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GAF Games of the Year 2011 - Voting Thread - Voting's Over, Folks!
- Thread starter timetokill
- Start date
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Riposte
Member
Glad you posted Iconoclast, thanks for the read. I was through scrolling this thread really fast and for a split second I thought it was my post lol.
EDIT: Catherine: The biggest failing about Undo is that it can seriously break the game. I don't dislike the idea of it, especially for a "normal" run-through. However it immediately charges up your combo meter to full (so you can make three moves without progressing and if you undo the last one it would be like you didn't waste any time at all) and the way you can manipulate bosses with it is quite powerful. Fortunately, the game is hard enough on Normal that even with that players abuse it are likely to just get stuck. Still quite an oversight.
I realize this comment is out of place, but I've never posted in the Catherine thread and I just wanted to say this real quick lol.
EDIT: Catherine: The biggest failing about Undo is that it can seriously break the game. I don't dislike the idea of it, especially for a "normal" run-through. However it immediately charges up your combo meter to full (so you can make three moves without progressing and if you undo the last one it would be like you didn't waste any time at all) and the way you can manipulate bosses with it is quite powerful. Fortunately, the game is hard enough on Normal that even with that players abuse it are likely to just get stuck. Still quite an oversight.
I realize this comment is out of place, but I've never posted in the Catherine thread and I just wanted to say this real quick lol.
John Dunbar
correct about everything
1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
2010. Civilization V
that's all i played this year.
2010. Civilization V
that's all i played this year.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
2. Portal 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
3.Xenoblade (Wii)
4.Dark Souls (PS3, Xbox 360)
5.Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
6.Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
7.Kirby Mass Attack (DS)
8.The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS); only this low because it's a remake/enhanced port
Didn't play a lot this year, nothing else worthy of the list comes to mind.
2. Portal 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
3.Xenoblade (Wii)
4.Dark Souls (PS3, Xbox 360)
5.Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
6.Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
7.Kirby Mass Attack (DS)
8.The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS); only this low because it's a remake/enhanced port
Didn't play a lot this year, nothing else worthy of the list comes to mind.
charlequin
Banned
10. Persona 2: Innocent Sin
As someone who went from a vague, uninformed distrust of the Megaten franchise to a slavering devotee thanks to GAF's helpful insistence, this release was something I'd been eagerly awaiting for some time. The resulting product isn't something that everyone is going to love -- it's very much a PSX-era JRPG polished up and repackaged for a 2011 release. But in many ways this game sums up the things that were so wonderful about games from that era: an elaborate (if overly persnickety) character advancement system; a narrative that takes pains to develop its cast and their relationships to one another; a hilariously over-the-top plotline about Deep Philosophical Ideas; lots of unique, complex hand-crafted dungeons; tons of unique dialogue and fantastic music. While this game has some really creaky elements even in this polished update, there's also a lot here that newer Megatens (and JRPGs in general) could learn from.
9. Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD
I never played the DS iteration of this -- which is a bit weird, since it's prety clearly in my wheelhouse. But after endless months of having this game recommended to me, I decided to fix that with the console release. Like Puzzle Quest, this game implements the addictive combination of an RPG framework with a puzzle-based battle system -- but unlike Puzzle Quest, this game's puzzle system is deep, complex, and strategic. The two-axis combination system combines with the free-move system and the multiple unit types to make combining units in this game an unusual joy; I constantly found myself angling for elaborate combinations in each battle, and overjoyed when I succeeded in pulling them off. CoH is also an exceedingly rich experience: five chapters, each playing as a mechanically distinct hero, with large amounts of optional content throughout. The game's not perfect (the loading time is brainmelting and the final chapter is quite poorly designed compared to everything that comes before it) but the immense enjoyment I derived in between those troubles more than made up for it.
8. Radiant Historia
Like Persona 2, this game has that unmistakeable feel of a Playstation RPG -- but this title is Atlus showing that they can take the elements of that era and apply them to a new, fresh-feeling game today. Radiant Historia is an excellent example of achieving more with less: a low-budget handheld RPG, it stil manages to tell an elaborate political (and personal) tale woven across two timelines with a complelling protagonist and suitably huge-seeming gameworld. The game's battle system takes normal encounters and spices them up with a simple but deeply enjoyable location-based system that encourages full use of each character's abilities but which keeps both the movement and the number of abilities simple. The game has plenty of sidequests to make the completionist player happy, but they're always easily comprehensible and helpfully marked in your menu for later reference. Even the time-travel mechanic at the game's heart is simple: just a single split (and a variety of immediate "bad endings") let the game minimize time-travel-related confusion but still provide an interesting narrative (and nice gameplay elements, like the ability to go back to story events or boss fights over and over again.) All told, this is just a remarkably solid game: not an all-time classic, but something that will nonetheless be remembered fondly by many people for years to come.
7. Ghost Trick
I've been a fan of Shu Takumi's work since the first Ace Attorney game was released in the States, but with that series the storytelling always seemed a bit... askew, like some part of the formula got in the way of Takumi accomplishing exactly what he set out to do -- a problem this game seems to have been born to solve. Like Phoenix Wright, Ghost Trick is filled with charming characters given a phenomenal presentation, but here everything just jibes better. The gameplay sequences are far more unique than Ace Attorney's point-and-click sequences, but they're also far better integrated into the narrative flow. The art and music are poetry in motion, and they, too seem to flow naturally from the game's premise and setting. More than anything, the narrative the game sets to telling springs directly from the premise and the characters, and wraps itself together in an artful package with a clever little bow atop it: an experience satisfying in a way that only the most effective narrative games can deliver. This is a game that speaks to the possibility of a thousand other art narrative games welding clever mechanics to well-executed stories, and I for one look forward to playing them.
6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
I've talked a lot about how DX:HR is a flawed game, and its problems are certainly significant: it's misbalanced, it's frequently incorrect in its approach to certain mechanics, and it's straightforwardly about ten hours too long. But beyond all those problems, what this game accomplishes is worth celebrating, to me. Flexible multipath RPGs are one of the PC platform's enduring legacies, and DX:HR points the way to these games' future: the hub design, the tactical options in each situation, and the volume of toys the game puts in the players' hands speak to how these mechanics can be streamlined without becoming something entirely different. Most of the problems with this game I noticed in analyizing it afterwards -- a mark of the enjoyment I was getting while I was actually playing it. I'm looking forward immensely to the followup to this game; if it builds on this game's extremely solid foundation, it could be spectacular.
5. Portal 2
This is my pure candyfloss vote for this year. I'm sure plenty of other games were objectively better than Portal 2 in many ways, but nothing was quite as unabashedly fun. The storytelling in this game is top-notch, an unequalled effort in its specific approach; the puzzles, although sadly lacking in higher-level challenge, are exceedingly entertaining to solve, especially when the various paints are involved. So many titles set out to provide a joyous, guided-tour type of play experience, but Portal 2 stands out for me in how well it succeeds. Worth playing for anyone who enjoyed its predecessor at all.
