Normally I don't have occasion to turn my Wii on, but I found DKR to be a great party game and even playable with my girlfriend (!). Great controls, awesome mechanics and lots of hidden items to find. Whoever thought that Donkey Kong ended when Rare went to MS was dead wrong, this is definitely one of the Wii's best games. It was praised enough in 2010, but it came out in 2011 here in Japan so it earns a spot on my list.
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2. Portal 2
3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
4. Bastion
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
6. Dead Island
7. Spacechem
8. Batman: Arkham City
9. Bulletstorm
10. Dead Space 2
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2. Portal 2
3. Battlefield 3
4. Assassins Creed: Revelations
5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
6. The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings
7. Batman: Arkham City
8. Rage
9. Dead Space 2
10. Sonic Generations
xx. Tribes: Ascend - Really a beta right now, but it's excellent.
2010. Mass Effect 2 - I didn't have a great PC in 2010 so I didn't get to play this. But now that I have, it deserves a mention.
1. Dark Souls ; Game of this generation for me.
2. Portal 2 ; Orgasmic
3. Uncharted 3 ; I worship Naughty Dog
4. L.A. Noire ; Didn't hit all it's marks, but was ground breaking and took risks. Gotta love it
5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; Buggy as... a Bethesda game. But played the hell out of it.
6. Dead Space 2 ; Totally delivered
7. Batman: Arkham City ; Batman, Batman, Batman
8. LittleBigPlanet 2 ; Not as good as the original. Still very welcome.
9. The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword ; SD game of the year
10. Renegade Ops ; Downloadable game of the year
I've seen it on a few people's lists in this thread. It will be a contender for strategy game of the year at least. It was #2 on my list after Portal 2.
It is a PC exclusive indie game so we can't expect it to be in the top ten or something.
New life for the series found in the new controllers. I digged the animation Style. And many of the Boss fights are memorable. First time i make the "second round" of a game without losing that wow feel. Easily my favorite game of the year. From the first time falling on faron to the last time visiting eldin. Its a hell of a ride.
2. Batman Arkham City
Gotta love the combat. i was on the thoughts that catwoman would make a silly adition to the game. glad i was wrong.
3. Super Mario 3D Land
Controls great (as always) but the great things come in 3D. First game i played only on 3D. Also putting a standard by making avaliable two types of 3d effect (this should be a given on next 3d games) 4. Call of duty: Modern Warfare 3
My first call of duty game... it showed why it sells so much. The most Solid Multiplayer experience: Even 4 players splitscreen is fun. The Story did everything to keep enterteainment to the max. and the controls are great (both on 360 and Wii)
5. Mario Kart 7
60 FPS on 3D on a portatil device. Plays great finding a balance between the wii and ds series. Online works excelent and it has so many options online that are rare from nintendo
6. Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 (Playmaker Version)
Great game that makes you forget and hate the classic controllers. Its incredible how people can play without commanding the entire team. I´ve always hated that a player wont go the direction it could do more danger. In this game you can literally asign every player to the place you need to. Also Master league is addictive. And in my experience Online its great to get your ass kicked
7. Bit Trip Complete
Hard Mode. New levels and the CD soundtrack makes this the definitive edition. Awesome game 8. WWE All Stars
The game did what i wanted from a wrestling game. quick combat and exaggerated moves. With all its flaws. the factor "fun" its higher than its Smackdown vs raw counterparts
9. DiRT 3
This is the first simulator that i find great to play. From someone who lovers NFS:Hot Pursuit. The carrer mode. and the racing options makes it great
10. Crysis 2
Cloak Engaged!. A good FPS with added twists. the whole invasion story its telled great by the graphic style of the game.
2010. Game: DJ HERO 2: Super LTTP to the best game with the brand "hero" on it. Great controls and i could say it was pretty original
This list is gonna be different. My 360 died on me early last year, and I upgraded my PC into a 60fps machine this past May/June, so I've had to play some major catch-up. A LOT of backlog gaming this year, even more than most. So this list in a sense is just about ALL of the games that I played from this year, just ordered from my most favourite to least favourite.
1.The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; I just got it at the end of the Steam Holiday sale. So technically I started playing it just a few days ago. But MAN am I totally enthralled. it's not fair that a game that I've only played for the past three days could even qualify over games that I have completed in the year of their release. But as much as giving Skyrim the top spot is projecting what I will feel about it after being "done" with it, just typing about it is keeping me away from playing right now. And I want to get back to it right now. BTW, once I'm done typing, I'm getting back to it right now.
2. Batman: Arkham City; Such brilliant combat, somehow improved upon from Arkham Asylum. Such a great rogues gallery that Batman has; the best in all comics. Such a great storyline, with great performances. Especially Mark Hamill, oh God, does he do fine work. And such a great ending. So few games stick the landing at the end, and for me this one nailed it. Opening this one up to an open-world like space was a good move. Let's hope they go one further and recreate all of Gotham City next.
3. Deus-Ex: Human Revolution; I was hoping that this one would bring back much of the game mechanics from the original. Too few games, especially FPS games, utilize such gameplay. Man did they get it right here. Much of the same open ended mission structure mixed with modern combat mechanics was a well made combination. While the story wasn't the most engaging this year, it got the job done, and I for one
was glad Sarif wasn't a bad guy, like every other game would've done.
Choice is a big turn on for me in gaming, which is one reason this is third and Skyrim is first.
4. Bastion; I am probably just as surprised to see Bastion so high on my list as you are. But it has just affected me in a way that few games nowadays do. It lingered with with far longer than it took to play it. The game just oozes atmosphere, and the bleak world it depicts has left a mark in my mind. The narration that everyone would think to be a gimmick? Actually is integral to that atmosphere. I wouldn't have it any other way. The old-school Action RPG-like gameplay is like riding a bike for the first time in years. It just works. And the ending (well, the one out of the two I chose) affected me as well. Just a great game; one that if it was released in the 16-bit era or perhaps even the 32-bit era, would be a serious contender for game of the year.
5. Sonic Generations; Again a surprise placement. I haven't purchased a Sonic game in ten years (Sonic Adventure 2 on Dreamcast). I have seen the games in between and played a few demos of the Xbox games. I would've like to try them, but I just never got around to it. Sonic @ 60fps and sub $30 price point was too good to pass up. Boy am I glad I took the plunge. It might be just the most pure "fun" game that I've played last year. Exhilarating, roller-coaster levels, AMAZING soundtrack, great platforming. And while not one-to-one recreation of Genesis era physics, the levels are designed so that it doesn't even matter. If Sega made another game in this exact style, just with different levels, I would buy it in a heartbeat.
6. Gears of War 3; After the top 5, I had a tough time picking the placement of the remaining games. But ultimately, Gears stuck with me more than the rest of the lower picks. While not a deep story, I was affected more because I felt like I had grown to like the characters over the course of three games. So I felt joy when Cole Train met his fans and started to relive some of his old glory, and real loss when
Dom sacrificed himself. I knew at least one of the main four had to die, and I guess he was the one who had the most complete story arch by that point in the third game.
