It’s that time again! As we approach the end of the year, it turns into the time when everyone is giving their “Game of the Year” award out to something that they love. Some go as far as to give you a Top 10 game they loved this year, others might even throw in some awards for things they hated in gaming just to strike a balance. Well here at The Outerhaven, or at minimum myself, I prefer to give out weirdly named awards to both sides of the fence just to keep us above and beyond those other sides… And the totally corrupt “The Game Awards” web show hosted by Lord Dorito Pope himself… I’m here to be a real reviewer, not a paid corpo shill.
Please note that all of the awards given here are based on personal opinion, something that seems to upset people these days, so if you get offended… Tough shit, grow up.
Anyway, on with the awards, which are listed in a nice and simple slideshow format for you all to enjoy.
The "Hidden Indie Darling" Award
Winner: WrestleQuest
Game Review link: WrestleQuest Review
WrestleQuest the wrestling-based RPG really did come out of nowhere in 2023. There were rumblings about this little indie game by Skybound Games in wrestling fan circles, where we heard something about this game being a tribute to wrestling legend "Macho Man" Randy Savage and it sounded cool. Then out of nowhere many other legendary wrestlers, or their families in some cases, were signing on to be in the game, giving things a lot more hype. While not well known in the gaming realms, wrestling fans were given a story about 2 very different people trying to make their way into wrestling legends themselves, with hundreds of hours of gameplay to be had.
Winner: WrestleQuest
Game Review link: WrestleQuest Review
WrestleQuest the wrestling-based RPG really did come out of nowhere in 2023. There were rumblings about this little indie game by Skybound Games in wrestling fan circles, where we heard something about this game being a tribute to wrestling legend "Macho Man" Randy Savage and it sounded cool. Then out of nowhere many other legendary wrestlers, or their families in some cases, were signing on to be in the game, giving things a lot more hype. While not well known in the gaming realms, wrestling fans were given a story about 2 very different people trying to make their way into wrestling legends themselves, with hundreds of hours of gameplay to be had.
The "Don't Play This in Front of Friends or Family" Award
Winner: Atomic Heart
Atomic Heart might sound like your average first-person shooter set in Russia, but there are some parts of the game that you might want to play alone if you do not want questions from your parents or other family members. One of the major things to happen in the game involves a couple of suggestive-looking robot "sisters" who are assistants to the big bad guy of the game. During one cutscene, there is a very suggestive sequence involving the two performing a dance where they... well, let's just say YouTube exists and you can find the rest there.
While Atomic Heart is a very good game in its own right and is something that you should play if you have the time, you just might want to keep the volume down and check around you before you see these two. Sure, it's not "hardcore porn" levels, but yeah, even after seeing these two with my own eyes, I wouldn't recommend playing this around anyone who doesn't understand that sometimes, storytelling in games is pushing some boundaries of "good taste".
Winner: Atomic Heart
Atomic Heart might sound like your average first-person shooter set in Russia, but there are some parts of the game that you might want to play alone if you do not want questions from your parents or other family members. One of the major things to happen in the game involves a couple of suggestive-looking robot "sisters" who are assistants to the big bad guy of the game. During one cutscene, there is a very suggestive sequence involving the two performing a dance where they... well, let's just say YouTube exists and you can find the rest there.
While Atomic Heart is a very good game in its own right and is something that you should play if you have the time, you just might want to keep the volume down and check around you before you see these two. Sure, it's not "hardcore porn" levels, but yeah, even after seeing these two with my own eyes, I wouldn't recommend playing this around anyone who doesn't understand that sometimes, storytelling in games is pushing some boundaries of "good taste".
The "Game That Needed More Time to Bake" Award
Winner: Marvel Spider-Man 2
Game Review link: Marvel Spider-Man 2 Review
How the mighty have fallen. Insomniac Games did so well with Marvel Spider-Man and Marvel Spider-Man: Miles Morales, both being 5-star games that people, including myself, were gushing about for ages. Then we got the announcement for Marvel Spider-Man 2, not only teaming the two Spider-Men up for the first time in a game but also including fan-favorite villain/anti-villain Venom after teasing him in the previous two games. To say that the hype for this game was at insane levels is an understatement. There were even fights inside The Outerhaven as to who was going to get the right to review the game at release (No Press copy... Boo Sony!).
Once the game was released, people were greeted with a half-assed production of a game that very few were going to call out in fear of losing Sony/PlayStation as a client. Marvel Spider-Man 2 was released with a LOT of bugs, ranging from characters who were locked into one location being able to break barriers and go into the overworld area (Hayley & Venom); characters being able to drop below the world to discover unused areas... From the same location that was broken, then fixed, in previous games; the whole "white block" saga where costumes didn't load correctly; and so many other bugs that any YouTube search can show you, many of which are still not fixed today.
Then there was the revelation, something I pointed out in my review btw, of this possibly being Peter Parker's final outing as Spider-Man in the Insomniac games. I felt this when playing Marvel Spider-Man 2, and pointed out to the point people laughed at me... Well, I'm the one laughing now. Overall, while Marvel Spider-Man 2 is a good game for the most part, this was a step down from Insomniac, something that could have been fixed if they delayed the game a couple more months and launched closer to Christmas instead of a packed September.
Winner: Marvel Spider-Man 2
Game Review link: Marvel Spider-Man 2 Review
How the mighty have fallen. Insomniac Games did so well with Marvel Spider-Man and Marvel Spider-Man: Miles Morales, both being 5-star games that people, including myself, were gushing about for ages. Then we got the announcement for Marvel Spider-Man 2, not only teaming the two Spider-Men up for the first time in a game but also including fan-favorite villain/anti-villain Venom after teasing him in the previous two games. To say that the hype for this game was at insane levels is an understatement. There were even fights inside The Outerhaven as to who was going to get the right to review the game at release (No Press copy... Boo Sony!).
Once the game was released, people were greeted with a half-assed production of a game that very few were going to call out in fear of losing Sony/PlayStation as a client. Marvel Spider-Man 2 was released with a LOT of bugs, ranging from characters who were locked into one location being able to break barriers and go into the overworld area (Hayley & Venom); characters being able to drop below the world to discover unused areas... From the same location that was broken, then fixed, in previous games; the whole "white block" saga where costumes didn't load correctly; and so many other bugs that any YouTube search can show you, many of which are still not fixed today.
