The gaming industry has never experienced so many advancements, with new genres being introduced regularly. With so much competition, winning the game of the year award is a monumental achievement that can be sometimes awarded to the wrong game.
Although the Spike Video Game Awards was once the most recognized gaming award ceremony, nowadays people look towards what is called "The Game Awards" to find the most distinguished games. The following list combines awards from both the Spike Video Game Awards and The Game Awards. To even be a nominee for these awards is a colossal achievement. These are five that deserved to win game of the year at The Game Awards, and five that didn't.
10 Deserved To Win: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2004)
For being a game that kicked off one of gaming's greatest franchises, we will forever remember Splinter Cell for the original Xbox. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell didn't get the recognition it deserved as it went home empty-handed after the Spike Video Game Awards.
Stealth action was redefined after the release of Splinter Cell. Using the shadows to your advantage was years ahead of its time when the game released. Even today, we can look back at Splinter Cell as a groundbreaking achievement and wonder why it didn't get the game of the year award.
9 Didn't Deserve To Win: Madden NFL 2004 (2003)
With so many other nominations, it was surprising to see a sports game win game of the year at the Game Awards. Sure back in its hay-days, Madden was a colossal achievement that released on multiple platforms. But with nominations like Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell it is surprising to learn that Madden 2004 won the game of the year award at the Spike Video Game Awards. Sure football is fun, but Madden 2004 wasn't nearly as monumental as Wind Waker or Splinter Cell.
8 Deserved To Win: Fallout 3 (2008)
The difference between Fallout 2 and Fallout 3 was night and day. Playing in the third-person in an apocalyptic wasteland may have the most realism in Fallout 3. Many consider Fallout 3 to be one of the strongest entries in the series because of its explorable landscapes and intriguing dialogue.
Scavenging was never as enjoyable until the release of Fallout 3. It won a game of the year award, but it didn't deserve to get snubbed at the 2008 Spike Video Game Awards. Whether you're a bigger fan of Fallout 4 or Fallout: New Vegas, it's tough to say that Fallout 3 isn't a phenomenal role-playing open world game.
7 Didn't Deserve To Win: Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
Grand Theft Auto IV went backward by adding overly-difficult driving comparable to Grand Theft Auto III. The multiplayer mode wasn't full-fleshed and the game had a ton of faults. For being one of the weakest entries in the Grand Theft Auto series, Grand Theft Auto IV does NOT deserve the award for game of the year. Perhaps it wasn't the right year for GTA IV. It was an audacious move to label Grand Theft Auto IV the game of the year considering games such as Gears of War 2, Fallout 3, and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots could have justly claimed the award.
6 Deserved To Win: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
The developer behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was bold and ambitious to create a game with an approximately $250 million budget. According to escapistmagazine.com, $40-$50 million went to development costs and $200 million to marketing. The payoff was great since many consider Modern Warfare 2 to be the best Call of Duty game to date. Rumors suggest that a Modern Warfare 2 remaster is in the works. Looking back, this game should have won the award for game of the year.
5 Didn't Deserve To Win: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009)
Sure, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was a considerable achievement of its time. By integrating climbing mechanics never seen before, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was a huge leap in gameplay compared to its predecessor.
At face value, the game looks quite impressive. Yet, without skill upgrades, a wide selection of weapons, and weapon attachments, the game falls flat. Unfortunately, repetitive combat and a mediocre story are what makes Uncharted 2: Among Thieves undeserving of the game of the year award.
4 Deserved To Win: Mass Effect 2 (2010)
Widely considered being one of the greatest games of all time, Mass Effect 2 contained voice acting performances from well-known names like Seth Green, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Adam Baldwin, Martin Sheen, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
The resounding achievement that was Mass Effect 2 makes it deserving of a game of the year award and more. The gameplay and story was a massive improvement over its already spectacular predecessor. In Mass Effect 2, players develop a meaningful connection with characters and can influence the people around them. Mass Effect 2 deserved to win the game of the year more than any other game on this list.
3 Didn't Deserve To Win: Red Dead Redemption (2010)
It's not easy to say that Red Dead Redemption is undeserving of the game of the year award, and it's okay if most people disagree. Red Dead Redemption faced fierce competition in 2010.
It won the prize by besting other momentous titles like Halo Reach, Call of Duty: Black Ops, God of War III, and Mass Effect 2. Sure, Red Dead Redemption was fun, but it was nowhere near the crowning achievement that the sequel or Mass Effect 2 was. The Game Awards got this one wrong—and it isn't the first time.
2 Deserved To Win: Dark Souls II (2014)
Dark Souls II should have been the GOTY winner of the 2014 Game Awards. Aside from a few tedious sections such as The Gutter, which was even more complex than Blightown, the game went above and beyond in its own merit.
From Software's Dark Souls II had a healthy amount of content. With locations like Drangleic Castle and the Iron Keep, enjoyable PVP, and an NG+ that is binge-worthy, there are too many reasons to go back and give this game another playthrough.
1 Didn't Deserve To Win: Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)
Removing assigned attributes took away from the joy of building a character. Dragon Age: Inquisition could be considered the weakest entry in the series. The game was highly anticipated before its release, but the end result was not what we had hoped for. Playing Dragon Age: Inquisition is a painstaking adventure in comparison to Dragon Age: Origins and other games in the series. It didn't deserve to win the GOTY award at the Game Awards and was a letdown for fans of the franchise.