Ben-Dutka--Arnold-KatayevSomehow, it's that time again: the best of the best must be given their just due and although it's a difficult process, the deed is done. Below you will find no less than 26 different awards, ranging from the technical categories to the genre awards.
Some winners were easier to choose than others, while some took a great deal of thought and deliberation… The shooter category was impossible .
Anyway, let's get started:
Achievement Awards
Best Graphics
Nominees
Winner: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Naughty Dog continues to astonish us. The beautiful animations, exquisite detailing in terms of both character modeling and environmental design, and special effects continue to boggle the mind. In Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception , we were invited to participate in an epic journey and no matter where we went, from cluttered alleys to expansive deserts to rolling ships, we were always mesmerized. Truly a fantastic technical production from top to bottom.
Best Music
Nominees
Winner: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
A game's soundtrack keeps us involved. It keeps us interested in what's going on. It's one of the most crucial elements of the interactive experience, and at no point in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception did we feel the music was lacking. The terrific assortment of classical tracks fit each situation perfectly, and accentuated each and every significant plot point. When you toss in the top-notch acting, you've got one of the best sounding video games in history, bar-none. This is the very definition of a captivating, beautifully orchestrated soundtrack. Pay attention, devs.
Best Sound Effects
Nominees
Winner: Battlefield 3
You know, there are certain moments in Battlefield 3 that are capable of blowing you out of your seat. They came at a rapid clip in the single-player campaign and if you check YouTube, you'll see plenty of multiplayer "WTF" moments. The common factor in all such moments? The explosive, unbelievably well implemented effects. One of the reasons this is one of the most authentic military shooters out there is because the quality of the audio is just amazing. In comparison, some of the weapon fire and explosions in MW3 and even KZ3 seemed tinny and uninspired. In the world of speaker-rattling effects, only DICE's invigorating shooter can be the winner.
Best Acting
Nominees
Winner: L.A. Noire
Once again, this was an extremely difficult category for us. Uncharted 3 has stellar acting, as do all the nominees (who can forget some of the unbelievable characters in Batman ?). But in the end, we had to go with L.A. Noire for the same reason we chose Red Dead Redemption last year: the bottom line is that we're looking at a very, very large cast, and almost every single one of the actors and actresses were excellent. Small roles, big roles, all ranges of emotion; it was all covered beautifully and don't forget that the innovative MotionScan tech meant the characters themselves actually had more intricate performances.
Best Writing/Story
Nominees
Winner: L.A. Noire
As much as we enjoyed the adventure in Uncharted 3 , and as impressed as we were with the innovative adult approach to a controversial topic in Catherine , the one story and script we most fondly remember was found in Team Bondi's L.A. Noire . Poignant, involving, and extremely well presented and well acted, we'll never forget the ending, and we'll never forget many of the wonderfully drawn characters. For an open world game, this one really thrived on the story and plot, and it somehow remained interesting even after going off to do extra stuff. Gotta love the setting and theme, too! Just so unique.
Best Artistry/Art Direction
Nominees
Winner: LittleBigPlanet 2
It was another tough category but the seemingly endless imagination and creativity found in Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet 2 was unparalleled. No matter what you did, no matter where you turned, you were met with yet another exquisitely designed and extremely charming landscape. Fantastical, silly, and oh so appealing on multiple levels, there's no doubt that LBP2 was the epitome of diverse artistic expression in 2011. Dead Space 2 deserves a nod, though…certain imagery from that game stuck with us.
Best New Character
Nominees
Winner: Wheatley, Portal 2
He kept us entertained throughout. From the moment we woke up, we were chuckling at his incessant, hilarious witticisms – often mocking in a cute kinda way – and he was more than comic relief. He was an important character and one that made us adore the entire Portal 2 experience. GLaDOS was fantastic but she was a returning character and as for Catwoman, we nominated her because she was actually playable , which was cool. But nobody could compare to our favorite mechanized buddy, Wheatley.
