GOTY Winner 2017: Did Zelda Deserve to Take The Game Awards Title?

David and Rossco look at the GOTY winner 2017 and the nominations from The Game Awards as Game N Respawn debate Zelda taking the title. Did it deserve to win ahead of the competition from the other nominations?

[-Foxtrot]

Not really. If it had to be a Nintendo game I thought Super Mario Odyssey was beautifully done and way more deserving.

Just felt like it relied on the Zelda name first and then the actual game second.

[Neonridr]

Zelda was more grand at the end of the day. It has a more sweeping story and felt dramatic. Mario is a blast, don't get me wrong and it's how you do platforming. But Zelda was just epic.

my opinion of course, so take it with a grain of salt.

[Lightning Mr Bubbles]

Yes, I have to say it did. It was the best game this year. Got to give it it's due. I predicted it would win because it was the best game this year and if it didn't, there would of been something wrong with the awards.

The only argument was maybe Horizon Zero Dawn, I think that game was great also and if Zelda didn't win, then it would of been Horizon, that's the only argument I can see. But in the end, I still give the edge to Zelda.

[Neonridr]

@Lightning - it was a fabulous year between Horizon and Uncharted on the PS4 and Zelda and Mario on the Switch. This doesn't exclude all the other amazing games both consoles received as well.

[deafdani]

Oh don't worry, Foxtrot has plenty of salt to take your opinion with. XD XD XD

[mikeslemonade]

Zelda wins by default. Yes it's an overrated Nintendo game where you played mini dungeons and ran/climbed most of the time, but there was nothing else better.

[NecrumOddBoy]

Zelda's story was sweeping???

What story? Defeat Ganon? Help... Zelda's trapped in the Castle? Can you recover the lost memories of walking around and listening to your dead friend's bad dialog? The story wasn't good.

120 Puzzle Shrine levels and 900 Hidden Seeds... Sounds like this could have been an iPhone game.

Oh wait the dugeons... Oh there is none.

The bosses? Oh you mean the same shadow Ganon 4 times with no real difference?

Side quests! Or fetch quests which leads to nothing but weak potions or rupees.

I will say the climbing, physics and Shrine side quests are great. The cooking is absolutely awesome but needed a cook book. I will say the SOTC way to get into The Beasts were also pretty epic, but the game is all surface and no real meat.

But that is it. This game was repetitive and lacks the heart of better Zelda games. No worthy weapons, spells, items, or anything memorable. BOTW will never come close to any other Zelda except maybe Z2, SS, or the CD-i games.

This whole game is all about fetch quest in your way to get enough hearts and stamina to complete the one mission that matters...

[_-EDMIX-_]

Of course more buzzwords and more immeasurable features.

Be like "I think Ghost Recon deserve to win game of the year because I mean it was more Grand and more Epic"

@nec-exactly my biggest problem is they are absolutely roasted Dragon Age Inquisition for having so much filler Quest yet Zelda has this ridiculous amount of filler content with those stupid seeds

I mean by that logic we should be giving Assassin's Creed game of the year because those dumb Flags or Birds you collect lol

One of the things I find so hilarious is that most Nintendo gamers are scared to specifically say any actual real reason why the game should have been such a prestigious award a lot of it is stupid a measurable features like epic or grand or their emotions while playing the game no one is actually able to say any future inside of the game that is some sort of brand new mechanic.

It's not the first open world game
it's not the first game you could climb in it's not the first time you had a game where you could make food or other elements by this Logic No Man's Sky Minecraft and a whole bunch of games should be winning these Awards.

Ironically enough the majority of the crappy see from breath of the wild has been completely ripped off from the Assassin's Creed series so if they love those games so much I believe Nintendo Gamers should be playing Assassin's Creed lol

But I guess you have to slap Nintendo on there and change the character to link for them to realize it's a good game. Be like "the magical scale and epicness of Link being in Egypt is beyond Epic derrrrrr GOTY"

LOL

At the end of the day Nintendo bought Game of the Year this year they likely have a bunch of backdoor deals with these journalist.

