Sixfortyfive
He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
1. Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
2. Streets of Rage Remake v5
2. Streets of Rage Remake v5
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GAF Games of the Year 2011 - Voting Thread - Voting's Over, Folks!
- Thread starter timetokill
- Start date
- Status
InsaneLuchador
Member
1. Dark Souls - A pretty big surprise for me. Honestly the first Japanese-developed game I've really fallen for since MGS4. The white-knuckle combat is what got me into this one. I'm nearly 60 hours in and advancing just a few feet into each new area feels like a struggle and a massive accomplishment. The possibility of really losing something upon death seriously ups the tention.
I love the art style. Every set of armor is unique and amazingly detailed. I'll try on everything I find. The dilapidated, gothic and lonely environments remind me so much of Vagrant Story.
2.Gears of War 3 - A fitting finale to the trilogy that started this generation of consoles for me. The first game in the series had very little emotion in its story, the second's story was laughable, but I think Epic finally nailed it here. It's not going to tear anyone up, but it's admirable. "Mad World" finally feels like it belongs on the sound track.
And then there's the real reason to love the game: the gunplay. Despite your weapons feeling powerful, the locust still somehow come off as being unstoppable at times. I spent hour after hour in horde mode, hunkered down behind cover and praying for my stamina to go back up.
3. Dead Space 2 - Not so fresh in my mind, but it was a true thrill ride. Maybe the best production values this year (aside from Uncharted 3). Every weapon in the arsenal is viable and I would sometimes spend several minutes thinking about how I would use a precious upgrade node.
I say this all the damn time, but Capcom could have published this series, slapped the Resident Evil name on it and I would have been happy.
4. Skyrim (360) - The best Bethesda RPG ever. The size of the world is enormous, and unlike other developers that are just going for girth, Bethesda actually filled it with quests and items worth discovering. It had its problems though. I broke the game early on and became pretty unstoppable without even trying. Door puzzles were broken, forcing me to reload saves and sometimes lose dozens of minutes of progress. No auto saves in the open world (except in menus, which I didn't go into often because I didn't swap gear often while out in the world) was also a problem. Despite the problems, I sunk more than 60 hours into this one.
5. Saints Row the Third - God, did I hate the first game in this series. I hated how everything looked and sounded, and I realized early on I just wasn't having any fun. The activities were a pain in the ass to work through, and the story missions weren't much of a pay off. The bad taste left in my mouth caused me to avoid the series for years and completely ignore the announcement for the Third. However, that E3 demo where the boss was just running through the streets hitting people in the nuts changed everything. I was skeptical as hell, thinking it couldn't be that easy or fun to pull off, but it was enough to get my attention. Each raunchy, outrageous trailer made me a little more curious, and finally getting set loose in Steelport was a complete joy. There's nothing getting in the way between you and fun. From receiving godly weapons early to being able to turn on a dime, there's no sense of reality or game design that hinders you from going bananas and just tearing the city down. It feels like Volition finally had the pockets to go along with their vision.
That was way more than I wanted to write : p
I love the art style. Every set of armor is unique and amazingly detailed. I'll try on everything I find. The dilapidated, gothic and lonely environments remind me so much of Vagrant Story.
2.Gears of War 3 - A fitting finale to the trilogy that started this generation of consoles for me. The first game in the series had very little emotion in its story, the second's story was laughable, but I think Epic finally nailed it here. It's not going to tear anyone up, but it's admirable. "Mad World" finally feels like it belongs on the sound track.
And then there's the real reason to love the game: the gunplay. Despite your weapons feeling powerful, the locust still somehow come off as being unstoppable at times. I spent hour after hour in horde mode, hunkered down behind cover and praying for my stamina to go back up.
3. Dead Space 2 - Not so fresh in my mind, but it was a true thrill ride. Maybe the best production values this year (aside from Uncharted 3). Every weapon in the arsenal is viable and I would sometimes spend several minutes thinking about how I would use a precious upgrade node.
I say this all the damn time, but Capcom could have published this series, slapped the Resident Evil name on it and I would have been happy.
4. Skyrim (360) - The best Bethesda RPG ever. The size of the world is enormous, and unlike other developers that are just going for girth, Bethesda actually filled it with quests and items worth discovering. It had its problems though. I broke the game early on and became pretty unstoppable without even trying. Door puzzles were broken, forcing me to reload saves and sometimes lose dozens of minutes of progress. No auto saves in the open world (except in menus, which I didn't go into often because I didn't swap gear often while out in the world) was also a problem. Despite the problems, I sunk more than 60 hours into this one.
5. Saints Row the Third - God, did I hate the first game in this series. I hated how everything looked and sounded, and I realized early on I just wasn't having any fun. The activities were a pain in the ass to work through, and the story missions weren't much of a pay off. The bad taste left in my mouth caused me to avoid the series for years and completely ignore the announcement for the Third. However, that E3 demo where the boss was just running through the streets hitting people in the nuts changed everything. I was skeptical as hell, thinking it couldn't be that easy or fun to pull off, but it was enough to get my attention. Each raunchy, outrageous trailer made me a little more curious, and finally getting set loose in Steelport was a complete joy. There's nothing getting in the way between you and fun. From receiving godly weapons early to being able to turn on a dime, there's no sense of reality or game design that hinders you from going bananas and just tearing the city down. It feels like Volition finally had the pockets to go along with their vision.
That was way more than I wanted to write : p
illmatic19
Member
1. Battlefield 3 ; Just terrific multiplayer. Many hours sunk into it.
2. Gears of War 3 ; Great way to end the series (hopefully).
3. Catherine ; Once again, great story telling and character design from Atlus. Call me crazy, but I enjoyed the block puzzles.
4. Saints Row: The Third ; Huge surprise.
5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; I've been playing the PS3 version. 40 hours in and I haven't experienced major issues.
6. Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception ; Some bad level design at times, but almost as enjoyable as Drakes previous adventure.
7. Batman: Arkham City ; Not as good as Asylum.
8. MLB 11: The Show ; Greatest baseball game ever. The music selection could be better.
9. Assassins Creed: Revelations ; I've enjoyed Ezios adventure since the beginning, but hopefully they will tell someone else's story in the next installment.
10. NBA 2K12 ; I feel like they took steps back from 2K11. But it's still a quality product.
2. Gears of War 3 ; Great way to end the series (hopefully).
3. Catherine ; Once again, great story telling and character design from Atlus. Call me crazy, but I enjoyed the block puzzles.
4. Saints Row: The Third ; Huge surprise.
5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; I've been playing the PS3 version. 40 hours in and I haven't experienced major issues.
6. Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception ; Some bad level design at times, but almost as enjoyable as Drakes previous adventure.
7. Batman: Arkham City ; Not as good as Asylum.
The crucial Catwoman decision near the end really bothered me, why give me the decision to leave Batman behind only to make me do the "right" thing to go back and save him?
9. Assassins Creed: Revelations ; I've enjoyed Ezios adventure since the beginning, but hopefully they will tell someone else's story in the next installment.
10. NBA 2K12 ; I feel like they took steps back from 2K11. But it's still a quality product.
BruiserBear
Banned
Spent 30 minutes getting my list compiled, and show up in this thread to post it, only to see the deadline has been extended by two weeks.
I guess it gives me a chance to check out a couple more games from 2011 though, so it's good news.
I guess it gives me a chance to check out a couple more games from 2011 though, so it's good news.
Oh thank god. I felt sooooooo guilty that I haven't finished a few games yet. Mainly Zelda, Saints Row, Rayman (almost done), COD:MW3, AssCreed. I think those are the major games I have left to finish. Well, I have stuff some more stuff like Space Marine, but I don't see that (or MW3, tbh) making my GOTY list.
I am posting to pout about the deadline being extended. I wanted to see results, AND have been buying and playing my last bit of "must-play" games to be able to get suitably up-to-date on time.
And now it's been extended for procrastinators who are probably just not going to touch more than half the games they TOTALLY SWEAR OMG I WILL ABSOLUTELY PLAY THESE DOZEN GAMES IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS HONEST!
And now it's been extended for procrastinators who are probably just not going to touch more than half the games they TOTALLY SWEAR OMG I WILL ABSOLUTELY PLAY THESE DOZEN GAMES IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS HONEST!
Zomba13
Member
1. Bastion ; As purely a game, Bastion is great, but when you add the narration, the music, the art and the lore you get something much more than just a game.
2. Portal 2 ; Portal 2 is everything I want in a sequel, it takes everything that was so good about the previous entry and just goes crazy building on it. It also has it's share of moments that could easily find themselves on a list of best moments in gaming.
3. Dark Souls ; Such a difficult but rewarding experience just like Demon's Souls except with a few new mechanics in place to make the whole thing less frustrating. Also has a great world to just immerse yourself in.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; Apart from a slow start (which I enjoyed as it set up the world, lore, characters and their relationships) this game is great through and through. The motion controls really do add a lot to the combat and are used in interesting and intuitive ways with the items. It looks like a painting come to life and the orchestrated music does a lot to make this origin story feel like an epic quest. It's also the first Zelda game to have a Zelda that I actually really liked and wasn't all damsel in distress.
5. Sonic Generations ; Hey guys! Sonic is good again! This might not be everyone's cup of tea but it's a really good sonic games that fans will enjoy. Just hope SEGA don't drop the ball again now that they've finally picked it back up.
6. Saints Row The Third ; I played through this game as a gold plated bald Brit who owned a VTOL and a pixel tank and blew up luchadores. Why wouldn't this make my list?
7. Xenoblade Chronicles ; Finally a great JRPG. It's been a few years I think since the last one I really enjoyed and we finally got one, and for the Wii! Perhaps the most impressive game I've played on the Wii (even though I ripped my disc and played it via Dolphin).
8. Rayman Origins ; I loved the first Rayman as a kid but never liked the 3D ones as much. Thank god this game actually came out. It's such a nice game that oozes fun out of every pore from the graphics to the silly music to the weird and wacky stages and characters. It's so nice to be able to enjoy Rayman again.
9. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective ; A really fun and interesting DS game with a fantastic sound track and very nice graphics with some cool character designs.
10. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings ; Such a great dark fantasy world with lots of morally ambiguous choices to make .
x. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ;
x. Super Mario 3D Land ;
x. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception ;
2010. 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors ; Imported it this year and really really enjoyed it. A really great interactive novel with a moment or two that turned my stomach.
2. Portal 2 ; Portal 2 is everything I want in a sequel, it takes everything that was so good about the previous entry and just goes crazy building on it. It also has it's share of moments that could easily find themselves on a list of best moments in gaming.
3. Dark Souls ; Such a difficult but rewarding experience just like Demon's Souls except with a few new mechanics in place to make the whole thing less frustrating. Also has a great world to just immerse yourself in.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; Apart from a slow start (which I enjoyed as it set up the world, lore, characters and their relationships) this game is great through and through. The motion controls really do add a lot to the combat and are used in interesting and intuitive ways with the items. It looks like a painting come to life and the orchestrated music does a lot to make this origin story feel like an epic quest. It's also the first Zelda game to have a Zelda that I actually really liked and wasn't all damsel in distress.
5. Sonic Generations ; Hey guys! Sonic is good again! This might not be everyone's cup of tea but it's a really good sonic games that fans will enjoy. Just hope SEGA don't drop the ball again now that they've finally picked it back up.
6. Saints Row The Third ; I played through this game as a gold plated bald Brit who owned a VTOL and a pixel tank and blew up luchadores. Why wouldn't this make my list?
