Tom's Pick: Shogun
 After
Braveheart, I had no hope for these historically-oriented, epic
battle wargames. Besides, an English company doing a game on Japanese
history? But it couldn't have worked out better. As fansite Whizzo's
Shogunate puts it: "a game about people on an island who
drink a lot of tea written by people on an island who drink a lot
of tea". Shogun recreates the spectacle and sweep of battle
better than any other game ever. But it goes even further than that.
Creative Assembly wrapped their powerful and attractive tactical
engine in a compelling strategic wrapper. What's more, the Feudal
Japanese setting isn't just for the graphics: they've folded historical
and cultural factors into the gameplay. And I never would have guessed
it would be as commercially successful as it was. Shogun was a suprise
on many counts and wonderful bridge between flash and depth, wargame
and RTS, and East and West.
Mark's Pick: Majesty
 This
was a game that was almost made into a Dungeons and Dragons game
after Hasbro acquired Wizards of the Coast. I remember seeing Majesty
for the first time at Gen Con and being so intrigued that I went
back the second day to play it again. It’s surprising because
it’s an RTS that isn’t, really. Most RTS games are about
tactics and frantic building, but Majesty is a game about producing
heroes and then letting them do battle in the game world for you.
Majesty makes you the King, but your subjects have a mind of their
own, which is both pesky and fascinating. I’d put my little
independent-minded Majesty populace up against The Sims any day.
Most Surprising Game of
2000, First Runner Up
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