The cover based gameplay is just as good as before, and the skirmishes were hella fun. Didn't play any multiplayer besides campaign co-op, but I can now, thanks to me getting a 360 for Christmas.
7. Dead Space 2; I heard that DS2 managed to be even better than the first, and I didn't believe everyone, until I played it. While no real survival horror game nowadays is that scary, the world they created here is just spooky enough to get the job done. Love making my arsenal more powerful, and I love games that have a new game + option once you beat them. That ending, again, was great, and I hope they get to make a third game.
8. Crysis 2; While not as open-ended as its predecessor, it retains the same great gun play. Some really enjoyable set pieces, and wonderful eye candy. One of the most beautiful games out there, and I really did feel like I was in NYC most of the time (and I'm from there!). The story goes wild at one point, but I just went with it and enjoyed it for what it was. Would definitely get a sequel.
9. Portal 2; Most people (especially in the gaming media) would stone me for putting this game so low on my list. But truth be told: I just enjoyed PLAYING the other games on this list more. Almost all of them I started playing again immediately after I finished the first time. That to me is a sign of a game that really needs to be applauded. But with that said, the one playthrough of Portal 2 is still great fun. The humor is genuinely good (and not just in a "for a game" way either); the funniest game this year. GLaDOS is still one of the most memorable game characters this generation. The puzzles were easier, and I felt that some of the middle portion of the game was padding out the play time, but anyone can plainly see the craftsmanship at work here.
10. Dragon Age 2; Maybe the most controversial choice here. But while I didn't think Portal was quite as good as everyone else did, I also didn't think DA2 was nearly as bad as everyone else did. Yes, I can see the changes from DA:Origins. Yes, overall those changes were for the worse. But enough of the gameplay of the first remained for me to enjoy, and I genuinely liked the story, even though it was decidedly less epic. Maybe I'm just easy to please, but I enjoyed my time with the game, and almost put it above Portal 2 (if it wasn't for the obvious level of polish Portal 2 had received, I might have).
Honorable mentions - I started playing these games here, but didn't get enough play time to figure them into the larger list.
X. Bulletstorm
X. Child of Eden
X. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
X. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
I still haven't played these games yet, and I really need to this year:
Assassins Creed: Revelations
Battlefield 3
Dead Island
L.A. Noire
RAGE
Saints Row The Third
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
1. Portal 2
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
3. Saints Row The Third
4. Bulletstorm
5 , Batman: Arkham City
6. Super Mario 3D Land
7 .Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
8. Gears of War 3
9. Dead Space 2
10. L.A. Noire
x. Bastion
x. Dead island
x.Skyrim
X. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
2010: Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
1. Xenoblade Chronicles ; Simply the best game I've ever played. It's probably the most complete game I've played this generation too. The wonderful story, beautiful environments, likeable characters, tons of collectables and complex battle system all come together perfectly and create the ultimate RPG. Americans, please buy it!
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ; Nintendo absolutely nailed motion controls with this game. I was baffled to read that some people claimed the controls are broken. In reality, it's either their Wiimote or coordination that's broken (calm down, I was kidding!). Loved the art style, loved the characters, loved the dungeons, loved the puzzles. The new inclusions in the series also added a lot to it. If Zelda Wii U lacks motion controls, I'll be very very disappointed.
3. Portal 2 ; An absolute joy, from start to finish. I've never played such an atmospheric game and the dialogue was outstanding. The most refined and polished game I've ever played.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D ; This was my first time experiencing OoT from beginning to end. Loved it. Sure, it's 'simpler' in design than the later 3D entries, but it still manages to retain its charm after all these years. Oh yeah, and this game in 3D is absolutely mind-blowing. A truly immersive experience. Bring on Majora's Mask 3D
5. Mario Kart 7 ; Sure, it's more of the same, but that's not really a bad thing with Mario Kart. Online is a treat and buttery smooth 60 FPS gameplay is always welcomed.
6. Super Mario 3D Land ; Really fun game, but a bit too much on the easy side. Hopefully it gets a more challenging sequel. Oh, and ike MK7 an OoT, this game looks stunning in 3D
7. Bastion ; Didn't put in as much time as I wanted in this game, but what I played I liked. Will sink in more time into it during the year, when I have less time to play console games.
There were other games I've played, but don't really feel they deserve a mention. I have Assassins Creed, Uncharted 3 and Skyrim yet to play. If I had played them before the dead line, the latter two would most likely have climbed into my top five.
1. Saints Row: the Third; More fun per minute than anything this year
2. Gears of War 3; Outperformed my incredibly high expectations, great campaign, great multiplayer, reminded me why horde was so fun in the first place (and somehow outdid the copycats with ease)
3. Bastion; The game I couldnt stop playing until everything was completed, got so much joy from every piece of this game and came away thinking it was the perfect length
4. Trenched/Iron Brigade; The game I wish would never end (wanted more levels originally, dont see myself going back now until DLC)
5. Dead Island; Completely caught by surprise, oddly deep rpg set within a hackneyed zombie scenario somehow still felt incredibly creative
6. Mortal Kombat; The fighting game that lead to countless cross-couch battles, easily the best campaign of any fighting game
7. L.A. Noire; I had an absolute blast with it, the critics are justified but the setting and interesting gameplay set within a familiar gta-lite structure felt very right, eagerly awaited each DLC
8. Portal 2; Did not get as far into as I would have liked, ended up burning out on the game after completing only about half the story, very high up on my pile of shame but Im having trouble finding the initiative to finish it off
9. Bulletstorm; Loved the move away from the typical headshot shooters, creative story and beautiful and actually colorful visuals to round out a surprisingly satisfying shooter
10. Shadows of the Damned; Perfect amount of charm, if not for a few speed bumps could be much higher on my list
Well, I figure I go ahead and post my list. Hopefully, it's not too lengthy or pretentious -- I apologize if it is. To me, 2011 (to some extent 2010 too) are some of the best years ever in gaming and there was a lot to like about it.
So here ya go.....
1) Rayman Origins (PS3) – What makes this #1 for me is partly due to my #10 pick & SM3DLand and my love affair with platformers. To me, platformers is gaming – not ‘cinematic experiences,’ or seeking to ‘maximize the installed base’ or any marketing speak that has infiltrated gaming. This game is what people like me growing up in the NES/Genesis/SNES/TurboGrafx 16 days had as the vision of the future. Beautiful artwork, almost cartoony characters, terrific music, a longer game, bigger levels, more secrets – I could go on. This game is built on that experience and those emotions – staying up until 3 am to finish Donkey Kong Country 2, being utterly excited by Sonic & Knuckles, getting all the warp whistles in SMB3, running through the different islands in Super Mario World. Rayman Origins brought back that feeling. I would go back and try to collect every Lumi and I had fun trying to complete every level. If I were to play this 5 or 10 years from now, I would still enjoy it and still find a lot to love with it. No other game makes me more excited about the future of gaming than this. Sadly, this game will go unnoticed due to Ubisoft actively hating it (why would they release another Assassin’s Creed game on the same day if for no other reason?). I think if Michel Ancel founded his own studio and a publisher had more faith in him, this game would be the start of something big (like Rayman Origins 2 or Beyond Good & Evil 2 or any new game idea he has).
