Tetris! mod for Unreal Tournament

The problem with Something of the Year Awards is that everyone's taste is different and there are over 3,000 mods competing to be in the top 30. One person may like blinding paced gameplay, with gibs and glory decided every second while others like slow and strategic team play. You can't please everyone and we don't intend to - hence we let *you* the community vote for your top mods and we throw in a few of our favorites along the way.

This is one area we are always criticized in, the fact that these awards recognize the most popular mods and not necessarily the best. I certainly don't disagree, it is a shame that some brilliantly through and detailed mods made for games with a smaller community don't make the cut. But we must all keep in mind that there is a reason *why* these mods are so popular and it isn't because they are bribing 1,000's of people!

With this in mind let’s discuss the year that was 2005. Compared to previous years, it felt a little slow due to a slew of new games been introduced with new SDK's to learn. As mod teams made the switch to the next generation engines, so the learning process re-began and it took quite some time before we started to see what the new breed of mods were capable of doing. We are still a fair way off maximizing these engines potential so there are certainly exciting times ahead.

Results

2004 was Half-Life 1's year and 2005 is Half-Life 2's year with mods from other games such as Battlefield, the UT series and Doom 3 also making the cut. Valve really has recognized the importance of mods and capitalized on the mod making movement. Their continual support and close ties with the mod making community has placed them in a position of power and the path they have blazed is been chased by the other game developers. Proof of this is the sheer number of mods made on their engine which have since gone pro. Their community is a force to be reckoned with and whilst they may be knocked off their perch in 2006, in 2005 they still reign supreme.

Without further aimless banter let’s get onto the awards!

Equal 15. Alien Swarm

Alien Swarm is an overhead view tactical squad-based shooter for UT2K4. Set in the the distant future, players take the role of a Commander in the Interstellar Armed Forces. They must guide their squad of marines through Swarm infested colonies, overrun bases and outposts, to achieve a variety of objectives. Featuring Assault Rifles, Heat Tracking Guns, Sentry Guns, Flamethrowers and more. Just play the co-op mode, it is unbelievably fun - nuff said.

Equal 15. AWP (A week in paradise)

Apocalypse Weekend 7-Day Game takes the best elements of both Postal 2 and Apocalypse Weekend, throws in a bunch more weapons, mixes in a touch more variety to the NPC's, and allows you to go absolutely friggin' nuts. While not a complete overhaul by any means, 7-Day Game expands on the original universe just enough to keep players grounded in a familiar universe while opening up a wealth of additional options to play around with.

And did I mention the Katana?

Man, is that thing fun....

14. Forgotten Hope

Most mods struggle to introduce a few new guns, models, maps etc... This isn't surprising either, to add one model you have to make it, skin it, add sounds, sprites, animate it and then code it in..... christ almighty!! Forgotten Hope hasn't just added a few toys to play with either, they've added __250__ new things from guns to tanks to planes to people. That is one hell of an effort and this is one hell of a mod. Hats off to this team for a fantastic job. Play IT.

13. SourceForts

Every bloke wants to be king of the hill, king of the castle, king of the keg - who knows we just want to be kings! What beats a castle? A whole damn fort does that’s what! Even better is the little twist this mod introduces to the world of capture the flag ball gameplay. In Sourceforts you get to build your own fort / barricades / steps, whatever you want to make the life of your opposition as difficult as possible. Teamplay mayhem, love it!

12. Mistake Of Pythagoras

Half-Life 2 mods are a dime a dozen, but few of them that have been released so far actually reach out and try something new and innovative. Enter Mistake of Pythagoras, the weirdest mod I've played in quite some time. Many mods ask you to fight off waves of zombies, but how many of them make you look up into the sky to see if a giant stone number is going to fall on you?

Whether you are dodging the numbers, running from giant space ships tearing the city apart, solving physics puzzles, or trying to navigate a series of alien environments that are both familiar and alien at the same time, Mistake of Pythagoras is consistently original and new from beginning to end, something few authors can claim for themselves.

11. MINERVA

One part Marathon and three parts Half-Life 2, MINERVA is a breath of fresh air in the modding scene, doing in single maps what few teams can do in twenty.

Offering an entire island's worth of adventure, MINERVA's first episode, Metastasis, is engaging both through its simplistic presentation and its incredible design. While some of this can be attributed to Valve and their existing artwork, it can't be denied that the map looks phenomenal, just asking you to go out of your way and search through every forgotten corridor to see if you have been missing something. Subtle gameplay tweaks and clever design brings out the best of the Combine AI and sets the player up for some incredibly tense moments; and even better is the freedom to roam across the whole island when you are nearly done, seeing the after-effects of your assault still lying around on the open beach.

