Ben-Dutka--Arnold-KatayevIt's time to reveal our Game of the Year Awards for 2010, so sit back and prepare to lay eyes on the winners. It took some time – as it always does – and we have a few surprises in store, the last of which is an indication of how much thought went into the biggest decision. It's always surprising how much stuff we have to consider; it's more than you might think, especially when it comes to drastically different games…
Anyway, here we go:
Achievement Awards
Best Graphics
Nominees
Winner: God of War III
The artistic atmosphere of Brotherhood , the flashes of unparalleled visual brilliance in GT5, the awesome character detail of Heavy Rain , and the stunning CGI of FFXIII didn’t quite measure up to the breathtaking tour de force that was God of War III . Loaded with some of the most impressive detail anyone has ever seen, GoWIII continues to push the graphical envelope at every turn; Cronos alone would’ve been enough to put this one into winning position. Who needs cut-scenes/CGI when gameplay looks like this ?!
Best Music
Nominees
Winner: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Although it’s traditional to give this award to a game based entirely on music, like Rock Band 3 or DJ Hero 2 , we’ve decided that the beautiful soundtrack that accompanies our adventures in Rome can’t go unrewarded. Besides, although the track lists in both the aforementioned music-based titles were solid, it’s hardly unexpected and in truth, nothing we haven’t heard before. The soundtrack from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood continually puts the player in 15th/16th century Italy, and always seems to conform to every new situation.
Best Sound Effects
Nominees
Winner: Gran Turismo 5
When a game emulates hundreds upon hundreds of vehicle engines with perfect precision, provides us with pinpoint-accurate on-track effects, and goes that extra mile for the sake of authenticity, we have to take notice. The sharp, clean, intense effects found in most shooters these days remains great, but it’s starting to all blend together and in truth, none of them stand head-and-shoulders above other FPS competition. Besides, there’s so much Polyphony Digital had to get right, which ups the level of sound achievement in Gran Turismo 5 to truly epic proportions.
Best Acting
Nominees
Winner: Red Dead Redemption
It was one of the more difficult categories to choose, as every last title on the nomination list featured strong performances that made the entire experience better. But after much thought, we concluded that Rockstar’s Western deserved the award: John Marsten is perfect but beyond that, there were dozens upon dozens of important characters – even with different dialects, when one crosses the border – and somehow, every last one of them sounded realistic. The entire cast did an amazing job in Red Dead Redemption and it’s a huge cast; that was the tipping point.
Best Writing/Story
Nominees
Winner: Heavy Rain
You can talk about the little plot holes all you wish, but to compare the overall writing, dialogue, and branching storylines to any other game this year is almost silly. Granted, that’s sort of because FFXIII didn’t really impress us in the plot department, and with RPGs and other story-driven experiences taking a back seat in 2010, there wasn’t a huge amount of competition. We really liked RDR but it seemed to drag in certain spots, and we still have a problem with how they handled part of the climax… Quantic Dream gave us a gut-wrenching, well-written, emotional story; Heavy Rain is in a class of its own.
Best Artistry/Art Direction
Nominees
Winner: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
This same award went to Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood 's predecessor, and for the very same reasons. Without the downright ridiculous level of effort put into every building, every NPC, and every animation, we don’t have that same immersive atmosphere. Take one look at almost any given landmark in the game (the Pantheon, perhaps) and you’ll understand why even GoWIII’s tremendous character and vista detail couldn’t grab this award. Ubisoft’s meticulous, tireless efforts to recreate Renaissance Rome are just amazing, and always much appreciated.
Best New Character
Nominees
Winner: Fang, Final Fantasy XIII
In this new category, we’re going with a dark horse. John Marsten was a memorable bad-ass and for those in the know, Scott Shelby was a great character from a literature standpoint. One could also adore Bayonetta’s over-the-top, cheesy/sassy style and Lightning exists on her own merits. But Fang somehow took over the role of heroine in our eyes, and her fierce loyalty to her friends, ceaseless willingness to fight and protect said friends, and ultimate sacrifice make her stand out in our eyes. It also helps that she had the benefit of possibly the game’s best voice performer.
