@Javier: I noticed that, too, and I feel like they meant to say "as a visual showcase" because they just got done mentioning how breathtaking the visual splendor is.

This is what happens when media outlets don't have copy editors any more. I used to be one some years ago, and we were shed in 2009 as unnecessary. I would have caught that right away with one read through. Shame.

@mcstabstab: They're refraining on purpose. Probably can't separate the politics from the review so it's probably for the best or we'd get another disaster like the Wired review.

@vgmkyle: I mean, I sure hope Hi-Fi gets an 8 or above, too, but I don't see how it would be relevant unless the same person reviewed it. Different reviewers have different takes. What matters is the larger critical reception the game has gotten! 💖

Well one thing the article definitely nails for me is that your Steam library has a very good chance it will always be with you and certainly continue to be playable despite whatever advances in computing come around. You’re not gonna ever have to “leave it behind”, and it will probably outlive you, to be honest.

Great bundle! I got basically the same bundle through Steam a few years ago and this is just a fantastic collection of games...waaaaay more than worth the price of this deal.

Great snippet and analysis.

This game is absolutely more than it seems. It's, as you mentioned, an almost perfect symbiosis of gameplay, story, metaphor, and symbolism. It's all quite sophisticated, and the fierce but learnable challenges the game presents you with are just the icing on the cake.

I loved this game. It was my personal favorite game of 2021, and I'm glad to see it is getting the recognition it deserves from certain people. I know not everyone, because to be quite honest, it's not a game for all types of gamers. But for that certain set, it's a definite masterpiece.

What a trip down memory lane!

So many amazing memories. Technically this was my entire gaming life from my first year of high school (1996). I remember each and every one of these, however I distinctly remember being kind of bemused at Serious Sam getting it, and also fully supporting but not quite believing that A Link Between Worlds was actually chosen for GOTY.

I also think Sekiro might be the hardest game to ever be awarded GOTY, although Demon's Souls came close.

@pauselaugh: So, I guess your M.O. is just to turn an article with helpful intent into a vehicle for system wars?

I know a lot of people "reviewing" the review are not happy with what they see, but it's not entirely wrong. The game gets a LOT right. It nails the atmosphere, the graphics are amazing, and the sound is great - basically all of the aesthetic checkboxes are satisfactorily hit.

However, when it came right down to the gameplay, I simply - personally speaking, of course - didn't have much fun at all. I really just didn't enjoy my time with the game. The plot was only okay, as well. It just didn't grab. I think the team, if they get to make a sequel, will know exactly what to do. But as it stands right now, this was very much a "6" game in my opinion.

Most people will be playing this for no extra charge on Plus, actually!