GOTY 2008 - NTSC-uk reader votes and comments

[charlesr]

Hi all

Please list the following for games released in 2008:

GOTY (in order):
1
2
3

Most disappointing:

Game everyone should have played but probably didnt:

Also, please big-up your choices with some text - we'll pick some of the comments and include them in the GOTY feature.

[toythatkills]

Games:

1) Loopop Cube: Lup * Salad DS
2) Braid
3) Persona 4

Most disappointing:

Game everyone should have played but probably didnt: Loopop Cube: Lup * Salad DS

I'll edit some comments in later when I've read some other peoples posts so I can make sure I haven't forgotten a game

[Kaladron]

GOTY (in order):
1 Valkyria Chronicles
2 LittleBigPlanet
3 Gears Of War 2

Most disappointing:Sonic Unleashed

Game everyone should have played but probably didnt:The World Ends With You

[capcom_suicide]

1.) Mirrors Edge

A real breath of fresh air that whilst not being perfect, it does such an amazing job of making you feel like a "Free runner" in a highly stylised and vibrant world.

Mirrors Edge reminds me so much of how gaming used to be. The best I can relate to is Ghouls n Ghosts or maybe Sabateur on the speccy. The enjoyment IS THE GAME! The mastering of the levels, the feeling of getting better & better, and the the joy of sailing through places that were so hard the first time around.

Many of us have limited game time, and storming through 10 games a month on Normal setting has some enjoyment. But when you find a game that "Clicks", my god the replay value is sooooo much more of a buzz.

Special mention to Dice for trying some new IP and moving the industry forwards.


2.) Dead Space

This game succeeds in scaring to the highest degree, and much of that is down to lighting & audio.
Take the "Decomtamination" section. You have a gut feeling that something bad will happen. You are edgy, but the lights are on. You scope the places things may happen. The windows... the doors... any vents?
The it kicks off, with screaming heart chilling sounds and the best lighting in the world of video games goes from Light to some kind of physcaldelic stobe world, you heart is pumping, you are trying to use the flash light to spot the monsters. Where are they? Left right, ****, it's on the ceiling! Statis blast, 1-2-3 limbs off and dead, oooh no! There's another coming from behind ! Run to the corner, turn Statis blast! ****, no more energy for stais, plasma run out, switch to flame thrower! Light these bitches up! Electrical particals dancing, water drops bouncing from your armour (Fantastic effect!) fire balls exploding around you, creatures burning and screaming, reds and yellows adding to the complex lighting of the scene, shadows dancing all around you, your breathing getting faster and faster! Then it's over. The door unlocks, and the lighting returns, but at backup levels with the yellow neon being intersected by occasional bright sparks of energy. The dimm hummmm of the spaceship comes back and in the distance you hear the faint sounds of a door closing and opening.
Time to move on, and you are completely and utterly immersed in this sci fi horror world.
This game is absolutly stunning, keeping the level of excitement right the way to the climatic end.

3.) GTAIV

Completed my first run through with 73% and 45 hours. I think with restarts and messing about you could easily say 50 hours.
My first GTA game for any proper playtime & I absolutly loved it. I loved the combat, the missions, the side quests, the story the visuals and the AWESOME scale of the city. Can't wait for the DLC.

On the fence:

I'm only 5 hours into Fallout3, but if the game continues to drag me in, this could actually be my GOTY, but it's too early to be sure.

DISSAPOINTMENT:

Haze. I wanted it to be better. The demo was worrying. The full game was so bad I didn't even bother to post in first play.

Game everyone should have played but probably didnt:

Mirrors Edge. Poor sales and a drop to £15 still haven't shifted many copies. Come on people run & buy!

[SuperBeatBoy]

1) Fallout 3 - Huge fallout fan, it completly delivered in every department. I really need to go back to this and play it differently.

2) Prince of Persia - Completly loved it, from beginning to the end. So much so, i maxed out the gamerpoints. Can't wait to see whats in store for the next one.

