Top 50 Games of 2005: No.1

By Eurogamer staff Published 1 January, 2006

Our game of the year.

1 Psychonauts

PS2, Xbox, PC / THQ / Double Fine
9/10 (Tom), Game page

Kieron: I mean this in the very best way, but I like Psychonauts the more time passes since I completed it. During the actual play there were all too many moments when the occasionally iffy design - some platforming mishaps, some grotesque difficulty spikes - downgraded my pleasure. But those transitory pains have become gossamer-thin and difficult to recall compared to the grand expanse of constant ingenuity and brilliance of the rest of the game. In some ways, this makes it exactly like the Lucasart adventures. When we think of Monkey Island II, we don't recall the Monkey Wrench puzzle of whatever screen-punching torment the designers thought would be a good idea at the time. We just remember the wit and imagination.

And put it another way: Some games are made for the play - returning to an online shooter, a casual obsessing with Lumines, whatever. Others are made to be played, completed and then remembered. And when you remember Psychonauts, you'll just remember the absolute fearless commitment to saying something new through the classical medium of the exploratory platform game. Yeah, everyone says it's funny - and it's probably responsible for bigger laughs than anything on this list other than Boiling Point's flying Jaguars. But it's also terribly emotional, with an understanding of how Level Design can be used for sharp irony (The discovery of the secret room in an Agent's otherwise upbeat disco-world) or poetry (the fluorescent city beneath an enormous crying card, where a character's lost love rains rose-bud tears) or blank cruel satire (The entirety of "the Milkman Conspiracy").

So, no, for me personally Psychonauts isn't the game of the year. But there's part of me that's aware that in twenty years time, if you ask me about 2005, it very may well be.

Jim: Psychonauts is astonishing. It's imaginative in a way that puts almost all other games to shame. To miss out on this is like missing the point of gaming entirely. It's not out until February 2006 in the UK, which is probably because God hates us all, or something.

Martin: We really want Schafer to produce a Grim Fandango-style adventure, but I'd be prepared to settle for this wonderful bit of story-telling with platforming goodness.

Kristan: Funniest game I've played in years. Can't wait to play it properly when I review the long-delayed PAL version next month. Tim Schafer, I salute you. When's the sequel to Day of The Tentacle coming again?

'Top 50 Games of 2005: No.1' Screenshot 1

HOW ABOUT NOW?

Tom: I still remember the evening I discovered this. I kept turning around to demand that Kristan stop working and watch me play it. I remember sneaking around everywhere listening to everyone talk, then talking to them to get more out of them. The further I got into it, the more astonishingly good it became. Some of the levels... I don't even want to talk about them. I really don't. I don't want to rob you of one line of dialogue or one moment of realisation. The fact that it's not out over here until next year pretty much sums up the European games industries. But hey, you can buy it direct from Double Fine's website on PS2, Xbox and PC.

John: It seems to be the Way of Things that the very best games are those that no one buys. In the case of Psychonauts, it seems there's a conspiracy to endlessly delay its European release, ensuring it vanishes into unbought obscurity. It is your DUTY to defy this idiocy, and buy a copy at all costs.

This isn't just a funny platform game. This is a sophisticated work of complex emotion. It's also a really funny platform game. It's a game you can quote to your friends, reminisce about in the pub, and go back to over and again. It is truly the best game of the year, and yet knowing you, you'll never get around to playing it. I hate you.

Picture of Eurogamer.

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Comments (201) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • ssuellid #1 6 years ago

    Bit of a suprise.

  • neon #2 6 years ago

    it's a Thq game. Nooooo! ;)

  • neon #3 6 years ago

    Thq not cool

  • CosmonautX #4 6 years ago

    Not my personal choice for GotY, but an interesting one nonetheless - and thank Christ it's not MGS3 or GT4.

    Should herald an almighty tardstorm to see in the New Year ;-)

  • krygerleeu #5 6 years ago

    The guts to go off the beaten track like this is exactly the reason why Eurogamer is my favourite games site.

  • Doctor-Necesseter #6 6 years ago

    Idiotic. We can't play this game!

  • Qbert2k #7 6 years ago

    Meh

  • petebritish #8 6 years ago

    I keep wanting to buy a 360 but there always seems to be just one more game on PS2 to buy and complete 1st.At this rate there will be no reason to buy a 360 at all..

  • morriss #9 6 years ago

    Wow. Well done chaps. How to make yourself unpopular in 50 easy steps!! :p

    Respect for Psychonauts though. Maybe now Tim Scaffer'll do Grim Fandango 2 and we can all be happy. :)

  • CosmonautX #10 6 years ago

    Of course you can - go out, buy game from local friendly importer, chipping console if needs be. Insert disc, turn on power & whack the joypad in your meaty fists & away you go.

    :-)

  • Retroid #11 6 years ago

    Already pre-ordered.

    GET IT OUT YOU USELESS PUBLISHING BASTARDS

  • Kingsadist #12 6 years ago

    I bloody well knew it...
    Sneaky cheats, I WANT THIS SODDING GAME!

  • Zero_ #13 6 years ago

    Interesting. Is this an attempt to persuade readers to purchase this game due to it's unfortunate financial performance? I'm not saying that it is bad, I haven't played it, but it beating SotC, God of War, Resident Evil 4 is quite interesting. But if it's a method to gather sales for a game that needs it, I'm all for it.

    But you never knoew, they could pull what SCEI did with ICO and SotC.
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 11:08

  • morriss #14 6 years ago

    /prays for backwards compatibility

    /gets laughed at my Microsoft employees

  • neon #15 6 years ago







    /Switches off PC. Goes for a walk to walk off the hangover. Ouch head hurts. Returns home. Continues playing Capcom's Resident Evil 4 on Playstation 2
    Edited by 2 at 01/01/06 @ 11:06

  • Lost_in_Darkness #16 6 years ago

    I'll give you this EG.

    RE4 should have won as I thought Psychonauts had a few too many flaws for it to be GOTY, however it is a wonderful game and in the interests of promoting individualism and new unique ideas; I welcome the decision for GOTY.

  • OnlyMe #17 6 years ago

    Don't mock the monkey-wrench puzzle. I went to great length to learn what Monkey Wrench was in english, because I knew that knowing the english word for things I'm looking for is pretty important in an adventure like Monkey Island 2. Once I learnt it, I completed the puzzle very quickly. I think it was genious, just because some people found it too hard doesn't mean it's a bad puzzle.

    To be honest though, I'm a Monkey Island 2 fanatic, and I've yet to find ANYTHING bad with the game - except it's too short (though in reality it's a lot longer than the average adventure game - I remember a magazine had a reader writing in and saying the game was too short and too easy, he only spent two weeks on it. If anyone had spent two weeks on a game today, it would be considered VERY long).

  • drumbaby #18 6 years ago

    Well, that's a turn up for the books :/

  • neon #19 6 years ago

    Posted this on the Top 50 5 - 2 board:


    *PSYCHONAUTS*

    typed *PSYCHONAUTS* into Eurogamer Search. Object not found?
    neon
    01-Jan-06 10:36:46




    typed *PSYCHONAUTS eurogamer* into Google. Sorted!

    http://www.google.co.uk/search?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q= %20PSYCH
    ONAUTS%20eurogamer&btnG=Search&sa=N&tab=iw

    9/10

    Looks at screen shots. Hmmm...
    Looks very Jak & Daxter
    Reads review

    "And for those of you recoiling with a cynical wariness borne of Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank games that you didn't find particularly amusing, it's worth trying to hammer home that this isn't just "also a game for adults"; it's aimed squarely at us."

    See told you. It looks very Jak & Daxter.

    Resident Evil 4 looks better. Sure hope PSYCHONAUTS does not take No.1 position.
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 11:15

  • Xerx3s #20 6 years ago

    Meh. Played this. Thought Civ4 (extremely addictive) & RE4 where better. Ahh well, matter of oppinions eh? -_-

  • statix101 #21 6 years ago

    Anyway, my bet for Number 1 game of 2006 is.....................

    ICO (reissue Feb 06)


    Still hasnt been matched in the 4 years since it was first released.

  • p_p #22 6 years ago

    "Interesting. Is this an attempt to persuade readers to purchase this game due to it's unfortunate financial performance? I'm not saying that it is bad, I haven't played it, but it beating SotC, God of War, Resident Evil 4 is quite interesting."


    These were my thoughts exactly last night, when someone suggested that Psychonauts might be the winner.


    I have mixed feelings on the game. Its gameplay mechanics are archaic, the level design ranges from poor to excellent, yet its humour and presentation are magnificent. It's certainly top ten material, but it's too flawed and amateurish to be game of the year.

    That said, it did sell undeservedly poorly. Seeing as nearly all the games in the top ten are selling like hot cakes, it's not unfair to wish Psychonauts the same success.

    I still don't like the decision though. A list. On the internet.

  • lemonfist #23 6 years ago

    Another one to add to the list of preorders.

  • Doctor-Necesseter #24 6 years ago

    Oh yeah, let's have Katamari at number one too, another game we can't buy.

  • Decoded #25 6 years ago

    Heard the name but knew nothing about the game until now. Sounds alright.

  • FooAtari #26 6 years ago

    I need to play this game... I would import but I have the small problem that my PS2 isnt chipped, really must get round to that.

    I can appreciate why RE4 is so good, but I'm not a fan of RE games, stupid control method... :-)

  • floW #27 6 years ago

    Better than Resi 4? Doubt it. Hmmmm actually I haven't played it so I don't know.......
    Edited by 2 at 01/01/06 @ 11:39

  • floW #28 6 years ago

    ^^^^^^^^^^ - shocking! Ban this criminal........joking....BAN

  • Asrok #29 6 years ago

    I'm surprised. Yesterday i was talking with friends and i told them that GOTY 2005 for Eurogamer was MGS3.

    Now i have to import Psychonauts, shame EG! Hope it's really good.