Then there was the revelation, something I pointed out in my review btw, of this possibly being Peter Parker's final outing as Spider-Man in the Insomniac games. I felt this when playing Marvel Spider-Man 2, and pointed out to the point people laughed at me... Well, I'm the one laughing now. Overall, while Marvel Spider-Man 2 is a good game for the most part, this was a step down from Insomniac, something that could have been fixed if they delayed the game a couple more months and launched closer to Christmas instead of a packed September.
The "Worst Microtransactioned Game" Award
Winner: Street Fighter 6
Game Review link: Street Fighter 6 Review
JESUS CHRIST ON A MOTORBIKE! Talk about doing a really bad 180-degree heel turn. Street Fighter 6 released with a great story mode, some cool new characters mixed with previous characters, a decent and expected Season Pass content package (One of many I'm sure), a new control scheme that was beginner-friendly, a huge improvement in the online system (No Oceanic servers though), and enough changes to gameplay to keep the Fighting Game Community heading to EVO and the CAPCOM Cup for years to come... Then they screwed everyone over with horribly overpriced DLC packages, starting with a Crossover with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... At USD$60 for all 4 costumes, the cost of a Season Pass is something to be worried about since the costumes were only available as Avatars in the Battle Hub and nothing else. Given Australian inflation prices making the same package over AUD$100, I saw this as nothing but a rip off from CAPCOM, a company that seems to do good with one game (Resident Evil 4 remake's DLC was only USD$10) but will rip you off with another (Street Fighter 6). When you can make Mortal Kombat 1 look good with its horrible microtransactions, then you know you've fucked up.
Winner: Street Fighter 6
Game Review link: Street Fighter 6 Review
JESUS CHRIST ON A MOTORBIKE! Talk about doing a really bad 180-degree heel turn. Street Fighter 6 released with a great story mode, some cool new characters mixed with previous characters, a decent and expected Season Pass content package (One of many I'm sure), a new control scheme that was beginner-friendly, a huge improvement in the online system (No Oceanic servers though), and enough changes to gameplay to keep the Fighting Game Community heading to EVO and the CAPCOM Cup for years to come... Then they screwed everyone over with horribly overpriced DLC packages, starting with a Crossover with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... At USD$60 for all 4 costumes, the cost of a Season Pass is something to be worried about since the costumes were only available as Avatars in the Battle Hub and nothing else. Given Australian inflation prices making the same package over AUD$100, I saw this as nothing but a rip off from CAPCOM, a company that seems to do good with one game (Resident Evil 4 remake's DLC was only USD$10) but will rip you off with another (Street Fighter 6). When you can make Mortal Kombat 1 look good with its horrible microtransactions, then you know you've fucked up.
The "Best Chill Session Game" Award
Winner: Fortnite: OG Season
What would you say if I told you the most rewarding and chill game I've played multiple times this year has been Fortnite? Even more so, what would you say if I told you that a return to Chapter 4, Season 1 was the best thing that Fortnite has done in a long time? I'm sure you'd think I was crazy, but I'm not. Fortnite OG season in November was one of the most chill and fun times I've had with a game all year.
Almost nightly, with some sessions being streamed on my Twitch channel (Follow the channel, come on by and chat with me and others!) with my friends TJ, Matty, and Bees; we've had a great time with this limited season. There has been nothing like TJ and I running dual Bolt-Action Sniper Rifles and hitting the same target at the same time, getting a guaranteed knockdown from over 200 yards away. The return to the older map style really makes you work for your wins, with our group running on average something between 5th and 2nd, with the odd Victory Royale happening when things come together. Even if we lose, we don't get angry because of some high-ground advantage or over-balanced meta weapon, we just hit "Ready Up" and jump into another game, using tactics and knowledge to help us win games.
If Epic Games did more things like this between Chapters/Seasons, we'd be really happy to revisit old maps, play the original style of Fortnite, and spend some VBucks at the same time.
Winner: Fortnite: OG Season
What would you say if I told you the most rewarding and chill game I've played multiple times this year has been Fortnite? Even more so, what would you say if I told you that a return to Chapter 4, Season 1 was the best thing that Fortnite has done in a long time? I'm sure you'd think I was crazy, but I'm not. Fortnite OG season in November was one of the most chill and fun times I've had with a game all year.
Almost nightly, with some sessions being streamed on my Twitch channel (Follow the channel, come on by and chat with me and others!) with my friends TJ, Matty, and Bees; we've had a great time with this limited season. There has been nothing like TJ and I running dual Bolt-Action Sniper Rifles and hitting the same target at the same time, getting a guaranteed knockdown from over 200 yards away. The return to the older map style really makes you work for your wins, with our group running on average something between 5th and 2nd, with the odd Victory Royale happening when things come together. Even if we lose, we don't get angry because of some high-ground advantage or over-balanced meta weapon, we just hit "Ready Up" and jump into another game, using tactics and knowledge to help us win games.
If Epic Games did more things like this between Chapters/Seasons, we'd be really happy to revisit old maps, play the original style of Fortnite, and spend some VBucks at the same time.
The "Controversy Creates Cash" Award
Winner: Hogwarts Legacy
Game Review link: Hogwarts Legacy Review
Yep, we're going to talk about the "forbidden one" and her creation. Hogwarts Legacy, the game based in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe got a lot of negative press from most mainstream media outlets due to Rowling's comments that she made on social media that I will not mention here. It seems that people's inability it separate the creation from the creator creates more storms for the Harry Potter franchise more than any other in pop culture, and Hogwarts Legacy is no exception.
Warner Bros Games, the publisher of Hogwarts Legacy and owners of the Harry Potter media rights for film, TV shows, and video games, has stated that Rowling has no input on Hogwarts Legacy at all as a way to distance themselves from Rowling and her non-socially accepted comments; however, as the owner of the Harry Potter/Wizarding World franchise Rowling is entitled to a percentage of the profits from the game. Just knowing this was enough for people, mostly those outraged personalities on social media, to call for a boycott of Hogwarts Legacy... Which backfired in a huge way.
While it's not 100% confirmed that the "right-wing", "conservative", and "anti-woke" communities on YouTube and Twitter pushing for people to buy Hogwarts Legacy just to upset the "progressives" is the main reason for the game selling $850 million in global sales revenue in the first two weeks of launch, leading to a total of over $1 billion, and 15 million copies were sold globally as of 5 May 2023. To say that Hogwarts Legacy was a hit is very understated, and still is because of the connection to the creation of someone who is not in the approval of specific people on social media. But Hogwarts Legacy proves that sometimes even the most controversial topics can make someone, or in the case of Hogwarts Legacy, something a lot of money.
