XboxOZ360-Blog staff Game of The Year Awards:

Certainly some of the best game made it to the Nominations from our XboxOZ360-Blog Staffers in ’07. And their predictions for Most Anticipated Game for ’08 are interesting ones too, so take a peek, and let us know your thoughts as well . . . .

The Nominations for 2007 GOTY were:

• Call Of Duty 4
• BioShock
• Madden ’08
• NHL ’08
• The Darkness
• Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 –
• Carcassonne:
• Half Life 2: The Orange Box
• Forza 2
• Project Gotham Racing 4
• Assassin’s Creed
• Mass Effects
• Bomberman
• Tomb Raiders: Anniversary
• Madden ’08
• Guitar Hero 3
• Portal
• Team Fortress 2
• Skate
• TMNT – arcade
• Blue Dragon
  

Staff decided to do their own personal picks for the major Genre’s catergories for GOTY, and pick their Most Anticipated Game for ’08. So enjoy their ramblings and their picks, and please feel free to comment on their choices, and of course, offer yours . . .

What game/s do you think will come out on top in ’08 . .

dkpatriarch (David Hilton)

Game of the Year for 2007 –

dkpatriarch’s Reflections
Wow, what a year for Xbox 360 gaming. The beginning of the year was as usual slow (note to publishers for 2008: get games out throughout the year, not just the end!) but it picked up later and some quality games shone through with new ideas or advancements on old ones. Will this year be better? It just might be. The reason? Game makers know what kind of games have come before and what they need to achieve this year to capture our imagination (and our dollars).

And the Award goes to… Bioshock
Never has a game immersed me so much into another place and time. Atmosphere, both visual and auditory, make this game something special. Add to that great diversity of gameplay with the different plasmids and game choices and you have great gameplay as well. It takes 1st person shooters further.

“Most Anticipated Title for 2008″

My pick for 2008 is ALONE IN THE DARK.

This title has the potential to take the survival horror adventure game back to the forefront of gaming. Not since Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube has survival horror gaming been considered worthy of Game of the Year status, and I’m hoping Alone in the Dark, with its episodic approach and dark atmosphere, will knock off the usual 1st person shooter genre’s game for this title. That is if it finally gets released in 2008….

Best 1st Person Shooter: TIE: COD4 and Bioshock.
Best Tactical Shooter: GRAW 2:
Best Multiplayer Game: Call of Duty 4:
Best XBLA Game: Carcassonne:
Best RPG: N/A
Best Racer: PGR 4:
Best Storyline: The Darkness:
Best Adventure Game: Conan:
Best Value Game: Half Life 2 Orange Box.
Best Party or Family Based Game: Guitar Hero 3
Best Sports Game: NHL ’08
Best New Innovative Game: Assassin’s Creed:

DarkArmada (Lee Edgerton)

Game of the Year for 2007 –

DarkArmada’s Reflections
With 2008 now firmly under our feet and a carpet of upcoming games stretches off into the distance, it’s time for the annual, yet completely unofficial GOTY Awards for 2007. With so many great games across many genres, it’s hard to pool all my favourite titles into one basket. The beginning of 2007 started of pretty shaky, but by Q3 the year started gaining some momentum and by Q4 bank accounts were cleared out and houses mortaged just to keep up with the releases. And now, we are left with finding a needle in a stack of needles…

And the Award goes to… Mass Effect
This was a hard decision, with the likes of Bioshock, COD4 and Halo 3 all screaming to be named GOTY2K7, Mass Effect was the only game to completely and absolutely draw me into it’s world. Although these 3 titles above are all amazing, first rate games, each with their own badges of honour, it was within Mass Effect that Bioware was able to bundle all these plus’s into one. With amazing visuals, deep story and great replayability, I hereby crown Mass Effect, GOTY 2007.

“Most Anticipated Title for 2008″

My personal “most anticipated” – Splinter Cell: Conviction & Condemned 2

There is great choice for upcoming games this year. With Developers bringing huge IP sequels to the table, gaming is only going to get better this year… Some prime examples are Star Wars: Force Unleashed, Grand Theft Auto IV, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Condemned 2, Fallout 3 and Fable 2. Sequels are all the rage and with Dev’s now pushing the envelope in what their new iteration has to offer over the last, gamers are laughing all the way to the bank. Right now, I’d put my money on GTAIV as (globally) the most anticipated title in the mainstream… Rockstar has never failed to please with the GTA title and I think the fourth iteration will be no different. So I’ll give it to GTAIV, but my personal “most anticipated” – Splinter Cell: Conviction and Condemned 2, these two games have pre-booked space on my shelf.”

Best 1st Person Shooter: Bioshock
Best Tactical Shooter: GRAW2
Best Multiplayer Game: Call of Duty 4
Best XBLA Game: Puzzle Quest
Best RPG: Mass Effect
Best Racer: Forza 2
Best Storyline: Mass Effect
Best Adventure Game: Assassin’s Creed
Best Value Game: Half Life 2: Orange Box
Best Party or Family Based Game: Bomberman LIVE
Best Innovative Game: Mass Effect
Best Sports Game: N/A

Sith Lord Jim (James McIntyre)

Game of the Year for 2007

Sith Lord Jim’s Reflections
For me Game of the Year comes down to two simple things, fun and replayability. Game elements such as atmosphere, storyline, multiplayer are just factors that affect these two things for me. For example a convulted storyline will most likely detract from the amount of fun I am having with a game. So to me the best game of the year has to be an experience I had the most fun with for the largest amount of time.

