The 2011 Game Rant Video Game Awards: Nominations

2011 Game Rant Video Game Awards

The wave of major new video game releases has finally settled as 2011 winds down and we prepare to celebrate the new year. But before we look forward to an even bigger year of gaming in 2012, let’s reflect back on what the gaming industry entertained us with in 2011.

For the 2011 Game Rant Video Game Awards, we've again expanded upon what we did in our first two years, growing from a single game of the year winner, to seven broad categories, to what we have this year: 15 categories. Read on for the nominees (and click here for the winners).

Best New IP

2011 Video Game Awards - Best New IP

In a year overloaded with sequels, original games became a rarity in 2011, but there were publishers and developers bold enough to offer something new and different. The following video games all are worthy enough to spawn franchises of their own.

  • Bastion (Supergiant Games)
  • Bulletstorm (People Can Fly, Epic Games)
  • Catherine (Atlus Persona Team)
  • L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
  • Rocksmith (Ubisoft)

Best Shooter

2011 Video Game Awards - Best shooter

First-person and third-person shooters dominated the market in 2011, offering stiff competition for the industry and plenty of options for gamers.

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games)
  • Battlefield 3 (DICE)
  • Gears of War 3 (Epic Games)
  • Killzone 3 (Guerrilla Games)
  • Resistance 3 (Insomniac Games)

Best Sports Game

2011 Video Game Awards - Best Sports

While some gamers give Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed a little grief for their annualized releases, sports-based video games are the biggest offenders. Rightfully so, fans demand the highest of quality and innovation to purchase each iteration and the below games are shining examples of this in 2011.

  • FIFA 12 (EA Canada)
  • Fight Night Champion (EA Canada)
  • MLB 11: The Show (SCE San Diego Studio)
  • NBA 2K12 (Visual Concepts)
  • NHL 12 (EA Canada)

Best Driving/Racing Game

2011 Video Game Awards - Best Driving Racing Game

After 2010 saw many amazing racing games release, it was a pleasant surprise to see that trend continue in 2011 with a different crop of racers and some returning franchises.

  • DiRT 3 (Codemasters Southam)
  • Driver: San Francisco (Ubisoft Reflections)
  • Forza Motorsport 4 (Turn 10 Studios)
  • Mario Kart 7 (Retro Studios, Nintendo)
  • MotorStorm: Apocalypse (Evolution Studios)

Best RPG

2011 Video Game Awards - Best RPG

A few of our most-anticipated RPGs for 2011 were delayed until 2012 but that didn't hold the genre back at all. The only complaint about this year's crop of role-playing games is our lack of time to fully enjoy them all.

  • Dark Souls (From Software)
  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
  • The Lord of the Rings: War in the North (Snowblind Studios)
  • The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (CD Projekt RED)

Best Action/Adventure Game

2011 Video Game Awards - Best Action Adventure

2011, more than any other year, brought gamers to an entirely new level of immersiveness. Never before, has embarking on a digital adventure been so epic thanks to games like these:

  • Assassin's Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft)
  • Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
  • Dead Space 2 (Visceral Games)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo)
  • Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Best Platformer

2011 Video Game Awards - Best Platformer

2011 saw several fan-favorite side-scrolling heroes return from the past to offer some of the best games they've ever been in.

  • LittleBigPlanet 2 (Media Molecule)
  • Rayman Origins (Ubisoft Montpellier)
  • Sonic Generations (Sonic Team)
  • Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo)
  • Trine 2 (Frozenbyte)

Best Motion Controls

2011 Video Game Awards - Best Motion Controls

Arguably the most notable innovation this generation of video game consoles offered is motion controls, not just for video gaming, but for a new way to interact with home entertainment.

  • Child of Eden (Q Entertainment)
  • Dance Central 2 (Harmonix Music Systems)
  • Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster (Double Fine Productions)
  • The Gunstringer (Twisted Pixel Games)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo)

Best Indie Game

2011 Video Game Awards - Best Indie Game

It doesn't take a big budget to make a great game. It takes creativity, innovation and the simple offering of interesting or fun gameplay.

  • Bastion (Supergiant Games)
  • Orcs Must Die! (Robot Entertainment)
  • Stacking (Double Fine Productions)
  • Terraria (Re-Logic)
  • The Binding of Isaac (Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl)

Best Multiplayer Experience

2011 Video Game Awards - Best Multiplayer

Why play alone when you can play with friends? While some story-driven narratives are best served solo, playing cooperative to accomplish that requires teamwork is one of the best experiences video games can offer. Then of course, there's shooting each other in the face with some classic deathmatch.

  • Assassin's Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft)
  • Battlefield 3 (DICE)
  • Gears of War 3 (Epic Games)
  • Mortal Kombat (NetherRealm Studios)
  • Portal 2 (Valve)

Best Story

2011 Video Game Awards - Best Story

As continually exemplified in recent years, some of the best writers in the world work for video game developers and hence, we see games delivering better characters and stories than that of feature films. Here are some more examples of brilliant story-telling from 2011's crop of games.

  • Assassin's Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft)
  • Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal)
  • Portal 2 (Valve)
  • Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Most Innovative

2011 Video Game Awards - Most Innovative

What we look for most in as we approach the next generation of video games is innovation, and as we near the end of this one, several developers have proven to still be able offer unique gameplay mechanics and features.

  • From Dust (Ubisoft Montpellier)
  • L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
  • LittleBigPlanet 2 (Media Molecule)
  • Rocksmith (Ubisoft)
  • Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Toys For Bob)

Achievement in Artistic Design

2011 Video Game Awards - Best Artistic Design

From graphical prowess and unique aesthetics, to incredible artwork and visual presentation, the following nominees represented the best of the year in artistic design.

  • Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal)
  • Rayman Origins (Ubisoft Montpellier)
  • Trine 2 (Frozenbyte)
  • Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Achievement in Technical Design

2011 Video Game Awards - Best Technical Design

The current generation consoles are 5-6 years old and while a decade ago, this would mean it's replacement time, developers continue to push the envelope of what the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC can do. Much of that has to do with the incredible power of the latest game engines, some of which were introduced this year.

  • Battlefield 3 (DICE)
  • Crysis 2 (Crytek)
  • Forza Motorsport 4 (Turn 10 Studios)
  • Rage (id Software)
  • Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Game of the Year

2011 Video Game Awards - Best Game of the Year

Last but not least, the most important category: the Game of the Year. Due to the large volume of great games in 2011, this category uniquely sits with 10 nominations.

  • Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
  • Dark Souls (From Software)
  • Dead Space 2 (Visceral Games)
  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal)
  • Forza Motorsport 4 (Turn 10 Studios)
  • Gears of War 3 (Epic Games)
  • Portal 2 (Valve)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo)
  • Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Conclusion

2011 Game Rant Video Game Awards

There were many great games this year and it wasn't easy for the Game Rant crew to select the nominations, so share your personal favorites of the year in the comments and stay tuned for the announcements of the winners next week!

For those wondering why Minecraft isn't nominated, despite being in beta form last year, it was included in our 2010 awards for being both an incredible independent game and being innovative.

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