Best RTS Since Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 Award
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
I don’t care what you say; Red Alert 2 kicks all varieties of allegorical ass. Say what you will about the staling of resource-gathering RTS gameplay, the small-scale maps, what have you—I still love it. It’s widely agreed upon that RA2 is the best of the C&C series… so, then, it’s probably a good thing that Red Alert 3 feels like Red Alert 2—the pacing, attitude, humor, music (well, some of it anyway), balancing, everything. It’s as if EA went back to the drawing board—nay, the message boards—and said, “hey, let’s listen to our fans this time!” The budget is bigger, the staff is better, and the vision is apparently spot-on. I have been neglecting my wife in favor of spending time with the beta, so thanks, EA!
You’re Doing it Wrong Award
Castlevania: Judgment
While myself and plenty of others would be perfectly fine with the Castlevania series staying 2D for the rest of human existence, another stab at a 3D title wouldn’t be shunned right out of the gate. Unless, say, it was a fighting game. For the Wii. I mean, it played alright, but really, what are they thinking!?
Press Conference Punk’d Award
Nintendo
As has become tradition, Nintendo rented out the Hollywood & Highland Kodak Theatre, complete with all its grandeur, for their press conference this year. And, following along the usual routine, megatons are perennially dropped in this building. This year, however, the event was as far from a megaton as conceptually possible. Regardless, just when we thought that was it, Nintendo turns around at their annual roundtable discussion and drops casual confirmations of a number of blockbuster sequels, with an “Oh yeah, and we’re also making Super Mario Galaxy 2, New Super Mario Bros. 2, and Pikmin 3, too. Don’t know if you’ve heard of any of them.” And then, later on, we get recognition of the need for a Wii storage solution to boot. In other words, everything that anyone had expected to see at the press conference, minus Kid Icarus. Sure, I can understand the motive behind keeping this stuff under wraps until it’s closer to release. But come on—this is what all us Nintendo fans had been waiting for!
Ico Award for Casually Ripping Off Ico
Prince of Persia
Don’t misinterpret this award. I think the new Prince game looks fantastic all around. The semi open world and diverse amount of gameplay ( I love how portions of the world change in both appearance and mechanics once they’re restored) look incredibly solid and fun to play, but one can’t help but notice the glaring similarityes to the PS2 classic. Escorting a thin female companion whilst trying to evade pools of black corruption is bound to do that, but at least Elika is capable of kicking far more ass than Yorda (or Ico) could possibly imagine. Her functionailty is different for sure, but it doesn’t look that way.
Game of the Show, According to Eric Anyway Award
Mirror’s Edge
Sorry to get all serious on ya, but this one really, in every honest sense of the metaphor, blew me away. Eden, Flower, LBP, RE:5, Far Cry 2, Prince of Persia, Left 4 Dead, Killzone 2, Fallout 3 – all have every indication of being a five star title, but none affected my idea of what a game could be like Mirror’s Edge. It’s Unreal 3 without looking Unreal 3, it’s a first person game without a reliance on weapons, it’s complex but really only uses two buttons, it’s disorienting yet harmoniously in sync, it’s falling without failing. Momentum is essential the gameplay, however, Mirror’s Edge has plenty of that anyway you look at it. This game is going to be genre redefining burst of creative energy, let’s just hope it stays on course for this year.
