GOF Game of The Year 2008

[Littlefoot1616]

As 2008 draws to a close, we've seen a collection of great games released in the past 12 months. With all the gamer mags and online websites posting up their given choices for GOTY '08, what would you pick as the most iconic title of the gaming industry for 2008 and why?

(Please respect each other's choices. No bantering why one's better than the other. This is not a competition or full scaled award ceremony or anything...just what you personally think)

For me personally, I'd probably say Metal Gear Solid 4. The storyline is sublime, (connects pretty much every loose end in the series since the first ever Metal Gear back in 1986). The cinematics are great (if not a little too long at times), the action is excellent and the character portrayal is awesome. Hideo Kojima has vacuum sealed this series with a pinnicle ending that brought an iconic video game character whose popularity rivals that of greats like Mario, Sonic et al. It has great replay value (so many guns to collect!) and the online mode is a great addition (one I didn't actually see coming until it was almost here ) MGS4 is what I'd pick for 2008 GOTY!  

[Kor]

It is an old game, but the favorite one I played this year is Oblivion. It's a huge game.  Though it may not count since it is an old game.

[Mumbling]

PokÈmon mystery dungeon, explorers of time/darkness. It has got a very emotional storyline and quite some challenge in it too.

[Explorer]

I loved Super Smash Bros. Brawl from the beginning to the not-existant end. I wouldn't have to go far to say that this is my Game of the Year.

[LBTFan13]

Wow this is a very tough choice, because there are so many games to choose from.

For me, I would have to say Left 4 Dead. Sure the storyline may not be the best, but this is a game that doesn't require a good storyline to be interesting. What really makes this game shine are two things. First, the AI Director makes each playthrough a unique experience, so you will never find enemies in the same locations each time you play a level again. Second, the multiplayer is one of the most addicting I have ever played before. You go through the same levels as campaign mode, but you switch between humans and zombies. Playing as zombies is so much fun!

That's why I choose Left 4 Dead as game of the year!

[lbt/cty_lover]

I vote for SSBB. Best. Game. EVER!!!111!!one!1!!!!

[Spartanguy88]

My Game of the Year award goes to both Left 4 Dead and Gears of War 2. (IT'S A TIE!!!!! OMG!!!1eleven)

Left 4 Dead may not have a very strong story to it, other than four people trying to survive a zombie apocolypse. But it makes up for in co-op gameplay and the AI Director. Yes, you can play this game offline with 3 bots (or 2 if you're playing split-screen with a friend); but this game really shines online with friends. And the versus mode is very fun and competetive.

Gears of War 2 meanwhile exels in both single and multiplayer. The single player story is great to play through and multiplayer is a blast. With the player cap raised to ten, a ton of new modes and maps, and best of all, Horde mode; where you and up to 4 other players survive 50 waves of Locust. This game even has bots for offline players; and they're actually pretty good ones too.

Congrats to both Epic Games and Valve for making great titles.

[pokeplayer984]

I wanted to wait until the start of the new year to begin this list.

For my list, I'll be setting them up in different categories; Best Wii Game, Best XBox 360 Game, Best PS3 Game, Best Multi-Console Game, Best Handheld Game, Best Downloadable Game and Best Overall Game of the Year.

Best Wii Game: The little motion control powerhouse dominator has had quite a year. With quite a few games that came out this year, something that I really enjoyed this year, Mario Kart Wii! While Super Smash Bros. Brawl may've been a great fighting, I never got the chance to truly experience it's on-line battling, whereas Mario Kart Wii really got it right. It was great racing others on-line and I NEVER had as much fun with a racing game as I did this year. It's just a fun racing game that I'll continue to enjoy.

Best XBox 360 Game: This powerhouse has been great this year. Mine has yet to get the RROD, and with the fact that I only bought a few games for the thing, it's still tough to decide what I thought was best. In the end, I'd have to pick an odd one for such a list, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. I just love the bear and the bird duo, okay? I just absolutely LOVE them. I especially enjoy the games they come out with, and despite no longer being a platformer, I still enjoyed this and continue to do so. The clever dialouge and other things just made it great, not to mention I really liked building my own vehicles. I have yet to beat the thing, but it's a great game that I feel I should enjoy. Forgive me if I take all year to do so.

Best PS3 Game: Didn't play it this year. Sorry guys! However, my big brother has moved back in and brought his PS3 with him, so I'll get a chance to get some games and see what made it great. First stop this year, the gaming discount store.

Best Multi-Console Game: When a game hits it great on all three consoles, you know you have a winner. I'd have to go with Sonic Unleashed on this one. This was enjoyable through and through. You haters of Sonic can yell and scream all you want, but I'm sticking with this choice. It may've gotten frowns with the media, but they obviously don't see a good game anymore. The daytime levels really felt like a Sonic game, and the Nighttime levels were just as fun. I enjoyed it and that's what really counts.

Best Handheld Game: I didn't get many games for this thing so I really didn't get to enjoy all of the things that came out. However, there are still some great picks. In the end, my choice is Chrono Trigger. Definitely one of the best RPGs I ever played. I really like the storyline and I'm upset to see what it was that I missed back when it came out in the SNES days. I can't believe I missed this thing. I love the storyline and the easy touch command combat system. All of this and more just made it alot of fun.

Best Downloadable Game: Downloading was where it was at this year. So many games were on the cheap side, both old and new. In the end, I'll go with Mega Man 9. Everything I love about Mega Man was right in this little $10.00 download. Plus with all of the extra content I can get, man, what a great game it was. In the end, it was just a good, but tough game. Plus I can't wait to try out all of the achievements on it that are just automatically there on all three versions.

Best Overall Game of the Year: Becoming the absolute best of the best was not easy for any game this year. Gaming really hit it big, and where it seemed at times a downloadable game would win, it's good to see that the ones that came on a disc still won in the end. With so many great games to pick from, I'd have to go with... you know what, I really can't pick an overall best one. Sorry. It's a tie between several games I just really enjoyed. Sorry, I can't pick just one.

Well, that's my list.

[Petrie.]

Only thing I played is Wii Sports and the Sonic/Mario Olympic Games thing.  I did bowl a 300 on the sports game though.

[The Great Valley Guardian]

In my honest opinion Left 4 Dead is the GOF game of the year. The multiplayer aspect is great and even with a lack of a story line it is still a new addition to a classic genre of gaming.

[jedi472]

Brawl's number on for me, too. but the Force Unleashed is a close second.

[The Dark Patriot]

Me, I'd have to say Brawl as well. It's one of the few games I've found that have as good a multiplayer experience as a single player. That, and I just like beating people up with Bowser  

[Tobe]

Looking over my time spend on games...   Two rank pretty equally on the most played.

Fallout 3

Lost Odyssey


I'll have to say Fallout 3 simply due to it being Bethesda and the mods are already streaming out for it.


~Tobe