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Let’s do the game-of-the-year thing in reverse order. Usually, most outlets build up to it by going over different categories and capping things off with the game of the year. Today I want to hear about your favorite and second-favorite game of 2011. Later on we’ll discuss best graphics, best sound, etc. Kindly leave a comment with your choices and explanations.
As for me, there’s a ton I didn’t play yet so I can only talk about what I enjoyed, not necessarily the best game of 2011. I definitely need to put more time into Skyrim and pick up Arkham City (PR flaks never sent me a copy). Of the games I did spend significant time with, Dragon Age II was my second-favorite. I loved the storytelling and gameplay; unlike some players, the changes in game mechanics didn’t bother me at all. And as most of you know, I’m a total BioWare homer.
The top spot has to go to Portal 2. I was pretty much floored by the game on every level. The gameplay is inventive, the storytelling is humorous and witty, the graphics are great, and the sound design is the best I’ve experienced all year. Valve completely rocked this one and Eric Wolpaw is my videogame-writing hero.
Now it’s your turn! Please leave a comment with your 2011 game of the year and the runner-up.
Portal 2. Without a doubt a flawless title. That's not something I think I can say about more than 2 other games in the last 10 years. (Windwaker & Soul Calibur 2 Dreamcast)
I never finished Portal 2. It wasn't more than a rental for me. I loved the first one though.
I spent most of my time in Battlefield 3, Skyrim and Dark Souls. BF3 SP sucks though and Skyrim is plagued with random frequent freezing. Dark Souls is my pick for the year
I wanted to be able to say Uncharted 3, but I just didn't get the same feeling I did from the 2nd one.
I was shocked at how much of a step back Uncharted 3 was from both a story and gameplay standpoint. The aiming control patch does help a lot, though the story still left me feeling somewhat lacking as well.
It's between The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Batman: Arkham City for me. I'm having a hard time picking one over the other. I'd better hurry up, we're doing a GotY podcast for our website later this week!!
Just bought 2 more games. Killzone 3 and Resistance 3 ($41 total). I am not sure why I didn't already have both of these, but now I am at 95 disc based PS3 games.
Slicky where do you find the time for all of these games? I just got 6 for Xmas and think I'm good til next Xmas.
Oh I never get to play them. I am more of a collector at this point
You got me beat, I have a count of 44 total ps3 disc games. 46 if you count 2 GOTY copies of Oblivion and Fallout 3 lol. 90% of those disc based are mine, even tho the husband bought them all for "us". I don't claim the madden/smackdown/rock band games lol.
I have to say Portal 2. I would love to play Arkham City and that is the only other game I would play that, in my mind, would be good enough to compete. Portal 2 is a phenomenal game though,
Arkham City is fun and (like I said before) it's like the first game on steroids. You may want to brush up on what happened in Arkham Asylum since one of it's main plot lines (and one sub plot) is directly related to the first game.
Also, I (and I'm sure N8 as well) welcome another challenger to try to beat our high scores in the challenge rooms. I do have to warn you though; you really need to learn how to fight well if you're going to even attempt such a feat… which I totally encourage!
I see that you didn't do too much in the way of Arkham Asylum's challenge rooms, so I'm guessing you got discouraged with the fighting and trying to get the high scores. If you want, I can help you become a beast at fighting in that game just like I helped N8. E-mail me if you're interested and I will tell you all I know, grasshopper. (Nightshade, this goes for you as well.)
After a little back-and-forth e-mail exchange about technique and tactics with N8, I’m now having to struggle to beat his high scores in the challenge rooms.
-M
Minecraft. Even though it came out last year, I bought it this year and most updates occurred this year, plus it officially released just last month. While I feel that plenty of games deserve the top spot (especially from this holiday season), I am giving the #1 position to Minecraft for inventing a genre, blowing my mind, and taking over the gaming world by storm EVEN THOUGH it's an indie title. And props to Notch, Jebs and the rest of Mojang for being geniuses.
I had forgotten that it was officially released this year. Minecraft has absorbed a lot of my gaming time this year.
Minecraft started as a sneaky infiltration; I heard of it from some friends, but had no idea what it was about. When I watched a trailer for the game, it sounded like a third-person tower defense type game, and that didn't interest me. Then, as the year went by, more and more of my friends were trying to get me to buy it with things like "It's the best game ever!" and "Buy it now when it's still $10!". Sure, I ignored them, but the name stuck in my head like a little whispering voice.
During my summer job, we had three weeks where we got off at 3pm and had the rest of the day off. The first week, one of the staff got me PCGamer's demo, and I was hooked. It wasn't even 3 days until I bought the game, and it has taken more of my time than anything else.
I heard about it through the Internet a long time before I tried it. A friend of mine got the game and put it on my Pc for me to play. It didn't take long for me to buy it myself and set up lan server over my wiring.
Well, I think I've only played 2 games that came out THIS year, but in 2011, I played (in order):
– Bioshock 2: Minervas' Den
– Lara Croft: GoL
– Splinter Cell: Conviction
– Monopoly Streets
– Dead Rising 2 (plus both DLCs)
– Fallout 3 (plus all DLC)
– Batman: AA
– Spider-Man: SD
– Batman: AC
– From Dust
Out of all the games I've played this year, my GOTY has to be Monopoly Streets. It's probably the best Monopoly game ever! However, since it's not a 2011 game, my choices become a bit more limited. I guess I'm going to have to give my GOTY to the runner up: Arkham City. Even though I thought AA had a better story, and AC's challenge rooms were an offensive padding job, it took the formula from the first game and put it on steroids. While AC lost it's narrow focus on the story, it made up for it with all sorts of crazy gadgets, boss fights, Riddler trophies and Catwoman's sweet ass.
Fallout 3, Dead Rising 2, and Spider-Man: SD round out my runners-up list for fun and funny factor. Also, playing with N8 makes every game better.
-M
Like Slicky, im going with Dark Souls, maybe my favorite game of all time, its like they made that game for me. Slow and steady progress ftw.
To be fair, i have not really played Skyrim as much as i would have liked, or uncharted 3 or portal 2
This is theoretically subject to change, but i dont really see it.
Even though the glitches have made me stop playing this game on multiple occasions, Skyrim is my game of the year. The shear size and quality of the story writing put into this game will keep me coming back years from now.
Second Runner up goes to Dragon Age 2. The combat improvements made to the console versions were vastly better than the former. Through in another masterpiece story from Bioware and you have an amazing game. The only problem I have with the game is that don't let PC players chose which play style to use. This forced me to play on the console and not keep any of my save data.
Honorable Mentions
Battlefield 3 multiplayer
Portal 2
Minecraft
It's between Portal 2 and Skyrim for me.
I'm trying to give DA2 a good playthrough, but for some reason right now it just feels like a giant sidequest fest. So I can't get sucked in like I did the first one.
I have to go with Portal 2. Gameplay, writing, everything was great and I didn't want to stop playing.
Runner up is Dragon Age 2 with Uncharted 3 right behind it. Not that far into Skyrim right now but really like it so far, could defiantly take my number 1 or 2 spot.