Best DLC Game

This one came as a complete surprise to me. I never would have expected in a million years this game would be as good as it is. There are definitely tons of DLC games this year that are longer, better looking and have higher production values. But none of that matters because none of the games on live arcade I've played this year have been as fun as Vampire Smile. I am eagerly anticipating Ska Studios' next big release.

Best Christmas Gift

Lucky bastard.

Best Bro

FIST BUMP OF THE GODS

Most Extraneous Multiplayer

When I first heard they were including multiplayer in Dead Space 2 I was outraged. This is a game about scariness. How can I be scared when there are other xbox live jerkoffs yelling in my ear (sorry Jaison)? I was so mad that I wasn't going to buy the game. Or maybe buy it used.

But then when the game was released I folded like a cheap suitcase and got it on day one. Self control...what's that? Anyway I quickly discovered that the game came on two discs. What kind of shit is this! One is probably just for the multiplayer... I don't know if that's true or not, but anyway.

I finally got around to trying the multiplayer and it actually wasn't that bad. Jumping out of vents as the monsters is hilarious, and fighting to stay alive with your team was more fun than I expected. I still don't think they needed to include it though.

Best Game I Got For Free

Jaison gave me Trine 2 for my birthday, big props to you jaison! I have played it for a couple hours and it's really good so far. The first thing I noticed is that it is beautiful. Seriously god damn this game looks nice. But style is nothing without substance. Luckily it's also a lot of fun to play. Very much like the first Trine, with small improvements that come together to make it overall a more fun experience than the original. Plus it's got online multiplayer, what's not to like?

Musical Interlude

While we prepare the next round of awards, please give it up for the awesome sounds of Fantomenk!!

Best Sequel

Dark Souls is everything a good sequel should be. It expands on the core concepts of the original, while still managing to do it's own thing without just feeling like a retread. I guess this is partly because it's more of a spiritual sequel, telling a completely new story. While I didn't enjoy the story as much as the original, I felt the much larger size of the game and cool additions like covenants more than made up for it.

There is a lot to do in this game and I enjoyed every minute of it (Except Anor Londo, seriously fuck you anor londo!). Between levelling up, upgrading gear and exploring the world, I spent around 50 hours on my first play-through. That's more than some people spend on Skyrim. Woah! And I still am not bored of it. I feel like I got a good value for my money on this one.

Biggest Trainwreck

I wanted to give this award to Brink, but in the end you've got to hand it to 3D Realms. George Broussard is a master of driving a well-loved franchise straight into the fucking ground. I'm not sure how they could have shit the bed any worse. I have to give credit to Gearbox for actually getting the game finished but at the same time shame because Duke Nukem Forever should never have seen the light of day, and tricking people into paying $60 for this reeking turd is morally reprehensible.

Best Game That Nobody Played

This game looks god damn beautiful. It got fantastic reviews. It's pure old-school platforming fun. Yet whenever I talk to people about it, I always get the same response. "Yeah it looks really good. I'll pick it up when it goes on sale." I can't really blame them, because I was thinking the exact same thing. I guess in this age of Skyrims and Mass Effects, people just aren't willing to pay full price for a 2D platformer not starring a fat Italian plumber.