7. Xenoblade Chronicles ; Finally a great JRPG. It's been a few years I think since the last one I really enjoyed and we finally got one, and for the Wii! Perhaps the most impressive game I've played on the Wii (even though I ripped my disc and played it via Dolphin).
8. Rayman Origins ; I loved the first Rayman as a kid but never liked the 3D ones as much. Thank god this game actually came out. It's such a nice game that oozes fun out of every pore from the graphics to the silly music to the weird and wacky stages and characters. It's so nice to be able to enjoy Rayman again.
9. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective ; A really fun and interesting DS game with a fantastic sound track and very nice graphics with some cool character designs.
10. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings ; Such a great dark fantasy world with lots of morally ambiguous choices to make .
x. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ;
x. Super Mario 3D Land ;
x. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception ;
2010. 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors ; Imported it this year and really really enjoyed it. A really great interactive novel with a moment or two that turned my stomach.
Dash Kappei
Not actually that important
Yes! Thank you for the extension!
Btw, can I just make a new post where the old one will not get counted or do I need to find my previous list and edit that one? I'm probably blind but I can't find anything about that in the OP, while iirc that's how it worked post-Anihawk.
Btw, can I just make a new post where the old one will not get counted or do I need to find my previous list and edit that one? I'm probably blind but I can't find anything about that in the OP, while iirc that's how it worked post-Anihawk.
timetokill
Banned
Better to edit your previous list. The search function found your vote no problem: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=33773207&postcount=918
GrotesqueBeauty
Banned
*bow*
Good to see someone else with this game on his list. Seems to be an overlooked game last year.
Shorty11857
Member
Seeing this thread just made me realise how many 2011 games I have but have yet to give enough time to, I really need to play those games soon
It would probably alter votes seeing as how people can change them at any time.
From browsing, there doesn't seem to be a clear winner. The industry winner was clearly Skyrim, but that probably isn't Gafs choice.
The Librarian
Banned
pete_townshend
Banned
1. Battlefield 3 ; I was very worried after the beta and didn't think Dice could get this game in a playable state in the time they had left. Props to them though, since they pulled it off. Sure, there are problems, but nothing that is game-breaking. I've split time between PC and 360 and like them both for different reasons after 150 hours of game time. The single player is dog shit, but who cares. Great, great game.
2. Skyrim ; Would have almost guaranteed this would be my number 1 going into the year, but the combination of Battlefield 3 being better than expected and the issues I'm having with Skyrim (Can't stop the crashes to desktop. ARRGHHH!) have bumped it down a slot. There is so much fun content, though, and it is sooo beautiful on PC. Best TES game yet!
3. Portal 2 ; Loved the game as much as the original. The new puzzle mechanics were great and the Wheatley and Cave Johnson characters were outstanding additions. Add in a great co-op mode and DAT ENDING and you have a winner. My only downside is that I really didn't like the characterization of GLaDOS in the game, especially after her transformation into the potato. Not a huge issue, but enough to bump it down.
4. Witcher 2 ; This was actually a mild disappointment to me for a game I was extremely hyped for. I agree a lot with the Edge review on this one - the first act was really boring, but the rest of the game was very good if you could get through it. Soooo pretty...
5. L.A. Noire ; Happy to see support for this game on a lot of lists so far despite the legion of haters. I really liked this game. I enjoyed doing the investigations and thought the interrogations were a great new innovation, despite a bit too much guessing required and Cole's split personality. I also liked the variety in the random crime encounters and played through all of them. One thing that as a completionist that I hated - Fuck finding those film canisters!
6. Batman: Arkham City ; Didn't like it quite as much as the original, but it was another great entry by RockSteady. Loved the additions to already best-in-class combat, ther great voice acting, and the new gadgets. I really had fun moving around the city and soaring around using the grapnel gun/dive bomb combo. I also liked the fact that unlike the first game you didn't need to spend the whole game in detective mode. I was less enthused about the Catwoman content, but it was still a good change of pace.
7. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; Great to have Deus Ex back! Loved the look of the game, the plot, and all the body augmentation options as you level. Downside were disappointing boss-fights and the fact the game was a bit easy. I played a stealthy character and cruised through without much difficulty.
8. Modern Warfare 3 ; Though Batllefield 3 is my GOTY, I'm not a Call of Duty hater. I really enjoyed the roller-coaster campaign and it blew BF3 away. Crazy shit. The multiplayer is more of the same, which is fine with me. I don't like the initial maps as much, but do like the other changes to the leveling, perks, and strike packages. Plus, Spec Ops is back! So fun with a buddy!
9. Gears of War 3 ; Never been a huge Gears fan, but have enjoyed the gameplay well enough and this entry was the best of the bunch. Some great set pieces and better characterization than in the past games. Don't get into Gears multiplayer, but I've heard good things.
2010 Game - Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood ; I'm always a year behind on AC and just got around to this in 2011. The game just gets better each entry and would have been in the top half of my list if it came in 2011.
2. Skyrim ; Would have almost guaranteed this would be my number 1 going into the year, but the combination of Battlefield 3 being better than expected and the issues I'm having with Skyrim (Can't stop the crashes to desktop. ARRGHHH!) have bumped it down a slot. There is so much fun content, though, and it is sooo beautiful on PC. Best TES game yet!
3. Portal 2 ; Loved the game as much as the original. The new puzzle mechanics were great and the Wheatley and Cave Johnson characters were outstanding additions. Add in a great co-op mode and DAT ENDING and you have a winner. My only downside is that I really didn't like the characterization of GLaDOS in the game, especially after her transformation into the potato. Not a huge issue, but enough to bump it down.
4. Witcher 2 ; This was actually a mild disappointment to me for a game I was extremely hyped for. I agree a lot with the Edge review on this one - the first act was really boring, but the rest of the game was very good if you could get through it. Soooo pretty...