Best Trailer
Nominees
Winner: Duke Nukem Forever Return of the King Trailer
As a reminder, the nominees consist of games that were released in 2011; it doesn't matter when the trailer in question was released (which is why that Resistance 3 announcement video from 2010 is included). Anyway, while that CGI trailer for Dead Island is a phenomenal piece of work and we love that Uncharted 3 trailer, only the Return of the King kept giving us good ol' nostalgic thrills. It's also a supremely well done trailer. Unfortunately, Duke Nukem Forever turned out to be a colossal disappointment, but that doesn't take anything away from the trailer. Hail to the King, baby…perhaps one day you can try again and make us all happy.
Most Original/Innovative
Nominees
Winner: Catherine
The winner in this category managed to be innovative and progressive on two levels: Catherine was very original in terms of both the puzzle-based gameplay and the storyline. Featuring a subject not commonly tackled in video games and a style of "climbing" gameplay never seen before, this was a highly addictive and rewarding adventure. The game itself could get a tad repetitive but we always wanted to see more of that story, and getting to the top became an obsession for long periods of time. A fantastic, forward-thinking production.
Most Overlooked
Nominees
Winner: Resistance 3
Given the stacked lineup of shooters for the latter half of 2011, we were worried that Insomniac's Resistance 3 would get overlooked. And unfortunately, that's exactly what happened; reportedly, the game didn't sell well at all (especially in comparison to the previous entries), and R3 is arguably the best in the series. Featuring a fantastic single-player campaign that was well paced, the single best assortment of weapons we've seen yet (no joke), and pretty decent online multiplayer action, this one should've received more attention from gamers.
Most Underrated
Nominees
Last year, it went to the first White Knight Chronicles but you knew critics wouldn't like the sequel, either, so we had to go with another selection in 2011: id Software's RAGE , which received far too much flak from critics. This was a blend of shooter, adventure and RPG elements and shouldn't have been compared to more linear shooters like Killzone 3 . RAGE looked amazing and as far as we're concerned, it was the game Borderlands should've been. Addictive and always a joy to play, this is one of those hybrid quests that continues to deliver, despite a ho-hum ending.
Most Anticipated Game
Nominees
Winner: The Last Of Us
For the majority of 2011, GTAV had this award all locked up. And then Naughty Dog went and unveiled The Last Of Us , and everything changed. Although we have tremendous faith in games like Bioshock Infinite and God of War IV , we just can't get past the debut trailer and early gameplay details for Naughty Dog's newest project. We could be looking at one of the last truly mind-blowing and innovative titles of the entire generation; the hype is already building but we're certain Naughty Dog will step up. And when they do…oh boy.
Genre Awards
Best Multiplayer Game
Nominees
Winner: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Everyone loves the vehicles in Battlefield 3 and we really do believe Uncharted 3 deserves a nod, as does the incentive to play with others in WKCII. But when all is said and done, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 simply offers the most robust, in-depth, and endlessly entertaining online multiplayer out there. Normally, we're not big fans of phrases like, "millions upon millions can't be wrong" but in this case, it's accurate. All you have to do is log on and see what Infinity Ward offers in terms of multiplayer, and you'll understand why MW3 is simply a cut above.
Best Downloadable Game
Nominees
Winner: Limbo
While Trine 2 made a very strong push right at the end of the year, we had to give this award to the dark and compelling Limbo . It featured a singular style and some ingenious puzzles mixed with accessible side-scrolling platforming elements. It was creepy and atmospheric and satisfying in every sense of the word, and we hope to see more from developer PlayDead. This is one of those titles that is both original and memorable. Oh, and we just had to laugh at the rag-doll physics…talk about comic relief. 😉
Best Puzzle Game
Nominees
Winner: Portal 2
It isn't often that a puzzle game is so damn good, it's considered to be one of the generation's best. But that's exactly what we got with Valve's Portal 2 , which was, strictly from a puzzle standpoint, absolutely genius. But when you combine the second-to-none acting and very slick environment, you've got an awesome experience that should be enjoyed by all. It was the creation of the puzzles in this game that blew us away; they were just so wonderfully designed, and the slowly increasing difficulty was almost perfect. There's just so much to love here.
