Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

Ugh, save us from "cinematic" games. Games are not movies, and the sooner the video game industry stops trying to ape Hollywood the better.

I really don't know what I would pick as GOTY. The entire exercise is kind of pointless, actually. I guess my default would be Dragon Age, but it's basically Baldur's Gate II with better graphics and a romance subplot, so I dunno.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

Uncharted 2 sucks. I've never played it, but it sucks!

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

I haven't played all these games, but I had a 1 month free trial to Gamefly last month, and I gotta throw my vote behind Batman AA. Just incredibly fun to play. Makes me wish I'd kept it for the entire month (sent it in after 2 weeks and played Brutal Legend the last 2 weeks, which was a major step down). I still have to go and pick it up, but I have a major backlog, so I'm waiting on a deal. (Wish I'd been awake at 3AM when the amazon lightning deal had it at 29.99 and the $10 Discover discount was in effect... I almost bit at 35 when it was Deal of the Day recently, but opted to wait.).

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

If you were talking about MGS-style cinematics, I'd agree with you, but not only are these cinematics beautifully rendered and well acted, they're like two minutes, tops. Besides the vast majority of the game dialog takes place while you're playing the game. Some is actually influenced by your actions. For example if you decide to jump into a swimming pool :
Those sort of moments are pretty awesome.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

So, what, like the same sorts of dialogue cues that were happening ten years ago in Bioware games? Or 15 years ago in Sierra games? That's your best example of the amazing groundbreaking nature of Uncharted 2? Sure, okay.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

What did you play the entire year that you didn't get to do anything innovative?

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

Dragon Age
NSMB Wii
Beatles: Rock Band
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Scribblenauts (okay, that one counts, but it's not a very good game)
Borderlands
Ghostbusters
Madworld

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. Didn't play Uncharted 2 but I just finished Uncharted and was fairly unimpressed, overall, and from what I've read the sequel is pretty much the same, just a lot prettier.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

IMO I don't think it's really fair to limit a Game of the Year choice to being "innovative" though. There are plenty of games that are innovative that still fail on being a good game. Like Tony Hawk's Ride, to use a convenient punching bag. ;) Ultimately though, it's all subjective and anybody can use whatever criteria they want for themselves I guess.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

Most innovative games tend to focus on the innovative part, and fail in other areas. Very rarely is a truly innovative game "game of the year". Rather, a later game (whether it be a sequel or a clone) builds upon the innovation from the first game and refines it.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

A game should above all else be entertaining. Innovation is good, but in and of itself, it doesn't make a game great.

I keep coming back to Uncharted 2 whenever I think of my game of the year. Assassin's Creed 2 is a close second, but Uncharted 2 gave me more amazing moments, a tighter story, better dialogue, and characters I enjoyed spending time with. The core gameplay was great and it was paced really well. It was the best gaming experience I can remember from the past year.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

Yeah, it's a good point. I jumped the gun by saying a game should only be innovative to be GOTY, mostly because I was reacting to all the Uncharted 2 circle jerking.

Giving GOTY to Uncharted 2 is like giving Best Motion Picture of 1977 to Star Wars.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

I disagree. Baldur's Gate II had its own romance subplot and, IMO, better graphics than Dragon Age.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

I would say that BGII had better art direction than Dragon Age.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

Dialogue cues is a strange example to use for innovative storytelling. It's been around forever.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

So you haven't played Uncharted 2 but you think it doesn't deserver GOTY awards.


But I agree about Star Wars.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

I never used it as an example of innovative storytelling. I would never profess that Uncharted 2 is in any way innovative -- it's just spectacularly well done and about as perfect a game as I've ever played. I just used it as an example of its unexpected humor. Rather than just have disjointed cut scenes that seem like they were from a movie and inserted into a game, this is a game where a lot of the dialogue and exposition is done during gameplay and in the context of the characters, their actions and their relationships to each other. If your criteria for GOTY is innovation above all else, then it surely isn't the one. For me it's the game that was the most fun, the most thrilling, the best looking, best controlling and the one I'll remember most fondly.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

I think Tracer's just in "rallying against the hype" mode. I don't have a PS3, but if I did Uncharted 2 is pretty much the first game I'd buy, based on the mad accolades.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

Which of course begs the question : Is Batman Arkham Asylum or Modern Warfare 2 the most like Annie Hall? I'd go with Batman because at least it has psychiatrists.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

I absolutely get this and agree.

A Metroid game with Batman is just about the perfect game for me. If this were any other year, it would have been my game of the year in a walk.

I played this and Uncharted back-to-back and both are probably in my top-10 all-time. Crazy.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

Added to OP. :)

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

DJ Hero is really close to making my GOTY as well. That thing was done right on many levels (multiplayer aside) AND it was innovative and new. Many things could've gone wrong with it, and didn't. That in itself may be it's biggest feat. (If only it would also get sales. :( )

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

I don't deny that the Uncharted games have fun gameplay and enjoyable dialogue. I just wonder about a game culture that elevates a serviceable B-movie of a game to GOTY status.

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

If this game had no story whatsoever, it would still be one of the best games this year. It's the best combination of shooting and platforming I've played with jawdroppingly cool environments and top-notch enemy AI. It also has a surprisingly good online component.

The absurdly high production values, acting, graphics and seamless storytelling are just icing on the cake, and you're making it sound like they are all the game has going for it. :lol:

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

-ohbfrank-

Re: 2009 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

I will reserve judgment until I get a chance to play the sequel, but I was under the impression that it was not very much changed from the original, and, well... it's a fun game, but it's not anywhere near the best.