3) Braid - Really inventive a new take on the platforming genre. Love it or loath it, not everyone will like the story, but it was well written and you can look into it as much as you want. Always giving you and many others a unique take on it.

Most dissapointing:

Mirror's Edge. It was probably my most looked forward to game last year. It completly undelivered in all my expectations.

If it wasn't Mirror's Edge it would have been Little Big Planet. The platforming was rubbish and boring aswell as the dull ethnic music. Completly overrated.

Game everyone should have played:

Disaster: Day of Crisis - Fun classic style game on the Wii. Mixes up alot of different wii controls. It shouldn't work, but it does.

[ezee ryder]

1. Metal Gear Solid 4 - What a game! The amazing final chapter in the story of the legendary and iconic Solid Snake. Graphically it is a tour de force, one the best looking games on this generation of consoles. Engaging, engrossing and, at times, emotional. Hideo Kojima does it once again, the blend of cinematics with gameplay is pure perfection. Not only is it my game of the year for 2008, it is my most loved game in the MGS series which makes it my favourite game of all time.

2. Dead Space - A new original IP from EA, who would have though it?! Wait, not only that, it is actually good....really good. Almost every section of the game manages to be genuinely atmospheric and chilling. Oh yeah, the scary monsters help too! The sheer panic that sets in when you get surrounded by multiple monsters isn't a great feeling but that is what they game wants you to feel! All this aided by some superb graphics and a pretty decent story. Some will say it take elements from other games but what Dead Space does different is that it makes each of those elements its own. Top game.

3. Mirror's Edge - A free-running game in a first person view, shouldn't really work should it?! Mirror's Edge shows that it can be done, and it can be done really well. The run and jump gameplay is combined with a distinctly unique and colourful visual style, it really adds something to the tone of the game. The combat might be flawed but sheer joy and satisfaction you get when you get that perfect run together is something that probably no other game in 2008 gave me. Bring on ME2!

Most Disappointing - Too Human

Game everyone should have played but probably didn't - Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

[rmoxon]

1) Gears Of War 2 - This is a game I know I will still be playing for years to come, and I play alot of games, so its not somthing I say llightly. Although the Campaign is great and the deathmatch is as good as ever the reason Ive put this top is becuase of Horde. Horde mode is probabaly the best idea, and mode, ever conceived for a video game and the reason this disk will feature reguarly in my 360 until Epic release a sequel.

2) Valkyria Chronicles - I was actualy thinking of putting this first but Gears just edged it, JUST. I really dont think any other game has combined both the action and stategy genres quite like this, nevermind turned them into an RPG on top of it. Its original, the balance of the said genres is perfect and the story is pretty damn great too. The english voice acting is quite awful, luckily the original japanese voices are included and they make alot of difference.

3) World Of Goo - Perhapse slightly derivative of games like Lemmings, but yet still absolubtley Genius. Such a charming game and its impossible not to love it.

Most Disapointing: Resistance 2 - Not that fun to play at all really becuase instead of genuine challenge the game just throws hoards of over powered enemies at you and requires luck to get through every single firefight. Was a HUGE let down.

Game everyone should have played but probably didnt: No More Heroes - Although i'm sure most people on here played it, I doubt many of the general public actualy did. Probabaly far too quirky for most people but a truley unique and fun game, even if the UK version had no blood.

[12-51-00]

Game of the Year:

1. LittleBigPlanet was truly everything it was hyped to be. Forget that "Play, Create, Share" rubbish though, what really shined for me was the creativity of the developers. Their game was a breath of fresh air and each level they created fun and a joy to play.

2. Bioshock (PS3) I'm hardly an authority on First-Person-Shooters, infact this was my first. but I feel confident in saying that Bioshock is in a league of it's own. Stylistically this game is just perfect. From the sprawling underwater art deco metropolis to the retro metal Goliaths that roam it, every little detail in Bioshock is lovingly designed and all just fits perfectly.

3. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom wasn't groundbreaking or even that great of a game but as a self confessed geek it just ticked all my boxes.