  • martynmac #30 6 years ago

    You never know, this game may sell quite well in the UK purely on the basis of the box art alone. Why? The US version box art has a pic of the crazy frog on the front so if the UK keeps the same box art all the chavs will buy it. Nice.

  • Razz #31 6 years ago

    Just tell him you lied.

  • Furbs #32 6 years ago

    How the hell can STALKER not be number 1? So what if its not out over here yet?

  • botherer #33 6 years ago

    I'm a bit confused about this idea that the game cannot be bought.

    It can be ordered from a dozen websites, not least of all DoubleFine's.

    If the issue is that you don't have a chipped console, then the PC version works fine. If you don't have a PC, then... Well, what if the No.1 game had been a PC only title, like Civ 4 for instance? Would you level the same complaints then?

    Buy it!

  • kangarootoo #34 6 years ago

    I've heard many good things about this. On my buy list.

    neon, did you get fired by THQ or something? As publishers go, I can think of worse ones.

    Happy New Year EG staff and all readers :)

  • Zero_ #35 6 years ago

    "I'm a bit confused about this idea that the game cannot be bought. "

    Haha... no, it isn't because that the game "cannot" be bought", it's just no one is buying it for whatever reason. I've heard about how enjoyable and innovative this game is, but I've never actually gone out to buy it, or even download it (It's not out in Australia). I don't know why, I like platformers, and Psychonauts so awesome, but perhaps it is the atmosphere, the artwork, the main character that looks like he's been drinking too much, that is stopping me.

  • n3rdh8r #36 6 years ago

    By far the best game I've played this year. Glad Eurogamer agrees with me.

  • Machiavel #37 6 years ago

    Ho Hum, better download the PC demo and see what I think.

    "Where's me joypad?" probably...

  • karlidog #38 6 years ago

    Oh yeah, let's have Katamari at number one too, another game we can't buy.

    If they'd placed a PS2 game #1, would you whine about having to buy a PS2 to play it? Or an Xbox? Or a gaming-capable PC? You need extra hardware to play Psychonauts on a console right now, it's true. If you don't want to buy the bits you need then fine, but you can't expect everyone to only talk about things you've already splashed out for. You can softmod an Xbox so you can import this for the cost of a pad adapter, memory card and old copy of Splinter Cell - about £20-£30. That's a hell of a lot less than buying a PS2 to play Colossus, or a PC upgrade for Half-Life 2.

  • ImmortalUK #39 6 years ago

    Ignore.
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 12:42

  • Errol #40 6 years ago

    This is a f*****g joke. Yes ?

  • Zero_ #41 6 years ago

    "If they'd placed a PS2 game #1, would you whine about having to buy a PS2 to play it? Or an Xbox? Or a gaming-capable PC? You need extra hardware to play Psychonauts on a console right now, it's true."

    Psychonauts is on the PS2. Besides, I don't think he was attacking the PS2, but saying since Katamari Damacy isn't out in Europe/Australia... y'know.

  • GitSomE_UK #42 6 years ago

    Hmmm unavailable in Europe and the 2005 GOTY on the "Euro" Gamer site.

    Intresting, surprised and dissapointed all spring to mind at the decision. I'm not sure why but for some reason I have absolutley no desire to take an interest in the game at all.

    Hey ho!... maybe next year EG will give it's readership a chance to vote for GOTY on games that actually exist in Europe.

    BTW my number one game for this year.... INOH SYWNK (It's Not Out Here So You Will Never Know) - The artistic integrity, the intelligent level design, the hand drawn graphics from the very hands of the living relatives of Picasso and Dali all culminates into re-defining the genre and promoting global peace.

    Released only to those who have joined the AGC (Aldi Gamers Club), the lucky few have the privilege of playing this masterpiece.

    Published by a communual band of happy go lucky coders based in a disused tin mine in Luxemberg. This band of brothers are dedicated to the preservation of good coding practices in order to streamline the game experience. When asked why they code in candle light they responded by flickering there eyelashes and shedding a solitary tear. With an Indie, on the edge team like this YOU MUST BUY THIS GAME. ;-)


    Happy New Year.

  • Ace_McCloud #43 6 years ago

    "I like Psychonauts the more time passes since I completed it. During the actual play there were all too many moments when the occasionally iffy design - some platforming mishaps, some grotesque difficulty spikes - downgraded my pleasure"

    While I respect this is an opinion based thing. What the hell? Looks like eurogamer has succumbed to having their opinion altered by the lesser known game. Because no one played it and it was quite good, its suddenly made one hundred times cooler and better. Seriously, this is better than Resident Evil 4? Come on. You say it yourselves its got some serious flaws that make it less fun to play. Resident Evil 4 was - if you like the sort of game - awesome, fresh and I cant think of one moment where I didn't enjoy it.

    Well done on not succumbing to peer pressure and not choosing the obvious - and deserved - choice.
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 12:55

  • stonedben #44 6 years ago

    Hmmm interesting. I got it for PC a while back, on the basis that it's Tim Schafer, and it starts out as hugely entertaining. However, when you start having to use Clairvoyance (ie the Milkman Conspiracy and onwards) I found it became incredibly frustrating, and often ended up being a 3-alt-tab-to-check-the-walkthrough-per-minute jobbie. Thus I rid myself of it. To be honest, I'm not sure the PC is its natural platform (pun not intended).

    At least GOTY isn't Battlefield 2. Errol, stop whining already - I'm sure everyone here is bored of it already. Hell, I think I was bored of it before I was even <em>born</em>.

  • squaylor #45 6 years ago

    I can't wait to play this, when it finally comes out in the UK. Nice list, EG.

  • Kami #46 6 years ago

    It's a bit like that time when Crazy Frog got #1... you just wondered what the world was coming too...

    Not my choice for Game of the Year. I think Eurogamer is going to be divided greatly opn this, but I'll just shrug and smile. SotC, RE4 and cIV. It's been a damn good year regardless.

  • trevd72 #47 6 years ago

    this isnt even better than the games i am currently playing or just finished yet alone the ones I have played this year.

    i am currently playing:

    PGR3
    Perfect dark zero
    god of war
    mario kart ds.
    advance wars ds

    yet alone stuff i just finished.
    halflife 2
    call of duty 2
    brother in arms -EIB

    what am I missing. granted i never played it all the way through....what am I missing?
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 13:43

  • Subquest #48 6 years ago

    stonedben - just get a PS2 controller and adapter for PC, and lo and behold your PC is now a PS2. Easy to find e.g. lik sang. The PC can be the natural platform for any game just so long as you have the right input device.

  • Jonathan_Fakenham #49 6 years ago

    Microsoft goddamn better make sure this is BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE.

  • Sorb #50 6 years ago

    So how long until EuroGamer officially changes name to ImportGamer?

  • trevd72 #51 6 years ago

    surprised dragon quest vIII shadow otC and tekken 5 are not in the list seeing as i am sure i cannot play them on my unmodded pstwo
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 13:45

  • karlidog #52 6 years ago

    Psychonauts is on the PS2. Besides, I don't think he was attacking the PS2, but saying since Katamari Damacy isn't out in Europe/Australia... y'know.

    That's what I was responding to (although possibly New Year's Day isn't the time I'm most likely to make a point clearly). I mean that, to play Psychonauts on a UK Xbox or PS2, you'd need to invest in extra hardware (ie a mod chip or the bits required to softmod an Xbox). For some reason, an awful lot of people seem to find this unacceptable, when they'll quite happily swallow being told they need to buy a particular console, or upgrade their PC, to play a game that's being lauded as excellent. Console tribalism doesn't enter into it.

    It's moronic that certain posters are whining about Eurogamer picking a game that's not available in European shops - do you want to be so subservient to publishers that you don't even acknowledge the existence of products they've not deigned to release on your particular bit of land yet?

    Anyway, Psychonauts is fantastic - I'm not sure I'd put it at #1 myself, but certainly in the top 5 games of the year.

  • Furbs #53 6 years ago

    karlidog - Ok, so if a game came out which could only be played on the top 0.1% of gaming PC's due to laziness on the part of the publisher/dev but it was a corker of a game, would that mean it deserved to be #1?

    You're missing the point - its EUROgamer - the whole website is geared towards European gaming. If non-EU games can be considered for GOTY, then it has no point of difference to any other (US) gaming website out there.

    And correct me if I'm wrong, but as mentioned on the forum, last year MGS3 was left out because it wasnt released over here?
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 13:58

  • Elysium #54 6 years ago

    Now I know Eurogamer are full of shit -) .. nice Joke; .. maybe you guys have been at the old "Sauce" bottle a little too much over the holiday season!

    Yeah, come back with the real gameslist will you now .. there's a good old chap .. otherwise this downgrades any value this site had.
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 13:59

  • neon #55 6 years ago

    kangarootoo: neon, did you get fired by THQ or something? As publishers go, I can think of worse ones.


    Thq wares are always so half baked, just quick cash-ins.

    Example:
    Konami think horror game, we gets Silent Hill
    Capcom think horror game, we gets Resident Evil
    (so far, so good)
    Thq think horror game, we gets Evil Dead (pile of poo)

    Thq seems to exist in the industry by releasing year in and year out sheer number of quantities of sub standard crap. Normally film or television tie-ins. EA are the same, although their crap isn't quite as crap as Thq's crap. As for worse ones, Codemasters and Kuju suck too :)

    Edited by 2 at 01/01/06 @ 14:00

  • Markusdragon #56 6 years ago

    I've pretty much been longing for this game since I saw a rolling demo of it back on some Microsoft Games Studios game back when I first got my Xbox, which is a long time ago, considering that MGS dropped the project because it was taking too long. Mostly I've been clawing at the screen waiting for it's release since then.

    I guess I could have imported it, but I really want to be able to get it for a console, and modding my box is out of the question because I don't want to become tempted to become a pirate-only gamer again, y'aaaargh.


    Edit: Neon, THQ are a publisher, not a dev team. Essentially they mostly release crap because they think licences are a good enough substitute for good development when it comes to making money from games.

