Third place: Modern Warfare 2
You might not be surprised to see this title make it into the top three, but a few months ago, many thought it would be at the very top of the list. Sadly, an incredibly short single player campaign and problematic multiplayer knocked it out of the number one spot for a lot of people. Despite its issues, Modern Warfare 2 still manages to deliver an awesome single-player campaign that’s packed to the brim with non-stop action and excitement.
This game broke all world records for both day one and week one sales, knocking the previously record-holder, GTAIV, out of the way by a huge margin. With three game modes (single player, the co-op-friendly Spec Ops and, of course, multiplayer), MW2 rose to the challenge to give those determined COD4 players something else to shoot for the next two years. How long its reign will last will remain to be seen; two downloadable content packs are expected during the game’s lifespan, and then there’s the little matter of COD7 (can we call it that?) that will no-doubt hit the shelves by the end of next year.
Second place: Borderlands
Narrowly beating back MW2, but still a fair distance behind our winner, Borderlands has managed to show the industry not only that we like a bit of brain with our FPSes, but also that a good dose of “thank God it’s not brown” style goes a long way. Whether you appreciate the shooter side of Borderlands, the RPG-lite system lurking behind the scenes, the bazillions of weapons at your disposal, or (most likely) a combination of the lot, Borderlands manages to slip through as the shooter of the year.
Four character classes with unique abilities and weapon preferences, a bazillion weapons, a massive, open world and tons of humour await anyone who hasn’t (for some very good reason, I’m sure) yet taken their money to a shop in exchange for this title. The first, zombie-filled, DLC pack is already available, and the second will be available in January.
Game of the Year: Dragon Age: Origins
It’s truly a special year when an RPG can lay claim to the Game of the Year throne. Evidently, Dragon Age: Origins pressed all the right buttons for you, but we’re going to assume the majority of votes came from those who played the PC version.
If you’ve somehow missed out on the Dragon Age experience, here’s a brief primer: It’s developed by Bioware, the folks who developed Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights and, more recently, Mass Effect. It’s a pretty typical RPG, filled with Elves, Dwarves, magic, rogues and all that, but Bioware has taken their experience building award-winning RPGs and put every skill they’ve learnt to use here. Dragon Age might not break any boundaries in terms of originality, but a rich world, fantastic storyline, compelling quests and characters, and rock-solid gameplay mechanics are evidently enough to satisfy the RPG crowd. This is one game that looks like it’s made to last, too, with plenty of DLC already available to players eager for more adventures, and there’s talk of more on its way.