Since we didn't want to influence you unduly (we know how much you rely on our *ahem* expert opinions), we decided to keep our own nominations a secret. Well, the voting is now over, and we're ready to unveil our picks as well as yours.
Over the next week we'll be unveiling the top picks for 2001 in a variety of categories. Not surprisingly, there's a lot of crossover among them, but sometimes we didn't always see eye-to-eye. The great thing is that we're giving awards based on your picks as well, so your picks will get the recognition they deserve.
Below you'll find the cream of the crop in gaming, and if you haven't had a chance to check out any of the games mentioned below, you owe it to yourself to pick them up and give them a play. Be sure to use the links at the bottom of the page to check out the next set awards.
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Why it rocked: How could a story about a resurrected vampire out for vengeance against their murderer/defiler go wrong? That's just the beginning and the tip of the iceberg, but then we wouldn't want to give away the good stuff now would we. The story is actually really interesting because it begins the minute the first Soul Reaver ends when Raziel is chasing his hated tormentor through the chronoplast. Things begin anew as Raziel uncovers more of his past in an epic journey that will leave you wanting for more. Now that's entertainment.
Runner-Up: Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
Developer: Remedy
Publisher: Gathering of Developers/3D Realms
Why it rocked: The vengeance thing is big in the world of good stories it seems, because Max Payne packs it in and keeps it rolling with little twists and turns the whole way through. Max's wife and child have been murdered and he's gone vigilante killing everyone and everything that keeps him from learning the truth behind his family's death. The fiction is built beautifully and darkly throughout the game as things get more and more twisted with each passing scene. Comic book style interludes with news breaks on TV and the radio work extremely well to drag you down into the depressing and dirty world of Max Payne.
Runner-Up: Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
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