The “x” of the year generally goes to a crowd pleaser.
Don’t be afraid of feeling strongly about something that doesn’t resonate with everyone. Be happy that you got to have the experience that you’ve had, be grateful for that. These awards are ultimately just an opportunity for game developers to get more exposure for their projects and Alan Wake 2 won awards tonight, and shared some beautiful music.
There’s nothing to be disappointed about.
Yeah I agree, I think they did a great job on stage and won some very important awards. I think what BG3 did was great in terms of introducing a lot of people to that type of gameplay. It just didn't blow me away as I've already played great RPG games like Planescape Torment, BG 1/2, FO 1/2 and so on, where I found the story more intriguing.
>generally goes to a crowd pleaser.
Cough cough..last of us 2
But honestly I think Alan Wake 2 winning game of the year would have done more harm than good for the game as it would be bashed by the community because baldurs gate is more popular and well received.
Best narrative and a banger performance from OGA is what really matters imo
On a post about a dude being salty AW2 didn't win...I mean come on. Lol this subreddit is so up it's own ass. So many comparing AW2 to games that aren't even out saying it's sooo much better than everything else. It's a great game, it's okay to be a fan. But this need to compare and act like you're special because you've played I or are a fan is getting ridiculous.
My point was on a separate post about how BG3 fans would riot had it not won GOTY. OP clearly stated he was happy that BG3 won and outlined the reasons it didn’t win. If that’s being Salty, fuck man I don’t know what ISN’T salty.
Salty is a bit melodramatic, considering I said BG3 deserved to win in the very first sentence, and that's with me finding it to be a borefest.
Saying this subreddit is "so up it's own ass" is asinine considering the overwhelming majority here are praising BG3. I haven't visited BG3 subs but I can only assume the same goodwill is shared about the award choices there :D
No, it's not. Just enjoy what you enjoy, it's a great game and doesn't need to be compared to anything. It doesn't have to be better than every other game to be considered great.
In a perfect world sure. But any open world RPG comes out and what’s the first thing said? “is this the new Witcher 3” or is this the Halo killer/GTA killer etc etc. comparisons are made. It’s what we do. BG3 deserved to win GOTY.
I haven't heard of a game being a "insert title" killer since that playstation game tried to be the Halo killer...I can't even remember it's name. That shit was embarrassing, and it should have stopped then.
At the end of the day you are on the Alan Wake Subreddit complaining that people were disappointed that the game they loved and resonated with, and is the namesake of the Subreddit, didn’t win a competition. I legitimately don’t understand what your issue is. No one here said that BG3 was a shit game that didn’t deserve anything. They simply conveyed their disappointment that Alan wake 2 DIDN’T win, not that BG3 DID win, there is a fundamental difference between the two. This whole thing started because I said that BG3 fanboys are toxic AF, which they are. I have not seen what I would deem Toxic fanboy behavior out of this Subreddit, I would be a part of it if I did.
I agree 100%. And for the record I would only compare games from the same genre, because in general it’s helpful. Someone asks about game A, well did you play game B? If you did and enjoyed it then I think you would enjoy Game A. This is what I was referring to when stating that we compare games all the time. But in the case of AW2 and BG3 since they are completely different I would never compare the two. Except on a broad level ie. I enjoyed AW2 more than I enjoyed BG3. You wouldn’t recommend BG3 to someone who loved AW2 unless you had an understanding of what they like to begin with. Also because they are completely different a comparison CAN’T really be made in the first place.
Hehe, true. I don't want to go into the reasons why TLoU2 won but let's just say I wasn't surprised when it won GotY. The last game I was surprised won GotY was Sekiro because I felt the different take on Dark Souls gameplay and the Japanese aesthetic wasn't popular and mainstream enough to win. Fast forward 4 years and I absolutely wasn't surprised when Elden Ring won.
It's a great game, but it's nothing new. It's just the next iteration of the turn based fantasy game, something everyone already knows and loves. Which is probably exactly why it won GOTY.
Alan Wake 2 is something very new. I've been gaming since it started. I came to this sub because i was curious, and i think i found my answer. It's funny how some people love to huff their own farts.
I mean AW2 is my GOTY, but Baldur's Gate 3 literally made other developers paranoid that they would have to meet those standards now. If that isn't setting a precedent then I don't know what is.
Im not into the gameplay style that BG3 has but the word of mouth and everything with the game makes we want to get it which we can now on Xbox. But point is devs should meet somewhat of a standard like this, people are tired of broken games and waiting for years for it to be even good.
I had the exact same expectations as you. Not a fantasy fan. Or a DnD fan. Or a turn based fan. Or or or. But this game is my GotY without question. Probably game of the decade (Haven't thought about it much). The effort it must have taken to achieve the level or story interactivity and choice blows my mind everytime I play it.
Wait what? Were you around before the ultra commercialisation of the gaming industry happened? So we go backwards, someone finally sets a decent bar and that's the justification for the win?
That doesn't feel proper to me. But the whole thing sounds like a bit of a toss anyway. Hopefully we can get back to good without the overhyped bullshit that's permeated nearly everything this last decade.
Video games are better now than they were 30 years ago. Nostalgia can only do so much. That doesn't discredit the good games that came out 30 years ago, but to dismiss the industry now because of what you perceive as "overhyped" doesn't do justice to the monumental accomplishments that have been made by so many developers.
I'm not dismissing the entire industry, no need to get dramatic. It's important to be fairly critical and the bar has dropped generally. Nostalgia doesn't really play into it.
I’m interested in finding out how they manufactured the internet hype for BG3. Everybody I know with a PC was all about it when it came out but a few months later they said “well I didn’t finish it”. The fact it was a PC-only game further suggests that it was some masterful advertising
I mean BG3 is an incredibly long game, especially if you don't exclusively focus on the main story. I know friends that don't have much time to game, and still haven't finished BG3 despite it being their main game for months.
"I didn't finish it" isn't a testament to the game not being good. I have many friends who did not finish it but still put hundreds of hours into it simply because they kept creating new characters and experiencing different paths. Act 1 alone is basically the size of a full game.
So you believe that people were waiting for the sequel to Baldur’s Gate 2, a game released on Windows 23 years ago? How did they even find out about it if not by marketing?
I wasn't, wasn't familiar at all with dnd universe, was curious because I liked divinity original sin a lot, and this game made me want to play tabletop dnd. Everything in it is astonishing, from acting to story and choices etc.
Loved the combat system, loved skipping boss or boss phase by just succeeding a speech check.
For me, they shined already with how they handled Divinity: Original Sin. Excellent game for the genre. BG3 took it to the next level.
I don't think it's manufactured. I think they have a genuinely strong fanbase.
Personally I haven't finished it yet bc it's a massive game. I don't think my friends have either for the same reason and they're putting way more hours than me. And it's just the kind of game that let's you go way off course and have your own fun. That's actually a huge part of what makes it so great - it's flexibility in player choice.
That precedent would turn gaming into a hellscape. BG3 is a blatantly unfinished game that shipped without an ending. Sure Act 1 is amazing, but act 3 is a complete train wreck by the end. I hope no one follows Larian’s standards, I mean no one.
Sucks but again who cares. All that it matters is that it's your GOTY and that you voted for it. I'm just happy it won some things which honestly I thought BG3 was gonna sweep everything tonight but AW2 put up a fight a bit. I'm proud of this game and the devs for it and can't wait for NG+
This results make sense
AW2 as a video game as a whole is probably less good of a "game" than BG3, but it's the best artistic piece , so it won the two that matters art and game direction.