Best Trailer
Nominees
Winner: Final Fantasy XIII, International Trailer
Just to clarify, only games that released in 2010 can qualify for Best Trailer, and it doesn’t really matter when the trailer came out. This is about the best video preview that might be seen by any gamer doing research on a particular title, and this year, it has to go to FFXIII’s International Trailer. The others are fantastic but the gorgeous CGI, coupled with healthy doses of storyline and gameplay, make FFXIII’s signature trailer epic and unforgettable. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of the game, you can’t watch that video and not be impressed.
Most Original/Innovative
Nominees
Winner: Heavy Rain
This one wasn’t hard. Despite MAG ’s drive to greatly enhance online multiplayer gaming and this little furry creature that seems to bounce around your living room, nothing could outstrip Heavy Rain . In many ways, we’re looking at the future of the industry or at the very least, the next step in interactive storytelling. Indigo Prophecy was merely a glimpse; Quantic Dream pulled out all the stops for this generation and provided us with a startling revelation: this is how virtual dramas could be, given some serious time, effort and ambition.
Most Overlooked
Nominees
Winner: Yakuza 3
One might be able to make a good argument for just about any title on the list but in our view, American gamers have been overlooking this franchise for far too long. Yakuza 3 is arguably the best yet and if we want Sega to keep localizing these titles, we're going to have to take notice. It's a PS3 exclusive that is a cross between GTA and Shenmue , and the combination of quality storytelling and awesome bare-knuckle bashing is intoxicating, and well worth an avid gamer's time. Sure, it has subtitles but you want the authentic Japanese voices, right?
Most Underrated
Nominees
Winner: White Knight Chronicles
Although the easy choice might be Gran Turismo 5 , we give most critics a semi-free pass due to their ignorance on the subject. Most, as gamers and nothing more, simply didn’t know what they were looking at. In many ways, we have similar opinions concerning Medal of Honor . But with White Knight Chronicles , we just believe most critics were unfairly harsh; we didn’t quite understand what they were talking about. While it has its flaws, WKC satisfied a great many role-playing fans, and you will find the game has a very loyal set of followers. Deservedly so.
Most Anticipated Game
Nominees
Winner: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
That list is just insane. One would think that we’d sit there, hemming and hawing for a very long time. But…well, Naughty Dog is making this new Uncharted game, see, and it’s scheduled for November 1, 2011. Considering that, everything else seems to pale in comparison; that’s just how high our expectations are, and how mind-numbingly amazing Uncharted 3 is gonna be. While we desperately want to play every last title listed above, there’s only one that makes us go, “something horribly bad should happen to anyone who doesn’t play it.”
Genre Awards
Best Multiplayer Game
Nominees
Winner: Gran Turismo 5
We start the Genre Awards with what may be the biggest surprise to the reader: we buck the standards by not giving it to a shooter. In our eyes, Black Ops and Bad Company 2 have their own merits and are very fulfilling in different ways, and MAG has become something very special over time. But you know, we just couldn’t look past the immense online multiplayer world of Gran Turismo 5 . When you factor in the last couple of updates, playing with others has never been quite so deep, quite so intricate, and quite so vast in terms of options, diversity, and versatility.
Best Downloadable Game
Nominees
Winner: Joe Danger
We loved ‘em all but in truth, this category is a no-brainer. Joe Danger is simply in a whole other universe in the realm of digital titles in 2010; supremely polished and endlessly entertaining (and challenging!), it’s both highly entertaining and addictive. A modern-day take on Excitebike and featuring more gameplay than most full $60 titles, this downloadable gem can’t be missed. We loved Lara and Dead Nation but they don’t appeal to everyone… everyone should get a great deal of fun out of Joe Danger .
Best Puzzle Game
Nominees
Winner: echochrome ii
Puzzle games were sort of in short supply this year and although we didn’t quite have time to review it, we know echochrome ii takes the Best Puzzle title in 2010. I was able to give it a go last week and given the originality and inherent challenge; nothing else really comes close in the PlayStation world. Using the new PlayStation Move as a flashlight to discover solutions and pathways, it’s an interesting new dimension and one that really makes us think. If you’ve got Move, you should definitely try wracking your brains with this unique sequel.
Best Music/Rhythm Game
Nominees
Winner: DJ Hero 2
This genre has been on the decline lately and although RB3 features a huge track list and always-reliable gameplay, we give the nod to DJ Hero 2 . It featured a bigger leap forward than either Guitar Hero or Rock Band ; it put the focus squarely on “party fun,” which makes perfect sense. The other two just reek of this “been there, done that” odor and Warriors of Rock didn’t impress us much at all. Rock Band 3 has surpassed Guitar Hero in our minds but this year, DJ Hero 2 offers the best – and freshest, by comparison – rhythm experience.
