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GAF Games of the Year 2011 - Voting Thread - Voting's Over, Folks!
- Thread starter timetokill
- Start date
- Status
shingonation
Member
1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
2. Batman: Arkham City
3. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
5. Dead Space 2
6. Dark Souls
7. Portal 2
8. Gears of War 3
9. inFamous 2
10. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
2010. Mass Effect 2
2. Batman: Arkham City
3. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
5. Dead Space 2
6. Dark Souls
7. Portal 2
8. Gears of War 3
9. inFamous 2
10. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
2010. Mass Effect 2
ULTROS!
People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
timetokill said:
It's a port of Ys Eternal (PC), basically updated graphics that still retain the 2D and original presentation. You are also able to switch the music on the fly (PC-Engine, PC, and PSP OST). Also, you are able to switch portraits (PC and PSP).
1. Rayman Origins ; it's a sight to behold - the art, the color, the animation and the smooth framerate and high resolution assets make for the most visually stunning games of all time. the visuals are complimented by the infectiously cheerful soundtrack. my love for Origins is more than superficial, though. the snappy controls are harmonious with the level design, if you can follow the rhythm, you can jump, slide and glide through almost any level without losing momentum. the later levels and treasure chases will demand that kind of precision, offering a very satisfying challenge. one of the best pure platforming games I've played.
2. The Witcher 2 ; cutting edge visuals, epic OST, memorable characters, a plot that involves you without feeling like a make your own adventure book. the combat is challenging without being complex. the only major knock is short third chapter, which results in some unsatisfying conclusions to certain plotlines, but as it's stands TW2 elevated CD Projekt to one of the boldest and best RPG developers in the biz.
3. Terraria ; so little time, so much many holes to dig. my most played game of 2011, and for a good reason. you build, you dig, you craft, your hoard loot and you slay monsters. there is always something to do, and because of that I've found myself unable to put Terraria down even in the wee hours of the night. there are no set pieces, no cinematic cutscenes or handholding tutorials - Terraria is pure gaming goodness.
4. Ghost Trick ; the most memorable narrative and cast of characters in 2011 (Missille is the shit), it oozes style and humor. the concept of playing as a ghost who possess and manipulates objects is absolutely brilliant. the plot unfolds as you solve the puzzles, gameplay and story gel together in a beautiful way. it earns my runner up choice for being one of the most unique games I've played in ages, it's the kind of experience that makes me a little more hopeful for the future of storytelling in gaming.
5. Pushmo ; the ideal portable game - great for both quick sessions and lengthy binges. or rather, quick sessions that turn into lengthy binges. the basics are easy to grasp and simple, you simply push and pull boxes to create a path to the top of a Pushmo tower, but later levels will make you think. between the 100+ puzzles in the base game, and the option to download user levels, you get a lot of bang for your buck. aside from the puzzles, the colorful and cheery presentation is appealing as is the lead character, Mallo the red sumo...thingie. it's a must play for any fan of puzzle games.
6. Bulletstorm ; just as linear and set-piece heavy as any modern FPS, but Bulletstorm does it so much better. the vibrant and stylized visuals are welcome change of pace from the brown and grey color schemes that the genre is known for. it plays like a dream, the skill-shot system adds a combo element while the sliding makes traversal fast and fun. the dick jokes didn't do much for me, but the eye candy, fluid gameplay and glorious gibs make for one of the best FPS games in years.
7. LittleBigPlanet 2 ; LBP1 is one of my favorites of the generation, and LBP2 does everything better. it doesn't do much different, though, so it's a game that will appeal mostly to fans of the first without converting any unbelievers. it feels like more of an upgrade than an evolution, and because of that it doesn't have the same impact as LBP1. like the first, it has great physics, charming visuals and music, lots of potential for hilarious co-op fun, but the new toys and expansion of the level creator open the floodgates for new genres and ideas. it would make a great desert island game.
8. Super Mario 3D Land ; SM3DL doesn't reinvent the formula in any way, but it's a competent mish-mash of the best ideas from past SMB titles - NSMB, Galaxy, and the NES games included. The first several worlds were a breeze, but once I delved into the special worlds and the quest for 100%, I was hooked.
9. Batman: Arkham City ; probably the best licensed game ever made, not just in terms of overall quality, but for what it does with the source material. it didn't click with me at first, but once I got used to the sensory overload and the open world approach, I fell in love. everything from the smooth and satisfying combat, to the arsenal of gadgets and the swift navigation through the environments comes to together to create an unbelievably authentic batman experience. the story was disappointing due to being very unfocused, but the set piece moments are brilliant and the production values are through the roof. an amazing achievement by Rocksteady Studios.
10. Dungeons of Dredmor ; accessible to newcomers (like myself), but offers a brutal challenge for all the hardcore fans of the genre and masochists out there. it's easy to grasp the basics but character building is expansive and deep. it's worth playing just for the addictive dungeon crawling, but the tough-in-cheek humor and hilarious one liners are a delight. it's a great little time sink that I'll probably playing long after many big budget games.
2010. Alpha Protocol ; international espionage, romance, violence and betrayal - Alpha Protocol tells an engaging spy story that twists and turns based on the choices you make. choices rarely come down to "good" or "bad", they're about tactics and manipulation. the gameplay supports a variety of play styles and the difference between one playthrough and another can be staggering. the dialog and characters are fantastic as well. AP earned a place among my favorite RPG's, and I'm glad I finally got around to playing it!
1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution; I think this one has to win for me. The sequel to my favorite game of all time that's made for the fans by the fans. Not only do I love everything about this game, except maybe some voice actors, but I love HOW it was made. I love that Eidos actually took fan feedback. I love that they didn't flip their lid over the leak, rather they said 'Well, what do you guys think?'. I think Eidos Montreal is one of the future 'big names' in gaming. The only improvements I would like to see is better characters. I loved the story, gameplay, and the atmosphere was top class.
2. Yakuza 4; I'll always be bias when it comes to the Yakuza games. As it stands, they're tied with the GTA series as my favorite of all time, but I was willing to lower this one more if it was anything like 3. I loved 3, but it did feel a little old by then. Luckily, they changed it up with 4. They went with a proper localization and blew it out of the part. The 4 characters may have all played similar to a fully upgraded Kazuya in 3, but I come to the Yakuza games for story, character, and gameplay. Not just one. The different viewpoints of these characters made the game feel incredibly fresh despite the familiar digs. I think the Yakuza team is currently responsible for the best characters in gaming, and I find the combat downright addictive. I can't wait for Dead Souls and 5, and I really hope Kenzan and Black Panther 1 & 2 are eventually given a chance.
3. The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings; I'm someone who can't stand fantasy unless it's incredibly over the top a la He-Man or Warcraft. The whole notion of 'dark fantasy' is incredibly dull to me. But the Witcher series feels like the darkest of fantasy. The graphics are gorgeous, and the game felt like if Batman wasn't made to play itself. I loved all the little details of the world and Geralt's extra weapons/trophies/etc. I loved the different portrayal of magic, elves, wizards, and I thought the story was top notch from either side. I'd love to see CD Projekt Red try something different after this.
4. Saint's Row: The Third; It's the sequel to Saint's Row 2, which I unconditionally loved. While, in some ways, it's worse than 2, it's mostly better. There's a lack of customization from the previous series, but I'm willing to settle on the better gunplay and car controls. The music feels great, and it's one of the few legit funny games out there. The voice actors did a great job, and I feel like it's one of the few games with a customizable protag that feels 'right'.
6. Driver: San Francisco; I never thought that I would include a Driver game in my top ten anything. I always found the originals far too difficult to be fun, and Driv3r was just plain bad. Reflections ditched the GTA motif and went back to cars, but they added a few catches. They added one of the most fun abilities I've ever encountered in a game. The ability to shift from car to car turns Driver from a racing game to a 'must destroy with cars' game. I'm someone who doesn't like racing games, but I love racing movies. I feel like this is the first game to properly capture that feeling in a story mode. The main character is great, and Jones plays off him incredibly well. There's also a lot of hilarious side banter during specific cars and side missions. The soundtrack is also incredible, and the 60 fps really ties everything together.