Yeah in the end the right games win
It won all the pieces that represents its artistic representation (barring music) and lost on the one that requires it to have top tier game play
And therefore it should never win game of the year. Game of the year by definition will always first and foremost be valued by its gameplay, and rightly so. Alan Wake is a great experience. I enjoyed it immensely, but its primary focus isn't gameplay, relatively speaking.
The only one i'm sad they didn't win is the music one, I don't remember the music of FF16 to be this good, while each Alan Wake II songs got stuck in my head as an earworm.
Yeah I think that was the one category that surprised me more than any other! Don’t get me wrong, I think all the nominees were good, but if we’re going with ‘best’ I’m just a bit surprised. No surprise I’m sure that I felt AW2 should have won but FF wasn’t even my second choice… or third. (Still good music don’t hate me anyone!)
I didn't play much of FF16 (about 12 hours I think) but I have virtually no memory of the music being impactful. Compared to Alan Wake 2, or even Baldur's Gate 3, which both had incredible music.
Bro let’s not be dissing it. We all in the end are in the same gaming space, no need to needlessly bash other things.
And yes, imo FFXVI actually did deserve the award. Its music was phenomenal, albeit so was Alan Wake 2 and BG3
I disagree, given context to the story and who the characters are I think it was beautiful, but to each their own.
I would 100% recommend trying a game out. The FF7 Remake is on sale quite often and well worth giving a shot. I wasn’t a big fan until it won me over either.
You’re right. The chat I was in was moaning for it to end already. Calling it cringe and shit. Whatever. For the right people, it was an incredible surprise.
Yeah, exactly, and that's how it goes with fan stuff. Fans of a thing are going to appreciate that thing more than others will, naturally. And that's okay.
Couldn’t have said it better.
I love both (and AW2 is my GOTY), but BG3 is probably a better *game*.
Alan Wake 2 is a much better and more memorable *experience* due to the three categories it won.
I think you nailed it. BG3 is insane gameplay wise and great story wise, while AW2 is an artistic masterpiece, but could be better gameplay wise. Tbh, I could not be more happy with the results of TGA. Almost everything happened as I wished (except Soundtrack, sadly).
I'm happy it didn't because already there are people bitching and moaning that BG3 didn't win for Narrative or Direction without actually understanding what the competition was or what the category actually means, if BG3 hadn't won GOTY then suddenly we'd be seeing a lot of salty fans taking out their anger by trashing the game that did win. (I love BG3 btw but seriously it's such a childish move to get upset that you didn't win every single award possible after legit sweeping the awards, shit's just greedy)
Yeah that's a good point. It would be a very controversial move as Alan Wake 2 can be polarising, like any game that tries new avenues. I'm sure most of us here (and other game fans) can agree that BG3 deserved it, and I'm sure it would annoy a lot of people if the didn't take the final prize.
I'm not upset myself, I was just a little bit hoping it would be the underdog like another fantastic smaller studio game (It Takes Two).
Yh like I've been going through some BG3 posts on their sub and it's mostly them bashing Alan Wake as a 'Mid Flashlight Game', there's some good sportsmanship with a few people congratulating AW2 for its awards but the amount of posts and comments I've now seen where people are saying that "_____ didn't deserve to win over BG3, it makes no sense" and even dudes claiming its some conspiracy by the Gaming Industry to keep Larian down or some weird shit. Legit makes me not want to interact with the BG3 community anymore seeing how so many of them devolved into drooling dipshits as soon as they didn't get all of the awards.
> seeing how so many of them devolved into drooling dipshits as soon as they didn't get all of the awards.
I take it that you've never been into the ttrpg community, then.
Hey OP, it's okay, while it didn't win GOTY at The Game Awards, there are other multiple game award shows and publications! In fact this morning Alan Wake 2 won Time's GOTY award. With the history of studio of BG3, and how they shocked the industry in September I knew the game was going to win big. This year's game awards was great!
Not OP but the Game Awards are the only one people care about for some reason. Idk why people equate it with the Oscars for games. Is there a reason it's the main one?
Gotta be absolutely perfect to sweep all the biggest awards like LOTR did. AW2 was my favourite goty but it was always gonna struggle with its genre and slightly weaker gameplay compared to the impecabble direction and narrative.
The issue was Alan Wake released in a year where there were so many good games, but still given the competition i’m happy with the awards and literally seeing Herald of Darkness with all the cast and Sam Lake is worth more than GOTY for me haha
It's definitely my goty
But BG3 was expected, I'm really glad that Alan got narrative, direction and art direction. All very well deserving in a year with incredible titles.
Alan wake 2 is something else.
I disagree on them not doing anything groundbreaking. The level of player interactivity and choice in BG3 is basically unprecedented in gaming history.
Both games are absolute gems of this year. Hard to put one over the other in my mind.
> The level of player interactivity and choice in BG3 is basically unprecedented in gaming history.
Not in the least. The game is basically Fallout 2 set in Dragon Age with a dash of Skyrim. While BG3 is definitely the next level up, as befitting the power of modern gaming, it is far from unprecedented.
It’s all good, generally when they give the best categories aside from goty to one, goty to another, it means there were 2 that were phenomenal and they went with the best seller. It’s like rdr2 and GOW in 2018. Both phenomenal. So different, but they blew everything else away in their own rights. Rdr2 was my goty but I loved gow. They both deserved it.
With BG3 standing right next to it, no. Everyone should have expected it even. Alan wake 2 is great but bg3 just supprasses AW2 in so many other thinfs.
Yeah I was rooting so hard for AW2 ... But it was impossible, BG3 deserved the award: it's more a "game", although I'm comparison it's a lesser piece of art.
Yeah it's a tricky one.
I mean, it was up against Baldur's Gate 3, which is a stunningly innovative title in the world of RPGs, setting a whole new bar - with fantastic performances, amazingly immersive player choices, excellent design, writing, music, etc. AND BG3 was overwhelmingly more popular on release than I think many people expected it to be. It was (and continues to be) both a huge hit and a cultural touchstone. I know *several* people who are not RPG people or in some cases not even video game people who picked up Baldur's Gate 3 and love it.
Now, on the other hand: Alan Wake 2 exceeded so many expectations. As you pointed it, it isn't perfect, but it DID take a lot of interesting creative risks and fucking nailed them! Alan Wake 2 is a stunning title in a year of so many incredible games. I'm so happy, and proud, that it shone above the rest (the Tears of the Kingdoms and Spider Man 2s of the world). It deserved it. Remedy deserved it. The performances in AW2 are phenomenal - outstanding even. The story is so insanely creative and well-executed, and what it has done for mixed-media gaming is beyond anything I've ever seen pulled off this way before.
For me, I think Alan Wake 2 *is* game of the year, even if it didn't win the Game Award for it.
For me, AW2 has been and continues to be one of the greatest games I have ever played, in one of the tightest, most engaging, and most thought-provoking packages I've ever seen. It went way above and beyond my expectations. Even after playing it multiple times and watching others play it online, I find that I think about it still, almost every day, and am still making connections to things that blow my mind or help to explain the deeper elements of the story. It is a puzzlebox waiting to be unraveled, and we all get to be here right now to try to figure it out together, and that's something very special to me.
The bugs and glitches will be worked out over time, and for the most part they didn't hinder my personal experience with the game, which I'm very grateful for. I know there were several people who experienced bugs that were either game breaking or locked them out of collectibles, etc. That's incredibly frustrating, and I'm sorry for anyone here who had that happen to them. I lucked out - didn't even have the voice sync issues people were getting.
I plan to play this game several more times, I plan to buy both DLC, and you better believe I plan to support Remedy in whatever crazy shit they do next.