Winner: Hogwarts Legacy
Game Review link: Hogwarts Legacy Review
Yep, we're going to talk about the "forbidden one" and her creation. Hogwarts Legacy, the game based in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe got a lot of negative press from most mainstream media outlets due to Rowling's comments that she made on social media that I will not mention here. It seems that people's inability it separate the creation from the creator creates more storms for the Harry Potter franchise more than any other in pop culture, and Hogwarts Legacy is no exception.
Warner Bros Games, the publisher of Hogwarts Legacy and owners of the Harry Potter media rights for film, TV shows, and video games, has stated that Rowling has no input on Hogwarts Legacy at all as a way to distance themselves from Rowling and her non-socially accepted comments; however, as the owner of the Harry Potter/Wizarding World franchise Rowling is entitled to a percentage of the profits from the game. Just knowing this was enough for people, mostly those outraged personalities on social media, to call for a boycott of Hogwarts Legacy... Which backfired in a huge way.
While it's not 100% confirmed that the "right-wing", "conservative", and "anti-woke" communities on YouTube and Twitter pushing for people to buy Hogwarts Legacy just to upset the "progressives" is the main reason for the game selling $850 million in global sales revenue in the first two weeks of launch, leading to a total of over $1 billion, and 15 million copies were sold globally as of 5 May 2023. To say that Hogwarts Legacy was a hit is very understated, and still is because of the connection to the creation of someone who is not in the approval of specific people on social media. But Hogwarts Legacy proves that sometimes even the most controversial topics can make someone, or in the case of Hogwarts Legacy, something a lot of money.
The "Worst Cash Grab" Award
Winner: Mortal Kombat 1
Game Review link: Mortal Kombat 1 Review
Again, the downfall of the mighty duo of fighting games (See "The Worst Microtransactioned Game Award") continues with Mortal Kombat 1 and Warner Bros Game's stupid insistence on pushing their games as a live-action-service game. While not officially called one, it looks like Mortal Kombat 1 is the first in an upcoming line of live-action-service games. People noticed this when a Halloween-related fatality was added to the game's shop for USD$10... Let that sink in, one fatality for $10. This is on top of $70 for the base game, or $110 if you bought the Premium Edition, and other unlocks like an OG Mortal Kombat skin pack, the Havok unlock (Something you can get for free by playing the game's story mode, not that they tell you that anywhere), and other "seasonal" packs that are going to be rotating through the shop in the months to come.
People are too used to piecemeal games at this point, and companies know it. A lot of AAA publishers like Warner Bros Games know how used to this people are and now they are looking to pull as much money out of our pockets as possible. Gone are the days of getting a full game at release are gone. We pay for early access, we pay for online, we pay for skins and unlocks, we pay for everything. However, people are starting to wake up. Sure, it took a worldwide global cost of living crisis for most people to notice the greed of publishers and to start fighting back, but it caused publishers to push back harder, keeping more from customers until we pay. I hope that pointing out things like this more in the future will bring things back to what they used to be, where gamers get value without publishers ripping gamers off and striking a balance between value and covering costs.
Winner: Mortal Kombat 1
Game Review link: Mortal Kombat 1 Review
Again, the downfall of the mighty duo of fighting games (See "The Worst Microtransactioned Game Award") continues with Mortal Kombat 1 and Warner Bros Game's stupid insistence on pushing their games as a live-action-service game. While not officially called one, it looks like Mortal Kombat 1 is the first in an upcoming line of live-action-service games. People noticed this when a Halloween-related fatality was added to the game's shop for USD$10... Let that sink in, one fatality for $10. This is on top of $70 for the base game, or $110 if you bought the Premium Edition, and other unlocks like an OG Mortal Kombat skin pack, the Havok unlock (Something you can get for free by playing the game's story mode, not that they tell you that anywhere), and other "seasonal" packs that are going to be rotating through the shop in the months to come.
People are too used to piecemeal games at this point, and companies know it. A lot of AAA publishers like Warner Bros Games know how used to this people are and now they are looking to pull as much money out of our pockets as possible. Gone are the days of getting a full game at release are gone. We pay for early access, we pay for online, we pay for skins and unlocks, we pay for everything. However, people are starting to wake up. Sure, it took a worldwide global cost of living crisis for most people to notice the greed of publishers and to start fighting back, but it caused publishers to push back harder, keeping more from customers until we pay. I hope that pointing out things like this more in the future will bring things back to what they used to be, where gamers get value without publishers ripping gamers off and striking a balance between value and covering costs.
The "Biggest Disappointing Step Backwards" Award
Winner: WWE 2K23
Game Review link: WWE 2K23 Review
Following in the footsteps of the WWE TV product, WWE 2K23 is a game that really shows that little to no effort is put forward into a game and just relying on the longevity of the brand, or the value of the brand itself, to carry sales is something that both WWE and 2K Games relies on way too much. After Yukes walked away from WWE after WWE 2K19 in order to make AEW Fight Forever, leaving 2K Games to build the game from scratch resulting in the horrible WWE 2K20 and a year away from WWE games before releasing the somewhat good WWE 2K22. From here things started to fall in line with the standard 2K Games formula.
WWE 2K23 is nothing more than a glorified roster update with a ton of microtransactions added into the game. The focus on MyFaction where you are pushed to buy card packs in order to unlock costumes for wrestlers and play that mode is front and center in the game, with a notification every time you start the game updating you on what new MyFaction things are available. While I was used to buying the highest edition of WWE games each year, complete with their 4 DLC packs, I always thought there was value in them. With WWE 2K23, the value no longer felt like it was there. The gameplay was the same, I no longer cared about Showcase mode (Since it was Cena during his peak, even with the "you can rewrite history" angle, it's not appealing), and I don't play online since I canceled PlayStation Plus over a year ago.
Even the much-prized Community Creations mode/section has gone downhill. With Patch 1.21, 2K Games has cracked down on creators doing "modded content" which uses hidden character models, MyFaction exclusive models, theme music changes, or even content from other wrestling companies or media. All of this is blocked as of Patch 1.21, leaving people with no alternative to access content without paying through the nose for it in these modes 2K Games has been designed to turn WWE games into a microtransaction mess.
If this is the future of WWE games then there is no longer any reason for me to buy WWE games going forward, and since I have owned every WWE game since WWF Warzone on PSX, it's a shame for me to be walking away from the game series much like I walked away from the TV shows 4 years ago.
