E3 is back in a big way. With the more subdued approach of the past two years, E3 was losing it's relevance in the industry. For 2009, the ESA has turned things around and ramped up the show. Not only have they restored its significance, they've found a perfect balance that was well enjoyed by nearly everyone involved, including our entire crew in attendance.

Every year, we produce our annual Best of E3 feature. Last year, blockbuster titles such as Killzone 2, LittleBigPlanet, Fallout 3, Fable II, and Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway took to the stage. Given the outstanding caliber of games, few would have predicted to have such a strong lineup in 2009, let alone surpass the quality of the year before it. Our nominees and award winners for Best of E3 2009 demonstrate just that.

Our awards are presented across four major categories, Special Achievement, Genre, Platform, and Game of the Show. Lets get started.

Special Achievement Awards

While certain games may dominate a genre or platform, others may bring a unique and often under appreciated offering to the gaming world. Among these special awards we acknowledge those innovations, artistic style, graphical prowess, and the biggest announcement of the show that caught us off guard.

Best Graphics - Technical

Making a game that looks nice is one thing, but piecing together all the elements of a game into an engine that doesn't impede on the frame rate is no easy task. This year's nominees push the capacities of the hardware to make games that are not only visually stunning, but enable gameplay developers to dream up new moves, new action sequences, and an overall better gaming experience.

And The Winner Is...

Visually stunning is the best way to describe Heavy Rain. The character animation and facial realism is astounding, and with the highly detailed motion capture, the characters come to life. This is truly the closest to an interactive movie we've ever seen.Heavy Rain sets a new visual standard and really harnesses the power of the PS3 in one of the most engaging and realistic fully-interactive environments ever produced.

Nominees:

• Alan Wake
• Forza Motorsport 3
• God of War III
• Heavy Rain
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction

Best Graphics - Artistic

As graphics get better and better, more and more studios begin to deviate from simply 'realistic' graphics, and style becomes a large part of the display. It gets to the point when these new stylized graphics, while perhaps not as processor-pushing as some, are better to look at than their more realistic counterparts.

And The Winner Is...

Though not a particularly new title in terms of gameplay elements (think Hitman gone WWII-retro), The Saboteur is one of the best-looking games we've seen in a long time. It has a graphic novel styling, emphasizing a warmer colour palette of reds and yellows amongst black shadows and desaturated textures, which is surprisingly fitting for the Nazi-era storyline. Every part of the environment looks stellar, but it's the explosions that you'll often trigger that really make this game's graphics stand out.

Nominees:

• Borderlands
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
• The Saboteur
• Torchlight

Best Downloadable Game

Downloadable games are the new way to get ideas to fruition in small packages at reasonable prices. Though this market contains its share of one-dimensional games, we honor those that push the envelope with novel ideas and an unprecedented amount of "bang for your buck."

And The Winner Is...

This is the most hilarious fun you'll have all year for such a simple concept that's also easy on the wallet. This 32-player online game takes comical mischief to the next level, featuring a fantastically rendered and hilarious take on the "save the princess" plot. With a large variety of maps, each with its own set of gadgets and twists, combined with five unique character classes, the replay value alone is more than you would expect from a downloadable. It's easy to see why Fat Princess takes the cake.

Nominees:

• Battlefield 1943
• Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake
• Shadow Complex
• Zombie Apocalypse

Biggest Surprise

There are always the titles that you look forward to: triple-A titles that have been releasing teasers, pictures and trailers to excite. However, there are always those titles that developers seek to keep under wraps, and while some are quietly introduced, sometimes one or two make our jaws drop, wondering how the developers could've possibly this under wraps.

And The Winner Is...

While there are numerous things that you might have expected to come out of E3, such as new Mario games or Metal Gear Solid titles, nobody could have possibly seen this coming. With a storyline that seems to deal with Adam, Samus' commander who played a role in Metroid: Fusion, and being developed by Team Ninja of all people there is a staggering amount of potential in this title. With footage that showed Samus performing some crazy maneuvers there is very little of this title that isn't impressive in some way shape or form. This is definitely a title to keep your eyes open for.

