Best Catergory's This Year In Gaming (1 Viewer)

[Ike]

I know, similar to best games of the year, but I love these lists!
Gamespot breaks down each catergory and special achivements and gives an award for each.
These catergory's are for both PC and Console.
Post your thoughts on the following catergory's:
Best Graphics
Best Music
Best Sound
Best Acting/Voice Work
Best In-Game Cinematics
Best Story
Coolest Feature in a Game (The hooker trick in GTA III, all the neat little things you can do in Metal Gear...)
Best Controls
Most Innovative
And the genre's:
Best Action Game
Best Sports Game
Best Fighting Game
Best Strategy Game
Best Driving Game
Best RPG
Best Sim Game
Best Multiplayer Game (all Genres)
and if your a fan,
Worst Game of the Year
and
Most Disappointing of the Year
Go ahead and do best again, if you want to, but there was already a thread on that.
I'd post my own, but I'm afraid that people would just comment on my choices, so I'll wait until people post a few until I throw mine out.

 

[Kelley_B]

Best Graphics
Dead or Alive 3 - see it on a 16:9 HDTV and you will agree
Best Music
Grand Theft Auto 3 - its all about the radio
Best Sound
Halo - DD 5.1 rocks!
Best Acting/Voice Work
Grand Theft Auto 3 - I believed the voices
Best In-Game Cinematics
Final Fantasy X - Square proves again they are the best at this
Best Story
Final Fantasy X - drew me in, Halo came in a very close second though
Coolest Feature in a Game
Monkey Target in Super Monkey Ball - me and my girlfriend can't stop playing it
Best Controls
Halo - the first FPS on a console that I could actually play
Most Innovative
Phantasy Star Online - you have to have played this game with three other people online to understand
And the genre's:
Best Action Game
Halo - ummm it just is
Best Sports Game
NFL 2k2(DC,PS2) - Madden who??? EA what????
Best Fighting Game
TIE: Guilty Gear X and SNK vs. Capcom 2 - I just couldn't decide, one gets the nod for being old school and the other gets the nod for showing the future of 2D fighters
Best Strategy Game
Empire Earth - Age of Empires: The Final Empire!
Best Driving Game
Crazy Taxi 2 - Note to Sega please remove Offspring from Crazy Taxi 3, or atleast allow us to use the Xbox's HD to select our own songs
Best RPG
Phantasy Star Online - I lost way to much sleep this year to this game, I still haven't caught up
Best Sim Game
Crazy Taxi 2 - Its what I would imagine being a NYC cabbie to be like
Best Multiplayer Gamell Genres)
Phantasy Star Online - you should buy this if you haven't yet
and if your a fan,
Worst Game of the Year
Kabuki Warriors - I wasted a free rental coupon on this piece of shit just to see how bad it really is, its worse than bad
and
Most Disappointing of the Year
Metal Gear Solid 2 - too much hype for its own good

 

[Kenneth]

