10. Bastion
To say that Bastion is the best looking 2D game I have seen all year (yes, I'm aware of Rayman) is an understatement. Gorgeous 1080p visuals and style that kept me hooked until I concluded our hero's adventure and reunited the Bastion. The soundtrack is fabulous and the narrator is laughably good.
9. Dead Space 2
Well, it was brought up to me that my #9 was actually a 2010 release (Limbo) and that I forgot to include one of my favorite games from 2011--so here it is, Dead Space 2. This is one of those IPs that genuinely thrills and had enough story, universe, and character development to really deem itself worthy of novels and other non-gaming media. It was nice to hear Isaac's voice this time around. Turn the light off, crank up the speakers/headphones and let this one take you.
8. L.A. Noire
The ballsiest venture from the Rockstar folk--this is the adventure game I always wanted them to make. The game comes across like an action game, but it is literally a straight-forward adventure game with action elements thrown in to keep things moving. You're talking, analyzing, looking for clues, and ultimately wanting to go back to solve the crime fully. The game lets you get by even when you miss clues or put the wrong perp behind bars--for this reason alone, there's a lot of replay value in the universe.
7. Gemini Rue
One of the coolest old school adventure games of yesteryear was made in 2011. I'm not joking--this is probably one of the finest adventure games to come out and it's made by a college student. From the design, dialog, and soundtrack, this is a total futuristic noir gem. My favorite downloadable game of the year, hands-down.
6. Batman: Arkham City
I think it's fair to say that Rocksteady pretty much made the best superhero (if you can call Batman that) game ever made. So for them to pretty much double the quality in terms of story, things to do, and generally leaving the player feeling like there's always something around the next street corner of Arkham City--it's a borderline miracle. I couldn't stop myself from finishing the story and I even found about 70% of the riddles. I have a feeling I'll be going back to this in a few months.
From the Blade Runner influenced design to the "pick your play style" gameplay to the epic synth score, I was immediately smitten with Deus Ex. I adored the original and I can safely say that this game is the modern remolding of the original. The universe is rich and although the acting isn't award-winning, it fits the sci-fi noir look of the universe nicely. I highly recommend this to any gamers out there that enjoy a smart action game with plenty of western RPG elements.
Naughty Dog are the best developers on the PS3--hell, they're one of the best developers in the universe. Without spoiling anything, I will say that Uncharted 3 is the most gripping tale told in a game this year. I was hooked from beginning to end to find out what happened. Did I mention that this is one of the most visually stunning games out there? The set pieces have to be seen to be believed. The only reason it didn't get a higher spot--there didn't seem as much of an urge to go back and replay right after I finished this one. Either way, one of the finest games I have ever played. No brainer--buy it.
3. Skyrim
I never expected myself to fall for this game. I'm being honest here, I was not a big fan of Oblivion or the previous iterations of this series. However, Skyrim pretty much took all the junk I disliked and threw them out to make a title for anyone that enjoys western RPGs. The world has been fully realized, the stories all manage to run alongside each other without getting too confusing, and somehow I felt like I was in control and I knew the path I wanted to take the whole time. Be warned, this game is a time sink and if you don't think you can afford a 50 hour game in your life, then just step away. Having completed most of my journey in this universe, I can safely say that a lot of love and hard work went into making this one happen.
The most smile-inducing "makes me feel like I'm way smarter than I really am" experience of 2011. I think all my friends will collectively agree that Portal 2 is one of the most genuinely smart and charming experiences to have come out this year. From the way the story is told, to the way the puzzles play out--you're literally forced to use your brain to uncover the story. The cooperative aspect of the game is also brilliant and probably the best way to get a loved one to partake in a smart game and see that gaming isn't the derivative joke that the media makes it out to be.
1. Witcher 2
I'll sum it up like this: Witcher 2 is the RPG that Bioware wishes it could make today. Talk about the most improved sequel ever made. For a small Polish studio to turn out what can only be summed up as one of the deepest story-centric RPGs I have played in years--not expected at all. CD Project Red gets my number 1 for the year. From the dialog, acting, universe/lore, soundtrack, controls, depth, and ability to modify the story (drastically) by making different decisions--this is the game of 2011.
Very good blog post Sam!
ReplyDeleteI would have put Dead Space 2 in there somewhere though. =D
You win. Limbo went out and Dead Space 2 went in. Knowing that I had my years wrong (Limbo was 2010 and DS2 was actually 2011) made the decision less painful. :)
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