Game of the Year 2008

[Dasquian Belargic]

It's that time of year, when the top 10 lists come out. You know the kind... supposedly all the best stuff that has happened in the year.

GameSpy Overall Top 10 Games of the Year

1. Fallout 3 (http://goty.gamespy.com/2008/overall/10.html) (PC/360/PS3)
2. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (http://goty.gamespy.com/2008/overall/9.html) (PC)
3. Left 4 Dead (http://goty.gamespy.com/2008/overall/8.html) (PC/360)
4. Gears of War 2 (http://goty.gamespy.com/2008/overall/7.html) (360)
5. LittleBigPlanet (http://goty.gamespy.com/2008/overall/6.html) (PS3)
6. Grand Theft Auto IV (http://goty.gamespy.com/2008/overall/5.html) (PC/360/PS3)
7. Rock Band 2 (http://goty.gamespy.com/2008/overall/4.html) (360/PS3)
8. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (http://goty.gamespy.com/2008/overall/3.html) (PC)
9. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (http://goty.gamespy.com/2008/overall/2.html) (PS3)
10. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (http://goty.gamespy.com/2008/overall/index.html) (NDS)

TIME Magazine's Top 10 Games of the Year
Grand Theft Auto IV
Braid (video at left)
Little Big Planet
Rock Band 2
Gears of War 2
Dead Space
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Hunted Forever (Flash)
Fieldrunners (iPhone app)
SporeWhat was your game (or top 10) of the year? I'm amused to see how low Spore is ranking (or not ranking, as the case may be) considering the amount of hype surrounding its release.

[Droo]

There's nothing amusing about how incredibly rubbish Spore was... :(

And now I reeeeaaaaaaally want to get Left 4 Dead.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Amusing for me, since I didn't buy it ;)

I've been eyeing up Left 4 Dead on Steam for a while now. Looks like it could be a lot of fun.

[Droo]

Amusing for me, since I didn't buy it ;)


Neither did I, but I played it, and it was a big fat disappointment.

[Peter McCoy]

Indeed.

The other week I said to Droo that Fallout 3 had knocked Metal Gear Solid 4 off my top-spot. But after playing into it a fair bit (story-wise only - I still have the majority of the Capital Wasteland and 12 character levels to explore and develop) I'm not sure now. While it is great and hasn't gotten worse, I've had time to get over my initial hype and glee and am once again thinking rationally. The story, while quite good, is nothing compared to Guns of the Patriots. That game, for me, was the best story in a computer game ever. People will argue, and they're entitled to. But I've followed the Metal Gear games since the PSOne and loved every one of them. While the gameplay is great, sneaking around military bases and jungles, its the story that really shines. What started in the PSOne game as an initially bog-standard situation where a single man infiltrates a base to stop terrorists Jame Bond style ends up being a really epic tale of two brothers with very different ideals - with a whole host of technological idea thrown into the mix.

I'll think up a top ten soon, but rest assured MGS4 will be the king of the hill.

[Crusader]

Actually my game of the year is the first Rock Band since they released it in Europe this summer.

Well I haven't played as many games as I would have loved to(Fallout 3 is still on my to do list) but I had some great experiences with friends in the following games:
Little Big Planet...it might be overrated but it is the perfect game for some random goofyness when you sit down with some friends.
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 COOP TERRORIST HUNT + EXPERIENCE SYSTEM = a lot of fun
Left 4 Dead ...I love the smell of hot witches in the morning

I picked up GOW2 yesterday and I am looking forward to some chainsow action over Xmas but I can't judge this game yet

Has anyone checked out castle crashers yet? The demo is fun but 1200 M$ Points is too much for just 200 Points of Gamerscore :)

[Yog]

Fallout 3 - game of the year for me. No contest.

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8751717#post8751717

Some freaking HUGE reductions. Some highlights include Portal and Bioshock for $5 each, the Valve complete pack with every valve game including The Orange Box and Left 4 Dead for only $75, and Doom 1 and 2 for $1 each.