Here are some of my choices from the PC world (I am not much of a console gamer). I will skip categories where I haven't played any games.
Best Graphics - Clive Barker's Undying : I found the graphics to very nice (the Unreal engine is very pretty) and to make for a very immersive Horror FPS experience.
Best Music - Return to Castle Wolfenstein : There were lots of good choices for me with Undying, Icewind Dale Heart of Winter, Baldur's Gate II expansion, Diablo II expansion and others but I found myself wandering through the house humming those dang German songs all the time.
Best Sound - Undying : Hands down the sound effects added to the effect of this excellent Horror FPS. As most reviewers noted this game was built to play with the lights down. Hearing the wolf howls come drifting over the whistling wind could definitely give you a jolt.
Best Acting/Voice Work - Baldur's Gate II Expansion : Since I had such a strong attachment to the original it was nice to get a return of old friends. Completing the romance thread with Jaheira had some nice voice moments.
Best In-Game Cinematics - Return to Castle Wolfenstein : I have enjoyed the cut scenes so far, although I have yet to finish it.
Best Story - Baldur's Gate II Expansion : I enjoyed the culmination of my character's oddysey with his eventually becoming a new God. The moral interludes all added a nice dimension to the story. I enjoyed the new Icewind Dale Heart of Winter story also. Finally the Undying story was good and I would like to see more authors work with software developers.
Coolest Feature in a Game - Baldur's Gate II Expansion : The alternate way of getting a beholder Eye in the Dragon castle (see element in spoiler)
If you use a stone to flesh scroll on some adventurer statues you can restore them and hire them to go into the dungeon for you. They bring the item back and then try and take out your god-like characters and get a royal butt stomping instead ("Quick cast your magic missle spell"). At the end, after you kill them, they reload the game and give you the item instead. Quite funny actually, and a nice slight to computer RPG players who extensively use "Save and Restore", like me.
Best Controls - not sure of one
Most Innovative - Undying : The matchup of one of the better Horror authors with a Horror FPS design team resulted in an interesting and engrossing game. I would like to see more matchups like this in other genre's as well.
And the genre's:
Best Action Game - Serious Sam : I have been enjoying the gameplay and story so far. I pure shooter that's a lot of fun.
Best Sports Game - no choice
Best Fighting Game - no choice
Best Strategy Game - Civilization III : I spent more hours with Civ II than any other strategy game. Civ III has most of the same hooks with a few new wrinkles.
Best Driving Game - no choice
Best RPG - Wizardry 8 : I just picked this up over the weekend and spent all weekend playing this bad boy. A little retro but still an entertaining and immersive experience.
Best Sim Game - The Sims - Hot Date seriously, no choice
Best Multiplayer Game (all Genres) - no choice this year but I am getting a cable modem next week so this year I should be able to try my hand at multiplayer.
and if your a fan,
Worst Game of the Year/Most Disappointing of the Year - Pool of Radience : This title had so much potential and came out with catastrophic bugs and muddled game play. Truly a waste of my money and hard disk space.
Best Game of the year - Civ III : I have enjoyed the franchise since Civ I and found the new entry a worthy successor who will absorb my free hours in massive increments.
Kenneth

 

[Joseph Young]

I only have a PS2 at this point, so my choices are going to sound biased, but keep in mind it's my only point of reference. Xbox and GC titles that I have played will be included.
Best Graphics: Halo(Xbox)
Amazing... the kind of detail we've all been praying for in a FPS since the advent of the genre. Just phenomenal.
Best Music: Frequency (PS2)
Catchy, eclectic, 'cool,' it's the best music I've ever heard in a videogame, period. The best use of music too. Not since Wipeout XL has a game shown such savvy in selecting the artists and genres.
Best Sound: Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams (Xbox)
Although the voice acting was awkward and silted, the sound in this game establishes a mood from the get-go and consistantly delivers until the final moments. Not quite a soundtrack, not quite sound effects, the metal-on-metal clanging, the buzz of an AM radio, and all the other squishy squirmy sounds help to pull this game from mediocrity.
Best Acting/Voice Work: Soul Reaver 2 (PS2)
No contest here. I dare you find better voice work on a console game. Overdramatic, yet somehow believable, the voice work helps to pull what could be a mess of overblown exposition (MGS2, anyone?) into a solid and engaging (albeit short) experience.
Best In-Game Cinematics: Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2)
Considering that a good percentage of the game is comprised of in-game cinematics, all top notch in terms of style and quality, this is also a no-brainer. Unfortunately, the last 30 minutes of the game is essentially one big cinematic that completely pulls you out of the game, but that's a complaint for another section.
Best Story: Grand Theft Auto 3 (PS2)
The story here is much like taking part in a real-time 'choose your own adventure' novel, only nixing the Hardy Boys aesthetic for down and dirty gunplay, foreplay and all around nastiness. The best and worst of Ferreira and Scorcese all wrapped up into an epic story of vengence and power.
Best Controls: Devil May Cry (PS2)
Who would have thought that the Resident Evil series would inadvertantly spawn a game so gleefully wrapped up in its own frenetic grace, control-wise? There is nothing, and I mean nothing in a recent game more satisfying than slicing and juggling the bloody puppets, one after the other. Aside from the ocassional camera glitch, these are fluid and responsive controls.
Most Innovative: Pikmin (GC)
Leave it to Miyamoto. This game will never see a wide audience here in the states, and it's a shame. We need to encourage longer development windows that allow for such innovation. Aside from it's rather short length, this game practically defies description, and yet functions on its own internal logic, becoming very addictive in a short time.
Best Action Game: GTA3 (PS2)
There is so much to do from the moment you start the game. There are endless possibilities here... all of it fast, furious. This is the party game to end all party games. As much as I respect Smash Bros Melee, GTA3 has entranced more at parties than any other game in memory.
Best Fighting Game: Tie!
Guilty Gear X (DC, PS2) and Soul Caliber (DC)
Yes, I've played DOA3... yes, these games are somewhat dated now... but they still reign as the best around.
Best Strategy Game: Advance Wars (GBA)
Who ever thought that a game could make the turn-based strategy genre so accesible and fun? This is the cleanest, brightest, and least cluttered interface I have ever encountered in a TBS game... but it's complex and varied enough for efficionados.
Most Disappointing of the Year: MGS2
Let me explain.
I love the prologue and portions of Raiden's adventure, particularly the inspired sniper/oil fence sequence. In fact I don't mind the Raiden character or his inclusion.
However, instead of using cinematics to propel the game, cinematics 'become' the game. My expectations were perhaps a little high. I was dissatisfied with not being able to play the game, instead, sitting through long, confusing and inane exposition. It's bad game design, plain and simple, when a game pulls you completely out of the experience for twenty minutes near the very end, then suddenly, once you've lost the momentum of playing, thrusts you into a boss battle with a weapon (sword) you have used just once before.
Compare this to the exciting jeep escape sequence from the first MGS... this kind of immersion is what MSG2 should have been... except it was too mired down in its own self important to remember the most important aspect... the player!!
Not a bad game, but I was disappointed.
[rant]This is all my dumb opinion...[/rant]
Cheers,
Joseph

