MonsterVine 2008 Awards: Top 8 Picks from the Editorial Manager

Greetings from the Editorial Manager. I now proudly present my top choices for games in 2008. It certainly has been a great year for superb titles so it was honestly hard to pick my top 5, so I went an expanded it to 8. Check out what games I chose and stay tuned for our overall Game of the Year winner reveal coming later today.

#8: Battlefield: Bad Company | Xbox 360, PS3 | June 23, 2008

The Battlefield series has always been rather nonexistent in terms of a story, so I was a bit hesitant when D.I.C.E announced that they were creating a console specific Battlefield incorporating such literary devices such as plot and characters. Needless to say, I was proven wrong. While Bad Company retains most of its features make the Battlefield series distinct; the ability to traverse through miles of open world terrain, utilizing various vehicles, and realistic gun combat, it also detracts from being a typical shooter with its relatively crude, but humorous story. The Bad Company gang antics are a breath of fresh air in your present day Modern Warfare and will keep anyone with a sense of humor coming back for Sweetwater.

#7: Burnout Paradise | Xbox 360, PS3 | January 22, 2008

A new approach to the franchise, Paradise City immerses you in a open world sandbox full of racing pleasure. An evident depature from the typically linear Burnout series, Criterion Games kept the integral features of what made Burnout stand out from the rest – an intense rush of speed, spectacular crashes, and tight handling. By opening up the streets of Paradise City for players to roam, the freedom of exploration and replay value there there. Especially given the developers efforts to continue updating the racer with new content with the inclusion of bikes and night mode.

#6: Call of Duty: World at War | Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, DS | November 11, 2008

I know what you’re thinking. Copy and paste of Modern Warfare and put it in a World War II setting? You’d be on the ball, but that’s not the reason why I chose this game. While the genre may be on its last legs, Treyarch envokes the Call of Duty franchise to tell spectcular stories of the Americans in the Pacific and the Russians on the March to Berlin. The story and set pieces placed in the game invoke feelings such as desperation everytime a Japanese solider rushes at you crying “Banzai!” or excitement when you hear the voice of Kiefer Sutherland commanding you to take the point. Every feature from Call of Duty is evident, it’s not anything less nor more, you’re getting an authentic good quality experience you’d expect from a Call of Duty title, and that is enough to deserve a mention. Plus, the Nazi Zombie mode is addicting and plenty of fun with your comrades. Definitely worth of the screams of “Shoot em in the head!” echoing loudly in your earpiece and the resulting disaster of your defense.

#5: LittleBigPlanet | PS3 | October 27, 2008

The title is as imaginative as its premise. User-created content and a harkening back to the side scrolling platforming days. The Sackpeople have quickly become the little darlings of the gaming world and its quite evident through customization that each sackperson breathes a unique air of creativity from its creator. Level design is individualistic but can be enjoyed through a worldwide audience. Social gaming is quickly becoming the medium of next-generation and through examples such as LittleBigPlanet, we are certainly inclined to believe this foretold reality.

#4: Rock Band 2 | Xbox 360, PS3 | September 14, 2008

A real crowd favorite for any audience, you can’t go wrong with the sequel to the highly popularized and recieved, Rock Band. Harmonix captures the magic of the first iteration by improving on its foundation, allowing for both offline and online tour, an expansive track list, and plenty of reasons to play as the vocalist whilst in a drunken stupor. Rock Band 2 establishes a harmonious balance between the casual and core audiences with features geared for your grandma. The addition of DLC week after week adds infinite replay value. It is really the center of the gaming party.

#3: Prince of Persia | Xbox 360, PS3, PC | December 2, 2008

A classic franchise in its own right, Prince of Persia’s reboot and new art direction fully develops upon the unique features of its previous iterations. From amazing acrobatic jumps and leaps to one on one combat, the Prince does it all in style and snide remarks. The inclusion of the Prince’s lady friend, Eleka – who is just as graceful in her moves as he – works in perfect synergy with the Prince’s personality and fosters a relation that is seemingly “almost perfect”. While the typical male-female may have feelings for another dialogue may be a bit hard to digest for a seasoned gamer, the plot is well conveyed. A disembodied god, Ahruman and his cohorts of followers known as the Corrupted are threatening to take over the world and your protagonist is fatefully dragged into the chaos. The new art style creates an asthetically pleasing world that juxtaposes the stains of corrputed lands to the serene and peaceful healed vistas. The gameplay is easy to pick up and play but also deep and intricate. For a gamer who is looking for a charming platformer, look no further.

#2: Metal Gear Solid 4 | PS3 | June 12, 2008

A rapidly deteriorating Solid Snake, Old Snake, engages in his final mission to stop Liquid Ocelot from plunging the world into chaos and destruction and its audience is taken along for its cinematic gaming masterpiece. Every memorable character is brought back for the final game and Kojima wraps up all the convoluted storylines and ties in pretty much everything so that nothing is left in question or doubt. What resulted is half-game, half-movie. The first part of the game offers you the core gameplay that the Solid series has built upon. Every bit of improvement you expected from the previous games are evident in 4 as a wonder of evolution. It is true tactical espionage action at its pinnacle. The second part of the game is a culimation of Kojima’s work and obvious sentiments at his desires of producing a movie. Its a thrilling climatic ride of epic cinematic montages and amazing confrontations.