[mikeslemonade]

^Yea it's nintendo fan servicing. A 97 meta on nintendo switch is actually only like a 91 on current gen systems.

And Dragon Age Inquistion won many goty awards over Bayo 2, Mario 3d land, and Smash despite those nintendo games having a higher meta score.

[Sono421]

"It has a more sweeping story and felt dramatic"

What?.... it had no story... simply "Gannon is bad.. Gannon is back... beat him pls." There is almost no context given other than a tiny bit in the memories spread throughout the world. In what way shape or form is that a story? Storytelling is all but absent, you get more context in Super Mario Odyssey and I think we can all agree that isn't a story driven game, but that's okay. That isn't what it's going for, Mario Odyssey is all about the brilliantly layed out levels and player freedom on how to beat them. In essence that is also what breath of the wild tries to do but it doesn't come near the level of perfection of Mario Odyssey. BotW has many flaws, Odyssey does not. Mario Odyssey rewards you for thinking outside the box and doing incredibly tricky jumps to get to places you would think you aren't even meant to be, Breath of the wild slaps you in the face for even just exploring it's world giving you nothing over and over and over again. Anyone saying Zelda deserved it over Mario Odyssey simply didn't play both games, or is such a Zelda fanboy they look over all it's many flaws and just repeat the same nonsense over and over again "Brilliant design" "Reinvents open world games" even though both of those statements are false and Mario Odyssey is light years ahead of BotW in terms of design. That isn't an opinion that's a fact.

[Neonridr]

@EDMIX - please, enlighten us with your Zelda and Mario expertise. Tell me how many hours you logged in either game?

No offense dude, but you having an opinion about whether Zelda or Mario deserved the GOTY more is laughable at best. You don't own a Switch, you didn't play either game. Give it up. Your "opinions" mean absolutely nothing because you have zero experience. I mean how can you say that one game was better or worse than the other when you have no idea yourself?

See I actually own a PS4. I play Horizon and Uncharted.. I can actually make those comparisons because I know what all 4 games played and felt like.

[Neonridr]

as far as Zelda games go, no Zelda game in recent history was as different or took as many risks as BoTW did either. This game was more like the original on NES. Come out of a cave, opening title. Figure out where to go and what to do.

I mean did you prefer Mario over Zelda because of the gameplay? Both were beautiful in their own right.

[Sono421]

I prefer Mario over Zelda because the game has less flaws than BotW. BotW is riddled with flaws from beginning to end, the game was built on flawed design. Mario Odyssey is brilliantly laid out from start to finish. Every inch of every world is thought out with meticulous detail making a very seamless and flawless experience, truly a masterpiece. The same cannot be said for BotW. That game smacks you in the face for exploring, all you ever find is the same exact 3 things, korrok seeds, spirit orbs, and the same random items spread throughout the map... so exciting. Especially when compared to previous Zelda's where you would spend the game building link's arsenal up, getting new (actually useful) abilities. None of that happens in BotW. The game is hollow beginning to end. Then there's always a chance for things to get exciting, like the labyrinths, then what do you find at the middle... JUST ANOTHER SHRINE, i've seen a million of these things already and they are all set to the difficulty level for a 5 year old. Every single time you think you are about to find something interesting and actually be rewarded you are greeted with another shrine, another weapon that will break 3 enemies later, and another orb which you need 3 more of just to increase your hearts by one.... could you put me to sleep any faster? It discourages me from exploring every single time. Same with the divine beasts, only one of the did I actually have to sit and think about it for a bit. But I will say that at least two of the divine beasts were brilliantly laid out, sure still easy, but at least you could tell there was a lot of thought put into the designs. Then all of the "abilities" you get from the divine beasts are simply handicaps that make an already easy game even easier, it's like they were trying to put me to sleep.

[Neonridr]

@Sono - don't get me wrong, I love both games and both have their reasons. I just think Zelda was a little more story driven. I know you don't agree and will go on length talking about the games bugs and flaws. But critics and users seem to agree that it was an amazing game.