4. Jamestown
Full disclosure here: my recent experience with the shmup genre is very limited. I enjoyed older ship-shooting titles quite a bit long, long ago (I was a huge Galaga devotee back in the day and I loved stuff like Raptor and Gradius in earlier decades) but my knowledge of what Japan has done to the genre in the interim is almost nil. I bought this game mostly for its AV appeal (the pixel art and music are both phenomenal), but when I sat down to play it what really impressed me was just how accessible it was. For someone who's unfamiliar with the genre's recent developments, the simplicity of the mechanics made it easy to get started playing, and the elegance of the shield and combo mechanics got me to pay attention to both. But most important is the play progression. When I've tried games like this before, it's been easy to get frustrated -- screw up repeatedly on the first level, finally have a breakthrough -- then make it to the second, die immediately, and have to go back to scratch again. By letting me tackle each level separately, Jamestown gave me a feeling of progression that's harder to get from games that only have a full-play mode -- but by making me go back and replay levels on increasing difficulties, it forced me to actually develop my skills and get better at the game to keep moving on. It took me as long to make it through the last level as it did to get through everything to that point combined, but it was very satisfying to do so -- and the game convinced me to download DDP on my iPod, so it's clearly worked at getting me interested in this genre and I have to consider that a big success.
3. Outland
I was interested in Outland the first time I saw it revealed on GAF -- the use of light/dark polarity mechanics in an exploratory platformer was already a concept that intrigued me, and I found the minimal visual style appealing -- but that interest really crystallized for me the moment I picked up a controller and tried out the game at last year's PAX East. What the screenshots couldn't tell me is just how perfectly the game controlled: this is a game with a nimble, swift-moving hero who nonetheless is incredibly responsive and can turn on a dime. Just maneuvering your character around on the screen is a joy in and of itself, a work of craftsmanship that on its own would recommend this game highly. But the level design and especially the bosses speak to an attention to detail and level of care that sets the game apart. This game is a love letter to classic action-platformers (given Housemarque's origins it's no surprise that it feels like a lost Amiga game) and is scrupulously fair and well-designed to reward play skill, exploration, and learning. I can't help but feel this game got short shrift due to its release timing and the PSN outage; it's going to go down as one of my top recommendations whenever people ask what's good on the console DD services from here on out.
2. Tactics Ogre
What is there to say about this, almost? It's a beautiful, lovingly reimagined version of a game that was already rightfully a classic. The gameplay is deep and intricate; the remastered graphics are elegant; the branching storyline puts plenty of games with "real player choice" to shame; the soundtrack is beautiful and timeless; it came out in February (the best month) and my lovely wife bought it for me for my birthday. All this would be plenty, but the game's new systems really put it over the top. Matsuno (wisely) recognized that helping players see all the content in a branching storyline or undo tragic misclicks in a strategy game doesn't ruin the challenge, it just encourages the player to engage in even greater depth -- these systems mean this game is free of much of the pain that's frequent in its peers and lets the player focus on what's great about it instead. As I am wont to do with SRPGs, I played this for 40+ hours, got nowhere near the end, and put it aside; but I'll be going back to this many, many times in the future.
1. Spacechem
I had to put this title at number one just for its sheer audacity (and the success it achieves on the back of same.) I've played many excellent puzzle games over the years, but never before have I seen a game take the pure, core essence of programming and render it down to an accessible game system. With a simple set of tools (and some carefully thought-out restrictions to force playes to think carefully) Spacechem takes players through a master class in simple-device programming, forces players to think like a developer and apply concepts that are challenging even in real, practical applications just to advance through the stages. The result is the most sublime, elegant, and infinitely challenging puzzle game I've ever played. It's a game that's almost difficult to play, sometimes, because it feels like coming home from work to do more work, but which gives me that sublime feeling that got me into development in the first place every time I clear a level or come up with a great solution to a vexing challenge. Add in the social elements on top and it takes the game to a whole new level: new sadistic challenges from other players give the game tons of future replay value. The easy-to-use video-sharing system that lets you compare solutions with others is the best feature of all, though, because it reveals just how deep the core mechanic is: solve any level with what feels like a clever, elegant solution, then search on Youtube: you'll find tons of other solutions, some far more elegant than your own, and almost all of them clearly distinct in their approaches. This is a game I know will stand the test of time, and I'll be watching Zachtronics Industries very carefully to see what greatness they can turn out in the future.
The list, in easy-to-read voting order:
1. Spacechem
2. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
3. Outland
4. Jamestown
5. Portal 2
6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
7. Ghost Trick
8. Radiant Historia
9. Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD
10. Persona 2: Innocent Sin
As someone who went from a vague, uninformed distrust of the Megaten franchise to a slavering devotee thanks to GAF's helpful insistence, this release was something I'd been eagerly awaiting for some time. The resulting product isn't something that everyone is going to love -- it's very much a PSX-era JRPG polished up and repackaged for a 2011 release. But in many ways this game sums up the things that were so wonderful about games from that era: an elaborate (if overly persnickety) character advancement system; a narrative that takes pains to develop its cast and their relationships to one another; a hilariously over-the-top plotline about Deep Philosophical Ideas; lots of unique, complex hand-crafted dungeons; tons of unique dialogue and fantastic music. While this game has some really creaky elements even in this polished update, there's also a lot here that newer Megatens (and JRPGs in general) could learn from.
9. Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD
I never played the DS iteration of this -- which is a bit weird, since it's prety clearly in my wheelhouse. But after endless months of having this game recommended to me, I decided to fix that with the console release. Like Puzzle Quest, this game implements the addictive combination of an RPG framework with a puzzle-based battle system -- but unlike Puzzle Quest, this game's puzzle system is deep, complex, and strategic. The two-axis combination system combines with the free-move system and the multiple unit types to make combining units in this game an unusual joy; I constantly found myself angling for elaborate combinations in each battle, and overjoyed when I succeeded in pulling them off. CoH is also an exceedingly rich experience: five chapters, each playing as a mechanically distinct hero, with large amounts of optional content throughout. The game's not perfect (the loading time is brainmelting and the final chapter is quite poorly designed compared to everything that comes before it) but the immense enjoyment I derived in between those troubles more than made up for it.
8. Radiant Historia
Like Persona 2, this game has that unmistakeable feel of a Playstation RPG -- but this title is Atlus showing that they can take the elements of that era and apply them to a new, fresh-feeling game today. Radiant Historia is an excellent example of achieving more with less: a low-budget handheld RPG, it stil manages to tell an elaborate political (and personal) tale woven across two timelines with a complelling protagonist and suitably huge-seeming gameworld. The game's battle system takes normal encounters and spices them up with a simple but deeply enjoyable location-based system that encourages full use of each character's abilities but which keeps both the movement and the number of abilities simple. The game has plenty of sidequests to make the completionist player happy, but they're always easily comprehensible and helpfully marked in your menu for later reference. Even the time-travel mechanic at the game's heart is simple: just a single split (and a variety of immediate "bad endings") let the game minimize time-travel-related confusion but still provide an interesting narrative (and nice gameplay elements, like the ability to go back to story events or boss fights over and over again.) All told, this is just a remarkably solid game: not an all-time classic, but something that will nonetheless be remembered fondly by many people for years to come.