5. L.A. Noire ; Happy to see support for this game on a lot of lists so far despite the legion of haters. I really liked this game. I enjoyed doing the investigations and thought the interrogations were a great new innovation, despite a bit too much guessing required and Cole's split personality. I also liked the variety in the random crime encounters and played through all of them. One thing that as a completionist that I hated - Fuck finding those film canisters!
6. Batman: Arkham City ; Didn't like it quite as much as the original, but it was another great entry by RockSteady. Loved the additions to already best-in-class combat, ther great voice acting, and the new gadgets. I really had fun moving around the city and soaring around using the grapnel gun/dive bomb combo. I also liked the fact that unlike the first game you didn't need to spend the whole game in detective mode. I was less enthused about the Catwoman content, but it was still a good change of pace.
7. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; Great to have Deus Ex back! Loved the look of the game, the plot, and all the body augmentation options as you level. Downside were disappointing boss-fights and the fact the game was a bit easy. I played a stealthy character and cruised through without much difficulty.
8. Modern Warfare 3 ; Though Batllefield 3 is my GOTY, I'm not a Call of Duty hater. I really enjoyed the roller-coaster campaign and it blew BF3 away. Crazy shit. The multiplayer is more of the same, which is fine with me. I don't like the initial maps as much, but do like the other changes to the leveling, perks, and strike packages. Plus, Spec Ops is back! So fun with a buddy!
9. Gears of War 3 ; Never been a huge Gears fan, but have enjoyed the gameplay well enough and this entry was the best of the bunch. Some great set pieces and better characterization than in the past games. Don't get into Gears multiplayer, but I've heard good things.
2010 Game - Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood ; I'm always a year behind on AC and just got around to this in 2011. The game just gets better each entry and would have been in the top half of my list if it came in 2011.
NEOPARADIGM
Banned
Actually it isn't. Maybe it's not what a BF campaign should be, I'd agree there, but it's quite playable and at least half the missions are a good time with quality replay value - Comrades, Rock and a Hard Place, and Karrakov come to mind.
shingonation
Member
eh, i used to end the voting right on december 31. voting only lasted for about 10 days back then too. timetokill was already being pretty generous.
True, though it probably happens anyway. I'm yet to see a viral marketer in the wild but I know they are out there
Guerrillas in the Mist
Member
1.Batman: Arkham City Batman: AA is one of my favourite games of the last five or so years. AC improves on almost every aspect of it. Excellent, unparalled combat. Superb puzzle-solving and exploration. Insane production values and polish. For most games that's enough to make it god-tier. In this case it's barely scratching the surface in terms of what's on offer.
2.Deus Ex: Human Revolution: A genuine Deus Ex game, with proper old-school exploration and a lack of hand-holding, with the exception of the boss battles and the somewhat lackluster final hour, it contains some of the finest gaming I've experienced in the last couple of years.
3.Skyrim: Jank and other issues aside (performance-related in the PC's case) it's Bethesda doing what they do best. I've put around 30 or so hours in and I feel like I've barely played the game. Plus, the main theme...
4.Portal 2: Superb puzzles with a brilliant script and VO to boot. Valve firing on all cylinders.
5.Red Orchestra 2: Still not without it's share of problems, but no shooter can touch a good round of RO2. I'm a real history buff and have a soft spot for tactical shooters, so it's a match made in heaven for me. My Mulitplayer GOTY.
6.The Witcher 2: A massive, bold PC RPG, in an age where such a thing is a rarity. Plus, it's beautiful.
7.Gears of War 3: A better campaign (solo and co-op) than 2, and dedicated servers finely allows for the MP to really shine, after a shaky experience with the first two GoW games.
8.Battlefield 3: Fantastic fun during a good match, with that large-scale Battlefield formula working like a charm, although the SP is pants. It would be my Multiplayer GOTY, but something feels... off. It almost feels like it's not that "finely-tuned", maybe not a good way of describing it.
9.The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword: I've not played a huge amount of it, but I'm loving what I have played. Motion controls done right are hard to beat, and I don't want Zelda to go back to conventional controls after this. If I feel it's still awesome as I play more of it, I'll try to come back and reposition this on the list.
10.Dead Space 2: What it lost somewhat in atmosphere from the first game, DS2 made up for it with awesome gameplay. Undeniably great, polished fun, I even enjoyed the MP for a while.
Honourable mentions:
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Another quality AC release, despite a bit of staleness setting in.
- Crysis 2 - A surprisingly lengthy, enjoyable FPS, despite not winning any prizes for originality.
Game from 2010 I kept playing:
Fallout: NV: My 2010 GOTY still gave me hours of entertainment, and that was before the great DLC.
2.Deus Ex: Human Revolution: A genuine Deus Ex game, with proper old-school exploration and a lack of hand-holding, with the exception of the boss battles and the somewhat lackluster final hour, it contains some of the finest gaming I've experienced in the last couple of years.
3.Skyrim: Jank and other issues aside (performance-related in the PC's case) it's Bethesda doing what they do best. I've put around 30 or so hours in and I feel like I've barely played the game. Plus, the main theme...
4.Portal 2: Superb puzzles with a brilliant script and VO to boot. Valve firing on all cylinders.
5.Red Orchestra 2: Still not without it's share of problems, but no shooter can touch a good round of RO2. I'm a real history buff and have a soft spot for tactical shooters, so it's a match made in heaven for me. My Mulitplayer GOTY.
6.The Witcher 2: A massive, bold PC RPG, in an age where such a thing is a rarity. Plus, it's beautiful.
7.Gears of War 3: A better campaign (solo and co-op) than 2, and dedicated servers finely allows for the MP to really shine, after a shaky experience with the first two GoW games.
8.Battlefield 3: Fantastic fun during a good match, with that large-scale Battlefield formula working like a charm, although the SP is pants. It would be my Multiplayer GOTY, but something feels... off. It almost feels like it's not that "finely-tuned", maybe not a good way of describing it.
