I made one of these lists last year [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.256286-Irridiums-Top-7-games-of-2010-Plus-other-things], and it was pretty fun to make. So I thought I'd do it again.
2011 saw quite a bit of game releases. Some good, some bad, some ball-bustingly amazing, and some so horrible they make small children cry. Also some forgettable games, but I can't remember what those were right now so lets just move on.
The following three games are what I consider the best of the year. I agonized for quite a bit about this final order, and still am not completely 100% on it. Personally, I consider this a three-way tie. But that doesn't work in a list, so here's the result from some random ways of choosing the order.
And now, the runner-ups.
And those are my favorite games of the year. Favorite out of the ones I played, at least. Too many games released all at once, can't play 'em all. Anyway, now onto the random-ass awards! Which are basically awards for things I liked.
So there's my list. Boy, these things sure are fun to make. Probably why everyone does them...
Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading. Feel free to agree/disagree/rage/troll/explode/conga dance or whatever it is you people do to show your opinions.
2011 saw quite a bit of game releases. Some good, some bad, some ball-bustingly amazing, and some so horrible they make small children cry. Also some forgettable games, but I can't remember what those were right now so lets just move on.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/marvel-vs-capcom-3.jpg" width="350" height="235" alt="Playstation Hero's ain't got shit on this lineup"
[HEADING=2]Marvel vs. Capcom 3[/HEADING]
The Marvel vs. Capcom series has always been a favorite of mine. Mainly because it's one of the few fighting games I can actually play and not suck at. Plus, the way it combines so many characters for a good ol' fashioned beat-down is great. MvC3 continues this, tries to add a bit of a story, shrinks the character roster, and continues the series' proud tradition of turning each mach into an insane, incomprehensible show of powers, explosions, lights, and insanity.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/Arthur.jpg" width="400" height="250" alt="Have at you!"
I feel this image speaks for itself.
While the game's attempt to have some focus on story was a bit of a flop, the focus on a smaller roster has much better success. A smaller roster means each character has more of a personality and unique skill-set. Of course, this also had the downside of causing a select few characters to ALWAYS be used online, kind of like Ken in Street Fighter. However, I feel less but more developed characters is, overall, a good thing. And while Capcom's decision to release an "ultimate" edition so soon after the original's release burned my ass a bit, I still feel that this game is really, really great.
[HEADING=2]Marvel vs. Capcom 3[/HEADING]
The Marvel vs. Capcom series has always been a favorite of mine. Mainly because it's one of the few fighting games I can actually play and not suck at. Plus, the way it combines so many characters for a good ol' fashioned beat-down is great. MvC3 continues this, tries to add a bit of a story, shrinks the character roster, and continues the series' proud tradition of turning each mach into an insane, incomprehensible show of powers, explosions, lights, and insanity.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/Arthur.jpg" width="400" height="250" alt="Have at you!"
I feel this image speaks for itself.
While the game's attempt to have some focus on story was a bit of a flop, the focus on a smaller roster has much better success. A smaller roster means each character has more of a personality and unique skill-set. Of course, this also had the downside of causing a select few characters to ALWAYS be used online, kind of like Ken in Street Fighter. However, I feel less but more developed characters is, overall, a good thing. And while Capcom's decision to release an "ultimate" edition so soon after the original's release burned my ass a bit, I still feel that this game is really, really great.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/PokemonWhite.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="Come at me bro"
[HEADING=2]Pokemon Black[/HEADING]
At this point, catching them all would be impossible for someone who isn't insane. However, that hasn't stopped me from loving the games. Pokemon White/Black continue the proud tradition of having you beat animals into submission to catch them to beat other animals into submission to catch them and so on that the series' is known for. Morality of it all aside, the games are great fun, and starting as a naive young kid and becoming the pokemon champion just never gets old. However, it isn't exactly the same old song-and-dance with this game (well, kind of. Also, there's a dancing competition in this game), White/Black makes some simple, but very much welcome, changes to the system.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/pokemonwhite2.jpg" width="300" height="250" alt="Time for a pokemon adventure... again!"
Can't think of a funny comment. Poop.
...
Hehe, poop.