7. Ghost Trick
I've been a fan of Shu Takumi's work since the first Ace Attorney game was released in the States, but with that series the storytelling always seemed a bit... askew, like some part of the formula got in the way of Takumi accomplishing exactly what he set out to do -- a problem this game seems to have been born to solve. Like Phoenix Wright, Ghost Trick is filled with charming characters given a phenomenal presentation, but here everything just jibes better. The gameplay sequences are far more unique than Ace Attorney's point-and-click sequences, but they're also far better integrated into the narrative flow. The art and music are poetry in motion, and they, too seem to flow naturally from the game's premise and setting. More than anything, the narrative the game sets to telling springs directly from the premise and the characters, and wraps itself together in an artful package with a clever little bow atop it: an experience satisfying in a way that only the most effective narrative games can deliver. This is a game that speaks to the possibility of a thousand other art narrative games welding clever mechanics to well-executed stories, and I for one look forward to playing them.
6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
I've talked a lot about how DX:HR is a flawed game, and its problems are certainly significant: it's misbalanced, it's frequently incorrect in its approach to certain mechanics, and it's straightforwardly about ten hours too long. But beyond all those problems, what this game accomplishes is worth celebrating, to me. Flexible multipath RPGs are one of the PC platform's enduring legacies, and DX:HR points the way to these games' future: the hub design, the tactical options in each situation, and the volume of toys the game puts in the players' hands speak to how these mechanics can be streamlined without becoming something entirely different. Most of the problems with this game I noticed in analyizing it afterwards -- a mark of the enjoyment I was getting while I was actually playing it. I'm looking forward immensely to the followup to this game; if it builds on this game's extremely solid foundation, it could be spectacular.
5. Portal 2
This is my pure candyfloss vote for this year. I'm sure plenty of other games were objectively better than Portal 2 in many ways, but nothing was quite as unabashedly fun. The storytelling in this game is top-notch, an unequalled effort in its specific approach; the puzzles, although sadly lacking in higher-level challenge, are exceedingly entertaining to solve, especially when the various paints are involved. So many titles set out to provide a joyous, guided-tour type of play experience, but Portal 2 stands out for me in how well it succeeds. Worth playing for anyone who enjoyed its predecessor at all.
4. Jamestown
Full disclosure here: my recent experience with the shmup genre is very limited. I enjoyed older ship-shooting titles quite a bit long, long ago (I was a huge Galaga devotee back in the day and I loved stuff like Raptor and Gradius in earlier decades) but my knowledge of what Japan has done to the genre in the interim is almost nil. I bought this game mostly for its AV appeal (the pixel art and music are both phenomenal), but when I sat down to play it what really impressed me was just how accessible it was. For someone who's unfamiliar with the genre's recent developments, the simplicity of the mechanics made it easy to get started playing, and the elegance of the shield and combo mechanics got me to pay attention to both. But most important is the play progression. When I've tried games like this before, it's been easy to get frustrated -- screw up repeatedly on the first level, finally have a breakthrough -- then make it to the second, die immediately, and have to go back to scratch again. By letting me tackle each level separately, Jamestown gave me a feeling of progression that's harder to get from games that only have a full-play mode -- but by making me go back and replay levels on increasing difficulties, it forced me to actually develop my skills and get better at the game to keep moving on. It took me as long to make it through the last level as it did to get through everything to that point combined, but it was very satisfying to do so -- and the game convinced me to download DDP on my iPod, so it's clearly worked at getting me interested in this genre and I have to consider that a big success.
3. Outland
I was interested in Outland the first time I saw it revealed on GAF -- the use of light/dark polarity mechanics in an exploratory platformer was already a concept that intrigued me, and I found the minimal visual style appealing -- but that interest really crystallized for me the moment I picked up a controller and tried out the game at last year's PAX East. What the screenshots couldn't tell me is just how perfectly the game controlled: this is a game with a nimble, swift-moving hero who nonetheless is incredibly responsive and can turn on a dime. Just maneuvering your character around on the screen is a joy in and of itself, a work of craftsmanship that on its own would recommend this game highly. But the level design and especially the bosses speak to an attention to detail and level of care that sets the game apart. This game is a love letter to classic action-platformers (given Housemarque's origins it's no surprise that it feels like a lost Amiga game) and is scrupulously fair and well-designed to reward play skill, exploration, and learning. I can't help but feel this game got short shrift due to its release timing and the PSN outage; it's going to go down as one of my top recommendations whenever people ask what's good on the console DD services from here on out.
2. Tactics Ogre
What is there to say about this, almost? It's a beautiful, lovingly reimagined version of a game that was already rightfully a classic. The gameplay is deep and intricate; the remastered graphics are elegant; the branching storyline puts plenty of games with "real player choice" to shame; the soundtrack is beautiful and timeless; it came out in February (the best month) and my lovely wife bought it for me for my birthday. All this would be plenty, but the game's new systems really put it over the top. Matsuno (wisely) recognized that helping players see all the content in a branching storyline or undo tragic misclicks in a strategy game doesn't ruin the challenge, it just encourages the player to engage in even greater depth -- these systems mean this game is free of much of the pain that's frequent in its peers and lets the player focus on what's great about it instead. As I am wont to do with SRPGs, I played this for 40+ hours, got nowhere near the end, and put it aside; but I'll be going back to this many, many times in the future.
1. Spacechem
I had to put this title at number one just for its sheer audacity (and the success it achieves on the back of same.) I've played many excellent puzzle games over the years, but never before have I seen a game take the pure, core essence of programming and render it down to an accessible game system. With a simple set of tools (and some carefully thought-out restrictions to force playes to think carefully) Spacechem takes players through a master class in simple-device programming, forces players to think like a developer and apply concepts that are challenging even in real, practical applications just to advance through the stages. The result is the most sublime, elegant, and infinitely challenging puzzle game I've ever played. It's a game that's almost difficult to play, sometimes, because it feels like coming home from work to do more work, but which gives me that sublime feeling that got me into development in the first place every time I clear a level or come up with a great solution to a vexing challenge. Add in the social elements on top and it takes the game to a whole new level: new sadistic challenges from other players give the game tons of future replay value. The easy-to-use video-sharing system that lets you compare solutions with others is the best feature of all, though, because it reveals just how deep the core mechanic is: solve any level with what feels like a clever, elegant solution, then search on Youtube: you'll find tons of other solutions, some far more elegant than your own, and almost all of them clearly distinct in their approaches. This is a game I know will stand the test of time, and I'll be watching Zachtronics Industries very carefully to see what greatness they can turn out in the future.
The list, in easy-to-read voting order:
1. Spacechem
2. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
3. Outland
4. Jamestown
5. Portal 2
6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
7. Ghost Trick
8. Radiant Historia
9. Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD
10. Persona 2: Innocent Sin
1. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; I've followed the development of this game for so long, I figured there was no possible way it could live up to my expectations. Oblivion was my favorite game of all time (tied with Ultima VII) and I figured it was impossible to beat. Skyrim manages to win hands-down as the best game I have ever played. Yes, its gameplay isn't the best and I have experienced a few minor bugs. However, I play games for immersion and Skyrim is a perfect fit for my tastes. It's a breathtaking masterpiece.