    Edit2: And I long for codemasters to become awesome again :(. Bring back Dizzy!
    Edited by 2 at 01/01/06 @ 14:07

  • karlidog #57 6 years ago

    (...)if a game came out which could only be played on the top 0.1% of gaming PC's due to laziness on the part of the publisher/dev but it was a corker of a game, would that mean it deserved to be #1?

    Yes, absolutely. I don't really see the difference between your example and, say, a hypothetical Xbox 360 game getting the #1 spot - in either case, or in the case of an import, the reader has to buy extra hardware to play the thing. It doesn't diminish the game's quality. I honestly don't understand why being told you have to spend £100+ on an Xbox, DS, PS2 or whatever to play an exclusive release is okay, but being told you have to spend £25 on an Xbox softmod or £40 on a PS2 chip is unacceptable.

    Anyway, in either case, everyone'll be able to play the thing in the end - today's uber-PC is next year's middle-of-the-road system, and today's US console release is (depressingly often) next year's EU release. The non-importers know it's good in advance, ready for whenever it arrives on their shores.

  • JohnnyC06 #58 6 years ago

    I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE THE NO.1 TO EITHER METAL GEAR SOLID 3 OR GRAN TURISMO 4!!! This game is not worthy to be No.1. And if not MGS or GT4,the very least they could've done was make SotC or Resident Evil 4 No.1.

  • Furbs #59 6 years ago

    Maybe because of of warranties and that in some regions circumventing security systems on a home console can put you in a very dubious legal position?

    Its just pointless including non-EU available games in this list as the "best of 2005". Sure review them, but what if localisation means most of us get a different gaming to importers? What if they improve the EU release with added features/tweaked gameplay. Does that mean it gets a second bite for 2006?
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 14:17

  • SirScratchalot #60 6 years ago

    Stunned. I have to pick it up now. If it was available in europe you know.

  • Pirotic #61 6 years ago

    Seems a bit strange to give the number 1 spot to a game which isnt even out yet, but hopefully the hype this will generate will help sales - and seeing as it's been delayed so long and the focus is starting to move onto next gen, i was half expecting this never to get a european release so i'm glad you did this, it really does deserve more coverage.

  • botherer #62 6 years ago

    I feel like I need to squeegee my brain with the bonkers logic being bounced around here.

    SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS IS ONLY AVAILABLE ON IMPORT TOO!

    AND ONLY ON PS2!

    But apparently that would have been ok?

    Ooh heck.

  • Tyronne #63 6 years ago

    Great so does this mean that the top games of 2006 are going to be those that are released in Europe come 2007 ?The games of 2006 should be those that you can go down the shop and pick up and not have to run on a chipped console/import them in.I have said it before and will do again,this place is called Eurogamer and not Worldgamer and as such fine let us know about other things but dont go on and on and on about them when for the most part many people on here cannot use the games discussed.
    I personnally think it should be alan wake as game of 2006, true its not out til the middle/end of next year over here but then thats not stopped anything has it.

  • Kostabi #64 6 years ago

    Hmm, after seeing Psychonauts clean up in the Gamespot awards and now #1 here at the mighty EG I'm tempting to import this for the PC despite knowing nothing about it... I did like Full Throttle though.

    Soo, what type of platformer is it? The 3D run everywhere Beyond Good and Evil type or the on rails but still 3D Crash Bandicoot style?

  • Artemus #65 6 years ago

    And EuroGamers number one GOTY is...

    A game that hasn't even been released in Europe.

  • Tyronne #66 6 years ago

    I do recall actually thinking while playing the demo `is this it?` that and thinking `well I might buy it once it gets to about a tenner` but game of the year, no not by a long shot.

  • BremXJones #67 6 years ago

    Ace: "While I respect this is an opinion based thing. What the hell? Looks like eurogamer has succumbed to having their opinion altered by the lesser known game"

    Worth noting that the bit you quote was from me. I specifically say that it didn't top *my* personal list. It was in my Top 10, certainly, but didn't take my Number 1. Other people *did* vote it #1.

    I don't agree with them, but think it's an interesting #1 anyway. And a brilliant game.

    KG

  • wayne040576 #68 6 years ago

    I don't think a game that hasn't been released yet should appear anywhere on this list. Sure, it's available on import but most people don't have chipped consoles. I have read on US sites that it's good and I will buy it when it comes out but this isn't a US site.
    The decision to put it at the Number 1 spot really stinks of a desperate attempt to do something "controversial".

  • stonedben #69 6 years ago

    @Subquest: True. Single word for you though - Effort.

  • Markusdragon #70 6 years ago

    Imports are all fair game (pun not intended). Why? Because Eurogamer says so, and they made the sodding list.

    Besides, if every game had to be RELEASED in europe to qualify, then indie masterpieces like Darwinia would be totally out of the question.



    Edit: Also, it occurs to me that this is probably like when Radiohead's OK Computer topped that Channel 4 best album list. No-one expected it, but it had turned up in practically everyone's top 10, and therefore was mathematically the best album overall.
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 15:05

  • Artemus #71 6 years ago

    Dawinia came out in March in Europe.

  • botherer #72 6 years ago

    It's the LAW that all album lists must vote either OK Computer or Revolver as their number one, despite no one on the whole planet having listened to either record in five years, what with their not being actually that exciting.

    The rest of the top 10 must then, apparently, be filled with Oasis albums.

  • MaxiSleep #73 6 years ago

    Cant comment on the number 1 game (obviously) but overall I think the list was pretty poor.

    Eurogamer was (once) my fave site, the opinions and reviews were spot on and I really felt a connection with the reviewers. Now it seams to be drifting away.

    Overall I think Eurogamer needs to think long and hard about the direction it is going, before it becames entirely irrelevant.

  • BremXJones #74 6 years ago

    The last comment always makes me wonder, you know: Do readers actually want to be lied to?

    KG

  • tengu #75 6 years ago

    Yep, it's official, some people take computer games far too seriously.

    Get a fucking grip.

  • Jokerr #76 6 years ago

    Strange decision. I just tried the pc demo, and it didn't seem much more than a average platformer. The trademark lucasarts humour is there though, but no way near as good or funny as Full Throttle (Another Schaefer game). I guess it's one of those love it or hate it type games.

  • Doctor-Necesseter #77 6 years ago

    I do wish staff members would post using their real name.

  • CosmonautX #78 6 years ago

    Get a fucking grip

    Is it out in Europe? If not, I don't believe it belongs on a Eurogamer comment thread, on the Eurogamer site...

    ;-)

  • Collie #79 6 years ago

    Never heard of it.

  • Juriel #80 6 years ago

    Eh. I don't really have any reaction to this. A platformer, humorous as it may be...is still a platformer. I mean, Evil Dead: Regeneration isn't on this list for its humor alone.
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 16:01

  • tengu #81 6 years ago

    Oh, and I personally think Gunstar Super Heroes should have been in this list. The EG review of it was crap, it was fantastic.

  • djchump #82 6 years ago

    To all the nay-sayers...

    If you don't agree with the list/order/inclusion/exclusion of a particular game... you are entirely free to start your own games website and put up your own favourite game list.

    As it is, this is a list as voted for by the Eurogamer staff... so what is there to agree or disagree about? They are entirely justified in voting for any game they have played over the last year.

    It's just an opinion after all.

  • floW #83 6 years ago

    ^^^ you work for them? or just licking their asses for fun?

  • wayne040576 #84 6 years ago

    To lamadude

    Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Direct to Drive is available to usersin Europe.

  • RabidMonkey #85 6 years ago

    1. Psychonauts

    Wot no Devil May Cry 3!

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #86 6 years ago

    "If you don't agree with the list/order/inclusion/exclusion of a particular game... you are entirely free to start your own games website and put up your own favourite game list."

    It's called a comments thread because they're *explicitly inviting* comments about it, idiot.

  • MaxiSleep #87 6 years ago

    "The last comment always makes me wonder, you know: Do readers actually want to be lied to?

    KG"

    Of course we dont want to be lied to. However the attitude of some of the staff members of Eurogamer has over the last few months become quite elitist, and dare I say it unpleasant. This has come accross in the boards and also in the reviews. It has changed the way I feal about the site, because I like sites that dont look down on their readers from a height.

    I just hope you dont as a site go the way of VE3d and loose the essence of what the site (used) to be about.

    Know what I mean?

  • floW #88 6 years ago

    "It's called a comments thread because they're *explicitly inviting* comments about it, idiot."
    exactly

  • JohnnyC06 #89 6 years ago

    I think this should've been the top 5

    1: Metal Gear Solid 3-Snake Eater
    2: Resident Evil 4
    3: Gran Turismo 4
    4: Shadow of the Colosus
    5: Grand Thet Auto: Liberty City Stories

  • neon #90 6 years ago

    no MGS3, no RE4, no GT4 *?*

    /all 3 should have made the top 50

  • Masarin #91 6 years ago

    Awesome. Spot on Eurogamer!

  • captain-future #92 6 years ago

    I KNEW it ;)
    Eurogamer just hat to make a statement against the taste of the hordes, or? :-))

    strangest top 50 games list evar IMHO but then again, I didn't play all the games so I can't really judge.

  • BremXJones #93 6 years ago

    Max: Ah - thought you were specifically talking about the Top 50 not (I presumed) matching yours rather than any wider issue. If you feel that way, I'm sorry. Hopefully I haven't done anything to contribute to the situation.

