for a different operating system on the fly whilst simultaneously fixing shader comp issues as they're built for every game... it's just a head-spinningly good machine.

Expect to see much of its approach and features incorporated into the console scene for many years to come. And this is only the first iteration - I can't wait to see where Valve go with this.

 

[Stopharage]

@Benny, I've submitted my votes, when do you need any write-ups/explanations for our votes? 

[Benny]

22 minutes ago, Stopharage said:

@Benny, I've submitted my votes, when do you need any write-ups/explanations for our votes? 

 

You can put them in the same post quoted after the votes whenever. I tend to include writeups depending on what I've played, or who's already done extensive verbiage on the games. I probably won't start the actual awards for at least a week or so.

[Nick R]

Game of the Year

 

1. Tunic (video game)

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

3. Marvel Snap

4.

5.

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1. My continuing inability to make any progress through my backlog, which means I haven't been able to vote for much in this poll.

2. The continuing lack of budget GPUs available for what I consider a reasonable price. (Which I'm aware is different from what most people here consider a reasonable price...)

3. Yuji Naka being a silly billy.

 

Best visuals

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best audio

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best writing

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1. Hades (video game)

2. Halo: The Master Chief Collection

3. Ninja Gaiden (2004 video game)

 

Best developer:

 

here

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

Xbox Game Pass

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commentary:

 

Tunic - I haven't played that far into it - I got stuck on a certain boss, and when I resume it, I'll need to get over my reluctance to turn on the combat difficulty aids. I don't think I've even hit the real puzzles that I've heard people alluding to yet. But I think what I've played so far has been enough to appreciate the inspired way the virtual game manual is incorporated.

 

Ninja Gaiden (2004 video game) refers to the version of Ninja Gaiden Sigma that's in the Master Collection, which I played through on both Normal and Hard. (I also replayed some of Ninja Gaiden Black for the first time in more than a decade; turns out Alma on Normal remains a lot harder on Black than she is on Sigma!) Black and Sigma each have their pros and cons.

[f2097]

Game of the Year

 

1. Triangle Strategy

2. Immortality

3. The Quarry

4. Live A Live

5. Need for Speed Unbound

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1. Grid Legends

2. Two Point Campus

3. Pac-Man Museum +

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1. Sable

2. DIRT 5

3. Civilization VI

 

Best developer:

 

Square-Enix

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

Xbox Series X

 

Spoiler

Summary of the year:

 

Triangle Strategy--

Almost didn't buy this because of the reviews giving decent scores but highlighting annoyances that would normally put me off a game. Actually ended up being the highlight of the year. Found this the best turn based strategy since the early 2000's. Very nicely balanced and made. Addictive gameplay loop. Even the story and characters were unexpectedly great. 

Immortality--

Have really got into this is Dec. Very well made, thought out and accessable. Even once you complete it, you'll end up going back in looking for more snippets and clues.

The Quarry--

Although Until Dawn is still the stand out game from Supermassive and wins because it was the first of it's type, I think this is actually better. Has a better setup, is a generation newer, better characters and more depth. Just a shame the Dark Pictures game this year was a step down.

Live A Live--

The most underrated game this year. One of the best looking and playing Switch games and really shines on the OLED. Absolute classic where the remake has improved in every area while not losing any of the scale and feel of the game. Deserves to be remembered up there with games like Chrono Trigger and FFVI. The only reason this is not No1 is because I felt the endgame was a drag. It was a chore to get the decent ending. Oddly enough my actual No1 Triangle Strategy does a simular thing at the end... the normal endings are all 'bad' and you have to grind/play on an extra 10-15 hours to get the 'good'/'true' one. In Triangle this felt great, more game, was enjoyable but Live A Live kinda wanted to just end. Think it would have been better letting you have the good ending at the proper end. Outstayed it's welcome but was still a great experience overall.

Need for Speed Unbound--

Had no expectations of this. Normally hate NFS games. This one seemed to launch with a whimper and have all sorts of development problems. However was easily the best new racer of the year.

 

Disapointments ...

 

Grid Legends --

Because GRID 2019 is still one of the best racing experiences. Really shines on Xbox X and PS5. Just needed a bit more content and variety.. But this was a fail all around. The performance is worse. It looks worse/handles worse. The added stuff like the plot and extra systems all felt dated or cliche, had no redeeming qualities. Graphic design in the menus was a huge step down. Was a buggy mess too which didn't help.

Two Point Campus --

Loved Two Point Hospital, still play it. But never got into this. Felt too easy, lightweight and the simulation felt too simplistic. Will return to this at some point and may end up liking it more.

Pac Man Museum + --

In a year where we got a Klonoa and Pac Man World reissue from Namco this was a dud. Bad controls, bad performance. Felt cheap and plays worse than existing versions of these games.