2. Star Wars: The Old Republic ; I hate MMOs. I REALLY hate MMOs. I sometimes enjoy WoW in small amounts, but it's never really grabbed me. ToR, however, is awesome. For the first time in an MMO it seems like my character is actually important within the universe even right at the start. I also don't quite get the critique of its gameplay as being the same as WoW. To me, it seems more like Rift in that it relies more on maneuvers than auto-attack. Admittedly, my highest level WoW character was only like 33, so my experience is somewhat limited. Nonetheless, I think ToR is awesome and hopefully it has a long future ahead of it.
3. Shogun: Total War 2 ; I hate the naval combat, but the rest of the game is pure strategic awesomeness in a bad ass setting/time period. I haven't actually had the time to play as much of this game as I would like, but it still earns a place on my list.
4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; I'm not that far into this game, but I love what I have experienced. The ambiance is incredible and it really seems like you're in a cyber punk world. Something seems to be off about the gunplay, but I can't put my finger on it. The stealth is really cool though and I like the variety of problem solving approaches you can take.
2. Star Wars: The Old Republic ; I hate MMOs. I REALLY hate MMOs. I sometimes enjoy WoW in small amounts, but it's never really grabbed me. ToR, however, is awesome. For the first time in an MMO it seems like my character is actually important within the universe even right at the start. I also don't quite get the critique of its gameplay as being the same as WoW. To me, it seems more like Rift in that it relies more on maneuvers than auto-attack. Admittedly, my highest level WoW character was only like 33, so my experience is somewhat limited. Nonetheless, I think ToR is awesome and hopefully it has a long future ahead of it.
3. Shogun: Total War 2 ; I hate the naval combat, but the rest of the game is pure strategic awesomeness in a bad ass setting/time period. I haven't actually had the time to play as much of this game as I would like, but it still earns a place on my list.
4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; I'm not that far into this game, but I love what I have experienced. The ambiance is incredible and it really seems like you're in a cyber punk world. Something seems to be off about the gunplay, but I can't put my finger on it. The stealth is really cool though and I like the variety of problem solving approaches you can take.
First post on GAF!
1. Portal 2 - Great writing, genuinely funny, mentally rewarding puzzle mechanics and a fantastic co-op mode.
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - The story goes all wonky about halfway through but DX:HR revitalized my love for games with real choice.
3. Bastion - Great art style, decent combat mechanics, excellent soundtrack. Impressive first outing for such a small team.
4. Saints Row The Third - This game is pure dopamine. As has been said before, SR3 respects your time and does everything it can to entertain and reward you.
5. Battlefield 3 - Having not touched the Battlefield series since 1942 (I played a TON of 1942), it has been amazing coming back to 3. The game looks astounding and the emergent moments in Battlefield 3 multiplayer are unmatched.
6. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Great combat and upgrade system. Eats commute time like no other game.
7. Dead Space 2 - Looks amazing on PC. Overcomes some of its pacing problems with a fun weapon and combat system.
8. Orcs Must Die! - Fun take on the tower defense genre. Fast paced and strategically rewarding.
x Witcher 2 - haven't played enough to make my judgement, but I have loved what I have played so far.
2010: Just Cause 2
1. Portal 2 - Great writing, genuinely funny, mentally rewarding puzzle mechanics and a fantastic co-op mode.
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - The story goes all wonky about halfway through but DX:HR revitalized my love for games with real choice.
3. Bastion - Great art style, decent combat mechanics, excellent soundtrack. Impressive first outing for such a small team.
4. Saints Row The Third - This game is pure dopamine. As has been said before, SR3 respects your time and does everything it can to entertain and reward you.
5. Battlefield 3 - Having not touched the Battlefield series since 1942 (I played a TON of 1942), it has been amazing coming back to 3. The game looks astounding and the emergent moments in Battlefield 3 multiplayer are unmatched.
6. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Great combat and upgrade system. Eats commute time like no other game.
7. Dead Space 2 - Looks amazing on PC. Overcomes some of its pacing problems with a fun weapon and combat system.
8. Orcs Must Die! - Fun take on the tower defense genre. Fast paced and strategically rewarding.
x Witcher 2 - haven't played enough to make my judgement, but I have loved what I have played so far.
2010: Just Cause 2
Phantom Flapjack
Member
1. Catherine
2. Ghost Trick
3. Saints Row: The Third
4. Dark Souls
5. Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax
6. Shadows of the Damned
7. El Shaddai
8. Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD
9. BloodyCheckers
10. Duke Nukem Forever
2010: 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
2. Ghost Trick
3. Saints Row: The Third
4. Dark Souls
5. Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax
6. Shadows of the Damned
7. El Shaddai
8. Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD
9. BloodyCheckers
10. Duke Nukem Forever
2010: 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
1. Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds ; GOTF. Okay I'd write lengthier descriptions but I'd need more time to collect my thoughts and I'm voting far too late.
2. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 ; GOTF only made better. Thank you based Capcom for giving me more goodness in the same year.
3. Forza Motorsport 4
4. Portal 2
5. Gears of War 3
6. Minecraft
7. Magicka
8. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
9. Spiral Knights
10. Dungeon Defenders
2010. Mass Effect 2
2. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 ; GOTF only made better. Thank you based Capcom for giving me more goodness in the same year.
3. Forza Motorsport 4
4. Portal 2
5. Gears of War 3
6. Minecraft
7. Magicka
8. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
9. Spiral Knights
10. Dungeon Defenders
2010. Mass Effect 2
Sgtpepper89
Member
I havent got any big interest in playing games this year, mainly been 3ds.. those that Ive had most fun with and accually put some hours in is:
1. Mario Kart 7 - pure fun, havent enjoyed the previous mario karts as much since the snes game.
2. Zelda OoT 3ds - first time i played it, great game spending the summer with, currently working on master quest tho im terrible at action/adventure games =(
3. Xenoblade Chronicles - well "only" played for like 9h so far, too lazy to plug in the Wii, but i love the atmosphere and it gives me a reason not to sell my Wii, atleast not before I take my time to complete it.
1. Mario Kart 7 - pure fun, havent enjoyed the previous mario karts as much since the snes game.
2. Zelda OoT 3ds - first time i played it, great game spending the summer with, currently working on master quest tho im terrible at action/adventure games =(
3. Xenoblade Chronicles - well "only" played for like 9h so far, too lazy to plug in the Wii, but i love the atmosphere and it gives me a reason not to sell my Wii, atleast not before I take my time to complete it.
1. Minecraft
2. Saints Row the Third
3. Dark Souls
4. The Witcher 2
5. Uncharted 3
6. Bastion
7. Atom Zombie Smasher
8. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
9. Shadows of the Damned
10. El Shaddai - Honestly the visuals are the only reason I added this. Gameplay was pretty meh.
2010: Fallout: New Vegas
I've got a ton of stuff in my backlog that would probably fit in this list like Space Marine, Skyrim, Bulletstorm, etc but I just haven't found the time to get back to them yet. Oh well.
