Yahoo! Games: Best of 2006 Awards

We scrutinize all of last year's releases and hand out the Best of 2006 honors.

By YVG Staff

Best Shooter Game

NOMINEES:

Gears of War (Xbox 360)

Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Microsoft

The developers at Epic are known for their over-the-top testosterone-drenched sci-fi shooters. Gears of War is the stunningly gorgeous latest iteration of their schtick: totally pumped gladiators battling butt-ugly bugmen in lovingly crafted post-apocalyptic grunge industrial ruins. With chainsaws, of course. From the grand architecture to the blood on the lens, a splatter shooter has never looked this good.

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Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (XBOX, PS2, Xbox 360, PC)

Developer: N/A
Publisher: Ubisoft

For the first half of 2006, this was probably the best-looking shooter you could play on any platform. It drops you into incredibly lush and wide-open outdoor environments and turns you loose with some meticulously modeled near-future guns. GRAW, as its known, may have been upstaged by more recent shooters, but it had its place in the sun for most of 2006.

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Half-Life 2: Episode One (PC)

Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve

Although it was a long time coming, it was a relief to see Valve finally revisiting Half-Life 2. The game opens with some really cool Dog tricks, continues with some great set pieces that develop Alyx as a smart sidekick, and finally wraps up with some hearty battles and a cliffhanger ending. Mostly, this is a reminder that the Source engine in the hands of a capable developer can work wonders.

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Metroid Prime Hunters (DS)

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

If you had any doubts about whether Nintendo's nifty little handheld can do a first-person shooter, this is the game to prove that it can. By using the stylus on the touchscreen, you can aim, shoot, jump, and morph into a ball with the greatest of ease. The graphics are a bit, well, retro, but the visuals are very Metroid. Perhaps the biggest surprise is how well the online multiplayer support works over the Internet. Who'd have thought you could so easily use a Nintendo DS to shoot someone on the other side of the world?

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Rainbow Six Vegas

Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft

Rainbow Six finally returns to its original glory in this romp through a terrorist-infested Vegas. This is easily the best cover system in any shooter for the way it's easy to use and intuitive. You'll be cowering behind corners, slot machines, cars, and anything else available. The guns have a real sense of kick and heft, and the AI makes the gunfights feel fresh and unpredictable. Meanwhile, a multiplayer leveling system rewards you for playing by tantalizing with all sorts of dress-up options and unlockable weapons.