Ben-DutkaLast week, we gave you ten nominees for Game of the Year and now, the top five have advanced into the final round.
Perhaps predictably, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception got the most votes, nearly doubling that of the runner-up, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim . Batman: Arkham City , Dark Souls , and Portal 2 round out the top five, as one of the year's top RPGs got past Killzone 3 by only 30 votes. This means the top five are set and it's time to determine the PSXE Reader Pick for Game of the Year, which will be revealed next weekend.
For the record, we intend to post our illustrious Game of the Year Awards later on Monday, January 2, so be on the lookout for that. As usual, we hand out all sorts of awards, ranging from Best Story to Best New Character to all the genre awards (i.e., Best Action Game, Best Shooter, Best RPG, etc.). We have some very difficult choices to make (as usual), but that's nothing new. It seems like every year there are a ton of amazing titles, many of which are well worth a mention when award season rolls around. Will your favorites be recognized?
Uncharted 3 without a shadow of a doubt. The animation and detail are awesome. But, I'm still shocked by the realism achieved in the faces. The eyes are so right, for example, they are spot on, as is the game in too many ways to number. I understand that for some it's a little too cinematic. I heartily disagree with that thought though. Uncharted 3 really is bringing that dream of watching a movie and controlling the action as you go, to fruition. It works well as that, and it works well as a game. It appears to be head and shoulders above anything else I've seen or played, including it's own predecessor. Definitely GOTY.
the reasons you posted are pretty much what makes it beat batman and portal 2 for me.
Yes Sir… just wait for "The Last Of Us"… that will redefine video gaming… trust Naughty Dog to always teach an old dog new tricks…
It must be something in those late night pizza's they order when they pull all nighters…
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
Last edited by Qubex on 12/26/2011 12:02:06 AM
Interactive movie of the year, not game
It's a game. Labeling it an interactive movie does nothing more than diminish it – in my opinion. It is exactly what I have been looking for and I suspect a lot of gamers have been looking for, for years and years; a game that feels like you're playing a movie. this is where games have been going all generation, and where lots of gamers have wanted them to go.
Are you calling this an interactive movie because it has cutscenes that you watch, or because the cutscenes integrate seamlessly with the controlled action? That sounds like JRPGs like Xenosaga, and games like Metal Gear Solid would be considered 'interactive movies' by you. I don't think that there is any point in that distinction except to try to diminish Uncharted 3 as a game by saying it's not really a game.
When I voted, I chose Portal 2. Mostly because the only other game on the list I played was LA Noire, and as big as a Rockstar fan I am, it's story just wasn't as good as the one I experienced with Wheatley, Glados and Chell. Valve did a phenomenal job with the game, and the experience was extremely memorable.
Though, today, I got Uncharted 3. While I did not already complete it(I try taking my time, seeing as how most games I destroy the single player campaign in one sitting), the attention given to each character is… to put it simply, astounding. Each player has their own personality, in the way they walk down to the way they react to the bits of action. In the museum, the way you back up, the player does a bit of a hop-step, raises their arms a bit and then glances back one last time. The way the character actually touches their environment. I mean, I was seriously just at awe. There were several parts in the beginning of the game I didn't even know I had to control something, because they would either continue to talk or talk while you walked or… AHHHH! The game, is simply, a-m-a-z-i-n-g.
On top of that, the multiplayer is fun. I was having some fun online with my cousin for awhile. I sucked, bad, but I had fun the whole way through. Anyone wanna' play some online when I'm on? Just add me. [PsychoSchizo]
Last edited by JLB1 on 12/25/2011 11:34:07 PM
Arkham City for me.
Uncharted 3 again. Though had inFamous 2 been on the list the last round of votes, I would have voted for that the first time. Started playing Festival of Blood recently. inFamous, like Zelda, is one of those games that always has me saying "just 5 more minutes", "one more mission/quest".
Last edited by Jawknee on 12/26/2011 12:06:21 AM
It's probably going to be UC3 as GOTY here, but if it wern't for the issues Skyrim had on the PS3 I would have went with it. I consider Skyrim way more of an accomplishment in terms of game design. I can only begin to imagine what a difficult untertaking designing a game on the scope and scale of Skyrim is. The amount of gameplay found in Skyrim puts other games to shame in my humble opinion. Very ambitous game…Bethesda really shot for the stars so to speak.
