X-Play Game Of The Year 2010 Nominees Announced

208 Comments

Posted December 8, 2010 - By Stephen Johnson

We've spent the last 12 months playing every major game released, and today, we're ready to reveal the nominees for 2010's Game of the Year. These are the best video games of 2010 and we're giving out 21 awards for great games this year, including Best Shooter, Most Original Game, Best RPG, Best Sports Game, Best Multiplayer and of course the coveted Game of the Year!

The winners will be revealed in a special one-hour X-Play special to be broadcast on G4 on Tuesday, December 14 at 6PM, so make sure to mark your calendar.

Without further ado, click the link for the nominees...

Game of the Year
1. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
2. Disney Epic Mickey
3. Mass Effect II
4. NBA 2K11
5. Red Dead Redemption
6. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

Most Original Game
1. Deadly Premonition
2. Heavy Rain
3. Limbo
4. Minecraft
5. Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale

Best Gameplay Innovation
1. Heavy Rain
2. Kinect
3. Mass Effect Saves
4. Rock Band Network
5. Rock Band Pro Mode

Best Multiplayer Game
1. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops
3. Halo: Reach
4. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
5. Super Street Fighter IV

Best Action/Adventure Game
1. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
2. Bayonetta
3. Disney Epic Mickey
4. God of War III
5. Red Dead Redemption

Best Shooter
1. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
2. Bioshock 2
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops
4. Halo: Reach
5. Medal of Honor

Best Fighting
1. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
2. Super Street Fighter IV
3. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars

Best Art Direction
1. Bayonetta
2. Disney Epic Mickey
3. God of War III
4. Limbo
5. Red Dead Redemption

Best Animation
1. Bayonetta
2. Disney Epic Mickey
3. God of War III
4. NBA 2K11
5. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

Best Writing
1. Alan Wake
2. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
3. Fallout: New Vegas
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Red Dead Redemption

Best Soundtrack
1. Disney Epic Mickey
2. Halo: Reach
3. Mass Effect 2
4. Nier
5. Red Dead Redemption

Best Sound Design
1. Alan Wake
2. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
3. Limbo
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

Best Downloadable Game
1. Costume Quest
2. DeathSpank
3. Limbo
4. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
5. Super Meat Boy

Best DLC
1. Bioshock 2: Minerva’s Den
2. Borderlands: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx
3. Left 4 Dead 2: The Passing
4. Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker
5. Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare

Best Multiplayer Co-Op
1. Dead Rising 2
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops
3. Halo: Reach
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Rock Band 3

Best Strategy
1. Civilization V
2. RUSE
3. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
4. Supreme Commander 2
5. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos Rising

Best Music/Rhythm
1. Dance Central
2. Def Jam Rapstar
3. DJ Hero 2
4. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
5. Rock Band 3

Best Sports Game
1. FIFA Soccer 11
2. Madden NFL 11
3. MLB: The Show 10
4. NBA 2K11
5. NHL 11

Best RPG
1. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
2. Fallout: New Vegas
3. Final Fantasy XIII
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Nier

Best Racing Game
1. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
2. Gran Turismo 5
3. Split/Second
4. Blur
5. ModNation Racers

Best Handheld Game
1. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
2. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
3. Persona 3 Portable
4. Picross 3D
5. Ys Seven

Feel free to make predictions in our comment section, let us know if your favorite got passed over, or otherwise second-guess our choices!

Tags: G4, Nintendo DS, PC Gaming, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, TV, Videogames, Wii, Xbox 360

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XRedWolf5566

bunch of crap choices for game of the year. wheres god of war? wheres halo? wheres mario galexy 2? and why are mass effect 2, nba 2k11, and epic mickey up there? there is no more game of the year. just a bloody popularity contest.

Posted: December 9, 2010 2:55 PM
VonDoom35

You guys at G4 should have your vote..Then do a separate poll with the same games but let the fans vote and see how they differ.I think that would be cool.Maybe even have a poll about certain games left out of the list and whatever game gets the top vote gets put into the list....

