Giant Bombcast Giant Bomb Game of the Year 2010: Day One

[0] Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to invite you to day one of Giant Bomb's Game of the Year deliberations for 2010.

[1] I'm Ryan Davis.

[2] Joining me, Vinny Caravella.

[3] Hi.

[4] Jeff Gerstman.

[5] Hello.

[6] And Bradley Shoemaker.

[7] Howdy.

[8] So this is just the first day.

[9] We are literally sitting down here.

[10] We've got our lists of categories and some nominees.

[11] And we're just going to work it out.

[12] We're going to figure out what our – We're not leaving this room until we've solved all the world's problems.

[13] Oh, man. It's going to stink in here.

[14] It already kind of does.

[15] Protesters outside with banners and signs.

[16] Tear gases.

[17] We are going to use stem cells to figure out what our games of the year are.

[18] So, yeah, we're doing this kind of day by day.

[19] And let's kick it off, gentlemen.

[20] Are you ready?

[21] I'm ready.

[22] Vinny, are you ready?

[23] Hang on.

[24] I'm ready.

[25] I've got to limber up a little bit.

[26] Brad, stretch it out some.

[27] Starting with both shirts on.

[28] Shake it out.

[29] Knock over Jeff's laptop there.

[30] We brought laptops.

[31] That's how serious we are.

[32] There's more than one laptop in this podcast room.

[33] In case you need to cry for help, I have my aim on.

[34] That's true.

[35] I also have...

[36] I turned my phone off.

[37] That's how serious this is.

[38] I was setting up in here, and I left for a minute and came back, and there was a folded note sitting next to my laptop that says, Open in case of Game of the Year stalemate.

[39] From Dave.

[40] Wow.

[41] Okay.

[42] So we have an emergency.

[43] We can smash the glass if we need to.

[44] That's our doomsday option.

[45] Yeah.

[46] But that's still several days from now.

[47] We still have a lot of time.

[48] We will definitely lose that by the time we get to this.

[49] So let's start off with today's first category, the 2009 Game of the Year.

[50] 2010's 2009 Game of the Year.

[51] Thank you, Jeff.

[52] He has some kind of intro for each category.

[53] 2010.

[54] Game of the year.

[55] Game of the year.

[56] Brought to you by Valvoline.

[57] Not actually by Valvoline.

[58] Valvoline would like to get in contact with us.

[59] Just like Doritos.

[60] All I need to do is eat it.

[61] I love oil.

[62] Pour the Valvoline over the Doritos.

[63] Oh, man. I'm kind of more of a Castrol fan right now.

[64] Get the fuck out.

[65] You seen that Castrol commercial, though?

[66] Oil of the year.

[67] Which is the one with the 3D engine where it locks up?

[68] Which one prevents viscosity breakdown?

[69] And it's Castrol.

[70] Anyway.

[71] Yeah.

[72] All right, I'm switching my vote.

[73] All right, so we haven't actually decided on nominees necessarily here.

[74] We are figuring this one out here in the moment.

[75] With you.

[76] The format is that we're going to come out of this with each category is going to have one winner and two runners -up.

[77] And in some cases, we have more than three games written down right now.

[78] So we're kind of figuring out that whole list.

[79] And then when it gets to the end, the final category will have more than three.

[80] All right.

[81] So for our first, for 2010s, 2009 Game of the Year, I would like to nominate Borderlands and Dragon Age Origins and Forza 3.

[82] I think that's a good list.

[83] Based on all three of those games found really good lives in 2010 from DLC and in Fort's case just from the community interaction.

[84] You did tell me to write down the wheel man earlier.

[85] I did say that the wheel man earlier just because that struck me as a 2009 game that Vinny played.

[86] That's true.

[87] I went through that.

[88] I didn't mind it.

[89] And liked.

[90] Played it, sent it back to gameplay.

[91] I think the other three mentioned are probably stronger.

[92] Yeah, all three of them pretty well supported.

[93] Origins, they had Awakenings as an add -on.

[94] Borderlands, obviously, tons of DLC.

[95] And Forza, again, tons of DLC.

[96] And anime girls on cars.

[97] Pringles.

[98] Pringles Man on cars.

[99] Valvoline.

[100] Valvoline logo, yeah.

[101] You go to Forza and search for Valvoline or Castrol, you'll find...

[102] Plenty of both, I'm sure.

[103] Those cars are staying viscous, basically.

