Games of the Year

markpapadakis writes "Gamespot and Gamespy have released their top games for 2002. Gamespot features worse game of the year as well as some additional categories."

Comments

On a related note...

[sinnyin]

Be sure to check out the Shacknews GOTY awards.

I like this list better because it was created via poll results and not just editor opinions.

For those that don't want to click a lot ...

[angle_slam]

Here are the winners:

Gamespot:
Best budget game: Serious Sam: The Second Encounter
Most Improved Sequel: Hitman 2: Silent Assassin:
Biggest Surprise: Battlefield 1942
Best Game No One Played: Moonbase Commander
Best single-player action: No-One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way
Best Multiplay action: Battlefield 1942
Best Adventure: Syberia
Best Driving: Rally Trophy
Best RPG: Neverwinter Nights
Best Sci-Fi Simulation: Star Trek: Bridge Commander
Best Simulation: Flanker 2.5
Best Sports: Madden 2003
Best Single Player Strategy: Medieval: Total War
Best Multiplayer Strategy: Warcraft III
Game of the Year: Warcraft III
Most Dissapointing: Civ III: Play the World
Worst Game: Demonworld: Darl Armor

Gamespy:
Action Game of the Year: Grandtheft Auto III
Adventure Game: Syberia
RPG: Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Strategy: Medieval: Total War
Sports Game: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003
Racing: NASCAR Racing 2002
Game of the Year: No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way

Re:For those that don't want to click a lot ...

[Flambergius]

I hear ya!

A week or so ago I realized within myself a need - nay, a craving - to own a new computer game. After a furious search of several hours I was proud owner of Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Battle. It's a new game but it's build on engine of Sid Maier's Gettysbury (1998 I think). The best and most interesting game (aside of NWN) of last year is a four-year old re-heat? Later I came to think that I might have done better going with Syberia, but nevermind.

On the positive side, Neverwinter Nights. Yeah, SP isn't that spectacular, but why shouldn't NWN get points for trying to activate and empower users to make their own adventures. So user made content does suck most of the time, but so do most Open Source projects. (The ones that get a mission statement or early alpha into Freshmeat and then die. Also most bands formed suck too.) What more should Bioware have done? They can't make people make great games. Much like Linux, NWN is a tool and a process, and I for one am grateful to all who give me tools.

--Flam

Re:uhh HITMAN 2 anyone? anyone?

[Anonymous Coward]

I've played Hitman 1, and it sucked greatly. Among the sucky bits were these:

- Missions became impossible to complete by doing two interchangeable tasks in the wrong order.

- Bullet-proof enemies (the big guard in the long restaurant mission can only be killed by poison. His forehead is bulletproof.)

- No way to save. Missions that easily take an hour, yet trivial mistakes will make them impossible to complete. Great, play all of that again...

- Enemies have eyes in the back of their heads ("Weapon! Weapon!" when you sneak up behind them with a garotte).

- Getting stuck in doors. Especially annoying when trying to drag a body from view.

Did they fix any of this in part 2? If so I may give it a shot (hehe).

Downloadable demos? For console games?

[yerricde]

These lists would be a lot more useful if the editors made some effort to link to the games' official pages and especially to playable demos.

"Downloadable playable demos" applies only to PC platforms such as Windows (vast majority), Mac (very few), and Linux (fewer still). It does not apply to console platforms such as GBA, GCN, PS2, and Hbox. It may apply to the GP32 handheld system from Gamepark because Gamepark encourages homebrewing (and thus redistributable games) on the GP32 system.

I did find the Syberia demo, but I think its being slashdotted.

Cyberia (which may not be Syberia) was published by Interplay several years ago. Check the bargain bin or an online auction venue if you want to play Cyberia (which may not be Syberia).

Re:uhh HITMAN 2 anyone? anyone?

[libertarian]

Other than the stuck in doors bit, they did fix all of that.

Lee

Frogger did make the list...

[Xenex]

What's more, Konami Arcade Advanced did make it into GameSpy's GBA Game of the Year awards list. It's right here.

Whoever submitted this article only linked to the PC section, but they should have linked to the main page, which has awards for PS2, Xbox, GCN, GBA, PC, and 'Multiplayer'.

Macintosh Gaming

[Spencerian]

...does exist, and is alive and well for its size.

Since it's not really represented on either review page (for obvious reasons of market size), I'll throw in my $0.02 on selected games I've seen or played that were ported to Mac OS X this year. No real ranking except for overall value, out of 5 stars. (YMMV)

Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. (***-1/2) Nothing is more fun than the powers of a Jedi Knight with a lightsaber in a very realistic (for Star Wars) environment. AI isn't bad. Humor is prevalent. Single-player game is great--once. Not as strong a replay value, any mods out on the 'net notwithstanding. Needs very powerful hardware since this Q3A-derived game apparently had some hooks in its PC version that aren't available for Mac OS, despite the point that I had a more powerful G4 and video card than on a PC I used for playing that version. As a result, the game can lag in some maps. Multiplayer is good, especially since MP supports multiple processors. Combine with high-speed connection, and you're the Emperor.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein: (*****) Artful, authentic, realistic single-player. Great replay value since the diversity of how to accomplish a mission can be modified. Its multiplayer game shines brightest, with great maps and strong diversity in four soldier classes.

Medal of Honor II: Allied Assault: (*****). Just play the Omaha Beach at Normandy level to know the art that this game represents. Very good AI, ultra-realistic.

Other notables:
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (If you bought one for your PC, you have the Mac version, too)
No One Lives Forever
Soldier of Fortune II
The Sims: Hot Date
The Sims: Vacation

Best of 2001

[rirugrat]

A look back at last year's Gamespot's Best of 2001 Games shows Max Payne at #2 and Serious Sam: The First Encounter at #1. Since both games were published by the now-defunct GodGames, they are available at a huge discount.

Do yourself a favor and go to your local EB and pick up the Pack 5 Action Games which includes Serious Sam TFE, Heavy Metal 2 FAAK, Myth II, Oni and Rune for the grand total of $4.99! (Forget what the price says on the box, it will ring up less than 5 bucks). Serious Sam is a GREAT mindless shooter!

Also, Compusa had Max Payne for $4.99 right after Thanksgiving, so for less than $10 I bought the Top 2 PC games of last year and a whole lot more!

It pays to be a year behind the curve...

Chris

Re:DRM makes it ugly...

[Newtonian_p]

What about games made by Id? I've noticed that Id games, such as RTCW, don't require a CD check.

I remember that Quake 3 required it at first but then Id removed it with one of their updates.