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2008 Aggie Award nominees

AG old generic logo
AG old generic logo

The most anticipated awards ceremony of the year is almost upon us… No no, not that ceremony, filled with pomp and glitter and a bunch of contestants no one’s ever heard of. There are no designer clothes, no red carpet, no yawn-inducing acceptance speeches in this production.

I’m speaking, of course, of the first annual “Aggie” Awards from Adventure Gamers!

That’s right, for the first time in the site’s history, this year we’ll be recognizing the top games across a variety of categories. We’ve resisted in the past, not out of disinterest, but simply for practical considerations, as it’s difficult to fairly measure games against each other without playing everything released. And to be sure, none of us individually has played every single game from the past year. Nevertheless, with enough staff participation ensured, we’ve finally been able to settle on a process not involving coins, blindfolds, or dartboards, and feel confident that our selections do indeed represent the best the genre had to offer in 2008.

The award winners have yet to be determined, so stay tuned for the envelope opening over the course of three days, from February 18-20th. In the meantime, we are pleased to announce the finalists still in contention. And if you’re already prepared to tell us how wrong we are, you’ll soon get your chance! A “Reader’s Choice” poll will be posted shortly, giving you the opportunity to vote for your favourites. Those will also be tallied up and announced along with the official Aggie winners.

For a list of all games eligible this year, along with a few basic rules and regulations used in determining the winners, scroll down past the nominations. But without any further ado, ladies and gentlemen… we give you the nominations for the 2008 Aggies.


Best Story

One of the core components of any adventure, the game’s narrative must engage the player’s interest and imagination. Entertaining in its own right, a good story also immerses the player in a believable game world and serves as motivation to overcome the challenges presented. While often accompanied by quality writing, the plot is a distinct feature that may or may not be ably supported by the actual dialogue.

Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon

Overclocked: A History of Violence

Time Hollow

Best Writing – Comedy

Arguably the hardest genre to write well, comedy done right has the ability both to humour and uplift, finding amusement in the ordinary and laughter in the unexpected. Often dismissed for not being “serious writing” (oh, the irony!), comedy has long been a beloved genre staple and deserves appropriate recognition.

Sam & Max: Season Two

So Blonde

Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People

Best Writing – Drama

If comedy lifts the soul, then drama explores and challenges it. Though sometimes misrepresented as dry and boring or overly theatrical, a gripping drama simply engages players on a deeper emotional level. Quality writing is essential in maintaining the player’s connection to the characters, game world, and the story unfolding.

Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon

The Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure

Overclocked: A History of Violence

Best Gameplay

Puzzles are an integral aspect of adventure gameplay, but not the only one. Good pacing, rich exploration, and variety of activities are all factors in player enjoyment as well, each suitably integrated into the storyline. The best games seek the right balance of these elements for the most rewarding gameplay experience.

Penumbra: Black Plague

Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Sam & Max: Season Two

Best Concept

A somewhat ambiguous category meant to highlight any unusual, distinctive element. A creative concept can run the gamut from story premise to game mechanics, from stylistic choice to technical innovation. It doesn’t even need to have been successfully implemented, as it’s the idea itself that deserves the acknowledgement in a genre renowned for its conservative approach.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (special ability to perceive lies through body language)

Overclocked: A History of Violence (reverse chronology of events through hypnosis)

The Experiment (indirect player control via computer console)

Best Setting

With so many “been there, done that” games in the genre, some adventures dare taking us to memorable places we’ve never been before, including those we never even imagined. This category can refer to an overall game world or even a single environment in a given game so long as it’s a relevant location.

Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals

Sam & Max: Season Two

The Lost Crown: A Ghost-hunting Adventure

Best Graphic Design

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this category speaks volumes. Regardless of style, this category denotes games that are not only visually attractive but stylistically distinctive. One look at a screenshot should elicit a “Wow!” followed by “Hey, that’s from…” Includes both game world and character design, but not cinematics. (Note: four finalists the result of a nominations tie.)

A Vampyre Story

Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals

Professor Layton and the Curious Village

The Lost Crown: A Ghost-hunting Adventure

Best Animation

From “bustling” city streets that look deserted to clouds that never move, animation is rarely a genre strong suit, often the victim of budget constraints. But richly animated adventures add so much to player immersion that any game that goes the extra mile in this area is deserving of appreciation. This category includes in-game character and ambient animations, plus cinematic cutscenes.

A Vampyre Story

Insecticide (PC)

The Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure

Best Music

As a supporting element playing in the background, often a game’s soundtrack is noticeable only when it becomes intrusive, but a strong score and attention to pacing can add so much to the game’s ambience. A catchy theme song can likewise make game music memorable, and an in-game musical number even moreso. Whatever its particular strengths, the rare game that excels musically deserves its accolades.