2. Saints Row the Third
3. Dark Souls
4. The Witcher 2
5. Uncharted 3
6. Bastion
7. Atom Zombie Smasher
8. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
9. Shadows of the Damned
10. El Shaddai - Honestly the visuals are the only reason I added this. Gameplay was pretty meh.
2010: Fallout: New Vegas
I've got a ton of stuff in my backlog that would probably fit in this list like Space Marine, Skyrim, Bulletstorm, etc but I just haven't found the time to get back to them yet. Oh well.
Cerebral Assassin
Member
I mainly played old games this year, so these are the only games from this year that I played & liked.
1.The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
2.Xenoblade Chronicles
3.Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
4.L.A Noire
5.Ilomilo
1.The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
2.Xenoblade Chronicles
3.Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
4.L.A Noire
5.Ilomilo
Jake Tower
Banned
1. Portal 2
2. Batman - Arkham City
3. The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim
4. Gears of War 3
LTTP: Darksiders
2. Batman - Arkham City
3. The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim
4. Gears of War 3
LTTP: Darksiders
I edited my post to add in reasons for my picks, so I figured I'd repost it here in case anyone cares to see my ramblings.
Ok here we go. I can't wait to check this thread in a year and regret all my picks.
1. Portal 2
Simply put, this game is an experience. It seems these days that people idolize the idea of games becoming more like movies in presentation and direction, and no game as close to that concept as Portal 2. Not only was the presentation some of the best in all of gaming, but the gameplay was leaps and bounds above the original title while still retaining the original's duality of simplicity and complexity. The multiplayer, while not as lengthy or replayable as other titles, was one of the most fun experiences I've had this year.
2. Deus Ex Human Revolution
This is one of those games that stays with you months after you play it. A fascinating story, distinct art style, and intelligent themes are just dressing on what is a fun stealth game that rewards exploration in an era where many games are just tubes o' baddies. This is one of the few games where I actually care about DLC and can't wait to see more.
3. Super Mario 3D Land
This is the 3DS' killer app. Not only is it the first game for me to truly sell me on the 3D aspect of the system, it is a unique blend of 3D and 2D gameplay. It borrows liberally from everything ranging from Super Mario 3 to Super Mario Galaxy, but mixes them together into a game that still has a lot of originality and creativity. Always bet on Mario for a game that is just pure fun.
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
This game was one of the most talked about titles in all of gaming, and years from now I'm sure opinions will be decisive to say the least. But for me, I was completely amazed at how Bethesda managed to craft a massive world that was not only impressive to look at, but was packed with so much meaningful content. This is easily my most played 2011 release, and one of those games that you can take a break from and come back with still so much to do. It's an adventure in an of itself.
5. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
Everything about this game is unpredictable. In an unforgiving world with characters of ambiguous morality and ambitions, you never really know where this game will take you. What's guaranteed is that you will be met with something amazing, whether it be gorgeous locals, memorable side quests, or grueling battles. It's a streamlined yet rewarding step for the franchise, and I'm excited to see how it can get even better.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
As a big Zelda fan, Skyward Sword is an easy game to nitpick. The story is blasphemous to someone who loves OoT, the graphics are dull compared to the timelessness of Wind Waker's or the dark allure of Twilight Princess', and exploration was more or less squashed. However, I find myself drawn to this game and I'm constantly impressed by the smallest of things. As a Zelda game, there are half a dozen entries above it, but it's still a great game and one of the year's best.
7. Batman Arkham City
This game is pure fan-service for Batman fans. As someone who grew up with The Animated Series, the amount of Bat-lore in the game made me as giddy as a kid. The game doesn't merely rely on nostalgia though, and manages to produce an unique open-world game that is structured enough so you don't feel clueless and tight enough to keep the intensity always present. The combat is even better, and the stealth options seemed much more diverse than in the first title. It's as good as Arkham Asylum, but in a completely different way.
8. Pokemon Black and White
After the massive scope of Diamond and Pearl, I was curious to see how they would top it. While the world was smaller and less diverse than in the previous title, they managed to give us a hundred Pokemon that weren't mere filler, but actually extremely useful. This title has some of the best and most balanced Pokemon for the main story line, a common complaint for the series. I was stunned to see all my options for a diverse team when I wasn't even halfway through the game. While the end game pales in comparison to something like DPP or HGSS, this title was perfect for those who cared about battling over story and exploration.
9. Dungeon Defenders
I hate tower defense games, but Dungeon Defenders unique mix of loot-driven gameplay and diverse characters got me hooked. You can play the game how you want, either has a tactical tower-driven defense game, or as an action title where hordes of enemies are decimated by your character. The developers are constantly adding to this game, and it's one of the more unique multiplayer-focused titles to come out in a long while.
10. Pushmo
Hey, a reason to actually use the eShop. This game pretty much came out of nowhere for me to become one of my favorite titles of the year. The gameplay is so incredibly simple yet addicting. I was shocked to see that I had played hundreds of puzzles. The ability to play other people's wild creations only adds on to the replay value. Like SM3D Land, it's another one of those titles that makes 3D worthwhile.
1. Portal 2
Simply put, this game is an experience. It seems these days that people idolize the idea of games becoming more like movies in presentation and direction, and no game as close to that concept as Portal 2. Not only was the presentation some of the best in all of gaming, but the gameplay was leaps and bounds above the original title while still retaining the original's duality of simplicity and complexity. The multiplayer, while not as lengthy or replayable as other titles, was one of the most fun experiences I've had this year.
2. Deus Ex Human Revolution
This is one of those games that stays with you months after you play it. A fascinating story, distinct art style, and intelligent themes are just dressing on what is a fun stealth game that rewards exploration in an era where many games are just tubes o' baddies. This is one of the few games where I actually care about DLC and can't wait to see more.
3. Super Mario 3D Land
This is the 3DS' killer app. Not only is it the first game for me to truly sell me on the 3D aspect of the system, it is a unique blend of 3D and 2D gameplay. It borrows liberally from everything ranging from Super Mario 3 to Super Mario Galaxy, but mixes them together into a game that still has a lot of originality and creativity. Always bet on Mario for a game that is just pure fun.
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
This game was one of the most talked about titles in all of gaming, and years from now I'm sure opinions will be decisive to say the least. But for me, I was completely amazed at how Bethesda managed to craft a massive world that was not only impressive to look at, but was packed with so much meaningful content. This is easily my most played 2011 release, and one of those games that you can take a break from and come back with still so much to do. It's an adventure in an of itself.
5. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
Everything about this game is unpredictable. In an unforgiving world with characters of ambiguous morality and ambitions, you never really know where this game will take you. What's guaranteed is that you will be met with something amazing, whether it be gorgeous locals, memorable side quests, or grueling battles. It's a streamlined yet rewarding step for the franchise, and I'm excited to see how it can get even better.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
As a big Zelda fan, Skyward Sword is an easy game to nitpick. The story is blasphemous to someone who loves OoT, the graphics are dull compared to the timelessness of Wind Waker's or the dark allure of Twilight Princess', and exploration was more or less squashed. However, I find myself drawn to this game and I'm constantly impressed by the smallest of things. As a Zelda game, there are half a dozen entries above it, but it's still a great game and one of the year's best.