Most disappointing:

Pro Evo 2009 wasn't a bad game but the PS3 version's lack of trophy support left me feeling cold.

Honourable mention also goes to Professor Layton whose lack of availability put me off the series forever.

Game everyone should have played but probably didnt:

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift: This wasn't just brutal off-road racing, it was a festival of motorsport on a Pacific Island Paradise so breathtakingly beautiful that I'm actually saddened it's not real...

[MrMarbles]

GOTY (in order):

1. Left 4 Dead

Over a month on and I'm still thinking about this game whenever I'm not playing it. Every other lunchtime at work was spent playing this, every other evening after work was spent playing this, every other hour of my Christmas hols have been spent playing this. It's the first game that's hooked me into happily playing over Xbox Live with/against strangers in three years of owning a 360. It's the first game that I've ever bought on PC purely to play whilst I'm at work as I don't have a PC at home.

The joy you feel when successfully beating the odds, the adrenaline that pumps through your veins when you're fighting through screen-filling hordes of zombies to reach your fallen comrade, the utter smugness you experience when you tongue a backtracker with a Smoker as your team-mates simultaneously ambush the other three Survivors... it all adds up to an incredible gaming experience.

And I'm sure I'm not the only one who's played this so much that they've seen Hunters crouching and leaping as they drift off to sleep.

This game is frankly brilliant and, in terms of fun, it's a league above everything else I've played this year. And fun is what gaming's all about.

2. Rock Band 2

I'm one of the biggest Harmonix fanboys you'll come across, so my love of Rock Band 2 was pretty much assured. However, the game fully justifies my adulation - the seamless integration of the RB1 songlist and every DLC song is the key to its brilliance; from the off I had nearly 500 songs to play through and - thanks to the No Fail mode - the wealth of songs makes it an essential party game. The note charts are brilliant for the most part, the menus are intuitive and easy to navigate, the Battle of the Bands and Challenges are excellent additions that provide respite from the World Tour mode and the presentation is tremendous.

It's a refinement of the first Rock Band for sure, but that's all anyone wanted; the fact that even the first year-old Rock Band puts GH: WT to shame (in my opinion, natch) speaks volumes of what Harmonix have achieved with this platform and with music games in general.

3. GTA IV

People say it's overrated but I disagree completely. The game world that Rockstar North created is incredible - it's so complete, so real, so gritty, you can easily find yourself completely consumed by the experience. Some of the missions were incredible, the car handling was fun, the characters were great, the voice-acting was solid. It was the sheer scale that impressed - so much was packed into the experience; if anything there was too much to do, resulting in that pang of guilt as you had to turn Roman's offer of a drink down in order to complete a mission in hand.

The entire experience was a sum of so many small parts, and it all held up magnificently, rarely buckling at any point. The online component faltered under the strain at launch, but Cops and Crooks and the co-op missions were great experiences when they worked.

There is so much to admire with this game, so many little bits to take away from it. And, y'know, even the biggest nay-sayers have to admit that GTA IV mimics being drunk better than anyone.

Most disappointing: Prince of Persia

The trailers for this looked sublime but, ultimately, the game ended up an entirely pedestrian affair that failed to stir my loins on any level. The auto-pilot training wheels were far too prominent, the player interaction far too minimal, the characterisation far too stilted and the game was far too reliant on QTE mechanics removing any semblance of skill from the exploration. The game lacked fun - you find yourself going through the motions of collecting light seeds but rarely enjoying it.

There was the odd glimmer of hope - escaping from a crumbling building being a particular highlight - but when the achievement you receive for reaching the highest point in the game world is gained by conducting a series of magic-plate QTE's rather than actually utilisiing any kind of free-running/climbing skill, you know something's gone wrong somewhere.

Most depressing of all is that it just feels like the final nail in Sands of Time's coffin. I'd have much preferred this to have been an entirely new franchise rather than a rebooting of Prince of Persia.

