The list of last year's releases I played is pitifully small and doesn't include Skyrim, Dark Souls, and Portal 2, but it's still pretty solid, I think.
Most Challenging - Assassin's Creed: Revelations
(Again, I haven't gotten Dark Souls). I got stuck on this one part where (spoilers!) I had to incite a riot. I had to pay off a few heralds to piss off the people, and then when the riot was in full swing, guards of course came to oppress. Full synchronization demanded I keep at least 40 rioters alive. Easier said than done. I first tried, of course not really thinking about it, simply killing all the guards myself. Failed the full synch, because I simply couldn't be everywhere at once. Then I tried using bombs to incapacitate the guards, but I still wasn't fast enough to kill them all before they were ready to fight again, and failed full synch. Then I remembered, wait a minute, I can call in other Assassins to pick up the slack where I can't be. So I did. Full synch. Go strategy!(spoilers end!) Point is, I didn't mess up because of bullshit, I messed up because I didn't think about it.
Runner Up - Catherine. You have to strategize on the fly, because the ground below you is constantly falling, and don't even get me started on Rapunzel.
Best Aesthetic - Trine 2
This game is beautiful. It looks and feels like the best fairytale you've ever heard. The and the music are the audio and visual versions of each other, that's how excellent they go together.
Runner Up - Assassin's Creed: Revelations. Beautiful city, and I love the character design.
Most Intriguing Story - Catherine
This game was weird. Wonderfully weird. I remember thinking "I have to get this goddamn game" when I played the demo, featuring a man in heart boxers climbing boxes and talking to sheep. And I did. And it was awesome. Loads of fun.
Runner Up (1) - Trine 2. Did I mention that this game feels like playing a fairytale? And I found the story of it to be unique, at least regarding the Trine itself. I've never before seen a game where it's best to have an odd number of players.
Runner Up (2) - Assassin's Creed: Revelations. The collective Assassin's Creed story, really, = this. [http://memedepot.com/uploads/1000/1148_1253230725640.jpg]
Best Shooter - Uncharted 3
To be fair, the only shooter I actually played. Played MW3 and Battlefield 3, didn't really like either of them. Good cover system, and I like that you can actually stealth your way around if you want (in some cases, in others it's literally impossible to stealth and those parts pissed me off so fucking much).
Runner Up - Gears of War 3. I like this game. Played it with a few friends. Wasn't too shabby.
Most Satisfactory - Assassin's Creed: Revelations
This game makes me feel like a badass. Every perfectly timed counter rewards you with a nice kill animation (don't worry, it doesn't pause the game or anything, they can still attack you and you can still counter). There are so many things you can simply do that are actually helpful, such as flipping over someone by sprinting at them and holding B, helpful in an escape. Quick travel stations exist throughout the city, but fuck that, I have ziplines.
Runner Up - Uncharted 3, for similar reasons, but Assassin's Creed simply as more to offer.
Best Optional Features - Catherine
Rapunzel, Rapunzel. An arcade game in the bar you spend your awake hours at in Catherine. This game is really fucking hard, and very addictive. Unlike the campaign, where you can manipulate your blocks however you see fit, the Rapunzel stages have exactly one solution. Also, you have limited endurance, so you can only push and pull so many times. If this wasn't optional, this game would've beaten out Revelations for Most Challenging.
Runner Up (1) - Assassin's Creed: Revelations. I don't know why sending the Assassins out on missions is so gratifying, but it is. More money, perhaps? Better allies in combat? Whatever it is, I like doing it.
Runner Up (2) - Super Mario 3D Land. I felt I had to mention this, because the Special World isn't strictly speaking required, but who isn't going to play through it? It's like a whole second campaign.
Most Fun - Super Mario 3D Land
Holy fuck this game is fun. I've just about done a 100% run without even realizing it. I only have the final level (the very final level, the one you unlock by doing everything else first) left. I'd literally pick up the game when I woke up, look at the clock and realize, holy shit I've been playing this game all goddamn day.
Runner Up - Trine 2, particularly when you're playing as the Thief. Maneuvering with her is just so free and lilting.
