Strategy Game of the Year: Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes (DS)
Might & Magic could have taken the puzzle game of the year easily but the depth of the story and the skill involved in battle tilted the scale in favor of the strategy genre instead. It skillfully blends the strategy, puzzle and RPG genres with a unique style that combines battling armies, strategically arranging units and leveling up characters. The game features multiple campaigns and dozens of hours of gameplay, tied together with a compelling story that features entertaining boss battles. While the game had a recipe for disaster with so much going on, it was carefully crafted into a masterpiece. –Justin Wheelock
Honorable Mention: Worms 2: Armageddon (360), Empire: Total War (PC)
Sports Game of the Year: UFC 2009: Undisputed (PS3, 360)
There have been UFC titles in the past and each one felt like wrestling game knock offs with terrible controls. UFC Undisputed took almost everything there is in MMA today and translated the experience perfectly into video game form. For every punch is a counter, for every kick is a grapple, for every ground move is a downward kick. Undisputed is as technical as a fighting game, but the addicting career mode gives it more staying value than many other games. The game isn’t perfect, with a spotty online mode, muddy textures and a bit of carelessness when it came to crafting the fighters (hell, it isn’t even necessarily as good as the Honorable Mentions below). But you simply must give credit for actually pulling this off. –Justin Wheelock
Honorable Mention: NHL 10 (PS3, 360), FIFA Soccer 10 (PS3, 360)
Simulation Game of the Year: The Sims 3 (PC)
Simulation games didn't have a large presence in 2009, but two standouts in the genre deserve to be noted. The first is Tropico 3, which offers entertaining twists on the original Sim City concept. But The Sims 3 is displaying its own impressive level of staying power with its new installment. Considerable improvements have been made to the base game, with no loading screens after the initial startup and improvements to the skill and job system. The biggest thing, though, is the addition of opportunities and desires, which serve as side quests your Sims can undertake. This ends up adding a new layer of addictiveness, making it the best Sims game thus far, and handily earning Simulation Game of the Year. –Oscar Marin
Honorable Mention : Tropico 3 (PC)
Action Game of the Year: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
Uncharted was one of the best action games of 2007. So how could Naughty Dog elevate Uncharted 2? By making everything better, that’s how. The plot is deeper with an excellent cast of characters, a villain you instantly hate and a main character who dislikes helicopters more than 50 Cent. Amazing set pieces are rendered beautifully from war torn cities to ancient caves on tropical islands. What Uncharted 2 does better than any other game, though, is capitalize on intense scripted action. Nathan Drake is not only an entertaining hero, but loves to highlight the “oh crap” moments with hilarious lines of dialogue. The main storyline can take most players between sixteen to twenty-five hours to complete but packed in is a brand new multiplayer experience. There is even a three-player co-op experience through a set of levels taken directly from the story line campaign. Uncharted 2 is the definition of what exclusive titles are supposed to be; a showcase for the power of the system and the advantages of developing on it. This is definitely one of the best games of the year, and is probably one of the best games ever. –Justin Wheelock
Honorable Mention: Shadow Complex (360), Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3, 360)
Overall Game of the Year: Dragon Age: Origins (PC, PS3, 360)
There hasn’t been a game in years that everyone in my office talked about for weeks on end. Each day was like WWII vets standing around telling stories. Hours were spent comparing strategies and mocking those who play on Easy. Taking a step back from Mass Effect, Bioware blasted us with the past by putting out a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate. Combat requires deep planning, and the story and characters are hugely interesting. And while there were many great games this year, other games just didn’t have such a complete package of presentation and staying power. –Justin Wheelock