    KG

  • bootsy_NL_30 #94 6 years ago

    ok my two cents on psychonauts :

    Awesome game that really reminded me of the Sam and Max days or Space quest or one of those adventure games where the lead character isnt taking himself too seriously ( something that is way to prevelant in modern video games)

    but

    sorry but this game IMHO doesnt even come close to being game of the year, art design , platforming , difficulty, optimisation (on the pc version) and just glaring flaws where too obvious to overlook

    however

    Kotor was also a terrible example of a great game filled with bugs but with an awesome story and dialouge so I guess in some ways I agree with Eurogamer

    last "but"

    2005 was a horrible year for games with way too much comercialisation and way too many old games with a "3" tacked on or something like that ...hopefully psychonauts 2 wont come out and 2006 will see more new games

  • BremXJones #95 6 years ago

    bootsy: "art design"

    I'd argue particularly strenously against this. For me, Psychonauts was probably my favourite game of the year in terms of art design. Every level was completely different, yet coherent. In terms of visual effects and use in creating context and storytelling, nothing came close.

    KG

  • neon #96 6 years ago

    bootsy_NL_30: *2005 was a horrible year for games with way too much comercialisation and way too many old games with a "3" tacked on or something like that*


    Taking into account the ever increasing development costs of games and the arrival of next gen, 2006 should see more developers fall by the way side. Sony will be there with their super games, Konami along with Capcom will hopefully be delivering the goods and EA along with Thq will continue to squeeze out their usual never ending stream of poo. Maybe Microsoft and their cash mountains will see them deliver a decent game for a change ;P
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 16:59

  • botherer #97 6 years ago

    Max - I'd like to throw an apology into the ring if I've given that impression.

    I think I split my brain in two - I write the review, and then once it's up, I feel just as much a reader as anyone else. So when someone posts something spiteful, cruel and/or untrue, I react like anyone else and get cross. Which is not professional.

    It's remarkably difficult to keep schtum while someone's making cruel accusations against/about you, as is the case in about 90% of comments threads on reviews, when there's a little box to fill in and reply with. It causes animosity when I do reply, and resentment when I don't.

    I suppose the solution is to rise above it, accept that it's just one a-hole doing their business. But I'm as much of an idiot myself. I'm also an idealist, and like to think that if someone posts saying "They only wrote X for reason Y", and I point out this isn't the case, they'd reply, "Oh, oops - sorry then." Which is naive, and causes further resentment.

    So yes then - everyone start being lovely, including me.

  • neon #98 6 years ago

    With the power of next gen consoles, one area of gaming that could be the *new in thing* could be games containing environments that can be destroyed brick by brick. Environments that break up and donot fade away, just rearrange themselves. Maybe this is asking too much just yet :)

  • Carrybagma #99 6 years ago

    strangest top 50 games list evar

    Yeah, for sure. PS2 seems to be console of the year for quality games, and I say that from the PoV of someone who doesn't actually own one. Maybe the DS edges it.

  • Markusdragon #100 6 years ago

    "I'm also an idealist, and like to think that if someone posts saying "They only wrote X for reason Y", and I point out this isn't the case, they'd reply, "Oh, oops - sorry then." Which is naive, and causes further resentment. "

    Know exactly how you feel, dude. It's annoying that no-one's ever willing to lose an argument, even when they're proved wrong.

  • apace79 #101 6 years ago

    I picked the same game for game of the year on Gamespot.
    It has a few problems in terms of difficulty (too high later in the game for me, i didn't beat the last boss), but all the rest is incredibly new and funny and imaginative, which is something that you find rarely today. Try the demo to get a feeling of it.


  • ali-uk #102 6 years ago

    l-m-a-o

  • Les #103 6 years ago

    Bit strange to make a game that's not even out here game of the year but at least it's not a sequel.

  • Ryan #104 6 years ago

    I think that anybody disagreeing with this choice needs to take a step back and actually play it. It's a fantastic game, it's original, it's funny, and it's got some of the most well-written characters in gaming history. It also has an excellent storyline, and came from the man who brought us the humour in Monkey Island, brought us Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle and Full Throttle. Very people who have actually *** P L A Y E D *** it will strongly disagree with the award (although obviously some will, as with any piece of work).

    I've played it. I've played Resident Evil 4. I've also played pretty much every other major game released this year -- Psychonauts pisses over all of them. Half of you seem to implying that Eurogamer chose this game simply because it's not as well-known as some. How the hell can that be used as a crux in ANY argument? Has it not occured to you people that this game might actually be rather good? It also won the "Best Game Nobody Played" award over on GameSpot, as well as enjoyed consistent 9/10 reviews thorough the entire game review arena.

    Play the Goddamn game before saying "Oh, well "X" had more marketing and publishing support so it MUST be better."

    Honestly, the ignorance and closed-mindedness displayed at times makes me want to lose all faith in the gaming community.
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 17:46

  • Royal Fool #105 6 years ago

    I knew it! :)

    Yes, this game is, to quote Raz, "Awesome".

  • meggsy #106 6 years ago

    "Honestly, the ignorance and closed-mindedness displayed at times makes me want to lose all faith in the gaming community."

    Well that maybe true, but then how can european gamers be anything but ignorant of a title that they haven't even had the chance to buy?

    For goodness sakes it's not due out until the 10th of February 2006, only being available to those that import games and consoles - who are a very tiny minority.

    I could try the game right this evening on my Pc, but that would involve stealing a copy via a torrent off the interweb, and that's downright naughty, so for now I'm going to sit tight, pick it up in 6 weeks time when it's actually available to buy, and see how well it'll fit into my Top 50 Games of 2006 list.

  • darkmistx #107 6 years ago

    I think it's more like they wanted to avoid upsetting the console fanboys, so they stuck the best multi-platform game in at #1, but it looks like it backfired. ;)

  • Royal Fool #108 6 years ago

    Hello fellow Road Crew worker, welcome to the Road Crew.

    These are my hedge trimmers, they help me trim my hedge.

    Helicopters can go up and down.

  • Rodafowa #109 6 years ago

    Still. I think we can all agree it's the best game ever named after a Fields Of The Nephilim song.

    Well, other than Mister Jealousy Has Returned on the C64, anyway.

  • Stoatboy #110 6 years ago

    Re: Is it out in Europe? If not, I don't believe it belongs on a Eurogamer comment thread, on the Eurogamer site...

    WTF? Do you want EG to stop reviewing import games and only report European news too?

    I don't get the problem here. Seriously - why does anyone care if the games are out over here or not? The only downside I can see is that you can't play them now. So what? If it's a good game now, it'll still be a good game when it does appear. What have you lost? Absolutely nothing.

  • Beitel #111 6 years ago

    Respect! A great surprise. =D

  • Talha #112 6 years ago

    Call me a broken record, call me a whiner, but..

    Burnout makes the list, GT4 and Forza don't. Yes, not in the TOP 50 GAMES OF THE YEAR. Are you telling me that Burnout Revenge is better than those two? Well if it was 2 or 3, OK - but this certainly doesn't deserve it.

  • Furbs #113 6 years ago

    Stoatboy, so do you think Half Life 3, STALKER, PES6, 7 and 8, Gran Turismo 5, Burnout 4, Resident Evil 5 and whatever Mario games Nintendo have planned should all be in this top 50? Cos they arent out yet, but I bet you any money they'll all be good games.

  • Fyzzu #114 6 years ago

    I'm going to go against the grain here and actually agree with Psychonauts at number one. I've not played Shadow of the Colossus, as my importing goes about as far as DS and PC (the only two systems I own that don't need to be mucked about with to get import games working on them), but I had far more fun playing Psychonauts than I did playing anything else this year. I even got bored with Resident Evil 4 about halfway through, though I daresay that's the *other* game this year that I'd consider giving such plaudits to (and yes, I did go back to it a few days later and finish it). With Psychonauts, there was no point where I thought "I've had about enough of this, I'll come back to it later." It has issues, yes, but it was such tremendous fun and had such verve even in the most irritating moments (the milkman level and the last level, for me) that I just didn't care. Were it not for, you know, work and eating and sleep, I'd have probably finished it in one sitting. By the way, did anyone else feel the urge to cheer during the end sequence?

    It's a bit off that it's been given number 1 and it's not out in Europe, I admit, but I'm pleased enough that it's been rated so highly by pretty much everyone who's played it that I don't really mind. The more people that play it, the better. And the demo isn't really an accurate example of how great it is - it's the most boring part of the game, by far. If you have a PC capable of running it, import it now. If not, wait for the European release and get it on console. I would recommend this to anybody, whether you're a fan of 3D platformers or not. After all, in general, I'm not.

  • neon #115 6 years ago

    Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear playing GT4 on Playstation 2 on TV at the moment. The idea being to learn one of the tracks on screen and then goto the real track.

    The results:
    Clarkson "must hit 100 mph while passing over the start line"
    Clarkson "sitting in the car is quite different to sitting on a sofa"
    Clarkson "changing gear around a certain corner is impossible on the real track"
    Clarkson "20 seonds difference (slower) on the real track"

    (the reason)
    Clarkson "the reality is simply too daunting around some corners"

    Guess Clarkson lacks bottle ;P


    /he was driving a blue Honda NSX
    Edited by 4 at 01/01/06 @ 20:00

  • Stickman #116 6 years ago

    EUROGAMER IN THQ'S POCKETS! FIX! FIX!

  • Markusdragon #117 6 years ago

    Eurogamer loved Psychonauts LONG before THQ got the publishing rights.

    And didn't THQ also publish Broken Sword 3? Someone in THQ's management must be a classic point-and-click fan...

  • ROCKSTORM #118 6 years ago

    Obviously Eurogamer are trying to grab attention. "Look at us, we gave Psychonauts Game Of The Year when everyone else gave it to the superior RE4". It's really quite pathetic......I've Played Psychonauts and, though exceptional, it is flawed. RE4 soooooo deserved this. I wouldn't be surprised if it was THQ money that filled EG staff's' pockets.
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 20:25

  • kangarootoo #119 6 years ago

    You guys are funny. The number of comments here saying that "the whole site has been devalued" or "I DEMAND YOU CHANGE THE NO1 SLOT TO MGS3" (my personal favourite) is just ridiculous.

    You'd think EG had published a top 50 of readers hot mums or something.

    ITS BLOODY SUBJECTIVE you lunatic kids. If EG disagree with you, thats life, get over it.

