1. Skyward Sword
2. Ocarina of Time 3D
3. Arkham City
4. Rayman Origins
5. Super Mario 3D Land
6. Mario Kart 7
7. Professor Layton and the Last Specter
8. Star Fox 3D
9. Pokemon Black/White
I remember during the big overhaul EvilLore saying that the search function would be down for a while, and since I still don't see the search bar at the top right hand corner of the screen like it used to be, I figured t was still down.
1. LittleBigPlanet 2
2. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
3. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
4. Batman Arkham City
5. Pokemon Black/White
6. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
7. inFAMOUS 2
8. Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
9. Super Mario 3D Land
10. Yakuza 4
1) Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
2) inFamous 2
3) The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection
4) Portal 2
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Other games I've played, but didn't make the list: Deus Ex: Human Revolution, LA Noire, LittleBigPlanet 2 (need to play more), Mortal Kombat, and Resistance 3. The reason I didn't include these is because I didn't think they deserved it, except for LBP 2 for the reason already stated.
Will play next: Batman: Arkham City, then Skyrim, then Battlefield 3, MW3, and Skyward Sword. Will update January 7th. Bookmarked for future reference.
For 2010, hmm...
2010) God of War III
Honorable Mentions: Alan Wake, Enslaved, Red Dead Redemption, and Vanquish.
Didn't vote last year, but played it at launch. : )
1. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; I bought a Wii so I could have virtual sword fights in a Zelda game. I have been dreaming of this game for five years--now it exists and that is the best thing ever.
2. Portal 2 ; A superb game wrapped up in wonderful writing and story presentation. The first Portal seems like a tech demo by comparison, and given the quality of the first game, that should speak volumes about this one.
3. Sonic Generations (PC) ; Sonic Colors restored my faith in the Sonic series, and this game cemented it. Sonic the Hedgehog was my childhood, and as hard as it can be to live up to the perfection of childhood memories, this game went above and beyond them. Sublime.
4. Catherine ; While the individual elements of the game are almost completely mismatched, each is quite well done. The block-pushing gameplay is intense and addictive, while the story is unlike anything I've ever experienced in a game. I wouldn't call the narrative fantastic, but I wound up discussing more about this game than any other this year, which is enough on its own.
5. Pushmo ; Easily the best game I've played for 3DS all year. The game shines in its simplicity and level design, and has one of the most effortless level editors I've ever encountered in a video game. The health of the current |OT| should be a testament to the game's quality.
6. Ghost Trick ; Phoenix Wright, freed from the bonds of the "visual novel" genre. Having fully animated characters brings the game to life--it plays like the best sort of cartoon, and the puzzles are consistently engaging.
7. Sword and Sworcery ; A truly unique and moving experience. If Skyward Sword is the justification for motion-controlled gaming, then this is the justification for touch-based gaming. I still listen to the soundtrack.
8. Tactics Ogre ; One of the thickest and meatiest SRPGs I've ever encountered--thick enough to be obtuse at times, with enough sub-systems and stats to choke a math major. It primarily makes my list for the choices; I don't think I've ever had to make choices with more gravity and significance in any other game.
9. Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD ; I played and loved the DS version, and can't really exclude the HD version from this list, if only for the amount of multiplayer time I've sunk into it. Download Play never did the game justice--it's really something you've got to play with all of the characters and artifacts. Probably the best 2011 multiplayer game I've played all year. (Catherine is pretty good, too.)
10. Star Fox 64 3D ; While I really like Ocarina 3D, that remake didn't feel as necessary as this one. 3D completes this game; being able to perceive your position in space makes the game so much more intuitive and fun. The game also looks and sounds so much better, far above and beyond the polishing Ocarina received.
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2010 pick: NieR ; I played a lot of fantastic games in 2010, but this game burned itself into my mind and changed the way I think about games. It wasn't necessarily the best game, but it was made with an earnest love that is hard to find, and the narrative is one of the rare examples of story-telling that only works in games. The sound design (soundtrack, voice acting, the whole package) is top-fucking-notch--not something any screenshots can properly convey.
1. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; I bought a Wii so I could have virtual sword fights in a Zelda game. I have been dreaming of this game for five years--now it exists and that is the best thing ever.
2. Portal 2 ; A superb game wrapped up in wonderful writing and story presentation. The first Portal seems like a tech demo by comparison, and given the quality of the first game, that should speak volumes about this one.
3. Sonic Generations (PC) ; Sonic Colors restored my faith in the Sonic series, and this game cemented it. Sonic the Hedgehog was my childhood, and as hard as it can be to live up to the perfection of childhood memories, this game went above and beyond them. Sublime.
4. Catherine ; While the individual elements of the game are almost completely mismatched, each is quite well done. The block-pushing gameplay is intense and addictive, while the story is unlike anything I've ever experienced in a game. I wouldn't call the narrative fantastic, but I wound up discussing more about this game than any other this year, which is enough on its own.
5. Pushmo ; Easily the best game I've played for 3DS all year. The game shines in its simplicity and level design, and has one of the most effortless level editors I've ever encountered in a video game. The health of the current |OT| should be a testament to the game's quality.
6. Ghost Trick ; Phoenix Wright, freed from the bonds of the "visual novel" genre. Having fully animated characters brings the game to life--it plays like the best sort of cartoon, and the puzzles are consistently engaging.
7. Sword and Sworcery ; A truly unique and moving experience. If Skyward Sword is the justification for motion-controlled gaming, then this is the justification for touch-based gaming. I still listen to the soundtrack.
8. Tactics Ogre ; One of the thickest and meatiest SRPGs I've ever encountered--thick enough to be obtuse at times, with enough sub-systems and stats to choke a math major. It primarily makes my list for the choices; I don't think I've ever had to make choices with more gravity and significance in any other game.
9. Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD ; I played and loved the DS version, and can't really exclude the HD version from this list, if only for the amount of multiplayer time I've sunk into it. Download Play never did the game justice--it's really something you've got to play with all of the characters and artifacts. Probably the best 2011 multiplayer game I've played all year. (Catherine is pretty good, too.)
10. Star Fox 64 3D ; While I really like Ocarina 3D, that remake didn't feel as necessary as this one. 3D completes this game; being able to perceive your position in space makes the game so much more intuitive and fun. The game also looks and sounds so much better, far above and beyond the polishing Ocarina received.
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2010 pick: NieR ; I played a lot of fantastic games in 2010, but this game burned itself into my mind and changed the way I think about games. It wasn't necessarily the best game, but it was made with an earnest love that is hard to find, and the narrative is one of the rare examples of story-telling that only works in games. The sound design (soundtrack, voice acting, the whole package) is top-fucking-notch--not something any screenshots can properly convey.
