RPGWatch - Game of the Year 2010 Voting

Originally Posted by Karmapowered
Arcania (dumb, dumber, dumbest, where will it actually stop ?)

… And I thought that Space Siege had already reached the bottom …

Originally Posted by Myrthos
Our definition of a game that was released in 2010 is that it had to be released in either or both the US and UK.

Sounds very sensible to me, I hear that people who don't speak English (or at least American) don't even have souls.

My winner was Alpha Protocol, glad to see others have some love for it to. Divinity was very enjoyable as well.

Not yet played New Vegas or Nehrim (and not played a few others that I'm unlikely to ever try).

"winter voices"? it is the best rpg i've played this year, and probably the shortest, but still.

That was really funny, rikus. That was a bile-inducing game to say the least.

Winter Voices isn't complete as far as I know. It was supposed to be made available in 7 different parts and not all are available right now.

Originally Posted by Nerevarine
Mount & Blade: Warband deserved at least a spot on this list.

It had very fun mounted combat, but calling it an RPG is a bit of a stretch, no?

Originally Posted by Myrthos
Winter Voices isn't complete as far as I know. It was supposed to be made available in 7 different parts and not all are available right now.

it got 2 chapters so far -available for download in steam.
bile-inducing? i think it was much more original than all the rest of the genetic cloning in the list.
i think it got tons of potential, but you're entitled for your opinion-as i, should you ever think such thing is possible.

Precursors made it onto GamersGate in 2010 so that should have been on there IMO. I only voted for stuff I've played, so Div Div II and Nehrim. No worst selected, Witcher 2 most awaited.

But inside, I'm voting Precursors, action-RPG or no

Originally Posted by Alistair
Precursors made it onto GamersGate in 2010 so that should have been on there IMO. I only voted for stuff I've played, so Div Div II and Nehrim. No worst selected, Witcher 2 most awaited.

But inside, I'm voting Precursors, action-RPG or no

thanks, i'm glad i've found this new game!

Originally Posted by CountChocula
It had very fun mounted combat, but calling it an RPG is a bit of a stretch, no?

Well, I think I know what you are getting at -M&B eschews traditional role-playing elements and gameplay in favor of a more sandbox strategy approach - and can understand your point, but I would still say that yes, Mount & Blade counts as an RPG. Not only did it have the obligatory leveling up aspect and the need to improve many different skills in order to become a better combatant and be able to field larger armies, but there was a dynamic world that evolved around you based on your actions and the actions of all the factions in the game world. Granted, the role-playing aspects of conversations, story-building, and npc relationships are disappointingly shallow, but if you look at M&B as an RPG/Strategy hybrid instead of a game that is trying to be a pure RPG, then I'd say it deserves some recognition. The fact that the player could also affect the game world and "play a role" in the politics and warfare of the setting counts as role-playing aspects in my mind as well.

I think that M&B is a polarizing game that some will enjoy and become really immersed in the freedom and uniqueness that is offered, while others will crave more of a traditional RPG approach in contrast to the sandbox-y, strategy-driven nature of M&B's campaign. As a huge fan of both RPGs and realistic strategy games, I fell in love with M&B. But if someone is more of a pure RPG player, or if they judged the game purely as an RPG, I can see why they would not become as immersed in the game as myself and question the game's label as a true RPG.

Your suggestions are a bit late, guys. We had a thread in the forum a week before the poll. This would have been the time and place.

We included all RPGs released last year in the US or the UK we were aware of.

Yeah, should have been more organised.

But… where are the results? Well without to have seen them I probably already know:

1 - Fallout New Vegas (such unanimity is extremely suspect!!)
2 - Alpha Protocol (thanks partly to my help triggering some classical counter reaction!)
3 - Dragon Knight Saga (Not first just show how RPG players don't like anymore old school Rpg design, so please stop complain about old school RPG not coming back… if you don't vote it at your top)
4 - Dragon Age Awakening (so short, not sure it can be considered as a true game release)
5 - Mass Effect 2 (I wonder what a shooter is doing here)

Originally Posted by Dasale
3 - Dragon Knight Saga (Not first just show how RPG players don't like anymore old school Rpg design, so please stop complain about old school RPG not coming back… if you don't vote it at your top)

Quite a few people voted for it though.
There are various reasons why "not enough" people have played it, for one, the game got released towards the end of the year, but I don´t think one of them (at least not a major one) is that they don´t like "old school RPG design", at least not here.

For what it´s worth, I´m playing DKS right now (20-25 hours in) and the game is freakin´awesome.
If I was voting now, it would be my top pick easily.
Those 20-25 hours alone provided me with such an exceptional entertainment that I don´t even

continued from DeepO…have time to finish posting before jumping back into the game.

DKS is lots of fun, but a lot of it is really Ego Draconis which was a 2009 game. I'd say I got tons of enjoyment from FNV and this game. Flames of Vengeance is totally valid though, but it might not have enough merit on its own to be a GOTY candidate. FOV is much more streamlined than ED. You're basically in one town the whole game. I'd say it's about 1/4 the size of ED and slightly claustrophobic. They try to explain this away with a siege scenario, but it really doesn't fly. It's still fun and the humor might even be upgraded in the expansion. There's some good stuff here.

Originally Posted by DeepO
Quite a few people voted for it though.
There are various reasons why "not enough" people have played it, for one, the game got released towards the end of the year, but I don´t think one of them (at least not a major one) is that they don´t like "old school RPG design", at least not here.

For what it´s worth, I´m playing DKS right now (20-25 hours in) and the game is freakin´awesome.
If I was voting now, it would be my top pick easily.
Those 20-25 hours alone provided me with such an exceptional entertainment that I don´t even

Id say DKS lost votes because people simple didnt know it existed. It was totally unknown in Finland even though shops shops were selling it here (the small amount they had was sold quickly). I did advertising on the forums to wake up people just because of it.

Its not enough to have a good game. You need marketing too. Too many good european games have zero marketing.

Originally Posted by DeepO
…Those 20-25 hours alone provided me with such an exceptional entertainment that I don´t even

Don't even… what?

Originally Posted by crpgnut
continued from DeepO…have time to finish posting before jumping back into the game.

Originally Posted by crpgnut
DKS is lots of fun, but a lot of it is really Ego Draconis which was a 2009 game…

Yeah yeah, possibly the best 2010 remake!

Originally Posted by zakhal
…Its not enough to have a good game. You need marketing too. Too many good european games have zero marketing.

Not about D2:ED/DKS but in general, I would pinpoint European players too not only the marketing.

Originally Posted by Dasale
Don't even… what?

Meaning, "so good I´m speechless."

Originally Posted by crpgnut
jumping back into the game.

+1

I've been playing it nonstop for a month too. I KNOW how addictive it can be.

Originally Posted by crpgnut
I've been playing it nonstop for a month too. I KNOW how addictive it can be.

It's not really how fun it is, in fact it has its weaker time too, but it's the chock to play a modern RPG with a style I would never believe see (again).

In fact I just finished Eschalon Book II, very cool, but Book I had a unique approach for its time, Book II suffered a bit of following a play of DKS and well Book II suffer a bit too of coming after Book I so lost a bit of its fresh style because Book 2 is a bit too close to Book I.

I had a similar problem with Risen, sort of disappointment to not be surprised enough and feel play something already known. At least I finished Eschalon Book II but still have to try finish Risen.