    /engages internet kid mode

    EG I DEMAND YOU IGNORE THESE MAD COMMENT AND TRY NOT TO TAKE OFFENSE. IF YOU DON'T DO THIS IMMEDIATELY YOUR SITE WILL BE DEVALUED AND IS BRIBED AND I WILL GO TO IGN... AND I WIL SUE YOU!

    /disengaged.

    Wow, typing in upercase is fun. I can see why some people get hooked on it.

  • Mr_Brown #120 6 years ago

    I'm all for going off the beaten track and taking a risk etc...but is this game truely better than Resident Evil 4, SotC, The Movies, GT4 and MGS3? Truely? From the reviews I've seen, it deserves to be up there...but not GotY...

  • Markusdragon #121 6 years ago

    heh.

    Anyone who thought EG would give GOTY to MGS3 or GT4 is reading the wrong site anyway.

  • kangarootoo #122 6 years ago

    Did the EG staff enjoy and admire the game more than any other this year? If so, it deserves to be no1. Its their list, not ours. Simple as that. They aren't trying to be read our minds, just describe their own.

    I need to stop this now. Its like swimming upstream in lava.

  • Mr_Brown #123 6 years ago

    I personally don't think GT4 or MGS3 should have been GotY...but surely they are better games, simply because of longativity...(MGS3 anyway)

    What I find strange is how they can have an Import game at number one...and Makai Kingdom and Dragon Quest VIII not even make an appearence...two of the best RPG/Turn Based Games of the year and possibly of all time...what a joke.

  • elliotreed #124 6 years ago

    I will buy this now. And like ten other games from this list. Yeah, a new console generation seems really necessary at this point.

  • Stoatboy #125 6 years ago

    Furbs - classic forum post there - well done. Knee jerk reaction to a post that you disagree with. It doesn't address anything in the post, but picks up on a technicality, and then makes a specious riposte. Textbook stuff! Hats off!

    The point was that despite the name "Eurogamer", the site deals with the global videogame market. Remove global news and import games and the site would be much diminished. If it includes global news and reviews elsewhere then all games are fair game for any "best of" it chooses to produce, IMO. The title of the article is "Top 50 games of 2005", not "Top 50 Games available in Europe in 2005".

    Personally I couldn't care less either way. I just don't get the problem - and that was really the point of my post. Why does anyone care? It's a list of good games - that's all. If you don't like the imports being in there, take them out and renumber accordingly to get a top 47 (or whatever it becomes). It's just a list. Agree with it or disagree with it - doesn't matter - that's what the bloody thing is there for. But going on about whether games on it are eligible due to geographical reasons seems pointless.

    I'd still like to know why people are upset by the imports though. My current theory is that people object to games being in there that they haven't played yet because then they can't bitch and whine about their pet fave not being top of the list, since they haven't played them all yet.

  • Feet #126 6 years ago

    I have it on PC.

    I've played it.

    It seemed good.

    I got stuck early on.

    I stopped playing it.

    I will try again now I see this.

  • djchump #127 6 years ago

    "If you don't agree with the list/order/inclusion/exclusion of a particular game... you are entirely free to start your own games website and put up your own favourite game list."

    It's called a comments thread because they're *explicitly inviting* comments about it, idiot.

    Yes... but you haven't understood my point.

    Saying "that list is bullshit because it doesn't agree with my list of favourite games" is a daft - as all this is is a list of Eurogamer staff's favourite games.
    From KG's comments, it sounds like the Eurogamer staff all voted for their favourite games and then all the votes got collated into this 1 list... I mean, correct me if I'm wrong here?

    So at the end of the day... this list is basically just a SUBJECTIVE list of the staff's favourite games.

    Sooo... don't you see that saying "This list is crap because your favourite game should be GAME X" is pointless? Everyone has different tastes... why do people complain when someone else's tastes don't match their own?

    Eurogamer isn't some over-arching objective entity or super-computer in the sky that is trying to dictate that THESE ARE DEFINITELY THE BEST GAMES OF 2005 IN THIS EXACT ORDER. It's just a bunch of punters who voted for their favourite games and made a list of them...

    So why all the hubbub?
    Edited by 1 at 01/01/06 @ 22:03

  • darkphoenix #128 6 years ago

    Although my personal favourite of the year is the magnificent "Shadow of the Colossus", I'd vote RE4 ( Gamecube version ) for GOTY.

    I started "Psychonauts", played it for a while, but then I just got bored of it and threw it to the "games to play someday..." corner.

    Sad how the majestic "Forza Motorsport", the best driving game ever, doesn't make an appearance in the top50...

    Glad to see that the greatly overrated MGS3 didn't make the top either.

    My top 5 for 2006:

    1- Shadow of the Colossus ( PS2 )
    2- Resident Evil 4 ( Gamecube )´
    3- Burnout Revenge ( XBox )
    4- Forza Motorsport ( XBox )
    5- God of War ( PS2 )

  • BremXJones #129 6 years ago

    Yeah - everyone sent in a Top 10 and it was just collated.

    KG

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #130 6 years ago

    "So at the end of the day... this list is basically just a SUBJECTIVE list of the staff's favourite games."

    Right. So you think they have a secret, "objective", "official" list that they're just not telling you about?

  • djchump #131 6 years ago

    "So at the end of the day... this list is basically just a SUBJECTIVE list of the staff's favourite games."

    Right. So you think they have a secret, "objective", "official" list that they're just not telling you about?

    Nooo... there's no such thing as an "objective list" of the best games. If you think it's possible to "objectively" assess a game then you're pretty naive... it's all just someone's opinion.

    As it is, and Keiron has verified, all the Eurogamer staff just voted on their PERSONAL, subjective favourites. And Psychonauts came out on top.
    What's the problem Rev. Campbell?

  • Furbs #132 6 years ago

    Its true you cant have an objective list of the best games which once again makes a mockery of having scores for reviews. As does the fact that the #1 game actually got a lower score than some of the games it beat?

  • GitSomE_UK #133 6 years ago

    @ Rockstorm

    Rockstorm>> "I wouldn't be surprised if it was THQ money that filled EG staff's' pockets."

    My god man! how dare you, how dare you that is an acccusation and you will get the smackdown from the EG lord known as Botherer.

    I posed a rhetorcial question about a similar thing in the chart run down from 5 -2 as a casual comment , you on the otherhand are casting a direct accusation :-0

    Learn from me I say, for even though I offered love and a hug I was brutally ignored.

    The wrath of Botherer is coming flee, flee I say.

    Hush, already I can hear EG preparing the DOGS OF LAW !!!

    Retract whilst you still can! retract I say....

    /Runs to cave and cowers behind moss

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #134 6 years ago

    "As it is, and Keiron has verified, all the Eurogamer staff just voted on their PERSONAL, subjective favourites. And Psychonauts came out on top.
    What's the problem Rev. Campbell?"

    The problem is that you'd have to be some kind of a chump to make some distinction between a magazine's "definitive" end-of-year chart, and a "subjective list of the writers' favourites".

    Oh, right.

  • ilmaestro #135 6 years ago

    I can't claim to be too thrilled at the choice of Psychonauts for No. 1, but then I haven't played it so I think I'm being swayed by the fact that it didn't receive ridiculously high review scores from everywhere like RE4 (most days my choice for No. 1) did. I think the MGS3 issue is what is puzzling me the most though, kinda like with UT2004 last year it seems to have been completely forgotten. MGS:TTS made 27 last year in at least as strong a year for games, but MGS3 isn't even top *50* this? I think this ranks with, again going back to last year, FF:CC ranking higher than Star Ocean 3 for bizarring-me-out quality.

    I know the solution:

    Go back in time to the end of last year, include imports in last years list and stick MGS3 in place of Halo 2 ;)

  • Kingsadist #136 6 years ago

    I, for one, wholeheartedly agree with EG on the #1 spot going to Psychonauts. Even after all these months, it's still the game that is most freshly etched into my frail mind, with standout lines, moments and whole levels swimming before my very eyes. It was the game that most replenished my faith that there are people out there, outside of Nintendo, that can make games brimming with character, charm, wit and passion. Although I havent played ICO or SotC (but really want to at least try both of them, and I will), I doubt they can match the warmth coming off of every aspect of Psychonauts (except maybe that last level...I HATE THAT).

    I just decided to put it this debate here to the test, somewhat, and try RE4 and Psychonautsg after a significant dry spell - results: I got bored of RE4 after a few hours (and, although not having playing it for a few months, I am not really considering going on) as it appears tedious and repetitive, even bland, stuffy and archaic at times. For Psychonauts I just played the demo, which managed to keep me entertained for a whole hour, and was left wanting more in its wake. The first game of this new year (cheers, btw) that I am 100% certain of actually buying (...so sue me).

    So what do these results tell us? Nothing. Its just senseless rambling, you fools.
    What it comes down to, and what I hope everyone will finally grasp, is that its a matter of perspective.
    Suggestion: get laid, that definitely puts the 'purrr' back into 'perspective'. God I am awful...ho-hum

  • gamerbunny #137 6 years ago

    WTF!!!!!
    No MGS3
    NO GTA LCS
    NO GT4

    Shocker!!!

  • Skaymoondo #138 6 years ago

    Can I just ask you compile the list on to 1 page or at least link the existing pages together?

  • JonFE #139 6 years ago

    So, let's sum this up. Psychonauts is not worthy to be GotY because :

    1."It's not out in Europe."
    This is a valid point, yet somehow misleading. It came out last April (on XBox and PC at least) so it should have been available in Europe earlier. Alas, it just recently secured a publishing deal for Europe, which means that it could very well end up in gaming limbo for all we know, if THQ had not picked it. Would you prefer to never actually hear of it, if that was the case ?

    2."RE4 / SotC / GoW / DMC3 / MGS3 / GT4 (pick your choice) is better."
    Sure they are. But -with the exception of SotC- they are also not original (being sequels) and may have limited appeal for those who don't enjoy survival / hack 'n slash / stealth / racing games.

