1:00 The fact that UO competes for best sim/strategy against Manor Lords, an early access unfinished game, is ridiculous. Reminder about why game game awards should be ignored: this is a show where popular vote accounts for 10% of the finial decision, while the rest, 90%, is in the hands a few private hands that no one elected. No transparancy, about ANYTHING, nominations or anything else. We should have standards, waaaaaay higher than this farce.
An early access game is nominated???? A game not officially released or out is stupid. Let have next year's GOTY be FF7R3 even though it won't be out yet, might as well.
@@kclink1579 I mean TGAs already has a category for "best hype" and spends 70% of its runtime on trailers for new products not celebrating the games from the last year, what's one more?
It is my GOTY. I just finished my second playthrough. I did True Zenoiran and spent even more time than my first run and it was even more enjoyable. The gameplay loop and deep class mechanics made it the most addicting game I've played this year.
Now that I think about it I completely agree, vanillaware pushes out banger after banger and release a game that's kind of unlike anything we've seen in a long time but because it came out beginning of the year people forgot about it. It definitely deserves more than just tactical sim
Unicorn Overlord is fantastic and definitely deserved more nominations but writing off Stellar Blade's soundtrack or Black Myth Wukong's direction like that without having played them doesn't seem too fair.
I totally share the author's opinion about Unicorn Overlord not receiving enough recognition, especially with the game awards. However, stating Metaphor: ReFantazio isn't doing anything new to downgrade it compared to Unicorn Overlord is a double edge argument. If one looks at Unicorn Overlord and know Vanillaware library, they will notice it borrows to other titles of the same developer in addition to other tactical games with a medieval feel. The same applies to Metaphor: ReFantazio that isn't a mere Persona game with a medieval skin, but a celebration of what Atlus has done for years (Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, Etrian Odyssey, Digital Devil Saga, etc). There is hardly any concept in Metaphor: ReFantazio or Unicorn Overlord that hasn't been already implemented in another video game. Being innovative or doing something totally different is good and all. However, one must be aware that after so many innovations across decades, what one may think as "innovative" or "different" is very likely something that has been done before.
Not going to lie this video randomly got in my algorithm. So i went out and bought it and may have been addicted to it. Thank you for sharing this game with me
I knew it wouldn't get nominated, after Octopath 2 was snubbed last year. Will most likely never watch it again, since it's nothing but super mainstream games which means great games like this and OT2 just get ignored regardless of their quality.
I think the in battle system should be in more games. The ability to pre-plan when you want your units to do certain things would be a godsend in gachas and other games that have an auto system.
The problem is that they botched that system - with perfect preview of fight, rerolling randomization after change, ability to change everything before every fight - it made the system: - unwieldy - for best strategy you need to microadjust settings before every fight - cheesy - switch units around, disable/enable attacks just to find the perfect randomization where your units dodge and theirs dont - a slog - it take so much time to fiddle with everything (though I will admit that UX is pretty good here) Don't get me wrong - UO is a solid game. But it could be absolutely mindblowingly amazing and, at least for me, they botched the battle system hard.
@@Shoggunik I think it’s a difficulty problem along with it. True Zenoiran isn’t difficult enough to when it’s “difficult” it becomes tedious. Most competent builds have no problem fending off enemies in one round without taking damage in the preview so when they struggle it becomes annoying to fix. Even worse would it be without the preview since you’d have to check every enemies stats and predict random crits and skills making dodgetaking not viable as they could always get hit at any moment so the game would be even more tedious this way even if it would need a bit more strategy. My point is that while the system has flaws fixing or removing is not an easy solution so it’s hard to say they botched it. Without the problems you mentioned more problems would fill its place. If you ask me they need a more usable interface to the player so that you ignore the tedium without this system. Then again how would you even manage this.
@@supervolcanobladerharris131 I feel like you basically say that we need to be able to game the random system because otherwise some strategies are too hard or game would encourage save scumming. Well I call that badly design game. I probably agree with you that just removing preview and random reset would make it quite hard and cause other problems. But this does not make that system any better - if you slap bad system on top of your game because it fixes it a bit it's a bad sign I think. For example - dodge tanking has been successfully solved in other games. I think the main thing is that dodge tank should be able to tank a hit or two so 1-2 unlucky hits does not break your squad. But in UO difference betwen one dodge and not making it is often huge - and I call it a problem.
@ I think so too. My favorite game last year; Fate/Samurai Remnant never even reached the awards nominations. The developers celebrated selling over 300,000 or so copies. I love it but it had no shot at being mentioned 😅
Yes! But I want a MotBQ remake/update with a bit of unit balancing and an up in difficulty first. OB64 should get its turn too, with a much needed "units move faster" fix, because damn, they slow slow.
Just ignore it. These awards are for journalists and publishers to pat themselves on the back, not for gamers. It's a corporate celebration, not a hobby celebration.
Strategy games are snubbed at TGA by default. Just the fact that they compete in the same category of simulation games (which I also love and think that deserved more attention) is revolting.
I was looking forward to this game cuz I'm a fan of Vanillaware, but I will admit I didn't have the highest expectations because it was new territory for them. I wasn't sure how well they'd be able to pull off an Ogre Battle style game when a lot of their work is action RPGs. Well, the game far exceeded all of my expectations and blew me away. They nailed it. Unicorn Overlord is my 2024 Game of the Year!
The game awards is just a popularity contest, doesn't mean the games in those categories are actually recognised for what they are supposed to be there for. And sometimes I think it's not even that, looking at some of the nominations I wouldn't be surprised if there's a more shady element of studios buying nominations as an method of advertising the game.