[104] But yeah, it's interesting because you've got two games that are being carried throughout this year by just great DLC, and then with Forza, that's just the strength of the community and the tools they built into that game to make that game last.

[105] Yeah.

[106] And, you know, they added plenty of cars and cool stuff like that, too.

[107] But, I mean, Borderlands wins this category.

[108] Borderlands.

[109] Hands down.

[110] Yeah, Borderlands.

[111] This was the game that everyone was talking about all year, whether it was, you know, talking about the latest DLC or entering into some kind of crazy will they or won't they release more DLC.

[112] I'm still not 100 % convinced that they're done.

[113] Really?

[114] I'm not even sure that they're 100 % convinced.

[115] I think it was just recently that Randy Pitchford recently was like, so do you guys want more?

[116] Oh, get out of here.

[117] We can't do that.

[118] I'm scratching at all.

[119] Don't give him incentive to make this 2011, 2010.

[120] I'm still not at the new level cap.

[121] I'm still not at the new level cap.

[122] I feel like that DLC made that game what it was supposed to be.

[123] Yeah, definitely.

[124] Because without the DLC, it's kind of lacking.

[125] Well, there are encounters in the game that are not good.

[126] But I don't think the game as a whole is lacking.

[127] Everything in the game looks the same without the DLC.

[128] It's all one giant fucking desert.

[129] Then there's snow and then there are caves.

[130] For like ten minutes at the end, there's some snow.

[131] You're right about that.

[132] And the last two major bosses are terrible.

[133] They're terrible.

[134] But yeah, you're right.

[135] The DLC definitely added better boss encounters and more interesting stuff.

[136] And they were funny.

[137] So, yeah.

[138] And I think with the addition of all that DLC and the repackaging of it, it's a good incentive to drop into it this year if you haven't.

[139] Yeah.

[140] I think you could still go pick up that game now -ish.

[141] I am actively playing the DLC, all of the DLC in that game right now.

[142] I'll probably be playing it next year.

[143] As soon as you guys get up to a slightly higher level, I'll probably jump in with you guys and work on maxing my guy out again.

[144] So congratulations to Gearbox and Borderlands.

[145] You are Giant Bombs 2009.

[146] 2010.

[147] 2010.

[148] 2009.

[149] Game of the year.

[150] And then, boom.

[151] Forza and Dragon Age.

[152] Our runners up.

[153] Best of luck to you in 2012.

[154] Well, that was amazingly civil.

[155] They're all going to be like this.

[156] We'll be done in half an hour.

[157] Don't worry.

[158] Oh, yeah.

[159] Burn right through all these.

[160] So what's next?

[161] What do we got?

[162] Best new character.

[163] Fuck you.

[164] Fuck you.

[165] Fuck you.

[166] Brought to you by CeeLo Green.

[167] We just all have soundboards.

[168] That's crazy.

[169] 2010.

[170] I do have this laptop sitting right here.

[171] Pull it up.

[172] Soundboard.

[173] We'll just plug it right into the mixer.

[174] Drown everybody else out.

[175] Say it.

[176] Say them.

[177] What are they?

[178] Our nominees.

[179] We have a bunch.

[180] Best new character.

[181] We've got Bayonetta from Bayonetta.

[182] Yes.

[183] Monkey from Enslaved.

[184] Yep.

[185] Yep.

[186] Pigsy also from Enslaved.

[187] That's true.

[188] John Marston from Red Dead Redemption.

[189] I don't know who added Francis York Morgan to this list.

[190] I added Francis York Morgan to that list.

[191] I've got a couple of other write -ins here.

[192] I've got Morton from Mass Effect 2.

[193] Yeah.

[194] Well, you know what?

[195] I think I would be down to party with Morton.

[196] Let's table that one.

[197] He's one of the best new characters.

[198] This man can dance and sing.

[199] You wouldn't party with him?

[200] I would do both.

[201] I want to check in on Mass Effect 2 because that game is...

[202] Just...

[203] Thick with amazing characters.

[204] Is there anyone else from that game that we feel is a more standout original character?

[205] It's Morton.

[206] Kelly.

[207] It is Morton.

[208] Oh, wait.

[209] This isn't part of it.

[210] Come on.

[211] Do you want to feed my fish again?

[212] Yeah, you're looking to feed that fish.

[213] Yeah, I want to feed that guppy.

[214] I also really like Tychus from StarCraft 2.

[215] I thought he was really an interesting character.

