BioShock takes Game Critics Awards top honors

2K Boston shooter named the consensus choice for 2007 game of the year by dozens of gaming journalists.

2K Boston and 2K Australia better make some more room on the fireplace mantel. The studios' jointly developed aquatic shooter BioShock has already taken home Game of the Year honors from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Spike TV's Video Game Awards. And in addition to being nominated for the same prize at the upcoming Interactive Achievement Awards and the 8th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, the game has now laid claim to yet another Game of the Year award.

The Game Critics Awards expanded its charge beyond the realm of the Electronic Entertainment Expo this week by bestowing its inaugural Game of the Year award to BioShock. As the name implies, the awards were chosen by a panel of 36 gaming journalists.

Each panel member was asked to create a list of the top 10 games of the year, and to assign each of them between 5 and 30 points, with a total of 100 points to split between the nominees. BioShock culled a total of 464 points from the judges, putting it well ahead of the second-place finisher, The Orange Box, which netted 387 points.

The Game Critics Awards' top 10 games of 2007 (and the total number of points each received) are as follows:

10. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for the PlayStation 3 (87 points)
9. Assassin's Creed for the Xbox 360 and PS3 (88 points)
8. God of War II for the PlayStation 2 (103 points)
7. Mass Effect for the Xbox 360 (213 points)
6. Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 (232 points)
5. Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii (323 points)
4. Rock Band for the Xbox 360 and PS3 (349 points)
3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC (361 points)
2. The Orange Box for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 (387 points)
1. BioShock for the PC and Xbox 360 (464 points)

220 Comments

  • coolterror

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 11:34 pm PT

    BioShock totally deserves #1 position. the game is just a pure masterpiece of a blend of artisitic touch and superb gameplay.

  • Syliss

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 12:47 am PT

    Bioshock was my #1, reminded me of how a good game used to be made. Super Mario Galaxy was #2 in my mind. Orange box has a lot of entertainment value, but it is yesterday's game put in a new wrapper. COD4 had some slightly mixed reception, I personally thought it was ok, and just another multi-play war shooter. Assassin's Creed had unbelievably mixed reviews. Halo is Halo is Halo and I avoid saying bad things since Halo version one brought gaming out of its "then funk." Bioshock...worthy in my mind...

  • code305

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 1:46 pm PT

    i think call of duty 4 is beter than orange box. bioshock is great game no suprises n there

  • mirzod101

    Posted Feb 9, 2008 10:01 pm PT

    how is god of war 2 better then assassins creed if you ask me i think assassins creed is better then god of war 2.

  • Humorguy_basic

    Posted Feb 8, 2008 5:12 pm PT

    Orange Box is a game collection, not a game that can win awards. Bioshock is an artsy fartsy ordinary shooter where you cannot die so there is no tension. Great choices for the top two and just shows how out of touch the award industry is

  • Hypnall

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 4:41 pm PT

    Very correct choices, except Assasin's Creed - i wouldn't even consider it a decent game.

  • Lunar52

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 1:25 am PT

    Super Mario Galaxy deserves top spot i really enjoyed that wonderful game

  • fendr101

    Posted Feb 6, 2008 1:18 pm PT

    Dude there were a lot of games that were way better than Bioshock in my opinion. Bioshock wasn't even that great

  • KasparV

    Posted Feb 5, 2008 4:23 am PT

    I liked BioShock, but it felt like a watered down System Shock 2. The story was almost exactly the same (the isolated and decaying environment (Rapture = Von Braun/Rickenbacker), the "major" plot twist (the only friendly character who helps you is not who he says he is), the UI is a mainstream-SS2 interface, etc. I would imagine someone who has never played SS2 would absolutely love it, but for me, there were so many familiar elements and despite its more advanced graphics, I never felt the loneliness and terror I felt during SS2. And to my surprise, the sound was worse than in SS2, a game made in 1999! I can understand their design decisions, they could not make another game as complicated as SS2, because only die-hards would have the patience to learn it. So in that respect, (the ones who were once called) Irrational did an absolutely superb job. But SS2 resonates through this game so much and feels much the same, only worse... I doubt I'll play BioShock through again. But I'll definitely play SS2 again someday.

  • Itachi11432

    Posted Feb 4, 2008 6:22 pm PT

    bioshock was good

  • yinyang3

    Posted Feb 4, 2008 4:49 pm PT

    Bioshock? Her? (She's funny) Let's hope so...

  • iboo01

    Posted Feb 4, 2008 3:08 pm PT

    that was OFF!!!