I too think Unicorn Overlord should've been nominated for a lot more then just 1 category, and it's currently my Game Of The Year. I'm playing through Metaphor right now and I'm having fun but to me at least it feels like a stepping stone for something better. It's good but not 'great' if that makes sense.
Im a big unicorn overlord fan, but your arguments for the games not being as good as this game being “ive heard its not as good” and “i didnt play this game but look at what unicorn overlord did in this element of the game” is pretty dumb.
There's certain aspects of a games design that you can critique from a distance. I've listened to the osts of some of these games for example. They don't hit the same as UO
It's almost like you're not listening to these soundtracks on the merit of their intended context of facilitating and amplifying gameplay- and just doing it to affirm your own premeditated conclusion for a youtube video.
Ahhh !! Finally, someone on TH-cam speaking up about it !! That's such a shame !!! What are they afraid of ?! A non triple A game winning an award over other controversial titles ??!! No... Really ?! And yes, of course, IT'S ALSO MY GOTY ! I had the feeling to play something new and special... Nothing compared to these (good, I'm must also admit it and I'm ok with that - but already known and inventing nothing gameplay wise) remakes/remaster/DLCs...
massive snub. should've been GOTY. agreed on all points. not being a AAA title from a big studio hurt UO here. For sure i will continue to support their future trpg projects.
As far as game awards, I've never been less enthused to watch it even though there are some amazing games this year. So many categories feel copied/pasted with maybe one or two games exchanged here and there. They really should just have a category or two dedicated to DLC endeavors rather than having the same game potential sweep over multiple years. And yeah, I get the argument that Shadow of the Erd Tree is big enough to be its own game, it's still a DLC. If the devs were really thinking they wanted it to win a bunch of its own awards they would have just called it Elden Ring 2.
I know Vanillaware don't do sequels, but boy does this game deserve a sequel. Excellent battle system and the programming gameplay is satisfying. If only a sequel would address the issue of enemy faction not putting up enough of a fight against your advanced setups (at least in the campaign), and doing a bit more with the world map town restoration/rebuilding system, it would be a perfect game.
Unicorn Overlord is my goty so far. That being said, the very idea of a universal goty award is a fallacy. A couple people get to decide for millions of tastes and gamers.
Tactical/strategy games are effectively “niche” so we shouldn’t be surprised that it didn’t get nominated for much. It did 100% deserve more than a single nomination.
I havent played the game since i platinumed it on release did they do anything to allow you to reasonably play after you beat the final mission that gives you a bunch of extra characters that you can only use for one battle? or does the game still just stop there. Or a new game plus.
It would probably be a contender for me if Vanillaware weren’t so weird about not releasing their games on PC. I really wanted to play it, but I really don’t like playing on consoles anymore.
I loved UO. It scratched an itch and was highly anticipated for me Id say it mostly lived up to the lofty expectations I had for it too, which is extremely rare in modern gaming. That said Im not even a big platformer guy and Astro Bot was far and away the best new game I played this year. In the end I dont really care about Dorito Pope’s corpo game award shill show. It would be nice to see UO get its flowers but its not a game that’s for everyone either so I can understand it being left off. Ive seen plenty of valid criticism towards UO from people who are and would be the audience for it.
I have the mentality of you when you mentioned Wukong. UO's design within its genre is so innovative and different than any other over produced action game. UO has so much crativity and depth to its systems. If it disnt have a trash story and cringe anime chatacters than maybe it should be goty. I really think this game should have realsed on steam and more people would have talked about it
I think Metaphor Refantazio deserves it's spot too. I love both these games dearly, but Metaphor beats every other game I loved this year, including over things like Stellar Blade, Gundam Breaker 4, DB Sparking Zero, Megaton Musashi. I know Persona, and Metaphor is not just Persona 5X2 Electric Boogaloo. I will say it definitely took parts of Persona but also parts of Shin Megami titles proper, except it's in a way that feels brand new. The characters are adults, and schools aren't a part of the character's lives. This game doesn't limit your party to one attack and skill pool. There are combination attacks as well, and they aren't as limited as the ones featured in P5 Royal. The engagement I have in Metaphor (the story and setting alone) far exceeds what I felt in all other games this year. This is just my opinion on Metaphor's qualification for GOTY
For Sim/Strat, I only know of Age of Myth of the other games and it is a remake. I have not paid attention to the game awards since they came out, when I knew CoD and Madden were making most of them. Elden Ring (DLC) and Black Myth could not be Game Direction. I also would not put Metaphor up for GoY, love RPGs but have never liked Persona or Persona like. I think both Eiyuden and Unicorn Overlord should have gotten more. Unicorn Overlord is not really doing something new, but it has not been seen since N64. I want more UO and OB style STRAT instead of the square version.
Ever since Helldivers 2 went to hell and Homeworld 3 didn't scratch my itch, I decided to give this game a try and hot damn, I feel like such a fraud for looking down on it as another FE meme. This Game is peak, the strategic play is simple yet deep.
I adore this game, it is easily my GotY and it makes a phenomonal argument for art direction and soundtrack... But I can see why the mainstream media just isn't too hot for the game. It is still a niche genre, with a niche artstyle, and despite being incredibly tame for Vanillaware standards it certainly has a lot of fanservice which attracts a lot of unwanted discussion (primarily from a very loud non-gamer audience on both sides.) Not to mention recency bias. So IMO... it is a travesty that makes a lot of sense? Honestly idk, I'm just happy UL exists and is as good as it is.
I would play this if it was on PC so someone can get me a more authentic translation but it’s not and Vanilla Ware still thinks if they put a game on PC it will steal their soul so I haven’t played it and I won’t.
