HCG Community Game of the Year ? The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim!

Monday, December 12th, 2011

Whether or not you put stock in big time awards like Spike?s ?Game of the Year? award, it?s a fact that gamers have to compare titles to see which one was better.? Now, deciding the ?game of the year? based on the votes of just a few people seems rather unfair, so we put it to the community.? We had our forum members submit three games that they felt were worthy of the game of the year title.? The most popular titles from that brainstorm session were compiled and put to a vote.? Well, the results are in, and with 37.5% of the votes, the 2011 HCG Community Game of the Year is The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim!

Realistically, all of the games that were voted on we very solid nominations.? Let?s take a look at what makes them so special.

Game of the Year: Skyrim

It?s not hard to see why Skyrim was a contender for Game of the Year.? The deep, massive world that Bethesda crafted feels authentic.? Sure there are reminders that it?s a game, but once you get lost in the wilderness while running from a Snow Troll (think Yeti) only to be attacked by an angry dragon, you?re not thinking of much else.? Skyrim offers players a staggering amount of content for the $60 asking price.? Many reviewers were putting in close to 100 hrs before they wrote their review.? I myself had roughly 50 hrs into our HCG review.? Add the staggering amount of moral freedom, improved combat, and overhauled user interface and you?ve got yourself one great game.

Runner-up #1: Gears of War 3

Tallying up 20.8% of the vote, Gears 3 had a good run in our competition.? Though it was edged out by Skyrim for the top spot, Gears 3 is still plenty worthy of all the praise it?s received.? A heart-pounding campaign that continues the riveting story of Epic?s famous Delta Squad, and a fast-paced, gut-wrenching multiplayer experience (complete with extra polish) make this one of the best releases this year.

Runners-up #2 (tie): Battlefield 3; Uncharted 3

Battlefield 3:

While it wasn?t exactly the Call of Duty killer that EA was hoping for, Battlefield 3 sloughed off the Bad Company trappings and went straight back to what made Battlefield 1942, and Battlefield 2 so great.? The return of Conquest mode and 64 man vehicular slaughterhouses truly dazzles the senses.? The campaign wasn?t much, but the multiplayer is some of the best team based action you?ll find available (not to mention those shiny graphics).

Uncharted 3:

While the Uncharted series has always been good, Drake?s Fortune fell prey to it?s lack of multiplayer offerings.? Uncharted 2 fixed this by adding terrific multiplayer and online co-op.? Uncharted 3 tops them both.? With a fantastic story, some of the most believable characters in the industry, and added Free-for-all, and Splitscreen multiplayer modes, this game is a must buy for PS3 owners (the graphics aren?t half bad either).

Runners-up #3 (tie): Batman: Arkham City; Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Batman: Arkham City:

A couple of years ago, Rocksteady Studios surprised everyone with Batman: Arkham Asylum.? This year they returned with what amounts to a more polished, open-world variant that falls in much the same vein.? In Arkham City, exploration is king.? You can go wherever you want, at any time.? The whole map is open to you right from the get-go.? With hundreds of collectables, clever puzzles, and heart-stopping ally fights, Arkham City takes Batman seriously, and it asks that you do to.? It?s a must have for superhero fans.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution:

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is actually a prequel to a title that came out years ago, simply called Deus Ex.? Deus Ex is a cult classic and has something of a legendary status among PC gamers.? Many people felt that the gameplay of Deus Ex could never be recaptured.? Then Eidos proved them wrong.? Like the original, Human Revolution provides players with plenty of choices.? Chances are that your Adam Jensen is going to be at least slightly different than most other people?s Adam Jensen.? With a strong story, and compelling gameplay, it?s not hard to see why this one is on the list.

Conclusion:

Whether or not you agree with the community, each of these games are excellent candidates, and they all have brought something to the table to forward our favorite hobby.

I would like to thank all of the members who participated in our first Community Game of the Year contest.

- Chris Hayes

Source: http://www.christian-gaming.com/xbox-360/xbox/hcg-community-game-year-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim

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