The Game of the Year Awards have been compiled in this list from the least amount of awards to the greatest. In case of a tie, the one with the more prestigious awards, ie. the more major ones, will take precedent.
The list of the rules can be found on the "About" page.
Honourable Mentions: Saints Row 2 - 2 (Ripten, The Escapist Zero Punctuation), Spore - 1 (Gamesmagazine-Online), Wii Fit - 1(Entertainment Weekly), Valkyria Chronicles - 1(Diehard Gamefan), Saints Row 2 - 1 (Ripten), Dead Space -1(Video Game Media)
10. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
-2 Game of the Year Awards
GameFAQ
e-AAGH.net |
"That's my award!" |
Nintendo's famous fighting franchise returns to make a big splash on the Wii. Earning the top spot among GameFAQ's Game of the Year poll, SSBB starts this list off at 10th place. While garnishing an impressive roster of classic Nintendo characters, Nintendo finally decided to include third-party characters in, the legendary Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, and the iconic Sonic from Sonic the Hedgehog. Ironically, those two became the most used characters in the online mode. Critics praised the inclusion of a story mode, but also criticized the shallow depth of the story. Multiplayer was heavily acclaimed as an amazing party game, but as another double-edged aspect of SSBB, critics also criticized the online function for its frequent hiccups. Nevertheless, SSBB sits right here on the 10th spot of this list.
9. Call of Duty: World at War
-2 Game of the Year Awards
MSN UK
T3 Gadget Awards (2009) |
"Taking out the competition..." |
The latest installment in the popular Call of Duty franchise takes the number 9 spot. The game takes gamers back to World War 2 for the final time in the Call of Duty series, and critics loved how it showing us a darker, grittier side of the battlefield. However, critics were very taken aback by the lack of evoultion from its much more critically acclaimed predecessor, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Still, gamers couldn't get enough of the addictive Call of Duty multiplayer experience, and the game went on to sell enourmous amounts, making it one of the best-selling games of 2008.
8. Rock Band 2
-2 Game of the Year Awards
GameShark
NEWS10.net |
"You can't keep up with me!" |
Rock Band 2, the sequel to the popular music game that swept the world, returns in 2008 to secure 8th place. With its impressive music collection and unbelievable multiplayer value, it has become popular with all age groups, and combined with posessing the prestigious Gameshark GOTY, Rock Band 2 has gained a strong place amongst the games of 2008.
7. Left 4 Dead
-5 Game of the Year Awards
Destructoid
VideoGamer
DarkZero
The A.V Club
The Elan Awards |
"MORE AWARDS! NOW!" |
Although the quest for victory was very close between Left 4 Dead and Fable II, Fable ended up securing the victory in the end. However, Left 4 Dead still manages to take a great 7th spot, making it another smashing hit from the legendary developers at Valve. L4D's online experience is also one of the best in the industry, featuring a different and more compelling experience than even the offline segment of the game. While the graphics and story take a bit of a backseat, its unmatched intensity and oustanding co-op make this an outstanding gaming experience.
6. Fable II
-6 Game of the Year Awards
X-Play
Telegraph
Trusted Reviews
Joystiq
NY Daily News
Game With A Brain |
"Get you hands off my prize!" |
The sequel to the original Fable proves to be a major hit, winning Lionhead Studios big successes with their blockbuster Xbox-360 exclusive RPG, managing to take in such pretigious awards from major sites like X-play and Joystiq. Fable 2 features a much more expansive and detailed Albion than the first one, and upholds a strong morality and choice system. The immersiveness of the game managed to captivate many critics, but others were not so impressed with the underwhelmimg interaction system and repetitive combat. Although the race was close between Fable II and Left 4 Dead, Fable managed to take the slight lead into this prestigious 6th place.
5. Gears of War 2
-8 Game of the Year Awards
iTWire
iafrica.com
iafrica.com Reader's Choice
VentureBeat
Loot Ninja
Gamerz Galore
Gamestyle
Eurogamer (Spanish) Reader's Choice |
"Wait till we get our hands on the Top Three..." |
While the original Gears of War was a gigantic blockbuster, taking in an outstanding second place in the 2006 Game of the Year Awards, Gears of War 2 did not manage to garner the same critical acclaim. Only managing to slightly polish up the contents of its predecessor and extend the story, critics regard it as a small step from the original. Nevertheless, it still creates an amazing gaming package. With graphics unmatched on the Xbox 360, blazingly intense gameplay, amazing co-op, and an interesting story, the Xbox 360-exclusive Gears of War 2 manages to take in a powerful 5th position.
4. LittleBigPlanet
-24 Game of the Year Awards
|
AIAS
Wired
VGChartz
Salt Lake Tribune
GamePro
Daily Record
Eurogamer
Game Revolution
Edge
Kombo
Geek.com
EVERYEYE (Italian) |
NAViGaTAR Awards
GameZone
Ninsox
Pocket-Lint Gadget Awards
Contra Costa Times
Gamereactor
The Gaming Planet
Daily Star
CyberShack
Cheat Code Central
Sun Times
EVERYEYE (Italian) Reader's Choice |
 "Smile for publicity!"
|
The PS3's second "killer-app" of 2008 earns the love of innumerable critics, reaping in extremely high reviews and even taking home the incredible Game of the Year awards from AIAS, GamePro, Edge, GameZone and many more. It's amazing multiplayer content, stellar customization and level creation, and downright creative fun earned it this incredible 4th place position. Although the game was universally acclaimed by critics, it sold quite poorly for a game of its quality, which is seen as a shame in the eyes of many.
[10-4] [3-1]
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