DDNet Awards 2020! Best fan service

It’s that time of year again, where we roll out the red carpet and celebrate the best that 2020 has offered us. In a year that has otherwise been so terrible, the fact that we’ve had a steady stream of such excellent games to play has been nothing but a relief.

It really has been a great year for games, from the big blockbusters right down to the most humble of projects. We’ve had surprises that have come out of nowhere, and long-anticipated games that have managed to meet and exceed our expectations when we’ve finally got our hands on them.

This year, for the DDNet awards, we have 16 different categories to recognise, and as we always do. Today we’re looking at one of the most fun categories – the fan service award! It’s no secret that we enjoy a spot of fanservice here at DDNet. A bikini here, a blown skirt there (and of course a dude or two with ripped muscles), if video games are meant to be fun, then surely a bit of sexiness can be part of it. Some games make fan service part of the narrative in some ways. Other games don’t bother to explain it. We enjoy either approach, as long as it’s done in the right spirit.

BRONZE: Max’s Big Bust 2: Max’s Bigger Bust (Read our review here)

When you’ve got a hyper-fanservicey gender swap visual novel that was quite the success, how do you follow up on it? Well, you lean into it, big time. That’s what the Aussie developer behind Max’s Bigger Bust has done, sparing no expense at making fun of itself, and everything to do with fan service, even as it manages to be the most overtly fanservicey thing you’ll play all year. This is why Aussies should make more VNs.

BRONZE: Onee Chanbara Origin (Read our review here)

 

The B-horror exploitation genre was always going to be a happy hunting ground for developers that are fan service inclined, and the developers of Onee Chanbara Origins have consistently delivered exactly what was expected of them. This game, which features lovely women in tiny bikinis, killing zombies gorily with big swords, isn’t subtle. It’s not even charming, really. It’s just pure over-the-top, unapologetic sexualisation and while, yes, you can certainly criticise the game for that (and it deserves it), it’s also a wildly entertaining, funny, silly game, and a perfect homage to a genre of cinema that’s largely dead now.

SILVER: Genshin Impact (Read our coverage here) 

Given how utterly pretty the girls are in Genshin Impact, I was sure that the developer would waste no time in making swimwear super-premium costume unlocks, just to capitalise on people… well, like us. But no, to date that hasn’t happened (don’t be surprised if it’s on the roadmap though), but that doesn’t stop Genshin Impact from being plenty fanservicey enough thanks to twintails, corsets, hotpants and other body-hugging things. The character artist for this game really, really likes the female form and has done a genuinely good job in capturing it.

GOLD: Sakura Wars (Read our review here)

Combine Dynasty Warriors-like combat with a dating sim, and what do you get? Well, a really good game, for one thing. But also you get some pristine fan service, and Sakura Wars delivers in every way possible. This is a game that has a dedicated hot spring area, and players that can’t resist themselves can “accidentally” walk in on one of the girls bathing. Sure it costs you some relationship status and potential romance with the girl, but… it’s so hard to resist…

More seriously this is a game that is filled with fanservicey romance moments, and while it clashes at times with the rest of the game’s tone, the fan service is spot on. Each of the girls that you can potentially romance are utterly beautiful and interesting characters too. Fan service that makes you care, if you will.

Of course, we very much welcome your own picks for each category, so be sure to let us know your thoughts, and we’ll see you tomorrow for the next category!