I will proudly claim my place as the only person on the site who has Doom Eternal as GOTY.
I dumped so many hours into games this year, more than probably any other. I didn't feel like Cyberpunk deserved a spot on my list despite enjoying it for the most part.
Aside from things on the list, I also played through the entire Ys and Deus Ex series this year.
This game is really friggin' good, and the soundtrack has been killer so far. I'm playing on Very Hard and it's a satisfying challenge, and is way more combat focused than the first HW, which was a very strategy focused "have a unit on this part of the map or your boned" kind of Musou. It also helps that Breath of the Wild's art is incredible and visually carries this game. I should note I'm playing on an overclocked Switch, so I can't speak to the framerate per se, but so far it's been solid on the non-grass maps, and kinda okayish on the maps with grass.
I think these games are at their best when it is taking an existing IP with an already established world, and grafting it onto the Musou tree. I've heard great things about Fire Emblem Warriors & Persona 5 Scramble, so it seems like this more recent trend is producing quality stuff.
Brad you don't need to be reticent or ashamed, you can like Age of Calamity all you want, it's a really good game. I know you carry enormous baggage from your time as Musou editor-in-chief, but you can be free now little bird.
All seriousness, I'm having a ton of fun with it. I'm playing on the hardest difficulty and it's challenging in the right ways. It requires that you use all your resources properly, and if you try to mash you get punished swiftly. The reason I think that is enjoyable is because of how much more Age of Calamity focuses on actual reactive combat encounters compared to the first Hyrule Warriors, which was just "be everywhere all the time, have a unit in the right place at the right time, if you don't you're boned".
Compared to the first Hyrule Warriors, combat is much more satisfying, characters have unique movesets that are way more interesting, and the art style and BotW aesthetic carries it a lot visually, despite the sketchy performance in spots. Although to be fair, it's mostly just the maps with grass.
I also am really enjoying the story. I think the direction they take it in is a lot more interesting than what it could have been, a 1 to 1 retelling of the memories of BotW would be boring.
I enjoy playing Contemporary Ubisoft Open World Video Game™. I cannot wait for the next installment of Contemporary Ubisoft Open World Video Game™, it is my favourite consumer product.
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