Game of the Year Awards

Each year all the video game websites do their game of the year awards.  They talk about the good the bad and the ugly games of each year and then award the coveted Game of the Year to their favorite game of that year.  I figured I'd take a stab at it with 2009 just about in the books I've taken a look back at the games I've played this year and decided the winners for each category.

 

The categories are as followed...

• Best game of 2009 that came out in '08 -  Awarded to the best video game I played this year that was released last year.
• Best PS3 Game -  Awarded to the best PS3 Game
• Best PSN Game - Awarded to the best PSN game
• Best PSP Game - Awarded to the best PSP game
• Game of the Year - Awarded to the best game of 2009

 

I thought long and hard about each category and flipped around a bit on which game I wanted to give what award.  The PS3, PSN and PSP all had some stellar titles and quite honestly narrowing down to one game was very tough.  From games like Uncharted 2 and Demon's souls to games like Shatter and Critter Crunch.  With that being said lets get started....

 

Best game of 2009 that came out in '08

 

WipEout HD was released in September of 2008 and at a price of 20 bucks I couldn't pass it up.  I never had experienced a WipEout game before and this one was shaping up to look great.  While I didn't get a chance to play it a lot back in 2008 this year I picked it back up and played more WipEout that probably most other games that came out this year. 

 

I absolutely love this game, the races are great and zone mode is quite possibly one of my favorite game modes of any game this gen.  WipEout HD supplied me with an immense amount of gameplay both offline and online.  It's one of few games that I feel like I could play forever and with the Fury add on pack released a few months ago the amount of content available is second to none.  WipEout HD is not only an absolutely beautiful game to watch but it's also one of my favorite games to play on the PS3.

 

Best PS3 Game

 

Demon's Souls blew me away.  Having originally pushed the game to the side thinking it looked mediocre at best something happened just a month before it's release.  I began hearing things about Demon's Souls, learning more and more about the gameplay I became very intrigued.  While not thoroughly convinced by the multiplayer concept being introduced I quickly became excited to get my hands on what many people were raving about....and then I played it.

 

Demon's Souls has been called frustratingly difficult and many other things revolving around the difficulty.  I'm here to tell you that if you haven't played this game yet then you need to ignore the difficulty claims.  Demon's Souls is an absolute must play for any PS3 owner and quite possibly one of the best PS3 games to date.  The multiplayer aspect brings this game to life as you'll enter a world that you've never experienced before in a game.

 

Things like seeing another player's ghost for the first time or touching your first blood stain really sink in the feeling that Demon's Souls gives you.  You'll often feel like the task before you is impossible.  However you'll overcome and be awarded for doing so.  Demon's Souls is a hard game...but it's also one of the most enjoyable experiences I had in years.

 

Best PSN Game

 

Critter Crunch is a puzzle game that has you controlling a character named Biggs.  You'll feed small flies to large critters in order to create food chains for more points.  Apart from being one of the best looking and animated PSN games out there Critter Crunch is an absolute blast to play and even better with a friend.  The game has a lengthy campaign that'll have you laughing quite often and offers a puzzle, challenge and online mode to test your skills.

 

Critter Crunch might just be one of the best games on the PSN and is most definitely a must own for any PS3 owner out there, to put it bluntly, if you have a PS3 and do not have this game, you are missing out on a lot and need to go buy it now. 

 

Best PSP Game

 

Now having just got a PSP for Christmas I haven't been able to play a LOT of PSP games.  Having been able to play about 3-4 PSP games that came out this year however there was one in particular that stuck out the most.  Half Minute Hero provided me with countless hours of pure fun.  We've gotten sucked up in games that have immensely deep gameplay elements and can sometimes get way too complicated.  Half Minute Hero sticks to a simple, yet crazy, concept and nails it from all angles. 

 

With 30 seconds to save the world in each mission you're given a game that, perfect for handhelds, allows for quick play sessions.  While at the same time will have you not wanting to ever put the game down.  Half Minute Hero gives you loads to do and will have you coming back for me even after beating it just to beat your record time on each stage.  I may not have been able to play a lot of PSP games this year but Half Minute Hero is my favorite by far.

 

Game of the Year

 

Choosing game of the year is a tough job.  With so many great candidates it ultimately comes down to what matters to the person choosing the winner the most.  For some it's graphics, others the multiplayer and sometimes it's how well the game inovates.  For me Game of the Year should be a game that maybe takes an old formula and brings it to life in all new ways.  It's a game that introduces things that games have never tried before and doing them well.  Game of the Year should be a game that above all else you would choose to play again and again. 

 

It was a very difficult decision as two particular games really fit the mold for what a game of the year should be.  There was however one game that caught me completely off guard this year.  Seemingly coming out of no where this game quickly became a hit not only with many reviewers but also many gamers alike.  While some ranted about the difficulty others defended it for it's inovation.

 

Demon's Souls is an absolutely fantastic game and one that thankfully did not go unnoticed.  After completing it I was given one of the most satisfying feelings as if I had truly conquered the world of Boletaria.  Demon's Souls innovated on so many levels and things just worked with the game.  Looking back if there is ONE game that I am very happy to have given a chance this year it it easily Demon's Souls.  Quite possibly one of the best PS3 games to date and my personal Game of the Year