Mass Effect 2 would be on my GOTY list sitting right behind Skyrim. Definitely a solid title. Bioware did a great job with the PS3 version.
Uncharted 3
It's hard…
Uncharted 3 is brilliant but didn't hit me the same way as Uncharted 2 did. Think I will need to play through it a couple more times to reconsider!!!
Mass Effect 2 was excellent and Portal 2 was well worth the brain workout.
Loved Killzone 3 as well. Brutal and meaty. Playing it with the Move controller brought it up another level.
Happy with my purchases this year.
as usual the most over rated game of the year is the one to win!
sigh.
i stopped holding any belief in GOTY nominations when COD4 won its respective year!
definitely portal 2, its one of the very few games this gen which is literally flawless!
everything was near perfect, the gameplay, level design, story, writing, character development, had a fantastic ending unlike allot of games this year!
cough batman arkham city……
my god, im still scratching my head and rubbing my eyes in disbelieve, i still cant believe they did that!
Batman had THE ending of the year, IMO. And really, the game was written by Paul Dini, head-writer of the Batman animated series. The ending was awesome.
Portal 2 nuff said. im sorry i just dont see Uncharted 3 as GOTY contender. its more of the same old same old with updated graphics. I dont even need to play it at all. all i need to is look up Uncharted 3 videos on youtube & Play Uncharted 2 and i can tell u that there is no differents.
Portal 2 was robbed at the VGAs and is getting a raw deal here.
Yeah, you might want to actually play something before passing judgment.
If you like, I can say the exact same thing about Portal 2: better graphics, new puzzles, whatever. Of course, I'd say that in looking at videos; as soon as I played it, I knew I'd be wrong.
It's "difference"….not "differents".
Hey have you thought about a "Co-op game of the year" award?
That is a kind of game that has it's own set of requirements (good examples in brackets):
How well is co-op gameplay implemented into the game mechanics (LBP2). In some games the coop partner feels "tagged on" the game and never included in the story (Resistance 3 suffered from that – in the cutscenes the second player were never seen or mentioned), while in other games the players feel like they are included in the story (SR:The Third, FEAR3).
In my opinion co-op gameplay don't receive the appreciation it deserve when GOTY-awards are handed out. After all, a good moment gets better when shared! 🙂
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/26/2011 8:18:46 AM
It's not a bad idea, but it'd be very difficult to examine, I think. We don't get a chance to play co-op as often as we'd like, either. 🙂
Ah, makes sense. Twice the review copies and reviewers required. I bet that is why I don't think I've seen any "coop awards" on other sites either.
It's a shame though! Cause it really does require additional efforts and clever solutions from the developers to enable a storyline to be enjoyed both in solo play and cooperatively. There are *so* many pitfalls.
Not to mention the games that offer additional content tailored for coop play, Portal 2 and LBP2 being prime examples this year – they both really has *excellent* coop features.
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/26/2011 4:14:32 PM
I voted Uncharted, but my GOTY is Resistance 3. A compelling story, awesome weapons, lenghty campaign and amazing multiplayer.
Uncharted 3. Story, graphics, game play, voice acting, it's all there.
Skyrim is amazing but loses my vote due to the freezing. I am forced to save before I go into any city.
Mass effect and littlenigplanet need more love
I agree on both! ME is my goty but I agree on lbp too – it is remarkably good at what it does.
Agreed on Mass Effect 2 as well. It did not get enough attention from PS3 owners even though it is a fantastic game. When it first came out on the 360 got a lot of critical acclaim and numerous GOTY awards. Its definitely underrated by PS3 owners. I think it is a fantastic game with rich universe and well told story for a videogame. It's kind of cool how the game riffed on a lot cool sci fi shows and movies. I detected hints of everything from Babylon 5 to Pitch Black/Chronicles of Riddick.
So did I, Excel. I think they must have embedded hints to almost every sci-fi series in existence, I imagine I also found a little bit of Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek in there too.
Man this hear had some games that exceeding expectation like Mass Effect 2, Batman Arhlam City, Skyrim,Dark Souls, Infamous 2, BF3(multiplayer at least), LA Noire, and MW3(shocking because I glued to the single player FPS action and I hate shooters). Then amazing games that really didn't hit home as expected like Uncharted 3,Resistance 3, BF3's single player, MW3's multiplayer, Need for Speed The Run, Assassin Creed Revelation (which at the moment is getting better…still playing it) and Killzone 3. Killzone 3 was the most dissappointing game of this year for me aswell as Shift 2. Still haven't gotten around to Portal 2 or Dead Space 2. Alot of good games this year, but unlike everyone else UC3 isn't my GOTY.
