Naveen KanagalingamThe Emmys of video gaming have come and gone. The awards were handed out, previews of hot upcoming games were screened and another great year of video gaming was wrapped up on Dec 12 2009 at the LA live complex in Los Angeles.
While, the Video Game Awards 2009 will only be screened Jan 16 on Animax Asia, we at UrbanWire know that the truly obsessed gamer already knows the results, and that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves snagged Game of the Year (GOTY) 2009.
Let’s take a look again at the winner and its contenders, picked by the awards Advisory Council, made up of industry experts from various publications such as GameTrailers.Com, Penny Arcade, IGN and GameSpot:
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves GOTY 2009
While many gamers will argue that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 should win GOTY, it’s disappointingly short campaign proved to be its downfall, as Uncharted 2 simply trounced it with its compelling and well thought out story.
Not only did Uncharted 2 win GOTY 2009, it received a record 8 nominations at the VGA 2009, where it eventually also bagged Best PS3 Game and Best Graphics.
Among Thieves is what every game should aspire to be – a complete package. Its single player mode is already entertaining enough, so it’s not surprising that the multiplayer mode just blows almost every other third person shooter away.
Although Naughty Dog failed to win Studio Of The Year, it has set the bar for video games exceptionally high as we go in to 2010. Meaning that gamers around the world can look forward to more video games with extremely high production values as developers scramble to make sure that future productions are up to scratch.
The original Uncharted introduced us to protagonist Nathan Drake, basically Indiana Jones without the whip or Lara Croft without the heavily endowed chest, and then enthralled us with beautifully crafted visuals, fantastically sculpted story, puzzling puzzles and over the top gunplay.
Since its release in October, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has returned to blow our minds away once again. Drake’s second adventure is bigger, better and more visually stunning than the last one.
The story picks up about 2 years later and the game starts midway through the story with him dangling from a train that’s dangling off a cliff. An epic way to start a game? I think so.
The plot is something straight out of an Indiana Jones movie, Nathan Drake is recruited by his old pal Flynn to help find Marco Polo’s fabled lost fleet. What ensues is an amazing tale of mystery, betrayal and romance.
The story’s twists and turns throughout the game will keep players guessing at the outcome till the end. The multiple changes in locales keep the game interesting and varied, and the pacing is laudable.
Of course, an epic tale deserves visuals to match and Naughty Dog delivers. Uncharted 2 is such a visual spectacle that it feels like a movie and sometimes I find myself forgetting that I have to move the character.
Most games that boast gorgeous graphics often frustrate players with long load times and lagging frames. Both are issues that Among Thieves doesn’t have.
Gameplay is similar to other action-adventure games such as Tomb Raider and Prince of Persia and requires you to jump, climb and shoot your way from point to point. There are also puzzles that Drake has to solve with the help of his journal. And if the puzzles are still too challenging for players, they can enable a hint system that will point them in the direction of the next objective.
All in all, Uncharted 2 would have been an amazing single player game, but Naughty Dog made it even better by including a multiplayer option, that quite honestly is so good I’d gladly have paid good money to purchase it as a stand-alone game.
The multiplayer mode plays as a third person shooter, but what makes it stand out is the “vertical” aspect of the game. Battles are not played on a horizontal field as players have the ability to scale buildings and shimmy from place to place to pop up behind opponents and slay them in a hail of gun fire, making this one of the most tactical multiplayer games ever.
Uncharted 2 is such an impressive product that G4’s Adam Sessler gave it a 5/5 and listed, “it has an ending” as the game’s cons.
The only issue I have with Uncharted 2 is that it’s probably the most compelling reason to own a PS3 because of its exclusivity to that console.
And the also ran are:
This is the highly anticipated follow-up title to the game that was touted as the fastest-selling new IP in video game history, Assassin’s Creed.
The non-linear action adventure video game was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and was published for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. It was only released a month before the awards, yet in that short time, this game has already proved that it’s one you’ll regret leaving on the shelf.
Set in late 15th century Renaissance era Italy, the game puts players in the shoes of nobleman Ezio Auditore da Firenze who becomes an assassin after his father and brothers are murdered.