Sure the game has areas that can be improved, but that's where a future installment will take what made BoTW great and build on areas that it maybe lacked in. I loved that weapons had durability, but it would have been nice to be able to repair those items instead of losing them forever. The point to exploring was to find the shrines to increase your hearts or agility though. You sort of had to explore the map if you wanted to max out your hearts.

I did miss the conventional dungeons though, and hope they go back to those. I agree that the powers gained from each dungeon just felt sort of thrown in and definitely made it harder to die for example.

[TallonIV]

Super Mario Odyssey while fantastic was kind of more of the same (in a good way.) With BOTW however, Nintendo took huge risks changing the formula and it paid off. Redefining the open world genre is no easy feat and don't be surprised if you see games in the future copying BOTW's formula. That's why I believe the right game won.

[madforaday]

@Loveable

It didn't redefine open world games at all, it just excelled in everything besides story. The same concept can be said with Horizon Zero Dawn, it didn't redefine the genre, it just excelled in every category including story. If I told you I want a great open world game with a story. You would pick games like Witcher 3 and Horizon, Zelda won't be said at all. The word Zelda and Mario goes a LONG LONG way for their games. I see so many reviewers shit on other games for certain things. When a Nintendo game comes along with one of those words in it, the reviewer forgets about it. Lastly, with all that said, the new Zelda and Mario games are AMAZING, don't want people to think I didn't like them. You talked about risks and I personally believe what GG did was a MUCH bigger risk than what the developers did for Zelda. The word Zelda is in the game, people are going to buy it no matter what compared to a new IP.

[HaveSumNuts]

Zelda totally deserves it because Nintendo been f'ing up for like a decade since the Wii came out and they finally made a console and game that's decent. Nintendo like the slow kid in class that just picked up his hand and answered the question correct 1st time ever. Teacher and the other students shocked, people start clapping and shit. Well of course Xbox / Playstation have been at the top but heyyyy...... Nintendo actually did something right so let them have it.

[balance2theforce]

Hahaha, Nintendo has made more classics than both of those guys combined bruh. And I don't believe they've had a game ever read is Holly at some of Nintendo's. Don't worry though, more and more people are getting tired of the agenda here and becoming more aware of thr fact that if it isn't a certain box round here you guys are always going to hate. And if some of the out-of-the-blue PM's I've gotten are any indication folks are beginning to have a laugh at you boys being bitter and spewing dat sodium every time Zelda or anything not pro you know who is mentioned.

Just look at da whining and excuses here. The media is biased! The awards are rigged! Sounds like another windbag out there. From some of the first posts on down, it's been whining (still), bitterness and ongoing hate. And not going to lie, it's great seeing that much effort. As the more these people post, the more you see that it really has them hurt! 😆🤣🤣

[showtimefolks]

fox couldn't agree more and just look at your disagrees. people can't accept the fact this zelda game that they waited years for wasn't as good as past zelda games

nintendo games are reviewed with a soft spot in reviewers hearts so most of the times they will get better review scores

[deafdani]

So, you and Foxtrot and a few other select privileged individuals are right, while the rest of the gaming population and critics (say, about 95%) are wrong.

Gotcha.

[Lovable]

@deafdani

Man stay true to your name.

[Neonridr]

sales and reviews indicate otherwise showtimefolks.

[Lovable]

Kek @ Sales = Quality argument..

[Imalwaysright]

People are allowed to disagree especially when they are disagreeing with a troll. Also no one has to accept how you perceive this game and I have no idea why you think anyone should. The rest of your comment is just more of the unsubstantiated nonsense that I'm used to seeing from ps fanboys that don't like the fact that BOTW outscored every sony game this generation.

[showtimefolks]

DEAF

like i said in my other comments goty awards are subjective. rest of the gaming or the select few(your words) who actually review it? how many sites are there that actually count with metacritic

one again as someone who didn't like this zelda i am wrong for not liking it but could it be to me atleast it was a great experience, now let me rephrase it it was an above average 8.5 to 9/10 type experience. i guess 9/10 is me hating and i should be called names or worst

when did 9./10 become so bad

neo:

please don't make the sales argument as other games sold much much better

zacfoldor

i don't think reviewers gave a game that deserved 4/10 out of 10 a perfect score because of nintendo. let's say a game made by nintendo is closer to 8.5 to 9/10 they will have no problem pushing it to a perfect score. in no way shape or form is zelda BOTW a bad game it's actually a great game i personally just don't think it's 10/10 type experience. once again just my opinion

[Imalwaysright]

Says the troll that was trolling and downplaying BOTW before its release date. You even got to the point of claiming that the developers that were praising the game were lying (yeah I remember that as well and don't try to deny it) such is the buthurt that the game has caused you. Let the buthurt flow through you.