Best Racing Game
Nominees
Winner: Gran Turismo 5
As if this was a question. The new NFS is great, nail’d doesn’t get enough love, and Split/Second and Blur are worthy white-knuckle experiences, but Polyphony's masterful title is one of the most accomplished, ambitious racers in history. What doesn’t Gran Turismo 5 have? With over 1,000 cars, a bunch of demanding tracks, multiple racing disciplines (from go-karts to NASCAR), there’s a reason this game took over 5 years to complete. You could spend a good portion of 2011 playing GT5 and you may never do everything there is to do, and the quality is just…wow.
Best Sports Game
Nominees
Winner: FIFA Soccer 11
It’s great to see Jordan back in the fantastic NBA 2K11 and we always appreciate the latest top-tier MLB installment from Sony, but every year, it seems that only one franchise continues to excel in every possible category. FIFA Soccer 11 gives fans of the sport everything they could ask for, plus a little more… EA continues to build upon a rock-solid foundation and with the addition of awesome multiplayer, “futbol” followers everywhere sing the praises of the latest entry. And remember, the soccer buff is about as demanding as any sports fan on earth.
Best Role-Playing Game
Nominees
Winner: Final Fantasy XIII
It’s true. The RPG genre was seriously lacking in the PlayStation world in 2010, so some might argue we’re giving it to Final Fantasy XIII almost by default. And in a way, they’re right. There really wasn’t anything close; if we had received the PS3 version of Mass Effect 2 , or a fantastic new entry in the Suikoden series, or a fresh Kingdom Hearts for the PS3, or even a US release for White Knight Chronicles 2 , it might’ve been a tougher choice. But as is, it can only be FFXIII, which is indeed worthy in a number of areas…especially after that 20-hour mark.
P.S. This means 80 of my 100 hours were quite entertaining, and I did treasure that time. – Ben D.
Best Fighting Game
Nominees
Winner: Super Street Fighter IV
In a year without a new Tekken or Soul Calibur , and as we await the Mortal Kombat reboot in 2011, we have to once again pay homage to a game that technically released in 2009. Super Street Fighter IV is most certainly an upgrade, though, and we’re reminded of just how amazing that fighter really is… We’re just overjoyed that Capcom was able to resurrect an old favorite, and a historical virtual landmark holds its position. For now, there’s no better option for fighting fans and that's that.
Best Shooter
Nominees
Winner: Battlefield: Bad Company 2
When Battlefield: Bad Company 2 released, we sort of recall the following feeling: “something will have to really blow us away later this year to top BC2.” Well, the surprisingly awesome Vanquish almost stole this award away from the reigning FPS, and the presentation of Black Ops almost made us think twice. But Treyarch’s intense production was technically flawed and because of that, BC2 became the best shooter of 2010. By the way, we’re not about to call Uncharted a shooter; it’s just that “shooting” is the sole purpose of Vanquish .
Best Action/Adventure Game
Nominees
Winner: God of War III
This might seem like a tough choice on the surface, but nothing can compete with the immense production value and complete and total bad-assery of God of War III . The game featured one mesmerizing experience after another; whether it be a stunning boss battle, a harrowing platforming section, or a face-off against the most challenging hordes possible, it’s always empowering to control Kratos. Including all new weapons and impressive voice performances, it’s a breathtaking rollercoaster ride that never lets up until the final God has been vanquished.
Best Multiplatform Game
Nominees
Winner: Red Dead Redemption
It came down to Brotherhood and Red Dead Redemption and as good as Ezio’s new adventure is, Rockstar’s engaging open-world epic takes the crown, simply because it’s something we haven’t seen before. Oh, we’ve seen the formula, certainly; but how long has the video game world been waiting for a defining Western? Rockstar stepped up and delivered: the story was well done (gotta love that ending!), the control was great and above all else, playing as a man’s man in the sweeping, untamed majesty of the Wild West was endlessly enjoyable. It’s at least a must-try for everyone.
