![Baldur's Gate 3 GOTY](https://images.pushsquare.com/216a2f13b0758/baldurs-gate-3-goty.900x.jpg)
For the many accolades Larian Studios' roleplaying epic, Baldur's Gate 3, has earned, the fact that it even exists is somehow still its most impressive accomplishment of all. Its predecessor, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, was released almost a quarter of a century ago and is still considered one of the all-time genre greats. Not only did Larian surpass it with Baldur's Gate 3, it reimagined the classic series for a new generation and found monstrous success in the process.
It tells a masterfully written story that weaves engaging character interaction and titanic combat sequences with quieter moments of revelry and contemplation. Origin characters allow the narrative to be expanded and even experienced from multiple perspectives, and Larian has the confidence to lock meaningful amounts of content behind each, adding incredibly compelling reasons to replay this lengthy game over and over again.
Combat is about as excellent as turn-based CRPGs get, and rather than make concessions, respectfully demands your attention. Easy to pick up and play but insanely complex at its core, character depth and progression make the experience of playing through the game a worthy and memorable experience, regardless of the choices made.
Baldur's Gate 3 sets the bar for RPGs so high that other developers will be playing catch up for years, and we can't wait to see where the series goes next.
Push Square's Game of the Year list is primarily decided by an internal staff vote. Our community Game of the Year poll is also taken into account. Feel free to agree or disagree with our list in the comments section below.
You can check out all of our Game of the Year coverage by clicking the link.
Do you agree with Baldur's Gate 3 being our #2 Game of the Year? (1,737 votes)
- It should be higher on the list
- Yeah, it's about right
- It should be lower on the list
- It shouldn't even be on the list
- I don't know / I haven't played it
Comments 164
Just to reiterate: Push Square's Game of the Year list is primarily decided by an internal staff vote. Our community Game of the Year poll is also taken into account.
This is democracy at work!
I'm just here for the comments.
BG3 is def the best game this year. Nothing comes even close.
There be a storm brewin
Oh dear oh dear.
A game that while good gets 8/10 beats out more innotive and higher rated games.
BG3 is absolutely fantastic and well done Parian on being open honest and trying to fix issues asap
I sticking with AW2 as my top game but spent my break from work finally finishing this and Persona 5 Royal non stop. BG3 is such an unbelievable game man… cannot believe how it’s just prepared for 100000 different scenarios all the time and the level of choice mixed with the performances is once in a lifetime. I swear I’ll enjoy turn based games eventually!!
Are ya'll really about to put Spider-Man 2 ahead of BG3?
Despite not even finishing (or being close) BG3 there is simply no other game this year that even deserves to be discussed alongside it. Even Alan Wake 2 that is a work of art is simply miles away.
And Spider-Man 2 despite being very good was the safest sequel ever, the only thing that was memorable was how fun the traversal is with the wingsuit. The story is really mediocre and predictable honestly.
But hey, I am sure the voting was fair and (push)square
@ShogunRok People will see this comment and still refuse to listen😂.
Brace yourselves gentlemen!
I haven't played either, but shocked that BG3 is below Spidey. I guess the majority are simpletons lol
Riot!
By all accounts this looks incredible. Hope I can give it the time that it deserves one day.
With respect to the other great games that came out this season, BG3 should be the slam dunk top pick.
I haven't played it yet, but as a huge fan of DnD, I'm glad it's so high. Even happier with Spidey getting the top spot. It's the kind of game I enjoy the most.
The massive size of the game is the big reason why I haven't touched it yet but after watching some streams of the game when it released, I can definitely see why it's on everyone's lists and won GotY at the Game Awards.
@Icey664 bit rude. Just because Spiderman has a broader reach than BG3 doesn't make those who enjoy it simpletons
This is a scandal! Baldur's Gate beaten by Spider-Man?
Spider-gate!
If you feel offended by Spider-Man 2 coming 1st then blame your fellow readers instead of the editors as they were the ones votong for it in the community poll. People should know by now that on a playstation dedicated site the majority of users will vote for Playstation exclusives, although Baldurs Gate 3 was kinda a timed exclusive lol
Also just an assumption, if the staff voting taking place relies on those staff members playing the game then maybe it was simply down to more of them playing Spiderman but not Baldurs Gate? You can't expect them to vote for a game they haven't played surely...
@UltimateOtaku91 you should read comment from @ShogunRok
@Professor_Niggle Yes and he said the community vote also plays a part, in yesterday's article they said Can't really argue with the results — especially when reader voting plays a big part as well!
Obviously if staff votes are close then the community votes (which favoured spiderman) would help decide.
This is the first turn based RPG in a very long time. Just getting used to the mechanics of the game.. but it is a masterpiece IMO.
@UltimateOtaku91 it says primarily by PS staff. Meaning community vote held less weight.
I played Baldur for a couple of hours and I didn't like it, I see some examples of tolerance in the chat that have something to do with it, even in the first message they have to justify the choice by putting everything in bold before the more than predictable messages from the followers of the game. And I like X-Com and Jagged Alliance sagas in turn-based strategy games.