Best Music/Rhythm Game
Nominees
Winner: Rocksmith
At this rate, we won't even have a "Music/Rhythm" genre next year, as such titles seem to be gravitating towards the Wii, and both Guitar Hero and Rock Band are dead (if only temporarily). As a result, this year was easy; only the excellent Rocksmith could win. More than a video game, this one acts as a true-blue teaching tool. You use a real guitar and if you practice and remain dedicated, this piece of software will let you hone your skills. In many ways, it's an advanced version of all the Guitar Hero games in the past.
Best Racing Game
Nominees
Winner: DiRT 3
The Need for Speed titles let us down this year, so we couldn't in good conscience nominate either SHIFT 2 or The Run , which means we're left with the four above nominees. We had a blast with Apocalypse but the best overall driving package last year was undoubtedly DiRT 3 . Boasting excellent physics, a ton of content, and a simulation feel that somehow remained accessible to most all racing fans, Codemasters got this one right. With great technicals and a bevy of different events that will keep you occupied for a very long time, DiRT 3 is a surefire winner.
Best Sports Game
Nominees
Winner: MLB 11: The Show
It's time to give the nod to a series that has rejuvenated our interest in the national pastime. MLB 11: The Show is not only the year's best sports game, it's also one of the finest simulations of the generation. The developers tweaked and fine-tuned an already rewarding experience, and the result was the most complete baseball sim in existence. This is the closest you're going to get to the diamond if you're not a pro; we loved everything about it and we especially loved the replay value. Heck, you can play each new The Show entry until the new one arrives and never get bored!
Best Role-Playing Game
Nominees
Winner: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
With all the great RPGs that came out this year, you would think this would've been more difficult. But The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was a step above everything. Although PS3 owners will still complain of one well-documented issue, the bottom line is that Bethesda's latest is a sandbox masterpiece. The Radiant Questing System allows the game to literally never end, the soundtrack was beautiful, the gameplay was solid and engaging, and the world was just breathtaking. Huge and shockingly immersive, this is the game that can drain your life away, so be prepared to put aside a hefty chunk of hours.
Best Fighting Game
Nominees
Winner: Mortal Kombat
There were several top-notch fighters this year but only one marked the triumphant return of an ailing franchise. Yes, we're taking that into account; The King of Fighters XIII and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 might be more appealing to hardcore fans of the genre, but Mortal Kombat is iconic and this new entry felt like the next-gen MK we've always wanted. There's something to be said for a truly successful reboot, and we won't downplay the significance of MK's return to form. We just refuse.
Best Shooter
Nominees
Winner: Killzone 3
Welcome to the hardest damn category for us. It was tough to even narrow it down to three, let alone two. We love RAGE for what it is ( different than the other nominees), we love the multiplayer in MW3, we love so much about BF3, we love Crysis 2 , we love Resistance 3 … Damnit . Almost impossible. But we finally had to give the slight edge to Killzone 3 . It had the best campaign of 2011 in our eyes and there's a lot to like in the multiplayer. This story-driven adventure wasn't necessarily "military," either, and we loved the new characters and returning sci-fi style.
Hardly an easy choice, though. 2011 might well be dubbed "the year of the shooter" in the near future.
Best Action/Adventure Game
Nominees
Winner: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
This is always one of the most difficult categories and 2011 was no exception. Batman: Arkham City makes a strong case and we have a special love for inFamous 2 , but nothing can top Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception . It's another riveting journey from this generation's top developer; it's gorgeous and entertaining from start to finish. There are so few games in recent memory that can compete with this title in regards to everything from technical achievement to movie-like traits, and we were continually amazed at every twist and turn. Yet another masterpiece.
Best Multiplatform Game
Nominees
Winner: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Once again, there's a huge list of fantastic games that are on multiple platforms, although it was once again a great year for PlayStation 3 exclusives. And again, we just can't think of anything that tops The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim , which is one of the generation's most impressive accomplishments. It also helps that the game is better on the PC and Xbox 360, thereby making it even more worthy of this particular award. Skyrim does so many things right and has become the go-to game for those looking to immerse themselves in one of the most amazing virtual worlds of all time.