Best New IP
Nominees
Winner: Heavy Rain
In a year where sequels and follow-ups reigned – and 2011 looks to be similar in that way – only one title managed to give us something entirely new; something that will stick with us for a very long time. Heavy Rain is no sequel and in reality, it’s unlike most anything else you’ve ever played before. A dark, intriguing storyline, great characters, beautiful writing and pacing, a fantastic atmosphere, and the unparalleled feeling of connection and urgency…it’s all in Quantic Dream’s masterpiece, and it’s almost impossible to find all those elements in one interactive product.
Best Non-PlayStation Game
Nominees
Winner: Alan Wake
Perhaps the easy pick would be ME2 but we’re sticking to our previous recommendation of Remedy’s thrilling, extremely well-written adventure. Although it’s nothing like Heavy Rain , it was still progressive in the artistic/literary sense, and Alan Wake offers a profoundly deep, freaky experience. It can get a little repetitive but we like to reward ambition and “going against the grain,” so-to-speak. As good as ME2 and SMG2 are, the newness and gripping style of Alan Wake is just plain undeniable and as a result, irresistible.
Special: The PSXE Favorites
It's a trend we started last year: no specific award; just a list of the PSXE staff's favorite games. From Joe Danger to Nier to Gran Turismo 5 to Bioshock 2 to Heavy Rain , we love to play a variety of fantastic titles. There are just so many experiences we remember with great fondness and unsurprisingly, this includes most of 2010's very best. Well, what can we say…in addition to our personal preferences, we're suckers for quality. 😉
And now, here we go…good money that you're not expecting this…
Game of the Year
Nominees
Winner: TIE: Heavy Rain and Gran Turismo 5
Let us explain. Usually, we spend the necessary time to narrow it down to two choices – which was hard enough this year – and then we do a direct compare-and-contrast and select an overall winner. But when we set out to do that this year, we hit a wall: we narrowed it down to the two finalists but how in God's name do you directly compare Heavy Rain and Gran Turismo 5 against each other? After much discussion, we discovered that it simply wasn't possible.
Heavy Rain left an indelible imprint on our minds that hasn't abated. Because it released back in February, we weren't sure if it could stand the test of time; might that memorable, immersive, singular experience remain all rosy in our minds? Even after the year's heaviest competition arrived? The answer was yes. In looking back, the game only appears even more impressive; even more progressive and innovative; even more fulfilling from an artistic and emotional standpoint. With so many different outcomes and a story that never seems to grow stale, this interactive drama is an indication of the future.
Such a production absolutely cannot go ignored, and absolutely must receive the praise and accolades it so richly deserves. We will also stand by our review – linked above – as being one of the best on the Internet. We honestly hope it's indicative of the future and Quantic Dream needs to be commended for such an ambitious accomplishment. It's still the one game that continually makes us feel , over and over and over again.
As for GT5, we have something special lined up: Arnold will handle the explanation; he's writing up a specific feature to explain how Polyphony's amazing driving simulator became one of our picks for Game of the Year. He will also address many of the ill-conceived complaints other critics and gamers have had; as we've mentioned in the past and as is obvious by reading our review , if the analyst isn't checked out on automobile and racing knowledge, that person simply isn't qualified to judge the game in question. Stay tuned for that; he'll be posting it up soon, and I'm sure it'll be well worth a read, especially if you're a car enthusiast/bona fide auto-phile.
That oughta do it. We've done our best. We're sorry we couldn't settle on an outright Game of the Year for 2010, but you should understand our reasons. Hope you enjoyed yourselves and here's to another great year!
We can't forget the most active PSXE community members who continue to make this site so darn lively and enjoyable. It's thanks to such posters that we have a site where civil, knowledgeable gamers can come, relax, and discuss. Thanks to:
Sorry if we overlooked you; we basically just mentioned most everyone with 1000+ posts. Don't worry…we appreciate you all!
Good choices all around. Glad to see best art direction and music was AC Brotherhood, the developers put a lot of effort to really make Italy alive. Also glad to see Battlefield BC 2 as best shooter. Unlike what seems like every other site, you guys actually put some real thought into your awards. Great job.
Last edited by HighOnFire on 1/1/2011 11:45:15 PM
Competition amongst Sony's best game is always great.
You really can't go wrong with Heavy Rain or Gran Turismo 5. GOWIII being in that discussion as well.
I'll give a more thoughtful response to the article later on. For now I agree completely with the awards. Objectively the games that deserved the awards got the awards.