Only the first part of a growing series, MINERVA is not to be missed by Half-Life 2 fans, or anyone else for that matter. We love it, and so do you!

10. Natural Selection

Natural Selection is a highly awarded and extremely well played FPS built upon the Half-Life engine. Playing with two teams, the Marines and the Aliens. You will soon learn your way around the unique mouse driven user-interface communicating with team mates and morphing into other forms if an Alien. NS also uses a 2D map for the 'commander' of the Marines, so the team can interactively build resource gathering points and other structures to fortify their base.

9. Ashes of Apocalypse

The year is 2092, Earth lays in ruin. Two groups of people battle to survive in the wasteland, and both are determined to wipe each other out. From the creator of Sea of Destiny comes an uncensored and gritty post nuclear role-playing game. Take part in the brutal war of the barrier alliance against the people of the wasteland. Travel through what remains of the old world and survive against the harsh unforgiving world of Ashes of Apocalypse...welcome to the post nuclear playground.

Ashes of Apocalypse is a total conversion for Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind. AoA is set in a post nuclear world of freedom. It offers the player the choice of what to do, when, and where. There are no limits except the one to survive. If you want a constantly changing challenge, this ever expanding mod is for you.

8. International Online Soccer

With a little elbow grease and determination, I reckon I could make a plane with tooth picks and string, MacGyver style. That doesn't mean I do - i'm lazy but that doesn't mean it is impossible.

This is exactly what the International Online Soccer team have done. They've tackled conventional wisdom (i.e. Half-Life games involve shooting other people) and mixed it up until they are shooting soccer balls at goals. And they've done a damn fine job of it too. IOS really is a decent package - and their multiplayer mode is awesome fun and bound to keep the hordes of soccer fans busy.

7. 21st Century Warfare

If you are a fan of the epics (you know long movies like: Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Saving Private Ryan) and your ass does not go numb when you sit in one spot for half a day then you'll love this mod.

21st Century Warfare purpose is purely to serve MASSIVE tournaments. It promotes fair gameplay, putting the outcome of the battle in the player’s hands, not in the equipment. We play the game as it was meant to be played, with real command structure and 12 hour long battles every weekend.

6. Last Man Standing Coop

I can't speak for everyone, but who had the chance to play Doom II back in the 90's when multiplayer 3D gaming was just starting out? I did and nothing tops some of the epic 1v1, 600frag battles that took place on E1M1. The combination of Double Barrel Shotgun, Plasma, Rocket and of course BFG guns has to be one of the nastiest assemblies of weapons yet.

You can't top that but Last Man Standing certainly comes close. Besides LMS is a co-op mod. So for all the sissy's out there like me, it’s great to get a few mates together when playing Doom in the dark. Nothing beats letting your mate run into a room full of bigass angry bad guys and watching him/her get absolutely cained. Haha!

5. Sven Coop

What the hell is Sven Coop still doing here? When you've made something good you last for a while - like the latest pop hit from an American Idol winner. When you are great, people enjoy hearing your song 20 years later - long live the eighties!!! Beyond that, you are someone like the fat man (Elvis), or a band like the Beatles. People keep talking about "those days" and the "good times".

Now Sven-Coop isn't quite at this point, but damn does this mod have an impressive array of fans who swear by its replayability and no doubt will still do so, 10 years down the track. Keep it up, besides what beats covering your mates with some friendly fire, drawing the bad guy’s away co-op style?

4. Point Of Existence Mod

I hate to state the obvious, but this mod looks seriously sweet - just check out their gallery. Any mod which goes to such a level of detail isn't about to disappoint, in fact Point of Existence has a storyline and gameplay to match its visuals. Battlefield Vietnam is a great game and this mod only makes it better.

Its war, get involved.

3. Dystopia

Let's be honest - the Mod DB crew loves Dystopia and haven't shy'd away from pimping their *awesomeness*. We've met the creators, we've argued ideas over a beer or 10 and blown each other to bits playing this game.

Why have we done all this? Because we haven't just played the demo / trailer / teaser, we've played the real deal, the real McCoy and we liked what we saw. For so long we have been preaching uniqueness and the importance of making a mod that tries to do things differently, and evidently the community agree with us here. Dystopia, like all other top mods, listened to our pleas and have pumped out some awesome stuff and included some seriously cool, epileptic fit inducing ideas in their mod. It is futuristic team-based warfare at its best!