This is preliminary, and I'll probably add some after I've had some time with Christmas gifts, but I don't anticipate too much change.
1. Portal 2; I'm a little worried about putting this in first since I beat it very recently ($7.49 Steam sale was too good to pass up), but the more I think about it, it's the only big sequel that's exceeded my expectations.
2. Super Mario 3D Land; It's a great reinvention of the series that shows what good 3D can add to a game, and I love easy it is to pick up and play for 5-10 minutes.
3. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception; This game's biggest problem is how amazing Uncharted 2 was a couple years ago. The set pieces are great, the dialogue is funny, and it looks amazing. Bullet sponges with poor AI, so-so melee, and some pacing issues hold it back. Kudos to ND for listening to fans and addressing aiming issues. Bethesda take notice.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword; The motions controls took a while to get used to, but are ultimately a good improvement to combat. I really like the art style and music, but there's a little too much pre-dungeon filler for my liking, though once you're in a dungeon it's usually awesome. Still, a step down from TP in this fan's eyes.
5. Mario Kart 7; It's nothing groundbreaking, but portable 60 fps and better online make this game like crack. I only played about 15 hours of the Wii game because it wasn't a game I ever wanted to sit down and play for an hour. 3DS makes 15-30 min. sessions possible and it is awesome.
6. Pushmo; If you have a 3DS, get this. It's great puzzler with lots of charm that's a steal at $8 on the eshop. QR codes make acquiring user-generated content so easy I'm already dreaming of Animal Crossing QR codes...
x. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; Easily the most immersive game I've played all year, and it would have been my overall GOTY if I weren't a PS3 owner that felt deceived and ignored by Bethesda.
x. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D; Great remake, looks incredible in 3D.
2010: Super Mario Galaxy 2; I was maybe 90 stars in when I got pulled away last year, but the wait for Zelda gave me some time to finish it and realize how great the green star post-game is. I'm still stuck on the perfect run though. Plus, I think it got cheated big time last year by not winning the majority of GOTY awards.
All these votes for R3 are making me want to pick it up, enjoyed R1 but hated 2.
Yet the same people advocating the game are also listing KZ3 in their top ten, which, to be honest is one of the worst decisions I've ever seen. KZ3 is one of the worst shooters I've ever played, quite simply.
All these votes for R3 are making me want to pick it up, enjoyed R1 but hated 2.
Yet the same people advocating the game are also listing KZ3 in their top ten, which, to be honest is one of the worst decisions I've ever seen. KZ3 is one of the worst shooters I've ever played, quite simply.
I will also urge you to try out R3. Besides being "what R2 should have been", it's a lot of fun to play and definitely closer in spirit to R1 than R2. The campaign is excellent. Other than like Portal 1/2 and Bioshock, I'd say it's my favorite FPS on PS3. It's got a desolate/brooding atmosphere mixed with almost arcade-y instant gratification on the shooting end of things while still offering plenty of strategic options on the approach to combat situations. Good fun.
People do realize the 2010 game you pick is meant to be one you didn't play or vote for in 2010.
"you may vote for ONE title from 2010 that you wanted to vote for last year but didnt get a chance to. You must not have voted for this game last year."
1. Portal 2 ; Best overall experience in a year full of really good games
2. Modern Warfare 3; With the way it was developed it should have awful, yet it was a really good single player and the most fun multiplayer I've had this year.
3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; I really enjoyed this game, playing it stealthily rather than as a shooter. I don't know if I'd want to play DE games each year though
4. Zelda: Skyward Sword ; There's some stuff i really hate about SS (usually involving motion-controlled loftwing) but it's been hard to put down once you get into it.
5. Battlefield 3 ; I loved BC and BC2 as well as the old PC games, but I can't really see what this game does differently from the BC games. Loved it while I played and would have played far more of it had it mot come out so close to a ton of other shooters (particularly MW3).
6. Uncharted 3; It should be higher up the list but the fact it just seems to be not at the same level of quality as UC2.
7. Rage ; I really liked Rage. Take away the races and we'll talk about Rage 2.
8. Gears of War 3 ; A good way to end the series even if it wasn't as OMG as the earlier games (mainly down to the familiarity with the series)
9. Bulletstorm ; I should have hated it but i didn't.
10. Batman: Arkham City ; I loved how they built on AA and made something feel so much larger
x. LA Noire ; Didn't buy the hype beforehand so didn't care about the facial scan BS which didn't work. Even if you did well investigating crimes, you were overridden by the story anyway.
x. Homefront ; Really enjoyed the Multiplayer, pity they bothered with such an ordinary SP
note: have yet to play AC:R, Skyrim, SR3 or Mario 3D Land
Not really a complete list, but its the best I can do with what I've played.
1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution: An amazing world with incredible atmosphere. Its a game that makes you want to explore every possible sidequest, take every path towards the objective, and dive deeper into the conspiracy plot. It may not have the best gameplay mechanics or story of the year, but something about Human Revolution really clicked with me. It contained that intangible feeling of wanting to see every single thing in the game, and wanting to go through it all again even after seeing it all. All those reasons are why Deus Ex HR is the first time I feel truly confident in naming in naming my personal GOTY.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword: Skyward Sword is marred by alot of strange design decisions like backtracking, fetch quests, and excessive handholding, but at the end of the day, very few developers make games with the same type of magic as Nintendo. Skyward Sword represents the best implementation of motion controls since their inception, and takes the Zelda formula in a new and exciting direction. The graphical style was great, the music was of course amazing, and the some of the overworld and dungeon areas showcased Zelda at its very best. Its one of the few games of the year to keep an emphasis on fun gameplay rather than presentation and set pieces, and for that reason it earns a high spot on my list.
3. Portal 2: Portal 2 may not have been as mind blowing as its predecessor, but it definitely did interesting things with the concept of the original game. The puzzles were clever, with the use of gels to change how we worked through each chamber. Glados, Wheatly, and Cave Johnson were hilarious and well written, and they definitely carried the game's charm. The twists and turns in the story were witty throughout, and the game ended with what is sure to be one of my favorite endings in any game ever. Valve, as always, absolutely nailed the whole experience from top to bottom.