Baldur's gate 3 is a masterpiece.its one of the greatest games ever made.larian studio is a big time studio now.and both divinity games are instant classics.word up son
@PsBoxSwitchOwner Yet yesterday it was a "big part", if only they showed us their voting process system and results.
Aight, imma dip for a few days. There's going to be some salty comments on this article and when the #1 is posted. See y'all next year.
@UltimateOtaku91 yeah I agree seems wishy washy, but also if people care so much they should go outside and touch some grass
@Luvstagrind Gollum is #1
@UltimateOtaku91 The community results holds the same weight as a single freelancer’s votes. I’ll say a lot of people are going to have egg on their face when they see the poll results from the community vote 🤣
Nothings decided yet, Robo Cop ftw!
Not Spider-Man 2 you’ve got to be joking lol . Baldurs gate is in several leagues above it
Also out of all the individual editors top 5 games of the year lists Spider-Man 2 was included in 5 of them compared to Baldurs Gates 4. So I think that puts things into perspective on how the staff voting also went.
These things ultimately mean nothing because taking zero risks and appealing to a wide audience is always going to win.
Lol did I stumble into the PS blog by accident!? well you're not the sister site of Purexbox for nothing! 🤷
Bwahahahahaha 🤣
I hope Sea of Stars is Number 1 then, otherwise this is playground levels of GOTY🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I absolutely refuse, on any level in my 25+ years of gaming across multiple platforms, to see how Spider-Man 2 is a better game than this or Alan Wake 2. And I say that as someone who thinks Spider-Man 2 was very enjoyable and decent. Highly recommended game, but GOTY it most certainly is not!
Spider-Man 2 (Starfield for PX) beating a couple of perfect score games which includes what is probably the game of the generation just shows people will get behind their tribe no matter what, if SM2 was a 4/10 I doubt these results would be any different.
Lol is all there is left to say.
I'll just be over here with the popcorn 😂
@pip_muzz Metacritic User ratings favour Spider man 2 so theres a lot of people who enjoyed it and rated it highly. Also wasn't Baldurs Gate 3 buggy and had some issues on release? Pretty sure they had to release a patch with over 1000 fixes, then another patch of 30GB of data and patched in the missing epilogue, both of which most other games would get slated for. Even on Xbox there are save deleting issues and PX put their review on hold. That doesn't sound all too great to me, maybe people didn't vote for it for those reasons.
😮😯😲😧😦
Only number 2? Blasphemy!
@pip_muzz Polls would suggest that just about everyone with at least a brain cell agrees with you! 😉
@Luvstagrind PushSquare is basically the Inofficial PlayStation Blog.
@ShogunRok We all know democracy is a ruse... 😉
@UltimateOtaku91 it’s on the MS side not BG3 so their with holding is nonsense. As also happened with Starfield
It’s also a game given a 10 by pushsquare. And SM2 gets an 8.
Nobody is saying SM2 sucks. It’s just not on BG3 level.
Edit - didn’t SM2 have installation issues? It had bugs too so if you are trying to single BG3 for that then SM had them too.
Really? Spider-Man 2 the best game this year? I know this is a Playstation website but you clearly don't know how to leave your biases at the door.
Spider-Man 2 does almost absolutely nothing innovative, it's even debatable if it's the best Spider-Man game and it will be just another game that happened in a decade from now.
Meanwhile Baldur's Gate 3 is a milestone game that will be remembered in history and it set a new standard for storytelling and roleplaying forever in the vidro game industry.
Your credibility took a huge hit today.
@ShogunRok I don't think you understand how democracy works. In a democracy everyone's votes have the same weight. A shady "taken into account" from the community vote means absolutely nothing if you don't clarify your criteria.
While I don’t agree with this as a result it was always going to happen. Spider-Man 2 is one of the best selling PS games of the year and has broad appeal. I’ve seen as many comments on here saying they are unsure about getting BG3 as people praising it. When community votes are taken into account the game most people played and enjoyed is going to win because people won’t vote for a game they haven’t played regardless of how well it reviews. Either way don’t let it ruin your day people!
@PsBoxSwitchOwner Did it have installation issues? I'm sure most games have a few bugs here and there but not enough to need 1000+ fixes and a 30GB patched in epilogue that should have been day one.
And not everywhere is going to give great games a 10/10, Baldurs Gate won game of the year at the awards show but review sites like Siliconera gave it a 7/10 and euro gamer gave it 8/10 so this site giving spider man 2 an 8/10 doesn't mean it's not GOTY worthy especially when other sites gave it a perfect score.
Spider-Man 2 only getting GOTY on PlayStation sites and Starfield only getting in Xbox sites is not something I thought was possible I'm truly lost for words 🤯 it just shows us the unprecedented times we live in and that we must take care of ourselves and our love ones more than ever!
@Jamiehook1989 Yet on Purexbox no one is kicking up a fuss about Starfield beating Baldurs Gate. I wonder why that is? Maybe it's because Purexbox has less users and less trolls from their rival system, whilst this site has more users in general which tends to bring more users who favour other systems and are not happy with a Sony made game coming out on top. I know for a fact some of the users complaining today also comment on PureXbox but didn't seem to comment over there when Baldurs Gate didn't come 1st.