7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; As I stated before, fantasy is not my thing. So the world that Skyrim exists in kind of detracts points for me, but that doesn't stop it from looking great. The voice acting has drastically improved, and the list of features is astonishing. However, I still find the combat to be bad, and it really takes away from the experience. Also, the amount of bugs that Bethesda is allowed to get away with is staggering.
8. WWE All Stars; I don't like fighting games, and I haven't really invested in wrestling on a serious level in a long time, but this game is just incredible. It feels like a game that we'll still play years from now in the same vein as NBA Jam. The roster selection is mostly good, but the solid point is just how great and versatile the gameplay is. It creates some mind blowing moments in multiplayer. The only thing holding this back is a lack of depth to the modes.
9. Shadows of the Damned; A fun little shooter with a great soundtrack and a decent sense of humor. I'm a bit of a Mikami fanboy, so I may have some bias here, but the gunplay felt great, and the voice acting was pretty amazing. Especially when this comes from someone who finds Steve Blum 'same-y'. The monsters and bosses were fun, and the humor was spotty but generally good. Don't know that I would want a sequel.
10. Dead Space 2; A really solid experience with great visuals, guns, and set pieces. The only reason it's only 10 is because of how dull I felt the non-set pieces were, and the fact that a lot of levels were hard to see. Replacing horror with frustration. I also feel like the story and characters in Dead Space aren't interesting at all, and that the game's just about solid gameplay and visuals. Which it has.
This year had a lot of sequels to games that came out recently, and none of those really exist in my list. I hope that this means others tire of the milking, and they start taking more time between games. I prefer the new IPs and returns to old ones to the constant sequels with new hat. 2011 wasn't a great year to me, I'd say it was one of my worst. The 10 I picked took about 5 minutes because they were my only real memorable experiences. 2012 is looking pretty amazing to me though, so I hope my expectations are met there.
2. Yakuza 4; I'll always be bias when it comes to the Yakuza games. As it stands, they're tied with the GTA series as my favorite of all time, but I was willing to lower this one more if it was anything like 3. I loved 3, but it did feel a little old by then. Luckily, they changed it up with 4. They went with a proper localization and blew it out of the part. The 4 characters may have all played similar to a fully upgraded Kazuya in 3, but I come to the Yakuza games for story, character, and gameplay. Not just one. The different viewpoints of these characters made the game feel incredibly fresh despite the familiar digs. I think the Yakuza team is currently responsible for the best characters in gaming, and I find the combat downright addictive. I can't wait for Dead Souls and 5, and I really hope Kenzan and Black Panther 1 & 2 are eventually given a chance.
3. The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings; I'm someone who can't stand fantasy unless it's incredibly over the top a la He-Man or Warcraft. The whole notion of 'dark fantasy' is incredibly dull to me. But the Witcher series feels like the darkest of fantasy. The graphics are gorgeous, and the game felt like if Batman wasn't made to play itself. I loved all the little details of the world and Geralt's extra weapons/trophies/etc. I loved the different portrayal of magic, elves, wizards, and I thought the story was top notch from either side. I'd love to see CD Projekt Red try something different after this.
4. Saint's Row: The Third; It's the sequel to Saint's Row 2, which I unconditionally loved. While, in some ways, it's worse than 2, it's mostly better. There's a lack of customization from the previous series, but I'm willing to settle on the better gunplay and car controls. The music feels great, and it's one of the few legit funny games out there. The voice actors did a great job, and I feel like it's one of the few games with a customizable protag that feels 'right'.
6. Driver: San Francisco; I never thought that I would include a Driver game in my top ten anything. I always found the originals far too difficult to be fun, and Driv3r was just plain bad. Reflections ditched the GTA motif and went back to cars, but they added a few catches. They added one of the most fun abilities I've ever encountered in a game. The ability to shift from car to car turns Driver from a racing game to a 'must destroy with cars' game. I'm someone who doesn't like racing games, but I love racing movies. I feel like this is the first game to properly capture that feeling in a story mode. The main character is great, and Jones plays off him incredibly well. There's also a lot of hilarious side banter during specific cars and side missions. The soundtrack is also incredible, and the 60 fps really ties everything together.
7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; As I stated before, fantasy is not my thing. So the world that Skyrim exists in kind of detracts points for me, but that doesn't stop it from looking great. The voice acting has drastically improved, and the list of features is astonishing. However, I still find the combat to be bad, and it really takes away from the experience. Also, the amount of bugs that Bethesda is allowed to get away with is staggering.
8. WWE All Stars; I don't like fighting games, and I haven't really invested in wrestling on a serious level in a long time, but this game is just incredible. It feels like a game that we'll still play years from now in the same vein as NBA Jam. The roster selection is mostly good, but the solid point is just how great and versatile the gameplay is. It creates some mind blowing moments in multiplayer. The only thing holding this back is a lack of depth to the modes.
9. Shadows of the Damned; A fun little shooter with a great soundtrack and a decent sense of humor. I'm a bit of a Mikami fanboy, so I may have some bias here, but the gunplay felt great, and the voice acting was pretty amazing. Especially when this comes from someone who finds Steve Blum 'same-y'. The monsters and bosses were fun, and the humor was spotty but generally good. Don't know that I would want a sequel.
10. Dead Space 2; A really solid experience with great visuals, guns, and set pieces. The only reason it's only 10 is because of how dull I felt the non-set pieces were, and the fact that a lot of levels were hard to see. Replacing horror with frustration. I also feel like the story and characters in Dead Space aren't interesting at all, and that the game's just about solid gameplay and visuals. Which it has.
This year had a lot of sequels to games that came out recently, and none of those really exist in my list. I hope that this means others tire of the milking, and they start taking more time between games. I prefer the new IPs and returns to old ones to the constant sequels with new hat. 2011 wasn't a great year to me, I'd say it was one of my worst. The 10 I picked took about 5 minutes because they were my only real memorable experiences. 2012 is looking pretty amazing to me though, so I hope my expectations are met there.
Only if Diablo 3 does
Tha Robbertster
Member
1. Deus Ex: Human revolution
2. Skyrim
3. Battlefield 3
4. Gears of War 3
5. Halo Anniversery
6. Uncharted 3
7. Pokemon black/white
8. Portal 2
9. Crisis 2
10. Brink
That was pretty hard, And I haven't played 1/3th form that list :lol
2. Skyrim
3. Battlefield 3
4. Gears of War 3
5. Halo Anniversery
6. Uncharted 3
7. Pokemon black/white
8. Portal 2
9. Crisis 2
10. Brink
That was pretty hard, And I haven't played 1/3th form that list :lol
Phoenician_Viking
Banned
OP! you are missing god of war origin collection.
1. Uncharted 3 Drakes Deception
2. Portal 2
3. Batman AC
4. Gundam Extreme VS
5. LittleBigPlanet 2
6. Infamous 2
7. Disgaea 4
8. Super Mario 3D Land
9. Assassin Creed Revelations
10. Yakuza 4
Edit:
2010. Death Nation : Great game, got it for free during the outage and it was simply the best one game. I can't believe I missed this PSN gem, so much fun game!
2. Portal 2
3. Batman AC
4. Gundam Extreme VS
5. LittleBigPlanet 2
6. Infamous 2
7. Disgaea 4
8. Super Mario 3D Land
9. Assassin Creed Revelations
10. Yakuza 4
Edit:
2010. Death Nation : Great game, got it for free during the outage and it was simply the best one game. I can't believe I missed this PSN gem, so much fun game!