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: I have had a strange experience with Skyrim up to this point. On one hand, the amount of content is staggering, and what's even more impressive is the quality of said content. On the other hand, its easy to see through the seams after so many Bethesda games following this formula. The immersion and atmosphere gets broken very easily due to this, and bugs and glitches stand out more than usual. That being said, Skyrim is insanely engrossing 80% of the time. It doesn't even come from the NPCs or the story itself. Instead, it comes from the amount of detail and amount of things to do in the world of Skyrim. It seems downright impossible to clear out the quest log because they just pile on the content endlessly. Skyrim proves that these massively open world single player games are still fantastic, and the immersion you get from these worlds overcome the frustrating bugs and glitches. If it were a different year, Skyrim could have easily taken the number 1 spot.
5. Gears of War 3: Gears 3 is the complete package. The incredible campaign with 4 player coop, the best version of survival based co-op with Horde, the short casual co-op diversion of Beast, and unique close quarters combat of competitive MP make Gears 3 the best and most polished package of the year. The dedicated servers can be hit or miss, but coming from Gears 1/2, they are a godsend. Still, the competitive side can get extremely frustrating with some inconsistency, but that isn't enough to take away from this great game.
6. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception: UC3 is hurt by frustrating enemy encounters and rushed pacing, but it was still a great rollercoaster to experience. Looking back on it, the setpieces were stunning and fun to play, and there was a ton of variety throughout the 8 hour campaign. The MP and Coop modes were fun, and although they couldn't hold my interest for too long, I enjoyed my time and will definitely return to them at some point. I was upset with the changes made to the MP after the fantastic summer beta, but ND eventually figured it out. Uncharted 3 may not be as amazing as its predecessor, but I didn't expect it to.
7. MLB 11: The Show: As a baseball fan, The Show was a game that was bound to eat up my entire summer regardless of quality, as I enjoyed MLB 2k10 despite it being kind of terrible. Luckily, The Show was fantastic in almost every way, with great pitching and batting mechanics, and strong franchise and RTTS modes.
8. Infamous 2: Infamous 2 addressed almost every complaint I had with the original. The improvement to the cutscenes and overall aesthetic really clicked with me, and the traversal system remains my favorite of any open world game to date. The powers were slightly disappointing, and the gameplay formula may not hold up all the way till the end, but I still had a great time with I2.
9. Bulletstorm: One of the most creative and intense FPS single player campaigns i've ever played. I didn't care much for the story or characters, but the game really wowed me with the different ways you could take out enemies. It definitely isn't worth $60, but it was still a memorable experience from start to finish.
2010: God of War 3: I didn't have a PS3 to play this last year, so it definitely deserves a mention. It had a great refinement of the GOW combat, great weapons, boss fights, and set pieces, all wrapped in the best graphics of the generation. The only weak part of the game were the puzzles, which were not as clever in comparison to others in the series.
Honorable Mentions:
x. Halo Anniversary: A great remake of one of the best FPS all time, but its still a 10 year old game, and the exclusion of true MP, while understandable, is disappointing. I am eagerly anticipating what 343 can do with Halo 4.
x. Crysis 2: A disappointment after the original Crysis, but I still enjoyed the bowl environments and traversal in the nanosuit. The MP had a ton of potential but sadly fell flat.
x. Ico + Shadow of the Colossus Collection: Two amazing remasters, but they are still old games that I've played before.
x. Mortal Kombat: A great resurrection of the MK series. The story mode was easily the best of any fighting game ever. The fighting mechanics were great, and the cast of characters was large and diverse. The online lag was a disappointment, but overall, MK was a nice change of pace from everything else released this year.
Still need to play:
Forza Motorsport 4
Assassin's Creed Revelations
Battlefield 3
Modern Warfare 3
Bastion
Dark Souls
Xenoblade Chronicles
Killzone 3
Little Big Planet 2
Sonic Generations
Shogun 2
The Witcher 2
1. Dark Souls
Great fucking game. This game gave me a sense of gratification that I'm unable to find anywhere else. I'm not going to say it's 'brutally difficult', dying is an aspect ingrained into the game. You will die and you will get better. Just don't play as a thief and try to parry everything because messing up can be disastrous. Most satisfying parry in a game 2. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
Amazing RPG with an incredible cast of characters (Triss VA is kind of bland, sadly), the Dwarves are so damn funny AND VERNON FUCKING ROCHE. The Alchemy system isn't overly complicated, sitting down and brewing those things is incredibly Witchery. Getting so intoxicated on potions and going on a Hulk like rampage is so sweet. Ending was a bit abrupt however. My disappointment is a testament to how bad I didn't want it to end. Also, dat nudity 3. Saints Row: The Third - A blast. It starts off a bit slow (relatively) but once it hits its stride it becomes absolutely blissful... then it ends. What I'd do for a few more big missions. Anyway, the driving is tight, the customization options are ridiculous and it can be pretty funny at times. Great sandbox game. 4. Ultimate/Marvel vs Capcom 3
I was and still am terrible at this game, but I can play or watch this game being played (by people that are good) until my body is sore and broken. Hype condensed into disc form 5. Portal 2
Despite the rooms not being entirely painted in portal paint thereby narrowing the potential solutions to the puzzles, I really enjoyed this. Especially loved the retro Aperture section with Cave Johnson. 6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Last section is a bit weak but I had a great time with this. Jensen is a cool brah. I was expecting the story to be a bit more on the zany side. A bit too tame for a Deus Ex. 7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The loot scaling, stat dependent loot and the overall shittiness of Destruction magic (why the hell doesn't it scale) brings this down a few notches. The game is full of content but the combat and the rewards for exploration are still lacking. I'm 160 hours deep though...
2010 pick Vanquish best TPS ever made. Goddamn, this makes everything else feel so clunky. Every game should have pants with rockets in them.
Might make some additions as I'm still playing a few games or reorder my list entirely
Never played Assassin's Creed: Revelations. Rayman Origins and Shadows of the Damned. But i have a feeling if i had, they all had a good chance of making it into the top 10 or at the least in the honorable mentions. Those three are on my backlog to play soon.
Have to say though. 2011 was a pretty damn good year for games. At least in my opinion.
1. Gears of War 3 ; Good campaign, great co-op and even better versus, aka, The Full Package. And it was even more appreciated after playing the mess called Modern Warfare 3.
2. Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes ; The game with the most satisfying and addictive match-3 combat in the Puzzle Quest genre.
3. Frozen Synapse ; Great original turn-based strategy game.
4. Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars ; The reason I got a 3DS as the world needs more turn-based strategy games like this. Shame about the lack of online multiplayer though.
5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; Didn't love it as much as others, and the combat was not that good, but the missions and atmosphere more than made up for it.
6. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; Have not gotten that far, but I can already tell I'll spend an insane amount of time with this game. And this from a person who thought Oblivion was boring as hell. The bugs are a buzz-killer though.