7. Batman Arkham City
This game is pure fan-service for Batman fans. As someone who grew up with The Animated Series, the amount of Bat-lore in the game made me as giddy as a kid. The game doesn't merely rely on nostalgia though, and manages to produce an unique open-world game that is structured enough so you don't feel clueless and tight enough to keep the intensity always present. The combat is even better, and the stealth options seemed much more diverse than in the first title. It's as good as Arkham Asylum, but in a completely different way.
8. Pokemon Black and White
After the massive scope of Diamond and Pearl, I was curious to see how they would top it. While the world was smaller and less diverse than in the previous title, they managed to give us a hundred Pokemon that weren't mere filler, but actually extremely useful. This title has some of the best and most balanced Pokemon for the main story line, a common complaint for the series. I was stunned to see all my options for a diverse team when I wasn't even halfway through the game. While the end game pales in comparison to something like DPP or HGSS, this title was perfect for those who cared about battling over story and exploration.
9. Dungeon Defenders
I hate tower defense games, but Dungeon Defenders unique mix of loot-driven gameplay and diverse characters got me hooked. You can play the game how you want, either has a tactical tower-driven defense game, or as an action title where hordes of enemies are decimated by your character. The developers are constantly adding to this game, and it's one of the more unique multiplayer-focused titles to come out in a long while.
10. Pushmo
Hey, a reason to actually use the eShop. This game pretty much came out of nowhere for me to become one of my favorite titles of the year. The gameplay is so incredibly simple yet addicting. I was shocked to see that I had played hundreds of puzzles. The ability to play other people's wild creations only adds on to the replay value. Like SM3D Land, it's another one of those titles that makes 3D worthwhile.
MarshMellow96
Member
1. Dark Souls ; Dark Souls' myth is unfortunately at a point where it consumes all reality. Notwithstanding this, it is an utterly fantastic game and one that deserves a place in every gamer's collection, completed or not. You will visit places you will hope never to return to, and others you think that you will never escape from. Dark Souls subtle narrative is something else, too. Much like your in-game avatar, you start off the game with more or less nothing. By the end of the game, you are armed to the teeth, a plethora of monsters slain by your hand. It is the individual that creates the story of Dark Souls. A suggestion: listen to the soundtrack of the game. Only then will you realise how downright oppressive it is, and also how integral it is to the Souls experience.
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; A good determiner of a game's quality for me personally is a second playthrough. I rarely have time to do this, given the industry's insistence on releasing games on a weekly basis throughout August-May. Needless to say, DE:HR was a game I played through a second time. The second time around, however, did not feel entirely familiar - such is the quality of the breadth of options at players' disposal. My first time through I didn't kill anybody; the GMDE playthough, I thought, would allow me to be sloppy and shoot my way through to its conclusion. What I found instead was combination of stealth and scarily efficient death-dealing. Simply put, I didn't have to: the game gave me Deus Ex, and I gave it right back.
3. Portal 2 ; 'enjoy this game after the beep' BEEP. After much consternation following its announcement as a 'full game', Portal 2 lives up to its billing. This is a game that I personally feel is the showcase game to demonstrate to non-gamers that little something different that games offer, both in terms of story-telling and experience. I feel like this game could teach people - like my father, who can barely use a modern controller - to play FPS games competently. Trailblazing features such as the PS3's Steam integration show how far ahead of the curve Valve really is business-wise, irrespective of their already-obvious developing prowess. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
4. Super Mario 3D Land ; The one gaming icon I've never really been well acquainted with is Mario. While I've flirted with Mario titles in the past, the Galaxy games are the only ones I've been able to stick with until the end. Until 3D Land, of course. Like Pushmo its levels are short and sweet, but this allows EAD to concentrate on packing their charming little levels with hundreds of secrets and wonderful nods to the clear influence of this game, Super Mario Bros 3. 3D Land is an utterly fantastic 3D platformer in every sense of the meaning.
5. Saints Row: The Third ; So many games try too hard to be something else. It's so refreshing to see a game so unashamed of what is is. Saints Row is a game. It will remind you that it's a game on many occasions. Here's an example: 'fuck it, lets go shoot some people' (paraphrased). Of course, it helps that shooting some people feels pretty good compared to other games in the genre. Saint's Row: The Third is a fantastically built open-world game that allows players to do whatever they wish to do. In the instances that it isn't doing this, the game makes the experience as enjoyable as possible - and there's always a jet bike or a pixel-block tank at the end of the rainbow.
6. Pushmo/Pullblox ; Just one more.. It's telling that a game purpose-built for playing in short bursts is at the top of my 'longest average play time' on the 3DS' activity log. An addictive puzzler in its own right, Pushmo is made all the more compelling by its nostalgia-inducing art style and a mawashi-sporting creature named Mallo. Being able to create your own puzzles and share them via QR code is a great little feature for those with friends.
7. Battlefield 3 (Xbox 360 version) ; Okay, so the campaign wasn't exactly riveting stuff, but (I hate saying this) Battlefield 3's multiplayer is best in its class, save for some difficulties partying up. I cannot wait to play this on a PC when it is possible for me to do so.
8. Rayman Origins ; A return to form for the limbless one. This game is simply gorgeous. Its beautifully constructed levels that somehow manage to reward exploration and exigence equally and the exceptionally twee soundtrack make this a game worth buying. And yes, for $60, you cheapskates.
9. Batman: Arkham City ; I'll say right off the bat: it's not as good as Arkham Asylum. If it were, then it would probably be much, much further up this list. I loved what the story did, but the extraneous content needed to be included within the actual narrative for it to have an impact on me. Instead of a cohesive game we got a main story line, followed by fetch quests for Bane and Mr Freeze. Nevertheless, Rocksteady absolutely nail the combat systems, the feeling of the world and, well, pretty much everything else.
10. WWE All Stars ; I feel like this needed to be on the list because it was such a masterstroke. It's here for the combo-based gameplay that was simple yet satisfyingly challenging and its great use of the WWE archives, particularly in its Fantasy Warfare mode. It's equally sad and frustrating that the unrealistic wrestling game manages to feel more like the real thing than the most recent mainline release.
x. Where Is My Heart ; Minis are usually a dumping ground for expensive iOS port. This was something a little different. Unbelievably cute pixel art and an interesting (if disorientating) take on platforming give you Where Is My Heart, a game that all owners of the Sony platforms should at least try out.
x. Alice: Madness Returns ; Released in the self-imposed 'graveyard shift' of the gaming industry, this was a surprisingly decent platformer.
x. Mario Kart 7 ; It's a great game to have on the move and the additions work well, but there were other games that I felt were worth recognition.
2010. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood ; After playing II a few years back, I gave this one a miss for whatever reason. I played it in the build-up to Revelations (credit to fellow Gaffer LiK) telling myself that I would play through the story and that would be that. Turns out, I've renovated 100% of Rome and played it for 20 hours or so. A very well made game with some fantastic little touches.
I ran out of time so it's super grandiose, sorry.
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; A good determiner of a game's quality for me personally is a second playthrough. I rarely have time to do this, given the industry's insistence on releasing games on a weekly basis throughout August-May. Needless to say, DE:HR was a game I played through a second time. The second time around, however, did not feel entirely familiar - such is the quality of the breadth of options at players' disposal. My first time through I didn't kill anybody; the GMDE playthough, I thought, would allow me to be sloppy and shoot my way through to its conclusion. What I found instead was combination of stealth and scarily efficient death-dealing. Simply put, I didn't have to: the game gave me Deus Ex, and I gave it right back.
