Contest Stats and Discussion - Part 1374

Do you all think Witcher 3 holds up it's power from last time? I think I would pick BG3 above it.

At the 6 hour mark in this poll, BG3 is ahead of TotK by 154 votes. In yesterday's poll at the same mark in the poll, BG3 was ahead by 218 votes despite that being a 4-way poll (although with some LFF from Wonder).

Today's poll is also 65 votes ahead of yesterday's poll at the 6 hour mark.

Aside from the final TW3 is probably just as strong, it’s continued to expand its audience since then. However I can definitely see BG3 as stronger.

While I prefer TotK slightly, BG3 is a fantastic game in its own right and lives up to thr huge hype it has. It beating TotK is kinda surprising, but considering how small the voting base is now, it's not surprising that we're seeing a rise in games that were once "niche" for GameFAQs years ago (which is weird to say considering how well BG3 did commercially and critically, but this is still GameFAQs).

I don't think TotK is weak, just that BG3 is much stronger than expected. Then again, strength is a lot more meaningless when just a hundred extra votes from a random Twitter rally or whatever can change a 52/48 match now.

ctesjbuvf posted...

Do you all think Witcher 3 holds up it's power from last time? I think I would pick BG3 above it.

Witcher 3 in 2020 was in a perfect storm of Cyberpunk hype at a fever pitch and the positive buzz around the Netflix series just releasing. Witcher 3 in 2024 has to deal with Cyberpunk destroying CDPR's aura of invincibility, the whole controversy surrounding the Netflix series and newer games taking up mindshare.

I think in general, 2010s games will start falling off like the 2000s games did and people will be caught off guard again. These games are not old enough to be our nostalgic childhood games but also no longer new enough to be the hot new thing everyone's still talking about.

BG3 definitely deserves this win, any other game would have lost to TotK but BG3 has that "masterpiece" reputation attached to it, this really helps with game of the year polls.

I’ll be honest, I really don’t think Cyberpunk hurts The Witcher 3 at all. People said the same thing about Fallout 76 and Skyrim yet that held up very well. Especially now that Cyberpunk has restored its reputation almost fully. Now if The Witcher 4 disappoints that could be a different issue.

It's important to remember that POTD results don't strictly translate to contest results either. FFVI can beat FFVII in a POTD but it isn't close in a contest.

Not that it matters now.

Yeah when it comes to a contest GameFAQS won't let 'the greatest thing humans have ever created' lose outside of a rally.

Tears probably beats BotW head to head, even if, outside of that direct matchup, BotW would be ahead of it in the X-Stats. Someone can let me know if that would be the same thing as with Ultimate (taking the Tears slot) and Melee (taking the BotW slot).

I've not, and likely will never play BG3, but I think this result is 100% down to its strength, especially on the back of winning multiple GotY awards. Likely it slips back a little bit in the coming years but it also seems like a game that will stand the test of time. In my mind, I'd put it in that Skyrim, Witcher 3, Dark Souls range; not enough to beat the top nostalgia games here but otherwise capable of winning against almost anything else.

ctesjbuvf posted...

Do you all think Witcher 3 holds up it's power from last time? I think I would pick BG3 above it.

Squexa and LightningStrikes bring up a good point and counter-point about this so I don't know. I did just yesterday say I'd take DS > Skyrim at the moment due to Starfield's current reception in a post-ER era of GameFAQs we're in, but also I don't think ME3 did long-term damage to ME2 or it wouldn't have won its division.

Hmmm. Not sure. I'm gonna give BG3 > W3 the edge because of 2023 being a stacked year, but that ain't a great reason at this tier of games.

What I do think is clear is that BG3 is absolutely stronger than TW3 was in 2015.

Agreed.

Guys, the poll is going to get like 8k votes. This result means nothing outside of this one poll.

Correct winner btw.

Mass Effect 2 was weird, it didn't look great until it won the division. I'm thinking some bracket votes and GotD title stuff involved in keeping that up there.

I could see Witcher being a little weaker due to what has been brought up, but I don't think it would be too much.

I thought ME2 looked fine. I think we probably underestimated its competition a bit.

CDPR's reputation is never going to go back to how it was. But, they did put a lot of effort into fixing Cyberpunk. So they have clawed back some forgivness.

I wonder, would Skyrim/Witcher get weaker due to the failings of the company successor, or would they get stronger being held up as the golden child in the fans' eyes? Are there examples of similar things happening in the past?

Also this may have been discussed already, but where do people stand on Elden v BG3?

I just made a fourpack-topic and paired BG3 and ER against each other -- didn't mean to hijack your question there, sorry, wasn't on purpose. It's a good question both in terms of strength and also having our past two GotYs compared (assuming BG3 holds on).

I'm giving BG3 the benefit of the doubt against ER because today is more impressive to me.

It's kind of funny how all the elite WRPGs are grouped near each other in strength. Like there's a (very high) glass ceiling for the genre. You can be a cultural phenomenon, but at the end of the day, you aren't touching Super Mario 64.

Speaking of Mario 64, what's the strongest Nintendo game you'd give these games a chance against?

Leonhart4 posted...

Speaking of Mario 64, what's the strongest Nintendo game you'd give these games a chance against?

Smash Ultimate and Mario Odyssey, based on GotD2.