2. Earths Special Forces

Question: What is scarier than a 10,000 pound gorilla named Kong tearing up the streets of New York?
Answer: 10,000 Dragonball Z fans

They certainly are a force not to be reckoned with. They attack in packs, and vote in numbers which is why Earths Special Forces has made it since Mod of the Year started in 2002. Now I agree in part that perhaps they shouldn't be here, but well over 2,000 people disagree with me - so who am I to argue?

Earth's Special Forces (ESF) is a fast paced, 3rd person fighter based on the hit anime, Dragonball Z. Select your favorite character and fly, power up, transform, melee, and beam your enemies into pulp. Each character is given signature moves and abilities to compliment different style of play, some are stronger in hand to hand combat, others are better with energy attacks. Play in three different game modes, deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture the dragonballs. There is a learning curve so newbie’s beware. This is not your normal Half-life mod.

1. Garrys Mod

It will come as a surprise to some of you (and no surprise at all to others) that Garry's Mod has won the 2005 Mod of the Year award. Beginning small and rapidly working its way up, Garry's Mod isn't a game as much as a sandbox where you can make one. If you don't fancy a whole game you could always pose some characters and props to make a picture (or perhaps an entire comic), build a giant robot, spawn hundreds of monsters and have an enormous scrap, or anything else you can come up with.

Garry's Mod is Valve's poster child for their development community and among the best-known mods ever made, and with good reason. With its creativity, flexibility, innovation and service to all of modkind, we are proud to announce that, at two times the number of votes of its nearest competitor, Garry's Mod the 2005 ModDB Mod of the Year!

Equal 5. Fortress Forever

Duke Nukem Forever and Team Fortress 2 are both games i've dreamt about playing for quite some time. I need more of the Duke and his one-liners "its time to kick some ass and chew bubble gum.... damn i'm all outta gum", even more badly do I crave some Team Fortress action. HL TFC is the first game that truly got me hooked on multiplayer team based warfare.

TF2 isn't here - but Fortress Forever almost is and it looks great! Mods rock, nothing stops em - and this soon-to-be released mod is proof of that.

Equal 5. TO:Crossfire

Inspired by TacticalOps, a game based on Epic's award winning UnrealEngine, TO:Crossfire is an attempt to create a sequel on a new level of UnrealTechnology. It’s got a lot to live up to, the original was awesome - but everything i've seen suggests that this mod is going to be even better.

If the Home Alone creators can create 2 good movies outta 4 - we've got nothing to worry about this mod is going to rock, add it to your must-watch-list!

4. Goldeneye Source

NOTE. At the time this competition began, Goldeneye was not released. The team has since made available an alpha build for the public to play. Since this is only an alpha this mod is still considered unofficially released and therefore finds itself in this category

It seems each console has its 'signature game' that no one forgets. For the XBOX it was Halo, for the N64 it was Goldeneye. For those that had the pleasure of playing this game a few years ago, found themselves instantly hooked to its showstopping singleplayer mode and multiplayer mayhem. We all love Bond, gadgets and an arsenal of weapons. Throw in a set of brilliantly designed, simple fast paced maps, unique gameplay modes and you have one game which won't be forgotten in a hurry.

Such is the legacy left by this game that it has been respawned on Doom, HL1, UT2003, Soldat and now HL2 - yet we STILL cannot get enough of it. This re-creation is set to be one of the best yet. If the pictures are anything to go by we are set to relive the 'glory N64' days that this game once provided.

3. Insurgency

The modern battlefield has witnessed many engagements between Guerrilla and Conventional forces. Insurgency will bring these fights to an online multiplayer battlefield using Valve's Source Technology from Half-Life 2. Engage in past, present, and fictional infantry battles throughout the world. From the Balkans to Iraq to Chechnya, join as either an Unconventional or Conventional team that caters to both casual and tactical gamers.

This mod promises to deliver 'intense realism' and seeing as my nickname is INtense! i'm set and already queuing to play. BRING.IT.ON.

2. Forgotten Hope 2

Forgotten Hope made the cut for mod of the year finishing #14. Forgotten Hope II appears to have done one better finishing #2 in the most anticipated mod list. I think this really sums this mod up, it rocks 1000's of people say so - don't argue, just keep waiting (not long now!)

1. Black Mesa

Dear sweet mother of cake, if there is one mod that constantly leaves me salivating in anticipation, Black Mesa: Source is it.

When Valve first announced that they would be releasing the original game updated to the Source engine, the fans screamed in anticipation. The original game with upgraded graphics? True life physics? The chance to blast apart marines and trek through Xen as only the Source engine can now show us? Oh yeah, the desire was there.