7. Jetpack Joyride ; Short, but oh so fun. The quintessential iOS game.
8. Forza Motorsport 4 ; Great sim racer, and an improvement over the previous installment, but lack of innovation ensured that it didn't get higher on the list.
x. Crysis 2 ; Enjoyed it, but the "here's the various ways to take out the bad guys" that were pointed out to you throughout each area were borderline insulting.
x. L.A. Noire ; Loved the city and the stories were good, but I just got bored with the actual game.
x. Trackmania 2 ; Still fun, but basically the exact same game as we've played before. I mean, they didn't even change the atrocious interface.
x. Bulletstorm ; Fun for awhile, but by the end of the game this killshot gimmick just got old and tired.
2010. Alpha Protocol ; I rarely replay RPGs, but I played this 3 times. And even though it was extremely rough around the edges, I liked it more than this year's Deus Ex.
Notable games I haven't played yet: Batman, Bastion, Dead Space 2, Portal 2. I actually have Bastion and DS2, but Gears 3 multiplayer have been owning my life.
1. Star Wars: The Old Republic
2. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
3. Portal 2
4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
5. Battlefield 3
6. The Witcher 2
7. Forza 4
8. Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes
9. Child of Eden
10. Groove Coaster
2010. Mass Effect 2
1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; Stealth all the way, I only wish this one was a bit more cinematographic.
2. Portal 2 ; Had fun in both the SP as well as the Coop campaign.
3. LittleBigPlanet 2 ; So sad that I have rarely time&motivation to check out new user levels.
4. MotorStorm: Apocalypse ; I still prefer MSR's tracks though.
5. Dead Space 2 ; Played it only at night with 5.1 headphones on, really needed to be in a good mood to stand the resulting stress .
6. Yakuza 4 ; Awesome characters, but I can't really forgive them for putting in only one city.
7. Killzone 3 ; Played with Move w/o reticle, apart from the end I really enjoyed the spectacular ride.
8. Mass Effect 2 ; PS3 version, I enjoyed the scale (and all the integrated "DLC") even though it's just basically a mediocre TPS (being female Vanguard Shepard helped)
9. The House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut ; Haha, this motherfucking shit is such a fucking fun game with Move+guncase/Sharpshooter.
10. White Knight Chronicles II ; Just started this one and I still hate the style, but I forgive them for putting both games in there and having a Monster-Hunter-esque mp setup.
x. Resistance 3 ; Actually I'm playing this one right now, but so far it's really good as it's closer to the first game, I'm still trying to get used to Move+Sharpshooter though.
x. No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise ; Did no enjoy it as much as I should according to Wii owners, but still it's totally worth it for the wacky cutscenes.
x. Child of Eden ; PS3 version with Move, bought it for fun but I'm glad it was very cheap and I got a T-shirt with it ;P .
x. Alice: Madness Returns ; Not finished yet, but this game is actually fun and I dig the style, having the first game bundles doesn't hurt, too, Almost made it to the top10.
x. Back to the Future: The Game ; Well, a Telltale adventure.
x. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon ; Ordered, but it has not arrived yet .
x. Plants vs. Zombies ; Got it for free via PS+, but I'm kinda surprised how fun it is.
x. Swarm ; I just liked the idea of controlling a swarm.
x. LIMBO ; PS3 version, for me this game lived up to the hype.
x. Eufloria ; PS3 version, really should play this one more, it's so relaxing and the simple style looks nice.
x. Stacking ; Got also this one for free with PS+, but this is one cool game.
2010. Rock Band 3 ; Yup, this is a really great music game with some nice options, I just waited until 2011 to buy it for cheap.
(bolded ones are 2011 games not listed in the second post)
Kinda skipped all the big Winter 2011 games (even stuff like U3) as I got used to the UK price drops for new-ish games and I still want to finish my current backlog...
At least this means I'm getting more patient (or that I'm a cheap fuck).
1. xenobalde. best jrpg of this gen, good game.
2. dark souls. great game, better than demon's souls.
3. uncharted 3. not great as uncharted 2 but still a very good game.
1. Driver: San Francisco ; real surprise hit of the year. Played through the night.
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ; incredible game with great campaign and tons of MP content.
3. Alan Wake ; waited for it for 5 years, loved it
4. Super Mario 3D Land, best portable Mario ever, blasted through it.
5. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary ; Mindblowing how good it is still today, Legendary is amazing.
6. Portal 2 ; super fun, great story, best voice acting ever.
7. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; seems amazing, need to play more to rank it higher.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D ; truly surprised how fun and immersive it is nearly 15 years later.
9. LA Noire ; had quite a bit of fun, even if it was repetitive at times. Loved the immersion.
10. Dead Space 2 ; incredible ride, even if slightly forgettable.
2010. Vanquish ; incredible game, so much fun.
X. Dark Souls ; I certainly understand the hook and charm, but whether I ever manage to kill the two gargoyles on the church roof will make or break the game for me. I am some 20 tries in.
Disappointments of the year
Battlefield 3 ; on 360, had decided this would be a BF year instead of MW on the back of loving 1943 so much. Repetitive, buggy, frustrating game, way too big arenas, hated the game so much. Getting MW3 felt lije a huge liberation.
Mario Kart 7 ; I never learn I swear. I have bought every single Mario Kart on consoles and portables, and since Mario Kart 64 they have all been just pretty underwhelming and boring. I always swear I won't fall for the hype yet I always do somehow. I know this one is hailed as the best one yet, but it is seriously boring when playing with a friend. Only event is that blue shell smashing you out of the blue just by the finish line, knocking you from 1st to 6th. Lucky I got more store credit than I paid for the game.
1. Driver: San Francisco ; real surprise hit of the year. Played through the night.
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ; incredible game with great campaign and tons of MP content.
3. Alan Wake ; waited for it for 5 years, loved it43. Super Mario 3D Land, best portable Mario ever, blasted through it.
5. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary ; Mindblowing how good it is still today, Legendary is amazing.
6. Portal 2 ; super fun, great story, best voice acting ever.
7. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; seems amazing, need to play more to rank it higher.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D ; truly surprised how fun and immersive it is nearly 15 years later.
9. LA Noire ; had quite a bit of fun, even if it was repetitive at times. Loved the immersion.
10. Dead Space 2 ; incredible ride, even if slightly forgettable.
2010. Vanquish ; incredible game, so much fun.
Disappointments of the year
Battlefield 3 ; on 360, had decided this would be a BF year instead of MW on the back of loving 1943 so much. Repetitive, buggy, frustrating game, way too big arenas, hated the game so much. Getting MW3 felt lije a huge liberation.