I like Kunitsu-Gami a lot and I'm really happy it got the nomination even more than UO, because it's even more out there, but yeah UO should win the strategy category and should've been nominated in more places. UO only isn't my GOTY because I think Metaphor is Game of the Decade so far, but it's an incredible game. I'd basically replace all the major nominations for FF7R-2 (it's a bad game!!! if it beats Metaphor in anything other than maybe Soundtrack I will be mad!!!!!!) with UO tbh
I already knew that this game wont get nominated. If anything had a chance, it would have been Metaphor: ReFantazio but instead elden ring dlc. Wtf? Who even decides this? Vanillaware games have been amazing but different so they never get nominated for stuff like this, despite how creative and unique they are
Unpopular opinion. I was really disappointed in u.o. I was so hyped and gotta say on a system that has so much more potential than a 64, it was lacking. From the lack of a custom unit promotion. To being locked into formations and lack of branching endings as well as no tactical strike on attack positions, I just can't believe that ogre battle does so much more. Including side quests even. The controls are admittedly better and the gambits help. But in 64 you could crit and knock a unit back a space and mess with the way that unit now attacks or hit a unit from behind and boom you got enemy mages in front and knights in the back. Then when it happens to you it's a nail biter. I just couldn't go back after beating it and that's something even engage got me doing. I was so sad with that purchase
3:37 because it's not done at the beginning of the year like it should be, so all Games Of That Year are entitled, Metal Slug won't be there next year.
It does not have the weight it needs to be included in the goty category. Unfortunately it is so niche that everyone knows it wont be included. I mean even wukong was not nominated.
Ever since Helldivers 2 went to hell and Homeworld 3 didn't scratch my itch, I decided to give this game a try and hot damn, I feel like such a fraud for looking down on it as another FE meme. This Game is peak, the strategic play is simple yet deep, the Stats and optimizing adds further to the strategic play since you custom build your units and Rosalinde is best girl.
SRPGs (Which have always been my favorite genre of all) ALWAYS get snubbed by these jackasses. They give them minimal coverage and exposure in articles, barely ever mention them, and then ignore them at game awards. I guess if a game doesnt have you rapidly press square square square triangle 10,000 times in a playthrough its not worth their time. Nothing against action games, hell I also liked games like Legacy of Kain, Dynasty Warruirs and a couple of others...I have a thing against Action game reviewers who snub SRPG's because it isnt ""there thing". so they talk about them as if they are more niche than they really are on the rare occassion they DO mention them....Which we know is a lie simply by the fact that companies have kept making them since the 90s-present. Something they wouldnt bother doing if their wasnt AT LEAST a respectable fan base. And thanks to those dipshits, even fans are often fooled into thinking this genre is more niche than it really is....
One of the best games of the year for sure, but it was definitely beaten out by a lot of others for me. Elden Ring DLC, Metaphor, and Factorio: Space Age have been more impactful for me. Granted, two of those are DLC, so say what you will about that. Unicorn Overlord is definitely in my top 5 for the year though.
I was like 70 hours into FF rebirth then downloaded UO demo and I quit playing rebirth to beat UO it was that good. Now I do love me some SRPGs though.
I loved UO, and want to do another playthrough at some point, but it was never going to get a nomination based on how niche it is, and if I am honest, I am not sure it should anyway. I haven't played any of the nominations yet (although Metaphor is a buy as soon as it drops in price at all, and FFVII the day it is released on PC), but based on responses and with what else was released this year, I think they mainly make sense. Never heard of Baltro before this, and while it looks stupid to me, I see it's overwhelmingly positive on steam with almost 40,000 reviews, so go figure. But with all that said, likes are subjective and subjective awards are a waste of time. I don't care if I am the only person who liked UO, as I only concern myself with my own personal preferences and don't care if others are different.
I think UO is a bit too niche to get nominated for overall game of the year, that's going to be games that have shown broad critical and commercial appeal. The real game that's missed out there is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Yeah UO is definitely one of my GOTY but so far the most GOTY for me this year is probably Metaphor and follow by FF7 Rebirth and then UO. The music and score is great for UO but FF7 rebirth capture my attention better with the OST, song along with its scenery. But Metaphor battle OST made me go and check it out on TH-cam and keep listening to it for wesks. Personally i haven't played Elden ring and also most likely i won't ever play it as i don't really like how it look like and plus also don't really like the way George R R Martin stories goes.
It will be a real shame if it doesn’t grab the nomination it got. If there was only an animation award to really recognize Vanillaware…. alas. Just game and my opinion is that, while a great game, it is rather niche and not a GOTY contender. If you had said 13 Sentinels deserved it a few years back I am with you all the way.
Unicorn overlord should substitute metaphor in all the categories for the "best Atlus related title" metaphor is a subpar persona title while unicorn has a better worldbuilding sense of journey and a less bs combat mechanics i would Talk more thinga like that but im goilg to class so i have no more ime but in summary unicorn is a solid 9 while metaphor Scratch a 6 and im standing on this hill.
I do not own a console to play it on, nor do I really have to time to play such long form games. I do agree that this game deserves far more accolades than the western slop that was rigged into the awards. The problem is, as stated, the game awards are clearly and OPENLY rigged. They literally have it on their main page that the corpos and journos control 90% of the voting. It is no wonder the nominees are a complete joke and everyone knows it. That said, this might be a good time to look towards the competition, youtuber Stuttering Craig and his "The Real Game Awards". I implore you to look into it.
I wouldnt sweat about what the game awards think about the games i/you liked and enjoy, as past few years they have been less trustworthy with their nominations just like big game "reviewers"/"critics" have been, that these day i trust no commentary gameplay vids/lets plays to show me what the game looks and plays like so i can make my own conclusion on if i want/like to play that game instead of looking at review scores and whatnot
Unicorn Overlord is the best game of the year. But it also won't get the same recognition because other games sold better and had more hype. It's unfortunate. But Vanillaware will always have my support from now on. ❤
I think unicorn Overlord should be up there for GOTY but I did feel like during your video you kept summing up games like wukong as just an action game or metaphor as just more persona. I feel like we can say the same for unicorn just and fire emblem lol I think these games being more to the table than just being another game or genre.