Nominees:

• Metal Gear Rising 2 a No-Show
• Microsoft's Motion Controller is No Controller
• Super Mario Galaxy 2 Announced

Genre Awards

Whether you like shooting the lights out, punching the gas out of the starting line, placing yourself in the shoes of a fantastical knight, or even racking your brain to solve a puzzle, everyone has a favorite genre of game. Every staff member at GamingExcellence is the same way, and here are our choices for the best of each individual genre.

Best Action Game

Like Elvis once said, "A little less conversation, a little more action." That's what this genre is all about, telling a great a story while moving the action forward with satisfying action and impressive set pieces. All of the games listed below brought those elements together in convincing fashion.

And The Winner Is...

The return of Sam Fisher to prominence was nothing short of a revelation at this year's E3. With exciting new gameplay that's equal parts action and stealth, thrilling voice acting, and original storytelling that really takes advantage of video games as a medium, Splinter Cell: Conviction ran away with the popular vote in this category.

Nominees:

• Alan Wake
• Darksiders: Wrath of War
• God of War III
• Just Cause 2
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Best First Person Shooter

The First Person Shooter genre has come a long way since the days of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom back in the days of DOS and 386 computers. What is likely the most crowded and popular genre in all of the industry, competition is always tight and this year's E3 was no exception. It was a massive firefight between these titles.

And The Winner Is...

At E3 we had thrilling sequels abound, but no game brought forth an original IP in wholly convincing fashion like Raven Software's Singularity. With a fascinating time-shifting mechanic that is actually original, intense gunplay, fantastic graphics, and a killer story to boot, this game stood singularly head and shoulders above the rest.

Nominees:

• BioShock 2
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Modern Warfare 2
• Singularity
• The Conduit

Best MMO

The MMO genre has been one of incredible growth for the PC market, both in popularity and, consequently, in developers. Many independent studios are releasing MMO titles under the shadow of the most popular game of the genre, Blizzard's World of Warcraft. From space epics to medieval battles, this genre is all about teamwork with people you'll probably never meet in person.

And The Winner Is...

The Agency, created by Sony Online Entertainment, is a fast-action persistent-world shooter where you can play as a member of either an elite spy organization or a rough and tumble commando squad. The Agency brings forth great elements of teamwork and exploration with large areas open to all players and smaller mission objections occurring in instances. The game melds both shooter and classic MMO components by having different roles for each character (and "you are what you wear"; your clothes determine what class you play) and mission objectives that involve puzzles and coordination.

Nominees:

• Jumpgate: Evolution
• Star Wars: The Old Republic
• The Agency

Best Music Game

What begun as a small, insignificant genre a decade ago, has exploded and ballooned into a meta-genre that has not only capture the imagination of millions, but even given a significant revenue stream to a music industry that rivals even the mighty iTunes. While strumming on plastic guitars may be getting a little long in the tooth, these titles show that the music genre still has plenty of rocking out left to do.

And The Winner Is...

One of the greatest party games of all time gets the greatest and most popular band of all time behind it. Using a brilliant art style that goes through all the eras of The Beatles' music, and including some of their greatest hits, this one seems like a no brainer for the Rock Bander in your life. Throw in the replicas of the actual instruments that John, Paul, Ringo, and George used, and you have a game that should appeal to rhythm game and Beatles fans alike.

Nominees:

• Rock Band: Unplugged
• The Beatles: Rock Band

Best Platformer

While music games might be one of the newest additions to the video game market platforming games are one of the biggest staples of the video game market. From early examples like Donkey Kong and the original Mario Bros. these games have found their way onto almost every gamer's shelves at some point. Having grown far beyond their initial humble roots there is still a whole lot of innovation at play in this well respected genre.

And The Winner Is...

This category was a particularly difficult and divided decision, as on one hand you've got a very innovative platformer in Trine that brings new ideas to the table, and on the other hand a classic franchise brought back to life with co-operative and competitive multiplayer. In the end, the decision came down to fun factor, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is an extremely accessible game and will bring the whole family together once again. As well, being a spin on the original franchise, it's got something to appeal to both the younger and older generations of gamers. Our team had a blast with all of the games in this category, but the edge has to go to Nintendo's latest creation on the Wii.