    3."This is EuroGamer."
    Yeap, but it is also EuroGamer, get my drift?

    4."EG are just being controversial / attention whores."
    Well, excuse me, but with all the talk about originality being lost and publishers playing it safe, I actually enjoy seeing Psychonauts at the top spot, since it rekindles the long lost love-making of games, rather than another sequel (even if it's brilliant like RE4).

    Psychonauts seems to deserve any publicity it can get and for that it gets my vote too. February can't come soon enough...

    Jon
    *** edited to add some html-magic ***
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 01:14

  • Subquest #140 6 years ago

    Nobody's going to agree on something like a top 50, but the way some people react to something like this, particularly some of you regulards (furbs?), is quite depressing. It's all too predicable at the same time, but like a car crash: you can't take your eyes off it. It takes the sadly infrequent sense of somebody like stoatboy 15 posts or so ago to remind me that there are sensible, level headed folks out there who, like me, very much enjoy a video game or two in their spare time, and can do so without becoming a self important twat who will cry conspiracy before accepting not everybody agrees with them.

    I played Psychonauts and enjoyed it. But Civ4 gave me more pleasure this year (actually it was GTA:San Andreas - I'm a PC gamer mostly), so by some reckoning here this should devalue Eurogamer? Because they don't agree with me? Don't be so ridiculous guys.

    I just watched the "top 50 comedy films of all time" on Channel 4 - Bridget Jones' Diary made the list, and The Big Lebowksi didn't! What the fuck is going on?
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 01:22

  • JonFE #141 6 years ago

    I would also like to highlight this rather interesting article on Gamespot...

  • Tweakmonkey #142 6 years ago

    Should herald an almighty tardstorm to see in the New Year

    Spot on! Cheers to EG for compiling the list and I'll definitely give Psychonauts a try.

  • Furbs #143 6 years ago

    Not forgeting Part 2 which provides the other side of the coin :p

    Looking back at the list, and as I mentioned on the forum, one thing seems clear to me, innovation/originality are clearly considered more important than simply being a "good game" by EG. Which is a bit of a shame as it means each game isnt being looked at on its individual merits.

    Hence the lack of GT4, NFS:MW, DMC3, GTA:LCS and others which people have mentioned.

  • Subquest #144 6 years ago

    Jon FE - interesting article, mentions that they only sold around 85,000 copies in the US across all platforms. EG apparently gets nearly 1m unique visitors each month, most from Europe where the game's not yet available on console via regular retail channels.

    So all you folks here slating EG's opinion have played the game, right?
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 01:45

  • Furbs #145 6 years ago

    Sorry for depressing you Subquest. Maybe if you can point out to me where I mentioned any conspiracy so I can also apologise for that?

    Very few people are saying that the choice of #1 is "wrong". If you read what they are saying its that its a very inconsistent list.

    The title of the article is "Top 50 Games of 2005" yet as listed in the last four pages there are some glaring ommisions and alot of it doesnt make sense. As mentioned earlier, MGS3 was reviewed last year on import but was excluded from last years Top 50. Care to explain that one for the "self important twats"?

  • Carrybagma #146 6 years ago

    innovation/originality are clearly considered more important than simply being a "good game" by EG

    If that was true, the list would contain a lot more DS titles. Some games just create a lasting impression and immediately spring to (most peoples) minds when creating a 'top' list - others clearly don't.

    EDIT: Most *reviewers* I should say - you only have to look at monthly sales to see why you shouldn't trust most people (most of the time..)
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 02:09

  • Subquest #147 6 years ago

    Furbs, I picked you out simply because of a ridiculous post you made earlier about games being considered for a top 50 before they'd been released (Stalker etc. - perhaps you remember it?), a post which came from the bottom of the barrel as far as defending your opinion goes. Apologies if you feel slighted at being connected with the whole conspiracy theory idea, but then to dismiss a game from the list on the grounds of a technicality merely serves to huddle you in my mind with those folks who would take a 'top 50' far too seriously and bitch about it.

    As to your complaint about MGS3 - perhaps this was an oversight, but does it really matter that much to you?

    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 02:19

  • Ryan #148 6 years ago

    It's a true testament to the gaming community's general state of mind when you have dozens upon dozens of people actively saying that one game is is better than another despite HAVING NEVER PLAYED ONE OF THEM.

    I mean, SERIOUSLY. Have you people actually taken a look at yourselves? It's all a conspiracy to be different? It's all a lie? I've never heard such a consistent stream of bollocks in my entire life. It seriously ASTOUNDS me that so many people can display SUCH amounts of ignorance and obnoxiousness at once -- so much so that I'm repeating words here.

    Psychonauts is a better game than Resident Evil 4. I'll repeat that so that it goes in:

    Psychonauts is a better game than Resident Evil 4.

    Eurogamer thinks that it's a better game than Resident Evil 4.

    It won four GOTY awards on GameSpot and was nominated for nine.

    It got nominated for two GOTY awards on IGN.

    It won one GOTY award on GameSpy.

    It has a vast array of 9/10 reviews across the entire gaming review industry.

    Almost everybody who's played it loves it.

    Seeing a pattern yet, fools?
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 02:20

  • JonFE #149 6 years ago

    Furbs, thanks for the link to part 2. I'll check it out after a good night's sleep :)

    On a side note does anyone have a link to last year's top list ? I'd love to compare them...
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 02:35

  • Furbs #150 6 years ago

    Well it does matter to me in the sense that EG is the main website I use and increasingly I see a total lack of consistency in many areas. I guess this list is once again symptomatic in that regard.

    JonFE - links are here.
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 02:43

  • JonFE #151 6 years ago

    Thanks again Furbs :)

  • Furbs #152 6 years ago

    I'm great me. The human search engine! \o/

  • Genji #153 6 years ago

    @Furbs

    Ok, I think you need to elaborate on what you mean by "lack of consistency". Not that I disagree with you (yet): I just want to see where you're coming from.

    Also, I plan to import this post-haste. If you think Europe is going to get this late, just try coming to Australia or New Zealand.

  • Kami #154 6 years ago

    I enjoy when people claim RE4 is "unoriginal" or "another sequel".

    You can't help but laugh at how stupid that sounds, a game which is so radically different from everything that went before it. RE4 was certainly not "another sequel", nor was it "unoriginal" - it was a radically different approach and one which Capcom should quite rightly be very proud of. RE4 was not without it's problems - I think there was a LOT of dependance on the context reactions and the instant death that many entailed. But it was genre-defying as well as genre-defining. Every inch of the game was believable, beautiful. Roll on RE5, is all I can say, hopefully Capcom will tweak the reflex commands to REWARD players rather than actually punish them... I can only hope. Will be nice to see Chris back though... wonder if we'll also see Claire...

    But that's just to people who think RE4 is "another sequel". I haven't played Psychonauts, and to be honest - the comments about it's humour have my interest peaked, I do like a game which doesn't take itself too seriously. But the problem so far for me is Psychonauts has divided opinion. Some love it (clearly the EG staff do love it), some hate it, and some just don't "get" it. I'm wary over it because of the mixed messages I've read about it...

    I want to play it. But I'll wait for PAL release, and even then - I might wait a while and see if I can snatch it up at a much lesser price. I won't disagree with those who have played it and loved it though... I've just got plenty of other great games to keep me busy to waste more money on a game I'm not entirely sold on yet.


    I'd like to see a "Stinkers of 2005" though. There have been some dire games... Resident Evil Outbreak: File 2, for example, was really odd. I love Resident Evil and yes, I gleaned much enjoyment from the game, but after RE4? Wasn't a smart move. And then we've got Area 51 - a generic FPS with some rather uninspired design and a well below-average voice performance from David Duchovny (He sounded like he just didn't give a rats arse). Just two of the games I regret buying in 2005...

    Anyway. Late, I'm rambling on, must grab some sleep.

  • oerhoert #155 6 years ago

    Wonderful choice for number one. Probably not the most flawless game out there, yet still a far more interesting and actually relevant choice for #1 than RE4. Now, if just Schäfer & Co could have the funding to do something even more innovative next time out? Platformers aren't the most exciting thing to do when you've got <em>that</em> talent for story and characterisation.

    As for MGS3 not being in -- it's clearly because it's a 2004 game, and because it slipped between the gap in policies between last year's list and this year's. Either that, or nobody liked it quite enough to appear in this year's.

    As for GT4 not bein in -- come on, people! Now, I have only been playing it for an hour, but I was so severely bored that I saw no point in continuing with it. Most boring car game of the year for me -- and yes, that means it was even more boring than Burnout Revenge.

    As for GTA: LCS - Haven't played it very much, as it's got a really head ache producing framerate, constantly stuttering and ghosting the part I've seen. Probably nice enough (I mean, it's GTA! But on a sub-PS2 you can hold in your hands! When even the PS2 had serious problems to cope with the ambitious design! Yay!), but not something I miss seeing on the list.

    And, as for Devil May Cry 3: Yeah, I hear this one's very good. Probably left out just because everyone placed it at #11, leaving it with zero points in total :)

    All in all, I find this the most interesting "best of 2005" list I've seen, and it has actually revitalised my faith in the site. :)

  • Talha #156 6 years ago

    OK I agree - no one can agree on such lists. EG are to be congratulated on going boldly off the beaten path, and displaying why they are a special site. I too love Psychonauts and I think there is virtually no problem with the placings since I consider the entire Top 50 to be brilliant games and it is sufficient to see all my current favorites somewhere within the list.

    Except: What qualified Burnout Revenge (not original, hardly innovative, adding little to Takedown while taking a lot away)? Read the review - it got an 8 ONLY because it is a Burnout game and has some of its core qualities. Where does originality come into this? If anything, the game got dumbed down and became frighfully easy - notice how little you use the steering during races.

