GameSpot GOTY Special Achievement Awards

Sarconix · 12-28-2008, 11:44 PM

Hey folks,

To save you some clicking through the (huge) GameSpot GOTY awards, see below (see the first reply for the rest). Thoughts?

Special Achievements

Most Surprisingly Good Game » Air Traffic Chaos
Best Story » Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Best Graphics, Technical » Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Best Graphics, Artistic » Valkyria Chronicles
Best New Character » Bruce "Brucie" Kibbutz (GTA4) (genetically different, baby!)
Biggest News » Is the game industry recession-proof?
Best Expansion Pack » World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
Best Original Downloadable Console Game » Braid
Best New Gaming Hardware » ATI Radeon HD 4870
Best Downloadable Content » New Modes and Motorcycles in Burnout Paradise
Best Atmosphere » Dead Space
Best Original Music » Patapon
Best Licensed Music » Braid (you read that right... not Rock Band or Guitar Hero this time)
Best Sound Design » Dead Space
Best Voice Acting » Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Best Use of a Creative License » Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Funniest Game » Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law
Best Cooperative Multiplayer » Left 4 Dead
Best Competitive Multiplayer » Call of Duty: World at War
Best Original Game Mechanic » Voice Control in Tom Clancy's Endwar
Most Improved Sequel » Resistance 2
Most Innovative Game » Patapon
Best Use of Control Scheme » Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Best Implementation of User-Generated Content » LittleBigPlanet
Best Original IP » No More Heroes
Best Boss Fights » Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Most Memorable Moment » Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (details omitted to avoid spoilers)
Best UK-Developed Game » Grand Theft Auto IV (Scotland, no less!)
Best Australia-Developed Game » De Blob
Most Violent Game to Make It Past Aussie Censors » Fallout 3

My personal pick for best song (not a category... but should be!): Still Alive from Mirror's Edge

Sarconix · 12-29-2008, 12:24 AM

Dubious Honors

Most Despicable In-Game Advertising » Shaun White Snowboarding - extra mountain from Target
Most Disappointing Game » Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
Flat-Out Worst Game » M&Ms Kart Racing
Worst Game Everyone Played » Iron Man
Best Game No One Played » World of Goo
Least Improved Sequel » Animal Crossing: City Folk
Worst Use of a Great License » Iron Man

Genre Awards

Best Action Adventure » Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Best Driving Game » Burnout Paradise
Best Fighting Game » Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Best Platformer » Braid
Best Puzzle Game » Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Best Rhythm/Music Game » Rock Band 2 (the Popular Opinion poll agrees)
Best Role-Playing Game » Fallout 3
Best Shooter » Left 4 Dead (tough competition here)
Best Sports Game » NHL 09
Best Strategy Game » Sins of a Solar Empire (congrats to Ironclad and Stardock!)

Platform Awards

Best PC Game » Fallout 3
Best Xbox 360 Games » Grand Theft Auto IV (Gears of War 2 wasn't even nominated... huh?)
Best PS3 Game » Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Best Wii Game » No More Heroes
Best PSP Game » Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Best Nintendo DS Game » The World Ends With You

Game of the Year (nominees and winner)

Braid
Burnout Paradise
Fallout 3
Grand Theft Auto IV
Left 4 Dead
NHL 09
No More Heroes
Resistance 2
The World Ends With You
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

asimplehero · 12-29-2008, 12:31 AM

No Gears of War 2 love, eh?

Vandenh · 12-29-2008, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Best Story » Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

ROFL. Is GS run by 15 year old emo teens?

Snipee · 12-29-2008, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vandenh

ROFL. Is GS run by 15 year old emo teens?

What the hell does that mean? MGS4 had a badass story. Your comment does not make any sense.

Vandenh · 12-29-2008, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snipee

What the hell does that mean? MGS4 had a badass story. Your comment does not make any sense.

I bet you like Evangelion as well?

MGS4 "story" is a confusing mess.

Meusli · 12-29-2008, 06:10 AM

That's a weird chart list they have there as I was expecting Kane and Lynch to be their Game of the Year, oh well.

modeps · 12-29-2008, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meusli

That's a weird chart list they have there as I was expecting Kane and Lynch to be their Game of the Year, oh well.

I understand your joke, but it came out last year.

lost · 12-29-2008, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vandenh

I bet you like Evangelion as well?

MGS4 "story" is a confusing mess.

Nonsense. I got it.

As you can maybe tell, I think MGS4 is a well-deserved winner of any GotY award.

modeps · 12-29-2008, 06:51 AM

The World Ends With You was up for their GOTY? I guess I've gotta try that game again.

Meusli · 12-29-2008, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by modeps

I understand your joke, but it came out last year.

I thought that as I wrote it but thought what the hell.

modeps · 12-29-2008, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meusli

I thought that as I wrote it but thought what the hell.

Eh, it was close enough to this year!

Johan · 12-29-2008, 08:10 AM

The one award that hits me as most obviously deserved, honestly, is the "Best Use of Control Scheme: Ninja Gaiden DS." I have to say, that was/is a really fun title with a well implemented control scheme!

Most of the rest, in my opinion, could have been won by a few other titles as well. Most of those games are overrated as compared to their "peers" in my opinion. GTA IV is ridiculous as the best 360 game. Forget that noise.

Syl · 12-29-2008, 12:19 PM

I really feel like Persona 4 keeps getting the shaft simply because it's not on a current gen system.

Venkman · 12-29-2008, 12:35 PM

HAving played most of the titles on that list, and having worked with UE3, I believe Gears 2 had the best graphics. Varied environments, stellar art direction, huge amounts of enemies on screen at once, destructive scenery, very little load time OFF A DISC and not a hard drive.

MGS4 is nice, and the character animation was top notch, but overall, Gears 2 has it beat.

Strictly IMHO.

Orz · 12-29-2008, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snipee

What the hell does that mean? MGS4 had a bad, ass story. Your comment does not make any sense.

Yes, I hate the 'FTFY' meme, but I really, really couldn't resist this time....

Opinions may vary.

Gusj · 12-29-2008, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Best Puzzle Game » Professor Layton and the Curious Layton

Surely you mean The Curious Village.
Anyway, I'm saddened by seeing that Mirror's Edge didn't make the list. Rather that than GTA4 for the 360 award.

beefyjr · 12-29-2008, 06:46 PM

Smash Bros is their best fighting game? It's fun and all, but really?

DarkDaY · 12-29-2008, 07:20 PM

GS has been irrelevant to me for quite some time now. But hey, any jackass with a site can hire new people, take buy outs and post the 'definitive' best and worst games.

Laughable to me but fun to read when bored.

Chimpbot · 12-29-2008, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vandenh

I bet you like Evangelion as well?

MGS4 "story" is a confusing mess.

Yeah, but...Neon Genesis has a story that makes complete sense, too. You just have to pay attention and be willing to think a little. It might be tough for some folks...but it's worth it when you put in a little effort!

Keep on truckin'.