Winner: WWE 2K23
Game Review link: WWE 2K23 Review
Following in the footsteps of the WWE TV product, WWE 2K23 is a game that really shows that little to no effort is put forward into a game and just relying on the longevity of the brand, or the value of the brand itself, to carry sales is something that both WWE and 2K Games relies on way too much. After Yukes walked away from WWE after WWE 2K19 in order to make AEW Fight Forever, leaving 2K Games to build the game from scratch resulting in the horrible WWE 2K20 and a year away from WWE games before releasing the somewhat good WWE 2K22. From here things started to fall in line with the standard 2K Games formula.
WWE 2K23 is nothing more than a glorified roster update with a ton of microtransactions added into the game. The focus on MyFaction where you are pushed to buy card packs in order to unlock costumes for wrestlers and play that mode is front and center in the game, with a notification every time you start the game updating you on what new MyFaction things are available. While I was used to buying the highest edition of WWE games each year, complete with their 4 DLC packs, I always thought there was value in them. With WWE 2K23, the value no longer felt like it was there. The gameplay was the same, I no longer cared about Showcase mode (Since it was Cena during his peak, even with the "you can rewrite history" angle, it's not appealing), and I don't play online since I canceled PlayStation Plus over a year ago.
Even the much-prized Community Creations mode/section has gone downhill. With Patch 1.21, 2K Games has cracked down on creators doing "modded content" which uses hidden character models, MyFaction exclusive models, theme music changes, or even content from other wrestling companies or media. All of this is blocked as of Patch 1.21, leaving people with no alternative to access content without paying through the nose for it in these modes 2K Games has been designed to turn WWE games into a microtransaction mess.
If this is the future of WWE games then there is no longer any reason for me to buy WWE games going forward, and since I have owned every WWE game since WWF Warzone on PSX, it's a shame for me to be walking away from the game series much like I walked away from the TV shows 4 years ago.
The "They'll Never Learn From Their Mistakes" Award
Winner: NBA 2K24
Game Review link: NBA 2K24 Review
When it comes to games that will not learn from their mistakes, you can be thankful that sports games will always be there to take the top spot. Games like Madden, FIFA, and our winner NBA 2K24. Why are they even up for this award? Well, it comes from the fact that while these games are actually really good gameplay-wise, with multiple ways to play the game both online and offline, we know all about the extremely predatory microtransactions designed to take as much money from our wallets as possible. NBA 2K24 in particular really got my goat this year with just how many items were in the shop all designed to be bought with VC, the main paid currency of the game. Sure, you can grind them out, but the chances of getting something cool without spending YEARS grinding the game out is impossible, this forces you to spend money just to fit in and be cool.
I know I've spent a few awards speaking about the evils of microtransactions, but when just about every game has had some sort of "live service game" integration, the more I think players are not getting the point that we're paying more for less content than ever before. Game prices are going up, DLC prices are going up, and there are more forced microtransactions than ever before at a time when people are having trouble putting food on the table. In the one thing that is meant to be an escape from all the horrible things we are forced to buy, why is our entertainment becoming worse than ever before?
Winner: NBA 2K24
Game Review link: NBA 2K24 Review
When it comes to games that will not learn from their mistakes, you can be thankful that sports games will always be there to take the top spot. Games like Madden, FIFA, and our winner NBA 2K24. Why are they even up for this award? Well, it comes from the fact that while these games are actually really good gameplay-wise, with multiple ways to play the game both online and offline, we know all about the extremely predatory microtransactions designed to take as much money from our wallets as possible. NBA 2K24 in particular really got my goat this year with just how many items were in the shop all designed to be bought with VC, the main paid currency of the game. Sure, you can grind them out, but the chances of getting something cool without spending YEARS grinding the game out is impossible, this forces you to spend money just to fit in and be cool.
I know I've spent a few awards speaking about the evils of microtransactions, but when just about every game has had some sort of "live service game" integration, the more I think players are not getting the point that we're paying more for less content than ever before. Game prices are going up, DLC prices are going up, and there are more forced microtransactions than ever before at a time when people are having trouble putting food on the table. In the one thing that is meant to be an escape from all the horrible things we are forced to buy, why is our entertainment becoming worse than ever before?
The "Biggest Regret in Buying" Award
Winner: AEW: Fight Forever
Game Review link: AEW: Fight Forever Review
After waiting years for All Elite Wrestling's first attempt in the wrestling video game landscape, we got something that was so underwhelming, proving that after decades of wrestling fans wanting a return of the Nintendo 64-style No Mercy gameplay and engine they really didn't want it. So many fans going around saying that they wanted an older style, an easier style, a more arcade-style... They all complained about AEW Fight Forever being old and outdated compared to modern wrestling video games, and I agree with them.
Fight Forever didn't have even half the roster that AEW has, there weren't many women on the roster, the game types were limited and boring, we had mini-games that made no sense, and a story mode that wasn't even worth completing. Even with the DLC pack things didn't even really improve. We still had other wrestlers locked behind preorders that never appeared in the store, so people had an incomplete game, and the whole Stadium Stampede mode arrived so late that the online battle royale mode was dead on arrival.
I don't want to see AEW become a WWE clone when it comes to its video games, but maybe they can copy something better than WWF No Mercy... Like WWE Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain maybe?
Winner: AEW: Fight Forever
Game Review link: AEW: Fight Forever Review
After waiting years for All Elite Wrestling's first attempt in the wrestling video game landscape, we got something that was so underwhelming, proving that after decades of wrestling fans wanting a return of the Nintendo 64-style No Mercy gameplay and engine they really didn't want it. So many fans going around saying that they wanted an older style, an easier style, a more arcade-style... They all complained about AEW Fight Forever being old and outdated compared to modern wrestling video games, and I agree with them.
Fight Forever didn't have even half the roster that AEW has, there weren't many women on the roster, the game types were limited and boring, we had mini-games that made no sense, and a story mode that wasn't even worth completing. Even with the DLC pack things didn't even really improve. We still had other wrestlers locked behind preorders that never appeared in the store, so people had an incomplete game, and the whole Stadium Stampede mode arrived so late that the online battle royale mode was dead on arrival.
I don't want to see AEW become a WWE clone when it comes to its video games, but maybe they can copy something better than WWF No Mercy... Like WWE Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain maybe?
The "I'm annoyed I haven't Played This Game Yet" Award
Winner: Alan Wake 2
Ok, I don't really know too much about Alan Wake 2, however, I've got that many people who have been talking about it on and on, all saying I should play it and that it's become one of those FOMO games. From people inside The Outerhaven praising it (Though why we have no review is weird), to friends of mine who are into gaming, and those who don't even play Horror games, I'm getting bombarded with talk about the game in a non-spoiler style that I really need to find a spare $100 to buy this damn game and play it already!