But we were disappointed.

"Let the fans do it!" Valve cried after releasing their shallow update.

So they did.

Black Mesa: Source looks fantastic. Every comparison shot they put out between the original game and the upcoming mod leaves me quivering. While some may scoff and brush this one aside, saying fans should just play the original and shut up, those few naysayers truly haven't seen the skills of this team. When just a shot of a hallway with a few boxes gets nearly a thousand clicks on its own, you know you are onto something great.

Black Mesa: Source looks to blow us out of the frigging water, and that's a fact.

Action. Dystopia

Lets be honest - the Mod DB crew loves Dystopia and haven't shy'd away from pimping their *awesomeness*. We've met the creators, we've argued ideas over a beer or 10 and blown each other to bits playing this game.

Why have we done all this? Because we haven't just played the demo / trailer / teaser, we've played the real deal, the real McCoy and we liked what we saw. For so long we have been preaching uniqueness and the importance of making a mod that tries to do things differently, and evidently the community agree with us here. Dystopia, like all other top mods, listened to our pleas and have pumped out some awesome stuff and included some seriously cool, epileptic fit inducing ideas in their mod. It is futuristic team-based warfare at its best!

Adventure. Afraid of Monsters

I'm Afraid of Monsters, who isn't? I wet my pants when a door creaks. Fortunately people are not afraid of playing this mod - but everyone who does is certainly freaking out. It takes scary gaming back to its roots, the basics, with dim dim rooms, human-like monsters and spooky sounds. If that’s your cup of tea, give this a shot.

Driving. UnWheel

Unwheel.... unreal! When it comes to car games I couldn't care less about realism, I just want fast paced crashes and the ability to pull of some serious airtime in an absurd assortment of automobiles. This is exactly what Unwheel delivers. The idea behind UnWheel is not to create the ultimate racing game, or the 4x4 simulation with the best physics, or to specialize in any one area as other modifications and games do, but to simply create an assortment of gametypes and vehicles with the focus on fun driving, whether it be racing, rallying, or simply freestyle driving around.

Puzzle. Garrys Mod

GMod again! Now we know GMod isn't really a puzzle - but there isn't a category called "Mod which spawns more mods". Besides you can play snakes in this mod if you really want too (you'd have to be crazy though - who can resist GMod created eye candy?)

Role Playing. Layonara Online

Layonara, created by Leanthar as a PnP world in 1986, was brought to life using Neverwinter Nights as a role-play-action server and is hosted at MAE-WEST in San Francisco. Layonara is a huge world of 1200+ game areas spread across three game world servers although there are six servers in total that are used. Each game world server represents one or two continents and islands and there are several ways to travel between them. When you set out into the world there are persistent storage chests and a world-wide banking system that provides safe storage of your items and gold as you travel the lands. There are also bind stones which can be found in temples and larger cities that an adventurer can bind his/her soul to which he/she will be returned should your character die. There are 1000's of characters, items - simply put there is so much to do and see you better stock up on your food and be prepared for some serious gaming sessions if you want to tackle this world.

Simulation. Point Defense Systems

Unlike almost all RTS's found on the commercial gaming market Point Defense Systems doesn't target the average gamer. My vision demands a certain air of cruelty in making just about everything inaccessible to players unfamiliar with military doctrines and terminology; and going directly against familiar trends exhibited in most gaming genres.

The result is something that bears an uncanny resemblance to battlespace simulators based wholly on the real world - in the testing of prototype singleplayer scenarios gameplay was identical to the generally detailed feel of Combat Mission whist retaining an intensity of simulated combat previously only seen in sci-fi movies. Mental competency is required so I guess that rules me out. Good concept, well executed - give this mod a shot if you want to see if you have what it takes.

Sports. International Online Soccer

With a little elbow grease and determination, I reckon I could make a plane with tooth picks and string, MacGyver style. That doesn't mean I do - i'm lazy but that doesn't mean it is impossible.

This is exactly what the International Online Soccer team have done. They've tackled conventional wisdom (i.e. Half-Life games involve shooting other people) and mixed it up until they are shooting soccer balls at goals. And they've done a damn fine job of it too. IOS really is a decent package - and their multiplayer mode is awesome fun and bound to keep the hordes of soccer fans busy.