Outcry

Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst

Sam & Max: Season Two

Best Voice Acting

Often under-valued by publishers but never by gamers, quality voice acting can enhance the player’s investment in characters as surely as poor acting can ruin it. With so much international localization, voiceovers can be difficult to skillfully oversee, but any game benefits greatly from proper direction and believable acting. This category refers to the overall quality of vocal roles in a game, not to individual characters.

Sam & Max: Season Two

So Blonde

Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People

Best Sound Design

As with music, sound effects are frequently given short shrift in adventures, but effective use of audio adds a vital layer of ambience. You may not be able to put your finger on the reason, but some games make you feel like you’re really there, and often the atmospheric sounds have drawn you in subliminally.

Lost: Via Domus

Sam & Max: Season Two

Chronicles of Mystery: The Scorpio Ritual

Best Underground Adventure

Forget the expression “you get what you pay for”. Every year, dedicated amateur developers treat us to a variety of high-quality adventures that are absolutely free. Some even rival their commercial game counterparts, and these Underground adventures warrant every player’s admiration. (No complete list of eligible games available, sorry.)

[game=1456]Barn Runner “Season” 5[/game]

Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator – Case 7: The Cardinal Sins

Quest for Glory II VGA Remake

Best Indie Adventure

Not to be confused with Underground freeware adventures, some independent studios release their games commercially, but with no external publisher backing or mainstream distribution channels. These self-published titles rarely get the attention (or sales) they often deserve, and the best of them merit a closer look from anyone who’s overlooked them to date.

Carol Reed: The Colour of Murder

Casebook: Episode I – Kidnapped

The Tales of Bingwood: Chapter I – To Save a Princess

Best Console/Handheld Adventure

The home console and handheld platforms haven’t quite championed a genre resurgence like we once hoped they might, but there were still several quality titles released in the past year, many of them exclusive to their non-PC platforms. Ports are not deemed to be original releases, and are therefore ineligible.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People

Time Hollow

Best First-Person PC Adventure

For many adventure fans, the visual perspective is a crucial criterion for enjoying a game. Though both first- and third-person are perfectly legitimate design options, some prefer the immersiveness of viewing the world through the player character’s eyes. The best of these games succeed in making players feel like they’re experiencing the adventure themselves.

Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon

Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice

Penumbra: Black Plague

Best Third-Person PC Adventure

Contrasting first-person perspective is the ability to control a playable avatar onscreen. Often used in story- and character-driven adventures, this allows the game’s protagonist to play a more active role in the narrative. The top examples draw players out of themselves to focus attention on the visible participants.

Sam & Max: Season Two

So Blonde

Overclocked: A History of Violence

Best Adventure of 2008

Need we say more? From the winners of the above categories will emerge the crème de la crème of adventures: the first, and for now only, winner of the soon-to-be-highly-coveted Aggie Award as Game of the Year for 2008. Who will the finalists be? What will be the last game standing? Too early to say!


Rules and Regulations

All staff nominations were submitted privately, seen and verified only by two awards administrators. Final voting will be done following the same procedure.

To ensure total impartiality, no staff member was permitted to nominate any game in which they were involved in any way outside of official Adventure Gamers press coverage. For the purpose of final voting, no staff member will be permitted to vote in any category in which a game they were involved in (outside of official Adventure Gamers press coverage) has been nominated.

To be considered, a game must have had its first release in a major English language market in the calendar year 2008. Major markets include North America and the United Kingdom. Alternatively, any game first made available through digital distribution or self-published online during the year is also eligible.

For the sake of administrative simplicity, Sam & Max: Season Two and Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People have been listed as a single entity.

Complete list of eligible games

1112: Episode 1 (iPhone/iPod Touch)

AGON: The Lost Sword of Toledo

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (DS)

Art of Murder: FBI Confidential

Belief & Betrayal

Carol Reed: The Colour of Murder

Casebook: Episode I – Kidnapped

Chronicles of Mystery: The Scorpio Ritual

Diamonds in the Rough

Dracula: Origin

Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon

Everlight: Of Magic and Power

The Experiment

Flower, Sun and Rain (DS)

The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft

Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law (Wii, PS2)

The Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure

Insecticide (PC, DS)

Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles (DS)

The Lost City of Malathedra

The Lost Crown: A Ghost-Hunting Adventure

Lost: Via Domus (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

Murder in the Abbey

Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst

Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy

Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice

Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals

Outcry

Overclocked: A History of Violence

Penumbra: Black Plague

Penumbra: Requiem

Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)

Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches

Sam & Max: Season Two (excludes 2007's Episode 201: Ice Station Santa)

Simon the Sorcerer 4: Chaos Happens

Sinking Island

So Blonde

Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People (PC, Wii)

The Tales of Bingwood – Chapter I: To Save a Princess

Theresia (DS)

Time Hollow (DS)

Undercover: Dual Motives (DS)

Unsolved Crimes (DS)

A Vampyre Story

 

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Referenced Adventure Games

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