And here I was, thinking putting Alan Wake 2 in 4th spot was the joke of the century, oh boy was I wrong.
@UltimateOtaku91 a pushsquare GoTY doesn’t care what any other site rates a game.
Nobody cares what won on Xbox. That’s for Xbox sites. Nothing to do with PS.
All the games in this poll deserved to be included no matter which position they came as they all brought something to the table. I'm not happy hogwarts was not included but I guess that was always on the cards for exclusion despite the fact it is an outstanding game,looked amazing,sounded amazing and launched in an almost perfect state which is a rarity these days. I'm just happy for avalanche it sold as good as it did.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner That's not the point I was making, the point I was making is that not everyone likes Baldurs Gate and this site isn't the only one not favouring it, so singling out this site and its staff saying it's biased is totally wrong and unjustified.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner you are missing his point entirely.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner Also your reading too much into this site's 8/10 review for Spider-Man 2. That review was done by one person yet this poll was done by the whole staff. The reviewer gave the game an 8 whereas the other staff might of rated it a 9 or a 10.
I noped out of both games at the 20 hour mark so I’m indifferent to which game gets to use the push square goty blurb in a accolades trailer.
Baldur’s Gate good, Spider-Man 2 good, doesn’t matter which one got first place. Honestly, Alan Wake 2 is my personal favorite and another persons ranking is interesting and doesnt change my rating at all.
On another note, BG3 is an incredible game but just too darn big!
@UltimateOtaku91 you mentioned that more editors had Spider-Man 2 on their top lists than BG3, but it’s worth noting that not a single editor has placed Spider-Man as #1 on their personal lists. The highest it has placed for anyone individually whose list has been posted so far is #2. Whatever the actual intricacies of their voting system are, this seems like a very strange outcome unless the community vote is weighted much more heavily than implied. Or unless their personal lists have nothing to do with their actual GoTY votes in which case the Spider-Man 2 #1 selection might be even more strange.
It's simply a matter of timing, @UltimateOtaku91. As of today, people have had 100 days to play, and complete, Starfield, whereas BG3 has had just 24 days. Both has obviously fewer days on at the time of the polls. Both are huge games, and whereas most will have had time to finish Starfield in the time between its release and the poll, very few will have finished BG3 in that time. Also, Starfield was available on the Game Pass. Baldur's Gate 3 was not. That means many, many more people will have played Starfield as opposed to BG3. Each of these factors played against BG3, and played into the hands of Starfield.
Give it 12 months from the release of BG3, and the poll results will be vastly different, with far more people having played either (or both) BG3 and Starfield.
There is very little doubt that BG3 is a better game than Starfield and Spiderman 2. However, when it comes to Spiderman, if you look at the reviewers lists of their top 5, of the 5 that have played BG3 4 put it as their number one game (with Jaimie being the one person that didn't having put BG3 in the top spot placing it in 5th with Spiderman 2 in 4th). Of the 5 reviewers that played Spiderman not one of them put it as their number one choice. Indeed, Alan Wake 2 was placed in the top spot by 3 of them! So, of the 9 reviewers lists, 4 opted for BG3 and 2 for AW2, and none opted for Spiderman 2.
The problem with comparing BG3 to Spiderman 2 is that they are vastly differing games. Spiderman can be completed to completion, with everything having been experienced, in around 20 hours. You could spend 2000 hours playing Baldur's Gate 3, and still come away without having experienced everything. The two games do not likely appeal to the same set of gamers (though obviously, some will have played both), and even though Baldur's Gate 3 released in September on the PlayStation, it is entirely possible that many that bought it are still yet to finish it (let alone complete it!). Lastly, Spiderman 2 probably easily outsold BG3 on the PlayStation, meaning that many more people will have voted for it.
Upshot? The polls do not mean that the best game won, only that they received the most votes based on being the game that the most people played them...
How funny, @Bertsimpson. I posted my comment just as your appeared, and we largely said the same thing, and in response to the same person...! 😜
Spider-Man 2 was great. The final hours of the game were crazy good. Well deserving of GOTY (if it is… 👀).
@Bertsimpson That's true, I have no idea how their voting system works, for all we know they do an initial vote and then vote again when it comes to the top 5 to see what comes first. Like they all vote and the least comes 5th and then they vote on the remaining 4 to see who comes 4th and then again for 3rd etc until they get to a winner. All just guesswork but there's got to be some logic behind their system and not just picking it because it's a Sony game.
I think last year everyone was comfortable with the first party PlayStation game taking this site’s GOTY over the choice most outlets chose cuz God of War Ragnarok was just that phenomenal… but Spider-Man 2 is not that phenomenal.
@Fiendish-Beaver I agree with what you said and my comments were never to say the best game won, just a counter to those saying it doesn't deserve it and that this site has chose it just because it's a playstation exclusive. I haven't played any of the Top 4 this year and my top 10 would be completey different games (apart from FF16) so I'm not saying Spider Man 2 or BG3 deserve to win but both games have critical acclaim, high scores, both nominated for multiple awards both sold really well and both battled it out to the end in this poll, there's no conspiracy theories going on here like some are claiming or hinting at.