For me its goes ME2, Batman AC, Skyrim, Dark Souls (even though it was crazy hard and frustrating) and then Infamous 2. Uncharted 3 was entertaining, but the infinite enemies, incomplete storytelling (plot holes, unanswered questions) and less than stellar ending kind of didn't follow UC2's brillance in my honest opinion. I give credit where credit is due and the five games I listed…in my opinion…were/are much better games. Uncharted 3 was great, but I wasn't swept away by it like the 5 aferomentioned titles. Those games were all no brainers. Just my opinion.
Mass Effect 2 is everything I wanted in a game; great storytelling, epic music, addictive gameplay, sci fi fantasy, and just a plain epic adventure. Batman AC, man this game was just awesome multplied by Batman sweetness. The open world setting, the dedicated recreation/reimigination of Batman's universe, the accomplished melee combat, the great story, and epic music score. Skyrim is Skyrim. Dark Souls was just plain awesome. The whole world was a challenging puzzle interconnected by hidden paths with the combat system that puts Assassin Creed to shame. The story was nonexistant, but that's how this and Demon Souls worked so I'm all go. Most addictive game of the year for me. Infamous 2 was a shocker. I liked Infamous 1, but that was it. Infamous 2 on the other hand had me addicted after I think the 6hr mark because before that…it just felt like more Infamous 1. But the story was decent, the action was great, and the ending put a smile on my face. Loved evrery second of all these games.
Mass Effect 2 i my favorite game of all time over Maetal Gear Solid 1-4
Last edited by FM23 on 12/26/2011 12:19:37 PM
Our preferences in gaming seem to be more or less identical – it's crazy. So I gotta ask: Is Dark Souls really that great? I am put off by the much talked about difficulty level – but it's worth it? Or are you too with sadistic tendencies and enjoy failing over and over (if so we differ on at least one detail :D)?
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/26/2011 2:18:44 PM
Beamboom….Im already knkwing. We agree on most of everything. So Dark Souls? Man…I use to complain to everyone on my PSN friend list about how hard this game was, but this game is addictive. If your competitive, the computer, AI, whatever will test your patience. I quit this game millions of times onlu to say "fuck this, give it one more go…I can do this". I hated every death and the unnecessary requirement of knowing a bosses weakness from the get go and the heavy reliance on co op play to defeat impossible bosses. The game was frustrating, but the imagination, artistic design, amd unique flow maxe it worth it. The game changes every level, dungeon, whateva…weird how every world is interconnected to one another. Dark Souls requires a game guide or you will just be lost, frustrated, and ready to break the disc. This is one of those games where lvling up is important and for me…grinding is annoying. This is no Elders Scroll or Dragon Age or Mass Effect meaning this game isn't made for storytelling or enjoyment, just pure gameplay which is quite satisfying, but alot of times unfair and unbalanced. Hate having to worry anout stats and the game doesnt expalin shit. Demon Souls was more balanced, while this game has way more imigination but is real unbalanced or just pure f'n hard. Game guide will save your ass and let you experience the beauty known as Dark Souls. The game is truly amazing and unique.
Last edited by FM23 on 12/26/2011 4:39:19 PM
So hard to write these messages with a phone…all these damn spelling errors. So hard to edit or fix sh*t…lol
lol – omg. I seriously doubt I've got balls enough for that game. That game would give me a stroke or something.
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/27/2011 10:49:56 AM
I played Uncharted 3 all the way through and all I'm going to say Adam Sessler,Morgan Webb and the crew at X-Play shouldn't be allow to comment on anything that is related to video games. They can nominate Gears of War 3 for GOTY but Uncharted 3 is too much like 2.
Last edited by JDC80 on 12/26/2011 9:37:17 PM
I find it funny that the top 5 from the last round just moved over to the final round. Wouldn't the game that was in first last round just be in first again? I'm looking at the rankings of this poll and it looks the same as last time. Anyway, my GotY hasn't changed since last time… it's still Batman: Arkham City. It was a perfect game.