  • sidious

    Posted Feb 4, 2008 8:17 am PT

    I've been torn on naming my favorite game of 2007. Usually I find myself stuck between two or three games tops, but looking back to 2007, I find it really hard to pick just one game as the very best. My top three would have to be Bioshock, Call of Duty 4 and Mass Effect. But then I thought the world of Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 as well. Any of those games could easily be called Game of the Year in my book.

  • Lord_Xaero

    Posted Feb 4, 2008 8:09 am PT

    I agree with tugainuk, COD 4 should have won that award.

  • tugainuk

    Posted Feb 4, 2008 4:55 am PT

    call of duty should of be on top

  • delta3074

    Posted Feb 4, 2008 1:34 am PT

    personally bioshock is not my favorite game' but it is very artistic, the graphics are georgeous (no game tops the water effects) and the storyline is imerssive and well written, all the other games on the list have there different good points and each one does something well, but bioshock does everything well. cod 4 fails on length, asassins creed fails on repetition, halo 3 fails on graphics, you can put a tick next to all of these as far as bioshock is concerned ,good graphics, good story, good length on the single player, so i think bioshock deserves 1st spot.

  • Cowing30

    Posted Feb 3, 2008 8:50 pm PT

    bioshock should be #10 on that list. good but no way #1

  • XCrunner161

    Posted Feb 3, 2008 6:40 pm PT

    um gravina, Mario Galaxy is just as good a game as any of the others on there. Have you even played it before? If anything, assassin's creed is much more of a shock. Sure it looked good, but all you do is gentle push a whole bunch of people and kill your victim. Fun at first but gets really repetitive. Considering how many people liked mario galaxy, I think it deserves to be on there.

  • AceCometh

    Posted Feb 3, 2008 3:08 pm PT

    Bioshock won, like it or not. I personally liked it!

  • KrispBillz13

    Posted Feb 3, 2008 2:05 pm PT

    Wow I mean Bioshock is a great game...but do these people actually think it's better than COD 4??? Unreal.

  • imacritic814

    Posted Feb 3, 2008 1:19 pm PT

    Seriously, I can't believe Bioshock won.

  • johnny27

    Posted Feb 3, 2008 11:24 am PT

    i cant belive bio shock won it was a good game but it was let down for me after reading all the raving reviews OJ box on the under hand deserved to be first so many great games included hl2 series offers one of the best single player experience ever and tf2 easily rivals cod4 multiplayer if anything it surpasses it.

  • godzillavskong

    Posted Feb 3, 2008 10:40 am PT

    I wonder if this game has received more awards then any other game? It seems like every time I log on to Gamespot their is an award for Bioshock. I love the game and with these kind of awards and reviews, you know there is going to be sequel!!

  • chuckflip53

    Posted Feb 3, 2008 7:55 am PT

    callumohare

    You say that these must be "fanboys" because Drake is number 10 but then you yourself claim that it should be #1 on the list.
    so you are a ps3 fanboy and a hypocrite?

  • gravina

    Posted Feb 3, 2008 2:48 am PT

    Hey people where the hell is Crysis it was a super game and what about all the hype about Super Mario Galaxy. I don't see how such a game could actually be in the top ten next to all these good games. 2007 was good let's pray that 2008 is just as good!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Brizen__Beez

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 10:52 pm PT

    The list presented here for the top 10 games is quite possibly the most difficult year in order to decide which games truly need to be mentioned. I appreciate the decision of many placements of which games deserve their spot. Bioshock deserves its spot due to the complete polish and overall impression of the game. Everything about it was top notch. The Orange Box deserves its position because it quite possibly is the best value deal ever created with very top notch games. I really appreciate the position of Halo 3 and Super Mario Galaxy because we have seen these genres before, nothing to original about them (except the level design in Mario does put the slight edge over Halo 3). To be honest, the only misplaced game is Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. That should have been Assassin's Creed position with Crysis at #9. I feel that Drake was put on the list just so that the PS2 doesn't out perform with quality games. The polish of Crysis or Forza deserves to be mentioned on the list before Drakes.