@Fiendish-Beaver hahah our timing is impeccable. Love it.
Seems like a surprising but fine placing, I got to the end of act 3 and couldn’t play anymore.
I’m definitely not one of those people fawning over it.
It’s very good but the combat… I hated it I’d try to avoid it any way I could.
The characters are great, the main story was very meh (the side quests were great though) so for me a mixed bag.
@BrotherFilmriss That would be huge! This, or Blasphemous 2, or Talos Principle 2. With Blasphemous 2 being one of the favorites of the PS staff members.
@UltimateOtaku91 We all submit a top five games, which is what you see in the personal articles. Editors have 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 points awarded to their top five games, freelancers 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. The community vote is given the freelancer voting points. The games with the most points form our top 10.
Spider-man 2 ahead of BG2 and Alan Wake 2? Really must Sony exclusives win at all costs?
@UltimateOtaku91 I definitely think BG3 deserved the win here for a lot of reasons, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter tbh. Just seems kind of weird because seemingly none of the staff thought it was the best GoTY either. The only reason that I can see it winning the vote is the community vote or the staff voting differently from their personal lists and putting it ahead due to mass appeal I suppose. BG3 and AW2 are both fantastic games with more interesting and/or innovative aspects throughout (compared to spider man 2 that is), but at the same time they are definitely both more niche games that not everyone will love just due to their genres and combat among other things.
That being said BG3 is #1 for me and AW2 is #2 for the year. BG3 is in the discussion for the top rpgs ever made imo, and might have the biggest impact on RPGs in the future.
@LiamCroft thanks for sharing the details!
@LiamCroft Ah I see thanks for letting us know how you do things as now we can kinda work out how Spider man 2 got 1st place.
I get the feeling BG3 scored pretty low in the community poll meaning it scored a 1 or 2 points wise.
I think it's OK for Spidey to get #1. I know it's not a factor in the process but if you think about it, intended audience should be a factor. BG3 is not for everyone, especially not kids, whereas Spiderman can be played by anyone of any age. Same for Alan Wake, horror games are just not going to appeal to majority audiences. So it's an accomplishment to make a great game that is playable by a broader audience.
Still not as bad as Starfield, at least Spidey is a decent game.
I mean it is ridiculous and it discredits this whole website, but its not as bad!
So that must mean The Last Hope - Dead Zone Survival is #1, despite being a Switch exclusive it got in to the rankings because it uses Sony's TLoU franchise
Thank you for the clarification, @LiamCroft. I don't suppose any system would be perfect.
What would be interesting is if in a year after the release of BG3 (thus giving everyone a chance to play through what is an enormous game), a poll was held wherein the question posed was which is the better game, Spiderman 2, Alan Wake 2 or Baldur's Gate 3, with a gateway question being whether you have played each of them. It wouldn't be possible, I imagine, to run such a poll, however personally, I have little doubt as to the outcome though...
Hey, maybe it'll be Tears of the Kingdom at #1
Like others have said, as far as a voting result, being number 2 this year is impressive enough for a game that is niche like BG3. I know it’s selling well enough, but it’s not got the wide appeal of Spider-Man 2.
These results do not invalidate your own personal preferences. If you’re a D&D or cRPG fan, or if you value large epic games or high fantasy, then you’re absolutely within your rights to prefer BG3 over SM2 (or anything else).
By all metrics BG3 is about as close to an "objectively" good game as one can possibly get (if such a thing even exists). But with that being said no one should really be surprised that this isn't number 1. Turn based tactical CRPGs are an incredibly niche genre, and the fact that BG3 has even garnered as much mainstream popularity as it has is quite rare. Put simply, the net for this type of game can only get so wide, where as the one for open world action games seemingly has no limits to its broad mainstream appeal.
Although I was a little surprised that BG3 won the "player's vote" award at TGA simply because I figured there were far more normies out there that would either vote for Zelda or Spider-man. But maybe that was the exception, and not the rule. Either way, I'm not surprised in the least by this placement
Having played both this and Spiderman, and Spider-Man’s woeful side content (minus two or three side missions), this is a horrendous take.
BG3 should be first, no excuses.
„Good evening from Belgrade! Fantastic show! 12 points from Serbia go to … Montenegro! Congratulations!“
When King Kong wins tomorrow... CHAOS
oh my god. you guys need help.
I only just started BG3 today so I can't say whether I agree or not here but I will say this. "Easy to pick up and play" is not how I'd describe BG3. I'm completely lost and I play a lot of RPGs.😅
@Korgon I find BG3 very intimidating - I enjoy it whenever I get going, but starting a session is hard. It's almost too interactive - I'm afraid I'm going to mess up and get an outcome I don't like for playing non-perfectly.
Just laffo if Spiderman 2, another in a line of boring AAA games that took zero risks, is #1. Just hilarious.
See what is #1 for Jamie and Simon:
Jamie: https://www.pushsquare.com/features/game-of-the-year-jamies-top-5-ps5-ps4-games-of-2023
Simon:
https://www.pushsquare.com/features/game-of-the-year-simons-top-5-ps5-ps4-games-of-2023
Any chances for the overall win?
