Community RPG Codex GOTY 2019: Results & Cool Graphs

[Alpan]

Wasn't BL always perceived as FPS with RPG elements tacked on?

Yeah, but the game never pretended to be anything more than a synthesis between FPS and hack-and-slash. There was no great expectation to fulfill, no nostalgic hype surrounding the franchise, no classic RPG heritage etc. I can imagine how it would not capture the Codex's interest, but there's no reason for it to sustain the same level of vitriol as something like Fallout 4.

 

[Goral]

I'm glad that Operencia is this high on the list (although IMO it should have been higher), once it gets Steam release it will get recognition it deserves. DE on the first place is a disgrace but that was to be expected. TOW being so low on the other hand is an exaggeration and its relatively high average score better illustrates how good (bad) the game is.

So why is Operencia on the list given that it isn't coming out until 2020?

It's been out on Epic for quite a while (plus on Xbox) and for steamtards there always was a pirate bay option.

 

[V_K]

Yes, but it takes half the game to get there.
I'm no storyfag by any means, but the biggest criticism I have of Underrail is that the first few main quests feel very arbitrary, with no overarching direction.

I can get arbitrary, but care to elaborate the no overarching direction part? Because all I see is one giant ride to Deep Caverns from post-Junkyard to finish.

I mean the part of the game before Rail Crossing. Calling it half the game is an exaggeration, but it does take an ungodly amount of hours to get to where the plot really starts.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

inb4 chatlogs are released showing Infinitron skewed the data purposefully to cause codex drama

 

[AwesomeButton]

Hate-voting Disco Elysium after hardly batting an eyelid at Witcher 3 shows you the current state of the Codex like nothing else could.

Edit: I almost forgot, that Obsidian game? It turned out to be shit, despite the best shilling efforts of select fanboys and Infinitron.

 

[Black Angel]

Yes, but it takes half the game to get there.
I'm no storyfag by any means, but the biggest criticism I have of Underrail is that the first few main quests feel very arbitrary, with no overarching direction.

I can get arbitrary, but care to elaborate the no overarching direction part? Because all I see is one giant ride to Deep Caverns from post-Junkyard to finish.

I mean the part of the game before Rail Crossing. Calling it half the game is an exaggeration, but it does take an ungodly amount of hours to get to where the plot really starts.

But the plot *really* starts after Junkyard. Rail Crossing is actually a side-content that happened to be 'in the way' to the main quests, and you could literally solve their Faceless problems (which tied directly to the main quest, too) and then ignore them entirely after that.

The only reason why it took 'ungodly' amount of hours to finish Junkyard is to give you any reason at all to care about SGS and/or to let new players learn the rope with the game, and also because Junkyard act as a litmus test to character builds.

 

[Arthandas]

Game of the Year
1st - Disco Elysium
2nd - Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
3rd - Slay the Spire

 

[Verylittlefishes]

that Obsidian game? It turned out to be shit, despite the best shilling efforts of select fanboys and Infinitron.

unfair it haz so muh combat best rpg ever

 

[Nifft Batuff]

Even my cat is an RPG.

 

[Van-d-all]

Wasn't BL always perceived as FPS with RPG elements tacked on?

Yeah, but the game never pretended to be anything more than a synthesis between and FPS and hack-and-slash. There was no great expectation to fulfill, no nostalgic hype surrounding the franchise, no classic RPG heritage etc. I can imagine how it would not capture the Codex's interest, but there's no reason for it to sustain the same level of vitriol as something like Fallout 4.

An AAA FPS popamole title hailed by media & normies as RPG sparking the ire of codex? Yeah, a real first.

 

[Alpan]

An AAA FPS popamole title hailed by media & normies as RPG sparking the ire of codex? Yeah, a real first.

Codex doesn't really give a shit about popamoles unless the popamole runs on the popularity of a beloved, established franchise. Borderlands 2 is not Fallout 4 nor Diablo III, and I don't see the point in arguing otherwise.

 

[Skdursh]

Results are bullshit because Felipepe refused to add many games and instead focused on weeb trash. This isn't the Codex's GOTY, it's Felipepe's. #NotMyCODEX

 

[Daedalos]

A well deserved win for Disco Elysium. Congratulations to the devs. You made a fine game, and with hard work.

I salute you, and hope to see more from you.



And to all the haters.... LOL

 

[SausageInYourFace]

I am on Codex every day, I didn't play the visual novel and I am unfamiliar with the games in second and third place. Really makes you think.

 

[agentorange]

Remember, in 2015 the Codex choose Underrail.

This is the revenge.

The revenge of the Storybros.

As if any of the faggots who like DE were able to complete AoD a sufficient enough times to see the majority of the story content. First combat encounter and they'd be rolling around on the floor peeing and pooping themselves in fury. What the heck I made an intelligence focused character but can't rely on using super intellectual and witty one-liners to talk my way out of combat with these mercenaries? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO STOP BASHING MY HEAD IN NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YOU CANT DO THAAAAAAAATT!! *opens up cheatengine and gives themselves max stats in everything to make the game into a visual novel* Ugh, what the hell is with this simple and direct writing, where are all the references to modern political parties and internet sub-cultures? Where's all the detached irony, the self-referential masturbatory fourth wall breaking? How am I supposed to feel smart and superior reading any of this stuff?

