- Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Steam
- Number of Players: 1
With the exception of releasing in a somewhat glitchier state than Fallout 3 had, New Vegas was an improvement over the already popular formula in nearly every conceivable way. The game represented a return to form for the former franchise owners and was regarded as a masterpiece by the fans. Many still consider it to be the greatest entry in the series today (superior even to the installments that have since followed it).
- Developer: BioWare
- Platforms: Xbox 360
- Number of Players: 1
While the first game did represent a pretty monumental achievement in storytelling and interactive entertainment, some of the systems and implementations the developer had chosen did leave a little to be desired. Despite the first entry's pretty overwhelming success, BioWare decided to take some of that game's relatively few criticisms to heart when designing the sequel. The results were even more of the same fantastic character-driven sci-fi storytelling, but with newly-streamlined menus and completely revamped planetary exploration, in addition to a notably-improved combat system, giving the entire world a near-perfect sequel to one of the greatest sci-fi action RPG's ever made.
Best Action Game, PlayStation 3 Exclusive
- Developer: Santa Monica Studio
- Platforms: PlayStation 3
- Number of Players: 1
Best Xbox Exclusive
- Developer: Bungie
- Platforms: Xbox 360
- Number of Players: 1-4 locally or 2-16 online
For starters, Bungie redesigned their existing game engine, in addition to creating higher quality, more detailed art assets. They also decided to employ the use of motion capture in order to allow for more realistic character animations. Along with an absolutely outstanding campaign, Halo: Reach also featured new multiplayer modes and weapons (in addition to a few revamped classics), and even introduced the new reusable armor abilities feature. Finally, the game featured perhaps the greatest soundtrack of the franchise by acclaimed series composers Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori. Halo: Reach would be a massive success, setting a sales record for the franchise upon release and receiving heaps of praise from critics and fans aslike. The game has since come to be widely regarded as the best entry in the entire Halo series, and hasn't yet come close to even being rivaled by anything from the current stewards, 343 Industries. Not a bad not for Bungie to exit on.
Best Beat 'Em Up
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
- Number of Players: 1-4 locally
The result was simultaneously one of the greatest beat 'em up and movie tie-in games ever to be made. One didn't even need to be a fan of the movie or comics to see how incredible the game was (but it probably didn't hurt). So incredible was it in fact, that after being delisted and unavailable for a number of years (due to expired property rights), an updated version was brought to new consoles in 2021, thanks to both popular demand, and the much-appreciated efforts of O'Malley himself.
Best Fighting Game
- Developer: Arc System Works
- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
- Number of Players: 1-2 locally or online
- Publisher: 2K Games
- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Steam
- Number of Players: 1 locally or 2-10 online
Yet, good it was, as some critics even considered it to be superior to the original. This was due to the fact that the story for the second game was every bit as good as the first, and many enemies, gameplay elements, and even the ending battle and musical score were actually better than the first's. Additionally, everything else that worked so well in the first game was on full display in the second, perhaps most importantly, the further exploration of that same previously mentioned, incredibly compelling setting. The only real shortcoming BioShock 2 had was it's pretty lackluster, entirely forgettable, bolted-on multiplayer mode. But given the fact that the rest of the game was so unbelievably well-crafted, this did little to tarnish BioShock 2's well-earned, enduring reputation.
Best Strategy Game, Best PlayStation Exclusive
- Publisher: SEGA
- Platforms: PlayStation Portable
- Number of Players: 1-4 locally
Best RPG, Best Nintendo Exclusive
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Platforms: Nintendo DS
- Number of Players: 1-4 locally
Best Music/Rhythm Game
- Developer: Harmonix
- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
- Number of Players: 1-7 locally or online
But the real beauty of Rock Band 3 was that they didn't abandon the fun and fantasy of the previous games in the name of authenticity. The game was just all of that and more. It allowed players to make the experience as fun and as authentic as they wanted it to be. It was an instrument peripheral music game that catered to everybody; and it gave players more than any game before or since. Rock Band 3 didn't just represent the progression of the genre, it was the pinnacle. The best there ever was and, sadly, very likely ever will be.
Best Shooter
- Publisher: Rockstar
- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
- Number of Players: 1 locally or 2-16 online
Essentially, all it Rockstar needed to do was to take their previous smash hit title, Grand Theft Auto IV, and simply drop it into a more rugged and rustic Old West setting. Though it certainly helped that they also wrote a superb original story and did plenty of research in order to create such a detailed incredibly convincing world. In doing so, Rockstar managed to create, not only an instant classic, but the de facto standard that all future Western games should be measured by.
Best Racing Game, Best Multi-Platform Title, Game of the Year
- Publisher: SEGA
- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Steam
- Number of Players: 1-4 locally or 2-8 online
Instead of hyperfocusing on one corner subset of SEGA's massive stable of great characters (like Nintendo has mostly done with Mario Kart over the years), SEGA decided to include a broad swath of popular choices from several of their different well-known properties. They did this with the stages too, offering a much more interesting and diverse set of locations in which to race. Each stage also featured an amazing level of detail and care that really fit the tone of the game from which it was taken, as opposed to just having more generic-looking tracks that just happened to share the same name as random characters in the game (like Nintendo and a countless number of sadly uninspired stages). Finally, with the addition of a multitude of unlockable bonuses and racing missions to participate in, in addition to the standard single and multiplayer racing options, Sonic Racing offered up a pretty significant amount more replay value too. I guess you could say that the main reason why Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is just better than Mario Kart is that, once again, SEGA did what Nintendon't.