Mario Kart 7 ; I never learn I swear. I have bought every single Mario Kart on consoles and portables, and since Mario Kart 64 they have all been just pretty underwhelming and boring. I always swear I won't fall for the hype yet I always do somehow. I know this one is hailed as the best one yet, but it is seriously boring when playing with a friend. Only event is that blue shell smashing you out of the blue just by the finish line, knocking you from 1st to 6th. Lucky I got more store credit than I paid for the game.
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; absolutely gripping, couldn't put it down
2. Dark Souls ; great sequel to demons' souls
3. Minecraft ; history changing for indie
4. Star Wars: The Old Republic ; best mmo since wow
5. Portal 2 ; loved the game, contrary to popular opinion too short
6. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; frustrating controls, otherwise fantastic
7. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings ; cant wait for witcher 3
8. Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception ; took a while on the controls, but good regardless
9. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; fun stealth combat, long-winded
10. Mass Effect 2 ; my first ME experience, pretty good game
11. L.A. Noire ; great formula, too drawn out
1. Skyrim ; A phenomenal adventure that has literally sucked hours of my life from me.
2. Portal 2 ; So close to taking the GOTY spot for me. Hilarious and brilliant puzzler.
3. Alice: Madness Returns ; The most underrated game this year. I've read so many reviews that panned this game for poor controls and uninspired platforming. I couldn't disagree more. BUY THIS GAME!!!
4. Catherine ; Another extremely fun and hilarious puzzler. Atlus continues to release some of the most inventive games I have played.
5. Batman: Arkham City ; A worthy sequel to the original but I found that the "over world" was underutilized and that some of the story elements in the last half fell flat.
6. Mario Kart 7 ; Nintendo finally starts figuring out how to do online right. It's not perfect, but this is a great arcade racer.
7. Dead Space 2 ; I wasn't a huge fan of the original so I didn't expect much from this game. It completely sucked me in, spit me back out and told an exciting story while never skimping on the action/horror gameplay. This game should not be forgotten!
8. Super Mario 3D Land ; One of the best Mario games I've played in years. Great utilization of 3D, plenty of extra content and some brilliant platform design.
9. Dark Souls ; I haven't dug into this game as much as I would like but I had a great time when I played it. Looking forward to finishing it up.
10. Uncharted 3 ; Shooting was terrible, enemy encounters dragged and there wasn't enough puzzles for my liking. So why the fuck is it on my list - my favourite story of the series.
x. Star Wars: The Old Republic ; I wasn't planning on picking this up but I changed my mind a week before release. This game surprised me. While it hasn't reinvented the MMO genre, the story telling elements have been greatly improved over games like WoW. The KOTOR/ME mechanics work well in the MMO space. I see myself playing this for a few months at least.
1. Little Big Planet 2. I found LBP1 nice but fell in love with this game. Excellent, charming and fun story mode and a lot of great community levels. My most played game of 2011.
2. Rayman Origins. Near perfect blend of gameplay, visuals and sound. It made me smile and try again and again...
3. Portal 2. Knew hardly anything about this game when i inserted the disc and came away impressed. Great atmosphere, genuinely funny and clever satisfying gameplay.
4. Outland. One of the best digital download games i've played. Looks fantastic, has great music and moody sound effects, plays like a dream and has a lot of atmosphere.
5. Limbo (ps3). Fantastic atmosphere, great visuals and fun gameplay. So glad i had the opportunity to finally play this game.
6. Uncharted 3. Definately not as good as UC2 and 1 but still a good solid game.
x. Rochard. Great psn title with excellent gameplay.
x. Pixeljunk Sidescroller. Polished, good looking and fun game. A bit short.
x. Renegade Ops. Good looking and fun oldskool shoot-em up.
x. Killzone 3. One of the few FPS games i can enjoy. Had it's flaws but i had fun with it.
Still to play: Deus Ex
Need to give a second chance (games i gave up on): inFamous 2, L.A. Noire, Book of Unwritten tales.
1: DARK SOULS
I bought this game on a whim after enjoying, but hitting a wall with, Demons Souls. I'm so glad I did; it turned out to be one of my favorite games ever. Certainly my game of the generation and thus easily game of the year. It's an amazing singleplayer and multiplayer experience in one. The way that the multiplayer works (invading/being summoned to other people's single player worlds) is absolutely genius. It's been said in this thread, but it bears repeating that the interconnected world in this game is a thing of beauty. Some Super Metroid echelon shit right here. The game has a very steep learning curve, partly due to the fact that it barely explains its many game mechanics, but embrace all resources available to you and you'll see that learning more about this game as a community is just part of the experience. I hardly play anything else anymore.. Dark Souls IS video gaming for me for the most part now. It has incredible replay value, I've sunk over 200 hours into the game and I keep coming back every day for more. I really hope GAF gives this game the recognition it deserves since no media outlet seems to be giving it the GOTY nod. Amazing game, I could play and talk about it forever. If you love video games and have the time to invest, you need to get this game.
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
This would take #1 if DS never stepped into my life. I really love this game. It stuck by its design of being able to approach areas in several ways the entire way through the game, which I found very impressive. Great atmosphere.. arriving at Hengsha the first time was quite a sight. I want more games like this to come out. It's competent at stealth, shooting, and being an RPG. Just a fantastic game.
3. Batman: Arkham City
The game kind of sacrificed some of its Metroid-esque design to deliver a mini-gotham to glide around in. I think it's a fair trade. AA sticks out more because it's the first great Batman game, but AC improves upon its predecessor in almost every way. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I need to go back and do the side missions/NG+. This game has incredible contextual animation. You're near a ledge when you're punching a guy? Yeah, batman's going to do something awesome with that.
4. Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception
I was blown away pretty much beginning to end with this one. I'd have played multiplayer a lot more if it weren't for Dark Souls. i'm not that big of a fan of the perk system, I'm more of an even-ground-for-everyone Halo type of guy but it's a ton of fun. The co-op is excellent fun as well. But the game shines most in its expertly crafted campaign.
5. Rayman Origins
Sleeper hit of the year. Wow! Perfect platforming controls, beautiful graphics with tons of personality. Batman and Uncharted look great but I could see this winning best graphics - it looks that good. The soundtrack is just as charming as every other aspect of this ultra fun game. There's tons of levels too. I still haven't beaten this one yet. Only thing that's missing is online co-op, because local co-op is a lot of fun!
6. Bastion
Had to include this after the deadline was extended. Great game. Put it above COE because it was a better value. You can tell a lot of love went in to this game. It's beautiful, fun, and has one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard.