Most notable change is the focus on story. While past games had a story, they were very simple and just served as a backdrop to catch pokemon in. This one at least attempts to take things more seriously, by questioning if catching a bunch of pokemon and forcing them to fight is perhaps not the best use of the little critters. Granted, still being a more child-friendly game, it doesn't delve as deep into this issue as it could have. Apart from the story, basic gameplay changes include; health bars raise/fall faster so no more waiting for a strong pokemon to take much damage/health, triple battles and rotation battles add another element to, well, the battles, and there's no longer an annoying-ass BEE-BOOP BEE-BOOP BEE-BOOP BEE-BOOP when a pokemon's health is in the red. Thank fuck that's gone. But yeah, all these changes add up to a nice evolution for a largely stagnant franchise. Still, kind of sad to see that we've basically gone from fighting the mafia (Team Rocket) to fighting PETA (Team Plasma).
[HEADING=2]Pokemon Black[/HEADING]
At this point, catching them all would be impossible for someone who isn't insane. However, that hasn't stopped me from loving the games. Pokemon White/Black continue the proud tradition of having you beat animals into submission to catch them to beat other animals into submission to catch them and so on that the series' is known for. Morality of it all aside, the games are great fun, and starting as a naive young kid and becoming the pokemon champion just never gets old. However, it isn't exactly the same old song-and-dance with this game (well, kind of. Also, there's a dancing competition in this game), White/Black makes some simple, but very much welcome, changes to the system.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/pokemonwhite2.jpg" width="300" height="250" alt="Time for a pokemon adventure... again!"
Can't think of a funny comment. Poop.
...
Hehe, poop.
Most notable change is the focus on story. While past games had a story, they were very simple and just served as a backdrop to catch pokemon in. This one at least attempts to take things more seriously, by questioning if catching a bunch of pokemon and forcing them to fight is perhaps not the best use of the little critters. Granted, still being a more child-friendly game, it doesn't delve as deep into this issue as it could have. Apart from the story, basic gameplay changes include; health bars raise/fall faster so no more waiting for a strong pokemon to take much damage/health, triple battles and rotation battles add another element to, well, the battles, and there's no longer an annoying-ass BEE-BOOP BEE-BOOP BEE-BOOP BEE-BOOP when a pokemon's health is in the red. Thank fuck that's gone. But yeah, all these changes add up to a nice evolution for a largely stagnant franchise. Still, kind of sad to see that we've basically gone from fighting the mafia (Team Rocket) to fighting PETA (Team Plasma).
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/eye.jpg" width="400" height="235" alt="'Sup"
[HEADING=2]E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy[/HEADING]
E.Y.E. is... an odd game, to say the least. To put it simply, E.Y.E. just does not give a fuck. For better or worse. This leads to a game that is both amazingly ambitions and interesting, and incredibly frustrating and unforgiving. This is what Deus Ex would be like if Deus Ex snorted cocaine and took steroids.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/EYE2.jpg" width="450" height="250" alt="Everybody walk the dinosaur!"
I can't really find an image that expresses what the game is, since the game is so big and varied, so I'm afraid we'll have to settle for this.
This is a game where your character can become too scared to fire his weapon. Where if you fail hacking a door, the door will hack your ass back. Where no matter how you choose to play, you're style will start off crazy and just get more insane from there. A game that is so up-front with it's insanity, ambition, and unforgiving nature, it becomes something truly special. The fact that this game features a pretty rough French (I think) to English translation just adds to it. It's so in-your-face and ridiculous I can't help but smile whenever I have to talk to someone. One time I literally responded to someone with "cool story bro". True story. I then called him a "fucking pussy" and then summoned three clones of myself and wrecked him and his bodyguards.
E.Y.E. does not hold your hand at all. And while this leads to some fumbling at the start, when you get your groove going this game becomes something truly special. I for one love it, it's refreshing to have to figure things out for myself. Some might not like it, but this game is really worth a shot. As I said, for better or for worse, this game truly does not give a fuck. And I love that.
[HEADING=2]E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy[/HEADING]
E.Y.E. is... an odd game, to say the least. To put it simply, E.Y.E. just does not give a fuck. For better or worse. This leads to a game that is both amazingly ambitions and interesting, and incredibly frustrating and unforgiving. This is what Deus Ex would be like if Deus Ex snorted cocaine and took steroids.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/EYE2.jpg" width="450" height="250" alt="Everybody walk the dinosaur!"