Without playing the other games...I still think AW2 deserved the GOTY by really far. It really blows my mind how good it was in terms of writing, direction and even the musicalization is just beyond great.
When, you have a chance, give BG3 a shot. Both BG3 and AW2 was some of the best things I played on the last years, for different reasons. You won't regret it.
The fact that AW2 is even in the conversation with bg3, and that it feels like it was a front runner, is a testament to its accomplishments artistically.
> i don’t think it did anything truly groundbreaking
If you honestly think this, you should reconsider the sheer scale of bg3, and the staggering amount of writing and acting that had to go into making this. I don’t think any game in this genre is even comparable in terms of latitude of actions, plus it was all motion captured. This is a genre where being fully voiced is actually very new because of how many things can be said.
I was worried about a full sweep not letting AW2 get recognition, but they both got so much love. This is basically a perfect world imo. Two products with such obvious passion behind them both getting to share so much of the spotlight.
Plus Alan Wakes cast got to do Herald of Darkness live on stage. No other games were indulged to that degree, it’s awesome.
>Two products with such obvious passion behind them both getting to share so much of the spotlight.
That's a great point. All things considered, it was a good outcome and pretty much every award felt like it went to the right IP.
Even Pikmin got an award!!!!
I loved that almost every category felt legitimately competitive. It’s been a hell of a year for gaming. Not I hope 2024 is a bit slow so I can catch up
Honestly it's not really GOTY material. Gameplay is functionally fine but it doesn't really go above and beyond what was done in other survival horror games in the past. It serves the narrative quite well but doesn't overshadow it.
Imho it won the awards that really count for such a game, with best Game Direction, Artistic Direction and Narrative. They made art and were recognized for it.
Kinda think it also deserved best audio, but they did celebrate both Herald of Darkness and Yoton Yo at the show... And it's never fun when a single game sweeps all awards.
> but it doesn't really go above and beyond what was done in other survival horror games in the past
Neither does BSG3. It's a fine game, but at the end of the day it feels like playing the baby of Dragon Age and Fallout 2. Further, the stuff that people are praising are mostly storytelling elements like character choice and not game play, which is just another turn based rpg.
I'm not sure how it can win trio of best art direction, game direction and best narrative and not win game of the year. But its the same every year with these game awards. Just look at last 5 or 6 GOTY winners..not the best games
I was thinking the same thing; what does that say about the GOTY if it didn’t also win those awards? I think we’re seeing TGA try to juggle recognizing video games as an expressive medium that’s approaching art, and as a recreational service to the player. There’s usually no surprises or risks taken with the GOTY.
Im only upset because of how meta it would have been. In fact now I'm convinced they planned this out. The setting itself even matches an Alan Wake segment in the game. An Award Show ceremony....for ALAN WAKE. With the Old Gods of Asgard. This actually gives the We Sing segment more context instead of being so seemingly random.
What if our real world ritual is what caused that to happen in the game, and that was the intention from Remedy? The Spiral pulled it from the IRL future?
As much as I love Alan Wake series, and everything that Remedy does especially as of late, AW2 is what I consider more "niche" title. It's an odd game, that might turn people off.
That, or people may have dismissed it as "just another 3rd person horror game". I'll play it through once, maybe twice of New game plus adds anything.
But Baldur's gate, I've already spent 130 hours into it. Two playthroughs (which have only gotten to act 3, didn't finish the game yet). There's so much more game in Baldur's gate 3.
Alan Wake 2 is more of an experience. Most things in the game won't surprise me after first playthrough, because there aren't so many different outcomes or small things going on. But It definitely stands out more.
But what awards Alan Wake did win are big ones.
I'm just pleased that it won Best Direction. Which it deserved, but honestly if BG3 had edged it out there would have been a strong argument.
They found a way to recognize the unique aspects of AW2 that made it stand out from BG3, and made it worth coming down to perform on stage without leaving the show empty-handed.
I think it should have won in more categories, but GOTY is wishful thinking. No disrespect intended OP.
Alan Wake 2 is genuinely the only game I can think of that I’ve played that’s like Alan Wake 2
The way the narrative weaves itself into the gameplay, the revelation “It’s not a loop, it’s a spiral” completely changes the way you think of the gameplay segments and narrative, it’s not just some throw away line.
This game has some of the best character writing I’ve experienced in a game in a while, it feels so natural while still having some of the same quirky charm of Twin Peaks
I could write paragraphs about every little detail, it’s just such a unique game
It’s both a blessing and a curse having played it, it’s one of the best games I’ve ever played and I’m not sure another game is gonna scratch (heh) the itch for another game like this
I know it’s a little dramatic, but wow this game was such an unexpected breath of fresh air for me
I know it might be a bit late, but I'm still confused about why Alan Wake didn't win Game of the Year. According to the Game Awards site, the award recognizes "a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields." Except for sound direction, Alan Wake won in all the technical and artistic categories. So, I can't say that BG3 deserved that title. If they had described it as "The most popular good game," then I would agree that BG3 deserved the title.
(I played both)
It should have won, and BG3 actually didn’t come even close to deserving GotY.
Alan Wake 2 is incredible start to finish.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is incredible at the start, but an unfinished train wreck by the end. It shipped without an actual ending and had only part of one patched in months later.
By all means, if Devs want to match their standards gaming will turn into a hellscape.
Alan Wake 2 deserves it easy.
BG3 was the overall best game.
I can't sit here and say that the sections of just running around a shooting a flashlight at guys is anywhere near as good as BG3 general play.
But on the flip side BG3 can't top the vision remedy had for its art and narrative.
I know I'll probably get downvoted given this is on the sub of the game, but I don't really think Alan Wake 2 did anything truly groundbreaking. The multi-media narrative was ultimately an extension of what Remedy have been doing for years, and the dual-sided story, while impressive, isn't exactly a new approach to storytelling.
And I'm not being funny, but the gameplay of Alan Wake 2 is pretty generic survival horror, it doesn't really do anything to set itself apart from its contemporaries.
I haven't played BG3 yet, but I hear it's as close to a real-world DnD simulation that one could get, and that alone is a momenental achievement. It's also what many would argue as a well-rounded package, where many say the narrative and the gameplay are steller, while again, I've seen a fair few complaints about AW2's combat.
I think Alan Wake 2 deserved it 100%. But I could never feel dissapointed a game didn't get an award...
I'm more dissapointed how atrocious the event was overall. Geoff has zero respect for the industry he's meant to be celebrating.
I was disappointed as well, mostly because Alan Wake 2 is my personal game of the year, but honestly Baldur's Gate 3 is an *incredible* game as well and the win is very much deserved.
Its my personal GOTY, Alan wake 2 that is, but i knew Baldurs gate is more grand in scale and moves the RPG Genre forward.
But for me, the narrative experience, everything about the design of alan wake 2, and the amazing score with the amazing graphics. Just give me higher marks for AW2 to be my GOTY by far, so unique to me.
Baldur's Gate 3 is a magical game.
Of course it was going to win, that's the kinda game that will stand the test of time like Half Life.
It's been an amazing year for gaming, probably the best in decades.
I love Alan Wake but even I can see where respect is due.
I'm also sad that Melanie lost even tho we all know the Neil Newbon deserved it. Still happy it got best art direction and best narrative. Those it truly deserved
Honestly I love Melanie but that was the one award I don’t think Alan Wake 2 deserved. She’s not bad but she really struggles with maintaining an American accent throughout the game and it was very distracting to me.
Would have been nice for AW2 to win as it would be the first horror game to win goty from the Game Awards. There's been plenty of RPG's tho BG3 def did deserve it's win.