7. Child of Eden
Bought this on launch (yeah I spent $50 on the game that drops in price after one week, COME ON), and I may have ingested something to enhance my first experience... but what a memorable experience this was! A beautiful, psychedelic experience. A work of art, and the scoring system adds replay value. Game needs more content, but I love what's there.
1. uncharted 3
2. batman: arkham city
3. dark souls
4. shadows of the damned
5. deus ex: human revolution
6. dead space 2
7. yakuza 4
8. tactics ogre: let us cling together
9. la noire
10. battlefield 3
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; Bethesda did good, scaling wasn't nearly as annoying and spellcasting is fun. Now turn on optimization flags for the PC version 2. Atelier Totori ; Gust getting better all the time. Infinitely enjoyable game. 3. The Witcher 2 ; Huge improvement on the first part in terms of mechanics, and one of the most beautiful games ever. Could have been longer. 4. Ar Tonelico Quoga ; Not as good as AT2, but still a worthy entry in one of my favourite JRPG series. 5. Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls ; Nostalgia may be a factor here, but this game just seems like a really good homage to the days of hard-as-nails dungeon diving. 6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; Much better than I anticipated. Lives up to its legacy -- and I don't mean Deus Ex 2. 7. Corpse Party ; My surprise hit of the year. Enjoyed every second of it. We need more games like this. 8. Magicka ; Ultra broken at release, but the novel gameplay, humour and fast patching saved this gem. 9. Saints Row The Third ; Supremely entertaining in coop. The story is the good kind of crazy. 10. Sanctum ; Innovative combination of FPS and tower defense for a fair price, and with good post-release support. Also, great co-op.
2010. Fallout: New Vegas ; Interestingly enough this is the only game I mentioned as "Not yet played" on my list last year. It lived up to expectations!
x. Portal 2 ; A bit too streamlined compared to the first part.
1. Disgaea 4 - Really close between this and #2 on my list, but ultimately D4 was the most fun I had playing a game all year.
2. Dark Souls - Better than Demon's Souls, just as hard to get into, just as rewarding to complete.
3. Ar Tonelico Qoga - Extremely underrated, great JRPG.
4. InFamous 2 - Not quite as good as the first, but between this and FoB tons of InFamous fun was had this year.
5. Saints Row The Third - Just a stupid, fun game, and I mean that in the absolute best way possible.
6. Atelier Totori - Another really enjoyable JRPG courtesy of Gust/NISA.
7. Rocksmith - Somehow managed to make learning to play the guitar structured AND fun.
8. Hyperdimension Neptunia - Enjoyable characters and lighthearted story.
9. Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls - Punishing like a Souls game, just as rewarding to complete.
10. Assassin's Creed: Revelations - By far my least favorite of the Ezio trilogy, but the last half of the game/story made up for the dull first half. Still not a fan of just about every new gameplay element added.
x. Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One - Haven't played it enough to crack the top 10, but I have had a lot of fun playing local 4P multiplayer.
x. Catherine - My biggest disappointment of 2011. Not that the game is bad at all, but the gameplay was frustrating and not enjoyable to me. Shame, because I really dug the atmosphere, characters and story.
2010. Atelier Rorona - Finally went back and played through earlier this year and had a ton of fun. The time limit put me off originally, but once you realize it's not as dire as it seems at first it's a lot more manageable.
1. Xenoblade Chronicles ; It's not the perfect JRPG and not the greatest JRPG of all time either, but it's a damn outstanding game nonetheless. Almost everything it does feels fresh, new and innovative. And while almost everything it does could also use a little tweaking in one way or another, it was tons of fun to play and kept me excited for almost 100 hours. 2. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective ; Shu Takumi can't do wrong. Entertaining story and characters, unique Rube Goldberg-style gameplay and gorgeous animations. Just a real pleasure to play. 3. Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten ; It's another one of those Disgaea games. Awesome. 4. Dark Souls ; This game was a disappointment in a lot of ways. The online was busted, some severe technical issues are unacceptable and some parts of the game could've used some improvements compared to Demon's Souls but instead were way too same-ish. That being said, it's still an absolutely brilliant game and one of its kind. (not really, but we definitely don't get a lot of games like that!) 5. Portal 2 ; The most genuinely funny game I've ever played. I laughed out loud and I usually don't do that, because it's weird! The gameplay was solid and expanded on the original idea in mostly the right ways, even though some "outdoor" puzzles were pretty shitty. 6. Mario Kart 7 ; Online play + GAF community = lot's of fun. 7. Yakuza 4 ; Coming back to Kamurocho always feels like coming back home (at the same time I really wish this was the last time we saw Kamurocho, but...yeah). The story is, like always, very committed to its dumbness and I really appreciate that. Everything else is par for the course. More Akiyama please. 8. Super Mario 3D Land ; This game starts pretty slow and that's a real shame, but as soon as it gets good it get's really good. It's quite brilliant at times and I even got some enjoyment out of the earlier, slow levels when I came back for some speed-running. 9. Battlefield 3 ; The singleplayer is a prime example for all the low points of modern game design, but the multiplayer remains an absolute blast. Love it. 10. Pokemon Black/White ; I guess I just like Pokemon, because this game is a Pokemon game and I really like it. Like I've liked other Pokemon games before this Pokemon game.
1. Dark Souls
2. Batman - Arkham Asylum
3. Battlefield 3
4. The Witcher 2
Pretty meh year for me. Dark Souls is so far beyond the rest it's not even funny. Even with the online and balance issues no game this year even came close to giving me the satisfaction of Dark Souls.
Batman was an improvement over the original. I give it a lot of credit for not streamlining or dumbing down for the sake of casual players. Game just assumes you were a bad ass in the first game and it doesn't stop trying to wreck you all the way through (hard mode right from the start).
Battlefield 3 is a worthy successor to the name and I can't say much more then that. It's a WIP and I really hope they continue to improve it instead of shoving out a sequel soon.
Upon my first completion of the game The Witcher 2 would have been easily number 1. Unfortunately, after playing Dark Souls and Arkham Asylum (Demons Souls and Arkham Asylum being a huge influence in it's new gameplay direction) it's just so unrefined in comparison. It just doesn't work in it's current state. I've tried to finish a third game and I just can't make it past all the jank. Movement, swinging, etc. It all feels wrong. Visuals, voice acting, choice/consequence are still unmatched and in a complete league of it's own.
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
It's probably one of my favorite games ever.
2. Battlefield 3
The people designing the menus and single player had to be drugged out on meth, because it's probably one of the worst in both cases I've come across in a long time. Unable to leave a match in the post-game lobby, menu closing death screens, splitting up parties, putting party members in different squads, not allowing you to edit your load out in the post-game lobby, forced map rotation, etc. None the less, the multiplayer is probably the best FPS multiplayer I've ever played.