    By the same token, GT4 and Forza should have gotten in. OK, even if you exclude GT4 due to its (glaring) flaws, what about Forza? It was the developer's first driving sim, FFS - and look how right they got it. Sorry, but this is my one single gripe with the list. Oh yes people find them boring, but they are simply not for arcade racing fans.
    Edited by 2 at 02/01/06 @ 06:53

  • Genji #157 6 years ago

    That's right - they're not for arcade racing fans. And maybe there are more arcade racing fans on the EG staff than there are simulation fans. The review is one person's opinion, and is no indicator as to what the rest of the staff think.

    So, I guess I'm not really sure where you're coming from. Your top games are not the same as their top games. Are you angry because of this? It's just a list - obviously there are more than 50 games deserving of being on it. If they did include Forza or GT4, then they'd have to leave something else out, and someone else would be mad. It's the nature of these things.

  • Talha #158 6 years ago

    @Genji: Hey I am not angry about the list. Please read the first para of my last post - where does it say that the list sucks and I hate all the games in there? It is just that I cannot digest inclusion of Burnout Revenge - a game as flawed as GT4, if not more, with just as many redeeming factors. AS I clarified, that's the ONLY injustice I can see. After all, being arcade racing fans didn't stop EG from giving GT4 and Forza high scores. All I am saying is that at least one of them should have shown up here somewhere. Also, this list is not one person's opinion, so it makes it even harder to stomach.

    Again, I am not mad because of this - but it kind of sucks, since simulation racing is not represented anywhere on the list (unless I am missing something) despite having some excellent entries in 2005.

    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 08:37

  • Genji #159 6 years ago

    Hey, all I'm saying is that it comes down to opinion. I mean, obviously. There are a lot of games that I would have liked to see on there. They didn't make it, but it's hardly an injustice - everyone's top 50 will be different, including mine.

    If each reviewer did their own top 50, I think you'd definately see GT4 or Forza on one or two. Just because it isn't in the top 50 doesn't mean they didn't like it. And it doesn't lessen their value as games one iota.

    I've never really liked lists, if only because they always, always leave things out, generating heaps of "So where's [game]?" comments. You really can't please everyone.

  • Talha #160 6 years ago

    "because it isn't in the top 50 doesn't mean they didn't like it. And it doesn't lessen their value as games one iota. "

    That surely wipes some of my tears - perhaps the most valid comment in the entire thread methinks. Moral of the story? Go to the reviews to find out what's what - these lists are not exhaustive. Thanks Genji.

    It also goes to show that there are more than 50 games from 2005 worthy of a Top 50 or even a Top 10 list. Well I guess this IS the golden age of gaming.


    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 09:08

  • djchump #161 6 years ago

    @Rev. Stuart Campbell
    "As it is, and Keiron has verified, all the Eurogamer staff just voted on their PERSONAL, subjective favourites. And Psychonauts came out on top.
    What's the problem Rev. Campbell?"

    The problem is that you'd have to be some kind of a chump to make some distinction between a magazine's "definitive" end-of-year chart, and a "subjective list of the writers' favourites".

    Oh, right.

    Eh? I think you're confusing yourself there Campbell - I haven't made any such distinction... I've been making this exact point. So you agree with me then?

  • tobi #162 6 years ago

    any respect i had for this website has just gone, wat a joke psychonauts as No. 1!

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #163 6 years ago

    "Eurogamer isn't some over-arching objective entity or super-computer in the sky that is trying to dictate that THESE ARE DEFINITELY THE BEST GAMES OF 2005 IN THIS EXACT ORDER. It's just a bunch of punters who voted for their favourite games and made a list of them..."

    There's the distinction right there. You identify two things as separate, when in fact they're the same. The list isn't called "Our 50 Personal Favourite Games Of 2005", it's called "The Top 50 Games Of 2005", and they're listed in an exact order. Is it subjective? All such things are subjective, whatever they're called.

  • Dizzy #164 6 years ago

    Interesting..... it certainly is worthy of GOTY and it certainly deserves some extra recognition. Well done EG.

  • djchump #165 6 years ago

    "Eurogamer isn't some over-arching objective entity or super-computer in the sky that is trying to dictate that THESE ARE DEFINITELY THE BEST GAMES OF 2005 IN THIS EXACT ORDER. It's just a bunch of punters who voted for their favourite games and made a list of them..."

    There's the distinction right there. You identify two things as separate, when in fact they're the same. The list isn't called "Our 50 Personal Favourite Games Of 2005", it's called "The Top 50 Games Of 2005", and they're listed in an exact order. Is it subjective? All such things are subjective, whatever they're called.

    Really - I think you're arguing the same point as I am.
    I have been saying that this list IS NOT an attempt at an "objective" or "definitive" list; the Eurogamer staff just voted on their favourite games.
    The list is in an exact order because, as KG has said, they voted on their top 10s and this got collated.

    I don't see what point you're trying to make here Rev. - you're saying the same thing as me.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #166 6 years ago

    No I'm not. You're saying "Everyone should stop bitching because it's not like EG said 'These are definitely the best games of the year', they just said 'These are OUR favourites'."

    I'm pointing out that there's no difference between those two statements. EG published a list which they consider to be definitive (otherwise they'd have published everyone's individual lists without collating them into something that represented EG as a whole), and invited comments on it, so people are commenting. Most of them are commenting fairly idiotically (though I have a lot of sympathy with the Euro/import argument), but nevertheless they're doing what was asked of them.

  • dryden555 #167 6 years ago

    its a cute game but so VERY not a GOTY title. Oh well.

  • Stickman #168 6 years ago

    FIIIIIIIIIIIIX!!!!

  • JohnnyC06 #169 6 years ago

    See for this years list(2006, I mean) I think they should add MGS3: Subsistence. It look's like its going to be a great game. Online, the orginal MG's and a Snake Eater movie. Cant wait for that.

  • johnboy_johsnon #170 6 years ago

    I don't know why they even bother putting these things up if they are going to come under such criticism. Psychonauts, No.1, bang on. By far the best game I have played in years. Laughed my ass off too.

  • funkyd #171 6 years ago

    Condemned fo7 t3h w1n !1

    /reads article

    OMG

    /cries

  • Kostabi #172 6 years ago

    Christ, is this debate still raging on?

  • djchump #173 6 years ago

    EG published a list which they consider to be definitive (otherwise they'd have published everyone's individual lists without collating them into something that represented EG as a whole)
    Definitive? What do you mean by that? My use of the word "definitive" has been to describe something that is an objective, undeniable fact.
    They're not claiming that these are "definitely the best" games of 2005 - just that these are their favourites. I wouldn't say that just collating some lists would by any means make something "definitive" or any less subjective than an individual list would be.

    and invited comments on it, so people are commenting.
    Yes... but I'm talking about the people who are saying "That isn't the best game.. the best game is GAME X" - do you understand what I'm saying? You agree with me there that this is a daft comment to make? (because it's tantamount to saying "your favourite game should not be GAME Y, it shuold be GAME X";)
    By all means, people can say what their favourite games of the year are... but trying to tell someone else what THEIR favourite game should be is just daft. Everyone has different tastes.
    THAT is what I'm trying to say.
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 13:04

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #174 6 years ago

    Oh boy.

  • djchump #175 6 years ago

    Oh boy.
    Which means you agree then? Or you've given up ;-)

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #176 6 years ago

    The latter. Life's too short.

  • ilmaestro #177 6 years ago

    oerhört: "As for MGS3 not being in -- it's clearly because it's a 2004 game, and because it slipped between the gap in policies between last year's list and this year's. Either that, or nobody liked it quite enough to appear in this year's."

    If the first point is the reason, then that is the same as saying that this is a top 50 games-released-in-the-USA in 2005 list, because at the very least Ridge Racers and Lumines are both 2004 games to my mind, and they got in. If the second point is the reason then I would love to know what caused EG to catch the anti-MGS bug, given their positive reation to The Twin Snakes last year, and the positive review of Snake Eater, but I realize that there is no time to justify why certain games got left of the list.

  • djchump #178 6 years ago

    @Rev. Campbell - glad you saw my point at the end ;-)

  • Vin #179 6 years ago

    Yeah, good call on Psy for No.1.

    Man, Jade Empire is light years ahead of some this stuff, though.

  • Martin #180 6 years ago

    I get motion sick when I play this game. :(

    This and Beyond Good & Evil. :((

  • Shinji #181 6 years ago

    Thing is, djchump, people are more than welcome to argue with the list, just as I might argue with someone about the merits of our favourite films or whatever. A list of subjective opinions is, obviously, open to being challenged by other people's subjective opinions - it's not exactly a high form of debate, but it's what the comments thread is here for.

    Personally, I haven't played Psychonauts, but I certainly will now. It moves up several places in the "play this you nonce" pile above my desk...

  • smelly #182 6 years ago

    I'll deffo give this a go now when this comes out.

    All i have to decide is ps2 or pc version (there isnt a cube version is there? I'd prefer that, as i dont like playing pc games, and i cant be arsed to set up my ps2).

  • smelly #183 6 years ago

    I'd be interested to hear of how many of you who are slagging this off have actually played it?

  • djchump #184 6 years ago

    Thing is, djchump, people are more than welcome to argue with the list, just as I might argue with someone about the merits of our favourite films or whatever. A list of subjective opinions is, obviously, open to being challenged by other people's subjective opinions - it's not exactly a high form of debate, but it's what the comments thread is here for.

    Shinji - Of course - everyone is entitled to their opinion and to be able to express that opinion.
    But the difference for me is between someone eulogising their own favourites and someone trying to dictate to me what my favourite should be.
    The people saying things like "Eurogamer is BS, I'm never coming back here again, MGS3 should have been no. 1" fall into the latter category for me.

  • elliotreed #185 6 years ago

    "innovation/originality are clearly considered more important than simply being a "good game" by EG

    If that was true, the list would contain a lot more DS titles."

    More you say? Isn't it enough that 20% of the games on this list are for the DS?

  • Beano #186 6 years ago

    200!