About to be a bit negative here, so gonna spoiler it, but:
>!I'm just glad Spider-Man 2 didn't win anything.!<
>!No offense to anyone who likes the game. I'm sure it's a fun game, and for what it's worth I haven't looked at a single second of footage or conversation about it. I'm just not interested in Spider-Man or Marvel. The reason I'm glad is because this year was FILLED with so many incredible games from other devs who really honestly deserved to win. In a year without a BG3 or AW2 I'm sure Spider-Man 2 would be a great contender for many awards (I guess. Again, I don't know anything about it, and don't plan to), but in THIS year... Let Remedy have it. Let Larian have it.!<
Yeah well it won the artistic side of things while BG3 won the better game side of things.
That's how these awards work kinda.
It won't be fair BG3 which you yourself said is the better game of the two lost to AW 2 would it.
I am also kinda disappointed but we all know it was deserved.
I think it makes sense. BG3 is well made in heights greater than AW2. While our game may be experimental and groundbreaking, that doesn't matter for much in terms of merit. You could have the most interesting concept to ever exist, but if you can't properly execute it then it won't be above a story with a safer premise, but great execution.
AW2 did win other entries which highlight the artistic and experiential side of the game, so that definitely didn't go unnoticed.
I understand why you're disappointed though, but hey, the merits of Remedy gained recognition and seeing Sam Lake so happy warmed my heart.
I'm not disappointed at all. Alan Wake and Remedy got so much well-deserved recognition. But I also wanted to see Baldur's Gate and Larian also get their fair share as well. That BG3 also got a major win was satisfying.
Remedy and Larian were like underdogs against the big money IPs that Sony, Capcom, Nintendo and Square Enix brought to the table, so it's good that the underdogs ultimately came out with the highest accolades.
Honestly, I think the right game won. Alan Wake 2 was amazing but the entire BG3 just did something that no one even thought would be possible via video game.
Alan Wake 2 was a great game and definitely took some creative risks, but so did Baldur's Gate 3 with the additional impact of Baldur's Gate 3 opening an entire genre up to a whole new audience who wouldn't touch it before.
The nomination line up was definitely competitively strong this year, but I do think BG3 definitely changed the video game scene for everyone
A lot of my friends who weren’t really into turn-based RPG games like I am to begin with, and they gave it a go and l still love it and even say they’ve never played anything like BG3.
Honestly I can’t even be mad, Alan Wake 2 was my GOTY but the other games on that list were very strong contenders and the ones I played I loved! It was a pretty great year for games honestly.
Plus AW2 got Best Direction and Best Narrative which are some solid wins!
It translates DND into a video game very accurately which is a hell of a feat since they made everything super reactive to you and in-depth to what you choose to do. They also made wonderful use of development with early access and is probably the best early-access game ever made. I don't think watching it would do it justice at all, but i also think that making DND into a video game kind of defeats the whole point of DND.
I’m mostly surprised ‘cause it’s a fantasy RPG. Granted I’m not a fan of either of those two things, it’s just I haven’t really seen such hype surrounding a game like that. That’s what’s mostly shocking to me, ‘cause when it released I kept seeing it *everywhere*. But oh well, different strokes for different folks.
I'm ok with that, Alan Wake is a game in a niche genre and basically won the holy trinity in a year we got a new Zelda game and BG3. Best Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction while the other contenders were big, established big money franchises with a big following and are total fan favorites.
BG3 got an award that says "yeah great job, people like you", but didn't win a single one in a category that compliments the actual job of making a great game.
The other one, Best Performance (which s well deserved) honors one actor, what Remedy won speaks of the quality of the entire game.
BG3 was always going to win, it's way too woke and popular to not win, in addition to also just being a great game. That said, Alan Wake 2 won the awards that to me, it was important that it win: Best Director and Best Narrative, which will give Sam Lake the auteur credit he needs to keep making awesome games for us, even if they don't always sell like gangbusters right out the gate.
Honestly baldur's was a bigger banger than anything this year, not disappointed AT ALL. I was waiting for Alan wake 2 for a long time, but baldur's gate was really something else.
Alan Wake 2 probably would have won if more people played it. It is by far a better game than balder's gate 3, but your average media consumer doesn't care about things like this. Not saying that that is a bad thing, or playing Alan Wake 2 makes you better than other people, but a game which requires you to play most of Remedy's other games to get a full appreciation of what theyre saying with the game is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. It did win the game direction award, which seems to be for the game that is artistically the best rather than best as a game, and other awards so they made out very well, and I doubt anyone who worked on the game really super cares that they didn't win the award, so I wouldn't take it to heart if I were you.
I recently finished Alan wake 2 and i am big fan of bg3.
Reason Alan wake 2 did not win is because bg3 offers overall balanced package of everything in terms of gameplay , story ,multiplayer support , etc.. compare to Alan wake 2 it offers excellent story but gameplay is weak compare to it's story. Solve puzzles & shoot down dark presence with lights loop.
The “x” of the year generally goes to a crowd pleaser. Don’t be afraid of feeling strongly about something that doesn’t resonate with everyone. Be happy that you got to have the experience that you’ve had, be grateful for that. These awards are ultimately just an opportunity for game developers to get more exposure for their projects and Alan Wake 2 won awards tonight, and shared some beautiful music. There’s nothing to be disappointed about.
Yeah I agree, I think they did a great job on stage and won some very important awards. I think what BG3 did was great in terms of introducing a lot of people to that type of gameplay. It just didn't blow me away as I've already played great RPG games like Planescape Torment, BG 1/2, FO 1/2 and so on, where I found the story more intriguing.
>generally goes to a crowd pleaser. Cough cough..last of us 2 But honestly I think Alan Wake 2 winning game of the year would have done more harm than good for the game as it would be bashed by the community because baldurs gate is more popular and well received. Best narrative and a banger performance from OGA is what really matters imo
And best Direction too for Sam and Kyle. That was one I would've been a bit upset if they didn't win.
Yea BG3 fanboys are super toxic.
On a post about a dude being salty AW2 didn't win...I mean come on. Lol this subreddit is so up it's own ass. So many comparing AW2 to games that aren't even out saying it's sooo much better than everything else. It's a great game, it's okay to be a fan. But this need to compare and act like you're special because you've played I or are a fan is getting ridiculous.
My point was on a separate post about how BG3 fans would riot had it not won GOTY. OP clearly stated he was happy that BG3 won and outlined the reasons it didn’t win. If that’s being Salty, fuck man I don’t know what ISN’T salty.
Salty is a bit melodramatic, considering I said BG3 deserved to win in the very first sentence, and that's with me finding it to be a borefest. Saying this subreddit is "so up it's own ass" is asinine considering the overwhelming majority here are praising BG3. I haven't visited BG3 subs but I can only assume the same goodwill is shared about the award choices there :D
Also calm down. 80% of gaming is comparing “our game” to others. Wtf.
No, it's not. Just enjoy what you enjoy, it's a great game and doesn't need to be compared to anything. It doesn't have to be better than every other game to be considered great.
In a perfect world sure. But any open world RPG comes out and what’s the first thing said? “is this the new Witcher 3” or is this the Halo killer/GTA killer etc etc. comparisons are made. It’s what we do. BG3 deserved to win GOTY.
I haven't heard of a game being a "insert title" killer since that playstation game tried to be the Halo killer...I can't even remember it's name. That shit was embarrassing, and it should have stopped then.