I didn't play many new games this year, but the few I did besides the two above didn't really excel anywhere I didn't expect them to.
1. Xenoblade Chronicles ; One of the best games ever made and probably the greatest RPG ever! Truly stunning in every way wrapped in an outstanding world. Also a game that finally that streamlines with courage, getting rid of so many tedious standards in videogames. An astounding achievement from a developer I hadn't paid much attention to. Really looking forward to Monolith Soft's Wii U games!
2. Pokemon White ; One of my favourite franchises, whose main games always deliver amazing experiences, this being no exception. Truly wonderful, an exceptional game!
3. Street Pass Quest ; The 3DS's killer app for me, hidden free with the system! It's a fantastic concept realised brilliantly. I love the idea of walking around to play a videogame. The game is so much fun! Distilled, brilliant and great use of Street Pass.
4. Mario Kart 7 ; Possibly my favourite entry in an amazing franchise. Love all the new stuff and the racing is a great as ever. Truly fantastic multiplayer too!
5. Pullblox ; Another awesome surprise on 3DS! One of the best puzzle games I've played. Truly ingenious, hooked me straight away with great 'just one more go'-ness!
6. Super Mario 3D Land ; Even though it's a bit short and similar to Mario 64 and Galaxy, which sometimes makes it feel like a collection of new levels rather than a new 3D Mario game, it's still a great game with great level design! And loads of fun! Also great use of 3D (even though I don't use it that much).
7. Kirby Mass Attack ; Another great surprise. I loved Canvas Curse and I love this, easily the two best Kirby games imo. Ingenious, great levels and really well done!
8. Dragon Quest VI ; A great RPG! Think I preferred 4 and 5, but this is still great.
9. Radiant Historia ; Very impressive! A really good RPG, enjoyed the battle system, characters and world. Almost missed it, happy I played it.
10. Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword ; There's a lot to love here, but there's also a lot to dislike. Most of the dungeon design, bosses and world are really great, but so much of the game made me feel like I was fighting with it. Principally, the controls, they were bad. I loved motion control is TP but here from unresponsiveness, inconsistencies and frequent recalibration, I just didn't enjoy it. The camera was also bad and I never had an issue with it in TP Wii. There were also a lot of bizarre design choices, many of which added unnecessary tedium to the game. It also felt like reworking of TP with different graphics and new puzzles, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but added to the lack of polish in no way suggests a five year gap between games! Not as bad as Wind Waker, which is still the worst 3D Zelda by far, but nowhere near as good as OoT, TP or MM (which are three of the greatest videogames ever made). Overall though, still a very good game.
x. Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D ; Still the greatest videogame ever made, but as it's a remake of a game I've already played I didn't want to put it in my top 10 of 2011. I think the original is better but this is a nice remake.
x. Kirby's Adventure Wii ; A very good platformer, a bit easy, but really enjoyable.
x. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 ; A really good fighter! Captures the spirit of the original.
x. Batman Arkham City ; Enjoyable and generally well crafted, though I did find it a bit clunky (in design and controls).
x. Dark Souls ; Better than I expected it to be, overall good, but it was quite tedious in places.
1. Anno 2070 – The fifth instalment in the long running Anno series is not just the best new game I’ve played in 2011, it’s by far the best. Anno 2070 takes everything that made its predecessors so good, like the accessible yet deep gameplay, great soundtrack, beautiful graphics, how alive the world feels and adds quite a few new features and sets it all in a great new setting. One of the main things that's fun about the Anno series for me is still the feeling you get when you have played for several hours, and look at the game world. You think back to arriving in an undeveloped island chain, and then see your grand, beautiful city with ships ferrying in the goods your citizens want from all over the game map. It's a feeling not very many games give you. Especially if you choose to play for the Eco faction in this game, your city is a true sight to behold when fully developed. And even then, there's always something to tweak, always a way to grow it just that little bit bigger, that way to make your production just that little bit more efficient. Thanks to the new upgrading metagame, Anno 2070 facilitates this better than any of its predecessors. But as complex as this all sounds, it never gets overwhelming, the game eases you in, and slowly but surely increases the complexity. You end up with a very full featured and deep game, but one that's not at all only enjoyable for die-hard strategy gamers.
All in all, it may not be perfect, but I can't think of any major flaws outside of the copy protection scheme. Related Designs has crafted a true classic. 10/10.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=own-yY6bN6c&hd=1
2. The Book of Unwritten Tales - If you play a lot of point & click adventures, particularly on the PC, you know that localization (usually from German) is generally poor, and the games have a decidedly low budget feel most of the time. You certainly don't get that feeling with The Book of Unwritten Tales (BoUT). It's taken two years for it to finally arrive in English, but the wait has certainly been worth it. BoUT has good and funny writing, solid puzzles, beautiful visuals and though it's much longer than most adventures these days, it never feels like it drags. This is a fantastic game, one that I would recommend to all fans of point & click adventures. 9/10
Screenshots: here, here and here
* 3. Portal 2 - I have to admire Valve for not taking the easy way out with a sequel to the rather excellent Portal. Portal 2 is much more than 'just' the puzzle game that the original was, and the better for it in my opinion, especially when that change hasn't come at the expense of the puzzles at all. The best writing and voice acting I've seen in games this year, together with some excellent level design and one of the best endings I've seen in a game in a long time make this a truly memorable experience. 8.5/10
*Screenshot by jediyoshi in PC High-Res screenshots thread here
4. Saints Row: The Third - While Saints Row 2 still seemed like it wasn't sure whether it wanted to be Grand Theft Auto or something different, Volition made it clear with Saints Row: The Third that they want to be making something different from Rockstar North's acclaimed series. Saints Row: The Third is bigger, crazier, more ridiculous and more over the top than either of its predecessors. Where previous games had you slowly build towards bigger things, SR3 starts at full throttle and stays there all the way through. While at times you do wonder whether bigger missions would have had more of an impact if the game was toned down just a little bit, I think on the whole Volition made the right choice. I constantly wanted to see what the next thing was, what other crazy things they had thought of. That's a very, very good thing. My only real complaint is that they took a step back in terms of customizability, particularly when it comes to clothes. On the whole though, fun all the way through, especially if you play it in co-op. Even more so if you have the awesome shark shotgun. 8/10
5. Hearts of Iron III: For the Motherland - This is a hard one to place on my list. While Hearts of Iron III with For the Motherland is undeniably one of the best (grand) strategy games ever made, I'm not certain how much of that is down to For the Motherland. The thing is, For the Motherland doesn't add very many features, but it does refine existing things quite a bit. I do think though that this refinement has had a fairly large effect on how the game now plays out. Certainly, spreading communism around the world has never been this fun. 8/10