The innovations in game play that the original Assassin’s Creed introduced were already well received with many praising its “stealth system,” (which is far more realistic than Metal Gear Solid’s version) and “free running” as revolutionary. Critics, however, slammed it for lacking variety in terms of mission types offered and deeming it as rather repetitive gameplay.
The second installation of the series improves what its predecessor got right and fixes most of what it didn’t.
Graphics wise this game is stunning, with the masterful rendering of the city and its inhabitants making it a sight to behold. So smitten will players be with the backdrop that running through the city becomes a pleasure rather than a boring journey from point A to B. And the sight of Ezio flying through the air to deftly slit the throat of his intended target will keep players coming back for more.
The assassinations in the game may be a visual feast, but the actual combat still feels rather slow and clumsy, which can be a real turn off at the end of the day.
Yet, with its slick look and even slicker moves (general combat aside) Assassin’s Creed 2 sold 1.6 million copies in its first week of sales and scored a perfect 10 out of 10 in a review published by Official PlayStation Magazine US, making it a perfectly logical choice for a GOTY 2009 nomination.
Banned in Australia, Left 4 Dead (L4D) 2 that was accused of being racist angered 37,000 people enough for them to ask for its boycott.
How then did it still get nominated for GOTY 2009, you ask? When its predecessor L4D was launched it took the world by storm and playing L4D became “fashionable” among youths. Valve’s L4D 2 is everything the original was and much more. There are more campaigns, more modes of play and more zombies to be massacred.
The plot of the game on the other hand, remains the same. Players play as one of 4 survivors of a zombie onslaught and must attempt to battle through hordes of themto reach an evacuation point.
While the story of the game fails to impress, its artificial intelligence (AI) does not. The AI known as the “Director” ensures that no matter how many times you run through the game it continues to remain re-playable. It does this by automatically adjusting the difficulty of the map and placing weapons, ammo, health packs and other assorted items at random points ensuring that no 2 runs through a single map feels the same.
But perhaps the main reason for the success of this game is the level of teamwork needed among players. Going through the game without calling out item locations, where to go or your need for help is going to mean that your team isn’t going to do very well if they even manage to finish fastest.
And this is where the game truly shines as when players are shouting at each other to progress through the game, it triggers a high level of emotional response, making the game incredibly enjoyable. However, the downside is that if you are failing to get past a certain map, you may find yourself far more frustrated than you ever imagined possible.
It’s the high level of involvement that this game calls for, and lets not forget the satisfaction conferred by massacring thousands of zombies.
It’s the best game adaptation of a comic book ever, period.
The game, developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, was another fairly late entrant, being released on 25 Aug 2009.
While most other comic adaptations are just that, Batman: Arkham Asylum was actually written specially by veteran Batman writer Paul Dini.
The plot of the game revolves around Batman’s arch nemesis, The Joker and his plans to once again attempt to destroy Gotham City. Batman begins by defeating the Joker and then escorting him to Arkham Asylum.
The Joker’s aide, Harley Quinn, then overrides the Asylum’s security and frees the Joker and together they take control of the facility. They then threaten to detonate bombs hidden around the city if anyone attempts to enter Arkham Asylum, forcing Batman to work alone against the villainous duo.
While game play isn’t groundbreaking, it but does offer a few innovations.
As Batman: Arkham Asylum is an action-adventure stealth game played in a third person perspective; it feels a lot like Devil May Cry, but with a few differences.
Firstly, the combat system flows more freely, and is built around hit combos and counter attacks. The sweetest part of the combat system is that, unlike a lot of other games, stopping your barrage to block an incoming attack actually adds to your combo counter rather than restarting it.
Also, unlike other games, by chaining together combos, players build up an experience point multiplier. Chalk up enough points and you can cash in experience points and unlock special attacks.
Flooring multiple enemies with a combination of punishing strikes and liberal use of gadgets such as the Batarang truly makes you feel like the Dark Knight.
But any superhero is capable of bashing his way through mobs of enemies, Batman’s trademark is striking from the shadows, you say?
Rocksteady Studios didn’t forget. As Gotham’s Knight, you can employ “predator” type tatics by using stealth to your advantage. Striking from the shadows using silent takedowns, remote control Batarangs, deviously deployed bombs and swooping in on your enemies from overhead are just a few of the dastardly moves the fearsome Batman can employ.