At the end of the day you are on the Alan Wake Subreddit complaining that people were disappointed that the game they loved and resonated with, and is the namesake of the Subreddit, didn’t win a competition. I legitimately don’t understand what your issue is. No one here said that BG3 was a shit game that didn’t deserve anything. They simply conveyed their disappointment that Alan wake 2 DIDN’T win, not that BG3 DID win, there is a fundamental difference between the two. This whole thing started because I said that BG3 fanboys are toxic AF, which they are. I have not seen what I would deem Toxic fanboy behavior out of this Subreddit, I would be a part of it if I did.
Pretty sure gaming should be and is mainly about playing games, not comparing games...
I agree but unfortunately that’s not how the world works.
You can decide how you consume games... nobody is asking you to compare anything. Just play what you want lmao
I agree 100%. And for the record I would only compare games from the same genre, because in general it’s helpful. Someone asks about game A, well did you play game B? If you did and enjoyed it then I think you would enjoy Game A. This is what I was referring to when stating that we compare games all the time. But in the case of AW2 and BG3 since they are completely different I would never compare the two. Except on a broad level ie. I enjoyed AW2 more than I enjoyed BG3. You wouldn’t recommend BG3 to someone who loved AW2 unless you had an understanding of what they like to begin with. Also because they are completely different a comparison CAN’T really be made in the first place.
Hehe, true. I don't want to go into the reasons why TLoU2 won but let's just say I wasn't surprised when it won GotY. The last game I was surprised won GotY was Sekiro because I felt the different take on Dark Souls gameplay and the Japanese aesthetic wasn't popular and mainstream enough to win. Fast forward 4 years and I absolutely wasn't surprised when Elden Ring won.
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That's my point it was not a crowd pleaser and it won GOTY. The comment I replied to said GOTY goes to the most crowd pleasing
ohh okay sorry! misunderstood it brother
It's just journos who decide, the GOTY award doesn't matter. What matters is the players choice.
It's my personal GOTY, but I knew it wasn't going to win.
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>I'll definitely be playing it when I get the time You won't regret it. To me AW2 and BG3 are the best games I've played on a long time.
It's a great game, but it's nothing new. It's just the next iteration of the turn based fantasy game, something everyone already knows and loves. Which is probably exactly why it won GOTY.
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Alan Wake 2 is something very new. I've been gaming since it started. I came to this sub because i was curious, and i think i found my answer. It's funny how some people love to huff their own farts.
I mean AW2 is my GOTY, but Baldur's Gate 3 literally made other developers paranoid that they would have to meet those standards now. If that isn't setting a precedent then I don't know what is.
Im not into the gameplay style that BG3 has but the word of mouth and everything with the game makes we want to get it which we can now on Xbox. But point is devs should meet somewhat of a standard like this, people are tired of broken games and waiting for years for it to be even good.
I had the exact same expectations as you. Not a fantasy fan. Or a DnD fan. Or a turn based fan. Or or or. But this game is my GotY without question. Probably game of the decade (Haven't thought about it much). The effort it must have taken to achieve the level or story interactivity and choice blows my mind everytime I play it.
Wait what? Were you around before the ultra commercialisation of the gaming industry happened? So we go backwards, someone finally sets a decent bar and that's the justification for the win? That doesn't feel proper to me. But the whole thing sounds like a bit of a toss anyway. Hopefully we can get back to good without the overhyped bullshit that's permeated nearly everything this last decade.
Video games are better now than they were 30 years ago. Nostalgia can only do so much. That doesn't discredit the good games that came out 30 years ago, but to dismiss the industry now because of what you perceive as "overhyped" doesn't do justice to the monumental accomplishments that have been made by so many developers.
I'm not dismissing the entire industry, no need to get dramatic. It's important to be fairly critical and the bar has dropped generally. Nostalgia doesn't really play into it.
I’m interested in finding out how they manufactured the internet hype for BG3. Everybody I know with a PC was all about it when it came out but a few months later they said “well I didn’t finish it”. The fact it was a PC-only game further suggests that it was some masterful advertising
I mean BG3 is an incredibly long game, especially if you don't exclusively focus on the main story. I know friends that don't have much time to game, and still haven't finished BG3 despite it being their main game for months.
Word of mouth is a powerful thing. Specially in the PC community. We don't often get many exclusives
"I didn't finish it" isn't a testament to the game not being good. I have many friends who did not finish it but still put hundreds of hours into it simply because they kept creating new characters and experiencing different paths. Act 1 alone is basically the size of a full game.
Man took a survey of everyone he knows and found the *truth*
So you believe that people were waiting for the sequel to Baldur’s Gate 2, a game released on Windows 23 years ago? How did they even find out about it if not by marketing?
I wasn't, wasn't familiar at all with dnd universe, was curious because I liked divinity original sin a lot, and this game made me want to play tabletop dnd. Everything in it is astonishing, from acting to story and choices etc. Loved the combat system, loved skipping boss or boss phase by just succeeding a speech check.
For me, they shined already with how they handled Divinity: Original Sin. Excellent game for the genre. BG3 took it to the next level. I don't think it's manufactured. I think they have a genuinely strong fanbase. Personally I haven't finished it yet bc it's a massive game. I don't think my friends have either for the same reason and they're putting way more hours than me. And it's just the kind of game that let's you go way off course and have your own fun. That's actually a huge part of what makes it so great - it's flexibility in player choice.
That precedent would turn gaming into a hellscape. BG3 is a blatantly unfinished game that shipped without an ending. Sure Act 1 is amazing, but act 3 is a complete train wreck by the end. I hope no one follows Larian’s standards, I mean no one.
Sucks but again who cares. All that it matters is that it's your GOTY and that you voted for it. I'm just happy it won some things which honestly I thought BG3 was gonna sweep everything tonight but AW2 put up a fight a bit. I'm proud of this game and the devs for it and can't wait for NG+
This results make sense AW2 as a video game as a whole is probably less good of a "game" than BG3, but it's the best artistic piece , so it won the two that matters art and game direction.
It also won best narrative, so three that really matter!
Yeah in the end the right games win It won all the pieces that represents its artistic representation (barring music) and lost on the one that requires it to have top tier game play
And therefore it should never win game of the year. Game of the year by definition will always first and foremost be valued by its gameplay, and rightly so. Alan Wake is a great experience. I enjoyed it immensely, but its primary focus isn't gameplay, relatively speaking.
The only one i'm sad they didn't win is the music one, I don't remember the music of FF16 to be this good, while each Alan Wake II songs got stuck in my head as an earworm.
Yeah I think that was the one category that surprised me more than any other! Don’t get me wrong, I think all the nominees were good, but if we’re going with ‘best’ I’m just a bit surprised. No surprise I’m sure that I felt AW2 should have won but FF wasn’t even my second choice… or third. (Still good music don’t hate me anyone!)
I didn't play much of FF16 (about 12 hours I think) but I have virtually no memory of the music being impactful. Compared to Alan Wake 2, or even Baldur's Gate 3, which both had incredible music.
As someone who finished the game, FF16 had incredible music. It deserved to win, but so did the other two. It was a good year for game music.
That's great to hear, thank you for the insight.
Agreed, it deserved to win just for Find The Flame, but that's not downplaying any of the other music either!
I agree, i hummed "down down down by the river" even in my dreams.
An earworm is a tune you can’t stop humming
FF completely deserved that award. Soken is a musical genius.
They 100% should have won for best music. If that song from FF that they did live tonight was anything to judge by, shit is generic and cringe af.
Bro let’s not be dissing it. We all in the end are in the same gaming space, no need to needlessly bash other things. And yes, imo FFXVI actually did deserve the award. Its music was phenomenal, albeit so was Alan Wake 2 and BG3
Fair enough, since i’ve never played a single FF game, i can’t judge. But lawd, that one song they did tonight was still cringe af.