  • okassar

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 9:04 pm PT

    There you go,all of the greatest games this year.Forget the order,they're all great.They got this down,that's a perfect list.And God dangit to the people who think this list is bashing the PS3 on purpose.What the hell?Just accept the fact that,even though the PS3 is capable of getting the best games ever,it's really hard to develop extensive and good games on the temporarily obscure Blu-ray format.So far,no developer has been able to make a particularly good yet long game.That takes me to Drake's Uncharted.Don't say that deserves GOTY.It was a great game,but it was way too short and was not particularly unique like Bioshock. And I couldn't help but to notice how some, I repeat some,objects really stood out as mushy in texture.The most effective example would be Drake's shirt...The combat kind of sucks.The storyline isn't as good as it should be for such an anticipated game by PS3 owners.No multiplayer,all I can say to that is what the hell.I would have liked online multiplayer where you hind in bushes or trees,sneak up and assinate someone.Or huge jungle warfare.Just anything.The reason for some people's overexaggeration of the game is simply because they probably don't own a 360.The PS3,so far,has much more bad games than good,and that makes Uncharted look legendary when it's, in reality, moderately good and lacks of simple stuff we expected of it.I would much rather play COD4,Halo 3,Assassin's Creed,or Bioshock.

  • dmhmovieman

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 6:47 pm PT

    Uncharted should be 5 or higher. I completely agree with callumohare. I havn't played Mass Effect, but it looks like it would be a great game. Halo 3 was seriously lacking in the single player...the end was a rip off the first. imo the single player should be refined before you start worrying about a multiplayer (unless you're releasing a purely mutliplayer experience like Battlefield or Warhawk) Orange Box was fun but Id put that a little higher up. RockBand deserves its place. anybody who bashes that game either hasn't played it, took it for a test run at Best Buy, got embarrassed and has been retaliating ever since, or just doesnt have the friends to come and play it with. Call of Duty 4 was overhyped, overappreciated...it doesnt deserve it. The single player had its moments...i do appreciate the introduction of a stronger story but it reeks of a Tom Clancy novel. The multiplayer wasn't as great as they made it out to be. Bioshock...it was fun, a little innovative...but that doesnt earn it the GOTY. and how is decision making innovative? Oregon Trail. thats all that needs to be said. If innovation is what sets it above all the others lets give Brain Age the award. Uncharted is so underappreciated. The story, score, controls, graphics, everything came together...it is truly an amazing game. Anyone who hasn't played it needs to. and it does seem like theres some vendetta against PS3.

  • callumohare posted Feb 2, 2008 5:57 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    callumohare

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 5:57 pm PT (hide)

    Uncharted? 10??? No freaking way. That game was possibly the single greatest single player experience ever.
    Assasins creed was mediocre at best.
    God of war 2 was badass... a year ago.
    Mass effect was god-awful in terms of graphics and audio. not a bad game though.
    Halo 3 had fun multiplayer - but horrible graphics, audio, and single player.
    Mario Galaxy I dont own, so i have no comment.
    Rock Band is awsome in every way.
    Call of Duty 4... again, havent played - no comment.
    The Orange Box doesnt deserve second place. simple as that... i dont even think it belongs on there. its a GREAT game. Half Life is fun, and Portal was awsome. but stil... its not THAT good.
    And Bioshock? No. sorry. just No. It was fun, but once you beat it, it was over. not to mention the DD 5.1 Audio was less then impressive. Uncharted should be first on that list... im amazed that its not getting what it deserves. is it cause its on the ps3? Im sure thats the reason... I hate fanboys...

  • Bryanlordoffire

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 5:32 pm PT

    screw that halo 3 is way better than rock band you know why all you do in rock band is play songs i dont think thats very interesting

  • BattleSword1

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 4:25 pm PT

    SS2 is WAY better than BioShock, though.

  • BattleSword1

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 4:23 pm PT

    BioShock DEFINITELY deserves the award. Super Mario Galaxy is overappreciated.

  • MAJORLAGGY

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 12:11 pm PT

    WOW they really screwed up number 10 I mean drakes fortune wasnt one of the best games of the year what about, Forza 2 !!!!!! Or Cyrisis!!!!!!!!!!

    >

  • 0678

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 12:07 pm PT

    go bioshock! OUR CHOICES MAKE US!

  • III_unknown

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 9:55 am PT

    BioShock is a masterpiece.I bought by mistake and couldn't believe how great it is and now it takes its 3rd GOTY. Totally deserves it.

  • nakasa5

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 8:56 am PT

    i feel like they put drakes fortune on there to appease the PS3 crowd. What about metroid prime 3, forza 2, guitar hero 3, crysis, or many others? drakes fortune was good, but not a top 10 game of 2007.

  • Kraige

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 8:43 am PT

    Church45 I didnt know Mass Effect had great combat

    Maybe you shoulda played more of the game then because the combat rocked, well it was certainly better than Bioshock.