 

[Lady_Error]

Now that the poll is complete and the planets have aligned, I can do this:

LOL at Disco getting the same percentage of positive votes as Deadfire.

Which only confirms that Dedfire is a decent game. It's up there in the "new classics" crowd.

 

[Sailor Woedica]

Remember, in 2015 the Codex choose Underrail.

This is the revenge.

The revenge of the Storybros.

As if any of the faggots who like DE were able to complete AoD a sufficient enough times to see the majority of the story content. First combat encounter and they'd be rolling around on the floor peeing and pooping themselves in fury. What the heck I made an intelligence focused character but can't rely on using super intellectual and witty one-liners to talk my way out of combat with these mercenaries? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO STOP BASHING MY HEAD IN NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YOU CANT DO THAAAAAAAATT!! *opens up cheatengine and gives themselves max stats in everything to make the game into a visual novel* Ugh, what the hell is with this simple and direct writing, where are all the references to modern political parties and internet sub-cultures? Where's all the detached irony, the self-referential masturbatory fourth wall breaking? How am I supposed to feel smart and superior reading any of this stuff?

 

[Shadenuat]

As if any of the faggots who like DE were able to complete AoD a sufficient enough times to see the majority of the story content

no 200 kills cause it was reworked/appeared later.

 

[V_K]

Now that the poll is complete and the planets have aligned, I can do this:

LOL at Disco getting the same percentage of positive votes as Deadfire.

Which only confirms that Dedfire is a decent game. It's up there in the "new classics" crowd.

It has decent exploration but its combat and character system is so painfully boring that it justifies playing it on story mode... which, come to think of it, kinda does make it the same genre as Disco.

 

[Konjad]

Release IPs who voted on what.

I will hunt down each one of you who voted on The Outer Worlds higher than 2/4.

That said, results were expected.

 

[Joni Odin von Hassenstein]

Didn't vote, since as of yet I've only played Greedfall from 2019.
I'd probably have given it a 3/5.
But since I have Stygian and Disco Elysium in my possession and plan on getting The Outer Worlds and maybe Element: Space, I thought it would be dumb to vote despite not really having played any of those yet.

 

[ScrotumBroth]

As if any of the faggots who like DE were able to complete AoD a sufficient enough times to see the majority of the story content.

 

[Fishy]

The % played is striking. Whether people liked it or not, DE is the only one which had enough appeal to get people to actually play it. I'm amazed at how few have played Slay the Spire, I assumed it had a far bigger player base due to being good and decently priced.

 

[Abu Antar]

Apology accepted, felipepepe

Scarlet Grace got its mention. Play it people. It's a very good JRPG. You could do a lot worse.

 

[V_K]

Scarlet Grace got its mention. Play it people. It's a very good JRPG. You could do a lot worse.

What's good about it?

 

[Open Path]

Well, all games have a story, except maybe super abstract stuff like Tetris. Doesn't mean it's elaborate

There are plenty, thousands of video games with no story at all. Vast majority of games of any genre in the first years and since then most strategy games, sport, simulators, "social", etc.

In regard crpgs, Darklands, Mount & Blade, Kenshi, Neo-Scavenger or most rogue-likes have no fixed narrative at all. Additionally there are some games with some sort of fixed story, but the limited sense of urgency -even Fallout time limit is not enough-, the amount and quality of non story-based content and the open exploration stimulate players to enjoy that secondary content as equal or more relevant for their experience than story.

Ahh to have a good exploration you need a good story/mystery to solve. You don't just explore to find a bunch of mushrooms or some ammo. The game have really good setting that evokes the player's inner curiosity.

Exploration don't depends on story at all. In most cases good exploration is achieved besides or despite that story. In the few cases in which good exploration is linked with some narrative, is not the story itself what makes exploration good. There are even some examples of good exploration in games with no story, as the aforementioned case fo Kenshi. Also "setting" and "mistery" are not the same as story -again with Kenshi example, very good setting and many misteries with no story-.

What makes a good exploration? Mostly three perspectives, in order of relevance:

1. Good exploration specific mechanics: movement, locations search, survival and travel options.

2. Good level/world design: rewarding loot, secrets, hidden rooms, traps, content only reachable with some specific tool or mechanic, etc-.

3. Good worldbuilding: detailed, unique, diverse or intriguing locations/enemies/objects.

Only first two points guarantee a good exploration. Games with poor worldbuilding but great level design and mechanics -many blobbers and other dungeon crawlers- can have a great exploration, while games with good worldbuilding but shitty mechanics and "level" design -The Witcher 3 or Skyrim- kill exploration with quest markers, witcher senses, world leveling or enemy-loot placing and reusing.