[216] Yeah.

[217] He's probably a big standout.

[218] I found myself really not liking Tychus.

[219] In a bad way, not liking me. the character or like, I hate this dude.

[220] I was like, this is going to go bad at some point real soon.

[221] But I thought he was portrayed really well.

[222] His characterization is really good.

[223] For me, it was more this situation of like, look, I know it's going to go bad, so why don't you just turn on me now and we can just get it over with.

[224] I probably should have just picked, there's that branch of the story, right, where you've got to pick.

[225] I don't know if you can sell him out.

[226] I think you're thinking of maybe the ghost.

[227] I was flip -flopping back and forth because I was like, they're making this too obvious that he's going to flip on you, so he must just come through at the end.

[228] But they made it so obvious that you kind of thought there was no way it could actually happen.

[229] By the way, he might flip on you in StarCraft 2.

[230] They pretty much straight up...

[231] Now this will be totally tolerable, these eight hours or so we're going to be in here, now that I've got this Duke Nukem soundboard.

[232] Oh, no. Let's pipe it in.

[233] We got the means.

[234] Plug it right in.

[235] Just, you know, jack it in.

[236] Hey, guys, guess what?

[237] I've got bowls of steam.

[238] Pretty awesome.

[239] Your morning drive has just improved.

[240] I really like, I don't know if you guys spent a lot of time in Sam and Max, but General Skunkope.

[241] I played enough to see that guy.

[242] He's all right.

[243] I only played the first chapter, which he is featured in most prominently.

[244] Does he show up elsewhere in that?

[245] Yes, he comes back.

[246] Skunkope is an excellent name.

[247] If nothing else.

[248] The name is hilarious.

[249] Also because they just call him Skunky a lot.

[250] They just get it wrong.

[251] That's Dark Horse in there, so we'll just let him play.

[252] What I saw of that character wasn't really...

[253] You didn't dig him?

[254] His category was getting crowded.

[255] Was there anyone from...

[256] Well, I want to just get the ya -ya's out and make sure there's no stones on Turner.

[257] Was there anyone in Bioshock 2 that jumped out at you, Jeff?

[258] No. How do we feel about Alan Wake from the titular Alan Wake?

[259] He's all right.

[260] He's not...

[261] Yeah, he's not mine.

[262] No, no, no. All right.

[263] This is why I ask.

[264] Yeah.

[265] Anybody from Heavy Rain?

[266] Probably not.

[267] Not anyone.

[268] Jason.

[269] How about the balloon?

[270] The clown.

[271] Yeah, the terrifying clown.

[272] So I didn't play it at all, so I have no idea, but Fallout New Vegas.

[273] Kind of not really.

[274] There are some good characters in there, but none that I would...

[275] There's no ghoul this time around?

[276] None that I would put far and away in front of some of these other guys that we've got.

[277] I feel like it's hard to get...

[278] I think Veronica was a pretty good character in that game.

[279] I think Mr. House is really interesting.

[280] Hard to get attached to characters in those games because of the limits of the technology.

[281] Everybody stands there real rigidly and looks at you and talks.

[282] And that's it.

[283] Anybody in Layton?

[284] Any new crazies?

[285] I don't know.

[286] Future Luke is a pretty dapper guy.

[287] That's just Luke, though.

[288] It's best new character.

[289] I don't know.

[290] Future Luke is pretty...

[291] It's grown up Luke.

[292] How about villainous Layton?

[293] Layton is the bad guy.

[294] Would you want to party with future Luke?

[295] No. Not really?

[296] Nah.

[297] He seems like a teetotaler to me. I kind of like the dude from Darksiders, but I don't know if he has so much personality.

[298] Just kind of a big dude.

[299] Yeah.

[300] He's a big dude.

[301] Chuck Green.

[302] Chuck Green's not bad.

[303] From Dead Rising 2.

[304] Chuck Green is pretty good.

[305] I don't know that I think that Chuck Green is all that good.

[306] Yeah, he seems a little...

[307] I just love the amount of punishment he takes from everybody.

[308] Especially the twins.

[309] What's great about Chuck Green...

[310] The constant innuendos.

[311] Oh, man. Constantly attacking his masculinity.

[312] But everyone does.

[313] They do it the most outright, but...

[314] Yes.

[315] We were doing, like, bitchiest character.

[316] Fucking reporter.

[317] Oh, yeah.

[318] Oh!

[319] Oh!

