The New York Times has given their view on what this years standout games have been. Glancing over what few categories there are, BioShock is named the ‘best newcomer’, The Lord of the Rings Online the ‘best adaptation of an adored intellectual property’ and Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction saved the day for the PS3 as the ‘best single-handed rescue of a major game system’.

But the most delicious award - Game of the Year - went to Mass Effect. Here’s what they had to say about BioWare’s new RPG franchise:

In its choice of milieu — science fiction — Mass Effect is not ambitious at all. But with its focus on character development, personal growth and moral tension, all fueled by a graphics system created to evoke emotional empathy, Mass Effect points the way forward. It may be a harbinger of a time when story and character are as important to video games as explosions.