I can't really find an image that expresses what the game is, since the game is so big and varied, so I'm afraid we'll have to settle for this.
This is a game where your character can become too scared to fire his weapon. Where if you fail hacking a door, the door will hack your ass back. Where no matter how you choose to play, you're style will start off crazy and just get more insane from there. A game that is so up-front with it's insanity, ambition, and unforgiving nature, it becomes something truly special. The fact that this game features a pretty rough French (I think) to English translation just adds to it. It's so in-your-face and ridiculous I can't help but smile whenever I have to talk to someone. One time I literally responded to someone with "cool story bro". True story. I then called him a "fucking pussy" and then summoned three clones of myself and wrecked him and his bodyguards.
E.Y.E. does not hold your hand at all. And while this leads to some fumbling at the start, when you get your groove going this game becomes something truly special. I for one love it, it's refreshing to have to figure things out for myself. Some might not like it, but this game is really worth a shot. As I said, for better or for worse, this game truly does not give a fuck. And I love that.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/bastion.jpg" width="400" height="200" alt="Not much of a shock I know, but fuck it, this game is great"
[HEADING=2]Ba- why am I typing the name? You already know what it is.[/HEADING]
Yes yes, Bastion. This probably isn't much of a shock, since pretty much everyone who's played it includes it on lists like these. But dammit, this game deserves it.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/bastion2.jpg" width="350" height="235" alt="Yeah, I'm awesome. I know it."
I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.
You've probably heard praise heaped on this game enough, so I'll try to be brief. The game is great, has great narrations, story, and music. It's really something great, and really shouldn't be missed.
[HEADING=2]Ba- why am I typing the name? You already know what it is.[/HEADING]
Yes yes, Bastion. This probably isn't much of a shock, since pretty much everyone who's played it includes it on lists like these. But dammit, this game deserves it.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/bastion2.jpg" width="350" height="235" alt="Yeah, I'm awesome. I know it."
I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.
You've probably heard praise heaped on this game enough, so I'll try to be brief. The game is great, has great narrations, story, and music. It's really something great, and really shouldn't be missed.
The following three games are what I consider the best of the year. I agonized for quite a bit about this final order, and still am not completely 100% on it. Personally, I consider this a three-way tie. But that doesn't work in a list, so here's the result from some random ways of choosing the order.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/HumanRevolution.jpg" width="450" height="250" alt="Like a boss"
[HEADING=2]Deus Ex: Human Revolution[/HEADING]
You know, I was seriously worried about this game. Deus Ex is an incredibly open-ended game that allows for all play-styles to be viable. It doesn't railroad you, hand-hold you, or tell you how to play. This is pretty much the opposite of what many, many games these days do. I can't tell you how surprised and happy I was when I first played Humongous Reciprocation, and learned that I was completely wrong about this.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/HumanRevolutionInventory.jpg" width="450" height="300" alt="Inventory!!"
Look, an inventory screen! An actual inventory screen! One that is actually FUN to use, and isn't shit on ANY platform! Why don't we have more of these?
Humane Retribution, while not as deep as the original, still manages to keep the series' open-ended spirit alive. Both in terms of an open-ended story and open-ended gameplay. Of course, there's still the boss fights. The damn boss fights. Hummas Resolution also manages to stand above other games based on story for one simple fact, it makes sense in the context of the game. Meaning it doesn't fall apart when you scrutinize it. It's all plausible that it could happen, both the overall story, and how all the people in that story act. More or less, anyway. This is sadly very, very, VERY rare in games. This makes Humorous Recitation's story fulfilling, and that much better.
[HEADING=2]Deus Ex: Human Revolution[/HEADING]
You know, I was seriously worried about this game. Deus Ex is an incredibly open-ended game that allows for all play-styles to be viable. It doesn't railroad you, hand-hold you, or tell you how to play. This is pretty much the opposite of what many, many games these days do. I can't tell you how surprised and happy I was when I first played Humongous Reciprocation, and learned that I was completely wrong about this.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/HumanRevolutionInventory.jpg" width="450" height="300" alt="Inventory!!"