[320] Oh, she's the best!

[321] You better watch your back, buddy.

[322] She's so good at being such a piece of crap.

[323] Love it.

[324] Well, you should finish that game.

[325] Oh, yeah?

[326] Yes.

[327] Okay.

[328] Let's see what happens.

[329] Good motive.

[330] Nah.

[331] Bye.

[332] We'll see what happens.

[333] Jeffrey, so what do we have from that level?

[334] I think Bayonetta has to make this list.

[335] I agree.

[336] She's a pretty saucy girl.

[337] Yeah.

[338] It's a really awesome, completely crazy character.

[339] I like the way she talks.

[340] Yeah.

[341] I like the world that they have created around that character for that character to interact with.

[342] The way she moves.

[343] You get a lot of interesting stuff.

[344] You just like how she gets naked.

[345] She totally gets naked and he's covered in hair, which is weird.

[346] Super weird.

[347] I think Bayonet is really interesting.

[348] She defies expectation.

[349] You think she's just going to be vapid Pop -Tart and is not that at all.

[350] So it's an interesting character for sure.

[351] I like it.

[352] I might put some strong push behind Morton or even John Marston.

[353] I think Morton's pretty good in that kind of same regard of flipping the scientist character on its head.

[354] This guy's just fucking badass and cold as fuck.

[355] Like, we'll just take dudes out.

[356] And I really enjoyed that.

[357] And he sings.

[358] Yeah.

[359] Every, I mean, more than any other character on that ship, I would always go to him first.

[360] Which you have to say.

[361] And repeatedly just to have more interactions with him.

[362] Yeah.

[363] Even if it was like, I know I'm going to get the same dialogue thing from him.

[364] But, you know, the way he talks and his mannerisms are so interesting.

[365] I kept wanting to go back.

[366] Yeah.

[367] I would bring him on missions just to hopefully have him pipe up even though he wasn't that great on missions.

[368] Kind of did the same thing.

[369] And Marshall.

[370] I just loved playing him.

[371] This podcast is going to be full of spoilers, but when you're done with that game and you don't play him anymore, I kind of didn't want to play that game.

[372] You miss him?

[373] Yeah, totally.

[374] His son is a douche.

[375] Whatever.

[376] He's a swiny brat.

[377] He's a kid.

[378] Yeah.

[379] Exactly.

[380] He's like 17.

[381] Isn't he just like...

[382] generic cowboy that's like really well voice acted though.

[383] I mean, he's got an excellent deadpan.

[384] I don't know.

[385] I haven't met too many cowboys.

[386] Like, I hope, I hope so.

[387] And he's, it'd be pretty awesome.

[388] But it's, it's, I mean, this is in and of itself, you know, kind of a, maybe a trope, but he is the, the put upon.

[389] Yeah.

[390] He does not want to be out here doing this.

[391] It is under extraordinary circumstances that he has to go out and murder everyone.

[392] That just sounds like Chuck Green with a hat.

[393] He's more than that.

[394] He definitely is not breaking any molds.

[395] That's for sure.

[396] He's no Bayonetta in the dancing and hair nakedness.

[397] So getting close.

[398] Did you see the end of that?

[399] I probably would have played a lot more than that if there had been more hair attacks.

[400] So yeah, I'd probably push for Morton.

[401] That guy's pretty awesome.

[402] Brad?

[403] Man, this was a tough category.

[404] Games are getting real good.

[405] How long is the list?

[406] I should have brought a laptop.

[407] How long is the list at this point?

[408] Bayonetta, Monkey, Pigsy, Marston, Francis York, Morgan, Morton, Tychus, Skunkape.

[409] Dude.

[410] All right.

[411] Skunkape is...

[412] Yeah, we can take him on.

[413] I don't think Tychus is going to make it out.

[414] Yeah, I don't know.

[415] I like him a lot, but I guess I can live without.

[416] All right, so either of these enslaved characters?

[417] Yes, sell me on these enslaved characters.

[418] Definitely don't need both.

[419] Pigsy has a really small role, and that's kind of the thing that would knock him off this list.

[420] He's not in it very long.

[421] But he does a lot with a little.

[422] He does.

[423] He has an outsized personality in a squat little package.

[424] Yeah, I'm not going to push for him.

[425] Sorry, Pigsy.

[426] Nor Monkey.

[427] I like his dirty old man inappropriateness.

[428] Yeah.

[429] I don't know.