[Neonridr]

I keep asking Fox how many hours they have logged in both games to understand their point of view but they keep ignoring my questions. Fox, do you even own a Switch and both games?

[Imalwaysright]

His point of view was set in stone well before he played the game if he played it at all.

[rainslacker]

I feel it's about as deserving as any of the other nominated titles.

[CaptainObvious878]

Don't bother anyone trying to point out the obvious flaws and double standards of zelda to ninty fans. You'd have an easier time explaining quantum dynamics to a cow...

[Imalwaysright]

So you're just going to act like a pompous ass? Here was I expecting you to tell people that played the game what they should and shouldn't like about it and what games they thought were better this year.

[Segata]

If Foxtrot can link a screenshot uploaded form his Switch of Link naked in Goron city with four weapons on the ground and using the in system text editing on the pic that says "Foxtrots Zelda pic" and dates it. Only then will I believe he has played the game.

[gangsta_red]

I haven't played the game but it sure did receive a lot of perfect scores and tons of praise.

Not to mention...some friends I talk with who have played the game have all said they loved it and it's one of the best games they played this year.

It definite must have when I eventually get a Switch.

[sammarshall102]

From what I hear, it deserved to win

[TallonIV]

The game is a masterpiece, so yes.

[Sgt_Slaughter]

From what I've seen people have been more critical of BotW and not even in a necessary way, only that it's Zelda.

[LordoftheCritics]

Every other game of the year nominee had so much generic going for them but yet people here will only nitpick Zelda.

Regardless, it will win everywhere.

[OoglyBoogly]

Every other game? How was BOTW not just as generic if we want to go there? How is Horizon any more or less "generic" than Zelda? All BOTW did was take things other games have been doing for YEARS and applied it to a Zelda game. Cool, totally different and unique from every other open world game except it's not.

[Lovable]

Ninty bonus! cha ching! And no it does not deserve it.

[PygmelionHunter]

Shouldn’t you be trolling more Xbox articles right about now?

I mean, your dad might get there soon to force you out of the computer, so make haste!

[PygmelionHunter]

There

I gave you an agree so you stop feeling sad :)

[OoglyBoogly]

I sort of feel the same. Even playing the game in 4K and 60fps on my PC still didn't make it some 10 out of 10 PERFECT game for me. It was a 7.5 out of 10. Was a good Zelda game (story and boss were eh) with decent changes and mechanics but far from perfect.

Yeah, anyone who thinks that the Nintendo name plus Zelda doesn't affect people's opinion or view is a fool.

[sizeofyou]

Deserved to win in the eyes of the subset of voters.
So yes.

Pick another group of voters and it may not. All subjective. Who's the greatest footballer, who's the greatest boxer, who's the greatest motorbike rider?
Never answered to everyone's agreement.

Don't know why people are so worked up about it...I couldn't give a crp..!

[TheColbertinator]

Jerry Rice
George Foreman
Valentino Rossi

[sizeofyou]

Lionel Messi
Sugar Ray Leonard
John McGuinness

[LordoftheCritics]

''Don't know why people are so worked up about it...I couldn't give a crp..!''

You clearly cared enough to comment.

[sizeofyou]

Because I comment on all sorts of posts BUT do I care who got GOTY and whether it differs to my views? It does but I won't say what took my fancy cos it clearly wasn't aligned to who voted in this poll. As above...subjective...

[Segata]

Barry Sanders
Ali
Some guy probably but could be a woman. Hell if I know.

[RommyReigns]

'Who's the greatest footballer, who's the greatest boxer, who's the greatest motorbike rider?'