9.The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword: I've not played a huge amount of it, but I'm loving what I have played. Motion controls done right are hard to beat, and I don't want Zelda to go back to conventional controls after this. If I feel it's still awesome as I play more of it, I'll try to come back and reposition this on the list.
10.Dead Space 2: What it lost somewhat in atmosphere from the first game, DS2 made up for it with awesome gameplay. Undeniably great, polished fun, I even enjoyed the MP for a while.
Honourable mentions:
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Another quality AC release, despite a bit of staleness setting in.
- Crysis 2 - A surprisingly lengthy, enjoyable FPS, despite not winning any prizes for originality.
Game from 2010 I kept playing:
Fallout: NV: My 2010 GOTY still gave me hours of entertainment, and that was before the great DLC.
1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - All the previews looked good, but I was so happy to have my expectations exceeded by the final product. Jank ass boss battles weren't bad enough to knock it out of the top spot for me. Also I'm a sucker for cyberpunk
2. Xenoblade Chronicles - I raged against the machine and imported it from the UK. Glad it's coming to NA this year though. Hands down one of my favorite RPGs ever. The sense of scale and the level of refinement the various systems have are incredible.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - I didn't get around to playing Oblivion until the 5 year anniversary edition hit this year, so I wasn't sure what the fuss was about. That being said, everything in this game is impressive. The number of glitches I've experienced really dampened my appreciation of the game, but the world, the music (intro screen music is my shit), and just about every other detail make this game really special.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Another high quality, super enjoyable Zelda. Not much else to say.
5. Catherine - I love that this game came out and was successful. Such a great experiment and a story that was adult and funny and different. The "game" portion was really hit and miss with some people, but I feel like the total package was well worth my day one purchase.
6. Bastion - This came out of nowhere and blew my mind. The narration instantly clicked with me and it has such a great soundtrack.
7. Star Wars: The Old Republic - Just getting into this, but I'm loving the single player feel. The class specific story quests are unique and interesting. Room for improvement for sure.
8. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - I liked it better than the first, but not as much as Among Thieves. That being said, the set pieces in this one are the best in the series.
9. Child of Eden - I feel like this game should be on everyone's list at some point. It's a pure game and lots of fun.
10. Shadows of the Damned - I found a few aspects of the game mega frustrating (like back when I was a kid playing NES throw my controller across the room frustrating), but it was just so crazy I couldn't put it down.
2010 Game - Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
2. Xenoblade Chronicles - I raged against the machine and imported it from the UK. Glad it's coming to NA this year though. Hands down one of my favorite RPGs ever. The sense of scale and the level of refinement the various systems have are incredible.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - I didn't get around to playing Oblivion until the 5 year anniversary edition hit this year, so I wasn't sure what the fuss was about. That being said, everything in this game is impressive. The number of glitches I've experienced really dampened my appreciation of the game, but the world, the music (intro screen music is my shit), and just about every other detail make this game really special.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Another high quality, super enjoyable Zelda. Not much else to say.
5. Catherine - I love that this game came out and was successful. Such a great experiment and a story that was adult and funny and different. The "game" portion was really hit and miss with some people, but I feel like the total package was well worth my day one purchase.
6. Bastion - This came out of nowhere and blew my mind. The narration instantly clicked with me and it has such a great soundtrack.
7. Star Wars: The Old Republic - Just getting into this, but I'm loving the single player feel. The class specific story quests are unique and interesting. Room for improvement for sure.
8. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - I liked it better than the first, but not as much as Among Thieves. That being said, the set pieces in this one are the best in the series.
9. Child of Eden - I feel like this game should be on everyone's list at some point. It's a pure game and lots of fun.
10. Shadows of the Damned - I found a few aspects of the game mega frustrating (like back when I was a kid playing NES throw my controller across the room frustrating), but it was just so crazy I couldn't put it down.
2010 Game - Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
timetokill
Banned
Yep, I basically followed up on your setup but just added a week or so to give a little time beyond New Year's holiday and all that.
You guys just have to realize that nobody can play every game that came out in a year. That's okay -- this is meant for fun.
The Librarian
Banned
No offense, but I don't think anyone here is trying to play "every game that came out in a year." What I'm trying to do, and I don't think it's just me, is having the time to play the games I got for the holidays.
friskykillface
Banned
oh, extended til the 21st, good news, i forgot
i'll have to remember what i played this year
i'll have to remember what i played this year
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
This, and tack on Boxing Week games to that.
1. Dark Souls: Utterly glued to the screen from the moment i bought it. The combat truly is on another level. The world drips with opression and depravity.
2. Portal 2
3. Dead Space 2: Handled like a dream with keyboard/mouse, kept me hooked and was just overall an extremely well made experience. Replayed it a bunch of times aswell.
4. Bulletstorm: Gunplay was near perfection. Well, i should say 'killplay' because half or maybe more of the kills you make are not from shooting.
5. Red Orchestra 2: Broken as fuck. Still played for like 10 hours straight when i bought it. Never played RO1, but i was a huuuuge CoD1 MP player and this brought me back to those days, albeit in a much more brutal and heavy teamwork relience fashion.
6. Alice: Madness Returns
7. Uncharted 3: Didn't blow me away like UC2. Maybe i was too critical because i played it like straight after Dark Souls. Will have to replay soon.
2. Portal 2
3. Dead Space 2: Handled like a dream with keyboard/mouse, kept me hooked and was just overall an extremely well made experience. Replayed it a bunch of times aswell.
4. Bulletstorm: Gunplay was near perfection. Well, i should say 'killplay' because half or maybe more of the kills you make are not from shooting.
5. Red Orchestra 2: Broken as fuck. Still played for like 10 hours straight when i bought it. Never played RO1, but i was a huuuuge CoD1 MP player and this brought me back to those days, albeit in a much more brutal and heavy teamwork relience fashion.
