Haley Sampson’s 2017 GOTY Pick
As unlikely as it may sound, this year’s lineup of games didn’t impress me. Even so, I found myself attracted to Horizon Zero Dawn and slowly realized it was my GOTY choice. As a lover of all things dystopian, the story and art design pulled me. Mechanical dinosaurs and animals? Where do I sign up?
Without going into too much detail, Horizon Zero Dawn’s world offers somewhat of a glimpse into a future that might not be too far off. The dialogue and voice acting are filled with emotion that never lets up. With detailed robotic animals traversing the landscape and deep, rich colors painting the sky, I found myself wandering around to take everything in rather than playing the game.
Aloy, the main character, was easy to connect with, and effortlessly pulled me deeper into the game. Her versatile arsenal allowed for tactical approaches and diverse strategy. Every fight felt as if it was different from the last. All combat felt intense and fast paced. I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed the combat in Horizon Zero Dawn. Normally I love to run in and start smacking things, but, instead, I found myself strategically mapping my approaches into combat. Overall, Horizon Zero Dawn has a lot to offer. A lot, which I must admit, that I have left unexplored. As for this year, I’d say that it is one of Sony’s best exclusives and is my pick for GOTY.
Emmaline Shettel’s 2017 GOTY Pick
Super Mario Odyssey. The name is refreshing to hear, because it has been the best game released this year and another surprise from Mario. Players thought that Galaxy was going to be difficult to one up, but using the Switch was a smart way to make Odyssey more enjoyable.
I think most people would agree that the only flaw in Odyssey are the motion controls. Although you can get through the game without them, it’s much easier with them and most people don’t like relying on shaking the joy-con; but even that didn’t make anybody think twice about giving the game a perfect rating,
The fact that you can throw your hat at something and become it is hilarious and essential to get through the story. You can be a dinosaur, a tree, or even an electrical wire. I think this adds a creativity that works with 2-player mode as well, wherein the second player can be Cappy and throw the hat at things.
There’s 999 moons, and approximately 124 need to be collected to beat the main story mode. On this note, I first thought it sounded silly to do that, especially for somebody who just beat a game and never goes back to it, but I can honestly say I came back to this game. I am still addicted to finding moons in many areas, and the maps are aesthetically pleasing and easy to glide through.
The game was breathtaking and surprising. I don’t own a Switch, but I would buy one just for this game.