#1: Fallout 3 | Xbox 360, PS3 | October 28, 2008

Post apolocalyptic settings have never been more the rage. While Bethseda may have angered the dedicated fans of the original Fallout series by developing upon its license, I honestly couldn’t care less. My first foray into the depths of Vault 101 left me immersed in a world where I truly felt that my decision would have real consequences on the world I was playing in. Given all the notion of nuclear warfare and the rapid fallout thereof, I was given the choice to unleash mass destruction and lo and behold my karma went on a steep decline much like the stock market. Recession jokes aside, Fallout 3 is exemplary to its hybrid genre bridging across the shooter realm and the role playing fantasy worlds. When both are combined, the result is a glorious mix of gameplay and its inveitably up to the player on how they can approach the situation. You can play “RPG” style – queue up headshots through the V.A.T.S. system or take on “FPS” route by engaging in real time combat against the ghouls and mutants. Or do a mix of both, whichever delights your fancy. The choices you make, the paths you take, generate a genuine feeling of the level of impact you have upon your world. I was taken aback by the numerous ways to approach quests and sidequests, and maybe you will too.

Top 5 Surprises & Announcements in 2008

Something a little extra if you read all the way to the bottom, here are my top five picks for the biggest surprises and announcements that occured in the gaming industry this year.

#5: Xbox 360 Selling Like Hotcakes in Japan

2008 proved to be the most prosporous year for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 in Japan. Given the sheer quantity [didn’t say quality] of Japanese role playing games available on the system, it was inevitable. Tales of Vesperia release proved to be the selling factor in August when Xbox 360 sales surpassed Playstation 3 by 2.5 to 1.

#4: Phil Harrison Becomes Infogrames President

When I initially recalled Phil Harrison’s decision to leave his lofty post at Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios to join the ranks of Infogrames and Atari, I thought he might be a little nutty. However, since his appointment to Infogrames President and the subsequent takeover of Atari, he demonstrated to the world how one can turn around a company’s outlook in less than a year. A transformation for Atari, Harrison was instrumental in a team – picking up the scraps left from the Activision-Blizzard merger – securing such assets such as the Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Athena and Ghostbusters. As well as acquiring City of Heroes/Villians developer Cryptic Studios thereby publishing the studio’s upcoming MMORPG Champions Online. From grim prospects to a new hope for Atari, Harrison’s decision was a right one indeed.

#3: Suda 51’s Grasshopper Manufacture and Epic Games Partners with Electronic Arts

We know that Japanese and Western development are largely disconnected. The only exception prior to this was Ryan Payton working at Kojima Productions on “westernizing” Metal Gear Solid 4 for the worldwide audience. So, when Suda 51’s Grasshopper Manufacture, a studio known for its creativity and risk-taking ventures, announced that they were teaming up with EA Partners to produce a “action horror” game with the help of the original Resident Evil creator, Shinji Mikami, I was floored. Electronic Arts showed through the EA Partners program it was serious in showcasing the best games from every spectrum of the gaming industry – Harmonix, Valve, iD, and now Suda 51 & Q Entertainment. Imagine the prospects of a small studio given worldwide appeal through big budget funding and high production values, that is a dream realized for Suda51.

#2: Giant Bomb Launch

The outcome of the whole Gerstmann-gate affair last year was the introduction of Giant Bomb. A brand new video game site founded by ex-Gamespotters Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis themselves. It later came to include the four-banger ensemble with the inclusion of Brad Shoemaker and Vinny Caravella. With constant media coverage and a staff of individuals with experience and repetoire exceeding the average, Giant Bomb became the benchmark for the future of video game journalism. A humor based, satirical take to the medium’s staunchy attitude on professionalism – the site reflects the gamers themselves catering to their tastes. Why was this so high on the list? Going back to my previous point, it was the benchmark for future sites, and it ultimately influenced the creation and founding of MonsterVine.

#1: Final Fantasy XIII for Xbox 360

Microsoft Press Briefing – A Dramatic Renactment

*S-E president, Wada walks backstage*

Wada: Well that presentation went well.

*is suddendly approached by Microsoft executives who open up a briefcase full of money*

Wada: OH ****!

*Wada phones in his henchmen*

Wada: Hey you know that FFXIII trailer we had planned for the Sony conference? Yeah, edit the last part out with a 360 logo and have it ready in 5 seconds.

*Wada goes on stage*

Mattrick: So as we end the conference, we have one last thing to show you by the guys at Bung- OH HEY, NICE OF YOU TO COME ON TO STAGE IN A TIMELY FASHION.

Bungie: HEY HE TOOK OUR ENDING AWAY

Wada: And now I have one more surprise to show you.

*cues FFXIII trailer for 360*