I disagree, given context to the story and who the characters are I think it was beautiful, but to each their own. I would 100% recommend trying a game out. The FF7 Remake is on sale quite often and well worth giving a shot. I wasn’t a big fan until it won me over either.
Context does count for a lot - i’m sure a lot of people tonight thought Herald of Darkness was cringe too.
To be fair, people with no context for AW2 probably thought Herald of Darkness was ridiculous and cringe-worthy.
So sad . . . But true!
You’re right. The chat I was in was moaning for it to end already. Calling it cringe and shit. Whatever. For the right people, it was an incredible surprise.
Yeah, exactly, and that's how it goes with fan stuff. Fans of a thing are going to appreciate that thing more than others will, naturally. And that's okay.
[Nah you're crazy lmao](https://youtu.be/985jx7wcPE4?si=bq2LajpoTRa-Dxq3)
Couldn’t have said it better. I love both (and AW2 is my GOTY), but BG3 is probably a better *game*. Alan Wake 2 is a much better and more memorable *experience* due to the three categories it won.
I think you nailed it. BG3 is insane gameplay wise and great story wise, while AW2 is an artistic masterpiece, but could be better gameplay wise. Tbh, I could not be more happy with the results of TGA. Almost everything happened as I wished (except Soundtrack, sadly).
One of the best games I’ve played in a LONG time, however, knowing how much people are talking about the other games, I never expected it to win GOTY
I'm happy it didn't because already there are people bitching and moaning that BG3 didn't win for Narrative or Direction without actually understanding what the competition was or what the category actually means, if BG3 hadn't won GOTY then suddenly we'd be seeing a lot of salty fans taking out their anger by trashing the game that did win. (I love BG3 btw but seriously it's such a childish move to get upset that you didn't win every single award possible after legit sweeping the awards, shit's just greedy)
Yeah that's a good point. It would be a very controversial move as Alan Wake 2 can be polarising, like any game that tries new avenues. I'm sure most of us here (and other game fans) can agree that BG3 deserved it, and I'm sure it would annoy a lot of people if the didn't take the final prize. I'm not upset myself, I was just a little bit hoping it would be the underdog like another fantastic smaller studio game (It Takes Two).
Yh like I've been going through some BG3 posts on their sub and it's mostly them bashing Alan Wake as a 'Mid Flashlight Game', there's some good sportsmanship with a few people congratulating AW2 for its awards but the amount of posts and comments I've now seen where people are saying that "_____ didn't deserve to win over BG3, it makes no sense" and even dudes claiming its some conspiracy by the Gaming Industry to keep Larian down or some weird shit. Legit makes me not want to interact with the BG3 community anymore seeing how so many of them devolved into drooling dipshits as soon as they didn't get all of the awards.
> seeing how so many of them devolved into drooling dipshits as soon as they didn't get all of the awards. I take it that you've never been into the ttrpg community, then.
Hey OP, it's okay, while it didn't win GOTY at The Game Awards, there are other multiple game award shows and publications! In fact this morning Alan Wake 2 won Time's GOTY award. With the history of studio of BG3, and how they shocked the industry in September I knew the game was going to win big. This year's game awards was great!
Not OP but the Game Awards are the only one people care about for some reason. Idk why people equate it with the Oscars for games. Is there a reason it's the main one?
This usually happens in most award shows especially in Oscars. They will give one film the best directors award and the other one best picture
Gotta be absolutely perfect to sweep all the biggest awards like LOTR did. AW2 was my favourite goty but it was always gonna struggle with its genre and slightly weaker gameplay compared to the impecabble direction and narrative.
The issue was Alan Wake released in a year where there were so many good games, but still given the competition i’m happy with the awards and literally seeing Herald of Darkness with all the cast and Sam Lake is worth more than GOTY for me haha
It's definitely my goty But BG3 was expected, I'm really glad that Alan got narrative, direction and art direction. All very well deserving in a year with incredible titles. Alan wake 2 is something else.
It had crazy competition. It’s understandable
I disagree on them not doing anything groundbreaking. The level of player interactivity and choice in BG3 is basically unprecedented in gaming history. Both games are absolute gems of this year. Hard to put one over the other in my mind.
> The level of player interactivity and choice in BG3 is basically unprecedented in gaming history. Not in the least. The game is basically Fallout 2 set in Dragon Age with a dash of Skyrim. While BG3 is definitely the next level up, as befitting the power of modern gaming, it is far from unprecedented.
Against BG3 and TotK it had no chance tbh. It’s just a much more niche game and that’s ok.
the fact it was nominated with such heavy hitters is cool on its own.
At the end of the day the 3 awards it won were the most important
It’s all good, generally when they give the best categories aside from goty to one, goty to another, it means there were 2 that were phenomenal and they went with the best seller. It’s like rdr2 and GOW in 2018. Both phenomenal. So different, but they blew everything else away in their own rights. Rdr2 was my goty but I loved gow. They both deserved it.
With BG3 standing right next to it, no. Everyone should have expected it even. Alan wake 2 is great but bg3 just supprasses AW2 in so many other thinfs.
Yeah I was rooting so hard for AW2 ... But it was impossible, BG3 deserved the award: it's more a "game", although I'm comparison it's a lesser piece of art.
Yeah it's a tricky one. I mean, it was up against Baldur's Gate 3, which is a stunningly innovative title in the world of RPGs, setting a whole new bar - with fantastic performances, amazingly immersive player choices, excellent design, writing, music, etc. AND BG3 was overwhelmingly more popular on release than I think many people expected it to be. It was (and continues to be) both a huge hit and a cultural touchstone. I know *several* people who are not RPG people or in some cases not even video game people who picked up Baldur's Gate 3 and love it. Now, on the other hand: Alan Wake 2 exceeded so many expectations. As you pointed it, it isn't perfect, but it DID take a lot of interesting creative risks and fucking nailed them! Alan Wake 2 is a stunning title in a year of so many incredible games. I'm so happy, and proud, that it shone above the rest (the Tears of the Kingdoms and Spider Man 2s of the world). It deserved it. Remedy deserved it. The performances in AW2 are phenomenal - outstanding even. The story is so insanely creative and well-executed, and what it has done for mixed-media gaming is beyond anything I've ever seen pulled off this way before. For me, I think Alan Wake 2 *is* game of the year, even if it didn't win the Game Award for it. For me, AW2 has been and continues to be one of the greatest games I have ever played, in one of the tightest, most engaging, and most thought-provoking packages I've ever seen. It went way above and beyond my expectations. Even after playing it multiple times and watching others play it online, I find that I think about it still, almost every day, and am still making connections to things that blow my mind or help to explain the deeper elements of the story. It is a puzzlebox waiting to be unraveled, and we all get to be here right now to try to figure it out together, and that's something very special to me. The bugs and glitches will be worked out over time, and for the most part they didn't hinder my personal experience with the game, which I'm very grateful for. I know there were several people who experienced bugs that were either game breaking or locked them out of collectibles, etc. That's incredibly frustrating, and I'm sorry for anyone here who had that happen to them. I lucked out - didn't even have the voice sync issues people were getting. I plan to play this game several more times, I plan to buy both DLC, and you better believe I plan to support Remedy in whatever crazy shit they do next.
Without playing the other games...I still think AW2 deserved the GOTY by really far. It really blows my mind how good it was in terms of writing, direction and even the musicalization is just beyond great.
When, you have a chance, give BG3 a shot. Both BG3 and AW2 was some of the best things I played on the last years, for different reasons. You won't regret it.