The only thing worth replying to in this thread. Don't want to get started on the topic of GOTY, except to add ''at least PUBG didn't win''.

Ronaldinho
Muhammad Ali
Valentino Rossi

[sizeofyou]

Accept all but Rossi as valid alternatives!
🤣

[OoglyBoogly]

I agree. I love Nintendo and have always enjoyed their games HOWEVER not being some rabbit fanboy I for one felt that BotW was, at best, a 7.5 out of 10 game. The story and boss we "eh" at best, combat left a lot to be desired, the whole world was pretty empty and dead, it did nothing new to redefine or improve ANY genre...

Good game for sure, good Zelda game...but not perfect. Far from it. But of course we ALL knew it would win GOTY...it is Nintendo and Zelda after all...when has it not?

[Movefasta1993]

At this point in my life , I search for games with a good story. Botw didn’t have one, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has a great one.that is my fav game of this gen alongside the Witcher 3.even the performance issues can’t hold that game back from being one of my fav . I am 40hours in so far

[il-JumperMT]

nope there are better games but nintendo games get free pass. I bought a switch for this game and only played it until you are given the camera.

At least Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart made my switch purchase worth it.

[gangsta_red]

Yes, Star Fox 0 definitely got a free pass and took home all sorts of awards and praise.

[balance2theforce]

That's funny, because if seen folks say that about some of sony games (I certainly feel that way about a couple mysrlf) yet they were beaten with a cat of nine tails and dragged across hot coals any instances where they were brave enough to say it. They act like they are the only ones that feel like certain games and companies get a pass.

[PlayableGamez-]

Personally I am playing through Zelda right now and I think BoTW so far is overrated.
I think P5 should have won GOTY.

[Lovable]

This person knows what's up.

[LordoftheCritics]

Personally I am playing through Persona 5 right now and I think so far is overrated.

I think BOTW deserved its win..

/Fixed.

[PlayableGamez-]

Persona 5 offers a unique interesting story, with well developed characters, fun and addicting RPG mechanics, and a strange/adventurous world.
Persona 5 is underrated compared to Zelda.
Zelda got GOTY because it is a nostalgic franchise not because it was the best game on that list.

[OoglyBoogly]

You're also lying trying to just "flip" his example although it doesn't work. Most people, just like with Bioshock Infinite, have all said after a few months that Zelda was "alright" and not as amazing as they first thought it was.

That always happens with Nintendo games. Hype, excitement, then reality.

[bluefox755]

Completely agree. BOTW isn't bad, but not even in the top 3 Zelda games IMO. Nintendo is the media darling though, and there was no chance that game journos weren't going to pick a new Zelda game launching with a new Nintendo console.

[Sono421]

I'm glad somebody can see how flawed the game truly is and not just drink the koolaid like everyone else, haven't played Persona 5, but I do know two games that are 100x better than Botw... Mario Odyssey and Horizon Zero Dawn. It's a slap in the face to those devs to give it to the broken mess that is Botw over those expertly crafted games. Doesn't even make the top 5 Zelda games if you ask me.

[Dlaw76]

Zelda was hands down Game of the year let the haters hate

[balance2theforce]

I am not going to lie, I love it! Absolutely makes me grin sometimes reading the bitterness and anguish coming from their remarks.

[bluefox755]

This must be something that only fanboys can understand? Why would someone be bitter because they disagree?

[OoglyBoogly]

Haters = those with differing opinions.

I played more than one console and one game this year. Zelda in my opinion is far from GOTY...but I guess that just means I hate it even though I played and beat it OKKKK...

[LordoftheCritics]

Haters=Sore losers.

Those with differing opinions are not haters and will discuss differences in game and differences in experiences by making valid comparative points while being objective in a collective manner. I don't see people with differing opinions here, just haters.

[Theknightofnights]

In my opinion, it definitely deserved the accolades. It's a great game.

[ninsigma]

Nope. Mario and HZD deserved it way more but it is what it is and doesn't take away the amazing achievement of the other two games.

[LordoftheCritics]

Of course Zelda deserved it.

Who writes these odd articles? The award is over. Nitpicking is for sore losers.

