At long last the end of 2001 has come and it is now time for us to pick the best and worst games for the year. Over-all, the year hasn't been one to remember for the video game industry with the industry-wide layoffs, cancellation of several promising games and Sega's sudden decision to stop supporting the Dreamcast. Not to mention, Playstation 2 was virtually the only home console system available for much of the year with Xbox and Gamecube not arriving in stores until the very end of 2001. On the bright-side, 2002 is already looking better and the new year should deliver some incredible games.

Well, enough with all the chitter-chatter...lets get down to business and announce the best and worst games of 2001.

Game of the Year
& Best Console Game:

Final Fantasy X Platform: Playstation 2 Developer: Square Publisher: Square

Final Fantasy X may not have been the most inventive game of the year, but it was the game that took an already established concept to new heights. It is hands down graphically superior than any other game. It was probably the longest game to come out this year. And, most importantly, it was fun. And that's really what counts, isn't it?

Runner-up: Grand Theft Auto 3 (PS2)

Best PC Game

Max Payne Platform: PC Developer: Remedy Entertainment Publisher: GodGames

Max Payne did something that few other games did: present an original concept. It took John Woo style cinematics and placed them in the middle of real time gaming. Apart from being the first third person behind the back shooter to really work as a pure shooter, the concept of bullet time made it not just a Tomb Raider knock off, but something revolutionary.

Runner-up: Return To Castle Wolfenstein (PC)

Best 1st Person Shooter
& Best Sound/Music in a Game:

Return To Castle Wolfenstein Platform: PC Developer: Grey Matter Publisher: Activision

The graphics and gameplay in Return To Castle Wolfenstein make it a solid game. Snipers, machine gun nests, flame throwers and incredible music and sound effects give this game a solid experience. The music sounds like something straight out of a movie and the sound effects are almost too realistic. Singing Nazis, distant explosions, good voice acting, distant screams and realistic sounding weapons all make this game one of the best ever in the sound department.

Best Sports Game:

Smackdown: Just Bring It Platform: Playstation 2 Developer: Yuke's Publisher: THQ

OK, putting Smackdown in as best sports game is a bit of a cop out. Truth is, real sports games have become so brilliant, that they are hard to tell each other apart. Also, we've only played so many. So we stuck in Smackdown. Hey, it's sports entertainment, and one of the best presentations of it yet.

Mortal Combat Award for Best Violence:

Grand Theft Auto 3 Platform: Playstation 2 Developer: DMA Design Publisher: Rockstar Games

Grand Theft Auto III is repugnant. While not as graphically bloody as earlier games, the fact that you can murder anyone in the game, in a plethora of ways, is damn near sickening. Which might be why we love it so. Oh, sure, the brilliant game design and bells and whistles help also, but when you get down to it, evil sells this game.

Best Acting In A Game:

Metal Gear Solid 2 Platform: Playstation 2 Developer: Konami Publisher: Konami

Acting in a game is usually an oxymoron. Most of the time, we mash on the start button to avoid hearing the "actors" mangling hideous dialogue in cut scenes. Metal Gear Solid 2 is one of the rare exceptions. It is a pleasure to hear David Hayter as Solid Snake. Hayter and Chrisopher Fritz as Otocon are so perfect in their roles, you start to see them not as digital cartoons, but as real people. Now if only there was more snake and less Raiden….

Runner-up: Grand Theft Auto 3 (PS2)

Best Buy:

Serious Sam Platform: PC Developer: Crotream Publisher: GodGames

Serious Sam is one of those games that came out of nowhere and surprised us all. The game may not be quite as good as other 1st person shooters like Return To Castle Wolfenstein, but considering the entire game sells for less than half of the others (roughly $19.99), it's hard not to be impressed. If you're on a budget and want to play a good 1st person shooter, you won't go wrong with Serious Sam.

Best Online Game:

Ultima Online Platform: PC Developer: Origin Systems Publisher: Electronic Arts

Even though Ultima Online was released back in 1997, the game continues to do well. The graphics are horribly outdated compared to newer games like Everquest and Dark Age of Camelot and yet, UO continues to sell and bring in players. One of the best features about UO is that there is no experience system in place that forces players to kill the same creatures over and over. Unlike other online games, UO gives players more freedom and less demands. As old as the game may be, it remains at the top.

Runner-up: Dark Age of Camelot (PC)

Worst Game Launch:

World War II Online Platform: PC Developer: Cornered Rat Publisher: Strategy First

World War II Online is without a doubt, the most interesting online game to come out yet. Unfortunately, the game was also released well before it was ready leading to one of the worst game launches of all time. First, you needed to download a 70MB patch right after you installed the game. Second, the servers were a complete mess for more than 2 weeks after the game was released, making play impossible. And last, there were the missing features. No Navy, no bombers, no grenades and no single persistent world as promised for everyone. Oh, and then there were the bugs like flying tanks, invisible tanks and the inability to reach the third story of a building. It's too bad the developers couldn't release it later than they did.

Runner-up: Anarchy Online (PC)

Best Cancelled Game:

Ultima Online 2: Origin Platform: PC Developer: Origin Systems Publisher: Electronic Arts

In March of 2001, the online gaming community was shocked to learn that EA had decided to pull the plug on the highly anticipated sequel to Ultima Online. Citing economic problems and an interest in keeping Ultima Online going, the decision was made to scrap UO2 and layoff almost the entire UO2 staff. EA is now focusing their attention on keeping UO going, but we have a feeling it's only a matter of time before UO2 is pulled out of the vault and completed.

Runner-up: Simsville (PC)