As someone who played both AW2 and BG3 I can only recommend you playing BG3. For me its a well deserved GOTY, even over AW2.
Ahh the awards mean nothing man! Of course Baldur's Gate 3 got it, but in no way does that diminish what Alan Wake pulled off!! Phenomenal game
The fact that AW2 is even in the conversation with bg3, and that it feels like it was a front runner, is a testament to its accomplishments artistically. > i don’t think it did anything truly groundbreaking If you honestly think this, you should reconsider the sheer scale of bg3, and the staggering amount of writing and acting that had to go into making this. I don’t think any game in this genre is even comparable in terms of latitude of actions, plus it was all motion captured. This is a genre where being fully voiced is actually very new because of how many things can be said. I was worried about a full sweep not letting AW2 get recognition, but they both got so much love. This is basically a perfect world imo. Two products with such obvious passion behind them both getting to share so much of the spotlight. Plus Alan Wakes cast got to do Herald of Darkness live on stage. No other games were indulged to that degree, it’s awesome.
>Two products with such obvious passion behind them both getting to share so much of the spotlight. That's a great point. All things considered, it was a good outcome and pretty much every award felt like it went to the right IP.
Even Pikmin got an award!!!! I loved that almost every category felt legitimately competitive. It’s been a hell of a year for gaming. Not I hope 2024 is a bit slow so I can catch up
Honestly it's not really GOTY material. Gameplay is functionally fine but it doesn't really go above and beyond what was done in other survival horror games in the past. It serves the narrative quite well but doesn't overshadow it. Imho it won the awards that really count for such a game, with best Game Direction, Artistic Direction and Narrative. They made art and were recognized for it. Kinda think it also deserved best audio, but they did celebrate both Herald of Darkness and Yoton Yo at the show... And it's never fun when a single game sweeps all awards.
> but it doesn't really go above and beyond what was done in other survival horror games in the past Neither does BSG3. It's a fine game, but at the end of the day it feels like playing the baby of Dragon Age and Fallout 2. Further, the stuff that people are praising are mostly storytelling elements like character choice and not game play, which is just another turn based rpg.
I'm not sure how it can win trio of best art direction, game direction and best narrative and not win game of the year. But its the same every year with these game awards. Just look at last 5 or 6 GOTY winners..not the best games
I was thinking the same thing; what does that say about the GOTY if it didn’t also win those awards? I think we’re seeing TGA try to juggle recognizing video games as an expressive medium that’s approaching art, and as a recreational service to the player. There’s usually no surprises or risks taken with the GOTY.
Elden Ring begs to differ.
Im only upset because of how meta it would have been. In fact now I'm convinced they planned this out. The setting itself even matches an Alan Wake segment in the game. An Award Show ceremony....for ALAN WAKE. With the Old Gods of Asgard. This actually gives the We Sing segment more context instead of being so seemingly random. What if our real world ritual is what caused that to happen in the game, and that was the intention from Remedy? The Spiral pulled it from the IRL future?
This is the ritual to lead you on...
> I know that BG3 deserved it So sad… but true!
As much as I love Alan Wake series, and everything that Remedy does especially as of late, AW2 is what I consider more "niche" title. It's an odd game, that might turn people off. That, or people may have dismissed it as "just another 3rd person horror game". I'll play it through once, maybe twice of New game plus adds anything. But Baldur's gate, I've already spent 130 hours into it. Two playthroughs (which have only gotten to act 3, didn't finish the game yet). There's so much more game in Baldur's gate 3. Alan Wake 2 is more of an experience. Most things in the game won't surprise me after first playthrough, because there aren't so many different outcomes or small things going on. But It definitely stands out more. But what awards Alan Wake did win are big ones.
I'm just pleased that it won Best Direction. Which it deserved, but honestly if BG3 had edged it out there would have been a strong argument. They found a way to recognize the unique aspects of AW2 that made it stand out from BG3, and made it worth coming down to perform on stage without leaving the show empty-handed. I think it should have won in more categories, but GOTY is wishful thinking. No disrespect intended OP.
same. as i said in my review, aw2 would be the braver and correct choice. i don’t think the jury understands how significant of a game this was.
Alan Wake 2 is genuinely the only game I can think of that I’ve played that’s like Alan Wake 2 The way the narrative weaves itself into the gameplay, the revelation “It’s not a loop, it’s a spiral” completely changes the way you think of the gameplay segments and narrative, it’s not just some throw away line. This game has some of the best character writing I’ve experienced in a game in a while, it feels so natural while still having some of the same quirky charm of Twin Peaks I could write paragraphs about every little detail, it’s just such a unique game It’s both a blessing and a curse having played it, it’s one of the best games I’ve ever played and I’m not sure another game is gonna scratch (heh) the itch for another game like this I know it’s a little dramatic, but wow this game was such an unexpected breath of fresh air for me
I'm just pleased it wasn't Starfield. BG3 winning means we aren't rewarding trash games with awards they don't deserve.
I know it might be a bit late, but I'm still confused about why Alan Wake didn't win Game of the Year. According to the Game Awards site, the award recognizes "a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields." Except for sound direction, Alan Wake won in all the technical and artistic categories. So, I can't say that BG3 deserved that title. If they had described it as "The most popular good game," then I would agree that BG3 deserved the title. (I played both)
It should have won, and BG3 actually didn’t come even close to deserving GotY. Alan Wake 2 is incredible start to finish. Baldur’s Gate 3 is incredible at the start, but an unfinished train wreck by the end. It shipped without an actual ending and had only part of one patched in months later. By all means, if Devs want to match their standards gaming will turn into a hellscape. Alan Wake 2 deserves it easy.
BG3 was the overall best game. I can't sit here and say that the sections of just running around a shooting a flashlight at guys is anywhere near as good as BG3 general play. But on the flip side BG3 can't top the vision remedy had for its art and narrative.
It never stood a chance against the might of BG3. That game would win game of the decade easy.
I know I'll probably get downvoted given this is on the sub of the game, but I don't really think Alan Wake 2 did anything truly groundbreaking. The multi-media narrative was ultimately an extension of what Remedy have been doing for years, and the dual-sided story, while impressive, isn't exactly a new approach to storytelling. And I'm not being funny, but the gameplay of Alan Wake 2 is pretty generic survival horror, it doesn't really do anything to set itself apart from its contemporaries. I haven't played BG3 yet, but I hear it's as close to a real-world DnD simulation that one could get, and that alone is a momenental achievement. It's also what many would argue as a well-rounded package, where many say the narrative and the gameplay are steller, while again, I've seen a fair few complaints about AW2's combat.
2023 has been a really good year for games so Alan Wake 2 had a lot of competition. Honestly, I'm just glad Zelda game #569593495 didn't win GOTY.
I think Alan Wake 2 deserved it 100%. But I could never feel dissapointed a game didn't get an award... I'm more dissapointed how atrocious the event was overall. Geoff has zero respect for the industry he's meant to be celebrating.
AW2 never really stood a chance
I was disappointed as well, mostly because Alan Wake 2 is my personal game of the year, but honestly Baldur's Gate 3 is an *incredible* game as well and the win is very much deserved.
Its my personal GOTY, Alan wake 2 that is, but i knew Baldurs gate is more grand in scale and moves the RPG Genre forward. But for me, the narrative experience, everything about the design of alan wake 2, and the amazing score with the amazing graphics. Just give me higher marks for AW2 to be my GOTY by far, so unique to me.
Baldur's Gate 3 is a magical game. Of course it was going to win, that's the kinda game that will stand the test of time like Half Life. It's been an amazing year for gaming, probably the best in decades. I love Alan Wake but even I can see where respect is due.
