Awards Season: Is ‘Mass Effect 2′ a Better Game than ‘Red Dead Redemption’?

Last night, at video games’ equivalent to the Oscars, ‘Red Dead Redemption’ racked up the most wins, but ‘Mass Effect 2′ walked away with Game of the Year. It came down to epic space opera vs. lonesome Western drama at the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ annual Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony, and Commander Shepard proved the more compelling hero. James Marston didn’t do too shabbily, though, as Red Dead Redemption netted five wins to Mass Effect 2′s three. Angry Birds scooped up a Casual Game of the Year award, netting some critical acclaim for a game that’s already a juggernaut.

The AIAS Awards go down every year in Las Vegas during the organization’s DICE Summit, where leaders in the interactive entertainment business share ideas and discuss the ever-changing landscape of the video game industry. In addition to the awards show, the AIAS added BioWare co-founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk to the Hall of Fame.

Overall, the trophy tally for the 2011 AIAS Awards distributed the love fairly evenly with few surprises:

Action Game of the Year

Winner:
Red Dead Redemption

Nominated Games:

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops
God of War III
Halo: Reach

Adventure Game of the Year

Winner:
LIMBO

Nominated Games:
Alan Wake
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
ENSLAVED: Odyssey to the West
Heavy Rain

Family Game of the Year

Winner:
Dance Central

Nominated Games:
Kirby’s Epic Yarn
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
Rock Band 3
SingStar Dance

Fighting Game of the Year

Winner:
Super Street Fighter IV

Nominated Games:
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
EA Sports MMA
UFC 2010 Undisputed

For a complete list of nominees and winners, go here.

chimparzan

RDR was the better game, it felt like there was more there story wise and kept a better pacing than mass effect. I really liked ME2 as well, it just didnt seem as epic as the first game.
C. Arthur Young

I agree with chimparzan on the RDR story because it definitely drew you in. But I also think this boils down to subjective preference.

ME2 for me was the better game, but because I found it more engaging, faster, and loved the alternative outcomes. But I also prefer linear games over open world, and sci-fi is my favorite genre. Not a huge Western fan.

What I think may have objectively pushed ME2 over RDR is the very well woven interaction of many elements of shooter action, RPG, alternative outcomes and the fact that one had to employ a variety of skills to navigate the universe.

Also, ME2 was a true work of imagination, while RDR, no less creative was history-based and required less input from the world of fantasy and hence, by it’s nature required less creative input.
chimparzan

I think I will enjoy ME2 alot more once ME3 comes out, the reason the story didnt feel as great as the first game is that you just spent the whole time gathering your people together thinking you would do more with them. I remember thinking as you jumped through the portal that now the game would really begin, now the war starts! Instead the one battle seems to pale in comparison to the rest of the game.

Still fun overall though, just typing in what I didnt like about the game makes me want to play it again.