 

 

 

 

 

[Wiper]

Made a tweak to my game of the year section https://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?/topic/329258-the-rllmuk-game-of-the-year-awards-2022-voting-thread-voting-closes-at-midnight/&do=findComment&comment=13788788

 

Following my traditional advice to not choose the 'best' games, but rather my favourite ones of the year, I had to put I Was a Teenage Exocolonist in ahead of Return to Monkey Island and Immortality, even though those are both 'better' games, and even though it has a 0% chance of appearing in the overall results. Just a game that pushes all the right buttons for me, as I'm now on my fourth playthrough of it, having received it as a forum Steam secret santa gift this year.

[FalconGR]

Game of the Year

 

1. Elden Ring 

2. Tunic (video game)

3. God of War: Ragnarök

4. Neon White

5. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1. 

2. 

3. 

 

Best visuals

 

1. 

2. 

3. 

 

Best audio

 

1. 

2. 

3. 

 

Best writing

 

1. 

2. 

3. 

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1. 

2. 

3. 

 

Best developer:

 

 

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

 

[Grobbelboy]

Game of the Year

 

1. Immortality (video game)

2. Gran Turismo 7

3. Poinpy

4. Neon White

5. Kirby and the Forgotten Land

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best visuals

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best audio

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best writing

 

1. Immortality (video game)

2. Elden Ring

3.

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best developer:

 

here

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

here

[Lyrical Donut]

Game of the Year

 

1. Elden Ring 

2. Vampire Survivors 

3. Atari 50

4. Nintendo Switch Sports

5. PowerWash Simulator 

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1. Cassidy

2. Lack of Xbox first party offerings

3. Pac-Man Museum

 

Best visuals

 

1. Elden Ring 

2. Vampire Survivors 

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

 

Best audio

 

1. Elden Ring 

2. Vampire Survivors 

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

 

Best writing

 

1. Elden Ring 

2.

3.

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1. Radiant Silvergun

2. Bomb Jack

3. Tempest

 

Best developer:

 

FromSoftware 

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

MiSTer

 

[Majora]

Game of the Year

 

1. Elden Ring

2. Immortality (video game)

3. Norco (video game)

4. Citizen Sleeper

5. God of War Ragnarök

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1. Deathloop

2. The Quarry (video game)

3. A Plague Tale: Requiem

 

Best visuals

 

1. Elden Ring

2. Norco (video game)

3. A Plague Tale: Requiem

 

Best audio

 

1. Stray (video game)

2. Norco (video game)

3. Return to Monkey Island

 

Best writing

 

1. Immortality (video game)

2. Norco (video game)

3. Citizen Sleeper

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1. Fortnite 

2. Cuphead

3.

 

Best developer:

 

From Software

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

Xbox Gamepass 

[Benny]

And that's a wrap!

[feltmonkey]

 

@Benny you and your eccentric approach to setting a deadline!  3rd of January deadline actually means the end of 2nd Jan.  I was half-arsedly considering trying to play through Norco today to see if it is worth editing my list, but to be honest I probably wouldn't have done so anyway. Didn't we have this controversy in the Best Games of All-Time vote?  

 

To be clear, I'm not complaining, I admire your determination to stick to a deadline convention that most would be confused by.  I also appreciate all the work that must go into these things.  You can confuse us as much as you want as far as I'm concerned.

[Benny]

It's my system and I'm sticking to it 

 

I always find it more mystifying when people leave their entries to the last minute and still get upset at missing the deadline. I'm not making the final tweaks/updates to the list until this evening though, so there's a little window now for new edits/entries if I catch them.

[Thor]

Game of the Year

 

1. Immortality (video game)

2. God of War Ragnarök

3. Horizon Forbidden West

4. Return to Monkey Island

5. Pentiment (video game)

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1. Starfield being delayed

2. Me not getting on with Elden Ring

3. 

 

Best visuals

 

1. Horizon Forbidden West

2. God of War Ragnarök

3. Pentiment (video game)

 

Best audio

 

1. Horizon Forbidden West

2. God of War Ragnarök

3. Return to Monkey Island

 

Best writing

 

1. Immortality (video game)

2. Return to Monkey Island

3. God of War Ragnarök

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1. Cyberpunk 2077

2. Destiny 2

3. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

 

Best developer: 

 

Santa Monica Studio

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

PlayStation 5

[ymaohyd]

Game of the Year

 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best visuals

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best audio

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best writing

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best developer:

 

 

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

Xbox Game Pass

[thesnwmn]

38 minutes ago, ymaohyd said:

Game of the Year

 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

Biggest disappointment:

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best visuals

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best audio

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best writing

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best not 2022 game:

 

1.

2.

3.

 

Best developer:

 

 

 

Best format/console/controller/brain interface:

 

Xbox Game Pass

 

Game Pass... The service where the menus are the your enemies and analysis paralysis is the final boss.

 

Presumably it's so good you either played nothing on it or hated everything there?

[Benny]

Now it's definitely closed. I'm actually surprised and delighted how closely everyone has managed to stick to the rules, with few obvious discrepancies. Except for one big game in particular, with multiple infractions... Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear.

[Benny]

A mod can probably unpin this now. The votes are now locked in. I'm currently deliberating whether to use the classic previous top games of the year scoring system, or the one I used for the top 100 games 2022 thread.