Okay everybody, back to your normal routines… apparently this was only a training drill.  As I wrote last week, Brütal Legend was nominated for an award from the Game Critics Awards in four different categories where (in my opinion) it was outclassed at every step.  The winners were announced today it appears I wasn’t off my rocker.  Okay, sure, I get it… this doesn’t prove I’m not off my rocker, but at least my scoffs at some of the nominations don’t seem so silly when you look at the actual winners.

Read on to find out why…In the category Best Original Game, Brütal Legend went up against Alan Wake, Bayonetta, Heavy Rain and Scribblenauts.  The winner was ultimately Scribblenauts.  How can you argue with a game that lets the players say “I F*CKING TRAVELED THROUGH TIME AND JUMPED ON A DINOSAUR AND USED IT TO KILL MOTHERF*CKING ROBOT ZOMBIES.” I mean really… you can’t argue with that, it’s pure win!

In the category Best Console Game, Brütal Legend was up against God of War 3, Mass Effect 2, Modern Warefare 2, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.  The winner was Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.  Who in God’s name looks at Uncharted 2 and Brütal Legend as being in the same class when comparing games?  Most games only have one (or two if they’re lucky) from: great design, great writing, or great gameplay.  Uncharted 2 rocks all three to the max!  Brütal Legend seems to have nailed the writing, but I’m not so sure on the design and gameplay.

In the category Best Action/Adventure game, Brütal Legend stood up against Bayonetta, God of War 3, Splinter Cell: Conviction, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.  The winner was Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.  Again, no disrespect intended, but Brütal Legend was so outclassed here it wasn’t even funny.  I’m actually wondering if Bayonetta made this list due to the booth babe’s incredible rubber/leather outfit.

Finally, in the category Best of Show, Brütal Legend was thrown up against Mass Effect 2, Modern Warefare 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.  The winner was Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.  I could’ve easily seen this category just about any game on the list, but if one of those games had already won multiple other categories it would make sense to award it Best of Show.  For a game to only win Best of Show would be… odd.  Simply tallying the awards of the nominees in this category puts Uncharted 2: Among Thieves on top.  Brütal Legend never stood a chance.

It seems pretty clear to me that Brütal Legend was likely the victim of the dreaded “Pick your top 5 choices in each category” when most people only really had 3-4 good choices, adding a pinch of wishful thinking toward Tim Schafer getting some recognition due to past injustices.  To go in with the most nominations a single game garnered and to actually win none of those nominations… ouch!

One thing that was clear from where the awards were doled out is the Game Critics association expects Uncharted 2: Among Thieves to really deliver.  The only other game to receive more than one award was the Scribblenauts (winning Best Handheld Game and Best Original Game.)  As I mentioned on Episode 57 of the Blu Show, I’m really looking forward to playing Scribblenauts.