Todd Kenreck writes:These are the games that push the art, the industry, and the gamers further than before. Here are the In-Game msnbc.com video game awards for 2010.
Best multiplayer: "Battlefield: Bad Company 2":
The game busted into the first-shooter genre with guns blazing and great level design and intricate multiplayer strategies that allowed gamers to grow their skills, not just their achievements. Battlefield Bad Company 2 wins our award for best multiplayer game.
Best graphics: "God of War III":
Tearing down Mount Olympus turned out to be a beautiful thing; God of War 3’s violence may have only been surpassed by its amazing and seamless visuals. "God of War III" is our pick for best graphics in 2010.
Best sound: "Starcraft II:
Wings of Liberty": Gurgling Zerg, bass-heavy Protos, and gun-toting Marines made for a rich selection of ear candy. "Starcraft II" gets our award for best sound.
Best character: John Marston:
Rarely does a character define and anchor a video game as much John Marston did in "Red Dead Redemption." His relentless bad ass nature, ability to capture the spirit of the old West, and the fact he was just plain fun to play makes John Marston our best character this year.
Best art direction: Limbo:
Limbo surprised us with some very spooky levels, important visual cues and surprising depth that made you forget you were playing a simple two-dimensional side scroller. "Limbo" gets our award for best art direction.
Best cinematics and score: "Heavy Rain":Though the plot line may have been flawed, the cutscenes in "Heavy Rain" gripped us and didn’t let go. "Heavy Rain" felt like one big interactive movie where your skill and choices determined the outcome. Solid dialogue, pacing, editing, and nerve-racking gameplay earned "Heavy Rain" best cinematics in 2010. Not only that, few scores were as immediately recognizable as the theme from "Heavy Rain" which turned out to be one of the most of beautifully haunting scores we’ve heard in a video game.
Game of the year, best actor, and best writing "Mass Effect 2":
The one game that pushed the boundaries of gaming like no other this year, they let you create your own story, explore exotic planets with a fantastic cast of characters, actors, music, writing, and addictive gameplay . "Mass Effect 2" is our much-deserved game of the year.
The game busted into the first-shooter genre with guns blazing and great level design and intricate multiplayer strategies that allowed gamers to grow their skills, not just their achievements. Battlefield Bad Company 2 wins our award for best multiplayer game.
Tearing down Mount Olympus turned out to be a beautiful thing; God of War 3’s violence may have only been surpassed by its amazing and seamless visuals. "God of War III" is our pick for best graphics in 2010.
Wings of Liberty": Gurgling Zerg, bass-heavy Protos, and gun-toting Marines made for a rich selection of ear candy. "Starcraft II" gets our award for best sound.
Rarely does a character define and anchor a video game as much John Marston did in "Red Dead Redemption." His relentless bad ass nature, ability to capture the spirit of the old West, and the fact he was just plain fun to play makes John Marston our best character this year.
Best art direction: Limbo:
Limbo surprised us with some very spooky levels, important visual cues and surprising depth that made you forget you were playing a simple two-dimensional side scroller. "Limbo" gets our award for best art direction.
Best cinematics and score: "Heavy Rain":Though the plot line may have been flawed, the cutscenes in "Heavy Rain" gripped us and didn’t let go. "Heavy Rain" felt like one big interactive movie where your skill and choices determined the outcome. Solid dialogue, pacing, editing, and nerve-racking gameplay earned "Heavy Rain" best cinematics in 2010. Not only that, few scores were as immediately recognizable as the theme from "Heavy Rain" which turned out to be one of the most of beautifully haunting scores we’ve heard in a video game.
The one game that pushed the boundaries of gaming like no other this year, they let you create your own story, explore exotic planets with a fantastic cast of characters, actors, music, writing, and addictive gameplay . "Mass Effect 2" is our much-deserved game of the year.
