Supreme Commander: Initially, I was afraid of the learning curve.....then I got into it (about five hours later, after my first skirmish had just completed) and I loved it.

Supreme Commander 2: Initially was like "WTF happened to the game?", then I was like "cool, an ultra-good looking new version of typical RTS's....YAAAYYY!"

Knights of the Old Republic 2: Played it when I was really young, and thought it was far too buggy/complicated for me. Several years later, I bought it on a whim and it's now my favourite RPG ever, with Mass Effect a close second.

Thing is, there aren't too many games I've initially disliked.....

It's more the reverse (for me) than anything else, at least with some games (The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, Mirror's Edge, every Call of Duty game, etc).

I stopped reading when FF XIII won an award.

seanehawk

:oops:

Sorry, I love Final Fantasy XIII.....it only wins one award though, so you don't have to put up with another love-fest for it :) I think it deserves awards for its visuals, which is why I gave it.

"As for best story I won't be suprised if Mass Effect 2 gets it but I bet Alan Wake would be nominated, GOTY: I think the nominees would be:
Mass Effect 2, Starcraft 2, Red Dead Redemption, God of War 3, Super Mario Galaxy 2.... so far anyway we've still got a bunch of other games like The Force Unleashed 2, Dead Rising 2 and Assassins Creed: Brotherhood."

Yeah I agree, when I wrote this list I was half off my head because I just got back from seeing my bro in hospital. I.e. I didn't even put Metroid: Other M in the best shooter nominees :?

There are a lot of games I didn't mention either because I am unsure if they are being released this year or if I am unsure as to how well they will do; i.e. with Assassins Creed: Brotherhood I want to wait and see to find out how the gameplay is with multiplayer.....etc.

As I said though, these are my predictions and I will definitely change my list as the year goes on.

Thanks for your comments guys! Feel free to post what you think! :D

Just my opinion mate.......I actually prefer Mass Effect 2's gameplay to SC2 and SMG2, this thread is about who you think deserves all the awards. What other awards do you think are deserved? I.e. I thought God of War III had the best gameplay of all the games this year so far, Starcraft 2's production values are obviously higher than other games because Blizzard has tonnes of money to pump in, etc, but my overall nod went to Mass Effect 2 simply because I thought it was the best game released so far.

Also, my list will change as I play more games, so don't be surprised if I change my GOTY vote to Gran Turismo 5 or something else, for example.

Also, if I found out the Last Guardian was actually confirmed for a release this year (as my list only has games that are confirmed for this year-at least at the moment), a lot of my awards would probably change.....:D

Thanks for your opinions mate! :)

I wanted to create this topic before the end of the year to see what you all think of the year so far, your predictions for the various Game of the Year awards (i.e. overall GOTY, best PS3 game, best graphics, etc) and what games coming out later in 2010 will challenge for the GOTY titles from the various gaming websites....you don't have to provide reasons for your choices either, and please, no niggle! This a thread to express your own opinions on these matters, not argue (contemptuously) with others about why they picked what game they did. Also note there may be possible spoilers.

Can the moderators please sticky this thread or if there is another thread (I searched and didn't see one for this year though-that covers the general GOTY awards) please merge it? Thanks.

There are several awards, and if one of them isn't represented here (I've got terrible memory sorry ;) ) feel free to add it to your lists...

Thank you for your time :) I can't wait to see what you guys come up with! Notice; feel free to update your lists as more games come out.....

BEST VISUALS: God of War III From what I've seen of all this years releases, from the heavy hitters like Gran Turismo 5 and Final Fantasy XIII to the amazing and vibrant Halo: Reach or Battlefield: Bad Company 2, I believe that God of War III is this year's best looking game. From the unparalleled realism of the human characters such as Kratos (he has been called the single best looking playable character for a game ever by IGN) and Hermes, to the vivid and awe-inspiring vistas of the Underworld and the dark lustre of the game's various environments, and to the moment that will be spoken of by gamers for years to come-the Poseidon boss fight-this game is unparalleled, in my opinion.

Runners-up: Halo: Reach, Final Fantasy XIII, Gran Turismo 5, Mass Effect 2, Heavy Rain, Red Dead Redemption.

BEST ARTISTIC DESIGN: Final Fantasy XIII So far (this year) at least, no game has struck so many levels of visual appeal for me like Final Fantasy XIII has. The accentuation of vibrant colours, the overwhelming anime-driven characters and fantastical creatures, as well as the CGI-driven cut-scenes that evoke what can only be called 'visual ecstasy' get my definite vote for best artistic design so far this year.

