My game of the year is probably Rock Band, because while games like Super Mario Galaxy and Bioshock and the Orange Box and Halo 3 et cetera et cetera were excellent, I can really see myself playing Rock Band for years and years on end, given the right company. Indeed, if I were stranded on a deserted island with the rest of the Bee Suit Boyz, and we only had Rock Band to play for the rest of our lives, it would not be unbearable.

I suppose the same could be said for multiplayer-heavy shooters like Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4 or Team Fortress 2, especially given downloadable content, but if we're taking downloadable content into the equation as well (assume our deserted island has broadband Internet), then Rock Band gets extra points for remaining fresh, assuming they keep releasing weekly songs.

In short, Rock Band gets my vote.

Also, woo hoo, I think this is my first zeroth comment. Or would it be my zeroth zeroth comment?

Crush. its innovation is rivaled only by portal. Shame no one knows about the game because Sony stumbled out of the gate with the PSP and Sega's piss poor marketing for it.

My pick goes to Orange Box, or Portal if we want to be specific. Although I did miss out on playing some big games this year like SMG (no wii) and Mass Effect (recently broken 360 :[ ). However, the most addicting game fueled by Mountain Dew: code red™ was probably COD4.

Mass Effect, although hated by most people, gets my vote for game of the year. I can overlook the glitches and what not, plus not only was the plot pretty epic, but the back story was pretty awe inspiring as well.

Call of Duty 4 was so perfect in every way that it crushed our mod teams hope of ever developing a multiplayer modern combat mod. So yeah... no more modding for the time being.

Halo 3

Orange Box

I know it seems like the "cool" thing to say when looking at what the media has to say about it, but I give my vote to Bioshock. Ever since I played System Shock 2, I had always hoped for something that great again and Bioshock went above and beyond my expectations. It was gorgeously rendered and the story was excellent; a good blend of human nature amongst an eerie backdrop.

Aside from Bioshock, Orange Box comes in at number two and Rock Band a close third.

Orange box specifically portal

Definitely Orange Box, solely for Portal and TF2.

Call of Duty 4

No explanation needed.

COD4. Bioshock is an amazing single-player game with design, music, and story that nothing has even come close to. But a single-player game is hard in this day and age to compete. I have to give it to COD4. I knew the multi-player was going to be sick since I spent an entire month playing the shit out of the beta, but I had no idea that the single-player part would be just as good.

Team Fortress 2. I never thought I would care about playing an online FPS again, they were too hardcore for me these days. But this was incredibly easy to get started with, and the variety and balance of classes means you always have something new to try if you get bored. The art style really takes it over the top, a world apart from every other generic sci-fi/modern/WWII shooter out there.

I'm gonna be the lone vote on God of War 2. I'm about 1 hour from beating it, but all in all, it had the highest minute to minute level of enjoyment out of any game I've played and it looked ridiculous. I can't believe what they managed to pull off on the PS2.

Mass Effect because it is so amazing. Sure the elevators are probably operated by starving midgets but even on my 5th playthrough I still encountered new things not seen the first four times. That and the story is pretty in depth and not just "OMG aliens, kill them"

Halo 3 would be a second mainly because of multiplayer (split screen online) and its uncanny ability to make me yell loudly, both out of anger and excitement.

Call of Duty 4 would be a distant third. Single Player was way too short, and nothing says "I cant code AI" better than simply making tons of enemies have ridiculous accuracy, grenade throwing, and player spotting skills on the highest difficulty. Multiplayer is cool, but no splitscreen online was a big let down and also the fact that it doesnt seem to promote team work.

I'm inclined to say COD4, being an Infinity Ward diehard through-and-through, but at best it's just the pinnacle of online military FPS to date, and at worst an extremely potent and invigorating shoot-'em-up.

Bioshock was excellent and memorable, but it has to be taken in small doses and frankly, its not entirely revolutionary.

However, Orange Box impressed me in so many shocking ways. Portal's puzzle innovation was simple, efficient, saccharine fun, and its writing was keen and - though not outright hilarious - ineffably witty. Team Fortress 2 is a perfect exercise in balance and style, and I enjoy its multiplayer to no end. Half-Life 2 and Episodic content is still some of the best PC gaming to date and its cinematic intensity and scope are unrivaled. Not to mention, all five of these for the price of one normal game is a bargain not to be trifled with. Thus, it is
The Orange Box
that gets my vote this time around.

Odin Sphere!!!!

Mine's going to come from practiaclly nowhere, but I'm going to have to say Ace Combat 6, just because it's the one I've been playing the most as of late. Awesome war story, breathtaking visuals, and the fact that the missions feel epic about 90% of the time.

Mass Effect. I coulda picked Orange Box, CoD4, or a few others, but ME to me was a great complete package that really reeled me in as I was playing it. Good story, some innovative aspects and to me, solid combat, made this stand out from all the others. I feel that ME was a victim of the anti-hype backlash that Assassin's Creed kinda got rolling. Orange Box was a great deal and I loved (LOVED) Portal, but that and Team Fortress 2 just doesn't seem like enough to take down ME or some others. I mean, Half-Life 2 and the sequels weren't new games, so it's not really fair that they factor in.

Honorable mention is NHL 08, a lot of which is because it gets no love with "hardcore" (read: anti-sports) gamers. This year's edition bravely did away with the arcadey feel that all EA NHL games have had, while keeping things fun. Taking things like "speed burst" away is a ballsy move, and though many won't recognize the improvements since they simply never *played* the title, it's hands-down the best sports game this year or in recent years for that matter.

Mass Effect or Rock Band. We all know Bioshock sucked

Assassins creed would also have to be a candidate. I played through the game over the course of three weeks at a steady pace(yes i know it is repetitive) and I absolutely loved it! The last 20 minutes of the game is just =O

The Orange Box, for Portal alone. True innovation. Sure it was short, but it made you think in a way that you never had before in a video game.

COD4, it's without compare. Honorable mentions go out to Uncharted and Orange Box (If only it weren't so flawed on the PS3 version, it would have definitely got my vote).

Orange Box.