No Platformer of the year award. Platformers outside Nintendo, Media Molecule, and Imsoniac are truly dying 🙁
Can't wait to read Arnold's detailed GOTY analysis. It takes more than a regular gamer to actually review games with extreme depth. I've been playing GT since GT1 and there's so much more depth and new stuff added to each new game that I still feel like a n00b (a good thing). It means the sequels have more depth than the previous game.
Favorite new cars: GT by Citroen, Gran Turismo (car), FT-86, and the X1. There are more that I'm sure I've yet to set my eyes on. 1000+ cars, hard to track them all down.
Special Stage Route 7 is a race track sent from heaven. Even if I still suck at it driving on that track is like driving in heaven.
Is good to see that you gave an award section to games not on ps3 🙂 and why is batman nominated for goty?? If yakuza like shenmue then I give a shot, thought it was just a clone.
Last edited by Pandacastro on 1/1/2011 11:53:07 PM
Well, I agree with most of those winners. Those that I don't, I can definitely see where you're coming from. At least you guys actually reward the quality, rather than what the masses approve, like most sites.
And the GotY… Deserving. Pushing the boundaries in new ways. Making people take notice based on the quality alone. Giving people a reason to care and want to continue playing, the winner has it all. Most highly recommended in my opinion. (I've held off stating the winner to avoid spoilers for people who read the comments from the first page.)
Keep it up PSXE, and thanks.
Peace.
WTF? Arkham Asylum released in 2009. Am I missing something here?
P'raps the boys thought it so good, they decided to nominate the GotY edition? Either that or they typed the wrong name.
Just a mistake. Fixed.
I agree with most of the winners. And this is probably one of the very rare sites that fully understood what Gran Turismo 5 was all about. Great job guys!
A really fitting choice for GOY
I like that you guys made a variety of choices. At least you didn't choose shooters as the winner for every category like most seemingly mindless sites do. I'm just sad that Peace Walker didn't win anything. That was an amazing game. Nonetheless, great post guys and I hope to see more awesome content in the new (current) year!
I was shocked and impressed with the GOTY award. Heavy Rain and GT5 are the two games that I feel are the most worthy of the title. I got a good laugh as well and I would have lost money because I didn't see it coming.
I'm playing GT5 with a wheel and it has made so much of an improvement in my driving, that tracks I used to dread are now some of my favorites to race. I just don't see this game getting old anytime soon.
I definitely want to see more games from Quantic Dream. Heavy Rain makes me wish I hadn't missed Cage's previous work.
RDR is my favorite multiplatform game. One of the best I've played in a long time. I'm glad it won some awards because Rockstar did an excellent job making this western.
If you can find Indigo Prophecy (aka Fahrenheit) it's worth a play. Don't bother with Omikron The Nomad Soul though.
Tes37,
I you do look for it, make sure you look for the European version "Fahrenheit" first, instead of the North America version, Indigo Prophecy".
The Fahrenheit version has all of the mature scenes still intact, as where Atari, made them delete those scenes out of the NA version.
And this was due to their publisher,
"Atari" being afraid of what rating the ERSB would wind up tagging it with.
Fun fact:
The name change to "Indigo Prophecy" came about due to the fact that Micheal Moore was either going to release, or already had released(can't remember which) another of his controversial sensationalized-hype movies out in NA around around the same time period, called "Fahrenheit 911".
So Atari didn't want their game getting confused, or associated, with that movie.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 1/2/2011 3:03:08 AM
I haven't picked up a wheel yet and I am having a blast with GT5. I will get one eventually to complete the harder challenges and races. Most fun I have had with a game since MGS4.
Funny how neither of the GotY winners are game like. A simulator and an interactive comic? Just seems weird but hey, it's got you and Arnold written all over it.
Wait, did you just say Heavy Rain was an interactive comic? What was comic book-like about it?
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 1/2/2011 2:35:59 AM
woah woah slow down, call GT5 whatevery you like, but its definitely goty material, its ART for crying out loud
You boys obviously don't know anything about comics.
I'm not sure telling World he knows nothing about comics is an adequate answer to his question… lol
As far as the general understanding of what constitutes a "Comic" style, Heavy Rain isn't easilly understood as very comic-ish… I'm not saying you're wrong, Alienage, but I don't get it either and would love to know what you mean.
And am I to understand you don't feel they backed up their reasoning for the awards appropriately? I dunno… phrases like "It's got you and Arnold written all over it" just seems sort of snide… especially when you say nothing to support yourself.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 1/3/2011 8:35:46 AM
Heavy Rain is nothing like comic books. Comic books are fun.