Posted: December 9, 2010 2:38 PM
MinimumNSS

How does Battlefield: Bad Company 2 not even get a nod for best multiplayer?!?! God, I am so over the hype and praise that Call of Duty gets for multiplayer (it's good but far from all the praise it gets). BFBC2 trumps that game in absolutely every way in the multiplayer department. It isn't marred by bad design decisions that lead to ridiculous and frustrating deaths (like 10' away knife kills or "imaginary die roll" that occurs when two people shoot each other at the same time and the game arbitrarily decides who lives). It also doesn't have thousands upon thousands of cheaters, glitchers, modders, or hackers. Don't get me wrong, I still like to play Call of Duty every now and again but to not even nominate BFBC2 for multiplayer is absolutely asinine.

As for Mass Effect 2, I haven't played it yet but I haven't talked to one person who has played it that hasn't said it's one of their favorite games ever much less just for the year. Can't wait to sink some time into that one. As for Epic Mickey making GoY list over GOW 3, Halo: Reach, or Fallout: New Vegas....I won't keep playing a broken record but that makes no sense.

My trust in G4's opinion took a massive hit with this list.

Posted: December 9, 2010 2:17 PM
QuickKick89

Not one nomination for Super Mario Galaxy 2? Do mine eyes deceive me?

Posted: December 9, 2010 2:08 PM
vitXras

Game of the Year
Assassin s Creed: Brotherhood

Most Original Game
Limbo

Best Gameplay Innovation
Kinect

Best Multiplayer Game
Assassin s Creed: Brotherhood

Best Action/Adventure Game
Assassin s Creed: Brotherhood

Best Shooter
Call of Duty: Black Ops

Best Fighting
Super Street Fighter IV

Best Art Direction
Disney Epic Mickey

Best Animation
Disney Epic Mickey

Best Writing
Assassin s Creed: Brotherhood

Best Soundtrack
Disney Epic Mickey

Best Sound Design
Red Dead Redemption

Best Downloadable Game
Limbo

BUT WHERES SCOTT PILGRIM

Best DLC
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare

Best Multiplayer Co-Op
Call of Duty: Black Ops

Best Strategy
Civilization V

Best Music/Rhythm
Rock Band 3

Best Sports Game
Madden NFL 11

Best RPG
Final Fantasy XIII

Best Racing Game
ModNation Racers

Best Handheld Game
KINGDOM HEARTS birth by sleep

I DONT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS KHBBS IS WAY BETTER THAN ANY OF THESE

Posted: December 9, 2010 2:05 PM
Big Stew

I'm not going to be one of these blithering idiots who cry foul at the inclusion of NBA 2K11 into the GOTY list. After all, those are probably the same crybabies who voted a mediocre @$$ Castlevania game over 2K11 in Videogame Deathmatch, which was the most retarded decision in the entire bracket.

I would like to ask why Super Mario Galaxy 2 was not included. The sheer difficulty of the game made it playable for hours on end, and if you collected all of the green stars like I did, you left your head shaking in disbelief at what you would have to do to achieve some of those tasks.

My second question is why an MMA game was not included for Sports Game of the Year. I know that EA Sports MMA received rave reviews, even though I was not a fan of the Fight Night controls at all. I personally enjoyed UFC Undisputed 2010, but it was a curious question to ask after X-Play picked a boxing game for the sports category last year.

With that being said, I'll take Red Dead Redemption (GTA meets Wild West) or Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (gotta love killing a dead pope's son) for GOTY, while NBA 2K11 should win SGOTY by unanimous decision.

Posted: December 9, 2010 1:55 PM
vitXras

none of those hand held games are even on the same level as kingdom hearts birth by sleep

Posted: December 9, 2010 1:51 PM
zimmy91

I have to say... its a pretty shallow ass list

Posted: December 9, 2010 12:57 PM
Adampro123

Why not just add more nominees and make more people happy? un;ess this is going by the video game deathmatch which had horrible bracketing...then again if that was the case NBA2k11 wouldn't have made it neither would Epic Mickey since it went out in the first round.

Posted: December 9, 2010 12:48 PM
Jintaka

Mass Effect 2 is in my humble opinion the greatest RPG since the Final Fantasy 7 spun in my Playstation over a decade ago. I have no doubt it will win many awards here is hoping to GOTY.

2010 has been one hell of a good year for gamers here is hoping for a great new year.

