Gaming Trend’s Game of the Year Countdown — Best of System/Technical Awards

It’s that time of year again, when we put down the controller for a bit and bicker and argue over exactly which game was the best of the best. While none of us got into any fight fights or flame wars, we’ve put aside our differences long enough to come up with a list of games that we think deserve special recognition. Continuing our countdown are the nominations for best of system as well as awards in technical achievements.  Keep checking back every three hours for more nominations, all leading up to our announcement of our favorite games of the year. Did we forget one of your favorites ? Email me at [email protected], and we’ll make a special shout out for you.

Best Multiplatform Game

These are the games that were released on multiple platforms. We have separated them into their own category so platform exclusives have a chance to shine.

Borderlands 2
Far Cry 3
Mass Effect 3
Dishonored
The Walking Dead

Best PC Game

Released exclusively on PC, these games take advantage of the mouse and keyboard and remind us that PC gaming is alive and well.

FTL: Faster Than Light
Planetside 2
Guild Wars 2
Torchlight II
Legend of Grimrock

Best PS3 Game

The PlayStation has seen a renaissance in smaller downloadable games, and the choices for best PS3 game clearly acknowledges this. It proves that less can most certainly mean more.

Journey
Dyad
Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale
Sports Champions 2
Sound Shapes

Best Vita Game

The first of the system launches this year came out with a great start, and while the momentum lagged a bit near the end, there are still some absolutely stellar games to be played on Sony’s new portable.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Persona 4: Golden
Gravity Rush
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation
LittleBigPlanet Vita

Best Xbox 360 Game

Not to be outdone, the Xbox 360 has seen its fair share of exclusives, and these games can all stand proud up to any other system’s achievements.

Halo 4
Forza Horizon
Dust: An Elysian Tail
Fable: The Journey
Dance Central 3

Best Wii / Wii U Game

While the Wii was considered dead this year, it also saw some of the system’s finest adventures. Nintendo also released its successor this year, and a few of the launch games took great advantage of the unique Gamepad.

Rhythm Heaven Fever
Xenoblade Chronicles
The Last Story
Zombi U
New Super Mario Bros. U

Best 3DS Game

Nintendo’s own portable came into its stride this year with lots of great first and third party titles. These were some of the standouts.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
Paper Mario: Sticker Star Saga
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Resident Evil: Revelations

Best Graphics

With stunning vistas, opulent visual effects, and gorgeous art styles, these games prove that it’s still possible to get phenomenal graphics out of aging hardware.

Halo 4
Assassin’s Creed 3
Journey
Mass Effect 3
Planetside 2

Best Sound

These games featured the best crunches, slices, and bangs, creating an auditory feast for the senses.

Mass Effect 3
Assassin’s Creed 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Halo 4
Dance Central 3

Best Music

Thumping beats, orchestral swells; it’s hard to create emotion in a game without a perfectly scored soundtrack, and these delivered.

Journey
Mass Effect 3
Dance Central 3
Hotline Miami
Halo 4

Best Voice Acting

It’s one thing to create a vibrant and lush world; it’s another to populate it with believable and relatable characters. It’s even harder still to find a perfect cast of voices to bring those characters to life. These games featured acting which drew us in more than any other game.

The Walking Dead
Mass Effect 3
Dishonored
Halo 4
Borderlands 2