UO is EASILY the best game of the year. I could not stop playing it! I did all nighters for a week on this game. It haunts me when I play other games because they aren't on that level. I expected no less from the Game awards. I don't even think they play good games, they just watch trailers and hype bots.
I wouldnt worry to much GOTY means nothing. If I see GOTY on a box now it stops me impulse buying it because odds are its not very good. Unicorn Overlord is absolutely amazing and while I have not played Princess Crown or Muramasa (really want to play Muramasa) Ive played their other games and it is my second favourite after the absolutely incredible 13 sentinels. That said Astrobot impressed me more this year so id give GOTY to that from the ones I have played (havent played Wukong yet) but Astrobot and Unicorn Overlord are the gems from this year for me. I did play Rebirth and as a huge fan of FFVII and quality stories it was bloody awful, second worse game I have ever played and yet it gets GOTY and best Narrative nomination lol. Id imagine Concord would have been nominated if it was still around.
Unicorn overlord was great but sadly like FE Engage was, the story was the weakest part of it while the gameplay, audio, design, style were great. Honestly yea, the only thing that really bummed me about unicorn overlord was how all the other characters were recruited lol, made no sense to me how recruiting bunch of murderers, pillagers, bandits for your cause was a great idea. Like Alain goes to a new area > shows the boss doing bad things > beat the boss > boss about die.. unless, all of a sudden Alain raises his hand towards you and say we could use every hand we have in this war and recruit him all of a sudden without giving a shit about the enemy's background just because they're shorthanded lmao. I wanna see how Alain would survive in a world like FE three houses or three hopes where war has some severe consequences between factions. I wonder if Alain would be able to somehow recruit everyone because even Byleth can't recruit everyone even on NG+ xD.
I think that there was a little bit of undeserved, erm, dislike of some of the titles being there. The awards are very much what feels like a cool kids club. You get the odd breakout indie or niche title in there. It's sad when games you thought were fantastic just get overlooked.
I've seen a couple of content creators that wanted to play but decided to skip cause it wasn't on PC. It was a shame cause they could've given more exposure to the game. And with more exposure means more people playing and more chances to get nominated.
I can't belive this, such an INJUSTICE !!!!!!!!!!! This game was my biggest suprise this year, and I dind't even liked strategy JRPs. Vanillaware deserved more love :3
@TitaniumLegman I understand, my 2nd favourite game this year is Beyond Galaxyland, should of got sone nominations. Maybe not GOTY but other catalogues.
1:00 The fact that UO competes for best sim/strategy against Manor Lords, an early access unfinished game, is ridiculous.
Reminder about why game game awards should be ignored: this is a show where popular vote accounts for 10% of the finial decision, while the rest, 90%, is in the hands a few private hands that no one elected. No transparancy, about ANYTHING, nominations or anything else.
We should have standards, waaaaaay higher than this farce.
The best sim/strategy genre is odd anyway because they've stuffed city builders, strategy games, and things like MS Flight Sim into one genre.
An early access game is nominated???? A game not officially released or out is stupid. Let have next year's GOTY be FF7R3 even though it won't be out yet, might as well.
@@kclink1579 I mean TGAs already has a category for "best hype" and spends 70% of its runtime on trailers for new products not celebrating the games from the last year, what's one more?
It is my GOTY. I just finished my second playthrough. I did True Zenoiran and spent even more time than my first run and it was even more enjoyable. The gameplay loop and deep class mechanics made it the most addicting game I've played this year.
Needs a PC release so we can preserve it but Vanillaware doesn’t seem to do PC sadly. Hopefully they get someone else to port it.
check out firgirl repacks for an emulated version of the game on PC
Yes!!
yes please+1
Now that I think about it I completely agree, vanillaware pushes out banger after banger and release a game that's kind of unlike anything we've seen in a long time but because it came out beginning of the year people forgot about it. It definitely deserves more than just tactical sim
Unicorn Overlord is fantastic and definitely deserved more nominations but writing off Stellar Blade's soundtrack or Black Myth Wukong's direction like that without having played them doesn't seem too fair.
Black Myth Wukong's short animated films between chapters were really good
I think neva should get more than wukong
I totally share the author's opinion about Unicorn Overlord not receiving enough recognition, especially with the game awards. However, stating Metaphor: ReFantazio isn't doing anything new to downgrade it compared to Unicorn Overlord is a double edge argument. If one looks at Unicorn Overlord and know Vanillaware library, they will notice it borrows to other titles of the same developer in addition to other tactical games with a medieval feel. The same applies to Metaphor: ReFantazio that isn't a mere Persona game with a medieval skin, but a celebration of what Atlus has done for years (Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, Etrian Odyssey, Digital Devil Saga, etc). There is hardly any concept in Metaphor: ReFantazio or Unicorn Overlord that hasn't been already implemented in another video game.
Being innovative or doing something totally different is good and all. However, one must be aware that after so many innovations across decades, what one may think as "innovative" or "different" is very likely something that has been done before.
Not going to lie this video randomly got in my algorithm. So i went out and bought it and may have been addicted to it. Thank you for sharing this game with me
@@aj1218 im happy to provide you a great experience 😁
Justice for Unicorn Overlord 💯💯💯
Unicorn Overlord absolutely deserves to be nominated for GOTY
I knew it wouldn't get nominated, after Octopath 2 was snubbed last year. Will most likely never watch it again, since it's nothing but super mainstream games which means great games like this and OT2 just get ignored regardless of their quality.
