December 15th 2024.
Is Astro Bot really the best game of 2024? There are certainly arguments for and against this claim. One reader, in particular, believes that while Astro Bot may have won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024, it was not necessarily the most deserving game. However, they do believe that its sequel may have a chance at being a contender.
The reader shares that they have always wanted to attend E3 in Los Angeles, but since they have yet to have the opportunity, staying up until 4am to watch The Game Awards provides a similar level of excitement and exclusivity. They admit that not many people are as dedicated as they are to watch the event at such an early hour, especially when they have to work the next morning. Despite this, they still made the effort to tune in, mainly due to the rumors surrounding the event being a good one.
While the reader initially almost skipped the event due to last year's lackluster showing, they were pleasantly surprised by the game reveals and the fact that most of them showed actual gameplay. The only exception was The Witcher 4, which is still years away from release. Overall, the reader rates the event a 9/10 and would definitely tune in again next year.
Moving on to the actual game awards, the reader points out that it is only a small part of the overall event, with many of the winners being announced and forgotten quickly. They even question the purpose of having the award aspect in the first place, but understand that some of the awards are given more attention, especially the coveted Game of the Year award.
The reader admits that this year, there was no clear favorite for the award. While they personally preferred Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, they would not have objected to any of the other nominees winning. However, they did not feel that Astro Bot was deserving of the title. While it is a good game, they only rate it an 8/10 and find it to be too derivative of 3D Mario games, with simpler gameplay that becomes repetitive.
They even go as far as to say that Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, the VR spin-off, was more enjoyable due to the novelty factor. They also mention Astro's Playroom, a free pack-in game that they found to have better songs and integration of PlayStation cameos. Despite their personal feelings, Astro Bot ended up winning most of the awards it was nominated for, including Game of the Year, much to the reader's disappointment.
They argue that Astro Bot cannot be compared to games like Baldur's Gate 3 or Elden Ring, not because it is not serious or epic, but because it is simply an existing idea done slightly differently. While acknowledging that coming close to the quality of a Nintendo platformer is an achievement, they believe it is not enough to be considered Game of the Year material.
The reader also comments on the acceptance speech, which they found to be a strange love letter to Nintendo. They speculate that it may have been the director's way of admitting that Astro Bot is still a learner compared to the master, Mario.
However, the reader also shares their concern about overrating games, as it creates an unrealistic standard for future games. They believe that Astro Bot's success may hinder the development of truly great games, as anything that is only as good as or better than Astro Bot may not be considered a Game of the Year contender.
Despite their criticisms, the reader is looking forward to Team Asobi's next game and hopes it will be a genuine Game of the Year winner. They also admit that while they may not agree with Astro Bot winning, it may lead to more 3D platformers being developed, which is ultimately a good thing for the industry. In the end, the reader does not believe that Astro Bot is the best game of 2024, but they are interested to see what the future holds for the franchise.
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