Zelda will win everywhere. I have played all the AAA this year and Zelda is easily the best game of the year. Mario comes second in gameplay and charm, but Zelda is just that much more grand.

Zelda is the only game this year where you could get lost doing anything. It gives people ADD. Its that good.

[OoglyBoogly]

"Sore losers"...no, you're a fanboy that just doesn't understand that people who played the game don't all think it was the greatest thing ever or even this year, clearly.

It had PLENTY of flaws, especially glaring ones for an open world game, and even all the perfect reviews will point some out...they just don't care to deduct any points for it. They would for other games though? That's the point of reviews and what not...No, I think most people that disagree think that it was still a good game, just one that people keep giving free passes to just because Nintendo/Zelda.

When I was playing it and shortly after having played it I thought it was an amazing game as well...however after the shine wore off and I'd go back to play it the issues are now much more obvious. Combats not that great, the map while pretty isn't exactly dense with life and things to do, the story and pacing isn't the greatest, etc.

[the worst]

Hell No. Horizon zero dawn is a better game around

[balance2theforce]

Well I do recall an article here where it did make like number 8 or something as far as top 10 games of the years of 2017. So while it certainly did not win GOTY, it's not ot like it didn't get any recognition at all.

[septemberindecember]

No, it really isn’t.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Wolfenstein II for me

[OoglyBoogly]

REALLY? Even among hard core fans most I know thought the game was just alright and easily the worse in the series. Go play The New Order again before saying some shit like this. It was a better game years ago.

[showtimefolks]

its subjective to me atleast. zelda was the most over rated game of 2017 and it had multiple issues yet it got perfect scores. anything Nintendo related is expected to be scored higher than other games

the story is the weakest it's been since zelda got to 3d
world is open yet it's barren
the dungeons are far less than past zelda games
combat feels clunky

at launch the game had major frame rate issues which means other games would received backlash and lower the overall score

jim sterling brought some of these issues up and his site was taken down and he received death threats

is it a bad game absolutely not but is it anywhere near 10.10 no sir it is not. it's between an 8.5 to 9 out of 10

most in gaming media grew up playing on nintendo consoles so there always will be a soft spot in their hearts for nintendo. but it's unfair because sony/ms games are reviewed under other merits

in my opinion

but like i said goty awards are subjective

[LordoftheCritics]

All your comments are bs in relation to what the game actually is and why it has its merits and also why it won goty and will win it so everywhere.

There were minor frame rate issues when docked, very very few.

Zelda's story is enough for its type of game. Its a discovery. It's like asking Dark Souls to have a story yet no one commented about it then. Zelda does have a story which is ample for what this game is.

The dungeons are far less? What does that even mean?

Combat is fantastic, do you even know what clunky combat is?

Most people gave Zelda a near perfect score because it is a near perfect game.
Its the only game my gf will play and she does not play video games. ITS JUST THAT GOOD.

[showtimefolks]

http://www.metacritic.com/g...

8.4 user score now that's more like it. it's a 8.5 to a 9/10 and no where near a perfect game in my opinion. it's astonishing to me how defensive some of you nintendo fans get about a game

[CaptainObvious878]

Actually, all you comments are bs. See? I can disregard opinions easily too.

Funny how showtimefolks talks about critics giving the game a free pass in areas other games that aren't ninty games don't and them you continue to say the lack of story is fine because of the context of the game.

And I don't think you know what clunky combat is. Trying playing Horizon and then you'll realise what smooth, in depth combat actually looks like.

Most people gave zelda a perfect score because of their pathetic rose tinted ninty glasses. Maybe you're gf can play it because the combat is that simple.

[OoglyBoogly]

I agree. I remember this being a major issue with Bioshock Infinite back in the day (remember how that was the greatest game ever made by a LOT of people?).

People would sit there and talk about how the level design wasn't as good as the first Bioshock, how your powers were pointless and didn't make sense, enemies were all the same, story was pretty weird and hard to follow most of the game (the middle part barely had any story was just continuous killing)...I mean to any actual gamer the game had a HOST of flaws and issues and problems.

