Techtite Feature Article!

Techtite's First Annual 

Golden Otto Awards, 2001

(For 2000 entertainment)

Intro            Page 1            Page 2            Page 3

Best Game, Overall  : Deus Ex. This was a close call. Diablo 2 might seem like the best of the year, though it wasn't all that and more. Deus Ex was, and while No One Lives Forever's fandom might demand a vote recount in Florida, Deus Ex is the winner as far as Techtite is concerned. Multiple alternate endings and intriguing multiple paths in most missions (at one point, you could even choose when and how to "change sides," or not at all), led to a game where anything goes.

Honorable Mention (Overall) : No One Lives Forever.  NOLF might not have been as plot-branching as Deus Ex, yet it had more of what all other games lacked this year. It saluted the classic 1960's spy thriller with style; Kate Archer's gadgets would make James Bond proud. My favorite innovations included her barrette that doubles as a lockpick, and a cigarette lighter that doubles as a blowtorch for tougher locks! Right down to the robot-poodle (which distracts guard dogs!), there is practically a new gadget for every mission level. Add to that an impressive AI for your opponents, well designed game levels, and (finally) a 3D accelerated game that uses color (instead of "rusted metal" textures ad nauseum), and you have a classic game.

THE ADVENTURE GAMES:

Adventure game of the year: The Longest Journey. If released as little as 5 years ago, this would be the adventure game to breathe new life into the genre. As a rule, multiple CD adventures are usually a tease; even the 7-disc Phantasmagoria (1995) barely lasted one weekend! Not so with the 2D/3D hybrid world of Longest Journey, whose 3D-accelerated characters in front of rendered backgrounds (not unlike games such as Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark) means that there is a lot of game on those discs! This adventure will last you possibly up to two full weeks, even with a walkthrough! It helps that this story is so intriguing, that once you see it all you will probably want to play all over again. A game that is good because of a good story? That's what a great adventure game is all about.

Honorable Mention : Escape from Monkey Island. A humorous continuation of the Monkey Island saga finally reveals the infamous secret of Monkey Island, and gives us a glimpse of our favorite characters in 3D accelerated splendor. It uses the same 3D characters and 2D backdrop style as Longest Journey, though admittedly doesn't last as long and leads to a rather disappointing ending whose last line is --even it's meant as a joke-- Jar-Jar! Even uttering the worst 6-letter word in sci-fi, however, doesn't sway this game from the runner-up position it deserves, as second best adventure of the year.

Most Disappointing Adventure game of the Year : Panty Raider. Don't even ask.

Dishonorable mention (Adventure) : Stephen King's F13. What a disappointment. Even if released during Halloween --which, peculiarly, it wasn't-- this would still be a disappointing mish-mash of so-so screensavers, a simple short story by King, and a bunch of "games" that, if you know how to use your mouse, won't last 2 hours on your hard drive. How sad is that? If only King could license the Quake/Unreal game engines, and make an interactive thriller novel with flair!

THE ACTION Games :

Action Game of the Year: Thief 2: The Metal Age. Ask not what the hoity-toity game rags say; Deus Ex is the best game overall, though Thief 2 was the action game I've played three times already, just to sneak past every guard, fair maiden, and sorcerer, to get to every hidden treasure. Instead of unchallenging, Neanderthal hack&slash tactics, you must sneak into enemy areas, uncover secret plots, frame an evil Sheriff, and eventually save your town from an even bigger threat. If you love thought in your games, you'll shed a tear that Looking Glass Studios is no longer in business...and therefore, this game is no longer distributed. Yes, you should look for this game now...

Honorable Mention (Action): MDK 2. Almost as funny as its original, though with more elaborate missions. It would have been nicer if you weren't forced to use different characters every third mission (The missions switch between Kurt, Max the Bionic Dog, and the Professor, and back again). However, it was still a great sequel, with intriguing puzzles to solve.

Most Disappointing Action game of the year : Daikatana. After years of development, the game looked years behind. Don't even get me into the robotic killer frogs, or the stupid first weapon that ricochets on everything and shoots you more than the enemy! Poor AI of your "friends" who are supposed to "help" only made things worse.

Dishonorable mention (Action): Tomb Raider Chronicles. It was a no-brainer to bring Lara Croft back to life. So, how much brains does a Tomb Raider game have, that still leaves her missing and presumed dead? Don't ask. Four schmucks muse about her past exploits, though how they heard these stories is uncertain, and how Lara can get so easily "killed" is beyond me. If these are memories of when she was still alive, why is it still so very easy to get shot...? Weird.

Best reason to buy a 3D accelerator: Vampire, The Masquerade: Redemption. MANY great 3D games this year, thanks mostly to the first batch of games licensing the Unreal Tournament and Quake 3 game engines. However, When going through elaborate castles, creepy dungeons, and the like, there's no contest. I think the 3D accelerated Scene Of The Year, in fact, would have to be when your Vampire "team" enters a ballroom, complete with reflective tile floor, billowing tapestries, chandeliers, and elaborate art paintings on the walls. This even exceeds the first CD-ROM games of the 90's, which needed to pre-render cinematic video clips, which were far less interactive. In this game, the animation is all done in real-time. Very well done!

Game's "Man of the Year" : The main character, Deus Ex.

Game Woman of the Year : Kate Archer, No One Lives Forever

New Face of the Year : Julie, Heavy Metal FAKK2

The Multiple Ending "Huzzah" Award : Deus Ex. This Award is only given rarely, because few games have multiple endings. A big "huzzah" then to Deus Ex, which offers you not only three different finales, though three completely different puzzle routes to get there.

The Open Ending Crack Pipe Award : Heavy Metal FAKK 2. Not to spoil anyone's fun in knowing the ending or not, though suffice to say, this ending was one of the worst. Why? Busting your butt through four episodes, only for a "to be continued." Only one type of person would dare end a game with a "to be continued" message; hence the "crack pipe" reference. Stop with the open endings, already!

Intro            Page 1            Page 2            Page 3