My 2 cents.... -
It is actually quite refreshing to see BG3 in a GOTY list, but NOT be sat at #1. In fact, I think this is the first time I've ever seen it in a top 5 but not hit the top spot.
For me personally- my GOTY without hesitation. But equally I can appreciate it is still somewhat niche and doesn't appeal to mainstream audiences - not to the same extent at SM2 for example.
However, I feel BG3 has done a remarkable job in making its presence known to the community outside regular DnD/CRPG awareness, and equally has paved the way for greater expectations when it comes to single player games except from MTX etc.
My son is currently playing SM2, and I've dabbled also, and it is a great game. TOTK is also an immaculate experience.
What a world we live in where we've had BG3 drop the same year as SM2, FF16, TOTK, Hi-Fi Rush, Resi4make... and the amlighty Blasphemous 2
The true strategy was vote Spiderman 2 GOTY to farm website engagement and clicks . Massive brain play
Respectfully, Spider-Man 2 isn’t even in the same league as BG3. I don’t agree with it being above Alan Wake 2 but I can understand why others would feel it is, while Alan Wake 2 is my personal game of the year, BG3 is easily the biggest accomplishment in games this year, from story, to voice acting, to score, to game play, literally every aspect of it is far above anything Spider-Man 2 does. I liked Spider-Man 2 but I didn’t even think it was as good as the first one, let alone being above Alan Wake 2 or BG3.
I would like to give this a go one day. How long does it take to do a playthrough?
This was the most disappointing game of the year for me by far. It was a potential game of the decade, only to fall apart as totally incomplete when you got to the end. It was an Early Access release sold as a finished game. It should be GoTY, but it’s not even close.
That being said, Spider-Man 2 gives the credentials of democracy much doubt and the fact that influence, doing something new, pushing the medium forward, etc, should all be considered by people voting and a safe super heir sequel, as good as it is, gets GotY over much more artistic and genre-pushing games makes me question who was allowed to vote and how shallow their thought process is, that safe flashy fun was enough to give such an award.
@ThomasHL
For real. Just inventory management alone feels like a herculean task at times for me. Definitely not the kind of game to fire up if you only got an hour at most to play if imagine.
@Korgon the combat is unforgiving early in the game if you haven’t played other games like it and don’t know the D&D rules and whatnot. Misses can feel unfair and punishing. That being said, the game encourages experimentation and creativity. Best advice early on is read all of the descriptions for abilities and items thoroughly and learn to understand actions vs bonus actions. Don’t be afraid to use consumables or one time use items. You get a lot of them and will have a huge surplus by the end if you don’t use them for most of the game. Once you get a good sense for how the basics of the game work it might be helpful to watch a video explaining a bit more of the in depth side of combat, but until then just don’t get discouraged if you miss an attack or a dialogue check. There really are no wrong ways to play the game and even unfavorable dialogue results often lead to interesting things in the game. I absolutely love the combat, but it’s definitely a lot to learn and understand early on and some of the early fights can be tough.
@CJD87 plus the same year as AC6, the Cyberpunk revival and expansion, AW2, Mario Wonder. It’s been such an insane year for games and we are all benefiting from it (though maybe suffering with excessive backlogs lol).
@MightyDemon82 it’s a very long game, but even if you just play through act 1 it’s worth playing. I’ve never played anything before with so much interesting and fun content so packed into the map. It’s so dense with interesting interactions. My playthrough took around 130 hours, I scoured every corner of every map and completed all of the quests and side quests that I was able to, and I never once felt bored. All of the content was engaging and rewarding for me. I’ve never felt that way about such a big game.
@Bertsimpson Thanks, I will try and get through my immense backlog and pick it up once it's down in price.
Removed - inappropriate
@UltimateOtaku91 not true. There's a level of saltiness over on PureXbox too. Reason there isn't more fuss on PureXbox is they ONLY used reader votes not staff. Plus they published exact voting numbers with each game. Wasn't close between 1st and 2nd but very close between the rest.
I think both sides will kinda ignore these #1 and count them as 2nd to BG3. I reckon that's fair, #1 BG3 on everyyhing, #2 on PS SM2, #2 on Xbox Starfield (personally I'd put AW2 no2 but meh).
@UltimateOtaku91 "Yet on Purexbox no one is kicking up a fuss about Starfield beating Baldurs Gate"
You really thought I wouldn't go to PX and check the comments 🙄 Like 85% of them are bashing Starfield and calling boring trash, they mirror this site perfectly.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner yeah but it's not PS GOTY. it's PushSquare GOTY. Also, you're active on both sites.
@Jamiehook1989 😁 I just replied to Ultimate with pretty much the same lol. I think reason for less salt over there though is its 100% reader votes. Can't really argue much. Personally I'd put BG3 #1 and Aw2 #2. Not sure on rest but I'd definitely put SM2 above Starfield.
@jedinite when I put ps I meant pushsquare.
And yeah I am, obviously BG3 didn’t come out till late so I can understand it not being 1st over on PX. (Still don’t think should’ve been starfield.
Obama giving himself the medal meme right here.
