Gamernode: Features - 2006: The Best (And Worst)

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Best RTS:
Company of Heroes
RTS games, because of their one-size-fits-all engineering, often flood the market with mediocrity. Add WWII into the mix, and Company of Heroes could have been another me-too, forgettable affair. Thankfully, Relic's custom-tailored Essence Engine has rendered that thinking obsolete. Company of Heroes is one of the most incredible and richly detailed war games ever produced. While the creative liberties taken with history may not be every strategy gamer's dream come true, genre fans owe it to themselves to experience WWII through Company of Heroes. It will make them forget about everything else.
HM: Medieval 2: Total War

Best Action/Action-Adventure:
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Twilight Princess shines brightest in the action/adventure genre this year--especially on its native console. The tight control, unique items and near-perfect dungeon design are enough to beat out the competition. This expansive adventure is supplemented by a variety of sidequests and mini-games, which only improve upon the already stellar game design. Link is more versatile than ever, and while it seems every nook and cranny of the enormous Hyrule landscape has some secret locked within, one can be certain that the keys to those secrets are never out of reach.
HM: Okami

Best RPG:
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a perfect example of a video game directed by the gamer. Beyond the lengthy string of quests following the main storyline, gamers are presented with a bevy of side missions, sub-plots, and otherwise engrossing endeavors that all serve to deepen the experience. Each player's custom-molded character is treated to an immense, living world with tons of NPCs and fully explorable towns, caves, and temples, as well as innumerable weapons and items, and a wide variety of available spells and skills. This is a role that is not simply played, but personally handcrafted.
HM: Final Fantasy XII

Best Game Premise:
Dead Rising
Sandbox titles are a dime a dozen, and both zombie and action games are nothing new. So it was a pleasant surprise to see that Capcom managed to take several already-established genres and effectively combine them to create Dead Rising. Being able to attack countless swarms of the undead with anything from a golf club to hedge clippers to umbrellas is rewarding beyond measure. With limitless possibilities, Dead Rising had the most novel concept for a game that we've seen in a long, long time.
HM: Bully

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