BUT! because the story and ending was "OMFG LOL AMAZING MIND BL0WN!" according to people everywhere and smattered 10 OUT OF 10 PERFECT BEST GAME EVER OF ALL TIME all of the place.

Now though you talk to these people and they say things like "Yeah, looking back on it the story was pretty cool but the game itself was boring and pretty generic and mediocre".

That's if you ask them NOW...ask them shortly after the game came out and they would have said everything about it was perfect.

Hell, I even remember reviewers listing whole list of problems with the game yet it still got 9-10 out of 10.

I see Zelda being the same way. When I first started playing I thought it was AWESOME...then after a couple months of playing here and there I started to see just how flawed and tainted it all was.

[TheColbertinator]

Zelda won. We are not picking Horizon.

[LordoftheCritics]

Good choice.

[Eltortugagames]

For sure. It is fantastic.

[Heart-hat-ack]

Zelda won because it's nothing like the other games mentioned along side it. Yes, there are annoying aspects to the gameplay -like the durability thing. I mean the durability concept isn't so bad, but every three or four swings and you're changing your weapon,that's what was bad about it. My own personal peeve is the lightning strikes! Anyway, there is no game this year that approaches it for the sheer joy of playing, and no other game for many a year has made me laugh aloud at some on the monster antics. Just my opinion, other opinions do exist.

[Eiyuuou]

It would’ve if it actually had a good story.

[Asuka]

Nier Automata is my goty... maybe even my game of the decade...

[TheOttomatic91]

IMO no I think Odyssey deserved it more.

[RommyReigns]

Having completed the main story of Odyssey last night and seen the surprises afterwards, it's definitely my personal GOTY this year, Horizon was also awesome. Uncharted Lost Legacy although it's not getting recognised amongst the other games, easily had the best level/chapter of the year in Chapter 9.

[LordoftheCritics]

What makes Zelda so awesome. Things reviewers have said. All of these reviewers thought Zelda redefined itself and contributed in a huge way to the genre.. You can literally copy paste the text below and the reviews will pop up. I personally agree with the reviews completely.
These are literally taken from multiple reviews across the internet. None are my words.

1. the dynamic weather system has practical effects on the game. Good luck trying to climb a mountain in the pouring rain, and don’t even think of venturing into the snow without proper garb to keep you warm. And if you hear thunder, you had better not be holding a metal sword, or you’re in for a shocking surprise.
2. Everything you do in the game rewards you with something that will somehow prove useful in the future.
3. At one point I was battling a Hinox, one of the largest enemies in the game, during a violent thunderstorm. As I slowly whittled down his health with bombs and arrows, he grabbed a freaking tree and ripped it from the ground, raising his giant hand to hurl it at me when — zap! — lightning struck, killing him instantly as I gawked at the cruelty (and utility) of Mother Nature.
4. Hyrule is, ultimately, untamable. All you can manage to do is know it.
5. There are innumerable unexpected events that can happen. The game never teaches you, for example, that holstering your shield after blocking enemy arrows will add them to your inventory. You're never told that grazing an enemy's wooden weapon with a fire arrow by accident will set it ablaze, thus making the fight harder for you in the long run. These occurrences fuel exciting stories between players, which feels like a rarity in a world where games go so far out of the way to ensure that you know how everything works.
6. And if you're skillful, you can use your shield as a veritable snowboard to glide down grassy hills and frozen slopes. Granted, Link can surf down hills at any time as long as his shield can handle the wear and tear, but it’s especially gratifying to drop onto a slope after flying over a massive canyon or a dense forest and coast into a town in style.
7. The untamed, post-apocalyptic, techno-fantasy land of Hyrule is the main character in Breath of the Wild. Not only is it vast, beautiful, and filled with a diverse set of locations from grassy fields to craggy alpine mountains, but it follows surprisingly realistic rules that let you pull off solutions so intuitive that you might be surprised they actually work.
8. The trees bear fruit, grass fields can be set ablaze, and even enemies and animals behave in a believable manner, based on the skittish and aggressive reactions I’ve seen in the wild. But the realistic touches don’t end there. Each object you encounter, from sticks to apples to rocks and metallic blocks, is made of a material, and those materials usually respond to forces like fire and magnetism as you’d expect.