3. Portal 2 ; 'enjoy this game after the beep' BEEP. After much consternation following its announcement as a 'full game', Portal 2 lives up to its billing. This is a game that I personally feel is the showcase game to demonstrate to non-gamers that little something different that games offer, both in terms of story-telling and experience. I feel like this game could teach people - like my father, who can barely use a modern controller - to play FPS games competently. Trailblazing features such as the PS3's Steam integration show how far ahead of the curve Valve really is business-wise, irrespective of their already-obvious developing prowess. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
4. Super Mario 3D Land ; The one gaming icon I've never really been well acquainted with is Mario. While I've flirted with Mario titles in the past, the Galaxy games are the only ones I've been able to stick with until the end. Until 3D Land, of course. Like Pushmo its levels are short and sweet, but this allows EAD to concentrate on packing their charming little levels with hundreds of secrets and wonderful nods to the clear influence of this game, Super Mario Bros 3. 3D Land is an utterly fantastic 3D platformer in every sense of the meaning.
5. Saints Row: The Third ; So many games try too hard to be something else. It's so refreshing to see a game so unashamed of what is is. Saints Row is a game. It will remind you that it's a game on many occasions. Here's an example: 'fuck it, lets go shoot some people' (paraphrased). Of course, it helps that shooting some people feels pretty good compared to other games in the genre. Saint's Row: The Third is a fantastically built open-world game that allows players to do whatever they wish to do. In the instances that it isn't doing this, the game makes the experience as enjoyable as possible - and there's always a jet bike or a pixel-block tank at the end of the rainbow.
6. Pushmo/Pullblox ; Just one more.. It's telling that a game purpose-built for playing in short bursts is at the top of my 'longest average play time' on the 3DS' activity log. An addictive puzzler in its own right, Pushmo is made all the more compelling by its nostalgia-inducing art style and a mawashi-sporting creature named Mallo. Being able to create your own puzzles and share them via QR code is a great little feature for those with friends.
7. Battlefield 3 (Xbox 360 version) ; Okay, so the campaign wasn't exactly riveting stuff, but (I hate saying this) Battlefield 3's multiplayer is best in its class, save for some difficulties partying up. I cannot wait to play this on a PC when it is possible for me to do so.
8. Rayman Origins ; A return to form for the limbless one. This game is simply gorgeous. Its beautifully constructed levels that somehow manage to reward exploration and exigence equally and the exceptionally twee soundtrack make this a game worth buying. And yes, for $60, you cheapskates.
9. Batman: Arkham City ; I'll say right off the bat: it's not as good as Arkham Asylum. If it were, then it would probably be much, much further up this list. I loved what the story did, but the extraneous content needed to be included within the actual narrative for it to have an impact on me. Instead of a cohesive game we got a main story line, followed by fetch quests for Bane and Mr Freeze. Nevertheless, Rocksteady absolutely nail the combat systems, the feeling of the world and, well, pretty much everything else.
10. WWE All Stars ; I feel like this needed to be on the list because it was such a masterstroke. It's here for the combo-based gameplay that was simple yet satisfyingly challenging and its great use of the WWE archives, particularly in its Fantasy Warfare mode. It's equally sad and frustrating that the unrealistic wrestling game manages to feel more like the real thing than the most recent mainline release.
x. Where Is My Heart ; Minis are usually a dumping ground for expensive iOS port. This was something a little different. Unbelievably cute pixel art and an interesting (if disorientating) take on platforming give you Where Is My Heart, a game that all owners of the Sony platforms should at least try out.
x. Alice: Madness Returns ; Released in the self-imposed 'graveyard shift' of the gaming industry, this was a surprisingly decent platformer.
x. Mario Kart 7 ; It's a great game to have on the move and the additions work well, but there were other games that I felt were worth recognition.
2010. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood ; After playing II a few years back, I gave this one a miss for whatever reason. I played it in the build-up to Revelations (credit to fellow Gaffer LiK) telling myself that I would play through the story and that would be that. Turns out, I've renovated 100% of Rome and played it for 20 hours or so. A very well made game with some fantastic little touches.
My best game of the year is clear to me; the rest are hard to arrange, though.
1. Portal 2
2. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
3. Radiant Historia
4. Lost in Shadow
5. Stacking
6. Pullblox (aka Pushmo)
7. Super Mario 3D Land
8. Professor Layton and the Last Specter
9. Xenoblade Chronicles
10. Blackwell Deception
1. Portal 2
2. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
3. Radiant Historia
4. Lost in Shadow
5. Stacking
6. Pullblox (aka Pushmo)
7. Super Mario 3D Land
8. Professor Layton and the Last Specter
9. Xenoblade Chronicles
10. Blackwell Deception
1. Portal 2 ; Game is too short and too much focus was put on co-op, but otherwise an outstanding effort. The only traditional "AAA" game that deserves to be GotY, hence my number one vote.
2. SpaceChem ; A fiendishly clever puzzler and excellent brain candy. Best indie game by a long shot.
3. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; Not the best in most senses, but kudos to Nintendo for maintaining the quality that typifies the Zelda series once again.
4. Okamiden ; Cute. Just cute.
Other than that, I haven't really played 2011 games, nor have I bought them. I did buy Deus Ex HR, but haven't played it yet; haven't even bought Witcher 2 yet. Both titles seem to be worthy of a listing, but too bad for them. Increasingly I find buying games when they're first released to be utterly pointless, which makes GotY voting a tad difficult.
2. SpaceChem ; A fiendishly clever puzzler and excellent brain candy. Best indie game by a long shot.
3. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; Not the best in most senses, but kudos to Nintendo for maintaining the quality that typifies the Zelda series once again.
4. Okamiden ; Cute. Just cute.
Other than that, I haven't really played 2011 games, nor have I bought them. I did buy Deus Ex HR, but haven't played it yet; haven't even bought Witcher 2 yet. Both titles seem to be worthy of a listing, but too bad for them. Increasingly I find buying games when they're first released to be utterly pointless, which makes GotY voting a tad difficult.
Mega Man's Electric Sheep
Member
1. Rayman Origins
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
3. Super Mario 3D Land
4. Pokemon White
5. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
6. Pushmo
7. Lost in Shadow
8. Alice: Madness Returns
9. Kirby Mass Attack
10. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
3. Super Mario 3D Land
4. Pokemon White
5. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
6. Pushmo
7. Lost in Shadow
8. Alice: Madness Returns
9. Kirby Mass Attack
10. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure
1. Portal 2
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
3. Witcher 2
4. Warhammer 40k Space Marine
5. Orcs Must Die!
6. Tribes Ascend
7. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
8. Little Big Planet 2
9. Frozen Synapse
10. Magicka
I wanted to write about my picks, but I'm tired and the deadlines here so...
Actually: Is it just me, or does Portal 2 have a good chance this year? It seems every second post has it somewhere between 1. and 2. place...