6. Alice: Madness Returns
7. Uncharted 3: Didn't blow me away like UC2. Maybe i was too critical because i played it like straight after Dark Souls. Will have to replay soon.
MoGamesXNA
Unconfirmed Member
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2. Dark Souls
3. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
4. Xenoblade Chronicles
5. Crysis 2
6. Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together
7. F1 2011
8. DiRT 3
9. Aliens: Infestation
10. Dragon Age 2
I feel like I'm missing something in my list. Hopefully it'll come to me before the 21st.
2. Dark Souls
3. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
4. Xenoblade Chronicles
5. Crysis 2
6. Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together
7. F1 2011
8. DiRT 3
9. Aliens: Infestation
10. Dragon Age 2
I feel like I'm missing something in my list. Hopefully it'll come to me before the 21st.
HiddenSentry
Member
1. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings; Best RPG I've played in a long time, and that's with a post-Skyrim perspective. I was engulfed in the world of The Witcher, despite getting maybe halfway through the first game before giving up due to not remembering how to do the quests. The graphics were stunning, and I really enjoyed the quasi-Dark Souls-lite combat mechanics. I was amazed at how much they allowed your choices to affect the rest of the game (end of Chapter 1 comes to mind).
2. Dark Souls; Just a wonderful combat system. I love figuring out a game, and I never realized how I missed that until Dark/Demon's Souls came around. This game is one of the very best at encouraging me to explore, and actually think about encounters. I was thrilled to be able to do the entire game initially without having to consult a guide.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; The breadth of content available here was great, and it gets a top 3 spot simply because of how much time I spent enjoying it's world. I was never SUPER impressed with any of the story lines in particular (Maybe the veeeery first Dark Brotherhood stuff), but they were all perfectly entertaining. But the exploration and world of Skyrim is really top notch. I loved exploring the openness of this world just as much as I enjoyed exploring the paths of Dark Souls.
4. Trackmana 2: Canyon; This game is addicting to me. It really brings out the perfectionist. But the reward for getting taking a corner perfectly, or perfectly nailing a full speed track turn is so great. I understand how obtuse it can be for people, but the mechanics of the game are just top-notch to me.
5. Portal 2; Really enjoyed the story (ambient and direct) here. Cave Johnson, Wheatley, and Glados are all such memorable characters. I disliked how much less freeform the puzzles were in this game compared to the first, though. It felt like it cheapened the experience somehow, since the first troubleshooting step was to shoot a portal somewhere high that was capable of having a portal. That really simplified a lot of the puzzles, unfortunately.
6. Bastion; What a great soundtrack and narration. I closely followed this game from the Giant Bomb stuff, and grew more and more hyped every time I saw it. And wonderfully, it didnt disappoint in the least. I LOVED the ending scene where
7. Saints Row The Third; Starting with skydiving THROUGH a plane, and an ending that was quite out of this world, this game was a non-stop thrill ride that was surprisingly diverse. I didnt feel super compelled to return to the world after finishing it, but what I did play was really well done.
8. Deus Ex: Human Revolution; The story choices here seemed a little weak, but I enjoyed a decent stealth action character. Boss fights were lame, but the world and the rest of the gameplay made up for it to me.
9. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine; I loved the badassery that you felt as a Space Marine. Taking a bit after Giant Bombs Vinny, I read a few of the Space Marine books, which I think managed to give me a better perspective on the characters.
10.Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception; Had a bunch of really enjoyable set pieces and interesting characters, and probably the best graphics on a console Ive seen to date.
x. Batman: Arkham City
x. Battlefield 3
x. Frozen Synapse
x. Magicka
x. Bulletstorm
x. Star Wars: The Old Republic
2. Dark Souls; Just a wonderful combat system. I love figuring out a game, and I never realized how I missed that until Dark/Demon's Souls came around. This game is one of the very best at encouraging me to explore, and actually think about encounters. I was thrilled to be able to do the entire game initially without having to consult a guide.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; The breadth of content available here was great, and it gets a top 3 spot simply because of how much time I spent enjoying it's world. I was never SUPER impressed with any of the story lines in particular (Maybe the veeeery first Dark Brotherhood stuff), but they were all perfectly entertaining. But the exploration and world of Skyrim is really top notch. I loved exploring the openness of this world just as much as I enjoyed exploring the paths of Dark Souls.
4. Trackmana 2: Canyon; This game is addicting to me. It really brings out the perfectionist. But the reward for getting taking a corner perfectly, or perfectly nailing a full speed track turn is so great. I understand how obtuse it can be for people, but the mechanics of the game are just top-notch to me.
5. Portal 2; Really enjoyed the story (ambient and direct) here. Cave Johnson, Wheatley, and Glados are all such memorable characters. I disliked how much less freeform the puzzles were in this game compared to the first, though. It felt like it cheapened the experience somehow, since the first troubleshooting step was to shoot a portal somewhere high that was capable of having a portal. That really simplified a lot of the puzzles, unfortunately.
6. Bastion; What a great soundtrack and narration. I closely followed this game from the Giant Bomb stuff, and grew more and more hyped every time I saw it. And wonderfully, it didnt disappoint in the least. I LOVED the ending scene where
You pick up the bad guy and escape with him on your back slowly as you just get pelted with arrows. I never did figure out if you could die there, since I just popped every potion I owned, but I kind of dont want to figure that out. Felt like The Kid just had a mental Fuck you world, Im gonna do this moment that I really enjoyed, even if it was just how I imagined it.
7. Saints Row The Third; Starting with skydiving THROUGH a plane, and an ending that was quite out of this world, this game was a non-stop thrill ride that was surprisingly diverse. I didnt feel super compelled to return to the world after finishing it, but what I did play was really well done.
8. Deus Ex: Human Revolution; The story choices here seemed a little weak, but I enjoyed a decent stealth action character. Boss fights were lame, but the world and the rest of the gameplay made up for it to me.
9. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine; I loved the badassery that you felt as a Space Marine. Taking a bit after Giant Bombs Vinny, I read a few of the Space Marine books, which I think managed to give me a better perspective on the characters.
10.Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception; Had a bunch of really enjoyable set pieces and interesting characters, and probably the best graphics on a console Ive seen to date.
x. Batman: Arkham City
x. Battlefield 3
x. Frozen Synapse
x. Magicka
x. Bulletstorm
x. Star Wars: The Old Republic
Glad this was extended, I've been meaning to post my list.
This is my first and last time I think I'll be able to play this many games in 1 year. Not only did play more than 10 games (a first!) that came out this year, but I played a lot of old games that I never got around to beating. I beat the entire half life series, MGS1, Braid, and The Witcher just to name a few. Braid sticks out the most out of that bunch, amazing game!
1. Portal 2: Finally got around to playing co-op and holy shit, I'm impressed.
2. Uncharted 3: I think I've put more hours in the multi-player than any other game that came out this year. I'm hesitant to put this at number 2 because the single player started to feel stale, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
3. Battlefield 3: This game dethroned CS:S as my go-to multiplayer game. I really need to get B2K.
4. Skryim: This game is huge. I'm only about 10 hours in, can't wait to finish it.
5. Saints Row 3: If I was 5 years younger this would be number 1 game. I would have enjoyed roaming around and doing dumb shit. I just don't have the time to or the desire to do that anymore. Campaign was great, it never felt repetitive which is so rare nowadays in open world games.
6. Batman: Arkham City: I feel the same way about this game as I do the single player for UC3. The challenge maps feel tacked on, and I only played them for a couple minutes to try out all of robin and nightwing's moves.
7. The Binding of Isaac: If it wasn't for the humble bundle, I would have never played this game. Watching videos of the game, I felt turned off. When I got it, I spent over 10 hours trying to beat it and still continued to play it again and again after I did.
8. Renegade Ops: Took a while to get on PC, but it was worth the wait. Really fun dual joystick shooter to play with friends.
9. Dead Space 2
10. Bastion
Honorable mentions: Infamous 2, Frozen synapse
2010 GOTY: Civilization V - My first civ game. I've only spent about 5 hours, but I can't wait to go back to it after I finish Skyrim.
This is my first and last time I think I'll be able to play this many games in 1 year. Not only did play more than 10 games (a first!) that came out this year, but I played a lot of old games that I never got around to beating. I beat the entire half life series, MGS1, Braid, and The Witcher just to name a few. Braid sticks out the most out of that bunch, amazing game!
1. Portal 2: Finally got around to playing co-op and holy shit, I'm impressed.
2. Uncharted 3: I think I've put more hours in the multi-player than any other game that came out this year. I'm hesitant to put this at number 2 because the single player started to feel stale, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
3. Battlefield 3: This game dethroned CS:S as my go-to multiplayer game. I really need to get B2K.
4. Skryim: This game is huge. I'm only about 10 hours in, can't wait to finish it.
5. Saints Row 3: If I was 5 years younger this would be number 1 game. I would have enjoyed roaming around and doing dumb shit. I just don't have the time to or the desire to do that anymore. Campaign was great, it never felt repetitive which is so rare nowadays in open world games.
6. Batman: Arkham City: I feel the same way about this game as I do the single player for UC3. The challenge maps feel tacked on, and I only played them for a couple minutes to try out all of robin and nightwing's moves.
7. The Binding of Isaac: If it wasn't for the humble bundle, I would have never played this game. Watching videos of the game, I felt turned off. When I got it, I spent over 10 hours trying to beat it and still continued to play it again and again after I did.
8. Renegade Ops: Took a while to get on PC, but it was worth the wait. Really fun dual joystick shooter to play with friends.
9. Dead Space 2
10. Bastion
Honorable mentions: Infamous 2, Frozen synapse
2010 GOTY: Civilization V - My first civ game. I've only spent about 5 hours, but I can't wait to go back to it after I finish Skyrim.
1. Dead Space 2
-I loved the original Dead Space but even I wasn't ready for what they were doing with this one. The story telling went from impressive to straight up amazing in the sequel- the inclusion of action set-pieces actually accentuated the quiet moments a lot better than I expected. When I finished I immediately started on a higher difficulty. The combat, the atmosphere, the sound design, the level design and the final act of the story were all just SO GOOD.
2. Portal 2
-Just built on the original in the best ways, incredible level design, top notch writing and amazing atmosphere.
3. Uncharted 3
-Whilst not on the same level as Uncharted 2 this is still a really great game and I just enjoyed spending a little more time with Nathan Drake and his buddies despite all the issues this game has. The
were two of the best parts of any game I've ever played.
4. Yakuza 4
-I'm a huge Yakuza fan and for this to make this list all it had to be was more Yakuza- but it's much more than that. The new characters were awesome and really brought that much needed variety to the series even if the city is the same.
5. Rayman: Origins
-Such a shame this was mostly ignored since it's easily the best platformer in years, super tight controls with amazing level design and an unhealthy amount of charm.
6. Dark Souls
-I still haven't finished this and I don't know if I ever will (even though I really want to) but the time I've spent with this is more than enough reason for this to be here- it is easily one of the most satisfying games I've ever played, getting to summon one of my friends and then getting invaded by an idiot who runs off the edge of a cliff whilst trying to backstab us was one of the most fun things I've done in a game this year.
7. Shadows of the Damned
-I liked this game probably a lot more than I should of, but the characters and the writing are just so grotesquely charming that it is way too hard to not put this game here, I loved the combat and the story. The tone is just pitch perfect throughout the entire thing and man, what a great ending.
8. Resistance 3
-Talk about a turn around for a series, easily the most improved franchise in gaming this year (except maybe Sonic). If Valve aren't going to give us any more Half Life, this will more than do for now, absolutely amazing game that really does seem like a labor of love to fully realise the franchise.