[LordoftheCritics]

9. Breath of the Wild’s skillful combat is as approachable as it is deep, but you’ll need to study its nuances if you want to survive in the late game.
10. The way you can work the glider into combat is equally impressive and it makes for some engagingly versatile, skill-based action. Link can glide in, let go of the glider, and go into slow motion to fire off a few headshots, then grab hold of the glider again only to fall and downward-stab another unsuspecting enemy.
11. All of this is painted in the most sophisticated visual style and presentation Zelda has ever seen. The Wind Waker and Skyward Sword were striking in their own ways, but Breath of the Wild is their clear culmination. It is a frequently stunning, consistently striking visual achievement, evocative of legendary Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli’s films in a way that seems lovingly influenced rather than derivative. It also happens to include some of the best, most varied music the series has ever had, and, for the first time in a Zelda game, voice acting for a number of characters.
12. The puzzle logic in Breath of the Wild feels legitimately logical, and smartly physics-based. There are optional shrines scattered throughout Hyrule that act as mini puzzle dungeons, and almost without exception, they’ve all been a lot of fun to figure out. By the end of most Zelda games, I’ve felt that the game had just about exhausted its ideas for puzzles and dungeons. After solving 50 shrines over 60-70 hours in Breath of the Wild, I’m still looking for more.

This could go on for a long long time. So in my own words.
Every reviewer also says how everything works in synergy to each other. Every other open world or even a linear rpg action adventure game gives away its design within a few hours. Zelda can still surprise you 200 hours in.
Every AAA game this year had a noticeable form, Zelda's form was invisible and that's what makes it extraordinary.

[balance2theforce]

You make very valid points and I had to stop just in case I read something that you may have put in there that I have not seen. So I'm just going to say well said to give you a couple of agrees.

[Iloveherliezz]

Zelda won. It was always going to win. You seen it, I seen it. From the announcement we knew BOTW was great. You can try as you may to come up with why it didn't deserve the W but deep down, you know its all bullshit.

[Zeref]

yes

[Hardiman]

I can understand why it did and I really enjoyed it but I enjoyed The Twilight Princess more! It's still my favorite Zelda followed by Ocarina of Time.

Breath of the Wild is a great game but open world games in particular RPG'S are what I play the most and The Wild Hunt set the bar! Horizon Zero Dawn also aimed high and delivered IMO and as it is it's my GOTY.

Again I get why Zelda won a lot of awards it's Zelda and it's fun and really well done but I have a PS4 and a Switch and the open world genre has some stiff competition and there were so many quality games this year you could make a case for all of them.

[Persian_Immortal]

It has the Majority Goty's at the moment making it the Overall Goty so clearly many agree its the best of 2017

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 38

Horizon Zero Dawn - 3

Super Mario Odyssey - 3

NieR: Automata - 2

Persona 5 - 2

Assassin's Creed Origins - 1

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds - 1

Prey - 1

[WickedLester]

IMO no. I would've given it to Horizon Zero Dawn or Persona 5.

[bluefox755]

Persona 5 was a far better game IMO.

[Segata]

Yes. Coming from a person who's favorite games this year was in order, Yakuza 0, Nier Automata, Xenoblade 2, Raiden V (PS4) and Nex Machina.

[Platformgamer]

No.
Persona 5, super mario odissey and Horizon zero dawn are objectively better games

[LordoftheCritics]

No, Zelda is objectively the best game this year.

:)

[chaos-emeralds]

It's all opinion anyway. I prefer Horizon Zero Dawn and people already know how great that is

[OhReginald]

No. Its an amazing game sure, but some of the design choices really drag it down. The weapon durability in the game is beyond stupid. Even the master sword breaks WTF!? (I know in the DLC 1 pack it has a master sword buff, but that's ridiculous that you have to buy the expansion pack to buff the freaking master sword)

[GoodnessGreatness]

It won because it's Zelda and the industry doesn't want Nintendo to suck anymore.

[sampsonon]

no