Your pick for game of the year?

[Llama Gibbz]

Rules
------

Must be a PC game.
Pick one overall winner and explain why.
Allowed to pick 1 runner up.




My game of the year

Stalker

Stalker was far from perfect.
But the overall world GSC created made a huge impression on me.
The sounds,anomalies,radiation and weather effects only added more immersion.

I didnt feel like i was playing a premade character with all the gameplay decisions made for me.

Runner up

Peggle Deluxe

Its rare for a puzzle game to keep my attention,this succeeded.

[Decker]

PC Goty:
The Orange Box
Technically it's not just one game, but the entire release was such a hammerblow of awesome goodies that it's impossible to ignore.


Runner-up:
Crysis
Awesome game, but when you keep quitting the game while it's throwing its A-material at you because you "just don't have the energy to do this sh*t right now"... you know it's not a GOTY. Still brilliant and something you just have to finish. Eventually.

edit: sorry, picked two runner-ups. *blind*

[Towelie2k4]

Portal

Portal gave me one of the most fun experiences I've ever had in gaming. A large chunk of this can be attributed to the creative - and just plain fun - usage of portals. However, the true reason I fell in love with the game was it's humour.

Plus, the turrets are just so damned cute. :love:

[Paroxysm]

Must be a PC? That's pretty limited. Ok then...

The Orange Box.

When has one release had so much variety and quality? Portal is one of the best and funniest puzzle games of all time. Team Fortress 2 is practically the perfection of arcade style, drop in team based games and its art design is fantastic. Half Life Episode 2 is just a bonus.

Runner up

Bioshock

It's another FPS which sort of demonstrates the lack of variety in the PC market but it's a gorgeous game with a great world built around it. I wished it was less of a shooter and more just exploration based but it's simple enough not to care about combat really.

[thefly]

PC Goty:
The Orange Box


Does not qualify. That is a collection, not a single game.

Edit:

My Pick: Portal.

Why: It is a FPS, yet a puzzle solver at the same time. It doesn't depend on just one aspect of gaming. Simple, yet difficult. And really, it is a demo more than anything else. Fun, simple, impressive, innovative.

[Decker]

Does not qualify. That is a collection, not a single game.

Then call me spineless and mark it EP2, Portal and TF2 in an exact same spot as goty. But it's under the title "Orange Box" that the release will win a bunch of GOTY's anyway, so no use being a forum nazi trying to muscle it out based on a technicality. :)

Maybe rather respond to the thread with your own choice?

[thefly]

Decker, come on. Those are all different games. Not being a Nazi. Which one do you like the best: EP2, Portal, or TF2. They are all so different; they can't all rank the same. If they do, break it down for us man.

Yes, I like all three. But they can't all be equal since they offer different aspects each.

Pick one. :D

[Decker]

Pick one. :D

I guess there's no harm discussing these choices for a post or two.. While I stand by my ambiguous choice, I gotta say Valve's sort of cheating here. ;)

I wouldn't pick Portal on it's own merits as a GOTY, too short and simplistic.
Nor would I pick EP2, a short part of an ongoing saga, and an inconclusive one at that.
Least of all would I pick TF2, a game that's superceded by its more expansive and "serious" rivals (by my taste).

But in a single retail-prized release it just all adds up too well for anything to challenge them. Hence my choice: The Orange Box.

[MAT]

GOTY:
Team Fortress 2

The most fun online FPS I've played since Counter Strike, that's why.

Runner Up:
Crysis

Amazing game with amazing variety.

[peoplessi]

#1 - Half-Life 2: Episode Two
- the best singleplayer experience of the year for me, albeit it's bit short.

#2 - Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
- great RTS game got even better!

[Marty]

pc is pretty limited
but i'd definitly say Bioshock

Stalker was average, Crysis was great until the end suddenly came up and smacked me accross the face but Bioshock took the cake.
speaking of cake, the Orange Box deserves and honorable mention but it came with more than one game.

[Scream]

Although I found there were a TON of good games this year, I really didn't find there was one that was so great that it really stood out.

Also, due to the fact that for some reason you've chosen to exclude console games, I have no opinion. :p

[Rider]

Winnar: Portal

Even though it was relatively short, it did everything well. And you weren't even shooting robots/aliens/monsters/nazi's! Innovative and fun, without having to rely on a "compelling storyline"

Just the best game I've played this year :)

Runner up: Crysis

It has some chinks, and some bits can get a wee bit repetitive, but it's a great game. I have yet to find any mayor flaws, and it's just fun, immersive and really well layed out. It just doesn't have that. Portal had that and that makes it a better game IMO :)

[Nihilanth]

Game of the Year
http://www.picupload.net/f-aa3de0fcb43cb51cb14d13c472ae66f7.jpg
Pure awesomeness-ness-ness. Great story/plot, amazing setting (underwater! Hail to the Terror from the Deep!), architecture, characters (Big Daddies - classic already, Steinmann, >>>Sander Cohen<<<, Andrew Ryan) and the best in-game scene+plot twist ever. A bit easy, sorta simplified here and there and weak ending fight+outro, but whatever!

Runner Up
http://www.picupload.net/f-1f322f12122a5e1ee3cae89637892c20.jpg

[Hudson]

Bioshock, hands down.

[Sang]

Team Fortress 2 (see other thread)

[Wamplet]

I haven't played a whole lot of games this year, so I'd have to say bioshock and then shivering isles. :o

[Echo Black]

Crysis.

[hellchicken]

Again, PORTAL. Much ahs been said, and all applies. The humor, the gameplay, the voice-acting I might add, I love GlaDOS voice, and of course the song. We need more of this.

Runner Up:

COD4

[ADM]

No point having two game of the year threads. I know this one was made first but it's targeted at just the PC whereas the other is all platforms. So post there from now on:

http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=29573