Best New IP
Nominees
Winner: L.A. Noire
For the record, we are aware that Dark Souls is essentially the spiritual successor to Demon's Souls , so it might not be considered a "new IP" by some. But we feel it needed to be listed here. At any rate, L.A. Noire is the new title that wowed us all in 2011. We regret the demise of developer Team Bondi; they really cranked out a gem, as the MotionScan technology brought faces to life, and the combination of detective-style gameplay and an open-world sandbox feel worked extremely well. The story was great, the setting was inspired, and we'll definitely remember this one for some time. Give us more MotionScan soon!
Best Non-PlayStation Game
Nominees
Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
There are always some fantastic games that don't find their way to a PlayStation platform and in 2011, there was none better than the Wii exclusive, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword . We have a soft spot for the Gears franchise and Forza always makes a strong showing, but Link's new adventure just can't be ignored. It's one of those games that has proven impossible to put down, and the critics just love it. If you've been wondering why you kept the Wii, this is the reason: every time The Legend of Zelda comes back, we're reminded that Nintendo can still make some memorable, enduring games.
Special: The PSXE Favorites
No specific award is handed out here; we simply list the games we had the most fun with during the year. As you can see, it's typically a large assembly of top-notch productions that we look back on with great favor. Games like inFamous 2 and Sonic Generations may not be elite titles in comparison to the stiff competition, but we love 'em just the same. When it comes to anything Batman , Uncharted , or Assassin's Creed , we tend to enjoy the ride, regardless of the final score. And people really needed to give more love to RAGE and Resistance 3 !
And now, here we go…moment of truth…
You know, one of these years, we're going to have to start paying this woman royalties. We just love her little sign there. And the expression on her face is perfect. Oh…Game of the Year? Sorry, you want to know, don't you? Oh, all right.
Game of the Year
Nominees
Winner: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Skyrim is an amazing experience. Arkham City is one of the best follow-ups we've seen in a long time. L.A. Noire is everything we had hoped for. Portal 2 is downright ingenious in all respects. LittleBigPlanet 2 is a bastion of creativity, imagination, and continued innovation. But only one game dropped our jaws every hour on the hour.
People can complain about what they perceive to be a lack of solid pacing, but for the life of us, we can't fathom that criticism. You never do the same thing twice and in truth, there are more varieties of gameplay style and mechanics than there were in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves . We're not about to compare the two; we're just going to say that from top to bottom and front to back, including artistic and technical elements, there was no production in 2011 that was superior to Naughty Dog's latest.
The acting was superb, the writing was great, the adventure was memorable, and although we do question the "shooting straight" thing, we came away fully satisfied. In regards to the competition, in all honesty, we really had to think twice about both Portal 2 and Skyrim . But the problems the PS3 version suffered disqualified the latter in our eyes (despite our belief that it remains a ridiculously ambitious and supremely accomplished title), and in comparison to Uncharted 3 , Valve's fantastic puzzler just felt somewhat one-dimensional.
That's hardly a knock, however. This really was a tougher decision than some of you might think, but we just couldn't get past how amazing Uncharted 3 was; specifically, the fact that it seemed to excel in so many different categories of game making is what clinched the title. The game simply seems to outstrip the competition in multiple categories and that's that.
Okay, there you have it. The PSXE Awards for 2011 have been decided and we look forward to another great year in 2012. Of course, we'd be nowhere without our readers, so we always reserve the last segment of this annual feature to pay homage to our most dedicated members. Much thanks to:
We can't mention everyone, of course, but trust me, we know you're all there, supporting us! 🙂
All great picks. 2011 was one amazing year of games. It's hard to imagine more awesome'ness out of one year.
More awesomeness can be found in Rayman Origins, one of my favorites of 2011.
It easily wins over LBP2 when it comes to the art and I thought it would've been on the overlooked/underrated lists but nope. Wasn't mentioned anywhere.
Last edited by Feregrin on 1/4/2012 7:57:42 AM
Omg Feregrin, *that* avatar was epic.
