Really? Do I now? Silly me for having my own opinions.

Frankly I'm relieved. Not because I'm out to push buttons but I don't feel a game that is broken and shallow on so many levels past a shiny coat of paint on a massive wall deserves an accolade period. If the award was called "Largest game world of the year" or "Largest improvement on graphics to it's last sequel" sure, even "Most drastic change to quests, valuing quantity over quality", it's a sure fire winner then, hell I'd make them a papier mache award for "Most underdeveloped guild quests and shortest journey in story, character and reasoning to become a leader of the century". Sure it does alot but it does nothing well, let alone the best of and thats when it actually works, with the end of the year approaching I can't see it becoming a game that bugs and missing script are easy to avoid let alone be removed. Yeah they've made a huge profit but even if I did decide to complete give up on the game now and the series, my vote with my wallet has long since been cast sadly but shouldn't always be counted, it's my fault for placing my trust in a company and game series that have provided a higher caliber of game previously, at least one I could sit back and enjoy without some bug or design flaw being smeared over my face every 15 mins maximum.


Can you clear up if you feel Skyrim deserves the award or not, or you just dissagree with this getting it. It you do then how you can say a game that fails on many of the same points you feel DS's does, story, respawning enemies/dungeons having to redo (which is kinda the point of it, it's not we forgot to add a checkpoint before the boss, it's you need to beable to clear the "level" and the boss, no reloading that save you just made for you), limited action and animation? Oh a difficulty, when skyrim is actually both too hard and too easy and too repetitive, yet too brief to be epic fights, with the terribawful way theyve made it.

You didn't have to say the rest. The only reason you didn't like it is because it's masochistic. It's difficult but in my experience it only punishes impatience. It's rare that I'd say a death was just plain unfair.

Also, I bet you're the sort of personality that hates it initially but as soon as you start to get to grips with it, you start enjoying it. Why do I say this? Because I'm the same.

Perseverence is where its at.

I don't get it, they gave Skyrim a higher score and it has a higher user score. How does that make Dark souls the better game?

Load of [censored] if you ask me Still Skyrim wins in my mind.

Sounds weird, but I feel that Skyrims is an open-ended rpg with linear gameplay.

Understand what im trying to tell you?

With 30% of what they show from the video games being sixual references, and the constant speed talking, it's hard to take it serious.

There are skill trees, levels and equipment, but they take second role behind action/adventure gameplay. Skyrim sure still is an RPG, but not a real, full-blooded one, rather an action/adventure with skill trees and heavier focus on equipment... in fact, the real only difference in gameplay between Skyrim and DS is that the latter in much more linear...

In real rpgs, numbers > all. That's what defines an rpg from an adventure game anyway, and both Skyrim and DS are about in the middle of the two (difference is DS has more "classic" RPG elements, compaired to Skyrim's equivalents)...

Also, I've said it before and I'll say it again: there is no confusion on what is an RPG, because the gaming industry decided that already.

There are 3 terms that we have here: RPG, Adventure and roleplaying. If you think for a bit, they all technically mean the same. But, a quick look at any gaming site will tell you that:

RPG: A game with very heavy emphasis on stats, equipment, skills and skill trees and various other D&D-ish mechanics.
Adventure game: A game with heavy emphasis on exploration and action gameplay.
Roleplaying: (Being able to) pick up a character and craft a story for them as you progress in the game world.

So, stop this "what is an RPG" nonsense already =_= It's not something subjective...

eh? maybe that site, ive seen others give dark souls a higher score. course in my mind neither wins

I think the term RPG elements is wrong, the correct term should be "strategy elements". Once upon a time, war games met with the roleplaying idea. This whole turn-based, leveling game elements are all coming from military mentality. See COD games adding ranks and such... If only people could distinguish strategy and roleplaying, then it would make sense. And, oh, story from gameplay.

Dark Souls is my personal number 2 game for 2011. Skyrim, #1 (and I have plenty to gripe about with Skyrim too!), Dark Souls #2, Dead Island and Deus Ex are tied for #3.

EDIT: I honestly have more cirticisms of Skyrim than Dark Souls but the amazing world design and freeform gameplay wins out for me. Dark Souls is a major victory for gaming though and really does well what it does well. Patience rules the day in Dark Souls. Awesome combat and a great character building system.

Gametrailers has always been a bunch of console fanb0is so this isn't surprising.

Skyrim is a console game... ijs...

Sure, but it's on pc too, with mods, which is probably why it didn't get GOTY.

Yep... I like your plethora of valid arguments... no, I really do...

Who said I was making an argument?
95% of the time gametrailers focuses on console games, so it's no surprise that a console exclusive got the GOTY.

Those websites take game bugs and glitches into account, which renders all of their opinions on every article invalid to me. There are no other games or developers in existence that make games that are as open-world and role-play friendly as The Elder Scrolls series. You just can't compare.

I have both games and while Dark Souls has more interesting and intricate melee combat it's hardly a better role-playing game. Skyrim's a massive world with a ton of complex, inter-weaving plots; an incredible breadth of lore; more attention to voice acting, characters and minute details. As far as a roleplaying experience goes TES and Fallout are unmatched; Bethesda is unmatched.

The game was buggy as hell and is still near unplayable for PS3 owners at this point, though. I'd imagine that factored in heavily for any awards Skyrim didn't win.

Skyrim, never played dark souls

Cheers

All of that I agree with.

I still stand by what I said, they are my favorite games nothing will change that.

Skyrim has the least depth over any previous in the series, I have been pretty vocal about that.

Skyrim does need more added depth, its a hollow shell compared to the others.

Weeaboos. First word that popped into my head.

As i said on gt Skyrim should have won.

based on what i've read i will not play dark souls and i wouldn't consider it anywhere near the type of "rpg" that skyrim is nor one i'd want to play. i don't play morrowind, oblivion, or skyrim for the 'tight combat mechanics.' as well, any game that's primary attributes are combat, co-op and online are "rpg's" i don't play.

To me Dark Souls and (also nominated) Deus Ex are no RPGs.
Still I'm somehow glad, Skyrim didn't got that GOTY award.
Even though it's still amazing in some regards (and I still thank Bethesda for being one of the very few people out there actually doing games like that), I think Skyrim is just too flawed, has too obvious design-mistakes and is not finished enough to deserve such an award.

Dunno which one of the other games would deserve it ...

I LOVE the story and lore of Dark Souls, eh they deserved it. Skyrim has already won a GOTY.

Didn't even know Darksouls existed... really strange they completely dissed the PC on that one.

opposed to Skyrim's combat which was?