Runners-up: LittleBigPlanet 2, ModNation Racers, Limbo, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Starcraft 2, Alan Wake.

BEST SOUND DESIGN: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 I had a good long think about this award, as selection of this award is not as obvious as it may be with other awards. However, my overall vote eventually went to this game; playing it on my home computer with the speakers blaring as gunfire shreds the rubble of crumbling buildings is an aural experience of which I don't believe I have ever heard before......simply unbelievable.

Runners-up: Mass Effect 2, God of War III, Gran Turismo 5, Halo: Reach.

BEST MUSICAL SCORE: Mass Effect 2 If ever there is a game from the last decade that recreated or perhaps even bettered the Star Wars original trilogy, then it is Mass Effect. As such, I was not surprised by how evocative and beautiful the soundtrack to both games (in particular Mass Effect 2) was.....the music is at times infinitely inspiring, others overwhelmingly depressing; every single song in this brilliant sound-track caters to your every emotion, and perfectly captures the emotions felt by the characters themselves.

Runners-up: God of War III, Final Fantasy XIII, Alan Wake, Heavy Rain.

BEST VOICE-ACTING: Mass Effect 2 The voice-acting of Mass Effect 2 is both brilliant and extremely well-written; the characters you meet are given depth and personality not only by the story each shares, but also by the excellent voicing.....Unlike many games, these characters-especially the core characters-seem to be almost supernaturally realistic to a point that some people vividly obsess over these in-game personalities. (Hint: mine's Garrus!)

Runners-up: Final Fantasy XIII, Transformers: War for Cybertron, Heavy Rain, Alan Wake.

BEST STORY: Mass Effect 2 Though what makes Mass Effect truly stand out in terms of it's writing is definitely the multi-dimensional and realistic characters, it still has one of the most deeply layered and emotional stories' to a video-game I've ever seen.....Where it lacks in certain moments, it certainly revels in more mind-evoking sub-plots (especially those tied to the characters) and doesn't suffer at all with it's popcorn-movie ending. It will make you stare in awe, it will make you look inwards for deep inspirations, and it may even make you cry or sit in quiet melancholia....I don't believe any other game-apart from the original Mass Effect-has commanded you to make choices that challenge your very personal and moral being, and neither does any other game force you to make some of the hardest decisions you will ever make. Who shall you choose to send to certain death? Will you secure a weapon to defeat your enemies at the harsh cost of sapient co-existence and morality? This game will shock you from the beginning with it's blockbuster opening, and will tell you the immediate truth; you may not survive the final mission of the game. When a video-game challenges your emotional core in ways that you may shed tears for the fallen or even watch in quiet thought, then you know it has achieved something that many forms of art can never hope to achieve.

Runners-up: Final Fantasy XIII, Heavy Rain, Alan Wake, Red Dead Redemption.
BEST GAMEPLAY MOMENT:

BEST ACTION GAME: God of War III God of War is thought of as a series that has long set the standard for all action games' to follow.....when it's actually only been around for five years. The original God of War seemingly came out of nowhere and more than likely made every other developer of action games' take a hard look at themselves and begin to produce much higher quality games. As such, I have come to expect that every proceeding God of War game would either meet or exceed this standard, and I am pleased to say that God of War III achieved both. Being a massive fan of the God of War series since its inception, I really wasn't all that surprised by the sheer quality and amazing graphics the game had; not many games have these kind of production values, I can tell you that. It's likely the best-looking game ever released so far, which isn't really a surprise considering God of War 2 was considered to be the best looking video game ever made for the PS2. God of War III has insane levels of depth in it's combat system, the various facets of which are gradually eased into your hands as the game progresses at an almost perfect level, every part and level of the game perfectly synchronizing with the other to create a virtual experience that will both shock and disturb you. The visceral kills made glorious by the original God of War are even more brutal this time around, thanks in no small part to how realistic the visuals are-as an example, you watch as the main character Kratos slowly tears off a certain being's head with his bare hands, and your eyes will no doubt languor (or revile) as you watch the very muscles and arteries in his neck slowly rip apart, blood splashing the screen in a truly disturbing manner. It's not like many other games where it is just 'gory'; the makers of this game no doubt understood the term 'visceral' and heedlessly applied it here, and whilst the gruesome displays are as shocking as they are horrid, they will strike a wretched feeling in your body, one that may cloud you for days. Not many games can achieve something such as making you not want to inflict a horrible death on one who has caused your character much pain....indeed, the game is littered with moments like these that will make you question what your bloody killer does. And, in truth, that is one of this games' many brilliant aspects; from the great orchestral soundtrack, the high quality voice-acting or the good (albeit strange) story, you will find that killing in a most brutal manner has never been so much fun.......