2) Batman: Arkham City (Xbox 360) – Yes, I know, it is very easy to hate this game. But this game is one of the most addictive games I’ve ever seen. I came very close to 100% this game when I finished (got about 65% done when I stopped). There’s not a thing this game doesn’t do right – although I hate the A.R. missions too and it can be argued that this game is not an open world game per se and the ending was slightly rushed (
bad writing includes killing off characters if you don’t know how to resolve the story
). Still, I spent many hours gliding around, beating up thugs, getting Riddler Trophies, doing side missions and I loved the Zelda-ness of the entire Arkham City. Besides Demon’s Souls, there was no other game I spent more time playing in 2011 than this.
I hated the last room because I couldn’t move fast enough to use the incinerator and grab the cores.
The game really didn’t appeal to me. With Portal 2, I was very skeptical about how good the sequel would be. I found that it’s definitely better than Portal and is possibly one of the greatest games this gen. There wasn’t a boring part to the whole game and the portal gun worked a lot better than in Portal (at least to me). This game is definitely hard, but it’s a comforting and logical hard. If you can see the solution, it’s a lot more manageable. I had to get help with walkthroughs on Youtube and online, which lessen my enjoyment somewhat – it doesn’t mean that the game isn’t good, I’m just not really the right player for it. The story for the game was always interesting and I loved how it explains certain things but leave others for interpretation. Another thing I found utterly impressive is how similar to other single player campaigns out there with some ‘set piece moments’ but Valve didn’t change the original game’s formula. I’m just glad there wasn’t a QTE and Chell didn’t talk.
4) Dead Space 2 (PC) – One thing I’ve noticed in reading through the GOTY thread is a lot of people are ‘disappointed’ with this game. I’m not exactly sure why that would be – it’s possible that Dead Space 1 is completely different and less of a ‘cinematic experience’ or maybe more focused. To me, this game does what Uncharted 2 did in 2009 – it provided a great game with cinematics, but everything made sense and kept you engaged enough to want to continue. Now that isn’t to say this game doesn’t have its fault – those detractors may be right on how Nicole is presented. The last couple of chapters completely fall apart.
I actually liked the indestructible Necromorph chasing you – it reminded me of Parasite Eve in a lot of ways (I haven’t played that many Resident Evil games, so forgive me).
Still, there’s one scene that everyone should know about that made me absolutely uncomfortable to watch – and I loved it.
5) Saints Row: The Third (PS3) - This ended up knocking Uncharted 3 off my top 10 because it is so satisfying and fun. And it is utterly insane to play and literally one of THQ's best games they have ever made. This is what GTAIV should have been and Rockstar Games really needs to look at this as far as what to do next. Normally, I hate the driving controls in open-world games, but this is (mostly) perfect. Some of the missions (like Guardian Angel) I actively despise. Keep in mind the story makes no sense whatsoever and is rather crude and rudimentary. But who cares? I'll still have fun blowing up cars with a big breasted chick wearing a mascot costume. Or a nice looking dude that gives Bradley Cooper a run for his money (take your pick).
But to fault the game slightly, towards the end the game loses steam and both endings aren't that good. The Mars/movie set ending was a big "WTF?" moment or 'fuck you audience' moment for me since there was no reason for it -- the bad ending is better but the game is suddenly serious with it, which it wasn't throughout the game. Still, standing on the floating Daedulus is an amazing moment in the game, as is skydiving to Kanye West's "Power" and trying to decide what to do at the end to "Holding Out For A Hero." The side activities virtually have no bearing on completing the game and you could do story missions without even touching the side missions.
6) Alice: Madness Returns (PC) – The fact that Spicy Horse may not ever make another Alice game is a travesty. This game was sent to die during the summer – EA basically had no faith in this game. They were fools – this to me is one of those games that needs to be played. It can be argued of many things against this game. Some of the levels are repetitive and the game is very long. The graphics are dark and may not be that good. The controls may not be that good either. The platforming can be considered awful by some. But I enjoyed this game on its terms and the story and its characters is one of the most complex I’ve ever seen. The ending I thought was brilliant. The game is basically a love letter to N64/PS1 (I go down slides in this game and the “Slide Theme” plays in my head every time) and is a true ‘gamer’s game.’
7) Bastion (XBLA) – Another surprising game for me. This game is a throwback to the halcyon days of Square’s SNES/PS1 RPG’s – but it has a decisively American feel to it. The narrator sounds like an old man from the Westerns and the music has an Americana/alt.country feel to it. The story is a single person trying to save the world and
there’s a war between two factions involved.
But the presentation and the graphics seem like something from the Mana series or Illusion of Gaia series. It’s like an American Made Japanese RPG. I didn’t really like some of the later levels (I felt the difficulty ramped up too much) but I enjoyed this game quite a bit.
8) Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360) – There’s a lot this game did right and a lot it did wrong. The campaign was satisfying and surprisingly mature – because of a very capable writer. The game wears its influences quite well – Resident Evil 4 here,
BioShock in the final Act
, Lost Planet 2 early on. Horde Mode 2.0 is worth the price for admission. But what it did wrong – introducing characters & plotlines but not following through. Still, I can’t think of a game that was as enjoyable single-player/multiplayer wise than this. For me, if I play through the game from beginning to end and the gameplay is truly addictive, then I know it’s great.
9) Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (DS) – I knew about this game and hadn’t really gotten around to playing it until the GOTY discussions. While the story veers into the ridiculous from the start, it’s one of the few games where the gameplay mechanic is logical and inventive but yet so simple at the same time. The strange thing about the game is how similar it is to old school point & click adventures but with that Phoenix Wright charm. And that rotoscoped look – I really want to see a spinoff game with that engine that’s like Flashback, Out Of This World, Blackthorne or Prince of Persia but set in the same game universe. Although I was utterly confused by the ending and the explanation, this is still one of the best for me.
10) Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken (PSN) - Very late addition but a very worthy game. I know one other person had this in their top 10 and it is worthy of inclusion. Nice platformer with solid gameplay....a bit tough towards the end but still a beatable game. And the soundtrack is catchy as hell.
