GamingExcellence's Best of E3 2009
E3 returns to the big format, and brings a ton of top-tier games along with it.
By Staff, GamingExcellence
Posted June 8, 2009
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Platform Awards
While it's nice to see which shooter or which racing game is the best out there, most gamers just don't have every console on the market. We make it easy for you by letting you know our picks for the best titles per console, so you know what to buy the next time you're at the mall.
Best PC Game
The PC has become an often overlooked platform, and unrightfully so. It remains one of the premiere gaming systems, and although it may not have the modern gaming library you'll find on the consoles, its strengths allow for a variety of games not easily possible on the consoles. MMO's, true simulations, and real-time strategy still dominate on the PC, plus anyone who just prefers shooting an enemy with a good ole mouse and keyboard.
And The Winner Is...
Some say that it's too soon to bring out a sequel to a game that's not even a year old yet. We say that it's never too soon for more zombie killing action with your friends. With new weapons, melee weapons, new special infected, and five new campaigns, no game gave us the itchy mouse fingers quite like this one has. Valve has done it again.
Nominees:
- Arcana
- Left 4 Dead 2
- Star Wars: The Old Republic
- The Agency
Best Multi-Platform Console Game
One of the best things about being a gamer nowadays is that you can buy a single console and be assured of a slew of games that are available across all platforms. These nominees signify the best experiences that you will be able to share universally, whether your tastes are more Xbox or PlayStation.
And The Winner Is (A Tie)...
And...
Ideas were thrown in the air, insults were hurled, and blows were exchanged. After all that, the GamingExcellence staff still was unable to break the tie in votes that these two heavyweights brought to this category. Singularity's original take on the first person shooter genre versus Alpha Protocol's modern day morality RPG? Pick your poison while we continue our battle royale at the GE offices.
Nominees:
- Alpha Protocol
- BioShock 2
- Borderlands
- Modern Warfare 2
- Singularity
Best Xbox 360 Exclusive
The Xbox 360 put together an amazing show this year. With an amazing stable of exclusives and announcements from both first and third parties, the Xbox 360 is well poised for the future. This category is filled to the brim with great games, one that now appears to have all the tools to be the go to console for the casual and the hardcore gamer alike.
And The Winner Is...
When it was first announced that Splinter Cell: Conviction would be an Xbox 360 exclusive, jaws dropped. Could the demo that we just witnessed truly be an exclusive? Sam Fisher returns in the Splinter Cell game that will make the franchise relevant again, and this time there's no rules and no boundaries. A man bent on destruction, Conviction allows you to take your own approach, stealth or rampage. A unique artistic style and storytelling model, and excellent graphical presentation wrap Ubisoft Montreal's latest creation up into an outstanding exclusive offering.
Nominees:
- Forza Motorsport 3
- Left 4 Dead 2
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Best PS3 Exclusive
Last E3 was very solid year for the PlayStation 3. With offerings like LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, and Killzone 2, Sony brought a lot of exclusive firepower to the system. The same can be said for 2009, a new motion controller announcement and a handful of superb looking exclusives to keep PS3 owners quivering in anticipation.
And The Winner Is...
Heavy Rain is the closest that we're going to get to an interactive movie in a long, long time. With facially-mapped characters, fully motion-captured animations, and breathtaking graphics, the game certainly looks impressive. But with a brilliant new 'rubber-banding' storyline that continues even when the characters don't, Heavy Rain promises to deliver a solely unique experience that we haven't seen in the adventure genre since the first half of Fahrenheit (you know, the part that was good).
Nominees:
- God of War III
- Heavy Rain
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Best Wii Game
If you bought a Wii and have it collecting dust on your shelf with an overabundance of shovelware available for the system, fear not, for you are not alone. Fortunately, Nintendo's little waggle box has one hell of a show at E3 this year, one that could very well restore the shaken faith of the hardcore gamer.
And The Winner Is...
While we had quite a few contenders in this category that pushed the Wii's graphics to a level never seen before and finally introducing a few mature titles to the console, we really had to give the award for the "fun" console to the game that offers the most fun you'll have with your friends this year. An all-around fun party game, New Super Mario Bros. Wii will allow you and up to three of your friends to compete simultaneously in a Mario platformer for the first time, using either cooperative or competitive gameplay. Naturally, Nintendo threw in a few new things to keep the puzzles fresh, including a propeller suit that shoots the player into the air with a wiggle of the controller, and a penguin suit that shoots ice to create standing platforms out of your enemies.
Nominees:
- Dead Space: Extraction
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii
- Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
- The Conduit
Best PSP Game
Last year was a particularly weak E3 for the PSP, only a small handful of games were even shown, and few really stood out. That's all changed in 2009. With the announcement of the PSP Go!, Sony has really ramped up the platform, and we're seeing a new breed of PSP games and some very established and popular franchises brought to the platform for the first time.
And The Winner Is...
One of the best PS3 games released last year makes its way to the PSP. LittleBigPlanet redefined user-driven content and community gameplay, and is a highly successful and unique game on the system. Later this year, you're going to get to experience all of that on the go, an extremely strong first-party offering and one of the titles that'll lead the way in re-establishing a great games showcase on the PSP.
Nominees:
- Gran Turismo PSP
- LittleBigPlanet PSP
- Rock Band: Unplugged
Best DS Game
The DS has a great year in 2008, continuing it's dominance in the handheld space and offering a plethora of games across nearly every genre. In 2009, we've already seen the release of the DSi, and Nintendo is continuing to push the system forward with a newly announced batch of games at E3.
And The Winner Is...
It's simple, really: complete the objective, get the star. Now what if you make any object you wanted to complete said objective? Scribblenauts will allow you to create any of ten-thousands of objectives to do just that. Create a ladder to reach a high objective, a bottle of water to satisfy a parched throat, a brain to distract a roaming zombie. With hundreds of levels, Scribblenauts promises to deliver a game that truly pushes the limit of anyone's imagination.
Nominees:
- Scribblenauts
- The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
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