Runners-up: Alan Wake, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Red Dead Redemption, Transformers: War for Cybertron.

BEST ROLE-PLAYING GAME: Mass Effect 2 *Note: Read every single review for this game* Need I say more? Mass Effect 2 is a brilliant game, in the very highest echelon of games ever produced. Though it strays from many of the RPG conventions that Bioware used in the first Mass Effect, it is still undoubtedly the finest RPG of the year, and as it's meta-scores might tell you, one of the best games ever made.

Runners-up: Fable III, Final Fantasy XIII, Fallout: New Vegas.

BEST STRATEGY GAME: Starcraft 2 Starcraft 2 is probably the highest-quality strategy game ever made, and is up there with the best strategy games ever created. It combines all that you would expect from Blizzard (extreme quality, great gameplay, great balance, diversity, good voice-acting, good sound and music, etc) with stuff that breaks from the more ancient games in the genre, using a great story and well-versed characters to really immerse the character in the wonderfully detailed world that Blizzard has forged. It has met all expectations, and that is quite frankly enough to give it a Game of the year title.....

Runners-up: Supreme Commander 2, Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising, Sid Meier's Civilization V.

BEST FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER: Halo: Reach It's true, not many first-person shooters have the quality or the fun-factor of the Halo series, and developer Bungie Studios looks to be going out with a noisy bang. Expect this to be the best FPS of the year, bar none. No one does Halo like Bungie after all! The gaming world will be holding it's collective breath for the release of this massive game......

Runners-up: Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops.

BEST RACING GAME: Gran Turismo 5 If any game was to be a challenger for the most expensive ever made, this would undoubtedly sneak into your mind. Polyphony Digital is revered by everyone in the gaming world for their unparalleled attention to detail and excessive quality in every aspect of their games, and the latest Gran Turismo game, and the first on Sony's PS3, will undoubtedly captivate millions of gamers for years to come. With breath-taking visuals, an immense quantity of all things that make it the biggest racing game ever conceived, and holding it's "the real driving simulator" tag with apparent ease, Gran Turismo 5 is set to redefine the racing genre for years to come, and likely won't be topped until Polyphony's next effort (probably 100 years from now).

Runners-up: ModNation Racers, Split/Second, F1 2010.

BEST FIGHTING GAME: Will look into the year more before I make any form of guess.....

BEST NINTENDO DS GAME: -void- I have no idea what game will be the best on DS this year.....sorry.

BEST PSP GAME: Metal Gear Solid: PeaceWalker Easily the best PSP game this year in my opinion; MGS: PeaceWalker is a brilliant game that combines the excellent tactical action of the other MGS games and great graphics for an unparalleled masterpiece on the little hand-held PSP. It has a great musical score and top-notch voice-acting, and is more than likely one of the best games ever made, if not the best, on the PSP. It takes the usual elements we know and love about MGS and accentuates it with the (unsurprisingly) incredible quality that only Hideo Kojima and his studio can produce, and the depth of the game is arguably even more staggering than Metal Gear Solid 4 possessed; you could play this game for years, and still never get bored with it; such was likely the intent of the creators, and certainly something they have achieved. A real contender for overall game of the year as well, and never mind that it is on a handheld-it puts most games on the other 'mainstream' platforms to shame.

Runners-up: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, God of War: Ghost of Sparta.

BEST PC GAME: Starcraft 2 Perhaps the biggest and most-anticipated game of the year, it is not surprising that the developers, Blizzard, have yet another great accolade to add to their collection of masterful game-creation. Starcraft 2 has met all the extremely high expectations that Blizzard's standard of excellence set for itself, and it is no surprise that it delivers in every meaningful way. If ever you wanted the sequel to one of the most iconic PC games ever, then this is exactly what you would want; it is a traditional strategy game, mixed with quality RPG-elements, a great story-driven campaign that even comprises of various personal choices, and the highest possible quality you could expect from any video-game. The visuals are great, the artistic design in the game is trademark Blizzard (i.e. brilliant), the voice-acting is the same type of sci-fi western schtick I was hoping for, and the multiplayer is as exceptional as it was in the original Starcraft. To put it like someone said; "nothing's changed, cept' the graphics", and this is probably one of the more correct statements spoken of about this game. Yes, it is much the same as the original Starcraft, but honestly; would any veteran of the original have wanted any different? The formula worked then and it certainly works now, and with the breathtaking production values and the surprising story and characters (for an RTS-the twists in the story of this game will make any Blizzard/Starcraft fan drool and gibber at the sheer awesomeness of what is happening), Starcraft 2 is my definite vote for game of the year. Well done to Blizzard; showing us you still got it, and truthfully, never lost it.