Honorable Mentions
x - Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (Xbox 360) – Yes, this game doesn’t look very exciting, the levels seem the same, and only diehard Warhammer 40K fans will truly understand it. However, I still loved this game. I know this might shortchange it a bit but Captain Titus should be up there with Master Chief and Gordon Freeman….he does what’s right no matter what. Yet, the entire world of Warhammer 40,000 predates anything Gears of War or Halo by years, but those games’ touchpoints and feel are apparent in this game. What’s funny is how similar to Halo this game is, structure-wise. And the last battle/ending is amazing.
xx- Outland (XBLA) – I got this game on XBLA after the whole PSN outage debacle and just absolutely loved it. It was a bit too hard for me at times, but I soldiered on with it and got to the final boss. While the backgrounds at times made the character very hard to see, the gameplay is perfect. This game and two of my top 10 picks are reasons why I’m starting to love XBLA/PSN.
xxx - Bulletstorm (Xbox 360) – A surprising game for me. The story is excellent, the gameplay is never boring and is spot on, and the ending makes me wish for a sequel. I bought this for the Gears 3 beta (who didn’t?) but was completely engrossed by it. Waggleton P. Tallylicker, you done good.
Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) – I consider myself a Mario connoisseur. I have been playing a Mario game since Super Mario Bros. 3, which is the pinnacle of gaming for me. The most recent games I enjoyed quite a bit – I even loved New Super Mario Bros. Wii despite certain issues (mainly Mario’s jumping being really bad). Super Mario 3D Land is not exactly my favorite Mario game. It's still a very great Mario game and I still enjoy it. Now I didn’t like the controls that much (which is very important for me) but I loved the levels/worlds. True, they felt like a hodge-podge of levels and ‘leftovers’ from other Mario games, but they were still inventive and still creative. If this game was on the WiiWare or the DS or even the Wii, it would still be remarkable.
Not as Good but Still Honorable Mentions:
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3) – Although I don’t like the whole focus on a cinematic experience in games, Naughty Dog know what they are doing and seem to remember that there is an actual game at the heart of it. Slightly easier than the previous Uncharted’s and the story isn’t as robust as Uncharted 2, this is still a high watermark for 2011. However, the more separated I am from the game and its ending, the less I like it. The games on my list were just more satisfying for me.
There was too much that was woefully underdeveloped and just wasn't as good as previous Uncharted's. The story (and the writing) is exceptional and it would have been great if the game was as exceptional as its story. I somewhat wished however that Marlowe was able to get the Ginn but it corrupted her and she was the final boss fight. Instead, it’s a repeat of Uncharted 2 “escape before the place collapses” sequence.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution – I love the ideas and issues presented in the game but hate the tacked-on boss battles and some of the story’s pacing. This game is very ambitious and I loved what I played. I tried to play it as a stealth game but I would get discovered very easily, so I ended up shooting it out. This game isn’t in the top 10 for me because Portal 2 presents some of the very same issues but its story feels better developed, concise, and more personal. The boss battles in Batman: AC were better and more in line with the gameplay than this. The overall gameplay for Deus Ex: HR is good but is not great. Deus Ex: HR just felt like they were trying to do everything and cover everything but didn’t know how to resolve it or left it hanging. Which is disappointing since the game had been in development since at least 2007. I was the most disappointed with the resolution for
Dr. Reed & Adam’s relationship
since that was the crux of the game.
Other Honorable Mentions: LittleBigPlanet 2, Thor: God Of Thunder (DS), Pushmo, Mario Kart 7, Monster Tale, Dissidia 012 duodecim Final Fantasy
Easy To Read Order:
1) Rayman Origins
2) Batman: Arkham City
3) Portal 2
4) Dead Space 2
5) Saints Row The Third
6) Alice: Madness Returns
7) Bastion
8) Gears of War 3
9) Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
10) Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken
Other games that I wanted to play but have yet to do so or in the process. Maybe I can get one or two in before the deadline or not sleep for two days:
Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D - In second dungeon
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together - On Chapter 1
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - I really wanted to include this game in my list but I'm not even done wth the game. I'm doing all the side quest lines first then I'm trying to get further in the main quest. It's weird -- I have to almost be 'in the mood' to play it due to the time commitment involved unlike the other games on my list. Hence, that's why it's not being included. My reasoning is not really fair to this game since it is an utterly remarkable and beautiful game. I tend to decide on my feelings for a game upon its conclusion.
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
Child of Eden (probably take four hours tops to do this)
Catherine
Infamous 2
Radiant Historia
Crap game:
Shadows of the Damned - Stopped after Act 4-1. This is an utterly disappointing game. The aiming is awful and the Act 4-1 section suddenly requires a degree of precision when it was previously not necessarily. I find a hard time finding this game to be 'fun' when it seems obvious to me that Mikami, etc. didn't give the gameplay any proper care (unskippable cutscenes in 2011/2012 is a travesty and should not be allowed). It's also like they felt that they could put sh*t in a game case and somebody would buy it. I'll try to finish it after the deadline has passed -- it's just not really my thing.
Oh, 2011's 2010 GOTY: Darksiders Even though I wasn't a member last year and didn't have a ballot last year.
Haven't played many of the big games (like Arkham City) yet, but here's mine anyway.
1. Dark Souls
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
3. Xenoblade Chronicles
4. Super Mario 3D Land
5. Pushmo
6. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
7. El Shaddai
8. Star Fox 64 3D
1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; Artistically years ahead of the curve, functional and beautiful environment design, great music, and it treats you like an adult. Like a drink of cool water in a desert. I love this. We need more of this.
2. Portal 2 ; Like Deus Ex, a triumph both artistically and in game design. Minimalism never felt so good.
3. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together ; Expertly designed. In-game dramatis personæ keeps you up to date on who's who, which is a very smart design choice in such a politically driven game.
4. Saints Row: The Third ; Loveable, insane, fun. A brain-damaged, drug-addled Ocean's Eleven with guns.
5. Dead Space 2 ; Not terribly sophisticated, but still an audiovisual treat with excellent artistic direction. The soundtrack is notably cool.
6. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings ; Sexy - and I'm not talking about the nudie bits.
x. Europa Universalis III Chronicles ; The game itself isn't from 2011, but this collection is, and it's new to me this year. Really fantastic stuff.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
2. Portal 2
3. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
4. Super Mario 3D Land
5. Bastion
6. SpaceChem
7. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
1. Dark Souls - Hate and love. So much of both. 70 hours into it and I still have a ton left to do. Haven't put this much time into a game since, well, Demon's Souls. And I found Demon's Souls a walk in the park compared to this game. There's just nothing else like it out there... and I feel very strongly about it. 2. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together Played about 60 hours of it, loved it, and kind of forgot about it. I really hope to finish it someday. I never played the original, and while it's not Final Fantasy Tactics, it's still a great story and a very fun, addicting game (but way too complicated menu and character management). 3. Shadows of the Damned - Pure fun. The essence of what makes games entertaining, plus a crazy Suda-twist. Good combat, control, characters, etc. 4. Bastion - Was surprised by the depth of the title. Best downloadable game I own, easy to get into, can pop it on whenever and listen to that dreamy narrator all day 5. Dead Space 2 - fan of the lore, thought the game looked and played really well. It's a fun journey 6. Mario Kart 7 - was meh on it, but very surprised by how fun it is to play and how well online works 7. LA Noire - Combination of impressed and disappointing. It dragged a lot in the middle but had an AWESOME end-game. First Rockstar game I managed to beat (since Oni?) 8. Portal 2 - I'm not a Portal junkie but I very much liked the first one and this one is good too. Did it need a sequel? I'm not sure. Did I enjoy it? Yup. 9. Super Mario 3D Land - I was already sold on 3D, but this game brings it to a whole new level. Not a huge Mario person, though I tend to always buy them. This was better than Galaxy 2 in my mind, and NSMBDS and Wii. 10. The Witcher 2 - I'm not a big PC gamer and I didn't get very far in this unfortunately, but I found it massively impressive. Very entertaining storyline, gameplay, world, etc. If I had beaten it it would probably be number 3. If I wasn't so distracted in life, I hope to continue it one day soon.