I think the in battle system should be in more games. The ability to pre-plan when you want your units to do certain things would be a godsend in gachas and other games that have an auto system.
a gatcha game with unicorn overlords battle system is such a good idea I would be surprised if nobody ends up making that
The problem is that they botched that system - with perfect preview of fight, rerolling randomization after change, ability to change everything before every fight - it made the system:
- unwieldy - for best strategy you need to microadjust settings before every fight
- cheesy - switch units around, disable/enable attacks just to find the perfect randomization where your units dodge and theirs dont
- a slog - it take so much time to fiddle with everything (though I will admit that UX is pretty good here)
Don't get me wrong - UO is a solid game. But it could be absolutely mindblowingly amazing and, at least for me, they botched the battle system hard.
@@Shoggunik ding ding ding. thank you
@@Shoggunik I think it’s a difficulty problem along with it. True Zenoiran isn’t difficult enough to when it’s “difficult” it becomes tedious. Most competent builds have no problem fending off enemies in one round without taking damage in the preview so when they struggle it becomes annoying to fix. Even worse would it be without the preview since you’d have to check every enemies stats and predict random crits and skills making dodgetaking not viable as they could always get hit at any moment so the game would be even more tedious this way even if it would need a bit more strategy. My point is that while the system has flaws fixing or removing is not an easy solution so it’s hard to say they botched it. Without the problems you mentioned more problems would fill its place. If you ask me they need a more usable interface to the player so that you ignore the tedium without this system. Then again how would you even manage this.
@@supervolcanobladerharris131 I feel like you basically say that we need to be able to game the random system because otherwise some strategies are too hard or game would encourage save scumming. Well I call that badly design game. I probably agree with you that just removing preview and random reset would make it quite hard and cause other problems. But this does not make that system any better - if you slap bad system on top of your game because it fixes it a bit it's a bad sign I think.
For example - dodge tanking has been successfully solved in other games. I think the main thing is that dodge tank should be able to tank a hit or two so 1-2 unlucky hits does not break your squad. But in UO difference betwen one dodge and not making it is often huge - and I call it a problem.
Unicorn Overlord is so good and yet because its a tactics rpg and not an action adventure game so many people slept.
I feel like there should be a separate category game dlc.
I think in another way, the 'ongoing game' category works for dlc expansions, too, since it's continuing the content of a game that already exists.
The years too stacked and unicorn is too niche. It wouldnt have gotten a nod even without erdtree lol
@ I think so too. My favorite game last year; Fate/Samurai Remnant never even reached the awards nominations. The developers celebrated selling over 300,000 or so copies. I love it but it had no shot at being mentioned 😅
@@ZaxFSO8083 Just how it is with AA and below its rare for them to blow up (but BALATRO!), theres an indie game awards show too if thats more your jam
Remakes too should get their own category as well.
DLC should either get its own or go under the “ongoing game” category.
This is GOTY
Atlus games are just too damn niche... I'm just glad it sold over a million copies! Now give us the Ogre Battle 64 remake!!
Ogre Battle remake would be great but then I would prefer March of the Black Queen since that one is more outdated. Either way, instant buy ofc.
Yes! But I want a MotBQ remake/update with a bit of unit balancing and an up in difficulty first. OB64 should get its turn too, with a much needed "units move faster" fix, because damn, they slow slow.
Maybe it will be included if they add dlc next year 🤣🤣
I would laugh my ass off if it happened, ngl.
Just ignore it. These awards are for journalists and publishers to pat themselves on the back, not for gamers. It's a corporate celebration, not a hobby celebration.
Strategy games are snubbed at TGA by default. Just the fact that they compete in the same category of simulation games (which I also love and think that deserved more attention) is revolting.
I was looking forward to this game cuz I'm a fan of Vanillaware, but I will admit I didn't have the highest expectations because it was new territory for them. I wasn't sure how well they'd be able to pull off an Ogre Battle style game when a lot of their work is action RPGs. Well, the game far exceeded all of my expectations and blew me away. They nailed it. Unicorn Overlord is my 2024 Game of the Year!
The game awards is just a popularity contest, doesn't mean the games in those categories are actually recognised for what they are supposed to be there for. And sometimes I think it's not even that, looking at some of the nominations I wouldn't be surprised if there's a more shady element of studios buying nominations as an method of advertising the game.
I too think Unicorn Overlord should've been nominated for a lot more then just 1 category, and it's currently my Game Of The Year. I'm playing through Metaphor right now and I'm having fun but to me at least it feels like a stepping stone for something better. It's good but not 'great' if that makes sense.
I for one agree with you. My upset on it not being picked is how I found this video.
I think at least at minimum they should have to be nominated to best art direction.
I love this game so much I plan to make a custom steelcase for it so it can stand out on my library
Im a big unicorn overlord fan, but your arguments for the games not being as good as this game being “ive heard its not as good” and “i didnt play this game but look at what unicorn overlord did in this element of the game” is pretty dumb.
There's certain aspects of a games design that you can critique from a distance. I've listened to the osts of some of these games for example. They don't hit the same as UO
It's almost like you're not listening to these soundtracks on the merit of their intended context of facilitating and amplifying gameplay- and just doing it to affirm your own premeditated conclusion for a youtube video.
@Choops6969 Maybe I just didn't like them as much, it's not that deep.
Ahhh !! Finally, someone on TH-cam speaking up about it !!
That's such a shame !!!
What are they afraid of ?! A non triple A game winning an award over other controversial titles ??!! No... Really ?!
And yes, of course, IT'S ALSO MY GOTY ! I had the feeling to play something new and special... Nothing compared to these (good, I'm must also admit it and I'm ok with that - but already known and inventing nothing gameplay wise) remakes/remaster/DLCs...
massive snub. should've been GOTY. agreed on all points. not being a AAA title from a big studio hurt UO here. For sure i will continue to support their future trpg projects.