9. Infamous 2
-It is basically just more Infamous but the combat and traversal in the first game were amazing and the way it climaxes just made me realise how much I liked this game.
10. Saints Row: The Third
-I really liked Saints Row 2 but this is on a whole other level, no game consistently surprised me more this year even if the surprises weren't always good.
X. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
-I still haven't really got into this game yet and I'm not really sure what's keeping me from doing that but I've enjoyed my time with Skyrim so far- kinda. I'm really conflicted about this game and I'm not sure if I love it or hate it- it's not as improved as everybody said it is and the world doesn't feel quite as "magical" as the world in Oblivion did but the magic is a load of fun, a great but kinda broken game.
X. Batman: Arkham City
-The biggest disappointment this year for me considering how much I loved the first game but I still enjoyed this despite the sort of open world structure ruining a lot of it for me.
2010. Alan Wake
-Only just getting an Xbox in 2011 I could finally play Alan Wake and by gosh did I love what I played. The story telling and the combat just make it for me, such a great overall package even if the cutscenes are scarier than the gameplay simply because of the lip syncing.
-I loved the original Dead Space but even I wasn't ready for what they were doing with this one. The story telling went from impressive to straight up amazing in the sequel- the inclusion of action set-pieces actually accentuated the quiet moments a lot better than I expected. When I finished I immediately started on a higher difficulty. The combat, the atmosphere, the sound design, the level design and the final act of the story were all just SO GOOD.
2. Portal 2
-Just built on the original in the best ways, incredible level design, top notch writing and amazing atmosphere.
3. Uncharted 3
-Whilst not on the same level as Uncharted 2 this is still a really great game and I just enjoyed spending a little more time with Nathan Drake and his buddies despite all the issues this game has. The
chase sequence in Yemen and the plane set piece
4. Yakuza 4
-I'm a huge Yakuza fan and for this to make this list all it had to be was more Yakuza- but it's much more than that. The new characters were awesome and really brought that much needed variety to the series even if the city is the same.
5. Rayman: Origins
-Such a shame this was mostly ignored since it's easily the best platformer in years, super tight controls with amazing level design and an unhealthy amount of charm.
6. Dark Souls
-I still haven't finished this and I don't know if I ever will (even though I really want to) but the time I've spent with this is more than enough reason for this to be here- it is easily one of the most satisfying games I've ever played, getting to summon one of my friends and then getting invaded by an idiot who runs off the edge of a cliff whilst trying to backstab us was one of the most fun things I've done in a game this year.
7. Shadows of the Damned
-I liked this game probably a lot more than I should of, but the characters and the writing are just so grotesquely charming that it is way too hard to not put this game here, I loved the combat and the story. The tone is just pitch perfect throughout the entire thing and man, what a great ending.
8. Resistance 3
-Talk about a turn around for a series, easily the most improved franchise in gaming this year (except maybe Sonic). If Valve aren't going to give us any more Half Life, this will more than do for now, absolutely amazing game that really does seem like a labor of love to fully realise the franchise.
9. Infamous 2
-It is basically just more Infamous but the combat and traversal in the first game were amazing and the way it climaxes just made me realise how much I liked this game.
10. Saints Row: The Third
-I really liked Saints Row 2 but this is on a whole other level, no game consistently surprised me more this year even if the surprises weren't always good.
X. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
-I still haven't really got into this game yet and I'm not really sure what's keeping me from doing that but I've enjoyed my time with Skyrim so far- kinda. I'm really conflicted about this game and I'm not sure if I love it or hate it- it's not as improved as everybody said it is and the world doesn't feel quite as "magical" as the world in Oblivion did but the magic is a load of fun, a great but kinda broken game.
X. Batman: Arkham City
-The biggest disappointment this year for me considering how much I loved the first game but I still enjoyed this despite the sort of open world structure ruining a lot of it for me.
2010. Alan Wake
-Only just getting an Xbox in 2011 I could finally play Alan Wake and by gosh did I love what I played. The story telling and the combat just make it for me, such a great overall package even if the cutscenes are scarier than the gameplay simply because of the lip syncing.
1. Dark Souls - Best melee combat in any game I've ever played and also the game I pumped the most hours into.
2. Saints Row: The Third - Just the most fun game I've played this year. Didn't think open-world could be enjoyable for me again.
3. Batman: Arkham City - Just more Batman and it works extremely well.
4. Portal 2 - Great story and writing.
5. Dead Space 2 - Love Dead Space and this was more of that done well.
6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Sneaking through the whole game was one of the most memorable gaming experiences I ever had.
7. Shadows of the Damned - Weird-ass game (in a good way) with excellent gameplay and cool characters.
8. Dead Island - My surprise of the year, way better than I thought.
9. L.A. Noire - Loved the adventure-like gameplay in an open city.
10. Uncharted 3 - Probably the best cinematic rollercoaster ride this year.
2010 Game of 2011: Fallout: New Vegas - primarily because of the Old World Blues DLC.
2. Saints Row: The Third - Just the most fun game I've played this year. Didn't think open-world could be enjoyable for me again.
3. Batman: Arkham City - Just more Batman and it works extremely well.
4. Portal 2 - Great story and writing.
5. Dead Space 2 - Love Dead Space and this was more of that done well.
6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Sneaking through the whole game was one of the most memorable gaming experiences I ever had.
7. Shadows of the Damned - Weird-ass game (in a good way) with excellent gameplay and cool characters.
8. Dead Island - My surprise of the year, way better than I thought.
9. L.A. Noire - Loved the adventure-like gameplay in an open city.
10. Uncharted 3 - Probably the best cinematic rollercoaster ride this year.
2010 Game of 2011: Fallout: New Vegas - primarily because of the Old World Blues DLC.
- Status