| << Nominations | Hidden Object >> |
Best of 2010 (Top 5):
Another World, or, as it's known in North America, Out of This World, is a stunning example of storytelling in a video game originally released in 1991 (and re-released with better visuals in 2006) by Eric Chahi. Built as a cinematic platform adventure, you take on the role of Lester Knight Chaykin, a young physicist who is teleported to a barren alien planet while running an experiment using a particle accelerator. You soon make friends with one of the humanoid aliens and together work your way through the subterranean environments trying to escape with your lives!
What's in a dream? April Ryan, a struggling art student, doesn't think there's much to the strange nightmares she's having. But she's wrong. A classic point-and-click adventure of epic proportions, The Longest Journey is the story of two worlds thrown out of balance. Featuring stellar dialogue, memorable characters, a haunting soundtrack and rich environments, this is a fantastic adventure that shows other titles in the genre how to do it right.
What if Hamlet wasn't? Hamlet, I mean. When a curious time-traveler accidentally lands his heavy spaceship atop the iconic literary protagonist, the show must go on. Point-and-click your way through a quirky and decidedly non-cannon interpretation of the classic Shakespearean tale in this short but fun and original title from Alawar Games.
When a gang of puppies ruins the baby shower being planned by Flo's friend Quinn, it's up to Flo to fix everything and make sure every goes off without a hitch. It better be perfect, because it seems all of Diner Town is getting ready for this shower. Oh, there's one more problem...the expecting mother, Vicky, is missing. You had better find her too in this point-and-click adventure sequel to 2009's Avenue Flo.
Re-experience this classic, fantastic example of adventure gaming and storytelling at its finest, or discover the series for the very first time. Follow Nicole Collard and George Stobbart on a trilogy of adventures that take them across the globe. Uncover the secrets behind an ancient order, find out what a drug cartel has to do with a Mayan artifact, and escape from the depths of the jungle after a plane crash. The Broken Sword series mixes adventure, humour, mystery, and even a little romance, and the complex narratives and challenging puzzles will keep you busy for a long time.
Game of the week
You know, besides The Longest Journey, I haven't played any of these. Which one should I pick up first? (The top viewer's choice is not necessarily the best on the list)
If it matters, I grew up on Sierra Adventure games, and I like new indie games like A Tale of Two Kingdoms or Mind's Eye.
Another World and The Longest Journey are two of my favorite games of all time, and I'm glad to see them recognized.
However, I guess I missed an explanation somewhere but why are they in a competition for games from 2010? They may have been re-released last year but that's pretty meaningless. There's nothing stopping a game developer from re-releasing an "anniversary edition" every year in order to re-enter every contest. For example, Nethack gets "released" on a new platform almost every year, but I wouldn't want to see it win Best Roguelike over and over again. Maybe have a "Best Revival" category like the Tony Awards do instead.
[Our annual Best of the year awards are eligible to any game reviewed or featured here at JIG during that year. It's been the same every year now since our first awards back in 2004. -Jay]
Update