Look, an inventory screen! An actual inventory screen! One that is actually FUN to use, and isn't shit on ANY platform! Why don't we have more of these?
Humane Retribution, while not as deep as the original, still manages to keep the series' open-ended spirit alive. Both in terms of an open-ended story and open-ended gameplay. Of course, there's still the boss fights. The damn boss fights. Hummas Resolution also manages to stand above other games based on story for one simple fact, it makes sense in the context of the game. Meaning it doesn't fall apart when you scrutinize it. It's all plausible that it could happen, both the overall story, and how all the people in that story act. More or less, anyway. This is sadly very, very, VERY rare in games. This makes Humorous Recitation's story fulfilling, and that much better.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/Witcher2-1.jpg" width="450" height="300" alt="You call that dancing? ***** please"
[HEADING=2]The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings[/HEADING]
The Witcher 1 was an ambitious, but pretty flawed game. It succeeding in doing choices with consequences in a way that left it unrivaled until Alpha Protocol hit the scene. However, it was buggy, unpolished, had clunky combat, and had quite a bit of boring quests. Also, ridiculous boobie cards. Witcher 2 fixes pretty much all of the technical problems the first had, has more interesting quests, far fewer boring "filler" quests, continues the first game's legacy of having choices that greatly impact the story, and keeps in line with the grey morality the first was known for. It also was sort of a test to see if a DRM-free PC exclusive RPG would sell well on GoG. Thankfully, it was a success [http://www.gog.com/en/news/gog_coms_plan_for_the_future_gets_some_news]. Or at least enough of a success to convince publishers to offer newer games on the service, DRM free.
<img src="http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/576683685605868965/DB0F5AC19D9B8E6FA6443EF46EEE637117E9A63D/" width="450" height="335" alt="hehehe"
Funny in more ways than one
Witcher 2 is more fun to play, easier to get through, has more interesting characters, is more technologically sound (no more long loading screens for every fucking door in existence), has choices that actually influence how the story plays out, doesn't have a clear-cut bad guy, and gets rid of the ridiculous boob cards. It improves upon Witcher 1 in almost every way, and is just a great game.
[HEADING=2]The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings[/HEADING]
The Witcher 1 was an ambitious, but pretty flawed game. It succeeding in doing choices with consequences in a way that left it unrivaled until Alpha Protocol hit the scene. However, it was buggy, unpolished, had clunky combat, and had quite a bit of boring quests. Also, ridiculous boobie cards. Witcher 2 fixes pretty much all of the technical problems the first had, has more interesting quests, far fewer boring "filler" quests, continues the first game's legacy of having choices that greatly impact the story, and keeps in line with the grey morality the first was known for. It also was sort of a test to see if a DRM-free PC exclusive RPG would sell well on GoG. Thankfully, it was a success [http://www.gog.com/en/news/gog_coms_plan_for_the_future_gets_some_news]. Or at least enough of a success to convince publishers to offer newer games on the service, DRM free.
<img src="http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/576683685605868965/DB0F5AC19D9B8E6FA6443EF46EEE637117E9A63D/" width="450" height="335" alt="hehehe"
Funny in more ways than one
Witcher 2 is more fun to play, easier to get through, has more interesting characters, is more technologically sound (no more long loading screens for every fucking door in existence), has choices that actually influence how the story plays out, doesn't have a clear-cut bad guy, and gets rid of the ridiculous boob cards. It improves upon Witcher 1 in almost every way, and is just a great game.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/miscellaneous-74681.jpg" width="700" height="400" alt="Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace"
[HEADING=2]Portal 2[/HEADING]
Yep, Portal 2. Honestly, I didn't feel like Portal 1 really needed a sequel. It was a neat little game, and wrapped itself up neatly. I was a bit skeptical about Portal 2, but thankfully my fears were put to rest when I started playing it. Portal 2 is an absolute joy to play through. The characters are fun, the game itself is fun, the dialog is great, I was never bored or really frustrated while playing it, and it was just a straight up delight to go through.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/Portal2Wheatly.jpg" width="450" height="235" alt="'allo!"
So don't call him a moron, he's super-astute...