Side note: Baldur's Gate 3 has now risen over 14% since the initial poll freeze.

KamikazePotato posted...

It's kind of funny how all the elite WRPGs are grouped near each other in strength. Like there's a (very high) glass ceiling for the genre. You can be a cultural phenomenon, but at the end of the day, you aren't touching Super Mario 64.

I'm not sure if it's a genre thing. None of the other genres are producing games that challenge SM64 either outside of the miracle that is BotW. If anything, WRPG is the genre that is producing more killers than any other right now.

I've lived long enough to see the LAW be struck down convincingly.

Today is a good day.

HaRRicH posted...

I just made a fourpack-topic and paired BG3 and ER against each other -- didn't mean to hijack your question there, sorry, wasn't on purpose.

Lol not at all, I was curious and now there's gonna be discussion about it!

FFDragon posted...

I've lived long enough to see the LAW be struck down convincingly.

Today is a good day.

This is nothing! https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/4594-best-of-2011-game-of-the-year

Is Skyward Sword really a Zelda game worthy of the LAW, though? That's some 'we grant you a seat on the council, but not the rank of master' energy.

Fallout 3 (2010) and Skyrim (2015) had narrow wins over Metroid Prime, so there’s that. Big WRPGs could maybe beat SMRPG (54% on Oblivion or something) and Pokemon GSC too.

I don’t think they beat Twilight Princess or Wind Waker.

Skyward Sword couldn't even make GotD2

Random thought:

Is Baldur's Gate 3 the strongest non-Japanese game?

MacArrowny posted...

Random thought:

Is Baldur's Gate 3 the strongest non-Japanese game?

It's in the running. I think Witcher 3 holds the crown right now. If BG3 can beat Witcher 3, its the new king.

I am curious about that given how the Cyberpunk thing hurt CDPR’s image

but granted now it wouldn’t surprise me if they ever run GoTD here Cyberpunk wins its division

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/8040-semifinals-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-vs-elder-scrolls-skyrim

Does TotK beat Skyrim? I feel like it should. If it does, there's not much room for BG3 to be weaker than Witcher 3.

LiquidOshawott posted...

I am curious about that given how the Cyberpunk thing hurt CDPR’s image

but granted now it wouldn’t surprise me if they ever run GoTD here Cyberpunk wins its division

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/8323-best-of-2020-new-franchises

It's got a long way to go if it wants to be one of the 8 strongest games of the 2020s!

Yeah first impressions are especially important on GameFAQs.

BG3 is now ahead by a larger percentage than yesterday's poll ended up at and it is continuing to rise, suggesting a majority of RE4 + SMBW voters chose it over TotK.

I, for one, welcome the long-awaited arrival of WesternFAQs.

 https://youtu.be/_J6-3l3hCm0?si=b1GYlajSGfZnhNkQ

When you think about it, Baldur's Gate 3 is the more natural evolution of Final Fantasy than the direction Final Fantasy actually took.

Sounds like the next FF game should be turn based.

bg3 is better than any ff game in 25 years so yeah they could take some notes

MacArrowny posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/8323-best-of-2020-new-franchises

It's got a long way to go if it wants to be one of the 8 strongest games of the 2020s!

well since the Netflix show and the update/expansion it’s gotten a lot of love by people. very evident the Netflix show boosted Witcher 3! (And Alucard in 2018)

Although yeah Gamefaqs people harbor grudges forever

LiquidOshawott posted...

well since the Netflix show and the update/expansion it’s gotten a lot of love by people. very evident the Netflix show boosted Witcher 3!

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/6204-best-of-2015-game-of-the-year

Witcher 3 already looked good in the GotY polls! If Cyberpunk follows the same trajectory, it still won't be that strong.

redrocket posted...

I, for one, welcome the long-awaited arrival of WesternFAQs.

 https://youtu.be/_J6-3l3hCm0?si=b1GYlajSGfZnhNkQ

"Daaaaamn, Jimmy."

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80664079

The actual last stats topic I'll ever make. Wanted to give Allen a little more love.

Thankfully, SMFFFC scratches the itch these days.

TotK still hasn't won a single hour over BG3 during today's poll or yesterday's poll yet.

BG3 got 55.67% on TotK in yesterday's poll, so today's performance is an improvement for TotK. Wonder being gone means no more LFF to hold TotK back, but the LFF seems to be very minimal at best in the 4-way poll.

LusterSoldier posted...

TotK still hasn't won a single hour over BG3 during today's poll or yesterday's poll yet.

BG3 got 55.67% on TotK in yesterday's poll, so today's performance is an improvement for TotK. Wonder being gone means no more LFF to hold TotK back, but the LFF seems to be very minimal at best in the 4-way poll.

Or RE4 overlapped more with BG3 than expected.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/9425-

Platform of the Year today.

Platform of the Year now, here we go

KamikazePotato posted...

Or RE4 overlapped more with BG3 than expected.

Probably, that sounds like a reasonable explanation for BG3 winning. TotK needed a minimum of 88% of Wonder's votes to win if RE4 went 50/50 for both games.

Almost certainly RE4's votes went more to BG3 over TotK.

I guess we should end this

Congrats to BG3 for beating the LAW

It only took us dropping to 7500 votes to do it