Overall, the combat system both feels and looks good, even if it gets repetitive after the third round of combat.
And speaking of looks, this game doesn’t disappoint. The overall atmosphere conveyed in the game is as dark and gritty as any Batman Comic and looks like it came straight out of the comic book pages of DC Comics.
The attention to detail that the developers paid is worthy of praise as you will notice that as the game progresses and Batman takes a beating now and then, his costume will start to reflect it.
Several voice actors have also reprised their roles, lending even more continuity and authenticity to the game. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamil and Arleen Sorkin voice Batman, the Joker and Harley Quinn respectively.
The end result is a game so good that IGN’s Greg Miller gave it a 9.3/10 and went as far as to say that, “Batman’s Arkham Asylum is the best superhero game, bar none.”
Take that, Superman!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Probably the most hyped up game, Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2(MW2) was released really late, on 10 Nov 2009, but nearly 5 million copies of the game were picked up within 24 hours of its release.
The question is, does it live up to the hype? The answer: Hell, yes!
But first lets get all the complaints out of the way. It is short. The campaign mode of the game only lasts long enough for 5 hours of game time and the story presented in the game is incredibly far-fetched, convoluted and the rate at which the game throws you into the shoes of different characters is very disorientating.
The plot is set 5 years from the end of Call of Duty 4 and paints Russia as a terrorist nation hell bent on the invasion of the United States of America. You are U.S. Army Ranger Private First Class Joseph Allen stationed in Afghanistan where you help take back a city from insurgents. After this, you’re recruited into an elite, multi-national counter terrorism unit entitled Task Force 141.
And basically the story just goes downhill from there. But some of the more memorable moments include, busting into a prison to free an ally, massacring innocent civilians in an airport and walking through a totally decimated Washington D.C.
The main problem with the story is that you often miss it while playing the game as it is often only told during load screens or via NPC (Non-player character) chatter during missions. While telling a story through the use of NPC chatter is an acceptable way of progressing plot lines, it really isn’t when players are in the middle of a huge firefight, dodging bullets, grenades and generally trying to stay alive.
But to be fair, MW2 is the only game I’ve played where listening to NPCs mouth off is worth it. When an NPC says, “2 tangos at 9 o’clock,” there really are 2 enemies at the said location.
So if the story is pretty much what gamers would refer to as “epic fail”, what makes it worthy of a GOTY nomination?
It does what FPS games do best. Multiplayer. MW2 offers a staggering 14 multiplayer modes which range from clichés such as Capture the Flag and Team Deathmatch to some rather innovative modes such as Headquarters Pro.
Headquarter pro is a mode where players have to assault, capture and hold randomly spawned capture points throughout the match.
The fast and furious gameplay offered is highly addictive and visually stunning. The Call of Duty has never looked so good. The locations you will be frantically shooting your way through are simply stunning.
There are no shortage of effects assaulting the eyes of gamers as cars and electrical equipment explode, and nearly everything in the levels are physics-enabled.
Plus the level of realism conveyed in the game keeps players on the edge of their seats as a few bullet hits are enough to take someone out of the fight and the action is so intense that merely looking away from your screen for a millisecond is enough to enter the respawn que.
Playing multiplayer offers several rewards as well as players rank up, they unlock new weapons, perks and customisable kill steaks. Allowing you to customise your avatar to excel at what you like doing best, be it close-quarter combat, use of explosives or precision sniping.
Many may worry that new players will have to face a never ending respawn timer, yet this is not the case as this is probably the most well balanced FPS in existence.
Certain perks from the original game have been removed to ensure balance and the maps have been designed to prevent camping. And even deathstreaks, the opposite of kill streaks; have been introduced to ensure that players who find themselves being fragged mercilessly have a chance at revenge.
In conclusion, while MW2 may have dropped the ball in terms of its single player campaign mode, its multiplayer option more than makes up for it. It would not be much of a stretch to say that it is the best multiplayer FPS of the year.
And 2010 is already shaping up to be a killer of a year for gamers with highly anticipated sequel titles such as Starcraft II, Final Fantasy XIII and God Of War III being scheduled for release. Check back for more updates.