Game of the Year picks!

[XenoRaven]

I'm not sure if anyone else here really follows the industry enough to even care to put together a list, but I'm interested to see what people's thoughts on the year are.

Here's mine...(I'm limiting my categories to systems and genres that I've played extensively enough to make a decent decision.)

Best Action game - Gears of War (Xbox 360)

Best Adventure game - Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)

Best FPS - F.E.A.R. (Xbox 360)

Best Platformer - New Super Mario Bros. (DS)

Best RPG - Final Fantasy XII (PS2)

Best Multiplayer game - Splinter Cell: Double Agent (Xbox 360)

Best Puzzle game - Lumines Live! (Xbox 360)

Best Fighting game - Dead or Alive 4 (Xbox 360)

Best Xbox 360 game - Splinter Cell: Double Agent

Best Wii game - Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Best PS2 game - Final Fantasy XII

Best DS game - New Super Mario Bros.

Best Gamecube game - Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Best Xbox game - Eh...who cares at this point?









Overall game of the year - Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)

I've been having discussions with my friends as to whether or not picking this game is even fair. One went so far to say that the game shouldn't even be rated. I'd have to agree. 10's have gone to games half as good. The game is virtually perfect in every aspect. The gameplay itself, the controls, the combat, the world design, the character design, the story, the pacing, the mini-games, the music, the visuals...it's all perfect, and it's all woven together perfectly. Not only is this my game of the year pick, I'd say it's hands down the greatest game ever created. I want to talk more about it, but I don't know where to start quite honestly. The game does so many things so unbelievably well that I'd basically have to write a huge essay (which I'm not prepared to do) to include everything. All I can say is, play it for yourself. Find a way. This game is worth buying the system for. I would not regret purchasing a Wii for one second, even if Zelda was the only game that came out for it ever. Nintendo set out to make the greatest Zelda game ever, they succeeded in my book. So, the game gets my nod for game of the year. But, in light of the unfairness of this competition, I will also pick my second runner up.

Honorable mention - Splinter Cell: Double Agent (Xbox 360)

*Gasp.* Not Gears? Yeah, that's right. Not Gears. Splinter Cell may not have the better campaign, but the multiplayer experience is leaps and bounds ahead of everything that came out this year. The fact that you have two drastically different types of characters (one that shoots, one that sneaks) and yet the game still remains so perfectly balanced deserves not only just a mention, but a scream about the hilltops. The core gameplay elements and the map design in multiplayer make it what it is, and that's the most immersive, solid, and fun multiplayer experience that came out this year. Gears has only made me appreciate this game so much more, because less than a month after it's released, people have already found a way to break the multiplayer. There's no trace of overpowered abilities in Splinter Cell, and that's a big part of making a good multiplayer game. And while many don't like the co-op missions this time around, I found them fun, challenging, and a good tool to prep you for ranked matches. It also allows me to play with two other friends (as opposed to 2) without dealing with strangers if I don't want to. The single player campaign isn't much different from past Splinter Cell endeavors, and subsequently actually feels slightly dated. However, it is decent fun, and is also completely overshadowed by the great multiplayer design. To sum it all up. I've found my new Halo until Halo 3 comes out. And that is an impressive feat. So Double Agent? Here's to you.

And I believe that's it. I haven't touched my GBA at all this year unless it was to play Metroid: Zero Mission or Super Mario World, so I didn't include that category.

[Melana]

You may not of touched the GBA but you played at least one game on there you didn't mention.

My mum brought me a video Ipod for christmas.... but has stolen it from me. So apparently I maybe getting a Wii.

[Super Goat Weed]

Gears of War may be broken multiplayer, but the single player owns.

So far i've been a DS whore this year, and for the GBA, i gotta wonder how i let tactics ogre remain unplayed for so long. It easily trumps FFTactics Advance.

[Xanien]

Do you think the FFVI or FFV games for the GBA have any chance of being games of the year? Sadly I won't be playing them for quite some time. I'm SUPER close to beating FFII at the moment and I've started playing FFIII as well. It's not bad! Mario Kart DS is pretty damn good for a DS game though.

By the way, did Shadow of the Colossus come out this year for the PS2? If so, it has my vote for best game on that system.

[Matt]

SotC is pretty damn sweet.

[kaos]

I wana give a nod to saints row and Oblivion

neither game deserves a tradional greatest spot.

but both games pushed the envelope a bit more than some of the others this year.

Saints Row is an obvious clone of GTA
however GTA has been the same game since GTA3. it didnt improve or fix any of its issues or short comings along the course of the series.
insteadt they just gave you a bigger playground and more shiney vehicles each time.

Saints Row was actually everything San Andreas should have been.

Gold star.

Oblivion.

hmm...

actually I'm gonna take that one back.
Oblivion deos do some cool things. but it has no direction, and in the end its pretty much same as the last. what actually makes it shine is its lack of competition.

you dont award somobody for being the best at somthing if he's the only one doing it. you call him a freak and put him in a circus.


my honorable mentions seem more like slander

I really liked Rumble Roses XX and Smackdown VS. RAW 2007
but both those games seriously suffer in the custom character department.

SvR2007 offers a shit load more custom options....but belive it or not, thats actually why its custom features turn out the worst of the two.

Roses only gives you a handful of options.
SvR gives you everything....EXCEPT the kitchen sink.