 

[Ike]

All right, my turn!
Best Graphics
PC: Max Payne
So great. The people are a little blocky, sure, but the bullets are fantastic! This game wows, that's for sure.
Console: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
I hem-hawed over this or Project Gotham Racing, or Halo. I decided against PGR because in terms of racing, it's only slightly better than Gran Turismo 3. I chose against Halo, beause, honestly, I didn't impress me that much. Metal Gear, however, is impressive. So, it's my choice.
Best Music
Console: Gran Turismo 3: A Spec
With a huge soundtrack of some really good stuff, this was an easy pick over the nearest contenders. I really like a few of the songs on GT 3, and some were just fun.
Best Sound
PC: Return To Castle Wolfenstein
The gun sounds are spot on, and the background nosies are great! There is even some stereo action where you tell where someone is by which speaker there gunfire is coming out of.
Console: Metal Gear Solid 2
(Note, I've not hooked my X-Box up to my receiver, but will by the end of the week, so this could very well change.) With the opening sequence in 5.1, and the constant rain in your rear speakers, how could you not love it?
Best Acting/Voice Work
PC: The Sims: Hot Date
You think I'm kidding? Nope. That damn gerbil-gibberish that these people speak drives me crazy.
Console: Grand Theft Auto III
Hands down. I was taking jobs for Joey because Michael Rapaport was so great. With some A-List material for voice work, this game felt like a movie!
Best In Game Cinematics
PC: Max Payne
Great stuff. Really helped the story along.
Console: Halo
With really tense cinematics, the one that threw me over in choosing it was the marine's log that Master Chief watches after taking it from a fallen soldier's helmet. As the tension mounts, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and watched, occasionally throwing out lines like, "Huh-oh," or "You are fixing to be screwed."
Best Story
Console: Grand Theft Auto III
While not done yet, the way it's snaking back on itself is fantastic. I won't say more, so as not to spoil it for you.
Coolest Feature in a Game
Console: Project Gotham Racing
The ability to put your own soundtrack is great, but to have the DJ's give station ID over the beginning of the song is just fantastic little touch.
Best Controls
Console: Halo
The two stick move, left trigger-fire, right trigger-grenade scheme of Halo is sleek and refined, and feels almost like a Keyboard and mouse setup. It takes some getting used to, but once you do, it spoils you rotten.
Most Innovative
Console: Grand Theft Auto III
Need I say more?
Best Action
PC: Return to Castle Wolfenstein
If you can't tell, there's been only two PC games this year that have really sucked my time: Wolfenstein and Max Payne. Choosing betweent the two is tough, but once I was done with Payne, I was done. Wolfenstein is about the multiplayer community, and I think I'll be playing it for a long time to come.
Console: Halo
The sheer fun of The Silent Cartographer level explains it all. Levels that feel like a war, with a setting with it's own set of rules. (Sticky grenades and plasma weapons alike)
Best Driving Game
Console: Gran Turismo 3
Just great. Racing defined. Even if I suck at it.
Best Multiplayer
PC: Return to Castle Wolfenstein
No shocker. Play through a level of The Depot with 64 other people and tell me this ain't great!
Console: Halo
For co-op. Why this isn't included in other games is still shocking to me...(Max Payne, GTA III, and Metal Gear Solid 2 would have all improved if they included this.) Regular multiplayer is weak, but co-op cancels that out.
Worst Game of the Year
Console: Jeremy McGrath Supercross World
Yuck...
Most Disappointing
Console: NFL Fever 2002
I know I was really let down by this game, but what the hey, it's not bad enough to be called the worst of the year.
That surprisngly took a long time to do. Pick and choose if you want to.

