Game Critics Awards in 1998: Homeworld, Half-Life, Grim Fandango
The Game Critics Awards are an annual award event held just after the very popular E3 video game conference. The awards have taken place since 1998, bringing together journalists and critics from some of the most important gaming publications to recognize the games that generated the most excitement at E3.
The late 1990s were a period of rapid change, with 3D graphics becoming increasingly sophisticated, CD-ROMs allowing developers to create larger and more ambitious games, and the PC becoming an important platform for genres such as first-person shooters, real-time strategy and role-playing games.
As you can see, 1998 saw the birth of great classics for every kind of gamer: Half-Life for shooter lovers, Homeworld for RTS gamers, Grim Fandango for adventure addicts and Alpha Centauri for the ones who can't wait for the next Sid Meier game. It was also the year of StarCraft, Baldur's Gate, Thief: The Dark Project, Unreal and many other titles that would go on to influence PC gaming for years. Looking back, it is difficult not to see 1998 as one of the golden years of the medium, when several genres reached a level of maturity that would shape the games that followed.
Outside the world of video games, 1998 was an equally eventful year. The Good Friday Agreement was signed in Northern Ireland, marking a major step toward ending decades of conflict. In Europe, the euro was officially introduced as an accounting currency, laying the groundwork for the physical banknotes and coins that would arrive a few years later. The world was also watching the rapid growth of the Internet, while Google was founded in September, initially as a small search-engine project.
- 1998
- Alpha Centauri Best Turn-Based Strategy Game
- Baldur's Gate Best RPG Game
- EverQuest Best Online Only Game
- Fighter Legends Best Combat Simulation Game
- Grim Fandango Best Adventure Game
- Half Life Best Action Game
- Half-Life Best Game, PC
- Homeworld Best Real-Time Strategy Game
- Homeworld Most Promising New Game
- John Madden Football 99 Best Sports Game
- Metal Gear Solid Best Game, Console
- Need For Speed 3 Best Racing Game
- Railroad Tycoon 2 Best Non-Combat Simulation Game
- Sentinel Returns Best Puzzle/Trivia Game
- Tekken 3 Best Fighting Game