Games of the Year 2006

Last year I did a Game of the Year awards for 2005 (found HERE). I guess I might as well do one for this past year of gaming as well. I hope I remember everything I played, because it was a lot. As before I'll throw out the disclaimer saying I'm only choosing from games that I actually played, I'm sure there are a lot of gems that I missed (especially on PC). Also, I did about 90% of my gaming this past year on my 360, so don't expect a diverse list.

Ok, here we go:

Xbox 360

Game of the Year: Oblivion

When I decided to rate all of the games I own not too long ago (LINK) I discovered that Oblivion was the one I rated highest. It was a surprise to me then, but in hindsight it really shouldn't have been. As far a sheer value for your buck, no game tops Oblivion. You can see my previous write-up on the game HERE. Needless to say the game is huge, ambitious, and a hell of a lot of fun. The level of freedom afforded to you is unmatched by any other game out there (console-wise at least). Throw in truck-loads of downloadable content which add even more hours of game play and you have a game you can play for 200+ hours. That is insane.

On a side-note, I recently started playing this game again (I will finish the main quest at least, even if I don't finish the hundreds of additional side-quests) and I'm now about 140 hours in. 140 freakin' hours!!! And I have so much left to do. This game might actually offer TOO much content. :)

Runner-ups:

Gears of War - With all the hype this game received, I'm suprised it managed to live up to it. For the most part at least. Overall the game was great. You can find my earlier impressions HERE. It did not revolutionize the action genre, but it was a blast to play through. The single-player game (especially co-op with a buddy on Hardcore or Insane) is as good as it gets. The game's narrative and story were completely non-existant though (give us some backstory and info next time Epic!!!), but the controls were great, the action was fast, and lets face it, the graphics did wonders to keep you interested in this game. Even though I went all anal-rententive on the visuals previously, they are still the best this generation has to offer so far.

Rainbow 6: Vegas - Score another one for the Unreal III engine. Rainbox 6 turned out just a well as I was hoping. Great tactical action and a solid single-player experience. On the multiplayer side the game shines even brighter. Playing co-op Terrorist hunt with some friends is about as much fun as you can have. I'm not a big fan of versus deathmath type games, but R6 offers plenty of options for those who are. Great visuals, tactical gameplay, and plenty of modes and options to keep you playing for a long time. Make those single-player checkpoints a little closer next time Ubisoft!!! Playing through on Realistic produced some pretty frustrating sections because of lack of checkpoints.

GRAW - The first 360 game to really show us what next-gen visuals could look like (or wait, did Fight Night come out before this?), GRAW still holds a special place in my heart (regardless of my issues with the multiplayer lobbies HERE and HERE . . . oh, and HERE). The single-player experience was only hindered by questionable teammate AI, which at times seemed hellbent on sabotaging your mission by blowing your cover, dying often, or doing idiotic things like just standing around while being shot. Other than that, single-player was a blast. On the multiplayer side of things (aside from my issues with the lobby system) the game was fantastic. Once again, co-op with some friends was (still is actually) one hell of a good time. This is probably the one 360 game I have played more online than any other. Every now and then I still fire it up and play some co-op.

PS2

Game of the Year: Metal Gear Solid III Snake Eater: Subsistence

It took me a while to finally play this thrid installment of the MGS series, but it was well worth the wait. Read my thoughts HERE. Despite some issues with the controls and the series' trademark extra long (but extremely stylish and well-directed) cut-scenes and over-bearing story, the game was just fatastic. Plenty of memoriable set pieces, boss battles, and great character development.

Runner-ups:

Guitar Hero II - Guitar Hero II should probably be winning this category. I think in overall, sheer fun and entertainment, it tops Snake Eater. It also improves over the original in every single way (except maybe song selection). But it has lost just a hint of the charm and originality that the original had. That is not the game's fault and it in no way makes it any less of a great game. I still want them to make at least 20 more sequels to this franchise. I just felt like giving the slightest edge to Metal Gear in this case. Ask me which of these two games I want on a desert island though and it is GH II hands down.

MLB: The Show - One of the finest sports games I have played in recent memory, see my previous thoughts HERE. The Show has the best Career Mode for a sports game yet (alot better than Madden's Super Star), some of the best animation out there and without a doubt, the best commentary in any sports title that I have heard.

PSP

Game of the Year: Daxter

Daxter is just a gorgeous and extremely enjoyable game. It is easy to pick up and play in short bursts or in a long play session. Perfect controls and fun platforming, mixed with almost PS2-calibur graphics makes this one my pick.

Runner-ups:

Loco Roco - This charming and completely original title is the very definition of what a portable game should be. It was desgned with the PSP in mind, delivers an experience which is not offered on a console and can be played in short sessions. Some clever level design, very unique visuals and a totally whacky but phenominal soundtrack made this one a total blast. The only negative is that after a while you feel like you've done it all. Sure, each stage is different, but it is mostly just more of the same.

Misc.

Biggest Disapointment:

Madden 2007 - Although greatly improved over Madden 06 (see impressions HERE), and although I did manage to have a good time with it, the Madden series is still not even close to where videogame football should be by now. 2K's recent announcement however is the best thing that could have happened to football fans.

Runner-ups:

Superman Returns: The Videogame - I thoroughly enjoyed the demo and actually had hope that this was going to be an above-average game. Boy was I wrong.

GoW's story - There is a great background story and history to Gears of War (read it on Wikipedia) . . . umm, but where is it in the game? Epic went hrough all this trouble to create this backstory, and hint at it rhough great trailers pre-release . . . but the actual game gives you zero info. Zero!!! What a waste. The game could have been so much more imersive.

Street Fight II (Live Arcade) - The controls stink and game is way too hard. See my previous complaints HERE.

Most Underated Game of the Year:

MLB: The Show - What was probably the best sports game of the year and might be the best baseball game ever released on a console received average scores and little to no recognition (outside of the hardcore sim comunity). This game just did so many little things right and captured all the nuances of baseball perfectly. The tv style presentation was phenominal and really, I cannot stop complementing the commentary. Fantastic job guys. I hope the PS3 version is more of the same with next-gen visuals.

Runner-up:

Viva Pinata
Viva Pinata has a huge marketting push by Microsoft, yet the game came and went with little notice. The game was suprisingly deep and addictive. Read my impressions HERE.

Biggest Surprise:

- All the lauch 360 games I picked up for a bargain price and thoroughly enjoyed (PGR3, Condemend, Kameo). I picked up Kameo, Condemned and PGR3 all for bargain bin prices and I enjoyed every one. Sorry I ignored them all at launch (although I always did have my eye on Condemend). Read impressions HERE and HERE.

Runner-up:

- I'm sure Dead Rising could be listed here, but I have yet to play it.

And that's it folks, those are my picks. If I'm not feeling too lazy I'll do some technical awards later this week (Best Graphics, Sound, etc.) although knowing myself, propbably not.