 

[Romier S]

Best Graphics
Halo
I cant get over how great this game looks!! I can just stand around and move the flash light over the walls and be in total awe. The bump-mapping is phenominal. The character models are top notch and overall the only other game that can come close if DOA3.
Runner ups:
Dead or Alive 3
Metal Gear Solid 2
Best Music
Metal Gear Solid 2
The music is by far the best part of this game. The opening to Metal Gear Solid 2 wouldn't be anywhere near as pulse pounding if it wasn't for Harry Gregson-Williams soundtrack.
Runner ups:
Silent Hill 2 RD
Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance
Best Sound
Silent Hill 2 Restless Dreams
No game this year used sound anywhere near as effectively as this game. The sound is just as important as anything you are looking at on the screen. From the slimy creature crawls to the moans and yells of dying victims to the simple ambiance noises in the background. It makes the tension near unmanageable.
Runner ups:
Halo (5.1)
GTA 3
Best Acting/Voice Work
Soul Reaver 2
This game should have been a movie. The voice acting is uniformly excellent. Michael Bell is fantastic as usual. Special honors should go to Simon Templeton (sp?) as Kain. He truly brought the character to life. Although I will admit to it getting a little over the top as the game progressed the voice acting was always professional, emotional and believable.
Runners ups:
Metal Gear Solid 2
Oddworld Munch's Odysee (Hey whats happenin!)
Best In-Game Cinematics
Final Fantasy X
I didn't much care for the game personally but I have to give credit where credit is due. The cinematics are the best around. Square can always be counted on for production value and they dont falter here. Absolute eye candy!
Runner ups:
Silent Hill 2 RD
Resident Evil Code Veronica (PS2)
Best Story
Silent Hill 2 Restless Dreams
Did you even have to ask? I was enthralled from the minute James sighed in the bathroom to the minute I got to the shocking ending. Replaying the game and getting the multiple endings makes it that much better as you get further pieces of the puzzle. The extra Maria Scenario on this version adds even more (though not much) to the overall story.
Runner ups:
Resident Evil Code Veronica (still excellent!)
Halo
Coolest Feature in a Game
Grand Theft Auto 3: The ability get an army of cops on your ass!! That never gets old. I could spend hours killing cops and running from them without ever getting anything done(its no wonder I'm no where near beating the game!!)
Runners up:
Metal Gear Solid 2 (chin ups to increase the grip ability)
Halo (Flying the banshee...Damn that was cool!)
Best Controls
Devil May Cry
No game should be this much fun to play!! After you play for about an hour I swear the controller becomes an extension of your arm. I am close to beating the game now and I can say without a second thought this game has some of the best controls EVER!
Runner ups:
Metal Gear Solid 2
Castlevania Cirlce of the Moon
Most Innovative
Pikmin
As stated earlier, only Miyamoto! Damn fun game. I love sending those little buggers to attack. It never gets old. I hope people dont dismiss this game and actually give it a chance. It quite different and addictive.
Runners up:
Oddworld Munch's Odysee
Devil May Cry (a 3D game with 2d tendancies! Love it)
Best Action Game
Halo
uh...nothing else needs said
Runner ups:
Devil May Cry
Max Payne
Metal Gear Solid 2
Best Sports Game
Dont play sports games so "No Comment"
Best Fighting Game
Guily Gear X
WOW! I was extremely impressed with this game. I must admit to not having played many fighting games this year but by far this was best. Great graphics and really addictive gameplay.
Runner ups:
DOA3
Best Strategy Game
Oddworld Munch's Odysee
Dont know if many would consider this strategy but I sure do. This being my first experience in the Oddworld universe I am highly impressed. Absolutely adorable and charming characters that you just cant help falling in love with combined with top notch gameplay, resource building, and some good noggin workout.
Runner ups:
Pikmin
Best Driving Game
Gran Turismo 3 A-spec
Could it be the huge number of cars? Maybe the astounding graphics? The soundtrack? YES! and it happens to play damn good too. This is just THE top notch racing game this year. I personally am awful at racing games but this one has kept me going (though no where near 100% yet:frowning:.)
Runner ups:
Project Gotham Racing
Daytona USA (DC)
Best RPG
Phantasy Star Online
My first MMORPG and still one of my favorites. Sega came through with this one. Is it a bit repetitive? Yes. Is it funner than hell? HELL YES! OAR Avengers unite!
Runner ups:
Final Fantasy Chronicles
Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance
Best Sim Game
Dont play them. "No Comment"
Best Multiplayer Game (all Genres)
Halo
Nothing like Co-op Halo, and the deathmatch modes are nice too!
Runner ups:
Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance
Phantasy Star Online
Worst Game of the Year
Obiwan
I had allot of hopes for this game. I wanted to like it so much. The first couple of levels were decent but it just got worse and worse. Horrible game and my pick for worst of the year (not having played kabuki warriors)
Runner ups:
Mummy Returns (PS2)
Star Trek Voyager Elite Forces (PS2)
Most Disappointing of the Year
Metal Gear Solid 2
Why is this here? I gave so many other awards to the game or had it listed as a runner up right? Well the gameplay, graphics, soundtrack all were fantastic but the story just fell apart horribly at the end. It just really nullified the rest of the game (which was going quite well story wise mind you). Also I was terribly disappointed at not being able to play as Snake through the whole game.
Once I finished the game I understood why Raiden was there and I honestly enjoyed playing him but this is Snakes story and I wanted the mullet having bad ass back!
Just my opinion.
Game of the Year
Silent Hill 2 Restless Dreams
As stated in other threads. I just love this game. It exceeded every expectation I had of it and I have played through the game about 10 times now. The story, graphics and sound all come together to make this an experience. Let me reiterate..this isn't a game, its an experience.
Runner ups:
Halo
Ill do another of these for my PC pics soon.