The various gels and whatnot help keep things fresh, and while the puzzles may be a bit easier, they can still rattle the brain and make you feel like a complete idiot for not getting them sooner. It looks great too, and shows that the Source engine still has plenty of life left in it.
The co-op also helps switch things up. I went through the co-op with my brother, and we haven't had this much fun with a co-op game since, well, ever. It was a blast figuring things out together, each coming up with ideas, testing them, yelling at each other for being stupid... it was all just a blast.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/Portal2bots.jpg" width="350" height="235" alt="We solved the SHIT out of those puzzles"
Seriously, find someone who hasn't played co-op yet, and play co-op with them.
All in all, throughout this entire game I had a smile on my face. It was charming, fun, and just delightful all the way through the single-player and multi-player. Playing this game just makes me happy, and that is why I love it.
[HEADING=2]Portal 2[/HEADING]
Yep, Portal 2. Honestly, I didn't feel like Portal 1 really needed a sequel. It was a neat little game, and wrapped itself up neatly. I was a bit skeptical about Portal 2, but thankfully my fears were put to rest when I started playing it. Portal 2 is an absolute joy to play through. The characters are fun, the game itself is fun, the dialog is great, I was never bored or really frustrated while playing it, and it was just a straight up delight to go through.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/Portal2Wheatly.jpg" width="450" height="235" alt="'allo!"
So don't call him a moron, he's super-astute...
The various gels and whatnot help keep things fresh, and while the puzzles may be a bit easier, they can still rattle the brain and make you feel like a complete idiot for not getting them sooner. It looks great too, and shows that the Source engine still has plenty of life left in it.
The co-op also helps switch things up. I went through the co-op with my brother, and we haven't had this much fun with a co-op game since, well, ever. It was a blast figuring things out together, each coming up with ideas, testing them, yelling at each other for being stupid... it was all just a blast.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/Portal2bots.jpg" width="350" height="235" alt="We solved the SHIT out of those puzzles"
Seriously, find someone who hasn't played co-op yet, and play co-op with them.
All in all, throughout this entire game I had a smile on my face. It was charming, fun, and just delightful all the way through the single-player and multi-player. Playing this game just makes me happy, and that is why I love it.
And now, the runner-ups.
Runner-ups
Infamous 2 - Came close. I really respect that it actually ends the franchise. This isn't to say the story or games were bad, I just really respect the fact that this game has an actual ending. Infamous 1 started a story, Infamous 2 ended that story. Didn't overstay it's welcome, and actually managed to be pretty touching. Didn't include it on the main list because... I don't know. Just didn't enjoy it as much as the others to warrant a place on it.
Uncharted 3 - Great game, great series, but Uncharted 3 just didn't really do much for me. I loved the first 2, and really liked this, but I just didn't enjoy myself as much as I thought I would with it. Plus, I kind of hate the fact that it brings up some good and interesting questions/situations, and then completely abandons them in favor of the next set-piece.
Skyrim - Ah, yes. Skyrim. Why isn't one of the most praised games this year on the list? Well, because the user interface is clunky and fundamentally broken. I played the game on both a 360 and PC, and navigating the menus on both are a massive pain in the ass. On the 360 it tends to freeze up for a bit, and navigating skill trees is a ***** to do with a controller. And it's just not designed for a mouse/keyboard interface. Not to mention it's broken on the PC. Resigning certain keys can break certain functions (though this was fixed in a patch), and the keys on the menu don't update to reflect any changed controls. So if you, say, changed the key that "drop item" was bound to, the menu would not reflect this. Menu is broken on the PC, plain and simple. Plus, it's just poorly designed. Wastes space, doesn't relay important information, and provides no options to sort anything. I know mods fix this, but it shouldn't be the modders' job to make the user interface usable, that should be the developer's job. The user-interface is how you interact with the game. This is one of the few things that absolutely needs to work.
Saints Row 3 - Seems like it was trying to hard to be "crazy". It was crazy, and fun, but at the expense of what I loved about Saints Row 2. SR2 was crazy in a "normal" world. SR3 is crazy in a "crazy" world, and is essentially just the standard, which doesn't really make it that fun. Saints Row 2 was grounded in some form of reality, which let the zaniness feel even more crazy and like we were doing something we weren't supposed to. This attitude also allowed Saints Row 2's surprisingly touching moments to be even more powerful. Saints Row 3 is just crazy all the time, the result is any semblance of normality is just "meh", and causes any potential or supposed-to-be "touching" moments to just feel stupid.