Winner: Alan Wake 2
Ok, I don't really know too much about Alan Wake 2, however, I've got that many people who have been talking about it on and on, all saying I should play it and that it's become one of those FOMO games. From people inside The Outerhaven praising it (Though why we have no review is weird), to friends of mine who are into gaming, and those who don't even play Horror games, I'm getting bombarded with talk about the game in a non-spoiler style that I really need to find a spare $100 to buy this damn game and play it already!
The "Why Did You Release This Trash" Award
Winner: Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol. 1
Game Review link: Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol. 1 Review
If there was one thing I noticed more than anything this year it was that companies are getting lazy when it comes to putting out collections of older games on modern consoles. Things started out really well in this craze with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cowabunga Collection giving us a HUGE love letter to the TMNT fanbase and the games in general. However, since then other companies have jumped onto this craze and started putting out their own collections of other beloved franchises. Wonder Boy, Mega Man Battle Network, Lara Croft, Borderlands, Jurassic Park, and Double Dragon were some of the great franchises brought out during this year and most of them were okay depending on who was doing the collection.
The biggest one that got people excited was Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1, a title that would bring back one of the greatest stealth games ever made for modern consoles... However, Konami was the one who was directly involved with the collection and you could tell that the management at Konami hasn't forgiven Hideo Kojima for whatever caused the split between them as Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 is nothing short of the worst cash grab I've seen this year (Though Naughty Dog/Sony could have taken this with their announcement of a remaster of The Last of Us Part 2) by providing a badly emulated version of Metal Gear Solid alongside the PS3 HD ports of Metal Gear Solid 2 & Metal Gear Solid 3. We got no extras, no quality of life enhancements, not even unlockable extra versions of MGS2 & MGS3 (or even Twin Snakes), nothing!
To say that Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 is a huge disappointment, bordering on insulting, to fans of the Metal Gear franchise is an understatement. People were complaining about the bad ports from day one and have not stopped since. Konami is not bothering with patches in order to fix the issues as they just don't care. Remember this is a company that stopped making video games in order to turn all their greatest franchises into Pachinko machines. Anyone who has played Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 are now worried that this might inspire Konami to release a Silent Hill collection in the same lazy manner... I hope they don't as Silent Hill is one of my favorite horror franchises outside Resident Evil.
Winner: Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol. 1
Game Review link: Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol. 1 Review
If there was one thing I noticed more than anything this year it was that companies are getting lazy when it comes to putting out collections of older games on modern consoles. Things started out really well in this craze with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cowabunga Collection giving us a HUGE love letter to the TMNT fanbase and the games in general. However, since then other companies have jumped onto this craze and started putting out their own collections of other beloved franchises. Wonder Boy, Mega Man Battle Network, Lara Croft, Borderlands, Jurassic Park, and Double Dragon were some of the great franchises brought out during this year and most of them were okay depending on who was doing the collection.
The biggest one that got people excited was Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1, a title that would bring back one of the greatest stealth games ever made for modern consoles... However, Konami was the one who was directly involved with the collection and you could tell that the management at Konami hasn't forgiven Hideo Kojima for whatever caused the split between them as Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 is nothing short of the worst cash grab I've seen this year (Though Naughty Dog/Sony could have taken this with their announcement of a remaster of The Last of Us Part 2) by providing a badly emulated version of Metal Gear Solid alongside the PS3 HD ports of Metal Gear Solid 2 & Metal Gear Solid 3. We got no extras, no quality of life enhancements, not even unlockable extra versions of MGS2 & MGS3 (or even Twin Snakes), nothing!
To say that Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 is a huge disappointment, bordering on insulting, to fans of the Metal Gear franchise is an understatement. People were complaining about the bad ports from day one and have not stopped since. Konami is not bothering with patches in order to fix the issues as they just don't care. Remember this is a company that stopped making video games in order to turn all their greatest franchises into Pachinko machines. Anyone who has played Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 are now worried that this might inspire Konami to release a Silent Hill collection in the same lazy manner... I hope they don't as Silent Hill is one of my favorite horror franchises outside Resident Evil.
The "The 180 in Opinion" Award
Winner: Resident Evil 4 Remake
Game Review link: Resident Evil 4 Remake Review
As many people would know if they are constant visitors to The Outerhaven, it's that I am a huge fan of Resident Evil. While most of the time I'm very positive about the franchise, giving everything that comes out recently some form of lavish praise; there are times where I will say something that the rest of the Resident Evil fanbase would consider controversial. For example, I still do not think that Resident Evil VII is an actual Resident Evil game, but more a horror VR experience that CAPCOM slapped the Resident Evil name onto in order to sell units. The other thing that still gets the Resident Evil fanbase a bit heated is the fact that I HATE the much-loved Resident Evil 4. I hate the game so much that I dedicated a whole article as to why remaking it was a bad idea... Boy did CAPCOM prove me wrong on that one.
When CAPCOM announced that they were going the remake route with Resident Evil 4 instead of the next game in the release timeline, Code Veronica (Can we finally get this please?), I was pretty pissed off. Since Resident Evil 4 is one of the most ported versions of the game in the franchise, even getting a VR edition just before the announcement of the remake, it really didn't make sense. Yet once the remake was released, I understood why CAPCOM would go for this game. Of course, there was the obvious reason for wanting to make boatloads of money with the most fan-loved game, but when it comes to the changes made in the game everything just works.
Yes, CAPCOM was able to change my opinion of Resident Evil 4 with the remake. To play the remake is to understand how much impact the original had on the series and that we would not have gotten the amazing Resident Evil 2 remake without what Resident Evil 4 brought to the table. The over-the-shoulder perspective that was introduced here comes full circle in the remake, the changes away from shambling zombies for more intelligent Las Plagas, the inventory system, buying upgrades, all of this and more were introduced in the original version.
Since the release of the remake of Resident Evil 4, I've even gone back and played the original a few times. Yes, that version is dated and doesn't play too well, but I can see the genesis of future Resident Evil games here... Now only if we could do something to improve the upcoming Resident Evil 5 & 6 remakes... And get Code Veronica.
Winner: Resident Evil 4 Remake
Game Review link: Resident Evil 4 Remake Review
As many people would know if they are constant visitors to The Outerhaven, it's that I am a huge fan of Resident Evil. While most of the time I'm very positive about the franchise, giving everything that comes out recently some form of lavish praise; there are times where I will say something that the rest of the Resident Evil fanbase would consider controversial. For example, I still do not think that Resident Evil VII is an actual Resident Evil game, but more a horror VR experience that CAPCOM slapped the Resident Evil name onto in order to sell units. The other thing that still gets the Resident Evil fanbase a bit heated is the fact that I HATE the much-loved Resident Evil 4. I hate the game so much that I dedicated a whole article as to why remaking it was a bad idea... Boy did CAPCOM prove me wrong on that one.