@ThomasHL that's usually when the most fun happens:). There's not really a 'wrong' way to play BG3. My advice, start a game with the intention of making all the wrong choices. You'll be surprised how much fun it can be and gets you out of the 'directed game' approach. i.e. go here, collect that, do this etc.
@CharlieChooChoo "I can’t wait to read all the butt-hurt comments when they put out the #1 game."
Does this mean you're butt-hurt about people being butt-hurt? Sure sounds like it 🧐 does it bother you that people are being mean and grumpy to a shiny PS exclusive?
@PsBoxSwitchOwner ahh I c my mistake. And yeah I agree, I don't think Starfield was #1. Personally I'd put #1 BG3, #2 Aw2, #3 unsure SM2 or Forza, #4 Starfield, #5 Robocop. Great year for gaming though. On a par with 98 I reckon.
I have zero interest in Spiderman, have not seen any movies nor would have any emotional connection whatsoever to a grown man in a latex jumpsuit.
However, I have seen some of the action in SM2 in several GOTY videos - it does look very, very fun.
Potentially what a "next gen" game really is.
@Icey664 You haven't played either so what does that make you? 🤣
Well this list is a joke and is just as laughable as the Pure Xbox list. Spidey 2 is great but its not GOTY great.
Imaging not ranking one of the single best games of all-time in second place for its year. Just awful.
I didn't enjoy BG3 much as a non D&D fan. I got swept up in the hype and regretted the purchase. I don't think it is sincere to call people who enjoyed other games more than BG3 simpletons or another derogatory term. I played Spider-man 2 and that was also very much an evolution rather than a revolution kind of game also. Weird how some people get defensive a subjective games list.
@a_brave_new_geek ...I'll send you my selfie of me in my black latex jumpsuit to see if I can change your mind 😉🤣🤣
@evildave333 I don’t like turn-based by myself, but it is a totally valid gameplay mechanic. And if you consider a gameplay mechanic a sort of art (what would be the most appropriate sort of art for a video game in my opinion), then there’s no right or wrong, just more or less enjoyable or self-enlightening.
Thanks for the entertaining comments 😂 if Starfield is nr 1 over on PureXbox you know Spider-Man 2 has to be nr 1 here. We need balance in the universe 😂
I havent played BG 3 yet for more than an hour of the trial but that was very good so looking forward to playing it sooner or later!
you gave BG3 10/10, and you gave Spider man 2 8/10.
these facts doesn't add up here.
Just finished up my game of the year although from 3 years ago, Demons Souls Remake. Just started NG+. What a banger. Amazing job by Bluepoint.
@Darylb88 The issue is Spidey 2 isn't even good enough for top 3 either. Alan Wake 2, Street Fighter 6, RE4 Remake and more are all better games. Spidey 2 is only getting the no 1 spot because its a PS5 exclusive and this site is a PS site meaning the fanboys just have to pick Spidey 2 as no 1 by default.
As for BG3 and D&D yeah i'm not a D&D fan either, nothing against it its just something i never got into however that hasn't impacted my love for BG3 as you don't need to love or know a single thing about D&D to enjoy and play BG3.
@Blacksmith1985 If you read the top comment this list is not just PQ's staff voting its the community as well. I expect if it was just the staff the list would be different.
Not No.1? Ridiculous...
the most overrated game in years. peope are sheeps.
COD: MW3 for GOTY!!!!!
🤣🤣🤣
Wow the comments here…!
BG3 and SM2 are both objectively great video games. Some people may click more with one over the other, or neither may cater to an individual’s tastes.
The top 10 list is sound, and IMO having the ‘right’ games in the listing is far more important than where the games are ranked.
A general consensus of ‘SM2 ranking higher than BG3’ is absolutely fine… and is certainly not an acceptable catalyst for the abusive comments being hurled around!
If Gollum had snuck into the #1 spot over BG3 then sure, that would be an acceptable trigger for unrest….
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I am genuinely looking down upon everyone upset about this. Also, I am laughing, because I know how deeply injured you are and these salty tears are just icing on the cake.
The game of the year-series of articles has been entertaining. I would pay for you guys putting my game of the year on top: Cyberpunk. But congrats to Larian and Insomniac for taking this very prestigious award that is worth billions of internet points and broken gamer hearts.
The individual lists are there to provide content and give lesser known games a chance in a coveted spotlight, I have to say that Robert Ramsey makes the rest of the crew look like clowns coming out of a car, though😂 (Fun intended)
@Tecinthebrain
The mental gymnastics you pulled to deliver this argument/comeback is comedy gold. Don't give up! You're winning👍👏
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While BG3 is obviously game of the year it makes sense that it would take a little hit in a PS5-specific context because of the release date
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Its eurovision style scoring and spiderman 2 is a title nearly everyone will have played, enjoyed and scored highly. I'm sure those who played baldurs gate 3 were more likely to score it at the top of their list, but there will be less people on staff/freelancers who played a 100 hr, digital-only release DnD rpg compared with spiderman 2. The same applies even more to the community votes. Its hardly rocket science to figure out. Why are people losing their mind??