Saints Row 3 is fun, and zany, but just doesn't have the same punch SR2 had. And felt like it was just over too quickly. In SR2 each gang got it's own screen-time and all that. This let us get to know the villains, the gang's style, and all that. SR3 just combines them all and instead of taking down multiple gangs over time, we just take down one big one. This also results in a shorter, less fulfilling game. At least for me.
LA Noire - Was good, and really interesting. I love that it did something rather unique. However, it was still very rough, and while it was a great game to experience, it wasn't that great a game to play. If that makes any sense.
Infamous 2 - Came close. I really respect that it actually ends the franchise. This isn't to say the story or games were bad, I just really respect the fact that this game has an actual ending. Infamous 1 started a story, Infamous 2 ended that story. Didn't overstay it's welcome, and actually managed to be pretty touching. Didn't include it on the main list because... I don't know. Just didn't enjoy it as much as the others to warrant a place on it.
Uncharted 3 - Great game, great series, but Uncharted 3 just didn't really do much for me. I loved the first 2, and really liked this, but I just didn't enjoy myself as much as I thought I would with it. Plus, I kind of hate the fact that it brings up some good and interesting questions/situations, and then completely abandons them in favor of the next set-piece.
Skyrim - Ah, yes. Skyrim. Why isn't one of the most praised games this year on the list? Well, because the user interface is clunky and fundamentally broken. I played the game on both a 360 and PC, and navigating the menus on both are a massive pain in the ass. On the 360 it tends to freeze up for a bit, and navigating skill trees is a ***** to do with a controller. And it's just not designed for a mouse/keyboard interface. Not to mention it's broken on the PC. Resigning certain keys can break certain functions (though this was fixed in a patch), and the keys on the menu don't update to reflect any changed controls. So if you, say, changed the key that "drop item" was bound to, the menu would not reflect this. Menu is broken on the PC, plain and simple. Plus, it's just poorly designed. Wastes space, doesn't relay important information, and provides no options to sort anything. I know mods fix this, but it shouldn't be the modders' job to make the user interface usable, that should be the developer's job. The user-interface is how you interact with the game. This is one of the few things that absolutely needs to work.
Saints Row 3 - Seems like it was trying to hard to be "crazy". It was crazy, and fun, but at the expense of what I loved about Saints Row 2. SR2 was crazy in a "normal" world. SR3 is crazy in a "crazy" world, and is essentially just the standard, which doesn't really make it that fun. Saints Row 2 was grounded in some form of reality, which let the zaniness feel even more crazy and like we were doing something we weren't supposed to. This attitude also allowed Saints Row 2's surprisingly touching moments to be even more powerful. Saints Row 3 is just crazy all the time, the result is any semblance of normality is just "meh", and causes any potential or supposed-to-be "touching" moments to just feel stupid.
Saints Row 3 is fun, and zany, but just doesn't have the same punch SR2 had. And felt like it was just over too quickly. In SR2 each gang got it's own screen-time and all that. This let us get to know the villains, the gang's style, and all that. SR3 just combines them all and instead of taking down multiple gangs over time, we just take down one big one. This also results in a shorter, less fulfilling game. At least for me.
LA Noire - Was good, and really interesting. I love that it did something rather unique. However, it was still very rough, and while it was a great game to experience, it wasn't that great a game to play. If that makes any sense.
And those are my favorite games of the year. Favorite out of the ones I played, at least. Too many games released all at once, can't play 'em all. Anyway, now onto the random-ass awards! Which are basically awards for things I liked.
Game I am most surprised that I like.
It is basically World of Warcraft but in the Star Wars universe. But for some reason, I'm having fun going through it. Which is strange, because I hated WoW. It might be because of Bioware's whole story-thing, but I really don't know. I'm also currently playing through it with [user]JourneyThroughHell[/user] and [user]Meganmeave[/user], and it's really, really fun. The way the game handles multiplayer conversations sounds bad (person who talks is decided by random dice roll), but in practice it works surprisingly well.
So yeah, SWTOR. I'm enjoying it quite a bit.
It is basically World of Warcraft but in the Star Wars universe. But for some reason, I'm having fun going through it. Which is strange, because I hated WoW. It might be because of Bioware's whole story-thing, but I really don't know. I'm also currently playing through it with [user]JourneyThroughHell[/user] and [user]Meganmeave[/user], and it's really, really fun. The way the game handles multiplayer conversations sounds bad (person who talks is decided by random dice roll), but in practice it works surprisingly well.
So yeah, SWTOR. I'm enjoying it quite a bit.
Best Soundtrack
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/bastion.jpg" width="400" height="200" alt="Another award! Yay!"
Yeah, this game's soundtrack is amazing. It perfectly fits the game, and is great to listen to on it's own. Game soundtracks are usually pretty "meh", what with so many of them going for the huge orchestral scores, which is just getting old at this point. But Bastion plays it cool, and just does it's own thing. The result is something great.
The whole soundtrack is great, but I suggest you experience it in the game, where it's at its best.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/bastion.jpg" width="400" height="200" alt="Another award! Yay!"
Yeah, this game's soundtrack is amazing. It perfectly fits the game, and is great to listen to on it's own. Game soundtracks are usually pretty "meh", what with so many of them going for the huge orchestral scores, which is just getting old at this point. But Bastion plays it cool, and just does it's own thing. The result is something great.
The whole soundtrack is great, but I suggest you experience it in the game, where it's at its best.
Game I wish I played this year but could not because I'm a poor bastard.
It's a tie. Between...
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/SeriousSam3Santa.jpg" width="325" height="250" alt="guess who's been naughty"
Serious Sam 3
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/Kirby.jpg" width="325" height="250" alt="Kirby = greatness"
Kirby Return to Dreamland
Serious Sam 3 because it's a throwback to old-school shooters of yore where it was just you, a lot of weapons, and a shit-ton of enemies in your way. You run at super-speeds and take bullets like a tank. I want to play this game.
Kirby because there hasn't been a Kirby game that has been bad yet. At least out of the ones I've played. Kirby has always been great, and I want to play more of his games. Sad I missed the latest one.
It's a tie. Between...
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/SeriousSam3Santa.jpg" width="325" height="250" alt="guess who's been naughty"
Serious Sam 3
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/Kirby.jpg" width="325" height="250" alt="Kirby = greatness"
Kirby Return to Dreamland
Serious Sam 3 because it's a throwback to old-school shooters of yore where it was just you, a lot of weapons, and a shit-ton of enemies in your way. You run at super-speeds and take bullets like a tank. I want to play this game.
Kirby because there hasn't been a Kirby game that has been bad yet. At least out of the ones I've played. Kirby has always been great, and I want to play more of his games. Sad I missed the latest one.
Game I wanted to buy and play but didn't because fuck Ubisoft.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/DriverSanFran.jpg" width="350" height="250" alt="looks good"
Driver: San Francisco
I hear it's really good, and I would like to try it. But considering Ubisoft essentially called me a bitching pirate for wanting I Am Alive and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for the PC, I'm not exactly rushing out to buy their stuff. Also their DRM. Think they dropped their "always online" aspect, and made it "always have to connect to the internet every time you start". Still completely stupid though. But anyway, yeah, that's why I didn't buy this.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/DriverSanFran.jpg" width="350" height="250" alt="looks good"
Driver: San Francisco
I hear it's really good, and I would like to try it. But considering Ubisoft essentially called me a bitching pirate for wanting I Am Alive and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for the PC, I'm not exactly rushing out to buy their stuff. Also their DRM. Think they dropped their "always online" aspect, and made it "always have to connect to the internet every time you start". Still completely stupid though. But anyway, yeah, that's why I didn't buy this.
Biggest disappointment
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/DA2.jpg" width="400" height="270" alt="Rawr, I so badass"
Yep, Dragon Age 2. Now, I feel I should say that I don't really hate the game. Despite its flaws, it did some good things. Mainly attempt to bust out of Bioware's standard story structure. However, it also faltered quite a bit.