Yoshichan
And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
Nope, in this case Diablo 3 beta would count and that would beat everything this year. Like, with no competition either.
butter_stick
Banned
1. Portal 2
2. Super Mario 3D Land
3. Rocksmith
4. Saints Row 3
5. FIFA 12
6 Ocarina of Time 3D
7. AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome
8. Terraria
9. Binding of Isaac
10.Pushmo
2. Super Mario 3D Land
3. Rocksmith
4. Saints Row 3
5. FIFA 12
6 Ocarina of Time 3D
7. AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome
8. Terraria
9. Binding of Isaac
10.Pushmo
1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
2. Deus EX: Human Revolution
3. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
5. Bastion
6. Pokemon White
7. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3
8. Atomic Zombie Smasher
9. Epic Astro Story
10. Star Fox 64 3D
Will update with explanations later when I have time.
2. Deus EX: Human Revolution
3. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
5. Bastion
6. Pokemon White
7. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3
8. Atomic Zombie Smasher
9. Epic Astro Story
10. Star Fox 64 3D
Will update with explanations later when I have time.
1. Terraria; The only game this year I couldn't pull myself away from for dozens of hours.
2. Alice: Madness Returns; Most gorgeous game I've played in years
3. Portal 2; So good I went a month of only being able to play other Valve games
4 Shadows of the Damned; Goes to show how incredible sound design can save merely good gameplay
5. To the Moon; I still tear up when I think of certain scenes
6. El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron; It obviously looks incredible, but the one-button combat is equally amazing
7. Catherine; Story choice done right
8. Mario Kart 7; Who knew gliding would be so much fun?
9. Bastion; Odd choice, but I absolutely adore the soundtrack
10. Binding of Issac; Creepy, difficulty, and ridiculously fun.
2. Alice: Madness Returns; Most gorgeous game I've played in years
3. Portal 2; So good I went a month of only being able to play other Valve games
4 Shadows of the Damned; Goes to show how incredible sound design can save merely good gameplay
5. To the Moon; I still tear up when I think of certain scenes
6. El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron; It obviously looks incredible, but the one-button combat is equally amazing
7. Catherine; Story choice done right
8. Mario Kart 7; Who knew gliding would be so much fun?
9. Bastion; Odd choice, but I absolutely adore the soundtrack
10. Binding of Issac; Creepy, difficulty, and ridiculously fun.
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; Bethesda fills a massive void in this industry, they pull off a believable living open world RPG better than anyone else. The combat is better than Oblivion, stealth and magic are finally viable and awesome to play as. The perk level-up system is great and encourages multiple playthroughs. I do have big problems with the game, I hate the loot scaling and I don't like the quests as much as Oblivion but I still enjoyed myself more exploring Skyrim than I did in any other game this year.
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution; If you were to tell me in let's say 2006 "Hey Derrick01, in 2011 there will be a Deus Ex game that does the series proud and comes somewhat close to topping the first game" I would have slapped you for blasphemy. Yet it actually happened. A game in 2011 that encouraged manual exploration without the help of markers and highlights (after turning options off), a game that really encouraged multiple paths and multiple solutions to getting by enemies, a game that captured the feel of Deus Ex. There was only a couple small things stopping this from legendary status and that was the mishandling of the Praxis system, you can get almost every ability by the end, and the overuse of hacking because they took away the lockpick skill.
3. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception; I'm on record for stating that I love the Uncharteds for all of the "wrong" reasons. I love the cutscenes, the animation, the dialog between characters and the story. I don't like the gameplay all that much. Uncharted 3 didn't change my opinion much, though I did like the combat a little more (especially the new hand-to-hand system) and I found there weren't as many crazy difficulty spikes as the others. The setpieces and action are just amazing though and the best in the series. I will remember the cargo plane, the cruise ship and the parts before it, the villa and the various chase scenes for years to come.
4. Batman Arkham City; Even though I think the open world is pointless and the majority of the ~12 sidequests suck, this game improves on AA in every way. There's more characters, the bosses are better, the gadgets are better, the combat is better because of added moves and gadgets, Catwoman is unbelievably fun to play as, the story is better. I could go on and on. A brilliant game from start to finish, I only hope Rocksteady treats PC gamers with a little more respect next time.
5. Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings; This game didn't deliver as much as I wanted it to but I still greatly enjoyed my time. I wish they had 4 full acts instead of 2 Act 2's and a broken and rushed Act 3. I wish the leveling system wasn't broken and allowed you to be unstoppable 60% through the game. That being said it was still great. The combat was probably the best the WRPG genre has ever seen, the graphics of course top notch, the story was pretty good and the game brought REAL choice to the table. Witcher 3 will be unstoppable if they improve on the negatives.
6. Bulletstorm; I made the awful mistake of passing up on this game when it came out in February for Killzone 3 instead. I purchased it for $10 during the Steam Autumn sale and played one of the most ridiculous and enjoyable FPS campaigns of the generation. I didn't think it was very funny from a dialogue perspective, but I'll be damned if shooting a spiked ball into someone's groin and launching them into a giant Venus Flytrap didn't make me lose my shit. The skillshot idea was pure genius, encouraging creativity and quick thinking.
7. Resistance 3; This was a really late addition to my list as I had only picked it up and finished it around December 10th. I had initially ignored this game because of how much I disliked Resistance 1 and 2 but 3 really blew me away at how much better it was. First was the improved engine, the first 2 games were not great looking but 3 is overall a MUCH better looking game and it actually looks like a PS3 exclusive for a change. At certain times when chaos is happening the game becomes unbelievable looking. You can have thousands of pieces of debris flying around, explosions everywhere and tiny buildings collapsing or being damaged, dozens of enemies on both side fighting, a goliath wrecking havoc in the background (300 foot robot) and the framerate doesn't break a sweat. The weapons are great as would be expected from an Insomniac game and the story is interesting enough to keep focused though I wish they would have gone more into the origin of the Chimera instead of your main objective. One thing's for sure I'm not writing this series off on 1st impression anymore.
8. RAGE; This game being great didn't surprise me, it's fucking id. Thankfully since I made the wise choice of going with team green for my GPU I was able to play this on launch day and I was blown away by the graphics. Sure it looks like ass if you get 5 feet or closer, but from a distance the game looks amazing and it plays so damn good thanks to 60fps and classic and perfect id gunplay. The RPG elements could have used a little more detail but I didn't really have a big problem with how they were implemented here. The crafting system got the job done as simple as it was. Looking forward to Doom 4, id's still got it.
9. Terraria; This is the 1st indie game to ever make one of my top 10 GOTY list. I normally don't pay much attention to them as they're usually throwaway games or games that have no gameplay and only exist so artwhores can beat off for the 1 hour the "game" lasts. But that is not Terraria. This game is limited only by your imagination and it's easy to spend 50-100 hours or more just building whatever you want and going through the gear and loot progression. Patch 1.1 made it even more of a "game" and only added even more depth and length to the game. They did this magical game with only 2 people too.
10. Shogun 2: Total War; I'm not a strategy game expert so I can't tell you that Shogun 2 does this and this better than another strategy game, all I can say is that I've never played any that mix the micromanagement aspect with actual battles and creating battle strategies on the fly like the Total War games. I'm still learning to like the naval battles though, they take way too long to get anything done and the boats are hard to control exactly right.
x. Portal 2.
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution; If you were to tell me in let's say 2006 "Hey Derrick01, in 2011 there will be a Deus Ex game that does the series proud and comes somewhat close to topping the first game" I would have slapped you for blasphemy. Yet it actually happened. A game in 2011 that encouraged manual exploration without the help of markers and highlights (after turning options off), a game that really encouraged multiple paths and multiple solutions to getting by enemies, a game that captured the feel of Deus Ex. There was only a couple small things stopping this from legendary status and that was the mishandling of the Praxis system, you can get almost every ability by the end, and the overuse of hacking because they took away the lockpick skill.
3. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception; I'm on record for stating that I love the Uncharteds for all of the "wrong" reasons. I love the cutscenes, the animation, the dialog between characters and the story. I don't like the gameplay all that much. Uncharted 3 didn't change my opinion much, though I did like the combat a little more (especially the new hand-to-hand system) and I found there weren't as many crazy difficulty spikes as the others. The setpieces and action are just amazing though and the best in the series. I will remember the cargo plane, the cruise ship and the parts before it, the villa and the various chase scenes for years to come.
