2008 Game of the Year Awards

Ok, last year's Games of the Year Awards post was kinda long, so I am hoping to streamline it this year and be less wordy.  At least I will try.

 

Like before, my overall Game of the Year is not eligible for the individual system GotY award, to share the wealth a bit.  Also, keep in mind that I can obviously only choose from games that I played last year, so don't hate me if your favorite game didn't make it, I probably just didn't play it.  I also only did gaming on the 360 and PS3 this year, so no PS2 or PSP titles, unlike last year.  Ok, I'm already getting wordy.  On to the big award first!

 

2008 Game of the Year

 

Dead Space

 

There was no other game that I played in 2008 that wowed me as much as Dead Space.  Plain and simple.  Visually, it is the most impressive title I have seen to date.  Atmospherically, I was drawn in from opening sequence to closing credits.  Everytime I picked up the controller to play this game, I had a great time and an ear to ear smile (when I wasn't terrified that is).

 

Runners-up:

 

Gears of War 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, Fallout 3

 

360 Game of the Year

 

Gears of War 2

 

As I mentioned in my impressions post (HERE), I really did not enjoy GoW 2 the first time I played it.  The second time however, was some of the most fun I've had this year.  It was a long session too (played for about 6 hours straight) and I was enthralled the entire time.  I'm surprised that this ended up being my 360 GotY, but I couldn't think of another title I enjoyed more (aside from Dead Space of course).

 

Runners-up:

 

GTA IV, Fallout 3, Rock Band 2

 

PS3 Game of the Year

 

Metal Gear Solid 4

 

This game was an experience.  Visually, its the pinacle on the PS3 at the moment (at least until Killzone is released).  Gameplay-wise, the Metal Gear series has never been better.  Its refined controls and new default camera angle finally take the series to next level in the playability department.  It answers all the questions you might have had in the series too.  At least, I think it does.  This series' story-line is so intertwined and incoherent at this point, it is hard to tell.  As expected, the game delivers the best directed cinimatics in the business.  Kojima always excelled in this department and each MG game has taken it to another level.  That being said, as I mentioned in my impressions of the game, it is overdone.  This is both a game and a movie.  You spend at least ½ your time just sitting back and watching.  Really, you can go over ½ an hour without having to tough your controller.  That is a bit much and the game's only major negative.  With a gameplay to cinematics ratio of 70/30, this might have been a contender for 2009 GotY.  But since it seems to be more in the 50/50 range, the overall experience really suffers.

 

Runners-up:

 

Little Big Planet, MLB 08: The Show

 

Xbox Live Arcade GotY:

 

Braid

 

Braid was just unique.  And fun.  And satisfying.  And special.  Its puzzles fiendishly clever.  Its art direction beautifully surreal.  It might not be for everybody, but it was definitely up my alley.

 

Runner's up:

 

Bionic Commando, Castle Crashers

 

Sports Game of the Year:

 

MLB: The Show 2008

 

For the second year in a row, The Show gets my vote.  A huge visual leap from last year, The Show just looks and plays like baseball.  No other sports game does a better job of translating a sport's nuances, sounds, look and feel like The Show series.

 

Runners-up:

 

Hot Shots: Out of Bounds

 

Multiplayer Game of the Year:

 

Left 4 Dead

 

Considering this game should only be played co-op, it better be a great experience.  And it is! 

 

Runner's up:

 

Rock Band 2, Castle Crashers

 

Best Graphics:

 

Dead Space

 

In my opinion, no other game looked better.  Sure, others might have had larger scale, and done certain things better, but no other game impressed me visually as much as Dead Space.  Gears of War came close, and Metal Gear was technically fantastic, but Dead Space had me at "hello" this year.

 

Runners-up:

 

GoW 2, MGS4, Far Cry 2

 

Best Sound:

 

Battlefield: Bad Company

 

Dead Space basically had this category locked up, but I made a really late purchase of Bad Company and I was blown away by the sound design.  No other FPS has done a better job with gunfire and explosions.  Everything sounds different depending on distance and even environment (everything sounds different indoors).  For a game that relies so much on destruction, BC's sound design made that destruction sound absolutely delightful.

 

Runner's-up:

Dead Space, GoW 2

 

Best Gaming Moment of 2008:

 

(Possible spoiler ahead!)

 

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Returning to Shadow Moses Island (MGS4)

 

Wow!  Talk about fan service.  Kojima and his team pulled this bit of nostalgia off to perfection.  The whole scenario was set up beautifully too.  Heavy snow storm clouds your vision and just as that familiar helipad and base come into view, the theme from the ending credits of MGS1 kicks in.  I was floored.  Definitely one of my favorite gaming moments, not just from 2008, but of all time.

 

Runner's-up:

 

Zero Gravity (Dead Space)

 

The airtight doors open and I feel all the air getting sucked out of the compression chamber.  Ahead of me I see that the hull of the ship has been completely breached, the beauty of open space lies beyond.  All sound is muted and distant, although I clearly hear my breaths as I consume my now limited air supply.  Everything has a hazy look to it.  Up ahead I see a pipe has ruptured and see the beads of water floating away.  It is a surreal, peaceful experience, almost making me forget about the horrors I have already seen, and the ones that await me.

 

Leaving Vault 101 (Fallout 3)

 

Similar to exiting the sewers in Oblivion, finally escaping the confines of Vault 101 and stepping out to the Wasteland was exhilarating.  The vast, post-apocalyptic landscape is hautingly beautiful and the sense of freedom I felt to to go anywhere and do as I wanted was even more apparent than in Oblivion.

 

Biggest Disapointment of 2008:

 

(Tie) Ninja Gaiden 2 / Brother's in Arms: Hell's Highway

 

Anyone who has read this blog for a while (which is nobody) knows that Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox is one of my favorite action titles ever.  Played through it (in its many incarnations) MANY times.  But Ninja Gaiden 2 just never did it for me.  It didn't seem to evolve enough.  Its gameplay felt stagnant.  Complacent.  Sections felt extremely cheap.  I still need to beat it, yet, I find the urge to go back to it gone.  Shame.

 

As far as BiA, going into this new generation of gaming, this game was actually in my top 3 of anticipated titles.  Ever since the 360 was released, I was looking forward to this one.  What a disapointment.  A lot of what the developers showed, as far as walkthroughs and demos, turned out to be bogus and the final game was not what I was expecting.  Technically, it suffered, despite what seemed like ages of develoment time.  And the gameplay felt right out of last generation.  A big disappointment.

 

Runner's-up:

 

Additional Portal levels only part of full game re-release, Madden 2009 (like always)

 

Biggest Surprise of 2008:

 

Dead Space

 

Who would have thought that a game I was not interested in until a week before its release would end up being my favorite game of 2008?

 

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Alright, that's it.  I am tired of typing.  Another year, another batch of great titltes.  here's hoping 2009 is another great one.