[430] He's kind of like that pig from Dragon Ball.

[431] I assume that's his role.

[432] Okay.

[433] Yeah.

[434] Kind of lecherous.

[435] You're losing me. Oh, that's right, because Dragon Ball is also based on the same...

[436] Yeah.

[437] Okay.

[438] Francis York Morgan.

[439] No thanks.

[440] Whatever.

[441] I'm going to pass.

[442] He's a great character.

[443] Yeah.

[444] Trapped in a...

[445] Weird, weird fucking place, and he makes the best of it.

[446] How about Zack?

[447] By pointing at himself repeatedly.

[448] Yep.

[449] Just trying to deal with an insane world.

[450] Dude likes him some movies.

[451] You know, smokes the...

[452] God, yeah, just the monologuing while he's in the car.

[453] Like, it's the only thing that made driving in that game remotely tolerable.

[454] Yeah.

[455] Were his crazy movie monologues.

[456] Yeah, man. Talking about punk rock.

[457] The driving of that game.

[458] Oh, yeah.

[459] I think it speaks to the strength of that character that how much sucks about Deadly Premonition that he is still really interesting and compelling.

[460] And he likes the strawberry and cornflakes.

[461] Is that the sandwich?

[462] Strawberry jam, turkey, and cornflakes.

[463] Man loves a good sandwich.

[464] Fantastic.

[465] And, you know, for as much as that game cribs from Twin Peaks, he is a unique singular character.

[466] It is not Agent Cooper.

[467] No. No. As much as you immediately think it's going to be.

[468] It's not even.

[469] And then he starts out weird and ends 20 times fucking weirder.

[470] And in a way different way than you would expect.

[471] I would not.

[472] Yeah.

[473] That game evolved that character in ways that I don't think anyone could anticipate.

[474] So I think he's a strong candidate.

[475] I will give him his, but I can't push him up to number one.

[476] Sorry, Francis.

[477] Maybe next time.

[478] Fingers crossed.

[479] You think he'll win best new character next time?

[480] I hope so.

[481] Yeah.

[482] Okay.

[483] Maybe next year.

[484] Better luck.

[485] All right.

[486] So what do we cut?

[487] Well, Brad, to me, this list is Bayonetta, Francis York, Morgan, and Morton.

[488] Sure.

[489] I like that.

[490] No way.

[491] No?

[492] You just don't like York?

[493] I think Morrison should be on there.

[494] So then we're cutting Pigsy and Monkey.

[495] I'm okay with that.

[496] What about any of those other three?

[497] I mean, we have to cut one of those as well.

[498] I think we would cut Tychus.

[499] We already cut Tychus.

[500] And Scuncape.

[501] Yeah, I can make a strong...

[502] I would make a case for Marston over York.

[503] I agree.

[504] But I would also make a case for York over Marston.

[505] Let me think for a second.

[506] So this argument sounds like we're cutting Monkey and Pigsy.

[507] Yeah.

[508] Okay.

[509] Yeah, neither one is really the front runner.

[510] They're both kind of B -plus characters, I feel like.

[511] I think that is a case of just fantastic voice acting.

[512] Yeah, a lot of what makes those characters great is that there's real people acting.

[513] Not necessarily great characters.

[514] Right, right.

[515] They just come to life.

[516] Yeah, exactly.

[517] There's nothing super memorable about them and their personalities.

[518] So we've got a little battle between Marston and York.

[519] I think that's the battle.

[520] I think?

[521] I spent a lot of time with York.

[522] I spent a lot of time with Marston.

[523] Man. But I don't even know.

[524] I like Marston a lot, but I'm not sure that he's even necessarily the best character in that game.

[525] He is good as kind of your avatar, but it's a lot more about...

[526] Like his low -key reactions to all of the in -scene characters.

[527] It sounds like that game is largely an ensemble.

[528] It's not necessarily one character.

[529] But it's his story.

[530] You're seeing it through his eyes.

[531] It is his journey from start to finish.

[532] And everybody else is sort of there along the way.

[533] Instructing him or helping him along.

[534] I think I'm going to go with...

[535] York, personally.

[536] I'll tell you why.

[537] There's nothing to York, but a bunch of weird non -sequiturs as you're driving around.

[538] I'll tell you why.

[539] I think Marston is a great character, but I think he plays the role of the audience in that game.

[540] You are basically playing that world.

[541] Because everything bounces off of him, right?