I agree with almost all of the winners. 2011 was indeed a great year. Uncharted 3 was amazing, and I'm glad you gave L.A. Noire and Resistance 3 the recognition they deserve. They went completely unnoticed at the Spike VGA's.
For real…LA Noire was great.
VGA is nothing more than a publicity stunt. what ever was "popular" wins.
@ johnld: Maybe it's because the winners are actually voted by gamers, via Spike's website, and not decided by an Academy like the Oscars. So yeah, expect popular games to get lots of votes. ¬_¬
Last edited by Hynad on 1/4/2012 9:26:57 AM
I managed to vote for the same game 5 times on their website…. Seems a little flawed to me.
You can vote for any game as many times as you want, you don't have to log in to vote, so yeah it's a little flawed.
I must say that I'm disappointed to see 'Deus Ex: Human Revolution' continually fail to garner even a nomination for Best Soundtrack from various sites, as it was my personal favorite. But I am glad to see 'L.A. Noire' get a lot of love here (that seems pretty rare at other sites as well).
Not just the soundtrack category, it's been shut out of most nominations from just about every source. Shame.
There's about 2 or 3 I disagree with, but I feel as if I wouldn't be a gamer if I didn't disagree with at least one. All in all, very good choices, though. GoTY was a solid choice which I can agree with.
I think the pacing critisms for UC3 are focused on the pirate levels, and because it felt like the game lost a little energy storywise after Drake finds Scully. Some chapters definitely are better than others but no game is perfect.
Great job on the GOTY write up. It's in depth and a lot of fun to read. I like long articles or features like this. You guys should try more of that sort of thing.
Yes…after Drake commits to finding Sully…the game looses its storytelling focus and thats why I find UC3 lightway dissappointing even though it was amazing overall.
@fm23
I should have phrased that better. It loses energy after Drake goes off to find Scully.
Definitely the pirate levels. I was pulled completely out of the story during those chapters. They just felt pointless to me.
It's cute the way you guys analyze story. ;p
Just teasing of course. But here's how I see it. And I think it's anything but useless.
After the fantastic methods used by the storytellers to not only have Kate cause Drake to doubt himself, but also make US, the audience, doubt who he is, the next few chapters to follow serve as thick opportunity for character development. Often in theatre, movies, books, whatever… the best character development is achieved by briefly leaving the over-arching story. Without this tangent, Drake discovering what is most important to him and what makes him really tick would not have been as potent at the end as it was.
UC3 does this well. Unfortunately to people that need to be told what everything is for… it isn't hand-holding enough for them. For others, it may feel like the pacing is wrong. But that's not true. It's just not different. It's not uncommon to feel like pacing is bad when most of the pacing is fast.
Good story telling has tangents. It may feel like a distraction or that you're away from what you REALLY want to do, but it definitely had a purpose. And for the medium and length of the story, it did well. (It could have benefited from the overall story being longer, however.)
Last edited by Underdog15 on 1/4/2012 9:31:45 AM
I think there's such a thing as over-anaylysing, and that was a perfect example of it 🙂
Uncharted isn't some sort of deep-rooted story that you can only understand if you dissect every little detail like you just did – as impressive as it was. No, as I've said in the past, story elements are there to accommadate gameplay segments (making sense of their exsistance) – atleast, more often than not it is, and this is because it is – first and foremost – a game. The boat segment was like the train from UC2; it was created from the begginning and it was what 'drove' the technical side of the development. This means that the pacing can take a back-seat if it means including some awesome set-piece or something along those lines.
Besides, it's all about interpertation of the pacing. Ben took his time with uncharted – I'm fairly sure most of us did it in no less than two days 😛 – thus didn't see any problem with the pacing as he sort of paced it himself. But I, like many others, saw quite a few problems. BUTTT that's all I'm going to say on the matters as its being…quite outspoken in recent times, to say the least (remember that comment that had about 57 replies) :P.
