I'm going to link my reviews to the games, and the ones I haven't reviewed, but have been prominent on other lists, I'll try to sum up. Really this isn't so much a list as the games could be in any order except the top spot. I really feel that if a game is mentioned here, it's worth checking out.
Downloadable Games of the Year
Stacking: An amazing little puzzler from THQ and Double Fine for PSN and XBLA. This game is adorable, twisted and fun to play. Since you play as the smallest of Russian nesting dolls, the entire puzzle element revolves around finding the right doll with the right skills. These can be simple solutions or sometimes hilariously complex ones, and each puzzle has multiple solutions to work towards. It truly is a super fun game!
ilomilo: A great puzzler from Southend Interactive that's exclusive to the XBLA, ilomilo takes adorable to a new level. Trying to unite the two friends when perspectives can shift and up is almost never "up," ilomilo offers a challenge while not being too frustrating. It's a shame that this title got overlooked by a lot of folks because it is hours of entertainment.
Pixeljunk Shooter 2: The PSN-exclusive series Pixeljunk has some seriously fun and wacky games. The Shooter games are twin-stick shooters that rely on physics and liquid mechanics to make puzzles. While the first game had you dealing with water and lava, the second introduces acid, gases, darkness and magnetic fluid (that did appear briefly at the end of Shooter 1). While the story is continuous, it's only partly necessary to enjoy the fun of Shooter 2. Oh, and Shooter 2 adds in a fun multiplayer mode!
My DLG Game of the Year
Bastion: While the others on this list are good to great, Bastion is near-perfect. Everything about this game is highly polished and works well. There are multiple weapons to choose from, gorgeous graphics and a fun 8 hour campaign that requires two playthroughs to see everything. Bastion is a meaty XBLA/PC game as it is, but what makes it worth experiencing is the narrator. The fact that the story is told on the fly by your actions means that no two playthroughs will be the same. A misstep and chiding remark from Rucks is one thing, but hearing him talk about how you wiped out an entire wave of enemies without a scratch? Well, you feel like a badass. Go get this game! It is, hands down, the Downloadable Game of the Year!
DLG of the Year!
Games of the Year
L.A. Noire: Considered a bust by some, L.A. Noire was a showcase for facial capturing technology. Seeing recognizable actors in the game was stunning. That, along with a faithfully recreated Los Angeles from the 1940s made the game a visual treat. I personally enjoyed the wonderful (and dark) story and the gameplay, while repetitive, was still fun.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution: The sequel a decade in the making, Deus Ex didn't disappoint on many levels. Sure, the bosses were off, but everything else allowed for multiple approaches and multiple solutions. The game did it's best to channel the ghost of it's predecessor while still adding the improvements that a decade of gaming had made. It deserves to be up here for the awesome amount of choices that are presented, and how every playthrough could be entirely different.
Batman: Arkham City: I'll be honest, I didn't really enjoy the first one. I could see where the "amazing game" was, but I wasn't part of the target audience. All the subtle references to DC Comics lore was lost on me. With the sequel, I knew I would feel the same. But, looking at other GotY lists, Arkham City once again raises the bar for superhero games. While it may not be my cup of tea, the open city with tons of side-missions appeals to a lot of folks, especially comic fans!
El Shaddai - Ascension of the Metatron: This is a game that on the surface doesn't belong. It's a hack-and-slasher like God of War that only has three weapons. What sets it apart are the style and visuals. The combat is combo-heavy, but they come not from tapping a specific sequence, but timing. This means that you "feel" out combat. It really becomes rather Zen-like when you get into a good rhythm. The visuals, too, are a big part of it. Everything changes as you progress, so it may start inspired by Tron but then move to children's drawings or Japanese ink paintings. The game changes each area's visual style, and keeps things fresh.
Portal 2: This is sitting on my self taunting me. I wanted to play it when I finally picked it up, but I was so engrossed with other games that I said, "Eh, I'll wait." Well, now the year is ending and I haven't played one of the best puzzlers out there. Everything I've seen says that Portal 2 is everything you loved about the first one, but more of it! Oh, and less cake.
Skyrim: I don't think I need to say much about this one. While I normally don't go for open-ended Western RPGs (Fallout 3, Oblivion), I did get hooked on Oblivion. That makes me want to try Skyrim a lot more because, well, dual-wielding spells? Yes! Dragons? Yes! More Dark Brotherhood stuff? Hell, YES!
Rayman Origins: Look for a review on this bad-boy in the coming month. This game came out right at the end of Holiday Rush, and got lost in the shuffle. This should not be. Origins is a top-shelf 2-D platformer that puts even Mario on notice. The graphics are gorgeous, the action is tight and the game is tough. Fair, but tough. You'll die a lot, but it will rarely be anyone's fault but your own. I sincerely hope that folks pick this game up because it is a masterpiece of platforming goodness wrapped in the prettiest paper I've ever seen!
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception: Oh, I went back on forth on this for so long. Drake's Deception is arguably the Game of the Year. It has all the pulse-pounding action you could ask for from a Summer Blockbuster Movie! (tm) while letting you control the majority of it. I loved the writing, the characters, the settings and the set-pieces. It was the first game in a long while that I had to shout out loud at points. If you have a PS3, get this game. If you don't, but have been on the fence, go get one and this game. This series is a reason to own PS3s.
My Game of the Year
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword: This surprised me. But when I sat down to make a choice, I kept coming back to Skyward Sword. Sure, I finished Drake's Deception and got the platinum trophy, but there was something about Skyward Sword that told me, "This is the Game of the Year for you." It was my first Zelda title, so everything was fresh, new and exciting. Sure, I'd read about the annoyances and the "find item, use item to beat boss, repeat" formula. But this was the first time I experienced it. And, well, call me a convert. I enjoyed my nearly 43 hour playthrough of Skyward Sword almost all the time. My gripes about the controls aside, this game is my favorite game I've played this year. It's strange to put a Wii exclusive up like that, too. But, if you have the chance to play it, I think you'll be hooked.
Link takes home the GotY!
Please, let me know what your games of the year are in the comments below or on Google+! I would love to hear what everyone else thought of the list (both good and ill) and what other people consider the top games of 2011!
Here's to a great 2012!
No comments:
Post a Comment