[542] And you kind of see, and he's kind of almost neutral in it.

[543] And so that's you in that game.

[544] Whereas York is adding, you are just totally confused that entire time, even with York, because he's...

[545] you don't know what's going on with him.

[546] It sounds like a lot of Marston's kind of deadpan reactions just bump him up like one level from a silent protagonist.

[547] No, no, no. I don't mean that, but, I mean, he doesn't, I feel like he doesn't take sides a lot.

[548] Like, he'll kind of stay neutral.

[549] But, like, the resignation.

[550] Because the story is such that, you know, you could, you choose the side.

[551] Right?

[552] Not so much than that.

[553] He's just kind of like.

[554] I don't know.

[555] He's a great character, but I do think York brings a little more to the table in terms of from beginning to end, the journey you have with that character reveals a lot more about him.

[556] But maybe not in the trappings of something as good as Red Dead, but I think I learned more about York.

[557] But the resignation that Marston shows toward his plight and the things he has to do.

[558] is exactly what fills in his backstory.

[559] It's what characterizes him as he has been through years and years of shit and he's done.

[560] But his fate has brought him back into it.

[561] But at the beginning of that game, he's a dude who wants to get out.

[562] And at the end of that game, he's a dude who wants to get out.

[563] Yeah, there's not really an arc. And he has to do a lot of shit.

[564] His arc happens before that game starts.

[565] At the beginning of...

[566] I can't believe we were fighting over Deadly Premonition.

[567] At the beginning of Deadly Premonition, York is a cop who's on a case driving and drives off into this.

[568] At the end of that game...

[569] He doesn't actually exist.

[570] Yeah, he's in Fantasy World.

[571] Francis York Morgan is the best original character of 2010.

[572] He might actually win this category.

[573] He might actually win this category.

[574] All right, my...

[575] I'll go with York for the top three, and you guys can fight over that.

[576] I mean, if you want to tell me you think Marston's better than Bayonetta or Morton, like maybe we could have that fight, but I think York makes the list.

[577] Those other two are better than York.

[578] Then fight for something.

[579] I just did.

[580] So your big pick is Marston?

[581] I'm not saying that would win.

[582] I just think York sucks.

[583] I think there's very little substance to that character.

[584] What?

[585] He's all substance.

[586] That whole game.

[587] That's the one thing about that entire game.

[588] Game is nonsense.

[589] Yes.

[590] Agreed.

[591] We already have a better nonsensical game on here.

[592] It's Bayonetta.

[593] We're not talking about the game.

[594] This is not best original game.

[595] But these characters are, by association, nonsensical.

[596] I don't think Francis York Morgan's nonsensical.

[597] Okay, why?

[598] I think that he is a manifestation of this fucking crazy psychic damage that happened when the other character fucking...

[599] When Zack fucking...

[600] Saw a tree grow out of his mom.

[601] It'll happen to a guy.

[602] I mean, yes, okay, within the realm of video games, a tree growing out of your mom is still pretty weird.

[603] Yeah.

[604] But he is a psychological construct.

[605] I don't think you get any of that from York, though.

[606] You get that from the events in the last hour of that game.

[607] That whole game is setting you up to want to know what the fuck is going on with that guy.

[608] Yeah, they prompt you to wonder who Zach is throughout that entire game.

[609] Sure, but how does that enhance the character of York?

[610] Because it's the same guy.

[611] He's talking to himself.

[612] Yeah, and he's talking to himself the whole game.

[613] And in front of people.

[614] And never acknowledging that.

[615] The entire game, they never acknowledge that.

[616] that.

[617] And then huge payoff at the end.

[618] Also, he's got to make some hard choices at the end.

[619] So does Marston.

[620] I guess they both get theirs, huh?

[621] Yeah, kind of.

[622] They both get it pretty hard.

[623] You're saying you're one of Versus' game?

[624] Yeah.

[625] Who's gone through more shit?

[626] I think York is a...

[627] is an interesting character.

[628] What if you voiced York with the guy who played Marston?

[629] Would you take York over that?

[630] No. Okay.

[631] So, then what?

[632] All right, break open that piece of paper.

[633] I think that's only good for the end game.

[634] The things that always sounded interesting to me about Red Dead were the story elements, not the characters.

[635] Like hearing about the ending of that game.

[636] Oh, it's definitely the characters.

[637] Well, I think it's the characters that make that story.

[638] And it's definitely Marston adds a lot by being who he is in those elements.