Nominees:

• New Super Mario Bros. Wii
• LittleBigPlanet PSP
• Trine

Best Racing Game

It's simply human nature to compete, and the purest form of that competition is racing one another. Gamers being the competitive beings that they are, it only makes sense that the racing genre remains one of the most popular amongst casual and hardcore gamers alike. From unrealistic arcade thrills to the uber-realism of the simulation spectrum, racing games came back in a big way at E3 2009.

And The Winner Is...

In terms of size, physics, graphics, garage, online play, customizability, options and fun factor, nothing else at E3 even came close. Turn 10's masterpiece of drivability features enough options to satisfy the biggest car nut or a six year old picking up a controller for the very first time. All the cars and graphical prowess in the world would mean jack if the game wasn't fun to play, but fortunately Forza 3 was the most fun we had behind the wheel at this year's event.

Nominees:

• Blur
• Forza Motorsport 3
• Gran Turismo PSP
• Need for Speed: Shift
• Split/Second

Best Role-Playing Game

Role-playing titles have deviated severely from their late-80s definition that Final Fantasy started. Nowadays, role-playing games share elements of many genres, but there's always a unifying element of customization, of choice, and progression of strength through the completion of goals.

And The Winner Is...

Alpha Protocol eschews many of the elements that have traditionally been part of RPG's. Casting aside turn based combat and combat percentages this is almost more of a third person shooter with role-playing elements added on. However the deep character and equipment customization options, as well as the dynamically branching conversation systems, set this game above almost all other games shown at E3 this year. With plentiful characters that you can befriend or fight at your leisure the game seems set to provide a unique experience with every play through. If you're looking for a solid game that seamlessly blends intense action and deep role-playing into one bundle then this is a game that you will want to keep your eyes on.

Nominees:

• Alpha Protocol
• Borderlands
• Dragon Age: Origins
• Mass Effect 2

Best Strategy Game

Though problem solving is inherent in all games, strategy games are less about shooting your way out of tough situations than thinking your way out. Naturally, this still leaves a world of possibilities open to developers of the genre and opens the doors wide to a variety of titles. This year's nominees include a map view control of a nation during WWII, an RTS with an unusual twist, a tower defense game for WiiWare, and a squad-based FPS set in the Amazonian jungle.

And The Winner Is...

Simply put, Eugen Systems' R.U.S.E (Ubisoft) is a surprising twist on the typical RTS. Forget the fog of war, this game replaces overused RTS mechanics and replaces it with a "level of intelligence" concept. The whole game is set on the premise that wars can be won by using deceptive tactics: camouflage troops, send out decoys, and feed the enemies' spies with false information. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the game has huge maps, has an incredible zoom engine, and still looks absolutely fantastic.

Nominees:

• Hearts of Iron III
• Raven Squad
• Robocalypse: Beaver Defense
• R.U.S.E.

Best Sports Game

Why go out and play a real sport when you can do it in the comfort of your living room? Okay, moral obligations require us to remind you that playing sports is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Still, these titles bring together the best aspects of their respective representations of their chosen sport in some of the best ways possible.

And The Winner Is...

Wii Sports Resort is to the Wii MotionPlus what Wii Sports was for the original Wiimote. Simply put, it's an entertaining showcase of the possibilities of the motion controller. Given the wider range of motion provided by the MotionPlus addition, Wii Sports Resort shows a variety of interesting ways to use the controller in over a dozen different sports. Sword fighting, archery, golf and ping pong are by no means new sports for a console, but it's the gameplay that will have you off your couch over and over again. In addition, the increased sensitivity of the controller drastically extend the range of difficulty levels, providing a challenge to even the most seasoned of gamers.

Nominees:

• Fight Night Round 4
• Madden NFL 10
• Wii Sports Resort

Platform Awards

While it's nice to see which shooter or which racing game is the best out there, most gamers just don't have every console on the market. We make it easy for you by letting you know our picks for the best titles per console, so you know what to buy the next time you're at the mall.