Strategy. Alien Swarm

Alien Swarm is an overhead view tactical squad-based shooter for UT2K4. Set in the distant future, the players take the role of a Commander in the Interstellar Armed Forces. They must guide their squad of marines through Swarm infested colonies, overrun bases and outposts, to achieve a variety of objectives. Featuring Assault Rifles, Heat Tracking Guns, Sentry Guns, Flamethrowers and more. Just play the co-op mode, it is unbelievably fun - nuff said.

Editors Choice (released mod) Eclipse

Why? A group of talented Guildhall students, who now calls themselves Celtech Studios, came together to build the best game they could in five months. Eclipse was the product. This third person mod utilizes an interesting form of combat in which you use telekinesis to lift objects and throw them at your foes. While it may not be a long game, it comes with gorgeous visuals, excellent level desgin and even an original soundtrack. They change just about everything transforming the source engine into new work of art. It's easy to see why we picked it as this year's editors' choice. Lets just hope they got A+ for the project.

Editors Choice (unreleased mod) Hall of Mirrors

Why? Have you seen their trailer? In the immortal words of starsky and hutch - DO IT! Slowmo, Matrix like scenes with tons of bad guys, big moves (flips and stuff)... I damn near wet my pants in anticipation for this mod. Hall of Mirrors is a Total conversion of Max Payne 2 that allows you to live out the journey of Cleric John Preston. Gunkata your way through sweepers and clerics to destroy the regime you once held so dear. Awesome, just awesome.

Editors Choice: Most Hyped CnC Reborn

Why? I'd be lying if I didn't say dystopia - but lets share the hype around and give another mod a chance and CnC Reborn is that mod. It seems each week this team pushes out an update of some sort. Constant updates, constant dramas.. never boring, a bit like the classic TV show "days of our lives".

Still this mod looks fantastic, the team has done a great deal and i'm certainly one who wants to see it released!

Editors Choice: Multiplayer. Hidden Source

Why? Any game can put a handful of weapons in people's hands and ask them to go crazy with it, but very few can evoke pure feelings of excitement and dread the way The Hidden can. While games like Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat encourage the idea of teamwork, no other game puts such pressure on you to keep your team mates alive, to work together watching your collective backs, less you should all get slaughtered.

And that's not even mentioning the pure fun of hunting your fellow players down...

Editors Choice: Oldskool. Trench Warfare

Why? Because Trench Warfare is easily the best mod for one of the oldest games here on the Mod DB - Wolfenstein 3D. If you download and play it, you'll surely be impressed by all of the innovations and features added to that old, simple engine. Sure, the graphics aren't as good as stuff we've seen even years before Doom 3 or HL2 - but the author showed his pixel art mastership. It's pretty in an unusual way, dangerously playable and satisfies all your killer needs. It just keeps up the spirit of an old game - by modding it to the extreme. And that's what old-skool modding is about.

Editors Choice: Re-invention Battle Grounds 2

Why? In the mod world, sequels don't suck. As a team learns more, they keep getting better and better. Battle Grounds 2 is a perfect example of this and has a seriously dedicated team of modders who have been doing there thing consistently now for some years. Once more the Royal British Army battles it out against the Colonial United States Continental Army in even bigger battefields with even more freedom.

Interactivity is a very important factor in this mod and team play is as important as ever before. Fire muskets, sharpen bayonets, board the ships and take control of all flag point to succeed in your campaign for the control of new England.

Editors Choice: Best Story Sapphire Scar

Update: We are copping a little flak due to our inclusion of Tetris in this years awards. A few stories have been emailed and one I must admit looks great is from Sapphire Scar. Keep emailing your suggestions, prove our statement below wrong!

Why? I was going to choose SDBC (Sex,Drugs and Beer Can) simply because sex sells but I decided not to. Then I thought about all the mods in this list, which totally rock - however how many have really compelling original storylines? Is it possible to come up with an original story line these days? War has been covered, humans vs. aliens is done, terrorists vs. counter-terrorists is done, killer zombies is done... what remains? I don't believe any storyline is that pivotal, it just needs to set the scene and then the gameplay should do the talking / impressing. So I copped out and decided to choose Tetris. Shoot me if you disagree (shoot me an email complaining that is).

Well it's been an exciting year chock-full of mods, games and political controversy as the Mod DB steadily grows larger. The Mod of the Year awards is a time to reflect back on everything that has been accomplished and to put it simply, we're very impressed. Now it's time to look forward to a fresh year of creative minds formulating engines into masterpieces as we enter the next generation of gaming. This wraps up the 3rd annual Mod of the Year awards, we eagerly anticipate what the community is cooking up for 2006, so sit back, lock your seats in the full upright position and get ready to mod.