@UltimateOtaku91 Considering they gave BG3 a higher score than SM2 on their own website, even without the fact that BG3 is a masterpiece, they completely contradict themselves. It's obvious bias. We call out XB websites and players all the time for theirs, and with this top ten push square has definitely earned it's criticism.
@zhoont At the price of their credibility? Worth it? I think not
@PaperAlien At least that joke would've been on purpose
@LiamCroft
YOU STATED
"The community results holds the same weight as a single freelancer’s votes. I’ll say a lot of people are going to have egg on their face when they see the poll results from the community vote 🤣 "
"We all submit a top five games, which is what you see in the personal articles. Editors have 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 points awarded to their top five games, freelancers 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. The community vote is given the freelancer voting points. The games with the most points form our top 10."
Based on your above explanation and the game of the year picks published on the site thus far, here's what we have between bg3 and sm2:
EDITORS
Sammy:?
Stephen: sm2 as #2 pick= 8
Robert: bg3 as #1 pick= 10
Liam: sm2 as #3= 6
Aaron(producer) : no impact
CONTRIBUTORS
Simon: no impact on top either game
Ken: bg3 as #1= 5
........Sm2 as as #2= 4
Khayl: bg3 as #1 = 5
Scott: no impact
Jaime: bg3 as #5= 1
............Sm2 as #4= 2
Brett: sm2 as #2= 4
John: Sm2 as #2= 4
Graham: no impact
Janie oneil: sm2 as #2= 4
Henry: bg3 as #1= 5
This equals out to totals of:
bg3= 26 (10 from one single editor, 16 from cont)
Sm2= 32 (14 from editors, 18 from cont)
Therefore with your implication that the community majority voted for SM2 as #1, the community's weight which would be a max of just 5 additional points for Sm2 and at best 4 or less points for bg3, had zero Impact on the results and in fact it was the freelancers picks that had the greatest impact on the results.
Worth noting that this is the data without knowing what, if any, were Sammy's picks. Yet again, as it stands, the max of 5 points from the community had ZERO IMPACT on the results. So I'm not sure why you suggest, "a lot of people are going to have egg on their face when they see the poll results from the community vote 🤣 "
Does Sammy have picks that factored in?
@TheEnygma Ever seen the clip of John Elway starting a press conference by saying "thank you to John Elway"? 😂
@Vega37 It certainly is a word. The top 10 is voted by the readers of the site, as well as the staff. I love that people are passionate about games but does it matter where they place on a list? Enjoy what you play and move on. Your comment has been non-constructive!
One of the most primitive overrated games ever... To me it shouldn't even be on the list.. I guess herd mentality reigns supreme.
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@Vega37 news flash buddy, there is bias literally EVERYWHERE. Recommend choosing something a little more important to get bent out of shape over in 24.
Spider-Man is a kids game, though.
If spider-man 2 being Goty makes you angry then that’s a you problem, not a them problem. You probably should work on yourself a little bit, try to be a better more likeable person that has positive human interactions more often.
@Zemo55 It makes me someone with a backlog lol. Definitely plan on playing BG3 down the line, but not Spider as I didn't enjoy the first game.
My GOTY is Elden Ring, so what? Who really cares?!
It's clear that playstation fans made a huge impact here and that's fine, imo it should be done 2 lists - one according to redaction, second according to fan votes. I'm not fan of Spiderman nor BG3, so I don't care the results at all, but I assume quality does not mean the best. Look at CoD for example, it's still the same but best-selling every year, GoW won Game Awards over RDR2 which was technically better game but GoW was much popular in general I guess (I would vote for GoW)...I mean, it is absolutelly pointless to argue about what is better, we should enjoy the games we like, not losing time by fighting with each other
Happy gaming in 2024!
@KundaliniRising333 Great job working that out and can see how Spider man won now.
In terms of people having egg on their faces I have my suspicion on what that could mean, people keep banging on about Baldurs Gate 3 but I have a feeling in the community poll it hasnt even come in top 3. I wouldn't be surprised if even FF16 got more votes than it.
@UltimateOtaku91 yah I can totally see that as well. There are likely a great deal that avoided bg3 because it's turned based, crpg, and for now digital only, or all of the above.
So I could see it not getting the votes especially if platform specific biases factor in as well. Still doesn't change the fact that it was the best crafted game released this year and for me the best game released in years despite me being less prone to enjoy crpg type games.
Yet these results being a point score system tallied from so many and a community that often votes in allegiance to a platform it really isn't surprising, but still worthy of some fun critique.
@CJD87 "The top 10 list is sound, and IMO having the ‘right’ games in the listing is far more important than where the games are ranked."
Nailed it buddy, the order is pretty much irrelevant, it has been an amazing year for gaming (not the industry though with all the lay offs) and we have all benefited.
BG3 will probably be my 2024 GOTY as I am waiting for physical!!
Triumph741 wrote:
(I haven't played it yet. CRPGs, D&D & Furries not normally my thing)
Wow the number of people bent out of shape because a group vote didn't line up with theirs... NEWSFLASH that says far more about YOU than the results.
@KundaliniRising333 As I was saying on sister site Pure Xbox this morning (which is having it's own hoo-ha over perceived GOTY injustices) there is NO perfect system for awards they are ALL inherently flawed. It is what it is, but meant to be just a bit of fun.