Only available until Jan 2nd.

You would be doing yourself a disservice if you did not take advantage of this to buy, at least, Beyond Good & Evil and Psychonauts

[Morgan Evanar]

Damn you temptation! I just bought Beyond Good & Evil because of this :|

[Dasquian Belargic]

...I put that in the wrong thread. Oh well. BUY THEM ANYWAY.

TASTY GAMES FOR CHEAP. MMMM.

[Xavier Synik]

Still haven't gotten around to playing Fallout 3. I dunno, as much as I hear all these great things about it, it just isn't one of those games that has reached out and pulled me in.

GTA 4 is probably at the top of my list, spent a lot of time playing it, but the game that is almost always in my 360's tray is COD as I still think it is the best FPS multiplayer out there right now.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'm still waiting for Fallout 3's price to drop :grumble

[Morgan Evanar]

Indeed.

The other week I said to Droo that Fallout 3 had knocked Metal Gear Solid 4 off my top-spot. But after playing into it a fair bit (story-wise only - I still have the majority of the Capital Wasteland and 12 character levels to explore and develop) I'm not sure now. While it is great and hasn't gotten worse, I've had time to get over my initial hype and glee and am once again thinking rationally. The story, while quite good, is nothing compared to Guns of the Patriots. That game, for me, was the best story in a computer game ever. People will argue, and they're entitled to. But I've followed the Metal Gear games since the PSOne and loved every one of them. While the gameplay is great, sneaking around military bases and jungles, its the story that really shines. What started in the PSOne game as an initially bog-standard situation where a single man infiltrates a base to stop terrorists Jame Bond style ends up being a really epic tale of two brothers with very different ideals - with a whole host of technological idea thrown into the mix.

I'll think up a top ten soon, but rest assured MGS4 will be the king of the hill.I always thought that the MGS series from 2 on was a benchmark for overwrought ham-handedness and terrible dialog. IMO it draws poor conclusions regarding near-future technology. I really enjoyed the original but it's been a steep downhill from there. I haven't played through all of 4, and the gameplay is pretty good but I simply cannot stand the characters or dialog.

[Crusader]

Update: GOW 2 kicks some major...(puh the evil 3 letter word avoided in the last second). This game delivers all the fun that you had with its first installement and then they add some whipping cream and a cherry on top of it.
The action and speed is perfect and this game never gets boring or too easy. The bossfights in the game reminded me a lot of the typical Hideo Kojima Bossfights although they are obviously no match for the ones in MGS3. I love well executed boss fights and this game delivers them.

Cliffy B's promise to make it bigger, better and more bad... is certainly fullfilled...and it is really so bloody that you should bring a bucket with you...in one level they take this tagline literally.

My only problem with this game is that the final bossfight is at the end of act 4 instead of being at the end of act 5 but at least the final cinematic is great.

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/486-Awards-for-2008

Yahtzee's take on it all.

[Crusader]

OMG I love his show :)

[Peter McCoy]

I'm surprised about what he said of Dead Space. While I haven't played it yet, I've heard nothing but good things. It's just a shame we don't get an actual System Shock 3.

[Crusader]

The problem of Dead Space is that you have got a hero you can't relate to because he never opens his mouth. So if you don't fill these emotional gaps in your head you end up thinking: So if he does not care why should I.
I think Riddick and Gears solve this common issue that even happens in triple AAA titles rather well.
Riddick has got Vin's incredible voice acting. On the other hand Gears uses Dom as a vehicle to transport the "lost and found love story": We all like Dom because he is fighting right next to us in every situation. So we care about his feeling although we might not feel connected to Marcus Fenix because he is just an emotional brick...but somehow we like him this way anyway.
Dead Space does not solve this dilemma although it is a great game.

[Ourania]

Gordon Freeman never opened his mouth, but I still felt sorry for him - and the guy in BioShock. >_<

[Captain Monmoo]

Spore was awesome! i loved it :D