As far as game awards, I've never been less enthused to watch it even though there are some amazing games this year. So many categories feel copied/pasted with maybe one or two games exchanged here and there. They really should just have a category or two dedicated to DLC endeavors rather than having the same game potential sweep over multiple years. And yeah, I get the argument that Shadow of the Erd Tree is big enough to be its own game, it's still a DLC. If the devs were really thinking they wanted it to win a bunch of its own awards they would have just called it Elden Ring 2.
This game deserves better! This game is so good!
I know Vanillaware don't do sequels, but boy does this game deserve a sequel. Excellent battle system and the programming gameplay is satisfying. If only a sequel would address the issue of enemy faction not putting up enough of a fight against your advanced setups (at least in the campaign), and doing a bit more with the world map town restoration/rebuilding system, it would be a perfect game.
I'm also sad that the Heroes of Might and Magic successor Songs of Conquest got passed over as far as I can see.
Stellar Bladr music is actually up there with Unicorn, both of these are probably the best I've heard this year. Those others I don't care for
It is my game of the year, but I'm happy for Balatro's recognition.
Unicorn Overlord is my goty so far. That being said, the very idea of a universal goty award is a fallacy. A couple people get to decide for millions of tastes and gamers.
Well... That's democracy in a nutshell...
But I get your point... just being sarcastic...
UO is my GOTY too.
Maybe if they put the game on Steam, people would know how good it is 🤷🏽♂️
I just hope this leads you to make more UO videos. I'm on my third playthrough.
Only female story/unique characters.
I'm planning a holy crusade run video for sometime in the future, hopefully sooner rather than later.
@@TitaniumLegman Heck yes!!!! Hopefully more Steal This Squad vids to go with it!!!
Tactical/strategy games are effectively “niche” so we shouldn’t be surprised that it didn’t get nominated for much. It did 100% deserve more than a single nomination.
@@ultraginge1990 and I will fight to make such games more than niche!
@ I hope they become less so. My favourite genre by far and Unicorn Overlord shows how amazingly different they can be.
This is GOTY in my heart of hearts, Metaphor Re:Fantazio is great but Unicorn Overlord literally glued me to my device for hours!
I havent played the game since i platinumed it on release did they do anything to allow you to reasonably play after you beat the final mission that gives you a bunch of extra characters that you can only use for one battle? or does the game still just stop there. Or a new game plus.
I keep forgetting it exists because it's not on the PC, and I do really want to play it. I wish Vanillaware joined the 21st century.
It would probably be a contender for me if Vanillaware weren’t so weird about not releasing their games on PC. I really wanted to play it, but I really don’t like playing on consoles anymore.
i agree, wtf. how was it so forgotten?
I loved UO. It scratched an itch and was highly anticipated for me Id say it mostly lived up to the lofty expectations I had for it too, which is extremely rare in modern gaming. That said Im not even a big platformer guy and Astro Bot was far and away the best new game I played this year.
In the end I dont really care about Dorito Pope’s corpo game award shill show. It would be nice to see UO get its flowers but its not a game that’s for everyone either so I can understand it being left off. Ive seen plenty of valid criticism towards UO from people who are and would be the audience for it.
I still really need to play the game. I have so many damn games in my backlog and I'm slackin.
I have the mentality of you when you mentioned Wukong. UO's design within its genre is so innovative and different than any other over produced action game.
UO has so much crativity and depth to its systems. If it disnt have a trash story and cringe anime chatacters than maybe it should be goty. I really think this game should have realsed on steam and more people would have talked about it
We get to keep our smug superiority for enjoying a niche gem.
I think Metaphor Refantazio deserves it's spot too. I love both these games dearly, but Metaphor beats every other game I loved this year, including over things like Stellar Blade, Gundam Breaker 4, DB Sparking Zero, Megaton Musashi.
I know Persona, and Metaphor is not just Persona 5X2 Electric Boogaloo. I will say it definitely took parts of Persona but also parts of Shin Megami titles proper, except it's in a way that feels brand new.
The characters are adults, and schools aren't a part of the character's lives. This game doesn't limit your party to one attack and skill pool. There are combination attacks as well, and they aren't as limited as the ones featured in P5 Royal.
The engagement I have in Metaphor (the story and setting alone) far exceeds what I felt in all other games this year.
This is just my opinion on Metaphor's qualification for GOTY
For Sim/Strat, I only know of Age of Myth of the other games and it is a remake.
I have not paid attention to the game awards since they came out, when I knew CoD and Madden were making most of them.
Elden Ring (DLC) and Black Myth could not be Game Direction. I also would not put Metaphor up for GoY, love RPGs but have never liked Persona or Persona like.
I think both Eiyuden and Unicorn Overlord should have gotten more.
Unicorn Overlord is not really doing something new, but it has not been seen since N64. I want more UO and OB style STRAT instead of the square version.
Speaking of snubs Tom how could you snub the mvp the badass Ajax from the screen gameplay smh.
This video reminded me that I should replay Unicorn Overlord because it was damn good
It just dawned on me that it did not get nominated... wth man
Ever since Helldivers 2 went to hell and Homeworld 3 didn't scratch my itch, I decided to give this game a try and hot damn, I feel like such a fraud for looking down on it as another FE meme. This Game is peak, the strategic play is simple yet deep.
It's personally my GOTY. I've played it at least 5 times and will probably play it a few more times.
Kunistu-gami was highly praised by critics, but almost no one bought it. Very poor sales apparently.
