RPGWatch - Game of the Year Awards 2014

Something like the first Alone in the Dark probably qualifies as that.

Action Adventure:
Redguard
Beyond Good and Evil
are good examples.

They focus on story, exploring and action, less on character development.

(Don't confuse Point and Click Adventures with Action Adventures)

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Because the Codex and half of all gamers seem to think the game is terrible RPG game. I for one don't, and as Kordanor pointed out it was my third vote on our poll.

Yea… This list Codex voted looks too good to be true. As Hidden noticed, MM10 should have been there perhaps (at least would be on my list as I loved it more than for example Xulima). But no matter, different tastes, different outcome.

Maybe I should pack up and move to Codex? I mean… The crashing grinder of the year didn't impress them to be at least on the 10th spot, I'd feel like home.
Just kidding. Risen 3 is also not among their top 10 games, well, sorry, but when it comes to exploration… And they dared not to put TSoT on the list, like they don't use foul language anywhere… *sigh*

Originally Posted by Turjan
Incidentally, these were my votes in the poll here on the Watch.

The Editor's Choice Award on RPG Codex had the same result, which means that those two places are a solid vote.

In case you want to know what the Codex poll had as result for the worst RPG of the year: Sacred 3. Pretty much unanimously and without competition, by the way.

(cue nelson)
ha ha,
(/cue nelson)
you mentioned Sacred 3. Although in their defense it was a different developer and they stated at one time it was not an RPG. However, for ruining a fine RPG series, they deserve to be scorned. Maybe we can also place the game in the worst FPS of the year award. Makes about as much sense as them ruining Sacred franchise.

Originally Posted by joxer
Yea… This list Codex veted looks too good to be true. As Hidden noticed, MM10 should have been higher perhaps…

Perhaps, this is more to your liking:

The Codex RPGotY - Editor's Choice

(1) Divinity: Original Sin
(2) Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut
(3) Might & Magic X: Legacy

Didn't check their voting system, but even with 3 votes you have to focus on the stuff you like most. Xulima and MMX certainly were great games. But were they better than all the others? With just one vote per person these games would probably be even further down.

Originally Posted by joxer
Maybe I should pack up and move to Codex?

Let me grab my checkbook to give you incentive. So how much would that cost me?

Ehm… Winning the national lottery wouldn't suffice.

Man… I'm spamming instead of nailing some game… Yell when the results from watch are up!

NEO Scavenger? Looks interesting and a bit hardcore. Recommended?

Originally Posted by joxer
Ehm… Winning the national lottery wouldn't suffice.

Man… I'm spamming instead of nailing some game… Yell when the results from watch are up!

Damn I just knew it was to good to be true.

Originally Posted by Thrasher
NEO Scavenger? Looks interesting and a bit hardcore. Recommended?

Definitely recommended but be warned you will die a lot.

Originally Posted by Kordanor
Didn't check their voting system, but even with 3 votes you have to focus on the stuff you like most. Xulima and MMX certainly were great games. But were they better than all the others? With just one vote per person these games would probably be even further down.

You had 54 votes, basically for all RPGs that somehow were released in 2014. You were only supposed to vote for games you actually played (most people only voted for 8 games or less). The result is a Bayesian average. You can find the whole list and detailed results here.

@Kordanor
You could vote for all games from 5(best) to 1(worst) on the Codex list (or blank if you have not played the game).

BTW: I voted for 21 games… Steam Curator is hard work

Spreadsheet, row 73.

Ah, thanks! Neat system!

So, can I change my vote now that I've played DA:I? Or may be not.

Originally Posted by Thrasher
So, can I change my vote now that I've played DA:I? Or may be not.

Sorry all votes are now final and have been counted.

Originally Posted by Thrasher
So, can I change my vote now that I've played DA:I? Or may be not.

Is the open world feel of DA:I kinda like Skyrim? I sorta looks like it a little.

It's definitely as beautiful, if not more. It's regional and there's more variation. Certainly in size it seems comparable in total, if not larger. So far the caves have been rather simple. But I've only explored parts of Hinterlands, Storm Coast, and Foribdden Oasis. All of which are very different, except for the ever present nugs…

Originally Posted by Dajjer
Is the open world feel of DA:I kinda like Skyrim? I sorta looks like it a little.

It's not openworld in that way. TES games, FO3/F:NV, Gothic 1-3 and Risen 1 share the same system where everything "feels" connected and the base is one huge map that leads to smaller "closed"/separate areas.

DA3 used system similar to DA:O and Risen 2/3. A base smallish area (boat/castle) from where you can visit and explore several disjointed big areas.
If you played DA:O the design will look familiar, only in DA3 big areas to explore are huge compared to ones in DA:O.

But there is also something else. Main story quests in DA3 are designed completely different from the excessive grinding part of DA3. If you played Mass Effect games - those function like there. Once you enter, you won't leave till you're "done".
These quests usually take place in unique areas you cannot revisit later, and IMO these unique areas while smaller, are designed better, look better and when you do what you came to do in them feel satisfying unlike the other, "exploring" part of the game.

Been playing Lords of Xulima these past few weeks. While I do like it, it's kind of laborious with all the fighting… I enjoyed M&MX more by far… but the problem in rewards at the end of the year is that products released at its start tend to be forgotten more often than not

Thanks guys for the feedback on the open world-ness of DA:I.

Originally Posted by Drithius
Been playing Lords of Xulima these past few weeks. While I do like it, it's kind of laborious with all the fighting… I enjoyed M&MX more by far… but the problem in rewards at the end of the year is that products released at its start tend to be forgotten more often than not

Yeah, I'm also in the middle of Lords of Xulima. The fighting is kinda laborious and grinding. But also at times challenging. It clearly is not anywhere close to the best game of the year but it is an amazing effort.

If they continue to learn and grow, probably their next game will be up for consideration as one of the best. The Eschalon games got incrementally better as they each came out. I get the feeling the Xulima guys are going to make an evolutionary leap in their next effort. (no pressure)