Well...it's about that time. Time to announce my Game of the Year for 2008.

Let's take a look at previous winners...just because...I like to reminisce.

2007: Mass Effect

2006: Gears of War

2005: Resident Evil 4

2004: Metal Gear Solid 3

And now. Here are a few nominees and games worth mentioning as great games for this year.

Gears of War 2

Call of Duty: World at War

Fallout 3

LittleBigPlanet

Metal Gear Solid 4

Grand Theft Auto 4

Rock Band 2

Mirror's Edge

Fable 2

Only one can be Game of the Year, and that one is

Metal Gear Solid 4

It's really hard to not like Metal Gear Solid 4. Sure, if you haven't played the previous 3, then it's really hard to do it. The story is confusing, even if you are very familiar with what has happened in previous games. That being said, that story makes you compelled to see what happens next, what potential twists and turns await. This feeling can be directly attributed to the voice acting. Each character is one that a person can relate to. Players feel fear and anxiety for the heroes and wish nothing but harm for the villains. Each actor does an incredible job creating a believeable cast of characters that both add to the drama of what's going on around them, but make the player feel convinced as well. Not only that, but Metal Gear Solid 4 looks and plays amazingly. The graphics don't really shine in one particular area, but as a whole they're some of the best of this generation. The music accents all of the high points of excitement and intensity and lead to some incredible moments in the game. Metal Gear Solid 4 also succeeds in that it truly lets you play how you want. It is stealth based, but if you want to run around with an RPG wreaking havoc, go for it. All of the weapons are at your disposal to complete your mission however you see fit. With some intense boss battles, and some truly unforgettable moments, Metal Gear Solid 4 is really a game for the ages. It accomplishes what so few games try to accomplish, and it does it relatively easily, making it a shoe-in for Game of the Year

Best PC Game

World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King: While I haven't yet experienced what is supposed to be a bevy of great endgame content, leveling in Northrend is some of the most memorable leveling I've done. The dungeons are all fantastic, and the quests/storylines are all really well done and very detailed. Death Knights are incredibly powerful, and fun to play (along with an absolutely astonishing quest line), and several key additions like siege weaponry make World of Warcraft feel newer than before.

Best Xbox 360 Game (Exclusive)

Gears of War 2: Gears of War 2 simply takes one of the best Xbox 360 games and makes it even better with some slight and significant changes in its story, multiplayer and overall look and feel. While it has some shortcomings, it is worth mentioning as the best Xbox game this year.

Best Playstation 3 Game (Exclusive)

Metal Gear Solid 4: This is almost too easy. Metal Gear Solid 4 is the culmination of an amazing story, phenomenal presentation and production values, and just all around great and varied gameplay. While the story stands out among all of these, the acting merits some recognition as each voice actor does an absolutely incredible job at adding to the drama and intensity of this amazing game.

Best Wii Game (Exclusive)

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: With simply the large amount of characters, and a great online mode, Super Smash has never been better. While nothing much is changed as far as gameplay is concerned, it is still a very intense, competitive game to play either by yourself or with a group of friends.

Best PSP Game

God of War: Chains of Olympus: With a game as incredible as God of War recreated in almost an identical fashion on the PSP, this game is a technological achievement. The graphics are flat out phenomenal, and it looks almost just like the PS2 versions, which are still very great looking games to this day. The gameplay is just as smooth and fluid as previous games, and there's plenty of awesome powers and weapons, along with awesome bosses to fight.

Best Nintendo DS Game

Chrono Trigger: While it's a remake of a older, yet great game, Chrono Trigger's story stands out as one of the most creative and unique for its time and this time as well. The combat is just as fresh and adds more strategies to fights. The characters, bosses, and plot turns are all very memorable and well done, and while certain additions aren't as great as you may hope, the game overall is still great and will hold your attention for many hours.

Best Multiplatform Game

Grand Theft Auto IV: It's not really fair to give an entire platform to one game that's on multiple platforms. Grand Theft Auto shines in that packs a ton of great stuff into one package. A large bustling city, a dark, yet compelling storyline, characters that are interesting and humorous, unlimited amounts of freedom to do what you want. All of these things make Grand Theft Auto IV one of the best games of its kind, and sets the standard for future games.

Best Action Adventure

Grand Theft Auto IV: Grand Theft Auto is just a complete package. It has a great, memorable cast of characters, along with a great story that seriously makes the player think about their actions, and some killer, super-realistic gameplay mechanics. Who would of thought that a cell phone would have made a game all that more fun and realistic?

Best Driving

Burnout Paradise: Not only does the Burnout series return with its famous formula of high speed races and killer crashes, but it puts all of that in a completely open world with tons of quirks to find if you so chose. With the addition of a seamless online mode and some of the best free downloadable content to ever be released, Burnout Paradise is a racing fan's paradise.

Best Fighting

Soul Calibur IV: While it doesn't do anything amazing or special for the series (apart from the average online play), Soul Calibur IV is still an absolutely incredible fighting game. It's gorgeous to look at, and there's plenty of challenge for hardcore fighting fans along with a very accessable control scheme for newcomers to pick up and play. With a robust character creation system as well, Soul Calibur IV is hands down one of the best fighting games in recent time.

Best Platformer

Mirror's Edge: This is easily one of the most unique platformers of all time. Never has a game made me feel so immersed in the action and actually put me into the shoes of the character I've played as. Although the story is nothing to brag about, it is an interesting idea and also very thought-provoking. As for the gameplay, it's extremely fluid, and feels fast paced and action packed.

Best Rhythm/Music Game

Rock Band 2: From a hardware standpoint, Guitar Hero has Rock Band beat with it's realistic and fun peripherals. While most everything in Rock Band 2 is the same as the original, the amount of downloadable content and the amazing quality of music on the game disc itself is more than enough to put it above Guitar Hero. The additions of No Fail modes and Battle of the Bands make it accessable to newcomers and offer new challenges to hardcore players respectively, and it's just an overall great package. With new content always being released, Rock Band is a shoe-in for best Rhythm game.

Best Roleplaying Game

Fallout 3: While both this and Fable II boast the ability to do whatever you want, whenever you want, Fallout has an absolutely amazing amount of content to explore and play. With a vast amounts of weapons and perks, the combinations for your character are almost limitless, and you could easily spend hours doing simple side quests in the game.

Best Shooter

Call of Duty World At War: I was initially not excited about this game, but once I played the first 10 minutes of the campaign, I was sold. Not only does it replicate the intensity of its predacessor, but it has a great campaign and story filled with tons of surprises, epic moments, and lots of quick thinking. With a few great weapons like a flamethower, a great game mode in Nazi Zombie mode, and the same killer Call of Duty multiplayer, Call of Duty World at War is the model of a great shooter.

Best Sports Game

MLB 08: The Show: No other game have I played that was more fun and realistic than MLB 08. The graphics and presentation are phenomenal. Along with some stellar commentary, the game feels like a real game. Along with a great Road to the Show mode, this game is flat out addictive.