RPGWatch - Game of the Year Awards 2016

Originally Posted by joxer
I've posted my choices already, but guys please, Blood and Wine is an expansion, it's not a game.

It's bigger and longer than a lot of games on the list, and more man-hours were put into developing it than just about everything on the list most likely. You could look at it as just another game in the Witcher 3 universe/engine. I mean, the only thing preventing it from being a standalone game is that you're required to use a character that you created/developed in Witcher 3. Not that I'm saying it should have been on the list, because that opens a Pandora's box, but there's not a huge amount of distinction between B&W and a full blown game imo.

I agree with Joxer. It would also lead to director's cuts and what not. Of course I haven't played Blood and Wine, but in general I don't think expansions or DLCS shouldn't be on the list.

Originally Posted by forgottenlor
I agree with Joxer. It would also lead to director's cuts and what not. Of course I haven't played Blood and Wine, but in general I don't think expansions or DLCS shouldn't be on the list.

I actually agree as well which is why I didn't vote for it. Doesn't change the fact it was my favorite new RPG content released in 2016.

Still voted for Blood and Wine. Besides this 2016 was a poor RPG year for me.

2016 was a sad year for RPGs:

1. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

2. Tyranny

3. Stardew Valley

Lol, Stardew Valley? Please wake me up and tell me this was a bad dream.

Most anticipated 2017:

1. ELEX

2. DOS II - I already have a few hours in early access. It has a ways to go, but looking good and I trust these devs to make another great game.

3. ME Andromeda

Just as an afterthought, I picked up The Technomancer during the Steam Winter sale, but haven't had time to play it yet. Maybe would have influenced my vote. Oh well.

Blood & Wine definitely shouldn't be on the list for sure as an expansion. I wrote it in, though. I don't know if the editors would make an exception or not but I bet it would get sort of mention somewhere if it gets more write-ins than one of the winners. Frankly, that "expansion" has more and better content than anything else I've seen this year.

#1 Blood of November.. I guess it wasn't included because it's technically sort of an expansion? (Albeit a standalone one).

#2 Dungeon Rats…

Pretty lackluster year. Tahira is an OK TB tactics game but not really an RPG. Nothing else on the list interested me enough to buy. I've mostly been playing Civ 6 lately.

This year most looking forward to Expeditions: Viking, Copper Dreams, No Truce With the Furies (not sure why the latter two weren't the list!), and Torment. Also Prisonscape, Liege, Graywalkers and a few others that may or may not release… Cautiously optimisit about DOS II…

Anyway, this has got to be a better year than last year for RPGs.

Originally Posted by Korplem
I didn't play a single new game from 2016. Maybe we need to start doing a sort of retro game of the year award, as well. We could choose a year from 5 or 10 years ago and give it another round of voting to see how we have changed our minds with some time to play the better ones.

What about the best game you played in the last year, doesn't matter when the game was made, just that you played it in the last calendar year and thought it was the best.

I'm thin on the ground too because I generally avoid buying stuff when it's new. Dragon's Dogma (which is technically from 2012 isn't it?) was the only one I bought and played.

I have Grim Dawn and one or two others but am yet to play them.

Looking forward to DOS2, Battletech.

My favorite RPGs that I played this year are (in no particular order):

Avernum: Escape From the Pit (great Android port)
The Quest (another great Android RPG)
Lords of Xulima (PC)
The Dark Spire (Nintendo DS gem)
Fighting Fantasy (also Nintendo DS)

2016 was a bleh year for RPGs in my opinion. "Stranger of Sword City" and "Xanadu Next" actually featured high in what I liked, which is saying something since neither of those games are really on my top 10 list of all-time-fantastic RPGs.

Turn based is usually a must for me (Xanadu Next was actually one of the few ARPGs I enjoyed) - I despise twitchy action games. I hated The Witcher 3 for that reason, though I like Skyrim.

It's pretty telling that I'm playing through NWN2 modules and checking out "The Eternal Card Game" right now instead of playing any of the "hits" of 2016.

Here's to a better 2017 with D:OS2 and Numenera coming out!

Until then…

Originally Posted by Fluent
My favorite RPGs that I played this year are (in no particular order):

Avernum: Escape From the Pit (great Android port)
The Quest (another great Android RPG)

I forgot about The Quest, that was a pretty fun game. I don't play phone games, though - so the PC port was perfect imo.

Originally Posted by ElderGnome
I forgot about The Quest, that was a pretty fun game. I don't play phone games, though - so the PC port was perfect imo.

I don't play phone games, either, as Android gaming tablets are pretty sweet.

I tried to get into gaming on tablets but couldn't, though Spiderweb Software's games I've played and enjoyed on the iPad. (Though, again - enjoyed them much more on PC. Old habits and such, maybe.)

I just like having options. A nice set of bluetooth headphones, a good stylus or a controller + a comfy place to kick back and relax can be a good way to experience RPGs sometimes.

Originally Posted by KaosWarMonk
What about the best game you played in the last year, doesn't matter when the game was made, just that you played it in the last calendar year and thought it was the best.

I'm thin on the ground too because I generally avoid buying stuff when it's new. Dragon's Dogma (which is technically from 2012 isn't it?) was the only one I bought and played.

I have Grim Dawn and one or two others but am yet to play them.

Looking forward to DOS2, Battletech.

It would be amusing if we could give Gothic the RPG of the Year award every year.

Given the amount of big titles in 2015 and 2017, I'm fine with 2016 being a mediocre year for RPGs. It wasn't bad by any means though, not like the various droughts we've been through where it was hard to find a single good RPG in a whole year. Among other things, I enjoyed both Tyranny and The Technomancer more than I thought I would, and we also got the best DLC/expansion since The Night of the Raven (completely fair to not have it in the polls given it's not stand alone, despite being the best by a landslide).

1) Blood and Wine
2) Deus Ex Mankind Divided

1)Kingdom Come Deliverance
2)Vampyr
3)Mass Effect Andromeda

I completely disagree that Blood and Wine should be excluded just because it is an expansion. I do not care about business decision that made it an expansion. It could have easily been released as a standalone game. Has its own world, its own story, quests..and it is longer than Witcher 2.

I kinda had 2016 off buying games. The only two I did buy was Stardew Valley (for my son) and Oxenfree (which i have not played yet-but I have listened to the soundtrack and it is great). My vote would be for Stardew Valley-it inspired sonny to plant a vegie patch in the backyard that makes it kind of cool imo.

I am however looking forward to Divinity Original Sin 2 and Nioh on the Ps4. I played both demo's and really liked the feel of the game. Brutal!

Originally Posted by Paul
I completely disagree that Blood and Wine should be excluded just because it is an expansion. I do not care about business decision that made it an expansion. It could have easily been released as a standalone game. Has its own world, its own story, quests..and it is longer than Witcher 2.

Exactly. If this is a separate game or an expansion imho is just a marketing decision.

Originally Posted by ElderGnome
I tried to get into gaming on tablets but couldn't, though Spiderweb Software's games I've played and enjoyed on the iPad. (Though, again - enjoyed them much more on PC. Old habits and such, maybe.)

I am very mixed on things … and while I have been one of the strongest tablet advocates, there are just some games I have a harder time playing on mobile.

Like KotOR … I have played but never completed it on iPad … but then a few months ago I simply chewed through it on my laptop. Same for Jade Empire (a 2016 iPad game) - started playing on iPad, but got further on PC before getting sidetracked into DX:MD, Doom, etc … Same for Titan Quest (also 2016), etc.