Best PC Game

The PC has become an often overlooked platform, and unrightfully so. It remains one of the premiere gaming systems, and although it may not have the modern gaming library you'll find on the consoles, its strengths allow for a variety of games not easily possible on the consoles. MMO's, true simulations, and real-time strategy still dominate on the PC, plus anyone who just prefers shooting an enemy with a good ole mouse and keyboard.

And The Winner Is...

Some say that it's too soon to bring out a sequel to a game that's not even a year old yet. We say that it's never too soon for more zombie killing action with your friends. With new weapons, melee weapons, new special infected, and five new campaigns, no game gave us the itchy mouse fingers quite like this one has. Valve has done it again.

Nominees:

• Arcana
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Star Wars: The Old Republic
• The Agency

Best Multi-Platform Console Game

One of the best things about being a gamer nowadays is that you can buy a single console and be assured of a slew of games that are available across all platforms. These nominees signify the best experiences that you will be able to share universally, whether your tastes are more Xbox or PlayStation.

And The Winner Is (A Tie)...

And...

Ideas were thrown in the air, insults were hurled, and blows were exchanged. After all that, the GamingExcellence staff still was unable to break the tie in votes that these two heavyweights brought to this category. Singularity's original take on the first person shooter genre versus Alpha Protocol's modern day morality RPG? Pick your poison while we continue our battle royale at the GE offices.

Nominees:

• Alpha Protocol
• BioShock 2
• Borderlands
• Modern Warfare 2
• Singularity

Best Xbox 360 Exclusive

The Xbox 360 put together an amazing show this year. With an amazing stable of exclusives and announcements from both first and third parties, the Xbox 360 is well poised for the future. This category is filled to the brim with great games, one that now appears to have all the tools to be the go to console for the casual and the hardcore gamer alike.

And The Winner Is...

When it was first announced that Splinter Cell: Conviction would be an Xbox 360 exclusive, jaws dropped. Could the demo that we just witnessed truly be an exclusive? Sam Fisher returns in the Splinter Cell game that will make the franchise relevant again, and this time there's no rules and no boundaries. A man bent on destruction, Conviction allows you to take your own approach, stealth or rampage. A unique artistic style and storytelling model, and excellent graphical presentation wrap Ubisoft Montreal's latest creation up into an outstanding exclusive offering.

Nominees:

• Forza Motorsport 3
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction

Best PS3 Exclusive

Last E3 was very solid year for the PlayStation 3. With offerings like LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, and Killzone 2, Sony brought a lot of exclusive firepower to the system. The same can be said for 2009, a new motion controller announcement and a handful of superb looking exclusives to keep PS3 owners quivering in anticipation.

And The Winner Is...

Heavy Rain is the closest that we're going to get to an interactive movie in a long, long time. With facially-mapped characters, fully motion-captured animations, and breathtaking graphics, the game certainly looks impressive. But with a brilliant new 'rubber-banding' storyline that continues even when the characters don't, Heavy Rain promises to deliver a solely unique experience that we haven't seen in the adventure genre since the first half of Fahrenheit (you know, the part that was good).

Nominees:

• God of War III
• Heavy Rain
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Best Wii Game

If you bought a Wii and have it collecting dust on your shelf with an overabundance of shovelware available for the system, fear not, for you are not alone. Fortunately, Nintendo's little waggle box has one hell of a show at E3 this year, one that could very well restore the shaken faith of the hardcore gamer.

And The Winner Is...

While we had quite a few contenders in this category that pushed the Wii's graphics to a level never seen before and finally introducing a few mature titles to the console, we really had to give the award for the "fun" console to the game that offers the most fun you'll have with your friends this year. An all-around fun party game, New Super Mario Bros. Wii will allow you and up to three of your friends to compete simultaneously in a Mario platformer for the first time, using either cooperative or competitive gameplay. Naturally, Nintendo threw in a few new things to keep the puzzles fresh, including a propeller suit that shoots the player into the air with a wiggle of the controller, and a penguin suit that shoots ice to create standing platforms out of your enemies.