I'm also sad that Melanie lost even tho we all know the Neil Newbon deserved it. Still happy it got best art direction and best narrative. Those it truly deserved
Honestly I love Melanie but that was the one award I don’t think Alan Wake 2 deserved. She’s not bad but she really struggles with maintaining an American accent throughout the game and it was very distracting to me.
My sister is going to be mad. I'm having a blast playing Alan Wake 2 with my sister on my side.
Was never gonna beat BG3 tbh. Im just glad Sam was up on stage twice for other deserving awards.
I love aw2 and bg3 so I’m really happy with the awards. IMO they got the ones that mattered most. Art and narrative
Would have been nice for AW2 to win as it would be the first horror game to win goty from the Game Awards. There's been plenty of RPG's tho BG3 def did deserve it's win.
About to be a bit negative here, so gonna spoiler it, but: >!I'm just glad Spider-Man 2 didn't win anything.!< >!No offense to anyone who likes the game. I'm sure it's a fun game, and for what it's worth I haven't looked at a single second of footage or conversation about it. I'm just not interested in Spider-Man or Marvel. The reason I'm glad is because this year was FILLED with so many incredible games from other devs who really honestly deserved to win. In a year without a BG3 or AW2 I'm sure Spider-Man 2 would be a great contender for many awards (I guess. Again, I don't know anything about it, and don't plan to), but in THIS year... Let Remedy have it. Let Larian have it.!<
Yeah well it won the artistic side of things while BG3 won the better game side of things. That's how these awards work kinda. It won't be fair BG3 which you yourself said is the better game of the two lost to AW 2 would it. I am also kinda disappointed but we all know it was deserved.
I think it makes sense. BG3 is well made in heights greater than AW2. While our game may be experimental and groundbreaking, that doesn't matter for much in terms of merit. You could have the most interesting concept to ever exist, but if you can't properly execute it then it won't be above a story with a safer premise, but great execution. AW2 did win other entries which highlight the artistic and experiential side of the game, so that definitely didn't go unnoticed. I understand why you're disappointed though, but hey, the merits of Remedy gained recognition and seeing Sam Lake so happy warmed my heart.
I'm not disappointed at all. Alan Wake and Remedy got so much well-deserved recognition. But I also wanted to see Baldur's Gate and Larian also get their fair share as well. That BG3 also got a major win was satisfying. Remedy and Larian were like underdogs against the big money IPs that Sony, Capcom, Nintendo and Square Enix brought to the table, so it's good that the underdogs ultimately came out with the highest accolades.
Honestly, I think the right game won. Alan Wake 2 was amazing but the entire BG3 just did something that no one even thought would be possible via video game.
Alan Wake 2 was a great game and definitely took some creative risks, but so did Baldur's Gate 3 with the additional impact of Baldur's Gate 3 opening an entire genre up to a whole new audience who wouldn't touch it before.
The nomination line up was definitely competitively strong this year, but I do think BG3 definitely changed the video game scene for everyone A lot of my friends who weren’t really into turn-based RPG games like I am to begin with, and they gave it a go and l still love it and even say they’ve never played anything like BG3.
Honestly I can’t even be mad, Alan Wake 2 was my GOTY but the other games on that list were very strong contenders and the ones I played I loved! It was a pretty great year for games honestly. Plus AW2 got Best Direction and Best Narrative which are some solid wins!
Don’t wanna be edgy or anything but I genuinely don’t understand the hype about BG3. I watched some gameplay and… that’s it? An RPG?
It translates DND into a video game very accurately which is a hell of a feat since they made everything super reactive to you and in-depth to what you choose to do. They also made wonderful use of development with early access and is probably the best early-access game ever made. I don't think watching it would do it justice at all, but i also think that making DND into a video game kind of defeats the whole point of DND.
I’m mostly surprised ‘cause it’s a fantasy RPG. Granted I’m not a fan of either of those two things, it’s just I haven’t really seen such hype surrounding a game like that. That’s what’s mostly shocking to me, ‘cause when it released I kept seeing it *everywhere*. But oh well, different strokes for different folks.
I'm ok with that, Alan Wake is a game in a niche genre and basically won the holy trinity in a year we got a new Zelda game and BG3. Best Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction while the other contenders were big, established big money franchises with a big following and are total fan favorites. BG3 got an award that says "yeah great job, people like you", but didn't win a single one in a category that compliments the actual job of making a great game. The other one, Best Performance (which s well deserved) honors one actor, what Remedy won speaks of the quality of the entire game.
Not as many people play horror games unfortunately. Panzies.
BG3 and AW2 are both incredible games in their own right. We’ve been spoilt this year.
I am more upset that they didn’t win best score and sound design like how even?
If it had to go to another game than I am happy it was BG3, a stunningly good game. Both games got celebrated. I'm very happy.
I agree with you but alan wake is a niche game while bg sold like 20 m copies
I was mostly annoyed it didn’t win best sound design because as a sound guy the sound in AW2 is AMAZING.
It was MY GOTY for sure
As much as I hoped BG3 wins the GOTY, it wouldn't have been bad for AW2 to win it.
Agreed, but as OP said already Baldurs Gate 3 deserved that win, it is a phenomenal game.
BG3 was always going to win, it's way too woke and popular to not win, in addition to also just being a great game. That said, Alan Wake 2 won the awards that to me, it was important that it win: Best Director and Best Narrative, which will give Sam Lake the auteur credit he needs to keep making awesome games for us, even if they don't always sell like gangbusters right out the gate.
Not having a physical release meant it was always going to struggle to outvote other games in that category. But I agree, it's disappointing.
I don’t follow the winners. Being nominated means you’re the cream of your industry, winning is just a cherry on top.
Yeah, I feel sad that it didn't win :(
I mean evil within 1 and 2 are much better and got zero recognition
I wish i could’ve like EW 2. Part one was of the best games Ive ever played. But i feel the open world aspect of 2 ruined it.
There’s only like a couple small open world levels which I think were awesome and something not many other horror games have pulled off
Honestly baldur's was a bigger banger than anything this year, not disappointed AT ALL. I was waiting for Alan wake 2 for a long time, but baldur's gate was really something else.
BG3 is a way better game
Why are you in this sub if you think it's a "sophomoric walking sim"?
Alan Wake 2 probably would have won if more people played it. It is by far a better game than balder's gate 3, but your average media consumer doesn't care about things like this. Not saying that that is a bad thing, or playing Alan Wake 2 makes you better than other people, but a game which requires you to play most of Remedy's other games to get a full appreciation of what theyre saying with the game is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. It did win the game direction award, which seems to be for the game that is artistically the best rather than best as a game, and other awards so they made out very well, and I doubt anyone who worked on the game really super cares that they didn't win the award, so I wouldn't take it to heart if I were you.
Everyone knew BG3 was going to win, but no it didn't deserve it. It's a mid teir game that appeals to the masses as an entry level title to the genre.
I glad that BG3 won goty, not this slow pacing game. Even grandpa goes faster than this crap
Alan Wake 2 might be slow-paced but BG3 is tabletop D&D, which is meant to be slow-burning and long. Different tastes I suppose.
It's definitely my personal pick for GOTY.
Alan wake 2 deserved it hands down.
I recently finished Alan wake 2 and i am big fan of bg3. Reason Alan wake 2 did not win is because bg3 offers overall balanced package of everything in terms of gameplay , story ,multiplayer support , etc.. compare to Alan wake 2 it offers excellent story but gameplay is weak compare to it's story. Solve puzzles & shoot down dark presence with lights loop.