When CAPCOM announced that they were going the remake route with Resident Evil 4 instead of the next game in the release timeline, Code Veronica (Can we finally get this please?), I was pretty pissed off. Since Resident Evil 4 is one of the most ported versions of the game in the franchise, even getting a VR edition just before the announcement of the remake, it really didn't make sense. Yet once the remake was released, I understood why CAPCOM would go for this game. Of course, there was the obvious reason for wanting to make boatloads of money with the most fan-loved game, but when it comes to the changes made in the game everything just works.
Yes, CAPCOM was able to change my opinion of Resident Evil 4 with the remake. To play the remake is to understand how much impact the original had on the series and that we would not have gotten the amazing Resident Evil 2 remake without what Resident Evil 4 brought to the table. The over-the-shoulder perspective that was introduced here comes full circle in the remake, the changes away from shambling zombies for more intelligent Las Plagas, the inventory system, buying upgrades, all of this and more were introduced in the original version.
Since the release of the remake of Resident Evil 4, I've even gone back and played the original a few times. Yes, that version is dated and doesn't play too well, but I can see the genesis of future Resident Evil games here... Now only if we could do something to improve the upcoming Resident Evil 5 & 6 remakes... And get Code Veronica.
The "Surprisingly Good Game" Award
Winner: Robocop: Rogue City
Game Review link: Robocop: Rogue City Review
When Teyon, the company behind Rambo (He's Just a Man, Not a God!) and Terminator: Resistance said they were making a game based on the 1980s franchise Robocop, people scoffed and wrote the game off as just another quick movie cash-in game. What we got with Robocop: Rogue City was an amazing love letter to not only the Robocop franchise but also a fresh new story that adds to the overall greatness of the franchise. At the time of the announcement, I was one of those doubters, but man was I proved wrong once I got my hands on the game.
To say I was surprised with Robocop: Rogue City is an understatement. As soon as I loaded into Robocop's shiny metal boots I was hooked on the gameplay and story, spending days playing the game to as close to 100% completion as I could, even delaying our review as much as possible so I could get as much game time in with it as possible. Even after the review was complete, I returned to the game right away... After watching Robocop, Robocop 2, and Robocop 3 for reference.
Robocop: Rogue City didn't only revive my interest in Robocop, but also gave me hours of enjoyment that I didn't expect, which is hard to do in 2023.
Winner: Robocop: Rogue City
Game Review link: Robocop: Rogue City Review
When Teyon, the company behind Rambo (He's Just a Man, Not a God!) and Terminator: Resistance said they were making a game based on the 1980s franchise Robocop, people scoffed and wrote the game off as just another quick movie cash-in game. What we got with Robocop: Rogue City was an amazing love letter to not only the Robocop franchise but also a fresh new story that adds to the overall greatness of the franchise. At the time of the announcement, I was one of those doubters, but man was I proved wrong once I got my hands on the game.
To say I was surprised with Robocop: Rogue City is an understatement. As soon as I loaded into Robocop's shiny metal boots I was hooked on the gameplay and story, spending days playing the game to as close to 100% completion as I could, even delaying our review as much as possible so I could get as much game time in with it as possible. Even after the review was complete, I returned to the game right away... After watching Robocop, Robocop 2, and Robocop 3 for reference.
Robocop: Rogue City didn't only revive my interest in Robocop, but also gave me hours of enjoyment that I didn't expect, which is hard to do in 2023.
The "Peer Pressure Game" Award
Winner: World of Warcraft Classic: Wrath of the Lich King
Yeah, I know, giving World of Warcraft an award in 2023 sounds like some claim for insanity before a judge. Yet here we are.
I've said many times that I'm free of the timesink monster that is World of Warcraft, leaving the game in favor of giving Final Fantasy XIV Online. While this is correct, I did go back a while ago in order to play World of Warcraft Classic, a version of the game where you level your way through the original three games all over again, giving some nostalgic feeling that the current version of the game was missing... If Blizzard didn't manage to mess things up to the point where they made Wrath of the Lich King, the third and most popular game in the series, into one of the worst games where you cannot miss a week of gameplay, using community peer pressure to lock people out of content.
When the Classic developers added "Alpha Runic Dungeons", an affix to regular Heroic Dungeons from the game in order to give players "An easy way to keep up with current raiding content while experiencing tougher content". Well intended content for sure, but the community in its usual toxic mental space, used these dungeons to exclude players who didn't play from week one and spent all day every day playing these dungeons. I tried to play these dungeons, but thanks to people wanting GearScore above the content requirement, I was often left to not play the game, getting further and further behind. The same thing happened with Beta Dungeons.
It wasn't until I changed servers, got a new guild, and the introduction of Random Dungeon Finder that I was able to gear my characters up enough so that I could do what Blizzard originally intended, get into raiding content. However, with the introduction of daily dungeon badge quests, a weekly raid badge quest, Vault of Archon, Scourgestone tokens, and many other currencies and quests that are required to keep up, World of Warcraft Classic has become no less of a timesink monster than its retail big brother, and it sucks.
Winner: World of Warcraft Classic: Wrath of the Lich King
Yeah, I know, giving World of Warcraft an award in 2023 sounds like some claim for insanity before a judge. Yet here we are.
I've said many times that I'm free of the timesink monster that is World of Warcraft, leaving the game in favor of giving Final Fantasy XIV Online. While this is correct, I did go back a while ago in order to play World of Warcraft Classic, a version of the game where you level your way through the original three games all over again, giving some nostalgic feeling that the current version of the game was missing... If Blizzard didn't manage to mess things up to the point where they made Wrath of the Lich King, the third and most popular game in the series, into one of the worst games where you cannot miss a week of gameplay, using community peer pressure to lock people out of content.
When the Classic developers added "Alpha Runic Dungeons", an affix to regular Heroic Dungeons from the game in order to give players "An easy way to keep up with current raiding content while experiencing tougher content". Well intended content for sure, but the community in its usual toxic mental space, used these dungeons to exclude players who didn't play from week one and spent all day every day playing these dungeons. I tried to play these dungeons, but thanks to people wanting GearScore above the content requirement, I was often left to not play the game, getting further and further behind. The same thing happened with Beta Dungeons.