You described that song so specifically and sexually. lol
@@CosmicSeptic1 I've been waiting for someone to comment on that lol
I adore this game, it is easily my GotY and it makes a phenomonal argument for art direction and soundtrack... But I can see why the mainstream media just isn't too hot for the game. It is still a niche genre, with a niche artstyle, and despite being incredibly tame for Vanillaware standards it certainly has a lot of fanservice which attracts a lot of unwanted discussion (primarily from a very loud non-gamer audience on both sides.) Not to mention recency bias. So IMO... it is a travesty that makes a lot of sense? Honestly idk, I'm just happy UL exists and is as good as it is.
It also was not on Steam,if it wasn't console only it would have been more well known.
Plus side, they remembered to mention an SRPG. Somehow that's progress.
They met the lowest bar.
@TitaniumLegman Even the biggest and most awkward elephant passes bingo sometimes.
I would play this if it was on PC so someone can get me a more authentic translation but it’s not and Vanilla Ware still thinks if they put a game on PC it will steal their soul so I haven’t played it and I won’t.
I like Kunitsu-Gami a lot and I'm really happy it got the nomination even more than UO, because it's even more out there, but yeah UO should win the strategy category and should've been nominated in more places. UO only isn't my GOTY because I think Metaphor is Game of the Decade so far, but it's an incredible game. I'd basically replace all the major nominations for FF7R-2 (it's a bad game!!! if it beats Metaphor in anything other than maybe Soundtrack I will be mad!!!!!!) with UO tbh
Snubbed for being sexy. Sexy is considered evil by the activists currently manipulating the game industry.
This is the dumbest comment I’ve ever read in the face of ff7 Rebirth’s overt Tifa thirst.
Stellar Blade has nominations in two different categories.
I already knew that this game wont get nominated. If anything had a chance, it would have been Metaphor: ReFantazio but instead elden ring dlc. Wtf? Who even decides this?
Vanillaware games have been amazing but different so they never get nominated for stuff like this, despite how creative and unique they are
Unpopular opinion. I was really disappointed in u.o. I was so hyped and gotta say on a system that has so much more potential than a 64, it was lacking. From the lack of a custom unit promotion. To being locked into formations and lack of branching endings as well as no tactical strike on attack positions, I just can't believe that ogre battle does so much more. Including side quests even. The controls are admittedly better and the gambits help. But in 64 you could crit and knock a unit back a space and mess with the way that unit now attacks or hit a unit from behind and boom you got enemy mages in front and knights in the back. Then when it happens to you it's a nail biter. I just couldn't go back after beating it and that's something even engage got me doing. I was so sad with that purchase
3:37 because it's not done at the beginning of the year like it should be, so all Games Of That Year are entitled, Metal Slug won't be there next year.
It does not have the weight it needs to be included in the goty category.
Unfortunately it is so niche that everyone knows it wont be included. I mean even wukong was not nominated.
Wukong was nominated, wtf you on about?
Ever since Helldivers 2 went to hell and Homeworld 3 didn't scratch my itch, I decided to give this game a try and hot damn, I feel like such a fraud for looking down on it as another FE meme. This Game is peak, the strategic play is simple yet deep, the Stats and optimizing adds further to the strategic play since you custom build your units and Rosalinde is best girl.
Funny thing is it could easely lose the one category it is nominated in.
Ive been thinking about picking this game up since it's on sale but I am just not sure.
Man, if they port it to PC, I'll check it out on sale someday. Money/time is tight but this one is on my radar
Unfortunately srpgs are still seen as niche. Also the game awards is corrupt af we all know it.
its definitely my game of the year. most fun i have had in a while.
SRPGs (Which have always been my favorite genre of all) ALWAYS get snubbed by these jackasses. They give them minimal coverage and exposure in articles, barely ever mention them, and then ignore them at game awards. I guess if a game doesnt have you rapidly press square square square triangle 10,000 times in a playthrough its not worth their time.
Nothing against action games, hell I also liked games like Legacy of Kain, Dynasty Warruirs and a couple of others...I have a thing against Action game reviewers who snub SRPG's because it isnt ""there thing". so they talk about them as if they are more niche than they really are on the rare occassion they DO mention them....Which we know is a lie simply by the fact that companies have kept making them since the 90s-present. Something they wouldnt bother doing if their wasnt AT LEAST a respectable fan base. And thanks to those dipshits, even fans are often fooled into thinking this genre is more niche than it really is....
One of the best games of the year for sure, but it was definitely beaten out by a lot of others for me. Elden Ring DLC, Metaphor, and Factorio: Space Age have been more impactful for me. Granted, two of those are DLC, so say what you will about that. Unicorn Overlord is definitely in my top 5 for the year though.
I was like 70 hours into FF rebirth then downloaded UO demo and I quit playing rebirth to beat UO it was that good. Now I do love me some SRPGs though.
I agree with you.
I loved UO, and want to do another playthrough at some point, but it was never going to get a nomination based on how niche it is, and if I am honest, I am not sure it should anyway. I haven't played any of the nominations yet (although Metaphor is a buy as soon as it drops in price at all, and FFVII the day it is released on PC), but based on responses and with what else was released this year, I think they mainly make sense. Never heard of Baltro before this, and while it looks stupid to me, I see it's overwhelmingly positive on steam with almost 40,000 reviews, so go figure.
But with all that said, likes are subjective and subjective awards are a waste of time. I don't care if I am the only person who liked UO, as I only concern myself with my own personal preferences and don't care if others are different.
I think UO is a bit too niche to get nominated for overall game of the year, that's going to be games that have shown broad critical and commercial appeal. The real game that's missed out there is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
It's probably my personal game of the year, but this game has a pretty niche appeal even though it's at worst a 9/10.
You should really try Metaphor. It's a beautiful game. I wouldn't even bat an eye at Wukong.