One last thing: just what to I have to do to reach this magical list?! 😛 I've been posting for about two years now I believe (under the username Liam_Daniels). I guess I don't really do news tips or post in the for- OMG THATS IT! xD
Last edited by Ludicrous_Liam on 1/4/2012 10:44:33 AM
Possible spoiler alert:
I would consider your point on over-analysis if it wasn't for the events with Katherine after you're separated from Sully. That dialogue, combined with the final resolution that he IS Drake, whether he is or not, was far too intentional to ignore. The only purpose that scene served was to cause doubt on Drake (with the lies about Sully using him) and the name thing hauls the audience into the same doubt. It's not advanced writing. But it was deliberate. It's something any educated writer would have been trained to be able to do.
It's no high-set literature, or anything, but that doubt casting was far too deliberate, and it really doesn't matter what his original name is. He is who he is. It also makes perfect sense that a boy with a broken family would want a name like Drake to prove his greatness. It's just WAY too deliberate. It's practically spoon fed. It's the kind of thing you learn in your first playwriting course to allow a character's past define their current state. In fact, that whole scene when he's a kid seems specifically doctored to that purpose. (which is why it's not the best writing ever made, but the writer is clearly trained as a writer)
Since the scenes that follow after contribute DIRECTLY to that idea, I have to disagree that it's over-analytical. Most analyzed pieces of literature have been analyzed beyond the original intent of the writers. But it's supposed to be that way. A story that accomplishes giving us REAL believable characters SHOULD automatically take on deeper levels that cannot be realized at first glace, neither by the audience nor the writer themselves!!
I believe the writing is good enough that analyzing the story is easy. It's not about the ACTUAL plotlines I'm talking about here. It's the character development. The plot is straightforward and basic, but the story is well done with some good character development techniques.
Of course, these specific techniques pop out to me immediately because of my time obtaining a BA with one of my majors being in Theatre Arts. So it's not fair for me to expect other people to pick up on those character development techniques, but they are apparent to me and quite deliberate. It's playwriting 101. It truly is THAT obvious.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 1/4/2012 12:11:47 PM
Liam –
Yea you look at it differently, than even I. See it's more than just a game. These games rely heavily on the story and Underdog took from it exactly what Amy Hennig would have wanted any player too. In every interview the creators and developers from ND always stress the relationship the player has with the story ad characters! So underdog analyzed the game perfectly. I also enjoyed the pirate ship portion of the game very much, especially the game play elements, story aside.
This quote from ND ( even though it's in regards to "The Last of Us") says a lot about what the company strives for. ND, Christophe Balestra –
"We're trying to move the medium of video games into an area elevated in the same manner of respect of film. We want to redefine what our medium is even called. 'Video game' is not an accurate name anymore. It is not necessarily a game with rules and a winner and a loser. It's an experience."
That statement reflects very directly what Uncharted 3, even 2 in my mind was and is. An experience. Both with heavy emphasis on story and characters.
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 1/4/2012 12:49:15 PM
I get the bit where Marlowe is trying to create a block between their friendship (sully and nate), THAT much was obvious. I get the idea of her trying to get into Nates head by saying he isn't truly a descendant. But I think that was just because physcological tactics was Marlowes forte, as evident in one of the very first chapters (and in trailer form before the game was announced).
But I guess its all down to intepertation anyway; I may think one thing of the story and you make think another entirely. But considering this is indeed a game, and, by standing by the point I made about the story having to fit around gameplay ideas, I think the sceme where Marlowe is trying to cast doubt about sullys integrity was purely to have an excuse to get the player on that ship rather than added emphasis for THAT scene at the end.
With that said, with your 'BA and a major in Theatre Arts', I guess that makes you qualified to say I have no idea what I'm talking about because, in truth, I don't 😀 I don't really know of any writing techniques, for all I know goldilocks and the three bears has some hidden meaning thats supposed to teach kids never to steal from bears. Who knows? But me being the stubborn git that I am will stand by my point 🙂
Oh I totally didn't mean to say you don't know what you're talking about. lol I don't mean that at all!!!
I just meant to say that I saw some techniques in there. There's probably an element of me always trying to find something, too. I have found in the past that I've looked for things that were never there. (WKC2 is an example. Turns out at the end, the story wasn't well done at all… Leading up to the end, there was potential there… but yeah…. ruined.)