It wasn't until I changed servers, got a new guild, and the introduction of Random Dungeon Finder that I was able to gear my characters up enough so that I could do what Blizzard originally intended, get into raiding content. However, with the introduction of daily dungeon badge quests, a weekly raid badge quest, Vault of Archon, Scourgestone tokens, and many other currencies and quests that are required to keep up, World of Warcraft Classic has become no less of a timesink monster than its retail big brother, and it sucks.
The "Hyped Game People Forgot About" Award
Winner: Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Game Review link: Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review
Sorry Nintendo fans, but I'm going to piss you right off for a second here.
In the months leading up to the release of Tears of the Kingdom, we heard nothing but speculation and hype about the game and how Nintendo has won 2023 instantly... Then the game came out. Sure, the game scored the "Prefect" scores all over the place from all the usual fanboy outlets that got the game early, sucking on Nintendo's proverbial you-know-what over and over again. Then we got the memes of how you can build things like Megazords from Power Rangers and torture Koroks with machines that make the traps from SAW look tame. Once that happened, all the talk and hype died down and you didn't hear anything about the game until this time when the Game of the Year awards started appearing.
Tears of the Kingdom is an ok game, the building is interesting and fun. Yet when it was all said and done, it was Breath of the Wild all over again. This would explain why people stopped talking about the game for so long and moved on to other games like Mario Wonder and Mario RPG (Oh look, another port), alongside all the other good games we got later in the year. In a year where we had a lot of great games all throughout the year, it'll be sad to see if Tears of the Kingdom gets a lot of awards after it was forgotten for most of the year.
Winner: Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Game Review link: Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review
Sorry Nintendo fans, but I'm going to piss you right off for a second here.
In the months leading up to the release of Tears of the Kingdom, we heard nothing but speculation and hype about the game and how Nintendo has won 2023 instantly... Then the game came out. Sure, the game scored the "Prefect" scores all over the place from all the usual fanboy outlets that got the game early, sucking on Nintendo's proverbial you-know-what over and over again. Then we got the memes of how you can build things like Megazords from Power Rangers and torture Koroks with machines that make the traps from SAW look tame. Once that happened, all the talk and hype died down and you didn't hear anything about the game until this time when the Game of the Year awards started appearing.
Tears of the Kingdom is an ok game, the building is interesting and fun. Yet when it was all said and done, it was Breath of the Wild all over again. This would explain why people stopped talking about the game for so long and moved on to other games like Mario Wonder and Mario RPG (Oh look, another port), alongside all the other good games we got later in the year. In a year where we had a lot of great games all throughout the year, it'll be sad to see if Tears of the Kingdom gets a lot of awards after it was forgotten for most of the year.
The "Biggest Gaming Industry Fail" Award
Winner: 2023 Layoffs (Epic Games, Bungie, Embracer Group, CD Projekt Red, Niantic, The Escapist, and so many more)
To say that 2023 is the year that we are paying for the 2020 Covid recovery is an understatement. Not only are we having to pay more for food, utilities, gas, housing, and just about everything else, but we have also seen the job market drop into the abyss of corporate greed and downsizing, and gaming was one of the big losers with that. In a year where we are seeing billion-dollar mergers happen, we have also seen many major companies either releasing workers or shutting down whole studios. If I was to go through every downsizing and closure story for 2023, I'd be writing well into 2025.
According to Videogamelayoffs.com, there were an estimated 6,500 layoffs in 2023 as of the time of writing this award. Epic Games led the way with over 800 layoffs of staff this year, alongside Unity and Electronic Arts (EA Games) right alongside them. Layoffs in the gaming industry are always sad to see, but when the return on investment, wages, and other factors are hitting every industry we know that no industry is bulletproof. It's a sad day when anyone loses their job, through downsizing or closure of their workplace, but this is what happens when Governments try to save the world without thinking about inflation occurring later on down the track.
Then you have the dumbest move. When a company decides to fire one of its best editors for not hitting goals that were unobtainable to begin with. Extra credit to The Escapist for royally screwing the pooch by firing Nick Calandra for that very reason, leading to their entire video team, including Zero Punctuation producer and voice Yahtzee Croshaw, to quit their positions in protest and for Second Wind to much success. The Escapist should be a story for all gaming websites to "make it big" and sell themselves in order to be paid to create content. Sometimes it's better to grind away for next to nothing and keep your morals than to sell them for money.
Winner: 2023 Layoffs (Epic Games, Bungie, Embracer Group, CD Projekt Red, Niantic, The Escapist, and so many more)
To say that 2023 is the year that we are paying for the 2020 Covid recovery is an understatement. Not only are we having to pay more for food, utilities, gas, housing, and just about everything else, but we have also seen the job market drop into the abyss of corporate greed and downsizing, and gaming was one of the big losers with that. In a year where we are seeing billion-dollar mergers happen, we have also seen many major companies either releasing workers or shutting down whole studios. If I was to go through every downsizing and closure story for 2023, I'd be writing well into 2025.
According to Videogamelayoffs.com, there were an estimated 6,500 layoffs in 2023 as of the time of writing this award. Epic Games led the way with over 800 layoffs of staff this year, alongside Unity and Electronic Arts (EA Games) right alongside them. Layoffs in the gaming industry are always sad to see, but when the return on investment, wages, and other factors are hitting every industry we know that no industry is bulletproof. It's a sad day when anyone loses their job, through downsizing or closure of their workplace, but this is what happens when Governments try to save the world without thinking about inflation occurring later on down the track.
Then you have the dumbest move. When a company decides to fire one of its best editors for not hitting goals that were unobtainable to begin with. Extra credit to The Escapist for royally screwing the pooch by firing Nick Calandra for that very reason, leading to their entire video team, including Zero Punctuation producer and voice Yahtzee Croshaw, to quit their positions in protest and for Second Wind to much success. The Escapist should be a story for all gaming websites to "make it big" and sell themselves in order to be paid to create content. Sometimes it's better to grind away for next to nothing and keep your morals than to sell them for money.
The "Biggest Gaming Industry Win" Award
Winner: Microsoft + Activision/Blizzard Merger
Another long-term story in gaming this year was Microsoft looking to acquire Activision/Blizzard into their ever-expanding portfolio of studios. Their attempt was blocked almost worldwide by the Government departments that work with acquisitions like this, namely the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States, and the British Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). These departments, worked hand in hand with Sony/PlayStation (Let's call a spade a spade here, we know they worked with Sony) to make sure that specific games would not either be included in the deal or that new contracts would be made to keep Microsoft from placing them on Microsoft consoles only (aka Call of Duty, a huge seller for PlayStation). Microsoft worked with the FTC and CMA to ensure that all requirements were met and eventually the deal went through.