4. Batman Arkham City; Even though I think the open world is pointless and the majority of the ~12 sidequests suck, this game improves on AA in every way. There's more characters, the bosses are better, the gadgets are better, the combat is better because of added moves and gadgets, Catwoman is unbelievably fun to play as, the story is better. I could go on and on. A brilliant game from start to finish, I only hope Rocksteady treats PC gamers with a little more respect next time.
5. Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings; This game didn't deliver as much as I wanted it to but I still greatly enjoyed my time. I wish they had 4 full acts instead of 2 Act 2's and a broken and rushed Act 3. I wish the leveling system wasn't broken and allowed you to be unstoppable 60% through the game. That being said it was still great. The combat was probably the best the WRPG genre has ever seen, the graphics of course top notch, the story was pretty good and the game brought REAL choice to the table. Witcher 3 will be unstoppable if they improve on the negatives.
6. Bulletstorm; I made the awful mistake of passing up on this game when it came out in February for Killzone 3 instead. I purchased it for $10 during the Steam Autumn sale and played one of the most ridiculous and enjoyable FPS campaigns of the generation. I didn't think it was very funny from a dialogue perspective, but I'll be damned if shooting a spiked ball into someone's groin and launching them into a giant Venus Flytrap didn't make me lose my shit. The skillshot idea was pure genius, encouraging creativity and quick thinking.
7. Resistance 3; This was a really late addition to my list as I had only picked it up and finished it around December 10th. I had initially ignored this game because of how much I disliked Resistance 1 and 2 but 3 really blew me away at how much better it was. First was the improved engine, the first 2 games were not great looking but 3 is overall a MUCH better looking game and it actually looks like a PS3 exclusive for a change. At certain times when chaos is happening the game becomes unbelievable looking. You can have thousands of pieces of debris flying around, explosions everywhere and tiny buildings collapsing or being damaged, dozens of enemies on both side fighting, a goliath wrecking havoc in the background (300 foot robot) and the framerate doesn't break a sweat. The weapons are great as would be expected from an Insomniac game and the story is interesting enough to keep focused though I wish they would have gone more into the origin of the Chimera instead of your main objective. One thing's for sure I'm not writing this series off on 1st impression anymore.
8. RAGE; This game being great didn't surprise me, it's fucking id. Thankfully since I made the wise choice of going with team green for my GPU I was able to play this on launch day and I was blown away by the graphics. Sure it looks like ass if you get 5 feet or closer, but from a distance the game looks amazing and it plays so damn good thanks to 60fps and classic and perfect id gunplay. The RPG elements could have used a little more detail but I didn't really have a big problem with how they were implemented here. The crafting system got the job done as simple as it was. Looking forward to Doom 4, id's still got it.
9. Terraria; This is the 1st indie game to ever make one of my top 10 GOTY list. I normally don't pay much attention to them as they're usually throwaway games or games that have no gameplay and only exist so artwhores can beat off for the 1 hour the "game" lasts. But that is not Terraria. This game is limited only by your imagination and it's easy to spend 50-100 hours or more just building whatever you want and going through the gear and loot progression. Patch 1.1 made it even more of a "game" and only added even more depth and length to the game. They did this magical game with only 2 people too.
10. Shogun 2: Total War; I'm not a strategy game expert so I can't tell you that Shogun 2 does this and this better than another strategy game, all I can say is that I've never played any that mix the micromanagement aspect with actual battles and creating battle strategies on the fly like the Total War games. I'm still learning to like the naval battles though, they take way too long to get anything done and the boats are hard to control exactly right.
x. Portal 2.
1. Star Wars: The Old Republic; The buzz about this game has been polarized. I heard it sucks. I heard it's a WoW clone. I heard it's great. I kept myself largely on blackout since the game was first announced. Since getting access to the game on Friday I've put in nearly 20 hours. This is the first MMO I haven't had to force myself to get into. I've played WoW on and off since it came out. I pretty much quit after Lich King. It was a lot better but still I could just not get into the social aspects, or into raiding/PVP. I just liked questing, and the questing wasn't getting it done. SWTOR has hit a sweet spot with me. It's easy to party up and do heroic quests. The flashpoints are, not to be cliche', 'game changers'. They bring a lot of value. The voice acting is surprisingly good and it also adds more depth to the game than I imagined it would. I have yet to feel like I've been doing the stereotypical MMO grind. I have had zero technical issues. The graphics are good, performance is good, and have stuck to a lower population server so no queues. Due to the lack of technical issues SWTOR is my favorite game of the year, narrowly defeating Skyrim.
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; An amazing game marred by Bethesda's typical lack of polish. I have to admit - I have personally experienced very few technical issues so I'm not nearly as bothered by it as many others seem to be. I can only rate games based on my personal experience. That said, Skyrim lost my #1 spot for two reasons. First - technical glitches. I experience a crash to desktop about once every 2 or 3 hours. Not a big deal because I'm a frequent saver, but it's still annoying. And releasing the PS3 version with such a crippling issue has to also count against the game, even if I'm not playing that version. Second - I don't feel like the things I do are having much of an effect on the world. My character is a dude who swings a two handed sword and cuts peoples' heads off. And yet I'm the arch mage? What? And now that I am, nobody treats me differently. I don't have any responsibilities. The things that happen to my character feel very superficial. And since Skyrim is an entirely single player experience (not counting the multiplayer mod), it makes me feel like I'm just observing in the world where I am supposed to be the legendary Dovahkiin. These are the blemishes that keep Skyrim for being my #1 game. But it's only by the narrowest of margins.
3. Batman: Arkham City; The first and last hours of Arkham City are absolutely spectacular - in fact if I were to judge the game solely based on those two hours of content it would easily be my GOTY. But the stuff in the middle has to also count for something and that's where things change. Don't get me wrong, AC is fantastic. But it starts and ends so strongly that the heart of the game suffers for it. The combat system is still incredible, of course. Not much else to say other than the Catwoman DLC douche move absolutely counted against where I rank this game. It was unsavory to say the least.
4. Saints Row The Third; You should play Saints Row. You really, really should. It's so much fun.
5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution; If art direction and character/environmental design were the only criteria for GOTY then DE:HR and Dead Space 2 would be tied for my GOTY. I have read through the little art book that came with the Augmented Edition several times. "Piss filter" or no, the amount of thought and care that went into designing the look of the game was huge. Right down to the crates, the medical equipment, and all the other small details. Faridah Malik is also my favorite character of the year. I have to say that I was kind of let down by the story. I felt like it was pretty heavy on the tropes and didn't break much new ground. Which is actually a similar criticism I had with the endgame of the original Deus Ex. The cheesed out boss fights were also a problem. I developed a character who was a hacked. To suddenly be thrust into a boss fight where none of my hacker skills were relevant was annoying and frustrating. This is all pretty well discussed to death, but it was a big factor this game isn't higher on my list.
6. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings; Probably the best story of the year. In a lot of ways I like it better than Skyrim, but I have had a hard time really connecting with any of the characters. I have also really struggled with the combat at times. Not the game's fault per se, but it has diminished my enjoyment a bit when I have to keep re-playing certain fights over and over.
7. Gears of War 3; Graphically impressive campaign, couldn't really get into it after marathoning Gears 1 and 2 a few days before. But let's talk about Horde and Beast modes. Those are why this game made my list. I had so much fun with them. And I expect I'll to continue to have fun with them for a long time to come. They're just really, really good.
8. Portal 2; In some ways I loved Portal 2 and in others I was disappointed by it. I thought it was cleverly written and that Wheatley stands out as yet another great character brought to us by Valve. But I thought the test chambers and other puzzles were pretty weak. The game felt neutered, like it had been focus tested based on the lowest common denominator. I'm not saying it should be ridiculously hard, but none of the puzzles ever bent my mind and made me feel kind of sick dizzy the way that Portal 1 did. In fact most of them never even really slowed me down - again, unlike Portal 1, which did a great job at keeping me challenged and off balance. And the lack of creative tools for modders is a shame. I know there is a mod kit, but from what I understand it sucks to work with. Why not create a toolset that easily lets people create their own challenges?
9. Battlefield 3; This game would have been ranked much higher if the campaign had not been such trash. If I could rank the multiplayer separately it would have been #2 or #3. But the campaign really, really drags it down. It's bad stuff. And while I've had great fun with the multiplayer, I've had more fun with a lot of other games ahead of it.
10. Dead Space 2; Not as scary as the first in the series but still scary enough to freak me out. Fantastic art direction and UI. I really can't believe this game is in 10th place. Which brings me to my conclusion -
This has been a year absolutely full of wonderful, quality games. To be honest I can find ways to justify any of the games on my list as my GOTY. If I stripped away everything else but some of the individual moments I've had in Battlefield 3 multi, such as zooming around a map hanging out the door of a chopper, dodging missiles, RPGs, and gunfire like a scene out of a movie - and then realizing that everything that is happening is being controlled by people. It wasn't a scripted sequence. Someone was really flying the chopper below treetop level, underneath bridges. Other players are really taking pot shots at us with AK-47s and RPGs. Those moments were pretty breathtaking. Or how about the moments in Gears 3 horde mode when we teamed up to bring down a lambent infected Berserker at wave 40 and the absolute chaos that came along with it. Or the end sequence of Portal 2. If I tried hard enough I could absolutely put any game on my list at #1. It's been that kind of year.
And then there are the honorable mentions and games I haven't even had a chance to play yet. Uncharted 3. Dark Souls. Skyward Sword. Mario 3D. Mario Kart 7. Mortal Kombat. WWE All Stars. Resistance 3. Killzone 3. Forza 4. Minecraft. Bulletstorm. Bastion. Xenoblade. The list just goes on and on. I can't remember another year where there has been so much quantity AND quality.
The thing I will remember about 2011 is that it was very much the opposite of previous years. In past years there were some great games that were expected to be great. There were some surprises - both good and bad. But in the end it always seemed like there were a few games at the top and then there was everything else. This year, everything is at the top. I know Skyrim is the odds on favorite, but like I already said twice before - a legitimate case can be made for at least 10 different 2011 releases to be game of the year. That's impressive as hell.
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; An amazing game marred by Bethesda's typical lack of polish. I have to admit - I have personally experienced very few technical issues so I'm not nearly as bothered by it as many others seem to be. I can only rate games based on my personal experience. That said, Skyrim lost my #1 spot for two reasons. First - technical glitches. I experience a crash to desktop about once every 2 or 3 hours. Not a big deal because I'm a frequent saver, but it's still annoying. And releasing the PS3 version with such a crippling issue has to also count against the game, even if I'm not playing that version. Second - I don't feel like the things I do are having much of an effect on the world. My character is a dude who swings a two handed sword and cuts peoples' heads off. And yet I'm the arch mage? What? And now that I am, nobody treats me differently. I don't have any responsibilities. The things that happen to my character feel very superficial. And since Skyrim is an entirely single player experience (not counting the multiplayer mod), it makes me feel like I'm just observing in the world where I am supposed to be the legendary Dovahkiin. These are the blemishes that keep Skyrim for being my #1 game. But it's only by the narrowest of margins.
3. Batman: Arkham City; The first and last hours of Arkham City are absolutely spectacular - in fact if I were to judge the game solely based on those two hours of content it would easily be my GOTY. But the stuff in the middle has to also count for something and that's where things change. Don't get me wrong, AC is fantastic. But it starts and ends so strongly that the heart of the game suffers for it. The combat system is still incredible, of course. Not much else to say other than the Catwoman DLC douche move absolutely counted against where I rank this game. It was unsavory to say the least.
4. Saints Row The Third; You should play Saints Row. You really, really should. It's so much fun.
5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution; If art direction and character/environmental design were the only criteria for GOTY then DE:HR and Dead Space 2 would be tied for my GOTY. I have read through the little art book that came with the Augmented Edition several times. "Piss filter" or no, the amount of thought and care that went into designing the look of the game was huge. Right down to the crates, the medical equipment, and all the other small details. Faridah Malik is also my favorite character of the year. I have to say that I was kind of let down by the story. I felt like it was pretty heavy on the tropes and didn't break much new ground. Which is actually a similar criticism I had with the endgame of the original Deus Ex. The cheesed out boss fights were also a problem. I developed a character who was a hacked. To suddenly be thrust into a boss fight where none of my hacker skills were relevant was annoying and frustrating. This is all pretty well discussed to death, but it was a big factor this game isn't higher on my list.
6. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings; Probably the best story of the year. In a lot of ways I like it better than Skyrim, but I have had a hard time really connecting with any of the characters. I have also really struggled with the combat at times. Not the game's fault per se, but it has diminished my enjoyment a bit when I have to keep re-playing certain fights over and over.
7. Gears of War 3; Graphically impressive campaign, couldn't really get into it after marathoning Gears 1 and 2 a few days before. But let's talk about Horde and Beast modes. Those are why this game made my list. I had so much fun with them. And I expect I'll to continue to have fun with them for a long time to come. They're just really, really good.
8. Portal 2; In some ways I loved Portal 2 and in others I was disappointed by it. I thought it was cleverly written and that Wheatley stands out as yet another great character brought to us by Valve. But I thought the test chambers and other puzzles were pretty weak. The game felt neutered, like it had been focus tested based on the lowest common denominator. I'm not saying it should be ridiculously hard, but none of the puzzles ever bent my mind and made me feel kind of sick dizzy the way that Portal 1 did. In fact most of them never even really slowed me down - again, unlike Portal 1, which did a great job at keeping me challenged and off balance. And the lack of creative tools for modders is a shame. I know there is a mod kit, but from what I understand it sucks to work with. Why not create a toolset that easily lets people create their own challenges?
9. Battlefield 3; This game would have been ranked much higher if the campaign had not been such trash. If I could rank the multiplayer separately it would have been #2 or #3. But the campaign really, really drags it down. It's bad stuff. And while I've had great fun with the multiplayer, I've had more fun with a lot of other games ahead of it.
10. Dead Space 2; Not as scary as the first in the series but still scary enough to freak me out. Fantastic art direction and UI. I really can't believe this game is in 10th place. Which brings me to my conclusion -
This has been a year absolutely full of wonderful, quality games. To be honest I can find ways to justify any of the games on my list as my GOTY. If I stripped away everything else but some of the individual moments I've had in Battlefield 3 multi, such as zooming around a map hanging out the door of a chopper, dodging missiles, RPGs, and gunfire like a scene out of a movie - and then realizing that everything that is happening is being controlled by people. It wasn't a scripted sequence. Someone was really flying the chopper below treetop level, underneath bridges. Other players are really taking pot shots at us with AK-47s and RPGs. Those moments were pretty breathtaking. Or how about the moments in Gears 3 horde mode when we teamed up to bring down a lambent infected Berserker at wave 40 and the absolute chaos that came along with it. Or the end sequence of Portal 2. If I tried hard enough I could absolutely put any game on my list at #1. It's been that kind of year.
And then there are the honorable mentions and games I haven't even had a chance to play yet. Uncharted 3. Dark Souls. Skyward Sword. Mario 3D. Mario Kart 7. Mortal Kombat. WWE All Stars. Resistance 3. Killzone 3. Forza 4. Minecraft. Bulletstorm. Bastion. Xenoblade. The list just goes on and on. I can't remember another year where there has been so much quantity AND quality.
The thing I will remember about 2011 is that it was very much the opposite of previous years. In past years there were some great games that were expected to be great. There were some surprises - both good and bad. But in the end it always seemed like there were a few games at the top and then there was everything else. This year, everything is at the top. I know Skyrim is the odds on favorite, but like I already said twice before - a legitimate case can be made for at least 10 different 2011 releases to be game of the year. That's impressive as hell.
linko9
Member
1. Dark Souls- Best combat in an RPG, amazing world, great sense of accomplishment; this is what I want in a videogame.
2. Zelda Skyward Sword - It's more Zelda, and that's a good thing. But it's also new Zelda, which is refreshing. Controls were really good, and this is probably my favorite-looking Zelda ever (WW and LttP are close...). Best visuals of the generation, IMO (and from a Wii game!?)
3. Super Mario 3D land - Really, really fun game. Best Visuals on the system (and best 3D). Gameplay is exactly what it should be for a handheld mario.
4. Zelda: OoT 3D - Objectively, this is the best game of the year, but since I've played the original so many times it didn't have the wow factor that the games higher on this list did.
5. Dead Space 2 - More dead space, very nice.
6. Portal 2: Very good characters, very good puzzles.
7. Jamestown- better than Cave's most recent efforts... and that's saying something.
8. Bastion- awesome audio and visuals, pretty fun game.
9. Ghost Trick- Didn't like the ending... but everything else was great. Love the visuals and music, gameplay was pretty good.
10. Layton and the last specter- More Layton. This mainly gets on for London Life, which was giving off serious Mother 3 vibes. But the main game was fun too (worst of the main Layton games though...).
Didn't play all of the big games this year... but I played a hell of a lot of games from previous years, including:
2010: Bayonetta
Hopefully I'll get around to playing Bastion and Trine 2 before the deadline.
edit: played portal 2 and dead space 2 instead...
edit2: played bastion.
2. Zelda Skyward Sword - It's more Zelda, and that's a good thing. But it's also new Zelda, which is refreshing. Controls were really good, and this is probably my favorite-looking Zelda ever (WW and LttP are close...). Best visuals of the generation, IMO (and from a Wii game!?)
3. Super Mario 3D land - Really, really fun game. Best Visuals on the system (and best 3D). Gameplay is exactly what it should be for a handheld mario.
4. Zelda: OoT 3D - Objectively, this is the best game of the year, but since I've played the original so many times it didn't have the wow factor that the games higher on this list did.
5. Dead Space 2 - More dead space, very nice.
6. Portal 2: Very good characters, very good puzzles.
7. Jamestown- better than Cave's most recent efforts... and that's saying something.
8. Bastion- awesome audio and visuals, pretty fun game.
9. Ghost Trick- Didn't like the ending... but everything else was great. Love the visuals and music, gameplay was pretty good.
10. Layton and the last specter- More Layton. This mainly gets on for London Life, which was giving off serious Mother 3 vibes. But the main game was fun too (worst of the main Layton games though...).
Didn't play all of the big games this year... but I played a hell of a lot of games from previous years, including:
2010: Bayonetta
Hopefully I'll get around to playing Bastion and Trine 2 before the deadline.
edit: played portal 2 and dead space 2 instead...
edit2: played bastion.
Glass Rebel
Member
1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
2. Portal 2
3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
4. SpaceChem
5. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
6. The Binding of Isaac
7. Frozen Synapse
8. Orc Must Die
9. Warhammer 40k: Space Marine
10. Dungeon Siege III
2010. Sin & Punishment 2
I haven't really played much else this year :-/
2. Portal 2
3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
4. SpaceChem
5. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
6. The Binding of Isaac
7. Frozen Synapse
8. Orc Must Die
9. Warhammer 40k: Space Marine
10. Dungeon Siege III
2010. Sin & Punishment 2
I haven't really played much else this year :-/
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
So I have until 7th to finsih AC Revelations, Xenoblade and SM3DLand. OK.. Lets do this!
Saints Row 3 needs to be high in the final list, please, is so amazing.
Will vote in the next days.
Saints Row 3 needs to be high in the final list, please, is so amazing.
Will vote in the next days.
LowEndTorque
Member
1. Dark Souls
That is all.
That is all.
1. The Elder Scrolls : Skyrim ; PC version. Such an inspiring game.
2. Deus Ex : Human Revolution ; I was so afraid it would be crap. Turned out to be one of the very best games of this gen.
3. Portal 2 ; Outstanding narration and voice acting.
4. Bastion ; Such a great game coming out of nowhere. Took me by surprise.
5. Terraria ; Basically what Minecraft should have been.
6. Uncharted 3 : Drake's Deception ;
7. Legend of Zelda : Skyward Sword ;
8. L.A. Noire ;
9. Batman : Arkham City;
10. Super Mario 3D Land ; For showing me there is still hope for a good use of 3D.
X. Diablo III Beta ; I'm know a beta can't make the final list, but I'm already pretty sure this game will be on top of my list same time next year.
I will update my thoughts on the other games if I feel I need to.
2. Deus Ex : Human Revolution ; I was so afraid it would be crap. Turned out to be one of the very best games of this gen.
3. Portal 2 ; Outstanding narration and voice acting.
4. Bastion ; Such a great game coming out of nowhere. Took me by surprise.
5. Terraria ; Basically what Minecraft should have been.
6. Uncharted 3 : Drake's Deception ;
7. Legend of Zelda : Skyward Sword ;
8. L.A. Noire ;
9. Batman : Arkham City;
10. Super Mario 3D Land ; For showing me there is still hope for a good use of 3D.
X. Diablo III Beta ; I'm know a beta can't make the final list, but I'm already pretty sure this game will be on top of my list same time next year.
I will update my thoughts on the other games if I feel I need to.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword; Yeah it's kind of "more Zelda". But it did enough interesting things and it felt different enough with the motion controls to still be fresh for me. I admit that it could be because it's a game I played recently, but when I think back on the year, Zelda comes up as a very memorable thing for me. If anyone asked me what 2011 game they should play, I feel comfortable recommending this game to all types of gamers.
2. Dark Souls; Another very memorable game for me. I actually feel this wasn't as good as Demon's Souls, but it's still one of the best experiences I had this year. When I was actively playing it, I couldn't stop thinking about it (which made work really suck!). It's a very refreshing game and I don't feel there's anything like it in todays market.
3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky; It's a very classic style RPG. It felt like something I might find on the PSX, but it was a new experieince. I really wish for more of these types of RPGs. This was very fresh yet had hints of nostalgia for me. I loved every minute of it.
4. The Idolm@ster 2; [IMPORT] This was released on the PS3 this year. I'm not sure when the 360 version was, but I never played it since I don't have a 360. I hope this still counts. I absolutely love the music in this game. It took me a bit to really get into the sim part of it, but once I did, it was totally hooked. It's such a unique experience for me I just had to add it to my list. Also, did I mention I love the music? I enjoyed it so much I ended up buying a ton of CDs that I've been listening to pretty regularly.
If this is a valid entry, I think this needs to be added to the list.
5. Corpse Party; I bought this just to support the publisher honestly. I don't take too well to horror titles, and this was PSN release only, which was even more of a bummer. But when I got into it, I was totally surprised. The story was very engaging and I really liked the characters. I also found myself genuinely scared while playing. The game is just all like 16 bit RPG-esque sprites and still images, but it still manages to be scary. That's an achievement worth mentioning. If you are a horror fan, you owe it to yourself to play this game.
6. Catherine; I really enjoyed the characters in this game. The puzzles were getting a little meh by the end of the game, but they were fun for the most part. There were some frustrating controls and the order/chaos (or whatever) meter wasn't as much of a thing as they made it sound like. But I still very much enjoyed the story and the characters. The interactions in the bar were great.
7. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA; [IMPORT] Another game with music I really enjoyed. Not nearly as much as Idolm@ster, but still good. This is purely a rhythm game though. But even so I really enjoyed it. I never knew I would have so much fun unlocking costumes and stuff. I'm not sure what else there is to say. I just had a ton of fun with it, even if it's not the most unique game out there.
8. Super Mario 3D Land; Honestly, I was tired of Mario. But there aren't a lot of games on the 3DS, so I picked this up just because. I'm glad I did. This is a great game.
9. Uncharted 3; I think a lot of people were disappointed with this but I wasn't. It wasn't a huge step up from Uncharted 2, but I don't think it had to be. It was "more of the same" in a sense, but that's fine with me. I was ready for more Uncharted. I don't normally play these types of games and I suck with the whole aiming thing so I never noticed the bad aiming bug thing people were talking about. I just attributed it to my own ineptness.
10. Fate/Extra; I knew nothing about this universe when I went in. I bought it just because... But it really surprised me. I have some issues with the battle system because my memory is terrible, but I still had a lot of fun with it. The setting, story, characters were all very interesting to me. I found it to be very unique and unlike other games I've played.
There are some games I haven't finished yet. If I finish them by January 7, my list might change. These are the games that I am still playing that might make it onto my list:
Final Fantasy Type-0
Ar tonelico Qoga
Nora to Toki no Kōbō: Kiri no Mori no Majo
Valkyria Chronicles III
Xenoblade Chronicles
Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny
Atelier Totori
Note: I have listed import titles with [IMPORT] in the comments section of each entry. I am in Canada.
2. Dark Souls; Another very memorable game for me. I actually feel this wasn't as good as Demon's Souls, but it's still one of the best experiences I had this year. When I was actively playing it, I couldn't stop thinking about it (which made work really suck!). It's a very refreshing game and I don't feel there's anything like it in todays market.
3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky; It's a very classic style RPG. It felt like something I might find on the PSX, but it was a new experieince. I really wish for more of these types of RPGs. This was very fresh yet had hints of nostalgia for me. I loved every minute of it.
4. The Idolm@ster 2; [IMPORT] This was released on the PS3 this year. I'm not sure when the 360 version was, but I never played it since I don't have a 360. I hope this still counts. I absolutely love the music in this game. It took me a bit to really get into the sim part of it, but once I did, it was totally hooked. It's such a unique experience for me I just had to add it to my list. Also, did I mention I love the music? I enjoyed it so much I ended up buying a ton of CDs that I've been listening to pretty regularly.
If this is a valid entry, I think this needs to be added to the list.
5. Corpse Party; I bought this just to support the publisher honestly. I don't take too well to horror titles, and this was PSN release only, which was even more of a bummer. But when I got into it, I was totally surprised. The story was very engaging and I really liked the characters. I also found myself genuinely scared while playing. The game is just all like 16 bit RPG-esque sprites and still images, but it still manages to be scary. That's an achievement worth mentioning. If you are a horror fan, you owe it to yourself to play this game.
6. Catherine; I really enjoyed the characters in this game. The puzzles were getting a little meh by the end of the game, but they were fun for the most part. There were some frustrating controls and the order/chaos (or whatever) meter wasn't as much of a thing as they made it sound like. But I still very much enjoyed the story and the characters. The interactions in the bar were great.
7. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA; [IMPORT] Another game with music I really enjoyed. Not nearly as much as Idolm@ster, but still good. This is purely a rhythm game though. But even so I really enjoyed it. I never knew I would have so much fun unlocking costumes and stuff. I'm not sure what else there is to say. I just had a ton of fun with it, even if it's not the most unique game out there.
8. Super Mario 3D Land; Honestly, I was tired of Mario. But there aren't a lot of games on the 3DS, so I picked this up just because. I'm glad I did. This is a great game.
9. Uncharted 3; I think a lot of people were disappointed with this but I wasn't. It wasn't a huge step up from Uncharted 2, but I don't think it had to be. It was "more of the same" in a sense, but that's fine with me. I was ready for more Uncharted. I don't normally play these types of games and I suck with the whole aiming thing so I never noticed the bad aiming bug thing people were talking about. I just attributed it to my own ineptness.
10. Fate/Extra; I knew nothing about this universe when I went in. I bought it just because... But it really surprised me. I have some issues with the battle system because my memory is terrible, but I still had a lot of fun with it. The setting, story, characters were all very interesting to me. I found it to be very unique and unlike other games I've played.
There are some games I haven't finished yet. If I finish them by January 7, my list might change. These are the games that I am still playing that might make it onto my list:
Final Fantasy Type-0
Ar tonelico Qoga
Nora to Toki no Kōbō: Kiri no Mori no Majo
Valkyria Chronicles III
Xenoblade Chronicles
Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny
Atelier Totori
Note: I have listed import titles with [IMPORT] in the comments section of each entry. I am in Canada.
Jive Turkey
Unconfirmed Member
1. Portal 2; Just amazing. A great blend of humor and puzzle solving. The gels add a fresh new layer while keeping the core mechanics familiar.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword; The motion controls while not perfect are a perfect fit for Zelda. I can't wait to see what the future holds.
3. Spacechem; It's a shame this game won't see too many GOTY mentions because it is one of the freshest puzzle games in years.
4. Kirby's Return to Dreamland; Silly fun in solo and co-op play.
5.
NOTE: Bah...Don't have time to finish my list now but i'm going to post what I have now and I'll just edit later.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword; The motion controls while not perfect are a perfect fit for Zelda. I can't wait to see what the future holds.
3. Spacechem; It's a shame this game won't see too many GOTY mentions because it is one of the freshest puzzle games in years.
4. Kirby's Return to Dreamland; Silly fun in solo and co-op play.
5.
NOTE: Bah...Don't have time to finish my list now but i'm going to post what I have now and I'll just edit later.
GarthVaderUK
Banned
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; my favourite game this generation so far.
Keyser Soze
Member
1 - Xenoblade Chronicles
2 - Dark Souls
3 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
4 - Saints Row: The Third
5 - Driver: San Francisco
6 - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
7 - Bastion
8 - El Shaddai
9 - Portal 2
10 - Shadows of the Damned
2 - Dark Souls
3 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
4 - Saints Row: The Third
5 - Driver: San Francisco
6 - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
7 - Bastion
8 - El Shaddai
9 - Portal 2
10 - Shadows of the Damned
Is this your rule, or the actual voting? Because Tribes Ascend won't count then either?
timetokill
Banned
Games have to be officially released to count. Diablo 3 beta does not count.
1. Dark Souls ; By far the best game released this year. Just like its spiritual predecessor, this game is hard to figure out at first, but the satisfaction of mastering its obtuse elements is unparalleled. The level design during the later parts of the game and the later boss fights are lacking compared to Demon's Souls, but it doesn't hinder this game from being the very best game I've played all year.
2. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception ; Despite the issues I have with the game (the bugs, the bad controls at first, etc.), I still really loved this sequel. It's essentially more of the same, but I still find the series unmatched when it comes to production values and sheer fun. It also helps that the characters are so fun to watch and listen.
3. Batman: Arkham City ; The first impression was very poor. You're completely overwhelmed with audiovisual cues from EVERYWHERE, and you don't get to savor the many fantastic elements until everything clicks much later. But when it clicks, it clicks hard and becomes one amazing game. The game also has some of the most fun melee combat ever devised.
4. MotorStorm: Apocalypse ; A criminally underrated arcade racer that suffered due to extremely bad luck. Content-wise it was a little bit disappointing (single-player-wise), but on the multiplayer side, I haven't had this much fun in a while. Excellent level design and some fantastic competitive elements.
5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; I never thought I'd see this, but here's a truly fantastic sequel to one of the best games of all time (Invisible War doesn't exist in my world). Jensen was a cool character and the level design was very solid too. It was refreshing to play a freeform FPS game again, after all the hilariously linear experiences we've been plagued with.
6. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; Compared to Fallout: New Vegas, this game's a major disappointment due to the complete lack of personality. But the enormous world and the many cool quests helps you get drawn into the game. It's too bad the absolutely god-awful loot/item system and the level-scaling system blows in typical Bethesda fashion.
7. Dead Space 2 ; A truly great sequel, with fantastic production values and strong combat system. It's just a shame that the sequel decided to forgo the horror atmosphere and went with balls-out action instead.
8. InFamous 2 ; An excellent sequel to a game I found very good to begin with. The major bump in the presentation helped a lot, and the characters were well-realized. It's a shame the game feels so short due to the average side-quests.
9. LittleBigPlanet 2 ; A truly refined sequel, but I never got hooked to this game like with LBP1. It's bigger, better and more beautiful, but it was still very samey. But sameyness doesn't hurt the game too much, since it's still a unique experience in the current generation.