I actually think everyone should analyze -character- over story, anyways. And whether you have education in the arts or not is irrelevant. The reason theatre (and other mediums of storytelling) is so compelling is because of the direct correlation a good character has with REAL people. The more human the character the more likely everyone can resonate.
I would encourage everyone to look into characters as much as possible. If it's -REALLY- good writing, everyone should find something if they try. I don't think Uncharted 3 was this be-all-end-all of story telling, at all. It isn't. I just felt they achieved character development pretty well. Everything else was relatively basic, imo.
But yeah…. sorry for seeming so high and mighty on the issue. Not my intent. Discovering character building is something I think everyone should try to do. It almost isn't important if people even get it right! It's why I will always say that character is always greater than story and story is greater than plot. The most mundane plots can be made dynamic with great characters.
… um… anyways, i'm going on a tangent. lol. Point is… sorry for seeming like a know-it-all. I just think even mediocre stories can be made more enjoyable for anyone if we try to make sense of a character's action. The little techniques I see in the writing tells me they are at least trying to achieve some level of that. But I think we both agree they can still get better.
I'd hate to be the one that has to choose these awards but you seem to do a great job at it. I was surprised KZ3 won the shooter award but it deserves it.
It takes a very, VERY long time. 🙂
I'm happy it only has to be done once a year.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 1/3/2012 10:02:53 PM
I got Killzone 3 last week, and it has to have one of the weakest ending ever. I mean, I never expected it to end THERE, it makes more sense to end it when you had just fought that great big thing (no spoilers so excuse the vaugeness xD).
Surprised BF3 only won for sound and shockingDark Souls or Batman AC took home completely nothing. That shows you 2011 was a beast. I understand why everyone loves UC3, but it was definitely not my GOTY. So many other deserving games imo, but you can't go wrong with a ND product. Wish Dark Souls got some recognition.
Batman not winning anything was a surprise to us, too. It just seemed like every category it was nominated in had one slightly better title.
As for Dark Souls…we're a site that has never been enamored with that game for various reasons. I really fail to see how the control and camera issues can be completely ignored by such a wide group of people. But it was nominated for Best RPG, right? 🙂
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 1/3/2012 10:06:12 PM
Lol…Man as much as I respect Dark Souls, I wouldn't probably let it win anything either. It's too hard to really enjoy individually and the lack of a story hurts as well. So I'm not dissappointed. Good write up. Glad to see LA NOIRE get some love though. Every site including myself forgot about that game.
Last edited by FM23 on 1/3/2012 10:12:22 PM
Yay, Wheatley! I'm surprised Portal 2 was not in for Best Story/Writing and Catherine was. Not against Catherine being in though, that game was good but I definitely think Portal 2 should of been in also.
Wasn't much to Portal 2's story until the end. It was pretty well focused on the gameplay, so I wouldn't call it story-driven like Catherine.
Good job there, Ben & Arnold.
I just wish Deus Ex could have won something, at least for the soundtrack that I thought was great.
Oh well, can't win 'em all.
BTW, I also thought KZ3's soundtrack was fantastic too
2011, a year to remember for gaming (and a year that totally sucked dry my bank account…), but I'm so looking forward to the amazing titles coming out this year, it has been an amazing time for PS3 owners, and it just keeps on going! Great job picking the awards 🙂
Finally! I've been waiting a whole year for this! Every year for I don't even know anymore I've read the game of the year award here at PSXE and everything makes sense and has good reason.
The only one that I didn't agree with was best writing and story. I couldnt finish LA. Noire, it felt tedious and repetitive. Great game, interesting story to start, but lost its flavor imo. Amy Hennig on the other hand is a genius and Uncharted 3 was unbelievably engaging! If only Hollywood was this inspiring! Seriously! These are the only more linear games I can play through multiple times with excitement to start the game up and walk away satisfied everytime!
I also just want to say if Uncharted 3 hadn't released this year Skyrim would by far be my favorite game of 2011, something I share in common with the results at here. I mean both games were my most anticipated for a very long time! Now I just look forward to the next adventures!