Decent Mentions:
Rayman: Origins
Gears of War 3
Marvel vs Capcom 3
Tom Clacny's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
I'd say I have a pretty round taste; GOTY's from PC, Xbox, PS3 (Dark Souls), 3DS, PSP... that's the true key to gaming nirvana, really. Follow the content, not the console.
Anyway, crazy holiday season for me, so I purchased but have yet to play a number of heavy hitters which makes me sad. Back log:
Uncharted 3
Skyrim
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Saints Row The Third
Assassin's Creed Revelations (This doesn't appear to get much love this year?)
1. Saints Row the Third
2. Catherine
3. Bulletstorm
4. Dead Space 2
5. Burnout Crash
6. LA Noire
7. Jet Pack Joyride
8. Deus Ex Human Revolution
9. Batman: Arkham City
10.Mortal Kombat
1. Dark Souls
2. Portal 2
3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
4. Bastion
5. SpaceChem
I haven't played Skyrim, Batman: AC, Uncharted 3, Gears of War 3, Dead Space 2, Rayman: Origins, Bulletstorm, LA Noire, Shadows of the Damned, El Shaddai, SR: The Third or The Witcher 2 yet, but they are already in my backlog. Maybe next year can make a proper list.
1. Minecraft ; I think I voted for this last year as well, but it technically released this year and it is one of my all time favorite games so I will vote for it again!
2. Pokemon White ; This was the first Pokemon game I had played since the original Red version. I can't believe I had stayed away from the series for so long!
3. Mario Kart 7 ; It is no Mario Kart 64 (few games are), but there are few feelings in gaming that rival a tense race in Mario Kart. The retro selections were amazing.
4. Terraria ; Much like Minecraft, this is a game I can play for hours and hours on end without getting bored. This might be higher on my list if I had played it in the last few months when many big updates were released.
5. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars ; Maybe it was because I have never played a game quite this before genre wise, but this game completely blew me away. I put 28 hours into this game in no time. The best 3DS launch game by miles, and still one of my favorites.
6. Portal 2 ; I loved the original Portal and Portal 2 felt the same way, but thankfully it was even longer! The characters and dialogue were top notch.
7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ; I wish I could put MW3 and BF3 as a tie because they are both great games for different reasons. MW3 is a game that is constantly fun and few games match the intensity of a great match of Search and Destroy. BF3 on the other hand is a game of great highs and lows. No game this year made me scream various phrases at the screen in amazement as something awesome happened right in front of me. Yet at other points it felt like I was at an unfair advantage because I had picked up the game later and it just wasn't fun. I placed MW3 in front because I have played it more.
8. Battlefield 3 ; See above
9. Pushmo ; I normally am not a fan of puzzle games, but in the short time I have played Pushmo so far I have been hooked.
10. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary ; For the time that I played and beat the single player, it brought me back to the good ole days.
2010. Europa Universalis 3: Divine Wind ; This game is undoubtedly the best strategy game I have ever played and is one of my all time favorite games. I have played 138 hours since I bought it this summer and show no signs of stopping. Any one with a remote interest in history (and changing it in hilarious ways) has to play this.
There were tons of games I did not have time to play this year (such as Super Mario 3D Land, Revelatons and Frozen Synapse) that might have made this list! Oh well.
Still no response to the numerous requests for an extension on the voting deadline, huh?
Another week or two to play through and digest all the holiday titles would be appreciated. Or at least the courtesy to address why there won't be an extension. Just saying...
1) Infamous 2
Infamous is beautifull . A true Wild ride and very satisfying . WHEN Kb says : " even his powers has powers " it's just another way to say that lauching a ligthning vortex to say "GTFO" to that ennemy NEVER get tiresome at all ..
The fact that they listenend to the complains the first game had and made everything a more pleasant experience Overall. There is also a good diversity in locales that helped to promote the Ugc missions and that too was a nice change of pace.
I have to mention that it's also one of the best implementation of the move controller on the market and that it feels good to explore a unique city ( new orle-- i mean new marais ) rather than typical skyscrapper cities.
2)Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted 3 has a many problems. It's inferior overall to uncharted 2.
Other than that the graphisms are top-notch. The music is excellent.And the Co-op sealed the deal.
It's also a wild ride , unforgiving on normal , ultra exciting on Crushing.Something to play without moderation.
3)XenoBlades Chronicles
What to say ? It's gigantic, a breath of fresh air , a very well done RPG that has a lot of content .. i am impressed.
Battles is fun , very good set of skills and gameplay mecanics and a lot of small ideas to enhance the experience.
4)The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
It's zelda , with new ideas . It's fun with good motion controls , and a decent lenght.
Orchestral soundtrack is excellent.and put the player in a good mood.It's hard to let this one go.
5)Sonic generations
Sonic generation is a game to managed to struck my heart with good intentions.
While the ending boss is awefull ( as always in 3d sonics except SA1 ), the rest is excellent and just what i needed.
6)Yakuza 4
because putting my feet into some thug face never got old and the game is just full of content.
It's just THAT enjoyable.
7)RADIANT HISTORIA
What to say ? This game did it right.
Time travel done right ... what a pleasure . The hero was a hero what should be :
-calm
-intelligent
-charismatic
-skilled
it was a true pleasure to see all of it unfold and even more when i reached the true end. Battle system was fun , easy to broke but very engaging and the game wasn't a grinding fest.
8)Tales of Xillia ( Imported from Jpn to France )
Tales of with a nice story , a very speedy battle system that promotes combos and team play.
The overall gameplay values are pretty good...and i never left lost . Loved teh dialogs .Loved the fact that you have you play both sides to see everything ( and understand everything ).
With a charismatic cast, good production values and a great battle system . it get easily into my top 10
9)Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel
Because i'm a AT fan and this game while full of problems still has the perfect ending of a trilogy i could have hoped for since i put the AT1 disc in my PS2 years ago. i can only hope for a prequel.
10)Hatsune Miku Project Diva Dreamy Theater 2nd
i'm a fan of rythm games and dreamy theater did many things rights.