Nominees:

• Dead Space: Extraction
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii
• Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
• The Conduit

Best PSP Game

Last year was a particularly weak E3 for the PSP, only a small handful of games were even shown, and few really stood out. That's all changed in 2009. With the announcement of the PSP Go!, Sony has really ramped up the platform, and we're seeing a new breed of PSP games and some very established and popular franchises brought to the platform for the first time.

And The Winner Is...

One of the best PS3 games released last year makes its way to the PSP. LittleBigPlanet redefined user-driven content and community gameplay, and is a highly successful and unique game on the system. Later this year, you're going to get to experience all of that on the go, an extremely strong first-party offering and one of the titles that'll lead the way in re-establishing a great games showcase on the PSP.

Nominees:

• Gran Turismo PSP
• LittleBigPlanet PSP
• Rock Band: Unplugged

Best DS Game

The DS has a great year in 2008, continuing it's dominance in the handheld space and offering a plethora of games across nearly every genre. In 2009, we've already seen the release of the DSi, and Nintendo is continuing to push the system forward with a newly announced batch of games at E3.

And The Winner Is...

It's simple, really: complete the objective, get the star. Now what if you make any object you wanted to complete said objective? Scribblenauts will allow you to create any of ten-thousands of objectives to do just that. Create a ladder to reach a high objective, a bottle of water to satisfy a parched throat, a brain to distract a roaming zombie. With hundreds of levels, Scribblenauts promises to deliver a game that truly pushes the limit of anyone's imagination.

Nominees:

• Scribblenauts
• The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Game of the Show

Here it is. The head honcho. The big cheese. The ultimate gaming experience at the ultimate gaming convention. The winner listed below has fulfilled every possible criteria that our team of eight editors and journalists at the show have come to define the very best in gaming excellence.

This game has what it takes to make our team salivate at the mouth. While the winner this year was never in doubt, there was some pretty fierce debate over who would take the remaining finalist positions, as the votes were close and the competition was extremely tight.

And The Winner Is...

The Splinter Cell series has always been about high tech stealth action. With Conviction however the high tech super spy element has been thrown out the window, leaving only one seriously angry super spy on a mission, Sam Fisher. Without the support of high tech equipment and logistical support, Fisher is left to beating information out of informants in dirty washrooms and checking under doors with pieces of broken mirror. The rules have been thrown out the window, the action is brutal, and the stealth elements are as good as ever. The objective and story telling looks interesting as well. Instead of objectives popping up on a HUD they are projected into the environment. Where before there was just a blank wall, writing appears telling you to infiltrate the mansion of showing video revealing Fisher's past with a character. Combine great gameplay with a unique visual flair and storytelling element and there is just so much to look forward to with this title.

Finalists:

Just what is the Alpha Protocol? Only you can decide. This action RPG looks to put control in the player's hands as to what kind of game it is. It can be a straight up high action shooter or a stealth and infiltration game. There are multiple approaches to completing your objectives in the game and many of those are optional, playing a rogue agent is a viable way to play the game. Like any good RPG there is an in depth skill and leveling system as well as equipment upgrading. Best of all is the branching dialogue system with real effects on the story. There is no doubt many players will be playing this game multiple times just to explore all of the options available.

What makes us like Singularity so much is the central gameplay element of controlling time. The main tool in the game is a device that can control the age of certain objects in the game. A broken box or collapsed stairway can be made whole again or a bridge can be rusted out from below an enemy's feet. This unique form of object control will have players looking at the game world in whole new ways. The game is also set on an island that is home to an abandoned secret Soviet laboratory where the player is pulled through time between the present and 1950. Comparisons between this game and BioShock are easy to make, both games having unique gameplay elements and powers as well as interesting sci-fi stories. So for the thousands of BioShock fans out there, Singularity is an instant recommendation.

An honorable nod goes to Nintendo for their latest Mario game, finally figuring out how to get many players sitting in the same room to play a level simultaneously. For new gameplay elements to a storied franchise and all-around fun, Nintendo just gave gamers everywhere yet another reason to go buy a Wii.

Nominees:

• Alpha Protocol
• Borderlands
• Forza Motorsport 3
• God of War III
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii
• Modern Warfare 2
• Singularity
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction