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GAF Games of the Year 2011 - Voting Thread - Voting's Over, Folks!
- Thread starter timetokill
- Start date
- Status
1. Tactics Ogre - Let us Cling Together ;
2. The Witcher 2 - Assassin of Kings ;
3. Deus Ex - Human Revolution ;
4. Dragon Quest VI : Realms of Revelation ;
5. Cladun x2 ;
6. Dark Souls ;
7. Xenoblade ;
8. Persona 2 : Innocent Sin ;
9. ;
10. Jamestown ;
Will finish, reorder and add thoughts to my list later on
2. The Witcher 2 - Assassin of Kings ;
3. Deus Ex - Human Revolution ;
4. Dragon Quest VI : Realms of Revelation ;
5. Cladun x2 ;
6. Dark Souls ;
7. Xenoblade ;
8. Persona 2 : Innocent Sin ;
9. ;
10. Jamestown ;
Will finish, reorder and add thoughts to my list later on
Top 5 are all very close.
1. Batman: Arkham City
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
3. The Witcher 2
4. Legend of Zelda - Skyward Sword
5. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
6. Portal 2
7. Battlefield 3
8. Gears of War 3
9. Mortal Kombat
10. Saints Row: The Third
I would rate Star Wars: The Old Republic very highly but I feel that since it literally released the last couple weeks of the year, it would fit 2012 more than 2011.
1. Batman: Arkham City
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
3. The Witcher 2
4. Legend of Zelda - Skyward Sword
5. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
6. Portal 2
7. Battlefield 3
8. Gears of War 3
9. Mortal Kombat
10. Saints Row: The Third
I would rate Star Wars: The Old Republic very highly but I feel that since it literally released the last couple weeks of the year, it would fit 2012 more than 2011.
1. Kirby Mass Attack - Crazy? Well, I haven't felt this much love for a game before in ages. I played it for 45 hours in the space of a few weeks and loved every second of it. Give it a go if you like amazing games. The Mini games are reason enough to try it.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - I had mixed feelings about this, but upon reflection, the game is outstanding and does so much so beautifully. It has flaws, but they fall by the wayside after the credits have rolled and the epic music has finished.
3. Uncharted 3 - This one divided the community, but I loved every second. Perfect to me in every way, beautiful, exhilarating, full of stunning moments and interesting set pieces. Gold.
4. Mario Kart 7 - The most eye pleasing 3D I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. The game is more of the same magical Mario Kart, with customisation and fantastic net play. I've sunk more hours into it than I could have imagined.
5. Super Mario 3D Land - More Mario mayhem from EAD, I think I played through this too quickly to truly appreciate it. When the dust settled, I was left knowing I had played something of console quality, I just need to sit back down with it and play it again.
6. Shadows of the Damned - The wonderful Suda 51, never fails to deliver for me. I love every piece he puts out, but this one, this has some great memories attached to it. I really love the characters, especially Garcia, seeing as he is a tattooed badass like me. Brilliant action, vivid colours and macabre enemy design. Sign me up again.
7. Pullblox/Pushmo/Hiku-Osu - Mallo, sweet, sweet Mallo. The game is pure genius. It made a puzzle fan out of me. £5.40 for near infinite content? Call me crazy but this should have been a retail title. UNMISSABLE.
8. Gears of War 3 - A really stunning ending to the Gears Trilogy. I knew it was special because it made me cry real honest man tears, you know the part I mean. Fucking powerful stuff that will never be forgotten. Combine with that, the RAAM's Shadow DLC and you have the best shooter/action game on 360.
9. Dead Space 2 - Better than the original in almost every way. New mechanics and weapons added a lot to proceedings and although the game felt less scary than the original, it still managed to keep me on the edge of my seat. A definite repurchase for me in 2012.
10. LA Noire - The game was fresh, interesting and set in my favourite decade. It definitely had some issues, but looking back at the game, I can safely say that it was the most unique title I played in 2011.
Honourable mentions go to:
Shadows of the Colossus HD - First time playing the game and it was unbelievably amazing. I'd put this in the top 3 if it was a viable candidate, but it isn't, so it goes here.
Infamous: Festival of Blood
Killzone 3
Arkham City
And the following 2011 will be played in 2012 hence their exclusion from my 2011 list:
Crysis 2, Deus Ex, Alice, Bulletstorm, Rayman, Rage, Resistance 3, El Shaddai, AC: Revelations, Bastion.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - I had mixed feelings about this, but upon reflection, the game is outstanding and does so much so beautifully. It has flaws, but they fall by the wayside after the credits have rolled and the epic music has finished.
3. Uncharted 3 - This one divided the community, but I loved every second. Perfect to me in every way, beautiful, exhilarating, full of stunning moments and interesting set pieces. Gold.
4. Mario Kart 7 - The most eye pleasing 3D I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. The game is more of the same magical Mario Kart, with customisation and fantastic net play. I've sunk more hours into it than I could have imagined.
5. Super Mario 3D Land - More Mario mayhem from EAD, I think I played through this too quickly to truly appreciate it. When the dust settled, I was left knowing I had played something of console quality, I just need to sit back down with it and play it again.
6. Shadows of the Damned - The wonderful Suda 51, never fails to deliver for me. I love every piece he puts out, but this one, this has some great memories attached to it. I really love the characters, especially Garcia, seeing as he is a tattooed badass like me. Brilliant action, vivid colours and macabre enemy design. Sign me up again.
7. Pullblox/Pushmo/Hiku-Osu - Mallo, sweet, sweet Mallo. The game is pure genius. It made a puzzle fan out of me. £5.40 for near infinite content? Call me crazy but this should have been a retail title. UNMISSABLE.
8. Gears of War 3 - A really stunning ending to the Gears Trilogy. I knew it was special because it made me cry real honest man tears, you know the part I mean. Fucking powerful stuff that will never be forgotten. Combine with that, the RAAM's Shadow DLC and you have the best shooter/action game on 360.
9. Dead Space 2 - Better than the original in almost every way. New mechanics and weapons added a lot to proceedings and although the game felt less scary than the original, it still managed to keep me on the edge of my seat. A definite repurchase for me in 2012.
10. LA Noire - The game was fresh, interesting and set in my favourite decade. It definitely had some issues, but looking back at the game, I can safely say that it was the most unique title I played in 2011.
Honourable mentions go to:
Shadows of the Colossus HD - First time playing the game and it was unbelievably amazing. I'd put this in the top 3 if it was a viable candidate, but it isn't, so it goes here.
Infamous: Festival of Blood
Killzone 3
Arkham City
And the following 2011 will be played in 2012 hence their exclusion from my 2011 list:
Crysis 2, Deus Ex, Alice, Bulletstorm, Rayman, Rage, Resistance 3, El Shaddai, AC: Revelations, Bastion.
1. Dark Souls
2. Portal 2
3. Crimzon Clover
4. Bastion
5. LittleBigPlanet 2
6. Uncharted 3
7. Dead Space 2
8. Atelier Totori
9. Child of Eden
10. PixelJunk Shooter 2
Honorable Mentions:
x. ICO/Shadow of the Colossus HD Collection
x. PixelJunk SideScroller
x. Jamestown
x. The Binding of Isaac
2. Portal 2
3. Crimzon Clover
4. Bastion
5. LittleBigPlanet 2
6. Uncharted 3
7. Dead Space 2
8. Atelier Totori
9. Child of Eden
10. PixelJunk Shooter 2
Honorable Mentions:
x. ICO/Shadow of the Colossus HD Collection
x. PixelJunk SideScroller
x. Jamestown
x. The Binding of Isaac
I agree. January 7th is too early. I understand the media rushing it because they need content on their site while they are enjoying a 2-3 week break, but GAF could definitely wait a little longer before asking people to make their decision.
1. Dark Souls ; A ridiculously tough game that challenges you on even the simplest of fights, and ridicules you on the boss fights. Hard would be an adequate word to describe this game, but you'd be selling it short. It's fucking brutal. And for as brutal as it is, it's so amazing. The feeling of satisfaction you get after taking down a boss or getting past a tough part in the game is euphoric. Never has being challenged so much in a game made it so good.
2. Battlefield 3 ; Battlefield is such an amazing game. When you're playing with a squad of people going for objectives, defending objectives, and communicating throughout all of this, you can almost feel like you're on a battlefield and really helping turn the tide of a battle you're taking part in.
3. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception ; I would have really liked to give this game a higher rating but there are a bunch of issues that prevent that from happening. Lazily designed firefights that are more of an exercise of memorizing where the enemy spawn closets are rather than actual combat, and a formula that has gotten a bit too formulaic, even for a formulaic game series. Uncharted never reinvented the wheel, but the game almost feels insulting when you know that the ledge you're hanging onto is gonna start to crumble, or an explosion is gonna happen as you walk past a certain point in a hallway, because it's the 'Uncharted' way of things happening. The game still looks amazing, and the story is great, and after the aim-patch, it plays amazing, but not number 1 GOTY caliber.
Honorable Mentions:
x. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ; A ridiculously fun game. Unfortunately the game is the same it's been for a number of years, so giving it a GOTY nod isn't realistic because the game hasn't changed in forever. SP is pretty good though, and unlike BF3, MW3 knows that a FPS SP should be short and sweet.
x. Gears of War 3 ; A super balanced game that manages to lose all the fun in the effort to make it balanced. Unfortunate, because the multi-player runs so flawlessly now.
2. Battlefield 3 ; Battlefield is such an amazing game. When you're playing with a squad of people going for objectives, defending objectives, and communicating throughout all of this, you can almost feel like you're on a battlefield and really helping turn the tide of a battle you're taking part in.
3. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception ; I would have really liked to give this game a higher rating but there are a bunch of issues that prevent that from happening. Lazily designed firefights that are more of an exercise of memorizing where the enemy spawn closets are rather than actual combat, and a formula that has gotten a bit too formulaic, even for a formulaic game series. Uncharted never reinvented the wheel, but the game almost feels insulting when you know that the ledge you're hanging onto is gonna start to crumble, or an explosion is gonna happen as you walk past a certain point in a hallway, because it's the 'Uncharted' way of things happening. The game still looks amazing, and the story is great, and after the aim-patch, it plays amazing, but not number 1 GOTY caliber.
Honorable Mentions:
x. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ; A ridiculously fun game. Unfortunately the game is the same it's been for a number of years, so giving it a GOTY nod isn't realistic because the game hasn't changed in forever. SP is pretty good though, and unlike BF3, MW3 knows that a FPS SP should be short and sweet.
x. Gears of War 3 ; A super balanced game that manages to lose all the fun in the effort to make it balanced. Unfortunate, because the multi-player runs so flawlessly now.
Wolfgunblood Garopa
Member
1. Skyrim
2. LA Noire
3. Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
4. The King of Fighters XIII
5. The Witcher 2
6. Mortal Kombat
7. Dark Souls
8. Alice: Madness Returns
9. Dead Island
10. Child of Eden
2. LA Noire
3. Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
4. The King of Fighters XIII
5. The Witcher 2
6. Mortal Kombat
7. Dark Souls
8. Alice: Madness Returns
9. Dead Island
10. Child of Eden
semiconscious
Member
not my most memorable year for 'pure awesome' releases, for sure - i actually had to use the master list to remind myself of what i'd played . just the fact that, were it not disqualified, the team ico hd collection'd be far'n'away my #1 probably says it all...
anyway, based strictly on 'personal fun factor':
1. yakuza 4 ; of all the sequels released this year, this one worked best for me. really liked the decision to go with multiple lead characters/styles, & thought that, for the most part, the individual storylines/side-missions were very well done...
2. catherine ; most original, best sense of humor, & first in disturbingly frantic gameplay ...
3. tactics ogre: let us cling together ; everything it was said to be. srpg greatness, featuring one of the coolest final boss battles evah!...
4. ghost trick: phantom detective ; second most original, second best sense of humor, & first in ingeniously clever gameplay...
5. dark souls ; never even finished it, but just being able to re-experience the 'demon's souls vibe' was more than enough for me...
6. alice: madness returns ; personal surprise of the year. disliked the first game, & had no interest whatsoever. wow, was i ever wrong . very good mechanics, & some truly gorgeous/hallucinatory environments...
7. uncharted 3: drake's deception ; if i liked shooters more, it'd be higher ...
8. assassin's creed: revelations ; constantinople!...
9. elder scrolls v: skyrim ; nerdmersive goty. nerdmersion: a form of immersion, whereby one's sense of immersion incorporates glaring mechanical limits/inconsistencies into a larger overall sense of 'reality'. example: a bandit leader once again tells himself 'must be my imagination', & once again returns to his bedroll, while totally ignoring the 3 arrows sticking from his back. &, somehow, this feels 'real'...
10. batman: arkham city ; if it'd been catwoman: arkham city, it'd be higher ...
. just the fact that, were it not disqualified, the team ico hd collection'd be far'n'away my #1 probably says it all...anyway, based strictly on 'personal fun factor':
1. yakuza 4 ; of all the sequels released this year, this one worked best for me. really liked the decision to go with multiple lead characters/styles, & thought that, for the most part, the individual storylines/side-missions were very well done...
2. catherine ; most original, best sense of humor, & first in disturbingly frantic gameplay
...3. tactics ogre: let us cling together ; everything it was said to be. srpg greatness, featuring one of the coolest final boss battles evah!...
4. ghost trick: phantom detective ; second most original, second best sense of humor, & first in ingeniously clever gameplay...
5. dark souls ; never even finished it, but just being able to re-experience the 'demon's souls vibe' was more than enough for me...
6. alice: madness returns ; personal surprise of the year. disliked the first game, & had no interest whatsoever. wow, was i ever wrong
. very good mechanics, & some truly gorgeous/hallucinatory environments...7. uncharted 3: drake's deception ; if i liked shooters more, it'd be higher
...8. assassin's creed: revelations ; constantinople!...
9. elder scrolls v: skyrim ; nerdmersive goty. nerdmersion: a form of immersion, whereby one's sense of immersion incorporates glaring mechanical limits/inconsistencies into a larger overall sense of 'reality'. example: a bandit leader once again tells himself 'must be my imagination', & once again returns to his bedroll, while totally ignoring the 3 arrows sticking from his back. &, somehow, this feels 'real'...
10. batman: arkham city ; if it'd been catwoman: arkham city, it'd be higher
...
lowrider007
Licorice-flavoured booze?
7th of Jan is too early, there have been so many games come out recently can we please have it extended? even a week would help.
1. Skyrim
2. LA Noire
3. FIFA 12
4. Battlefield 3
5. Batman: Arkham City
Uhhh, that's all I have for this year. Wow, I certianly didn't play very many games this year. Interestingly, there's not a single exclusive on my list either. I think the only big exclusives I played this year were Gran Turismo 5 and Infamous 2 and neither were good enough to be put on my list.
2. LA Noire
3. FIFA 12
4. Battlefield 3
5. Batman: Arkham City
Uhhh, that's all I have for this year. Wow, I certianly didn't play very many games this year. Interestingly, there's not a single exclusive on my list either. I think the only big exclusives I played this year were Gran Turismo 5 and Infamous 2 and neither were good enough to be put on my list.
Metalmurphy
Member
And one of them isn't even from 2011.
I would love an extension too -- there's quite a few games I feel I need to play through before I can safely say I have a list of the best (Xenoblade Chronicles, Deus Ex: HR, Alice: Madness Returns, Zelda: SS, Portal 2, Infamous 2 being the main ones for me). I would include Dark Souls in that but I know I wouldn't get finished by the end of January for that one.
TheRagnCajun
Member
1. Dark Souls
2. Terraria
3. Frozen Synapse
4. Tactics Ogre
2. Terraria
3. Frozen Synapse
4. Tactics Ogre
faulty_fork
Member
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; Consumed me for weeks, so much fun exploring and questing to do.
2. Batman: Arkham City ; Loved the combat system and had surprisingly much fun doing all the side stuff in Arkham City.
3. Battlefield 3 ; Best experience I've had in multiplayer this year, sounds and plays fantastic.
4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; Met almost all the expectations I had on a Deus Ex sequel. Really enjoyed the open level design and the interesting conversations.
5. Dark Souls ; Both frustrating and very rewarding, had a great time getting through it with the rest of GAF.
6. Gears of War 3 ; Very polished end to the trilogy, horde mode is so good this time.
7. Dead Space 2 ; Most atmospheric and chilling experience this year.
8. Dead Island ; Loved cutting up zombies with my knife wielding asian lady
9. Portal 2 ; Very funny and intelligent game, just wish I had more fun actually playing it.
10. L.A. Noire ; Really enjoyed solving some of the cases and it was a nice diversion from all the more action packed games.
x. Iron Brigade ; My favorite Live Arcade game of this year, perfect for someone like me that both really like Tower Defence and mechs.
Almost exclusively played 360 games this year, thus the lack of PS3 and PC exclusives. Still have Assassins Creed: Revelations and Modern Warfare 3 left to play so they may steal a spot.
2. Batman: Arkham City ; Loved the combat system and had surprisingly much fun doing all the side stuff in Arkham City.
3. Battlefield 3 ; Best experience I've had in multiplayer this year, sounds and plays fantastic.
4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; Met almost all the expectations I had on a Deus Ex sequel. Really enjoyed the open level design and the interesting conversations.
5. Dark Souls ; Both frustrating and very rewarding, had a great time getting through it with the rest of GAF.
6. Gears of War 3 ; Very polished end to the trilogy, horde mode is so good this time.
7. Dead Space 2 ; Most atmospheric and chilling experience this year.
8. Dead Island ; Loved cutting up zombies with my knife wielding asian lady
9. Portal 2 ; Very funny and intelligent game, just wish I had more fun actually playing it.
10. L.A. Noire ; Really enjoyed solving some of the cases and it was a nice diversion from all the more action packed games.
x. Iron Brigade ; My favorite Live Arcade game of this year, perfect for someone like me that both really like Tower Defence and mechs.
Almost exclusively played 360 games this year, thus the lack of PS3 and PC exclusives. Still have Assassins Creed: Revelations and Modern Warfare 3 left to play so they may steal a spot.
acheron_xl
Member
I don't think I can go 10 deep without dipping into some weird shit. Also there are some games on my pile (DX:HR for example) that I can't make an honest judgement call on.
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Games like this are a big reason why I play games. Even crashes and purple dragons hasn't been able to tamp down my joy for this game.
2. Minecraft - LTTP on this one, it's been utterly devouring my brain and any available free time I've had since I've gotten it.
3. Portal 2 - Great stuff. Amazing writing.
4. Uncharted 3 - It's not U2, but that's ok. It's still awesome.
5. Bulletstorm - I had so much fun with this. Looked good. Played well. Perfectly dumb fun.
6. Infamous 2 - I like open world games that make you feel like a badass.
7. Super Mario 3D Land - So slick. Looks good. Very inventive.
8. MLB 11: The Show - Another good one in the series. First time that online wasn't totally unplayable.
2010:
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit - Got it on a Steam sale and was delighted with it. I shouldn't be surprised, I played the shit out of Burnout Paradise. Criterion knows what they're doing.
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Games like this are a big reason why I play games. Even crashes and purple dragons hasn't been able to tamp down my joy for this game.
2. Minecraft - LTTP on this one, it's been utterly devouring my brain and any available free time I've had since I've gotten it.
3. Portal 2 - Great stuff. Amazing writing.
4. Uncharted 3 - It's not U2, but that's ok. It's still awesome.
5. Bulletstorm - I had so much fun with this. Looked good. Played well. Perfectly dumb fun.
6. Infamous 2 - I like open world games that make you feel like a badass.
7. Super Mario 3D Land - So slick. Looks good. Very inventive.
8. MLB 11: The Show - Another good one in the series. First time that online wasn't totally unplayable.
2010:
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit - Got it on a Steam sale and was delighted with it. I shouldn't be surprised, I played the shit out of Burnout Paradise. Criterion knows what they're doing.
Dash Kappei
Not actually that important
Yeah, we need an extension.
SuperSonic1305
Member
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
3. Dark Souls
4. inFAMOUS 2
5. NHL 12
6. FIFA 12
7. Killzone 3
8. Star Wars: The Old Republic
9. Mortal Kombat
10. LA Noire
This list would have been so different if I actually played half the games I bought this year. I have Portal 2, Saints, and Gears 3 just sitting there.
2. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
3. Dark Souls
4. inFAMOUS 2
5. NHL 12
6. FIFA 12
7. Killzone 3
8. Star Wars: The Old Republic
9. Mortal Kombat
10. LA Noire
This list would have been so different if I actually played half the games I bought this year. I have Portal 2, Saints, and Gears 3 just sitting there.
maquiladora
Member
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2. Uncharted 3
3. L.A. Noire
4. Batman: Arkham City
5. Killzone 3
2. Uncharted 3
3. L.A. Noire
4. Batman: Arkham City
5. Killzone 3
Has there been a post with the standings so far?
No way! I was flabbergasted that this ends on the 7th!
Almost all of us have games to play still, and know what? If a person didn't make time to play them before the end of the first week of the next year, then se la vie. I wouldn't say this if it were a small publication making an official announcement, but on a forum with so many users these things will find a way to even themselves out.
People can make their "OMG, LTTP: RAYMAN IS AWESOME" threads in July. No need to make everyone else wait for results because of procrastinators swearing that in the next month they're going to play all of the dozen games they have left. No no, seriously, we mean it this time! I say this as Chief Procrastinator.
No way! I was flabbergasted that this ends on the 7th!
Almost all of us have games to play still, and know what? If a person didn't make time to play them before the end of the first week of the next year, then se la vie. I wouldn't say this if it were a small publication making an official announcement, but on a forum with so many users these things will find a way to even themselves out.
People can make their "OMG, LTTP: RAYMAN IS AWESOME" threads in July. No need to make everyone else wait for results because of procrastinators swearing that in the next month they're going to play all of the dozen games they have left. No no, seriously, we mean it this time! I say this as Chief Procrastinator.
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; The most fun I had with a game this year. Some of the enthusiasm is wearing off after 50 hours, but most games have trouble hooking me for half as long.
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; This was my GOTY before Skyrim. Enjoyed the story. Enjoyed the exploration and freedom to choose my play style. A great game that would have easily been my top choice last year.
3. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together ; Probably the best game in its genre. This would be the perfect SRPG if the crafting system wasn't so tedious, and if the recipes for the game's best items weren't hidden in time-sensitive optional content.
4. Bastion ; My top indie game of the year. Good writing, a great soundtrack, and addicting gameplay. Getting this for $3.75 during a Steam sale was the best buy of the year.
5. Portal 2 ; By far the best writing of the year. While I appreciate how intuitive the gameplay and puzzles were, I felt as though the game had worn out its welcome by the end of my 7-8 hours. Still, an excellent game.
6. Minecraft ; Minecraft is one of those games where you set out to play for 30 mins and end up playing for 3 hours. I have had an on-again off-again addiction to the title since purchasing it a year ago at the end of the alpha stage.
7. Super Mario 3D Land ; My least favourite 3D Mario title, but the best portable Mario title to date (and better than most portable games period).
8. Uncharted 3 ; The most disappointing game on this list (for me), but still one of the best games I played this year. The presentation was a great as always, but the gameplay is starting to feel formulaic. I think the Uncharted series could use a longer cool down period. Maybe make a return on PS4 in 2014/2015.
9. Dungeons of Dreadmor ; A great rogue-like that is friendly to those new to the genre. Hopefully everyone bought it yesterday on Steam for $1.24. I recommend playing with perma-death turned on.
10. SpaceChem ; I was going to go with Pokemon Black, but this game deserves the vote more. Challenging, addicting, and sort of educational. If you like logic puzzles you will love this game.
x. Terraria ; A solid Minecraft/RPG hybrid.
x. Pokemon Black ; Fun but not revolutionary. Probably the best mainline Pokemon game since Gold/Silver.
x. Cthulhu Saves the World (PC) ; Highlygood sended if you enjoy 16-bit rpgs and have a geeky sense of humour.
I still have to play Arkham City, The Witcher 2, and Skyward Sword, but other than that, I think this will end up being my definitive list for 2011 titles. It's possible that I have missed out on some indie gems as well. Overall, I would say this was the best year for gaming since 2007.
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; This was my GOTY before Skyrim. Enjoyed the story. Enjoyed the exploration and freedom to choose my play style. A great game that would have easily been my top choice last year.
3. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together ; Probably the best game in its genre. This would be the perfect SRPG if the crafting system wasn't so tedious, and if the recipes for the game's best items weren't hidden in time-sensitive optional content.
4. Bastion ; My top indie game of the year. Good writing, a great soundtrack, and addicting gameplay. Getting this for $3.75 during a Steam sale was the best buy of the year.
5. Portal 2 ; By far the best writing of the year. While I appreciate how intuitive the gameplay and puzzles were, I felt as though the game had worn out its welcome by the end of my 7-8 hours. Still, an excellent game.
6. Minecraft ; Minecraft is one of those games where you set out to play for 30 mins and end up playing for 3 hours. I have had an on-again off-again addiction to the title since purchasing it a year ago at the end of the alpha stage.
7. Super Mario 3D Land ; My least favourite 3D Mario title, but the best portable Mario title to date (and better than most portable games period).
8. Uncharted 3 ; The most disappointing game on this list (for me), but still one of the best games I played this year. The presentation was a great as always, but the gameplay is starting to feel formulaic. I think the Uncharted series could use a longer cool down period. Maybe make a return on PS4 in 2014/2015.
9. Dungeons of Dreadmor ; A great rogue-like that is friendly to those new to the genre. Hopefully everyone bought it yesterday on Steam for $1.24. I recommend playing with perma-death turned on.
10. SpaceChem ; I was going to go with Pokemon Black, but this game deserves the vote more. Challenging, addicting, and sort of educational. If you like logic puzzles you will love this game.
x. Terraria ; A solid Minecraft/RPG hybrid.
x. Pokemon Black ; Fun but not revolutionary. Probably the best mainline Pokemon game since Gold/Silver.
x. Cthulhu Saves the World (PC) ; Highlygood sended if you enjoy 16-bit rpgs and have a geeky sense of humour.
I still have to play Arkham City, The Witcher 2, and Skyward Sword, but other than that, I think this will end up being my definitive list for 2011 titles. It's possible that I have missed out on some indie gems as well. Overall, I would say this was the best year for gaming since 2007.
timetokill
Banned
No, and there won't be. They tend to influence people's voting in adverse ways.
Better to let people just vote without making the console warriors worry.
Clairvoyance
Member
1. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
2. Pokemon White (or Black)
3. Xenoblade
4. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
5. COD: Modern Warfare 3
6. Ocarine of Time 3D
2. Pokemon White (or Black)
3. Xenoblade
4. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
5. COD: Modern Warfare 3
6. Ocarine of Time 3D
1. Portal 2 - Portal 2 featured some of the funniest dialogue I've ever experienced in a game, wrapped around characters and a universe I find genuinely funny, and harrowing at the same time. When i picked up the turret from the conveyor belt and it whispered "help me", I knew this was my game of the year. Not only this, but such enjoyable dialogue and story flavoured an intensely enjoyable and intriguing puzzle game. Then there's the original and detailed CO-OP mode. Then there's the lemons. No brainer for me.
2. Battlefield 3 - Forget it's average single player. Or it's forgettable CO-OP. Quite simply Battlefield 3 is the best multiplayer game I've played for a long, long time. It's addictive, intense, different every time and makes me feel like I'm participating in a war. Many on GAF won't vote for it because it's a first person shooter, but it's by far the best in it's class. Oh and it has the best audio mix of any game I've ever played. This'll probably crop up on my list for next year too, it's that good.
3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Such an interesting world, a badass main character and a story that, whilst slightly irritating towards the end, asked genuinely meaningful questions about humanity that may well occur in our own very real future. I played it as a stealth game, and in that regard it was thoroughly enjoyable. A first person MGS game where the story made a modicum of sense. Might've been higher on my list had it not required a battery to perform each CQC move.
2. Battlefield 3 - Forget it's average single player. Or it's forgettable CO-OP. Quite simply Battlefield 3 is the best multiplayer game I've played for a long, long time. It's addictive, intense, different every time and makes me feel like I'm participating in a war. Many on GAF won't vote for it because it's a first person shooter, but it's by far the best in it's class. Oh and it has the best audio mix of any game I've ever played. This'll probably crop up on my list for next year too, it's that good.
3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Such an interesting world, a badass main character and a story that, whilst slightly irritating towards the end, asked genuinely meaningful questions about humanity that may well occur in our own very real future. I played it as a stealth game, and in that regard it was thoroughly enjoyable. A first person MGS game where the story made a modicum of sense. Might've been higher on my list had it not required a battery to perform each CQC move.
1. Dark Souls
2. Deus Ex: HR
3. Portal 2
4. Super Mario 3D Land
5. Dead Island
6. Forza 4
7. infamous 2
I haven't played many games released in 2011 worthy of this list it seems. Or the fact that I'm getting most of the current GOTY nominees for Christmas, so my list will more than likely change dramatically. Nothing will beat Dark Souls though. Shit is perfect.
2. Deus Ex: HR
3. Portal 2
4. Super Mario 3D Land
5. Dead Island
6. Forza 4
7. infamous 2
I haven't played many games released in 2011 worthy of this list it seems. Or the fact that I'm getting most of the current GOTY nominees for Christmas, so my list will more than likely change dramatically. Nothing will beat Dark Souls though. Shit is perfect.
I vote for extension too... I will have time to play some of this year's best games only during the xmas break
Agree, It would give me a chance to dig into Skyrim.
A Human Becoming
More than a Member
+1 on an extensionI vote for extension too... I will have time to play some of this year's best games only during the xmas break
TwizzlerScribble
Neo Member
1. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
2. The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
3. Batman: Arkham City
4. LittleBigPlanet 2
5. Super Mario 3D Land
6. Gears Of War 3
7. Rayman Origins
8. Dead Space 2
9. Portal 2
10. Pokemon Black & White
x. L.A. Noire
x. Mortal Kombat 9
x. Resistance 3
x. Mario Kart 7
x. inFAMOUS 2
2. The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
3. Batman: Arkham City
4. LittleBigPlanet 2
5. Super Mario 3D Land
6. Gears Of War 3
7. Rayman Origins
8. Dead Space 2
9. Portal 2
10. Pokemon Black & White
x. L.A. Noire
x. Mortal Kombat 9
x. Resistance 3
x. Mario Kart 7
x. inFAMOUS 2
Infamous Chris
Banned
1) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2) Gears of War 3
3) Xenoblade
4) Forza 4
5) Dark Souls
6) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
7) Portal 2
8) Batman: AC
9) Battlefield 3
10) Bastion
2) Gears of War 3
3) Xenoblade
4) Forza 4
5) Dark Souls
6) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
7) Portal 2
8) Batman: AC
9) Battlefield 3
10) Bastion
- The Old Republic ; As a Star Wars fan who could never get into WoW and quit SWG after NGE, SWTOR will be my game for quite a while. I already have more time logged in SWTOR than any other game this year.
- Skyrim ; And I even have the PS3 version!
- Frozen Synapse ; Unique and overlooked.
- Battlefield 3 ; For all its faults, a ton of fun.
- Minecraft ; It created a genre.
- LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars ; A more action-centered game design made this one of the more compelling Lego games to date.
- Fight Night Champion ; A solid story with familiar Fight Night mechanics, but I am mostly putting this on my list due to the unique pricing model put forth by EA. As a person who will never play online, it was nice to not have to pay for it.
- Anno 2070 ; I love slow paced strategy games, and they seem to be a dying breed.
- LittleBigPlanet 2 ; What the first game should have been.
- Scribblenauts iPad ; I really wanted to play Scribblenauts when it came out for DS, but I didn't want to buy a DS just to play this.
1. The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword - easily my favorite game this year. The charm, fresh ideas, gameplay and polish come together to blow everything else out of the water.
2. Deus Ex : Human Revolution - it disappointed me a little bit towards the end, but was still one of the best gaming experiences I've had in years.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - For the first 30 hours it was maybe #1 on this list. But then more and more bugs started getting on my nerves, the quests got repetitive, and I've now stopped at 70 hours played, with most of the main quest and guilds left to do when I find the energy to get back in it again and Beth has delivered a real patch.
4. Portal 2 - in so many ways an amazing game. But I wasn't 'wowed' by the puzzles as much as I was in Portal 1.
5. Ghost Trick - I'm still not finished with this, it got put on hold as a bunch of other games required my attention. I've probably played through atleast 60-70% of it though and I love it.
2. Deus Ex : Human Revolution - it disappointed me a little bit towards the end, but was still one of the best gaming experiences I've had in years.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - For the first 30 hours it was maybe #1 on this list. But then more and more bugs started getting on my nerves, the quests got repetitive, and I've now stopped at 70 hours played, with most of the main quest and guilds left to do when I find the energy to get back in it again and Beth has delivered a real patch.
4. Portal 2 - in so many ways an amazing game. But I wasn't 'wowed' by the puzzles as much as I was in Portal 1.
5. Ghost Trick - I'm still not finished with this, it got put on hold as a bunch of other games required my attention. I've probably played through atleast 60-70% of it though and I love it.
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - There can only be one, and this game has consumed me.
2. Minecraft - Holds it's own with the big boys, arguably the game of the generation.
3. Portal 2 - Great writing, great gameplay, great co-op, great fun.
4. Star Wars: The Old Republic - Star Wars + Bioware = WoW-beater.
5. Battlefield 3 - Best MP (and sound design) by a mile.
6. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - Amazing ending to the trilogy, stood up well against UC2.
7. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Sleeper-hit of the year, very immersive. Great art style.
8. Forza Motorsport 4 - Now undoubtedly the king of (console) racing 'sims'.
9. DiRT 3 - DiRT 2 with more rally and less dudebro, awesome stuff.
10. L.A. Noire - Amazing technology tied with great writing and story-telling.
2010. (LTTP) Red Dead Redemption - Thoroughly deserved GOTY. Rockstar out-done themselves with this one... incredible atmosphere, visuals, music, writing, characters.. you name it, RDR nails it. You need this game in your life.
2. Minecraft - Holds it's own with the big boys, arguably the game of the generation.
3. Portal 2 - Great writing, great gameplay, great co-op, great fun.
4. Star Wars: The Old Republic - Star Wars + Bioware = WoW-beater.
5. Battlefield 3 - Best MP (and sound design) by a mile.
6. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - Amazing ending to the trilogy, stood up well against UC2.
7. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Sleeper-hit of the year, very immersive. Great art style.
8. Forza Motorsport 4 - Now undoubtedly the king of (console) racing 'sims'.
9. DiRT 3 - DiRT 2 with more rally and less dudebro, awesome stuff.
10. L.A. Noire - Amazing technology tied with great writing and story-telling.
2010. (LTTP) Red Dead Redemption - Thoroughly deserved GOTY. Rockstar out-done themselves with this one... incredible atmosphere, visuals, music, writing, characters.. you name it, RDR nails it. You need this game in your life.
I guess you're right -- I know I'm guilty of being a procastinator. I only suggested an extension because some games require a huge time commitment. And it's just not realistic to try to play dozen of games before the end of the month if you haven't done so already.
Whether the deadline is extended or not, I won't complain.
Deadline is still the best part of 3 weeks away, I don't see the big deal.
1. Portal 2 - My easy first place for this year. Even if the puzzles weren't great (they were) the dialogue, characters, and excellent voice acting would have made this game for me. While a different experience from the original game (and honestly I thought the game wouldn't be very good since they wouldn't be able to replicate that original experience--I was glad to see they didn't try and went in another direction) it was really something else of its own. I'm not sure where they could go for a third game, but I'm convinced they could pull it off.
2. SpaceChem - My surprise of this year. I actually only played it a few days ago! I'd had this game sitting around on my Steam account when I decided on a whim to start playing it and wow--I can't believe the experience I was missing! Smart and unique puzzles that don't shy away from making themselves difficult, but encourage you to experiment and find your own answer. The fact that there is no one right answer is a breath of fresh air! Really glad I picked this one up.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - I suppose it isn't surprising that this would end up on my list somewhere. I only started playing a few days ago as I got it as an early Christmas present. My last (and only) Elder Scrolls experience with Oblivion was a decent one, but I really only messed around for twenty hours before I became bored and moved on. I've played twenty hours into this game and only want more. I'm not sure what makes this game so much more compelling than Oblivion, though once I finish Skyrim I'm planning on going back and giving Oblivion another go to see how it plays.
4. Alice: Madness Returns - The visual design and exploration make this game for me. I know it is a common complaint that the levels are quite a bit too long, but that was actually something I enjoyed. I never got tired of the beautiful design of this game.
5. Bastion - Another game with stunning visual design and wonderful music. The music is really the main reason it is on this list (strange for a game list, but there you go.) I can't get enough of listening to the soundtrack (particularly this track.)
6. Gray Matter - Long in the making, the first game in forever by point and click legend Jane Jensen. Given that two of my favorite games of all time were made by this designer (Gabriel Knight 1 and King's Quest VI) I was rather impatiently awaiting this game. While the game did have its issues, the positives outweigh the flaws. I loved the characters, the majority of the story (the ending was a problem, but not a large one), and the puzzles. A lot of people were disappointed given the designer and the length of development, but I can't say I was.
7. The Last Story (Japan Import to US) - Another one of those "given its designer..." games that many were disappointed with. Yet I still enjoyed it quite a lot. While the plot and characters were so so, I loved the battle system and its interesting use of post game content.
8. Radiant Historia - While I didn't really enjoy the battle system to this game, I loved how the quests were actually important and gave you more information about the story. They were more than just fetch quests, and I loved it (thanks to a post below me for reminding me of it.)
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2010. Nier - Ended up getting this game for Christmas last year and so I only played it this year. I was quite unsure of this game and didn't know if I'd like it, but I ended up absolutely loving it. The music, the characters, the unusual plot. I was even really glad I ended up playing the English version since the voice acting and translation work was so amazing on it (aside from the fact that I like the dynamic that old Nier brings to the story.) I also enjoyed the sheer variety of gameplay that the game used (which is unusual since I don't typically like games that can't decide what kind of game they want to be. I think Nier handled it quite well.)
x. Xenoblade (Europe) - I don't want to put this on my main list because I played the Japanese version last year, but I still want to give it a mention since I also played the European version. (I'm kind of glad that it is the case since then I would have to decide between Xenoblade and Portal 2 for my number one, and I'd rather not have to do that!) What can I say about the game that I haven't already said in multiple threads? It is amazing.
2. SpaceChem - My surprise of this year. I actually only played it a few days ago! I'd had this game sitting around on my Steam account when I decided on a whim to start playing it and wow--I can't believe the experience I was missing! Smart and unique puzzles that don't shy away from making themselves difficult, but encourage you to experiment and find your own answer. The fact that there is no one right answer is a breath of fresh air! Really glad I picked this one up.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - I suppose it isn't surprising that this would end up on my list somewhere. I only started playing a few days ago as I got it as an early Christmas present. My last (and only) Elder Scrolls experience with Oblivion was a decent one, but I really only messed around for twenty hours before I became bored and moved on. I've played twenty hours into this game and only want more. I'm not sure what makes this game so much more compelling than Oblivion, though once I finish Skyrim I'm planning on going back and giving Oblivion another go to see how it plays.
4. Alice: Madness Returns - The visual design and exploration make this game for me. I know it is a common complaint that the levels are quite a bit too long, but that was actually something I enjoyed. I never got tired of the beautiful design of this game.
5. Bastion - Another game with stunning visual design and wonderful music. The music is really the main reason it is on this list (strange for a game list, but there you go.) I can't get enough of listening to the soundtrack (particularly this track.)
6. Gray Matter - Long in the making, the first game in forever by point and click legend Jane Jensen. Given that two of my favorite games of all time were made by this designer (Gabriel Knight 1 and King's Quest VI) I was rather impatiently awaiting this game. While the game did have its issues, the positives outweigh the flaws. I loved the characters, the majority of the story (the ending was a problem, but not a large one), and the puzzles. A lot of people were disappointed given the designer and the length of development, but I can't say I was.
7. The Last Story (Japan Import to US) - Another one of those "given its designer..." games that many were disappointed with. Yet I still enjoyed it quite a lot. While the plot and characters were so so, I loved the battle system and its interesting use of post game content.
8. Radiant Historia - While I didn't really enjoy the battle system to this game, I loved how the quests were actually important and gave you more information about the story. They were more than just fetch quests, and I loved it (thanks to a post below me for reminding me of it.)
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2010. Nier - Ended up getting this game for Christmas last year and so I only played it this year. I was quite unsure of this game and didn't know if I'd like it, but I ended up absolutely loving it. The music, the characters, the unusual plot. I was even really glad I ended up playing the English version since the voice acting and translation work was so amazing on it (aside from the fact that I like the dynamic that old Nier brings to the story.) I also enjoyed the sheer variety of gameplay that the game used (which is unusual since I don't typically like games that can't decide what kind of game they want to be. I think Nier handled it quite well.)
x. Xenoblade (Europe) - I don't want to put this on my main list because I played the Japanese version last year, but I still want to give it a mention since I also played the European version. (I'm kind of glad that it is the case since then I would have to decide between Xenoblade and Portal 2 for my number one, and I'd rather not have to do that!) What can I say about the game that I haven't already said in multiple threads? It is amazing.
1. Portal 2
2. Rayman Origins
3. Super Mario 3D Land
I played and enjoyed a lot of games this year, but it was, largely, a year of disappointment for me. Skyrim and Uncharted failed to overcome their series' flaws, Arkham City didn't measure up to Arkham Asylum, Zelda was dragged down by more padding than ever before as well an occasionally unresponsive control scheme, (a major sin, coming from Nintendo)and Dark Souls, while fantastic, fell apart at the end. I would rank my remaining favorites, (largely the games mentioned above) but they are already getting too much representation and acclaim as is, so I'll just stick to repping the 3 incredible games above.
2. Rayman Origins
3. Super Mario 3D Land
I played and enjoyed a lot of games this year, but it was, largely, a year of disappointment for me. Skyrim and Uncharted failed to overcome their series' flaws, Arkham City didn't measure up to Arkham Asylum, Zelda was dragged down by more padding than ever before as well an occasionally unresponsive control scheme, (a major sin, coming from Nintendo)and Dark Souls, while fantastic, fell apart at the end. I would rank my remaining favorites, (largely the games mentioned above) but they are already getting too much representation and acclaim as is, so I'll just stick to repping the 3 incredible games above.
- Status