Music is catchy. graphics are alright. 3D support, Edit play support. It's just a must have for a Miku fan
xx
Honorables Mentions
-The king of fighters 13
-Deus Ex Human revolution
-Mass effect 2
-Dissidia Duodecim
-Catherine
-Tactics Ogre
-Dark Souls
----- 2010. : 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
Because the execution left me a bigger impact than the rest of the games in 2010
1. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
3. Portal 2
4. Gears of War 3
5. Dark Souls
6. Forza Motorsport 4
7. Mario Kart 7
8. Super Mario 3D Land
9. Mortal Kombat
10. Crysis 2
x. Resistance 3
x. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
May ammend before Jan 7th with different order/games, but if not then this is my Top 10 based upon what I've been able to play thus far of what came out in 2011.
2011 Backlogged (i.e. games not considered for Top 10) *did not feel I played enough (or any in some cases) of these games to include for consideration --- yet of course I own them
Batman Arkham City
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
InFamous 2
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Killzone 3
LittleBigPlanet 2
Dead Space 2
Xenoblade Chronicles
Sonic Generations
L.A. Noire
Catherine
Oh shit I forgot this was coming up so soon. I can put in 60 hours of Skyrim and UMVC3 in the next 2 days, right?
2011 GOTY
1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PC)
2. Batman: Arkham City (360)
3. Outland (XBLA)
4. Gears of War 3 (360)
5. Torchlight (XBLA)
6. Hard Corps: Uprising (XBLA)
I really need to put time aside this year to pick up and play Batman, Witcher 2, and Dark Souls.
So:
1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution: A game that captured the Deus Ex feeling when I thought it was impossible. An amazing soundtrack, captivating artistic direction, and some of the coolest stealth gameplay this generation. A true successor to both Deus Ex 1 and Metal Gear Solid, which rockets it to the top of my list.
2. Portal 2: Hilarious writing, a bittersweet and darkly funny backstory, great puzzles, an amazing co-op mode. Valve really pulled it off and topped the original.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword: A few issues with pacing and interface knocked this one down a couple pegs, but where this game shines it really shines. Beautiful art and music, charming characters and story, some of the freshest innovations the series has had (and needed to have) for a long time, great dungeon design, and motion controls that really work and add to the experience. Just a joy to play.
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: I know some of y'all are probably thinking, "Buh? But you just complain about this game all the time." I know, I know. But that's just because those faults I find with the game (some boring repetitive dungeon design outside of the cooler things like Dwarven ruins, that I only first reached later on, the civil war plotline is nowhere near as important or impactful as the game pretends, some quests feel really restrictive after the freedom of New Vegas, and more), are like huge warts on an otherwise very well made product. The overworld is one of the best I've ever seen in any game, the Elder Scrolls lore is well integrated, the world really sucks you in, and it feels overall like Bethesda is really learning from their mistakes with Oblivion and Fallout 3. Just... don't expect all of those mistakes to have been rectified.
EDIT: LIKE TWO FUCKING QUESTS IN A ROW BEING BROKEN FUCK YOU FOREVER BETHESDA JESUS CHRIST
5. Battlefield 3: Battlefield 3 is a fun shooting video game that takes place from the first person perspective.
Shame, I have several more games from 2011 that I just haven't gotten around to yet. So from those that I've played:
1. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
2. Portal 2
3. Batman: Arkham City
4. LittleBigPlanet 2
5. InFamous 2
6. Dark Souls
7. Where is my Heart? (PSN Mini)
8. Killzone 3 ; not as good as Killzone 2 but still good. Really liked the Move controls. 9. El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron ; apparently art style goes a long way with me ;-) 10. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ; would be higher if it wasn't broken x. MLB 11: The Show
2010. Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time ; just got this one in 2011. Not my 2010 GOTY but I'm sorry I didn't play it sooner.
Have but haven't played yet: Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel, Catherine, Dead Space 2, Duke Nukem Forever, Resistance 3, Shadows of the Damned
1. The Elder Scrolls V : Skyrim - Just a masterpiece in every aspect, from the huge and interesting world they’ve created, to the various storylines, to the vastly improved combat mechanics. I’ve sunk ~60 hours into Skyrim and have barely touched the main quest. Bethesda is my favorite developer and they didn’t disappoint.
2. Saints Row the Third - My god I've been playing this game for like 10 hours straight as I'm typing this...it took a while for it to get going but once it did, man...it's really good. The side mission stuff mostly sucks but none of that really matters because of the magnitude of awesome that the game serves up at every turn. You should play Saints Row the Third.
3. NBA 2k12 – NBA 2k11 was the best sports game of any type that I’ve ever played, and this year they improved on just about everything. I’m a huge NBA fan, and so of course I was pretty worried there wouldn’t be an actual season this year because of the lockout. Luckily that didn’t happen, but even if it did, NBA 2k12 does pretty much everything perfectly, and would serve as a pretty good substitute for the real thing.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – I’m pretty burnt out on the Zelda series overall, and I’m never going to be completely sold on motion controls. That said, Skyward Sword reminds me of why I used to love these games. Flying around Skyloft feels fresh, and the motion controls are implemented better than I’ve seen in any game.
5. Infamous 2 – Traversing the environments is just plain fun. It was fun in the original game, and is even better here, because New Marais as a world is so much more varied. Combat gets pretty tired at times, and I’ve never had a clue as to just what the hell is going on in the story, but Infamous 2 brings it where it counts. I really enjoyed the game and can’t wait to get into Festival of Blood.
6. L.A. Noire – I came in expecting GTA Noire and instead found a pretty great adventure game with a really interesting story. The facial animations were incredible, and it was a great feeling to make it through an interrogation (and even a whole case) without messing up.
Honorable mentions:
Catherine – I loved what the developers were trying to do with Catherine, and the story was great. Unfortunately I hated the gameplay and suffered through it just to see what would happen in the next cutscene.
Bulletstorm – Had one of the prettiest environments of any game I played this year, and had a surprisingly deep skillshot system buried underneath all the stupid dialogue and story.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
2. Super Mario 3D Land
Zelda, Mario, and Uncharted 3 were the only three games I played this year, and I really didn't like Uncharted 3 as much as the first two games, so I hesitate to put it as part of the list.
1. The Stanley Parable
2. Cargo! The Quest for Gravity
3. To The Moon
4. Catherine
5. Dark Souls
6. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
7. Shadows of the Damned
8. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
9. Bastion
10. EYE: Divine Cybermancy
x. Alice: Madness Returns
x. Don't take it personally, babe, it just ain't your story
x. Portal 2
"This is the memorable tale of Adam Jensen, a hero and friend of Sarif Industries, a kind man loyal to those who saved him from near-certain demise, who gave him an opportunity to prove to the world that the augmented man can prosper without dire consequence. Adam was a good soul, fighting for a cause he believed in but pure-hearted enough to know that no man had to fall in the pursuit of the wishes of mentor and friend, David Sarif."
"...Wait, Adam Jensen? You mean that murderous son of a bitch who walked into this place not long back and killed everyone inside? The walking WMD with enough muscle to break the Pentagon digitally and literally? That guy is a tool!"
"Well, obviously there's a lot of stories about him. I guess his line of work throws up a lot of methods and opportunities for getting things done. I guess it depends who you ask, as to what's really up with Jensen. Sound exciting, at least."
"Hmm, no doubt about that."
"Either way- he'll certainly give you one hell of a story."
2. Portal 2
The bitch is back! And she's not even the best character. Valve works in mysterious ways. Although if you'd ask me beforehand, I probably would have chosen an emphasis on portalling craziness and mind-boggling puzzles over 'more stuff like the cake shit', Valve took the more inclusive route, and created arguably the most accessible console game this year. A shift from dark humour crafted through surprise to more traditional one-liners and such proved the hilarity of the first game wasn't a fluke, but more importantly it made this the first truly outstanding comedy piece of the 21st century that didn't involve Louis C.K. or Dan Harmon.
Oh, and the puzzles were still great, cleverly using new mechanics like paint, lasers and gravity tunnels to spice things up whilst still keeping things easy enough for anyone to eventually figure out. So great comedy, great puzzles. Am I missing anything?
Of course I am. But Portal 2's experience has some great surprises, just like its predecessor. For those who haven't played it yet, just go try it out. You can trust me- I'm not GLaDOS.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Link, despite his effeminate looks, has always secretly been video game's godfather of cool, and the Master Sword certainly helped boost that image when it was introduced in Ocarina. (I know it was in LttP, but it looked way too different.) So it's saying a lot about SS when it manages to forevermore link the best fictional sword of all time with the worst sidekick of all time, and I still love the pants off of it. Reason?
Simple- series best dungeons. Once it kicked into high gear after dungeon 2- and bar a slow crawl to dungeon 1, it wasn't exactly a slouch in the fun department before this- the game just doesn't stop, rewarding the player's attention and patience with tricks, tools and toys that never fail to amaze. The reinvention of old items was wonderful to see; bowling bombs, precision aiming arrows and getting more time to swing around on clawshots like Spider-Man was glorious after 4 games using these tools in the same ways each time. It's the new stuff that makes this game so special, though, with the game's first half throwing up new ideas round every corner, and the second half returning to these ideas in great ways that never fail to make you smile.
The story was... what it was, but it didn't matter. This wasn't the story of Link forging the Master Sword- this was the story of EAD finally forging Miyamoto's vision of what the Wii could be.
4. Batman: Arkham City
OH GOD WHAT DO I DO was my main thought for the beginning of this game, as the controls, objectives and environments took turns slapping me round the face with their cocks. But once I settled down, this game is gloriously well-realised. It's impressive how Rocksteady, showing fair restraint in the first game, took to shoving the entire Batman universe within the confines of Arkham City, because it's a haven for any fan of the Bat, whether you started with The Killing Joke or The Dark Knight. Seriously, the fan-service is unreal. The sideplayers aren't quite as cool though, when YOU ARE THE BATMAN. It's a lot like the first game, just... bigger. Apart from when that overwhelms, it's some magnificently on-point game design, and so it's easily one of the games of the year.
...And you get to punch a shark in the face. So there's that, too.
5. Magicka
It's so fucking stupid. I love it. It's the PC's NSMBWii, except it remembered to be charming. I need to play more, but the 3 hours I spent making less than satisfactory progress last summer were amazing. Beautiful chaos.
6. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
I love these characters, so there was no way this game wasn't getting on my list. My perseverance and desire to hear the next Nolan North quip, or ridiculous set-piece, or stunning vista, etc, etc, was more than enough to get through the odd irritating gun-fight. The ending was pretty rushed, and disappointing- even Ghost Rider's appeal wore off quickly- but the rest of it was expertly paced. Exciting without being overwhelming, over-the-top without becoming implausible... mostly, I'm looking at you cruise boat... and more importantly, HOLY CRAP NAUGHTY DOG CAN WRITE SOME DIALOGUE. It was a true adventure- Naughty Dog kept their promise, tiny blemishes and all.
7. Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version
I love Pokemon. I maintain the opinion that each new game is better than the last, because Game Freak knows what kind of game this is; it's a content beast. The one with the most stuff wins. But Black and White saw a lot of things change. On the surface, there's the graphics, the attitude to old Pokemon, the Wi-Fi features, the story- but the real change is deeper. This is the first time since Gold and Silver where Game Freak have clearly taken a quality > quantity approach to making a Pokemon game. It's missing many features from Platinum and HG/SS, but it makes up for that tenfold, with a central quest that is just that good. It also has some of the best new Pokemon designs for years (along with a few of the worst, admittedly), so Game Freak are still excelling there, too.
Pokemon also has the most solid mechanics of any JRPG ever. So there's that, too. Black and White just provides the tallest, sturdiest perch for that to rest on. I just wonder how long it'll take for Game Freak to make a Pokemon game that knows how good it should be again.
8. Rayman Origins
It's telling the first time I played this, me and my brother blasted through the first two worlds in one go... on Christmas day, when we had a myriad of other things to be doing, too. Beautiful to look at, hilarious and delightful to listen too, and a level design philosophy that isn't afraid to limit challenging traversal to just those going after secrets- my kind of platformer. FAKE RAYMAN FO' LIFE, suckers.
9. Shadows of the Damned
I'm pretty immature, so this game feels very much on my level. The demon pubes, the constant unnecessary swearing, the ridiculous gore... it's not even so much funny or daft to me as much as it is charming. What I didn't expect was how sinister this game can get. The faux-horror style leaves much to be desired in the scares department- after all, what can scare Garcia Fucking Hotspur? Not some demon fuckers, that's for sure- but the gameplay isn't so forgiving, creating surprising amounts of tension as you run like hell to the next goat head. It's a twisted, up-to-date perversion of RE4, and whilst it lacks that game's creativity minute-to-minute, it takes enough of a look of what made that game tick to ensure that you'd gun your way through the game's samey looking world and remain enthralled. Maybe it's just the promise of seeing Catherine errr, Paula again.
10. Ghost Trick
I feel weird talking about this when I haven't finished it, as it seems like a complete package sort of game. But let me tell you- this makes up for Geist, in the 'games about possessing objects and doing weird stuff to them' genre. The characters are a lot of fun, but the puzzles are the real star. Figuring out how get from place to place puts the brain to work, and with the story as a great motivator, Ghost Trick is the type of game you don't want to put down. Needless to say, it rewards that compulsion greatly.
