THE VOTING GAME - The Adult Party Game About Your Friends

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How we created a voting shortlist of 20 titles from the 1.1 million games that have been released in the last 50 years Half-Life 2 forever changed our expectations for what a first-person shooter could be. Its richly imagined world and wonderfully paced gameplay is a delight, never letting up and brimming with invention. The Gravity Gun is obviously the poster child of Half-Life 2, turning each environment into a tactile playground in which you can create improvised weapons and solve basic but clever physics puzzles - and its importance can’t be overstated - but there’s an awful lot more here. We’re introduced to Alyx Vance, a supporting character with a rare warmth and intelligence. We’re transported to an iconic city, where Combine barricades loom with grim authority, and Striders stalk the streets with an otherworldly menace. We get to set Antlions on our enemies and in which we play fetch with a robot Dog. In short, it is a truly memorable piece of game design. - Cam Shea (Read Our Review) 8. Red Dead Redemption 2

Brought to fans by EE, the UK’s number one network for gaming, the award – which was first announced in 2021 – is the only category to be voted for by the community of gaming fans. For the third year running, the shortlist was decided by a jury of games experts earlier this month who were tasked with nominating six games that had resonated most with players around the world – capturing imaginations and keeping us entertained and connected over the past year. Subjective Interpretation - We asked experts across various parts of the industry for their diverse, and personal, view on why some games deserve to be elevated above others. Sure, you know why a certain game is acclaimed, but why do you love it? What aspect of the game deserves to be uniquely celebrated? To me, everything about Skyrim was a vast improvement over its predecessor, Oblivion. The craggy, intimidating peaks of the Nord homeland and the saga of the Dovahkiin were much more interesting than the relatively sedate happenings of their neighbors in Cyrodiil. But what’s more, there’s so much lying just around the corner, off the beaten path, that you could never even stumble upon it in a hundred hours as the Dragonborn. But the fact that such care for detail, for world-building, for exploration and for immersion was paid to every tome, tomb, and quest, is enough to cement Skyrim as one of the absolute best role-playing games we’ve ever seen, and one of the best games of all time. - Brandin Tyrrel (Read Our Review) 40. Resident Evil 4

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Halo: Combat Evolved simply felt at home on a gamepad, and the fact that it had a likeable and heroic protagonist, a rich sci-fi universe that felt fleshed-out despite this being the first game in the series, and Halo became an instant smash hit. But its story was only half of its success. Halo was quite simply one of the best multiplayer shooters ever upon its release, thanks to its incredible complement of weapons (two-shot death pistol FTW!) that mixed seamlessly with third-person-controlled vehicles across a swath of classic maps like Blood Gulch, Sidewinder, Hang 'em High, and more. That it was all set to the chanting-monks theme song that, like the game itself, became legendary. - Ryan McCaffrey (Read Our Review) 31. Half-Life What can you say about the definitive fighting game, the game that has spawned countless imitators, acolytes, and sequels? Street Fighter II remains a classic in video game lore, making series mainstays Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li as well as words like “Hadouken” part of the public lexicon. Everyone has a favorite character and that’s because of its diverse, fantastical character design. While exceptionally balanced, the imaginative design and high-end graphics for its time helped set it apart. Street Fighter II became perhaps the first fighting game global arcade smash and it is still celebrated today. - Christian Holt 21. Super Mario Bros. While a lot of formula remained unchanged, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire took the series into a vibrant world of colour on the GameBoy Advance. The Pokemon sprites popped from screen like never before, and the magical start up screen is hard to forget. It was also the first Pokemon game to introduce a lot of elements and features that continued throughout the series. 2v2 double battles popped up for the first time, and Pokemon were also attributed with different Natures which affected their overall stats. Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director at EE, said: “We are delighted to announce the return of the EE Game of the Year Award with a shortlist of the six games that have resonated most with fans over the last year. As the UK’s number one network for gaming, we are proud to continue our partnership with the BAFTA Games Awards and to give gamers the platform support and showcase their community.”