@@houseofcory oh I intend to, just gotta find the time.
Yeah UO is definitely one of my GOTY but so far the most GOTY for me this year is probably Metaphor and follow by FF7 Rebirth and then UO. The music and score is great for UO but FF7 rebirth capture my attention better with the OST, song along with its scenery. But Metaphor battle OST made me go and check it out on TH-cam and keep listening to it for wesks. Personally i haven't played Elden ring and also most likely i won't ever play it as i don't really like how it look like and plus also don't really like the way George R R Martin stories goes.
It will be a real shame if it doesn’t grab the nomination it got. If there was only an animation award to really recognize Vanillaware…. alas. Just game and my opinion is that, while a great game, it is rather niche and not a GOTY contender. If you had said 13 Sentinels deserved it a few years back I am with you all the way.
Unicorn overlord should substitute metaphor in all the categories for the "best Atlus related title" metaphor is a subpar persona title while unicorn has a better worldbuilding sense of journey and a less bs combat mechanics i would Talk more thinga like that but im goilg to class so i have no more ime but in summary unicorn is a solid 9 while metaphor Scratch a 6 and im standing on this hill.
I do not own a console to play it on, nor do I really have to time to play such long form games. I do agree that this game deserves far more accolades than the western slop that was rigged into the awards.
The problem is, as stated, the game awards are clearly and OPENLY rigged. They literally have it on their main page that the corpos and journos control 90% of the voting. It is no wonder the nominees are a complete joke and everyone knows it.
That said, this might be a good time to look towards the competition, youtuber Stuttering Craig and his "The Real Game Awards". I implore you to look into it.
I wouldnt sweat about what the game awards think about the games i/you liked and enjoy, as past few years they have been less trustworthy with their nominations just like big game "reviewers"/"critics" have been, that these day i trust no commentary gameplay vids/lets plays to show me what the game looks and plays like so i can make my own conclusion on if i want/like to play that game instead of looking at review scores and whatnot
Unicorn Overlord is the best game of the year. But it also won't get the same recognition because other games sold better and had more hype. It's unfortunate. But Vanillaware will always have my support from now on. ❤
🤔 I agree with you just finish the game today the story fantastic I love it 😅
Thank you for info and have good days 🍻
I think unicorn Overlord should be up there for GOTY but I did feel like during your video you kept summing up games like wukong as just an action game or metaphor as just more persona. I feel like we can say the same for unicorn just and fire emblem lol I think these games being more to the table than just being another game or genre.
UO is EASILY the best game of the year. I could not stop playing it! I did all nighters for a week on this game. It haunts me when I play other games because they aren't on that level. I expected no less from the Game awards. I don't even think they play good games, they just watch trailers and hype bots.
I wouldnt worry to much GOTY means nothing. If I see GOTY on a box now it stops me impulse buying it because odds are its not very good. Unicorn Overlord is absolutely amazing and while I have not played Princess Crown or Muramasa (really want to play Muramasa) Ive played their other games and it is my second favourite after the absolutely incredible 13 sentinels.
That said Astrobot impressed me more this year so id give GOTY to that from the ones I have played (havent played Wukong yet) but Astrobot and Unicorn Overlord are the gems from this year for me. I did play Rebirth and as a huge fan of FFVII and quality stories it was bloody awful, second worse game I have ever played and yet it gets GOTY and best Narrative nomination lol.
Id imagine Concord would have been nominated if it was still around.
It came out this year??? I thought it was last year.
I feel get rid of Wukong and put in Stellar Blade 100% and get rid of Metaphor and put in DD2 or Unicorn Overlord, I guess.
Unicorn overlord was great but sadly like FE Engage was, the story was the weakest part of it while the gameplay, audio, design, style were great. Honestly yea, the only thing that really bummed me about unicorn overlord was how all the other characters were recruited lol, made no sense to me how recruiting bunch of murderers, pillagers, bandits for your cause was a great idea. Like Alain goes to a new area > shows the boss doing bad things > beat the boss > boss about die.. unless, all of a sudden Alain raises his hand towards you and say we could use every hand we have in this war and recruit him all of a sudden without giving a shit about the enemy's background just because they're shorthanded lmao. I wanna see how Alain would survive in a world like FE three houses or three hopes where war has some severe consequences between factions. I wonder if Alain would be able to somehow recruit everyone because even Byleth can't recruit everyone even on NG+ xD.
I think that there was a little bit of undeserved, erm, dislike of some of the titles being there. The awards are very much what feels like a cool kids club. You get the odd breakout indie or niche title in there. It's sad when games you thought were fantastic just get overlooked.
I've seen a couple of content creators that wanted to play but decided to skip cause it wasn't on PC.
It was a shame cause they could've given more exposure to the game. And with more exposure means more people playing and more chances to get nominated.
I can't belive this, such an INJUSTICE !!!!!!!!!!! This game was my biggest suprise this year, and I dind't even liked strategy JRPs. Vanillaware deserved more love :3
This is your GOTY and that is fine.
@@therapyquantified987 Oh for sure! But I think it's fair to demand recognition for the incredible work of the team at Vanillaware as well.
@@TitaniumLegman it’s also MY GOTY! I could not shut up about this game for MONTHS
It's a lot of people's goty
@TitaniumLegman I understand, my 2nd favourite game this year is Beyond Galaxyland, should of got sone nominations. Maybe not GOTY but other catalogues.
No write-ins, huh?
I want to play it, but its only on play station 😢
Isn't it on all console? Only PC doesn't get it and probably won't as I never see vanilla ware ever release anything on PC.
Not releasing this on pc is asinine... Vanillawares opposition to making more money is ridiculous. At least its on all consoles
Should have released on PC