6. Tropico 4 - A lengthy new campaign, a few new buildings and a few new minor features are what Tropico 4 offers over Tropico 3. Truth be told, it all feels a little too familiar, and you certainly get the idea that developer Haemimont could have made a little more of an effort to distinguish Tropico 4 from its predecessor. The additions however are pretty good. More importantly, the new lengthy and varied campaign is excellent. I had a great time playing through it, and it's amongst the most memorable campaigns in its sort imo. Easily better than that of either Tropico 3 or Absolute Power. 8/10
7. Football Manager 2012 - The scale, ambition and depth of the Football Manager franchise has few equals in gaming. The latest instalment is no exception to this. With a redesigned interface and the ability to add in/remove leagues from a running game, the game is now better than ever. Certainly, SI don't add many features with each release, but the steady improvement year over year to an already brilliant franchise is something to be applauded. Spreadsheet simulators don't get much better than this 8/10
* 8. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (PC) - I wasn't expecting much from a second Assassin's Creed with Ezio in the lead. Sure, Assassin's Creed II was a very fun, if shallow, game. This however, seemed like a cheap multiplayer cash-in from all the pre-launch stuff. I'm happy I did pick it up and play it though, because the single-player was again quite a bit of fun. I didn't like it as much as Assassin's Creed II though. I thought Rome less interesting than Florence or Venice, wasn't happy with an even lower combat difficulty and I thought the story not as entertaining as that of AC2. On the other hand, the addition of the Assassin's brotherhood felt right and master assassins were a pretty damn useful tool. 7.5/10
*Screenshot by tci in PC high-res screenshots thread here
9. Cities in Motion - I loved Traffic Giant when it came out many years ago, and have been hoping for a sequel ever since. Cities in Motion is the first game to attempt it, and even if it took quite a bit of patching, I would say they have largely succeeded. Cities in Motion is a pretty basic, yet still very entertaining sim game. You are given some money, are dropped in a city and have to build its public transport systems. You are given the choice of tram, metro/rail, bus, ship and helicopter. My favourite thing about the game, aside from just seeing your system work well after hours of building, is the ability to start games at many points in time, making the experience rather different depending on your choice. The hardcore OpenTTD fan who is used to using a million signals won't get excited by this, but this is nonetheless a good game. 7/10
10. The Stanley Parable - It might be a free Half-Life 2 mod that's only a few minutes long (though it really must be replayed to get the full experience), but it was one of the most interesting games I've played all year. There isn't much to explain here without spoiling it, except to say that the Bastion narrator wasn't my favourite of the year. 7/10
(Honourable mentions in no particular order)
x. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn - Probably the narrowest miss for the list, this is a solid game. While the flying and driving segments could have been better, the main platforming game takes up by far the most of your time and is very entertaining. It's well animated, funny and varied. This is even more true when you get to the lengthy separate co-op mode. Not even that you see movie tie-in games actually be good. Nice job there Ubisoft.
x. L.A. Noire - Everyone on GAF by now is aware of some of the flaws this game has, though I don't necessarily agree with all of them, but despite the problems it does have, I thought this was a really interesting gaming experience, and I certainly don't regret buying the game.
x. Forza Motorsport 4 - Love the addition of rivals mode and autovista, but the career mode is still really dull in Forza. There's no real sense of progression, you're in top level cars within just a few hours, and you don't really progress from there. Taking the choice of difficulty away from the player in career mode was also a mystifying design choice. Turn10 has to do better. A good career mode isn't just about adding more and more events.
x. Bastion - Good narration, solid graphics, good sound, but I thought the gameplay a little too simple and repetitive to really love this game as much as some others.
x. Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Like Brotherhood was a step back from AC2, this is a step back from Brotherhood. Most additions here don't matter or don't really work, and the story just isn't very good until you get close to the end of the game. That said, I did think that it was a fitting final appearance for both Ezio and Altaïr, and getting around with the hookblade admittedly was pretty good. Also looks amazing.
x. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Deus Ex: HR gets a lot of things right. Good sidequests, good game world, fun powers, some good choice. That said, the lack of variety really kills it for me. You've got huge sections of game that are basically non-stop the same, especially an issue when they do two large levels back to back like
following Tai Yong Medical with the PICUS level
. It kills pacing. On top of that, the widely criticized bossfights also detract from the game, but not as much as the repetitive nature of the game.
2010. Victoria 2 - Grand strategy game set primarily during the Industrial Revolution, it's a lot like Europa Universalis III, but considerably more focused on economy/production and domestic politics. I didn't vote for it last year because I never really played it much then, I'd bought it at launch, but the game definitely needed serious patching before it could really shine, patches which it has received now. 8/10
Great year for games. Could easily make a list of 20-25.
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; A vast, content rich world that I've grown quite fond of over time. Random spectacles and carefully planned scenarios at every turn. And while the first person combat may not be tactical, it's still visceral and fun. Best Bethesda game yet.
2. Dark Souls ; Brutal, dark and brilliant stuff, with miserable lows and soaring highs unlike anything else I played this year. Intensely satisfying combat.
3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; Compelling near-future fiction, with branching gameplay that's refreshingly old school and true to the series.
4. Bastion ; A game with soul and character and gameplay and moments and variety and lots of people should probably play it.
5. Portal 2 ; The pacing, writing, sound design, and of course the devilish, finely tuned puzzle boxes more than make up for any feelings of deja vu.
6. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings ; Beautiful and deep PC RPG, full of interesting things to do and tough choices to make along the way.
7. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective ; An unassuming adventure/puzzle mystery that is a joy to play both for the story hooks and unique touch mechanics.
8. L.A. Noire ; There are failings here. But taken in context as a period piece detective adventure, L.A. Noire is a methodically engaging experience that struck a chord with me. And that face tech, goddamn.
9. Stacking ; I did everything there was to do in this game. The humor, style and creative mechanics all add up to something genuinely unique. Also - farts.
10. Saint's Row: The Third ; Open world madness that is positively overflowing with dumb/great ideas. Fun Factor: 5.0
--
x. Mortal Kombat ; An appropriately nostalgic return to form for a lost series. Content filled, featuring the best story mode in a fighting game yet.
x. Super Mario 3D Land ; Mario games are comfort food. And everyone likes good comfort food, with extra levels and Tanooki suits on top.
R's tracks though.