I never liked comic books. They don't do anything. Pretty lame.
I appreciate this site because of things like this, thank you for making a REAL and THOUGHTFUL goty awards.
I liked the goty, that was very good thinking because for me it came down to those 2 and god of war 3 as well, I decided after a lot of though on god of war 3 by a smidge just because I like those type of games a bit more, but in reality i would count all 3 a tie, they all deserve it, AM I RIGHT.
FF13 won something? ugh…
I am playing FF13 right now, and I think it's fair that the game get the awards it won here. It may not be the perfect Final Fantasy game, but it still has its merits.
Yeah I'm playing it too, it's awesome. But uh, do you think that upgrading you stuff confusing? I don't know what I should keep and what I should use.
@ sticklife – The weapon upgrading only plays a large part towards the end of the game. Going from +5 strength to +7 strength doesn't do much for you.
When the time is right and you have tons of components, you can use the components that have the bones icon to up your multiplier (max x3)and then use the components that look like screws to get the most XP bang for your buck.
That way you go up a good 6-7 levels at a time and the added stats actually help.
Ben,Arnold(and sometimes John?),
A very good list of winners!
And I'm glad to see Heavy Rain got 3 nods & shared the bill as GOTY.
Now all we need is for numerous sites to also give H.R. their nod too, and I foresee David Cage finally giving us those 3 missing DLC's ASAP in the GOTY version.
I was also glad to see Alan Wake get the nod in the Non-Playstation category. Another good title was Limbo, & I'd definitely give it an honorable mention, although it was a only a down-loadable title.
Great work guys…as always!!!!
Limbo was very good. It was the only thing I bought on the live marketplace all year, while on PSN….Oh my dear God, I spent some money. Joe Danger is the best DL title of the year, you guys nailed that. That game is crack on a motorcycle.
I sure hope that they would resume work on the DLCs for Heavy Rain. I would not mind paying full price for the GOTY version if ever one would come out. Heck, bring on the Collectors' Edition!
Well guys I'm on board with pretty much all of these decisions save for a couple (and that's just personal preference)
I do have one question, and maybe I'm just missing something. Why was The Last Guardian not even nominated for Most Anticipated Game? It's at the top of my list, hands down, over every nominee. I can't be alone here… am I?
In all honesty, we're not totally convinced it'll release next year and we also have no idea how the game will actually PLAY.
But trust me, our hopes are high.
Fair enough. No solid release date, and there's really been no hint at all as to what the gameplay is going to be like.
But that wont stop me from anticipating the hell out of it 😉
Great work guys, looking forward to a new year of PSXE'ing. Keep it up!
Last edited by gumbi on 1/2/2011 12:52:12 AM
That makes sense Ben however why is FFVersus there then? Correct me if I'm wrong but all we've seen in terms of gameplay is Noctis walking across a barren landscape and slashing at what might be a new design for the behemoth.
True, but we HAVE seen some gameplay, and we can take educated guesses based on that.
Awesome picks. I knew GT5 was going to be my GOTY, want too out Heavy rain in second but haven't been able to play it yet.. 🙁 but it wouldn't of been a tie, I love cars.racing to much lol
I loved RDR and for me it would be third.
I always look forward to these, You guys always seem too get them right. Unlike almost all other who do the awards.
2011 is going to be an awesome gaming year, and mainly fir Sony. So many Exclusives, the PSP2 and even a PSPhone. and a few multiplat games.
Ben and Arnold, You guys did an awesome job.
I completely agree with your under-rated decision, WKC was a great RPG, and I personally hold it over FF13, just because the machanics and story are actually enjoyable to me.
Yeah you can, like, explore places 🙂
yeah wkc was easily my favorite rpg of the year, I was glad to see it win underrated, because it really was a great game.
Lovely read, Ben & Arnold. Thanks for the shout-out, and here's one for John. Also one for my bro CrimsonWolf. Thanks, Psxextreme, for being there, and here's to another year. Perhaps the best one, yet!
lol I'm guessing "CrimsonWolf" means me. 😛
Thanks bro.
Happy new year.
Sorry Wolf, I knew I got it backwards. Dyslexia.
"And the winner is…" whoever's with her (reference to the pic)!
Interesting. I like. Except the best writing/story winner.
