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We here at Destructoid really care.
Since we knew our announcement of Game of the Year for 2008 was going to be so important, we decided to make sure everyone in the world could fully enjoy the excitement. Therefore, for the blind people, we created the above video full of delicious audio for your extra sensitive ears. And for our deaf friends, you can hit the jump for the big reveal and treat your super-powered eyes to a glorious dance of text.
Oh, wait, how will the blind people read this and know to play the video?
Crap.
Eh, well, blind people don’t care about videogames anyway.
Out of yesterday’s final six nominees, which game took the prize? Watch the video or hit the jump to find out. Or, even better, DO BOTH!
[Thanks for putting together the amazing video, R3Y!]
Last year BioShock took the coveted crown of Destructoid Game of the Year. What game will join its ranks and take the title this year? By reading your comments in yesterday’s list of the finalists, it seems everyone has different opinions about what game is the best of the best.
Some people screamed for Braid and Castle Crashers, pointing to them as forerunners of this past year’s downloadable uprising. Others felt Fallout 3 offered the most ambitious role-playing experience of the year, while some preferred the retro feel of Lost Odyssey. And there was plenty of justified arguing that the multiplayer revolution that is Left 4 Dead and the epic, jaw-dropping presentation of Metal Gear Solid 4 were unrivaled this past gaming year.
But which game won?
Drum roll, please. Thank you for the envelope, random hot girl that is standing next to me in a luxurious, sequined ball gown. The nominees for Destructoid Game of the Year 2008 are:
Braid
Castle Crashers
Fallout 3
Left 4 Dead
Lost Odyssey
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
And the winner is ...
*ripping envelope*
LEFT 4 DEAD!
Besides videogames of course, one thing most gamers have in coming is their love of zombies. From Shaun of the Dead to Dead Rising, adding zombies to anything -- even something completely random -- usually makes it that much more awesome. Think about it: imagine adding zombies to a movie like Out of Africa. Awesome! How about throwing a few flesh-eaters on Wisteria Lane to terrorize the Desperate Housewives? MORE AWESOME!
What makes Left 4 Dead so amazing, though, is the zombies are only icing on the already incredible cake. Valve’s multiplayer masterpiece truly is a revolution in videogames. In fact, some of the editors here feel it created its own genre, sort of a hybrid between a perfectly paced single-player campaign and an almost flawless, unique co-op experience.
But don’t just take my word it – here is what some of the other Destructoid editors had to say:
Colette Bennett: Left 4 Dead was one of the few multiplayer experiences this year that actually got me to crawl out of my solo gamer cave and play with friends. Well, that and I never stopped being spooked by the sound of The Witch.
Samit Sarkar: There's a reason I've been "hating on" Valve for not bringing Left 4 Dead to the PS3 -- I'm supremely jealous of people who own 360s and gaming PCs. I've only played a few rounds of L4D, but the little time I spent with it made me want it even more than when I was just reading up on it prior to its release. Get on it, Valve/EA!
Brad Rice: I repeatedly punch Necros for buying the survival edition of Fallout 3 instead of putting that extra $50 towards getting Left 4 Dead.
That's about all I can say.
Anthony Burch: Left 4 Dead is the not only the best zombie game ever made, but the best game in a genre it itself invented. I've never before seen the pacing and structure of a (remarkably intense) single-player game jammed into a multiplayer experience, but Left 4 Dead has convinced me that we should be seeing a hell of a lot more hybridized gameplay like this in the horizon. The multiplayer's pretty unbalanced and we're still waiting on more maps, but hell if Left 4 Dead isn't a must-buy nonetheless.
Jordan “Grim” Devore: What I love most about Left 4 Dead is how it's got such a small amount of content (almost all of which is fantastic), yet the game's replayability is on par with that of an arcade classic. By creating a formula that makes slight changes to what you as the player see in-game and completely socializing the zombie apocalypse scenario, Valve has made an unforgettable co-op experience and one of the best multiplayer titles I have had the opportunity of playing.
So, there you have it: Left 4 Dead is our pick for Destructoid Game of the Year 2008. Please know that it was a tight race this year and any of the other nominees could have easily won. This year was just that good.
All in all, 2008 was an amazing year to be a gamer. Left 4 Dead is an instant classic that completely deserves all of the accolades it is receiving. Congratulations, Left 4 Dead. Don’t get too drunk tonight celebrating; we all want to play you tomorrow.
Previous Destructoid Game of the Year Winners
Contest:
2:00 PM on 12.19.2008
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L4D wasn't that great.
braid was great, but not my favorite by any means,
L4D is cool, but not enough VS levels imo. and seeing as everyone claims is basically just a mod of thesource engine, i think charging full price for the game was sorta an insult... great game tho.
(dont own a PS3, sorry MGS)
as for LO, after watching this, ill probably be buying it next week.
Fallout, imho, you deserve the GOTY... but of course, thats just my 2 cents :)
I would have easily applauded you for a decision on any of the other 5 nominees. In a way they all deserved to win, but L4D is in no way GOTY material. If anything it is the worst game Valve ever released.
*deep breath*
BWAHAHAHAHAHA
Seriously, this was the most jaded decision they could have made and it is clearly a choice made only by the editors and none of the external Destructoid community. This game is by no means a legit contender for GOTY in any other contest, and for those who read my post when they announced the GOTY finalists I pointed out everything that makes this game flawed.
There is no way a floaty mediocre Half Life 2 mod with subpar graphics and an inexcuseable short campaign is better than the likes of a Metal Gear Solid 4.
Destructoid should be ashamed.
Out of the list I think fallout 3 is my game of the year.
Ummmm, duhhhhh. This was the editor's game of the year choice awards. We didn't have community voting.
@Colette, what game is that?
Also, that 3 minutes of narration was better than the whole (however long) VGA's...more of a reason to have our own Destructoid televised awards show. :P
Yeah, but from the outside looking in... a majority of the community thinks Destructoid is 'meh' at best... while the editors think its the best thing since sliced bread. Makes it kinda look like they dont pay attention.
My only comment about the game is:
"It takes a special type of situation for someone to love and admire EA, and is Gabe Newell talking about L4D on the PS3.
John Riccitiello, your the man ;) "
I would have chosen MGS4, but to each their own. Oh and that video kicked ass - nice narration, Chad.
"a majority of the community thinks Destructoid is 'meh' at best"
Is that fact? Maybe you should just...leave... if you think it's so 'meh' around here...
Really? You must not have gone to PAX. Don't come next year plzkthnxbai.
--Graphics = subpar
--Controls = Floaty, the original Half Life controls are argueably better. Other FPS titles have much more refined controls, along with the ability to actually aim your gun.
--Length = Inexcuseable
--4 Player Coop = Halo 3 did virtually the same thing first, as did other games before H3.
--Versus Mode = Subpar and lacking content
--Lots of Zombies = See: Dead Rising, Resident Evil,
--Zombies Attacking from Different Spawns = See: COD: World At War "Nazi Zombie" mode.
didn't play MGS though so i can't weigh in on that front
Well it's our awards. It's what we thought was the best. We all voted on our top ten games of the year and Left 4 Dead is the one that got the most.
Okay excuse me. A majority of XBox Live thinks its 'meh' at best... Y'know, when the broken multiplayer of Gears of War 2 ranks higher on the activity charts then L4D.