The nominees have been announced and voting has begun for the 29th annual GamesMaster Golden Joystick Awards. Over one and a half million people voted in last year's awards, where Mass Effect 2 was rightly crowned both Ultimate Game of the Year and RPG of the Year.
This year's nominations see L.A. Noire, Portal 2 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood lead the pack in the 'Ultimate Game of the Year' category, while Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 fight it out in the 'One To Watch' category.
Rockstar's L.A. Noire also finds itself nominated alongside Little Big Planet 2 and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker in the 'Best Action/Adventure' field.
The nominations in full are:
Ultimate Game of the Year
LA Noire, Portal 2, FIFA 11, Pokemon Black/White, Halo: Reach, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Bulletstorm, Killzone 3, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Total War: Shogun 2, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, DiRT 3, Rock Band 3, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Fallout New Vegas, Gran Turismo 5, Civilization V, Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty
One to Watch
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Saints Row: The Third, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare, Bioshock Infinite, Far Cry 3, Mass Effect 3, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Hitman: Absolution, Halo 4, Tomb Raider, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii), Super Mario (3DS), Metal Gear Solid: Rising, Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm, Guild Wars 2, Agent, Uncharted Golden Abyss
Best Shooter
FEAR 3, Brink, Crysis 2, Bulletstorm, Killzone 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Red Faction: Armageddon, Homefront, Medal of Honour, Singularity, Vanquish, GoldenEve 007, Dead Space 2
Best Action/Adventure
InFamous2, Shadow of the Damned, LA Noire, Yakuza 4, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, LEGO Star Wars II: The Clone Wars, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Dead Rising2, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Deadly Premonition, Crackdown II, Mafia II, MGS Peace Walker, Epic Mickey, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Okamiden, Portal2, LBP2, Donkey Kong Returns
Best RPG (Role-Playing Game)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Dragon Age II, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, Dungeon Siege III, Fallout New Vegas, Pokemon Black/White, Fable 3, Magicka
Best MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online Game)
Rift, World of Warcraft (Cataclysm (Dec 2010)), Eve Online Incarna (Jun 2011), Aion AION: Assault on Balaurea (Sept 2010), Age Of Conan Updated May 2010, DC Universe Online (Jan 2011)
Best Fighting Game
Dead or Alive Dimensions, Mortal Kombat (2011), Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Fight Night Champion, Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Arcana Heart 3, EA Sports MMA, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
Best Racing Game
DiRT 3, Motorstorm: Apocalypse, SHIFT 2 Unleashed, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Gran Turismo 5, nail'd, MotoGP 10/11 72/68, Test Drive Unlimited 2, F1 2010, Ridge Racer 3D
Best Sports Game
Top Spin 4, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D, MLB 11 The Show, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, Virtua Tennis 4, NBA Jam, FIFA 11, NBA 2K11, NHL 11, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011, Kinect Sports
Best Strategy Game
The Sims Medieval, Total War: Shogun 2, R.U.S.E., Pride of Nations, Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 2: Retribution, Civilization V, Starcraft 2, Ghost Recon Shadow Wars, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Best Music-based Game
Child of Eden, Dance Central, DJ Hero 2, Rock Band 3, Def Jam Rapstar, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, Just Dance 2, Michael Jackson: The Experience, Singstar Dance
Best Free-to-play Game
Allods Online, RuneScape, Runes of Magic, Mythos, League of Legends, Dragonica, Black Prophecy, Bloodline Champions, Forsaken World, Zuma Blitz, Empires and Allies, Bejewelled 3, World of Tanks, EA Sports FIFA Superstars, Champions Online, CityVille
Best Mobile Game
Inifnity Blade, Game Dev Story, Backbreaker 2: Vengeance, Dead Space, Tiny Wings, The Heist, Hunters: Episode 1, Monster Hunter: Dynamic Hunting, Real Racing 2, Street Fighter IV: Volt, To-Fu: The Trials of Chi, Order and Chaos, Fruit Ninja, Cut The Rope, Feed Me Oil, NBA Jam by EA Sports, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, N.O.V.A 2 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing, Angy Birds Rio
Best Downloadable Game
Dead Nation, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, SEGA Rally Online Arcade, Auditorium HD, Outland, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, Joe Danger, Frozen Synapse, Minecraft, Trenched, Gods vs Humans, Hydroventure, DeathSpank, Bit.Trip Fate, Glow Artisan, Limbo, Stacking, Might and Magic: Clash Of Heroes
Head over to the official Golden Joystick Awards website and cast your vote. The official GamesMaster Golden Joystick Awards ceremony will take place on October 21st at the Westminster Bridge Park Plaza, London.
Who will you be voting for? Is Portal 2 the game of the year? Was Call of Duty: Black Ops even worthy of a nomination in the best shooter category? Let us know what you think in the forums!