As someone who has a few Blizzard games, I'm happy to see that Microsoft will have some say in what happens with Blizzard games in the future. From day one we've heard that there will be no direct interference with Blizzard development, allowing the company to go back to its old structure of "SOON™" when developing content. This merger also allows something interesting to happen: Activision/Blizzard games on Game Pass. With Microsoft looking to make Game Pass the best subscription service available, they have the power to add games like Diablo, Call of Duty, and even World of Warcraft to the system, allowing more content for a good price, something we need more of these days.
Winner: Microsoft + Activision/Blizzard Merger
Another long-term story in gaming this year was Microsoft looking to acquire Activision/Blizzard into their ever-expanding portfolio of studios. Their attempt was blocked almost worldwide by the Government departments that work with acquisitions like this, namely the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States, and the British Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). These departments, worked hand in hand with Sony/PlayStation (Let's call a spade a spade here, we know they worked with Sony) to make sure that specific games would not either be included in the deal or that new contracts would be made to keep Microsoft from placing them on Microsoft consoles only (aka Call of Duty, a huge seller for PlayStation). Microsoft worked with the FTC and CMA to ensure that all requirements were met and eventually the deal went through.
As someone who has a few Blizzard games, I'm happy to see that Microsoft will have some say in what happens with Blizzard games in the future. From day one we've heard that there will be no direct interference with Blizzard development, allowing the company to go back to its old structure of "SOON™" when developing content. This merger also allows something interesting to happen: Activision/Blizzard games on Game Pass. With Microsoft looking to make Game Pass the best subscription service available, they have the power to add games like Diablo, Call of Duty, and even World of Warcraft to the system, allowing more content for a good price, something we need more of these days.
The "Worst Game of the Year" Award
Winner: LEGO 2K Drive
Game Review link: LEGO 2K Drive Review
Ok, here we go, the final complaint for 2023.
When you think of LEGO and racing combining into one game, you would think that it would be a match made in gaming heaven... But it wasn't. LEGO 2K Drive had a good base plan, a LEGO world where you race around and build stupid-looking cars that aren't meant to function but they do. What we got was a horribly planned game where you do a bunch of dumb challenges over and over again to unlock more of the map in order to do more dumb challenges. There was nothing easing you into any challenge except when you failed them. Even the car building was locked to a few pre-made sets that you had to either unlock over time or... take a guess... pay for them!
When the Hot Wheels game captures its world and car variety TWICE in the same year as your one game came out, then you know you messed up. While I gave LEGO 2K Drive a 3.5 out of 5, a "Give it a try" rating, the game has not aged well over the year, with a few season packs appearing if you want to buy them and then the game was dead. Another victim of 2K Games and their ability to take a great concept and brand, and run them into the ground.
Winner: LEGO 2K Drive
Game Review link: LEGO 2K Drive Review
Ok, here we go, the final complaint for 2023.
When you think of LEGO and racing combining into one game, you would think that it would be a match made in gaming heaven... But it wasn't. LEGO 2K Drive had a good base plan, a LEGO world where you race around and build stupid-looking cars that aren't meant to function but they do. What we got was a horribly planned game where you do a bunch of dumb challenges over and over again to unlock more of the map in order to do more dumb challenges. There was nothing easing you into any challenge except when you failed them. Even the car building was locked to a few pre-made sets that you had to either unlock over time or... take a guess... pay for them!
When the Hot Wheels game captures its world and car variety TWICE in the same year as your one game came out, then you know you messed up. While I gave LEGO 2K Drive a 3.5 out of 5, a "Give it a try" rating, the game has not aged well over the year, with a few season packs appearing if you want to buy them and then the game was dead. Another victim of 2K Games and their ability to take a great concept and brand, and run them into the ground.
The "Game of the Year" Award
Winner: Resident Evil 4 Remake + Separate Ways DLC
Game Review link: Resident Evil 4 Remake Review / Separate Ways DLC Review
I'm not sure if this would be a surprise to anyone given my love of Resident Evil games. To be honest, I was ready to give this award to Marvel Spider-Man 2, but given how many bugs were in that game I changed direction to my other choice.
Resident Evil 4 remake did not only change my opinion on Resident Evil 4 in both its iterations, but Resident Evil 4 remake is probably my second best Resident Evil game ever and that is saying something. From the changes to the story to work it in closer to what was established in the Resident Evil 2 & 3 remakes, but also expanding and changing aspects of the original to either be more fleshed out or mixing things up really works for the overall vibe of the game.
Also, the RE Engine keeps proving why this is THE engine to be working with if you want high graphical detail while keeping a solid framerate. There was no point in the game where I felt like the game actually lacked anything, and the way everything flowed kept me wanting to play more and more each night, much to my wife's disappointment as I would be coming to bed at 2 am still hyped about what I just played. Then you have the Separate Ways DLC, something that took some time to get out there for people to play, but it was a whole extra story that rivaled the main game in terms of game length and detail... All for a low price of $15 Australian! To say that CAPCOM treated fans right with the Resident Evil 4 remake is an understatement and it should be an example of how remakes should be done and DLC should be treated.
Winner: Resident Evil 4 Remake + Separate Ways DLC
Game Review link: Resident Evil 4 Remake Review / Separate Ways DLC Review
I'm not sure if this would be a surprise to anyone given my love of Resident Evil games. To be honest, I was ready to give this award to Marvel Spider-Man 2, but given how many bugs were in that game I changed direction to my other choice.
Resident Evil 4 remake did not only change my opinion on Resident Evil 4 in both its iterations, but Resident Evil 4 remake is probably my second best Resident Evil game ever and that is saying something. From the changes to the story to work it in closer to what was established in the Resident Evil 2 & 3 remakes, but also expanding and changing aspects of the original to either be more fleshed out or mixing things up really works for the overall vibe of the game.
Also, the RE Engine keeps proving why this is THE engine to be working with if you want high graphical detail while keeping a solid framerate. There was no point in the game where I felt like the game actually lacked anything, and the way everything flowed kept me wanting to play more and more each night, much to my wife's disappointment as I would be coming to bed at 2 am still hyped about what I just played. Then you have the Separate Ways DLC, something that took some time to get out there for people to play, but it was a whole extra story that rivaled the main game in terms of game length and detail... All for a low price of $15 Australian! To say that CAPCOM treated fans right with the Resident Evil 4 remake is an understatement and it should be an example of how remakes should be done and DLC should be treated.