Starting the journey of Fallout 2 as a tribesman with nothing more than a loincloth and a spear to my name and gradually fighting my way up to a power-armored, gauss-gunning killing machine is a fantastic and surprisingly natural feeling of progression – one that few games have been able to match. Exploring a vast post-apocalyptic world full of deadly raiders, supermutants, and deathclaws is daunting but exciting. Thanks to attention to detail, atmospheric music, powerfully written morally ambiguous quests, and voice-acted interactions with key characters, the world feels personal and vivid even though we view it from a distant third-person camera. - Dan Stapleton (Read Our Review) 93. League of Legends For all its inter-dimensional threats, monster hunts and magic powers, I’ve always thought The Witcher 3’s key achievement is in how it nails the mundane. Geralt’s fantasy world is one of mud, thatch and metal, his main quests are freelance work, and he loves a game of cards down the pub. That sense of reality is what helps you empathise with Geralt, understand the world, and really understand how bad things have gotten when the crazy shit starts popping off. An RPG with enough complexity to satisfy the urge to tinker, but enough character never to feel impersonal, Wild Hunt is a staggering achievement no matter how you look at it. Its story deftly balances cosmic threat and family drama, its choices feel truly meaningful and world-changingly effective, and it looks gorgeous in its own grubby way. Even its two DLC expansions are among the best ever released. Geralt’s final journey might be built on the mundane, but that makes it nothing short of magical. - Joe Skrebels (Read Our Review) 15. Halo 2

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After an extensive lobbying process, with record number of entries in a number of categories resulting in an increase in the number of selected finalists, we are proud to reveal this year’s shortlist. What happens next? BAFTA’s destination for youngsters to come and discover the magical worlds of film, television and games. Enter challenges, watch videos, and take part in our annual vote to decide the best film, TV show and game of the year. Pokemon Crystal then came swooping in as a shiny enhanced remake of Silver and Gold, and it's especially notable sinceit was the first ever Pokemon title that let you decide whether you want to play as a boy or a girl. Thankfully this became a mainstay feature in every game that followed. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic almost single-handedly rescued Star Wars video games from purgatory. It was also one of the first times the beloved IP was handed to a world-class developer in BioWare. The result was not just one of the best role-playing games ever made, but one that helped legitimize Western RPGs on consoles and establish the fledgling Xbox as a destination for top-tier third-party games. KOTOR was a 40-hour role-playing epic set 4,000 years before the Original Trilogy. As such, it had the freedom to tell the story it wanted and invent a new universe of characters without Lucasfilm slapping it on the wrist and telling it no. And so we got Revan and one of the best twists in gaming history, and we got the dark wit of robot party member HK-47. Best of all, we got a Star Wars story where your choices truly mattered. Choosing to double-cross someone you'd agreed to help would earn you Dark Side points, and eventually you could become truly evil and sadistically powerful. But so too could your benevolent actions bring you to the Light Side and make you a virtuous hero. - Ryan McCaffrey (Read Our Review) 45. Fallout: New Vegas Max Payne 1 & 2 Remake in the “production readiness stage” while fans will have to wait longer for Control 2