And the Award goes to… Call Of Duty 4
Call of Duty 4. Without a doubt I believe this is one of the finest first person shooters to have ever graced our beloved console. With slick graphics, intense firefights, an engaging story, and a rewarding multiplayer experience that is sure to keep you coming back for more, this is not one that should be missed. Although the single player is a bit on the short side, the addictive multiplayer more than makes up for it. Call of Duty 4 is the greatest of a year filled to the brim with brilliance.

“Most Anticipated Title for 2008″

My personal “most anticipated” – Gears Of War 2

Gears of War 2. Even though at this stage it is only rumored to be coming out this year the thought of chain-sawing my way through some more locust hordes is incredibly appealing to me. As long as they stick to the same winning formula, but add a few new weapons, some more multiplayer game modes to keep things fresh, and flesh out the story a bit, this one will definitely be the Game of the year for 2008. I would give my brother’s own right arm for the opportunity to play this one. How about it Epic?

Best 1st Person Shooter: Call of duty 4
Best Tactical Shooter: Ghost Recon 3 Advanced Warfighter 2
Best Multiplayer Game: Team Fortress 2
Best XBLA Game: Bomberman
Best RPG: Mass Effect
Best Racer: Forza 2
Best Storyline: Bioshock
Best Adventure Game: Tomb Raider Anniversary
Best Value Game: Orange Box
Best Party or Family Based Game: Guitar Hero 3
Best Innovative Game: Portal
Best Sports Game: Madden ’08

Sutton Dagger (Steven Sutton)

Game of the Year for 2007 –

Sutton Dagger’s Reflections
Its been a fantastic year for 360 owners, a huge selection of top quality games hit the market, especially in the latter part of the year, affirming 2007 as one of the most memorable years for gaming in general. The top contenders all bring something different to the table, from undersea horrors too intergalactic holy wars, the games of 2007 demonstrate gaming has become a genuine art form. Though extremely hard to pick just one, it must be done.

And the Award goes to… Mass Effect
With breathtaking visuals, customizable characters, an immense universe to explore and probably the greatest voice acting and dialogue ever conceived for a game, I have no problems giving my vote to Mass Effect for GOTY for 07. With this being the first title in a trilogy we can only imagine what Bioware will deliver for its sequals.

“Most Anticipated Title for 2008″

My pick for 2008 is Banjo Threeie (Banjo Kazooie 3)
Though It might be considered a strange pick for 2008 I believe the Xbox 360 needs a quality title in this genre. Platforming games have mass appeal to both hardcore and casual gamers, if their is one duo who can knock Mario and Luigi of their platforming throne its Banjo and Kazooie. Im hoping Rare will deliver some of their classic, fun gameplay and bring back the enjoyable days of collecting jiggies.

Best 1st Person Shooter: COD4
Best Tactical Shooter: GRAW 2:
Best Multiplayer Game: Halo 3
Best XBLA Game: TMNT Arcade
Best RPG: Blue Dragon
Best Racer: N/A
Best Storyline: Mass Effect
Best Adventure Game: N/A
Best Value Game: Half Life 2 Orange Box.
Best Party or Family Based Game: Guitar Hero 3
Best Sports Game: Skate
Best New Innovative Game: Mass Effect

XboxOZ360 (Grant Smythe)

Game of the Year for 2007 –

XboxOZ360′s Reflections
An isain year for xbox360 gamers. So many choice of some excellent games. I spnd most of my time in Single Player, so judging and MP or Live game would be inappropriate, so I’ll just mention those games that appealed to me over the course of 2007. Games are advancing at a rapid rate,and many of use seem to miss the small things that can make a game stand out from the rest. Hopefully the GOTY Awards can have some reflect back on just what these games offered us

And the Award goes to… Call Of Duty 4
Usually I start a game, then come back to it . . . but this one had me hooked from the moment I dropped it into the 360. First time I played a game straight through and actually enjoyed it enough to start it all over again. The graphis are brilliant, and the sense of immersion in the Single Player Mode is very captivating. For me, this game definitely deserves the title GOTY ’07. Although, Forza 2 came close, and while I have put way more hours into Forza 2, it just didn’t have the intensity or the immersion that COD4 has.

“Most Anticipated Title for 2008″

My pick for 2008 is Frontlines Fuel Of War.

This is a title that will sneak in under the radar and surprise many. Having played the demo over and over manytimes, each with a slightly different way of doing it, it’s shownme that even at this early stage in its developement, the AI, grapphics and gamepolaye, even in Single Player, are going to be something that could shake up the scene in ’08. There are othes of course, such as Alone In The Dark, Saboteur that will challenge gamers and wil not be the usual run-n-gun or hack-n-slash style of gameplay. But Frontlines Fuel Of War stands out on top at the moment.

Best 1st Person Shooter: COD4
Best Tactical Shooter: GRAW 2:
Best Multiplayer Game: N/A
Best XBLA Game: N/A
Best RPG: N/A
Best Racer: Forza 2:
Best Storyline: Assassin’s Creed:
Best Adventure Game: Tomb Raider” Anniversary:
Best Value Game: Half Life 2 Orange Box.
Best Party or Family Based Game: N/A
Best Sports Game: N/A
Best New Innovative Game: Mass Effect:

© 2008 Grant Smythe

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