  • Khanivor #187 6 years ago

    GotY it may be but if it ain't out in Europe it shoudln't be on the list. Not out untill 2006. Top 50 games of 2005. Not hard to figure out.

    Just cause it can be imported makes no difference. It would be similar to importing a car from Japan and crowing it best car of 2005 in a European magazine. Dishonest.

    Ditch the euro part. Ditch the 'import' tag beside imported games. Mention not once ever again regions, release schedules or progressive scanning. By giving this unreleased game its top position you will only encourage publishers to continue to drag their feet, especialy as the descion to include Psychonauts seem to have been taken for the laudable reason of increasing an original game's sales.

  • Doctor-Necesseter #188 6 years ago

    Shit. I agree with Khanivor.

    /inserts both barrels into mouth

  • Mr_Brown #189 6 years ago

    Its not just the fact that this is got the top spot...they have missed dragon Quest VIII and Animal Crossing WW out because they are both import games, even though they have given them awesome reviews. And I personally can't see how they haven't made the list. I know its their list, but if they honestly belive that Lego Star Wars and The incredible Hulk is better than DQVIII, or that Fire Emblem on the GC is a better Turn Based RPG than Makai Kingdom...then they honestly shouldn't be making a GotY list. Seriously.
    Edited by 1 at 02/01/06 @ 20:43

  • Kostabi #190 6 years ago

    Dragon Quest was only reviewed at the ass end of December, maybe it arrived after everyone had already submitted their lists? Same for Animal Crossing.

    I could be completely wrong but that's how it looked to me anyway.

  • kangarootoo #191 6 years ago

    @Mr_Brown

    Haven't they already said that they compiled the list from top 10 lists submitted by readers? If that is the case then how do you know that either of the two games you mentioned were even in the running?

  • neuroniky #192 6 years ago

    Great. I've been looking forward to playing Psychonauts for a while now, and this just makes me want to play it even more. Good job on the list btw, Eurogamer, found it very good, with some personal agreements / disagreements (like Talha said: what the hell is Burnout doing on the list?! Only that my followup would be: GT Legends deserves so much more to be on the list... also seeing that no sim title are in (despite Silent Hunter III and Dangerous Waters being two of the best sim to see the light in years, not to mention the reprint/reissue of Falcon 4 (still the best after so many years (and so many patches)) was a little bit disappointing).

    But, all in all, great list. Gratz.

  • BootLace #193 6 years ago

    I don't see any issue with the list including import games, even though I don't have a chipped/modded console to play them on. From my point of view, a good game is a good game no matter what region it's from. The fact that I can't or choose not to play a game, doesn't in anyway alter it's quality. Perhaps it'd have been nice if the entries included the regions that they'd been released for so far, so it'd have been easy to simply skip entries anyone wasn't interested in (maybe even have filters :)).

  • sheksh #194 6 years ago

    Good choice. I still have to get my hands on this game. And I still haven't played Shadow of the Colossus. :(

  • JonFE #195 6 years ago

    Kami,

    I would like to clarify that, I may have implied that RE4 is "unoriginal" or "another sequel", but I also stated that it was brilliant as well.

    Heck, I even had to get a GC just to play it :)

  • tiddles #196 6 years ago

    The site is called Eurogamer but reviews import games. All games reviewed in 2005 are eligible for their Top 50 of 2005. Seems straightforward to me...

  • HavaR #197 6 years ago

    This made my day! Psychonauts is absolutely my game of the year as well. For those that complain they can't play it, the best option is probably to do as I did. Buy a Logitech joypad for your computer , then head on over to www.doublefine.com and buy the game. The joypad I use is a sort of replica of the ps2 contoller with the only difference being it is more comfortable to hold.

    Now, please don't read this as mindless fanboy gushing when I say that Psychonauts is the most fun I've had playing a game in I don't know how long. For my sake Psychonauts remedied everything that makes me tired of playing games. It has a wonderful story, a great sense of immersion, engaging platforming, brilliant humor and it is intelligent to the bone. Breaking it down into neat little bullet points with accompanying superlatives actually is doing it a slight disservice because the thing that pushes it over the edge for me is the way it comes together so perfectly as a whole. If you were a fan of the lucasarts style of point and click when you were a kid, you will find that same feeling here(and more, if you're like me). Only it's a platformer. If you tend to like platformers as a whole, you will find a very good example of the genre with a LOT more personality than developers as a whole seems to find "necessary".

    Consider this: I first heard about the concept behind Psychonauts when they were first starting to plan it out a couple of years ago. Being a Lucasarts fan since before I could fully speak english, I really couldn't help but want this game more than any other current gen game, and when it finally came.. it didn't disappoint at all!

    Psychonauts is a melange of all things fine and dandy; creativity at the sub-atomic level.

    (Oh... reading back now, it seems I could possibly have become a fanboy after all. Nevermind, so will you!)

    And btw, where the hell is Cave Story!?

  • möttö #198 6 years ago

    Wouldn't it be best to have top 50 games released in Europe and separate top 20 (or so) imported (USA&Jap) games? Global gameing from an european perspective. This is _Euro_gamer after all. Or something like that.

    As for Psychonauts, the beginning of the game was nice. Cool visuals and lots of funny jokes. Near the end it got even better. Great level desing and very fun to play. But the end just ruined the whole game for me. That god awful meat circus level with tons of sudden deaths and shitty platforming. Combined with totally unfunny and unoriginal ending the game went from 9/10 to 6/10.

    fanboymode: on
    Where the f#¤% is my Ace Combat 5?!? Top 10 NOW!
    fanboymode: off

  • Talha #199 6 years ago

    Psychonaut's controls are a little awkward on the PC - but plug in a PS2 controller like I did (you should have Windows XP), and viola! It's magic. The joypad controls of the game are already mapped to the most logical places on the PS2 pad. I might sound a dunce saying this but this, FIFA 06 and NFS MW made me happy just by happily switching to the controls without me ever having to push a single key. Hell, even menus can be worked via the controller!

    Yes the arguments rage on. Suffice it to say that there are several games which should have been on this list (in fact on any gamer's Top 50 list) in place of several entries already there. I don't have a problem with rankings - rank is subjective - just seeing a good game somewhere in the Top 50 is enough.

    That said, EG should better clear out the confusion regarding Euro release /Import dilemma. To me, it sounds unfair that they are crowning a game of the year which could not have been played in Europe in 2005. Daft.

  • yaywalter #200 6 years ago

    How could Psychonauts even be considered better than Shadow of the Colossus?!
    It makes no sense.

  • O.Z #201 6 years ago

    So Eurogamer prefers to play Psycho over Resident Evil 4?

    It seems to me that Eurogamer just wanted to stand out from the crowd, by giving this game the GOTY award... but if they honestly prefer to play Psycho over RE4 then thats their choice.

    GT4 not making into the top50 is a bit shame though.

  • Darren #202 6 years ago

    Pyschonauts is a good game but in my opinion it's nowhere near good enough to sit at the top of a best games of the year chart, no way, especially above other contenders like Resident Evil 4, Shadow of the Colossus, Metal Gear Solid 4, F.E.A.R., Call of Duty 2 and World of Warcraft.

    It was hardly a game people talked about excitedly, was it? Did anyone even buy the game? Even when it came out in the U.S. months ago, it attracted good but not amazing scores but I don't recall anyone raving about it as if it was the must-have game of the year. Playing the demo confirmed it's a solid but mostly unspectacular platform game.

    Ah well, does anyone take Eurogamer seriously anyway?

  • Kami #203 6 years ago

    JonFE: Point is, while it is A sequel, it's by no means unoriginal or done for the sake of it, unlike other installments of the franchise this year... *cough*Outbreak File 2*cough*

    I said it wasn't perfect and I stand by that... time has moved on and flaws bubble to the surface. But still, I think it was a bold step and it worked like a charm... roll on RE5 and any other RE sideplots Capcom may be dreaming up.

  • Carrybagma #204 6 years ago

    GotY it may be but if it ain't out in Europe it shoudln't be on the list. Not out untill 2006. Top 50 games of 2005. Not hard to figure out.

    Just cause it can be imported makes no difference. It would be similar to importing a car from Japan and crowing it best car of 2005 in a European magazine. Dishonest.

    Bollocks. I want to read about about games I really should be playing. How will publishers ever know to try something different (or unavailable) if sites like this don't champion those games? Oh - and what Shinji said.

  • asphaltcowboy #205 6 years ago

    I still agree that only games released in Europe over 2005 ought to be in the list, as there does seem to be some inconsistency, however: I'm not that fussed - particularly because it made me download the Psychonauts demo - which is fooking fantastic! Can't wait for this to arrive; I'm tempted to import it!

    EDIT: Ok, Maybe I'm not so tempted to get it from the Double Fine website - have you seen how much they charge for shipping? More than the game itself! Oh well, will wait for February, unless someone can offer a better place to get it from!
    Edited by 1 at 03/01/06 @ 23:04

  • JonFE #206 6 years ago

    Kami,
    trust me, we are on the same side regarding the stand-out quality of RE4. My original comment wasn't about RE4 in particular - it was about a bunch of games already mentioned. Apparently I shouldn't have generalized [?spelling?]...

  • ROBATRON #207 6 years ago

    psycho...what?

    Huh? never heard of it!

    like many of the games you listed, this is a "NEW" release and not vastly played/known.

    it may be a good game and I will probably play it at some point this year (2006) - but, what happend to the games that got released earlier in the year? has everyone forgot them?

  • rommy667 #208 6 years ago

    this is a ok game (i got the usa ver) but as for being better than resi 4 NO WAY NEVER not a chance...............

  • Kami #209 6 years ago

    It's OK JonFE. Just I never seem to get generalization. My bad.

    Sooo... RE5, huh? Chris and Claire again? Hmm... personally, I'd like to see Jill back. And the return of "THAT" costume...

  • miiiguel #210 6 years ago

    I had ranted many times before of this "consipiracy" to the euro gamers. Why do we get "delayed" so often ?