Game Awards 2015: Who Will Win Best Shooter? (Poll)

The Game Awards celebrates all aspects of gaming, and what would the Game Awards be if they did not honor the most popular genre in games; the shooter?

Since Call of Duty: Modern Warfare burst onto the scene, the modern shooter has taken the mantle as the marquee player experience in video games for almost a decade. Whether in first or third person, gamers really cannot get enough of shooting things that are alive, dead, or even stuck in between. While not the greatest year for the shooter genre, you will see many retreads below, the genre itself seems to be settling into itself and some of the things we can expect to see from shooters moving forward.

Let’s take a look at the nominees for Best Shooter and see what the year hath wrought in gaming’s current defining genre.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 sees the return of Treyarch to the glory mantle of the Call of Duty franchise. Bringing with them a new zombies mode set in the distant past of the main storyline, Treyarch presented a radical new step in the development of Zombies featuring an all new replayable Zombie multiplayer mode. More than the zombies, Treyarch added in new class based players and additional movement mechanics. Still rocking the super fast gameplay and smooth physics, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is definitely an interesting entry into the Black Ops series and the Call of Duty franchise, unless you bought for an Xbox 360 or PS3 that is.

The Game Awards has shined a light on Treyarch for providing a more refreshing experience to Call of Duty that I certainly enjoyed playing with family and friends. The question is… were these additions and reinventions enough to make it the best shooter of this year?

Destiny: The Taken King (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)

Destiny is a game of many, many, many frustrations, but those frustrations are only borne out of what can be described as the most mechanically sound first person shooter of this console generation. Featuring new abilities for each subclass and an additional storyline, The Taken King expanded the game in ways I never thought would be possible adding a ton of fresh and revitalizing content that made Destiny stand out again even as more and more new competition made an appearance on the scene this year. While some things will never return, bye bye Dinklebot, the new additions are more than welcome to the experience.

The Game Awards recognizes Destiny: The Taken King as one of the better shooters this year. In this humble author’s opinion, it is the best shooter of this year and it’s not really close. That is what you the reader are here for though. Debate me in the comments!

Halo 5: Guardians (Xbox One)

Halo 5: Guardians is the next in the 343i trilogy of Halo games. I do not really have much to say about this game. It updated Halo a little bit by adding some new aiming and movement features into the game. The multiplayer received the largest overhaul featuring the all new and very much acclaimed Warzone mode and a greater emphasis on eSports, which may or may not float your boat. Though many had complaints about the single player mode, the multiplayer mode was a standout in the multiplayer shooter genre. Some older Halo players may have moved on, but it seems like the new ones enjoyed what they saw.

Should Halo 5 win the Game Award for Best Shooter? I do not know. I feel like if everyone dislikes a significant part of your game, aka the story of Halo 5, then I think it likely means you won’t win, but certainly some people must completely disagree with that assessment!

Splatoon (Wii U)

Color! Squids! Kids! Fun! These are the rallying calls behind Splatoon, a game which surprised so many as being completely excellent. So much so, Nintendo continues to put out content for the game months after its release for free. This is a game which asks the deep, philosophical questions: “Are you a kid now? Are you a squid now?” The actual tactics and weapons in the game are also very well designed with many players shouting about the quality of the game from its rooftops. Nintendo delivered a masterpiece of a kid friendly shooter for the whole family and are well rewarded with a nomination here.

The question is: will the Game Awards committee recognize the only game with a completely less than humanoid class for one of its marquee awards? We already know the judges obviously lean heavy towards the new entries in series given the list, so does the newcomer even have a chance?

Star Wars Battlefront (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

This game… No, this experience is one you will not find elsewhere. Much the same way you will rarely find a space adventure like Star Wars. Everything is so unique owing a ton to the source material. The weapons, the ships, and all of the work of the original IP is all at your fingertips here. It is Star Wars in all ways. Which also makes it the only shooter here to stick to the most limited range of movements and weapon options. A return to the old school shooter where you picked up items as opposed to holding them and waiting to refresh. It is a welcome return to the world of Star Wars for those that love it.

The question is; does the Game Awards value this noble accomplishment of nostalgia in the same way? I think it is certainly possible.