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
3. Witcher 2
4. Warhammer 40k Space Marine
5. Orcs Must Die!
6. Tribes Ascend
7. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
8. Little Big Planet 2
9. Frozen Synapse
10. Magicka
I wanted to write about my picks, but I'm tired and the deadlines here so...
Actually: Is it just me, or does Portal 2 have a good chance this year? It seems every second post has it somewhere between 1. and 2. place...
Macready1306
Banned
Hi all. New to GAF as of about 5 minutes ago! Been reading here for a while though...
Anyway, my top games of 2011.
1. Uncharted 3.
2. Deus Ex.
3. Batman Arkham City.
4. Super Mario 3D Land.
5. Rayman Origins.
6. NBA 2K12.
7. Rage.
8. COD Modern Warfare 3.
9. Dead Space 2.
10. Gears Of War 3.
Anyway, my top games of 2011.
1. Uncharted 3.
2. Deus Ex.
3. Batman Arkham City.
4. Super Mario 3D Land.
5. Rayman Origins.
6. NBA 2K12.
7. Rage.
8. COD Modern Warfare 3.
9. Dead Space 2.
10. Gears Of War 3.
Waves. ^_^
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360)
2. Bastion (360)
3. Portal 2 (Mac)
4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
5. LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3)
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
Know what I like about some of these new GAF members?
Welcome, and thanks for justifying your choices, even if it's just a little blurb.
Welcome, and thanks for justifying your choices, even if it's just a little blurb.
Baller. PhD
Banned
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; It's not perfect, but 80 hours later I'm still playing it, and when I'm not playing it I'm wishing I was playing it. A game hasn't had that effect on me in a very, very long time.
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; My first Deus Ex game and what a game it is. I hadn't played a good "thinking man's game" in a long time. Yeah, the boss battles were bad, but forgivable considering how great the rest of the game is.
3. Bastion ; Brilliant fucking game. It accomplishes everything it sets out to do while failing at nothing. It's hard to think of a way the game could be improved. It's simply wonderful. The narrator thing was brilliant and very refreshing.
Most of the other games I played this year were from previous years (Demon's Souls, Mass Effect, etc) so that's really all I've got. I will say:
2010: Red Dead Redemption
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; My first Deus Ex game and what a game it is. I hadn't played a good "thinking man's game" in a long time. Yeah, the boss battles were bad, but forgivable considering how great the rest of the game is.
3. Bastion ; Brilliant fucking game. It accomplishes everything it sets out to do while failing at nothing. It's hard to think of a way the game could be improved. It's simply wonderful. The narrator thing was brilliant and very refreshing.
Most of the other games I played this year were from previous years (Demon's Souls, Mass Effect, etc) so that's really all I've got. I will say:
2010: Red Dead Redemption
Cydonian__Knight
Member
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - This game is truly a masterpiece from Bethesda. Such an incredibly detailed world with so much freedom. I will be playing this one for a long time to come.
2. Portal 2 - The only reason this isn't #1 is because I am personally a huge fan of open world games. Portal 2 was nearly flawless. It's a pinnacle of story telling and world design in video games.
3. Frozen Synapse - The depth of strategy in this game is amazing. It's like a real-time version of chess.
4. Limbo - This game had an incredible atmosphere and aesthetic. There were some memorable puzzles as well.
5. Magicka - A ridiculously fun game to play. Especially with friends, never has friendly-fire been so entertaining.
6. The Binding of Issac - Strangely compelling, with a great (if dark) atmosphere, this is one that I feel I'll still be playing for a while.
2. Portal 2 - The only reason this isn't #1 is because I am personally a huge fan of open world games. Portal 2 was nearly flawless. It's a pinnacle of story telling and world design in video games.
3. Frozen Synapse - The depth of strategy in this game is amazing. It's like a real-time version of chess.
4. Limbo - This game had an incredible atmosphere and aesthetic. There were some memorable puzzles as well.
5. Magicka - A ridiculously fun game to play. Especially with friends, never has friendly-fire been so entertaining.
6. The Binding of Issac - Strangely compelling, with a great (if dark) atmosphere, this is one that I feel I'll still be playing for a while.
friskykillface
Banned
last day huh
i'll get mine in before midnight, gotta think
i'll get mine in before midnight, gotta think
The Librarian
Banned
Only three more hours until Portal 2 is named GAF's GOTY.
My prediction:
1. Portal 2
2. Skyrim
This is just looking at the lists from across the thread, no number machine or whatever.
My prediction:
1. Portal 2
2. Skyrim
This is just looking at the lists from across the thread, no number machine or whatever.
Cheesemeister
Member
Only three more hours until Portal 2 is named GAF's GOTY.
My prediction:
1. Portal 2
2. Skyrim
This is just looking at the lists from across the thread, no number machine or whatever.
It'll be another 5 hours, 40 minutes until voting ends. Results probably won't be up instantly.
Finally finished Zelda today, so now I can vote. Just in time, too!
1. Portal 2
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
3. Dungeon Siege III ; This game wasn't very well-liked here, but I love Dark Alliance-type RPGs, and playing through this with a friend was a heck of a lot of fun.
4. Batman: Arkham City ; Didn't like it as much as Arkham Asylum, but still a very entertaining game.
5. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
6. Magicka ; Some of the most fun you'll ever have with three friends.
7. Rocksmith ; Awesome tool for learning guitar; glad someone finally made this. Hard to rank this as it's so different from everything else.
8. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
9. To the Moon ; Cute little interactive visual novel experience.
10. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; Really disappointing for a Zelda title (so much I disliked about it), but I'm still giving it a spot on the list.
x. Dark Meadow ; This was my first console-style experience on the iPad, and the visuals really wowed me after being used to all the $1 and $2 casual titles. I enjoyed finding out bits and pieces of the story from the notes and article clippings along the way. Game got way too repetitive, though.
2010: 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors ; I don't usually like anything horror, but this game had just the right amount of suspense/horror without being too much. Great blend of story, puzzle, and tension that really pulled me in. Really, really enjoyed it (got all the endings), and am looking forward to the next entry.
1. Portal 2
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
3. Dungeon Siege III ; This game wasn't very well-liked here, but I love Dark Alliance-type RPGs, and playing through this with a friend was a heck of a lot of fun.
4. Batman: Arkham City ; Didn't like it as much as Arkham Asylum, but still a very entertaining game.
5. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
6. Magicka ; Some of the most fun you'll ever have with three friends.
7. Rocksmith ; Awesome tool for learning guitar; glad someone finally made this. Hard to rank this as it's so different from everything else.
8. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
9. To the Moon ; Cute little interactive visual novel experience.
10. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; Really disappointing for a Zelda title (so much I disliked about it), but I'm still giving it a spot on the list.
x. Dark Meadow ; This was my first console-style experience on the iPad, and the visuals really wowed me after being used to all the $1 and $2 casual titles. I enjoyed finding out bits and pieces of the story from the notes and article clippings along the way. Game got way too repetitive, though.
2010: 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors ; I don't usually like anything horror, but this game had just the right amount of suspense/horror without being too much. Great blend of story, puzzle, and tension that really pulled me in. Really, really enjoyed it (got all the endings), and am looking forward to the next entry.
- Status