Game everyone should have played but probably didn't: Soul Bubbles

I don't know anyone else who actually bought this which is quite shameful considering I know at least twenty people with a DS. It is such a lovely game to play - soothing for the soul and the perfect antidote to all of the high-octane games available elsewhere. The controls feel perfect, with every single stylus interaction feeling spot on - slicing bubbles and joining them back together feels exactly how you'd want it to and navigating around the levels is a joy.

The level design too is very solid, full of secret areas and gentle puzzles. In fact, the difficulty curve of this is very slight, allowing the player to make swift progress, but it all feels completely delightful and fills you with such satisfaction and happy thoughts.

Lovely, lovely, lovely.

[briareos_kerensky]

GOTY
1. Valkyria Chronicles. What strikes first is the incredible art style that makes you forget about the steryle, technology-driven approach of some titles; then you notice how solid the gameplay is and how it sucks you in even after withnessing a not-so-stellar storyline; and finally you notice something that many titles lack: the pure love of the developing team for their project and how much effort they put to bring this game to what it is.
2. Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard. Taking steps into a dungeon has never been so much fun. Heroes of Lagaard rebalances classes already present in the first game, adds new ones, improves the map making interface and builds and incredibly deep and challeging experience to keep the player glued to the little handheld for months hoping to get on top of the many perils the Labyrinth hosts.
3. De Blob. One of the few really noteworthy third-party entries in the Wii lineup this year, De Blob is a simple yet incredibly fun game that doesn't abuse of the Wii capabilities, favoring a rather standard approach to gameplay; its particular art style makes it one of the most pleasing games of the Wii.

Most disappointing: Heavenly Guardian.
Poor weapon balancing, bad level design, inaccurate hit boxes, frustrating difficulty curve even for a game supposed to be hard, story and art direction suffering from legal issues in Japan further worsened by a low-budget western release: this all sums up to a poorly executed shoot 'em up with no redeeming factors.

Game everyone should have played but probably didn't: Rondo of Swords.
One of the many turn-based strategy games came out for the DS this year, RoS is noticeable for its interesting battle system and engaging story.

[egparadigm]

I don't think I can actually vote this year. I think I may have actually played 3 new games, but none of them really caught my imagination. Excellent examples of the genre they may have been, but more of the same also.

2008 is a new game "meh" from me.

EDIT: Oh, wait.. Forgot one awesome game:

1. Lost Winds!

The game that everyone should have played but probably didn't: Okami (Wii)

I've nominated this for GotY for the last two years running. In 2006 it wasn't nominated in sufficient numbers because it was only released in the US; in 2007 it didn't win because it was only released in the EU; thus splitting the vote. Since I haven't played it on Wii, I can't nominate for my GotY.

I hear that this version was somewhat inferior to the PS2 game, but even if it's slightly poorer, it's still one of the best games ever made and head and shoulders above anything else in the genre (Zelda not withstanding).

[Red Hogg]

Edit - see page 7.

[Mad Gear]

When does the voting finish Charles?

[ShadowDancer]

GOTY.

1. LittleBigPlanet. Every so often in the gaming world, something special comes along. Never in all my life have I fallen so in love with a game, save maybe Mario. This game is GOTY by a country mile. Nothing has came close.

The visuals and art are funny, quirky, spooky and gorgeous. Beautiful music throughout the single player campaign. Could it get any better? Yes! play other peoples creations and hook up with upto four players. Nothing comes close to this.

2. Athough about a year old, No More Heroes is one heck of a game. As it came nearer release, it was thought that the main part of the game would be the assassin gig. Wrong..the earning money, searching around in the hub world, for various objects including clothes and doing side missions were great. I almost enjoyed that particular part as much as the assassin gigs.

3. Another early 2008. Whilst not living up to the standard that R6V1 set, which most people seem to think, I think it surpassed it on all levels. Most importantly the core gameplay. I played this game from the off (SP Campaign) when finished as it was that good. Looked gorgeous too. Some nice colours going on.

Dissapointment 2008. Perhaps..whilst I enjoyed Wario Shake Dimension, It was far too short. Sure, platformers especially 2D can work well in a un lengthy game, this did need a bit more. The collecting added to it, without contradicting myself, but in all honesty, it need 2 more worlds.

