Gamespot:
Funny - Being funny is legitimately tough. Why did the humor-based game cross the road? To get stuck with this fantastic medallion. See, that wasn't funny at all. But when a game manages to get its jokes across, it ends up on this list.
Great Sequel - Games may be the only medium in which the sequel is routinely better than the previous installment--but just tweaking a few things and adding two movies isn't enough to merit this commendation. Sequels that make significant, exciting improvements are what we're looking for.
Great Story - Not every game needs a story to work, but when games can tell good stories, and tell them in effective, interesting ways, it's worth pointing out.
Oh Snap! - At some point during the review process, our editor encountered something so insanely cool that he or she couldn't stop from shouting something similar to "Oh, Snap!" But, given our review team, it's a safe bet that whatever was shouted, it was way dirtier.
Outstanding Gameplay - Some games play better than others. Regardless of whether it's an exciting new development or an extremely refined collection of gameplay systems that you've seen before, games that go above and beyond the call of duty earn this special commendation.
Outstanding Visual Design - Games that receive this commendation use their engines as a canvas to convey high-quality artistic design.
Plays Well With Others - Sometimes you just can't do it alone. Well, maybe that's not true--but in some games, it's just a lot more fun to get things done with a friend or three. For those games that use cooperative modes in superexciting ways, we present the medal for games with outstanding co-op gameplay.
Strong Competitive Multiplayer - Games that receive this medal really tear it up with excellent multiplayer options that pit you against other players. Some games are at their best when you're fighting against equally skilled human opponents, and it's highly likely that the winner of this award is such a game.
Sucks You In - A good game can really suck you in and make you feel like you're a part of its world. Games that pull off this tricky feat, duping you into playing them for hours or days at a time, win this award. Wait, is this sort of life-stealing action really a good thing? Best not to think about it too hard.
Superior Animation - Bad animation can absolutely ruin a game's look. But terrific model movement can save an otherwise unimpressive-looking game. Superior Animation medals go to the games that make movement work in grand fashion.
Technically Proficient Graphics - Making games look good is a double-sided bladed. This medal is awarded when the side that keeps frame rates running smoothly, physics moving properly, and all the other technical wizardry that goes into how a game looks does its job in a spectacular fashion.
Terrific Voice Acting - Great voice acting can make even the worst game scripts more engaging, making them a key part of a story-driven game's audio. But, as we've all heard in various gamers, it's definitely not easy to pull off a believable performance. The games that manage to get a great voice cast who can deliver their lines with feeling are remembered with this special commendation.