October 19th 2023.
Who had the best game this year? This is a hotly debated topic among gamers and the Thursday letters page recently discussed it. One reader recalled the original FMV version of The 7th Guest, sparking a flurry of opinions and theories.
Photo finish praised the great review of Mario Bros. Wonder by the reader. They were taken by surprise by the positive previews of the game and decided to add it to their Christmas wishlist. It truly sounds fantastic and it's no wonder that Nintendo was able to put out two 10/10 games this year, in addition to many other solid games like Pikmin 4 and Fire Emblem Engage. In comparison, Microsoft and Sony's line-up felt lackluster, and Nintendo's games had higher Metacritic scores to boot.
This leads to the obvious question: which game was better, Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom or Super Mario Bros. Wonder? The reader felt that Wonder was given higher praise, but Tears Of The Kingdom is arguably better than Breath Of The Wild in every respect. It's a great problem for Nintendo to have two games of such caliber, and the reader will have to wait until December to find out which game will make it to the Top 20 of the year.
Expert opinion shifts the discussion to video game analysts and their expertise. One reader expressed incredulity at the suggestion that it will be difficult to compete with Microsoft on games only. They point out that Microsoft now owns Call Of Duty, but it will still be a multiformat game. They don't see how anything will change, and they don't think that Microsoft and Sony have any major titles in the pipeline, other than Diablo 5 in 10 years.
Full motion VR brings the discussion back to The 7th Guest. The reader remembers the first time they encountered the game and admits that, while it was impressive at the time, it was a bit cheesy. They understand the logic of turning it into a VR game, but they feel that the technology isn't quite there yet to do it justice.
No help shifts the discussion to what happens when games are sent to reviewers that might be difficult to complete in a short timeframe. The reader wonders if they are provided with the means to skip certain sections or play specific levels, or if they are dependent on their own skill to beat the game. GC responds that they don't get any help and if they get stuck on a puzzle, they can ask the developer for the solution.
Lone supporter expresses worry that Alan Wake 2 will flop as they get the impression that the first one wasn't that big of a hit. They believe that the game is going after the wrong audience and that Remedy makes great games, but not ones that appeal to the mass market.
Technical award looks at whether Spider-Man 2 has the best graphics ever. The reader watched Digital Foundry's analysis and acknowledges that it is technically impressive, but there are other games with a better art style and effects. They don't have the technical knowledge to make a definitive statement, but they can appreciate the density of the world that the developers created.
+1 reason to wait wraps up the discussion with the reader urging others to wait for Alan Wake 2, as they will be getting it. They think that the game may have a better chance of success if it waits for a more appropriate audience.
Who had the best game this year?
It's always hard to pick just one game of the year, but the Thursday letters page recently posed the question to readers on who had the best game this year. The reader recalls the original FMV version of The 7th Guest.
Photo finish
One reader, Great review of Mario Bros. Wonder, GC, had recently read some positive previews on Super Mario Bros. Wonder and decided to pick it up before Christmas. He was surprised by the enthusiasm for the game and was impressed by how it could potentially round out the Switch's amazing run. He also noted that Nintendo's games tend to have higher Metacritic scores than those of Microsoft and Sony, who seem to not be putting in the same effort.
Otto asked which game was better: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom or Super Mario Bros. Wonder. GC replied that they couldn't decide between them, and would have to make a decision for their Top 20 of the year in December.
Expert opinion
Another reader, Wallace, expressed his doubts about video game analysts. He brought up the example of a comment about Sony making new acquisitions, which he felt had no basis in reality and was an example of why video game analysts had always been terrible. He noted that while Microsoft now owns Call Of Duty, it's staying multiformat, and that the only other major games that either company has are Pikmin 4, Fire Emblem Engage, and the upcoming Diablo 5 and Overwatch 2, which are all staying multiformat.
Full motion VR
Axel brought up the original FMV version of The 7th Guest, noting how it was a state-of-the-art game at the time, but was still cheesy and an evolutionary dead end. He questioned the logic of turning it into a more interactive VR version, but noted that VR and interactive movies still have a ways to go before they can do justice to the concept.
No help
Needlemouse asked what happens when review copies of games are sent that might be difficult to complete in a short timeframe. GC said that they don't get any help with things like that, but that most games that are unusually hard, like FromSoftware titles, are generally sent out with plenty of time to get the hang of them.
Lone supporter
Hendle expressed his doubt about the upcoming Alan Wake 2, noting that he never got the impression the original was very big and that the Fortnite primer felt like it was going after the wrong audience. He said that while Remedy makes great games, they don't usually appeal to the mass market.
Technical award
Kiran watched Digital Foundry's analysis of Spider-Man 2 and was impressed by its technical achievements. However, he also noted that other games had wowed him more in terms of art style and effects. He said that Spider-Man 2 was an outstanding looking game in its genre, and that its technical feat in creating a world that streamed in at high speed was remarkable.
+1 reason to wait
The last reader, Kiran, gave a +1 reason to wait before making a definitive decision on the best game of the year. He noted that people's answers would be tainted by an emotional response to a game they had enjoyed, and that they should wait until December when the Top 20 of the year is announced.
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