Well folks, it's that time of year! It's time for the 2010 Blaze Awards!
Yes it's the time of year in which I reveal my winners in different categories of gaming. Everything from Worst Game Of The Year to Best Game Of The Year will be revealed in this blog. So without further ado, I give to you, THE 2010 BLAZE AWARDS FOR VIDEO GAMES!
Categories:
Atmosphere
Graphics (Technical)
Graphics (Artistic)
Original Soundtrack
Sound Design
Voice Acting
New Character
Ending
Most Memorable Moment
Multiplayer
Story
Most Disappointing
Worst Game of the Year
Best Game of the Year
And here we go!
Best Atmosphere:
Runner-Up:
BioShock 2
Winner:
Red Dead Redemption
Graphics (Technical) :
Runner-Up:
Mass Effect 2
Winner:
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Graphics (Artistic) :
Runner-Up:
God of War III
Winner:
BioShock 2
Original Soundtrack:
Runner-Up:
Super Meat Boy
Winner:
Red Dead Redemption
Sound Design:
Runner-Up:
Halo: Reach
Winner:
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Voice Acting:
Runner-Up:
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Winner:
Red Dead Redemption
New Character:
Runner-Up:
Alex Mason (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
Winner:
John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)
Best Ending: (SPOILER ALERT!)
Runner-Up:
Halo: Reach
Winner:
Red Dead Redemption
Most Memorable Moment: (SPOILER ALERT!)
Runner-Up:
"The Lizard Trial" (Heavy Rain)
Winner:
"Revelations" (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
Best Multiplayer:
Runner-Up:
Halo: Reach
Winner:
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Best Story:
Runner-Up:
Alan Wake
Winner:
Red Dead Redemption
Most Disappointing Game
Runner-Up:
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Winner:
Naughty Bear
WORST GAME OF THE YEAR!
Runner-Up:
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 is a game that proves that movies and video games don't mix at all. This game has nothing going for it, with clunky and plastic-like graphics, terrible gameplay, mediocre voice acting, dozens of missed opportunities, and a lackluster soundtrack (sorry to all Lamb of God fans), the video game adaptation of Iron Man 2 was cheap in every meaning of the word.
Winner:
Backbreaker
My god is this game horrible. It completely destroys the image of football video games (which I kind of like). Backbreaker is one of those games that got nothing right, it had extremely goofy and unrealistic graphics, some of the weirdest controls I've ever seen, terrible lighting, and a really bad use of the Euphoria engine. I've been waiting a long time for a sports game to use Euphoria just to see how it turned out, and this was not a good introduction to it. It doesn't make the animations more realistic, it just makes all of the player jiggle and squirm in a really uncomfortable way. In a word, Backbreaker is just unpleasant. It tickles the gag reflex and should never be played by anyone, football fan or not.
BEST GAME OF THE YEAR!
Previous Winners:
2007 - Winner: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Runner-Up: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
2008 - Winner: Fallout 3
Runner-Up: Little Big Planet
2009 - Winner: Batman: Arkham Asylum
Runner-Up: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Runner-Up:
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Black Ops is without a doubt the most in-depth game in the Call of Duty franchise. Unlike the other games which were standard war shooters, Black Ops goes into covert government operations and the tortured psyche of a man who's seen the worst of the 1960's unfold. It's a little scrambled at first, but it doesn't take long for you to get attached to the game's characters and get sucked into the huge variety of locations. And of course, Black Ops has the year's best multiplayer experience, once with which you can go hours and not come anywhere close to getting tired of it. Every single detail of this game is etched in with masterful poise and it's without a doubt the runner-up for the Best Game of 2010.
AND THE WINNER FOR 2010'S GAME OF THE YEAR IS...
Are you at all surprised? Red Dead Redemption was a lock for my Game Of The Year since the day it came out. How could not be? It's absolutely perfect for me, it's a Rockstar game in a western setting with a complex story, lots of gunplay, an enormous cast of characters, breathtaking visuals, and an Ennio Morricone inspired soundtrack. All it's missing is Kings of Leon :P! Red Dead Redemption is without a doubt my favorite game of all time, even though it just came out seven months ago, I've never loved any video game more than this, and there's no way that I ever will.
And there you have it! My 2010 Blaze Awards! I hope you enjoyed them, and please feel free to disagree with my selections... just not too harshly though :P. Next will be my awards in the field of cinema, followed by my Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2011.
Signing Off,
Alex
(And yes, I just revealed my real name!)