Three additional category winners will be selected by a panel of journalists from brands including gamesradar.com, pcgamer.com, Edge magazine, Retro Gamer and Play magazine, plus Future’s trusted network of freelance writers. These winners will be revealed on the night. Not only did I get completely lost in the massive single-player world of Red Dead Redemption, to the point where I'd started talking with a bit of a drawl because I was so used to hearing it, but it also drew me into online gaming unlike anything I'd played before. Never before had I so successfully crafted my own stories and adventures (with friends and strangers alike) than in Red Dead's Free Roam mode. It was the kind of game you couldn't wait to discuss with your friends the next day. Everyone had their own amazing tales to tell about their time in the old west, and you were constantly making new ones every time you turned it on. - Jon Ryan (Read Our Review) 36. Metal Gear Solid Commercial Success - Did the game sell? How many people have played and enjoyed it? This isn’t a critical factor when it comes to assessing a game’s true value, but neither can it be completely overlooked. Electoral College Map 2024 Presidential Calendar 2024 Pundit Forecasts 2024 Polling Averages by State Most Recent General Election Polls 2024 Republican Primary Latest Republican Primary Polls 2024 Democratic Primary 2020 Presidential Election Results Historical ElectionsSituated in the heart of London's West End, BAFTA 195 Piccadilly is the home of BAFTA worldwide, as well as an award-winning venue for hire that offers outstanding hospitality and a suite of flexible event spaces, which can be crafted to suit any occasion. X and Y also brought in a lot more customisation, allowing you to change the look and style of your trainer. While it is only cosmetic, it added to the role-playing element of the experience in a fun way. X and Y propelled the series forward and laid down the groundwork for what was to come in Sun and Moon. It also introduced yet more interesting Pokemon, including the addition of the fairy-type, as well as new social features. While it isn't quite as good as some of the earlier games, it’s one of the best looking entries in the franchise so far, and will always be notable for transitioning the main Pokemon series into the realm of 3D. This year’s awards feature two new categories – Best Early Access Launch and Best Game Trailer. With breakout titles Vampire Survivors, Disney Dreamlight Valley and more going head-to-head for Best Early Access Launch Heavyweights MultiVersus, Elden Ring, Splatoon 3 and more will battle it out in the Best Multiplayer Game category Social Impact - How did the title change the conversation around video-games? What was its cultural impact? How did it affect people in the real world?

An extensive list of new abilities were also first introduced in this entry, which were specific to different types - this really added more depth to the battles compared to the games that came before. Contests were also brought in to add new challenges to the gameplay. The Hoenn region was a great setting, and the Legendary Pokemon Groudon and Kyogre - who could summon a specific weather element into battle - were very memorable. Since Ruby and Sapphire built upon what Silver and Gold established without veering off into any drastic new direction, it didn’t feel quite as special. Voting History and Trends by State Who Represents Me? State Government Trifectas State Senate Interactive Map State House Interactive Map 2022 Election Results 2022 Primary Election Results Titanfall 2 is one of the best FPS games that many haven’t played. In a sea of indistinguishable shooters, Titanfall and its sequel dared to do something different. Other shooters have included mechs in the past, but Respawn Entertainments' dedication to creating robust relationships between Pilots and Titans stands out. T2's level design also sets it apart from others in the genre with its combination of Pilot and Titan gameplay. Stand-out examples include the time-shifting fifth mission Effect and Cause, and The Gauntlet featured in its tutorial that still has the speedrunning community setting new records to this day. - Jada Griffin (Read Our Review) 86. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2Few games have ever inspired the same sense of awe that Shadow of the Colossus does within its first 10 minutes. Climbing that first ledge and coming face to face with the first Colossus is among the most impactful, and almost terrifying, experiences in all of gaming. From its beautiful, crumbling ruins to the hulking, ancient Colossi, Fumito Ueda’s sun-soaked action/adventure game is drenched in a muted, melancholy aesthetic that has become synonymous with his, admittedly limited, works. Part love story, part monster hunt, part parable, Shadow of the Colossus borrows heavily from what came before, but inspires much of what came after. - Zach Ryan (Read Our Review) 38. The Last of Us Part 2 As a result, the shortlist represents a diverse selection of games spanning eras and genres that had the X-Factor, that little sprinkle of magic, that means that have stood the test of time. Some of the shortlisted titles aren’t even - technically - brilliant games, at least not from a design perspective, but transcended their limitations to burn bright in the memory. Why didn’t you use another voting system and why are we only allowed to vote on 20 games? Elden Ring is leading the nominations this year with four nominations for ‘Best Multiplayer Game’, ‘Best Visual Design’, ‘PlayStation Game of the Year’ and developer FromSoftware Inc. being nominated for ‘Studio of the Year’ Why this D&D actual play series featuring the voices of Geralt and FF16's Clive is going to be the next big thing After Pokemon Red and Blue put the world into a Pokemon frenzy, the sequel had some big shoes to fill. Fans everywhere for eager for more, and thankfully Silver and Gold delivered just that in the best way possible. Bigger and better than before, the second generation introduced 100 excellent and memorable additions to the Pokemon library, along with two new Pokemon types, and a whole host of new moves. It brought in some interesting new features that changed up the game in fun new ways.