Great results! Very professional! This is why I come here. Everything is meticulously thought out, and every point of interest is brought up when honoring a winner!
I waited a whole year for this just so I could see my name at the bottom of the post ;D LOL jk..but indeed, they always seem to pick the correct games for these haha.
Haha! Hey one spot below me isn't a bad spot to be named! 😉
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 1/4/2012 12:04:38 AM
hehe. I'm on a special list I imagine.
You're on my list, Excel. That's a pretty exclusive list indeed. 😉
Excelsior, you didn't start posting regularly until later in the year, though. Last year, it was based on site contributions. If you go into your User CP, you'll see you get 10 points for each comment. You also get 100 points for doing a user review, and more points for providing screen shots, wallpapers, cheats, and other contributions to the site.
Last year, the list was just the top scoring folks, or in other words, top contributors. It's literally just pulled off what is likely the first page of a list of users. Then they say, "We appreciate far more of you than are on this list!". Which is absolutely true. But lots of people who are well known around here aren't always there.
Another example is LV, who is well liked, or Frostface.
Obviously there are more folks than are on that list. And they say as much at the end of the article.
Looks like I'm still not enough of a lurker to be left off the list. I like that. 🙂
Man, I think I've been posting here for something like 4 years, maybe longer. Yikes.
-Arvis
Even though I don't post that much here, I enjoy reading others comments and most importantly the news. And I do believe, that I have the best nickname on this site.
Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 1/4/2012 12:58:23 PM
A Capella Dude, Beamboom, Excelsior, Limited_Vertigo, Geobaldi, Robochic…..
All excellent nicknames.
They're okay for that particular person I guess. It's a fact that I have the best nickname on this site bottom line. Really wanted to spell it out correctly but to many characters even without the spaces.
Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 1/5/2012 11:21:44 PM
What does the 3 represent? It seems silly and unnecessary. Favorite number or something? And haven't I seen an 8 being used for it's linguistic similarities to other words somewhere else before? ….. ah yes…. that's right. Countless license plates, sk8er kids, and text messages…..
I like the other names I listed better because of the originality they have as well as the uniqueness to who they actually are. Unfortunately, your nickname lacks those properties that are necessary for a "nickname" by definition, and therefore cannot be a fact that it is the best. It is merely an opinion upheld by you, and you only.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 1/6/2012 8:54:43 AM
Your right, everybody should give themself credit for coming up with a cool nickname.
The 3 represents the E, yep GR8 respresents GREAT. Really my nickname is spelled out AlexanderTHEGREAT or Alexander The Great (what he achieved to earn that name is astonishing), either way couldn't spell it like that cause of to many characters.
maybe spelled like this way sounds much better.
If 3 was your favorite number or represented something important to you, it would have been a neat little addition. I use the number 15 because it's been my jersey and favorite number since I was 8 years old. I am "Underdog", because I have always felt underestimated at various things, and I love proving myself. There's a few things I'm pretty good at, but I'm rarely, if ever, the best. When I consider my self an Underdog, and never assume to be the best, it reminds myself to be smarter and to not rely solely on ability. I find it makes me more intense, and I perform better when I have a bone to pick or something to prove.
I've adopted that mentality for years. It's not meant to be a "cool" nickname, but it is an extension of who I am. 🙂
The number 3 doesn't really mean anything to me. Wow, 15 was your jersey number, so was I, played basketball (at the boys and girls club) with the number 15 and we made it all the way to the championship and won. 🙂
Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 1/6/2012 8:38:34 PM
Once again, no surprise 😛 Nice Skyward Sword pick too. I disagree some, but there's no denying these are quality games. Nice.
Excellent line up guys. 2011 was really a stellar year for gaming. Makes me sad that I didn't get to do nearly as much of it as I would have liked, but school is heating up with me getting closer to grad school :- Life is coming at me way too fast.
Nice List! Good to see L.A. Noire be rewarded. No love for the Bat I see.
Last edited by bebestorm on 1/4/2012 12:06:33 AM