I love Origins, but I realize it had a LOT of issues. Uninteresting environments and sections that drag on far far too much were my biggest gripes with it. However, while Origins had issues, it was still great in its own right. If for nothing else than to prove that old-school style RPG's can sell very well these days, especially on consoles, and be loved by everyone. Especially console players.
However, Biowares decision to pretty much ignore certain choices the player makes to "tell their own" story really pissed me off. Especially since Origins seemed to be all about making choices. Why should I give two craps about my choices if Bioware's just going to make them pointless without warning in the next game? The story itself also wasn't that great, and ending on a cliffhanger just really annoyed me. Considering Origin's extensive epilogue to explain the consequences of all your choices, DA2's decision to just "end" was really abrupt and lame. No doubt it's suppose to lead into the sequel, so I guess I'll have to wait until DA3 to see the consequences of my actions. Unless Bioware decides to ignore them to do their own thing. Which normally wouldn't be that bad, but considering Bioware's whole thing of building worlds where "choice matters", it just seems really shitty.
And this is to say nothing of the horribly re-used and barren environments, the needlessly re-spawning enemies, the un-inspired combat, the relentless focus on being "badass", and the drastic change in style to try and appeal to the more "mainstream", even though the mainstream seemed to love Origins and what it did. It also doesn't help things that this game had a year and a half development schedule, compared to Origin's 4(?) year or so dev time.
Did like the companion characters though. Loved how they talked to each other and can provide certain ways to go through quests.
<img src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n236/a_pop_can/DA2.jpg" width="400" height="270" alt="Rawr, I so badass"
Yep, Dragon Age 2. Now, I feel I should say that I don't really hate the game. Despite its flaws, it did some good things. Mainly attempt to bust out of Bioware's standard story structure. However, it also faltered quite a bit.
I love Origins, but I realize it had a LOT of issues. Uninteresting environments and sections that drag on far far too much were my biggest gripes with it. However, while Origins had issues, it was still great in its own right. If for nothing else than to prove that old-school style RPG's can sell very well these days, especially on consoles, and be loved by everyone. Especially console players.
However, Biowares decision to pretty much ignore certain choices the player makes to "tell their own" story really pissed me off. Especially since Origins seemed to be all about making choices. Why should I give two craps about my choices if Bioware's just going to make them pointless without warning in the next game? The story itself also wasn't that great, and ending on a cliffhanger just really annoyed me. Considering Origin's extensive epilogue to explain the consequences of all your choices, DA2's decision to just "end" was really abrupt and lame. No doubt it's suppose to lead into the sequel, so I guess I'll have to wait until DA3 to see the consequences of my actions. Unless Bioware decides to ignore them to do their own thing. Which normally wouldn't be that bad, but considering Bioware's whole thing of building worlds where "choice matters", it just seems really shitty.
And this is to say nothing of the horribly re-used and barren environments, the needlessly re-spawning enemies, the un-inspired combat, the relentless focus on being "badass", and the drastic change in style to try and appeal to the more "mainstream", even though the mainstream seemed to love Origins and what it did. It also doesn't help things that this game had a year and a half development schedule, compared to Origin's 4(?) year or so dev time.
Did like the companion characters though. Loved how they talked to each other and can provide certain ways to go through quests.
Most anticipated games.
Hm, not really looking forward to much. I mean, I am. Mainly SSX, but I'm not that super-psyched for 'em. Prey 2 also looks really interesting.
So yeah, guess I'll go with SSX and Prey 2. SSX because I've always loved the series and am glad it's coming back. Prey 2 because the changes they're making to the game from the first one look great. And since the first one was kind of ass, this game has a chance of being great!
Hm, not really looking forward to much. I mean, I am. Mainly SSX, but I'm not that super-psyched for 'em. Prey 2 also looks really interesting.
So yeah, guess I'll go with SSX and Prey 2. SSX because I've always loved the series and am glad it's coming back. Prey 2 because the changes they're making to the game from the first one look great. And since the first one was kind of ass, this game has a chance of being great!
So there's my list. Boy, these things sure are fun to make. Probably why everyone does them...
Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading. Feel free to agree/disagree/rage/troll/explode/conga dance or whatever it is you people do to show your opinions.