10. Killzone 3 ; You might be thinking, "KZ3 over Portal 2? HAH!" or something similar, but I truly found KZ3 to be an excellent shooter. The presentation is amazing (with some of the most cohesive art direction ever), and the actual gunplay itself still feels fantastic, with a proper boost in the audio department. The single-player campaign was too short and linear, unfortunately and the MP had some kinks which prevents me from placing it higher on my list.
x. Portal 2 ; I never really liked Portal 1 and found it overhyped as hell. Portal 2 was a much, much, much improved sequel, and the co-op campaign was fantastic. Unfortunately, I thought the actual story feel completely flat, since I never found the characters to be fun at all. Merchant's delivery simply didn't click with me at all.
x. Resistance 3 ; A solid improvement over the second game, with a fantastic single-player campaign. Unfortunately, the visual drawbacks really soured me on the game, and the multiplayer was not to my liking at all since it felt like an unpolished early 00's FPS.
x. Rayman Origins ; A great platformer game, and the best 2D graphics I've ever seen, I think. The reason I haven't placed this game on my top 10 list is because 1) platformers have never been my go-to games and 2) I easily get frustrated since my platforming skills are lacking.
x. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings ; The Witcher 1 is a stupendously overhyped game, and I dare say I find the second game to be overhyped too. Presentation-wise, few games come close, but the actual RPG gameplay is nothing for me, since I like it more freeform. Choices that actually matter is a nice approach, but everything inbetween doesn't make me squeal in joy. It's still a good enough game to be included here, though.
2. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception ; Despite the issues I have with the game (the bugs, the bad controls at first, etc.), I still really loved this sequel. It's essentially more of the same, but I still find the series unmatched when it comes to production values and sheer fun. It also helps that the characters are so fun to watch and listen.
3. Batman: Arkham City ; The first impression was very poor. You're completely overwhelmed with audiovisual cues from EVERYWHERE, and you don't get to savor the many fantastic elements until everything clicks much later. But when it clicks, it clicks hard and becomes one amazing game. The game also has some of the most fun melee combat ever devised.
4. MotorStorm: Apocalypse ; A criminally underrated arcade racer that suffered due to extremely bad luck. Content-wise it was a little bit disappointing (single-player-wise), but on the multiplayer side, I haven't had this much fun in a while. Excellent level design and some fantastic competitive elements.
5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; I never thought I'd see this, but here's a truly fantastic sequel to one of the best games of all time (Invisible War doesn't exist in my world). Jensen was a cool character and the level design was very solid too. It was refreshing to play a freeform FPS game again, after all the hilariously linear experiences we've been plagued with.
6. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; Compared to Fallout: New Vegas, this game's a major disappointment due to the complete lack of personality. But the enormous world and the many cool quests helps you get drawn into the game. It's too bad the absolutely god-awful loot/item system and the level-scaling system blows in typical Bethesda fashion.
7. Dead Space 2 ; A truly great sequel, with fantastic production values and strong combat system. It's just a shame that the sequel decided to forgo the horror atmosphere and went with balls-out action instead.
8. InFamous 2 ; An excellent sequel to a game I found very good to begin with. The major bump in the presentation helped a lot, and the characters were well-realized. It's a shame the game feels so short due to the average side-quests.
9. LittleBigPlanet 2 ; A truly refined sequel, but I never got hooked to this game like with LBP1. It's bigger, better and more beautiful, but it was still very samey. But sameyness doesn't hurt the game too much, since it's still a unique experience in the current generation.
10. Killzone 3 ; You might be thinking, "KZ3 over Portal 2? HAH!" or something similar, but I truly found KZ3 to be an excellent shooter. The presentation is amazing (with some of the most cohesive art direction ever), and the actual gunplay itself still feels fantastic, with a proper boost in the audio department. The single-player campaign was too short and linear, unfortunately and the MP had some kinks which prevents me from placing it higher on my list.
x. Portal 2 ; I never really liked Portal 1 and found it overhyped as hell. Portal 2 was a much, much, much improved sequel, and the co-op campaign was fantastic. Unfortunately, I thought the actual story feel completely flat, since I never found the characters to be fun at all. Merchant's delivery simply didn't click with me at all.
x. Resistance 3 ; A solid improvement over the second game, with a fantastic single-player campaign. Unfortunately, the visual drawbacks really soured me on the game, and the multiplayer was not to my liking at all since it felt like an unpolished early 00's FPS.
x. Rayman Origins ; A great platformer game, and the best 2D graphics I've ever seen, I think. The reason I haven't placed this game on my top 10 list is because 1) platformers have never been my go-to games and 2) I easily get frustrated since my platforming skills are lacking.
x. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings ; The Witcher 1 is a stupendously overhyped game, and I dare say I find the second game to be overhyped too. Presentation-wise, few games come close, but the actual RPG gameplay is nothing for me, since I like it more freeform. Choices that actually matter is a nice approach, but everything inbetween doesn't make me squeal in joy. It's still a good enough game to be included here, though.
Yoshichan
And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
Chip N Chance
Member
1. Portal 2
2. Batman: Arkham City
3. Uncharted 3
4. Mortal Kombat
5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
6. Super Mario 3D Land
7. Gears of War 3
8. Assassin's Creed: Revelations
9. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Honorable Mentions.
Mario Kart 7
Crysis 2
MX Vs ATV: Alive
2. Batman: Arkham City
3. Uncharted 3
4. Mortal Kombat
5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
6. Super Mario 3D Land
7. Gears of War 3
8. Assassin's Creed: Revelations
9. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Honorable Mentions.
Mario Kart 7
Crysis 2
MX Vs ATV: Alive
Metalmurphy
Member
Wait... Mass Effect 2 was this year? Man I thought it had been longer.
*edit* Oh... PS3. Should that even count?
*edit* Oh... PS3. Should that even count?
Yoshichan
And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
PS3-version.
Why wouldn't it*edit* Oh... PS3. Should that even count?
?Dedication Through Light
Member
1. inFamous 2 - A huge step up from the first one and with less annoying missions. The character cast and graphics were great and the music completely unforgettable. I enjoyed the city.
2. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
3. Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3; DW Style with Gundam 00 characters and great graphics, sheer fun. I was hooked upwards of 60 hours.
4. Bleach Soul Resurreccion; DW style with Ichigo, Rukia, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra, and great graphics. It was pretty fun.
5. Motorstorm Apocalypse
6 L.A. Noire
7. Catherine
8. Disgaea 4: Absence of Justice
9. Assassin's Creed: Revelations
10. Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel - Utterly unforgettable, Aoto and the battle system was cool.
x. Mass Effect 2 (PS3): Ended up playing it and finding it amazing. I loved the story and the cast Miranda especially. I enjoyed the mix of genres and morality story choices.
2010: Resonance of Fate: Probably my favorite RPG this gen, ignoring its story. Character interactions and battle system was amazing. Only RPG I stuck with enough to get 100% trophies on. Zephyr is probably one of my favorite protagonists this gen (well and Edge from SO4).
2. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
3. Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3; DW Style with Gundam 00 characters and great graphics, sheer fun. I was hooked upwards of 60 hours.
4. Bleach Soul Resurreccion; DW style with Ichigo, Rukia, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra, and great graphics. It was pretty fun.
5. Motorstorm Apocalypse
6 L.A. Noire
7. Catherine
8. Disgaea 4: Absence of Justice
9. Assassin's Creed: Revelations
10. Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel - Utterly unforgettable, Aoto and the battle system was cool.
x. Mass Effect 2 (PS3): Ended up playing it and finding it amazing. I loved the story and the cast Miranda especially. I enjoyed the mix of genres and morality story choices.
2010: Resonance of Fate: Probably my favorite RPG this gen, ignoring its story. Character interactions and battle system was amazing. Only RPG I stuck with enough to get 100% trophies on. Zephyr is probably one of my favorite protagonists this gen (well and Edge from SO4).
- Status