10 Reasons Super Mario Odyssey Isn't Game Of The Year

3. It Suffers From Open-World Syndrome

Now, it's worth emphasising that no, Odyssey is not an open-world game, but certainly shares many open-world elements, with each of the game's kingdoms serving as small, sprawling sandboxes which the player can explore at their leisure.

As fun as this is, it also does invite players to complete ennui-inducing quests and platforming tasks, encouraging them to scratch the OCD itch which can easily have players pouring 30+ hours into the adventure.

It's honestly not entirely different from the busywork you find in games like the Assassin's Creed franchise and Mass Effect: Andromeda. If we're talking about GOTY potential, Breath of the Wild was far more convincing in this regard, and its array of peripheral content just felt so much more meaningful.

What's here can amount to a fun waste of time for so long, but after a while it can end up feeling a little rote and tiresome, especially over a long play session.