@Mostik Ah for sure the lay-offs have been horrendous right? Not to mention some of the conduct associated with a few of the larger redundancy groups... just awful.
Yes 2023 has been a wild ride for gaming, and Baldurs capped it off for me nicely. I didn't think anything would take the crown from Lies of P.... how wrong was I eh!
And to give SM2 its dues, I think it does amazingly well to have such a large/mass appeal and audience. For instance, mates of mine who don't really 'game' are buying SM2 and enjoying it. Whereas I suppose Baldurs is a bit more niche (albeit probably one of the most accessible CRPGs out there).
The anger and venom towards the staffing team at this site is insane though... imagine being genuinely riled up because one brilliant video game was subjectively ranked as slightly better than another brilliant video game!
Happy New Yr, and I'm certain you'll have a blast with Baldurs when the physical lands
@CJD87 Yeah it is crazy mate, almost like people don't want others to have an opinion!
Yeah I loved my time with SM2, such an enjoyable polished experience, I personally would have Robocop in my Top 10 as the 1st film is a favourite of mine and the game just brought me so much joy. A special shout out to Dredge too!
The last D&D game I played was Disco Elysium if you could call that a D&D type game!?!?! And that went straight into my top 5 of all time so if BG3 hits half as hard, I am sure it will be a treat.
All the best to you buddy, have a good and healthy 2024!
Time to find a another go-to PS5 game review site, I suppose. If this reflects the judgment of the writers (and to whatever unspecified extent readers). Spidey2 was fun and fine. But a huge improvement over Miles and the first one? Hardly. "OHHH web wings and Venom" does not a GOTY make. Side quests were soo perfunctory as opposed to something unique to look forward in BG3. Bravo for rewarding Team Let's Play It Safe, as opposed to the genre defining game that grabs you and engages players so much more deeply, and in ways that's not just "do some stuff while we walk you thru an extended cinematic experience where your decisions matter little." Even in terms of telling a cinematic story, feels equivalent to mid-tier MCU at best.
Any scoring system or staff that lands Spidey 2 over BG3 is broken.
Maybe the winner will be Avatar. I'm playing that now and I'm loving it. Not mentioned at all for any top awards, but it is quite fun and beautiful to look at. Of course my number 1 is BG3 and to see it as #2 is a bit of a shock considering it's impact on the genre. However all the games listed are great.
@CJD87
But here is the thing: it isn't choosing one brilliant video game over another. It is choosing a fine, if polished, formulaic game with cookie cutter side quests and otherwise a decent if unexceptional narrative structure that walks you by the hand over a brilliant and revolutionary game that many reviews note may not be topped for a decade that provides exceptional story telling AND true player autonomy to shape the story and really show how at their best video games as a genre can move beyond being a long movie where you mash some buttons and earn badges/gear.
And even as a cinematic-style linear game, Spidey2 is hardly in the top tier. It's no The Last of Us 2, or even God of War/Ragnarok. Even among Marvel properties, while it lacked webslinging around NYC I'd rate Guardians of the Galaxy's storytelling over Spidey 2. But "ohhhh, web wings!"
@Mostik snap mate, Disco was also my gateway-drug to Baldurs! Have a blast
@Texus I actually agree with your takes on both games, albeit let’s give SM2 its dues - as the fastest selling PS game ever, with >5mil copies sold in a week(!), it is obviously appealing to a really wide audience.
At risk of sounding patronising, and not intending to do so, I think that the game does a remarkable job in catering for a more casual market - and netting a lot of different demographics. My kids could play SM2, and would invariably love it.
SM2 isn’t my personal thing, but I can objectively appreciate it does what it sets out to do and does it very well.
Baldurs is immaculate IMO - but equally it’s not for everyone.
What I really enjoy about these lists, and especially the staff team personal top 5, is highlighting the lesser known gems… got me into Cocoon, which is never heard of and would have missed out on
@CJD87 But this is a GOTY list, not a Best Selling Game That's Accessible to a Wide Audience list. Maybe it is worth revisiting what the criteria are for awarding a GOTY award. Personally my criteria don't rank "solid but popular" over "brilliant, likely influential for years to come, redifing the possibilities of a genre."
And don't get me wrong, I finished and quite enjoyed Spidey2, great polish, great art, decent storyline. Do I imagine another playthru? No, I've not even been interested in wrapping up loose ends in side quests.
On the other hand, despite being over 200 hrs in my first playthru of BG3, I am already planning multiple future playthrus. As different origin characters, playing different classes and races, using different gameplay strategies, and then there is the Dark Urge option.
I do not think they put SM2 on top.
#1 Tears of the Kingdom? 👀
Preordered the physical edition from their site I'm so swamped but even without playing it BG3 is robbed the game is just on another level compared to anything released this year.
@Callmegil![Untitled](https://media.tenor.com/hnR7wBulHe0AAAAM/its-riot-time-fat.gif)
@ShogunRok 🤔 How many people vote?
@Callmegil I think 15 staff members voted this year.
What would have been most interesting is facts about the following numbers.
How many of the staff voters played AW2; SM2 and BG3 and so on.
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