Heavy Rain was a game I *really* wanted to like. I described it to my friends as being a "playable version of David Fincher's Se7en" and it absolutely was not that. The plot was trite and uninteresting to me for the sole reason of the flat delivery of the character's lines, the forced emotional moments, the random events that were too distracting from the plot (really? changing a diaper progresses the narrative. Changing diapers is something I don't care to do in the real world, it's something I never want to do in a video game. The game also couldn't decide how the narrative was going to play out. It was half-awkward psychological thriller, half-awkward prime time drama, and half-awkward science fiction crime procedural. The science fiction aspect of the ARI events removed me from the atmosphere that the other sides of the game were trying to build up. You can't have one side of the game massively futuristic, while the rest of it feeling like it's set in the here and now without it falling into the realm of fantasy.
Se7en, this was not. Silence of the Lambs, this was not.
It was an okay effort, especially for opening the doors to a new "genre" of video games and to take a distinctly different approach to a game's narrative rather than running and gunning, hacking and slashing, your way through it. I'm VERY glad it was made, I'm VERY glad people liked it, and I hope it opens doors for people to create something that is comparable to other stories in this same genre that have come from other entertainment mediums.
After the rant, however, I do have to admit that I didn't (couldn't) finish the game. I found it very hard to play through a game with such uninteresting and badly voiced characters (the only one I liked and found to be believable wasn't playable; the mother the private investigator saves from the brutish bully early on) and I encountered that awesome Madison Page walking the Stairway to Heaven glitch and I just gave up after that.
I do intend on playing it again someday, whenever I get the cash to buy it again, because for some odd reason I always give games I dislike second, third, and fourth chances. Like Killzone. I've played through it four times now, trying to find what everyone claims is so amazing about it. Ha. Maybe playing it again will change my opinion of it, but it was not the best told story in video games this year. I think everyone just gives it more credit than it deserves for being so drastically different from everything else and quite pretty (and around these parts, being a PS3 exclusive doesn't hurt at all either).
I won't even bother telling you why you are backwards and just offer some advice: if you tend to end up playing games you don't like again, put them on the shelf for awhile instead of selling and then buying again.
Oh, please, do go ahead and tell me why I'm "backwards," because I'm sure it'll be quite interesting and rather humorous. So, please, enlighten me.
Your advice, however, is solid and quite useful, but it isn't needed by me. I needed money 'cause I was short on rent and had to make a decision: sell some video games or sell some books. Games are easier to sell and can get you more than books can. I didn't WANT to get rid of Heavy Rain, nor BioShock 1 & 2, or any of the others I had to ditch at that time, but it was a necessity.
I'll just make a few points. Few if any events in Heavy Rain are there for no reason. Yes, even taking care of the baby is ultimately important to the development of Shelby's character.
Augmented Reality Interfaces aren't science fiction, they are already in use and advancing at a good clip. It isn't difficult to envision something similar being used in the field in the near future, especially when examining a crime scene that has been processed by CSIs already. If using that took you out of the game then I can't imagine you got very far because it is useful at scenes where other characters have been and helps build the tension.
Also, you fall short of credibility when trying to jam it into the mold of a movie about a serial killer. Is it a step forward for the serial killer story genre? No, it's a step forward for storytelling in Video Games and the ultimate focus is choice and its affect on how events unfold and eventually end.
The acting could be a bit off at times, but it wasn't flat, there was a lot of emotion involved.
Also, one glitch is hardly a game killer.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 1/2/2011 3:15:47 AM
"I'll just make a few points. Few if any events in Heavy Rain are there for no reason. Yes, even taking care of the baby is ultimately important to the development of Shelby's character."
Okay, so, I'm writing a novel, and the character drinks a lot. A lot a lot. Do I, or do I not choose to spend several hundred words to detail how often he has to urinate? Yes, it's part of his character, and it's an attribute that may or may not define who he is, but it's better left out of the finished product, 'cause, really, who wants to read a novel where a character is peeing every fifteen to twenty minutes? That's what I got from those moments in the game, regardless of how integral they are to the development of a character. Changing a baby in a video game is a tedious thing, regardless of it detailing how NOBLE the character is. Plus the game, as far as I played, was full of things better left undone. Showering, sitting at the drawing table, opening and closing doors just to go outside, playing with a VR bouncy ball because you're waiting in a police station. This is all stuff that we all do in the real world, but it's amateurish storytelling at its finest.