I've got a prediction for 2011 GOTY...... SWTOR

Posted: December 9, 2010 12:40 PM
jewishmonkey5

The fact that Halo:Reach,Civ5,SC2, or GOW3 isn't on the GOTY list, but Epic Mickey is, makes me not give a f@@@ who ever wins since there's no point in taking it seriously anymore:)

Posted: December 9, 2010 11:36 AM
Chicgamer1990

Sorry but this list is BS, where is god of war 3? Where is kirby epic yarn??? Come on now! At least fable 3 wasn't put on the list, don't get me wrong I loved the second one but it did not deserve game of the year. I'm putting my money on red dead redemption which I honestly believe should get game of the year, it did everything right and even had amazing dlc to back it up.

Posted: December 9, 2010 10:53 AM
rfedun

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.. Why do I see Epic Mickey and not Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the GOTY list and a better question why do I see NBA 2k11 on there instead of God of War 3 or Halo:Reach.

Posted: December 9, 2010 10:16 AM
Sickmxc

They don't have Halo: Reach in the running for GOTY? Seriously?

Posted: December 9, 2010 9:28 AM
lowkevmic

@Justthebeginning or anyone else asking why GOW3 isn't game of the year- That's simple...Because it's the exact same game as the last two that came before it!! God of War is a fun hack and slash game and looked amazing, but let's be honest here, the game didn't really bring anything new to the table. Same gameplay, same setup, same everything, just better graphics. GOW3 is a fan favorite not game of the year. With that said, I do sort of question why NBA2K11 is a GOTY nominee?? I mean, did the addition of Michael Jordan mean possible game of the year??

Posted: December 9, 2010 9:13 AM
bretthoof

X-Play's Game of the Year episode is almost here?!

Eff you DirecTV!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: December 9, 2010 8:27 AM
scottfontenot

Mass Effect 2 all the way!

Posted: December 9, 2010 7:41 AM
Ben999999

tabris95
Question. Why wasn't Heavy Rain nominated for best writing?

Because you could see the ending coming from a mile away.

Posted: December 9, 2010 7:32 AM
GamerEdge

I am a huge ME2 fan! I hope they win in all the categories there nominated in, not just because I enjoyed the game, but because it is an excellently designed game with a fantastic story.

MY THE BEST GAME WIN!

Posted: December 9, 2010 7:03 AM
WraithMastah

1. ... I have a feeling they are gonna pick Mass Effect II.... Wish they'd pick Starcraft, but hey, they're opinion. Gotta agree with one guy, though... NBA 2K11.... and yet no God of War III? Kind of odd.... especially since you gave God of War loads of praise when it came out O.o

2. Personally I think Limbo, but I know these guys were very taken by Deadly Premonition.

3. Heavy Rain.

4. Oh.... Tough call... Starcraft, Black Ops, Reach... Well... Yeah, really tough call there. Black Ops fixed MW2's problems, Reach really innovated Halo... and Starcraft II IS Starcraft II. I think they will go with Black Ops, but for me, WAY harder choice :x

5. Probably GoW 3.

6. Between Black Ops and Reach.

7. Super Street Fighter IV. This was never even a competition, people.

8. Limbo.... Though they may pick Epic Mickey.

9. Gotta give Best Animation to God of War III.

10. Best Writing going to... Red Dead Redemption. In my opinion.

11. Best Soundtrack... With the only Soundtrack I truly remember, Halo Reach takes this one by a mile. Though RDR had some moments.

12. Sound design... Gotta go with Limbo. Limbo knew the sounds that would make you jump when playing a platformer.

13. Limbo is best downloadable. It was the one nominated for several others, is there any doubt about it? No...

14. Undead Nightmare... but mostly because I haven't played with the other ones >///<

15. Personally going with Reach on the Co-Op. Much as I love some Nazi Zombies, something to be said for shooting a rocket into a wave of grunts as soon as they land.

16. Uh.... Star.... Craft.... II... This was never a competition. Look at which one was nominated for GotY.

17. Rockband 3... I don't think this was a real head scratcher, either.

18. Best Sports.... I don't care. Moving on XD

19. Fallout New Vegas..... Is that what they are going for? No... They will pick Mass Effect 2, of course.

20. I guess Need for Speed will take it... I think...

21. Probably Peace Walker.

Posted: December 9, 2010 5:43 AM