Game Critics Awards pick the best titles shown at E3

(All rights reserved - id Software / Bethesda Softworks)

North American video game critics from 31 publications ranging from niche to mainstream have chosen from among 50 titles and 75 nominations to pick out the best games played at June's E3 expo in 16 categories, and added an extra category for one that couldn't get enough praise.

Rage has been an ongoing project for more than three years, and its developer id Software has a rich history in creating hit games, counting Wolfenstein, Doom, and Quake among them.

The new game is about what happens in the aftermath of a huge asteroid colliding with Earth. Emerging from an underground safehouse, the player discovers a decimated wilderness populated by its remaining survivors - and a apparently benevolent organization bringing everything under control.

The new game is due for release during 2011, and impressed the critics so much that they conferred a rare accolade upon it for, the Special Commendation for Graphics. As a result, it won three awards, the most for a single title this year.

Other multiple award winners are Dance Central, a dance moves tutor for Xbox 360 which took the first Motion Simulation award, Portal 2 (made by the company behind Half-Life 2), and Nintendo's new handheld console, the Nintendo 3DS, which was declared Best of Show.

Star Wars: The Old Republic now has two GCAs to its name, having won the Best PC Game category in 2009.

Electronic Arts was the publisher with the most wins, backing The Old Republic, Rock Band 3, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, and NBA Jam.

Bethesda received 5 nominations, with Rage winning 3, while MTV's 3 were for Dance Central and Rock Band 3.

Game Critics Awards 2010
Best of Show: Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo)
Best Original Game: Dance Central, Xbox 360 (MTV)
Best Console Game: Rage, Xbox 360 / PC / PlayStation 3 (Bethesda)
Best Handheld Game: God of War: Ghost of Sparta, PSP (Sony)
Best PC Game: Portal 2 (Valve)
Best Hardware: Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo)
Best Action Game: Rage, Xbox 360 / PC / PlayStation 3 (Bethesda)
Best Action/Adventure Game: Portal 2, Xbox 360 / Mac / PC / PlayStation 3 (Valve)
Best Role Playing Game: Star Wars: The Old Republic, PC (Electronic Arts)
Best Racing Game: Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, Xbox 360 / PC / PlayStation 3 (Electronic Arts)
Best Fighting Game: Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3 (Capcom)
Best Sports Game: NBA Jam, Wii (Electronic Arts)
Best Strategy Game: Civilization V, PC (2K Games)
Best Social/Casual Game: Rock Band 3, Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3 / Wii (MTV)
Best Online Multiplayer: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Xbox 360 / PC / PlayStation 3 (Ubisoft)
Best Motion Simulation Game: Dance Central, Xbox 360 (MTV)
Special Commendation for Graphics: Rage, Xbox 360 / PC / PlayStation 3 (Bethesda)

Find out more about GCA winners past and present at GameCriticsAwards.com.