"Augmented Reality Interfaces aren't science fiction, they are already in use and advancing at a good clip. It isn't difficult to envision something similar being used in the field in the near future, especially when examining a crime scene that has been processed by CSIs already. If using that took you out of the game then I can't imagine you got very far because it is useful at scenes where other characters have been and helps build the tension."
No, I didn't get very far. And there's a far cry of a difference between what's being used in the field today, and the portable Holo-Deck that character borrowed from Star Trek to help him redecorate his office. This part of the game drew me OUT of the fiction, when the intention of any one telling a story should be trying to draw an audience INTO it. As it worked in the fiction, as far as I got into it, it was very science-fiction-like compared to the rest of the real world setting the game was trying to establish early on. It would have been much more plausible within the game's own fiction standards to just have him doing grunt detective work, thus eliminating the necessity for two characters.
"Also, you fall short of credibility when trying to jam it into the mold of a movie about a serial killer. Is it a step forward for the serial killer story genre? No, it's a step forward for storytelling in Video Games and the ultimate focus is choice and its affect on how events unfold and eventually end."
Like I've stated about this and other games, like Killzone 2, I applaud their achievements and success. I'm glad those games exist, and they are groundbreaking in their own individual ways. But that's not what appeals to me about games, nor is it how I determine whether or not a game is for me, or even if I like it or not. It's the fiction being told. This isn't me trying to "jam it into the mold of a movie" or much else of jamming it into anything. I compared it because of the similar subject matter, and regardless of the interesting gameplay mechanics, the pretty visuals, and the storytelling intricacies, the narrative, the characters, the events, all of what (TO ME, I stress that heavily) all fell flat in coming close to David Fincher's film, or Thomas Harris' novel. And yes, I do cross-pollenate my comparisons. Telling me I'm falling short on my credibility because of such, would be like telling me that my opinion of Hancock (the Will Smith movie) isn't credible because I compared it to previous, and better, superhero stories from a different storytelling medium.
As for my credibility… ha. It's laughable. I'm just a faceless name around here that gets thumbed down for even making a post, regardless of what the post may or may not be consisted of. I mean, just look below. I applaud Ben and Company for this post, because this is hard work, and I get thumbed down. OH, NO! If, and it's a big IF, I have any credibility at all, it's all centered around storytelling, and even then, it's really fallable as I've never been published outside of a fan letter in a WetWorks comic, and my original AOL screen name being printed in on of Jim Lee's books. So, there you go!
"The acting could be a bit off at times, but it wasn't flat, there was a lot of emotion involved."
It was flat, to me. It was unconvincing, and it lacked any real emotion. All the emotion I saw early on (I only made it to the hotel before Madison decided to walk to the sky) felt forced and unnatural from the voice actors. The dialog wasn't greatly written, either. It's not Garth Ennis quality, or … I can't think of another example. Having a lot of dialog options for instance creates an inconsistency in tone and context which in turn created a feel of unnatural conversation amongst the characters. It's like having the old text based dialog from an RPG vocalized, which didn't have the natural ebb and flow of two people talking.
"Also, one glitch is hardly a game killer."
In your opinion, maybe. But this wasn't like a small bug, or a random removal of the floor like I experienced in God of War III. It was a character refusing to go up a flight of stairs to the second floor of a hotel and then turning around and walking up an invisible flight of stairs. Never stopping. She just kept going until she was little more than a dark spec in the clouds. That's a pretty big glitch.
I'm thinking you might be thinking too much. I guess I'll just let the reviews speak for themselves.
Don't let the thumbs down get to you MadPowerBomber. There's ignorance all over the internet. You're entitled to your opinions and I for one thought they were rather interesting.
MadPowerBomber: Wait…you got to the hotel part and stopped? Basically 1/4 of the way through the game? And you sit there, thinking you're somehow qualified to pass judgment? That's insane, my friend. I'm sorry, but you cannot write an entire analysis on Heavy Rain if you haven't finished it. That's quite literally like reading half a book and trying to tell people it's "half this" and "half that," based on…well, half knowledge. Or way LESS than half knowledge, in truth.
Edit: As a side note, I know good literature. I know Heavy Rain is a far cry from the literary masterpieces. But at the same time, I can easily locate and pinpoint glaring, amateurish issues in a story, and I don't find much in Heavy Rain IN COMPARISON to other video games.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 1/3/2011 12:01:55 AM