[639] But I think as far as actual character interest...

[640] I would read a backstory on Morgan before I read the backstory.

[641] But is there any?

[642] There is none.

[643] I want to read about his other cases.

[644] He's like a blank cipher at the beginning of that game.

[645] There's nothing there.

[646] Look at all those movies he's seen.

[647] But that's it.

[648] It's like a bunch of pop cultural references.

[649] They're constantly talking about his previous cases and stuff that he's done.

[650] All the seeds.

[651] There's all kinds of stuff that he's done.

[652] He's not blank at all.

[653] Other than the game wants it to be mysterious at the very opening.

[654] Everybody loves Francis.

[655] Everybody knows him.

[656] He didn't make one enemy in that whole game.

[657] Right?

[658] He's a charmer.

[659] I wouldn't say that.

[660] Marston's a charmer, too.

[661] Kind of in a way, but everybody wants to kill Marston.

[662] But I think he's a charmer.

[663] Everybody loved that dude.

[664] He'd come around to help you out.

[665] Even when he's got flies buzzing around him.

[666] Yeah.

[667] Wearing the most hideous pink suits.

[668] He's willing to put on a jumper and go out in the rain.

[669] That's right.

[670] A little poncho.

[671] Help you find your dumbbells.

[672] All right, if you're not willing to budge on this, I'm just going to say it's Francis York Morgan, and we're going to move on.

[673] I think Morton is better than Francis York Morgan.

[674] Wait, are we talking about the actual?

[675] I thought we were still going through nominees.

[676] Well, I mean, you keep on trying to shut down Francis York Morgan.

[677] That's not going to happen.

[678] So if you want John Marston to be on here more than Morton or Bayonetta, let's hear it.

[679] I don't.

[680] Okay.

[681] All right.

[682] All right, so we're doing show of hands.

[683] Basically.

[684] So is that the nominees?

[685] Bayonetta, York, and Morton.

[686] So who wins?

[687] I think it's York.

[688] Oh, God.

[689] I think it's the one thing in that game that is worth awarding.

[690] Well, that's not a good argument, though.

[691] No, not at all.

[692] For the record, I think it's the one thing.

[693] The baseline level of quality in that game is nonexistent.

[694] It's not saying a lot that that's the best.

[695] I'm not saying it's true, but that entire game could be maybe less the value of one Morton encounter.

[696] I think Morton's great.

[697] I think Bayonetta is wild and zany.

[698] Bayonetta is great in concept.

[699] She's a great character.

[700] She rolls with that universe.

[701] Yeah.

[702] Nobody's business.

[703] And there's a lot of sass and backflips there, but beyond that, like.

[704] No, she's a tough woman.

[705] A lot of British talk.

[706] She actually has a kind of interesting little arc. Yeah, the way that story ends up going.

[707] It's interesting to watch that character work through that story.

[708] She goes through some stuff.

[709] But for me, it's down to Morton in New York.

[710] They would be so great together.

[711] They would be so great together.

[712] That would be a good team -up.

[713] Oh, man. That would be a good cross -heroes team -up.

[714] Or if you could just bring York on your missions in Mass Effect 2.

[715] Just bring him down.

[716] Sure.

[717] It's like half the time he freaks out and is completely ineffective.

[718] He's like, I can't even aim the gun, right?

[719] Or suddenly he's like, oh, my God, I can aim guns.

[720] Yeah, Morton is pretty awesome.

[721] Or just York smokes.

[722] Just gets to the mission and just starts smoking.

[723] You can't smoke in space.

[724] What are you doing?

[725] I don't know.

[726] I don't know, Zach.

[727] These guys think I can't smoke.

[728] You used to smoke at the CBGB all the time.

[729] Morten's also got a lot of depth.

[730] Morten has a lot of range.

[731] He goes from singing show tunes to on his loyalty mission lamenting his role in what was basically a de facto genocide.

[732] Which is probably one of the more awesome threads in that entire game.

[733] That might have been the best quest in that game.

[734] Just that whole backstory about how he's dealing with that did what I had to do kind of thing.

[735] No regrets, but then kind of regrets, and then you meet his partner or his dude.

[736] The whole thing was really good.

[737] All of Mass Effect 2, all of the characters in that game, at their best, are all profoundly flawed.

[738] Everyone has made some horrible mistake in the past or carries some wicked burden.

[739] I don't think any character...

[740] Not Kelly.