Still have several games from 2011 to get into, but here are the top ten games that I have either played through or have spent some significant amount of time playing. Order is based on the amount of fun I had with each title:
1. InFamous 2
2. Uncharted 3
3. Gears of War 3
4. Dead Space 2
5. Shadows of the Damned
6. MotorStorm: Apocalypse
7. Limbo (PC)
8. Killzone 3
9. L.A. Noire
10. LittleBigPlanet 2
1) Red Orchestra 2 ; My favorite FPS shooting mechanics in any game. Bolt-action rifle is the most satisfying weapon for me. Instills the fear of death in me that no other series has been able to do.
2) Total War: Shogun 2 ; Co-op campaign that allows proper multiplayer strategic planning, and sharing of units during the tactical battles. Lots of co-op fun!
3) Dark Souls ; It's Demon's Souls. Somehow they've made the co-op even harder to manage than in the first game, so I haven't played it as much as I would have otherwise yet.
4) Gears of War 3 ; I love Gears co-op! 4p campaign was a nice addition. Horde 2.0 with the defensive upgrades is awesome.
5) Deathsmiles 2 ; Really enjoyable bullet patterns. Better than the first game.
6) DoDonPachi: Resurrection ; Shmup recognition!
7) Portal 2 ; Fun sp and co-op campaigns.
8) Men of War: Assault Squad ; Co-op skirmish maps were loads of fun. The DLC that added defensive skirmish maps were greatly appreciated, too.
9) Dawn of War II: Retribution ; Multiple campaigns/heroes were good fun. The Lord General in Last Stand (we played with 3 of him -_-) was great too.
10) Magicka ; Hilarious crazy fun.
2010) Armed Assault 2: Operation Arrowhead ; Didn't get into ARMA2 until this year, due to bugs ruining my previous impression of the game. But this is an awesome little co-op tactical shooter.
I didn't play as much as I'd have liked, but here is my top 10 list:
1. The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings
An amazing RPG and action game. Great dialogue, great story, great characters, incredible graphics, and a ton of fun to play. I've gone through it twice already, but I still need to go back to it for a Dark difficulty playthrough.
2. Dark Souls
I loved Demon's Souls. From my 40 hours or so into Dark Souls, I think it's probably the better game. I love the art style and satisfying gameplay. It brings back awesome early MMORPG feelings I got when playing EverQuest and such. So much mystery, so much challenge, so much satisfying gameplay.
3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
I also played the original Deus Ex all the way through for the first time this year. The first one is still a ton of fun to play, but I think I prefer Human Revolution. The stealth gameplay is pretty satisfying, but I just love the world they crafted. It's believable and extremely interesting. I kind of wish they got more into the conspiracy theory stuff from the first game, but I look forward to Eidos Montreal continuing the series.
4. Portal 2
An incredible experience! I liked the first Portal a lot, but I didn't go insane over it like a lot of people. I found Portal 2 to be better in every way. It was paced excellently, the puzzles were just challenging enough to provide plenty of "ah-hah! I'm so smart" moments, and the dialogue was legitimately funny. I really wasn't expecting too much of this game before its release, but I had a grin on my face pretty much the entire time I was playing it.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
I love Zelda games. This is a great Zelda game. I'm not finished with it yet, but what I have played has been more than enough to rank this high on my list. I love the art style and the bigger focus on characters and story.
6. Saints Row the Third
This game is just insane. I'm still only 10 hours into it, but I don't think I've said "what the fuck!" with a grin on my face more times in a single game. The actual gameplay (the shooting and driving) is competent enough, but the variety and sheer ridiculousness of the missions is what makes this game shine. Everyone really should play this.
7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Great adventure. I think it's pretty broken as a video game, and don't think any single aspect is done particularly well, but it's definitely more than the sum of its parts. The first 25-30 hours or so I put into the game were quite magical. It isn't until you are far into the game that the flaws become more and more apparent and the experience really sours. However, even the sour taste that remains wasn't enough to ruin my enjoyment of my initial hours 30 hours in Skyrim, which were absolutely incredible.
8. Batman: Arkham City
I don't like it quite as much as the first game, but it's still a great game with some of the most enjoyable combat in video games. It just feels great to kick ass as Batman.
9. Super Mario 3D Land
Excellent, excellent Mario game. I didn't expect myself to like this one nearly as much as I did, but I think the focus on smaller, more side-scrolling levels with Mario Galaxy-like gameplay really came together to make a really fun game.
10. Minecraft
Since it was officially released this year, this one. I didn't play it very much this year, but I have to recognize its achievement.
Games I haven't yet played (or played enough of), but imagine I would have considered them for a top 10 slot if I did: To the Moon, Gears of War 3, InFamous 2, Shadows of the Damned, Battlefield 3 multiplayer, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Gran Turismo 5, Rayman Origins, Child of Eden, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Pushmo, Mario Kart 7, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Trine 2, Anno 2070, Xenoblade (although I'm playing the Japanese version, so it doesn't count as a 2011 game).
Favorite game of 2010: Red Dead Redemption
It certainly had its flaws, but damn if I didn't feel completely immersed in this world during my run through the game. They just captured the feeling of the old west so well, and made it a joy to play.
1 Mortal Kombat HUGE surprise. A fighting game with a story mode that was awesome. I wish other companies would copy this, because I'm not that interested in competitive play anymore, but still love fighting games. MK made me feel like the game was worth every penny. Finished the Story mode, all the arcade mode stories, the challenge tower and got every unlockable. Looking back Portal-Kombat day was the best day of the year.
2 Portal 2 I wasn't a huge fan of Portal, but Portal 2 had enough substance and an entertaining story that I had a hard time putting down.
3 Uncharted 3 Very good game that missed the polish of UC2. Combat scenarios not as well balanced, stealth options generally broken, lockups and no unlockables.
4 Dark Souls Excellent sequel to Demon's Souls, but the Surprise of the original was gone and thus it didn't capture me like the previous game did.
5 Yakuza 4 Favourite Yakuza game so far.
6 Batman AC Very good game, but I didn't like the move to a larger "open world" style environment and the overwhelming number of riddler trophies. Too much. Definitely prefered the original.
7 Alice the Madness Big fan of the original and this still managed to surprise. Wish the levels were cut in half and there were bosses, but it was thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. Worth noting that I bought the art book.
8 Resistance 3 Return to form for Insomniac. Very fun shooter.
9 inFamous 2 Cut and paste Dark Souls comment.
10 Dead Space 2 Cut and paste Dark Souls comment.
Conspicuous miss - Skyrim Would of been my game of the year, but now I won't buy a Bethesda game until I have confimation that it actually works.
My 2011's 2010 game of the year - GT5 I'm still playing this game a year later. Constantly. Big Kudos to Polyphony for the great support.
Still no response to the numerous requests for an extension on the voting deadline, huh?
Another week or two to play through and digest all the holiday titles would be appreciated. Or at least the courtesy to address why there won't be an extension. Just saying...
I used up most of last week to replay all of my GOTY candidates and have been trying to juggle the games I got for Christmas and during Boxing Week simultaneously to finish them off in time, but it just isn't happening. :/
Edit: Hooray. I can amend my list now given the extension.