Runners-up: Fallout 3: New Vegas, Sid Meier's Civilization V, Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

BEST WII GAME: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Perhaps one of the more obvious choices for me to make, Super Mario Galaxy 2 (abbreviated further to SMG2) is ****c Nintendo at it's very best. It is easily one of the best games ever made, it is driven by an artistic ****that looks amazing in every way and is trademark Nintendo, and it is also one of the most fun titles you will ever play. It is a platforming experience that betters it's predecessor (SMG 1), possesses unbelievable quality, and is probably the best WII game ever made, bar-none. It is unsurprising that the developers of the console itself would have made it's best title, and this is a game that will be remembered for years to come.

Runners-up: Monster Hunter Tri, Metroid: Other M, Epic Mickey, Goldeneye 007

BEST XBOX 360 GAME: Mass Effect 2 Though I am sure Halo: Reach will be the best selling Xbox 360 game of the year, my vote for the console goes to Mass Effect 2; a game that vividly captures the emotions of the user in ways that would have likely been seen as impossible for any video-game to produce. It seems like Mass Effect 2 is the little gem that could; it has exceeded all expectations, it defies the minds of those who cannot see video-games as pieces of art, and it will surely entrance you in a story and an unforgettable cast of characters that will stay with you for a long time.

Runners-up: Halo: Reach, Limbo, Red Dead Redemption, Fable III.

BEST PS3 GAME: Gran Turismo 5 Though my God of War bias may have suggested otherwise, I have deigned to pick the game that has been called the highest-quality racing game ever made, perhaps the highest quality game (overall) ever released. Gran Turismo 5 is a video-game that takes the quality over quantity approach, and yet is still more massive and replayable than essentially every other game I have played. The scope and brilliance of this game is a testament to the hard years of work that both Sony and Polyphony Digital have poured into this project; it has been 5 years or so in the making, and though there are doubters and nay-sayers, it will doubtless be worth every single day that it hasn't graced our homes.

Runners-up: God of War III, LittleBigPlanet 2, Red Dead Redemption, Heavy Rain.

OVERALL GAME OF THE YEAR: Mass Effect 2 Though I am a God of War fan through and through, and though I still have yet to play many of the potential nominees to this award, I will still stand by my decision to name Mass Effect 2 as the game of the year. Will time prove me wrong? I doubt it. I don't believe that any game has ever challenged my mind or emotions to such evocative thought, with it's clandestine cast of characters essentially becoming your very world as you are sucked into this universe where a cycle of extinction plagues all the living, and even the very sentient machines that you are sworn to destroy will join you in the fight against certain annihilation. Few games have ever told you from the onset that you will likely not survive the video-game, and that the people you will come to respect and love as articulate characters that connect with your own personal being will die. This game is what the original trilogy of Star Wars always was, and what the prequel trilogy only hoped it would be; it is recognised as something beyond a mere vessel of our 'fun', but instead a masterpiece that can capture your mind like no other game can. My Star Wars admission should be enough to tell you that Mass Effect 2 is one of the greatest works ever produced, and will likely be remembered always for the standards of excellence that it has set. The characters will pique your curiosity and demand your constant attention; the story will spark emotional tension and the importance of choices and their consequences like no game before it; the gameplay will leave you craving for more; the music and sound will immerse you irreversibly in the world of 'Mass Effect'; and the visuals will amaze you as easily as they can overwhelm you. This game is the very personification of a legendary Odyssey; something that will stay with you forever, and may even change your life (for good or ill); if you can look beyond the 'title' of video-game, if you can look beyond the ****fication of a violent and mature story, you will find an experience that is quite unlike any other.

Runners-up: God of War III, Halo: Reach, Gran Turismo 5, LittleBigPlanet 2, Starcraft 2, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metal Gear Solid: PeaceWalker.

You don't have to waste as much time as I did writing this.....I spent over 3 hours writing this, so please don't discredit it.....

In my opinion, the best RPG of all time (that I have played) is either Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 or the first Mass Effect.....

I also believe Shadow of the Colossus is the best action/adventure game I have ever played, although if it were more 'action' than 'adventure' we were talking about then I would say God of War II.