The game that people probably missed. Castlevania Order of Ecclesia.
A return to form I thought. Although, this does have divided opinion. It is without a doubt worth playing through at least once. I know Castlevania has a fanbase, but the First Play thread here is still short and with divided thoughts.

[Concrete donkey]

With fewer games played this year than any other there?s not much competition for game of the year from me. I just would not have believed while playing it that GTA IV wasn?t it.

GOTY (in order):
1. Fallout 3

It took me a while to warm to this game once I stepped out of the vault. The dark and desolate wasteland was a definite shock to the system after playing the beautifully crafted Fable 2 for a few weeks, but warmed up to it I did taking the game in slowly and absorbing as much of it as I could. I?ve come to realize while playing this that it?s neither graphics or gameplay that is the most important thing I look for in a game. Though much of this game looks good it pales in comparison to others. It has it?s frame rate issues, the occasional low draw distance and I?m still playing games in Standard Definition (though on a very nice and big tv). Controls are often fidgety, especially with a control pad during combat. Voice acting isn?t brilliant and level design isn?t always perfect and will no awards for. But what it does have is atmosphere and it has that is spades. It created a world I wanted to be involved in, a world I wanted to help save, listening out to reports of my exploits on the Radio or tales of me repeated by children. Sometimes it is the smallest of things, the tiny details that make or brake a game and for long as the atmosphere held, I wanted to be a part of it.

2. Civilization Revolution.

I was tempted to put this at number one because I doubt anyone else would have this in their top 3 (seemingly ignored on Eurogamers lists at least.)

I?ve always had a special love for Civilization games and a weakness to them and while I don?t have a working gaming PC available to me right now, a console version no matter how watered down or cut would have been a god send.

Civ Rev is not a watered, cut down Civ though. It?s as if they took all the addictive qualities of Civilization, all the strategy and all the fun and made it more potent, more addictive and much more intense. It doesn?t have that epic play one game for weeks feel about it but for me it was a play ten games a week. I just couldn?t let it go and the shorter matches allowed me to experiment much more than I used to. Even being the first and only game I've ever got 1000 achievement points for I still couldn't stop playing it for a few weeks afterwards, even going as far as playing the game on a second profile to collect the achievements again. I think when I eventually get back to playing Beyond the Sword it will be quite a different experience to last time. An absolute brilliant conversion to consoles and can?t wait for more.

3. GTA IV.

What can I say about GTA IV. As a fan of the series since the PC demo of the original first came out it means a lot to me to say this, the only one in the series I actually finished, is my favorite of the lot. Sure, there are things from GTA 3 I missed and could not believe they got rid off in much the same way there are things I still miss from GTA 1 and 2. But what is gained more than makes up for it. True, the whole city is not interactive. You can?t to go every bar, find new experiences on every street corner and learn the whole big city isn?t tailored for the gamers amusement. For me, this added to the depth of the game. How many of your town?s pubs and clubs do you frequently visit. How many Manhattan residents frequent every joint in Queens or New Jersey, experience every street of even their own little island? But in the end GTA IV was not about Liberty City, but about Niko Belic; the greatest video game character since Mario (or at least Lara Croft.) His character was gripping, humorous and his journey the core of the game. The game left me wanting not more GTA but more Niko Belic. For example, I?d love to play a first person shooter war game about Niko and the war he once fought in. Not since Final Fantasy VIII had I felt so attached to a scripted character.

Most disappointing: Can?t put anything here. Haven?t played much and of those I did none have disappointed. MGS 4 is the only game I couldn?t get into but I?m hopeful I might in due time and as I didn?t get on with MGS 3 that much it wasn?t really much of a surprise.

Game everyone should have played but probably didnt: Civilization Revolution again. Civ fans might ignore it for not being pure civ, though nothing could be further from the truth. Console players might ignore it for fearing it to be a boring soulless strategy game but it?s as intense as any shooter and has charm to spare.