 

[Dean DeMass]

Here are my Best's........
Best Graphics:
Halo (X-box)
Runner up: Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron 2 (Gamecube)
Best Music:
Metal Gear Soild 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)
Runner Up: Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 (PS2)
Best Sound:
Silent Hill 2 (PS2/X-Box)
Runner up: Halo (X-Box)
Best Acting/Voice Work:
Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
Runner up: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)
Best In-Game Cinematics
Final Fantasy X (PS2)
Runner up: Silent Hill 2 (PS2/X-box)
Best Story:
Silent Hill 2 (PS2/X-Box)
Runner up: Twisted Metal: Black (PS2)
Coolest Feature in a Game:
Bullet Time in Max Payne (PC)
Runner up: Own music in games (X-Box)
Best Controls
Max Payne (PC)
Runner up: Devil May Cry (PS2)
Most Innovative:
Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
Runner Up: Max Payne (PC)
And the genre's:
Best Action Game:
Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
Runner up: Halo (X-Box)
Best Sports Game:
NFL2K2 (PS2)
Runner up: Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 (PS2)
Best Fighting Game:
Super Smash Bros.: Melee (Gamecube)
Best Sim Game:
Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
Best Driving Game
Gran Turismo 3
Runner up: Project Gotham Racing (X-Box)
Best RPG
Final Fantasy X
Best Multiplayer Game (all Genres)
Day of Defeat (PC)
Runner up:Halo (X-Box)
Some categories only had one entry because that was the only game I played in that category.
As far as my most innovated, I know GTA3 is nothing new compared to 1 and 2, but GTA3 did take it to the 3D world, plus, there was nothing really innovating this year.
-Dean-