It's August: 2005 nearly 3/4 over: What's your GOTY?

[ATB]

I love to ask the question, so I will:

So far this year, what's your GOTY?

Let's make it two categories (if you like):

GOTY1: Game released this year

GOTY2: Game you played this year regardless of release date:


GOTY:

Hmm. Unbelievably enough, I've only purchased one game that was released in 2005.  So I guess by default (though I haven't finished it and am not enthralled by it), mine is Jade Empire.  Edit: I guess Mercenaries was this year too.  JE stands.

GOTY2:

KOTOR2. My number 1 XBOX game of all time.

[Devil]

MLB for PSP

A great sports game on a portable system. Finally!!

[Purge]

I'd pick Jade Empire over KOTOR2 any day of the week. If we were comparing HGOTY (h for half-finished or half-assed) then my money would be with KOTOR2... it had me at hello, and lost me 1/2way.

Didn't Half-Life2 come out this year or was it last year? I don't recall, but that game sucked me in big-time. WoW was a Mid-Jan start for me, I enjoyed that too much for quite some time. Then.... it waned.

Phantom Dust is definately Sleeper hit for me; given the dialog is about as horrible as it gets, the game and the gameplay mechanics are incredibly balanced, challenging and stunningly beautiful. I hope to see a Phantom Dust 2 in the X360 lineup.

GTA SA was meh.

Yeah, I'd say Jade Empire. sofar. It doesn't have an unstoppable crowning though, and there is much left to game.  Oh, and it's beginning of 8th month.. that means we're ALMOST 2/3, not at the 3/4 mark.

[Dimmona]

Resident Evil 4 (yes it was released this year).  Nothing else comes close, really....

Runnerup(s): Meteos (DS), Splinter Cell:CT (Xbox), God of War (PS2), MLB (PSP)

[Kevin Grey]

GOTY:          Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Runner Up:   God of War

GOTY2:        Shadow Hearts Covenant

[-Lord Ebonstone-]

For consoles, my nominees would be:

-Lumines (PSP)
-Resident Evil 4 (GCN)
-Mercenaries (multi)
-God of War (PS2)

And my winner (so far) would be:

Resident Evil 4

I'll note, however, that September - December is going to be a very fertile season for RPGs this year.  Dragon Quest 8 is coming, after all.

[Bullwinkle]

The game that took me away from Jade Empire until I finished it was Psychonauts.  I don't finish a lot of games.  Psychonauts was finished in a short (very, for me) three months.  Excellent all the way through.

[TheMissingLink]

I've been thinking about this question a little bit lately...

It's hard to think back through all the stuff I've played, but I guess if it were really good, I would easily remember it, so I've gotta go with

God of War

for my game released in 2005 and my favorite game I've played this year has gotta be ESPN NHL 2k5.

[Starshifter]

GOTY:
Advent Rising [Xbox]

GOTY2:
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2:  The Sith Lords

[whiteboyskim]

GOTY:

Mercenaries. By far and away the most fun I've experienced this year on any console.

I suspect F.E.A.R. might give it a run for its money, but Mercs stands head and shoulders above everything else for me.

[Jancelot]

If Oddworld: Stranger came out this year then that's it.  Otherwise it's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.

[farley2k]

I will have to go with Jade Empire - even though I didn't love it as much as I expected to.  

It was one of the only games I actually finished so that must mean something.

[Zarkon]

GOTY:  It's not out yet, but unless they screw it up...TES4: Oblivion.  

GOTY2:  Meteos for DS.

[semiconscious]

goty1: i'll also go with psychonauts, which far exceeded my expectations &, aside from some minor nasty bits, did just about everything close to perfectly - very fun, very funny & very memorable. my runner-up would be metal gear acid - again, way more than i expected, slick, & addictive as hell...

goty2: majora's mask, hands down - a masterpiece (runner-up: star ocean: till the end of time)...

[Zarkon]

Oh...and speaking of?  I personally think we need to start on December 1 and have staff voting for various awards (and spend November coming up with said list), that way we can have a post up before t he end of the year with our GOTY awards.

[Calvin]

Hmm this is a toughie. I would have to say that so far...geez.

I guess, just by virtue of how much I played it so far, that WoW gets the nod, but the magic was fleeting and fast for me. The best game I played recently was Brothers in Arms. So..lets go with those two for now, but that will change drastically as the fall comes and I actually remember what games I played this year.

[AgtFox]

God of War

Runner-up: Resident Evil 4

[Mystic95Z]

Overall: God of War

XBOX: Strangers Wrath
GCN: RE4

[warning]

I really liked Chronicles of Riddick (played the PC version).

[Gratch]

God of War with Meteos coming in a close second.

[EddieA]

Right now, I'd say either Jade Empire or Digital Devil Saga.  I haven't finished either, so it depends on how they hold up.  Come December, it will probably be either Dragon Quest 8 or Digital Devil Saga 2.

