I know you all were waiting for this, my games for the year of 2008. Do note, this does not include MMOs or their expansions (WoW, I'm looking at you).

I know some of the categories may seem somewhat random, but they're the ones that I feel are most important, along with a couple I've just made up. Either way, I hope you get even the slightest bit of enjoyment from seeing them, if not more.

Best Game not released, but played for the first time, this year: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

Since I didn't have a PS3 last year I didn't get to play it, and this game is just too good to go unmentioned. The graphics are some of the best around, the gameplay is solid on every level, and had just enough plot to keep it interesting. Can't wait for the sequel.

Best Online/Multiplayer Game: LittleBigPlanet

For some reason, this one took me a little bit off guard. I opted to buy Gears of War 2 at launch instead of this, but in the end I enjoyed this far more. The campaign is really nothing to shout about, but the unbelievable amount of customization and creation that you can do with the game is just amazing. Seeing everything that other players have created online is lots of fun, and the possibilities are virtually endless. While the majority of online games are of the shooter variety, LBP is extremely refreshing, and in the end, a shoe-in for this award.

Best Campaign/Story: MGS4: Guns of the Patriots

Anyone that knows me knows that next to the game being semi-playable, plot and story is the most important thing. The campaign of this game truly defines the word 'epic'. Honestly, there's not much I can say about the story that will do it any justice other than to say that it is fit for a Hollywood film (some would say that MGS4 is close enough to a film, and I wouldn't disagree). If you have any appreciation for storytelling, great characters, and narratives told in interactive form, you absolutely need to play this game.

My Most Played Game of the Year: FIFA 09

Probably the most subjective of my awards, FIFA is without a doubt the game that I have played most this year. Sports games usually fail to capture my attention for longer than one in-game season, but this year's FIFA, has held me for much longer. The Interactive Season feature allows you to keep the stats of your teams current based on real-life form, and it works really well. The game plays better than any soccer game I have played. It has that intangible "it just feels right" going for it, and really, that's what speaks the loudest.

Special Achievement Award: Braid

I had to make another category specifically for this game, and frankly, it deserves it. Braid pushes the limits of what we have come to expect from video games. It's a puzzle game of the future, but just saying that does it a disservice. No other game has woven its story into the gameplay so well. That's saying something, given the multilayered nature of the plot. Ultimately, it really redefines our belief of what games can be. This is pure art in video game form.

Overall Game of the Year: Grand Theft Auto 4

This is without a doubt the closest year for this award yet. GTA4 won it by the thinnest of margins. What separated it from the rest is that it's the complete package. Other games try to have everything, but none can do it as well as GTA. I wasn't particularly fond of the other games in the series, but it won me over with its more realistic approach and attention to detail. The storytelling was much better than in other games, as was the story itself. Pretty much everything was improved, from the characters, to the physics, to the refined gun controls, and to the huge amount of things to do outside the main campaign. Liberty City was really what shone through the brightest. It provided a backdrop perfect for every situation. Never before have I enjoyed doing nothing in a game as much as I did in GTA4.

To sum it up, GTA didn't have the best story, the best multiplayer, or the best graphics, but everything was extremely good. The fact that it had everything to offer, tied together by tight controls and an excellent engine, was enough to push it over the top.