    Seriously tough I know this is the wrong place to be saying this, seeing as Gamespot are big Bioshock fanbois and didn't even give ME best RPG (which is just ridiculous given what they chose instead), but Bioshock didn't deserve any of the awards it got it was the only game I've ever played that was too long I got about half way through and just after the "big reveal" I had finally had enough and not even the Acheivements could make me wanna suffer through the rest of the game, the combat system was crap and didn't hold up to the worst of FPS games, the graphics looked like Doom 3 standard, there was no reason to replay it, if you could be bothered to finish, and there wasn't even a multi-player which would have been so easy to do, everything that was meant to be unique and great about this game just got boring after awhile ie, the puzzles for EVERYTHING, the "plasma system" which was just a toned down RPG magic system, etc. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying the game was bad but it was strictly average.

    All the awards that this game won should have gone to a great game like Mass Effect or atleast Super Mario Galaxy or Halo 3 even Assassins Creed would have been a great choice as that delivered.
    So now I've said what I think go ahead and flame me becuse I'm leaving this topic.

  • ChuckNorris82

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 8:11 am PT

    I Hate Bioshock!!! Thats cool that ME got 7th. That game is sick!! But yeah, um GS u really need to get these stories up faster, I knew this yesterday.............too slow......

  • Church45

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 8:06 am PT

    I didnt know Mass Effect had great combat

  • SaammyB

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 6:38 am PT

    BioShock is a great game with plenty of new innovations, but I think Mass Effect should've recieved higher than 7th place. Great story, great combat system, great visuals.

  • icaro_82

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 4:46 am PT

    I think that Bioshock is an awesome game. It has a really well developed plot. The twist on that the argument has are really surprising (quote/ "Would you kindly?"/quote). The gameplay is also out of the classic FPS. But in the end (always there's a "But") the final of the game is something that frustrate me. It's even irritating (both of the possible finals).
    What I mean is : you play a game which argument and ambientation are cool only to get 2 or 3 minutes of CGI animation. A great game for such a LAME ending. It was really frustrating. It makes me to, once that i finished the game, just uninstall it and put in to my library. Just my two cents. BTW: portal is fun as hell!

  • rob_dAmAgE

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 4:39 am PT

    congrads BioShock! you are a fantastic game and positively worth the award!

  • Malcom90k

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 3:26 am PT

    To those whining about the Orange Box, don't. It didn't "break any rules". It's just a total package. You have HL2 (arguably the best single-player FPS of all time), HL2 ep1 (a great follow up) and HL2 ep 2 (an AWESOME follow up). You don't even have to view that as three separate games, just one single-player component. Then TF2 (also awesome) is the multiplayer "component". The only "add-on" is Portal, which is plenty great in its own right. If you guys are going to argue longevity, saying any game with multiplayer shouldn't be on the list (which is preposterous, a game is judged on more than just multiplayer, and a truly great game shouldn't need multiplayer to "make up" for anything), then you should have no problem being able to see the game as I described above.

  • diablobasher

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 2:32 am PT

    appl4s:

    Actually, System Shock 2 and Bioshock are practically the same game. Except SS2 is better.

  • diablobasher

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 2:30 am PT

    Anyone who says Bioshock needed multiplayer needs to go back to Halo3. Bioshock is much better without a crappy multiplayer mode.

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Feb 2, 2008 2:22 am PT

    Bioshock deserves everything it gets

  • lightwarrior179

    Posted Feb 1, 2008 10:37 pm PT

    I don't know if BioShock deserved it, but IMO, it was a great game indeed. I think it's a great achievement for God of War II to come amongst all the next-gen games.

    I think from the entire list, Rock Band deserves it's place the least.

  • Zerosumgame

    Posted Feb 1, 2008 9:27 pm PT

    What a shocker!

  • 5sonsmom

    Posted Feb 1, 2008 9:16 pm PT

    I think BioShock's single player story is far better than halo 3's. And if it had multi-player then it would be the best game to come out so far. I maen seriously, this game is like a whole new genra. It's sort of like a bloody gory (and I say that in a good way) Knights of the Old Republic. Cause your free to explore and the choices you make effect the whole game. This game is INSANE!!!!

  • appl4s

    Posted Feb 1, 2008 8:23 pm PT

    Imblomas you don't know much do you system shock is old and had nothing to do with bioshock other than being it's sucsecor and the gameplay was completely different.

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