[Nick Bean]

I am having a hard time picking out one game to the rule them all so I will list mine by system:

Xbox: Splinter Cell Chaos Theory

PS2: God of War

Gamecube: Resident Evil 4

PC: Swat 4 (HL2 was last Nov)

PSP: Whatever the name of that futuristic racing game is, (I don't own one, but I played the hell outta my friends).

I think that F.E.A.R and Oblivion are going to be off the charts. Just from the demo I felt like F.E.A.R took the next step past half life 2. If you have read anything about Oblivion, you know how high the media has set the bar for it. I really think that Kameo is goingto suprise a lot of people. I thought that it was going to be a joke until I got a better look at it. I really think that the people Developing for the Xbox 360 are really pushing the envelope. By the end of the year there are going to be some really great games, or games that should have been.

[jersoc]

For this year, Jade empire cause that was partically the only game I played.

For the second one, WoW. Cause thats all that I played.

[mikeg]

I think FEAR will beat them all, but if we are going with what has been played so far I would have to go with

PC: Chronicles of Riddick
XB: Oddworld
GC: Resident Evil 4
PS2: God of War


If you made me pick just one, oh man...err....huh...hmmm....I guess it would have to be Resident Evil 4.

[stiffler]

Of the games I've finished this year (not necessarily relased in 2005) my favorites are:

Xbox: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
PS2: God of War
GBA: Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
PC: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

[Driver]

GOTY: Jade Empire
Played the Most: Unreal Championship 2
Current Obession: Outlaw Tennis

[Qbe]

GOTY1: Jade Empire.  If Dragon Quest 8 comes out this year, I predict that that will take the crown.

GOTY2: Ummm... I haven't played many games this year, so I'd probably have to say Shenmue or Katamari Damashi.

[EddieA]

"If Dragon Quest 8 comes out this year, I predict that that will take the crown."
It is - it's coming out in November.  I can't wait!

[Qbe]

"If Dragon Quest 8 comes out this year, I predict that that will take the crown."
It is - it's coming out in November.  I can't wait!

Good deal.  I have $30 saved in EB credit, so I know where I'll be getting it.  I'm really really looking forward to DQ8!

And the new Wild Arms game, but that one seems to have fallen into a black hole again.

[stiffler]

"If Dragon Quest 8 comes out this year, I predict that that will take the crown."
It is - it's coming out in November.  I can't wait!

Weird DQ XIII blue blob controller for my peripheral of the year!!!

I'm so getting one of those.

[Calvin]

"If Dragon Quest 8 comes out this year, I predict that that will take the crown."
It is - it's coming out in November.  I can't wait!

Weird DQ XIII blue blob controller for my peripheral of the year!!!

I'm so getting one of those.

Oh hells yeah!!

Oh, btw, did WH:DOW come out this year?

[stiffler]

Oh, btw, did WH:DOW come out this year?

No, it came out 9/20/04.
Coincidentally, the expansion is due out 9/19/05!

[Calvin]

Oh, btw, did WH:DOW come out this year?

No, it came out 9/20/04.
Coincidentally, the expansion is due out 9/19/05!

The expansion cannot come soon enough. Its supposed to be almost as long as the original game, a whole new race, and a more interesting campaign structure. I wish it was out now!

[Torfish]

Resident Evil 4 - by far the best game this year

[pr0ner]

That came out in 2005 that I've played, easily God of War.

I really need to get RE4 and see what this is all about.

I was totally unimpressed by Mercenaries, though.

Mike

[stiffler]

Oh, btw, did WH:DOW come out this year?

No, it came out 9/20/04.
Coincidentally, the expansion is due out 9/19/05!

The expansion cannot come soon enough. Its supposed to be almost as long as the original game, a whole new race, and a more interesting campaign structure. I wish it was out now!

Amen!  I really wonder how the IG will be in this game.  Plus the new hero/command units among other new pieces.  This is gonna be hot!  A little over a month away, not bad!  Let's hope it hits that date.

[Dimmona]

Ok, after (finally) finishing off God of War last night, I might be inclined to change my vote.  RE4 was better looking and more varied, but God of War had such a consistent brutality throughout that it made for a more intense experience.  There was a couple of spots that dragged (i.e. the puzzles, especially the last temple) but overall the story, combat, environments, etc. were so well done that I think may have enjoyed it as much if not more than RE4.

[Knightshade Dragon]

God of War was a heavy contender for me as well.  The complexity that is not readily apparent on the surface was a surprise.  I expected it to be more 'button mashy'.

[Nth Power]

GotY 1 : God of War

GotY 2 : Ratchet & Clank : UYA

[zuggo]

RE4 without a doubt is console goty.

i could care less for the franchise and the character lines were as cheesy as ever, but this game is firing on all fronts. great art direction, impressive technical aspects and is pure bliss to play. i have never had so much fun playing with weapons in a game.